The Acadiana Advocate 04-12-2026

END OF THE LINE

Some coastal Louisiana camps lost power when their utility pulled out, and others could be next

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

ABOARD THE LIL JAKE Ben Sanamo hunched in the bowels of the tugboat and clutched one end of a garden hose. His dad, Warren, snaked the other end into a 55-gallon drum of diesel and flicked on a portable pump.

The sun fell low in the sky, splashing golden light on their houseboat, the Aqua Lodge, moored next to the tug on the Voss Canal, a waterway cut long ago by fur trappers, deep in the brackish marsh in Terrebonne Parish No neighbors were home. The swamp was quiet

The Sanamos pumped the diesel until the drum was dry Ben cranked the generator and it sputtered a couple times. “That’s the thing with generators,” Warren said. “You never know.” Ben cranked it again and it roared to life. The engine’s hum cracked the remote quiet of their nook in the marsh, where they’ve been coming for over a decade raising Ben’s son Jake, and fishing and hunting just about anything that swims or crawls in coastal Louisiana.

This is the Sanamo family’s routine now Their houseboat, which Ben and Warren built from the ground up is one of nearly 300 properties spanning four remote outposts in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes that had the lights turned off — may-

be for good. Hurricane Ida damaged some of the electric equipment that powered the camps. For years, the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative

ä See END, page 8A

Luxe Bay St. Louis homes selling for cash

‘The secret is out’ on Mississippi beach town

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

All across the waterfront neighborhoods of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, real estate agents are tracking a growing trend: Newcomers from around the country are buying million-dollar homes

in cash

“It’s crazy,” said Shane Kowalski, a broker and appraiser who often sees cash deals between $750,000 and $2 million. “We’ve just become a little destination. People want to be here.” The influx of wealth is transforming the fast-growing city of Bay St Louis, where locals and secondhomeowners from Louisiana could once buy beach homes for modest prices. It is also an example of the

economic boon invigorating cities across the Gulf Coast, which are surging with new residents and tourists Real estate agents and locals call the shift in Bay St. Louis striking. Milliondollar properties are selling along the shoreline, but also on small canals and streets a few blocks off the beach. Many high-end properties sell fast.

Louisiana natives who grew up vacationing on the Mississippi Coast are turn-

ing second homes into fulltime residences New Orleanians are spending weekends house hunting in Bay St. Louis. Homes across the city that were once passed down through generations are now selling to buyers from New York and Texas. In Hancock County, home to Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead, the median home sale price has risen by more than than $80,000 in

ä See HOMES, page 9A

Calls for safety changes follow Lao New year crash

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

The Lao New Year festival, a celebration of culture, music and community, filled the streets of a tiny Iberia Parish community over the first weekend in April.

But what began as a lighthearted celebration filled with traditional Lao dishes, vendors selling bamboo crafts, handmade jewelry and dancing along the parade route quickly turned into a scene of chaos.

Within hours of the parade starting, Devin Eschette, who traveled from Baton Rouge to attend the festival with friends, recalls a moment he’ll never forget: A vehicle barreled into a crowded parade route, sending people scattering and leaving more than a dozen injured.

“Everybody was having a good time Everybody was pretty much just hanging out,” Eschette said.

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Local governments could hold a vote to stop adding fluoride to their public water systems under a proposal advancing in the Louisiana Legislature, resurfacing a debate that has emerged from the Make America Healthy Again movement. Last year, an outright ban on fluoridation of public water systems sponsored by Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, failed in the Legislature. This year, Fesi again pitched the ban, but other senators pushed him to pare it back. Now his proposal would give towns and parishes that

ä See FLUORIDE, page 9A

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Jake Sanamo holds up a section of an old electrical line once used to power his family’s camp near Lake De Cade in Terrebonne Parish on March 26.

Ben Sanamo, left, and his father, Warren Sanamo, pump diesel fuel into their tugboat at their camp in Terrebonne Parish. The family relies on generators for power after electric infrastructure serving the area was not rebuilt following Hurricane Ida.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK A Lao New year Parade float sits

in Lanexang Village on Wednesday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

A young boy runs through a flock of seagulls on the beach in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Bill Cosby wants new trial in sex assault case

NEW YORK Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby reportedly wants a civil case in which he was ordered to pay nearly $60 million in damages to a woman who accused him of sexual assault to be reconsidered.

Cosby, 88, who’s been accused of abusing dozens of women, was found responsible last month for drugging and raping Donna Motsinger in 1972.

Cosby’s attorneys are challenging the amount of money a jury ordered the former “The Cosby Show” star to pay, according to TMZ.

Cosby’s accuser was a waitress who said she was left incapacitated by pills and wine after attending one of the comic’s shows in Los Angeles. He denies assaulting anyone, but didn’t testify in that case, according to The New York Times.

Sonic boom served up by SpaceX launch

ORLANDO, Fla. — People in Central Florida who slept in Saturday morning may have received a sonic boom wake-up call

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on a resupply run to the International Space Station hitting liftoff at 7:41 a.m.

The first-stage booster for the flight didn’t land offshore though, with SpaceX bringing it back to the recovery site adjacent the launch tower at SLC-40. The booster, made its seventh trip to space hit Landing Zone 40 about eight minutes after liftoff.

“There is the possibility that residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX had posted in a media alert.

Boy, 9, found locked in van since 2024 in France

PARIS — A 9-year-old boy has been rescued after living locked in his father’s utility van in eastern France since 2024, according to the local prosecutor The child has been hospitalized and his father detained.

Police were alerted by a neighbor to the “sounds of a child” coming from a van on Monday in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement on Saturday from prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.

After forcing the van open, officers found the child “lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement,” Heitz said. The boy was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk after being in a seated position for so long, according to the statement.

The boy’s father told investigators that he put the child in the truck in November 2024 “to protect him” because his partner wanted to send the then-7-yearold to a psychiatric hospital, the prosecutor said.

Police clear protesters to reopen Irish refinery

DUBLIN Police removed and arrested protesters on Saturday to reopen Ireland’s only oil refinery as a fifth day of disruptive demonstrations over the soaring price of fuel left many gas pumps dry and threatened to cripple transportation across the country Trucks and tractors continued to block access to vital fuel depots and a major port, and vehicles clogging traffic led to closures of part of the main highway around Dublin, the capital, as well as sections of other major roadways

Irish police Commissioner Justin Kelly said enforcement would be ramped up because protesters were illegally blockading critical infrastructure and endangering public safety because of the impact gas shortages could have on emergency response from paramedics and firefighters.

“These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest,” Kelly said. “We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom.”

3 hurt in N.Y. subway stabbings

Police shoot and kill knife-wielding man, officials say

BY JULIE WALKER and GARY D ROBERTSON Associated Press

NEW YORK A man with a machete who attacked three people randomly at a major New York City subway station Saturday morning was shot and killed by police, authorities said.

Officers responding to a 9:40 a.m. report of stabbings at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station encountered the man. He was behaving erratically, claiming he was “Lucifer,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an afternoon news conference. Tisch said he was ordered to drop his weapon at least 20 times but refused to comply

She said ultimately an officer shot him twice when he advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.

“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate. And when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”

Tisch identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, and said he had three prior unsealed arrests. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

The three stabbing victims an 84 year-old man, 65-year-old man and 70-year-old woman — suffered injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Tisch said.

One man suffered “significant lacerations to the head and face,” the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.

Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the attacks appear to be random acts.

New York Gov Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was “grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds.”

The Police Department, posting on the social platform X, advised travelers in the morning to avoid the area due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy

U.S., Iran start historic peace talks in Pakistan

BY MUNIR AHMED, E. EDUARDO CASTILLO, SAMY MAGDY and CARA ANNA Associated Press

ISLAMABAD The United States and Iran continued historic face-to-face negotiations early Sunday in Pakistan, days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran’s state media, however, said the joint military command denied that.

“We’re sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” Trump told journalists as talks continued and the time approached 2 a.m. in Islamabad. He called negotiations “very deep.” Iranian state TV noted what it called “serious” differences.

The U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian one led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed with Pakistan how to advance the ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose health ministry said the death toll has surpassed 2,000.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the most direct U.S. contact had been in 2013 when President Barack Obama called newly elected President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. Obama’s secretary of state, John Kerry, and counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif later met dur-

ing negotiations toward the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a process that lasted well over a year Now the far broader talks feature Vance, a reluctant defender of the war who has little diplomatic experience and warned Iran not to “try and play us,” and Qalibaf, a former commander with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard who has issued some of Iran’s most fiery statements since fighting began.

Iran sets ‘red lines’

Iran’s state-run news agency said the three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, were met.

Iran’s delegation told state television it had presented “red lines” in meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including compensation for damage caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Feb. 28 and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy sending energy prices soaring.

Reflecting the high stakes, officials from the region said Chinese, Egyptian, Saudi and Qatari officials were in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate talks.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter In Tehran, residents told The Associated Press they were skeptical yet hopeful after weeks of airstrikes

left destruction across their country of some 93 million people.

“Peace alone is not enough for our country because we’ve been hit very hard, there have been huge costs,” 62-year-old Amir Razzai Far said.

U.S. to help clear strait

Iran’sclosureoftheStrait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil had typically passed through on over 100 ships a day Only 12 have been recorded transiting since the ceasefire.

On Saturday, Trump said on social media that the U.S. had begun “clearing out” the strait.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon,” U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper later said.

The U.S statement about the destroyers added: “Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said Tehran was entering negotiations with “deep distrust” after strikes on Iran during previous talks. Araghchi, part of Iran’s delegation in Pakistan, said Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if attacked again.

Iran’s 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies,” explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

The United States’ 15-point proposal includes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.

traffic. Subway trains resumed stopping at the station in the afternoon after bypassing it for hours, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s website.

Beau Lardner said he was just swiping in at Grand Central when bangs rang out “loud enough to hear through headphones,” he told the AP in a message The 34-year-old moved from Manhattan to Long Island a few weeks ago, but he’s been taking the same train from Grand Central for years.

“I know that platform like the back of my hand,” he said. Lardner described a “wall of people” rushing toward him to get through the turnstiles, and he sprinted back up the stairs. He said he had “never seen a crowd move like that.” Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Allies yank support for Swalwell’s campaign

BY TRÂN NGUYUN and MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has so far denied calls for him to exit the California governor’s race following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. After prominent supporters withdrew their backing, Swalwell said in a video on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update “very soon.”

Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential candidate who has avoided engaging in the contest to replace him, said in a statement: “As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who hasn’t endorsed in the race, said the “serious allegations” must be investigated and that she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done “outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

“These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have,” the congressman said Friday Swalwell was among the leading Democrats in the race to replace outgoing Gov Gavin Newsom. But in just hours, he saw his most prominent supporters — including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions — drop their endorsements and call for his exit from the race.

The allegations surfaced at a critical stage of the wide-open campaign to lead the nation’s most populous state Voters will receive mail ballots next month in advance of the June 2 election.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024. The newspaper reviewed text messages about the alleged 2024 assault and spoke to people whom she had told about it. She told the newspaper she did not go to police because she was afraid she would not be believed.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

Vice President JD Vance, center walks with Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir left, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Swalwell

Syrian manburieswife, 4children

Family killed in Israelistrikes on Beirut

BY GHAITH ALSAYED and SALLYABOUALJOUD Associated Press

DEIR EL-ZOUR, Syria ASyr-

ian man on Saturday buried his wife and four of hisfive children, killed in the massive wave of Israeli strikes that pounded Beirut earlier this week, laying them to rest in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria. It was not the homecoming they had anticipated when they fled to Lebanon six years ago.

The bodies, along with that of his six-month pregnant daughter-in-law,arrived in wooden coffins on abus from Lebanon, their names scribbledonthe sides. Men stood beside the bus crying before theburial processionin al-Sour town, as mourners gathered to offer condolences.

Theremainsofone of his twodaughterswerestill missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday,three daysafter the attacks.

The strike was one of roughly 100 carried out by Israel on Wednesday without warning, targeting what the Israeli military said were Hezbollah-linked sites across Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. More than 350 people were killed that day,athird being women and children,making it the deadliest day in nearly six weeks of war

Many of the strikeshit commercial streets and densely populated neighborhoods in central Beirut, far from conflict zones, where repeated Israeli evacuation warnings have beenissued since March2, when the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran

The father,Hamad alJalib, survived because he wasaway fetching agas canister while working as the building’s concierge.

When he heard that astrike hadhit the Ain Mreisseh neighborhood, wherehe lives, he rushed back,only to see aplume of smoke rising fromabuilding behind amosqueacrossfromBeirut’sfamousseaside promenade —usually crowded with people walkingand exercising.

“The Israeli attack killed my girls, they are innocent, just sitting at home,” al-Jalib said. “They were having lunch.”

He said it took rescue teams three days to extractthe bodies ofhis family from under the rubble.

“And Istill have adaughter missing, hername is Fatima Hamad al-Jalib.” She is 10 years old. His otherdaughter was 12 while his sons were17, 14 and 13 yearsold Three otherSyrianrelativeswere also killed in the AinMreisseh strikeand were buriedonSaturday in thetown of al-Shuhailin Deir el-Zour, after thefamilysplit upon returning to Syria.

Al-Jalib said hisfamily hadbeendisplacedfrom theirarea and moved to Lebanon in 2020, as local tensions grew involving tribalgroups and the Kurdish-ledSyrianDemocratic Forces.

The casualties from Wednesday’sstrikes and others across the country have pushed the deathtoll in more than amonthofIsrael’swar with Hezbollah to over 1,950 killed and more than 6,300 wounded, accordingtoLebanon’sHealth Ministry. The toll includes at least 315 Syrians killed and wounded. It remains unclear how manyofthose killedon Wednesday were nonLebanese, as the Health Ministry didnot provide abreakdown by nationality.Officialshave reported that at least 39 Syrians were among the dead. Dalal Harb, aspokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency,said the family

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hamad al-Jalib is comforted by mourners during the funeral of his wifeand four of his five children during their funeral Saturdayinthe villageofal-Sour,Deir al-Zour province, northeasternSyria. The family waskilled in Israeli strikes in Beirut earlier this week.

Mourners coveragrave withcloth during the burialofa womanfrom the Al-Jalib family.The cloth is held to preserve privacy and shield the body from view

killedinAin Mreisseh was not registered with theUNHCR. There are about 530,000 Syrians refugees registered with UNHCR in Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands morebelieved to be unregistered

While hundreds of thousands of Syrians have returnedfromLebanon since theouster of former Syrian PresidentBashar Assadin December 2024, manyothers remain reluctanttogo back because of the lack of jobsand ongoing violence.

Al-Jalib’sbrother, Jomaa, whoalsolived in Lebanon,

said he was about 500 feet away at work when the first blasthit.“We ran and we ran, then the second strike happened.” He said he was arriving at the building as it began to collapse. “It was too late to getanyone out. We yelledfor them, but no one answered.” He said ambulances later recovered the bodies, which he identified at ahospital. Following the burial on Saturday, men stood shoulder to shoulderinprayer over the fresh graves.

Associated Presswriter Abby Sewell in Beirutcontributed to this report.

Pope denounces‘delusion of omnipotence’

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME In his strongest words yet,Pope LeoXIV on Saturday denouncedthe “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran anddemanded politicalleaders stop and negotiate peace. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’sBasilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as afragile ceasefire held.

History’sfirst U.S.-born pope didn’tmention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced But Leo’stone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian CardinalDominique Joseph Mathieu.The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its dep-

uty chief of mission, Laura Hochla,the U.S. Embassy said. In the first weeksofthe war,the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violenceand limitedhis comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. ButLeo steppeduphis criticism startingonPalm Sunday Andthis week, he said Trump’sthreat to annihilate Iranian civilization was“truly unacceptable” and calledfor dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday,Leo called forall people of good will to pray for peace and demand an endto war from theirpolitical leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, whichfeatured Scripture readings and meditativerecitation of the Rosary prayers, wastaking place as simultaneous local prayerservices were being held in theU.S. and beyond. Praying for peace, Leo said, was away to “break thedemoniccycle of evil” to build instead theKingdom of God where there are no swords, dronesor“unjust profit.”

“It is here thatwefind a bulwark againstthatdelusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God,the God of life, is being draggedinto discourses of death.”

Leaders have used religiontojustify theiractions in the war.U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invokedtheir Christian faith to cast the U.S.asaChristian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo has said God doesn’tblessany war,and certainly notthose whodrop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on awhite throne, wearinghis formal redcapeand liturgical stole and praying with aRosary in hishands. Many of the priestsand nuns in thepews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited

The Vatican is particularly concernedabout the spill-

over of Israel’swar against Hezbollah in Lebanon,given the plight of Christian communities in the south

Orthodox Easter trucefalters

Ukrainesays

Russia continues dronestrikes

BY DEREK GATOPOULOS, DMYTROZHYHINAS and ELISEMORTON

Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Russiacontinued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after aKremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday,a Ukrainian military officer told The Associated Press.

“The ceasefire is not beingobserved by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, acommunications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade. He said thatwhile artillery fire hadpausedinthe sector where his brigade was working, at the junction of the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, Russianforces continuedtouse drones to strike Ukrainian positions.

Ukrainian forces were responding with “silence to silence and fire to fire,” Kolesnychenko said.

RussianPresident VladimirPutin on Thursday declared a32-hour ceasefire over theOrthodoxEaster weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4p.m.onSaturday until the end of Sunday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, describing it as an opportunitytobuild on peace initiatives. But he warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.

“Easter should be atime of silenceand safety.A ceasefire (at) Eastercould also becomethe beginning of real movement toward peace,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online post on Saturday But he added: “Weall understand who we are dealing with. Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind.”

Ukraine earlier proposed to Russia apause in attacks on each other’senergyinfrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday Previous ceasefire attempts have had littleimpact, withboth sidesaccusing each other of violations.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO Awoman cries while holding aphoto of her missing relative during aPOW exchangeSaturday between Russia and Ukraine in Chernyhivregion, Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday described Putin’smoveas a“humanitarian”gesture, but said Moscow remains focused on acomprehensive settlement basedonits longstanding demands —akey sticking point that has prevented the twosidesfrom reaching an agreement.

Hours before the ceasefirewas duetobegin,Russian drone strikes overnight killed at least two people in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, local authoritiesreported.

Afurther two people were wounded in the attack on the Black Seaportcity,when drones hit aresidential area, damaging apartment buildings,housesand akindergarten.

Thedriverofapublic trolley bus was killed after the vehicle was struck by adrone in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson less than an hour before the start of theceasefire, Kherson regional head Oleksandr Prokudinwrote on Telegram. According to theUkrainian Air Force, Russia targetedUkraine with 160 drones overnight, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted,hours before a proposed Easter ceasefire was due to come into force.

Russia’sDefense Ministry said 99 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight acrossRussia andoccupied Crimea. Russia’sDefense Ministry said that aprisoner swap Saturdaybrought home 175 of its soldiers. Zelenskyy confirmed Saturday’s exchange, saying that 175 service members and seven civilians were returned. “Most had been held in captivity since 2022. And finally, they are home,” he wrote on X.

PHOTOSByGHAITH ALSAyED

Rallyhighlightsyoung voters

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. As stu-

dents banged on desks and stompedtheir feet inside a packed lecturehall at the University of Michigan, someone decades older stood in the back, quietly takingin the scene.

Debbie Dingell, alongtime Democratic congresswoman, was there to watch progressive U.S. Senate candidate AbdulEl-Sayed campaign with Hasan Piker, apopular yet controversial online streamer Dingell has often served as an early warning system for her party,cautioningthat Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on track to win Michigan in 2016 and 2024. Now she was once again scoping out the shifting political landscape, and something caught her eye.

“Quite frankly, Ihaven’t seen that many people outside an event yet this year,” said Dingell, whose district includes Ann Arbor andwho said her attendance wasn’t an endorsement.

Alineofmostlyyoung people stretched out the door and down the street, hundreds waiting in the cold evening air on Tuesday.Some had backpacks slung over their shoulders after coming from class, while others had traveled from afar

Although they were there to see aprogressive candidate, attendees didn’tfit neatly into any ideological box. Instead, they shared a common dissatisfaction with both major political parties. Their frustration wasa reminder of the anger that has coursed through modern American politics and now appears to be simmering within anew generation ahead of themidterm elections that will determine control of Congress

Liam Koenig was in third grade when Trump was first elected president —amomentthat hasshapedhis generation’sunderstanding of politics.

“It’sjust becomeincreasingly more inflammatory,” he said.

Now ahigh school senior in Oakland County,alongtime political bellwether in Michigan, Koenig described an era of constant conflict and anxiety.The mood among his peers, he said, is often som-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON

Streamer Hasan Piker,left,and AbdulEl-Sayed, a progressivecandidateinthe Democratic primaryfor U.S. Senate in Michigan, center right, takea selfiewith young fans following acampaign event Tuesdayatthe University of Michigan in Ann Arbor,Mich.

berand frustrated.

“I think alot of us have lost hope in,like, tangible change,” he said.

Younger adults are more likely than olderAmericans to have an unfavorableview of boththe Republicanand Democratic parties,according to AP-NORC polling from February

Still, that frustration hasn’tled to disengagement for Koenig. He waited for hours to see El-Sayed. He described the campaign as different from what he’sused to seeing, something more like Zohran Mamdani’ssuccessfulrun for mayorinNew York City. He wanted that kind of energy in Michigan.

“You’renot goingtoget people out with business as usual,” Koenig said.

Karol Molina, an artist who recently moved from New York City,said she had beenhunting foracandidate in Mamdani’smoldwhen shearrived in Michigan. She settledonEl-Sayed, who is facing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens andstate Sen. Mallory McMorrow in the state’s primary “Wewant to be abletolive and, like, afford life without constantly scraping by,” she said Molina was looking fora cleanbreak with thepast.

“I think the Democratic Partyislosing because they’re not really listeningto what the people really want,” she said. “They’re trying to keep aparty that existed before Donald Trump. And that party doesn’t existanymore.”

Piker,a 34-year-old streamer with 3.1 million followers

on Twitchand 1.8 million on YouTube, has described himself as a“megaphone” for an angry electorate. He’s also been controversial among Democrats for some of hisrhetoric, including comments that “Hamas is a thousandtimes better” than Israel, some OrthodoxJews are “inbred” and “America deserved 9/11.”

In arecent interview with The Associated Press, Piker was largely unapologetic for his past remarks but said some werepoorly worded. He called the renewed focus on them“totally ridiculous, especially considering that there are far more consequential thingshappening in the world right now.”

EthanSchneider,athirdyear student at the University of Michigan, described today’spoliticsas“alittle unserious.”

“It’sdifficult to remain positive or not be jaded at a young age,” said Schneider. Schneider saidhevoted for Democrat Kamala Harris two years ago but,like many in line to seePiker and El-Sayed, was critical of her and her party

“Hate them,” he saidof Democrats. “Theyfeel very complicit, in terms of all the issuesgoingonnow.Ifnot complicit, they’re just doing nothing,”

Younger people are rejecting bothparties at much higher rates thanolder generations,according to recent Gallup polling. More than half of Generation Zand Millennials identify as political independents, while amajorityofolder generationsside withaparty

Disaster requests OK’d foratleast 7states

BY GABRIELA AOUN

ANGUEIRA Associated Press

TheTrump administration approved major disaster declaration requests for at least seven statesthis week, according to information released Saturday by the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency, allowing affected communities to access federal support. About 15 requests for assistance from others states and tribes for extreme weather events this year and last seem tobe

pending, along with three appeals of previous denials Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington were granted major disasterdeclarations, whichcan unlock federal support and funding for recovery needs such as public infrastructurerepairs and aidfor survivors.

The announcement, in a FEMA daily briefing document,comes weeks into Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s tenureoverseeing thedisaster relief agency and is the

The Gallup polling found thatthisgrowing groupof independentstends to be motivated by unhappiness with the party in power adynamic thatcould benefitDemocrats this year but doesn’tpromise lasting loyalty

JacobAbbott, an undergraduatestudent at the UniversityofMichigan, said he feels that the DemocraticParty hasstrayed toward “corporate interest politics.”Tohim, the backlash toward Piker reflects abroader vacuum in Americanpolitics— alack of people who can commandattention andspeak to theirfrustrations, even if they’re flawed.

“So is Hasan perfect? Probably not,” Abbott said. “But he’smuchbetter than thealternative theDemocratic Party has had.”

Overdecades in politics, Dingell has seen long lines andpacked rooms before She was trying to gauge whether there’ssomething more durable at theevent withEl-Sayed and Piker

After all, progressive candidates have long generated excitement without winning electoral victories. El-Sayedhimself finished adistant second in Michigan’sDemocratic primaryfor governorin 2018. In addition, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont,a leading face of the progressive movement, fellshort in two Democraticpresidential campaigns

Butsome Democrats argue this moment may be different, pointing to recentvictories by Mamdani in New York andAnalilia Mejia, who won acrowded Democratic primaryina special U.S. House election in New Jersey

“There shouldbeaprogressive running everywhere that one exists,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee, who also appeared withEl-Sayed.

Judgetoldtoreassess WhiteHouse ballroom

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Afederal judgemustreconsider the possible nationalsecurity implications of halting construction of President Donald Trump’s$400 millionWhite House ballroom, an appeals court ruledonSaturday Athree-judge panelfrom theU.S.Court of Appeals forthe DistrictofColumbia Circuit said it did not have enough information to decide howmuchofthe project can be suspendedwithout jeopardizing thesafety of thepresident,his family or theWhite House staff.

The case was returned to the trial judge who, in aMarch 31 ruling, barred work from proceeding withoutcongressional approval, but suspended enforcement of that order for14days. The appealscourt extendedthat forthreedays, to April 17, to allow the Trump administration to seek SupremeCourt review.

The panelinstructedU.S District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether —and how —his injunction interferes with the administration’s plans forsafety andsecurity Government lawyers had arguedthatthe project includes critical security features to guard against arange of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards andthatholding up construction “would imperil the President and others wholiveand work in the WhiteHouse.”

Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that thepreservationist groupbehind the legalchallenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.

Leonexemptedany construction work necessary to ensure thesafetyand security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the

latestsignalthatthe former Republican senatorfrom Oklahoma could ease some of the turmoil from the leadership of his predecessor Kristi Noem, who was fired by President Donald Trump in March

It was notimmediately clearwhether otherstates or tribeshad also been told of approvals or denials that were not yet announced publicly.Hawaii Gov.Josh Green, aDemocrat, saidWednesday his state had received adisaster declaration for devastatingMarch flooding

government privately submittedbefore determining that ahalt would notjeopardizenational security

The Republican administration’sappeal citedmaterials that would be installed to make a“heavily fortified” facilityand said construction included bomb shelters, military installationsand a medical facilityunderneath theballroom.

The appealspanel noted thatmuchofthe government’sconcernsfocused on that below-ground security work, whichthe WhiteHouse argued was “distinct from construction of the ballroom itselfand could proceed independently.”

Now,however,the White House seems to suggest those security upgrades are “inseparable”fromthe project as whole, the appealscourt said, makingitunclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of theballroom is necessary forthe safety andsecurity of those upgrades.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in astatement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court. She said thegroup was committed “tohonoring thehistoric significance of the White House, advocating forour collectiverole as stewards,and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in abetter overall outcome.”

The organization sued in December,aweek after the White House finished demolishing theEastWingfor a 90,000-square-foot ballroom that Trump saidwould fit 999 people.The administration said aboveground construction on theballroom would begin in April.

Leon concluded last month that thelawsuit was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

ByJoshFleig

ChiefInnovationOfficer

LouisianaInnovation/LouisianaEconomicDevelopment

OnFebruary6,2025,Louisianadidsomething ithasneverdonebefore

Forthefirsttimeatthestatelevel,wemadeitclear: buildingastrong,technology-enabledeconomyis essentialtoLouisiana’sfuture.Andthatfutureis arrivingfasterthanmanyrealize.

Acrossthecountry,autonomoussystemsare reshapinghowindustriesoperate.Self-driving trucks,unmannedmaritimevessels,andintelligent automationarenolongerabstractideas

They’rehere,alreadychang werespondtoemergencies nationalsecurity

Louisianaisnotwatching fromthesidelines Compan MetalSharkareprovingwe ofit.Saronicisinvesting$30 itsLouisianashipyardandwa millionNavycontractforits vessel.MetalShark,recently Defense,continuesexpand capabilities,includingunma bytheU.S.Navyandotherp happeningrightnowinours Louisianaworkersandpushi maritimeinnovation

TheFutur Through Robotsare coming...

Onourhighways,companieslikeAuroraand KodiakRoboticsaretestingautonomousfreight technologyalongLouisiana’slogisticscorridors, positioningthestateasaprovinggroundforthe futureoftransportation.Inheavyindustry,Louisiana islaunchingafirst-of-its-kindpilotwithSSESteel FabricationandPersonaAItosupporthumanoid roboticsinalivesteelyardenvironment.

Tribal gas stations offer reprieve from high prices

BY MEAD GRUVER

Associated Press

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Junelle Lewis

was on the hunt for a reprieve from Seattle-area gas prices driven high by the Iran war when an app on her phone gave her the answer: the Tulalip Reservation north of the city, almost half an hour from her home.

She didn’t hesitate.

“I purposely drove here just for the gas,” Lewis said while filling up her Chevrolet Suburban at the Tulalip Market this week for $4.84 a gallon about 75 cents less than prices near home. “Gas is ridiculous. But I have found, honestly, over the years, this gas station specifically is cheaper than a lot around here. Probably the cheapest.” Lewis isn’t the only driver who has discovered that some of cheapest fuel can be found on Native American reservations.

Especially in California, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Washington state places with dozens of tribally owned stations, including some in busy travel corridors tribes exempt from state fuel taxes can sell for much less than competing stations nearby

The drive to find bargains

Apps such as Gas Buddy make finding the cheapest gas easier than ever Nationwide, gasoline prices have risen by well over $1 since the Iran war began Feb. 28, reaching an average of $4.15 a gallon, according to AAA.

Prices have been higher topping $5 during the summer of 2022, but economists believe they will continue heading up and contribute to inflation in the weeks of ahead as geopolitical tension persists.

Deals are to be found, though, at many of the almost 500 tribally owned convenience stores with gas

stations across the U.S.

Fifty-five are in California. At the Chukchansi Crossing Fuel Station & Travel Center between Fresno and Yosemite National Park, the $5.09 gas was 60 cents less than nearby stations. New Mexico resident Jamie Cross usually finds savings on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, where gas was as low as $3.79 this week.

“I hope we don’t go any higher,”

Cross said Thursday In eastern New York state, on Cattauragus Indian Territory between Buffalo and Erie, Pennsylvania, the cheapest gas was about $3.65 at more than half a dozen stations — 50 cents less than in towns nearby

A fuel tax escape

So how do tribes do it? Two words: tax exemptions

Generally tribes must pay the federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel, and pass that

cost along to drivers. State fuel taxes are a different matter

For well over a century, U.S courts have found that states don’t have authority to collect taxes from Native Americans on their land, said Dan Lewerenz, a University of North Dakota assistant law professor who specializes in Native American law

“The Supreme Court consistently held to this view and it’s one of the most enduring principles in federal Indian law,” Lewerenz said.

Federally recognized Native American tribes are in 35 states with state gasoline taxes ranging from 9 cents per gallon in Alaska to 71 cents in California.

From there things get complicated based on where the fuel is taxed — at fuel terminals, say, or when distributors buy or sell fuel — and depending on various agreements between states and tribes.

Court rulings come into play In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that off-reservation distributors

in Kansas may charge state tax on sales to tribes for on-reservation fuel sales. But in 2019, the Supreme Court held that an 1855 treaty between the U.S. and the Yakama Nation that ensured the free travel of tribal members on roads with their goods prohibited state fuel taxes on tribal lands in Washington state.

“This is a little bit different than the principle that Indians aren’t taxed within Indian Country because this particular treaty reserved certain off-reservation rights for the Indians as well,” Lewerenz said.

One way stores make money

Convenience store gas sales are not as profitable as bringing people inside from the pumps.

Selling snacks adds profit. But tribal businesses are increasingly offering groceries in what otherwise would be “food deserts” far from grocery stores.

“Sometimes these gas stations and convenience stores are the nearest, best place to purchase affordable food or household supplies,” said Matthew Klas, with the Minneapolis-based consultant Klas Robinson Q.E.D.

Klas does market research and consults for tribal businesses and tracks the 245 tribes nationwide that, as of 2025, operated 496 convenience stores with gas stations.

Oklahoma, California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York have the most. Some tribes, including the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma and Oneida Indian Nation in New York, have their own store chains.

Drive-thru smoke shops, car washes and truck stop amenities also bring in revenue. Then there are the casinos: 205 tribally owned gas stations are located at or near casinos.

Some tribal casinos are resorts with gas stations. Some tribal gas

stations are casinos of a sort called “gasinos,” which only have a small number of gambling machines.

Tribally owned businesses are a major revenue generator for Native American reservations. On the Seattle area’s Tulalip Reservation, rising gas sales were being reinvested in the community, helping to cover the cost of roads, police, health care, education, housing and other needs, Tulalip Tribes Federal Corporation CEO Tanya Burns said in a statement.

“Like any government, we provide critical services to our people,” Burns said.

It’s not just about savings

“It’s terrible,” Todd Hall of Paden, Oklahoma, said of diesel prices as he spent about $90 to fill up his tow truck at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation gas station about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City

But, he added: “They’re cheaper here than anywhere else.”

Hall paid $4.57 per gallon for diesel, and said the price is over $5 at many locations in the area.

Mark Foster said he saves about $5 a week buying fuel at the tribally owned gas station. But he’s a faithful customer because the tribe is a good community partner, he said.

“I like the way the tribe operates,” he said. “And the price is good, too.”

At the Tulalip Market north of Seattle, Jared Blankenship was griping not about prices but that he was having to pay for gas at all.

“Yeah, well, my electric car just got totaled,” Blankenship said.

“So this sucks. This is new It’s either Costco or looking wherever’s cheap, like the rez.

BY ALEXA ST JOHN Associated Press

DETROIT After a few years of sharing a 2019 Chevrolet Trax, Dana Eble and Tyler Marcus are finally looking for a second car. But as they jump into the market, the young married couple isn’t sure what they can afford

“I just keep seeing a lot of different aspects of life getting more expensive, and it’s harder,” said Eble, an account manager for a public relations agency Car ownership has long been integral to the American dream. But as automakers slash the production of inexpensive models to cater to customers who can afford oversized pickups and sport utility vehicles, buyers find themselves facing sticker shock at the same time they are already frustrated by the lingering effects of high inflation.

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March, the biggest yearly increase since May 2024, while new car prices were up 12.6% from a year ago, the Labor Department reported Friday New vehicles now sell for an average of nearly $50,000, up 30% in six years, and average monthly payments based on 10% down and a 6-year note — recently hit $775. Looking for something on the cheap end? The share of vehicles listing for less than $30,000 is about 13% down from 40% five years ago, per the car review site CarGurus.

To cope, buyers are spreading their payments out longer Consumers choosing 7-year loans make up more than 12% of all sales, up from nearly 8% a year ago,

according to auto buying resource J.D. Power Such contracts wind up costing more in the long run because of interest payments.

“The ability to buy transportation is still out there. The question is just, what do you get for your money?” Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive, said.

The rising cost of cars is contributing to increased concerns about affordability throughout American life. Consumers, especially young people, say they feel like everyday needs like housing, food, utilities and child care are getting costlier and wages aren’t keeping up. It is a vulnerable position for Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections, especially as the Iran war has pumped up gas prices that makes getting behind the wheel even more expensive.

Sticker prices have been rising since automakers discovered Americans are willing to pay more for bigger, more expensive SUVs and pickup trucks that bring the companies more profit from each sale. They have largely phased out smaller, cheaper sedans.

That is especially true for domestic carmakers; the average selling prices for many vehicles from Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Jeep-maker Stellantis have generally trended higher than those for Asian companies Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru

Car companies are also savvy about placing desired options in more expensive trim levels that can lure consumers into a vehicle

that costs more than they planned, said David Undercoffler the head of consumer insights at CarGurus.

Advanced safety technology — lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, collision warnings and more — all add to the cost of a vehicle. Automakers are required by federal industry rules to add some features, such as rear-view cameras.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed up auto prices because production fell, affecting both the new and used markets. Though production recovered, other supply chain disruptions and tariffs have affected prices. Meanwhile, government data shows that car insurance prices have soared 55% compared with six years ago, or just before the pandemic, driving up the number of Americans going without. Car repairs, on average, are 48% more expensive.

The share of new car buyers earning below $100,000 fell to 37% last year down from 50% in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.

Some carmakers have acknowledged affordability concerns. In February, Ford said it would have several vehicles prices under $40,000 by the end of the decade. GM has pointed to vehicles from Buick and Chevrolet, including the Trax, as cheaper options.

Chesbrough thinks consumers are sometimes unrealistic in their wants.

“There are vehicles out there for less than $30,000. What everybody wants is the mid-sized SUV with leather seats and the sunroof for $25,000, and that’s not available,” Chesbrough said.

Those buyers, he said, are being pushed into the used market.

But as those buyers shift to used, they are finding fewer affordable options there, too.

The share of used vehicles priced less than $30,000 fell from 78% in 2021 to 69% in February, according to CarGurus. The average used vehicle sold for about $25,000 in February, and the average used monthly payments hit $560.

The inventory of used cars is being hit by a couple of trends. One is that consumers keen to avoid a big expense are hanging on to

their cars longer — nearly 13 years on average now, 18 months longer than a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And a downturn in the popularity of leasing means fewer two- and three-year-old cars hitting the market after leases expire.

J.D. Power estimates that consumers might spend up to $140 less on a lease payment than the average finance commitment, a good option especially for drivers whose annual mileage is predictable. But experts say there is still an affordability challenge.

Sam Dykhuis, 27, of Chicago, needed to buy her first car recently when she started a new job as a scheduler for United Airlines. She searched for something used under $20,000, and eventually paid a little more than that for a 2021 Mazda CX-5. To hold down the cost, she tapped savings to buy the car outright. She pays insurance six months at a time to save a few bucks, too. Still, “My paycheck went down and my expenses went up,” Dykhuis said. “Certainly, I have to be more just on top of it than I was previously.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Darryl Smith fuels up his truck after putting extra gasoline into cans at the Tulalip Market gas station Wednesday on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington.

He said he briefly noticed a man, who later would be identified as Todd Landry, standing near a parked vehicle along the route, but nothing about it seemed unusual.

It was Eschette’s first time attending the festival, and he continued taking in the scene, describing it as a relaxed, festive atmosphere.

Families lined the narrow Savannakhet Street as parade groups moved steadily forward, performing dances and skits. The festival, centered around the Wat Tammarattanaram Buddhist Temple, is one of the largest Lao New Year celebrations in the country It is known as a place where generations gather to reconnect with family and preserve cultural roots.

The temple itself, standing prominently among the rural Louisiana landscape, has served as the heart of the celebration for about a decade. While Lao New Year is traditionally observed in mid-April, the Iberia Parish community holds its festival on Easter weekend, drawing visitors from across the state Another attendee, Wendy Hebert, said she and others had just repositioned themselves along the route after watching part of the parade near the temple They walked down Savannakhet Street to meet friends and stopped near the edge of the road

At roughly 2:30 p.m., the calm was shattered.

Authorities say Landry 57 of Jeanerette, got into his blue muscle car just before 2:30 p.m.

Bystanders recalled hearing the engine rev before the vehicle surged forward into the crowd, overturning a golf cart and striking paradegoers near the intersection of Savannakhet Street and Melancon Road.

Investigators said Landry showed signs of impairment and later recorded a bloodalcohol level of 0.137%, well above the legal limit. He was arrested and booked on charges including driving while impaired, first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation and having an open container

Witnesses said there was little warning “We were standing on the edge of the street when all of a sudden he just comes barreling in and running over people,” Hebert said.

“A couple people got thrown. He hit the golf cart and drove it all the way through,” Eschette added. “There were about 20 people between the golf cart and the next float.” For many witnesses, the presence of children made the scene especially difficult.

“Nobody wants to watch a kid get thrown,” Eschette said, recalling a young girl screaming for her grandmother in the chaos.

The vehicle continu through the crowd before coming to a stop in a di according to witnesses. the immediate afterm panic spread through area.

Some people ran away Others ran toward the jured.

“You got two types of peo ple: the ones that run and ones that fix the proble Eschette said “I went help where I can.” Eschette said bystanders quickly stepped in, joini in pulling victims from neath the vehicle and assist ing those who were hurt.

As witnesses called 9 emergency crews began mobilize. According to Acadian Ambulance, the call came in at 2:40 p.m., prompting an initial deployment of seven ambulances and one helicopter As the first unit arrived and assessed the severity, additional resources were requested, bringing the total response to 14 ambulances and two helicopters. Multiple agencies responded, including local fire departments, sheriff’s deputies and police departments from surrounding areas, forming a coordinated, large-scale emergency effort.

based in New Iberia, was among the first to arrive, reaching the scene in about 15 minutes and assuming incident command.

“When I first got there, I had to get a general idea of what we had,” Need said.

“How many patients, how big the area was before we could really start assigning resources.”

Fire crews quickly briefed him on what they were seeing.

“From there, we worked to establish a central area and figure out how many patients we had and how severe their injuries were,” he

said.

Videos from the scene showed multiple victims on the ground and at least one person trapped beneath Landry’s vehicle. An Iberia Parish sheriff’s deputy was seen pulling Landry from the car while the victim remained underneath.

First responders used a color-coded triage system to prioritize care, which identified those with minor injuries, those who needed urgent treatment and those in critical condition.

“We call out to the walking wounded first,” Need said. “If they can move and follow

commands, we group them together Then we assess the others based on severity and who needs help immediately and who can wait.”

Ultimately, 13 patients were transported by Acadian Ambulance crews, 11 by ground and two by air, while others may have gone to hospitals in private vehicles

Despite the urgency of the moment, he said responders are trained to compartmentalize.

“You kind of switch off the emotional side while you’re working,” Need said “It’s usually after everything is done that it really hits you.”

At least 18 people were injured, according to Louisiana State Police. A spokesperson for Ochsner Lafayette General said seven patients were brought to their facility Three were treated and released the same day, while four remained hospitalized.

Even as emergency crews cleared the scene, the emotional weight lingered among those who witnessed it.

“It’s just been really terrible and sad,” said Phanat Xanamane, a festival volunteer “We’re very tight-knit, and so it’s been difficult having to wait to hear information about those that were injured. We never anticipated a tragedy like this.”

In the wake of the crash, organizers canceled portions of Saturday’s events and halted alcohol sales. By the next day, parts of the festival resumed in a quieter atmosphere.

For many, the sudden shift from celebration to catastrophe is still hard to grasp.

“Such a tragedy that this had to happen,” Hebert said. “I pray for everyone involved.”

Lanexang Village residents have continued to spend the past week processing the tragic turn the annual festival took. While most residents wished to remain unidentified, those who knew Landry personally insist the incident was one of reckless behavior, not

malice. “He’s not a bad person”, one resident said. “He’s worked with the Lao community for so long. I think he got drunk and was careless, but he’s not a bad guy.” Others suggested security measures at this year’s festival were not as stringent as in years past, with some residents noting a reduced police presence during the parade where the accident took place.

“There were too many gaps during the parade,” one resident stated. “We have to have more security filling in those gaps so that people can’t get in their car and start driving.”

While Melancon Road remains barricaded from through traffic during the parade, many festival attendees park their cars inside the neighborhood. Several residents suggested that with the heavy drinking that takes place during the festival, more security officers are needed to ensure attendees do not operate their vehicles during the parade.

“If there’s people in the streets, and you see someone who is drunk trying to get in their car, why wouldn’t you try and stop him? It’s a matter of protecting the people who are here,” said another Lanexang Village resident. As of Tuesday, Landry remained in the Iberia Parish Jail with bail set at $247,500. Staff writer Joel Thompson contributed to this report.

Paramedic John Need, a nearly 17-year veteran

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK The Wat Thammarattanaram Buddhist temple is located in Lanexang Village in Coteau.

Association, or SLECA, told the camp owners that they planned to build them back. Then, with little warning, SLECA sent another letter in August2024 withnews:The utility would not rebuild. Its officials filed paperwork with regulators to formally abandon the camps,leavingthem without lights, air conditioning and other modernconveniencespowered by electricity.Last month, it won formal approvalto abandon one of the four camp communities.

Thedecision is alandmark one, the first time in Louisiana history that an electric utility has formally filed for abandonment proceedings, and apparently the first such caseinthe U.S.

It is theculmination of asprawling fight that’s spanned from the coastal marsh to Houma courtrooms to the Baton Rouge offices of the PublicService Commission, apowerful five-memberbody that regulates utilities around the state. The PSC approved the abandonment of the Lake De Cade lines, where the Sanamos’ camp sits. Other camp owners, elected officials and SLECA are still battling over the fate of three more camp communities nearby that maysoonbeabandonedas well. The saga is intensifying concerns over the future of coastal Louisiana, where oil canals,sea level rise, subsidenceand leveeshave already caused devastating land loss.Mapsshowhow much of the state’s boot sole has receded,while huge amounts of land surrounding the Sanamos’ camp are expected to be stripped awayinthe coming decades. With climate change making hurricanes more powerful, land fading intothe water and the cost of living pricing people out, many communities around the coastare already fighting to stay afloat. The electric abandonment only applies to

camp owners now,but some wonder whether other communities are at risk of permanently losing access to power after thenext storm.

SLECAGeneral Manager Matthew Peters said it takesits obligationtoserve allmembers seriously, and it hasnoplans to abandon service to additional customers. But when seeking FEMA aidfor rebuildingthe lines, Peters saidthe FEMA requirements madethe cost of rebuildingtoo much

“The irreparable damage to the Lake Linescaused by HurricaneIda presented uniqueand unavoidable circumstances duetotheir location in remotecoastal environments and the extentofstorm damage,” Peters saidinanemail. “Our decision was guided by its commitment to balancing safety,cost, and fairness to all members of the cooperative.”

State Rep. JoeOrgeron, R-CutOff,iswarning that other power suppliers could trytofollowSLECA’s example. He referenced Gov Jeff Landry,whose camp in theAtchafalayaBasin is the siteofan annual gatorhunt fundraiser

“He’sgot acampserved by gridpower,” Orgeron said. “Are theygoing to be next to be pulled out?Itsets abad precedent to allow them to pull outwhenever youhavethat much public engagementasking themto stay ”

BenSanamo and his father built thehouseboat and started leasing the camp from ConocoPhillips, abig landowner in these parts, around the time Jake was born. Now 12, Jake has essentially grown up on the coastalbayous, spending weekends riding in mudboats and fishing off the dock.

To keep their lights on, thefamilymakes an inconvenientbut necessary annualtrip. They motor out the 30 miles west from the Dularge Bayou, across Lake De Cade and what remains of thecommunity of fishing camps, some reduced to wooden pilings with old electric lines flapping in the breeze. The Sanamos pull up to their houseboat, where their oldelectric meter still sits on the dock, theconnecting lines lying in the brush. Then they fuel up thegenerator and prepare to tugthe

the oil industry remains: Companies includingConocoPhillips and Apache LouisianaMineralsown much of the land where the poles sit,meaning SLECA needs rights of wayfrom the companies to rebuild.

up laborand operation and maintenancecosts. The terrain has also changed significantly over the years due to coastal erosion andsubsidence. This is not atypical line replacement; it is ahighrisk, high-cost, low-revenue capital project.”

houseboat 13 hours back to Cut Off, to avoidhavingthe boat fill up with moldand mildew over the harsh south Louisiana summer.The tug boat they useisnamed “Lil Jake,” after the youngest Sanamo, he said.

Amonthafter telling the Sanamos and the other camp owners that it was abandoning electricservice, SLECA made allofthemanoffer: It would mail thema $1,000 check in exchange for waiving their right to future claims. Sanamo said the $1,000 doesn’t come close to paying for theinconvenience.

Shifting terrain

SLECA was foundedin 1938, one in awave of rural electric cooperatives that formed as nonprofits owned by customers and controlled by elected boards. The co-op quickly found aniche servicing therapidly growing oil industry,asworkers dug canalsthrough the coastal marsh and extracted massive amountsofoil.

By the1960s,SLECA was racing to installwooden electric poles andstring up linesinareas likeLake De Cade. Its marriage with

After Ida, SLECA sent letterstocampowners saying its infrastructure took on “unprecedented” damage andthattheyshould prepare forextended outages —perhaps fora year or longer. The next year,the co-op’s leaders promised they had “every intention” of rebuilding. By then,the utility hadalreadysentout boats to pull up the old poles —adecision that has rankled somemembers of the PSC.

SLECA began negotiating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over thedesignofthe new poles. Because it’s anonprofit, co-ops like SLECA can get FEMA to cover most of the cost of rebuilding after a storm

The next year,SLECA toldcamp ownersthatits old power lines werenolongeranoption: FEMA had a new requirement that poles could withstandhurricaneforce winds.

The utility’scostestimates ballooned once its engineers metFEMA’s standards, filings show.And in August 2024, SLECA voted notto rebuild the lines.

Peters, of SLECA, said the co-op toreout thepoles because theydeterminedthey weren’tsafe after Ida.Atthe time, SLECA’s“intent was to rebuild the system,not to abandon it,” he said.

The issue went to one of the Public ServiceCommission’sadministrative law judges, whooften hear PSC cases before the commission ultimately votes on them.

“The LakeLines are only accessible by boat,”Peters, the SLECA general manager, testified in the proceedings last year.“Maintenance requires specialized amphibious equipment. Even routine outages would require mobilizationofmarine fleets, equipment that SLECA does notown, therebydriving

Another factor: Apache, one of the oil companies that owns thousands of acres of coastalland, is refusing to provide rights of wayto SLECA. Timothy Allen, general manager of Apache, testifieda few months ago that it’shard to rebuild in the area and the company doesn’twantits land to be disturbed by the rebuild. “You know, haditbeen folks’ housesorbusinesses, I think that would be adifferent story,” Allen said. “But the position we’ve taken as acompany is that we’re not interested in further destruction of ourland to run ahardened line to serve, you know,just acouple or three dozenrecreational campsites.” Allen did not return amessage forthis story FEMA, which is affected by an ongoing partialgovernment shutdown, didn’t respond to questions for this story

Novelcase

Until now, only afew gas utilitieshavegonethrough abandonment procedures in the state when they stopped servicing ahandful of customers. The utilities paid customers to switch to electric appliances. The SLECA case appears to be anovel one. Evenwhen the federalgovernment facilitated the massrelocation of residents of Isle De Jean Charles, thesinking barrier island in Terrebonne Parish, only the gas utility filed paperwork to abandon the island. Entergy still provides electric serviceto50electricmeters there, aspokesperson said. Scott Hempling, adecadeslong author of utility law textbooksand an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center,said

he’s never heard of a case like it anywhere in the country

SLECA has said its problem boils down to math: All SLECA customers would be on the hook for over $10 million to rebuild; the other 90% of rebuilding costs would be paid by FEMA. When factoring in additional costs, it would total between $86,524 and $127,304 per camp owner, SLECA officials said in testimony If the utility rebuilt, the costs would likely be spread across all members, who would pay an extra $3 to $5 a month over the next 30 years, according to documents filed by PSC staff.

While SLECA is choosing abandonment, Entergy made the opposite decision a few dozen miles southeast, in Grand Isle, after Ida. The company had a similar math problem: To elevate substations, bury power lines and rebuild new fortified poles, it cost $80 million. That’s about $80,000 per permanent resident on the barrier island. But Entergy moved forward, in keeping with its long-standing policy to issue bonds and socialize the costs of hurricane recovery to all its customers. Entergy called Grand Isle — mainly used as an outpost for fishing camps — a vital economic engine for the state Workers used reclaimed oil pipelines to fortify poles They put a substation 20 feet in the air

Phillip Carlos, one of the camp owners in the Lake De Cade area, said he rebuilt his entire camp after Hurricane Andrew destroyed it in 1992. It’s survived every storm since, he said.

Now 72, Carlos said it’s a hardship to haul diesel out to the camp every time he uses it. The former oilfield worker said SLECA

“jumped the gun” ripping out all the infrastructure after Ida He spent about $25,000 installing a generator

“My kids grew up out there,” he said. “I planned to spend a lot of my retirement time out there. Now, it’s hard.”

‘Vastly undercompensated’

At a hearing last month, several camp owners begged the PSC to stop SLECA from abandoning electric service to their camps. One said he bought a camp for $160,000 but has struggled to net a sale for it, and can’t get $40,000 for it now because of the lack of electricity.

Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, a Metairie Republican, turned to a fellow member after the group’s testimony and said “the fact that they tore that s*** down without

FLUORIDE

Continued from page 1A

fluoridate their water the option to hold an election to end that practice.

The measure passed the Senate on Wednesday, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in a 26-7 vote.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in rocks, soil and water It started being added to public water systems in the mid1900s to help prevent tooth decay, an intervention that science and health experts widely agree is safe.

Fesi has said it is “hazardous and poisonous.”

Currently, Louisiana’s public water systems with more than 5,000 service connections are required to add fluoride at safe levels determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if they have the money to do so. Systems without fluoride can opt out of the requirement to add it if 15% of voters in that system petition to hold a vote for an exemption, and the voting public agrees

HOMES

Continued from page 1A

the last five years, according to the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors

Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau also show the percent of households in the county that earn $200,000 or more a year jumped from 2.8% between 2015 and 2019 to 6.5% between 2020 and 2024.

“It’s getting pretty pricey,” said Regan Kane, a real estate broker based in Bay St. Louis. “It’s just really not a local market anymore.”

‘A slower lifestyle’

Newcomers say they are choosing Bay St. Louis for its easygoing culture and small-town feel.

“It’s a real neighborhood,” said Joe Barenberg, a retired executive who started a company that

coming to us first is a problem.”

In an interview, Skrmetta said he’s disappointed SLECA seemed to “ask for forgiveness instead of permission.” He said the PSC can’t let this situation happen again and will likely require SLECA to pay camp owners who are losing electricity

“The folks are vastly undercom-

pensated,” he said “The commission is going to look at a greater compensation package.” Peters, of SLECA, said they “take our obligation to serve all members seriously” and pointed to the $1,000 payment they offered to residents losing power as an example of a step to assist affected members.

Fesi’s proposal, Senate Bill 4, would allow local governments to hold a vote to opt out of a fluoridation program without the need for

a petition. With a majority vote fluoridation would end.

The CDC tracked data in 2025 for 922 public water systems in Loui-

Joy Guillot, the administrative law judge who oversaw the case for the PSC, had determined in February that SLECA didn’t meet the requirements for abandonment under the PSC’s rules. Guillot called some of SLECA’s evidence “meager and unsubstantiated,” but didn’t rule that rebuilding the lines was in the public interest, saying the record was insufficient.

But Commissioner JP Coussan, a Republican elected in 2024 whose district includes the camps, offered a proposal at last month’s meeting about how to move forward: The PSC would allow SLECA to abandon service to the Lake De Cade camps. The other three sets of lines — Lake Fields, Grand Pass and Four Point — would go back to the judge to be litigated further All but one PSC member agreed. Weeks after the meeting when the PSC agreed on abandonment, a camp owner in the Lake De Cade area filed a lawsuit in Houma’s district court against SLECA, arguing the utility failed to live up to its duty to provide service. He’s seeking class-action status, and lawyers held a meeting last week to spread the word in Houma.

siana serving 3.9 million people. Only 120 of those systems serving 1.5 million people are fluoridated.

And, of the systems that are fluoridated, half of them have a naturally occurring fluoride concentration that both prevents tooth decay and is deemed safe by the CDC.

Current federal guidelines recommend a fluoride concentration of 0.7 milligrams per liter in drinking water

State efforts to ban fluoride ramped up after Robert F. Kennedy Jr early last year became the top official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gaining a megaphone for his MAHA platform, which has called into question public health interventions like fluoridation and vaccines.

A “MAHA Report” published by the White House says it aims to prevent childhood chronic disease by addressing “root causes” like ultraprocessed ingredients, synthetic chemicals and sedentary lifestyles.

The report says fluoride is an “environmental chemical” that needs to be studied more to understand how it impacts children.

Fesi, who owns a pipeline construction business that services oil

Coussan said in an interview he’s not taking sides in the debate. But he said he agreed with PSC staff’s assessment that SLECA met its “burden of proof” for abandoning the Lake De Cade lines.

Coussan said the situation revealed “gaps in our oversight” after hurricanes. If SLECA hadn’t pulled out its infrastructure after Ida without notifying the PSC, he said it would have been easier to analyze the true costs of repair

“This is an extraordinary situation with distinguishable facts from anything that’s ever happened,” he said, adding that the PSC has to look out for all 17,000 SLECA members, not just the camp owners.

Davante Lewis, one of two Democrats on the PSC and the only member to vote against Coussan’s proposal, said he’s concerned about the precedent SLECA is setting.

“These questions are going to arise,” Lewis said in an interview “With climate change, the intensity of storms Questions about the recovery costs and rebuilding costs of our infrastructure are no doubt going to be a question over the next 15 to 20 years.”

and gas companies, has said fluoride is harmful to human health and can lower the IQ of children.

But, like last year, he is once again facing widespread opposition from medical and public health professionals.

The Louisiana Dental Association, Louisiana Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Louisiana State Medical Society, Louisiana Primary Care Association, Louisiana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians all opposed Fesi’s proposed fluoride ban during a public hearing last month.

Dr Suzanne Fournier, a pediatric dentist who works at a children’s hospital in New Orleans, told lawmakers that fluoride helps teeth repair themselves, and it also stops bacteria growth that causes tooth decay and cavities.

“Community water fluoridation is actually supporting a naturally occurring mineral,” Fournier said. She noted that other vitamins and minerals — like iodine, calcium vitamin C and vitamin D are added to foods and drinks like orange juice, milk and salt “to help make sure that we stay healthy.”

became a major global manufacturer of polyester resin 15 years ago. He and his wife will split time between Dallas and their new Bay St. Louis home starting this spring.

“The sense of community in Bay St. Louis is just so gravitational,”

Barenberg added

Rachael Catalanotto, an attorney whose firm is based in Lafayette and Covington and employs lawyers licensed in Louisiana and Mississippi, said she loves the Bay because “it’s a slower lifestyle.”

Her family is closing on a waterfront home in May that includes a pool, pier and boat lift.

“Bay St. Louis kind of hooks you in,” she said “You just fall in love with it. It’s hard not to.”

The city has long been a second-home market, but real estate agents say the latest shift is unique. The market began surging after the COVID-19 pandemic,

when buyers realized they could work remotely

Most newcomers come from New Orleans and Baton Rouge. But the city’s exposure in lifestyle magazines, including Southern Living, has grown so much that buyers from California and other far-flung places are noticing. Real estate agents say they are selling to families from Tennessee and other parts of Mississippi, too.

The market mirrors beach cities across the Gulf Coast. Home prices have doubled over the last decade in Baldwin County, Alabama, where newcomers are arriving in popular cities of Daphne, Fairhope and Orange Beach. Some Florida Panhandle buyers priced out of the high-end 30A area are moving to Panama City Beach, where luxury homes are also selling fast. The Gulf Coast’s influx is arriving as more American families

rise into the upper middle class.

But Hancock County is still cheap compared to most beach destinations across the region: Its median home price last year was about $270,000.

“It’s still so reasonable and competitive compared to the Panhandle and Orange Beach,” Kane said.

“That’s a big driver on why this affluent market has picked up so much.”

Holly Lemoine-Raymond, a real estate broker said Bay St. Louis has become a “true lifestyle destination” over the last decade.

“The growth has been steady and intentional, driven by buyers seeking a slower pace and a more refined coastal experience,” she said.

Market challenges some locals

The county’s shifts are bringing benefits and challenges. County leaders say affluent homebuyers

send more tax dollars to the region and often do not strain systems like public schools.

Locals and real estate agents also say the rising prices mean young families from Hancock County are struggling to buy their first homes in Bay St. Louis. Many are moving to Diamondhead, north of Interstate 10, where homes and insurance rates are cheaper

Danny Lee, chief executive officer of the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors, said the group is brainstorming new strategies to spur affordable home developments across the Mississippi Coast to accommodate locals priced out of the market.

“The secret is out,” Lee said.

“We have the full beach town community for a fraction of the price of anywhere else. We’re still considerably cheaper than our neighbors.”

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Ben Sanamo prepares to tie up a boat as he approaches his family’s camp near Lake De Cade in Terrebonne Parish on March 26. A drum of diesel fuel sits in the foreground.

Warren Sanamo prepares to pump diesel fuel into the tugboat at his camp near Lake De Cade in Terrebonne Parish.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Sen. Michael Fesi, R-Houma, is proposing legislation that would allow local governments to hold a vote to stop adding fluoride to their public water systems.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Johnson, Scalisefacea long,difficult to-dolist

WASHINGTON —U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and House MajorityLeader Steve Scalise return to Capitol Hill Monday afternoon after atwo-week Easter break with along list of “mustpass” legislation —and an even longer listofhurdles, including the possibility that long linesatthe airports will return soon

The Houseand Senate have to fund the U.S.Department of Homeland Security to end ashutdown thathits its 60th day Wednesday. GOP majority leadership, with the blessingof President Donald Trump, has astrategy to get around Democrats’ oppositiontofully funding Immigration &Customs Enforcement and Customs &Border Protection,two agencies under Homeland Security But that plan faces steep hurdles. Johnson, R-Benton, and Scalise, R-Jefferson, can’tafford to lose more than twoRepublicans on anumber of party-line votes required by the budget reconciliation procedure. Already,the right-wing Freedom Caucus is demandingtoknowhow the government is going to paythe $86 billion, three-yearcost, knowing that some of the offsets will tee off moderate Republicans.

Trump wants HomelandSecurity fixed by June 1.

Meanwhile, Johnson and Scalise also have to move other controversial legislation that could bleed over intothe effortto fund Homeland Security

The surveillancepowers detailed in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, called FISA, are set to expire April 20. The reauthorizationbill keepsbeing put offbecause some GOP members are demanding reforms.

And the ban on Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, sought by antiabortion members, expires July 4unless legislativelyrenewed, which also could fray feelings.

That doesn’tcount the looming$200 billion ask to replenisharmaments used against Iran. Nor does it includeTrump’s demand that Congress pass legislationrequiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

Push to end inspection stickersadvances

The push to get rid of vehicle inspection stickers across most of Louisiana has made it halfway through the Louisiana Legislature.

House Bill 1085, sponsored by Rep. Larry Bagley,R-Stonewall, would end state-mandated safety and emissions testing. Instead, drivers would need to get a sticker with aQR code that would allow police to quickly scan informationabout the registration, make, model, and VIN. The bill passed the House on an 86-7 vote on Wednesday The new sticker wouldcost $6 a year.For example, someonewho renews avehicleregistration every two years would pay $12 and someonewho renews every four years would pay $24. Even if the bill passes,some parts of the state would still need to get inspections for other reasons. New Orleans, Kenner and Westwego all have their own local inspection requirements, and East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding parishes must get

TSAand ICE

Perhaps thebiggest hurdle is theimminent return of airport passengers waiting three to four hours to clear security.

Formore than two months, Democrats refused to agree to fund HomelandSecurity until stricter standards are placed on ICE and CBP agents charged with rounding up immigrantswho may have entered thecountry without proper documentation. The issuebecamemore salient after officers killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Therefusal to fund HomelandSecurity left ancillary agencies like the Transportation Security Administration and the FederalEmergency Management Agency withoutmoney to pay employees who had no choice but to work. Unpaid TSA officers began quitting,calling in sick or otherwise not showing for work and causing airport security lines to shut down.

Those long lines relaxed after Trump’s March 27 order that HomelandSecuritydivert some of its money on hand to pay TSA.

But that is atemporary solution —one that could start ending this weekend for

emissionsinspections because of afederal order Gov.Jeff Landry called for eliminating inspection stickers in his “State of the State” address to kick off thelegislativesession.

After the bill passed the House on Wednesday,he celebrated on social media. “Great newsfrom the housefloor this afternoon!” thegovernor wroteonX “Weare onestep closer to eliminating the inspection sticker!”

‘Smartglasses’ recording bill passes

Abill that aimstostop people from surreptitiously recording conversations with devices like “smartglasses” has passed the Louisiana House.

House Bill 410, by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, would require someone who is recording adirect conversation to disclose that they are doing so. Those who don’t could besued Louisiana would remain a“onepartyconsent” state, meaning a person recording does not have to getpermission to do so. But

someHomeland Security employees, ac-

cording to aDHS memo. Trump’s order

thebill would require the person recording to notify others in the conversation. The bill’ssupporters argue it would address growing kinds of online harassment.For example, so-called “manfluencers” use theglasses to record interactions with women, then post thevideos on social media.

HB410 passed the House along bipartisan lines; mostwho voted against it were Republicans. Opponentsfeared it would limit First Amendment rightsand could stop people, including journalists, from exposing wrongdoing.

“I have deep concern about the infringement upon our liberty,” said stateRep.Chuck Owen,RRosepine, who voted against the bill but acknowledged the issue was complex. “None of us ever envisioned AI. None of us ever envisioned glasses that can record.”

Critics have also said the proposal could stop abuse victims from gathering evidence against perpetrators; Schlegel included exemptions in thebill that she says would pre-

covered full salaries and back pay forthe missed pay periods between Feb. 14 and April 4.

“Any additional compensation owed to you will be paid once DHSfunding is restored. At this time, do not submit timecards forpay period 7(which began April 5) until further guidance is provided,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote in his memo. “Weremain hopeful that Congress will fund the Department and allow us to reopen soon and get everyone back to work.”

Though the Democratic position has sympathy among someRepublicans, a lot moreconservatives have balked at establishing guidelines, arguing that those restrictions would cripple the Trump administration’sefforts to deport illegal immigrants.

Negotiations have, so far, failed.

And the situation becamemore fraught Tuesday with aletter U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, co-authored with two senators andanother representative

Raisinganother issuewith Trump’sdeportation efforts, the 30 Democrats signing the letter demanded an investigation into the practice of deporting immigrants to third countries where the deportees have no connections because the authorities deemed their homeland to be too dangerous. Afederal court ruled Feb. 25 that “third country removals” are illegal. The Trumpadministration has cut deals with 27 countries “to receive nonnationals deported from the United States,” the letter states. The signers want areport that includes the identities of the countries agreeing to take U.S. deportees, how many have been sent to third countries, and how much all this is expected to cost. Estimates are around $40 million.

But Democrats also are feeling pressure to fund Homeland Security,Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., told “Fox News Sunday.”

“The clock is ticking because we’ve got the World Cup coming, and we need FEMA and other security agencies funded for that,” he said.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@ theadvocate.com.

vent that. The bill passed Thursday in theHouse on a54-34 vote. It now heads to theSenate.

State creates rural health office

Louisiana has created anew Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability that will oversee morethan $208 million that the federal government is giving Louisiana to improve healthcare access forrural communities.

“For too long, rural communities have faced barriers to accessing care,” Gov.Jeff Landry said in anews release after signing an executive order to create the office.

“Today,weare taking decisive action to strengthen those systems so that every Louisianan has access to high-quality,reliable care close to home.”

Almost1.1 million people live in rural Louisiana parishes, the news release said. They face higher rates of chronicdisease and have aharder time finding and seeing adoctor.The providers that do exist in those areas face huge hurdles to hiring enough doctors and nurses.

The new office will oversee efforts to recruit health care workers to rural areas, modern-

ize technology,and improve coordination among health care services, among other work, the release said.

“Weare ensuring that aresident in Tensas or Cameron Parish receives the samecaliber of preventive and emergency care as someone in the heart of New Orleans, making high-quality health care alocal reality,not a long-distance journey,” said Louisiana Surgeon General Dr.Evelyn Griffin.

Registration deadlines near for election

The deadlines to register to vote or change party affiliation before the May 16 election are approaching soon.

The deadline to register in person, by mailoratanOMV office is Wednesday,April 15.

The deadline to register online at geauxvote.com is April 25.

Party registration is particularly important this year because of the state’snew closed primary elections.

Voters whoare registered to a party can only vote in that party’s primary; voters whoare registered as “no party” can vote in the elections forone party of their choice.

Early voting is May 2-9, excluding Sunday,May 3.

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Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

Mark Ballard

Bagley

Owen

Schlegel

STAFF FILEPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Travelerswait in line at Louis Armstrong NewOrleans International AirportinKenner on March 23.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, left, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson

VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

EDUCATION

Momfightsfor fair school disputehearings

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

When Christina Martin’s 9-yearold daughter Vinaya was diagnosedwith arare neurodevelopmental disorder and autism as a toddler,Martin was thrust intoan unfamiliar world.

In the years since,the Kenner parent has spent countless hours navigating the complexities of special educationand learning the ins and outs of federal and state disabilitieslaw But even for aparent as knowledgeableand engagedasMartin, making sure her daughter receives the services she needsto excel in school still feels like an uphill battle.

“When you’re constantly having to advocate, question decisions and just fight to be heard,”Martin said in arecent interview,“you start to realize that the system isn’treally built for us.”

Now Martin and other advocates are trying, with thehelp of a state lawmaker,tomake it easier for parents to take actionwhen they believe schools aren’t meeting their children’sneeds.

Under existing state law,parentscan request adue process hearing before an administrative law judge if they feel aschool has not followed their child’sspecial education plan. But parents must prove the school failed to properlyeducate their child— ahigh bar that few families clear Martin, who is going through the dispute resolution process

with Jefferson ParishSchools where her daughter attends, said thedeck is stacked against parents. Soshe and other advocates approached Rep.Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, who introduced House Bill 342 this legislative session to address their concerns.

The bill aims to shift theburden of proof in dueprocess hearings from parents to schools, which wouldhavetoshow that they provided thenecessary services and support to students with disabilities.

The House Education Committee approvedthe bill Wednesday, sending it to the full House for a vote

Thebill “helps level the playing field for families, promotes transparency,and reinforces the importance of school systems maintainingaccurate and complete”special education records, Knox said in astatement.

In arecentinterview,Martin discussed her advocacy for students with disabilities and why shethinks the due processlaw needs to be changed.

This interview has been condensedand edited for clarity What does advocacy look likefor you?

My daughter was diagnosed with autism around 2and with CTNNB1 syndrome, arare genetic disorder,around 3. Itried to research and connect with organizationsbecause, like most families, it was unfamiliar territory.AsIlearned more, I realizedIcould become an advocate not only for my child, but for other children

I’ve sat on boards and commissions and workedwith our

ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THESTATEHOW TO TACKLE

statewide grassrootsadvocacy network (called Louisiana Council’sAdvocacy Network) up at the Capitol. I’m involved in alot of different initiatives that support independent living and safety and inclusivity for people withdisabilities.

Can you explain how the dispute resolution process works?

Right now,the burden of proof is on families. That meansthat we have to prove that the school failed our child.

Butthe school has all of the data, the evaluations, the staff to do this legally with our taxpayer dollars. They have all the documentation and they do not offer those records to families as openly as they should.

Families aretrying to prove somethingwasn’tdone or wasn’t appropriate. That’sreally hard to prove when you’re going up against an entire school district, especially if you don’thave the money for legal representation. That imbalance puts families at aserious disadvantage, and it’sone of the biggest reasons, I think,why the system feels so overwhelming for kids and families who have students in special education.

Whydoyou think the lawshouldbe changed?

In my experience, it’sbeen a constant uphill battle.

Even when you know your child’sneeds, you’re often put into this position where you have to understand laws, gather evidence if necessary,challenge professionals who already have those resources available tothem and moreknowledge of the systems

in which you’re working within. They also have full access to your child’srecords. It’sanexhausting process, if I’m being honest. And formany families,it’sprobably not sustainable.

What does it look like in other states?

Most states do place the burden on families, but New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all shifted the burden of proof to school districts.

Ibelieve there’sagrowing movement across the country to makethis change, so Idon’t thinkLouisiana would be doing somethingradical or out of the ordinary.Itwould just be catching up to states who’ve already

recognized this imbalance and fixed it. It would makethe system moreequitable.

What else should readers know?

Being aspecial needs parent meansbecoming an advocate, whether you’re ready or not. You have to learn laws, attend meetings, track services and constantly push to makesure that your child gets what they deserve. Families shouldn’thave to fight this hard just to access an appropriate education. At the end of the day,itisn’tjust about policies and laws. It’s about real kids whohave equal rights to education, like everyone else, and making sure that they have an opportunity to thrive.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Christina Martinand her daughter,Vinaya

Historic droughtthreatens

Ethiopia’s Myrrhindustry

Tree is keyto luxury perfumes andAfrican incomes

BY JULIANNEGAURON Associated Press

AFCADDE, Ethiopia The critical note in some of the world’s most well-known perfumes is myrrh, atree resin from the Horn of Africa that is under pressure from what expertssay has been ahistoric drought.

Threatened by the lackof water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed adense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger,locals say

Earlier thisyear,researchers supported by the American Herbal Products Association, atrade group, and BornGlobal, anonprofit, visited asource of the prized resin that makes its way to global markets from some of the most vulnerable places on earth.

Their goal was to ensure that those who harvest the resin get more of the direct profits instead of middlemenalong theopaquesupply chain.

Ethiopia is amajor source of myrrh, whichhas been used in beauty,health and religious practices since at least ancient Egypt. Traditional harvestinginthe region has not changed, which helps to protect the trees and producesthe highest quality resin.

Myrrh’shand-harvested nature raises its price, but those doing the work see little of the profit. Collecting 2.2 pounds of theresin brings as little as $3.50 and as much as $10.

That’sfar from theprices for the perfumes it helps to create, which are marketed by well-known fashion brands like TomFord, Comme des Garcons and Jo Malone, and sold at prices as high as $500 abottle.

Meanwhile,curiosity aboutmyrrh’s otherpotential uses is growing with increased global interestin natural remedies.

For now,most myrrhfrom this part of eastern Ethiopia is purchased by traders from neighboring Somalia. Ethiopia collects no taxeson the goods.

Local residents hope more visibility will help them as the climate crisis threatens their ways of life.

“They expressed hopethat adirect market would enable them to securebetter prices,ensuring sustainable livelihoods,” said Abdinasir Abdikadir Aweys, senior researcher with the Somali Regional Pastoral and AgroPastoral Research Institute and amember of the research team. The researcherswere led by Anjanette DeCarlo, an expert in sustainablesupply chains and resins at the University of Vermont, and Stephen Johnson, resin expert and owner of FairSource Botanicals. They found that communities practice traditional harvestingby collecting resin from trees’ naturally occurring wounds instead of by making intentional cuts, whichmakes trees more vulnerable to pests and disease.

“Traditional practice is in balance and protects trees. It should be celebrated,”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOSByJULIANNE GAURON

Region

An exampleoftextfromthe

DeCarlo said But the drought worried theteam. The annual rains have been failingoverthe past several years, interrupted in 2023 by devastatingflooding

The arid region has long seen droughts, but this one has been historic.Experts have blamed the changing climate.

Myrrh harvesting is threatened. Whileadult trees aregenerally healthy they are producingless resin. And fewer young trees are surviving

“Unfortunately, many seedlings are uprooted by children who graze their livestock nearby,and the animals often eat the buds of the young trees,” said a

Myrrh burns in atraditional clayvessel in ahometo ward off bugs, snakes and to fumigate.

local elder,Mohamed OsmanMiyir,adding: “Weare deeply worried aboutthe decliningpopulationofmyrrh trees.”

Without proper rain, other young trees are likely to fail. DeCarlo worried that eventually even the adulttrees will die.

Villagers’ days are spent haulingwater for themselvesand their livestock.

Herders travel over the parched, cracked earthas far as 125 miles to Sanqotor village, which has arare well with water

“Guests water animals first,thenthe villagers,” said local headman Ali Mohamed, watching hundreds of livestock crowd around thewell.

Butnot everyone has livestock —the poorest residentsrely solely on tree resinlike myrrh for their survival.

EsmeraldaEsparza didn’t expect herbrother’s encouragement to change her life Esparzahad earnedadegreefromafour-year university,but was uncertainabout her career path.Her brother urgedher to follow in hisfootsteps andpursuethe ProcessTechnology(PTEC)program at NunezCommunity College, whichpreparesstudentstobecomeplant technicians andoperators “Hekeptsaying,‘Thereare always jobs available. They’realways lookingfor more womentoenter theindustry. Youcan have agreat career withthis,’”Esparza recalled.“Iwasn’tsureabout it at first, but Idecided to give it atry.”

Becauseshe hadcompleted collegeprerequisites,Esparza waseligible forNunez’s16-week fast-track PTEC program. Shetookclasses from 7:30 a.m. to 4p.m.eachweekday,which was ideal becauseshe could continue workingasa restaurant server in theevenings “The programwas affordable. Thetimecommitmentwas asacrifice, butI waswilling to do it anditpaidoff,” shesaid. “I was doingalot of hands-on learningatNuneztosee howvalveswork, what toolsIwould need to useand what thepumps look like.Icould tell thesewereskills I could applyinareal-worldsetting.”

Esparzawas offered an internship soonafter completing thePTEC program, andshortly afterreceivedafull-time joboffer.Today,she’s building acareershe hadn’t imaginedfor herself just afew yearsago “I love it,” shesaid. “I have no complaints.”

priorities,” said NunezProvost Dr.Cherie KayLaRocca.“We’repreparing techniciansfor high-precision,safety-criticalenvironments, supporting resilient U.S. supply chains andpositioning Louisiana’s workforcefor the future of energy andindustrialinnovation.

Jerry Caime, Learning andDevelopment Supervisor forLouisiana Offshore OilPortServices(LOOP), said theentityworks closelywith multiple LCTC institutions, includingFletcher.That partnershipextends into directstudent engagement.LOOPleaders regularly meet with Fletcher students formock interviews, resume reviewsand individual coaching sessions –all designed to help them build soft skills on top of theirtechnical training

“The partnershipworks becauseFletcher is lookingtoplace students in jobs,and we arelooking to build localtalentpipelines,” Caimesaid. “Weget to know thestudentsand figure outwhether they wouldbea good fitdirectlywithour companyorwithanother organization. We’ve always knownthatFletcherprovidesgreat training in theindustrialskills. We want to layerontop of that andmakesure thesestudentsare in the best position to succeed. Caimesaidthe relationship between LOOP andFletchercontinues to payoff with job placements. Forexample,LOOPplans to soon hire two newemployees whocompleted cert ficationsatFletcherand completed internshipsatLOOP. Otherenergycompanies in theregionhavefollowed similarpaths,hesaid.

Esparza’sstory is oneofmanythat illustrate howworkforce-driven educationand industry partnershipsatLouisiana Communityand TechnicalCollegesconnect students to career opportunitiesacrossthe state.

Forcompanies like Danos, thoseconnections arebuilt intentionally through ongoingcollaboration andcommunication.Danos is an energy services providerthatworks withdozens of companies, from international conglomeratestolocal operators. Mark Danos,owner andCEO of Danos Family Investments, said thecompany worksparticularlyclosely with Fletcher Technical Community College.

“Our partnership withFletcherisfocused on training offshore operators–specifically, instrumentationand electrical technicians, andproduction operators,”Danos said.“We’refortunate to have adirect pipeline to theFletcherleadershipteamtotalkabout what classesthey areofferingand howthose arestructured. We want people to receive trainingthatmakes them employable in ourregionand ourindustry.”

Danossaidhehas been especially impressed withFletcher’s willingness to listen to industry feedback andadapt accordingly, even if it meanslaunching new programs or pivoting into new areaswhere thereare workforceneeds.

“Fletcherwants to be agood stewardofthe resourcespeopleare investing there. They don’t want to just offeracoursebecause it’s popularorsomething they’vedonefor alongtime,”Danos said.“They want to give people skills that they canuse to getjobsinthis region.”

Asimilar mindsetleads NunezCommunity College, whichislooking to createopportunities forstudentsinemerging industries such as maritime,aerospace,defensemanufacturing andenergy

“Weare strengthening Louisiana’s roleinaerospace,defense and advanced manufacturingbybuildingcapacityaligned with national

“Theycan combinethe knowledgethey’ve learnedatFletcher with thereal-lifeworkthey’ve donethrough internshipsorpart-time jobs,” he said.“Isee this having long-term benefits forthisregion. If we don’t build localtalent pipelines, we either have to hire people from outof stateordomoretraining internally.Fletcher allows us to create better successionplans.”

ForLouisiana residentslikeJohnTsai, theongoing communication betweenLCTCand industry partners canopendoors in unexpected andprosperous ways

Tsai hadcompleted university-level undergraduate andgraduate coursework,then worked in customerservice at theNew Orleans airport. He parlayed that interest into studying aviation,but industry layoffs made himquestionhis future in thebusiness.In2024, he learnedabout Nunez’sWindEnergy Technology program,whichpreparesstudents to work immediatelyaswindturbine technicians Whilestill in theprogram,Tsaicompleted amockinterview withan area company. Thecompany called him aboutamonth laterfor afacility tour andmorein-depthinterview

“Atthe endofthe tour,theysaidtheywantedtohiremerightaway andasked when Icould start,”Tsaisaid. “BeforeI knew it,I wasata wind farm in Texasatmy firstassignment. Tsai said he feelsNunez’s close-knit environmentwas keytopaving theway forhim to jump into anew career “The mock interview they

Stephen Johnson, right, and Sam Osbornmeasure aCommiphora myrrha tree during what is called ecological transects, measuring aquadrant, counting the number of trees, measuring their trunk, crowns, as well as health, in Dharaaye,Ethiopia

Members of aresearchteam hold pieces of naturally exudated resin from myrrh, locally called suhul, which is extremely high qualityand fragrant, in Afcadde, Ethiopia.

Quran, writtenonawooden tablet with myrrh ink

Dahir yousef Abdi, guide from theSomali

Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Research Institute, demonstrates ink made frommyrrh

Peru election highlights illegal mining challenges

Environmental

is growing

BY STEVEN GRATTAN Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia Peruvians head to the polls Sunday to elect a new president and Congress, but illegal mining — a major driver of deforestation and mercury pollution has received little attention on the campaign trail, even as it spreads deeper into the Amazon and Indigenous territories.

Experts warn the gap reflects a broader failure to confront what has become the country’s largest illicit economy, with growing impacts on the environment, public health and Indigenous communities.

“Political parties don’t understand that illegal mining has become the country’s main criminal activity and the one that moves the most money,” said environmental lawyer César Ipenza. “There is either ignorance about what this represents for the country — or, in some cases, parties are already part of this economy.”

According to projections by the Peruvian Institute of Economics, illegal mining generated more than $11.5 billion in 2025 and over 100 tons of gold exports — rivaling the formal sector and surpassing drug trafficking.

Some candidates’ proposals, including former ministers and technocratic candidates such as Jorge Nieto and Alfonso López Chau, include measures such as gold traceability, financial intelligence and protections for environmental defenders, but these remain fragmented and fall short of a comprehensive strategy

Others — including candidates from influential conservative and populist parties, such as Keiko Fujimori, Rafael López Aliaga and César Acuña — focus on security, economic growth or extractive development without directly addressing illegal mining or its links to corruption and territorial control in the Amazon. In some cases including those of Ricardo Belmont and Carlos Álvarez, both media figures turned political candidates — plans omit the issue en-

tirely

“Illegal mining and illicit economies are not being prioritized in government plans,” said Magaly Ávila, director of environmental governance at Proetica, a Peruvian anti-corruption group, noting that around 64% of party platforms fail to meaningfully address the issue, while only about 5% do so “clearly and explicitly.”

A March analysis by Peru’s Observatory of Illegal Mining reinforces those concerns, finding that only 12 of 36 registered political parties present specific proposals, while others offer only general statements without concrete measures or do not address the issue at all.

Shortcomings of past plans

Peruvian authorities have previously announced operations and strategies to combat illegal mining, though experts say enforcement remains limited. The Associated Press contacted several government entities for comment on the issue of illegal mining and

Indigenous protections but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Peruvian lawmakers have repeatedly extended a temporary registry that allows informal miners to continue operating while seeking formalization, a system critics say has been widely abused and has helped illegal mining expand.

At the same time, recent legislative changes have undermined the capacity of prosecutors and judges to pursue organized crime, including illegal mining networks, according to rights groups.

Analysts say the measures reflect political pressure from smallscale miners, who have staged protests to demand looser regulations, complicating efforts to tighten enforcement.

The protests appear highly organized, suggesting the involvement of more powerful actors behind the scenes said Julia Urrunaga Peru program director at the Environmental Investigation Agency

Soaring gold prices

Illegal mining has grown rapidly in recent years, fueled by soaring gold prices, which have climbed to around $4,500 to $5,000 per ounce — making even small amounts of gold highly valuable. Once concentrated in regions such as Madre de Dios, the activity has spread into other parts of the Amazon and beyond.

“The price of gold has reached historic highs, and that has obviously driven illegal mining to expand,” Ipenza said. “The state does not have the capacity to respond or pursue this activity.”

Illegal mining operations often rely on mercury to extract gold, contaminating rivers and entering the food chain through fish.

“In Amazonian river communities, between 50% and 70% of the diet is fish,” said Mariano Castro, Peru’s former vice minister of environment. “So exposure increases exponentially, and mercury is highly toxic, with serious neurological impacts.”

Environmental and health experts warn contamination in some regions already exceeds safety standards, posing long-term risks. Expected expansion throughout the Amazon “will bring contamination, transnational criminal groups and direct impacts on Indigenous and local populations,” Ipenza said.

Illegal mining already “puts at risk our health, biodiversity and ways of life,” said Tabea Casique, a board member of AIDESEP Peru’s largest Indigenous organization.

“Most political parties are not taking this problem into account or presenting concrete proposals,” she said.

Weak enforcement

Former vice minister Castro called state efforts “insufficient” and said lawmakers have also weakened legal tools to prosecute illegal mining, including reducing penalties and limiting the ability to treat such operations as organized crime. Gaps in oversight allow illegally mined gold to enter legal supply chains, often through processing plants where it is laundered.

Ipenza called for the government to better control small-scale processing plants and for stronger coordination across government agencies including customs, financial intelligence units and prosecutors — to track gold flows and identify illegal activity

Analysts say weak traceability systems are a central vulnerability

“There is no real way to trace mining production in Peru,” said EIA’s Urrunaga. “Authorities hold fragmented pieces of information, but there is no system — and apparently no political will — to connect them.”

“We are talking about more than $12 billion in illegal gold exports,” she added. “How can this be happening in almost total impunity?” Experts warn that failing to act will make the problem harder to contain. The next government will face growing pressure to confront a crisis that they say is already spiraling.

“Authorities cannot fulfill their responsibility to protect citizens if they continue to normalize an activity that causes significant harm,” Castro said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RODRIGO ABD

Police gain funds for camera systems

Monitoring will strengthen anti-drug efforts

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Lafayette Consolidated Government is providing $350,000 in opioid settlement funding to enable law enforcement agencies in the parish to strengthen their efforts against drug trafficking and overdoses.

Each department would receive $50,000, Mayor-President Monique

Bills aim to curb fatal police pursuits

After deadly chase in 2022, stricter penalties, apps could help

BY AIDAN McCAHILL

Staff writer

On New Year’s Eve in 2022, Baton Rouge police attempted to pull over Tyquel Zanders near the Raising Cane’s Center on River Road. But the 24-year-old, who had recently broken into his parents’ home and stolen his father’s Nissan Altima, sped off into heavy midday traffic The Baton Rouge Police Department followed with multiple units exceeding 100 miles per hour, running red lights and forcing other motorists onto the medians. As Zanders crossed the Mississippi River Bridge into West Baton Rouge Parish, officers from other departments joined, including then-Addis Police Officer David Lee Cauthron.

At the intersection of La. 1 and St. Francis Street, Cauthron barreled through a red light at nearly 90 miles per hour killing Brusly High School cheerleaders 15-yearold Caroline Gill and 17-year-old Maggie Dunn. The crash also left Maggie’s brother Liam with lifelong injuries.

As the Brusly community reeled after the girls’ deaths, a massive public outcry ensued — from attorneys, activists and then-East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. Much of the criticism fell on the BRPD for not calling off the pursuit, which some claimed was initiated over a low-level offense committed by someone whose location could have easily been found without a chase.

A legislative task force was created to address how to prevent similar situations from ever happening again.

“What we found was, it was a lack of training (for officers), mostly because of the funding,” said state Sen Caleb Kleinpeter R-Port Allen, who chaired the task force and has worked closely with the victim’s parents.

Four years later, Cauthron is serving a 10-year sentence for manslaughter, Zanders is still awaiting trial, and some of those calls for change are taking shape.

“It’s been a slow process, but we’re making ground,” said Jason Gill, the father of Caroline, who has since called for improved bystander safety during police chases.

Departments around the capital region are rolling out new technology designed to alert drivers of nearby pursuits. At the same time, two bills making their way through the state Legislature aim to stiffen penalties for those who flee police, and fund training for officers for

Boulet said during a Thursday meeting in Duson Agencies in Scott, Youngsville, Broussard and the Lafayette city marshal will be using the funds to purchase mobile camera units to monitor locations such as parks and other areas that see drug activity Carencro will expand its current camera system, while the Duson Police Department plans to install automatic license plate

reader cameras with video function at key locations.

The Lafayette Police Department will use its share to expand its naloxone (Narcan) supply and purchase a mobile X-ray device to scan vehicles for hidden compartments and check the inside of packages, aiding in the search for drugs.

Lafayette Parish has received roughly $6 million in opioid settle-

ment funding over the past three years, Boulet said. The idea to fund local police department efforts came from Duson Police Chief Kip Judice, who approached her about his town’s issues with drug overdoses and deaths. Duson has a population of under 2,000 but represented 25% of the parish’s overdose-related deaths between January 2024 and July 2025, Boulet said. The parish had around 130 drug-related deaths over the period.

Of those deaths, six are connect-

ed to two homes in the town, Judice said.

“I recognized a need and a desire to get some of this funding,” Judice said. “These cameras allow us to preprogram known drug-dealer license plates into these cameras. When they enter a certain zone, our officers will be alerted by way of text message. So we will know that a threat is occurring.“

Opioid-related overdoses killed two people in Louisiana every day

Appeals court sides with Angola in class action

Ruling finds prisoner health care meets standards

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

A federal appeals court has found that prisoner health care at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola met standards set by the Eighth Amendment overturning a lower court’s 2023 order that would have required the prison to make certain improvements.

The Department of Corrections had already made many of the improvements sought by prisoners and their advocates during the nearly 11 years since the class action suit was brought against the state, Judge Edith Hollan Jones, of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, stated in the majority opinion handed down on March 30.

Jones criticized the lower court’s original ruling, which she said did not consider medical care improvements made at Angola before the court issuing its “remedial order” — or directions for the DOC to fol-

low to ensure necessary improvements were made.

“The overall result of the district court’s orders, or failure to consider ongoing changes, is a mishmash of mandates, some of which are already rendered obsolete by events,” Jones wrote.

She pointed to an electronic medical records management system as one example of improvements made after the district court trial and before the court issued its remedial order months later

A standard of “deliberate indifference” from a prison official is needed in order to constitute an Eighth Amendment violation. Jones argued in the majority that the indifference must be judged by prison officials’ current attitudes and conduct not those from 2015.

“The Department of Corrections has always met constitutional standards for health care at Angola and has continually made improvements to both administrative systems and direct care,” Attorney General Liz Murrill said in reaction to the appeals court ruling. “The Fifth Circuit opinion recognizes

Artist will expand Lafayette’s cultural connections

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

If you’ve been to the NUNU Arts & Culture Collective in Arnaudville, you’ve experi-

enced the cultural hospitality of George Marks. The artist and sculptor an Arnaudville native, founded the ragtag community of artists, musicians and southwest Louisiana cultural ambassadors over 15 years ago. In that time, the organization has developed into a thriving spot for live shows, gallery exhibitions, language tables and residency

FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy George Marks serves salads during lunch at the new Café NUNU located in NuNu Arts and Culture Collective on January 16 in Arnaudville.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE Honorees, along with loved ones and colleagues, gather for the Top 20 Under 40 Gala on Friday at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Union Ballroom.

The705’s Grayson Stepanek speaks at the event.

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Pope’s ancestralgrandmother buried in N.O.

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Archbishop James Checchio makes no secret of his desire to convince Pope Leo XIV,the first American to hold the title, to visit New Orleans. And during arecent audience with the pope in Rome, Checchio said he reminded him of agood reason to make avisit: Leo’s family roots in the Crescent City Checchio said the pope is “very aware and interested” in his family’shistory in NewOrleans. Checchio said the pope told him and the others during the visitthat he remembers hisfamilyin Chicago, where Leogrew up, often talking aboutthe family history in New Orleans. Included in that lineage is the pope’sfourth greatgrandmother,identified in Archdiocese of New Orleans records as Marie Catherine Guesnon Ramos Morales,

who is buried in St. Louis Cathedral.

“She diedinchildbirth,” Checchiosaidduring abrief telephone interviewFriday “She and her infant are buriedunderthe cathedral.”

Checchio said the pope wasn’t aware of this until Checchio told him during the visit last month. “He wasquite interested in that. Andmoved,” Checchio said Morales,who was born in 1756, was buried in the cathedral on Aug. 14, 1799, Archdiocese of New Orleans recordsshow.She is among 100 or so people interred there, although archdiocese records of alltheir names areincomplete.

Sarah McDonald, an archdiocesespokesperson, said thatinthe earlyyears,it was not uncommon forparishioners to be buried at the cathedral. In later years, cathedral burialswere reserved forbishops and arch-

bishops, she said. The bishops and archbishops areburied in acrypt beneaththe churchsanctuary, McDonald said.

Thecurrent St.LouisCathedral, which dates to 1851, is thelatest in aseries of structuresonthe same site thatgoback to around 1722. Thecathedral is settoundergo amultiyear,$45 million restoration beginning this summer Checchio, who becamethe New Orleans archbishop in February,was among a small contingent from New Orleans whohad an audience with thepopeinRome last month. Also in the group wasArchbishop-emeritus Gregory Aymond, Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, Saints andPelicans executive Greg Bensel, and Gayle Benson’sbrother Wayne LaJaunie.

Checchio said he and the group pitcheda New Orleans visit during their time

withLeo.

“Wesure did invitehim,” Checchio said.

“Hedidn’tsay ‘Let me look at airfare,’”the archbishop said withalaugh, but then quickly added, “Hedesires to come —Iknow that.”

Any visit would certainly not be this year.The Vatican announced in February that the pope would not visit the United States in 2026.

Leo XIV,formerlyRobert FrancisPrevost, acardinal who was bornand raisedin Chicago, was elected pope in May 2025, becoming thefirst American chosen to lead the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members.

As soon as his name surfaced, genealogistsbegan poring over family records to trace his lineage. His New Orleans rootsquickly came to the fore.

“OurHolyFather,Pope Leo XIV,has Creole of color roots from NewOrleans on his mother’sside,”Jari

Honora, agenealogist at the Historic New OrleansCollection, posted on Facebook shortly after the announcement of the new pope. Among Leo’sNew Orleans connections were grandparents Josephand Louise Martinez, who livedinthe 7th Ward. Joseph and Louise Martinez moved from New OrleanstoChicago sometime between 1910 and 1912. Leo’smother,Mildred, was born in Chicago. Someofthe pope’sNew Orleansancestors have deep connections to St. LouisCathedral.

Eugenie Grambois, Louise Martinez’smotherand the pope’sgreat-grandmother, was baptizedthere in 1840. And the pope’sfourth greatgrandfather, Pedro Dionisio Panquinette, whowas born in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1729, lived in New Orleans and wassextant forthe church parish of St. Louis Cathedral.

Cowboys, rodeofansgatheratthe CaesarsSuperdome

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

The dress code was widebrimmed hats and narrowtoed boots at the Caesars Superdome on Friday,the opening day of the Hondo Rodeo Festivalthat combined championship roping and riding with rockin’ concerts. The vibe was festive, excitingand patriotic, with a touch of piety

The Hondo Rodeo Fest was an all-day affair.A food, craft and fashion fair with live music took place in Champions Square. In the center of it allwas amini rodeo arena where children were periodically allowed toride sheep. At 4p.m. the everenlarging crowd was allowed to enter the Dome, where the party would proceed until almost midnight. After the singing of the nationalanthem, opening prayer and the ignition of a flaming Hondo Rodeo logo on the Dome’s dirt-covered floor,the first action of the day was acontest among select riders from the Angola

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Prison Rodeo, held in the forbidding penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish.The visiting inmates, clad in padded vestsand crash helmets, took turns attempting to stay putonwildly bucking broncos,though gravity always prevailed in theend Their part of the show concluded with something called “convict pinball,” in which the inmates tested their nerve by standing inside of hula-hoops placed on the dirt asa fighting bull charged toward them.Sometimes the bullflippedthe incarcerated cowboys off their feet and intothe airortrampledthemunderits hooves.

in 2024.Thatnumber peakedat four daily deaths in thestatein the two years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The fentanyl crisis was really at its height afew years ago,” Boulet said Thursday.“We all felt helpless, but those numbers have droppedsignificantly at astatewide level and as well in Lafayette Parish.” The state saw a31% decrease in drug-related overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024. Opioid-related

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and vindicates our repeated efforts to ensure we meet and exceed constitutional standards, which the district court judge simply refused, improperly,toacknowledge. We are grateful that after 12 years we are finally getting thelegal recognition that DOC deserved all along.”

Untilit’stoo late

The case, Parker v. Hooper,originally wasbrought in 2015 by the Promise of Justice Initiative alongside Disability Rights of Louisiana after the organizations investigated claims of improper medicalcareat Angola for over ayear The organizations got a class certified of prisoners who had suffered negative health outcomes they blamed partially on contracted medical staff at Angola not taking their concerns seriously Attorneys for the pris-

Obituaries

Touchet, Debra 'Debbie'

Debra"Debbie" Touchet, 66, of Vermilion Parish.Knownfor herkindness, humor, love of animals, and devotion to others, she willbedeeply missed. Memorial Service April 18, 1:00pm. OurLady of PerpetualHelpChurch, Leroy.Please visit www.laf uneralservices.com to read herfullobituary.

The Hondo Rodeo proper is an all-star event, with $1 millioninprize moneyawarded overthe course of the weekend. The very firstpro rider in thewhole shebang was Kade Sonnier,ofCarencro, whose specialty is bareback riding. On Friday, Sonnier was spatsuddenlyfroma ringside pen, clinging to a horsewithextreme anger management issues, without benefit of asaddle.For the next 8.43 seconds,Sonnier was thrashed around like a ragdoll in aclothesdryer untilthe horse’s tempercooled. Rodeo ridersare considered athletes, and rightfully so. In apre-rodeo interview,

deaths were down 32%. Rural parishes remainatthe highest risk —especially those in northernLouisiana.

Earlier in the year,the Lafayette Parish Council voted to provide $1.4 millioninopioid settlement money to fund efforts at local police departments, renovate the dilapidatedWar Memorial Building in Lafayette, and public education and outreach programs.

The WarMemorial Building is expected to receive $855,365 for renovations.The building houses theVeteransAffairsOffice,the Juvenile Specialty DrugCourt andthe Louisiana Multi-Agency Resources Center

oners argued that many weren’t allowed tosee a specialistdoctor until their conditions had already deterioratedtothe point of being terminal illnesses —includingmultiple cancer diagnoses that weren’tmade until the cancerhad alreadyentered alatestage In one example, a50-yearold inmate died from alarge liverabscess thathad been compressinghis spinal cord, according to district court records. Before his death, the inmate made seven unansweredrequests formedical attentiondue to back pain. He later became bedridden andincontinent and was found lying on the floor.When adoctor did see him, the inmate diedwithin hours.

The district court’s2023 rulingfound theDOC violated the Eighth Amendment as well as theAmericans with DisabilitiesAct In total, 17 prisonersmade up the original plaintiffs when theclass was certified.

Samantha Pourciau, senior staff attorney for the Prom-

Sonnier said he worksout fivedays per week to stay “generally strong.” Asked what it’slike to be thrown from ahorse, Sonnier laughingly said, “I don’tknow.I trynot to do it very often.” Sonnier said he believeshe’s gotthe best job in the world, “making areallygoodliving and living alittle boy’s dream.”

In the bareback riding event, the horses —known as equine athletes— dole out the punishment on the humans. Butinthe calf roping contest, the humans get their revenge by chasingdown and tackling young cows on the Dome floor likeDemario Davistackles scrambling quarterbacks —apologies to Saints fans for the reminder.

On Friday,Shane Hanchey of Sulphur,tied Texan Riley Webb for first place in the calfropingcontest with an astonishing time of 7.34 seconds. In an interviewearlier in theday,Hanchey saidhe has his ownprivate rodeo arena where he practices ropingdaily.“Everything is repetition,”hesaid. “The more you do it,the betteryou become at it.”

During the opening day rodeo,many an athleteperformedonhome turf. In the ladies breakaway roping

contest, Louisianan Josie Conner placed first andLouisianan Cheyanne McCartney placed second. And in the bullriding category,three of the eight bovine-battered contestantscame from the Bayou State.

Audiencemember Josh Gardnersaid that bull riding is everybody’sfavorite event, because “it’sthe most exciting.” He andhis wife had drivenfrom Pass Christian,Mississippi, for the Hondo Rodeo Festival.

He said he thought it was cool that the riders would competeonthree consecutive nights, thereby increasing theirchances of taking home some of the substantial prize money.Gardner pointedout that $12,000 was the first-place payout in eachevent and“that’s not abad night for eight seconds of your time.” The Hondo “would definitely be arodeo that alot of riders wouldwant to get into,” he said.

Horseplayaside,Gardner said his wife, Shanelle Gardner, “has been wanting to seesingerJason Aldean for 12 years,” andFriday would be her chance. Starting at 10 p.m., Aldean’sconcert would close out the Hondo Rodeo Fest’sfirst day.

ise of Justice Initiative, said thatonly threeofthose prisoners are still at Angola. The rest have either died or been moved to other facilities Kentrell Parker,the case’s namesake, still survives, Pourciau said. He was a quadriplegic prisoner at Angola who was granted medical parole to anursing home afterseekingitfromthe DOCfor many years “Every day at Angola, our clientsare exposed to extremeand preventable health consequences due to the state’spersistent neglect andindifference,” Pourciau said. “As thedissentrecognized, this decision undermines the horrifying record of ‘preventable deaths and significantly more unfathomable pain and suffering.’ Forexample,a 28-year-old man in solitary confinement called for help but was not giventreatment until eight hours later when he was found dying on the floor facts thestate itselfnever disputed. We will continue fighting to prevent further atrocities for people who de-

serve their humanity to be acknowledged.”

Anotherfuturetrial?

The district court split its original rulingintotwo parts, withaseparate trial for each. First,the judges found the DOC was liable andimprovements were needed. Then they ruled on what those improvements would need to be and how they would be made, producing the “remedial order” for Angola to follow

The FifthCircuit’s ruling only took issue with theremedial order and how it was carried out, with much of the majority opinionfocusingonhow the order didn’t followguidelinesset in the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act.

One complaintinvolved the fact the lower court had ordered Angola to allow three experts —being paid by the state —totour the facilityand request records to ensure improvements were made. ThePrison Litigation Reform Act requires only oneexpert, whocannotbe

Mayor-President Monique Boulet gives aspeech regarding opioid funding in front of Lafayette Parish’scity police chiefs on Thursday. Eachagency was allocated $50,000.

STAFFPHOTO By STEPHEN

MARCANTEL

paid by the state.

“Any court-appointed master will be striking at straw men, needlessly interfering with prisonauthorities’ duties and running up bills for no constitutional remedial purpose,” Jones said in her majority opinion.

The lower court’sruling on Angola’sliability wasn’t overturned by the Fifth Circuit,however,leaving the door open for the class action to return to the district court andfor prison advocates to argue that changes at Angola have not fullyremedied theissues at hand.

LOTTERY FRIDAY,APRIL10, 2026

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MEGA MILLIONS: 3-1836-42-49

MEGA BALL: 6 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets

STAFF PHOTO By STEPHEN LEW

Arider holds ontoabucking horse during the Hondo Rodeo Fest 2026 at the Caesars Superdome on Friday

THE GULF COAST

Paid parking expanding in popular destinations

But lots fuel frustration, debate among residents, tourists

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

On Florida’s gleaming coastline, just up the road from the beach, Mike Cover is worried about his restaurant’s parking lot

He suspects tourists are using it now that Walton County, home to Scenic Highway 30A, is charging them $5 an hour to park in spots closer to the waves

“Nobody likes it,” Cover said of the new paid parking program, which began this month. “All it does is push people to places where they’re not paying to park.”

His frustration reflects a growing challenge across the Gulf Coast, where a surge of tourists and newcomers are crowding parking lots and prompting beach towns to start charging for spaces.

It is also a sign of how local governments across the region are trying to harness tourism’s economic benefits without upsetting wary locals.

In Walton County, leaders sought compromise: Locals can buy an annual parking permit for $5, and revenue from the program will fund county operations. The area’s visitors often come from large cities, including New Orleans and Atlanta.

“Paid parking is not necessarily a foreign concept,” said Matt Algarin, Walton County’s tourism director. “I don’t think that it will be a shock to people.”

The idea is catching on across the region.

Leaders in Okaloosa County, Florida, near Destin and Fort Walton Beach, are considering a new system that would require noncounty residents to pay for parking at beaches and boat ramps.

In Alabama, Gulf State Park

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how best — and when — to chase them.

“My goal is not to say ‘Hey, we need to call off a chase.’ My goal is for them to know when is the right time to pursue, and when is it the right time to call it off,” Kleinpeter said.

The bills

Aggravated flight from an officer intentionally refusing to stop a vehicle after a clear signal from law enforcement, in a manner that endangers human life — currently carries up to 15 years in prison, but does not have a mandatory minimum sentence.

Senate Bill 58, authored by Kleinpeter, would institute a mandatory minimum twoyear sentence for those convicted of aggravated flight who cause “serious bodily injury.” The bill is currently in the Louisiana House after the Senate voted to pass it in late March. The goal, he says, is to stop someone who might otherwise be emboldened to stomp on the gas when sirens appear in the rearview mirror.

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spaces for visiting artists from around the world. In January Marks also opened Café NUNU to translate international flavors and foodways into the universal language — a shared meal. For his work at NUNU Arts & Culture Collective, and his background in developing cultural exchange programs that promote the Acadiana region to the rest of the world, Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet has named Marks as the Director of International Trade and Development for the Lafayette Consolidated Government. The role was previously

beach recently increased daily parking passes from $10 to $15 and annual passes from $100 to $200.

City leaders converted 300 parking spaces from free to paid two years ago in the middle of downtown Pensacola, Florida. Paid lots also began spreading several years ago in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, despite protests from some locals who still refuse to visit downtown on weekends because of how hard it is to find a parking spot. Most of them are concentrated in a few blocks of downtown — near restaurants, shops and the beach — and fill up on weekends. There’s also a free parking garage a block away from the wa-

“There is zero respect for law enforcement anymore for a lot of people,” he said.

“Hopefully the word will get out that if you run from the police. you are facing a mandatory minimum of two years in prison.” Those convicted also face increased financial penalties should the legislation pass, up to $2,000 in fines, which, along with any insurance payouts, would fund officer training for high-speed pursuits or technology designed to minimize public risk for police chases.

Kleinpeter was also behind House Bill 801, which would establish a special “Classic Black” license plate — a jet black background with white numbers and lettering — available through the Office of Motor Vehicles for a $25 annual fee. Because it raises revenue, it was introduced in the House by Plaquemine Democrat Chasity Martinez her first bill since her election to District 60. The proceeds would fund pursuit training at the State Police facility in Zachary, where many local departments and sheriff’s offices can’t afford to send officers, said Kleinpeter Kleinpeter compared the need for pursuit training to

held by Dave Domingue from 2021 to 2025, followed by Sami Parbhoo as interim director The position includes leading the Lafayette International Center, which participates in global trade and development discussions that leverage the region’s cultural and economic assets.

“Lafayette’s culture has always been our competitive advantage and our connection to the world,” said Boulet. “George understands how to translate that culture into opportunity. His leadership will help us continue building Lafayette as a place where culture, business and global partnerships come together to drive growth.”

Marks will focus on expanding international trade connections, supporting

terfront stretch of the Bay but the city-run lot will sometimes close for private events on busy tourism days.

County governments say the paid parking systems benefit beach communities because they use tourist dollars to pay for infrastructure improvements without raising locals’ taxes. Paid parking programs also give local leaders data about how often visitors use beaches, boat ramps and parks, and what months the amenities are most busy

Privately owned parking lots have been turning up around the Gulf Coast, too.

“You have an influx of people from out of town coming in that are willing to pay,” said Jordan

firearms qualification.

“Every year they have to go shoot their pistol to make sure they’re qualified, and very rarely do they pull their pistol,” he said. “But every day they get in that vehicle, and every day they pursue somebody, and there is no training behind it.”

Nationwide, 5,425 police pursuits resulted in fatal crashes between 2009 and 2023, with a 2% increase each year, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

From 2013 to 2023, Baton Rouge police initiated over 1,200 pursuits about 1 every 3 days — the majority of which began with traffic stops, an Advocate investigation revealed. In the latter half of that same time period, 10% of those pursuits resulted in a crash. The year Gill and Dunn were killed, chases initiated by BRPD resulted in two other fatal crashes.

Kleinpeter predicts that high demand for the license plates will help improve those stats Several other states have recently adopted them to raise revenue, while many drivers in others buy them illegally The bill has passed the House 93 to 1 and is now in the Senate.

local organizations in accessing global markets, and positioning Lafayette as a hub for cultural exchange and collaboration. The Lafayette International Center was established in 1989 by Mayor Dud Lastrapes to serve as Lafayette’s administrative face to the world. Marks said, “we have a unique cultural identity that already resonates globally, and there’s real opportunity to grow both new and existing partnerships Let’s build on what makes our community so special and continue moving Lafayette forward.”

According to the Boulet administration, they plan to coordinate with community and regional partners to help shape the next phase of Lafayette’s international strategy as Marks steps into the role.

Bradford, the City Council president in Bay St. Louis. Several lots in the city are owned by Premium Parking, a New Orleans-based company that has expanded across the country

“Somebody saw that market and decided to capitalize on it,” Bradford said.

Demand for parking

The pay-to-park systems create mixed feelings in beach communities.

In Okaloosa County, leaders said many residents are asking questions about how the idea would work but have not rallied against it in large numbers. But many Bay St. Louis locals were upset several years ago when the parking lots

“I think you’re gonna see a lot of black license plates,” he said. “Hopefully it’s gonna help on high-speed pursuits, and hopefully we can prevent any other innocent lives from being taken.”

From grief to action

In the aftermath of his daughter’s death, Jason Gill set out to make sure other parents wouldn’t face the same loss.

“I wanted to leave a legacy for my daughter,” he said. “The more I thought about it, the more I thought something could change.”

He founded the Caroline Grace Gill Foundation, and around the same time, met Tim Morgan, a former chief deputy in South Carolina whose own experience witnessing a bystander killed during a police chase inspired him to start Pursuit Alert. The company developed a cloud-based alert system called Digital Siren, which notifies nearby drivers when police are engaged in a pursuit

they often used for free began charging a few dollars an hour

Demand for parking has not slowed since.

“People use the hell out of them,” said Thomas Genin, a Bay St. Louis restaurant owner whose customers often complain of too little parking, said of the private lots.

“People will just go in and pay now because they’re not going to drive around for 30 minutes trying to park.”

Some beach destinations intend to use the new parking revenue to expand and improve existing lots.

Trey Goodwin, chairman of Okaloosa County’s board of commissioners, said surging demand in recent years has outpaced what most lots can accommodate.

“That difference, where you’ve got more demand than capacity, is really driving this concept of generating additional revenue,” he said. “This just represents a logical next step in how to capture those outside dollars to make our product and our community even better.”

Local governments are now spreading the word about new parking rules to visitors and residents. The tourism office in Walton County is working with hotels to alert guests of the new fees. Bay St. Louis leaders say they are working to end overnight parking as one step to solve the dilemma of packed lots.

The community also has a free, city-owned parking garage a few blocks away from its main stretch of restaurants. Still, locals say the garage is little-known and underused.

Cover is the manager at AJ’s Grayton Beach, a seafood restaurant nestled between palm trees just off 30A. Now, he said he fears the new rules will “turn us into Destin,” where paid parking is common and some business owners patrol their lots for non-paying tourists.

Cover said his restaurant was not crowded one recent afternoon. But the parking lot was full.

Now used by over 30 departments in the country,

Brusly became the first Louisiana town to adopt it in 2024, installing the technology in nine patrol units. Similar to Amber Alerts, it sends a loud notification to anyone with the Digital Siren app within a 1.5-mile radius, urging them to slow down and stay alert.

Last February, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office followed suit, equipping all 40 of its units. Their system automatically activates when an officer’s lights go on, even during routine traffic stops.

“It keeps my deputies safe, too,” said Sheriff Brett Stassi. “If my deputy stops a car and we’re sitting on the side of the road with our lights on, it’s gonna notify you.”

His deputies can also use Digital Siren to push specific messages to people nearby, such as details about a missing person.

“We don’t have to wait for an Amber Alert,” Stassi said.

“The man on the scene can send it out.” West Baton Rouge Parish

came on board in March, installing the system in 21 units. Sheriff Jeff Bergeron said alerts are triggered automatically when a vehicle exceeds 70 mph with lights and sirens on, or sustains 50 mph with lights and sirens for more than 45 seconds. The next step is getting more residents to download the app to actually receive the signals, Stassi said though Digital Siren is also integrated into Waze navigation, as well as software in newer Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models.

Gill’s foundation has helped fund installations across the three departments and is pushing for broader adoption statewide. He’s also hoping to help smaller municipalities fund high-speed pursuit training for their officers. “If any law enforcement agencies need help with tools, technology or training, I’d love to help,” he said. “I want to contribute in any way I can to make our law enforcement better at what they do.”

STAFF PHOTO By JUSTIN MITCHELL

Paid parking lots began spreading several years ago in Bay St. Louis, Miss., a popular destination for Louisiana tourists.

OUR VIEWS

Treat orphaned wellslikethe urgent threat they are

The scourge of orphaned wells in Louisiana has long been asimmering issue in thisstate where oil and gas are our lifeblood. But new numbers from the Department of Conservation and Energy should movethe problem tothe front burner

The state now counts nearly 6,500 orphaned wells, the department says. Even more worryingishow fast the number has grown over the past few years. Between 2014 and 2023, the state added about 447 orphaned wells per year to the list. But so far in 2026, 517 wells have been added.

These wells, which have been abandoned by companies that have gone out of business or been shut down by the state after repeated violations, cost the state millions toplug and make safe. Since 2023, Louisiana has spent $90 million to plug 490 orphaned wells, with the average well costing about $113,000 toplug. To deal with all the wells on the list,the bill could be upward of $730 million.

So far,the state has relied on amix of sources for the money,including some federal dollars. We were hopeful in 2024 when the Legislature created theLouisiana Natural Resources Trust Authority,which oversees afund drillers must pay into that is used to fund cleanup and plugging of abandoned wells. We thought it only fair to have companies that reap the rewards of oil exploration when things go right, shoulder the burden when things go wrong. But this idea has been hobbled by our lawmakers’ failure to give it their full support. The financial security required to drill awell is too low to cover the cost of plugging awell, the legislative auditor found. But when the DepartmentofConservation and Energy pushed to raise the fee, legislators balked and instead passed alaw to limit the amount companies would pay Then too, there is the problem of repeat offenders, companies responsible for hundreds of orphaned wells throughout the state. These companies largely did notdrill the wells in question, often buying them up from other companies.The state can legally force the original driller to pay to plug awell, but they can be hard to identify after decades of wells changing hands.

If the state took the issue as seriously as it should,itwould shore up itsfund to plug wells by chargingdrillers more and aggressively pursue the owners of companies that stockpile abandoned wells to figure out if there is away to identify who should pay to plug them. And that’sjust for starters. We would like to see more checks on who is allowedtodrill in our state. Or the state can do what it has been doing since the 1990s, plug wells when it can and ignore the five-alarm fire at its doorstep.

OPINION

Lake showshow acoast becomesunlivable

In Louisiana, we can look south to see thefuture. The state’scoastal zone might as well be an oracle. Read thesignals right,and you know what’s coming. Here, that means climate problems. Coastal residents already know about rising seas, sinking land and more intense storms. Those thingsare daily realities.

laid waste to much of that infrastructure, including poles that supported thepower lines.

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

Camp owners near LakeDe Cade, amarshy expanse of brackish water in lower Terrebonne Parish,are in thethick of it right now.They’re faced with adaunting choice: Keep their camps without the electricity they’ve had for decades or,like the cooperative that once provided it, abandon theregion.

This newspaper’sSam Karlin recently spent time down there and his report gives us rare insight intothe slow march of climate change’spernicious effects. What happened in LakeDeCade is this:Inthe 1930s,the SouthLouisiana Electric Cooperative Association, SLECA,was formed and eventually ran power tocommunities and camp clusters along the coast. That included more than ahundred in and near Lake De Cade. ButHurricane Ida in 2021

For monthsafter Ida, SLECA told camp owners across four coastal regions of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes that it intended to rebuild. At the same time as company officials were making those promises, they were pulling up the damaged poles.

In 2024, thecooperative notified campowners in those four areas that it didn’tintend to rebuild. SLECA would file an application with the state to formally abandon the camps, the first time in Louisiana history forsuch an application. It said rebuilding to FEMA’s standards wasjust too expensive. Since then, the Lake De Cade abandonment has been approved by the Public Service Commission. The other three have been referred to an administrative law judge. In thegrand scheme of things, this is not abig deal. No one lives full-time at Lake De Cade, which is deep in the marsh. There aren’teven that many camps anymore.

It’shard not to see SLECA’s point. It would be enormously expensive to rebuild thegrid out there. And the costs

would then be passed along to SLECA’s relatively small group of ratepayers. Why should ahomeowner in some other area subsidize the extension of power to afew camps stubbornly hanging on in the marsh?

It’s afair question. It’s aquestion that, even if we don’tlive on the coast, we will need to answer.How much is it worth? And as greater reaches of the coast are threatened, Louisianans on higher ground will be asked again and again to subsidize infrastructure for coastal neighbors.

This is how,inalong series of small steps, acoast becomes unlivable. There’snoone moment. No single catastrophe, no individual event. It’s the cascade of smaller,incremental crises. Insurance premiumsrise, pricing somefolks out. Evacuations persuade morepeople just to stay gone. And sometimes, crucial utility providers just decide it’snot worth it anymore.

If autility is saying it, manyresidents surely will say it, too.

That’show,slowly,inexorably,a once-vibrant and distinctive coastal way of life, like so much coastal land, ebbs away forever

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

Developing acivil societystartsearly

Ispoke to studentslast week at LSU’sManship School of Journalism as part of The Common Ground Project’s“Pizza and Public Affairs” series.

The idea is basically to get young people talking about current affairs, and the free pizza is agreat draw

As ajournalist, Iconsume alot of media. Ilisten to podcasts andfollow a number of news websites. There is no shortage of views outthere to challenge your own beliefs. So to me, theproblem is not alack of options out there, it’smore a lack of willingness to seek out other views.

For thoseofyou unfamiliar with The Common Ground Project, it aims to foster dialogue in our increasingly politically polarized world. It is apartnership of the nonpartisan Public AffairsResearch Council of Louisianaand LSU’sReilly Center for Media &Public Affairs. There are several programs offered throughout theyear,and not just for students. Iurge everyone totry to attendone.

In high school, Iwas in debate, and the best debaters were always the ones whowere not threatened by other views. They wanted to understandall sides of an issue and could argue convincingly because they understood all sides. But today,too many people feel threatened by disagreement or onlywant to hear arguments that align with their world view.The Common Ground Project is trying to change that.

that you can disagree and be civil, and people whohave differing viewsare not the enemy.I urged the students to read the newspaper,ofcourse, but also to read manyother sources. Be curious about your community and the world because that’sthe only waywemake it better Turning to our letters inbox, we have twoweeks to catch up on.

Iwas asked an interesting question: How should aperson make sure they are hearing arange of viewpoints in their media diet instead of just ones that confirm their own beliefs?

Andyoung people are agood place to start.Ifeel that if we are going to restore our civil society,young people must be taught that what they are seeing in politics today is not normal,

In the week of March 26-April 2, we received 73 letters, and the biggest topic wasthe warinIran. Six of you wrote with opinions on the war.The second mostpopular topic was an article on hog baying, which prompted letters from readers concerned about animal cruelty.Noother topic wasthe subject of morethan twoletters. In the weekofApril 2-9, we received 48 letters, with the U.S. Senate race being the mostpopular topic. It prompted three letters.

Email Arnessa Garrett at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

COMMENTARY

Letlow stoops to endorseMeans as surgeongeneral

Quin Hillyer

We have anew leader in the contest for which U.S. Senate candidateinLouisiana’s Republican primary can show the mostabject toadyism to President Donald Trump. Sometimes Trumpisright, but when he is wrong, he can be spectacularly wrong It takes aspeciallevel of toadyism to campaignasif it’sa virtue to supportone of Trump’smost spectacularly wrong choices. But that’swhat U.S.Rep. JuliaLetlow is doing In numerous social media posts, Letlow has blasted her incumbentopponent,Dr. Bill Cassidy,for delayinga hearing on Trump’snomination of thecontroversial Casey Means to be surgeon general. Means, who has amedical degree but has so many oddball beliefs, bothpersonal and medical,that she might as well be an AI-generatedcaricature. Even one of the wackiest membersofMAGA-world, conspiracy theoristLaura Loomer,saysthat Means’ selectionshows“the inmatesare running the asylum.”

For once, Loomer is on the sane side of an issue. It’sbad enough that Meansisa skeptic of basic childhood vaccine regimens that have provedtheireffectiveness for decades. She also advocates decidedly unorthodox views on everythingfrom common medicines to agricultural practices to mental health —and sheboasts of experimentation with psilocybin,anillegal psychedeliccompoundfoundinsome mushrooms, while urgingher followers to use it, too.

Meanwhile, the Southern Baptist Convention’spolicy armannounced it opposes Means’nomination due to “abundant cause formedical, moral, and legal concern.” Indeed,conservative and Evangelical conservative Christians —alarge partofthe Republican electorate —have reason to be deeplysuspicious of Means’ “spiritual” practices.

Writingthat after just one datewith a certain man, she had become a“dopamine fiend,” sheembraced apsychological strategy featuring ahodgepodge of “plant

medicine,” “the divine feminine, Quantum Neuro Reset Therapy …and much more.”

She “prayed to photos of my ancestors …and wrotemantras and manifestations on small pieces of paper and tucked them around the shrine.” She “worked with a spiritual mediumwho helped me try to connect with my spirit guides forsupport and guidance. Idid full moon ceremonies with grounded, powerful women.” She “talked (literally out loud) tothe trees, letting them know Iwas ready forpartnership, and asking them if they could help.”

All of this, she wrote, was how she could “embrace the ‘woo’ (aka, the mystery).” Because, she wrote, “Quantumentanglementtells us our choices today ripple for eternity.”

Means also is fond of assertions such as that “gastrointestinal cancers skyrocket” at least in part because “the Western world demonizes the intuitive powers of ourgut in favor of ‘experts,’ ‘proof,’ and the thinking rational brain.”

If someone treats our gutslike aquack, she’sprobably aquack.

Butdon’ttake my word for it. Listen to a true medical MAGA-ite, Trump’sown surgeon general in thepresident’sfirst term

The widely respected Dr.Jerome Adams says that Means does “not hav[e] the basic qualifications to do thejob” and, indeed, “seemsa disastrously poor fit.”

It is clear that Means, at least fornow, lacks enough votes to be approved by the Senate’shealth committee that Cassidy chairs. The usual practice is such circumstances is todelay avote to avoid embar-

rassing the president of one’sown party, which is exactly what Cassidy has done.

YetLetlow keeps attacking Cassidy for “stalling” when she says he should “move this nomination forward” to be “truly supporting President Trump’sagenda.”

For Letlow to support such amanifestly unfit candidate forsurgeon general is to show alevel of obsequiousness to Trump that is off the charts. Does Letlow have any independent judgment?

For that matter,not even Trumpseems sold on, or even paying much attention to, Means’ nomination.

The other day on Air Force One, he said, “Wehave alot of candidates” forsurgeon general. If Trumpdoesn’treally care much about Means, whyshould Letlow repeatedly say it is essential to support such a ludicrous nominee?

To be clear,Cassidy has supported a whole slew of bad Trumpnominees. His hands certainly aren’tclean. But when he finally does the right thing forthe country and forTrump, by bottling up anominee whocannot possibly serve Trumpwell, the last thing Letlow should do is attack Cassidy forit.

Louisiana needs astrong U.S. senator, not apresidential puppet. And the nation’s chief health officer should be areal doctor, not a’shroom-taking health “influencer” whosays better health care results from an intuitive gut rather than a“thinking, rational brain.”

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

La.Republicans couldteach Calif. Democrats

In 2024, California voters went for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump by 20 points. In 2025, they approved aballot proposition designed to counter Texas Republicans’ audacious, Trump-backed redistricting plan by nearly 30 points. In 2026, there’sanotso-far-fetched possibility that the state, one of the nation’sbluest, willreplace self-appointed Trump troll Gavin Newsom in the governor’s office with —get this —aRepublican. That the state’sDemocrats are increasingly alarmed by this nightmare scenario has nothing to do with shifting political winds, andeverything to do with California’s adoption in 2011 of theopen primary,the same system long used in Louisiana So, as voters here are currently decoding new party primary rules to electa U.S. senator and afew other top officials, Californians are grappling with one of the quirks of the system that Louisianans know and still love, accordingtopolls: When Republicans, Democrats and everyone

else runonone primaryballot, prettymuch anythingcan happen.

Stephanie Grace

In this case, awhole bunch of Democrats signed up, any of whom would be aheavy favorite against any Republican runoff opponent. But because none of them has caught momentumortakenone for the team and dropped out, polls are showing that two Republicans could claim the top two primary slots, leaving Democratic voters witha deeply unpalatable choice come November. If any of this sounds familiar to Louisianans, it should. Republicansinour state faced just such a scenario three decades ago. Louisiana’s Senate seat in 1996 wasvacant,courtesy of J. Bennett Johnston’s retirement.Atthe time, the state was still regularly electing Democrats,but ashift was alreadyunderway, andRepublicans thought they had agood shotat electingone of their own for the first timesince Reconstruction. Butwhichone?

Four candidates who were considered mainstream conserva-

tivesigned up: U.S. Rep. Jimmy Hayes, legislator Chuck McMains, New OrleansCity Council member Peggy Wilson and businessman Bill Linder.Sodid former legislator Woody Jenkins, who had afirm base of Christian conservatives but was considered moreright-wing than the others, and therefore less electable.

As they struggled to standout, two Democrats, former state treasurer Mary Landrieu and attorney general Richard Ieyoub, stubbornly held theone-two spots in polls, potentially leaving Republicans shut out Andthere was another complication. Alsointhe race was Republican David Duke, the former Klansman and legislator who five years earlier made worldwide news by gettingintoagubernatorial runoff. As folks in Louisiana politics knew,Duke was awild card who often got moresupport on election day than he showed in public polls.

The prospect of an all-Democrat runoff or one pitting aDemocrat againstDuke was too much for Republican leaders, including the presidential campaign of Bob Dole, who understood that aDuke

runoff candidacy would be an embarrassment for the party beyond Louisiana’sborders. And so agroup led by then-U.S. Rep. Bob Livingston and his fellow GOP membersofthe state congressionaldelegation cameupwith a plan. They would pick one of the Republicans, dominate the news cycle by stagingasteady rollout of endorsements and signal to GOP voters to fall in line if they wanted acandidate in the runoff. While any one of the moremainstream candidates would have likely been asmarter and more personallyappealing choice, Jenkins consistently polled just ahead of them, so he got the nod. It came awfully close to working.

Jenkins finished first in the primarywith 26% to Landrieu’s22% and Ieyoub’s20%, followed by Duke at 12%. Nobody else topped 6%. Butthen in the runoff, he fell 5,788 votes short, suggesting it’shighly likely that adifferent Republican could have won Instead, Landrieu served three terms before the state’sgradual shift to the right finally came for her in 2014—inthe person, ironi-

cally,ofthe now-endangered Bill Cassidy Icalled Livingston recently to see if,given this experience, he might have someadvice forCalifornia Democrats. He declined “I think they’re crazy,” he said but did have somethoughts about the Republicans.

“If polls show you’ve got a chance at two Republicans in the runoff, my advice is to stay firm,” he said. He said he wasn’thappy to see Trumpendorse one of them, Steve Hilton, because that might shiftenough votes from fellow Republican Chad Bianco to allow aDemocrat into the top tier “I think that wasamistake,” Livingston said. Indeed, if the Democrats can’t find away to choose among their own —and as of now they haven’t —itmight wellend up being a mistake that saves them come primary day on June 2. It’s certainly areminder that Louisiana’straditional way of voting can be either charming or challenging, but is rarely boring. Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Wayback when parishes were created, emerging government leaders thought it might be agood idea to have someone keep track of legal matters and property

During Reconstruction, roughly between 1865 and 1877, Black people held elective offices in Louisiana, including “Radical Republican” acting Gov.P.B.S. Pinchback and Lt. Gov.Oscar Dunn, respectively the state’sfirst Black governor and first Black lieutenant governor.Local governance was important, so there were several clerks in Orleans Parish, some reports sayasmany as seven or eight.It’s unclear how many of those clerks were Black, but New Orleans had asubstantial population of free Blacks at atime when about 2,000 Black men held elective office. Since then, overseeing parish elections hasbecomeacritical part of the job. When the White supremacistfocused Democrats endedRe-

construction,they consolidated power,eliminating several clerk jobs and combining theduties.

The argument: This saves moneyand reducesthe size of government

Will Sutton

Afew daysago, the Louisiana Senatevoted to approve Senate Bill 256, merging civil and criminal clerk’soffices in New Orleans. Theargument: This saves moneyand reduces thesize of government. Or so they say If the Louisiana House of Representatives follows the Senateand approves themeasure, Gov.Jeff Landry would sign it. That could stop the legally elected Orleans criminal district clerk from taking office on May 4.

Calvin Duncan is ahero to many,aman whotravels the country sharinghis story about being convicted of a1980s murder he hascontinuously said he didn’tcommit. He was sentenced to life in prison, serving 28 years at theLouisianaState Peniten-

tiaryatAngola. In 2011, new evidence allowed him to plead to alesser charge and walk out of prison as afree man.About adecade later,in2021, OrleansParish Judge Nandi Campbell cleared that conviction. Duncan and his advocates said he was exonerated. Attorney General Liz Murrill and anumber of other conservative politicians disagreed.

As Duncan campaigned to defeat incumbent Darren Lombard, Murrill called Duncan’sclaim of exoneration “an inaccurate statement.” She said theconviction was vacated, meaning there was no proven innocence.

The incumbent used theexoneration claim as acampaign weapon against Duncan, but it didn’t work. Duncan won overwhelmingly,68% to 32%.

Lombard, to his credit,let it go.

“Asclerk of Criminal District Court for OrleansParish,Irespect the will of the voters above all. Just months ago, the people chose my successor,Mr. Duncan,”

the incumbent wrote in aNew Orleans Agenda column. “I urge the Legislature to reject this bill and stand withthe voters of Orleans Parish.”

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, who supported Lombard over Duncan, agrees.

“New Orleans courts and clerk offices serve New Orleans residents,” Moreno said in astatement. “Changes of this consequence require local leadership, real data, andgenuine collaboration with stakeholders. Without that, Iwill continue to voice my strong opposition.”

The bill would merge criminal clerk operations into the parish civil clerk office, led by Civil District Court Clerk Chelsea Richard Napoleon. She didn’trequest this merger,and she said it would be challenging and costly to combine theoffices.

Thank goodness we’ve progressed far enough from Reconstruction days that aBlack man can be theincumbent clerk and aBlack man can challenge and

unseat him.Still, this isn’tabout color,ethnicity or race.

This is apersonal vendetta against aman who, exonerated or not, madesomething of himself, becameaproductive citizen, became an example formany and amentor to others, aman who would have good reason to be bitter after spending so manyyears behind bars.

Bill sponsor Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, said his bill isn’tfocused on Duncan.

Yeah, sure. If Lombard had won reelection, this wouldn’tbeanissue. If the nameofthe clerk election winner wereCharlene Duncan or Charles Duncan, this wouldn’tbe an issue. They want to oust aman chosen by the people to represent them to handle, among other things, fair and free elections.

Idon’tbelieve Morris. And neither should you.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By TOMBRENNER

CaseyMeans testifies during aconfirmation hearing for U.S. surgeon general on Feb.25.

Herrmann dazzlesas UL knocks

ff Southern Miss

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

UL starting pitcher Andrew Herrmann wasn’table to make it to the postgameinterview session Saturday

The senior southpaw had used up all the energy he had on the mound at Russo Park with 108 pitches in acompletegame to push the Ragin’ Cajuns to an 8-4 win over the No. 10-ranked Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday After the game,the weary Herrmann was getting an ice-bath treatment in front of the clubhouse.

“I’m really blessed,” UL coach Matt Deggs said. “One day I’m going to sit back and think aboutit—sofortunatetobearound him and coach him and watch him forthree years.He’scut out alittle bit differently “It’s2026, buthe’sgot areal old-school mindset. He’ll throw anythingbut the kitchen sink, and he’ll probably throw thattoget youout.”

It was Herrmann’sthird completegame of the season. He surrendered four runson apair of two-run homers withone walk and nine strikeouts.

“I have notseena pitcher like Herm before in my life,” teammate Steven Spalitta

Back to pack

AUGUSTA, Ga. Tenyears ago, an LSU golfer named Smylie Kaufman was one stroke off the lead going into the final round of the Masters.

Onedecade on, another Tiger

—former LSU All-American Sam Burns —virtually has the identical opportunity

Achance to makehistory

Achance to win agreen jacket

Achance for golfing immortality

hisballall over the lot fora1-over 73, his Masters record six-stroke lead after 36 holes melting in the hot Georgia sun. After Friday’smagic, when McIlroy looked like he could do no wrong, Saturday his golf game looked like what Iimagine mac and cheese in acan must taste like (yes, that’ssomething they actually have on the shelves in McIlroy’snative Northern Ireland).

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

ä NFL Draft 7P.M.APRIL 23,

Kellen Moore knows NFL teamsshoot for the same goal during free agency.Withthe NFL draft largely unpredictable, theideais to do enough in free agency that when the picks come flying in thatApril, reaching to fill amajor need isn’tanecessity. There are exceptions, but everyorganizationwants to maintain flexibility ahead of the draft.

“I feellikewe’reina healthy spot in that case,” Moore said The Saints’ moves in free agency explain why.Ingiving out more than $183 million worth of contracts —with more than $116 millioninguarantees, according to Over The Cap—to11players, New Orleans took steps to shore up its strugglingrunning gameand replacea keyleader after linebacker DemarioDavis departed forthe New York Jets. As aresult, the Saints appear tohave the flexibility they wanted.Signingrunning back Travis Etienne, for instance, makesit less of ablow if

Burns’ playing partner Saturday,reigning Masters champion RoryMcIlroy,began the third round with thepower to turn the tournament intoacoronation-like snoozefest or awild free-for-all marching toward Sunday’sfinal round. No offense to theuber-popular McIlroy,but for every golf fan who enjoys alittle drama withSunday coffee, thankfully free-for-all won out. McIlroy golfed

By the timeitwas over,McIlroy was still in the lead but now had to share it with Cameron Young, whowas as on fire Saturday as McIlroy wasFriday.Young fired a7-under 65 after starting the day eight strokes off the lead to tie McIlroy at 11 under Perhaps just as importantly,McIlroy —who started theday ahalf-dozen shots ahead of Burns and former

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Once LSU wrapped up its first twoweeks of spring practice, coachLaneKiffin saiditwas “obvious” the Tigers weremuch further along on defense than offense. How could they not be? On defense, LSU retained itscoaching staffand several key starters, while the offense underwent atransformation. Newcomers are all over the field, and almost all of them are learning anew system “There’salot of worktodo,” Kiffin said Tuesday That belief was clear on Saturday,when LSUscrimmaged in TigerStadium. Reporters could watch the full session for the first time this spring, whichmeanttheycouldsee whyKiffin thinks his offense is still awork in progress. There wereflashes. Both quarterbacks who ran with the first-team unit Saturday,Southern Cal transfer Husan Longstreet and Elon transfer Landen Clark —connected with receivers forlongtouchdowns afterlayering nice throwsover the middle. But the defense wonthe day.Turnovers,

TH EM AS TE RS •1

Scott Rabalais

11

11

2p.m. Radford at High Point ESPNU

2p.m.

2:30

1p.m. Oklahoma at Texas ESPN

2p.m. Ohio St. at Michigan BTN

3p.m. Virginia Tech at Virginia ACCN

4p.m. Purdue at Indiana BTN

5p.m. CaliforniaatNCState ACCN

5p.m. Tennessee at Kentucky SECN GOLF

1p.m. PGA: Masters Tournament CBS HORSE RACING

Noon America’s Dayatthe Races FS1

1p.m. America’sDay at the Races FS2 MLB

12:35 p.m.San Francisco at Baltimore MLBN

3:30 p.m. Texas at L.A.Dodgers (JIP) MLBN

6:20 p.m. Cleveland at Atlanta NBC, Peacock NBA

5:10 p.m. Orlando at Boston ESPN

7:30 p.m. NewOrleansatMinnesota GCSEN

7:35 p.m. Denver at San AntonioESPN NHL

2p.m. Pittsburgh at Washington TNT,TRUTV

5p.m. Boston at Columbus NHLN

WNBA FREE-AGENCYROUNDUP

MEN’S RUGBY

8p.m.MLR: California at ChicagoESPN2

MEN’S SOCCER

8a.m.Aston Villa at Nottingham NBCSN

8a.m.Tottenham at Sunderland USA

10:30 a.m.ManchesterCity at ChelseaUSA

6p.m.ForgeFCatVancouver FC FS2

WOMEN’S SOCCER

3p.m.ClubAmerica vs.Corinthians SC ION

6p.m.KCCurrent vs.SEPalmeirasION TENNIS

5a.m.Monte Carlo DoublesFinal Tennis

8a.m.Monte Carlo SinglesFinal Tennis

4a.m.(Mon.) ATP& WTATennis

5a.m.(Mon.) ATP& WTATennis UFL

11 a.m. Columbus at Arlington ABC

2p.m.Birmingham at St.Louis ABC WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

1p.m.SaltLakevs. Houston USA

DigginstoSky;Sabally joinsLiberty

Griner reportedly finalizing deal with Sun

BY DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press

Skylar Diggins is headed toChicago while Satou Sabally is coming to New York as WNBAfree agents were able to officially sign Saturday Diggins spent the pasttwo seasons with the Seattle Storm before coming to the Sky—a move announced on social media. The seven-time All-Star gives the team another veteran guard and brings her closer to where she grew up in South Bend, Indiana. She averaged 15.5 points and 6.0assists last season.

Sabally’smove to New York was confirmed by her agent Zack Miller.She joins an already stacked rosterasBreanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescualready said they’ll be back in New York. Sabally also looked at coming to the Liberty last seasonwhenshe wasalso a free agent before landing with the Phoenix Mercury.Saballyaveraged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and2.5 assists to earn an All-Star spot—her third.

She raised her game in the postseason, averaging 19 points and seven rebounds before suffering a concussion in Game 3ofthe series against Las Vegas that causedher to miss the final gameofthe series.

While Diggins and Sabally are changing teams, KelseyMitchell and Dearica Hamby are staying put. Mitchell will continue her time in Indiana pairingwith Caitlin Clark for one of the most talented backcourts in theleague.

“For nearly adecade,Kelsey has been afoundationalpiece of the Indiana Fever and securing her return was our highest priority.Kelsey Mitchell is among the top of along list of agreatathletes who have elevated not only our city and franchise, but their

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LINDSEyWASSON

Seattle StormguardSkylar Digginsmoves the ball during agame against the Newyork Liberty on June 22 in Seattle. The seven-time WNBAAll-Staris heading to theChicagoSky

sport as awhole,” Fever general managerAmberCox said.Hamby announced on social media that shewas returning to the Los AngelesSparks. The three-time All-Starwill be partofatalented group that includes newly signed Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.

Late Friday,Brittney Griner was said to be finalizing adeal to join the ConnecticutSun, according to apersonfamiliarwith the negotiations.

The 10-time All-Star spent last season with theAtlanta Dream afterplaying thefirst 11 years of her career for Phoenix, which drafted her No.1 in 2013.

The35-year-old Griner is from Houstonand theConnecticut franchise is movingthere in 2027.

The 6-foot-9 forward won a WNBAtitle in 2014 with Phoenix and was the league’s leading scorer in 2017 and 2019. She was the defensive player of theyear in 2014 and2015.

Othermoves announced Saturday included Jessica Shepard goingtoDallas and NatishaHiedemanheadingtoSeattle.

TorontoTempo

TheexpansionTempo signed Brittney Sykestopartner with Marina Mabrey in thebackcourt. She averaged 14.1 points, 4.0 assistsand 3.2rebounds last season while playing for Washington and Seattle.

“Brittney is an elite competitor who impacts winning on bothends of the floor,” Tempogeneral manager MonicaWright Rogers said. “Her defensive versatility, toughnessand leadership set astandard, andadding aplayerofher caliber and All-Star experience is asignificant stepaswecontinue to build our roster.”

Mabrey,who was selected by theTempo in the expansion draft, averaged 12.5pointslast season as well as being asecondary playmaker andphysical perimeter defender

ChicagoSky

Diggins wasn’tthe onlyplayer the Sky signed on the first day of free agency.Chicagoisbringing back forward Azura Stevens, who helped thefranchise win atitle in

2021.

“I’m truly excited to be coming home to join the Chicago Sky,” Stevens said. “This city means everything to me. The culture,the people, the passion forthe game. To have theopportunity to come back to Chicago is amazing. I’m ready toget to work, embrace the moment,and give everything I have. Let’swork.”

Stevens played the past three yearswiththe Sparks, finishing second in Most Improved Player voting lastseason.She averaged 12.8points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks.

The Sky also acquired guard Jacy Sheldonfromthe Washington Mystics. The Mystics receive Chicago’s2028 first-round pick.

AtlantaDream

The Dream brought back Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada on Saturday to go along with Allisha Gray,BrionnaJones andNaz Hillmon to lock in their core group.

“This is agroup that believes in Atlanta,believes in each other andisunitedinthe pursuitofa championship,” Dream GM Dan Padover said. “Allisha,Brionna, Jordin, Naz andRhyne represent thestandard we are building here in Atlanta; talented, unselfish and fully committed to winning. Their decision to continuebuilding together,inthis city and with each other,speaks to their belief in our vision and culture —one built to win, with great players andeven better people.”

The group was instrumental in theDream’s2025 season, which included30wins anda .682 winning percentage,the best marks in team history

Indiana Fever

In addition to re-signing Mitchell and Lexie Hull, the Fever broughtinfreeagentforward Monique Billings following a one-year stint with the expansion Golden State Valkyries. Billings appeared in 26 games, averaging 7.3 points per game.

LSUwomen’s hoopsgetsFlorida transfer

BYREED DARCEY Staff writer

It’s been abusyrecruiting weekend for the LSU women’s basketballteam, which signed one transferguard on Saturdaywhile preparing foravisit with another Laila Reynolds, arising senior guardfromFlorida,willnow play for the Tigers in 2026-27. She visited with coach Kim Mulkey and her staff on Friday andannounced that she had committed on Saturday —the day asource confirmed that Iowa State point guardJada Williams washeadedtoBaton Rouge for avisit that will stretch into Sunday “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to coach (Reynolds), Mulkey said in astatement. “Our goals for next seasonalign, making it the perfect fit. Her skill set paired with three yearsofSEC experience will be ahuge asset to our team.” Reynolds is a6-foot-1 three-year starter and former McDonald’s All-American. As ajunior,she averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field. Williams, a5-6 ballhandler,is also arising senior, and she’sone of the top players in the transfer portal.She scored 15.3 points and assisted 7.7 shots per game this past season,finishingthe year

JOHNSON

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL

Florida guard Laila Reynoldspumps her fist after an LSU turnover duringagame Jan. 26 at the PMAC. Reynoldsistransferring to LSU for her senior season.

with the third-highest assist average among Division Iplayers. She spent thefirsttwo yearsofher career at Arizona. Both Reynoldsand Williams played in the 2023 McDonald’s All-Americagame alongside Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley —the twostar guards who can return to the Tigers for their senior seasons. They can each help Mulkey and her staff replenish the backcourtdepth they’re losingto the transferportal.

Four LSUguardshavedecided to test themarket as of Saturday Point guard Jada Richard, an Opelousas native, is on the move. So, too, are freshmanBella Hines, freshman Divine Bourrage and senior Kailyn Gilbert —the off-thebenchscoring threat whoplayed in just the first five games of the 2025-26 season before stepping away for personalreasons. Bourragehas already signed with Illinois Reynolds can help LSU fillthe

UL’s road woes continue with anotherseries loss

After stranding 21 runners in the first twogames of the Virginia road trip, the UL softball team left just twoonbase Saturday but lost to James Madison 10-2 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Cajuns (22-20 overall, 5-9 Sun Belt) are now 2-13 in trueroad games this season,including 1-7 in conference play James Madison improved to 1820 and 6-8.

UL starterJulianneTiptonallowed nine runs (three earned) on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. BethaneyNoble coveredthe last 11/3 innings, giving up one run on two walks and one strikeout. Game three of the series is scheduled for11a.m. Sunday

RelieverKimbrel brought up from minorsbyMets

NEWYORK Nine-time All-Star reliever CraigKimbrel joined his 10thmajor league team Saturday when the New York Mets selected his contract from Class ASt. Lucie. A37-year-old right-hander,Kimbrel is fifth in career saves behind Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (652) andTrevorHoffman (601) along with Lee Smith and Kenley Jansen (both 478).

Kimbrel replacedmop-up man Richard Lovelady,who wasdesignated forassignment.

“If the gamecalls for ahigh leverage, I’mnot going to hesitate,” manager CarlosMendoza said of Kimbrel. “Well on his waytobeing aHall of Famer.It’snot like aguy that’scoming up to the big leagues for thefirst time. He’s been in those roles foralong time and had apretty successful career.”

Toronto DH Springer leaves game with fractured toe TORONTO— Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer left Saturday’sgameagainst the Minnesota Twins because of a fractured big toe on his leftfoot. Miles Straw hit for Springer in the sixth inning. Springer fouled aball off his foot in the third but completed hisatbat, grounding out to third base. Manager John Schneider said Springer hadanX-rayatthe stadium, then left to undergo aCTscan “We’llknowmoreinthe next couple of days,” Schneider said. Toronto’sleadoff hitter,the veteran Springer cameinto Saturday’sgamebatting .189 with two home runs and six RBIs. He was abig part of Toronto’srun to the 2025 World Series, hitting .309 with 32 homers and 89 RBIsinthe regular season.

Cowboys DB arrested on drug possessioncharges

rolethat Hines left behind.

When shewas in high school, the Maryland native was one of the 20 best recruits in her class, according to ESPN. She wound up starting 97 games in the three years shespent with the Gators, and she improved herscoring production each season, though she did shoot only 5of37from 3-point range in 2025-26 while turning the ball over 97 times. Only seven SEC players piled up more giveaways this past season than she did.

Jada Williams —the 10th-best player in the transfer portal, accordingtoESPN—would be LSU’s replacement for Richard. She has 90 career starts,and as ajunior, she was oneofonly nine Division Iplayerswho averaged at least 15 pointsand five assists per game. Even if Mulkeyand her staff land Williams, they’d still have another move or two to make. Forward Grace Knoxand center Kate Koval can return next season,but LSUmay explore the possibility of moving forward ZaKiyah Johnson from the posttothe perimeter, which would leave it with acouple holes to fill in the frontcourt.

The Tigers’ lone 2026 freshman signee is Lola Lampley —a6-foot2wing from Indiana.

Thetransfer portal is open untilApril 20, and LSU can recruit players who have entered it both beforeand after it closes.

McKINNEY,Texas Dallas Cowboys defensive back Markquese Bell was arrested on drug possession charges following atraffic stop in the Dallas area, police said Saturday Police in the suburb of Prosper saidanofficer could smell marijuana after Bell was pulled over on Friday night. Asearch of his vehicle uncovered less than 2ounces of marijuana and aTHC electronic cigarette, and he was taken into custody on charges of possession of marijuana and acontrolled substance, police said.

Aspokesman for the Cowboys said theclubwas awareofthe arrest anddeclinedtocomment further

The 27-year-old Bell joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M in 2022.

Fury routs Makhmudov in hisboxing comeback

LONDON Tyson Fury showed littlerust in dominating ArslanbekMakhmudovfor aunanimous decision victory Saturday and immediately challengeda ringside Anthony Joshua to fight him next. “Let’s give thefight fans what they want,” Fury bellowed after going 12 rounds.

AFury-Joshua heavyweight showdown wouldbeone of the biggest fights in British boxing history.Joshua satringside duringthe fightatTottenhamHotspur Stadium As forSaturday’sfight, Fury (35-2-1) had afairly slow start but otherwise dictated thepace with his left jab andinlater rounds landed frequent lead uppercuts on Makhmudov (21-3). Twojudges scored it 120-108 andthe other 119109.

McIlroy’s 73 allows Masters pack to catch up

BY DAVE SKRETTA

AP sportswriter

AUGUSTA,Ga.— Rory McIlroy never seems to make anything easy at the Masters.

Year after year, for more than a decade, the Northern Irishman threw away chances at completing the career grand slam. And when he finally accomplished the feat last year, McIlroy did it only after recovering from a ball put in the water on the back nine and a bogey at the 18th hole in regulation, then beating Justin Rose in a playoff for the green jacket.

In other words, that record 36-hole lead of six that McIlroy carried into the third round Saturday? It meant nothing. And nothing is exactly what it was shortly after he made the turn.

McIlroy’s roller-coaster

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

round included three bogeys, four birdies and a double-bogey for a 73, which dropped him to 11 under for the tournament. More importantly hot rounds by just about everyone else on the leaderboard put the pressure on, and Cameron Young’s third-round 65 put him at 11 under as well, leaving McIlroy paired with him for the final round Sunday “You know, there’s a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow,” McIlory said. “I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.”

McIlroy and Young will have to worry about a lot more than just each other

Former LSU star Sam Burns is one shot back, while Shane Lowry rode his

said, “but at the same time, Rory loves it here, and he’s obviously playing some great golf. I don’t think anybody would have been surprised if he went out there and shot 65 today It’s one of those things where if he does open the door, you have to take advantage of it.”

second career Masters holein-one to a 68 that left him at 9 under Rose and Jason Day are another shot back, while Scottie Scheffler’s round of

65 put him at 7 under and in the hunt for a third green jacket.

“There’s certainly no lead that’s safe out here,” Young

McIlroy tried to take all of the drama out of this edition of the Masters when he paired an opening 67 with a 65 on Friday But drama is exactly what he brings to Augusta National every year There was 2011, when McIlroy led by three while making the turn, pulled his tee shot left of No. 10 into the cabins, made triple bogey and went on to shoot 80. There was 2016, when he played in the final round with Jordan Spieth but shot 77 and finished tied for 10th.

And there was 2018, when he was in the final pairing with Patrick Reed and wound up finishing six shots back. Last year, it seemed that McIlroy had finally buried his Masters demons with his playoff victory They surfaced yet again on Saturday It started with an inauspicious

at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday in Augusta, Ga.

“Just stayed steady all day,” Burns told the Golf Channel afterward. “Hit a lot of quality shots. Today’s a day if you play a poor round, you can play yourself out of the golf tournament.”

After going 67-71 his first two days here, Burns did the opposite, setting himself up for a chance at arguably the biggest prize in golf.

“Any way you want to slice it,” CBS announcer Jim Nantz said, “this was a big day for Sam Burns.”

If you follow golf and the LSU golfer, you know Burns has been this tan-

University High golfer Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion — turned a whole slew of players from also-rans into contenders. Nine players are now within five strokes of the lead. That number includes world No. 1 and two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, who vaulted from nowhere to the most fear-inducing name on the leaderboard as he also shot 65 to get to 7 under And then there was Burns, who picked his way through McIlroy’s trail of debris to shoot a rock-steady 4-under 68. He started with birdies at Nos. 1 and 2, reeled off eight straight pars, then made birdie at the calculus-tough 11th hole while McIlroy opened the door with a watery double bogey from the pond left of the green. Somewhere in the great golfing beyond I’m sure Ben Hogan, with whom McIlroy shares a locker in the champions locker room here, shook his head ruefully You could practically hear Bantam Ben saying, “Never, ever go for the pin on 11, sonny.” Burns added another birdie at the par-5 13th, getting a good break by avoiding a green-side bunker with his second shot, then getting up and down from a hollow left of the green. He parred in the rest of the way to keep his major title hopes very much alive.

LSU

Continued from page 1C

penalties, dropped passes and miscommunications kept interfering with the offense, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been listening to Kiffin

“If we were to play right now,” he said on Tuesday, “we’d play to our defense. Because we have some great defensive players that are playing really well, until the offense comes along.

“But we’re not playing right now.” Here’s what else stood out from the two-hour session, the ninth of 15 practices that LSU has scheduled this spring.

Quarterbacks

It’s important to note that presumptive starting quarterback Sam Leavitt did not participate in full-team drills Saturday. Kiffin said he’ll sit the rest of spring practice because he recently underwent a scheduled procedure to remove the pins in his surgically repaired right foot.

So the Tigers are using the second half of their spring to evaluate the two signalcallers they have behind him: Longstreet and Clark. Both passers operated the first-team offense on Saturday, though Clark took more reps with the ones than Longstreet. Neither quarterback had a particularly sharp day The defense intercepted several passes in full-team work, including the reps that redshirt freshman Emile Picarella took with the thirdteam offense.

The first-team offense had trouble picking up first downs and sustaining drives. One of its possessions stalled on a check-down pass. Another ended on a scramble run. Then there was a drive-ending holding penalty, a pair of interceptions, a botched toss exchange a high snap and an incompletion over the middle.

The starters did score three touchdowns, though, and two of them came on explosive passing plays — one to receiver Winston Watkins and another to tight end Malachi Thomas.

Longstreet, a former fivestar recruit, became the presumptive backup to Leavitt as soon as he transferred to LSU in January But it looks like Clark will have a shot at the job, too. That battle should continue through preseason camp.

Other position battles

LSU is expected to hold position battles at two or three spots on the offensive line in preseasoncamp,butinspring, Kiffin and his staff have used largely the same first-team grouping in portions of practice open to reporters. Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton has been the left tackle, and returner Weston Davis has been the right. The two guards have been returner Bo Bordelon and Maryland transfer Aliou Bah, while the center has been returner Braelin Moore Ole Miss transfer Devin Harper has gotten reps at left guard this spring, but most of those snaps lately have gone to Bordelon. On Saturday, the second-team offensive line from the left side to the right —

talizingly close in a major before. He was one stroke back of Billy Horschel going into the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon, then sank into a Scottish peat bog with an 80 to drop to a tie for 31st. Last year, he led the U.S. Open at Oakmont but faded into a tie for seventh with a 78 amid increasingly brutal playing and weather conditions.

Now he’s here again, paired in the second-to-last group with 2024 Zurich Classic champion (with McIlroy) Shane Lowry Burns doesn’t have to protect the lead. He can chase, potentially an advantage Burns can cash in on this time.

If he has any scar tissue heading into Masters Sunday, Burns chose to ignore it.

“I love it,” he said. “This is what we practice for and work so hard for, and I think kind of back to my point earlier, you know, I’m going to go out tomorrow and just try to execute. I can’t control anything anyone else does. I can only control how I carry myself, my attitude, and those are the things I’m going to focus on.”

As he headed for the first tee Saturday, Burns told a CBS reporter that these are the days you dream about. For Burns, the dream is 18 holes away from becoming a joyful reality

Email Scott Rabalais at srabalais@theadvocate. com

was Baylor transfer Sean Thompkins, Harper, Tennessee transfer William Satterwhite, NC Central transfer Ja’Quan Sprinkle and Kentucky transfer Darrin Strey Watkins, Hawaii transfer Jackson Harris and Illinois transfer Malik Elzy formed the first grouping of wide receivers Saturday

On defense, the Tigers rotated their defensive tackles. Junior Dominick McKinley got first-team reps. So, too, did freshman Deuce Geralds, Auburn transfer Malik Blocton and fifth-year senior Shone Washington.

The top three edge rushers on Saturday were Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen, Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross and returning redshirt junior Dylan Carpenter Junior Dashawn Spears spent most of his time at the Star position. Redshirt junior Tamarcus Cooley and Ty Benefield, a Boise State transfer, manned the two safety spots.

Attendance and injuries

Two players were banged up on Saturday: sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and edge rusher Damien Shanklin. Anding appeared to injure his leg on one scrimmage rep, and he was spotted in a walking boot toward the end of the session. Linebacker Whit Weeks (foot) still isn’t practicing. On Thursday, he worked with a trainer off to the side, and on Saturday he watched from the sideline.

Leavitt was on the field Saturday, and he had a helmet on. But all he did was some light individual work at the start of practice.

UL

Continued from page 1C

said. “Somebody that’s able to go complete games, like pretty consistently Just the way he just understands how to pitch and his competitiveness. He’s one of the most competitive guys I know who’s not scared of anything. So, yeah, he’s one of a kind.”

Herrmann had thrown only 84 pitches through eight innings, then threw 24 in the ninth. Entering play Saturday, no other pitcher in the country had three complete games on the season.

The left-hander improved to 4-2 on the season. The ninth inning was the only frame he threw more than five balls in any inning. He threw three or fewer balls in six of the nine innings.

“They were aggressive on him today, which that’s a gamble,” Deggs said of the Eagles’ approach. “If you’re going to be aggressive, because he’s going to start to use it against you a little bit, and he was able to do that. His fastball really played up today

“He’s the ultimate competitor — always when we need it the most, and we certainly needed it today.”

The Cajuns erased a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the fifth, then took control with three more in the sixth.

UL improved to 20-15 overall and 5-9 in league play while the Golden Eagles dropped to 25-10 and 8-6. The rubber game is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday

“We’re capable of doing some good stuff,” Deggs said. “We’ve just kind of been in our own way lately.”

Herrmann retired the first nine batters he faced and was one pitch away from a scoreless fourth as well. But Davis Gillespie fouled off multiple twostrike pitches before hitting a two-out, two-run homer to left for a 2-0 lead.

That lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth when Colt Brown walked and Spalitta lined a single to set

the table.

“I’m just getting to the box ready to attack and get my swing off,” Spalitta said of his recent hot streak.

“Just not letting the pitcher attack you and make sure you’re ready to go really just timing and attacking.”

After a throwing error on a bunt, Blaze Rodriguez was walked with the bases loaded to cut the Eagles’ lead in half. Drew Markle drove in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder before Lee Amedee lined a two-run single to center for a 4-2 lead.

In the sixth, Spalitta smashed a two-run home run to right-center and Rodriguez added an RBI double for a 7-2 cushion.

“I was able to get a pitch up in the zone,” Spalitta said. “It was a heater and I was able to get a good swing on it and get under it a little bit and it got out. Got a good swing on it.”

Much of the damage was

done against Southern Miss sophomore right-hander Camden Clark, who entered the game with five saves and a 0.00 ERA over 20 innings He left the game after allowing three runs on five hits, no walks and three strikeouts in two innings. Southern Miss starter Camden Sunstrom lasted four innings, yielding four unearned runs on three hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

“It’s a huge win,” Spalitta added. “It’s a good ball club over there, a great ball club, and it’s, you know we got the bats going today and we’ve got to go out tomorrow and get another one, take a series.” The Cajuns are expected to start Ty Roman, and top relievers Parker Smith and Cody Brasch haven’t pitched yet this weekend. Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHRIS CONDON Former LSU golfer Sam Burns watches his chip to the eighth green during the third round of the Masters tournament

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Rory McIlroy walks to the tee on the 14th hole during the third round of the Masters tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday in Augusta, Ga

Breaking down draftscenarios forSaints

BY MATTHEWPARAS, LUKE JOHNSON,ROD WALKER and JEFF DUNCAN Staff writers

There is less than two weeks to ruminate, dissect and mock-upthe 2026 NFL Draft, so we thought it was agood time to get our New Orleans Saints coverage team together for aroundtable.

The Times-Picayune crew sat down to answer aseriesofquestionsabout the Saints’ plans for their picks, starting with No. 8in the first round; some of thetop prospects;and how the young coaching staff is building around quarterback Tyler Shough

What’s the best-case scenario forthe Saints at pick No. 8?

Matthew Paras:The more offensive linemen that go early,the better If Arizona and Cleveland take linemen at Nos. 3and 6, respectively, the Saints likely will land avery,very goodplayer whofits their needs. I’d lean edge rusher at that spot —either Rueben Bain or David Bailey,ifavailable —but I’d also understand the temptation to take wide receiver Carnell Tate or safety Caleb Downs. Idon’tthink New Orleans could go wrong with any of those four,assuming Jeremiyah Love is already gone LukeJohnson:I’m with Matt here: The best thing that could happen for New Orleans is for teams to chase offensive tackles in the top seven —or, who knows, for someone to get enamored with quarterback Ty Simpson— to give New Orleans options. While Ican support drafting to fill immediate needs, especially at premium positions such as receiver and edge rusher,I would hope for the opportunity to draft either Notre Dame running back Love or Ohio State defensive back Downs. In adraft that feels short of star power, these two feel like they have the most AllPro potential.

Rod Walker:The Saints really can’t go wrong —unlessthey do something really strange and draft an offensive lineman or quarterback. That surely won’t happen. The draft isn’tdeep, but picking at No. 8should give them plenty of good options. Any offensive linementakenbefore the Saints pick only strengthens the pool of prospects theSaints will have to choose from. My best-casescenario is the Saints having the choice of Tate, Bain or Love. Jeff Duncan:Totally agree with Luke here. If either Love or

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By BRyNNANDERSON

Notre Dame quarterback RileyLeonard is tackled by Ohio State safety

Caleb Downs during the CollegeFootball Playoff national championship game on Jan.20, 2025, in Atlanta.

SAINTS ROUNDTABLE

Downs falls to them, the Saints should thank their luckystars and run to the podium to make the selection. Those are the two home run selections in this draft for the Saints.Everyone else would be a triple. Love is the explosiveplaymakerthis offense has lacked Downs will become the future leader of adefense. Both guys are can’t-miss, no-brainer picks.

Shouldthe Saintsprioritize offense or defense with the eighth pick?

Paras:Ina vacuum,this answer should be the offense.But this draft hasmore high-qualitydefenders near the top, so chances are the Saints wouldbebetter off landing one of those thanreaching for another wide receiver if, say, Tate isn’t available at No. 8. And even if Tate is still there, the New Orleans defense has a chance to become elite withthe right addition.

Johnson:Idon’tthink they can go into this draftwith this mindset.The Saints grabbed some nice foundational pieces in their last couple of drafts, but this is still an organizationthat is short on star power. Despitethe encouraging late-season run and free agency spending, the Saints don’tfeel ready to contend in 2026. Take the guy who has the best shot of becoming adude,no matterwhichside of the ball he plays.

Walker:Best player available. If Love isthere, take him. If Downs is there, take him. But if having to choose one, I’d lean toward the of-

fense. Yeah,the Saints signedrunning back Travis Etienne in free agency,but this team still needs more weapons. Chris Olaveis coming off agreat season, but he’s hadinjuriesinthe past. So has most of the depth behind him. So if the Saints can addanother bigtime receiver for TylerShough to throw to, this is the time to do it.

Duncan:Theyshould take the best playeronthe board.This team still needshelp in multiple areas on both sides of theball. The only positions that wouldbeoff the table for me are quarterback linebacker andoffensive line. The roster could use an influx of young talent just abouteverywhere else.

What’sone positionthe Saints can get away with taking laterinthe draft? And how late areyou waiting?

Paras:AlontaeTaylor’sdeparture in free agency created the biggest hole on thedefense. But the Saints can waittoaddress slot corner in the second or thirdrounds because of theoptions that should be there later on,whether that is ChandlerRivers of Duke,Keionte Scott of Miami or someone else. Idon’t think it’sDowns-or-bust in the first round.

Johnson:Iagreewith Matt in a sense —for slot-specific players, Ithink the Saints can find a good starter on thesecondday if they choosetogothatroute. I also think it would be wise for the Saints to shore up theirinterior line depth on both sidesofthe ball. Theyare in abit of asweet spot where they can takeplayers whomay need ayear or two to develop. Walker:IknowIjust answered

in the previous question to go getaquality receiver in the first round, but if the Saints can get onelike Louisville receiver Chris Bell (currently rehabbing an ACL injury) in the second round, that would be huge. Bell was afirstround talent before suffering the injury last season, so landing him in the second round would be a steal. Duncan:Iwould not take areceiverinthe top 10. While Ithink there areguys there who could upgrade the receiving corps, I don’tsee truly elite, can’t-miss prospects. This receiver class lackselite star power at the top endbut has solid depth. Ithink some of the receivers taken in the second and third rounds could turn outtobemore productive than the guys being projected in the first round this year

What would be the worst-case scenario forthe Saints?

Paras:The first round has a chance to unfold in less-than-ideal circumstances if the Jets (at 2), Cardinals (3) and Titans (4) all take edge rushers; the Giants take Downs; Cleveland takes Tate; andWashington takes Love. That would leave New Orleans with either Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, LSU cornerback Delane or, gulp, oneofthe offensive linemen. StylesorDelane would be fine, but the Saints have bigger needs than taking atackle for the third consecutive year Johnson:I maybeinthe minority here,but Idon’twant to be in a positionwhere taking Bain feels like the only viable option. Bain was an excellent college player andmay be able to carry that over into the NFL, but he scares me as aprospect. He’snot big, he’s notoverly athletic, and he doesn’t really seem to fit the current defense.

Walker:I’m sounding like abrokenrecord here, but Idon’treally see ascenario where the Saints can’t find areally talented player at No. 8. We know Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza will go first to the Las VegasRaiders, and Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese will go shortly afterward. But Istill have eight players who Ithink would help the Saints. My eight are: Love, Downs, Styles, Bain, Bailey, Tate, Delane and Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson. Assuming the Saints don’ttrade back, one of those eight guys will be there for the taking. Duncan:The absolute worst-case scenario would be if somehow Mendoza and the top twotackles—Spencer Fano and Francis

Mauigoa —were not selected in the top seven. That likely would mean that the Saints’ prime targets —Love and Downs —almost surely be gone, along with other top prospects such as Bailey,Reese and Styles. Idon’tsee any way that happens, but you never know on draft day,especially if trades occur.The second-worst-case scenario would be if Love, Downs and Bailey are all off the board, eliminating the chance to fill a“need” position with atruly elite player.I view the other prospects as acut below those three.

Give me aprospect that you’re highly intrigued by for the Saints.

Paras:Ilove Arkansas running back Mike Washington. He’sso explosive for his size (6-foot-2, 223 pounds), and Ithink he can be an awesomecomplement to Etienne. Drafting Washington might make Alvin Kamara expendable, but that would help ease whatever pain cutting Kamara would inflict on the fanbase.

Johnson:The cop-out answer is Downs. Ijust think he could be aforce multiplierfor the Saints defense the way Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James have been for their respective teams. But, if we’re looking for deeper cuts, Ilike the idea of Miami corner Keionte Scott as aone-for-one replacement for Taylor in the slot. Scott was aplaymaker during Miami’snational title run, racking up apair of pick-sixes and five sacks. Walker:The aforementioned Bell. The Louisville receiver has the frame (6-2, 220) and the physicality that the Saints are missing. Devaughn Vele brings that as well, but he’sbeen dealing with injuries. If the Saints can get Bell in alater round and reunite him with Shough, it would be another toy for Kellen Moore to play with. That’sassuming the Saints are OK with whereBell is in his rehab process.

Duncan:Ilike all three of the aforementioned players and think they would be great fits for this team. I’m on record as loving Love and think he is the best overall prospect in this class and an absolute no-brainer pick if available. Ifeel the same way about Downs. That said, in the second round, I’d like to see them take apass rusher,and the guy that intrigues me is RMason Thomas of Oklahoma. He’s undersized but extremely productive and athletic. He would be agreat fit in Brandon Staley’s scheme as asituational pass rusher

Mendozapunctuates‘whirlwind’ year with ManningAward

Former Indiana QB projectedNo. 1 pick in NFLdraft

It’sbeen agood year for Fernando Mendoza.

ning Award as the best college quarterback in the nation.Itwas the latest in aparade of honors for the congenial 6-foot-5, 235-pound signalcaller

At this time ayear ago, hewas a transfer quarterback at Indiana, preparing for the Hoosiers’ spring game in relative anonymity Twelve months later,he’sanational champion,Heisman Trophy winner and the projected No. 1pick in the NFL draft The magic carpet ride continued this week for Mendoza. He spent the past few days at Augusta National Golf Course for the Masters, wherehepalled around with Peyton and Eli Manning, before catching aflight to NewOrleans to accept theMan-

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Jeremiyah Love is drafted before New Orleans is on the clock at No. 8. Replacing Davis with Kaden Elliss also lessens the need for drafting an off-ball linebacker, even though this is viewed as an extremelystrongclass forthat position. Not every spot was filled, of course. The Saints could really use anotherwide receivertogivequarterback Tyler Shoughmore weapons, even as the team negotiates a long-term deal with Chris Olave. The defense is missing astarting nickel cornerback afterAlontae Taylor left for the Tennessee Ti-

“It’sbeen awhirlwind,”said Mendoza, beforeaccepting the bronze trophyduring aceremony at Manning’s Sports Bar and Grille in downtown New Orleans.

“But Iwould say the one word to describe it all is ablessing. I’ve been enabled and blessed to have thefantastic year that we had.”

Mendozacredited theMannings with instillingconfidence in himduringthe early part of hiscareer.Hesaid the invitation from Archie Manning to attend thefamily’s prestigious Manning Passing Academytwo years ago was so impactful hekept thetext in hisphone as areminder of how far he has comeinhis journey

“I have come along way from that moment, butfor your family

tans. The Saints long have wanted to getyounger at edge rusher,and adding further help in the trenches —on bothsides of theball—remainsagoal. But even with those needs, the Saints arguably aren’tinaspot where they havetoget desperate. Look at cornerback. On the surface, draftingsafety Caleb Downs or cornerback MansoorDelane eighthoverall would make sense to replace Taylor.Downs is aversatile piecethat canplaymultiple spots, while pickingDelane would allowthe Saintstokick someone like Quincy Rileyinside. That said, teams can findnickel cornerbacks later in the draft. That alleviates some of the pressureNew Orleans might faceinthe first round. Thesame can besaid about wide receiver.There’s agoodchance

to believe in me andtogive me an invite back then when there was absolutely zero buzz about me,really was ahuge confidencebooster for me,”Mendoza said to Cooper Manning during the Q&A portion of the ceremony “It’s ahuge honor Iwear to have this award and to be apart of the camp.Ilook forward to honoring it and doing my best in the future.”

In leading Indiana to thefirst 16-0 season in college football history,Mendoza led the FBS in touchdown passes (41) and led Power Fourconference quarterbacks with48combined rushing and passing touchdowns. He was also the only FBS quarterback with six games of four-plus touchdown passes and no interceptions.

“What ajoy it’sbeen to watch Fernando throughout this season,” said Archie Manning, who could not attend the ceremony while recovery from back surgery.“He excelled on the field week after week, right down to that fourth-down touchdown run

that at least oneofCarnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson andMakai Lemon still will be available when the Saintsare set to pick. If theSaints prefer to prioritize another position first, they likely can get away withwaiting. Chris Bell, TedHurst and Malachi Fields are all Day 2 wideouts that could be agood consolation prize for ateam in need of an offensive spark. Venturingpastthe thirdround to find awideout is arisk,but if the Saintsdon’tnoticeably improve the position in the draft, they at least committed to overhauling their rushing attack. The Saints not only made Etienne the ninthhighest-paid player at hispositionbut also signed guard David Edwards to anotable four-year, $61 millioncontract that ensures Etienne should have enough room

in the national championship that will live forever in Indiana history.Healso conducted himself so welloff the field and in interviews. We’re honored to recognize Fernando Mendoza as thewinner of the 2025 Manning Award.”

During his chat with Cooper Manning and at anews briefing with local reporters before the ceremony,Mendoza reflected on the unconventional road he traveled as an overlooked recruit from Miami with just one Division Ischolarship offer

“There’ssomanydifferent elements that go into my success consistency,termination, camaraderie —that I’ve been taught by alot of great mentors,” he said. “It’s not onesingular person. It’s everybody.It’sthe teammates. It’smyfamily.It’smycoaches. It’sjust been aperfect storm that’sled me to here.”

In fact, the past twoManning Award winners are primeexamples of the bromide that great players can come from anywhere.

torun. Aseven-round draftgives teams ahealthyamount of leeway regardless of free agency.But make no mistake, this year is much differentfor theSaintsthan2024— adraft that screamed “tackle or bust”inthe first round. The Saints ended up drafting tackle Taliese Fuaga, to the surprise of no one. TheSaints arealso in aplace where they can afford to swing on aprospect. Miami defensive end RuebenBain is apolarizing pass rusher because of his307/8-inch arm length and undersized frame, but his speed and bend could be the missing piece foraNew Orleans defense that took anoticeable leap last season.

“If you’re slightly off aprototype, you’vegot to be areally productive player,” Moore said. “Have

Cam Ward, the 2025 winner,was a no-star recruit out of Texas, who initially signed with Incarnate Word of the FCS. Mendoza wasa lightly recruited two-star recruit of Miami. He wasn’tranked among the top 250 players in the state of Florida for the Class of 2022 and originally committed to Yale beforeswitching to California late in the process.

“Early on in my career when Iwas alittle frustrated that I was atwo-star (recruit), my momtold me,don’tlet yourself get put in these imaginary boundaries and confines because once you do that, then you’re going to confine your growth,” Mendoza said. “Those are past rankings. Focus on you every single day,soyou can break out of those rankings, be free, and essentially have unlimited potential for growth ratherthan try to put acap on yourself. So that growth mindset has really helped me,and I’m sure it’shelped Cam, because he’sa fantastic player.”

the ability to makeplays and have done it over an extended period of time to kind of showcase that. There’salot of conversations to be had about that.” Bain certainly doesn’tfit the Saints’ historical prototype, which leanstoward long, athleticedge rushers. But his track record at Miami—201/2 sacks in three years —indicates he satisfies Moore’srequirement of production. And given that New Orleanshas whiffed on some of their drafted pass rushers over the last five years, and considering last year’s scheme change, maybe Bain is worth the pick if he’sstill available. At the very least, the Saints have options.

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

Jeff Duncan

Mendoza

ALL-METROBASKETBALL

GIRLS PLAYER OF THEYEAR

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRADKEMP

Teurlings Catholic guard Justyse Georgebrings theball up thecourtagainst Liberty during their quarterfinal playoff game on Feb.26atTeurlings. George averaged 23.5points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9stealsand 2.4assists in leadingthe Rebels to the statesemifinals.

JUSTYSEGEORGE TEURLINGSCATHOLIC, SENIOR • GUARD

The expectations coming into the pastbasketball season were highfor Teurlings Catholic’sJustyse George.

She lived up to them.

After establishing herself as one of the best players in the area since arriving at Teurlings, Georgetook her game to another levelinher senior season.

“Justyse brought alot to the team on both sides of the courtwith her athletic ability,” coach Alyssa Credeur said. She was able to do damageondefense and damageon offense.

“She was our leading scorer and one of our best on-ball defenders. So honestly,she has brought everything.”

With the 5-foot-9 Georgeleadingthe way, theRebels went 25-9, earning ashare of the District 4-4A title and reaching the state semifinals for the first time since2009.

“She’sabsolutely one of the most athletic kids I’veevercoached,”Credeur said. “Just the wayshe can move on the court, her ability to gettothe rim on offense and the threat she is on defense.

“She is great.”

In her final prep season, Georgeaveraged 23.5 points, 6.1 rebounds,4.9 steals and 2.4 assists en route to being named the district playerofthe year and first-team allstate in Class 4A by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

“Myexpectations forher were high this season and they’vebeen high since she came to our program,” Credeur said. “you could see howgreat of an athlete shewas, andI knewshe was going to be ahuge asset to our program

“Myexpectations have always been high for her,and she’sexceeded all of my expectations this year.”

Forher efforts, Georgehas been named the Acadiana Advocate’s girls Playerofthe year

“I’vealways known that Justyseisone of the top girls basketball players in our area, Credeur said.

“I think she’sverydeserving of this award. Getting MVP sends herout with abang.It’s well-deserved.

GIRLS COACHOFTHE YEAR

JACK LEBLANC NORTHVERMILION

It would be an understatement to sayithas beenalong time since the North Vermilion girls basketball team had reached the state tournament.

Averylong time.

But behind the guidance and leadership of coach Jack Leblanc, thePatriots did it this season. North Vermilion went 27-4 and earned ashare of the District 4-4A title before

GIRLS ALL-METRO TEAM

JUSTYSE

GEORGE TeurlingsCatholic, Sr

STEVIE BRASSEAUX NorthVermilion,Sr.

TORA SAVOY Midland, Sr

TAYLOR BARNABA JS Clark, Sr

SHANA SIMIEN Lafayette Christian, Jr

Eric Narcisse

advancing to the state semifinals for the first time in four decades.

Throughout the season,the Patriots had three winning streaks of at least six games with the longest being 11. For his efforts and the success of histeam, Leblanc was named the Acadiana Advocate’s girlsbasketball Coach of the year Eric Narcisse

JA’NIA SENEGAL TeurlingsCatholic, Jr

CAMRI PRIMEAUX Midland, Jr

JAMARIA SENEGAL Northside, So

PEYTON DEAN LafayetteChristian,So.

URIJAH CARMOUCHE Southside, Sr

GIRLS HONORABLE MENTION

BOYS PLAYER OF THEYEAR

15.4

theco-MVP in District 4-3A and earned second-team

REGINALD LAVERGNE NORTHWEST, SENIOR • FORWARD

For mostofthe season, theNorthwest boys basketball teamwas among the best in thestate.

SeniorReginald Lavergne was amajor reason for that.

“Reginaldwas definitelyour engine this year,” coach Mark Cassimere said.“He did everything for us. He scored, reboundedand he defended He really playedata high level. He was huge for us this season.

With Lavergne leading the way, theRaiders went 24-8, earned the No. 2playoff seed and reached the DivisionIInonselectsemifinals.

The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 15.4 points, nine rebounds,two steals and one assist per game for the Raiders en route to beingnamed co-MVP in District 4-3A. He also earned second-team Class 3A all-state honorsbythe Louisiana SportsWriters Association.

“He wasplayingwith twoother kids that also averaged about 15 points agame,”Cassimere said.“If he is playingfor adifferent team,he’s probably averaging 25 to 30 points agame.

He really bought into howwewant to playand howfast we want to play.

“He’sa physical specimen and to be a receiver out there playing down lowwithmuch bigger guys tells youa lot. Ireally should have given himmoretouches. Butheworkedso hard. He didn’t wait for anybodytogorebound; he just did åhimselfand putitback. For hisefforts,Lavergne was named the Acadiana Advocate’s boys Playerofthe year “That is hugefor thekid,”Cassimeresaid. “Wereally didn’t expect that.I’m definitely proud of thekid.”

Cassimerecredited Lavergne’sworkethic and determinationfor hissuccess as afouryear starter for theRaiders “Reginalddid thehardwork, and he brought hishardhat everyday,” Cassimeresaid.“He is willing to do whateverweasked himtodo. If we needed himtohandlethe ball, he handles theball. If we need himtorebound or shoot, he did it. He meant alot to us.

EricNarcisse

BOYS COACHOFTHE YEAR

TROY JONES NORTHSIDE

It’snosecret that Northside boys basketball coach Troy Jones did an incredible job.

After getting hired for thejob in late August, Jones led theVikings to a24-14 recordand playoff berth.

Despite finishing fifth in atough4-4A district, Jones and the Vikings puttogether an

RYAN ROBERTSON St.ThomasMore, Jr

JAYDON FRANCIS Northside, Jr

TRAE’LYN FREDERICK Jeanerette,So.

ALI BROUSSARD VermilionCatholic, Sr

KENZIE

MARCEAUX NorthVermilion,Sr.

MOLLI

THIBODEAUX Midland, So

JAILEE EDWARDS JS Clark, So.

Reagan Semien, NorthVermilion; Sa’NiyaMorris, Opelousas;Logan Boutte,Lafayette Christian;Jayla Carmouche, Acadiana; KaylaFox, Northside; AerielAmos,Northwest; Kaylee Duplechain, Church Point; Ella Lopez, Iota; CarolineLaverne, St. Edmund;Aubrey Broussard, St. Thomas More; Karlyn Zachery, Lafayette High; KeiraGordon, Abbeville; Madison Clark, Highland Baptist; Rylee Green,Catholic-N.I.; Jarissa Davis,New Iberia.

CAYDEN LANCELIN Westgate,So.

JA’NATHAN DALCOUR David Thibodaux, Sr

JORDAN SENEGAL Teurlings Catholic, Sr

impressivepostseason runthat sawNorthside upset No. 1-seed MadisonPrep to reach the state final for the firsttimesince 2013. For hisefforts and thesuccess of histeam, Jones was named theAcadiana Advocate’s boys basketballCoach of theyear EricNarcisse

DE’VON WARREN TeurlingsCatholic, Sr

REGINALD LAVERGNE Northwest, Sr

GRAHAM COMEAUX LafayetteChristian,Sr.

JON’TAVION ETIENNE LafayetteRenaissance,Sr.

COURTLON YOUNG Northwest, Sr

BOYS HONORABLE MENTION

JARRISON REESE Church Point, Sr

CHAYSON GRAY Abbeville, Jr

MALACHI JOSEPH NorthCentral,So.

BEN ANDRESS Westminster-Lafayette, Sr

JOAB

TROSCLAIR Catholic-NewIberia, Sr

CJ Charlot, Beau Chene; Kourtland Williams, DavidThibodaux;MatthewCook, St. Thomas More; Kendrick Bernard, Carencro; LeDamian George, JS Clark; Sprague Hebert, Lafayette High; Jermaine Davis, Cecilia; Markez Davis, Northwest; Josh Wilson, Lafayette Christian; Roderick Tezeno, Opelousas Catholic; Jacob Minvielle, Catholic-N.I.; John Armstrong Jr Southside; MatthewGordon, Lafayette Renaissance; DJ Kelly,Ascension Episcopal; Nathan Leger,Midland.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Northwest senior ReginaldLavergne helped leadthe Raiders to the DivisionIInonselect semifinals after averaging

points, nine rebounds and twosteals pergame. Lavergne was named

all-state honors from the LSWA.

LIVING LIVIN

BY DOUG MacCASH | Staff writer

Aflurry of blood orange-colored peacock plumes erupted onto Dumaine Street at duskonSt. Joseph’sDay,asBlackMasking Indian Big Chief Demond Melancon set outtoseek rivals. His feathered suit bore dizzyingly meticulous bead mosaicsthattook months to create. His eyes shone from beneathhis headdress as if he were amedieval knight peering throughthe visor of ahelmet.

Johnette Downing clingsto memories of her parents taking her tojazz and blues clubs in New Orleans. The family sometimes wandered intothe country to twostep and waltz in the Cajundancehalls around PierrePart.

Downing says Louisianamusic, with children in mind, becameher mission in life.

“I love sharing this culture we have in Louisiana,” said Downing.

As Melancon strode swiftly forward, aphalanx of photographers trotted around him. Someone in his entourage chanted “Somebody’sgot to sew,sew,sew.” Truer wordscouldn’thave been spoken. Melancon is amaster of the art of Mardi Gras Indian suit-making, a medium based on needle and thread. His reputation is goingglobal now as he prepares to display ceremonial garments at the Venice Biennale international art exhibition, an honor akin to winning an Oscar ä See MELANCON, page 4D

LEMANN

Author reflectsonhis unique Jewish upbringing,La. roots

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

As the son of German Jews, Nicholas Lemann grew up in a world of privilege. His family and community practiced aunique form of Judaism thatdrewlittle attention to their rituals andtraditions.Heknew his family had deep roots in Louisiana, but he was unaware of his ancestors’ faithfulness to Judaism.

In his newest book, “Returning,” Lemann examines his family story —from their arrival in the 1830s as peddlersfrom Germany; to their becoming plantation owners and department store owners in Donaldsonville after the Civil War; to their upward mobilization into the aristocratic world of New Orleans where they could neverquite belong. He uses his own family saga as aconduit to explore antisemitism, faith,tradition and identity

Lemann is aprofessor anddean emeritus at the Columbia Journalism School. He is the author of “The Promised Land,” “The Big Test,” “Redemption” and “TransactionMan.” He lives in New York. How are you feeling now that “Returning” is outthere and published?

I’m glad it’sout. Ihave been writing for avery long time, but this is the most personal thing I’ve written. So, I’ve been alittle nervous about that. In the Jewish world, the way that we grew up is so strange. It’sjust very hard for people to understand. It takes alot of explaining to people, but I’ve had to do that for years conversationally anyway.

What do yousay to readers thathaveno concept of different customs andcultures between German Jewish families and EasternEuropean Jewish families?

If you belong to an ethnic group or some other identity group, then you’re probably

family alot.

How has religion changed since you were growing up?

In our little group,you could never be fully accepted, at least at the time when Iwas growing up. At thesame time, we cut ourselves off from a lot of thejoy and meaning of being Jewishbecause we wanted our religion to seem lessstrange to other people.

aware that the group looks more unified and uniform from the outside thanitfeels on the inside. There’s subgroupswithin the group, and members of the group are abig issue of conversation. Thoseare conversations you tend to have in your livingroom and at the dinner table, more than you have in the outside world.

In New Orleans, Iwould say the toptwo, which overlap like that, wouldbeBlack Americans and Catholic Americans.

Among American Jews,this is no longer.This is history now,I think.

Butamong American Jews, there was abig division from 1875 to1965 between Jews who had come from Germany and other partsofWestern Europe, such as Austria and France, and Jews from Eastern Europe. The firstgroup, likeme, were in the Reform Movement. Mostly the second group, or mostly in the conservative or orthodox movement,those distinctions have changed, but it was avery intenseinter-group cultural battle thataffected thelives of my

It’scomplicated, because the country as a whole has become more secular,but withavery high baseline of being extremely religious.The people who arestill religious have become more religious on thewhole, and that’strueinall the major faiths.

People end up making choices. Today,people who choose to have a religious life tendtobe more religiously observant.The idea that you could be religious in alight way that didn’tdemand much of you is lesssalient in the America of today than it used to be.

search for “Returning?”

What is it liketohavesomanyrelatives still in Donaldsonville who are Catholic now?

My family is kind of all over themap religiously.Now,the way we were raised doesn’treally exist anymore.

So if you went to areformed temple, like Temple Sinai or temple Emanu-El in New York,it wouldn’tbethe way it was when Iwas growing up.

Some members of ourlarge extended family have become more religious, more intentionally Jewish, and then some have converted, and some have just walked away from religion entirely.

How long has it taken you to do the re-

Iknew some things about my family already,but Istarted really diggingsix or seven years ago when Iwent to Germany in thesummer of 2019.

How has your understanding of your family changed?

It’schanged in alot of ways. Because we grew up the way we did, Ihadn’tknownthe great lengths that previousgenerations went to have ameaningful Jewish life.

Ididn’tknow that the family had left the United States and returned to Germany during the Civil War. Ihad somesense, but Ididn’treally know how many liberal and civil rights causes my grandfather had been involved in. There were alot of surprises there.

Overall, the title is meantliterally,and it’sinteresting, because

members of my family have kept leaving and coming back to Judaism. It’s not afixed relationship that is just one way over time. It’s morecomplicated than that, so Ithink that’saninteresting lesson forme.

There’satendency to reduce everything in life, including history,including your own family’shistory, into astory of good guys and bad guys, but it doesn’t fit into that so well. It’s alot morenuanced and complicated.

Howdoyou see this book impacting readers who are notJewish and notfrom New Orleans?

Fornon-Jewishreaders, Ithink it takesyou inside the Jewish world and shows yousome of the internal conflicts, disputesand subgroups.

Jewish people tend to knowabout more,but the outside world doesn’tso much for the Jewish world. Ihopethis is amoment of alot of soul searching in the Jewish world, andIhopethe book helps with that, because in many familiesand congregations, including mine, people aredebating whatit means to be Jewish.

It tends to be framed in terms of your relationship with Israel andZionism, but it goes deeper into fundamental questions of your identity And people arereally struggling with that. Alot of my friends didn’tthink they’d ever have to be struggling with it. So Ihopethe story of myself and various otherfamily members struggling with some of those big questions is helpful to people at this moment.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

In ‘Conversations,’writerJason Berrytracesa long career

In his long and varied career, New Orleans journalist and author Jason Berry has interviewed legions of people. As his stature grew,journalistsbegan to interview Berry,too. The best of these exchanges have now been gathered in “Conversations with Jason Berry,” recently published by University Press of Mississippi. Berry is well knownfor his reportage on scandalswithin the Catholic Church, including the abuse of children by pedophile priests. Thatreporting shook Berry’sown Catholic faith, which has deep local roots.

“I grew up in New Orleans,” he told Judy Ball of The St. Anthony Messenger in a2011 interview.“My grandmother lived ashort drive from my parents’ house. Often Iwould go to her place on Friday nights and stay with her throughthe weekend.She wasaMexican

an AT RANDOM

Creole who had avery festive sense of faith.”

How has Berry tried to continuealife of faith afterlearningthat power andcorruption hadblinded themoral vision of leaders within hischurch?

He’sfrankindescribing the anger andhurt he felt when he discovered apattern of criminalactivitywithin theclerical ranks and attempts to hide the misdeeds. ButBerryalsopoints to thegood priests who worked with himtoexposewrongdoing.

“I came to realize that the institution and its leadership might be corrupt,but that the

faith itself transcended the foible and follies of mere mortals,” he says in a1992 Gambit interview with Don Lee Keith. In alater interview,hediscusses thechurch’ssustaining consolations when he lost his daughter Ariel, who had Down syndromeand suffered from heart problemsbefore dying at 17. As “Conversations withJason Berry” reminds readers, his investigative reporting is only part of his legacy.He’shad nearly adozen book projects, and only three were about the Catholic Church. Berry has also written “Up From theCradle of Jazz,” about New Orleansmusic since World WarII; “Last of theRed Hot Poppas,” acomic murder mystery set within the colorful world of Louisiana politics;and “Earl LonginPurgatory,”a play that explores how Long’snobler ideals were compromised by his inner demons.

Variety, one gathers, has been stimulating for Berry’swork, but it’s also been an occupational necessity.He’swhat journalist Susan Larson described in a2018 interview as “one of thegreat journeyman writers of New Orleans,” ascribe who’s done abit of this and that to makealiving. There’sa valedictory tone in this collection as it charts acareer pathperhaps not easily followed today.Asthe publishing world evolves and humanities funding shrinks, paying venues for work like Berry’sare harder to come by “I thinkmy(epitaph) should be ‘he wrote well, and he lasted,’”hesaid with alaugh in a 2023 interview with G. Howard Hunter and AdeleLayrisson. Berry,at77, seems to be making good on both goals.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Nicholas Lemann, NewOrleans nativeand writer for The New yorker,author of ‘Returning.’

Take

Eightstates, three time zonesand aton of history

BY SUSAN MONTOYABRYAN Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. If you’ve ever planned to motor west and take the highway that’sthe best, this might be time: Route 66 turns 100 this year

The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road tripthat’s still delivering kicks.

Although there have been faster and more direct routes between the nation’s second- and third-largest cities for some time, Route 66’sneon still burns brightly and its vintage signs beckon travelers to restored motor lodges, classic diners and roadside attractions. Each stop turnsthe wheels of the imagination,leaving travelers to contemplate what life was like for the people and communities that have made the road hum over the years

Illinois Chicago has long been one of the country’seconomic engines, withaccesstointernational waters and railroads that linked all corners of the country.Inthe 1920s, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery,known as the Father of Route 66, knew it wouldn’tbelong before automobileswoulddominate the transportation landscape,and the Windy City would be the perfectplace to start the journey he envisioned.

Amember of the federal highway board appointedto map the U.S. highway system, Avery opted to go with the number 66. He knew those double digits were ripe for marketing and could be seared into the minds of

TRAVEL

motorists.

Forsome travelers, the journeyis fueledmoreby the food than the scenery, andthere’splenty to choose from —slices of homemade pie,thickshakes, cheeseburgers and an assortment of frieddelights.

Missouri

Route66has itsshare of twists and turns, and it’sno surprise that ahighway famous for its quirkyroadside attractionswould crossthe nation’smostfamousriver on oneofthe morepeculiar bridges known to modern engineering

As the road nears St. Louis, the mile-long Chain of Rocks Bridgehovers more than 60 feet above the Mississippi River Engineers eventually built astraighter,higher-speed option,and apoor resale market sparedthe original bridge fromthe scrap heap. Today it’sreserved for pedestriansand cyclists

Amedian in Missouri is home to St.Robert Route 66 Neon Park,whichfeatures orphaned neon signs that once beckoned travelers to stopatcertain sites and

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

businesses alongthe highway.Often handcrafted, they weren’t only markers for motels, cafes and gas stations, but were also folk art and symbols of local culture.

Kansas

The SunflowerState hosts only ashort stretch of Route 66, but it packs apunch with the Kan-O-Tex ServiceStation in Galena.A classic example of roadside fare, the station served as inspiration for the animated 2006 Pixar film “Cars.”

DirectorJohn Lasseter and his crew took road trips along the route, digging into history andlooking for elements that could bring the project to life. It was in Galena where theyspotted theold boom truck that served as thebasis forthe characterTow Mater. The plotwasn’tfar off, as so manyonce bustling towns —likethe fictional RadiatorSprings— nearly faded away afterbeing bypassed by an interstate.

Oklahoma

There was areal danger for some who traveled the

road, particularly Black motoristspassing through inhospitable and segregated areas during the Jim Crow era. The Green Book —a guide first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green listed hotels,restaurants andgas stationsthat would serve Black customers.

The Threatt Filling Station nearLuther wasn’tlisted in TheGreen Book, butitwas asafe haven— notonlyfor gettingfuel, butfor barbecue andbaseball. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was the only known Black-ownedand operated gas station along Route66.

Route 66 is litteredwith abandoned buildings and faded signs, butone example of the highway’sresilient spirit stands tall in Sapulpa, near Tulsa. The restored Tee PeeDrive-In Theater offers astepback intothe 1950s, when thebooming car culture helpedspawn thousands of drive-in theatersnationwide.

Texas

Blinkand you mightmiss it, but astop at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo is amust for anyRoute 66 journey

Fordecades, visitors have been spray-painting the 10 vintage Cadillacs at the site andmulling the transitory nature of time as Bruce Springsteen did in his 1980 song of the samename.

It’snot aranch, but rather apublic art installation created in 1974 by the artand architecturecollectiveAnt Farm. At first, the cars which werehalf-buried front-down at a60-degree angle —were used for target practice. Others would scratch their initials into the metal. Thespray painting started later Arrive in Adrian and you’re halfwaythrough your trip. Steps from awhite line marking the midpoint of Route 66 is the Midway Cafe,where the“ugly pies” are anything but.

NewMexico

More than half of Route 66 cuts through sovereign Native American lands, often tracing routes used by tribes long before settlers arrived. Much like the railroad in the 1800s, the highwayopened the door to anew era of commerce, but it also fueled stereotypesabout cultures along the way There are still faded and crumbling references to teepees and feathered headdresses at some stops along the historic highway.The symbols were easily appropriated formarketing by roadside vendors but weren’tindicative of the separate and distinct Native American culturesinthe area. Today, tribesare telling theirown stories and showcasing their creations, whether it be pottery,fruit pies or poems. Albuquerque boasts the longest intact urban stretch of Route 66. Those 18 miles pass through several neighborhoodsand business districts, from historic Old Town to Nob Hill.

Arizona

Musician Jackson Browne was takinghis own road

100

trip in the early 1970s when his car left him stranded in Winslow.The experience inspired the lyrics to the Eagles’ hit“Take it Easy.” But it’scertainly not the only song that is amust-have for aRoute 66 playlist.

Bobby Troup created a classic American road anthem in the 1940s with “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry,The Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode carried it through the decades, each covering the song with their own flare. While standing on acorner in Winslow,don’tbesurprised if someone saunters up with aguitar and starts strumming favorites from their own road trip playlist.

California

Onceadesert oasis, Roy’s Motel &Café in Amboyisa quintessential Route 66 landmark. Thetowering neon sign is one of the most photographed spots along the road. Inside, foreign currency left by international visitors lines one wall. Across the street, a clothing post decorated with shoes, shirts and other items juts up from the desert floor This stretch of the highway through theMojave Desert offers aspecial kind of solitude. Thepavement gets rough in spots andthe landscape takes charge, showing off Joshua trees, wide-openspaces and the remnants of ancient volcanic activity Much of thearea is undeveloped, meaning it looks a lot like it would have when Route 66 was commissioned in 1926. After making it through oft-congestedLos Angeles, theiconic SantaMonicaPier marks theend of theline, and it’snothing short of aperpetual party withasteadystream of spectators and performers. Although manystretches of Route 66 have lapsed into decay,the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean are areminder of the pursuits made possible by the road over the last century

Midflightaccidentcrackstraveler’scellphone screen

short.

Christopher Elliott

On arecent flight from CopenhagentoNewark on SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Iwas in the aisle seat of an exit row.The passenger in the middle seat had aheavy bag with awater bottle in her lap, which a flight attendant stowed overhead before departure. Midway through the flight, another flight attendant opened the overhead bin and the bag fell, banging my wrist and cracking my phone screen. Isubmitted acompensation request to SAS,but it wasdenied twice. Ithen appealed to avice president at SAS,but never received areply.I wanted SAS to payfor my phone repair.— Christopher Kennedy,Astoria, New York

SAS should have handled this quickly and by the book. Abag falls out of an overhead bin anddamages your phone —that’san onboard accident, and you have astrong case under international law.Your detailed paper trail, photos and polite escalation to a company executive should all work in your favor The Montreal Convention, which governs international air travel, makes airlines liable for damage caused by onboard accidents. Afalling bag hitting apassenger fits that definition. While airlines oftenargue over what constitutes liability,the convention is clear that carriersare responsible for incidents that occur during aflight if they result in injury or damage to

passenger property. SAS also didn’tfollow its internal policies. The airline haslong emphasized its commitmenttocustomerservice. Itscode of conduct notes that “every promise made to acustomer is acommitment that we must deliver on in all situations.” This principle underscores SAS’sdedication to providing qualityservice and addressing customerconcerns promptly Andinyour case, it fell

Usually,abrief, polite email to an SAS executive will get theprocess moving. Butinyour case, it looks like it didn’t.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, always document everything. Take photos of the damage, get names of crew members who assist, and fileaclaim as soon as possible. Airlines arefar more likely to respondwhen they see clear,detailed evidence

and acalm requestfor compensation.

This caseisareminder that even when airlines initially deny aclaim, persistence —and asolid understanding of your rights —can pay off.

Of course, the best way to avoidadamage claim during aflight is to see a situation like this and take stepstoprevent it. If someone is trying to stuff abag intothe overhead compartment, speak up. I’ve seen

overhead compartments popopeninflight, and you definitely don’twant a heavybag falling on your head.Ifthathappened, the repair bill would be more than$400, andthe damage could last alifetime. Fortunately,you weren’tinjured by the falling bag.

My team contacted SAS on your behalf to revisit your claim. Within days, the airline hada change of heart.

“Wehavereviewedthe

matter further andhave decidedtoproceed with adirect bank transfer as agesture of goodwill in recognitionofthe inconvenienceyou experienced,” arepresentative told you. SAS sent you$400 to pay for aphone repair

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, anonprofit organization that helps consumerssolve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

MELANCON

Continued from page 1D

As best as Big Chief Melancon knows, he’s the first Black Masking Indian to be included in the 131-year-old, careermaking art extravaganza that opens in May In New Orleans, Mardi Gras Indian suits are iconic, right up there with streetcars, jazz trumpets and black and gold fleurs-de-lis, but anywhere north of Lakeshore Drive, they’re mostly a mystery Five thousand miles away in Italy, Melancon will be carrying the flag for his city and its peculiar culture.

Just like most of the people of Venice, Demond Melancon 47, grew up near a canal In his case, it was the Industrial Canal. As a kid, the future art star lived on Kentucky Street in the Upper 9th Ward not far from the St. Claude Avenue bridge, which was a pathway for roving Black Masking Indian tribes on Mardi Gras morning.

The gaggles of maskers that crossed the rusty trestle were searching for other maskers, to engage in ritual contests for bragging rights as the makers of the most impressive suits. Young Melancon was wide-eyed at the spectacle.

“They were the gods of the city,” he said.

“I DON’T SELL OUT. ... YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON TO

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS.”

— BIG CHIEF DEMOND MELANCON

Masking culture

How exactly the Indian masking custom came about is up for conjecture Everybody in New Orleans costumes for Carnival, but Black Indian masking is much more profound It reflects a union of Indigenous American and African heritages that arose out of subjugation in a European-dominated society.

In the Jim Crow era, Black and Indigenous people weren’t welcome in much of the Mardi Gras celebrations, explained Dominique Dilling-Francis, director of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a trove of Black masking art and artifacts

“They had to create their own Carnival in their own neighborhoods.” That’s where the blend of Native, African and Haitian Carnival cultures arose.

That’s why you don’t call them costumes, Dilling-Francis explained, you call them suits. “Suits can’t be duplicated, like costumes,” she said “They’re hand-crafted, hand-designed, and every suit tells a story.”

“For some,” Dilling-Francis said, “sewing a suit is something you’re taught. But for some, they wake up knowing how to do this.” They have to “have an eye for it they have to have a vision,” she said. Melancon seems to be fueled by his own innate skill and the mentoring of elders. A spiritual calling Melancon might never have become part of the masking culture if it weren’t for one day on the Colton junior high school playground, when he heard three fellow students practicing Mardi Gras Indian chants, the marching music of the tribes. It was March 19, St. Joseph’s Day, 1992, Melancon said, and Jeramie, Emanuel and Marquis had plans for a big time.

St. Joseph’s night is the “second coming of Mardi Gras” for the Indians, another chance to show off their suits and engage in street rituals. When the school bell rang, the boys went under the fence and headed home, so they’d have time to suit up and hit the streets with their group, the renowned Yellow Pocahontas Melancon tagged along to watch Melancon was astonished to see his tween pals had made suits of their own. Jeramie had a snake suit, and Emanual a blue peacock, Melancon remembered. When Melancon got home that night, far later than expected, “I got my butt whipped,” he said. He’d also received “a spiritual calling” to be an Indian.

That’s the thing about the Black Masking Indians, there’s something transcendent about the practice. It’s a second identity Maskers customarily sew a new suit each year In days gone by, some

fi

burned their suits — which, early on, might have been decorated with bottle caps and fish scales — to guarantee no repetition. In the course of sewing, Indians inevitably, accidentally prick their fingers and often actually bleed into their suits. It’s a custom that’s survived racism, segregation, poverty and hurricanes.

Melancon, who is tirelessly assisted by his wife, Alicia, said he views the endless hours devoted to sewing a suit as a sort of meditation that brings him close to past generations of maskers.

“They come down from the heavens and come in my body, and I do what I do,” he said. “It’s the same feeling you get in church when you’re sitting with great grandma.”

Spy Boy extraordinaire

The late master suit-maker Ferdinand Bigard Sr of the Cheyenne Hunters tribe helped teenage Melancon sew his first beaded patch — a butterfly In no time, he was sewing his own suits and serving as a Spy Boy with the 9th Ward Seminoles. Spy Boys are the scouts of their tribes, chasing through the streets ahead of the Big Chief, hunting for competing gangs, as they are sometimes known. Spy Boys are the first to confront other maskers, bragging and chiding opponents before the Big Chiefs collide. In years gone by, Mardi Gras Indian confrontations could be violent. Happily they’re now confined to stylized oneupmanship. Seminoles Big Chief Keith “Keitoe” Jones said that, despite his youth, Melancon was the best Spy Boy ever “I never seen nobody play the game like this kid,” Jones said. “He was cold. He was the baddest Spy Boy in the city There wasn’t nobody could mess with him.”

Jones explained that Spy Boys are a tribe’s advance guard. Melancon, he said, “was so feisty that he’d meet you” in a ritual standoff. “But if you wasn’t paying attention, he’d run around you and get to your Chief and talk trash,” getting the ritual disrespect rolling early “He won’t bow down to nobody,” Jones said, laughing. “The way he approached a gang, some of them thought he was crazy.”

Melancon was certainly the best Spy Boy in town and became one of the best beaders as well, in Jones’s estimation. Jones’s artistic advice to Melancon was to skip the bigger beads, and concentrate on the number 10 and 11 beads — 2 to 2.5 millimeter in diameter The work may be more time-consuming and tedious, but it produced subtler, more detailed mosaics.

“You win with that,” Jones said, referring to the competition between craftsmen.

Big Chief Jones, whose 2024 suit titled “The Journey” was a tour de force of beyond-exacting bead work, said that these days Melancon “might even be better than me.”

Jones has known Melancon since 1994. He said that in the early days, they were more-or-less family, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“I love him,” Jones said. “I’m proud of the person he grew up to be.” With Jones’s blessing, in 2013, Melancon formed his own tribe the Young Seminole Hunters, and became a Big Chief himself.

An expensive endeavor

In his mid-20s, Melancon was a bona fide Mardi Gras Indian. He was also a construction worker, specializing in pouring concrete for $17 per hour It was an income that might pay the bills, but there was never going to be much left over Creating Indians suits, which can cost thousands in materials, became a crisis.

After Katrina, Melancon found himself living in the flood-ruined Lower 9th Ward, where busloads of disaster tourists passed by, gawking at the devastation. He was attempting to buy the ä See MELANCON, page 5D

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Demond Melancon said he views the endless hours devoted to sewing a suit as a sort of meditation.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Artwork and inspiration covers the walls of Big Chief Demond Melancon’s workspace at his home in New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Demond Melancon was

rst helped by the late master suit-maker Ferdinand Bigard Sr of the Cheyenne Hunters tribe. Melancon became one of the best beaders after years spent as a Spy Boy for the 9th Ward Seminoles.

MELANCON

Continued from page 4D

modest owner-financed home where he lived, but there came a point when Melancon had to decide whether to pay the mortgage or buy colored feathers and beads. The feathers and beads won out and Melancon got kicked out. It occurred to Melancon that though he might love the Indian life, the arithmetic didn’t make sense. “I said, ‘I’m taking food off of my table to mask,” he recalls. There’s even a traditional Indian chant that addresses the topic, he said “I masked that morning, and I was right, but I had no money to pay my lights.” ‘Man, you’re an artist’

During that time of financial reckoning, Melancon’s pal, Henry Lipkis a 22-year-old Californian artist who was part of the wave of post-Katrina transplants — offered a piece of life-changing advice. As Melancon recalls, “Henry said, ‘Man, you’re an artist.’”

It was a “Wizard of Oz” moment. Melancon suddenly realized that, though he’d never called himself an artist, what he’d been doing wasn’t that much different from what conventional painters and sculptors did.

“I was painting with beads,” he said. Lipkis pointed out that the beaded patches Melancon produced for suits would probably be quite collectible, if he offered them for sale. To prove his point, Lipkis took photos of the mini mosaics around Melancon’s studio with his cellphone and shared them with friends. Instantly, Melancon recalls “Henry’s phone blows up.”

“He was making the most incredible artwork I’d ever seen with my own two eyes,” Lipkis said of the moment, “but he was deeply in the struggle at the same time. So, I reached out to anyone connected to money I told him, ‘Demond, you can crush this game.’”

Lipkis said that he was honored to draw the outline for a couple of Melancon’s beaded patches — Indian maskers often call on other artists to help visualize their concepts.

A whirlwind art career

At first, Melancon produced notebook paper-sized patches, then larger pieces, which he sold for hundreds of dollars. His portraits of New Orleans musicians such as Professor Longhair, Dr John, Allen Toussaint and honorary New Orleanian Elvis Costello were especially popular

He sold works at a Congo Square fair and got invited to show in the Contemporary Crafts area at Jazz Fest in 2018, where he sold $30,000 in works in a weekend. Arthur Roger, the soft-spoken owner of New Orleans’ premier art gallery, appeared at Melancon’s Jazz Fest booth and offered to sell his work yearround on Julia Street

“I started off with the big dog,” Melancon said of his affiliation with Roger

“It has been a whirlwind art career,” Melancon said. His work leapt off the walls at Arthur Roger gallery, museums came calling with offers of exhibits, and Sotheby’s auction house sold one of his

after a

aprons — a major component of Indian suits — for $100,000, easily paying for a down payment on a cottage in the Pontchartrain Park neighborhood. There would be no more pouring concrete. History in the making In Melancon’s opinion, it was the legendary downtown Chief of Chiefs Tutti Montana who elevated Indian suit-making to a fine art in the mid-20th century Melancon credits himself with “evolving it to a whole other level.” Competition is at the core of the custom, he said, reciting the masking phrase, “Kill them dead with a needle and thread.” Melancon’s stunning suits feature tributes to historical Black and Indigenous heroes that range from Haile Selassie to Shaka Zulu to Sitting Bull. His color choices mauve, bronze, olive, etc. are uncharacteristically subtle, and his skin tones are especially authentic. Melancon’s 2026 suite features bead mosaics depicting the mutiny aboard the Amistad slave ship, an early episode on the path

to abolition. Stunningly, the materials to make the suit cost more than $12,000. Melancon took a break from masking, starting in 2021. The COVID pandemic had shut down Carnival celebration that year, though Melancon made a splash anyway by ironically displaying one of his suits on the empty platform that once held a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He hasn’t produced another suit until now, concentrating on making beaded art instead.

Melancon said he hasn’t yet sold a complete suit, because nobody has offered him enough money to part with one. “I don’t sell out,” he said. Maybe he said, the Venice Biennale will be the catalyst for big sales. He’s recently signed up with a new gallery, Miriam Ibrahim in Chicago, which he believes will give his work a global reach. “You have to move on to expand your horizons,” he said. Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@ theadvocate.com.

LEFT: Bags of multicolored beads wait to be opened at Demond Melancon’s workspace.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Big Chief Demond Melancon, of the young Seminole Hunters Black Masking Indians, walks through the Treme neighborhood briefly before heading uptown during St. Joseph’s Night in New Orleans on March 19

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Melancon has mastered his beading art over many years making suits, patches and larger pieces with plenty of help from his wife, Alicia.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Big Chief Demond Melancon, of the young Seminole Hunters, began masking

fateful evening on St Joseph’s Day, March 19, 1992. He followed several friends after school and was taken aback when seeing the traditional street performances.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Melancon’s suits feature tributes to historical Black and Indigenous heroes that range from Haile Selassie to Shaka Zulu to Sitting Bull.

AT THE TABLE

Embracethe leftoversand create somethingbetter

Steakfried rice hastaste andleavesnowaste

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO Contributing writer

In my previous food columns, therecipes I share, and the stories behindthem,are largely influencedbymyItalian dad, at whose elbow Ilearned to cookasa kid.This columnisinspired by —ordedicated to —myNorwegian mom, who passed away two yearsago last month.

Mom was on my mind when Iwas planning my Easter menu, one of thefew times ayear when she took over the kitchen from dad, both on the holiday itself and thefollowing day

Her specialty was slow-roasted pork shoulder,orBoston butt, withpotatoes roasted(or browned) in the fat drippings inside the same roasting pan, thenserved smotheredinhomemade pork gravy

This year,Idid a9-pounder,because …leftovers. I’ve grown alarmed of latebythe frequency with which people, amid aperfectly casual conversation,quite comfortably blurtout the frightening proclamation: “Oh, Idon’t eat leftovers.”Well.

Each time it happens,Ifeel sure thatmy mom in heavenisshaking her head and casting herViking Catholic glare downupon the offending parties’ seemingflippancy toward the scarcity of Earth’sresources —and their startling lack of feeling guiltyaboutit. Leftoversopenuppossibilities

This was awoman who, at thecheckoutlane at the grocery store in the 1980s, stood likea sentinel armed with her stack of couponsand calculated the billasthe cashier rang up every item. She then pored over thereceiptbefore we could go. Heaven help me if she spotted any errors, becausethat meant the poorcashierwould have to ring back up the mispriced item(s), my mom would get arefund for the 60-centovercharge, and my siblings andI would shrink inside our clothes to escapethe embarrassment That was then. As Igrew older,Ieventually gained an appreciation for my mom’swisdom of stretching every penny,whose corollary was letting no food go to waste. This hasled to several occasions when Iasked fora to-go boxatarestaurant —not because therewas anyfoodtotakehome, butbecause Iwantedto pack up whatevermeat bones or seafood shells wereleft on ourplates. My own threechildren

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,April 12, the102ndday of 2026. Thereare 263 days left in theyear

Todayinhistory:

are nolonger phased by such behavior

This past Super Bowl Sunday,ataparty hostedbyfriends who prepared mountains of chicken wings, Ikindly asked that nobody throw out their bones. The hostssupplied me with gallon-sized freezer bags to takehome to make bone brothfor soups and gravy.Reduce it andadd cream to makeanamazing braising liquid, or go one step further and whisk in butter and Parmesan for pasta sauce.

In each case, leftovers make it possible to create anew recipe that’sasgood as, or better than,the original meal.

Emptyyourfridge

Theday after Easter,mymom would make Easter pork roast. There’sa traditional Norwegiandish called Pytt iPanne (mispronounced forever in my family as picka-ponga),that Iwould not go so far as others in calling it a “classic” Norwegian meal, for the simple fact that it’sjust an assembly of leftovers.

According to theinternet,Pytti Panne loosely translates to “small pieces in apan,” and it was introduced to my family by my mom’s dad, my grandfather Leif Tveter.Asa young man, he served as asailor in the Norwegian merchantmarines. Aboard ship, Pytt iPanne was apparently common fare, with the cook throwing together whatever was at hand and thesailors rechristening it.

There are fancier versions that add Dijon mustard, horseradish cream,shiitake mushrooms or pickled beets. All my mom did was augment the olive oil in the pan withasecret weapon (butter), sauté half of adiced onion andthrow in pieces of the leftover potatoes and pork. To makeitgofurther,she added half-inch slices of acouple of hot dogs —this beingNew York, either Hebrew National or Nathan’sFamous beef franks. Freshly grated cheddar cheese melted on top was abonus.

Served with the leftover pork gravy was divine

She didn’tprepare meals often,but when she did, my goodness, Icould taste the love with whichshe did.

With her as inspiration, this fried rice recipe results from aprevious meal that Ipurposefully made twice as much rice as needed, just so Icould make this second meal. If there’s originality in my fried rice, it’storemove all previousingredients from the wok before frying the rice because we’re using butter —which is the way mom would have liked it.

In sum: Empty your fridge. Don’tlet anythinggotowaste. When in doubt, add butter

Embrace theleftovers by using them to create something else.

Steakfried rice

Serving size one cup (asaside) or two cups (as an entree). Recipe is by Michael DiResto.

Forthe marinade/sauce:

1tablespoon oyster sauce

1tablespoon dark soysauce

3tablespoons lightsoy sauce

1teaspoon Mirin 1/4 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

1teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

6cups cooked and chilled(leftover) white rice

1/2-poundsteak, sliced thin across the grain, cut into 2-inch strips (substitute shrimp, or leftover pieces of beef,chicken or pork)

Vegetable oil (enough to coat the wok or pan)

4eggs, whisked 1/2 cup julienne or matchstick carrots 1 3 cup chopped white onions 1clove

1. Prepare white rice per instructions, seal in acontainer,and refrigerate overnight.

2. Addall sauce ingredients to abowl and whisk thoroughly

3. Slice thesteak and place in separatebowl, add 2tablespoons of the sauce, mix thoroughly and marinate

for15-30 minutes.

4. Heat large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until it begins to faintly smoke, brush pan with vegetable oil to coat the surface, and frythe steak, using tongs to stir and cook evenly on both sides. Turn off heat and let sit.

5. Heat aseparatelarge panor preferably awok over medium-high heat until it begins to faintly smoke, brush panwith vegetable oil to coat the surface, addeggs, stir thoroughly until cooked,and remove to aseparate bowl.

6. Recoat woksurface with oil (if needed), add carrots and white onions and saute until onions turn translucent, stir in garlic, cook foradditional minute and remove to the bowlofcooked eggs.

7. Take the rice from the refrigerator and shake the container and/or stir the rice with afork to loosen the grains.

8. Add butter to wokand stir to coat surface, add rice and fry, stirring constantly,until rice begins to turn light brown.

9. Return steak, eggs, and vegetables to the wok,and, stirring constantly,fry until all ingredients are hot.

10. Add green onions and remaining sauce to the wok,stir thoroughly 11. Taste and dash with additional light soy if needed.

Toothpaste tube problems canadd up

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, orbitingthe earth once beforelanding safely via parachute after a planned ejection from hisspacecapsule.

Also on this date:

In 1861, the U.S. Civil Warbegan as Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia, at age 63; he was succeeded byVice PresidentHarry S. Truman.

In 1954, Bill Haley and His Cometsrecorded “Rock Around the Clock,” asong oftencitedas bringing rock ’n’ rollmusic into the mainstream when it was popularized in the film“TheBlackboard Jungle” the next year

In 1955, the polio vaccine developedbyJonas Salk was declared safe and effective following nearly a year of field trials undertakenbyabout 1.8 million American child volunteers dubbed “polio pioneers.” In 1963, civil rights leader theRev.Martin Luther King Jr.was arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, charged withcontempt of court andparading without apermit. (Duringhis time behind bars, King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”)

In 1981, the NASA Space Shuttle programbegan as Space Shuttle Columbia, the world’sfirst reusable spacecraft, lifted off from theKennedy Space Center In 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery rocketed into orbit, carrying the firstelected officialintospace. The shuttle was carryingRepublican Sen. Jake Garn of Utah, chairman of theSenate panel that oversees NASA’s budget.

In 1992, EuroDisney,now called Disneyland Paris, officiallyopened in France with aparade, fireworksand MickeyMouse opening thecastle doorstothe theme park.

In 2015, former firstladyand ex-U.S. Secretaryof State Hillary Rodham Clinton announcedher campaign to seek the 2016 Democratic nominationfor president. (She would be defeated in the November 2016 presidential electionbyRepublican Donald Trump).

In 2022, aman opened fire in aNew York City subway car during rush hour,wounding 10 people. (FrankJames was arrestedaday later, eventually pleading guilty to terrorism charges andwas sentenced to life in prison.)

Today’sbirthdays: MusicianHerbie Hancock is 86. Musician John Kay (Steppenwolf) is 82. ActorEd O’Neill is 80. TV host David Letterman is 79. Author Scott Turow is 77. Actor Andy Garcia is 70. Movie director Walter Salles is 70. Country musician Vince Gill is 69. Actor-comedianRetta is 56. ActorClaire Danes is 47. Actor JenniferMorrison is 47. Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbard is 45. Model-actor BrooklynDecker is 39. Actor-comedian Ilana Glazer is 39. ActorSaoirse Ronan is 32. Former elite gymnast Katelyn Ohashi is 29.

Dear Heloise: How much longer do we have to put up withtubes of toothpaste that we can’t empty like we used to by rolling up thetube? Ihave to cutopen thetube, where almost one-third of the toothpaste is still there. Then Ihave to scrapeitout littlebylittle with my toothbrush, which actually isn’tsanitary if more than oneperson uses the tube. It’snowonder that the manufacturers like it this way as a lot of people throw thetube out without cutting it open and have to buy anew one. On top of this, they keep telling us to saveonplastic. —Nete S., via email Nete, we have toothpastethat can now be stored in atube withawider cap so that most of the toothpaste slips downward, which eliminates the need

to roll up thebottom of the tube. Ithink mostmanufacturers of toothpaste will probably stick to plastic tubes, though, at least for now —Heloise

Let’sall compost

Dear Heloise: Iloved the letter about using the inside parts of toilet paper rolls and using dryer lint to start fires! For gardeners, if you maintain acompost pile, these cardboard tubes can go right intothe compost pile after shredding them. Idon’trecommend putting dryer lint in acompost pile, but other itemsthat can be put into compost include: white grease-free paper towels; unflavored tortilla chips, moldybread; crushed eggshells; all vegetable and fruit peelings; newspapers; leaves; garden clippings; any non-slick paper; cereal boxes; all-natural fibers such as cotton, wooland linen; and grass clippings. Don’tput these itemsinto compost: grease, any kind of meat,onions, citrus peels, plastic, polyester fabrics or diseased plant material. Compost is agreat fertilizer and soil conditioner.You don’teven need abin to start it. Make a3-by-3-foot pile, alternating between green items(plant matter,grass, etc.) and brownitems (shredded branches, cardboard, leaves, etc.). Keepitmoist and cover with a tarp if necessary.The compost is ready when it’sdark brownincolor and has a sweet, earthy odor It’s OK forsmallchunks to remain in it. Mix with your garden soil and enjoy the fruits of your labors! —Lynda H., via email

Send ahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

Shoulder to shoulder at thesugar station

Dear Miss Manners: Isometimes get acoffee to go from alocal shop, and Istop at the little station to add sugar,cream, etc. to my cup. As at most coffee shops, this station is pretty small. If someone is there, Iusually ask something such as, “Would Ibeinyour way if Ireached for somesugar?” Other times Ijust wait for the person to leave, not wanting to crowd them. When it’smyturn, however,people often barge in without aword, getting in my way

ALBUM

Continuedfrom page1D

I’m wondering what the rules are here. Should we wait forthe person at the station to finish and leave? Should we ask if we can share thestation? And what, if anything, should we say if someonecrowdsusout when we were there first? Of course this is no big deal, but I’dlike to have someguidance to assuage my annoyance and to avoid being an annoyance to others.

GentleReader: First,you must size up thesituation —not only the amount of

Titles include “MyParrainisthe Loup Garou” (My Godfather is a Werewolf), “The Fifolet” (supernatural swamp gas) and“Going to the La La,” reminiscentofthe Creolehouse dances in the1920s and’30s. Those move-the-furniture-aside,“La La” parties in ruralsouthwest Louisiana gave birth to zydeco music. Thealbum’sfun lyricstouch on themes of community,Creole traditions and children’sgames, like “Loop de Loop” and “Ready or Not.”

Severalcuts feature Downing’s harmonica-playing husband and Grammy-winningproducerScott Bil-

lington. Besidesworking with Irma Thomas,the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and other Louisiana music icons, Billington produced seven Zydeco ChaChasalbums. The discography includesthe band’s1989 debut album, “Steady Rock” on Rounder Records. Downing, who hascollaborated with jazz andCajunmusicians in previous projects, said the state’srich music roots and traditions fueled the record. “I want childrentohear the real thing. Collaborating with someone likeNathan or Irma Thomas, they get to hear that on akid’s album,” Downingsaid.“Working with Nathan was so much fun. Theband brought so much joy to the session. They cameto have funand to work. They knew this is for thenextgeneration. They knew

room at the station, but also the pace of the coffee lover before you. If there is no hope of getting to your 9a.m. meeting without sharing the space, ask politely if you are in the person’sway, as you have done. But if you are the one getting crowded, Miss Manners suggests you say,as you would forsomeone jostling your occupied bathroom stall, “I’ll be just a minute.” And then continue to add your cream and sugar

the importance of it.”

Downing isn’tslowing down. She has another children’sbook, “New England Animals AtoZ,” circulating in the Northeast.

Downing and Billington have completed four years of work on “Irma Thomas: Soul Queen of New Orleans.” The biography is set for afall release on the University Press of Mississippi. “This is such abig year for me,” she said. “I don’tsee any reason to stop.”

HermanFuselierisexecutive director of theSt. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.Alongtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp”show airsatnoon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7FM.

PHOTO By RACHEL DIRESTO

Steak fried rice

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Hints from Heloise

Bids/Proposals

p gCtwgU56nolXgob.1 In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212 electronic Bids maybe submittedonVendorAc‐cess (https://lafayettecs dgovla.tylerportico.com/ va/vendor-access/ registration).Official Bid Documentsare available on Vendor Access (https://lafayettecsdgov la.tylerportico.com/va/ vendor-access/ registration).For ques‐tionsrelated to theelec‐tronic biddingprocess please call thePurchas‐ingoffice at 337-291-8258. Biddersmay requestthe electronic bidpackage from DabneDover at dabnedover@lafayettela. gov. Bidderssubmitting bids l i ll Public

ALLEMAN, CODY ROY

ALSTON, JAMES ALVAREZ, HERNAN M

dayofMay,2026 forthe following: PROTECTIVE RELAYPAN‐ELSFOR PONT DESMOU‐TONSUBSTATIONRECON‐FIGURATION andwill, shortlythere‐after,beopenedand read aloudina room lo‐catedat705 West Univer‐sity Avenue,Lafayette LA.Bidsreceivedafter theabove specified time foropening shallnot be considered andshall be returned unopened to thesender. Biddersmay attend thebid openingin person,but arehighly encouraged to virtually join thebid openings via Zoom usingthe following link: https://us02web zoom.us/j/87339468209? pwd=f8wce91G4SYb3Xz l b

AMANOUA, MARIE ROSE

ANDERSON, TRAVIS QUINN ANDERSON, DAVID D ANDREPONT,HANNAH ADELAIDE ANDREPONT,CARLEENA HAYES

ANGELLE, GUSTINPAUL ANGELLE, TIONA SHANINA

ARBOUR, YANA A ARIAS, JOSE ISAAC AZHAR, GLENN THOMAS

BABINEAUX, AUSTIN THOMAS

BAILEY,TIFFANY ANNE

BAKER, AMANDA ELIZABETH

BANIEWICZ, AARON FRANCIS

BARGEMAN, BRITTANY MONIQUE

BARRY, SHANNON NICOLE BARTEL, EMILYMILLER

BATISTE, BRAD

BAUDOIN, DEXTER PAUL

BEADLE, MARYBETH PASCHAL

BECK, TANYAS

BERARD, JASON CHARLES

BILELLO, GIA NOEL

BILLINGSLEY,SANDRA W

BLADY,NICK

BOBB, RONALD JAMES

BODOIN, JAMAINE

BOGENRIEF,LINDA V BOONE, MELISSA BROUSSARD

BOSTWICK, PAMELA GENE

BOUDREAUX, BRENT N

BOURGEOIS, ASHLEY H

BOURLIEA, DYLANMICHAEL

BOWEN, ALICE ELIZABETH

BRADLEY,BRETT ALEXANDER

BRAILEY,ZAYVION MARKELL BREAUX, JOEY SCOTT BREAUX, JASMINE FLORENA BREAUX, MEGHAN ANN BRETT,JEAN PHILIPPE BRISCO, BRANDON MITCHELL BROUSSARD, PATRICK J BROUSSARD, KIMBERLYANN BROUSSARD, RANDY J BROUSSARD, AMANDA M BROUSSARD, TAYLOR LUSIGNAN BROUSSARD, DEONDRA MARQUETTA BROWN, IMANI ECHELLE

BRUNER-COLBERT, CARLICIA C BUCKLES, CAMERON SAMUEL BUGGS, KADEN MICHAEL BUNDRICK, THOMAS P BURDETTE, HARRYK BURLEY,JENNIFER MICHELLE BUSH, THOMAS ROBSON BUTEAU, JACOB SCOTT BUTEAU, PATSY SMITH CALDERA,TATIANA CAROLINA CALLAIS, PHILIPPEPAUL CAMPBELL, JOSHUA NEIL CANTRELLE, JACOB DAVID CARSON, EDWARNEISHA KASHAWN

CASTILLE, KENNETH J CHAMBERS, ALLYSSAPAIGE CHAUVIN, LYNNE THOMAS CLARK, MICHAEL RAY

CLARK, DELANO LAFELL CLARK, TOMMY RAY CLAUSE, CATHY TOUCHET COFFELT, BERNADETTE BRIDGET COLE, JOSEPH RICKEY COLEY-GASPARD, LAURA WHITNEY COLLINS, MARYROSE COMEAUX, CAROLINA MARIE COMEAUX, KALON DALTON CORCORAN, RYLEE ANN CORMIER, DWAYNE ANTHONY CORMIER, SCOTT JOSEPH CORTESE, WESLEY JAMES COULON, LEE WARREN COX, SUZANNE C CROCHET,JENNA RENEE

CUELLAR-GUILLEN, JUAN ARTURO CULOTTA, GABRIEL JAMES DAIGLE, RORYNECOLE DAIGLE, MARGARET MONROE DAIGLE, AMY LEFRANC DAIS, MARWA DAMICO, PETE L DANIELS, MACK DAUTREUIL, DYLAN PAUL

DAWSEY,CHERYL DELAHOUSSAYE, TARYNGUIDROZ DELGADO-POSADA, CINTHIA ANAYELI

DENDY,JACK D DESORMEAUX, ADAM JAMES

DEVILLE, CYNTHIAALLIS

DOMINGUE, HALEY ALYSE

DUBOIS, RAYWOOD LOUIS

DUEITT,JAKE SCOTT

DUGAS, LINDSEY CLAIRE

DUHON, DONALD J DUNCAN, JOHNOLIVER

DUNN, JAMIEPICKARD

DUPUIS-MACK, JESSICA LYNN

EDMOND, BERTHA MAE ESPENAN, LEAH BROOKE

ETIE, DANE P EVANS, MMONETTE

g electronicallyare re‐quired to providethe same documentsasbid‐ders submitting through themailassoon as avail‐able.Onlya bidbond, certified checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity.Electroniccopies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bidders wishingtosub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredonlinewith Lafayette Consolidated Government

EVERSBERG,ASHTON EDMOND

FALGOUT, ABIGAIL BROUSSARD

FALGOUT, ALEX SCOTT FIFE, BRITTANYHULIN

FONTENOT,ADAM SYLVESTER FOREMAN, AUDREY MARCEAUX FOSSIER, KATIE FOX, JENNIFER MARGARET GRIFFIN

FOX, ALISHA FRANK, TYRONEMCLAIN

FREDERICK, JOHN BLAKE

FREEMAN, LISA HEBERT FUNDERBURK,LAUREN ELIZABETH GARRETT,CHASE JOSEPH GASPARD, MITCHELL LEE

GEORGE, DANAFAYE

GEORGE, LUCILLE LADAY

GIBBENS, CRISTIEGAUTREAUX

GILLIAM, LASHAE RENEE

GIROUARD, DANAMARIA

GIROUARD, BARBARA H

GIVENS, GABREAILVIRGINIA

GOETZMANN, JASON EUGENE

GRAHAM,BRODIERAYRIDGWAY

GRAY,SKYE ONGELLE

GREEN,JERRICA MONAE

GREMILLION,MELISSA D

GRENEAUX, KELLYURBAN

GROVE, NOEL ALANA

GUIDRY,ALINE MENDONCA

GUIDRY,TYRUSJOHNCRANDLE GUIDRY,CARL ANTHONY

GUIDRY,AARON DALE

GUIDRY,DANADUPUIS

GUILBEAU,LOULA THIBODEAUX

GUILLORY,CLINTON JOSEPH

GUILLORY,NATHANGERARD ARMENTOR

HANDY, RONTRAVION DEMON

HANKS, KLINT MARSHALL HANKS, JONATHAN KEITH

HARDY,DEBORAH J HARE, TONIPURPERA

HAWKINS,ROSS GIOVANNI

HEBERT, REBEKAH ANNE

HEBERT, NELLIE

HEBERT, LISA MARIE

HEBERT, MICHELLE

HESTERLY, JOSEPH PITMAN

HOLYFIELD, MATTHEW

HOVEY,PAMELA RAE HOWARD, FLOYD

HOWELL, JENNIFER LYNN

HUGGINS,DESIREE D

HUGONIN, MARIAGABRIELA

HUKINS,SHANE MARSHALL INMAN, WILLIAMLEONARD

IVORY, JEANNE B IVY, JAMES MICHEAL

JEANLOUIS,PHILLIP

JEANLOUIS,GAILMARIE

JOHN,VINCENT FRANK

JOHNSON, NAOMI JACKSON

JONES, SHALYN RENEE

JONES, JAVON JAMAL

JOSEPH, ANISARENEE

JOUBERT, JASON BRIAN

KATELY, KENNEDI JNAI

KEYS, JONAS CARMINE

KILCHRIST, ALEXANDRIAKAREN KING, KARNINA DARGIN KING, MIRANDA MARLANA KING, KIMBERLY

KIVI,TIMOTHY MICHAEL KLUTTS, TANIA

KNATT, CHERYLDENISE RANDAL

LABBE, KACEY

LACHAPELLE, JACQUELINE MARIE

LAFLEUR, MICHAEL A

LAFLEUR, MARGORIE

LANDRY, WILSON

LANDRY, PAULA ANNE

LAPOINT,CLAIRE RENE

LAQUE, MELINDACOKER

LAXEY,PETER R

LEBLANC, DEANNA MONIQUE

LEGE, ANGELLE COMEAUX

LEGER, JACOB KURT

LEJEUNE, COURTNEY PAIGE

LEMAIRE, MOLLYE

LEMAIRE, STACY SCHARNELL

LEONARDS, MEGANSTAFFORD

LORMAND, ELTON JOHN LOUGE,ETHAN NICOLAS

LOUVIERE, NEIL J LUNA-BECERRA, JOSE

LUTZ, SHELLYROBIN

MAILLET,STACEYJOHNSON MALAGARIE, ROBERTM

MALENOSKY,JEANELLE MARIE

MALVEAUX, TYLER CHAE

MALVEAUX, VERONICA ANN

MANUEL, JONASCHRISTOPHER

MARTIN, CAROLYN MARIEWHITE

MATTHEWS, JENNIFER HARRIS

MATTHEWS, LYNDON SEAN

MCCAULEY, CRYSTAL SOILEAU

MCSHERRY, DAVIDCHARLES

MELANCON, SANDRA FRAZIER

MERCHANT,PATRICK W

MILLER, ELGIN LAMAR

MILLER, JOSHUA RYAN

MONTES, PATRICIA ELENA

MOODY,MARGARET GRAY

MORGAN,HOLLYE BOREL

MORRISON, SHARONAMARIE

MOSS, ZACHARY MARK

MOUTON,CHARLES BURTON

MOUTON,CHRISTOPHER EZEKIEL

MOUTON, CHRISTOPHERJOHN NARANJOMORANTE,ROSA LILIA NARCISSE,TAMALICHIA SHARAY NAVE, BLANE E NELSON, LINDAFAYE NICHOLAS, NOELLE JULLIAN OCONNOR-EMERSON, BRITTANY MARIE OQUINN, LAUREN ELIZABETH PATEL, KIRAN BHARATKUMAR PAYNE,LAKEBBA LASHAUNE PELLERIN,KORY PERIOUX, SHAWN MICHEAL PERKINS, LISA K PERRY, SAM BAKER PHILLIPS, HAILEY PICKETT,GLENDA B PIERCE, ANSONIA CHRISTIAHN PIERRE, QUINTEN MARSHALL PLAISANCE,JANICE A PORTER, DYLAN MATTHEW POWDRELL, DAVID PREJEAN, LARRY PAUL PREJEAN, HAROLD J PRIMEAUX,LENAS RANSONET, ARIANNA LEE REID, DEVAN THOMAS RICHARD, JOHN E RICHARD, JEREMY GEORGE RICHARD, WESLEY JOHN RITTER, JANICE ROCHEL RIVERA, RANDALLB ROBERTSON, MARYCLARK ROBINSON, ANNASTASIA J ROCHON, RUBY R ROUSSEL, JOANN V RUBIN,CATHY MARIE RUIZ, EMMANUELLEM SANDERS,WILLIAM PAUL SARI, LIDIA SAVOY,AALIYAH ANISS SCHELLO, QUANTESHA ARIEL SEMERE, ROBERT SENEGAL,MARYC SESALDO, RODOLFO V SEYLER, ALEXIS LEANN SHAMBURGER, JAMIE TAYLOR SHELVIN, FAREN SIBILLE,JENAYE SILMON, NICHOLAS RYAN SIMON, CURTLYNN FAITH SIMON, LATOYANIKKIA SIMON, CYNTHIA MILDRED SMITH, JERRYT SMITH, HARRISON BURKE SMITH, DALE A SMITH, BRIANNA ALEXA SMITH, MACKENSIE LAYNE SNODDY,ANITADENISON SOILEAU, ABBIE GRACE SOLOMON, BRENDA SONNIER, REBECCA ELLEN ST,JULIENMARQUITAPATRICE STERLING, REGINALD LEVEN STEVENS, MATTHEW GARY STONECIPHER, MICHELLE RENEE STOOT,AMANDA NICOLE STRIMPLE,SHARON CHRISTINE STRUNCK, AUBREYCLAYTON SULLIVAN, ALEXANDER MIGUEL SWEAT,JOSHUA BURL TALBOT,DIRK MICHAEL TATE, HUGHWALLACE TAUNTON-SCOTT,JACK KOWAN TAYLOR, CHRISTOPHERNICHOLAS TERREBONNE, BRIAN A THIBEAUX, LEUREL RENEE THOMAS, COURTLAND C THOMAS, LUCRETIA TEREZ THOMAS, JUSTACIA JANAE THOMAS, LOUANA THOMPSON, MARCELLA KAY THOMPSON, TREVOR COLE THOMPSON, TAMEKIA MARIE MIMS TOERING, MICHELLE LYNN TRAHAN, ANTHONY J TROTTER, TORRA ASHLEY MARGRETTE TRUONG, THI HONG HOA TURK, DEBORAHC TURNER, BRENTON CHARLES VANBEEK, KATHLEEN MARIE VANDUZEE, SKYLA MABRY VEILLON, ORYMICHAEL VENABLE,ERICALEIGH VOISIN, HARLEYNICHOLE WALKER, CAMDEN DRAKE WARD, JOHNNY TRENELE WARD, MARCUS RYAN WASHINGTON, MORRIS QUINCY JOSEPH WEBB, JONATHAN ANTHONY WILLIAMS, NAYJON MERLIN WILLIAMS, CHERELLY LAVON WILLIAMS, DONNAUD B WILLIAMS, CHRISTIANA JANAE WILLIAMS, SHELLIAANN WILLS, DAMIAN WOODWARD,LISA ANNE WYBLE, JARED WAYNE YEKDOKIMOV,MIKHAIL YOUNG, ETHEL M ZALOMSKI, JULIAN ADAM ZERINGUE, ALAINA MARIE ZIMMER, TRENT J

JRviT58SiKWxOXCIbd1K BQ61bfG.1 Themeetingwillbeat thetimeofthe bidopen‐ing. ScopeofServices: The scopeofthe projectcon‐sistsofroof replace‐ment,foundationrepair, slab stabilization, root barrier, exterior repair andrecoating,interior repairs, ceilingreplace‐ment,insulation, hvac re‐placement, lightingre‐placementand general renovations. Construction Time:210 calendar days,exclusive of delays beyond the Contractor’s controlfrom thedatestipulatedinthe writtenNoticetoPro‐ceed In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212., vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. BiddingDocuments are availabletoviewonlyat thewebsite.Bidders may requestthe electronic bidpackage from Keirston St.Amant at kstamant@lafayettela gov Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredonlinewith Lafayette Consolidated Government as apoten‐

DATEDGOVERNMENT. Bid Documentsshall be availableuntil twentyfour hoursbeforethe bid openingdate.

bidding documentsshall be ad‐dressedtoKeirstonSt. Amantatkstamant@ lafayettela.gov Contractorsare re‐questedtoattend aprebidmeeting, whichwill be held on April21, 2026 at 11:00 AM in thelarge conference room Lafayette Consolidated Government,Public WorksAdministration Building locatedat1515 East University Avenue Lafayette,LA. Each bidshall be accom‐panied by acertified check, cashier’scheck or bidbondpayable to theLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment, the amount of whichshall be five percent(5%)ofthe base bidplusadditive al‐ternates.Ifabid bond is used,itshall be written by asuretyorinsurance companycurrently on theU.S.Departmentof theTreasuryFinancial Management Servicelist of approved bonding companieswhich is pub‐lished annually in the FederalRegister, or by a Louisianadomiciledin‐surancecompany with at leastanA-Ratinginthe latest printing of theA.M Best’s KeyRatingGuide to writeindividualbonds up to tenpercent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as showninthe A.M. Best’s KeyRatingGuide or by an insurancecom‐pany in good standing li‐censed to writebid bondswhich is either domiciledinLouisiana or ownedbyLouisiana resi‐dents. Thebid bond shall be issued by acompany licensed to do business in Louisiana. Thecerti‐fied check, cashier’s check, or bidbondshall be givenasa guarantee that thebiddershall exe‐cute thecontract, should it be awardedtohim,in conformity with thecon‐tractdocuments within ten(10)days. No contractor maywith‐draw itsbid priortothe deadline forsubmission of bids.Withdrawalof bids thereafter shallbe allowedonlypursuantto LA

pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fullydefinedin thebid documents. Bids will be evaluatedby thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted whichisalsoin compliance with thebid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause in ac‐cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe frontof thesealedenvelopein whichtheir bidisen‐closed.Contractors shall be licensed forthe clas‐sification

by calling2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISHDATES:4/8/26, 4/12/26, 4/19/26 DPR1001873 183384-apr8-12-19-3t

tractors,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in allcon‐tracts or procurements letbythe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernment forgoodsand services andlabor andmaterial. To

students through ‘real life’ situations.

Realitycheck

From talkingmannequinstovirtual colonoscopies, Louisianamedical schoolsembracing simulationtech

BY RICHCOLLINS Staff writer

The high-tech,lifelike mannequinwould be downright creepy if it wasn’t such agood teaching tool. Thedevice, designed to look like a10-year-oldkid lyinginahospital bed, turns its head when it hearsa voice. Its siliconeskin feels lifelike. Anditcan talk —oratleast transmit the voice of an instructor from anotherroom.

INNOVATION &

Theroughly$220,000 “patient simulator,”among the most sophisticatedonthe market,isone of many cutting-edgeteaching tools now in useatLSU Health New Orleans’Center for AdvancedLearning andSimulation,a2-year-old, $68 million investment in newtechnologyand tech-

niques that shows how much healthcare education has evolved. Afew decades ago, medical and nursing students

learned entirely on the job. They’d first draw blood, startanIVorsuture alaceration on real patients under the supervision of their teachers.

Not anymore.

Since the 1990s, the emergence of $4 billion medical simulationindustry haschangedthe process, and Louisiana schools are among those investing in expensive gear and building new programsasthey explore waystotrain the next generation of health careprofessionals.

Using patient simulators, virtualrealitytools, labgrown tissues—and even humanactors pretending to be sick patients —educators at LSU, the Tulane University School of Medicine and other institutions in Louisiana are able to reproduce many of the experiences adoctor or nurse will encounter whencaring for apatient without any real-world repercussions if mistakes are made.

ä See SIMULATION, page 2E

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

At aglobalenergy conference in Houstonlast month, Gov. Jeff Landry unveiled anew nuclear energy strategyfor Louisiana, proposing to expand power plants, components and fuel enrichmentsites. Days later,Entergyfiled documents with utilityregulators seeking to increase the amount of electricity it cangeneratefor Meta’s artificial intelligence datacenter in north Louisiana—aplan thatrelies, in part, on building outmore nuclear power capacity The developments come as Presi-

Donald

who has cham-

pioned fossilfuels while rolling back efforts to developmorewindand solar power,has embraced nuclear energy,investing billions in new technologiesand pushing to quadruple the power generated from thenation’snuclear facilities by 2050. At the same time, there is growing demand for carbon-free energy frombuyers of chemicalfeedstocks, particularly companies in Europe. While therenewed focus on nuclear power may come as asurprise to thosewho remember high-profile disasterslike Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in the1970s and 1980s, energy expertssay nuclearpower

See NUCLEAR, page 2E

Landry

STAFFPHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

Medical studentsKylan Steele, from left, Christi Kruger,Michael Hill, Asia Eskaros and Alina Mohiuddin work on amannequinpatient at the LSUHealth Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation in NewOrleans. The room is set up likeareal hospitalwherethe mannequins cantalkand are remotelycontrolled,putting the

LSU medical students examine amannequin simulating apatient.

dent

Trump,

“We’ve gotten better at teaching,” said Dr Peter DeBlieux, the LSU medical school’s assistant dean of advanced learning and simulation.

“We know it’s safer to practice on plastic and on actors than on real people. Across the country, that’s replaced the old standard of ‘see one, do one, teach one.’”

‘Here to make mistakes’

Medical simulation dates back to at least the 18th century when some of the first training mannequins were created, but the practice became commonplace in the last three decades as increased computing power meant machines designed to look like the human body — or parts of it — could better mimic the way human physiology responds to treatment.

Early simulators could be used to demonstrate certain tasks, like CPR. Now companies make devices that can talk, move and react to medications while simulating heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and more. They can be used to demonstrate everything from childbirth to a massive heart attack, and students use them to practice inserting IVs and catheters, giving shots and performing other procedures.

The advanced mannequins are joined by other forms of simulation for teachers, including immersive virtual reality tools and practice surgeries performed by cutting into lab-grown tissue. Added together, the options mean medical students can learn before treating real patients.

“You don’t want to be the first person someone tries a procedure on, but 20 years ago, that is exactly what happened,” said Jennifer Calzada, director at the Tulane School of Medicine’s simulation center in its downtown Murphy Building, where the school has invested millions in simulation education.

“There’d be some little shaky nervous med or nursing student who has to stick you three times before they get it right.”

That type of teaching was a problem for many reasons, especially because something as simple as drawing blood can lead to infection, Calzada said. Now when students begin treating real patients, they’ve practiced first with various types of simulators.

“You’d far rather someone’s first experience be in the sim lab, because students come here to make mistakes,” Calzada said.

Tulane has several virtual reality training systems, including one that surgery residents and GI fellows use to practice colonoscopies It includes a mannequin torso simulator, but it also uses software and a screen that looks like the ones doc-

NUCLEAR

Continued from page 1E

is front of mind again for several reasons, and Louisiana is well positioned to capitalize on it.

“People in energy are thinking about it again because they have looked at other options,” said Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane University Energy Institute. And if there’s a need for clean, reliable power and lots of it, nuclear is about the only option, he said “Louisiana punches above its weight in terms of the nuclear power it generates,” Smith added.

“So, we’re already in the game.” Market forces

Fewer than 30 states have functioning nuclear power plants, which collectively produce about 20% of the total power in the U.S. Louisiana is among them with two plants — Waterford 3 on the west bank of St. Charles Parish and River Bend near St. Francisville. Both have been functioning for decades and together generate more than 15% of the state’s electricity

A couple of factors are behind the renewed focus on nuclear power, experts say One is the need to diversify away from natural gas — which is cheap and abundant, for now, but may not always be.

tors use to recreate the experience of a real procedure

Simulation central A tour of CALS shows how simulation is done today, and it involves a lot more than expensive mannequins. The eight-floor facility — part of LSU’s larger campus between Tulane Avenue and Perdido Street near the Caesars Superdome — is filled with simulation labs, demonstration spaces and many training tools.

On the first floor, there’s a mock emergency room complete with a ramp for ambulances that dates back to the building’s days as an active hospital. The space is designed to teach groups how to handle different scenarios, like a mass casualty event or the emergency delivery of a baby

On the second floor, there’s a demonstration lab, where instructors teach procedures on cadavers, animals, lab-grown tissues or simu-

lation devices.

Down the hall are training rooms where nursing students use simulators to practice establishing an IV pump, placing a catheter, taking blood pressure or performing more complicated tasks. Some of the rooms contain the same ultrasound devices, infusion pumps and other machines in use in real hospitals.

DeBlieux is particularly proud of LSU’s program employing actors to pretend to be patients experiencing everything from lower back pain to a heart attack Cameras and microphones in rooms that look just like the inside of a doctor’s office capture interactions so instructors and students can watch in real time or review later

DeBlieux said schools have been training with help from actors for decades, but they typically focus on procedures: checking blood pressure correctly, palpating the organs in the right order, putting the stethoscope in the right place. LSU adds an emphasis on com-

greenhouse gasses that cause ex-

treme weather. Though Trump has ignored such risks with policies that promote fossil fuels, the rest of the world is looking for ways to mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

like wind or solar, and its radioactive waste carries health and safety risks.

Fewer than 30 states have functioning nuclear power plants, which collectively produce about 20% of the total power in the U.S. Louisiana is among them, with two plants and together generate more than 15% of the state’s electricity.

“Right now, natural gas is by far the largest electrical generating source, so there is a benefit in having different forms of generation ” said Greg Upton, executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies. “It is a hedge against future cost changes.” The other reason is the need for power sources that do not emit the

“Nuclear is a lower carbon fuel,” Upton said. “So, a lot of the industrial companies moving to Louisiana are realizing that questions about carbon intensity will impact how they are able to market globally.”

Environmentalists note that while nuclear power is cleaner in some respects than natural gas, it is not a truly clean energy source,

“There is no coordinated nuclear waste disposal plan in this country,” said Jackson Voss, government affairs and policy coordinator for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, which has raised concerns about the cost of nuclear power. “Each state is on its own There is no national repository for nuclear waste where this stuff is stored.”

That said, lessons learned from accidents like Three Mile Island nearly half a century ago or, more recently, Fukushima in Japan have made today’s nuclear power plants safer and more reliable than in the past.

“The fact of the matter is they generate enormous amounts of power, and the number of accidents and fatalities is astonishingly small,” Smith said.

munication skills, like making eye contact, listening well, tactfully breaking bad news to patients and understanding how a patient’s past trauma can require extra care.

“How you talk to people improves health care outcomes,” DeBlieux said. “Patients are more likely to take medicine, follow diet and exercise guidelines, and come back for appointments if they like their health care provider.”

LSU Health has partnered with Utah-based artificial intelligence company Videra Health to evaluate the data gathered from the sessions.

“They flag nonverbal behaviors like shaking your head while saying, ‘I’m so glad you came in today,’” DeBlieux said. “People do that every day without realizing it.” Evolving technology

Local health care pros believe simulation is important to make their institutions competitive as they seek research grants and tuition dollars. But the necessary tech is expensive to buy and maintain.

Patient simulators can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars each, and just like a car or a dishwasher, they don’t last forever Virtual reality systems cost thousands or more and also have a limited lifespan.

“You need to flat out replace the computer every three or four years because there’s major processing going on,” Calzada said. “Creating those virtual reality environments is super complex.”

Calzada contributed to a soonto-be-published study from the American Association of Medical Colleges that shows that roughly half of school survey respondents spend at least $1 million annually

Legacy power plants

The bigger challenge for nuclear power at the moment is the cost. Apples to apples, power generated by nuclear facilities is nearly five times as expensive as electricity that comes from natural gas, based on the Lazard Levelized Cost of Energy, an industry formula that analyzes the cost competitiveness of different energy sources.

Over the past four decades, several states have decommissioned their nuclear plants. In places where plants are functioning, like in Louisiana, they are older and need to be upgraded.

Waterford 3, which produces 1,100 megawatts, was built in 1985. Riverbend, which produces 974 megawatts, was completed a year later Entergy also operates the Grand Gulf nuclear plant near Vicksburg, Mississippi, just across the state line, as well as a facility in Arkansas. A megawatt is enough energy to power roughly 200 homes.

In recent filings with the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Entergy has said it wants to upgrade its existing nuclear plants to increase total capacity by as much as 300 megawatts. Those upgrades would likely take place at Waterford 3 and Riverbend, as well as in Arkansas, not Grand Gulf, which underwent a capacity update in 2012.

“While Entergy is not building any new nuclear plants yet, we have a team of professionals evaluating all viable options,” said Mike Bowling, Entergy’s nuclear fleet communications manager “Any new nuclear investment we make will be responsibly planned to ensure customers are protected from a financial risk perspective.

on simulation. In 2011, fewer than 20% spent that much.

Thankfully the machines continue to get cheaper and better as AI and virtual reality change what’s possible.

Delgado Community College’s Dean of Nursing Jennifer Fernandez said the “future of health care training is 100% in using AI technology to create immersive experiences.”

In 2023, Delgado opened the $44 million Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health at the corner of Orleans and City Park avenues in Mid-City. The facility’s simulated hospital on the second floor includes a lab where students wear virtual reality goggles to learn how to start an IV and other procedures.

“It’s kind of like kids playing video games,” Fernandez said. “We create a scenario, like a child having a bipolar episode or an allergic reaction and learners can interact with these virtual patients while others can watch on screen.”

As technology continues to evolve, experts predict it will used to create more team training scenarios, such as colleagues working together in a virtual operating room, one person handing off instruments while another is performing CPR.

“We need learners ready to save lives when they walk out onto the floor,” Fernandez said. “The best way to do that is to put them in these simulated experiences where there is no harm, nobody gets hurt and they feel safe to make errors.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

“We have a separate memorandum of understanding with Meta to explore the future development and use of nuclear power.”

Portable nuclear power?

The current focus on nuclear power is not limited to legacy power plants like Waterford and Riverbend. An emerging technology that has been around for years but never deployed on a large commercial scale involves building portable nuclear reactors that can be used to help generate power for individual industrial users like refineries or AI data centers.

Last year, the Louisiana Legislature approved fast-tracking permitting for these small modular reactors, which have a large base of potential customers along Louisiana’s busy industrial corridor

Many of the state’s refineries and industrial manufacturers already have their own mini power plants “behind the meter,” giving Louisiana more co-generating capacity, as its known, than almost any other state, according to Upton.

“When you talk to industrials, they say if they could install a (small modular reactor) right now in a new facility, they would be interested in doing it,” he said. Smith predicts it will be several years before small modular reactors are used on a wide scale, but he believes it will eventually happen, especially given the current support for it in Washington and states like Louisiana, the technological improvements that are making it easier and cheaper, and market demand.

“We know how to do it, and we know how to do it safely,” he said. “But it’s not something you can do in six months or a year It’s more like five years away.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

DeBlieux

Calzada Fernandez

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

Registered nurse Aimme McCauley, a faculty member at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, uses a computer to control a mannequin being examined by medical students at the LSU Health Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation in New Orleans

LSU medical students Asia Eskaros, left, and Christi Kruger examine a mannequin patient

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

2025 a

Q&A WITH SHELBy

RUSS BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Shelby Russ, president and CEO of New Orleansbased AOS Interior Environments, has spent decad es decking out offices, dorms, hospitals and more with high-end furniture, fixtures, modular walls and other interior elements. In 2025, his company had its best year ever, topping $50 million in revenue for the second time.

The work that AOS does gives Russ an insider’s perspective on which sectors of the economy are most active, and from what he’s seen since the pandemic, he’s optimistic about the direction of the state overall. That perspective informs his work as a director of the New Orleans branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where he reports on local business conditions to help bankers make decisions about interest rates.

A big fan of New Orleans culture, Russ also is part of a team planning to develop a museum called the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity What does AOS do? We are a design-assist subcontractor for furniture, fixtures and equipment, or FF&E. While architects are focused on the design, we have very specific knowledge about the furnishings that go into the space. We also provide manufactured interior construction, which saves time. Interior walls

aren’t just dumb design elements; they’re actually working tools in an office with whiteboards and other features embedded into them How did the business start?

It began with records management systems, showing people more efficient ways to store and retrieve their file folders.

My father had been an executive with the old Remington Rand company and then became a dealer for them. He started the business in Algiers in 1976. This is the era back before computers, so having physical things to hold all your paper was really important.

The big tech then was microfilm: taking records and moving them to one-thirtieth of their size on film. That was my first job — head of the micrographics division. What’s the company’s bread and butter today? It’s mostly furniture. We represent Knoll and Herman Miller, known for iconic midcentury modern designs. We also have products from 250 other manufacturers. We do about 400 projects a year They scale from multimillion-dollar jobs to something as small as a client who needs to order a desk or chair

How does that compare to furniture made for the hospitality indus-

try? Is it more or less rugged?

Hospitality furniture actually is a lower standard because the useful life is not as long. Hotels expect to change their look more frequently than an office would. Big markets for us are higher education and health care, where there are some important structural considerations as well. They select materials for hospitals based on infection control, and in schools, if you’re doing a dormitory or a student union, you need the most hardy, robust furniture ever Through your work, you see who’s investing in offices. Where’s the action these days? At one point, our real

wheelhouse was corporations, but now we are doing more institutional work: schools, hospitals, government. We took a dip during the pandemic, but then it created opportunities for us as well because companies embraced hybrid models.

We’ve done work for The Port of New Orleans, and we just finished the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans. It’s a wonderful rehabilitation of a midcentury modern building. We did a good bit at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and Tulane and we’re getting ready to do projects at Ochsner

I’m also optimistic about the investment Tulane is making downtown and the Louisiana International Terminal in Violet. In my youth, New Orleans was the second-largest port in the world, and it’s not the case anymore because of the way international logistics has changed, but there’s an opportunity for us to move way up the ladder there.

If you look statewide, where are you seeing the most action?

I’m very bullish on Baton Rouge, which has a great entrepreneurial culture. It’s a different economy than New Orleans, which is good. They’re growing in areas that New Orleans is not, and vice versa. The more we go to the world as a package, the better off we’re both going to be.

How did you become a Federal Reserve board member and what is your mission there?

They want to understand what’s going on in the economy at street level because the data has limitations. By the time you get it, it’s months old. In an economy like we have today, which is ever-changing and ever-

nuanced, you have to know what’s going on at the moment. When they talk to members of these regional boards, it helps them understand the data and make more informed policy decisions. Where and when do you meet?

Roughly once a month at the Federal Reserve in downtown New Orleans and occasionally in Atlanta.

Why is the culture of New Orleans so important to you?

What a gift and a treasure the city is. I live downtown because I want to be in the center of it all. We raised our kids on the northshore and the ’burbs. As soon as we became empty nesters, my wife, who’s from New York, said, “Let’s go to the city.” Pound per pound, New Orleans is the best entertainment value in North America. In Los Angeles, what you have to pay to get a decent seat at a concert is quadruple what you pay here. The shows that we get are disproportionate to the size of our own market. We have an NBA team; we have an NFL team. If you look at the size of the city we shouldn’t have either one of those, but we do because our

PROVIDED PHOTO Shelby Russ, president and CEO of AOS Interior Environments, is a big booster of his hometown: ‘The things that are wrong with New Orleans can be fixed,’ he said. ‘The things that are right about the city no one else could recreate.

AROUND THE REGION

Shreveport moves forward with two Amtrak locations

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

The head of the public transit agency that serves ShreveportBossier said the dominoes are still falling on getting Amtrak to run through the area, a process that he acknowledges is neither quick nor easy.

“What I will tell you is that at this point in time the city of Shreveport is confident enough that we are moving forward with an agreement,” said SporTran CEO Dinero Washington.

Washington

Efforts to restore passenger rail service along the Interstate 20 corridor date back at least two decades, but the planned route from Dallas to Meridian, Mississippi, is chugging ahead.

The route would have terminals in Shreveport, Monroe and Ruston in Louisiana and Jackson and Vicksburg in Mississippi. It would be a separate section of Amtrak’s Crescent train, which runs between New Orleans and New York.

The I-20 route takes on new significance now that Facebook parent company Meta has begun construction of its $10 billion data center in Richland Parish near Monroe The proposed route would connect that project to similar ones under development in Mississippi and to a microchip facility near Ruston.

In March, the city signed a contract with Amtrak Platform and Facility Design for the design and engineering of an eventual Amtrak station in Shreveport. Washington said he hopes SporTran City, the transit system’s new downtown facility, will fit the bill as the chosen location for a station

The newly rehabbed former Sun Furniture building sits across from the Shreveport Police Department and is a stone’s throw from the SporTran public transit terminal

The building has offices and conference space and will open a food hall in July, Washington said.

While mum on the tenants he calls them an “exciting development.” Washington said the Texas Avenue location also connects “all our modes of transportation at one corner,” and that other property in the area is being acquired. In addition, the section of Texas

Avenue from Elvis Presley Boulevard to Gary Street to the west of the terminal is being reenvisioned.

“How do we totally redevelop that area? How do we go in and make that walkable, bikeable? Maybe look at different parts, basically concrete-based streets, redoing the sidewalks down the street, facade

improvements,” Washington said.

There are already computer renderings of what a platform off the back SporTran City might look like There is a fallback

But there is a Plan B downtown in case the Texas Avenue space doesn’t pass Amtrak muster It’s Princess Park at Louisiana Street, the former site of the city’s oldest and largest passenger train station Union Station, built in the late 1800s, was the hub of the famous KCS Southern Belle and at one time hosted upward of 30 passenger trains per day. The station burned in 1969, and only the concrete platforms remain The location, though spacious with ample parking, would require the construction of a new train station.

Plenty of work still to do

In the meantime, the team will continue working with the owners of the tracks, CPKC and Union Pacific “We do feel as if both railroads will support us in this effort,” said

Washington.

Getting the Amtrak Mardi Gras service from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, up and running in 2025 was the state’s priority, and Washington admits the popularity of the new service helps north Louisiana’s project. Amtrak reports that 3,264 passengers rode the Mardi Gras route in its first week.

“The successful launch of the Mardi Gras route confirmed a lot of what we’ve been saying for years,” said John Spain, vice chair of the Southern Rail Commission, the 4-decade-old nonprofit that advocates for passenger rail expansion and restoration in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. “It’s an efficient and beautiful route that lends credibility to the others we want to do.”

The success of that route made Amtrak more interested in the Dallas to Meridian line, Washington said.

“There is a lot of work still to be done, a lot of questions still to be answered, but the one thing that we can say is we work with the state, we work with the city, and they’re putting money behind the things that we’ve been talking about,” he said.

Washington said he expects the new line will be added in less than five or 10 years.

“We have a contract with an architect at this point in time, the city of Shreveport has been told the location was OK, and we’re building a station,” he said. “I don’t know a better way to put it to you.”

Stakeholders believe the I-20 line could happen before the one connecting New Orleans to Baton Rouge.

“The infrastructure is in very good condition between Meridian and Dallas,” said John Robert Smith, chair of Transportation for America, a policy consultant for the Southern Rail Commission. “And that route doesn’t have to travel over a swamp like the line between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.” Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.

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STAFF PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Dinero Washington, head of the public transit agency that serves Shreveport-Bossier, said he hopes SporTran City, the transit system’s new downtown facility, will fit the bill as the chosen location for a train station as efforts to restore passenger rail service along the Interstate 20 corridor gains traction.

STAFF PHOTO By LIZ SWAINE

Concrete platforms are the only things that remain of Union Station adjacent to Princess Park in Shreveport. The historic train depot burned down in 1969.

NATION &WORLD

Sports Illustratedgetting back in thegameafter scandal, layoffs

BY STEPHENBATTAGLIO

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

One of the hottest tickets for the events surrounding Super Bowl LX in February wasa party thrown at the Cow Palace in San Francisco by Sports Illustrated, where attendees could hang with Justin Bieber,Kevin Hart and Travis Kelce.

Themagazine’slogoand ateam of models from its latest annual swimsuit issue were present at another pre-game bash at the Michelin three-star restaurant Quince.

Sports Illustrated journalists were getting requests from peers looking to score invites to the gatherings, which symbolized a turnaround at the 72-year-old title. Just two years earlier, many of its writers were told their jobs were being eliminated.

For decades, SI was where every sports journalist aspired to work, hoping to become the next Frank DeFordorGarySmith,whose 32-year career at the magazine is highly revered. Cover images of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan andother superstarsare emblazoned in the memories of fans who eagerly awaited the title to arrive in the mail each week. For athletes andsportsinstitutions, the cover remains acoveted honor Now amonthlymagazine,the flagship business of SportsIllustrated is no longerthe first stop for fans lookingfor game analysis or profiles ofathletes,many of whom have assertedgreater control over their images through social media and podcasts.

as the outerwear retailer Eddie Bauer,BrooksBrothers and Ree bok, and in Januarytook a51% share in thefashion brand Guess.

ABG enlists outside operators to run thebrands. Those opera tors pay an ongoing license fee to ABG, which also takes acut of the revenues.

That was theplan when Authen ticbought Sports Illustrated from Meredith Corp., nowknown as People Inc.

But the famousSports Illustrated namestillresonates with generationsofconsumers andAuthentic has sought ways to capitalize on it, from selling replica covers to opening branded resorthotels in Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee. International editions ofthe magazine havebeen launched in Germany, China and Mexico, with plans to launch in Franceand the U.K.

But Authentic Brands Group, the New York-based companythat purchased Sports Illustrated in 2019 for $110 million, saysthe title is nowthriving after reducing its reliance on advertising and circulation revenue. The privately held firm —which expects $38 billion in global retail sales this year,up from $35 billion in 2025 —does not break out the finances for itsbusinesses but says SI is highly profitable after arocky period. Less than half of SI’srevenue comes from its media business.

“It took us alittle while, and we had acouple of bumps along the way,” Daniel W. Dienst, executive vice chair for Authentic, said in arecent interview from hisNew

Likeother print magazines, SI hasseen asharpfalloffinits circulation,currently at 400,000, down from 3million in 2010. Authentic says SI has 52 millionusers a month on its websiteand 21 million social media followers. ESPN had 229 million digital usersinNovember.

But the famous Sports Illustrated name still resonates with generations of consumers and Authentic has sought ways to capitalize on it, from sellingreplica covers to opening branded resort hotels in Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee. Internationaleditions of the magazine have been launched in Germany,China and Mexico, with plans to launchinFranceand the

Afterthe purchase, Authentic entered a$15-million-a-year li censing agreement with Arena Group (atthe time known as Ma ven) to run SportsIllustrated. A New York-baseddigital media company,Arena operated such well-known titles as Men’sJour nal, Parade and TheStreet. But the partnership unraveledwhen Arena used AI for sponsored content on Sports Illustrat ed’s website, which soundedalarm bells at the esteemed publication.

TheArena Groupacknowledged it hired an outsidefirm to create productreviews that usedfakebylines. The scandal coincided with thetermination of its chief executive, RossLevinsohn, whoonce held aleadership role at the Los Angeles Times

Therelationshipwith Authentic worsened when Arena’smajority owner,Manoj Bhargava, took over as interim chiefexecutive The founderof5-Hour Energy, Bhargava tried to fire Sports Illustrated’s unionized editorial staff and renegotiate alower licensing fee from Authentic. He also used themagazine’seditorial pages and website to promote his energy

Louisiana puts its money whereits manufacturing is

“SiteReadiness” is thesecretsauceofeconomicdevelopment.

Recognizing this,Louisiana has takenanimportant step towardslong-term economicdevelopmentby announcing the first 19 locationsthatwill benefit from “FastSites”investment.Backedbythe $150 million SiteInvestmentand Infrastructure ImprovementFund(createdbyAct 365ofthe 2025 Legislative Session) and led by Louisiana Economic Development, FastSites directs millions of dollars toward preparinghigh-quality manufacturing andother sitestocompetenationally formajor projects andemployers

Fiveofthe selected sites arelocated in GreaterNew Orleans. Theseinclude:

AvondaleGlobalGateway (Maritime,Jefferson Parish) Esperanza (Manufacturing, St.CharlesParish)

Franklinton IndustrialPark (Manufacturing,Washington Parish)

Gulf South Commerce Park (Logistics, St. TammanyParish)

NavalSupport Activity Site (Maritime,Energy/Orleans Parish)

TheFastSites initiativeisdesignedfor long-term impact. Rather than a one-time investment, theprogram operates as revolving capital, withfunds expected to be repaid as sites aresoldorleasedand then reinvested into preparingadditionallocationsfor development. This model helps ensure that Louisiana continuestobuild apipelineofready-to-go sites capable of competing fortransformative projects

March 2024, Arena announced it was shutting downthe print edition of SI. Around the same time, Authentic hired Minute Media, whichruns the digital sites Fansidedand Players’ Tribune, to take over Sports Illustrated. Bhargava didn’tgo quietly; according to legalfilings, he threatenedtodeleteSports Illustrated’s archive of intellectual property.

Authentic sued Arena for breaching the SI licensing agreement, which was settled.Manyof thetitle’slaid-off journalists were rehired.

Minute Media has gotten high

Saints quarterback DrewBrees graces the coverofthe Dec.3,2018, issue of Sports Illustrated

Tourism agency launches

EatLafayette app

Lafayette Travel on Wednesday launchedits EatLafayetteapp, a tooldesigned to helpdinersdiscover locally owned restaurants.

The app, which is free and available on both iOS and Android devices, helps localsand visitors discoverand support restaurants as part of the Eat Lafayette campaign, Lafayette Travel President and CEO Ben Berthelot said.

It includes hundreds of locally ownedeateries, eventand live music listingsand curatedfood trails like the popular Po-boy Trail. Users can explore by cuisine, location or experience,Berthelot said.

“The EatLafayette app is anatural next step in our missiontocelebrateand support Lafayette Parish’slocally owned restaurants, he said. “It’satool thatputsthe heart of our culinary culture right in your hands whetheryou’re craving apo-boy,gumbo or just looking to try something new.”

Wednesday’slaunch included ademonstration and highlighted how the platform connects users to restaurants, local attractions, accommodations and events

Iberia chamber to hold annual banquet April 23

The Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce will honor awardwinners during its annual banquet April 23 at the Cade Community Center

Georges Antoun, chiefcommercial officer with First Solar, will be the guest speaker

The chamber will also recognize those who made significant contributions to Iberia Parish, including:

Civic ServiceAward: Jenny Toups, for her contributions to organizationsincluding IberiaCrime Stoppers, the St. FrancisDiner Board and Bayou Traditions

Small Business ImpactAward: Bambino’s, ownedbyGrant and Krysta Myers.

LargeBusiness Impact Award: The Iberia Parish School District.

The chamber will also present its 2025 Business Impact Awards to businesses demonstrating exceptional growth, innovation and community investment.

ACADIANA INBOX

JD Bank promoted Ryan Vidrine to senior vice president, commercial banker,and Tyler

Marcantel to assistant vice president, officer

manager

Vidrine, who has been withthe bank since 2013, serves theEunice market and the surroundingregion

He is agraduate of T.H. Harris, now part of SoLAcc,and the ABA National Commercial Lending School at Southern Methodist University

Marcantel is office manager of theSale Road BranchinLake Charles and oversees daily branch operations andserves as aconsumer lender in theregion. He joinedthe bank in 2020.

Marshall Pierite was reelected last week to a third term as chair of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.

Other officers include Shelbie LynSampson, secretary-treasurer; BobbyPierite Sr., reelected tothe tribalcouncil; and Harold Pierite Sr., elected as tribal council member

Marshall Pieritehas served in various roles for more than three decades, including secretary-treasurer and vice chair.Hewas namedthe Native American Finance Officers Association’s Tribal Leader of the Year in 2022 and is current president of theNative American Coalition for EconomicProsperity

Fool’sTake:Solid growth, low valuation

Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) is based in Singapore, and it’s often referred toasthe “Amazon of Southeast Asia.” Itsthree business units make it atriple threat inthe digital economy:

Issued April 1-7

Commercial alterations

RESIDENTIAL: 201 C.O. Circle, description, none listed; applicant and contractor, Ark-La-TexGeneral Contractors; $60,000. AIRPORT: 200 Terminal Drive,description, flagpoles for land beautification; applicant and contractor, Trahan Construction; $155,997. OFFICE: 212 Burgess Drive, Broussard; description, office space; applicant, Gleason Ledet Investments; contractor, Gleason Ledet Construction; $1 million.

Newresidential 117 TOLMARK ROAD, DUSON: Andries Builders, $402,250. 217 DELORD ST.: Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, $271,625. 109 TACONY LANE: Level Construction& Development, $326,250. 109 SOHO CIRCLE: Matthew Pregeant, $350,750. 206 EAGLE HEIGHTS DRIVE,DUSON: DR Horton,

Fire and Call of Duty: Mobile.

It served more than 633 million usersduring thefourth quarter of 2025.

BUILDINGPERMITS

$280,000. 207 EAGLEHEIGHTS DRIVE, DUSON: DR Horton, $298,625. 314 WOODRICHLANE: TJV Construction, $512,500. 6005 LANDRYROAD, DUSON: RickyTuckerCustom Homes of Louisiana $629,875. 118 ELMWOOD MEADOWS DRIVE: DSLD,$433,250. 112 BETRILLOCOURT: DSLD,$299,750. 400 FLORESCOURT, UNIT 4: Manuel Builders, $278,875. 110 COOKIE TRAIL, CARENCRO: Taylor Boudreaux, $125,000. 214 FRIENDSHIP ST., LOT 8: RelianceReal Estate Group, $143,750. 212 FRIENDSHIP ST LOT 7: RelianceReal Estate Group, $143,750. 102 LISBURN DRIVE: Level Construction &Development, $346,375. 1310 MARTIN LUTHERKING JR. DRIVE: RelianceReal Estate Group, $150,000. 1314 MARTIN LUTHERKING JR. DRIVE: RelianceReal Estate Group, $150,000. 408 RUE GAMBETTA: Manuel Builders, $292,250.

310 PARKINGTONCOURT: DSLD,$176,125.

308 PARKINGTONCOURT: DSLD,$167,250.

400 FLORESCOURT, UNIT 5: Manuel Builders, $283,375. 107 GARDENMEADOWS DRIVE: DSLD,$312,125. 113 GARDENMEADOWS

DRIVE: DSLD,$299,750.

800 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD,$125,520. 806 SUMMER ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD,$106,740. 101 CRESCENT ROW, BROUSSARD: DSLD, $111,480.

119 CYPRESS RIDGEROAD, BROUSSARD: Andrew JefferyRoesch, $831,000. 128 RIO DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $252,980.

122 RIO DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $247,999.

120 RIO DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $254,240.

to keep in mind as you invest in stocks:

n Shopee is Southeast Asia’sbiggest e-commerce platform, having processed 13.9 billion orders worth$127 billion in 2025.

n Monee is Sea’sdigital financial services platform, lending money to Shopee merchants to help themgrow their businesses and offering “buy now, pay later” loans to consumers. It had 37 million active borrowers at the end of 2025, up 40% year over year,and they held $9.2 billion in loans, which was up by awhopping 80%.

n Finally,Garena is one of the world’stop game development studios. It’sresponsible for global smash hits like Free

Sea generated arecord $22.9 billion in total revenue during 2025, a36.4% year-over-year increase. It sports astrongbalance sheet, ending2025 with $11.1 billion in cash and equivalents on hand against just $510 million in debt

Best of all, its stock is attractively valued, with arecent price-to-sales ratioof2.3, well below its five-year average of 3.7. No company is risk-free, but given Sea’srobust growth and low valuation, it seems asolid opportunity for long-term investors. (TheMotley Fool owns shares of and recommends Sea Limited.)

Fool’sSchool: Be a smartstockinvestor

Here are somebrief guidelines

n Invest only once you’re ready.That is, you’ve learned a lot about stocks, don’thave any high-interest-rate debt and have an emergency fund that can cover all your nonoptional expenses for at least afew months.

n Have reasonable expectations. Though the stock market has averaged annual gains close to 10% over manydecades, any given year could bring aloss. Expect some of your stocks to be losers.

n Invest as much as you can afford, as soon as you can, because your earliest invested dollars have the mosttimeinwhich to grow for you.

n Seek amargin of safety by aiming to buy stocks when they seem undervalued. Overvalued stocks are morelikely to pull back.

n Don’tact on emotions, selling in apanic or buying greedily without regard to long-term value.

n Avoid risky behaviors, such

as buying penny stocks, investing on margin or day-trading. It can also be risky to buy shares in abusiness you don’tunderstand well. It’s smart to research companies to learn exactly how they maketheir money,how financially healthy they are, how much growth potential they have and what their risks and opportunities are.

n Aim to be along-term investor,hanging on to shares of great companies and/or funds for manyyears. Learn to be patient.

n Track your performance. If you’re not beating the market over several years, consider just investing in the market itself, via alow-fee index fund.

n Realize that simply investing in index funds, such as an S&P 500 index fund or awholemarket index fund, is asound strategy forevery investor

n Keeplearning. The moreyou know,the better your portfolio might perform. Consider reading about great investors and great companies; they can teach you alot.

Vidrine

Marcantel

Motley Fool

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Few career paths follow a straight line. Instead, over the years their curves and bends are shaped by early experiences unexpected opportunities and evolving ambitions.

This week, in our occasional One Big Question feature, we asked Louisiana business executives and entrepreneurs from a range of diverse backgrounds, “What job would you have if you weren’t in your current career?”

The alternative lives they imagine, it turns out, share many key elements with their actual jobs. And throughout all their answers, we found a common thread: a desire to build, create and leave behind a legacy — whether that’s through art, business or community.

The following answers have been edited for clarity and length

EDGAR ‘DOOK’ CHASE IV

Owner and president, Chase Hospitality Group; executive chef and operator, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

I have a background in economics, finance and accounting, and I worked in corporate America for Entergy Corp. — for about 71/2 years. I loved it. I love the strategy and the finances behind it. So I would be hopefully at Entergy Corp. in a leadership role.

Now, what I wish I could do is totally different. I don’t have the talent or the know-how but I love musicians, I love music, I love their creativity Any time I see a live band, no matter what it is, whether it’s jazz, rhythm and blues, a little more funky, I just love it. I love how they improvise. I love how they feed off each other, much like a chef in the kitchen.

So, I wish I had some musical talent. That’s where I would be.

DR. REBEKAH GEE

Co-founder and CEO, Nest Health; former Louisiana Department of Health secretary I’m so lucky to have a career

ONE BIG QUESTION

where I get to be a caregiver. But if I wasn’t doing that, I would be an interior designer and have a store that was fashion, home design and interior design.

I’ve always been a creative person, and the roles I’ve had in government and as an entrepreneur are about creating new things that don’t exist. That’s where I have strength, and that’s true with design as well.

A designer takes a look at a space and says, “What’s needed here?

What colors go together? What would make this interesting?” That same kind of creative eye is what makes me a good entrepreneur I love design and the creative process. My personal style and ability to decorate have been my creative outlet when I’ve been in other roles, like in government, where obviously creativity is important but that’s

not your primary focus.

TREY TRAHAN

CEO, Trahan Architects

Founder and

I think a lot about the beauty in Louisiana, how this diversity of plant life emerges when you remove invasive species from a piece of land. In that is embedded the element of chance. It’s the last thing most clients or attorneys or contractors want to think about in a building — we’re spending millions of dollars and we want the end result to be predictable. The element of chance typically is associated with liability or exposure and potentially cost. I would love to think about building living systems as an ecologist — how you could remove more invasive species from our lands

owner, employing a brewmaster and all the other things to make that work, I maybe am already living my alternative job path. It might not make as much financial sense as if I was a contractor instead of a broker but it’s been awesome to watch that business mature.

PETER GARDNER

Founder and owner, Gardner Development

If I stopped doing real estate now, I’d want to do something that makes a difference. One thing I’ve thought about a lot recently is putting together a résumé and applying to run NORD (New Orleans Recreation Department) because I’ve got kids and I love New Orleans. I want to see it get better, and I use public facilities, and they’re just as bad as everybody says they are. I think I could turn an organization like that around and make NORD a respectable thing that people would buy into and use. So that would be a slightly unrealistic thing I’d like to do.

HAILEY MELANCON

Co-owner, Atlas Feed Mills

in Louisiana and how all the unpredictable natural species would emerge and create a much more diverse ecology, which I think is all of our definition of beauty

RYAN PECOT

Commercial broker, Stirling; founder and managing partner, Adopted Dog Brewing

I like creating something from nothing. It makes me happy I like the tangible look back and the result. So if I had to pivot, I’d go into construction — actually swinging the hammers pouring the concrete, managing the process, the pro forma, the costing, the negotiating.

I have to throw an asterisk in there because I’m also in the midst of my midlife crisis: I opened a brewery in Lafayette just over three years ago. Being a brewery

I had the full intention to be a school guidance counselor Then after I graduated I basically was like, “Man, no more school for

PROVIDED PHOTO By REBEKAH GEE

The foyer of the New Orleans home of Nest Health CEO Dr Rebekah Gee, the former secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and an amateur interior designer ‘I’ve always

had

strength, and that’s true with design as well,’ Gee says.

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Life-changing care

BR cancer patient received genetically modified cells, went home two weeks later

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Anne Jordan was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2016. After multiple treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, her doctors recommended she consult Dr Nakhle Saba, director of the CAR-T program at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute in Baton Rouge.

In March, Jordan became the first patient in the region to receive CART cell therapy in an outpatient setting — a milestone for the Lake and for blood cancer patients across Louisiana.

CAR-T cell therapy, or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy is an FDAapproved treatment for certain blood

cancers that re-engineers a patient’s own immune cells to identify and attack cancer.

The process begins by extracting Tcells, or specialized white blood cells, from the patient. In a lab, those cells are genetically modified to identify and attack cancer cells, then multiplied in the millions. The process can take anywhere from three to eight weeks. Jordan waited four weeks.

The day of her infusion was faster than she anticipated.

“It took maybe 15 minutes,” Jordan said. “I thought there would be more fuss.” Historically, CAR-T therapy required extended hospitalization for monitoring. While the infusion itself is critical, the most complex phase of care occurs in the days following treatment, when patients are closely monitored for immunerelated side effects.

“Cellular immunotherapy has significantly advanced how we treat blood cancers,” Saba said. “What this represents for our community is the ability to deliver highly personalized treatment, while keeping patients connected to the people and support systems that matter most.”

New products, improved detection of side effects and patient management have made CAR-T cell therapy safer — and more cost-effective — in an outpatient setting, according to a National Library of Medicine study

Jordan was an ideal candidate for the new program not only because of her diagnosis and previous unsuccessful attempts to get rid of her cancer, but also because she had her sister, a former nurse practitioner, as her caregiver

After 48 hours at the hospital, the Lake

Protecting kids from the ‘mosquito scourge’

BY SCOTT HAMILTON Contributing writer

This is the first in a series from Dr Scott Hamilton, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, offering practical guidance on preventing and treating illnesses and injuries so kids can stay healthy and out of the emergency department.

Soon your kids will be encountering the deadliest wild beast known to man. I’m not talking about bears, or lions or tigers, not sharks or snakes, hippos or crocodiles.

This vicious scourge is the mosquito.

Worldwide, the mosquito kills more humans than any other animal by transmitting diseases with its bite, with most of those deaths occurring in Asia and Africa, where malaria is more common.

With spring rains and warm weather, mosquitoes bloom along with flowers and trees. They lay their eggs in standing water, and two weeks later, their progeny take to the air as mature flyers. They’ll be looking for blood the blood of you and your kids. And with that warm weather, everyone will be outdoors more, ready to become a mosquito’s meal.

The worst part of mosquito bites for kids is itching. When they stick you with their needlelike nose, they inject an anticoagulant so the blood flowing doesn’t clot.

It’s that anticoagulant that causes allergic reactions in many people. Minutes after the mosquito has left with a bellyful of your blood, the itching begins.

When kids itch, they scratch. When they scratch, they can tear their skin. We have bacteria on the surface of our skin and when we tear it, those bacteria can be driven into the wound and start growing and spreading.

Within a few days, skin starts showing signs of that infection: swelling, redness, pain and, later, pus. Sometimes those infections get bad enough that children need to be admitted into the hospital for IV antibiotics. Occasionally they need surgery to drain deep abscesses These are the bad cases we see in the emergency department.

If your child starts itching from mosquito bites, wash the bite sites and cover them with antibiotic ointment and bandages. Keep their fingernails trimmed and clean.

If kids can’t sleep at night due to the itch, or are just going nuts with it, anti-allergy medications

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PROVIDED PHOTOS

Anne Jordan, center, stands with Dr. Nakhle Saba, left, director of the CAR-T program at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute in Baton Rouge, and Susan Foret, vice president of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health and Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute. Jordan went home from cancer treatment after two weeks of receiving genetically modified cells with Dr Saba

Anne Jordan, right, became the first patient in the region to receive CAR-T cell therapy in an outpatient setting

The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health and Our Lady of the Lake CAR-T cell therapy team stands with Anne Jordan, center, at the Cancer Institute in Baton Rouge.

HEALTH MAKER

Family’s bipolar experience led to improved research

Large donation to mental health research is getting even bigger

BY JAMES POLLARD Associated Press

NEW YORK Jon Stanley considers himself fortunate among bipolar disorder patients. He eventually responded to the right drug cocktail after self-described “fullbrained mania” almost 40 years ago left him naked in a New York City deli, convinced electricity coursed through the floor

Others face a longer road to medication. Severe mental health care like his was “more art than science,” the retired lawyer remembered being told back then. Doctors would rotate through medicines to “see if anything stuck.” The experience inspired his late parents, Ted and Vada Stanley, to donate hundreds of millions of dollars toward research into treatments for bipolar and schizophrenia during their lifetimes.

Now, their philanthropic legacy continues with a renewed gift for a biomedical collaborative working to understand such diseases and identify therapies. The Stanley Family Foundation announced another $280 million for the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute earlier this month, bringing its total contributions to the Massachusettsbased nonprofit over $1 billion.

The dedication reflects both their belief in its unique teambased approach and Jon’s fidelity to his billionaire retailer father’s desired application of the wealth he amassed selling collectibles.

“He said he wanted his ‘Manhattan Project,’” Jon recalled. “And so, the only question was: who was gonna be Oppenheimer?”

The Broad Institute launched in 2004 to tackle disease research with the combined forces of faculty from MIT, Harvard and other scientists. It has attracted prominent philanthropists, including founding donors Eli and Edythe Broad as well as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy The Stanleys’ giving has gone almost exclusively to the Broad Institute — a staggering commitment to one recipient. This latest unanticipated gift funds another seven years of its work to determine how these illnesses develop. By using rapid advancements in DNA sequencing, the goal is to accelerate new interventions, according to the Broad Institute’s Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research co-director Ben Neale.

“We’ve made major discoveries of genes that dramatically increase the risk of developing these illnesses,” Neale said “We know we only have a small fraction of what is out there to be discovered.”

Personal connection

Jon grew up along the Connecticut coast as father’s consumer products company, MBI, grew more successful. The money, he said, “kept getting bigger.” But Jon’s father informed him early on he’d give most of the fortune away

A focused philanthropic outlet came when his son developed bipolar disorder at 19. Jon first

CARE

Continued from page 1X

team set Jordan and her sister up with a housing program and regular appointments scheduled to monitor her progress. During her stay near the hospital, Jordan had a high-grade fever that brought her to the emergency room. She remained in close contact with Saba throughout her recovery — even texting him updates on a nightly basis.

“A large part of our outpatient care is also about making sure our emergency department is prepared when CAR-T patients come in for help,” Saba said

By CHARLES KRUPA

Benjamin Neale, co-director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, stands near laboratory space at the Broad Institute.

experienced mania at a London educational program while attending Williams College. He harbored dreams of making millions by setting up student housing for Americans studying abroad. But he quickly spent all his money, flipping from mania to depression.

The mania worsened when he returned to his liberal arts school campus in Massachusetts.

He freaked out his girlfriend on a New York City visit with comments about secret agents following him. After three days wandering Manhattan without any money he wound up in a deli where his body hurt from imagined electric shocks he felt jumping onto him.

“So, I did the logical thing: I took my clothes off. And that’s how the cops found me,” Jon said.

He stayed six weeks at a psychiatric hospital in 1987, occasionally spending time in the “rubber room.” Lithium, which he’d already been prescribed, didn’t work alone. The addition of an anticonvulsant called Tegretol did the trick.

Neither drug was developed to treat bipolar disorder Nor did doctors have the genetic understandings of the disease they do now — such as its common risk factors with schizophrenia, an insight driven by the Broad Institute.

Jon’s parents wanted to change that.

Parents’ giving goals

Still, Jon said, his dad didn’t “just start writing checks everywhere.”

His parents first founded the Stanley Medical Research Institute. As Ted aged, however, Jon said he decided to give nearly everything to the Broad Institute.

Ted had become frustrated with academic research models where professors string together grants, working separately on similar causes that fall within a funder’s interests. He wanted to put all his eggs in one basket

“We give all the money to Broad and they’re all looking at the one problem,” he said. “It’s much more like a wartime economy.”

His father devoted $825 million altogether But the stock market, where he’d invested his philanthropic funds, performed better than expected. There was additional money to commit.

Jon, one of three Stanley Family Foundation trustees, held no reservations about Broad receiving even more. He considers it his obligation to do “what my dad would want if he was here.”

“He didn’t think he needed all that he made,” Jon said “But he was very interested in making more so he could give it away So who am I to overrule what he thought?”

Delivering CAR-T therapy in an outpatient setting has been a long-time goal for the cancer team at the Lake.

Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute first introduced CAR-T therapy in May 2025 through participation in a clinical research trial, building the foundation necessary to expand into outpatient delivery.

“Having this treatment available in Baton Rouge made everything easier for me and my family,” Jordan said. “I was able to receive highly specialized care while staying close to home and surrounded by support.

Saba played a principal role in bringing this level of care to blood cancer patients in the Baton Rouge

A scientist works in the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research laboratory space.

The role of medical philanthropy

Funding to understand and treat mental illness might appear robust However, experts caution that the combined support from the government, private industry and philanthropy pales in comparison to the burden caused by diseases such as bipolar disorder.

The federal government provided more than $2 billion annually for mental health between 2019 and 2024. But studies show schizophrenia alone costs the U.S. more than $300 billion a year — partially due to fragmented care systems that don’t treat people proactively enough, according to Sylvie Raver, a senior director at the Milken Institute’s Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration.

Raver said there’s been a decline in support for serious mental illness at the National Institutes of Health. The existing funding, according to Raver, can

region. Susan Foret, vice president of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health and Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, says the new offering of CAR-T cell therapy reinforces the organization’s efforts to deliver highly specialized oncology care across Louisiana

Just two weeks after receiving regenerated cells to destroy the blood cancer in her body Jordan was headed home with her sister.

“I need to get back,” Jordan said, “to my life, my church group, my friends.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

be siloed and isn’t necessarily targeted toward the needs of impacted families like the Stanleys.

“When you marry capacity, like what the family has, and understanding and personal resonance with the topic, like they have as well, philanthropy is really primed to do exciting things,” said Raver who leads brain disease and mental health portfolios.

Pharmaceutical companies, another research funder, are bound by obligations to turn profits for shareholders and bring products to market. Neale, the Broad Institute member, said private industry’s difficulty in developing drugs chilled their enthusiasm in this area.

These are, he acknowledged, “some of the most difficult problems in all of medicine.”

“We don’t even understand where the fundamental pathology is, the thing that’s giving rise to the illness,” he said.

Neale hopes nonprofit research-

HAMILTON

Continued from page 1X

like cetirizine or loratidine can help. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen also ease itching, like they ease pain.

ers catalyze the rest of the field. His goal this next decade is to jumpstart clinical trials for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder interventions. Anything less and he said, “we will have failed.” His team will also be recruiting enough people with bipolar who carry genetic variants to study whether their mutations mean anything.

The more they show what’s possible, Neale said, the more players they’ll draw to their effort.

Jon, a founding board member of the nonprofit Treatment Advocacy Center, has been around long enough that he tries not to get too excited about any breakthrough. His family’s confidence in the Broad Institute stems not from its successes but from its processes.

“It’s not just shaking a test tube and seeing if it turns blue or red,” Jon said. “They’ll notice things and analyze the data in a way that, even if it doesn’t work, they’ll learn something.”

Apply moisturizing creams as well, as softer skin is harder to tear The best treatment is prevention. Mow grass weekly to minimize water trapping in your lawn. Empty or drain standing water from flowerpots, puddles and old

tires. Install fountains in ponds and birdbaths: mosquitoes won’t lay eggs in moving water Spray your kids with DEET-containing repellent when they go out. Spring is here and the beasts will soon be loose and after your blood.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

A portrait of Ted and Vada Stanley hangs in the lobby of the Broad Institute on March 17, which houses the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research in Cambridge, Mass.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

Eat Fit LiveFit

Festival-ready Louisiana flavor: ShrimpQuinoa Jambalaya

FestivalseasonisinfullswingacrossLouisiana,and thatmeansonething:jambalaya.Butwhilethis beloveddishisrichinflavor,itcanalsobeheavyon carbsandcalories.EnterJimUrdialesofMestizo,who offersalighter,nutrient-packedalternativewithhisShrimp QuinoaJambalaya.Byswappingsomeofthequinoafor zucchiniandsquash,Urdialeskeepsallthesavory,smoky flavorsofjambalayawhiletrimmingdownthecarbs, makingitperfectforafestivespringmealthatwon’t weighyoudown.

Thisdishbalanceshealthandindulgencewithout sacrificingtaste.Shrimpaddsleanprotein,whilequinoa providesfiberandessentialnutrients.Withatouchof smokychipotlesauceandacolorfulmixofvegetables,it’s avibrant,festival-readytwistonaLouisianaclassic—easy enoughtomakeathome,yetfulloftheflavorsthatmake jambalayaacelebrationoneveryplate.

ShrimpQuinoaJambalaya Makes8servings

2tablespoonslightoliveoil

½cupchipotlesauce(suchasTabascoChipotlePepper Sauce),divided

1cupcubedzucchini

1cupcubedsquash

1cupcannedblackbeans,drainedandrinsed 3cupsquinoa,cooked Dashofseasalt

16jumboshrimp,peeled,withtail-on(or—Makeitvegan! Sub1cupofcubedtofufora100%plant-basedjambalaya)

Inaskilletovermedium-highheat,heatoliveoil,six tablespoonsofchipotlesauce,zucchini,andsquash,and cookuntilsoft.Mixinblackbeans,quinoaandsalt.

Sautéforthreeminutes.Sautéshrimp(ortofu) separatelywiththeremainingchipotlesauce.Placeon topofquinoaandservewarm.

PERSERVING:170calories,5gramsfat,0.5gramsaturatedfat,490mgsodium,23 gramscarbohydrate(19gramsnetcarbs),4gramsfiber,1gramsugar(0addedsugar), 11gramsprotein.GF

Findtheserecipesandmorein“TheEatFitCookbook,”availableforpurchaseatlocal retailersoronlineatEatFitCookbook.com.BesuretousepromocodeADVOCATEat checkoutfor10%off

withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit

Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

In 2024, over 18 million U.S. households reported being food insecure at some time during the year At times during the year,food-insecure households were unable to provide enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or resources, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Between 2022 and 2024, an average 17.7% of Louisianans were food insecure, defined as adults whoreported thatthe food that theybought always, usuallyor sometimes did not last —and they didn’thave money to getmore.

The state is one of six with food insecurity rates higher than the national average, which sits at 13.3%.

Food insecurity is associated with chronic and acute health problems and healthcare needs in children,according to theCenters for Disease Controland Prevention. Additionally, food-insecure adults are at ahigherrisk of developing several chronic conditions, including coronary heartdisease, diabetes, obesityand cancer

Food insecurityis calculated by theCDC usingthe behavioral riskfactor surveillance system, ahealthrelated telephone survey

These parishes had thehighest percentage of adultsreporting food insecurity, in descending order: n East Carroll Parish with 46.8%; n Madison Parish with

BY THENUMBERS

42.6%; n Claiborne Parish with 40%; n Tensas Parish with 38.3%; n Morehouse Parish with 35.4%; n Bienville Parish with 35.1%; n Concordia Parish with 33.7%; n St. Helena Parish with 33.4%; n Red River Parish with 33.2%; n Webster Parish with 31.5%; n St. LandryParishwith 31.2%; n Avoyelles Parish with 30.9% n and Franklin Parish with 30.8%

These parishes had the lowest percentages of food insecurity in the state, in ascending order:

n St.Tammany Parish with 15.9%; n Cameron Parish with 16.2%;

n St. Charles Parish with 17.2%; n Ascension Parish with 17.3%; n Livingston Parish with 18.7%; n Bossier and Lafayette

parishes with 19.4%

PhotobyEmilyEickhoff

Tulane studylinks heartriskand hipfractures

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Postmenopausalwomen face a high riskofbonefractures. Due to declines in estrogenlevels, which can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, evena low-impactfallcan result in a seriouship, back or wrist injury.Anestimated 1in3women over 50 will experienceafracture due to bone lossintheir lifetime.

Anew study from Tulane University found that heart health may affectfracture riskafter menopause, with womenata higher risk of cardiovascular disease more likely to experience hip and other major bone fractures.

The association between cardiovascular disease risk and fractures was alsostronger in women under 65, compared with women 65 andolder Ochsner expands Eat Fitprogram

Ochsner Health is expanding Ochsner Eat Fit options systemwide to make nutritious food easier to find and more affordable across its facilities. Building on the long-standing Eat Fit initiative, the healthsystem is increasing the visibility andavailabilityofEat Fitmenu items while offering qualifying options at up to 50% off standard retail pricing.

The initiative spans dining and retail spaces throughout Ochsner facilities, from cafés and micromarkets to beverage and food vending machines, ensuringthat patients, employees, visitors and guests caneasily identify and choose Eat Fit options.

Spend Behavioral Health Day with La. association Rally at the Baton RougeCapitol at A.Z. Gus Young Park,North Third Street, from 9a.m. to noon on April 27 with Louisiana Mental Health Association and the Foundation for Suicide Prevention-La. Chapter.Wear white for behavioralhealth. Lunch and avendor event to follow the rally Register for the event at the LouisianaMentalHealthAssociation’swebsite.

Anew studyfrom Tulane University found that hearthealth

disease more likely to experience hip and other major bone fractures.

AARP

NewOrleans hosts free

linedancing class

AARP NewOrleans is hostinga “Keep it movin’ and groovin’”series of one-hour dance classes starting at 10 a.m. April 18, May 16, June 20 and July 18 at theGernonBrown Recreation Center,1001Harrison Ave.

The classteaches steps to hiphop, country/western, R&B, zydeco, New Orleans’favorites and “oldie’s but goodies,” accordingtoarelease fromAARP Membership is notrequired to attend the event. Register at aarp.org.

N.O.hosts national summit for lung cancer

The thirdannualAfrican Ameri-

PlayingTetriscan

Tribune News Service

LONDON Playing Tetris could help reduce distressing memories of trauma, astudy has found.

Health workers who played the classic computer game as part of their treatment experienced fewer flashbacks, researcherssaid.

Experts are now hoping to test the method, which they describe as “accessible, scalable andadaptable,” on alarger group of people

The trial, carried out by researchers in the UK and Sweden, included 99 NHS staff exposedto trauma at work —such as witnessing deaths —during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some 40 patients weregiven the treatment, which involved playing Tetris, known as imagerycompeting task intervention (ICTI)

The group were asked to play a slow version of the classic game while briefly recalling atraumatic

memory

They were thenaskedtouse their mind’seye to imagine theTetris grid and visualize the blocks.

TheICTI methodisthought to weaken thevividness of theintrusive memories by occupying the brain’svisuospatial areas, which help it to analyze and understand physical space

Emily Holmes, aprofessor of psychology at Uppsala University wholed thestudy,said: “Evena single, fleeting intrusive memory of past trauma can exert apowerfulimpact in daily life by hijacking attention and leaving people at the mercy of unwanted and intrusive emotions

“By weakening the intrusive aspect of these sensory memories viathis brief visual intervention, people experience fewer trauma imagesflashing back.”

The remaining patients either listened to music by Mozart to help al-

can Lung Cancer Patient &Care-

giver SummitinNew Orleans is set for April 23-25 at theMarriott Warehouse Arts District. The weekend-longevent will focuson “survivorship, emerging treatments, clinical trials, environmentaland clean-air justice, public policy,AIincare, mental wellness, financialnavigation, caregiver support and patient advocacy.” Theevent is freefor lungcancerpatientsand caregivers and includes meals,hotel accommodations and travel and learning materials.

Health Notesisan occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Havesomething you’dlike to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com

leviate stress, along with podcasts about the composer,orreceived standard treatment.

The study,published in The LancetPsychiatry,found that those whoreceived theICTItreatment had 10 times fewer flashbacks comparedtoother groupswithin four weeks After six months, some 70% reported having no intrusive memoriesatall.

The treatment alsohelped tackle symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Holmes added: “Weare delighted to have made arealbreakthrough by showing this intervention works.

“It is far more than just playing Tetris, and while it is simple to use, it’s been acomplicated process to refine and develop.

“The interventionfocuses on our mental imagery,not words, and is designedtobeasgentle, briefand practical as possible to fit into peo-

ple’sbusy lives.

“Wehope to expand our research so it canbeput into practice by determiningits effectivenessfor abroader range of people and scenarios.”

CharlotteSummers, director of theVictor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart &LungResearchInstitute in the U.K. and professor of intensive care medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: “Every day healthcare workers acrossthe world are recurrently exposed, to traumatic events in thecourse of their work, impacting the mental andphysical well-being of those who care foruswhen we are unwell.

“Ata time when globalhealth care systemsremain under intense pressure, the discovery of a scalable digitalinterventionthat promotes the well-being of health professionals experiencing workrelated traumatic events is an ex-

citing step forward.”

The team is now exploring ways to test ICTI on larger and more diverse groups, as well as looking at options for anon-guided version of the game.

Tayla McCloud, research lead for digitalmentalhealth at Wellcome, which funded the study,said: “These results areimpressive for such asimple-to-use intervention.

“If we can getsimilarly strong results in bigger trials, this could have an enormous impact.

“It’srare to see something so accessible, scalable and adaptable acrosscontexts. It doesn’trequire patients to put theirtrauma into words andeventranscends language barriers.

“This study is akey example of whyWellcome is investing in a wide range of mental health interventions, so that in the future everyone will have access to treatments that work for them.”

PHOTO PROVIDED By TULANE UNIVERSITy

mayaffect fracture risk after menopause, with women at ahigher risk of cardiovascular

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Ochsner is starting anew healthyfood incentiveprogram that discounts EatFit diningoptions by 50%. Pictured above is lunchtime at Ochsner Baptist recently in NewOrleans.

Your wishes,your voice: Ochsner doctors encourage familiestoplanahead forNational Healthcare Decisions Day

Dr.SusanNelson,medicaldirectorofpalliativecareforOchsnerHealthNetwork,encouragesalladultstocreateanadvancehealthcaredirective.

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisstory is broughttoyou by

OchsnerHealth.

Every year on April 16,National Healthcare DecisionsDay serves as a reminderthatmedical emergencies rarely arrivewith warning. When theyoccur the decisions surrounding treatmentoften must be made within minutes.For healthcare providers, includingthoseinOchsner emergency departments,the dayhighlights a simple yetpowerful message: Conversations about medical wishes should happen long beforeacrisis unfolds

While manypeople assume advance care planning is only necessary forolder adults or thosefacingserious illnesses, healthcareproviderssay thatbelief is amisconception.

“Everybody needs to have their wishes knownatleast by the time theyreach middle age. No one knows whatyou want to do betterthan you,” said Foster Kordisch, MD, emergency medicinemedicaldirectorand presidentof medical staff at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center

would want resuscitation or prefer to allow natural death in certaincircumstances. It canbenotarized or signed by twowitnesses who arenot relatedtothe individual addressedinthe will.

Amedical powerofattorneydesignates someone to make healthcaredecisions if apatientisunabletocommunicate theirwishes.

“The person youdesignate as your healthcare powerofattorneycan change throughout your life,”Maiocchisaid. “I encouragepeople to choosesomebody who is reallygoingtolistentotheir goals. They have to be able to honor whatyou decide, even if it is not whattheywould choosefor themselves.We’re neverreally readytolosealovedone,but oneofthe most beautiful and selfless thingswecan do for them is honor their wishes.”

FosterKordisch,MD Emergencymedicinemedical directorandpresidentofmedical staffatOchsnerLafayette GeneralMedicalCenter

“The main thing to remember is that thesedecisions will be extremely individualized,”Dr. Kordisch continued. “There aredefinitely some decisions everyone should think about.Doyou want to be on aventilatorlong-term?Doyou want to be an organdonor? Having thatinformation canbesobeneficial foreveryone if acatastrophe happens.”

Madison Maiocchi, FNP-C,a hospiceand palliativecareprovider at Ochsner MedicalCenter-BatonRouge, said advance care planning often begins with reflecting on personal priorities andwhatqualityoflifemeans to eachperson.

“I ask people, ‘Whatismost importanttoyou as an illnessprogresses or asudden illnessoccurs? Do you want to maintain your abilitytolive independently?Would youbecomfortable living in aresidential care home or having people takecare of you?’” Maiocchi said. “Those questions and conversations are agood waytothink about what your goals are.”

The third document, LaPOST, provides more detailed medical guidance and must be completed with a healthcareprovider. It outlines severalpreferences,including CPR, mechanicalventilation, artificial nutrition and more LaPOSTisdocumented on a standardized form thattravels with the patient, allowingmedical teams to quickly understand apatient’swishes if an emergency occurs. At Ochsner Health, the form is also enteredintoanelectronic registry thatallows physicians and advanced practice providersacrossthe system to quickly access a patient’s wishes, with efforts underwayto expand similar accessstatewide.

Maiocchiencourages patients to revisitthesedocuments at least once ayear, or whenevertheir health or lifecircumstances change.

“People experience lifechanges,orreceiveanew diagnosis,orsee health improvements.Those situations canprompt them to reevaluate whattheywantto do.That’scompletely fair and something thathappensoften,” she said.

MadisonMaiocchi,FNP-C

Maiocchi said advance care planning in Louisiana centers on three primary documents: aliving will, amedical powerofattorneyand portable medicalorders, known as LaPOST.

Aliving will outlines aperson’sgeneral wishes forcare, including whether they

Emergency physicians at Ochsner hospitals saythe absence of thesedirectives can lead to toughconversations when it’s time fordecisions to be made. Dr.Kordischsaidthe protocol is forphysicians to focusonproviding appropriate,patient-centered, life-sustaining care.Theyalsorely on apatient’sfamilyto help determinewhatthe personmay want To help guide thoseconversations,physicians often ask relativestoreflectonthe patient’svalues

“If thereisnodocumentation,you always

try to frame thediscussion as whatthe patient wouldwant,”Dr. Kordisch said. “You have to givethem an honest outlook of how youthink thingswillgo. It is really hard becausenobodywants to be thepersonwho tells the doctor not to try to save someone’s life. It seems to help people emotionally when we approachitfromthe standpointof honoring the person’swishes in thebest way theyknowhow.”

J. Michael Cuba,MD, system chair of emergency medicine and chair at Ochsner Medical Center –New Orleans,said thatinthe absence of advance care documents, physicians must balancetheir own instincts to provide treatmentwith the severityofthe patient’sinjury or illnessand feedback theyget from family members. Dr.Cuba said thatoften means emergency physicians at Ochsner hospitals takea “thoughtful pause” when trying to decide the best next steps “Myjob is to do lifesavingprocedures butI realize that’snot always aligned witha patient’swishes.I have to ask families what the patienthas told them, or what they think the personwould want to happen next.Unfortunately,the pressureisoften on families becausethose conversations have not taken place,”Dr. Cuba said. “That’swhy Ireally encouragepeople to talk to their families and have the LaPOSTdocumentavailable when apatienthas alifelimiting illness wheneverpossible.It’snot just aboutyou andyour ownbody.It’salsoabout preparing your lovedones so theydon’thavetodeal with additional stress.”

“Justbecauseyou decide something on paper doesnot meanyou can’tchangethose wishes verbally.You canabsolutelysay you want something different. Thesedocuments do notbackyou into acorner,” shesaid. “Thingshappen allthe time and happen very quickly. If youdesiresomething different, youcan vocalizethosenew wishes to your healthcare team.”

By openly discussing personal wishes andcompleting theappropriate documents,people can ensuretheir healthcarereflects theirvalues while easing the emotional burden on family.National HealthcareDecisions Dayis a meaningful reminder thatthese conversations areone of themost thoughtfuland empoweringsteps people cantakefor themselves and thosewho care about them the most

TheFiveWishesof AdvanceCarePlanning

ThepersonIwanttomakecare decisionsforme Thisallowsyoutonamesomeone youtrusttomakemedicaldecisions foryouifyouareunabletodoso (healthcarepowerofattorney).

Thekindofmedicaltreatment Iwantordon’twant Here,youcanexpressyourpreferencesforspecifictypesofmedical careyouwantwhenyouareunable tocommunicateandnotexpectedto getbetter(livingwill).

We’reneverreallyreadyto losealovedone,butone ofthemostbeautifuland selflessthingswecandofor themishonortheirwishes.

MadisonMaiocchi,FNP-C Hospiceandpalliativecare OchsnerMedicalCenter-BatonRouge

Maiocchi emphasized that thoseconversationscan begin with simple questions thatestablish abroad framework forwhat kind of care apersonwouldliketoreceive. It’soften easier to talk about thesedelicate topics when people aremedically stable and not facing an immediate decision. She added thatpeople canchange their minds in the moment if an emergency does occur and theyhavethe abilitytocommunicate

HowcomfortableIwanttobe Thispartfocusesonyourcomfort andpainmanagement.Itallowsyou tospecifyhowyouwanttobecared forifyou’reinpain,orhowyouwant youremotionalandphysicalcomfort tobeprioritized.

HowIwantpeopletotreatme Thissectionaddressesyourpersonal andemotionalneeds,suchashow youwanttobetreatedbythose aroundyou:yourfamily,friends andcaregivers.

WhatIwantmylovedones toknow

Thefinalwishallowsyoutoshare yourthoughts,feelingsandfinal hopesforyourfamilyandlovedones, tohelpthemunderstandyourendof-lifedecisions

OchsnerHealthistheleadingnonprofithealthcareproviderinLouisiana,MississippiandacrosstheGulfSouth, deliveringexpertcareatits47hospitalsandmorethan370healthandurgentcarecenters.Tolearnmoreabout howOchsnerempowerspeopletogetwellandstaywell,visitochsner.org

Festival food: Howtomake healthychoices

MusicandfoodaresynonymouswithLouisiana festivals.Musiccanbegreatforthesoul.Thedecadent festivalfood,however,canbedetrimentaltoone’sdiet. So,thequestionishowcanweeatwellwhilestill enjoyingwhat’sonfestivalmenus?

Herearesometips:

Hydrate.Drinkingwatercanreduceappetite bytakingupspaceinthestomach.Bringyour ownwaterbottle,sipandrefillthroughout theday.

Pickplants.Whenitcomestowhattoeat think:“HowcanIeatmoreplants?’’From saladstobeanstofreshfruit,wherecanyou incorporatemoreoftheseintoyourdiet?

Packsnacks Stockupontherightsnacks tokeepyouenergizedandsatisfied.Afew nonperishableideasincludenuts,trailmixand proteinbars.

Planinadvance.Manyfestivalsnowshare theirmenusonline,socheckoutthefood vendorsinadvancetoseewho’soffering grilledproteinsandveggies.

Sharethesplurge.Findafriend(orafew)to sharethemoreindulgentitemsyoujustcan’t resist.Usually,afewbitesareallyouneedto satisfythatcraving!

Lookforthe EatFitseal. TheEatFitseal highlightsmenuitems thatmeetOchsnerEat Fitnutritionalcriteria. Whilenotallfestivals haveEatFitoptions,somedo!

healthy festing

Springisuponus.Thatmeansit’stimetogearup forLouisiana’sfamousfestivalseason.So,let’sget readytofestinawaythatguaranteesnothinggets thewayofagoodtime.

Howtopack

Agoodbag.Makesureyouhavethesmallestpossiblebagfortheitemsthatyouneed.Chooseabag that’slightweightbutsupportiveforyourback.

Anemptywatercontainer.Somefestivalsdonotallowoutsidewater,buttheremaybeaplace tofillbottlesonceyougetinsidetokeepyourselfhydratedandsavealittlemoney.Donotbring glasscontainers.

Appropriateformsofpayment Somefestivalsarecashless;somearen’t.Besuretocheckthefestival websiteaheadoftimetofindoutwhichformofpaymentyouneed.

Sunscreen.Applybeforeyouleaveyourhouseandbringmoreforreapplications.Lookforsunscreenwith anSPFof30orhigher.

Sunglasses.It’simportanttoprotectyoureyesfromthesun’sultravioletrays.

Hat.Protectyourheadandfacefromsunburn.

Scarf.Youcanwrapitaroundyourshouldersifyougetchillyorsoakitinwaterandtieitaroundyour necktocooldownifit’shotout.

Tissuesorbabywipes. Usethemforanythingfromcleaningupafteramealtowipingofffestivaldust. Earplugs.Protectyourears;festivalamplificationsystemscanbedeafening.

Plasticbags.Ifaspringshowercomesalong,aplasticbagwillprotectyourphone,walletandanything elseyoudon’twanttogetwet

Medication Makesureyouhaveanyprescriptionmedsyoumayneedaswellasheadachemedication andsomethingforanupsetstomach,justincasethefestivalfooddoesn’tagreewithyou

Portablephonecharger Justincaseyourphonedies

Menstrualproducts.Packmenstrualproductsifyouthinkthere’seventheslightestchanceyou’llneed them.Andifyoudon’t,afellowfestivalgoermight.

Adhesivebandages.Comepreparedforblisters.

Bladder tipsfor festival season

Urinaryurgencyandfestivalsdonotgowelltogether.That“gottago”feelingcanbepowerfulandhasbeen thebaneofmanyfestgoerswhofindthemselveswaitinginlonglinesforaporta-potty.

Stayhydrated.Itmayseemcounterintuitive,butdecreasingyourwaterintakecanmakeurgencyworse.And lessfluidintakeproducesconcentratedurinethatcanirritatethebladder.Ontheflipside,drinkingalotat oncecandramaticallyincreasethevolumeofurineyourbodyproduces,makingurgencyworse.Drinkwater insmallsipssteadilythroughoutthedaytogiveyourbodytimetoadjustandkeepyouwellhydrated. Limitbladderirritants.Alcohol,coffee,caffeine,carbonatedbeverages,tomatoproductsandcitruscan irritatethebladder.

Maintainbladderhealth.Ifurinaryurgencyissomethingyoustrugglewithoften,makesureyou’regiving yourselfenoughtimeonthetoilettofullyemptyyourbladder.Andavoid“justincase”peeing.Usingthe restroom“justincase”beforegettinginthecarorstartingamovieisahabitthatcaninterruptthedelicate feedbacksystembetweenyourbrain,bladderandpelvicfloor.Just-in-caseurinationcanmakethebladder moresensitive,soit’sbesttowaituntilyouhavetogo.

BRIDGING THEGAP

Gen-Zer is in charge of theNew Orleans Museum of Art’s senior program

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Kimbrielle Boult didn’tthink she was moving back to New Orleansafter college. After graduating with adegreeinart history and visual culture from Bard College in upstate New York, Boult lived in New York City for afew monthswith thegoalof working in agallery or amuseum.

But Boult missedthe specificrhythm of New Orleans. Shewas not really “a New York girl,” she realized. Since moving back to New Orleans in 2023, she has started paying more attention to what makes her so drawn to her hometown

Her job is abig help, shesays Now 23 years old, Boult organizes classes for older adults at theNew Orleans Museum of Art as part of the Art Thrives program, which she calls the museum’s “55+ club.” The program, which was established in 2022, has art workshops that last around eight weeks for adultsover55, featuring visiting artistsand culminating in afinal showcase of the participants’art.The classes typically have around 16 to 18 students.

In connection withthe program, Boult also organizes amonthly conversation in the fall, called the Elders Sacred Talk, with members of different New Orleanscommunities, including Mardi Gras Indians and older artists.

In her role, Boult says she learns about New Orleans history and traditions from the participants.

“I learned alot from attending the Elders Sacred Talk series and from talking to the teaching artists,” she said. Boult said some people havehistorically notgone to NOMAbecause they didn’tfeel like it was for them—she hopes to help change that.

“Being ayoung Black person from New Orleans, Ithink thatmyface is afamiliar face. Ithink it’safriendly face,” she said.

Having worked at thefront desk at the museum and as agallery attendant, she says she realized there were ways the museum could specifically be more welcomingtoolder people, something she hopes to help accomplish throughthe ArtThrives program.

Tappingintothe creative vein

The most recentArt Thrives workshop that Boult helped organize focused on clay and wiresculpturesand wasdoneinconnection withanexhibit of the work of Hayward Oubre, an American modernist sculptorwho was thefirst student to graduate

with aBachelor of FineArtsdegree from Dillard University

“I was like, ‘OK, clay andwire are twomaterials that he used in his exhibition. What [is] theimportance of these materials?’” Boult said. “Here in Louisiana, here in New Orleans, there’sclay in the soil.”

For oneofthe workshop participants, HarveyOrth, 76,the clay providedanopportunity to connect to Louisiana in another way: he made ceramic coins with impressions of Mardi Gras doubloons.

When Orthwas 10 years old,his fatherhad given his grandparents amoney tree made out of wire and silver dollars for Christmas. Inspired by that childhoodmemory andby the work of Oubre, in the workshop Orth decided to make a“moneytree” with copper wire roots and ceramic coins hanging from the branches.

“I was afraid my ambitions could not be met by my skills,” recalled Orth, who is also amuseum donor and docent.

Buthesaidthe teachers in the class made sure that didn’thappen. It “tapped alittle bit of acreative vein that maybe Ididn’tfully appreciate untilthe class,” he recalled.

DianneHonoré, wholed abeadingworkshop for the ArtThrivesprogram in 2025, said“alot of them come in, thinking, ‘I’m not an artist,’ and they makethe most beautifulart.”

“It’sawonderful experience in thatthey share alot of similarities in age-related experiences, life experience,” Honoré said.

She said Boult helped ensureeverything went smoothly in each class.

Bridget Bergeron, 63, aretired educatorwho lives outsideofLafayette andhas participatedinArt Thrives programs, said she appreciated that themuseum has prioritized peopleinher age group. Boult,she added, is “way younger than allofour participants,” but is “very open to allowing us to have avoice.” Boultwas involved in the arts from a young age, marching in bands from around 10 years oldand laterparticipating in the

My brother Robin has asuperpower he never asked for. He almost never blinks. Parkinson’sdisease does that. It steals the small, involuntary things first —the natural rhythm of eyelids, the easy swing of arms while walking, the face’sinstinct to movewhen the heart does. Robin wasdiagnosed about 15 years ago. He spent morethan 30 years as aSouthern Baptist preacher before deciding to stop late last year

Though Parkinson’shas affected his cadence, about ayear before he stopped preaching, he appeared on apodcast called Hayden Alabama—it’sfocused on the outdoors, Christianity and Southern storytelling. They hit the trifecta with my brother As is the custom with Baptist preachers, the hosts call him Brother Robin. He showed up the way he always has —direct and funny with exquisite timing as astoryteller One of the first stories he told “The Plowed Dirt” —has been watched millions of times. I’ve watched it at least adozen times myself,and there are still acouple of places in it that make me laugh every single time. Considering the distance between my brother’sperspective and my own, that’ssaying something. The podcast invited him back. And back again. Many stories later,mybrother has an audience. Those viewers, before anyone explained that Robin was ill, noticed something. The comments flooded in: “Blink, Brother,blink.” So manyofthem,soconsistently, that it has becomehis de facto name.

He is now widely knownas Brother Blink. He gets invited to speak at events and outdoor shows. People seek him out. They’ve even madewell-designed T-shirts.

My brother —who once refuted evolution with the declarative sentence, “Ifyou put adog in a basket and leave it there, it’sstill adog” —now has merchandise.

Ain’tlifegrand?

By his own description, Robin is agun-toting, Bible-carrying, camouflage-wearing, Walmartshopping Southern Baptist preacher.The only time he lived outside Mississippi wasinthe mid-1990s when he attended the NewOrleans Baptist Theological Seminary Meanwhile, he has described me as follows: “My sister married aMexican, and they have a Chinese daughter.Plus, she left Mississippi and has lived all over the world and country.” Through the years, our holidays around the table have been interesting. Growing up, Robin and Iwere four years apart and largely living in different worlds, even under the sameroof. Looking back, Iremember afew moments when we weren’t. There were others, harder to name, but the mostvivid was centered around aDan Fogelberg song. Iloved Dan Fogelberg with my whole heart. Robin called him DanEat-a-booger.Nonetheless, when Iwas 14 and Robin was 10, one spring day,our parents were gone forthe afternoon. Ihad just gotten my stereo and Fogelberg’s“HomeFree” album. There was one song on that album that sounded morecountry than the rest. It’s called, fittingly enough, “Long WayHome —Live in the Country.” It wasthe only

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Harvey Orth adjustshis artpiece titled, ‘Impression of the Past,’onthe last dayofthe 8-week ArtThrives programrecently at NOMAin NewOrleans.

Naomi Kornman poses withanecklace she made.

Kimbrielle Boult poses on the last dayofArt Thrives.

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASKTHE EXPERTS

Retiredjournalistlet rootsdrive search forculture,beauty

Acadiana heritage continuestoinspire now filmmaker

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

James Edmunds, born in New Iberia, has been an English teacher photographer,writer,editor,photo editor,radio announcer and more.

He has written for Newsweek,Louisiana Life, The Dallas Times-Herald, Figaro, Gris-Gris and others.In 1980, he and apartner founded The Times of Acadiana, where Edmunds served as the editor for the first five years and associate publisher for three years.

Since 1977, he has been involved in arange of performing arts and theatrical production projects. From 1998 through 2010, he served variously as boardmember,treasurer,general manager and consulting manager for the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana.

Today,Edmunds focuses on photography and creating short films, which have been exhibited invarious film festivals around theUnited States. Some of his films include “I know what you remember” and “The Taste of Summer.” His current project is ashort film abouthis relative Walter Chapman, aconcert pianist who was one of the first people to make sound recordings, aimed for completion in 2027.

This interview was edited for length and clarity

In our text exchangebefore this interview, youtold me that you weren’tsure ifyou were creating manysolutions. Throughworking on this section, I’ve found thatit’sthe “normal” people who have the most interesting stories. From your time as areporter and editor,how have you seen ordinary people make adifference in Acadiana?

In Acadiana, just like any place when someone has areal strong devotion to something they think is important and valuabletoothers, those people are afabulousassetto acommunity Most of us,we’re just getting

ART

Continued from page1y

through the day.You’ve got to feed yourself,have aroof over your head and soon. We’re legitimately preoccupied with doing allthose things, but our lives are brightenedtremendously by people who are giving us things thattake us to another levelofenjoyment and engagement in life.

I’ma real arts guy, andI’ve worked in the arts community alot. The people who do that, their energy is justtremendous.

Jackie Lyle andIhave worked together alot. We’re co-conspirators on anynumber of projects over the decades, and she has afierce energy to thisdevotion to theideathatall people should have access to awide range of the arts

Acadiana —and Louisiana —isaplacethat brims with culture.Whyisitimportant to bring outside culture to Acadiana?

It’snew energy.Anybody who’s adancer benefits by seeing great dancers. Anybodywho is amusician benefitsfromhearing great musicians.

Oneofthe more unusualaspects here isthat you can hear greatmusicians and see great dancers among your local folks. We have an unusually high local stockofthat.

When we were hiring someone to workat The Times of Acadiana, we were interviewing this guy from Ohio. We took himout to Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge.Alocal band was there, andhesaid, “Thisisyour local music?”

Isaid, “Yeah, we have indigenous music that’s really richand vibrant. What about in Ohio?”

He said, “Well, Bruce Springsteen’s fromOhio.”

We have astrong cultural art scene. Because of that,you grow up knowingthat you can go out for dinner andthenhear aband playing music. It’snot just something from thejukebox.It’smusicthat’sabout something.

If yougrow up engaged in the arts, yougrow up knowing thatyou’ve been exposedtoart that’sabout something, and it comes from somewhere, and it’sgoing somewhere.

Youmentioned Jackie Lyle, who works with the Performing Arts Serving Acadiana. Do you

Teen Art Council at NOMA. She continues to identify as an artist herself —she is awriter and dancer —and has ablog where she writes about Black queer art. She grew up in New Orleans Eastand graduated from Frederick Douglass High School, where she participated in the Bard High School Early College program, whichgrants an associate degree upon completion of high school. Twoyears later,she finished herundergraduate degree in Art History and Visual Culture at Bard in New York at the age of 19 Boult said she was someone who always liked to hang out with older people and learn historyfrom them. Sheisa triplet,and she and her siblings grew up knowing both grandmothers and some great-grandmothers. “Talk to your grandma. Talk to your grandad. Talk to your people, and get them involved, even if it’snot in themuseum,” Boult said. “Just talk to them andsoak up as much as you can from our elders.”

Those interested in registering for aworkshop at the New Orleans MuseumofArt can visit noma.org/learn/art-thrives for more information or call (504) 658-4100. There is a fee of $65 for the Art Thrives workshop, which covers the classes and afinal showcase.

RISHER

Continued from page1y

Q&A WITH JAMES EDMUNDS

RETIRED JOURNALIST

James Edmunds, borninNew Iberia, has been an English teacher,photographer,writer,editor,

more.

still work with the group?

No,I’m seriouslytrying to be quiet in my later years. But Jackie and Iworked —she’sgot more energy than Iever had. Ioccasionally chat with her about things, because we’ve worked as cross sounding boards for each other I’msort of like an old emeritus guy,like the person in the movies who’sliving alone in the mountains now but used to be aspy

What does being quiet entail for you? Ilike to take pictures, so I’ve been doing alot of photography.Atthis latter stage of life, Idoshow filmsat film festivals. My area of interest is composition. Ilikethe way you can frame up atableau and show it and so on and so forth. The films Imake, I’ve actually gotten afew cinematography awards for the films —even though they’re not about, necessarily, highly cinematic topics. I’m very careful about composition of the scene. Film and photographyrequires one to be able to spot beauty.How do you find beauty in aplacethat you’ve been in forsolong? That’s what beauty is.You con-

Fogelbergsong that Robin liked too.

So,wedid what you do when you are young and thehouse is yours for afew hours—weopened thefront windows and turned the speakers outward towardthe front yard full of loblolly pines and blared the song as loud as it would go.

Andthen,wewent outside and sang and danced —loud, wild, joyful, ridiculous dancing. Together

Thesong is about longing for open land and sky, for alife unplanned, for children laughing just because they’re living.

Robin,even at 10, already knew that was exactly the life he wanted. Iwas 14 andknew Iwas headed somewhere else entirely

We danced anyway

What strikesmenow,watching him in hisBrother Blinkera, is how light he seems. For decades, Robin carried the full weight of fire and brimstone —the calling, the congregation, the responsibilityof standing before people week after week.

Something has lifted.

Thepeople who follow him online don’t know or careabout any of the things that made us different.They just like him

tinue to see the beauty unfolding. Over the years, in terms of beauty and seeing it andphotographing it and then trying to see it whenfilming, I’vestarted uplifting asmaller and smaller frame of reference. Maybe that’s justa part of getting older.When you’re young, you want to show it all. Youwant to show the dramatic scene. Abig partofphotography, especially photojournalism, is showingitpretty. Let’ssay I’m at Cajun Country MardiGras, andIneedtoshow the guyonthe horse catching the beer can with a piece of boudininhis other hand.

Afteryou’ve captured that scene, it will continuetoinspire many other photographers. Instead of running out of things, you’re free to find new things andfree to be even more idiosyncraticabout whatitis you look for Youmentioned the musicinLouisiana being meaningful and appreciated.That tends to create this strong sense of place —something thatAcadiana has.Do you think astrong sense of placechanges how peopletreat one another in acommunity? Ithink that’sabsolutely true. Another thingthathappens is youre-

ally appreciate whatyou have here when you see it differently.It’san extremely beautiful place if you like mosquitoes.

We’re going next week to Arizona. It’salmost this radically different placetobe. You’resortofprogrammed to think there are rewards in seeing things, so you go to acompletely differentenvironment. The opposite of thatistrue, too. It can make yousad to see characterless environments —from the physical beauty to the food. Youhavethe expectation that these things are enriching, engaging andrewarding. We have alot of friends from the Midwest, and they justmarvel at your averageplace to go eat lunch down here.

All of therichness here elevates ourexpectations, anditelevates what we demand. That’s why Ithink so many people who are in the arts —who movefrom south Louisiana and go to places like NewYorkand L.A.—the reason theydosowell is becausetheir level of expectation abouthow good something should be starts at abaselevel of really high.

They find him funny.Hegetsrecognized at restaurants. People want to take their pictures withhim and call out, “Blink, brother,blink!” My brother has turned an involuntary symptom of ahard disease into an identity that brings joy,connection and purpose.

Ithink about those

ed in

I’mglad we

he’sstill making people

I’mglad the world found him,too.

Former newspaper editor James Edmunds nowfocuses much of histime on photography. Shown is apicture he took at Palmetto Island State Park.

PHOTOSPROVIDEDByJAMES EDMUNDS

photo editor,radio announcer and

speakers turned outward to the front yard and two kids head-

opposite directions, dancing among the loblollies to the samesong anyway

had that afternoon. I’mglad

laugh.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Robin Risher stands behind Hayden Alabama Podcast co-hosts Shane Thomas and Phillip Bremmerman in their studio.

BR dancegroup presidentleads with amission to serve

BY MORGAN KING

Contributing writer

A14-year commitment stemming from asimple interest in two-step dancing is now acommunity service for Lesetta Crawford, president of Flo-Motion Baton Rouge, adance organization rooted in fellowship and philanthropy Crawford, 57, took abeginner two-step class from aformer member.When she later visited a class at the Martin LutherKing Jr Community Center,she immediately felt she had found the right place “I said, you know,I think this is where Ineed to be,” Crawford said.

Crawford was soon invited to serve as apractice coach andlater as vice president. About seven years ago, she was asked to lead the organization as president.

“Everything started moving so fast,” she said. “But when I stepped in, Irealized that this organization was about giving back.”

Flo-Motion now has about 60 members who meet every Tuesday at the MLK Center for four levels of dance classes, but the group’s impact extends beyond the dance

floor

Each year,membersdonate schooluniforms, supplies and essentials to families at local schools, provide hundreds of canned goods forThanksgiving mealsand support breast cancer patients through donations and an annual awareness dance.

For Christmas, the group traditionally donates bicycles, but last year Crawfordexpanded theeffort into afull toy drive. Members began bringing toys and bikes in early November.They collected five bikes for the toy drive.

Flo-Motion also steps in to help families with rent, utilities and other needs all funded through members’ $25 monthly dues. The organization does not accept outside donations.

“When you manage the money the right way,you candothese things,” Crawford said. Crawford credits thegroup’s longevity to its senseoffamily. Many members havebeen with Flo-Motion for more than adecade, including 87-year-oldtreasurer

MarvaCook, whoisagrounding force.

“This lady is really like amother to me,” Crawford said. “I got more out of it than just being alead instructor.Ihavea family.”

Theorganization also maintains close ties withthe MLK Center andthe Pearl George Senior Center,helping fund seniortrips and other community needs.

“We’vebeenconsistent for14 years,” Crawford said. “Even in themidstofCOVID, we were still fortunate to help.”

Despite the group’sextensive outreach, Crawfordsaidshe has neversought recognition because the simple act of word of mouth is enough

“I feel like whatever Ido, someonewill speak for me one day,” Crawford said. “Sometimes people don’tknow there are people out there willingtohelp.”

This story was reported and written by astudent withthe supportof the nonprofit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eightuniversities funded bythe Henry Luce and John D. and CatherineT.MacArthur foundations.

With thousands of Shellmen and womenacross thestate,we areworking everyday to reduce emissions, while increasing efficiencyinour operations

Our tomorrowdepends on whatwedotoday.Together, we arepowering progress forabrighterfuture. Louisiana is where we live and we’reproud to call it home.

PHOTOSPROVIDED By

Flo-Motion collects canned foodsand StoveTop stuffing for its Thanksgiving ‘Feed the Families’ drive.

Marva Cook dances at Flo-Motion’sCongoSquare event with GeorgeHawkins.

FAITH & VALUES

Mourning seeing change in a digital age

BY JON PARKS Contributing writer

With the rise of social media and the worldwide disruption of the pandemic, the last decade has seen a dramatic change in the ways people mourn their losses.

Fortunately, not all the effects are negative. While some feel they can’t properly mourn without a public service, others are relieved that they won’t have to rush to plan (and pay for) an elaborate, multiday funeral event.

It’s also possible these rituals are not disappearing but evolving. Family visitations are being replaced by small gatherings and private messages. Community repasts are given up in favor of more intimate family meals. Polished obituaries are giving way to informal, heartfelt tributes on social media.

This might feel foreign to 20thcentury generations, who sometimes criticize social media as a hollow substitute for face-to-face interaction But younger generations view platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as valid — even essential — ways to communicate and express themselves.

“I think social media can be a re-

ally helpful tool for people to express their sense of loss and find connection,” says Charlotte Tryforos, a social worker and adjunct teacher at LSU.

Baton Rouge therapist Sarah Tipton says that grief comes unexpectedly

“You never know when grief will hit you,” she said, recalling the story of a client whose father died during the COVID pandemic.

The father lived in California, and her client couldn’t travel to see him or attend a funeral. Tipton said her client was unable to start grieving because she didn’t fully experience closure. The client finally began coming to terms with her loss when a box arrived a few weeks later with some of her father’s belongings.

“Of all the things in that box, it was the glasses that got her. She broke down and cried over those glasses because she knew if she was holding them, he was really gone,” she said. “Most of us like to be in control, and we want to control this. But we can’t control or ignore grief. It won’t just go away.”

It’s common to use the words “mourning” and “grief” interchangeably, but they are not the same. Grief is what we feel when we experience loss, while mourning is the way we express it. People mourn in different ways, depending on their culture, religion or where they live.

“Those practices can change over time,” said Eric Fulcher, a therapist based in New Orleans. “But grief itself has not changed much Every one of us will experience it.”

Barry Weinstein, Rabbi Emeritus at the Unified Jewish Synagogue in Baton Rouge, notes that the pandemic brought several changes to mourning rituals. He describes traditional Jewish rituals of mourning, like covering mirrors and lighting a memorial candle periodically to commemorate the death.

But fewer families observe those rituals today “And what’s more, I’m hearing

from a lot of people who ask their family not to hold any kind of funeral for them when they die,” Weinstein said.

Public rituals can bring structure and closure to loss. People may skip them out of a desire to shortcut or simplify their mourning, but in doing so, they may actually delay the very healing that they seek.

Tryforos has observed how her students — even her own children are learning how to grieve in a social media world.

She points out how one of her children’s favorite YouTubers recently shared a personal loss through her videos The digital creator talked about her feelings so openly and honestly in an effort to “normalize” grief for her followers.

Social media can have other benefits for those mourning a loss.

“I’ve seen people share such beautiful tributes online when a friend loses a loved one. Most of them would never get up to speak at a funeral, but online they can really be a supportive voice,” Tryforos said.

Mourning online can also offer the opportunity to reconnect with distant friends and provide a safe

space to journal and share the grieving process. Some choose to leave their lost loved one’s account active, using it as a place to post memories and reflections on meaningful anniversaries. In these cases, a visit to someone’s Facebook wall may be like going to visit their grave at the cemetery Practices like these could be gradually taking the place of the in-person rituals we’re leaving behind — or at least offering a meaningful alternative.

“Every person has their own grief journey We each process these difficult feelings in a different way and at a different pace,” Tipton said. “The important thing to remember is that no matter where our ‘people’ are — online or face-to-face — we don’t have to walk that journey alone.” Mental health professionals point out that grief is not one single emotion, but rather a complex set of feelings. Sadness is expected, but some people are surprised to experience anger, anxiety and even relief.

Jon Parks is a pastor, writer and musician residing in Baton Rouge. Reach out to him at jon@ jonparks.net.

Philly parents helped guarantee student bathroom breaks

BY CARLY SITRIN

Editor’s note: This story created by Carly Sitrin for Chalkbeat Philadelphia is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world

On an unseasonably hot March day outside of Bluford Elementary School, Philadelphia mom Cat LaTorre hustled from car to car handing out flyers.

The bold purple lettering spelled out the school district’s new wellness policy guaranteeing kids daily recess, regular bathroom breaks, and more. But to LaTorre, they represented something on top of that: victory

“These are the things we won for you, mama,” she said to a parent and her daughter driving off at dismissal time. “We’re trying to do bigger and better things for you.”

LaTorre is one of dozens of parent volunteers with the grassroots advocacy group Lift Every Voice Philly They’d spent the better part of two years confronting district officials and city leaders with stories of students wearing diapers to school because of insufficient bathroom breaks. They sent letters and testified in meetings about entire classrooms of students being punished for a single kid’s bad behavior They showed up to Philadelphia City Council meetings demanding joy for their children, and said they didn’t think that was too much to ask.

Lift Every Voice’s work shows how hard it can be for parents in the city to affect change, but also how it can be done. It took a lot of advocacy false dawns and more than one tearful school board meeting to do what at one point felt impossible to the group. These parents, most of whom had little formal history or background in activism, ultimately had a major influence on policy in the big bureaucratic system that is the Philly school district.

And other parents are starting to take notice. The district’s proposal to close 18 schools has spurred hundreds of Philly families who’ve never considered themselves education activists to look for an advocacy playbook that gets results.

Following a Board of Education vote last month, it’s now official district policy that all students will get daily recess, regular movement breaks to stretch as well as access to water and bathrooms that can’t be restricted as punishment. In addition, teachers can no longer collectively punish groups of students for the actions of a few, and students can’t be forced to have “silent lunches” where speaking is prohibited.

“We navigated something that is so significant, that is life-changing for our kids and for our families,”

LaTi Spence, a member of Lift Every Voice, told Chalkbeat.

Councilmember praises Lift Every Voice’s ‘community power’

Just days after the school board’s vote, in a blur of metallic purple pom-poms, members of Lift Every Voice celebrated the landmark policy change at the district’s headquarters. Superintendent Tony Watlington and other local dignitaries stood arm-in-arm with the LEV parents.

“‘Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will,’ ” Watlington said, quoting the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. “I wish we had done this much sooner But I’m pleased that we’re doing it today.”

Of course, “power” over Philly public schools resides with district leaders like Watlington and the school board.

The board’s Feb. 27 vote to adopt the policy was perfunctory and took place without debate. But for months before that, it appeared and then disappeared from school board meeting agendas.

The Lift Every Voice parents discovered there was always another survey to fill out, another person they should meet with, or another time for public comment.

The process was exhausting and at times, demoralizing, they said. But it wasn’t unfamiliar

The wellness policy was not Lift Every Voice’s first demand from those in power in Philly schools.

The group began in 2022 as a grassroots gathering of Black parents who said they felt ignored and shut out of important conversations about public education in the city Lift Every Voice’s 2023 campaign to expose the school nurse staffing shortage forced a public reckoning and gave the advocates their first taste of success. Since then, moms and grandmas in their signature purple shirts have canvassed neighborhoods, visited with members of the City Council, and roamed City Hall.

“They testify, they build power,” Councilmember Kendra Brooks said at the celebration of the board’s wellness policy vote.

“That’s what community power looks like.”

And their success comes as community organizing around public education is seeing a resurgence in the wake of the district’s closure proposals.

At several community engagement meetings and rallies across the city protesting the closures, many parents and public school advocates have accused the bureaucracy of Philadelphia schools of creating a wall between families and the district.

But it’s not insurmountable, parents said.

“We don’t win all the battles. But this one’s really significant,” Spence said “I think it’s giving people and parents hope to know that, especially with the news around the school closures, that there’s a piece of joy that we did get and we can hold on to.”

Changing policy in Philly public schools isn’t easy Lift Every Voice Executive Director Shanée Garner said changing how the district works can be

messy because “our systems are not built to respond to people.” She said the school district has been historically underfunded and has cycled through different leaders, board members, and various amounts of state oversight.

The core of LEV’s work has been about fostering relationships, Garner said “If we want to build a future where everyone is looking out for each other,” she said, it requires elected officials, school leaders, and parents to take the time to get to know each other

Julie Krug, another parent in LEV, said she thinks the group was able to move hearts and minds by choosing policy priorities drawn from stories rooted in their personal experiences with their kids and their schools. “What I’ve learned is how powerful that really is,” she said. “It’s irrefutable.” Building sustained parent power also requires educating families about the levers of control and the city’s political hierarchies, and how to navigate them.

At meetings, volunteers run through scenarios about issues like bullying, vaping, and advocating for resources for students with disabilities. They discuss how to find the right person to reach out to whether that’s a teacher, counselor, assistant superintendent, or administrator They practice writing an email or note that will best convey their concerns.

The goal is to demystify the system and arm parents with the knowledge and skills to advocate for what their children are owed.

Carrera Wilson, another founding Lift Every Voice member and mother of five, said prior to joining the group, she was an activist in her heart and in her mind, “but actually making moves, making changes, connecting with people that actually can do things? That have some pull? No.” she said.

Wilson said LEV helped her build her confidence, learn how to organize, speak in public, and grow her skills as a community leader

“We had to fight. It took a lot to get here,” Wilson said. “I just was a parent that cared and didn’t like what was going on in my kids’ school. And now I can actually go home and tell my kids, look on the news, Mommy did this. We won this.”

In many ways, LEV’s work is just beginning. The group is now working with the district to help develop a plan to ensure the wellness policy is followed, and that schools have the resources they need to follow it.

The parents’ goal is “bigger numbers, more power, more success,” said Wilson. They want parents to start expecting better of their schools and holding their district accountable.

Wilson said there was a time where she and the other parents felt like “we can’t do anything, we can’t bust through that wall.” But Wilson said that to be standing outside Bluford with a list of guarantees they fought for made what she and others in Lift Every Voice did all worth it.

Fulcher

Tipton Weinstein

PROVIDED PHOTOS By SOLMAIRA VALERIO

Members of Lift Every Voice say their advocacy work’s goal is to create better school environments and more joy for Philly students.

Cat LaTorre, a member of Lift Every Voice Philly, shares a flyer about the district’s new wellness policy with a parent at Bluford Elementary School.

SUNDAY, April 12, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

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

todAY's Word — HePAtitis: hep-uh-

TY-tis: Inflammation of the liver.

Average mark 31 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 52 or more words in HEPATITIS?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By darryL gonzaLez

On the road

Thanks for today’s deal goes to the great English player Andrew Robson, who tells us that the deal is from a casual rubber bridge game in Tangiers, Morocco. Had West led a low heart there would be no story to tell. West, however, made the inspired lead of the ace of hearts, so he was still able to control the defense. East’s discard meant that South had started with five hearts to go with his known six or seven clubs. There was not much West could do if South held the 10 of spades or the king of diamonds, but he took his best shot when he shifted to a spade at trick two. South won in dummy and cashed two more high spades, shedding two hearts and a club from hand. East’s discard on the third spade meant that West had started with 12 major-suit cards

super Quiz

SUBJECT: 2025 DEATHS Provide the name of

South’s plan was to endplay West with the two of spades and force West to give South entry to his hand If West’s one minorsuit card was a diamond, South had to take dummy’s ace before the endplay South could not cash a fourth spade just yet, as that might give West a chance to discard his last spade on the ace of diamonds, thus avoiding the endplay South cashed the ace of diamonds right away Should West discard a spade, South could lead the two of spades without cashing another high one. South could now handle a potential spade discard by West and still make his contract. A very interesting deal!

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

ARIES (March 21-April 19) You hold the power of choice. Don’t pay for others’ mistakes; choose to use intelligence, not cash, to win your battles, and you’ll far exceed your expectations.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Refrain from sharing personal or financial information. Someone will monopolize your time and take advantage of you if you let them. Look through every lens and listen intensely

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Be first to stand up for what’s right. Truth is paramount if you want to maintain your position and reputation Walk

away from gossip and those who tempt you to indulge in excessive behavior CANCER (June 21-July 22) Stop before things get out of hand or run amok. Use your intelligence to navigate your way through conversations that can influence how others perceive you. Speak from the heart. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You can’t please everyone, but you can offer validity and tell the truth. Let your voice lead the way, and your passion shine through. Gather knowledge and experience. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A change will be uplifting. Take time to clear

your mind and assess what’s happening around you. Join forces with like-minded people, and someone you connect with will bring out the best in you.

tunity is apparent, and time is on your side.

track and a plan in place. Refuse to let your emotions and desires take precedence when it comes to spending and saving. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Don’t share too much information or give others a reason to question you. Collect your thoughts, rearrange your plans and follow the protocol necessary to forge ahead. wuzzLes

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) What’s familiar is in your best interest. Keep life simple and affordable, and surround yourself with those who support your interests. Gauge what’s doable and what isn’t.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Emotions and impulse will clash if you aren’t careful. Choose your words carefully and let your wisdom and experience lead the way Oppor-

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A change of heart will point you in a different direction. Look inward, assess and confront your health, wealth and contractual ties. Stick to what feels right and works best for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep your plans simple and affordable. Conversations will carry weight but also give rise to temptation, uncertainty and stress. Make comfort and peace of mind your goal.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 19) Choose peace. Get your financials on

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

goren Bridge

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil. —Bishop Reginald Heber

1. RobertRedford.2.Gene Hackman. 3. George Foreman. 4. Richard Chamberlain. 5. Hulk Hogan. 6. Ozzy Osbourne. 7. Jimmy Swaggart 8. LoniAnderson. 9. Connie Francis. 10. Loretta Swit.11. Roberta Flack. 12.BrianWilson 13. Wink Martindale. 14.Jay North.15. Val Kilmer Crossword

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly FoXtrot/ by BillAmend