The Acadiana Advocate 04-19-2026

YEARLY BELOVED

40 yearsofthe FestivalInternational de Louisianehas helped Lafayetteemergeasacenterfor global arts

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Downtown Lafayette has seen many changes over thepast 40 years. In 1987, the area wasinthe throes of the mid-1980s oil downturn shuttered businesses, fewpublic attractions and aneighborhood that emptied out at night. City leaders like Cathy Webre,thenhead of the

Downtown Development Authority andDowntown Lafayette Unlimited, were already seeking to revitalize JeffersonStreet with events like Downtown Alive!, which started in 1983. But therewas asense that the community coulddoalot moretoutilizeits native cultural assets, like music, food, art and the French language. Beginning in 1985, the seeds were planted to host afree international festival that would connect Lafayette’s Francophone culture with the rest of theworld.FestivalInternational de Louisiane’sfirst president, Herman Mhire, gotthe ball rolling through an exhibitofSenegalese arthewas showing at theUniversityArt Museum,using his connections in the international artworld to begin planning the event. The

choice as La.coast

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

AU.S. Supreme Courtdecision has struck aseriousblow to Louisiana’slongstanding effortsto hold oil companies responsible for coastal damage, leaving state officials with astark choice of wheth-

Statepublicschools lost 60,000 students in adecade, andenrollmentisstill falling

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

EMPTY DESKS THE CRISIS OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN LA.’S TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS First in an occasional series

Aprieonna Herbert trudgedhome from her school busone recent sunny afternoon,then collapsed into bed. The seventh grader is still adjusting to waking up in the dark to catch the bus at 5:50 a.m. each morning, which rumblesdown herquietstreet of bungalows and double-wide trailers in Belle Rose.She liveslessthana mile from Belle Rose Middle School, yetthe bustakes her10miles away to Assumption Parish High School in neighboring Napoleonville. Like nearlyevery other Louisiana school district, Assumption Parish hadtoo many schools for its dwindling student population. So last year,the School Board made aonce-unthinkable decision: It shut down allthree of the district’smiddle schools, relocating theirstudents to the high school campus.

“A lot of people were upset,” said Aprieonna’s mother,April Anderson, who yearsago attended Belle Rose Middle School. “That school has been there foravery long time.”

Ruling changespathfor lawsuits againstoil companies

ultimately prevail.

er topress ahead with the fight or seek to settle now TheSupreme Court’s unanimous ruling on Friday was anarrow decisiononatechnical issue, butits ramifications are potentially vast.Dozens of similar lawsuits from Louisiana parishes are pending, and state officials had hoped to use proceeds fromthose casesto cleanupand restore por-

Landry Murrill

tions of the rapidly eroding coast.

Gov.Jeff Landry hasmadenosecret of his willingnesstosettle with the oil companies on fair terms, but the decision may have strippedthe state of aportion of itsleverage.

At thesame time, Louisiana still hascards to play,and Attorney General LizMurrill expressed confidence the state would

The result of Friday’sruling in ChevronUSA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish is that the $745 million verdict in a2025 state-court trial may be thrown outand the case retried in federal court. It also sets off what could be years of new jurisdictional fighting over wherethe other cases belong.

It was aclear win for the oil andgas companies, whichhave spent more thanadecade fighting to move the lawsuits out of Louisiana state courts, where juries

are drawn from the coastal communitiessuing them.Itgives the industry leverage to argue all of the cases belong in federal court.

Landry,who recently announced asettlement with ConocoPhillips, adefendant in 13 of the 42 coastal lawsuits filedbyLouisianaparishes, said Friday he hopes for “a resolution” in the remaining cases. “Federalcourt moves faster than state court —those oiland gas companies that want to litigate it,

STAFFPHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Seventh grader Aprieonna Herbertmakes her way home after getting off the school bus in Belle Rose on Tuesday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

ABOVE: Peopleattend theFestival International de Louisiane in 1998. TOP: Attendees fill the dance floor as Donna and the Buffalo, of Newyork,kickoff Festival International de Louisiane on April 23, 2025 at the Scene Fais Do Do in downtownLafayette. STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRADBOWIE

Trump signs surveillance program extension bill

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Saturday signed abill extending acontroversial surveillanceprogram until April 30,ashort-termrenewal that sets up another showdown in Congress.

The bill was approved by theSenateonFriday in alastminute scramble to preventthe authority from expiring within amatter of days. Trump andRepublican leaders have pushed for its renewal,calling it amatterofnational security.Critics are concerned about its impact on civil liberties.

At the center of the debate is Section702 of the ForeignIntelligenceSurveillance Act,which permits the CIA, National Security Agency,FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without awarrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involvingAmericans whointeract with foreigntargets.

Extendingthe program has become arecurring fight. Trump and GOP leaders have been pushingfor aclean 18-month renewal, whilethe House Republicans on Thursday came out with afive-yearextensionwith revisionstoappease skeptics. After both of those bills collapsed, leaders pivoted to the stopgap measure.

Critics want changesincluding arequirement for warrants beforeauthorities canaccess theemails, phone calls or text messages of Americans.

3sentenced in bear-suit luxurycar scam in Calif

LOS ANGELES Three people in California havebeen sentenced for insurancefraud in abizarre scam that involvedsomeone dressed in abear costume damaging luxury cars.

The California Insurance Department said the three used aperson in abear suit to stage fake attacks inside aRollsRoyce and two Mercedes in 2024, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking nearly $142,000 in payouts from insurance companies. The department calledit “Operation Bear Claw.” TwoLos Angeles-area men and awoman pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to aweekend jailprogram, followed by probation, the department said in a news release Thursday.Two of them were ordered to payover $50,000 in restitution.

Afourth person faces acourt hearing in September

The group is accused of providing several videos from the San Bernardino Mountains of a bear moving inside the vehicles to the insurance companies as part of their damage claims, thedepartmentsaid. Photos provided by the insurance department show what appeared to be scratches on the seatsand doors.

ACalifornia Departmentof Fish and Wildlife biologist reviewed the footage and concludeditwas “clearlyahuman in abear suit,” the insurance department said.

After executing asearch warrant, detectives foundthe bear costume in the suspects’ home, the department said.

Lifejacket wornby

Titanic survivor sold

LONDON Alife jacket worn by apassenger on RMS Titanicas she escaped the sinking steamship on alifeboat sold at auction on Saturday for $906,000.

The flotation device was worn by LauraMabel Francatelli, afirst-class passenger on the doomed ocean liner,and is signed by her and other survivors from the same lifeboat

It was the star among items in asale of Titanic memorabilia by Henry Aldridge &Son auctioneers in Devizes,western England,and sold to an unidentified telephone bidder for well over the presale estimate of between $339,000 and $474,000.

Aseat cushion from one of theTitanic lifeboats sold at the same auction for $527,000 to the owners of two Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

The prices include an auctionhousefee known as thebuyer’s premium.

Iran closes strait over blockade

Iranian forces fire on ships

BY SAM METZ and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO— The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalatedagain Saturday as Iranreversedits reopening of thecrucial waterway and firedonships attempting to pass, in retaliationafter the United Statespressed ahead with its blockade of Iranianports

The strait is closed until theU.S.blockadeislifted, Iran’sRevolutionary Guard navysaid Saturday night, warningthat “no vessel shouldmakeany movement from its anchorageinthe Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the StraitofHormuzwill be considered as cooperation with theenemy” andbetargeted Newattacks on thestrait,through which roughlyonefifthofthe world’s oilnormally passes, threatened to deepen the globalenergycrisis and push the countriesinto renewedconflictasthe war enteredits eighth week. Afragile ceasefire is due to run out by Wednesday Iran said it had received newproposalsfrom the United States, and Pakistani mediators wereworking to arrange another round of direct negotiations Iran’sjoint military command earlier said “control of theStrait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state. under strict management and control of the

armed forces.”

Revolutionary Guard gunboatsopened fireon atankerand an unknown projectile hit acontainer vessel, damaging some containers, the British military’sUnitedKingdom Marit im e TradeOperations center said. India’s foreign ministry said it summoned Iran’s ambassador over the “serious incident” of firing on two India-flaggedmerchant ships, especially after Iran earlierlet severalIndiabound ships through.

For Iran, the strait’s closure —imposed after the U.S.and Israel launchedthe waronFeb.28during talks over Tehran’snuclear program —isperhaps its most powerful weapon, threatening theworld economy and inflicting political pain on President DonaldTrump.

For the United States, the blockadekeeps up pressure and could strangle Iran’salready weakened economy

Iran’snew supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued defiant remarks on Saturday,saying the navy stands “ready to inflictbitter defeats on its enemies.” He has not been seeninpublic since being elevated to thepost following his father’sdeathinIsrael’sopening barrage.

On Friday, Iran announced thestrait’sreopening to commercial vessels after a10-day truce was announced between Israel and theIranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The reopening caused oil prices to fall.

Trump, however,said the U.S. blockadeofIran’s ports “will remaininfull force” until Tehran reaches adeal with the United States.Trumphad imposed theblockade after around of historic face-to-facetalks in Pakistan between the countries endedwithout an agreement.

U.S. forces have sent23 ships back to Iran sincethe blockade began on Monday,

LEBANON

U.S. CentralCommand said Saturday.Trump’s comments triggered an outcry “Americansare risking the international community,risking the global economy through these, Ican say, miscalculations,” Iranian Deputy ForeignMinister SaeedKhatibzadehtold The Associated Press, adding that the U.S. is “risking the whole ceasefire package.”

Iran’sSupremeNational Security Council issued a statement calling the blockade aviolation of the ceasefire and said Iran would prevent “any conditional andlimitedreopening” of the strait. The council has recently acted as Iran’sde facto top decision-making body Since mostsupplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determinedtomaintain oversight and control over traffic through thestrait until the war fully ends,” the council said. ThatmeansIran-designatedroutes,payment of

fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The Revolutionary Guard navy statement later indicated that no vessel should attempt atransit at all. The renewedstandoff over the strait came hours after Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Darsaid his country wasworking to “bridge”differences between the U.S. and Iran. Pakistan is expected to host asecond round of negotiations early next week Iran’sSupremeNational Security Council said “new proposals” from theU.S had been put forward during avisit to IranbyPakistan’sarmy chiefand were being reviewed. But Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for anew round of face-to-face talks because the Americans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.” He also said Iran will not hand over its stock of 970 pounds of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea “a nonstarter.” Khatibzadeh did not address other proposals for theenriched uranium, saying only that “we are ready to address any concerns.” Trump said Saturday that Iran “got alittle cute” but that “verygood” conversations werehappening,and more information would come by day’send.“They can’tblackmail us,” he added. On Friday,Trump said the U.S.will go into Iran and “getall the nuclear dust,” referring to the enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried undernuclear sitesbadly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year

French soldierkilledinattackonpeacekeepers

Macron says 3othersalso wounded

BY BASSEMMROUE and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press

BEIRUT AU.N.peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon cameunderattack with small-arms fire Saturdaymorning, leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others wounded, two ofthem seriously,France’spresident andthe forceknown as UNIFIL said Both PresidentEmmanuel Macron andthe UNIFIL forceblamed Hezbollah, butthe Lebanese militant group deniedinvolvement.

Theattacknear the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a10-day ceasefirewent into effect at midnight Thursday betweenIsrael andHezbollah.

The latestIsrael-Hezbollah war began on March

Barber MohammadMehdi cuts the hair of his client AymanAlZein on Saturdayinsidehis shop, which was damagedinanIsraeli airstrikethat also damagedAl Zein’sshop,inDahiyeh, Beirut’ssouthernsuburbs.

2whenthe Iran-backed group launched rockets into Israel after theU.S. andIsraellaunchedjoint strikes againstIran, killing top officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The war,inwhich Israel invaded parts of Lebanon, left nearly 2,300 people dead in Lebanon, more than 1million people displaced andcaused widespread destruction.

“Everything suggests

thatresponsibilityfor this attack lies withHezbollah,” Macron wrote on social media. “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest thoseresponsible and assumetheir responsibilities alongsideUNIFIL,” theU.N. mission in southernLebanon.

In Beirut,threejudicial officials saidthatLebanon’sMilitaryTribunal opened an investigation over the attack and is in

6killedinmassshootinginKyiv

Police killed gunman, authoritiessay

BY VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Agunman wielding an automatic weapon killed sixpeople andbarricaded himself inside asupermarket with hostages in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv,onSaturday, before he was shot and killed by police, authoritiessaid

At least 14 people were wounded andtaken to hospital.

The 58-year-old attacker was not namedbypolice, but Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was born in Russia, as authorities worked to piece together amotive for the violence.

The massshooting —unheardofinwartimeKyiv following Russia’sall-out invasionofUkrainein 2022 —took place in abusy central districtofthe city, outside an apartment block and anearby shopping center,leaving bodies on a crowded streetasbystandersfled for safety An Associated Pressreporter at thescene sawvictims’ bodies in thestreet covered with emergency blankets before they were taken away

“The assailant has been neutralized. He hadtaken hostages and, tragically killed one of them. He also

murdered four people on the street. Another woman died in thehospital due to severe injuries,” Zelenskyy said.

“Ithas been established thatthe attacker setfire to an apartment before taking to thestreets with a weapon,” Zelenskyy said in avideo postedonline. “He had aprior criminal record, had lived in the Donetsk region(in eastern Ukraine) for along period, and was borninRussia.”

Ukraine’sspecial tactical police unitsstormed the convenience store afterattempts to contact the gunman with anegotiator failed, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The hostages were supermarket customers and staff.

contact with the army’sintelligencedepartmenttowork on identifying the perpetrators. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Hezbollah denied links to theattack,calling in astatement for caution in assigning blameand judgment until the Lebanese army completesits investigationtodetermine the full circumstances. Hezbollahsaidthatpeacekeepers should coordinate with the Lebanese armyintheir operations. Hezbollah expressed surprise in thestatementatthe hasty accusations leveled againstit, especially given the silenceofthese same parties “when the Israeli enemy attacks UNIFIL forces.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByASGHAR BESHARATI

The sun rises Saturdaybehind atanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of QeshmIsland, Iran.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HASSAN AMMAR

Trumpsigns ordertospeed review of psychedelics

Controversialdrug ibogaine among thoseinorder

BY MATTHEW PERRONE and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviewsof certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks.

Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes,including conditions like severe depression.

“Today’sorder willensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have achance to reclaim their lives and leada happier life,” Trump said as he signed an executiveorder on the drugs. The Republican president said his directive will help “dramaticallyaccelerate” access to potential treatments. “Ifthese turn out to be as goodaspeople are saying, it’sgoing to havea tremendous impact,” he said.

Veteranorganizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from ashrub native to West Africa, has

ce of the White House in Washington. Trump on Saturdaydirected his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs.

great promise for hard-totreatconditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.

Trump’sannouncement follows pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and other administration officials to ease access topsychedelicsfor medicaluse,an issue that has won rare bipartisansupport.

Joining Trump in the Oval Officewerehis top health officials, conservative podcaster Joe Rogan andMarcus Luttrell, theformer Navy SEAL whose memoir about adeadlymission in Afghanistan was thebasis of thefilm “Lone Survivor.” Rogan said he texted Trumpinformation on ibogaine and the president responded:“Soundsgreat. Do you want FDA approval? Let’sdoit.”

“You’re goingtosavealot of lives throughit,” Luttrell told Trump during the cere-

mony.“It absolutely changed my life for the better.”

TheFood andDrug Administration next week will issue national priority vouchersfor three psychedelics, whichthe agency’s commissioner,Marty Makary,said will allow certain drugs to be approved quickly “if they are in line with our national priorities.” Thevouchers can cutreviewtimes from severalmonths to aperiod of weeks.Itisthe first time the FDAhas offered thatfasttracking to anypsychedelics.

The FDA is alsotaking steps to clear the way for the first-everhuman trials of ibogaine in the U.S. Trump’saction surprised many longtime advocates andresearchers in the psychedelic field, given that ibogaine is known to sometimes triggerpotentiallyfatal heart problems. TheNational Institutes of Healthbriefly

funded research on the drug in the 1990s,but discontinued thework due to ibogaine’s “cardiovascular toxicity.”

“It’sbeen incredibly difficult to study ibogaine in the U.S. because of itsknown cardiotoxicity,”said Frederick Barrett, director of the JohnsHopkins Center for Psychedelic andConsciousness Research.“If the executive order can pave the way for doingobjective,scientific research withthis compound, it would help us understand whether it is truly abetterpsychedelic therapy thanothers.”

No psychedelic has been approved in the United States, but anumber of them are being studiedinlarge trials for various mental health conditions, including psilocybin, MDMA andLSD.All those drugs remain illegal, classifiedasSchedule Isubstances alongside drugs such as heroin. Twostates—Oregon and Colorado —have legalized psychedelic therapy withpsilocybin.

Ibogaine was first used by members of the Bwiti religion in Africannations like Gabon during theirreligious ceremonies

In recent years,U.S. veterans have reported benefiting from the drug after traveling to clinics in Mexico that administer it

Backing from veterans groups and former Texas Gov.Rick Perry led to alaw lastyear providing $50 million for ibogaine research in thatstate. Perry,who co-foundeda group called Americansfor Ibogaine, re-

U.S. extendswaiveronRussian oilsanctions

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments to ease shortages from the Iran war,days afterSecretaryScottBessent

ruled outsuchamove.

Theso-called generallicense means U.S. sanctions will notapplyfor 30 days on deliveriesofRussian oil that has been loadedontankers as of Friday.Itextended a similar30-day license issued in Marchfor Russian oil that

had been loaded by March 11. Theextension underscores how the fallout from theIran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profitfrom itsenergy exports, which hadbeen restrainedsince theinvasion of Ukraine. Speaking at the White

House on Wednesday,Bessentruled out extending the license.“We will notberenewing the generallicense on Russian oil, andwewill notbe renewing the generallicense on Iranian oil,”hesaid. The administrationdid not immediately explain the reversal.

cently appeared on Rogan’s podcast, making the case for reducing federal limits on the drug. It was his second time talking aboutibogaine on the popular podcast in the past two years.

Trump’sorder calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to direct at least $50 million to states that have enacted or are developing programstoadvance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness. It’s described as afederal-state partnership to provide funding, technical assistance and data sharing.

Ibogaine is known to cause irregular heart rhythms and has been linked to more than 30 deaths in the medical lit-

erature, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, anonprofitthat conducted some early studies in patients outside the U.S. The group’sco-executive director,Ismail Lourido Ali, said Trump’sorder might encourage other states to follow the Texas model.

“The stigma around Schedule Idrugs is significant,” Ali said. “Itfeels like this would give pretty substantial cover for Republican governors andlegislaturestostep into the ring in termsoffunding research programs at their universities.” Owners of ibogaine clinics said the impact of the order will notbeimmediate.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON

President DonaldTrump holds up asigned executive order on Saturdayinthe Oval Offi

idea was to promote southwestLouisiana, inspire Lafayette’scitizens and strengthen tourism. But first, people had to show up.

“Wevery naively selected July for the first Festival,” saidPhilippe Gustin,who was head of CODOFIL duringFestivalInternational’s inception, andserved in several leadership capacities through the 1990s. “We had agroup that came from the Pyrenees in southern France, and being from the mountains, all of their clothes were wool.They sweated so much they were fainting. So you canunderstand why we did only one in July.”

Despite the heat, Festival was an acknowledged success rightout of the gate andquickly attracted an army of dedicated attendees and volunteers who loved experiencing their community at the center of the world, at least for a weekend.

The history of the festival, and its growth through the years, is laid out in the Festival International 40th anniversary coffee table book, which is acollection of stories, memories and photographs from Festival’s40-yearrun. This year’s Festival International will take place from April 22-26 in downtown Lafayette, with the book available for purchase at merchandise tents.

Flipping through, it’simpossible nottonoticehow much Festival International has come to define the place it calls home Downtown now feature sa permanent stage at Parc Internationalon

Garfield Street, and mature cypress trees —one of Webre’slegacies at the Downtown Development Authority —now shade the length of JeffersonStreet, which acts like asuperhighway for thousands of pedestrians during the five-day event. Today,Festival International is locatedinits permanent headquarters at the old busstation on Lee Avenue, making the infrastructure of Festivalsomething that canbeseen yearround. And with an ongoing calendar of events like Downtown Alive!, and avibrant community of restaurants, shops and residences that now fill downtown, the neighborhood hardly bears aresemblance to the place where Festival International de Louisiane first cameto life in 1987.

“It was an adventure, and we all knew it would be,” said Webre. “Wewere launching it at atime when the economy was notgood, and so many peoplehad to leave Lafayette to get work.

“I thinkitworked because of the commitment of theinitial people.When the first festivalhappened, and people began to trickle in, they were justinamazement. It’s like they’d never seen anything like it before, and we hadn’teither.I think from that moment, it was solidified that Festival International was going to be part of Lafayette’sfuture.”

Fortyyears is asignificant milestone, and programming director Lisa Stafford said that this year’sacts were specially selected for the anniversa-

ry.Major artists likeRhiannonGiddens will be headlining Scène LUS Inter-

nationaleonFriday, April 24 at 8:45 p.m., and 8-time Grammy winner Stephen

Marley will take over Parc International on April 26 at 5:45 p.m.

“I thinkpeople will really enjoy the mixture of popular returns and discovering new bands,” saidStafford.

“I’m very excited to see Delgres.Wewentthrough quite ahectic and expen-

sive process to obtain their visas. There weresomany obstacles, but we overcame them.”

Lafayette band GIVERS is also making areturn to Festivalthisyear, fora much-anticipated reunion show celebratingthe 15th anniversary of their debut album,“In Light.”

Said Stafford, “the first timethey played wassuch apivotal momentfor the festival, with band members being fromhereand making it so big in the national scene.”

FestivalInternational has seen many pivotalmoments over the years and has cometoserve as alaunchingpad for international actstotourinthe U.S. It’s also beena gateway for Louisiana musicians to network with industry leaders from around the world. According to artist George Marks, it’s alsoaunique opportunity for Acadiana residents to experience theirown culture reflected through aglobal lens.

Marks founded the NUNU Arts &Culture CollectiveinArnaudville over 15 years ago and was recentlynamed director

of international tradeand development for Lafayette Consolidated Government.

“What we learned along time ago is that folks that come in fromotherplaces actually become ambassadors forour culture, and almost upsell it back to us,” said Marks,who often hosts international artistsatNUNU. “A lotof people fromArnaudville had never been to Festival International before,and one year we had this band come outbeforeFestival, they plugged into NUNU, and we did apotluck and invited local people

“They all got to break bread,hangout with them, laugh withthemand speak French. Theybecame family,and for the first time, those folks went to Festival International to go watch them play.” Whether you’re experiencing Festival for the first time, or it’s been part of your story for manyyears, Festival International de Louisiane haslefta permanent mark on Lafayette. That legacy will carry on this week, kicking off downtown on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Members of the marchingband Mucca Pazza performasFestival International de Louisiane continues in downtownLafayette on April 26, 2025.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By PAUL KIEU

The band Delgres, ofGuadeloupe, performs on the Scene Lafayette General Fais Do Do stageduring Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette on April 22, 2016.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByBRAD KEMP

Musicians playatFestival International de Louisiane on Jefferson Street in 1991.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Allen Toussaint plays at the Festival International de Louisiane in 2001.

Webre

go litigate it,” Landry said. “I wish we could findaresolution. I’m working hard to try to get aresolution.”

Bill Turenne, aChevron spokesperson, saidthe company “looks forward to litigating these cases in federal court, where they belong.” KeithHall, the director of LSU’sEnergy Law Center,said that because the ruling delays potential trials, it could drive down the amount that the oil companies and the state may be willing to settle for

“That will makethem more eager to settle and come out with half aloaf instead of holding out for the whole loaf,” Hall said of the state andthe lead attorney for the parishes in the 42 coastal cases, John Carmouche.

Loyo la law professor Blaine LeC es ne took adifferent view

Thestate’s position, he said, isn’tmeaningfully weakened by the ruling because the cases will ultimately be heard by Louisiana juries whether they’re in state or federal court.

Thosejuries havealready shown they’re willing to hold oil companies responsible.

“The dynamics of this case are very unique, and the potential legal exposure is not significantly diminished by the change in venue,” LeCesne said. “I would just hold pat and Iwould negotiate no differently than if these caseswere stillin state court.”

WorldWar II effort?

The question before the Supreme Court was aprocedural one: Does the case belong in state or federal court?Toanswer that question, it weighed another: Was Chevron’swartime production of crudeoil relatedto its refining of thatoil into aviation fuel, or “avgas,” for the military?

Chevron had afederal contract during World WarIIto refine crude oil into aviation fuel for the U.S. military and argued that its crude-oil production in Louisiana was connected closelyenough to that work to pull the cases into federal court.

The justices concluded that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong when it ruled that the case belonged in state court. It sent the case back to the 5th Circuit to apply the new standard.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed Chevron should win but wrote separately to argue the majority read the law too broadly.In her view,federal contractors should have to show adirect cause-and-effect relationship between their federal duties and what they are sued for.Chevron cleared that higher bar too, she concluded. As Justice Clarence Thomas described it, the lower court had sided with the parishes because the feder-

al contract “did not specify howtoobtain orproduce crude oil.” TheSupreme Court disagreed, finding a strong enough connection betweenproducingcrude oil and refining itinto fuel for warplanes to justify hearing thecase in federal court.

But the court sought to put guardrails on theruling, and stressed that it wasdeciding only thespecificcase before it —one of 42 relatedcases —and not resolving whether the others belonginfederal court.

Thatleaves the door open for Carmouche and theparishes to arguethatatleast some of the remaining Louisiana coastal lawsuits still belonginstate court.

In his view,the rulingdecided only one case. At most, he said,itcould applyto11 of the42, whichCarmouche called the “refinery cases.”

In those, the same company both drilled the crude oil and refined it into aviation fuel. Theothers, he said,involvedonlydrilling and crude-oilproduction, with no connectiontothe wartime refining work the Supreme Court relied on Hall, the LSU law profes-

sor,said he thinksthe ruling will reachbeyond the11refinery cases.

“I don’tsee howtheydistinguish it,”hesaid of the other cases wherecompanies both drilledand had refineries.

‘Whattheydestroyed’

Carmouchesaid the case hadalready been tried on the merits and “decidedby ajuryofPlaquemines Parish residents after hearing the overwhelming evidence of the failure by these companies to repair what they destroyed.”

“The Supreme Court hasdecidedthe people of Plaqueminesdid nothave the right to makethis decision,”headded. “While we stronglydisagree, we accept what the court has said.”

Even so, Carmouche said, he intendstofight to keep theremaining cases in state courtwhileseekingsettlements in the cases that can be resolved.

“We’re ready toopen the coast for business, andwe can’topen it for business with this cloud of liability andthe cloudofcontamination,” he said. “It’stime for

Since lawsuitswere first filed in 2013, oilcompanieshaveappealed them to federal courtrepeatedly.

resolution.”

July 2013: NewOrleans leveeauthority fileslawsuit seekingtorecoupdamages from oil firmsfor thedamagetheydid to coastalwetlands. Thelandmarklawsuit is the firstofits kind to seek restitutionfromoil companiesfor coastallandloss.

Nov. 2013: Plaquemines fileslawsuit,represented by Talbot,Carmouche and Marcello,against oilcompanies.They're immediately 'removed'tofederal court.

Dec. 2014: Federaljudge sendsPlaquemines lawsuitbacktostate court.

Feb. 2015: Afederal judgedismisses NewOrleans'levee authoritylawsuit

Oct. 2017: TheSupreme CourtdeclinestohearappealonNew Orleans' levee authoritylawsuit,dealing it a finalblow.

May2018: Oilcompanies appeal parish casestofederal courtfor asecondtime, alleging that oiland gasactivitywas conductedunder federaloversight during WWII

May2019: Federaljudge sendsparishlawsuitsbacktostate courtfor asecond time.Oil companieswill appeal

Sept.2019: Talbot,Carmouche,and Marcello settle with oilcompany Freeport McMoRanfor $100 million

Aug. 2020: U.S. FifthCircuit Courtagain sendsthe parish lawsuits back to state court.

Aug. 2021: Oilcompanies appeal thecases to federalcourt forathird time

Dec. 2022: Afederal courtofappeals againdeterminesthe casesbelonginstate court.

Jan. 2023: Oilcompanies appeal ruling to theU.S.Supreme Court, whichdeclines to take thecase, settingthe stagefor thetrial in PlaqueminesParish.

Dec. 2023: Oil firmssettlewithCameron Parish,the firstofthe 42 lawsuits to settle.Details of thesettlementare notmadepublic.

Mar.2025: Trialbeginsinone of thelawsuitsbrought by PlaqueminesParish, the firsttrial in the42cases filedsince 2013

For MarkDavis,a Tulane environmental law professor, the bigger consequence isn’twhich courthousehears the cases. It’s the delayitself.

Louisianacourts have alreadyfound oilcompanies liable, he noted, and therulingdoesn’t change that.But it pushesback theday anyof that liability turns into money for coastal restoration.

“It was agood day for delay,”Davis said,“and abad day for our coast.”

The case has been arare

instancewhere Louisiana Republicans, including Landry and Murrill, have buckedthe Trumpadministration and its energydominance agenda. Trump’s Department of Justice intervenedonthe side of the oil companies.

Plaquemines Parish President Keith Hinkley echoed the willingness to settle. His parish has always been open to adeal, he said, as long as it’slarge enough to fix the damagehebelieves the oil companies caused.

But he rejected the idea that the companies’ wartime role should exempt them from their responsibility to clean up the coast.

“After WorldWar II, we spent alot of money in Europe helping rebuild those countries,” he said. “So, hey, federal government, help us rebuild our coast here.” Staff writer Jonah Meadowscontributed to this story. Email AlexLubbenat alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.

WhereIntention Meets

Opportunity:LSUA’s innovative degree programs providestudentsapathway into expandingmarkets

By Stevie Cavalier

AtLouisianaStateUniversityofAlexandria(LSUA),the futureoftheworkforceisn’tsomethingtoanticipate—it’s somethingtoactivelybuild.Asindustriescontinueto shiftandworkforceneedsgrowmorespecialized,LSUA isleaningintoitsroleasaresponsive,ever-evolvinginstitution,positionedtosupportthestatewithprogramsthat arebothtimelyandwell-designed.

Ideally,newprogramsdon’tstartintheclassroom—they startwithpayingattentiontotheneedsofthecommunity In CentralLouisiana,hospitalsare searchingfor nurses Employersareseekingcybersecurityspecialists.Communitiesacrossthestatearelookingforprofessionalstrained torespondtonaturaldisasters.

“These gaps signaled aneedfor expanded capacity andnewpathwaysintotheprofession,”saidAdamLord, AssistantViceChancellorforStrategicCommunications.

“Workforce trends across Louisianamade it clearthat expandingintohigh-demanddegreeprogramswasboth necessaryandmission-alignedforLSUA.”

Severalofthe latest additionstothe LSUA degree programportfolioinclude:

•Cybersecurity

•Aviation

•DisasterPreparedness

pathwayinformand trainfutureleaders of theregion’s uniquerisksandecologicalchallenges

“Ina stateregularly impactedbyhurricanes, flooding, andother naturaldisasters,there is aclear need for professionalstrainedinemergencyresponse,”Lordsaid “However,the skills students develop here at LSUA are transferablewellbeyondtheregion.

•ZooSciences

•DigitalStorytelling

•ArtificialIntelligence

•Bioinformatics

Just as importantasdevelopingprogramsthatoffer students relevant,real-worldexperienceisensuring theseopportunitiesremainwithinreachthroughflexible learning formatsand affordabletuition.Programslike Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, andDigitalStorytellingmightsoundcutting-edge—and they are—butLSUAisequally focusedonmakingthem accessible.Withonlineprogramsreachingstudentsacross all50states,LSUAiscontinuouslyevaluatingandwidening accesstohigherlearningopportunities. Forstudentswiththeirsightssetonpost-undergraduate education, LSUA’s programs offer clarityand direction. Throughpartnershipswithinstitutions like LSUHealth NewOrleansandLSUHealthShreveport,studentshave accesstostructuredpathwaysthatleadintoprofessional programs

Step into theshoes of an LSUA studentfor aday,and you’ll quicklynoticethatlearningisn’t limitedtothe classroom.Studentsinhealthcareprogramsworkdirectly withpatientsduringclinicalrotations.Aviationstudents trainatAlexandriaInternational Airport. ZooSciences students gain hands-on experience throughlocal partnerships,includingtheAlexandriaZoo Students aresteppingintoprogramsdesignedwith up-to-date toolsand technology andare beingtrained withcurrentindustrystandardsinmind.LSUAishome to auniquelab environmentknown as theCyberrange, wherecybersecurity students aretrained to combat simulatedcyberattackscenarios.Evencreativefieldslike DigitalStorytellingare grounded in real-world practice with students producingcontent in studio spaces and collaboratingwithlocalprofessionals

“LSUAplacesastrongemphasisonhands-onexperience ensuringstudentsengagedirectlywiththeenvironmentsand challengestheywillencounterintheircareers,”saidLord.

In addition to promotingreal-worldlearningexperiences,someofLSUA’sdistinctivenewprogramsreflectthe realitiesoflifeinLouisiana.Programslikethe Disaster PreparednessandResponsedegreeandtheZooSciences

“Manyoftoday’s emerging programs existbecause employersare actively seekingtalentinareas where demand is outpacingsupply,”Lordsaid. “Choosingone ofthesepathwaysoftenmeanspositioningyourselfatthe frontedgeofopportunity.”

Formoreinformation on degree programs at LouisianaState University of Alexandria,visit www.lsua edu/academics/

Staffgraphic

Pope challenges Angola’s leaders during Africa trip

Leo XIV delivers message of encouragement for its people

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press

LUANDA, Angola Pope Leo XIV challenged Angola’s leaders to break the “cycle of interests” that have plundered and exploited Africa for centuries, as he arrived in the southern African country on Saturday with a message of encouragement for its long-suffering people.

Leo’s arrival in Angola, the oil-and-mineral rich former Portuguese colony, marked the third leg of his four-nation African voyage. En route from Cameroon, he spoke again of the ongoing back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war Leo, history’s first U.S.born pope, said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, justice and brotherhood in Africa.

In Angola, Leo met with President Joao Lourenco and delivered his first speech to Angolan government authorities, in which he referred repeatedly to Angola’s tortured

history of colonial plunder and civil war

“I desire to meet you in the spirit born of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that cannot be bought or stolen,” he said. “There dwells within you a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish.”

A long-suffering people

Angola, which has a population of around 38 million, gained independence from Portugal in 1975. But it still bears the scars of a devastating civil war that began straight after independence and raged on and off for 27 years before finally ending in 2002. More than a halfmillion people are believed to have been killed.

For years, the civil war was a Cold War proxy conflict, with the United States and apartheid South Africa backing one side and the Soviet Union and Cuba backing the other Angola is now the fourthlargest oil producer in Africa and among the world’s top 20 producers, according to the International Energy Agency The country is also the world’s No. 3 diamond producer and has significant deposits of gold and highly sought after critical minerals But despite its varied natural resources, the World Bank estimated in 2023 that

more than 30% of the population lived on less than $2.15 a day

“You know well that all too often people have looked and continue to look — to your lands in order to give, or, more commonly, in order to take,” Leo told the Angolan authorities.

The pontiff said: “It is necessary to break this cycle of interests, which reduces reality, and even life itself, to mere commodities.”

While in Cameroon, Leo had railed against the “chains of corruption” that were hindering development, as well as the “handful of tyrants” who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation. He raised similar points in Angola.

“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism! At every level, we see how it sustains a model of development that discriminates and excludes, while still presuming to impose itself as the only viable option.”

Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the late former president who led Angola for 38 years from 1979 to 2017 was accused of diverting billions of dollars of public money to his family, largely from the country’s oil revenue, as millions struggled in poverty.

After Lourenco took over as president, his administration estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or mis-

appropriated by dos Santos.

Lourenco’s administration has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolen during the dos Santos era.

But critics note that Angola still has deep problems with corruption and have questioned if Lourenco’s actions were more aimed at political rivals so as to consolidate his power

In his speech Saturday, Lourenco said that the Angolan government was committed to improving the lives of its people, but it was a “complex and difficult challenge.”

He also called for an end to the Iran war and asked the pope to continue using his “moral authority” to push for peace and understanding

among people.

A legacy of slavery Angola, on the southwest coast of Africa, was considered to be the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a Portuguese colony More than 5 million of the roughly 12.5 million enslaved Africans were sent across the ocean on ships departing from Angola, more than any other country though not all of them were Angolans.

The highlight of Leo’s visit to Angola is expected to be his visit on Sunday to Muxima, south of Luanda It’s a popular Catholic shrine in a country where around 58% of the population is Catholic. The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex and became a hub in the slave trade. It remains a reminder of the inextricable link hundreds of years ago between Roman Catholicism and the exploitation of the African continent.

Leo has Black and White ancestors who included both enslaved people and slave owners, according to genealogical research. He’s going to Muxima to pray the rosary, in recognition of the site becoming a popular pilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary around 1833.

French widow home after 16 days in U.S. immigration custody

Son says 85-year-old needs rest

By The Associated Press

ORVAULT, France The son of an 85-year-old French widow who married an American military veteran but was later detained for overstaying her visa says she now needs rest after the ordeal.

Speaking to reporters Friday after Marie-Thérèse Ross returned to France, Hervé Goix, said the family’s “absolute priority” is to protect her “To preserve her health and her rest, and for her to be able to rebuild herself,” Goix told a news conference alongside his two siblings in the town of Orvault, in western France.

“We are particularly relieved today to see our mother again, to have her back,” he said. “She has necessarily gone through a difficult ordeal.”

Ross returned to France after a harrowing 16 days spent in federal immigration custody, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Friday Without elaborating, Barrot said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods were “not in line” with French standards and “not acceptable to us.” Ross entered the U.S. last June after marrying a retired U.S. soldier who had been stationed in her home country in the 1960s, court records show But after her husband died of natural causes in January, a dispute arose over his estate. Ross’ stepson — a U.S. federal employee — allegedly intervened to have her taken into immigration custody, an Alabama judge found. Federal immigration agents detained Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security She was then held at a detention facility in Louisiana as French officials expressed

concern about her well-being. Goix, who told The Associated Press that she had been in the process of

applying for a green card when she was taken into custody, added during the news conference that “the essential thing is that she is

truly safe, that she regains her comfort, that she is surrounded by her children and grandchildren.”

The mayor of Orvault,

Sébastien Arrouët, told French media he spoke with Ross and said “she is delighted, she is happy, she is relieved.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By THEMBA HADEBE

Pope Leo XIV waves Saturday after arriving in Luanda, Angola, on the sixth day of his pastoral visit to Africa.

Arural community missing its middle schools.

Asuperintendent cutting her budget to the bone.

Acity bracing for painful school closures.

All are symptoms of the same chronic condition: Across Louisiana, public schools are losing students at astark and accelerating rate as families leave the state, the number of births plummets and interest in alternative schooling booms.

This school year,enrollment fell in more than 90% of school districts, leaving the state with 11,000 fewerstudentsthanthe year before, according to aTimes-Picayune |Advocate analysis of state data, which showed statewide enrollment declines in nine of the past 10 years.

The state’spublic schools have lost astaggering 60,000 students over the past decade —enoughtofill 850 school buses or 3,000 classrooms.

Nearly100 schools across Louisiana have closedsince 2020, when thepandemic turbocharged enrollment declines,according to a state tally.More closures and cutbacks are likelyas schools continue to shed students.

Public school enrollment has slipped nationwide, but the decline is especially steep in Louisiana, which has one of thecountry’shighest out-migration rates. Louisiana’sstudent count plunged by 7% over adecade, morethan three times thenationwide rate of decline, according to the latest available federal data from 2024. By contrast, enrollment held steady or increased in most other Southern states, including 4% growth in Florida and 6% in Texas.

Louisiana’sp ubl ic schools, which enrolled just under 666,000 students this fall, are not the only ones struggling. Enrollment also is down at private and parochial schools, which lost about 9% of studentsover the past decade, despite their popularity in heavily Catholic south Louisiana.

“These enrollment declines seem to be hereto stay in Louisiana,” said Maggie Cicco, aresearch fellow at Georgetown University’sEdunomics Lab, which studies education finance across thecountry “It’sreallyuptodistricts how they’regoing to respond to this new reality.”

Yeta few new school types are growing. The number of homeschooled students in Louisiana soared by 70% over the past decade, while enrollment at unregulated private schools, including trendy “microschools,” has surged by 30% just since 2023, according to state data.

And within the shrinking pool of public school students, more are choosing charter schools. The independently operated public schools now enrollabout 98,000 students, up 65% from 2013. Taken together,these trends have createdanexistential crisis for traditional public schools.Louisiana bases public school budgets on enrollment numbers: Fewer students lead to fewer dollars, even as insurance and other costs rise.Federal COVID-19 relief dollars that once helped to plug budget holes are long gone.

Many districts have tried to woo families with new offerings —Assumption Parish Schools, for example, started avirtual academy but it’s rarely been enough to offset the losses. Instead, underenrolled schools end up cuttingprograms and positions. When that’sstill not enough, schools shutter Formostschool systems, the declines show no sign of letting up.

“I don’tsee any daylight on the horizon,” said Assumption Parish School Board member Honoray Lewis.

Enrollmentlossbringscuts

Much of Louisiana is shrinking: 70%ofparishes saw their populationsgo down last year,according

Youcut programs. Youcut experiences for kids.”

Confrontingthe crisis School district leaders facenoeasy answers as they grapple over classrooms thinning outwhile bills pile up. Twomain schools of thought have emerged about the best path forward.

One camp says public schools must compete in an increasingly crowded education marketplace.

Stokes has taken that tack:Her districtput up a billboard ad and brought in avideographertopromote Grant Parish schools on social media. Michael Hefner, ademographer who works with Louisiana school systems, arguesthatdistricts facing enrollment declines should playoffense —creating specialized magnet schoolsorcareer education programs, forexample —rather than simply scale back.

public meeting. But parents expressed concerns about the long commute andputting middle schoolers on the same campus as olderteens.Before theboardvoted 6-3in favor of the consolidation in January2025, Dennis Landry,alocalbusiness owner and former School Board member,warned that some parents would pull theirchildren outofthe public schools.

“When you talkabout just reducing staffing, consolidating, that helps you with your currentsituation,” he said, but it won’t“change the trajectory of the crisis.”

Many school boards favor that approach,with some giving superintendents bonusesiftheyboostenrollment.Bycontrast, boards that try to shrink their districts arelikely to face blowback

“If you go with the plan,” he said, “youhavetorealize the consequencesofthat.” Newoptions emerge Yellowschool busesbegantraversing Assumption Parish last August, driving seventh andeighth graders past the shuttered middle schools to the sprawling high school campus, home of the Mustangs and the Sugarland Marching Band. Some parents remained skeptical, but Aprieonna Herbert was happy to say goodbye to the rundown Belle Rose Middle School building. Not to mention, she nowhas accesstohigh school courseslike computer scienceand agriculture. “It’sgood,”she said.“I just don’tlikegetting up early.”

Enrollment by school type

Vernon Travis, alongtime Vernon Parish School Board member,recalls being told yearsago not to say the word“consolidation” if he wanted to be reelected. In rural communities, he explained, schools and churches aresacrosanct.

“You mess with eitherone of them,” he said, “you got a fight on your hands.”

PresidentDonald Trump’s administration. An influx of Hispanic students, including some recent immigrants, had been themain source of growth for some districts. Thegroup ballooned by 80% over thepast decade, adding an averageof3,800 students annually,according to state data —until this schoolyear,when their numbers dippedfor the first timeinrecent memory “Declining birthrate plus immigration enforcement equals significant loss of students,”said Olin Parker, an Orleans ParishSchool Board member.

Yetothers say that trying to win back familiesis alosing battle. School district marketing campaigns are unlikely to keep families from moving if they can’tfind local jobs, critics say.And investments in specialized programs don’t always pay off. The Lafayette ParishSchoolBoard, for example, ended aChinese-language magnet program in 2024 that cost about $510,000 annually butonly enrolled62students.

“By and large, districts havealready tried recapturing their students, andit hasn’tworked,” said Parker, theOrleans Parish School Boardmemberwho,inhis work as aconsultant, advises other school districts on enrollment issues.

Yeteven as the district contracted, enrollment kept sinking. This fall,Assumption schools had 170 fewerstudentsthanthe year before,a6%decline (Statewide enrollment fell 1.6% year over year.) While some familiesare leaving thearea, others are opting out of traditional education. Assumption hadnearly 100 registered homeschool studentslast school year,an80% increase from five years earlier.(The state hasn’treleased homeschool data for this year.) During the same period, enrollment fell 13% at the local private school, St.Elizabeth, according to state data.

LaurenDaigle Talbotisn’t surprised.

Louisiana’straditional public andprivate schoolsloststudents over thepastdecade. Meanwhile, public charterschools, homeschoolsand unregulatedprivate schools(including “microschools”)are gaininglotsofnew students

to censusdata. Old-timers like Lewis get used to seeing people leave communities in areas that have long been on the downswing, like Assumption. Arural parish that sits south of Baton Rouge in the heart of “Bayou Country,” Assumptionisknown forits abundant sugar cane fieldsand strong Cajun roots —but notfor a thriving local economy.Its populationhas slid nearly 15% since 2010 as some families uproot in search of jobs. Lewis’ adult niece and nephew were among them. “They packed up,” he said,“andthey took eight kids total with them.” Louisianawas the only Southern state in recent years to lose more residents than it gained. Allison Plyer, chief demographer atThe Data Center in New Orleans, said that is primarily due to the state’s weak economy

“Ifthere are notjobs

here, families can’tmove here,” she said. State leaders have recently announced several bigeconomicdevelopment projects, including a$10 billion data center and a Hyundai steel mill, that are expected to createhundredsofnew jobs.Yet demographers note that not every project booststhe localpopulation—orschool enrollment. In Plaquemines Parish, construction of a massive newliquefied natural gas facility brought in thousands of temporary workers, yet the school district continued to losestudents. Meanwhile, as theU.S. birth rate hitsanall-time low, thenumberofbirths in Louisiana hasfallen to its lowest levelindecades And international immigration, which helped mitigate some populationlossin Louisiana, is expected to dwindle due to theimmigration crackdown from

When school districts losestudents, they also lose money.State aid, whichis allocated based on enrollment,isthe main funding source for schools in poorer communitieswith limited local taxrevenue.

Even minor enrollment declines can be destabilizing. Grant Parish lost146 students over theprevious twoschool years,deprivingthe small, rural district in north Louisiana of about $1.2 million in state funding. Yetits expenses remained largely the same due to fixed costs like utility bills and school buses.

To makeupthe difference, the district has pinchedpennies wherever it can,saidSuperintendent Erin Stokes. Next school year,she plans to cut staff at almost every school.

“Believe me,” she said, “weare bare bonesover here.”

The budget crunch is even more direinAssumption, where school enrollment plunged30% over the past decade —one of the steepest declines of any district.

Superintendent John Barthelemy warned in aFebruary2024SchoolBoard meeting that the decline had sharply reduced how much money the district wouldget from the state. The districtwas forced to postpone building repairs, lay off employees and rotate supportstaffers, like nursesand instructional coaches, among schools.

“We’re trying to runthe same systemwith $4 million less,”hesaid. “Whatdo you cut? Youcut personnel.

Someeducation analysts saydistrictleadersneed to accept the reality of reducedenrollmentand start downsizing. They should start by shrinking the labor force, strategically cutting unnecessary positions rather than relying on attrition, said Cicco, the research fellowatEdunomics Lab.

Thentheyshould considerclosing underenrolled schools, whichcost more perstudent to operate and often offer fewer enrichmentclasses and extracurriculars, she said. Trying to avoid layoffs and closures can backfire, Cicco added.

“Itgetsdelayed,delayed, delayed,”she said, “and then it becomes this big, overwhelming,unpopular, disruptive change.”

Communities often fight school closures. In Lafayette,a resident sued last month to stop the shuttering of Comeaux High School, prompting theSchool Board to rescind an earliervoteto close the school. It was the district’ssecond attempt to close Comeaux: The board scrapped initial plans to close it in 2024 after public outcry.InNew Orleans, the board voted to keep the Leah ChaseSchoolopen after community members donatedmoney to fill abudgetholecaused by lowenrollment.

In Assumption, SuperintendentBarthelemytried to preemptany backlash to themiddle school consolidation.Relocating seventh andeighth graders to aseparatebuildingonthe high school campus would cut costs and give students access to resources —honors classes, school counselors, abandand robotics program —thattheir separate middleschools couldn’t afford,heexplainedduringa

The formeraccountant and mother of two previouslytaught at St. Elizabeth and the now-closed Napoleonville Middle School. She noticed commonproblems:anxious kids takingtoo many tests, stressed teachersstruggling to meet dozens of students’ unique needs. At thesame time, she sawmoreparents seriously consider homeschooling, which exploded in popularitynationwide during the pandemic.Last year,she decided to create aspace for families desperately seeking anew approach to education.

“This kind of fell into place,” shesaid, “when things were really starting to crumble everywhere.” The Anchor Learning Center is similar to the private “microschools” cropping up in Louisiana —and across the country —that mostly cater to homeschool families and are not regulated or monitored by the state. By 2024, such schools enrolled about 34,000 students in Louisiana, more than doubling their prepandemic count. (The Anchor is notregistered as a school of any kind, acting instead as aprivate service provider.)

Most familiessend their children to Talbot’s center four half-days aweek, where the students take online classes, get help from Talbot or her colleagues when theyneeditand socialize with other kids. Parents choosethe curriculum, which mightcome from a virtual charter school or a Christianpublisher Talbot had hoped to sign up 10 students when she opened the Anchor in Napoleonville in August, but demand was so strong she soon launcheda second site in nearby Pierre Part. She even inquired about renting oneofthe shuttered middle schools, but wastold the building wasn’tavailable. The Anchor nowserves 56 students, Talbotsaid. Nearly all of them are registeredhomeschoolers who previously attended public school

“Peopleare wakingup, she said. “They are realizing that just because it’s alwaysbeen thisway,it doesn’t have to continue to be.”

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Belle Rose Middle School in Assumption Parish wasshut down last year.Seventh and eighth grade studentsnow are bused to the highschool campus.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Lauren Talbot,director of The Anchor Learning Center,works with sixth grader KinsleyJohnson on math at the center in Napoleonville on April 14.

Winds, reported tornadoesrip throughMidwest

BY FREIDAFRISARO

Associated Press

Atrail of damaged homes and buildings dotted awide swath of the U.S.onSaturday after aburst of destructive winds and reported tornadoes tore off roofs, uprooted trees and rendered rural roads impassable with debris. No deaths were reported following Friday’sstorms that barreled through the UpperMidwest and delivered the latest round of severe weather to batter the region. Officials braced residents for along recoveryin some rural communities.

“Weare extremely fortunate that this storm did not result in loss of life or serious injury,” Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said of the storm that hit Lena, Illinois, on Friday

Officials in Wisconsin and Minnesota echoed those sentiments.

In central Wisconsin, a reported tornadothat tore through the cities of Kronenwetter and Ringleleft behind damaged homes and some residents briefly trapped in theirbasements, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman told reporters.

to need alot of help,” Billebsaidofthe Wisconsin storms.

In Kronenwetter, neighbors were helping each other clear debris fromtheir properties, and Wisconsin Public Service is working to restore power.Police Chief Terry McHugh said Saturday that it could be a lengthy process. He notedthatthe Community Foundation of North CentralWisconsin has partnered with United WayofMarathon County to help residents whose homes were damaged.

In Olmsted County,Minnesota, sheriff’s officials said tornadoes caused “multiple levels” of damage. At least30homes weredamaged in Marion Township, with anumber of those sustaining damage that was described as significant. Officials went door to door in the community to check on residents.

TheNational Weather Servicesaidthe damage waslikely causedbytornadoes andthatsurveys of theaffectedareas wouldbe conducted over the weekend.

On FridayinIllinois,Leo Zach, 14, had just gotten to the high school band room

for amusic competition whenthe building started shaking andthe power went out. He said the room was packed with students andsome were very scared and had panic attacks.

“I’mdefinitelyonthe luckier side of howthat could’ve happened,” he said. “I wasjust trying to stay calm, help other people.” When they got outside, they found some of the windows blown outinthe gym and part of the school’sroof ripped off.

Photosand videoposted online showed agarage totaled,bricks tornoff of buildingsand fences demolished.

Lena is avillage of nearly 3,000 people,located about 117 milesnorthwest of Chicago.

Rachel Nemon had been going to pick up her stepson from Lena’smiddle school when she had to pull into acar wash to take cover from the storm. She watched alarge tree get ripped from the ground andsparksflyfeet in front of her

“This is something that you seeonline,not in real life,especiallyina small town in Illinois,” she said.

Russian attacksonUkraine kill 1and wounddozens

Ukraine targetsRussian industrialareas

By The Associated Press

Acivilian was killed and dozens more wounded in overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials said Saturday One person was killed in astrike on Mykolaivkain Ukraine’seastern Donetsk region, local leader Vadym

Filashkin said in aposton social media. Other officials reported at least 26 people hadbeenhurt in attacks across northern and eastern Ukraine, including astrike on port infrastructure in the city of Odesa Elsewhere, aUkrainian drone strike targetedindustrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk andSyzraninRussia’sSamararegion, Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev saidSaturday.Hedid not give further details, but the General Staff of Ukraine’s

ArmedForces said in astatement that it had hit major oil refineries in bothcities. It also said that its attackshad sparkedfiresatthe Vystosk oil terminal in Russia’snorthwestern Leningrad region and an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region with theblazes later confirmed by Russian officials. Russia’sMinistry of Defense said that itsforces destroyed 258 Ukrainian dronesovernightover16 Russianregions, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian

peninsula of Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.

Ukraine has repeatedly targetedRussian oil facilitiesinthe past, but the strategy hasgained more attention since the Trump administration gave Russian oil atemporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints.

Strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses has been akey priorityfor Kyiv since the start of Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine morethan four years ago, resurfacing again

on the global stage as U.S.led peace talks have ground to ahalt.

In the worst aerial attack in weeks, Russia hammered civilian areas across Ukraine on Thursday,killingatleast 16 peopleand wounding more than100 others, Ukrainian authorities said.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic armsindustry,especiallyinthe production of dronesand missiles, but cannotyet match the sophistication of U.S.

Patriot air defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Germany,Norway and Italy earlier this week to discuss the issue, while Andrii Sybiha said Saturday that he had discussed “steps to enhanceprotection” with the Deputy Secretary GeneralofNATO, Radmila Shekerinska, at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. “Amid intensified Russian air terror,our priority number one is to strengthenour airdefense,” he said.

ENCORE: CHICKEN FINGERS

Marathon CountySheriff Chad Billeb said he had not seen this much devastation during his34yearsinlaw enforcement. “A lotofpeopleare going

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RACHEL NEMON

Debris is strewn around Friday after amajor storminLena, Ill.

Indiana primary to test Trump’s control over GOP

BY THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The only thing standing between President Donald Trump and his revenge on Indiana state senators are people like Julie Wise.

She’s 48 years old, works at a hospital, describes herself as a conservative and voted for Trump in the last election But that doesn’t mean she’s going to vote out her Republican state senator just because he defied the president’s demand to redraw Indiana’s congressional map.

“I’m not going to say that ‘because this is what the president wants, this is how I’m going to vote,’ ” Wise said from her front step on a sunny, springtime afternoon.

Indiana’s primary on May 5 has become an unlikely test of Trump’s grip on the Republican Party After state senators defied White House pressure by opposing redistricting, Trump has endorsed seven primary challengers in races that rarely attract any attention from Washington.

The campaign, backed by national organizations such as Turning Point Action and pro-Trump groups that have spent more than $4.2 million on advertising, has no precedent in recent memory Gov Mike Braun and U.S. Sen Jim Banks, both Republicans, are also working against incumbent state senators in a display of deference to Trump.

One of their targets is Spencer Deery, a first-term state senator who knocked on Wise’s door while canvassing her West Lafayette neighborhood via electric scooter

“This is about one thing only,” he told The Associated Press. “And that’s control.” Avalanche of spending

Deery represents the 23rd Senate District, a sevencounty swath of farmland that borders Illinois to the west, runs north to West Lafayette and touches the outskirts of Terre Haute to

with Indiana state

represents District 23,

the south

Four years ago, Deery’s campaign spent $142,000 to win his seat in a race where fewer than 11,000 people voted. One of the primary candidates he defeated was Paula Copenhaver, a veteran Republican activist and local party chair

Now Trump has endorsed Copenhaver, an aide to Lt. Gov Micah Beckwith, and Deery is facing a nearly $1 million avalanche of spending. One television advertisement declared that “State Sen. Spencer Deary voted against President Trump’s agenda.”

“It’s about sending a message that any state that does not get in line or any lawmakers that do not get in line with the political forces in D.C. should be on the lookout,” Deery said. “That should concern you in a constitutional democracy.”

Deery has spent $167,000 so far and he hasn’t had any help from outside groups.

A Trump-backed opponent Copenhaver declined to respond to telephone calls and text messages from The Associated Press after originally saying she was willing to discuss the campaign.

Trump endorsed her in January by calling her a “MAGA

Warrior” — a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement — and “a terrific Candidate for Indiana’s 23rd State Senate District.”

He wrote on social media that Copenhaver was “running against an incompetent and ineffective RINO incumbent named Spencer Deery who, for whatever reason, betrayed his voters by voting against Redistricting in Indiana.” RINO means “Republican in name only.”

The White House leaned heavily on Indiana lawmakers last year to break with precedent and adopt a new congressional map, part of an unusual nationwide cascade of redistricting that Trump hopes will help Republicans protect their thin U.S. House majority in November’s elections. Vice President JD Vance met with Indiana politicians in Washington and Indianapolis, and Trump weighed in by conference call.

Some opponents of the proposal faced threats. Deery was targeted by a false police report intended to provoke a dangerous situation by sending a SWAT team racing to his home.

But the Republican-controlled state Senate voted against redistricting in De-

U.S., Cuban officials meet recently in Havana amid new diplomatic push

BY MATTHEW LEE

AP diplomatic writer

WASHINGTON An American delegation recently met with Cuban government officials in the island nation, marking a renewed diplomatic push even as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene and Cuba’s leader said this week that his country is prepared to fight if that should happen.

A senior State Department official met with the grandson of retired Cuban leader Raúl Castro last week during the trip, according to a department official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

The official did not say who from the U.S. met with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, whose grandfather is believed to play an influential role in the Cuban government despite not holding an official post. A second U.S. official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was not part of the delegation that visited Havana U.S. officials have previously said Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime Cuba hawk met the younger Castro in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis in February.

During last week’s extraordinary diplomatic push, which was reported earlier by Axios, the U.S. delegation urged Cuba to make major

changes to its economy and way of governing because it would not let the island nation become a national security threat in the region, the State Department official said.

It marked the first U.S. government flight to land in Cuba other than at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay since 2016.

Cuba’s crises have deepened following a U.S. energy blockade, coming as the Trump administration has described its government as ineffective and abusive. In return for easing sanctions, U.S. demands have included an end to political repression, a release of political prisoners and a liberalization of the island’s ailing economy.

cember, a defeat for the president.

Trump tried to brush it off afterward, telling reporters in the Oval Office that “I wasn’t working on it very hard.”

The campaign trail

As Deery moved from door to door in the neatly manicured suburb at the edge of a clover field in northwest West Lafayette, a pair of motorcyclists out on a Saturday ride stopped to encourage him.

“I wanted to thank you for having the courage to vote against the redistricting,” one of them said.

Annette and Curtis Williams politely chatted with Deery at their door Curtis

said Trump’s threat to unseat Deery is “inappropriate.” Neither he nor his wife would say how they planned to vote.

Beckie Eikenberg, a quality assurance associate at an Indiana pharmaceutical company, has seen the advertisements targeting Deery, but she does not trust them. The 47-year-old who calls herself “libertarian on the conservative side,” spoke with the state senator at the end of her cul-de-sac.

She voted for Trump but wrinkled her brow when asked if the president should have a say in Indiana’s congressional map.

“He doesn’t necessarily know what’s going on within our state. He’s not here. He doesn’t see the day to day,” she said.

Governor allied with Trump

The campaign to oust incumbents is also intended to dislodge Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodrick Bray, who helped block redistricting and has faced criticism from Trump.

Bray is not up for reelection this year but Braun wanted primary challengers to commit to opposing him as Senate leader, according to three people familiar with the demand. The people were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity

Trump political aides said they were monitoring the campaigns. Representatives for Banks, the U.S. senator allied with the White House,

did not return messages seeking comment. Braun, the Republican governor, said he is backing the primary challengers not because of redistricting but because he needs help to advance his agenda. For example, he was at odds with Bray over property taxes earlier in his term. Braun is putting $500,000 from his political action committee into state senate races.

“Whether you supported this or that, my goal is to get enterprising senators and representatives,” Braun said Monday “So when it comes to what you do to either support or not support certain legislators, for me, it’s going to mostly based on, ‘Are you willing to help me take Indiana into places that all states would want to be?’”

One of Braun’s predecessors is working against him in the primary Former Gov Mitch Daniels Daniels, a Republican who stepped away from politics after leaving office in 2015, has been quietly working to protect incumbents targeted by Trump.

Daniels recorded a video and helped raise money for Deery, who was chief of staff to the former governor when he became president of Purdue University Deery said his vote against redistricting was not about defying Trump or the president’s allies.

“I don’t work for them,” Deery said. “I work for my voters, my constituents.”

As Louisianabecomesadestination formulti-

billion-dollar technologicalinvestments in the rapidly-expandingdatacentersector, leaders, includingPresident Trumpand Governor Landry have developedstrategiestosupport that growth withoutincreasingcostsforexistingutilitycustomers

EntergyLouisiana hascreated amodel designed to do just that –ensuringthateconomicexpansion strengthensthe state’senergyinfrastructurefor all customerswhile delivering measurable financial benefitstohouseholdsand businesses

Throughagreementswithmajor data center operatorsand aguiding frameworkknown as Fair SharePlus, Entergyprojectsabout $7 billionin customer savingsoverthe coming decadesacross itsthree-state serviceregion. Louisianaalone is expected to accountfor approximately$2.8billion of that total.

“Our Fair SharePluspledgeisdesignedto protectexistingand future Entergycustomers from bearingthe bruntofthese additional investments. Notonlywilldatacenteroperators like Meta pay forthe infrastructure needed to servethem, they willalsopay an additional amount to mitigatethe overallcosts as well as over $120 milliontoThe PowertoCareprogram and$140million in energy efficiency initiatives,” said PhillipMay,Entergy LouisianaPresident andChief ExecutiveOfficer.

“Entergy customerswillsee lowerbills because of thecommitments thedatacenteroperators have made.These cost savingswillbegin to be reflected in billsovertimeasthese large-scaleloads begin service. We expect that willstart laterthisyearand willbeongoing,” Maycontinued.“We’realigning economicdevelopment with affordability.”

Massivedatacentergrowthtodrive investment –and lowerbills forLouisianans Louisiana’sdatacenterboombegan in 2024, when Meta announcedplans to builda four-millionsquare-footfacilityinRichlandParishtosupport itsworkinartificial intelligenceand largelanguage models. In late 2025,Hut 8revealedthatitwillbuild itsown 600-acre campus in West FelicianaParish for similartechnological purposes

Entergythenfurtherannouncedanewagreement in MarchwithMetathatwilldeliver an additional $2 billionincustomer savings. Theseprojectsare expected to generate billions of dollarsforLouisianacommunities,createthousands of newjobsand improvelocalinfrastructurewhile giving schools, nonprofitsand otherorganizations an influxofphilanthropic dollars. However, thevastsizeand scopeofthe campuses meanstheywillneedconsistentand reliable power to operate. In ordertomeetthose needs, Maysaid Entergyand itspartners areinvesting heavilyinto thegrid, includingbattery storage, transmission lines, solarenergy, nuclearenergyuprates and newhighly-efficientgenerators. OtherEntergy investmentsare beingmadeinemerginggeneration sources,suchascarboncapture andhydrogen.

“There’snoquestionthatthese data centers aremassive buildoutsthatrequire investmentsin high-efficiency generation,” Maysaid. “Byinvesting in multiple forms of powerand combiningsources we willbeabletobestserve thedatacenterneeds.” MayemphasizedthatonceEntergycompletesthese investments, approximatelyone millioncustomers willreapthe benefitsofthe newinfrastructure. “Thisisabout meetinglong-term system needs foreveryone, notjustthe data centers,”hesaid.

financial obligations •Guaranteedadequaterevenuestoensuredata center ratescan covertheir costsduringthe contract terms, as well as existing powergridcosts •Any largenew load requirements aretimed to newpower generationbecomingavailable to ensure powergridreliability

to servethe data centers. Whiledatacenters have been tied to rate spikes andreliability issues in other states,May said the frameworkofFairShare Plus meansthatEntergy customerswon’t face thesameissues. Onekey advantageinLouisiana is that thestate commission hasoversight over thewhole of theutility company, somethingthatisnot thecaseeverywhere.

“I’m grateful that Governor Landry andthe LouisianaPublicService Commission have preservedthiscustomeradvantage inherent in our rate-regulatedmodel,” Maysaid. “Wewillcontinue to follow theirleadershipand regulatory oversight on theseprojects. Transformationaldollarstosupportlow-income residentsand building modernizations Beyond cost savings, Maysaidthe investments from both Entergyand thedatacenteroperators willhaveother benefitsfor customers. In fact,new dollarshavealready flowed to Entergy’sThe Power to Care Program, whichprovidesemergency bill assistance to older customersand individualswith disabilities whofacefinancialstruggles

“We’vealreadyseenMetahonorthiscommitment with immediatecontributions,”May said.“That’s agreat exampleofthe type of partnerships we expect to have with thesecompanies.We’re already provingthatwecan meet theobjectivesofgrowth paying forgrowth, thestate benefitingfromthese investmentsand customersbeing protectedfrom rising costs. In addition,May said thedatacenterinvestments willmean$140million in fundingoverthe next 20 yearstohelpEntergy developcomprehensive energy efficiency programs.While Louisiana’sutility rates aresomeofthe lowest in thenation, Maysaidthe state’susage is high duetoits warm climateand the fact that many olderhomes andbuildings weren’t builtwithmodernefficiencymeasures.

“These projects willbegenerationaland transformativefor Louisiana, andcustomers across thestate willbenefitinmultipleways,”May said “These dollarsbring comprehensive energy efficiency improvements that will preserve theintegrity of Louisianabuildings whilealso resultinginlowerconsumption andlower billsfor customers.

“Our focusisonensuringwecan supportLouisiana’seconomicgrowthwhile maintainingsystem reliability, andaffordablerates,for ourresidential andbusinesscustomers.The companiesunderstand they cannot push thecosts of theseprojectsonto existing customers. We’regoing alittlefurther.The expectationisnot only that thosecosts won’t be passed on to customers, butcustomers willactually seelower Entergybills becauseofthe additional fundingbeing generated.” Amodel to safeguardcustomers andensure ‘growthpaysfor growth’ Thoseexpectationshavebeenformalizedinto

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DOUG MCSCHOOLER Julie Wise, 48, speaks

Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, who

as he canvasses a neighborhood on April 11 in West Lafayette, Ind

Backlog in liquor, wine deliveries frustrates Miss. retailers

BY SOPHIE BATES and ADRIAN SAINZ Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss Brandi

Carter needs her wine.

As the owner of Levure Bottle Shop in Jackson, Mississippi, she sells natural wine delivered to her business by a state agency responsible for distributing alcoholic beverages to liquor stores, bars and restaurants.

But delays caused by problems in a state warehouse have led Carter and many other retailers to see their inventory dwindle and their business drop as they wait for new shipments

Carter, who also handles the beverage program for a restaurant in Jackson, said she has been dealing with delays since February, and she’s feeling helpless as traffic in her store goes down.

“I’ve just reached acceptance that this is our new normal, and it’s awful,” Carter said Wednesday

In Mississippi, the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control department an arm of the Mississippi Department of Revenue — is responsible for distributing wine and liquor to businesses that sell it.

That’s different than other states, where individual companies handle alcohol distribution, Carter said.

During the week ending April 12, there were more than 172,000 cases that were pending delivery and it was taking an average of 17 days for businesses to receive their orders, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue

Those numbers are down from the week ending March 1, when the backup

appeared to be at its peak for the year

At that time, there were more than 220,000 cases pending delivery, and it was taking an average of 25 days for the process to be completed.

In contrast, the number of cases pending delivery was more than 51,000 and the wait time was three days for the week ending Jan. 11, the department said. Carter said the backlog has resulted in a wait of four to five weeks, as opposed to a few days to two weeks before the delays began.

Warehouse issues

Shipping delays from the state’s 40-year-old warehouse emerged in January as it went away from an “obsolete” conveyor belt system to one where pallets were used to move cases, according to a statement from the Mississippi Department of Revenue. A new warehouse management system experienced technical issues, leading to delays, the department said.

“The computer program that they implemented

for the warehouse wasn’t working effectively with the ordering side,” Carter said. “So the first big chunk was the biggest problem, because things were being marked as shipped, but they weren’t shipped.”

The department said technical issues have been resolved and the warehouse is operating at full capacity, with pending orders being shipped as retail orders increase.

“While capacity at the existing facility has been a challenge for well over five years, there is not an alcohol shortage,” the department said. “As retail ordering stabilizes, we anticipate shipments returning to normal volume within the coming weeks.”

The Mississippi legislature debated temporarily allowing out-of-state distributors to sell and ship alcohol directly to retailers. The law would have been repealed after two years, but it did not pass. The state’s legislative session has since ended. A new warehouse set to be completed by the end of this year will be able to

store and ship over twice as many cases as the current

facility the revenue department said.

Stymied by the backlog

Josh Sorrell, owner of Spillway Wine and Spirits in Brandon, said he used to order 600 cases in a day, but he is now limited to 100 cases per day About 30% to 40% of the items he usually orders on a daily basis have been unavailable, he said.

Sorrell believes restoring the conveyor belt system would fix the problem. He has asked Mississippi Gov Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency

If delays continue, Sorrell’s concerned that business will suffer into the end of the year, when he makes a lot of his sales.

“As it gets busier, we’re gonna crumble,” he said. “I mean, it’s going to be really hard at 100 cases a day to stock up for a full October, November, December.”

Meanwhile, customers are going to three or four stores looking for their specific bottle, and they sometimes can’t find it, Sorrell said. “It’s frustrating to lose people at the door who are looking for a specific product that I can’t even get from the state,” he said.

On Thursday, Lauren Roberts went to Sorrell’s store looking for Soda Jerk’s orange cream shots, but he was out, just like the supermarket where she usually buys it.

So, she bought another type of drink for an upcoming celebration with her family “We’re having a little get-together this weekend because it’s my daughter’s prom and her boyfriend’s family’s coming,” Roberts said. “So everybody has their drink of choice, but me.”

For many olderadultsand theirfamilies, the transition into aseniorlivingcommunity comes with amix of emotions –reliefinknowing that someoneisalwaysthere,uncertainty abouthow they will adjust to newsurroundings andstress aboutwhatthe future will look like Thestaff at TheVincent Senior Living is well awareofthese feelings That is whytheyprioritize identifyingsigns of stress amongresidents andcreatingroutinesand activities to make the communityasstress-freeaspossible.

LorenzoViator,CommunityRelationsDirector notedthattheideaofastress-freelifestyleisdifferentfor each of TheVincent’s 200-plus residents. “For oneresident, it maybeassimpleasnot having to drivethemselvesaroundLafayette for appointments.For anotherperson, it maybenot having to worryabout managing theirmedications,”Viatorsaid. “It’simportant to know that each person hastheir personal definition of what stress-freemeans,sothatwecanmaketheirliving experience here as enjoyableaspossible.

Alongwithanindividualizedapproach,Viator saidTheVincentincorporatesTheSixDimensions of Wellness –physical, emotional, purposeful intellectual,spiritualandsocial–tohelpresidents livetheirbest.Communityactivitiesaredesignedto touchoneachoneofthesedimensionsinaholistic approachthatmeetseachresident’scompleteneeds.

Viator shared more insights into howThe Vincentworkstocreateastress-freeenvironment forresidents Whataresomesmall,everydaywaysTheVincent staff reduces stress forresidents?

We’vefound that happensbybeing presentin theirlives.Simpleactslikesharingakindwordor asking howtheyare doinggoesalongway.Our residentsknowweare more than eagertohelpif theyneedanything.We’verealizedthatsomething thatmightnotfeellikeabigdealtouscanchange aresident’sday forthe better.

Howdoes TheVincent structureactivitiesand routines to help residentsfeelmoreatease?

Routineand some levelofpredictabilityis comforting at anyage becauseitgives people a senseofcontrolovertheirday.Onegoodexample forour residentsisthe timing of meals. Knowing thatfoodis served atthesametimeevery daylets them plan theiractivitiesand not feel stressed aboutwhenthe next meal will be ready.

Stress is often triggeredbythe unknown. Our calendarintentionallyhaspredictableactivitiesto giveresidentssomethingenjoyabletolookforward to.Weliketokeepour activities predictablebut not repetitive. For example, we mighthavea fitness classevery dayat10a.m That class might be abalance workoutone day, then thenextday is aboutbuildingstrength.But,every dayat10 a.m.,residents know they canenjoy some type of physical activity

We also listen to ourresidents aboutwhat activitiesaremostengagingforthem.We’realways surprisedbysomeresponses,yet we know that themostsuccessfulengagementopportunities areoneswhere aresidentleaveswitha feelingof

accomplishmentorpurpose.Thatisthegoalwith everything that we do What aresomesigns of stress andanxiety that TheVincent stafflooks for, andhow do they respondwhentheysee thesesigns? Themostobviousaremoodchanges.Aresident whohas always been polite andengagingmight seemagitatedand withdrawn. Otherindications canbedigestiveissues,nauseaorweightloss Those canhappenasthe body responds to stressorsor doesn’tabsorbnutrients as well as it should Everyone is differentand stress canmanifest in unique ways. Themostimportant aspect to remember is that your intuitionisyourgreatest tool,and to follow up if someoneseems different either physically or emotionally. What aresomeofthe most common concerns from residents’ families,and howdoesThe Vincentstaff respondtothose?

Most families worryabout whethertheyare making theright decisionabout moving aloved onetoa senior living community. It’s completely understandable.Not everyone is excitedtostart thatpartoftheirlife,butit’softenthesafestsolution andinthe person’s best interest.Oncetheyhave movedinhere,manyfamilymembersworryiftheir lovedone only comesout at mealtimesorattends oneortwo activities each week.Weemphasize that senior living looksdifferenttoeveryone. Not everyonewillbeasocialbutterfly,andthat’sokay. Thereare otherwaystomeasure happiness. I’ve hadresidents whowould constantly call theirlovedones. Once they move to TheVincent thosecallsarelessfrequentandtheconversations aremorepleasant. This is oneway that residents show they arecontent andhappywithout saying it outright Thepreviouscalls were likely outof loneliness,anxiety,fearand depression. When they settle in here,theydon’t have thosenegative thoughts anymore, anditcompletelychanges the dynamicwiththeirfamilies.Itreallyisaboutbeing patient, meetingpeoplewhere they areand being grateful foropportunities to engagewiththem. TheVincentSeniorLivinghasIndependentLiving, AssistedLivingandMemoryCareoptionsforsenior citizens.Availableservicesincludephysicaltherapy, housekeeping,laundry,flexiblemealplans,accessto afull-servicebeautysalon,gamearea, libraryand theater, plus awidearray of social activities The communityislocated at 2201 VerotSchoolRoad in Lafayette. Visitvincentseniorliving.com to learn more or scheduleatour.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SOPHIE BATES

and Spirits in Brandon, Miss., due to state

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Johnson, Scalisecontinuetoleanontax cuts

They’re fighting to keep theirmajority in Congress

WASHINGTON —Usually April 15 is greeted with frowns,ifnot outright dread. But for Republicans, notsothis year. “What abeautiful day it is in America. Isn’tthis agreat day?” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said Wednesday He was referring to TaxDay rather than the cloudless blue skies.

Scalise spoke at anews conference on the Capitol steps for Republicans to tout tax breaks from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law July 4. Scalise and his GOP colleagues say millions of taxpayers saved money on OBBBA features like exemptions for sometips, overtime, state and local taxes, increased deductions for seniors, interest on certain car loans, and more.

“I’ve heard from Louisianans throughout our great statewho are getting bigger refunds, helping them plan avacation, save for their children, investmore, or cover day-to-day expenses,” Scalise said.

The GOP sees the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Republicans have rebranded as theWorking Family TaxCut, as their most significant legislative win during the roughly two years holding the majority in the House and Senate. Their governing dominance is threatened in November’scongressional midterms —Louisiana’sparty primaries are May16

Johnson, Cassidy, respond to Trump feud with pope

Some members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation weighed in this week after President Donald Trump picked apublic feud with Pope Leo XIV for opposing Trump’sdecision to go to war with Iran.

“Leo’sWeak on Crime,Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense,stop catering to theRadicalLeft.” Pope Leo responded that he’s not frightenedofTrump.

“I will continue to speak out strongly againstwar,seeking to promote peace, promotingdialogue and multilateralismamong states to find solutions to problems,” he said.

On Tuesday,House Speaker Mike Johnson, aRepublican from the Shreveport area,told reporters he was “taken aback” bycomments the pope made about the military operations in Iran

“A pontiff or any religious lead-

—aspolls show voters are souringonother GOP policies,such as aggressiveimmigrant deportations, tariffs, andawar with Iran that is drivingupprices.

“While Republicans are cutting taxes for families forlower-and middle-classhardworking Americans, Democrats are trying to raise those taxes,” House Speaker MikeJohnson,R-Benton, said at the news conference.

He later released statements from accountants in his district, listing only their first names and parish.

Forinstance,Randy of Beauregard Parish said:“Waiters and

er can say anythingthey want, butobviously, if you wade into political waters, Ithink you should expect some political response, andIthink thepope’sreceived some of that,” Johnson said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, had adifferent response.

waitresses with tips, employees from industrial plants with overtime —all are experiencing a much lower tax burden, which is allowing their hard-earned dollars to flow back to them. The OBBBA and its tax provisions are delivering as promised!”

The White House reported Thursday that the average refund of more than $3,400 is 11% higher than last year.Roughly 70% of filers received refunds, up from 62% last year

Six million taxpayers claimed “No TaxonTips”; 25 million used the“No TaxonOvertime”; and theincreased standard deduction

Bill requiring police to be citizens passes House Green cardholdersinLouisiana could soon be barred from becoming cops after abill to require police officers to be United States citizens passed theHouse.

was available to about 30 million seniors, according to the White House.

In total, about 53 million taxpayers used at least one of OBBBA benefits, the White House says.

That’sabout 45% of people filing taxes by April 15.

Perhaps that helps explain apoll that found 38% of taxpayers said they didn’tnotice adifference from last year and about 25% said thenew law increased their tax liability,according to asurvey by Bipartisan Policy Center, aWashington-based think tank founded in 2007 by Democratic and Republican senators.

forcement agencies in Louisiana, suchasthe Baton Rouge Police Department and Louisiana State Police, already require citizenship.

HB39 passed the House in a6524 vote, with 16 members absent. It needs Senate approval before it can head to Gov.Jeff Landry’s desk.

Other polls also show sometaxpayers are lukewarm despite the Republican tax breaks.

About 59% of those surveyed in April by The Economist and YouGovsaid they felt the economy wasgetting worse. AFoxNews poll counted 70% of voters saying taxes are too high —59% in aseparate Gallup poll, the worse numbers since the 1990s. Part of the reason could be aslight disconnect between rhetoric and reality.Ingeneral, President Donald Trumpand his Republican allies claim “no tax” on revenues from tips, overtime and forseniors. But the new law isn’t“no tax,” it’salower tax burden forsome people meeting certain conditions, such as incomelimitations. For instance, taxpayers taking advantage of the “NoTax on Tips” provision can only deduct “qualified” tips up to $25,000 if an individual’sgross incomeisless than $150,000. Qualified meansworking in abusiness that relied on tips to augment wages in 2024 and the deduction only applies to tips leftvoluntarily by the customer That meansservice fees, which are increasingly included on bills, don’tqualify.

Still, there’snodenying many taxpayers saw relief under OBBBA.

“They came up with anew name foritbecause they didn’tlike the old name, but Ikind of like the old name,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said on the Senate floor.“The average American whonormally gets arefund and who’salready filing is going to get an extra —what works out to be an extra —$250 to $300 amonth, so that’sgoing to help them deal with the higher prices.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

up to 75% of the payments —up from 25%. Recipients would have 180 days to use the money,which is up from 60 days in the current law.The bill also would include wildfires, even when started by arsonists, mistakes or other manmadecauses but spread because of weather conditions.

“PopeLeo is agood man,” said Cassidy.“He has aprayer in which he prays for usthrough friendship to have better relations, andupon better relations, otherwise decreased strife in our society.”

Both Johnson and Cassidyalso said they were glad Trump deleted a TruthSocial post with an image that appeared to portray him as Jesus.

“I talked to the president about it as soon as Isaw it and told him Idon’tthink it wasbeing received in the same way he intended it He agreed andhepulled it down. That was the rightthing to do,” said Johnson, adevout Southern Baptist.

Cassidysaid heunderstands why some were “deeply offended”bythe post

“I’m glad he deleted it. I thinkhefounditwrong,” Cassidy said.

“This bill is simply saying to arrest, detain, search, potentially use lethal force against American citizens,it’sappropriatethat you be an American citizen,” state Rep. Gabe Firment,R-Pollock, who sponsored House Bill 39, said on the House floor Wednesday

The measure exemptsnoncitizens who already work as officers, giving themuntil 2031 to get citizenship if theywant to keep their jobs.

Democrats pushed back against the bill, arguing that noncitizens can serve in themilitary.They alsocontended therewas no real problem withthe behavior of noncitizen police officers.

State Rep. Terry Landry Jr., DBatonRouge, noted that many police departments areunderstaffed and asked Firment whether the law would hurt recruitment efforts. Firment said he did not think it would, and that some law en-

House approves Letlow farmingbill

The U.S. House approved abill sponsored by Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, that helps farmers and foresters impacted by natural disasters.

On a395-10 vote, the House approved Tuesday the“Emergency Conservation Program ImprovementAct.”

The measure would provide nonindustrial forest landowners with advance emergency payments following natural disasters, rather than requiring them to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement. It also enables livestock producers to receive upfront support to cover critical repair and recovery costs.

The bills would allow farmers, ranchers, andnonindustrial privateforest landowners to receive

In recent years, wildfires burned over 60,000 acres of Louisiana forests, causing evacuations and severe damage to timber operations and surrounding agricultural activity

House bill addresses doctorsand AI

Doctors and other health care providers in Louisiana may soon need to disclose when they use AI to transcribe recordings of patient visits.

Ameasure to require them to do so, House Bill 475 by state Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, easily passed the House on Tuesday in a97-0 vote. An earlier version of the bill would have required patient consent forAItranscription, but Berault amended the measure on the House floor HB475 is part of aslew of bills that aim to grapple with the rising use of AI technologies. Many have been put on ice amid resistance from President Donald Trump’sadministration.

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

Mark Ballard

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and fellowRepublicans celebrate GOP tax policies at an event outside the Capitol in Washington on April15.

Efforts increase to get college ‘stopouts’ back on track

BY ALIA WONG AP education writer

WASHINGTON After several deaths in her family and an eviction that left her homeless, Jevona Anderson’s life began to unravel.

By 2025, Anderson — then 59 and nearing completion of her bachelor’s degree — was failing classes and falling behind on bills Eventually, she dropped out, joining a growing group of students who have left college before finishing.

Often referred to as “stopouts,” the group includes about 38 million working-age adults in the U.S In many cases, they have student loans to pay but lack the credential of a degree to boost their earnings.

While many leave college intending to return, few ultimately do. In recent years, however, colleges and local governments have gotten better at helping them get back on track. The number of stopouts reenrolling has been on the rise, reaching more than 1 million in the 2023-2024 school year, a 7% increase from the year before, according to enrollment data.

In Anderson’s case, it was a scholarship that made the difference. When she was ready to go back, the money helped her afford to reenroll at the University of Baltimore.

“It was so easy for someone my age to stop, because I have a lot of professional skills to get a job to continue to just live,” said Anderson, who is interested in becoming a teacher “It’s bigger than that.”

Small obstacles

Earning a degree can be the best way to improve one’s earnings in the long run. So why do so many abandon their studies, even when they’ve already invested thousands of dollars?

College is time-consuming, expensive and complicated. A small unpaid fee, confusing form or trou-

Still, states are seeing progress, often through intentional efforts to provide financial assistance or remove bureaucratic hurdles like account holds.

When Anderson’s life stabilized late last year and she was ready to reenroll, she learned through advisers about the university scholarship program for people close to finishing their degrees, largely funded by the Carnegie Corporation. It helped cover her remaining credits and housing costs. Now, she’s on the cusp of graduating.

“Higher education continues to have great unmet potential to help people live better lives, and we’re talking about a group of Americans that have already started down to that path; they’re close to the finish line,” said James Kvaal, who served as undersecretary of education during the Biden administration and now oversees Carnegie’s grantmaking in education and democracy

it’s a worthy investment — and a light lift compared with recruiting students “from scratch,” said Jennifer Latino of the education research firm EAB, which has studied reenrollment strategies.

When Richie Ince launched a stopout scholarship at Colorado’s Pueblo Community College about a decade ago, he found many former students left because of what he calls “life happens moments.” A little nudging in the form of social media ads and personalized outreach — plus a scholarship now worth about $2,000 — was often enough to bring students back.

“We just heard a lot of students say this was the kind of kick in the pants they needed, or that they just needed someone to reach out,” said Ince, the college’s director of enrollment management.

Participants don’t get their scholarship money until passing their first semester back with C’s or better

ble balancing caregiving, work, health issues and transportation can be enough to knock students off their path to a degree.

“Life is always changing. Everybody is going through something,” said Nina Diggs-Pindell, a University of Baltimore student who has stopped out several times because of parenting and work responsibilities.

Anderson first enrolled at the University of Baltimore in 2019 to pursue a bachelor’s in environmental sustainability

She’d dabbled in jobs from fingerprint technician to fitness director, but her career goal crystallized while she was substitute teaching in city schools.

As a kid, Anderson loved playing in the dirt. As an adult, she noticed the absence of green spaces in high-poverty, urban communities. She pursued a bachelor’s degree so she could perhaps become a teacher and, ultimately share her environmental passions with children through hands-on learning.

“I needed to make sure that I

get this degree so I can get back to them somehow, some way,” said Anderson, now 60.

But it was tough for Anderson to juggle her studies and life responsibilities. Fellowships gave her experience, but they paid little. The grief she experienced after losing her relatives compounded her financial struggles, Anderson said, and the eviction made it all but impossible to focus.

“I’m looking at my grades go from A’s and B’s to, like, ‘what is this?’ to ’I have to take this class again,” Anderson said.

After a long talk with her student support coordinator, she decided to pause her studies.

More states step up

The stopout population keeps growing overall, even as annual stopouts have declined and reenrollment has increased, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. The number of people who have left in recent years far outpaces that of students who have reengaged.

Maryland colleges reenrolled 25,068 students from around the country in 2023-2024, an increase of 2,259 from the year before. Still, it’s a tiny number compared with the 600,000 working-age adults who had dropped out of Maryland schools and had not completed their degrees.

Several states have partnered with a company called ReUp that facilitates reenrollment through coaching and data tools that allow schools to refine outreach methods.

It also matches students with college programs based on their academic history, life circumstances and employment goals.

Many colleges use data to identify people with a high number of credits, emphasizing specific supports that can help them finish their degrees.

More than scholarships

People who’ve put school on the back burner can be hard to track down and reengage. ReUp found it takes an average of 24 touchpoints, such as texts, emails and meetings, before a stopout reenrolls. But many colleges are deciding

That helps to ensure it results in degrees, Ince said. Staff also help returners complete their financial aid application and check in regularly to keep them on track.

The scholarship was the help Melody Blair, 55, needed to go back to school for an associate’s in health information management. She has spent decades working nights at a call center — a job that pays the bills but wears her down.

“There are days I just want to take the headset off and say ‘no more,’” she said.

Now Blair, who was adopted as a baby is pursuing a career in the genomic registry field, helping people who don’t have access to their own medical histories. “It’s one of those jobs I know I can wake up and look forward to doing.”

While Anderson is on track to graduate after this semester, it felt bittersweet when she realized she wouldn’t be able to afford the regalia. The school’s student center has since offered to lend her a cap and gown. Either way, she said, what matters most is the prospect of soon working with children again.

“Me and God made a pact — I am graduating this spring,” she said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH

VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

Venezuela’sMachado drawshugecrowd in Madrid

Nobellaureate rebuffsmeeting

Spain’sPM

BY SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press

MADRID Venezuela’s ex-

iled opposition leader María Corina Machado drew several thousand supporters Saturday to arally in Madrid, where the Nobel laureate declined ameeting with Spain’sprogressive Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on a multicountry European tour

Sánchez,anoutspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, was hosting asummit of like-minded progressive leadersfrom around the world Saturday, whileMachado extolled Trump’souster of Nicolás MaduroinJanuary.

Earlier this year,she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize.

“What happened in thelast fewhours at themeeting (Sánchez) held in Barcelona withseveral leaders and politicalfigures from different countries demonstrates why such ameeting was not

advisable,” Machado told reporters Saturday. Machado insisted at an earlier event she will be returningtoVenezuela, but declined to say when,orhow and acknowledged the challenges implicit in areturn to hercountry

Her multistepEuropean tour, during which she met with the leaders of France, Italyand theNetherlands, comes while Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguezhas continuedin her temporary role, exceeding its initial 90-day limit, while the U.S. government has lifted somesanctions against her Machado criticized Rodríguez’sgovernment, saying it represented “chaos, violence and terror,” and reiterated her belief in the need for democratic elections in Venezuela. Machado added shedid notregretpresentingTrump, whose administration haslargely sidelined the crusader for democracy with her Nobel.

She said shewas in permanent contactwith officials in theTrumpadministration and trusted Washington’s phasedprocess in Venezuela

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMANU FERNANDEZ

Venezuela’soppositionleader Maria Corina Machadoholdsa Venezuelan flag on stagein front of supporters on SaturdayatMadrid’s Puerta del Sol, in Madrid, Spain.

since Maduro’sremoval.

“There is one leader in theworld, one head of state, who has riskedthe lives of his country’scitizens for the freedom of Venezuela.

And thatisDonald Trump,” Machadosaid, referringto theU.S. militaryoperation in January

Peru’s interimpresidentdefers

$3.5 billionfighter jetpurchase

By The Associated Press

LIMA, Peru Peruvian in-

terim President José María

Balcázar hasdeferred the decision to purchase 24 fighter jets valued at $3.5 billion to his successor who will emerge after arunoff in the country’spresidential election.

Balcázar announced the decision in an interview with RPP local radio station on Friday evening. His transitional government, which began in February, is set to end in July. Peru is

holding apresidential runoff on June 7.

Theinterim leader said thenew government will have “full legitimacy to decide” whether to acquire theF-16Block 70 fighter jets manufactured by the United States-based LockheedMartin.

“For us tocommitsuch alarge sumofmoney to theincoming government wouldbeapoor practice for atransitional government,” Balcázar said Peruvians voted for president on Sunday.Nocandi-

datereceived enough support to winoutright, and electoralauthorities have notyet announced the two candidates who will advance to the runoff contest as they continue to count votes.

Conservative former congresswomanKeiko Fujimorihas assured her spot in June’sballot after taking the topslot among 35 presidential hopefuls.But the tight race for second and third placecould take weeks to finalize. The runoff winner will takeoffice on July 28.

Theoppositionleaderdrew ahuge crowd in the Spanish capital’sPuerta del Sol, standing beside Madrid’s conservative regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who feted her earlier in the day

Some600,000 Venezuelans live in Spain, home to the largestpopulation anywhere

outside the Americas. Many fled political persecution andviolence, but also the country’scollapsing economy.Amajority liveinthe capital, Madrid.

Ahead of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections, Machado crisscrossed the country, rallying millions

of voters looking to end 25 years of single party rule

When she was barred from the race, apreviously unknownformer diplomat, Edmundo Gonzalez, replaced heronthe ballot.But election officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner despite ample credibleevidence to the contrary

Machado,revered by millions in Venezuela, went into hiding but vowed to continue fighting until democracywas restored. She reemerged last December to pick up her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, thefirst time in more thanadecade that she had leftVenezuela.

On Saturday,27-year-old Venezuelan migrant Grehlsy Peñuela said she still placed her hopes forher country in Machado and her eventual return to Caracas.

Peñuela,who heldsigns withthe faces of hertwo cousins she said remain incarcerated in Caracas as political prisoners, would consider returning to Venezuela only under one condition. “That the current government completely steps down,” she said.

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO— TheU.S. imposed sanctions on three people andtwo firms over allegedly recruiting anddeploying Colombian mercenaries to fight alongsidethe paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’swar,which has entered its fourth year with no end in sight

The sanctions, announced by theDepartment of Treasury lateFriday,were the latest by the United States on the RSF,whichhave been at war against the Sudanese military since April 2023.

The group hasbeen accusedbyrights groups of atrocities amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war whichcreated the world’s largest humanitariancrisis.

The RSFwas born out of feared Arab Janjaweed militias, notorious for atrocitiesinthe early 2000s against people identifying as East or Central African in Sudan’swestern region of Darfur

The Treasury’sOffice of Foreign Assets Control said the sanctionedindividuals and firms were involved in

“recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to Sudan to fight on behalf of the RSF.” They includea Bogota, Colombia-based employment agency,Fénix, which was established last year as areplacement of another firm, A4SI, that the U.S. sanctioned in December also for aiding the RSF Both firms were founded by Alvaro AndresQuijano Becerra,aretired Colombian military officer,and his wife. They arealso on aSudan-related sanctions list, according to the Treasury’sstatement.

Record drought sparks concerns

Officials worried about fires, water supply and food prices

BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer

Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it’s a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues.

More than 61% of the Lower 48 states is in moderate to exceptional drought — including 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West — according to the U.S. Drought Monitor It’s the highest levels for this time of year since the drought monitor began in 2000.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s comprehensive Palmer Drought Severity Index not only hit its highest level for March since records started in 1895, but last month was the third-driest month recorded regardless of time of year It trailed only the famed Dust Bowl months of July and August 1934. Because of record heat, much of the West has had exceptionally low levels of snow in the first few months of the year, which is usually how the region stores water for the summer A different drought — connected to the jet stream keeping storms further north — has put the South from Texas all the way to the East Coast into a separate drought that just happens to coincide with what’s going on in the West, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center It would take 19 inches of rain in one month to break the drought in eastern Texas and more than a foot of rain to solve the deficit for most

of the Southeast, NOAA calculated

“Right now 61% of the country is in drought and that’s steadily been going up for the calendar year,” Fuchs said. “We just haven’t seen too many springs where this amount of the country has been in this kind of shape.”

Sticking out like a sore thumb is a highly technical but crucial measurement of “the sponginess” of the atmosphere — or how much moisture the hot, dry air is sucking up from the land it’s baking. It’s called vapor pressure deficit. It’s 77% above normal and more than 25% higher than the previous record for January through March in the West, said UCLA hydroclimatologist Park Williams. That level of moisturesucking from the ground “wouldn’t have appeared possible” before now, Williams said.

Drought usually peaks in summer, not spring, and that’s what worries meteorologists.

“Fire tends to respond to heat and drought in an exponential manner,” Williams said. “For each degree of warming, you get a bigger bang in terms of fire than you got from the previous degree of warming.”

In Arizona, cactuses are blooming months early and the worry about water has already started, said Kathy Jacobs, director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona.

“Those of us who are dependent on the Colorado River of course, are very concerned about the fact that we don’t have a negotiated path forward in the middle of what appears to be possibly the worst year of drought that we’ve all experienced,” Jacobs said. “We have lots of reservoirs that are not full.”

Obama meets Mamdani in N.Y. before reading to preschoolers

BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama met with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at a child care center where they read to preschoolers and led a singalong.

The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is also trying to build a working relationship with Republican President Donald Trump. The meeting comes just over a week after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office.

Obama and Mamdani did not take questions after reading the book “Alone and Together” to the children and leading a singalong of “The Wheels on the Bus.”

The former two-term president and standard-bearer for the Democratic Party has offered to be a sounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose star power, youth and progressive agenda has made him stand out in Democratic politics.

Mamdani took office in January after a campaign centered on making New York

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANGELINA KATSANIS Former President Barack Obama, left, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani read a book to children on Saturday at Learning Through Play Pre-K in New york.

City a more affordable place to live, centering his agenda on refocusing the vast power of government toward helping the city’s struggling working class.

Mamdani’s meeting with Obama comes after he has already met twice with Trump at the White House in November and February to discuss issues affecting New York City.

Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters said his biggest concern is what drought will do to agriculture and then food prices. If America has a poor crop year because of the drought, it could be a global problem. A strong natural El Nino weather oscillation is predicted, which often reduces crop yield in other places across the globe, such as India.

UCLA’s Williams said the drought and hotter weather are driven by both natural variability and humancaused climate change with randomness a slightly bigger factor

“All weather is now affected by climate change,” Arizona’s Jacobs said. “There is no such thing as weather that’s divorced from climate trends. But this extreme event is extreme in the way that we’ve been expecting: extreme heat waves, intense drought.”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, right, greets Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday at the Meeting in Defence of Democracy summit in Barcelona, Spain.

Spain, Mexico put tussle over colonial past behind them

BY JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain With

a few choice words and a handshake, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum laid to rest a diplomatic spat between her government and Spain over the Spanish colonial past during her visit to Barcelona on Saturday

“There is no diplomatic crisis, there never was one,” she said upon arrival at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, a gathering of representatives of 15 countries concerned with the rise of illiberalism.

“The important thing is to recognize the efforts of the indigenous people of our land,” she said, moments before shaking hands with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Sheinbaum’s participation came after Spain’s King Felipe VI ironed out a long-standing diplomatic dispute when in March he publicly acknowledged the conquest of the Americas had led to the “abuse” of native peoples.

The international tussle started in 2019, when Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, demanded that Spain “publicly and officially” recognize the abuses committed during the conquest of Mexico in a letter sent to the Span-

ish king and Pope Francis. Spain refused to do so, which soured relations between the two governments.

Relations hit a low point in 2024 when Sheinbaum did not invite Felipe to her inauguration over the palace’s refusal to issue a formal apology a move that Sánchez called “unacceptable.” Spain subsequently refused to send a representative to Sheinbaum’s inauguration in a breach of tradition.

The unprecedented step toward reconciliation by Felipe was followed by the Mexican government inviting the Spanish monarch to attend a World Cup match this summer Sheinbaum and Sánchez later met privately for nearly an hour, according to Sánchez’s office.

“I spoke with President Sheinbaum about global affairs and the importance of advancing the relations between Mexico and the European Union,” Sánchez wrote on X. “We are in agreement in continuing to strengthen our special cultural, economic and social ties.” Sánchez did not publicly mention the now-resolved diplomatic issue at Saturday’s events, while thanking Sheinbaum for offering to host the next edition of the pro-democracy summit next year

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

PHOTO

By BRITTANy PETERSON

Philip Anderson walks across a dry stock pond on March 31 in Walden, Colorado.

Boulet vetoes $1M for downtown plan

Mayor expresses concern over legal review

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL

Staff writer

Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet, on the final day to block a council vote, vetoed a $1 million downtown redevelopment plan.

Boulet’s chief of staff, Christina Dayries, con-

firmed the decision late Friday On April 7, the City Council voted to provide $500,000 from reserve and capital budget funds to fund the Downtown-Urban Core Redevelopment Plan. The plan would have been handled by the Downtown Development Authority, with the remaining funds expected to come from the downtown taxing district.

The City Council can override the mayor’s veto by a two-thirds vote or four out of five members. The final

adoption passed last Tuesday by a 4-1 vote, with Elroy Broussard voting in opposition.

Boulet, in an announcement wrote that the decision to veto came from concern over the absence of a “thorough and competent” legal review before the ordinance’s adoption.

“A comprehensive legal analysis is not a procedural formality it is a fundamental responsibility,” wrote Boulet. “It ensures that ordinances are legal-

ly sound, defensible, and aligned with existing laws. In this instance, that standard was not met.”

The mayor argued that the agreement between Lafayette Consolidated Government and the DDA, as set forth in the ordinance, granted the DDA “broad authority” to administer projects, programming, funding, and redevelopment initiatives without adequate oversight by Boulet’s administration and LCG departments. The DDA redevelopment

plan and any actual projects or programs tied to it would have had to go before the City Council for review and approval, according to the ordinance.

Additionally, the agreement, in the mayor’s view, allowed the DDA to expand its scope of work beyond downtown.

The agreement notes that redevelopment work would extend beyond the DDA’s and downtown taxing district’s boundaries to improve connections between

MÚSICA y COMIDA

School system cancels hearing on Comeaux

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

A young woman who inspired a podcast and a University of Louisiana at Lafayette scholarship has died.

Alexis “Lexi” Barbry died April 14 at age 28

March. The scholarship supports students in the university’s UL LIFE Program, which provides academic, career and independent living opportunities for students with disabilities. Doctors told Barbry’s family she would

according to a statement from the Lafayette Parish school system. The cancellation, which came late Friday is the most recent development in ongoing activity surrounding the school. The board voted March 12 to close Comeaux High at the end of the current school year, sending students to other

the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Oil Center, and Evangeline Thruway allowing the DDA to manage work on LCG’s behalf.

“The City of Lafayette is the governing authority over its infrastructure, particularly within the downtown core,” Boulet wrote. “Any redevelopment effort must ensure appropriate accountability, coordination, and oversight to protect public assets and align with

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Commercial fishers and a charter boat captain have filed two proposed class-action lawsuits over a large spill from the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port discovered in February, with one alleging “gross negligence and willful misconduct.”

Shrimpers, crabbers and others working in coastal Louisiana’s seafood industry continued to see oil in their nets, traps and catch from the spill early this month, both before and after the state reopened 106,300 acres of oyster leases closed from the leak, according to court papers.

The private offshore terminal’s owners are also accused of not informing the public that the spill hadn’t been contained until five days after the leak was first discovered and only after crude reached land.

The proposed class-action suits, filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, claim widespread damages to the seafood industry and the coastal environment.

LOOP, the only named defendant in either case, has said it responded as quickly as possible to the Feb. 26 leak and removed the vast majority of the oil. State officials say testing hasn’t turned up concerning levels of contamination in marine life.

A leaking transfer hose at the LOOP was discovered Feb. 26 and released 31,500 gallons of Venezuelan crude according to LOOP The spill hit the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge in Terrebonne Bay, an important coastal bird

ä See SPILL, page 2B ä See VETO, page 2B

PHOTO PROVIDED By BAUDOIN FAMILy Ronnie Baudoin, left, Mary Baudoin, top, and her daughter, Alexis Barby

PHOTOS By LEE BALL

Areda Gonzalez, of Solero Flamenco, from Houston, dances during the New Iberia Spanish Festival in New Iberia on Saturday. The festival also had music by Rio Luminoso.

Charlotte Collins has her face painted Saturday at the New Iberia Spanish Festival.

Chance Reon prepares paella for Born in the Bayou Food Company of Lafayette on Saturday in New Iberia. A paella cooking contest was part of the New Iberia Spanish Festival.

photos

the New Iberia Spanish Festival. PAGE 2B

ManID’d in theftof 7 school buses

Police sayhetook them on joyrides

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Baton Rouge Police are lookingfor aman who allegedly stole sevenschool buses from multiplearea schools over thecourse of a month, abandoning each one after ajoyride according to awarrant for his arrest.

Investigators identified Christopher Johnson, 20, using surveillance footage, and issued awarrant to arrest him on seven counts of motor vehicle theft. This wasn’t the first time Johnson hasbeen accused of stealing aschool bus—hehas aprior arrest warrant from a2024 heist in which he allegedly painted the buswhitetotry to get awaywith it, according to court documents.

On April 13, Baton Rouge police received acall from The Dufrocq School, off Government Street in Baton Rouge, where astolen Iberville CharterAcademy bus had been parked in front of the building for some time Police said they later foundthat the samebus was abandoned in alot on Spain Street. While investigating the April13incident police found multiple other casesofschool bus theft from Helix Academy and Inspire Charter Academy that started on March19, according to an arrest warrant.

In total, five buses werestolen from Helix Aviation Academy,and one bus each from Iberville Charter Academy and Inspire Charter Academy,the arrest warrant said.

Thebuses stolen from HelixAviation Academy were abandoned behind the former Save-A-Lot at 5186 Evangeline St. Another bus was recovered in alot inthe 100 block of McClelland Drive, near Evangeline Street

Three of the school buses had keysinside when police recovered them. According to the police, these types of schoolbuses are keyed alike and can use the same key unless it has been professionally changed Police said they used this information, along withsurveillance footage inside the buses, to determine that Johnson was the person behind the allegedthefts.

SPILL

Continued from page1B

andrecreational fishing area. Oil has also reached back marshes behind the refuge andnear Lake Pelto.

One suit alleges seafood workers couldn’tuse their typical fishing spots, had to throw outcontaminated seafood, and clean contaminated boats, nets and other equipment. Processors lost income due to decreased supply and damaged reputation to the region’sseafood, it states.

“The timing of the spill could not be worse, as it comes right before the openingofLouisiana’sinland shrimping season, peak season for crabbing,and spawning season for oysters,” thesuit filed April 6states.

“Additionally,risingfuelcosts renderadditional travel to clean waters particularly cost prohibitive. Thus, the full economic impact to Plaintiffs and the Louisiana seafood industry as aresult of this spill is not yet known.”

Both suits allege LOOP’sprivate claims process violatedthe law, pressuring seafood workers to take asettlement thatwaived their legal rights without being able to consult legal counsel or afamilymember

Thefirst suit was brought by Terrebonne shrimp boat captainAustin Trahan, commercial crabber Patrick Luke and seafood businesses

BARBRY

Continued from page1B

Her story also led to thecreation of “This Ability Podcast,” launched by Baudoin in 2019 to highlightthe experiences of people with disabilities and their support networks.

“I wanted to create aplatform thatallowed those who are part of the special-needs community to share theirstories, strugglesand triumphs,” Baudoin saidina previous interview

AMUSICAL FIESTA

Puky’sSeafood andShrimpKingdomSeafood. It provides photos of oiledfloats, traps, dock and catch.

The second, filed April 10, was brought by Cocodrie charter boat captain Olden Rodrigue andtwo of hisbusinesses, Coastal CharterServicesand Rodrigue BusinessAssociates. Rodrigue captains boats for redfish and speckled trout trips, duck hunting and bow fishing.

Statehealthofficialssay 66 individual tests of shrimp, crab, oyster and various fish species have turned upnocontamination. By April 3, the Department of Health hadreopened allsix oyster harvest areas previously closed.

Wade Tornyos, aLOOP spokesperson, declined to speakdirectly about the litigation but previously disputed some of the accusations, including allegations about the claims process.

Cleanup,which LOOP says has been largely contained along the shoreline since early April, is quickly seeing additional areas clearedby stateand federalregulators, Tornyos said.

“They’re clearing alot …miles upon miles every day,” he said.

Located 18 miles offshore, LOOP opened in 1981 and is acritical deep-water terminal that supplies crude to Louisiana and other Gulf refineriesfrom massive oiltankers. It’s owned by aconsortium of oiland pipeline companies.

TheFeb. 26 spill was thefirst reported from the offshore terminal

According to her obituary,BarbrydiedTuesday surrounded by family.Acelebration of her life is scheduled forSaturdayatMelancon Funeral Home in Carencro.

According to her obituary, Barbry’slifewas defined“notbylimitations, but by strength, resilience, and alightthat touchedeveryone aroundher.”

“She hada way of bringing people together —through her smile, her presence, and the quietbut powerful impact shemadeonthose who knewher,” theobituary states. The scholarship created in her

since 2000, according to the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’sOffice database. Over the same period, two spills werereported from the consortium’srelatedonshore facilities,totaling about 8,440 gallons.

The suitsecho concerns thathave been bubbling forweeksamong Terrebonne Parishfisherman, shrimpers, dock owners and afew parish political leaders.

In an interview earlier this month,Mitch Jurisich, chair of the state oyster task force, saidhehas continued to hear reports from oystermen and shrimpers thatoil was showing up in thecatch. He said he believed theextent of the leak was being downplayed.

“They’ve kept this verytightlipped,” Jurisich said.

Terrebonne Parish Council member Kim Chauvin, who runs a shrimp dock, processing plant and other related businesses withher husband, said in earlyApril that she hadbeendisappointedinthe state response.

“Wechose to takeshrimpand put it in thedumpsterbecause we’re worried about putting it in thefood chain,” she said.

Taylor Brazan, aspokesperson with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said the agency works with the HealthDepartment and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office to “helpensurethe safety of harvested seafood.”She saidaerial surveys andsampling found no oil at thesurface or har-

name aims to remove financial barriers for studentsinthe UL LIFE Program andexpandaccess to higher education opportunities. Organizers say theeffort reflects a broader commitment to dignity, inclusionand long-term support for individuals with disabilities.

“This scholarship is our way of giving back,” thefamily said in a statement. “It will help students pursue independence, personal growth and atrue college experience.”

Scholarships are expected to be awarded beginning in 2027.The

vest depths, andtissue testing hadn’tshown“concerning levels” of contaminants. Theplaintiffs in theshrimp and crab suitsay they are doing their own testing.

“Weare concerned that thestate is testing at adetection limit that is toohigh and is improperly focused on PAHs and not on someofthese other constituents that we would be lookingfor,” said one of the plaintiffs’attorneys, Kerry Miller That suit also alleges that LOOP initially downplayed the size of the spill and attorneys have questions aboutthe current reported size, Miller said. LOOP says it stands by its calculation of thespill size, which has been regularly checked.

Tornyos has said the Venezuelan crudethatspilledmadecleanup more difficult, especially once skimmers finished the bulk of their work.

“Once it gets to the shoreline, it’s amorelabor-intensive workrequiring alot of people and using slower techniques, suchaspicking stuff up withshovelsand rakes and whatnot,” Tornyos said. The “sour” heavy oil is sticky and viscous, can form tar balls and then loosen up as temperatures rise. The crude has led to fears more oil has sunk to the bottom thanhas been calculated, only to be picked up later by nets, Jurisich and others said.

David J. Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@theadvocate.com.

fund is currentlyopen to public contributions, with agoal of reaching $25,000 to establish an endowed account that will provide ongoing support forstudents.

Contributionstothe Alexis Barbry Scholarship may be mailed to the UL Lafayette Foundation, P.O. Box 43657, Lafayette, LA 70504. Please include “Fund #02094” in the memoline to ensure proper designation.Once the fund reaches $25,000, it will be transferred into an endowed account, allowing the scholarship to support UL LIFE students in perpetuity

Continued from page1B

long-term planning goals.” The redevelopment plan prioritized severalthings: puttingunderutilizedspaces backintocommerce,parking, downtown parks, and transportation and mobility, DDA CEO Kevin Blanchard said in aprevious interview

Thegoalwas to help upgrade properties downtown and create new developmentsthat have long been hindered by infrastructure bottlenecks, such as sewage capacity

The plan wasexpected to look at about adozen sites, some of which include underusedparking lots,Blanchard said,and figureout whythese sites have not yetbeendeveloped. The plan would also as-

sess where parking is needed or notinthe downtown area and how to better useexisting parking facilities.

Another focus was on expandingFestivalInternational’sfootprint downtown. The freefestival brings hundreds of thousands to thedowntown area, andthe need for extra stage space is growing. It would have looked at how to better connect downtown with nearbyhot spots, such

as the UniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette campus and the Oil Center

The DDA is in an ongoing lawsuit with the Lafayette Consolidated Government followingthe city’s Board of Zoning and Adjustment’s votetoapprove adowntown condo project last year.The DDA lost its battle in the local court but appealed the decision to the 3rd Circuit Court.

LOTTERY FRIDAY, APRIL17, 2026

PICK 3: 6-1-9

PICK 4: 9-4-3-9

PICK 5: 9-7-6-7-1

MEGA

VETO

Brenda Lowryperforms Saturday at the NewIberia Spanish Festival

Irama La PalomaofSolero Falmenco, dancers from Houston, performs at the NewIberia Spanish Festival.

PHOTOSByLEE BALL

Alfonsa Tarazona of Rio Luminoso sings Saturdayatthe NewIberia Spanish Festival.

THE GULF COAST

Once-quiet Foley, Ala.,seeingasurge of newcomers

Newdevelopments moving northofcoast

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

At his busy southern cafe in Foley,Alabama, Greg Felix often notices atelltale sign of newcomers floodinginto the city: They keep asking what okra is.

“They’ve never even heard of it,” Felix said. The lack of local knowledge is part of atransformation in Foley, aonce-quiettown on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Foley,just north of Gulf Shores, is theseventh-fastest-growing city in the country.Its population expandedbyanextraordinary 12% in 2024, according to the latest estimatesfrom the U.S. Census Bureau. The cityisnow home to 28,000 people and has gained more than 7,000 residents since 2020, manyfrom states outside of the South.

The growth keeps coming

Anew development with 1,300 homes for residents 55 andolder is under construction andexpected to open next year.The city and county are building new roads and spending millions on infrastructure improvements

“Wejust remembered Foley as a place you drove throughtoget to Gulf Shores,” said AmandaEckart, areal estate agent from northern Alabama who now sells homes across the coast. “Now,it’saplace that people stop and come to all on its own.”

The stampede is asign of the changing Gulf Coast. Across the region, as beach destinations that have long drawn Louisiana visitors get more crowded and expensive, new development is surging north. Newcomers say they arechoosing Foley because it is affordable and close to the beach. Many are retirees who enjoy the laid-back culture. Northerners are also moving to avoid the ice and snow Real estate agents are selling to buyers from Washington,Iowa, Idaho, Indiana and Texas. Many

newcomersearned highersalaries in those states andbegan arriving in Foley when remote work expanded afterthe COVID-19pandemic RestaurantsinFoley that used to slow down during the winter months are nowbusy almost year-

round. The city’sroads are so full of cars that some residents who live on majorthoroughfares are struggling to exit their driveways each morning. In other neighborhoods, most homes arebeing bought by newcomers from other states.

‘Justamazing’

City leaders and businesses arescrambling to meet the new demands. OWAParks &Resort, Foley’shub of theme park rides, restaurantsand shops,opened a massive indoor waterparkcalled

Tropic Falls in 2022. The city is building anew library and community centertwice the size of thecurrent facility. The Foley City Council briefly paused dense residential development last year to buy timewhile leaders updated subdivision regulations.

“This growth must be balanced with our ability to protect the character of our community,” Mayor Ralph Hellmich said at the time.

Locals are torn about the growth. Some longtime residents are upset that thesmall-town feel is disappearing, especially in rural areas where new subdivisions are now encroaching on open land. Others are embracing the growth as a blessing forsmall businesses and the localeconomy. Then there are those whoare simply astonished.

“It’sjust amazing,” said Charles “Skip” Gruber, acounty commissioner whorepresents the area. Economic fortunes arerising with the surge —the median family income in Foley rose to over $66,000 last year,upfrom $43,000 in 2020, according to thecity. But the shiftisalso evident across Foley’sculture.

On residential streets, flags for Michiganand Ohio State arenow mixing with the traditional shows of support for Alabama and Auburn.

At Foley’shistoric Hotel Magnolia, whereguestsoften stay while theysearch forhouses, owner Diana Rohe-Pennington keeps hearing new accents.

“You can tell the ones from up north,” she said. The observation apparently goes both ways. “I have areal southern drawl,” she added, “and they kind of get akick out of it and want to hear me talk.”

Foley’sgrowth is so significant that somenew residents whowant properties with more open space are even turning to neighboring Elberta,asmall town that just got anew wine bar and coffee shop.

“We’re just not as slow as we used to be,” said Felix, themanager at Lambert’sCafe in Foley

“It’sgoing to be good for all the businesses,” said Rohe-Pennington. “Itkeeps the money here.”

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Tropic Falls, an indoor water park at OWAParks &ResortinFoley, Ala., opened in 2022.

As public school enrollment shrinks, stateneeds astrategy

Louisiana’slong, slow population decline has hadmanydownstreameffects. One that is often overlooked is the effect on thestate’spublic schools.

But as an illuminating analysis publishedthis week by this newspaper’sPatrick Wall shows, the state’sebbing population is felt keenly in the state’spublic classrooms.

Studying adecade’sworth of data, Wall found there are about 60,000 fewer students in Louisiana publicschools thanthere were 10 years ago. Last year,enrollments dropped in 90% of Louisiana’sroughly 70 school districts. Total enrollmentstatewidewas down year over year by over 11,000.

Private school enrollmentisalso shrinking. Home school, microschool and charterschool enrollments are growing,but not enough to offset the other declines.

The irony is that the shrinking student numbers come as public schools in Louisiana are experiencing some noteworthyacademic improvements. In 2024, the staterecordedits highest score in anational assessmentofreading. Some of the methods applied there arenow flowingintomatheducation, and forone of the few times in recent memory,there is real optimism in Louisiana educational circles.

Other Southern states, manyofwhich are seeing population increases, have public school enrollments thatare at least holding steadyor even increasing.

The policy and practical ramifications of falling enrollment are manifold.State funding —the primary source of revenue formost local school systems —isbased on thenumber of students enrolled in each district. Shrinking student counts, therefore, result in lowerstate funding, which in turn forces schooladministrators and board members to make tough choices

That often means dropping programs, reducing staff and closing or consolidating schools

The last option is especially complicated when schools —asistrue in many rural areas —are rallying points for communities alreadyhard hit by population declines. But puttingoff such decisions often makes theproblem worse

Some administrators have adopted other approaches, including improving marketing or creating specialized programs. But the tide is against them. With ashrinking population, the problemwill only worsen.

Gov.Jeff Landry and other stateleadersare certainly aware of this challenge. Theyhave made economic developmenta majorpriority, landing severallarge projects.

But those aren’tapanacea. Wall found, for instance, that even as amajorliquefiednatural gasfacility in Plaquemines Parish brought in thousands of workers, school enrollment continued to shrink. That doesn’tmean thatLouisiana should not go forthose projects.But we urgestate leaderstolook at metrics beyondjust construction costs and rosy job predictions to ensure that new industries will benefit thecommunities where they locate from top to bottom, including in schools. After all, it would be agrave disappointment if, just as Louisiana startstomake real, measurable educational gains, there were fewerstudents to benefit from them.

CORRECTION

Acolumn in Tuesday’spaper aboutthe Artemis missionincorrectly identified aformerLouisiana resident whose father worked on the Saturn V rocket. His name is Greg Worthington.

ForBen Sasse, victoryoverdeath

If you don’tknow former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, he’sthe first to tell you these days that he wasn’tready for thefight of Washington, in somerespects. He wasn’tapolitician —honestly,the man is anerd in the best of ways. He believed in thenobility of public service. During his time in office, he was America’smuch-needed civics teacher Sasse is currently dying of cancer.Hemay not have long to live. These are precious monthsfor,as Sasse understands it,“redeeming the time.” Sasse has been doing alot of talking lately.Inarecent interview with Ross Douthat for The New York Times,he appears bloodied. Hisface is broken. His skin isn’treplacing itself. He may be suffering, but Sasse has not lost his sense of humor,gratitude, love of God and appreciation for the American experiment. Sasse reminds us, in his podcastsand interviews, that life is agift and is meanttobelived in love for God and his people. His priorityissharing thewisdom that has

been forced upon him. Ross joked that pending deathhas Sasse, at 54, “where Henry Kissinger wasat100.” When theconversation turns to politics, Sasse predicts that theUnited States in 2026 won’t be remembered forits insane partisan rhetoric. Instead, “[w] hat we’re going to talk about is the fact that we were living through atechnological revolution that was creating economic and cultural upheaval, and we were living through institutional collapse, and way,way,way,way,way below that, there’sawhole bunch of political institutions that are part of that institutional collapse.”

About more eternal things, Sasse says: “I believe in the resurrection, andIbelieve in arestoration of this world.”

At thesame time, he’shonest about thehuman condition.“Death is terrible. We should never sugarcoat it. It is not how things are meanttobe. But it is great that deathcan be called the final enemy. It’sanenemy, but it’sa final enemy, and there will then be no moretears.”

It’s his family that he grieves for. He and his wife have ateenage boy at home, and two girls out of the house. He will not be around forhis son during somepivotal years, he knows, and will not walkhis daughters down church aisles should they marry.“I felt areal heaviness about that,” Sasse recalls about learning he had cancer “I’ve continued to feel apeace about the fact that death is something that we should hate. We should call it a wicked thief. And yet, it’spretty good that you pass through the veil of tears one time and then there will be no moretears, there will be no morecancer.” As Iwrite, cancer has not killed Sasse yet. And it will never kill his soul. The bloody —and grace-filled way he is dying is amercy forall who look and listen: Christianity is real, can be tried and will save us from the powers of hell, which are too real when we have no sense of perspective on the meaning of this time we have been given.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Finding away to focus on things that matter is sometimes hard.

We are all inundated by aflood of news and information day after day,and it can be overwhelming to takeitall in. Butwhen we look at our lives and our communities, it’sclear thethings that matter are the thingsthat bring us together whether that’sfamilial bonds, community spaces or inspiring ideas. The day-to-day grind can obscure those thingsattimes, but when we lose sight of them, it’sgood to look around and see people who aredoing good in the world. They are all around us.

AndinLouisiana at this time of year, they especially include themusicians and volunteers and organizers who put on the festivals that have us tapping our toes tothe beat.New Orleans’ JazzFest, the grandaddy of them all,

kicks off later this week, as does Festival International in Lafayette. French Quarter Fest and TheBaton Rouge Blues Festival are just ending. These events offer morethan music, though. They are valuable “third spaces,” aphrase coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe places outside of homeand workwhere people gather They have low barriers to entry (though Ihear you about JazzFest ticket prices) and attract awide swath of thecommunity.It’s where you can go and meet your neighbors by chance and reconnect. Our communities are losing such spaces, but studies have shown they makeus happier If you are reading social media or theletters to the editor every day and you have doubtsaboutthe sense or morals of your fellow humans, it’stime

to get to athird space. Often, when we encounter one another in real life instead of behind ascreen, it restores our faith in humanity

Turning to our letters inbox forApril 2-9, it was abusy time. We received 83 letters, which is ahigh forthe year No surprise that the topic that mostof you wanted to talk about wasthe war in Iran, the subject of 11 letters. The second mostpopular topic was also no surprise: the current legislative session, which prompted 10 of you to write. Lastly,the U.S. Senate race is heating up, and four letters werereceived about the candidates. Are you planning to head out to amusic festival this weekend? If so, plenty of us whowork forthe newspaper will be going, too. Maybe we’ll see you there.

Email Arnessa Garrett at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com

Arnessa Garrett

Kathryn Jean Lopez

COMMENTARY

PresidentGarfieldis suddenly onecoolcat

When Iwas growing up on Garfield Street in New Orleans, the joke, albeit insensitive to its subject, was that Iwas on the block that wasa “dead end, just like James Garfield’spresidency.” For the past few years, though, Garfield’spresidencyand life —cut short by an assassin’sbullet fired just 120 days into his White House term —have been very much reinvigorated, reaching acrescendo now Athoroughly engrossing late2025 miniseries about him is a nominee for the Peabody Entertainment Awards to be announced April 23, and the Capitol Historical Society hosted an April15 public “dialogue”with aGarfield biographer and one of the miniseries’ lead actors. And while the miniseries “Death by Lightning” was inspired by adifferent book on the felled president, much of the impetus for the sudden interest in the previously little-remembered Garfield arose due to the widely lauded “President Garfield,” a superbly rendered2023 biography by NewOrleans native C.W.Goodyear.The firstmajor biography by Goodyear,at least afourth-generation Louisianan

on both his maternal and paternallines, was recognized by The Washington Post as one of the year’svery best nonfiction books and described in The Wall Street Journal as “the most readable ever” biography of thenation’s 20th President Goodyear last week offered interesting insights aboutGarfield and about lessons applicable today from his story

likable. Indeed, he madevery few enemies even during theReconstruction era that Goodyear says was perhaps thelast time before now that the nation’spolitical divisions ran quitesodeeply

That story is remarkable. Garfield’spresidential predecessor, RutherfordHayes, said of him that “no man ever started so low whoaccomplished so much in all our history.” Literally born in alog cabin,Garfield worked as afarmer,quarry worker,janitor, schoolteacher,celebrated mathematician,collegepresident at the age of 26, state legislator,military hero asthe youngest Union general in theCivil War, lawyer and U.S.House Minority Leader Aprewar abolitionist and postwaropponentofthe corrupt, reigning “spoils system”of government,Garfield was by all accounts agenuinely good man (with, naturally,a few human foibles).Perhapsmost noteworthy abouthis personality,though, was that he wassoconsiderate and

“I was intrigued by theidea of anational-level leader of the United States who was trying to overcome the spirit of division of their times,” Goodyear told me. “James Garfield’slife is the story of somebody trying to be almost apathologically reasonable person in an irrational time. Iwould argue that his political arc shows boththe positives and negatives, theyields and the pitfalls, of that approach to American politics. Ironically,what played arole in his assassination was his attempt to please all comers and appease all factions of his party.”

Goodyear explained that while Garfield truly wanted major reforms, his approach made only smaller gains likely: “Hewas almost militantly obsessed with making everybody at the table happy.Hewould have preferred to make4-yard gains on the ground than risk a30-yard Hail Mary pass.”

His death, making him into a martyr, was what gave necessary impetus to the passage of the civil service reformspassed in his

gressional debates, making them available in newspapers at every breakfast table that, as Goodyear paraphrased it, “The greatest lawmaking arena in human history gets turned into adramatic stage where people are posing, preening, performing” —rather than, as Garfield did, being busy studying and trying to write serious policy

Goodyear speculated that Garfield would see today’sinternet and social media as amajor distraction from good policymaking. Garfield obviously foresaw the dangers of mass-media demagoguery

In that 1877 article, though, Garfield placed responsibility firmly where it belongs.

name, some provisions of which still stand today.Otherwise, Goodyear suggests, thereforms might have been less sweeping and less effective.

Interestingly,Garfield himself foresaw theeffects of an earlier iteration of how modernized communications technology might change politicsfor the worse.In an 1877 article forthe Atlantic magazine (yes, it has been around for thatlong!), Garfield worried thatthe advent of the telegraph would bringsuch national immediacy to daily coverage of con-

“Now,more than ever before,” Garfield wrote, “the people are responsible forthe character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand those high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.”

Words to the wise. It’s up to us to choose the latter

Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

Ashallow race to theright amongSenatecandidates

What if they threw aRepublican primary aimed at making sure conservatives got their pick for U.S. Senate, and only liberals signed up to run?

That is emphatically not what happened when the Legislature and Gov Jeff Landry upended the way Louisiana voters choose their members of Congress and other top officials. What did happen is that three experiencedRepublicans qualified, all with extensivepublic records, that position them well within the mainstream of their party. But voters following the campaign leading up to the May 16 primary could be excused for thinking otherwise.

sidy and Fleming are incorporating easy —OK, let’sjustcall it lazy —alliteration intotheir attacks against “Liberal Letlow,” who is, of course, the chosen candidate of President Donald Trump, thesame man that both insist they’d serve justasslavishly as Letlow would.

Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

Letlow,meanwhile, is linking Cassidy to former President Joe Biden and saying the senator is not sufficientlyloyal toTrump.And Gov.Jeff Landry,aLetlow supporter,is tyingFleming, afounding memberofthe House FreedomCaucus and onetime Trump aide, toprogressive bogeymen like George Soros for his oppositiontocarbon capture.

To an almost comical extent, incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming —not one of whom actual liberals would claim as their own —are spending theirtime and resources hurling the “L” word at one another It’sgone so far that both Cas-

To state what should be the obvious, none of this is illuminating or at allconvincing, certainly not to voters who might care to understand the candidates’ perspectives on key issues facing thecountry.None of it will persuade anyone who’snot already thinking of the accused —and

likely theaccusers —asbroad stereotypes.It’sjustmisleading, with adistinct whiff of desperation to winwhat’s turned outto be adepressingly superficial race to theright

No amount of name-calling, for example, is going to prompt a substantive discussion over why Cassidy voted to convict Trump for inciting theJan. 6attack on theU.S. Capitol. That’sashame, becausehe’sgot agood case to make for having defended the rule of law and stood up for law enforcement officers who came under violent attack at the president’s urging —both things that paint him moreasaprincipled conservative than the left-winger of Letlow’sframing. Nor will it force Letlow to expound on why she thinks Trump’s behavior that day should be excused.

It also won’tsteer thecandidates toward an honestconversation about health policy,as bothCassidy and Letlow seek MAHA votes even though both have histories of advocating for

vaccines —Cassidy as aphysician and Letlowasthe widow of acongressman-elect who died while waiting for the COVID shot to become available, according to her own account at the time. Anditsure won’tlead to real talkover Diversity,Equity and Inclusion, the subject of Cassidy’slatest gleeful attack on Letlow She was caught red-handed supporting more womenand women of color in high positions in academia back when she applied to be president of University of Louisiana-Monroe. “You avoid groupthink whenyou have more diverse voices at the table,” shesaid, in astatement that was consideredpretty uncontroversial at the time.That wasbefore shepivoted to the MAGA position of being firmly against DEI. She was eithertelling the truth thenoristelling it now. Or maybe theflip-flopreveals aremarkably flexible moralcompass. Butthen, is Cassidy really better when he treatsthe discovery of her recorded comments as

nothing more thana gotcha opportunity? On his own prior professionalturf, he surely understands thatthe administration’s brutish waronDEI hassidelined important medicalresearch involving those who face particular risks. But it’sfairtoask whether thatmatters if he’s not willing to act on what he knows. These are just someofthe conversations that might happen in an alternate political universe, one where there are real debates in neutral forums, and where the candidates respect voters enough to engage over their differences instead of just trying to trick them into thinking their opponents are something they’re not. Because the ideathat any of the Republicans on next month’s ballotare liberalcould hardly be less credible. And if the candidatesthink theycan convince voters otherwise, you’ve gotto wonder what else they’d try to sell them.

Email Stephanie Graceat sgrace@theadvocate.com.

As aBlack American who is old enough to remember the last days of legal Jim Crow racial segregation, Ipay special attention whenever Ihear signs thatinmany American minds the Civil Warnever really ended.

So does President Donald Trump. That may help to explain why he took the extraordinary step of appearing in person in the grand chamber of the U.S Supreme Court, apparently the first president to do so, as his solicitor general made the case against “birthright citizenship” before the high court justices.

of those rulings. The outlook, Iamhappy to observe, does not look good for Trump’sside, which gave me acautiously optimistic outlook aboutthe side Ifavor alongwith most other Americans, judging by the polls.

Clarence Page

The issue, one of the most important Supreme Court rulings expected this year,iswhether Trump may deny citizenship to babies born in the U.S. based on the legal immigration status of their parents.

The policy,outlined in an executive order issued on the first day of his second term of office, seems to contradict the plain language of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, federal judges in four separate cases have ruled Trump’sorder was unconstitutional, and now the Supreme Court is reviewing three

TheTrump administration has settled on three main arguments against birthright citizenship, which thepresident and hisminions have faithfully rehearsed in recent weeks. They are: this rightisabused by rich foreigners; the 14thAmendment only purported to speak to the legal statusofenslaved people andtheir descendants at the end of theCivil War; and the policy is anomalousamongthe nations of theworld As aPBS fact check pointed out, these objectionsdon’thold much water Themost convincing might be the notion that birthright citizenship is abused. Casesof“birth tourism” do occur,but they make up asmall percentage of births and are easily addressed by less sweepingpolicy As for the14th Amendment argument, birthright citizenship

has deep rootsinAnglo-American jurisprudence, and the amendmenthas been applied to children of other immigrants, notably the Chinese in United States v. Wong Kim Ark(1898).

Finally,contrary to what Trump repeatedly insists, theU.S. is hardly an outlier in allowing birthright citizenship. It is the law in morethan 30 countries, including virtually the entire Western Hemisphere.

At one particularly quotable momentinSupremeCourt arguments,Roberts dismissed U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer’scontention that today’simmigration problemsrequire arevision of the understanding that virtually all children born on U.S. soil become American citizens,regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Sauer painted amenacing picture of “a sprawling industry of birthtourism” that has led to “uncounted thousands of foreigners from potentially hostile nations” arriving in theU.S. to have their children here.

“We’re in anew world now,” Sauer said, “where 8billion people are one plane ride away from having achild who’sa U.S. citizen.”

“Well, it’s anew world,” Chief

Justice John Roberts countered. “It’s thesame Constitution.” Thank you, Mr.Chief Justice. The durability of such constitutional protections is evidenced by itssurvival in the Constitution since theReconstruction era.

Trump’sorder represents the boldest moveofhis anti-immigrant agenda, reopening racial wounds at the core of American identity andundermining our “melting pot” ideals of human rights, equal opportunity and assimilation

We’ve come along waysince thehigh court’sinfamous Dred Scottv.Sanford ruling in March 1857, when Chief Justice Roger Taney issued what legal scholars have denounced as theworst SupremeCourt opinion in history

The question before the court then was whether African Americans are citizens of the United States and thus able to file suit in federal court.

Taney wentfor the jugular Black people, enslaved or free, were not citizens, he wrote, and had “no rights which the White man was bound to respect.” They were “beings of an inferior order” and not included in the Declaration of Independence.

In fact, manywould say,Taney

wasonly describing plainly without ahint of sugar-coating —what mostAmericans believed to be true under the lawsand customsofthose antebellum times.

YetTaney’swords evoked such disgust, horror and profound discomfort in manyminds that it helped lead directly in those increasingly tense times to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Tooharsh? Ican’thelp but hear echoes of that old, candidly racist era in the justifications of the brutal immigrant sweeps by ICEand Border Patrol agents in Chicago, Minneapolis and other places. Most of those dragged out of their homes or off the streets have been people of color,and too often have been treated without regard to their civil rights or due process. And, similarly,when Isaw Trumpgrandly throw open doors of welcome to White South Africans, whom he inaccurately described as victimsof“White genocide,” as he cut food aid to poor populations of color,I could not help but wonder how much racial progress we have yet to make.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com.

Saints leave trenches for2026 selections

The Saints have not used atop-10 NFL draft pick to select areceiver since 1988. They never have used onetotake adefensive back.

Jeff Duncan

One of those droughts could endthis year.After taking an offensiveordefensive lineman with seven of their lasteightfirst-round picks, it looks like theSaints are poised to break their bigman trend this year First of all, this is not considered agreat draft Every yearisdifferent,and the pool of players in this draft is shy of elite, bluechip prospects at thetop It also lacksqualitydepth, especiallyatquarterback, running back and defensive tackle. Scouts and analysts say only ahandfulofplayers have “clean”résumés, meaning the rest are prospectswith flaws that require aleap-of-faith projectionin their transitions to the NFL.Consequently, teams’ boards will vary dramatically after the first handful of players, makingthis a difficult draft to mock.

If blue-chip prospects FernandoMendoza, David Bailey,Arvell Reese, Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs are selected in the first five picks,asexpected, the Saints could find themselves in an unusual

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson AP

LSUo

picksup

scrimmage

BYREED DARCEY Staff writer

His LSU defense brought upathird down, so Blake Baker decided to dialupone of his signature blitzes —perhapssohecould test quarterback Husan Longstreet The Tigers were rehearsing atwo-minute drill at the end of their springpractice on Saturday.Longstreet, aSouthern Cal transfer,didn’thave atimeout, and he needed a touchdown.Inthis scripted scenario, his team was down by five with just morethan aminute left in the fourth quarter Longstreet didn’tpanic. Instead,he stepped up in the pocketand fired deep to slot receiver Winston Watkins, completing a58-yard touchdownpass and displaying growth that coach Lane Kiffin highlighted after practice Tuesday “He’splaying his best by far from the practices since we’ve been here,” Kiffin said, “so that’sbeen obviously really good to see.” That strike punctuated aproductive scrimmage in Tiger Stadium forthe LSUoffense. The unit struggled througha similar practice aweek earlier, andKiffincalled the performance “discouraging.”

Now,Kiffin might even feel encouraged because his offense has shown quite abit of

page 3C

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU gymnast Kylie Coen flips over thebalance beaminthe final rotation of the NCAAgymnastics championship finals on SaturdayatDickies Arena in FortWorth, Texas.Coen scored a9.9125. Below: LSUcoach JayClark hugs gymnast LexiZeiss while addressing the team after finishing in second placeatthe NCAAchampionship final on Saturday

‘Stars’ don’talign

Oklahoma catchesLSU gymin finalrotationtowin national title

BY SCOTTRABALAIS Staff writer

FORT WORTH, Texas In the end,there was perfection, perseverance and pain for the LSU gymnastics team in Saturday’sNCAA championship final. The Tigers ledgoingtothe finalrotation but couldn’tholdon, finishing second to Oklahoma198.1625-198.0750 at Dickies Arena. LSU, seeking its second national title in threeyears,got aperfect 10 on vault from Kailin Chio, then had a49.6125 on uneven barstosurgeinto thelead (148.600148.525) with one event to go.

The Tigers got agreat start from Kylie Coen (9.9125), then had to eraseafall from LexiZeiss that led to a9.2375. Konnor McClain hada 9.95 in the fifth spot, putting the spotlight on Chio.

LSU’sstellar sophomore had asmall balance check and asmall hop on her landing, resulting in a9.90. As it turnedout, Chio would have needed yetanother perfect 10

for LSUtowin thechampionship as Oklahoma’sfloor anchor Faith Torrezposteda 9.95. Florida, theSoutheastern Conference meet champion, finished third at 197.6875, followed by Minnesota in its first NCAA final (197.3750). “We’re disappointed,” LSU coach Jay

ä See LSU, page 3C

We’re disappointed, but we’re not defeated, and there’sa difference. That’s what these kids have got to understand. They’ve got alot to be proud of.”

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

UL softball coach Alyson Habetz told freshman second basemanHaley Hart the squeeze was on withthe tying run at third base in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday

The final instruction was to makesure Hart got thebunt away from theplate. Instead, Hart tapped thebunt right in front of home plate, whicheventually resulted in two runs scoring to propel UL to a8-6 win over Coastal Carolina at Lamson Park.

“She came up to me and told me we were going to squeeze, so Ihad aminutetoprepare,” Hart said. “She told me to getitaway from the catcher,and Ididn’tquite do that. ButMia(Liscano)overheregotmecovered.”

Liscano, aspeedy juniorshortstop,raced home from third and avoided the tag to score the game-winning run.

“There were two people in front of me (pitcher and catcher),” Liscano said. “I was thinking, ‘Let me find away to get around whatever Ican to score. Haley did her job, now I’ve got to do mine.

“I definitely had to adjust to get around her (thecathcer).”

Then Coastal Carolina catcher Kelsey Sawvellthrew to second base to keep Hart at first, whichallowedBrookeOtto to scorethe secondrun after shestarted on secondbase.

“The pitcher had kind of gotten us off balance,” Habetz said. “She was starting to throw the changeup for astrike. Ifeared another ground ball to third or something where we wouldn’tscore.

“Haley has atendency to have asoft bunt. She gotitenough away from the catcher and yeah, she kept it fair.” The Cajuns (24-22, 7-10 Sun Belt) have won every homeSun Belt series this season and will try fortheirfirst sweep at noon Sunday. The Chanticleersdroppedto22-25 overall and 6-11 in league play “Oh man, it’sbig,” Habetz said of the series win. “We’ve had times wherewe bunted five times in four or five runs. Last night, we wononhome runs. So to see that all come together tells me that we’re moving in the right direction.”

NFL confirms it’s not looking into coach Vrabel’s behavior

The NFL is not investigating Mike Vrabel’s behavior after published photos of the New England Patriots coach and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort prompted her resignation and an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday the league is not looking into the matter

The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy states: “Everyone who is part of the league must refrain from ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in’ the NFL.”

Murray, Jokic lead Nuggets

Denver beats Minnesota in physical opener

By The Associated Press

DENVER Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes. There were 42 fouls called, along with an unsportsmanlike technical on Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic in the back and a technical on Nuggets coach David Adelman Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18. Murray and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead

The Timberwolves, who were held scoreless for more than four minutes at one point in the third, trimmed the deficit to 97-95 with 6:23 left.

Jokic had a five-point stretch to hold off Minnesota. Murray had one of the biggest shots of the game from halfcourt. With the shot clocking winding down, he heaved it at the hoop and it grazed the rim to reset the clock. It eventually led to a dunk from Aaron Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.

Game 2 is Monday night. Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.

These teams are so evenly matched that the Nuggets lead 15-14 in regular-season and playoff matchups since the 2022-23 season. Both have won a playoff series against each other during the stretch

The first quarter featured two challenges, a technical foul on Adelman and a flagrant on McDaniels for not giving Murray enough room to land on a long jumper It also saw Gordon pick up three fouls, with his third on an offensive call that led to Adelman’s technical.

CAVALIERS 126, RAPTORS 113: In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Max Strus had 24 off the bench and Cleveland defeated Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists while Evan Mobley had

17 and seven rebounds for fourthseeded Cleveland, which hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

It was a playoff career high in points for Strus, who missed the first 67 games this season with a broken left foot that occurred during offseason training.

“When you see the work he’s put in all season, it’s for this moment, right? This is a regular occurrence with Max, maybe not 24 (points), but just the energy level and boost he gives us,” said Mitchell, who has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers “You give him credit for his journey, it can be a lot on the mental for him to continue to stick with it.”

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes had 21 for the Raptors, who were playing in their first playoff game since 2022. Toronto was missing point guard

Immanuel Quickley because of a mild right hamstring strain.

Jamal Shead started in place of Quickley and had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

Barrett’s 3-pointer pulled the Raptors to within 45-41 before Cleveland broke it open with a 27-9 run over the last 1:11 of the second quarter and first seven minutes of the third.

Strus scored 11 points during the spurt and made all three of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers went 10 of 16 from the floor, including 5 of 8 beyond the arc.

“We just kept saying in the timeouts (during the first half to) stay with it. We’re going to get separation,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We needed that separation for our confidence. Going into halftime if you are down, it’s a harder conversation with the players to trust what we’re doing.

Moore’s return could boost struggling Tigers

Starting pitcher has been sidelined since late March with injury

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

When LSU junior right-handed

starter Cooper Moore walked off the field in the fifth inning on March 20, many LSU fans wondered if it would be for the last time.

It’s hard to assume the best with pitcher injuries. But four weeks later Moore is on the cusp of returning after suffering from triceps soreness, meaning that his comeback comes just as LSU enters the toughest stretch of its Southeastern Conference schedule. LSU coach Jay Johnson has said the junior right-hander won’t be used in a four-plus inning role immediately upon his return, but any contribution from him would help out the Tigers’ shorthanded pitching staff. Moore threw on the mound on Tuesday and didn’t feel any soreness the next day LSU listed him as questionable on Thursday’s SEC availability report.

“Some pitchers, they have what we call either first-day or secondday soreness. So again, today’s an important day,” Johnson said Thursday. “And then, obviously we’ll want him to throw again

SU pitcher

(Thursday) or (Friday) just to see what that he looks like leading into a potential reappearance on the mound So (I’m) hopeful, but not certain yet.”

Without Moore, LSU has had trouble finding enough pitching to finish off weekend series. Tiger starters posted a 17.56 ERA in Sunday games against Ken-

tucky, Tennessee and Ole Miss.

The pitching staff as a whole allowed 18 earned runs in 29 innings across those contests. Most SEC series finales are high-scoring, but one of LSU’s strengths heading into conference play was its starting rotation. Unlike most teams, the Tigers had three starters they could rely on with Moore and sophomore righthanders Casan Evans and William Schmidt.

However, losing Moore forced LSU to replace his innings, which became difficult given the strug-

gles of sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams and junior righthander Jaden Noot. Both pitchers were candidates to start at the beginning of the year but had ERAs over 7.50 entering this weekend’s series.

Senior right-hander Zac Cowan and junior right-hander Gavin Guidry have also shown that they can throw four-plus innings in an outing and have started this year, but Cowan has been needed to close out tight games earlier in the weekend, and Guidry has scuffled through most of conference play

“They hit Gavin,” Johnson said after Guidry allowed five earned runs in three innings against Ole Miss last Sunday “I mean, I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

Moore’s return will help the Tigers as they enter a difficult stretch of series against Mississippi State, Georgia and Florida. Their tricky slate began on Friday against Texas A&M, which has one of the best offenses in the SEC.

Even one inning from Moore this weekend would help LSU’s chances. With the Tigers in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, they’ll need everything Moore can give them moving forward.

“He’s been a great teammate,” Schmidt said. “And I think even without Cooper, our pitching staff is still elite.

“But adding Cooper would just make it even that much better.”

Fitzpatrick leads Scheffler by 3 shots at Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Matt Fitzpatrick had a slow start that let Scottie Scheffler back into the mix at the RBC Heritage on Saturday But Fitzpatrick rallied late with two shots from off the green. One dropped for birdie, the other for eagle and he wound up with a 68. That gives him a three-shot lead over Scheffler

The world’s No 1 player closed ground quickly with five birdies in his opening six holes. He birdied two of the last three holes for a 64.

Brian Harman had a 63 and was in the group of players four shots behind at Harbour Town Golf Links. He had birdies on the last two holes for a 64 that put him in the final group Sunday

Series pole on Sunday for the fourth time this season, and try to reach victory lane for the fifth time, after the 23XI Racing driver turned the fastest lap in qualifying at Kansas Speedway Reddick’s lap of 185.300 mph on a cold, blustery Saturday edged his team owner Denny Hamlin, who will start alongside him in an allToyota front row.

It’s the second pole at Kansas for Reddick as he tries to become only the fourth driver in NASCAR history to win five of the first nine races in a season, and the first since Dale Earnhardt in 1987.

It’s the fifth pole in the last six Kansas races for Toyota, and the second there for Reddick, whose 5.5 average finish through eight races is the best in a season since 2021.

Driver dies in 7-car crash ahead of Nürburgring race

NÜRBURG, Germany A driver has died following a crash in an endurance sportscar race on Saturday at the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, where four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was also preparing to race.

Organizers of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers said that Juha Miettinen died after a crash involving seven cars. He was 66.

“Following the collision between several vehicles, race control immediately halted the race to allow for extensive recovery and rescue operations,” they said in a statement.

Organizers said the other six drivers were taken to the medical center and nearby hospitals for precautionary examinations and that none were in a life-threatening condition.

Skydiver rescued after crashing into scoreboard

BLACKSBURG, Va. — A skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard before Virginia Tech’s spring football game Saturday Virginia Tech officials said on X that the skydiver “was safely secured and is currently stable” following rescue efforts. The incident caused a delay in the start of the spring game.

The name of the skydiver wasn’t released.

Video footage showed the skydiver’s parachute landing between the “C” and the “H” on the Virginia Tech lettering on top of the scoreboard before first responders rescued him.

The Blacksburg Fire Department didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail seeking details on the incident.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Cooper Moore, right, takes the field to start a game against Northeastern on Feb 28 at Alex Box Stadium. Moore has been sidelined since March 20 with triceps soreness but could return soon.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday in Denver. Murray scored 30 points in the Nuggets’ 116-105 win.

The sixth inning started with Kennedy Marceaux drawing a walk and Liscano’s sacrifice bunt getting thrown away for an error by Coastal Carolina.

After Dayzja Williams doubled off the wall to drive in two runs in the second, Liscano walked and scored on Otto’s two-run single for a 4-2 Cajuns’ lead.

In the fourth, Liscano walked and scored on Otto’s triple for a 5-3 UL lead.

But then Kaelin Cash rocketed a three-run homer to left-center in the fifth for a 6-5 Coastal lead

The Cajuns responded with three runs in the sixth for the comeback win.

“That’s been the challenge,” Habetz said. “That’s when it’s got to be, ‘So what, now what’ — that’s the only way to do this at the end of the season, to get the storybook ending we want

“It’s got to be, ‘They got three, so we can score four.’ “

Another hero in the win was re-

SCRIMMAGE

Continued from page 1C

progress in just seven days

On Saturday, LSU’s first- and second-team units scored eight touchdowns on 16 drives. Longstreet threw four touchdowns and ran in a fifth. Landen Clark, an Elon transfer, ran in two touchdowns and tossed a third.

There were long, methodical drives. There were quick, explosive plays Longstreet operated the first-team offense for four drives and Clark conducted it for three.

Longstreet’s best throw was a pass he layered over the middle above linebacker TJ Dottery to receiver Jackson Harris, who ran for a 40-yard touchdown.

Clark’s top highlight was a 25yard back-shoulder pass he completed to receiver Phillip Wright along the sideline. Wright needed a perfect throw to secure the catch and tap a foot inbounds, and Clark delivered it for him, moving the chains on an eightplay, 64-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.

Longstreet won the day, though, which will boost his chances of securing the backup quarterback job.

“He’s made a lot of plays in competitive situations that are offrhythm plays,” Kiffin said, “which is a huge part of quarterback play because the plays don’t always go as they’re designed to go.”

Here’s what else stood out from the Tigers’ 12th spring practice, the fourth session in a row that was fully open to reporters.

Receivers emerge

It’s tough to tell which wide receivers will become Sam Leavitt’s favorite targets this season LSU brought in 10 transfers, and it’s been rotating a few of them in and out of the first-team offense in spring practices.

Two of those transfers though may be starting to emerge.

On Saturday, Watkins caught 10 passes and Harris snagged four, three of which were touchdowns.

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C

position at No. 8 having to choose between a top receiver and defensive back. More and more, it’s looking like those players will be Jordyn Tyson and Mansoor Delane.

The Saints like both and would not go wrong with either selection. You can make a good case that either would help make Tyler Shough’s job easier

With that in mind, here’s my first attempt at mocking the Saints’ draft.

Saints select …

ROUND 1 (NO 8 OVERALL)

JORDYN TYSON • WR, ARIZONA STATE:

There’s always the possibility of the Saints trading up, but such a scenario seems unlikely this year because of the limited number of elite prospects available and the state of the roster in the second year of the Kellen Moore era. My guess is the Saints sit at No. 8 and let the draft fall to them.

In the unlikely event that any of the blue-chippers fall to No. 8, I believe the Saints will stay true to their board and take one of them

But for this exercise, they’re all gone, leaving the Saints with a choice among Tyson, Delane and Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain. You can make a case for all three, especially with the Saints’ need for pass-rush help, but I eliminat-

PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

STAFF

UL first baseman Emily Smith

celebrates her double against Coastal Carolina on Saturday at Lamson Park

liever Sage Hoover After starting pitcher Bethaney Noble and reliever Lexie Delbrey both gave up three runs, Hoover tossed three shutout innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

“Then for Sage to go back out there and get some strikeouts, those are things that we haven’t really put together yet,” Habetz said.

Watkins ran mostly underneath routes from the slot, until he burnt the defense for his long touchdown catch in the two-minute drill. Harris used his speed to stretch the field and his 6-foot-2 frame to pull down contested catches. He scored from 40, 46 and 20 yards out. In the transfer portal cycle, Kiffin and his staff tried to land receivers who can beat defenses over the top. Harris, who averaged more than 19 yards per catch last season at Hawaii, was one of the deep threats they signed.

Now it looks like the Tigers are finding ways to incorporate the transfer receivers’ skill sets into the offense. Harris and Watkins complement each other nicely

Attendance

Linebacker Whit Weeks and safety Tamarcus Cooley did not practice Saturday Neither participated in individual drills. Cooley was not spotted at practice on Thursday, but he was watching from the sideline on Saturday On offense, receiver Eugene Wilson and offensive lineman William Satterwhite joined receiver Tre Brown, offensive lineman Solomon Thomas and Leavitt among the inactive players.

Wilson, a Florida transfer, was spotted on the sideline standing next to Brown, who was wearing a walking boot on his left foot. Brown, an Old Dominion transfer, has yet to participate in spring practice.

Edge rusher Jordan Ross, a Tennessee transfer, worked in individual drills but sat out during the scrimmage.

Schedule

LSU has only three practices left on its spring schedule: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Kiffin did not hold traditional spring games during the last few years of his tenure at Ole Miss, and he won’t this year, even though the transfer portal won’t reopen this spring.

The scrimmages that LSU have held in Tiger Stadium have not been open to the public.

ed Bain because he seems like an odd fit for the Saints’ 3-4 scheme.

This choice came down to Tyson and Delane, and it was a difficult decision

Tyson has emerged as a viable top-10 candidate as the pre-draft process has unfolded, and the Saints have become more comfortable with his well-documented injury history as they have conducted their research on him.

Like Kelvin Banks a year ago, the Arizona State receiver is a player whom many NFL teams value more than draft and media analysts. Some scouts believe he is the best receiver in the draft class, ahead of Carnell Tate from Ohio State (whom I have going sixth to the Cleveland Browns).

“He’s a dynamic, explosive athlete,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Tyson on his conference call with reporters Tuesday. “You think about him and Chris Olave there I could see them going down that road.”

Tyson would complement Olave well and add a much-needed explosive element to the receiving corps. He has all the tools to become a No. 1 receiver, and there aren’t many of those in this draft.

Tyson’s injury history is a concern, especially with Olave’s lingering concussion issues. Taking him in the top 10 would be a gamble.

But we all know the Saints like to take big swings. They did just that last year with Shough, who had similar medical red flags,

UL baseball evens road series against Trojans

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It was scary how similar the two games were for the UL baseball team.

In Friday’s opener at Troy, the Cajuns led 6-2 in the sixth inning, only to suffer a heartbreaking 7-6 loss.

On Saturday, an early 5-0 lead disappeared when the Trojans rallied for three in the seventh, but this time the Cajuns held on for a 7-6 victory to even the series in Alabama.

UL improved to 22-16 overall and 7-10 in Sun Belt play, while Troy dropped to 29-10 and 9-8. The rubber game of the series is slated for 1 p.m.

Sunday The Cajuns scored three runs in the third, two in the fourth and two

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Clark said, “but we’re not defeated, and there’s a difference. That’s what these kids have got to understand. They’ve got a lot to be proud of. They fought their you-knowwhats off to put themselves in a position to even be in the running.

“They got there Sometimes, at the end, stars have got to line up.”

Chio finished the season with 13 perfect 10s, one off the all-time single season record of 14 by Kyla Ross of UCLA in 2019. The NCAA leader entering the NCAA championships on all-around, vault and beam, she now has 44 individual titles this season and 67 for her LSU career, good for eighth place in school history

“I didn’t really have any thoughts about it,” Chio said when asked about the spotlight she was under “I just focused on this team and focused on what I can do individually to propel this team to where we need to go. I try not to think about myself too much and overthink my routines. I’m just doing my normal.”

It’s the eighth NCAA title for Oklahoma, only two shy of Georgia’s all-time record of 10. LSU has finished runner-up to the Sooners in four of those meets, and was third behind OU and Florida’s shared title in 2014.

“That’s an 800-pound gorilla dynasty that we’re trying to climb over,” Clark said of Oklahoma. “We’re just going to keep knocking on the door.”

LSU got the second choice of rotations after top-seeded Oklahoma picked the Olympic rotation (vault bars, beam, floor), with the Tigers deciding to start on floor as they did en route to their 2024 NCAA title.

LSU’s scores built through the second half of the lineup on floor but never quite hit the high note the Tigers needed to wrest the lead from the Sooners. Amari Drayton and Kaliya Lincoln had 9.9375s and Chio had a 9.90 with a couple of small errors as LSU finished with a 49.5125. Oklahoma led with

and the gamble paid off. Tyson’s potential as a No. 1 receiver just might make the dice roll worth it.

Saints’ Day 2 picks

ROUND 2 (NO 42)

TREYDAN STUKES • DB,ARIZONA: Af-

ter taking a receiver in the first round, it’s time to address the defense, where two areas of need exist: slot corner aka the Star position for the Saints, and edge rusher I went back and forth between the two before landing on Stukes, who looks like an ideal replacement for Alontae Taylor in the secondary My decision also was influenced by the pool of edge rush prospects, which is slightly deeper than defensive back. This pick came down to a coin flip between nickel back prospects Stukes, D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana) and Keith Abney (Arizona State). I badly wanted to pull the trigger on Ponds, whom I view as a slightly smaller version of Antoine Winfield, but I just couldn’t get past his 5-8, 190-pound size. Stukes’ size (6-0, 190), which is almost identical to Taylor, and intangibles make for an ideal fit at the Star spot. He’s also a Saints’ kinda guy, a former walk-on who developed into a team captain and leader of the Arizona defense.

ROUND 3 (NO 73)

KEYRON CRAWFORD, EDGE,AUBURN:

Granted, this might be too low to land Crawford, so the Saints might need to trade up to ensure they get him. Designated pass rushers such as R Mason Thomas and Gabe

more in the fifth to seize a 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth.

Donovan LaSalle hit a two-run homer to get the scoring going in the third. Later in the inning, Lee Amedee doubled, Rigoberto Hernandez singled and Colt Brown’s groundout made it 3-0.

In the fourth, LaSalle’s sacrifice fly and Drew Markle’s squeeze bunt got the score to 5-0.

An inning later, Blaze Rodriguez’s groundout got one run home, and Brown scored on the back end of a stolen base for the five-run cushion.

UL starter Andrew Herrmann allowed three runs on eight hits, two walks and four strikeouts in six innings and 91 pitches before handing it over to Parker Smith.

But Smith struggled, giving up three runs on four hits and a

strikeout. Hayden Pearson then came on to get an out. In the seventh, Jimmy Janicki doubled home a run before Steven Meier hit a two-run homer to cut UL’s lead to 7-6. In the top of the ninth, Hernandez doubled but Amedee was thrown out at the plate for UL.

In the bottom half on the inning, Meier was at it again with a leadoff double off Garret Carter, who then walked Drew Nelson with nobody out.

Carter didn’t panic, getting a strikeout and two popups to collect his third save of the season. Both teams had 14 hits. Hernandez and Rodriguez both had three hits in the game.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

a 49.600 on vault, while Florida was third at 49.3875 and Minnesota fourth at 49.2625.

The Tigers moved to vault for their second rotation and were unable to crack the 9.90 mark until Chio stepped onto the runway

She earned 10.0 marks from all six judges to register her fifth perfect 10 this season in the event, and the first in the NCAA championships since 2023. The Tigers posted a 49.475 and halfway through the meet were one-10th behind Oklahoma, 99.0875-98.9875.

LSU went to uneven bars for the third rotation and took the lead with a strong 49.6125 while Oklahoma faltered on beam. Zeiss and Ashley Cowan led the Tigers off with 9.925s, followed by a 9.8875 from Madison Ulrich that LSU discarded. Chio followed with a 9.90, then Courtney Blackson got a 9.9125 and McClain finished with a 9.95.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma had to count a 9.7375 from Addison Fatta when Keira Wells fell and got a 9.050, leading the Sooners to a 49.375.

The Tigers got gutsy perfor-

Jacas likely will be gone in the second round, so the Saints might have to be aggressive to land their guy in the third round. Crawford is an unpolished prospect. He started only one year in the SEC after transferring from Arkansas State, but he has an intriguing blend of size and athleticism. At 6-4, 253 pounds, he’s a perfect fit as a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker and would give the Saints the speed and explosiveness they have lacked off the edge in recent years. He’ll start out as a designated pass rusher and rotational edge defender and hopefully develop into a starter Saints’ Day 3 picks

ROUND 4 (NO 132)

BRIAN PARKER • CENTER, DUKE: I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints tried to package their fourthround picks to move into the bottom of the third round for a shot at one more top-100 prospect. As is, I think they’ll try to address their needs along the interior offensive line. By this point, I expect the top center prospects Jake Slaughter, Sam Hecht, Logan Jones, Connor Lew and Trey Zuhn to be gone. Parker is the kind of smart, tough, versatile lineman the Saints covet. Pat Coogan, Matt Gulbin and Jager Burton are also candidates here.

ROUND 4 (NO 136)

NICK BARRETT • DT, SOUTH CAROLINA: Davon Godchaux will turn 32 in November and is entering the

mances from McClain and Lincoln, both of whom were battling injuries. McClain, who had a hard fall in the NCAA regional final two weeks earlier in Baton Rouge, was in such pain Friday that Clark doubted she could have competed that day Lincoln aggravated a calf injury during Thursday’s NCAA semifinals.

Both did their usual three events Saturday

“That’s a special kid,” Clark said of McClain. “When she sets her jaw she’s going to do something and it’s hard to talk her out of it.

“She wasn’t letting anybody even ask her the question If the medical team was looking at her, she just kept saying, ‘I’m fine.’ ”

A result this close can lead to a lot of “what ifs?” Clark refused to go there.

“We executed well,” he said. “I mean, really well. We could have found a 10th anywhere in that meet. But Oklahoma can also say that. They had to count a 9.7-something (on beam). Every team can do that.

“The bottom line is we put ourselves in position to win. That’s all you can expect as a coach.”

final year of his contract. The Saints could use a developmental prospect to rotate behind him and serve as his eventual replacement. The 6-3, 312-pound Barrett has the size and athleticism to be a run-stuffing force inside.

ROUND 5 (NO 156)

ELI RARIDON • TE, NOTRE DAME: The Saints have five tight ends on the roster but it’s still a sneaky longterm need on offense. At 6-6, 245, Raridon needs to gain strength, but he has the frame to do so and the potential to develop into a starter He’s the kind of ascending player you take in the later rounds and develop over time.

ROUND 5 (NO 172)

ELI HEIDENREICH RB, NAVY: Scouts differ on whether Heidenreich should play slot receiver or running back at the NFL level, but he’s a versatile, all-purpose athlete in the Danny Amendola/Julian Edelman mold. He left Navy as the school’s all-time receiver and would be a fun chess piece for Moore’s creative offensive mind. Some guys are just football players. Heidenreich is one of those guys, a smaller version of Taysom Hill.

ROUND 6 (NO 190)

KADEN WETJEN WR-RS, IOWA: The Saints need a return man, and Wetjen is one of the best in the business with 4.4 speed and six career return touchdowns. He led the NCAA with a ridiculous 28.6-

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The LSU gymnastics team poses with the second-place trophy at the NCAA gymnastics championship final on Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

THE VARSITYZONE

Lafayettefreshman pitchercarries Lions to regional round

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Lafayette High freshman pitch-

er Ryan Cahanin has the composure of amuch older player

With the Mighty Lions’season on the line, coach Sam Taulli called on Cahanin to start the third game of aDivision Iselect bidistrictplayoff series, and he responded with 62/3 innings in a7-0 win over Ponchatoula on Friday

“You just have to do the job that has to be done,” said Cahanin,who only allowed one hituntil the sixth inning, andthat was on ashort fly ball that got lost in the lightsat Fabacher Field in Youngsville.

“When the coach calls onyou, youhave to get it donefor the team. We’re coming togetheras ateam. We’re such atight team They made me feel welcome. It makesiteasytoget thejob done forthem.”

After Cahanin threw three perfect innings,the No. 20-seeded Green Wave (8-22) got runners in scoring position with no outs on a walk and the single that dropped into left field, but the freshmangot out of the inning with astrikeout, grounder and aflyball.

“He had to come back with a strikeout at some point,” Taulli said. “For ayoung guy,Ryan locates even whenumpires are kind of squeezing him alittle. He knows howtopitch around guys.”

Senior leadoff hitterand third baseman Parker Abshire extended theNo. 13 Lions’ lead to 5-0with athree-run homer in the fourth inning. Abshire was hit by three pitches in the third game andwas plunked at least once by aPonchatoulapitcher in allthree games.

“I was seeing the ball well,” said Abshire, who drove inJackson Skinner and Tagg Trahan. “I

Lafayette High’s Brodie Dugas and the Mighty Lions advanced past Ponchatoula into the regional round on Friday.

turned on it and let it fly.Itgave us acomfortable lead.”

Cahanin hadthree hits with a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs in the 11-0 wininthe first game. Abshirewent 2for 2and scored three times. Warner Laurent, Justin Fontenot andHunter Degeyter,who fired athree-hitter overfive innings with seven strikeouts, each drove in two runs.

“The second game, we kind of rested on our heels alittle bit,”

Taulli said of the 10-3 loss in the second gameofFriday’sdoubleheader.“We thoughtwewere fine, andweweren’t.(Ponchatoula) has some talent.They’re very young. You’ll be seeingthatteam again in the playoffs soonbecause they have someabsolute ballers.”

Laurenthad ahit and an RBI in thethird game,and Abshire again scoredthree runs. Degeyter drove in arun witha sacrificefly(and scored), and Brendan Shullawrecorded astrikeout for thefinal out forLafayette (19-12), whichwill travel to No. 4St. Thomas More (21-9) in ahighly anticipated regional series nextweek.

“I know all ourguysknowtheir guys,” Taulli said of theCougars, whodidn’tfacethe Lions during theregular season. “(Ourplayers) probably know their tendencies better than Ido, so we’re going to do alittle scouting report on Mondayand trytoexecuteaplan.”

Apitching matchup to watch will be Degeyter against STM lefthanderCaydenDartez, who struck out12ina 5-3 winover Division IV select No. 1Opelousas Catholic recently.Like Degeyter,Dartez (3 for 3vs. OC) is also atwo-star standout.

Cahanin will be readyagain. “He’ssomething else,” Abshire said of the freshman. “Hehas crazy talent.”

Softball playoffs

First round

Nonselect Division I No. 16 Central 12, No.17Southside 2 Central 12, Southside 2 Southside 100 100 —2 41 Central 122 133 —12111 WP —Natalie Breedlove (6 IP,4H,1ER, 1BB, 9 K),LP—Briley Lovell (2 IP,2H,3ER, 4BB, 0K). TopHitters —CEN:EdynMannino2-4,2B, HR 4RBIs; Natalie Breedlove 2-3, 2RBIs;SSIDE: BrileyLovell 1-3, HR,RBI; Aubree Bourque 2-3 Division II No. 21 Albany3,No. 12 Beau Chene0 No. 13 Cecilia 18, No. 20 Plaquemine 3 No. 19 Eunice 7, No.14Jennings 5 No. 7Grant 20, No. 26 Abbeville0 No. 15 Assumption 2, No. 18 Rayne 1 Cecilia18, Plaquemine 3 Plaquemine003 0— 32 3 Cecilia 270 9— 18 11 0 WP —Erin Willis (4 IP,2H,3ER, 3BB, 7K), LP —Madelynn Little (3.1 IP,11H,15ER, 6 BB, 2K). TopHitters —CEC:AhniBertrand 4-4, 22B, 5RBIs; Nikkie Devillier 3-3, 2HR, 4 RBIs;Erin Willis 2-3, 3B, RBI; PLAQ: Dalayshia Sanders 1-2, 2RBIs; Alyssa Carlin 1-2, RBI. Eunice 7, Jennings5 Eunice 001 213 0— 78 2 Jennings 130 0001 —5110 WP —Madelyn Smith (7 IP,11H,5ER, 2BB, 1 K), LP —Molly Person (5.2 IP,7 H, 5ER, 2BB, 4K). TopHitters— EUN: MadelynSmith 3-4, 2 2B, 5RBIs; De’Miyah Reed 1-3, RBI; JEN: Mya Fontenot 2-4, RBI;PearlWhitman 2-4, RBI.

Assumption 2, Rayne 1 Rayne 001 000 000 —1 43

Assumption 000 100 001 —261 WP —Lilia Alleman (5 IP,2H,0ER, 3BB, 11 K), LP —Riley LaGrange (8 IP,6H,2ER, 0BB, 8K). TopHitters —ASSUM: Lilia Alleman 2-4 2HR, 2RBIs; RAY: Lanie Marks 2-4, RBI. Regional schedule No. 21 AlbanyatNo. 5Iota, TBD No. 13 Cecilia at No. 4North Vermilion, 4p.m.Tuesday No. 19 Eunice at No. 3Brusly,5 p.m., Tuesday Division III No. 17 ChurchPoint 16, No.16Red River0 No. 12 Loreauville 12, No. 21 Port Barre 0 No. 15 Mamou 7, No. 18 Erath 4 Church Point 16, RedRiver 0 ChurchPoint(13)03 —16120 RedRiver 000 —01 2 WP —Joshlyn Melancon (3 IP, 1H,0 ER,0 BB, 6K), LP —Madie Baxley (3 IP,12H,16R,4 ER, 7BB, 1K). TopHitters- CP: Halle Miller 4-4 2B, 3B, 4RBIs; Kaylee Henry 2-3, 2B,2RBIs; MadelineBroce 1-3, HR, 2RBIs; Kylee Fruge 1-2, 2RBIs; AvaAshbaugh 2-3, 2B,2 RBIs. Loreauville 12, Port Barre0 PortBarre000 00 —0 04 Loreauville (11)10 0x —128 0 WP —Meghan Segura(5IP, 0H,0ER, 3BB, 0 K), LP —Ada Young (4 IP,8H,12R,5ER, 6BB, 8K). TopHitters —LOR: Braylee Derouen 1-2 HR, 2RBIs; Bayleigh Miller 1-3,HR, 2RBIs; Abigail Dorsey 1-2, 2B, RBI; Victoria Broome 2-3, 2B, 2RBIs; Elise DeVillier1-1, RBI. Regional schedule No. 17 ChurchPoint at No. 1Jena, 5:30 p.m., Monday No. 12 Loreauville at No. 5Sterlington, 5:30 p.m.,Tuesday

Acadiana oustsBen Franklin with 15 runs in threeinnings

Rams tallyeight hits, draw nine walks in victory

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

PriortoAcadiana High’sfirstround playoff softball game againstBen Franklin on Friday,Rams coach Kevin Smith preached the importance of patience to his team.

Offensively,the Rams’patience was not only evident but highly productive as Acadiana cruised to a15-0 win over BenFranklin to advance to the second round of theDivision Iselect playoffs.

“It’s agreat feeling,”Smith said of advancing to the second round of the playoffs. “You know,this is agood group of girls. We’re young. The experience that we’re going to gain from this is going to help us not only this year but next year as well.”

No. 15 MamouatNo. 2Kaplan, 5:30 p.m., Monday DivisionIV No. 17 Midland 20,No. 16 EastIberville 1 No. 10 Delcambre 14,No. 23 Gueydan 0 Midland 20, East Iberville 1 Midland 893 —207 1 EastIberville 001 —1 56 WP —GracieMeyer (3 IP,5H,1ER, 2BB, 3 K), LP —M.Girtley (1 IP,2 H, 11 R, 3ER, 6BB, 0K). TopHitters—MID: AbigailMyers 2-2,5 RBIs; Sage Cormier 1-1,2RBIs; Gracie Meyer 1-2, 2RBIs; EI: RhyleighDedon 2-2,2B, RBI. Regionalschedule No. 17 Midland at No. 1LaSalle, 2p.m. Monday No. 10 Delcambre at No. 7Oakdale Select DivisionI No. 9Teurlings 16,No. 24 Comeaux0 No. 13 Lafayette High 15, No.20Warren Easton 0 No. 10 Acadiana 15, No.23Ben Franklin 0 No. 6St. Thomas More—Bye Acadiana 15, Ben Franklin 0 BenFranklin 000 —0 00 Acadiana 447 —158 0 WP —Kylie Dronet (3 IP,0H,0ER, 0BB, 3K), LP —Samantha Stewart (2 IP,5H,8ER, 4BB, 0K).

TopHitters —Brylie Davis3-3, 2B, 3B, 3RBIs; Sicily Boudreaux 1-3, HR, RBI;Kylie Dronet 2-2, 2RBIs; ZevieMenard1-1, 3B, 2RBIs. Teurlings 16, Comeaux 0 Comeaux 000 —0 02 Teurlings (12)4x —169 0 WP —Ella Jolivette (1 IP,0H,0ER, 0BB, 1K).

TopHitters —TEUR:Ella Jolivette 2-2, 2B, 3B, 4 RBIs; Reagan Brasseaux 1-1, 2B, 2RBIs; Shelby Vitte 2-2, 2B, 4RBIs; Marah Huval 1-2, 2B, RBI

The Rams(16-12) scored 15 runs on eight hits —five of which were for extra bases —and nine walks.

“Wehad to tellour kids repeatedly that they had to stay patient and wait foryour pitch to come,” Smith said. “When your pitch comes in that youlike,gowith it. Don’tswing at junk. Just be patient and let that pitch come in and you swing at the one you want.Itworkedwellfor us (Friday).They were very patient, which is something we’re usually not, but they were very patient (Friday).”

Offensively,the Ramswere led by centerfielder Brylie Davis, Kylie Dronet, Zevie Menard (1-1, double, 2RBIs, 3runs), Natalie Naquin (1-1, 1RBI, 1run, 4stolen bases) and Sicily Boudreaux. Davis went 3for 3with adouble, triple, threeRBIs, threeruns scoredand three stolen bases, while Dronet was2for 2with two RBIs andBoudreaux was1 for3 with ahome run and an RBI

“That kid (Davis) has been con-

Regionalschedule No. 9Teurlings at No. 8Alexandria, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday No. 13 Lafayette High at No. 4John Curtis, 6p.m., Tuesday No. 11 St. Joseph’s at No. 6St. Thomas More No. 10 Acadiana at No. 7Tioga, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday DivisionII No. 9AcadianaRenaissancedef.No. 24 McMain, forfeit No. 13 DavidThibodaux 17, No. 20 B.T. Washington-Shr. 1 David Thibodaux 17, B.T. Washington 1 BTWashington 010 —1 14 DavidThibodaux (12)5x —1782

sistent like this all season,” Smith said. “Her biggest asset is that if she’s not hitting the ball,she drawsalot of walks. She’spatient and she’svery confident in what she does.She watches that ball well.”

With the offense producing at ahigh rate with four runs in the first and second innings before adding seven in the third, Dronet did her part in the circle for the Rams.

Dronet was efficientand dominant against Ben Franklin, as she pitched three perfect innings while striking outthreeinthe win.

“She did agreat job,” Smith said. “You’re asking these kids to throw pitches from 43 feet and hit dimes and she did it (Friday). She stayed relaxed. She stayed smooth. She brought herback halfthrough, and she hit the pitches we asked hertohit.She stayed confident and did agreat job.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

WP —MaKenzie Chark (2.2 IP,0H,—ER, 0 BB, 8K), LP —trinity Anderson (2 IP,8H,17 R, 14 ER,6 BB, 2K). TopHitters —DT: Aaliyah Savoy 1-2, HR, 2RBIs; Aubrie Mouton 1-2, 3 RBIs; Zoey Legendre2-3,3B, 2RBIs. Regionalschedule No. 9AcadianaRenaissanceatNo. 8Haynes 4p.m., Tuesday No. 13 DavidThibodaux at No. 4St. Charles, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday DivisionIII No. 15 Catholic-NI 9, No.18Lafayette Christian 6 Catholic-NI 9, Lafayette Christian 6 LafayetteChristian001 050 0—653 Catholic-NI 323 001 x— 990 WP —Grace Hulin (7 IP,5H,6ER, 6BB, 10 K), LP —Allie Jeasonne (6 IP,9H,9R,4ER, 2BB, 1K). TopHitters —CATH: GraceHulin 1-3, HR, 2RBIs; Amelie Bergeron 1-3, 2RBIs; Ava Burgess3-3, 2B,RBI;LCA:Allie Jeasonne 1-3, HR, 4RBIs; Gracie Malagarie 1-4, RBI. Regionalschedule No. 15 JewelSumneratNo. 3NotreDame 5:30 p.m. Tuesday No. 15 Catholic-NI at No. 2ParkviewBaptist 5p.m. Tuesday Division IV No. 9St. John 12, No. 24 Westminster0 No. 13 Catholic-PC 14, No. 20 Vermilion Catholic 4 No. 14 St. Frederick 15, No.19WestminsterLafayette 0 No. 15 St.Edmund 12, No. 18 Central Catholic 8 Catholic-PC 14, Vermilion Catholic 4 VermilionCatholic 100 030 —4 73 Catholic-PC242 213 —147 1 WP —Emerson Whitty (3

6K).

RBI;Gage Guidry 1-3 RBI; SMSH: Dixon Aymond 1-3, RBI;Kamryn LeBlanc 1-3, RBI; DonaldBarras 1-4,RBI. Regionalschedule No. 12 Pine at No. 5Erath (G1: 6p.m. Thursday;G2: 6p.m. Friday; G3: 11 a.m. Saturday) No. 11 Kaplan at No. 6Kinder DivisionIV (Single elimination) No. 22 PlainDealing at No. 11 Delcambre 6p.m., Friday Select DivisionI (Best-of-3 series) No. 13 Lafayette High def. No. 20 Ponchatoula, 2-1 (Lafayette 11-3-7, Ponchatoula0-10-0) Regionalschedule No. 13

(6

STAFFPHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Acadiana pitcher Kylie Dronet led the Ramsinarout of Ben FranklinonFridayinScott. Acadiana advanced to the second round of the DivisionIselect playoffs

Brodhead says UL women in good spot

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The UL women’s basketball program is coming off a nightmare season. After all, the Ragin’ Cajuns endured a 5-26 overal record and 2-16 showing in Sun Belt play

Longtime coach Garry Brodhead prefers to describe it as a learning experience.

“It was something I’ve never experienced before. None of us had, being shorthanded in almost every aspect of the program,” he said About five weeks after the conclusion of the season, Brodhead already sees signs of progress from every angle.

A year ago at this time, there were zero returning players on the roster, and less than half of the spots on the coaching staff were filled.

No conditioning workouts were taking place.

This year, six players returned for the 2026-27 season to go with four incoming freshmen. In addition, one junior-college player has been added and three other signees are expected in the coming weeks.

“Things are going very well right now,” Brodhead said. “I feel really good about where we are.

We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this time We’ve got six girls doing workouts right now None of that was taking place last year

“Not having all the resources you’re used to taught us how to better utilize those resources in a better way I know I learned a lot.”

The six returning players are last year’s freshman trio of Imani Daniel, Arionna Patterson and Amijah Price, as well as Mikay-

lah Manley, Jazmyne Jackson and Kahlen Norris.

“It’s very encouraging,” Brodhead said of the six players who elected to return. “It was kind of a mutual agreement on the ones that didn’t come back. We couldn’t have asked for any better (who stayed).”

As an indication of how “much a family” the program remained despite all the losing, Brodhead said he recently had crawfish for the

team and even the departed players attended.

“They’re all just good kids,” he said. “We all want what’s best for one another You always hear that you want to be a family, and I think that’s what we are. Even with all the situations you hear about with NIL and all that stuff, but we’re still able to come together for one common goal.

“We’re still trying to do the oldschool stuff, too.”

Jackson transferred from Georgia Southern, but she could only watch from the bench last season because of an injury

The junior-college signee is Kennedi Johnson, a point guard from Tyler Junior College in Texas. She averaged 16 points, six rebounds and five assists per game last season.

The four incoming freshmen are accomplished.

Kayllis Walker recently was named the Class 5A State Player of the Year after leading Laurel to the state championship with 20 points and nine rebounds in the finals.

The 6-foot-2 post player averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in her three-year high school career

John Curtis point guard Bailey Timmons led the Patriots to a state championship with a 25-1 record. She averaged 14 points, eight re-

SCOREBOARD

0-1) at Houston (Burrows 1-3), 1:10 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Peterson 0-3) at Chicago Cubs (Assad 1-1), 1:20 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Sasaki 0-2) at Colorado (Lorenzen 1-2), 2:10 p.m. San Diego (King 2-1) at L.A. Angels (Detmers 1-1), 3:07 p.m. Toronto (Gausman 0-1) at Arizona (Nelson 1-1), 3:10 p.m. Atlanta (Holmes 1-1) at Philadelphia (Painter 1-0), 6:20 p.m. College baseball Area scores, schedule Thursday’s games No games scheduled. Friday’s games Texas A&M 10, LSU 4 Southern 8, Alcorn State 4 Troy 7, UL 6 Nicholls State 9, Stephen F. Austin 4 Florida Atlantic 11, Tulane 3 Southeastern 5, UTRGV 2 Houston Christian 15, UNO 1 Saturday’s games Southern 17, Alcorn State 5 Houston Christian 2, UNO

Buffalo, 6:30 p.m. (Playoffs, Game 1) Utah at Vegas, 9 p.m. (Playoffs, Game 1) Golf

RBC Heritage Saturday At Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head, S.C Purse: $20 million Yardage: 7,243; Par: 71

bounds and three assists per game.

Brodhead said a connection with assistant coach Temeka Johnson helped sign Indiana all-state performer Kelis Dansby, who averaged 14 points and five rebounds.

The combo guard scored more than 1,000 points in her high school career

Senegal native Aminata Sowe, who stands 6-foot-3, also signed out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“They’re freshmen, but they’re really not,” Brodhead said. “Some of them are 20 years old and played club ball. We’ve got size coming in and some toughness. We’re going to be a lot tougher this year I think the defense is going to be better, as well as the offense.”

The coaching staff is not only coming back intact but also is also growing. A year ago at this time the program had only Brodhead and a director of operations. Johnson and Marvin Harvey, who joined the team at midseason last year are both returning. Brodhead said one more assistant is being courted, as well as two graduate assistants.

“We’re going to be in a lot better shape than we were last year,” Brodhead said. “Last year, I would say it motivated us more than it discouraged us.”

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STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL women’s basketball head coach Garry Brodhead and assistant coach Temeka Johnson have the Cajuns worlds ahead of where the program was a year ago.

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Arose reminds me of wonder amid chaos

My wife and Iwereatthe park the other day when Ioverheard aneighbor discussing her latest household challenge. “We’re trying to train our Peggy Martin,” she sighed. “It has amind of its own, so it’s been areal weekend project for us.”

Iwondered if “Peggy Martin” might be abreed of beagle or terrier,which might explain why training one had turned out to be such ahandful for the folks down the street. But my wife quickly reminded me that Peggy Martin is akind of climbing rose with aspecial connection to Louisiana’srecovery from Hurricane Katrina. The woman who inspired the rose’sname lived in lower Plaquemines Parish, and her home was devastated by the hurricane. Her parents died in the storm, which greatly deepened Martin’ssenseofloss.

Amid all the ruin, an heirloom rose still grew

“I thought, how is this alive when everything is completely dead? Iwas totally blown away by it,” Martin recalled in an LSU AgCenter story published last year.“Ifelt like my mom and dad knew Iwas goingtobe distraught,and they asked God to leave me something.”

The AgCenter’sstory also mentioned Martin’svibrant garden in her subsequent home in Gonzales. The resilient rose that survived Katrina was named in her honor and became acenterpiece of the recovery.Sales of the plant helped raise funds to restore storm-ravaged gardens in the region.

I’ve continued to think about allofthis as another spring arrives in astressful time for the country and the world.

The story of the Peggy Martin rose has remindedme that if we set aside our screens and smartphones andlook outside, we might find other hopeful signs of continuity amid the chaos.I was on such ascreen the other day when ablur of

ä See AT RANDOM, page 4D

Do youhaveahandwritten letter from your mother or grandmother?

Do

Shareitwith

along with your name, phone number, mailing address and asentenceor twoabout who wrote it andwhat it means to youtojan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

HIDDEN TREASURE

BY JA’KORIMADISON| Staff writer

Towering oak trees, some more than 200 years old, shade the grounds of the former Mount Carmel Academy campus along BayouTeche, where asmall historical marker draws attention to apiece of theproperty’s past: atunnel buried beneath the school.

For decades, students whoattended Mount Carmel Academy in NewIberia passed downstories about a tunnel beneath the campus.

Some saiditwas used in variouspunishments. Others believed it stretched all the way to the bayou. The most persistent folklore tiedittopirates, hidden gold and secret escapes. Today,the propertyisknown as Place Eugénie,named after Eugénie Schellstede. Her husband, Herman Schellstede,acquiredthe property in the late 1990s. What began as apractical business decision has since evolved into something far

morepersonal.

“Wewant to do something meaningful withPlace Eugénie,” Schellstede said. “Somethingthat benefitsthe people of thecommunity.”

Thestory of the property is notonly aboutwhatlies beneath, Schellstedeadded. Long before thespeculation and folklore, it was aplace where young women were educated and lived out much of their schooling.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The former Mount Carmel Academy in NewIberia is nowknown as Place Eugénie, named after Eugénie Schellstede.

LOUISIANABAKES

Bringa bitof Italyintoyourkitchen with oliveoil cake

Addanaffogatoand voila!

Olivia Regard

Food is one of the most intimatewaystounderstand aplace. Morerevealing than anyguidebook, it offers insight into aregion’s culture,valuesand daily rhythms. When Itravel, my instinct is always the same: Eatwhatlocals eat, shop where theyshopand linger where life unfolds naturally.Overshared plates and quiet smiles, strangers become storytellers and differences begin to dissolve. This rang especially true ona recent trip to Italy.Instead ofchasing must-see landmarks, Ichose aslower path, settlinginto village life in the Abruzzo region.Mydays were spent wandering storefronts and farmers markets, lingering over meals in neighborhood cafes, and tastinglocal wineand olive oil while gazingout over rolling countryside. It was an Italyfar removed from crowded itineraries and glossy postcards, and infinitelyricher for it

On my last day in the village, that richness became deeply personal. Maria, alifelongresident, invited my friend and me into her home forcoffee. Formorethan twohours, we satather table sharing espresso and the beautiful bakedgoods shehad prepared

Shespoke no English; we spoke verylittle Italian. Yetwith the help of Google Translate, animatedgestures and plentyoflaughter, language becamesecondary.What remained wasa quiet, unmistakable truth: Connection doesn’t require fluency,and we are far more alike thanweare different.

Back home, I’ve tried to return to that feeling through food, recreating asmall measure of Abruzzo —and Maria’skitchen—inmyown. First on the menu: olive oilcake andaffogato Olive oil cake, rooted in Mediterranean baking whereolivesare in abundance,uses the oil as the primary fat instead of butter,resulting in acake that’s moist and tender witha delicatecrumb. Because olive oil is the star,choose one you would happily use in asalad dressing. In this recipe, Iused afruityoil, whichpairs beautifully with the Grand Marnier andorange zest, but apeppery,grassy oil would adda subtle savory edge. Then there’s affogato,Italy’sdeceptivelysimple dessert which means “drowned.”Hot espresso poured over cold gelato creates aperfect balance of bitter and sweet, hot andcold. Optionaladditionssuch as amaretto, chocolateshavings or a biscotti for dipping are welcome but unnecessary Like the best travel memories, it’s simple,fleeting and lingers long after thelast spoonful.

Affogato

Makes one affogato. Recipe is adapted from Food &Wine.

1shotespresso

1-2 scoopsvanilla gelato 1splash amaretto (optional) Choppedpistachiosorshaveddark chocolate, forgarnish (optional)

1. Using your desired brewing method, brew 1shot espresso.

2. Place 2scoops of vanilla gelato into asmalldrinking glass.

3. Pour the espresso shot and 1splash of amaretto, if using, over the ice cream.

4. Garnish and serve immediately

‘Spaceballs,’‘Thomas CrownAffair’ previewedatCinemaCon

BY LINDSEY BAHR

AP film writer

LAS VEGAS

The castand filmmakers behind the “Spaceballs” sequel including BillPullman and Rick Moranis brought alittle levity to CinemaCon Wednesday night in Las Vegas, with an irreverent presentation and first look at the satire “With Hollywood studios merging willy nilly like middle-aged couples at aswingers party,Amazon acquired MGM and opened the vault,” avoiceover saidinthe “Spaceballs” sizzle reel, with the image on the screen showingWarnerBros. andParamount, making Amazon MGM the only studio to publicly referencethe pendingacqusition at the conferencesofar Mel Brooks, in avideo message, announced the title, “Spaceballs: The New One.”

“It’sjust like the old one, butit’s newer,” Brooks said.

He explained that it was not called “Spaceballs: The Search for More Money” because, he said, he found the money. It was in hisbasement.Also, he said,he couldn’tbeatCaesar’sPalace with everyone because he was seeing Phish at the Sphere.

Moranis’ appearance on stage evoked abig reaction from the crowd, but he only got afew words out —part of the bit was that everyone would keep interrupting him, and they stuck to it. The film is expected in theaters next year

“Spaceballs” was just one part of the big Amazon MGMStudios presentation to theaterowners, which also includedfirst looks at Peter Farrelly’sSylvesterStallone biopic “I Play Rocky” andMichael B. Jordan’s“The Thomas Crown Affair.” The newly minted best actor Oscar winner forhis dual performance in “Sinners,” Jordan directs and stars in the romantic art heist, alongside AdriaArjona.Jon Batiste also played abit of the score he’scomposing for the film.

“I’ve been daydreaming about making this movie for years,” said Jordan. He watched the 1999version when hewas 12 and said: “It left a very bigimpression on me.” Forhis version, he said, he wanted to bring the style, sophistication and rebellionheloved in both of the previous versions, but alsoto make his character “someoneyou can root for.” Amazon MGM Studios was received warmlybythe exhibitors in the audience on the heelsof their biggest theatrical

you believed in it,” Miller said. The studio previewed their summer He-Manmovie“Masters of the Universe,” starring Nicholas Galitzine, and the family film “The Sheep Detectives,” also withGalitzine,Hugh Jackman and Nicholas Braun. Pete Davidson also showed up withDavidLeitch for theirgonzo action pic “How to Rob aBank.”

“This movie is totally (expective) insane,” Davidson said.

Later,they showed first looks at Henry Cavill in “Highlander” and Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson in the adaptation of the Colleen Hoover psychological thriller “Verity.”

One franchise that did not have any news to share wasJames Bond. Amazon paid $8.45 billion for MGMin2021,atleast in part because of the allure of 007. Just last year thejoint studio announced it had taken the creative reins of the franchise after decades of family control with longtime Bond custodians Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli agreeing to step back.Theyalsohired DenisVilleneuve to direct the first film of the new era, with AmyPascal and David Heyman producing.

But precious little is known abouttheir plansfor thenextBond movie beyond that,including who might play the dapper agent. Courtenay Valenti, Amazon MGM’shead of film, said “we’re taking time to do this with careand deep respect.”

PHOTOSByOLIVIA REGARD

TRAVEL

3lyrically famous destinations to checkout

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Editor’snote:This is the second story in an occasional travel series exploring locations that inspired songs about the South

For some travelers, destination spots aren’talways defined by resorts or historical significance. Theirjourney is moreofa pilgrimage that traces apath to Southern destinationsthatmight be unnoticed or inconsequentialif it weren’tfor the songsmiths who amplified theirstories through their lyrics.

Here are three such places.

Acoalminer’s daughter

Loretta Lynn called it “Butcher Holler,” with an “er”atthe end. And that’show millions of the late country music star’sfans came to know her Appalachian birthplace in Johnson County, Kentucky,through her 1971 autobiographical hit, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Cue the song’sopening lines: “Well, Iwas born acoal miner’s daughter; In acabin on ahill in Butcher Holler.”

But its proper spelling is “Butcher Hollow,” where Lynn’schildhood home stands on the side of ahill. The house not only was the site of Lynn’sshort childhood

shemarried herhusband Oliver “Dolittle” Lynn at age 15 —but also the home of her younger sister,Brenda Gail, professionally known as country music star Crystal Gayle. In 2012, The Associated Press discovered adiscrepancy in Lynn’s age. Shepreviously claimed she was born in 1935, but the AP found her birth certificate on fileatthe state Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Kentucky,which re-

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

vealedshe was born in 1932. So she was 15, not 13, years old when she gotmarried.

Thesingers were twoofeight children in theWebb house, now amuseumowned and operated by the family.Lynn’sbrother Herman, known as the“Sheriff of Butcher Hollow,” restored the property and served as its gatekeeper and tour guide until hisdeath in 2018 at the ageof83.

Now tours begin with acall to Webb Grocery,the family-owned store listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the coal mining town of VanLear,Kentucky,which is the technical location of Lynn’shomeplace.

“Tuckeddeep in the hills of Johnson County,Kentucky,there’s aplace where country music history runs as deep as thecoal mines,” the tourismcommission for nearby Paintsville, Kentucky, states on its website,paintsvilletourism com. “For countrymusic fans, avisit to Butcher Holler is like steppinginto apiece of living history.It’snot just about seeing thehouse —it’sabout feeling the spirit of theplacethatshaped an

icon. Walking up the narrow road, you can almosthear theechoes of an old guitar strumming on the porch and imagine the young girl who once dreamed of singing on the Grand Ole Opry stage.”

From Paintsville, take Ky.321 northfor 6miles, turn left on Ky 1107 forabout amile,thenturn right on Ky.302 for another mile. From there, take aleft onto Millers Creek Road, which leadstoWebb’s General Store No. 5, wheretours begin. Keep going up Millers Creek Road, which eventually leads to theLynnfamily homeplace. Tour season begins April1and continues to the end of November.Tour times arenoon and 3p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Webb’sGrocery is open from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. seven days a week, and tours can be arranged by calling (606) 789-3397. Starsinthe southern sky Signs forCountyRoad39mark therural route that runs south off East Fairview Avenue in Montgomery,Alabama.

Itsdistinguishing landmarks?

Seven bridges along the way

The bridges themselves aren’t necessarily historical. They simply connect oneside of the road to the other as its crosses several bends of Catoma Creek.

Singer-songwriter Steve Young made the bridges famous when he immortalized them in his 1969 song, “Seven BridgesRoad,” with lyrics musing about “stars in the southern sky,” “moonlight and mossinthe trees” and “a taste of time sweetand honey.” Though the song was first recorded on Young’s “Rock Salt &Nails” album,it’s probably best knownfor the Eagles’releaseofthe single from their 1980 “Eagles Live” album.

Storiesabout thesong’sorigins have circulated through the years, mostnotably one connected to one of country music’s greatest legends, Hank Williams, who died at age 29 on Jan. 1, 1953.

The route’slocal name in Montgomery is Woodley Road, which leads to the Oakwood Cemetery Annex, whereWilliams andhis wife, Audrey,are buried. The family plot is apilgrimage destination forcountry music fans, knownfor itsartificialgrass covering to deter people from taking grass from the graves.

But Young never alludedtolegends when talking abouthis song, saying in a1981 Montgomery Advertiser interviewthatheand his friends “used to go out to Woodley Road carousing around.”

“I wound up writing this song that Inever dreamed anybody would even relate to, or understand, or get,” he said in an interview withMusic-Illuminati.com in 2014. “And Istill don’tunderstand whyitwas so successful, actually.”

Andina1992 interview with the St.Louis Post-Dispatch, Young said he didn’tknowthe exact meaning of the song.

“But Ithink on another level the song has something kind of cosmic …thatregistersinthe subconscious: the numberseven hasall of

thesereligious andmystical connotations,” he told the newspaper WoodleyRoad servesasthe southern boundary of the Cloverdale neighborhood in Montgomery Its two-lane route features three pairs of bridges withinthe same vicinityand aseventh lone bridge about amile south. To get there, travel south from Montgomery, taking Woodley past East Fairview Avenue, where the bridge crossings begin.

From sevenbridges to reddirt Kix Brooks may have grown up in Shreveport,but the 2003 song, “RedDirt Road,” co-written with music partner Ronnie Dunn, looks to El Dorado, Arkansas,for its inspiration.

That’swhere Dunn spent his youth and honed his music skills by playing saxophone in the high school band. It’salso where he spent time on Arkansas Rural Route 3, a4-mile road locally knownasthe East Main Highway

The song reflectsonDunn’s early life,including memories of his cousin’sfarm,rural life and personal experiences with lyrics reflecting on running barefoot, meeting agirl named Mary,tastinghis first beer,wrecking his first car and finding Jesus.

Thesongalso mentions howthe road’sblacktop gives way to ared dirt surface.

“I thought we needed something like‘Red Dirt Road,’ to useasthe title,” Dunn said in a2023 interview with Whiskey Riff. “It was thered dirtroad in Arkansasthat my cousins andall of us livedon. It led from Rural Route 3, East Main highway out of El Dorado, downto my cousin’sfarm …itwas about 4 miles long …Itwas literally adirt road that would get washed out comebig rains and such. But we grew up on that road.”

To getthere, visitElDorado, which is centrally located above the Louisiana-Arkansasstate line, and follow the East Main Highway until the red dirt appears.

Airlinerefuses to refundcustomera ticket alreadypaidfor

My family of four flew from Toronto to Marrakech on tickets booked directly with Delta Air Lines.The first legwas on KLM and the connection wasonTransavia.

which I’ve already sent several times. It feels like arunaround. Can you helpmeget my $1,198 back? —Rachel Newton,Toronto

That left me with the impression thatTransavia is far more interestedinextracting money than in treating customersfairly

coreprinciple is that airlines can’t simply strand you or extort additional money for aflight you’ve already purchased.

Icontacted Transavia on your behalf.

Christopher Elliott

When we landed in Amsterdam,Transavia couldn’t find our reservation at first.After two hours of back and forth, arepresentative said our tickets weren’tpaid infull. The airline wouldn’t give us boarding passes unless we paid $1,198 on the spot.We had no choice but to pay. When we returned home, Icontacted Delta Air Lines, whichadvised me to file achargeback on my credit card.

Transavia admitted arefund wasdue and repeatedly told me they were processing it —but the money never arrived.Each time Ifollow up, they either ask for the same banking details again or insist thetransfer wasrejected. My bank has no record of any attempt by Transavia to send the refund.

Transavia now says it will close my case if Idon’tprovide the requested information,

If you had tickets to fly to Marrakech, youshould have been allowedtoboardthe flight without further payment. Youhad valid tickets issuedbyDelta, for flights operated by KLMand Transavia. The fact that Transavia claimed your tickets were “unpaid” was almost certainly asystemserror. Forcing youtopay again at the counter,with your flight minutes from departure, feels like ashakedown.

I’mnot surprisedthis happened to youonTransavia. The discount airlinehas beencriticized for aggressive fees and,insome cases, refund delays that borderonobstruction. In fact,Iwas on aTransaviaflight from Athens to Paris recently,where an overzealous gate agent forcedmetopay $80 just to carry asmall bagonthe plane.

And the way Transavia handled your refund? Equally unacceptable. Transavia acknowledged multiple times that you were due arefund. But rather than simply processing it,the airline kept moving the goalposts: asking for details you’d already provided, insisting that paymentshad been sent (though your bank found no trace),and warning they would closeyour file if you didn’tcomply That’snot customer service—it’s delay by design. When an airline takes money in error,European Union rules areclear: it mustissue aprompt refund. Under EU Regulation261, passengers are also entitled to assistanceand rerouting when airlines mishandle tickets. While this lawisbetterknown for compensating delays and cancellations,its

Delta’sadvice to file acredit carddispute was wrong. Youalways want to work directly with the merchant (in this case, Transavia) to resolve abilling problem.

If you file adispute, that usually tiesupany refund process. Fortunately,you didn’ttake that advice from Delta.

Youcan also appeal your case to one of the executive contacts at Transavia that Ilist on my consumer advocacy website,Elliott. org.

This was along and frustrating battle for money you never should have had to pay in the first place. And it’sareminder: When an airline insists on cash or card at the counter forsomething that seems wrong, document everything and, if possible, push back before handing over your credit card.

“Wefully understand how frustrating this situation must be for her and her family,and we regret the long time this refund process has already taken,” arepresentative told me.“Our records show that the refund has been initiated twice, but both transfers were rejected by the receiving bank.” Actually,here’swhat happened: Yougave the airline aSWIFT/BIC code for the transfer but it insisted on an IBAN code, whichisn’tused by U.S. or Canadian banks. You ended up opening an account with WISE to obtain an IBAN code and sent it to Transavia. Youreceived afull refund, as promised.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliott.org.

Singer-songwriter Steve young immortalized aroad outsideof Montgomery, Ala., in his 1969 song, ‘SevenBridges Road.’

Divorced woman feels invisible

Dear Harriette: As Iget older,I feellike Iambecoming invisible to all men. Idon’twant to sound as if I’m a“pick-me girl,” as my daughters say, but it’sbeen difficult. Ihave been divorced for two years, and I’m trying to put myself out there, but it seems like men are only interested in younger women, not 50-year-old divorcees with kids. When Iwas married, Inever thought much about agingin this way.Ifelt secure and chosen. Now that I’m dating again, Ifeel like I’ve been dropped into acompletely different world. On dating apps, Ibarely get messages. When Idomeet someone in person, Ioften notice their attention drifting toward younger women in the room. It’shard not to take that personally.I’ve worked hard to take care of myself. Istayactive, Idress well and Ibelieve Ihave alot to offer: life experience, emotional maturity,stability and independence.Still, Ican’tshake the feeling that I’m competing in amarket that doesn’tvalue those qualities as much as youth. It’shumbling in away Iwasn’tprepared for Idon’twant to grow bitter or insecure, butI’d be lying if Isaid this hasn’taffectedmy confidence. How do Idateat this stage of life withoutfeeling invisible? —Old Maid

Dear Old Maid: It is true that many people on the dating scene are looking for younger partners. The good news is that it doesn’tapply to everyone. Check out dating sites for mature singles. Ihave afriend who found her life partner through OurTime.com, which caters to people 50 years and older.While there’sno guarantee that you will find someone that way,itispossible. Also, as is true for all people who want to find apartner,you have to put yourself out there. Keep going to events and beingin the mix. While some may look past you, others may see you. That’swho you want to meet Good luck!

Dear Harriette: Before college, two of my friends and Iwere so close, always togetherand doing things as atrio. Since I moved away for college, one of them has been extremely distant, not picking up the phone or responding to texts. I still talk to the other one all the time; she’seven come to visit me twice since college started. When I’m back home, we still hang out as atrio, but it’s not the same. The energy is off, and at times can feel awkward. We used to talk about nonsense for hours, but now the thought of stringing together asentence is dreadful. Do youhave any advice for me on howto navigate this rift in our friendship? Before college, Ithought we wouldbeatrio for life, but it appears that Iamway closer to one than the other,and I don’tknow why —Navigating Friendship Dear Navigating Friendship: Not every oldfriend remains afriend for life. Don’tlament what you can’tchange. Staycordial with the more distant person as you strengthen your bond withthe one who wants to be close, and continuetolive your life meeting new potential friends along the way

Send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106

AT RANDOM

Continued frompage1D

brownbeyond the windowcaught the corner of my eye.

WhatI’d spotted, at first glance, looked like abowler hat slowly gliding through the flower bed. I stepped outside for acloser view, which brought me within afoot or two of my subject. It was abig

TUNNEL

Continued from page 1D

Over time, Schellstede said, his family’s life became intertwined withthe campus evenbefore he signed the papers to buy it

What lies beneath

Schellstede first heard the tunnel storiesfrom hiswife, his daughters, andformer Sisters of Mount Carmel who once operated the school.

Mount CarmelAcademy closed in the late 1980samid rising costs, declining enrollment and thegrowingexpense of maintaining aging buildings.Years later,the campus was vacant.

Butitwasn’tuntilafter Schellstedepurchasedthe property that he saw part of its history for himself.

Inside the original mansion near thecentralsectionofthe home, a concealed openingleads to atrap doorand aset of steps descending underground. Fromthere, thetunnel once extended roughly185 feet toward Bayou Teche, according to post-purchase surveys.

“When youopenupthe doorway to the underground passage, there’s no light, nothing,” he said. “Just steps going down into the ground.”

Thoughsectionshave sincecollapsed, portions of its direction and outline remain visible.

“WhenI firstsaw it,I realized there could be truth to what people had been saying,” Schellstede said.

“You could see the direction it went, andcan tell it has its own story.”

Inside thepassage, he said, were visible remnants of past use includingthings suchasglassfragments, debris and materials embedded in thesoil.

Today, theareaisnot accessible Portions have collapsed, and Schellstedesaidithas been left undisturbedout of safety concerns.

“We’re not professionals,” he said. “Wedon’twanttogodown theretrying to figureitout.”

“This tunnel,from everything I’ve read and seen, could’ve been an escape route,” he said, “or afire exit.”

Nearby,another underground structure adds to that theory: asmall brick chamber with aRoman arch mostly deteriorated. Schellstede believes it may have functioned as a cellarorstorage space, reinforcing the idea thatmultiple below-ground structures served practical needs.

He also recalls long-circulated stories about pirate Jean Lafitte, including rumors that he may have used tunnels in the region or hidden valuables nearby

Other accounts come fromformer students, who described the tunnelmore as adisciplinary warningthan areal passage.

“Thesestorieshavebeen carried on,” he said. “I’m sure they’ve beenembellished over time.”

PlacetiedtoSchellstede family

Schellstede grew up in New Iberia and attended school just down

box turtle on hisprivateodyssey, nudged by the warmer weather to get out andexplore. Icalled my wifetocomesee. Ilike fellow witnesses for such small wonders because they tendtobefleeting. Even turtles, renowned as slowpokes, have away of vanishing almost as soon as they appear When Ireturned outdoors an hour later to cut thegrass, Iworried that ourrecent visitor might be in harm’s way.But theturtle

Bayou TecheatSt. Peter’sCollege. Mount Carmel,thenanall-girls school, was acentral part of local social life.

“That’swhere youwent,”he said, “ifyou wantedtomeetsomeone.”

He remembersarriving on campus as ateenager with his saxophone, expecting asmall rehearsal. Instead, he found himself performing in front of alarge group of students.

“I ended up playing ‘Mona Lisa’ in frontofabout 100 girls,”he said, laughing. It was also where he met his future wife. She graduated from Mount Carmel in 1956, and they married after yearsofdating. Their daughters eventually attended thesame school.

“My wife and mydaughters all wenttoMount Carmel,”hesaid. “Soit’salwaysbeenpartofour life.”

By the late 1990s, Schellstede had built acareer in engineering and development and was searching for expandedspace for his growing company.Heneeded room for engineers, draftsmen and administrative staff.

The former MountCarmel campus offered that space butwas not in the best condition.

“There was no power,nolights,” he said. “Windows were broken. Wiring had been pulled out.Ithad been vandalized pretty badly.”

Many people questioned thepurchase, Schellstede said.They spec-

had already hidden himself in somesecret corner of the yard, safe from theassault of moving blades. It movedmetothink about the cleverness of creation, itsinsistentimpulse towardsurvival. Maybewe, too, have this push to prevail, no matter what theheadlines bring.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

ulated that the city shouldhave acquired theproperty instead.

“Theythought Iwas out of my mind,”hesaid.

After negotiating with the SistersofMount Carmel, Schellstede completedthe purchase. He said proceeds supported their continued work, including health carerelated efforts in South Louisiana.

“The sisters wereverytoughin negotiations,” he said. “But they were fair.And Iwas proud to be able to purchase it.”

Overtime, Schellstedesaid, the property became morethan abusiness investment. The shiftwas influenced heavily by his wife, Eugénie, who viewed the campusasa place of community and memories that shaped her childhood.

“She told me we needed to do somethingmeaningful with it,” he said.

When he named the property Place Eugénie in her honor,it marked aturning point. Before her death in 2023, Schellstede says she left him with afinal request.

“Take care of it,” he recalled her saying. “Do something meaningful for thepeople.”

Holdingontohistory

The property’sorigins stretch back nearly twocenturies.

The Duperier family,prominent French Creole landowners in 19thcentury New Iberia, originally built thehome in the early 1800s, with construction generally dated between the1820s and 1830s.

In the 1870s,the Sisters of Mount Carmel purchased the property and transformed it into aboarding school and convent.

The campus endured repeated flooding, according to Schellstede, including acatastrophic flood, as well as hurricanes, other economic shiftsand generational changes, he said.

Constructed largely of cypress and assembled with wooden pegs rather than nails, many of the structures remain standing today

“You can’timagine the craftsmanship,” Schellstede said. “And it’sstill standing.”

Today,the property spans nearly seven acres andincludesabout 68,000 square feet of structures, including theoriginalmansion, chapel, dormitoriesand former school buildings.

Some buildings have been restored. Others remain in different stages of repair Restoration has been slow and expensive, Schellstede said, complicated by economic downturns in the oil and gas industry tied to his business. Somelocals have criticizedthe pace or restorationand voiced questions about the site’s future from the community

But Schellstede said the mission has not changed.

“Wefeel like families are the mostimportant thing,” he said. His vision is not to turn the property into acommercial attraction, but his plans are still in the formative stage. He also plans to build a monument along Bayou Teche honoring the Sisters of Mount Carmel. Interest in the tunnel and its stories increased after installation of the TecheTunnel mile marker Erin Z. Bass, the project administrator who helped establish the marker,saidits purpose is notto settle every historical question but to preserve layered community memory.

“Markers like this connect people to place,” she said. “Even when the full story isn’tcompletely known— the history,the legend and the community memoryall matter.”

She said the TecheTunnelreflects abroader pattern in South Louisiana, where oral tradition anddocumented history often are important and overlap.

“Whenpeople stopand read thatmarker, they’re engaging with something that’sbeen passed down forgenerations,” she said. “That’simportant. That’show history stays alive.”

Visitors now regularly stop along BayouTechetoread the plaque, take photos and walkthe grounds, often assuming they’ve arrived at amuseum or preserved historic site.

For now,Place Eugénie remains in transition, but Schellstede said progress may be slow.Nonetheless, his commitment remains steady

“I want people to knowwe’re going to do something withit,” he said. “Itjust takes time.”

PeggyMartin roses grace the archways of many walkingpaths across the GulfSouth.

PHOTO By RANDy LABAUVE/LSU AGCENTER

PROVIDED PHOTOByDAVID DAHLQUIST

ArtistPaul Schexnayder displays ‘The SevenGlorious Mysteries and Theories Surrounding the Underground Tunnel at Mt. Carmel,’which depictsall thestories about what the so-called tunnel wasused for

PHOTO PROVIDED By HERMANJ.SCHELLSTEDE

Eugenie Schellstedesits in Place Eugénie, acquired by her husband in the late 1990s.

Book highlights humble but mighty crustaceans

Dive into spicy facts on the mudbug family

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad: The Biology and Conservation of North America’s Favorite Crustaceans” by Zackary A. Graham,The University of North Carolina Press, 232 pages.

As crawfish season winds down in Louisiana, my thoughts often turn to what the crustaceans do the rest of the year Do they miraculously grow into lobsters? Or do they plot to invade Breaux Bridge, the Crawfish Capital of the World? Maybe they just hang out in the mud, fattening up, so I can eat them the following season? I can’t think of a better entry point to sate my appetite for crawfish questions than Zackary A Graham’s “Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad,” an illuminating overview of those humble but mighty crustaceans that, though certainly science-oriented, is accessible to a wide readership.

First, a note on the book’s triple-tail of a title, a linguistic conundrum that Graham, a biology professor at West Liberty University in West Virginia, succinctly simplifies: “If you are studying them, call them crayfish; if you are using them as fishing bait, call them crawdads; and if you are eating them, call them crawfish.”

Here in Louisiana, calling them “crayfish” — whether dead, alive or dangling from the end of a hook sounds, well, cray, and will likely get you laughed out of an otherwise friendly backyard boil. But in deference, I’ll stick with Graham’s nomenclature, while leaving room for some other crayfish nicknames used in scattered pockets around the nation.

People no doubt know “mudbug,” a common term for burrowing species, as opposed to the many crayfish that seek shelter under rocks in streams and rivers. Care to sample a tray of spicy “ditch crickets?” “Pond lobsters” certainly sounds more appetizing, but I’m holding out for

an order of hot, boiled “crawcrabs,” which sounds like a seafood that Cajuns haven’t gotten around to inventing yet.

Over 700 crayfish species have been identified on this planet, found in freshwater sources on every continent except Antarctica and mainland Africa — though Madagascar hosts seven species local to the island. North America is crayfish heaven, home to over 400 native species, from the least dwarf crayfish, a 1- to 2-centimeter-sized cutie that lives in Mississippi and Alabama, to the 5- to 8-inch whopper known as Barbicambarus simmonsi (it’s endangered, so don’t go fishing the creeks of Tennessee looking for something to toss into the pot.)

“Learning about crayfish is more of a crawl than a climb,” Graham puns, but he informs with ease.

Despite their buggy-eyed, armor-plated, alien-antennaed aesthetic, crayfish are just like us! Sort of. They’re one of the only animals to copulate face-to-face, often engaging in a little claw-tap foreplay, followed by some more serious roughhousing, before collapsing in a missionary-style heap.

Despite being aggressive and “unrelentingly territorial,” mud-burrowing crayfish like the red swamp crayfish, aka the Loui-

siana crawfish are more semi-communal than solitary Those mud chimneys lead to a system of tunnels and chambers that one researcher calls “party burrows,” where crayfish often cohabitate with a host of aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures: fish, snakes, insects and the aptly named crawfish frog, “the most secretive amphibian in North America.” Due to its global prevalence, the crayfish has long been a significant subject of study for biologists, from Thomas Henry Huxley, nicknamed “Darwin’s bulldog” for his ruthless defense of evolutionary theory to Horton Holcombe Hobbs Jr., the godfather of modern astacology, who kept an aquarium in his college dorm room and became the first to document crayfish coitus. Today, scientists see the crayfish as a model organism, a cornerstone of biological research, used in drug trials and, because its neural architecture mirrors our own, experiments into what makes our brain operate. Biologists also consider the crayfish a prime bioindicator, an organism that can reveal the health of its ecosystem.

Unsurprisingly many crayfish habitats are in trouble. Half of all North American crayfish species require conservation attention, making the mudbug one of the world’s most threatened animal groups. It’s likely too late for the sooty crayfish, a presumably extinct species that once crawled the creeks surrounding San Francisco Bay and a favorite source of protein for 19th-century gold rushers. If not for recent conservation efforts, its closest cousin, the endangered Shasta crayfish, might soon join it in mudbug heaven. Blame urbanization, pollution and a third close relative, the signal crayfish, a

Just like a crowd at a crawfish boil, mud-burrowing crayfish (their scientific name) are more semicommunal than solitary.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

highly aggressive, frequently cannibalistic super-breeder that has become an invasive menace not just in California but Europe.

As he details the hidden life of crayfish, Graham wisely shares stories from his own fieldwork experience confused locals watching him fist-plunge mudbug holes is a highlight — while leaving room for snapshots of the world’s more unique species.

Behold the digger crayfish, a leopardspotted beauty, and the electric neon wonder that is the blue crayfish. The book contains color photographs of each, as well as many others.

There’s some real mudbug mind-bogglers, like the well-named virile xrayfish, a mega-mama of a crustacean capable of carrying more than 500 eggs under its abdomen at one time, and themMarbled crayfish, which breeds via virgin birth. The Spider Cave Crayfish of Florida, with an antennae span nearly three times its body length, will haunt my nightmares in the short term.

And cast your eyes on North America’s largest burrower the Crawzilla Crawdad — yes, that’s its actual common name — which stomps the flood plains of the Ohio River Basin and, despite its fierce moniker, is a bit of a softie.

Before you invite Graham over for a boil, a fair warning: he’s deathly allergic to shellfish. Yet, he’s written a book to bring to your next crawfish boil, one that will have you spouting factoids to friends while combing its pages with cayenne-spiced fingers.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He can be reached at rienfertel@gmail.com.

Tulane professor examines barriers to economic growth

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH GARy HOOVER

Gary Hoover is the executive director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University, a professor of economics and an affiliate professor of law From 2015 to 2020, he was a President’s Associates Presidential Professor and the Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Oklahoma. Since 1998, he has published numerous scholarly research papers, book chapters, books on topics concerning income redistribution/poverty political economy and ethics in the economics profession. He is on the advisory board of the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. In addition, since 2023, he has been on the board of the National Tax Association. Hoover is also the founding and current editor of the Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy Hoover published “Ladder or Lottery: Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead,” which explores the questions: “Is our economy a ladder or a lottery? Are people able to control their position on the economic spectrum by their actions?” This

data-driven book tackles challenging issues around income inequality health care and education This interview was edited for length and clarity

What motivated you to write this book?

We’ve heard certain phrases quite often The phrase generally goes something like this: “This is the land of opportunity, and this is the land of upward mobility.” If you’re at a lower level of the income distribution, or you’re poor, then that’s a choice. The belief is that you actually don’t have to be poor, because there’s so many different avenues that you can take to not be poor And if you’re poor, then that means you want to be, and if that’s something that you want, then I shouldn’t interfere with that.

Who am I to interfere with your free will to be poor?

As I’m doing economics and interacting with people up and down the income distribution, I’ve talked to groups of people who absolutely fit a category who are not doing anything to try and move up. But my colleagues higher up were saying, “Well, that’s everybody.

I found this huge, massive, enormous group of people who

were like, “Are you kidding me?

That’s absolutely not true.” I started thinking about the ways they were told that if they wanted to move up, they could move up.

In the book, I talk about five specific examples. The most common one is education. We tell everybody that’s the best way to move up that economic ladder You want to climb up that ladder then all you have to do is get yourself educated.

But I would talk to people, and they would say they got all of the education that was available to them wherever they were, and that simply wasn’t enough. What we didn’t tell people was that your ZIP code also mattered. We didn’t say the quality of the education matters

Here’s another one. We tell people to be an entrepreneur But we don’t tell them you need access to credit markets You cannot bring any product to market if you don’t have access to credit. If the pandemic showed us anything, it showed us access to credit was not even. In fact, the PPP loan showed us that.

We also tell people to get a job to have benefits. Get a job and get health care. But the United States has the term medical bankruptcy, so that even with insurance, as

opposed to climbing up the ladder you have one medical emergency, and not only will you not go up the ladder, you’re gonna slide way down.

How do you make this complex topic clear for your students and for your readers?

What’s interesting is that people already know it most of the time. Everyone who I’ve talked to about this book, they’ve said, “You’re just putting onto paper what I was already thinking,” or “I didn’t have all of the pieces. I knew that part of it, but then you put this part and put it together and made it make sense on that side.”

I also put it in terms of products. Let’s say that you’ve got a bridge, and 1 in 5 people every

day, they keep running into the side of this bridge. One thing you could do is keep saying to yourself, “Wow those people are terrible drivers,” and that might be true, but then we would think about doing some type of redesign, because eventually the bridge going to fall, whether it’s their fault or not.

When it comes to things like education and health care, we’re just quick to blame them and say that there’s nothing that can be done. But in anything else, if that bridge were getting ready to fall, you’d do it. We know that even though it might be their fault, this is too dangerous to let it go.

What are some tangible ways to redesign a part of the system?

Let’s say that those particular things don’t work. In the end, it didn’t work, but you’ve got to try

Let’s try something.

But here’s the thing. You don’t try anything when you think the system is working perfectly But more and more people are noticing it’s not working perfectly The numbers are just too big. So, you’ve got to create a system that will work.

The benefits for Head Start and free breakfast programs took a long time to start showing, but those kids got older and work through the process. So, what I’m looking for is seed planting. It takes time.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

DINING SCENE

Lafayette’stinywinebar gets national attention

Epicureandelights also on thetable

WILD CHILD

210 E.Vermillion St (337) 889-4775

what was readily available back home in Lafayette.

Ilong ago learned never to cross west over the Atchafalaya Basin without an ice chest in the car.Any journey through Acadiana is just ripe for foraging regionaldelights, especially boudin. Recently,though, I’ve been coming back from jaunts around Cajun country with wine from smallproducers in Italy and specialty tinned seafood from Portugal and Spain.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

Specific cravings now mightwell include acertain chocolate chip cookie, of the morechocolate-than-cookie variety That was the case on aroad trip Iundertook recently, withacar fulloffellow Louisiana food lovers in search of crawfish of unusual size. That’sbecause in addition to boils and butcher shops, this trip also included astop at Wild Child in downtown Lafayette. This is awine shop thatdoubles as awine bar and has growninto abakery,market and small event space too. It has swiftly become a hub of epicurean delightsand afocalpoint for foodies in Lafayette

Earlier this year,the shopwas named asemifinalistfor the James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Bar, anational distinction it shared with 20other nominees. It was arare nodfrom the high-profile culinary organization for Lafayette, though in line with the group’sevident intention to recognize interesting places in smaller markets (see also the numerous Gulf Coast semifinalist nominations in various categories this year).

Alas, Wild Child did not make it to the next cut as aJames Beard award finalist this year,but the buzz still registered in the Hub City

One great thing about wine is the

endless possibilities in its expression, and the Wild Child inventory explores many of itslesser-seen sides. Small producers still using (or perhaps newly embracing) traditional, under-manipulated methods of winemaking arestrongly represented. Asimilar ethos runs across theshop. The shop is packedwith alibrary’sworth of imported tinned seafood. Amajor obsessionin Europe,tinned seafood is having amoment in the states. Wild Child makes these into aperitivo platters to go with whatever theymight be pouringbythe glass that day

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,April 19,the 109th dayof 2026. Thereare 256 days left in theyear Todayinhistory:

On April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary Warbegan with the Battles of Lexington andConcord —the start of an eight-year armed conflict between American colonists and the British Army Also on this date:

In 1897, the first Boston Marathon washeld. Winner John J. McDermott ran thecourse in 2hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

In 1943, during World WarII, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto begana valiant but ultimately futile uprising againstNazi forces

In 1977, theSupreme Court, inIngrahamv Wright, ruled 5-4 that even severe spanking of schoolchildren by faculty members did notviolate theEighth Amendment ban against cruel andunusual punishment.

In 1989, 47 sailors werekilled when agun turret exploded aboard the USSIowa during trainingexercises in the Caribbean.

In 1993, the 51-day siegeatthe Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, endedwhenthe Davidiansset firetothe compound followinganFBI tear gas attack. Seventy-five people,including 25 childrenand sect leaderDavid Koresh,werekilled.

In 1995, Timothy McVeigh, seeking to strikeat the government he blamed forthe Branch Davidian deaths two years earlier,destroyed theAlfredP Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City,killing 168 people. (McVeigh was convictedof federalmurder charges and executedin2001.)

In 2005, Cardinal JosephRatzinger of Germany was elected pope in the first conclaveofthe new millennium; he took the name BenedictXVI.

In 2013, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,a 19-year-oldcollege studentwanted in theBoston Marathon bombings, wastaken intocustody after asearchthatthe city virtually paralyzed. His olderbrotherand alleged accomplice, 26-year-old Tamerlan, waskilledearlier during an attempt to eludepolice capture

In 2015, Freddie Gray,a25-year-old Black man, died aweek after sufferinga spinalcordinjury in the back of aBaltimore police van while he was handcuffed andshackled, promptingweeksofviolent protests and unrest. (Six policeofficerswere charged. Three were acquitted andthe city’s top prosecutor eventuallydroppedthe threeremaining cases.)

In 2020, agunman disguised as apoliceofficerbegan atwo-day series of shootingsacrossNovaScotia thatleft22people dead in Canada’sworst masskilling incident. The suspect,Gabriel Wortman, 51, was shotand killed by police on April 20 Today’sbirthdays: Singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos is 85. Actor TimCurry is 80. Motorsports Hall of Famer Al Unser Jr.is64. Actor Ashley Judd is 58. Latin pop singerLuis Miguel is 56. Actor James Franco is 48. Actor Kate Hudson is 47. Actor Hayden Christensen is 45. Football Hallof Famer Troy Polamalu is 45. Actor-comedian Ali Wong is 44. Baseball Hall of FamerJoe Mauer is 43. Former WNBAstarCandace Parker is 40. Former tennis player Maria Sharapova is 39. Actor Simu Liu is 37. Singer LorenGrayis24.

This is aplace to stroll around withaglass of wine, discovering the next delightful thing on the shelf,onatable, in abottle or in the fridge. Someone coming in for aFridayslice of pizza or ahalf dozen oysters may discover wine from aregion previously unknown to themorleave with their next favoritecookbook.

Ashopshapesup

The wine shop-meets-wine bar concept is awinning combination well established in New Orleans Some have become neighborhood fixtures for socializing as much

Tue.-Thu.: Noon to 8p.m., Fri., Sat.: 11 a.m. to 9p.m.

as for wine shopping, like Swirl Wine Bar &Market and Faubourg Wines.

Another, Patron Saint, shares a roof and ownership with St. Pizza, averypopular spot for New Yorkstyle pies.

It’scommon for people to bring theirslicesovertothe shop to pair withwine by the glass. Just up thestreet, Really Really Nice Wines hasdeveloped amenu that goes well beyond gourmet snacks and can furnish meals over the counter andaround the wine racks.

At Wild Child, the bakery and the robust retail selection of specialtyfoods and asmall events space add furtherlayers of interestand possibilities, and it stands out in acity where the next generation is making its mark in food and hospitality.Itdidn’tjust come out of nowhere

Katie and Denny Culbert started Wild Child in 2020 and named it for their precocious daughter Kitt. They were aiming small.

Katie has been cultivating a sense of taste in herhometown for many years at her Lafayette boutique Kiki, namedfor her mother Kiki Frayard.

Denny is aphotographer deeply immersed in the Louisiana culinary scene. He’sshot cookbooks for New Orleans names, including Melissa Martin of Mosquito Supper Club, Justin DevillierofLaPetite Grocery,Issac Toups of Toups’ Meatery and cocktail master Neil Bodenheimer of Cure. For atime, the Culberts produced afood publication, Runaway Dish, and hosted food events tied to it.

Traveling and working with chefs in different ways like this, their epicurean interests grew They weren’talways being metby

The initial plan for Wild Child wastostock more of whatthey love, especially natural wines. It would be atiny spot with retail up front and Denny’sstudio in back. But it has accrued more roles as it’sgrown, taking over the adjacent storefronts.

Ablend of roles

One space now regularly hosts pop-ups, showsand events, with a retail bookshelf that can be disassembled and lowered to become astage.

The shop makes tinned seafood boards and serves cheese plates and other snacks through the week.

The weekends bring an expanded menu, with pizza, focaccia sandwiches and salads, and it’s becomeahappening. It starts with Friday lunch, and continues as the menuprogressive sells out through Saturday night.

The pizza is madeonasourdough crust with lacy-crisp edges. The crust keeps giving flavor the moreyou chew,asair pockets release little aromatic gusts. This crust has finish.

On arecent Friday,the sidewalk tables were aperch forlunch meetings over aglass or two.

Inside, friends reconnected by the counter by the broad shop windows, rising to give hugs and handshakes to familiar faces making appearances. Acouple sat foraweek-ending happy hour at the marble curve of the small, four-seat wine bar

Wild Child’schocolate chip cookies makedessert at happy hour sound perfectly reasonable.

Festival International de Louisiane takes over downtownLafayette next weekend, filling the tight grid of streets with music stages and food booths. It brings the world to Lafayette’sdoorstep. Right there in the thick of it, Wild Child is giving foodies and wine lovers tastes from all around the world any day

When eavesdroppingisunavoidable

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas dining within inches of an occupied table for two at arestaurant. Oneof themen at that table asked his dining companion if he knew where therestroom was located. He didn’t. Ihad asked thesame question of awaiter,now nowhere in sight, 15 minutes earlier.I told thediner that the restroom was outside the main room of therestaurant, in the hallway of the office building in which the restaurant was located, and pointed out theexit to use to get there. (This setup is unusual, but I’ve encountered it at least acouple of times in Manhattan restaurants.)

are so close Icouldn’thelp it. I’mso sorry.”

The diner snippily said, “Thank you for theinformation, but no thank you for eavesdropping.” Ididn’trespond, and he got up to walk to the restroom. Should Inot have volunteered the information? I was trying to be helpful, not intrusive. GentleReader: “You’re right,” Miss Manners would have advised you to say.“Ididn’tmean to, but thetables

This accomplishes four things. It surprises your neighbor because you are agreeing with him. It establishes common cause: Youare all victims of the tight spacing. It diffuses his grievance: Youapologized. Anditpolitely exacts aprice for his rudeness: He is kept at thetable listening to your apology while he needs to go to the bathroom Dear Miss Manners: I’ve noticed an uptick in disrespectful behavior from dog owners lately.Just the other day,I walked past an elderly man wholet his dog use agroup of beautiful plants in a public courtyard as its personal toilet. When Ilooked at him in shock, the man just grinned at me.

If he’d been younger,I would have yelled at him.But in this case, Ididn’t know what else to do but glare and walk away

How should Ideal with situations like this in the future? IassumeMiss Manners doesn’tapprove of shouting

at the dog owners. Gentle Reader: Ah, yes. Your argument is, “I know there is anormal and reasonable waytodeal with this situation, should it recur.But that is not sufficiently high-caliber,because this is A TREND.”

Miss Manners is not questioning whether there may actually be an uptick in disrespectful behavior by dog owners. She merely wishes to note that reflexive calls forescalation in all cases explain agreat deal about current American society As an occasional problem,this would merit aDisapproving Frown—which, forthe record, is one step up from aCold Stare, one step downfrom a Glare, and at least one step downfrom yelling, which is unacceptable. But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecation in your area, then the solution is not to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to asystem or organization that addresses public health or the care of public spaces.

Send questions to Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Dear Heloise: As afollow-up to the hint about using newspaper bags for doggie cleanup bags, I, too, use them for this purpose. However, Ialso donate all of my used newspapers and themajority of the bags to my local animal shelter.But do call the shelter first and ask if they takethem —Rita G., via email

Findingyourcar

Dear Heloise: Store parking lotscan sometimes be avery tough place to find your car It would be alot easier if stores would mark their rows or aisles with letters or numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4or A, B, C, D. Ithink mostpeople could/ would more easily remember anumber or aletter to assist them in finding their car —Ken T.,Summerfield, Florida Ken, Iwish all stores followed this advice. Hunting for your car on acold, windy day or on amiserably hot day is no fun. —Heloise Adecorativehint

Dear Heloise: When Iordered two com-

forters for bunk beds recently,they came in nice fabric bags that were identical to the comforter Icut one apart and madeapillowcase for a9-by-16 inch pillow,which I placed in arocking chair inside of the bedroom withthe bunkbeds. It’s cute, and it’sgreat back support when Isit in the chair to read. —Sarah, in Lincoln, Nebraska Sarah, this is aclever decorating idea. It not only looks cute but also pulls thecolors across the room as professional designers advise us to do. —Heloise

Friend feelssnubbed

Dear Heloise: I’ve had twodear friends for about 30 years. I’ve been blessed to be able to travel, and I’ve had these friends and their husbands join my husband and me in our three-bedroom condo numerous times in several island places. Recently,Ifound out that they are traveling without me —noinvitation, explanation or anything. Iamhurt!

Ihave included them and their husbands over six times, and they are now traveling without me.

How do Ihandle this? —Kay B.,via email Kay, there are manyreasons why they didn’task others to join them. Perhaps they are on asecond honeymoon and just wanttobealone. Maybe they are meeting up with friends who you’re not acquainted with and wanted to spend someprivate timewith these people. Maybe they just wanted to be alone together Don’t be offended. Iseriously doubt that they meanttosnub you. Of course, you can always have aconversation with them about it to clear the air Heloise Soft-boiledeggs

Dear Heloise: Please tell me how to cook asoft-boiled egg in the microwave. L.D., in San Antonio

L.D., place an egg in amug or bowl of water,making sure that there is at least 1inch of water covering the egg. Add ateaspoon of salt to help prevent cracking. Microwave on high forabout 3-4 minutes. Then

—Heloise Send

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Hints from Heloise

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

KatieCulbertstartedWild Child Wine Shop in downtown Lafayette with her husband, Denny, and it has growninto ahub for food and wine lovers

Barataria Beauties oysters from Grand Isle are servedatWild Child

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 that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐prises in thepurchaseor sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies,services andlabor andmaterialin which disadvantaged businessesare available. Assistance in identifying said businessesmay be obtained by calling2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISHDATES:4/8/26, 4/12/26, 4/19/26 DPR1001873 183384-apr8-12-19-3t $231.18

in thecontractdocu‐ments. Work forthis pro‐ject shallbecompleted within threehundred (300) calendar days from issuance of Notice to Proceed In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212. vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredwithinLCG Vendor Access at thewebsite listed above. Theregis‐trationprocess cantake some time;therefore LCGrecommendsregis‐tering days in advanceof thetimethatbidsare due. It is thesolerespon‐sibility of thebidderto ensure theirbid is deliv‐ered (whether electroni‐callyvia Vendor Access, in person,orvia mail)to thePurchasingDivision priortothe scheduled date andtimeofthe bid opening. Biddersmay re‐questthe electronic bid packagefrom Heather Kestlerathkestler@ lafayettela.gov Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredonlinewith Lafayette Consolidated Government as apoten‐tial supplieratthe web‐site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ically arerequiredtopro‐vide thesamedocu‐mentsasbidders sub‐mittingthrough themail

The successful contractor will be required to exe‐cute performanceand laborand material pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fully definedin 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

scènesBehind the

hasgrown around Louisianafestivalseason

national de Louisiane.

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

This weekend, Irma Thomas,PJMorton and Big Freedia will be among the headliners at New Orleans’ French Quarter Fest, while Chris Thomas King and Kenny Neal will takethe stage at Baton Rouge BluesFest.

Starting next week, Stevie Nicks, Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty will join hundreds of other performersatthe NewOrleansJazz& Heritage Festival, and musicians from around the globe will appear on the stages (or scènes as they are called) at Lafayette’sFestival Inter-

Behind thescenes,amuch lessfamous lineup of contributors is buildingthe stages, setting up and operating audio and video gear,checking bags, erecting food and beverage tents and doing everything elsethat makes it possible for thosemusicians to shine April is the height of festivalseason in Louisiana,and in the half-century or so sincethe celebrationshaveevolved into amajor economicengine in thestate, a cottageindustry has emerged toprovide essentialservices for eventsofall sizes. During peak season,the largest of these companies employ hundreds of workers.

During therest of theyear,many havefigured out how to parlay their success in the festival sector into other opportunities.

Eddie Gutierrez’s Home Team Productions, whichestablisheditselfbyconstructing stages andbooths at Jazz Fest, nowworks fordozensofclients, including the New Orleans Saints. It builds out the tents, bleachers, ADAramps andother infrastructure for training camp at the team’sAirline Drive facility each year.

“Weprovide everything but the grass,” Gutierrez said. “I’m glad they choose to do it with alocal vendor.”

ä See FESTIVAL, page 2E

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ

STAFFFILE PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD

head to the beach.

STAFFFILE PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

from left,tents and security

Dunkin’ to open

Broussard location

A third Dunkin’ location will open in Lafayette Parish in the coming months.

The brand got permission to build inside the Broussard Walmart Supercenter 123 St. Nazaire Road, according to documents from the city

It will join the Dunkin’ location at 3546 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Suite 100, in Lafayette and a store planned for 110 Hector Connoly Road in Carencro. Walmart has opened Dunkin’ stores in several of its supercenters in recent years. Work on the Broussard store is valued at $250,000, documents show It is separate from the supercenter’s $3.7 million remodel.

LEDA Job Fair will be held May 12

Nearly 100 of the region’s top employers will be on hand to screen job candidates at the Lafayette Economic Development Authority’s annual Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 12 at the Cajundome Convention Center Now in its 31st year, the LEDA Job Fair is the largest job recruitment event in Acadiana. The event is free for job seekers, who should dress professionally and bring copies of their résumés. Visit lafayette.org/LEDAjobfair for the latest

FESTIVAL

Continued from page 1E

A bevy of beverage booths

Louisiana’s arts and culture sector contributes an estimated $7 billion to the state’s economy, supporting more than 55,000 jobs, according to a recent study from the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts. Jazz Fest, which draws roughly a half-million people a year, and other events factor prominently in the equation.

Festival International alone, which attracts over 300,000 attendees from 42 states and multiple countries, produces an estimated $49 million in local economic impact from an operating budget of roughly $1 million French Quarter Fest last year brought roughly 360,000 attendees, supported 2,900 jobs, and created over $90 million in wages, according to an economic impact report published by the UNO Hospitality Research Institute.

“Each year, we work with dozens of companies across industries to produce the festival, and the majority of our suppliers and vendors are local,” said Emily Madero, president and CEO of French Quarter Fest. “From stage construction and audio to security, sanitation and operations, it really takes a full ecosystem to make it happen.”

A key to making the free event work is selling mixed drinks, beer, wine, champagne, iced tea, soft drinks and water to thirsty attendees, essentially turning parts of the Quarter into a giant outdoor bar French Quarter Fest has 22 stages, but it has about three times that many beverage booths. For the last 15 years, Messina’s Catering & Events has helped the festival build, staff, stock and manage them.

BAY ST. LOUIS

Continued from page 1E

as the population rises and interest from visitors intensifies.

The flood of new visitors and money is also revitalizing Bay St. Louis two decades after Hurricane Katrina. Property values are rising. Sales tax revenues are up.

“You’ve got to try to find a balance in it, and it’s really hard to do that,” said Jordan Bradford, the City Council president. “I’m very thankful that tourists want to come to Bay St. Louis I don’t want to keep them from coming here. I just want to find a balance to preserve what Bay St. Louis is and was.” Weber, a retiree, lives a few miles away from the city’s bustling downtown strip of restaurants But vacation rentals are spreading in his neighborhood, too.

“Tourism in Bay St. Louis is busting at the seams,” said Mike Farley, who has lived in the neighborhood since before Katrina. He was sitting on the patio beneath Weber’s elevated home, sipping a bottle of Miller Lite alongside a group of longtime neighbors. Pickup trucks rolled into the driveways of several nearby vacation rentals, and country tunes warbled over the water

“We’re turning into a little New Orleans,” Weber said. “We’ve lost our charm — now it’s all about the money.” A breeze blew across the bayou, and Farley nodded. “The city has definitely moved in the direction of

BUSINESS BRIEFS

job fair updates and a list of participating employers

Super Chix closes

Lafayette location

A fast-casual restaurant that opened just outside River Ranch about 18 months ago has closed. Super Chix Chicken & Custard recently closed its location at 2011 Kaliste Saloom Road. The restaurant, which opened in fall 2024 in a 2,800-square-foot space in the Camellia Oaks development, was apparently the first and only one in Louisiana after initial plans were to open six across the state, reports indicate

The location was co-owned by Billy Jacob, a Lafayette native who opened a Five Guys Burgers & Fries in Lafayette, and whose parents Olite and Lawrence owned the popular Jacob’s Restaurants at the Four Corners area of Lafayette Super Chix, known for its chicken sandwiches, tenders, french fries, salads and frozen custard, has about 50 locations in the U.S.

Hancock Whitney names market president

Hancock Whitney has named banking veteran Larry Attenhofer as Lafayette market president

Attenhofer has been with Hancock Whitney for nearly three decades,

most recently serving as a group man-

ager for the Lafayette banking team.

He had also worked as market president in Alexandria.

“Larry’s deep roots within Hancock Whitney and his extensive knowledge of the Lafayette market make him the ideal leader to continue building on our strong foundation in Acadiana,” said Josh Jones, Hancock Whitney’s southwest Louisiana regional president.

“His leadership, experience, and commitment to client success will continue to elevate our presence in the region.

Hancock Whitney also named Blake Champagne as a community banker in the Lafayette region. He will focus on client relationships and other needs of individuals and businesses in the region.

Energy solutions firm to open Broussard office

A national energy solutions company held a grand opening for its new Broussard office.

OEG, which provides cargo logistics equipment and engineering solutions for oil and gas companies in the region, opened its office at 1001 Old Spanish Trail. The Broussard facility will support OEG’s growing operations in North America.

A third party bought the property, which lies just inside the Lafayette Parish line, in July for $3.5 million, land records show

Issued April 8-14

Commercial alterations

OTHER: 114 McKinley St., description, none listed for Truth Entertainment; applicant and contractor, Danny Smith Enterprises; $5,000.

EYE DOCTOR: 4243 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, repairs for LensCrafters store to open in Ambassador Crossing shopping center; applicant, Creature LLC; contractor, DLP Construction Co. of Georgia; $750,000.

INDUSTRIAL: 3718 W. Pinhook Road, description, Brad’s Electric; applicant and contractor, Brad’s Electric; $125,000.

CAFE: 123 St. Nazaire Road, Broussard; description, Dunkin’ store inside Walmart Supercenter; applicant, Walmart/Dunkin’; contractor, Stuart & Co. General Contractor; $250,000.

RETAIL: 123 St. Nazaire Road, Broussard; description, remodel of Walmart Supercenter; applicant, Walmart; contractor, Stuart & Co. General Contractor; $3.8 million.

Commercial demolition

OFFICE: 412 W. University Ave., description, none listed; applicant, UAOCA; contractor, Advanced Cleaning & Restoration; $100,000.

New residential

444 WYMAN ROAD: Paul Lee Olivier, $530,875.

It’s a process that usually begins six months before the event, when Andrew Messina, the firm’s director of operations, starts trading emails and phone calls with the festival’s food and beverage director about ordering, staffing and other to-dos.

A few days before the fest begins, workers stock tents with tables, chairs and barstools. They bring in canned beer, plastic bottles of soda and water and bottles of wine Refrigerated trailers provide beer on tap. Special equipment makes iced coffee and brews tea on-site.

Throughout the festival’s fourday run, about 160 full-time and part-time workers run the booths, contributing to a “massive volume of sales,” according to Messina.

Messina’s has been a successful caterer for years, but the French Quarter Fest job has opened the doors to a different kind of work.

“Now festivals are a part of the fabric of what we do,” Messina said. “French Quarter Fest made us reputable and gave us confidence to

expand that part of the business.”

Keeping watch

As the state’s festivals have grown, so, too, have the companies that service them.

Paul Marsh’s FESS (short for Fest and Event Staffing Services) Security, founded in 1995, started with a dozen or so employees. Today, it has about 200. When it’s not providing security services at French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, it’s working the Zurich Classic, weddings, special events and conventions in multiple states.

Marsh said a key part of the job is finding people to do the work and getting them licensed.

“We don’t just put somebody out there and say, ‘Watch this stuff,’” he said.

L&R Security, which works alongside FESS at Jazz Fest, has 300 employees during peak times.

L&R co-founder Eddie Robinson, 81, co-founded the venture as a side hustle in 1979 and went full-time in the 1990s. Now, his children help

run it, including the annual challenge of staffing up for Jazz Fest each year

“We don’t just have people sitting around, so we have to do our marketing and hiring, get everyone certified,” said Nicole Robinson, Eddie Robinson’s daughter “Some people take time off from their regular jobs; others are gig workers and this is part of their routine.”

The company also works other festivals, concerts, construction sites, college and pro football games throughout the year

New Orleans-based Center Staging, a 36-year-old company that builds the stages for French Quarter Fest, has expanded into Texas and works on 150-200 events each year When a mega event comes to town, it might team up with Gutierrez’s Home Team to bid on jobs, like it did when the Super Bowl was in New Orleans last year

“We do lots of work in the spring and fall because everybody wants the good weather,” said Center Staging founder Jay Gernsbacher

new restaurants have opened recently Bay St Louis also started regulating vacation rentals a few years ago and is debating a new zoning ordinance as it adapts to the surge. The issue has high stakes for the future of the city

“We do want to be a touristy place, because it keeps us going. But we also want to be a hometown for people,” said Kay Kell, who represents the area on the regional tourism agency’s board of commissioners. “If we don’t strike the balance — if we become just a total tourist spot then we don’t function as a town.

Locals are already changing their routines: Some avoid the city’s center during busy weekends and holidays. But they still sense the tourist buzz.

200

tourism,” he said, then he paused.

“But we liked it out here when it was quiet.”

‘You just feel this swell’

For years, tourism in Bay St. Louis meant New Orleans friends who piled into station wagons for day trips or affluent families who retreated to second homes all summer. But word of the city’s charm is spreading.

New groups of visitors now arrive each weekend to kick back at the bars and restaurants that have spread along the waterfront The cars that pack the beach road have

license plates from Louisiana and Mississippi, but also Alabama and Tennessee. A new Amtrak route that connects Bay St Louis to New Orleans began running last summer So many Louisiana visitors are converging in the city that some have even started calling Hancock County, which includes Bay St. Louis, by the nickname Hancock Parish.

City leaders say the tourism dollars are helping Bay St Louis keep taxes low and refurbish parks and beachfronts. The demand from visitors creates jobs in the hospitality industry, and several successful

“You just feel this swell,” said Nancy Moynan, a City Council member who usually recognizes her neighbors. On weekends, she added, “I’ll say hi to 15 people in an hour and I don’t have a clue who they are.”

The tensions are not erupting into outright battles: Most tourists are respectful, and locals say life here is still good. But many of Bay St. Louis’ longtime residents feel wistful for the past. Some are buying empty lots to stop vacation rentals from encroaching on their quiet streets. Others worry the city’s best attributes — its small-town feel and strong arts culture — could be lost.

‘You can’t stop growth’

But others view the changes as

“Nobody’s doing anything outside in June or July.”

Sights and sounds

There’s a symbiotic and special relationship between fests and the companies that have provided them with mission-critical services.

Don Drucker’s Pyramid Audio has been providing audio, video and lighting services at Jazz Fest almost since the beginning. Though the company has grown and now counts Mardi Gras superkrewes and concert promoter Live Nation among its clients, Jazz Fest still holds a special place in Drucker’s heart, he said.

Rayne-based Gulf Coast Sound has returned year after year to Festival International, where it has provided sound and lighting equipment on the main stage for more than 20 years.

Lafayette beverage wholesaler Schilling Distributing, a third-generation, family-owned company, was a founding funder of the event in 1987 and has been one of its primary distributors ever since. The company hosts an appreciation party for festival customers and employees every year

Festival organizers say the fierce loyalty of their longtime, local vendors makes a world of difference. Festival International Executive Director Scott Feehan recalls one fest when the owners of Lowry’s Print & Signs, which supplies tickets and other printed materials to the event, went the extra mile. “One time, we ran out of beverage tickets on a Saturday, so Claire Lowry showed up at her shop at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning to print thousands more so we could make it through our record-setting year,” he said. “They have saved the day on numerous occasions.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

inevitable. Bay St. Louis — once a French colony — grew as a resort for affluent New Orleanians through the 1800s. Tourism boomed with the construction of a railroad to New Orleans near the end of that century Money and demand from visitors later helped the city rebuild after Katrina.

“The weekenders are, like it or not, a very important part of Bay St. Louis,” said Cliff Rabalais, another local. “You can’t stop growth. Tourism — unfortunately and fortunately for Bay St Louis is the economic driver.”

Weber and Farley were newcomers once, too: They both grew up in New Orleans. They arrived in their tight-knit neighborhood of Bay St. Louis in the days when traffic meant two cars at a red light, and roads in their subdivision were gravel.

Weber still recalls a time when he could look out from his patio over the vast expanse of wetlands, where pelicans dive to catch fish in canals and alligators lurk below the murky surface

Now the view is blocked by houses, and more vacationers are moving in for good. But the latest cycle of change is not shaking the old friends’ devotion.

“I ain’t leaving,” Farley declared.

Weber whirred the golf cart toward his home, past another driveway where tourists were rolling in for the weekend.

“We’re not going anywhere,” he said.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Workers set up a stage ahead of French Quarter Fest, which is this weekend, on the lawn behind the Audubon Aquarium at the Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park in New Orleans.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Carts are a popular mode of transportation in downtown Bay St. Louis. There was a time when the visitors coming to Bay St Louis were just small numbers of Louisiana families on summer break, and neighbors knew each other well. But a rush of national recognition is transforming the city into one of the South’s top beach destinations.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Behind the scenes, platform powers $12B in transactions

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

When New Orleans native and entrepreneur Kenneth Purcell founded iSeatz in 1999 with $2.8 million from local investors, it was one of the first online restaurant reservation systems on the market.

A few years after launching, however, Purcell realized the startup needed to generate more revenue than just a dollar or two per reservation.

So, he pivoted to a commission-based model and built a platform to sell hospitalityrelated products like fixedprice meals, car rentals and hotel reservations. The timing was ideal. A growing number of consumers were turning to the internet to plan and book their travel.

In the two decades since, the New Orleans-based tech company has continued to grow and evolve.

Today, its bread and butter is connecting brands that offer membership or loyalty programs — think frequent flyer miles or credit card points — with a global network of suppliers of travel and hospitality products, including airlines, hotel groups and car rental companies

In recent years, those programs have become big business, shadow currencies worth more than $100 billion, according to some estimates. Marriott alone owes its customers nearly $4 billion in unredeemed points

iSeatz’s platform allows these membership programs to build out custom marketplaces of offers and integrate them with suppliers around the world. It works with a global network

Q&A WITH KENNETH PURCELL

of suppliers to identify potential deals that they can then pair with point issuers like big airlines, hotel groups or credit card companies. It also manages the complex systems that keep track of billions of membership points that flow through its system and how they’re “earned and burned.”

This year, the company expects to process $12 billion worth of transactions for global brands like American Express, Delta Air Lines, Hertz and Wyndham Hotels It has nearly 120 full-time employees, including a couple dozen in New Orleans, and approximately $100 million in annual revenue.

In this week’s Talking Business, Purcell shares how he has built a “platformas-a-service” to offer customized software for travel companies and collect a cut of all transactions on them. Interview has been edited for length and clarity. What prompted the business’s pivot from online restaurant reservations to loyalty points? When you’re on the bleeding edge of something, well, you typically bleed We bled all the capital that we had raised, and we had to pivot the business model because restaurant reservation economics are pretty paltry So, we followed the market, and the market in the travel industry is all about taking a commission on everything you sell. We said, “Maybe we can take a commission on pre-selling prix fixe menus at restaurants,” so we started making 20% there. Then we said, “What else can we presell?” We listened

to our prospects and our existing clients for what lines of business we should offer Delta came to us and asked if we could start offering rental cars through our platform and hotel reservations, and we said yes. American Express came to us and asked if we could start offering airline reservations? We said yeah. “Can you enable people to pay with their credit card and with points?” We said sure.

What’s been the result of the growth in the use of airline miles and other forms of loyalty points in recent years?

There’s this whole ecosystem that’s developed — a cottage industry of analysts to help maximize the value of this loyalty currency.

You’re seeing the importance of loyalty currency bubble up even to the federal level. The thing the government’s concerned about is that airlines in particular have been known to devalue that currency by changing the rules and the terms and conditions and effectively gutting the value of some of these things.

The Federal Trade Commission is coming in and saying, “Wait a minute, you can’t do that anymore, because people really do view this as a quasi-savings account.”

There’s an ecosystem of point analysts, and there’s this glut of points on the balance sheets of these companies. And we’re in the business helping people either earn more or use those.

In terms of starting and running a business based in New Orleans, how has that ecosystem changed since you began?

I love New Orleans for what she should be, not for what she is.

The challenge in running a business here is a tremendous lack of progressive thinking. If you try to get something done as simple as construction on your home, you have to go in front of so many commissions and preservationists — even if you’re not in a historic home — it’s almost not worth investing. It’s almost as though the administrations of the past have designed the system to prevent investment and growth and progressiveness.

You don’t have to just believe me: We went from a 21,000-square-foot office to a few-hundred-square-foot office. We’ve got 119 fulltime employees and less than 20% of them work in

New Orleans. For me, New Orleans is where I choose to live, and it just so happens that I run my business from there because I run my business from my house, effectively Honestly, I have been, and I continue to be, woefully disappointed with the way the city operates from a business perspective. There are great business leaders in the city, but there’s this parochial colonialism that’s stifling to progress. We’d rather leave a dilapidated building than see someone invest in it and create something with maybe a little bit more concrete and glass than everybody likes. What advice would you give to someone who is launching a business now? What lessons have you learned they could benefit from?

The No. 1 lesson: It’s al-

most impossible to know at the onset and hindsight, probably, to figure this out — make sure when you’re getting into business with people and you’re starting your company that you really know who those people are. When money starts flowing and a business becomes successful, you see a side of people that you don’t see when you’re excited about starting something and there’s no money involved You really see the worst of family and friends when money starts to flow and you need to make sure as a founder that you’re getting in business with people who share your mentality Email Jonah Meadows at jonah.meadows@ theadvocate.com.

AROUND THE REGION

Shreveport oilexpertsayswar is creating ‘serious crisis’

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

Aveteran oil executivesaidthe

damagecaused to refineries and oil fields in the Middle East as a result of the Iran war is similar to what was experiencedinLouisiana in 2005, due to the double wallop of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Mills

After thetwo devastating hurricanes, all of the refineriesalong the Gulf Coast were out of service and many pipelines used to transport the oil were down, said Robert Mills, who spent27 years sourcing oilfor Calumet Specialty Products’ three northwest Louisiana refineries.

Calumet refineries in north Louisiana were unscathed in the storms but faced problems getting oil in and finished product out. It was important that they did. At the time, Mills said, Calumetprovided up to 70% of allthe wholesale gasoline supply in northwestLouisiana.

Mills traveled to Calumet’s Indianapolis “war room” to talk strategy to keep supplies flowing. “That was my job, to be surethat we had arelationship with the people that would be required to help us through those bad times.”

Though Calumet was able to remain up and running, the giant coast refineries saw downtime.

Gasprices in much of theU.S. has topped $4 per gallonasaresult of the war.Diesel prices have gone up even more, now well over $5 per gallon.

“It’s100% supply and demand,” in what drives the pricing, said Mills. Even though the United States produces the oil it needs, worldwide competition for it is pushing up pricesfor both oiland itsfinished products. “Itisa worldwide commodity,crudeoil and gasoline, diesel, jet, all of thatis acommodity,and it can be moved around pretty easily.”

On Monday,abarrel of benchmark Brent crude was trading at around $101,upmorethan$40 since the start of the year.Bymidweek,ithad dropped just under $100

“So supply is very,very important,but there’s alot of emotion that affects theprice of crude oil on aworldwide basis as well,”

problems and is not good for the short-term supply of daily production, Mills said. “But nothing’s more complexthanthe refinery endofit. Andthat’sreallywhere you can get into trouble.”

An interruption of just afew minutes can cause issues, he said. “If youhaveafive-minute interruption in arefinery,that’sdisastrous, and that might shut you downfor aweek.”

Acomplete shutdown is even moreproblematic.

“It’savery complicated process from start to finish. And you don’t like any one piece of that massive complex, that chain of equipment to shut down, because every part of it has to runtomakethe whole thing work,” Mills said. “Yeah, so refineries, you don’twant to stop. If you go down, you end up probably going down for an extended period of time.”

Mills said the photos of burning oilrefineriesand otherplants point to disruptions in the European markets foratleast acouple of years. “I think we’ve got areal big problem,and it’sgoing to be foran extended period of time.”

Mills said.“The fear of the loss of supply, you know,will raise the price before the actual loss of supply happens.” Petroleum products are more than just the itemswepump. Oil is used tomake hundreds of products ranging from asphalt,paints, vinyl flooring, tires, spandex, pharmaceuticals, candles, toys and even food products. Though notall manufacturers use oil-based products, all will be affected by transportation costs made higher by price increases in diesel and other fuels.

“Wedon’thave ashortage of crude oilinthe United States of America unless we start exporting more because of thedifferences in domestic price versus international price,”said Mills.

Another issue is Middle Eastern oilwells, refineriesand chemical plantsthat are shut downdue to damage from thewar or the threat of attacks. Shutting down awell can cause

EnergyNowhas compileda list of refineries, oil terminals, oil and gas fields, pipelines and tankers damaged in the Middle East as of March25. It includes assets in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq,United Arab Emirates and Iran. More have been added to the list since then.

“The marketplace will react, and we’regoing to be fine in America, but worldwide there’sareally,really seriouscrisisgoing on,and it’sgoing to be long-lasting,” Mills said.

Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By ALTAFQADRI

Howdigital thievesare usingfake

profiles,invites to scam your friends

Fool’s Take:Oreos, dividends and growth

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

The digital invitation in my inbox said: “Shhhhhhh. It’saSurprise!” But something triggered my spider senses. The email address was legitimate. I double-checked. But it came from afellow church member with whom Iwasn’t close enough friends to be invited to abirthday party

Itook the risk of ruining the surprise by asking if Ihad,in fact, been invited to apartyusing Paperless Post, adigital platform for sending online invitations and greeting cards. My instincts were right. It wasa scam. The person’semail had been hacked.

With an average of 14 scammessages arriving daily,Americans now spend about 114 hours ayear filtering out fraud, according to recentMcAfee data.The research shows that because these scams are now so realistic, many victims don’t realize they’ve been targeted until their accounts are taken over, their contacts have been stolenor they become victims of identity theft

Over half of Americans report that asocial media account was compromised in the past year, McAfee said.

“One of the patterns thatwesee is when scammers find something thatworks,they lean into it and we start seeing it at higher and higher scale until people becomemore immune to it,” said Steve Grobman, chief technology officer at McAfee. Twice this year,scammers have created afake Facebook account in my name. Each time, theapparent goal was to get someone to accept afriend request. From there, the ruse usually involves sending adirect message requesting moneyor encouraging investment in afraudulent venture. It’sacalculated, predatory move impersonating a financial columnist. The fraudsters are betting that if you already trust my advice, you’ll be less likely to question apitch that you would normally find suspicious. Fake accounts and invites are no

mereannoyance.They are agrowing problem that is stealing billions from people’snetworks of friends, family andacquaintances The FBI this weekreleased its annual InternetCrimeReport, which found thatAmericans were defrauded of nearly $21 billion last year.Cloned accounts and fakeinvites often fall under the broader umbrellaofimpostor or investment fraud and are among themostfrequentlyreported complaints.Inthis latest report,for the firsttime,the FBI tracked artificial intelligence-facilitated fraud. Scammers are using fake social profiles, voice clones and deepfake videos,resultinginnearly $893 millioninlosses.

Fake “e-vites”are among the newer phishing traps, according to McAfee. Click on theinvite link, and you maybetaken to a page that asksfor your email and password before youcan view the invitation or RSVP.Scammers can thenhack youremail account launch identity theft schemes or mine your contact list for other potential victims. Your friends may reasonably believe it’s you reaching out, becausethe message is comingfromyour legitimate email address

In some cases, you might be manipulated to download malicious software thatgives thefraudster access toyour computer.Scammers often use Remote Access Trojans, which is afitting name when deployed by digital rodents. Using this technology,acriminal can stay hidden and wait for you to logintoyour bank or retirement account, allowing them to capture your login information. They can look through your files, where theymay find acopy of your most recent taxreturn, then sellthat sensitive information to other scammers. Many scams areremarkably easytospot. For instance, someone using the name “Cheryll Cook” keeps emailingmefrom asuspiciousaddresswith amessage abouta mysteryphoto. There aresomanyred flags that it goes straight to my spam folder Grobman says email providers can catch alot of obvious spam,

but standard filters are failing to catch these new schemes, which continue to get more believable withthe assistance of AI.“In the caseofour scam detector,we’re literally updating our threat intelligence around the clock,” he said.

Here’show to spotaclone profile:

n Check the profile history.Ifit’s an account of aprominent person withonly afew recent photos and no long-term activity, it’sa redflag.

n Be suspicious if alongtime friend sends anew friend request followed immediately by adirect message about an exclusive deal or investing opportunity.

n Be leery of efforts to move the conversationfromthe social media account to an email or encrypted app like WhatsApp. This can make it harder to track the scammer down.

Here’show to spotaphony party invitation:

n Authentic invite emails come only from the digital platform. For example, PaperlessPostissueda warning lastmonth advising users thatemails it sends would come from paperless@email.paperlesspost.com, paperlesspost@paperlesspost.com or paperlesspost@ accounts.paperlesspost.com.Similarly,Punchbowl offered guidance on identifying afake invitation, saying the email will comefrom mail@mail.punchbowl.com.

n If the invite comes from a personal Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook address, even if it uses afriend’s name, it’s ascam.

n Alegitimateinvite won’t prompt you to log in to your email using your password just to view the card. If you arerequired to do that, closethe tab. They are trying to steal your login credentials

n If the invitation is vague or missing details for thespecific event,that can be aclue that a scammer is trying to lure you in. These moresophisticated scams can bypassyour skepticism becausethey mimic the people and platforms you trust.Becauseof that, my final piece of advice is trust nothing.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

On April 1, Artemis II launched from Cape Canaveral, sending four astronauts on amission aroundthe Moon andfarther into spacethanany humansbefore. NewOrleans built thecorestage of theSpaceLaunchSystem, themost powerful rocket NASA has ever developed, which liftedArtemisIIintospace

Mondelez International (Nasdaq: MDLZ) may not be ahousehold name, but many of its brands are. They include Cadbury Clif Bar,Halls, Honey Maid, Oreo, Philadelphia, Ritz, Sour Patch Kids, Tate’sBake Shop, Toblerone and Triscuit.

Mondelez is the former snacking division of Kraft Foods (since merged into Kraft Heinz), spun off in 2012. The company has bulked up its chocolate business since then, and even reportedly explored acquiring Hershey in late 2024.

The company is asolid dividend payer,with arecent dividend yield of 3.4%. Better still, it has been hiking that payout by an annual average of 9.7% over the past five years. Mondelez also repurchased morethan $13 billion of its shares from 2018 through 2024, reducing its outstanding shares by 15% over that period and making every remaining share worth more. The snack-maker believes it can continue returning morecash to shareholders in the future even as it keeps expanding its global portfolio of popular snacking brands. On top of that, Mondelez is the kind of consumer staples stock that can do relatively well in an economic downturn, because while people may put off buying acar or refrigerator at such times, they’ll still buy food and snacks. Mondelez may not be a head-turning growth stock, but it’slikely to keep growing while rewarding its shareholders. Long-term investors, especially those seeking dividend income, may wantto take acloser look.

Fool’s School:Different styles of investing

There aremanystrategies for investing in stocks. Here are some keyones. Fund investing: If you’drather have financialprofessionals

Working

invest foryou,you might optfor mutual funds or exchange-tradedfunds. We heartily recommend low-fee, broad-marketindexfunds.

Valueinvesting: If you’re going to study stocksand pick individualonesinwhichto invest, youmight want to become avalue investor.These folks aimtobuy stocks at prices belowtheir intrinsic value.Doing so builds in a margin of safety andcan shrink your odds of suffering sharp lossesfroma plunging stock.Great investors like WarrenBuffett have focused on value fordecades.

Growth investing: Growth investors carelessabout a stock’s underlying value, focusing instead on its chances of growing rapidly.They’re more willing to buy seemingly overvalued stocks, hoping thatthey’ll keep rising in price. This can work well, but when the market pulls back, growth stocksoften fall especially hard.

Dividendinvesting: Dividend investors areseeking income from their investments, so theytendtofavor stocks with generous dividend payouts and/ortrack records of regularand meaningful dividend increases. Dividend investing is apowerful strategy, as healthy andgrowing companiestendtoincrease their payouts over time, paying shareholders whether the economy is good or bad. Large-cap investing: This approach focuses on big companiesthathavegrown by executing strategies well over time.Theyare more wellestablishedand include many “blue chips” with reputations for quality andreliability Small-cap investing: Small companiescan be riskier, but some will be able to grow faster thanlarge companies. These companiesmay be fairly new andnot even profitable yet. These approaches canoverlap. Dividend-paying companiesare oftenlarge-cap, for example,and some growth stocksmay be undervalued at times. Some investors like to diversify by holding large, medium-sizedand small companiesintheir portfolios, to balancerisks.

NewOrleans Sends America Back to Space

Since the1960s,NASA’sMichoud Assembly Facility in NewOrleans East has been “America’s Rocket Factory,”building thehardwarethatpowershuman spaceflight, from Apollo to theSpaceShuttle to today’sSpaceLaunchSystem.

Here arekey mission details:

•Artemis II launched on April 1, sending four astronauts on a10-daymission aroundthe Moon which returned to Earth on Friday, April 10

•The mission marked thefirstcrewedlunar flightinmorethan50years oftendescribed as this generation’s “Apollo 8moment

•Artemis III andIVwill follow, which will landthe first woman andperson of color on thesurface of themoon

Andabout NewOrleans’Michoud facility:

•Michoudhas supported human spaceflightfor 55+ years

•The facility employs about1,800 people on-site

•The Michoud site hasalwaysbeen tied to nationalpriorities, from Higgins boatsthatlanded in Normandy during World WarII, to theproduction of Sherman andPattontankengines during theKoreanWar.In1961, NASA Administrator Wernhervon Braun chose NewOrleansasthe manufacturinghomefor thenation’s spaceprogram

Thereare multiple entitiesinvolvedinthe historic effort:

•Boeing leads production of theSLS core stage,the largest partofthe 322-foot-tallrocket,which stores super-cooledliquidhydrogen andliquid oxygen to fuel thefour RS-25 engines

•LockheedMartin is buildingthe launch abortsystemand thecrewand service modules, which compose theOrionspacecraftthathousesthe

astronauts

•Local workforce pipelines,including theNunez Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program,are feeding talent directly intoMichoud

•New OrleanscompanieslikeVivaceare pushingthe industryforward from NewOrleans by building next-generationcommercial spacestation structures on-siteatMichoud

Finally,GNO,Inc.has been working foryears to help sendhumankind back to spacevia GreaterNew Orleans:

•Following theend of theSpace Shuttle programin2011, fighting, along with federal andstate leaders, to keep Michoud open

•Working with many of thecompaniesinand aroundMichoud, to provide advocacy, workforce, andother support

•Leadingworkforce programs, likeGNO RAAMP (Regional Aerospace &AdvancedManufacturing Partnership), to connectresidentsto aerospacejobs

•Organizing annualinternships forlocal studentsatMichoud

•Actively supporting thedevelopment of “PropelPark” at Michoud

•Promotion of thespacestory –for example, theArtemis logoprojected on theSuper Domewas conceivedand designed by GNO,Inc

•Welcoming theArtemis II astronautstoNew Orleans

Youcan read more about thehistoric Artemis launch here >>>

Motley Fool

Michael Hecht President&CEO GNO Inc

MADE IN LOUISIANA

South La. salad dressing maker looks to produce ‘the next ranch’

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

The first batch of Kate and Richard Hanley’s salad dressing — about two dozen bottles mixed by hand at their kitchen table — sold out in just a few hours at the Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge. So did the Hanleys’ second batch of dressing, even though they made twice as much. By the next month, Richard Hanley had quit his job at a New Orleans advertising firm and started making salad dressing full time.

Labor of love

Sensation Salad is believed to have originated at Bob & Jake’s steakhouse in Baton Rouge’s Mid City, later continuing at owner Jake Staple’s The Place until its closure. It’s still a fixture on many menus across the capital region, though it remains an enigma in much of the rest of the country

“Moved in with my mom,” Hanley said, “and went all in on this idea of making a salad dressing brand.”

Their two young daughters even got in on the act, inspired by the promise of a $1-per-bottle commission.

“They just kind of went from being these kids that would play with their toys behind the booth to stopping people in their tracks, saying, ‘Hey, have you tried this salad dressing? It’s the greatest!’” he said.

Now, 14 years later, Hanley’s Foods holds the U.S. trademark on Sensation dressing, the garlicand-Romano dressing that’s been a Baton Rouge favorite since the 1950s.

It sells its dressing — about 15,000 bottles and 1,000 food service pouches a month — in about 2,000 grocery stores, including Rouses Markets and Walmart, and supplies dozens of hospitals with custom olive oil dressings.

And it continues to chip away at Richard Hanley’s goal of making Hanley’s Sensation Salad dressing a national brand.

“Our thing is just trying to make Sensation the next ranch, the next Italian, the next big flavor out there,” Hanley said.

While the incubator was a great resource, it didn’t have the capacity to enable Hanley’s to fill all the orders that were pouring in.

“We were bursting at the seams. We were literally filling truckloads at LSU, and it’s not designed for that,” Richard Hanley said.

“At the beginning, we were on the struggle bus for a while — not to say that we’re off it — but we’re doing a lot better now.”

RICHARD HANLEy CEO and co-founder

“I grew up thinking it was just a normal type of salad. You go to a restaurant and it’s ranch, balsamic or Sensation,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was just this local, regional thing.”

The Hanleys launched the business with a $1,000 loan, using their car as collateral. Early on, Richard Hanley would sometimes borrow money from wealthy acquaintances to fill orders, paying them back “beer money” as interest.

It didn’t take long for the company to outgrow the family’s home kitchen, so it moved its production line to a commercial kitchen — first to a food incubator in Norco called Edible Enterprises, since shuttered, and then to the LSU Ag Center Food Incubator, which allowed Hanley’s to produce about 60 gallons at a time.

Louisiana is a unique ecosystem for food manufacturers, Richard Hanley said. Not only does the incubator support the growth of small companies, but local grocery chains favor local products far more than in other states.

“It’s like the perfect storm for a food company to start in southern Louisiana,” he said, “because we don’t have those mass franchises all over the place.”

“We needed a full-on plant. Do we fork out $10 million to go build this plant? At the time, we just didn’t have any resources.”

These days, Hanley’s outsources production of its retail products to another manufacturer Richard Hanley declined to name the company but said it is located within Louisiana and today produces dressing in 1,000-gallon kettles.

After the co-packer hired the majority of its retail employees, Hanley’s is down to three full-time staff members and a few more working on a part-time basis.

All natural

Hanley’s Foods makes nine dressings, including the flagship Sensation. Some, like Strawberry, are seasonal. Some, like Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette and Sweet Creole Mustard, are rooted in regional cuisine. All of them are made from all-natural, Louisiana ingredients.

The company sources its ingredients from Peronne & Sons, a fourth-generation Metairie-based distributor that also brings the finished product to restaurants, grocery stores and other users of the dressing.

“They carry both our food service, which is those kind of big pouches that restaurants use, and then the retail bottles that are in Rouses and Dorignac’s and other retailers,” Richard Hanley said.

Getting products into grocery stores is only half the battle. Food shoppers are often set in their ways, and it can take decades

to engrain a new brand into the minds of consumers.

Though Hanley’s products are popular, it’s a tough business. Sales this year will barely top $500,000. “If we had $1 million to spend in marketing, I would probably put it all in demos — that’s just having people handing out samples and grocery stores,” Richard Hanley said “Because there’s no better way for someone to know your story, what you’re about, where you came from and what the product’s about than to try it.”

Retail sales now comprise about 80% of its business, with food service clients making up the re-

mainder Richard Hanley hopes to grow the food service side of the business until it comprises half of revenue

The biggest lesson he’s picked up over more than a dozen years as a dressing manufacturer? The value of persistence

“It always takes longer and it’s always harder and it costs more than you think it’s going to, and that’s just how it is,” he said. “At the beginning, we were on the struggle bus for a while — not to say that we’re off it — but we’re doing a lot better now.”

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

JonesWalker’sEnergy, Environmental&Natural ResourcesIndustryTeamhelps clientsfind andfollowa clearpathtowardbusiness success. We have represented domesticand internationalclients in mattersfromthe west coasttothe east coastand across theGulfCoast of theUnitedStates.

Ourclients include major oiland gasproducers independent producers, renewableand alternative energy companies,joint ventures,operators,pipeline companies,miningcompanies,fabricators,service companies,refining andchemical companies,power generationand transmissioncompanies,landowners, royaltyinterestowners, andfinancialinstitutions.

CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100 joneswalker.com

Louisianaisanall-of-the-aboveenergystate —leveragingits deeproots in traditionaloil andgas whilerapidly building on that tradition to advanceenergyinnovationand attract record investmenttoLouisiana Jones Walker attorneysbring decadesoflegal regulatory,and practicalexperiencetothe entire energy spectrum,including offshore andonshore drilling andproduction, pipeline transportation andstorage,and liquefied naturalgas (LNG)facilities. Andmorerecently, this includesextensive experiencesinthe useofcarboncapture andsequestration to expand marketsfor Louisiananatural gas and manufacturing products,aswellasthe useof newerenergysources such as lithiumand biofuels.Our firm proudlysupportsLouisiana’s balanced andforward-thinking approach to energy development.

By advising clientsonbothlegacyand emerging energy solutions, we areproudly helpingsupport thestate as aleader in shapingAmerica’s energy independencefor thefuture.

PROVIDED PHOTO By HANLEy’S FOODS Kate Hanley, left, and a staff member pour olive oil into the mix while making Hanley’s Sensation Salad Dressing at the LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute in 2022.

Justin Marocco Marjorie McKeithen

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CLEARING THEAIR

Louisiana expertsinsmoking cessation arelooking to take on next foe: vaping

BYRACHEL MIPRO

Contributing writer

Fighting against awave of candy-

flavored, toy-shaped nicotine devices, Louisiana advocatesare trying to get creative in discouraging youth vaping.

The Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey’s2023data found almost 1in5 middle schoolers vape, and almost 1in 3high schoolers vape. The average age of Louisiana children start vaping is 13 or 14

Early-age usage of nicotine can harm brain development, including memory impairment and cognitive deficits. The

practice comes with alaundry listof other health problems,such as lung impairment.

Dr.Michael Celestin Jr., director of theLouisiana Tobacco Control Initiative andanassistant professoratthe LSU New Orleans School of Public Health,has studiedtobacco usageand prevention for more than 20 years.

Celestin’sfirst focus was on traditional combustible cigarettes —tobacco productsthat areburned to inhale smoke.

By the early2000s,a series of health campaigns andsmoke-free policies were effective in decreasing cigarette

smoking at thestate andnational level. Then came thevapes, replacing smoke with vapor to market nicotine to a new generation.

“(Vapes) have been around since the2000s, but theyreally took off right around 2013,” Celestin said. “Then, when Juul came on board, it just skyrocketed. It’s a diresituation from apublic health perspective.”

ä See VAPING, page 2X

HEALTH MAKER

N.O. Broadway star launches nonprofit afterown struggles

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Kyle Banks loves music. He always has —sincehis daysatSt. Augustine HighSchool to completing graduate school at the University of Oklahoma. Now, he’s performing on Broadway He landedhis first role offBroadway before securing aslot as an ensemble member of “Wicked:The Musical” and later“The LionKing.”

In 2015, while he hoppedfrom New York City to traveling Broadway casts, Banks startedtofeel tiredduring shows —aserious problemfor performers. When he lost 30 pounds in threeweeks, he knewitwas time to seea doctor Weekslater, he was diagnosed with Type 1diabetes.

As he struggled with the chronic disease as an adult, he turned to OchsnerChildren’sHospital in NewOrleans to find out if he could learn fromchildren who are diagnosedwith Type 1diabetesearlier. Banks learned that theydidn’tfare much better In 2020, Banks launched Kyler Cares, afoundation that works to improve the health outcomes for both adults and children living with Type 1diabetes by improving accesstotechnology,creating connections and resources to education, providing grants to those in need and connecting childrenand families to communities.

Whydid you begin theKyler Cares Foundation?

Iwas really struggling at work aftermydiagnosis. I’d started using insulin, whichlowers your blood sugar. Iwas having these crazylowsatwork every night.

The averagerange for your blood sugarisbetween70and 120. Mine would drop down to like 20 or 30. Iwould be at work, on the stage,about to pass outon anightly basis.

Iwas desperate forinformationonhow to take care of myself.

So,Ireached outtoOchsner Children’sHospitalinNew Orleans, because Iwas connected with themalready, hoping that theywould be able to give me some insight on how the kids are taking careofthemselves.

Ifiguredwhatwedoonstage is similartokids playing every day

See DIABETES, page 2X

“Festival Internationalisa special tradition forthis community,and our hardworking medical team is proud to provide carewhenit’sneeded so festival-goers can stay in the moment and enjoythe experience.”

Shamir Hasan, DO

Celestin

Menopauseproductsare having ahot minute

Butdoctors urge womentobewaryof themarketing surge

BY JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

DALLAS Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, moodchangesand sleep problems that can come with menopause —all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs ofaging —are being bombarded with products.

More open conversationsabout menopause and the period leading up to it —called perimenopause— arehappening at the same time that marketing has beensupercharged by social media. Women are being confrontedbylotionsand serums andlight masks that promise to rejuvenate their facesand necks, dietary supplements claimingto do everything from boost moods to ease hot flashes and gadgets promising to help with symptoms.

“The marketing has gotten very very aggressive. It’spervasive,” said Dr.Nanette Santoro, an OBGYN professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Santoro and other physicians say that before spending lots of money on products that make big promises, it’simportant for women to talk to their doctors about what has actually been proven to help —and what could be harmful

“It really pays to be very,very, very skeptical,” Santoro said.

A flood of marketing

As menstruationwinds down,

women’s levels ofestrogenand progesterone drop. In some women,the symptoms can include hot flashes, night sweats,mood changes, vaginal dryness andsleep problems.

Dr.Angela Angel, an OB-GYN with Texas HealthPresbyterian Hospital Dallas,said thatinthe past, doctors would ask women aroundthe age of 50 during their yearlyexamiftheywerenoticing anysymptoms. But now,she said, patientsare making separateappointments and initiating the conversations

And at thoseappointments, she said,many patients tellher they’ve alreadytriedsomething.

“They’re coming to see me because it’snot effective or because it’scausedsomeother side effect,” Angelsaid.

Herhospitalhas recentlystarted amenopause supportgroupled by doctors and, at the request of participants,anupcoming session will focusonhelpingwomen navigate through themarketing onslaught.

Products aimedatwomen in that stageoflife include everything from bracelets andrings claiming to help ease hot flashes to cooling blanketsand bedding.

Santoro said her advice to patients is to “balance what you’re going to spendover whether this might help you.”

“If it’sabracelet that’sgoing to cost you $20, it’snot abig expenditure. It might provide someimprovement,” Santoro said. “Things that are not well tested might still work,but if youwant something that works— comeback,I’m not going anywhere and I’ll give you evidence-based treatment.”

Santoro said dietary supplementshave notbeen proven in multiple, well-done studies to alleviate hot flashes, but many are low-cost withalow potential for harm. She said if apatient wantsto try something they see online, it’s important to at least telltheir doctor so they can be monitored while takingit— or warned off.

Doctors note that most of the time, over-the-counter products like dietary supplements, shampoos or skin care thatare advertised for menopausal women aren’t differentfrom regular products for that purpose ingredient-wise. Andsome products could have side effects.

Advice from doctors

Dr.MonicaChristmas, director of the menopauseprogram at the UniversityofChicago Medicine, said there’snot onesymptomeveryone gets. Some women get few or none, she said, while others are extremelyimpacted by avariety of symptoms. What’smost important, she said, is seeking medical help.

Doctors saythat hormone therapy prescribed by adoctor can help withsymptoms, as can prescriptionsfor nonhormonal medication. Somewomen are advised to avoid hormone therapybecause they have had certain medical issues.

“Not everybody needs hormone therapy. Not everyoneisa candidatefor hormonetherapy.Not everybody should be on hormone therapy,” Angel said.

Regular exercise anda healthy diet can help alot, doctors say That can help with weightloss, which is associated with reducing

DIABETES

Continued from page 1X

That’swhen Ilearned that the kids were not doing as well as Ihad thought they were possibly doing.

One of the doctors at Children’skept emphasizing that kids of color were really struggling and experiencingalot of the horrific complications that develop when glucose levelsare not managed properly

That was the impetus for starting Kyler Cares. What do you hope to provide to children, families with Type 1diabetes through Kyler Cares? Initially,westarted giving out grants for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors in New Orleans. Then Idiscovered that the kids still weren’t wearing them —the financial cost to keep up with the monitors is abarrier for alot of families. Ikept deep divinginto the issues around kids being able to manage their health. It still feels crazy to talk about kids having to engage in their health. This disease causes you to grow up really fast. We continue to give out grants for insulin pumps andcontinuous glucose monitors, but we also focus alot on social and community connections. A lot of kids aren’tconnected with other kidsthat are living with Type 1, which just causes them to not be confident in their ability to manage. When the kids are together,it’smaybe 20%

diabetes talk and 80% fun. We also have programs thatassist with healthinsurance navigation, case management, housing insecurity and food insecurity. Allofthese things really impact afamily’s abilitytomanage achild with Type 1diabetes. We have partnerships with clinics across the country,including Ochsner Children’sHospital in New Orleans. With those partnerships, we’re able to getpeople fast-tracked into care ifthey don’thave an endocrinologist towork with to manage Type 1. Howdoyou use artand music to educate children on Type 1 diabetes?

Oneofthe issues with managing Type 1and Type 2diabetesiseducation around the diseases. It’s not where it needs to be.

Oneofthe ways in which we educate is through music and storytelling, especially withmybackground in entertainment. We have an animation called Kyler Bear and Friends, and we use those tools as away to educate the kids in afun and engaging way

We’re working with some amazing producers who have worked on songs with Rihanna and Beyoncé to developthe music for it as well.Wehave a comic book for teenagers, which deals with things thatteenagers are going through in their real lives, on top of having tomanage Type 1. We love using toolslike thattoreally help educate people on how to better manage their symptoms but also live their lives to the fullest.

Tell me about the national Kyler Cares programs in schools.

We recentlylaunched aprogram pilotingaprogram in New York City public schools, adiabetes management supportprogram.

Thereare 3,000 kids in theNew York City school system living withType 1. We worked with 2,000 school nurses, making sure that the kids are supported while they’re in school, but also at home as well.

We’re really excited becausewe’ve made alot of headway with bringing this program to New Orleans as well. The setup is verydifferent.Asbig as New York is,the largest school system in thecountry,itwas easier to establishthe program there, as opposed to New Orleans. We’re working to establishacoalition of charter schools so that we can connect withthem from one central space. We’re in the processofdeveloping that now,and hope to have it off the ground in the new school year Additionally,we’re talking to anumber of school systems around the country

The program is launching in Detroit, andwe’re in discussion with the Governor’s Office in Maryland. It’sspreading really fast. We’re getting alot of outreach about howwe can bring theprogram to other cities. Ourtentacles are really beginning to spread.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

hot flashes andnight sweats. And Santoro notes thatavoiding alcohol is agood step forsomeone withhot flashes since it can make them worse.

“Many of the symptomsactually get better over time, so sometimes it really is just amatter of lifestyle modificationsand self-care and getting through this most tumultuous time frame,” Christmassaid.

For Brandi McGruder,a49-yearold school librarian from Dallas, it clicked that she was in perimenopause last year when she wentout to dinnerfor her birthday.When she and her friends entered the steakhouse, she wasfreezing cold. About 20 minutes later,she was burning up She said she made an appointment with herdoctor,who prescribed an estrogen patch, which helped.

McGrudersaidshe’s seen theadvertisements for products aimed at women her age, but her first stop was her doctor

McGrudersaidthatwhile she doesn’tlike the waythe symptoms have driven homethat she’sgettingolder,she’salso embracing this time in her life.Her advice: “Laugh. It’sOK. Reach out to others experiencing what you are going through. Don’ttakeitsoserious.”

Concerns aboutskin

There arechanges with skin that come both with time as one ages, andduringmenopause as skin gets less thick because of aloss of collagen and someofthe hyaluronic acidthatsupports skin,said Dr Melissa Mauskar,adermatologist and associate professor at UT

E-cigaretteuse in theU.S.

Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Mauskar said using aprescribed retinoid or an over-the-counter retinol can help.

Both assist withthe production of collagen and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

She said good over-the-counter moisturizers can be found at drugstores.Her adviceistolook for ones with ceramides, which help keep skin hydrated.

“But you don’twant to have anything that has toomanyadditive ingredients —just because it’s naturaland abotanical does not mean it’s better,” Mauskarsaid. “A lot of those actually are contact allergens that can makepeople more sensitive.”

Ingestible collagen is among the products being marketed to women, but she warns that studies are mixedand ingesting it “doesn’t mean that it’sgoing to make its way to your skin andplump up your face” —even though products claim it will. Light masks, she said, won’thurt, and some studies show they could help, but they won’tmake adifferenceovernight She saidseeing any improvements from them would likely take daily use formany years.

She said sun damage is one of the biggest reasons patients have more wrinkles, so consistent use of sunscreen is amust forall ages.

“I think there’salot of new fancy things coming outand targetedto perimenopause, menopause patients,” Mauskar said, “but sometimes the tried and true things that we at leasthavethe science forI think still are my kind of gold standard formypatients.”

Percentage of adults age25and olderwithsome collegeortechnicalschooleducation who reported using e-cigarettes or otherelectronicvapingproductsatleast once in theirlifetime andnow usedaily or some days

Source:Centers forDisease Controland Prevention

VAPING

Continuedfrom page1X

Some vapeshavefour timesthe nicotine content of traditional cigarettes, which arealready highlyaddictive. They’re easier to purchase, found online and in avariety of gasstations anddrug stores, and often comeincolorfulpackagingthatappeals to children and teens.

“They’re becoming smaller in scale. They’re the size of USB drives and highlighters. They can become cute,” Celestin said.

He says the features the tobacco industry puts into marketing and product design makethe vapeproducts more appealing to youth —the colors, the flavors.

But public perception of vapingoften doesn’tacknowledge theharm products can cause.

“It’sbeen normalized within the society,” said Chrishelle Stipe, of the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living,citingTVshows and social media influencers as

avenues by which vaping has become mainstream Stipesaidsocial andacademic pressures often contributetoteenage addiction.

“Theyget hooked to the point wherethey’re constantly looking for the vape, and they’re using thevapetohelp them copewithstress,” Stipe said.

Stipe is working withyouth around Louisiana to figure out solutions. Stipe’s organization hashosted town halls on vaping, asymposium in Baton Rouge and has ayouth advisory board that meets twice amonth to provide input and feedback on vaping culture at the school level.

“In order to reach certain populations, you have to be able to adjust,” Stipe said. “You’ve got to be able to bring them to the table, and that’swhat we do with the youth.”

Theorganization provides avaping toolkitwithresources for schools on where to go to getnew data,along with suggestions on howtodevelop avape-freepolicywithin theschool environment.

Stipe also promoted afree

text-based program forthose ages 13 to 17 looking to quit, Live Vape Free.

Based on feedback from youth groups around the state, Stipe recommends a restorative, education-based approach for students found vaping.

Celestin pointed to the tacticsusedwhenfighting combustible cigarette addiction in thestate, suchasthe excise tax on cigarettes,the creation of free cessation services and smoke-free policy.

“Those are the types of things that we knowwork,” Celestinsaid. Combined with moreaccess to medication to treat nicotine addiction, themultipronged approach decreased statewidesmoking. In 2025, the state reported an all-time lowfor cigarette smoking, down to arate of 15.7% of Louisiana adults. Celestinsaidsimilarmethods could help lower vape use across Louisiana.

“I’m eternally optimistic,” Celestin said. “Wewere able to do it with combustibles; Ithink we can do the same with electronic cigarettes.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

TheLouisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This sectionlooksatmedical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to livewell.

Health editions will also profile people whoare advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do youhavea health story? We want to hear fromyou. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PROVIDED PHOTO NewOrleanianKyle Banks has performed

Eat Fit Live Fit

Festival International: an EatFit guide to the weekend

GuestcolumnbyAllieForeman,OchsnerEatFitNutritionSpecialist

Thesmelloflocalcuisine,the soundoflivelymusicand thesightofglobalartwork andperformerscanonlymean onethinginsouthLouisiana: festivalseasonhasarrived.In Lafayette,thatexcitement centersaroundFestival InternationaldeLouisiane whichiscelebratingits40th anniversarythisyear.

Visitorsandmusicianstravel todowntownLafayettefrom aroundtheworld,creatinga vibrantcelebrationofculture, musicandfood.Theincredible varietyofcuisinealonecan transportyoufromcountryto countrywithouteverleaving festivalgrounds.

Asanutritionspecialistwith OchsnerEatFit,I’mespecially excitedtoseeEatFitdishesfeatured throughoutFestivalInternationalthisyear withoptionsavailablefrommultiplefood vendorsacrossthegrounds.

EatFitdishesoptforwholegrainsover refinedwhitecarbs,minimizeadded sugarsandprioritizeingredientslikefresh produce,leanproteinsandplant-based fats—allwhileshowcasingtheboldflavors thatmakeLouisianafoodsounique.

Withanentireweekendofmusic,art andfoodahead,thebiggestquestioncan feelsimpleyetoverwhelming:Where doIbegin?

PlanAhead

WhileIliketotakeabitofalaissezfaireapproachtoFestivalInternational, Istilltakeadvantageoftheopportunity topreviewthelineupandfoodvendors onlinebeforehand.Aquickglancehelps megetagenerallayoftheland,build

excitementfortheweekendandkeepmy wellnessgoalsinmindwhilesavoringthe incredibledishescraftedbyfestivalchefs

AssoonasIarrivedowntown,Iknow thearomasoffestivalfoodwillhitmefrom everydirection.Oneofmyfirststopsis usuallythewristbandregistrationtentto grabapocketguideofthefoodoptions andconnectmypayment. Thencomesthatfirstbiteofredbeans (holdtherice)fromBonCreoleSeafood orClambeaugh’sRestaurant—both longtimefestivalstaples

SplitDishes withFriends FestivalInternational offersanincrediblerange ofauthentic,globalflavors juststepsapart.Whether it’sbutterchickenfrom DestinationIndia,ropa viejafromCaféHabana City,grilledgatorbites fromPoorBoy’sRiverside Innorstreettacosfrom TaqueriaelMexicano,you won’tbedisappointed. Tryingeverythingcan feelimpossible,which iswhysharingdishes withfriendsisoneof myfavoritestrategies. Splittingplatesallowsyou toexperiencemoreflavors whilekeepingportionsbalanced(andit’s easieronthebudget,too).

HydrationisKey

WithLouisianasunshineandwarm springtemperatures,keepingwater inhandthroughoutthedayisamust. Stayinghydratedhelpsmaintainenergy levelssoyoucankeepexploringmusic stages,artvendorsandfoodboothswell intotheevening. Ifyou’relookingforsomethingbeyond

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

plainwater,flavoredsparklingwater, unsweetenedteaorevennon-alcoholic beeraregreatoptions. Forarefreshingfoodoption,Ilike PokeGeaux,wherebowlsservedover acucumberbaseofferacrisp,hydrating bitethankstothehighwatercontentof freshvegetables.

LookforSimpleIngredients

OneguidelineIkeepinmindwhen choosingmealswhetherathome,in restaurantsoratfestivalsistolookfor dishesbuiltaroundrealingredients. Leanproteins,freshproduceand simplepreparationsoftendeliverthemost satisfyingflavors.VendorslikeFiveMile Eaterycombinetheseelementsperfectly withdishesliketheirbayoubanhmior anaturallysweetchiapuddingtoend theevening.

BeyondNutrition

Foodisanimportantpartoffestival experiences,buteventslikeFestival Internationaloffersomuchmore.They bringthecommunitytogether,celebrate culturaldiversityandencouragemovement asvisitorsexplorestages,artistsandfood vendorsthroughoutdowntownLafayette. It’snosurprisethatLouisianaisfrequently recognizedasthefestivalcapitalofthe world.Besuretosoakitallin,fromthe musicandartto,ofcourse,thefood

FindEatFitDishesatFestival InternationaldeLouisiane EatFitdishesavailableatFestival Internationalcanbefoundonfestivalmenu boards,theFestivalInternationalwebsite andinthefreeEatFitmobileapp,where youcanbrowsevendors,viewphotosand seenutritionfactsforeachdish.

BY THENUMBERS

WHEREARE LOUISIANA’SMEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATESGOING?

On Friday, March20, graduating medical students in Louisiana programs found out what medicalresidency program theywere paired with to continue their medical education. Of the 600 graduating medical students in Louisiana, 191 will continue their medical education in thestate.

The national event, also known as Match Day, matches graduating fourth-year medical students with medical residency programs across the country through the National Resident Matching Program Medical residencies, apostgraduate training program where doctors gain specialized, in-depth trainingina specificmedical specialty,typically last threetoseven years.

Tulane University School of Medicine, LSU Health NewOrleans, LSU HealthShreveport,the University of Queensland-OchsnerMedical Program and VCOMLouisiana all had graduating medical students this year whoparticipatedinthe match.

The 2026 National Resident Matching Program wasthe largest in the organization’shistory,with over 53,000 applicantsregistered and more than 44,000 residency positions offered in over6,800 program tracks acrossthe United States.

Here’show manygraduating medical students are

stayinginLouisiana, for each Louisiana medical school:

n LSU Health NewOrleans’MatchDay results revealed that 95, or 49%,ofits 194 medical school graduates

will remain in Louisiana forresidency training.Ofthose, 84% will enter an LSU Health residency program.

n At the University of Queensland-Ochsner medical program, 13, or 17.3%,ofits 75 matched students will stayinLouisiana fortheir residency.The remaining students, 62, will be attending out of state.

n At LSU Health Shreveport, 61, or 43.5%,of142 graduating medical students will stayinLouisiana to complete their residency.Ofthose staying in Louisiana, 76.7% will be doing so at an LSU-affiliated academic medical center

n At Edward ViaCollegeofOsteopathic Medicine in Monroe, 37, or 26.8%,of138 graduating medical students will remain in Louisiana forfurther training Two-thirds of VCOM’sgraduating class matched into primarycare specialties, central to the university’s goal —“advancing prevention, expanding access and strengthening community-based care forpatients.”

n At Tulane University School of Medicine, 26, or 13.8%,ofits 189 graduating medical students will remain in Louisiana fortheir residency.The rest of the university’sstudents are spread out in programs across the countryincluding California, Newyork, Illinois,Texas, Florida, Maryland,Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Arizona.

Mayo Clinic studiesdeliveringchemotherapyathome

Researchers findsmodel asafe, feasible alternative

CARE BeyondWalls

(ConnectedAccess andRemote Expertise), amodel that combines virtual care, remote patient monitoringand in-home clinical services to deliver cancer treatment outside traditional infusion centers. In thepilot study, amultidisciplinary team delivered 93 IV chemotherapy infusions to 10 patients in their homes.

Researchers reported no treatment-related infusion reactions or catheter-related infections, supporting the safety and feasibility of this approach. “Cancer care hastraditionally

required patients to spend long hours in infusioncenters, often far from home,” saysRoxana Dronca, M.D., site directorofthe Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida and director of Mayo Clinic Cancer CARE Beyond Walls.“This model allows us to safely bring high-quality care directlytopatients, reducingburden while maintaining the standardspatientsexpectfrom Mayo Clinic.” The study highlightsthe potential of home-based chemotherapy to reducethe physical, emotional

andfinancial burdens associated with cancer treatment. Patients avoidedtraveltime andexperienced fewer disruptions to daily life whilemaintaining acontinuous connectionwith their care team through virtual visits and remote monitoring.

Mostparticipants surveyed reported high satisfaction with athomecare and said they would recommend the model to others.

“This approachisabout more than convenience,” Dronca says. “It’sabout improving quality of life during treatment and expand-

ingaccesstocarefor patientswho mayface barriers to reaching traditionalcancer centers.”

To build on these findings, Mayo Clinic is still enrolling patients in arandomized clinicaltrial that launchedinAugust 2023 to evaluate home-based chemotherapy comparedwithstandard infusion care. This studywillexamine safety, patient experience,outcomes and costs, with thegoalofexpanding access to high-quality cancer care and reducing barriers to clinical trialparticipation.

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Music heals the soul.We’reherefor everything else.

CommunityPurpose in Action

About Festival International de Louisiane Everyspring,downtownLafayettetransformsintoa vibrantcelebrationofcultureandmusic.Forfivedays, Festivalbringstogetherartistsandperformersina livelyshowcaseofAcadiana’srichheritageandcreative spirit.Nowinits40thyear,Festivaldrawsvisitorsfrom acrossthecountryandaroundtheworld,highlighting theuniqueconnectionbetweenourlocaltraditions andglobalFrancophonecommunity.

Partnering forHealth and Happiness

OchsnerLafayetteGeneralisproudtoserveastheOfficial MedicalProviderofFestivalInternationalandsponsorof SceneFaisDoDoStageforthesecondyearinarow.Atthe heartofoursupportistheOchsnerMedicalTent,staffed byourteamofhealthcareprofessionalsthroughoutthe event.Thetentprovidesfestival-goerswithimmediate accesstofirst-aidservicesandexpertcare.Andforthefirst timeatFestival,OchsnerEatFitispartneringwithselect foodvendorstoofferhealthymenuoptions.Ourpresence atFestivalnotonlysupportsemergencyneedsbutalso fostersacultureofwellnessandpreparedness.

“Festival International is aspecial tradition forthiscommunity,and our hardworking medical team is proud to provide carewhenit’sneeded so festival-goerscan stay in themoment and enjoythe experience.”

Shamir Hasan,DO

Bystandingalongsidefestivalorganizers,wesupporta traditionthatstrengthensandcelebratesourthriving Lafayettecommunity.

Success in OurCommunity

ThepartnershipbetweenOchsnerLafayetteGeneraland FestivalInternationalreflectsasharedcommitmentto thehealthandwellbeingofourcommunity.Whileour teamisproudtoprovidemedicalsupportandresources duringfestival,ourdedicationtoAcadianacontinues year-round.Becausehealthcareisn’tjustabouthospitals, it’saboutbeingpresentinourcommunity,helping everyoneenjoydayslikethis.Byprovidinghelpfulhealth resourcesandpromotingwellness,we’resupportinga healthierAcadianalongafterthemusicstops

Tolearnmore,visit ochsner.org/community

Fixing braindrain

LSUhonorscollege’s newdegreeprogram lookstobethe solution

BY HALEY MILLER Staffwriter

As many universities encouragestudentstospecialize and tailor theireducation around high-earning,oftenSTEMor business-focused degree paths, the LSUOgdenHonorsCollege is reminding them of the benefits of zooming out.

The new degree,HonorsTraditions in Critical Thought and Scholarship, or TRACTS, offers awell-rounded liberal arts education withoutcompromising on career opportunities, its creators say. It’sgeared toward solvingalongstanding problem in Louisiana of college graduatesleaving thestate for jobs or doctoralprograms elsewhere, taking their expertise and their tax dollars with them.

“Theidea of TRACTS and the honors college in general is the best educational product that the stateofLouisiana can produce —the future leaders of the state whowill transform the state over time,” said BrianHaymon, chairofthe Dean’sAdvisory Council in the honors college and one of thearchitectsofthe degree.

TRACTS, astandalone Bachelor of Arts housed in the honors college, launched with its first cohort in August 2025. Thirty-two students are currently enrolled in the degree.

LSU modeled the degree after the Plan II honorsprogram at theUniversityofTexas at Austin, Haymon said which followsa multidisciplinary arts andsciences curriculum culminating in acapstone thesis.

Compared to simply being amember of the honors college, an independent degree carries from the college carries acertain “gravitas” and makes the program eligible for greater resources, Haymon said “Wedidn’twant ittobesimplyanembellishment,” Haymon said. “Wewanted it to be its ownstand-alone degree that, even if you didn’tcouple it with another degree program, you would produce a well-rounded leader that can write, that can think, that can problem solve, that can work with other people.”

Though many studentsinTRACTS double major,it’snot arequirement

“It’scool when you have abiological engineer andTRACTS major, and you’re studying Homer,” LSU Ogden Honors College Associate Dean Drew Lamonica Arms said. It’sjust areally interesting perspective allcoming together.”

The degree is designed to foster critical thinking,communication, problem solving and ethical decision-making

through discussion of thefoundational texts of Western civilization,similar to a“GreatBooks” curriculum, as well as thesciences.

What further sets the degree apart is a focus on theBayou State,with students exploringchallengesand potential solutions in Louisiana, according to faculty.

“Studentstoday arelooking to create meaning andcreate meaningful change,”said Josh Grimm,professor and TRACTS project manager.“This helps give them agrounding and aplace where, ‘Oh,wow,Ican make adifference in aplace that really needsit.’”

One of thegoalsofthe program is for the students to see Louisiananot as a way station but as adestination, where young people from in and out of state can build their careersand becomethe next generation of leaders.

“You’re allowed to go to Harvard Medical School,” LSU OgdenHonors College Dean Jonathan Earle said. “You’re allowed to go to Wall Street. But what if youcould usethosesameskills to do finance here in Lake Charles, come andbenumber oneinthe class of LSU Shreveport medical school? That’sthe idea.”

Studentsenrolled in TRACTS said they enjoy theseminarclassesinthe major and the sweeping exposure to the arts and sciences.

“In theliberal arts-stylelearning, it develops you as aperson, and it opens your mind to alot of perspectives younever really thought aboutinthe world,” freshman AndersonKrupala said.

FreshmanAditya Khutale saiddeclar-

ing TRACTS as amajor will give him an edge in his applications to medical school andmakehim abetter doctor in the future

“A lot of classes Itakeare STEM related,” Khutale said. “I think adding these liberal arts, humanities-type classes builds aperson’scritical thinking andsoftskills past just STEM. They buildapersontobemoreofa leader, moreengaged in society, moreofa wellroundedperson in general.”

The motto of the degree —“choose to be challenged” —isfitting, faculty say, because the professors are challenged, too. Thehonors students are engaged withcourse content and keep discussions going so long, they have to be cut off, Grimm said.

“Having that energy,you feedoff of it,”hesaid. “You really do. It pushesme to improve my course andmakesure I’mthatmuchmore prepared.”

Haymon said thedegree has the support of graduate schools, theGovernor’s Office, Louisiana Economic Development andindustry leaders. As an employerinthe private sector himself, he saidTRACTS students are developing skills that will make them highly sought-afterhires.

In theInformation Age, he said, the ability to write andspeak effectively work on ateam and problem solve is ever more important.

“You have to have theliberal arts,” Haymon said.“Youhavetohavethis kind of grounding in things biggerthan just the technology itself, in order to make the human experience worthwhile.”

JanRisher LONG STORy SHORT

He paints chickens;I paintthe backgrounds

My husband is an artist. Iamnot.

Even though he was anewspaperman formore than 30 years, he’s always been an artist. Seven years ago he took up the calling full time. During that time, he has created avariety of art, everything fromcollages to linoleum prints and small sculptures, but mostly he paints oil on canvas. He prefers to do big pieces, but he is best known forhis smaller paintings. Of chickens.

Thechickens are notaccidental. For most of my childhood, my hometown of Forest, Mississippi, considered itself the “Chicken Capital of the World.” Times have changed, but Forest still produces its share of poultry.Myhusband hasnever lived there, but he married into it, which apparently counts.

He doesn’tlike to start painting on an unpaintedcanvas. So before he begins, the canvas needs acoat of paint. Ihave neverlearned to draw, but Ilove color.So, Ipaint the backgrounds of his chickens. The backgrounds can be any color loose, layered and imperfect. He may incorporate some of it into the finalpiece, or he may paint over it entirely.He’sasked me to suggest ahorizon in it —soItry.That said, he may rotate the canvas 90 degrees fromwhatever direction I hadinmind.

He sees his own horizon.

I’mvery aware that my contribution is provisional. It may disappear completely beneath the finishedwork, which means there is absolutely no pressure. Imix colors wildly,thenslather on the paint, hand it over and let go. Icannot explain howmuchIlove the process. Thedays Iget to paint backgrounds formyhusband’s chickens are my peak days. His regular studio is unavailable to us right now, an indirect casualty of the fire that took our house in August —sothathas changed the rhythm of our lives and my painting backgrounds. But before that, those hours were among the ones Icherished most. Thetwo of us in there together,each doing separate things, nottalking much, not needing to. He let me play my music as we both did our work.

My husband is notaman who seeks alot of company.Hecooks alone. He cleans alone. He was 40 years old when we married, and he hadspent along time learning to be alone well. Our inner lives run on wildly different frequencies which took me years to understand and more years to stop taking personally When I’mwith him in the studio painting backgrounds, something different happens. Ihave areason to be there. Ihave ajob touching the part of art Imost love —color

In fact, my involvement with my husband and his artwork goes far

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER Chicken by Julio Naudin, background by columnist Jan Risher

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

StudentSophia Kryszewski raisesher hand recently during professor Granger Babcock’sHonors2015 class in theLSU Ogden Honors College

Professor Granger Babcock, left, continues the discussionwith agroup of students duringa break.

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASK THEEXPERTS

Expandingaccessfor earlychildhood education

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Sarintha Stricklin,Ph.D.,

is the executive directorof Jefferson Ready Start Network, an organization dedicated to improving quality andaccess forearly education to economically disadvantaged families with children from birth to age 5. The organization, formed in 2020 by business owners and educators, is asponsored project of the Jefferson Community Foundation funded through the state and parish, as well as private donations.

Jefferson Parish hasroughly 28,000children aged 5and under,with about 50%-75% of them being economically disadvantaged, accordingto the organization. Only about 4,500 of those children have access to publicly funded seats.

There are 37 Ready Start Networks statewide.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tell me aboutJefferson Ready StartNetwork’swork and whyearly childhood education is important. It’s not just an issuefor children, but for families, for workforce and economic development. There’shuge data that it has massive economic implications when we can’tget people to work

Women particularly tend to be the people that don’tgo back to work or step outof work when they can’taccess child care. It’sreally a national issue as well.

So the Jefferson Ready Start Network’scharge is to find long-term, sustainable funding.

The Jefferson Parish Council funds the Ready Start Network at $250,000 per year for three years,

largelybecause of the leadership of at-large council member Scott Walker,and thosefunds are matched by thestate’searly childhood fund

That money basically comes into the Jefferson Ready StartNetwork and out the door to providers so that familiesofeconomically disadvantagedchildren can haveseats in child care.

What are the impacts of your organizationsofar?

Jefferson Ready Start Network was formed right before the COVID shutdown. Despite that, wepulled together this incredible group of leaders, which is amix of earlycareand educationproviders and business organizations.The council contribution since thattime plus thestate match puts us close to $4 millionoverthat period.

The bottom lineisthatevery year,the numberofchildrenthat are served with those dollars is alittle bit different because it varies by age. It’sincredibly complicated, but in most programs, therate is similar with theexception of Early Head Start and Head Start. What arethe challenges?

Again, it’sa complex landscape, but the bottomline is we’re serving about 4,500 children in publicly funded seats each year.When you lookacrossthe different fund sources, we stillhave agood 10,000 children who areeligible that we’re not serving

Since the JeffersonParishCouncil started funding seats through the Jefferson Ready Start Network in 2021, we have served 329 children

The simplestchallenge is money

PROVIDED PHOTO By GAMBEL COMMUNICATIONS

Sarintha Stricklin is the executivedirector of Jefferson Ready Start Network.

There are several obstacles. Thefirst is educating thegeneral public and helping the public understand that it’snot just about the child. Yes, it’scritical because brain development happens in the firstfour years of life. But it is also aworkforce andeconomic development issue, and educating the public on the return on investment andthe cost savings down the road. Whenkids are in quality early care and education, they’re ready for kindergarten.They’re readingon athird-gradelevel.They’re not dropping out in middle school. They are graduating and becoming moreproductivecitizens. It’sabout educating the public,but also educating our policymakers, our legislators, our council members and having real data to show that if we invest earlier, then we save money later JeffersonParish has an aging population. How does your organization fitinto changing demographics? We need to invest in qualityearly care and education, so we don’tlose even more

Next LouisianaInspiredbook

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Warren

The Louisiana Inspired Book Club’ssummer selection is aLouisiana classic still relevant for our time —“All the King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren. Robert Penn Warren is one of the bestknown Southern writers of the 20th century and the only American writer to have won Pulitzer Prizes in both poetry and fiction.

“All the King’sMen,” published in 1946, is generally considered one of the best

novels about American politics

The novelfeaturesthe rise andfall of adictatorial Southernpolitician —looselymodeled on Huey LongofLouisiana. The story explores themes of power,history,identity,loyaltyand love Warren taught at LSU from 1934 to 1942.Duringthis time, he wrote thefirst versions of thenovel,which wasa verse play titled, “Proud Flesh.” He was teaching at LSU when Long was assassinated. The Louisiana Inspired Book Club invitesreaders to reread theclassic or read it for thefirst time. We will assemble apanel of literary experts to lead adiscussion on asoon-tobe-announced date.

Q&A WITH SARINTHA STRICKLIN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF JEFFERSON READySTART NETWORK

young families moving to the North Shore or other places. We have to be able to have those opportunities, to keep thoseyoung families, or to getthose young adults to come back after college. They’ve got to see opportunity,and clearlyhaving affordable, qualityearly care and education is acritical issue for ayoung family, and they are definitely lookingelsewhere.That’sabig piece of that.

The other interesting piece is oftentimes we see alot of those grandparents raising their grandchildren. We’vehad great conversations with councilman DeanoBonanno, whoisreally looking to figure out how to enhanceseniorservices. We’ve had somegreat con-

RISHER

Continuedfrom page 1y

beyond the backgrounds.I also name allofhis paintings

The chickens, for example, come in batches. Iname each batch with asingle theme. Inamed one whole batch after poets, which yielded one of my favorite of my husband’schickens, Carl Sandburg, thehog butcher poet,rendered in oil on acanvas small enough to hold.

The significant literary charactersbatch gave us TomSawyer,Scout,Boo Radleyand Natty Bumppo. The family membersbatch gave us Aunt Hazel and Uncle David, immortalized in away they did not expect, but would bothappreciate.

Poetry runs as aconstant through mostofwhat I do, through mostofwhat I name.

versations with himabout the connection with seniors. We’re going to be providing him some of thatdatafor early care and education: the number of kids served, the gaps, where we have child care deserts.

What are your plans forJefferson Ready StartNetwork this year?

In thelastyear theReady Start Network actually moved under the Jefferson CommunityFoundation, and we believe that gives us anew opportunity to really educate, communicate about who we are, andactually do somereal fundraising.

We have hadfourgrant applications in thelastfour months, and we’ll be looking to see if we have any opportunities forfunding there. We have agrant applica-

He values the names. He recognizes whatIbring to the business side of his being an artist. Those are the parts that don’tcome naturally to him. The names go on the backs of the paintings, there for whoever turns them over.But Idon’t think he considers the backgrounds the wayIdo. For him, apractical problem is solved. For me,it’ssomething else.

One night last week, we both got home later than usual. Iasked how his day went. He said he had gone to his studio downtown and painted. Iasked what he had painted.

“Chickens and stuff,” he said.

Istarted laughing.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“You don’tknow why that’sfunny?” Iasked.

He did not.

So Itold him about the poetry workshop Itaught decades ago at the elemen-

tion to serve children who are in familieswith limitedEnglish. Specifically, aproject to serve more Latino children in Kenner in partnership with achild care center there that has avery largebilingual staff, owned by aLatina woman Again, smallnumbers, small steps. When we didarecentanalysis of early care across the whole parish, Jefferson had oneofthe largest growing populations of Latino families, andsowerecognized that was ahuge issue, as we don’thavea lotofbilingual teachersinearly care and education.

Email Lara Nicholsonat lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

tary school in my hometown for third graders on aspring morning. Iopened the workshop with aquestion: What is poetry?

Atiny girl in the front row said, “It’swhen words rhyme.”

That’sright, Itold her Sometimes poetry rhymes. What else?

Aboy in the back raised his hand.

Iacknowledged him and asked again, “What is poetry?”

“Chickens and stuff,” he said.

My husband listened to the whole story.Helaughed. Then, he went back to scrolling his iPad, but I knew he had filed it away He does that. He holds on to things and brings them back at exactly the right moment. His inner life runs on a different frequency than mine.But every so often, across the distance or the dining room, the signals connect.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

Andrea Munoz, center,works with Christopher Peraza, left,and Legend ProbyataJefferson Ready StartNetwork site in MetairieonJune 29, 2023.

THERE’S GOOD NEWS,TOO

These are stories of globalprogress, compiled by the media group Fix the News and shared in partnership with The Advocate/The Times-Picayune.

Each story overview is linked to an original report or story with more information.

GLOBAL PROTECTIONS

At the U.N. wildlife summit in Brazil the 15th Conference of the Partiesto the Convention on the Conservation of MigratorySpecies of Wild Animals —governments agreed to grant the highest levelofinternational protection to the giant otter and striped hyena by listing them on both Appendix Iand II of the Convention on MigratorySpecies.According to the Wildlife Conservation Society this decision requires rangestates to “strengthen legalprotections, improvemonitoring and coordinate conservation actions across borders.”

The giant otter,described as a sentinel of river health, relies on waterwaysystems that are increasingly facing habitat degradation, fragmentationand human disturbance.The striped hyena is experiencing population declines fromhabitat loss,fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict.The new protections aim to improve data sharing,strengthen legal protections and encouragecoordinated conservation efforts among countries. Susan Lieberman, vice president for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society,said that conservation success will “depend on countries working together across entire ecosystems.”

ELIMINATIONOFTRACHOMA

The WorldHealth Organization validated the elimination of trachomaasapublic health problem in Libya,which marksa major milestone in diseasecontrol. Reported in February,Libya is the

28thcountry worldwide and the eighth in the EasternMediterranean Region to achieve this goal demonstratingthat neglected tropical diseases can be overcomeevenin challengingcontexts, with evidencebased programming and coordinated technical support.

Trachoma, abacterial eyeinfection that can lead toblindness, had affected Libyancommunities for over acentury.In2017, the Ministry of Healthprioritizedtrachoma eliminationas part of national eye healthworkwithin the National PreventionofBlindness Programme. Theelimination effortsincluded integratedsurveillance, expanded access to surgical care, improved healthcareand national and international partnerships.Final assessmentsin2022 and 2025

confirmed the decline of trichiasis. The achievement contributes to WHO’sbroader 2021-2030 road map to eliminate neglected tropical diseases.

ERADICATINGHUNGER

The 2025 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition: Statistics and Trends,released in February, shows that Latin America and the Caribbean have reducedhunger for the fourth consecutive year, with undernourishment falling to 5.1% in 2024 —6.2 millionfewer people than in 2020. South America led improvements, according to the PanAmerican Health Organization, while progress in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean remaineduneven. Food insecurity also declined to 25.2% in 2024,

belowthe global average, though it remains higheramong women

The Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025 is a jointpublication of the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development,the Pan AmericanHealth Organization/World Health Organization, the WorldFood Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

ASTROCYTES AREINCHARGE

Fordecades, neuroscience treated neurons as the sole drivers of brain activity,while astrocyteswereseen as passiveregulators. Newresearch, reported by Quanta Magazine,shows that astrocytes playacentralrole in regulating brain function.Studies across mice, zebrafish and fruit flies

reveal that astrocytesare integral parts of neural circuits.Astrocytes operate more slowly,integrating information over timeand influencing largenetworks of synapses.Theycan release moleculeslikeadenosine that alterneuronal signaling and behavior Experiments demonstratethat disabling astrocytesdisruptsnormal behavioral responses, highlighting their importance “Once viewed as meresupportcells forneurons, astrocytesare now thought to help tune brain circuits and thereby control overall brain state or mood —say,our levelofalertness, anxiousness or apathy,”Quanta Magazine reported.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Recentlegal and policy developments have marked aturnacross Africa in recognizing reproductiverights as fundamental human and constitutional rights. Countries including Rwanda, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria are advancing reforms that expand access to reproductive health care and reduce the criminalizationof womenand girls

Anew lawinRwanda lowers the age of consent foraccessing healthcare from 18 to 15. In Nigeria, theFederal High Courtrecognizedthat “survivors are entitledtoaccess safeabortion care,clarifying along-standing legal gapthat had forcedmanyintounsafe and illegaloptions,”asreported by the Center for Reproductive Rights. This seriesoflegal and policy wins signals ashifttoward governments providing accessible reproductive health care forall women and girls. Fix theNewsisthe world’s leading solutions journalism newsletter.The organization finds hiddenstories of progress and shares them withreaders from 195 countries. Steven Pinker calls Fix the News “the bestsource forpositivenewson theinternet.”

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.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Ahyena walksaround its preserve at the MagnoliaWilds preserve on March2 in Ethel. At the UN wildlifesummitin Brazil, governments agreed to grant the highest levelofinternational protection to the giant otterand striped hyena.

FAITH &VALUES

Easter is achancetoanswerGod’s call

BY REV.SHANNON ROGERS DUCKWORTH Contributing writer

The Rev.Canon Shannon Rogers Duckworth was elected diocesan bishopof Louisiana on May14, 2022

Her consecration as the 12thbishop of Louisiana took place Nov.19, 2022. She is the first woman to serve as bishop of Louisiana. Anative of Mississippi, Duckworth, received her bachelor’sinEnglish and history in 1997 from Millsaps College. She was ordained apriest in 2001 after receiving her M.Div.from The General Theological Seminary Duckworth served as canon to the ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana from 2013 to 2022. Prior to this position, she served in various positions in the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Sheismarriedto James Duckworth and has two adult sons. When Iwas achild,I wanted to be an astronaut Lucky for me, the Jackson, Mississippi, Planetarium was searching for its first class of middle school astronauts for NASA Space Camp. This couldbemycareerlaunching moment! Plus,we were going to wear really cool blue astronaut space jumpsuits with the Ameri-

can flag on the sleeveand aNASApatch on theshoulder Ifilledout the application, andone day, Igot aletter thatI was afinalist

The interviewwentperfectly.I handled the questions beautifully.And then, right beforeI was finished, one adultsaid, “Shannon, before you leave, can you listout the planets in order, starting with the sun?”

Iwent completely blank. The words failed me. The interview ended, as did my career as an astronaut. Good thing,becauselater I learned that weightlessness makes youmotionsickand you are looking at agal who struggles to sit in the back seat of acar Like many people, Ifound myself glued to the TV for the ArtemisIIlaunch. What brought tears to my eyes was not the actual launch butwhathappened just minutes beforehand. There is a critical moment thatfeels almost liturgical, when they conduct what’scalled the “go/no-go” roll call. Every systemiscalled.

“Guidance, Go …”

“Propulsion, Go …”

“Life Support, Go …”

Everything hangsin thatmoment.Noone person makes thedecisionto launch.Everyvoice matters. Everyexpert at a screen andthe hundreds of

people behind the scenes is responsiblefor making sure thateverything is right. If oneperson says “no go,” then they don’tgo.

The countdown clock goes dark.

When thealtar is stripped on Maundy Thursday and we gather in adarkened church on Good Friday,it

feels like everything has come to agrinding and profound halt.There is no darkness greater than just before thefirst fire of Easter.The tomb is sealed. The body is gone, or so they think.Hopehas collapsed under the weight of the cross.

MaryMagdalene comes to

the tombcarrying grief,not expectation.The disciples are not gathered in confidence, they are scattered in fear

And yet… Into thatsilence, into that grief, into that sealed and certain ending, Godspeaks.

So howwas Mary able to recognize Jesus on Easter morning? Howdid she hold onto that last shred of hope?

There are no angels singing in the skies. Jesus doesn’tgointo along explanationofwhatresurrection means. This Easterscene is really nothing more than just afew words and an empty tomb. However,here is the birthplace of hope.

Ahope forall of us,no matter our faithbackground.

Why is this possible? The beloved disciple andMary believed because Jesus first believedinthem. They didn’thaveall of the pieces of the puzzle. They got it wrong sometimes. How could they ever know how it allfittogether?Yet, the empty tomb andthe abandonedclothstolda story.It is astory that was etched on their hearts since the momentJesus calledthem as disciples.

In just abrief period of time, Jesus hadfaith that these fewfolks, these individuals who were notrecognizable or famous or even

maybe that talented —he knew that they could carry the faith. All of the days, the talks, the miles covered,the meals shared …all of the small seedsplantedinafertile valleyofhope. We live in aworld of uncertainty,ofwar,ofthe profound marginalization of the vulnerable.Itisa deep griefthatthreatenshope. Yet, as was recently stated by the Episcopal House of Bishops, “There is hope in thismoment, because even in thefaceofgrief, death, anddespair, we haveaccess to the voice of life —the voice of the One whocalls us to participate in the Gospel missionofunbinding those who are held captive by thebonds of injustice and ensnared by the cords of corruption andoppression. We do not raise the dead; God alone does that. Butweare summoned into thetender, deliberate work of unbinding, of participating in resurrection by loosening the grave clothes that still cling.”

The question of this Easterseasonisnot whether God will act. God already has. The question is whether we will answer. Whetherwewill dare, even trembling, to say: “Go.” Go anddolikewise —and spread the gospeltothe end of the earth.

Connecticut’s‘KidGovernor’ strivestohelpclassmatesfeelincluded

BY JULE PATTISON-GORDON

Contributing writer

Editor’snote: This story, created by Jule PattisonGordon forGoverningis part of theSolutionsStory Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, anonprofit organization dedicatedtorigorousreporting about responsesto 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.

Thegovernor-electsteps up to the podium in the old statehouse, her cabinet arrayed behind her.It’sJanuary,and inauguration day She leans in toward the microphone to answera reporter’squestion, “What inspired her to run?”

“I want to be president some day,orsomething like that,” she explains, “andI really want to make sure I can make achangeinthe world.”

Apresidentialrun will have to be many yearsoff; first, she needs to finish fifth grade.

ThisisTessa Hallinan, Connecticut’s2026Kid

Governor.The fifth grader was elected by peers across the state after running on a platform of makingchildren with disabilities feel moreincluded.

“Someofthe kids in my class and in my grade have disabilities, and I’ve noticed that either theydon’t have someone to hang out with at recess, or they don’t have somebody to sit with at lunch,” Hallinan later told Governing. She notes on her campaign pagethat the issue hits home for her family,too, includinga step-cousin who “is teased because he is acancer survivor and has to wear bags around his waist.”

Apresidentialrun will have to be many yearsoff; first, she needs to finish fifth grade.

ThisisTessa Hallinan, Connecticut’s2026Kid Governor.The fifth grader was elected by peers across the state after running on a platform of makingchildren with disabilities feel moreincluded.

“Someofthe kids in my class and in my grade have

disabilities, and I’ve noticed that either they don’t have someone to hang out withatrecess, orthey don’t have somebody to sit with at lunch,” Hallinan later told Governing. She notes on hercampaign page that the issuehits home for her family,too, including a step-cousin who “is teased because he is acancer survivor and hastowear bags aroundhis waist.”

During her one-year term,Hallinan will encouragefifth graderstostepup. Her plancalls for creating buddy programs that have fifth grade leaderspair up with kids with disabilities on group projects and activities, and for designating “buddy” lunch tables for kids whowantsomeone to sit with. She also wants to educatekidsonhow to be more inclusive and have teachers award kidswho do so with “act of kindness” certificates

TheKid Governor program, shereflects later,“is agreat idea for kidsaround the worldorthe country.It helps you learn about civics. It helps you learn how to vote, and it helpsyou think of something that you want to change or make better.”

Kids Find TheirVoices

The nonprofit ConnecticutDemocracy Center launched theKid Governor program adecadeago to give schools ahands-on waytoteach children about state government and civics. Schools opt in to thefree program,and teachers have flexibility in how they runit. Participatingstudents pickanissue they’re passionate about addressing, then research thetopic andcreateaplatformiden-

tifying threespecific ways that fifthgraders across the state can makeadifference.

“At that age, kidsaren’t often asked for their opinion,” says Brian Cofrancesco,directorofthe Kid Governor program. “They’re not asked what they care about.

This year’sfinalists ran on addressing issues like racism, anxietyand marine pollution.

Odyssey Community School teacher Carol Fellenstein usesthe program in her social studies curricula, andpairs it with discussion about Malala Yousafzai andotheryoung people who’ve made adifference.

Justbymaking platforms, the kids “really,totally experience firsthand that they are important, that they matter,” Fellenstein says. “They totally embrace the fact that, ‘I do have the right to speak Idohavethe right to have an opinion. Candidates present their platforminspeechesto theirpeers and runin school elections. The winner becomes the school’s nominee in the KidGovernorelection. These candidatesmakecampaign videos, andthenfifth graders across the state vote on the topseven candidates. The winnerbecomes kid governorand the six runners-up form their cabinet.

Once in office, the kid government servesfor 1-year terms, during which they have opportunities to raise attention to their issue. Thekid governors andcabinet membersvisit libraries around the state where they present their platforms, and the kid governor maintainsablog

wherethey sharetheir message. Aposter contest with theDepartmentof Children and Familiesfurtherdrawsattention to the kid governor platform, as do e-newsletterupdatesto classrooms.

Thekid governor also runs monthly cabinet member meetings, where everyonediscusseshow to advancetheir platforms.

Working with the cabinet hasbeen “awesome,” Hallinan says, while catching up with Governing amonth into herterm. “I’m so glad Ican workwith abunchof talented, smart young kids who are also around my age.”

Therole isn’t alight undertaking.

“I didn’texpect it would be thishardand this complicated,” Hallinan says, noting she’sbeen writing and giving speeches,preparing for andgiving interviewsand beingpart of public events. “It’salot of work, balancing kid governor activities andactual life activities.”

Becoming informed voters

The other big half of the programisvoting. The KidGovernor program sends ballot boxes and voting boothstoschoolsfor their elections, and schools spend time preparing kids forhow to choose astrong candidate.

Fellensteinhas herclassroom review prior-year campaign videos so students can evaluate details, like how well acandidate provides proof they canbe agood leader andwhether their three-point planwould actually involve fifth graders across the state or just be something thegovernor

does alone. The Kid Governor program also provides rubrics kids can use to score each candidate’sspeeches. Those include sectionstorate howrealisticacandidate’s platform is, howwell-researched it is and how well the candidate demonstrates leadershipqualities. The students take their notes into the pollingbooth with themtoinform their votes.

Fellenstein also discusses with her students that while theymight feel obligated to vote for afriend, “wecan’t. We’re not voting forthe person.We’re votingfor the action that they’re going to take.”

Akid’s concerns

Finding their platform can take time, but kids don’t need to solve an issue to impact it, Fellenstein says.

2018 KidGovernor Megan Kasperowski, for example, focusedoncancer.She ran with aplantoraise money to support cancer research, send comedians and magicians into hospitals to entertain patients and create video interviews with people who have,orhavehad, cancer

“It’snot like you’re going to find the cure forcancer —[though] it’spossible that some 10-year-old could do that —but you caninvoke an incredible amount of positive change in the lives of people who might be experiencing cancer,” Fellenstein says.

This year,over10,400 kids registered to vote in the state’s Kid Governor electionsand 51 students ran, per Cofrancesco. The power of that manyvotes behind the seven finalists should be awake-up call to adults to

pay attention to those platforms, because “that’sthe heartbeat of whatour kids are thinking about right now,”Fellenstein says. The program has hit controversy: In 2019, Ella Briggs ran,and won, on a platform of promoting LGBTQ+ youth safety.Schools worriedsomeparents would be upset if classroomsdiscussed the platformand manyteachers opted outofparticipating, Fellenstein recalls. But, she says, thewhole point of the programistoempower kids to speak up forwhatthey careabout: “If we’regoing to stand there and say,‘your voice matters,’ then it’sgot to be their voice matters allthe time, notjust selectively.”

Fellenstein, who taught Connecticut’sfirst-ever kid governor in 2016, hasall her students create platforms, whether or notthey run, because it teaches kids they have avoice andagency,as well as aresponsibility to do the research to inform their opinions.

She recalls ashy,quiet student who built up the couragetosurveyother students as research to help him develophis platform. “He’s notevenremotely the same kid,” Fellenstein says, noting he’snow speaking up allthe time in classand volunteering to develop a historygame to help teach alesson.

Regardless of howdeeply they participateinthe program, for students, “It’s absolutely life-changing,” Fellenstein says. Since launching in Connecticut, the program has spread, including to Nebraska, NewHampshire, Oklahoma andOregon.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth, the diocesan bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

PROVIDED PHOTO By THE CONNECTICUT DEMOCRACy CENTER Tessa Hallinan is inaugurated as 2026 Kid Governor

Kid Governor Tessa Hallinan (center) is surrounded by this year’sKid Cabinet. Cabinet members and their platformissues, from left, are Nana Appau(anxiety), Samuel James (cyberbullying), Myra Ruparel (socialinclusion), AjlaReci (screen time),AlyviaStoddard (marine pollution) and Dylan Ellis (racism).

SUNDAY, April 19, 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 — industrious: inDUH-stree-us: Habitually active or occupied.

Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 61 or more words in INDUSTRIOUS?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

goren Bridge

No escape

Today’s deal is from a tournament in Hungary Four hearts was a common contract, but it failed at most tables

Three declarers succeeded by starting trumps with the ace, noting the fall of the 10 from East, and then finessing West for the queen.

Onedeclarer,Hungary’sGergely Siba, found the way home after starting hearts with the king. The defense started with two rounds of clubs, ruffed by Siba. He led a heart to the king and ruffed anotherclub.Hethenledthejack of diamonds from his hand. West ducked his ace, hoping Siba was abouttotakealosingfinesse.Siba rose with dummy’s king, ruffed another club, and exited with the queen of diamonds to West’s ace. This was the position: NORTH

♠

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Quiz

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take the plunge and follow through with your plans. Dreaming and doing are not the same thing. You must take the initiative and see where it leads

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Examine your environment and situations and evaluate what’s working and what’s outdated or draining your energy. Stop procrastinating, and you’ll start to feel relief.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Learn as you go; reach out, help others when possible and be the light for those who have lost their way Set boundaries and standards, and don’t

West chose to exit with his last diamond. Siba ruffed in dummy, discarding a spade from his hand, and now could endplay Westwitheithermajor-suitqueen and force a lead from the other queen. Great play!

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hesitate to use institutions, agencies and whatever is available to you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Hedge your bets. A low profile will help you accomplish the most with the least amount of interference. You can resolve issues if you put your time, energy and skills to work for you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Push yourself, take care of unfinished business and strive to get along with others to avoid setbacks. Choose your battles wisely, and use your time, energy and skills to gain momentum and respect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Acknowledge a change of heart. Fine-tune your approach and execute your plans. Don’t hesitate; alter your situation and put an end to what’s dragging you down. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) If you find yourself in a push-pull situation, deal with it before it escalates. Partnerships will require a change to even out the playing field.

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22) Insert more “me time” into your routine. Energy that has no place to go will fester; keep busy, active and up to date, and you’ll keep on an even keel

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Home is where the heart is, so don’t let outside influences take away from precious time building fond memories with those who matter most to you. Nurture meaningful relationships and make romance a priority CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be cognizant of what’s happening around you. Keep an open mind but refuse to let anyone railroad you into something that isn’t in your best interests.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Set your sights on your career and financial goals. Do what’s needed and be prepared to compromise when necessary, and it will make the process easier PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Socialize, connect with friends and enjoy every interaction you have. There is something to gain or to learn from every encounter Love is favored, and a kind gesture will bring you closer to someone special.

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: My favoriteweather is bird chirping weather.— Terri Guillemets

1. Elizabeth Taylor.2.Zsa ZsaGabor.3.Nicolas Cage. 4. Mickey Rooney.5.Larry King. 6. George Foreman. 7. Lana Turner.8.JoanCollins. 9. Jennifer Lopez. 10.Richard Pryor.11. Rita Hayworth.12. Billy Bob Thornton.13. Frank Sinatra. 14. BarbaraWalters. 15. Charlie Chaplin Crossword

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly