Seventh graderAprieonna Herbert makes her wayhomeafter getting off the school businBelle Rose on Tuesday.
Statepublic schools lost 60,000 students in adecade, and enrollment is still falling
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Aprieonna Herberttrudgedhome from her school bus one recentsunny afternoon, then collapsed into bed.
The seventh grader is still adjustingtowaking up in the dark to catch the bus at 5:50 a.m. each morning,whichrumbles down herquiet street of bungalows and double-wide trailers in Belle Rose. She lives less than amile from
Belle Rose Middle School, yet thebus takes her 10 miles away to Assumption Parish High Schoolinneighboring Napoleonville
Like nearly every other Louisiana school district, Assumption Parish had too many schools for its dwindling student population. So lastyear,the School Board madeaonceunthinkable decision: It shut down all three of the district’smiddle schools, relocating their students to thehigh schoolcampus.
“A lot of people wereupset,” said Aprieonna’smother,April Anderson,who yearsago attended Belle Rose Middle School. “That schoolhas been there for avery long time.” Aruralcommunity missing its middle schools Asuperintendentcutting her budget to the bone.
ä See STUDENTS, page 8A
BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer
Soon after the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street last year,familymembersofvictims andsurvivors began aseries of meetings Their goal:throughthe heartacheand loss, tocreate apermanent tribute to the 14 peoplewho were killed andthe dozens who were injured, andtobuild it in a place where New Orleans can come together to remember them. That group—a commission es-
DESKS THECRISIS OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN LA.’S TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS Firstinan occasional series
tablishedbyGov.JeffLandry has now selected adesign for the monument and has aplan to make it areality The design, from alocal artist, includes curved stone walls,with benches for visitors. Inscribed in
Leadersfacestark choice as La.coast hangsinbalance BY
ALEXLUBBEN Staff writer
AU.S.Supreme Court decision hasstruck aserious blowtoLouisiana’s longstandingefforts to hold oil companies responsible for coastal damage, leaving state officials with astark choice of whethertopress ahead withthe fight or seek to settle now
The Supreme Court’sunanimous ruling on Fridaywas anarrow decision on atechnical issue, butits ramificationsare potentiallyvast. Dozensof similarlawsuits fromLouisiana parishes are pending, andstate officialshad hoped to use proceeds from those cases to clean up and restore portions of the rapidly eroding coast. Gov.Jeff Landry has madenosecret of hiswillingness to settle with the oil companies on fair terms, but the decision mayhave stripped the state of aportion of its leverage. At thesame time, Louisiana still hascardstoplay, and AttorneyGeneralLiz Murrill expressed confidence the state would ultimately prevail.
The result of Friday’sruling in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish is that the $745 million verdict in a2025 state-court trial may be thrownout and the case retried in federal court. It also sets off what could be years of new jurisdictional fighting over where the other cases belong.
It wasaclear winfor the oil and gas companies, which have spent more than adecadefighting to move thelawsuits outofLouisiana statecourts, wherejuriesare drawnfromthe coastalcommunities suing them. It gives the industry leverage to argue all of the cases belong in federal court. Landry,who recently announceda settlement with ConocoPhillips, adefendant in 13 of the 42 coastal lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes, said Landry Murrill
ä See RULING, page 4A
adesign Wednesdayfor a permanent monument to the Newyear’sDay Bourbon Street attackvictims RENDERING PROVIDED By FOURTEENS FOUNDATION
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
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 concluded it was “clearly ahumanin a bear 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 attempting to pass
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 theSea of Oman, and approaching theStraitof Hormuz willbe considered as cooperation with the enemy” and be targeted.
mand earlier said“control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state under strict managementand control of the armed forces.”
New attacks on the strait, through whichroughly one-fifthofthe world’soil normally passes, threatened to deepen theglobal energy crisisand push the countries into renewedconflictas thewar entered its eighthweek 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 com-
Revolutionary Guard gunboatsopened fire on atanker and an unknown projectile hit acontainer vessel, damaging some containers, the British military’sUnited Kingdom Maritime TradeOperations center said. India’sforeign ministry said it summoned Iran’sambassadorover the “serious incident” of firing on two India-flagged merchantships, especially afterIranearlier let several India-bound 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 blockade keeps 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 Pakistanbetween the countries ended without an agreement.
U.S. forces have sent 23 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. CentralCommand said Saturday.Trump’s comments triggered an outcry “Americans are risking the international community,risking the global economy through these, I can say,miscalculations,” IranianDeputyForeign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told 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 warfully 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.
Therenewedstandoff over thestraitcame hours after Pakistani Foreign Minister IshaqDar said his country was working to “bridge” differences betweenthe U.S. andIran. Pakistan is expected to host asecond round of negotiations early next week.
Iran’sSupreme National Security Council said “new proposals” from theU.S. had been put forward duringa visittoIranbyPakistan’sarmychief and were being reviewed. But Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for anew roundofface-to-face talks because theAmericans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.” He also said Iran will not hand over itsstock of 970 pounds of enricheduranium to theUnitedStates, calling the idea “a nonstarter.” Khatibzadeh did not address other proposals for the enriched uranium,saying only that “weare 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.
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
Police killed gunman, authoritiessay
BY VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and DEREK GATOPOULOS
Press
Associated
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.”
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
Timelineofoil and gas lawsuits
Sincelawsuitswere first filedin2013, oilcompanies have appealed them to federalcourtrepeatedly.
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' to federalcourt
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
ey for coastal restoration.
Continued from page1A
Friday he hopes for “a resolution” in the remaining cases.
“Federal court moves faster than state court —those oil and gas companies that want to litigate it, go litigate it,” Landry said. “I wish we could find aresolution.I’m working hard to try to geta resolution.”
Bill Turenne, aChevron spokesperson, said the company “looks forward to litigating these cases in federal court, where they belong.”
KeithHall,the directorof LSU’sEnergy Law Center, said that because the ruling delays potential trials, it could drivedown the amount that theoil companies and the state may be willing to settle for
“That will make them more eager to settle and come out with half aloaf instead of holding out forthe whole loaf,” Hall said of thestate and the lead attorney forthe parishes in the 42 coastal cases,John Carmouche.
court? To answer that question,itweighed another: Was Chevron’s wartime production of crude oil relatedtoits refiningofthat oil into aviationfuel, or “avgas,” for the military?
Chevron hadafederal contractduringWorld WarIIto refine crude oil into aviation fuel for the U.S. military,and arguedthat its crude-oil production in Louisiana was connected closely enough to that work to pull thecases into federal court
The justices concluded that theU.S. 5th Circuit Courtof Appealswas wrong when it ruled that the case belonged in statecourt.Itsent the case back to the5th Circuit to apply the new standard.
Loyola lawprofessor Blaine LeCesne took adifferent view. The state’sposition,he said, isn’tmeaningfully weakened by the ruling because the cases will ultimately be heard by Louisiana juries whetherthey’re in stateor federal court.
Those juries have already shown they’re willing to hold oil companies responsible.
“The dynamics of this case are very unique, and the potential legal exposureis not significantly diminished by thechange in venue,” LeCesne said. “I would just hold pat and Iwould negotiatenodifferently than if these cases were stillinstate court.”
WorldWar II effort?
The question before the Supreme Court wasaprocedural one: Does the case belong in state or federal
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed Chevron should win but wrote separately to argue the majority read thelaw too broadly In her view,federal contractors should have to show adirect cause-and-effect relationship between theirfederal duties andwhattheyare sued for.Chevron cleared that higher bar too, sheconcluded.
As JusticeClarence Thomas described it, the lower court had sided with the parishes because the federal contract “did not specifyhow to obtain or producecrude oil.” The Supreme Court disagreed, finding astrong enough connectionbetween producing crude oiland refining it into fuel for warplanes to justify hearing thecasein federal court
But the court sought to put guardrails on theruling, and stressed that it was deciding onlythe specific case before it —one of 42 related cases —and notresolving whether theothers belong in federal court.
Thatleaves the door open for Carmouche and the parishes to argue that at least some of theremaining Louisiana coastal lawsuits still belong in statecourt In his view,the rulingdecid-
ed only one case. At most, he said,itcould apply to 11 of the 42,which Carmouchecalled the “refinery cases.
In those, the same company both drilled thecrude oil and refined it intoaviation fuel.
Theothers, he said,involved only drilling and crude-oil production, with no connectiontothe wartime refining work theSupreme Court relied on.
Hall,the LSUlaw professor, said he thinks the ruling will reach beyond the11refinery cases.
“I don’tsee how theydistinguishit,” he saidofthe other cases where companiesboth drilled and had refineries.
‘Whattheydestroyed’
Carmouchesaid thecase had already been triedonthe merits and “decidedbyajury of Plaquemines Parishresidents after hearing the overwhelming evidenceofthe failure by these companies to repair what theydestroyed.”
“The Supreme Court hasdecidedthe people of Plaquemines did not have the right to makethis decision,” he added. “While we strongly disagree, we accept what the court has said.”
Even so, Carmouche said, he intends to fight to keep theremaining cases in state court while seeking settlements in thecases that can be resolved.
“We’re ready to open the
coast for business,and we can’t open it for business with this cloudofliability and the cloud of contamination,” he said. “It’stime for resolution.”
For MarkDavis,a Tulane environmental law professor, the bigger consequence isn’twhich courthousehears the cases. It’s the delayitself.
Louisiana courts have already found oil companies liable, he noted, and the ruling doesn’tchange that. But it pushes back theday any of that liability turns into mon-
“It was agoodday for delay,”Davis said, “and abad day for our coast.”
The case has been arare instancewhere Louisiana Republicans,includingLandry and Murrill, have bucked the Trumpadministration and its energy-dominance agenda.
Trump’s Department of Justice intervened on the side of the oil companies.
Plaquemines Parish President Keith Hinkley echoed the willingness to settle.His parish has always been open
to adeal,hesaid, as long as it’s largeenough to fixthe damage he believes the oil companies caused.
Butherejectedthe idea that the companies’ wartime role should exempt them from theirresponsibilityto clean up the coast.
“After World WarII, 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 Meadows contributed to thisstory.
By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
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 mitigate the 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 intelligence andlarge language 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 formsofpower andcombiningsources we willbeabletobestserve thedatacenterneeds.” MayemphasizedthatonceEntergycompletesthese investments, approximatelyone millioncustomers willreapthe benefitsofthe newinfrastructure. “Thisisabout meetinglong-term system needs foreveryone, notjustthe data centers,”hesaid.
obligations •Guaranteedadequaterevenuestoensuredata center ratescan covertheir costsduringthe contract terms, as well as existing powergridcosts •Any largenew load requirements aretimed to newpower generation becoming availabletoensure powergridreliability is notatrisk
data centers. Whiledatacenters have been tied to rate spikes andreliability issues in otherstates, Maysaidthe 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-regulated model,”May said.“We will continue 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 flowedtoEntergy’s ThePower 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 builtwithmodernefficiency measures “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. Visitentergy.com/datacenters to learnmoreabout hownew data centerswillbenefit the communities Entergyserves.
“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
Staffgraphic
PHOTO PROVIDEDByLA’SHANCE PERRy,THE LENS
Canals carvedbyoil and gascompaniesoverthe past100 years, likethese in Plaquemines Parish, have eroded into open water,contributingtoacoastal land loss crisis.
Carmouche
the14people killed, along with written tributes. Glass inlays will display their personal belongings. Afavorite pair of plaid pajama shorts. Alock of hair.AIDcard from ajob at ahospital.
The memorial is planned for Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park, adjacent to the Holocaust memorial. It would stand four blocks from where aman rammed his truck through acrowded Bourbon Street, athreeblockrampage that ended with ashootout
“It’sgoing to share memorable things about them that nobody knew —it’sgoingto explain more of their personalities, who they were,” said Melissa Dedeaux, whose daughter Ni’kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux was killed in theattack. “They’re not just victims.”
Brittany Francois, president of the Fourteens Foundation, which was launched in March in partnership with the Governor’sOffice,said
thelocation bythe river will offer areflective, serene environment
“I do thinkit’sgoing to bring alot of peace,”said Francois Francois wasamong many whowereinjuredthe night Shamsud-DinJabbar drove
histruck through acrowd on the famed nightlifestripand then jumped out and opened fireonlaw enforcement officers. Fourteen people lost theirlives in theincident, which gained national attention and forced local leaders to reckon with gaps in home-
land security planning.
The city has since erected stainlesssteel bollards that can be removed for vehiculartraffic. New Orleans has alsoreceived the highestlevel of security support from thefederal government that is available forMardiGras,
SuperBowl LIX, andother major events, though local leadershavenot acted on a consultant’srecommendation to close Bourbon Street to cars entirely
In the 15 months since the attack, multiple memorials have sprung up —from a collection of crosses, flowers and messages that sprung up at Bourbon and Canal Streets in the days after the attack to an installation of 1,000 handcrafted flags suspended above the street.
The permanent memorial design, selected by The FrenchQuarterTerrorism Attack Memorial Commission,was designedbylocal artist Babette Beaullieuand Studio West, which also created the temporary flag installation.
It will stilllikelybeyears before the memorial is com-
plete, with the Fourteens Foundation nowlaunching a campaign to raise roughly $4 millionfor the effort.
The design will be finalized over the remainder of theyear,Francoissaid, with construction potentially beginning in 2027.
“We’re going to need the whole city behind us to make this happen,” said Antoinette Klima, vicepresidentofthe Fourteens Foundation and themother of theson of one of the victims, Reggie Hunter.“We’re doing this not just for us but for everybody.”
Belal Badawi, whose son Kareem Badawi was killedin the attack,saidhesupports the plan for the memorial.
“I wish it could be tomorrow.I’d love to seeit,” Badawi said. “We’re grievingevery day. …We’re still crying every day.”
RENDERINGS PROVIDED By FOURTEENS FOUNDATION
The Newyear’sDay Bourbon Street attack memorialdesign, from alocal artist, includes curved stone walls, with benches forvisitors. Inscribed in the stone will be the names of the14people killed, along with written tributes. Glass inlays will displaytheir personal belongings.
Acommission established by Gov. Jeff Landryselected adesign Wednesday for apermanent monumenttothe Newyear’s DayBourbon Street attack victims.
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 great promise for hard-totreat conditions such as post-
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.”
Gabon during their religious ceremonies.
In recent years, U.S. veterans have reported benefiting fromthe drug aftertraveling to clinics in Mexico that administerit.
traumatic 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 ceremony.“It absolutely changed my life for the better.
The Food andDrugAdministration nextweek 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
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
Backing from veterans groupsandformerTexasGov. Rick Perry led to alaw last year providing $50 million for ibogaine research in that state. Perry,who co-founded agroupcalledAmericans for Ibogaine,recently appeared on Rogan’spodcast, making thecase forreducing federal limitsonthe drug. It was his second timetalking about ibogaine on the popular podcast in thepast 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 programstoadvancepsychedelic 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 irregularheart rhythms and has been linked to more than 30 deaths in the medical literature, 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.
Sonsays 85-year-old needsrest
By The Associated Press
ORVAULT,France
The son of an 85-year-old French widow who married an American military veteran but was later detainedfor 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 protecther
“Topreserve her health and her rest, and for herto be able to rebuild herself,” Goix told anews conference alongside his two siblings in the town of Orvault, in western France.
“Weare particularlyrelieved today to see our mother again, to have her back,” he said. “She has necessarily gonethrough adifficult ordeal.”
Ross returned to France after aharrowing 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 Enforcementmethods were “not in line”with French standards and “not acceptable to us.”
Ross entered the U.S. last June after marrying aretired U.S. soldier who had been stationed in her home country in the 1960s,court records show.But after herhusband diedofnatural causes in January,adispute arose over hisestate. Ross’ stepson —aU.S. federal employee —allegedly intervened to have hertaken into immigrationcustody,anAlabama judge found.
Federal immigration agentsdetained RossinAlabama on April 1aftershe overstayed her90-dayvisa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Shewas thenheldat adetentionfacilityinLouisiana as French officialsexpressed concern about her well-being.
Goix,who told The Associated Press that she had been in the process of applying fora green card when she was takeninto custody,added during the news conferencethat“the essential thing is that she is truly safe, that she regains
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON
President DonaldTrump holds up asigned executive order on Saturdayinthe Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Trump on Saturdaydirected his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs.
Pope challenges Angola’s leadersduringAfricatrip
LeoXIV delivers messageof encouragement forits 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 exploitedAfrica for centuries, as he arrived in the southern African countryonSaturdaywitha message of encouragement for its long-suffering people.
Leo’sarrival 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’sfirst U.S.born pope, said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debateTrump, butthat he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, justice and brotherhood in Africa.
In Angola, Leo met with President JoaoLourenco and delivered his first speech to Angolan government authorities, in which he referredrepeatedly to Angola’s tortured history of colonial plunder and civil war
“I desire to meet you in the spiritbornofpeace andto affirm that your people possess treasures that cannot be bought or stolen,” he said.
“Theredwells within youa joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish.”
Along-sufferingpeople
Angola, whichhas apopu-
lation of around38million, gained independence from Portugal in 1975.But it still bears the scars of adevastatingcivil war that began straight after independence and raged on and off for 27 years before finally ending in 2002. More than ahalfmillion peopleare believed to have beenkilled.
For years, the civil war was aColdWar proxy conflict, with the United States and apartheidSouthAfrica backing one side andthe Soviet Union and Cuba backing the other Angola is nowthe fourthlargestoil producer in Africa andamong the world’s top 20 producers, according to theInternational Energy Agency.The country is also the world’s No. 3diamond producerand has significant deposits of gold and highly sought after criticalminerals.
Butdespite its varied natural resources,the World Bank estimated in 2023 that more than 30% of the population lived on less than $2.15 aday
“You know well that all too often people have looked andcontinue to look —to your lands in order to give, or,more commonly, in order to take,” Leotold the Angolan authorities.
The pontiff said: “Itisnecessarytobreak this cycle of interests, which reducesreality,and even life itself, to mere commodities.”
While in Cameroon, Leo had railed againstthe “chains of corruption”thatwere hindering development,aswell as the“handful of tyrants” who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation. He raisedsimilar points in Angola “How much suffering, howmanydeaths,how many social andenvironmental disasters arebroughtabout
U.S. extendswaiveron Russianoil sanctions
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 out such amove.
Theso-calledgeneral license means U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday.Itextended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that
had been loaded by March11. The extensionunderscores howthe fallout fromthe Iran war has boosted Moscow’s abilitytoprofit from itsenergy exports, which had been restrainedsince the invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at theWhite House on Wednesday,Bessent ruled out extending the license. “Wewill not be renewing thegeneral license on Russian oil, and we will notbe renewing the generallicense on Iranian oil,” he said. The administration did not immediately explain the reversal.
by this logic of extractivism! At everylevel, we seehow it sustains amodel of development that discriminates and excludes,while still presuming to imposeitselfasthe only viable option.”
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the lateformer president who led Angola for 38 years from1979to2017, wasaccusedofdiverting billions of dollarsofpublic money to his family,largely from the country’soil revenue,asmillions struggled in poverty
AfterLourenco took over as president, his administration estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or misappropriated by dos Santos. Lourenco’sadministration hasvowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolenduringthe dosSantos era
But critics notethatAngola still has deep problems with corruption and have questioned if Lourenco’sactions were more aimed at political rivals so as toconsolidatehis power
In his speech Saturday, Lourenco said that theAngolan government was committedtoimproving the lives of its people, but it was a“complexand difficult challenge.” He also called for an end to the Iran war andasked the pope to continue using his “moral authority” to push for peace andunderstanding among people.
Alegacyofslavery
Angola, on the southwest coastofAfrica, was considered to be the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave
trade as aPortuguese colony.More than 5million of the roughly 12.5 millionenslaved Africans were sent
acrossthe ocean on ships departing from Angola, more thanany othercountry,though not all of them were Angolans. The highlight of Leo’svisit to Angola is expected to be his visit on SundaytoMuxima,south of Luanda.It’sa popular Catholicshrineina country where around 58% of the population is Catholic. The ChurchofOur Ladyof Muxima wasbuilt by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of afortress complex and became ahub in the slave trade. It remains areminder of the inextricable link hundreds of years agobetween Roman Catholicism andthe exploitation of the African continent.
Leohas Black andWhite ancestors whoincluded both enslaved peopleand slave owners, according to genealogical research.He’sgoing to Muxima to pray the rosary,inrecognition of the site becominga popularpilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by theVirgin Mary around 1833.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByTHEMBAHADEBE
Pope Leo XIV wavesSaturday after arriving in Luanda, Angola, on the sixth dayofhis pastoral visit to Africa.
Acity bracing for painful school closures. All are symptoms of the same chroniccondition: AcrossLouisiana, 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 fewer students than the year before, accordingto aTimes-Picayune |Advocate analysis of state data, which showed statewide enrollmentdeclines in nine of the past 10 years.
The state’spublicschools have losta staggering 60,000 studentsover the past decade —enoughtofill 850 school buses or 3,000 classrooms.
Nearly100 schoolsacross Louisiana have closed since 2020, when the pandemic turbocharged enrollment declines, according to a state tally.More closures andcutbacks are likely as schools continue to shed students.
Public school enrollment hasslipped nationwide, but the decline is especiallysteepinLouisiana, which has one of the country’shighest out-migration rates. Louisiana’sstudent count plunged by 7% over adecade, more than three times the nationwide 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.
Loui si ana’sp ublic schools, which enrolled just under666,000 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 theirpopularityinheavily Catholic south Louisiana.
“These enrollment declines seem to be here to stay in Louisiana,” said Maggie Cicco, aresearch fellow at GeorgetownUniversity’sEdunomics Lab, which studies education finance across thecountry “It’sreally up to districts howthey’re goingto respond to this new reality.”
Yetafew new school types aregrowing. 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 publicschool students, more are choosing charter schools. The independently operated public schools now enroll about 98,000 students, up 65% from 2013. Taken together,these trends have created an existential crisisfor traditional public schools.Louisianabases public school budgets on enrollment numbers: Fewerstudents lead to fewer dollars, even as insurance and other costs rise. Federal COVID-19 relief dollars that once helped to plugbudget holes are long gone.
Many districts havetried to woo families with new offerings —Assumption Parish Schools, for example,starteda virtual academy —but it’srarely been enough to offset the losses. Instead, underenrolled schools end up cutting programs and positions. When that’s stillnot enough, schools shutter
For most school 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 populations go down last year,according to census data. Old-timers like Lewis get used to see-
experiences for kids.”
Confrontingthe crisis
School districtleaders face no easy answers as they grapple over classroomsthinning out while bills pile up. Twomain schoolsofthought have emerged about the best path forward.
One campsays public schools must compete in an increasinglycrowded education marketplace.
Stokes has taken that tack: Her district put up a billboard ad and brought in avideographertopromote Grant Parish schools on social media. Michael Hefner, ademographer whoworks withLouisiana school systems, argues that districts facing enrollment declines should playoffense —creating specialized magnet schools or career education programs, forexample —rather than simply scale back.
But parents expressed concerns about the long commute and putting middle schoolers on the same campus as olderteens. Before theboard voted6-3 in favor of theconsolidation in January 2025, Dennis Landry,alocal business owner and former School Board member,warned that someparents would pull their children out of the 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 bonuses if they boost enrollment. By contrast, boards that try to shrink their districts are likely to face blowback.
“If you go with the plan,” he said,“youhavetorealize the consequences of that.” Newoptions emerge Yellow school buses began traversing Assumption Parish last August, driving seventh and eighth graders past the shutteredmiddle schoolstothe sprawling high school campus, home of the Mustangs andthe Sugarland Marching Band. Some parents remained skeptical,but Aprieonna Herbertwas happytosay goodbye to the rundown BelleRoseMiddle School building. Not to mention, she now has access to high school courseslike computer science and agriculture.
Enrollment by school type
“It’s good,” she said. “I just don’tlike getting up early.” 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.)
VernonTravis, alongtimeVernon Parish School Boardmember, recalls being told yearsago nottosay the word “consolidation” if he wantedtobereelected. In rural communities, he explained, schools and churches are sacrosanct.
“You mess with eitherone of them,” he said, “you got a fight on your hands.”
Louisiana’straditional public andprivate schoolsloststudents over thepastdecade. Meanwhile, public charterschools, homeschoolsand unregulatedprivate schools(including “microschools”)are gaininglotsofnew students
ing 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,familiescan’tmove here,” shesaid.
State leaders have recently announcedseveral big economic development projects,including a$10 billion data center and aHyundai steel mill, that are expected to create hundreds of new jobs. Yet demographersnote that notevery project boosts the local population or school enrollment. In PlaqueminesParish, construction of amassivenew liquefiednatural gasfacility brought in thousands of temporary workers, yet the school districtcontinuedto losestudents. Meanwhile,asthe U.S birth rate hits an all-time low,the numberofbirths in Louisianahas fallen to itslowest level in decades. And international immigration, which helpedmitigate somepopulationlossin Louisiana, is expected to dwindle due to theimmigration crackdown from President Donald Trump’s administration.
An influx of Hispanic students, including some recent immigrants, had been themainsource of growth forsome districts. The group balloonedby 80% over thepastdecade, adding an average of 3,800 students annually,according to statedata—until this school year,when their numbers dipped for the first timeinrecent memory
“Declining birth rate plus immigration enforcement equals significant loss of students,” saidOlin Parker, an Orleans ParishSchool Board member
Whenschool districts losestudents, they also lose money.State aid,which is allocated basedonenrollment, is the main funding source forschoolsin poorer communities with limited local tax revenue.
Even minor enrollment declines can be destabilizing.Grant Parish lost 146 students over the previous two school years, depriving thesmall, ruraldistrict in north Louisiana of about $1.2 million in state funding. Yetits expenses remained largely the same due to fixed costs like utility bills andschool buses.
To make up the difference, thedistricthas pinched pennieswherever it can,saidSuperintendent Erin Stokes. Next school year,she planstocut staff at almost every school
“Believe me,” she said, “we are bare bones over here.”
The budget crunch is even more dire in Assumption, where school enrollment plunged30% over thepastdecade— oneof the steepest declinesofany district.
Superintendent John Barthelemy warned in aFebruary 2024 SchoolBoard meeting thatthe decline had sharply reduced how much money the district would get from thestate. The district was forced to postpone building repairs, layoff employees androtate support staffers, like nurses and instructional coaches, among schools.
“We’re trying to runthe same system with $4 million less,” he said.“What do you cut?You cut personnel. Youcut programs. Youcut
Yetothers say that trying to winback families is alosingbattle. School district marketing campaigns are unlikely to keep families from moving if theycan’t find local jobs, critics say And investments in specialized programs don’talways payoff. The Lafayette Parish School Board, for example, endedaChineselanguage magnet program in 2024 that cost about $510,000 annually but only enrolled 62 students.
“By and large, districts have already tried recapturing their students, and it hasn’tworked,” said Parker,the Orleans Parish School Board member who, in his work as aconsultant, advises other school districts on enrollmentissues.
Some education analysts say district leaders need to acceptthe reality of reduced enrollment and start downsizing. They should startbyshrinking thelabor force,strategically cutting unnecessary positions rather than relying on attrition, said Cicco, theresearchfellow at Edunomics Lab.
Thentheyshould consider closing underenrolled schools, whichcost more per student to operate and often offer fewerenrichment classes and extracurriculars, she said. Trying to avoid layoffs and closures can backfire, Cicco added.
“It gets delayed, delayed, delayed,” she said, “and then it becomes this big, overwhelming, unpopular disruptive change.”
Communities oftenfight school closures.InLafayette, aresident sued last monthtostopthe shuttering of Comeaux High School,prompting the School Board to rescind an earliervote to close the school.Itwas thedistrict’s second attempt to close Comeaux: The board scrapped initial plans to close it in 2024 after public outcry In NewOrleans,the board voted to keep the Leah Chase School open after community members donated money to fillabudget hole causedbylow enrollment.
In Assumption, SuperintendentBarthelemy tried to preempt any backlash to the middle school consolidation. Relocating seventh andeighthgraders to aseparate building on the high school campus would cut costs andgivestudents access to resources —honors classes, school counselors, aband and robotics program —that their separate middle schools couldn’tafford, he explainedduring a public meeting.
While some families are 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.
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, whichmight come froma virtual charter school or a Christian publisher Talbothad hoped to sign up 10 students when she opened the Anchor in Napoleonville in August, but demand wassostrong she soon launched asecond site in nearby Pierre Part. She even inquired about rentingone of theshuttered middle schools, but was toldthe building wasn’t available.
The Anchor now serves 56 students,Talbotsaid. Nearly all of them are registered homeschoolers 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. on Saturday after aburst of destructive winds and reported tornadoes tore off roofs,uprooted trees and rendered rural roads impassablewith debris.
No deaths were reported following Friday’sstorms that barreled throughthe Upper Midwest and delivered the latest roundofsevere weather to batter the region. Officials braced residents for along recovery in 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
Debris is strewnaroundFridayinLena, Ill.,
amajor stormstruck thearea.
OfficialsinWisconsin and Minnesota echoed those sentiments. In central Wisconsin, a reported tornadothattore
through the cities of Kronenwetter andRingle left behind damagedhomes and some residents briefly
Russianattacks on Ukraine kill 1and wounddozens
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 apost on social media. Other officials reported at least 26 people had been hurt in attacks across northern and eastern Ukraine, including astrike on port infrastructure in the city of Odesa.
Elsewhere, aUkrainian drone strike targeted industrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia’sSamararegion, Gov. VyacheslavFedorishchev said Saturday.Hedid not
give further details, but the General Staff of Ukraine’s ArmedForces saidinastatement that it hadhit majoroil refineries in both cities.It also said that its attacks had sparked fires at the Vystosk oil terminal in Russia’snorthwestern Leningradregion and an oilrefinery inthe southern Krasnodarregion, with the blazes later confirmedbyRussianofficials. Russia’sMinistryofDefense said that itsforces destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight over 16 Russian regions,aswell as over theannexed Ukrainian peninsula ofCrimea and the Blackand Azovseas. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russianoil facilities in the past, but the strategyhas gained more attention since the Trump administration
gave Russian oil atemporary waiver from sanctions to easesupply 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 theglobalstage 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,killing at least 16 people andwounding morethan100 others, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in theproductionofdronesand missiles,but cannot yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriotair defense systems.
trapped in their basements, Ringle Fire ChiefChrisKielman told reporters.
Marathon CountySheriff Chad Billeb said he had not seenthismuch devastation during his 34 years in law enforcement.
“A lotofpeopleare going to need alot of help,”Billeb saidofthe Wisconsin storms.
In Kronenwetter,neighbors were helping each other clear debris from their properties, andWisconsin Public Service is working to restore power.PoliceChief Terry McHugh said Saturdaythatitcould be alengthy process.
He notedthatthe CommunityFoundation of North Central Wisconsin has partnered with United Wayof Marathon County to help residentswhosehomes were damaged.
In Olmsted County, Minne-
sota, sheriff’s officials said tornadoes caused “multiple levels”ofdamage. At least 30 homes were damaged in MarionTownship, with a numberofthose sustaining damage thatwas described as significant. Officials went door to door in the community to check on residents.
The National Weather Service said the damage was likely caused by tornadoes and that surveys of the affected areas would be conducted over the weekend.
On Friday in Illinois, Leo Zach,14, hadjust gottento the high school band room for amusic competition when thebuilding started shaking and the power went out. He said the room was packed with students and some were very scared and had panic attacks.
“I’m definitely on the luckier side of how that could’ve happened,” he said. “I was
Obamameets
BY SCOTTBAUER Associated Press
Former PresidentBarack Obama met with NewYorkMayor Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at achild care center wherethey read to preschoolers and led asingalong.
The meeting comes as Mamdani, ademocratic socialist,isalso trying to build a working relationship with Republican President Donald Trump. The meeting comes just over aweek after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office.
Obama and Mamdanidid not take questions after reading the book “Alone and Together” to the children and leading asingalong of “The Wheels on the Bus.”
The former two-termpresident and standard-bearer for the DemocraticParty has offered to be asounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose star power,youth and progressive agenda has made him stand outin Democratic politics Mamdani took office in January after a campaign centered on making New
just trying to stay calm, help other people.”
Whentheygot outside, they found some of the windows blown outinthe gym andpartofthe school’sroof ripped off.
Photos and video posted online showed agarage totaled,bricks tornoff of buildings and fences demolished.
Lena is avillage of nearly 3,000 people, locatedabout 117 milesnorthwest of Chicago.
Rachel Nemon hadbeen going to pick up her stepson from Lena’smiddle school when shehad to pull intoa car wash to take cover from the storm. She watched a large treeget rippedfrom the ground and sparks fly feet in front of her
“This is something that you see online, not in real life, especially in asmall towninIllinois,” she said.
City amore affordable place to live, centering his agenda
389. BrendanWarner. 43:40.5 390. MaxTheriot. 43:41.1 391. Benjamin Sketchler. 43:41.1
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 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
April
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 December, 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.” Associated Press videojournalist Obed Lamy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
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.
By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Othersignature dishes at SushibyUsrange from tuna tiraditosand sashimitohot dishes like short ribbao andalligator bao.
atruediningexperience. SushibyUsistuckedinsideTacos delCartelin theonGirod Street andisthe latest conceptfrom Veho Hospitality, agrowing restaurant groupthat hassteadilyexpandedits footprintacrossthe city ForownersDanny andVilexys Cruz,the opening represents both along-held dreamand astrategic investment in NewOrleans’ evolving dining scene
TheCruzeshavealifelongpassion for Japanese cuisineand have long sought to bringittolife. The conceptfor SushibyUsfirsttookshape in Madrid Spain. After seeing itssuccessthere,theydecided to focustheir efforts in theUnitedStatesand bring therestauranttothe Crescent City
“Sushi by Us is designed to be an intimate,elegant spacewhere everydetailhas been carefullyconsidered.Whatsetsitapart is theobsessive attention to detail –fromthe wayeachdishiscrafted,tothe service, to theoverall experience of beinginthe room,” theCruzessaid. “It’snot just dinner;it’ssomethingyou feel.The restaurant is locatedinsideTacos delCartel, butonceyou step inside SushibyUs, it’s itsown world–arefined, immersiveenvironment unlike anythingelsecurrently in NewOrleans.”
TheSushi by Us menu wasbuilt around thevision of delivering Japanese cuisineatthe highestlevel andisguidedbyChef JohanPereira,who brings more than 15 yearsofculinaryexperiencetothe kitchen. Everyitemwas chosen with intention, balancing approachabilitywithsophistication.
Some earlymenufavorites from SushibyUs diners includemushroomdumplings, teriyaki lamb androasted fried rice.The WagyuRollhas emerged as aone-of-a-kind dish,one that people willcome back specificallytoeat andtelltheir friendsabout
“Sushi by Us is asensory experience,” Chef Pereira said.“It is alimited space, butwithanexcellent qualityofhospitality andgastronomy.
TheopeningofSushi by Us comesata time when therestaurantindustry in NewOrleans andthroughoutthe nation continuestonavigatechallenges, from rising coststoshiftingconsumerhabits. Yetthe Cruzes,who launched Veho Hospitalityin2020, are ready to meet themomentwithaspiritofresiliency anda belief that NewOrleans is acityfullofopportunity.Their driveand determinationhas already ledtoVehoHospitality operatingmultipleconcepts across thecity, with more on theway
“The timing of SushibyUsisveryintentional We seeacityonthe rise, fueled by tourism, new leadership andgrowing momentum.Wewanttobe part of that growth,” theCruzessaid. They noted that severallocalleadershavebeenkey supporters, includingMayra Pineda,president andCEO of the Hispanic ChamberofCommerceofLouisiana;Jenny Mains, deputy mayorofeconomicdevelopment for theCityofNew Orleans; Seth Knudsen, president andCEO of theDowntownDevelopment District; andNew OrleansCityCouncilwomanLesli Harris
“Whatexcites us to themostisnot just therestaurant itself,but thelargervisionofbecomingone of theleading hospitalitygroupsinDowntownNew Orleansand provingthatworld-class dining experiences canbebuilt andsustained righthere,”the Cruzes said.“We believeinthiscity. We believein itspeople. We believeinthe poweroftourism that flows throughthese streetsevery single day. Visitwww.sushibyus.com formoreonSushi by Us andwww.vehohospitalitygroup.com to learnmore aboutVeho’sother locationsand concepts
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DOUG MCSCHOOLER
Julie Wise, 48, speaks with Indiana state Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, who represents District 23, as he canvasses a neighborhood on
11 in West Lafayette, Ind
EDUCATION
Efforts increase to get college ‘stopouts’ back on track
Removing small obstacles can help, schools say
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
Jevona Anderson, a student at the University of Baltimore, reviews online assignments in her home in Baltimore. She had dropped out of school previously and had joined a growing group of students who have left college before finishing, often called ‘stopouts.’
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.
Mark Ballard
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 holdingthe majority in the House and Senate. Their governing dominance is threatened in November’scongressional midterms —Louisiana’sparty primaries are May 16
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.
—aspollsshow votersare 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,RandyofBeauregard 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.
“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 theRadical Left.” 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-
“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.”
Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS Trump
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.
House approves Letlow farmingbill
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-
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.
Firment
Letlow
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.
THE GULF COAST
Once-quiet Foley, Ala., seeing a surge of newcomers
New developments moving north of coast
BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer
At his busy southern cafe in Foley, Alabama, Greg Felix often notices a telltale sign of newcomers flooding into 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 a transformation in Foley, a once-quiet town on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
Foley, just north of Gulf Shores, is the seventh-fastest-growing city in the country Its population expanded by an extraordinary 12% in 2024, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is now home to 28,000 people and has gained more than 7,000 residents since 2020, many from states outside of the South.
The growth keeps coming.
A new development with 1,300 homes for residents 55 and older is under construction and expected to open next year The city and county are building new roads and spending millions on infrastructure improvements
“We just remembered Foley as a place you drove through to get to Gulf Shores,” said Amanda Eckart, a real estate agent from northern Alabama who now sells homes across the coast. “Now, it’s a place that people stop and come to all on its own.”
The stampede is a sign 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 are choosing 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
newcomers earned higher salaries in those states and began arriving in Foley when remote work expanded after the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants in Foley that used to slow down during the
Tropic Falls in 2022. The city is building a new library and community center twice the size of the current facility The Foley City Council briefly paused dense residential development last year to buy time while 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 the small-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 for small businesses and the local economy. Then there are those who are simply astonished.
“It’s just amazing,” said Charles “Skip” Gruber, a county commissioner who represents the area. Economic fortunes are rising with the surge — the median family income in Foley rose to over $66,000 last year, up from $43,000 in 2020, according to the city But the shift is also evident across Foley’s culture. On residential streets, flags for Michigan and Ohio State are now mixing with the traditional shows of support for Alabama and Auburn.
At Foley’s historic Hotel Magnolia, where guests often stay while they search for houses, 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 a real southern drawl,” she added, “and they kind of get a kick out of it and want to hear me talk.” Foley’s growth is so significant that some new residents who want properties with more
DANCE IN THE RAIN
Showers fail to dampen spirits on third day of French Quarter Fest
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
With stages lining the riverfront blocks from Iberville Street to Esplanade Avenue, then looping back along Royal and Bourbon streets, the French Quarter Festival and its meandering crowds formed a festive lasso around the Vieux Carre on a balmy Saturday afternoon.
“It’s feeling good to be home,” said singer-songwriter Joy Clark, of Righteous Babe records, who had returned days earlier from a five-city tour of Canada. She opened her set at Loyola University’s Esplanade in the Shade stage with the song “Shine” and encouraged the crowd to sing along.
Spread across the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s lawn on the third day of the free festival celebrating homegrown music with roughly 300 acts across 20 stages, some of the attendees obliged Others hung back and sampled the culinary offerings from the more than 70 food vendors.
Brothers Charles and Michael Wlinksy, of New Jersey, tucked into boudin egg rolls from Lillie’s Cajun Kitchen. They said they’ve been regular visitors to New Orleans since 1989, drawn by first Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
“Our cousin said, ‘Why go to Jazz Fest when you can go to French Quarter Fest and see the real New
Orleans acts?” Michael Wlinksy said. For the retirees, French Quarter Fest is also easier on the budget, they said. They’d rented a double shotgun on Gov Nicholls Street and walked everywhere since arriving for the first day of the fest, citing a random street performer and Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots as highlights. At the newly opened Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park at the Gov Nicholls Wharf, intermittent cloud cover, occasional light showers and river breezes kept the heat at
ä See FEST, page 8B
JEFFERSON PARISH
Jockeying begins for parish president
Race considered wide open without Walker
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
Scott Walker the former news
anchor and two-term Jefferson Parish at large council member, surprised constituents and local politicos last month when he said he’d no longer run for parish president He had announced his plan to seek the office in 2024, a full three years before the election, and was seen as a likely front-runner
Now that he’s out, several big names in the parish — including at large council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, first-term District 4 council member Arita Bohannan and a few others — are being discussed in political circles as likely to seek the top job.
The election to succeed Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, who is barred from running again by term limits, is still 18 months away At the moment, municipal elections in Kenner next month and midterm congressional elections in November are the main focus of local political consultants and candidates.
But over the past two weeks, conversations with several elected officials and parish political operatives indicate that potential candidates are actively sizing up their chances for the 2027 race.
Political consultant Karen Carvin Shachat said she’s heard at least three names floated since Walker dropped out, noting that since many considered him a favorite, his absence has quickly changed how people are viewing the odds.
“Scott’s decision not to run has blown the race wide open,” said Shachat.
Parish elections will take place in the fall of 2027, with winners taking office in January 2028. That means candidates have plenty of time to decide whether to run, to start fundraising and to begin seeking out supporters. Typically, campaigns ramp up in the spring before parish elections, or a little less than a year from now
The most prominent official expected to run is Van Vrancken, who said in a recent interview she was “very interested” in running for the position.
“In public service I’ve always thought, ‘What’s the best way I can give back? What are the positions that I think match my skills?’” Van Vrancken said.
“I’ve been on the administration side. I’ve served as chief operating officer I understand the requirements that are very different in the role of parish president than
City Hall holds N.O.’s ‘secret weapon’ for budget crisis
Expert team working to stabilize finances
BY BLAKE PATERSON
sis and enhance city services.
Staffed by data gurus and project management experts, the Office of Service and Innovation serves as City Hall’s internal team of consultants, sifting through thousands of pages of records and embedding itself in departments to find ways to save money
ABBy VIENNE, chief
city contracts to figure out what work can be done in-house more cheaply It’s overseeing an analysis of city lease agreements. And it’s taking a fine-toothed comb to department spending, staffing and overtime as part of a Budget and Efficiency Working Group that Moreno created
STAFF PHOTO
Gregg Glasier, right, participates in a dance lesson Saturday at the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage at French Quarter Fest in New Orleans.
Dave Boswell plays the trumpet with the Cottonmouth Kings on Saturday
STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK
Matt Rhody sings with the Cottonmouth Kings at the French Market Traditional Jazz Stage at French Quarter Fest in New Orleans on Saturday.
Staff report
The man allegedly shot by his 13-year-oldson in theircar in front of aTangipahoaschool earlier this week has died, the Hammond Police Department said Saturday “It is with deep sadness that we report the victim in the shooting
CITY HALL
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“Wereally see ourselves as aresourcetodepartments and decision-makers,” said Abby Vienne, who oversees the team as the city’schief performance officer.“We’re the eagle eye view of everything happeninginthe city.
Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrussocalled them the“best kept secret” at City Hall “They are responsible for so much,yet areknown for so little,” Giarrussosaid.
Tracking thedata
The seven-member team frequently juggles longterm projectswith daily requestsfor information Aheadofarecent speaking engagement, Moreno wanted to know how much the city had spent on police vehicles. Giarrusso asked Vienne to run the numbers.
“As priorities shift, our day-to-day work shifts,”Vienne said during arecent interview in Giarrusso’s conference room.
“Welike to think of ourselvesaslike alittle secret weapon that can be deployed.”
“A SWAT team,” added Cameron MacPhee, who oversees the Office of Performance and Accountability,asubset of the Office of Serviceand Innovation that’sfocused more on data analysis. (The twooffices sharethe same roomand work as one team.)
Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu created the team after taking office in 2010 to produce public reports tracking everything from
PRESIDENT
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on the council. So Idefinitely bring that experience to the table and expect to makea decision in short order.”
that occurred this past Tuesday hassuccumbedtohis injuries,” the department said in astatement, extending “heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family as they endure this tragic loss.”
The fatherand son were in the drop-off line at Tangipahoa Alternative School in Hammond
at 7:39 a.m. andbegan arguing after theboy refused to go into the building. The manspoke to a school resource officer anda Hammondpolice lieutenant and agreed to takehis son back home.
But as the car pulled away agunshot was heard inside the vehicle, whichspedacrossCrystal Street
and into anearby home.
Police say the boy then approached theschool with ahandgun but was disarmed by the school resource officer.Another youngerboy wasinthe back seat of thecar at the time of the shooting but was unharmed.
The boy was previously being
potholesand blightedbuildings to response timesfor paramedics and firefighters. Its work continued un-
derMayor LaToya Cantrell, though staffers sayits focus turned inward
Theteam builtan internal dashboard last year to track when trafficenforcement cameras are activated,after the vendor that operates them leftthem on —unbeknownst to thecity —during the snowstorm andstart of theschool year,leading to hundreds of impropertickets.
“We’reboth monitoring howdepartments aredoing but also thinking about how to make thembetter,” said EricCherrie, an innovation manager Giarrusso, whospent eight years on the City Council, said he wasn’taware of the
for the council District 5 seat, basedinMetairie.
team’swork until Moreno named him thecity’sbudget czar and Landrieu’sformer deputies implored him to keep theoffice intact.
“They were like, ‘Do not let anything happen to them, do not let ahair on their heads be touched,and youwill be amazed at how much they do,’”Giarrusso said.
Under Moreno, the team is starting to take on amore visible role at CityHall. It’s working on another dashboard tracking blight.
“I thinkpeople are feeling progress, but we also need that data-drivenapproach to showthatprogress is happening,” Moreno said in an interview Thursday
“It’s been awelcome change to be able to show what we’re doing,” said Mark Salvadore, adata analyst on the team.
Righting thecity’s finances
The team is one of several groups at CityHall working to remediate abudget crisis that explodedinto public view last year afterthe city almost ran outofmoney to pay itsemployees. The 2026 budget that was later adopted includes once-per-payperiod furloughs for certain employeesand acitywide hiring freeze.
The team works with the city’s FinanceDepartment to review quarterly budget outlooksthatthe Moreno administration is newlyrequiring departments to submit. It also is in charge of examining the fiscal impact on waivers to the city’s hiring freeze.
Butits work reiningin overtime spending hasreceived the most attention. It
held on chargesofattempted second-degree murder, among others. Hammond policesaidthose charges areexpected to be upgradedto second-degree murder
This investigation is ongoing, andadditionalinformation will be released as it becomes available, police said.
Associate Director of the Office of Performance and AccountabilityCameron MacPhee works at his desk at City HallinNew OrleansonWednesday.
created adetailed template for departments to project monthly overtime costs and then monitors that spending to makesure they aren’tgoing over budget.
Thedashboard published Tuesday shows that City Hall spent $10.3 million on overtime from January to March of this year,compared to about $18.3 million it spent over the sametime period last year
Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack, who is working on his own wide-ranging review of city spending, said he hasn’t worked directly with the team, but he’sbeen “very impressed” with theiroversight of overtime spending.
“They’re asking all the right questions,” Waguespack said.
The team also helped craft new policies requiring city workers to return to the office and departmentheads to undergo annualperformance reviews And it’sworking on aproject to streamline the city’s contracting process, which varies across departments, making it difficult to track performance.
“There’ssort of arenewed interest in focusing on how we can makeimprovements given the constraints of our currentbudgetsituation, andreally drilling down on the numbers first and figuringout howwedothisourselves in-house,” MacPhee added.
The team operates as a sort of catchall for projects that don’tfit neatlywithin aspecific department. It’s in charge, for example, of hiring additional sheriff’s deputiesfor Carnivalsecurity and also manages the health care contract for the jail. Its oversight last year helped save the city around $750,000 annually by requiring thejailhealth care provider to treat bone infectionsin-houseinstead of at off-site facilities.
Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate. com.
VanVrancken, aRepublican, won her 2023 election for the council at large Division Aseat in the primary, with aformidable 51% of the vote against incumbent Ricky Templet and challenger Frankie Hyers, also Republicans.
Alawyer and former television journalist, Van Vrancken has 16 yearsof experience in parish government and served as chief operating officer under former Parish President JohnYoung until resigning in 2015 to run
During her at large tenure, shelaunched apilot program to give an additional $5,000 to parish residents selected forthe state’sfortified roof program and has long presented herself as a “good government” reformer watching for misspending. She’sled the opposition to the parish-funded Gretna brewpub, callingit a“sweetheart deal”for its tenant But she’salso become isolatedfrom some of her colleagues, who have accused her of working withJefferson Parish Inspector General KimChatelain to halt the projects of her political enemies —an allegation both have repeatedlydenied. In interviews, adozen JeffersonParish politicos said they expect other candidates will emerge over the next 18 months.
Though she has not publicly indicatedinterest in
the role, Bohannan, aRepublican whose district is based in Kenner, hasbeenwidely discussed as apotential candidate to run againstVan Vrancken.
years, butinaninterview Tuesday saidthat it’s “too early to make that decision” on whether to run in 2027.
Alawyer,Bohannan is in herfirst term on the Jefferson Parish Council, representingmost of Kenner and parts of Metairie in District 4. She has spearheaded major capital projectsfor the Kenner area withher discretionaryfunds, includinga $12 million amphitheater in Laketown and variousupgradestoLafreniere Park,like theconstruction of a$1.3 million inclusive playground.
Bohannan clashedwith VanVranckenand Chatelain during heated council debates over the past three
“My official answer is that this is arace that’salmost twoyears away,” Bohannan said. “I’mreally focused on my districtand improvements here.”
Greg Buisson, the political consultant who worked for Bohannanduring her last campaign, said she “has madeavery quick name for herself” and has started to build apolitical base.
“She becomes apotential candidate to be considered,” Buisson said.
Othernames
Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley,aRepublican and former parish chief administrative officer,has also been mentioned as interested in running for higher office, despite just recently securing another termas chief unopposed.
Conley said in an interview Thursday that he’sinterested in running for parish president or council, but for now is waiting “to see how the field plays out.”
Others say that former Parish President John Young could make another bid for the seat if his current campai gn for aseat on the Public Service Commission proves unsuccessful.
Young, a Republican, served as parish president from 2010 to 2016 following the Aaron Broussard scandal and then worked as an attorney and public policyconsultant for the past decade. He ran for parish president again in 2019 but lost to Lee Sheng, earning only 36% of the vote.
Young said in an interview Wednesday that he wasn’t
considering thepossibility of losing the Public Service Commission race, as he is “100% committed” to the role.
Buisson, his political consultant, said Young “hasn’t given two thoughts about it,” but that“he hasaninsatiable appetite forpublic service.”
“He genuinely wants to do something in government because he enjoys creating laws and making rules and meeting with people and solvingproblems,”Buisson said. “That seemstobewhat getshim up in themorning, so in that sense, Ithink you can never say never with him on that.”
Legislativeand Policy Adviser Ryan McGuire, left, speaks with Innovation Manager Adam Gordon at hisdesk at City Hall in NewOrleans on Wednesday
VanVrancken
Bohannan
Young
Bergin,Elizabeth
Chetta,Brenda
Cullen, Patricia
Dupar-Fields,Florence
Ernstman, Joel
FeibelmanJr.,Julian
Jarreau,Ora
Lybrand, Rhonda
Maher, Marylee
Martinez,Ann
McCraney,Edward
MendelJr.,Earl
Mitchell,Anna Maria
Patterson, Harriet
Perret Sr., Elton
Ramsey II, John
Treadway,Glenda
VincentSr.,Wayne
Wirth, Helen
EJefferson
Leitz-Eagan
Ramsey II, John NewOrleans
Boyd Family
Patterson, Harriet
DW Rhodes
Jarreau,Ora
Greenwood
VincentSr.,Wayne
Lake Lawn Metairie
Bergin,Elizabeth
Chetta,Brenda
FeibelmanJr.,Julian
Lybrand, Rhonda
Mitchell,Anna Maria
Wirth, Helen
Majestic Mortuary
Dupar-Fields,Florence River Parish
HC Alexander
Perret Sr., Elton St Tammany
Bagnell Son
Martinez,Ann West Bank
Robinson FH
Treadway,Glenda
West Leitz-Eagan
Maher, Marylee
Obituaries
Elizabeth Crosby Bergin, known to many as Betty, passedawaypeacefully at herhome in River Ridge Louisiana,onFriday, April 10, 2026 Betty willberemembered forher generosity, humor, loyalty, and selflessness. She was deeply loved by her late husband Jimmy, herfamily,and the many friends and neighbors she consideredfamily. To her 15 nieces and nephews, 30 great-nieces and nephews and one great-grand-nephew, she was simplyAunt Betty, and no one else could compare.
Born on September2 1946,toRobert Howell Crosby, Jr.and Elizabeth Hendricks Crosby,Betty grew up in DeRidder, Louisiana.She graduated from TheHockadaySchool inDallasand later from Louisiana State University (LSU). Aftercollege, she marriedJamesJoseph Bergin,Jr. and joinedthe family business, Crosby Land& Resources,where she workedfor 46 years before retiring in 2021. Betty and her husband made their home on Suzanne DriveinRiver Ridge,surrounded by neighborswho became like family. She was adevoted memberofthe neighborhood Catholic Church, St.Matthew the Apostle, where she regularly attended massfor many years. Betty loved reading, traveling with her husband and family, and spending time with those she cared about.She especially treasured family beach trips to Destin, summersinAspen with Jimmy, and weekends at the Beau Rivage with friends.
Shewas precededin death by herhusband of 41 years, her parents, and her sister,Carla Crosby McClelland. Sheissurvived by her sister,LillianCrosby Maurin,her brother, RobertHowell Crosby, III, and their spouses,James Maurinand KimCrosby, alongwith many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
Friends and family are invited to attend amemorial service on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. NewOrleans, LA. Visitation willbeheld from 11 AM -12 PM with amemorial Mass to beginat12PM. In lieu of flowers, memorialcontributions may be made to The Debra H. And Robert J.Patrick Neuroscience Institute at Ochsner (www.ochsner.org/bergin) or by mailing your contribution directly to: Ochsner Health Department of Philanthropy, 1514 JeffersonHighway, New Orleans,LA70121. When mailing your gift to Ochsner, please note that your giftistosupport the Neuroscience Institution forAlzheimer's Research in memoryofBetty Bergin.
BrendaKay Chetta, 84, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 23, 2026. She was bornonDecember 5, 1941, in NewOrleans, Louisiana, thefirst daughterofAnthony (Tony)and JessieChetta. Sixyears later,onDecember 20, 1947, she welcomed her beloved sister, Vicki—a long-awaited Christmas wish come true Brendabegan her educationin1947 at St Dominic School and Church in Lakeviewand remained devotedtoher Catholicfaith throughout her life.Inspired by alifelong passionfor caringfor others, she pursueda career in medicine.She earnedher nursing degree fromCharityHospital SchoolofNursing, followed by adiploma in Nurse Anesthesia fromCharity HospitalSchool of Nurse Anesthesia, and laterobtainedher Bachelorof Science degreefrom Holy Cross College. In 1964, Brendabegan her professional career as aCertified Registered Nurse Anesthetist(CRNA) at Montelepre Hospital in NewOrleans. Her work ethic, compassion,and skillearnedher thedeep respect and friendship of colleagues throughout her morethan30-yearcareer. Brendaretiredfrom Lakeside Hospitalin Metairie,Louisiana, leaving behind an enduring legacy of dedication and care. Brenda's generosity extendedfar beyond her medicalcareer. She held a lifelong love foranimals, volunteering withthe Visiting Pets program in Kenneralongsideher therapydog, Andy. Together, they visitedconvalescent homes and theTSA program at Louis Armstrong Airport. Brendarescued countless dogsover the years—oftenmorethan one at atime—and cared for them through their entire lives.
Her faithand community were central to her heart.She was an active member of the LadiesAltar Society at Divine Mercy Church in Kenner, where she took special joyindecorating thechurch forholidays and helpingorganize fundraisers. She also cherishedher time volunteering with theLeading LadiesGuildand theRed Hat Society.
Brendaloved to travel and embraced every opportunity to explorenew cultures and places with family and friends. Her adventures took heracross Europe,the British Isles, South America, Mexico, partsofAsia, and throughout theUnitedStates. She often returned home with treasured art piecesthat reflected her experiences. Atrue NewOrleanian Brendaalso lovedMardi Gras and was honored to serveasQueen of the Krewe of Aquilatwice, as well as aMaidand Riding Lieutenant—memoriesshe cherished deeply.
To Brenda, friendship was one of life's greatest gifts. Her high school sororitysistersfromPi EpsilonPiremained close throughout theyears, continuing their monthly luncheswellintoretire-
ment.Her anesthesia schoolroommates, Martha and Margo,and dear friends Karen, Connie, Beth, and Donner were constant sources of laughter, adventure, and companionship.
Brendaissurvived by her sister, VickiMazzei (Reese Davies); nephew ChristopherMazzei (Erin Mazzei); grand-nephews, Luca and Nico Mazzei; and cousins Maria Kay Chetta, Jenny Sorenson (Todd), and Dolores Jenkins (Carl Wayne), Joan Jenkins (Mike), PatHyland, Keith Alford (Karen), Marian Alford.The family extends heartfelt thanksto Cornerstone Care fortheir compassionate service, especiallycaregivers Faith and Robin, and to Dan for his continuedkindness and support A"CelebrationofLife" willbeheldatLake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, NewOrleans, on May 1, 2026, visitationbeginning at 11:30 am and Mass at 2:00 pm.Interment willfollowinMetairieCemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be madeto Visiting Pets, Kenner, LA, SPCA or SpayMart.Toview and sign theonline guestbook, please visitwww.lak elawnmetairie.com
Patricia AnnCullen (Tric)passedawaypeace‐fully on April8,2026 after a short illness. Shewas born September 29, 1955, in Goshen, NewYorkto ThomasJVCullenJr. and ElaineDegan Cullen. She was preceded in herdeath byher parents, hernephew Kevin andniece Maeve. She is survived by her seven siblings,ThomasJV III (Peggy), Kevin, Sean, Elaine, Michael, Brian (Lisa), andHillary (Paul) She is also lovingly remem‐bered by herthirteen niecesand nephews, ten grand nieces andgrand nephews,and scores of firstcousins from the Cullen, Degan, Tonjes,and Gargiulofamilies,too nu‐meroustomention.Patri‐cia attended St.John’sEle‐mentary School andJohn S.Burke Catholic High School in Goshen,New York. Shestudied at Loyola UniversityinNew Orleans and went on to earn a BachelorofFineArtsde‐greefromSUNYNew Paltz, aswellasa Bachelor of Science anda Master of Architecturedegreefrom The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.Patricia’screativity was boundless andwas veryartisticand hadgreat skillsinwhateverthe pro‐ject, whether it be sewing weaving or creating doll housesfor hernieces. She renovated severalhomes doing theworkherself.She created aunique fieldap‐plication forapplying de‐signs on architecturalsur‐faces,which remain today inmanyofNew York City’s beautiful historic build‐ings. Patricia beganher postgraduatecareer with the NewYorkCityPortAu‐thority locatedatthe WorldTrade Center in 1991
Shesurvivedboththe at‐tacks in 1993 and2001. She lostnumerousfriends and co-workersand wasdeeply impactedbythe loss. She stayedwiththe Port Au‐thority until 2004. In 2005, while travelingtoNew Or‐leans to relocate andcom‐plete renovationsonher home, HurricaneKatrina struckthe city.Undeterred, Patriciareturnedto find her home only slightly damaged.She completed the renovation andsoon moved on to thenextpro‐ject. Shewas oftenfound inher backyard usingher table saworrefinishing furniture—never at aloss for projects.Patriciawas a dog loverand fostered manydogsoverthe years, aidingthemto find their forever homesorkeeping themuntil they made their finaljourney.Pleasecon‐sider donating to thelocal ASPCA chapterinhonor of Patricia. Acelebration of Patricia’slifewillbeheld onSaturday, May2,2026, from7:00p.m.to9:00p.m ather home,3457 Annunci‐ation Avenue,New Orleans, Louisiana.The second cel‐ebrationwilltakeplace on May 16, 2026, from 1:00 p.m.to3:00p.m.atthe homeofTom andPeggy Cullen, 4LongviewTerrace, Goshen, NewYork. For moreinformation,please contact BrianCullenat crispincullen@me.com
Dupar-Fields,Florence Mae
Florence MaeDuparFieldsdepartedthislifeon March 31, 2026, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana.She was the belovedwifeofthe late Amzie Fields Jr., andthe cherished daughter of the lateRobertWesleyDupar Sr. andPearl JonesDupar FlorenceDupar-Fields leavestocherish hermem‐ory herlovingchildren: DarrenDupar,NealDupar (Debra),BrendaCrowley (J.P.), Sharon Fields,and D’Wayne Fields (Elizabeth) She wasa devotedsister toHebertDupar,Robert WesleyDupar II, Ernest Dupar,JosephDupar,and surviving sister Olivia Dupar-Dotson. Shealso leavesbehinda lasting legacythrough her23 grandchildren,32greatgrandchildren,and ahost ofnieces, nephews, ex‐tendedfamily, anddear friends who will continue tohonor hermemory. Flo‐rence Dupar-Fields will be deeply missedand forever rememberedfor herlove, strength, andthe legacy she leaves behind.Family, friends,and allwhose lives she impacted areinvited to attend herCelebration of LifeonSaturday, April25, 2026, at 10:00am at Mt ZionCommunity Baptist Church,6025 N. Robertson Street,New Orleans, LA 70117. Visitation will begin at9:00a.m., with funeral servicestofollow. Rev. Patrick McDowell, Officiat‐ing.Interment will follow atResthaven Memorial ParkonOld GentillyRoad. Professionalarrangements havebeen entrustedto MajesticMortuaryService Inc. (504)523-5872.
Joel Alan Ernstman 1941 -2026 Joel Alan Ernstman,84, passed away on February 5, 2026, surroundedby family. Born in Wichita,Kansas, Alan moved to New Orleansinthe early 1960s whileworkingfor Boeing on theApolloSaturnmission at Michoud. He made NewOrleans his home, marrying his hometown sweetheart, Nina Barton Ernstman,with whom he shared 51 years of marriage. He wasprecededin death by both parents, Ed andCharlene Ernstman; hisbeloved wife, Nina;his grandson, AndrewGarcia; andhis sister,Judy Patterson Alan is survivedbyhis daughters, Kimberly McDaniel andKrista Garcia (Rob);grandchildren, Cassidy Trahant (Grant), Quentin McDaniel(Adela), and BenjaminGarcia; several great-grandchildren; hisniece, Ann Marie Fate (Chris) andtheir children; andhis nephew,Alan Ernstman Patterson An entrepreneur at heart, Alan became the second andlongesttenuredfranchiseeofTaco Tico, openingmultiple locations across the New Orleansareawithhis wife. Over time,the business consolidated to asingle Kenner location —proudly still standing and operatingtoday. Alan visited "the store" daily untilhis passing. He enjoyedanactivesocial life, estate/garage sales, collecting andsellingvintage items, and gardening.Hewas known for hissharp wit, colorful sayings, andaffectionate nicknamesfor those he bestowed upon familymembers, friends, and employeesalike Awakewill be held at 10:00 am on Friday, April 24, 2026, at St.Ann Church in Metairie, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Alan will be deeply missed and lovingly rememberedbyall who knew him.
Julian BeckFeibelman, Jr., akind andgentleman, passed away on Monday, April 6, 2026, at hishomein NewOrleans
Bergin, Elizabeth Crosby 'Betty'
Chetta, Brenda Kay
Cullen, Patricia Ann'Tric'
Feibelman Jr., Julian Beck
4B
Communications from Louisiana State University. Prior to his retirementin 2006, he had asuccessful career running the largest regional advertising and public relations firm at the time, Un, Ltd. Julian was adescendent of Jacob Lemann who arrived in New Orleans from Alsace-Lorraine in 1836, became aleader in the sugar and mercantile industries, and eminent in the New Orleans Jewish community. Julian's father, Julian Beck Feibelman, Sr., was the rabbi at Temple Sinai in NewOrleans for forty years and, in this capacity, was widely known as avigorous championand notable activist in the civil rights movement.
Julian was treasurer of the Audubon Park Commission for anumber of years, instrumental in the transformation of the old Audubon Zoo into the world class facility it is today. He was also aBoard Member of his beloved New Orleans Opera, WWNO Radio, the Touro Foundation, the Trinity Counseling Center, Loyola University Board of Visitors, Friends of Music, The United Fund, anda number of others. Julian was beloved by many and was such afunny man -hecould always provide afast-paced quip that had his compatriots rolling on thefloor with mirth. He received twentythree weekly and monthly periodicals as well as several daily newspapers and was awell-informed and erudite conversationalist.
An insatiable reader, he was reputed to have the largest private library in the City. He was alifelong devotee of classical music, opera and jazz and an enthusiasticpatron of performing arts of all stripes. Also prominent among his many interests was his world-class fountainpen collection built around family heirloomsand pieces found on frequent searches for what he deemed to be the most obscure offerings around the world. He is survived by his devoted wife of 29-½ years, Joan von Kurnatowski Hooper, his children: Morgan Feibelman, MD, (Jeremy Epstein) of New Orleans; Ivy Feibelman (Heather Cole) of Portland, OR; and Beck Feibelmanof New York, NY; two stepsons, seven grandchildren andone great-grandchild.
The familysends deep and loving thanks to Julian's amazing caregivers: Frank Wilklow, MD; Linda Merrick, RN; Sue Singer, RN; Chastity Davis; Paula Sewell; Patrice Adams; Beverly Kyrkendall; Debra Collins; Interim Hospice; Cheri Pizani, RN; Monica Scarlett, RN; and Kristi Sabillion, RN; and Antoinette Pea. Private services were held.
To view and sign the family's online guestbook and share your memories of Julian, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com
Should anyone wish to send amemorial for Julian, please send to the charity of your choice or to: WYES -TV, info@wyes.org;New OrleansOpera, neworleansopera.org; Southern PovertyLaw Center, secure.splcenter.org/donate; or Temple Sinai, templesinainola.com
Jarreau,Ora Lee Rita Roussell OraLee Jarreau passed awayonApril8,2026. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial at Corpus Christi Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St. Bernard Avenue on Monday, April 20, 2026at 10:00am. Visitation will begin at 8:00 am. Interment: St. John The Baptist CemeteryinEdgard, LA. Arrangements by D.W Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 WashingtonAvenue. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral com to signthe guestbook.
Rhonda ("Ron") Jean Lybrand,age 69, of Metairie, Louisiana,passed awayonApril 11, 2026at The Springs of Chenal Health&Rehabilitation Nursing Home in Little Rock, Arkansas,surrounded by herson,Zac, and her Shih Tzu,Jagger. Shewas bornonAugust 20, 1956,inJackson, Mississippi,toRonald and Eloyease Lybrand. From an earlyage,Ron was known forher ability to make friends with anyone—a quality that would define herlifeand touch everyone who knew her Ron was adevoted mother, daughter,and sister, and her greatestjoy came from spending time with her family, especially her two children. Shehad a special way of overcoming any obstaclethatcame her way, and her presence made those around her feel safe, loved, and as thoughanythingwas possible.
Sheissurvived by her two children,BrieLybrand Garza and Zachary Lybrand Bresler; her brother,Jim "Butch" Watkins; and hertwo nephews, Brock and Levin Fuller.She was preceded in deathby her mother, Eloyease Lybrand; her father, Ronald Lybrand; andher sister, Michelle Lybrand. Throughout her life, Ron found joyinher work as a hairdresserand in her hobbies of shooting guns and relaxing on the beaches along the GulfCoast. Those who knew her will remember herfor herhappy personality,her quick wit, her love for her two children, and agoodmuffuletta.
Afuneral servicewill be held on Tuesday, April21, 2026,atLake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd. New Orleans,Louisiana 70124, at 1:00 p.m., with visitation beginning at 11:00a.m. Interment to follow at Lake LawnPark Mausoleum.
In honor of herlife, the family asks that any flowersordonations be sent to Lake LawnMetairie FuneralHome.
Though sheisnolonger with us, her love and the memoriesshe created will remain inour hearts forever To view and signthe online guestbook, visit
www.lakelawnmetairie.co m
Maher,Marylee Ann
Marylee AnnMaher passed away on April 5, 2026, at theage of 81. She wasborn in NewOrleans, Louisiana to thelate Mary "Maw"Clesi and Joseph "Honey" Clesi. She is survivedbyher loving companion of 30 years, Ramon Vargas. Marylee was the devoted mother of Dawn Joachim Termine, Wendy JoachimTermine (Dale), and thelate Stanley Edward Joachim, Jr.Loving Grammy of Kacie Dauenhauer, Brock Termine, and Christian Termine (Victoria) and her greatgrandchildren Brock Termine, Jr Oaklenn Moore, and Parker Termine. She wasprecededin death by her grandmother, Louise Weezie" Powell. Sister of Larry Blanchard (Nancy), thelate Lee Blanchard, and thelate Harry Blanchard. Marylee is also survivedbynieces, nephews, otherrelatives and many friends who will miss her dearly AMemorial Service will be held at 7:00PM on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Westside/Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home,5101 Westbank Expresswayin Marrero, Louisiana. Avisitation willbegin at 4:00PM and continue until theservice time. Expressions of sympathymay be shared with Marylee's family at www.WestsideLeitzEagan. com.
MartinezMSC, SisterAnn Kateri
With heavyheartsand profound gratitude fora life well-lived,weshare thepeaceful passing of Sister Ann KateriMartinez, MSC on April 16, 2026.
BorninNew Orleans, Louisiana, on May 16, 1940, Sr. Ann wasa gentlesoul who touched theheartsof allwho knew her. Her journey came to aserene end, just as she wished,envelopedinthe night's quiet embrace. Annwas the daughter of Benedict and EilolaCamporaMartinez, who preceded her in death alongwith her brother Benedict S.Martinez, Jr She is survivedbyher belovedbrother Kenneth Martinez,Sr. (Patricia), sister-in-lawMarilyn Martinez,and adevoted circle of nieces and
nephews: Lisa Marshal, Christie Suslin, William Martinez,Kenny Martinez, Jr., andSusanMartinez DeBoisblanc. Her life was also enriched by thelove of hergreat nieces and nephews, and theconstant support of her Marianite Sisters.
In 1957, Ann answered God's call and entered the Marianites of Holy Cross, making her final profession in 1963. Her life was a testament to faith, love and commitment.Known for her quiet, steadypresence, Sr. Annwas abeacon of calm and order. Though she oftenclaimed to be reserved, herwords were thoughtful and carried weight whensharedfreely among thoseshe trusted. Hereducational journey began at HolyAngels Academy, followedbya Bachelor's in Education fromOur Lady of Holy Cross College. She furthered her academicpursuits with aMaster's in Biology fromThe Ohio StateUniversity. Ever committed to serving others, Sr. Ann spent twoyears and many summers with theAir National Guard, contributing to thenation'sdefense.Sr. Ann dedicated her professional life to education, nurturing youngmindsatSt. Mary of theAngels, NewOrleans; Holy Family,Port Allen; Central Catholic, Morgan City; Dominican High School, and HolyAngels Academy, both in New Orleans. She latershared her wisdom at Our Ladyof Holy Cross College, both in teaching and administration, and concluded her active ministry withthe Willwoods Community, impacting countless lives alongthe way.
Beyond her professional and spiritual commitments, Sr. Annfound joy behind thelens of acamera, capturing thebeauty of theworld and many significant eventswithin the Louisiana Province of Marianites. Her methodical approach to life was reflected in her photography, each imagea deliberate and cherished memory.
Sr. Ann'slife willbecelebrated in aservice to be held on April 20, 2026, at St. Benedict CatholicChurch, 20370 Smith Road. Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 followedbyafuneral Mass at 11:00. Burial willtake place at MaryQueen of Peace Cemetery on the Marianites' propertyin Covington. In lieu of flowers, donations can be madetothe Marianites of Holy Cross, honoring Sr. Ann'slegacy and her lifelong dedication to her faith community.
The Marianites extend their heartfeltappreciation to thecaregivers from BrightCare and St. TammanyHospice for their compassionate support during Ann'sfinaljourney. Aspecial mention to Sr. JuanitaWood, Ann'sMSC Sister and friend for over 65 years, who was lovingly by her sideuntil theend. Sister Ann KateriMartinez liveda life of devotion, kindness,and unwavering faith. Her legacy willcontinue to inspire allwho had theprivilegetoknowher She willbedeeplymissed butforeverremembered in our hearts. May she rest in eternal peace.
EdwardOrville McCraney passed away on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at the age of 89. Ed grew up in Covington Louisiana. He wasthe youngest of six children, preceded in death by hisparents Carrie MoranMcCraney and Charles HenryMcCraney. A graduate of Covington High School class of '57, he then marriedthe love of hislife, Elaine,in1960. Theyweretogether62 years andblessed with 2 childrenSteve McCraney andCarrie McCraney Gitter. Ed became hisearly career as apostman and then owneda small business for many years retiringwhenhemoved to Mandeville Ed wasa devotedhusband, father, brother, uncleand friend to many. He neverfailed to lend a helpinghand, lovedthe Lordand hisCatholic faith. He wasanactivemember of Mary QueenofPeace andthe knights of Columbus after moving to Mandeville in thelate90's. He dotedonhis grand childrenBen (Catherine), Jake andAllie.Theywere thepride and joyofhis life andheand Elaine travelled wherever they lived to spend time with them Ed grew up playing sports, continuing in his later years playingbasketball, pickleballand leading theSeniorOlympics in St TammanyParish.Most of all he lived fortimeoutdoors and an opportunity to travelour beautiful world. He will be missed everyday but remembered for thegoodkindman we loveddearly.Relatives and friends are invited to afuneralmass to be held at Mary Queen of Peace Saturday, April 25, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10am with amass to follow at 11am.
Mendel Jr., Earl J.
Earl J. Mendel,Jr.,83, of Robert, Louisianaentered intorestonApril 6, 2026 at North Oaks MedicalCenter inHammond.BornonSep‐tember26, 1942 in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,hewas the belovedsecondchild of the late Earl J. &Evelyn Champagne Mendel.At18, Earlenlistedinthe U.S. Air Force andservedacross the Pacific, primarilyin Guam. Histimeinthe mili‐tarywould be asourceof pride throughout hislife. Uponhis return he began buildinga 30 year career asa NewOrleans Fire‐fighter. Regarded as atal‐ented metalworker, E.J. was selected in the1970’s tofabricate andassemble several of thelarge fea‐tures in Al Copeland’s yearlyChristmas display. E.J or “Spoon”, wasan avidhunterand fisherman, often sharinghis love of the outdoorswithfellow firefighters andfamily. He
lovedthe Saints,LSU and the underdog.E.J.was kind and funny, butferocious in defense of hisfamilyor whathethought wasright His last 10 yearswerededi‐cated solely to thecareof his treasuredCarol,never leaving hersideasshe suf‐fered dementia.Heissur‐vived by hislovingwifeof 62years,Carol Fryer Mendeland theirthree children: Donna Warren (Jessie),EarlJ.Mendel, III (Pamela)and Jeffery Mendel(Rosemary); sister Jeanette Gusler;grandchil‐dren: Lori Mullins (Matthew), DevinWarren (Arianna), Courtney Mendel, Gary Rousseau IreneRousseau,Tucker Loftisand RexMendel; great-grand children:Eve‐lyn,Daniand Cayden; Bryndin,Austinand Hud‐son;Lilianna andElla; a chosenson HenryJ.Knoll Jr. (Susan); cousinsand manylovingnieces, nephews andfriends.Heis precededindeath by his parents Earl andEvelyn Mendeland oldersister Betty Fontaine.A Celebra‐tionofLifewillbean‐nounced once detailshave been finalized. In lieu of flowers, thefamilywould suggest donationstoany veteran’s advocacy organi‐zations or children’s hospi‐tals
Anna Maria D'Antonio Mitchell completed her earthly journey andwas welcomedintoeternal life on April 13, 2026, following abrief illness at home. Sheispreceded in death by herhusband, Donald P. Mitchell. She is survived by herchildren, Donald PatrickMitchell, Jr (Katheryn), Rosanne Mitchell-Borne(William), GuyJoseph Mitchell (Lorie), and Bernard Mitchell (Myra); hergrandchildren, Michelle Tomboli (Rocky), Melissa Mitchell, John Michael Mitchell (Jennifer), GuyJoseph Mitchell, Jr.(Traci),and LaneMitchell;and her great-grandchildren Macie,Madison,Jhett, and Joules. Alifelongresident of NewOrleans,AnnaMaria wasthe only childof Senator GuyJ.D'Antonio andRoseCaruso D'Antonio. Shegraduated from St.Mary's Dominican High School before attendingUrsulineCollege, where she earneda degree in Sociology in 1950 and developeda deep andlasting foundation of faiththat wouldguide herthroughouther life. In 1951, she marriedthe love of herlife, Donald P. Mitchell, beginninga partnership that wouldspan 62 years. Together,theybuilt alifecenteredonfamily, faithand adeep appreciation for therichnessoflife. They lovedtotraveland exploredthe world, includingseveral trips to Europe with theirfamily. At home, she enjoyedgoodfood, wine,art,opera, andballet, andshe especially loved Carnival season. Anna Maria'slifewas rootedinher Catholic faith. She wasa longtime parishionerofSt. Pius X Catholic Churchand an active member of several Catholic organizations, including theEquestrian Orderofthe Holy Sepulchre.Her devotion,
McCraney, Edward Orville
Lybrand, Rhonda 'Ron'
Mitchell, Anna Maria D'Antonio
particularly to Our Lady of Prompt Succor, remaineda constant throughout her life. She believed deeply in loyalty to her family, her faith, and her community Her legacy lives on through her family and the values she instilled in them. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, 2701 State Street, on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 3:00 PM Visitation will be held from 2:00 PM until Mass time at the church. Aprivate interment will be held at alater date. In lieuofflowers, please consider memorial contributions to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, 2701 State Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, or to St. Mary's Dominican High School for the Anna Maria D. Mitchell Scholarship, 7701 Walmsley Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70125, Attn: Advancement.
Patterson,Harriet Denise Brown
HarrietDeniseBrown Patterson wasborninNew Orleans,LAtothe late Harry Lionel Harris,Sr. and Christine McAlisterBrown onDecember6,1956. She was educated in theNew Orleans Public School Sys‐tem.She wasmarried to the late EmilePatterson on December25, 1991, until his passingin1995. Harriet was amemberofOur Lady ofGuadalupe Church and InternationalShrineofSt. Judefor over 15 years. She has twochildren: Knyoka Brown Doyleand Derrick Brown,Sr. Harrietwas a long-time employee of the New OrleansConvention Center, ThePraline Con‐nection,The Ritz Carlton New Orleansand NOLA EventsLabor.Harriet was calledhometobethe Lord onApril 9, 2026. In addition toher parents, shewas precededindeath by her husband andthree sib‐lings:Joyce AnnBrown Smith,Evans Brownand Melba AnnHarrisJackson; and herson-in-law, DemetrisDoyle.Harriet leavestocherish herloving memoriestoher devoted children, Knyoka Brown Doyle andDerrick Brown, Sr. threegrandchildren: Christine Brown, Derrick Brown,Jr. andIrvin Brown; two sisters: AlfredaBrown ofIndianapolis, IN and LatitaBrown of SanAnto‐nio,TX; threebrothers: Harry Lionel Harris Jr L. C. (DebroahPatton) Brownof San Antonio, TX andNorrie (Antionette)Brown anda hostofnieces, nephews, cousins andfriends.Family and friendsare invitedto attend theCelebration of LifeService on Monday, April 20, 2026, for2:00p.m atOur Lady of Guadalupe Church &International ShrineofSt. Jude,411 Ram‐partStreet,New Orleans, LA70122. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Father Anthony Rigoliofficiating. IntermentwillfollowatMt. OlivetCemetery, 4000 Nor‐man MayerAvenue,New Orleans, LA 70122. Guest‐
book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors
Perret,Elton 'Tony'
Elton "Tony" Perret, Sr. entered into eternal rest on April 16, 2026,atthe age of 83. Aproud lifelong resident of Norco, LA. He is survived by his children, Elton J. "T.J." Perret,Jr. (Becky),Donna"TheBoss" Perret Waguespack (Kerry), and MatthewJ Perret (Stacey).Proud grandfather of Morgan Perret (Holly), Kerry Waguespack,Jr. (Nicole), Angele Boquet(Blair) Kayla Waguespack, Scott Perret (Linda), Hunter Perret, Cameron Hodge, Madison Button, Morgan Button, Kaitlyn Button, and six great-grandchildren, Marie Grace, Sawyer, Brylee, ClaraJoyce, Owen, and Archie. Heisalsosurvived by his siblings Carrol "Chabeau" Perret (Cheryl), Eddie Perret (Brenda), Stephen Perret (Debbie), Paul Perret(Stephanie), Perry Perret(Kelley), and sisters-in-law, Frances Barreca and Denise Barreca, as well as ahost of nieces, nephews, and family members. He is precededindeath by thelove of his life, Clara Barreca Perret, hisbrother, Lionel"Butch" Perret, Jr (Elaine), and his parents, LionelPerret, Sr.,and Angele Luquette Perret, his son,Scott Perret, brothersin-law, Sal Barreca, Thomas Barreca, Emmett Barreca, and Emile Barreca, and sisters-in-law Ida Barreca and Ann Perret. Tony was alifetime memberofthe Norco Fire Department,healsodevoted his life to the Knights of ColumbusRed Church Council#3634, as a4th degreeKnight and Grand Knight. Hisfirst jobwas at the St. Charles Herald Guide,that'swherehe wouldmeetClara and start the manybeautiful years they had together as a family. Tonywas alsothe proud ownerofTony's Maintenance. He wasbig into his communityand big into his Lord. Both of which he servedselflessly. The family would like to thank the Norco VolunteerFire Department, EMS,Ochsner Kenner, and Norco Fresh Marketfor everything they did for our father. An Evening Visitation will be heldonTuesday, April 21, 2026,atSacred HeartCatholicChurch, 401 Spruce St. Norco, LA., from 6-9PM. Visitationwill resume on Wednesday, April 22, 2026,atthe church beginning at 9AM. Mass of ChristianBurialwillbegin at 11AM with interment to follow at St.Charles Borromeo Cemetery, 13396 RiverRd. Destrehan, LA Repasswillfollow the servicesatthe KC Homein Norco
RamseyII, Reverend John Curry
Reverend John Curry Ramsey, II,ofDestrehan, LA,left our earthly home forhis Heavenlyhomewith God on April 10, 2026. To view thefull obituary and to share fond memories and wordsofcondolences please visit www.leitzeaga nfuneralhome.com
Treadway,Glenda AnnLeet
Glenda AnnLeet Tread‐way passedpeacefully, surrounded by family, on Wednesday,April 15, 2026, atthe ageof79. Shewas bornonJune 1, 1946, to the lateRobertN.Leet andthe lateGertrudePennison Leet.Glendaspent most of her life in Port Sulphur Louisiana,where shebuilt a life centered around fam‐ily,community,and con‐nection.She worked as a substituteteacher at Port Sulphur High andservedas a cheerleadingcoach for the Port Sulphur Bantam League, where shemadea lasting impact on the young people in hercom‐munity.Above all, shewas a devotedwife, mother grandmother,and greatgrandmother who poured her heartintoraising her ninechildren. Sheissur‐vived by herhusband of 60 years,LutherEvariste TreadwayJr.;her children Rowdy Treadway,Rebecca Nichols,Roberta Reyes, Rory(Kim) Treadway,the lateReneTreadway, Roddy “Moose” (Robin)Treadway, Raquel(Delbert) Smith, RachelTreadway, andRag‐ina (Raylin) Hollier. Sheis alsosurvivedby29grand‐children, 33 great-grand‐children, andone greatgrandchildonthe way. Glendaisfurther survived byher siblings,Robert Bobby” (Janie)Leet and Terry Leet.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thefuneral service on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at St.Patrick Catholic Church,28698 LA23, Port Sulphur LA.70083 The visitation will beginat 9 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m.massofficiated by Fa‐therLawrence. Entomb‐mentwillfollowinSt. Patrick Cemetery.Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home. Foronlinecondo‐lences, please visitwww robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com
VincentSr.,Wayne
Warren
WayneWarrenVincent Sr.,passedawayonThurs‐day,April 16, 2026, at the age of 79. Waynewas born inNew Orleans, Louisiana, onAugust25, 1946, to Wil‐fredVincent andAugustine LeiserVincent.Wayne is precededindeath by his beloved wife of 56 years, Lillian MaeMerceal Vin‐cent, andhis sonWayne Vincent,Jr., five brothers, and threesisters.He leavesbehindtocherish his memory hischildren, TraceyVincent,StaceyV Nehlig(Charles),NicoleV Kimball (Brian),and David Vincent;his cherished grandchildren andgreatgrandchildren—seven grandchildrenand eight great-grandchildren—who broughthim immense pride andjoy;and hissis‐ter,Janet Martin.Wayne found greatenjoyment in woodworking, hunting, and watchingclassic western movies, butabove all, he treasured thetimehe spent surrounded by his family, who meantthe world to him. Relativesand friends areinvited to visit Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124, on Thurs‐day,April 23, 2026, starting at11:00 AM.A Funeral Masswillfollowthe visita‐tionat1:00PM. Theburial willbeinthe Greenwood Mausoleum.Wealsoinvite you to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com
Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Wayne’s lifeand keep hismemory alive
Helen Wolfe Wirth, was born on July22, 1942, passed away peacefully in thepresence of her loving family on April 13, 2026. She was the belovedwife of her highschoolsweetheart,Charles R. Wirth, Jr. for65years. She was born in BaySt. Louis and moved to NewOrleans in 1954.
Helen graduated from Ursuline Academy honor class of 1960 and was the president of hersenior class. Helen forged friendships from Ursuline that she maintained throughout her life.Ofher many endeavors, Helen served with prideasSecretary of the Mother'sClub,a docent of theOld Ursuline Convent, and Past President of the Alumni Association.
herthrough herlife. Helentraveled all over theUnited States and abroad. Hermost treasured destination was Medjugorje, whereshe visited 19 timesstaying with thevisionary Ivan, attendingdaily apparitionsof Mary. She wasalso amemberofthe Equestrian Order of theHoly Sepulchreof Jerusalem HelenenjoyedcelebratingOctober Fest at the Deutches Haus withher familyand friends where she wasa lifetime member. She was always dressed in herGerman attire with asmileonher face.
Helenowned Passages AntiquesonMagazine Street for ten years with herfriend, Jennifer. They enjoyed buyingtrips to Franceand were very successful.
Helenisprecededin death by herdear father, MarionJoseph Wolfe, Sr., MD,and loving mother, Lillian Vetter Wolfe; brothers, MarionJoseph Wolfe, Jr O.D. andBernardJames Wolfe; andniece, Angel Wolfe.
Sheissurvivedbyher dedicatedhusband, CharlesR.Wirth, Jr., as well as herchildren CharleneWirthFaucheaux (Tommy) and Charles Roy Wirth, III (ChalenaA.).
Shewas the proud grandmother of Dr. Thomas J. Faucheaux, IV (Sydney), Dr.Lillian F. Burger(Matthew), Charles R. Wirth, IV (Breanna), William B. Wirth, and Evelyn Claire Wirth. Alovinggreat-grandmother to Reese E. Faucheaux, Thomas J. Faucheaux, V, Isabella F. Burger, Willow M. Wirth, andAlder M. Wirth.
Helenisalso survived by numerousnieces and nephewsthatshe loved dearlyand always kept in herprayers Helen'sfamilywas the joyofher life. Shewill be remembered affectionately as alovingand kind wife, mother,grandmother,and great-grandmother.
Thefamilywould like to thank Dr.St. John andDr. Bagert for taking such goodcareofHelen.
On Monday, April 20,
2026, friendsand family are invited to attendvisitation from 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM,11:45 rosary, and noon Funeral Mass at The NationalShrineofOur Lady of Prompt Succor 2701 State Street New Orleans, LA 70118. Intermentwill follow at MetairieCemetery In lieu of flowers, the familyrequestsdonations to TheNational Shrine of OurLady of Prompt Succor,2701 State Street NewOrleans,LA70118. To view andsignthe online guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m
Adevoutlyfaithful Catholicduring her life and was dedicated to Mother Mary. Helen's faith was not something she simply practiced,itinfused how she livedand loved. Her unwavering faith provided her with an innerstrength and positivitythatcarried
Wirth, HelenWolfe
OPINION
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.
Acolumn in Tuesday’spaper aboutthe Artemis
identified aformerLouisiana
whose father worked on the Saturn V
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 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
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
“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.
Stephanie
Grace Quin Hillyer
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-
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. 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 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.
bay.Lynn Drury serenaded acrowd that grew perhaps alittle too relaxed, sprawled in hammocks and beneath young cypress trees.
“Let’srock alittle bit,” Drury said, launching into “Great Divide” from her 2024 release “High Tide.” Crowds grew denser near the French Quarter’score at Jackson Square, where a beach ball bopped through the audience as the Big Easy Boys quartet brought their signature harmonies to “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Sea Cruise.” At Ernie’sSchoolhouse Stage, the McMain
SPORTS
Saints leave trenches for2026
first pick
The Saints have not used atop-10 NFL draft pick to select areceiver since 1988. They never have used one to take adefensive back.
Jeff Duncan
One of those droughts could endthis year.After taking an offensive or defensive 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 lacks qualitydepth, especiallyatquarterback, running back anddefensive tackle. Scouts and analysts say only ahandful of players 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, making this a difficult draft to mock.
If blue-chip prospects FernandoMendoza, David Bailey,Arvell Reese, Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downsare selected in the first five picks, as expected, theSaints could find themselves in an unusualposition at No. 8—having to choose between atop receiver and defensiveback.More
ä See DUNCAN, page 10C
Tulane WR AnthonyBrown-Stephens catches the ball during aspring scrimmageon Saturdayatyulman Stadium.
Tulane brings ‘fun’ in spring showcase
BY GUERRYSMITH
Contributing writer
First-year Tulane football coach Will Hall promised acompetitive final day of the spring, and theGreen Wave delivered in dramatic fashion Saturday morning at YulmanStadium.
Zeon Chriss-Gremillionthrew astrike to wideout Destyn Hill for a20-yard catch-andruntouchdownonthe only play of thelast possession as the offense beat the defense 18-14 in afinishingdrill Hall calls red-zone lockout.
The first team to 18 wasthe winner with ascoring system that awardedsix points to the offense for atouchdown andthree points for afield goal, while thedefense received six points for astop and four points for forcing afield goal.The offensewas on the verge of winningeasily on the fourth possessionwhen it hadfirstand goal at the 2, but the defense stuffed three consecutive runs from the 1, including afourth-down try from running back Johnnie Daniels up the middle. That big play set up awinner-take-all
ä See TULANE, page 4C
JoeDumars has been in this position before.
Twenty-five years ago in his first season as president of basketball operations forthe Detroit Pistons, Dumars’ team finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs.
Fastforward to the present and after his first season as head decision-maker for the New Orleans Pelicans, and his team is once again sittinghomefor the playoffs.
Despite this year’sPelicans winning six less games than that Pistonsteam did, Dumars isn’tdiscouraged. In fact, he’sjust theopposite.
madeittothe Eastern Conference finals in his thirdseason when he wasnamed theNBA executive of the year.And they hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in his fourth season.
“Weare in abetter position now here than we were there,” Dumars said. “That’s why I’m so positive about this experience. We are much further along than when I took over in Detroit.”
That’sgood news if Dumars is right
The Pistonsreached the playoffs in the second season of his leadership. They
Can thePelicans, afranchise that has won just two playoffseries in its history,take asimilar trajectory? Can they flip the switch quickly in Dumars’ second season like Detroit did?
Skepticism is understandable for an organization without afirstround draft pick and in the middle of acoaching search.
Dumars,heavilycriticized in June for giving up this year’sdraftpick to moveup in last year’sdraft to select Derik Queen, said theteam has achance to moveinto thefirst round of this year’sdraft.
“Wecan if we choose to,” he said. “You
We are in a better position now here than we were there. That’s whyI’m so positive about this experience. We are much further along than when Itook over in Detroit.”
JOE DUMARS, Pelicans president of basketball operations
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
Rod Walker
See WALKER, page 2C
STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK
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 Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon picked up late technical fouls, too. Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18.
Murray, who was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a doubledigit 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 help 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 Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.
“Winning a grimy game, it’s good,” Adelman said. “Both teams are experienced and used to winning these games. They know what it means to play in a physical matchup.”
Game 2 is Monday night. Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. He also had seven assists to become the franchise’s career postseason assists leader Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.
“We’ve got to make smarter
more solid plays,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’ve got to be more composed.”
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.”
Cleveland’s largest lead was 24 points (100-76) on Sam Merrill’s 3-pointer 13 seconds into the fourth quarter Toronto came into the game averaging a league-leading 18.9 points per game, but Cleveland held them to a season-low three.
“If we allow our opponent to score 126 points, it’s going to be tough to beat them,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Unfortunately, we had a very bad start to the third quarter with lack of execution. We were way too stagnant tonight.”
KNICKS 113, HAWKS 102: In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 28 points Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 of his 25 in the second half and New York beat Atlanta in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
OG Anunoby added 19 points and Josh Hart had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks in their first postseason game under Mike Brown after making four trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, capped by their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last year
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.”
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
can always move when it comes around draft time. It’s amazing the incoming phone calls you take.” If they don’t get into the first round, they’ll have to try to fill holes elsewhere. The biggest needs are rebounding, rim protection and 3-point shooting. Any chance of the Pelicans trending upward will depend on them adding players who can do those things.
Dumars desires toughness, both mentally and physically. Those are the ingredients he sees in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Pistons, the two teams that are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences this season There were times this season when he saw that toughness in the Pelicans. But more times than not, he didn’t.
He spent this season assessing and learning. It took him just 12 games to decide to move on from Willie Green as head coach He spent the next 70 games watching a team that often struggled in
one source told the Times-Picayune on Friday
Another source familiar with the changes said staff members from the basketball operations side were told last week that they were not being retained. Among those let go are assistant coaches Casey Hill and Corey Brewer, The Times-Picayune confirmed. More changes could be coming this week, one source said. The goal with the changes is “to improve in these various areas and set things up for long-term success in the future.”
While Dumars is getting his own people in place, the decisions that will make the biggest difference are the head coaching hire and the additions (and subtractions) to the roster
clutch games, defined as games within five points with under five minutes remaining. They went 10-24 in those games. Dumars believes the growing pains of such a season were needed.
“You can’t skip this step of figuring out exactly who you are and who is in the building,” he said. Dumars and senior VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver have started making changes Reorganization is underway,”
Dumars said Zion Williamson will continue to be a core piece of the team’s future. He also likes what he saw in some of the players around Williamson.
Rookies Jeremiah Fears and Queen showed promise. Trey Murphy was one steal shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to record 200 3-pointers, 100 dunks and 100 steals in a season. Saddiq Bey brought toughness and pro-
ductivity the team needed.
Not all the pieces fit, though. Jordan Poole had a disappointing first season in New Orleans. Poole, the second-highest-paid player on the roster, spent most of the year on the bench. That’s not ideal.
“For the most part, we have some pretty good contracts set up with those guys,” Dumars said. “Between the age (of our roster) and the contracts, it gives us flexibility to do what you need to do going forward. If there is something you need to do going forward, you’re in a pretty position to improve your team.”
Frustration among the fanbase continues to grow as the Pelicans have remained among the bottom feeders of the NBA.
“No matter where you start, you better have vision and a focus for what kind of team you want to be and what kind of players you want to get,” Dumars said. “You have to be crystal clear in your mind and your organization has to be crystal clear on the guys you want to bring in. You have to know who you want
Reddick keeps hot streak going, wins pole in Kansas KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Tyler Reddick will start from a NASCAR Cup Series pole on
It’s
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.
Bengals swap No. 10 pick for Giants DT Lawrence
The Cincinnati Bengals acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants for the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft, two people with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical.
The Giants now have the fifth and 10th picks in the first round. They’re heading into their first draft under new coach John Harbaugh after finishing 4-13 last season.
The Bengals paid a hefty price for the 28-year-old Lawrence who asked for a trade because he wanted a new contract. He’s in the middle of a four-year, $90 million extension signed in 2023.
Skydiver rescued after crashing into scoreboard BLACKSBURG, Va. — A skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard before Virginia
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.
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.
ZURICH CLASSIC
TOURNAMENT
INFO TO KNOW
FACTS & FIGURES
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: TPC Louisiana,Avondale
Par: 36-36—72 (7,425 yards)
Field: 74 two-man teams
Format: 72 holes — Thursday/ Saturday: Best ball; Friday/Sunday:
Alternate shot
Cut: After 36 holes, the low 33 teams and ties advance to the final two rounds
Purse: $9.5 million
Winning team’s share: $1.372 million per man
Playoff: If necessary, a suddendeath playoff will start at No. 18 2025 champions: Ben Griffin/ Andrew Novak (62-66-61-71—260)
All events at TPC Louisiana
Monday
Zurich Classic Pro-Am
10 a.m.-noon tee times
Admission: Free
Tuesday
Pro practice rounds
This year’s field features 10 of world’s best golfers
BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer
Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooks Kopeka, Shane Lowry and reigning champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak headline a field of 148 golfers for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, tournament officials announced Saturday
The 74-team field will begin play in the $9.5 million tournament on Thursday at the TPC of Louisiana in Avondale.
28-under par TV: Golf Channel (2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday/Friday, noon-2 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday); CBS (2-5 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday)
Tickets: The tournament will again use digital ticketing For tickets, visit: zurichgolfclassic.com
Digital tickets also will be available at the TPC of Louisiana gates each day tickets are required for entry.
General information: Call 504342-3000 or visit zurichgolfclassic. com
Public parking: $20 per car (NOLA Motorsports Park, 11075 Nicolle Blvd.)
DAILY SCHEDULE
Thursday
First round, approximately 7 a.m.
Admission: $45
Friday
Second round approximately 8 a.m.
Admission: $45
Saturday
Manning Family Children’s Hospital
Celebrity Shootout, 3 p.m.
(Participants: Chris Berman, Marshall Faulk, Matt Flynn, Justin Reid,Tyler Shough, Pete Werner)
Admission: Free
Wednesday
Zurich Classic Pro-Am
First and 10th tees, 7-9 a.m. and noon-2 p.m.
Admission: $40
Third round, approximately 8 a.m.
Admission: $45
April 26
Final round, approximately 9 a.m.
Admission: $45
Note: Children 15 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult,and active military are admitted free with proper ID For more information,call 504-342-3000.
FORMAT
The Zurich Classic again will be played using a two-man team format comprising Foursomes (also known as alternate shot) and Four-Ball (best ball).
Here’s how it works:
Four-ball (first, third rounds)
Player A and Player B from the same team play the hole as they would in stroke play until the ball is in the cup.
If Player A records a 3 and Player B gets a 4, a 3 goes on the scorecard. If both players score a 4, the team
LSU
Continued from page 1C
meet champion, finished third at 197.6875, followed by Minnesota in its first NCAA final (197.3750).
“We’re disappointed,” LSU coach Jay 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-know-whats 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
gets a 4
Foursomes (second, fourth rounds)
Player A hits a tee shot, Player B hits the second shot, Player A hits the third shot, etc., for each team with both taking turns from where the previous shot landed until the ball is in the cup
Note: Each team must declare before the start of play which player will hit the tee shot on odd-numbered holes and who will hit on evennumbered holes.
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,
The field includes 10 players currently ranked in the top 50 of the World Golf Ranking, led by Fitzpatrick, Griffin and Lowry who are ranked Nos. 7, 16 and 34, respectively The field includes several players who have risen in the World Golf Rankings in recent weeks, including Ryan Gerard (No. 32); Marco Penge (No. 37); Aaron Rai (No. 41); Sam Stevens (No. 45); Kristoffer Reitan (No. 46); Michael Brennan (No. 47); and Matt McCarty (No. 48).
The 148-man field features 74 two-man teams to reflect the addition of Koepka, who will make his first appearance at the Zurich since 2019. In his first year back on the PGA Tour since returning from a three-plus-year run with LIV Golf, Koepka, a five-time major winner, will team with Lowry in one of the field’s marquee pairings. As usual, the field features some notable up-and-coming and under-the-radar players, including Penge, Michael Thorbjornsen, Karl Vilips, Michael Brennan and Johnny Keefer Vilips, who won the 2025 Puerto Rico Open, teamed with Thorbjornsen to finish fourth in last year’s Zurich. Penge, a rising young English standout who will team with Matt Wallace, has multiple wins on the DP World Tour Brennan, 24, tied for 24th at the Masters and won the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship. Keefer, 25, tied for third at the Houston Open last month.
A look at the full field of 74 twoman teams:
Wyndham Clark–Taylor Moore
Matt Fitzpatrick–Alex Fitzpatrick*
Brooks Koepka–Shane Lowry
Michael Brennan–Johnny Keefer
Rafael Campos–Alejandro Tosti
Cam Davis–Geoff Ogilvy
Nick Dunlap–Gordon Sargent
Austin Eckroat–Davis Thompson
Tony Finau–Max Greyserman#
Brice Garnett–Lee Hodges
Ryan Gerard–David Ford
Ben Griffin–Andrew Novak
Garrick Higgo–Matt Kuchar
Billy Horschel–Tom Hoge#
Stephan Jaeger–Jackson Suber
Tom Kim–Kevin yu
Chris Kirk–Patton Kizzire
Peter Malnati–Russell Knox
Matt McCarty–Mac Meissner#
William Mouw–Takumi Kanaya#
Matthieu Pavon–Martin Couvra*
Taylor Pendrith–Mackenzie Hughes#
Aaron Rai–Sahith Theegala
Davis Riley–Nick Hardy
Adam Schenk–Tyler Duncan
Karl Vilips–Michael Thorbjornsen#
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 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 Okla-
The field also includes 11 former Zurich champions, including Griffin, Novak and 2023 champions Nick Hardy and Davis Riley Two-time champion Billy Horschel, who won the 2013 Zurich and the 2018 Zurich while partnering with Scott Piercy, will team with Tom Hoge at this year’s tournament. Past champions Nick Watney (2007), Jason Dufner (2012), Brian Stuard (2016) and Ryan Palmer (2019) are also scheduled to compete.
The relative lack of top-10 star power in the field reflects concerns expressed last month by tournament director Steve Worthy, who forecast the potential for many top players to skip the Zurich because of its spot on this year’s PGA Tour schedule Sandwiched between three signature events — RBC Heritage (April 1619), Cadillac Championship (April 30-May 3) and Truist Championship (May 7-10) — and two weeks removed from the Masters (April 9-12), many Tour stars elected to bypass the Zurich this year to rest from competition rather than compete for six consecutive weeks from early April to midMay By comparison, the field at last
THE COMPETITORS
Sam Stevens#–Zach Bauchou
Matti Schmid#–Seamus Power
Erik van Rooyen#–Christiaan Bezuidenhout#
Rico Hoey#–David Lipsky
Max McGreevy#–Kevin Roy#
Alex Smalley#–Hayden Springer
Vince Whaley#–Greyson Sigg
Eric Cole#–Hank Lebioda
Keith Mitchell#–Brandt Snedeker
Mark Hubbard#–Ryan Brehm
Chad Ramey#–Justin Lower
Chandler Phillips#–Carson young
Danny Walker #– Jimmy Stanger
Blades Brown*–Luke Clanton
Jacob Skov Olesen*–Rasmus
Neergaard Petersen
Casey Jarvis*–A.J Ewart
Marco Penge–Matt Wallace
Kristoffer Reitan–Kris Ventura
John Parry–Dan Brown
Haotong Li–Jordan Smith
Keita Nakajima–Kensei Hirata
Chandler Blanchet–John VanDerLaan
Austin Smotherman–Andrew Putnam
Neal Shipley–Christo Lamprecht
homa, 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 and a 9.90 from Chio. Then Courtney Blackson, a late replacement for freshman Haley Mustari, got a 9.9125 and McClain finished with a 9.95. Meanwhile, Oklahoma had to count a 9.7375 from Addison Fatta on beam when Keira Wells fell and got a 9.050, leading the Sooners to a 49.375. The Tigers got gutsy performances 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
year’s Zurich included seven top 25 players and 16 top 50 players, including headliners Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Sepp Straka.
“We have a good following,” said Worthy, the CEO of Fore!Kids Foundation, which operates the tournament for the PGA Tour, at a press conference last month.
“Guys like coming here. They enjoy what we do. But for this year, given the circumstance we’re in, a guy’s either going to have to skip one (tournament) or play six in a row.”
The tournament again will be played using a two-man team format, with best ball competition on Thursday and Saturday and alternate shot competition on Friday and Sunday
The tournament will again feature some of the best hospitality and entertainment on the PGA Tour, with food provided by 39 local restaurants at seven venues through the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation.
“We are very proud of what we do, what our members and our volunteers execute, from a product standpoint,” Worthy said. “We’re looking forward to another great event.”
Adrien Dumont de Chassart–Davis
Chatfield
Jeffrey Kang–Doug Ghim
Trace Crowe–Ben Martin
Zecheng Dou–Dylan Wu
Pontus Nyholm–Jesper Svensson
Adam Svensson–Adam Hadwin
Marcelo Rozo–Camilo Villegas
Beau Hossler–Sam Ryder
Patrick Fishburn–Zac Blair
Charley Hoffman–Nick Watney
Kevin Streelman–Joel Dahmen
Lanto Griffin–Ben Kohles
Frankie Capan III–Noah Goodwin
Chan Kim–Ryan Palmer
Harry Higgs–Jeremy Paul
Henrik Norlander–Luke List
Taylor Montgomery–Scott Piercy
Ben Silverman–Cameron Champ
Paul Peterson–Will Gordon
David Skinns–Trey Mullinax
Jonathan Byrd–Chez Reavie
Austin Cook–Jason Dufner
James Hahn–Kyle Stanley
Troy Merritt–Robert Streb
*Sponsor exemption #PGA of America section exemption
that day Lincoln aggravated a calf injury during Thursday’s NCAA semifinals.
Both did their usual three events Saturday, with McClain tying for first on bars and beam.
“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 endless “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.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Nicolai Hojgaard lines up a putt on the ninth hole during the first round of the Zurich Classic last year at TPC of Louisiana in Avondale.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Shane Lowry chips onto the ninth green during the first round of the Zurich Classic last year at TPC of Louisiana in Avondale.
Tigers pick up pace in scrimmage
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
His LSU defense brought up a third down, so Blake Baker decided to dial up one of his signature blitzes — perhaps so he could test quarterback Husan Longstreet The Tigers were rehearsing a two-minute drill at the end of their spring practice on Saturday Longstreet, a Southern Cal transfer, didn’t have a timeout, and he needed a touchdown. In this scripted scenario, his team was down by five with just more than a minute left in the fourth quarter Longstreet didn’t panic Instead, he stepped up in the pocket and fired deep to slot receiver Winston Watkins, completing a 58-yard touchdown pass and displaying growth that coach Lane Kiffin highlighted after practice Tuesday “He’s playing his best by far from the practices since we’ve been here,” Kiffin said, “so that’s been obviously really good to see.” That strike punctuated a productive scrimmage in Tiger Stadium for the LSU offense. The unit struggled through a similar practice a week earlier, and Kiffin called the performance “discouraging.” Now, Kiffin might even feel encouraged because his offense has shown quite a bit of 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 off-
rhythm 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.
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-foot2 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.
AREA SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: SCORES, SCHEDULE
John Paul II at No. 8 Bunkie, 5:30 p.m Monday No. 12 Newman at No. 5 St. Louis Catholic No. 11 Rosepine at No. 6 Northlake Christian, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Division IV select Regional pairings No.
TULANE
Continued from page 1C
series. Seconds later, ChrissGremillion found Hill open at the 8. He darted between defenders to the end zone before making a beeline for the stands and jumping over the wall to celebrate in front of the first row
“It was great to see today from the goal-line stand until the touchdown at the end,” Hall said. “As the head coach, I felt like I was winning all the time. It was physical, it was fun and we stayed healthy.”
Tulane held a regular practice in lieu of a traditional spring game but opened it up to fans, running 80 plays combined in the standard scrimmage portion (59) and the red-zone lockout (21) The offense fared better than it had in the previous few weeks, but both sides had their moments during 13 possessions that featured six quarterbacks.
Chriss-Gremillion and Kadin Semonza, competing for the starting job and the only two wearing no-contact (red) jerseys, saved their best moments for the redzone lockout. Semonza hit tight end Gabe Lovorn for a 16-yard score on the second play after Lovorn beat safety Kevin Adams.
Chriss-Gremillion whose first series in that sequence ended in a 20-yard field goal from Jackson Courville, wasted no time getting a touchdown on his next opportunity
“That play meant a lot,” he said.
“It was just the energy of the whole offense leaving out of the spring knowing we have a great team around us that can be very exciting. It’s something special.”
The longest play of the scrimmage came on the second series of the regular portion when former John Curtis quarterback Dagan Bruno, a walk-on, passed deep down the sideline to wideout
Antwaun Parnham for a 40-yard touchdown against cornerback
St. Augustine advances with win over Byrd
Senior wins playoff opener for fourth straight year
BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer
St. Augustine began the baseball playoffs with C.J. Cornelius on the mound for the fourth year in a row — and the senior right-hander delivered again.
Cornelius pitched a complete game in a 3-1 victory over C.E. Byrd on Friday at Wesley Barrow Stadium, opening a three-game series St. Augustine would go on to win.
Cornelius
The son of a former Grambling pitcher, Cornelius struck out four and did not issue a walk, retiring 15 of 16 batters during one stretch that carried into the seventh inning. A self-described “dominant pitcher” earlier in his career, Cornelius has evolved, relying on a mix of breaking pitches that took years to refine.
“As I grew through high school, my velo really didn’t go up because I didn’t grow as much,” Cornelius said. “I knew that I had to be efficient. I had to execute pitches. I had to (develop) a second pitch and even a third pitch. That was my focus all throughout high school.”
The outing continued a pattern.
Cornelius has now won every firstround playoff start of his career — beating Holy Cross as a freshman, East Jefferson as a sophomore and
Liberty as a junior
“He’s won every first playoff game he’s ever started in the first round,” St. Augustine coach Barret Rey said. “He’s just a real consistent guy that fills up the zone. He don’t try to do too much He just pitches to contact.”
The victory helped No. 15 St Augustine (16-21) advance to face No. 2 Catholic-Baton Rouge, the reigning Division I select state champion.
Cornelius learned pitching mechanics at a young age from his father, Channing Cornelius Sr., a McMain graduate.
Cornelius briefly played football at St. Augustine, appearing at wide receiver in varsity games, but has since focused solely on baseball When he’s not pitching, he plays center field.
“I feel like football helped me out a lot, tracking down balls,” Cornelius said. “I knew my identity was as a pitcher and a centerfielder for this team. Even when I’m on the mound, I feel like I’m a position player for this team.”
St. Augustine dropped the second game of the series 6-5 on Alex Moton’s steal of home in the seventh but responded Saturday with a 5-1 win behind a complete game from junior left-hander Curiij Jackson.
Cornelius will get at least one more week of high school baseball. His first playoff start as a freshman didn’t begin smoothly “I gave up a bomb early in the game,” he said. He adjusted quickly — and won. He’s been doing that ever since.
Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com
Shaun Nicholas. The longest drive was a 17-play marathon that Semonza directed after a three-and-out on his first possession. He moved the chains with a short third-down pass to tight end Ty Thompson while under pressure before running back Jaylin Lucas gained 21 yards on a screen to convert a third and 17. The offense settled for a 21-yard field goal from Courville, though, after a fumbled exchange between Semonza and Maurice Turner on first and goal from the 1 set the Wave back.
Turner was the most consistent performer, repeatedly avoiding tackles en route to 60 yards on seven carries (all statistics are unoffi cial). He raced 16 yards on his first attempt and nearly scored with a nifty 11-yard run right before the bad exchange. Turner, a redshirt senior, started Tulane’s opener last fall but was limited the rest of the year after suffering a high-ankle sprain early against Northwestern.
“Mo Turner is a straight dawg,” linebacker Chris Rodgers said. “He’s going to be one of the best backs in the league. He’s hard to tackle, he makes everyone miss, and he’s physical.”
Oliver Mitchell, a sophomore Edna Karr product, had a scrimmage-high four catches for 29 yards that included the day’s most difficult grab — a one-handed stab of a pass from redshirt freshman Cade Scott while tightly covered on a slant for a 4-yard score at the end of a nine-play 71yard drive. Nothing was settled in the battle between Chriss-Gremillion and Semonza. Prevented from showing his elusiveness by his no-contact jersey, Chriss-Gremillion was “sacked” twice in a row without being touched to sidetrack the scrimmage’s opening series. He finished 5-of-8 passing for 39 yards. Semonza, victimized by drops from Thompson, Anthony Brown-Stephens and Hill, started 0 of 5 and finished 3-of-9 pass-
ing for 49 yards.
“They both played well,” Hall said. “Their eyes were right. They had some good run checks. They kept us in good plays. They made some off-schedule plays when we were hot in protection and they got rid of the ball.”
Hall feels the same positivity about the entire roster which he knows will return intact because the NCAA eliminated the postspring transfer portal window The defense in particular will be stronger for preseason camp with the return of four starters in safety Jack Tchienchou, nickelback TJ Smith, linebacker Dickson Agu and end Gerrod Henderson, all of whom sat out the spring (Agu participated in non-contact drills on a limited basis) while recovering from injuries.
“I like my team,” Hall said. “I want to coach this team. These young men chose to stay for a reason, so for us not to have to deal with (the portal) again right now is a positive.”
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU quarterback Husan Longstreet gets set to throw down field during practice on March 26 at the LSU football practice facility
Y’allreadJeffDuncan’sstory?
Wait,you read thestory on theapp? We did! On thenew NOLA app! We did! Best appever?
OUTDOORS
NataliePerkins sat in her wheelchair in adeer stand fortwo days before she spottedthis buckfollowingadoe into the field near her home in DeRidder.She documented her adventure, her first time hunting from astand, with an essayand thisphoto that led to her beingnamed youth Hunter of the year,anaward sheshared with Madden Dowden of Elm Grove. Theyoung hunterswere honored during the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s60th Conservation Achievement Awards banquetinBatonRouge.
Smiletells herstory
co-youth Hunter of theyear aftertakingbuckwhile hunting from wheelchair
BY JOEMACALUSO
Contributing writer
Natalie Perkins hasasmile that could bring warmth in the coldest of deer stands. The 11-year-oldhas an inner joy that she took time to share fora few minutes last weekend during the 60th Conservation Achievement Awards banquet, theannual get-together whichmostly honors adults for their workinenhancing and preserving Louisiana’soutdoors
Yet, among those 15 or soadult honorees, there was little doubt who was the star of this show
“Oh, I’ve seen deer before,but nothing like that deer,” she said while sitting among theother awardwinners.“It wasa thrill,a big thrill.”
Unfortunately,her male counterpart, 10-year-old Madden Dowden from Elm Grove, could not attend thedinner. Dowdenwas namedthe other recipient —the male winner —ofthe 2025 Youth Hunter of the Year award. Both hunters submitted astory of their hunt with aphoto, submissions judged best among dozens of contest entries.
What made Perkins’ story special is she hunts from awheelchair She was born with spina bifida and said she has wished for some time to be able to accompanyher parents on ahunt.
“I just like being outdoors,” she said. Like most deer hunters, herstory began before dawn, and while “a few deer showed up, Ididn’tget achance to shoot.
“When we went out thatafternoon, we were sitting there and adoe came out,” she said. “And, the buck came out right after and started chasing the doe. My dad helped me lineupthe gunwhile it was resting on my stepmom’s arm and Ipulled the trigger and hit him. He ran into the woodsand
my dadpulled himout for me.” Dowden’sstory wasaboutthe same. His trophy came during an afternoon hunt,which begananexercise in tryingtomove amassive buck from field to camp,aneffort that ran well after dark. Both youngstersreceived plaquesand gift cardsfrom sponsors. The contest is aproject of the LWFand the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. It’sopen to residenthunters 15 andyounger, who are required to submit ashort story on the hunt and submit photos from thehunt.
Perkins and Dowden weren’tthe onlyyoung folkshonored during thebanquet.
St. Joseph’sAcademy was selected for its Coastal Roots Program and earned the Youth Conservation Achievement Awardfor its work in coastal and reforestation projects.
Boating‘LagniappeDay’
For the 15thyear, Wildlife and Fisheries is offering aBoating Education LagniappeDay at nine locations across Louisiana on Saturday
The day-long course offers instructioninthingslike choosing aboat; boat classification,hulls, outboard engines and motors; legaland equipment requirements; navigation rules and charts; trailering; and information on personal watercraft like sailboats,canoes andjet skis. There will be atest, and successfully completing the course will earnastate-authorized vessel operators certification.
Thereisnofee,and youneedto register quickly because all nine siteshave limited class sizesand are filled on afirst-come, firstserved basis.
ACADIANA BUGS &BREWS: 6p.m Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly-tying and local beersprovided. Open to the public. Email DarinLee: cbrsandcdc@gmail. com. Website: www.packpaddle. com
HUNTING SEASONS
TURKEY: Area A, through May3; Area B: through April 26; Area C: throughApril 19
louisiana.gov/page/boater-education. Click on “Find ABoating Education Course Near You.”
State lawnecessitates anyone born after Jan. 1, 1984, must completeanapproved boating education course andcarry proof of completion to operate amotorboat powered by an engine/motor rated morethan 10 horsepower
The locations include:
n Gonzales: 9a.m.-5 p.m., Cabela’s, 2200 West Cabela’sPky.; n Ponchatoula: 8a.m.-4:30 p.m., Volunteer Fire Department,610 East PineSt.; n Lafayette: 8a.m.-4 p.m., Wildlife and Fisheries field office, 200 Dulles Rd.;
n Slidell: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., The Tammany YachtClub, 1196 Harbor Dr.; n Chauvin: 7a.m.-1p.m., Ward 7Citizen’sClub, 5006 La. Hwy 56; n Lake Charles: 8a.m.-4p.m., Wildlife andFisheriesfieldoffice, 1025 TomWatson Rd.; n Pineville: 8a.m.-4 p.m., Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement office, 1995 Shreveport Hwy.;
n Monroe: 9a.m.-3p.m., Ludwig Marine, 7423 U.S. 165-North; n Shreveport: 8a.m.-4:30 p.m., The Boat Shop, 2410 Samford Ave. Showingthe money
LouisianaOperation Game Thief’s board handed out atotal of $8,300 in awards to informants from 23 cases it reviewed involving the citing “of 40 subjects apprehendedand 94 citationswere written” involving deer,migratory game bird,and small game cases
LOGT operatesa24-hour,tollfreehotline —(800) 442-2511— for anyone with information about an alleged violation. Calls are kept confidentialand informantsanonymous. To make adonation to LOGT,go to website; lawff.ejoinme.org/logt.
Park Learning Campus, Gulf Shores, Alabama. Seminars, casting clinics, fly tying, exhibitors. Fly FishingFilm Festival May2.Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International event. Website: www.ffigulfcoastclassic.com FISHING/SHRIMPING MAY1—OPENING DAY/PRIVATE RECREATIONAL RED SNAPPER SEASON: Daily with4-per-daycreel limit with 16-inch minimum size“keeper” restriction. SHRIMP: Fall inshore season closed in Zones 2&3&portions of Zone 1 except Breton/Chandeleur sounds. All outside waters open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Gray triggerfish;flounder;
BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter
KANSASCITY,Kan. It hasbeen nearly ayear since two-time champion Kyle Larson reached victorylaneinthe NASCAR Cup Series. He knowsthe way to the one at Kansas Speedwayquite well. That was the site of his last victory in NASCAR’stop series, and twomore of his 32 career wins. But it’sbeen a 32-race winlessstretch for Larson dating to May, one thatthe No. 5 team hopes to snap when it returns to Kansas Speedway on Sunday
“Every trackisa measuring stick, so Iwouldn’tsay it’sany more whenyou comehere,” Larson said, “but we do have agood packagefor this track, and this style of track.Wealways want to get better andall that. Just try to execute agood weekend.” Larson could match Denny Hamlin for the most winsatKansas with his fourth, and he needs to lead 25 laps to pass KevinHarvick for that standard at the intermediate track. Buteven when he hasn’tbeen up front, Larson is usually close. He also hasthree second-place runs, athird-place finish and acoupleof otherstop-5 runs dating to his days withChipGanassi Racing.
Larson has been trending in the right direction,too.
He finished ninth acouple of weeksago at Martinsville, where Chase Elliott gave Hendrick Motorsportsits first win of the season, and Larson was dominant most of last weekend at Bristol. He led 284 laps beforefinishing third. As for the team, Hendrick Motorsports is hoping to turn around an uneven season at aplace where it has likewise had success. It has won three of the past four Kansas races, including asweep last season—Larson winning in the spring, Elliott in the fall.
“Just try to execute agood weekend. Execute agood Saturday—that’sreally important to feel your car’sbalance out in practice, and then take that into qualifying,” Larson said. “Hopefullythat goes well and
we can start toward the front on (Sunday), and we can chip away throughout the dayand give ourselves an opportunityatthe end.”
Gibbsrelishing win
Ty Gibbs was still savoring his first CupSeries win last week at Bristol, where he outdueled Larson and Ryan Blaney in his 131stcareer start in NASCAR’s top series. And the 23-year-old grandson of team ownerJoe Gibbs acknowledged Saturday that he didn’trealize how hard it would be to win in theCup Seriesafter just acoupleofseasonsinwhat wasthen the XfinitySeries.
“I thinkIgot afalsesense of how easy it was,” Gibbs said. “It’s hard, forsure.But youhaveto get your ass kicked to getbetter.” Gibbs won at Kansas in NASCAR’ssecond-tier series in 2021. Heim gets startfor 23XI Corey Heim has wontwice at KansasSpeedway in the Truck Series, which made the track an enticing onefor aspot start in the CupSeries forXIRacing. It will be the first timethe No. 67 makes an appearance since the seasonopening Daytona 500.Heimis expected to run 12 races for the team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan this season. Odds andends Larson(+425) is the favorite among sportsbooks, followed by Denny Hamlin (+450) andChristopher Bell (+550). Tyler Reddick (+850) is the No. 4choice among bettors to win for the fifth time in thefirst10races thisseason. Bell has led laps in each of the last eight races at Kansas Speedway.His only finish worse than eighthcame when he crashed a fewyears ago. Daniel Dyewas secondinthe ARCA race Saturday behind Gio Ruggiero. Dye had been suspended by NASCAR earlierthisseasonfor mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas during alivestream. Dye apologizedtoMalukas in asocial media post, calling his comments “careless.”
182.822. 18. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet 182.797. 19. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 182.673.
Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans. New or renewal licenses &boat registrations. Also (closed Noon-1 p.m. all venues):
SQUIRRELS: May2-24, statewide, privatelands only MAY1-2 —FFI GULF COAST CLASSIC: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily,Gulf State
PROVIDED PHOTO
PHOTOSByPATRICK DENNIS
LSU coach JayJohnson, right, makes amound visit forapitching changeinthe sixth inningofLSU’s7-2 loss to Texas A&M on SaturdayatAlex Box Stadium.
Bargetslower
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
On Friday night,Jay Johnsonreset expectations for the 2026 season. Not only did LSU need to play better,but it also had to learn how to play better.That meant shorteningupswings andhitting the ball lowand hard with twoouts. It also meant playing sound defense and executing with two strikes on the mound
There was no need to talk about the mental side of the game. Johnson had already conducted that conversationwith his team countless times. This was about getting better on the field, whether that would be this year or next. Making the NCAA Tournament felt like a secondary topic.
“Wehave aprocess ofwinning here thatwehave notbeen connected to as ateam. And it bothers me,” Johnson said. “And so, I’mgoing to coach as hardasI can on baseballspecific stuff.
“If we’re going to struggle and fail, we’re going to create some value out of that. And that’snot where we want to be, not where we expect to be, but that’swhere we areright now,and that’swhat we have to do.”
But LSU didn’tlearn how to play better and flip thescriptinone night. The Tigers were outclassed by TexasA&M (30-7,11-5SEC)for asecond consecutiveday on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium, falling 7-2 and suffering their sixth lossin seven games.
Since an 8-0 start to the year,LSU is 15-17 over its past 32 contests.
“(We) got beat today by agood offensive team, (and) apitcher that pitched well,” Johnson said, “on a team that’sflowing alittle bit better than we are and played better today.” Saturday’sresult wasa similar story to what has plagued theTigers for most of this season. They fell behind after aslow startatthe plate, made mistakes in the field and struggled to finish innings with
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
When LSU junior righthanded starter Cooper Moore walked off the field in the fifth inning on March 20 many LSU fans wondered if it would be for the lasttime. It’shard to assumethe 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 righthander won’tbeused 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’sSEC availability report.
“Some pitchers, they have what we call either first-day or second-day soreness.So again, today’s an important day,” Johnson said Thursday.“And then, obviously,
LSU starting pitcher William Schmidt allowedsevenearned runs on sevenhitsin513 innings.
BY JIM KLEINPETER
Contributing writer
Tori Edwards camethrough in the clutch forthe secondconsecutive night, although Saturday was in less spectacular fashion. Edwards drew abases-loaded walk in thesixthinning to snap a6-6 tie as LSU softball beat Ole Miss7-6 at Tiger Park on Saturday LSU(31-14, 8-9 SEC) loaded the bases on awalk to Jalia Lassiter, andsingles by Sierra Daniel and Alix Franklin. Edwards —who hit asixth-inning, inside-thepark grand slam in a6-4 win the night before —fouled off three 3-2 pitches from Ole Miss pitcher Lilly Whitten before Whitten bounced the next pitch to force homethe go-ahead run.
was alot of commotion in the last inning, but it was super cool to go out and play forthe girls. Ithought, ‘If she hits it, Iknow y’all got me.’ It was along inning but good,and the fight we’ve been looking for.”
LSU had nine hits but struggled to put Ole Miss away.The lead changed hands four times, and LSU used three pitchers to get to the end.
Umpires —HP: Brian Hale 1B: Hank Himmanen 2B: Joseph Smith 3B:AnthonyPerez T—3:00. A—12,325 (paid).
two outs on themound.
Theabnormal part washow the Aggies knocked around sophomore right-handed starter William Schmidt. In his sixthstart in SoutheasternConference play,heallowed seven earned runs and seven hits in51/3 innings.
He walked four batters, but his
we’ll wanthim to throw again (Thursday) or (Friday) just to see what that he looks like leading into apotential reappearanceonthe mound. So (I’m)hopeful, but not certain yet.” Without Moore, LSU has hadtrouble findingenough pitching to finish off weekendseries. Tiger starters posted a17.56 ERAinSundaygamesagainstKentucky,Tennesseeand Ole Miss. The pitching staffas awhole allowed 18 earned runs in 29 innings across those contests. Most SEC seriesfinales arehigh-scoring, but one of LSU’sstrengths heading into conference play was itsstarting rotation. Unlike most teams, the Tigershad three starters theycould rely on with Moore and sophomoreright-handers Casan Evans andWilliam Schmidt. However,losing Moore forced LSU toreplace his innings,which became difficult given the struggles of sophomoreleft-hander Cooper Williams and junior right-handerJaden Noot
Both pitchers were candidates to start at the beginning of the year,but had ERAs over 7.50 entering this
biggest problem was how hard he
got hit.Schmidt allowed four extra-base hits,including two home runs. Thedefense didn’tcosthim anyruns, but seniorsecondbaseman Tanner Reaves also dropped athrow at second from catcher Cade Arrambide on astolen base attempt.
LSU alsogave up three wild pitches. Those plays —wild pitches and passed balls —are signs of a struggling team, at least in Johnson’seyes.
“That’s abad sign. Youwantto look at struggle? Literally,look at those two stats,” Johnson said. “It’ll show you the team that’seither playing clean or struggling.”
Theseven runs Schmidt surrendered placed LSU’soffense in aholethat it never came close to working its wayout of.Steven Milamhit asolohome run in thesecond inning, but thatwas the Tigers’ only run-scoring hit of the night. They went 1for 10 with two outs and had just one runnerreach second base
“It is frustrating going from the highestofhighs to thelowestof lows,” Milamsaid. “But, youknow, that’sbaseball.”
LSU (23-17, 6-11) isn’ttotally out of theNCAA Tournament picture Since last Sunday,the Tigers have moved up 14 spots in the RPI —a schedule-based metric used by the NCAA Tournament committee to help determine the field. Their remaining schedulealsogives them plentyofopportunitiestoearn big winsover top RPI teams
ButJohnson’stenor andmessage on Friday told adifferent story,and so did Saturday’sresult.
“Right now (it’sabout), how do we play better? Because if I’mgoingtohave players that are going to continue on here,” Johnson said on Friday,“we have to makesome value out of this part of theseason.”
LSU and Texas A&Mfinish their three-game series on Sunday.First pitchfrom Alex Box Stadium is set for 1p.m., and the gamewill be available to watchonESPN.
weekend’sseries.
Senior right-hander Zac Cowan and junior righthander Gavin Guidry have also shown thatthey can throwfour-plus innings in an outing and have started this year,but Cowanhas been needed to closeout tight games earlier in the weekend, andGuidry has scuffled through mostof conference play
“They hit Gavin,” Johnson said after Guidry allowed five earned runs in three innings against OleMiss last Sunday.“Imean, Idon’t know what else you want me to say.”
Moore’sreturn will help theTigers as they entera difficult stretch of series againstMississippiState, Georgia and Florida. Their trickyslate began on Friday againstTexas A&M, which hasone of thebest offenses in the SEC.
Even oneinning from Moore this weekend would help LSU’schances. With theTigersindanger of missingthe NCAA Tournament, they’llneed everything Moore can give themmoving forward. “He’sbeen agreat teammate,”
“I knew whatthey were trying to do,but notlet themomentget toobig,” said Edwards, whoalso had arun-scoring double earlier in the game. “I told myself,‘She’s not going to beat me, so just look foraballoverthe plate like I’m ready to go but staying tuned into myself.’ Igot the walk and it was huge for the team.”
The Rebels (27-20, 2-15) did not go away easily.LSU pitcher Paytn Monticelli walked leadoff hitter Madi George, whomade it to third with one out. Monticelli, the winning pitcher thenight before, got Taylor Roman to pop outtoshortstop and struck out Ryan Starr swinging to end the game. In between, LSU had to go with No. 3catcher Jada Phillipsfor thefinal batter when CharLorenzwas injured on awild pitch. Lorenzhas caught both games against Ole Miss in place on injured starter Maci Bergeron. With twooutsand pinch-runner Tenly Grisham on third, Laylonna Applin was hit by apitch and then Starrappeared to likewise get hit. Buthomeplate umpire Brett Higgins ruled Starr stepped into the pitch and called it astrike. Monticelli gother swinging on a2-2 count to finish it.
“I was pumped up for the last batter,” Monticelli said. “There
“Huge at-bat for Tori, continuing to foul off pitches and control the strike zone,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “She’s workedso hard to do that. She’shad agreat weekend. I’d like hertocontinue that tomorrow LSU starting pitcher Jayden Heavener didn’thave hercontrol Saturday.She walked five in twoinnings.She alloweda home run to Mackenzie Pickens in the first inning and walked the bases loaded in the second. Kennedy Bunkerhit asacrificeflytotie the game at 2-2,then Pickens doubled off the left-field wall to bring in twomore.
Heavener issued her fifth walk to start the third inning and was replaced by Tatum Clopton, who retired the next six batters.
LSU answered the first-inning homer with two runs in the first. Lassiter was hit by apitch and Daniel walked. Kylee Edwardssingled to rightfield to score Lassiter,and Daniel came around when the throw to second bounced away from Pickens at second base.
The Tigers fought back to tie the gamewith single runs in the second and third. Lassiter singled homeAlly Hutchins, whohad doubled. Back-to-back doubles by Franklin and Tori Edwards tied the gameinthe third inning. Kylee Edwards camethrough with ahuge hit in the fifth when she singled to lefttodrive in two morefor a6-4 LSU lead.
Ole Miss tied the game in the sixth on atwo-run single by Pickens.
PHOTO By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI
LSU outfielder Jalia Lassiter hits asingle in the second inning against Ole MissonSaturdayafternoon at TigerPark.The Tigers won7-6
Tulane can’t finish offbig rallyagainst FAU
BY GUERRYSMITH
Contributing writer
When Tulane hitter Hugh Pinkney made thefirst outleading offthe ninth inning on Saturday at FAUBaseball Stadium, the odds of him coming up again with the tying run at second base probably were astronomical That’sexactly what happened, though, but he could notgive the GreenWavewhatwould have amounted to aone-in-a-million comeback victory.
PinkneyflewoutafterTulanescored six times on three walks, ahit batter, asingle and two doubles—the latter one atwo-run shot by Trent Liolios that landed fair down the right-field line and pulled the Wave within 10-9 of Florida Atlanticina game it trailed
DUNCAN
Continued from page 1C
and more, it’slooking likethose players will be Jordyn Tyson and Mansoor Delane.
The Saints like both and would not go wrong with either selection.You can make agood case that either would help makeTyler Shough’sjob easier
With that in mind, here’s my first attempt at mocking the Saints’ draft.
Saints select ROUND 1(NO.8 OVERALL)
JORDYNTYSON •WR, ARIZONA STATE:
There’salways the possibility of the Saints trading up, but such ascenario 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. 8and let thedraft fall to them.
In the unlikely event that any of the blue-chippers fall to No. 8, I believe the Saints will staytrue to their board and take one of them.
But for this exercise, they’re all gone, leaving the Saintswith a choice among Tyson, Delane and Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain. Youcan make acase for all three, especially with the Saints’ need for pass-rush help, but Ieliminated Bain because he seems like an odd fit forthe Saints’ 3-4 scheme. This
10-2 through seven innings. Pinkney foul-tippedapairof two-strikepitches beforehitting a blooper that right fielderBrett Patten ran undereasily, clinching the seriesfor the Owls.
“Itold them we needed that kind of tenacity from thestart to the end,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said. “The good news is we had thetying run atsecondand thegoahead run at theplate.”
Tulane (20-20, 6-8), which had done littleright untilthe remarkable rally,isahead of only one American Conference team, Charlotte, in theloss column.
Florida Atlantic (19-19, 6-8) which won Friday’sopener 11-3, has scored indouble figures twice inarow for thefirst time this sea-
choice came down to Tyson andDelane, and it was adifficult decision.
Tyson has emerged as aviable top-10 candidate as the pre-draft process hasunfolded, and the Saintshave become more comfortable with his well-documented injuryhistory as they have conducted their research on him
Like Kelvin Banks ayear ago, the Arizona Statereceiver is a player whom many NFL teams value more than draft and media analysts. Some scouts believe he is the best receiver in thedraft class, ahead of Carnell Tate from Ohio State (whom Ihave going sixth to the Cleveland Browns).
“He’sadynamic,explosive athlete,” NFL Network draft analystDaniel Jeremiahsaid of the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Tyson on his conference call with reporters Tuesday.“Youthink about him and Chris Olave there Icould see them going down that road.”
Tyson would complement Olave well and add amuch-needed explosive element to the receiving corps. He has all thetools to becomeaNo. 1receiver,and there aren’tmanyofthose in this draft
Tyson’sinjury history is aconcern, especially with Olave’slingeringconcussion issues. Taking him in the top10would be agamble. But we all know the Saintslike to take big swings. They did just thatlast year with Shough, who hadsimilar medical red flags, andthe gamble paid off. Tyson’s potential as aNo. 1receiver just
son.The Owlsalsohelped themselves with aseries of sterling defensive plays that robbed Tulane of as manyasseven potential hits.
“It felt likethatrut we were in earlier in theyear wherewe werehitting balls and theywere making plays,” Uhlman said. “We didn’tcatch some breaks, and we didn’tcreate our own breaks enough.”
The odds wereagainstTulane theway it has struggled againstlefthanded pitchers this season and the way Florida Atlantic southpawKide Adetuye (2-2) has dominated lefty batters, holding them wellbelow a .200 average. Uhlman satPinkney for Johnny Elliott behind the plate andfellowleft-handedstarter James Agabedis for Jack Johnsonat
might makethe dice roll worthit. Saints’Day 2picks
ROUND 2(NO.42)
TREYDAN STUKES •DB,ARIZONA: After takingareceiver in the first round, it’s time to address the defense, where two areas of need exist: slotcorner,aka theStar position for theSaints, and edge rusher.Iwent back and forth between the two before landing on Stukes, who looks like an ideal replacement for Alontae Taylor in thesecondary.Mydecision also was influenced by thepool of edge rush prospects, which is slightly deeper than defensive back. This pick came down to acoin flip between nickel back prospectsStukes, D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana) and KeithAbney (Arizona State).Ibadly wanted to pull the trigger on Ponds, whom Iview as aslightly smaller version of AntoineWinfield, but Ijust couldn’t get past his 5-8, 190-pound size. Stukes’ size (6-0, 190), which is almostidentical to Taylor,and intangibles makefor an ideal fit at theStar spot.He’salso aSaints’ kinda guy,aformer walk-on who developed intoateam captain and leader of theArizona defense.
ROUND 3(NO.73)
KEYRON CRAWFORD,EDGE,AUBURN: Granted, this might be too low to land Crawford, so theSaints might need to trade up to ensurethey get him. Designated pass rushers such as RMason Thomas and Gabe Jacas likely will be gone in the
third base to get moreright-handed batsinthe lineup, but Adetuye still struck out seven in thefirst four innings andallowed only three base runners through five Tulane starting pitcher Jake Toporek (1-3) gave up seven hits andfour runs in 42/3 innings, including awind-aided two-run homer from nine-hole hitter Brando Lerouxthat made the score 3-0 in the second. Leroux entered the weekend in an 0-for-18 slump. Tulane cut thedeficit to 4-2 in thesixth when pinch-hitter Nolan Nawrocki lofted atwo-out, two-run home run to left field Tulane gave thoseruns right back in the bottom half. Reliever Jack Brafa surrendered aleadoff double to Kyle Boylston,and Tulane
second round, so the Saints might have to be aggressive to land their guy in the third round.
Crawford is an unpolished prospect.Hestarted 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’sa perfect fit as astand-up 3-4 outsidelinebacker and would give theSaints the speed and explosiveness they have lacked off the edge in recent years.
BRIAN PARKER •CENTER,DUKE: I wouldn’tbesurprised if theSaints triedtopackage theirfourth-round picks to move intothe bottom of the third round forashotatone more top-100 prospect. As is,I think they’ll try to address their needs along the interior offensive line. By this point, Iexpect thetop center prospects —Jake Slaughter, Sam Hecht, Logan Jones, Connor Lewand Trey Zuhn —tobegone. Parkeristhe kindofsmart, tough, versatile lineman theSaintscovet. PatCoogan,Matt Gulbin andJager Burtonare also candidates here.
ROUND 4(NO.136)
NICK BARRETT• DT,SOUTH CAROLINA: Davon Godchaux will turn 32 in November and is entering the final year of his contract. The
left fielder TyeWood booted aball that allowed Boylston to score before atwo-out RBI single offJude Abbadessa made the score 6-2. Abbadessa allowed four runs in theseventh,and forthe second straight game, Tulane nearly was run-ruleddespiteasolohomer from Jason Wachs in theeighth. Max Mazinter,pitching for the first timethis year,coaxed adouble-play grounderwiththe bases loaded and a10-3 deficit in the eighth. TheOwls scored in the firstafter center fielder Tanner Chun threw athree-bouncer when NickRomano tried to advance to third from first on asingle.A decent throw would have gotten him easily,and he scored on another hit
Saints could use adevelopmental prospect to rotate behind him and serve as his eventual replacement. The 6-3, 312-pound Barrett has the size and athleticism to be arun-stuffingforce inside.
ROUND 5(NO.156)
ELIRARIDON •TE, NOTREDAME: The Saints have fivetight ends on the roster,but it’sstill asneaky 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’sthe kind of ascending player you take in the later rounds and develop over time.
ROUND 5(NO.172)
ELIHEIDENREICH •RB, NAVY: Scouts differonwhether Heidenreich should play slot receiver or running back at the NFLlevel, but he’saversatile, all-purpose athlete in the Danny Amendola/Julian Edelman mold. He leftNavy as the school’sall-timereceiver and would be afun chess piece forMoore’screative offensive mind. Someguys are just football players. Heidenreich is one of those guys, asmaller version of Taysom Hill.
ROUND 6(NO.190)
KADEN WETJEN •WR-RS,IOWA: The Saints need areturn 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 aridiculous 28.6yard average on punt returns and returned three punts forTDs.He also wasateam captain.
LIVING
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
The Times-Picayuneis
featuring two local artists who have been invited to show at the Venice Biennale, oneof the most prestigious cultural events in the world.Many countries host pavilionsto showcase their artists, but both artists’ works will befeatured in the main exhibitiontitled, “In Minor Keys.” Last week we featured Demond Melancon, and today we highlight Dawn DeDeaux.
BY KASEY BUBNASH
TBY JENNA ROSS | Staff writer
hree days before flying to Italyfor the most important exhibition of her life, New OrleansartistDawn DeDeaux was striding to and from her kitchen, forks in one hand, spoons in the other
She paused beside her friend Susan Taylor,director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, fora momentto chat, cheerily,about the end of the world.
“A black hole in the sea! It will self-subsume,” DeDeaux said, setting the utensils on a15-foot dining table that spans the living room of her Gentilly home,
an oldpo-boy shop that shehas remade—artworkby artwork, object by object —intoanexhibitionofits own kind.
“I know,” Taylor said,shaking herhead as sheread aloud from an article aboutthe puzzlingdiscovery of an undersea neutrino.
Then, aknock at thedoor
“Hello! Hello!” DeDeaux exclaimed,throwingher armsintothe air before wrapping them around a guest who hadarrived to herdinnerparty.“Look who it is!” ä See DEDEAUX, page 4D
DINING SCENE
Tiny wine bargetsnationalattention 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.
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 what was readily available back home in Lafayette.
Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING
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.
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 itsexpression, and the Wild Childinventory explores many of its lesser-seen sides. Small producers still using (or perhaps newly embracing) traditional, under-manipulated methods of winemaking are strongly represented. Asimilar ethos runs across the shop.
The shop is packed withalibrary’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 This is aplaceto strollaround with aglass of wine, discovering the next delightful thing on the shelf, on atable, in abottle or in the fridge.Someone coming in for aFriday sliceofpizza or ahalf dozen oysters maydiscover wine from aregion previously unknown to them or leave with their next favorite cookbook.
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 as for wine shopping, like Swirl Wine Bar &Market and Faubourg Wines.
Another, PatronSaint,shares a roof and ownership with St. Pizza, averypopular spotfor New Yorkstyle pies.
It’s common for people to bring their slices over to theshop to pair withwine by theglass. Just up the street,Really Really Nice Wines has developed amenu thatgoes
well beyond gourmetsnacks and can furnish meals over the counterand around 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’
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, shows and events, with a retail bookshelf that can be disassembled and lowered to become a stage.
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’sbecomeahappening. It starts with Friday lunch, and continues as the menu progressive sells out through Saturday night.
The pizza is made on asourdough crust with lacy-crisp edges. The crust keeps giving flavor the more you chew,asair pockets release little aromatic gusts. This crust has finish.
On arecent Friday,the sidewalk tables were aperch for lunch 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 for aweek-ending happy hour at the marble curve of the small, fourseat wine bar.
Wild Child’schocolate chip cookies make dessert at happy hour sound perfectly reasonable.
Festival International de Louisiane takes over downtown Lafayette 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
Barataria Beauties oysters from Grand Isle
LOCALLEVITy
n Location! Location!
Constructed in 1822-1823, aclassic Creoletownhouse in the Vieux Carré
apothecary and residenceofLouis J. Dulfilho Jr.Hewas the first
Now the Chartres Street historic landmark houses the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum,which was founded in 1950. Its artifacts and resources document the early history of pharmacy and medicine in the19th and early to mid-20th centuries witha focusonNew Orleans and Louisiana On arecent Saturday night,gaming wasthe gambit.
“Viva Las Vegas” headed theinvitation, which announcedthe Pharmacy Museum’s 25thannual fundraiser to further its 75-year missionofpreservation and education. Supporters rallied to join in anight of “giving, gambling, revelry,food and drink.” Hello, Mr Chips!
n Laurels
Dr.Kate and Mark
Element did the décor for the glitzy,casino-themed evening of philanthropy that paid homage to “Sin City,” Las Vegas, Nevada, andthe King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Elvis impersonation was akey elementofthe bash that includedalive auction of 67 items, the Royal Flush Raffle (won by Erin King), amartinibar (donated by Sazerac/Goldring), oyster bar (by Fives), and, as more libations, bubbly,beer,wine and aspecialty cocktail. Toast Entertainment donated the photo booth, and, as DJs, Michael Sparks and Zach Smallman “prescribed” the playlists. Cateringcompanies Elysian Fields, 12 Seasons, and Joel provided food and drink. The smoked drum dip was delicious. Guests enteredthrough themuseumitself, eyeing the amazingcontents, and then moseyed outto the spaciouspatio, which was partially tented and bathed in purple and bluelighting.A discoball hung from above, casting myriad mirrored reflections. Casino tables, such as blackjack and roulette, gave gaming ago. Amongthe numbers were Capt. MichaelBopp, Gregory D’Angelo with spouse Sharon,Judge Eric Bopp with Lisa,Dr. Salvador Scaccia with Lee Sharrock,Dr. Eugene “Chip”Tilton with Nell (of theNell &Eugene Tilton Family Fund),Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, Dr Marcellusand LauraGrace,Dr. Kate Holcomb and Mark, Randal Johnson, Charlie Corona, MatthewCross, David Whitehurst, Horace Bynum,Adolph Bynum Jr Wouter and Sandy de Bie, MyraThomas, Katie Aymond, Rose Stafford andDavid Banks, and Matt and Melanie Talley Several figure on the museum’sboard of directors. Making rounds, too, were PM executive director Elizabeth “Liz” Sherman and husband Ben.All thanked the dozen or so sponsors and supporters. Attendees coursed the partypremises, inside (downstairs and up), andthe stunning patio within the social embrace of “Fabulous LasVegas.” At theconclusion, and as the “Good timewas had by all” sentiment prevailed, luck wasa lady thatnight.
“Join BoysTown Louisiana forits ‘Spirit of Youth’ Awards” was the beckoning for the gala that unfolded in the Arbor Room at Popp Fountain in CityPark. The event shone a light on BTL’s youth programsand theyoung people whohave worked hard to grow,overcomechallenges, and build afuture. The evening also celebrated the families, friends and supporters whohelped maketheir success possible.
The Arbor Room wasdecked out in purple and teal chromatics with, as accents, balloons, florals, and fairy lights. Fox 8anchor Kelsey Davis emceed; Lou Fragosa (Manning Family Children’s) and the organization, Winston Rhea (Daniel and Katie Harris), were the Spirit of Youth award recipients; youths served by BTL’s Residential Homeand Intervention &Assessment programswere recognized; and the Junior League of New Orleans provided volunteers.
Silent and Live auctions, respectively with 27 and five items, touted trips as top attractions. In the former auction, the mostbids werefor the Notes of Nashville trip, and forthe live portion, aSouth African safari. WalkOns, Pigeon Catering, Flavor Creations, CaféDuMonde, and Martin Wine Cellar purveyed, while Nate Ursey &Blue Book Barkeeps created signature cocktails, including amocktail.
Amongthe supportive lot wereBoys Town Louisiana Board Chair Cliff Buller with Laurie, chair-elect Chris and ValerieBarrilleaux, JillFragoso with Lou, LCMC CEO GregFeirn with Sarah, Emily Wolff, Neiland Rena Jolly state Sen. Royce and Krystle Duplessis, Sunni Lebeouf, Jeff and Judy Doussan,Todd Battiste, Morgan Shannon, and executive director Rashain Carriere-Williams. Providing the musical momentum was Semaj C. Douglas and The Blues Experiment.
n Burns Bonhomie
The Caledonian Society of New Orleansheld its 52nd annual Burns Supper at the Southern Yacht Club in honor of Robert Burns, 1759-1796, Scottishpoet, bard, and patron extraordinaire. A“non-profit organization open to all interested in the preservation of the ancient Scottishway of life,” thesociety fosters and furthers theculture of Scotland and the isles. Piper RobertGrubb provided themusic for theevening and Lance von Uhde III,the flowers; DeboraHadeen emceed and gave the grace, and Wendy Grubb extended the welcome; Robert Grubb, Scott Bond (attending withdaughters Marin and Emmaline), AltonHart, and Richard B. McConnell III teamed for thePresentation of the Haggis; McConnell gave theAddress to the Haggis; and, after dinner,the latter’s parents, Richard Jr.and MaryMcConnell,gave the Toast to the Lassies and the Response to the Laddies. Twofinalportions of the program were Flowers of theForest and The Immortal Memory, delivered, in turn, by Virginia Urquhart and Glenn Raby. The Caledonian Society banner,the portrait of Robert Burns, and floral centerpieces embellished the area. Dining pleasures were salad, salmon or pork, and haggis and shortbread with chocolate mousse. Gathered as well were Robertand Irina Larimer,Andrew and Catherine Larimer, Caroline Barton with JayCarlyle Smith,AmySandridgeand William Renaudin, John and Jennifer Hanvy,Jane and LennyCaruso,Winona and Jim Gibbs, Linda
Elliott with Glenn Raby, Thomas
PHOTOSByREAGANLAQUE
Nell and Dr.Eugene Tilton, Cookie Jean, Horace BynumJr.
Chris and Valerie Barrilleaux,Cliffand Laurie Buller
Katieand Daniel Harris, Rashain Carriere-Williams
Jill and Lou Fragoso
Todd Battiste, Greg Feirn
PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT RobertGrubb,Scott Bond, Alton Hart,Richard McConnell III
Irinaand RobertLarimer
Debora Hadeen, Glenn Raby, WendyGrubb Maryand Richard McConnell
Patrick with Martha Bevinger,Lisa Gourguesand ThomasRichardson, Christyn
Diemer,Janice and Alan Wise, and Alexand Naj Wallace.When all was concluded and enjoyed, everyone joined hands in acircle, and in thespirit of vocal fellowship, sang “Auld Lang Syne.”
Continued from page 1D
For decades, the 73-year-old conceptual artist has been creating art that explores the universe’s most pressing questions with photography and video, sculpture and installation.
Behind each work is an academic study that struck her, a nonfiction book that moved her, a philosophy that tweaked her previous beliefs.
Oftentimes, all three. “I can’t look at anything in a singular way,” she said “It’s all relational.”
But despite their grand scale and heady inspiration, DeDeaux’s works are intimate, human. She builds a world — then invites you in.
“If you give her a conventional environment and let her follow her instincts, it will inevitably be transformed into something marvelous,” said New Yorkbased curator Dan Cameron, who did just that for Prospect New Orleans, the contemporary art triennial, among other exhibitions.
She was already exploring themes of escape and extinction when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. She got out “in a van loaded with her computers, three neighbors who were afraid to go to the Superdome, an out-oftowner who had been staying with her and working on her website, six finches, an aged dog and a cat,” as a 2014 New York Times article put it.
Returning a month later, she found two roofs caved in, her studio collapsed and a third of her work destroyed Then, the following year, when she was out of town, her studio burned down. And yet. She believes the hurricane and its aftermath flipped New Orleans’ vantage point, freeing it from its own nostalgia and romanticized history. “We went from looking to our past, which was thought to be grander than our present, to looking at the future,” DeDeaux said. “I think we have now — and I got it right away — a front-row seat to the future.”
That’s partly because New Orleans is “built on baby mud.” Salt water is eating away at the marsh grass that holds that
“I can’t look at anything in a
SINGULAR
— DAWN DeDEAUX
But she’s not creating environments only for art exhibitions. Her home, a cluster of four buildings she’s dubbed Camp Abundance, “pushes the bounds of what art can be,” he said It feels both antique and futuristic, old-world and space-age. White columns, inscribed with the epic poem “Paradise Lost,” stand near the camp’s entrance. Clear acrylic ladders, offering a fragile escape from this world, lean against wood slats. Massive metal plates, embossed with soft images of swamps and trees, cover one wall.
In May, DeDeaux will remake her most important space, yet — the final room of the Arsenale at the Venice Biennale, where she will be among 111 artists featured in the prestigious central group show, titled “In Minor Keys.” Fellow New Orleanian Demond Melancon, a big chief in the Black Masking Indian tradition, will present his work there as well
Being picked for the career-making Biennale, arguably the contemporary art world’s most important show, is an honor DeDeaux never anticipated, especially at this age.
It’s a chance for the world to discover what New Orleans knows and New York City ought to have learned by now, Cameron said. “It’s now time for Dawn to get the recognition she deserves.”
‘A front-row seat to the future’
For years, DeDeaux wondered if she’d made a mistake by remaining in New Orleans.
She’d grown up here, the eldest of six children. When two siblings died in the same year, her family ruptured and her empathy grew DeDeaux moved into her grandmother’s house on Esplanade Avenue, a short walk from NOMA, where she witnessed White flight house by house, block by block.
A bohemian artist arrived, renting a room upstairs. She taught DeDeaux to paint, introduced her to literature and brought her to New York City galleries. Taking courses at one college, then the next, DeDeaux met Robert Yarber, a painter and her “first great love.” When another sibling got sick, spurring her family’s second rupture, Yarber was so focused on his work and so unaccustomed to loss that he didn’t support her the way she needed, she said. She broke it off.
But Yarber, who went on to exhibit in the 1984 Venice Biennale, would reappear in her story decades later
DeDeaux began making more conceptual work — first about racial divides, then about the environment, always about justice.
Pieces of those works now stand among her backyard ginger plants, lean against the fence, and hang from the walls of Camp Abundance, which she’s been restoring with the help of former neighbor and longtime collaborator Gary Craddock for more than a decade.
In the mid-1970s, she hooked up telephone booths to CB radio channels, encouraging conversation across New Orleans neighborhoods, races and divides. A silver phone booth, which she reimagined for her 2021 retrospective at NOMA, stands in her garden. In the 1990s, her stately photographs of young Black men were shown as part of a controversial show at the Whitney Museum and subpoenaed by the FBI. (They fill boxes atop a closet in a cottage she offers up for artist residencies.)
“I think Dawn is fundamentally inclined to want to see the wrongs of the world righted, somehow,” Cameron said, tackling issues of “race, gender, class — topics you’re not supposed to talk about at dinner parties.”
way. It’s all RELATIONAL
mud together Undercurrents are pulling at it. “So we are the youngest land mass and the first to go.” Thinking in geological time, as DeDeaux does, this lacy bit of land mass is changing quickly, right outside her door
“I give you all this,” she said, “because I think all of a sudden, I felt very alive and correct and energized to be here.”
At a time when the apocalypse seems near and the future feel out of the common person’s hands, “there is power in speculation,” said Eva Díaz, a New York-based art critic and historian whose book, “After Spaceship Earth: Art, Techno-utopia, and Other Science Fictions,” focuses partly on DeDeaux’s work. It’s a coincidence that DeDeaux landed at the corner of Abundance Street, she said, but the name Camp Abundance leans into the optimism of DeDeaux’s work, the “possibility of plentitude.”
Though New York City would have brought her closer to the art market, DeDeaux couldn’t have connected a whole half block of buildings there, couldn’t have played with scale in the same way, Díaz said.
“The connections, the community that she is always creating give her a certain power,” Díaz said. “The power and freedom to be a late-career artist, standing on your own two feet.”
‘A field of diamonds’
Outside a warehouse on the West Bank, DeDeaux grabbed a hammer
On a folding table in front of her was a panel of glass as tall as she is. Around her was a team from Denali Art Solutions, makers who help her fabricate her artworks. Inside the warehouse were a dozen wooden crates, neatly labeled, that in just a few days would be shipped to Venice.
“We’re not going to break it up too much,” she said, wearing sunglasses rather than safety goggles, adjusting the black fur hat atop her head. “It’ll break on its own, crossing the Atlantic.”
ä See DEDEAUX, page 5D
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Plants grow out the top of a sculpture by Dawn DeDeaux at Camp Abundance.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Dawn DeDeaux raises a glass with guests during a dinner party welcoming new faces and artists already in residence at Camp Abundance
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Artist Dawn DeDeaux breaks glass for a new artwork at Denali Art Solutions in Harvey.
PROVIDED PHOTO By DAWN DEDEAUX
chandelier in several of DeDeaux’s works,
retrospective at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
DEDEAUX
Continued from page 4D
Before anyone had readied a camera to capture the moment, DeDeaux pulled back and hit the edge of glass with one long, confident stroke. With a crunch, it shattered, glittering in the sun.
She looked up with wide eyes and an impish grin Then she let out a long, joyful laugh.
“Dawn!” someone said. “I wasn’t ready!”
At this point in her career DeDeaux could have her works manufactured by other people, said Alexander Buschmann, Denali’s wood shop lead. But DeDeaux shattered pane after pane, kicking up her heel when she got one on the first smack.
I can’t believe you don’t have a stunt double,” Buschmann told DeDeaux, admiringly as he helped coax the shards into a bucket.
Spreading the glass into the light box, a step she’ll do in Venice, requires a bit of Louisiana-specific equipment, already packed into a crate. She throws it, she said, demonstrating her smooth stroke, with a gumbo spoon.
DeDeaux has created a version of this piece, “Gulf to Galaxy,” several times before, first after Hurricane Katrina, later for her retrospective. It was inspired by a post-Katrina journey: In the weeks after the storm, DeDeaux walked for hours to find out if her mother’s Mississippi home was still standing. It wasn’t.
As she walked back, crying, she came across a smashed shopping center Standing nearly knee-high in a heap of shattered glass, she looked up, noticing the sun shining and the pelicans flying “And when I look back down the sun is hitting this glass, and I am in a field of diamonds,” she said. Tears still in her eyes, she said out loud: “Oh my God, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
So she shaped shattered glass into glowing pinwheels, evoking hurricanes, galaxies or both. Devastation and beauty, swirled together
Much of her work after Katrina contained that swirl. Burned blackened timber fragments that stand like noble statues. Bowls of dirt, beautifully displayed. Magisterial planks, embedded with images of water, reflect water levels in neighborhoods throughout the city, after the levies breached DeDeaux, too, contains those contrasts.
She dresses in head-to-toe black, most days, but often wears heels so chunky they make her laugh: “They’re ridiculous!” She speaks seriously about climate change and calamity, then refers to Earth as “this wonderful spinning graveyard.” She weighs her role as an artist, now and in the past, with great thoughtfulness, then claims, with just as much seriousness, to be a better chef than an artist.
“The table is where everything happens,” she said. “That’s what I do best.” ‘Forever the artist’
DeDeaux had been up since 4 a.m., as she had most days since last summer Venice time.
Since even before she was invited to the Biennale, she’d been ruminating on a massive installation. The Biennale has strict rules against revealing the show’s content, but it will be among the grandest works she’s ever made, incorporating sculpture and sketches, found objects and a new film piece.
At last, just days before her flight to Italy, a breakthrough: She wrote the film’s script “It’s just been stewing, stewing,”
DeDeaux told Taylor, before the dinner party’s guests arrived. “I mean, I’ve been thinking about this for a year and a half, this kind of film component, and it just came out Boom, boom, boom.”
The dinner was meant to welcome Aristides Lonothetis, founder of ARCAthens, who was joining two artists in residency at Camp Abundance. Wearing an apron, DeDeaux delivered drink after drink, dish after dish: Sweet figs cushioned in brie, mushroom risotto pungent with truffle, a pair of pork tenderloins.
The Biennale is, in a way, a result of an invitation into her table.
Years before she was named curator of the Biennale, the late Koyo Kouoh, then based in Cape Town, had been traveling through the American South on a kind of Civil Rights tour Over several nights sitting in DeDeaux’s backyard, beneath the stars and a disco ball from parties past, she and DeDeaux discussed art, life and the world. Industrialized agriculture and the Anthropocene and the privatization of space.
DeDeaux is “forever the artist,” but at that moment she had no grand ambitions.
“We were just talking as two people who love the arts.”
Kouoh went on to become Venice’s curator, dying just days before the exhibition’s theme was announced. Reading Kouoh’s concept for the show, DeDeaux immediately understood why she had included her She had quoted James Baldwin: “There is reason, after all, that some people wish to colonize the moon, and others dance be-
to
LEFT: DeDeaux’s studio at Camp Abundance is filled with finished and ongoing projects as she readies for her show in Venice.
fore it as an ancient friend.”
After setting a dozen dishes out, DeDeaux finally sat down at the table’s end for what she’d dubbed, with a laugh, “the last supper.”
“Eat! Eat!” she demanded.
They ate and gave toasts. They demanded stories — including one about the time, in 1976, that DeDeaux won the demolition derby in the Superdome, earning the moniker “Deadly Dawn.” Or about how she reconnected with Yarber at a mutual friend’s memorial service, marrying him last summer in her backyard, before a massive steel ring, part of her massive MotherShip series, in matching white suits.
But DeDeaux didn’t hold court. Over the course of the meal, DeDeaux found ways, big and small, to delight in her guests’ talents, noting their expertise, complimenting their taste and connecting their shared histories.
Over cognac, they debated Greek history, including a study in “Nature” about ancient DNA, and, several times, DeDeaux asked big questions, admitting her lack of knowledge as often as she revealed her depth of understanding.
“This is what I love,” she said, mischievously, “when it starts to stew.”
At one point, as Taylor spoke about Roman art, DeDeaux’s eyes widened.
“Elaborate!” she said, leaning forward. “Elaborate!”
Her guests leaned in, too.
Contact reporter Jenna Ross at jenna. ross@theadvocate.com or (504) 484-3725.
STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER
Artist Dawn DeDeaux poses in her studio at Camp Abundance in New Orleans.
DeDeaux shows off odds and ends used in her projects
ABOVE: An African vessel holds the ashes of William Fagaly at Camp Abundance.
LEFT: DeDeaux collects palm fronds
put in cases at Camp Abundance.
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.
Hoover Graham
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. Theirjourneyismoreofa pilgrimage that traces apath to Southern destinations that might be unnoticed or inconsequentialif it weren’tfor the songsmiths who amplified their stories through their lyrics.
Here are three such places.
Acoalminer’s daughter
Loretta Lynn called it “Butcher Holler,” with an “er” at the end.
And that’show millions of the late countrymusic star’s fans cametoknow her Appalachian birthplace in Johnson County, Kentucky,through her 1971 autobiographical hit, “CoalMiner’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’s childhood home standsonthe side of ahill. The house not only was the site of Lynn’sshort childhood —she marriedher husband Oliver “Dolittle” Lynn at age 15 but also the home of her younger
TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER
By ChristopherElliott
sister,Brenda Gail, professionally known as country music star CrystalGayle In 2012,The Associated Press discovereda discrepancy in Lynn’sage. She previously claimed she was born in 1935, but the AP found her birth certificate on file at the state Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Kentucky, whichrevealedshe was born in 1932. So shewas 15, not13, years old when she got married.
The singers were two of eight children in theWebbhouse,now amuseum owned and operated by the family.Lynn’sbrother Herman, known as the“Sheriff of Butcher Hollow,” restored the propertyand served as its gatekeeper and tourguide until his deathin2018 at the age of 83.
Now tours begin with acall to Webb Grocery, thefamily-owned store listed on the National Register of Historic Places in thecoal mining town of VanLear,Kentucky,which is the technical locationofLynn’shomeplace.
“Tucked deep in the hills of Johnson County,Kentucky, there’saplace wherecountry musichistory runs as deep as the coal mines,” thetourism commission for nearby Paintsville, Kentucky, states on its website, paintsvilletourism.com.
“For country music fans, avisit to ButcherHoller is like stepping into apieceofliving history.It’s not just about seeing the house— it’sabout feeling the spirit of the place that shaped an icon. Walking up the narrowroad, you can almost hear the echoes of an old guitar strumming on the porch and imagine theyoung girlwho once dreamed of singing on the Grand Ole Oprystage.”
From Paintsville, takeKy. 321 north for 6miles,turnleft on Ky.1107 for about amile, then turn right on Ky.302 for another mile.Fromthere,takea left onto MillersCreek Road, whichleads to Webb’sGeneral Store No. 5, where tours begin.
Keep going up Millers Creek Road, which eventually leadsto the Lynn family homeplace. Tour season begins April 1and continuestothe endofNovember.Tour timesare noonand 3p.m. Mondays through Fridays and10a.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 for County Road 39 mark therural route that runs south off EastFairview Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama.
Its distinguishing landmarks? Seven bridges along the way The bridges themselves aren’t necessarily historical. They simply connect one side of the road to theother as itscrosses several bends of Catoma Creek.
Singer-songwriter Steve Young made the bridges famous when he immortalized them in his1969 song, “Seven Bridges Road,” with lyrics musing about“stars in the southern sky,” “moonlight and moss in the 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 known for theEagles’releaseofthe single from their 1980 “EaglesLive” album.
Stories about the song’sorigins have circulated through the years,
most notably one connected to one of country music’sgreatestlegends, Hank Williams, who died at age 29 on Jan.1,1953.
The route’slocal name in Montgomery is WoodleyRoad, which leadstothe Oakwood Cemetery Annex, where Williamsand his wife, Audrey,are buried. The family plot is apilgrimage destination for country music fans, known for itsartificialgrass covering to deter people fromtaking grassfrom the graves.
ButYoung never alluded to legends when talking about his 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 interviewwith Music-Illuminati.com in 2014. “And Istill don’tunderstand why it wassosuccessful, actually.”
Andina1992 interview with the St.Louis Post-Dispatch,Young said he didn’tknow the exact meaning of the song.
“ButIthink on another level the song hassomethingkindofcosmic …that registers in the subconscious: the numberseven has all of these religious and mystical connotations,” he told the newspaper
Woodley Road serves as the southern boundary of the Cloverdale neighborhood in Montgomery
Its two-lane route featuresthree pairs of bridgeswithin thesame vicinityand aseventh lone bridge abouta mile south. To getthere, travel south from Montgomery, taking Woodley past East Fair-
view Avenue, where the bridge crossings begin.
From sevenbridges to reddirt
Kix Brooksmay have grown up in Shreveport, but the2003 song, “Red Dirt Road,” co-written with music partner Ronnie Dunn, looks to El Dorado,Arkansas, for its inspiration.
That’swhere Dunn spent his youthand honed hismusic skills by playingsaxophone in the high school band. It’salso where he spent timeonArkansasRural Route 3, a4-mile road locally known as the East Main Highway
Thesong reflects on Dunn’s early life, including memories of his cousin’sfarm, rurallife and personal experiences with lyrics reflecting on running barefoot, meeting agirl named Mary,tasting his first beer,wrecking his first car andfinding Jesus. The song also mentions howthe road’s blacktopgives waytoared dirt surface.
“I thought we needed something like ‘Red Dirt Road,’ to use as the title,” Dunn saidina2023 interview with WhiskeyRiff. “Itwas the reddirt road in Arkansas that my cousins and all of us lived on. It ledfrom Rural Route 3, East Main highway out of El Dorado, down to my cousin’sfarm… it wasabout 4miles long …Itwas literally a dirt road that wouldget washed out comebig rains and such. But we grew up on thatroad.”
To getthere,visit El Dorado, whichiscentrally located above the Louisiana-Arkansas state line, and follow the East Main Highway until the reddirt appears.
Email RobinMilleratromiller@ theadvocate.com.
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
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.
That left me with the impression thatTransavia is far more interestedinextracting money than in treating customersfairly 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
coreprinciple is that airlines can’t simply strand you or extort additional money for aflight you’ve already purchased.
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.
Icontacted Transavia on your behalf.
“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.
HOLLYWOOD SOUTH
StarsdrawcrowdsatGulfCoast movieshoot
phones everywhere.
Leslie Cardé
Imagine walking down the streets of asleepy beachside town along the Gulf Coast and bumping into superstar John Travolta. That’swhat many locals inthe town of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, have encountered this April, as anew film called “That’sAmoré” has brought wellknown stars to the area to shoot an upcoming musical romantic comedy. Shooting began in Ocean Springson April 6, moved on to Biloxi, is traveling to Gulfport and will return to Ocean Springs at the end of this month.
Seeing an A-lister on the streets of Los Angeles barely garners areaction, and in New Orleans, locals have become fairlyaccustomed to seeing the famous walk among them. But, in Ocean Springs, acelebrity of Travolta’s magnitude has people perched on fences just to get aglimpse of the Hollywood icon.
“Here, people are so excited to lay eyes on John Travolta that they have used AI to place him at their businesses all over town,”said Cynthia Sutton, president andCEO of the Ocean Springs Chamber Main Street Tourism Bureau. “The locals are just thrilled, not to mention the tourists passing through.Asan agency,wehelp share thecasting information with the residentsof Ocean Springs when it’savailable for extras, and I’ve heard that some of ourlocal folks havesigned on for that. So, it’s exciting for the whole community!” Apart from Travolta, who plays alifelong bachelor,his romantic interest is played by Katherine Heigl, awoman whosesecret has kept her from opening her heart to any new loves.Although many
remember Heigl from “Grey’s Anatomy”orher many rom-coms, most may not realize she can sing.
In 2014’s“Jackie &Ryan,”she playedaformer country singer and performed all her own vocals.
In the more popular “27 Dresses,” peoplemay recall her rowdy rendition of Elton John’s“Bennieand the Jets” in the bar scene alongside prolificactor James Marsden, (currently starring alongwith Jon Hamm in “Friends and Neighbors”).
Nick Vallelonga, atwo-time Oscar winner for “Green Book” when it won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay in 2019, is the “That’sAmore” director He alwayshad Travolta in mind to play thenever-married Nick, whose world changes when he meetsPatty (Heigl).
Musicals are ano-brainer for Travolta, who’sstarred in everythingfrom “Grease” to “Hair-
spray” to “Saturday Night Fever,” so breaking intosong is not somethingoutside of his wheelhouse. ButVallelonga wanted to trysomething different with this musical and says that they’re not going to spontaneously break into big production numbers. They have recorded about seven songs so far withafull orchestra, so the songs will be moreorganic. The cast is rounded out by Academy AwardWinner Christopher Walken, whose Oscar is for the very serious “The Deer Hunter,” but as aversatile actor,he’sdone his fair share of hoofing it in song and dance productions. Anyone who has seen his tapdance number on atable in “Pennies from Heaven” knows how talented he is. Walken actually began his career in musical theater and found himself oppositeTravolta, doing aduet together in 2007’s“Hairspray.” He has also provided the
vocals for the iconic King Louie in “The Jungle Book,” played an aging crooner in “One More Time” andperformed as Captain Hook in 2014’s“Peter Pan Live!,” singing and dancing several choreographed dances. For Ocean Springs, this shoot continues a growing pattern of major productions choosing the Gulf Coast area as afilm backdrop. In 2025, Travolta was in downtown Ocean Springs shooting “Cash Out 3,” where he was seen interacting with locals and drawing big crowds forselfies. In 2023, Travolta filmed “High Rollers” at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville, where the unexpected appearance had shutterbugs clicking their camera
All of this gives Mississippi agrowing presence in the film industry.They may not have the infrastructure or the labor force of aLouisiana or aGeorgia, but as part of Hollywood South, they are becoming acompetitive filming destination formid-budget films. And, with walkable downtown streets full of boutiques and restaurants, great coastal scenery and awillingness to go above and beyond to work with out-of-state casts and crews, their lower costs than larger markets have put them on manyfilmmakers’ radar
Unlike Louisiana’stax credit system,Mississippi offers an incentive program designed to attract productions with rebates on in-state spending —including crews, wages, equipment and local services.
Sutton of the Chamber of Commerce believes these incentives are providing atremendous boost to Mississippi’ssudden visibility in the film world.
With the production traveling through coastal hubs, location scouts have turned local businesses into film sets. In Biloxi, the popular Fillin’ Station restaurant waschanged to Hank’sFranks forthe movie, and at Biloxi Point, the Slavonian Lodge wasused to film alarge-scale Italian wedding scene. Even the downtownBiloxi landmark, the plantation-style Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, got into the act. The cast is rounded out with Talia Shire (“The Godfather”), William Fichtner (“Crash”), D.B. Sweeney (“Megalopolis”) and Drea de Mateo (“The Sopranos”). And wordfrom the cast and crew members is that the chemistry between Travolta and Heigl is palpable, making this romantic comedy ratchet up into high gear
Meanwhile, as cameras move from one coastal city to another, locals are willing to put up with the minor inconvenience of increased traffic and road closures just to see their hometown up on the silver screen. No release date has been announced yet forthe debut of “That’sAmoré.” Stay tuned.
Contact Leslie at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com
SAKS
Continued from page1D
overflowing with aheavily discounted gown andother clothing items, Lucia admitted, “I did hit the jackpot.”
‘Everythingisfor sale’
Much of the merchandise inside Sakswent on clearance as soon as the looming closure was announced in early February.ByMarch 31, the furniture was on sale, too.
It was midafternoon on aweekday,and the once bustling store was nearly entirely void of customers. But thumping music still echoed throughthe empty halls.
Dozens of naked mannequins gathered in aback room as the handful of employees who were still at work dutifully organized the picked-over clearance racks.
It seemed thateveryfeasible surface and structure in the store had been assessed for value, stuck with aprice tag, and put out on display for potential buyers —from vanity counters and display cases that once held designer lipstick and jewelry to the chairs and art that once filled the waiting areas and fitting rooms. Not even the metal frame holding asign alerting customers of the store’sclosure wasimmune —itwas going for $125.
“Everything is for sale,” one employeesaid as she manned acash register near the remaining gowns. Anotheremployeepaced in aneighboring room, keys jingling, while discussing apotential mannequin sale over the phone. She wasn’twilling to provide further commentary on the closure, and several other employees declined to comment or providetheir names.
Abittersweet farewell
Metairie resident Linda Hudgins said she’d been out to Saks afew times since the closure was announced
“I was pretty shocked walking into the first floor and all the designers had already pulled out,” she said. It was afar cry from the Saks that opened to fanfare in the 1980s and was once home to major nameslike Chanel andDiorand fundraising galas attendedby titans of New Orleans’ business industry.But theclosing sale was atreasure trove for anyone lookingfor alow price on anice dress.One tourist in from Orlando,in for aconference, said she’d rushed over to the mallas soon as she’d heard Saks was going out of business. By Sunday, nearly all the designer clothing hadgone and only afew racksof more affordable brandsremained. Tourists and locals hunted for the lastgood deals as employees helped customers loadmirrored tables and shelving onto dollies to be hauled away,the sounds of hammering and drilling and generaldeconstructionringingthrough the store.
Canal Place leadership has said previously that itsother tenants are doing well and businessatnearby Lakeside Shopping Center is booming, but Hudgins said the options for professional clothing in the area are slowly dwindling.
“(Lakeside) Ikind of feel is more geared toward younger people, where this is more for luxury and upscale shopping, and they have age-appropriate clothing to choose from, nice, quality clothing,” Hudgins said. “That’skindofwhat
Arose remindsmeofwonderamidchaos
My wife and Iwere at thepark theotherday 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’sbeen areal weekend project for us.”
Saks was always known for, their qualityclothing.”
It wasa placewhere you could find anice pair of slacks or atie for work, or a gown for aMardi Gras ball or fundraiser “I’m very sad to seeitgo, becausewehave nothing else left here other than the little mini stores that we have on the first floor here,” Hudgins said. “Thisiskind of whereyou camefor luxury shopping.”
Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com
Iwondered if “Peggy Martin” might be abreed of beagle or terrier, which might explain why training one had turnedout to be such ahandful for the folks down the street.But my wife quickly reminded me thatPeggy Martin is a kind of climbing rose with a special connection to Louisiana’srecovery from Hurricane Katrina.
The woman who inspired the rose’s name lived in lower Plaquemines Parish, and her homewas devastatedbythe hurricane. Her parents died in the storm, which greatly deepened Martin’ssense of loss. 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 AgCenterstory published last year.“Ifelt like my momand dad knew Iwas going to be distraught, and theyasked 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 all of this as another spring arrives in astressful time for the country and the world.
The story of the Peggy Martin rose has reminded me thatifweset aside our screens and smartphones and look outside, we might find other hopeful signs of continuityamid the chaos. Iwas on such ascreen the other day when ablur of brown beyond the window caught the corner of my eye.
What I’dspotted, at first glance, looked like abowler hat slowly gliding through the flower bed. Istepped outside for acloser view, which brought me within a foot or twoofmysubject.
It wasabig boxturtleonhis private odyssey,nudgedby thewarmer weather to get outand explore. Icalledmy wife to comesee. Ilike fellowwitnesses forsuchsmall wonders because they tend to be fleeting. Eventurtles, renowned as slowpokes, have away of vanishing almostassoon as they appear WhenI returned outdoors an hour later to cutthe grass, Iworried that ourrecentvisitor might be in harm’s way. Butthe turtlehad already hiddenhimselfinsome secret corner of the yard,safe from theassault of moving blades. It movedmetothinkabout thecleverness of creation itsinsistentimpulsetoward survival. Maybe we,too, have this pushtoprevail, no matterwhat the headlines bring.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com
PHOTO By RANDyLABAUVE/LSU AGCENTER PeggyMartinroses gracethe archways of manywalking paths across
Danny Heitman AT RANDOM
STAFF PHOTO By KASEy BUBNASH Gownswere on sale at
LOUISIANABAKES
Bringa bitof Italyintoyourkitchen with oliveoil cake
Addanaffogato, andvoila!
Food is one of the most intimateways to understand aplace. More revealing than any guidebook, it offers insight into aregion’sculture, values anddaily rhythms.
Olivia Regard
When Itravel, my instinct is always the same: Eat what locals eat,shop where they shop and linger where life unfolds naturally.Overshared plates and quiet smiles, strangers become storytellers and differences begin to dissolve. This rang especially true on arecenttrip to Italy.Instead of chasing must-see landmarks, I chose aslower path, settling into village life in the Abruzzo region. My days were spent wandering storefronts and farmers markets, lingering over meals in neighborhood cafes, and tasting local wine and olive oil while gazingout over rolling countryside. It was an Italyfar removedfromcrowdeditineraries and glossy postcards, and infinitely richer for it. On my last day in the village, that richness became deeply personal. Maria, alifelong resident, invited my friend and me into her home for coffee. For more than two hours, we sat at her
table sharing espressoand thebeautiful baked goods she hadprepared. She spoke no English; we spokevery little Italian. Yetwith the help of Google Translate, animated gestures and plentyoflaughter,language became secondary.What remained was aquiet, unmistakable truth: Connection doesn’t require fluency,and we are far more alikethan we are different Back home, I’ve tried to return to that feeling through food, recreating asmall measureofAbruzzo —and Maria’s kitchen —inmyown. First on the menu: oliveoil cake and affogato. Oliveoil cake, rooted in Mediterranean baking where olives arein abundance, uses the oil as the primary fat instead of butter,resulting in acake that’smoist and tender with adelicate crumb.Because olive oil is thestar, choose one you would happily use in a saladdressing. In this recipe, Iusedafruityoil, which pairs beautifully withthe Grand Marnier andorange zest, but apeppery, grassy oil would adda subtle savory edge. Then there’saffogato, Italy’sdeceptively simple dessert which means “drowned.”Hot espresso poured over cold gelato creates aperfect balance of bitter and sweet, hot and cold. Optional additionssuch as amaretto, chocolate shavings or abiscotti for dipping are welcome but unnecessary.Like the best travel memories, it’ssimple, fleeting and lingers long after thelast spoonful.
Traditional Olive OilCake Serves 10-12. Recipeisadapted from Food52. com and theformer Maialino’sRestaurant, New York.
2cups
3largeeggs, room temperature 11/2 tablespoons grated orangezest 1/4 cup fresh orangejuice 1/4 cup Grand Marnier Confectioners’ sugar,for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Preparea9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep by buttering or spraying with cooking spray and lining thebottom with parchment paper.
3. Whisk theflour,sugar,salt, baking soda and baking powder
4. In aseparate bowl, whiskthe olive oil, milk, eggs,orange zest,orange juice and Grand Marnier
5. Add the dry ingredientstothe wetingredientsand whisk until combined.
6. Pour the batter intothe prepared panand bake for 50 minutes to 1hour.The top should be golden, and acake tester inserted in the cake should be clean.
7. Transfer cake to arack, cool for 30 minutes.
8. Invert thecake onto the rack and let cool completely beforeserving.
9. Dustwithconfectioners’ sugarbefore serving.
Makes one affogato. Recipe is
1shotespresso
1splash amaretto (optional)
1. Using your desired brewing method, brew 1shot espresso.
2. Place 2scoops of vanilla gelato into a small drinking glass.
3. Pour the espresso shot and 1splash of amaretto, if using, over the ice cream. 4. Garnish and serve immediately
PHOTOSByOLIVIA
—Scrolling My Life Away
Dear Annie: Iused to thinkIhad decent self-control. Now I’m not so sure. Somewhere along the way,Instagram became the background music of my life. Iwake up and reachfor my phone before my eyes are fully open. I tellmyself I’m just checking the weather or answering atext, but my thumb already knows the route: Instagram, stories, scroll, scroll, scroll. Ican lose 30 minuteswithout even standing up. It’snot even fun anymore. Half the time I’m not laughing or
learning. I’m just… consuming. Watching other people’skitchens, vacations, workouts,“perfect” marriages and glowups. I’llsee apost about someonereorganizing their pantryand suddenly I’m spiraling because my own house looks like a crime scene. Then Ifeel guilty forjudging my life against ahighlight reel I know isn’treal. The worst part is how it makes me absent. I’ll be talking to my kids ormyspouseand catch myself drifting toward my phone like it’samagnet. I’ll pause a
movie “for asecond” and then missthe entire plot.I’ll stand in thegrocery store line and scroll instead of just …standing. Even when Iput thephone down, my brain feels itchy,like it’swaiting for thenext hit of distraction. I’ve trieddeleting the app, but I always re-download it. I’ve tried timelimits, but Ioverride them. I’ll promise myself, “Nophone in bed,” and thenthere Iamatmidnight, lit up like acampfire, watching strangers live theirlives while mine is quietly passing by Is this an addiction? Andifitis, how do Istop without feeling like I’m crawling out of my own skin?
Dear Scrolling: You’re not failing. You’re coping. Phones are designed to be irresistible, especially when you’re tired, overstimulated or carrying more than you admit. The fact that it doesn’teven feel good anymore is an important clue. This isn’ta character flaw.It’sahabit that has outgrown its purpose. Start slow.Don’ttry to “quit” your phone. Put Instagram in a folder on the last screen, turn off notifications andchoose two short check-in windows aday.When theurge hits outside those times, pause and ask,“What am Iactu-
Donate newspapers andbagstoanimalshelter
ally needing right now?” Rest? Comfort? Abreak from responsibility? Then give yourself areal version of that, even if it’sjust a glass of water,awalktothe mailbox or two minutes of quiet. And if you keep slipping, that’s not proof you can’tchange. It’s proof you need support. Talk to a friend, or atherapist, and nameit out loud. Be kind to yourself.Your lifeis here, waiting foryou —one
Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators com.
Hints from
Heloise
Dear Heloise: As afollowup to the hint about using newspaper bags for doggie cleanup bags, I, too, use them for this purpose. However,I also donate all of my used newspapers and the majority of the bags to my local animal shelter.But do call the shelterfirst and ask if they take them. —Rita G., via email
Findingyourcar
Dear Heloise: Store parking lots can sometimesbe avery tough place to find your car It would be alot easier if stores would mark their rows or aisles with letters or numbers suchas1,2 3, 4orA,B,C,D.Ithink most people 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 comforters for
bunk beds recently,they came in nice fabric bags thatwere identical tothe comforter Icut one apart and made apillowcase for a9-by-16 inchpillow, which Iplaced in arocking chair inside of the bedroom with thebunk beds.
It’scute, and it’sgreat back support when Isit in the chairtoread. —Sarah, in Lincoln, Nebraska Sarah, this is aclever decorating idea. It not only looks cute but also pulls the colors across the room as professional designers advise us to do —Heloise
Soft-boiledeggs
Dear Heloise: Pleasetell me how to cook asoft-boiled egg in the microwave. —L.D., in San Antonio L.D., place an egg in a mugorbowl 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 for about 3-4 minutes. Then afterward, place theegg in cold water —Heloise Reviving stalebread
Dear Heloise: Inolonger throw away bread that
By The Associated Press
Today is Sunday,April 19, the 109th day of 2026. There are 256 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary Warbegan with the Battles of Lexington and Concord —the start of an eightyear armed conflict between American colonists and the British Army Also on this date:
In 1897, the first Boston Marathon was held.Winner John J. McDermott ran the course in 2hours,55 minutes and 10 seconds.
In 1943, during World WarII, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began avaliantbut ultimately futile uprising against Nazi forces.
In 1977, the Supreme Court, in Ingraham v. Wright, ruled 5-4 that even severe spanking of schoolchildren by faculty members did not violate the Eighth Amendmentban against cruel and unusual punishment.
In 1993, the 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended when the Davidians set fire to the compound followingan FBI tear gas attack. Seventy-five people, including 25 children and sect leader David Koresh, were killed.
In 1995, Timothy McVeigh, seeking to strike at the government he blamed for the Branch Davidian deaths two years earlier,destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City,killing 168 people. (McVeigh was convicted of federal murder charges and executed in 2001.)
In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germanywas elected pope in the first conclave of the new millennium; he took thename Benedict XVI.
In 2013, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,a19-year-old college student wanted in the Bos-
tonMarathon bombings, was taken into custody aftera searchthatthe city virtually paralyzed. His older brother andalleged accomplice, 26-year-old Tamerlan, was killed earlier during an attempt to elude policecapture.
In 2015,FreddieGray, a25-year-old Black man, died aweekaftersuffering aspinalcord injuryin the back of aBaltimore policevan while hewas handcuffedand shackled, prompting weeks ofviolent protests and unrest (Six policeofficerswere charged. Three were acquittedand the city’s top prosecutoreventually droppedthe threeremainingcases.)
Today’sbirthdays: Singersongwriter Roberto Carlos is 85. Actor TimCurry is 80. Motorsports Hall of Famer Al Unser Jr.is 64.Actor Ashley Judd is 58. Latin popsinger Luis Miguel is 56. Actor James Franco is 48. Actor Kate Hudsonis47. Actor HaydenChristensen is45. Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu is 45.Actorcomedian Ali Wong is 44. Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer is 43. Former WNBA star Candace Parker is 40. Former tennis player Maria Sharapova is 39. Actor Simu Liu is 37. SingerLoren Gray is 24
Dear Miss Manners: Iwas dining within inches of an occupied table for two at a restaurant. Oneofthe men at that table asked his dining companion if he knew wherethe restroom was located. He didn’t.
Ihad asked the same question of awaiter,now nowhere in sight,15 minutes earlier Itold the diner that therestroom was outside the main room of the restaurant, in thehallway of the office building in which the restaurantwas located, and pointed out the exit to use to get there. (This setupis unusual, but I’ve encountered it at leastacouple of times in Manhattan restaurants.)
sorry.” This accomplishes four things.Itsurprises your neighbor becauseyou are agreeing with him. It establishes common cause: Youare all victims of thetight spacing. It diffuses his grievance: You apologized. Anditpolitely exacts aprice for his rudeness: He is kept at the table listening to your apology while he needs to go to thebathroom.
Dear Miss Manners: I’ve noticed an uptick in disrespectful behavior from dog ownerslately.Justthe other day,Iwalked past an elderly man who let his dog useagroupofbeautiful plantsinapublic courtyardasits personal toilet
If he’d been younger, I would have yelled at him. But in this case, Ididn’t knowwhatelse to do but glare andwalkaway Howshould Ideal with situations like this in the future? Iassume Miss Manners doesn’tapprove of shouting at the dog owners.
Gentle Reader: Ah, yes. Your argument is, “I knowthere is anormal andreasonable way to deal with this situation, should it recur.But thatisnot sufficiently highcaliber, because this is A TREND.”
lem, this would merit aDisapproving Frown —which, for the record, is onestep up fromaColdStare,one stepdownfrom aGlare, andatleastone stepdown from yelling, whichisunacceptable
But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecationinyourarea, thenthe solutionisnot to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to asystem or organizationthataddresses public health or the care of public spaces
The diner snippily said, “Thank you for theinformation, but no thankyou for eavesdropping.”
Ididn’trespond, and he got up to walktothe restroom.
Should Inot have volunteered theinformation? I was trying to be helpful, not intrusive.
Gentle Reader: “You’re right,” MissManners would have advised you to say.“Ididn’tmean to, but thetables are so close Icouldn’thelp it. I’m so
When Ilooked at him in shock, the man just grinned at me.
Miss Manners is not questioning whetherthere may actually be an uptick in disrespectful behavior by dogowners. She merely wishes to note thatreflexive calls for escalation in allcases explain agreat deal about current American society As an occasionalprob-
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail. com.
One-of-a-kind 3story Italianate Marigny townhouse, GATED OFF-STREET PARKING 4bedrooms, 2.5 baths, LR,DR, Sittingroom, Den, 33 longkitchen/appliances, front/ rear balcones, 3rd flr.terrace/ super views, walled courtyard, elevator, 4,675 sq.ft. living area...across thestreet from French Quarter BIGPRICE REDUCTION TO $1,440,000
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage fortheir
working life, through employer-providedbenefits. Whenthosebenefits end with retirement, paying dental billsout-of-pocket
shock,leading people to put off or even go without
Simplyput —without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparingplans
Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.
Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundreds out of pocketbefore benefits are paid.
Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1 That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection,you needto purchase individual insurance.
Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensiveones.
The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care.The American Dental Association recommends checkupstwiceayear.
Previous dental work canwear out.
Even if you’vehad qualitydentalwork in the past,you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dental problem only go up as youage.2
Treatment is expensive— especiallythe servicespeople over 50 often need.
Consider these national averagecostsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis canbeareal burden, especially if you’re on afixedincome.
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
scènesBehind the
bags,anindustry hasgrown around Louisianafestivalseason
BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer
This weekend, Irma Thomas, PJ Morton 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 performers at the NewOrleansJazz& Heritage Festival, and musicians from around the globe will appear on the stages (or scènes as they are called) at Lafayette’sFestival Inter-
national de Louisiane. Behind thescenes,amuch lessfamous lineup of contributors is building the stages, setting up andoperating 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 FESTIVALS, page 2E
BY MARTHA SANCHEZ
with questionsabout howtobalance increases in tourism with the locals’ way of life. Thefrustration is
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
head to the beach.
STAFFFILE PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD
Acottageindustry of supportservices has cropped up around Louisiana’sfestivals for handlingaspectslikemusic equipment, from left,tents and security
Staff report
South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.
New Orleans
Robert Meyers has been appointed as the CEO of Republic Business Credit. Meyers, who has been the president and chief commercial officer of the commercial finance company for the past decade, succeeds cofounder Stewart Chesters.
Renee Stuart has joined the ownership group of Roux Advertising. Stuart has worked for the New Orleansbased agency for more than two decades and is a past president and current board member of the New Orleans chapter of the American Advertising Federation.
Michael Ricci, a real estate attorney, has launched Ricci Real Estate, a
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
new Louisiana residential real estate brokerage in based in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood, and hired Cheryl Tynes McAdam as its president.
McAdam, who previously oversaw 25 Latter & Blum branches across the Gulf South, will lead the firm’s day-to-day operations.
Shannon Fazande has been appointed as the human resources director of The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East. Fazande, who has held the role since January on an interim basis, has previously held senior HR roles with GE Capital, Peter Mayer Advertising, VistaPrint and Bloomberg.
First Horizon Bank has added two new bankers.
Colin O’Flynn was hired to become a senior commercial relationship manager while Paul Delord was hired as a private client relationship manager
O’Flynn has more than 14 years
of experience, most recently as a commercial banking relationship manager with Hancock Whitney Corp.
Delord brings more than 17 years of experience and previously served as a wealth adviser and an assistant vice president at Hancock Whitney Bank.
Baton Rouge
First National Bank has announced the addition of two new senior employees.
Grant Guillotte has been hired as executive vice president and chief banking officer
Guillotte was most recently Southwest Louisiana regional president for Hancock Whitney and previously held leadership roles at Capital One.
Audrey Schmolke has been hired as senior vice president and private banking program manager
Schmolke, previously a vice president and private banker at Red River Bank, will lead the development of First National Bank’s private banking program.
Dr John Bates joins Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge as a psychiatrist specializing in outpatient mental health care.
Tiffany Richardson joins Ochsner Medical Complex-The Grove as a nurse practitioner in the Lifestyle and Wellness Department. Lyndsey Lowder joins Ochsner Medical Center-The Grove as a nurse practitioner providing orthopedic medicine. Yasmin Bennie joins Ochsner Medical
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.
Complex-O’Neal as a nurse practitioner specializing in hepatology
Michael D’Albor has been hired by Home Bank as vice president and senior commercial relationship manager in Baton Rouge. D’Albor has 22 years of banking experience, most recently as a commercial banker for JPMorgan Chase. Ochsner Baton Rouge announced the hiring of several new doctors and nurse practitioners.
Page Gray has joined the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children as policy analyst. Gray will support the organization’s efforts to advance datadriven early childhood policies that improve the outcomes for children and families across Louisiana.
Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate. com.
“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.”
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
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.
Guillotte Bates Richardson
Schmolke
Lowder Bennie D’Albor
Fazande
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.
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.”
AROUND THE REGION
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,”
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
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.”
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.
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
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
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
•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
•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
•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
Motley Fool
Michael Hecht President&CEO GNO Inc
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.
MADE IN LOUISIANA
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
“At
“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.
all over the place.”
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.
“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.”
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
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
Beyond Conventional.
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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.
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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LOUISIANA
HEALTH MAKER
CLEARING THEAIR
Foundation helpskids, families manage diabetes
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.”
Banks
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.
Louisiana
expertsinsmoking cessation arelooking to take on next foe: vaping
BYRACHEL MIPRO
Contributing writer
Fighting against awave of candyflavored, 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
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
ä See DIABETES, page 2X
“Asthe Official HealthcareProvider of Jazz Fest, we’reproud to support themusic, themoments andthe people who makethis city extraordinary.”
DALLAS Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and 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 sametime that marketing has beensupercharged by social media. Women are being confrontedbylotionsand serums andlight masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and 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 menstruation winds 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 frompage1X
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.
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
6% to 7%
6%
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.
9%
VAPING
Continuedfrom page 1X
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 in productions of ‘The Lion King’since 2003.
WHERE ARE LOUISIANA’S MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES GOING?
On Friday, March 20, graduating medical students in Louisiana programs found out what medical residency program they were paired with to continue their medical education Of the 600 graduating medical students in Louisiana, 191 will continue their medical education in the state.
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, a postgraduate training program where doctors gain specialized, in-depth training in a specific medical specialty, typically last three to seven years.
Tulane University School of Medicine, LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, the University of Queensland-Ochsner Medical Program and VCOMLouisiana all had graduating medical students this year who participated in the match.
The 2026 National Resident Matching Program was the largest in the organization’s history, with over 53,000 applicants registered and more than 44,000 residency positions offered in over 6,800 program tracks across the United States.
Here’s how many graduating medical students are
staying in Louisiana, for each Louisiana medical school:
n LSU Health New Orleans’ Match Day results revealed that 95, or 49%, of its 194 medical school graduates
will remain in Louisiana for residency training Of those, 84% will enter an LSU Health residency program.
n At the University of Queensland-Ochsner medical program, 13, or 17.3%, of its 75 matched students will stay in Louisiana for their residency The remaining students, 62, will be attending out of state.
n At LSU Health Shreveport, 61, or 43.5%, of 142 graduating medical students will stay in Louisiana to complete their residency Of those staying in Louisiana, 76.7% will be doing so at an LSU-affiliated academic medical center
n At Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Monroe, 37, or 26.8%, of 138 graduating medical students will remain in Louisiana for further training Two-thirds of VCOM’s graduating class matched into primary care specialties, central to the university’s goal — “advancing prevention, expanding access and strengthening community-based care for patients.”
n At Tulane University School of Medicine, 26, or 13.8%, of its 189 graduating medical students will remain in Louisiana for their residency The rest of the university’s students are spread out in programs across the country including California, New york, Illinois,Texas, Florida, Maryland,Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Arizona.
Mayo Clinic studies delivering chemotherapy at home
Researchers finds model a safe, feasible alternative
(Connected Access and Remote Expertise), a model that combines virtual care, remote patient monitoring and in-home clinical services to deliver cancer treatment outside traditional infusion centers. In the pilot study, a multidisciplinary 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 has traditionally
required patients to spend long hours in infusion centers, often far from home,” says Roxana Dronca, M.D., site director of the 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 directly to patients, reducing burden while maintaining the standards patients expect from Mayo Clinic.” The study highlights the potential of home-based chemotherapy to reduce the physical, emotional
and financial burdens associated with cancer treatment. Patients avoided travel time and experienced fewer disruptions to daily life while maintaining a continuous connection with their care team through virtual visits and remote monitoring.
Most participants surveyed reported high satisfaction with athome care and said they would recommend the model to others.
“This approach is about more than convenience,” Dronca says.
“It’s about improving quality of life during treatment and expand-
ing access to care for patients who may face barriers to reaching traditional cancer centers.”
To build on these findings, Mayo Clinic is still enrolling patients in a randomized clinical trial that launched in August 2023 to evaluate home-based chemotherapy compared with standard infusion care. This study will examine safety, patient experience, outcomes and costs, with the goal of expanding access to high-quality cancer care and reducing barriers to clinical trial participation.
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.”
an Rishe
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
See RISHER, page 2Y
Professor Granger Babcock, left, continues the discussionwith agroup of students duringa break.
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
INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS
ASK THE EXPERTS
Expanding access for early childhood education
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
Sarintha Stricklin, Ph.D.,
is the executive director of Jefferson Ready Start Network, an organization dedicated to improving quality and access for early education to economically disadvantaged families with children from birth to age 5.
The organization, formed in 2020 by business owners and educators, is a sponsored project of the Jefferson Community Foundation funded through the state and parish, as well as private donations.
Jefferson Parish has roughly 28,000 children aged 5 and under with about 50%-75% of them being economically disadvantaged, according to 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 about Jefferson Ready Start Network’s work and why early childhood education is important.
It’s not just an issue for children, but for families, for workforce and economic development. There’s huge data that it has massive economic implications when we can’t get people to work
Women particularly tend to be the people that don’t go back to work or step out of work when they can’t access child care. It’s really a national issue as well.
So the Jefferson Ready Start Network’s charge is to find long-term, sustainable funding.
The Jefferson Parish Council funds the Ready Start Network at $250,000 per year for three years,
largely because of the leadership of at-large council member Scott Walker, and those funds are matched by the state’s early childhood fund
That money basically comes into the Jefferson Ready Start Network and out the door to providers so that families of economically disadvantaged children can have seats in child care.
What are the impacts of your organization so far?
Jefferson Ready Start Network was formed right before the COVID shutdown.
Despite that, we pulled together this incredible group of leaders, which is a mix of early care and education providers and business organizations The council contribution since that time plus the state match puts us close to $4 million over that period.
The bottom line is that every year, the number of children that are served with those dollars is a little bit different because it varies by age. It’s incredibly complicated, but in most programs, the rate is similar with the exception of Early Head Start and Head Start. What are the challenges?
Again, it’s a complex landscape, but the bottom line is we’re serving about 4,500 children in publicly funded seats each year When you look across the different fund sources, we still have a good 10,000 children who are eligible that we’re not serving
Since the Jefferson Parish Council started funding seats through the Jefferson Ready Start Network in 2021, we have served 329 children
The simplest challenge is money
PROVIDED PHOTO By GAMBEL COMMUNICATIONS
Sarintha Stricklin is the executive director of Jefferson Ready Start Network.
There are several obstacles. The first is educating the general public and helping the public understand that it’s not just about the child. Yes, it’s critical because brain development happens in the first four years of life. But it is also a workforce and economic development issue, and educating the public on the return on investment and the cost savings down the road. When kids are in quality early care and education, they’re ready for kindergarten They’re reading on a third-grade level They’re not dropping out in middle school. They are graduating and becoming more productive citizens. It’s about 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 Jefferson Parish has an aging population. How does your organization fit into changing demographics? We need to invest in quality early care and education, so we don’t lose even more
Next Louisiana Inspired book club choice:
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
The Louisiana Inspired Book Club’s summer selection is a Louisiana 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’s Men,” published in 1946, is generally considered one of the best
‘All the King’s Men’
novels about American politics.
The novel features the rise and fall of a dictatorial Southern politician — loosely modeled on Huey Long of Louisiana The story explores themes of power, history, identity, loyalty and love.
Warren taught at LSU from 1934 to 1942. During this time, he wrote the first versions of the novel, which was a verse play titled, “Proud Flesh.” He was teaching at LSU when Long was assassinated.
The Louisiana Inspired Book Club invites readers to reread the classic or read it for the first time. We will assemble a panel of literary experts to lead a discussion on a soon-tobe-announced date
Q&A WITH SARINTHA STRICKLIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF JEFFERSON READy START NETWORK
young families moving to the North Shore or other places. We have to be able to have those opportunities, to keep those young families, or to get those young adults to come back after college. They’ve got to see opportunity and clearly having affordable, quality early care and education is a critical issue for a young family, and they are definitely looking elsewhere. That’s a big piece of that.
The other interesting piece is oftentimes we see a lot of those grandparents raising their grandchildren. We’ve had great conversations with councilman Deano Bonanno, who is really looking to figure out how to enhance senior services. We’ve had some great con-
RISHER
Continued from page 1y
beyond the backgrounds. I also name all of his paintings.
The chickens, for example, come in batches. I name each batch with a single theme. I named one whole batch after poets, which yielded one of my favorite of my husband’s chickens, Carl Sandburg, the hog butcher poet, rendered in oil on a canvas small enough to hold.
The significant literary characters batch gave us Tom Sawyer, Scout, Boo Radley and Natty Bumppo. The family members batch gave us Aunt Hazel and Uncle David, immortalized in a way they did not expect, but would both appreciate.
Poetry runs as a constant through most of what I do, through most of what I name.
versations with him about the connection with seniors. We’re going to be providing him some of that data for early care and education: the number of kids served, the gaps, where we have child care deserts.
What are your plans for Jefferson Ready Start Network this year?
In the last year the Ready Start Network actually moved under the Jefferson Community Foundation, and we believe that gives us a new opportunity to really educate, communicate about who we are, and actually do some real fundraising.
We have had four grant applications in the last four months, and we’ll be looking to see if we have any opportunities for funding there. We have a grant applica-
He values the names. He recognizes what I bring to the business side of his being an artist. Those are the parts that don’t come naturally to him. The names go on the backs of the paintings, there for whoever turns them over But I don’t think he considers the backgrounds the way I do. For him, a practical problem is solved. For me, it’s something else.
One night last week, we both got home later than usual. I asked how his day went. He said he had gone to his studio downtown and painted. I asked what he had painted.
“Chickens and stuff,” he said.
I started laughing.
He looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“You don’t know why that’s funny?” I asked.
He did not.
So I told him about the poetry workshop I taught decades ago at the elemen-
tion to serve children who are in families with limited English. Specifically, a project to serve more Latino children in Kenner in partnership with a child care center there that has a very large bilingual staff, owned by a Latina woman. Again, small numbers, small steps. When we did a recent analysis of early care across the whole parish, Jefferson had one of the largest growing populations of Latino families, and so we recognized that was a huge issue, as we don’t have a lot of bilingual teachers in early care and education.
Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.
tary school in my hometown for third graders on a spring morning. I opened the workshop with a question: What is poetry?
A tiny girl in the front row said, “It’s when words rhyme.” That’s right, I told her Sometimes poetry rhymes. What else?
A boy in the back raised his hand.
I acknowledged him and asked again, “What is poetry?”
“Chickens and stuff,” he said. My husband listened to the whole story He laughed. 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.
Warren
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Andrea Munoz, center works with Christopher Peraza, left, and Legend Proby at a Jefferson Ready Start Network site in Metairie on June 29, 2023.
PROVIDED PHOTO
‘All the King’s Men’ by Robert Penn Warren
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.
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,
PROVIDED PHOTO
Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth, the diocesan bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Oklahoma andOregon.
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
♠
wuzzLes
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!
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.
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
