The Times-Picayune 04-26-2026 by The Advocate

TOPLEADERS JOHNSON, SCALISE

Shootingsparkschaos at D.C. dinner

BY SEUNG MIN KIM, AAMER MADHANI, COLLIN BINKLEY, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and DAVID BAUDER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Aman armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside ahigh-profile journalists’ dinner attended by President DonaldTrump andmultiple seniorU.S. leaders on Saturdaynight, rushing toward the ballroom before Secret Service agentsswarmed himand took him into custody.The president

was uninjured and was hustled away Guests went diving under tables as the scene unfolded and some reported hearing shots outsidethe vast subterranean ballroom in theWashingtonHilton where the event was being held One law enforcementofﬁcial said agunman had opened fire. Alaw enforcement ofﬁcer was shot in the bullet-resistant vest but is expected to be OK, several sources toldThe Associated Press. Theshootingsuspect —described by Trump as a“sick person” —was

identiﬁed as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, twolaw enforcement ofﬁcials told theAP. “When you’re impactful, they go afteryou. Whenyou’re notimpactful, they leaveyou alone,” Trump, safe anduninjured and still in his tuxedo, said at the White House two hours later.“They seem to think he was alone wolf.”

There was no immediate indicationofany other involvement, and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser

See SHOOTING, page 10A

NOWAND THEN

Little FreddieKing, whohas played almost everyJazzFest, reignedone more time

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

MORE @ JAZZ FEST INSIDE

ä John ‘Papa’ Gros: The making of a NewOrleans piano player. Page 1D

ä Sunday’s cubes. Page 10D ONLINE

Little Freddie King’sreign isn’t quite over The venerable New Orleans blues guitarist and singer performed at the very ﬁrst New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival, staged inwhat is now Armstrong Park in 1970. He’splayed justabout every Jazz Fest since Butwhether he would make it to the 2026 JazzFest as scheduledon Saturdaywas, for months, in doubt On Sept.19, King and his band recorded alive album at BJ’s Lounge, the Bywater watering hole thatfunctions as his home base. Tendays later, the 85-year-old King’snew electric bicycle bucked andthrew him. He landed hard. When “Wack o” Wa de Wright, his drummer and manager for three decades, arrived, he found Kingstretchedout on the sidewalk,unable to stand.

“The only thing he told me was, ‘Take my moneyout ofmypockets and save it,’”Wright recalled. Spinal compression had damaged King’snerves. He had no strength in

hislegs, and his hands were numb.

So he couldn’twalk. And he couldn’t playguitar

He spent 40 days at arehabilitation center and another 20 at anursing facility learning to use arolling walker Back home, he fellwhile usingthe walker.He’sbeen conﬁnedtoawheelchair ever since. “He shouldn’tgoout

like this,”Wright said. “But it’sthe way it is.” Wright canceled all upcoming gigs on King’scalendar, including the French Quarter Festival in mid-April, while trying to keep his spiritsup. He held outhopethatKing would

‘I’m just excited. I’m optimistic’

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

The thought of tapping an unused lawsuit settlement to repair broken streetlights struck Mayor Helena Moreno at 3a.m one morning afew weeks into her term

She wondered if the Entergy ﬁnes the City Councillevied years earlierwould be enough to makea dent in the city’sbacklog of downed interstate lighting.

She texted Erin Spears, the head of council’sutility regulatory ofﬁce, whoconﬁrmed the fund still had almost $3 million. She calledher formerat-large colleague on the council, JP Morrell, so he could getthe ball rolling on his end. And her ‘Lights On’ initiative came to life.

Moreno reflects on first100 days in office Moreno

It’s just oneexample, Moreno said last week, of how the power of the Mayor’sOfﬁce can be wielded to chip away at the city’s infamous shortcomings.

“Whatisveryexciting aboutthis jobisyou do have theability to call theshots,tomovethings quickly—assloworasfastasyou want to,” Moreno said. “You, the mayor,has that power.” Moreno’s administration wrapped its ﬁrst 100 days in ofﬁce this month, ajuncture politicians often tout to show their early progress and to set the tone for the rest of their terms. She marked the occasion in grand fashion —a ceremonyatGallierHall, aprepared speech, and aglossy publishedreport of checked-off to-dos.

Aday later,inawide-ranging interview in herofﬁce at City Hall,she spokecandidly

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Little Freddie King reflects before his set in the Blues Tent during the New Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestival at the Fair Grounds in NewOrleans on Saturday

ä See MORENO, page 4A

ä See KING, page 6A

President Donald Trump speaksatthe White House after ashooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington on Saturday

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTO

By JOSE LUIS MAGANA

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Chicago officer killed, another hurt in shooting

CHICAGO One Chicago police ofﬁcer was killed and another critically injured after they were shot at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Saturday morning by a man they brought in for treatment at the emergency room, according to police and hospital officials. The suspect was taken into custody Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said in a department-wide message to police, obtained by the Tribune, that an ofﬁcer assigned to the Albany Park District was shot and killed while transporting the suspect inside the Lincoln Square hospital. Another officer was also shot and remains in critical condition Saturday afternoon, he wrote.

Snelling called the shooting “a devastating loss for our department and our city” and called on the department to support the fallen ofﬁcer’s family

“This ofﬁcer gave his life to protect his fellow Chicagoans, and we will never let our city forget his sacriﬁce,” he wrote.

The message did not name either ofﬁcer

Endeavor Health, which operates the hospital, said the suspected gunman was taken to the emergency department around 9 a.m He fired shots at the ofﬁcers about two hours later and escaped the building, at which point he was apprehended, ofﬁcials said in a statement They also said the man was wanded when he arrived at the hospital per “public safety weapon detection protocols,” and that he was escorted by law enforcement at all times No staff or patients were physically harmed during the shooting, the statement said.

U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills 2

WASHINGTON The U.S. military said it launched another strike Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Paciﬁc Ocean, killing two people.

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafﬁcking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs

The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafﬁcking charges and has pleaded not guilty

In the latest attack Friday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat floating in the water before an explosion left it in flames.

Australia, New Zealand, Turkey mark WWI battle

ISTANBUL Officials and visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey gathered in northwest Turkey on Saturday to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli

The solemn ceremony began at 5:30 a.m. near a beach where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or Anzacs, first landed at Gallipoli at dawn on April 25, 1915.

The hourlong event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world.

The Gallipoli campaign, part of a British-led effort to defeat the Ottoman Empire, ultimately failed, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides during the eight-month conﬂict It aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and knock the Ottomans out of the war

The battle helped forge Australia and New Zealand’s national identities as well as friendship with their former adversary, Turkey

Ceasefire talks with Iran stumble

Top Iranian diplomat leaves Pakistan and Trump says he told U.S. envoys not to go

BY MUNIR AHMED, SAMY MAGDY and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

ISLAMABAD The latest ceaseﬁre talks between the United States and Iran appeared to fail Saturday before they began, as Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan and President Donald Trump soon afterward said he had told envoys not to travel to Islamabad.

The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the U.S., led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. But Iranian officials have questioned how they can trust the U.S. after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran’s war grip on the Strait of Hormuz waterway

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump said on social media, adding: “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” The White House on Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be going to Islamabad.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday evening, two Pakistani ofﬁcials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

“Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” Araghchi later said on social media.

Another ceaseﬁre, between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, was shaken Saturday as each side ﬁred at the other and Israeli Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”

Trump this week announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran. It has paused most fighting, but the economic fallout is growing two months into the war as global shipments of oil, liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other supplies are disrupted by the nearclosure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Both sides have continued to make military threats. Iran’s joint military command on Saturday warned that “if the U.S. continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry and piracy” it will face a “strong response.”

Even before Saturday’s developments, Iran’s foreign ministry said any talks would be indirect and that Pakistani officials would convey messages. In Pakistan, Araghchi met with Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about what he

called Iran’s red lines for negotiations.

Araghchi went on to Oman, a mediator in talks before the war and the country on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz. The foreign minister will visit Pakistan again on Sunday before visiting Russia, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Trump later told journalists that within 10 minutes of him canceling the envoys’ trip to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better” proposal, with no details. He stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Contentious points in talks include Iran’s enriched uranium and the standoff on the Strait of Hormuz as well as concerns about Iran’s missile program and its support for armed proxies in the region

Tehran has noted that indirect talks with the U.S. last year and early this year over its nuclear program, the issue long at the center of tensions, ended with Iran being attacked by the U.S. and Israel, add-

ing to its wariness.

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, is nearly 50% higher than when the war began because of Iran’s grip on the strait, through which a ﬁfth of the world’s oil passes in peacetime.

Iran attacked three ships this week, while the U.S. maintains a blockade on Iranian ports. Trump has ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country was sending minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean to help remove Iranian mines from the strait once hostilities end.

Also Saturday Iran resumed commercial ﬂights from Tehran’s international airport for the ﬁrst time since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb 28. Flights were scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina, according to state-run television.

Since the war began, authorities say at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,496 people in Lebanon, where new ﬁghting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the Iran war started.

Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceaseﬁre between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy But Israel struck southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least six people it aid were Hezbollah militants, and several rockets and drones were launched at Israel from Lebanon. Additionally, 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six members of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon have been killed.

Ga. wildfires continue to threaten residents

More than 120 homes destroyed

By The Associated Press

NAHUNTA Ga Two wild-

fires in southeastern Georgia continued to threaten homes and lives on Saturday as officials warned that strong winds could spread the flames Brantley County Manager Joey Cason called it a “dynamic situation” in a video posted to social media and begged residents to “please evacuate” if ordered to do so.

“This fire is going to move rapidly once these winds get here later today,” he said.

The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since Monday and has destroyed at least 87 homes. Georgia Gov Brian Kemp said Friday that is the most for a

single wildﬁre in the state’s history The blaze was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground.

An infrared flight that detects heat was conducted overnight Friday, helping ofﬁcials to better map the ﬁre. A joint statement issued by multiple govern-

ment agencies said the ﬁre’s perimeter was more than 14.8 square miles and it was only about 10% contained.

Meanwhile a second ﬁre about 70 miles to the southwest in Clinch and Echols counties, near the Florida state line, has burned more than 46.9 square miles and destroyed at least 35 homes. Started by sparks from a welding operation,

Russia, Ukraine exchange attacks, killing and wounding dozens

BY ELISE MORTON and SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russian drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least ﬁve people and wounded 46, authorities said Saturday

The bodies of four people were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in overnight attacks, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said.

“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Hanzha wrote on Telegram of the attacks, which caused fires to break out across Dnipro and partially destroyed several apartment buildings, businesses and a private house.

Another person was killed in a separate Rus-

sian attack on Dnipro Saturday afternoon, according to Hanzha, in the same residential area hit by the overnight strikes. He said that 46 people were wounded in total.

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. Residential buildings, port infrastructure and cars were damaged in the south of the region, regional head Oleh Kiper said Saturday

In Russia, a woman was killed and a man was seriously wounded by a Ukrainian drone strike in the border region of Belgorod, local ofﬁcials said.

Leonid Pasechnik, the Russia-installed governor in Ukraine’s Luhansk region — of which Russia earlier this month said it had taken full control, a claim denied by Ukraine — said

Saturday that three people were killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone strike on a village. Ukraine did not comment on the attack, and the claim could not be independently veriﬁed by The Associated Press.

Following the overnight attacks, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that drone fragments were found in a residential area of the southeastern city of Galati, as well as on a farm some 18.5 miles from Galati, near the NATO member’s border with Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

Romania has conﬁrmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions.

The overnight attacks followed a prisoner swap Friday, in which Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members.

that wildﬁre was also about 10% contained.

Fireﬁghters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the ﬂames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.

An unusually large number of wildﬁres are burning this spring across the Southeast.

Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme

drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024. In northern Florida, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday evening after he suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEM

A woman walks past anti-U.S graffiti painted on the wall of the Tehran University on Enqelab-e-Eslami street on Saturday in downtown Tehran, Iran.

PHOTO PROVIDED By OFFICE OF GOV. BRIAN KEMP Smoke rises Friday from a wildfire in Brantley County Ga.

Roommate chargedinkilling of 2USF students

BY HOLLYRAMER Associated Press

Aformer University of South Florida student has been charged with killing his roommate and the roommate’sgirlfriend —two doctoral students from Bangladesh who disappearedearlier this month, authorities said Saturday Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is facing two counts of premeditated murder in the ﬁrst degree with aweaponinthe deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy,students at USF,accordingtothe Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. He made an initial court appearance Saturday in Tampa, where he was ordered held without bond. A hearing is set for April28.

Limon’sremains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Bristy is still missing, Hillsborough County Chief

Detectives with the

an investigation Friday inside the LakeForest subdivision of Tampa, Fla., where authorities said aman wastaken into custodyinconnection to the search for twomissing University of SouthFlorida graduate students.

Deputy JosephMaurersaid on Friday Abugharbieh, anativeborn U.S. citizen, wasinitially taken into custody on

Fridayathis family’shome on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body,failure to report adeath,tampering with evi-

dence, falseimprisonment and battery. Online courtrecords do not list an attorney for him. Messages were sent viaemail andphone to the public defender’sofficein Hillsborough County. Officers encountered Abugharbieh as they respondedtoareport of domesticviolence at his family’shome, just north of the campus, and were able to move his relativestosafety.But then he barricaded himself inside andrefused to come out. ASWATteam responded —along with a drone, arobot and crisis negotiators —beforeAbugharbieh came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but ablue towel Limonand Bristy,both27, wereconsidering getting married, arelative said. They disappearedfrom campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartmentcomplex where

Dirk Kempthorne,ex-Idahogovernor, dies at 74

He also served as U.S. Interior secretary

By The Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho Former Idaho Gov.and U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has died at age 74, his family said in awritten statement Saturday Kempthorne died Friday evening in Boise, the statement said. No cause was given, but he had been diagnosed with colon cancer last year

ing others —remembering names, stories, and the small details thatmade each personfeelknownand valued.”

oftenfound himtoo accommodating of the oil and gas industry

Kempthorne

“Beyond his public service, he was adevoted husband, father,and grandfather whose greatest joy came from time spent with family and the people he met along the way,” his family said. “He had arare gift for truly see-

Kempthorne, aRepublican, was elected mayor of Boise at age 34 and servedseven years before winning the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Steve Symms. Ratherthan run for reelection in1998, he enteredanopen election for governor,trouncing his Democratic opponent by garnering more than two-thirds of thevote. President George W. Bush appointed him Interior secretary in 2006, aposition he held until the endof Bush’spresidency —and during whichhe livedonahouseboat docked in the Potomac River.Kempthorne was responsible for the polar bear being listed as athreatenedspecies in 2008, though environmentalists

“As Governor,Dirk left an enduring markonour state,” Idaho Gov.Brad Little said in awritten statement. With the partnership of his

wife, Patricia, Kempthorne “championed children and families, strengthenedpublic education, and led transformational investments in our transportation system thatwill beneﬁt Idahoans for generations.”

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he lived with Abugharbieh. Bristy,who livedoff campus, was last seen an hour later at acampus science building. An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner andcause of Limon’s death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, Maurer said Friday Abugharbieh hadbeen aUSF student but wasnot currently enrolled. University recordsshowed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued aB.S. in management, auniversity spokesperson said. Limonwas studyinggeography,environmental science and policy,and Bristy wasstudyingchemical en

Technology University.The school,which spelledher last name as Brishti, said in a statementSaturdaythatshe was aPh.D. candidate and describedher as atalented and promising student.

“Her sudden passing has deeply saddenedall of us,” Vice ChancellorMohammad Ismail said. “The university family pays deeprespect to hermemory.Atthe same time, we demand punishment for those involvedin her death and compensation forthe victim’s family.” The search forBristy continues. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’sOfﬁce.

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Hillsborough County Sheriff’sOffice join

aboutwhatit’sbeenlike personally for her,behind the scenes as the city’schief executive ofﬁcer

Her ﬁrst few months, she said, have been awhirlwind of delivering for the city while growing accustomed to newmayoral powersthat allow her to make quick decisions and reshape an operational culture at City Hall that has been plagued by dysfunction.

The role is much differentthanher time as astate legislator debating laws, or as aCity Council member passing policies with her colleagues. It’sone of immense pressure that very few people can understand, she said. She has often leaned on advisers who have been in her shoes, including former Mayors MarcMorial and Mitch Landrieu. Former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond is another mentor

The 3a.m.bursts of inspiration, the regular brieﬁngs that she livestreams over social media while running or walkingoutdoors and the public speechesshe writes herselfpoint to aleader who doesn’tshy away from hard work, even when technically off the clock.

“I love working. So Iam alwayslike, engagedand involved but, but Idon’tfeel like the work ever really ends, because even when I’m at home, it’sstill kindof there,” Moreno said.

Aslewofdecisions

Her mentors have said that her moves to fill potholes, turn lights on and meet other needs by workingher relationships with state and federal leaders will take the city far

“Those short races, and those consistent wins that thisadministration and this council is delivering will add up to great success that changes the lives of the people of New Orleans,” former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond said at Gallier Hall last week.

While the administration works to fulfill Moreno’s campaign promises to repair basiccity services,improve public safety andattract new business, it’s also battling aﬁscal crisis that’s led to decisions Morenosaid were difﬁculttomake, such as furloughing hundreds of City Hall workers andterminating others.

Much of Moreno’swork begins early each day, with emails, phone calls, abriefing book and aseriesof memos on her desk with questions awaiting her answers.

“Throughout the day,every single day …there are decision pointsthathave to be made by themayor,and really only the mayor,”Moreno said. “I couldn’timagine not being around or present to deal with these situations. Things would start spiraling pretty quickly.”

Appearances, luncheons meetings with city and state ofﬁcials and eventsinaspirited city like New Orleans

also ﬁll much of hertime. In addition to aLincoln Beach Earth Day event, aHispanic Chamber of Commerce luncheon and acrowded “100 days” celebration at Gallier Hall last week, Moreno hit the Fair Grounds to see how the preparations for theNew Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestival were coming along. Seeing the city’ssafety plans in action is anecessity for her, Morenohas said Last week, lawenforcement ofﬁcials workedtoarrest a man they said threatenedto commita mass shooting at alarge festival in NewOrleans. She also will pop intodifferentCity Hall departments to say hello,orwill catch up with workers at the offsite yards whereParks and Parkways and the Sanitation Departmentoperate.That’s an effort to be accessible to allCity Hall employees, and to reverse course on awork culture with ahistory of bullying, waywardmanagement,shoddy building condi-

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trol over S&WB comes after the agency drew widespread scrutiny this year after aseriesofburst water mains flooded residential homes and businesses. The bill by stateRep.Stephanie Hilferty, R-Metairie, cleared theHouse 89-8 lastweek and now heads to the state Senate.

AndMorenohas overhauled the RTAboard with her own appointees and urged the new board chair, Ann Duplessis, to audit the agency’sleadership and finances,with the help of Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack. Moreno has found solutions forother problems. In additiontotappingthe Entergy settlement fund for streetlights, shehas used bondmoney to hire50employees to ﬁllpotholes and fixsidewalks, andplans to continue to usebondmoney to do so in thefuture. They have repaired 10,000 potholes so far, sheannounced last week.

tions andslowservices

Grievances filedbyDepartmentofPublic Works employees alleging harassment and other workplace abuses, for example, sparked aCity Hall investigation in 2024. Coming in, Moreno said heradministration has no tolerance for such complaints, andshe’s had meetings withdepartment heads to ensure they’re aware.

She’s alsoreplaced thedilapidated FEMA trailers that have housedPublic Works stafffor yearsand is pushing for anew Civic Center that would eventually rehouse City Hall.

“Whenyou’re working in thoseconditions,itmakes people feel like their work isn’tvalued,”she said Settingexpectations

Her leadership style is to be frankwith the sixdeputy mayors she hashiredand othersonher team. She sets herexpectations early Thereare metrics and goalposts alongthe way. Every-

one, she said, knows what they are working toward.

“So there’snoambiguity.Everybody understands their job. And then from there, if there are deviations from that, if some things aren’tbeing accomplished, then Ican address them,” she said. “Then, of course, when you’re meeting the mark, you get celebrated.”

Balancing the city’sneeds outside of City Hall has its challenges, however.Agencies like the NewOrleans RegionalTransitAuthority and the Sewerage &Water Board have executive directors she did not choose. The S&WB is astate-created entity though Moreno servesas itspresident; Baton Rouge lawmakers must sign off on changes to its makeup.

She’saimingtochange that this year through House Bill 1243, whichwould allow the CityCouncil to send directives to the S&WB, similar to whatthe council does withmajor city contracts. Her bid for more local con-

About 2,000 broken streetlights have been repaired since she wassworn in, andthe wait time for buildingpermit approvals has droppedfrom40to14days, according to areporther administration recently released.

Askedwhatshe most wants residents to know abouther work moving forward?

“Some people ask me all the time, ‘Are you so burdened by the job?’”she said.

“I do not look at it like that at all. Probably if Idid, I’d probably be under the desk.

“I look at it like, ‘Oh, I’m excitedthatwe’regonna go tackle this.I’m excited that Steve (Nelson, infrastructure chief) is on this thing, or I’mexcitedthatJoe (Giarrusso, chief administrative ofﬁcer) was abletodothis a certain way ”

“Even in the worst of the worst, I’m like, ‘How do we still getthe win?’ So overall, I’m just excited. I’m optimistic. And we have alot of work to do.” Staff writers Sophie Kasakove and Blake Paterson contributed to this report.

CORE

CHICKEN

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

NewOrleans MayorHelenaMoreno makes her wayinto the room before speaking during an event marking her first 100 days in office at Gallier Hall in

rally for Jazz Fest. Festival staffers, he said, were extremely accommodating They offered to reserve King’s performance slot until the last minute if necessary

They’d build a wheelchair ramp to his backstage trailer

Because he couldn’t step up into the shuttle vans typically used to transport musicians from the parking lots to the stages they’d arrange for a golf cart to pick him up.

There was one other, special accommodation Nan Parati, the festival’s longtime sign maker and in-house artist, painted a plush purple cushion on plywood, bejeweled it and affixed it to a wheelchair, turning it into a throne.

Given that King couldn’t play guitar, Wright recruited two replacements: Tony Dios, a King fan who already knew his songs, and veteran New Orleans guitarist and bandleader Ryan Scully, a friend of King’s for 25 years who now owns BJ’s Lounge

“It takes two guitars to match his one, and that doesn’t even do it,” Scully said. Scully had started taking lessons from King a year ago After the accident, he visited King’s house to play guitar “just so he could feel the music again He had a great time.”

In April, King and the band rehearsed once at the Ellis Marsalis Center For Music, near King’s home in the Musicians’ Village King sang well from his wheelchair so they were cautiously optimistic the Jazz Fest show would go on. Bobby DiTullio Jr. has accompanied King on harmonica for 31 years He initially wasn’t sure if King should try to play Jazz Fest.

“But Freddie wanted to do it, so I have to,” DiTullio said.

“It’s the least I can do. Freddie has taken me all over the world.”

Prepping for the show

On Saturday morning, Wright had picked up King and King’s niece, Barbara Brown, who has been staying with her uncle and helping with his home health care. Wright helped King get dressed in suitably royal garments: a gold and black jacket, matching tie, yellow pants and hard-sole cheetahprint shoes. They pulled into the Fair Grounds musicians/staff entrance at Mystery Street at 11:30 a.m., a half-hour behind schedule. As Wright went to summon a golf cart, Brown lit a cigarette for King as he sat in the car

The golf cart arrives. With assistance, King slides onto the front bench for the short drive to the Blues Tent.

All things considered, he’s in good spirits: “I thank the Good Lord for letting me be able to move around a little bit.”

He’s delighted by the throne wheelchair waiting for him backstage. Wright backs him up the ramp into the cool trailer

He clutches a can of Coke with his uncooperative fin-

the drums and Robert Snow’s electric bass. “Let me hear a little gey-tar,” King says, and Dios takes a solo.

By the time they get to “Crack Head Joe,” they’re hitting on all cylinders. Scully loosens up and functions as an emcee, encouraging cheers.

“Washboard” Chaz Leary joins in, strumming his washboard alongside King, and the set picks up more steam.

At one point, the painted plywood “throne” backing to King’s wheelchair shakes in time to the beat. They charge through “Baby Please Don’t Go” and

Fats Domino’s “Hello Josephine.” That was intended to be the last song. But they still have time on the clock and King is sounding good and having fun.

So Wright calls for an additional song: “Louisiana Train Wreck.” It chugs along like a runaway train and samples a bit of James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine).” The crowd does indeed get up. Watching from behind his drums, Wright gets chills. As King waves farewell, a relieved Wright gets on the microphone: “It took a lot of work for him to get here. We’re gonna try to get him back out next year.”

Depending on how things go, Wright hopes King can at least perform at the downtown Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival in October After the show, King is in a great mood, smoking cigarettes and receiving congratulations.

“It felt good. I

“You

gers. He signs a custommade cigar box guitar decorated with his face and sits for a short on-camera interview

Christine Baer White, the Jazz Fest talent buyer who helped coordinate King’s appearance, stops by to check on him.

“I can’t thank Jazz Fest enough for making it so convenient for me,” King says.

‘We love you, Freddie,” White says “Bless your heart,” he replies.

His musicians get ready

“I’m so in awe that this is happening,” Scully says. “I’m so nervous. I just want to make him proud more than anything.”

As show time approaches, Wright, who is 81, is anxious as well. “We’ll see what happens today.”

‘Everybody loves da King’

At 12:30, Wright wheels King down the ramp. Backstage staffers offer encouragement.

Knock ‘em dead, Freddie! You got it!”

“Thank God it’s a beautiful day,” he replies.

“You brought the sunshine with that beautiful suit!”

He is gifted a pair of sunglasses by a photographer Security guards at the stage ramp greet him like an old friend.

“Alright, Mr Freddie, wel-

come back!”

“We’ve been waiting four you! You lookin’ good!”

Wright takes in the scene:

“Everybody loves da King.”

As King is parked at the side of the stage, Wright leans over him to adjust his jacket and tie.

Delvon Green, the Blues

Tent’s backstage security supervisor for 15 years and a hardcore King fan, has the honor of introducing him from the stage.

The audience roars as King is wheeled out, waving his arms. He bows his head and tips his hat

“I’m so proud and happy to be back,” he says. “Thank y’all for having me. Thank y’all so much for coming.”

With that, the band eases into the slow blues “Can’t Do Nothing Babe.” It’s the second song on “Live at BJ’s Lounge,” the double album they recorded 10 days before King’s electric bike accident. They’re playing it for an audience for the ﬁrst time since that night at BJ’s seven months ago.

From his wheelchair throne, King leans into the microphone, opens his mouth, and sings about Highway 82 running by his baby’s door His voice is strong. He sounds like himself.

The audience cheers. He raises both arms. Another cheer

The musicians settle in atop Wright’s steady pulse on

STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD

Little Freddie King acknowledges his fans as he takes the stage in the Blues Tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday

Fans give Little Freddie King and his Blues Band a standing ovation at the end of his set in the Blues Tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday.

SupremeCourt to hear cellphonetrackingcase

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON— Okello Chatrie’scellphonegave him away Chatrie made off with $195,000 from the bank he robbed in suburban Richmond, Virginia, and eluded the police until they turned to apowerful technological tool that erecteda virtual fence and allowed them collect the location historyof cellphone usersnear the crime scene.

Thegeofencewarrantpolice served on Google found that Chatrie’scellphone wasamong ahandful of devices in the vicinity of the bank aroundthe time it was robbed.

Now the Supreme Court will decide whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment’sban on unreasonable searches.

It’sthe latest high court case that forces the justices to wrestle with how aconstitutional provision ratiﬁedin 1791 applies to technology the nation’sfounders could not have contemplated in their wildest dreams

Chatrie’sappeal is one of two cases being argued Monday.The other is an effort by Bayer to have the court blockthousands of state lawsuits alleging the global agrochemical manufacturer failed to warn people that its popular Roundup weedkiller could cause cancer

Geofence warrants turn the usual way of pursuing suspects on its head. Typically, police identify asuspect and then obtain awarrant to search ahomeora phone. With geofence warrants, police do not have asuspect, only alocation where a crimetookplace.Theywork in reverse to identify people who were in the area. Prosecutors credit the warrants with helping crack cold cases and other crimes where surveillance cameras did not reveal suspects’fac-

PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB

The U.S. Supreme Courtwill soon decide whether geofence warrantsviolatethe Fourth Amendment’sban on unreasonable searches.

es or license plates. Civil libertarians say that geofences amount to fishingexpeditionsthatsubject many innocent people to searches of privaterecords merely because their cellphones happened to be in thevicinityofacrime.

ASupremeCourt ruling in favor of the techniquecould “unleash amuch broader wave of similarreverse searches,” law professors who study digital surveillance wrote the court Investigators used geofence warrants to identify supportersofPresident Donald Trumpwho attacked theCapitolinthe riot on Jan.6,2021, as well as in the search forthe personwho planted pipe bombsoutside the Democratic andRepublican partyheadquarters the night before Police also creditthese warrants with helpingidentify suspects in killings in several states, including California, Georgiaand North Carolina. An academic groupthat workstobridgegapsbetween the police and communities wrote that the court should avoid an all-ornothing approach in Chatrie’scase.

The Trumpadministration’sposition would allow police to usegeofence warrants and similar tools “with no judicial supervisionor constitutionalsafeguards,” accordingtothe Policing

Projectatthe NewYork University School of Law Chatrie’slawyers want the court to rule out any useof geofence warrants at all, impeding “legitimate law enforcement activities,” the group wrote.

In Chatrie’s case, the geofence warrant invigorated an investigation thathad stalled. After determining that Chatrie was near the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian around thetime it wasrobbed in May 2019, police obtained asearch warrant for his home. They foundnearly$100,000 in cash, including bills wrapped in bands signed by thebank teller

He pleaded guiltyand was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. Chatrie’slawyers arguedonappeal that none of the evidence shouldhave been used against him

Theychallengedthe warrant as aviolationofhis privacy because it allowed authorities to gather thelocation history of people near thebank without having any evidence theyhad anything to do withthe robbery.Prosecutors arguedthatChatrie hadnoexpectation of privacy because he voluntarily optedintoGoogle’slocation history

Afederal judge agreed thatthe search violated Chatrie’srights, but allowed the evidence to be used because theofﬁcer who applied for the warrant reasonably be-

lieved he was acting properly

The federal appeals court in Richmond upheld theconviction in afractured ruling In aseparate case, thefederal appeals court in New

Orleans ruled that geofence warrants“aregeneral warrants categorically prohibited by the Fourth Amendment.”

In the Supreme Court’slast case on digital-age searches,

in 2018, the court divided 5-4 in favor of adefendant whose movements were tracked by authorities fornearly four months, without awarrant, through the review of cellphone tower data.

ASSOCIATED

ON THERECORD HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON &MAJORITy LEADER STEVE SCALISE

‘Wehavethisgreat level of trustbetween us’

WASHINGTON —U.S. House

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise,R-Jefferson, made history in October 2023. They became the two top leaders of theHouse of Representatives, from the same state —aﬁrst.

Scalise and Johnson both graduated from LSU sixyears apart and had worked together foryears, but over the past 26 months their relationshiphas been especially close —tothe point that sometimes when discussing politics and policy they ﬁnish each other’ssentences.

Mark Ballard

Johnson and Scalise sat down a few days ago in the Speaker’sOfﬁce with Washington correspondent Mark Ballard

The conversation has been editedfor length and clarity.

JOHNSON: For much of this Congress, we’ve had aone-vote margin in our majority.We’ve been able to accomplisha record number of landmark pieces of legislation, over500 billsﬁled, 100 executive orders codiﬁed,a record number of congressional review acts passed.

None of that really would have been possible if you had thetop two leaders who saw one another as rivals, which is what typically happens in this institution. Because Steve and Ihave known one another for so long, we come from the same place. We understand how one another thinks, and we agree on everything. We have this great level of trust between us, no daylight between us.

SCALISE: Yeah, the factthat Mike and Ihave such adeep-rooted friendship and astrong level of trust has been critical in moving forward an agenda with areally tight majority when you need to getdown to the crunch-time decisions, becauseyou neverhave to worry about the motives.

Our jobs are different, too, because, you know,the speaker gets the big problem. So, you know, members have personality conﬂicts all the time, and they bring those to the speaker

My job is to manage all the committees and to set the ﬂoor schedule.

But as he’sdoing his job and I’m doing my job, we’re alsoinmeetings talking with different groups of members about policy items that we’re going to be bringing as parts of our agenda. Neither of us worry aboutwho’s making commitments thatcan’t be carriedthrough on, because we have astrong understanding of what each other’score philosophy is and alsowhatour requirementsare, what we need to deliver for the country

JOHNSON: Itell members all the time.I’m never going to askyou to violate acore principle, butyou are required, sometimes,togive up on your preferences.

Because you’re in alegislative body and you have 434 colleagues, you’re never going to get 100% of what you want, veryrarely.That’s justthe nature of the beast

And some people are morereluctant to accept that realitythan others, put it that way.Sowehave to work through their problems and peccadillos.

When it comes to crunch time, because we’re able to go out— like Iknow that if Steve is in a room with asubgroup of members or acaucus or whatever,I know that he is saying anddoing what Iwould do in that scenario because we’re united in that cause. It just makes abig difference. The way that Congressisset up my appreciation of the history of the institution is that normally, you have the top two ofﬁcers —in particular,the No. 2guy —has always kind of been waiting,and looking for an opportunitytoleap-

frog theguy in front of him. And that’s just the nature of politics.

Theother thingthat we have in common that makes this work is that neither of us are concerned aboutwho gets the credit for something.

Yousee thelittle plaque on my desk over there? It’s areplica of what was on Reagan’sdesk. “There’snolimit towhat aman can doifhedoesn’t mindwho gets thecredit.”

SCALISE: Both of us came into politics under Ronald Reagan, andyou know that kind of Reaganconservatism still breathes through both of us.

JOHNSON: We’renot in competition at all between one another, andascrazy as it sounds, that’san innovation in Washington.

BALLARD: What happened with FISA?

(TheHouse last week couldn’t reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. Some conservative Republicans wanted reforms, such as requiringwarrantsbefore the federalgovernment can spy on Americans suspected of cooperating with foreign governments, and refused to reauthorize. Unable to get enough votes, Johnson pushed through a10-day extension to allowtime for Republicans more time to hammerout thoseissues.)

JOHNSON: FISA is one of the most complicated pieces of legislation; every time it has to be reauthorized.

And thesummary is we have very different viewpoints at different corners of our conference on thecentral pieces of it.

Forexample, awarrant requirement:Wehave ahandful of members who say,Iwill not vote for FISAunless it includes it.We have an equal number saying, I will not vote for it if it’sin. And FISA, just the way it worked last week, is you had members comeinatthe last minutewith new ideas, different ideas.

We had theintelligence committee chair and thejudiciary chair tryingtoprocess all that and get it together

Andwejust ran out of time.

SCALISE: We had 56reforms last time it was reauthorized, which were actually really good reforms andare working.

Andfrankly,those arethe reasons that the president supports it today,because the president

faced some of theabuses in the past,and that’swhy we reformed it last time.

BALLARD: On May 1, we hit 60 days (on the“military action”in Iran, requiring Congress to determinewhether to continue the attacks.) What’sthe House going to do?

JOHNSON: We’ll see. We’reinthe middle of apretty heated conﬂict

Hopefully,weall hope that it resolves quickly Idon’tthink there’sa prospect of boots on theground.

Ithink that it was awell-deﬁned operation, and Ithink we met the objectives.

Now we’ve got to get theStrait of Hormuz reopened, obviously Andwe’re hopeful that ends well, so we won’tget out in front of that.

SCALISE: Andthere have been votes on the House ﬂoor,twice now,toforce the president to end militaryoperations in Iran.

Andwe’ve defeated them both times We’ve voted against it.And it’s amajority of the House has said, basically,wesupport thepresident because we are opposed to stopping him from further action.

BALLARD: Well, on that, there’s alot of criticism that theHouse does President Donald Trump’s bidding to thepoint that Congress is no longer acoequal branch of government,the way the Founding Fathersintended.

JOHNSON: Ithink thecriticism is patently absurd. And let me tell you why

Look,the voters gave us amandateinthe 2024 election.

The president got arecord number of popular votes,and we got our highest popular vote total in history for HouseRepublicans We were delivered auniﬁed government.And in uniﬁed government, when one party controls theWhiteHouse, Senate, and the House, obviously,itbehooves the leaders of those chambers in the legislative branch to work with thecommander-in-chief of the executive branch to movethe agenda along, the America First agenda. We all ran on it. We all said we madepromises we’d deliver on it. Andthe best way to deliver on that is as acohesive team.

Now,this does not mean that we have yielded any authority.You know,mybackground is in constitutional law.I’m ajealous guard-

ian of Article 1. There are lines that cannot be crossed.

Andwhen we get close to one of those lines, Ihave afrank conversation with thepresident. But I do that privately and not publicly because he’sthe president of my own party

The president and Iconfer constantly.Iadvise him all the time.

It is afrequent occasion where he’ll call with an idea and say ‘Mike, I’d like to do XYZ. Can we do that?’

‘Well, no, sir,that’snot possible for these reasons.’

Or ‘yes, sir,that’sanidea. We can work on that through our committee process.’

Or ‘no, that’snot something that Ithink is wise forthe country.’

Imean, these are constant conversations, but Idon’t, I’m not debating the president in public, and that’swhat some of the press corps on the Hill would love to see.

BALLARD: How did passing the OneBig Beautiful Bill Act, your biggest success, differfrom the FISAeffort?

SCALISE: Six months before the election, we weremeeting with thepresident, talking during the campaign, talking with him about, ‘Hey,ifwewin the House, Senate, and White House and get the trifecta, these are things we can do.’ We were already laying the groundwork forthat bill months before theelection.

It ended up being one bill.

Go watch November,December, January.There was ahealthy debateinWashington over whether to do two bills. Many in the White House were saying to do twobills.

JOHNSON: Or three or more.

SCALISE: President Trumphimself never really chimed in, but Iwas talking to the president on aregular basis, advocating strongly forone bill. The speaker was advocating strongly forone bill because there werereasons it would have been much harder to get thetax component done in asecond bill because that’swhat somewanted to do.

We would have never got the tax piece, meaning everybody in America’staxes would have gone up. No tax on overtime and tips, which everybody’sbeneﬁting from today,that would have never happened

Mike can handle big pieces of it on his own.

Icould go handle big pieces on my own and put out ﬁres, solve problems, bring coalitions to-

gether separately,and then put all those pieces together

And by the way, this guy,you want to talk about character traits.

He has the patience of Job to never lose his cool in settings where you see other people running around with their hair on ﬁre and, you know,panicking, saying we’re not going to be able to get something done that we do get done.

It’s because Mike keeps a steady hand, listens to everybody respectfully,but ultimately gives asolid, direct vision, and then we all go carry it out.

JOHNSON: And about 60% of workers in Louisiana can benefit from either or both, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. Imean, it’sreal, and we have along fact sheet of Louisiana, but then the stories reflect that we’re in the top five.

So, our state came out pretty well.

SCALISE: And alot of the jobs that are coming to Louisiana directly beneﬁt.

So if you look at the billions that have come into our state in terms of investment, jobs, you know,the Meta facility,the Amazon facility, the Hyundai steel plant. Venture Global is almost a$20 billion facility right there.

Imean, those are major jobs, major investments in Louisiana. Alot of it —wedid immediate expensing, bonus depreciation, brought those (tax write-offs) up to 100% in the bill and made that permanent, so that brought certainty

Nobody has to worry about their taxes going up afew years from now because we made those permanent. They don’texpire in a fewyears. If you look at what that’sdone in termsofbringing morejobs to America, and again, as the speaker pointed out, Louisiana’s beneﬁted morethan moststates when you look at the rankings based on how that investment’s ﬂowed through the country

JOHNSON: As representatives from Louisiana,ofcourse, he and Iare advocating constantly for ourstate andits ability to accommodate thatinvestment and the urgencyofthe people in the state to have those opportunities. We hope thatcontinues to payoff. Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTOByLILLyROBBINS

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, at left, and House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, conduct ajoint interviewwithThe TimesPicayune |The Advocate Washington, D.C., correspondent Mark Ballard in Johnson’sU.S.Capitol office.

If youloveNew Orleans, invest in itsfuture.

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said she had ”no reason” to believe anyone else was involved. Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him.

“There does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public at this time,” Bowser said at a separate news conference.

All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and many other leaders of the Trump administration on a night when the nation is at war with Iran.

Gov. Jeff Landry said he and ﬁrst lady Sharon Landry were able to safely evacuate the dinner

“I’m back and safe and everything’s okay,” the governor said calmly in a phone interview shortly after evacuating.

cident.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said in a statement on X that he and his wife, Kelly, were also there.

body has ever seen before,” the president said. But he also said, “We’re not going to let anybody take over our society.”

journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.

lowed to leave but not immediately re-enter Security outside was also extremely tight.

Republican Rep Mike Lawler of New York, a guest at the dinner, said he heard a pop and “we didn’t know what the hell it was. And then you heard all sorts of things clatter.” Lawler said he gets “death threats often” and said “I think we live in a climate where everybody recognizes it’s a problem, but I don’t think people fully appreciate how much of a problem it really is.”

The event had initially appeared set to resume after the disorder. Servers refolded napkins and reﬁlled water glasses in preparation for Trump’s return Another worker prepared the president’s teleprompter for the remarks he was scheduled to make.

Landry said he and his wife were sitting at ABC’s table, “pretty close up to the main stage.” They were close to Rubio and other members of Trump’s Cabinet Then he heard the muted sound of gunﬁre from a ﬂoor up above the ballroom.

“It was almost like somebody dropping a pot or something,” the governor said.

Landry knows the hotel well; it’s where Washington Mardi Gras, the annual gathering of Louisiana political, business and nonproﬁt leaders, is held.

Landry praised how law enforcement handled the incident, saying he did not feel threatened.

“The Secret Service came in, they got everybody down,” Landry said “I mean, they did a great job of taking everybody out.”

Landry said he was able to leave the scene and make it back to his hotel without in-

“We’re thankful no innocent people were harmed and everyone is now safe,” Kelly said “We’re grateful as always for the law enforcement and ﬁrst responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control.”

Johnson added: “Praying for our country tonight.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, also said he was there.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the brave members of law enforcement who acted quickly to protect all of us attending tonight’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Scalise wrote on X. “This is an event meant to bring people together. Violence has NO place in our country.”

It was the third time since 2024 that the president had been under threat by an attacker in his immediate vicinity — including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local fireﬁghter

“Today we need levels of security that probably no-

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges related to Saturday night’s attack will be filed shortly and that the nature of the charges would be obvious considering what had happened at the dinner. Blanche stressed that “the investigation is obviously ongoing and just started.”

FBI Director Kash Patel, flanking Trump, said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged anyone with information to come forward.

Dinner turns to disorder

Guests were dining on a spring pea and burrata salad when noise began — noise Trump said he initially thought was a tray dropping but some journalists believed were ﬁve to eight gunshots.

The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Audible gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening; hundreds of

“Out of the way sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. He fell briefly — he apparently tripped — and was helped up by Secret Service agents. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities ﬂooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.

After an initial attempt to resume, the event was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.

“We will do this again,” said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Shortly afterward, staff began breaking down table settings and the presidential lectern.

The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, said “The violence and chaos in America must end.”

The banquet hall where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were awaiting Trump’s remarks — was immediately evacuated. Members of the National Guard took up position inside the building as people were al-

Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the correspondents’ dinner, and security has typically been focused on the ballroom and rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself. In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr outside the Hilton — an event that prompted redesigns of the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken. Trump was dispatched there brieﬂy after the incident Saturday night.

Trump’s attendance at Saturday’s annual dinner in Washington for his first time as president is putting his administration’s oftencontentious relationship with the press on full public display

Trump arrived to an event where the leaders of a nation

at war mingled with celebrities, journalists and even a puppet — Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — in a dinner that typically generates debate about whether the relationship between journalists and their sources should include socializing together and putting aside sometimes adversarial relationships.

Trump was being watched closely at the event held by the organization of reporters who cover him and his administration Past presidents who have attended have generally spoken about the importance of free speech and the First Amendment, adding in some light roasts about individual journalists. The Republican president did not attend during his first term or the first year of his second. He came as a guest in 2011, sitting in the audience as President Barack Obama, a Democrat, made some jokes about the New York real estate developer Trump also attended as a private citizen in 2015.

Trump entered the banquet hall of the Washington Hilton to the strains of “Hail to the Chief” and greeted prominent journalists on the dais, also pausing to laud White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt with a cheerful pointing of his ﬁnger Past dinners have also featured comedians who poke at presidents. This year, the group opted to hire mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainment.

Between berating individual reporters, fighting organizations like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in court and restricting press access to the Pentagon, the administration’s animus toward journalists has been a ﬁxture of Trump’s second term.

A few dozen protesters stood across the hotel in the run-up to the event. One was dressed in a prison uniform, wearing a Hegseth mask and red gloves. Another carried a sign saying, “Journalism is dead.” Staff writer Tyler Bridges contributed to this report.

Landry

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

ICE arrests drop nearly 12% after

Minn. killings

Decrease comes amid leadership shake-up

BY AARON KESSLER and TIM SULLIVAN Associated Press

At the peak of the crackdown, carloads of masked immigration ofﬁcers were a common sight in the streets of Minneapolis, while thousands of people were being arrested every week in Texas, Florida and California.

“Turn and burn,” top Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino called the strategy, with relentless displays of force and teams of agents descending on restaurant kitchens, bus stops and Home Depot parking lots.

In December, arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents peaked at nearly 40,000 nationwide and were nearly as high the next month, according to data provided to UC Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Associated Press.

In late January, the killings in Minneapolis of two American citizens by immigration officers and growing concerns over the government’s heavy-handed tactics led to a shake-up of top immigration officials In the weeks that followed, ICE arrests across the country dropped on average by nearly 12%.

Polling has found the general public felt the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota went too far, a factor that may have contributed to the abrupt ﬁring of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in early March

Bovino, who swaggered through raid scenes in tactical gear and was the public face of the Trump administration crackdown, was pushed aside following the killings in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti

Border czar Tom Homan was then sent to the Twin Cities to chart a new course for immigration enforcement, and he announced the drawdown of immigration agents in the state on Feb 4.

An AP analysis of ICE arrest records show the department averaged 7,369 weekly arrests nationwide in the five weeks after Homan’s drawdown announcement, the most recent period for which data is available, down from 8,347 per week in the previous five weeks. Those arrest numbers were still higher on average than during much of the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, and were dramatically higher than during the Biden administration

The numbers were not, however, uniform across the country

ICE arrests rose significantly in Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida during those five weeks, in some cases hitting their highest weekly count since the start of Trump’s second term. In Kentucky alone, weekly arrests more than doubled reaching 86 by early March

Those increases were offset by steep drops in a handful of large states, including Minnesota and Texas.

The Trump administration insists it is targeting the most vicious criminals living illegally in the U.S., and the president has referred to them as “the worst of the worst.”

In some cases the description is accurate, but the reality is complicated

Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history

Nationally, some 46% of the people ICE arrested in the ﬁve weeks before Feb. 4 had no criminal charges or convictions, dropping to 41% in the ﬁve weeks that followed

Yet that’s still above the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAE C. HONG

Milenko Faria, whose wife, Rubeliz Bolivar, was in immigration custody, hugs their daughter, Milena, after his asylum interview on April 16 at the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Tustin, Calif.

35% weekly average for the time since Trump returned to ofﬁce. And in a number of states, even after Feb. 4, the share of noncriminals being arrested went up, not down. Across the country, thousands of federal court ﬁlings offer an imperfect window into how the Trump administration’s deportation tactics remain in high gear, even if activity has waned.

Like the 21-year-old Honduran man with no criminal record who has ﬁled a petition for release after being arrested Feb. 22 in a suburban San Diego trafﬁc stop

The father of three U.S citizen children — ages 5, 3 and 10 months had been under ICE surveillance, the petition says, before officers in tactical gear pulled him over Or the 33-year-old Venezuelan woman, a well-known South Texas doctor who worked in a region designated as medically underserved, who was arrested earlier this month with her five-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, on her way to her husband’s asylum hearing. She was arrested, officials said, for overstaying her visa.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the research and advocacy group the American Immigration Council, says he sees signs of change in lower arrest and detention numbers but warns it’s too early to know if those shifts are permanent.

“The Trump administration says: ‘We’re not slowing down,’ ‘Nothing has changed,’ ” in immigration enforcement, he said “But it’s very clear that they have pulled back from some of

Mexico: U.S. federal agents who died not authorized to participate in operation

By The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY Mexico’s government said Saturday that two U.S. federal agents recently killed in a car crash in the country’s northern region were not authorized to participate in operations in Mexico.

the tactics of Operation Metro Surge,” the crackdown that swept Minneapolis. Kessler reported from Washington and Sullivan from Minneapolis. Associated Press reporters Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed.

Mexico as a visitor while the other entered with a diplomatic passport.

The Americans killed were from the CIA, The Associated Press confirmed earlier this week with a U.S. ofﬁcial and two other people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. The CIA has declined to comment

A statement from Mexico’s Ministry of Security said one U.S. agent entered

The role of the two CIA agents who were returning from destroying a clandestine drug lab in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua remains unclear Local government officials have said they were part of a convoy when their car drove off a ravine last weekend and the vehicle exploded. Two Mexican ofﬁcers also were killed.

It also asserted that Mexico’s government was not aware of foreign agents operating or planning to participate in an operation on its soil.

The ministry said it is reviewing the case with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.

“Mexican law is clear: it does not permit the participation of foreign agents in operations within the national territory,” the ministry said in a statement.

On anygiven dayalong thewestbankofthe MississippiRiver just outsideofNew Orleans, Avondale Global Gatewayhumswithactivity. Ships move steadily alongone of theworld’s most vitaltrade corridors. Cranes lift steel, aluminum andbulkcargo with precision. Trucks andrailcarscycle in andout keepinggoods moving efficiently.

It’sascenedeﬁnedbycoordination,communication andpurpose,and onethatreflectsa dramatic transformation sinceits 2018 acquisitionbyT.Parker Host.Inthe past eightyears, theformershipbuilding site hasgonefromaninactivelocationwithzero jobs into afully integrated multimodal logisticshub averaging600 people on site daily.

“AvondaleGlobalGatewayisnolongeravision—it’s afully active operationwithhundredsofemployees on site,cargo moving everyday andmajor investment already underway.Thistransformationishappening in realtime, andyou cansee theprogressevery single day,”saidAdamAnderson, CEOofT.ParkerHost. Amodernhub forglobalcommerce Avondale Global Gatewayconnectsmaritime, rail androadtransportationintoasingleplatform, allowing cargotomoveseamlesslyacrosssupply chains.Locatedatmilemarker108 on theMississippi River, thesiteoffersdirectaccesstoglobalshipping routes whilelinking to sixClass Irailroads andmajor highwaysystems. Thesiteincludesﬁve deepwater docksand more than onemillion square feet of warehousespace,supportingover200 commodities to date

“The growth hasbeenexponential.Wehave anumberofindustrieswitha strong presence at Avondale,including construction,maritime services,energy-relatedcargo andmuchmore,” said Amanda England, Vice Presidentand General Manager.“Wearestilldevelopingtenantsinadvanced manufacturing, distribution,warehousing andheavy industry fabrication.”

Englandsaidtenants areattracted to Avondale largelybecauseofitsscaleandconnectivity.Itsprivate ownershipstructure allows forspeed andﬂexibility, enabling operatorstorespond quicklytocustomer needs. Theresult is ahigh-output environment wheremultiplevessels,cranesand crewsoperate simultaneously,settinganewstandardforthroughput alongthe river.

“The direct riveraccessenablesustoprovide costefficienttransportationofgoods.Our largefootprint is very uniqueonthe waterfront andsupports industrial-scale operations.The multimodal system allows cargotomoveseamlesslybetween different modesoftransportationand reduce costsfor clients,” Englandsaid. “Wecan coordinate with theentire supply chainand ensure that allsafetyprotocols are followed.All of that makesAvondalespecial.The fact that we candoeverythinginone site is amassive advantage. Building CareersWhile Protecting Communities Therebirth of theAvondalesitehas ledto signiﬁcant job creation andcontinuedhiringacross arange of rolesfromequipment operatorsand warehousehandlerstoskilled tradespeople and

business professionals. Averagecompensationat Avondale approaches $85,000to$90,000 annually contributing to broadereconomicactivity. The emphasis is on localhiring, ensuring that thesite’s growth directly beneﬁtssurrounding communities. As Avondale Global Gatewaycontinues to shape economicgrowth, it is projectedtohaveupto2,000 on-sitejobsinthe future.While experience and technicaltrainingare necessities,leaders said thekey to successismoreabout hiringpeoplewithpositive attitudesand acommitmenttoworking with others

“Ittakes alot of good talent to runanoperation like this.Weare ateamofdoers here,and having the rightmindset is reallyimportant,” said Jarred Adams, DirectorofHealth,SafetyandEnvironment.“Weputa lotofeffortintotrainingpeopleand pairingthemwith mentors. We want people whoare willing to learnand willingtobevocaliftheysee opportunitiestofurther improvesafeoperations.”

“Every operator hastodotheir job well and communicateeffectively across functions,”Adams continued. “We’re fortunate to be whereweare,and we don’ttakethatfor granted. We want everyday here to be successful,safeand somethingthat’spositive for thearea. Enhancements,adaptations underway to preparefor thefuture

ThegrowthatAvondaleGlobalGateway showsno signsofslowing down andisnow arapidly expanding logisticshub,withsigniﬁcantinvestmentalready deployedand more underway

To date,morethan$150 millionhas been invested at Avondale,withanadditional$50 millioncurrently in progress.These investmentsare alreadyincreasing capacity andacceleratingactivityacrossthe site includingthe expansionofrailinfrastructure, the addition of anew deepwaterdock(bringing thetotal to six),and thebuildoutofmorethan200,000 square feet of newwarehouse space. Laydowncapacityis also beingexpandedby20acres to supportgrowing cargovolumes Theseare notisolatedimprovements.Theyare part of abroader pipeline expected to drivebillions in totalinvestmentacrossAvondale, itstenants,and thesurrounding ecosystem —along with hundreds of millions of dollarsinrelated services tied directly to thesite’scontinued growth With thousandsofundeveloped acresonthe West Bankstillavailable,Avondalehasthescaletocontinue expandinginrealtimeasdemandgrows.Eachnew investment builds on thelast, reinforcing Avondale’s role as acentral part of Louisiana’sindustrial and logisticsinfrastructure.

“We’re nottalking aboutwhatAvondalecould become —we’re seeing it take shape everyday,” said England. “Thisisabout investingininfrastructure andinpeopleatthe same time,and doingitina way that createslasting impact for theregion.

“AsanativeofNewOrleans,itbringsmealotofpride to be part of what’s happeninghere,”Adams added. “The work beingdoneatAvondaletoday is already making adifference across theregion— andit’sonly gainingmomentum.

Mall video appears to show armed suspect

BR police detail investigation, arrest

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Video recordings of the fatal Mall of Louisiana shooting on Thursday appear to show Markel Lee, 17 holding a semi-automatic pistol during the event, Baton Rouge police say Lee was arrested Friday and charged with one count of ﬁrst-degree murder, ﬁve counts of attempted murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon. According to an arrest warrant issued Friday, detectives saw Lee on multiple surveillance videos from inside the mall near the food court where the mass shooting took place.

Investigators said one angle “clearly showed that this subject was holding an object appearing to be a semiautomatic pistol in his right hand.”

In reviewing video from

inside the mall and the exterior, detectives saw Lee ﬂee the scene and enter a vehicle. License plate scanners were able to identify the car and the vehicle’s registration information gave investigators the owner’s address. After executing a search warrant, detectives showed a screenshot of the video, in which the suspect appeared to be holding a gun, to his grandmother, who conﬁrmed it was her grandson, Lee.

Martha Odom, a 17-yearold high school student from Lafayette, was shot in the chest and later pronounced dead at Our Lady of the Lake hospital.

Five others were injured, including Donnie Guillory, 43, who was in critical condition as of Friday evening.

Police said the shooting took place after an argument between two groups. It is still unclear how many shooters were involved as well as how many weapons were used. Police said they found one gun at the scene.

Detectives wrote in Lee’s arrest warrant that video

shows “two groups of young Black male subjects approach each other” in the food court.

“As they crossed paths, other people in the food court began running, as though responding to shots

being fired,” investigators said. The arresting document also notes other physical

evidence at the scene that could place Lee near where shots were ﬁred and where he appeared to be holding a gun.

“Detectives located blood spatter and multiple bullet strikes in the area where the subject was possibly pointing an object,” they wrote.

Morse said police are looking for an additional suspect and also temporarily detained four persons of interest in the shooting.

Though they were released, they could still face charges, he said.

“They were deﬁnitely involved in some way or the other,” Morse said Friday.

“They refused to answer questions. They lawyered up We didn’t have anything else to be able to hold them.” Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested a subject Thursday who they said was “possibly connected to” the shooting, but he was booked on gun and drug counts. He also faces a charge of violating a release agreement. Since then, police have given no information linking him to the mall shooting.

Islamic militants and separatists claim attacks across Mali

BY MARK BANCHEREAU Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years. The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako’s international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website Azallaq. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

The Malian army said in a statement that “unidentiﬁed armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

An aerial view taken Saturday shows Bamako, Mali. Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali, including Bamako, on Saturday, officials say.

in eliminating the attackers.” It said in another statement later the situation was under control.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic riﬂe gunﬁre coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 9 miles from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali’s air force.

A resident living near the

airport also reported gunﬁre and three helicopters patrolling overhead. The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, said he was woken by the sound of gunﬁre and explo-

Suspected Somali pirates hijack oil vessel headed to Mogadishu

BY OMAR FARUK Associated Press

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Sus-

pected Somali pirates hijacked a fuel tanker off the northeastern coast of Somalia, according to a local ofﬁcial and the British military

sions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati. The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a

nearby shopkeeper told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles mov-

ing through Kati’s deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully

Residents of Sevare and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen.

Today, SonofaSaint hasabout 40 employees, as well as hundreds of mentorsand volunteers Together,theyforma tightly connectedsupport system.Lee notedthatthe growth hasbeenstrategicand focusedonsolving problems.For example, an alumni specialistwas hiredwhenorganization leadersrecognized they wanted to do more to stay connectedwithboysastheymatured into young men. And, alogistics managerwas broughtonboard to ensure as many boys as possible have access to Son of aSaint’s resources.

The tanker had departed from the port of Berbera and was heading to the Somali capital of Mogadishu when it was intercepted, a colonel with the Puntland Maritime Police Force told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to a journalist.

The vessel was seized on Wednesday in waters between the coastal towns of Hafun and Bandarbeyla in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland along the Indian Ocean.

That ofﬁcial said six armed men from the Bandarbeyla district carried out the hijacking.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also issued a statement reporting a hijacking incident off the Somali coast. It said unauthorized people took control of the tanker and were maneuvering it “south within Somali territorial waters.”

On anygiven day, Bivian “Sonny”Lee III andhis team at Sonofa Saintare helpingyoung mennavigate majorlifedecisions –buyinga vehicle, purchasing theirﬁrsthome, resolvingconﬂictswithfriends or creating meaningful personal relationships. Many of theseyoung menare in theirearly to mid-20sand have been apartofSon of aSaint sincetheywere boys.The fact that they keep coming back proves that theorganizationismuchmorethana short-term mentorship program.

“Fromthe very beginning, we made apromise to ourboysthatwewillbeherefor thelonghaul. We see this as alifelongcommitment,”Lee said.“We start building that trust from theﬁrsttimetheycomehere. It’s notjust aboutthrowingaballaroundwitha kid andgivingthemadvicefor afew months.It’smuch, much deeper than that.”

“Transportationhas been ahugefocus for us,” Lee said.“We provideover15,000rides ayearfor our boys andfulﬁll99percent of theirtransportation requests.We’ve made majorinvestments in vehicles andstaffing.Our boys areall over thecityand in 100 differentschools.The fact that we cantransport them is trulygame-changing in many of theirlives That meanstheycan participateinactivitiesafter school,cometoour building or connectbetterwith theirmentors.It’shardtorealize just howmuch of achallenge access is untilyou seeitaffecting them I’mproud that we’vebeenabletosolve that.” Leesaidanother majorpoint of pridewas when Sonofa Saintmoved into itscurrent building on St.PhilipStreetin2023. Thefacilityallowsthe organization to provideahigherlevel of resources, supportand activities to both theboystheyserve and theirmothers,whether that meanseducational help mental health care, opportunities to buildfriendshipsorconnectingwithcommunity resources. Leesaidhavingadedicated spacehas broughtboth stabilityand arenewed senseofperspective.

That long-termcommitmentremains at theheart of Sonofa Saint’smission as it celebrates its15th anniversary. Asidefrommentorship, thenonproﬁt offersmentalhealthservices,crisismanagement, academic support, transportation andthe chance for boys in NewOrleans to embark on experiences that wouldotherwise be unavailabletothem.

“I hadagreat upbringing andamazing experiences.Ifeltfortunate.Iwantedtoshare thosesame kindsofexperiences with boys in ourcommunity,” said Lee, whocredits hismotherwithopeningup doorsfor himand hissisterfollowing thedeathof hisfather, former NewOrleans Saints player Bivian LeeII, when thetwo were youngchildren. “I knew it couldworkbecause thelove, attentionand experiences worked on me.Ijustdidn’tnecessarily know what that wouldlooklike.

Lee, whofounded SonofaSaint in 2011 when he was29, said theorganization’searly yearswere marked by him trying to ﬁnda waytoturnhis passion for helping fatherless youngboysintoa sustainable andﬁnanciallysound operation.

“I hadthisreallystrongsense of communityand a drivetodothiswork. Like alot of people,I wastrying to ﬁgureout howtofollowsomething Ibelievedin whilestill building alifearoundit,”hesaid.

In theearliestyears, Leeworkeddirectlywith thefirst groupofabout 50 participants.Hecould seethe impact earlyonasthe boys’academic resultsimproved andtheyfound safe,productive outletsfor theirtimeand talents. Buoyed by that success, SonofaSaint slowly grew as more people discovered theorganization’smission andwanted to become involved

“The earlyyears were aboutbuildingtrust and figuringout what worksand what doesn’t. Once we establishedthat, it became abouthow to operationalize andfundthatwork,”Lee said.“Thegoal wasalwaystohaveaone-stopshopfor theboys. We figured outhow to do that in year fiveorsix.Wehad to be resourcefulearly on.Wedidn’tget ourfirst multiyeargrant untilyeareight.It’sbeenall about communitysupport andgrassrootsgrowth.”

“Openingthisbuildingwas amilestone because it meantwehad atruehome,”hesaid. “The community supportand dedication from so many people hasbeenthe best part of this journey, andithas been reallymeaningfultohavesomuchofthatwork happen in acentralized space. Sincewe’ve built a home in this building, I’ve foundsomuchgratitude andmoremoments to reﬂect.I give thanks as much as possible.”

SonofaSaint willmarkits 15th anniversarythis year with specialevents, includinga blockparty on May9,the “A NightinNew York”fundraising event in NewYorkCityonMay 28 andits annual gala on November 21.But,Lee said it’s also amomenttothink abouthow theorganizationcan grow andexpand itsimpact.

“Werecentlylaunchedthe Sonofa SaintFoundation to hold andgrowour endowment, whichis a keypart of ourlong-term sustainability strategy,” Leesaid. “A majorfocus for us rightnow is building predictable revenuethrough recurringmonthly giving andmulti-yearcommitments so we canplan aheadwithconﬁdence,expandour reach, andensure everyboy we servehas consistent supportoverthe long term.

SonofaSaint leadersare also exploringwaysit canhave astrongeroperational footprintthroughout NewOrleans “We’re in agreatspace,but we know we could do so much more with another location,” Leesaid. “Forty percentofour boys areinNew OrleansEast, so that is aplace wherewewould love to have a stronger presence.” With thosegoals in mind,adedicated team of supporters anda proven modelthathas drawninterestfromother organizationsaroundthe nation,Lee said he is conﬁdent Sonofa Saintwillremainstrong andimpactful in thedecades to come “WhenI thinkabout thenext15years andbeyond, Iknowwe’re goingtobehere,”hesaid. “I realizenow that thethingsIworried aboutwhenIwas younger were notthatserious.I’velearned that when you buildquality relationshipswithpeople, standupfor what’s rightand treat everybody like youwanttobe treated, good things will happen.” Visitwww.sonofasaint.org to learnmoreabout SonofaSaint

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr speaks about the shooting on Thursday at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

EDUCATION

Talkingto children aboutcommunity violence

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

When parents ask if they should talk to their children aboutnatural disasters or acts of violence in their communities, Melissa Brymer almost always answers yes. Children are likely to hear about suchevents through the news, social media or their peers, said Brymer,director of the UCLADuke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. It’simportant for children to know theycan come to adults for help processing incidents that are frightening and confusing.

After aShreveportman fatally shot eight children lastweek, including seven of his own, Brymer’steam immediately reached out to Louisiana ofﬁcials and the state Department of Education to make sure schools were equipped to support students. On Thursday,atleast one person was killed and severalinjured during ashooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

Brymer and her team have long deployed resources in Louisiana. They train community members and state employees in “psychological ﬁrst aid,” an approach for helping people in the immediate aftermath of adisaster that involves connecting survivors with resources and sharing coping strategies.

Aclinical psychologist who specializes in working withchildren and familieswho have been impacted by trauma, Brymer said violenceinacommunity can af-

Q&A WITH MELISSA BRyMER DIRECTOROFUCLA-DUKE NATIONAL CENTER FORCHILD

impacted by massviolence includes startling easily after loud sounds; worrying about the safety of themselves or loved ones; sleep troubles; difﬁculties paying attention or focusing on tasks; having sights, sounds, people or other thingsremind them of the violence; feeling isolated, or numb, like friends and family don’tunderstand, or feeling distant from them; and being unable to get rid of thoughts, images or visions of themass violence event.

Kids that might not have been as closely connected to the event are going to be anxious right now, but withsupport from adultsin their lives we know they can heal. For thosemost impacted, there are speciﬁc trauma and grief treatments available.

What advice do you give parents about talking to children about violence in the community?

fect children even if they arenot directlyinvolved.Simply hearing about violentincidentscan cause children to feel scared or anxious andexperiencebehavior or sleeping issues. Research shows that nearly1in4 students across thecountry has been exposed to atraumatic event of somekind, which can impact their behavior andability to learn Brymer recently spoke about howparents and teachers can talk to children about violent incidents.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What does research tell us about the impactofcommunity violence on children?

Some ofthe ways children are

It’sreally important that adults check in with their kids on what they’ve heard and (ask) if they have any questions or concerns so they know parents are willing to have that conversation. Sometimes thingsare wrong on social media, or kids say things wrong, so sometimes we have to clarify what kids have heard.

Sometimes we use books to help kids relate. Youcan describe how characters are feeling and then check in with the child to see if they’re having any of these feelings. There may be anger,sadness, fear

How can teachers and other educators address gun violence with their students?

Sometimes it shows up in the classroom if their classmate has died. It’s important to acknowl-

edge that person isn’tthere and that we miss that person and maybe even highlight what that person brought to the classroom. Maybe they wereagood artist or they helped out alot.

For kids whomight be closer to theevent andmay know more details, we wanttohave moreprivateconversations.

Other kids that don’tknow these details don’tneed to hear it, but we want those kids closer to the event to get support. So that’s when we can use our counselors and nurses.

How should parents or primaryguardians approach these conversations?

Adultsneed to get our own support before we talk to our kids.

It’simportant forustocheck in and initiate the conversation. Often I’ve worked with kids who have said, “Nobody’stalked to me aboutit,” because everyone is waiting for the child to take the lead.

The children sometimes don’t want to upset their parents so they don’tsay anything. Sometimes we have to show kids that we’re ready and willing to have that conversation, and if kids aren’tready in the momentlet them know they can come back to you at any time.

We can also talk about things we can do when we get distressed or upset

If your child is upset about what they heard, if they’re missing their friend, can we practice regulating ourbreath together as afamily? When we regulate our breath and calm our bodies down that can help kids feel more in control when something scary

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THESTATEHOW TO TACKLE THEBIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN

happens.

Should these conversations vary depending on achild’sage?

Whenkids gettoadolescence they’re going to want to talk aboutwhathappened andthey might want to getinto policies aboutgun violenceordomestic violenceortalk about other timestheyhaveworried about their safety.Younger kids aren’t going to want to go into those details.

Followyourkid’sleadofwhat questions theyask. Sometimes theywanttotalkabout it for a couple minutesand then go off andplayand thencomeback

Sometimesyoungerkids might need shorterconversations.

Parents knowtheir children andwhere they’re at developmentally

Do youhaveany other guidance?

We suggest starting these conversations at atimeother than bedtime, so if the child has some emotionality they have timeto regulate their bodies before they go to sleep.

Maybe before dinner or after school.

Kids do better keeping the same routines, knowing when bedtime is, knowing there’sconsistency There can be alittle grace, but generally kids do better when they know what’spredictable —especially after something so unpredictable.

What mental health resources do you recommend foryoung people?

The national suicide and domestic crisis hotline is 988.

The National Center forChild Traumatic Stress has developed aguide fortalking to children about massviolence. See tinyurl. com/3fwpdkzw

Email Marie Fazio at mfazio @theadvcoate.com.

Hungary’s Orbán steps back after landslide election loss

Outgoing prime minister vows to rebuild country’s ‘national side’

BY JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary Outgo-

ing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not take his seat in parliament following a landslide election loss this month, and will instead focus on rebuilding his nationalist-populist political community, he announced Saturday in a video on social media.

Hungary’s April 12 election brought an end to Orbán’s 16 years in power when voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly for a center-right challenger who promised to crack down on endemic corruption and restore Hungary’s democratic institutions that had been eroded under Orbán.

That challenger the Tisza party led by Hungary’s incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar, won a two-thirds majority in parliament that will allow it to undo many of Orbán’s policies.

Since the election, the long-serving prime minister’s future role in Hun-

garian political life, and whether he will retain a role in government, has been uncertain

But in a video posted to Facebook, Orbán said his party’s caucus in parliament would be “radically transformed” following the election loss, and that he would not take his seat.

“Our task now is not in parliament,” Orbán said, but in the “reorganization” of his political camp that he calls the “national side.”

“I have led our community for nearly four decades,” Orbán said. This camp has always been the most united and cohesive political community in Hungary.”

Magyar has vowed to restore democratic institutions and the rule of law, which eroded under Orbán’s rule, and to hold accountable those who he says were responsible for overseeing and beneﬁting from widespread ofﬁcial corruption.

When the new parliament forms on May 9, it will be the first time since Hungary’s transition from state socialism in 1990 that Orbán has not held a seat among lawmakers.

In his statement, Orbán suggested he would remain the president of his Fidesz party after the party’s congress convenes in June to elect its leader

Explosive device on bus kills 7 in Colombia

By The Associated Press

BOGOTÁ Colombia An explosive device on a bus killed seven people Saturday in southwest Colombia as violence in that region escalates, authorities said. Octavio Guzmán, the governor of Cauca, wrote on X that the device was activated while the bus was traveling along the Panamerican Highway in Cajibio, injuring

more than 17 people. Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s Armed Forces, described the explosion in a news conference as a “terrorist act.”

He blamed the networks of a man known as “Iván Mordisco” — one of Colombia’s most wanted ﬁgures — and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia that operate in the region and did not adhere to the peace agreement signed with the state in 2016.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro decried the attack on X.

“Those who carried out the attack and killed seven civilians — and wounded 17 others in Cajibío many of them Indigenous people — are terrorists, fascists, and drug trafﬁckers,” he wrote.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PETR DAVID JOSEK

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addresses supporters on April 12 after receiving the results of a parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

U.S. says it’s huntingfor minesinpushtoopenstrait

BY BEN FINLEY, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and DAVID MCHUGH Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

matleft Islamabad

CO IN T MI EAST

Donald Trump says the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, avital sea route foroil shipments whose disruption is increasingly threatening the global economy Sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite atenuous ceaseﬁre between the United States and Iran in the weekslong war,experts say.Any future claims that the U.S. cleared thewaterway where 20% of the world’soil typically passesmight fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurersthat it is ﬁnally safe.

Pentagon officials told lawmakers it wouldlikely take six months to clear the mines that Iran has set in thestrait, accordinga person familiar with thesituation who spoke on conditionof anonymity to discuss the sensitive information. The informationwas delivered during aclassified briefing at the House Armed ServicesCommitteeonTuesday.

Whenasked aboutthe estimate, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reportersFriday that themilitary would not speculateona timeline,but he did notdeny it.

U.S. Navy ships mayalso have explosive ordnance disposal teams, including divers, that can hunt forand destroy mines, Wills said. Helicopters can search for minesusing lasers. Eventually,shipping companies will be willing to take some risks to travel through the strait “particularly given how lucrative it is,” Savitz said.

NFLICT HE DDLE AS

“You don’teven haveto have lain mines —you just have to make people believe that you’ve laid mines,” said Emma Salisbury,ascholar at the ForeignPolicyResearch Institute’sNational Security Program.

“And even if the U.S. sweeps the strait and says everything’sclear,all the Iranians have to do is say, ‘Well, actually,you haven’t found themall yet,’ ”said Salisbury,who is alsoa fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.

“There’sonly so much the U.S. can do to give that conﬁdence back to commercial shipping.”

Seeking out mines is oneof the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get trafﬁc movingagain through the strait as rising energy prices and wider economic effects pose apolitical risk. The U.S. also has blockaded Iran’sports and seized ships tied to Tehran, but the president said Saturday he had instructed his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for the latest ceaseﬁre talks afterIran’stop diplo-

“Allegedly that was something that was said,” Hegseth said at aPentagon newsconference. “But we feel conﬁdent in our ability,inthe correct period of time, to clear anymines thatweidentify.”

Trump said he has ordered the Navy to attack any boat laying mines in the strait.

“Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now,”the president said on social media Thursday. “I am hereby ordering that activity to continue,but ata tripleduplevel!”

Adm. Brad Cooper,the top U.S. commander in the Middle East,recently told reporters that the military would be workingtoclear minesfrom the strait. Hedid not offer details.

Thereisnoindication that theU.S. military is using warships,its most visible mine-clearingassets, in the strait now.

Butthe Navy also has divers and smallteams of explosive ordnance disposal technicians in the regionthatare capable of clearing mines. Theyare aless obvious targetthan alarge warship

Experts also say some mine-clearing equipment could bemoved off shipsand deployedfromland. It is unclear whether asingle mine hasbeen deployed. Iran has mentioned only the “likelihood” of mines in the strait’sprewar routes.

Estimates of Iran’smine stockpiles areinthe low thousands, said Salisbury, of theForeign PolicyResearch Institute. Most of its underwater explosives are believedtobeolder Soviet models.Some of its newer onesmay be from China or made domestically “Minelaying is alot easier than minesweeping, so you can literallypush these things offthe back of a speedboat,”Salisbury said, though she noted theU.S. could likely seethat Iran also has small submarines that can layminesand are much hardertodetect, Salisbury added. She saidshe has not seen indicationsthat they have been destroyedin the war If Iran has setmines in the strait,theyare notthe spiky balls ﬂoating on the surface seen in the movies, Salisbury said. The explosivesare likely sitting on the seabed or mooredtoitbyacable and floating underthe surface. They can be triggered by the water pressure changing when aship passes or by the sound of its engine.

The U.S. Navy now has two littoral combat ships in the Middle East that arecapable of sweeping for mines,said adefenseofﬁcial, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military

movements

TwoU.S. Avenger-class minesweepers based in Japan alsohavedeparted for theMiddleEastbut were in the Paciﬁc Ocean as of Friday,the ofﬁcial said.

StevenWills, aretired lieutenant commander who servedonanAvenger-class ship, saidthe Navyislikely looking for sea explosives in order to create asafe channelthrough the strait. Minesweeping is aslower process thatusually occurs after a conﬂict

“Minehunting is walking throughyouryard pulling individualweedsand dandelions so thatyou can walk safely from one side to the other.Minesweeping is more likemowing the grass,” said Wills,anexpertatthe Center

for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States.

Scott Savitz, aresearcher with the RANDCorp. who focuses on naval operations andmineclearing, said the Navy does not necessarily have to remove every last mine

“There’sstill areasthat have not been cleared from World WarII—and in some cases, World WarI—just because it is so resource intensive and it takes alot of time,” he said.

Teamsonthe Navy’slittoral combat ships can deployremotelyoperated, uncrewed vehiclesthatuse sonar andother technology to ﬁndmines,Wills said.They also carry chargestodestroy the explosives.

Under Iran’sapproval procedure for vessels wanting to transit thestrait, ships must take adifferent route than before the war —tothe north, near Iran’scoastline. Insurers are adding a clause thatrequiresship ownerstocontact Iranianauthorities to ensure safepassage, saidDylan Mortimer U.K. marine warleader for insurance broker Marsh. That certiﬁcation does not mention minesspecifically andisintendedtoprotect against the entire spectrum of threats, includingmissile and drone attacks or seizures, Mortimer said. But mines do, at thevery least, playa psychological role,aphenomenon Mortimer called the “specter of threat.”

“That plays in the Iranians’ favor, because whether there aremines there or not, people think there’smines there and they will operate accordingly,” Mortimer said. Those fears could mean it takeslongertorestore conﬁdence that the strait is safe even after the war

BY SAM METZ and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Palestinians voted on Saturday in the ﬁrst elections held in part of Gaza in more than two decades, while tens of thousands of Palestinians cast ballots in the Israelioccupied West Bank. The vote in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah was alargely symbolic “pilot” election, ofﬁcials said, part of the Palestinian Authority’seffort to politically link Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unpopular in the West Bank andfrozen outofU.S.-led postwar plans for ending Hamas rule in Gaza, hopes

to establish an independent state in both territories Hamas did not ﬁeld candidates in Deiral-Balah,which was damaged by airstrikes but spared an Israeli ground invasion in more than two yearsofwar.More than 70,000 people were eligible to vote forthe municipal government.

Though turnoutwas low, voters said they were driven to thepolls amid anear-total absence of public services There andthroughoutthe West Bank, voting determines the makeup oflocal councils taskedwith overseeingwater, roadsand electricity

“I came to vote becauseI have aright to electmembers to municipal council so

theycan provide us with services,” saidAshraf AbuDan in Deir al-Balah.

TheWestBankturnout was near thelevel of previous local elections, surprisingobserverswho expected that alow participation rate would signal apathyand erodedfaithinelected ofﬁce.

Election ofﬁcials reported a preliminary 53.4% overall turnout afterpolls closedand 22.7% in Deir al-Balah.

Resultsinindividual races areexpected on Sunday Voters said theywanted a say over local decision-making.

“Municipallaws need to be enforced so people feel there’sjustice,” said Khalid al-Qawasmeh, avoter in the West Bank city of Beitunia.

As astudent at LouisianaState University studying marketingand workingpart-time,Sadie Smithwas constantly on themoveand focusedonher future.In November 2025,her life took an unexpected turn

Shedeveloped theﬂuand,inanefforttofeelbetter at work,ingesteda dangerousamountofacetaminophen—adrugthat,whentakenabovetherecommended dose, canproduce atoxic byproductthatmay lead to acuteliver failure.

When Christie Smithrealizedher daughter’s symptoms were worsening, shebrought hertoLCMC

Health’s Lakeview Hospital on aWednesday.Soon after, Sadiewas transferredtoEastJeffersonGeneral Hospital (EJGH) to receivespecialized care

WhileatEJGH, Sadieentered ahepatic coma,and over thefollowing week it became apparent to hospital staff that herliver wasnot showingsigns of recovery

That Friday,Sadie wasplacedonthe waitinglistfor a livertransplant. Late Sunday evening, word came that shehadmatchedwithwhatwouldbecomealife-saving liverdonation. Donationsare matchedanonymously butitwas shared that thedonor wasayoung male

“Theyrecovered theliver around midnight,it wasﬂownin, andshe wasinsurgery around 6a.m

Christie Smithsaid.

“There’s probably notaday that goes by that Idon’t thinkabout howlucky IamthatI received this liver, SadieSmith said.“Thefactthathedecided to be an organdonor savedmylife.

Sadierecentlycelebratedher 21st birthday,and though it wasdifferentfromwhatshe hadpreviously imagined,she said shewas incredibly grateful to enjoythe simple things—likelying beside hernew puppy, Jager, andwatchingTV, or goingout to eat with herfamily.

“I’vealwaysbeenanorgan donor, butI never thoughtIwould receiveanorgan from someoneelse. NowI trulyunderstandthe impact organdonation canhave,”SadieSmith said.“If youtakecareofyour body,you have theopportunity to save so many lives.”

Now, Sadieisfocused on rebuilding herstamina andreturningtoher educationonline. Shehas also continuedsharing herexperiencetohighlight the impact of organdonation. On April17, shespoke at theDonateLifeMonth flag-raising ceremony and butterﬂy releaseatEJGH. Behindthe OrganDonationProcess

Thereisa lotthatgoesintothe organdonationand transplant process. ForSadieSmith andher family thosebehind-the-scenesstepsmovedseamlesslyasthe staff at EJGH andthe LouisianaOrgan Procurement Agency(LOPA)coordinated care andcommunication when hercondition worsened. “Patients ﬁrst have to be evaluatedfor transplant andthatisa multidisciplinary process ”saidDr. Lee

S. Cummings,SurgicalDirectorofLiver Transplantation at theTulaneTransplantInstitute at EJGH “Itinvolvessurgeons, specialists, social workers, dietitians,nurse coordinators,and pharmacists. AccordingtoDr. Cummings, beingpartofalarger healthsystemsuchasLCMCHealthexpandsaccessto theresources needed fora successful transplantation program.TheTulaneTransplantInstitute,whichwas originally establishedin1959,isnow aleaderinthe Gulf Coastregionfor transplantation, providingcare forpatientswithliver,kidney,pancreas,heart,andlung failure. TheTulaneTransplantInstitute at EJGH has continuedtogrowits livertransplantation program. LOPA also playsseveral vitalroles in theorgan donationprocess.Theagencysupportsdonorfamilies, promotes donorregistrationand educationacrossthe state, andhelps facilitate donation

Theorganizationworkscloselywithhospitalsacross Louisiana. When notiﬁedofa potentialdonor,LOPA sendsthe donor’smedical information to theUnited Networkfor OrganSharing (UNOS),which manages thenationaltransplantwaiting list.UNOSthen generatesalistofrecipients basedonmedical criteria Once amatch is identiﬁed, LOPA helpscoordinate thesecuretransportationoforganstothe transplanthospital. Advances in perfusiontechnology nowallow organs to remain in circulationlonger, improvingviability

“One donorcan save eightlives,and atissuedonor hasthe opportunitytoimpactapproximately 75 lives,”saidLanaStevens,Community Educator and VolunteerSpecialistfor LOPA.“Ithinkwhen people thinkabout organdonation, they oftenunderestimate thehealing it canbring to thedonor’s family as well as to therecipient. “Somanyofour donorfamiliesspeak to howithas been an importantpartoftheir grieving process, Stevenscontinued.“We areheretosupport ourfamilies andensuretheyhavethe resourcestheyneed, as they desire them.” Forthose consideringregistering,individuals can become donors when applying for adriver’slicense, a ﬁshingorhunting license, or by registeringtobean organdonor online at https://www.lopa.org/facts LCMC Health patients canalsoregisterasa donor throughtheir healthcare portal on MyChart, which is poweredbyEpic. “Onceyou’vemadeadecision,thenextstepistoshare your wishes with your family members,”Stevens said Formoreinformation on LOPA services,visit: https://www.lopa.org/ MoreinformationontheTulaneTransplantInstitute at EJGH,can be foundathttps://www.lcmchealth. org/east-jefferson-general-hospital/our-services/ tulane-transplant-institute-at-east-jefferson/

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByASGHAR BESHARATI

The sun rises behind tankers anchored on April 18 in the StraitofHormuz off the coast of QeshmIsland, Iran.

THE GULF COAST

Surge of golf carts means more rules in beachside towns

Complaints

rise as cities clamp down

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

Every week, another wave of customers arrives to snatch up the golf carts

Janet Steele rents out from her business, Dauphin Island Rent and Roll

“We love it,” said Steele, who spends her days delivering rentals from her collection of eight black, blue, red and lime green vehicles in Dauphin Island Alabama “We’re booking completely out.”

Her booming business is one small sign of a growing way of life across the Gulf Coast. From Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, an armada of golf carts is arriving on local roads and forcing leaders to take new and sometimes controversial steps to regulate them.

The trend is transforming coastal towns. In some communities, drivers are decking out golf carts with Saints stickers and LSU ﬂags. Hundreds of golf carts are packing Mardi Gras and Fourth of July parades. Families are using them to run errands and to go trickor-treating.

“If I’m going a couple of miles down to the marina, or a couple of miles to the Publix grocery store, it’s a heck of a lot easier and frankly more fun to get in your golf cart and just go,” said Mike Alexander executive director of the Low Speed Vehicle Dealer Association, a trade group for golf cart retailers, who is based in Sarasota, Florida. “It’s a good lifestyle.” But even as many tout their convenience, the surge

is also raising new safety questions in beach destinations that draw thousands of Louisiana visitors. A child was hospitalized in March after a golf cart

ﬂipped over near Pensacola, Florida. Residents across the region say they sometimes see golf cart drivers sipping beers, or passengers cradling unrestrained infants. On Dauphin Island, police instituted new safety checkpoints this month after a man accused of driving under the inﬂuence in a pickup truck allegedly rear-ended a golf cart and injured several passengers, including two children

“It was tragic,” Dauphin Island Police Chief Mathew Emlich said Not just fairways There was a time when

golf carts were conﬁned to fairways and country clubs and rarely ventured across busy roads.

But the trend is growing fast in coastal and Sunbelt communities where openair vehicles can cruise yearround.

Tallying the exact growth of the local golf cart market is difﬁcult, because registration rules vary by city But industry leaders estimate there are now close to two million golf carts and lowspeed vehicles around the country

The Low Speed Vehicle Dealer Association is predicting the global golf cart market will become a $12 billion industry by 2030, up from about $8.5 billion today Dealers are outfitting golf carts with new technology, including touch

screens, backup cameras and Bluetooth.

“Now they want all these bells and whistles like you find in cars,” said Brett Ladner who works at Quality Custom Carts in Bay St. Louis. “It’s become a little fancier.”

Cities confront surge

Some cities are expanding access: This month, Gulf Shores, Alabama, began allowing licensed teenagers to drive golf carts. Ocean Springs, Mississippi, recently added a few dozen miniature parking spots for golf carts and other small vehicles.

The swarm is also creating new challenges for cities seeking to balance leisure with safety Leaders in Gulfport, Mississippi, have created new

rules in recent years that require inspections and restrict where golf carts can travel. The move followed frequent complaints about reckless teenage drivers.

In Diamondhead, Mississippi, leaders distinguished traditional golf carts, which reach speeds up to 20 mph, from low-speed vehicles, which go faster The city is requiring all lowspeed vehicles to include windshields, seat belts and blinkers by this fall, when violators will start receiving tickets.

“We’re trying to encourage people to follow the rules,” Diamondhead Mayor Anna Liese said “If you choose to ignore the rules and you get caught, it’ll be expensive.”

Many die-hard golf cart drivers argue the vehicles

are a blessing for communities: Their plodding pace forces speeders to slow down, and they take up less space in busy parking lots. Many golf carts and low-speed vehicles are also electric.

The fans acknowledge that some rules are necessary But they say the jumble of laws between cities can create confusion and frustrate drivers. For instance, some communities allow golf carts on roads where cars drive up to 35 mph. Other cities limit them to streets with 25 mph speed limits.

Some residents also worry that the risk of accidents could rise as the region’s population grows and trafﬁc increases. There are signs that a balance between acceptance and regulation is emerging. Jason DuCre, a lieutenant at the Gulfport Police Department, said ofﬁcers are receiving far fewer complaints this year since the city began increasing enforcement.

Steele said cruising around her small beach community is usually easy because speed limits are low Most full-time residents own their own golf carts. She still faces challenges, though. Golf cart prices are rising so much along the Alabama coast that Steele can only afford new vehicles from dealers in Texas and Louisiana. Prices there are about $1,000 lower for the carts, which typically sell for over $10,000. But her calendar keeps filling with new reservations. She expects this summer to be so busy that she took a key step to prepare for the rush. She bought three more golf carts.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

From Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, an armada of golf carts is arriving on local roads and forcing leaders to take new and sometimes controversial steps to regulate them.

Museum brings Rocky statue inside

BY TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA Every day, visitors from around the world make their wayto the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art— not necessarily forthe galleries inside, but for astatue of afictionalboxer from South Philadelphia.

The bronze figure of Rocky Balboa—arms raised in victory,clad in boxing trunks and boots has become apoint of pilgrimage for peoplearound the world.

For decades,the museum kept an uncomfortable distance from this kind of devotion. Now, it is embracing it —and inviting Rocky in.

Openingthisweekend, “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” examines how afictional fighter became arealworld symbol, placing the statue within the sweep of art history and Philadelphia’sidentity.The exhibitionisthe brainchild of guest curator Paul Farber who spent years exploring the meaning of the statue and public monuments— including through hisNPR podcasts —beforebringing the conversation into the museum. The exhibition spans morethan 2,000 years of boxing imagery,tracing a thread of human struggle that Louis Marchesano, the museum’sdeputy director of curatorial affairs and conservation, said helps explain Rocky’senduring pull.

“The common theme that runs throughout 2,000 yearsofboxing imagery is that people respond to the body under struggle, a conﬂict in much thesame way today as they did2,500 years ago,” Marchesano said. “It’snot simply about watching two people beat each other up —it’sabout endurance,internal fortitude and internal struggle.”

When the bronze statue was left on the steps after ﬁlming the “Rocky” movies, the museum foughttohave it removed. It was eventually relocated to South Philadelphia before returning to the bottom of the steps in 2006. It was welcomed back, but never fully embraced. The city owns the spot where the statue sits —not the museum.

“The museum has had —and Ihate to say this, no pun intended —arocky relationship with the statue,” Marchesano said.

“It took us decades to come to terms with it,” he added.“But I’m glad that we did.”

Interment will follow at All Saints Mausoleum. Avisitation willbeheldatthe funeral home beginning at 11:00AM. To view and sign the online guestbook please visit LakeLawnMetairie.com

Weidig,Irene Gwendolyn Calongne Gilthorpe

Irene Gwendolyn Calongne Gilthorpe Weidig passedawaypeacefully on April 22, 2026,atthe ageof 97½.A native of New Orleans,she was raised in Mid-Cityand made her home in Metairie formost of her adultlife. Gwenwas the epitome of elegance—awoman whoseoptimism and love forlifetouchedall who knewher.She embraced many roles throughout her life bringinggrace and creativitytoeach.

Shewas precededin death by her husbands, William"Bill"Gilthorpe Jr. and Walter Weidig; her parents, George and Gertrude Calongne;her devoted mother-in-law, Elsie Gilthorpe; and threeofher siblings.

Sheissurvived by her children, WilliamE Gilthorpe III (Paulette), Timothy P. Gilthorpe (Maryanne), Patti Barovechio (Frank), Kelly Burkenstock (Robert Bolin), and Shawn Weese (Stuart); her beloved sisters, Wanda Henry,Gaynel Leonard, andGeorgette Sloan; her adoredgrandchildren, Will, Jared, and Stephan Gilthorpe, Katie Fox,Mollie Gilthorpe, EmilieGauthier, Tim, Nicholas, and Sean Gilthorpe,Topherand Martin Rieth, ElsieNicole Trahan,Zoe Barovechio, Austinand Blaze Burkenstock, Chandler Hayes, and Jack,Margo and Bradley Weese; and manygreat-grandchildren. Gwen also held aspecial place in her heart forher Perez and Calongne nieces and nephews, whose presence brought hergreat joy and comfort.

Gwenwillberemembered forher poise, her loveoffashion, her passionfor dancing, her unwaveringfaith,and the joy she brought to herfamily. The world is betterfor having known her. Visitationwilltake place at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home,5100 PontchartrainBlvd.New Orleans,LA70124on Friday, May1,from4:30 to 8:00 p.m., with recitation of the Rosary beginning at 7:30 p.m.,and on Saturday, May2,from10:00a.m.to 12:30p.m. AMassof ChristianBurialwill commenceat1:30 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 4640 Canal Street, with interment to follow in Lake LawnPark Cemetery.To view and signthe online guest book, please visit

Williams,Doris T.

On themorning of April 18, 2026, DorisT.Williams heard herHeavenlyFather calling. "Comemychild and take amuch-needed rest."Doris T. Williams was bornNovember16, 1938 in New Roads, Louisiana. Doris passedawaypeace‐fully surrounded by her familyonApril 18, 2026 Doris wasprecededin death by herlatehusband MelvinWilliams, herpar‐entsIolaand August Thomas, Sr., hermaternal grandparentsCelestine and John Houston, Sr., her paternalgrandparentsNet‐tie andGussieThomas, Sr 1 daughter Donna Faye Boutte`, 4sonsDarryl, Ken‐neth, Dimitris andDerrick, 1 grandson Rene Boutte`, Jr.,1 sister Celestine Pierre, and5 brothers Tru‐man,August, Jr., Leonard, Ronnieand CraigThomas. Doris leaves to cherishher memories1 daughter Di‐anna (Michael)Populis of New Orleans, 1sisterKath‐leen BurginsofHillsboro ALand 1brother Nathaniel ThomasofNew Roads, LA Relatives andFriends of the Family areall invitedto attendthe FuneralService onSaturday, May2,2026 at Calvary Tabernacle C.M.E. Church 3629 DryadesSt. NOLA70115 from 9:30am10:30am.Visitationwill begin at 8:30am.Interment willfollowtoNew Roads, LAatSt. FrancisChapel Gravesite 10364 Pointe CoupeeRd. NewRoads,LA 70760. Professional Arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuaryService, Inc. (504)523-5872.

Corinne Palmer Zimmermann passed away peacefully on April 19, 2026, at theage of 88. A lifelong resident of Lakeview, Corinne made her home therefor 57 years. She attended McDonoughHighSchool and beganher career working in ajewelry store before continuing her professional life at First NationalBank

Brakefield;and her brother,Nicholas "Nicky" Palmer She is survivedbyher children, John S. Zimmermann III, Corinne Zimmermann Wyss, and Catherine Zimmermann Roark; her cherished grandchildren, John, Philip, and ElisabethRoark, and Jacob, Jonathan, and Sarah Schoenick; and her greatgrandchildren, Philip Roark Jr.and Ainsley Roark. She is also survivedbyher siblings, Robert Palmer, Michael G. Palmer, Juliet Talcott, and KintaTaquino. Corinne willberemembered forher deep love of family,her devotion to God, and thejoy she found in caring for her family,

tending to hergarden, and beinginvolved in her church.She hada sweet tooth anda warm spirit andshe brought comfort and kindness to those around her. Herpresence will be deeply missed by all whoknewand loved her. Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Funeral Service on Friday, May1,2026, at Lake Lawn MetairieFuneral Home 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd NewOrleans,LA70124. Visitation for familywill begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by theservice at 11:00 a.m. Intermentwill be in Lake LawnParkCemetery.To view andsignthe online guest book, please visit

As aﬁxtureinradio,television, andwritten media

alongthe Gulf Coastfor more than 15 years, Advisor GregoryRickshasinvitedcountlessindividualstojoin himinﬁnancialdiscussions—thekindsofconversations thatmayhaveoncefelttaboobutareessentialtobuilding ﬁnancialliteracy within acommunity

“WhenIﬁrststarteddoingmyradioshow,Winning at Life®, therewas atimeIworried Iwas giving away toomanytrade secrets,”saidGregory Ricks, founder CEO, andwealthadvisor at GregoryRicks &Associates.“However,Ichangedmymindafterreadingastory aboutafarmerinGeorgiawhowasknownforproducing excellentyieldsofcorn.

“Inaninterview,hewasasked,‘Whatisyoursecret?’ He replied, ‘I sharemyseeds with my neighbors. If they grow poor crops, it couldaffectmineaswell, and we wouldall suffer.So, Imakesureeverybody hasthe best seeds.

AtGregoryRicks&Associates,theteamunderstands that ﬁnancial questionscan feel difficult to discussat times.However,theybelievethatnormalizingproductivediscussionsaboutmoney—andincreasingaccessto educationalresources—canhelpfamiliesandcommunities move forwardtogetherwithgreaterclarity BigQuestions,RealStakes Throughout themanyconversations Rickshas had withlisteners,clients,andeducationaleventattendees overtheyears,afewkeyquestionsconsistentlyrisetothe surface.Whileﬁnancesaredeeplypersonal,revisiting common topics canhelpindividuals take thenextstep in planning.

1.WhenshouldItakeSocialSecurity?

Oneofthe most common—and oftenunderestimated—topics involves Social Security decisions. Timing, spousal coordination,and long-termstrategy allplayarole,yetmanyindividualsclaimbeneﬁtswithoutfully evaluating theiroptions “Peoplesometimes look at it as asmall decision,but it’s reallya bigone,” Rickssaid. “Ifsomeone is turning on$20,000ayearinSocialSecurity,thatcanrepresent hundredsofthousandsofdollarsovertime.Forahousehold,itmayapproachamillion-dollardecisionwhenyou consider theincomestreamitrepresents.

2.Willmymoneylast?

Anotherfrequentconcernislongevity—speciﬁcally, whetherretirementsavings willstretch farenough. Thisquestionoftenleadstobroaderdiscussionsabout income planning,riskmanagement, andsustainable withdrawal strategies “Peoplewanttobesuretheydon’t outlivetheir money,”Rickssaid.“Wearealwayslooking5,10,15,and even30yearsdowntheroadtobuildastrategydesigned to supporta clientforaslongaspossible.

3. What should Idowithmy401(k)or companyplan?

As retirement approaches,manyindividuals are unsure howtotransitionfromsavingtogenerating incomefromtheiraccumulatedassets.Withoutaclear plan,retireesmayencounterunnecessarytaxesorinefﬁcient income strategies

Workingwithafinancialprofessionaltoconsolidate retirement accounts anddevelop an income plan may helpindividualsfeelmoreconfidentastheyestablisha foundation forretirement. ClosingtheFinancialLiteracyGap In addition to answeringthese questions, Ricks focusesonaddressingcommongapsinfinancialliteracy

1.CompoundingInterest:WorkingForYou—or AgainstYou “Mostpeopleareaffectedbycompoundinterest,but fewfully understand howitworks,” said Ricks. “It’s importanttounderstandhow it canhelpgrowyour money—andhow it canalsoworkagainst youwhenit comestodebt. Compoundinterestisoftenconsideredoneofthemost powerfulforcesinﬁnance.Ononehand,itcansteadily growwealthovertime.Puttingmoneyawayearlyallows individualstouse time as an advantage, giving their savingsmoreopportunity to grow On theother hand,compoundinterestcan rapidly increase debt—especiallywithhigh-interest credit cards. Forexample,carryinga balanceona$1,000 purchase whilemakingonlyminimum payments can result in signiﬁcant interest charges, making it more difficult to paydownthe debt over time

2.StartingEarly—andStartingAnyway Time is oneofthe most valuable assets in ﬁnancial planning,yet many people delaysavingfor retirement untiltheyfeelfully prepared.While it is importantto paydowndebt,buildanemergencyfund,andsaveforthe future,Ricksencouragesindividualstoworktowardthis three-partgoalsimultaneouslyratherthansequentially Saving for retirement earlyand stayingconsistentcan make asigniﬁcantimpactinthe long run.

“Youcan’tgetthattimeback,”Rickssaid.“Evenifyou canonlysavealittle, it’s importanttobegin whilealso managing otherﬁnancialpriorities.

3.UnderstandingEfficientTaxStrategies

“Understandinghowtaxesworkiskeytomaintaining healthyfinances andworking toward amoresecure retirement,” said Ricks. Withouta clearunderstanding of howdifferent incomesourcesaretaxed,individualsmayunknowingly reducetheirlong-termwealth.Workingwithafinancial professionaltoexploreindividualizedtax-efficientstrategies—includingtheuseofRothaccounts,whichallow fortax-freegrowth—canprovidevaluableopportunities for thosewho have notyet considered theseoptions Bu ildi ng Fi na ncia lC on fidenc e ThroughCommunity “Growing up,money wasn’t somethingwetalked about,”Rickssaid.“Ithinkthatneedstochange.Families shouldbehavingopendiscussionssoeveryonecanlearn andgrowtogether. This philosophy extendstohow GregoryRicks & Associates operates.The firmtakes ateam-based approach,focusingnot only on individual clientsbut alsoontheirfamiliesandbroadernetworks.Ricksand histeamaimtohelpdevelopastrongerfinancialfuture throughsharedknowledge andcollaboration “Takeasteptodaytowardimprovingyourfinancial literacy,” Rickssaid. “Finda resource that helpsyou stayuptodate—whetherthat’slisteningtoaradioshow, reading,orfollowing apodcast.” TuneintoWinningatLife®onSaturdaysfrom10a.m. to 12

mate Ev arsal Din Wedding

Housing authority plows forward on new units

Move comes amid struggle for affordable housing

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE

Staff writer

New Orleans’ public

housing agency is working

to make 1,000 affordable apartments available by the end of 2027, in a city that has struggled with an affordable housing shortage That includes 320 affordable apartments that HANO has made available for lease since January 2025, with new tenants moved in or set to move in within weeks, said Executive Director Marjorianna Willman

Another 680 units are expected to be ready for lease in the next year or two at seven new developments that have been in the works for years — including at the NSA East Apartments in the Bywater and the site of the former Winn-Dixie grocery store in Treme. The new lease-ups come as HANO has struggled with high vacancy rates at its properties in recent years and as ofﬁcials have struggled to make a dent in the city’s affordable housing problems.

The new units are a “major step forward in providing affordable, stable housing for our community members and bringing families back into quality homes,” Willman said.

Willman, who took the agency’s helm in January 2025, said that rehabbing units across the agency’s properties has been her priority, especially at developments like the Fischer Development Neighborhood

on the West Bank that came under scrutiny for high vacancy rates under the agency’s previous director, Evette Hester “We have an affordable housing issue, the minimum we could do is make sure that units we have control over are turned quickly and available for residents,” said Willman.

Willman said that the agency’s budget for increasing housing units remains

the same as in previous years, but that she has sped up the process of filling units by making staffing changes. Soon after taking over as director, Willman filled longstanding open jobs in the agency’s departments that oversee renovations and new development. She hired additional maintenance staff to address minor issues that had kept

Eva Hillmann, chief scientist with the Lake Pontchartrain Conservancy, tosses a device that measures water

Pontchartrain in New Orleans on April 13.

TESTING THE WATERS

New project aims to gauge health of Bayou St. John

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

The results will be highly personal for anyone who has ever ﬁshed, paddleboarded or simply strolled along it

Standing on a marshy shoreline, Eva Hillmann tosses a long cord into an old bayou that tells tales of New Orleans’ entire history She and her colleagues are hoping that their work along Bayou St. John will soon tell a few more. Hillmann, chief scientist for the Pontchartrain Conservancy, is involved in a project aiming to determine the health of the waterway that winds through the heart of New Orleans.

“We do recognize this is a valuable waterway in our community,” said Kristi Trail, the executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy, who accompanied Hillmann on a recent demonstration of the environmental group’s testing “The community’s curious about it, but we are curious too.”

The conservancy, a decades-old organization known for reviving Lake Pontchartrain in the 1990s, is collecting monthly water samples along different sections of the bayou, testing for qualities including heavy metals, bacteria, nutrients and algae.

An outgrowth of an earlier marsh creation project, it will offer insights into the health of habitats along the waterway, from transi-

ä See BAYOU, page 2B

Judge asked to admit evidence in staged wrecks case

Defendants have long criminal history, prosecutors say

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

At issue in a 55-page government ﬁling last week is whether prosecutors can reveal to a jury elements of the criminal biographies of Sean Alfortish, a disbarred lawyer accused of orchestrating the crash scheme from the top, and Leon “Chunky” Parker, the man Alfortish allegedly paid to gun down a conspirator, Cornelius Garrison III.

U.S District Judge Wendy Vetter has set an August trial date for Alfortish and Parker over Garrison’s murder and fraud, in what would culminate a yearslong probe dubbed “Operation Sideswipe”

that has brought dozens of convictions, including of two injury lawyers last month. In all, prosecutors have charged nearly 60 lawyers, passengers, recruiters and “slammers” wheelmen who filled cars with people, rammed them into moving 18-wheelers on busy highways and then brought the passengers to lawyers to ﬁle bogus claims. Parker and Alfortish face the

gravest allegations. Along with fraud, they are charged with plotting to kill Garrison, a “slammer,” at his mother’s home in Gentilly to silence him over his cooperation with the feds. Garrison’s name had appeared atop a federal indictment four days before his September 2020 slaying. The new ﬁling represents an effort by prosecutors to show that the two defendants repeated certain behaviors from past alleged wrongdoing throughout the staged accidents scheme.

In Alfortish’s case, the government argues that he displayed

a similar tendency to pressure witnesses into silence during the crime that landed him in federal prison many years ago: bilking the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Prosecutors say a 2005 murder that landed Parker in jail years later — before prosecutors dropped the case against him and three other men revealed a tendency to burn evidence to cover up a killing. Ryan “Red” Harris, a slammer who has pleaded guilty to charges related to Garrison’s killing, told

Alfortish

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

quality into Bayou St. John near Lake

The revival of native plants and birds along Bayou St. John near where it meets Lake Pontchartrain is being documented as part of a project to determine the health of the waterway.

Hillmann

tional marshes to more hardened shorelines. Funding for the project came from a roughly $100,000 grant from the Coypu Foundation, Trail said.

The project began last year and will continue until November

Residents have good reason to be concerned about the condition of the water in the bayou. In one famous example in 2019, crews removed about 750 tons of junk from the Lafitte Canal near the bayou, including a crushed car, a second car’s chassis, a truck bed and a sofa.

It is too early to say what the complete test results will show

But preliminary numbers have been good omens.

‘Nothing drastically negative’

The cord Hillmann threw into the bayou near where it meets Lake Pontchartrain was connected to a handheld water meter The

HOUSING

Continued from page 1B

otherwise lease-ready units ofﬂine.

“That has been a push for me to bring in top-quality staff,” Willman said.

Andreanecia Morris, director of HousingNOLA, an advocacy organization, said that the new and rehabbed units are a “step in the right direction” but that it “doesn’t meet the need that HANO is responsible for,” noting that there are thousands of families on HANO’s housing waitlist.

“We’re losing population at an unacceptable level. The housing authority is critical to that solution,” said Morris.

Morris’ organization says that the city needs 55,000 new affordable housing units over the next 10 years.

Willman said that she could not provide current vacancy rates for HANO’s properties but that there has “been a noticeable increase in occupancy” at Fischer and at the Estates, the former Desire housing development, which the agency took over from a troubled manage-

WRECKS

Continued from page 1B

the FBI he burned a Nissan afterward at Parker’s request.

The government may face hurdles in getting that evidence to land before a jury Judges tread gingerly in admitting evidence of “prior bad conduct” to show patterns of behavior, said Michael Magner, a veteran white-collar attorney and former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the case. “This type of evidence can be very powerful for the government and consequently very prejudicial to the defendant,” Magner said. “Accordingly, trial judges are very careful about deciding whether or not to allow the evidence in.”

Horsing around

In their motion, prosecutors focus on the case against Alfortish over a scandal 15 years ago within the horsemen’s group, which represents racehorse

meter collects real-time data on qualities including temperature, salinity and pH.

During the monthly samplings, a team of ﬁeld scientists logs these metrics and collects a water sample, which they send off to a lab.

Hillmann stressed that the team is still in the first portion of the sampling and that the scientists haven’t analyzed the entire dataset.

“I wouldn’t want to say anything too soon, but nothing drastically negative for sure,” Hillmann said of the preliminary results.

The scientists have also not yet had the chance to investigate another important question: What happens to the water quality during a storm? The group received additional funding to sample the water after heavy rainfall, which they deﬁned as two inches an hour

That hasn’t happened since the group started sampling.

Heavy rain could alter the makeup of the bayou, as water flows from the streets to the drainage system and into Bayou St. John.

“There may be pollution in our

streets that drain into our sewer into the bayou,” Hillmann said. “And so there might be a spike, for instance, in nitrogen if people fertilize their lawns and that then makes its way into the bayou.”

This could add to existing debris in the bayou, such as underwater bicycles or old cars releasing metals, Hillmann said. These conditions could be exacerbated with heavy rainfall.

Integral to New Orleans

The upper section of Bayou St. John — where Hillmann demonstrated the collection process — holds a rich history foundational to the city itself.

Until the late 1800s, it was the main drainage outfall for the city, intaking water from a network of bygone tributaries and discharging it into Lake Pontchartrain, explained Tulane geographer Richard Campanella. Indigenous travelers had long used the bayou as a path for trade and exploration. A portage road between the bayou and the Mississippi River served as a naviga-

The groundbreaking ceremony of the HRI Communities 50-unit Esplanade Delille Apartments project, a $22 million mixed-income, mixed-use development on a vacant city-owned block just outside the French Quarter at the corner of Esplanade Avenue and Henriette Delille Street in New Orleans, was on March 20. It marks the final one-for-one replacement housing requirement of the Iberville-Treme Neighborhood Choice Initiative

ment company in 2024. Thirty-four vacant units at the 364-unit Fischer development and 74 vacant units at the 425-unit Estates have been made ready for occupancy since January 2025,

owners and trainers, that triggered his criminal conviction, a 46-month prison sentence and disbarment.

Alfortish was found guilty of stealing from the group and rigging an election to remain its president.

The new filing describes how he once told HBPA employees not to “cooperate with the feds” — behavior prosecutors now argue is “substantially similar” to his approach with potential witnesses in the insurance fraud scheme with staged accidents.

Before deciding on the plan to kill Garrison, prosecutors accuse Alfortish of trying pay him to move to the Caribbean.

Alfortish left federal prison in 2014 and started running staged accidents with Garrison two years later, prosecutors allege.

The recent ﬁling describes how, after his disbarment, Alfortish enlisted his fiancée, injury attorney Vanessa Motta, to ﬁle lawsuits on behalf of passengers Garrison was supplying them.

A former Hollywood stuntwoman Motta was con-

Willman said. “Returning these units to commerce is an achievement that represents a signiﬁcant milestone in our mission,” said HANO Board President Percy Manson. “We are

victed last month alongside injury attorney Jason Giles and The King Firm, found guilty of fraud, obstruction and witness tampering — partly for her role in trying to convince Garrison to decamp to the Bahamas as scrutiny mounted.

Prosecutors argue that Alfortish’s disbarment underscores his motivation for enlisting Motta, as he was barred from practicing law himself.

“Alfortish’s notoriety was such an important, wellknown fact to the witnesses in this case that it would likely be impossible for the subject of his conviction and disbarment to not come up during trial,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Payne wrote in the ﬁling.

Alfortish’s attorney, Shaun Clarke, responded with a brief statement. “We will do our talking in court,” he said.

Alfortish was depicted during Motta’s trial as a ringleader of the crash scheme Motta argued she was an unwitting participant. Neither jury nor judge endorsed that view, however Motta was convicted

tional shortcut that allowed people coming from modern day coastal Mississippi to bypass part of the journey up the winding river French colonizers continued to use the path as their burgeoning settlement grew along the Mississippi River “In 1718, Bienville established New Orleans on account of that portage and that Bayou St. John connection,” Campanella said “If it weren’t for Bayou St. John, New Orleans would have been located elsewhere.”

In the 20th century, the bayou was dammed off from the lake during construction of the city’s modern drainage system, ceasing its function as a natural outfall and navigational route, Campanella said. The bayou remained severed from the lake until 2013, when Louisiana ofﬁcials dismantled the dam as part of a management plan crafted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

That’s when the Pontchartrain Conservancy stepped in, too, creating the marsh beneath the Lakeshore Drive bridge over the

committed to ensuring that our community has reliable access to stable housing options that promote a sense of security and belonging.”

Estates resident April Davis said that she has seen repairs made on some long-vacant units on her street, but that at least two remain empty The townhome development is dotted with boarded-up doors and windows, but Davis said she sees squatters ﬁnd their way into vacant units anyway Management recently replaced her stove and air conditioning, but the house still gets uncomfortably hot, she said. Davis has made requests to HANO to ﬁll holes rats dug under the house, but hasn’t heard back, she said, as her Shih Tzu named Desire scampered near the holes.

“It takes them a minute to come ﬁx stuff,” said Davis. Newly available HANO units also include 31 units at a Washington Avenue apartment complex purchased by HANO in October 2024. That property opened its waitlist this month, six months after its initially scheduled October opening. While affordable housing de-

of all counts, and Vitter ordered her detained before a July sentencing date.

“I have no reason whatsoever to believe that Ms. Motta was naive or was under the inﬂuence of anyone else,” the judge said at the time.

Old murder warrant

Prosecutors expect another witness, Harris, to testify against Parker about a 2005 murder for which Parker was arrested years later along with three other men, none of whom would be charged.

Harris testiﬁed last month that he learned from Garrison how to be a “slammer.” He pleaded guilty last year, admitting to introducing Parker to Alfortish, who allegedly was looking for someone to kill Garrison.

Alfortish and Motta had become increasingly concerned about Garrison cooperating with the feds. FBI memos detail how Parker, who had a romantic relationship with Harris’ mother and was “something of a father ﬁgure” to Harris, once told him that he “had killed

bayou to establish habitat for fish, waterfowl and crab, as well as to improve the bayou’s water quality before it meets the lake Grassy marsh filters the water as it flows through it.

The environmental group gathers water samples along different sections of the bayou — the marsh they created, a natural marsh area and more hardened shorelines.

The ﬁndings have been broadly positive, with low metal levels, Hillmann said. But the scientists wondered whether the data was “a one-time snapshot.” The current water testing in the next year will offer a deeper understanding of the conditions in the city’s historic and beloved bayou.

“If I was someone who recreated in Bayou St. John, like a paddleboarder or whatnot, I would be very interested in this water quality data,” Hillmann said. “The metals, the bacteria, the nitrogen, all of it is an indicator of how dirty or clean the water is.”

Email Josie Abugov at josie. abugov@theadvocate.com.

velopers have struggled in recent years to gather the funds to surmount high construction, borrowing and insurance costs, seven new developments are slated to house roughly 650 families over the next couple of years, HANO officials said. Some, like the final phase of the Faubourg Lafitte development at the site of the former Lafitte projects, have broken ground after years of delays. Other long-delayed HANO projects remain on hold as they await additional funding. Both the 82unit Mazant Royal development on Royal Street in Bywater and a 22-unit development on Baronne Street in Central City have been paused since last year when city officials withdrew $17 million in previously awarded funding as the city faced down a multimilliondollar budget deficit.

In an interview this month, Jeffrey Schwartz, the housing director for Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration, said that whether the city can make good on those commitments or not comes down to “a numbers game.”

“We are trying to make good on all of those commitments,” Schwartz said.

a man then burned his house down.”

Parker was booked in 2010 for a murder that took place in Gentilly two weeks before Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.

Shot dead in his kitchen was Marcel Trudeau, a 45-year-old plumber. Firefighters found him while responding to an apparent arson set to cover up the crime.

A New Orleans Police Department cold-case detective cut a warrant for Parker’s arrest in 2010, citing a witness who’d came forward and picked him out of a lineup as one of the killers, according to the warrant.

The charges were later dropped for reasons that aren’t detailed in the new ﬁlings.

Marvin Trudeau, the victim’s twin brother, said the district attorney at the time, Leon Cannizzaro, told them the available evidence wasn’t strong enough to prosecute the case.

After he was indicted and agreed to cooperate with the investigation into Garrison’s slaying, Harris described to

FBI agents how, at Parker’s direction, he bought gasoline and doused the Nissan Rogue that he said Parker drove that night, then set it ablaze.

A notice ﬁled in court this week shows that Parker is slated to plead guilty on May 12 to a conspiracy charge and two mail fraud counts over staging crashes. His attorney, Stephen Haedicke, said Parker still intends to go to trial on the murder charges. Haedicke declined to comment on the motion to introduce evidence of the 2005 slaying. Staff writer John Simerman contributed to this story

LOTTERY

FRIDAY,APRIL 24, 2026

PICK 3: 0-5-7

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Aaron, Veronica Batten,Albert Bongiorno,Antonino

Carnesi, Robert

Cockfield, Mildred

Condoll, Jean

DeMatteo, Carlo

Fleury,Joseph GerarveJr.,Frank Jensen,Janet

Joyner, Myrtly

Kraft, Julie

McClelland,Agnes

McConnell, Roger

Mejia,Robert Moity,Stephen Nishke,Carol

Page,Betty

Pelloat III, Jacques

Rooney,Anita

TroendleJr.,Roy

UptonJr.,Kenneth

Weidig,Irene

Williams,Doris

Zimmermann, Corinne

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Rooney,Anita

Leitz-Eagan

manCollege in 1999. She retired in 2013 from Ochsner MedicalCenter MainCampusneurology departmentclinic.Beloved motherofStevenR.(Robin H.) Aaron, Sr KendallA Aaron,RenellL.Aaron,and the late Ryan L. Aaron. Grandmother of Steven,Jr. RyanG Alexis,India Ciara,Kendall,Jr.,Rhonda, Laila,Doreain andthe late Koure’R.Aaron.Great great grandmotherofthe lateSwedenD.Aaron Daughterofthe late Nelson Johnson,Jr.,Lucille Harris Johnson,Emily J. Johnson. SisterofWalterM.John‐son,Sr.,EvelynJ.Johnson, GloriaJ.Harris, andthe lateEdwardJ.Johnson,Sr., Alton,Peter,and Gregory Johnson,EllaJ.Richardson, and DorisJ.Russell. De‐voted friend of Henryand Lynette Hampton, Shannon Stanley,Wilfred Samith Zackary,Sr. andTamera Taylor, also survived by a hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamilyalso priestand parishioners of All Saints andSt. Katerine DrexelCatholicChurches, and neighboringchurches; employees of Ochsner ClinicFoundation-Neurol‐ogy Department,Caesars Superdome,NotocoIndus‐tries,U.S.Air Force, Our Ladyofthe Lake Hospital, members of St.Francis De‐Sales Golden Voices Choir, Knights of PeterClaver, and Ladies AuxiliaryCourt 325. CelebrationofLife wereheldatAll Saints Catholic Church 1441 Teche St. NewOrleans,LAonSat‐urday,April 25,2026 at 11:30a.m. Father Fred Kad‐dau Celebrant. Visitation willbegin at 10:00a.m.In‐terment:Woodlawn Park MemorialCemetery-West‐wego, LA.Arrangementsby Davis Mortuary Service230 MonroeSt. Gretna,LA. To viewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com.

Carnesi, Robert Batten, Albert Gary

Page,Betty NewOrleans Greenwood GerarveJr.,Frank JacobSchoen Jensen,Janet Lake Lawn Metairie

Batten,Albert Bongiorno,Antonino

DeMatteo, Carlo

UptonJr.,Kenneth

Weidig,Irene

Zimmermann, Corinne Majestic Mortuary

Condoll, Jean Williams,Doris St Tammany

Audubon

Kraft, Julie McClelland,Agnes

Moity,Stephen

EJ Fielding

Pelloat III, Jacques

Serenity FH

Cockfield, Mildred West Bank

DavisMortuary

Aaron, Veronica Mothe

Fleury,Joseph Obituaries

Aaron,

Club. HisMonday ROMEO (Retired OldMen Eating Out) luncheswith dear friends were sacred to him. Gary was so grateful hissix uncles survived WorldWar II,sohebecame acharter member of theNew Orleans WWII Museum.A theater chair in themuseum willbededicated in memory of Gary and in honorofthe brave servicemen in his family Anyone wishing to make a donationcan support that cause in his name. The family wouldliketo especially thank"Dr. J", Georgia and theFresenius Kidney Center fortheir amazing support over the past 2.5 years. And sincere gratitudetoDr. Monty Glorioso forhis decadesof loving care.

Aprivate, family graveside servicewas heldon April24atHebrewRest Cemetery No.3 To view and sign the family online guestbook and share your memories of Gary, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Albert Gary Batten,of Metairie, Louisiana,passed awaypeacefully, surrounded by his family, on April 21, 2026 at the ageof89. Eldest son of the late Albert J. Batten& Keturah Battenof Paragould, Arkansas (of Batten's Donuts),beloved husband of Sonya, father to Jodi & Nicole (Todd), brotherto KarenPlanchard (Greg), RobertBatten(Jean),and RickBatten (Sandy), grandfather to Sabrina, Reed,and Miles, and uncle to Chris and Brent. Adored forthe last 37 years by his stepchildren DavidLopp (Leslie), Aleece Gottfried (Harry), the late Aaron Lopp, also step-grandchildrenShayna, Lindsay, and Rachel

Gary retired at the ripe young age of 80 from Burns &Wilcox, afterspending his entire career building highly successful businesses in the insurance industry. However,ifyou knewGary,you'dknow that over his esteemed60year career the things he builtthat he wasmost proudofwerehis relationships.Garywas the quintessentialactive listener,alwaysdevoting time to mentorthe next generation, keenly skilled at recognizing talentand supporting peopleto achievetheir goals. Among his colleagues, he was known for his optimism, integrity, and his companionship with others in the business. Both personally and professionally, he touchedand changed so many lives. Toomanyto count. Workingata varietyof jobs to put himselfthrough college, Gary started at Ouachita Baptist Universityand graduated from Arkansas State University. His firstinsurance jobbroughthim to Texas, but ultimately Louisiana became home, spending the last 50 years there as an industry leader.Throughout his career, he prioritizedgiving back to his field as president of the 1752Club and the Deep South Chapter of the CPCU Societyand through his work with the Casualty and Surety SocietyofNew Orleans,the Professional

and

Robert "Bob" Harold Carnesi, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2026, at theage of 88. He was born in NewOrleans, Louisiana on July2,1937, to thelateWilliamCarnesi and Thelma Saucier Carnesi. He was agraduateofFrancis T. Nicholls HighSchool and married hishighschoolsweetheart,SylviaOry Carnesi. He was theproud father of hisson, Robert Harold Carnesi, Jr. (the late Jan), and daughter, Robyn Carnesi Oubre (Kerry, Jr.) He was thedevoted grandfather of Trey Carnesi (Noel), Austin Carnesi (Addison), Julia Oubre and JolieOubre, and greatgrandfather of Juliana and Lillian.

beautiful costumesand family-friendlyparade. Bob hada unique relationship with Disney and wasvery proudtobethe only paradeinMardi Gras history to fly in Mickey andfriends straightfrom WaltDisney Worldtoserve as grand marshals of theCaesar parade. Through this relationship, he broughtMardi Gras magic to WaltDisney Worldfor tenyears. The courtparaded in Pleasure Island, whichisnow Disney Springs, androde in theircostume shoulder pieces on thefloats with thecharacters in theMain Street parade in theMagic Kingdom. Bob truly enjoyedbringingjoy to others andhad a larger-than-life personality. He wasa true entertainer through hisMardi Gras escapades, hisstorytelling, andhis sense of humor. He wasaloyal friend, ahardworking businessman,a devotedCaptain,and a belovedfamilyman. He will truly be missed.

appreciated

Cockfield, Mildred Norma

Mildred Norma Gibson 'Millie'Cockfieldpassed away peacefullyin Covington,Louisiana, on April 15, 2026, at theage of 90.

the

Bongiorno passed away peacefully on April 20, 2026, leaving behind a legacy defined by hard work, devotion to family, and apassion for bringing people togetherthrough food and hospitality. Born on July14, 1945, in Messina, Sicily,to Giuseppe and Giuseppa Bongiorno, Nino's early life was shaped by therichtraditionsofhis homeland

As ayoung man, he traveled across Italy and allofEurope,embracing new cultures, learning multiple languages,and creating his own opportunities, before eventually making his way to New York in pursuitofthe American dream. With determinationand an entrepreneurial spirit, Nino became instrumental in opening numerous pizza franchises across the UnitedStates, building a reputationfor quality and dedication

In 1997, he established his own restaurant, Café Nino, in NewOrleans—a place that quickly became morethanjust abusiness. It was areflectionofNino himself: warm, welcoming, and full of life.For nearly twodecades, he ran the restaurant withprideand care, creating aspace where guests felt like family.Inhis later working years, he cherished time with his son Giuseppe working alongsidehim, helping carry forward the valuesand traditions Nino held dear until his retirement in 2015.

Nino is survivedbyhis loving wife, Karin; his son, Giuseppe;his daughter, Danielle; his sister, Cettina; hisnieces, Amaliaand Aurelia;his nephew, Giuseppe;and his cherishedgrandchildren, Richard and Samantha. He also leavesbehindmany extended family members and countless friends whose liveswere enriched by hiskindness, generosity, and spirit

Though wordscan hardly capture thefullness of his life,those who knew Nino willremember aman of strength,warmth,and unwavering love forhis family.His memory will live on in thestories shared,the meals enjoyed and thelasting impact he madeonall who had the privilege of knowing him.

No services willbeheld at this time. We thank you for allofyourwellwishes.

Bob was theVice President of Sales for ChiquitaBrands, and later DelMonte Produce Company. He knew everything and anythingrelated to bananas and earnedhis nickname "The Banana Man".Bob was aproud Italianand was amember of theItalianCultural Society in his younger years. He was honored to receiveaSpecial Achievement Award from theItalian CulturalSociety in 1990 and reignedasthe ItalianGrand Marshal of theIrish Italian Parade in Metairie in 1991. Bob enjoyed histime away fromwork, spending time withhis family and golfing,but thething he was most passionate aboutwas MardiGras. His love of MardiGras started as ayoung man attending MardiGras ballswhere his future wife, Sylvia, was dancing.Bob,along with a group of friends, decided to form theKrewe of Caesar in Metairie in 1978. Bob was theCaptain of Caesar forthe entiretyof thefortyyears thekrewe paraded.Caesar quickly grew to be one of the largestand most innovative krewes in Jefferson Parish, known for their

Afuneral mass willbe held at Saint Catherine of SienaChurch at 12:30 on Thursday, April 30. Visitation will be held from 10:30 until12:30. In lieu of flowers, donations to the SunshineKids, https://ww w.sunshinekids.org/dona te.html ,would be greatly

Anative of Sulphur Louisiana, Millie wasa longtime residentof Metairiefor 49 years before moving to Mandeville followingthe passing of herbeloved husband of 51 years, James"Jimmie" C. Cockfield.

Millie wasdeeply devoted to herCatholic faith. For many years, she found great joyinvolunteeringat St.Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Metairie, whereshe ar-

Carnesi, Robert Harold'Bob'

Bongiorno, Antonino 'Nino'

Antonino "Nino

4B ✦ Sunday,April 26, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

ranged flowers for the altar. She was an avid reader and spent much of her spare time writing poetry, singing, and dancing. Known for her quick wit and wry senseofhumor, Millie remained aspirited presence even in her later years; in assisted living, she was often found singing and dancing, even from herwheelchair.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jimmie; two sons, Paul B. Cockfield and James "Little Jimmy" R. Cockfield; her parents, Arnoldand Paula P. Gibson; three brothers, Raymond, Russell, and MalcolmGibson; and her sister, Mary "Joanne" Horton.

She is survived by her children: Mary Cockfield, JulianaCloud (Tony), Matthew Cockfield (Laura), Anne "Lucia" Moscatello (the late Richard), Jude Cockfield, Heather Oster (Michael), Joshua Cockfield (Alicia), Noah Cockfield (Heather), and Seth Cockfield. She also leaves behind her brother, Kenneth Gibson (Melinda); sixteen grandchildren: Sarah, Benjamin, Ashley, Liana, Tyler, Paul, Jason, Hannah, Kyle, Luke, Adam, Clayton, Hope, Ava, Zoe, and James; and seven great-grandchildren: Ariana, Liliana, Emmett Avery, Owen, Navy, Emmett Lamarand Robin.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of ChristianBurialat Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1505 W. Causeway Approach, Mandeville, LA, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026,at 12:30 PM with Visitation beginning at 10:30 AM. Interment willfollow at St Joseph's Abbey Cemetery, Covington, LA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Louisiana Right to Life Federation, Inc., 200 Allen Toussaint Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124 (866-463-5433) or Donate to Protect Life & Help Moms at Louisiana Right to Life, www.prolifelouisiana.org/ donate.

With full hearts we an‐nouncethe passingofour beloved mother,Jean PierreCondoll, on April 22nd, 2026. Jean wasborn onSeptember 18th, 1939,in New Orleans, Louisianato her loving parentsMelvin Pierreand Thelma Lewis Pierre. As an only child, she wasnurturedand adored, notonlybyher parents,but by hergrand‐parents,aunts,unclesand cousins.Jeancherished and treasuredher family! With familysupport and highaspirations,she earnedher bachelor’s de‐greefromDillard Univer‐sityofNew Orleans. Shortly after,she married the love of herlife, Paul Camille Condoll, on Decem‐ber 1, 1961, andwas a faithfulwifefor 55 years. Jean’sjourney on this earth wassigniﬁed by her unwavering commitment tocaringfor others,which led hertoa career in social work. Throughher position asa social worker with the State of Louisiana, she spent hercareer serving and supporting vulnerable individuals andfamilies Outside of work,Jeanalso steppedintothe role of caregiver as shelovingly cared forher mother Thelmauntil herpassing in 2010. Shealsocared forher husband Paul after hisdis‐ablingstroke, until his passing in 2016. In herre‐tirementyears,Jeanfound joy in playingthe slot ma‐chinesatthe casino,gar‐dening, andspendingqual‐ity time with family & friends.Jeanservedasa dutiful member of the Knights of PeterClaver LadiesAuxiliary.Her com‐passionatenaturewill havea lastingimpactonall who have hadthe privilege ofknowing her. Jean is sur‐vived by herchildren, Dawn(Bret), Blair(Nicole), and twograndchildren Cameron andSydney, as wellasa host of loving and caringcousins,nieces, nephews,and friends. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe family, Priestsand parish‐ionersofSt. MariaGoretti Catholic Church andall neighboring catholic churches, membersofthe Knights of PeterClaverand LadiesAuxiliary,and staff ofMajesticMortuaryand LifeInsurance areall in‐vited to attend aMassof ChristianBurial, whichwill

be held on Thursday,April 30, 2026 at St.Maria Goretti Catholic Church 7300 Crow‐der Blvd Visitation will begin at 10:00 am.Massof Christian Burial will begin at 11:00am,Reverend DanielH.Green.Interment willbeatLakeLawnPark MetairieCemetery. Profes‐sionalArrangementsEn‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc(504)5235872.

DeMatteo,Carlo

Carlo DeMatteo, 97, of NewOrleans, passed away peacefully on April17, 2026.Hewas firstgeneration Italian American born to his Sicilian immigrant parents Salvatore DeMatteo and Frances CarolloDeMatteo on March 11, 1929. Carlo graduated from S.J.Peters High School in New Orleans wherehewas voted "Best Dressed" for his sense of style back in 1944and subsequently received the Men Of Fashion awardin 2011

Asuccessful realestate investor and owner of several companies in and around NewOrleans, Carlo has been agenerous supporterofthe New Orleans Opera Association, the NewOrleans Balletand St Joseph Charitiesand was one of the founding members of the Greater New Orleans Italian American Cultural Society in the 1970s.

He was awarded the Cavaliere Republica delle Italia by the Consul General of Italy,aswellas the Sweetheart Award by the American Heart Association.

Carlo willbefondly remembered as aloving husband, father,and beloved uncle. He treasured his family and his Sicilianheritageabove allelse.

Carlo was preceded in deathbyhis parents; sisters, Rose Janusa,Rosalie Mortillaro, Nita Mortillaro, Bernadine Hennis, and MaryGrace Christina; brother, Henry DeMatteo; and son-in-law, Michael Otillio

Survivors include his wife,of61years,Louana Brocato DeMatteo; daughters, LanaDeMatteo and Carla DeMatteo Turnage (Philip); and manynieces and nephews

The family would like to extendspecial thanks to the staffatThe Peristyle at Bucktown andCare AssociatesHospice for the care they provided to Carlo.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend avisitation from 1:00 until 3:00 pm, Monday,April 27, 2026, at Lake LawnMetairie FuneralHome, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans.A privateintermentwillfollow.

To view and sign the family online guestbook and share your memories of Carlo, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

In lieu of flowers, please considerdonating in his name to American Italian Cultural Center, www.aiccnola.org.

play crosswordpuzzles.He was anativeofNew Or‐leans,Louisiana anda resi‐dentofGretna, Louisiana. Serviceswillbeheldpri‐vatelyata laterdate. Fam‐ily andfriends canview and sign theonlineguest book at www.mothefunera ls.com.

GerarveJr.,Frank Edward

On April23, 2026, Frank EdwardGerarve,Jr. passed peacefullyfromthisworld atthe ageof85. Frankwas borninNew Orleans, Louisiana to hisparents Frank andElizabeth GenusaGerarve.Hewas a graduateofDeLaSalle High School andattended Louisiana StateUniversity. Frank wasa devotedhus‐bandof40years to Marion Morvant Gerarve, who pre‐ceded himindeath.Heis survivedbyhis children Jeanne GerarvePichon (Richard),Frank E. Gerarve, III, andMatthew Gerarve; his grandchildrenMatthew Gerarve,Jr. (Lindsey), Julia Gerarve Hess (Benjamin), Phillip Gerarve(Autumn), Jacob Pichon andJoshua Pichon; andhis great granddaughter LillianGer‐arve(Matthew Jr.).Heis alsosurvivedbyhis brother Dennis M. Gerarve, and numerous family members whomheloved dearly. Frankwas ahard‐working manwho builta career as an architect, de‐signing homesand build‐ingsthatstand as atesta‐menttohis talents. He was the principalofhis ownar‐chitectural ﬁrm.“Coach Frank”was also avolun‐teer coachatLittleFarms Playground in RiverRidge for countless years. Ser‐vices will be held on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd. NewOrleans,LA, with visitationfrom11:00 am to 1:00pm, followed by a Catholic Mass in the chapelat1:00pm. Inter‐mentwillfollowatGreen‐wood Cemetery.Inlieuof ﬂowerspleasemakedona‐tions to theLSPCA in Frank’s memory,inthathe was an avid animal lover and caredfor many pets through theyears

Jensen,Janet

JosephineVerrette

JanetJosephine Verrette Jensendiedpeacefully sur‐rounded by familyonApril 21, 2026, at theage of 92

She is survived by her ﬁve children, JanelleLee (Steve),Jeanne Jensen (BeckyPierce),MaryLee (KevinSr.)Amy Reggio (Gary), RichardJensen, Jr (Kristine),her sister GenevaMichel, eight grandchildren andseven great-grandchildren.Pre‐ceded in deathbyher beloved husband of 47 years,Richard Jensen,Sr., her parents, Herbertand Edith Verrette,brothers, Davis Verette,Sr. andHar‐vey Verrette,and grand‐daughterAubreyJensen Lee. Janetwas born and raisedinPierrePart, Louisiana before moving to New Orleansafter graduat‐ing from high school.She was alongtimecongregant atSt. MariaGoretti Catholic Church,a found‐ing member of theadult choir thereand served in the AltarSociety formany years.In1991, shewas awarded theOrder of St Louis Medallionfor her dedicated servicetothe church.Inher lateryears she residedatLaurelSe‐niorLivingwhere shewas beloved by thestaff and wellcared foruntil her death.Serviceswillbeheld atJacob Schoen &SonsFu‐neral Home on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Visitation at 10:00 a.m.,followedby massinthe chapel at Noon.Burialtofollowat 2:00p.m.atGreenwood Cemetery.

Dr. Myrtly Ricard Joyner, 85, was born in Chenal(now Rougon)Louisiana, and died in Baton Rouge on April16, 2026. She wasa graduateofSouthern University Laboratory School(Class of 1956), and Southern University where she reigned as Miss Southern, 1959-60. She was awarded twoHEW fellowships for graduatestudy and received amaster's degree fromXavier University of Louisiana and doctorate fromKansas StateUniversity. She began her teaching career in East Baton RougeParish and continued in Somerset, NewJersey, Southern University, and upon retirement, Baton Rouge Community College She is survivedbyher children,MelodyJohnson Patton and Jimmie L. Joyner, III; her grandchildren,Devin andDamien Patton:two greatgrandchildren, Kalayah and Nallah Patton; her sister Natalie Ricard, and many friends ,nieces, nephews and sorors. She was preceeded in death by her son, Celwyn Blaise Johnson, her parents, JosephW.Ricard and Melodie Amar Ricard,her sisterRay Helen Temple and her brother MacFarland Ricard.

At her request,her body was donated to science. A Eucharistic Mass willbe held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11411 Goodwood Drive on May 1st at 10:00 am. The Ivy Beyond theWall Ceremony, conducted by Alpha KappaAlpha Sorority members, willbe held at 9:00 am Amemorial servicewillbeheldat10:00 AM on 2026-05-01 at St Thomas More Catholic Church, 11411 Goodwood Drive.

JulieMarie Landry Kraft was born in BatonRouge Louisiana,onMarch 9, 1942. Shepassedontoher eternal home on April23, 2026, peacefully in her sleep at herdaughter’s homeinSlidell. Shewas healedofsepsisinJanuary 2026, buther body didnot recover from having theill‐ness. Juliewas preceded in death by herparents,J BarkerLandryand Lucille D.Landry; hersisters,C JaneL.Readand SusanM Landry; andbyher son, ThomasE.Kraft.She is sur‐vived by hersister, Joan LandryLasak;her children WilliamB.Kraft (Becky) and Nicole E. Kraft (Nicole Schmitt);aswellasher grandchildren,Timothy Kraft (Elizabeth), Nicole I. Kraft (Chantel), Melissa Kraft,VictoriaKraft, Stephen Kraft,and Alexis Kraft;her great-grandchil‐dren, Lena,Titus,Demitri, Melody, andBeckett; and byher nieces,Elise Read (Robert Hodges), Leslie Read, andMichelle Holmes, as well as numer‐ous cousins. Juliegrewup inPlaquemine, Louisiana, which even though it is close to BatonRouge,itis deﬁnitely bayoucountry Her daddy played aweekly poker game with thesher‐iff, mayor, andjudge of the town. Julie’sfun-loving spiritsoaredasshe raced carsonthe levy of theMis‐sissippi Riverand also downRailroadAve.She graduated from St.John HighSchool in 1960, but spent ayearatboarding school in Mississippi just because shewantedtotry it. Sheattended theUniver‐sityofLouisiana –Lafayette andthenmarried ThorntonE.“TK”Kraft in 1962. Sheand TK livedin New Orleansinvarious places– becauseshe loved change– until they settled downand purchaseda homeinSlidell. Shehad three children andwas veryactiveinlocal clubs likethe Rotary Club,the ElksClubwithTK, Slidell’s Newcomer’sClub, as well asbeing politicallyactive inthe SlidellWomen’s Re‐publicanClub, where she was Presidentofthe club atone point. Julieloved a good controversialpolitical conversation.Throughout

herlife, Juliewas also a talentedartistand lovedto createthings. Juliewas a woman of faith.She grew upCatholic, butinher early 40s wasinvolvedin the Charismaticmovement ofthe Catholic Church and later transferredtoa nondenominationalchurchin the mid-80s. Afterher di‐vorce from TK,overthe years,inSlidell, sheat‐tendedChurch of Faithand New JerusalemPraise& Worship Center.In2001 she returned to Plaquem‐ine to care forher mother She remained thereuntil 2021, whenshe returned to Slidell. During hertimein Plaquemine, sheattended River Ministries Interna‐tionalChurch.She prayed for many,manypeople overthe years. Through her demonstrationofcare and concern, shehelpedto establish afoundationof faith in otherpeople’s lives.Julie didnot know any strangers. Herheart was as bigasher gumbo pot.She couldmakesome‐thing outofnothing,and there wasnever atime thatshe couldn’t make a mealthatshe prepared for her familyof five stretchto feed 15 –withher loaves (or should Isay biscuits) and fishes abilities. There was neversomeone within her sphere of influence who didnot have ahome. If someoneneededa place tolive, into herhomeshe’d takethem, andtreated themliketheywereone of her own. Even though it was only athree-bedroom house,she always man‐agedtomakespace to fit one more.The kids in the neighborhood that some would label“juvenile delin‐quents,”she wouldcall themfutureapostles, dis‐ciples, andhandmaidens ofthe Lord,because she’d alwaysparaphraseRo‐mans4:17, “Callthose thingswhich be not, as thoughtheywere.”I am pretty sure that they areall productivemembers of so‐ciety now. Julieloved peo‐ple,and sheloved agood game– boardgames,card games,and Dominos. She was competitive, which sometimes caused herto bea bitofa cheat, butit was always in good fun. She wasalwaysupfor a gathering at herhome, be itfor aCanasta game or a Bible Study. Shebright‐enedthe livesofsomany. Our worldislittlebit dim‐mer withouther lightinit. Her legacy though,lives on inher children,grandchil‐dren, great-grandchildren, nieces, andinthe livesof all thoseshe touchedover the years. Services to honor Julie’slifewillbe heldatAudubon Funeral Homelocated at 61101 Hwy 11inSlidell, Louisianaon Friday, May1,2026. Visita‐tionwillbeheldfrom2:00 PMto4:00PMfollowedby a funeralservice in the chapelat4:00PM. Thefam‐ily asks,inlieuof flowers, tohonor Julie’slegacy, that ifyou seesomeone on the outskirts or someonewho needsa hand,reach out and lend yours. Memories and condolencesmay be expressedatwww.Aud ubonFuneralHome.com

McClelland,Agnes

Charlotte Krippendorff

AgnesCharlotte McClel‐landnée Krippendorff, age 96, passedawayinher sleep on April12, 2026 BornonJune 14, 1929, in Tianjin (formerlyTientsin), China,Charlotte wasa memberofthe RedHat So‐ciety,a LouisianaPavilion Supervisoratthe 1984 World’s Fair in NewOr‐leans,and alicensedtour guide in Louisianaand acrossthe United States for German andChinese groups. Shebredand raisedChinese Shar Pei dogs andshowedthem around thecountry.Char‐lotte lovedgardening,play‐ing bridge with hermany friends andfellowclub members,and travelingto Red Hatconferences and dog shows. Charlotte spoke ﬁve languagesand lived in Europe andNorth Africafor anumberof years with herhusband and children.She wasa longtimeresidentofTall Timbers in Algiers, LA.; PortSulphur,LA; Slidell, LA; andPicayune,MS. Charlotte wasprede‐ceasedbyher husbandof nearly67years,Tommy B. Mac” McClelland,and son,GregorySethMcClel‐land. Sheissurvivedbyher children, MarilynMcClel‐landThorpe, GavinPatrick McClelland, TommyBen‐nettMcClelland, Jr., and DwayneNealy McClelland; 12grandchildren;10greatgrandchildren;and several niecesand nephews. Char‐lotte’s cremated remains, together with herhus‐band’s, will be interred in the familyplotinBig Woods Cemetery in Edgerly,Louisiana.A pri‐vateCelebration of Life will beheldata laterdate. Memoriesand condo‐lencesmay be expressed atwww.AudubonFuneralH ome.com

McConnell,Roger Joseph

Roger McConnell(AKA, WhiteRabbit), age 90, of NewOrleans,LA. Passed away peacefullyon Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Belovedhusband of Earline McConnell(Deceased). Father of Roger McConnell Jr., DonMcConnelland KimberlieMcConnell (Deceased). Brother of Donald McConnell (Deceased) andsister in law Cheryl McConnell Threegrandchildren and four great grandchildren Hisenergywillbemissed, will neverbeforgotten

IN LOVINGMEMORYOF

Mariaand Suyapa Casco

Happy Heavenly Birthday to our beloved Maria and Suyapa Casco. Though your birthdays are only aweek apart, this year we honor you both together for the very first time. As you would be celebrating 77 and 57 years this year, our hearts feel the weight of your absence more deeply as we remember and celebrate the beautiful lives you both lived. Mama, your love, strength, and the way you cared for all of us will never be forgotten. You were the heart of our family, and we miss your warmth and guidance every day. Lizeth, your kindness, laughter, and love brought so much light into our lives and made each of us feel so special. You always knew how to light up aroom with your smile. We find comfort in knowing you are both in the presence of the Lord, reunited in His eternal peace. We imagine you celebrating together in Heaven, watching

Joyner,Myrtly Ricard

Condoll, Jean Pierre

Kraft, JulieMarie Landry

Fleury,JosephA

Robert Mejia passed away on April 17, 2026.He was born in Caicedonia, Colombia, onApril14, 1956. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1962, arriving through Miami and settling in New Orleans, which he always considered his home.

He attended St. Dominic School, Brother Martin High School, and John F. Kennedy High School. He studied Electrical Engineeringatthe University of New Orleans driven by alifelong curiosity for how things worked and an innate talent for fixing them. He began his career designing controls in the chemical process industry and later led various publicand municipal projects across the region. He was involved in the Louisiana Engineering Society, serving as president of the New Orleans Chapter from 2015 to 2016.

He met his wife, Janine, in 1984, and together they welcomed twochildrenin 1998 and 2004. He lovedbeingonthe water and was most at home at his weekend house on the Mississippi coast—fishing, feeding the gulls, or enjoying asunset.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Yolima and Dorance; his sister, Catalina; and many beloved dogs who were part of his life over the years. He is survived by his wife, Janine; their children, Nick and Isabella; his siblings, Susana, Teresa, and Hector; his dogs, Abel and Puffer; and many extended family members and friends.

He will be remembered for his pragmaticapproach to problem solving, his dedication to his family, and his love for the natural beauty around him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Northshore Humane Society in Robert's name. The family asks that you share amemory or picture of Robert via this form: bit.ly/robert-mejia-memories

Please think of Robert in aquiet moment on the marsh, where he was happiest.

life’s quietmoments.Asa parishioner of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, hefound asense of peace and connection that re‐ﬂectedhis values andthe lifehelived.While hispres‐encewillbegreatly missed, hislegacywilllive onthrough thelives he touched andthe love he shared. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tenda visitation on Satur‐day,May 2, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.to12:00 p.m. at Audubon FuneralHomein Slidell. AFuneralMasswill begin in thechapelat noon.Steve will be laid to restinAudubon Memorial Gardens Cemetery follow‐ing services.Inlieuof ﬂow‐ers,memorialdonations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital are appreciated. Memories and condolencesmay be expressed at www.Aud ubonFuneralHome.com.

Moity,Stephen J. Family, Friends, andMembersof the IBEW Local 130 are invitedtoattend the Funeral Mass at Audubon Memorial Gardens 64401 Hwy. 11, Slidell,LA70458on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 12:00pm. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Nishke SSND, Carol Jean

Sr.Carol Jean Nishke, age 85, passedpeacefully away in Covington, LA on April14, 2026.She is precededindeath by her parents,Esther(Koening) and Charles Nishke.She is survived by her sister Dorothy (Nishke) Gates, Amherst, NH, her family and relatives

Sr.Carol Jean found her greatest love ofministry among AfricanAmerican communities,for whom she servedaseducator or pastoral ministerfor 40 years in MO and AR Mayshe now rejoice with her God as she enters eternal life Servicesfor Sr.Carol Jean will be held at St Anthony's Gardens, Covington, LA on May1 starting with aSharing of Memories Service at 10:30 and aMemorial Massat 11:00. Services entrustedto Serenity Funeral Home, Covington, La. Moity, Stephen Joseph 'Steve'

StephenJoseph “Steve”Moity,of PearlRiver Louisiana, passed awayonApril 20, 2026,at the ageof74. He wasborn onSeptember 16,1951, in New Orleans, Louisiana,to the late Lawrence “Chick” Moity andthe late Marian Rizan Moity. Steve’slove story with hisbeloved wife, Rosemary Albert Moity,lasted54memoryﬁlled years. Together,they raiseda loving family,in‐cluding twochildren, Michelle MoityMartrain and StephenJosephMoity, Jr. (Megan Maraia). His joy multipliedwiththe arrival ofeachgrandchild:Alexan‐der Joseph Martrain,Abi‐gailRoseMartrain, Parker AlbertMoity,and Cooper JosephMoity.He also leavesbehindtwo broth‐ers,David Moity and Michael Moity, anda host ofextendedfamilymem‐bersand friends, allof whomheloved greatly. He was alongtimeresidentof St. BernardParishand graduated from Chalmette HighSchool with theClass of’69. He served in the UnitedStatesAir ForceRe‐serve.Anelectrician by trade,Steve wasknown for his strong work ethicand his commitmenttodoing a job well, qualitiesthat servedhim throughout his years with IBEW Local130 and in hisworkwithIATSE Local 39, where he worked asa stagehand. He found solaceand joyin ﬁshing. Hewas agiftedstory teller, always readyto share amemoryfromthe past. Stevecould oftenbe found sittingonhis back‐yardswing,surrounded by hisgardenasheenjoyed

Betty Ann Wagner Page, age87ofHarahan, LA, wenthome to be with the Lord on Monday,April 20, 2026.Betty wasborn on June 11, 1938 in New Orleans,LAtoEugene Anthony Wagner, Sr. and Charlotte Caroline Vorbusch Wagner. Betty graduated from Alcee Fortier High School in 1956, and she worked inthe insurance industry formany years. Betty was amember of Salem United Church of Christ,St. Matthew United ChurchofChrist, and currentlya memberofLittle Farms United Church of Christ.Her greatest achievements werebeing awife, mother,grandmother, and great grandmother Betty was precededin death by her parents, Eugene and Charlotte; her siblings, Eugene Wagner, Jr. (Gloria),Charlotte DeGeorge (Charles), Ruth Cronin(Chuck), Jacob Wagner (Juanita), and Paul Wagner; her motherand father-in-law, Philip R. Page, Sr and Dorothy June Morrison Page; andher brother-in-law, MarkM Page. Survivorsinclude her lovinghusband of 64 years, Philip R. Page, Jr;her children, Sandra Page Edwards (Matt) and Wendy Page Tejeda (Rafael, Sr.); her grandchildren, Rafael, Jr.(Lainey), Brandon (Amber), Antonio, and Britney (Tyler); and hergreat grandchildren, Austen, Sawyer, Sloan, Rafael,III, and Savannah. Also survivedbynumerous nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends of

thefamily are invitedtoattend thevisitationatLeitzEagan Funeral Home,4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie,LAonThursday, April30, 2026 from5:00 PM until 8:00 PM.and on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. Funeral services will be held in thefuneral home chapel at 11:00 AM. Burial willfollow in Restlawn Park Cemetery, Avondale, LA

Pelloat III,Jacques 'Pappy'

Sergeant Jacques "Pappy" Pelloat III, at the ageof79, passedaway on Sunday, April 19, 2026. He was born on January13, 1947 in NewOrleans, Louisiana and raised in Madisonville, Louisiana.

He is survivedbyhis loving wife of 55 years, Diane Denise Turcich, He is survivedbyhis children, Jenny Pelloat Kinler, Molly Pelloat, and son-in-law Frank Kinler; and grandchildren, Jordan Kinler, Jake Kinler and Sydney Pelloat. He is also survived by hissiblings, Jackie Barnes(Duncan), Jinx Munster (Russell)and Jean Pierre Pelloat (Marilyn); his godchildren, Kevin, Dionne,Jodi, Lance,and Kylee;a host of nieces and nephews; and wonderful lifelong friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jacques Pelloat Jr. and LucilleChristine Guidry; and his siblings, Phyllis Melton (Grady) and Charlena West(Ronnie).

An avid member of many Rooster clubs, Pappy enjoyed raising and working withchickens. He adored dancing withhis wife, singing, gambling, dove hunting,and barbequing.His favoritebaseball team was theYankees and LSUfootball. Pappywas a member of theAmerican Legion Post 16. He was both thePresident and Vice President of the International Unionof ElevatorsLocal 16 for 13 years and worked in theindustryfor over 25 years, retiring in 1996. He was a veteran of theUnited States Army and served as asergeant in theVietnam War.Pappy was adevout Catholic, and aboveall,a protector and providerto his family.Hetook great prideinhis grandchildren. He never met astranger and he was lovedbyall that knew him. In lieu of flowers,contributions in memory of Pappymay be madetothe Disabled American Veterans Associationorto St.Jude's Children's Hospital Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the funeral servicesatSt. John theBaptist, 11345 St John Church Rd,Folsom, LA 70437, on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 11:00 AM with visitation beginning at 9:00 AM until Mass witha reception to follow. Interment will take place privately at a laterdate. The family wouldliketo give special thanks to the staff at Heritage Manor of Mandevillefor their dignified,exceptional love and care forPappy E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. The family invites youtoshare thoughts, fond memories,and condolences by signing an online guestbookat www.ejfieldingfh.com.

vivedbyher loving hus‐bandof55years,Patrick “Pat” Rooney;her sons, Christian Rooney (Kim‐berly), andtheir children Connor, Parker,and Ella Grace;and Paul Rooney (Sarah).She is also sur‐vived by herbrothersand sisters,JosephS.St. Ro‐main, Jr., DavidL.St. Ro‐main, Sr.(Susan),Michael W.St. Romain,Sr.,Julie Fer‐rara, CynthiaMorvant (Danny),AliciaBordelon (Andre),and DarrellJ.St. Romain(Lesley); hergod‐children, CynthiaSt. Ro‐mainMorvant,AliciaSt. RomainBordelon, Michael St. Romain Jr andDavid St. Romain Jr.; hersistersin-law, AngieSt. Romain and Mary LeeRooney;and manynieces, nephews, and dear friends. Shewas precededindeath by her parents,Sharkey andAn‐toinette St.Romain, and her brother, Mark St.Ro‐main(Angie).Anita wasa proud graduate of Riverdale High School, Class of 1969, where she formedlasting friendships thatshe continuedtocher‐ish throughregular gather‐ingsoverthe years. Anita devoted 25 yearstoher workasa surgical techni‐cianatEastJefferson Gen‐eralHospital. Anatural leaderamong thesurgical support staff, shegener‐ously mentored newand aspiringsurgicaltechs,al‐wayswilling to shareher knowledge andencourage‐ment. Herreliability,ex‐ceptional organization,and dedicationtoher work earnedher thedeep re‐spect of hercolleagues, manyofwhombecame dearfriends beyond the workplace.Anita was deeply involved in the AmericanBusiness Women’s Associationfor manyyears,where she servedasa chapterpresi‐dentand cultivated cher‐ished relationships through herleadershipand service.Anita placed great value on friendship and connection. Sheformed deep andlasting bonds throughouther life and found joyingathering with others. Shehad atrueap‐preciationfor NewOrleans restaurants andcuisine, often usingthose occa‐sions to bringpeopleto‐gether, especially with her beloved Friday Lunch Group.Her friendsde‐scribeher as acaretaker: generous, dependable,and alwayswilling to help, serving as atrusted advo‐cateand resource when‐evershe wasneeded Above all, Anitawas the heart of herfamily. After the loss of hermotherat the young ageof26, with siblingsasyoung as three, she naturallysteppedinto the role of caregiverand matriarch.Withstrength and grace, shehelped guide andsupport her brothersand sisterswhile raising herown children alwaysputting others be‐foreherself.Anita hada giftfor bringing people to‐gether. Shewas oftenthe ﬁrsttostepintohelpplan and host weddings, bridal showers,babyshowers, and countless gatherings for herfamilyand friends. Her home andher heart werealwaysopen, andshe found joyinmakingothers feel loved, celebrated,and cared for. Sheremained the matriarchofher family throughouther life,a steadysourceofguidance, care, andstrength. Shewill berememberedfor her selﬂessness, herwarmth, and theway shemade everyonefeel like family. Her legacy livesoninthe manylives shetouched and theloveshe so gener‐ously gave.Visitationwill beheldMonday, May4th at10amatGardenofMem‐ories,followedbymassat noon.Interment will follow

at Garden of Memories at 1pm followed by aMass at 12noon. Burial willbeata futuredate. If you would like to honorRoy with a donation in his name, please considerSt. Rose de Lima Church (strosedelimabsl.org/give) or anyorganization that speaks to yourheart EdmondFahey Funeral Home is honoredtoserve thefamilyofRoy A. Troendle,Jr.

Troendle Jr., RoyA

RoyA.Troendle, Jr passedaway peacefullyon Thursday, April 2atSt. Oaks CareCenterin Carriere,MS, wherehehad been lovingly caredfor duringhis long journey with dementia

Roywas born in New OrleansonOctober 25, 1946 to Claire Sulli Troendle and RoyA Troendle,Sr(UncleRoy to many junior sailors). He wasa talentedand competitive sailor.First introducedtothe love of sailing by hisdad,Roy hadaninnate feel for thewind and raced competitively for years in many boat classes. Before moving to Bay St.Louis in 2013, Roywas a lifelongNew Orleanian.A graduate of Jesuit High School andLoyola University, he then worked alongside hisfamilyat Troendle Hardwood Flooring andCrescent HardwoodSupplies. On his birthday in 1980, Roymarried thelove of hislife, Katherine Quigley Troendle.Heand Kathi spent many happy years sailingtogether,especially to theirfavorite place, Horn Island, whereRoy wasquite sure hisdogs hold therecord for most pawprintsinthe sand.

Roywas aman of many talents. He couldgrill anythingtoperfection and lovedhosting friends at home and on theboat. He lovedhistory andold, authentic pieces of history, including wooden boats. As theowner of several in hislifetime,heknewhis wayarounda roll of Duct tapeand abottle of Git Rot. And, in true Gulf Coast fashion,heamazed his Dallas nephewswith his speed and dexteritywith a boiled crab. Roywas a member of St.Rosede Lima Church, Bay Waveland Yacht Club wherehepreviously served on theboard, anda lifelongmember of Southern Yacht Club,

Most importantly, Roy will be remembered for his kindness, sense of humor, mischievoussmileand quickwit. He lived hisbest life hisway, lovedbeing on thewater with thewind in hisface, was lovedby many and shared lots of laughswithdear friends

Left to cherish great memories are hiswife Kathi,sister-in-law Alicia Cheek, nephews Taylor Brian (Annette) andCarter (Shannon) Cheek, stepson Bruce Levy (Ragnhild) and manycousins andgreat nieces andnephews.

The familywill be forever grateful for theloving care,respectand kindness shown by everyoneatSt. Oaks CareCenterand Notre Dame Hospice

Friends andfamilyare invited to avisitation at 11am at St.RosedeLima Church in Bay St.Louis on Wednesday, April 29, 2026,

Upton Jr., Kenneth

KennethDeWayne

Upton, Jr.passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 10:00AM, at the home of hisson and daughter-in-law in Madisonville,LA. He was 85 years old. BorninMuncie,Indiana, on November 5, 1940, Kennethwas theson of the lateKennethD.and Lillian UnderhillUpton. He was thebeloved husband of 53 years to thelateAnna Maria CescutUpton,and theson-in-law of thelate Carlo andAncilla Cescut of Aviano,Italy.

Kenneth'slifewas defined by apioneering spirit anda remarkablework ethic. Hisprofessional journeybegan in New Orleansasthe first employee hiredatthe Bud's Broiler CityParklocation After attendingNicholls State University, he answered thecall to serve hiscountryand enlisted in theUnited States AirForce Following hismilitaryservice,Kennethjoinedthe BoeingCorporation under theNASA spaceprogram, wherehecontributedhis talents to the historic LunarRover project, a source of great pride throughout hislife. An entrepreneur at heart, Kennethlater established himself in the restaurant industry as the founder andowner of Flame-N-Burger. He eventually expanded hisbusiness reachasa jointventure partnerinPopeyes franchisesacross South Texas. Despite hisprofessional achievements, Kenneth's greatest legacy washis family. He wasthe devoted father of StevenJ.Upton (Lori) andCarol A. UptonSieverding(Mark). He was theproud grandfather of Jason R. Upton (Kacey), Stephanie Upton Hostetler (Jonny), Jacob Upton Sieverding, Thomas Duthu (Destiny), and Adam Duthu, andhenow joins hislategranddaughter, EmilyUpton Weaver (Rob), in eternal rest. He also leaves behind four greatgrandchildren, Logan Upton, Colton Hostetler, MaverickHostetler,and BradleyHostetler,who broughthim immense joy. He is survived by his brother, Robert Upton (Roberta), andhis sister, MarthaM.Campbell(and thelateSamuel), along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends whowill miss hispresence and hisstories deeply.

Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Funeral Mass in thechapel of Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.inNew Orleans, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

sis‐ter,and friend,Anita’s life was deﬁnedbyher deep compassionand unwaver‐ing commitment to caring forothers. Anitaissur‐

Mejia, Robert

DeWayne

Page, BettyAnn Wagner

OUR VIEWS

In adifficult week, La.leaned on law enforcement

Amidday mass shooting at theMall of Louisiana in BatonRouge, athwarted attack planned againstafestival in New Orleansand adomesticviolencetragedy in Shreveport —all show just how much we relyonlaw enforcement officers to respond when our communitiesare threatened day after day In the mall shooting, tworival groups opened fire Thursday in afood court gunfight caught on surveillance cameras. When it wasover, five people were injured,and Martha Odom, a 17-year-old Lafayette student,was dead. She and severalofthose in thelineoffire were young people who were justout enjoying time with friends when shots rangout.We pray for the injured and mourn theloss of life. Reports of an active shooter circulatedasofficials from the Baton Rouge Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office moved quickly to secure the scene. Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse vowed to find those responsible and bringthem to justice. But the violence shatteredthe sense that there is any place immune from the epidemic of gun violence plaguingour society Meanwhile, an attack in New Orleansallegedlyplanned by aNorth Carolinaman who threatened to commit amass shootingata festivalwas averted after amulti-state investigation involving the FBI, the LouisianaState Police andothers. Officials announcedWednesday they had asuspect in custody inFlorida.With Jazz Fest set to start the next day,the city was already seeing enhanced security It was family members whoalerted law enforcement that Christopher Gillum, 45, aformer policeofficer, had made threatsagainst Black people and seemed to wanttoharm himself. On April 21, avehicleregistered to Gillum was spottedbyalicenseplate reader in Okaloosa County,Florida, and he was later arrested. Though the technology makes some uneasy, it’s hard to deny that this is an example of theeffectiveness of cameras used in policing. We so often have to lamentmissed signs or lapses in our defenses,sowemustpraise when behind-the-scenes police work pays offinabig way. And let’s not forget, theweek startedwith a domestic violence tragedyinShreveport that left eight childrendead. In that case,officers wereable to track the suspect to two homes and locate him before he could endangerothers. The Shreveport Police Departmentand other first responders were left to process the grisly scene even as more homicides in thefollowing days added to their load.

Over the past week in Louisiana, we sawlaw enforcementgrapple with some of the mostdifﬁcultsituationsimaginable.Ifwehaven’tsaid it lately, they deserve our thanks.

But police alone will not be enough to prevent thesesorts of things from happening.Wemust work together to stand against violence.All of us must remain caring,compassionateand vigilant.

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

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

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

Pushingbackagainst creeping secrecyinhighered

Sometimes, theLegislaturegets it right.

That’swhat happened Thursday when aHousecommittee batted back abill thatwould have increased secrecy in the search for executivesatpublic universities in the state State Sen. Mark Abraham’s proposal would have created new exemptions in public records law for materials related to searches for top jobs,including presidents, chancellors, deans and coaches. Abraham, aLake Charles Republican said he was worriedthe statewould struggle to attract qualitycandidates if it couldn’toffer them conﬁdentiality in the search. The bill passed out of the Senate withonly two no votes. But after he spoke with this newspaper’sSam Karlin and beforethe bill was debated in the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs, Abrahamamended his bill to makeit slightly less troubling. Instead of keeping all applicants’ information secret,the new version would have required universities to releasethe names of at leastthree ﬁnalists for the job. That was an improvement, but it wasn’tenough. Committee members even suggested Abrahamconvene with

the bill’sopponents—which include good government and media organizations —and rework it.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Elections always spur aﬂurry of opinion.

The committee’smove is worth celebrating. Louisiana’s public universities are, you know,public. They are directly supported by taxdollarspaid by Louisiana residents. Secrecy is not just contrary to their mission, it’s contrary to their identity Thursday’smove wasn’tthe ﬁrst timethe specter of increased secrecyhas raised its head, and it won’tbethe last.

Higher education leaders in this state have long sought to shield their actions from public scrutiny —remember the LSU presidential searchthat ended with thehiring of F. King Alexanderin 2013? Media organizations had to sue to getthe namesoffinalists in that case. More recently,LSU handed over the entireprocesstoselect afirm to develop itsnew arena to the Tiger Athletic Foundation, which, as aprivate entity, is not subject to public records laws. That process ended with the public knowing only two of the more than 19 firms thatexpressedaninterest. And the founder and then-CEO of the selected firm, OakView Group, was later indicted on acharge of bid-rigging in Texas (he was eventually pardoned by President Donald Trump).

When big decisions about public entities move behind closed doors, people become understandably cynical. Abraham’sisn’tthe only bill trying to ramp up secrecy around public university expenditures. Another one would exempt from public records the amount of public dollars paid to college athletes through revenue sharing, another bad idea that should be kicked into the sun. Unfortunately,that bill has passed the House and is headed to the Senate. It’strue that higher education is an increasingly competitive realm. Hiring good leaders is important. And sometimes that talent would prefer that process proceed wholly in secret. Abraham’sbill, which could comeback with new amendments, would have served that end, without question.

But it wouldn’thave served Louisiana’staxpayers. If acandidate is truly interested, they shouldn’tbescared of public accountability.Props to the legislators on the committeefor recognizing that.

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

We have readers who will write supporting their preferred candidate or cause. And candidates who want to write letters to reach their voters. With theupcoming party primaries on May 16, we have published manyletters from readers about the candidates. In general, we allow letters that express apreference for acandidate or that point out acandidate’sflaws. We draw theline, however,atletters that specifically urge avote for candidateX.Werecognize that can be afine line. After all, if aletter is praising one candidate and criticizing another,isn’t that trying to sway avote? Perhaps. We prefer to let readers have their say as long as they don’tgointoblatant electioneering. We have also gotten lettersfrom candidates seeking to get their message out tovoters. Ourpolicy is to prohibit lettersfrom candidates in contested races for office after the

qualifying period. We have run letters from presumed candidates before the qualifying period,even if they have stated they will run. Often incumbents in ofﬁce write letterstoreach their constituents. Andwebelieve it is important for readers to hear those messages. Butonce they have qualiﬁed to run forreelection, we consider their letters as part of their campaign. Why is it important to have some rules around lettersduring election season? First of all, we don’twant to overstate our importance, but letters could create the impression that there is alot of support for acandidate when it’sjust acoordinated campaign. We only can only publish the letters we get, so there couldbeopposing views that are popularbut just not represented. Secondly,wedon’twant letterstospread misinformation at atime when people are voting. We do check letters for accuracy,but if we miss something in aperiod when people are voting, there is little timetocorrect the record.

That’swhy once early voting starts, we do not run letters about candidates. Early voting in this election begins May 2.

Turning to our letters inbox forApril 16-23, we continue to receive ahigh volumeofletters during the legislative session. This week, we counted 72 letters from readers and 10 of those had to do with bills being considered in the Legislature. Of those 10, eight letters were about the effort to consolidate courts in New Orleans. Outside of the legislative session, we received ﬁve letters about the warinIran and two letters about the closed primary system

Speaking of that, we will continue to publish letters about the process of voting throughout the election period. We would love to hear from you about your experiences when you vote in the May 16 primary.Let us know what worked and what didn’t.

Email Arnessa Garrett at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts Abraham

COMMENTARY

Senate candidates should go positive,and local

In the home stretch of theRepublican primary for U.S.Senate, all three major candidates can and should do better at focusing more on what’s important at home in Louisiana. They also should “close the deal” in convincing voters that their conservative philosophies can serve, and have served, those local concerns. Consider,for example, an agreeable exchange at an April21 hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions between chairman Bill Cassidy, the incumbent in Louisiana’srace, and Health& Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr Cassidy was pressing Kennedy to make sure his bureaucracy ﬁnishes the last part of the technical approval process for how Louisiana will use federal money for Medicaid health services. The rules were changed in last year’sso-called “Big Beautiful Bill” in ways that could reduce federal payments, but Cassidy successfully inserted a28-word sectioninthe bill that essentially

“grandfathers in” some existing arrangements. Result: Louisiana avoids losing hundreds of millions of dollars for several years running as the state transitions to thenew rules.

is odd.

Quin Hillyer

Most of Louisiana’s transition plans have been approved bythe feds, but one remains. Kennedy told Cassidythe senator could “call me at anytime to make sure it’shappening.”

On one hand, this involves a lot of complicated policy wonkery.Onthe other hand, thebasic fact is simple enough for one sentence: Cassidy,byusing his knowledge andhis chairmanship, is saving Louisiana—its patients, its medical personnel andits related businesses and jobs —vast amounts of money

Yetwehaven’tseen asingle word aboutthis from Cassidy’s reelection campaign. This is strange. The adagethat “all politics is local” may overstate thecase, butitremains true that much ofpolitics must remain local to beeffective. Acampaign where candidates fail to tout their own home-state accomplishments

Yetasmycolleague Stephanie Grace opined last week, the three major candidates are spending far too much time portraying the others as supposedly “liberal,” and by extension not enough toutingtheir own bona ﬁdes as conservatives and as servants of their own home state.

It’snot just Cassidy failing to boast about his crucial Medicaid provision, nor about how his legislative and medical expertise on multiple fronts is helping Louisianawhile giving the Trump administration conservative blueprints for nationwide reform.Itis his challenger,Rep. Julia Letlow, saying almost nothing about her work on what invariably is described as “the powerful Appropriations Committee.”

Rarely do House membersas junior as Letlow get slotsonthat prestigious committee, but she impressed enough people to garner that position and surely must have used it to beneﬁt Louisiana (or,asa conservative, to save federal tax dollars overall).Well, if so, let’shear speciﬁcs about it, and about how it shows she has theright stuff to represent Loui-

sianans in the Senate. Likewise, as Letlow has amuch shorter political resumethan her opponents, can she show conservative accomplishments from her career in Louisiana academia? Did she perhaps boost civic education or moreclassical education at her colleges? Didshe work to promotevocational education in ways that the Republicans’ bluecollar constituency would appreciate? We don’tknow,because her campaign and her bare-bones website don’teven feature an “issues” page. Yetthat’sthe sort of substance that could help counter Cassidy’sattacks.

The third major GOPcandidate, statetreasurer John Fleming, has less money forthe airwaves, but his website does morethan the other two candidates to emphasize aconservative record that would appeal to Republican primaryvoters. Even there, though, morespeciﬁcs could drive his point home about how his record showsconservative successes forLouisiana and the nation. For example, he brags abouthaving co-founded thevery conservative House Freedom Caucus when he was in

Congress, but what did the group actually accomplish?

Likewise, how has Fleming’s work as state treasurer saved Louisiana taxpayer money or shownhow he can “deliver” for Louisiana as senator?

This matters. Granted, it’strue that inspirational “big picture” messages or,conversely,major attacks on opponents, can be effective scene-setters in tough campaigns. Yetdecades of political observation impels the conclusion that the closer Election Daycomes, the morevoters care about how their vote will directly affect them and their immediate communities.

For aRepublican contest, the candidate whocan best meld these twoarguments together —the home-state focus and the conservative effectiveness —can ﬁnish surprisingly strongly in the primary and carry momentum into an expected runoffcampaign.

All three candidates could have positive stories to tell. Now’sthe timetotell them.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Don’tdismiss idea of Landrieu runningfor president

Mitch Landrieu may runfor president in 2028. Or,hemay not.

After CNN publisheda story saying he was testing the waters, the former New Orleans mayor said he isn’tputting together acampaign at this point, but acknowledged thatheis“thinking about it.”

Just the possibility was enough to get local tongues wagging. And as you’d expect, there were strong opinions on the“go for it” side, andalso in the “you’ve gottobe kiddingme” corner

knowshow to build bridgeswith moderates andconservatives, as any successful Democrat in ared state must. Remember, Louisianans elected him statewide notall that long ago, even if the era when that was possible feels like ancienthistory today

Stephanie Grace

Afew words to those in the latter camp: Don’tlet familiarity blind youtowhat Landrieu, 65, brings to the national conversation. For one thing, he’sanexceptionally skilled communicator.He turned the dry-sounding “budgeting for outcomes” meetings he held while mayor into riveting viewing: Landrieu listened to each person’squestion, wrote it downonapad and then ended by addressing each questioner personally with both empathy and speciﬁcs.

And though people around here were mostly worn out by thetime the last of the Confederate monuments came down, his stirring ﬁnal speech was aviral sensation

It would be easy to say he was preaching to the Democratic choir back then, but Landrieu also

His resume is long and impressive in scope. He spent 16 years in the Legislature, where he was aleader of abipartisan reformcoalition; six years leading tourism, culture andrecreationaslieutenant governor;and twoterms as the mayor whopickedupthe pieces after Hurricane Katrina and guided the city notback to what it was but forwardtoward what it would become next. In the Biden White House, he handled the implementation of the administration’shuge infrastructure bill.

And there’sone more thingthat makeshim apotential playerin thewide-open ﬁghtfor theDemocratic nomination: He’sbeen studying the landscape, andhas a theory of the case that resonates in the current context.

These days, Landrieu is co-chair of Democratic SuperPAC called American Bridge. Hisparticular pieceofthe political puzzle is trying to understand why Democrats “got our asses kicked across the board” with self-described

working-class voters, andwhat might make them give the party another look

In focusgroups andpollingof the same people over time, he said in an interview, these people described themselves as notmiddle class —“they have alittleextra” —and notpoor people whotake “handouts.”

“Wedon’t have anything. We can’t breathe, we can’t make ends meet,” Landrieu said he’d hear This is whysomanyofthose folks gravitated to DonaldTrump, even if they might wellhave supported Barack Obama or

Joe Biden, Landrieu said; it was because Trump said he’d lower costs, cutinﬂation, stay out of foreign wars. He listened as some who wanted to give Trump the beneﬁt of the doubt decided, “Man, this feels nasty.”

“People are going: ‘Weare out of balance. We have lost our common sense. We are tired of hating our brothers and sisters at the dinner table andour aunts and our uncles at Thanksgiving. We don’tlike that,’” he said.

Landrieu recognizes that Democrats have abad rap with alot of

these folks. “They think we’re weak. They think we’re woke. They think we’re ineffective,” he acknowledged. So how does he propose to counter that?

“Well, what you do is you win,” he said, “This was the opinion they had about us 15 months ago. But since that time, we’ve been winning (elections). And when you start winning, people start thinking you’re strong.” He also thinks Democrats need to be careful how they handle cultural issues.

“They would say to us, ‘Listen, we’re not homophobic or against immigrants. We’re not against trans kids. But quit talking about that every day.Just talk about cost. That’swhat we care about,’” he said.

“And by the way,they feel like all of us have violated the promise that we have made. Icall it the covenant, where, in America, if you get up every day and you work your ass off, you’re going to have ajob and be paid enough money and give your kids abetter future than you have. And they feel like they can’tdothat anymore.”

“They’re not caring about whether it’sDemocrat or Republican,’”hesaid. “They want that to change.”

Email Stephanie Graceat

Shreveport is whywecan’t stay silent when facedwithred flags

What happened in Shreveport aweekago was shocking to nearlyeveryone. Hardly anyone but the most evil, cold-blooded among us can hear about the killing of childrenand not wince. Many of us didmorethan that. If we didn’tcry,tearswelled up in oureyes, as they did mine.I shook with chills. Ihad aquickseries of tremors. Waking up Sundaymorning to the news that one, two, three, four,ﬁve,six,seven, EIGHT children had beenkilled by asingle perpetrator was something we weren’t prepared for as we startedour days. As night became daybreak and regular churchgoers like me prepared to go to our houses ofworship, Ibet Shaneiqua Pugh and Christina Snow were praying, praying that the Lord would spare them and their children from aman they onceloved. Shamar Elkins shot Pugh, his wife;Snow and eight children that morning. Seven of them were his own. An eighth child was their cousin, his nephew.Shaneiqua Pugh, Snowand athird woman, KeoshaPugh, were still in thehospital as ofThursday night.

Will

Sutton

journalists’ digging, Elkins may not have had along rap sheet with regular reports of domestic abuseand domestic violence, but there weresigns that something was off. Elkins was marriedtoPugh and hadchildren withher.Hehad arelationship with Snow and had three children with her.Heshot all 10, and he injured asister-in-law and another child. These children won’tsee another day:

n Sariahh Snow,11

n Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10

n Layla Pugh, 7 n Kayla Pugh, 6 n KhedarrionSnow,6

n Shayla Elkins, 5 n Braylon Snow,5

n Jayla Elkins,3 It was the deadliest mass shooting in the nationinmore thantwo years. It was the largest mass casualty since the Bourbon Street incident on Jan. 1, 2025, an event that took thelives of 14 people.

It’s unclear how much timepassed as Elkins shot and killed victim after victim in Shreveport,but it was about 80 minutes or less.

In neither of thesecases was the killer arrested, charged and convicted. In each case, the perpetrator died as the incident ended.

It’s frustrating to watch situations like these,suggesting thatsomeone,somewhere, should’ve seen redﬂags that might lead to something sinister

There is no guarantee red ﬂags will prevent harm. But that’snoreasontoignore them. That’slike you telling adoctorabout ongoing chestand arm pain and shortness of breath, and the doctor suggesting that you drink some water and take anap rather thancheck to seewhether aheart attack might be in theofﬁng.

amurder-suicide in 2014 near Shreveport after he had been released from jail, only days after she sought aprotective order against him.

In this instance, there were red flags, signals and warnings that aman behind bars was so intent on causing harm that he killed GwenSalley the first chance he had. Red flags mean nothing if we don’tacknowledge them when we see them andsay something. That starts with us. We allget angry,disappointed, frustrated and upset for avariety of reasons, not the least of whichare feelings of being unappreciated, disrespected and unloved.

There’snoone person, no one group responsible for catching the red ﬂags that caused GwenSalley’sdeath, the deaths of Din-Jabbar’svictims and the deaths of Elkins’svictims.

Elkins’ proﬁle is developing as Shreveport police continue to investigate one of ournation’sworst ﬁlicides. Based on lawenforcement reportsand

The French Quarter New Year’s Day mass shooting made international news after Shamsud Din-Jabbar,42, drove arented Ford pickup truck along the world-famous street. In only15seconds,onasingle street, he killed 14 people.

Istrongly support theworkofdomestic violence counselors, social workers and organizations to prevent physical and verbal abuse and to interrupt these behaviors before theyare passedontofuture generations. These health professionals and volunteersregularly look for redﬂags. I’m glad theydo.

Remember Gwen Cox Salley? She’sthe reason Louisiana has alaw allowing judges to sethigher bail conditions for those arrestedondomestic violence charges. Her estranged husband shot and killed herin

Each of us, individually,isresponsible for our own self-control, regulating our emotions and seeking help if and when we know something is off.

We’re also responsible for speaking up whenwesee red ﬂags.

Think about and remember Sariahh, Mar’Kaydon, Layla, Kayla,Khedarrion, Shayla, Braylon and Jayla.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO

In 2022, Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu speaks during anewsbriefing at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Fitzpatrick brothers enterZurich record books

Brothers take commanding lead into finalround

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Softened by an inch of rainwater from an early morningthunderstorm thatswept through New Orleans,the TPCofLouisiana rarely has been less imposing than it was Saturday With the wind stiﬂed, the greens holding and the players allowedtolift, clean and place their balls, the coursewas laid bare for the ﬁeld of 35 two-man teams in the thirdround of the Zurich Classic.And no teamtook advantage of the optimal conditions more than Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick.

Feeding off each other’saggressive play during the best-ball format,the Fitzpatrick brothers shredded the course for 13 birdies and an eagle en route to atournamentrecord score of 15-under 57 to take acommanding four-stroke lead into Sunday’s ﬁnalround.

“Amazing day,” said Matt Fitzpatrick, after sharing acelebratory hug with his father,Russell, outside thescorer’stent. “It probablyhasn’tsunkinyet howwell we played. It was just hole after hole.”

The Englishmen’sthree-round score of

Benson backs Dumars amid sweeping changes

SPORTS

Family guided newSaintsWRTyson throughinjuries, doubt

Dawn wouldnot yethave broken in north TexaswhenJohnTysonwouldhear thefamiliarsounds of agarage door joltingtolife, the hum of acar engine, thegaragedoor slidingback down thetracksand coming to arest sometime around 5a.m.

That would be histeenagesons, Jaylon andJordyn, beatingthe sun to their local Lifetime Fitness. Later,John would hear the garage door open again, marking hissons’ return fora quick breakfast before they headed to school.

This is theeasy way to explain how one family produced two ﬁrstround draft picks —Jaylon, the 20th overallpickofthe 2024 NBA Draft,and Jordyn, whom theNew OrleansSaints selectedeighth overall Thursday in the NFL draft. The kids knew how to work “The work is what this family always drives back to whenever it’s time for us to makeamove or do something thatpeople outside of it say is extraordinary,” John Tyson said.

But success rarely can be wrapped up so tidily.Dedication can take a young personplaces and lay astrong foundation,but it’s notenoughto complete the equation. The full picture of howJordyn followed Jaylon’s footsteps into the ﬁrst round is neitherlinear nor without itscomplications. That was plain enough for anyone to see when watching Jordyn Tyson’semotional reaction to learning he was drafted Thetears ﬂowedbecause it wasn’t

that long ago that Tyson wasunable to envisionthis sort of future forhimself, because getting to this peak required sometimespent in the valleys.

“I wasn’tsupposed to be here,” Tyson said. “I was 5-foot-4 my sophomore year (of high school). Ihad no work ethic until my junior year.It was notsupposedtobeherewithout God blessing me with an amazing family and amazing support system.”

ä See TYSON, page 6C

Rod Walker

Joe Dumars,when askedtwo weeks ago what his message to frustrated New Orleans Pelicansfans would be, hadthis to say: “Weare going to build. We are going to win.” Building isn’talways easy.Neither is winning. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes it takes making changes. In the case of the Pelicans, it may takea little bitof both. The Pelicans’ 24th season ended two weeksago witha losing record andthe team sitting at home for theplayoffs. The Pelicans have ﬁnished under .500 in all but eight of their seasons. They’vewon just two playoffseries and never haveadvanced past the ﬁrst round.

Dumars, who just ﬁnished his ﬁrst year as the team’sexecutive vice presidentof basketball operations, wantstochange that So does teamowner Gayle Benson. “Our focus remains steadfast,” Benson said in astatement to The Times-Picayune on Friday.“Putting atop-tier producton thecourt and working tirelessly towards achampionship. Anything less is simply

ä See WALKER, page 2C

AP FILEPHOTO By JEFF LEWIS

Las VegasRaiders defensiveend

Tyree

runs to the field in a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 17 in Las Vegas.

Saints lean offense in draft, tradefor defender

BYMATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

Mickey Loomis went into this year’sdraft hoping the NewOrleans Saintswould get faster But to select three prospects with 40-yard dash times of 4.4seconds and under, plus another ﬁrst-rounderin Jordyn Tyson, who looked equally as explosive on tape? Well, not even the longtime generalmanager expected that.

“I think we drafted aheck of a relay team if we wanted to go that route,”Loomis quipped The Saints completed theirsecond draft class undercoach Kellen MooreonSaturday, andthisyear’s class hadone consistent thread: Get Tyler Shough morehelp. Loomis said theSaints’ eight selectionsweren’tentirely made with the

second-year quarterback in mind, but the numbers certainly reflect that idea. Five of the selections came on offense: Tyson, third-round tight end Oscar Delp, fourth-round guard Jeremiah Wright, fourth-round wide receiver Bryce Lance and sixthround receiverBarionBrown from LSU The Saints draftedasmanywide receivers (three) as they did defenders. That followed an aggressive free agency period that saw the Saints revamptheir rushing attack.

“Whenyou go through thatpostseason evaluation, and you start looking at,‘OK,here’sthe holesweneed to ﬁll’ …there wasjust more on offense as it turned out,” Loomis said. “So, someyears, it’soffense. Someyears,

Wilson

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK Matt Fitzpatrick lines up aputton the first hole during the Zurich Classic on Saturdayat TPC Louisiana in Avondale.

ä See ZURICH, page 4C

ä See SAINTS, page 6C

Jordyn Tyson poses for aphoto after beingselected in the first round of the NFLdraft by the NewOrleans Saints on ThursdayinPittsburgh. AP PHOTO By BEN LIEBENBERG

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Injury couldbeneﬁt2027LSU rotation

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU’sworst fear on the mound has become true.

Cooper Mooreisout for the year.The junior right-hander,who exited his start against Oklahoma on March 20 andhasn’treturned since, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair afracture in his right elbow,LSU coachJay Johnson conﬁrmed to The Advocate on Monday. Basically,Moore has astress fracture at the tip of his elbow Johnson said he’ll need four-to-ﬁve months to recover from the injury “The thought was he could throw through it,” Johnson said on his radio show,“but what this does is it allows him to recoup amedical redshirtand allowshim to still be ajunior next year.”

Thebig question remainingfor Moore is whetherhe’llbebackin the purple and gold next season. The Kansas transfer is drafteligible in July,even if Johnson said Monday that he will be back in 2027.

“He’ll be back and pitching for LSU next year,” Johnson said, “and he’ll still have the juniorleverage type deal in the draft.”

The risk of taking Moore in the draft is substantialbecause of his injury andthe fact that he threw only eight innings in Southeastern Conference play.But he did have an impressive campaign last season at Kansas, and he posted a 3.38 ERA this year with just seven walks in 32 innings before getting hurt.

Moore doesn’thave the biggest frame and isn’tthe hardest thrower on the staff, buthepounds the strike zone and has one ofthe best changeups on the team.That skill set was supposed to be asteadyingforce fora youngrotation this season.

“There’snot as manyspotsin pro baseball, and if he’snot able to pitch, it harms that,” Johnson said Tuesday.“Iguess somebody could take him, but you’re taking him with no pitching on the horizon.

“I know our conversations, and that’sall Ican go off of.” LSU would beneﬁt from having

WALKER

Continued from page1C

unacceptable.” Benson said sheisfully committed to Dumars’ vision.That vision has been under scrutiny ever since Dumars was ﬁrst hired last April.

The criticism started with Dumars being hired just two days after Benson fired David Griffin. The criticism grew even more when Dumars traded away the team’s2026 first-round pick during last year’sdraft to select Derik Queen. The noise has grown deafening over the past two weeks as Dumars began making sweeping changes in the organization. Several team employees were told they were not going to be retained. The cuts affected all aspects of the team. Assistant coaches Jarron Collins, Casey Hill, Corey Brewer and Jordan Maguire were letgowith their contracts expiring. Several membersofthe medical staff, including head athletic trainer Tom Maystadt, won’tbereturning

The changes also included members of security as well as longtime equipment manager David “Big Shot” Jovanovic. Jovanovic, who has been withthe team since it arrived in New Orleans in 2002, deserved to goout on better terms. Hopefully the teammakes sure “Big Shot” gets aproper farewell someday Change, much like the Pelicans’ history,isn’talways pretty. Dumars’ plan is to reset theculture for afranchise with along history of losing. The Pelicans

LSU softball team falls to Mississippi State LSU’shopes of evening its SEC softball series against Mississippi State got offtoagood start when Sierra Daniel hita one-outhome run in the first inning. But things turned sour for the Tigers (32-16, 9-11 SEC) as the Bulldogs answered with five in the bottom of the first in a5-2 victory on Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi. LSU, which lost Friday’sseries opener 5-3, can salvage agamein the series when the teams meet again at 11 a.m. Sunday The Bulldogs (32-16, 8-12) started their half of the first with apair of singles off Cece Celura (6-5) before PaigeErnstes hitathree-run homer fora3-1 lead. After an LSU fielding error,Xiane Romero hit a two-run shottoright to make it 5-1. That was more than enough for Bulldogs pitcher Peja Gold (15-9), who went the distance and struck out 11.

Box Stadium. ä Fora fullreportof LSUatMississippi State. GO TO NOLA.COM

delivers apitch against Sacramento State in the fourth inning

Moore back for the same reasons that he wasvaluabletothe Tigers this season. The trio of sophomore right-handerCasanEvans,Moore and sophomore right-handerWilliam Schmidt gave LSU itsdeepest starting rotation in Johnson’s tenure—three true starters for aprogram that usually operates with only two Next year,LSU will hope Schmidt and Evans take steps forward in their development. Bothhave showed ﬂashes of their immense

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

JoeDumarstalks toNew Orleans

Pelicans owner Gayle Benson after Dumars’ Introductory news conferenceonApril22, 2025, at theOchsnerSports Performance Center in Metairie.

“I want to afﬁrm my unwaveringsupportfor Joe Dumar.The decisionshehas had to make over the past year andjust recently were incredibly tough,yet necessary as we evaluate the best path forward for longterm success.”

GAyLE BENSON Pelicans teamowner

ﬁnished26-56 thisseason, the third-worst record in an 82-game season in franchise history Dumars spentmuch of his ﬁrst yearinNew Orleans assessing everyareaofthe teamwith the intention of making changes where needed.Hecould have

potential this season. Schmidthas 67 strikeoutsin50innings. Evans has 76 strikeouts in 522/3 innings, although he was scratched from his Friday startagainst Mississippi State witharm soreness. Finding consistency next season will be the key to their success. Evans has a5.47 ERA, while Schmidt gave up seven earned runs in his last start against Texas A&M.

“I think if we get alittle bit more out of our starters, notalot more,” Johnsonsaid, “(combined)with that contribution (fromthe bullpen),we’regoing to be in games.”

Given that LSUwillneed to replace mostofits lineupnextseason, it’sa promising sign for John-

come in and made sweeping changes before thestartofthe season. Instead, he decided to use his ﬁrst season toobserve.

“You can’tskip this step of ﬁguring out who you are and who exactly is in the building,” Dumarssaid.

Now some of thepeople who were in thebuilding won’tbe anymore.

Benson backs Dumars in whatever he wants to do to get things turned around.

“I want toafﬁrm my unwavering support for Joe Dumars,” Benson said. “The decisions he has had to makeover thepast year and just recently were incredibly tough, yet necessary as we evaluate the best path forward for long term success.”

Despite speculation on social media that the ﬁrings are for cost-cutting measures, Benson insists that is not thecase.

“Joe is adedicated leader who has my complete trust and access to all of the necessary resources he needs,” Benson said. “There are no ﬁnancial constraints when it comes to building awinning team. Any suggestion or commentsotherwise is completely false.”

According to asource familiar with the changes, some of the positions that were terminated could be filled as early as this week. The assistant coaching positions, however,won’tbefilled until theteam hires anew head coach. Dumars began talking to candidates this week for the head coaching position, according to a source familiar with the search. James Borrego, who served as interim coach after Willie Green was fired, is one of the candidates

sonthathis starting rotation may be setfor 2027. Starting pitching is what won LSU anational championship last season,and it has guided the programthrough its highest highs since 2023, when the Tigers arguably had the best college pitcher of his generation in Paul Skenes. Moore’sinjury,and Evans and Schmidt’sgrowing pains have resulted in LSUtaking astep back in thatdepartment this year.But for 2027, Johnson potentially has found himself in an unprecedented spotwith his starting rotation sincehe’sarrived in Baton Rouge —all three arms coming back for another year

for thejob.

The team plans to ﬁll allofthe vacant positions except two. Those twopositionsare ones wherethe duties included traveling between New Orleansand Birminghamfor the G-League team. With theBirminghamSquadron relocating to Kenner,those twopositionsare no longer needed.

Soon, Dumars will have all of his people in place. Once that happens, we’ll get amuch better idea of what direction the franchise is headed under his leadership.

“I really wanttowin for(the fans),” Dumars said in that news conference Dumars saidhesaw the potential during his ﬁrst season.

“I was not onlyimpressed, but intrigued at what this can be here,” Dumars said. “… We don’t believe we are that faraway from winning.”

Pelicansfans have heard similar promises before about how close theteam is. The results just haven’tbeenthere. As the fans’ patience andpocketbooks continue to get tested, their skepticism grows. It’suptoDumars to change that.

Butinorder to change things, sometimes you have to change things.

That’swhat Dumarsisdoing. Will it work? Will he be able to get everybodyonthe samepage and get thefranchise pointed in theright direction?

Time will tell.

One person who’salreadyonboard is the woman who hired him.

“I am fullycommitted to that vision,”she said.

Packersreceiver Reed signs $50.25M extension

Green Bay Packers wide receiverJaydenReed has signed a three-year contract extension with $50.25 millioninnew money and $20 millionguaranteed.

Reed would have been entering the ﬁnalyear of his rookie deal this season if he hadn’tagreed to an extension.

The 2023 second-round pick from Michigan State hascaught 138 passes for1,857 yardsand 15 touchdowns while also rushing for 310 yards andthree more scores over his first three seasons. He playedjustseven games last season because of ashoulder injury and had 19 receptions for 207 yards and one touchdownplus three carries for 28 yards.

After getting hurt Sept. 11, Reed underwentsurgeries on his shoulder andfootlater that month, and he didn’tplay again until Dec. 7.

Rockets coach: Durant’s status unclear for Game 4 Houston coach ImeUdoka said SaturdaythatinjuredstarKevin Durant was doing better but his status forGame 4against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night was still unclear with the Rockets facing elimination.

Durantmissed Game 3witha sprained left ankle Friday,when the Rockets blew asix-point lead withless than 30 seconds to go in regulation of an eventual 112-108 overtime loss to fallto0-3 in the ﬁrst-round series. Durant, 37, missedthe opener of theseries becauseofa bruised right knee. He returned forGame 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

Reds slugger Suárez put on IL with oblique strain

The Cincinnati Reds placed designated hitterEugenio Suárezon the 10-day injured list on Saturday, retroactive to April 23, with amild leftoblique strain.

Suárezwas scratchedfromthe lineup for Friday night’sseries opener with the Detroit Tigers. Nathaniel Lowe replaced Suárez as DH and homeredtwice in the gameincluding atwo-run, walkoff homer in the Reds’ 9-8 win. Suárez, whosignedaone-year, $15 million contract with the Reds in February,isbatting .231 with three homers, three doubles and 11 RBIsin25games. Suárez spent eight seasons in Cincinnati before being traded to Seattle in 2022. In related moves on Saturday, theRedsoptionedright-hander Kyle Nicolas andrecalledrighthanderJoseFrancofromTriple-A.

Illnessforces Swiatek to withdraw from tourney MADRID Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Madrid Open because of an unspeciﬁed illness while playing her round-of-32 match against American Ann Li on Saturday Li got the walkover win when the fourth-ranked Swiatek withdrew with Li winning 7-6 (4), 2-6, 3-0. Swiatek,the 2024 Madrid champion, requireda medical timeout while down 2-0inthe deciding set. She returned to thecourt but called it quits after Li held serve. The Polish star beat Daria Snigur in straight sets in her secondround opener on Thursday Li, who is ranked No. 34, recorded asecond career win over atop10 opponent.She will face Leylah Fernandez in the round of 16 of the Madrid Open.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

on March7atAlex

THEVARSITYZONE

Havenchooses Tide

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Dunham

quarterback

Elijah Haven, thenation’s top-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2027,sat with his family every night this week mulling his decision: Alabama or Georgia?

On Friday night, after a long talk with his family, the ﬁve-star quarterback made up his mind. On Saturday, Haven stood before acrowd of kids at ayouth camp he hosted and unzipped his black jacket to reveal his commitment to Alabama.

“About last night, just sat down with the family trust my instincts, trustmy heart,” Haven said about why he decided on Alabama “What we thought aligned, and so we’re ready to rip the Band-Aid off.”

The6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback broke several staterecords this past season, including single-season records for touchdown passes (62) and totaltouchdowns (73) and careertouchdowns with 180. His season culminated in aDivision III select state title. He said he’shappy to make the decision and gear his focus on his ﬁnal season of high school football.

“It’sdeﬁnitely arelieving feeling to get this done,” he said. “I feel like Ican putmy focus on what really mat-

ters,the team, and my last high school season.”

He discussedhis decision at Elite Training Academy in Baton Rouge after hosting a youth football camp there. He said the biggestfactor in his decision to commit to the Crimson Tide wasthe stability offered bythe coaching staff.

“It gotcrazy in theprocess, with coaches moving to differentschools, getting ﬁred from jobs,”Haven said “Bama was just the most consistent,and we were able to builda very strong relationship with them.”

On Jan.16, Haven whittled his choices to four schools: Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Auburn. Florida and Auburn both fired their headcoaches this past season, and Haven cut hislist down to theCrimson Tide andBulldogs.

“That was ahuge issue for us,” his father,KwameHaven, said.“Itell everybody whoiswilling to listen that the most important part for me was stability and development.”

LSU and Penn Stateare two other schools that offered Haven and underwent

recent coaching changes.

“Alabama, as well as Georgia, were thetop two that offered that,” Kwame Haven said. “WithAlabama recently extending coach (Kalen) DeBoer,the signs were pointing that this is meant to be for Elijah’sdecision.”

DeBoer signedasevenyear,$87.5 millioncontract, announced by Alabamaon Wednesday

“Coach DeBoer is great ” Haven said.“He’s gotten to know me and my family really well off the ﬁeld.”

Haven pointed to Alabama’squarterback development, too, citing Ty Simpson being drafted in the ﬁrst round of NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams

Haven prioritized his family in the recruiting process Alabama made it apriority to get to know his entire family,hesaid. Havensaid the coaching staff rememberedhis younger brother’s name,Emmanuel, when he took visitstothe Tuscaloosa, Alabama, campus.

“Thatmeansa lot tome,” Haven said. “My family being apartofthis is somethingIdon’ttake lightly.For them to notonly prioritize

me,but my family as well, thatdefinitely set them apart.”

He said Georgia did a great jobrecruiting him, but the longevityofhis relationship with the Crimson Tide coaching staff ledtohis decision.

“I felt like they were the most consistent,” Haven said. “Wehad the longest relationship. Thatultimately ledtomydecision.Bama just felt like home.”

Dunham coachNeilWeiner,who coached former LSUcornerbackand current Houston TexanDerek Stingley, offered guidance in helping Havenwithhis recruitment.

“Everystory’s alittlebit different,” Weiner said, “but at the end of the day we just want the best thing that’sfor thekids. Ijust trytohelp listen and provide alittle guidance where they need it.”

Weiner acknowledged how Haven chose to commit to Alabama, arival school of the university in his own backyard —LSU.

“It’ssomething that he prays about,and it’ssomething that he puts alot of thought into,”Weiner said. “He’svery analytical about it. Ithink he’sreally at peace withthat. He realizes he’s not turning his back on anybody,he’sjust openinghis arms up for adifferent community.

PatrickTaylorclinchestourney berth

ahugepartoftheir game,” Patrick Taylor coach Lance Reinesaid.

importance of keeping St Charlesoff the board in the early going.

Seniors’ timely hits help Jesuit complete sweep

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

Timely hits weren’thard to comebyfor Jesuit seniors BrennanJeansonne and Derek DeLatte in a best-of-three regional playoff series against Tioga.

Jeansonne and DeLatte consistentlycame through with runners on base, combining for12RBIsinJesuit’sseries sweep of Tioga. Eight of theirRBIscame during Saturday’sGame 2, a15-3 Blue Jays winin ﬁve innings at John Ryan Stadium

After going 1for 3with two RBIs in Friday’s5-1 Game 1win, Jeansonne went 3for 4witha triple and three RBIs.

“I wasseeing (the ball) well,” Jeansonne said. “I saw afastball 1-0(forthe triple), Iwas hunting it the whole time. Ihit it right back to center and found a spot.”

No.6-seeded Jesuit (26-8) advanced to the Division I select quarterﬁnals, where it will face No.3 John Curtis (30-7).

On Saturday,the Blue Jays faced a1-0 deﬁcit but took control with three runs in the top of the second.

“Wefound away to get 15 runs with quality at-bats to work through (Tioga’s) bullpen,” Jesuit coach Kenny Goodlettsaid. “After the ﬁrst inning, we responded to get right back into it and went from there. The boys were conﬁdent.”

Jesuit’sfirst two runs came afterLogan Nel-

son’stwo-run triple down the left-ﬁeld line drove in Jeansonne and Marshal Serio. DeLatte then grounded outtothe shortstop to drive in Nelson from third. DeLatte, whofinished with five RBIs, crushed abases-loaded double to left in the top of the third to bring homeJeansonne, Serio and Jackson Dugan. “Anytime Isaw runners on, Iknew how to get them in,” DeLatte said.“Whether that’s ground ball, ﬂy ball, base hit, Idid what Ihad to do.” Jesuit used just two pitchers in thetwo-game series,with Dugan throwing allseven innings on Friday andMaes Martin allfive Saturday. Martin allowed twoearned runs on eight hitswithnowalks and three strikeouts.

“Maes Martin gave us a chance to winashealways does,” Goodlett said. “We hadtwo complete games on the mound, and if you do that in the playoffs, that’s fantastic.” Christian Iles hit atworun double in the bottom of the third for No. 11 Tioga, ateam from Rapides Parish near Alexandria, but Jesuit answeredwith two in the topofthe fourth. Jeansonne singledtodrive in Griffin Jeandron forthe second run of the inning. Jesuitbroke the game open with six in the top of the fifth. The first run scored after Jeandron hit a sacrifice fly,and twomore came homeonJeansonne’s triple to center

BASEBALL PLAYOFFREPORT

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Ashtyn Rogers stood in the pitcher’scircle with a runner on third and one out in the ﬁrst inning intenton keeping St. Charles from scoring the ﬁrst run. She succeeded —and did plenty more after that.Rogers, the team’slone senior, struck out 15 and added two hits with two runs scored in Patrick Taylor’s5-0 state quarterfinal victory Saturday in LaPlace.

The win sent the fifthseeded Tigers to the state tournament in Sulphurfor the ﬁrst time in school history They’llfacetwo-time reigning Division II select state champion Calvary Baptist, the No. 1seed,in Friday’ssemiﬁnal.

“I’m so glad that this group got to do it,” said Rogers, aSoutheastern Louisiana signee on varsity since she was in seventh grade.

“We’re agreat team.” At the plate, Leah Godoy’s RBI triple bounced past the diving first baseman and rolled into the rightﬁeld corner,scoring Rogers from ﬁrst for a1-0 leadin

the fourth. In the ﬁfth, No. 9-hittingfreshman Hailey Chauvin laced adouble to thegap in left-center ﬁeld to make it 2-0.

Patrick Taylor (29-6) added threerunsinthe sixth, with Alyvia Palmisano’sRBI single coming beforea pair of miscues in the ﬁeld let the other two runsscore.

Akey momentoccurredin theﬁrst, when Rogers’ ﬁrst strikeout came with arunner on third andone out.The next battergrounded outto endthe inning.

“Hergettingthose strikeouts with runners (inscoring position), and they’re trying to bunt, it eliminates

With three hits, two walks and one batter reaching on an error,No. 4St. Charles (21-12) stranded six runners, four in scoring position. The Comets put the leadoff hitter on base three times but failed to execute.

“Weweren’table to get a fewbunts down,” St.Charles coach Zack Weber said. “We missed that big hit withtwo outs in one of those innings, andyou know, it just wasn’t our day.”

Five St. Charles seniors played theirfinalgame aftertwice reaching the state final and playing in one other semifinal during their time together

“It’s something that not manygirls can say in high school that they’ve been able to do,” Webersaid. “I’m very proud of those seniors.”

Patrick Taylor’sﬁrst state berth came after four consecutive quarterﬁnal losses, including last year’s2-0 defeat to E.D. White.

“A year agotoday,welost to E.D.Whiteinthis same round,” Reine said. “We just weren’tgood enough. This yearthe girlscame back ready,and we found a way.Wefoundour offense. Ashtyn was phenomenal. Just very,veryemotional right now.” Rogers understood the

“The best way Icould describe it is I’m stubborn,” Rogers said. “And I’m not letting theother team get what they want.”

SOFTBALL REPORT

Sundayin

WEATHER

ZURICH CLASSIC

FROM THEGALLERY: WEATHER, TICKET,TV, PARKINGINFOFOR FINALROUND OF THEZURICHCLASSIC

LEADING/LURKING

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

TICKETS/PARKING

TV/STREAMING

Avondale: Hit and hope Morning clouds with good chance of scattered afternoon thunderstorms.Winds south8-14 mph. High 84.

With arecord-breaking 15-under 57 on Saturdayinbestball, brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick have a54-hole score of 30 under going into Sunday’s final round of foursomes. Theyhold afour-shot cushion over Alex Smalley/Hayden Springer (the second-round leaders) and Davis Thompson/Austin Eckroat —both at 26 under

Two-man teamsplaythe following format: Thursday: Four-ball (best ball) Friday: Foursomes (alternate shot) Saturday: Four-ball (best ball) Sunday: Foursomes (alternate shot)

Daily tournament tickets are $45 each. Activemilitary are admitted free, as are children under 15 with paying adultatthe Lapalco Boulevard gate only. Public parking is at NOLAMotorsports Park,11075 Nicolle Blvd., with an entrance near the third green.

ESPN+ is streaming its finalround coveragestarting at 8a.m. Sunday. Golf Channel begins itscoverageatnoon, withCBS starting at 2p.m.

Golferstakingadvantage of theirexemptions

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

The five players who got into the Zurich Classic of New Orleans ﬁeld via sponsor’sexemptions all made the cut Friday and will each pick up acheckatthe end of Sunday’sﬁnal round at TPC Louisiana.

While most of the attention this week has gone to 54-hole leader Alex Fitzpatrick and 18-year-oldphenom Blades Brown,South African Casey Jarvis was in thespotlight

Saturday Jarvis was paired this week with Canadian A.J.Ewart,and the duo carded an 11-under 61 in the best-ball format aftershooting 64 in best ball on Thursday.They shot 69 in foursomesFriday and with Saturday’ssolid round are tied for 10th with ascore of 22-under 194.

That’snot bad considering the pair never had met until Tuesday when Jarvis,who plays on the DP World Tour,was added to the ﬁeld after missing the cut at theMasters.

“I was kind of left stranded without apartner,and the Tour informed me about Casey playing and if Iwould want to play with him,” Ewart said. “I didn’thesitate.” Neither did Jarvis

“Obviously,Imet A.J. on Tuesday …and felt like it was love at ﬁrst sight,” Jarvis said with alaugh. Hotstarts

Saturday’sthird round produced early fireworks as morningrain gave way to clearing skies andlit-

ZURICH

Continued from page1C

30-under 186 is also arecord since thetournament went to ateam format in 2017.

“Playing alongside my brother, who happens also to be one of the best players in the world,ispretty fun,” said Alex, who is playing under asponsor’sexemption. “When he’splaying well, it’spretty cool to watch.”

Twoteams are four shots back at 26 under,including the pairing of Alex Smalleyand Hayden Springer,who entered Saturday’s round with aone-stroke lead. Davis Thompsonand Austin Eckroat arealso at 26-under 190. Butthe Fitzpatrick teamwill enter Sunday’salternate-shot competition as the prohibitivefavorites, especially afterposting around of 7-under 65 during alternate-shot play Friday

Play begins Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

The leaders tee off at 12:50 p.m.

“I don’tthink we can take the governor switch off (Sunday),” Smalley said. “Like Tiger (Woods) said, he wanted to be aggressive to conservative targets, soI think we’ll pick out good targets (Sunday) and try to hit the best shots that we can.”

While Zach Bauchou delivered the shot of the day with aholein-one on No. 3, Matt Fitzpatrick produced perhaps the most pivotal shot on the 492-yard,par-4 No. 12. His 284-yard drive left him 210 yards from the green, and he stuck a5-iron approach shot within 5feet of the hole. His birdie putt gave the Fitzpatricks the outright lead for the ﬁrsttime in the tournament and fueled afurious ﬁnish that saw them birdie

ﬁveofthe ﬁnal six holes

“It was an amazing day out there,” Alex said. “Wegot to like (hole No.) 14, and it was like, yeah, we’re going back to Mr.B’s (Bistro). We’ll probably stick with what we did the other night.”

This wasn’taone-manshoweither. Matt, the world’sNo. 3-ranked player,carded six birdies and an eagle at No.7,but Alex, who is

NOTEBOOK

tle wind bythe time theﬁrst players teed off shortly after 10 a.m.

It didn’ttake long for fans to be rewarded with theﬁrst big shot of theday,which Zach Bauchou provided at the198-yard, par-3 third hole

Taking deadaim at theﬂag, Bauchou landed his tee shot just below the hole. After twolittle bounces, theballdoveintothe cupfor the tournament’sninth ace overall —and just the second at No. 3— since the Zurich Classic wenttoa team event in 2017.

It was theﬁrst hole-in-one in this tournament since Eric Cole carded one at No. 14 in the ﬁrst round in 2024.

Nice carry-over

Max McGreevy and Kevin Roy were also hot earlySaturday as they opened with abirdie-eagle showing after starting their third round on the backnine.

It continued asigniﬁcant turnaround for theduo, whowere on the vergeofmissing the cut late Friday afternoon. But McGreevy’s clutch 291/2-foot birdie puttonthe ﬁnal holeearned them aspot for theweekend,making the cut right on the number at10under

Starting their third round on the back nine,McGreevy madea61/2foot birdieonthe par-410th, and Roy canned a35-foot eagle putt at the par-511th toget to 13 under for the tournament. They wereonly 5under for the ﬁnal 16 holes,however,shooting an 8-under 64.

playing onasponsor’s exemption hadseven birdies of his own.

“He was brillianttoday,” Matt saidof Alex.“…I felt like we were almostone player in away.Iwas helpinghim on the greens. He was giving me theopportunity to be aggressive into the pins and stuff.” Th eh eavy storms forced tournament officialstodelay tee times by a couple of hours Saturday morning. Because of the soggy playing conditions, preferredlie rules

were implemented, allowing players to clean, lift and place their ballsbefore shots.

“Playing alongside my brother,who happens also to be one of the best players in the world,ispretty fun. When he’splayingwell, it’spretty cool to watch.”

ALEX FITZPATRICK, golfer

“It was very gettable out there,” MattFitzpatrick said. “If youdrive theball (well), you can be aggressive to these pins. The greens aresoft, and they’re pure, as well, so you can makeputts and be aggressive. The score was deﬁnitely there, andobviouslyit’snice for us to do that.” Alex saidhewas awakened by lightning at 7a.m. andthought

playmight get canceled because thestorm was so intense.

“Honestly,I didn’tknow if we were going to playornot when Ilooked outside,” he said. “But coming out here anditbeing soft, especially in thefour-ball format, you knew you were going to have some opportunities. Icertainly didn’tthinkwewould have the score we have. We deﬁnitely exceeded our expectations.”

Bauchou produced the shotof the day when he carded aholein-oneonthe 212-yard, par-3 No. 3tobrieﬂyput his team in the lead early in the round. It was only the ninth hole-in-one since thetournament went to ateam format in

2017.

STAFFPHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Alex Fitzpatrickswingsonthe first green during theZurich Classic on SaturdayatTPC Louisiana in Avondale.

Alex and brother Matt Fitzpatrick shredded the course for13birdies and an eagle en route to atournamentrecordscore of15-under 57 to takeafour-strokelead into Sunday’s final round

ScottRabalais

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

SamStevens, left, and Zach Bauchou, right, wait to putt on the ninth holeduring the Zurich ClassicatTPC Louisiana in Avondale on Friday.OnSaturday,Bauchou recorded ahole-in-one.

OUTDOORS

RARE BIRDS

QuailForever’s Atchafalayachapter to celebrateits return as it triestobring wild quailbacktoLouisiana

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Joseph Guercio grew up bird hunting. He saidhis father took himinto doveﬁelds and duck blinds throughout his formative years

Yetitwasn’tuntil his college days that his healthy pastime became apassion

“A friend at LSUbrought me to south Texas for aquail hunt and that sealed the deal for me,” Guercio said. It turnedout to be more than aone-thing-led-to-another scenario that led the 30-year-old to take the reins —along with others —inthe rebirth of the national Quail Forever’sAtchafalayaRegion Chapter

Before he knew it, Guercio said he was asking questions, talking to older hunters in search of other bobwhite quail hunting grounds and, ﬁnally,buying an English setter

“She (his setter) sealed the deal for me,” he said. “(Lyla) opened up aworld of bird hunting. She is adog bred to point and hunt and Iwould do her adisservice notto work her and get her into the ﬁeld.”

Other than maybe adozen hunting preservesinthe state and southwest Mississippi, quail hunting is an afterthough in the state. Like most southern states, hunting “wild” quail is amemory —adistant memory in Louisiana. Quail populations are so low that southern states have banded together to fund aKnoxville, Tennessee-based study to increase numbers.

Habitat loss is the main factor in the decline, and somehunters and landowners believe invasive species likeﬁre antsinvading nests hascontributed.

About 10 years ago, folks olderthat Guercio,men whose fathers took them on quail hunts50, 60 and 70 years ago, believed Quail Forever,along with federal and state initiatives, could help bring wild quail backto Louisiana In theinterim, theU.S Forest Service’seffort to bring back long-leaf pine in theKisatchieNational Forestand Wildlife and Fisheries’ efforts on the Sandy HollowWildlife Management Area have shown some increases in quailnumbers.

Still, theoriginal Atchafalaya Chapter founders knew that wasn’tenough. They knew some members had aged out of thisvolunteer movement andCOVID-19 hadscattered others.

Thenext step wastorecruit Guercio, whowill serveinthe president’s spot along with new ofﬁcers Joseph Ruocco,Scott McKinzie, Peter Broderick and Dane Murphy,who will work with Quail Foreverregional rep Jason Kindall. Guercio said all of what’s happened in thepast few years“checked two boxes for me.”

And, like other ownersof pointers, setters andBrittany spaniels —the upland-game working dogs Guercio said there is athrill

2, Nathaniel Watts, Livingston (4)3.65. 3, Blake Harper, Livingston (1) .71. Big bass: Nobile, 2.38. Adult division: 1, Ben Nobile, Livingston (5) 13.16. 2, JakeRichard, Port Allen (5) 10.55. 3, Henry Giluso, Hammond(5) 9.43. Big bass: Nobile, 4.87. Bassmaster Elite MUSKOGEE, Okla. Final top five from the four-dayGamakatsu Bassmaster Elite held on the Arkansas River with anglers, their hometowns, number of bass weighed in parentheses (five-bass daily limit), total weight in pounds andounces and prizewinnings. Also listed are Louisiana anglers, thebig bass and contingency winners. The top 50 in the 101-angler field moved

AROUND THECORNER

MONDAY

RED STICK FLYFISHERS

FLY-TYING SESSION: 7p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public Materials and tools available for beginners. Website: www. rsff.org

TUESDAY-THURSDAY

STATECOMMERCIAL FISHING

LICENSES: 8a.m.-3:30 p.m., 468 TexasGulf Rd., Bourg. New or renewallicenses &boat registrations. Also (closed Noon-1 p.m. all venues): 9a.m.-3:30 p.m., May 4-5, 1025 TomWatson Rd LakeCharles; 9a.m.-3:30 p.m., May6-7, 200 Dulles Dr., Lafayette. Call LDWF (225)765-2898.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

FFI GULFCOAST CLASSIC:

9a.m.-5 p.m. daily,GulfState Park Learning Campus, Gulf Shores, Alabama. Seminars, casting clinics, ﬂy tying, exhibitors. FlyFishing Film Festival May2.Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International event. Website: www fﬁgulfcoastclassic.com

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

LA. HIGH SCHOOL &JUNIOR

BASSMASTER STATECHAMPIONSHIP: Doiron’sLanding, Stephensville.

HUNTINGSEASONS

TURKEY: Area A, through May

3; Area B: through April26; Area Cclosed SQUIRRELS: May2-24, statewide, private lands only

in seeing their dogs work aﬁeld.

“Wejust want to get (the dogs) on somemorebirds,” he said. “Weneedtoget focused on habitat, andwith habitat comes more birds and more opportunity to hunt andtogiveLyla, abig dog who likes to hunt,the ability to enjoy the quality of life she deserves.”

That said, the newly formed committee wants to engage more upland bird hunters andwillholda meetand-greet Five-Stand Clays Shootout at 4p.m. May 6at theBridgeview Gun Club in PortAllen.

It’s to benefit the Atchafalaya Region Chapter.It’s an individual competition —noteams —and theearly rounds will determine qualiﬁers for a“top-scorer shootout.”

There will be food, drinks anda rafﬂefor guns andgear valued at more than$300. Participants must provide their owngun, ammunition, protective eye and earwear. Thechapterhas set afundraising banquet on Aug. 27. For details, email Guercio: ch3089@qfofﬁcers.org

It’s back

The private recreational red snapper season opens Friday.This state-managed season is open tostate-certiﬁedcharterboat operations, but charterboatswith federal permits willhave to wait until June 1toﬁsh.

Theseisafour-per-day limit. Red snapper must measure aminimum of 16 incheslongduring the seven-day-a-week season.

to the thirdround, and the top 10 advanced to the ﬁnalround: Top5: 1, Jacob Foutz, Philadelphia, Tennessee (20) 72 pounds,4ounces $100,000. 2, Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minnesota (20) 65-7, $20,000. 3, PatSchlapper,Eleva, Wisconsin (20) 64-10, $15,000. 4, Jason Christie, Dry Creek, Oklahoma (20) 63-8,$12,500. 5, Fisher Anaya,Eva,Alabama (20) 63-0, $11,750. Louisiana anglers: 25, Caleb Sumrall, New Iberia(15) 42-3, $6,000. 30, Tyler Rivet, Raceland (15) 40-6, $5,500. 52, Greg Hackney,Gonzales (10) 26-6 Phoenix Boats BigBass: Cole Sands, Johnson City,Tennessee, 6-13, $2,000. Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag: Seth Feider,ElkoNew Market, Minnesota, 21-3, $2,000.

Showingthe way

NorthPass, an area most folksknowasPass Manchac, hardly draws atop-anything spot in thelistoftop bassﬁshing areas in our state.

Thenthe JuniorSouthwest Bassmasters shows up and shows us why it’s an annual stop on their ﬁshing calendar Last weekend, 24 club members showed up at the NorthPasslandingalong with theiradult guidesand provedthatbass have re-

covered from the hit fish populations suffered from Hurricane Ida.

It’snosecret this area opensthe door to fishing the marshes between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain and to the handful of nearby rivers and bayous bordering the twolakes.

The bass were hungry and thebiggest problemwas catching alargemouth long enough to meet the club’s12inch minimum size “keeper” rule amidst windy and choppy conditions, club reporter

Jim Breaux said. In all, ﬁve of thenine listed among the top three in the trio of three-year age groupings weighed afive-bass limit.The adultguideshad limits, too, withBen Nobile’s 13.16-pound catch leading the way there, and Aiden Giluso’s8.65-pound limit takingthe topspotamong the young anglers. Breaux said the crew reported catching bass on topwaterlures,spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, softplastics and crankbaits.

MAY4-7 —NATIONAL R3 SYMPOSIUM: Hilton Downtown, Des Moines,Iowa. Focus on recruitment &retention,and Reactivation of hunters/recreational shooters &wildlife conservation withstate, federal, NGO,industrypartners.Website: cahss.org/ symposium MAY5—GULF COUNCIL SSS COMMITTEEMEETING: 7:30-11:30 a.m (CDT), virtual meeting to reviewgulfﬁshery independent survey forabundance by species in Gulf of America. Website: gulfcouncil.org

MAY6-9 —NRA AMERICA’S RIFLE CHALLENGE MATCHDIRECTOR SUMMIT: Camp Atterbury,Indiana. Club and range volunteersin comprehensive instruction on safe,efﬁcient &engaging conduct of range competitions. Call NRA Public Affairs (703) 267-3820. MAY7—LA. WILDLIFE &FISHERIES COMMISSIONMEETING: 9:30 a.m JoeHerring Room, state Wildlifeand Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge.

FISHING/SHRIMPING

MAY1—OPENING DAY/ PRIVATERECREATIONAL RED SNAPPER SEASON: Daily with 4-per-daycreel limit with 16inch minimum size “keeper” restriction.

SHRIMP: Special inshore whiteshrimp season through May10 from Atchafalaya River Ship Channel west to Freshwater BayouCanal;inshoreseasonclosedinZones 2&3&portionsofZone1 except Breton/Chandeleur sounds. All outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEA-

SONS: Gray triggerfish;flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers &wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath &Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Red snapper; greater amberjack; blueﬁntuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/ federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATES

n Possible daily closures of Fort Polk-North Wildlife Management Area and Fort Polk-Vernon WMAbecause of militaryactivities. For updates go to website: home. army.mil/polk/my-Fort-Polk/ fort-Polk-hunting n Closed: Hope Canal Road/ boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction) EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Joseph Guercio, left, the incoming president of the AtchafalayaRegion Quail Forever chapter,poses with his dog, Lyla, and Joseph Ruocco, the incoming treasurer.The chapter reviving after COVID-19, will have ameet-and-greet and five-stand ClaysShootout at BridgeviewClub in Port Allen on May6

NFL DRAFT

Precipitous fall lands Nussmeier with Chiefs

Quarterback was last of seven LSU picks

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

There are draft-day surprises, and then there’s what happened to Garrett Nussmeier

Nussmeier, the LSU quarterback who widely was expected to be selected in the second or third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, fell past the third round of picks on Friday, and then the fourth, ﬁfth and sixth on Saturday He wasn’t chosen until the Kansas City Chiefs decided to scoop him up with the 249th overall choice the 33rd pick of the seventh round.

Nine quarterbacks and six LSU players were selected ahead of Nussmeier

Four of those former Tigers heard their names called Saturday: tight end Bauer Sharp, wide receiver Barion Brown, linebacker Harold Perkins and Nussmeier Sharp, Brown and Perkins all went in the sixth round. Sharp was the No 185 overall selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Brown went ﬁve picks later to the New Orleans Saints; and Perkins was the second-to-last pick of the round, going No. 215 overall to the Atlanta Falcons Overall, LSU had seven players selected in the draft. Cornerback Mansoor Delane was the lone Tiger picked in the first round on Thursday going to the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 6 overall pick. Two LSU players were taken in the third round on Friday, when the Indianapolis Colts took safety AJ Haulcy with the No. 78 overall pick, and the Chicago Bears drafted wide receiver Zavion Thomas 11 picks later

Entering the 2025 season, Nussmeier was considered one of the

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

it’s defense. So this year, it was offense.”

In addition to trying to jolt an offense that ranked 28th in points per game last year, the Saints also spent Saturday attempting to bolster their defensive line. New Orleans acquired edge rusher Tyree Wilson — the seventh overall pick in 2023 — from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a ﬁfth-round pick (No. 150). As part of that deal, the Saints received a seventhround pick, which they used to draft Iowa cornerback TJ Hall.

Loomis said they had long liked the 25-year-old edge rusher and are hoping to replicate the success they found by previously signing Chase Young, another high-end prospect who hadn’t exactly delivered on massive expectations entering the NFL

But compared to Young, the 2020 defensive rookie of the year, Wilson has even less production through his ﬁrst three seasons

He has only 12 sacks in 50 games, only seven of which were starts.

“More than anything, (defensive coordinator) Brandon (Staley) has a vision for him fitting into our defense,” said Loomis, who indicated the Saints would not pick up Wilson’s fifth-year rookie contract option ahead of the league’s May deadline. “It adds to a group we like already.”

The trade was completed a day after a report indicated the Saints were showing “strong interest” in acquiring New York Giants edge Kayvon Thibodeaux. But the deal for Wilson likely quiets that speculation as he will join a passrushing rotation that includes Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Chris Rumph.

The Saints consistently were mentioned in trade rumors throughout the draft, but Loomis was emphatic the team did not actively pursue trading up from the eighth overall pick. He said the team received calls from teams above them who were interested in trading down, but that the cost for the Saints to move up was too high.

“I never made one call to move up from eight that was completely untrue,” Loomis said Instead, the Saints did not trade up in the draft for the second straight year They stood pat, taking chances on developmental prospects such as Wright and fifth-round safety Lorenzo Styles, the brother of incoming Washington Commanders rookie linebacker Sonny Styles. Styles, like Brown, could be a re-

top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class and a potential first-round pick. But a mysterious torso injury hampered his play as the Tigers limped their way to a 7-6 campaign.

The NFL Network revealed on Monday that Nussmeier’s abdominal pain resulted from a cyst on the quarterback’s spine. The discomfort it caused, he said, started during the second day of the preseason and lingered for the rest of the year Nussmeier said he still wasn’t 100% by the time he spoke with reporters in January at the Senior Bowl. He also noted that the injury

turner for the Saints. He had a 100yard kickoff return touchdown at Ohio State But if he develops, he could also ﬁll an important role for the defense. Styles started last season as a nickel corner, and the Saints have a vacancy in the slot after the free agency departure of Alontae Taylor Wright, at 6-foot-5 and 331 pounds, impressed with his physicality at the Senior Bowl, but the 23-year-old only became a fulltime guard in 2023 when he made the switch from defensive tackle.

He had been a starter for Auburn over the last two seasons.

Loomis seemed more than satisﬁed with New Orleans’ haul. As he entered his news conference, he cracked a joke that he didn’t trade up and drafted a player from LSU two perceived knocks on the executive — so there shouldn’t be any questions.

He said he felt “really good” about the class, even if the Saints didn’t address every need. Loomis, for instance, said he would have thought before the draft that they would have addressed Taylor’s departure earlier than they did

But Loomis was confident enough in the team’s evaluations, despite some of the Saints’ prospects carrying questionable medical histories.

Beyond Tyson’s well-documented injury history of a torn ACL (2022) and hamstring injury (2025), second-round defensive tackle Christen Miller has had shoulder injuries. Styles also is coming off shoulder surgery that will keep him out at least until training camp

Loomis said there’s “risk” in every player but the Saints have a vision for what they can do at the next level. For this year’s class, that involves helping the Saints get faster

Lance, the brother of NFL quarterback Trey Lance, ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and his speed was backed up with production as he recorded multiple 1,000-yard seasons at North Dakota State.

Brown, a kickoff return specialist who had an SEC-record six touchdown returns, ran a 4.4, while Styles led the Saints’ class with a blazing 4.27. Even Delp ran a 4.49.

But it was a class headlined by Tyson, whom Loomis praised for making tough catches that often resulted in ﬁrst downs and touchdowns — the kind of target that every young quarterback needs.

“He’s just the whole package, really,” Loomis said. “And look, if you’re going to be a top-10 pick in our league, you better have the whole package.”

affected his mechanics and that he needed to retrain them “from the ground up.” In his first season as a starter in 2024, Nussmeier threw for more than 4,000 yards with 29 touchdowns before his numbers cratered during an injury-plagued final season with the Tigers. He averaged 6.7 yards per pass attempt and had only 12 touchdown passes. Nussmeier wasn’t the only Tiger who had to wait to hear his name called Saturday LSU did not have any players selected in the fourth or fifth rounds, and it wasn’t until

TYSON

Continued from page 1C

He had to ﬁnd himself in the sig-

niﬁcant shadow cast by his brother He had to prove himself when there were few big-time Division I football programs offering him scholarships. He had to learn how to pick himself up when injuries got in the way time and again.

The garage door opened and closed hundreds of times in the dark, early mornings. The work got Tyson to New Orleans But there is so much more to his success, and it all starts back in the home he shared with his family

“We’re just regular people doing extraordinary things,” John said.



When the Saints selected Jordyn on Thursday night, the conversation swiftly turned into a debate about risk and reward. His talent is bright and never has been questioned. He possesses rare qualities that are hard to ﬁnd in one person because they run counter to each other speed and savviness, suddenness and ease, instinct and understanding. He has superstar traits.

But But the injuries There’s the risk. A torn ACL ended his freshman year at Colorado, and cost him most of his second season at Arizona State. A broken collarbone ended his junior season and kept him out of a College Football Playoff run by the Sun Devils. A hamstring injury cost him four games last year and bled into his pre-draft preparation.

NFL teams can’t just gloss over that information, especially for someone they’re considering at the top of the draft The injuries and the time missed take on a life of their own in the long time between the end of the college football season and the NFL draft.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham scoffs at the notion that Tyson is injury-prone. Beyond the fact that injuries are part of this violent sport, were people even watching what happened against Texas Tech? Try telling him that Tyson isn’t tough. That was when the hamstring injury cropped up. Tyson felt it after hauling in a touchdown in the third quarter. Derek Eusebio, Tyson’s teammate and roommate at ASU, remembered thinking he was done for the game. Turned out, Tyson had a lot more to give. He stayed in the game and played a massive role in securing the upset over the No. 7 Red Raiders. Trailing by three with two minutes left, Tyson hauled in four passes for 55 yards on the

having played the previous three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana.

Brown was the next Tiger off the board ﬁve picks later, going 190th overall to the Saints He had 53 catches for 532 yards this past season, his ﬁrst and only in the purple and gold.

He led the team in both categories despite catching only one touchdown pass. According to Pro Football Focus, he also had 263 yards after the catch and picked up 25 ﬁrst downs.

Brown transferred to LSU from Kentucky last offseason. In three years with the Wildcats, he had 122 catches for 1,528 yards and 11 touchdowns. His career-high in receiving yards came as a freshman, when he had 628 yards and averaged 12.6 yards per reception. After Brown and Sharp were drafted early in the sixth, Perkins landed with the Falcons. Perkins spent all four years of his collegiate career with the Tigers. He burst onto the scene as a freshman edge rusher in 2022, then bounced around to different positions across the last three seasons he spent in Baton Rouge.

the Buccaneers selected Sharp with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round that an LSU player ﬁnally came off the board.

Sharp had 24 catches for 252 yards in his only season at LSU ﬁnishing sixth on the team in receptions and receiving yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he racked up 145 yards after the catch, and his average depth of target was 4.9 yards.

Sharp transferred to LSU last offseason after spending a year at Oklahoma. He had 42 catches for 324 yards for the Sooners after

Sun Devils’ game-winning drive, none more important than the 33 yards he gained on a fourth-down scramble drill.

He tweaked his other hamstring on that fourth-down play because he was compensating. Still, Tyson stayed in the game and made another big catch on the very next play

“It’s just like, man, the dude is just tough as nails,” Dillingham said.

Eusebio was on the ﬁeld for that, and he was at Tyson’s side when he was recovering from the hamstring injury last season. It was a difﬁcult year for the Sun Devils, who couldn’t recapture the magic they rode to the CFP in 2024. Eusebio watched as people told Tyson to just shut his season down and turn his focus to the NFL draft after the injury against Texas Tech.

Instead, with their playoff hopes all but dashed, Tyson returned to play the final two games of the regular season.

“A lot of people say he was nursing his hamstring, blah, blah, blah,” Eusebio said. “There are guys that have sat out all season because they knew they were going (in the ﬁrst round).

“He did not have to come back for us,like,wewerealreadyoutofit And he did. That tells you a lot about him.”

Before his career in the Air Force — where he met Tyson’s mother, Sandra — John played college football at Florida A&M. He knew injuries were part of the game, but he didn’t quite grasp the full toll they were taking on his son. Not until Jordyn told his father about how he persevered, and that is where the family comes back in.

There would be days, Jordyn said, when he wanted to quit. When the work to overcome another setback felt like too much. And then he would receive a call, or a package in the mail, or his parents would show up on campus, and he would make it through to the next day chasing the dream.

John and Sandra since have separated,buttheycancountononehand the number of their sons’ games they’ve missed since youth sports.

“Those times when we showed up, he needed us, and we were there,” John said. “And eventually he made it through. Eventually he came out on the other side, and he realized, ‘I can make this work.’ ” Injuries may continue to be a part of Tyson’s football story Even if he has ﬁgured some things out about his body as he said he has, even if he’s got his regimen dialed in to perfection, injuries are part of the game he plays.

Just don’t confuse the time he missed with a lack of toughness. Don’t underestimate the time he’s spent in the dark. And don’t forget whatisontheothersideofthatbut

Coach Brian Kelly and his staff tried twice to play the 6-foot-1, 222-pound Perkins at inside linebacker, in part because that’s the position they thought he’d play in the NFL. But he wound up spending most of his time at Star — LSU’s hybrid linebackersafety role From that spot of the defense, he used his speed to drop into coverage, make tackles around the line of scrimmage and occasionally pressure opposing quarterbacks. Perkins’ slide into the sixth round was a mild surprise. Nussmeier’s fall was more of a stunner He had to wait much longer than anyone thought he would to land his ﬁrst NFL gig.



Shortly after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Saints had selected Tyson, the young receiver had a message waiting for him from one of the most important people in his life.

Jaylon couldn’t be there for his youngerbrotheratthedraftbecause he was playing in a playoff game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But before he scored 13 points off the bench against the Raptors, he recorded a message for his younger brother

“We’ve been through so much together, and you’re my best friend,” he said. “I remember growing up, you used to hate being Jaylon’s little brother You’re not Jaylon’s little brother anymore. You’re your own person You don’t understand, as a big bro, what you mean to me. It has nothing to do with football. I’m always going to be there for you.” Back when Jordyn was a 5-4 sophomore, John remembers his son coming home, frustrated and crying. He was watching his big brother’s star ascend, and he was getting impatient with his own progress.

“He was like, ‘Dad, when am I gonna grow? When am I gonna grow? When am I gonna grow?’ ” John recalled. “I always said the same answer: ‘You’re going to grow, you’re going to be ﬁne. And we can’t not work, but we can’t not follow the process, because when you do grow, you need to be ready.’ ”

The work came from dad, the former athlete. His mother Sandra, ﬁlled in the gaps She taught the boys about finances and nutrition and encouraged them to try new things. But Jaylon truly showed Tyson what was possible. That wasn’t a fluke. John fostered this relationship in his boys for a reason. Their uncle, Russell LaRone Tyson, died before they were born John was devastated by the loss of his brother and best friend, and he vowed to ensure his boys would have the type of relationship where they could depend on each other

“They are truly each other’s best friend,” John said. “They are the ﬁrst and last people that they want to call when something great happens. I love their relationship I love the honesty I love the truthfulness. I love the purity I love the vulnerability that they show with each other.”

Those early morning workouts with Jaylon are an important part of what led Jordyn to the Saints, but there’s so much more to it that made up the whole. His dream realized, Tyson was overcomewithemotion.Thisregular person did something extraordinary

“I promise you,” John Tyson said, “as God is my witness, I sleep at night knowing that my children are OK.”

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier takes a snap in the second half between the Tigers and Texas A&M on Oct. 25 at Tiger Stadium. The Chiefs selected him in the seventh round Saturday.

Mulkey adds second assistant from Miami

Pletcher’s Renegade opens as Kentucky Derby favorite

By The Associated press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Renegade opened Saturday as the morning line favorite for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, looking to overcome the inside rail post position that has not produced a winner in four decades. The colt trained by Todd Pletcher and set to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr is 4-1 after drawing the No 1 post in the field of 20 horses for the May 2 race. No horse has finished first in the Derby from there since Ferdinand in 1986, and the most recent to be in the top three was Lookin At Lee, who was second in 2017. Trainer Brad Cox’s No. 6 Commandment and No. 18 Further Ado are the second and third choices on the morning line each at 6-1, followed by No. 12 Chief Wallabee at 8-1 and The Puma at 10-1 Cox’s third entrant is 20-1 long shot Fulleffort, who drew the faroutside No 20 post.

Cox’s jaw dropped when he saw Fulleffort’s draw, calling it “probably the one I’m maybe not as wild about, as excited about as the other two.” He was most happy with Further Ado at No. 18, with threetime Derby-winning jockey John Velazquez aboard.

“Very happy with that post: I wanted him to draw outside, and it looks like there’s some speed to the inside of him there,” Cox said. “I do like the 6 with Commandment. Hopefully he can break and go forward. It looks like there’s a little speed around him. He can maybe save some ground going into the ﬁrst turn, maybe even into the second turn.”

Two-time Triple Crown champion Bob Baffert has two chances to win the Derby for a seventh time and break a tie with Ben Jones for the most of any trainer, saddling No. 4 Litmus Test (30-1) and No. 14 Potente (20-1) Litmus Test was the last horse to get into the ﬁeld earlier Saturday when Steve Asmussen and owners decided Chip Honcho

The winner’s circle at Churchill Downs sits empty on April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky

will skip the race and point toward the Preakness Stakes on May 16.

A year after Bill Mott’s Sovereignty won the Derby and then the Belmont Stakes, son Riley is training his ﬁrst two horses in the Triple Crown opener He has No. 2 Albus (30-1) and No. 11 Incredibolt (20-1). His dad’s bid to go back-to-back is Chief Wallabee.

“I don’t know him right now,” Riley Mott said. “He’s our competition Very formidable, obviously, but we’re just focused on our horses and trying to control the things we can control — unlike the draw It’s been fun just trying to stay focused but enjoy the moment at the same time.”

Rounding out the field are No. 3 Intrepido (30-1), No. 5 Right To Party (30-1), No. 7 Danon Bourbon (20-1), No. 8 So Happy (15-1), Japan-bred No. 10 Wonder Dean (301), No. 13 Silent Tactic (20-1), No. 15 Emerging Market (15-1), No. 16 Pavlovian (30-1), No. 17 Six Speed (50-1) and No. 19 Golden Tempo (30-1)

If there are scratches, there are four also-entered possibilities to join the ﬁeld: Great White, Ocelli, Robusta and Corona de Oro.

Post time for the race is set for 5:57 p.m

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Coach Kim Mulkey had two va-

cancies to ﬁll on her LSU women’s basketball staff this offseason.

Each time, she hired an assistant coach from Miami. Mulkey announced Saturday that she is hiring Murriel Page, a former WNBA veteran who’s spent the last 16 years as an assistant coach at the collegiate level. She starred at Florida from 199498, then played in the WNBA for 11 seasons after the Washington Mystics selected her with the third overall pick of the 1998 draft.

She also worked as an assistant on the Canadian national team that played in the 2024 Olympics.

Page has made ﬁve stops in her collegiate coaching career: at Florida (2010-17), Central Michigan (2018-20), Georgia Tech (2020-22), Mississippi State (2022-24) and Miami (2024-26). Now she’s following assistant coach Fitzroy Anthony from south Florida to Baton Rouge.

“Murriel brings a tremendous wealth of experience to LSU,”

Mulkey said in a statement, “and embodies professionalism in every sense Our student-athletes will

greatly beneﬁt from her perspective as both a player and coach at the highest levels of the game.”

LSU had to hire two new women’s basketball coaches because former assistant Gary Redus accepted the Rutgers head coaching gig in March and added longtime Mulkey aide Daphne Mitchell to his staff.

Mulkey initially hired former Tennessee assistant Gabe Lazo to replace Redus, but he accepted the Central Florida head coaching job only a few days after he agreed to move to Baton Rouge. So she quickly pivoted to Anthony, whose two-year $700,000 contract was approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors on Thursday Associate head coach Bob Starkey also agreed to a new deal because his was set to expire in July He’s now under contract at LSU through the 2028-29 season. Page, a 6-foot-3 forward, scored more than 1,900 career points and grabbed more than 1,200 career rebounds at Florida. She was named to the AP All-America second team in 1998. In the WNBA, Page played eight seasons with the Mystics and three with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Banchero, Bane lead Magic past Pistons to go up 2-1 in series

By The Associated Press

— Paolo Banchero

ORLANDO, Fla.

and Desmond Bane each scored 25 points, and the Orlando Magic blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead before rallying to beat the Detroit Pistons 113-105 on Saturday for a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference ﬁrst-round series. Banchero had 12 rebounds and nine assists. Franz Wagner scored 17 points for Orlando, which got 15 from Jalen Suggs and a 14-point, 17-rebound game from Wendell Carter Cade Cunningham scored 27 for Detroit, which trailed 96-79 with 8:34 left then outscored the Magic 26-8 over the next six minutes to grab the lead. But the Pistons, who got 23 points from Tobias Harris, couldn’t hold on. Game 4 is Monday night in Orlando.

“We’re looking forward to Monday man,” Banchero said.

It’s the 13th time since 1984, when the NBA went to the 16team format, that a No. 8 seed has taken a 2-1 lead in a ﬁrst-round series over a No. 1 seed.

Of the previous 12, five finished off the upset. Those teams: Miami in 2023, Philadelphia in 2012, Memphis in 2011, Golden State in 2007 and New York in 1999. And that doesn’t include Denver’s upset of Seattle in 1994, the first 8-over-1 series win in NBA history

The Magic — who had to win an elimination game at home just over a week ago to escape the play-in tournament are trying to be the next name on that list.

THUNDER 121,SUNS 109: In Phoenix,

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points in a brilliant shooting performance, Ajay Mitchell added 15 in place of the injured Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns to

take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference ﬁrst-round series.

Gilgeous-Alexander — the league’s reigning MVP — hit 15 of 18 shots on a variety of tough looks, frustrating a Suns defense that actually played decently for much of the game. Alex Caruso added 13 points off the bench while Chet Holmgren had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

The defending champion Thunder will go for the sweep in Game 4 on Monday in Phoenix.

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting while Jalen Green added 26.

KNICKS 114, HAWKS 98: In Atlanta, Karl-Anthony Towns had his ﬁrst postseason triple-double, OG Anunoby scored 22 points and the New York Knicks recovered after back-to-back losses to beat the Atlanta Hawks, tying the Eastern Conference playoff se-

ries at 2-2.

Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The 11thyear All-Star became the fourth Knicks player to record a tripledouble in a playoff game, joining Walt Frazier, Dick McGuire and Josh Hart.

The Knicks host Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, and the series is now guaranteed to return to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday New York took control of the game midway through the first quarter and maintained the lead for the rest of the game. The Knicks held a 68-44 advantage at halftime and extended that lead to 20 points by the end of the third quarter New York, who had one-point losses in the previous two games, returned to form behind its core of Towns, Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, who scored 19 points.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

on Feb

Maravich Assembly Center

AP FILE PHOTO By DARRON CUMMINGS

NBA PLAYOFFS ROUNDUP

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, right, celebrates with teammates Jalen Suggs, left, and Wendell Carter after sinking a 3-point shot against the Detroit Pistons during Game 3 of a first-round series on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Orlando won 113-105.

BELOW: John ‘Papa’ Gros performs March27 at the Maple Leaf Bar in NewOrleans.

LIVING

“John is entrenched in thepiano tradition of New Orleans while moving it forward.”

TRACEy FREEMAN, NewOrleans-based record producerand recording engineer

Gros hasbeen quietly cooking up his sound for decades,having learneddirectly from such masters as Allen Toussaint, Art Neville and Dr.John, all of whom are now gone. At 59, Gros ranks among the mostproﬁcient contemporary practitioners of the New Orleanspiano tradition. His keyboard skills are augmented by arich, slightly graveled voice and anaturally New Orleans

band that backs him now bears his own name, the “Papa” part aholdover from hispreviousgroup.

TheJohn “Papa” Gros Band is oneofthe most NewOrleans of New Orleans bands, asonic stew as savory as adark roux. Funk is amain ingredient, butthere is much more to it.

FROM J

PROVIDED IMAGE John ‘Papa’ Gros’ 2026 album ‘Giants’

“yeah, you right” personality In theaudiencefor Gros’ recent Maple Leaf showwas Tracey Freeman, the New Orleans-based record producer and recording engineer.Freeman knows athing or twoabout New Orleans music in general and piano playing in particular: He hasproduced all ofHarry Connick Jr.’salbums. Hewon aGrammyAward with Connick and another for producing aRebirth Brass Band album Freeman also helped craft Papa Grows Funk albums and Gros solo albums, including the new “Giants.” On

ä See GROS, page 7D

PROVIDED PHOTOFROMJOHN‘PAPA’GROS

NewOrleans keyboardist John ‘Papa’ Gros, standingat far right, poses with bassist GeorgePorter Jr., Dr.John and Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell.

“I’m very grateful that they choseheretoput some of that artworkdown.”

City streetsprovide plenty of canvas forartist

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

If colorful ceramic tilesare your medium andpotholes are your canvas, where better to create art than New Orleans? The Crescent City’sreputation forbumpy,pockmarked streets is ultimately what called the renowned Buffalo Pothole Bandit to town. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, the anonymous

ä See POTHOLES, page 8D

PHOTO

DINING SCENE

‘Red bean queen’ is gone buther food legacy endures

Aday at the New Orleans Jazz& Heritage Festival starts early for Morris Douglas, the food vendor who for decades has prepared red beans and rice for the fest crowds.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

He’susually at the Fair Grounds by sunrise, starting the ﬁrst of many batchesof beans he’ll need to serve thousands of plates of meaty and vegetarian versions of the New Orleans staple eachday This year, though, he’sbeen showing up even earlierto make another dish that has people lining up at his booth —blackberry cobbler

The homestyle dessert was created and long prepared byhis business partner,Judy Burks, a food vendor at the festival for more than 50 years.

Burks died in January at age 83 after contending with failing health over several years.

She was known around Jazz Fest as the “red bean queen,” and Douglas is the “red bean man.” He cooked red beans for Burks’ memorial earlier this year.Now, Douglas andhis sister,Pam Douglas, are still serving the dishes they once made with Burks, maintaining afestival traditiontiedtoa close friend’slegacy

In recent years, when health issues limited Burks’ ability to work hands-on in the kitchen, her life partner,artist Viorel Hodre, made the blackberry cobbler. He stepped away this year,sothe dessert is now in Douglas’ hands, too.

“I want to keep everything just the way it was,” said the 68-yearold New Orleans native. “Itjust means this year Icome in earlier.” Food as heritage

Food is an integral part of Jazz Fest. More than an event amenity, the menu across the many booths is curated to reﬂect Louisiana culinary heritage. The vendors behind each dish are small, often familyrun operations.

Making Jazz Fest food becomes alifelong pursuit for some,part of what they do, and, like the “red bean queen,” part of who theyare

This longevity and steadfast consistency lays the foundationfor festgoerstobuild their own traditions around favorite dishes. Over time,someﬂavorshave become entwined withthe Jazz Festexperience, and the people who producethemplay arole as important as theperformers on stage But with thatlongevity comes the march of time as people who startedatJazz Fest decades ago move into different chapters of life.

Some vendors have made the turn into the next generation.

Vance Vaucresson, who serves the fest’s Creole hot sausage poboys, recalls that he was ababy in aplaypen at theﬁrst JazzFestin 1970, and he picked up themantle from his father to run thebooth long ago.

Patton’sCatering, the Slidellbased creator of the eye-catching crawﬁshsack, oyster patty shrimpbeignet combo plate, is now run by thethird generation of

the Pattonfamily Burks did not have children, but the relationships that run through her red beans booth became an extension of family and they continue now

“Weare family out here,” said Douglas Bigshoes, filled

Burks was 30 years old when she started outatJazz Fest. It was 1973, and the festival was still small. It had about 20 food vendors, compared to nearly 60 today

She and her partner at the time madeCuban black beans, but they did not provepopular

The next year,they switched to red beans and rice. They took over from none other than Buster Holmes, alegend of Creole cooking, who served the famous dish at the ﬁrst Jazz Fest but bowed out as the event grew bigger Burks’ rendition, creamy smoothand well seasoned, became afestival classic.

Douglas ﬁrst met Burks when he was in high school and she was his art teacher.In1976, at 18, he started volunteering at her red beans booth, working the counter serving customers. He loved it from thestart.

“It’s thepeople you meet,the friendliness,” Douglas said. “Jazz Festisdifferent from any other fest. It has the mosthomey feel. People come from all over the country and the world, and they tell you they’re comingback for your food. It makes you feel so good.”

By 1987, Douglas becamea partner with Burks to produce thestandeach year,and his sister joined theoperation as well. ‘Betterthanmama’s’

Douglas cooks from acommis-

sary kitchen near his booth at the Fair Grounds, following the recipe Burks developed long ago, from the ratio of holy trinity seasoning vegetables to the quotient of white pepper

He measures his volumein 25-pound sacks of Camellia brand red beans. By the end of the festival, he’ll have cooked up about 2,000 pounds of beans.

The smoked sausage is always from Richard’sCajun Foods, a brand based in Church Point, outside of Lafayette, and the bread is always from Leidenheimer Baking Co., which delivers fresh loaves to the Fair Grounds daily

“Tobeavendor out there, you have to be consistent, keep an eye on your product and take care of your people,” Douglas said. “There are alot of people out there, and they get hungry at the sametime.”

Outside of Jazz Fest, Douglas worked formore than 40 years at Winn-Dixie, managing various departments. With the grocery chain closing someofits local stores, he decided to retire this year

He’scontemplating retiring from the festival too. But that’sa decision forthe future. This year, he’skeeping the red beans going and the blackberry cobbler,too. While mostofhis workisbehind the scenes, he spends at least part of ashiftatthe booth so he can interact with customers. He loves hearing their stories, and he’sproud of the praise they heap on his cooking.

“You have tourists, and sometimes this is their ﬁrst red beans, but you have alot of New Orleans natives too,” he said. “They’ll tell you this is better than Mama’s. Now,Mama’snot standing there next to them,sothey can say that.”

PamDouglas, from left, Morris Douglas and JudyBurks, food vendors at theNew Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival, prepare red beans and rice.

FILE PHOTOBy SCOTT THRELKELD

MAKING THE NIGHTMOVES

n Improvisations

Under the catchy title, “Storyville: Sounds of the Rising Sun,” the New Orleans Jazz Museum gala, called Improvisations, held forth on arecent Saturday night with fabulous fundraising fun. It was presented by the Herb Alpert Foundation and included as honorary co-chairs Herb Alpert, Jon Batiste, John Goodman,Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser,Arthel Neville,Wynton Marsalis,Randy Fertel, JoeDonner,TonySylvester, and Francis Ford Coppola.

More notables weregalaco-chairs Valerie Landry, James Moore,and Claus Sadlier; 31 committee members;25advisory committee cohorts; and gala organizers GregLambousy, Carlisle &Voelker (AliCarlisle and Audrey Voelker), and SandraS Dartus,CFEE.Greg, the Jazz Museum director, reigned as King Charles VII on “12th night” in the Jeanned’ArcParade.

And that was just the beginning.Countless musicians were spotlighted on the three main stages.There was the OmegaStage,which was sponsored by Omega Production Resource, located on the Esplanade Lawn Tent,and emceed by Charisse Gibson of WWL-TV.Itopened with Kermit Ruffins &Friends and concluded, after fourinterim acts, with Bobby Rush (presented by LandofDreams) Cole Williams of WWOZ emceed the Gallatin Stageonthe second ﬂoor, which was presented by Anne Atkinson (CongoSquareGallery).Itincluded NOCCA Jazz Ensemble, Audrey LeCrone Trio, LPO Ensemble with Dominican Strings ofGocessa, andTörngren Quartet, presented by theEmbassy of Sweden in Washington and the Honorary Consulate of Sweden. On thethirdﬂoor,the Hilton (New Orleans Hilton Riverside) madethe musical mark with emcees Rachel Pizzolatto and Christien Bold, and Tuba Skinny as theopening of four acts. ADJ Showcase featured Alan Nobili (Alliance Francaise)

The Entertainment& Production Sponsors were Land of Dreams, the LupinFoundation, Positive Vibrations Foundation, and Presson Productions. Messina’s, theprimarypurveyor, and Element were the respectiveculinaryand VIP Experience sponsors, while the New Orleans Storyville Museum andNew Orleans Auction were thanked for the program and auction sponsorship.Dozensofadditional sponsorsabetted the programming and partying. Element and Omega Production Resources providedspectacular décor and lighting throughout theJazz Museumcomplex.Inkeeping withthe “Storyville” theme, Element used avariety of velvet reds,burgundies, and gold-accented blackstorender atmosphere.The VIP tent used similar colors and hung black Maria Theresa chandeliers fromthe ceiling. Many further features intrigued,asdid the coordinated games of chance by Carl Mack Presents in the SportingParlor,and theroving Fashion Promenade with Storyville-inspired designs. In additiontothe museum’s ongoing exhibitions, gala attendees were also treated to thenewly-opened Storyville Exhibit, where presentationssuch as “Lulu White’s Parlor Talk” and “A Storyville Burlesque” occurred.

As for the auctions and prizes, Lady Luck tappedwinners Michelle Broom, Michelle Leblanc, Charles Zapf,WendellFrazier,Randall Miller, and Jason Hughes Special guests werenumerous andincluded SarahElizabeth Gundlach, spouse of Greg Lambousy; TimLupinand Anamaria Villamarin-Lupin;past Improv co-chairs Davis Piscola and Lisa Ramsay,Wendy Lodrig Bartand Hank, PamFriedler and Dr Eduardo Rodriguez, Dino Gankendorff with Ragan,and Randy Fertel. Also, Priscilla Gordon, who announced asponsorship in memoryofspouseNate; Dr Emma Levenson with James Moore; consuls general Rodolphe Sambou (France) and Yanina Torres (Dominican Republic), and honorary consuls Cecilia Kjellgren (Kingdom of Sweden) and Joseph Dunn (Canada).

Hundreds more ﬁgured in themassiveand musicalmerriment.According to aparty principal,the “multi-faceted eventand this year’sStoryville theme took on alife of its own!”

n ASilver Salute

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

Let’sstartwith theacronym: NORLI. It stands for the New OrleansRegional Leadership Institute. Andnow for theanniversary: the25th. The MISI on Decatur Street was the site for thesocializing that celebrated a quarter century of leadership, connection,and impact across the Greater New Orleansregion. Scores of alums and civic leaders rallied in aspace that was set with astageand dance floor.All enjoyed the catering by Messina’sthat included anumber of favorite local dishes Stephen Reuther and Barrett Conrad,respectiveNORLI executivedirector and chairman, opened theformalities with remarks,which were followed by those of alumni, past chair Patty Riddlebarger (Entergy), founding chair Lonnie Stockwell, SandraLindquist (New Orleans Chamber), Bill Hines (Jones Walker), Kia Robinson (New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation),and Tifferney White (Louisiana Children’sMuseum). Additional recognitions ensued,asdid applause. Alongwith the above were Voris Vigee (Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana), AmyBoyle Collins, Elizabeth Ellison-Frost, Slade Simons, Melissa Hodgson,Ashley Hilsman, Michelle ClarkePayne,Val Grubb,LeeAnn Moss, Kristi Trail, and AmyCorcoran, who won the raffle item of abottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne. Alsocatching the eye —and ear —was MichaelHecht (Greater New Orleans, Inc.), who was cast as DJ El Camino. As such, he served up 25 years of hitsthat moved the party pack with gusto to thedance floor

n Legacy and Levity

The 17th annual Lambeth House Gala, which had Ochsner Health as the Title Sponsor,was in honor and loving memory of author Albert E. Cowdrey.Abeloved resident of 15 years, his generosity and impact gave way to the Albert E. Cowdrey Library Sponsorshipwas extensive and included as the Presenting threesomeHancock Whitney,Unidine, and Woodward Design+Build Headliners on the Lambeth House Foundation Board were chair Christine Montz,vice chair Stephanie November secretary KenKneipp, treasurer Jeff Meckstroth,and board members DorothyClyne,Britt Galloway,Ted George, Mary Martin Roth, Julie Talbot,TimTrapolin (also an auction donor), Charlotte Travieso, and Stacey Williams.

To embellish the premises, Sparkle and Swag created and installed bright colored balloon sculptures and an impressive ﬂoral arrangementinthe rotunda. Traveling music by the Chuck Brackman Trio, pianism by John Mahoney and Adam Lozoya, photos by Boogie Booth, and 35 silent auction itemsadded layers of levity.Top purchasers were Marjorie McKeithen (with spouse Scott Schlesinger), GordonStewart (with Anne)and Stacey Richards (with Richard). The cuisine rated raves, as gala-goers reached for char-grilled oysters, theculinary lure on two buffettables, and assorted pastries. Notables included the above, along with LH CEO Scott Crabtree, Holly Abbott and Bob Vorhoff, Sarah Meckstroth with Jeff, Reecee and Charlie Lanier,Pam Martin, Chuck Striffler,GeorgeYoung,Sandy Villere, Sam Rosamond, DukeEversmeyer,Margaret Carriere,Anne Bradburn, Camille Yeldell, Karen Smith, Francesand RodneySmith, and Julie McCollam

PHOTOSByREAGANLAQUE

James Moore, Valerie Landry, Greg Lambousy,Claus Stadlier

Nuria Rowley, Priscilla Gordon, Anne Atkinson

Monique Pyle, Glenda Ribelin

AnthonyMurdock, KennyMalter

PHOTOSByREAGAN LAQUE

TifferneyWhite, Bill Hines, Patty Riddlebarger,VorisVigee

Elizabeth Ellison-Frost, Amy Collins

Barrett Conrad,Stephen Reuther

Sandra Lindquist, SladeSimons, Melissa Hodgson

PROVIDED PHOTOSByLAMBETH HOUSE Russ and Sandra Herman

Eugenia and Tommy Lind

Pam Bonura, Elizabeth Hahn Furlong

TimTrapolin, Angie Richards

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Since its inception in 2022, Monroe’sannual Red White &Blue Airshowhas evolved from aweekend of localentertainment to atravel destination.

“Weget people from all over the country forthisevent,” saidJohn McJunkins, director of development for the Chennault Aviation &Military Museum, which hosts the event. “As far as we’ve been able to tell, it is oneofthe largest and most economically impactful events that happens in northeast Louisiana.”

This year’sshow willtakeplace fromMay 1-3 at theMonroe Regional Airport, 5400 Operations Road, Monroe.

This year’stheme is acelebration of America’s250th anniversary,which willbehighlighted by drone shows on Fridayand Saturday nights. The show will feature an intricate drone light display staged by Dallas-basedAriel Illuminations, whichfuses technologyand artistry to create immersiveexperiences through its large-scale drone productions

Intricate, animated, patriotic images will ﬁll Monroe’snight sky.

“Since we’re specifically celebrating America’s250th anniversary,the drone show willhave a patriotic theme,” McJunkinssaid. “And so we’re doing acouple of other things to highlight that.”

Onesuch eventwillfeatureparatrooper reenactments.

“We’ll have paratrooperreen-

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

TRAVEL

skyatMonroe’sair show

Matt Younkin’sair show ﬂeets; and performances by aerobatics pilots

Mike “Spanky” Gallaway and John Scherff;pilot Dan Fordiceand his P-51D Mustang; aerobatics by the JetWaco, 1929 Taperwing Waco biplane; Shannon Elliot and his WorldWar II AT-6; theNextGen Eagles Aerobatics Team; and Ben Ausbrooks and his Steen Sky Bolt.

um staff andvolunteers related to themuseum, but it’sour primary fundraiser.So, agood chunk of our budget every year comes from this event, and that’sone thing we try to express on our social media, because oftentimes, we get aquestion of ‘Why do you guys charge for theair show?’”

The question arises because no admissionfees are charged for the annual Defenders of Liberty Air Show Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City

ButBarksdale is amilitary base, andtheir airshowismoreofa campaign as amilitary tribute, McJunkins said. Monroe’sair show raises money forthe museum and continues to honor local veterans.

The Chennault Aviation &Military Museum, 701 Kansas Lane, Monroe, will be open from 9a.m. to 4p.m. on Fridayand Saturday during the airshowweekend. Admissionisfree to this institution named for Gen. Claire Chennault, who commanded the Flying Tigers squadron during World WarII.

Chennault wasborn in Texas but grew up in Louisiana and attended LSU.

aboutanhourafter gatesopenat 3p.m. Friday and Saturday.Gates open at 11 a.m. Sunday Though acts are listed, they aren’tattached to aspeciﬁc schedule.

“Wecan’tlist the schedules, because alot of the acts aren’tﬁnalized until muchcloser to the air show,” McJunkins said. “Also, schedule dependsonavailability and various conditions.”

One of those conditions is weather.Ifconditions are safe, the show will go on.

The show will not be exactly the same each daybut will include someofthe sameacts, including “Twilight Shows” featuring lit planes after the sun sets.

Generaladmissiontickets are $15-$30 and are good for one day

Three day combo tickets are $42$560 and coverall three days. Single day VIPand preferred tickets also are available and include extra perks.

Tickets forparking are $20 fora single dayor$50 forall threedays. For both air show and parking tickets, visit redwhiteandblueairshow com.

actors drop out of World WarII planes,” McJunkins said. “They’ll be using World WarIIgear on one day, andthey’ll be usingVietnam eragear on another day. It will be afullreenactment on both days.”

Also in the lineup are ﬂights by a Canadian RCAF Aurora CP-140; a Titan Aerobatic plane; aghostwriter; aBeech 18, the ﬂagship plans in

Meanwhile, static plane displays will be exhibited on the airfield, includingthe DreamBig Entertainment LLC F/A-18 Hornet “Topgun” Experience, where visitors can sit in the cockpit of the same type of fighterjets usedinthe 2022 film, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Though the show offers aweekend of entertainment for lovers of everything aerial, it alsohas another purpose.

“The Chennault Museum runs the air show,but really it’sthe opposite—the air show sponsors the museum,” McJunkins said. “It’s fully hostedand run by the muse-

The nonprofit museum opened in 2000 in the last remaining classroomsofthe Selman Field Navigation School —the largest navigation school in the United States during World WarII.

It not only tells Chennault’sstory but commemorates veterans and soldiers from World WarI to Iraqi Freedom through expansive collections of artifacts and compelling stories.

The museum also is home to the Louisiana Aviation Hall of Fame and the ChennaultAviation Park featuring staticdisplays of historical aircraft. Those coming to the air show will also have achance to visit themuseum before the gates open for the show

The show will start between

Forvisitorsoptingtospend more timeinthe area, the Monroe-West Monroe Visitors and Convention Bureau offersa listofplaces to visit and stay,along with places to visit, including the DuckCommander Museum,the BlackBayou National Lake Wildlife Refuge and theBiedenharn Museum & Gardens at itswebsite, monroewestmonroe.org.

For moreshowinformation,visit redwhiteandblueairshow.com, and for the mostup-to-date information on any changesinthe show, visit the Red White &Blue Airshow’sFacebook page at facebook. com/redwhiteandblueairshow

Email RobinMilleratromiller@ theadvocate.com.

Airbnb chargedfor anonexistent rental in California

saying Ihad voluntarily provided my card number to Airbnb,soitwasn’tfraud.

I’dprefer not to takethis to court.Can you help me getmy$1,236 back? —William Marell,West Palm Beach, Fla.

Christopher Elliott

Ibooked an apartment through Airbnb in Beverly Hills, making an initial payment of $1,236.There wasjust one problem: The address listed for the property didn’texist.Soon after,without my consent,Airbnb charged my cardanother $7,080 Airbnb then canceled my reservation and closed my account, even though Inever requested either action.When I called Airbnb,ittold me it couldn’tverify my account. EverytimeIspoke with arepresentative, Iwas given anew case number and told the issue would be resolved in afew business days. Instead, the cases were closed without resolution.

Idisputed the charges with Barclays, my credit card company. It reversed the $7,080 chargebut refused to returnthe $1,236,

This one is atangle of Airbnb’s weakest points: fake listings, arbitrary account closures and a customer service system that can leave guests stranded.

Let’sstartwith thelisting.

Airbnb requireshosts to provide accurate information and handles payments through itsplatform, acting as the host’slimited collection agent. In theory,once you’ve paid, your only responsibility is to show up. When ahost misrepresents or cancels, Airbnb is supposed to step in with an immediate refund.

In your case, the property never existed.That alone should have triggered afull refund. Butthere was asecond failure: Airbnb then added what appeared to be arandom $7,080 charge for arental that didn’t exist. For reasons that aren’tentirely clear,Airbnb then ﬂagged your account. Youfell into atrap many travelers knowtoo well: Airbnb assignscase numbers, then closes them automatically after aset time. If your account is later deactivated,Airbnb’scustomer service often refuses to discussthe case becausethe account is closed. Youdid the rightthing by documenting everything andﬁling a credit card dispute. The problem is that Barclayssaw your $1,236 as avoluntary transaction, which

technically it was, even though you never got whatyou paid for That’satough —but not unusual —response from abank. Barclay’scould have done abetter job of investigating your initial complaint. Ithink abrief, polite email to one of the Airbnb executive contacts Ilistonmyconsumer advocacy site Elliott.org might have helped move things along. Behindthe scenes, Airbnb was willing to refund you if you withdrew your chargeback. That’s common practice. Companies don’tlike issuing refunds while adispute is pending. But it looks like you never received that message, and with your account shut down, there wasnoway for you to follow up with Airbnb.

The lesson for other travelers? Check vacation rental listings carefully before booking. Verify the address independently,and if something feels off, walk away Keep detailed records of your communication, and don’tgive up if the company tries to arbitrarily close your case. Persistence, backed by documentation, is often whatgets aresult.

After Icontacted Airbnb, it reinstated your account and processed the refund. You’ve now conﬁrmed that the $1,236 has been returned. 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 on his site.

ARTS &CULTURE

StoryofUSS NewOrleans featured in newexhibit

‘Praisethe Lord and pass theammunition’

Dave Walker

The story of the USS New Orleans, adecorated heavy cruiser that servedinalmost every major Paciﬁc theater battleof World WarII, is a cinematic drama in three acts. More, actually Christened at the BrooklynNavy Yard in 1933 with water from the Mississippi River, the ship’sinterwar duties took it to Europe, South America and the U.S. territories of Alaska and Hawaii. Undergoing repairs at PearlHarbor when theJapanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, it survived (while providing one of the war’ssignature soundtracksongs)and went on to ﬁght at the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway and the Solomon Islands.

Losing the bow and more than 180 crew members in abattle off Guadalcanal, the ship limped toward repairs and then was returned to action.Avictory lap brought it to New Orleans for the ﬁrst postwar Mardi Gras.

All of this and more is toldin the new changing exhibitatthe National WWIIMuseum,“Come Back Fighting: USS New Orleans at War,”which will remain on view through Feb. 14, 2027.

“Though it was launched in New York state, it sort of had theNew Orleans spirit,” said Cory Graff, museum restoration manager and curator of the exhibit. “Itseems to be sort of like the Forrest Gump of ships during World War II. It was everywhere.”

Thesoundtracksong

An interactive map in theexhibit tracks the USS New Orleans’ wartime journeys,which covered more than 400,000 miles. The map’sdot for Pearl Harbor denotes where it served as unlikely inspiration for ahit song.

Docked without power on Dec.7, the crew engaged the attackers by manually working its guns, hauling ammunition from below decks.

“In order to ﬁght the Japanese airplanes that were comingover-

The story of the USS NewOrleans, shownonvisit to NewOrleans in 1935, is open at the National WWII Museum,which will remain on view through Feb.14, 2027.

head, they couldn’t use all of their lifts and dumbwaiters for the ammunition,” Graff said. “And so they had to lift it all by hand.”

According to legend, Lt. Howell M. Forgy,the ship’schaplain, cheered themonwiththe phrase “Praise theLordand pass theammunition.”

Latercrafted into song by Frank Loesser,the phrase became thetitle of aNo. 1chart hit for Kay Kyser and his Orchestra. The Victory Belles vocal trio, which performsinperiod musical reviews at themuseum, rerecorded thetune forthe exhibit.

TroubleatTassafaronga

AJapanese torpedo separated the ship’s bow during 1942’snaval battle ofTassafaronga. The bow

dropped to thebottom of what was known as Iron Bottom Sound, so named for all thewreckage accumulated there.

Somehow repaired with logs, theNew Orleans made it to Australia, traveling some of the way in reverse, to receive atemporary“stub” bow.Then it was back to Pearl,then Bremerton, Washington, for full repairs.

“And so it goes back to war, believe it or not,” Graff said. “It becomes this sort of bruiser that just goes from place to place and pounds the heck out of whatever (island) is next in line,” including the Marianas, thePhilippines and Okinawa.

On to MardiGras

After V-JDay,the New Orleans

$1,150,000 “TheKalorama”Sophisticated 1-Bd,1.5BaCondow/huge gardenterrace,398 SqFt fullylandscapedoverlooking GirodStw/viewsoftheriver Primaryen-suite,gourmet kit,whiteoakhdwdflring +1interiorpkngspace.

AT AREA MUSEUMS

n The exhibit “Patternand Place: Historic Wall Coverings of Longue Vue” has opened at Longue Vue House and Gardens and will runAug 1. longuevue.com.

n Lisa Rotondo-McCord, New Orleans MuseumofArt deputy director and curator of theexhibition RobertGordy: Outside the Mainstream”will lead agallery talk at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. noma.org

n At the National WWII Museum, a Meet the Author eventApril 29 will feature Edna Cummings discussing herbook “A Soldier’sLife:A Black Woman’sRise from Army Brat to Six Triple Eight Champion.” A 4:30 p.m.reception will precede a 5:30 p.m.presentation, which will takeplace in-person and online nationalww2museum.org

n At noon April 30, the Museum of the SouthernJewish Experience will offer avirtual program about the Shapell Roster of JewishService in the American CivilWar.More:msje org

ferried sailors back to the states. It is Graff’s suspicion that some of the Louisiana natives on board ﬁnagled astop in NewOrleans en routevia the PanamaCanal to the Philadelphia Naval Yard, arriving

River.

just in timefor Mardi Gras 1946.

Dockedonthe riverfront, the vessel wasopen for public tours. Crew members were issued 3-inch buttons with streamers that said, “I’m from the NewOrleans.” “And they party like it’s1999, except it’s1946,” Graff said. What remained of the USSNew Orleans wassold forscrap in the late 1950s, “bought forpennies on the dollar and chopped up into nothing,” Graff said.

Cut to July 2025, when ateam of deep-sea researchers scouring Iron Bottom Sound discovered the ship’soriginal bow.Planning forthe exhibit “was underway already,” Graff said. “Believe it or not, it’ssort of serendipitous.” The concluding segment of the exhibit is ghostly video of what the researchers found, the ﬁnal resting place forthe sailors lost in 1942.

Asection of one of the coconut repair logs is among the objects on view in the exhibit, which also tells its story through uniforms, photographs and souvenirs, as well as archival newsreels and oral histories from former crew members.

A6-foot scale model of the ship wascommissioned forthe exhibit, as well.

Dave Walkerfocuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s museumsand at www themuseumgoer.com. Email dave@themuseumgoer.com.

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PROVIDED PHOTOByNATIONAL WWII MUSEUM

model of the USS NewOrleans at anew exhibit at the National WWII Museum

TO TH∑∑ IPLEDGE

‘The

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

In 1986, Trisha Addicks drove three hours from her hometown in North Carolina to the University of Georgia for sorority recruitment. She had afriend, agray and peachcomforter —and was armed with the conﬁdence of naivety

On bid day,while girls up and down the hall tore open envelopes and screamed with joy,Addicks opened hers to ﬁnd it empty She did not get in. No bid. No mistake. Nothing.

“Decades later and Ican still feel the trauma of that rejection,” she writes in her new book, “The Rush Bible: Secrets to Crush Sorority Recruitment and Find Your Forever Greek Home,” out May 12 from Simon &Schuster “And make no mistake, it was trauma.”

She went back the following year.She pledged Chi Omega. And she never forgot what that empty envelope felt like. What followedwas one of those careers that only makes sense when told backward. Addicks began helping friends’ daughters navigaterush —informally at ﬁrst, then with growing seriousness as the calls kept coming.

“I think the biggest thing that surprises peopleisthat I’m not bubbly and Southern —and I’m not astereotypical sorority girl or aging sorority girl,” Addicks said.

That said, in 2017, she turned her rush know-how into abusiness: It’sAll Greek to Me, anational rush consultancy.She has await list, ateam of coaches and clients from the SEC to the IvyLeague. Shewas featured in the 2023 HBO Max documentary “Bama Rush.” Her story is now in feature ﬁlm development with Elizabeth Banks and Brownstone Productions.

“The Rush Bible” is Addicks’ attempt to reach the young women she can’t.

“I get at least 10 calls and DMs aday,” she said. “People desperate to know what Iknow.”

And Addicks knows alot Her insight has agrowing audience. Over the past decade, LSU Panhellenic has seen steady growth in recruitment registration —increasing from 1,237 in 2015 to 1,609 in 2025, its highest total to date.

In her book, Addicks explains that beforeeach potential new member,or

PNM, arrives on campus, she is assigned asecret score based on recommendation letters, an intro video,asocial media presence and connectionsmade before rush even begins.

The PNM is never told what that score is. Shecan only maintain it or subtract from it once the process starts. The sororities decide in privatewho comes back for the next round.The PNMﬁnds outthrough an app

Sorority recruitmenthas alwaysbeen competitive, but it hasbecomemore so

Addicks writes that,in 2009, roughly 1,400 young women registered forrecruitment at theUniversity of Alabama. By 2023, that number had climbed to about2,600 —competing for roughly the same number of bids.

Thedynamic plays beyond the SEC. It goesout coast to coast, at engineering schools, small liberal arts colleges and universities where Greek life was barely afootnote 20 years ago.

As of late 2025, TikTok’s #RushTokhad millions of postsyielding up to 5billion views

The wholespectacle is more visible than ever, which has created adomino effect. More people want in. The competition is ﬁercer still.

“It has made the stakes higher,”Addicks said,“because more people want to be apartofit.”

Thebook is organized as a complete playbook:months of preparation before arriv-

ing on campus, adetailed guide to each of the four rounds of rush and frank instruction on how to absorb acut —inthe 15 minutes between being dropped from one house and having to walk into the next one smiling.

She shares detailed explanations behind her “rules of engagement” for PNMs looking to make the best impression during thevarious parties at sorority houses:

n Listen.

n Be positive.

n Avoid the six B’s: Ballots, Bible. Boys. Booze. Bucks. Brands

n Avoid one-word answers.

n Don’tﬁdget

n Askquestions.

Addicks says thebook’s goal is not only to demystify the process of rush itself, but it’salso about ﬁguring out how to conﬁdently present oneself.

Addicks knows what it means when asorority shows aPNM the basement during ahouse tourinstead of the best bedroom. She knew thecode words amajor SEC chapter once used to signal which girls they

‘THERUSH BIBLE: SECRETS TO CRUSH SORORITY RECRUITMENT ANDFIND YOUR FOREVER GREEK HOME’

Available May12but canbepre-ordered.

wanted. She has helped a senior at an Ivy League university —someone most consultants wouldn’ttouch —get abid.

Butfor all its insider intelligence, “The Rush Bible” keeps returning to an argument that has nothing to do with Greek life.

“Conﬁdently presenting yourself, knowing what you want and how to get it —those are skills that will carry you through job interviews, internship interviews, just life in general,” Addicks said. “I really want people to know that any young woman can get these skills —and it’s not just women going through rush.”

Oneofher favorite client stories involves ayoung woman who worked through the book’sself-reﬂection exercises and decided she didn’twant to rush at all. Her family had not expected that decision —Greek life was part of their identity.The young woman told her family she was choosing theater instead. Her mother called Addicks.

“She said, ‘The thing that makes me the happiest about this is that my daughter had theconﬁdence to tell us this,’”Addicks recalled “That was one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had.”

It is, perhaps, astrange measure of success for arush consultant tohelp someone opt out. ButAddicks has spent 40 years helping young women arrive —atrush, at work, at life —asthemselves.

Addicks learned that lesson thehard way,inadorm hallway in Athens, Georgia, holding an empty envelope while everyone around her celebrated.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

Robert Penn Warren’s daughter extendshis legacy

With the publication of “All the King’sMen” in 1946, Robert Penn Warren wrote himself indelibly into Louisiana’sliterary history.Warren’snovel about a populist governor corrupted by ambition wasinspired by Huey Long, wholoomed large in Louisiana when Warren began teaching at LSU. He later left the state and enjoyed alongcareer as awriter and teacher,dividing his time between his home in Connecticut and asummer place in Vermont. Warren died at 84 in 1989. “All the King’sMen” is getting a renewed proﬁle this year as the Louisiana Inspired Book Club’s summer reading selection. Warren was also acelebrated poet, which is worth remembering as Americans close out April’sobservance of National Poetry Month. His legacy helped shape the vision of his daughter,Rosanna Warren, who’sa successful poet, too.

Last year,Rosanna Warren published abeautiful essay in The American Scholar recounting her childhood years in ahousehold that brimmed with books and manuscripts. Rosanna’smother,Eleanor Clark, wasalso awriter,so the clatter of composition from twocorners of the house wasadaily affair Rosanna fondly recalled how her father“battered away at his stately typewriter,moored like atugboat on his desk; you could hear the clackety-clack of the keys, the bell’smetallic squawk each time he reached the end of aline, the thunk as he slammed the lever to return the carriage and attack the next line.”

Rosanna, like her parents, has agift forvivid imagery,a talent that informs “Hindsight,” her latest book of poems. What I’ve always loved about her father’spoems is the way they’re grounded in the grit and gristle of everyday existence, even as they glimmer with spiritual insight. One of my favorite Robert Penn Warren poemsis“Audubon: AVision,” in which he imagines the famous bird artist foraging the woods forspecimens: “Alone, he played his ﬂute in the forest.”

What Warren seemstosay,without spelling it out, is that we’re all alone at times, drawing on the magic of music, language and art forconsolation.

The poemsthat Rosanna Warren offers readers in “Hindsight” have asly wayoftelescoping from the commonplace to the cosmic, too. In one poem,“Naturally,” she even finds inspiration in aWalmart parking lot, where she’sshopping very early to avoid others during the pandemic. “Wefiddle our masks on over our mammalian noses,” she writes, “weglove our hairless simian fingers and palms.”

It’s apoem about the oddity of social distancing, but also, quite possibly,about the general strangeness of life as ahuman being.

The world has sometimes seemed even stranger since those disorienting days of a global contagion, which is whythe poemsof “Hindsight” continue to resonate. In alovely poem called “Papier Mâché,” Warren watches a 5-year-old shred grim newspaper headlines for acraftproject.

“He’ll makesomething whole of all this havoc,” she writes.

These poemsmake something whole from the havoc, too, atonic forwhat ails us.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

8. “Dear Debbie” by Freida McFadden

9. “Want to KnowaSecret?”byFreida McFadden

PROVIDED PHOTO LSU sororityAlpha Phi created adance videofor ‘Rush Tok,’ aTikTok trendonwhere sororities post about recruitment.

ng campus a detailed

Rossana Warren

Danny Heitman

Rush Bible’ offers insider intelligenceand talksconfidence

Addicks

“Giants,” Gros interpretssongs by Dr.John,Allen Toussaint, Art Neville/The Meters, Billy Preston and The Band’sLevon Helm, all of whom inﬂuenced and inspired him.

“John has the versatility to switch between piano and organ like other signiﬁcantmusicians in thehistory of NewOrleans music,” Freeman said. “He’smostly identiﬁed with the organ, but his piano playing might be getting alittle overlooked. John is entrenched in the piano tradition of New Orleans while moving it forward.”

In Freeman’sestimation, Gros is an importantlink between then and now

“Not many players tryto push thestyle forward while keeping with the actualtradition.Many takeanostalgic approachorabandon it altogether,and that’s ﬁne.

“But you can’tcallyourselfa New Orleans piano player and not play asingle note or rhythm that links to the history. Johnchecks all those boxes.”

But not before he put in the work ‘I wasterrible’

His family’sNew Orleans roots run deep. His father was arock ‘n’ roll piano player on the West Bank who replaced Frankie Ford in the Syncopators after Ford left toride the wave of his hit “SeaCruise.”

The senior Gros studiedmusic education at Southeastern Louisiana University,then earned amaster’sdegree in special education at LSU and settled in Baton Rouge. He taught school, repaired musical instruments and played gigs ﬁve nights aweek. Gros’ mother taught ﬁfth grade.

Sheet music and vinyl records around the Gros home sparked young John’sinterest. He and his older brotherWardplayedtheir dad’srecords, then started acquiring their own. His dad tried giving Johnpiano lessons. “It didn’tgo well,”Gros said. He responded more positively to his opera-singing kindergarten musicteacher,Janelle Couvillon, and his ﬁrstformal piano instructor,Ronnie Brothers,anorganist at his parish church who also taught at Southeastern.

“I was acocky little kid, trying to learn blues music while (Brothers) is trying to get me to playChopin and Bach,” Gros recalled. “I had sheet music for ‘Soul Man,’ fancy 16th notes all over it. Isaid,‘Can you read this?’ He started laughing

and just knocked it out.

“Between my dad, my music teacher andmypiano teacher, Ilearned what great musicians sounded like at ayoung age. There was abar that was already high that Ihad noidea about.”

As a15-year-oldatBaton Rouge’s Catholic High School, he was in apop band anchored by Kevin andTracy Civello, the two young brothers who went on to sign alucrativerecordingcontract in the early 1990s. Groswould pickup the brothers in his Chevy Nova for gigs atkeg parties.

At LoyolaUniversity in New Orleans, he studied French horn and, less successfully,jazz piano, as taughtbyrenowned pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr “I was terrible,” Gros admits. “I hadno idea about jazz piano.I didn’tcomefrom that background, and here Iamwith oneofthe pinnacle musicians in American music. Iwas struggling. He’s like, ‘Mr. Gros, you’ve got alot of work to do Yousure you want to do this?’”

At night, Gros prowled music clubs seeking the “real New Orleanssound.” He found it in the form of Metersbassist George

Porter Jr., guitarists SnooksEaglin and Walter “Wolfman” Washington andsingerLutherKent, among many others.

Armedwitha degree in French horn performance, he played keyboards at weddings with Top40 cover bands.Helanded asteady gig at the Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street,joining twoguitarists in a band called LateAsUsual. They cranked out “yacht rock” before theterm existed. Butthat, he says,“wasn’t enough for me.”

Learning to play ‘the meat’

At Mardi Gras balls,hewasn’t very good at accompanying the regimentedmarches and processionals. But when things loosened up withCarnival songs, “for whatever reason, Icould playthat. Something that I’dheard my whole life ﬁnally kicked through.”

He leaned into New Orleans music,seeking suchmentorsas ArtNeville, whose organ sound anchored both the Metersand the Neville Brothers. Neville encouraged Gros to “playfromthe gut. Play down low.Don’tplay all the high stuff.”

Dr.Johnalsoexemplified that approach.“If youlistentoDr. John, his playing is themeat of the song,”Grossaid. “He plays some frills, but he (mostly) plays in the meat. Those are thekinds of things Ipicked up.”

In asign of how far Gros had progressed, George Porter Jr.recruited him for his band theRunnin’ Pardners. During seven years withthe Pardners, Gros backed Snooks Eaglin, Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas,Eddie Bo, Earl King and other New Orleansicons as he evolved into aﬁrst-call sideman With Porter,hewitnessedhow live musiccould be “a dialogue, acommunication. The language of music can be so spontaneous. George epitomizes that.”

That Gros learned thoselessons well was evident aboardthe cruise ship Eurodamduring Janu-

ary’sthird annual Big Easy Cruise. In addition to staginghis popular “PapaPlays the Nite Tripper” Dr.Johntribute, Gros joinedJon Cleary,Oscar Rossignoli and Kyle Rousselonstage for afour-piano rompthrough “Big Chief” during the cruise’s“Pianorama” showcase.

“The four of us wereamazed thatitwas actually good,” Gros said. “Every NewOrleans piano playerplays the‘BigChief’ lick differently.Everybodyhas their own little twist.

“Welaunchedinto it,and we all took thedifferent parts. Someone took the bass, someone took the melody,someone kept the high part.The fun thing was everyone took turns playing the different parts. We felt our way around it. Everybody was paying attention. It was just great communication.”

GrowingPapaGrows Funk

In 2000, Groslaunched ajam session at the Old Point Bar in Algiers Point. In need of aband name, he brainstormed with Dale Triguero, thelate owner of the Old Point Bar andChickie WahWah,photographerJenny Bagert anda buddy, Marc “Buddha” Balsam

“Buddha comes outwith ‘Papa Grows Funk,’”Gros recalled. “He says, ‘You’re Papa. Yougrow the funk.’ I’mlike,‘That’sthe stupidest name.’

“But after two hours of drinking and coming up with the worst band names ever,Iwas tired and had to getthe kids to school the next morning.”

So he relented andwentwith Papa Grows Funk. “I’m apapa. (But) my kids call me Dad.”

The roster of Papa Grows Funk solidiﬁed with guitarist June Yamagishi, bassist Marc Pero, saxophonist Jason Mingledorff and drummer Russell Batiste Jr., later replaced by Jeffery“Jellybean Alexander In 2001, Papa Grows Funk moved itsMondaynight residency to the Maple Leaf. Over the next 12 years, that weekly gig evolved into alocal institution. Working without aset list, the ﬁveworld-class musicians kept fans dancing deep into the night with one airtight groove after another For Papa Grows Funk’searly albums, producer Tracey Freeman employeda hands-off approach, letting the musicians playasthey would onstage.

Hoping to craft amore radiofriendly sound, Gros convinced his bandmates to hire Allen Toussaint and Better Than Ezra bassist Tom Drummond to co-produce 2012’s “Needle In the Groove.” Gros relished his timealongside Toussaint at the piano, going over song arrangements.

“Allen waslike, ‘Your groove is strong. Youdon’tneed to change it. Let’sjust work on how to dress it up and make it go from point Ato point Btopoint Ctopoint D.’

“I’m sitting at apiano with him just like he probably did with Robert Palmer andPaul McCartney andPatti Labelle. That waspretty special.”

But the recording session exacerbated existing tensions between

PROVIDED

STAFF FILE

PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD Papa GrowsFunk plays

The band playedmost Mondaysthere for 12 years.

ä See GROS, page 8D

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM JOHN ‘PAPA’ GROS NewOrleans keyboardists John ‘Papa’ Gros,left, and ArtNeville

HowsandwichesslicedintotoboggantimeinGermany

BY CAROL POOLEY Contributing writer

As Ioverheard afriendrecount-

Human Condition

PROVIDED PHOTO

Fromleft,David, Mikie, Carol and Sue Pooley(Dille) takeinaday on their toboggan,a fondmemoryoftheir timeliving in Germany

ing her cherished memories of visiting beautiful, impressive and ornately decorated cathedrals in Germany,Ireﬂected on my own precious memories of that country Ilived in Heidelberg and then Mannheim from the agesof5to 7. Isuppose my age accounts for why my recollections are abit different. Iguess you’d call them ageappropriate. Iremember some of the cathedrals vaguely,but what stands out to me is encapsulated in aphoto with my three siblings. As kids, during the snowy winter months, we lived playingin the snow,building snowmen in the yard and making our snow angels. But the dearestmemory is the Christmas when my siblings and Iwere gifted withatoboggan from either Santa ClausorSt. Nicholas; it doesn’treally matter In Mannheim, we lived in Army-base housing and nearby was agreat hill or slope where all of us Army brat kids would

GROS

Continued from page7D

Gros and the rest of the band, as chronicled in the 2017 documentary ﬁlm“Do UWant It?” After 13 years, six albums and multipledomestic and overseas tours, Papa Grows Funk disbanded following asold-out show at Tipitina’sonJune 29, 2013.

AbusyJazzFest

Save the occasional Papa Grows Funkreunion, Gros has since focused on solo projects and sideman gigs.

During the 2014New OrleansJazz &Heritage Festival, he wasinthe house band for astar-studded Dr John tribute at the Saenger Theatre. Gros found himself in the unusual position of assisting Bruce Springsteen, who opened the tribute concert with “Right Place, Wrong Time.” Springsteen learned it on the ﬂy just before showtime.

“It’savery easy song to play,but avery tricky introduction,” Gros said. Springsteen “didn’tknow whereto come in. He looked at me and said, ‘Can you count me in?’ I’m like, ‘I gotcha.’ Iregret to this day that Ididn’t say,‘Igotcha, Boss.’” He works steadily,asevident by his busy 2026 Jazz Fest schedule.

On Monday,he’ll join more than two dozenother keyboardists at WWOZ’s PianoNightfundraiseratthe HouseofBlues, then hustle over to the Broadside to take part in the “Bayou Rendezvous.”

On Wednesday at 1:15 p.m., he’ll make an in-store appearance at the Louisiana Music Factory (“Giants” is also available at johnpapagros.com)

At the Fair Groundson

Thursday,his band hitsthe Blues Tent at 12:45 p.m.On

Thursday night,special guest guitarist June Yamagishi and Little Feat singer/ guitarist ScottSharrard sit in with Gros’ band fora free show at the Broadside.

On Friday,he’spartof Sharrard’sheadlining show at the New Orleans Jazz& BluesMarket in Central City.Hecaps offhis Jazz Fest marathon on May 3 with atrio set at the Columns Hotel.

Saluting his‘Giants’

Even before Papa Grows Funk brokeup, Gros had started exploring more Americana-flavored music with hissoloalbums.The ﬁrst, “Day’sEnd,” came out in 2004, followed by “River’s On Fire” in 2016 and “Central City” in 2020. Thenew “Giants” illuminates both where he came from and where he is.

Gros covered Levon Helm’s“Hurricane” “because atree fell on my house (during Hurricane Ida) and changed my life for afew years. When Ireadthe lyrics, it did not sound like a funky tune to me.I completely rearranged it to fit me and my life at that time.

He playedthe Meters’ “Ain’tNoUse” with Papa Grows Funk; it is now astapleofhis solo band. The ver-

sion on “Giants” “evolved into its own sculpted jam with alot of loose ends. I wanted thelivearrangements to stay intact.”

Gros stretches Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can” to 7½ minutes. “I came up with George Porter Jr.and Georgejams. That’s thebeautyofNew Orleans music.It’sthat communication.It’salways anew conversation, even if you’re playing with the same people. There’salways something new that comes out of you.

Forkeyboardist Billy Preston’s“All ThatIGot,” he applied the lessons he “learned through Allen and George. I New Orleans-iﬁed it.”

Both thetitle and message of the lesser-known Dr.John song “Quitters Never Win” appealed to Gros “because of where Iwas after the pandemic and after the tree fell on my house. Ihad plenty of opportunities to try another profession. It just came to apoint of, ‘No, this is what Ido.’

“Music has never been easy.But Ilovethe process of creating, recording, rehearsing and performing music. If youwanttodoit, you just got to do it.”

Email KeithSpera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

our days sledding. The trek up was well worth it forthe thrill of theride down. This joy wascut short one sad, unfortunate day when what I thought was my best-kept secret was exposed. Let me add, Ihave always been a“picky” eater.Asa child, the lunch break in the middle of playing outside during the day was something Idreaded. As so often happened while playing outdoors on snow days, my mittens becamesoaking wet. All that was necessary was a quick run into the house fordry ones and back out again to play As Icreptthrough the living room,Isaw my mom and dad peering over the expandable kitchen table, which could be slid open when that extra leaf was needed. Nextthing Iremember was their faces and eyes staring at me.

Did Ireally say,“Ithink it was Mikie”?

All my well-hidden, or so I

POTHOLES

Continuedfrom page1D

the worst streets they’ve seen,the artist was also witnesstoatleast one government-orchestrated ﬁlling.

“I actually wenttofill a hole Iwas planningon, and your cityﬁlled it,” the Banditsaid. “Tobeclear,I’m notdoing this to shame cities or governments.”

TheBandit’sworkwas bornout of utilitybut has evolved to frivolity. Apothole outside theartist’s favorite bakery in Buffalo that hadbeen thesceneof onetoo manytwisted ankleswas theﬁrst they ever decided to ﬁll.

“I put some tilesand Scrabble letters in the ﬁll for pizazz, and it went from there,” the Bandit said. Now theroadway imperfections are canvases that range in size from acrater that could seriously damage atire to tiny crevasses no longer thananinch or two. The workisfunded outofpocketand through donations provided on BuffaloPotholeBandit.com.

In New Orleans, where Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration aims to fill 1,500 potholes aweek,even 30 sizableholes ﬁlledisn’t going to make adent in the citywide issue. It’smorelike sewinga decorative patch on an angsty teenager’s purposely distressed jeans. Still, it’s adelight to stumble upon one of these little masterpieces. Particularly when it means youaren’t going to stumble intoa pothole.

At Wifey’s Bar in the Marigny,owner Bobby Cohen saidthe Bandit graciously offered to fill two sidewalk holes just outside the LGBTQ bar,one witha rainbow ﬂeur-de-lis and another with areference to an

thought, old sandwiches with small bites eaten were discovered. Wasitthe smell that ﬁnally revealed my secret stash of lunchtimerejects? Mikie became my accomplice and, thus, never squealed on me until that fateful day Idon’tthink Mikie got in trouble because somehow my guilt must have been exposed. To be truthful, my only regret wasnot being able to change my wetmittens and go back to sliding downhill on that wonderful toboggan. —Pooley lives in Donaldsonville.

Advocate readers maysubmit stories of about 500 words to TheHuman Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited.Authors shouldinclude theircityof residence.

Asidewalkcrack outside Pal’sLoungehas been transformed into acrawfish readyfor boiling

inside joke at the foot of the bar’sofﬁce entryway

“I trippedonthatmore timesthanI’m willingto admit while loaded,” Cohen said.

But aside from the safety beneﬁts, Cohen said he supports any effort to beautify the city

“I think it’sreally nice to be apart of that installation that wentaround the entire city,” Cohen said. “I’m very grateful that they chose here to putsomeofthat artwork down.”

TheBandit leftsprinkles of color behind all across New Orleans, on Magazine Street near St. Joe’sBar, throughout the Marigny andBywater andasfar as Gretna. Youcan ﬁnd all the Bandit’s works on aregularly updated Google map On Dumaine Street in Bayou St. John,the Bandit’s creationsappear suddenly in the road, cheerypockets of color among amineﬁeld of craters. Most of themosaics feature references to local cultureornodstothe LGBTQ community

There are jokes in holes on Gayoso Street about it being “oh so gay,” and a green alligator set in purple concrete near Dumaine and North Lopez streets.Afew

feet away,there’samural of adeadtruck that aneighbor said has been parked in almost the exact same spot fornearly adecade.

“It contains manyfound objects as well as actual bitsofthe truck that have fallen offover the years,” the Bandit said on social media. The Bandit loves how excited people get about the mosaics, buttheydon’t plan to go public anytime soon. Though DIY potholedécor is nothing newinNew Orleans —think theJim Cantore pothole and the notorious potholeturned swimming pool —it’snot exactlylegal. Plus, theartist doesn’twanttobefamous. “I also like being judged on the work itself rather than other aspects of my life,” the Bandit said. “Lastly,people seem to enjoy the character I’ve createdand have askedmenot to reveal myself.I’m sort of like acomic book hero to them, Ithink.” If anyone needsa potholeﬁlling superhero,it’sNew Orleans.

Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By KASEyBUBNASH

PHOTO By JEFFREyDUPUIS/COURTESy JOHN ‘PAPA’ GROS

NewOrleans keyboardist John ‘Papa’ Gros, left, poses with producer DonWas; pianist, producer and songwriter Allen Toussaint;and percussionist and singer Cyril Neville.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,April 26, the 116th day of 2026

There are 249 daysleft in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 26, 1986, in the worst nuclear disaster in history,anexplosion and ﬁre at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukrainecaused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in thethousands.

Also on this date:

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day CapeHenry,Virginia, on an expedition to establish the ﬁrst permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of PresidentAbraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.

In 1913, Mary Phagan, a13-year-old worker at aGeorgia pencil factory, was strangled;Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’s death sentence was commuted but he was lynched by an antisemitic mob in 1915.)

In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, German aircraft bombed the Basque villageofGuernica, killing hundreds and devastating the village (the bombing would inspire Pablo Picasso’s mural “Guernica”).

In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form what is now known as Tanzania.

In 1977, the legendary nightclub Studio 54 had its opening nightinNew York.

In 1994, votingbegan in South Africa’sﬁrst all-race elections, which resulted in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.

In 2000, Vermont Gov Howard Dean signed the nation’sﬁrst bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

In 2012, former Liberian President Charles Taylor became the ﬁrst head of state since World WarIItobeconvicted by an international war crimes court as he was found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity,including murder rape, and the use of child soldiers. (Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison.)

In 2018, comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at Cosby’ssuburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. (Cosby was later sentenced to three to 10 years in prison,but Pennsylvania’shighest court threw out the conviction and released him from prison in June 2021, ruling that the prosecutor in the case was bound by his predecessor’sagreement not to charge Cosby.)

Today’sbirthdays: Actorcomedian Carol Burnett is 93. Composer-producer Giorgio Moroder is 86. Olympic swimming gold medalist DonnadeVarona is 79.Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 68. Actor Joan Chen is 65. Actor Jet Li is 63. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 61. Former U.S Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is 60. Actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 59. First lady Melania Trump is 56. Singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (TLC) is 56. Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 55. Actor TomWelling is 49. Actor Pablo Schreiber is 48. Actor Jordana Brewster is 46.Actor Channing Tatum is 46. New York Yankees outﬁelder Aaron Judge is 34.

‘Love’ doesn’thavetomean‘LOVE Love’

Dear Miss Manners: When writing letters to friends —and Iamof the generation thattreats emails like letters —I am often unsure whether to end the letter with“Love” or “Best.”

When my mother was teaching me howtowrite letters, she saiditshould always end with“Love, Name” unless it was a business letter,inwhich case it should end with “Sincerely,Name.”

Idon’treally LOVE that many people. Obviously if someonebegins using “Love” with me, Iwill follow suit,but being theﬁrst to do so makes me uncomfortable.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

As time hasgone on, Ihave noticed that unless someone is a very close friend, they usually end letters with“Best”(still saving “Sincerely” for business). So I do the same. Has ending letters with “Love” become too presumptuous,cloying or,well, icky? Is there apoint at which someone progresses from “Best” to “Love,” perhaps as they progress from liking to loving?

Dear Heloise: More drivers notice cars that only have one working headlight Years ago, ﬁxing aheadlight meant buying abulb, unscrewing it, and replacing it in minutes.

GentleReader: Andnow even “Dear,” as asalutation, is considered emotionally compromising, at least by those who break in with the chipper “Hi!”And your banker might be startled at “Yours truly,” thinking you had declared yourself truly his, and what was he supposed to do about that?

Ah,yes. Conventions are now analyzed for their literal meanings. Buttime was when it would not seem odd towritealetter such as: Esteemed Sir, Youare acad not ﬁt for civilized society. Beware. Iwill seek my revenge. Your humble and obedient servant, Name

If not, always request a repair estimate to avoid surprises. —ConnieButler,in Blair,Nebraska

Bringing in straycats

Andyoung ladies whoaddressed one another with “Love” werenot assumed to be nurturing wild passions.

Even Miss Manners ﬁnds herself succumbing to such scrutiny When she sees the sign-off“Best,” she can’thelpthinking, “Best what? Wishes? Regards? Best you can do?”

So you shouldprobably conﬁne “Love” tothose whounderstand it as an expression of warm friendship, and takeitdownto“Affectionately” or “Fondly yours” to those who don’t.

“Sincerely yours” will do forthe rest.You are sincere, are you not?

Dear Miss Manners: I’ve participated in alocal book club at my library for afew months. I’ve decided to leave the club due to the constant ﬂow of personal experiences that are, at best, tangentially related to thebook.

Do Ineed to tell the host, or can Ijust stop attending? Should Itell thehost that Ifound the personal

comments to be excessive? The rest of the group does not seem to mind the personal comments, as manyattendees contribute to the format.

Gentle Reader: Rather than saying that members should be discussing literature, not their personal lives, could you just say that the club wasnot the right ﬁt foryou?

Miss Manners doubts that you need to say either —only that you ﬁnd you can no longer attend. But please do not criticize the other members.

They are enjoying the club the wayitis, and relating books to personal experiences is not an intellectual crime. Norishaving abook club that is moresocial than studious, although it does not suit you. Perhaps the librarian can steer you to amore academically oriented club.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners to heremail, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com.

Today, many vehicles require the removal of panels or bumper parts to access the bulb. Several friends recently complained about high repair costs. Amechanic explained that new assemblies are more complex, and labor can take 1-2 hours. So, if aheadlight burns out,check the owner’s manual ﬁrst.Some cars allowfor simple bulb changes, which saves money

Dear Heloise: Animal lovers may wanttohelp strays, but bringing astray cat inside may cause problems for both you and the animal. Astray cat may biteorscratch you if they becomefrightened, spread infections like cat-scratch disease, or carry ﬂeas, parasites and diseases such as rabies if they’re unvaccinated. Even afriendly stray might marktheir territory or scratch furniture.

Abetter option is to call animal control or ahumane society. —Anne M., in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Send ahint to heloise@ heloise.com

Hints from Heloise

SUNDAY,APRIL26

Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage fortheir entire working life,through employer-provided benefits.When those benefits endwithretirement, paying dental billsout-of-pocket cancome as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoverage that helps payfor major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to payhundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoveragewith 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 was never meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection, you need to 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 checkupstwice ayear.

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.

“Medicare&You,” Centersfor Medicare& Medicaid Services,2025. 2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov,4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees.Datacurrent as of July2025; subject to change

“Absolutely love” “I absolutelylove my dental insurance. My dentalofﬁce ﬁles the claims,leaving me with very littlebalancetopay.” DorothyP TN

JOHNSON

TASTE TESTERS TEST

Food incubators around Louisianahelp elevatelocal entrepreneurs

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Over thepastdecade, global companies have spent morethan $90 billion in Louisianabuilding new liquefied natural gas export facilities and petrochemical plants —investments that have been largely driven by the state’scheap, abundant natural gas At the same time, job growth in Louisiana hasremainedflat andthe state’spopulation hasdeclined by 52,000 people. That disconnect is thesubject of anew report from aNew Orleansbasednonprofit researchorganization, TheData Center,thatlooks into therelationship betweenthe explosive capital investment in the state in recent years and thecontinuation of adecadeslong, outmigration trend.

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

About adozenbottles ﬁlled withhot honey sit side by side in achamber at LSUKnapp Hall.

The chamber looks much like arefrigerator but hasaninverserole —itcan heat up and change lighting settings inside to test howfood products last in storage. Shelflife studies are just part of what food incubators like LSU’s Food Innovation Institute, or FOODii,offer for their tenants —entrepreneurs seeking totake their concepts to grocery store shelves. Ashelf-life study at acommercial labcan costabout $15,000 to $20,000, depending on factorslike product type andthe durationofthe test.At FOODii? The study costs about $1,000 to $1,200 Achyut Adhikari, associatedirector of LSUSchool of Nutrition and Food Science

andformer interim director of FOODii, said the accessible testing is part of what makes incubators avaluable part of the food ecosystem in Louisiana. “It’s aboutthe technologies, theinnovation that youreally need to put into food so those industries can go to thenext level and compete nationally and maybe internationally,” Adhikari said.

IDEAS INNOVATION &

The state’sbold ﬂavors and rich culture behind them have long captivated the palates of those beyond Louisiana, giving rise to entrepreneurs whowanttosharethe state’sculinary offerings. Food incubator programs nurture small business owners as they preparetoenter themarket, and the programsare amping up theirefforts around the region to reduce the industry’s high entrycosts andregulatory hurdles.

ä See INCUBATORS, page 2E

The report, which covers the years between2015and 2023, before Gov. Jeff Landry took office, comes as his administration has pursued an aggressive economicdevelopment strategythat haslandedsome of the largest capital projects in state history,including Meta’s$27 million artificial intelligence data center in north Louisiana andHyundai’s planned $5.8 billion steel mill in Ascension Parish. Butwith all the activity,the report questions whether the new wave of projects, which state officials say will total $100 billion in additional capital expenditures,willaddress longstanding problems.

“Nobody is reckoning with the fact that what has happened over thepast decade did not create jobs,” said AlisonPlyer,chief demographeratThe Data Center. “Instead,

they’re doubling down.” Susan Bourgeois, Landry’stop economic development ofﬁcial, said the administration has not shied away from the realities of the state’sstagnant growth and population loss. On the contrary,she said the mega projects her agency has successfully courted are part of abroader strategy.The administration is trying to leverage the state’straditional strengths in energy andreﬁning to attract new sectors, like logistics and lifesciences, with better paying jobs.

“Weknowabout thepopulation loss andthe continued slowing of GDP,” said Bourgeois, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. “That is whyweare doing so much to change all that.”

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL

Achyut Adhikariholds atest bottle of hot honeyfrom aspecialunit that allows the researcher to simulatedifferentconditions

the bottled or packaged products in alab at the LSU School of Nutrition and Food.The unit is also testing bottles of barbecuesauceand packets of spices

Adhikari uses apHmeter to test the acidity of food

Changing habits forparents amassing unsustainablecollege debt

For years, familieshave agonized over the rising cost of adegree, yet many have felt they had no choice but to take out whatever loans were necessary to sendtheir children to college. That ﬁnancial desperation has led to historic debt levels among parents.

The federalParent Plusloan program has allowed parents to borrow up to the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food. As of the ﬁrst quarter of the federalﬁscalyear, which endedDec. 31, the total outstanding balance for Parent Plusloans was $114.9 billion, accordingto data from the Departmentof Education’sFederal Student Aid portfolio

The growth of Parent Plus loans over the past 10 years reveals a sobering trend for American families: the total balance has surged by $43.8 billion. Interestingly enough, the number of parents borrowing has not jumped at the same rate. In 2016,there were 3.4 million recipients for this type of loan. Today,there are 3.6 million. This means that while thenumber of families using Parent Plusloans grew by only about 6%, the total amount they borrowed grew by more than 61%.

This data highlights that parents have been borrowing signiﬁcantly larger sums to cover the rising cost of college. The sticker price for elite schools is mind-blowing. For instance, George Washington

INDUSTRIAL

Continued from page1E

Sobering statistics

The Data Center report combined avariety of economic indicators that paint ableak picture of Louisiana’sﬁnancial well-being.

The study notes that while jobgrowth in the U.S. overall increased more than 10% between 2015 and 2023, employment in Louisiana grew just under0.2% during that time. Median household income in the state remainedflat at around $61,000, while the cost of living jumped19% between2018 to 2022 alone.

The report attributes much of the job loss in thoseyears to thefracking boom in theearly 2010s that caused oil prices to fall, gutting Louisiana’soffshore industry

Between 2014 and 2024, the number of oil and gas extraction jobs in the state was cut nearly in half —from 50,000 to 27,000.

The abundance of cheap natural gas helped fuel themajor investments in LNG and petrochemical refining that followed. But the report says that those projects have diminishing returns because they increasingly rely on automation, which means fewer jobs. At the same time, skyrocketing insurance premiums have outpaced the national average, causing realestate values to fall.In2015, Louisiana’s property values ranked 26th among the 50 states. By 2024, they were third from the bottom, behind Mississippi and West Virginia

The report also highlighted an array of health and environmental data that shows thestate has some of the highest ratesof air and water pollution in the country with the sickest population and the worst outcomes —key quality-of-life indicators that impact where families choosetolive.

“Weneed to develop clusters thatbuild on our strength,like water management, or that take awhole different tack because large corporations are increasingly going to replace workers with automation,” Plyer said “Weshould be very critical in our approach.”

Making adifference?

Since taking office, Landry has said he wants to pursuea variety of industry sectorsto grow the state’seconomy.Inhis first year,hestarted by making the state what he argued wasmore business friendly, by enacting apackage of bills that eliminated the corporate franchise tax and established a ﬂat corporate income taxrate among other things. His administration has also created new incentives to attract mega projects like Meta to the state, discreetly rewriting a bill about rural broadband, for instance, into asales taxexemption on digital equipment —something Meta madea condition of coming to Louisiana Bourgeois has said such tax

eliminates certainincome-driven repayment optionsfor newParent Plus loans, effectively requiring highermonthly payments.

Michelle Singletary

University announced last month that for the 2026-27 academicyear, tuition for undergraduate students will rise to $72,000. For incoming freshmen, thebase rate forhousing and dining will be over $18,000. Thinkabout that. Just oneyear of college at this elite school costs nearly $100,000. Now,manyfamilies don’tpay the listed tuition price. The cost of attendance is often offsetbyﬁnancialaid,including scholarships, grantsand work study.But when there is ashortfall,it’scovered by loans taken out by students, their parents or even grandparents. A2025 survey bySallie Mae found that parents cover nearly half ofcollege costs using acombination of income, savings and borrowing.

With new federalcapsonParent Plus loans, which limit borrowing to $20,000 per year or $65,000 total, this year’s May 1decision daywill bedifferent. There’s now ahard ceilingonfederal funds for parents whowant to rely on federal funds rather than more expensive private education loans. Additionally,the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law last summer,

breaks arejustiﬁed and are a needed part ofeconomic development, arguing that “you have to spend moneytomake money.”

The administration hasalso unveileda neweconomic development strategic plan focused on prioritysectors that it sees as primed for growth, including energy and process industries,logistics,aerospace and defense,agribusiness, professionalservices, lifesciences andtech.

The plan calls for anew incentiveprogram for businesses that offer jobs with wages above theregional benchmarks, creationofa dedicated fund for site development, an increased focus on rural areas and small businesses, and more support for regional economic development organizations.

It also says Louisiana should seek to have thehighest wage growthamong Southern peer states and achieve population growthand migrationinto all regions.

Bourgeoissaidher agency is making adifference.

“From aproject perspective, we continue to bring opportunity,” shesaid. “From anarrative perspective,wehave to tell thestory that we aremaking gainsinthings like education andpublicsafety.Reversing the perceptionisthe only way we reversethe outmigration.”

Multipronged approach

In NewOrleans,a report from the Brookings Institution andThe Data Center issued in the fall found thatwhilesmall businesses andentrepreneurs thrived afterHurricane Katrina, they arestruggling today andneed sustained investment if they are to continue to survive

Small businesses, the report notes, are key to athriving economyand growing population.

That report’spolicy recommendations includedestablishingapermanent business recovery and resilience fund, expanding and incentivizing commercial real estateownership, revisingland use policies to get more vacant buildings back into commerce and promoting community wealth building.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration has also emphasizedseveralof those initiativesaspart of her approach to economic development.

Robert Travis Scott, who headed the Public Affairs Research Council for adecade in the 2010s and has followed growth in other southern states, said asuccessful economic development strategy hastoﬁre on multiple cylinders at once.

“The whole game is to diversify and regionalizeand try keepand attract theright talent forwhat we need,” he said. “It isn’tjust amatter of what the taxsituation is butofbuilding livable, walkable communities where peoplewanttolive.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

My questionis, if the era of extraordinary federal borrowing for parents is ending, will parents shift more of thecollege cost burdenonto their children?

Should parents shoulderthe primary cost of college?

Ithink so

My husband andIﬁrmly believedwehad theﬁnancialobligation to payfor ourthreechildren’s education.Here’sthe mainreason: How would they be able to save enough as childrentopay forit themselves?

And for those who argue that your child will have “some skinin the game” if they pay, that’snot the measure of whether they will appreciate theeducation.Think of it as your scholarship to your kid, the same as if they hadwon money from an organization. Youcan set requirements for your continued support, as manyscholarships do.

Over the years, we managed our children’sexpectationsfor thecollege experiencetheycould have basedonwhatwecould afford.We preparedour childrenfor several alternativesifweweren’t able to save enough to avoidtaking out loans. Here’swhatwetoldthem andhow we handledthe college decision process.

Thevetopower

The decision of where they

INCUBATORS

Continuedfrom page1E

Unlike other business incubators that provide ofﬁce space, funding and mentorship to budding entrepreneurs, food incubators must also make sizableinvestments in kitchen equipment,food safety testing and production facilities. Inﬂation, rising fuel costsand fertilizer prices have made growing, producing, distributing andbuying food much more expensive Food manufacturing employs about20,000 in the state, andthe industry’sgross domestic product in Louisiana,groupedtogetherwith beverages and tobacco products, was valued at $3.2 billion in 2024, according to data fromthe Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Outside of FOODii, SouthernUniversity Shreveport runs afood incubator geared toward caterers, chefs andmobile food businesses, anda newprogram andfacilityfor food manufacturers is coming to Jefferson Parish.There’salsoaplethora of commercial kitchens and commissary kitchens. The resources for food entrepreneurs around the state showa growing interest and demand in the business, Adhikari said “It covers the whole circle of the food economy,” he said JosephFrancis, founderofPranam Superfoods, aFOODiitenant,said his antioxidant nutrition barstarted at theincubator in 2018. Francis, an LSU professor anddirector of the school’s Center for Comparative Oncology,researches antioxidantsand their health beneﬁts.

When he first started, he handmade twobars at atime,but with assistance from FOODii, he was able to increase production to 2,000 bars. Pranam bars are available at 30 stores, including Whole Foods, Maxwell’sMarket, Calvin’sBocage Marketand online at Walmart.

In the past seven years, Francis hasaveragedabout $60,000 in annual sales andislookingfor afacility to increaseproductionofthe bars. As a FOODiitenant,hesaid he wasable to scalethe business,conduct ashelflifestudy on his productand receive agluten-freecertiﬁcation

“For anybody whoisstarting out, it’sanexcellent place to be,” Francis said.

FOODii expansion

For more than adecade, FOODii has run food testing, training and production facilities for small businesseslooking to getonto grocery store shelves. Housedunderthe LSU AgCenter,FOODiistarted as afood business incubator in 2013, but staff realized thatthe greatest value that theprogram offeredtenantswas the university’stechnological expertise, creating an identity as an innovation institute

Its incubation services arestill offered, with about 45 tenants under FOODii, and anew 13,800-squarefoot facility is on theway for the program thatwill increase its capabilities.

The$5millionrenovation of its warehousejust outside the South Gatesofcampuswillallow forequipment to determine if products meet U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture regulations, in addition to Food and DrugAdministration compliance testingthat theprogram already conducts. Mostfood products fall

could go was not theirs alone, especially since we had the money they needed to pay forcollege. This should also hold true for families whohave no choice but to takeout loans.

Why wouldyou leave such a large ﬁnancial decision entirely in thehands of ateenager?

My husband and Itold our children they could apply to any school, butweweren’ttaking on debt.Wehad saved enough for them to get through local colleges without loans. They all decided that they didn’twant to graduate with debt, and they didn’t.

If themath doesn’twork, or if therequired debt exceeds the new federal caps, or will force you to take out expensive private loans, be prepared to say “no” to an unaffordable college choice.

Use your veto power

Lovingyour child meansprotectingthem from excessive borrowing and perhaps jeopardizing your retirementwith adebt load that you cannot carry

Thetwo-yearadvantage

Starting at acommunity college was always an option forour children. We didn’tbadmouth that choice.

Consider the savings: The average full-time student attending a community college in their own community pays $3,890 in annual tuition and fees, according to data from theEducation DataInitiative.

Your child can knock out core requirements —basic English, math andscience courses —at afractionofthe cost while living at home,saving on room and board. Oncetheyﬁnish their degreeatcommunity college, they can transfertoafour-year university.Whentheyreceive their diploma, it won’thave an asterisk on it. It will look exactly like the ones held by students who spent four years paying substantially more for their education. Community college isn’ta backup plan. It’salways been a smart money move Thebrand-nametrap

Aprestigious public or private institutionwith ahefty price tagdoes notguarantee greater employment opportunities or crucialjob connections.

Yes, there arecertain companiesorhiring managers who exclusively recruit from elite colleges. However, thatalone is nota good reason to take on unmanageable student loans.

Look around your own workplace. You’ll likely ﬁnd colleagueswho graduated from awide variety of institutions, including community colleges, state schoolsand Ivy League institutions. Yetyou are all working in the same place.

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

AmoghAmbardekar,who is taking the helmatLSU’sFood Innovation Institute, stands near the larger bottling machine at the food incubator building on the edgeofcampus. ‘FOODiiisaliaison between everybody,’ Ambardekar said. ‘Atthe end of the day, thisisgoing to helpthe wholestate.’

under FDA regulations, but meat, poultry and egg products fall under USDA rules.

The facility will include ademo kitchen for training andprogramming for communityhealth education and aconveniencestore for studentsand the community to purchase tenants’ products. It’sexpected to be complete by the end of the year

Tenants can also tap into the university faculty’sresearch expertise in areas like nutrition.

“Theyare there to make business,” Adhikari said. “Here, we’re astate university.Weare here to serve Louisiana citizens.”

Amogh Ambardekar is taking over the helm of FOODii after working in innovation and commercialization for Burger King. He started his role at the beginning of this month and sees FOODii as the connector between all components of the food business, from growers to entrepreneurs to regulators.

Some interests for food innovators thatare top of mind include natural food colors and adding protein and ﬁbertotheir products, he said. Testingout these additions to food productsatFOODii helps lessen the risk for businesses before they enter the market.

“FOODii is aliaison between everybody,” Ambardekar said. “At the endofthe day,this is going to help the whole state.”

‘Weneedall handsondeck’ Monique Armand, the executive director of the MilamStreet Kitchen Incubator andCommunity Kitchen at Southern in Shreveport, said the incubator wasborn out of aneed to provide space for local food entrepreneurs to pilot their ideas while investing in the Allendale, LedbetterHeightsand West Edge neighborhoods, which have experienced “food apartheid.” MS KICK was part of aU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoodsplanning grant forShreveport andishoused under Southern’s Community andWorkforce Development department. The incubatorhas a24-hour access kitchen with space for tenants to host dine-in customers and events. Armand said the surrounding community beneﬁts from new culinary experiences fromtenants. There areﬁve tenantsslatedfor gradua-

tion, two who have moved into their own brick-and-mortars and two are connecting with other partners for further growth.

The incubator also runs acommunity garden and workforce development initiative in partnership with other community organizations.

“Weneed all hands on deck,” Armand said of MS KICK’smission. ‘A regional asset’

An $8.7 millionfood and beverage incubator is on the way in Jefferson Parish, the first of its kind in the area sinceNorco-based Edible Enterprises shuttereddue to damage fromHurricane Ida. The greater New Orleans area has given birth to food products like Zatarain’sand Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends, andthe incubator aimstopush entrepreneurs through the high barriers of entry to the industry

Running food incubators is acapital-heavytask, and most resources forthoselookingtobreak into the food industry,like commercial kitchens, are moregeared toward food truck or catering businesses, said Jerry Bologna, CEO of the JeffersonParish Economic Development Commission. Thatleaves agap in the market for food manufacturing resources.

“Webelieve thenextthatthe next Zatarain’sand thenextPaulPrudhomme is sitting out there, and they maybeintheir kitchen,” Bologna said. “They maybeworking for someone else at this time,trying to get their idea off the ground, and we really want to facilitate those entrepreneurs, to continue that culinary tradition that we’re known for.” He hopesthe incubatorwill promote the “cluster” of food manufacturers in the parish as amust-go spot for like entrepreneurs. It’ll focus on startups thatare looking to move intowholesale or commercial production.

The incubator is expected to open in 2028. JEDCO expects to be able to house “several dozen” tenants and has received much interest from local entrepreneurs, Bologna said, though formal applications have not launched yet.

“While this is in Jefferson and JEDCO is behind this incubator,it’s aregional asset, and nothing tells the story of our culture like ourfood,” Bologna said.

THE COLOR OF MONEy

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Nonproﬁt promoting resilience, addressing affordability

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

When William Stoudt was in elementary school in the late 1990s the Junior League of New Orleans helped launch Christmas in October, a program modeled after the national Christmas in April that enabled older and disabled people to stay in their homes by making critical repairs to the structures. Over the years, the local organization grew, went out on its own as a 501(c)3 and changed its name to Rebuilding Together New Orleans. Along the way, its mission evolved to focus on helping anyone in need make their homes stronger, safer and better able to withstand catastrophic storms and ﬂoods.

Rebuilding Together New Orleans has helped thousands of local residents over the past two decades ﬁx and replace their roofs, weatherize the exteriors of their homes and upgrade their heating and AC equipment, among other things. In 2025 alone, the organization, which is funded by philanthropy and powered mostly by volunteers, ﬁxed up nearly 260 homes in the Greater New Orleans region, about 25% of those on its waiting list In August, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the organization with help from the United Way, opened the Resiliency Center, a co-working space on St. Claude Avenue in the Bywater that brings together nearly a dozen nonprofits under one roof, all focused on aspects of creating stronger, safer communities.

In this week’s Talking Business, Stoudt, now the Rebuilding Together New Orleans executive director, explains why the mission of these organizations should be at the top of the mind for business leaders across the state Interview has been edited for length and clarity

There are so many needs that your organization addresses. What is the root of the problem? I think it’s affordability The in-

Q&A WITH WILLIAM STOUDT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REBUILDING TOGETHER NEW ORLEANS

surance crisis is still very much a conversation — not just for the homeowners that we serve, but pretty much everyone. We’ve all gotten used to what the new normal is It’s like we’re in that pot, and the heat’s been turned up on the frog and no one realizes it

Just because premiums didn’t go up 23% again last year doesn’t mean that the prices are sustainable. And as a result of this, our area is losing population. People are leaving. So how does this play into what Rebuilding Together does?

If we’re losing population, then we’re losing tax bases. And we’re losing people who work here and support our businesses. We’re los-

ing schools. And the more people we lose, the harder it is to insure those of us who are left because the pool is smaller

So, we have to ﬁnd a way to get out of the tailspin. And part of that is making homes more affordable and not just building them the same way but making them safer and stronger

Specifically, how do y’all do that?

We’re not going to just put lipstick on these houses. We are not just going to patch roofs, because they’re going to fail in the next storm. So, we are replacing them with fortiﬁed roofs or at least roofs that are built to fortiﬁed standards.

We have put more than 500 of these stronger roofs on houses

since Ida. That means 500 fewer people displaced by a disaster next time around, 500 people who are able to get back to work sooner, which enables other people also to get back to work.

What kind of demand exists for your services?

We have more than 1,000 people on our waiting list. Of those, about 400 need roofs.

How do you fund this? How do you make the numbers work?

The numbers don’t really work at this point, but we have a lot of federal and city funding that we layer with local and private philanthropy The big box stores, local oil and gas companies, utility companies. It takes a village of companies that are doing the right thing. We leverage as many different revenue streams as possible.

What is your budget at Rebuilding? We have an annual operating

budget of $6.2 million, about $4.5 million of which goes to construction costs alone. We spend 91 cents of every dollar on construction. Tell me about the Resiliency Center, this new space you share with 10 other nonprofits, and how it came about?

So, the concept was, while so many people were talking about Katrina 20 years later we as an organization, and other partners, wanted it to be about the next 20 years. What is it that we need to do to make sure that our community continues to thrive? We didn’t want it to be a looking back. We wanted the Resiliency Center to be about looking forward.

Resilience is one of those words that a lot of us have come to resent. I think in New Orleans, it’s sort of a triggering word. But we still opened it as the Resiliency Center because we want it to be about reclaiming the narrative around resilience, and not a forced opportunity, not something that we have to do. We want everyone to have the opportunity to be resilient, whether it’s ﬁnancially or physically or in the way they get to work every

Why

I mean if we don’t have people that can afford to live here, then we don’t have people that shop in stores, or go to restaurants, or work in hotels. And we can’t just think more tourists will save us. A city needs population. Why wouldn’t you care about how your neighbor lives or the person down the street? New Orleans is a community because of the people that live here. The architecture is beautiful, but what makes New Orleans special is the people and if we don’t have a place that people can afford to live and live safely with dignity, then we have nothing.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

AROUND THE REGION

Robotaxis navigate bumpy road to operation in N.O.

Waymo has been testing on city streets for 6 months

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Nearly six months after announcing it was expanding to New Orleans, autonomous ride-hailing company Waymo has yet to debut driverless vehicles on Crescent City streets.

Though the white SUVs topped with spinning sensors and covered in cameras and radars have been spotted in New Orleans neighborhoods in recent months, company “specialists” are still behind the wheel and Waymo isn’t yet cleared to start picking up passengers.

“We need to hit the benchmarks set by our safety framework ﬁrst and foremost,” said Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher “Every city is different. The driving task is generally the same from place to place, but every city also has its own quirks.”

There’s no timeline for when the service will begin.

Before its fleet can start ferrying people around town, Waymo needs to clear several hurdles. The company needs to ensure its fleet can safely navigate Crescent City’s unique streetscape, complete with its notoriously unreliable traffic signals, wheel-engulfing potholes and erratic fellow road users.

Waymo also needs to obtain a certification from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, which a spokesperson for the state agency says it has yet to request

Potentially further complicating Waymo’s plans to operate in New Orleans, the City Council is considering mandating that it obtain a city-issued permit — known as a certiﬁcate of public necessity and convenience — like those required for taxis, pedicabs and horsedrawn carriages.

“We’re not taking a position as far as whether or not Waymo can

operate,” said at-large council member JP Morrell.

“What we’re looking at locally is drafting language that would include them like any other forhire vehicle situation,” said Morrell, who has not drafted an ordinance yet.

“It’s important to make sure the playing ﬁeld is level whether there’s an automated driver or a real driver.”

announced the test run was a success and it planned to expand its service to New Orleans.

The testing in Louisiana follows a year of rapid expansion across

“Every city is different. The driving task is generally the same from place to place, but every city also has its own quirks.”

The Waymo spokesperson said testing has gone as expected so far.

“Frankly, the only thing that could delay it is something like this proposal,” Teicher said.

Robotaxi rollout

The company ﬁrst sent its cars to New Orleans in February 2025 as part of its “road trip” program, where a small number of cars scout out a city’s roads to evaluate how well its system can adapt to a new locale.

In November, Waymo officials

ETHAN TEICHER,Waymo spokesperson

the southeast for the Mountain View, California-based company

At the start of last year, its service was only available in three metro areas, all in California or Arizona.

Since March 2025, it has expanded to add Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Miami and Orlando, Florida; and Atlanta. Earlier this month, it began allowing the public to summon its cars in Nashville, Tennessee.

Pothole mapping Alongside its recent expansion

into the Southeast, Waymo announced a new partnership with the navigation app and fellow Alphabet subsidiary Waze intended to provide pothole detection data to cities and other transportation authorities.

Initially launched in ﬁve cities, the pothole pilot program is a byproduct of an existing practice.

“If you’re going to drive over a pothole, you want that rider experience to be smooth and comfortable, and so we’ve always collected data on potholes to improve the behavior of the Waymo Driver,” Teicher said, referring to the company’s autonomous driving software.

“And as we were collecting that data, we were also simultaneously hearing from cities that thought, ‘Hey, if you’re collecting this data, it would be really helpful to have it.’”

A Waymo vehicle travels up Chartres Street in the French Quarter. Though the white SUVs topped with spinning sensors and covered in cameras and radars have been spotted in New Orleans neighborhoods in recent months, company ‘specialists’ are still behind the wheel and the autonomous ridehailing company isn’t yet cleared to start picking up passengers.

Under the new partnership, Waymo is supplying its pothole location data through Waze for Cities, a free platform already used by

government entities including New Orleans and the New Orleans

Transit Authority Mayor Helena Moreno has set an ambitious goal of filling 1,500 potholes per week. In the first quarter of 2026, her administration has filled 10,000 of them, she said Wednesday at a news conference marking her 100th day in office.

The city has a backlog of more than 2,800 pending pothole repair requests in its 311 system, with the average request remaining open for 724 days.

“I would argue that we already have an extensive pothole database,” Morrell said.

Teicher said Waymo will need to operate in New Orleans for a while before it can activate its pothole partnership and share their locations to Waze users and city officials.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over80years We areJones Walker LLP,a ﬁrmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsenseofcommunity,and aﬁerce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor our clients.

Since1937, ourﬁrm hasbeencommitted to workingwithcommunityleaders to develop business opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

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Louisianainnovatesat humanityscale.

Thecomplexityhereisourcredential. Engineers,shipbuilders,technicians,and founderswhooperateinourconditions developexpertisethattravels.

Researchersandfounderssolving problemsattheedgeofwhat’spossible arehardatworkinLouisianarightnow. Tomorrow’sautonomousvesselsare beingbuiltinourshipyards.Microchips criticaltonationalsecurityarebeing packagedinRuston.Thenextgeneration ofenergytechnologyisbeingrealized acrossthestate

Andthemomentumofourworkis growing.Foreverypublicdollarinvested inLouisianastartups,tenprivatedollars followed

Theworkhappeningherenowwilldefine industries,secureinfrastructure,and powereconomiesforgenerations.

Staff report

SouthLouisiana businesses and nonproﬁt groups recently announced the followingpromotions, new hires and resignations.

NewOrleans

The Louisiana Supreme Court has appointed

Brian Wiggins as its new judicial administrator Wi ggins previously worked as chief

deputy judicial administrator,deputy judicialadministrator for language accessand trial courtservices, hearing ofﬁcer counselfor the Judiciary Commissionand as aresearch attorney. Before his 17-yearcareer with thestate high court,he worked as astaff attorney for the Louisiana Houseof Representatives and served in theadministrations of Govs. Mike Foster and Kathleen BabineauxBlanco.

Winters to join itsMetairie team. Winters is aurologist with more than three decades of experience andanexpertinreconstructive urology

BatonRouge

Mary BirdPerkins Cancer Center has hired Dr.Jack

Investar Bankhas hired RobRaemsch to become chief credit ofﬁcer andexecutive vice president Raemsch, who will oversee the bank’scredit func-

tion, spent the past 17 years as senior credit officer for Capital One. Orbia Fluor &Energy Mat erials ha sp romoted Erick Comeaux from director of operations for growth to director of operations for the U.S. and plant

manager of thecompany’s St. Gabriel manufacturing site. In his newposition, Comeaux, achemical engineer, will oversee day-to-dayoperations of Orbia’srefrigerants and energy materials businesses.

Bamburg

and the capital region. Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas forour business coverage? Drop us aline at biztips@theadvocate. com. Wiggins

Fool’sTake: Apromising transformation

Across Louisiana Bonvenu Bankhas hired Dennis Bamburg as vice president andbusiness developmentofﬁcer Bamburg is aLouisiana state representative for District 5and the owner andoperator of theDennis

Motley Fool

Respected and established Canadian companyBrookﬁeld Corp. (NYSE: BN) is undergoing a major transition, aiming to operate more like Berkshire Hathaway and Berkshire’s“clone” Markel —insurance businesses with aunique focus on investing, funded in partbythe premiums they collect. This approach has been highly successful for both of the latter companies

Brookfield’sgoal is to grow distributable earningsby20% or more per year over the next five years. That’satall order, and one that investors shouldwatch closely.IfBrookfield succeeds,it will likely beat the market. The company focuses on investing in five categories: infrastructure, renewable power,real estate private equity and credit. These are all areas that it believes will be important for global growth for years to come. And as it has apresence in over 50 countries worldwide, its foundation for growth is strong.

Brookﬁeld has multiplegrowth drivers, includingits rapidly expanding wealth solutions division, its leading global asset management business, and its strong portfolio of operating companies.

Brookﬁeld is also interestedin taking advantage of global megatrends, including artiﬁcial intel-

ligence infrastructure, giving it a long growth runway. (TheMotley Fool owns shares of and recommends Brookﬁeld Corp. Note that there are some similarly named companies,sospecify correctly if youbuy.)

Fool’sSchool: Howlong to keep documents

Many,if not most, of us accumulate alot of ﬁnancial documents It’softenbesttouse ashredder whenyou’redisposing of them, but certainkinds of documents shouldbekept for certain periods. Here aresomecategories and examples,from the Federal Trade Commission and elsewhere: Keep forever: Birth and death certificates; adoptionrecords;marriage licensesand divorcedecrees; SocialSecurity cards;current passports,citizenship or residency documentation; military records; retirement plan information (including pensions and annuities); legaldocumentssuch as wills, health care proxiesand powers of attorney; andimportant health records.

Keep while you own them: Titles to vehicles,homeownership documents,mortgage or loan documents,rental agreements and leases, insurance policies, brokerage statementswithyour cost basesfor investments, home improvement receipts, and receipts and warranties for major appliances

Keep for at least three years: Income tax returns,for most people. Selfemployed folks and those at risk

of being accused of filing fraudulent returns, along withthose who claim lossesfrombad debts or worthless securities,are among the people who should hang on to taxreturns longer.(Youcan get the skinny at irs.gov.)Along with your returns, keep supporting documents such as W-2forms, 1099 forms,canceled checks and receiptsfor claimed purchases. Three years is also agood guideline for paperwork tied to thesale of aformer home. Keep for one year: Pay stubs, bank statements,credit-cardstatements, utilitybills and undisputed hospital or medical bills. (TheFTC notesthat if you can access any of these online, you can get rid of the paper copies.) Most other documentscan be shredded (or cutup). These include ATMreceipts, offersof credit or insurance, credit reports and expired warranties, as well as expired driver’s licenses, other forms of identification and credit cards.Basically,you don’twant to toss into thetrash any document withidentifying or financial information on it, lest it fall intothe wrong hands

Ask theFool:

Fiduciaries, explained

What does it mean to hold a financial adviser to the “fiduciary” standard? —E.M., Flint, Michigan Aﬁnancial adviser who is a ﬁduciary is required to makedecisions or recommendations that are in your best interest, not theirs. They mustalsodisclose any con-

ﬂicts of interest and, generally, how they’re compensated.

Some financial advisers may only follow a“suitability” standard, recommending or doing whatever is suitable for their clients. That maysound fine, but what’ssuitable isn’tnecessarily what’sbest. Theymay be recommending something that will earn themasales commission, while not mentioning something betterthat offers no commission. A nonfiduciary adviser might even recommend the least suitable optionout of all suitable ones. (Of course,plenty of nonfiduciary advisers are ethical and mayserve you well.)

Registeredinvestment advisers and certified financial planners areamong those generally held to the fiduciary standard. According to the National Association of PersonalFinancial Advisors, “It’s estimated that nonfiduciary advice costs investors up to $17 billion a year.”

What are “bulls”and “bears,” financially speaking? —E.L., Bremerton,Washington

The terms refer to the optimists and pessimists among investors. A“bull” expects an investment to perform well (is “bullish” on it) and may buy or own shares. Bears, on the otherhand, expect falling values ahead,soare likely to steer clear.They mayeven “short” a stock —aiming to proﬁt by buying high and selling low

Of course,while many take bullish or bearish positions, no one really knows howthe stock market or any individual stock will perform overthe short term. Over

the long term, though, the stock market has always gone up.

My Dumbest Investment: Youonly live once

My mostregrettableinvestingmove was putting allour savings into growth stocks in 2021.Why? YOLO —you only live once. N.L., online In 2021, the S&P 500 index of 500 of America’sbiggest companies gained nearly 29%, so many investors were seeing great growth from their shares. The story was different in 2022, whenthe market pulled back by 18%. Youmay have also noticed that growth stocks tend to fall harder than other types in market downturns. In 2022,

Comeaux

Raemsch Winters

Economists saystrongdollarinLa. is notgoodnews

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

In much of Louisiana, a dollar goes further than al-

Four Louisiana metros in nation’s top 10 RANK METRO AREA

Working

Thenew LouisianaInternational Terminal is theonly newdeepwater port under development in America,and it is astrategicimperativefor theregion:

•New Orleanswas foundedas aportcity over 300years ago,which means aworld-classcontainer terminal isn’t anew idea; it’s theoriginalone

•Increasingly, moderncargo ships cannot ﬁt under theCrescent City Connection since thebridgeclearanceisﬁxed, andshipshavegotten larger(16,000 TEUversus9,000 TEU)

•Working portsand strong communitiesgohandinhand, andSt. Bernard hasthe same opportunity- Now, we have thenumbers that show it:

Last week, GreaterNew Orleans, Inc. formally released an economic analysis of theproject, which showswhatthe Louisiana InternationalTerminal (LIT) will mean forSt. Bernard, thehostparish of thenew port:

•LIT will generate$33 million in newannual tax revenue at full buildout, a 58%increaseoverSt. Bernard’sentirecurrent taxbase of $57million

•LIT will addover4,300jobs to acurrent parish workforceof11,868 representing a37% increase in jobs forthe community

•The revenue will ﬂowdirectly to theservices St. Bernard residents depend on most:the school district gets $5 million peryear, law enforcement gets $5.1 million,the ﬁredistrict gets $2.5million, and drainage andleveesget nearly$1million each year

Theprojections areconservativeand independently veriﬁed.Three separate methodologies- LSU/Lewis Terrell&Associates,RAL Forensics,and GNO, Inc.’s IMPLANmodeling -wereused to develop theforecast, along with benchmarking of existing port facilities.

Furthermore, LouisianaInternational Terminal continuestomakeprogress. Recently,the privatepartnersbehindLIT announcedtheyhad formally incorporated as Louisiana International Terminal HoldingsLLC,marking a major milestoneinthe project’sdevelopment:

•Ports America is oneofthe partners.Theyare thelargest terminal operator in theUnited States

•Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) is thesecondpartner.TIL is part of theglobal MSC Group,the largestshipper in theworld

•PortNOLAretains responsibilityfor designing andconstructing the facility,while thenew LLCwill manage operations

Michael Hecht President&CEO

GNO Inc.

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KUPPERMANBOEHLER

PHOTOSPROVIDED By SHIRA

Just six months after her lung cancer diagnosis, Shira Kupperman Boehler,a New Orleans native, has created afoundation to help people getpreventativescans for those whocan’t affordthem, appeared on national talk shows about the importance of lung cancer screenings and wrote abook about her health journeyand what women can do about their likelihood of gettinglung cancer

LIFE-SAVINGSCAN

N.O. native releases book on lung cancer health journey

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staffwriter

Shira Kupperman Boehler called herself an avid runner.Akale enthusiast. She abidesbyall routine scans: annual Pap smears, colonoscopies,skinchecks.

In September,Boehler’shusband, Adam, ahealth enthusiast in his own right, scheduleda whole-body MRI for her in New York City. She didnot want to go. “I just get so claustrophobic,” she said. “Buthewas insistent, andheeventually gothis way. Her MRI noted an abnormalityinthe rightlung measuring approximately 3.8 cm. The ﬁnding was described in the report as “minor,”“nonurgent”and “typically harmless.” She left with the impression that nothing was urgent or alarming.

Boehler,originallyfrom New Orleansbut living in Nashvillenow,mentioned the ﬁndingto her friend, Dr Kim Lori Sander,apulmonary radiologistatVanderbilt University,who suggestedamoresensitive test.The additional testrevealed thatthe spot in Boehler’s lung had grown —to4.1 cm injusta month.

After herinitial CT-scanresults,Boehler, at 43, had

ä See BOOK, page 2X

After her diagnosis

La.expert discusses pelvic floor therapy

Therapistexplains role of treatment

BY MARGARETDELANEY Staff writer

Most people will do almost anything to avoid talking about what happens below the waist. Blair Dathu has built an 18-year career on getting them to open up anyway

Dathu, aboard-certiﬁed pelvic ﬂoor therapistand physical therapist, knows the region of the body she treats can makepeople uncomfortable.

Dathu, who hasbeen working in SouthLouisiana for 18 years —the majority spentspecializing in the pelvic floor muscle —spends her days helping patients navigate awide range of pelvic floor issues ranging from trouble using the bathroom to organ prolapse.

“Our society putsa lotoftaboo on discussing all things pelvis,” Dathu said. “A lotofmypatients feel like they’re sort of suffering in silenceorthey’re the only human on earth experiencing the problems thattheyare because we’ve just put so muchshame around our pelvises.”

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help those who are experiencing pelvicﬂoorissues. Dathu, whocurrently sees patients in HoumaatOchsner Therapy and Wellness, answers frequently asked questions about pelvic ﬂoor therapy

What is thepelvic floor?

Dathu describes the pelvis as aclose neighborhood with avariety of organs including the bladder,rectum and, for women,the uterus.

There are three layers of muscles at the bottom of the pelvis. These muscles are called the pelvic ﬂoor,and they are used formany everyday activities: holdingupthe spineand internalorgans, help with pooping, peeing and sexualfunctionand, for women, being pregnant and giving birth.

When is it time forthe therapy?

Because the pelvic ﬂoor has so many different roles, there are many reasons someone might need pelvic ﬂoor physical therapy

Dathu says these might include:

n Urinary or fecal incontinence, n Constipation, n Pelvic organ prolapses, n Tailbone pain, n Anal-rectal pain, n Pain with intercourse, n Pain during vaginal exams, n Sacroiliac joint pain, n Endometriosis.

Because othermedical concerns can cause symptoms similar to those caused by pelvic ﬂoor issues, patients are often screened for other health concerns before being referred to pelvic ﬂoor physical therapy

ä See THERAPY, page 2X

“Asthe Official HealthcareProvider of Jazz Fest,our priority is to ensurefestivalgoerscan enjoy the music safely,knowingour team is on-siteand readytoprovide expert care whenneeded. It’s aprivilege to support thisiconic event and care forthe community we serve.”

Dathu

of Stage1lung cancer,Shira KuppermanBoehler had partofher lung removed.

Behavioral Health Day coming to Baton Rouge

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

Rally at the Baton Rouge Capi-

tol at A.Z. Gus Young Park, North Third Street, from 9 a.m. to noon on April 27 with Louisiana Mental Health Association and the Foundation for Suicide Prevention — Louisiana Chapter Wear white for behavioral health. Lunch and a vendor event to follow the rally Register for the event at the Louisiana Mental Health Association’s website

Ochsner Health CenterDenham Springs reopens

After a woman backed her car into Ochsner’s Denham Springs health center, at 30819 La. 16, the facility is now back open and accepting patients again. There were

no injuries associated with the accident, but Ochsner temporarily closed the center “to minimize disruptions for patients.”

Clinics help address high blood pressure, study says

A new study from Tulane University researchers found that a team-based program in community health clinics helped low-income patients reduce their blood pressure more than standard care alone. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was carried out in 36 federally qualiﬁed health centers in Louisiana and Mississippi, nonproﬁt centers providing primary care to many patients with limited incomes and limited access to care. The multifaceted, team-based

program gave patients more sup-

port than they would usually receive, including clinic teams that followed an evidence-based plan to treat high blood pressure and help patients stay on their medications.

After 18 months, patients in clinics using the team-based program saw their systolic blood pressure drop by an average of 15.5 points, compared with 9.1 points in clinics providing enhanced usual care. Patients in the team-based program also showed more adherence to hypertension treatment.

Manning Family Children’s earns certification

Manning Family Children’s achieved certification as a Gold Level Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital. This certiﬁcation

recognizes the hospital’s health care team members’ commitment to best practices in infant safe sleep, “ensuring the highest standards of care for its youngest patients.”

Call out for research participants at Tulane

Researchers from the Mary Amelia Center for Women’s Health Equity at Tulane University are looking for participants in a study on family planning and pregnancy among women in same-sex relationships. Tulane’s study aims to better understand family-building experiences among sexual minority women in the U.S. South. Participants will be invited to take part in a 60-minute interview and will receive a $50 gift card for their time Interested in partici-

pating? Contact lead researcher Dovile Vilda at dvilda@tulane.edu. Groups team for free mobile dental clinics

Ochsner LSU Health and Southern University Shreveport are teaming up to bring free dental care to the community through a monthly mobile dental clinic — offering cleanings, ﬂuoride treatments, and consultations for all ages. The clinic runs every ﬁrst Thursday at the Peggy Prescott Community Health Center, at 3810 Jewella Ave.

Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

a more precise CT scan, a lung biopsy, a pulmonary test, a PET scan and lung surgery all in one week.

By October, Boehler was back at home, building the strength to run again in her home in Nashville.

But, she left the experience with a new sense of purpose: share her story and tell anyone she could about the possibility of getting lung cancer as a healthy, nonsmoker

In just six months, Boehler has created a foundation to help people get preventative scans for those who can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs for lung cancer screenings; met with insurance companies and government ofﬁcials about changing the guidelines required to receive insurance-covered lung cancer screenings; appeared on CNN, Fox News and the Today Show; spoke at the Kennedy Center with Dr Mehmet Oz; and wrote a book about her health journey and what women can do about their likelihood of getting lung cancer, releasing on April 28.

Lung cancer in ‘never-smokers’

Boehler’s case is not as rare as most people assume.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

In the United States alone, it will claim over 125,000 lives in 2026. While the total number of lung cancer cases is decreasing, the proportion of cases in never-smokers is rising.

Boehler’s father, a Tulane graduate and pulmonologist, taught her from a very young age the dangers of smoking. For her entire life, she has avoided both smoking and secondhand smoke.

Even so, the ﬁrst question many people ask her when she tells them her lung cancer diagnosis, is if she had been a smoker

“It’s a little insulting,” Boehler said. “We don’t place blame on any other types of cancer And I’m not a smoker anyway.”

Recent data from Northwestern University shows 10% to 20% of lung cancers in the U.S. occur in people who have never smoked. For comparison, in the early 1990s, never-smokers made up only 8% of the lung cancer population.

The transition could be related to the fact that there are less smokers overall in the United States or due to an increase in other environmental exposures (for instance, radon or pollution) leading to lung cancer

“If you have lungs,” Boehler said. “You can get lung cancer.”

The cancer biology often differs for never-smokers. Never-smokers are more likely to develop adenocarcinoma, the subtype Boehler had.

Despite the increase in neversmoker diagnosis, screening

Continued from page 1X

Although a referral is not required in Louisiana to see a physical therapist often patients are guided to Dathu’s practice after consultation with a primary care physician, gastroenterologist and gynecologists. The appointment

At a patient’s ﬁrst appointment, Dathu shares information about the pelvic floor muscles before asking patients questions about any pain they may be experienc-

guidelines in the United States remain largely tethered to smoking history The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose CT screening for adults aged 50 to 80 with a signiﬁcant active or prior smoking history — at least a pack a day for 20 years.

That policy, implemented in 2013, is grounded in evidence: the 2011 National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality with low dose CT scans compared with chest x-ray However participants in this study were heavy smokers and between 55 and 74 years of age.

Because Boehler’s tumor was caught at Stage I, her prognosis was fundamentally different from that of patients diagnosed with later stages. She underwent surgical resection, removing the affected portion of her right lung.

“My lymph nodes were clear There was no evidence of metastasis,” she said.

When Stage I non-small cell lung cancer is detected early and completely resected, ﬁve-year survival often exceeds 70% and may approach 90% in some patients.

This stands in stark contrast to advanced stages, where treatment shifts to systemic therapy, and survival declines substantially

The sharp change in prognosis across stages underscores the power of early detection before symptoms ever appear like persistent coughing, coughing up blood, wheezing or shortness of breath.

Telling her story to thousands

In 2019, the Boehler family moved away from New Orleans.

Boehler went kicking and screaming Before she left, she was introduced to a one-line a day journal that documented a single sentence from every day for ﬁve years.

She started the journal in Janu-

ing, as well as their bladder, bowel and sexual function.

Then, it is time for a physical exam. This may include an external examination of the pelvis during which the provider lightly touches the region to determine if a patient feels pain or tenderness. This may be followed by an internal examination of the vaginal or rectal canal to determine whether there is any pain, tenderness or restrictions.

If a patient is uncomfortable in any way, Dathu slows the pace and works with them on other alternatives to pursue physical therapy, like exercises. “It’s often really uncomfortable

ary 2020.

“I just thought if I could write one positive thing each day, I could get over missing New Orleans and being home,” Boehler said.

She didn’t know that a global pandemic and four more family moves were on the horizon. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer, she kept the journal alive. Her entry on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025: “I have lung cancer.”

“What else was there to say?” Boehler said.

She used this journal throughout her journey and recovery and used her single-sentences to help her write her medical memoir

The book “One Scan Saved My Life: How One Woman’s Story Will Change the Way We Detect Lung Cancer”, takes readers on a personally detailed and medically precise trek of Boehler living life with lung cancer. All proceeds from the book will beneﬁt her nonproﬁt, Cancer Doesn’t Care.

“The idea was to tell my story

for patients to answer some of my questions,” Dathu said. “But I remind them that I do this every day I ask patients about bowel movements, pain during sexual activity.”

From there, Dathu works with her patients to create a unique care plan that enhances their quality of life.

Success looks different for every patient: Some will measure success by their ability to better control their bladder or bowels, others by their ability to have painfree intercourse.

“My goal is to get my patients to a place where they no longer need me,” Dathu said. Sessions are typically 45 minutes

through a couple hundred pages versus having to call everyone in the phone book,” Boehler said. Boehler is three months cancer free. She is back to her pre-lung cancer life 6-mile runs and all — with her husband and their four children, ages 8 to 14. She still misses New Orleans and comes home to visit family —

to an hour once a week. Depending on the patient’s condition and compliance to Dathu’s at home checklist, six to eight appointments should be enough to address pelvic ﬂoor issues.

What exercises are used?

Pelvic floor physical therapy might draw to mind pelvic muscle strengthening exercises such as kegels, or biofeedback, which uses computers to assess the body while a patient performs exercises.

While Dathu notes that kegels and biofeedback are components of pelvic ﬂoor physical therapy, it’s not a catchall answer for pain. Kegels can actually make pelvic ﬂoor

Health scans showed that Shira Kupperman Boehler had a spot in her lungs. It was cancer

and for Mardi Gras celebrations, of course.

She remains grateful for her husband’s persistence about getting a whole-body MRI. She believes it saved her life.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

conditions worse in certain cases.

Pelvic floor physical therapy also considers the mind-body connection a large part of addressing the tightness, tension or weakness in the muscle. Stress can be a signiﬁcant component to causing, or worsening, a pelvic ﬂoor condition.

“If you think about your pelvic ﬂoor pain, you’re going to be stressed about it and, as a result, have more tension in the pelvic ﬂoor muscle,” Dathu said. “Calming the mind and distressing can go a long way.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

PHOTOS PROVIDED By SHIRA KUPPERMAN BOEHLER

Shira Kupperman Boehler, second from left, will publish her new book, ‘One Scan Saved My Life: How One Woman’s Story Will Change the Way We Detect Lung Cancer,’ on April 28. She celebrated her book launch and signing in New Orleans on March 31 at Hotel St Vincent

Shira Kupperman Boehler called herself an avid runner A kale enthusiast She abides by all routine scans: annual Pap smears, colonoscopies and skin checks. Then she was diagnosed with lung cancer

Eat Fit LiveFit

Alifebydesign:

Terrance Osborneonart, balanceand becoming

Usually,thiscolumnisaboutfood healthandhabits.Butwell-being isn’tlimitedtowhat’sonourplate orhowwemoveourbodies.It’salso abouthowwethink,howwerespond tolifeandtheenvironmentswecreate aroundourselves.

Throughour“InspiringStories”series, wehighlightindividualswhoselives reﬂectdifferentexpressionsofwellness. Thisweek,NewOrleansartistTerrance Osborneoffersaperspectiverootedin creativity,intentionandadeepsense ofpresence.

TerranceOsborne’sworkisinstantly recognizable:boldcolor,movementand astyledeeplyrootedinLouisiana.Justas strikingistheenergybehindit:asenseof easeandclaritythatcarriesthroughboth theworkandthepersoncreatingit.

Thisstoryislessaboutwhereheisnow andmoreabouthowhechosetogethere.

TerrancegrewupinNewOrleans, surroundedbycreativity,butwithoutclear examplesofthelifehewouldeventually build.Hisstepfatherwasabusive,andthe modelsaroundhim—ofbothcareerand manhood—wereinconsistentatbest

“Ididn’thaveanexampleofhowtobea father,”hesaid.“ButIunderstoodthathurt peoplehurtpeople.Andmaybethatwas hisstory,butitwasn’tgoingtobemine.”

Asakid,artwassomethingothers respondedtoearlyon.“Myﬁrsthustlewas kidsbringingmetheirjeans,”hesaid.“They wantedBartSimpsonorMickeyMouse drawnonthem.I’ddoitwithpermanent marker—ten,twentydollars.”

Thoseearlypieceslikelydidn’tmake itthroughthewash.Buttheyshowed himthatwhathecreatedhadvalue. Everythingbegantoshiftwhenhemet artistRichardThomas.

“Iworkedinhisgallery,”Terrance said.“Hehadstudentscomein,and

he’dteachus.Idon’tknowhowhedid it—teachingallday,thenworking withusatnight—buthedid.Hegave memyﬁrstpaintbrushandcanvasand said,‘I’mgoingtoshowyouhowto paint.Whenyousellthisone,buyyour ownsupplies.’”

“Asakid,youeitherthinkyouknow everything,oryoumakeyourself smaller,”hesaid.“Iwasmakingmyself smaller,untilImetRichard.Hewas loving,compassionate,generous.He showedmewhatthatcouldlooklike.”

“IlovedthatIcouldhaveanidea,put itonasurfaceandsomeonecouldsay, ‘That’sbeautiful,’”hesaid.“Itmademe feellikemyideashadvalue.

Encouragedbyteacherswho recognizedhistalent,Terranceattended theNewOrleansCenterforCreativeArts (NOCCA),thenstudiedﬁneartsatXavier UniversityofLouisiana.

Still,becomingafull-timeartistdidn’t feellikeagiven.Thatshiftcameafter HurricaneKatrina,whenhesteppedaway fromteachingandcommittedfullytohis work—supportedbyhiswife,Stephanie, whomhedescribesashisbusinesspartner, bestfriendand“thepersonwhobrought structureintomylife.”

WhenIsatdownwithTerrancefor ourpodcastinterview,Iwasn’tsure wheretostart.

“It’salwaysgood,”hesaid.“Ifyoudon’t knowwheretostart,thepossibilities

areendless.Thenaturalwayistodo whatmovesyou—gowiththeenergy.”

Thatperspectivecarriesdirectlyinto howheworks.

“Mymeditationisactionmeditation, hesaid.“I’mcompletelyabsorbedinthe painting.IforgetthatI’minvolvedin anythingelse.”

Hedescribesreachingwhathecalls, “thegap.”Hesaid,“Youstopthinking,and whenyourealizeit,you’realreadyoutofit.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

Butthemoreyougetthere,themorethat spaceopensup.”

Thesameworkthatbringspressure anddeadlinesisalsowhatbringshiminto thatstate.Outsidethestudio,hisroutines supportthatbalance.

“I’veeatenprettywellmostofmyadult life,”hesaid.“I’vegotallthesepictureson myphoneofthesaladsStephaniemakes. They’recolorful,they’rebeautiful—they looklikemypaintings.

Hisapproachtomovementshiftswith hisschedule—sometimesstructured workouts,othertimessimplygetting outside,walkingtheneighborhoodwith hiswife.

Duringmoreintenseworkperiods,his focusnarrows.“ImakesureI’mhydrated,” hesaid.“Idon’teatalotwhenI’mworking. Itslowsmedown.”

Sleep,hesays,hasbecomeessential.“In mytwenties,Icouldstayupallnightand itdidn’tmatter.Now,sleepiseverything. Itaffectsmymood,andmymoodaffects mywork.”

Hisversionofaperfectdayissimple: goodsleep,morninglightinthestudio, musicplayingandtheworkinfrontofhim. “Whenyou’recreatingfromagoodplace, youfeelit,”hesaid.“That’swhatit’sabout.”

ForOsborne,thatfeelingisn’t accidental.It’ssomethinghe’sbuilt choicebychoice—intobothhislife andhiswork.Andintheheartoffestival season,hisworkbecomespartofthat sharedexperience—meetingpeople exactlywhereheintended:inaplacethat feelsgood

ForadeeperlookatTerranceOsborne’s perspectiveoncreativity,balance andintentionalliving,listentothefull interviewontheFUELEDWellness+ Nutritionpodcast—availablenow whereveryougetyourpodcasts.

In 2024, just under two-thirds of Louisiana children were classified as “flourishing,” the fifth-lowest ranking in the country, according to data gathered by the U.S. Departmentof Health andHuman Services

“Flourishing” is ameasure of how well children are thriving within their family andcommunity. It represents socialization, curiosity,resilience andself-regulation. Flourishingin children is associated with higher levels of school engagement, and attributes of flourishing have been linked to areduced likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors and developing mood disorders.

Although the national averagefor “flourishing”children leveledout at 66.7% in the 2023-2024 school year compared to the 66.4% in 2022-23, thetrend for“flourishing”children has been in rapid decline since 2016 when the averagewas 92.8%.

Manyfactors can influence whether or not achild is flourishing, including parental capacity (such as thehealth of parents,their ability to copewith stress and anysubstance use) and family dynamics(such as parent-child relationshipsand family activities). Promoting flourishing at home supports childhood development and increases the

likelihood of well-being and success in adulthood.

According to America’sHealth Rankings analysis,the prevalence of children whomeet thecriteria for flourishing is higher among: nGirls comparedwith boys.

nAsian children compared with Black children.

nChildren with aparent or guardian whograduated fromcollege compared with thosewhose parents or guardians have lowerlevels of educational attainment.

nChildren without special health careneeds comparedwith children with special healthcareneeds.

These states had thelowest percentageof“flourishing” children, in ascending order:

nOregon with 62%;

nUtah with 62.3%;

nMaine and SouthDakotawith 62.9%;

nLouisiana with 63.5%;

nArkansas with 63.6%;

nNewHampshire with 63.9%;

nNevada with 64.2%;

nMichigan with 64.3%;

nOklahoma with 64.6%

nIndiana with 64.7%;

nIdaho, Minnesota,West Virginia andWyoming with 65%.

Thesestates had the highest

Source:U.S.Department

percent of “flourishing” children, in descending order:

nNebraska with 70.1%;

nNewJerseyand Texas with 69.7%;

nTennesseewith 69.3%;

nIllinois with 69.2%;

nMaryland with 68.4%;

nSouth Carolina with 68.1%;

TheLouisiana Health section is focusedonproviding in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This sectionlooks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state andnational health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to livewell.

nHawaii with 67.9%;

nNorthCarolina with 67.7%;

nOhio with 67.6%;

nMassachusetts with 67.5%;

nDelaware with 67.4%;

nGeorgia with 67.3%;

nNewMexico, Pennsylvania and Washington with 67%.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

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.

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

PhotocourtesyofTerranceOsborne

Keeping youwell,so youdon’t missa beat

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JAZZ FEST

FULL STORY

Documentarian uses visual,social mediatoteach Louisianahistory

BY JOYHOLDEN Staffwriter

When Elroy “E.J.” Johnson IV started teaching historyinBaton Rouge, hisstudents told himitwas aboringsubject. He persisted anyway,trying to ﬁgure out how to teach storiesofthe pastby using modern techniques.

ADallasnative,Johnsonwas ateacher at Prescott Middle School from 2012 to 2014 as aTeach forAmerica corpsmember.Hesoon discovered that he would have to use innovation toengagehis young students.

ButJohnson says his time teaching in Baton Rouge laid the foundation for what he does today as adocumentarian and projectmanager for theproject manager for the National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates.

“I don’tthink,without thattime, I’dbe doing things I’m doing now,” he said. During the pandemic,Johnson started making content on Instagram and TikTokabout Black American historyin

Alexander Trapps-Chabala, genealogist and historian, colaborates with Johnson to research documentsand records for videosonsocialmedia.

Louisianaand Texas. He posted avideo on TikTok in 2020about Laurel Valley Plantation andwas surprised by the amount of attention it got.

He started ﬁlming himself as he traveled and researchedthe plantations that his ancestors had livedand worked on in Louisiana,several in Natchitoches Parish.

“I wasshowcasingthem, talking about historical ﬁgures and things that Iknew alot of people havenot seen,” he said.

“People often drive by real deep stories that show the groundwork of how Louisiana is today.”

As @thedirector_ej, Johnsoncurrently has 50,000 followers on Instagram and 88,000 followers on TikTok,with posts that have commenters from around the country.Hesays that his goal is to reach people far from Louisianawho have ancestral ties to the state so they can learn about their roots.

“For alongtime, history books were not giving the full story.I think alot of kids being able tosee their family story, their family culture, theirfamily regions is making them more interested,” he said.

Johnson’svideos include information on historical places like Saint Simon Missionary Church in Natchitoches, slave cabins on theMagnolia Mound plantation in Baton Rouge and midwives and healersinSt. Landry Parishatthe Rural African American Museum in Opelousas. One video explains plantation commissaries and scrip money,while others highlight small rural towns throughout Louisiana.Johnson often interviews Black elders, sharing his platform with the faces and voices of wisdom.

He also uses his own family’spictures as the foundation for lessons.

Aconnectiontothe ancestors

After his stint in Baton Rouge, Johnson moved to Texasin2014 to teach history,but he returnedtosouth Louisiana in 2022. With relatives in Natchitoches, hismove back to Louisiana felt natural.

“In many ways, beingabletocome teach in thestate that my grandmother did not go to high school in was kind of a full circle moment,” Johnson said.

While Johnsonreturned to Louisiana to work in marketing and media, he wanted to foster his love of storytelling that he found through making social mediavideos.Onthe weekends,hetook his camera out to document the culture around him.

“It was also away of me gettingto understand Louisiana more intimately being the place my ancestors have been for many generations,” he said.

Johnson collaborateswith Alex

Johnson wrote and directed ashort about jazz musicianJelly Roll Morton.

Trapps-Chabala,agenealogist and historian, to research documents and records forvideos on social media.The twowork together often on historical narratives. Trapps-Chabalasays that he goes to Johnsonifhedoesn’tknow something, and vice versa. They met about 15 years ago and wereinstrumental in organizing an informal online community, sharing Louisiana Black history

Trapps-Chabala, originally from California,has strong roots in theSouth. He moved to New Orleans for his genealogywork with NorfolkState University’s Sold Down River Project. He notesthat Johnson is on amission to “get the facts straight,” especially so that peoplewho aredisplaced from theSouth can connect to thehistory and culture of thearea. Trapps-Chabala says that Louisiana hasanabundance of writtenrecords thattraditional genealogy relies on, but historians have to use a sharp eye tointerrogate what’swritten. “EJhas shown me that everything that’sonpaper isn’t always the truth, but at least we have adocument to build off of,” Trapps-Chabala said. “Wecan createanarrative that’s honest, looking at it fromall theangles, andexpress it in away that actually matters to people.”

He praisedJohnson’s abilitytobuild

ä See STORY, page 2Y

The thwack of home

Around 9p.m., the family up-

stairs makes its nightly trek from the front of the house to the back.

Except, there is no family upstairs.

We live in aone-story house.

My husband and Ihave been living in arental house forseven months while our real homeisbeing rebuilt after aﬁre destroyed it in August. Like every other place I’ve ever lived, the rental homebreathes and makes the occasional creak or sigh.

But in this case, this house has an abundance of other sounds.

These days, my husband and I look at each other sometimes and don’teven have to say,“Didyou hear that?”

We have theorized on what all the noises could be longer than we spent on our taxes. Sometimes, we are certain of the aforementioned family upstairs. We’ve named the imaginary lot the McAlisters.

My husband is convinced that the noise sounds like afamily on a schedule. Like at somepoint they say,“Time to put the kids to bed,” and they all go scurrying down the path they take every evening. Seven months in, the McAlisters remain the best explanation forwhatever is going on in the invisible, imaginary apartment upstairs, but we are certain that this is not how things are supposed to work.

Houses speak alanguage we learn eventually —but seven months is usually long enough to at least know the alphabet.

That said, this rental isn’ttalking.

Other houses have been more forthcoming.

The house sound Iremember mostvividly is from my childhood home. The house had an attic string in the hallway with a two-inch, smooth oblong wooden pull on its end. Iremember looking at that wooden pull when it wasimpossible to reach. Iremember jumping anyway.I don’t remember the ﬁrst timeI actually hit it, but doing so gave amostsatisfying thwack.

After that, Ijumped up and hit the wooden pull every single timeI wentdown that hallway Remarkably,myparents never minded —or, at least, never said so.

The house is still there. Iwonder if it still has that attic pull and if any other child appreciated it like Idid.

The summer before my junior year in high school, my family moved away from the house and townthat built me to another small town 50 miles away,when my father becamethe high school principal in Magee, Mississippi. The school provided ahouse forthe principal. The house had amost unusual feature —the school district had built abrand new full-size track in what had previously been the house’sbackyard. My bedroom wasinthe back of the house. With abackdoor nearby,I had easy access to the track, which was the talk of the town. The track was the perfect place to meet people the summer we moved there. By people, Imainly mean boys. From my bedroom,I could hear voices and footsteps from the track in what wasbasically my backyard. That summer,I learned the difference between the sound of aCorvette engine and aTransAm engine. Without even looking out the

See RISHER, page 2Y

LOUISIANA AT LARGE an Rishe

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Elroy‘EJ’ Johnson IV,a documentarian and historian, teaches stories of the past by using moderntechniques.

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

Covington Head Start veteran retires

Educator helped preschoolers in program for 50 years

BY LAURA ALLEN Contributing writer

At only 8 a.m., the small Head Start classroom in Covington was already alive with the laughing and crying of 3and 5-year-old children As the young students ﬁnished up a breakfast of biscuits, sausage patties and orange slices, they each dashed off to their favorite learning centers to cram in some playtime before circling up as a class.

Amid the chaos, Johnnie Rushing — known to students, parents and faculty alike as Mr Johnnie — took the time to talk to each student.

“I like how Jayden is peeling his orange over his plate,” Rushing praised one child during breakfast.

“I like the way you’re cleaning up. Good job!” he complimented another student later on.

Rushing, 73, is a teaching assistant at Covington Head Start and has been with the school readiness program for over 50 years. His impact on the lives of students and others in his community has been lasting, but after five decades in the classroom, Rushing has decided to say goodbye at the end of this school year

“I pretty much like what I do and I did,” Rushing said, “but you got to know when it’s time.”

Rushing graduated from

STORY

Continued from page 1y

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Johnnie Rushing assistant teacher at Covington Head Start

Grambling State University in 1975 with a degree in social science. At the time, he planned on getting a job in social work, but the Covington area offered little in that ﬁeld. Needing a job, Rushing eventually applied to Covington Head Start.

“When I did get the position, I said, ‘Well, I’ll work here probably three or four years, then try to move on,’” Rushing said.

But the longer he worked with the students watching as they broke out of their shells and began to excel academically and socially — the more he grew to love it.

“I kind of got hooked,” he said.

Head Start is a preschool program for children ages 3 to 5 years old — Early Head Start takes children as young as 6 weeks old — that was designed to serve low-income families The federally funded program was established in 1965 by the Ofﬁce of Economic Opportunity under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Just 10 years after

a narrative that is accessible to all levels of education and classes across racial barriers. He is able to tell hard and uncomfortable histories in a way that results in empowerment.

Education meets media

Using photography and documentary ﬁlm to tell a story is Johnson’s forte. In 2024, he was selected as a member of the Emerging Voices Cohort by the New Orleans Film Society, an initiative dedicated to supporting rising documentary ﬁlmmakers.

From 2019 to 2021, Johnson directed and produced the following documentaries and shorts: “The Oak Cliff Documentary,” “Building the Bridge,” “A Food Justice Story,” “From the Block” and two videos on Black women’s health

His next project is a documentary short about Jelly Roll Morton, the Louisiana jazz legend. He reached out to Lafayette native and LSU alumna Carly LeDay for help on the production side.

“EJ mixes the history of things as

Johnson announced Head Start, Rushing joined the team in Covington.

At 22 years old, Rushing started his career at Head Start as a bus driver and assistant teacher After 13 years, he was promoted to a teaching position, which he held for four years, before returning to his previous position for another decade.

Then, Rushing took a fulltime teaching assistant role, which he has worked as ever since.

Marcela Spivey, the center manager assistant at Covington Head Start, summed up Rushing’s importance to the school: “Mr Johnnie is CHS, and CHS is Mr Johnnie.”

Every day follows the same schedule, and most activities are marked by a song to help the children stay engaged and on task.

After breakfast, the students gather on the alphabet rug for circle time. The main teacher and Rushing sing the “Wish You Well” song with the children for the students who are absent that day

Before recess, Rushing leads the children in a circle around the alphabet rug, singing a transitional song before going outside — “Walking around the letters, the letters, the letters. We walk around the letters so we can go outside” — sung to the tune of “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.”

And after playtime, Rushing sings “The Cleanup Song” just as loudly as the children, picking up blocks and reshelving picture books alongside his students.

No matter what it is the children are doing, Rushing is there to lend a helping hand, say a word of encour-

well as the creative side of video,” LeDay said “The impact is pretty educational, not just visual.”

LeDay, founder and owner of Chateaux Rouge Cinema in Baton Rouge, said the two started ﬁlming the short in January They are currently on post production and working out a marketing campaign. They hope to show the film in the New Orleans African American Museum during Juneteenth

For their next project, Johnson and LeDay want to bring life and action to old portraits. The project is in its beginning stages, but the goal is to recreate portraits of the black American South. They plan to have actors act out the portraits and include background information.

“Louisiana is a place with a lot of Black history, culture and traditions that are well known, but a lot of times the people behind it, the stories behind the culture — how it got to where it is is less known,” Johnson said. “So to highlight the stories of the enslaved and Black communities across Louisiana is really important to me and helps lay the foundation for why we know Louisiana culture to be so iconic.”

agement or offer up a listening ear, and the students are always excited to see him.

One student marveled at the fact that he and Rushing were both wearing black tennis shoes, telling everyone about the pair’s (almost) matching outfits. Another child launched himself at the assistant teacher after getting dropped off, nearly knocking Rushing down with his enthusiastic hug.

Rushing’s kindness toward the students does not go unnoticed, and many of his coworkers admire him for his patience and work ethic.

Jarvia Robinson, Rushing’s co-worker of 13 years, said, “He is the most caring, kind, gentle, considerate, God-fearing, loving, hardworking dependable reli-

able person I know.”

Marilyn Young, a substitute teacher at Covington Head Start, has known Rushing for 45 years, having met him when he was her oldest daughter’s bus driver Rushing also taught Young’s son for two years, and she credits Rushing for helping the boy overcome some of the challenges that came with his epilepsy

Even some of Rushing’s former students remember him decades later

The assistant teacher described how he could be going about his day, grabbing a quick cup of coffee or running any number of errands, when adults will recognize him as their ﬁrst bus driver or Head Start teacher

“It’s rewarding just to hear

that even at 4 years old, children can remember the good things that happen,” Rushing said.

May 2026 marks the end of Rushing’s career at Covington Head Start. What was supposed to be a temporary position right out of college turned into a lifetime of educating future generations in their earliest years, but Rushing does not regret the path that life unexpectedly led him down.

“My grandfather always say to me, ‘if you get a job that you really like, you never work a day in your life,’” Rushing said. “That’s what he always told me, so I guess I realized that maybe that was my calling, working with young kids.”

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

window, I could recognize who was out there. Often, the sounds inspired me to go on unplanned little runs.

The school stopped giving principals a place to live long ago. The house is gone. The track has fallen into disrepair

Our homes since have had their share of sounds too, sounds we stopped hearing after living there for as long as we did — an icemaker that startled guests, squeaky sliding glass doors with their own distinctive screech, a creaky garage door and a double-hinged kitchen door with a particular swoosh.

Then there was the house that burned.

It had old-fashioned circular air vents. When the air conditioner was running full blast, the vent in the dining room emitted a distracting, high-pitched whistling sound. But on a summer night in south Louisiana, I’ll take that whistle over hot any day

These days, we are rebuilding that home on its original foot-

print. The whistling vent is gone now, along with every other sound that house made over its 81 years — most of them before we ever arrived. Usually I’m able to imagine things that don’t exist yet. I can see a story on a page or picture

a dress before the fabric is cut — the drape of it, the ﬁnished hem. But the new version of our real house and the sounds it will make is something

PROVIDED PHOTO

Johnnie Rushing sits with his students at Covington Head Start and has been with the school readiness program for over 50 years.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Jan Risher holds up a 1972 photo with herself and her younger brother Robin Risher in front of the house where they grew up in Forest, Miss.

Traffickingsurvivors ﬁndrest, artand apathforward

First-of-its-kind refuge helps healing process

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

On asunny spring afternoon at the Eden Emergency Center in New Orleans, a 24-hour facility forhuman trafﬁckingsurvivors, abedroom awaited anewcomer. There was ahandwritten welcome card and gift basket placedatop afreshly made canopy bed.

The faint scent of candle waxpermeated acraft room, where sewing machines stood ready.Down the hall, asmall art group worked with paint, pastels, pencils and watercolors. Peer support staff member and artist Kellie, who described her role as “like a house mom,” facilitated the art session

“One of my favorite things we have done is the hands,” said Kellie, asurvivor who chose to be identiﬁed by her ﬁrstname only for safety purposes. “In one hand, you have what was in your past and what you want to let go of. In the other hand is what you want to hold on to.” In her piece, Kellie depicted letting go of her shame, guilt and pain, while holding on to hersenseof safety,self-worth, compassion and love.

Sometimes, clients are asked to draw things they ﬁnd beautiful —once,someone drew avape, Kellie said with achuckle. Housing director Ashlie Bissell has alsoasked newcomersto draw their worlds as they appear in that moment.

“That world looks different when they ﬁrst comein versus whenthey’re ayear or two (in),” Bissell said.“A lot of times, it looks alittle bit lighter.…alittle less

chaotic.”

The Eden Emergency Center,a10-bed facility in an undisclosed,tree-lined location,was theﬁrstofits kindinthe nation to partnerand be locatedonsite of ahospital system when it opened in 2023.Itis the newest site operated by Eden Centers for Hope and Healing, which launched its ﬁrst recoveryhomein2011 and asecond in 2022.

Together, the centers offerwraparound services andsafe transitional housingfor adultsurvivorsof human trafﬁcking.

Founded by KaraVan de Carrand Katherine Green, the ﬁrst Eden Housebuilt on amodel used by the MagdaleneSerenity House in Nashville. Thatmodel offerssurvivors asafe place to heal and rest while receiving services includingtrauma and addiction therapy,medical and dentalreferrals, legal aid, job

readiness, ﬁnancial literacy and parenting classes, at no cost, among other forms of support

At EdenCenters, the emergencycenter is often the ﬁrst stop for survivors.

Overthe course of a90-day program, the goal is to help them feel stable and safe after getting out of atrafﬁcking situation that may causeanxietyand PTSD.

“Theyjustneed somewhere to rest, and to sleep, and to gain theirgrounding,” said chief executive ofﬁcer Jennifer Best. “Number one, (they) processwhatjust happenedto them, and then two, ‘How do Imove forward?’ That’s wherewecame up withour emergency center.”

Survivors can attend therapeuticgroup classes, but arenot requiredto, and everyone gets their own privateroom— apoint of difference between Eden Emergency Center and a

traditional shelter

“Thatcan really help them rest, being able to shut the door and be here alone, and know that no one’scoming in,” said Stephanie Wilkins, chief clinical ofﬁcer

After the 90-day program, survivors may move into a two-yearresidentialprogramatone of two eightperson homes, if space is available. From there, they mayenter the Rapid Rehousing program,which providesongoing casemanagement and tieredrental assistance for housing of their choice.

Forthe ﬁrst three months, Eden Centers pays 100% of the rent. Thatamount decreases by 25% every three months, so that after ayear, survivors are prepared to pay theirrent in full. Currently,participantsare in school to becomesocial workers and paramedics, andothers have gone to work at nonproﬁtsand re-

covery centers.

“Wereally wanted our goal to be to build thatfoundationsothat they would be self-sufﬁcient at theend of it,”Bissellsaid.

Fifty families are currently housed in the Rapid Rehousing program, and Eden Center will soon open alocationinCharlotte, NorthCarolina

“The morethat people know about us,the more the word gets out, and they’re able to get services, which is great,” Best said. “But now we’rerunning out of room.”

About 70% of people who cometoEden Centers requesting services are turned away duetoalack of capacity, according to Best. TheCenters have run at full capacity since 2023, but TheEden Centers is

campaigning to increase its capacity to more than 100 beds Each bed representsthe potentialfor an altered life trajectory

“I didn’twant to leave. I made friends here Iwill probably have forlife,” Kellie said of her timeliving at theEden Emergency Center.“Ileft here in March, and by that time I felt alot better, andmylife hasgottenprogressively better.”

Now,asastaff member, she gets to witness and facilitate that healing process. “Being able to walk alongside people is special to me …Isee survivors come in hereeveryday,” Kellie said. “AndthenIsee people who come out on the other side,and it is beautiful.

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 MISSy WILKINSON

Fromleft,Jennifer Best, Ashlie Bissell, Kellie and Stephanie Wilkins facilitate healing for human trafficking survivorsatEden Centers.

FAITH & VALUES

English choirs seek to protect tradition

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON On a gray afternoon in the days before Easter, a dozen or so schoolchildren straggled into a side building at Rochester Cathedral and began their transformation.

Off went the jackets and backpacks, on came burgundy cassocks and white surplices. Then they trooped into the cathedral, opened their mouths and sang as one. The youthful gaggle had become a choir, giving voice to a tradition of choral music in the Church of England that has survived largely unchanged for almost 500 years.

“I think for me, it’s one of the sounds of our country,” said Adrian Bawtree, the choir’s music director “All of our cathedrals are beautiful, sacred spaces where you can come and just sit and be and you can be immersed, bathed, nourished, sent out back into the world transformed by an experience in 30 minutes.”

The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the ﬁrst Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549. The service is performed by the choir, with the congregation participating simply by listening.

But that tradition is under threat as the demands of modern life, declining church attendance and tight funding make it harder to ﬁnd and train the next generation of choristers.

Enthusiasts are trying to reverse that, launching a campaign for the government to recognize English choral services as an important part of Britain’s culture under a U.N. program that seeks to protect “intangible cultural heritage,” as well as historic buildings and natural wonders.

Strengthen identity

The U.K. government is seeking nominations for a nationwide inventory of cultural traditions from Morris dancing to the craft of building dry stone walls — that should be preserved Protecting such traditions is crucial to strengthen community identity and bolster the U.K. economy as heritage tourism generates billions of pounds in annual spending, the government says. While many people have been introduced to English choral services through the angelic voices of the choristers in ﬂowing robes and Elizabethan ruffs who sing

The power of music

Looking for Louisiana faith

Staff report

Every week, Louisiana ministers stand before their congregations with something to say The newspaper wants to give them a wider pulpit. We’re inviting ministers from across the state — every faith tradition, every denomination, every corner of Louisiana — to contribute ﬁrst-person columns on faith for occasional publication in the Louisiana Inspired section. The topics are wide open, as long as they’re rooted in faith. Write about what your congregation is wrestling with Write about a text that has haunted you for years, or a moment of grace you witnessed last Tuesday

Write about doubt, community or why ancient traditions still matter in a complicated world. Write about what faith looks like in a flood zone, in a small town, in a hospital room. Write about something your tradition gets wrong about itself — or right. Write about why you do this work.

What we’re looking for:

n First-person voice. These are your words, your perspective and your faith The column should sound like you. We are not looking for an AI version of you.

at royal weddings and carol services, choirs perform every day in much more humble settings.

And many are struggling, according to the Cathedral Music Trust, which was founded in 1956 to stem the decline of church music after World War II. Last year it gave 500,000 pounds ($661,000) to 28 cathedrals and churches around the country

It can be a lot. Rochester for example, spends about 250,000 pounds ($330,000) a year on music, a substantial outlay for a provincial cathedral but less than some.

The trust hopes recognition of the English choral tradition will bring attention and muchneeded funding to choirs, which it says are an important training ground for the musicians of tomorrow, both religious and secular “Whilst it happens every day, it is actually quite fragile,” trust CEO Jonathan Mayes said “It takes an awful lot of work and it takes a lot of funding to actually make it happen and that doesn’t come without effort.”

Protestant Reformation

Preserving Evensong is im-

portant historically because the service was instrumental in the development and spread of the modern English language, said Diarmaid MacCulloch, an expert on Christianity and an emeritus professor at the University of Oxford. The service is based on the Book of Common Prayer, compiled by Cranmer to make English the language of the Church of England after it broke away from the Latin-dominated Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation

The idea was to create services everyone could be part of.

“It is very much a drama, and it is a drama which has been performed by the people of England from 1549 through to the present day,” MacCulloch said. “It’s far more a vehicle of public consciousness performance than any play of Shakespeare.”

And while a growing number of choirs including Rochester now take girls as well as boys, in other respects it hasn’t changed much since then.

“The service would be really quite recognizable to Queen Elizabeth I as much as Queen Elizabeth II,” MacCulloch said.

“And that’s quite remarkable.”

Bawtree, the music director at Rochester Cathedral, is one of those working to preserve the tradition as he oversees the youngest singers, aged 9-13, known as choristers, as well as a youth choir for older children. All are backed by professional adult singers.

Bawtree said he was captured by church music the ﬁrst time he heard an organ play and a choir sing when he was about 9 years old. Now he wants people to know that services like Evensong make it possible for anyone to turn up and listen to beautiful choral music, regardless of their beliefs.

“When I heard it, it was like big octopus arms came and grabbed me and said, ‘You’ve got to be part of this.’ So I think I am trying to speak to that 9-year-old child and saying actually this is something that could speak to most people, if not everyone.

“And because I had that experience, I would like to share that with future generations and be passionate about that,” he said.

“We talk in the world of mindfulness and the power of music to transform lives This is an extraordinary arena where that can happen.”

n Informative and accessible. Write for a general audience, not just your congregation. Assume your reader is curious but not an insider

n Grounded and specific. The best columns make a large idea small — one story, one moment, one question at the center n Between 550 and 750 words. No shorter, no longer n Original and unpublished. Columns should not have appeared elsewhere in print or online.

n Digital submissions only A few practical notes: Submission does not guarantee publication. Columns will be edited for length and clarity. Content that is primarily promotional — columns about a church event, fundraiser or building campaign — is not a ﬁt. Direct attacks on other faith traditions are not a ﬁt Honest, searching, personal writing about faith in Louisiana life absolutely is.

To submit, email the following to Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate.com: n Your completed column (550–750 words)

n A headshot

n A bio of no more than 100 words

n The name and address of your church or place of worship

n The best contact phone number for the minister (not to be published) Louisiana has always had a lot to say about faith. We’re listening.

Minnesota prisoners turn time into tattoos with

BY RACHEL HUTTON

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Editor’s note: This story is created by Rachel Hutton for The Minnesota Star Tribune. 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.

Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan’s bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan’s shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan’s mother Gonzales wasn’t sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot. “Don’t let pain get you down and keep moving forward,” Gaitan said of the strategy that has guided him through 33 years of incarceration. This tattoo parlor resembles any other licensed by the state of Minnesota except for its location: Stillwater prison. Both Gaitan and Gonzales are convicted murderers serving time there.

Stillwater’s two-year-old tattoo apprentice program is one of the ﬁrst in U.S. prisons. The program offers a new rehabilitation option alongside the typical barbering and construction trades.

The idea behind it is twofold: Teach inmates job skills and reduce the spread of hepatitis C, which can be transmitted by unsanctioned, ad hoc tattooing in the cells.

Each year, the state Department of Corrections typically spends nearly $1 million on hepatitis C medications, prison administrators say Training prisoners to do

safe tattooing can reduce that expense, along with the cost to society when former inmates relapse into criminal behavior. Roughly half of released state prisoners return to prison within 5 years, and stable employment has been shown to reduce reoffending.

“This gives me a sense of purpose,” said Gonzales, who was licensed through the program a year ago and has 16 years left on his sentence “We’re all going to be out there one day.”

Tattooing in the cells

Incarcerated for the past decade, Gonzales learned to tattoo in the cells a practice he described as “tattooing from scratch, using damn near anything that you can get your hands on.”

He said inmates make their own tattoo guns from everyday objects, such as the barrel of a pen, the motor from a beard trimmer or a sharpened guitar string. Ink is made from soot.

Gonzales said infections are mostly warded off by wishful thinking, but he said he knew someone who once contracted an antibioticresistant staph infection.

Prisoners seek tattoos to differentiate and express themselves in an environment with little autonomy, Gonzales said. Everyone wears the same plain, Corrections Department-approved clothing in blue white or gray.

“When you come into prison, you’re really stripped of your identity,” Gonzales said. “Getting tattooed is a bold statement to say, ‘I’m an individual, I’m a person.’ ”

The apprentice program

Justin Jimenez, a tattoo artist who has owned Electric Blue Tattoo Co. in Forest Lake since 2019, was hired by Stillwater to mentor and train

prisoners in the program.

So far, four apprentices have graduated from the program After two were recently released, two newcomers ﬁlled their spots. Jimenez teaches the apprentices about the history of tattoo styles and blood-borne pathogens, and demonstrates tattooing by rafﬂing off free ink for prison staff.

The apprentices reﬁne their drawing skills on paper before learning to use tattoo machines on fake skin. Then they practice on themselves and each other before offering their services to other prisoners.

The apprentices have already inked a few hundred clients, who must be discipline-free for six months, pay $25 a session and have their design approved.

Some images, such as those with anything gang-related, nudity or vulgarity, are forbidden. Jimenez said the designs that program clients receive aren’t the crude inkings typical of prison tattoos.

The entire tattoo industry has become more professionalized, Jimenez said, as body ink has gone mainstream and shed its rough-andtumble stigma.

“It’s not all skulls and barbed wire anymore,” he said. “We’re doing tons of really ﬁne art.”

Prisoners have requested teapots, butterﬂies, ﬂowers and hearts, as well as tributes to family members. Many of the tattoos have sentimental value, said Marina Fuhrman, a Corrections Department manager who works with the program.

Prisoners can also have old tattoos covered. One, for example, had a tiger’s face inked over a swastika Fuhrman said the tattoo parlor has improved the prisoner-staff dynamic. “This shop created its own culture, which gives people a sense of humanity and normalcy,” she said.

Added Jimenez: “It presented a common ground. Art is something that everyone from all walks of life can enjoy.”

Reducing disease, giving hope

While some have balked at the tattoo program’s $130,000 annual budget, which includes Jimenez’s salary, the initiative can combat the spread of an expensive disease The Corrections Department typically treats close to 100 cases of hepatitis C each year at a cost of $12,000 to $51,000 per inmate.

Though the number of hepatitis C patients has declined since the tattoo program launched, it’s uncertain how much it has contributed to the improvement; the Corrections Department doesn’t track cases acquired in prison.

But Fuhrman said violations for tattooing in Stillwater’s cells have plummeted since the parlor opened, dropping from as many as eight to 10 infractions a month to hardly any

She said the prison plans to continue the tattoo program until the facility’s planned closure in 2029. It will then be transitioned to another facility and possibly expanded. Stillwater tattoo artist Courtney Ocegueda, who is serving time for murder, said the program has given him hope of ﬁnding stability as he anticipates his release in 2033.

He said many Stillwater prisoners are trying to leave their former ways behind “being reckless and acting the fool” — and transform their lives for the better

“We’re trying to take advantage of what’s being given to us, so people can see we’re not just throwaways,” he said “We all got somebody that cares about us, and we’re trying to do better for them and for us.”

a purpose

On the outside

Chris Calvillo, owner of No Joke Tattoo Studios in White Bear Lake, was imprisoned at Stillwater in the early 2000s. He said that if the prison had offered the apprenticeship program then, he likely would have taken the path to his dream job a lot sooner, instead of returning to crime and incarceration.

Calvillo employs several tattoo artists who were once in prison. Among them is Corey Schuck, who was licensed at Stillwater and joined No Joke after transitioning to work release last fall.

Schuck was convicted of felony assault, and the contours of his crime resemble those of other tattoo-program participants: after being provoked or angered, quickly retaliating with a weapon. Those impulsive, violent acts are a striking contrast to tattooing, a process Schuck described as painstaking, almost meditative.

“I don’t think about my problems,” he said “I just think about pulling this line straight or shading this shade.” Schuck said the patience he cultivated while in prison and learning tattooing improved his ability to keep his emotions in check

“I’ve been calmer about things,” he said.

“My reaction isn’t to quick-spit anger, like it used to be.” Calvillo calls tattooing “a form of teaching patience within yourself.” He said he believes Schuck and other felons he employs aren’t inclined to return to their former criminal behavior now that they’ve made something of themselves and have so much at stake.

“It gives you a sense of pride, of being somebody,” Calvillo said of a career as a tattoo artist. “Those were decisions made when you didn’t have all that.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG

Britain Choral Music Choristers sing during Evensong at Rochester Cathedral in Rochester England on March 27. Choirs are trying to reverse declining church attendance by launching a campaign for the government to recognize English choral services as an important part of Britain’s culture under a United Nations program

SUNDAY, April 26, 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 — octoPuses: OK-tuhpuh-sez: Cephalopod mollusks with eight muscular arms.

Average mark 31 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 51 or more words in OCTOPUSES?

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

wuzzLes

The correct play

Today’s deal is from a team match. Both tables reached three notrump after identical auctions and both West players led the 10 of diamonds, low from dummy, low from East, and declarer won the queen. What next? Both declarers realized that they did not have the entries to set up the club suit and both focused on setting up heart tricks. At one table, South led a heart to the ace and then led the jack of hearts. East won with the king and led a club to dummy’s ace. South led a low heart from dummy, hoping for a 3-3 split, but West took his nine, cashed the queen, and led a diamond to East’s ace. East led the jack of spades to lock declarer in dummy and waited for his spade trick to defeat the contract.

At the other table, South realized that any play in hearts would work if the suit split 3-3, so he focused on possible 4-2 splits. He could only handle a 4-2 split if one opponent had a doubleton honor, so he led a heart to the ace and then a low heart. East took his king and led a club, but South con-

tinued with the jack of hearts to set up the rest of the suit. He now had three spades, four hearts, and a trick in each minor to make his contract. Note that South’s play in the heart suit would work just as well if the suit split 3-3.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Put your energy into discovery and getting things done. Don’t let emotional manipulation mess with your mind or your plans. Set your ideas in motion, and don’t look back.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let your emotions get in your way Expect someone to play mind games with you or try to interfere with your plans. Own your intentions and execute your plans accordingly.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

CANCER (June 21-July 22) It’s time to regenerate, not time to ramp things up. Spend your time with your besties or put some relaxation time on your schedule. Whatever you find comfort in doing, start the process LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Press forward with enthusiasm, and you’ll drum up support. Keep your eyes and ears open, and you’ll gather interesting tidbits from people associated with something of interest. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Learn from your experiences. Watch how others respond to something, and it will indicate what you should do next. Use emotional energy to hone a physical skill.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) All eyes are on you. Do your best to sparkle and to charm your way forward An interesting connection you make will change how you move forward and present your attributes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) You’ve got plenty going for you, so stick to the script and stay on point regarding what you want. Keep your facts straight.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Stick close to home, relax and enjoy the people you love. Refuse to let outsiders interfere in your personal life. Spruce up your looks.

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: AMERICANA

(Example: This magazine was the premier photo journal from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Answer: LIFE.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. This canine star rescued her owners from weekly predicaments from 1954 to 1973.

Answer________

2. What actor was known simply as “Bogie”?

Answer________

3. In the military, what is the meaning of AWOL?

Answer________ 4. Who was known as “Satchmo”?

Answer________ 5. This 1936 self-help book was written by Dale Carnegie.

Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL

What were

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Problems will arise if you confront a personal situation. You’re best off focusing on something that doesn’t involve outside influences. A physical activity that challenges you will help you find peace.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Review your finances and set a tight budget. A residential or lifestyle change will help you lower your overhead and offer an incentive to address physical adjustments you want to make.

PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Attend social events or make plans with

someone who brings out the best in you. A good laugh will help you put things in perspective and give you hope for a brighter future.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Excess is the enemy Indulgent behavior, overspending and exaggeration will all lead to trouble. Focus on your well-being and achieving peace of mind and happiness.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact.

goren Bridge

1. Lassie. 2. HumphreyBogart. 3. Absent without leave. 4.Louis Armstrong. 5. "How to WinFriends and Influence People." 6. Bonnie andClyde. 7. Lace. 8. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 9. Desi Arnaz. 10. Blondie. 11. Route 66. 12. SupremeCourt of theUnited States. 13. The use of federalmilitary personnel to enforce domestic law.14. PeteRose. 15.Johnson.

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: Springworkisgoing on with joyful enthusiasm.— John Muir