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La. leaders postpone House elections Move comes in wake of Supreme Court map ruling ä State officials say congressional map can’t be used. PAGE 5A

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

In a dramatic move with statewide ramifications, Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday postponed Louisiana’s upcoming elections for the U.S. House, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional map is an illegal racial gerrymander.

Landry, who has the authority under STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE state law to change the election schedule in case of an “emergency,” moved Gov. Jeff Landry said Thursday that ‘allowing elections to quickly because absentee ballot voting proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine has already begun for the May 16 prithe integrity of our system and violate the rights of our mary election and early voting begins voters.’ on Saturday. Lawmakers are planning

for the House races to take place later this year, only after the Legislature and governor have redrawn the map for the six congressional districts.

The election plans are likely to cause chaos for voters and election officials because Landry and legislative leaders are keeping the existing May 16 primary schedule for other races, most notably the hotly contested Senate election in which Sen. Bill Cassidy is facing a tough challenge from U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer

John Fleming. The five constitutional amendments scheduled for May 16 also would continue as planned, according to sources.

So would a heated state Supreme Court race on the northshore, two Public Service Commission races — one in northwest Louisiana and the other to represent the suburban districts around New Orleans — a seat on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and local races around the state.

Landry said having all but the six congressional races go forward on

ä See ELECTIONS, page 5A

Council picks McLindon for parish attorney Democratic members push back against appointment

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council has chosen a new attorney to serve as a legal adviser to them, the mayor-president and all city-parish departments — though it did not happen without some pushback.

With seven votes from the seven Republican members, the council approved John McLindon to take over the city-parish’s top legal position starting May 4.

While the council’s Republicans voted in favor of McLindon, the three Democrats who attended the meeting shared concerns.

“I’m very honored to be here,” McLindon said after the appointment. “You know, these last few weeks have been, quite honestly, pretty stressful.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Newly appointed Parish Attorney John McLindon speaks before the Metro Council after being selected for the position ä See ATTORNEY, page 7A during a meeting at City Hall on Thursday.

Trump blasts Cassidy over surgeon general

Police piecing together mall shooting evidence That will help authorities Ballistics test paint a fuller narrative of events that led up to the shootresults should be ing in the food court, which left available in a week, a Youngsville teenager dead and five other people wounded, DA says authorities said.

B. Saphier. The third nominee for President calls the post, Saphier is a radiologist New York and a Fox News consenator ‘very disloyal’ intributor. for holding up vote On Truth Social, Trump called

for Louisiana voters to defeat Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, in the May 16 closed party primary. Trump has Staff writer endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, RWASHINGTON — President Donald Baton Rouge, in Cassidy’s effort to Trump on Wednesday called U.S. win a third six-year term — early Sen. Bill Cassidy “very disloyal” voting starts Saturday. Letlow is for not scheduling a confirmation also backed by the MAHA movevote for Casey Means, the contro- ment.

“Hopefully all of the Great Reversial MAHA influencer, as the nation’s surgeon general. publican People of Louisiana, Trump then withdrew Means’ ä See TRUMP, page 6A nomination and tapped Dr. Nicole

BY MARK BALLARD

WEATHER HIGH 68 LOW 54 PAGE 8B

BY OLIVIA TEES and QUINN COFFMAN Staff writers PROVIDED PHOTO

President Donald Trump signed Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act, legislation sponsored

by Sen. Bill Cassidy, right, on July 16.

Ballistics testing of evidence gathered in the investigation of the fatal mass shooting in the Mall of Louisiana should be available in a week, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said Thursday.

Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................8D Deaths .........................5B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....5D-7D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

Police so far have arrested one suspect. Initially, four people were detained for questioning immediately after the shooting, but they were released after a short time.

It remains unclear how many shooters were involved, though authorities have said they believe it stemmed from

ä See SHOOTING, page 7A

101ST yEAR, NO. 305

2A ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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President signs DHS funding bill

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Britney Spears charged with DUI in California

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears was charged in California on Thursday with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, authorities said.

The 44-year-old pop star was charged with a single misdemeanor count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.

A Spears representative had no immediate comment.

The criminal complaint does not specify what kind of alcohol or drugs, or what amount, Spears is accused of having used.

Spears, who has since entered substance abuse treatment, was arrested March 4 after she was pulled over for driving her black BMW fast and erratically on U.S. 101 near her home, the California Highway Patrol said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs and was taken to a Ventura County jail, the CHP said.

She was released on bail the following day. Police completed their investigation and presented it to prosecutors on March 23.

A representative at the time called Spears’ actions “completely inexcusable” and said it would ideally be “the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

Spears voluntarily checked into a substance abuse treatment facility just over a month after the arrest, her representative said.

Spears’ arraignment is set for Monday. Because it is a misdemeanor charge, she will not be required to appear in court, prosecutors said.

Scientist who mapped human genome dies

J. Craig Venter, who mapped the first draft of the human genome and helped scientists understand how genes shape our lives, died Wednesday. He was 79.

Venter’s death was announced by the J. Craig Venter Institute, a genomics research group with locations in La Jolla, California, and Rockville, Maryland. The institute said he died in San Diego after being hospitalized for side effects from a recent cancer treatment.

In the 1990s Venter bet that he could use a different sequencing technique to speed up the process of decoding the human genome and beat an enormous government effort called the Human Genome Project. And in 2000, Venter’s private company Celera Genomics announced, along with Human Genome Project leaders, that they had decoded the 3.1 billion sub-units of DNA, the chemical “letters” that make up the recipe of human life. Three years later, in April 2003, the project declared the genome complete.

“Some have said to me that sequencing the human genome will diminish humanity by taking the mystery out of life,” Venter said at a White House event in 2000 about the breakthrough. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

And his work did reveal even greater mysteries — even as it helped scientists understand the genetic causes for rare diseases and more common conditions such as heart disease and cancer, as well as what mutations or shifts may put people at higher risk of disease.

Congress OKs extension of surveillance program

WASHINGTON — Congress has approved a short-term extension of a critical surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies, staving off a Friday expiration as disputes over a longer reauthorization remain unresolved.

The House sent the extension to President Donald Trump’s desk Thursday after the Senate cleared it earlier in the day. The move comes despite passage through the House of a longer three-year extension, with lawmakers needing more time to negotiate a final agreement. The temporary patch extends the program through June 12.

“I don’t like kicking the can down the road. Not my jam. But that’s where we are,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D.

closure, which itself Legislation ends wide had set a record at 43 days. employees have shutdown, funds Countless struggled with bills or simtheir jobs. much of agency plyInquit the aftermath of the fa-

BY LISA MASCARO

AP congressional correspondent

IMAGE PROVIDED By DANA VERKOUTEREN

This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, seated center, the California man arrested in the shooting incident at the correspondents’ dinner in Washington, appearing Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya in federal court in Washington.

Prosecutors release video from D.C. attack Officials: Footage shows man attempting to storm correspondents’ dinner

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors released a video Thursday showing the moment authorities say an armed man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempt to kill President Donald Trump.

Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for Washington, posted the video on social media. She said it shows Cole Tomas Allen shooting a U.S. Secret Service officer as he runs through security toward the gala packed with journalists, administration officials and others.

Pirro said there is no evidence that the agent was hit by friendly fire.

Allen agreed earlier Thursday to remain jailed while he awaits trial.

Allen did not enter a plea during his brief appearance in federal court days after authorities say he ran through a magnetometer at the Washington Hilton while holding a long gun and disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.

Allen was injured during Saturday night’s attack but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived, officials say. Prosecutors have said they believe Allen fired his shotgun at least once and that a Secret Service agent fired five shots. They had not previously confirmed that it was Allen’s bullet that struck the agent’s vest.

In court papers pressing for Allen’s continued detention, prosecutors wrote Wednesday that Allen took a picture of himself in his hotel room just minutes before the incident, and that he was outfitted with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife. In a message that authorities say sheds light on

his motive, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

Allen’s lawyers agreed during the brief hearing before U.S. Magistrate Moxila Upadhyaya to keep their client behind bars for now after initially arguing in court papers that Allen should be released.

In a court filing Wednesday, the defense wrote that the government’s case is “based upon inferences drawn about Mr. Allen’s intent that raise more questions than answers” and noted that Allen’s writings never mentioned Trump by name. The defense left the door open to pressing in the future for Allen’s release before trial.

“The government’s evidence of the charged offense –- the attempted assassination of the president –- is thus built entirely upon speculation, even under the most generous reading of its theory,” defense lawyers wrote.

Allen’s lawyers alleged that some of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statements “indicate that the recovered ballistics evidence is inconsistent with aspects of the government’s theory, evidence collected by the government and/or statements made by witnesses.”

The Justice Department, in response, said the evidence shows Allen fired his shotgun at least once in the Secret Service agent’s direction. Investigators recovered at least one fragment at the crime scene that is consistent with a buckshot pellet, prosecutors wrote.

“The government is aware of no physical evidence, digital video evidence, or witness statements that are inconsistent with the theory that your client fired his shotgun in the direction” of the officer or that the officer “was indeed shot once in the chest while wearing a ballistic vest,” prosecutors wrote.

Allen was charged on Monday with that crime, as well as two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.

Texas’ Camp Mystic drops reopening plan amid outrage Site was location of deadly flooding last year

BY JIM VERTUNO and SEAN MURPHY Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — Camp Mystic on Thursday halted plans to reopen this summer on the Texas river where floodwaters killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors, backing down in the face of outraged families and investigations that accused the all-girls Christian camp of dangerous safety and operational deficiencies.

The decision, a striking reversal of the camp owners’ determination to reopen, follows weeks of testimony in court hearings and legislative investigations. Those hearings laid bare the camp’s lack of detailed planning for a flood emergency, reliance on poorly trained staff, and missed chances for an evacuation that came too late as floodwaters ripped through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in the early morning hours of July 4v.

The camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, also died in the flooding.

As recently as Tuesday, members of the Eastland family told state lawmakers the camp would be ready to open for business for nearly 900 campers on May 30.

That swiftly changed with Thursday’s announcement that the camp had withdrawn its application for a license renewal for 2026.

“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while fami-

lies continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed Thursday that the camp has withdrawn its application.

The decision was praised by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who opposed the camp’s reopening while investigations were ongoing.

“I am thankful to hear that, today, the Eastland family withdrew their application,” Patrick said in a statement. “Given the tragic circumstances, this is the correct decision to protect Texas campers and to allow time for all investigations to be completed.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has not weighed in publicly on whether the camp should reopen, noted in a statement Thursday that the result of ongoing investigations into Camp Mystic by DSHS and the Texas Rangers “will be made public as soon as possible.”

Several lawsuits have been filed against the camp and the Eastlands. The families of the victims have packed court and legislative hearings, often wearing “Heaven’s 27” pins with photographs of their daughters. They listened to the details of missed flood warning signs, the descriptions of the flood and the decision to leave the girls in their cabins until it was too late. The testimony included video of the raging floodwaters as a girl repeatedly screamed for “help!” somewhere in the distance.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump swiftly signed a bipartisan legislation Thursday to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, but not its immigration enforcement operations, shortly after the package won final approval in the House, ending the longest agency shutdown in history.

The quick action after weeks of political blame brought an abrupt end to the monthslong standoff that began after Trump’s deadly immigration crackdown in Minneapolis launched a reckoning on Capitol Hill over the funding for the president’s agenda.

DHS has been without routine funds since Feb. 14, causing hardship for workers, and the White House had warned that temporary funding Trump had tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other agency personnel would “soon run out.” Some employees risked missed paychecks in May. “It is about damn time,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, who proposed the bipartisan bill more than 70 days ago.

The House swiftly voted by voice earlier Thursday, without a formal roll call, to pass the measure.

The movement in Congress comes as DHS is under intense scrutiny after Trump ousted Kristi Noem as the department’s leader, installing Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin in the middle of the shutdown. The agency counts some 260,000 employees, across TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA and other operations.

Many workers have endured repeated turmoil with potential furloughs and pay lapses as the congressional stalemate dragged on. This shutdown came on the heels of last year’s government-

tal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, by federal agents during protests against the immigration actions in Minneapolis, Democrats refused to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol without changes to those operations.

At the same time, Republicans would not go along with a plan pushed by Democrats to fund TSA and the other parts of DHS without the money for ICE and Border Patrol. They insisted that immigration operations must not be zeroed out.

After the shutdown intensified, with hourslong lines at airport security screening, the Senate unanimously approved the bipartisan package in a middle of the night vote a month ago.

Then the bill languished in the House.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, himself had called the legislation a “joke.”

To break the impasse, Republican leaders in both the House and Senate decided to tackle the immigration enforcement funding on their own through what is called budget reconciliation, a cumbersome weekslong process ahead.

By beginning that path, Johnson was able to unlock the broader bipartisan bill for the rest of DHS. House Republicans late Wednesday adopted a budget resolution, on a largely partyline vote, that focused on eventually providing $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportations for the remainder of Trump’s time in office. His term expires in January 2029.

Johnson acknowledged Thursday that while he had trashed the bipartisan bill before, the new budget process ensure that the immigration money eventually will flow “with no crazy Democrat reforms.”

“We threw a fit,” the speaker said. “We had to.”

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 3A

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Hegseth testifies before Congress Iran’s leader vows

to protect nuclear, missile capabilities

Defense secretary faces tough questions from Democrats

BY JON GAMBRELL and AAMER MADHANI

BY BEN FINLEY, STEPHEN GROVES and MEG KINNARD

Associated Press

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before Congress at a pair of hourslong hearings this week for the first time since the Trump administration went to war against Iran, with the Pentagon chief facing tough questions from skeptical Democrats.

Hegseth seemed to emerge with solid Republican support over his leadership and handling of the war.

But a few GOP lawmakers questioned his dismissal of a top Army general, while some sought assurances that the Pentagon is doing everything possible to prevent civilian deaths.

The hearings Wednesday and Thursday before the House and Senate Armed Services committees delved into the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and other Pentagon officials stressed the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

While Republicans focused on the details of military budgeting and voiced support for the Iran operation, Democrats grilled Hegseth about the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children.

Clashes with Democrats The hearings were the first time a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet has defended the war publicly on Capitol Hill since it entered the conflict without congressional approval two months ago.

Hegseth did not hold back in his criticism of anyone who questioned the war.

“The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said on Thursday as he opened the second day of hearings.

He cast the conflict as a historic victory by a president who, unlike his predecessors, is backing up his tough talk on Iran. Yet even Hegseth’s timeline for the war included a tacit admission that it has dragged on much longer than Trump’s initial pledges of only a few weeks.

Democrats relentlessly questioned Hegseth on endgoals for the war and sought to highlight the steep economic repercussions being felt through high prices for gas and other goods.

“I’m sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I’m sad for them because you betrayed them,” Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, told Hegseth as he questioned the war costs during a nearly six-hour hearing Wednesday.

Sen. Jack Reed, the Senate committee’s ranking Democrat, argued Thursday that

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CLIFF OWEN

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. the war has left the U.S. in a worse strategic position, with 13 American troops killed and more than 400 injured.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical sea route for global oil shipments, remains closed, sending fuel prices skyrocketing. Iran still has highly enriched uranium and enough combat capabilities to keep the conflict locked in an impasse.

“I am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear,” Reed said.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, is coming under growing pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill to find an end to the conflict, especially as a 60-day legal window expires for the president to conduct the military campaign without permission from Congress.

That deadline is Friday, but Hegseth claimed that because a fragile truce is in place, “the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, responded, “I do not believe the statute would support that,” adding that he had “serious constitutional concerns.”

Cost of Iran war Pentagon officials informed lawmakers that the cost of the war to date is $25 billion, with most of that being spent on munitions. Operations and equipment repairs also have contributed to the costs.

Still, that number was met with some skepticism on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have been expecting an eventual request for war funding from the White House to run closer to $100 billion.

There is also concern that the bombing campaign against Iran has depleted America’s supply of weapons, such as crucial missile defense systems, potentially leaving the country vulnerable if conflicts break out in other areas of the globe.

Hegseth contended that the Pentagon is not in any danger of running low on munitions, yet he also blamed any challenges on President Joe Biden’s decision to assist Ukraine as well

as on an aging U.S. defense manufacturing industry.

“On the munitions front, we’re in really good shape, but we need to accelerate,” Hegseth told senators.

He presented the Pentagon’s budget request as vital to the goal of multiplying munition production rates and said he plans to bolster the industry so that it can quickly replace any munitions used in the Iran war.

The budget request would amount to a record boost to defense spending that would increase the Pentagon’s budget by over 40% from the previous year.

Pentagon firings The defense secretary faced intense questions from Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, about his decision to oust the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, one of several top military officers to be dismissed since Trump took office again.

Houlahan said George was deeply respected by members of the military and Congress and asked why Hegseth fired him. Hegseth’s response that “new leadership” was needed failed to satisfy her.

“You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men,” Houlahan began, before Hegseth interrupted her. “We needed new leadership,” he repeated.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa also spoke out about George, saying she was “disappointed” to see his retirement “hastened.”

Ernst said George “pulled the Army out of its worst recruiting crisis since the Vietnam era” and trimmed “nonessential” positions. George had held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023.

“He had 38 years of honorable service. He achieved the greatest Army recruitment and modernization effort in a generation,” Ernst said.

Bombing of school Hegseth told lawmakers in the House that a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed more than 165 people, including many children, is an “unfor-

Early Voting The East Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of Voters Office announces that Early Voting for the May 16, 2026 Election will be held Saturday, May 2, 2026 through Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 8:30 am until 6:00 pm (Closed on Sunday) Main Office: Southeast: Archives: Baker: Central:

City Hall – 222 Saint Louis St. – Room 604 Fire Station Building – 11010 Coursey Blvd.

State Archives Building – 3851 Essen Ln. Motor Vehicle Building – 2250 Main St. Central Branch Library – 11260 Joor Rd.

Voters will be asked to identify themselves with either a photo ID or signature on a voter affidavit. You may use a driver’s license, a Louisiana special ID, a LA Wallet digital driver’s license, a U.S. military identification card that contains your name and picture; or some other generally recognized picture ID that has your name and signature.

Sample ballots are available online at www.GeauxVote.com Call (225) 389-3940 for more information.

tunate situation” that is still under investigation.

The Associated Press has reported there was growing evidence that pointed to U.S. culpability for the Feb. 28 strike, which hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Iran. Experts, citing satellite image analysis, said the school was probably struck as bombs were dropped on the compound in quick succession.

Senators wanted to know what the Pentagon is doing to prevent deaths of civilians.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, asked Hegseth: “What is your response to targeting that has resulted in the destruction of schools, hospitals, civilian places? Why did you cut by 90% the division that’s supposed to help you not target civilians?”

Hegseth responded that the Pentagon has an “ironclad commitment” to do more than other countries to prevent civilian deaths.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme leader defiantly vowed Thursday to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war’s shaky ceasefire.

In a statement read by a state television anchor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters” and that a “new chapter” was being written in the region’s history.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader following the killing of his father in the war’s opening airstrikes.

His remarks come as Iran’s economy is reeling and its oil industry is being squeezed by a U.S. Navy blockade halting its tankers from getting out to sea. The world economy is also under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil is transported. On Thursday, the global benchmark for oil, Brent crude, traded as high as $126 a barrel.

That shock to oil supplies and prices is putting pressure on Trump, who is floating a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by the U.S.’s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.

Under the plan, the U.S. would continue its blockade on Iranian ports, while coordinating with allies to impose higher costs on Iran’s attempts to subvert the free flow of energy, according to a senior administration offi-

cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

In a cable sent Tuesday, the U.S. State Department instructed American diplomats around the world — except those in Belarus, China, Cuba and Russia — to seek their host government’s support for the Trump administration’s call for assistance in establishing a “maritime freedom construct” that would ensure free and unimpeded access to shipping through the strait.

“This commitment reflects broad international consensus on the need for coordinated action to counter Iranian maritime provocations and ensure navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz,” said the cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.

The initiative, being led by the State Department and the Pentagon’s Central Command, “is a fundamentally defensive response to protect the rights of all countries to navigate international waters freely and safely and to hold Iran accountable for its aggressive and illegal actions to impede the free flow of commerce,” the cable said.

At the same time, Trump has also floated possible changes to U.S. troop presence in allied countries in Europe. The day after the president announced his administration was conducting a review on potentially reducing the U.S. troop presence in Germany, he was asked by a reporter whether he’d weigh pulling U.S. forces out of Italy and Spain — which have sparred with the United States over use of bases for Iran-related operations.

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ACCEPTED MATERIALS Acids

Fire extinguishers

Aerosol can

Fluorescent tubes

Alkaline, lead acid, NiCD, and rechargable batteries

Glycerol, glycerin

Arsenic Auto products including used oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, diesel, oil and fuel filters, gasoline, gas and oil mixtures Automobile tires (limit 5)

Ammunition, explosives

Latex, oil, and shellac paints, stains, varnishes

Any liquid in containers larger than 5 gallons

Lawn and garden products including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizer

Appliances

Lighter fluid

Bleach, bowl cleaners

Oven cleaners

Bug sprays

Paint thinner

Cleaning solvents

Polishes

Corrosive cleaners

Pool chemicals

Degreasers

Propane tanks and bottles

Electronic equipment, ink cartridges, copiers, cell phones, fax machines, computers

Commercial waste Construction and demolition debris

Fireworks Furniture Medical waste and medicines Power tools Radioactive devices (smoke and fire detectors) School lab waste Styrofoam and peanuts

Metallic mercury Moth balls

Drain cleaners

Acetylene, Freon, and Helium cylinders

Glue

Cooking oil

Disinfectants

PROHIBITED MATERIALS

NO COMMERCIAL WASTE ACCEPTED EBR RESIDENTS ONLY, ID REQUIRED STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE

Turpentine TVs, stereos Video tapes, floppy disks, digital tapes, CDs, DVDs Wood preservatives

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge: Department of Environmental Services, Baton Rouge Fire Department Haz-Mat Unit, Baton Rouge City Police, EMS, Clean Harbors, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), Interstate Batteries of Greater Baton Rouge, WAFB Ch. 9, Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Republic Services, Gas and Supply, Louisiana State University, Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

4A ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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ICE releases detained Miss. brothers Trump Teens were arrested at Diamondhead school bus stop

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The teenage brothers arrested by federal immigration agents as they walked to their school bus last week were released from custody Thursday after outcry from residents and leaders across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Gail Baptiste, the brothers’ legal guardian and host mother, said the teens from the Republic of the Congo are returning to their home in Diamondhead, Mississippi, after more than a week in federal detention.

“We have the boys and we are on our way home,” she said Thursday afternoon.

The release of Israel Makoka, 18, and Max Makoka, 15, followed pleas from students, teachers, neighbors and the mayor of their deep-red Mississippi community.

The office of Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith also helped the family find a top immigration attorney and answered their questions about the federal immigration process, according to Baptiste.

“My office is doing what it can to work with the guardians of Max and Israel Makoka as they deal with an ongoing and complex immigration case,” Hyde-Smith said in a statement earlier this week. “We will continue to monitor the situation and work toward the best possible solution within the law.”

Students and staff at Hancock High School, where the Makokas studied and played basketball, wrote dozens of letters in support of the brothers’ release. Residents in Hancock County, where Donald Trump won almost 80% of the vote in the last presiden-

PHOTO PROVIDED By THE BAPTISTE FAMILy

Israel Makoka, 18, and Max Makoka, 15, were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they headed to their school bus in Diamondhead, Miss. They were released from custody on Thursday. tial election, also called and left messages at the offices of Hyde-Smith, Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, who represents southern Mississippi in Congress.

The brothers’ arrests came as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration and increases scrutiny on international students studying in the United States.

ICE has not responded to detailed questions about the case. But in a statement, the agency told media outlets the brothers violated their student visas by transferring out of the Piney Woods School, a historically Black boarding institution in central Mississippi.

The Baptiste family said the brothers unknowingly fell out of legal status when they transferred to Han-

cock High School last year.

“They were granted the opportunity to participate in a student exchange program. However, they failed to attend that school,” a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said in a statement earlier this week. “Because they violated their visas, they are subject to removal.”

Federal agents arrested the brothers as they left home to board their school bus on April 21, according to their host family. Israel Makoka was held at an ICE facility in Jena. Authorities transferred Max Makoka to a facility in Houston.

Next steps Diamondhead Mayor Anna Liese praised the brother’s release.

“As a community, we are hugely re-

lieved and absolutely overjoyed that the boys are on their way home,” she said. “It has really brought out the best in our people. They rallied for these kids and did what they could to advocate for them, and I think it made a difference.”

Amy Maldonado, an attorney representing the Makoka brothers, said they will participate in ICE check-ins and court proceedings while seeking reinstatement of their student visas.

Israel Makoka was released with an ankle monitor, Maldonado said.

He will return to Mississippi in time for his high school graduation.

His younger brother, Max, was released to the Baptistes, his legal guardians, and will likely attend a local private school next year. Maldonado said the family will also be required to pay Hancock High School for the cost of this year’s tuition in accordance with federal laws that govern international students’ attendance at public schools.

Their brothers’ arrests outraged many neighbors across the tight-knit city of Diamondhead, where most residents support the Trump administration. Some residents questioned the outcry, arguing ICE had no choice but to detain the brothers’ since their legal status had lapsed. The Baptiste family said an ICE agent told them the agency received a tip that “two African kids” were attending Hancock High School.

The brothers arrived in the U.S. in 2023 and 2024 and stayed with the Baptiste family during the holidays and summers before they transferred to the local high school. Their arrests drew national media attention.

Baptiste credited their release to local and federal leaders “who really went to bat for us,” she said.

“The boys are very grateful,” she added. “They look forward to having an opportunity to finish their education.”

Brazil’s Congress reduces Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence

BY MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press

SAO PAULO — Brazil’s Congress voted Thursday to reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence, a decision likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court and one that could potentially upend the nation’s October presidential election.

It’s unclear how much time Bolsonaro would serve for his conviction for leading a coup attempt, but analysts

say the move could shave 20 years off his sentence. The former president, who began his term in November, is currently under house arrest.

The opposition to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva scored its win by drawing centrist senators and federal deputies to comfortably override his veto on a sentencing bill passed last year.

Bolsonaro supporters were confident of their victory before the voting began.

“This is a first and much

awaited step by those who are afflicted. The next stage is full amnesty,” said Sen. Espiridião Amin, a Bolsonaro ally.

The bill passed by Congress last year reduces prison terms for several crimes, including those against the democratic rule of law and leading a coup when a person is convicted in both. The new legislation states that only the count carrying the highest sentence should be counted.

Sen. Davi Alcolumbre,

president of Brazil’s Senate, argued earlier that the scope of the decision excludes heinous crimes, a claim legal experts say will be questioned in court.

Bolsonaro allies in Congress said the move benefits

not only the former president, but also supporters who were sentenced for destroying government buildings in capital Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023, in a riot that mirrored the assault on the U.S. Capitol Hill two years earlier.

gives OK to major new oil pipeline Structure would link U.S., Canada

BY MEAD GRUVER and MATTHEW BROWN

Associated Press

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new oil pipeline that would carry oil from Canada into the U.S. where it would be exported and refined.

The three-foot-wide Bridger Pipeline Expansion would carry up to 550,000 barrels of oil a day from the Canadian border with Montana down through eastern Montana and Wyoming, where it would link with another pipeline.

The project would require additional state and federal environmental approvals before construction, which company officials expect to start next year. Environmentalists hope to stop the project over worries that the pipeline could break and spill.

At peak volume, the 650-mile pipeline would move two-thirds as much oil as the better-known Keystone XL pipeline that got partially built before President Joe Biden, citing climate-change concerns, canceled its permit on the day he took office in 2021.

“Slightly different from the last administration.

They wouldn’t sign a pipeline deal. And we have pipelines going up,” Trump said after signing the Bridger Pipeline Expansion crossborder approval.

Erie Roofing Since 1976

FEMA workers who sounded alarm over nation’s disaster preparedness reinstated

By The Associated Press The Federal Emergency Management Agency has moved to address staffing issues that triggered concern and uncertainty among and about its workforce, including reinstating employees put on leave for publicly opposing agency policies, and extending contracts for some workers whose terms were set to expire soon.

Fourteen FEMA employees who signed a public letter of dissent last August sounding alarms about the nation’s disaster preparedness were reinstated after being put

on paid administrative leave for eight months, according to two FEMA staff members.

They were among over 190 current and former FEMA employees who signed the letter but were the only active employees who included their names. The letter, known as the “Katrina Declaration,” called out multiple policy decisions by President Donald Trump’s administration that the signatories said risked a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina.

“I feel pretty vindicated, and like we did the right thing,” said Abby McIlraith,

a FEMA emergency management specialist who is among the reinstated workers.

The group received emails Wednesday informing them that an investigation into that matter was closed and instructing them to return to work Thursday, she said.

Their reinstatement was first reported by NBC News.

FEMA leadership also told some employees this week that it will be extending certain term-limited employees’ contracts, according to documents seen by The Associated Press, after extended uncertainty over the future of those positions.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 5A

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La. officials say congressional map can’t be used Election lawyers disagree that ruling immediately invalidated primaries

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

One day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional map is unconstitutional, Gov. Jeff Landry declared an election emergency and suspended primary elections for the state’s six U.S. House seats, just two days before early voting was set to begin.

In an executive order, Landry said that the state had little choice, because “electing members to Congress under an unconstitutional map flies in the face of the United States Constitution.”

“This executive order ensures we uphold the rule of law while giving the Legislature the time it needs to pass a fair and lawful congressional map,” Landry said.

A three-judge panel on the Western District federal court, where the lawsuit was originally filed, buttressed that point in an order issued late Thursday, in which it said the state could not use the current maps.

ELECTIONS

Continued from page 1A May 16 as planned is the only legal path for Louisiana.

“The best way to end racebased discrimination is to stop making decisions based on race,” Landry said Thursday in issuing his executive order. “Allowing elections to proceed under an unconstitutional map would undermine the integrity of our system and violate the rights of our voters.

This executive order ensures we uphold the rule of law while giving the Legislature the time it needs to pass a fair and lawful congressional map.”

Landry made his statement after he and Attorney General Liz Murrill said, “The state is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map.”

The governor issued the executive order after Secretary of State Nancy Landry took the necessary step of certifying that an “emergency” existed for Louisiana’s election laws following the Supreme Court ruling. In a statement, she said the House races will remain on the May 16 primary ballot, but those votes won’t be counted.

The governor’s plans are already inviting criticism.

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Baton Rouge who could be given a seat through redistricting that he cannot win, called delaying the congressional elections and redrawing the current map “an unwise stance for Louisiana to take … Louisianans who have already submitted their ballots deserve to have their voices heard. Halting this election would be nothing short of disenfranchising the very constituents we are sworn to serve.”

But some election lawyers say it’s not clear that Louisiana was right to delay the congressional primary, since changing the election date will confuse voters, and there are more procedural steps in the Supreme Court case.

“The primary is already underway,” said Michael Li, a redistricting expert and senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Mail ballots were already sent to voters who are overseas or in the military, and people in Louisiana voting by mail have already begun to cast ballots, he said.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, for example, ballots were sent to military and overseas voters on March 25 and to all other absentee voters on April 8, according to data from the registrar of voters there. And 4,364 voted ballots have already been returned in that parish.

Sarah Brannon, an ACLU votingrights lawyer and attorney on the team representing Black litigants in the Supreme Court case, echoed Li.

The Legislature won’t have to call a special session to redesign the current congressional boundaries that give Louisiana four Republican and two Democratic seats.

Lawmakers can redistrict the House seats through bills filed during the current legislative session by state Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, or state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen.

The Legislature has time to take up those measures because the legislative session is not scheduled to end until June 1.

The redistricting process won’t begin on Friday. The House is not scheduled to meet again until Monday and the Senate on Tuesday.

“We want to stress to voters, as the Secretary of State has advised, that it is only the six Louisiana U.S. House seats whose races are being suspended at this time,” state Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, said in a statement. “All other races and ballot measures will continue as scheduled on the election dates currently scheduled. We urge voters to continue to make their plans to vote in all other races or matters on the ballot on the election dates currently scheduled.”

Republicans have said they want the new map to eliminate either one or both of the congressional seats held by Fields and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans.

Both are Black Democrats.

It’s possible the two might have to run against each other.

“This election is already underway — mail-in ballots have been sent, and early voting begins in just two days,” Carter said in a statement Thursday. “We must account for that reality and ensure voters aren’t left in confusion or denied fair representation at a critical

“People have already cast their ballots,” she said. “It is extremely chaotic and confusing to try and change the rules of the election in the middle of an ongoing election.”

Brannon also noted that congressional candidates have already formally qualified for the race.

“The most equitable thing to do for voters and candidates who are already participating in this process is to allow the election to continue,” she said.

Both Brannon and Li said there have been many redistricting cases where voting maps have been struck down by a court close to an election, and the map is used for the upcoming election but altered for future ones.

“This is not uncommon in redistricting cases where there’s rulings about maps, and the changes don’t always get implemented immediately,” Brannon said.

The process On Thursday, Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill said Louisiana is “enjoined from carrying

moment.”

The map adopted by Landry and legislators in 2024 created the Baton Rouge-to-Shreveport district won by Fields, who has supported the governor’s initiatives behind the scenes.

Creating that district meant sacrificing the congressional seat held by then-U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, a Republican from Baton Rouge who was at odds with Landry.

Depending on the new map, Graves could try to win back his seat in the House.

The events in Louisiana are being closely watched in Washington.

President Donald Trump issued a shoutout to Landry on Truth Social “for moving so quickly to fix the Unconstitutionality of Louisiana’s Congressional Maps. He has shown tremendous Vision, Strength, and Leadership.”

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, told reporters Thursday that he supports delaying the elections, while noting he has no say in that decision.

“The governor has no choice but to suspend it,” Johnson said. “The court has ruled our map unconstitutional.”

Said Cassidy: “The governor’s decision to move ahead with the Senate race during a confusing time is disappointing. Now, it’s up to all of us to help people understand what’s happening and make sure voters know how to cast their votes over the next two weeks.”

The changed election schedule will most directly affect the Republican primary to replace Letlow in the 5th Congressional District race. Candidates include state Rep. Michael Echols of Monroe, Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge, state Sen. Blake Miguez of Erath and Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell of Monroe.

The candidates have been

out congressional elections under the current map.”

A lower court had already ruled the current map was unconstitutional and blocked Louisiana from using it, but that decision had been put on hold until the Supreme Court could weigh in. The Supreme Court’s decision means that earlier ruling blocking the map is now in effect, Murrill and Landry argued.

But Brannon said whether Louisiana must use a different map for the 2026 midterms is “unresolved.”

The Supreme Court’s opinion Wednesday is “not an order or an injunction” blocking use of the map, nor does it include guidance on immediate next steps, Brannon said.

“There are some procedural steps that need to take place,” she said. “That procedural process has not occurred yet.”

Still at issue is when the high court will issue a certified judgment, which “would have more legal impact,” Brannon said.

The White plaintiffs in the case on Wednesday quickly asked the Supreme Court to immediately issue a certified copy of its judg-

campaigning hard to perform well in the May 16 primary, traveling the district from Monroe to Baton Rouge, and running ads on TV stations and digital networks. But now that race is up in the air.

Echols said he hopes that lawmakers now return to the congressional maps that were in place for the 2022 elections. Under that map, the 5th Congressional District included northeast Louisiana and extended to the Florida Parishes. Under the current map that the Supreme Court has invalidated, the district extends to Baton Rouge, where Letlow now lives.

Edmonds said he will run for the 5th Congressional District seat no matter the new boundaries. In the meantime, he added, he is keeping his current cam-

ment.

They argue the lower court has to either approve a new map passed by the Legislature or draw a new map itself, and because elections will be held in either the coming days or months, “time is of the essence.”

The Black litigants in the case Thursday afternoon opposed the plaintiffs’ request, arguing that the court should allow them 25 days to consider asking for a rehearing.

They are also asking the court to hold off on issuing its judgment until the 2026 elections are complete.

Louisiana in court filings on Thursday said the state believes the Supreme Court opinion automatically triggered a prohibition on using the current map.

“The Governor and Attorney General are thus working with the Legislature — which is in session until June 1 — to immediately produce a constitutional map and electoral process for Louisiana,” Louisiana’s filing states. “They do not view their ability to do so as contingent upon when this Court transmits its opinion and judgment.”

paign plans.

Edmonds would lose the benefit of being on the same May 16 ballot as the proposed constitutional amendment to create a school district for the city of St. George within East Baton Rouge Parish.

Edmonds sponsored the legislation that is prompting the constitutional amendment and has been expecting a solid turnout from St. George voters to boost his candidacy.

The Washington Post first reported on plans to delay the House election schedule.

Legislators have gotten themselves in this fix because they followed Landry’s lead in 2024 to switch to a semiclosed primary schedule for this year’s elections, a move from the open primary system that has been in place

for 50 years. Moving to the semiclosed primary — in which no-party voters can decide whether to vote for either party’s slate of candidates — meant moving up the election schedule.

Traditionally, candidates in the open primary system don’t have to qualify until July at the earliest. Legislative sources said that delaying the House elections likely means moving back to an open primary schedule for those races.

Delaying the House elections will cost millions of dollars for state officials to create a new primary election this fall in advance of the general election that is already scheduled for Nov. 3.

Washington bureau chief Mark Ballard and Capitol news reporter Alyse Pfeil contributed to this article.

$10,000 REWARD For the Return of the Historic Capitol Cypress Board

The search continues for a piece of Louisiana history.

Following the recent investigation into the disappearance of the ancient cypress board donated to the State Capitol decades ago, the Stebbins family is doubling their efforts to bring it home.

The family is now offering a $10,000 reward for information that results in the recovery of the board.

Details of the disappearance: The board was last seen at Clay Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales when he left office in January 2024.

Do you have information regarding its whereabouts?

We are seeking the safe return of this irreplaceable piece of our state’s heritage. Your tip could be the key to restoring a family legacy and a piece of our state’s heritage.

A singing circle for women who love music, have always wanted to sing, or have been looking for a comfortable place to sing with others.

HOW TO HELP

If you have any information regarding the Cypress Board, please contact: Crimestoppers Phone: 225-344-STOP(7867)

6A ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

TRUMP

Continued from page 1A which I won, BIG, three times, will be voting Bill Cassidy OUT OF OFFICE in the upcoming Republican Primary!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!,” Trump wrote in another Truth Social post, referring to Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement the secretary has trumpeted for years.

The president wrote about 20 minutes later on another Truth Social post that he was nominating Saphier.

Cassidy’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment, and he has repeatedly refused to talk about Means. But, as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions committee, Cassidy has not scheduled a vote on Means’ confirmation, even though her hearing took place in February.

Means reportedly did not have enough Republican votes on the committee to forward her confirmation to the full Senate as all the Democratic members oppose.

With 12 Republicans and 11 Democrats, one GOP member voting “no” would have ended Means’

the 2021 impeachment trial that followed the Jan. 6, 2021, sacking of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters trying to disrupt the official certification that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Cassidy was the only member of Louisiana’s Republican delegation in Congress to support impeachment; he also was the only GOP member from the state who voted to certify the electors from every state.

The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy and its more conservative members have belittled him since.

Several leading Louisiana conservatives spent the last few years flirting with challenging Cassidy.

He drew two major elected officials as opponents — Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming.

Once a doctor from Minden, Fleming is a founder of the farright Freedom Caucus in the House and worked in the administration during Trump’s first administration.

Cassidy has spent much time tryASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By TOM BRENNER ing to make amends with Trump. is largely responsible for KenSen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, holds He nedy becoming the nation’s health his head as Casey Means testifies during a confirmation hearing for U.S. surgeon general on Feb. 25. chief despite fundamental disagreements on vaccinations. policies that support his long-held social media. In April 2024, Trump chances.

As a practicing physician and posted a two-page entry that read, medical researcher for 30 years Senators raised questions about vaccine skepticism.

Means also was opposed by in part: “One of the worst Sena- before elective office, Cassidy Means’ writings and past positions.

During her Senate committee prominent conservative bloggers tors in the United States Senate ardently supports vaccinations. confirmation hearing, Means did and the Ethics & Religious Liberty is, without question, Bill Cassidy, Kennedy has spent years quesnot embrace the use of vaccines. Commission, which sets public A TOTAL FLAKE, Republican tioning whether certain vaccines While agreeing that vaccinations policy for the 13 million Southern though he may be.” work. save lives, she wouldn’t expressly Baptists.

Cassidy became one of seven This is not the first time that Republican senators to convict Email Mark Ballard at support shots to combat measles.

She appeared to back Kennedy’s Trump has gone after Cassidy on Trump of inciting insurrection in mballard@theadvocate.com.

CLASSIFIEDS continued from Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 763774 CARRINGTON MORTAGE LLC vs SERVICES YOLONDA SANDERS AN‐ DERSON Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, June 12, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: YOLONDA SANDERS ANDERSON ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, situated in that subdivision of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, of Louisiana, State known as Jordan Terrace, and being designated on a map made by A.G. Mundinger, dated No‐ vember 10, 1944, on file and of record in the Of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorder for said Parish and State, as Lot Number One (1 ), Square Two (2), said subdivision, said lot having such measure‐ ments and dimensions as shown on said map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $201.53 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 764912 JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION vs DARYL D. SAM (A/K/A SAM, DARYL DARYL DWAYNE SAM) Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, July 24, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: DARYL D. SAM DARYL SAM, (A/K/A DARYL DWAYNE SAM) One certain lot or parcel of ground, together with all the buildings and im‐ provements thereon, and all the rights, ways, privi‐ leges, servitudes, appur‐ tenances, and advan‐ tages thereunto belong‐ ing or in anywise apper‐ taining, situated in the Parish of East Baton State of Rouge, Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as FEN‐ NWOOD LINKS SUBDIVI‐ SION, and being desig‐ nated on the official plat thereof on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder for East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, as LOT NUM‐ BER THIRTEEN (13), said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements dimensions and and being subject to such servitudes as are more particularly shown on said map.

Which has the address of 6519 Summerlin Drive, Zachary, LA 70791 TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $234.71 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 766459 HOME BANK NA VS NICE FRAMES LLC AND CHAD‐ WICK KYLE Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of

lll

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, September 26, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: NICE FRAMES LLC AND CHADWICK KYLE 11928 Sunray Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all buildings and im‐ provements thereon, sit‐ uated in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, that subdivision in as Wellington known Park, and being desig‐ nated according to the official plan thereof, a of which is copy recorded in the Official of the Clerk and Recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as Lot 80, said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements and dimensions as more fully shown on said subdivision recorded map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $209.16 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 766566 U.S. BANK TRUST NA‐ ASSOCIATION, TIONAL NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF FIDELITY & GUARANTY LIFE MORT‐ GAGE TRUST 2018-1 vs C & J PROPERTY INVEST‐ MENT, LLC Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, August 21, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: C & J PROP‐ ERTY INVESTMENT, LLC A CERTAIN CONDO‐ MINIUM UNIT, together with all privileges and there‐ appurtenances unto, in the Condo‐ minium regime known as CARRIAGE PLACE CONDO‐ MINIUM, located in Sec‐ tion 62 and 88, Township 7 South, Range 1 East, Greensburg Land District, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (formerly a 10.437 acre tract as shown on the map prepared by J. Mark Williams P.L.S., dated May 27, 2004, entitled SHOWING "PLAT BOUNDRY AND TOPO‐ GRAPHIC SURVEY OF A 10.045 ACRE TRACIT LO‐ CATED IN SECTIONS 62, 85 AND 88, T7N, R1 E, GREENSBURG LAND DIS‐ EAST BATON TRICT, ROUGE PARISH, STATE OF FOR NSH LOUISIANA, CORP." said tract having such measurements and dimensions as shown on said plat and designated as UNIT 21, BUILDING 4 of CARRIAGE PLACE CONDO‐ having such MINIUM measurements and di‐ mensions as more partic‐ ularly described in the declara‐ condominium tion entitled DECLARA‐ CREATING AN‐ TION DESTABLISHING A CON‐ DOMINIUM REGIME FOR THE CARRIAGE PLACE CONDOMINIUM BY NSH CORP. filed for record in the official records of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana as original 929, 11585, as Bundle by acts amended recorded as ORIG 390, BNDL 11631 and as ORIG 367, BNDL 11645; said unit and the owner of same being subject to all the provisions of said de‐ claration as it exists, or may from time to time be amended, together with all rights and obligations as pertaining to the owner of same, particu‐ larly, but not exclusively, the undivided share of the common and/or lim‐ ited common elements, the use of the limited common elements re‐ served for said unit, membership in the CAR‐ RIAGE PLACE CONDO‐ ASSOCIATION, MINIUM INC., and the obligation h f h

Public Notices Sheriff Sales g to pay a share. of the common expenses as set forth in said declaration and as specified in the Louisiana Condominium Act. (the "Property") TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $367.39 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 767056 HSBC BANK USA, NA.AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF ACE SECURITIES CORP. EQUITY LOAN HOME TRUST AND FOR THE REG‐ ISTERED HOLDERS OF ACE SECURITIES CORP. HOME LOAN TRUST, EUQITY 2006-ASAP5, SEREIES ASSET BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES vs CHARLENE W. PORCHE A/KA CHARLENE PORCHE

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of said Parish and State, as LOT 367, and measures along the northwesterly side of Afton Parkway of one hundred (100') feet, and a depth at right an‐ gles and between paral‐ lel lines of approximately one hundred fifty-five (155') feet, and a mea‐ surement across the rear of one hundred (100') feet ("Property").

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 767867 FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION vs DEL‐ RAEL GLOVER Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, September 19, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ to: DELRAEL longing GLOVER A CERTAIN LOT OR PAR‐ CEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes and appurte‐ nances thereunto be‐ longing or in anywise ap‐ pertaining, situated in the PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that subdi‐ vision known as MEL‐ ROSE (a/k/a MELROSE PLACE), SECTION 2A, an being designated on the official plan of said sub‐ division, on file and of

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $229.60

BANKPLUS vs MAXTIN SOLUTIONS LLC ET AL

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $237.23

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 768127 US BANK NATIONAL AS‐ vs MARY SOCIATION BETH COTE' AKA MARY BETH COTE

Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, October 24, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: MARY BETH COTE' AKA MARY BETH COTE

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $270.41

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, September 15, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: CHARLENE W. PORCHE A/K/A CHAR‐ LENE PORCHE

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Suit No: (17) 768899

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

tages thereunto belong‐ ing or in anywise apper‐ taining (the "Property")

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana

One certain piece or por‐ tion of ground, together with all buildings and im‐ provements thereon, and all the rights, ways, privi‐ leges, servitudes, appur‐ tenances and advan‐ tages thereunto belong‐ ing or in anywise apper‐ taining, situated in the Parish of East Baton State of Rouge, Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as Acadi‐ ana Four Townhomes, and designated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the clerk and recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as lot num‐ ber ten (10), said subdivi‐ sion, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes a are more particularly de‐ scribed on said subdivi‐ sion map. Together with a servitude of passage to Ocean Drive over the south twenty-five (25') feet of Lots 12 through 19, as designated on said map as subdivision (25) foot twenty-five servitude of access.

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, situated in the Parish of East Baton State of Rouge, Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as AUTUMN RUN SUBDIVISION, and being designated on the official plan of said sub‐ division, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of said Parish and State, as LOT NUMBER TWO HUN‐ DRED THIRTY-SIX (236), said subdivision, said lot having such size, shape dimensions and and being subject to such servitudes as are shown on said map; subject to restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way and out‐ standing mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $221.93 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 768389 FREEDOM MORTGAGE vs CORPORATION CHARLES MCMANUS Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, December 02, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: CHARLES MC‐ MANUS One (1) certain tract or parcel of ground situated in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, in that thereof subdivision known as Copper Oaks Mickens Subdivision, Road PUD, Phase Ill, First Filing, and being known and designated as Lot Thirty-Eight (38), said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements dimensions and and being subject to such servitudes as set forth on the official subdivi‐ sion plat dated May 9, 2013 and recorded as 205, Bundle Original 12505 of the official records of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Together with all the buildings and improve‐ ments thereon, and all the rights, ways, privi‐ leges, servitudes, appur‐ tenances and advan‐

SHERIFF'S SALE

Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, November 06, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: MAXTIN SO‐ LUTIONS LLC ET AL THREE (3) certain lots or parcels of ground, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, situated in the Parish of EAST BATON State of ROUGE, Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as MEL‐ ROSE EAST, FIRST FILING, and being more particu‐ larly described according to the official map of said subdivision din file and or record in the of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorder for the said Parish and Slate, as LOT NINETY-SIX NUMBERS (96), NINETY-SEVEN (97), and NINETY-EIGHT (98), said subdivision, said lot having such measure‐ ments and dimensions and being subject to servitudes as such shown on said map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $211.71 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 769246 SELENE FINANCE LP vs VANDROSS EMMANUEL GERARD Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, December 01, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: EMMANUEL VANDROSS GERARD A certain lot or parcel of ground together with all the buildings and im‐ provements thereon and with all the rights, ways, servitudes, privileges, advantages and appurte‐ nances thereunto be‐ longing or in anywise ap‐ pertaining, situated in that part of the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, known as Centurion Place Subdivi‐ sion, Second Filing, and designated on the offi‐ cial map thereof which is on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of this Parish Lot No. 240 said subdivision.

Which has the address of 16751 Cicero Avenue, Baton Rouge LA 70816 TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $214.27

Looking for the right hire?

225-388-0111

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 769768 NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC vs THE UNOPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UN‐ HEIRS OF KNOWN HAROLD JAMES BROWN, SR. AKA HAROLD JAMES BROWN, SR. AKA HAROLD BROWN, SR. AKA J. HAROLD JAMES BROWN AKA HAROLD J. BROWN AKA HAROLD BROWN AND THE UNOPENED SUC‐ CESSION OF AND UNKN‐ WON HEIRS OF VERNA BROWN AKA TYLER VERNA TYLER BROWN AKA VERNA T. BROWN AKA VERNA BROWN Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, November 10, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: THE UN‐ OPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF HAROLD JAMES BROWN, SR. AKA HAROLD JAMES BROWN, SR. AKA HAROLD BROWN, SR. AKA J. HAROLD JAMES BROWN AKA HAROLD J. BROWN AKA HAROLD BROWN AND THE UNOPENED SUC‐ CESSION OF AND UNKN‐ WON HEIRS OF VERNA BROWN AKA TYLER VERNA TYLER BROWN AKA VERNA T. BROWN AKA VERNA BROWN One certain piece or por‐ tion of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐ appurtenances tudes, and advantages there‐ unto belonging or in any‐ wise appertaining, situ‐ ated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as Baker Hills, Third Filing, and designated on the offi‐ cial plan thereof, on file and of record in the of‐ fice of the clerk and recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as lot num‐ ber two hundred thirty (230), said subdivision, said lot having such in‐ easurements and dimen‐ sions and being subject to such servitudes as are more particularly de‐ scribed on said subdivi‐ sion map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $301.03 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 770141 CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST INC. ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH SERIES CERTIFICATES, 2007-AMC4 U.S. BANK NA‐ TION ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE vs LINDA STEW‐ ART BERENTE Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, November 14, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: LINDA STEW‐ ART BERENTE That certain lot or parcel of ground, together with all the buildings and im‐ provements thereon, and with all of the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐ tudes, appurtenance and thereunto advantages belonging or in anywise appertaining situated in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana in that subdivi‐ sion known as WOOD‐ LAWN ESTATES SUBDIVI‐ SION, FIRST FILING and being designated on the official map of said sub‐ division as LOT NUMBER NINETY-TWO (92), said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements dimensions and and being subject to such servitudes and restric‐ tions as are shown on said map and filed of d i h ffi f

Public Notices Sheriff Sales p record in the Office of the Clerk and Recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana. (the "Property") TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $239.78 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 770220 LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVIC‐ ING, LLC VS THE UN‐ OPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF DELINDA FAYE FISHER JOSEPH AKA DELINDA FAYE FISHER JOSEPH AKA DELINDA FAYE FISHER AKA DELINDA F. FISHER AKA DELINDA FISHER AKA DELINDA FAYE JOSEPH AKA DELINDA F. JOSEPH AKA DELINDA JOSEPH DELINDA FISHER AKA JOSEPH Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, November 17, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: THE UN‐ OPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF DELINDA FAYE FISHER JOSEPH AKA DELINDA FAYE FISHER JOSEPH AKA DELINDA FAYE FISHER AKA DELINDA F. FISHER AKA DELINDA FISHER AKA DELINDA FAYE JOSEPH AKA DELINDA F. JOSEPH AKA DELINDA JOSEPH DELINDA FISHER AKA JOSEPH Lot number 44, a certain parcel of ground in Foun‐ tain View Estates, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, appurte‐ servitudes, nances and advantages thereunto belonging to or in anywise appertain‐ ing situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as on the plat shown recorded at Orig: 905 Bndl: 13063 on November 02, 2020, of the clerk of courts of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $257.67 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 770904 BUNGALOW FUNDING, LLC vs BONNIE GRINDLE VANDEVEER AKA BONNIE LOU GRINDLE VANDEVEER Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, December 16, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ to: BONNIE longing VANDEVEER GRINDLE BONNIE LOU AKA GRINDLE VANDEVEER ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, situated in that subdivision of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, of Louisiana, State known as JEFFERSON TERRACE, SECTION FOUR, FIFTH FILING, and being designated on the offi‐ cial subdivision map, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder for said parish and state, as LOT NUM‐ EIGHT HUNDRED BER TWENTY TWO (822), said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements dimensions as and shown on said map; sub‐ j i i i

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

p ject to restrictions, servi‐ tudes, rights-of-way and mineral outstanding rights of record affecting the property.

dimensions and being subject to such servi‐ tudes as arc more partic‐ ularly described on said subdivision map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $224.49

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $242.34

SHERIFF'S SALE

SHERIFF'S SALE

Suit No: (17) 772618

Suit No: (17) 773972

U.S. BANK NATIONAL AS‐ SOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE MERRILL LYNCH FOR INVESTORS MORTGAGE TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OPT1 VS KELVIN ROBINS, SR. HAYES (A/K/A KELVIN ROBINS SR, KELVIN ROBINS)

MIDFIRST BANK vs PEGGY ANN HALL

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, February 12, 2026 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ site at www. tion bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the described following mortgaged property be‐ longing to: KELVIN HAYES SR. (A/K/A ROBINS, ROBINS SR, KELVIN KELVIN ROBINS) A CERTAIN PIECE OR PAR‐ CEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER -WITH ALL THE AND IM‐ BUILDINGS PROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, WAYS, SERVITUDES THEREUNTO APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF ZACHARY, IN SECTIONS 60 & 69 T4S, R1W, IN THAT SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS RICHLAND SUBDIVISION (WEST), AS LOT NUMBER THIRTY-THREE (33), SAID SUBDIVISION, SAID LOT AND HAVING ALL THE MEASUREMENTS AND DI‐ MENSIONS SHOWN ON THE OFFICIAL MAP OF RECORD. Which has the address of Ashland Drive, 1780 Zachary, LA 70791.

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, March 04, 2026 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: PEGGY ANN HALL One certain lot or parcel of ground, together with all the buildings and im‐ provements thereon, sit‐ uated in the Parish of BATON ROUGE, EAST State of Louisiana, in that thereof subdivision as OAKWOOD known SUBDIVISION, and being more particularly de‐ scribed according to the official map of said sub‐ division, on file and of record in the Office of the Clerk and Recorder for the said Parish and State, as LOT NUMBER 3, said subdivision, said lot having such measure‐ ments and dimensions and being subject to servitudes as such shown on the said map.

Which has the address of 1534 Green Oak Drive, Baton Rouge, LA.70815 TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $209.16

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Suit No: (17) 774210

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC vs JALEESA BRAZIER

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $242.34

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 773310 U.S. BANK TRUST NA‐ ASSOCIATION, TIONAL NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF MES LOAN TRUST VIII VS LINDA DIANE CULBERT DREW‐ ERY Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, March 04, 2026 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: LINDA DIANE CULBERT DREWERY One (1) certain piece or portion of ground, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all of the right, ways, privileges, appurte‐ servitudes, nances and advantages thereunto belonging or in appertaining. anywise situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division known as SUB‐ URB ABRAMSON and des‐ ignated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton State of Rouge, Louisiana, as LOT NUM‐ BER TWELVE (12), BLOCK SIX (6) or THREE HUN‐ DRED SIX (306), said sub‐ division, said lot having such measurements and

SHERIFF'S SALE

Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of honorable court the aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, March 03, 2026 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: JALEESA BRA‐ ZIER Lot 69, Sunshine Gardens, Phase 1, a certain parcel of ground, together with all the buildings and im‐ provements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, servitudes, Privileges, appurtenances and ad‐ vantages thereunto be‐ longing or in anywise ap‐ pertaining, situated in the Parish of East Baton State of Rouge, Louisiana, as shown on the plat recorded at Orig: 822 Bndl: 13281, on Octo‐ ber 28, 2023, of the clerk of courts of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $188.75

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ATTORNEY

Continued from page 1A But I really did want this.”

The vote came after nearly an hour of discussion from council members.

Some Democrats said McLindon might be the best for the job but argued the process was too rushed and questioned if a conflict of interest was at play.

McLindon called the debate — which was particularly lively at times — “baptism by fire,” and said he was ready to get started right away.

Republicans endorsed McLindon’s abilities as an attorney, and some said they understood the Democrats’ timeline concerns. Still, they said the seat needed to be filled now.

“I believe we made a great choice today,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Brandon Noel.

“I know this may have felt rushed by some, but Greg Rome announced his retirement to me just over two months ago, and with pending litigation, some of us thought it best to fill the vacancy sooner rather than wait.”

A ‘toxic’ council The debate began when Carolyn Coleman, a Democrat, argued there was a conflict of interest, as McLindon represents Republican council member Laurie Adams and her husband.

A later correction was made by Adams and McLindon to note that he had only represented the council member’s husband, and he had recently withdrawn from that role.

Coleman also said it was improper to hire an attorney who has tried cases in the past against the city-parish’s interests.

“As a defense attorney, he has the primitive strategy, confidential information and evidence used against the

SHOOTING

Continued from page 1A an encounter between two groups. Police said they recovered one gun from the scene.

Moore said ballistics testing will reveal how many guns were used, how many times each fired and which shots struck which victims.

It could also tie the guns to other previous shootings in Baton Rouge, he noted.

Other questions, such as whether it was a targeted attack, or whether the two groups met spontaneously or had argued beforehand online, are still unanswered, Moore said.

Moore confirmed one group was made up of five individuals, while two were in the other group. He said it hasn’t been determined whether either group had gang ties.

“From what I can gather, there were some words exchanged, that someone said something and then after that shots are fired,” Moore said. “The question is whether there was one

ney Hillar Moore in Baton Rouge court last week over his office’s funding. A hearing is scheduled Thursday.

Before the council’s vote, Moore spoke in favor of McLindon, calling him one of the hardest working attorneys he’s had to face in the courtroom.

Looking ahead to his first day, Monday, McLindon said he’s already reviewed Moore’s lawsuit against the city-parish, adding “we’ve got to hit the ground running” with the next court date only a week away.

Though some noted the quick turnaround, the new parish attorney said he’s faced similar challenges in civil cases before.

“I’ve been doing this for 36 years. I’ve won some and STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS I’ve lost some,” McLindon said. “But I will say this: No East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council member Jen Racca points to John McLindon in the audience before the council one will ever outwork me. I voted for him to become parish attorney during Thursday’s meeting. guarantee you that no one will ever outwork me.” city of Baton Rouge,” she ticed law in the area for General’s Office subpoenas numerous civil cases have said. “He’s supposed to flip about 30 years, spending related to the ongoing cor- recently been filed against Email Patrick Sloanthe script and protect the most of the past decade in ruption probes. the city-parish, including Turner at patrick.sloancity? That’s ethical conflict. criminal law.

McLindon takes over as one filed by District Attor- turner@theadvocate.com.

Attorney-client privilege is Before that, McLindon’s a two-way street.” career focused on civil law Council member Jen Rac- for several firms in the Baca, a Republican and an at- ton Rouge area.

He has had notable cases torney herself, said the party split over this particular at the state and federal level council issue was an exam- in East Baton Rouge, Livple of the division “that has ingston and other surroundbecome toxic” for the Metro ing parishes, and has been Council in the past 6 months. private counsel for several “We’ve had outside play- public officials.

At least three others had ers communicating with each of us, turning us all expressed interest in the job, against one another, creat- including embattled former ing conspiracies, creating judge Tiffany Foxworthdivision, and here we are Roberts, current Assistant now, a 7-5 council,” she said Parish Attorney Creighton Abadie and former Louisito her colleagues.

Racca pointed to McLin- ana NAACP President Erdon’s no-party affiliation as nest Johnson. something that could help The position has been vabring the council back to bi- cant since April 18, followpartisanship. ing Greg Rome’s retirement “This man back here, John after more than two years.

McLindon, he’s not a staunch Rome navigated the cityRepublican. He’s not a Re- parish through several notapublican at all,” Racca said. ble legal matters, including “BRAVE Cave” settlements ‘No one will outwork me’ in cases against Baton Rouge SCAN TO SEE BENEFITS McLindon, 62, is an LSU police and compliance with Law graduate and has prac- FBI and Louisiana Attorney

or more shooters. We don’t know exactly what was said to let it off. … I have no idea whether there was previous social media jousting back and forth.”

Markel Lee, 17, was booked with one count of first-degree murder, five counts of first-degree murder and a count of illegal use of a weapon. He turned himself in to police.

Some answers could be revealed through searching suspects’ phones, Moore said, and learning who was communicating with Lee prior to him going to the mall.

Lee, who is being held without bail, dropped out of Glen Oaks High School in August 2024, records show.

Authorities confirmed a search warrant was secured for his grandmother’s house.

The shooting killed 17-year-old Ascension Episcopal High School senior Martha Odom. She was at the mall with her friends celebrating senior skip day before their graduation on May 16.

Five bystanders were injured, including two Ascension Episcopal seniors. All

the victims, except Donnie Guillory, 43, have been released from the hospital.

Guillory is in stable condition at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital after multiple surgeries.

Lee was seen on multiple surveillance videos from the mall running from the scene with a semi-automatic pistol in his hand, his arrest warrant said.

On Monday, a memorial was held at the mall for the victims, hosted by clergy members and city leaders, including East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards. Over 200 people attended to show their support for the victims and the city.

Baton Rouge police spokesperson Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said authorities are still asking the public for any information they have on the individuals involved.

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BR real estate market to stabilize Developers dealing with inflation, higher insurance costs

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

While the Baton Rouge real estate market is stabilizing, new construction is stalling as developers deal with high costs.

The market experienced a boom

a few years ago after rebounding from pandemic and hurricanerelated setbacks, but has been met with high interest, insurance and inflation rates. Baton Rouge-area real estate will stabilize, and the next year will be characterized by increased rents, consistent vacan-

Craig Davenport, of Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates, said of multifamily development. “Since cies and little new construction, lo- they’re the only ones building right cal experts predicted at the annual now outside the affordable people, Trends conference, held Thursday I think we’re going to see a slowat L’Auberge casino. down in construction over the next “I talked to Stoa, the develop- two to three years.”

Davenport and Mark Segalla of ers over there, and they said they don’t really have anything else JRE Brokerage discussed the mulbesides what’s out of the ground,” tifamily real estate market 2025

performance and 2026 projections based on a survey of more than 200 apartment complexes.

They forecast rent prices will increase by 1% to 3%, similar to last year, and vacancy rates to remain between 5% to 8%. Though more than 1,600 units were built in 2025, with a high amount of affordable,

ä See REAL ESTATE, page 4B

Hut 8 to sell $3.25B in bonds for project Move to fund River Bend data center

BY IANNE SALVOSA

Staff writer

BEHIND THE

MEATBALL

ABOVE: Volunteers at the Italian Booth, Marcia Empson, from left, Bobbie Stiglets, Pat Quartararo, Jean Kay Brown, DeeDee McCrary, Mary Nola and Anita Scineaux, roll some of the almost 1,000 meatballs for meatball po-boys for this weekend’s 45th annual St. Thomas More Festival on the church’s campus in Baton Rouge. The Italian Booth also offers muffulettas, Italian salads and other treats. The festival opens at 5 p.m. Friday and runs through 4 p.m. Sunday with rides, Asian, Cajun and American food booths and a sweet shop, funnel cakes and a used book sale.

MIDDLE LEFT: Sammy Terito stirs gallons of the special tomato gravy to accompany the meatball po-boys for the festival. LEFT: Bob Breaux, left, and Lionel Bollinger mix meatballs for the St. Thomas More Festival.

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN BALLANCE

Hazardous materials collection in EBR set for May 9 Staff report East Baton Rouge Parish residents can bring their old electronics, tires, leftover paint and more to this year’s Household Hazardous Materials

Collection Day set for May 9 on the LSU campus.

The free event held by the city-parish is a way to safely dispose of hazardous materials in an environmentally friendly way.

It’s set for 8 a.m. to noon in parking lot 406 on Skip Bertman Drive, next to the LSU soccer stadium.

The hazardous materials accepted include aerosol cans, bleach, lawn products and

electronic equipment like TVs, computers and cellphones.

A complete list of the accepted materials can be found at https://www.brla.gov/893/ Household-Hazardous-Materials.

A company developing a $12 billion data center in West Feliciana Parish is selling $3.25 billion worth of bonds to finance the project.

Miami-based Hut 8 is developing an artificial intelligence data center in St. Francisville with a $10 billion price tag for its first phase.

The company announced earlier this week it has priced the bonds at $3.25 billion, aligning itself with a growing trend of data centers developers using debt financing to fund the large-scale developments.

Hut 8 did not return a request for comment.

Hut 8 DC LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, will issue the bonds. The bonds will also help reimburse the company for investments made in the facility, set aside money for any potential debt and pay for fees associated with the bonds, according to a release.

The bond offering closed on Thursday. The notes will have a 6.192% per annum interest rate and will mature in 2042.

Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings expected to rate the bonds at BBB last week, meaning the company is expected to be able to repay its debts with a low risk for

ä See PROJECT, page 2B

Man found shot outside gym ID’d The man who died in a shooting on Wednesday near Greenwell Springs Road has been identified, acCRIME cording to the East BLOTTER Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office. staff The body of West reports Clark, 46, was found facedown in the parking lot of the Gain God Fitness gym, at 8844 Greenwell Springs Road, at about noon.

Clark, a Baton Rouge rapper known as Cleezy 5, is associated with the recording group TBG and the artist Fredo Bang.

Police said they did not have suspects or motives.

Crossing guard dies after being struck by vehicle A crossing guard was killed at Gray’s Creek Elementary School in Denham Springs, according to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Around 4:52 p.m. the Sheriff’s Office issued a statement about a large police presence and said there will be temporary delays.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 2B

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Calvin Duncan vows to keep fighting for justice Louisiana lawmakers cut New Orleans clerk office

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Criminal court records are sacred to Calvin Duncan. He knows they can mean the difference between freedom and life in what he calls “the pit.”

Duncan spent decades fighting for case documents from his murder trial from the confines of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. As a legal counsel in the prison, he handled thousands of other prisoners’ appeals as well, pushing for copies of trial transcripts, supplemental police reports and other records.

“Every parish’s clerk office in this state, I could get records from prison — except Orleans Parish,” Duncan said in a lengthy interview last week. “And I see my friends dying because they can’t get their damn records.”

If he’s not so eager to cede a seat that he won in convincing fashion last fall, 40 years after his murder conviction and life sentence, Duncan explains he has work to do.

“My motive is not to be in politics. My motive is to correct a system that still exists,” Duncan said.

“If I don’t get to take office, I hope the person that does makes sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to other people.”

Duncan has called it “personal” where he finds himself now: The Legislature on Wednesday sent a bill to Gov. Jeff Landry to eliminate the post of Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk of Court, to which city voters overwhelmingly elected Duncan last November over incumbent Darren Lombard.

“If it reaches my desk, I’m gonna sign it,” Landry reiterated on WBOK on Wednesday, citing cost savings. “I’m not telling you the timing is the best, but I don’t get to pick the time sometimes.”

The bill to cut Duncan’s elected job is part of a wider package of legislation that would mark the most significant shift for the Orleans judiciary in over 100 years.

Landry and other supporters of a smaller, reconfigured judiciary for Orleans Parish argue it’s long overdue. They insist Duncan is a casualty, not a target. They point to a limited time window to rein in the Orleans courts from Baton Rouge, with numerous six-year judgeships up for grabs this year.

Fueled by Landry’s calls for judicial reform, Republican lawmakers pushed four separate

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Calvin Duncan, center, points to the steps of the criminal courthouse as he makes his way through the crowd for his swearing-in as the new clerk of court for Orleans Parish in New Orleans on April 21. Hundreds attended the event on the steps of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Courthouse. measures through both chambers.

In all, they seek to remove several New Orleans judgeships, merge civil and criminal clerks and combine the civil, criminal and juvenile courts into one. It would also empower Landry to select a fivemember “nominating committee” that chooses magistrate commissioners in the parish’s criminal court.

Under Senate Bill 256, Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the clerk for Orleans Civil District Court, will take over recordkeeping next week for both courts as well as elections in the city, which Lombard’s office has overseen.

On the radio, Landry said he wasn’t trying to keep Duncan from elective office, including the combined clerk seat when it comes up in four years.

“He can run for sheriff, he can run for mayor, he can run for governor. I’m not stopping him from running. I do not know Calvin Duncan,” Landry said. “It’s about recognizing that the city is out of balance.”

Following Wednesday’s approval in the Senate, Duncan filed a federal lawsuit in Baton Rouge’s U.S. Middle District Court that named Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill and Secretary of State Nancy Landry as defendants.

The lawsuit, led by ACLU attorneys, describes the legislation as

Returned From the ‘pit’

rill entered the fray as well against Duncan.

Recently, Lombard has described Duncan as his “rightful successor,” joining local political leaders who have chafed publicly at the state intervention.

Questions over transition New Orleans Mayor Helena Neither clerk’s office has ex- Moreno is among those who enplained their plans for a transition dorsed Lombard but are now with only weeks to go before the championing Duncan’s cause. criminal clerk was set to oversee “I think it sets a very scary preca slate of local races. edent,” she said after Duncan’s Napoleon and Lombard failed to supporters held a ceremonial respond to multiple calls from The swearing-in. “Because this is a Times-Picayune this week. situation where somebody doesn’t Several lawmakers and political like who got elected, and then all of insiders have speculated that Na- a sudden the Legislature comes in poleon would appoint Lombard to and abolishes the office.” continue overseeing the criminal ‘Too late for that’ side of the office.

“That would be shameful,” DunIn 1985, a jury convicted Duncan can said. “For her to appoint him or of shooting a man dead during a hire him, it would be going against late-night robbery at a Treme bus stop. He spent the next 36 years the will of the voters.”

The author of SB256, Sen. Jay fighting to get his conviction unMorris, R-West Monroe, has em- done.

Duncan reached an agreement powered Napoleon to hire temporary employees and contractors with former Orleans Parish Disfor the transition. The criminal trict Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, clerk’s nearly 90 staff members who now heads Murrill’s criminal are assured jobs until at least Jan. division, to plead guilty to lesser 15. charges and go free in 2011.

Lombard and Duncan ran a A decade later, District Judge heated campaign that featured a Nandi Campbell vacated Duncan’s last-ditch lawsuit by the incum- conviction and sentence under the bent, who is well connected in city state’s factual innocence statute. political circles, that challenged She cited, among other things, inDuncan’s innocence claim. Mur- consistencies in a key eyewitness’

an “unconstitutional campaign” that seeks to “illegally obstruct” him from taking his duly elected post. Duncan seeks a temporary restraining order to allow him to assume office at noon Monday.

PROJECT

for companies producing AI to Anthropic, known for its infrastructure and technol- Claude chatbot, in a 15-year ogy, both hindering devel- $7 billion deal, with Google Continued from page 1B opers’ ability to repay debts providing a financial backused to finance the projects. stop. Through 2042, Hut 8 AI company Fluidstack expects to spend $5.3 bildefault. Hut 8 made $235.1 million in revenue last year will provide the River lion on the data center, with with 45% year over year Bend data center capacity $83 million for construction growth, according to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Building and running AI data centers is a capital heavy task, with billions spent on construction and more needed to fund the technology inside of it.

Thank you for voting us Consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that spending on data centers Gardening Center/Nursery could run up to $7 trillion by 2030.

GOLD WINNER Companies producing AI technology have largely been funding the development themselves, but a $1.5 trillion funding gap has emerged in the rapid progression of the AI boom, according to Morgan Stanley, which is where investors come into play. Companies producing AI data centers including Alphabet and Oracle Corp. have used also bonds to finance data center projects.

Construction delays and weak financial performance are some of the biggest risks

in 2027 and the rest toward repaying the bonds and interest, according to a Hut 8 investor presentation. The tenants will fund the roughly $10 billion worth of computers in the data center.

The bond offering is the

trial testimony and suppressed evidence. District Attorney Jason Williams subsequently dismissed the case.

When he left prison, Duncan went on to spearhead advocacy against nonunanimous juries.

State voters abolished the Jim Crow-era law in 2018, and the U.S. Supreme Court followed in April 2020 by striking down split-jury laws in both Louisiana and Oregon.

Murrill had argued the case to preserve nonunanimous juries before the U.S. Supreme Court as the state’s solicitor general under Landry, then the attorney general.

Duncan watched from the front row.

Murrill has denied any role in SB256 or any of the legislation aimed at the Orleans Parish courts.

Duncan said last week that he had not spoken directly with Landry, Lombard or Napoleon. He indicated he wasn’t allowed access to the clerk’s office in the weeks after last year’s election win.

“When he (Lombard) finally said yes to a tour, we were at the Legislature. It was too late for that,” Duncan said. “A transition can’t happen in 30 days.”‘ Lawmakers who favor the change have described the criminal clerk’s position as “ministerial.” To Duncan, “it’s the most important department in this city because it deals with your life and liberty.”

He has no plans to go away quietly, or at all.

The former prison counsel often speaks in hushed tones and wears a broad smile behind a joyful glint. The smile dissolves and his eyes narrow when he talks about watching men languish and die in Angola for lack of access to court files.

“Nobody else experienced this.

I experienced it, so I want to correct it,” he said.

It took nearly 25 years for Duncan to get the police reports that ultimately undermined his conviction. Once he did, he faced procedural bars before the deal that led to his release.

Duncan, who founded the Light of Justice program, has traveled the state obtaining records for incarcerated litigants representing themselves in appeals.

If they refuse to hand him the keys, he said he’ll certainly run for the combined clerk’s post in four years.

“I got to find these people’s records. They’re there somewhere,” he said. “I ain’t resting until I find these damn records.”

latest development in the data center, which is expected to complete its first phase of construction by the end of the year. Last month, West Feliciana Parish officials inked a water improvement deal with Hut 8 stating that

the company will fund new water main infrastructure to avoid disrupting the parish’s water supply.

The data center’s operations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027.

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BUSINESS

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 3B

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

DOW 49,652.14 790.33 1.62%

NASDAQ 24,892.31 219.07 0.89%

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Stocks rally to best month since 2020

NEW YORK — The U.S stock market motored to more records Thursday as profits keep piling up for Alphabet, Caterpillar and other big businesses. The gains came after the latest whipsaw moves for oil prices, which surged toward their highest levels since the war with Iran began only to quickly regress.

The S&P 500 rallied 1% and topped its prior all-time high to close out its best month in more than five years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average leaped 790 points, or 1.6%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.9% to its own record.

Alphabet led the way and rallied 10% after the owner of Google and YouTube reported profit for the latest quarter that almost doubled analysts’ expectations. Investments in artificial intelligence “are lighting up every part of the business,” CEO Sundar Pichai said.

Traders are buying and selling contracts for different kinds of oil, going out for many months.

In the most actively traded part of the market for Brent crude, for delivery in July, the price got as high as $114.70 per barrel overnight. It then fell back toward $107 before settling at $110.40, nearly unchanged from the day before.

Caterpillar soared 9.9%, Eli Lilly jumped 9.8% and O’Reilly Automotive leaped 8.4% after all delivered profits for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations.

Meta Platforms tumbled 8.7% even though the company behind Facebook and Instagram made more profit last quarter than expected.

Jobless claims plunge to lowest since 1969 Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits plunged to the lowest level in decades, a sign that job-cut announcements have not yet meaningfully translated into layoffs.

Initial claims fell by 26,000 to 189,000 in the week ended April 25. according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 212,000 applications.

Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, dropped to 1.79 million in the previous week, the lowest in two years.

Filings have remained subdued despite high-profile companies such as Meta Platforms Inc. and Nike Inc. announcing job cuts, signaling the labor market continues to be in a lowfiring environment.

Before adjusting for seasonal factors, initial claims also fell last week. New York led the declines with nearly 11,000 fewer filings, erasing a large increase over the previous two weeks.

California and Connecticut also registered sizable declines.

Average long-term mortgage rate rises The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week, pushing up borrowing costs for prospective homebuyers in the midst of the spring homebuying season.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.3% from 6.23% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from one year ago, when the rate averaged 6.76%. The increase ends a three-week slide, bringing the average rate back to where it was two weeks ago.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also moved higher this week. That average rate rose to 5.64% from 5.58% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.92%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.

This week’s uptick in the average rate on a 30-year home loan follows a rise in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds.

S&P 500 7,209.01 73.06 1.02%

EURO 1.1729 0.0065 0.56%

CRUDE OIL 105.07 -1.81 -1.69%

GOLD 4,614.70 69.50 1.53%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.7 -0.02 -0.54%

30-YR T-BONDS 4.97 -0.02 -0.46%

Union Pacific argues for merger

impact on customers. The STB major rail shippers like chemical resources to do whatever is needPrevious application the has 30 days to decide whether to companies and agricultural groups ed because Berkshire is sitting on this application, and then it and two of the major competing nearly $400 billion cash. to acquire Norfolk accept “The first few years after this, will move forward into its detailed railroads worry that the shipping Southern was denied review of the deal that will likely rates existing customers pay could it’s gonna be like one of those old

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific hopes regulators will be convinced this time that its $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern that it detailed for the second time Thursday will be good for the country.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected Union Pacific’s initial application as incomplete in January because regulators wanted more details about how the deal would affect the competitive balance between the five remaining major freight railroads and

last more than a year.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said the new application makes an even stronger case for the benefits of the merger that he believes would shave a day or two off the delivery time for many shipments because they would no longer have to be handed off between two railroads in the middle of the country. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad projects that the merger could lead to shifting 2.1 million truckloads off the highway onto trains, and doing that could save shippers $3.5 billion because over long distances, rail is cheaper than trucking.

Critics that include some current

soar if Union Pacific gains monopoly power all across the country. Competitors BNSF and CPKC railroads joined a new coalition Wednesday to highlight concerns that the deal could hurt shippers and eventually consumers if it leads to higher rates for companies that have few options besides rail to get their raw materials and deliver their products.

But Vena said CSX and BNSF are already improving their operations to ensure they can compete ,and shippers will benefit from that if the deal is approved. Plus, he pointed out that since BNSF is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway it has the financial

15-round boxing fights. Prices are gonna be used, the service is going to be used, everything. And I think the customer’s going to be the winner in all this while we knock down, drag it out, to see who can win and grow their market share,” Vena said.

But the STB established a high bar for major railroad mergers like this one around the turn of the century after past rail mergers snarled freight and led to prolonged disruptions while two railroads worked to integrate their networks. Now Union Pacific has to demonstrate that this deal will enhance competition.

High oil prices due to war weigh on everything from gas to goods As conflict in Iran enters third month, consumers are paying for disruption

BY MAE ANDERSON and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP business writers

NEW YORK — Pain at the pump. Higher postal prices. Flights canceled, costlier airplane ticket prices and baggage fees. Everyday items such as soap and toothpaste getting more expensive.

Consumers are paying for the Iran war’s disruption of global energy production as the conflict enters its third month. Steeper gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are making driving and air travel more expensive.

Many companies warn there’s more to come: the cost of fuel and of materials derived from petroleum could drive up food prices and for other household items.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIN HOOLEy Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to oil According to government figures, grocery prices have yet to be affected by the disruption of tankers, keeping them pent up in the Persian Gulf and away from customers worldwide, global energy production due to the war in Iran, but they are expected to rise as fuel and while a U.S. Navy blockade is preventing fertilizer prices continue to increase.

Iran from selling its own oil. Prices surged overnight on worries that the war will affect Fuel is one of the largest expenses for air- onnaise, plans to raise prices around 2% to the flow of crude for a long time. lines. Its prices are pushing up airfares, bag- 3% in “small doses,” CFO Srinivas Phatak said in an earnings call on Thursday. gage fees and add-on charges.

Gas surges to highest level since 2022 Major U.S. carriers including Delta, UnitAs the cost of crude climbs, so do the ed, American and Southwest have raised Groceries could be next prices of gasoline and other fuel that keep checked baggage fees. United is expandGrocery prices have yet to be affected, acequipment, cars, buses, delivery trucks and ing its “pay for what you want” model from cording to government figures. But they are airplanes running. economy to premium cabins, charging sepa- expected to rise with tightening supplies of Across the U.S., gas prices are at their rately for options like seat selection. Ameri- fuel and fertilizer. highest level since 2022. The national aver- can is adding fees for seat assignments in Fuel accounts for roughly 15% to 30% of age hit $4.30 a gallon on Thursday, compared basic economy, even for its elite-tier loyalty the total cost of food, according to the Inwith $2.98 before the war started, according members. dependent Grocers Alliance, a grouping of Outside the U.S., carriers in Asia and Eu- 7,500 global supermarkets. Fertilizer is also to AAA. That’s a 44% increase since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. rope have added or raised fuel surcharges, essential to farmers, and about 30% of the in some cases tacking on hundreds of dollars world’s fertilizer shipments typically pass Diesel prices making shipping cost more to long-haul tickets. through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ken Foster, a professor of agricultural Many airlines also have trimmed flight Steep diesel prices are making it more expensive to haul everyday goods. Diesel is schedules, cut less profitable routes or re- economics at Purdue University, said there now at an average of nearly $5.50 a gallon, up duced seat capacity. The Lufthansa Group is typically a 3- to 6-month lag between an from $3.76 before the war, AAA says. has said it plans to cancel about 20,000 flights energy price shock and an increase in retail Shippers have started adding surcharges across its network over the next six months. food prices. The lag can be up to a year for packaged foods with a longer shelf life. to cover the cost. The U.S. Postal Service implemented a temporary 8% charge on Consumer goods makers raising prices some of its services, including Priority Mail, Procter & Gamble, the maker of such Increased hunger in Asia, Africa is possible to help blunt the impact of rising transpor- household products as Crest toothpaste, The U.N. World Food Program estimates tation costs. Amazon added a 3.5% fuel and Tide detergent and Charmin toilet paper, that 45 million additional people – the majorlogistics surcharge on third-party sellers us- warned last week the war would cause a ity of whom live in Asia and Africa — could ing its platform to offset fuel prices as well. $1 billion hit to profits during its next fiscal tip into hunger if the war doesn’t ease by the Shoppers may see more sticker shock for year. Many of P&G’s products and packag- middle of this year. That would bring the clothing, cosmetics, furniture and other goods. ing are made of resin or other petroleum- global total of people facing food insecurity based material, Andre Schulten, P&G’s to 363 million, the highest level on record.

Plane tickets getting pricier “Delays and higher transport costs push up chief financial officer, told reporters on After jumping to $209 a barrel in early April 24. He said the company may have to food prices, and families who spend 50% to 70% of their income on food are the first to April, the global price of jet fuel eased last pass on costs to shoppers.

London-based Unilever, which makes ev- go without,” Corinne Fleischer, the program’s week to around $179, still well above the roughly $99 at the end of February. erything from Dove soap to Hellmann’s may- supply chain director, said in a statement.

Senate bans its members, staff from betting in prediction markets

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a bipartisan resolution to prevent its own members from using prediction markets, banning senators who are often privy to sensitive information from making bets on upcoming events.

The measure that passed unanimously by voice vote Thursday was written as a change to the Senate’s rules, so it will go into effect immediately. It comes a week after a U.S. special forces soldier was charged with using classified information to bet on the January capture of Venezuela’s then-

president, Nicolas Maduro, and as lawmakers increasingly voice concerns about who might be making public wagers on the war with Iran.

“United States senators have no business engaging in speculative activities like prediction markets while collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck, period,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who sponsored the resolution. An amendment by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., broadened the measure to include staff.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the move was a “no-brainer.” He encouraged the House and Trump administra-

tion to do the same.

“We must never allow Congress to turn into a casino where members representing the public can gamble on wars or economic crises or elections,” Schumer said. “That would destroy the very principle of representative government.”

Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., have introduced a bill to ban all federally elected officials and government employees from using insider information to make prediction market bets. Young said the resolution was “a good first step” and he encouraged the Senate to take up their bill.

Prediction markets, including the betting platform Polymarket and

its chief rival Kalshi, have come under scrutiny as the business has expanded. Polymarket has received particular criticism as a venue for offshore trades that are beyond the reach of U.S. regulators.

Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that a group of new accounts on Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the United States and Iran would reach a ceasefire on April 7, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for the new customers. On the same day the AP published the report, the White House warned staff against using private information to trade on prediction markets.

4B ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Orleans Parish sheriff makes initial court appearance

ment in response, vowing to “ag- dence that Hutson lied to criminal bilich set bails for both women fol- Thursday.

Hutson faces Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork, gressively fight” them. And details court judges over a two-year span lowing Wednesday’s indictments. to emerge on the specifics of regarding her ability to staff trans- It’s unclear which judge will end who unseated Hutson last October, charges from probe in began the allegations. fers of detainees from the jail to up with the case, but it landed is set to take office Monday. wake of N.O. jailbreak An arrest warrant affidavit ob- the courthouse seven days a week Thursday with District Judge Leon A special state grand jury seated

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

It’s been a wrenching week for outgoing Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson.

On Tuesday, she delivered an emotional farewell address at the Orleans Justice Center, marking some of the challenges she faced during her four-year term as the parish’s first African-American woman sheriff.

The next day, Hutson surrendered on 30 felony charges from an indictment stemming from an investigation that began after 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16.

And on Thursday, Hutson made her first court appearance on the charges. She issued her first state-

tained by WVUE-TV alleges that Hutson failed to supervise the jail even after several warnings from federal consent decree monitors.

The report detailed security lapses where staff left inmates unsupervised for hours with access to items they could fashion into weapons. High-risk inmates were allowed out of their cells and assaulted staff and other inmates, destroyed property, smoked, possessed dangerous contraband and lit fires.

“OPSO used to house many of those inmates in a high-security unit, but chose to abandon this practice after Sheriff Hutson took office,” the affidavit stated.

Agents from the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations, which falls under Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office, said they found evi-

for in-person appearances.

A report by Louisiana’s legislative auditor this month said Hutson’s office saw an 8.6% staff increase between 2022 and 2025.

None of those staff members was assigned to handle courthouse matters despite repeated requests from judges, LBI stated.

It was not immediately clear how the individual counts under the indictment relate to those allegations.

With days until she leaves the helm of the Sheriff’s Office, the 59-year-old Hutson sat quietly in the courtroom Thursday morning, flanked by Bianka Brown, her chief financial officer and now codefendant. Brown was indicted on 20 counts under the same charging document.

Criminal District Judge Franz Zi-

Roche.

Zibilich told Hutson and Brown to turn in their passports and ordered both not to leave the state.

They’re set to be arraigned May 15.

Hutson was led out of the courtroom afterward. She issued a statement late Thursday.

“I will aggressively fight to clear my name,” Hutson said. “The timing of this indictment is concerning. It will not deter me from pursuing every available legal action to demonstrate that these accusations are unfounded.”

Her attorney, Gregory Carter, described Hutson as feeling “offended” by the indictment.

“I think we all would be caught off guard to come to serve this city, and serve it passionately, and to have something like this happen,” Carter said outside the courtroom

for months in Orleans Parish under the direction of prosecutors with Murrill’s office levied the bombshell charges Wednesday afternoon in an indictment that lacked key details.

The charges against Hutson include 14 counts of malfeasance in office, three counts apiece for obstruction of justice and filing or maintaining false public records, along with 10 related conspiracy charges.

Brown, 40, faces eight malfeasance counts, six charges of filing false public records and three counts apiece for obstruction of justice and conspiracy.

Hutson and Brown both were booked in Jefferson Parish late Wednesday. Hutson made a $300,000 bond, and Brown was released on a $200,000 bond.

NOPD: 6 jailed in St. Claude shootout that killed Marine vet Police search for seventh suspect

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Six people are in jail and a seventh is wanted after a drug feud culminated in a St. Claude shootout that left a Marine Corps veteran dead in the crossfire, the New Orleans Police Department said Thursday.

Court documents describe a conflict between rival dealers that escalated on April 7, leaving more than 60 shell casings from four firearms scattered across the intersection of North Claiborne Avenue and Desire Street.

One bullet struck Michael Garcia, 41, as he drove to his partner’s house, killing him.

“He served our country … and we are so sorry to his family,” NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirk-

REAL ESTATE

Continued from page 1B

mixed-income construction, new multifamily construction is expected to slow over the next two years.

There were $584 million in multifamily real estate sales last year thanks to out-of-state buyers purchasing student apartment complexes, compared with $90 million the year prior. Student complexes made up $358.8 million in sales, a large market due to the skyrocketing enrollment at LSU. Insurance rates for multifamily units have decreased in the past few years from an average of $1,400 per unit in 2023 to an average of $1,100 per unit last year.

Davenport predicts rates will continue to fall in 2026.

“Let’s hope there’s no more natural disasters and those insurance rates keep going down, because that just helps properties be able to put more into maintenance and upkeep and all the other expenses that go along with apartments,” he said.

Overall residential new construction was down 11% last year, said Tom Cook of Cook, Moore,

patrick said at a media briefing announcing the most recent arrests.

“He did die as a result of just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Mother and daughter Bennalynn Ingram, 39, and Mi’janae “Gunna” Ingram, 20, were arrested on accessory to second-degree murder and second-degree murder counts, respectively.

Also jailed are Alshawn “Osama” Watts, 21, and his uncle, Terrence Leavell, 48. Watts faces seconddegree murder as well as narcotics counts tied to an outstanding warrant. Leavell was booked on manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal use of weapons.

Caron “Rondo” Fortenberry, 25, and Joshua “Money” Emery, 33 — associates of the Ingrams — were both booked on second-degree murder counts.

Byron “BB” Dubose, 23, remains wanted on one count of second-de-

gree murder.

Investigators say Watts was targeted “due to an ongoing contention between drug dealers” by the Ingrams, Fortenberry, Emery and Dubose, who were driving through the 9th Ward in Bennalynn Ingram’s red Nissan SUV, according to court records.

Fortenberry was driving, with Bennalynn Ingram in the passenger seat, when Dubose spotted Watts at North Claiborne Avenue and Desire Street — an area where, according to an NOPD affidavit, Emery was “the predominant drug dealer.” Authorities say Watts had recently cheated Dubose and Fortenberry in a drug deal.

Dubose allegedly got out of the SUV and punched Watts, who fled in his blue Nissan Maxima but returned to the intersection a short time later.

Both groups dispute who opened fire first. Watts told police that everyone in the SUV got out wearing

masks and fired on him. Those in Ingram’s SUV said Watts pulled up alongside them and fired at the vehicle.

Watts’ uncle, Leavell, who lived around the corner on Gallier Street, allegedly told the NOPD that he’d shot at the SUV to protect his nephew. He was arrested that same day on a manslaughter count.

As Watts fled the area a second time, he crashed his Nissan into Garcia’s Jeep before running away on foot. Officers arriving at around 5 p.m. found Garcia inside the wrecked Jeep with a gunshot wound to the head.

Real-Time Crime Center footage, Instagram records, a clandestinely placed GPS tracker and suspect interviews allowed investigators to develop a timeline of the shooting’s aftermath.

“Gunna” Ingram resumed distributing drugs in the SUV within hours of the murder. Though she was grazed in the leg, she had her

cousin dig the fragment out at home rather than go to a hospital and risk arrest. “got ina shoot out and da bullet grazed my leg and ah piece of fragment was in my leg,” she texted a relative after sending a news report about the shooting.

She also sent Fortenberry an article about Garcia’s death, along with laughing emojis. “F***ed his s*** up,” she wrote.

“Gunna” Ingram was booked Wednesday and is being held on a $1 million bond. Emery was arrested Saturday in a separate domestic violence case and was ordered held without bail at his Gwen’s Law hearing. He was rebooked on a second-degree murder charge, with bail in that case set at $3 million.

Leavell remains jailed on a $700,000 bail. Bail information for the other suspects was not immediately available.

Police are still searching for Dubose.

Davenport and Associates. After an average of 30 days on the market, homes sold for a median price of $265,000.

New home sales in East Baton Rouge Parish were down about 11% from the year prior, totaling about $274 million. New home sales in Ascension Parish fell about 18% due to a moratorium on lot development and drainage issues.

Livingston Parish saw a small decrease in new home sales at about 5%. Concurrently, new home permits in the Baton Rouge area fell 16.5% from the previous year.

The shaky performance is largely due to elevated interest rates, Cook said, which made developers and buyers nervous.

“It was not a banner year for residential last year,” he said.

In 2026, he expects the residential market to stabilize and new construction will slow down.

Developers should keep an eye on the city of St. George, Cook said, as the city solidifies its own planning and zoning processes.

The commission is currently working on rezoning the city, consolidating 45 zoning classifications to 15, which Cook said could change property values.

“There’s a long way to go,” he said. “Bless their hearts.”

About 30% of first-time homebuyers and 24% of Generation Z and millennial buyers are using gift or family money to pay for down payments, Jim Purgerson, executive vice president of Citizens Bank and Trust, said. Using gift money requires communication with lenders, Purgerson said, or else deals could be delayed.

Mortgage rates should stay below 7% for the rest of 2026, consistent with the past few months, though the rate is still elevated, he said.

In the industrial market, manufacturing leads the way, accounting for about 20% of tenant demand, said Evan Scroggs of Lee and Associates.

Vacancy rates are creeping up, with a rate of 7.6% at the end of 2025, up from 6.78% in 2024. But, it’s largely concentrated in North Baton Rouge, which holds 66% of vacancies.

He predicts the market will remain tight with minimal inventory of industrial spaces that are more than 50,000 square feet. Scroggs sees tenant demand increasing from the data centers under construction around the state from contractors and subcontractors servicing the facilities.

“If you spend any time on our

market looking for sites to build, we’re just running out of sites,” he said.

Companies in the chemical, advanced manufacturing and clean energy sectors are investing in the Baton Rouge area with $21 million to $23 million in industrial projects under construction. It’s expected to buoy job growth with 21,600 to 23,000 additional jobs projected for the area through 2027, according to economist Loren Scott.

There’s about 5.25 million square feet of office space in Baton Rouge, which is small compared with similar markets, Bill Sanders of Lee and Associates said.

Due to high construction costs, existing office space, or second generation space, is becoming more popular. Tenants are also shifting around the market and relocating to new spaces.

The strongest submarket is the Essen Lane-Bluebonnet Boulevard corridor, which has 90% overall occupancy rate, outpacing Downtown for the first time since 2019.

Notable sales in the area included a $21.5 million sale of the United Plaza XII office building to the state.

“It’s not a whole lot of new blood coming into the market, so it’s a lot of the same tenants that are

looking to rightsize and relocate,” Sanders said.

In the retail market, tenants are driven to anchored developments, Will Chadwick of JRE Brokerage said, where big-box stores and national brands draw shoppers.

There was a 8.31% gap between vacancy rates of unanchored centers and that of anchored centers.

Retail leasing remains strong, he said, with a large supply of existing space that has emerged through chains such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Conn’s going out of business. The sales of the Towne Center and Perkins Rowe lifestyle centers to out-of-state investors also show the strong demand in the market.

While new construction will slow throughout the market, he expects a slight uptick on construction on existing developments. Developments such as Juban Crossing in Denham Springs, which is set to add Target and Dutch Bros Coffee as tenants, and the expansion of local retailers like City Roots Coffee into additional locations show the strength of the market, Chadwick said.

“We can support local mom-andpop shops, not just one shops, but two, three, four shops all in the same region,” he said.

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Funerals Today Aucoin, Larry

Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA at 11am.

Craft Jr., Toxie

Niland’s Funeral Home in Livonia, La at noon.

Hogan, Christopher

Disciple Outreach Ministry at 11am.

Joyner, Myrtly

Connie Percell, Cassandra (Carlos) Scott & Phyllis(Brandon) James. One sister Mary Gaither Lane, One brother Roosevelt (Vanja) Gaither & sister in law Leona Gilbert. Nine Grandchildren & 12 Great Grandchildren. Professional services Entrusted to A. Wesley's Funeral Home of Maringouin. Like us on Facebook awesleyfuneralh ome@facebook.com

Johnson Spain, Gwendolyn Ann

St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11441 Goodwood Dr., at 10:00 am.

LeBlanc, Alice

St. John the Evangelist Church, 15208 LA-73 in Prairieville at 11:30am.

LeBlanc, Alice

St. John the Evangelist Church, 15208 LA-73 in Prairieville at 11:30am.

Hirschey, Shirley Bertrand

Obituaries Bean Jr., Clarence

Clarence Bean, Jr., affectionately known as "Bean", passed away on April 20, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 85.

He was born on March 20, 1941, in Ferriday, Louisiana, to the late Clarence Bean, Sr., and Phoebe Lloyd Bean.

Bean attended Southern University Laboratory School and graduated with the Class of 1959. He later attended Southern University and A&M College before joining the United States Army from 1961 to 1967. After his military service, Bean built a long and respected career with Shell Chemical, where he worked for more than 31 years before retiring.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Margaret Vavasseur Bean; his son, Brett Bean (Caronda); his daughter-in-law, Susan Bean; his sister, Carolyn Malbrue; his sisters-in -law, Gail Vavasseur Jones, and Deborah (Orna Ray) Shaffers; his brothers-inlaw, Carl White and Benjamin Jones; and his grandchildren, Maitland Elizabeth Bean, Heather Elaine Bean, Blake Joseph Bean, Caelyn Wrenae Zeno, and Bria Delanie Bean. As well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence, Sr., and Phoebe Lloyd Bean; his son, Walton Joseph Bean; his sister, Gilda McSwain; his brother, Wesley Bean; his brothers-in-law, Clifton Malbrue and Joseph Earl Vavasseur, Jr.; his sisters-in-law, Francis Jean Vavasseur Jeffries and Carolyn Vavasseur White.

Gaither Gilbert, Shirley Mae

Shirley died in the early morning of April 27, 2026, surrounded by her family.

She was 89. .

Preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Kenneth, daughter Karole, great-grandson Christopher III, as well as her parents SJ and Mae Bertrand, her sister Carol, and brother Arton.

Moore dedicated nearly 60 years to education in St. Helena, East Baton Rouge, and East Feliciana Parishes and was named Teacher of the Year at Jackson Middle School in 1996. A relentless advocate and warrior in the fight against breast cancer, she co-founded Sisters Supporting Sisters and later the Louisiana Coalition of African American Breast Cancer Survivors.

She is survived by her two children, one grandson, one great-granddaughter, and a host of relatives and former students.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 5B Morgan Sr., Anthony Windell

Anthony W. Morgan, Sr. passed on April 26, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La., Born December 05, 1954.

A celebration of life service will be held at Freeman Baptist Church in Ethel, La. on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 11:00am, viewing will be held from 9:30am 11:00am.

A burial will be held at Southern Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

day, April 23, 2026. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until religious service at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026 at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Innercity, 24400 Eleanor Drive, Plaquemine, LA conducted

by Pastor Ricardo Handy, Sr. Interment Grace Memorial Park. She is survived by: sister: Quinette M. Green and brother: Joseph Murry, III; brotherin-law: Mercer Lawrence, Sr., Aunts, Uncle and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Joseph Jr. and Yvonne K. Murry; two sisters: Joyce Murry Lawrence and Josie Murry Cosey; nephew: Mercer G. Lawrence, Jr. and brother-in-law: Joe Green, Jr. Services entrusted to Pugh's Mortuary, (225) 687-2860.

Murry, Sherall Yvonne

A Celebration of Life will be held on May 2, 2026, at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Omega Omega Service at 9:30 a.m., and the Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m.

A native of Plaquemine departed this life on Thurs-

Mays, Elwood Berry

Yo St ur ar M ts o He ve re

Survived by her sons, Kenny (Lynn), Karl, Konrad, Chris (Claire) and daughter Karin Gerace (Tom), 11 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and one great grandson expected in June. She is also survived by a brother John Bertrand.

She graduated from St Anthony High School in 1955. As a young bride, Shirley was the wife of a naval officer where she and Ken were stationed in many locations, most notably Newfoundland, Canada where they made lifelong friendships.

Shirley was a fantastic cook and enjoyed feeding everyone, especially the Catholic High Cross Country team where she served poboys to everyone there.

She was a member of the Baton Rouge Women's Tennis Association and enjoyed many years of tennis and made countless friends. She was an avid LSU sports fan and a golf enthusiast.

Above all, Shirley took pride in her family and loved the family beach trips and family gatherings.

Shirley was a member of the St. Agnes Altar Society and the loved the masses and breakfasts with the St. Agnes Coffee Group.

The family would like to thank the Gentiva Hospice Care Team for their exceptional care and compassion in Shirley's final days.

We would like to especially thank Kara, Mel, and Joycelyn.

There will be a visitation in the St. Agnes Parish Hall beginning at 11:30 am until the Latin Funeral Mass at 1:00 pm in the church.

A native & resident of Maringouin, La passed away at the age of 89. A 70 year faithful member of Sweet Home Baptist Church. Visitation & religious services are saturday May 2, 2026 at Sweet Home Baptist Church 10300 Church st. Maringouin, La 9am untill 11am services.

Conducted by Rev. Belfred T. Pryer. Interment Church Cemetery. Shirley is survived by her loving husband Albert Gilbert, Jr., daughters Pamela Smith,

Gwendolyn Ann Johnson Spain departed this life on April 19, 2026, surrounded by her family and closest friends. She was born September 10, 1960 to the union of Ben and Odeal Courns Johnson. Raised in a loving home, she was the youngest of two daughters.

Gwendolyn is survived by her husband Henry Earl Spain; daughter Natalie J. Washington; son Lawrence Johnson Sr., and son Jerrick Johnson; sister Linda Rogers; five grand children; three great grandchildren, and a host of other family and friends. Visitation will be held from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on 202605-02 at Hall Davis & Sons Funeral Service , 9348 Scenic Hwy., with the Celebration of Life immediately following. Burial will be held at Winnfield Memorial Garden, 7221 Plank Rd.

passed away on April 25, 2026. Born on October 30, 1925, to the late Hartzel and Beatrice Bradford, she was a lifelong member of Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church and a graduate of Southern University (B.S., 1947; M.Ed., 1975).

In lieu of flowers, consider a memorial gift to St. Agnes Catholic Church in honor of Shirley and Ken Hirschey. Donations can be made at stagnesbr.com.

Elwood B. Mays, 84, formerly of Dayton, Ohio, was born January 10, 1942, passed away on April 20, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife, Mary Wheeler Johnson Mays. Visitation will be held Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 8am until religious services at 10 am.

Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home 263 Eddie Robinson Sr. Drive, Baton Rouge, La. 70802

McCray, Shirley London

Shirley London McCray departed this life on April 21, 2026, at the age of 83.

Viewing will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Apostolic Assembly of Christ, 48123 Highway 16, Denham Springs, La 70706 at 9 am until the religious service at 11 am. Rev. Mary Moss will be officiating the service. Interment will be in St. Peter Cemetery.

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Moore, Julia Bradford

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OPINION T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

Reducing domestic violence a group effort

PROVIDED PHOTO

A plaque will accompany a cross monument honoring the eight children slain in the domestic murder spree in Shreveport on April 19.

Domestic violence is a very serious issue in Louisiana. It is a cancer feeding off the most vulnerable of our residents, and it does not discriminate because of sex, race, creed or socioeconomic status. The most Laurie tragedy Marien recent in Shreveport is GUEST arguably the most COLUMNIST heinous example of domestic violence that we have ever seen. While we wrap our arms around the individuals affected by the events of April 19, we must also see this as a mandate to put our resources and time into prevention measures so that this never happens again.

No discussion of domestic violence issues can be complete without addressing mental health

and substance abuse. Providing mental health and substance abuse resources for both abusers and survivors must be a top priority. Mental health and substance abuse may increase volatility and financial strain and may also enhance the lethality risk in a domestic violence situation.

As with all social issues, breaking cycles of abuse begins with education. Healthy relationships must be taught, and they must be taught early. We must become more adept as a society at identifying abusive situations and abused individuals. This is especially important for those who directly touch these individuals, including law enforcement, court systems, educators, medical providers and state agencies that offer services to these individuals. Expansion of home visits for at-risk mothers, hospitals and

clinics creating warm handoff protocols for patients in need of services and increased funding for school and community-based prevention are just a few ways to improve outcomes for survivors.

While economic stressors do not cause abuse, they often trigger or increase the risk of domestic violence. Reducing financial dependence on an abuser by providing education or job training is key, but so is affordable childcare and transportation.

These hurdles are especially evident in rural areas where there are limited resources and opportunities. Increasing existing safety nets for survivors by maximizing shelter capacity and housing support and necessary associated wraparound services for survivors is crucial.

As attorney general and now as governor, Jeff Landry has made huge strides in our state in

addressing some of the above issues. Gov. Landry made sure the one-time funds for our shelters has been converted into permanent funding, he has continued to strengthen our laws to protect survivors and has created partnerships with wonderful private entities who exist in our local communities to support survivors, but we still have a long way to go.

It is going to take education, funding and increased programs on a grand scale. We can and we must do better. If you or someone you know needs help right now, find your local domestic violence program or call the Louisiana Statewide Hotline: 1 (888) 411-1333. Help is free, confidential and available 24/7.

Laurie Marien is the executive director of Gov. Jeff Landry’s Office of Women’s Policy.

Truck ‘slammer’ scam should spur policy changes

Amendment 4 would give state a competitive edge

What unfolded recently in a federal courtroom in New Orleans sounds more like a true-crime thriller than a civil justice case. But for Louisianans, it’s not entertainment. It’s a warning.

After a lengthy federal investigation, two plaintiffs’ attorneys were convicted for their roles in a sprawling scheme that staged truck crashes, filed fraudulent insurance claims and manipulated the Louisiana Randy legal system for profit.

Guillot For more than a deGUEST cade, recruiters known COLUMNIST as “slammers” were paid to find passengers, pack them into cars and intentionally cause crashes with commercial trucks on roads like I-10. They’d then direct those false injury cases to corrupt attorneys in on the scheme and eventually trigger lucrative, often seven-figure lawsuit settlements. A cooperating witness in the investigation was even murdered before trial.

For me, this isn’t just something I read about in the headlines. It’s something I’ve lived. As the head of a thirdgeneration, family-owned Louisianabased trucking company, I’ve seen firsthand how these jackpot justice rings operate, and the real damage they leave behind for drivers, businesses and families.

Trucking companies and their drivers have increasingly become prime targets — not because they’re at fault, but because they’re seen as deep pockets that can be easily extorted. The civil justice system has become a highstakes game where the threat of massive jury awards wildly disconnected from actual damages forces settlements regardless of merit.

For our industry, the stakes are especially high. Trucking remains in a prolonged freight downturn, with tight margins and rising insurance costs that often ignore even the strongest safety records. When litigation turns into a gamble instead of a fact-based process, insurers hedge their risk by raising premiums across the board — leaving carriers and, ultimately, consumers to pick up the tab.

It’s not a line item on a receipt, but Louisianans pay it every day. Those higher insurance premiums are passed along in the cost of groceries, fuel and everyday goods. It slows economic growth and puts additional strain on families already dealing with rising costs. In total, the U.S. economy loses $529 billion — or $4,207 per family — each year.

Louisiana’s economic growth hinges on a simple reality: Companies go where they can compete and succeed. When deciding where to build, expand or invest, they closely evaluate workforce, infrastructure and, critically, tax policy.

Right now, Louisiana’s inventory tax puts our comScott at a disadvantage.

Ballard munities For more than five deGUEST cades, my family has done COLUMNIST business in the Marigny.

New Orleans is home, and today I’m proud to run the company with my two brothers right here in the state we love.

But I’ll be honest: We’ve been approached about basing our operations in neighboring states. We’ve never seriously considered leaving, but I can’t say the same for business colleagues who have felt the pressure of this debilitating tax.

Louisiana is ripe for opportunity and investment, but we can’t start businesses behind the eight ball the moment they choose to come here.

Experiences like this are exactly why the inventory tax is harmful to economic growth.

Most states — more than 40 — do not tax business inventory at all. In Louisiana, however, groceries on shelves, vehicles on lots, raw materials in warehouses and products awaiting shipment are taxed as property before they are ever sold. That added cost can discourage investment, slow expansion and shift jobs and opportunities to neighboring states.

Amendment 4 offers a practical solution.

Rather than imposing a statewide mandate, it gives parishes the option to reduce or eliminate inventory taxes based on their local economic goals. This is local control in action, allowing each community to decide what works best.

For parishes seeking to attract new employers or support growing industries, this flexibility matters. Inventory taxes can directly impact business decisions, often forcing employers to choose between paying taxes on unsold goods or investing in hiring, wages and expansion.

Reducing that burden can help businesses reinvest in their workforce and operations.

At the same time, Amendment 4 respects the needs of parishes that rely on existing revenue streams. Communities that benefit from the current system can continue using it. The amendment simply provides an additional option, not a requirement.

This balanced approach strengthens Louisiana’s ability to compete while pre-

This kind of abuse starts long before the courtroom. Across Louisiana, billboard ads and late-night commercials flood the airwaves, often painting truck drivers as reckless dangers rather than the professionals who keep the economy moving. That messaging shapes perceptions, and those perceptions can follow jurors into the courtroom.

None of this is to say that legitimate victims shouldn’t have their day in court. They absolutely should.

But when the system rewards manipulation instead of truth, it stops serving the public.

Louisiana’s own U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise can fight back against fraud rings at the national level by helping advance Reps. Mike Collins and Brandon Gill’s Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, which would make it a federal crime to engineer a crash with a commercial motor vehicle.

At the same time, Louisiana’s truckers are calling on Sen. John Kennedy to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. Senate to ensure this effort gains traction in both chambers.

Lawmakers in Baton Rouge can also help restore balance, whether by increasing transparency in litigation financing, cracking down on staged accidents or ensuring that damages more accurately reflect reality.

Other states have already begun to act. Reforms in Florida have helped stabilize insurance markets and deliver relief to consumers, while New York is moving to crack down on staged crashes and fraudulent claims without undermining legitimate cases.

The question is whether Louisiana will follow suit or continue down a path where a broken system drives up costs for everyone.

Truckers take pride in running loads from the Port of New Orleans to the highways that carry goods up and down the Mississippi River. Every grocery shelf, construction site and small business depends on them.

The case in New Orleans should be a wake-up call to protect the lifeblood of the state’s economy, not just because of its shocking details, but because of what it reveals about the broader environment. Curbing lawsuit abuse means restoring fairness and holding bad actors accountable, so the system works as intended.

Justice should never be for sale. And in Louisiana, it’s time to make sure it isn’t.

Randy Guillot is the president of Jefferson-based Triple G Express, Inc.

FILE PHOTO

Industry and other business sectors hope Gov. Jeff Landry’s plan to eliminate the state’s inventory tax succeeds, but some local governments are leery of losing that revenue.

serving local decision-making.

It also builds on the state’s recent efforts to modernize its tax structure. After significant reforms in 2024, Amendment 4 addresses one of the remaining structural challenges affecting a wide range of industries from small, family-owned businesses to large manufacturers and distributors.

For chambers of commerce and economic development leaders, the implications are clear. The inventory tax is frequently identified as a barrier in site-selection decisions. Providing local flexibility helps remove that obstacle and makes Louisiana a more attractive place to invest and grow.

Importantly, Amendment 4 does not eliminate the inventory tax statewide. It does not impose a one-size-fits-all policy.

Instead, it empowers parishes to evaluate their own economic priorities and choose the approach that best supports long-term growth.

The bottom line is simple. Competitiveness matters.

By giving parishes another tool to attract investment and support job creation, Amendment 4 helps position Louisiana for stronger economic outcomes.

For voters who prioritize economic growth and fiscal responsibility, Amendment 4 is a practical, locally controlled reform that strengthens competitiveness without expanding government or mandating statewide change.

In May, voters can take a practical step toward strengthening our economy and expanding opportunity across the state.

Approval of Amendment 4 would give Louisiana communities the flexibility they need to compete and succeed.

“Scott Ballard is co-owner of Ballard Brands and is board of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

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COMMENTARY

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Students depart an East Baton Rouge Parish school bus on George O’Neal Road inside the city limits of St. George in 2024. Voters will weigh in on the creation of a new St. George school district in the May 16 election.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK ST. GEORGE SCHOOL SySTEM Proponents of a new school system in the southeast part of East Baton Rouge have worked for years to bring it to fruition. Now, it’s on the May 16 ballot.Voters across the state, and those within East Baton Rouge Parish, will have to approve Amendment 2 for the district to become a reality. Opponents argue that a new system would exacerbate inequities and harm students in the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. Here are two perspectives.

Vote for improved local control, opportunity

A new school district would be bad for students

Education is the cornerstone of a thriving community, but for too long, the conversation around our schools has been dominated by fear rather than vision. As we approach the upcoming vote on Amendment 2, which will enable the creation of a school system for the city of St. George, it is time to move past Dustin rhetoric and focus on Yates the practical realities GUEST of what is best for COLUMNIST our children and our taxpayers.

At the core of this issue is accountability. A rational approach to governance suggests that the closer a decision-maker is to the person affected, the better the outcome. By establishing a local school district for St. George, we are not just drawing new lines on a map, we are creating a system where parents have a direct line to their representatives.

When a school board is tasked with overseeing a massive, parishwide bureaucracy, individual student needs can be overlooked.

A smaller, more focused district helps ensure that every dollar is tracked, every policy is examined and every child receives the attention they deserve.

Just as important, this effort is about protecting student opportunities. Families across our community rely on magnet and specialized programs that support their children’s success. Under the law establishing the St. George School District, students already enrolled in magnet programs, including K-8 magnet schools, will be allowed to remain in their current schools.

Future cross-district enrollment will occur through agreements between both school boards, allowing both districts to plan responsibly while maintaining continuity for families. Our goal is not to disrupt opportunity, but to preserve and expand it.

We must also address the common refrain that this move will

Public education is grounded in the promise that all children deserve access to high-quality opportunities and resources, regardless of their ZIP code or their family’s economic status.

Amendment 2 on the May 16 statewide ballot, creating a new school district in St. George, would violate this promise by cementing and deepening Jan the long-standing racial and Moller economic divides that keep GUEST East Baton Rouge Parish from COLUMNIST reaching its full potential. The new breakaway school district would serve a population that is much wealthier and more White than the parish as a whole, while the school district that would remain would be less wealthy and more predominantCarina Holguin ly Black than it is today.

Students and families on both GUEST sides of this new divide would COLUMNIST lose if the amendment wins majority support from statewide voters and in the parish. East Baton Rouge schools would hemorrhage tax revenues. The East Baton Rouge school system estimates that it would lose 25% of its projected property and sales tax revenue — $94 million — and $17 million per year in per-pupil state funding through the Minimum Foundation Program. But its costs would only shrink by $40 million, creating a $71 million annual shortfall.

This means two likely outcomes: Budget cuts, which could translate to larger class sizes and fewer instructional supports and make it harder to recruit and retain teachers. Alternatively, the school board could try making up the shortfall by raising property taxes.

Families in St. George, meanwhile, would have fewer choices in how and where their kids are educated. The EBR School System estimates that 2,633 students live in St. George but currently attend East Baton Rouge schools outside St. George.

A grandfather clause, included in a companion law to the amendment, lets students stay at their current school and allows students in St. George and East Baton Rouge to attend school across district lines. But St. George families would have far less access to highly competitive magnet and gifted programs in East Baton Rouge once the phase-in period has passed. That’s because EBR schools would be allowed to establish enrollment policies that give preference to students within

“bankrupt” the existing system.

This argument is used to maintain the status quo. In reality, as students transition to a new district, the costs associated with educating them — teachers, facilities and administration — transition as well.

Even within the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, leaders like President Shashonnie Steward have acknowledged that while there will be a shift in funding, the impact “won’t be to the detriment that people think.”

The math is straightforward: When you have fewer students to serve, you require fewer resources. Claims of a looming “fiscal cliff” assume that systems cannot adjust, yet school systems across Louisiana have adapted to enrollment changes before. Responsible financial planning, not fear, should guide these discussions.

Opposition to this amendment is often framed as a question of unity, but local governance does not mean isolation. It means responsibility. Communities across Louisiana — including Central and Zachary — have demonstrated that locally governed districts can deliver strong academic outcomes while maintaining partnerships with neighboring systems.

Voting yes on this amendment is not about “leaving” anyone behind; it is about leading toward a more efficient, transparent and parent-driven model of education.

It reflects a belief that parents should have meaningful access to decision-makers and that funding should follow students to the programs that best serve them.

The choice before voters is not between division and cooperation.

It is between maintaining a centralized structure or embracing a model that prioritizes accountability, opportunity and student success.

By choosing local governance, we are choosing a future designed around the needs of children. And that is a future worth supporting.

Dustin Yates is the mayor of St. George.

its boundaries, meaning St. George students would be last in line for admission to highperforming magnets. The same would be true for students with special needs or exceptionalities, who would also have fewer options.

Teachers and school employees would also face significant disruption. The EBR public school system estimates that 478 of its employees currently work in a school that would become part of the new district. These employees would face a choice: They could resign or retire from their current job and apply to work with St. George, which means they would have to regain their tenure and other benefits; or they could choose to remain and be reassigned to new schools or potentially laid off.

Then there are so-called “legacy” costs: health, retirement, life insurance and other benefits. The new school district would be responsible for health, retirement, life insurance and other benefits for every person it hires.

But EBR remains responsible for the legacy costs of all previous retirees from St. George, allowing St. George to walk away from approximately $57.8 million in liabilities. This is a conservative estimate, as it excludes the teachers, faculty and administrators not directly located in St. George who still served St. George students.

Dollars aside, the vote on St. George is about something more fundamental. It’s about what kind of community we want Baton Rouge to be; what kind of message we want to send to students. A recent analysis by the Brookings Institution ranked 55 large U.S. metro areas on their economic performance across several broad categories. The East Baton Rouge metro area came in 55th place — dead last — in the category of “inclusion.” The message was unmistakable: When racial and economic divides are allowed to fester, the whole community suffers.

There is a better way forward, and it starts by staying together and rejecting this misguided amendment. EBR schools just saw the highest performance scores in the district’s history, and the country is taking notice of the dramatic gains in reading and math scores that are happening here and across the Deep South. We should be building on these gains, not tearing this district apart.

Jan Moller is CEO of Invest in Louisiana.

Carina Holguin is a student intern at Invest and an LSU Presidential Alumni Scholar.

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writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

8B ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Heavy rain and a thunderstorm

Rain and a t-storm in the a.m.

Sunny and nice

Beautiful with some sun

Clouds and sun

Mostly cloudy

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

68° 54°

LOW

74° 46°

LOW

77° 52°

Beaumont 70/54 Port Arthur 68/54

Baton Rouge 68/54

Lake Charles 69/54

New Orleans 74/60 Houma 75/57

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

0s

Hattiesburg 63/53

Alexandria 62/51

Lafayette 68/54

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

84° 70°

LOW

87° 67°

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 62/52 Many 59/49

LOW

TEMPERATURE

Longview 57/49

-0s

81° 60°

Monroe 60/52

Shreveport 60/51

-10s

LOW

The overcast and rainy conditions we experienced yesterday will be back again today. Expect a mostly cloudy to overcast, mild, rainy and breezy day. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 60s to low 70s and will likely be below average all weekend. Winds will be northeasterly at 10 to 15 mph. Rain chances are at 80% or better, so scattered to numerous showers and some thunderstorms are possible. If you’re headed to the LSU baseball game or Jazz Fest, bring your umbrella and/or poncho.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’s high/low Record high Record low

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

MAY 1

8:06p 2:03p 6:06a 9:07a 9:31a 9:05a 10:39a

6:21 a.m.

7:43 p.m.

8:03 p.m.

5:59 a.m.

LAST

NEW

MAY 9

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today FULL

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

75°/67° 82°/61° 86°/67° 92° in 1952 42° in 1908

Hi

TODAY

70 63 64 71 50 58 60 65 85

Lo

53 52 48 52 36 50 34 54 64

W

c r s c c r pc t s

MAY 23

Hi

SAT. Lo

64 73 58 57 53 74 70 75 89

48 50 47 44 43 54 42 53 66

W

LOW

TODAY

0.68” 3.85” 5.08” 16.03” 20.32”

READING 48 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

FT.

HIGH

0.7 6:54a 0.0 1.6 11:56p 0.0 2.2 10:40a 1.7 1.6 12:03a 0.2 1.2 8:32p 0.0 1.5 6:58p 0.0 1.5 9:34p 0.0

FT.

--- ----- --2:27p 1.7 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

r pc pc r pc s s pc s

LOW

FT.

--- ----- --8:53p 0.0 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

Hi

77 90 69 64 67 91 63 65 71

TODAY Lo

57 75 47 49 50 70 45 54 51

W

pc pc pc s s s pc pc s

Hi

75 93 65 59 61 95 59 64 74

SAT. Lo

57 75 40 44 45 75 44 55 54

W

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

pc s c c c s pc pc pc

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

Today 11:27a 5:16a 11:50p 5:39p Saturday 12:15p 6:03a ---- 6:26p Sunday 12:41a 6:53a 1:06p 7:18p Monday 1:34a 7:47a 2:00p 8:12p Tuesday 2:30a 8:43a 2:55p 9:08p Wednesday 3:26a 9:38a 3:51p 10:03p Thursday 4:21a 10:33a 4:45p 10:58p

FIRST

MAY 16

FT.

YESTERDAY GOOD

PRECIPITATION

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

13.30 34.70 34.70 19.90 11.80 8.58 5.80

-0.25 +0.80 -0.80 +0.60 +0.40 +0.17 +0.01

40

28.72

+1.51

19

-1.55

-0.06

18 29 8

-0.98 10.35 2.08

-0.20 -0.11 -0.41

13 15

2.74 1.02

none -0.06

47 34 29 20 12 6

16.79 12.20 10.35 8.17 5.30 3.14

+0.60 +0.62 +0.36 +0.27 -0.10 -0.20

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

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’26 season outlier in Johnson’s résumé LSU coach: ‘I’ve never been in a position like this’

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Nevada baseball didn’t hit the ground running when Jay Johnson took over the program in 2014.

The Wolfpack finished that season 15-15 in the Mountain West Conference and 31-28 overall. It was his first season as a Division I head coach, and it’s still the fewest number of wins Johnson’s had in a ä South campaign outside of the COVCarolina at ID-19 shortened year of 2020.

LSU 6:30 P.M. But Johnson, who has led FRIDAy, SECN+ his teams to two national championships and four trips to the College World Series since, has hit another speed bump in 2026.

LSU baseball, with a 25-21 overall record and 6-15 mark in Southeastern Conference play, is on the precipice of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, heading into this weekend’s series with South Carolina beginning on Friday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).

The Tigers head into the series having been swept in three consecutive three-game series in SEC play for the first time in program history. The last time they had been swept in three straight series was in 1966, when they dropped a trio of two-game sets

RIGHT HOME

ä See LSU, page 5C

Former Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson runs on the field during a practice at the team’s training camp on July 25 in Berea, Ohio. Emerson signed a free agent contract with the Saints. AP FILE PHOTO By DAVID RICHARD

Free agent corner Emerson grateful for Saints’ belief in him

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

It did not take long for Martin Emerson to feel like he found the right place to call home.

The free agent cornerback visited the New Orleans Saints, the team of his childhood, and spent about 20 minutes “chopping it up” with the rest of the defensive backs. He felt welcomed, like he was already part of the team.

Then he met the coaches and heard exactly what he wanted to hear to make signing a free agent contract an easy decision: They believed in him.

“I was fired up,” Emerson said. “Just the same vision, the same goals. Even coming off this injury, they believe in me, and that’s all I need.”

The 25-year-old Emerson is coming off a serious injury, having ruptured his Achilles tendon in late July during a training camp practice with the Cleveland Browns.

In his first three seasons, the former third-round pick out of Mississippi State worked his way into a starting role with Cleveland. He broke up 15 passes during his 2022 rookie season, then enjoyed a breakout 2023 campaign, when he intercepted four passes and broke up 14

ä See SAINTS, page 5C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Jay Johnson stands just outside the dugout during a game against Sacramento State on March 7 at Alex Box Stadium.

Off to the races: Derby picks, analysis from local experts

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

The Kentucky Derby will be run for the 152nd time on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The favorites in the early betting pools are The Puma (7-2) and Renegade (4-1), but handicappers expect a wide-open race.

Since 2000, just 28% of morning-line odds favorites (7 of 25) have won the Run for the Roses. The 1-2-3 finishers in the Louisiana Derby — Emerging Market (15-1), Pavlovian (30-1) and Golden Tempo (30-1) — are

1. Chief Wallabee (8-1): Chief Wallabee was most recently a very close third in the Florida Derby.

Kelly Clarkson famously sang,“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and when it comes to thoroughbred racing, competition in defeat leads to improved future performance. the rail to save ground going into the turn.There’s no 2. Further Ado (6-1): He was very impressive in doubt that he will be shuffled back in the pack early TOM AMOSS’ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS: The winning the Bluegrass Stakes by a stunning 11 and forced to navigate a full field of 20 horses to 2026 Kentucky Derby has a different feel to it than lengths.An effort similar to that one puts him right reach the front.Think about driving and maneuvering last year’s race.As a handicapper, you’re always there at the finish line. He has tactical speed, which through rush-hour traffic on Airline Highway, and you can looking for value. will allow him to be in a very good spot early, as the understand the difficulty of that task. I see this as an When Renegade, the post-time favorite and the most ä See DERBY, page 4C talented horse in the race, drew the No. 1 post, it leveled opportunity to bet on a horse offering bigger odds.

also among the contenders. ä 152nd Kentucky Derby New Orleans is home to some of the top POST TIME: 5:57 P.M. SATURDAy, NBC, PEACOCK horse racing experts in the nation. Each year, I round up a group of them to handithe playing field.The other 19 horses will be jockeying cap the race. This year’s lineup is excellent, for position out of the gate and pushing down towards as always:

LEARN MORE

Steven Milam LSU Baseball, Infielder

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LSU, Wade have quiet recruiting start International recruiting

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Low key is one way to describe LSU’s offseason so far under coach Will Wade.

Kentucky transfer Mo Dioubate is the only player who has committed to the program since the college basketball transfer portal window opened on April 7.

Since Wade returned to Baton Rouge on March 26, nine players with eligibility from last year’s team entered the portal. The team’s two high school signings under former coach Matt McMahon reopened their recruitment, which is normal after a coaching change, and 22-year-old guard Owen Foxwell, who played in the National Basketball League in Australia, decommitted and signed to Wisconsin.

Not much has happened besides the hiring of three assistant coaches — Rick Stansbury, Johnny Jones and Damon Stoudamire. The slow start in building the next team comes after Wade said at his March 30 introductory press conference that turning LSU into a success will happen sooner rather than later.

“We’re going to build a winning program, and we’re going to build this thing quick,” Wade said. “This is not something that’s going to take long.

We’re going to get in that portal when it opens next (Tuesday), and we’re going to put together a winner because everybody in here deserves a winner.”

A source with knowledge of the team’s situation told The Advocate that there’s no internal concern with the lack of commits thus far. LSU, like any other team, can continue to add players later in the summer.

Typically, teams have most, if not all, of their scholarship players in June before summer workouts.

When the portal closed on April 21, that meant college players could no longer make themselves available to join a new team.

How does LSU compare?

LSU is the only high-major

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Will Wade talks about his journey back to LSU as the mens basketball coach during an introductory press conference on March 30 at the PMAC in Baton Rouge. basketball team with one player on its roster projected for the 2026-27 season. Florida is the other SEC team with just a single transfer. However, it has a high school and international signee slated and several returners.

The other high-major teams with one transfer commit are Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue and Virginia. In all those cases, they have more than one player for next year’s roster because they return multiple players, have high school signees or both.

Stanford is the only highmajor team with no players acquired in the transfer portal or internationally yet. The Atlantic Coast Conference school does have five high school signees.

Wade added players gradually during his lone season at NC State. When the portal opened on March 24 last year, he added his first commitment 11 days

later. Dioutbate committed to LSU 14 days after the transfer window began. NC State had three commitments after the same amount of time had passed since the transfer window started.

The Tigers’ slow start in the portal means that many of the most sought-after talents are no longer on the market.

Eight players remain uncommitted on The Athletic’s top 100 transfer portal players list as of Thursday. Four are ranked in the top six, and they are all early entrants for the 2026 NBA Draft. The deadline for college players to withdraw from the draft is May 27.

One of those top players is Santa Clara transfer forward Allen Graves, who is from Ponchatoula. LSU is interested in the redshirt freshman, according to reports from On3 and 247Sports. His older brother, Marshall Graves, played for Wade at LSU from 2017-20.

While the depth of talent in the portal is shallower over three weeks since player movement began, Wade and company can still acquire talent internationally.

The same source with knowledge of the team’s situation told The Advocate that LSU is trying to recruit overseas players.

Finding talent outside of traditional high school and college pathways has grown in popularity after the advent of NIL, but Wade doesn’t have an extensive track record of attracting highlevel non-American players, dating back to his first stint at LSU (2017-22).

Wade had two international freshmen at NC State. One didn’t appear in any game action and the other, Musa Sagnia from The Gambia, averaged 2.3 points in 34 games. At McNeese State (2023-25), Wade had one Latvian and one Canadian player on his teams. Both were upperclassmen who averaged less than four points and transferred from a different college.

Across Wade’s first five seasons at LSU, he had only two non-American players play for him: Australian forward Duop Reath and British forward Kavell Bigby-Williams.

Reath was the second-leading scorer (12.5) during the 2017-18 season, which was Wade’s first year in Baton Rouge. Reath’s first season with the Tigers was the previous year under coach Jones.

Bigby-Williams, originally from London, played a year at Oregon before transferring to LSU during the 2018-19 season.

He was the team’s second leading rebounder (6.7).

While practically the entire team is unknown, two things are certain. Wade said he’ll have a “heavy hand” in creating the team. He is also comfortable with the resources at his disposal.

“We’re going to win, and we’ve got the resources that we need to compete in the SEC,” Wade said on March 30. “At the end of the day, that’s all we can ask. Then it’s on me to get the job done. It’s on me to make it happen.”

Knicks crush Hawks in record-setting Game 6

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

ATLANTA — OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, KarlAnthony Towns had his second triple-double of the series and the New York Knicks had their biggest playoff victory in franchise history, overwhelming and eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night.

The Knicks broke several NBA records by halftime. Their 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter marked the largest of NBA playoff the shot clock era. Their roundup 47-point halftime lead was the biggest in playoff history.

New York’s 51-point win tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory in NBA postseason history.

Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after fighting following a pair of free throws from Anunoby that gave the Knicks a 50-point lead in the second quarter.

The Knicks exceeded 100 points with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. New York’s start-

ers were done for the night with 2:45 remaining in the third.

Anunoby scored 26 of his points in the first half. Mikal Bridges finished with 24. Towns, five days after becoming the fourth Knicks player with a playoff triple-double, had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Hawks were 12 for 39 from the field in the first half and 4 for 18 from 3-point range. Atlanta had 14 turnovers in the first half.

Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga each had 11 points.

The Knicks will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

76ERS 106, CELTICS 93: In Philadelphia Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points, a resurgent Paul George had 23 points and a Philadelphia 76ers’ team that lost by 32 points twice in this first-round playoff series played their most complete game of the season and forced Game 7 with a 106-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

The decisive game is Saturday in Boston.

Uplifted by Joel Embiid’s early

return from an appendectomy, the Sixers rebounded from two blowout losses to win Game 5 in Boston and were buoyed by a throwback effort from George to keep a comfortable lead in Game 6. Embiid did his part in Game 6 with 19 points.

The play of the game — and maybe the series — came in the third when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown, Maxey scooped the loose ball and fed to George on the break who then dazzled with a behind-the-back pass to VJ Edgecombe who finished with a thunderous dunk for a 69-54 lead.

A night after the Flyers won in overtime to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs, Sixers fans cut loose after that slam.

The 76ers will only go as far as Embiid can take them on his injury-prone 7-foot frame and Maxey is a bona fide All-Star.

Edgecombe’s youthful exuberance made a fan favorite in Philly and an NBA Rookie of the Year finalist.

Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has

deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form. George hit a team-high five 3s that all stretched the lead and the offense ran through him when Embiid — still recovering from his early April surgery — was on the bench.

George signed with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 on a fouryear, $212 million free-agent contract and was expected to form a 1-2 championship punch with Embiid. George was instead derailed by injuries, personal issues and the suspension that had him forgotten at times by fans and in the offense.

Not against Boston. He keyed Philadelphia’s game of the season, a stunner given how the Celtics toyed with them in their three wins this series. The Celtics never led in Game 6.

Brown was hampered by three fouls in the first half and finished with 18 points. Jayson Tatum had 17 for the Celtics and left in third quarter with an apparent calf injury.

The Celtics went more than 4 minutes without a point to close the third and the Sixers stormed into the final quarter with an 8263 lead.

Infantino affirms Iran will participate in World Cup

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened his address at Thursday’s FIFA Congress by affirming that Iran will participate in the World Cup and that the team will play in the United States despite the conflict between the two nations.

“And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility,” Infantino said. “Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world.

You unite the world. We unite the world.”

Infantino has not wavered on Iran’s participation in the World Cup or in its matches in the United States. At one point, Iran asked to move its games to Mexico, but that request was rejected.

World’s tallest player Rioux signs with UC Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. — The world’s tallest college basketball player is going coast to coast.

Former Florida walk-on Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center from Canada and one of the most recognizable student-athletes in North America, announced Thursday he has signed with UC Irvine. The school in Southern California announced his arrival hours earlier.

“Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community,” UC Irvine coach Russell Turner said in a statement.

“He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine.

UC Irvine won the Big West regular-season title last season but lost in the conference tournament and ended up in the NIT.

Young takes early lead at Cadillac Championship

DORAL, Fla. — Cameron Young made, by his own count, about a billion feet worth of putts. Jordan Spieth was, to use his own word, a nerd.

Both approaches were optimal in the opening round of the Cadillac Championship.

Young shot a bogey-free round of 8-under 64 on Thursday, taking a one-shot lead over Spieth and Alex Smalley at Trump International Doral to open the $20 million signature event — the first PGA Tour event at the course in 10 years.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a slightly different opinion after his opening round.

He made three birdies in the first five holes, then didn’t get another the rest of the day.

Milwaukee hires former Memphis coach Jenkins

MILWAUKEE — Taylor Jenkins was officially announced as the Milwaukee Bucks coach on Thursday, as the former Memphis Grizzlies coach takes over a team coming off a 50-loss season that snapped a string of nine straight playoff appearances.

The Bucks said Jenkins will have an introductory news conference Wednesday at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The 41-year-old Jenkins coached the Grizzlies from 2019-25 and posted a 250-214 record that included three straight playoff appearances from 2021-23. The Grizzlies fired him with nine games left in the 2024-25 season and went on to get swept by eventual champion Oklahoma City in the first round of that year’s playoffs.

Broncos QB Nix expected to be ready for training camp

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bo Nix is still expected to be ready for training camp and the regular season following a cleanup procedure on his right ankle during a scheduled post-operative visit with his surgeon, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team isn’t releasing details of Nix’s cleanup performed by Dr. Norman Waldrop III, who operated on Nix after Denver’s quarterback broke a bone in his right ankle on Jan. 18 during the AFC playoffs.

The Broncos will probably be conservative with Nix following the follow-up surgery, which was either going to take place this spring or after next season.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 3C

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Dunham to name new practice field after Stingley Jr.

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Dunham’s new practice field being built will be named after one of its greatest players, the school announced Thursday.

The field will be named “Derek Stingley Jr. Field,” and it will be a new turf practice field located on the school’s campus. The former LSU cornerback and current member of the Houston Texans made a donation to the school for the field, according to the post.

Construction on the field will begin in May and the school expects it to be ready in August.

“It is worth noting that Derek’s gift represents the largest single alumni donation in school history,

LSU tennis star Erik Arutiunian reacts during a tennis match earlier this year.

making it possible for us to complete this project and name the field,” Dunham wrote in a post.

Stingley, a consensus All-American at LSU, was also a standout player for Dunham, where he won the LSWA’s Mr. Football award in 2018.

“I am happy to give back to a place that generously invested in me, providing me with the foundation to embark on my journey as a young man in this world,” Stingley said in the news release.

Dunham coach Neil Weiner thanked Stingley.

“Derek made his name on the field,” Weiner wrote. “Now, his name will be on the field — impacting future Tigers for years to come!”

PROVIDED PHOTO

LSU to host NCAA tennis regionals

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

The LSU men’s and women’s tennis teams have each had varying levels of success through the years, but they have rarely been relevant on the national scene in the same season.

This spring has been an exception.

Both LSU tennis teams finished the season in the top 10 of the ITA rankings, and both will serve as regional hosts this weekend in the first round of the NCAA tennis tournament at the LSU Tennis Complex.

The LSU men (25-6) are seeded seventh in the 64-team field and begin play Friday against Alabama State (10-9) at 5 p.m. Pepperdine (17-9) and Michigan (13-10) square off at 2 p.m. to open the regional.

The men’s winners will play at 5 p.m. Saturday for a chance to move into the round of 16.

For the LSU women (19-9), the opening opponent will be Stephen F. Austin (11-8) for the second consecutive year. LSU defeated SFA 4-0 last year, a win that started the Tigers’ run to the national

semifinals. LSU reached the national semifinals for the first time in program history before losing 4-2 to North Carolina.

This year, LSU is seeded 10th overall, and will play SFA at 2 p.m.

Saturday. The regional gets started when TCU (20-4) and Rice (17-6) play at 11 a.m. in the first match of the day.

“There were a lot of firsts last year with the NCAA finish, conference win totals and total wins, so I certainly think we’ve tried to build on that,” LSU women’s coach Taylor Fogleman said. “We haven’t had too many valleys but if you had asked our girls before the SEC tournament, I don’t think they would have said there were an immense amount of peaks.”

That changed at the SEC tournament when LSU defeated topranked Georgia 4-1 in the semifinals. LSU lost 4-2 to Auburn in the championship match, but it went 4-1 at the tournament including three wins over ranked opponents.

The LSU women are led by sophomores Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross, their top two performers from last season. Brace, an AllAmerican, and Cross will play No.

1 and No. 2 singles, and will also form the Tigers top doubles team.

An abundance of available players has also been a factor for the men’s team, which recorded two of its biggest wins of the season amid a third-place SEC finish. The Tigers won 4-3 at second-ranked Texas 4-3 on March 6, and then defeated No. 12 Georgia 4-3 in the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

The win over Georgia was LSU’s first over the Bulldogs since 1999 and helped the Tigers post their highest win total since that same year.

“We’ve won a lot of different ways, but we feel confident at all six singles and all three doubles spots,” LSU men’s coach Danny Bryan said. “Do we win there every time? No, but we don’t feel like we have any holes in our lineup. I think that’s really been the key for us getting to four points.”

The LSU men feature top player Olaf Pieczkowski, who edged teammate Erik Aritiunian for honors as the SEC freshman of the year. Sophomore Andrej Loncarevic, who Bryan calls the most improved player in the country, has also been a factor.

Several area baseball playoff games rained out Most action scheduled to pick back up Saturday

PREP REPORT Baseball Quarterfinals Best of three series; * if necessary

Division I nonselect

■ No. 8 Dutchtown at No. 1 Barbe, 1 p.m.

Saturday; 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m.

Sunday* ■ No. 5 Hahnville at No. 4 Zachary, 6:30 p.m. Friday; 1 p.m. Saturday; Game 3 TBA* ■ No. 7 Walker at No. 2 Sam Houston, 6 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday; 3 p.m.

Saturday*

Division II nonselect

■ No. 9 Iota at No. 1 Brusly, 6:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday* ■ No. 11 West Feliciana at No. 3 Lutcher, 6:30 p.m. Thursday; 6 p.m. Friday; 1 p.m.

Saturday*

Division III nonselect

■ No. 6 Kinder at No. 3 Doyle, 2 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Saturday; noon Sunday*

Division I select

■ No. 7 Holy Cross at No. 2 Catholic, Catholic leads 1-0 after 3-2 victory Thursday; Game 2, 1 p.m. Saturday; Game 3 to follow Game 2*

Division II select

■ No. 9 St. Michael at No. 1 Vandebilt Catholic, 3 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; 5:30 p.m.

Sunday

Division III select

■ No. 9 Parkview Baptist at No. 1 University,2 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 p.m. Sunday; Game 3 to follow Game 2 on Sunday* No. 11 Dunham at No. 3 Calvary Baptist, 6 p.m. Wednesday; 3:30 p.m. Thursday; 6:15 p.m. Thursday

Final

3 p.m. Sunday

Division IV Semifinals

No. 1 LaSalle vs. No. 4 Logansport, 2:30 p.m. Saturday No. 2 Oak Grove vs. No. 11 Grand Lake, 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Final

Noon Sunday

Select Division I Semifinals

No. 1 Mount Carmel vs. No. 4 John Curtis, 2:30 p.m. Saturday No. 2 Pineville vs. No. 3 Chapelle, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday

Final

Noon Sunday

Division II Semifinals

No. 1 Vandebilt vs. No. 5 Patrick Taylor, 5 p.m. Saturday No. 2 E.D. White vs. No. 3 Hannan, 5 p.m.

Saturday

Final

3 p.m. Sunday

Division III Semifinals

Softball State tournament glance

Noon Sunday

Note: Semifinal games were moved from Friday to Saturday and finals were moved from Saturday to Sunday because of expected inclement weather on Friday. at Frasch Park, Sulphur

Division I

Semifinals

No. 8 Hahnville vs. No. 5 St. Amant, 5 p.m.

Saturday No. 3 West Monroe vs. No. 10 Live Oak, 5 p.m. Saturday

Final

Division II Semifinals

No. 1 North DeSoto s. No. 5 Iota, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday No. 2 Lutcher vs. No. 3 Brusly, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday

Final

Noon Sunday

Division III

Staff writer

Saturday No. 2 Kaplan vs. No. 3 French Settlement, Noon Saturday

No. 1 Calvary Baptist vs. No. 4 D’Arbonne Woods, Noon Saturday No. 2 Parkview Baptist vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, Noon Saturday

3 p.m. Sunday

BY JACKSON REYES Several Baton Rouge area high school baseball teams have had their Thursday playoff games postponed because of heavy rain in the area.

The quarterfinals of the playoffs began this week but the weather has affected four series taking place in the area.

In the Division I select bracket, Catholic defeated Holy Cross 3-2 on Wednesday to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three series.

Game 2 was scheduled for Thursday at Catholic High, but will now be played at 1 p.m. Saturday with a possible Game 3 played later Saturday.

University High and Parkview Baptist were set to begin a Division III select series Thursday at the Cub Complex. Because of rain, Game 1 will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday. Game 2 will be played at 1:30 p.m. Sunday and Game 3 will follow later Sunday if necessary.

Another series between local

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Former Dunham great Derek Stingley Jr. looks on from the sideline before kickoff against Capitol on Oct. 12, 2018, at Memorial Stadium.

Semifinals

No. 1 Jena vs. No. 5 Sterlington, Noon

Final

Division IV Semifinals

No. 1 Riverside vs. No. 4 Ascension Catholic, 5 p.m. Saturday No. 2 Glenbrook vs. No. 14 St. Frederick, 5 p.m. Saturday

Final

3 p.m. Sunday

Class B

Semifinals

No. 1 Stanley vs. No. 4 Anacoco, Noon Saturday No. 2 Quitman vs. No. 3 Hicks, Noon Saturday

Final

3 p.m. Sunday

Class C

Semifinals

No. 1 Northside Christian vs. No. 13 Simpson, Noon Saturday No. 2 Claiborne Christian vs. No. 6 Maurepas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Final

Noon Sunday

PERFECT CT! ADVOCATE THE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

E LSU WINS NATIONAL TITLE

TIGERS CAP UNDEFEATED SEASON WITH WIN OVER CLEMSON

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Catholic High pitcher Jason Decuir and the Bears will play Holy Cross in Game 2 of their Division I select quarterfinal series at 1 p.m. Saturday. If necessary, a Game 3 would follow. teams is Lutcher hosting West Feliciana in the Division II nonselect bracket. Thursday’s Game 1 was postponed and there has been no update yet for when it will be played.

Doyle was set to host Kinder in

Game 1 of a Division III nonselect series on Thursday before being postponed. There will be a doubleheader Saturday, starting at 2 p.m.

If the series goes three games, the final game will be played at noon Sunday.

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KENTUCKY DERBY Horse racing in Japan is on the rise

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Kentucky Derby entrant Fulleffort gets a bath after a workout at Churchill Downs on Monday in Louisville, Ky.

Fulleffort scratched from Kentucky Derby

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fulleffort was scratched from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby because of a chip in his left hind ankle, the latest departure from the field of 20 horses roughly 24 hours after Silent Tactic was ruled out.

Race officials announced the change Thursday, and trainer Brad Cox told The Associated Press that Fulleffort will undergo surgery and is expected to recover and return to racing. Cox said an Xray revealed fluid in the ankle and called it an easy decision because Fulleffort showed some lameness.

“That’s part of the game,” Cox said. “It was a problem that needed to be addressed.”

Fullefort’s exit means jockey Tyler Gaffalione will have to wait for another chance to win the race for the first time. Cox went into the week with three Derby horses and is now down to two: Commandment andP-

DERBY

ä Kentucky Derby. POST TIME: 5:57 P.M. SATURDAy, NBC, PEACOCK

Further Ado. “I love ‘em,” Cox said. “Both had a great morning. I’m excited about Saturday.”

With Fulleffort out, Ocelli draws in off the also-entered list. Trainer Whit Beckman found out after the colt galloped at Churchill Downs around 7:15 a.m.

“I kind of had the expectation all along that if you’re within a couple spots that you have a chance,” Beckman said. “Especially in this day and age, it just seems there’s always a lot of changes from the time we draw to the time we run.

We were kind of quietly confident that things would go our way.”

Beckman has been training Ocelli all along as though the colt would be participating in the Derby. Ocelli is coming off a third-place finish in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct

Mott, won this race last year. and his son, Riley, trains our top selection. Mott has now won two Kentucky Derbies, so he Continued from page 1C knows how to get a horse to peak on the first Saturday in May.This one looks like horses pass the grandstand for the he is peaking. first time.

3. Danon Bourbon (20-1): A horse from 3. Renegade (4-1): He is the most Japan always adds a little mystery to the talented horse in the field, but it would Derby story, and this horse is undefeated not be surprising for the connections in three starts, racing solely in Japan. to walk away from this year‘s Kentucky Forever young, another Japanese horse, Derby knowing they ran the best horse, only to lose because of traffic issues. He proved two years ago the quality of the 3-year-olds in the Far East can compare will need the Horse Gods on his side to to the U.S. horses. It’s hard to predict just have a clean trip. how good this one is, but if he is as good Long shot – Wonder Dean (30-1): The or better than the previous Japanese Japanese have put tremendous effort entrants to the Derby, then he fits right in in trying to win the Kentucky Derby, and as a long shot. make no mistake, they will accomplish Long shot — Emerging Market (15-1): that goal. It should’ve happened two The Louisiana Derby winner may not be a years ago with Forever young, who long, long shot, but he is deserving of a encountered traffic issues down the stretch. Forever young is now considered mention. Undefeated after just two starts, his trainer, Chad Brown, surely thinks the best older dirt horse in the world. enough of his raw talent to give the Derby (Tom Amoss was one of the leading a shot. I’ll certainly include him in most of thoroughbred trainers in North America my exotic plays. before stepping down earlier this year.

The New Orleans native is also a longtime (Michael Beychok is a senior partner of Ourso Beychok Inc., an award-winning racing analyst at Fox Sports.) national political consulting firm based in Louisiana, and the 2012 National MICHAEL BEYCHOK’S ANALYSIS AND Handicapping Championship and SELECTIONS: My top pick last year 2012 Eclipse Award winner for best finished fourth at a very good price of 18-1. If I improve on that result this year, handicapper.) an “in the money” finish is guaranteed.

KEVIN KILROY’S ANALYSIS AND As usual, the Kentucky Derby presents SELECTIONS: Each year, a big part of handicappers with a difficult and challenging puzzle to solve for the winner, handicapping the Kentucky Derby is but let’s give it a go and try to get home a figuring out which prep races had the best fields and then using horses out long-shot winner. of those races in your wagers. I see 1. Incredibolt (20-1): Incredibolt has Gulfstream and Fair Grounds as the key won two races over the quirky Churchill Downs racetrack.When he won the Street prep series featuring the best 3-yearolds.While the Arkansas Derby and the Sense takes in October, I said then to Blue Grass Stakes showcased talented myself,“Self, this is my Derby horse.” winners, the horses that Renegade and Incredibolt ran a stinker in his first start Further Ado beat are very suspect. as a 3-year-old but followed that effort with a win going a longer distance in the 1. Commandment (6-1): This colt is built like a tank and is willing and able to bully Virginia Derby. He is owned by Pin Oak through tight spots to split horses. Perfect Stud, which has roots in Baton Rouge in four starts since his sprint debut, he’s through the Bernhard family.What a passed every distance test he has faced, story it would be if this horse could win overcome difficult trips and beaten for his late owner Jim Bernhard and his legitimate Derby contenders in The wife, Dana, and son, Ben. It would truly Puma and Chief Wallabee.With a win at be incredible, and I’m betting on it on Saturday.

Churchill Downs on his résumé, we know 2. Chief Wallabee (8-1): His trainer, Bill he handles the track, and in his works as

Race Track on April 4.

“He’s been training great since we got back here from New York after the Wood,” Beckman said. “Around the barn, he’s a very mature, easygoing horse. Sometimes he could be a little quirky on the track, but it seems like we’re getting a little bit close to perfection every time.”

Ocelli follows Great White into the field, who got in Wednesday when Silent Tactic was scratched because of a foot injury. Like Great White’s John Ennis, Beckman was unsure if he’d have a horse in the Derby but was unbothered by the situation.

“The certainty of it to me was more stressful because things can only go wrong,” Beckman said.

“In this case, when things can only go right and if something did go wrong, well, it didn’t matter: We weren’t in the race anyway. ... Coming in knowing you could — maybe, maybe not — go, you just kind of let the cards fall and let the universe do its thing.”

well as his races, he runs evenly through every call.

2. Golden Tempo (30-1): We’ve watched Golden Tempo take shape at Fair Grounds, backing up his maiden score with an electric last-to-first win in the Lecomte. His nonchalance out of the gate and late-running style are concerns in the Kentucky Derby, but since we last saw him run third in the Louisiana Derby, he has trained more aggressively and shows up at Churchill as chiseled as I’ve ever seen him.

3. Incredibolt (20-1): His victory in the Virginia Derby ranks at the top of my list of visually impressive prep wins. Buried in traffic for much of the race, Incredibolt accelerated when daylight opened in the stretch and drew away from the field, putting his class and push-button speed on full display. In terms of speed figures, he would need a major step forward to beat the best we’ve seen from his rivals, but his jockey, Jaime Torres, told me he had a lot more horse than we saw at Colonial Downs, leading me to believe that a reasonable move forward puts him right there with this group.

Long shot – Fulleffort (20-1): No horse has touted himself on the track over the last two weeks more than Fulleffort.

Relaxed yet producing sharp times in his drills, Fulleffort has been galloping with an alpha energy that I look for in horses ready to fire the best race of their careers.

He overcame a speed-favoring track at Turfway Park to win the Jeff Ruby, and similar to Final Gambit last year, I believe he is a must-use in the third and fourth slots of any trifecta or superfecta you play.

(Kevin Kilroy is a racing analyst at the Fair Grounds Race Course and Churchill Downs. He is a two-time National Horseplayers Championship qualifier, finishing 21st in 2021.)

PATRICK MCGOEY’S ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS: 1. Incredibolt (20-1): The son of Bolt D’oro is improving at the right time, coming off a powerful closing win in the Virginia Derby at the 1 1/8-mile distance. His latest Churchill work was smooth and efficient, and he already owns a two-turn win over this track in last fall’s Street Sense Stakes. From post No. 11, he should work out a stalking trip

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As horse racing grapples with an uncertain future in the U.S. with tracks closing and legalized sports betting taking away something that made the sport unique, there is a place in the world where it’s getting increasingly popular and turning out significantly better competition.

Japan is pouring tons of money into everything from breeding to training and racing, with a turn to dirt-track runners over the past decade or so after turf was the focus for so long. Following a near miss with Forever Young in 2024, the investment could soon pay off in the form of a Kentucky Derby winner, with Danon Bourbon and homebred Wonder Dean the country’s hopes in the race this year.

“We are getting closer,” racing manager Hiroshi Ando told The Associated Press outside the Japanese horses’ barn Thursday.

“For Japan, I think we’re able to change Japanese racing history again, like we did with Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Our ambition is the Kentucky Derby right now, if possible.”

The ambition for a longer period of time has been the Arc De Triomphe on grass in Paris, because Japan’s roots in racing are on turf.

The Japanese Racing Association launched the Japan Cup in 1981 to promote the sport and get more national interest in it, and it has become the richest turf race in the world with a purse of $8.2 million.

“We tried to learn a lot of things from the techniques and lots of things from foreign countries, not only U.S. — from European countries,” said Tom Hashimoto, general manager of the JRA’s New York Representative Office. “Developed not in a short period, (but) we make it. It took step by step and learn from other countries, and now we are very lucky to have so many good thoroughbreds.”

That history of quality thoroughbreds there dates to the early ‘90s, when 1989 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sunday Silence drew little breeding interest in the U.S. and was exported

behind the main pace, which fits his onerun style in a field with plenty of speed.

He needs to improve to win this race. But 20–1 Morning Line odds are generous for a horse that is peaking and proven at Churchill. Pulling hard for the Bernhard family (and young trainer Riley Mott) to bring the Derby trophy to Louisiana.

2. Chief Wallabee (8-1): He is lightly raced but moving forward with every start, and Bill Mott is one of the best in the world at pointing a horse for a specific race.This colt wasn’t on an early Derby plan, but he jumped up after his maiden win, just missing in the Gulfstream preps, the last being a solid third in the Florida Derby. He has trained sharply at Churchill, including a recent five-furlong move in a minute flat with blinkers added to keep him focused.With only three starts, he has plenty of upside to step forward again on Derby day.We just saw the Fitzpatrick brothers win the Zurich Classic; we might just see father-and-son Mott run one-two in the Kentucky Derby.

3. Further Ado (6-1): Further Ado owns the highest speed ratings in the field and is bred to run a mile and a quarter, as a son of Gun Runner. He absolutely dominated the Blue Grass Stakes by 11 lengths and is a major player if he can repeat his Keeneland performances at Churchill. Hall of Famer John Velazquez taking the mount adds to the appeal, especially with the parallels to Authentic: same Spendthrift connections, similar forward running style, and breaking from the same post 18 slot Velazquez used to win the 2020 Derby. If he breaks clean and can sit a tracking trip just off the leaders, he should get first run on the deep closers and have a big shot at winning.

Long shot — Emerging Market (15-1): Emerging Market fits the Louisiana theme and is one of the most intriguing, lightly raced colts in the race. He is 2-for-2, stretching out from a sharp maiden win at Tampa to a gritty victory in the Louisiana Derby at 1-3/16 miles, so the Derby distance is well within his scope. Flavien Prat, who has consistently delivered in Triple Crown races, signed on here instead of sticking with Florida Derby winner Commandment, which speaks volumes about how live this horse is.The last horse to win the Derby with only two starts was

to Japan to stand as a stallion.

He was Japan’s leading sire for 13 consecutive years from 19952007, and his ancestors have won races all over the world.

Interest in mainstream dirt racing ramped up a little after that, around the time Victoire Pisa delivered Japan’s first Dubai World Cup championship in 2011.

American Pharoah, who won the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 2015 to end a 37-year Triple Crown drought, is in Japan breeding until July.

“Obviously he produced a lot of good horses in Japan, too, so Japanese people love American Pharoah babies,” Ando said. “I’m really interested to see how his babies perform because we have many good Japanese mares.”

While the result of his stay in Japan won’t be evident for a few years, the country is churning out strong horses on a regular basis, coming a long way from its debut Ski Captain finishing 14th in 1995.

Master Fencer in 2019 and Derma Sotogake in ‘23 each were sixth, and Forever Young was a very close third two years ago when Mystik Dan beat Sierra Leone by a nose.

The post time just before 7 p.m. at Churchill Downs makes the Kentucky Derby a first Sunday morning in May event in Japan, and all the horses coming from there running in it is making fans take notice.

“Last couple years, Japanese racing people understand the Kentucky Derby,” Ando said. “Even the public knows the Kentucky Derby now, which is great for betting, great for the industry.”

Ando just wants to keep experiencing the Derby, which he called the best atmosphere in racing — and addictive. The chance to have a Japanese presence almost annually is certainly no accident, given how intentional Japanese stakeholders have been about getting to the elite level of the sport.

“The important thing is, how does the money fund the horse racing industry as a whole?”

Hashimoto said. “Not only the racing: breeding, training, training, training and racing and back to breeding. We have to invest the money to all the aspects of horse racing.”

Leonatus in 1883. But at a 15–1 morning line, Emerging Market is exactly the kind of lightly raced with big upside long shot who can blow up the exotics.

(Patrick McGoey is a commercial litigator from New Orleans and won the 2011 & 2012 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and 2018 Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge.)

JEFF DUNCAN’S ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS: I lack a strong conviction for this year’s race, the way I did with Sovereignty a year ago.The race seems to have several win-worthy contenders with no true standout.When in doubt, I rely on my tried-and-true formula, which winnows the field down to the horses that have proven they can run a 100-plus Beyer Speed Figure, which is traditionally what is needed to win the Derby.

1. Further Ado (6-1): Trainer Brad Cox has never had a horse cross the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby, but this could be his year. He has three quality prospects, led by this speedy son of Gun Runner. Further Ado owns the fastest Beyer Speed Figure (106) in the field. If rider John Velazquez can get him into a good stalking position into the first turn, I think he will pounce on the rest of the field at the top of the stretch.

2. Chief Wallabee (8-1): This talented Bill Mott-trainee has done nothing wrong in three career starts and looks poised to make a jump to a new lifetime best performance.That’s what it will take to win the Derby in only his fourth lifetime start. In Mott, we trust.

3. Emerging Market (15-1): The Louisiana Derby winner is lightly raced and will try to become the first horse in modern history to win the Derby after only two lifetime starts.Trainer Chad Brown is extremely high on him and wouldn’t have entered him in the race if he didn’t think he could win.

Long shot – Fulleffort (20-1), Golden Tempo (30-1): Why pick one when two will do? Not sure either is fast enough to win, but I am confident both will get the distance and can hit the board.They’re trained by two of the best conditioners in the sport, Cox and Cherie DeVaux. I will throw both of these colts into my trifecta and superfecta bets.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 5C

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Cardinals continue to beat Pirates ace Skenes

BY WILL GRAVES

ente Wall in right.

Ivan Herrera followed with an infield single. Two batters later, Walker pounced on an 83 mph sweeper that caught the inside part of the plate. The ball sailed just over the glove of Pittsburgh left fielder Jake Mangum, sending the Cardinals on their way to their first four-game sweep at PNC Park

since 2019.

Asked why St. Louis might have his number — relatively speaking — the 23-year-old Skenes responded with his typical mix of sarcasm and blunt truth.

“They score more runs than us,” he said.

Skenes settled in — his nine strikeouts were a season high — but when the Cardinals were able to make contact, they made things happen. They added a run in the third after an infield single by Alec Burleson and a throwing error by rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin led to an RBI single by Nolan Gorman. In the fifth, Burleson flipped his bat at a changeup well off the plate and dumped it into left field to drive in Wetherholt.

“I think that sometimes teams go up there, try to work his pitch count, try to get that up,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t seem to be the case. They’re going up there swinging and trying to get their swing off. ... They put some good swings on the ball today.”

The Pirates fell to 16-16, hardly the horrific start of a year ago that cost former manager Derek Shelton his job, but it also has them off the pace a bit in the hyper-competitive NL Central with first-place Cincinnati coming in for the weekend.

“I mean, every team is going to have skids,” Skenes said. “Just got to get back to who we are and just play our game. Not try to do too much. Just think we’re trying to do too much a little bit, especially today. Just got to be us.”

could rehab and take care of my body, but also mentally, it made Continued from page 1C me stronger as a man.”

He joins a Saints cornerback room that is defined by its youth.

By the end of last season, the as a 12-game starter.

But Emerson missed the entire Saints were starting second2025 season, which also hap- year corner Kool-Aid McKinstry pened to be the final year of his on one side and rookie Quincy Riley on the other. The longestrookie contract.

The recovery was tough, Em- tenured Saint in last year’s deerson said. He spent nearly fensive secondary, Alontae Taytwo months on bed rest, where lor, signed a free agent contract he “couldn’t walk, couldn’t (do) with the Tennessee Titans this nothing” and needed help to get offseason.

Though Taylor’s departure creout of his bed. But the forced time away from the game also ated a void in the starting lineup, allowed Emerson time to slow Emerson said he has not played down and focus on other areas on the inside since he was in high he might otherwise not exercise. school. His conversations with When he couldn’t work with the Saints have primarily been his body, he trained his mind. about playing boundary corner.

And the Saints shouldn’t have He read self-help books, listing titles such as “48 Laws of Power” to wait too long to see what Emand “Why the Best are the Best.” erson can do.

Though he is less than a year And now that he’s recovered, he removed from a major injury, feels faster than he did before.

“That year built me up in a good Emerson said he was cleared “to way, honestly,” Emerson said. “I participate in everything” about

a month ago.

“I’m not sure how everything will look; I have to talk to everybody and we’ll get on the same page with that, but pretty much I’m full go,” Emerson said. “I don’t want to rush anything because I’m like nine months out, but training camp, I will be fullgo.”

The Pensacola, Florida, native said he grew up rooting for New Orleans because his grandmother, who served as a mother figure for him, was a huge fan of Drew Brees and the Saints. He’s grateful to be just a short drive away from home, especially with a team that believes in what he can do.

“They know what type of player I am, they believe, and they’re excited to see the player I come back to be after the injury,” Emerson said. “They believe in me.

I’m going to come in, put my head down and compete every day and be the best player I can be.”

AP sportswriter

PITTSBURGH — The almost maniacal preparation Paul Skenes pours into every start is already the stuff of legend, just two years into his career.

Still, even the Pittsburgh Pirates ace knows no matter how his pregame routine goes, he’s never really sure what kind of stuff he’s going to have on a given day until he steps onto the mound and the leadoff hitter steps into the box.

Many times, such as last week in Milwaukee, it’s nearly perfect.

Then there are afternoons like Thursday against St. Louis, when the command that seems to come so easily looks far more ordinary than extraordinary.

Skenes’ third pitch of the game landed in the right-field seats at PNC Park courtesy of Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt. Three batters later, Jordan Walker turned on a sweeper that didn’t sweep and sent it into the first row of bleachers in left to give the Cardinals the early momentum on their way to a 10-5 victory and a four-game sweep.

The loss dropped Skenes (4-2) to 0-5 against the Cardinals, though that number is a little misleading.

His career ERA versus St. Louis sits at 2.95, even after allowing five runs, four earned, in his first rocky performance since a bumpy opening day in New York against the Mets.

That number is telling of the almost impossibly high standard

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GENE J. PUSKAR

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes walks to the dugout after pitching the top of the first inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Skenes has set for himself during his rapid rise from first overall draft pick to arguably the best pitcher in the game.

“Nobody expects more out of Paul Skenes than Paul does out of himself,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “I think when he has a game like today or the opener, we have to find a way to pick him, be-

cause he picks us up all the time.”

Yet given a chance to put a halt to Pittsburgh’s first rough patch this season, Skenes didn’t quite have it.

He fell behind Wetherholt 2-0 before the St. Louis second baseman turned on a 95 mph fastball — a tick below the usual 98-99 range Skenes sits at — and laced it into the seats above the Roberto Clem-

SAINTS

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHARLES REX ARBOGAST

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, left, applauds yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, at the LIV Golf InvitationalChicago tournament on Sept. 18, 2022, in Sugar Hill, Ill.

Saudi Arabia pulling its funding from LIV Golf

BY EDDIE PELLS AP national writer

The billionaires in Saudi Arabia are pulling the plug on LIV Golf. It won’t be the first mega sports project they’ve given up on recently.

Over the last several weeks, the Saudis have bailed on a Winter Olympics-style sports festival and sold one of their best soccer teams, all while shifting the strategy of their multibillion-dollar investment fund that bankrolls it all.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund, helmed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, recently delivered a new prospectus outlining its strategy for 2026-30. The strategy focuses on more internal investment while “maximizing financial returns, strengthening investment efficiency and increasing private sector participation.”

The ultimate goal is to fulfill the prince’s “Vision 2030,” which seeks to enhance and overhaul Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure and make tourism a more focal point of an oil-based economy.

It follows an era in which the fund poured staggering sums of money into various sports ventures around the world. Soccer has been a centerpiece — the country is hosting the 2034 World Cup, while PIF owns a majority stake in Newcastle of the Premier League and bolsters the Saudi Pro League.

The fund has also spent big on men’s and women’s pro tennis, Formula 1, boxing and more.

LIV Golf, though not the most expensive, is the highest profile among them; the fund has reportedly poured some $5 billion into LIV without receiving any return.

“For the past two years, we’ve seen the beginning of the scaling back of some of the mega projects that were announced in 2021, 2022,” Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy “That’s exactly when LIV Golf began, as well.”

LIV Golf has new leadership and a new business strategy The PIF announced Thursday it

would withdraw funding for LIV Golf after 2026, ending weeks of speculation and reporting that the Saudis were about to cut the cord.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor who was behind the creation of LIV Golf, is no longer listed as chairman of LIV Golf amid reports he has resigned from that role.

Staff and players have been aware for the last two weeks the PIF was only going to support LIV Golf through the end of this year.

LIV responded with a new board and a plan to diversify into an investment model with hopes of finding long-term partners.

The PIF’s deep pockets were integral for LIV in prying some of the sport’s best players from the PGA Tour. It spent $1 billion to land the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and eventually Jon Rahm, the last big signing at the end of 2023.

In an interview earlier this week with The Wall Street Journal, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said: “We’re interested in having the best players who can help our tour. Not every player can do that.”

Already, five-time major winner Koepka has moved back to the tour from LIV, and Masters champion Patrick Reed plans to return later this year.

In a sign of the times, Saudis scale back multibillion-dollar plans for super-city About three months ago, Saudi Arabia scaled back plans for a futuristic super-city project called The Line inside a bigger project called “Neom” that was supposed to span more than 100 miles and run from the Red Sea across the desert mountains.

One feature of the project was a resort called Trojena, which was envisioned as a year-round ski resort that would host the 2029 Asian Winter Games (which themselves were moved instead to Kazakhstan). It could have served as a dress rehearsal for future Olympics or, at the very least, the 2034 World Cup that has already been awarded to the kingdom.

LSU

Continued from page 1C to Tulane, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

“The goal is to win all three games this weekend,” Johnson said. “That’s where my focus is at. It’s where the team’s focus is.

It’s where I want the team’s focus to be.”

LSU finds itself in uncharted territory, especially for a program that is coming off two national championships in three years and entered the season as the No. 2 team in the country. But as unusual as this season has been for LSU, it’s also on pace to be an outlier on Johnson’s résumé.

In 12 seasons as a Division I head coach, Johnson has only missed the NCAA Tournament four times (three times, not including the COVID year). But in the three years where he didn’t crack the field, his teams still had a chance to make the big dance heading into the final weeks of the season.

“I’ve never been in a position like this,” Johnson said. “Even in the Mountain West, the Mountain West tournament is double elimination. My first year in Nevada, we would have had to win the tournament to get in. But every other year, we’ve been in a position to be in the NCAA Tournament until the final game of the season.

“That’s not really the case, as we stand today. Doesn’t mean that can’t change, but we’re not in that position today.”

After laying the groundwork in his first season at Nevada, Johnson led the Wolfpack to a 41-15 record and their first Mountain West regular-season title in program history. But they still missed the NCAA Tournament after going 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference tournament, suffering losses to New Mexico and San Diego State.

The other two instances in which Johnson missed out on the NCAA Tournament came at Ari-

ON DECK WHO: South Carolina (22-24, 7-14 SEC) at LSU (25-21, 6-15) WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday WHERE: Alex Box Stadium ONLINE/TV: SEC Network+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette) RANKINGS: Both teams are unranked.

PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — RHP William Schmidt (4-4, 4.17 ERA); South Carolina. — RHP Amp Phillips (3-5, 3.27) PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LSU moves Schmidt into the Friday starting role with sophomore right-hander Casan Evans’ status for this weekend uncertain.The Tigers are taking it slow with Evans after he was scratched from his start last Friday due to arm discomfort. Phillips gave up five earned runs in just 11/ 3 innings last weekend against Kentucky.

Koki Riley zona, when the Wildcats didn’t get there in 2018 and 2019.

In 2018, Arizona only won 34 games despite having one of the best offenses in the Pac-12. The Wildcats won their past two series in conference play against Arizona State and Oregon, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 14-16 conference record or a 5-5 start to the season.

The Wildcats won even fewer games the next year (32), but also led all Power Five teams in batting average and finished the season winning 13 of their

past 14 games. What ultimately determined their fate was how they played during the middle of the year, when a seven-game losing streak and another stretch in which they lost 10 of 12 games placed them in a deep hole.

Unlike with Arizona in 2018 or 2019, LSU probably won’t be in the hunt for a spot in the NCAA Tournament on May 14, when the Tigers begin their final series of the regular season against Florida. They would have to, at the very least, sweep South Carolina and win the series at Georgia next weekend to be in consideration for the tournament heading into their three-game set with the Gators.

Their best path to making the big dance may be through winning the SEC Tournament. They’d need to go 5-0 over six days, but even the odds of that happening, given their injuries and seasonlong struggles, are unlikely to say the least.

“The season is not over. We are where we are; we’ve had 46 games, and we have accountability for that,” Johnson said. “But we still have 10 more games in the regular season, and I’ve seen things change quicker.”

This year has turned into a nightmare for LSU, and the season is on track to become one of the worst in Johnson’s head coaching career. But for a program that has already had so much success under his command, this season is likely nothing more than just a blip on the radar for Johnson and LSU. “He’s done a great job of managing everything. He’s the best coach I’ve ever played for,” junior shortstop Steven Milam said.

“I have the most faith and belief in him. And he’s telling us to be positive, and what you have to do is just get back to work.

“There is no running from it.

There’s no way around it. You have to attack it head-on, and that’s what he wants us to do, but you have to stay positive and in all this negative.”

6C ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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SCOREBOARD Hole-in-one

Wednesday, April 22: OKC 120, Phoenix 107 Saturday, April 25: OKC 121, Phoenix 109 Monday, April 27: OKC 131, Phoenix 122

Andrew Lindstrom

San Antonio 4, Portland 1

Course: City Park Hole, yardage: No. 6, 260 yards Club selection: Driver Witnesses: n/a

Sunday, April 19: San Antonio 111, Portland 98 Tuesday, April 21: Portland 106, S. Antonio 103 Friday, April 24: S. Antonio 120, Portland 108 Sunday, April 26: S. Antonio 114, Portland 93 Tuesday, April 28: San Antonio 114, Portland 95

Odds

Hockey

NBA Friday

FAVORITE Detroit Cleveland at HOUSTON

LINE 3½ 4 3½

MLB

O/U (210½) (219½) (206½)

UNDERDOG at ORLANDO at TORONTO LA Lakers

NHL Playoffs Wednesday’s games

Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 2, Montreal leads series 3-2 Philadelphia 1, Pitt. 0, Phila wins series 4-2 Utah at Vegas, n

Thursday’s games

Friday

American League FAVORITE LINE Texas -116 at N.Y YANKEES OFF at BOSTON OFF Toronto -110 Cleveland -112 at SEATTLE -156 National League FAVORITE LINE at CHI CUBS -132 at PITTSBURGH -124 Milwaukee -154 Philadelphia -126 LA Dodgers -172 Atlanta -205 Interleague FAVORITE LINE at TAMPA BAY -130 N.Y Mets -122 at SAN DIEGO -148

NHL

Friday FAVORITE Tampa Bay Buffalo Vegas

LINE -115 -116 -115

Minnesota 5, Dallas 2, Minn. wins series 4-2 Edmonton at Anaheim, n

UNDERDOG at DETROIT Baltimore Houston at MINNESOTA at ATHLETICS Kansas City

LINE -102 OFF OFF -106 -104 +132

UNDERDOG Arizona Cincinnati at WASH at MIAMI at ST. LOUIS at COLORADO

LINE +112 +106 +130 +108 +144 +172

UNDERDOG San Francisco at LA ANGELS Chi. White Sox

LINE +110 +104 +126

Southern at Mississippi Valley State, 5 p.m.

Tulane at Charlotte, 5 p.m.

Georgia State at UL, 6 p.m.

UNO at Nicholls, 6 p.m.

Southeastern at Lamar, 6:05 p.m.

South Carolina at LSU, 6:30 p.m.

LINE -105 -104 -105

Georgia State at UL, 2 p.m.

Tulane at Charlotte, 3 p.m.

Southern at Mississippi Valley State, 5 p.m.

Southeastern at Lamar, 5:05 p.m.

South Carolina at LSU, 6 p.m.

UNO at Nicholls, 6 p.m.

UNDERDOG at MONTREAL at BOSTON at UTAH

Pro basketball NBA Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Eastern Conference

New York 4, Atlanta 2

Saturday, April 18: New York 113, Atlanta 102 Monday, April 20: Atlanta 107, New York 106 Thursday, April 23: Atl. 109, New York 108 Saturday, April 25: New York 114, Atlanta 98 Tuesday, April 28: New York 126, Atlanta 97 Thursday, April 30: New York 140, Atlanta 89

Orlando 3, Detroit 2

Sunday, April 19: Orlando 112, Detroit 101 Wednesday, April 22: Detroit 98, Orlando 83 Saturday, April 25: Orlando 113, Detroit 105 Monday, April 27: Orlando 94, Detroit 88 Wednesday, April 29: Detroit 116, Orlando 109 Friday, May 1: Detroit at Orlando, TBA x-Sunday, May 3: Orlando at Detroit, TBA

Boston 3, Philadelphia 3

Sunday, April 19: Boston 123, Philadelphia 91 Tuesday, April 21: Philadelphia 111, Boston 97 Friday, April 24: Boston 108, Philadelphia 100 Sunday, April 26: Boston 128, Philadelphia 96 Tuesday, April 28: Philadelphia 113, Boston 97 Thursday, April 30: Philadelphia 106, Boston 93 Saturday, May 2: Phila. at Boston, TBA

Cleveland 3, Toronto 2

Saturday, April 18: Cleveland 126, Toronto 113 Monday, April 20: Cleveland 115, Toronto 105 Thursday, April 23: Toronto 126, Cleveland 104 Sunday, April 26: Toronto 93, Cleveland 89 Wednesday, April 29: Cleveland 125, Toronto 120 Friday, May 1: Cleveland at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. x-Sunday, May 3: Toronto at Cleveland, TBA

Western Conference

L.A. Lakers 3, Houston 2

Saturday, April 18: L.A. Lakers 107, Houston 98 Tuesday, April 21: L.A. Lakers 101, Houston 94 Friday, April 24: L.A. Lakers 112, Hou. 108, OT Sunday, April 26: Houston 115, L.A. Lakers 96 Wednesday, April 29: Houston 99, L.A. Lakers 93 Friday, May 1: L.A. Lakers at Houston, 8:30 p.m. x-Sunday, May 3: Hou. at L.A. Lakers, TBA

Minnesota 3, Denver 2

Saturday, April 18: Denver 116, Minn. 105 Monday, April 20: Minnesota 119, Denver 114 Thursday, April 23: Minnesota 113, Denver 96 Saturday, April 25: Minnesota 112, Denver 96 Monday, April 27: Denver 125, Minnesota 113 Thursday, April 30: Denver at Minn., n x-Saturday, May 2: Minn. at Denver, TBA

Oklahoma City 4, Phoenix 0

Sunday, April 19: OKC 119, Phoenix 84

Friday’s games

Tampa Bay at Montreal, 6 p.m.

Buffalo at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Vegas at Utah, 9 p.m.

College baseball Area schedule

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL East Division

Si Woo Kim Min Woo Lee Hideki Matsuyama Kristoffer Reitan Sepp Straka Justin Thomas Harry Hall David Lipsky Denny McCarthy Maverick McNealy Andrew Novak Taylor Pendrith J.T. Poston Patrick Rodgers Scottie Scheffler Sam Stevens Keegan Bradley Pierceson Coody Alex Fitzpatrick Ryan Fox Ryan Gerard Lucas Glover Max Greyserman Russell Henley Ryo Hisatsune Shane Lowry J.J. Spaun Ricky Castillo Corey Conners Chris Gotterup

36-34—70 34-36—70 35-35—70 34-36—70 33-37—70 33-37—70 36-35—71 34-37—71 34-37—71 36-35—71 35-36—71 36-35—71 36-35—71 34-37—71 33-38—71 33-38—71 36-36—72 35-37—72 36-36—72 35-37—72 34-38—72 37-35—72 35-37—72 35-37—72 35-37—72 37-35—72 35-37—72 36-37—73 36-37—73 34-39—73

Wednesday’s games

Pro tennis

Friday’s games

World Tour Mutua Madrid Open results

UL 7, Nicholls 1 UNO 4, South Alabama 2

-2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 E E E E E E E E E E E +1 +1 +1

Thursday

Sunday’s games

Semifinals Mirra Andreeva (9), Russia, def. Hailey Baptiste (30), United States, 6-4, 7-6 (8).

Area schedule Thursday’s games

LSU 3, Auburn 0 South Alabama 4, UL 0 Southland Conference tournament No. 1 Southeastern vs. No. 8 Texas A&MCorpus Christi, n McNeese State 5, Stephen F. Austin 4 Nicholls State 7, Northwestern State 4

Saturday’s games

UL at South Alabama, 1 p.m.

Auburn at LSU, 4 p.m.

Pro golf Cadillac Championship par scores Thursday

32-32—64 33-32—65 31-34—65 35-31—66 34-33—67 33-35—68 36-32—68 35-33—68 35-34—69 32-37—69 33-36—69 34-35—69 33-36—69 33-36—69 33-37—70 35-35—70 34-36—70 34-36—70 37-33—70 35-35—70

Women’s Singles

Men’s Doubles

Quarterfinals Harri Heliovaara, Finland, and Henry Patten (3), Britain, def. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo (5), El Salvador, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Luke Johnson, Britain, and Jan Zielinski, Poland, def. Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia, France, 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.

Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, and Manuel Guinard, France, def. Romain Arneodo and Valentin Vacherot, Monaco, 6-4, 3-6, 10-6.

Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, Argentina, def. Evan King, United States, and Andre Goransson, Sweden, 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Major League Baseball

UL at South Alabama, 1 p.m.

Auburn at LSU, 4 p.m.

NW State vs. Stephen F. Austin, 11 a.m.

McNeese State vs. Nicholls State, 2 p.m.

At Blue Monster at Doral Miami Purse: $20 million Yardage: 7,739; Par: 72 First Round Cameron Young Alex Smalley Jordan Spieth Nick Taylor Nicolas Echavarria Brian Harman Andrew Putnam Gary Woodland Bud Cauley Rickie Fowler Tom Hoge Matthew McCarty Aldrich Potgieter Sahith Theegala Akshay Bhatia Brian Campbell Tommy Fleetwood Ben Griffin Max Homa Sungjae Im

Quarterfinals Alexander Blockx, Belgium, def. Casper Ruud (12), Norway, 6-4, 6-4.

Transactions

Friday’s games

-8 -7 -7 -6 -5 -4 -4 -4 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Recalled RHP Jose Espada from Chesapeake (EL).

BOSTON RED SOX — Optioned UTL Nate Eaton to Worcester (IL).

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Optioned LF George Valera to Columbus (IL).

DETROIT TIGERS — Sent 2B Zach McKinstry to Lakeland (FSL) on a rehab assignment.

HOUSTON ASTROS — Placed RHP Ryan Weiss on the paternity list. Reinstated RHP Cody Bolton from the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Jason Alexander from Sugar Land (PCL).

MINNESOTA TWINS — Reinstated RHP Travis Adams from the 15-day IL. Optioned RHP Travis Adams to St. Paul (IL).

National League CINCINNATI REDS — Placed LHP Brandon Williamson on the 15-day IL. Recalled RHP Zach Maxwell from Louisville (IL).

NEW YORK METS — Placed CF Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 27.

Designated RHP Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment. Recalled RHP Austin Warren and 1B Eric Wagaman from Syracuse (IL). Selected the contract of RHP Trevor Richards from Lehigh Valley.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Recalled RHP Nolan Hoffman from Lehigh Valley (IL). Placed LHP Kyle Backhus on the 15-day IL retroactive to April 27.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — Recalled RHP Trevor McDonald from Sacramento (PCL).

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Reinstated RHP Hunter Dobbins from the 15-day IL. Optioned RHP Ryan Fernandez to Memphis (IL).

BASKETBALL

Women’s National Basketball Association CHICAGO SKY — Waived Gs Jordan Hobbs and Megan Nestor.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL May 1 1884 — Toledo’s Moses Fleetwood Walker became the first black player in the pre-modern era of the major leagues. His Blue Stockings lost 5-1 to Louisville.

1891 — In front of almost 10,000 fans, Cy Young of the Cleveland Spiders defeats the Cincinnati Reds, 12 - 3, in the first game ever played in Cleveland’s League Park.

1901 — Chicago’s Herm McFarland hit the first grand slam in American League history and Dummy Hoy also homered in the Chicago White Sox’ 19-9 rout of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers committed an AL record 12 errors, 10 by the infield, in the loss.

1906 — John Lush of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter at Brooklyn, beating the Dodgers 6-0.

1920 — Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves and Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers each pitched 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, the longest in major league history.

1920 — Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a Yankee, and 50th of his career, as New York beat Boston 6-0 at the Polo Grounds.

1925 — The Philadelphia Athletics introduce another future Hall of Famer, 17-year-old catcher Jimmie Foxx, who pinch-hits a single in the 9-4 loss to the Washington Senators.

1926 — Legendary pitcher Satchel Paige makes his debut in the Negro Southern League.

1944 — George Myatt of Washington went 6-for6 and the Senators beat the Boston Braves 11-4.

1951 — New York’s Mickey Mantle hit his first major league home run in an 8-3 loss at Chicago. The first of Mantle’s 536 homers came in the sixth inning off Randy Gumpert.

1968 — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher John Boozer was ejected by umpire Ed Vargo at Shea Stadium for throwing spitballs during his warmup pitches. Boozer was the second major league pitcher to be ejected from a game for this.

1969 — Houston’s Don Wilson beat the Cincinnati Reds with a 4-0 no-hitter at Crosley Field, one day after the Reds’ Jim Maloney no-hit the Astros and nine days after Wilson absorbed a 14-0 pounding by Cincinnati.

1973 — The San Francisco Giants scored seven runs with two outs in the ninth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7.

1975 — Hank Aaron collects four hits and two RBI in the Brewers’ 17-3 win over Detroit. This brings his career RBI total to 2,211, breaking Babe Ruth’s published record of 2,209.

1984 — Dwight Gooden became the first teenager to strike out a least ten batters in a game since Bert Blyleven did it in 1970. The Mets’ 19-year-old phenom would set a major league rookie record with 276 strikeouts.

1991 — Rickey Henderson surpassed Lou Brock as baseball’s career stolen base leader with his 939th steal as the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 7-4.

1991 — Nolan Ryan pitched his seventh no-hitter, struck out 16 and shut down the best-hitting team in the majors, as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0.

1992 — The Dodgers postponed a three-game series against Montreal because of rioting in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict.

1992 — Rickey Henderson garners his 1,000th stolen base.

2000 — San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds becomes the first player to hit a ball into San Francisco Bay (McCovey’s Cove) as the first “splashdown” home run at Pacific Bell Park.

2002 — With a save against the Chicago Cubs, San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman set the major league record for the most saves with one team, 321. He broke Dennis Eckersley’s record of 320 with Oakland.

2012 — Orioles manager Buck Showalter wins his 1,000th game as a major league skipper when the O’s defeat the Yankees, 7-1.

2015 — Alex Rodriguez ties Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time home run list when he hits number 660 against the Red Sox. 2020 — Even though there is no baseball being currently played, P Emmanuel Clase of the Indians manages to get himself suspended, as the results of a test are positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid. He will be suspended for 80 games from whenever the season eventually starts.

2022 — Kelsie Whitmore becomes the first woman to start a game in the Atlantic League, which is now part of Organized Baseball as a partner league of Major League Baseball, when she starts in left field for the Staten Island FerryHawks against the Gastonia Honey Hunters.

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Cincinnati Chicago St. Louis Milwaukee Pittsburgh

W 20 19 18 16 16

L 11 12 13 14 16

Pct .645 .613 .581 .533 .500

GB — 1 2 3½ 4½

GB — 1½ 2 5½ 5½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona Colorado San Francisco

W 20 19 16 14 13

L 11 11 14 18 18

Pct .645 .633 .533 .438 .419

GB — ½ 3½ 6½ 7

Cleveland Detroit Chicago Minnesota Kansas City

L 16 16 17 18 19

Pct .500 .500 .452 .419 .387

Athletics Seattle Texas Houston Los Angeles

W 17 16 15 12 12

L 14 16 16 20 20

Pct .548 .500 .484 .375 .375

West Division

Wednesday’s games

Central Division

West Division

Wednesday’s games

Miami 3, L.A. Dodgers 2 Chicago Cubs 5, San Diego 4 Colorado 13, Cincinnati 2 Atlanta 4, Detroit 3 St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 4 Washington 14, N.Y. Mets 2 Arizona 6, Milwaukee 2 San Francisco at Philadelphia, ppd.

Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 1 Chicago White Sox 3, L.A. Angels 2, 10 innings Seattle 5, Minnesota 3 Texas 3, N.Y. Yankees 0 Toronto 8, Boston 1 Atlanta 4, Detroit 3 Athletics 5, Kansas City 2 Houston at Baltimore, ppd.

Thursday’s games

Cincinnati 6, Colorado 4 Philadelphia 3, San Francisco 2, 1st game Detroit 5, Atlanta 2 St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 5 Washington 5, N.Y. Mets 4 Milwaukee 13, Arizona 1 San Francisco at Philadelphia, ppd., 2nd game

Thursday’s games

Texas (Gore 2-2) at Detroit (Flaherty 0-2), 5:40 p.m.

Baltimore (TBD) at N.Y. Yankees (Warren 3-0), 6:05 p.m.

Houston (Burrows 1-3) at Boston (TBD), 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Ray 2-3) at Tampa Bay (McClanahan 2-2), 6:10 p.m.

Toronto (Corbin 0-0) at Minnesota (Woods Richardson 0-4), 7:10 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Scott 0-0) at L.A. Angels (Ureña 0-3), 8:38 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Schultz 1-1) at San Diego (Márquez 3-1), 8:40 p.m.

Cleveland (Cantillo 1-1) at Athletics (Ginn 0-0), 8:40 p.m.

Kansas City (Ragans 1-4) at Seattle (Woo 1-2), 8:45 p.m.

Friday’s games

Arizona (Gallen 1-1) at Chicago Cubs (Rea 3-1), 1:20 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 2-1) at Pittsburgh (Keller 2-1), 5:45 p.m.

Milwaukee (Misiorowski 1-2) at Washington (Irvin 1-3), 5:45 p.m.

Philadelphia (Wheeler 0-0) at Miami (Pérez 2-2), 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Ray 2-3) at Tampa Bay (McClanahan 2-2), 6:10 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Sheehan 2-0) at St. Louis (Liberatore 0-1), 7:15 p.m.

Atlanta (Holmes 2-1) at Colorado (Quintana 1-2), 7:40 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Scott 0-0) at L.A. Angels (Ureña 0-3), 8:38 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Schultz 1-1) at San Diego (Márquez 3-1), 8:40 p.m.

BOX SCORES Houston 11, Baltimore 5

Detroit 5, Atlanta 2

Houston

Detroit Atlanta ab r h bi ab r h bi McGoni. ss 2 0 0 0 Acuña rf 5 0 1 0 Torres 2b 4 0 3 1 Baldwin c 3 0 1 0 Keith dh 4 0 2 0 Albies 2b 4 1 2 0 Jones ph-dh 1 0 0 0 Olson 1b 4 0 0 0 Greene lf 3 1 0 0 Riley 3b 4 0 0 0 Torkelson 1b 5 0 2 0 Dubó. lf-ss 3 1 1 1 Carpenter rf 4 1 1 0 Farmer dh 3 0 1 0 W.Pérez ph-rf0 1 0 0 Harris ph 1 0 0 0 Vierling cf 5 2 3 2 Mateo ss 2 0 0 0 H.Lee 3b 3 0 0 0 Ystrz. ph-lf 2 0 1 0 Rogers c 3 0 0 0 White cf 3 0 1 1 Dingler ph-c 2 0 1 1 D.Smith ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 36 512 4 Totals 35 2 8 2 Detroit 000 001 022 — 5 Atlanta 011 000 000 — 2 E—Yastrzemski (2). LOB—Detroit 13, Atlanta 8. 2B—Vierling (6), Dingler (6), Albies (6), Acuña (8). 3B—Carpenter (2).

SF—Torres (2).

IP H R ER BB SO Detroit Valdez 6 6 2 2 0 8 Anderson W,1-0 2 1 0 0 1 2 Finnegan S,1-1 1 1 0 0 0 1 Atlanta Elder 6 6 1 1 3 5 Kinley H,5 1 2 0 0 1 1 Payam. L,0-2 BS,0-1 1⁄3 2 2 2 1 1 2 Bummer ⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 J.Suarez 1 2 2 2 2 2 HBP—Valdez (Dubón). WP—Valdez.

ABS Challenge—Vierling (StrikeOverturned to Ball); Valdez (Ball-Confirmed); Torres (StrikeOverturned to Ball); Suarez (BallOverturned to Strike); Acuña (StrikeConfirmed).

Pitch timer violations—Anderson (pitcher).

Baltimore

ab r h bi ab r h bi Matthews 2b 6 1 1 0 Henders. ss 4 0 1 1 Alvarez dh 4 3 3 1 B.Alexand. ss 1 0 0 0 Paredes 3b 5 2 2 1 Ward dh 1 1 0 0 Walker 1b 5 0 2 1 Cowser ph 0 1 0 0 Harris lf 4 1 1 3 Beavers lf 5 0 1 0 Diaz c 5 1 3 1 Alonso 1b 3 1 1 1 Smith rf 4 1 1 3 Mayo 1b 1 0 0 1 Johnson cf 4 1 1 0 Basallo c 5 0 0 0 Shewm. ss 5 1 1 0 O’Neill rf 2 1 1 0 Taveras cf 3 1 1 2 Wilson 3b 3 0 1 0 Jackson 2b 4 0 0 0 Totals 42 1115 10 Totals 32 5 6 5 Houston 510 410 000 — 11 Baltimore 000 300 101 — 5 E—Jackson (4). LOB—Houston 8, Baltimore 9. 2B—Alonso (7), Henderson (6). 3B— Taveras (1). HR—Smith (4), Alvarez (12).

SF—Harris (1), Mayo (1).

IP H R ER BB SO Houston McCullers W,2-2 6 2 3 3 4 9 Abreu 1 2 1 1 2 3 De Los Santos 1 1 0 0 1 2 Bolton 1 1 1 1 1 0 Baltimore Young L,2-1 4 10 10 7 2 2 Foster 2 3 1 1 1 2 Akin 1 1 0 0 0 1 Wells 1 1 0 0 0 0 Cano 1 0 0 0 0 2 WP—McCullers, Foster(2).

ABS Challenge—Young (Ball-Confirmed); Smith (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Beavers (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Bolton (BallOverturned to Strike); Basallo (StrikeConfirmed).

Umpires—Home, Stu Scheuwater; First, Junior Valentine; Second, Jordan Baker;

St. Louis 10, Pittsburgh 5

Washington 5, N.Y. Mets 4

St. Louis

Washington

Pittsburgh ab r h bi ab r h bi Wetherh. 2b 4 2 2 1 Cruz cf 4 2 1 0 Herrera dh 4 2 1 0 Lowe 2b 5 1 2 1 Burleson 1b 5 1 3 3 Reynolds rf 4 1 2 2 Walker rf 5 1 2 3 O’Hearn dh 4 0 0 0 Gorman 3b 5 1 2 1 Gonzales 3b 2 0 0 0 Winn ss 5 1 1 0 Horwitz 1b 3 0 0 1 Church lf 5 1 1 2 Griffin ss 4 0 1 0 Pagés c 5 0 2 0 Mangum lf 3 1 1 0 Scott cf 2 1 0 0 Davis c 3 0 0 0 Yorke ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 40 1014 10 Totals 33 5 7 4 St. Louis 301 010 050 — 10 Pittsburgh 000 120 101 — 5 E—Walker (1), Griffin (4). DP—St. Louis 1, Pittsburgh 0. LOB—St. Louis 7, Pittsburgh 8. 2B—Church (2), Reynolds 2 (4), Lowe (8).

HR—Wetherholt (7), Walker (9), Lowe (8).

S—Scott (6).

IP H R ER BB SO St. Louis Dobbins 41⁄3 2 3 3 5 4 2 Bruihl ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 1 Graceffo W,2-0 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 2 Romero H,8 ⁄3 1 1 1 1 2 Stanek 1 1 0 0 0 1 Svanson 1 2 1 1 0 0 Pittsburgh Skenes L,4-2 5 8 5 4 0 9 Ramírez 1 1 0 0 0 1 Montgomery 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 Mattson ⁄3 3 5 5 2 0 Devenski 11⁄3 2 0 0 0 2 HBP—Graceffo (Gonzales). WP—Skenes.

ABS Challenge—Walker (StrikeConfirmed); Skenes (Ball-Confirmed); Herrera (Strike-Confirmed); Ramírez (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Reynolds (Strike-Confirmed).

Pitch timer violations—Bruihl (pitcher).

New York ab r h bi ab r h bi Wood rf 3 0 0 0 Bichett. 3b 3 1 0 0 García 1b 4 1 2 0 Soto dh 3 2 2 0 Lile lf 4 1 0 0 Melend. lf 2 1 2 3 Abrams ss 3 1 2 3 Slate. ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Tena dh 3 0 0 0 Vientos 1b 4 0 1 1 Vivas 3b 4 1 1 0 Baty rf 2 0 0 0 Nuñez 2b 4 1 1 0 Tayl. ph-cf 2 0 0 0 Millas c 2 0 0 0 Semien 2b 4 0 0 0 Mead ph 1 0 0 0 Beng. cf-rf 4 0 1 0 Ruiz c 1 0 0 0 Torrens c 2 0 0 0 Young cf 4 0 1 1 Alvarez ph 1 0 1 0 Mauri. ss 4 0 0 0 Totals 33 5 7 4 Totals 32 4 7 4 Washington 021 000 020 — 5 New York 003 001 000 — 4 E—Peralta (1). DP—Washington 0, New York 1. LOB—Washington 4, New York 5. 2B—García (6), Vientos (3), Soto (4), Alvarez (3). HR—Abrams (8), Melendez (2). SB—Nuñez (14). S—Melendez (1), Torrens (1).

IP H R ER BB SO Washington Mikolas 4 3 3 3 1 3 Parker W,2-0 3 2 1 1 1 0 Lovelady H,0 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 Varland S,3-5 11⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 New York Peralta 6 4 3 1 3 6 Raley H,4 1 0 0 0 0 2 Weaver L,2-1 BS,0-21 2 2 2 0 1 Williams 1 1 0 0 0 0 ABS Challenge—Williams (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Semien (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

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W 16 16 14 13 12

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L 10 16 17 19 21

L 11 12 16 16 19

Friday’s games

At Caja Magica Madrid Purse: €8,235,540 Surface: Red clay

Men’s Singles

College softball

W 22 15 15 12 10

W 20 18 15 14 12

Central Division

East Division Atlanta Miami Washington Philadelphia New York

New York Tampa Bay Baltimore Toronto Boston

Detroit 5, Atlanta 2 Baltimore 10, Houston 3, 1st game Athletics 6, Kansas City 3 Houston 11, Baltimore 5, 2nd game Minnesota 7, Toronto 1

Saturday’s games

Tulane at Charlotte, noon Georgia State at UL, 1 p.m.

Southern at Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m.

Southeastern at Lamar, 1:05 p.m.

South Carolina at LSU, 2 p.m.

UNO at Nicholls, 6 p.m.

National League glance

American League glance

PINCH, PEEL AND PAR RTY

MARDI GRAS IN MAY

The 12th annual Crawfish King Cook--off, which supports Junior Achievement and Big Buddy, seasons up downtown from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday at Rhorer Plaza. Thirty-fiveplus teams will compete for the Crawfish King Paddle and 10,000 pounds of crawdads will be served. crawfishkingcookoff.com.

The Spanish Town Pink Dress Crawl will crank up at 5 p.m. Saturday at Bogan Fire Station downtown. From there, the pink-dressed participants will make their way to participating bars as part of this coordinated official Spanish Town Parade after-party experience. Tickets are $24 at 13festivals.com/pink-dress-crawl.

FREE DAY

things to do this weekend

May 3 is the first Sunday in May and that M means free admission at these museums and centers: Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Old State Capitol, Old Governors’ Mansion, Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, LSU Museum of Art, Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, and LSU Center for River Studies. Also, reduced fees for LASM’s planetarium shows.

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

F r i d ay, M ay 1, 2026

1dN

BATON ROUGE SOUL FOOD FESTIVAL

Two-day event returns for ninth year Staff report Two days of music, vendors and a contest to see who can down the most mustard greens and cornbread?

Must be the ninth annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, taking place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, at the Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.

The free, family-friendly event features blues, soul, R&B, jazz, gospel and Christian music. It also has a vendors’ village, judged soul food cooking contest and the aforementioned eating competition.

Returning to the festival stage will be Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and the Listening Room Allstars including Ervin “Maestro” Foster and the My Better Half Band, King Solomon, Kelton ‘Nspire Harper and Pastor Leon Hitchens.

PROVIDED PHOTO By MATTHEW WALKER

Cade Williams, center, plays John Smith, who is married to Mary, played by Sophie Rollins, left, and Barbara, played by Brittany Zimmerman, in Sullivan Theater’s farcical comedy ‘Run For your Wife.’

‘RUN FOR YOUR WIFE’

STAFF FILE PHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Teddy Johnson, of Teddy’s Juke Joint, welcomes the crowd to the Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival in 2025. This year’s event is May 23-24.

Saturday’s talent lineup opens with soul and Southern bluesman Adam Gabriel, followed

by Susie Shepherd, the Phoenix Rouge Dance Troupe and Christian rapper Stephen King. New to the festival is blue-eyed soul Shadow Road Band and Christian singer-songwriter Karly Monday. Carlo Ditta also joins with his New Orleans R&B, followed by jazz instrumentalist Rodney Gipson. Closing Saturday’s schedule will be old school R&B band LA Grove.

Sunday’s lineup starts with Ms. Pressure, a Southern soul singer, and Southern blues and soul singer Mister Cotton, also new to the festival. Christian singer-songwriter Xavie Shorts is followed by the House of God Praise Team and Lisa Harris will return with her Tina Turner Revue. Soul singer Uncle Chess then will take the stage, followed

by Poet Sir AP and Christian singer-songwriter Princess Teha.

Closing the festival will be Eilene Rockette with the House of God Church Healing and Deliverance Youth Dance Praise Team.

Free Spirit, Kerwin Fealing and Princess Teha with DJ Olu will host.

Entry into the soul food cooking competition will remain open until May 15. Categories

ä See FESTIVAL, page 2D

Friday-Sunday and Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10.All performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of Sunday matinees which start at 2 p.m. l $33.50, adults; $28.50, students. l sullivantheater.com

J

Look for lies and slapstick to bookend the laughs in Sullivan Theater’s comedy ‘Run For your Wife’

BY ROBIN MILLER | Staff writer

ohn Russo opted to remain in the theater dressing room over mingling with the public the last time he played Stanley Gardener.

So, the public came to him. Well, at least one member of the public.

Russo’s character was the meddlesome neighbor to the main character of Ray Cooney’s “Run For Your Wife.” He’ll be reprising the role when Sullivan Theater opens its production of the farcical comedy on Friday.

It will be the third time Russo has played Stanley, and one of those times was in New Orleans, when an audience member sought him out after the production. ä See ‘WIFE’, page 2D

Award-winning Red Clay Strays hitting 2 La. venues Tickets go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. Friday for Red Clay Strays’ Nov. 5 concert at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, Baton Rouge, and Nov. 6 show at Brookshire Grocery Arena, Bossier City.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ROBBy KLEIN

BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer

Multigenre Mobile Alabamabased band The Red Clay Strays will swing through Louisiana for two shows on its “Grateful Tour” in November.

The band takes the stage at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena in Baton Rouge on Nov. 5 and the Brookshire

Grocery Arena in Bossier City on Nov. 6.

The North American headline tour is the largest live run so far for the award-winning, three-time RIAA Platinumcertified band. The tour opens in Columbia, Maryland, on July 30.

Of Louisiana note, New

ä See STRAYS, page 2D

2D ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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‘WIFE’

TODAY IN HISTORY

Continued from page 1D “I’ll never forget it,” Russo said. “I never liked going out meeting the crowd in costume afterwards, but it always used to help the theater grow and progress.

And I didn’t go out this one particular time, and a woman came back into the dark theater, and she kept saying, ‘Stanley Gardner, Stanley Gardner, I’ve gotta meet you.’”

Russo acquiesced, meeting her outside the dressing room.

“And she says, ‘I’ve got to tell you, my husband died two weeks ago, and I have cried every day since, until this play,’” Russo said. “She said it was the first time she’d laughed, and I can’t tell you how much that means. I well up when I think about it, and it was one of the richest moments I think I’ve ever had on stage, just to be told how what we did helped someone through laughter.”

Plenty of humor

By The Associated Press

PROVIDED PHOTO By MATTHEW WALKER

The cast for Sullivan Theater’s production of Ray Cooney’s farcical comedy, ‘Run For your Wife’ run of “Run For Your Wife.”

“It’s the longest-running play in London,” director Madalyn Mullins said. “The play has been produced in so many countries. They have productions of it in China, Japan and France right now.

And I’ve read where they even have one in Ghana.”

Mullins also directed Sullivan’s production of the farce, “Noises Off,” in August, so she was well prepared to take on Cooney’s comedy, which premiered on London’s West End in 1983.

If done right, the comedy will have the audience laughing from beginning to end. But a lot of moving parts have to be in place behind the scenes for it to work.

“You have to set up the dominoes for them to fall in the right place,” said Mullins, “So, you have to take that time and put everything in its place, and I love that sort of thing. And I really enjoy working with the actors. … We, together, can create something very fun. So, there are some things that the show demands, but we get to fill in all of the stuff in between.”

“I wasn’t planning to do a ton of slapstick for the show, but with this cast and with blocking that came about, I knew that slapstick was totally the direction this show was going,” Mullins said.

“But it’s a guaranteed laugh, and it’s always a lot of fun.

So I know the audience is going to have fun with it.”

And in the midst of it all will be nosy Stanley stirring the pot.

“To be fair, telling everyone that John Smith has two wives isn’t really a spoiler, because that’s spoiled in the first 30 seconds of the play when Stanley enters the stage,” Russo said. “Stanley is the unemployed neighbor who doesn’t want to work, and as John lies about his wives, Stanley starts to lying about them, too. And when the police get involved, the lies snowball even further.”

Russo’s characterization of Stanley changes with each director, but Stanley’s comedic core remains the same.

“And, you know, comedies like these are a way of not laughing at ourselves, but laughing with ourselves,” Russo said. “Ray Cooney has written a lovely script here, and it makes us laugh.”

each category.

Downloadable forms and additional instructions are available on the website.

The mustard greens and cornbread eating contest will happen late Saturday afternoon.

Festival discounts include $2 bowls beanie weenies both days and $2 shots of strawberry wine on Saturday.

A festival pre-party will run from 7 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, May 21, at Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 2733 North St., Baton Rouge. Donation is $30 and includes a soul food buffet

and no-host bar.

Festival sponsors are Visit Baton Rouge, WBRZ Television (Channels 2, 2+ and their affiliate stations, WBTZ, Channel 36.1 and WBRZ.com), East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries, Blue Runner, Thomas Law Firm (Vernon W. Thomas, Esq.), Joyful Jumps, Cutting Edge CE Conference and Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room Museum Foundation.

For more information on the contest and for VIP packages, call (225) 8029681 or visit hitcitydigital. wixsite.com/brsoulfoodfest.

Brent Cobb.

Presale tickets will be available starting at noon Tuesday, and end at noon Thursday. Public tickets sales start at 9 a.m. Friday.

Tickets are $159 and up.

The Strays’ third studio album, “Grateful,” drops June 5 via HBYCO Records/ RCA Records. The record’s electrifying opening track, “Demons In Your Choir,” is available for download.

The band’s honors include

the Americana Music Honors & Awards’ 2024 “Emerging Artist of the Year,” the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards’ 2025 “New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year” and the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards’ 2025 “Vocal Group of the Year.”

For more info, see redclaystrays.com/tour.

Today is Friday, May 1, the 121st day of 2026. There are 244 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 1, 2011, President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden during a U.S. commando operation, which took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in the early morning hours of May 2 local time.

Also on this date: In 1866, three days of race-related rioting erupted in Memphis, Tennessee, as White mobs targeted Black people, 46 of whom were killed, along with two Whites.

In 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated in New York City; it would be the world’s tallest building for four decades.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane

and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1963, Jim Whittaker, joined by Sherpa mountaineer Nawang Gombu, became the first American to summit Mount Everest.

In 1964, the computer programming language BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) was first run by its inventors, Dartmouth College professors John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz.

In 2003, President George W. Bush declared that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” in a speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which bore a banner reading “Mission Accomplished.” (The last U.S. combat troops would not withdraw from Iraq until December 2011.)

In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II, moving his predecessor a step closer to

sainthood in a Vatican Mass attended by some 1.5 million pilgrims. (John Paul II would be declared a saint

by Pope Francis at a canonization ceremony in 2014.)

In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with felonies ranging from assault to murder in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who’d suffered a spinal injury while riding in a police van. (None of the officers would ultimately be convicted.)

Today’s birthdays: Singer Judy Collins is 87. Singer Rita Coolidge is 81. Filmmaker John Woo is 80. Actor Dann Florek is 76. Musician Ray Parker Jr. is 72.

Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen is 66. Singer-actor Tim McGraw is 59. Filmmaker Wes Anderson is 57. Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin is 53. Actor Jamie Dornan is 44. Singer Victoria Monét is 37.

And “Run For Your Wife” promises plenty of laughter as main character John Smith’s double life is upended when he awakens in a hospital after rescuing a bag lady from a mugging.

John, played by Cade Williams, is a taxi driver, and his schedule is a perfect fit for a lifestyle that accommodates one wife in the mornings and another in the evenings. He’s secretly married to two women, Mary, played

by Sophie Rollins, and Barbara, played by Brittany Zimmerman.

Of course, each wife is clueless about the other.

Meanwhile, the police want to talk to him, as does the media and, of course, both wives. What’s a bigamist taxi driver to do?

Well, Sullivan Theater will Definitely some slapstick have all the answers, as well Besides, Mullins said, a Email Robin Miller at as lots of slapstick, chaos and farce is the welcome mat for romiller@theadvocate. slamming doors during its slapstick. com.

FESTIVAL

Continued from page 1D include meats, vegetable and side dishes with judging on Saturday; and breads, desserts, appetizers, soups, beverages and ices judged on Sunday.

Judging covers presentation, taste, and the story or history behind each dish.

Contestants need to bring enough food for six people the day of their judging.

First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in

STRAYS

Continued from page 1D Orleans-based band The Revivalists will join The Strays as special guests for some tour dates although not the Louisiana shows. For those two concerts, special guests will be Muscadine Bloodline, a duo also from south Alabama — and Ellaville, Georgia, singer-songwriter

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

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Keep a wig in pristine condition Repeat after me: The host pays, not the guests Dear Miss Manners: I am a at dinner” without invoking person of a certain age. I the unpleasant, “My treat”? enjoy the company of other Gentle reader: You can people, but I move quite only say in the aftermath, slowly. I gladly “Please. I invited receive guests for you” — with the emafternoon tea, as my phasis on the “I” and housekeeper is amethe “you.”

Dear Miss Manners: nable to serving.

My wife is what I Occasionally I call a “party eraser.” wish to entertain a Judith For example, we small group at a fine Martin hosted a birthday restaurant for the MISS party for one of our evening. Since I am MANNERS grown children, and making the invitathe minute the first tion, I require nothing from my guests beyond person was done eating, my wife began doing the a pleasant thank-you note. dishes.

Unfortunately, the She’ll clear the first finyounger guests in the group frequently ask, “How much ished plate and put it in is my share of the bill?” the dishwasher, then start I don’t quite know how to washing pans and doing respond, and it makes for whatever she can to “erase” a somewhat awkward mothe party.

In my world, the dirty ment. plates should be cleared, I always make arrangebut the actual washing ments for the cost of the meal and a generous gratu- of the dishes waits until everyone is finished. That ity to be paid when I make way, everyone can help get the reservation. How do I phrase, “Please be my guest things done.

Can you help me with a polite way to handle this?

Gentle reader: You might tell her, before the next party, “But dear, how will we indicate that we want everyone to leave if we start cleaning up so soon? Let’s wait until they are in danger of overstaying their welcome.

Then it can be our signal to start shuffling them out.”

Or you can float your “everyone can help” idea.

But Miss Manners fears this might be the reason the poor lady is trying to get a head start — to prevent everyone from crowding her kitchen and breaking her china.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

SHOWS TO WATCH — BATON ROUGE FRIDAY

MATT HOLT: Agile Brewing, 5:30 p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

SHOVELS & ROPE WITH JOELTON MAYFIELD: Chelsea’s Live, 7 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

COLLECTIVE SOUL: L’Auberge Event Center, 8 p.m.

PARTY AT JOE’S: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

N’TUNE: The Showroom, 9 p.m.

Then I’d have to make time Dear Heloise: For those for these errands on the who wear wigs, I always weekend. To stop myself wear a thin cotton headfrom “forgetting,” band under the I now grab the item elastic perimeter and put it in my car of the wig. It abthe evening before sorbs most of the I plan to do someoil and perspiration, especially thing. in warm weather.

While I’m at it, Hints from I also put a sticky I rarely have to Heloise note on the dashwash the wig, and when I do, I just board so I’ll rememwash the edges to avoid ber that there is a vacuum soaking the entire wig. In in the trunk of the car (or my opinion, they never if the front right tire needs look quite the same after additional air, for exama major washing. I also ple). This has made my life have multiple wigs that I so much easier! — Carmela N., rotate, which minimizes via email the need for washing! — Antibacterial wipes Wigged Out, in Arizona Dear Heloise: Regarding Put it in the car! the reader who wrote in regarding how nonDear Heloise: It seemed as if I was always forgetting sensical it was to have to drop off dry cleaning antibacterial wipes at on my way home from the entrance of a grocery work, or I’d forget to send store, I always thought the vacuum in for repairs. that the wipes were there

SUNDAY

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill-MidCity, 11 a.m.

JUNIOR LACROSSE: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 3 p.m.

OLD TIME MUSIC JAM: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, 3 p.m.

MUSIC AT THE MANSION: Old Governor’s Mansion, 4 p.m.

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Cafe, 5 p.m.

LUCY YOES: Pizza Byronz, 5 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Supe-

Make a list before you go Dear Heloise: Before I go to a doctor’s appointment, I always sit down the night before and make a list of questions that I need to ask the doctor. Otherwise, I’ll forget something. I also take notes while the doctor is talking so that I’ll remember their instructions. This has saved me from asking embarrassing questions over the phone when the doctor doesn’t have time. — Jane, in Denver, Colorado Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

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SATURDAY

LAUREN LEE BAND: Mint Julep Jamboree at L’Auberge Casino, 2 p.m.

THE FLEAS: Rally Cap Brewing Company, 2 p.m.

MARK MULLIGAN: Buddy’s Backyard, 2 p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: Most Blessed Sacrament Men’s crawfish boil (public), Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 3 p.m.

CLAY PARKER AND JODI JAMES WITH ERIC SCHMITT: Mid City Ballroom, 8 p.m.

ACOUSTIC SATURDAYS W/ HENRY TURNER JR AND DIXIE ROSE: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

CINCO DE MAYO LATIN NIGHT: Chelsea’s Live, 9 p.m.

LA GROOVE: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

THE SPECS: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

for the handle(s) of the cart you chose. This way, you can wipe off germs that are left on the cart/ basket before you shop.

When doing so, you can also wipe off your own hands if desired. — Kathleen S., via email

PROVIDED PHOTO By DAVID ABBOTT

Atlanta-based rock band Collective Soul plays the L’Auberge Event Center, Baton Rouge, at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $70. rior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

RALPH DAIGLE: Rio Verde Mexican, Gonzales, noon ROCKIN’ DOPSIE & THE MOLLY RINGWALDS: Casa Maria, Watson, 6 p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

ALEX LAMBERT WITH THEBROSFRESH: Chelsea’s Live, 7 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Brickyard South, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

CHRIS LEBLANC: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m.

LSU JAZZ JAM: Classic Vinyls, 6 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/ HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m.

ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

RHETT GUILLOT: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m.

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BUBBA PLAUCHÉ: Backstreet Lounge, 6 p.m.

KYBALION: El Paso, 6 p.m.

EMMA MURPHY: La Divina Italian Cafe, 6 p.m.

TREY GALLMAN: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MISS M PRESENTS … VIVAZ NOLA LATIN JAZZ: Mid City Ballroom, 7:30 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m.

BLUES JAM: Phil Brady’s, 9 p.m.

BRYAN MARTIN/THOMAS CAIN: The Texas Club, 9 p.m.

OUTLYING FRIDAY

AC & THE PROMISED: Charlie’s Lounge, Addis, 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

WILL WESLEY: Full Moon Saloon, Hammond, 6 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

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4D ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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AROUND BATON ROUGE FRIDAY

SPOOF NIGHT! WITH “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (2009)”: 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Presented by the Family Dinner Comedy Troupe and Films at Manship, evening includes screening along with comedic commentary. $17. manshiptheater.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING: 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. See the majesty of the night sky in these public viewings for those 6 and up. hrpo.lsu.edu/ events.

SATURDAY

STRONG & CALM WARRIOR YOGA: 8 a.m.-9 a.m., USS KIDD Veterans Museum, 305 S. River Road. https://www. usskidd.com/.

BATON ROUGE ARTS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Vendors sell a variety of unique, original works of art including pottery, woodwork, textiles, glass, paintings, sculptures, photographs, handmade soaps, handmade toys, jewelry and more. artsbr.org.

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farmfresh produce and goods. breada.org.

TRINITY UNION LODGE 2ND ANNUAL CAR SHOW: 9 a.m.2 p.m., Gerry Lane Cadillac, 10945 Reiger Road. Open to all model, make, and year cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Proceeds from the show will support the lodge’s dyslexia training program. $25 entry fee day of event.

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org.

MONTHLY CONTRA DANCE: 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m., St. Alban’s Chapel, corner of Highland Road and Dalrymple Drive.

Newcomer instruction at 2:45 p.m. Singles and couples welcome. $7 per person; free for first-timers. Louisianacontrasandsquares.com or (225) 803-9194.

WILDFLOWERS SOUND BATH: 6 p.m., Irene W. Pennington

PROVIDED PHOTO By KIMBERLEy FRENCH

Peter Facinelli and Kristen Stewart star in ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Watch the cult classic, along with comedic commentary, at Spoof Night! at the Manship Theatre on Friday night.

Plantarium at Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Part of Planetarium Month. lasm.org.

installations, plus reducedprice entry to LASM’s Irene Pennington Planetarium shows.

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

“FALL SEVEN TIMES, GET UP EIGHT: THE JAPANESE WAR BRIDES” FILM AND MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTS: noon-4 p.m., Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. A powerful story of love, resilience, and family. Free, but admission requested at eventbrite.com.

PBS KIDS: BEACH DAY!: 1 p.m.2:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Beach Day kids’ movies “Aqualicious” and “Donkie Hodie” plus arts and crafts. Free, but register for planning purposes. https://www.manshiptheater.com/comingsoon/ pbskids-beach-day.

FREE FIRST SUNDAY: Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road; Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd.; Old Governors’ Mansion, 502 North Blvd.; Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, 2161 Nicholson Drive; LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St.; and Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St. and LSU Center for River Studies, 100 Terrace Ave. Free admission to all exhibits and

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 3 p.m.-6 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org.

BATON ROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. A chance to play and learn; all levels welcome.

Free.

WEDNESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 9 a.m.-noon, ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd.

Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. www.facebook. com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“THE DRAMA (2026)”: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Starring Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Alana Haim, the movie follows a happily engaged couple getting put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails. $9.50. manshiptheater.com.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“NAVIGATING THE COSMOS” DEBUT: noon, Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Part of Planetarium Month. lasm.org.

OUTDOOR COMMUNITY YOGA: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., pavilion by the pond, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Drop-in; no registration required; bring your own mat.

Free, but donations welcome. www.lsu.edu/hilltop.

WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7 p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. Third St., Suite A. Free. fareharbor.com.

KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO AND MORE: 8 p.m.-11 p.m., Brickyard South Bar + Patio, 174 South Blvd. Presented by BarFly Entertainment. Free to play. https://www.facebook. com/brickyardsouth.

ONGOING

ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Ro-

berta Loflin, “Watercolor Basics — Flowers and Leaves,” 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, and “Watercolor Basics — Waterscapes (Beach, Bayou, and Flowing Water), May 23 and May 30. Text workshop coordinator Barbara Andrepont at (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATON ROUGE GALLERY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive.

Exhibits by Jeremiah Ariaz, Justin Tyler Bryant and Kristine Thompson, through May 24; opening reception 6 p.m.9 p.m. Wednesday. Hours: noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St. “Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation,” “The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America,” “African American History,” “Music and Musicians” and “Mardi Gras,” permanent exhibits.

(225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. “A Refugee’s Origin by K.T.Ho: A Mixed-Media Exhibition Exploring Vietnamese Diaspora, Colonial Legacy, and Survival,” through May 29. Opening reception is from 6 p.. to 9 p.m. Friday, and an artist talk at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. artsbr.org.

THE GALLERY AT MANSHIP: 100 Lafayette St. “Brandon Lewis — When All God’s Children Get Together.” Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road.

“Then, And Now, And Always: The Artwork of Nick Bustamante,” through July 19, SoupCon Gallery; “Pinpointing the Stars,” through Aug. 1; “Crossroads & Connections: A Century of the Railway in Baton Rouge,” through Oct. 1; “Going Places: Transportation Toys of the Past,” through July 6, and “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,” also through July 6. (225) 3445272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “AI: Artistic Interpretations, Studio Art Quilt Associates,” through May

t e e w S SPRING IS

Classic Eats,Timeless Memories

10. “Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall,” through May 24. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa. org.

MANSHIP THEATRE JONES WALKER FOYER: 100 Lafayette St. “Look up: A Philosophy for Birding and Life” by Gail Suberbielle. Free and open during regular Shaw Center building hours unless there is a private event.

LSU TEXTILE & COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, Tower Drive, LSU campus.

“Stitches in Time: Quilts & Fashion,” exploring the enduring dialogue between quilt making and dress, SundayJan. 15, 2027. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu.

MAGNOLIA MOUND MUSEUM + HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive. Guided and selfguided tours. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MondaySaturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound.

OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATE CAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. “Bought for a Song: A Young Nation Expands,” display of the Louisiana Purchase, through July 11. “Japanese War Brides: Across A Wide Divide,” through June 13. “A More Perfect Union: Reconstruction’s Legacy in Louisiana,” permanent exhibit. Free. Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, plus Free First Sunday. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of a variety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and naval military history. Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs. usskidd.com.

WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “Finding Alice: Artists Exploring Wonderland,” through May 24. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public event you’d like to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com.

Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following Friday’s paper.

AT GAMBINO’S

Now offering Catering

Perfect for parties, events & more 7633 JEFFERSON HWY. | BATON ROUGE 225.924.1391 | DEARMANSDINER.COM CONTACT@DEARMANSDINER.COM

8646 GOODWOOD BOULEVARD

(225) 928-7000

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 5D

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Check your schedule and fill the empty spaces with whatever your heart desires. A new location, lifestyle or relationship looks promising and offers a multitude of tempting offers.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Emotions and ego collide; common sense will keep you out of harm's way and situations that can spin out of control. If you can't help or offer a kind word, retreat. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Lighten up, say no to drama and distance yourself from anyone trying to start a fight. Overreacting will lead to trouble. Stick to a budget, set boundaries and avoid hasty decisions.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Mixing business with pleasure requires intuition, time and patience if you want to avoid unnecessary implications. Trying to force your will or plans on others will meet with opposition.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Let your intuition lead the way and focus more on what you say than on how you look.

Beware of anyone trying to coerce you into spending on something you don't need or buying into a dubious scam.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Approach situations with grace and a set budget.

Opportunities are endless, but not all will be equal. Use charm and knowledge, ask questions and figure out the best fit. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Open discussions and negotiations are favored if you are willing to meet the other party

in the middle. Choose intelligence over force. Social events will lead to interesting encounters. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Make a list and proceed. Execute your plans with confidence, but stay within budget. Refuse to let anyone pressure you into something you don't want or can't afford. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Caution is necessary when dealing with touchy issues. Expect situations to get blown out of proportion and for tempers to escalate more quickly than usual.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put emotions and ego aside, and focus on getting things done. A budget-friendly agenda will put your mind at ease and give you a fighting chance to reach your objective.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to your needs. It's more difficult to backtrack than it is to do your due diligence. Choose discipline and moderation over being lazy and indulgent.

Recognize and refuse emotional manipulation.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Your words will resonate with someone who shares your beliefs. Keep talking and asking questions until you are satisfied that you are making the right choices. Financial and personal growth are within reach.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

toDAy's cLuE: P EQuALs o

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

6D ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ 7D

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER William Shakespeare wrote, “Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends.”

How wrong could he be when applied to bridge? Many players make mistakes because they play too quickly. In particular, when a defender is on lead, a delay or two ... or three ... for analysis is rarely a bad idea.

In this deal, for example, West leads the heart two against four spades. What should East do?

North responds with four clubs, a perfect splinter bid, showing at least fourcard spade support, game-going values and at most a singleton in clubs.

East was tempted to overcall four hearts. However, the vulnerability was unfavorable, East presumably had two cast-iron defensive tricks (so the opponents did not have a slam), and NorthSouth owned the master suit. (Note that if East does intervene with a four-heart bid, South should pass. North would be delighted to double for penalty and the price would be 1,100 or 1,400.)

East knows that his partner has led a singleton. So, many a defender wins with his heart ace and immediately gives his partner a ruff. After that, there is no longer a defense.

East should consider his target. Four tricks are needed, not three. From the point-count, West is known to have a Yarborough. So, East must organize

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

his diamond ruff before giving West his spade ruff. At trick two, East should shift to his diamond. Declarer will win in the dummy and play a spade, but East takes the trick and leads the heart eight, a suit-preference signal for diamonds.

West, after ruffing, returns a diamond, and East’s ruff defeats the contract. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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 — PALLADIuM: puh-LAY-dee-um: A silver-white malleable metal.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 22 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in PALLADIUM? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — MARInE main mane mare mean mien mine miner mire airmen amen amir

anime rain ramen ramie ream rein remain rime name namer near

earn emir

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He tells the number of the stars; he calls them all by their names.

Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” Psalms 147:3-5 God is great and God is compassionate. You can trust Him. — G.E. Dean

8D ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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classifieds.theadvocate.com Search& &Place PlaceAds AdsOnline Onlineatatclassifieds.theadvocate.com classifieds.theadvocate.com* Call * Call -Friday Us Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 Search

Announcements Anyone knowing anyone the whereabouts of anyone affiliated with Di Ante' Washington or the unopened sucssession of Di Ante' Washington, please contact attorney Melanie Newkome Jones at melanie@melaniejoneslaw.net or 225-344-2200.

186059-Apr 30-May 2 $133 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any of the heirs of Montrell Williams, Sr., AKA Montrell Renard Williams, Sr., please contact attorney Melanie Newkome Jones at melanie@melaniejoneslaw.net or 225-244-2200.

185875-Apr 29-May 1, 3t $121

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE OPENED SUCCESSION OF MARCUS JEANSONNE (A/K/A MARCUS WINN JEANSONNE), TERI LYNN MIXON JEANSONNE (A/K/A TERI LYNN MIXON, TERI M. JEANSONNE), VIVIAN A. JEANSONNE, WINNFIELD P. JEANSONNE, OR MADELINE A. JEANSONNE please contact Atty.

Vernon W. Thomas at (225) 388-5265.

186066-4/30-5/1-2-3t $169.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Brian Roy please contact attorney Melanie Newkome Jones at melanie@melaniejoneslaw.net or 225-344-2200.

185993-5/1-2-3-3t $97.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of ISAAC K. CARPENTER, SR. and/or KAREN M. CARPENTER., please contact Attorney ALLISON B. COSTANZA, 225-664-4335 acostanzalaw@gmail.com.

185779-Apr 29-May 1, 3t $109

Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of ms. Asia Green OR NEXT OF KIN, please contact John A. Obebe, Attorney At Law, 10126 Springbrook Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810or call (225) 924-8000.

185914-Apr 30-May 2, 3t $109

COMPUTER/HOME OFC I am selling my upgraded laptops & my Chromebook. $300 each.

Excellent condition. 225-304-1045

CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOC. VS. EULA DAVIS GARDNER, AS EXECUTRIX OF THE SUCCESSION OF LARRY RAY LAMPKIN AND LISO THOMAS; Docket No. 660,839-C; 1st Judicial District Court; Caddo Parish, Louisiana Please take notice that LISO THOMAS has been named as a defendant in the above-styled action.

Anyone knowing whereabouts or having any information on LISO THOMAS is asked to contact Brainard & Brainard, LLC, (318) 222-6000 as soon as possible 185261-4/24 & 5/1-2t $201.00

MISC FOR SALE Two 38” Tall Cement Cranes Each Crane $50 225-752-7273

Employment EDUCATION The LA Special School District is solicit‐ ing applications for future employment of certified teachers, school coun‐ selors & interpreters. To apply, go to governmentjobs.com/careers/Louisiana

Merchandise SPORTSMAN EXCHGE Leaning Post - Seeked, Ice chest not included, $250 Call John 225-266-1953 WANT TO BUY Wanted: Records, CDs & music memorabilia. No collection too large. Call/text $1 & up 225-936-5600

Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project may be obtained from: www.centerlinebidco nnect.com.

Printed copies are not available from the Designer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms.

Contractors unable to access bidding docu‐ ments at www.centerl inebidconnect.com should contact Ashe, Broussard, Weinzettle Architects 301 Jackson Street, Suite 205 Alexandria, LA 71301 Phone: 318-473-0252 All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of the base bid and all alter‐ nates, and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or Bid Bond Form written by a surety company licensed to do business in Louisiana, signed by the surety’s agency or attor‐ ney-in-fact. Surety must be listed on the current U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it obligates it‐ self in the Bond, or must be a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. If surety qualifies by virtue of its Best’s list‐ ing, the amount of the Bond may not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. The Bid Bond shall be in favor of the Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural and Mechanical College, and shall be accompa‐ nied by appropriate power of attorney. No Bid Bond indicating an oblig‐ ation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.

The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana, in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract amount. Surety must be listed currently on the U.S. Department of Trea‐ sury Financial manage‐ ment Service List (Trea‐ sury List) as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the con‐ tract amount, or must be an insurance company domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. If surety is quali‐ fied other than by listing on the Treasury list, the contract amount may not exceed fifteen percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance and may not exceed the amount of $500,000.

However, a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide shall not be subject to the $500,000 limitation, provided that the con‐ tract amount does not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide nor fifteen percent of policyholder’s surplus as h b

AREA 6 2547 Donald Dr. Fri & Sat 6am-2pm.

Vintage doors & windows from old home. Vintage kitchen gadgets, bunk beds, bar stools, coffee tables, end tables, clothes, shoes, dishes, knick knacks, ceiling fan, oscillating fan, throw pillows, bedding & misc.

AREA 6 6059 Esplanade Ave. Fri & Sat 8am3pm. Good Deals on clothes, electronics, tools, fishing gear & more.

Subscribe today Scan the QR code Cancel anytime

after the above time will be returned unopened.

Complete bidding docu‐ ments may be obtained from the Central Bidding website. All documents will only be distributed electronically. For any questions relating to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 833-4125717. If you have any questions, please con‐ tact Domain Architec‐ ture.

Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classification of BUILD‐ ING CONSTRUCTION. Bid‐ der is required to comply with provisions and re‐ quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(c). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of thirty (30) days after receipt of bids, ex‐ cept under the provi‐ sions of LA. R.S. 38:2214.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity.

When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or federal funds, the award of this Contract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, the sale of bonds by the Bond Commission or the commitment of federal funds. The Uni‐ versity shall incur no obligation to the Con‐ tractor until the Contract Between Owner and Con‐ tractor is fully executed.

185176 April 24, May 1, 8, 3t $201.66 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Bids will be received by the Office of Purchasing, Room 213 Thomas Boyd Hall, Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural and Mechanical College 70803 until 11:00 AM on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

** Refer to www.centerl inebidconnect.com for bid submission instruc‐ tions. All bids must be submitted via email to lsubids@lsu.edu ** ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY LOUISIANA STATE UNI‐ VERSITY, OFFICE OF PUR‐ CHASING OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐ QUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING. FOR: Furnish Labor and Materials for Renova‐ tions to the A.C. Buchanan Building LSUA

LSU SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFQ-0000002786 Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments for this project may be obtained from: www.centerlinebidco nnect.com.

Printed copies are not available from the Designer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms.

Contractors unable to access bidding docu‐ ments at www.centerl inebidconnect.com should contact

Ashe, Broussard, Weinzettle Architects 301 Jackson Street, Suite 205 Alexandria, LA 71301 Phone: 318-473-0252 All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the sum of the base bid and all alter‐ nates, and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or Bid Bond Form written by a surety company licensed to do business in Louisiana, signed by the surety’s agency or attor‐ ney-in-fact. Surety must be listed on the current U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it obligates it‐ self in the Bond, or must be a Louisiana domiciled insurance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. If surety qualifies by virtue of its Best’s list‐ i h f h

Best’s Key Rating Guide nor fifteen percent of policyholder’s surplus as shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The Bond shall be signed by the surety’s agent or attor‐ ney-in-fact.

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD 10:00 AM, Monday, May 18, 2026LSU Alexandria, Live Oaks Conference Room, 195 Middleton Drive, Alexandria, LA 71302 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classification of BUILD‐ ING CONSTRUCTION. Bid‐ der is required to comply with provisions and re‐ quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(c). No bid may be withdrawn for a period of thirty (30) days after receipt of bids, ex‐ cept under the provi‐ sions of LA. R.S. 38:2214.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity.

When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or federal funds, the award of this Contract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, the sale of bonds by the Bond Commission or the commitment of federal funds. The Uni‐ versity shall incur no obligation to the Con‐ tractor until the Contract Between Owner and Con‐ tractor is fully executed.

185661 May 1, 8, 15, 3t $200.79

Domain Architecture 11130 Industriplex Blvd., Suite 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-216-3770 A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 10:00 am at 1st Floor Lobby of the Louisiana Building at Baton Rouge Community College Mid-City Cam‐ pus, 201 Community Col‐ lege Drive, Baton Rouge Louisiana 70806.

All bids must be accom‐ panied by a bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the base bid and any alternatives and sub‐ ject to the conditions provided in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders. The suc‐ cessful contractor will be required to enter into a contract with the OWNER and to furnish all the ma‐ terials, perform all of the work, supervise, coordi‐ nate, administrate and be responsible for the work of the entire pro‐ ject. No bids may be withdrawn after the clos‐ ing time for receipt of bids for at least forty-five (45) days. The bond of the low bidder will be held for forty-five (45) days, or until the con‐ tract is signed, whichever is shorter.

PERFORMANCE AND PAY‐ MENT BOND: A perfor‐ mance and payment bond for the work will be required upon execution of the contract, equal to one hundred percent (100%) of said contract written by a company li‐ censed to do business in Louisiana and who is cur‐ rently on the U.S. Depart‐ ment of the Treasury Fi‐ nancial Management Service List. The bond shall be countersigned by a person who is under contract and who is li‐ censed as an insurance agent in the State of Louisiana, and who is re‐ siding in this state.

Baton Rouge Community College reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A) (1) (b), the provisions and require‐ ments of this section, those stated in the ad‐ vertisement for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be consid‐ ered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity.

Bidders must meet the requirements of the State of Louisiana Con‐ tractor’s Licensing Law, R.S. 37:2151 et seq.

NOTE: BIDS SHALL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CON‐ TRACTORS WHO ARE LI‐ CENSED UNDER LOUISIANA CONTRAC‐ TORS LICENSING LAW FOR THE MAJOR CLASSI‐ FICATION OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. Baton Rouge Community College encourages all small businesses, minor‐ ity-owned firms, veteranowned firms, and women’s business enter‐ prises to participate.

Advertising Dates Friday May 1, 2026 Friday May 5, 2026 Friday May 12, 2026 END OF SECTION 186076-may 1-5-12-3t $1, 272

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by Harvest Com‐ mons at 802 Mayflower Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, until 12:30 PM, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at which time bids will be publicly opened and read allowed for:

Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived by Domain Archi‐ tecture, located at 11130 Industriplex Blvd., Suite 200, Baton Rouge Louisiana 70809 until Thursday, May 28, 2026, no later than 2:00 pm for the Louisiana Building Toilet Room Renovations Mid-City Campus Baton Rouge Community College 201 Community College Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Electronic bids will also be accepted. Please find bid related materials and place your electronic bids at Central Bidding, www.centralauctionh ouse.com. Bids received after the above time will b d d

Harvest Commons School Renovation 802 Mayflower Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Bids may also be submit‐ ted electronically via the Centerline Bidding mod‐ ule www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. It is the re‐ sponsibility of the Con‐ tractor to ensure that Bids are received on time, regardless of deliv‐ ery method.

Complete Bidding docu‐ ments are available via the school’s website www.harvestcommonss

AREA 3 5135 & 5137 Fairfield (Duplex) 1BR/1BA, Rent $500, Dep $300 Updated 225-357-6436

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 1.4 acres (Lot for Rent). 15168 Florida Blvd. 70819. 225-241-4739

AREA 5 1BR $550, 2BR $650 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

AREA 5 655 North St. Subsidized eff Apts cpabr.org 225-383-5551.

TDD/TTY /711RELAY

AREA 3 4Br/2Ba w/d conn, off Plank $1095/$1095. 3Br/1Ba Duplex, cnt a/h, w/d conn $725/$725. 3Br/1Ba utils incl $950/$950. 225-810-0775 955-8970

MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653 ROOMS FOR RENT Furnished Rooms. $125/wk. $500/mo.

225-933-7560

SHOP TODAY!

Baton Rouge Rental

Something for everyone.

NEWS 24/7 ON store.nola.com

Pets / Pet Services Directory PETS • SUPPLIES • SERVICES • OBITUARIES • LOST & FOUND

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111 DOGS AKC English Bulldog female puppy, born 2/1/26. No text. Call 225-223-4351 DOGS AKC Miniature Dachshunds - Cham‐ pion bloodline long hair Miniature Dachshunds up to date shots & worm‐ ing. $800. 985-222-0577

On your phone. On the go.

y ing, the amount of the Bond may not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide. The Bid Bond shall be in favor of the Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural and Mechanical College, and shall be accompa‐ nied by appropriate power of attorney. No Bid Bond indicating an oblig‐ ation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.

The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana, in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract amount. Surety must be listed currently on the U.S. Department of Trea‐ sury Financial manage‐ ment Service List (Trea‐ sury List) as approved for an amount equal to or greater than the con‐ tract amount, or must be an insurance company domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. If surety is quali‐ fied other than by listing on the Treasury list, the contract amount may not exceed fifteen percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance and may not exceed the amount of $500,000.

However, a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A- rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide shall not be subject to the $500,000 limitation, provided that the con‐ tract amount does not exceed ten percent of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the latest A.M.

AREA 2 5723 Hartford Ave. Glen Oaks Area Off Greenwell St., Comp. Updated!

3BR 1.5BA, w/New C H/A New Light Fixtures & Windows Freshly Painted Int/Ext, & Ceramic FLR throughout Call Charles for your showing @ 225-266-4078 Roy Carter Realty 225-357-6436

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS

p y p shown by surety’s most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The Bond shall be signed by the surety’s agent or attor‐ ney-in-fact.

10:00 AM, Monday, May 11, 2026 LSU Alexandria, Live Oaks Conference Room, 195 Middleton Drive, Alexandria, LA 71302

LSU SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFQ-0000002778

AREA 4 Parkview Oaks Spring Garage Sale Sat. 7a - 1p (5/2). Subd located near Coursey/S. Sherwood Forest, Maps @ Participating Homes.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Bids will be received by the Office of Purchasing, Room 213 Thomas Boyd Hall, Louisiana State Uni‐ versity and Agricultural and Mechanical College 70803 until 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

FOR: Furnish Labor and Materials for Renova‐ tions to Oakland Hall LSUA

AREA 3 Huge 2 Homes +Bldg. 3015 Washington Ave. Thurs-Fri: 9-3, Sun 11-4, Little bit of everything! Sale continues thru May. New Items weekly. Must Call after Sunday, Offers accepted (225) 497-9319

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD

ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY LOUISIANA STATE UNI‐ VERSITY, OFFICE OF PUR‐ CHASING OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐ QUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING.

Garage Sales

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

** Refer to www.centerl inebidconnect.com for bid submission instruc‐ tions. All bids must be submitted via email to lsubids@lsu.edu **

MISC FOR SALE SMALL SOLID BLACK THROW PILLOWS MANY AVAILABLE! EACH $5 225-752-7273

Baton Rouge Real Estate For Sale

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

DOGS CKC Reg. Rat Terrier Puppies, Adorable $200 call 985-217-2950

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

chool.com and from www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. If you are not currently a subscriber, you will need to apply for “Free Access”. Access to the project is without charge and without de‐ posit and will allow you to view, download or send bid documents to a printer.

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

y prior to the bid opening.

Prospective bidders de‐ siring further informa‐ tion or interpretations of the Drawings and/or Specifications shall re‐ quest such data elec‐ tronically via www.cen terlinebidconnect.com.

Answers to all questions, inquiries and requests for additional informa‐ tion will be issued in the form of Addenda to the Drawings and Specifica‐ tions and copies of each addendum will be posted on www.centerlinebidco nnect.com to all prospec‐ tive bidders. Refer to In‐ structions to Bidders.

All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to 5% of the low bid, and must be in the form of a certified check, or cashier's check. The Bid Bond shall be in favor of the Harvest Commons and shall be accompa‐ nied by the appropriate power of attorney. No bid indicating an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.

The successful bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana, in amount equal to 100% of the Contract amount.

The Surety Company must be listed currently on the U. S. Department of Treasury Financial Management Service List (Treasury List) as ap‐ proved for an amount equal or greater than the contract amount, or must be an insurance company domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana residents. If The Surety Company is qualified other than by listing on the Treasury list, the contract amount may not exceed fifteen percent of policyholders' surplus as shown by The Surety's Company most recent financial state‐ ments filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance and may not exceed the amount of $500,000.

However, a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-rating in the latest printing of the A. M. Best's Key Rating guide shall not be sub‐ ject to the $500,000 limi‐ tation, provided that the contract amount does not exceed ten percent of the policyholders' sur‐ plus filed with the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The Bond shall be signed by The Surety's Company agent or attorney-in-fact and countersigned by a per‐ son who is under con‐ tract with The Surety’s Company as a licensed agent in this State, and who is residing in this State.

A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD At 11:30 AM on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 802 Mayflower Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 BIDS SHALL BE ACCEPTED ONLY FROM CONTRACTORS THAT AT‐ TEND THE PRE-BID CON‐ FERENCE. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a pe‐ riod of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section; and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity.

Harvest Commons Sarah Schnauder, Executive Director Advertisement Dates: 04/24/2026, 04/01/2026, 05/08/2026 185172 April 24, May 1, 8, 3t $1,509.54 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS VBR-232 LAFAYETTE, INC. 359 3rd Street

Project Name: New Headquarters for Visit Baton Rouge 232 Lafayette Street Baton Rouge, LA 70801 Architect’s Project No. 2324B SEALED BIDS for the con‐ struction of the “New Headquarters for Visit Baton Rouge” consisting of the following: Construction includes abatement, selective de‐ molition, and renova‐ tion/buildout of the ex‐ isting two-story, 12,310 square foot structure to accommodate new of‐ fices for Visit Baton Rouge. Alternate scope includes site improve‐ ments and an addition of a new occupied roof deck. The project has been submitted to the State Historic Preserva‐ tion Office (SHPO) – all work must be done in full compliance with noted requirements in order for the project to receive the State Historic Tax Cred‐ its. will be received on Thursday, June 4, 2026,

by Visit Baton Rouge, 359 Third Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70801, until 2:00 P.M. local time, at which time bids will be opened and read aloud.

Each bid shall be either hand delivered by the bidder or his agent, or shall be submitted elec‐ tronically with Central Auction House (CAH).

Sealed bids shall be di‐ VBR-232 rected to Lafayette, Inc., c/o Visit Baton Rouge, 359 Third Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70801, on the day of the bid opening.

Electronic bids shall be submitted to www.cen tralbidding.com. No bid received after the sched‐ uled time for opening will be considered.

Official Bid documents are available at Central Bidding. Electronic Bids are accepted at Central Bidding. Central Bidding can be accessed at www. centralbidding.com.

To view these, download, receive bid notices by email, and submit the bid you must register with Central Auction House (CAH). Vendors/Contrac‐ tors will have the option to submit their bids and bid bonds electronically or by paper copy. For questions related to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 225-8104814.

A NON-MANDATORY PreBid Conference shall be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. at 232 Lafayette Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70801.

Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting as access to the existing structure will be pro‐ vided.

The Bidding Documents, consisting of Advertise‐ ment for Bids, Informa‐ tion for Bidders, Bid Form, Bid Bond, Agree‐ ment, General Condi‐ tions, Supplementary Conditions, Special Con‐ ditions, Payment Bond, Performance Bond, No‐ tice of Award, Notice to Proceed, Drawings, Spec‐ ifications and Addenda may be examined at the following locations: Gros Flores Positerry, LLC Architecture and Interior Design 12032 Bricksome Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70816 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for the classification of BUILD‐ ING CONSTRUCTION. The Owner requires that each bidder attach to his bid a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond equivalent to 5% of the total bid as evidence of good faith of the bid‐ der. Sureties used for ob‐ taining bonds must ap‐ pear as acceptable on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Circular 570.

Proposal prices shall specifically EXCLUDE any and all taxes whatso‐ ever. Act 1029 of 1991 ex‐ empts local governments from state and local tax effective September 1, 1991. Proposal prices shall include any ship‐ ping / transportation charges, if applicable.

No bidder may withdraw his bid within forty-five (45) days after the actual date of the opening thereof except as pro‐ vided by law.

Any person with disabili‐ ties requiring special ac‐ commodations must contact the Owner no later than seven (7) days i h bid i

DOGS Standard Goldendoodle & Poodles GoldenDoodle 3/15/ Standard Poodles 2/22 CKC Registered, Vet ChD Serious inquiries only. $800-1000 (504) 307-7786 or (504) 541-1098

VISIT BATON ROUGE Jill Kidder /s/ Jill Kidder President & CEO Publish Dates: May 1, 2026 May 8, 2026 May 15, 2026 186027- 1-8-15-3t $191 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 1004 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd.

Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000026094, HVAC Replacement DMA, 5/19/26 RFx No. 3000026153, Laun‐ dry Services – LDH, 5/19/26 RFx No. 3000026173, **Mand.Site Visit* Shut‐ tle Services – WLF, 5/19/26 RFx No. 3000026200, Roof Maintenance – ELMHS, 5/19/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. la.gov/doa/osp/ or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified.

The right is reserved to reject any and all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities.

Amy Vincent Director of State Procure‐ ment FAX (225) 342-8688 186057-may 1-1t $14.62

Public Notices DEQ Permits

PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (LDEQ) VALERO REFINING - MER‐ AUX, LLC TECHNICALLY COMPLETE DRAFT SOLID WASTE RE‐ NEWAL APPLICATION The LDEQ, Office of Envi‐ ronmental Services, has determined that the Solid Waste Draft Permit Application for Valero Refining - Meraux, LLC, 2235 Jacob Drive, Chal‐ mette, LA 70043 for the Type I Industrial Surface Impoundment is techni‐ cally complete and ac‐ ceptable for public re‐ view. The facility is lo‐ cated at 2500 E. St. Bernard Highway in Mer‐ aux, St. Bernard Parish.

Valero Refining - Meraux, LLC proposes to continue operating a Type I Indus‐ trial Surface Impound‐ ment.

Comments and requests for a public hearing or notification of the final decision can be submit‐ ted online on the public notice webpage (http:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ public-notices), via per‐ sonal delivery, U.S. mail, or email. Comments and requests for public hear‐ ings must be received by 4:30 pm CDT, Thursday, June 4, 2026. Delivery may be made to the drop-box at 602 N. 5th St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

U.S. Mail may be sent to LDEQ, Public Participa‐ tion Group, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 708214313, and emails may be submitted to DEQ.PUB LICNOTICES@LA.GOV. Persons wishing to re‐ ceive notice of the final permit action must in‐ clude a complete mailing address when submitting comments.

Please see additional in‐ structions for comment submission, hand deliv‐ ery and information re‐ garding electronic sub‐ mission at http://www. deq.louisiana.gov/page/ the-public-participationgroup or call (225) 2193276.

If LDEQ finds a signifi‐ cant degree of public in‐ terest, a public hearing will be held. LDEQ will send notification of the final permit decision to the applicant and to each person who has submitted written com‐ ments or a written re‐ quest for notification of the final decision.

The Draft Solid Waste Permit Application, and h h i ll l

Public Notices DEQ Permits pp the technically complete permit renewal applica‐ tion are available for re‐ view at the LDEQ Public Records Center, 602 North 5th Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Viewing hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

The available informa‐ tion can also be ac‐ cessed electronically on the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) on the DEQ public website at www.deq. louisiana.gov.

Additional copies may be reviewed at the St. Bernard Parish Library – Headquarters, 3121 East Judge Perez Drive, Mer‐ aux, LA 70075; the St. Bernard Parish Council, 8201 West Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043; and the LDEQ – Southeast Regional Office, 990 N. Corporate Drive, Suite 102, New Orleans, LA 70123.

Inquiries or requests for additional information regarding this permit ac‐ tion should be directed to Samantha Schwippert, LDEQ, Waste Permits Di‐ vision, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 708214313, phone (225) 2192513.

Persons wishing to be in‐ cluded on the LDEQ per‐ mit public notice mailing list, wishing to receive the permit public notices via email by subscribing to the LDEQ permits pub‐ lic notice List Server, or for other public partici‐ pation related questions should contact the Public Participation Group in writing at LDEQ, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, by email at DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@LA. GOV or by phone at (225) 219-3035.

Permit public notices in‐ cluding electronic access to general information from the Draft Solid Waste Permit Application can be viewed at the LDEQ permits public no‐ tice webpage at http:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ page/the-public-partici pation-group and general information related to the public participation in permitting activities can be viewed at http:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ page/the-public-partici pation-group.

All correspondence should specify AI Num‐ ber 1238, Permit Number P-0430-R1, and Activity Number PER20230001.

185830-MAY 1-1T $467

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --AVAILABILITY OF PROPOSED FY 2026 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN As set forth in 24 CFR Part 91, the U.S. Depart‐ ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires state agencies which adminis‐ ter certain HUD pro‐ grams to incorporate their planning and appli‐ cation requirements into one master plan called the Consolidated Plan. In Louisiana, the three state agencies participating in this consolidated plan‐ ning process and the HUD funded program(s) administered by each agency include the Divi‐ sion of Administra‐ tion/Office of Community Development (CDBG), the Louisiana Housing Cor‐ poration (HOME Invest‐ ment Partnerships Pro‐ gram, National Housing Trust Fund, and Emer‐ gency Solutions Grants Program), and the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, STD/HIV/Hepati‐ tis Program (Housing Op‐ portunities for Persons with AIDS Program).

A consolidated plan was prepared in 2024 which outlined the State's over‐ all housing and commu‐ nity development needs and a strategy for meet‐ ing those needs for fed‐ eral fiscal years 20252029 and included a oneyear action plan for the distribution of FY 2025 federal funds received under the aforemen‐ tioned HUD programs. An annual update or action plan for the distribution of funds must be pre‐ pared and publicized for each of the subsequent four program years.

The proposed FY 2026 Annual Action Plan which identifies the proposed method of distribution of FY 2026 funds under the HUD programs will be available for review be‐ ginning May 1, 2026, at h d l

NEWS 24/7 ON

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g g y https://www.doa.la.gov/ doa/ocd-lga/cdbg-andcdbg-cv/lcdbgprograms/lcdbg-plansand-reports/2025-2029/ and at the Office of Com‐ munity Development, Claiborne Building, Suite 3-150, 1201 North Third Street in Baton Rouge.

Copies of the document will also be available for review at the Louisiana Housing Corporation at 2415 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge, and at the De‐ partment of Health and Hospitals, Office of Pub‐ lic Health, STD/HIV Pro‐ gram at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 2136, in New Orleans. Interested par‐ ties are encouraged to view the document on the website above.

A limited number of copies of the proposed plan will be available for distribution and may be requested in writing or by telephone from any of the three agencies par‐ ticipating in the consoli‐ dated planning process.

The following presents a summary of the pro‐ posed FY 2026 Annual Ac‐ tion Plan.

The State has been allo‐ cated $22,611,918 in FY 2026 Community Devel‐ opment Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The Office of Community Develop‐ ment is proposing to es‐ tablish the following pro‐ gram areas for the distri‐ bution of these funds: (1) Public Facilities – approx‐ imately $11.7 million will be allocated for water and wastewater sys‐ tems, and residential streets; (2) Economic De‐ velopment - $2 million will be allocated to pro‐ vide grants to local gov‐ ernments for infrastruc‐ ture improvements which will facilitate the location of a particular business; 3) Clearance Program - $6 million will be set aside to target the elimination or prevention of slums and blight throughout the state; 4) Make A Difference Pro‐ gram - $2 million will be allocated to provide mu‐ nicipalities the opportu‐ nity to complete any eli‐ gible CDBG activity that meets a CDBG national objective in an effort to have a measurable im‐ pact on their community.

In accordance with HUD guidelines, the remain‐ der of the LCDBG funds will be utilized for the State’s cost of providing program administration and technical assistance services.

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC), as the administrator of the State's HOME Program, has been allocated $9,509,160.60 in FY 2026 funds. HOME funds are used to provide flexible, below-market-rate loans to projects that create or preserve affordable housing for lower-in‐ come households. Eligi‐ ble activity types include homeownership develop‐ ment, homebuyer assis‐ tance, rental develop‐ ment (acquisition and / or rehabilitation and new construction), home‐ owner rehabilitation and rental assistance. Funds are distributed statewide.

The State's federal allo‐ cation for the FY 2026 Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESGP) is $2,640,771. ESG funds may be used for six pro‐ gram activities, each program can determine the amount of funding for the allowable cate‐ gories based on the needs of the community.

The eligible program components are as fol‐ lows: A. street outreach, B. emergency shelter, C. homelessness preven‐ tion, D. rapid re-housing assistance, E. Homeless Management Informa‐ tion System (HMIS), and F. administrative activi‐ ties.

Per 24 CFR 576.100(b), the total amount of an applicant's budget for street out‐ reach and essential ser‐ vices cannot exceed 60% of its total requested amount. Within a collab‐ orative application, the 60% limit applies to the entire application and not to each partner within the collaborative application. All appli‐ cants are required to set aside a minimum 40% for their awards for either homeless prevention or rapid re-housing activi‐ ties.

The Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Health (LDH), Of‐ fice of Public Health (OPH), STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program expects to re‐ ceive approximately $4,076,670 for FY 2026 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Although some percentages may vary based on the changing needs of persons living with HIV and the avail‐

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10D ■ Friday, May 1, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

ability of complimentary resources in each geo‐ graphic service area, 85% of the annual State Formula HOPWA award is allocated to rental assis‐ tance and homelessness prevention activities. An‐ other 10% is allocated to Supportive Services. OPH delivers services via community-based orga‐ nizations that provide Tenant-Based Rental As‐ sistance (TBRA), Perma‐ nent Housing Placement Services (PHPS), ShortTerm Rent/Mort‐ gage/Utility Assistance (STRMU), and operation of three community resi‐ dences for low-income persons living with HIV. The allocations to TBRA and STRMU typically make up the majority of those awards. An addi‐ tional 12% of the annual award is allocated to af‐ fordable housing devel‐ opment, including Facil‐ ity Based Housing Assis‐ tance and Resource Iden‐ tification (RI), while 3% is dedicated LDH to cover all of the Administrative Costs associated with this grant award.

Written comments on the proposed annual action plan may be submitted beginning May 1, 2026, and must be received no later than May 30, 2026.

Comments may be mailed to the Office of Community Develop‐ ment, Post Office Box 94095, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095, sent via fac‐ simile to 225-342-1947, or to denease. emailed mcgee2@la.gov.

186021-may 1-1t $110.51 PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority’s (EBRPHA) 2026 Annual Plan is available for re‐ view and public com‐ ment at EBRPHA offices and posted on the EBR‐ PHA website at www. ebrpha.org. Public com‐ ments may be submitted in writing no later than 4:00 PM (CT), 6/15/2026, via email to dmejia@ ebrpha.org or in writing to EBRPHA Attn: Doris Mejía, 4731 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. A public hearing is sched‐ uled for Monday, June 15, 2026, 4:00 PM (CT), at the above address.

186093-MAY 1-7-7T $61.67 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FY 2025 CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT & FY 2026 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN As set forth in 24 CFR Part 91, the U. S. Depart‐ ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires state agencies which adminis‐ ter certain HUD formula programs to incorporate their planning and appli‐ cation requirements into one master plan called the Consolidated Plan. In Louisiana, the three state agencies participating in this consolidated plan‐ ning process and the HUD-funded program(s) administered by each agency include the Divi‐ sion of Administra‐ tion/Office of Community Development-Local Gov‐ ernment Assistance (Community Develop‐ ment Block Grant Pro‐ gram), the Louisiana Housing Corporation (HOME Investment Part‐ nerships Program, the Emergency Solutions Grants Program and the National Housing Trust Fund), and the Louisiana of Department Health/STD/HIV Program (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program). A summary of each of the programs fol‐ lows.

The Community Develop‐ ment Block Grant Pro‐ gram provides financial assistance to parishes with less than 200,000 persons and municipali‐ ties with a population of less than 50,000 in their efforts to provide a suit‐ able living environment, decent housing, essen‐ tial community facilities, and expanded economic opportunities.

Eligible activities include com‐ munity infrastructure systems such as water, sewer, and street im‐ provements and eco‐ nomic development as‐ sistance in the form of grants. Projects funded under this program must principally benefit per‐ sons of low and moder‐ ate income, prevent or eliminate slums and blight, or meet urgent community development needs.

The intent of the National Housing Trust Fund is to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and af‐ fordable housing, pri‐ marily rental housing, for extremely low-income and very low-income households.

The objectives of the Home Investment Part‐ nerships Program are to: expand the supply of de‐ cent and affordable housing for low and very low-income persons, sta‐ bilize the existing, deteri‐ orating owner-occupied and rental housing stock through rehabilitation, provide financial and technical assistance to recipients/subrecipients, and extend and strengthen partnerships among all levels of gov‐ ernment and the private including forsector profit and nonprofit or‐ ganizations in the pro‐ duction and operation of affordable housing.

The purpose of the Emer‐ gency Solutions Grants Program is to help local governments and com‐ munity organizations im‐ prove and expand shelter facilities serving home‐ less individuals and fam‐ ilies, meet the cost of op‐ erating homeless shel‐ ters, provide essential services, and perform homeless prevention ac‐ tivities.

The Housing Opportuni‐ ties for Persons with AIDS Program provides localities with the re‐ sources and incentives to devise and implement long-term comprehen‐ sive strategies for meet‐ ing the housing needs of persons with acquired immuno-deficiency syn‐ drome (AIDS) or related diseases and their fami‐ lies.

The three agencies im‐ plementing these pro‐ grams are preparing their consolidated an‐ nual performance and evaluation report for the FY 2025 program year which ended March 31, 2026. The purpose of that document is to report on the progress the State has made in addressing the goals and objectives identified in its Consoli‐ dated Plan for FY 2025 – FY 2029 and FY 2025 An‐ nual Action Plan.

The agencies are also be‐ ginning to prepare the FY 2026 Annual Action Plan that will include specific program requirements for the proposed distrib‐ ution of funds received under the FY 2026 federal funding allocation for the aforementioned HUD pro‐ grams.

The State will hold a pub‐ li h i i

Legal Notices

p lic hearing to receive comments on the State’s performance during the FY 2025 program year and to obtain views on the housing and commu‐ nity development needs of the State; those com‐ ments will assist the agencies in developing the FY 2026 Annual Ac‐ tion Plan. Copies of the Consolidated Annual Per‐ formance and Evaluation Report will be available for review and each agency will present a summary of its accom‐ plishments as identified in the report. For those persons who are unable to attend the public hearing, the report will be available for review at https://www.doa.la.gov/ doa/ocd-lga/cdbg-andcdbg-cv/lcdbgprograms/lcdbg-plansand-reports/2025-2029/ and at the Office of Com‐ munity Development lo‐ cated at 1201 N. 3rd Street, Ste. 3-150, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, and may be examined from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Copies of the document will also be available for review at the Louisiana Housing Corporation at 2415 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge and at the Depart‐ ment of Health and Hos‐ pitals, Office of Public Health, STD/HIV Program at 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 2136, in New Or‐ leans. Written comments on the performance re‐ port may be submitted beginning June 2, 2026, and will be accepted through June 18, 2026.

Comments may be mailed to the Office of Community Develop‐ ment, P. O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, LA 708049095; faxed to (225) 3421947; or emailed to De‐ nease.McGee2@la.gov.

The public hearing will be held in person and vir‐ tually on June 2, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the Louisiana Housing Corporation. The Louisiana Housing Cor‐ poration is located at 2415 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.

Non-English speaking persons and persons with disabilities requir‐ ing special accommoda‐ tions should contact the Office of Community De‐ velopment at 225/3427412 or at the mailing ad‐ dress, fax number, or email address given in the preceding paragraph at least five working days prior to the hearing.

Este aviso y cualquier material relacionado disponible al público están disponibles en español a solicitud de la Oficina de Desarrollo Co‐ munitario.

186017-may 1-1t $103.65 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

lll

Legal Notices

instrument), and the Override Owner Group (as listed in the settle‐ ment instrument), whereas said parties de‐ sire to amicably resolve their dispute for conflict‐ ing claims as to the min‐ eral ownership of and to the production or pro‐ ceeds of the Coffin/Has‐ singer Conflict Tracts and now agree to settle the claims existing among them arising from the litigation, and to pro‐ vide for the allocation of production related to the 9400’ Big T RC SUA unit for the 9400’ Bigenerina T Zone, Reservoir C, in the Manila Village Field, (Order No. 582-BB-2), af‐ fecting State Lease No. 21345, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, with further particulars being stipu‐ lated in the instrument.

186019-may 1-1t $48.49

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD The Lafayette Parish School Board will hold a public hearing to review the 2026-2027 budget.

The hearing will be held on May 14, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. in the Lafayette Parish School Board’s District Office Board Room, 202 Rue Iberville, Lafayette. Following the hearing, the Board will hold a Special Board Meeting at 5:00 p.m. to adopt the 2026-2027 bud‐ get. The proposed bud‐ get will be available for public inspection during normal business hours beginning Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the Lafayette Parish School Board District Office at 202 Rue Iberville, Lafayette.

185574 April 30, May 1, 2t $159.08 PUBLIC NOTICE --Public Budget Hearings will be held for the fol‐ lowing Public-School Academies: Inspire-5454 N. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge-225356-3936-May 18, 9am Inspire-5454 N. Foster Drive, Baton Rouge-225356-3936-June 29, 9am A copy of the Budgets for the listed Public-School Academies will be avail‐ able at the school office.

185825-may 1-1t $79.03

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE The Town of White Castle proposes the construc‐ tion of a new 400,000 GPD field-erected sludge plant with a center clari‐ fier, disinfection system, effluent pump station, and dechlorination facil‐ ity, along with the re‐ placement of pumps at three existing lift sta‐ tions and demolition of the current treatment plant. The project will in‐ crease the WWTP’s over‐ all capacity by 50,000 GPD, modernize aging in‐ frastructure, and im‐ prove system reliability and quality of service for residents.

These im‐ provements will not change the permitted ca‐ pacity of the facility but will ensure long-term compliance, sustainabil‐ ity, and enhanced quality of life for the community.

All work will be within the current footprint of the plant site or within existing right-of-way. No new right-of-way or land acquisition will be re‐ quired for this project.

There are no known envi‐ ronmentally sensitive areas associated with this project.

This project will be funded in part through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program administered by the Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). Eligibility of this project has been determined in accor‐ dance with the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act and cor‐ responding Federal Regu‐ lations.

In accordance with LDEQ’s rules and regula‐ tions for the CWSRF pro‐ gram as authorized by Public Law 100-4 and ad‐ ministered according to Act 349 of the 1986 Regu‐ lar Session of the Louisiana Legislature, as amended by Act 296 of the 2010 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legisla‐ ture, LDEQ has deter‐ mined that there will be no adverse environmen‐ tal impacts from the pro‐ posed action and has is‐ sued a Categorical Exclu‐ sion. A copy of the Cate‐ gorical Exclusion may be viewed at the Town Hall and may also be ac‐ cessed on LDEQ’s Elec‐ tronic Data Management System (EDMS) at https://deq.louisiana.

The gov/page/edms.

Agency Interest (AI) number for this project is 105683.

The comment period for this document will expire on May 11, 2026. Please direct all comments to: William Barlett, P.E. Office of Environmental Assessment LA Department of Envi‐ ronmental Quality P.O. Box 4314 Baton Rouge, LA 708214314 No action will be taken

by LDEQ until the com‐ ment period has con‐ cluded.

185888-may 1-1t $57.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --STATE OF LOUISIANA STATE MINERAL AND ENERGY BOARD BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LEGAL NOTICE Pursuant to La. Const.

Art. IX, Section 5, as im‐ plemented by L.R.S. 30:129.1, public notice is hereby given that at its meeting commencing at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the LaSalle Building, 617 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the State Mineral and Energy Board will consider ap‐ proval of certain Agree‐ ments for execution in‐ volving minerals or min‐ eral rights owned by the State. A full copy of each of the instruments to ef‐ fect the proposed agree‐ ments is on file in the of‐ fice of the State Mineral and Energy Board, 8th Floor, at the above ad‐ dress, and available for public inspection by any‐ one desiring to examine same.

The proposed agreements are identi‐ fied as follows: D.1 (26-09) A Settlement Agreement by and be‐ tween the State of Louisiana, acting through its agency, the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board, LLOX, L.L.C., LLOLA, L.L.C., Wadi Petro‐ leum, Inc., and the Cof‐ fin/Hassinger Parties (as listed in the settlement

PUBLIC NOTICE --NWI and Lemoine Pro‐ gram Services invite con‐ tractors to submit State‐ ments of Qualifications for work related to the construction of Waste‐ water Treatment Plants, the installation of Trans‐ mission and Forcemain HDPE and PVC pipe, and the construction of Pump Stations. Requests for Qualifications will be ac‐ cepted through May 8. To receive the Qualification Package, please email brian.briggs@1lemoine. com.

184886-apr 21-may 8-6t $354.60

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 668897 HOMEWARD RESIDENTIAL INC vs DOUGLAS EDWARD ROBINS Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, June 11, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: DOUGLAS ED‐ WARD ROBINS One certain piece or por‐ tion of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐ tudes, appurtenances and advantages there‐ unto belonging or in any‐ wise appertaining, situ‐ ated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as STUM‐ BERG PLACE, and desig‐ nated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT NUM‐ BER FOUR (4), said subdi‐ vision, said lot having such measurements and dimensions and being subject to such servi‐ tudes as are more partic‐ ularly described on said subdivision map.

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

JEF'S PLACE), and being designated according to the map thereof on file and of record in the Of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorder for East Baton Rouge Parish as LOT NUMBER NINETY-ONE (91), said subdivision; said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes as shown ,on the official recorded subdivision map. (the "Property") TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $234.71 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 720506 FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION vs JUSTIN K RICARD AND WANKETA FIELDS RICARD Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, July 05, 2022 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: JUSTIN K RI‐ CARD AND WANKETA FIELDS RICARD One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all buildings and im‐ provements thereon, and with all of the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐ tudes, appurtenances and advantages there‐ unto belonging or in any‐ wise appertaining, situ‐ ated in that subdivision of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, known as SPRINGBROOK, and being more particularly de‐ scribed on the official map of said subdivision on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana as LOT NUMBER FORTY-THREE (43), said subdivision, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions as indicated on said map and being subject to such servi‐ tudes and restrictions as are of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; subject to restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way and outstanding mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $250 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 728151 UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC vs AN‐ GELA L. WHITE Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, February 02, 2023 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ tion site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: ANGELA L. WHITE One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon and all the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes and appurtenances be‐ longing or in anywise thereto appertaining, sit‐ uated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division thereof known as WINDWOOD, FIRST FIL‐ ING, PART II, and being designated on the offi‐ cial map thereof on file and of record in the of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorder for East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana as LOT NUMBER EIGHTYFIVE (85), said lot having such measurements and dimensions and being subject to such servi‐ tudes as more particu‐ larly shown on said map; subject to restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way and outstanding. mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $229.60

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

SHERIFF'S SALE

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $219.38 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 680465 U.S. BANK NA, SUCCES‐ SOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF AMERICA, NA, SUC‐ CESSOR IN INTEREST TO LASALLE BANK NATION‐ ALASSOCIATION ON BE‐ HALF OF THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF BEAR STER‐ ANS ASSET BACKED SE‐ CURITIES I LLC, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-HE3 vs DEBORAH ROYAL Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, January 12, 2026 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: DEBORAH ROYAL One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the building and improvements thereon, situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, known as OAK SHADOWS (FORMERLY

Suit No: (17) 745919 FIRST HORIZON BANK VS ADAM WOLFE WASHAUER AND KATHERINE ELIZA‐ BETH MICOTTO WASHAUER Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, September 08, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auc‐ tion site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: ADAM WOLFE WASHAUER AND KATHER‐ INE ELIZABETH MICOTTO WASHAUER One certain lot or parcel of ground situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as GOOD‐ WOOD PLACE SUBDIVI‐ SION, and designated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT NUM‐ BER FOUR-8-ONE (4-8-1), SQUARE TWENTY NINE (29), said subdivision, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes id h

Public Notices Sheriff Sales j as are shown on said subdivision map.

Together with any and all present and future build‐ ings, constructions, com‐ ponent parts, improve‐ ments, attachments, ap‐ purtenances, fixtures, rights, ways, privileges, advantages, batture, and batture rights, servitudes and easements of every type and description, now and/or in the future relating to the Property, and any and all items and fixtures attached to and/or forming integral or component parts of the Property in accor‐ dance with the Louisiana Civil Code.

The Property or its ad‐ dress is commonly known as 1650 CAMERON AVE, BATON ROUGE, LA 70806.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $285.74 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 746857 CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC VS THE UNOPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF BETTY TILLERY HENRY A/K/A BETTY TILLERY HENRY A/K/A BETTY T. HENRY A/K/A BETTY HENRY Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, November 19, 2024 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auc‐ tion site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: THE UN‐ OPENED SUCCESSION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF BETTY TILLERY HENRY A/K/A BETTY TILLERY HENRY A/K/A BETTY T. HENRY A/K/A BETTY HENRY One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, and all the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances and ad‐ vantages thereunto be‐ longing or in anywise ap‐ pertaining, situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, situated in that subdivision of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, known as North Forest Heights, and being designated ac‐ cording to the official map thereof on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as lot thirty six (36), said subdivision; said lot measuring seventy five (75) feet front on Monarch Avenue, by a depth of one hundred twenty nine and 2/10 (129.2) feet between par‐ allel lines; said lot being subject to a seven and 5/10 (7.5) foot servitude across the rear.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $267.85 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 748361 NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING vs SUSIE MAE CARTER GIBBS BROWN A/K/A SUSIE MARIE CARTER A/K/A SUSIE M. CARTER A/K/A SUSIE CARTER AK/A SUSIE MAE GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE M. GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE GIBBS A/KA SUSIE MAE BROWN A/K/A SUSIE M. BROWN A/K/A SUSIE BROWN AK/A SUSIE CARTER GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE C. GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE CARTER BROWN A/K/A SUSIE C. BROWN A/K/A SUSIE GIBBS BROWN A/K/A SUSIE G. BROWN, THE UNOPENED SUCCES‐ SION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF H.L. BROWN, JR. A/K/A H.L. BROWN, JR NAOMI BROWN, AND TIM‐ OTHY ROGERS

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 753950 SYNERGY GORDILLO AND GORDILLO

BANK vs REALTY, LLC JONATHAN

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, June 25, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: GORDILLO RE‐ ALTY, LLC AND JONATHAN GORDILLO One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐ tudes, appurtenances and advantages. There‐ unto belonging or in any‐ wise appertaining, situ‐ ated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐ vision known as MERRY‐ DALE, FIRST FILING, and designated on the offi‐ cial plan thereof, on file and of record in the of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT NUMBER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150), said subdivi‐ sion, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes and restrictions as are more particularly shown on said map.

Said lot is subject to a Hold Harmless. and In‐ demnity Agreement, dated 6/22/2010, exe‐ cuted by Cameka Tou‐ sant, recorded on 06/22/2010 as 855/12247, records of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Municipal: 5285 Satin‐ wood Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70812 TWO (2) certain lots or parcels of ground, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurte‐ nances and-advantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division known as BAKER ESTATES, SECOND FILING, and designated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the· Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT NUMBERS 106 & 107, said subdivision; said lots having such measure‐ ments and dimensions and being subject to such servitudes and re‐ strictions as are more particularly shown on said map.

Municipal Address: 11465 Cagle Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70811.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $349.54 SHERIFF'S SALE

One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon, situated in that subdivi‐ sion of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, known as Glen Oaks and being more particularly described according to the official plan of said subdivision on file and of record in the office of the clerk and recorder as lot num‐ ber one hundred thirty seven (137), said subdivi‐ sion, said lot having such measurements and di‐ mensions and being sub‐ ject to such servitudes and restrictions as shown on said subdivi‐ sion map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $331.66

rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurte‐ nances and advantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining sit‐ uated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division known as Perkins Village and being more particularly de‐ scribed on the official map of said subdivision on file and of record in the office of the clerk and recorder for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as lot number two hundred twelve (212) said subdivision, said lot having such measure‐ ments and dimensions and being subject to such servitudes and re‐ strictions as are more particularly shown on said map.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $232.15 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 759266 PENNYMAC LOAN SER‐ VICES LLC vs CRYSTAL ANN LANDRY AND KISA HOMES, LLC Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, March 28, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: CRYSTAL ANN LANDRY AND KISA HOMES, LLC ALL THAT CERTAIN PIECE OR PORTION OF GROUND, together with .all the buildings and improve‐ ments thereon, and all the rights, ways, privi‐ leges, servitudes, appur‐ tenances and advan‐ tages thereunto belong‐ ing or in anywise apper‐ taining, in that subdivi‐ sion of the PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, known as RIVER OAKS SUBDIVISION, SECOND FILING, and designated on the official map of said subdivision on file and of record in the of‐ fice of the Clerk and Recorded for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT Two Hundred Thirty Seven A (237-A), said subdivision, said lot measuring Ninety (90') feet front on Gloria Drive, by a depth between equal and parallel lines of One Hundred. Forty Five (145') feet; said lot subject to a seven and 5/10 (7.5) foot servitude for public utilities across there rear and along the southerly side line; all as shown on the official recorded subdivision map; subject to restric‐ tions, servitudes, rightsof-way and outstanding mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Suit No: (17) 759156

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish

PENNYMAC LOAN SER‐ VICES, LLC vs CARVER A. PRICE A/K/A CARVER PRICE

ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $262.78

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, April 23, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: CARVER A. PRICE A/K/A CARVER PRICE One (1) certain lot or par‐ cel of ground, together with all the buildings, and improvements thereon, and all the

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 760331 VILLAGE CAPITAL & IN‐ VESTMENTS LLC VS JIMMY R. JAMES Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, April 11, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an on line auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ l i

Public Notices Sheriff Sales g g p p y longing to: JIMMY JAMES

R.

ONE CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND SIT‐ UATED IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN THAT SUBDIVISION THEREOF KNOWN AS SHENANDOAH ESTATES SUBDIVISION, 23RD FIL‐ ING, AND BEING MORE DE‐ PARTICULARLY SCRIBED ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL MAP OF SAID SUBDIVISION, ON FILE AND OF RECORD AT ORIGINAL 680, BUNDLE 9772, IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER FOR THE SAID PARISH AND ST ATE, AS LOT NUMBER 2408, SAID LOT HAVING SUCH MEA‐ SUREMENTS AND DIMEN‐ SIONS AND BEING SUB‐ JECT TO SUCH SERVI‐ TUDES AS SHOWN ON SAID MAP; subject to· re‐ strictions, servitudes, rights-of-way and out‐ standing mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $224.49 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 761132 CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC VS THE OPENED SUCCESSION OF PERCY LAWRENCE TURN‐ LEY, JR. AND ELLA MAE TURNLEY (A/K/A ELLA MAE HOWARD TURNLEY) AND CEARA TURNLEY AND SARAH TURNLEY AND JOSHUA TURNLEY AND SENETRA TURNLEY AND KRISTALYN TURNLEY Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, April 30, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: THE OPENED SUCCESSION OF PERCY LAWRENCE TURNLEY, JR. AND ELLA MAE TURNLEY (AJK/A ELLA MAE HOWARD TURNLEY) AND CEARA TURNLEY AND SARAH TURNLEY AND JOSHUA TURNLEY AND SENETRA TURNLEY AND KRISTALYN TURNLEY ONE CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL THE BUILDINGS, AND IM‐ PROVEMENTS THEREON, SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN THAT SUBDIVSION KNOWN AS PARKLAND TERRACE SUBDIVISION, AND DESIGNATED ON THE OFFICIAL PLAN THEREOF, ON FILE AND OF RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER FOR THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, AS LOT NUM‐ BER FIFTY FOUR (54), SAID SUBDIVISION, SAID LOT HAVING SUCH MEA‐ SUREMENTS AND DIMEN‐ SIONS AND BEING SUB‐ JECT TO SUCH SERVI‐ TUDES AND RESTRIC‐ TIONS AS ARE MORE PAR‐ TICULARLY SHOWN ON SAID MAP. TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $262.78

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: KEONDRA K. MALARCHER ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, located in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, and being des‐ ignated as LOT TEN (10), in that subdivision known as LAKE POINTE COURTYARD SUBDIVI‐ SION and more particu‐ larly described according to the plat recorded as Original 277 of Bundle 11064 of the official records of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana. Said LOT 10 having the dimensions and being subject to the servitudes and dedica‐ tions as set forth on the official plat; subject to restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way and out‐ standing mineral rights of record affecting the property.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $216.82 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 763487 MIDFIRST BANK VS THE OPENED SUCCESSION OF MICHAEL W. HANSHAW AKA MICHAEL WAYNE HANSHAW AND JULIE CRYSTAL HANSHAW Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, June 05, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: THE OPENED SUCCESSION OF MICHAEL W. HANSHAW AKA MICHAEL WAYNE HAN‐ SHAW AND JULIE CRYS‐ TAL HANSHAW ONE CERTAIN TRACT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL BUILD‐ INGS AND IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON, SITU‐ ATED IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, AND BEING DESIGNATED AS LOT NO. 11-AAND THE WEST 1/2 OF LOT NO. 12A OF BAKER LOTS & ACRES ON THAT ONE CERTAIN MAP MADE BY TOXIE CRAFT, C.E., DATED MARCH 16, 1957. SAID MAP RECORDED IN THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA AS, SAID TRACT BEING SUB‐ JECT TO SUCH SERVI‐ TUDES AND HAVING SUCH MEASUREMENTS AND DI‐ MENSIONS AS SHOWN ON SAID MAP. Which has the address of 4426 Gibbens Payne Av‐ enue, Baker, LA 70714 TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITHOUT Appraisement and according to law.

Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE May 01, 2026 June 01, 2026 $237.23

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 761192 BANK OF AMERICA NA vs KEONDRA K. MALARCHER

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Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, May 02, 2025 and to me directed,

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CITY OF CENTRAL — SURPLUS PROPERTY SALE (PACKAGE DEAL)

Baton Rouge, LA 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, January 22, 2026 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on June 03, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales, offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: SUSIE MAE CARTER GIBBS BROWN A/K/A SUSIE MARIE CARTER A/K/A SUSIE M. CARTER A/K/A SUSIE CARTER A/K/A SUSIE MAE GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE M. GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE MAE BROWN A/K/A SUSIE M. BROWN A/K/A SUSIE BROWN SUSIE CARTER A/K/A GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE C. GIBBS A/K/A SUSIE CARTER BROWN A/K/A SUSIE C. BROWN A/K/A SUSIE GIBBS BROWN A/K/A SUSIE G. BROWN, THE UNOPENED SUCCES‐ SION OF AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF H.L. BROWN, JR. A/K/A H.L. BROWN, JR. NAOMI BROWN, AND TIM‐ OTHY ROGERS BROWN A/K/A TIMOTHY R. BROWN A/K/A TIMOTHY BROWN, HEIRS OF H.L. BROWN, SR. A/K/A H.L. BROWN

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

The City of Central is offering a unique opportunity to purchase surplus items from the former City Hall facility. All items will be sold as a single package deal.

This package includes a variety of office and facility furnishings and equipment, such as: OLD CITY HALL SURPLUS ITEMS ITEM 1. Burgundy metal restaurant chairs (7) 2. Burgundy low back-office chairs (4) 3. Burgundy high back-office chairs (4) 4. 12 ft church pew with split (1) 5. 5 shelf bookcase 6. computer desk with hutch 7. desk 8. credenza with cabinet 9. credenza with side cabinets 10. L shape office desk with drawers 11. solid wood credenza/cabinet 12. 4 drawer wood filing cabinet 13. Metal filing cabinet 14. metal storage two door cabinet 15. refrigerator • • • •

Office desks, chairs, and filing cabinets Shelving units and storage cabinets Miscellaneous office equipment and fixtures Additional items accumulated during City Hall operations

Important Details: • All items are sold as-is, where-is, with no warranties or guarantees • Buyer is responsible for removal and transportation of all items • Items must be purchased as a complete lot (no individual sales) This is an excellent opportunity for businesses, resellers, or organizations looking to acquire a large quantity of office furnishings at once.

Sealed bids/offers will be accepted until: Monday, May 11, 2026 Inspection/viewing available: Saturday, April 25, 2026 - Monday, May 11, 2026, 8:30-3:30 p.m.

M-F at 13421 Hooper Road, Central, LA 70818 Submission details: Sealed offers may be submitted to Central City hall (11530 Sullivan Road, Central, LA 70818) For more information or to schedule a viewing, please contact: Jenn Kimble 225-921-4079/Jenn.Kimble@central-la.gov 185379-641214-apr 25-may 5-15t $ 1,940.40