The Advocate 05-03-2026

‘LIVINGSHORELINE’

Pair of coastalprojectscreatesolutions

on theedgeofthe marshusing oyster shells,mangroves, concrete breakwater

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

On the far reaches of theLouisianamarsh,a fewdozen volunteers were engaged in aweightlifting workout with unconventional equipment: 30-pound bags ofrecycled oyster shells.

The volunteers for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana passed the oysterbags in aline of people toward amuddy shorelinealong theeastern edge of the Biloxi Marsh, the last piece of landbefore the Chandeleur Islands.

“Weare protecting asmall but mighty sliver of the marsh,” saidFiona Lightbody,CRCL’s programmanager for oyster recycling

They were buildingwhatiscalled a“living shoreline,” agrowing tool for coastal protection across Louisiana,

ä See SHORELINE, page 10A

Rash of earthquakesrattlingnorth La.

Researchersmonitoring oil, gasoperations as potentialcause

BY SAM KARLIN and DAVID MITCHELL

Staff writers

ELECTION 2026

Redrawing U.S. House mapcould begin this week

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Federal regulators are asking Louisiana to step up oversight of oil andgas operations afterarashofearthquakes in the northern half of the state, including one tremor that matched the largest in state history In aletter last month,the Environmental ProtectionAgency told state regulators to more closely watch how oil and gas companies inject brine into the ground. Both regulators and scientists are hominginonsuch wastewater wells as apotential culprit forthe earthquakes. The 11 earthquakes recorded in the region over the past monthwarrant “a closer examination to ensure the safety of underground sources of drinkingwater,” the EPAtold Louisiana’s DepartmentofConservation and Energy Now,researchers are installing seismometers and aftershock monitors across northwest Louisiana and the state’sDepartment of Conservation and Energy is investigating saltwaterdisposal wells in abid to find thecause.

ä See EARTHQUAKES, page 4A

Akey personinwhat happens next is state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter,R-PortAllen. He is both the chair of the Senateand Governmental Affairs Committee —which is where the redistricting billswill likely start —and sponsor of one of those bills. “I’m sure we’re going to have fireworks somewhere,” Kleinpeter said.

The process of redrawing Louisiana’scongressional districts couldbeginassoon as Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidatedthe voting map andGov.Jeff Landry put the brakesonthatlooming vote. State senators say they have been holding feverish talks behind the scenes to devise a plantoaddress the ruling last week that Louisiana’sHouse congressionalmap is unconstitutional because it relied too heavily on race whenitwas drawn. On Thursday,saying he would not allow Louisianatovoteonanillegalmap, Landrydeclared an emergency that canceled the May 16 primaryfor the sixU.S.House elections.

On Friday,Kleinpeter said he hopes his committee will take public testimony andpassa redistricting bill on Wednesday,but he acknowledged that that plan maybetoo ambitious. Lawmakers would face atighter timetable if the committee has to wait aweek but would likely still have enough timesince the regularlegislative session doesn’tend until June 1.

The decisions have thrown Louisiana’selections into disarray after absentee votinghad alreadybegun forthe May16primary and just before aweek of early voting began on Saturday.

These developments will mean new districts for Louisiana’scongressional delegation whichcurrently hasfourRepublicans andtwo Democrats —unlessone of several lawsuits that have just been filed gum up those plans. Together,these events have also spawned confusion andlotsofquestions. Here are the best answers we have so far.

Redistricting bills already filedfor regular sessionofLa. Legislature ä See MAP, page 8A

Landry

Kleinpeter

STAFF PHOTOSByBRETTDUKE

Bags of recycled oyster shells areunloaded from aboat and placed along the shoreline during aCoalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana event at Morgan Harbor Pass in St.Bernard Parish on April 17. The shells areusedtohelp buildaliving shoreline to reduce erosion and create habitat.

Birds gather and take flight from recycled oyster shells placed along the shoreline at Morgan Harbor Pass in St.Bernard Parish.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Supreme Courtasked to weigh mifepristone case

Amaker of the widely used abortion pill mifepristoneasked the Supreme Court on Saturday to blockanappellatecourt ruling that cutoff mail-orderaccess to the drug just aday earlier,in whatwas the biggest jolt to abortion policy in the U.S. sincethe overturning of Roe v. Wade Danco Laboratories, which is also adefendant in the lawsuit in question, asked to block theNew Orleans-based5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decisionwhile appeals are pending, saying the appellate ruling “injectsimmediate confusionand upheavalinto highly time-sensitive medical decisions.”

The appeals court’sunanimous ruling Friday marked asubstantial victory for abortion opponents seeking to stem the flowof abortion pills prescribed online, which they view as subverting state bans. It requires that mifepristonebedistributed only in person and at clinics, overruling regulations set by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

“We’re nowgoingtosee,Ithink in away we haven’tbefore,what thenationwilllook like when abortion bans are actually in effect,” said Mary Ziegler,anexpert on abortion law anda professor at University of California at Davis School of Law

Activists’ detention ups Spain-Israel tensions

SOLARES,Spain Spain’sforeign minister on Saturday called for the immediate release of an activistdetained by Israel after an aid flotilla bound for Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.

Saif Abukeshek, adual SpanishSwedishcitizen of Palestinian origin, was detained for questioning in Israel on Saturdayalong with Thiago Ávila of Brazil. A legal aid group said both men had launched ahunger strike.

Dozens of other activists were picked up by the Greek coast guardfollowing the Israeli action and taken to the island of Crete.

“This is acase of illegal detention in international waters, outside the jurisdiction of Israeli authorities. Ihavemade this clear to my Israeli counterpart,” José Manuel Albaressaidinaninterview with public radio.

An Israel-based legal advocacy group, theLegal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah, said it had visited the two men at adetention site in theIsraeli portcity of Ashkelon. It said both reported being on ahunger strike after allegedly being repeatedly beaten whileincustody

“Adalah maintains that the treatment of the two activists, including the use of isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical beatings, constitutes agrave violation of international law,” the group said.

In an online post, Israel’s ForeignMinistry said Abukeshek and Ávila werebeing questioned for possible linkstothe armed group Hamas. It said the two men had been granted consularvisits.

Whale stranded off Germany released

BERLIN Arescue team on Saturday released from abarge in the North Sea ahumpbackwhale thathad been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said. NicknamedTimmy by Germanmedia, the whalewas spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from itsnaturalhabitat in the Atlantic Ocean.

The mammal’shealth deterioratedasitbecame repeatedly strandedinshallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, and unsuccessful effortsto coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed acrossthe globe

The environment minister for Germany’sMecklenburgWestern Pomerania state gave the green light for the attempt to save the whale, proposed by aprivate initiative, despite some warnings from the scientific community that it may be too much for the animal.

Jens Schwarck, amemberof the private initiative who was on site, said the whale was released around 9a.m. local time, according to theGerman news agency dpa. The agency reported that the whale wasreleasedabout 45 miles from the coast of Skagen, Denmark.

Trumpsayshe’sreviewing Iran’s proposaltoend war

BY AAMER MADHANI, SARAH EL DEEB and CARA ANNA Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Presi-

dent Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a newIranian proposal to endthe warbut also expressedskepticism it would lead to adeal.

“I’ll letyou know about it later,” he saidbefore boarding Air Force One, adding that they’re going to give me the exact wording now.”

Shortly afterspeaking to reporters, Trump posted on socialmedia about the new proposal, saying he “can’timagine that it would be acceptableinthat they have not yet paid abig enough price for what they have done to Humanity,and the World,overthe last47years.”

Twosemiofficial Iranian news outlets, Tasnim and Fars, believed to be closetoIran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard,said Iran hassenta14-pointproposal via Pakistan in response to aninepoint U.S. proposal. Iran’s staterun media have not reported on thenew proposal.Pakistanhas hostedprevious negotiations between Iran and the United States. Trump rejected aprevious Iranian proposal this week. However,conversations have continued, and the three-week ceasefireappears to be holding.

TheU.S. president also has floated anew plan to reopen theStraitofHormuz at themouth of the Persian Gulf, where about afifthofthe world’strade in oiland naturalgas typically passes.

Jailed activist’s health worsens

The health of imprisoned Iranian rightslawyer Narges Mohammadi was at “very highrisk,” her foundation and family saidSaturday, addingthatIran’sIntelligenceMinistry was opposing her transfertoTehran,Iran’scapital, fortreatment by herown doctors. Mohammadi, aNobel Peace Prize laureatein herearly 50s, was urgently transferred to ahospital in Zanjan in Iran’s northwest on Friday afteracardiac crisis and fainting. Her family has said herhealth had been worsening in part from abeatingshe received during herDecember arrest Medical teams in Zanjan have requested her records before

performingany treatment, while recommending that she be transferred to Tehran, herfoundation said.

Buther Paris-based husband, Taghi Rahmani, said the Intelligence Ministry opposed the transferfor angiography,orimaging of theblood vessels. He spoke in a voice message shared with The Associated Press by the foundation. The Norwegian Nobel Committeeinastatementurged Iranianauthoritiesto immediately transfer Mohammadi to her medicalteam,saying her life is in theirhands “She hasthe mental resilience forimprisonment, but her body does not have thereadiness.The MinistryofIntelligence wouldn’teven mind if (she)died,” her husband told Sky News. He added that theirchildren hadn’tseen Mohammadi for over adecade, since2015. Before her arrestonDec. 12, Mohammadi already had been serving asentence of 13 years and nine months on charges of collusionagainst state security and propaganda against Iran’s government,but had been released on furlough since late 2024 over medical concerns Her legal team is pursuing the matterwith the General Prosecutor’soffice, the foundation said. Firmswarnedabutsanctions

The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran to pass safely throughthe Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure in the standoff over control of it.

Iran effectively closed the strait by attackingand threatening ships after the U.S. and Israel launched awar on Feb. 28. Tehranlater offeredsomeships safe passage viaroutesclosertoits shore,charging fees at times. The U.S.onFridaywarned againsttransfers not only in cash but also in “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies.

TheU.S.has respondedwitha naval blockade of Iranian ports sinceApril 13,depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailingeconomy.The U.S. CentralCommand on Saturday said 48 commercial ships have been told to turn back. Iran hangstwo men Iran on Saturday said it hanged twomen convicted of spying for Israel.

The judiciary’snews outlet, Mizanonline,saidYaghoub Karimpourwas accusedofsending“sensitive information” to an officer in Israel’sMossadintelligence agency,while Nasser Bekrzadehallegedly sent details aboutgovernment and religious leaders as wellasinformation aboutNatanz. The city is home to anuclear enrichment facility bombed by Israel and the U.S. last year Iran has hanged morethan a dozen people over alleged espionage andterrorist activities in recent weeks. Rights groups say Iran routinely holds closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to challenge the accusations theyface.

Dronekills 2inKherson strike as Russia claims front-line progress

BYSAMYAKULLAB Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Twopeople were killed after aRussian drone attacked aminibus in the southernUkrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday,inthe latest barrage ofcivilianareas, ahallmarkof Moscow’sfull-scaleinvasion of its neighbor

Seven peoplewere also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudinsaid.Hours later Russia attacked another minibusinKherson, wounding the driver,hesaid Meanwhile, along thenorthern border with Belarus, Ukraine recorded “rather unusual” activity on Friday,Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy said in apostonTelegram on Saturday.Without elaborating,hesaid activity was seen on theBelarusian side of the border and that Ukraine would act if matters escalated.

“Weare closely documentingand keeping the situation under control. If necessary,wewill react,” he said.

Belarus, aclose ally of theKremlin, has allowed Russia to use itsterritory as astaging ground to send troops into Ukraine and to host some of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons.

On Ukraine’s BlackSea coast, aRussian strike damaged port infrastructure in the city of Odesa.Nocasualties were reported Ukrainian civilianshaveendured relentless air assaults since Russia launcheda full-scale invasionofits neighbor more than four years ago. U.S.brokeredtalksbetween Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no respite, with Russia rejecting Ukraine’s offer of aceasefire, and in recent weeks the Iran war has diverted international attention from Ukraine’splight. Meanwhile, on the roughly 750-mile

front line, Russia claimed Saturday it had taken control of the village of Myropillia in Ukraine’snortheastern Sumy region. It was notpossibletoindependently verify the battlefield claims, and Ukraine did not immediately comment.

In Russia, local officials in the Krasnodar region saidthat afire that broke out Friday followinga Ukrainianstrikeon an oilterminalinthe Black Seacity of Tuapse was put out on Saturday

Ukrainian drones have hit theoil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse on four occasions in just over twoweeks, sparking fires that prompted localevacuationsand sent up massiveplumesof smoke.

Ukraine has escalated itslong-distance strikesagainst Russian oilfacilitiesin an effort to slash Moscow’soil exports, akey source of funding for itsgrinding invasion of Ukraine. But the economic impact is so far unclear,asthe rise in oil prices from the Iran war,and arelated easing of U.S. sanctions, have helped replenish theKremlin’s coffers.

Israeli strikeskill7 in Lebanon

Catholic conventin border villagebulldozed

BY BASSEM MROUE Associated Press

BEIRUT Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least seven people and woundedothers on Saturday while the Israeli military demolished parts of aCatholic convent in aborder village, officials said.

Israel’smilitary on Saturday issued anew warning for residents of nine southern villagestoevacuate. Israel and Lebanon’smilitant Hezbollah group have kept up their attacks despite aceasefire in place since April 17.

In the border village of Yaroun, Israel’smilitary used bulldozers to destroy parts of aCatholic convent that hadbeenempty as aresult of thelatest fighting.

“Whatweheardisthatitwas destroyed with bulldozers,” said Gladys Sabbagh, the superior general of the Basilian Salvatorian Sisters. Sabbagh told The Associated Press thatthe convent includeda school that had been closedsince the 2006 Israel-Hezbollahwar,aswellasa clinic thatwas recently moved to the nearby village of Rmeich.

She described the convent as asmall compound housing just two nuns, who left because of the war.Sabbagh did nothavefurther details as Yaroun’s residents have been displaced.

The Israelimilitary issued astatement saying that as the armywas destroying Hezbollah infrastructure in Yaroun, ahouse thathad no religious signs was damaged. It added thatas soon as the military knew it was linked to achurch, soldiers “prevented any further damage from being done.”

The military added that Hezbollah used thecompoundinthe past to fire rocketstowardIsraelonseveral occasions. It added that the military does not strike religious institutions intentionally

The Catholic Church in Lebanon rejected claims that the compound was used for military purposes.

“Weare against allpractices against places of worshipand churches. Theseare places to spread peace,love andeducation,” said Rev.Abdo Abou Kassm, director of the Catholic Centerfor Information. “These arenot military bases.”

The demolition at the convent came days after images of an Israeli soldier wielding an ax against the fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern Lebanese village of Debel had sparked widespread condemnation, in Lebanon and internationally

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Mohammadi

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHIDSALEMI

Vehicles drivepast abillboard on Saturday withagraphicshowing the Strait of Hormuzand the sewn lips of President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran.

PHOTO

Theearthquakes ratcheted up in 2022, and since then, 35 earthquakes with amagnitudeof2.5 or more have struck northwestern Louisiana. A4.9-magnitude earthquake on March 5in

Red River Parish tied for the largest in state history,causing people to scramble outof bed as the ground rattled under them. It was felt as far as 150 miles away

“Anybody living in atrailer home —and there are a lot up there —they bounce with everything bigger than about a2.5,” said Cynthia Ebinger,aTulane University professor who is studying the seismic activity

While officials are not yet certain of the cause, it appears increasingly likely that oil and gas drillers’disposal of saltwater deep underground is behind the rise in earthquakes in the region, according to regulators and scientists.

Many of the Haynesville Shale drillers use hydraulic fracturing,orfracking, when drilling fornatural gas. As part of that process, they blast water into the rockformation.

The drillers also extract brine, highly saline water with heavy metals and other toxic materials, as abyproduct of drilling. To dispose of all of the water that comes up, they inject it deep underground, aprocess regulated by the state Departmentof Conservation andEnergy. The EPAregulateswastewaterwells in some other states.

That process has caused earthquakes in other oil and gas plays, including in nearby Texas and Oklahoma.

Dustin Davidson, head of the Department of Conservation and Energy,said Louisiana’sHaynesville Shale play has only recently seen aboom in drilling similar to that in places like Oklahoma and Texas.

“What we’re dealing with is an increase in production overall,” he said. “With the (oil) prices we’re seeing right now,with the needfor more energy nationwide and globally,both Texas and Louisiana play alarge role in that.”

The production happening right now could be “causing subsurface impact,”he added, though he said state officials have not concluded that’sthe cause.

The biggest concernfor regulators is making sure the brine disposal doesn’t impact underground sources of drinking water If thestate findsthat wastewaterinjectionis causing the earthquakes, “Wecan determine that there should be no injection in this location,” Davidson said.

Aspokesperson for the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association did not respondto messages seeking comment.

Aspokesperson for the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association declinedto comment. The two organizationsare the biggest that represent the industry in the state.

kansas, allow greater injection pressures, which means moresaltwater can be sent down the well morequickly and economically

He disputed that the greater saltwater injection pressures he is seeking could contribute to earthquakes.

Potentialsmoking gun

The keyquestion for researchersisexactly how deepthe earthquakes are happening. If the earthquakes are above where saltwater injection is happening, theoperators may be pumping the brine attoo high apressure, Ebinger said.

But if the quakes are below the so-called “injection horizon,” which appears more likely, multiple factors could be at play.It’spossible the weight of the basin is increasing because of the brinedisposal, creating an “underground dam” of sorts, shesaid. That cancause the faults to slip, something that has happened in other oil plays in NorthAmerica.

Wastewater injection has been the culprit of earthquakes in other oil states, shesaid.

“That is apotential that’s asmoking gun,” she said. “There’sapossibility remaining that something in Louisiana is very weird and allowed this to happen. (But) it seems less likely to be the case.”

Ebinger’sresearch has found that earthquakesin north Louisiana have increased in bothnumber and magnitude over thelast 8 years. Last October,she got funding from the USGS to install equipmenttobetter understandtheir cause.

USGS seismologist Justin Rubinstein said they seek to findmoreearthquakes that haven’talreadybeenfound andtouse that larger data settounderstand howthe quakes have developed over time

Theresearchers also intend to determine the relationship between oil and gas

thebrine disposalcan cause underground formations to break down and faults to slip. Though McCormick downplayedthe potential impact of greater injection pressures, Hill toldstate regulatorstoconducta“comprehensive review” of the pressures at whichoperators are injecting wastewater

operations and the earthquakes. Rubinsteinsaiddetailed scientific studies and more oil andgas drilling data are needed to makea specific determination.

EPAtakes notice

Preliminary findings show the earthquakesare happening deep underground along a70million-year-old fault line, likely between one to two miles deep Most of the earthquakes felt this year happened in early March.Six happened in one day on March 9, including 4.1- and 4.4-magnitude quakes that occurreda minute apartnear Coushatta and Edgefield, in rural northwest Louisiana

The most recent was April 9. Around the same time, the state Legislature held hearings on two bills that would loosen regulations on saltwater injection wells. HB 496 by Rep.Danny McCormick, R-Oil City,would prohibit the state from limiting injection wells at certain pressures

HB 706 by Rep. NeilRiser R-Columbia, would establish abaseline pressure in state law.

Theday beforethe committeehearing on Riser’s bill, theEPA sent itsletter

During testimonyinthe HouseNatural Resources Committee, Davidson presented the letter from the EPA, noting the federal regulator is already taking noticeofthe earthquakes in the region,citingwastewater wells as apotential culprit.

The committee rejected Riser’sbill. McCormick’sbill is still pending.

In an interview lastweek, McCormickpointedout that surrounding states, like Ar-

He said the saltwater wells his bill would affect are about 5,000 feet deep, well above the depth of the earthquakes, and that they are lower volume, noncommercial wells. They are also a fewparishes over fromRed River, where the big quake happened in March.

McCormick said he is talking with state regulators about his bill.

“We’re discussing the issue,” he said. Troy Hill, director of the EPARegion 6water division, wrote in the letterthat

“Pressure management is vital,” Hill wrote, citing the EPA’spastexperience with induced earthquakes in the states of EPARegion 6. Hill wrote that the state shouldimplement“enhanced pressure and volume monitoring that includes athorough review of fault mapsand geologic data like formation fracture pressures, and areview of injection activities within several milesofthe recent earthquakes.”

Spirit Airlines shuts down, citing oil prices

BY AAMER MADHANI, RIO YAMAT, JEFF AMY and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Spirit

Airlines, an impish upstart

that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, announced Saturday that it has gone out of business after 34 years.

The ultralow cost airline that once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people said it had “started an orderly winddown of our operations effective immediately.”

Although Spirit had gone bankrupt twice before, the company said high oil prices, which have been rising because of the war with Iran, made it impossible to stay aloft.

The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available.

Some passengers arrived Saturday for flights and were stunned to find them canceled, while workers learned overnight they were out of jobs.

“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” Spirit’s announcement said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday that Spirit had a reserve fund set up for customers who bought directly from the airline to get refunds People who bought from third-party vendors like travel agents would have to seek refunds from them.

Duffy said United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest were offering $200 one-way flights for people who had Spirit confirmation numbers and proof of purchase for a limited time. Other airlines would also help Spirit employees who might be stranded as well as offering them a preferential application process as they look for work.

and four children arrived for a Saturday afternoon Spirit flight from Atlanta to Miami for a spur-of-the-moment vacation. The family had driven down from Tennessee to the Atlanta airport

“So the whole airline at every airport is out of business?” asked Nantang. “Oh my, that’s crazy.”

Other passengers wondered whether the airline would still answer its customer service phone, or when the refunds for canceled flights might arrive on their credit cards.

funded takeover Spirit proudly disrupted the penny-pinching portion of the airlines industry with its no-frills, low-cost flights and provocative ads like its “Check Out the Oil on Our Beaches” campaign after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, referencing suntan oil, but alluding to the crude spilled on the Gulf Coast. However, Spirit has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising op-

erating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020. The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings. Staff writer Missy Wilkinson contributed to this report.

Spirit said in a statement it was working to get more than 1,300 crew to their home bases and that the final Spirit flight landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The company advised customers that they could expect refunds but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines The Trump administration had considered a government bailout for the cash-strapped business to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached. Of the potential bailout, Duffy said Saturday “we often times don’t have half a billion dollars laying around.”

President Donald Trump had floated the idea of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years with jet fuel prices soaring because of the Iran war Up to 21,000 passengers faced canceled flights through New Orleans after the shutdown.

Fifty-four arriving Spirit Airlines planes and 55 departing planes carrying up to 21,438 passengers through the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport between Saturday and May 15 have been canceled.

“Passengers with upcoming flights to or from Louis

Armstrong New Orleans International Airport with Spirit are advised not to go to the airport and should make alternative travel arrangements,” said MSY spokesperson Erin Burns in a statement Saturday morning.

The shutdown comes during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a busy travel weekend with hotel occupancy rates hovering above 90%, according to New Orleans & Company

“We recognize the significant disruption this decision may cause and remain confident that other air carriers will move quickly to help maintain service across the markets previously served by Spirit Airlines,” Burns wrote.

Save for the conspicuously vacant counters at the former Spirit Airlines check-in, it appeared to be business as usual Saturday morning at the airport — a calm that belied the private chaos of tens of thousands of Spirit customers rebooking their upcoming canceled flights with other airlines and seeking refunds.

Five Spirit flights were still showing as “on time” on Saturday morning on the departure board in Atlanta

A trickle of passengers who hadn’t heard the news were still showing up.

“What!?” exclaimed Taylor Nantang as she, her husband

Former Spirit flight attendant Freddy Peterson was on a Spirit flight from Detroit that arrived in Newark around 11 p.m. Friday He said that despite rumors flying on social media Friday, things seemed kind of normal, with more than 200 passengers on the plane.

“All our aircraft were packed,” he said.

Peterson, 60, said he set his alarm clock for 3 a.m. Saturday to check the company website at the hour of the rumored shutdown and learned all Spirit flights were canceled. He said Delta Air Lines brought him and another flight attendant back to Atlanta on Saturday morning, with Peterson leaving from there to drive to his home in Shellman in southwest Georgia.

“I’ll probably do the boohoo crying and all that other stuff once I get in my car.”

Peterson said he had been a flight attendant with Spirit for 10 years and the company has “done wonders for me.” He said the airline’s reputation for bargain basement chaos was largely undeserved, but he did fault management for not communicating with the employees in the closing days, saying a promised employee town hall was canceled.

As late as Friday afternoon, Trump had said his administration was looking at a bailout for Spirit and had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for a taxpayer-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF AMy

An airport employee walks past the Spirit Airlines counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the airline’s shutdown.

Troop withdrawal plan adds to U.S.-Europe friction

Pentagon to pull 5,000 troops from Germany

BY KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and EMMA BURROWS Associated Press

BERLIN Germany’s defense minister on Saturday appeared to take in stride a Pentagon announcement that the United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of the country, President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to reduce America’s commitment to European security

Boris Pistorius said the drawdown, which Trump has threatened for years, was expected, and he said European nations needed to take on more responsibility for their own defense But he also emphasized that security cooperation benefited both sides of the trans-Atlantic partnership.

“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the U.S.,” Pistorius told the German news agency dpa.

The planned withdrawal faced bipartisan resistance in Washington, with swift criticism from Democrats and concern from Republicans that it would send the “wrong signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose full=scale invasion of Ukraine recently entered its fifth year Trump’s decision comes as he seethes at European allies over their unwillingness to join his campaign with Israel against Iran. He has lashed out at leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Merz last week criticized the war in Iran, saying the U.S. is being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and calling out Washington’s lack of strategy

matters, said the branches of the U.S. military didn’t have prior knowledge of the decision to draw down the 5,000 troops and learned about it “in real time.”

In response, the Defense Department reiterated on Saturday that it conducted a thorough review of its force posture in Europe.

Africa commands, Ramstein Air Base and a medical center in Landstuhl, where casualties from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were treated. U.S. nuclear missiles are also stationed in the country

in Congress said Saturday they were “very concerned” about the troop withdrawal.

In another sign of friction, Trump accused the European Union of not complying with its U.S. trade deal and announced plans to increase tariffs next week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany a major automobile manufacturer

At least one EU lawmaker called the tariff hike “unacceptable” and accused Trump of breaking yet another U.S. commitment on trade. A pullout of 5,000 soldiers from Germany would amount to about one-seventh of the 36,000 American service members stationed in the country The Pentagon offered few details about which troops or operations would be affected. The withdrawal is scheduled to take place over the next six to 12 months Trump previously said he would pull 9,500 troops from Germany during his first term, but he didn’t start the process and Democratic President Joe Biden formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021 More broadly, around 80,000-100,000 U.S. personnel are usually stationed in Europe — depending on operations, exercises and troop rotations The U.S. increased its European deployment after Russia launched its full-

scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. NATO allies like Germany have expected for over a year that these troops would be the first to leave.

Pistorius, in his comments to dpa, said, “We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our security,” while stressing recent efforts by Germany to boost its armed forces, accelerate procurement and develop infrastructure.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart, in a post Saturday on X, said the trans-Atlantic alliance was “working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” she added, noting “progress” toward a target among NATO allies to each invest 5% of their economic output to defense.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the “decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.”

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive

“The decision to withdraw troops in Germany follows a comprehensive, multilayered process that incorporates perspectives from key leaders in EUCOM and across the chain of command,” acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez wrote in an email, using the abbreviation for U.S. European Command.

Most U.S. troops in Germany come from the Army and Air Force.

Germany hosts several American military facilities, including the headquarters of the U.S European and

Withdrawal of 5,000 troops — the size of a brigade combat team from Germany would likely have limited impact on combat power, but “in terms of messaging of U.S. commitment though, it’s very different,” another U.S. defense official said.

The only permanent brigade combat team in Germany is the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, alongside an aviation brigade and other assets, which is considered to have an important role in America’s — and NATO’s — ability to deter threats.

After swift pushback from Democrats on Friday, Republican leaders of both armed services committees

Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama said the decision risked “undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.” They also said the Pentagon had decided to cancel the planned deployment of the Army’s Long-Range Fires Battalion. Parnell’s statement made no mention of that.

Wicker and Rogers said any significant change to the U.S. force posture in Europe warrants review and coordination with Congress.

“We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transAtlantic security,” they said in a joint statement.

MaxwellBreauxwas just 12 yearsold when hisgrandfather –a mansolargerthanlifethat Breaux called himSuperman–was diagnosed with mesothelioma.Breauxstayedclose during the finalweeks of hislife, quietlyfrustratedthat he couldn’t do more to help “I wanted to take care of him, anditreally bothered me that Ididn’tknowwhattodo,” Breauxsaid.“IknewIdidn’twanttofeelthatway againifIsaw someoneelsewho wasstruggling with theirhealth.

TheexperienceinspiredBreauxtoembarkon acareerasanurse. Today, he serves as anursing leaderinthe intensivecareunitatOur Lady of theLake, wherehehas workedsince 2013.Inthat time,hehas come to understand that nursingis notdefinedbydutiesorresponsibilities, butby awillingness to meet people wheretheyare and step up during difficult moments.

“Ourdutiesincludethephysicaltasksofcaring forpatientsand lookingout fortheir mental well-being.Welookattrendstotry to anticipate theirneeds andprevent theirconditionsfrom worsening,”Breauxsaid. “Wegivethemeverythingfrommedicationstospecialbathstoprevent infections Theterm, ‘that’snot my job’ doesn’t existinour world.”

Breaux said oneaspectofthe profession that often surprisespeopleisthatnursesnot only care fortheir patients, butalsofor theirconcerned family members.

“Wemeetpeopleatsomeofthemosttraumatic timesoftheir lives. That’s whywetry to take a holistic approach andtreat everyone,” he said “We’ve hadpatientscomeout of surgerymore concernedthattheir family is comfortable than aboutthemselves. It doesn’thelptheir health when they arestressed.Welet them know that we areheretohelpthem, we have thetraining to do so andwewantthe patienttohave agood healingprocess.”

AtOurLadyoftheLake,thatmissioniscaptured in what leaders call the“dinner tabletest” –a simple butpowerfulquestionthatguidescare decisions: Will ourworkhelpthe patientreturn home to shareamealaroundthe tablewiththeir lovedones? ForBreauxand othernurses, the idea is aconstantreminderofwhattruly matters.

“A bed or apatient room isn’tanassignment. It’sapersonwhohastheirownpreferences,needs andpersonality,” he said.“We thinka lot about howwewould want ourlovedonestobetreated Approachingthe workthatway meansthatit’s ourpassion,not just ajob.”

Breauxsaidheisgrateful that others at Our Lady of Lake sharethatsamephilosophyand said thehospital’scollaborative environment is oneofits greatest strengths. Each day, nurses joinphysicians,pharmacists,therapistsandother specialistsinmultidisciplinary rounds to review patientcases andworktogethertodetermine the bestcourseofcare.Inaddition,inputfromnurses is considered when thehospitalisconsidering a newpractice, technology or treatmentmethod.

“Wehavea voiceinall of that.It’satwo-way street,notatop-downapproach,”Breauxsaid.“I’m proudthatournursingteamsarealwayswillingto adaptand embracechange, because that benefits thepatients. Ourteamhas amindset of beingin aconstantstate of performanceimprovement

We mayalready be doinggreat,but we always want to be better.

NursesatOurLadyoftheLakebalancetheneeds ofpatientsandtheirfamilieswithstayingup-to-date on newmedical innovationsand communicating withcolleaguesonthebesttreatmentplans.Amid allofthat, theworkloadand itsemotional weight cantakeatoll,especiallywhenpatientsexperience health setbacks.Recognizing that reality, Breaux saidheandothernursingleadersmakeitapriority to supporttheir teams, encourageopenconversations, offer scheduling flexibilitywhenpossible andremindthemthattheir well-being mattersas much as thecaretheyprovide “I nevershy away from telling future nurses or newnursesthatthiscareerisemotionally taxing.You have to have agenuine desire to help people.Ifyou don’thavethatdesire, it’s very hard to stay resilient,”hesaid. “You’realsogoing to have rewardingexperiences that refreshyou andremindyou of your motivation.You have to be able to overcome thedifficult momentsand celebratewhenpositivethingshappen.

Breauxhasexperiencedmanyofthosemoments in hiscareer. Now, as anursing leader whotrains andinfluencesothers,hehasabroaderperspective that hasmadehim realizethe long-termimpacts of theprofession. “Whenweinvestinthe next generation of nurses,and if we trainthemtoreach thetop of theirskill set,weare going to have apositive effectonthe people of BatonRouge foryears to come,” he said.“Ihopethatthrough mentoring andbuildingupothersthatwedevelopevenmore high-quality nurses whowill continue to provide topcaretopatientswemightneverevenmeet.It’s someaningfultoknowthattheworkwearedoing todaywillcontinuetohaveanimpact. National Nurses Week is beingobservedMay 6-12,2026torecognize thevital role nurses play in thehealthcaresystemand localcommunities As healthcare continuestoevolve, nurses remain at thecenter– guidingpatients, coordinating care andhelping improve outcomes. This week is atimetosay thankyou andreflect on the lastingimpactnurseshaveinshaping healthier futuresfor all.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARKUS SCHREIBER

Bundeswehr troops demonstrate their capabilities on Thursday during a visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the army at the Bundeswehr base in Munster Germany. The United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbyOur Lady of theLake.

What does Landry’s executiveorder mean for Louisiana’sHouse elections?

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Steve Scalise, Rep. Clay Higgins, Rep. Cleo Fields and Rep. Troy Carter are no longer runningfor reelectiononMay 16. The same goes for their challengers.

Landry’smove also voided the election for the 5th Congressional Districtseat that Rep. Julia Letlow is vacating to run for theSenate. That affects four Republicans running in that race: State Sen. Rick Edmonds, of Baton Rouge; Rep. Michael Echols, of Monroe; Sen.Blake Miguez, of Erath; andMisti Cordell, of Monroe, who chairs the state Boardof Regents. It also affects the lesser-known Democratic candidates.

Whowilldrawthe new congressionalmap?

State legislators carry out the redistricting duties, and the governor will have amajor say because he will have to approve their map. Lawmakers won’tneed aspecial session to carryout that work. Four legislators filed redistrictingbills to be heard in the regular legislativesession currently underway,in casethe Supreme Court rejected the existing congressional map in time.

The bills to watch are on the Senate side, legislators said. State Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, has three bills, whileKleinpeter, Sen. Ed Price, D-Gonzales, and state Rep. Mike Johnson, RPineville, have one each. Under two of Morris’ bills, the Legislature would eliminate either Fields’ or Carter’s seat. Under his third bill, lawmakers would eliminate both majority-Black seats Kleinpeter described his bill as a“placeholder,” meaning he filed abill just to have one that canbechanged.

House races in July or August and compete in aprimary on Nov.3.Inany race where no one received at least 50% of the vote, the top two votegetters would compete in a runoff election in December What does Landry’s executiveorder mean for theother racesonthe May16ballot?

Price’sbill would keep the current 4-2 partisan divide, meaning it stands little chanceofpassageinaLegislature with aRepublican supermajority.Johnson’s bill wouldreimpose theprevious congressional map with a5-1 partisansplit.

When will theLegislature begintoredrawthe congressionalmap?

If theSenate and Governmental Affairs Committeeadopts anew map on Wednesday,the fullSenate might voteonthatmeasure on Thursday. That billwould then pass to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Several factors couldpush back that schedule.Kleinpeter said he is not only givingextra consideration to the views of Speaker Johnson, Scalise and Higgins in the redesign but also to four state Senate colleagues who are consideringrunning for the House: Edmonds; Sen. Thomas Pressly,R-Shreveport; Sen. KirkTalbot,R-River Ridge;and Sen. Stewart Cathey,R-Monroe. Edmonds is already campaigning for the 5th Congressional District seat.Pressly is eying apossiblecampaign for Speaker Johnson’sseatif Democrats win theHousein November and Johnson then resigns. The same logic applies for Talbot with Scalise. Catheyislooking at possiblyrunning forthe 5th CongressionalDistrictseat.

Kleinpeter said he is asking the four senators to offer

maps for their districts.

“I’m having to juggle alot of differentoptions,” he said.

Kleinpeter added he is not working with Miguez on a possiblemap.Miguez hasangered his colleaguesbyrunning forthe 5th CongressionalDistrict seat even though he livesnocloserthan70 miles from thedistrict. What will happen to Rep. Cleo Fields andRep.Troy Carter?

It seems likely thatone or both of themwill lose their job.

It’s possible that the Legislature will draw amap thatpits them against each other.Then thequestionwouldbewhether it is weightedtoward Baton Rouge (to favor Fields) or NewOrleans(tofavorCarter)

Kleinpeter indicated that he would favor aBaton Rougecentric district —ifthe new map retains oneBlack-majority seat —because of the post-Katrina population shift to the capital city.But Senate President Cameron Henry, a Republican who represents both Jeffersonand Orleans parishes, may favor aNew Orleans-centric district to give his home area agreater voiceinWashington. What is thenew date for thecongressional elections?

We don’tknow thatyet.But legislators indicate that it’s likely that they will return to theopen primary system, meaning that candidates would qualifyfor thesix

Those elections will still be held. Landry and Attorney General LizMurrill saythe Supreme Court ruling affected only thecongressional elections, so the others will go forward as scheduled. The marquee election on the ballot pits U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy againststate Treasurer John Fleming, Letlow and Mark Spencer,a business owner Threecandidates are competing in the Democratic primary: Gary Crockett, Nick Albaresand Jamie Davis. TwoRepublicans —Judge Blair Edwards and Judge Billy Burris —are facing off for aLouisiana Supreme Court seatthatcoversthe northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. TwoDemocrats and twoRepublicans are running for thePublic Service Commission seat held by termlimited Foster Campbell in a districtthatincludes24parishesinnorth Louisiana. Five Republicans arerunning for thePublic Service Commission seat held by term-limited Eric Skrmetta in adistrict that coverssuburban New Orleans. TwoRepublicans are challenging Joseph Cao for his seat on theBoard of Elementaryand Secondary Education.

As scheduled,voterswill also decide whether to approve the five constitutional amendments Whyare some conservativesupset with Landry andMurrill?

Talk show hostMoon Griffon is among theloudest conservative voices blaming Landry and Murrill for the election confusion, because the twoinsisted that legislators redistrict the House seats in 2024 and createthe

districtthatFields wonat the expense of then-U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, aRepublican. “The state was never required to draw new congressional maps in the first place, andthe map thatwas drawn looked like children with crayons hadbeengiventhe assignment,” Graves posted on social media Wednesday Landry and Murrill said in 2024 that the Legislature had to draw the newcongressional mapbecause U.S. DistrictCourt Judge Shelly Dick waspoised to do so. Political insiders said Landry targeted Graves because he supported arival of Landry’s during the governor’srace.

What does thenew election schedule mean forGraves?

Graves represented the

Baton Rouge-based 6th Congressional District for 10 years until Landry and state legislators redrew the boundary linesin2024 and gave him an unwinnable district. He didn’trun for reelection as aresult. If legislators draw him amorefavorable district now,hewould be the bestknowncandidate, and he’d have the mostmoney,with $3.6 millionleftover in his campaign account. For now,Graves is trolling Landry andMurrill on social media for pushing the mapredesign two yearsago that costhim his district —and that the Supreme Court has now overturned.Graves said they need better lawyers and suggested they contact billboard trial lawyer Morris Bart.

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

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LocalDoctors At LeBlancSpine Center

HelpPatientsEliminate Back Pain, Help Patients EliminateBack Sciatica,and HerniatedDiscs Herniate

Finally,there’sa treatmenttoconquer lowback,neck,leg andarmpainwithout dangerousmedications orpainfulsurgery.

IF YOUSUFFERFROM:

•LOW BACK PAIN

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•NUMBNESS IN ARMS,LEGSORFEET

Non-surgical Spinal Decompression maybethe answer foryou!

Nothing’sworse than feelinggreat mentally,but physically feelingheldback from life becauseyou hurt andthe pain just won’tgoaway. We understandwhatitfeels like tolive in pain, becausewesee it everyday.Weare Dr.ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlancofLeBlanc SpineCenter. We’vehelped hundreds of patients with disc herniations andsciatica leave ouroffice pain free

When cushions in your back joints,calleddiscs,get injured or wear out, they begintodegenerate andcause pain.Bulging andherniateddiscs beginto form,pressingonthe nerveroots.The most common invasive treatmentfor disc herniations is surgery

Even with health insurance thepatient is left with their ownportion of thebill,inexcessof$10,000 -$15,000,and sometimesmore.In addition,the recovery time andmissed work canbeanywherefrom3to6months, nottomention the obvioussevererisksassociatedwithall surgeries

Before YougoUnder theknife

AndOpt ForSpinalSurgery

Youshouldseriously consider alessinvasiveapproach called spinal decompression. Non-surgicalspinaldecompression is a newtechnology that hasbeenproventohelpdischerniations It createsavacuumeffectonthe disc,which pullsthe disc back into itsnormalposition andbringsinafresh bloodsupply to promote healing.

ProofThisTreatment Works

Whilenon-surgicalspinaldecompression is arathernew

Dr.Scott LeBlanc, D.C. Dr.DanaLeBlanc,D.C.

treatment, there’splentyofresearch to back up itsclaims.

Here’s just ahandful of scientificstudies

“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy shouldbe considered first, before thepatient undergoesa surgical procedurewhich permanentlyaltersthe anatomyand function of theaffectedlumbar spinesegment.”

-Journal Of NeuroscienceResearch

“86% of the219 patients whocompleted thetherapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms.”

-Orthopedic Technology Review

“vertebral axial(spinal)decompression wassuccessful in 71%ofthe 778cases”

-Journal of NeurologicalResearch

“goodtoexcellent”reliefin 86%ofpatientswithHerniated discs”

-The American JournalofPainManagement

“decompressiontherapy reported a76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6%withpartial remissionofpainand disability:

-Rio Grande Hospital,DepartmentofNeurosurgery

Anotherstudy presented at theAmericanAcademy of Pain Managementin2007showed.

“Patientsreporteda mean 88.9%improvement in back pain andbetterfunction. No patientrequiredany invasive therapies(e.g. epidural injections,surgery).

As youcan see, spinal decompressionhas ahighsuccess

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center with pain in my left arm, shoulder,and neck,and Ihad two fingersonmy left handthatwerenumb. Ihad been dealingwiththisfor over 8months andhad triedshots,therapy,MRIs, andX-raysbefore, butnothing was really helping. Sincecominghere, I’ve improved about90%.The staff is amazing-alwaysknowledgeable, friendly,and helpful, andthe service from thedoctors andteamhas been great.WhatIlovemostisthe pain reduction, becauseit’sallowed me to take better care of my dad andgrandkids,cut thegrass,do housework,and even fish again.I feel like Ihavemoremobilityand I’m morerelaxed nowthatIcan do more activities.Honestly, theonlythingI don’t love is thedrive-weneedan office in Gonzales!Theyare amazing, though. Please give them atry before anysurgeries

KimLandry (Photographer) Hometown -St. Amant, LA

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad been sufferingwith extremebackpain andleg pain forseveral weeks. Ihad triedother treatments,massage, NSAIDs and Tylenol, butIwas stillinpain Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments andnow Ifeel100% improved!WhatIlikemostabout my treatmentisthatitisnoninvasive anditeliminated my pain My treatmentappointmentsare not long, andthe treatmentispainfree.Since beginningtreatment at LeBlancSpine Center, Iamnow able to do allofmypreviousactivities andworkwithoutpain.I also have more rangeofmotion.I would highlyrecommend LeBlancSpine Center!

Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown -Baton Rouge, LA

I hadbeensuffering forabout 8 months with pain shooting down my left armand shoulder. Ihad previouslytried injectionsinmy shoulders, andI wasstill suffering IcametoDr. LeBlancand began Spinal Decompression treatments Iamnow 90%improved! My range of motion hasimproved95% andI have no more pain at night. Iamnow able to do anything I want-all withoutthe pain!WhatI like most aboutmycarehereisthe personal care from thewhole staff andthe Doctor’s What wouldmycommentsbe if askedtorecommend LeBlanc SpineCenter? Iwould say, “Why areyou notthere yet?!”

GeorgMarcum (Retired Consultant) Hometown-PortAllen,LA

rate.Whatthismeans foryou is that in just amatterofweeks, youcould be back on thegolfcourse, enjoying your love life, or travelingagain

Could This Be Your Sciatica AndBackPainSolution

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WehavetwoofficeslocatedinBatonRougeandKenner,LA. Call 225-763-9894,and ouramazingstaff will getyou scheduled. No charge at alland youdon’t needtobuy anything- butyou will find outifyou qualifyfor this revolutionarynew therapy.

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During your assessment,we’ll check outyour: ligament stability, muscle function,hips, pain levels,reflex response,disccondition, tendons, spinal alignment,pelvicleveling, x-rays,MRI analysis,range of motion, balance&nerve function

OfferExpires 5/10/2026

considered a promising nature-based strategy in the battle against land loss By no means a solution on their own especially considering the state’s huge coastal dilemma, such projects can, however, play a meaningful role when combined with other approaches, scientists say And in a state that cherishes its oysters, recycling them for coastal protection and to produce more of the beloved shellfish holds special appeal. Last month’s work in the Biloxi Marsh, near a site formerly inhabited by the Chitimacha Tribe, was a pearl of an example.

Over the course of six days, CRCL placed 250 tons — over 550,000 pounds — of oyster shells to construct 1,000 linear feet of new reef, built to encourage oyster habitat and reduce shoreline erosion. They also planted 4,000 mangroves in the area.

Anyone eating oysters in New Orleans and Baton Rouge may have contributed.

The organization has collected shells from restaurants in those two cities over the last dozen years and returned them to Louisiana waters, creating thousands of feet of new oyster reef. The structures have a twofold benefit: The reefs promote more oyster growth while the structures reduce shoreline erosion.

Oysters, because of the way they feed, also improve water quality by filtering it, while the reefs they form are beneficial to a wide range of marine life.

Placement is important.

In the case of the new CRCL reef, it complements a nearby project built by the state’s coastal agency Pilings and poles marking the state’s Biloxi Marsh restoration project could be seen in the distance from the CRCL boats carrying the thousands of pounds of oyster shells.

“We’ve been strategically aligning our project with other work being done by the state,” Lightbody said.

“Because our reef, by itself will have some value of impact, but added onto this much larger project, it’s just a multiplicative effect of ecological benefits.”

From gray to green

The two coastal projects may be working symbiotically, but their methods are very different. While the volunteers planted native grasses and lined the receding marsh with oyster shells, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority used different types of concrete to build a roughly 12-mile stretch of breakwater Still, both projects are considered what scientists call a “living shoreline.” The state’s concrete breakwater will eventually be covered in new oyster reefs, too.

Standing on the stern of the large oyster boats CRCL was using to build the reef, Craig Gothreaux, a fish biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, passed bag after bag of

oyster shell to another volunteer waiting in the shallow water

Gothreaux has volunteered for a number of CRCL’s reef builds, which he noted replicates the traditional process of returning oyster shells to the water to create new habitat for the species. He explained that Louisiana lacks “hard substrate,” like rock, that marine organisms need to grow on.

“Both of these living shorelines represent that hard material,” Gothreaux said of the two Biloxi Marsh projects. “It’s just using different materials to achieve that.”

The causes of land loss in Louisiana are many but shoreline erosion is an important one That’s where living shorelines can play a role since they keep waves and tides from repeatedly battering the marsh.

Louisiana Sea Grant notes that living shorelines “can combine plantings with structural elements.” In other words, that can mean oyster bags stacked along the shore such as with the CRCL project — as well as cement domes with holes for oysters to attach,

REWARD

Forthe Return of the Historic Capitol CypressBoard

Thesearchcontinues fora pieceofLouisiana history. Followingthe recentinvestigation into thedisappearance of theancientcypress boarddonated to theState Capitol decades ago, theStebbinsfamilyisdoublingtheir efforts to bringit home

Thefamilyisnow offeringa $10,000 reward for information that resultsinthe recovery of theboard

Details of the disappearance: Theboard waslastseenatClaySchexnayder’s district office in Gonzales when he left office in January2024.

Do youhaveinformation regardingits whereabouts? We areseeking thesafe return of this irreplaceable piece of ourstate’s heritage.Yourtip couldbethe keyto restoringafamilylegacyand apiece of ourstate’s heritage

HOWTO HELP

If youhaveany information regardingthe CypressBoard, please contact: Crimestoppers Phone: 225-344-STOP(7867)

spectrum, though the agency still designed the Biloxi Marsh project to attract oysters and other marine habitat. David Chambers, a CPRA field engineer for the project, said that the concrete structures “serve as a kind of refuge” for fish and other sea creatures potentially hiding from predators, but also help reduce wave energy that accelerates erosion.

Completed in July 2023, the state’s $66 million Biloxi Marsh project used settlement funding from the 2010 BP oil spill to construct nearly 12 miles of breakwater and “marine mattresses,” or bags filled with rock near the shoreline.

Unlike the volunteer project, the breakwaters don’t touch the marsh edge and sit away from the shore.

scenario where implementing one would make sense. Any project that would help the agency reach its primary goal of protecting the shoreline is a method worth pursuing, he said.

‘A house and a skyscraper’

During a lunch break from reef building, Andrew Ferris, a coordinator for CRCL’s native plants program, explained that as sea levels rise, the new oyster reefs will grow with it.

“A wall or a rock dam these things have a discrete lifespan that a living shoreline just doesn’t have,” Ferris said.

Still, he compared the difference in scale between the nonprofit project and the state agency project as “the difference between a house and a skyscraper.”

like the state project.

Beyond oysters and concrete, living shoreline initiatives might also incorporate rock jetties, vegetation and recycled sand, such as in a Jefferson Parish Bucktown shoreline project.

Gothreaux explained the spectrum of shoreline techniques ranging from the greenest — which would use vegetation only — to the grayest, like a bulkhead.

“Depending on the environment and the wave energy, you kind of have to go to a grayer or a harder technique,” he said.

‘Right at the front lines’

The state’s living shoreline falls on the grayer, more engineered side of the

“The thing that I liked about what (CRCL) did was that it was right at the front lines of coastal erosion,” Chambers said, allowing the waves to break before reaching into the marsh.

Rudy Simoneaux, chief of engineering at CPRA, said that living shorelines are very effective at attenuating wave energy, though the structures like those in the Biloxi Marsh are historically more expensive and complex to install than rock or bulkhead.

“Living shorelines are not the agency’s primary method for shoreline protection, but they have been done before,” Simoneaux said.

The agency doesn’t currently have any large-scale living shorelines underway, Simoneaux said, but that doesn’t rule out a future

The $500,000 CRCL volunteer project yields a fraction of the footage of the state project, but it also reflects a difference in aims, Ferris said.

There is also a less visible goal associated with such projects, he said. New coastal advocates can be recruited by illustrating the connection between a night out at a restaurant with marsh protection.

“We are part of the coastal ecosystem, and we have always been part of the coastal ecosystem down here,” Ferris said. “And so part of our living shoreline projects are that we are creating a more engaged and educated base of Louisiana residents.”

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

By

Residents lookingfor newwaystoexplore BREC parksand recreation facilities nowhave afresh guideattheir fingertips.

“DiscoverYourParks”isa newdigital video series presentedbyBRECand TheAdvocate Each week,the series willhighlight theparks, programs andoutdoor experiences that make thecommunities of East BatonRouge Parish active andvibrant.Along theway,viewers will findnew places to visit, ideasfor gettingoutside andopportunities to connectwithnatureand theirneighbors Thevideoswillbeavailable at www.theadvocate.comandwww.facebook.com/theadvocatebr.

Thereare currentlyover170 BREC sites, and theagencyisa three-time National Gold Medal Awardwinner, asignificantfeatconsidering that BREC competes againstlargercitiessuch as Cleveland, Chicagoand Dallas.The award is basedonexcellence in park management, community impact,strongworking relationshipswiththe public andlocal officials, as well as success in improvinghealthand wellness social equity andenvironmental sustainability.

“The parksare aslice of life,” said Janet Simmons, BREC InterimSuperintendent. “Somehavealot of athletics. Some have arts programs.Somefill nicheneeds with adaptive programming. We have places like Frenchtown whichisa conservation property with less structured programming. We have therapeutic horseprogramsatFarrPark, andnexttothat, yousee people flyingremote-controlledplanes anddrones. Thewidevariety of people and intereststhatweserve is trulyimpressive.”

“DiscoverYourParks”ispart of TheAdvocate’s Wake Up BatonRouge initiative.Wake

Up BatonRouge is thebestway to startyourday with thelatestnews, weatherforecasts from DamonSingleton,sportsupdates on Louisiana teams, wellness tips,guidestolocal events and so much more “We’re proudtopartner with TheAdvocate on Wake Up BatonRouge to spotlightthe incredible parks, programs andexperiences made possible throughBREC– whilehelping thecommunity discover hidden gems andnew favorite places across theparish,”saidRobyn Lott,BRECDirectorofCommunications. As aparishwideagency, BREC operates locationsinBaton Rouge, Baker, Central, Zachary andSt. George.While theneeds anddesires of eachmunicipalityaredifferent,theBRECvalues arethe same acrossEastBaton RougeParish–excellence,equity, collaboration, safety,service, integrity, fiscalresponsibility, sustainability, engagement andprofessionalism Visitwww.brec.orgtolearn more.

Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Pope urgeswealthy U.S. Catholicstokeepdonating

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME Pope Leo XIV on

Saturday encouraged some of the wealthiest U.S. Catholics to keep on giving to support his charitable works, in an audience that confirmed how the electionofthe first U.S.-bornpopehas invigorated American Catholics and their donations.

The Chicago-born Leo met with members of The Papal Foundation, amajor funder of papal development projects in the developing world, in the Apostolic Palace at the end of theirannualpilgrimage to Rome. In his remarks, Leo thankedthe foundation stewards for their generosity,which he said had allowed “countless people to experience in aconcrete fashion the goodness and kindness of God in their own communities.”

He noted in particular the priests and nuns from poor countries who are able to study at Rome’spontifical universities to earn advanced degrees thanks to scholarships funded by foundation’sgrants, which

combined over thepast four decadeshavetotaledmore than $270 million

While The Papal Foundation contributions to the Vatican remainedstrong during Pope Francis’12year pontificate, other donations to the Holy See tanked during the global financial crisis, COVID-19 andother strains. Some U.S. Catholics also soured on donating to theHolySee following years of unrelentingstories of mismanagement, corruption and scandal, as well asFrancis’

knowncriticism of American-stylecapitalism

Theelection of Leo seems to have reinvigoratedthe U.S. church, especially the donorclass. On Saturday

The Papal Foundation announced that itsmembers had approved more than $15 millioningrants for 2026, a record in the foundation’s 38-year history

Thefoundation also announced that 25 new families had joined it in theyear since Leo’selection,inthe strongest sign yet that the electionofanAmerican,

Bright moon maydim the EtaAquarid meteor shower

BY ADITHIRAMAKRISHNAN

AP science writer

NEWYORK The EtaAquarid meteor shower soonwill light the sky with debris from Halley’scomet. Buta bright moon will spoil the fun this year,making the display harder toglimpse.

The shower will peak Tuesdaynight into Wednesday morning.Viewers from the Southern Hemisphere typically see 50 meteors per hour during the peak, but the interfering moon could cut that number by half. In the north, skywatchers will likely see fewer than 10 per hour.

“For us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’snot going to be as impressive,” said Teri Gee, manager of the Barlow Planetarium in Wisconsin. “The farther south you are,

the betteryou’llsee it.” Meteor showers happen when theEarth charges through trails of debris left behind from cometsorasteroids. Those bits collide with Earth’satmosphere at extremely high speeds,producing streaks of light that are also known as shooting stars. On any given night, ahandfulofstray meteors are visible under dark skies.Meteor showers yield amore excitingshow and happenatpredictable times everyyear Most meteorshowersare caused by leftovers from comets, and the EtaAquarids feature debris from one of themost well-known. Halley’scomet passes by Earth aboutevery 76 yearsonits trip around the sun. It’llnext swingbyin2061

To glimpse thesemeteors, it’sbest to go outside just before dawn.Venture away from city lights and tall buildings to getaclear view of the sky.Inthis case, it might also help to find a spot that blocks the luminous waning gibbous moon, which will be 84% full.

Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Avoid looking at your phone and give your eyes time to getusedtothe darkness. Look to theeast in the vicinity of constellation Aquarius and bright star Eta Aquarii.

“You’re looking for bright streaks that appear in the corner of your eye for afraction of asecond,”saidastrophysicist Nico Adams with SSP International, anonprofit that promotesSTEM education.

U.K. PM urgestough action against Gaza protests afterantisemitic attacks

BY SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

LONDON Britain’sprime

minister warned Saturday that tougher action was needed against people chantingcertain phrases at pro-Palestinian protests as concerns grew over the safety of British Jews after the stabbings of two Jewish men in London.

Keir Starmer said he would always defend the right to protest, but said there may be instances

where some marches protesting the war in Gaza should be banned. He suggested that repeated proPalestinianmarches have had a“cumulativeeffect” linkedtothe rise in antisemitic incidents in the U K.

“When yousee, when you hear some of those chants —‘globalize the intifada’ wouldbeone Iwould pick out —thenclearly there shouldbe tougher actionin relationtothat,” Starmer told the BBC. The Arabic wordintifadaisgenerally

translated as “uprising.”

A45-year-old man was charged Friday with attempted murder after two Jewishmen werestabbed andwounded Wednesday in GoldersGreen,aLondon neighborhood that’sanepicenter of Britain’sJewish community.Police called the attack an act of terrorism.

It was thelatest in astring of incidents including recent arson attacksonsynagogues and other Jewish sites in the Britishcapital.

English-speaking pope anda mathmajor with an eyetothe Vatican’s balance sheet —has been good news for church fundraising.

“The growthwe’reseeing is incredibly encouraging, as it reflects asharedcommitment to serve, to give, and to bring the church’s mission to life in meaningful ways across the globe,” David Savage, thefoundation’s executive director, said in a statement.

The foundation was created by thelateCardinal John Krol of Philadelphia in 1988, as away for wealthy U.S. Catholicstodirectly fund charitable initiatives of the pope

To become asteward requiresa $1 million gift to afund that then helps support papal projects, such as building orphanages or monasteries. For 2026, for exam-

ple, someofthe approved projects include theconstruction or renovation of a safeschool for marginalized tribal children in India, and professional technical training forvulnerable womenin the Philippines. The foundation currently hasasits membersall the U.S. cardinals, and is governed by aboard of trustees madeupofCatholic laypeople and bishops.

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

BatonRouge is provingthatit’smorethan Louisiana’scapital city –it’sadestination on therise. With ayearofrecord-setting events andpositivemomentum,2025sawsignificant tourismachievementsinthe region,and 2026 isshapinguptocarrythatenergyevenfurther.

Oneofthe biggestsuccessstories of 2025 wasthe United States BowlingCongress OpenChampionships,whichtransformedthe RaisingCane’sRiver Center into afully-functioningbowlingcomplexfornearlyfivemonths

From Marchthrough July,morethan50,000 bowlersand roughly100,000 of theirfriends family membersand fans made theirway to BatonRouge

Thechampionships generatedaneconomic impactofcloseto$150millionforBatonRouge a14percent increase from thelasttimethe tournamentwasheldlocallyin2012.Thefigure representsdollarsspentathotels,retailstores, restaurants, gasstations, theBaton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, coffee shopsand more “Therealwinwasthattheeconomicimpact spilledoverfromtheRiverCenteranddowntown area into severalother areasofBaton Rouge, said LauraCating, Senior Vice Presidentof MarketingandCommunicationsforVisitBaton Rouge. “Weheard from theownersofseveral restaurantsand hotels whosaidthisevent made theiryearfroma financial standpoint.”

That successextendedintoBaton Rouge’s growingreputationasadestination for athletic-based entertainment. In August LSU’sAlexBox Stadium welcomed thewildly popularBananaBallWorldTour, featuring thePartyAnimalsandTexasTailgaters.With twosold-outcrowdsand agrowing fanbase, theevent broughta newkindofhigh-energy, family-friendlyexperience to thecity.

Around thesametime, BatonRouge leaned intoitsartisticsidewiththelaunchoftheBaton RougeUnderground Film Festival,afour-day eventthatcelebratesindependent film and fostersavibrant creativecommunity.Hosted at theManship Theatre, the2025festivalfar

BatonRouge

exceededexpectations, drawingabout 1,800 attendees, well aheadofthe projection of 500 people.The 2026 festival is slated for August 27-30.

Now, alleyesare on 2026.Muchofthe momentum so farisbeing driven by Death Valley Live,anew concertseriesinsideLSU’s TigerStadium.Theinitiativerepresentsafresh chapterinlarge-scale entertainmentfor the city.The inauguralDeath Valley Live show on March28drewmorethan65,000fanstosee countrystarZachBryan

BatonRouge’s combinationofeventsthat appeal to multiple demographics,combined withtouristdestinationsthatappealtoeveryone from historybuffstofamilieswithyoung kids toavidfoodies,ishelpingthecitymaintainand grow itstourism momentum “Webelieve BatonRouge hassomething to offer everyone at everytimeofthe year.We’re reallyproudoftheaccomplishmentsandfeedback wereceivedin2025andwefeel2026isalready off to astrongstart.We’re excitedtowelcome even more people to BatonRouge during the rest of theyear,”Catingsaid. Learnmoreabout tourismimpactatwww visitbatonrouge.com/about-us/why-tourism-matters.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRATARANTINO

Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience on Wednesdays in St.Peter’sSquare at the Vatican.

Academy Awards organization announces 2027 rules

International film eligibility expanded, AI addressed

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP film writer

The organization behind the Oscars is for the first time addressing the use of artificial intelligence in performances and scripts for the 2027 Academy Awards.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday released updates across many categories, stressing the importance of human authorship while not banning AI.

The new rules also include significant changes to the much-criticized international film category, expanding eligibility to include films that won top qualifying awards from prestigious film festivals like Cannes, Venice and Toronto.

“As we do every year, we made a lot of, we think, really smart and progressive changes,” film academy CEO Bill Kramer told The Associated Press. “Obviously, as the academy becomes more global, we need to think about how we are inviting international films into the Oscars conversation.”

As part of its annual review of Oscar eligibility rules, the academy is tackling one of the global filmmaking community’s biggest concerns: generative artificial intelligence.

The new rules state that “the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination” and that the academy and each branch “will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.” They’re also reserving the right to request more information from the filmmaking team about the

nature of the use of AI and “human authorship.”

“Humans have to be at the center of the creative process,” said academy President Lynette Howell Taylor “As AI continues to evolve, our conversations around AI will do so along with that. But for the academy we are always going to put human authorship at the center of our awards eligibility process.”

When it comes to the eligibility of performances, only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” will be considered.

The organization declined to comment on whether the upcoming AI-rendered Val Kilmer performance would be eligible as the filmmakers have not yet submitted it for consideration.

A likeness is not an actor, for one, but it might also depend on how Kilmer is credited in the film: As Val Kilmer or something else? One could also take Andy Serkis as Gollum as an example of a human collaborating with technology for the final performance

“We will review that on a case-by-case basis,” Kramer said. “We, like everybody in our industry and world, we

will be assessing this every year.”

There is less ambiguity in the screenplay categories, where the rules state that “screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible.”

The film academy has often had to review its standards to meet the technological advances of the moment, whether it be sound, color or computer generated imagery (CGI)

As its membership has grown much more international, there have been increasing calls for an overhaul to the international film category, which had been continually criticized as unjust, outdated and subject to political interference. That’s led to independent and dissident filmmakers often pointedly not being submitted to represent the country they’re from.

Last year’s Palme d’Orwinner at Cannes, for instance, was “It Was Just an Accident,” from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, was not submitted as Iran’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards, but France’s.

Under the new rules, “It Was Just an Accident” could be considered eligible be-

cause it won the top Cannes prize and not because a country chose to submit it.

In addition to the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the Golden Lion at Venice and the Platform award at Toronto, other festivals with eligible qualifying awards will also include the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear, the Busan International Film Festival’s best film award and the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize.

All the international films will also be credited as the nominee, not the country or region, and the award will be accepted by the filmmaker

The director’s name will also be listed on the Oscar plaque, “after the film title and country if applicable.”

“That really reflects our desire to honor the film’s creative team. That is how we approach other categories,” Kramer said. “And as we become more global, as the filmmaking community becomes more global. I think it’s really about a focus on the filmmakers and less a focus of the country.”

The acting branch is catching up with the rest of the academy in allowing an ac-

tor to be nominated for more than one performance in a single category If, say, this year’s best actor winner Michael B. Jordan has two extraordinary leading performances in two different films in 2026, he could possibly get two best actor nominations. This is standard practice in the other categories. In 2001, at the 73rd Oscars, Steven Soderbergh was nominated for best director for both “Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich,” winning the prize for

the former The organization also clarified the eligibility of original songs used during a film’s end credits For songs in which the first music cue plays over the end credits, that song must overlap with at least the film’s last 15 seconds before the credits roll in order to be considered eligible. This year’s original song winner, “Golden” was a key part of “KPop Demon Hunters” and used several times throughout the film.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

High court decision opensdoortocountrywide battles

Severalstateson vergeofredrawing congressional maps

—U.S. Rep

WASHINGTON

Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, likely won’tbeonly House member affectedbythe Supreme Court’sdecision last week to effectively eliminate his minority-majority congressional district.

Louisiana v. Callais was renderedasthe November midterm elections are getting underway.Republicans are trying to keep their bare House majority.Democrats think they have a shot to pick up the six seats necessary to take the levers of power in the House.

Many states have already begun primaryelections for themidterm Congressional contests.

In his initial reaction upon hearing about the Supreme Court decision, President Donald Trumpsaid state legislatures should lean into redrawing congressional maps and eke out afew more districts that would elect aGOP candidate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton, wants Republican legislatures to go backtowork as he tries to holdontoaGOP majority

A6-3 Supreme Court majority found that the Voting Rights Act of 1965, under which minority voters have challenged electoral maps for decades, allows districts to favor aparticular party but not aparticular race unless intentionaldiscrimination is proven.

Black voters have backed Democratic candidates with 80% to 90% pluralities since 1960.

“With this decision, states no longer have to ensure that communities of color have aconstitutional right to acongressional district in which they make up a majority of the vote,” Amy Walter wrote in The Cook Political Report, based in Washington.

Bill on termlimits faces headwinds

Aproposed constitutional amendment to set alimit of two overall terms for governors, instead of two consecutive terms, has twice failed to pass the Louisiana House. Currently, governors cannot serve more than two terms in arow —but they can come back and serve again after aterm out of office. Former Gov.Edwin Edwards was elected in 1972, 1976, 1983 and 1991. House Bill 225, by Rep. Mike Bayham, RChalmette, would change the limit to two terms outright. That would bar former Gov John Bel Edwards, aDemocrat, from running again after serving from 2016 to 2024.

“All states that have unconstitutional mapsshould look at that very carefully andIthink they should do it before themidterms,” Johnson told reporters Thursday Facingsignificant headwinds goinginto November’smidterm elections, Trump earlier this year pushed Republican-led states to redistrict andadd moreGOP congresspersons. Some Democratic-led states responded by doing the same.

Theinitial round ofredistrictingtit-for-tat left Democrats and Republicans flipping aboutthe same number of seats. That doesn’tyet count Florida, where the Legislatureis consideringnew maps that turn fourDemocratic seats —two of which are from minority-majority districts that would be eliminated into safe Republican ones.

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter andSa-

bato’sCrystal Ball —two respected political handicappers —estimated seven districtscould change parties due to theCallais ruling. National Public Radio counted 15 House districts. Fair Fight Action and Black VotersMatter,two Atlanta-based voting rights groups, calculated 19 seats directly tied to the Voting RightsAct, but 27 seats could go Republican over time.

“It certainly appears possible, perhaps even likely,

maps are drawn all over the country.

that these Republican states will be able todraw out all or some of their Democratic-held seats, if not in 2026 than 2028,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’sCrystal Ball in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Just how many depends on how fast GOP-dominated states move toredraw their congressional maps to add moreRepublican-leaning seats.

Other Republican states will be watching the progress and outcomeofthe

Thebill passed out of the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs on an 11-2 vote. ButBayham has faced difficultygetting it past theHouse floor Because thebill proposes amendingthe constitution, it requires atwo-thirds vote to pass, or 70 votes. TheHouse hastwice voted on the bill, and it fell short both times —first in a 67-22 vote on April 22 andagain on a 67-21 vote on April 28. If thebill passes, the term limits would not immediately change. Voters would first have to approve amending thestate constitution. If approved, Louisiana’s rules wouldbewouldbe similartothose forpresident. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, approvedbyCongressin1947 andratifiedbythe statesin

1951, seta limit of two terms for U.S. presidents. Before thatamendment was ratified, only President Franklin D. Roosevelt had served morethan two terms; he was elected four times Psychedelics bill advances

Abill thatwould open the door for moreresearch and testing of therapies that use psychedelic drugs like ibogaine and psilocybin is close to passing the Louisiana Legislature.

Agrowing body of research suggeststhose drugs can be powerful treatment tools for PTSD in veterans, drug addiction, and some mental health conditions. But theyare illegal for general useand research has been limited, given the potential for abuseifusedimproperly Senate Bill 43, by Sen. PatrickMcMath, R-Covington, would createa PsychedelicAssistedTherapy Program

at the LouisianaDepartment of Health that would support research for ibogaine and psilocybin. Money from amassive settlementthe state reached withpharmaceutical companies over the addiction crisis could be used to fund the research.

The drugs would not be legalized for general use, and all research and clinical trials would need to be authorizedbythe federal Food and Drug Administration, withsignificant safeguards and procedural reviews.

The bill got aboostfrom President Donald Trump, who lastmonth signedan executive order aimed at hastening research into psychedelics and removing some of the federal rules thatrestrictthat research.

SB43 has broad support in the Legislaturesofar.It passed the Senatewithout opposition, and was unanimously approved by the House Healthand Welfare committee.

See the Louisiana Purchase

An original copy of the agreement for the Louisiana Purchaseisondisplay at

inevitable lawsuits that will be filed over Gov.Jeff Landry’ssuspension of the elections forLouisiana’ssix House seats. Somestates seem on the verge of going forit: Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., urged the state attorney general to throw out afederal district court order not to change until 2030 the mapsthat helped elect two Black Democrats in the state’seight-member delegation.

“Inacountry where only 20 House seats are truly competitive, two moreRepublicans from Alabama could mean the difference between gridlock and advancing Trump’sagenda,” Tuberville, whoisrunning forgovernor,wrote in an op-ed. “Alabama, which voted forTrumpby65% in 2024, by all rights should send an entirely Republican delegation to Washington.” That percentage is statewide.Birmingham and Montgomery voters favored Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson and secondin-commandaslong as the GOPmajority holds, know all too well the difficulties of navigating aone or two or three seat majority

Asmallnumber of GOP representatives can —and have —used their votes as leverage to get concessions in legislation Republican leadership wants and Democratic members oppose. In somecases, depending on attendance, even asingle Republican objecting will kill legislation on party line votes.

“This ruling strengthens equal protection forall voters, and gives people in Louisiana and across the country greater confidence that mapswill be drawn fairly and not racially motivated,” Scalise said.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

the Louisiana State Capitol as part of the nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In one of the largest land deals in history,the United States bought 828,000 square milesofland from France for $15 millionin 1803. That nearly doubled the size of the UnitedStates, adding territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border.That land now includes all or part of

15 modern states, including Louisiana. The exhibit is open and will last until July 11. It is free and open to visitors of all ages. “This is more than an exhibit,” Gov.Jeff Landry said, when he announced the idea in his speech to open the legislative session. “It is apowerful opportunity for Louisiana to tell its story —toremind the nation that our state has always been central to America’sgrowth, ambition, and belief in the future.”

Bayham

Edwards J. Edwards

McMath

PHOTO PROVIDED By GOV. JEFFLANDRy’S OFFICE

Gov. Jeff Landry, center,and his wife Sharon, right, check out adisplay at the OldState Capitol in Baton Rougeofan original copyofthe agreement for the Louisiana Purchase.

Mark Ballard

STAFF FILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

Allen Whitehead delivers voting machines and signs to Harriet Tubman Charter School in Algiers on Oct. 10. The Supreme Court’sdecision in Louisiana v. Callaiscouldhavehuge implications for howelection

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Louisiana has one of the highest rates of children facing food insecurity,with nearly 1in4young people struggling with hunger Lindsay Hendrix, chief impact officer at Second HarvestFood Bank,has spent over adecade tackling the issue, particularly among the state’sK-12 students. Her team worksto identify food insecurity across 23 parishes and collaborates with schools to establish food assistance programs,such as the Summer Feeding Program, which will serve breakfast and lunch to students at 99 schools this summer Food insecurity is when people, usually due to alack of financial resources, are unable to easily access the amount of food needed to survive. Children facing food insecurity mighthave to skip some meals or fill up on junk food. Research shows that students who don’teat enough nutritious food are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions and perform poorly in school. They might struggling with fatigue and inattentiveness or frequently miss class Now advocateslike Hendrix are bracing for anew challenge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which

oversees several food assistance programs, including free school lunch programs, said last year that it will discontinue an annual food insecurity survey,which theagency called “redundant”and “politicized.”

Hendrix said the lossof data willmake it more difficult to trackhungerand ensurefamiliesand children getthe resourcestheyneed. “Not havinginformation aboutaproblem is aproblem,” she said. At thestate level, Louisianalawmakers are taking some steps to address childhoodhunger HouseBill 218, currently

awaiting review by theSenate Education Committee, would create ascreening process to detect food insecurity among public school students. House Bill 269, which is pending approval by theHouse Education Committee, asks thestate education department to fund theFree School Breakfast Program, afederal program that reimburses schools up to one breakfast per student per school day

Hendrix spoke to The Times-Picayune |The Advocate about why preventing hunger amongstudents is importantand what schools and communities

can do to help.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What is food insecurity,and what does it look likeinLouisiana?

Food insecurityisaUSDA measurement that surveys a sample of people across the nation and asks respondents whether they’vebeen able to meet their food needs over the last month.

Looking at statewide data, Louisiana is ranked third as having one of the highest food insecurityrates in the country among bothadults and children. We have more food insecure children than alot of states can even imagine.

In total, 248,000 Louisiana children come from afoodinsecure household.

Howdoes food insecurity impact a child’sdevelopment?

We talk to alot of educators, and they know which children in their classrooms struggle with hunger

Usually thosekids have trouble focusing. There’s often sleepiness, lethargy, and theyaren’table to perform well on tests or in their lessons because they’re not retaining the information they’re being taught.

There’salso evidence that shows afood insecurechild may be sick moreoften, so theymissmoreclasses.

It’s alot of disruption in the child’sday.Ultimately it negatively impactstheir ability to succeed as they move along in school and life.

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

What signs shouldeducators look for that indicate achildisstruggling withhunger?

Teachers and staff should be on the lookout for a preoccupation with food Hoarding food, putting food in pockets, asking classmates for food, et cetera.

They should also look for poor concentration and focus, low energy,orshifts in behavior

What are somewaysschoolscan helpcombat childhood hunger?

They can make sure that afamily is going through the qualification process for free and reduced meals and make sure the child is actually participating in those meals.

For alot of schools, free and reduced meals are a big part of the day.Making sure that achild who is food insecure is able to access breakfast is important, as is being mindful of how the school sets up their day

Alot of educators talk about how their students are missing that free breakfast because their bus gets in too late. Teachers often have to supplement with snacks they’re purchasing out of their own pockets to be able to feed kids so that they can focus in the morning. Is Second Harvest working on any initiatives in schools?

Childhood hunger spikes in the summertimebecause kids who qualify for free breakfast and lunch are stuck when school gets out, so they cometosummer feeding programs where

they can continue to get those meals. We’re working on our largest summer food program on record. It’scalled SummerFeeding, and it’spart of the USDA’s summer food service program in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education. Ninety-nine sites have applied to receive breakfast and lunch meals across our service area. Last year we served 72 sites.

We’re also opening anew community kitchen at our Bayou Distribution Center in Houma, which serves Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary,that’sgoing

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Alittleovera

year ago, the New York City art dealer Robert Rogal receiveda visit to hisprivate showroom from ayoung woman, who seemed eager to offload afamily heirloom.

Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried aframed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapesthe celebrated artist had completed early in his career Intrigued, Rogal accepted thepiece on consignment, figuringitmight fetchbetween $20,000 to $30,000 at auction.

“The provenance was alittle fuzzy,” he said. “But she seemedcredible. It wasn’t an obvious counterfeit.”

In fact, Rogal now believes the painting was afake oneofatleast 200carefully designed imitations that federal prosecutors say Bankowska,26, and her father Erwin Bankowski,50, tried to pass off to unwitting buyers.

On Tuesday,the duo pleaded guilty to defrauding their victims —including some of New York City’smost prominent fine art auction houses —ofatleast $2 million.

The counterfeits,which were forged in Poland by an unnamed co-conspirator, were often reproductions of lesser-known works by prominent and prolific artists, like Banksy and Andy Warhol, prosecutors said. Their most profitablefake, purportedly by the artist Richard Mayhew,was sold by the auction house DuMouchelles last October for $160,000. Arepresentative for DuMouchelles said they had cooperatedwith federal

authoritiesbut were not authorized to discuss the sale further. Several other auction houses targeted in the scheme, including Bonhams,Phillips,Freeman’s andAntique Arena, either declinedordid notrespond to inquiries.

Thefather and daughter —Polishcitizens living in New Jersey —face charges of wire fraud conspiracy andmisrepresenting Native American–produced goods, achargestemmingfrom their duplication of theLuiseño artist, Fritz Scholder They face the possibility of more than three years in prison under federal guidelines, in addition to$1.9 million in restitution and possible deportation to Poland. In court on Tuesday, Bankowskatold ajudge that her “conduct was wrongand Iamguilty ”Her attorney, Todd Spodek, said hisclient had placed morethan $1 million in an escrow account Through aPolish interpreter,Erwin Bankowski alsoapologized. His attorney,Jeffrey Chabrowe, added that his clienthad “regrettably made aterrible decision in an effort to sup-

port his family.”

As news of the fakes reverberated around the art world, experts described the scheme as aclassic of the genre —one that is far more prevalent thansome in the industry would like to admit.

“The only unusualthing about this case is that the forgers got caught,” said Erin Thompson, aprofessor of art crime at the City UniversityofNew York.

“People think of the art world as agenteel place full of cultured people who just want to share the wonder of beautiful art,” sheadded. “You should assumethere arealot more fakes out there.”

Prosecutorssaid thefather anddaughter began

commissioning aPolishartist in 2020 to create the fake artworks. Using antique paper,they also forged stamps to attach to the paintings, adopting the names of sinceshutteredgallerieswhere a given artist might have plausibly showntheir work. It wasn’tlongbefore the sales began to draw scrutiny.InMarch 2023, representativesfor the artist Raimonds Staprans caught wind of aforged painting, “TripleBoats,”for sale by an auctionhouse.A fewdays after the reps contacted the auction house, thepainting sold to abuyerfor $60,000, prosecutors said. Thompson, the professor of art crime, noticed other irregularities as well. The gallery stamponthe back of the faked Wyeth, for example, listedits year as 1976, but included azoning address number that had been

phased out in 1962. Coincidentally,perhaps, the fake stamp bore the nameand address forM Knoedler &Co. One of New York’s oldest andmost esteemed commercial galleries, Knoedler closed down in 2011 amid allegationsof profiting from forgeries of paintings by Jackson Pollock,MarkRothko andothers. Ultimately,Rogal said he never listed the Wyeth, in part because the stamp on the back was “too clean.” When he called Bankowska and told her to pick it up, she never responded. On Tuesday,inaQueens warehouse brimming with consignedart pieces,Rogal reexamined the painting under the light.

“You try to do aservice andprovide it correctly,” he said. “Can we be fooled? Absolutely.”

THE GULF COAST

TikTok star readiestoopenrestaurantinMississippi

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

Matthew Bounds

By dawn,

arrives at the brick build-

ing that will soon become his new restaurant. Two weeks before opening day his schedule keeps getting busier

“Weare in serious crunch time,” the social media star said in between texting a contractor and coordinating adishwasher installation. “I’m having the time of my life right now.It’spure chaos.”

For three years, the southern Mississippi native has grown his reach, video by video,post by post, until he earned more than 7million followers across social media platforms —more than doublethe population of his home state.

His fame is the result of quick cooking tutorials, tailored for fans on the go. But Bounds, 43, says he cares more about building community than gaining likes and views. He tries to make viewers feel welcome however he can: by cooking meals with cheap ingredients, by mixing Southern charm with occasionalcurse words, by wearing aT-shirt that says “y’all” in rainbow letters.

Now his career —and his audience —isexpanding beyond the internet.Bounds released his third cookbook last month, which has sold about 17,000 copies so far and recently made The New York Times bestseller list. He and his husband, CJ Bryant, willopen the restaurant, called Neighbors Tap&Table, in Gulfport, Mississippi, this month.

These days, Bounds is too busy to film several videos a day like he used to —heis mostly reposting old recipesand hopestoshare new

Matthew Bounds, known as ‘your Barefoot Neighbor,’has grownfamous online by inviting viewers into his kitchen for quick, easy meal tutorials. Bounds will open the restaurant, called Neighbors Tap& Table, in Gulfport, Miss., this month.

ones soon. The to-do listis packed at the restaurant, where stacks of boxes are still filled with glasses and plates. Bounds is excited andnervous.

“It lookslike amess right now,”Bounds said Thursday But “it’svery,very close.”

‘YourBarefootNeighbor’

His social media career began with ahumble request:Would Boundscreate aTikTok account to likevideos of his friend’s dog? It was 2022, and Bounds was workingasaninsurance adjuster.Consumed with politics, he had deleted all social media. Buthe obliged andeven posted a few videos of yard work and homeprojects under the username “yourbarefootneighbor.” Thenhedecided tostart cooking.

Hiseasymealtutorials featuring dishes like chili cheese tortellini and one panSalisburysteak —took

off. Bounds soon quit his insurancejob, landed brand deals and sponsorships and became afull-timesocial media personality

Hisaudience— mostly women in their 30s and 40s nicknamed the “barefoot neighborhood” —expanded. They also started enthusiastically contributing to fundraisers andcharitiesBounds began to spotlight.

For his birthdaylastyear, Bounds raised over $370,000 by livestreaming on social media for 26 hours. The money wenttofood pantries and nonprofits across the region.

“The best part about him is he doesn’twant the credit,” said Christen Duhé, president and executive director of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which helped Bounds distribute donations.

“He’snot really in it forhim He’sinittodowhat’sbest forother people.”

‘Weall feel like we belong’ Bounds should be on the road.

If notfor long days preparing to open the restaurant, he would be meeting readers,signing books and appearing on the talk show circuit to promote his newest cookbook,called“Keep It Simple Y’all: Every Day.

“I’m doing none of that because it is 6:42 a.m. and Iam here in the restaurant in a construction zone,” Bounds said in one recent video.

“These are my days right now.This is where Ilive, and Ilove it.”

His latest endeavorbegan late last year,when afriend screenshotted aFacebook post with newsthat arestaurant in downtown Gulfport wasfor sale. By January,Bounds and Bryant had signed alease on the space.

“Wekeep throwing around the phrase ‘soft landing place’ whenever we talk aboutthisplace,” Bounds said. “That’swhat we want it to be forpeople. We want it to be areally beautiful,

comfortable space that anyone can walk into.”

They plan to open May 16, serving small plates and shareables at evening happy hours. And “of course,” Bounds said, “we’re going to do abangin’ lunch.” Boundssays the restaurantwillshare the mission he cultivates on social media: to create aspace where guests can “sit down aminute, put your feet up, hang out foralittle while.” But viewers say Bounds’ appeal comes as much from his welcoming attitude as it does from his firm stands against hate.Bounds, the son of aBaptist preacher has credited that stance to aviralvideo in whichhe mentionedhis husband and received some of “the most vile, hateful remarks I’ve ever seen.” He didn’tlet it fly. And last year,after aMississippi Coast restaurant promoted a special for straight couples only,Bounds helpedorganize atour called “Love the Coast” to patronize inclusive restaurants across the region.

“He doesn’taccept bullying andhedoesn’taccept negative talk,” said Martha AllenPrice, theexecutive director of Extra Table, a nonprofit food bank in Mississippi that Bounds has supported. “Matthewhas created aneighborhood, andweall feel like we belong.”

On Thursday, Bounds was at the restaurant by 6:30 a.m. Soon, electricians and contractors started arriving. There were boxes to unpack, paint to touch-up, tables and chairs to assemble.

“I can’twaittothrowthe doors open,” Bounds said this week,pausing for a moment in the chaos. “I’ve always wanted to have my own spot.”

MatthewBoundscooks simple, quick meals, including this recipe for one pot pimento cheese and sausagegnocchi.

PHOTOSPROVIDED By MATTHEWBOUNDS

Camera trap showsorangutan usingcanopybridge

First case of Sumatra primate usingman-made suspension

BY NINIEK KARMINI and FADLAN SYAM Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia ASu-

matranorangutan has been filmed for the first time using ahuman-made canopy bridge to cross apublicroad on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, conservationists said Monday. Rapid development has been shrinking the jungle habitat of thecriticallyendangered species, and fatal conflictswith peoplehave been increasing.

The fleeting scene, captured by amotion-sensitive camera, showed ayoung Sumatran orangutanpause at the forest’sedge, grip a rope with deliberate care and step out into open air Halfway across, it stopped, casting aglance down at the

road below. Moments later, it crossed.

Conservationists said that it marks the first documented case of an Sumatra orangutan usinganartificial canopy bridge to cross a public road that had divided its habitat.

“This was the moment we had beenwaitingfor,” Erwin Alamsyah Siregar,executive directorofIndonesian conservation group Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa, or TaHuKah, told The Associated Press. “Weare very gratefulthat the canopyhere provides benefits fororangutan conservation efforts.”

He said thatthe bridge spans the Lagan-Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district, avital corridor connecting remotevillages to schools, healthcare and government services. But theroadalsocutsdirectly through prime orangutan habitat, splittinganestimated 350 orangutans into two isolatedforestareas:the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protec-

Acamera trap filmed aSumatran orangutan crossing a canopybridgethat stretches over aroadinPakpak Bharat, NorthSumatra, Indonesia. Conservationists installed five canopybridges to help tree-dwelling wildlifecross the road.

tion Forest.

When theroad wasupgraded in 2024, the gap in the forestcanopywidened, eliminating natural crossings for tree-dwelling wildlife.

“Development was necessary for people,” Siregar said. “But without inter-

Sickness, cold killed sloths at Floridaimportwarehouse

Facility reported nearly 30 deaths in 2024,2025

BY TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

Disease and cold temperatures killed nearly 30 sloths at aFlorida animal import warehouse in 2024 and 2025, according to areport from state wildlife authorities.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation inspection report from August found that 21 sloths imported from Guyana died at an Orlando facility called Sanctuary World Imports in December 2024 when temperatures dropped into the 40-to-55 degree range. Sloths are unable to regulate their body temperature as well as other mammals and do best in the 68-to-85 degree range, according to the

United States Department of Agriculture Animal andPlant Health Inspection Service. Peter Bandre, listed as thefacility licensee in thereport, said that the animalsdiedofwhathe called a“cold stun.” The building hadnowater and no electricity and wasn’tready to receive theanimals,he said, but it was toolateto cancel theshipment. The facility purchased space heaters but the heaters tripped afuse and shut down, leaving the sloths alonewithout heat for at least onenight The facility laterordered 10 sloths from Peru, which arrived in February2025. Twowere dead on arrival. The rest appeared emaciated and died of what thereport termed “poor health issues.” Bandre saidthat he planned to interview for anew veterinarian, the facility’s third, according to the state report

Bandre did notimmediately return amessage The Associated Press left at a numberlistedfor Sanctuary World Imports on the August report Accordingtoreports detailingfollow-up state inspections in March 2026, Sanctuary WorldPresident Benjamin Agrestasaid he had changed thename to Sloth World Inc. and thatBandre was no longer affiliated with the business. Avoicemail and text thatthe AP left Sunday at the number listed in theMarch reports forSloth World Inc. were not immediately returned.

Inspectors reported the March inspections at thefacility where theslothsfrom Guyana died revealed independent heat and air conditioning with atemperature constantly set at 82 degrees. They did not observe any issues with the sloths the facility was holding.

Society,orSOS, and local and national government agencies, proposed asimple solution: rope bridgessuspended between trees, allowing arboreal animals to cross above traffic.

Five canopybridgeswere installedeach witha camera trap,carefullypositioned after surveysoforangutan nests, forest cover and animal movement.The structures were designed to support the orangutan’sweight —nosmall feat for the world’slargest tree-dwelling mammal

complishment, only smaller animals used it. Camera traps recorded squirrels, langur monkeys andmacaques, followed by gibbons —apromising sign. The orangutan’s approach wasslower, building nests near the bridge,lingering at its edges and testing the ropes over time.

“They observe,” Siregar said. “They don’trush. They watch, they try,they retreat. Only when they’re certain it’ssafe do they move.”

vention, it wouldhaveleft orangutans trapped on either side.”

TaHuKah, workingwith the Sumatran Orangutan

The program is closely monitored, with camera traps on every bridge and regular patrols to prevent forest encroachment.Conservationists hopemore orangutans will follow the first pioneer

They waited twoyears for thefirst orangutantocross thebridge. Before theac-

Then, one day, he crossed fully —afirst not just for Sumatra, but forthe species globally on apublic road, conservations say Similar bridges have been used by orangutans elsewhere, butusually over rivers or on private industrial forest road. Conservationists say public roads —noisy, busy and unpredictable pose afar greater challenge.

PHOTO PROVIDED By SUMATRANORANGUTAN SOCIETy/TAHUKAH

| Sunday, May 3, 2026 1Bn

LSU raising tuition for BR campus

Certain programs to see 3% increase

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Tuition for certain programs, as well as fees across the board, will increase by about 3% in the fall at LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge.

Pollution report provides mixed picture

Some La. areas get failing grades for air quality

BY DAVID J MITCHELL

Staff writer

Air quality in the Baton Rouge and Hammond metro areas has received failing grades for smog and fine particle pollution in a new three-year study, while New Orleans dropped in the national rankings despite faring better than those neighboring cities.

The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report for 2026 revealed a mixed picture for Louisiana air quality based on those two major pollutants between 2022 and 2024.

In northern Louisiana, the Monroe-Ruston and Shreveport-Bossier City metro areas were rated among the cleanest in the nation for ground-level ozone more commonly known as smog and short-term particulate pollution, respectively Though most other parts of the state remained in compliance, many saw pollution rankings slip as they fell behind other states with improving air

For Baton Rouge and Hammond, the ALA’s failing grade for ozone — due to Baton Rouge-area parishes suggest noncompliance with federal air quality standards, the nonprofit says.

“Unfortunately, too many people in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution,” said Eric Weinzettle, the association’s director of advocacy “This air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, contributing to chronic health conditions, and making people who work outdoors sick.”

The association relied on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index ratings for ozone, 24-hour fine particulate pollution and annual fine particulate pollution. Those ratings rely on data from the state air monitoring network.

EPA has scrutinized ozone and particulates for decades due to their broad presence across the nation and serious health impacts. Especially harmful to children older adults and people with asthma, ozone can cause breathing problems, may be a cause of asthma and can lead to premature death, the EPA says Fine particulates are microscopic solid or liquid particles that can embed in the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They can cause breathing problems but also raise the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

For 2022-24, East Baton Rouge Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes all received an “F” for ozone from the association. West Baton Rouge also received

LSU approves tuition increases based on a tiered differential tuition system, which charges higher prices for majors that cost more to operate Students in Tier 1 programs, which include English, history, education and others, will see a bump from

$6,155 for residents taking 15 credit hours this spring to $6,364 this coming fall. There are 20 programs in Tier 1, according to LSU’s differential tuition FAQ. Students in the more resourceintensive Tier 2 majors, including chemistry and engineering,

The university’s executive vice president and provost at the time, Roy Haggerty, voiced his approval for the law, saying “inflation has hit higher education as hard as anyone else.”

The University of New Orleans also announced it will raise tuition by 6% next school year as it prepares to enter the LSU system.

will see a hike from $6,275 for residents taking 15 credit hours to $6,484. Tier 2 includes 93 programs. LSU is allowed to raise tuition for graduate, professional and high-cost undergraduate programs without legislative approval as a result of a law passed in 2024, which gave universities the authority to make tuition changes provided the increase does not exceed 10% in two years.

SICK TRICKS

ABOVE: Bennett Dubansky, right, puts ‘speed cream’ on his bearing while Elliot Tubbs helps in between bites of pizza during the BREC Summer Kick-Off at Perkins Road

Community Park on Friday

LEFT: Elliot Tubbs jumps over five boards before scuffing the landing as his friends Bennett Dubansky, left, and Samuel Wolfe watch his attempt.

Prison initiative helps reshape inmates’ lives

Faith-based program about ‘true rehabilitation’

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Promptly at 3 p.m., three days a week, 10 inmates file into a reserved classroom and take their seats at desks. Standing in front of them is a former convicted felon who served 31 years in prison, Kyle Hebert. The inmates will remain here for three hours, learning about faith and how to become better men for themselves and their communities through the 16-week Family Approach to Inmate Re-entry program, an initiative launched by the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2021 at the parish’s detention center “There’s no true rehabilitation apart from regeneration,” He-

bert said. “It’s a new heart. It’s not about a program They meet a person named Jesus Christ, which happened to me.”

Sheriff Jason Ard said LPSO’s head chaplain, Mark Carroll, introduced the idea to him Carroll, who has been the head chaplain for the detention center since 2019, met Hebert through previous prison ministries.

Carroll realized shortly after his start as chaplain at the prison that there was a “hunger for religious material” and that if they could get a program started to bring religion to the inmates, it would be wildly successful.

Although Ard said he was skeptical at first when Carroll told him about Hebert and his plan to teach the inmates, he prayed about it and decided to move forward with the program.

After all, introducing an inmate who served 22 years at Angola

Pair of La. projects win $20M in contest

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Two Louisiana projects addressing post-storm electricity shortages and abandoned offshore oil platforms have won a $50 million contest aimed at funding scientific initiatives in the region. The two winning groups the Louisiana Public Health Institute and the Gulf Offshore Research Institute will each receive $20 million. The National Academies’ Gulf Research Project announced the winners Thursday as part of the philanthropic Gulf Futures Challenge. The public health initiative

will develop at least eight solar and battery-powered energy resilient hubs at healthcare centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. In addition to installing the energy system to power the community health clinics through storms, the “Gulf Hub” network will strengthen infrastructure at the facilities and develop a data-sharing network in case of severe disasters where people must evacuate.

“Those are really safety net clinic providers that provide high-quality primary care preventative care and behavioral health services within 100 miles of the coast,” said Taslim van Hattum, the chief program officer of the Louisiana Public Health Institute. “We are catalyzing a transformative vision for access to continuous care before, during and after

Groups address post-storm power, abandoned oil platforms ä See CONTEST, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

a failing grade for annual particulate levels, with a level nearly 1.1% higher than the federal standard.

Under the association’s scoring, the lowest parish scores brought down the entire metro areas. The combined metropolitan statistical areas of Baton Rouge and Hammond, which the nonprofit lumped in with Baton Rouge, worsened by six spots nationally over last year, falling from 32nd to 26th worst for ozone.

To exclude or not

The New Orleans metro area ranked 100th worst for ozone nationally, a nearly 7.5% drop from last year, but it still a received a “C.”

The area saw greater slips in national rankings for short-term and annual par-

RESHAPE

Continued from page 1B

among his time behind bars didn’t seem like the most logical thing, but Ard trusted Carroll to guide the way “Sometimes you just got to make the initiative to move forward, to make things happen,” Ard said. The voluntary faith-based program teaches four courses, each designed to change the hearts and minds of inmates: experiencing God, celebrating recovery, victim impact and a parenting skills section called Inside Out Dad. They use the book “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby, which is part of a 12-week course that is “video-driven and Bible-saturated.” This is how Hebert teaches the Bible to the men in a simple format.

Celebrating Recovery is a 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program. Through the

CONTEST

Continued from page 1B

disasters.”

The Mandeville-based Gulf Offshore Research Institute, meanwhile, will give new life to idle oil and gas platforms. Kent Satterlee, the executive director of the organization, said the group aims to use the $20 million to repurpose five platforms into sites for ocean observation, habitat monitoring, fish farming pilots and other uses.

“Something of this magnitude is game-changing,” Satterlee said of the grant.

“It allows us to really implement our vision and to put together a repeatable and scalable process that can be used by other organizations.”

Eight other finalists will receive up to $875,000 for their projects, which include three other Louisiana-based initiatives focused on concerns including financing climate mitigation and transitioning to clean energy

ticulate pollution but still received strong grades, the association says. The combined ozone grade for New Orleans and Hammond was based on St. John the Baptist Parish, which has the lowest grade in the two regions. State ozone data weren’t available in Orleans or Tangipahoa parishes. Adding to the mixed picture, Shreveport-Bossier City ranked among the best in the nation for shortterm particulate pollution, receiving an “A,” but was among the worst for annual particulate levels. Particulates in Caddo Parish were 7.7% higher than the annual federal standard for the three-year period, giving the area a failing grade.

The state Department of Environmental Quality, which operates state air monitors, has previously questioned how the ALA analyzes air data and de-

victim impact course, the inmates will watch videos of victim impact statements for crimes that they have committed. The goal is to open their eyes to how their actions can cause harm not only to the direct victim but also to the victim’s family and community

Inside Out Dad teaches the inmates how to be stand-up fathers to their children and be involved in their lives from prison. It also teaches them values like respecting women, something Hebert said many have never been taught.

Ard believes the men just need to be shown the right way, and they feel called to provide it to them.

“That’s what Christianity is, a sign of hope,” Ard said.

“While we have them, why not give them some tools to be different and not to ever come back here again. And it’s working.”

Since its start in 2022, 45 men have graduated the program, and only one per-

clined to comment on its report.

The EPA allows states to exclude days with bad air from natural events for calculations that can bring regulatory consequences. In recent years, DEQ has convinced EPA to exclude high particulate levels in West Baton Rouge for days in 2022 and 2023 due to Saharan dust storms and Canadian wildfires.

The EPA method also shaves off the three worst days of pollution in a year for a more evened-out picture. The association report also relies on an annual particulate standard that the Trump administration is reconsidering to boost oil production and manufacturing.

Arguing that people breathe bad air whether regulators count them or not, the ALA applies every bad air day under AQI standards, weights them based

son who went through the program returned to prison after their release.

“The concept behind it was that we get these inmates better connected or reconnected to their families,”

Carroll said. “A huge problem is that a lot of guys and girls will leave here and have nowhere to go back to except the trouble they came from because they’ve alienated their families over years of criminality.”

Carroll spends the 16 weeks the inmates are in the program reaching out to their families and encouraging them to welcome them back into their lives.

“They really are looking forward to the opportunity of things being different,” Carroll said.

He said only one family hasn’t wanted to help.

Hebert said he finds success in his teaching because he knows firsthand what it’s like to be angry at the world and stuck in prison. He said that anyone could teach the

on severity and averages them over three years.

Air toxics not included

The report, however doesn’t look at many other pollutants, including air toxics from industries and other sources that contribute to risk for cancer and other ailments.

Ozone forms when compounds released from fossil fuel burning in cars, power plants, industrial facilities and other sources react with sunlight

Going back to the early ’90s, the Baton Rouge metro area has struggled periodically with being in “nonattainment” for ozone, forcing increased business costs and regulatory efforts.

In March 2017, EPA declared the area in attainment, but the ALA says its “F” grade for the Baton Rouge region correlates with nonattainment

course, but for the inmates to see someone who looks like them telling them it is possible makes all the difference.

The warden of the prison, Lance Landry echoed the same idea. He said that any one of the wardens or officials at the prison is capable of teaching the program, but it wouldn’t have the same effect.

“When he walks into the room he’s a walking success; he’s already done it,” Landry said. “So they have his attention from the time he walks into the room. This guy’s not just talking; he’s walking the walk.”

Hebert served 31 years in prison and was released on parole in early 2021, where he had a life waiting for him on the other side because of work he put in inside the prison walls. He has a son who graduated from Wheaton College and now attends law school at NYU.

He said he aims to help as many men as he can. The

The importance of building energy-resilient sites that can keep the lights on during storms has gained traction in recent years, including the resilient lighthouses at New Orleans churches established after Hurricane Ida

The public health project is designed to include features beyond ensuring the healthcare facilities can withstand grid interruptions during hurricanes, flooding and extreme heat.

This includes establishing “a regional data network,” van Hattum said, that will ensure clinics have medical records for patients across facilities.

Iberville had Louisiana’s worst rating for ozone. The parish had the most bad air days at 29 over three years and had the highest weighted, three-year average at 10.2 days per year

Preliminary data from the Baton Rouge Clean Air Coalition show seven of nine DEQ air monitors in the Baton Rouge area were at or below the federal ozone standard between 2022 and 2024.

But state monitors in West Baton Rouge and Iberville had average ozone concentrations 1.5% to nearly 6% above the federal limit for 2022 to 2024.

DEQ officials said they believed local and international wildfires in 2022 and 2023 contributed to those measurements and tried to have EPA exclude those high days.

Jason Meyers, administrator for DEQ’s Air Plan-

class has a maximum of 10 students, but about 150 apply each time applications are opened.

Narrowing down the applicant pool much is a difficult process, and one that Carroll and Landry said they do not take lightly The application consists of an essay that asks, “Why do you think you will benefit from this program?”

From there, they sift through essays and use the results of the inmates’ ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) quiz to select the 10 for the class.

Even though they can only take 10, they say a ripple effect travels from the classroom to across the prison walls. Carroll said that when the 10 students learn a certain Bible verse or lesson, they return to their dorms with their hearts enlightened.

And it’s not just the inmates who are experiencing the change of heart, Landry said.

“For a deputy to see a dif-

a host of nonprofit organizations.

Farms and sea

For Satterlee, who leads the offshore research institute, repurposing the idle oil platforms is anything but a one-size-fits-all approach. The organization plans to transform the degraded sites into a range of new uses, from clean energy pilots testing a mix of solar wind and hydrogen systems to trial runs for extracting seawater minerals like lithium and cobalt.

ning and Assessment Division, said EPA declined to review DEQ’s proposal because it did not meet the requirements.

Desiree Lemoine, campaign manager for Industry Makes, which advocates for Louisiana manufacturing, pointed out that ozone and particulates can come from heavy traffic and agricultural burning. She noted that Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, which also has a large industrial base, are near busy interstate highways.

“Cars sitting in traffic on sunny days cause ozone,” Lemoine said.

She suggested the association’s findings could be read positively because most metro areas had passing grades.

“I think this is something Louisiana should celebrate, considering the reputation we have outside of our state’s lines,” Lemoine said.

ference, that’s big,” Landry said. “It’s easy for us to have this way about us in law enforcement. I think when these deputies see them changing their lives, they know it’s working. And it’s probably changing them too.”

During the graduation, Landry allows each inmate to stand in the front and talk about what the program meant to them.

“They get up there and 90% of the time it’s just tears on tears,” Landry said “They can’t be thankful enough to Kyle, to Mark, to the sheriff, to the staff for actually caring to do a program like this and reintroduce them to God. It’s quite powerful to see that reaction come from someone who’s incarcerated for doing wrong.”

With all the people who contribute to making the program a rousing success, they are all adamant about God being the main teacher

“It’s not me, it’s the Lord I just show up,” Hebert said.

tory changes are needed, he said.

“We’re going to have to work with the government agencies to significantly streamline that process,” Satterlee said. The organization has so far submitted a permit application to repurpose one platform in the South Pass area near the mouth of the Mississippi River, he said. The other platforms have not yet been identified.

The shortlisted groups included a plan from Tulane to repurpose decommissioned wind turbines and a proposal from Louisiana State University to help finance expensive climate mitigation efforts.

“We asked the people of the Gulf for their visions for a brighter future, and they responded with a flood

of exciting proposals,” said Lauren Alexander Augustine, executive director of the Gulf Research Program.

Healthcare network

The Gulf Hub initiative from the public health institute will provide healthcare to hundreds of thousands of residents in the region, van Hattum said.

“So if they are evacuating New Orleans and seen in Atlanta, a physician there is about to query through the Gulf Hub network,” she said.

The initiative is a partnership between primary care associations across four states, a host of universities including LSU’s School of Public Health and Southern University’s School of Social Work, and

Satterlee said the specific conditions of the platforms — such as its depth and the habitat around it — will affect how the scientists repurpose the structure.

“Some of our repurposing has a much higher probability of success than others,” he said.

For instance, ocean monitoring is “ready to go,” Satterlee said, and will be installed on all five platforms. Aquaculture farming, however, is not ready for commercialization because government regula-

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

School BoardtoconsiderComeaux settlement

Lawsuitalleges proceduretoclose school wasn’t followed

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

The Lafayette Parish School Board has scheduled aspecial meeting for Monday to consider settling alawsuit over its March 12 vote to closeComeauxHigh School.

The board is expected to retire into executive sessionfor the discussion, which is typical when the topic is pending litigation.

In this case, 15th Judicial District Judge Valerie Gotch-Garrett at atrial on Wednesday also warned board members not to discuss the matter among themselves or with others except in an executive session because they remain under sequestration as potential witnesses.

The public may attend themeeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the central office, 202 Rue Iberville in Lafayette. Details of the proposed settlement probably won’tbedisclosed to the public at the meeting

Gotch-Garrett ordered the

board toreport to her courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to present the settlementagreement. If theboard does not approve the proposed settlementorifGotch-Garrett is not satisfied with it, she warned that shewill continue thetrialonthe lawsuit that began Wednesday

Thetrial was halted Wednesday after nearly eight hours of testimony by Superintendent Francis Touchet, three high school principals and SchoolBoardPresident Hannah Smith Mason. After a short break late Wednesday afternoon, Gotch-Garrett said the board and plaintiffwere consideringa settlement.

On March 12, the board voted to closeComeaux High as ahigh school for the 2026-27 school year andrepurposeitasa careercenter andother districtwide purposes.

Suzanne LaJaunie andothers sued the board, alleging it didnot follow rules or the state’sopen meetings law in voting to close the school. Touchetand Mason testified Wednesday that theydidn’t know they were requiredtohold apublic hearing before voting to close aschool.

Gotch-GarrettonApril 13 orderedthe school system to halt all work on theComeaux High clo-

sure until thehearing Wednesday She was nothappy when the School Board on April 15 voted to rescind its March12vote to close the high school andplannedtohold

apublic hearing. At Wednesday’shearing,GotchGarrett warnedshe could hold the board in contempt forviolatingher order not to take action,

but she would not do so.

apologized, saying she thought the board wasdoing the right

by undoing the March 12 vote and restarting the process.

Sevenpeopleindictedon childexploitation in Acadiana

Former Teacher of theyearamong thosecharged

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

The U.S. Attorney’sOfficeinLafayette in recent months has charged seven Acadiana residents, from Broussard to Basile, with childsexual exploitation, including enticing aminor to engage in sexualactivity and distribution of child porn.

ABroussard Middle Schoolteacher, Christie Dunbar Oster,38, of Broussard, was indicted April 30 on a charge of enticing aminor to engage in sexual activity.She was arrested in January

An eighth-grade teacher,she was named Teacher of the Year in 2025. Oster is charged with having maintained asexual relationship with a minor victim, one of her students, for most of 2024. The U.S.Attorney’sOffice alleges Oster used her cellphone to hold sexual discussions withthe student and to instruct the student on deleting text messages to avoid detection.

Scott resident Luxe Arlen Thomas, 19,has been indictedinfederal court on charges of producingand possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Aformer National Guardsman, he was charged with producing child porn, interstate transportationof a minor to engage in sexual activityand other child sexual abuse materials-related crimes.

Thomas allegedly engaged in a monthslong pattern of abuse of a minor girl he understood to have intellectual challenges and to be in a foster system, according to the news release

He allegedly traveledtoanother

state toengage in “sexually explicit conduct”withthe girl,then transported her back to Louisiana to do the same, producingand possessing sexually explicit images as he did so.

Rickey James Hebert,66, of Abbeville, wasindicted by afederal grand jury in Lafayette on three charges: conspiracy to producevisualdepictions involvingthe sexual exploitation of minors, attemptedcoercion andenticementofa minor to engage in sexual activityand receipt of child pornography,accordingtothe federal indictment

The alleged criminal activity occurred on or about Nov.30.

Hebert was allegedly paying aFilipina woman to create live videos of minor children being sexually abused and otherwise engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged in anews release.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges on April 30.

Donald W. Bergeron,42, of Broussard,was indictedinApril on three charges,including distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography,court records show

The indictment by afederal grand jury in Lafayette says Bergeron from around April 11 through Dec. 19, 2021, used social mediamessaging applications and cloud-based file storage services to send, receive and save images of child sexual abuse, anews release fromthe U.S.Attorney’sOffice states Bergeron allegedly has aprior conviction for incest with achild.

Scott NicholasMartel, 36, of Basile, wasindictedinMarch forreceiving and possessing child sexual abuse materials.

The indictmentalleges that on or about Jan. 31, Martel falselyportrayedhimself online as having access to minors by using online names such as “BaileyMomof2daughters” to secure child sexual abuse materi-

als from others in internet-based chat rooms, the news release states.

AFebruary search of his phone, according to theU.S.Attorney’sOffice, revealed child sex abuse materials he received in this way plus AI-generated pornographicmaterialsinvolving Martel’suse of photos obtained online of minor children livingin his area.

Carencro resident Cody Allen Bell, 34, was indicted April30oncharges of receipt and possession of child porn.

According to the indictment, the allegedincidents occurredfromaround February 2021 until about May 31, 2022.

Atip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by an encrypted message application ledto the investigation. The tip advised that someone attempted to upload child sexual abuse materialstothe messaging applications.

The NCMEC sent the tip to theLouisiana Bureau of Investigations, where detectives identifiedthe suspect as Bell, therelease states. Detectives found materialsonBell’smessaging account, cloud-based storage account and cellphone.

Opelousas resident Michael “White Mike” Roy Williams,61, was indicted April 30 by afederalgrand jury in Lafayette in two separate cases, one charging him with possessing childsexual abuse materials and theother charging him with possessing an explosive device, theU.S.Attorney’sOffice said.

The investigation started with theSt. LandryParish Sheriff’s Office receiving information that Williams possessed child pornography Detectives obtained asearch warrant for hissmartphone and another search warrant for hishomewhere they allegedly found an explosive device.

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

The escape of an inmate from the St. Landry Parish jail Monday night is raising new questions about release procedures at the facility Authorities say DeMarkus Johnson walked out of the jail around 9p.m. after posing as anotherinmate, Jaylen Brown,who was scheduled to be released. DeputiesprocessingBrownfor release failed to verify Johnson’s identityand allowed himtoleave accordingtothe St. LandryParish Sheriff’s Office. Brown was later released as plannedafter the error was discovered. Johnson, who wasbeing held on acharge of domestic abuse battery involving child endangerment, remains at large. Hisbail has since been revoked Sheriff’s Office spokesperson MarkLeBlancsaid Johnson wore aface mask andfeignedillness during therelease process, making identificationmore difficult. “Only his eyes were visible,” LeBlancsaid in atelevision interview,adding that Johnson avoided eyecontact andspoke in araspyvoice.

TheSheriff’s Office hasnot detailed whatidentification procedures are requiredwheninmates are released or whether those protocols were followed in this case.Aninternal investigation is underway Parish President Jessie Bellard criticized the Sheriff’s Office response,saying basicsafeguards could have prevented the escape.

He told KADN thatissuing jailspecific identification cardstoinmates wouldhelp avoidsimilar incidents.

“Thisishappeningtoo often in St.Landry Parish,” Bellard said, also raising concernsabout delays in notifying victims andthe public.

TheSLPSO saidJohnson’sallegedvictims have been notified of hisescape.

Bellard has previouslyquestionedstaffing levels at the jail, arguing that limited personnel makes it difficult to maintain security andoversight.

“One deputy on afloor with around 100 inmates is impossible,” Bellard said.“Theprevious administration had two deputies anda rover making regular checks.Wedidn’thave people breakingout of thejail. ” This comment came following the escape of several inmates from thejail after they managed to chip away at oneofthe cell’s cinderblocks.

The incident followsother recentbreakdowns involving inmate custody in the parish including the escapeofa Duson man during atransport from a drug treatment facility earlier this month. That man, Michael Vavasseur, waskilled by police days later after apursuit. Guidroz did not respond to requestsfor comment. Authorities didnot say Johnsonposed athreat to the public. However, he wasarrested in 2024 after an hourslong armed standoff with police.

TheSheriff’s Office said Johnson’sescape remains underinvestigation andurged anyone with information on hiswhereabouts to contact authoritiesor submitananonymoustip through St.Landry Crime Stoppers.

Mason

thing

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Comeaux HighSchool students line up to speak in opposition to the potential closure of the school during a regular meetingofthe Lafayette Parish School Board on March12atboard offices in Lafayette.

Obituaries

p.m.

Boucvalt MD, Lon Alexander

Dr. Lon Alexander Boucvalt, 78, passed away on March 5, 2026 in Wimberley, Texas. Lon was born on September 26, 1947in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of the late Roy Boucvalt and Audrey Alexander Boucvalt. He attended Lutcher High School and earned abachelor's degree at LSU before graduating from LSU Medical School in New Orleans. After medical school, he served as General Medical Officer and Brigade Surgeon in the United States Army, Panama Canal Zone. Lon later worked as an Emergency Room Physician in both Baton Rouge, LA and Las Vegas, NV and aClinic Physician at LSUBR before opening his private practice for Family and IndustrialMedicinein Port Allen, Louisiana."Doc B", as his patients called him, maintained avibrant solo medical practice for 20+years. In his spare time, he loved fishing and boating in his beloved Grand Isle, LA where he regularlyvisited his mother at her camp on the bay to catch crabs and shrimp. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters Gail Boucvalt White and Bonnie Boucvalt Tassin. He is survived by his wife Donna Boucvalt, sister Gay Boucvalt Sullivan(Mike) and brothers Dr. Roy Boucvalt and Chris Boucvalt(Gail), brothers-in-law Bob White and Maurice Tassin, along with many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Amemorial service is pending.

Doyle Michael "Mike Chambers, 72, of Indianapolis, passed away suddenly on April 11, 2026 Born on December 17, 1953, in Stillwater, Oklahoma Mike was the son of Doyle and Luella Chambers. He spent his formative years inBaton Rouge. He attained the rankof Eagle Scout, and played basketball at Catholic High School.Heearned his BS and MS degrees in Entomology from Louisiana State University in 1976 and 1978. While at LSU, he worked as astudent trainer for the basketballteam under legendary coach Dale Brown. Collegebasketball remained one of his greatest lifelong passions. Aftergraduation,hebecame thefirst director of the East Baton Rouge Parish MosquitoControl District. He went on to earn his Ph.D.inEntomology from Clemson University in 1988. He then began a31year career with Dow Chemical and its successor companies.

Mike was the loving husband of Deborah Chambers; adevoted father to Andrew and Mariella; a wonderful brother to Linda and Dorothy; and acaring friendtomany. Memorial contributions can be made in his name to the Boy Scouts of America,orfor cancer research.

April 30, 2026,atSt. James Place in Baton Rouge, at the ageof79, followinga longbattle with Alzheimer's disease. Linda was born in New Orleans and grew up there.She is predeceased by her parents,Dr. E. Garland Walls and Margaret Ingle Walls. Linda lived much of her life in Plaquemine, Louisiana with her husband, John Lawrence Delahaye,to whom she was marriedfor 54 years, until his death in 2023. Linda and John are survived by theirsons, Bradley and Evan Delahaye. Linda wasblessed with amazing talent as an artist and won several amateur art contests during her younger years. Inaddition to herparents,and husband John, Linda is predeceasedbyher brothersin-law, LandryDelahaye, and Al Flettrich. She is survived by her sons, Bradley John Delahaye, and Evan Lawrence Delahaye.Additionally, she is survivedby her sister,CarolynWalls Flettrich, sisters-in-law, Frances DelahayeKane, Betsy Delahaye,and Lynn Delahaye, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Michael and Lilette Delahaye,and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please consider adonation to Alzheimer's Association P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC, 20090-6011. Visitation willbeheldatWilbert Funeral Home,24120Railroad Ave, Plaquemine, LA 70764 on Tuesday May5, 2026,from10amuntil memorialservicesat 12pm, conducted by Father JohnMiller.Interment will followatGrace Memorial Park, Plaquemine. Please sharememories onlineat www.wilbertservices.com.

Whitney Lawrence Geter,III, 81 yearsold, a resident of Gonzales, former longtime resident of Denham Springs,passed awayonWednesday,April 29, 2026. Whitney grew up in Baton Rouge beforejoining the Army and serving for21years. Heisa 2term Vietnam Veteran. On January 27, 1967,Whitney marriedthe love of hislife, Rhonda Perault. Whitney and Rhonda went on to have 4children. He loved the Lord faithfully and was adevoted Christian. Whitneyinspired many people with his faith, positive attitude and charity. He loved his family tremendously and willbemissed by all. Whitney was an avid gamer andlovedtoplay Xboxand care for allkinds of animals. Whitney is survived by his wifeof59 years, Rhonda Geter; childrenWendiAllee (Stacy), Renee Cryer(Damon), SherryLaJaunie (James), and WhitneyGeter,IV (Sarah). He is also survived by grandchildren Amanda Templet, Stephanie Allee, Jeremiah Allee, Sarah A. Nunez, Stacey Allee,Elijah Allee,Bradley Gauthier, MatthewCryer, Rachel Cryer, Victoria Herrmann, AndrewGeter,TonyLaJaunie, Levi Geter, Lilah Geter and Hudson Geter;greatgrandchildren,Isaiah

Nunez,CohenAllee,Eva Hazlewood, Jackson Hazlewood, CamilleAllee, RemingtonGauthier, Archer Gauthier, Roux Gauthier and Alice Herrmann; and his sisterBarbara Woods (Sammy).Whitney was preceded in death by his parents, WhitneyGeter II and PearlieMae Davidson Geter as well as siblings John Geter and Joanna Munson. Visitation willbe held at ImmaculateConception CatholicChurch, 865 Hatchell Ln, Denham Springs, LA 70726, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burialat11:00 a.m. Burial& reception willfollowat Resthaven GardenofMemoryinBaton Rouge. PallbearerswillbeBradley Gauthier, Matthew Cryer, Andrew Geter, Jeremiah Allee, ElijahAllee and Chris Hull. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to his favorite charity, St. Jude's Children's Research HospitalinWhitney's name. The family wishes to extend our sincere thankstoDoctors Sanjay and Lauren Juneja. Family and friends may signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal notetothe familyatwww.resthavenbaton rouge.com.

Glenn Power Graves,age 62 and anativeofBaton Rouge, passed away on April23, 2026. He graduated from CatholicHigh School in 1981 and obtaineda bachelor's degree fromSoutheastern University. Glenn lovedfishing hunting and beach trips to Pensacola. He was adevotedbrother, uncle and a friend to alland never met astranger.Glenn was preceded in death by his parentsBishopBascom Gravesand JudyVinz Graves, stepfather Evander Morgan Stuart, Jr., siblings Victoria GravesLee and James Michael Graves, and stepsiblings Mary Stuart, Evander Morgan Stuart, III, andJames Prescott Stuart. He is survivedbyhis sister Terri "Pooky" Johnston and husband MarkJohnston,stepsiblingsJoseph Stuart and Michael Stuart, aniece, nephews, and a greatnephew and great nieces. Familyand friends are invited to attend aCelebration of Life at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 FloridaBlvd Baton Rouge,LA 70815 on ThursdayMay 7th, 2026, at 11:00 AM. Visitation willbefrom 9:00 AM untilservicetime Burial will be private

fully on April 6, 2026, in Maine, surrounded by family. BorninMedford, Massachusetts, to Vesta Bartonand GeorgeStarrett, she builta fulllifeinBaton Rouge surrounded by 10 grandchildrenand 21 great -grandchildren, who cherish her influence She joyfully filled aroom without diminishing anyone in it,making each feel seenwhilenever going unseenherself. She wasat once refined and resilient. She founded Aladdin's Lamp Antiques, where family workedbeside her and customers became lifelong friends. "The Shop,"asshe called it,is now carried on by her son Greg. She is survivedbyher sisterVesta"Betty,"three children, 9grandchildren, 19 greatgrandchildren Amemorial service will be held August 8, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Ingleside Church, 4264 CapitalHeights Avenue,Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Raymond GeorgeLamy, Sr. passed away surrounded by his family on April 30, 2026, at theage of 93. He was born in New Orleans on May 10, 1932, and was along-time resident of theNew Orleans Westbank Raymond was agraduateofSt. Aloysius High School in 1950 where he was theclass salutatorian As astarfootballplayer, he was named to the1949 NewOrleans Quarterback Club. Upon graduation, Raymond earnedanacademicand baseballscholarship to LoyolaUniversity where he graduated in 1954 with adegree in accounting

After graduating from Loyola, Raymond was appointedasa second lieutenant in the U.S. Army where he admirably served our country in FortKnox, KY

Raymond had asuccessfulcareer in theinsurance industry. He was extremely dedicatedtohis family and community where he was aScout Leader, baseball coach, volunteer fireman, school PTAofficer, and HOA board member. He was an avid golferscoring several holes in one at Brechtel Park GolfCourse.Mostimportantly, Raymond spent his life as adevout CatholicservingOur Lord as alector,usher, alter server, Knightsof Columbus member, and Eucharistic Minister. He was extremely devoted to hisSt. Vincent de Paul Society Conference in ImmaculateConception Parish.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents John Earl and Camille Sperandeo Lamy; brothers John and Harold Lamy; belovedwife MarciaAnn; and sons Dennis Michael and Daniel Patrick.

He is survivedbyhis sons Raymond,Jr. (Jann), Timothy (Kathleen), and daughter Leslie Champagne (Michael, Sr.); grandchildrenRyan, Rhett, Reid (Lacey), Toby (Julie), L. Nick, Kyle(Abby), DevenPaul, Trevor (Connie),and Michael Champagne, Jr. (Christine)aswellas10

great-grandchildren

Visitation at Immaculate Conception Church,4401 SeventhStreet, Marrero, LA. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 11:00 AM followed by aCatholic Funeral Mass at 1:00 PM. Private intermentata later date. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be sent to St VincentdePaulSociety, Immaculate Conception Conference,4401 Seventh Street,Marrero, LA 70072.

Gerald Moton, anative of Plaquemine, Louisiana, passed away at theage of 87. Born on September1 1938, to the lateAmos Moton Jr.and Ruby Collins Moton, he was agraduate of Iberville High School, Class of 1956. He proudly served hiscountry in the United States AirForce and United States Army, retiringafter 35 years of distinguishedservice as aMaster Sergeant. He willberememberedfor his kindness, generosity, and unwaveringwillingness to help others. Visitation will be held Monday, May4 2026, from 8:00 a.m. until thestartofservice at 10:00 a.m. at St.Peter Baptist Church,58116 Court St., Plaquemine,LA. Interment will follow at LouisianaNational Cemetery in Zachary, Louisiana.

Dr.Chevies L. Newman passed away on Monday, April 20, 2026. Dr.Chevies wasborninTexarkana, Arkansas. He later earned hisDoctorateand became awell-known andtrusted

dentist in theBaton Rouge community. After becominga dentist, he became a Captain of theUnited StatesArmy, spending time in Vietnam. He was a member of theYMCA as well as theLouisiana Dental Association.Dr. Chevies wasanavidenthusiast of fishingand golfing, especiallyinthe companyof those closest to him. He couldalso be foundhelpinghis wife with their horses on theranch,but most of all,heenjoyed spending time with friends andfamily. Dr.Chevies is survived by hisloving wife, Jan Newman; daughter, JolieRenee Newman; son, Chevies WayneNewman; and grandchildren, Camille Newman, AndrewDelaney, andTaylor Delaney. He is preceded in death by his parents, Chevies L. Newman, Sr.and Evelyn Shields Newman; andmotherand father-in-law,Don and DorisInzenga. Friends and familyare invited to aCelebrationofLife from5:307:30 PM on Thursday, May 14, 2026, on the sideporch at Mike Anderson's, located at 1031 W. LeeDr., Baton Rouge,Louisiana 70820. The familywould like to give aspecial thanks to Mary Johnstone for herunwaveringlove andsupport.Familyand friends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonal note to

all

"Come

bor andare

andI will give you

Take my yoke uponyou andlearnfromme, for Iam gentle andlowly in heart, andyou will findrest for your souls."Matthew 11:28 29. Alice AnnNickens Page "Granny", devoteddaugh-

Moton, Gerald

Lamy, RaymondGeorge

Graves, GlennPower

Page, Alice

to me,

whola-

heavy laden

rest.

Newman,Chevies L.

Geter, WhitneyLawrence

Chambers, Doyle Michael 'Mike'

Hanson, JeanneMarie

Jeanne Marie Hanson, 94, of BatonRouge, Louisiana, passed peace-

Delahaye, Linda Walls

Linda

ter, sister, mother, grandmother and friend, departed this life to be with her Lord and savior on Friday, April 24, 2026. Born on July 15, 1945, she was alifelong resident of Baton Rouge. Alice was aproud graduate of LSU and retired East Baton Rouge Parish school teacher. She was passionate about teaching and caring for her students in and out of the classroom She leaves behind to cherish her memories, her sisters, Linda Hymel (L.J ) and Susan Jordan (Richard); two daughters, Kristie Seal (Benjie) and Karlin O'Neal; seven grandchildren, who were her greatest joy,Shelby Chandler (Auston), Charlie Seal (Klaire), Savannah Boudreaux(Taylor),Taylor David (Hunter), Alexandra, Isabella and Emma O'Neal; and four great-granddaughters, Eleanor Kennedy,Adeline, Sadie and soon to be arriving, Elizabeth; as well as numerous nieces and nephews She was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Florette Nickens, to whom she was adevoted caretaker; her siblings, Robert Nickens and Terri Gerace; and her son, Travis Lane Bellue. Visitation will be at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Boulevard,on Monday, May 4, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will resume on Tuesday, May5 from 9amuntil funeral service at 10 am,conducted by Lance Bourgeois. Burial will follow in Greenoaks Cemetery.Pallbearers will be Benjie Seal, Eric Simoneaux, Auston Chandler, Charlie Seal,Taylor Boudreaux and Hunter David. In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests donations be made to Alzheimer's Servicesofthe Capital Area in Baton Rouge. Please visit www gr eenoaksfunerals.com to leave condolences to the family.

RememberingEclipse

Aviation founder Vern Raburn

Very Light Jet visionary and pioneer Vern Raburn passed at 75 years old on Saturday evening April 25th, 2026 in Albuquerque, NM. Family, friends and former colleagues remember him as an innovator who embraced entrepreneurial risk in his business ventures, rather than running from it. Raburn founded Eclipse Aviation in 1998 with the goal of building the Eclipse 500, asix-seat, twin-turbofan featherweight jet that would cruise as fast as 370 knots, climb as high as 41,000 ft, fly up to 1,200 nautical miles and achieve considerably better fuel economy than any business jet in production. Most notably, Raburn structured the company to mass produce the aircraft in the thousands, allowing it to be priced on par with competitively sized piston twins. The business model proved to be overly ambitious. Only about 260 aircraft were delivered after the aircraft was certified in 2007. Raburn's high-risk / high-reward business philosophy served him well when he worked closely with Bill Gates in the early days of Microsoft, eventually becoming an executive vice-president. Previously, he was executive vicepresidentofLotus Development, helping to launch Lotus 1-2-3. He later became CEO of Semantec, then oversaw technology investments for Paul Allen Group. Former EclipseAviation employees reminisce about Raburn's creating a new familyasmuch as a new company. They were challenged to be innovative, tasked with working long hours and compelled to prove their ideas in the face of tough peer criticism. But, every Friday afternoonRaburn would pause operations to host an all-hands hangar party forthe Eclipse familywith refreshments and hors d'oeuvres,praising members for their dedication and contributions Raburn was an accomplished aviator, having logged more than 6,000

nurses, and staff at Our La-

flight hours, earning 17 aircraft type ratings and operating ahistoric Lockheed L-749 Constellationthat he flew to several airshows. He is survived by his wifeSusanBrooksRaburn ACelebrationofLifewill be held laterthis year. Please visitour online guestbook forVernat www.FrenchFunerals.com.

Photo Credit: James Stolzenbach /Living Legends of Aviation

Ray, Thomas Gerald

Dr. ThomasGeraldRay, Sr., 85, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 26, 2026,atThe Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice in Baton Rouge.Heis survived by his three children, ThomasGerald Ray, Jr Allison "Cathy"Ray Novas, and Kimberly D. Schexnayder and her husband, Kris;aswellashis grandchildren, LaurynnSt. Germain, Grace Schexnayder, EllaSchexnayder, Ethan Schexnayder,Owen Schexnayder,and Jacob Novas. He is also survived by his sister, Bessie Prince. He wasprecededindeath by his belovedwifeof54 years,André Carolyn WhitakerRay;his parents, WilliamL.Ray and Mittie Richardson Ray; his sister, Dorothy Ray Richardson; his belovedauntand uncle, Manley L. Washington and MargaretRichardson Washington, and his cousins who he loved like brothers, GeraldWashingtonand Johnny Washington. Born in Talihina, Oklahoma in 1940,Dr. Ray spent his young school years both thereand in Arkansas with his parents and sisters. His fatherpassed awayin1955.During his mother's battle with breastcancer, she and the children weretakeninby his UncleWashand Aunt Margaret in Yazoo City, Mississippi.His mother died when he was 17. His aunt and uncle became parents to him, and their four sons, Manley,Eddie, Geraldand Johnny Washington were like brothers. At the ageof22, he met his future wifewhile he was stationed with the United States ArmyatFort Gordon. They marriedin1966, in Harlem, Georgia. Coming from afamily of teachers, he always respected the value of agoodeducation.Heearned abachelor's and master's degree from MississippiState University and his PhD from Virginia Tech, allinindustrial engineering. Dr. Ray then workedatOwens Corning and NASA'sStennis Space Center.Heand Carolynsubsequently moved to Baton Rouge Louisiana in 1970,wherehe accepted aposition at LSU's IndustrialEngineering Departmentasa fulltime professor. He enrolled himself in the school's law program, spending ayear at thePaul M. Hebert Law Center,and encouraged his wifetopursue her degree at LSU.Helenthis expertisetobusiness both locally and internationally as aconsultant. In doing all this, he also found time to earn his contractor's license, buildingseveral homes in the Baton Rouge area. During thistime, the family attended St. Paul Lutheran Churchand then ChristianLifeFellowship. Dr. Ray dreamedofowning his own businessand had aparticular interest in helping others make theirs successful. After finding a "for sale" flyeronthe bulletin board at LSU,hesecureda grantand became partnerina boat company, TideCraft, Inc., renaming it Sportcoand securingcontracts with entities suchas Nissan. Newadventuresin the bass and ski boatindustry moved the Ray familytoMinden, Louisiana for five years, wherethey attendedLiving Word Worship Center.Hereturned toLSU in1991,eventually becoming department chairmanfor both the industrialengineering and constructionmanagement departments.After retiring from LSU in 2009,he and Carolynthenenjoyed many yearstogether spending time with their childrenand grandchildren. He also enjoyed construction projects such as renovatingcondominiums and woodworking. He spent the last year at Sunrise/GlenncrestAssisted Living,wherehemade many friends. His family wishes to give theirutmost appreciationtothe staffat Sunrise/Glenncrest Assisted Living,the doctors, d ff

dy of the LakeRegional Medical Center and at The Carpenter Housefor their selfless care and loving kindness to Dr. Rayand his family.Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend theFuneral Service at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Resthaven Funeral Home,11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge. AVisitation willbeheldat thefuneral home beginning at 11:30 a.m. Interment,withhonors from the United States Army, will follow at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026, at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Familyand friends may signthe online guestbookorleave apersonal notetothe family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com

Pat"Granny" Richards, age 91, passed away on April22, 2026. She was born in Durant, Oklahoma, and resided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Patearnedher Bachelor of Science degree in early ChildhoodEducationatSt. Mary's College in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1974. She wasa creative and devoted first-grade teacher who formed life-long friendships with her students, their families and her colleagues. She was an activememberofBroadmoor Methodist Church, the Krewe of Artemis and the Woman's Club of Baton Rouge. Patwas aproud member of the Upsilon ChapterofAlpha Gamma Delta. As the wife of an Army officer, she embraceda life of travel moving twentytimesaround theworld including Germany, Koreaand throughout the United States.

Pathad adeeplove for reading and traveling. Her greatest joy was thetime she spent creatingcherishedmemories withher husband, five children, ten grandchildrenand eight great-grandchildren.

Patissurvivedbyher sons, Ken Richards (Beth) and Tim Richards (Tonda); daughters, Jill Richards Kalimeris(Andreas),Becky Richards Hearn(Darrel) and Meg RichardsGerald (Don); grandchildren, Tanner Richards (Taylor), ReevesRichards(Maritza), TarinRichardsWorrest (Alan), Tyler Richards, Tessa Richards, Walsh Hearn (Sarah), WillHearn, Megan HearnRhyne (Matt), Rainey Gerald and Fallon Gerald Tullier (Devin) and eight great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Gene Max Richards;parents, Allen FerdinandWalsh and Louise Rainey Walsh; sister, BettyRuthWalsh; father-in-law, William Elmer Richards and mother-inlaw, PollyVerona Sams Richards;sister-in-law, Jacqueline RichardsPagan and brother-in-law,Roy Pagan

Avisitationwillbeheld on May 13, 2026, at BroadmoorUnited Methodist Church from9-11AM with a funeral service beginning at 11AM. Inurnment will follow at Louisiana National Cemetery in Zachary at 1PM. In lieu of flower, memorial contributions can be madetoSt. Joseph's Academy in BatonRouge.

(Mark), RogerRoussel, III (Lori)and PaigeRobinson (Paul),her grandchildren Jordan and MasonDuhe, Mallory D. Poirrier(Jordan), Heather R. Bosco (Colin), HeidiR.Balado (Beau), Michaela Raye, Micah, Preston, and Ashlyn Robinson, and greatgrandchildrenNorah, Cannon, Charlotte and MargotPoirrier, and Elijah Bosco. She is also survivedbyher siblings Merlyn St. Pierre Dale Lambert,and Mary Champagne (Ralph), and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Roger"RJ"Roussel, Jr., her parents Eusebe and Hilda Lambert, and Siblings Arthur and Laverne "Winky" Lambert Sandra's greatest joy was her family,and she deeply cherished her children,grandchildren,and great-grandchildren. She treasured timespent dining at her favoriterestaurantswithfamily and friends. She took great prideinmaintaininga tidy home. Each spring,she found joy in planting flowersinher flowerbeds.She had adeeplovefor traveling theworld, witha special fondness for cruises. She willbedearlymissed by her family and friends. The family wouldliketo extend theirheartfeltappreciationtothe staff and community of Azalea Estates of Gonzales for their compassionand kindness. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the Visitationand Funeral Mass at St.Joseph Catholic Church, 2130 Rectory St Paulina, LA,onMonday, May 4, 2026; Visitation at thechurch from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. followedbya Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment in St. Joseph Mausoleum, Paulina, LA Memorial donations may be madetothe American CancerSociety in the memory of Sandra Lambert Roussel.

Yvonne Mansour ShaheenofBaton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April22, 2026 at theage of 90. Yvonne was born in Magee, ArkansasFebruary 24 th ,1936. At nine years of ageher parents moved thefamily to Monroe, Louisiana, where many of their relatives had settled. In January, 1960, she met theloveofher life at aSyrian-LebaneseAmerican midwinter convention Learning that her new love was in LSUlaw school, and she was living in Baton Rouge working as aMedical Technician, theirconnectionwas immediate and enduring.Aftertwo weeks of solid dating, he asked her to marry him and she accepted. They marriedonJune 1, 1960, and shared adevoted and loving partnershipthat spanned for 65 years &9 months. Her husband always referred to her as his "Earth Angel". Now she is God's Heavenly Angel Yvonne was born Catholicand raised Catholic. She graduated Salutatorian in 1954 from St.Matthews High School in Monroe,Louisiana. She then attended Northeast

collegeinMonroe, andafter twoyearstransferred to Northwestern Collegein Natchitoches, Louisiana earning adegree in BachelorofScience

After graduation she workedinBaton Rouge as aMedicalTechnician with aclinicthat was locatedin theformer Lady of the Lake Hospital, wherethe nowFirst Circuit Courtof Appeal is situated.

After herhusband graduated from law school, they moved from Baton Rouge to Lake Charles, Louisiana spending 14 years in thehometown of herhusbandand hislaw practice.Whilelivingin Lake Charles, Yvonne workedasa MedicalTechnician at St Patrick'sHospital for manyyears. She wasveryinvolved withthe Jane's of theJaycee & Jane's Organizationwhile raising 5kids In 1976, the family movedbacktoBaton Rouge,where she again workedfor herearlier employer OurLady of the Lake Hospital Shewas adevoted Catholic, andasa result of theirlove for each other, she gave birth to fivechildren

Thefamilyare members of OurLady of Mercy Catholic Church whereshe wascommitted to one hour of prayer aweekin Adoration Yvonne is survived by herhusbandof65years& nine months, PhilipShaheen Jr;sister-in-law, Marie Shaheen Micheal; Daughter Suzanne Shaheen Alban,foursons, Mark ChristopherShaheen (Katie); JamesJude Shaheen;PatrickPhilipShaheen (Stacy); Scott Alfred Shaheen (Corie), nephews Joseph Mansour,Jr& Richard Mansour,niece SharonMansour Meek. Also many cousinsaround the country. Yvonne was blessed to have Eleven (11) grandchildren& four great grandchildren. Shewas preceded in death by herparents,N.A. andWadia Jacob Mansour; hersister,Mary Jo Mansour (Alfred Mansour,deceased) ;and Joseph Mansour ,Sr. RetiredBishop Sam Jacob, Diocese of Thibodeaux, Louisiana will be officiating service at Green Oaks Funeral Services, 9595 Florida Blvd.Baton Rouge,Louisiana. In attendancewill be father Alex Harb, of St.Charbel Maronite Church In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that Memorial donations be made to St.Jude Hospital for Children. Private cremationhas taken place. Arrangements entrusted to Green Oaks Funeral Services& Crematory, 9595 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge Louisiana. Amemorial service will be held on May2 2026, at Green Oaks Funeral Servicesat11o'clock am.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 comfortably in herhome surroundedbydedicated friends andfamilyand her belovedpuppy, Tito. Becky's spirit will survive and thriveinour community as others calm anxiouspatients, comfort grieving parents, support spiritual growth,overcome depression, reach outtothe outsider,and showerlove and kindness. Herloving son, L. Prentiss Cutshaw, hiswife Racheland threegrandchildren, William, Curry, andSarah Beth Cutshaw surviveher,asdoher sister, Jean andher husband Will Wilcox,and herbrother Joeand hiswife Tricia Day, andnumerous friends andfamily. In fulfillingher wishes, Becky'smortal remains shall soon be transformedintoliveoaks and gardens as acontinuation of hertireless work to make this abetterplace We ask that you join us in celebratingher remarkable life at amemorial service on Friday, May8 with visitation startingat10a.m., service at 11 a.m. anda receptiontofollow at the Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge,3354 Kleinert Avenue, Baton Rouge.Weextend heartfelt thanks among herextended circle of care:Mark, Camille,Pinnacle Hospice, Home Instead, Decision Critical and others.Weask that you hugyourloved ones andtellthemofyour love;dosomethingkindfor astrangereveryday; and, should you desire, donate to acherished charity in herhonor.With that, Becky's love will live on

Richards, Patricia 'Pat'

Shaheen,Yvonne Mansour

Raburn, Vern

FILE PHOTOByL.S.DELAUNE

High courtrulingonVotingRightsAct doesn’thavetobeend of thestory

The decision bythe United StatesSupreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais to fundamentally alter the understanding of the 1965 Voting RightsAct is surely one of those landmark decisions —like Dred Scott, like Plessy,like Brown —thatwill define the courtfor decades to come. And like those cases, it is undoubtedly amilestoneinthisnation’slongmarch toward racialjustice. Or perhaps,ifthe courtisto be believed, theend of that march as it reaches its destination. In a6-3 ruling, the court upheld the constitutionalityofthe Voting RightsAct itself, but it struck down Louisiana’s6th CongressionalDistrict, agreeing with plaintiffs that it is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander

The district was created by the LouisianaLegislatureinJanuary 2024 in response to legalchallenges to previous congressional maps thatminority voters said unfairly diluted their power at theballot box. At the time,Louisiana, which has six congressional districts, was using maps created in 2022 andhad one Black representativeinCongress. Alawsuit argued that because the state,where one-third of the population is Black,did not have two seats, or one-third of the delegation, determined by Black-majoritydistricts, that indicated themaps were in violation of Section 2ofthe Voting Rights Act, whichprohibitsdiscrimination in voting on the basis of race. Facing judicial pressure,the statecreated asecond district,snaking from Shreveport to Lafayette to Baton Rouge, where Black voterswere in themajority.That led to thecurrent case, where agroup of 6th District voters who described themselves as “non-African American”filedsuit, arguing the new maps made them the victims ofa racial gerrymander Writing for themajority, Justice SamuelAlito affirmed the court’s inclination in recentcases to move past race as theyardstick of fairness in American society.Incases involving affirmativeaction andcriminaljustice, it seems to be saying thatit’s time to looktoother measures of how our societyis faring in upholding theEqual Protection Clause of our Constitution

The ruling takes notethat“vast social change has occurredthroughoutthe country and particularly in the South, which have made great stridesinending entrenched racial discrimination.” It says that because of this, the framework of determining whether districts unfairly disenfranchise minorities needs to be updated.

In her dissent, Justice ElenaKagan,joined by Jus-

tices Sonia Sotomayor and KetanjiBrown Jackson, said that the ruling ”will set back the foundational right Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity.”

It’shard to see how that won’tbethe case, particularly in today’shyperpartisan climate. While we feel thecourt may be right to declare thatSection 2was too broadly interpreted, we also find it disturbing that the court gave Louisianaand others little guidance as to the way forward. The Callais case now returns to thedistrict court, which presumably will have to hash out how thestate should proceed. But adding to the chaos, officials have postponed electionsfor House seats scheduled for May 16, even though early voting started Saturday When theSupremeCourt first held ahearing on Callais on March 24, 2025, we knew it was amomentouscase. When the court asked for arare rehearing Oct. 15, many felt thejustices were deadlocked on key issues.

It is no surprise to us that Louisiana is at the center of acase so central to our civil rights. Our state has ahistory punctuated by racial strifeasmuch as racial blending. In the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, the court famously got in wrong, using the Louisiana case to enshrine “separate but equal” as the legal doctrine underpinning segregation fordecades to come. In recent years, the descendants of Homer Plessy,a Black shoemaker from Treme, and John Howard Ferguson, the White judge whoruled that Plessy could not sit in arail car reserved forWhites, have united to promote racial justice in an only-in-Louisianakind of story

So we know that even when the SupremeCourt rules, that’snot the end of the story.The arc of the moral universe still bends.

Much of what the Callais ruling meansinpracticalterms is still to be determined. We urge our legislators and governor,who put forward thecurrentmap,toproceed carefully. Louisiana is likely to eliminate its second majority-Black district, but it is still possible to draw mapsthat are fair and representative of the will of abroad swath of citizens. Florida has approved new maps, and someother Republican-led states, like Mississippi, vowed to redraw mapsassoon as the ruling came down.

When the Voting Rights Act was passed, the meansand methods of disenfranchising Black voterswere perhaps moretransparent. There werepoll taxes and literacy tests designed with the specific intent of excluding minorities when lynchings and other brutal intimidation tactics of the Jim Crow era couldn’t.

Nowadays, however,barriers to voting can be moresubtle. Politicians have powerful tech tools to pick their voters, and we have seen an aggressive push by President Donald Trumpand Republicans countered by Democrats to redistrict in timefor midterm elections to help their party gain seats. Will we see afrenzy of gerrymandering now that the gloves are off?

It is no secret that somepoliticians of both parties would rather adiscouraged and apathetic electorate than one that holds them accountable. With this ruling, we must renew our commitment as voters. If politicians are certain that they can determine who holds power by slicing and dicing the electorate and pitting groups against one another,westill have the power to prove them wrong. By doing so, we honor those whomarched and fought and died forequal access to the ballot box.

Along line of Black voters seek to register in the corridor of CityHall near the office of the Orleans Parish registrar after the VotingRightsAct passedin1965.

FILEPHOTO

Ellen Floyd,ofBoothville, fills out avoter registration application in Buras under the directionoffederal examiner Bruce Rhiddlehooverafter the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965.

COMMENTARY

Education moneyshouldmovefromStartoLAGATOR

An April 22 Wall Street Journal investigative report provides good reason for Louisiana’slegislature to move some education money away from one controversialrecipient, in favor of the LA GATOR scholarship program.

The main opponent of fuller funding for LA GATOR has been state Senate President Cameron Henry.The arguments he uses againstthat scholarship program, however, apply even more readily to aprogram called Star Academy —the subject of the Journalinvestigation —thatlastyear received $20 millioninLouisiana government funding. Asensible solution would be to take half ofthis year’s allocation for Star Academy and give it to LA GATOR instead

Let’sstart with Star Academy,a product of acompany called NOLAEducation, based in New Orleans butoperating in states across the country.For all we know, it might be the greatest thing since the first time someone put mint and chocolate together.The Journal story,however,suggests it may be aflop.

Described as a“school within aschool,” Star Academy is aprogram of math and science instruction completewith specialized supplies and software, intendedfor studentswho have fallen behind academically NOLA Education and someschooldistricts across the country say the program dramatically improves graduationrates and test scores.

The Journal’sown reporting, though, shows anumber of jurisdictions contesting those statistics or expressing significant unhappiness with the program. Amiddle school in Nevada, for example,actually dropped from two stars to one in the state’s ratings. And in St. Mary Parish here in Louisiana, “after initial gains in standardized test scores at FranklinJuniorHigh, scores

The LA GATORmascot poses for apicture withagroup of students from different schools duringanApril 22 rally for the school voucher program at the Pentagon

have since fallen sharply.” University of Southern California education professor Patricia Burchsuggested that the program hasn’tbeen subjected to evidence-based scrutiny. In other words,there’snodefinitive data, and there are asignificant number of red flags.

Nowconsider LA GATOR, which provides state-funded savings accountsfamilies can usefor arange of education-related options from privateschools to home-schooling needs to tutoring and special-ed offerings. The main argument Henry has used against it, repeatedly,isthe lack of dataproving its efficacy Well, of course therehasn’tbeen timein

just twoyearsfor formal, peer-reviewed studies, but there is indeed data of several important kinds. The Louisiana Department of Education reportsthat of parents already using LA GATOR, 99% saythey would recommend the program and 97% are satisfied withtheir children’sacademic progress. Eligible families have filed more than 17,000 applications for the program for the 2026-27 school year,and apoll shows that 65%of Louisiana voterssupport “full funding” for it —meaning double the$43.5 million that Henry says is themosthewill allow Why should Henry and theLegislature skimponaprogramsopopular with the ultimatetestaudience, namely the parents themselves,and also popular with the gen-

eral public? Erin Bendily of the conservative Pelican Institute writes that, as it is, $42 million dedicated to education will go unused, thus reverting back to the state. Moreover “lawmakers have a$577 millionsurplus left over from the previous fiscal year …and an extra $292 millioninunspent cash from the current budget year.”

Clearly,Henry is being at least abit disingenuous by contending that giving more to LA GATOR would amount to “spending money that we don’thave.” Granted, Henry is worried not just about this next yearbut about setting aprecedent for funding levels in future years. Prudence is agood character trait. Still, the above numbers showthat he protests at least alittle too much.

Nonetheless, funds essentially are fungible. To an extent, money can be movedfrom one state government financial pot to another.That’swhy apartial solution suggests itself. Even if Henry is worried about adding another $44 milliontoLAGATOR when there’snopeer-reviewed data but massive evidence of parental satisfaction, why not take $10 millionofthe $20 millionallocated for Star Academy and use it for LA GATOR instead? After all, Star Academy not only lacks peer-reviewed data, but also is subject to the significant questions raised by The Wall Street Journal.

Rough arithmetic says this reallocationof $10 millioncould allow about another1,400 students, on top of the current 5,600,toparticipate in LA GATOR. Meanwhile,school systems thrilled with StarAcademy still would have a$10 millionpot from which to draw Then the state could closely monitor both programs —and determine in future years if one, or both, or neither,should receive further,significant funding. If Henry wants evidence, this is the way to get it.

EmailQuin Hillyer at quin.hillyer @theadvocate.com

Paperwork errors happen. Whenitcomes to complicated government programs,they happen alot. Youknow the best way to fix apaperwork error? Do alittle more paperwork. And, if you’re going to be really proactive,change thesystemsothat it’seasier to understand in the first place.

Alas, that is not the Trump administration’sworking premise thesedays when it comes to treatment of peoplefrom elsewhere in the world.

The horror show out of Mississippi over the last few weeks is just the latest example of good people getting caught up in acrackdown on allegedly bad actors —but one that’s so scattershot and downright cruel that it’ssweeping up people who are doing their best to follow the rules, complicated though they often are.

legal guardians didn’tentirely understand the implications under immigration law of switching themfromaprivate schooltoa public one.

The good news is that two students at Hancock High School, 18-year-old Israel Makoka and his 15-year-oldbrotherMax, are back home in Diamondhead, meaning Israelcan go aheadand graduate with his friends.

That doesn’tchange just howtraumatizing these recent weeksmust have been for thenatives of theRepublic of Congohere on student visas and their adoptedcommunity —all because their host parents and

So last month, the two young men whose basketball coach has called them the heart of soulofthe team wereaccosted by Immigrationand CustomsEnforcement agents as they readiedtoboard their bus to school, zip-tied in frontoftheir friends and host father,separated from one another and taken to facilities in Jena, Louisiana and Houston. As unlucky as they weretofall into ICE’sgrasp, theywereatleast fortunate to have done so in an area where mostpeople voted for President Donald Trump, who had promised to crack down on the worst of the worst but never said awordabout going afterkids at thelocal school.

To its great credit, thecommunity rose up in the teens’ defense and contacted federalrepresentatives who could help. To hercredit, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith did, finding the family an attorney and helping them navigatethe process. Thursday,the brothers were released back to host parents Gail andCliff Baptiste. It’snot clear exactly whathappened, but some combination of public shameand political pressure surely

playeda part,and theending for these two teens is happy,atleastfor now If only thatwerethe case for the many otherswe’ve all heardabout, and the many, many morewehaven’t, who find themselves in similar situations.

I’mtalking about the militaryspouses and the people picked up at court, which by definition means theywere trying to comply with alegal process. I’mtalking aboutimmigrants who didn’tknow there was aproblem withtheir status or who saw their statussuddenly changed by administrativewhim. I’malso talking about the few,like these brothers, who managed to get the attention of someone withpolitical influence. People like Donna Kashanian, theNew Orleans woman arrested while gardening after years in this country,who was released from custody after her friends and loved ones got her caseinfront of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise. And People like PaolaClouatre,of BatonRouge, amom of two small children and wife of aMarine veteran who was detained for several months before being released withthe quiet help of U.S. Sen. John Kennedy

Like her fellow Republicans from Louisiana,Hyde-Smithapparently worked her influence behind thescenes.Like them, though, she didn’tuse the opportunity to

speak out about the larger issues raisedby the detentions. What ashame, because people like her could really do some good for some more good people. Even after immigration authorities’ ugly overreach in places like Minnesota,even after former Border Patrol chief GregBovino and ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were fired, this latest incident suggests the administration has not pivoted from its reckless, senseless sweep. Meanwhile, Republicans en masse continue to follow aTrump-authored script that highlights horrific but unusual instances of violent crimes committedbyimmigrants as evidence of the crackdown’sworth. When was the last time you heard one of them wonderhow many other scared people who’ve never hurt asoul have been ripped from the their communities, threatened with deportation or sent to countries where they have no ties? It shouldn’ttake congressional intervention to save each of these individuals. Not whensimply clarifying the rules— and showing alittle human decency would do the trick.

EmailStephanie Grace at sgrace @theadvocate.com.

It’sprobably no surprise tomost of you that most faith-based radio stations are basedinthe South. That includesLouisiana: About 74% of people wholive here are Christians of some kind. Butdid you know that nearly all U.S. residents live in places where they can listen to faith-based radio stations?

According to a2023-24Pew Research Center study,ofall Christians across our nation,33% would call themselves evangelical Christians, about 23% identify as Catholics and about 11% consider themselves Black Protestants. “Mainline” Protestants make up6% of that. Iwasn’tsurprised to learn that about 21% of all those surveyeddon’tclaim any faith or religion. One way or another, it seems they identify as aused-to-bewhatever,nothing special or “spiritual” if they bless their food, say prayers andhave lookedata Bibleoranother holy book from time to time. Iwas surprised to see that Buddhists are 2% of our state’sreligious population and Hindu, Jewish andMuslim faith followersare each less than1%of those who live in the state. Adifferent Pew study released in March

shows that no matter what faith or which religious practices we follow,awhopping 98% of U.S. residents live in places where faith-based radio stations can be heard. There are about 17,000 AM and FM radio stations in our country,and about 4,000 of them are religious radio stations, accordingtothe study.That’s about 25% of all radio stations in the U.S.

n North Carolina: 182

n California: 221

n Florida: 227

n Texas: 433

The analysis from thePew-Knight Initiative goes beyond surface-level factoids to show with charts,data and maps where these radio stations are located, where they are concentrated and where it’smore likely that people in certain states listen to faith radio.

Louisianaisn’tamongthe states with the mostreligiousradio stations, but we have more than moststates.We’ve got 100 of these stations, according to thesurvey

Consider thenumber of faithradio stationsinthese states:

n District of Columbia (D.C.): 3

n Wyoming: 39 n Montana: 68 n Arkansas: 79 n Mississippi: 85 n Louisiana: 100 n Michigan: 135

Most of Catholic Louisianaisinthe state’ssouthern parishes. Certainly,there are non-Catholics in thesouthern part of thestate, including Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutheransand others whofall under theChristian umbrella without seeing Pope Leo XIV as their leader

Iasked Aaron Smith, director of data labs at Pew,tohelp me put Louisiana in context.

“Louisiana ranks 18thamong all states in the total number of religiousstations located in the state,” he shared. But of stationsthat play primarily religious content, Louisianaranks fifth.

Smithsaid most religious stations consider themselves Christian radiostations. Someidentify as Catholic radio. “Eight percent of these stationsnationwide say they are specifically Catholic radio stations,”headded. “That’sexactlyinline with the share of religious stations in Louisiana that are Catholic.”

Per Pew,“Large majorities of White evangelical Protestants (76%) and Black Protestants (84%) say they listen to reli-

gious programming.” About 39% of nonChristians listen to sometype of religious radio. Iwas surprised to learn that comparable numbers of older and younger people listen. Among those 55 and older,47% listen. Among those 18-49, 44% listen. Who are these young people? Oh, Isee. Pew included streaming platforms. Amajority of religious radio listeners —59% —said they don’tlisten to these stations forpolitical commentary,and 55% say they rarely or never hear political commentary.These factoids are fascinating: Among those whoare Democrat or Democrat-leaning, 48% said they neither like nor dislike hearing it when they do hear it. Guess what? The Republican and GOP-leaning listeners said the samething: 48% of them. We are adivided nation, economically, housing-wise, politically,socially in so manyways. But it seemsthe religious among us are listening to someofthe same faith-focused programming and feel much the sameabout it.

Thank God, Allah, Jehovah and Buddha that something is centering someofus.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton @theadvocate.com.

Will Sutton

Stephanie Grace

Quin Hillyer

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Barracks.

WOMAN’S TOUCH

Louisville, Ky

BY STEPHEN WHYNO

AP sportswriter

LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Cherie DeVaux spent the week talking alot aboutthe possibility of becomingthe first woman to train aKentucky Derby winner as she got ready to be just the 18th to enter ahorse in the crown jewel of horse racing’sTriple Crownwith Golden Tempo.

Charging from theback of the pack and downthe stretch to win the Derby,GoldenTempo madehistory for

BYMATTHEW PARAS

Staff writer

New Orleans Saints coach KellenMoore always has saidhewants his wide receiver room to resembleabasketball team. The group now has enoughbodies to fill out an NBA roster After the NFL draft, the Saints have12 wide receivers —including the three they selected last week. That’sonly one more than New Orleans entered trainingcamp with in Moore’sfirst season at the helm, but the dynamic of the roomhas been

DeVaux,takingher breathaway in the process and rendering her nearly speechless.

“I don’teven have any words right now,”DeVaux said. “I just can’t.”

DeVaux is just thesecond female trainertowin anyTriple Crownrace after Jena Antonucci won withArcangelo in the 2023 BelmontStakes. She won the Derby in her first opportunity,eight years since starting her own stable.

ä See DERBY, page 3C

overhauled in that span.

Thelatest additions —headlined by firstround pick Jordyn Tyson —stand to make the Saints much moreexplosive and versatile than 2025. But themakeover alsohas set up what should be an intriguing and competitive offseason, given the Saints eventually will havetotrim the position ahead of their initial53-man roster in lateAugust

“Every quarterback in our league, you know, wants and needs weapons, right?” Saints generalmanager Mickey Loomis said after the draft. “They need guys to get the ball to, andhopefullytheycan do

Trainer Cherie DeVaux kisses the trophyafter avictorybyGolden Tempo in the 152ndrunning of the Kentucky

on Saturday.

something special with it.And so Idon’t think it’s unique to Tyler (Shough), but I do thinkthat we needed that.”

Outside of establishedstar Chris Olave, the receiving corps is made up of rookies looking to make their mark, young playersatacrossroads and thoseonthe fringe aiming to prove they belong.Almosteverybody has something to prove. Take the players at acrossroads. Last fall, the Saints acquired Ja’Lynn Polkfrom theNew England Patriots and claimed

LSUsolves an issue to beat Gamecocks

Tigers snap nine-game losing streak in SECplay

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The offense wasn’tgoing to fix itself overnight.

Twoweeks ago, Jay Johnson called LSU’s two-out hitting issues a“deep-rooted” problem. He said his players needed to shorten theirswings and hit theballupthe middle andtothe opposite field more often. More hard-hit line drives and ground balls and fewerflyouts.

ä South Carolina at LSU 2P.M. SUNDAy,SECN+

“It’snot the era that these playersthatweare coaching right now have grownupin,” Johnson said after LSU’sloss to TexasA&M on April 17. “A lot of them talk about exit (velocity) and distance and homeruns.” It took afew lineup changes, but those issues Johnson described may not be as deeprooted as he once thought. LSU beat South Carolina 6-1 on Saturday during the first game of adoubleheader at Alex Box Stadium.The Tigers leaned on an array of opposite-field singles, big two-out hitsand qualityat-bats to pull away from the Gamecocksearly andbreak their ninegamelosing streak in Southeastern Conference play They scored five runs on six hits in the first two innings, taking a5-1 advantage by following the playbook Johnson laid out for them twoweeks ago. Freshman Mason Braun ledoff the first inning with asingle. Fellow freshman Omar Serna followedhim with adouble before sophomore DerekCurielhit into aground out, allowing Braun to score. LSU (26-21, 7-15 SEC) added another run on sophomore Cade Arrambide’sopposite-field single. Three more runs cameacross in the second inning on aCuriel one-out single that drove in Braun anda two-run, two-out,opposite-field single from junior Steven Milam On awindyday with gustsblowing in from center field, stringing togetherquality

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUcenter fielder Derek Curiel races home to score arun against South Carolina in the second inning on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium. LSUwon 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON

Golden Tempo, ridden by Jose Ortiz, winsthe 152ndrunning of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill DownsonSaturdayin

AP PHOTO By ABBIEPARR

Derby

ä See LSU, page 4C

ä See SAINTS, page 5C

LEARNMORE

Derek Curiel LSU Baseball, Outfielder

LSU women’s tennis team advances in NCAA regional

For the second consecutive year, the LSU women’s tennis team opened play in the NCAA Tournament with a win over Stephen F. Austin.

The Tigers won the doubles point, then picked up singles wins from Kayla Cross, Carolina Kuhl and Kinaa Graham to post a 4-0 win over the Ladyjacks at the LSU Tennis Complex on Saturday

The win moves LSU into the final match of the Baton Rouge regional at 2 p.m. Sunday LSU (20-9) will face Rice (18-6), which avenged an early-season loss to TCU with a 4-2 win in Saturday’s first match.

Tigers add ‘retired’ transfer Posen

Former five-star recruit hasn’t competed in three years

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The LSU Tigers added another gymnast from the transfer portal — and one remarkable story Ariel Posen signed with LSU this week, three years after she retired from collegiate gymnastics at Georgia because of multiple leg and knee injuries

“The story continues,” Posen wrote on her Instagram account.

“I’m back!! I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be using my remaining eligibility to continue my gymnastics career at LSU on a full athletic scholarship.”

LSU coach Jay Clark said he ran into Posen in December while attending the wedding of former Tigers gymnast Elena Arenas Posen wasn’t a guest she was serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres at the reception.

“She said she was thinking about making a comeback, that she wanted to be part of something,” Clark said. “When we were there for our meet (in January at Georgia), Haleigh (Bryant) and I ran into her downtown. It sparked a thought.” Not long afterward, Clark got a call from PeteArenas, Elena’s father, who owns a gymnastics training facility in Athens, Georgia.

“He said, ‘She’s been in my gym for five weeks and she looks great on two events — bars and beam,’ ” Clark said. “ ‘She may be a great addition.’ ” Clark decided that Posen, a former five-star recruit, would be, at least on bars and beam, for the 2027 season. Whether Posen has any eligibility beyond that remains to be determined.

Posen went on to thank LSU’s coaching staff “for this incredible opportunity

“The moment I stepped onto campus, it just felt right,” she said. “The coaches, the girls, and the overall environment are exceptional and it truly felt like home.”

LSU gymnast Ashley Cowan waves to the crowd during team introductions before the meet against Auburn on Feb. 13 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center LSU NOTEBOOK

“My journey hasn’t been conventional, but stepping away gave me the clarity to see exactly what I wanted, and the motivation to go after it.”

Two transfers so far

Posen is LSU’s second transfer in this cycle, joining former Penn gymnast Skyelar Kerico, who competed from 2023-25 but did not have a routine in 2026. Both are from New Jersey Posen from Manalapan, Kerico from Toms River LSU is expected to look to add

one or two more transfers during this cycle. The Tigers lose only three seniors who were regular contributors last season: Ashley Cowan, Emily Innes and Courtney Blackson Cowan gets SEC honor Cowan, a senior, completed her career by earning the Southeastern Conference Brad Davis Community Service Award for gymnastics.

A native of Hillsborough, North Carolina, Cowan competed at LSU from 2023-26 and won the 2024 SEC uneven bars title.

“She came as a walk-on and earned her way to the point where

she won an SEC championship and ended up on an athletic scholarship,” Clark said.

“She exemplified persistence, hard work, commitment, leadership and academic excellence. She’s just what you want a studentathlete to be. There’s no one more deserving.”

LSU swimmer Jacob Pishko also earned the Brad Davis award for men’s swimming and diving. Both Cowan and Pishko will receive $7,500 postgraduate scholarships and are eligible for the SEC’s male and female community service leaders of the year awards, which will be announced later this month.

Young still in control at Cadillac Championship

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter

DORAL, Fla. Cameron Young didn’t have as easy of a time in the third round of the Cadillac Championship as he did while building a big lead Thursday and Friday

It didn’t seem to matter, either. Young is still in full control at Trump National Doral, after his round of 2-under 70 on Saturday got him to 15 under for the week. He had a six-shot lead over a group that includes top-ranked Scottie Scheffler into a potentially rainy final round Sunday

“No lead is safe out here,” Young said. “I’m going to go try to execute my plan as if I’m right around the lead or just trying to have a good day out there, not necessarily with any thought toward where I’m at in the tournament.” Young had four birdies and two bogeys on Saturday

“The tournament’s in his hands right now,” said Scheffler, who shot a 3-under 69 to get to 9 under but hasn’t been able to close the gap on Young. “I can go out and have a really good round, and if he has another really good round he’s going to be a tough guy to catch. All I can do is go out and try and have a great round and see where that leaves me.”

Si Woo Kim (69) and Kristoffer Reitan (69) also were 9 under Ben Griffin 68), Nick Taylor (72) and Matt McCarty (69) were 8 under Catching Young will be tough in any conditions. And nobody knows what awaits

players Sunday at Doral A lot of rain is expected on Sunday — more than an inch, according to some forecasts, with heavy downpours predicted for the afternoon — the tournament moved up its schedule for the final round in an effort to beat the worst of the weather Players will go off in threesomes, from split tees, with everyone starting between 7:309:40 a.m. It’s unknown if President

Donald Trump — the course owner will publicly appear in the final round. He was expected to be at the course Sunday, though that was before the schedule for the final round changed. Young shared the lead through three rounds at the Masters — tying for third at Augusta National after Rory McIlroy beat him by two shots. McIlroy had a six-shot lead after two rounds there and got caught, a lesson that’ll be in

the back of Young’s mind Sunday

“I don’t think there’s any reason to forget,” Young said. “But it won’t change really how I play, especially the front nine. I may be a hair more conservative in a place or two, but with the weather looking the way it does, that would be how I would be playing anyway.”

Scheffler beat Young by five shots in that final round at the Masters. He’ll need to do better than that at Doral if he’s going to win on Sunday But the way he finished Saturday might have made his comeback chances a bit of a boost.

The 18th at Doral basically is two different holes — a brutal par 4 for those who don’t have enough distance for a 300-plus-yard carry over water and into a wider portion of the fairway, and a slightly less brutal par 4 for those who can get it out there. Scheffler is one of those who don’t have problems reaching the better spots of that fairway, and he took full advantage of that on Saturday

His approach from 172 yards stopped 4 feet from the cup. He made the birdie — just the ninth of the week at the finishing hole.

“Just ended up in a good spot and really nice 9-iron in there to finish off,” Scheffler said. “It’s always nice to have a little tap in at the last.”

had a

LSU picked up doubles wins from Kenna Erickson and Ella McDonald at the No. 2 position, and Addison Lanton and Kuhl at No. 3.

Kostyuk wins Madrid Open by taking down Andreeva

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine beat Mirra Andreeva of Russia 7-5 6-3 to win the Madrid Open title on Saturday

The two players, whose countries have been at war since Russia’s invasion in 2022, did not shake hands at the net after the match or pose together at the awards ceremony

The 23rd-ranked Kostyuk collapsed back onto the clay court and held her hands over her face after converting match point when Andreeva’s final shot flew long. After getting to her feet, she did an acrobatic backflip while the crowd cheered. Andreeva, meanwhile, slumped into her court-side seat and wept into a towel.

Kostyuk finished her victory speech with “glory to God and glory to Ukraine.”

The win was Kostyuk’s third WTA title.

Seidler family strikes deal to sell control of Padres

The San Diego Padres have reached an agreement to sell control of the team to an investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José Feliciano.

The family of late owner Peter Seidler formally announced the deal Saturday The sale must be approved by Major League Baseball.

The deal with private equity billionaire Feliciano and his wife took shape last month at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The Padres’ announcement didn’t give specifics on the members of the investor group or purchase price.

Seidler’s family began to explore a sale in November, two years after the death of the popular Peter Seidler who became the primary owner in 2020. His brother, John Seidler, has served as chairman since his death.

Furyk picks U.S. assistants for 2027 Ryder Cup team

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk said Saturday that Justin Leonard and Stewart Cink will be two of his assistants for the 2027 matches at Adare Manor in Ireland

Furyk announced the selections at the Kentucky Derby Both were under consideration as captain.

Leonard played in three Ryder Cups, two of them U.S. victories. This is Leonard’s first time as a Ryder Cup assistant. He was an assistant under Furyk at the 2024 Presidents Cup, and Furyk referred to him as “my right-hand man.” Cink played on five consecutive U.S. teams, including part of the 2008 U.S. victory at Valhalla. He was an assistant captain to Zach Johnson in Italy in 2023, a European victory

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

152ND KENTUCKYDERBY

By

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

Awoman wearing apink-feathered hat poses for aphotobefore the 152nd running of the KentuckyDerbyonSaturday

DERBY

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“Being awoman or my gender has never really crossed my mind in this journey of mine,” DeVaux said. “I’m glad Ican be a representative of all women everywhere that we cando anything we set our minds to.” During the week, DeVaux shifted from downplaying what it would mean to be the firstwoman to train aDerby winner to understanding she’sarole model to girls who might want to follow in her footsteps someday “I’m just glad Idon’t have to answer that question anymore,” DeVaux said a little over an hour after the crowning achievement of her career.“There was a joke about me being one and done, but Ithink I’m going to need to do this again.” DeVaux, who credits growing up with seven brothersand two sisters for her toughness, downplayed Golden Tempo’scracked heels as anonfactor. She also worked hard to get the colt into form long before the Kentucky Derby,trying blinkers and other things to gethim to focus.

Jockey Jose Ortizeven described Golden Tempo as lazy,but Ortiz showed what he and the horse could do on Saturday,winning the Derby for the first timein his 11th try Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made ahard charge down the stretch. With acrowd of more than 100,000 watching and roaring at Churchill Downs, Golden Tempo passed favorite Renegade— ridden by Jose’sbrother Irad Ortiz Jr.—just before the wire to win the 11/4-mile race in 2:02.27 at odds of 23-1. Their parents were there to witness it.

AP PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Jockey Jose Ortiz, left,iscongratulated by his brother Irad OrtizJr.,atop Renegade, after riding Golden Tempo to victory duringthe 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill DownsonSaturdayinLouisville, Ky

AP PHOTO By ABBIE PARR Jockey Jose Ortizcelebrates after riding Golden Tempo to victorySaturdayatChurchill Downs.

“Being awoman or my genderhas never really crossedmy mind in thisjourney of mine. I’m glad Ican be arepresentativeof all women everywhere that we cando anything we set our minds to.”

CHERIE DEVAUX, Horse trainer

“I get to ride it almost every year,but to get to win it, it’sjust special,” said Ortiz, who also won the Kentucky OaksonFriday aboard Always aRunner.“I just wish my grandpa was here, but Iknowhe’slookingfrom heaven. Just very happy that Iget my goal, my life dream goal achieved.” Golden Tempo paid $48.24 to win, $19.14 to place and $11.90 to show.Renegade paid $7.14 to place and $5.46 to show.Ocelli— who didn’tget into the field until Thursday whenBradCox’s Fulleffortwas ruledout paid $36.34 to show Twohorses saddledby the Bernhardfamily ofBatonRouge competed Saturday. Incredibolt, which went off with27-1 odds,

Always aRunnerwins the152nd Kentucky Oaks

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter

LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Trainer

Chad Brown got the scary call last fall thatAlways a Runner had aseriouscase of pneumonia, something that would keep herfrom racing as a2-year-old.

“This filly was struggling,”Brown said.“Her career was really up in the air.”

After morethana month in aveterinaryclinic and treatment with ahyperbaric chamber,she beganher racing career in February On Fridaynight, Always a Runner showed her toughness once again by winning the Kentucky Oaks against some of the best 3-year-old fillies around in the152nd editionofthe race andthe first run under thelights in primetimeatChurchill Downs.

“This filly is very resilient,very tough,” Brown said after winning the Oaks for thefirst time. “She didn’thave to be heretoday.She didn’t have to run again. She could have never run, easily.I’ve hadithappenwith severalhorses. The fact that notonlydid she overcome it and ended up heretoday as an undefeated horse in the Oaks is just remarkable.”

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, AlwaysaRunnermadea movearound thefinal turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’sExplora andand Michael McCarthy’sMeaning before thefinish lineofthe 1 1/8-mile race. Meaning was second by 11/4 lengths and Counting Stars third.AlwaysaRunner finished in 1:48.62 and

paid $13.04 to win, $7.46 to place and $5.44 to show

“Wewere there every step of the way,”McCarthy said. “Kudos to Chad, that filly came running. We were second best.”

Always aRunner impressed Ortiz, who had never ridden her in arace before the Oaks —just a morning workout. She’s now 3for 3.

“Chadwas very confident in her,” said Ortiz, who won five races on Friday at Churchill Downs. “He knew what he had. He told me,‘Just go out there, get to know her in the workand you’re going to feel like a sports car,like she’sa Ferrari.’ And he was right. I lovedthe wayshe worked, and here we are. We won.” Brown will try to pull off the Oaks-KentuckyDerbydouble on Saturday with Emerging Market,whoalsohadpneumoniaasa2-year-oldandhasonly racedtwice.Hehasalsonever won the Derby “I stickwiththings that are working,”Brownsaid.

“So,two starts, we should be good.”

The first night Kentucky Oaks wasone forthe history books, but also took place in front of large swaths of empty seats. Many of the 100,000-plus fans whofilled the grandstand and the track from the late morning through the afternoon had departed before sunset. The Oaks has typically been run before 6p.m. “For me it’s just avery long day,” Ortiz said. “It was just amazing. Good vibe. It’s for the public.Ifthey have fun, it’sgood to me.” Brown lamented notbeing able to get presented with the trophy in the infield, the traditionfor the Oaksand the Derby that was moved to the paddock because of the time. Other than that, he had no complaints.

“Itwas areallycool experience,and it’s nice to utilize this facilitywith the lights and all and Iwould definitelydoitagain. Obviously,myhorse ran terrific,” Brownsaid.

finished sixth. Albus, which went off with 50-1 odds, finished15th

The Kentucky Derby went on withjust 18 horses.Great White wasalate scratch afterflipping and throwing his jockey.Track veterinarians made the call to scratchthe long shot who got intothe field WednesdaywhenSilent Tacticwas ruledout because of afoot injury.The Puma was out,less than 12 hours beforepost time, because of aswollenleg from askininfection

Great White’strainer, John Ennis, confirmed to The Associated Press that the big gray gelding and jockey AlexAchard were fine

Great White became the fifthhorse scratchedthis week and the second Saturday. SilentTacticwas ruled out Wednesday,Fulleffort on Thursdayand Right to Party on Friday,withGreat White, Ocelli andRobusta getting in.

Asked aboutwhether GoldenTempowould run in the Preakness Stakes on May 16,DeVauxsaidthe decision would be madein thecomingdaysdepending on howthe horse is feeling.

“We’re going to let him decide that,” DeVaux said. “We’re going to have to allow him to tell us because the horse is first.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL Awoman dons ablue flower hat before the 152nd runningofthe KentuckyDerby on SaturdayatChurchill Downs.

PHOTO

CHARLIE RIEDEL

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByABBIE PARR AlwaysaRunner,ridden by Jose Ortiz, wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky OaksonFridayatChurchill Downs in Louisville, Ky

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGEWALKER IV

The field roundsthe first turn in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday in Louisville, Ky

LSU softball enjoys record-setting day

Tigers sweep Auburn to close regular season

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

After a record-smashing performance in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader the LSU softball team had plenty left to finish off a sweep of Auburn in the nightcap.

Alix Franklin staked the Tigers to a 2-0 first-inning lead with her second homer of the day, and Cece Cellura pitched a complete-game five-hitter as No. 20 LSU boosted its postseason status with a 7-2 victory at Tiger Park.

That game followed a 25-0 blowout in the first game as LSU set team records for runs and hits (24). Franklin hit her first career grand slam to spark a seven-run third inning, and Jada Phillips hit her first career dinger, a two-run shot, four batters later in the first game. The Tigers (37-16, 13-11 SEC) moved past Georgia for eighth place in the SEC and will play the Bulldogs on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the SEC Tournament in Lexington, Ky With a No. 10 RPI ranking, the sweep likely puts LSU in a strong position to host a regional for the

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at-bats and hitting the ball low and hard were going to be keys for the Tigers. They executed that game plan through the first two innings against South Carolina (22-25, 7-15).

“When we pop-up to short, ground out to short, (hit a) fly ball to center field, the appearance is we’re trying to do too much,” Johnson also said after the Texas A&M loss. “And trying to do too much is not a plan or a sign of a mature offensive baseball team. And that’s my responsibility And that will get fixed.” LSU had only one extra-base hit on Saturday,butpowerhasn’tbeenabig issuefortheTigersthisseason.They entered Saturday seventh in the conferenceinhomeruns.Their problem has been generating “professional” at-bats up and down the order

“We have plenty of home runs, honestly We actually do,” Johnson said. “If you attached professional at-bats — which is what we’re known for (and) is a staple of why we have two national championships — with the power on this team, it would be plenty.”

Milam and freshman William Patrick finished with two hits. Along with Milam, Curiel and Arrambide drove in multiple runs. The Tigers were 3 for 9 with runners in scoring position and 5 for 17 with runners on base.

LSU’s only run after the second came on a fielder’s choice by Arrambide in the fourth. But the lead the Tigers had built was more than enough for the pitching staff to finish off the game.

“It’s a lot easier to pitch ahead than (when you’re) chasing runs and chasing zeros,” LSU sophomore right-handed starter William

NCAA Tournament, which begins May 15.

“The offense was incredible,” LSU coach Beth Torina said.

“There’s always a concern when you have a big game like that that your team takes their foot off the gas in Game 2, but our team didn’t do that. Our team understood the importance of the weekend and all the things they are playing for and did a good job executing that.”

LSU had 12 hits in the second game and led 2-1 until the fourth when Avery Hodge delivered a two-out, run-scoring single with another run scoring on an error on the play. LSU put it away in the fifth on run-scoring doubles by Kylee Edwards and Maci Bergeron, and a run-scoring single by Tori Edwards.

“(Hitting) definitely was (contagious); the energy was awesome. I love what coach was talking about, just put your foot on their neck and don’t let up,” said Franklin, who had five hits and seven RBIs for the day “We did not let up. Twentyfive runs: Are you serious? We did not let up. We brought the energy into the last game. It was awesome the way we responded.”

Cellura allowed solo home runs to Ma’Nia Womack in the second and seventh innings for the visitors’ only runs in the series. She allowed five hits and had a seasonhigh seven strikeouts with two walks.

Jayden Heavener also had a strong outing with a three-hit shutout in the opener, the Tigers’ third consecutive shutout and 10th of the season. She struck out five, issued three walks and allowed one runner past second after the first inning.

“Jayden needed that, she needed to know she’s good, she’s fine,” Torina said. “I think she is now Getting through that first inning was huge, a big confidence boost for her and the team.”

LSU took control of the first game with eight runs in the first inning, highlighted by two-run doubles by Bergeron and Jalia Lassiter The Tigers added seven more in the third inning as Franklin blasted her fourth homer of the season to left-center field with the bases loaded.

Lassiter Bergeron and Phillips knocked in three runs each in the first game while Lassiter and Sierra Daniel had six hits apiece in the two games combined.

“I feel great about the season our team put together,” Torina said “We’re battled-tested, been through some things and come out on the other side. That’s going to make them stronger moving forward.

“I really like the resume we’re going to put forth to the committee. It’s really strong and I have a lot of faith they’re going to give us what we’ve earned next weekend.”

Schmidt said. “They did their job.” Schmidt, in his eighth SEC start, got through six innings for the first time in conference play. He surrendered five hits and fell behind in the count to enough hitters early in the game to drive up his pitch count, but he also walked only one batter and struck out seven.

After Schmidt, Johnson turned to fifth-year senior right-hander Grant Fontenot to record the last nine outs The veteran struck out four batters and allowed just one hit to finish off the game.

“That was sick,” Schmidt said of Fontenot’s effort. “It saves a lot of guys (for the rest of the series).”

LSU faced South Carolina in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader, but that game was not over by press time. Visit theadvocate.com for a full report.

Johnson, Tigers still working on high school recruiting class

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

On Tuesday, LSU coach Jay Johnson already was talking about his high school recruiting class. The NCAA Tournament, at least for now, has fallen out of reach for LSU. Barring an SEC Tournament title or a remarkable turnaround over the final three weekends of Southeastern Conference play, Johnson’s program will miss a regional berth for the first time since 2011.

That’s why he was asked about his freshmen for next season on Tuesday, with 10 games still left in the regular season at the time.

“There’s some seniors, obviously, moving along,” Johnson said. “So it’s kind of a turnover year for us.”

LSU knows the value of a strong freshman class. Jake Brown, Steven Milam, Kade Anderson, Jared Jones, Derek Curiel and Casan Evans were all signees and became star players on last year’s national championship-winning team.

Finding that next generation of young players is critical, especially after the Tigers lost eight high school signees to the MLB draft last summer Losing so many promising pieces to professional baseball definitely affected the Tigers this year

“We can’t fight guys getting $3 million in the fourth round,” Johnson said. “And so it’s a good class. There’s a lot of guys that can make some impact.”

According to Perfect Game, LSU has 24 players committed to its 2026 class. Three of those commitments are ranked inside the top 85 of ESPN’s latest MLB draft rankings, including left-hander Logan Schmidt, right-hander Jensen Hirschkorn and outfielder Malachi Washington. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, who puts together the rankings, noted that outside of his top 85, five of the next 11 high schoolers were LSU commitments. The Tigers also have eight signees in MLB.com’s top-100 draft rankings: Schmidt, Hirschkorn, Washington, right-hander Cooper Sides, right-hander Dylan Blomker outfielder Anthony Murphy

left-hander Lucas Nawrocki and first baseman Dominic Santarelli.

Johnson believes that six of the Tigers’ signees will get drafted and sign in July He isn’t done building the class, either. LSU added a commitment from Mississippi right-hander Kolby Stringer on Monday

“We’re going to have six or seven guys drafted off this team, I think,” Johnson said. “Maybe eight, but I would probably say six would be my guess right now.”

The incoming freshmen have become a priority for Johnson, enough so that first-base coach Josh Simpson was away from the team Tuesday and Wednesday to check in with the Tigers’ commitments.

Among the reasons for Simpson’s trip, Johnson said, was so he could watch the signees play in person and “find out how good they are, too. It’s been a while since they’ve signed and been committed.”

The early signing period for this year’s class opened on Nov 12. LSU has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game.

“I was considering doing it with him and (third-base coach Josh Jordan) last week and decided not to do that, which was the right decision,” Johnson said. “But today we needed to go cover some ground.”

Freshmen have begun to step up to the plate, literally and figuratively for LSU in recent games

Second baseman Jack Ruckert and outfielder William Patrick have earned everyday roles. First baseman/outfielder Mason Braun and catcher Omar Serna have become staples at the top of the lineup.

LSU doesn’t want to find itself in this position again, where it’s heavily relying on freshmen to start and produce in the SEC. That’s why the ascension of Braun and Serna has become so crucial for next season, when the likes of Curiel and Brown leave for MLB.

But as the Tigers rebuild their roster for next season there will be freshmen who will have to contribute right away in 2027. There’s too much talent and too many roster holes for that not to be the case.

By The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH The Cincinnati Reds

PHOTO By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI

LSU coach Jay Johnson walks off the mound after making a pitching change against Southeastern on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Alix Franklin, center of LSU celebrates after scoring in the fifth inning of LSU’s 8-5 win over Ole Miss earlier this season at Tiger Park. Franklin hit two home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Auburn on

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU pitcher William Schmidt delivers a pitch against South Carolina in the first inning on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

Making case forfour Pels’coachingcandidates

Within the next week or so, Joe Dumars will make the most important decision he’shad to make sincetakingover as the NewOrleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations.

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP sportswriter

HOUSTON Whenleading scorers

Luka Doncicand Austin Reaves wereboth injured in an April 2 game, coach JJ Redickadmitted things felt bleak for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Butinstead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Lakersbanded together to fight through the adversity andbeat the Houston Rockets in six games to move on to face top-seeded Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals.

LosAngeleshas advanced to thesecondround forthe first time since2023whenitlost to Denver in the West finals.

LeBron James had 28 points in Game 6onFriday night, and the Lakersuseda tenacious defense to hold the Rockets to their fewest points of the season in the 98-78 victory

“It speakstohis greatness,” Redick said of James. “Tome, he’s had thegreatestcareer of anyNBA player.You can argue all you wantand Ireally don’t caretopostulate on who’sthe greatest of alltime,but he’s one of, if not the greatest of all time.

“And forhim to do it again and answer the bell again, it’sreally —it’sbaffling in someways.”

Los Angelesraced out to a3-0 lead in the series before losing twogames to force Game6 in Houston against aRockets team thatwas missing Kevin Durant

forfive of six games.

The Lakers played the entire series without Doncic, but Reaves returned for the last two games to help them advance. There was achancetheir series with theThunderwould have started Sunday.But Game 1was pushed back until Tuesday night when the Raptors beat the Cavaliers 112-110 in overtimethanks to RJ Barrett’s3-pointerinthe final seconds to force Game 7.

“ThankstoToronto,”James said. “Thank you, RJ Barrett. Appreciateit. Haven’tseen ashot in Toronto like that since Kawhi (Leonard).”

The 41-year-old James was thrilled to get acouple of extra days to rest andrecover after averaging 38.5minutes agamefor his injuryplaguedteam in this series.

“Heck yeah,” he said. “I can go on the golf course now.That’s what I’mthinking about.” He said he’d start delving into preparation for the Thunder by Sunday “It’sthe defending champion, he said. “So, it’satall task.”

The Thunder will be plenty rested after finishingits sweep of Phoenix on Monday night.

Redick credited the leadership of not only James but also fellow veteranMarcusSmart forhelping steady his team after the injuries to Doncic and Reaves, who combinedtoaverage more than 56 points in the regular season.

Rod Walker

Dumars will decide who will bethe next head coach. The person he chooses will shape the immediate future of the franchise.

It’ll be the team’sfourth coach since Zion Williamson was drafted by the Pels in 2019, following Alvin Gentry,StanVan Gundyand WillieGreen. It’ll be the fifthcoach if youinclude James Borrego, who served as interim coachthis seasonafter Dumars fired Green 12 games into the season. Borrego is acandidate for the job. According to sources close to the search, Borrego is one of the four candidates who have emergedas the front-runners. He joins alist that includes Rajon Rondo, Steve Hetzel and DarvinHam.

The best guess here is Rondo and Hetzel are at the top of the list Rondo, aformer standout point guard in the league, played the 2017-18 season with the Pelicans That season was one of only two times in franchise historythe Pelicans won aplayoff series,sweepingthe PortlandTrail Blazers in the first round before losingtothe Golden StateWarriors in the secondround.

Hetzel just finished hissecond season as an assistant coach for theBrooklyn Nets.

Ham spentthe pasttwo seasons as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. Here’salook at the prosand cons of each candidate: Rondo

Cons: Coaching experience.Rondo has the least coaching experience of any of the four candidates. His only experience has been the past two seasons as aspecialassistant with the Bucks under Doc Rivers.

One more thing: Of the names listed, aRondohire is the one that probably fires up the fan base the most.

Hetzel

Cons: Like Rondo, Hetzel never has been ahead coach. He isn’t ahouseholdnameamongcasual fans, so he won’tfire up the fan base like Rondo would.

Pros: Although he’snever been in the lead chair, he’sbeen around the NBA since the 2009 season when he started as an assistant video coordinator for Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs. He’sclimbed the ladder from that position to player development coachtoassistant. It helpsthat he spentfour seasons in Detroit while Dumars was the Pistons president of basketball operations. That familiarity goes along way, whichiswhy Dumarsstill has Hetzel on his radar.His climb up the coaching ranks is similarto that of PhoenixSuns coach Jordan Ott, who alsocut his teeth in the NBA as avideo coordinator.Ott got the Suns to the playoffs in his first season. Hetzelissaidtobea good motivator Borrego

Cons: For some, seeing Borrego’s2446 record as interim coach this season would be sticking to the status quo

Pros: Theobvious oneisBorrego has more head coaching experience than anyofthe other guys on this list.Hespent fourseasonsas head coach of theCharlotte Hornets. He basically coached afull season this year with the Pelicans

Pros: His time as an elite point guard could translate well to being acoach. Hisleadership duringhis one season playing for the Pelicans was undeniable. He waspretty much acoach on the floor.Players in the leaguerespect him for what he accomplished in his playing days when he made four All-Star games, one third-team All-NBA selectionand won twoNBA titles Therehas been someprecedent for former players, particularly guards, transitioningfrom player to coach.Jason Kidd, Steve Kerr andJJRedick adjustedjust fine. Oh,and Dumars wants toughness. Rondocould instill that andget the most out of his team. The Pelicanshaven’treally had that type of leadership in the locker room since Rondo’sone season in New Orleans.

(70 games) as an interim coach and also served as an interim coach with theOrlando Magic in the201415 season. Under Bo rrego, the Pelicans showed signs of the toughness Dumars desires,especially when the team was at full strength.The Pels went 10-5during ahealthy stretch after the AllStarbreak. It helps that Borrego is familiar with theteam, which could make for an easier transition. Especially with him getting to lead the team through atraining camp.

Ham

Cons: Hamlasted just two seasons as ahead coach with theLos Angeles Lakers. Somesay he lost the locker room,and others questioned his X’sand O’sduring his time there.

Pros: Hamhad success in L.A., leading the Lakerstothe Western Conference finals in his first season andtothe playoffs againhis second season. He went 43-39 in his first season and 47-35 the second season.Aformer player,Ham got his first NBA coaching gig as an assistant in 2011.

Ham played two seasons for the Detroit Pistons when Dumars was thepresident of basketball operations there.Sothat familiarity could help. But Dumars madeit clear in his season-ending session withthe media thathewouldn’t base his hire on relationships.

“Weare going to figure out what’s best for New Orleans,” Dumars said. “That’sthe only thing I’m really concerned about. Youcan have someone you know for along timethat’s apossible candidate and you have agreat relationship withthem. But what if theyare not good for the players? The idea that you know someone and thatmakes them acandidate?

“Yeah, that maybegoodfor me personally,but I’m notplaying (in the NBA) anymore.You have to find out who is right for these 15 guys in that building. That’sthe only thing that matters.”

SAINTS

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Trey Palmer off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Polk and Palmer didn’tappear in agame lastyearbecause of injuries, and now that the Saints have invested afirst-round pick in Tyson, their path to meaningful on-field action got alot more difficult. Polk or Palmer likely would have to beat outDevaughn Vele forthe third spot, if Olave and Tyson start as expected.Vele, like Polkand Palmer,was acquired late last summer, but theformer Denver receiver seized his chance midway through theyear after Rashid Shaheed was traded and Brandin Cooks was released. Vele, 28, emerged as ago-to target in the intermediate portion of thefield— with15ofhis 25 catches traveling 10-19 yards through theair Polk and Palmer are each at a crossroads fordifferentreasons. Polk, a2024 second-rounder,had ahorrific rookie year (12 catches for 87 yards) that saw the Patriotsgiveuponhim aheadofhis second season, which wasfurther derailedbya season-ending shoulderinjury. Palmer showedpromiseasa2023 sixth-rounder,but more often than nothewas buried on Tampa Bay’sdepth chart.

Neither player is solidified enough to assume his roster spot is guaranteed. On that front, they joina crowded group that includes Bub Means, Kevin Austin, Ronnie Bell and Mason Tipton all players whohave seen snaps the last few seasons because of injuries but will have to earn their spot in 2026.

NFLteams usuallykeep 5-6receivers on the 53-man roster,with some clubsgoing as farastokeep seven. For New Orleans, one of those spots may be occupiedby areturn specialist, as it drafted Barion Brown fromLSU in the sixthround.Technically areceiver, Brown made hisimpact on kickoff returnsbyreturning an SEC-record six touchdowns in college Brown is alogical candidate to be the returner next season, but theSaints have other options

rookie cornerback Lorenzo Styles and running back Ty Chandler there if theywanttopivotand free up the roster spot for amore conventional wideout.

In Moore’sfirst season, the Saints endedupkeeping eight of their nine draft picks on cutdown day.That would be good news for notonly Brown but also fourthrounder Bryce Lance —a6-foot3wideout from North Dakota State who had astrong history of production in theFCS andran an impressive 4.3 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. The selections of Lance and Tysonalso demonstrate howmuch the receiving room has changed in the last year.Loomis said the Saints’ goal was to gettalleratthe position,and both players —Tyson is 6-2— add much-needed size. Before trading forthe 6-5VeleinAugust, the Saints were set to be one of only twoteams in the NFLwithoutawide receivertallerthan 6-3. Look close enough now,and the receivers have started to resemble abasketball team of all shapes and sizes. But to keep with the basketball analogy,the Saints also have agroupthatembodies the position-less, one-through-five style thathas spread throughout the modern NBA.

Olave, Tyson and Vele have the flexibilitytoeach play theX,Z andslotpositions at wide receiver.That frees up Moore to keep defenses guessing by mixing up where each playerlinesup.

While somedraftanalysts have voiced concerns about whether Tyson and Olave are too similar as receivers, there are notable differences between them. Tysonis2inchestallerand moreaggressive at the catch point, which could translate to being better at contested catches.Olave,enteringhis fifth season,isapolished route runnerwho wins just as muchwith his technical footwork as he does with his speed. Tyson, Olave and even Vele have injury concerns.But if they can stay healthy,that’sa trio that complements one another in their differences, while also having enough overlapping traits thatcan be hard to stop. Just like abasketball team.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AARON GASH

Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Rajon Rondo looks on during agameagainst the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 29 in Milwaukee. Rondo reportedly has interviewedfor the Pelicans’head coaching job

Borrego

Hetzel

Ham

Oh, what a relief

Rodrigue thrives after ace has early trouble; U-High beats Parkview

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS

A shift in job responsibility was in order when University High saw its ace pitcher Grant Sunstrom deal with

issues in the first inning. The lead in Saturday’s Division III select state quarterfinal playoff with archrival Parkview Baptist had changed hands twice when the Cubs went to the bullpen for sophomore Greyson Rodrigue. Rodrigue, who was previously in charge of the team’s GameChanger application in the dugout, was summoned in relief of Sunstrom in the top of the second, and delivered a memorable five-inning outing, enabling the top-seeded Cubs to defeat the ninth-seeded Eagles 11-5 in the opening game of a bestof-three series at UHS’ Vick Field “I was shocked,” Rodrigue said when he was asked to begin warming up. “I was a little nervous.”

University (26-8) had Sunstrom’s back and gave Rodrigue plenty of cushion. The Cubs regained the lead at 5-4 in the bottom of the second and picked up five of their seven hits against Parkview ace Logan Sorrel and extended their margin to 11-4 with five runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth

“That’s not Sunny,” U-High coach Jon Ramsey said of Sunstrom “He’s normally a guy to throw plenty of innings and today just wasn’t his day I told the kids that’s what teams are about. Our team on offense stepped up against a very good arm.”

The series resumes at 1:30 p.m. Sunday with Game 3, if needed, scheduled for 4 p.m.

“It’s playoff baseball,” Parkview coach Phillip Hawke said. “Sometimes you see things like that. Early maybe guys were nervous.

You saw it on both sides a little bit. The difference was their guy (Rodrigue) came in and kind of calmed the storm a little bit. I would have liked to see us continue to fight for it a little bit more there. That’s something we’ll learn from and respond back tomorrow.” A matchup featuring two of the state’s top arms would have predictably followed a much different script.

Parkview Baptist (22-13) scored twice against Sunstrom, a Louisiana Tech signee, in the first inning with the aid of two hit batters and two wild pitches. Clayton Fontenot’s bunt was the Eagles’ lone hit and Henry Beckers’ groundout resulted in a run

Three walks in the second resulted in Rodrigue taking over in relief and kept the Eagles to a pair runs and a 5-4 lead before getting out of

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a bases-loaded situation.

U-High tied the game at 4-4 on Camden Smith’s lead-off home run to right field. The Cubs took the lead for good on Trey Sotile’s RBI groundout.

Sorrel, a Kentucky signee, pitched five innings, allowing seven hits, eight runs (six earned) with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Max Mahaffey doubled in two runs with two outs into a tough right field sun. A wild pitch, RBIgroundout from Lane Mixon and run-scoring single from Judah Zito were part of the three-run sixth.

Rodrigue (1-0) yielded two hits over five scoreless innings, walked two and struck out three.

“He throws strikes and has good velocity, a good breaking pitch,” Ramsay said of Rodrigue said. “He’s not afraid to be in the zone.”

Brusly returns to title game behind dominant pitching

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

SULPHUR Brusly High School

softball coach Beau Bouvier has experienced four state title games. His assistant coaches have also been there.

He wasn’t satisfied, though, and he told his team Friday what his hopes were heading into its Division II nonselect semifinal against Lutcher on Saturday

“I want them to be there,” Bouvier said of the players experiencing a state final. “I’ll do anything to put them in the right spot to get there.”

Behind a dominant pitching display, Brusly’s players will get their chance after defeating Lutcher 3-0 in the semifinals on Saturday at Frasch Park.

The third-seeded Panthers (24-6) will face No. 1 North DeSoto for the state title at noon Sunday

Abigail Heidbrink pitched a shutout, scattering five hits and two walks while striking out five for the Panthers.

Brusly got off to a strong start as Zoe Fabre singled to lead off the game. After a strikeout and a flyout, Emma Loupe’s line-drive double scored Fabre.

“My job was to score her no matter what,” Loupe said. “I’m doing it for my team, and I’m putting the ball in play.”

Avery St. Pierre doubled to right field to open the bottom of the first for Lutcher Heidbrink then retired the next three batters two on strikeouts to keep the Bulldogs scoreless.

Bouvier said the early run took a little pressure off Heidbrink and the defense.

“We were in difficult situations where they put pressure,” he said. “We just took it step by step, batter by batter, and we got the outs.”

Brusly added two in the fourth.

Tinley Loupe hit a one-out single before Marnet Jackson ripped a double down the third-base line to score Loupe.

Emma Guarisco followed with a line-drive single to right field to score Jackson for a 3-0 lead.

That was enough for Heidbrink, who retired the next 10 batters after St. Pierre’s double. Lutcher drew a walk in the fourth to break the dry spell. After a pop out, Heidbrink allowed a single to put two runners on, but struck out the next batter to end the inning.

“Trusting my defense worked for me, and settling in,” she said. “Knowing that wasn’t the game right there.”

Lutcher (21-7) threatened in the sixth after St. Pierre and Addison Brignac led off the inning with singles. Heidbrink forced a pop-up and two grounders to end the threat.

The Bulldogs drew a walk to start the seventh. Heidbrink responded with a strikeout, but then allowed a bloop single after a miscommunication led to a fly ball to hit the turf. She wasn’t affected and forced a pop fly and groundout to end the game.

“Just trusting in the Lord honestly,” Heidbrink said of her mindset in the seventh. “Taking a breath and just keep pitching. I know how to pitch. I pitched the last six innings, so just come through in the seventh.”

Parkview freshman Conerly comes through

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

SULPHUR Parkview Baptist

nine-hole hitter Emma Conerly has searched all season for a spark. The freshman has mostly struggled at the plate this season and was hitless in her past three games, but in Saturday’s Division III select semifinal against Notre Dame she came through when the Eagles needed it most during a 5-2 win at Frasch Park.

After the No. 3 Pioneers scored two runs in the top of the second inning, the Eagles tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the second. Conerly then hit an RBI groundout to put No. 2 Parkview up 3-2 and the Eagles wouldn’t trail again.

Parkview (30-6) will face topseeded Calvary Baptist for the state title at noon Sunday

“Nerves were definitely here,” said Conerly, whose team will make its first championship game appearance since 2019. “I just used the nerves I had for good. Being nervous is a good thing.

Conerly added an RBI single to center field in the fourth inning for insurance.

“Her coming (up big) in the clutch, that’s huge for her confidence because it’s been down all year,” coach Ashlee Ducote said. “When you can count on the bottom of the lineup to come up clutch, that’s huge for us.” In the circle, freshman Jalayah Slaughter pitched a complete game and had 14 strikeouts.

“My spin pitches were working,” Slaughter said. “I knew I had to hit my spots because if I don’t, they’ll hit it and we don’t really want that.”

Parkview Baptist scored its first run in the second. Two singles and an error loaded the bases before Claire McDowell was hit by a pitch to force in a run. A passed ball to the next batter tied it.

NO 2 KAPLAN 8, NO 3 FRENCH SETTLEMENT 5: French Settlement scored five runs in the third inning, but Kaplan answered with seven in the bottom of the third to get the semifinal win.

The Lions started the top of the third with two singles After a grounder moved both runners into scoring position, Amelia Roshto reached on an error that allowed both runners to score. After a flyout, Malloy Miles’ single put runners on the corners. Remie Gautreau then smashed a three-run home run to make it 5-0. Kaplan responded emphatically After two of the first three Pirates reached base on hits, Kaplan got its first run on a passed ball. A walk folllowed before Liberty Greene hit a hard grounder that scooted into right field The ball rolled past Reese Gautreau’s glove toward the fence, scoring the first two runs. Greene came all the way around to score to cut the deficit to 5-4. Kaplan (25-6) continued to pour it on with a walk and a single. Kalli Trahan then hit a two-run double to put the Pirates up 6-5. French Settlement’s shortstop then

Conerly’s grounder put Parkview in front 3-2. The Eagles added a run in the fourth and another in the fifth while Slaughter was shutting down the Pios (30-3) of Crowley “When you play seven innings, you can’t give up in the second,” Ducote said. “It was good to see them fight back and come back after that.” Slaughter allowed just five baserunners in the final five innings. Division III nonselect

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Greyson Rodrigue of University High delivers a pitch against Parkview Baptist during their Division III select quarterfinal playoff series on Saturday at U-High. Rodrigue pitched five scoreless innings in the Cubs’ 11-5 win.

Parkview Baptist second baseman Ethan LeBlanc fields a ground ball in the second inning Saturday.

OUTDOORS

Threemenhaden bills clearSenatecommittee

BY JOEMACALUSO

Contributing writer

After passing aState House of Representatives vote, three menhaden bills are headed to the State Senate floor after passage in the SenateNatural Resources Committee last week.

The three House bills

HB 757,HB872 andHB 886 —respectivelyseek civil penalties for menhaden operations fishing inside established buffer zones; that all menhaden boats, including the mother boat and smaller vessels, be equipped with tracking devices; and amove demanding public access to the data for the amount of menhadentaken from Louisiana waters.

The latter comes after ahandful of conservation organizations were denied access to what the menhaden industry —two foreignowned companies —and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries call “harvest data.”

Featherinthe cap

Wildlife and Fisheries’ Enforcement Division is thethird such state enforcement agency to earn North American Wildlife Law Enforcement accreditation joining cohorts in Florida and Alabamawith this distinction.

It means Louisiana’s agents complied with more than 70 rigorous,nationally accepted standards specifically developed for the profession.

“This milestonedemonstrates their dedication to operating at the highest standards in service to the public and the natural resources they protect,”

NAWLEA chairman John Cobb said. Cobb heads Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources.

Callingitamilestonefor hisdivision, state enforcement chief StephenClark said, “Our agentsand staff have devoted countlesshours to reviewing, strengthening and modernizing our policies and operations to ensure wemeet the highest national standards.”

Add 238

The annual Boating Lagniappe Dayheldatnine statewidelocationscertified 238boats during last weekend’s events As areminder,boaters born after Jan. 1, 1984,need astate-certified state boating certificate to operate a motorboat powered by aengine/motorin excess of 10 horsepower

Abig step

JosiahShockley and Landon Watts cuttheir fishingteeth first in age-group club tournamentsand thencompeted forthe Livingston Parish Bassmasters during their high school days

Today,they stand atop the college bassfishing world afterwinning theStrike KingBassmaster College Series that ended Thursday on Oklahoma’sKerr Reservoir.

Fishing with the Northwestern Stateteam, Shockley andWatts camefrom sixth place after the first round to outweigh the other 188 college teams inthe field and earn aspot in the Bassmaster College Championship coming up in late August

Thewinners entered Day 2 with an 18-poundfirst-round catch, then added 17 pounds, 12 ounces for a35-12 total.

“Thisisabsolutely one of thebestfeelingsever,” Watts told theBassmaster reporter.“This is something

we have worked for and put in so much time on the water for “Tobeabletodoittoday in such aspecial way and with astyle that is so normal for us, it was awesome.”

They saidthey casta 3/8-ounceblack/blueStrike King jig with aZoom Speed Craw trailer and, “Wehad to dragitsuper, super slow,” Watts said.

Thecommission

Thursday’sWildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting will hear data from the stateShrimpStudy biologiststhen determineopening days forthe springinshore shrimpseason, adecision that has dominated every May meeting for more than 50 years.

The meeting is set to convene at 9:30 a.m. at state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge.

Comments,please

The Gulf Council is asking for fishermen across theGulffor advice “to gain abetterunderstanding of what’shappening on the water.”

The publication listed items like changes in the Gulf’s ecosystem andany “environmental problems, habitatconcerns, species interactions, changes in the distributionorabundance of fish, or any other unusual ecosystem patterns you have observed.”

Theadvisoryindicated the council wantstounderstand how any or all of these issues affect the overall fishery along with businesses and fishing communities

After listening to Louisiana coastal and offshore anglers, it seems major concerns arewith habitat and species interaction, thelatter dealingwith an increased abundanceof

sharks in coastal and deepwater areas and dolphins in coastal andinshore waters.

Youcan submit comments to the“Fisherman Feedback Tool forFishery Ecosystem Issues” link on the Gulf Council’swebsite: gulfcouncil.org

The deadline is May 31.

MONDAY

LA. FINFISH TASK FORCE

MEETING: 10 a.m., state Wildlife and Fisheriesheadquarters, 2000 Quail Drive Baton Rouge

MONDAY-TUESDAY

STATECOMMERCIAL FISHING

LICENSES: 9a.m.-3:30 p.m., 1025 TomWatson Road, Lake Charles; Neworrenewal licenses &boat registrations. Also (closed Noon-1 p.m.all venues): 9a.m.-3:30 p.m., Wednesday& Thursday, 200 DullesDrive, Lafayette. Call LDWF (225) 765-2898.

TUESDAY

GULF COUNCILSSS COM-

MITTEEMEETING: 7:3011:30 a.m., virtual meeting to reviewGulf fishery for abundance by species in Gulf of America. Website: gulfcouncil.org

WEDNESDAY

LA. SHRIMP TASK FORCE MEETING: 1p.m., state Wildlife and Fisheriesheadquarters, 2000 Quail Dr., Baton Rouge

ATCHAFALAYA CHAPTER/ QUAILFOREVER CLAYS: 4p.m Bridgeview Gun Club, Port Allen.Individual 5-stand sportingclays shoot &topscorer shootout, food &drink, raffle for Atchafalaya Region Chapter conservation programs. Email: Joseph Guercio: jsguercio1995@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY NRA AMERICA’SRIFLE CHALLENGE MATCHDIRECTOR SUMMIT: Camp Atterbury Indiana. Club and range volunteersincomprehensive instruction on safe, efficient &engaging conduct of range competitions. Call NRA Public Affairs (703) 267-3820.

THURSDAY

LA. WILDLIFE& FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING:

9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge

HUNTINGSEASONS

TURKEY: Area A, through May3;Areas B&C closed. SQUIRRELS: Through May24, statewide, private lands only

AROUND THECORNER

MAY11— RED STICKFLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7p.m., BluebonnetRegional Library, 9200 BluebonnetBlvd, Baton Rouge.Open to thepublic. Email Brian Roberts: roberts. brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.org

MAY14— BUGS &BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St, NewOrleans. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail.com. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com MAY14— JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7p.m., Seminar Room, Bass ProShops, Denham Springs.Boys&girls agegroup bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 &15-18 anglers. Call

PROVIDED PHOTO

Sunday, May3,2026

By amcelfres

obligation for winners to purchase any

or service.

Forthe inaugural winnerslist, 10 employers earned recognition as TopWorkplaces in Greater Baton Rougebased on employeesurvey feedback.

PURPOSE, PEOPLE

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbyFranU

Onany givenday at Franciscan Missionaries of OurLady University (FranU),the tone is setearly Motivated students arrive on campus,readyto match their desiretohelp otherswith astrong educationalfoundation. Professors and staff mingle andparticipate in activities, embracing thecollaborativeatmosphere thatisaFranU hallmark. Meetings begin with amoment of prayer,a reminder of the institution’svalues.

All of it meshes to build aculturethat has led to FranU being named aTop Workplace for 2026 by The Advocateand Energage. Employees said the honor is not surprising but is awelcome validation that FranU’s environmentbuilt on mission and genuine care is leading to positivefeedback.

“It’sagood feeling to knowthat we aredoing the rightthings and people likebeinghere. It makes adifferencetoknowyou work for aplace whereemployees aresatisfied. It’ssomething we canall enjoytogether,” said QuincyFuttrell, director of clinical education for respiratory therapy. No matter their department, role or years of service, FranU employees agreethatthere arecertain aspects that makethe university special. It’saplace whererelationships matter, leadership is supportive and asharedpurpose shapes daily work. That sense of connection is rooted in FranU’smission, which emphasizes service, compassion and respect.

“Youcanfeelajoyfulnessofspiritthroughout the entirecampus.It’sanenvironmentof

In addition,companies earned special recognitions based on standout scores foremployeeresponsestospecific survey statements:

•ISC Engineering washonored for appreciating employees and asense that thecompany is going in therightdirection.

•ComplianceEnviroSystems was recognized for its benefits package.

• US FirePump wasrecognized for having senior leadership thattruly understand what is happening in the company,aswell as prioritizing employeewell-being.

•LouisianaHealthcare Connections was honored for its strong communication and leadership

•Fluker Farms wasrecognized for doings things efficientlyand well.

•Gallo Mechanical washonored for employees’ confidence in its leadership team and its support of newideas.

•ReCenter washonoredfor itsleadership team and the meaningfulness that employees find in their work

To qualify for TopWorkplacesrecognition, employers must have at least 35 workersinthe region.Employers aregrouped by the overall size of theirorganization, and the number of employees invitedtosurvey,which might includeemployees outside Greater Baton Rouge.Employersaregroupedintosimilarsizes to best comparesimilaremployeeexperiences

“Earning aTop Workplaces awardisa celebration of excellence,” EnergageCEO Eric Rubino said. “It serves as areminder of the vital role apeople-first workplace experience plays in achieving success.”

•Raising Cane’sChicken Fingers was recognized for its strong values.

•GIS wasrecognized for itswork-life flexibility

service and everybody is happy to be here,” said Kimberly Melancon,executive assistanttothe presidentand liaison to the boardoftrustees Melanconjoined FranU more than26yearsago and said she plans to remainwiththe university until she retires

“I wasn’t lookingfor ajob at the time,but it seemed likethe rightplace to be,”Melancon continued. “I’ve watched FranU grow,and I’ve growninmyrole overthe yearsaswell. At the same time,everybody herehas afamily-first mentality.It’sanice balance and one that you canfeel from the top down. The peoplehereare amazing. Idon’t even consider it ajob.Ithas truly been acalling.

Shanna O’QuinnMurphyechoes those sentiments, even thoughshe is at adifferent stageofher professional journey. Murphy joined FranU shortly after graduating from college, stepping into her first full-time jobas the university’s webmaster. Within weeks, she took on alead role in FranU’s website redesign. In thetwo yearssince, shehas expandedher duties to serveasabridgebetween technology and marketing.

“I am forever grateful to the FranU communityforshapingmeintotheprofessional Iamtoday,” she said. “Thereisastrong collaborativestandardacrossthe university, whereitfeelslikeeveryoneisonyour team. The

managersand administratorsare so supportive, in away that makes youwanttocontinuously do more. With their encouragement, Murphy has pursued courses and certifications to enhance her skills,and is applying fortuition reimbursement to pursue agraduate degree. Yet, she notedthat hersupervisorsand colleaguesensureshe takestime forherself while she growsher abilities.

“I have neverfelt that the managementor administration values aproject or adeadline morethan me as aperson,”she said. “During the website redesign and relaunch, deadlines and goals were important, but my well-being was always the priority.Myleadership constantly checked in, encouraged balance and reminded me to taketimetorestand recharge,rather thantreating long hours as an unspoken expectation. KnowingI wasvalued formore than just the work Iproduced not only mademe feel supported, but also motivatedmetodomy best and remain fully engaged.

In his decade-long career at FranU,Futtrell saidhehas felt much the same. Scheduling flexibility and ample timeoff has meantFuttrell canspend time with his family whilepursuing his passion for teaching.

Futtrell said he had considered transitioning from working as arespiratory therapist in

clinical settings to academia beforejoining FranU,but wasunsure if he wouldbehappy with the switch. Yet, he has found anew form of satisfaction in seeinghis students succeed

“I love to sharemycompassionand drive withothers. Seeing my students perform well andmove into supervisory roles definitely keeps me motivated,”hesaid. “It feels like everyone is always working together.We’re truly acommunity school. Everybody,whether theyare astudentora professor or astaff member,comes here motivated andready to be successful. That creates agreat atmosphere.”

Melanconsaidshe hopes thatFranU’s Top Workplace recognition will be acatalystto helpmorepeople seethe university as an ideal option for pursuing higher education or anew career path.

“I’mnot surprised that we areaTop Workplace,and Ithink the awardissowelldeserved,”she said. “I’ve always heardpeople say that FranU is thebest-kept secret in town We don’twanttobeasecret anymore. We want to makeourselves known and letpeople know that this is theplace to come andgrow if you truly want to serveothers.

FranUisaccredited by theSouthern AssociationofCollegesandSchoolsCommission on Collegestoaward doctorate,master’s, baccalaureate and associatedegrees.The Universityoffersdegrees in nursing,health sciences,humanities, behavioralsciences and natural sciences. As anot-for-profit Catholic institution,FranU is sponsoredbythe Franciscan MissionariesofOur Lady and is faithful to itsmission groundedinFranciscan values. Visit franu.edu formoreinformation

We’re building something meaningful, becauseof you.

Companies can improve recruitment and retention withthese proven strategies

Your hiring manager interviewed multiple candidates this month, but none arethe rightfitfor your openings or culture.It’samorecommon problem than youmightthink. Often, HR teams overlook minor tweaksthat could makeadifference in hiring rates and longterm retention

No matter howbusy or quiet thehiring market becomes,these arethe top ways to recruit and retain talented employees.These tactics aredata-backed,soyou canfocus on attracting and onboardingtop talent.

Create atalentpipeline.

Build relationships with passivecandidates before they consider lookingfor anew position. Listen to their career goals,knowwhat motivates them, and provideaclear picture of howtheycould thriveatyour organization.

Regular communication will ensureyou keep themengaged with your companyand alert you to anynew developments in their career path.

Create robustjob descriptions.

Imagine youknownothingabout the company—what arethe most important pieces of information?Robust job descriptions attract talentbyhighlighting uniquecompany benefits,including training and development opportunities andwell-beingprograms. Including thisinformation helps companies become moreappealing than their competitors and encouragejob seekerstoread the whole description. The more youshowsomeone how

By Amanda McElfresh

saMedicaid-managedcarehealth plan working with the Louisiana DepartmentofHealth, Louisiana Healthcare Connections has astrong mission: transforming Louisiana’shealth,one personat atime. To fulfill that mission, the organization has made it apriority to intentionally hire employees from the communities it serves, creating aworkforce thatisdeeplyconnected to membersand invested in making a difference.

What truly sets Louisiana Healthcare Connections apart is our people and the purposethat unites them,”leaders said.“That shared sense of purpose, combined witha culturerootedincompassionandcollaboration, makes this aplace whereemployees feelboth inspired and empowered.

In recognitionofthatwork, Louisiana HealthcareConnections is a2026 Top Workplace. The awardispresented by The Advocate and Energageand is based on employeefeedback.Some of that feedback included the following:

• “I lovemyjob because Iget to workwitha supportive teamthatchallengesme, inspires me and makeseventoughdaysrewarding Iget to solve complexproblems. My job constantly pushesmetolearn new skills.” •“Being partofanorganization responsible forcreating acommunityofproviders to serve our members is amazing.The satisfaction of knowing they will be served by thebestLouisiana has to offer in their regions makesall theworkworthwhile. The members arewhy we do what we do.”

much theycan thriveatyourcompany, the more interested theybecome.

Advertise whatsets youapart.

Highlightwhat makes your culturespecial andunique.One of the most authentic ways is to featurethe wordsofemployees.Showcasing your employerbrand withtools such as Culture Cloud or employeefeedback cancapturejob candidates’ attention andprovide aglimpse of what it’s like to work foryourorganization. Knowing and promoting your organization’s keystrengths will makeiteasiertoattract top talent. It also enables youtofine-tune your marketing efforts,job descriptions andexternal communications Leverage employeevoices.

Jobseekerswanttosee what working at your companyislike. What is the vibe of the team?Isthe work environmentengaging and motivating?Inputfromtop performersand longtime employees canmakea real difference. In fact, promoting employeefeedback is three timesmorecredible than standardmarketing andhiring pitches

Create brand awarenessthrough social media.

Popular sites likeFacebook, Instagram andLinkedInare visibleplaces to showcase companyevents, highlightemployee testimonials and connectwithtop talent

Influencersare anotherpowerful waytoattract morecandidates and build brandawareness, and plenty of companies use them. No matter your industry,thereisaway to promote your companyand improveyour reach through

social media, which also helps recruitment.

Educationand community outreach Partnering with local community projects or schools is agreat waytodemonstrate your company’scorevaluesand reach aspecific target market. Considercreating acompany internship or mentoring program. Specialized opportunities will attract candidateswilling to learn about your organization, its valuesand goals

Tapintoemployeenetworks.

There’s agood chancethat people in your currentemployees’ personal andprofessional networks will have similar values andcultural contributions.Plus,they’re personally vetted. Offer an employeereferral program to incentivize employees to becomeambassadors and hiregreat talent

Create agreat experiencefor candidates. Attracting talentextends beyond the interview. It’sessential to givecandidates a positiveviewofyour companythroughout the process, including hiring and onboarding. Incorporating virtualeventsand location flexibility in the interviewprocess helps companies reach morecandidates and shows moresupport and understanding from leadership,attracting even morejob seekers.

Extend joboffers quickly.

When someone is actively job-searching, theyare usually applying to multiple places Extending an offer quickly shows applicants that thecompany sees value in them.Timeliness creates moreroom fordiscussion with the

• “This workalignsdeeplywithwho Iam at my core.It’spurpose-driven,impactful and advocates forpopulations that wouldotherwiseget overlooked. It makes everything Idoherefeelmoremeaningful.”

• “Assomeone whoisdrivenand goaloriented,Iappreciate theautonomy to workwithmyteamtomake aplan,review feedbackwithcolleaguesand managers weekly and take partinmonthly workshops to ensureall of us aremoving in thedirection needed to meet theorganization’s overall goals.”

“I workwithanincredible team and I appreciateour abilitytocollaborateand support each other. Working remotely enhancesmyproductivityand focus, especially when tackling detail-oriented projects.Our leadership is alwayspositive and continuestoencouragequestions, suggestions and support.

“This recognition is areflection of our team and the culturewe’ve built together,” leaderscontinued. “Our workforce brings passion, diversity and asharedcommitment to improving lives.

LouisianaHealthcare Connections leaders shared moreinsightsintowhat has made it a TopWorkplace winner.

What aresome of your organization’s core values?

Our corevalues focus on doingthe rightthing for our members, our communities andeach other. We emphasizecompassion, integrityand accountability,alongside astrong commitment to collaboration and inclusion. These values come to life throughour focusoncommunity partnerships,culturally competentcareand a workplaceculturethat prioritizes respect and opportunity for all employees

candidate, allowing your companytomake morecompetitiveoffers. It alsoshows thatyour teamvalues time managementand efficiency, setting the tone for the newhireprocess and companyculture.

Reachout to former employees.

If someone leavesyourcompanyto pursue something else, congratulate them on theachievementand stayintouch. Those opportunitieswill givethem newskills and introduce themtomorepeople. Whether those individuals reapply to the companyor introduce your team to other talent, it is always beneficialtobeable to reach out.

Stay in touchwith good candidates. Sometimes,thereare toomanyqualified candidates andnot enough open positions Duringthose times,explain that therewillbe moreopenings in the future. Whenpeopleknow the companywants to find away to hirethem, they’re moreinclined to keep up with newjob postings,creating mutual interest.

Earn employerrecognitionawards. People want to work for —and do business with —companies with the best cultures Earning third-party,employee-backed employerrecognition, such as TopWorkplaces awards,validates your brandand business strategy.Thereare manyawards, but those based on employeefeedback arethe most credible. Theyshowthat your people believe in your company,soothersshould too

Howdoyou help your employeesfeel heard, valuedand supported?

Employeevoice andgrowthare centraltoour culture. We regularly gather feedback through surveysand leadership engagement, and we act on that input continuously to improvethe workplace

Akey part of this commitmentisour employeeengagementgroup,IGNITE (Inspiring Growth, Nurturing Impactand TalentEngagement). This group wasfounded to createmeaningful changeacross our people, our business and our communities. IGNITE fuels the future of our culturebyfostering aworkplace whereemployees thrive, our organizationflourishes andour communities grow healthier

We also invest in mentorship programs individualized career developmentplans and skill-building opportunitiesfor employees.By supporting thematevery stageoftheir careers and creating space for their voices to be heard we ensuretheyfeelvalued,empoweredand equipped to grow

Howdoyou balance businessneedswith employee well-being?

We believe thatwhen employees feel supported, theyare better able to serveour members andcommunities.That is whywe prioritize aculture that respects work-life balance while also encouragingmeaningful engagement. Employees have opportunities to volunteer duringworkhours, reinforcing both personal fulfillmentand our mission-driven work.It’sabout creating an environmentwhere people canthriveprofessionally whilestaying connected to what mattersmost

HowdoesLouisianaHealthcare Connections attractand retain toptalent? It begins withpurpose andcontinues with opportunity.Employees aredrawn to

meaningfulwork thatdirectly improves communities, as well as to astable,growing organization that has maintained market leadership for morethan adecade. We retain that talent by investing in ourpeople through intentionalhiring, ongoing training, mentorship and astrongfocus on promoting from within. Ourcommitmenttodeveloping employees at alllevels ensures thatindividuals canbuild long-term careerswithus. What advicewould yougive to other organizations that want to improve their workplaceculture?

Be intentional about cultureand consistent in your actions. Hirepeoplewho alignwithyour mission,listentoyouremployees and invest in their growth. Most importantly,create opportunities for employees to seethe impact of their work.When people feel connected to a largerpurpose and supported in their journey, astrong culturenaturally follows AMedicaidhealthplanservingtheLouisiana Department of Health,LouisianaHealthcare Connectionswaslaunchedin2012toprovidethe best benefitsand programspossible to improve theoverall health of familiesand communities. It is acompany of CenteneCorporation,focused on identifying and removing barriers to good health withsustainablesolutions that help improve health outcomes. Visit www.louisianahealthconnect.com to learn more

This article is broughttoyou by Energage.

You’reknown

by the company youkeep,

GREATWORKPLACES AREBUILT BY GREAT PEOPLE.

Beingnamed a Top Workplace is areflection of thepeoplewho show up with compassion, purpose, andcommitmenttomakinga differencetothose we serve. Thank you for makingour missionstronger, together. andours is worth c

Ifyou believe the stereotypeofremoteworkers,everyone who worksoutside theoffice has it easy. But datareleased by surveycompanyGallup suggests otherwise

Fully remote workershavethe highest levels of engagement but areless likely to be achieving work-life balance, Gallup says.Only 36 percentofremoteworkers surveyedsay theywere thriving in their lives overall,compared with hybrid workers (42 percent) and on-site remote-capable workers(42 percent). Only theirfully on-sitenon-remote-capablecounterparts(30 percent) reported alower rate of personal fulfillment.

So much forthe joys of freedom

“These findings suggest that being afully remote worker is often morementally andemotionally taxing than working on-site or working in ahybrid arrangement,”Gallup said in a May release. Furthermore, fully remoteemployees are also morelikely to report experiencing anger,sadness and loneliness than hybrid and on-site workers, Gallup said. They aremorelikely to report experiencingalot of stress the previous day(45 percent) than on-site workers(39 percent forremote-capable, 38 percent for non-remote-capable), while having aboutthe same stresslevel as hybrid workers(46 percent). These differenceshold true even when accounting for income, Gallup said

The data suggest organizations that want to support the work-life balance goals of employees can’t assumeworkers, includingremote employees,are achieving balanceontheir own. These best practices canhelp encourageaworkplace environmentthat supports work-life balance:

By Bob Helbig This

Work-life balancedoesn’t happen by accident

Review companypolicies:

Rules around vacation, sicktime, scheduling, andother time off canhaveunnecessary obstacles.Reviewpolicies for opportunities to simplify,streamline, and otherwiseimprove

Consider whatthe workplace cultureconveys:

Messaging the importance of work-life balance is good, but what does your culturereward? If promotions typically go to those burningthe midnightoil, your organization mightbe sending mixed messages about what is valued.

Assessstaffing needs:

Whilekeepingalow overhead is important, employeewellbeingmust alsobea priority.Reviewstaff levels acrossthe organization to ensureone employee’svacation doesn’t burden employees whoare covering for them.Ifthat is happening,itcan create an atmosphereofresentment.

Manage meeting times:

Whenfolks trytoschedulealarge meeting, especially at the last minute,doing so mightcreateproblems.Lunchtime meetings,early meetings,and late meetings also caninterfere with employees’non-working hours. Avoid them.

Foremployers looking to go further,hereare some other tips on creating apositiveculturefor work-life balance:

• Considerflexible work arrangements: Flexibleschedules,remoteworkoptions,andhybridmodels canaccommodate individual needs and preferences

•Offer additional time off: Give workersadditionaltimetorechargetheir batteries with more paid holidays,halfdaysbefore long weekends, summer Fridays,orextra days off for birthdays or wellness

•Givemental-health and well-beingsupport: Provide resources for counselingorstress reduction,mental health days,and encourageemployees to prioritize self-care.

•Implement family-friendly policies: Programs that supportchildcareand adult care needs, and even ones that allowpets at theoffice, cansupport employees and reduce stress.

•Communicate and set expectations: Provideclear communicationregarding work hours, meetings, andavailability.Consider implementing automatedremindersfor managerstorespect time off and encourageemployees to unplug duringvacations

Here’sanother suggestion that canhelp employees who struggle: Place transitionworkblocksonthe calendar before and afterpaidtimeoff.This allows time to prepare to be off and time to catch up upon return

BobHelbigismedia partnershipsdirectoratEnergage, a Philadelphia-basedemployee survey firm.Energageisthe survey partnerfor TopWorkplaces

These nine habits can help you prevent burnout and work from homesuccessfully

This article is brought to youby Energage.

Remote work canbegreat, butwithout structure, it canblur boundaries fast. Hereare some effectivewaysto stay productiveand protect your work-life balance.

Set clear boundaries.

Decide when your workday starts and ends,and stick to it. Log off at aset time and avoid “just one moreemail” at night.

Create adedicatedworkspace. Even asmall,defined area helpsyourbrain separate work mode from home mode, improvingfocus andmakingiteasiertounplug later.

Build aconsistentroutine

Start your day the same wayeach morning. A routine (ex: coffee, exercise,shower, getting dressed) signals to your brain that it’stime to work.

Prioritizetasks. Useto-do lists or time-blocking to stay focused.

Clear priorities preventoverworkand reduce stress

Use the two-minuterule If something takes less than twominutes,doit rightaway. This keeps small tasksfrompiling up andcreating stress.

Communicateproactively. Giveyourteam status updates,availability and expectations.Good communication reduces pressuretoalways be “on.

Celebratesmallwins. Remote work canfeel endless. Acknowledge completed taskstostay motivated and avoid burnout

Take real breaks. Step away from your screen regularly. Find ways to move your body even during short breaks, such as abriefwalk or stretchingsession.

Protect your time Limit after-hoursnotifications when possible, since constant pings make it hard to truly disconnect.Plan dinners, hobbies and family time so youhavesomething to look forwardto when youlog off

Casino tables, showgirlsand baby formula

TAyLOR MILLS PHOTOGRAPHy

For Queen of Sparkles Jaime and Hunter Odom’sbabyshower, 25 friends threwacasino-themed Baby Royale event on April19 at The Colonel’sClub in Baton Rouge.

Inside the extravagant shower for La.’s Queen of Sparkles

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

When Jaime Glas Odom walks into aroom, nobody wonders if shehas a flair for the dramatic.

Glas Odom is the founderofQueen of Sparkles, the Baton Rouge-based clothing brandthat has dressed LSU women’sbasketball coach Kim Mulkey,Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, Jojo Siwa andvariousreality television personalities. Glas Odom has built an international following around the principlethat more sparkleisalmost always the rightanswer So when 25 of her closest friends —some dating back to secondgrade —gathered to plan the April 19 baby showeratThe Colonel’sClub, they knew that nobody was bringing a casseroleand calling it aday Instead, the baby shower theme was Baby Royale Theexecution was exactlywhat that sounds like.

Iwas walking to our backyard compost pilethe other morning when Ispotted asmall gray mound near the sweet olive tree. There were little tufts of this and that —what Itook to be the leavings of amourning dove who had, it seemed, been quickly lifted from one world to thenext. Isuspected one of our neighborhood hawks had enjoyed arecent kill. Confessionsofa Louisiana hawk-watcher

boBudtouquet

BatonRouge

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Whenformerbride-tobe Katelynn Zaunbrecher arrived at Mist and Mallow in the fall of 2025, she scoured aseemingly infinite amount of seed packets with owner Jaclyn Williams to build her dream wedding bouquet

There were seeds for ammi, Icelandic poppies,snapdragons,sweet peas,dahlias, chrysanthemums andmore. Flash-forward seven months, Williams revealedthe finishedarrangement to Zaunbrecher on her big day

“I almost cried,”Zaunbrecher said. “And Iwas like, ‘Jaclyn, Ijust got my makeup done.’”

their wedding bouquets grow by

seed at Williams’ micro flower farm. WilliamsstartedMist andMallow in 2020 to sell flower arrangements for weddings, holidays and pop-up eventsaround the city, like at Lighthouse Coffee on Lee Drive and the

newly opened Las Brujas Coffee & Grocery on Government Street. She grows everything in her backyard.

Micro flower farm tour

On aSaturday in March, the flower farmer,wearing overalls and shears holsteredtoher hip, ventured into her backyard to harvest the blooms.

“It’slike organized chaos,” Williamssaid. “And vibes.”

There are three rowsofbeds and two smallerraisedbedscovered undera mesh netina makeshift greenhouse. Between the twoareas, she growsavariety of flowers and rotates them by season. There were campanulas, snapdragons,

ä See SHOWER, page 4E ä See BOUQUETS, page 4E

In BatonRouge, brides can watch

I want you to feel like you’re in acottage garden when you get abouquet from me. That’show you should feel. That’s theemotion Iwant.” JACLYN WILLIAMS,ownerofMist and Mallow

ä See AT RANDOM, page 4E

Williams poses withsnapdragon flowers in her homegarden.

STAFFPHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

JaclynWilliams, micro flower farmer andowner of Mist and Mallow,removesthe leavesofa flower after cutting it in her home garden.

COMMUNITTY

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The North Baton RougeGood Ole Boys attended aluncheon at Rudy’s Seafood &Steakhouse in Watson on April16. Shown are, from left, seated,Paul Fisher,JohnnyBrait,Raymond Fisher,Chuck Guidry,TonyDier,Allie McClure,JackAccardo,Tony McGee, Dickie Rembert,Floyd Kimble, J.F. Accardoand Haskell Douglas; standing,Wayne Price, DonMcCaray, Donnie Davis, Che Hernandez, Harold Fisher,DaveRayborn, RonStewart,Billy Langlois, Barry Landlos, RonBonaventure, Ronnie McKinley, Lester Myers, John Bynum and Winston Voss. Attending butnot shown are AlbertLanglois, Earl Phillips, Larry Nichols and Walter Williams.

DARChapter member wins national award

TheBaton RougeChapter of the Daughters of the AmericanRevolutionmet April20at the Louisiana State Archives.

Regent Alice Wynn WelchFresina conducted the meeting with Lea Cantey Evans substituting for Chaplain Judy Burch,who was unable to attend. Chapter Second Vice Regent Carrie Fager Andrepont discussed America 250! activities in the community,and special recognition was bestowed upon chapter member and American Heritage Committee Chair Marian Wilson Harden Harden won the National Society’sfirst-place award for the American Heritage Contest-Fiber Arts-Cross Stitch for her original creation of a sampler highlightingmany elements on the road to revolution, acts of rebellion and treason. She researchedmany historical persons and events to create asamplertrue to this theme.

Fresina also distributed awards recognizing chapter

members for their contributionstovarious activities in 2025. That groupincluded Lillian Dunlap (communications and technology), Lea Evans (service to veterans), MondraFazely (genealogy research), Nedra Hains (technologyand social media), Sonja Henkel (American Indian activitiesand support), and Ina Navarre (promotingpublic awareness of DAR).

Chapter member Lucille Ourso purchased a“stretcher” for the display of thechapter flag. This stretcher improves the visibility of the name of thechapter and the DAR insignia. It also allows for betterviewing of the celebratory ribbons, one for the chapter’s 100thbirthday and the other from the General Philemon Thomas Chapter of SAR celebratingAmerica250!, gracingthe flagpole.

Closing activities centered on “Lovethe Boot” month to heightenawareness of environmentalism andconservation activities.Fresina distributed dianthus plants, beloved by pollinator bees,for members to take home and plant.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

The Community column runs Sundays in theLivingsectionand accepts submissions for news of eventsthat have takenplacewith civic,philanthropic,social and religious auxiliaryorganizations,aswell as academichonors

Submissions should be sent by noon Mondaytorun in the upcoming Sundaycolumn.Becauseofspace limitations,organizations that meet monthly or moreare limited to one photoper month.If submitting digitally,weprefer JPG files 300KB or larger.If taking a photo of agroup,have them stand or sitshoulder-to-shoulder.Ifmore thansix people are in the photo,arrangethemonmultiple,distinct rows.Avoid strong background light sources.

Identify those pictured by firstand last namesasviewedfromleftto right,rowbyrow.Weprefer emailed Community columnsubmissions to features@theadvocate.com.We also accept submissions by mail at P.O. Box588,Baton RougeLA70821.Aphone numbermustbeincluded.

Baton Rouge DAR

Gathered at the Baton RougeChapter’sApril 20 meeting at the Louisiana State Archives to celebrate American Heritagenational winner Marian Wilson Harden are, from left, Alice Wynn Welch Fresina, Harden and Carrie Fager Andrepront.

Baton RougeBallet Theatre

Baton RougeBalletTheatre celebrated the end of itsshow‘Rapunzel’onApril18. Shown are, from left, Dan Huffman, Shelly Fallin,John Nyboer,Kelly

guest

Christine

Emelia

Jenna Oetting and guest artist Maximiliano Iglesias.

On April 20,members of the GFWC Lagniappe Woman’sClubcelebrated its 50thyear of affiliation at itsmonthlymeeting.Shown are, from left, Virginia McDonald, PatQuartararo, CathieRyan, Lana Merliss, Montez Love and Wynona Martin.

followedbydessertatthe home of

and

GFWC Lagniappe Woman’sClub

GLAD Red Hatters

Members of the GLADRed Hatters met for lunch on April 21 at City Café,

Debbie Harris. Shownare, from left, seated,Gerri Cornett, Ruth Glatt, Harris

StuartGreer;standing, Carol LaRouche,Linda Crane, Liz Walker,Beverly Grant and Linda Henning

Nyboer,

artist

Perkins, TomPerkins,

Perkins,

Good Ole Boys

TRAVEL

District aims to ‘makeFortLauderdalecoolagain’

BY AMANDAROSA

Miami Herald (TNS)

Avintage store next to amatcha cafe next to aromance bookstore across the street from abrewery next to apilates studio. Crisp white walls decorated in murals you’d expect to find in Miami’sWynwood ArtDistrict.

For the trend-seeking 20-something-year-olds of Fort Lauderdale, Thrive Art District, acommerce andartshub neardowntown, may be their new oasis.

“Wesay in private alot,‘We need to make Fort Lauderdale cool again,’”said Taymir Terrell, 28, who founded Alma Matcha with friend JessicaBinder,29, and opened their Thrive location last October

“Miami’sgot their thing going,”

Binder said. “Fort Lauderdale has got room for growth, so we want to be apart of that.”

What was once two city blocks of dingy industrial warehouses is now an alluring complex of stores, cafes, artist studios andevent space meant to attract Fort Lauderdale’sburgeoning population of youngprofessionals and South Floridians willing to drive from Miami and West Palm Beach Brothers Jonathan and Abraham Fish, Thrive’sco-founders and developers, said the idea was to bring something different to Fort Lauderdale

“It has to be big enough toreally change an area, to do something that’sreally going to makeadifference,” Jonathan Fish added. “Fort Lauderdale is just perfect because there’ssuch aneed for adestination like this overhere.”

Thrive Art District, about80,000 square feet of mixed-usespace in the Progresso Village area, certainly aims to fill aniche. Tucked in between thehistoric Sistrunk neighborhood, the still under-construction FATVillage development and Flagler Village, aneighborhood popular with young people andfamilies, Thrive is meant to cater to downtown Fort Lauderdale’s evolving demographics.

Fort Lauderdale,asMayor Dean Trantalis boasted during his State of the City address last year,isin the midst of an economic “renaissance.” The post-pandemic years

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

have been defined by areal estate boom, population surge and increase in jobs, especially in and around thedowntown area.Unlikeothermajorcities, downtown Fort Lauderdalehas seen an 83% increase in families with children since 2018, according to datafrom the FortLauderdale Downtown Development Authority.

From ‘gross’warehouses

It started with acar ride around town.Years before the pandemic, the Fish brothers weredriving aroundFort Lauderdale looking for agem. They found it in on Fifth Streetand Eighth Avenue,where there was a60-foot-wide right of way “It just has so much opportunity,” Jonathan said.

Thebrothers,who used to work in theinsurance industry,then started approaching owners to purchase the warehouses in 2016, eventually acquiring about 10 buildings. Whenthey presented theideafor theart districttothe Fort Lauderdale City Commission, “they thought we were dreaming,”

Jonathan said “Now we’re heroes,” Abraham quipped.

City Commissioner Steven Glassman, who represents the

area Thrive is located, recalled when the Fish brothers invited him tourthe site sixyears ago, back when it was “really gross.”

“I looked at them andsaid, ‘Really?’ ”Glassmansaid. “Itwas such ablighted area. Imean, it was just one ragshop after another, greasy,dirty,derelict.I just couldn’tbelieve what they were tellingmetheir vision was,but I love people withvision.”

The brothers’ vision and passion forthe ideaiswhatgot Glassman on board. He worked closely with theFish brothers, who invested about $20 million in the project, to get Thrive to thefinish line. The brothers said the cityallowed them exceptionstocertaincity codes regarding setbacks in order to build thedistrict as they intended. Construction started in 2021. Businesses andartists started moving intothe district in 2024. To date, Thrive is home to about 35 businessesand artstudios for about adozen artists, where monthly rent starts at $600 for a smallstudio. Incorporating artintothe development was central to the Fish brothers’ vision, they said. Their father was an artdealer who raised his sonsaround art. But while their father wasfocused

on the old masters, the brothers aremore interested in street art andhow it evolved from taboo to respected.

“Wealways felt that art is something that really unifies and createssomething special.Whenyou createadistrict, it’s very important thatthere’satheme. What’sunique about the destination?” Abraham said. “Ours, Iwould say,isthe best way of going about it.”

Street art was the answer

TheFishbrotherssay Thrive is home to,probably,“the largest outdoor gallery in theworld.” They startedbyinviting muralartists theywerefans of to view the space andcreate aunique piece of art. Soon, other artists from South Florida and around the world reached out,they said.

“When youtakeanareathat’s blighted, where nothing is really happening, and you activate it with arts andculture,it’sa magnet,” Glassman said. “Itcreates an energy. It just makespeople want to be there.”

Boomingbusinesses

When SotiriaSourlis came to Thrive for an Art Walk event, she immediately fell in love —with a storefront.

She wasn’talone, Abraham said.

Acoupleofpeoplewanted the space forthemselves, but Sourlis andher restaurant Greek Sugar got the prize.

“I love the brightness of this particular store. Ilove that it faces the music square where allthe events are. High ceilings,myneighbors, all the art outside, all the culture in the neighborhood,” Sourlis said. “I love my view when Istand here and Isee thetremendous mural in front of me. We’re happytobeapart of the Thrive community.”

Therestaurant alreadyhas repeatcustomers, she said. One fellowGreek woman drove fromDavie, Florida, for ataste of home. Artist Chris Dyer,who sells customglass artworks, hada similar love-at-first-sight story with Thrive. “I drovepastthe neighborhood and Iwas like, ‘Let me do asales pitch,’”herecalled.

He contactedthe Fish brothers immediately and moved in last year

The demand forspace at Thrive, either forstorefronts,studios or event scheduling, is high, theFish brothers said. Thrive regularly hosts events including art fests, car shows, music performances, yoga classes and other wellnessrelated events.

The brothers are also in talks with cruise lines about bringing tourists to Thrivefor excursions when they hop off the ships in Fort Lauderdale. Touristscan come do atour of the art district, learn how to spray paint amural or make their owncustom bag charms at leather shop Atomic Freedom.

As smallbusiness owners and Broward natives, Binderand Terrell said Thrive’srapid growth has been exciting to see. The art district, which is primarily occupied by localbusinesses, is exactly where they wantAlmaMatcha to grow,they said.

Though they could have opened acafe anywhere, Miami or New York City,Binder and Terrell said there’snoplace like home.

“This is what we want forusand for our our future kids and our ourneighbors andour sisters and brothers.It’snot to saywewon’t eventually do Miamiand NewYork andall these othermajor places,” Terrell said. “But that doesn’tfeed the soul.”

HamptonInn chargedfor canceled room afterwifehospitalized

My wife and Iwere booked into the Hampton Inn in Great Falls, Montana. On the morning of our trip, she wokeupwitha 102-degree fever and a severe cough.She was later diagnosed with pneumonia and had to be admitted to the hospital.

Christopher Elliott

Icalled thehotel to cancel the reservation, but the desk clerk told me we’dstill becharged the full $173 because it wasa latecancellation. He said there wasnothinghecould do. Icalled Hilton’scustomer service line, and arepresentative said theproperty

would have to handle it. Iasked for the hotel manager,but she wasinameeting.I left my number but never heard back. Ilater wrote to Hilton’scorporateoffices and even sent acertified letter to Hilton corporate,but no one responded.I just want arefund or acredit for afuture stay.Can you help me? —Bill Chellis,CamanoIsland,Wash

I’m sorry to hear about your wife’sillness, and Ihope she’sfeeling better. Hotels typically have strict cancellation policies —many require 24 hours’ notice or more to avoid penalties. In your case, Hiltonwas within its rights to charge for thenight. But in the hospitality business, having theright to do something anddoing the right

thingare often not the same. Your paper trail shows you did everything you could to get help. Youcalled, you asked for amanager,you appealed to corporate, and you followed up in writing.

(By theway,you can find the names, numbers and email addresses of the Hilton executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.) That’sexactly what consumers should do when they have alegitimate request for an exception to policy Washington Statehas aConsumer Protection Act that broadly prohibits“unfair or deceptive” practices. While it doesn’tspecifi-

cally cover hotel cancellations, it does give consumers alegal avenue if acompany refuses to act in good faith. On afederal level, there’snoblanket law requiring hotels towaive penalties formedical emergencies, but the Federal Trade Commission does monitor businesses formisleading practices.The “may incur charges” wording in Hilton’sown cancellation notice arguably leftthe door open for somediscretion. When Icontacted Hilton, it reviewed your case again. Arepresentative said its front desk agent hadcorrectly followed policy but confirmed that it overlooked your follow-up requests. Hilton refunded your $173. Your case is agood reminder that policies are not always the final word. If you have avalid reason —backed up by documentation —and you politely persist, companies can often bend arule. And when they don’t—well, you know how to find me.

Christopher Elliott is the founderofElliott Advocacy,a nonprofitorganizationthathelps consumers solvetheirproblems. Email himatchris@elliott.org or get help by contacting himat elliott.org.

MIAMI HERALD/TNS PHOTOByCARL JUSTE

The ThriveArt District, an arts and commercialhub in FortLauderdale, Fla., that caters to young professionals, is nowopen.

Continued from page 1E

Casino tables. Real chips. Real dealers. No money Tiger Girls dressed as showgirls. Sushi served on personalized poker chips. A wing bar A fry bar An ice sculpture. A pianist — Rusty Yates, playing in the corner Custom-made neon signs. Feathered tablescapes. A scratch-off game called “Who Has the Daddy?” in which guests scratched off to find the real photo of fatherto-be Hunter Odom instead of the many poses of Matthew McConaughey (who happens to look a lot like Hunter Odom).

At one point, the hostesses — all wearing matching feathered hats — emerged with sparklers and a light-up sign that read “Cheers, Mom and Dad,” in full Vegas-style fashion.

About 200 people attended the baby shower, and each left with Queen of Sparkles swag, including a limited-edition Baby Royale sparkly sweatshirt.

The casino concept started with a suggestion from Hunter Odom’s mother. Glas Odom — whose Las Vegas bachelorette party included all the glitz and glamour possible

BOUQUETS

daffodils, dahlias, zinnias and cosmos, to name a few Most of her flowers take six months, give or take, of planning and growing until the first bloom.

“I try to grow what are called cut and come again,” she said. ”It’s a plant that’s going to produce more than one flower I don’t have that much space, so I need them to be productive like work horses.”

She also grows Icelandic poppies, a particularly desirable flower because they’re difficult to get in Louisiana, and the airiness makes them look like paper.

“I want people to have access to stuff that A) are locally grown and B) are something they can’t normally see,” Williams said. “I want you to feel like you’re in a cottage garden when you get a bouquet from me. That’s how you should feel. That’s the emotion I want.”

Fresh and locally grown

One of her biggest critiques with flowers that are imported into the United States is that they often lose their smell. When building bouquets, she likes to include something with a strong scent, like mint.

— immediately said yes. “Having it at Colonel’s Club was perfect — the perfect venue for that kind of party,” Glas Odom said. “Everyone did such a great job.”

Leigh Manuel, who was maid of honor at the couple’s 2023 wedding and is Glas Odom’s longtime best friend, served as chief party planner It was role she took on with enthusiasm and a dose of selfawareness.

“Especially for baby showers, I’m normally the girl who Venmos and that’s it,” she said “But I knew that in this case, more is more.”

Glas Odom said the scale of the celebration caught her slightly off guard which is saying something, given that she built a brand on maximalism. She acknowledged that she and her husband are outgoing, but that doesn’t mean they are looking to be the center of attention.

When it comes to party planning, she said her tactic is to make the festivities “super colorful and loud — and it will take the attention away from us.”

Manuel and the rest of the planning team took that concept as direction.

Manuel spent a decade as a retail buyer so she leaned into sourcing the details for the event.

“Jaime is easy to plan for Everything is so colorful,” Manuel said. “I love to buy things, so that part was fun.”

She scoured Etsy She made things herself. Other hostesses stepped in including Megan Hutchins who handled the flowers and feathered tablescapes. The Colonel’s Club — which Manuel and Glas Odom’s longtime friend and University High classmate Jordan Piazza owns — handled food and coordination, including events coordinator Jessica Burris.

Bradley Easley, the Colonel’s Club’s manager, had his mother Tina Devall make all the desserts by hand. Devall was the one who placed the sushi on the poker chips, which may be the most onbrand detail of the soiree.

The party ran like it had been in the works for months.

Because the restaurant was open for Sunday lunch, the crew

only had 90 minutes to transform the place into a casino and display the dozens of details that turned it from a shower into a spectacle.

“Seeing it all come together was really cool,” Manuel said. “Jaime and Hunter thought it was almost as good as the wedding.”

For a woman who is, professionally and personally the Queen of Sparkles, that is not a small thing to say

For Glas Odom, the event pointed toward something larger than a party

“It’s overwhelming with love, more than getting married,” she said. “And it’s all about this baby inside of me who doesn’t know how much love is coming.”

Glas Odom’s due date is mid-

May She is still logging 10,000 steps a day

She said she has wanted to be a mother for so long that she made a conscious decision to enjoy every moment of the pregnancy By her account, she has, with one exception: sleeping has become slightly uncomfortable.

But for Manuel who admits this was her first real foray into party planning the baby shower landed exactly as intended.

“It was so fun,” she said. “I told them I already have two ideas for the first birthday.”

“If you smell them, you’ll remember them better, and they bring something to your home,” she said. With weddings planning in advance is a must. There needs to be at least three to six months advance notice for brides to pick their seeds and plan their bouquets.

“There’s nothing you buy

AT RANDOM

Continued from page 1E

Red-tailed hawks are common throughout Louisiana, and I often see one or two on morning walks down my city street. My days start early, and it’s a habit of mine to scan the sky while I stroll, curious to see if the moon is still up. I don’t always see the moon, but sometimes, if I’m lucky, I’ll spot a raptor up above the tree line, circling on wind I can’t feel from my lowly vantage point on the sidewalk. He’s hunting for breakfast, which must be a challenge for a hawk who lives in the city My Peterson Field Guide, tattered now from years of consultation, tells me that the red-tailed hawk is a common creature “of roadsides and woodland edges.” Its favored habitat is “open country, woodlands, prairie

groves, mountains, plains, roadsides (and) field edges,” as Peterson puts it. For open country hawkwatching in Louisiana, I like best the long drives we take to see in-laws in Acadiana. The flat terrain and wide pastures are a paradise for hawks, and it’s a lively thing to see them gliding high above the cows, who don’t look like they mind the company Hawks also seem to like recently reaped fields where the land, empty of everything but stubble, gives them a clear view of mice and other good things to eat That autumn time after the sugar cane harvest seems like a festive season for hawks in our part of the world The hawks where I live don’t have such grand pickings, but they seem to get by

There are two parks in my neighborhood and some open lots the hawks might like. I saw one at the park last year eyeing the squir-

from me that takes less than three months,” she said. “It’s just not possible.”

Bridal bouquets have a little more wiggle room as far as the look and aesthetic, she said. A lot of people want more movement, a bit of whimsy That’s what Zaunbrecher went for with her bridal bouquet.

“People are so different in their flower likes,” Williams said. “For example, I’ll have a ton of daffodils for sale, and no one will really like them at a pop-up. But then someone will message me and be like, ‘That’s my favorite flower I want to buy them all.’”

From seed to bouquet

Zaunbrecher wanted Louisiana native flowers in her bouquet. She selected flowers like ammi (white flowers that have an umbrella shape), orange and yellow cosmos, white dahlias and pink snapdragons.

rels. I’ve also seen them around my place, which is only half an acre but has enough birds and other wildlife to interest a predator in search of a meal. Sometimes, while sipping coffee on the patio, I’ll hear a red-tailed hawk nearby The sound is unmistakable, like a kettle shrieking to a boil.

The hawk’s most vivid calling card greeted me the other day as I was putting away the lawn mower There, at the base of an oak, was a single, large feather — the kind of quill big enough for a Founding Father to scribble his thoughts. The pattern of white and tawny bars matched the profile of a red-tail.

The feather reminded me that I share my home with lots of other residents including many, I’m sure, that I’ll never even see.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman. com.

“I told her that I wanted more of a wildflower vibe for my wedding,” Zaunbrecher said. “I wanted the flowers to speak for themselves.”

Throughout the seven months, Williams sent Zaunbrecher pictures of the flower growth progress. When the harvest day finally arrived, Zaunbrecher arrived to the micro flower farm with her corgi, Stella, and helped with the beginning stages of arranging, so Williams could deliver exactly what the bride envisioned.

flowers at Zaunbrecher’s wedding at Cypress Grove in Eunice. The florals included three bridesmaid bouquets, 16 table arrangements, aisle arrangements and the bridal bouquet. They were the most beautiful flowers, Zaunbrecher said, and she got everything she wanted out of the experience.

The name’s origin

Flower gardening is timeconsuming, and Williams manages it in tandem with her full-time job at Pennington Biomedical Research Center

She’s been growing flowers for five years now Her husband has been a huge help, and when the couple moved into their home in 2020, he was in the backyard digging up dirt before there was any furniture inside. She said she couldn’t have done it without him. He also inspired the business’ name. He’s a big reader, Williams said There’s a John Keates poem published in 1820, called “To Autumn”. The first line includes the phrase mists and mellow “When he was reading it to me,” Williams said, “I thought he said mallow, and mallow is hibiscus, which is one of my favorite flowers.”

And the rest is history

“The timing is brutal,” Williams said. “You don’t have any control over the weather as well. If it gets really hot all of a sudden, it’ll just kill your plants or it’ll make it to where they’re not going to flower for four or five weeks.”

As a solution, Williams plants seeds in three successions, each two weeks apart, around when she expects them to bloom. That way, there’s some flexibility if the weather impacts the bloom.

Williams handled all of the

Williams is set to lead a workshop on May 5 at Modern Munchkin, a store selling baby and children’s goods at 5466 Government St., Baton Rouge. There, Williams will give floristry and gardening tips, and patrons will get to take home their own bouquet and vase. There’ll also be some light bites from Mid City Bakery. Those interested can sign up for the class online.

TAyLOR MILLS PHOTOGRAPHy

For Queen of Sparkles Jaime and Hunter Odom’s baby shower, 25 friends threw a casino-themed Baby Royale event on April 19 at The Colonel’s Club in Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Jaclyn Williams, micro flower farmer and owner of Mist and Mallow, gives a tour of the plants growing on her kitchen window.

Williams holds up Icelandic poppies to the camera grown from her home garden.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM KATELyNN ZAUNBRECHER Katelynn and Clay Zaunbrecher married in May 2025, the bride holding a bouquet grown by seed from Baton Rouge micro flower farm Mist and Mallow.

High school seniorshonored forcommunity service

Staff report

The RiverRoad Chapter of the National Charity League recently honored21Baton Rouge area high schoolseniors for their community volunteer work.

The young women have served more than 4,000 hoursatlocal charitableorganizationsoverthe past sixyears. From seventh grade through their senior year of high school, they participated in cultural activities, leadership development and volunteer opportunities in the community

Honored were:

n AlexandraLouiseCarter, daughter of Melissa andMichael Carter and astudent at St. Joseph’s Academy

n Anna-Marie Elise Bargas, daughter of Valerie andGordon “Trey” Bargas and astudentatSt. Joseph’sAcademy

n Annelise Isabella Scardina daughter of Marguerite and Phillip Scardina and astudent at The Dunham School

n Bree Bergeron Parms, daughter of Tasha and Willie J. Parms III, and astudentatSt. Joseph’s Academy

n Carolyn Lorelei Robinson, daughter of Kathy and BrentRobinson and astudentatSt. Joseph’s Academy

n Chloe Elizabeth Gaudin Chris-

tophe, daughter of Kytara andCornell Christophe and astudent at St. Joseph’s Academy

n Clare Appleby,daughterof William “Curtis” Appleby andLeonore Heavey and astudent at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts

n EliseClaire Parrish, daughter of Meghan and Tommy Parrish and astudent at St.Joseph’sAcademy

n Ella Kay Bremer,daughter of Kendra and Bryant Bremer anda student at The Dunham School

n Gretchen Elizabeth Payne, daughter of Jacqueline andGregory Payne and astudentatSt. Joseph’sAcademy

n Kennedy MariePapillion, daughter of Kimand James Papillion and astudent at St. Joseph’s Academy

n Kirsten R. Young,daughterof Rachel and Kirston Young and a student at University Laboratory School

n Lauren Addison Kaplan, daughterofDaniela and Seth Kaplan and astudent at University Laboratory School

n LucyRae Kyle, daughter of Kelly and Chris Kyleand astudent at St. Michael HighSchool

n Madeline Elizabeth DeSilva, daughter of Bridgetand Bob DeSilva and astudent at St. Joseph’sAcademy

n Madison Michelle Rambo,

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daughter of Keshia Murray-Ram-

bo andClarence Paul Rambo III and astudent at St.Joseph’sAcademy

n Mary-Avery Lane Rodrigue, daughter of Ashleyand Andre Rodrigue and astudent at Baton Rouge Magnet High School

Hot ArtCool Nightsin Mid Cityreturns May 8

Baton Rouge’s annual Hot Art Cool Nights artfestival is back 6p.m. to 10 p.m. May 8inMid City, hosted by theMid City Merchants. Thefree andfamily-friendly event features amix of local artists, live music, food and shopping.

Businessesalong Government Street, Jefferson Highway and the surrounding areas open their doorstoshowcase artwork,host live demonstrations and provide entertainment.

‘Cajun Crustacean’ discussion slated

Louisiana author and journalist

Sam Irwin will discuss thenatural and cultural history of the crawfish 6:30 p.m. to 8p.m. on May26at

When you’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundreds out of pocketbefore benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Previous dental work canwear out.

As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection,you needto purchase individual insurance.

Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensiveones. The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care.The American Dental Association recommends checkupstwiceayear.

Even if you’vehad qualitydentalwork in the past,you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dental problem only go up as youage.2

Treatment is expensive— especiallythe servicespeople over 50 often need.

Consider these national averagecostsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis canbeareal burden, especially if you’re on afixedincome.

“Medicare&You,” Centersfor Medicare& Medicaid Services,2025. 2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov,4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees.Datacurrent as of July 2025;subject to change

“Absolutely love” “I absolutelylove my dental insurance. My dentaloffice files the claims,leaving me with very littlebalancetopay.” DorothyP TN

n MeganSophia Harman, daughterofKristaand WilliamHarman and astudentatThe Dunham School

n Riley Rebecca Whittemore, daughterofRebecca andJeremy Whittemore and astudent at Studyville Microschool

FYIBR staff reports

theLSU Hilltop Arboretum,11855 Highland Road, Baton Rouge. Drawing from his book “Louisiana Crawfish: ASucculent History of the Cajun Crustacean,” Irwintraces the story of this crustacean from thewetlands of theAtchafalaya Basin to itsplace at thecenter of Louisiana’sfoodways, economy and traditions. Formore information, contact LSU Hilltop Arboretum at (225) 767-6916, visit lsu.edu/hilltopor email info@friendsofhilltop.org.

Atlas TigersRobotics Club advancestointernationals

For the past four years, Atlas Foundation volunteers have been running aroboticsclubfor agroup of highschool students in Baton

n Sarah Joanna Kaplan, daughter of Daniela and Seth Kaplan and astudent at University Laboratory School

n Sheridyn MarieCarr, daughter of Linda andFreddie AltonCarrJr. and astudent at St. Joseph’sAcademy

Rouge. The Atlas Tigers RoboticsTeam continuestoexcel in FIRST LEGO League competitions through innovation and strong STEM skills.

This year,the Atlas Tigers performed at the state championship, earning second place in the Core Valuescategoryand demonstratingstrongperformanceacross allfourjudging areas —Robot Design, Innovation Project, Core Values and Robot Game. Their overallperformance earned themaninvitationto compete at theinternational WPIFIRST LEGO League Open in Worcester,Massachusetts, at the endofMay,whichwill be the team’s third timeatthe event. The WPI Open brings together morethan 100 teams from across theUnited Statesand around the world.

Parrish

Whittemore

Kaplan Carr DeSilva

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Carolyn Douglas shows hermother,Rachel Veron, her artwork during the 2024 HotArt Cool Nights.

Author draws on La. folklore, culture in debut

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Author Kayla Hardy, who has a doctorate in English specializing in creative writing and African American literature, is a mythology expert and award-winning author and screenwriter Hardy served as an adjunct professor at Binghamton University and is an avid scholar and lover of Black folklore, mythology and Voodoo

Her new book, “The Quarter Queen,” is a fantasy novel set in a racially divided, spellbound antebellum New Orleans where alchemists, witch hunters and enslavers all vie for power

At the center is reigning Voodoo queen Marie Laveau and her daughter “Ree,” who is everything her principled mother is not: spoiled and rebellious. But when Ree finds Marie comatose in the bayou, she must uncover the secrets of her mother’s life in search of a cure. Told in alternating timelines between Ree in 1846 and Marie’s rise to power 25 years earlier, “The Quarter Queen” is a portrait of a mother and a daughter in the throes of racism, magic and resistance. Although from Akron, Ohio, Hardy is inspired by her Louisiana Creole ancestry and familial lineage of root work and magic and she aims to tell diverse-driven horror and dark fantasy stories. This interview has been edited for length and clarity What inspired you to write “The Quarter Queen?” I spent my childhood summers in Louisiana, which was a culture shock, like people speaking French and Spanish and being Catholic but also practicing root work. I was like, “How can you do two things at once and really be two things at once?” I think that’s a question that probably stayed on

Kayla Hardy, author of ‘The Quarter Queen’

my mind for forever I grew up and wanted to be a writer, and I think I was always a super fan of Marie Laveau and the uniqueness of Louisiana culture. At SUNY Binghamton, I was able to hone my skills as a Black folklore researcher, and at that time, I was reading a lot of Zora Neale Hurston and Voodoo rituals. How did you come up with Marie Laveau’s internal conflict of a free woman of color who had power and yet, couldn’t or wouldn’t do something about the enslaved people around her?

Marie Laveau was a female of color and essentially the first in her line to be born free. Her mother and grandma were enslaved. There’s different narratives around if they bought their freedom or were released. The book starts with Marie, and

then I build the world around her

Everyone talks about her as the great Voodoo queen and the spectacle around it But I wanted to ask, “What was the interiority of her life like as a free woman of color with all of this power, and what did she do with it?” It’s a narrative about power This is a fantasy with actual magical power, so you can’t just be sipping tea all day

Now we know in a real historical context that even enslaved folks went to Congo Square with free people of color to gather and found a way to keep on keeping on. You find a way to turn pain into joy

Modern readers may look at free people of color that were Creole who might get a bad rap, but they didn’t make the system in which they existed. They were born into

it and did not make these rules.

That being said, we’ve always had a way of subverting these rules to carve our own sense of freedom.

I wondered with Marie how this must be on her brain all the time. I just can’t picture how she could ever shut that off with her amount of privilege and power

I wondered if she wanted to figure out her role in this, if she felt guilt. I think maybe sometimes she would want to put the blinders on, because there’s only so much one can take with seeing those horrors every day How do we still have our own sense of agency?

Your characters are complex and nuanced. How did you develop those layers in your characterization?

It’s a tough thing when you have a dual timeline. And also you need to set up the “why” in the world. You have to also care about Marie enough before she goes into the

coma. We have to get a glimpse of what Ree thinks the problem is. Then Jon the Conjurer is an ideological villain, but he’s hardly the worst person in New Orleans. The problem is a system.

I started with Marie, who is our saint, so we have to have our sinner with Ree. I think the story is full of antiheroes. That’s the commentary on enslavement. We worry about our families, and is it fair to ask somebody to be a mother but also fight for everyone else?

What do you want people to know about this book who may be unfamiliar with Marie Laveau and Voodoo? And what can you say about her faith?

That it is anything but demonic.

The loa (spirits) are here to help guide people in areas between the world and the spiritual world. Voodoo can be a spiritual practice factored alongside Catholicism. I’m not endorsing Voodoo, but I want to illustrate that this was done and continues to be done in this small section of the world.

It’s one of those things I knew going into it about Marie. I didn’t want her faith and practice to be in contention because it’s literally not for many people. She believes in God, but the institution may be corrupt. God is much bigger than four walls.

Anything that is institutionalized has the ability to control or warp us, but that God is bigger than that. It’s funny because there is so much of God in this book. Christ came to the broken, and He may choose the outcasts or someone like Marie.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

13-essay collection recounts segregated New Orleans

BY RIEN FERTEL

Contributing writer

“From the Back of a Bus Named Desire” by Brenda Quant, University of New Orleans Press, 184 pages.

In the late 1950s, while waiting for a late-night bus with her mother 10-year-old Brenda Quant took a ride on the Whites-only swing set at Washington Square. She became, in her words, “the happiest criminal in New Orleans.”

The nearest playground to her childhood home, Bunny Friend Park on Desire Street, was off-limits to her, as were the city’s other 100-plus Whites-only recreation areas. There were only 19 — scattered, dilapidated, heavily policed playgrounds reserved for Black children, so young Brenda was more than happy to oblige her mother’s transgressive encouragement.

She tested each swing, thinking about “the little White behinds that would sit in them the next day,” and, after finding the perfect seat and swinging “with the intensity of an Olympic athlete,” launched herself into the realm of moral lawlessness

“I became a repeat offender A habitual swing thief,” she writes. “I was never apprehended, and I am reported to be still at large, hiding out somewhere in New Orleans.”

A short, sweet essay on that episode leads off Quant’s debut, “From the Back of a Bus Named Desire.” A collection of memoir and history, the book emerged from a request by her godson, Shawn, for help with a Black History Month homework assignment on the Civil Rights Movement. A

lifelong teacher and activist, Quant, née Dyer helped organize several social justice advocacy groups, including the Equal Rights Congress.

Shawn’s homework became her own. She began reminiscing, writing, publishing work that led to the essays that eventually became Quant’s MFA thesis, earning her a degree in creative writing from the University of New Orleans in 2015 at the age of 70. The collection’s 13 essays are straightforward and, at times, sneakily experimental. They are conversational and often quite humorous. The work of a student, yes, but one with a knack for personal storytelling.

Quant’s strongest material follows the narrative track established by that initial homework assignment primarily what she calls the “inside-out world” created by

Jim Crow New Orleans

She writes of being in 10th grade and hearing the venomous anti-integration chants from the self-described cheerleaders who rallied against Ruby Bridges’ enrollment at William Frantz Elementary, located just four blocks from her house.

Quant remembers squeezing through crowds of White passengers to make her way to the rear of the city’s segregated public buses, all the while “denying that any interracial touching was happening.” A plank of varnished wood, simply known as the “screen,” divided White and Black patrons. The system forced riders to relocate the screens themselves, forward and back as passengers filled and emptied the bus, participating in their own partitioning. It was, she says, “a moveable evil.”

In the waning years of segregated transportation, a group of her college friends tossed the partition out the window You can almost hear Quant laughing to keep from crying as she writes what happened next. Her friends were all arrested, but not before “some whites boarded the bus, and with no screen did not know where to sit.” When the end of the screen era finally came in 1958, the offending pieces of wood were set ablaze in a terrific bonfire. Reading these essays, one can envision another path for Quant: that of the academic historian. There are longer pieces here on the life of Harry Washington, who, once enslaved by our nation’s first president, in time found freedom in Sierra Leone; another on the legacy of rice cultivation. Although informative and well-written, these essays, set alongside the others, can’t

measure up to the author’s more memoiristic leanings.

More tantalizing is a hybrid essay on geophagy the widespread, though often shunned, practice of eating earth. Quant tells of being a young dirt eater, the shame of salivating after rains for “the thick, musky emanations of wet earth.” Eventually she takes comfort in choupique, that local fish capable of living in droughtstruck ponds for several days. She prized the taste of this socalled trash fish, which she likens to “mud on mud, in mud, with a side of mud.”

The collection ends with an exploratory exercise, a series of ekphrases, dramatically composed descriptions of visual art think back to your high school reading of Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn” — originating in an Ancient Greek form of rhetoric. Literally meaning “to speak out,” this is where Quant excels. There are nods to an aunt’s cherished antique umbrella, a set of furniture handcrafted by her father, a friend’s lush dessert: “Emily’s chocolate cake is the anti-vanilla, a velvety black hole blanketing out sound, subsuming and negating its crystal white ingredients noiselessly, hungrily a comforting eclipse, reassurance that darkness will follow light.”

It’s perhaps fitting that the collection ends with such loving, lyrical personal odes. Quant died in 2022, at the age of 75. “From the Back of a Bus Named Desire” is a moving tribute to her city and herself.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He can be reached at rienfertel@gmail.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PROVIDED PHOTO

Author Brenda Quant died in 2022, at the age of 75. ‘From the Back of a Bus Named Desire’ is a moving tribute to her city and herself.

DININGSCENE

For those who reallydivein, the New Orleans Jazz&Heritage Festival can feel like its own season in NewOrleans, and it’sshort one. But Jazz Fest food lives on throughout the year in different ways.

Here’show to get ataste of it when you want to satisfy an offseason craving or bringacenterpiece dish to the next party,including afew that are now Jazz Fest memories.

Ian WHAT’S

McNulty

WHAT S COOKING

Cochon de lait po-boyfromWalker’sSouthernStyle BBQ,10828 Hayne Blvd.

The cochon de lait po-boy has become one of the most popular dishes at Jazz Fest. Its vendor,Love at First Bite, has adual identity with its restaurant, acounter-service barbecue joint on the lakefront in New Orleans East.

If you make the trip, it can be a surf-and-turf day with astopatthe adjacent Castnet Seafood, the fish market and purveyor of finepoboys and boiled crawfish. Creole hot sausagepo-boyfromVaucresson Creole Café &Deli,1800 St.BernardAve.

The Vaucresson family has been serving Creole sausage po-boys at Jazz Fest since the first one in 1970. It was harder to find outside of festival season until 2022,then they opened anew deli and cafe at the site of their historicbutcher shop in the 7th Ward.

Now they’re working with chef Bunny Young, who has greatly expanded the menu of Creole plate lunches and home-style cooking. Of course the po-boys are always available, and links are sold to cook at home too.

Creole file gumbo from Li’l Dizzy’sCafé, 1500 EsplanadeAve.

This definitive Creole gumbo is served daily at the Baquet family’s restaurant, now amainstay of the Treme in its next generation. The festival dishes trout Baquet (with crabmeat) and trout Dizzy (with shrimp andcrawfish) make periodicappearances as specials, and, more rarely,sodoes the crawfish bisque.

Natchitoches meat pies from Mrs.Wheat’s Local maker Mrs. Wheat’sships nationally,with alineup of spicy or mild meat pies, crawfish pies, shrimp and andouille pies, and crab and artichoke pies, in small and largeversions. They’reserved at afew restaurants, including the Howlin’ Wolf Den (907 S. Peters St.), in the freezer case at some groceries and sold hot at many Louisianagas station delis. Order at meatpies.com. Crawfish strudel and more from Cottage Catering,1536 River Oaks Road,Harahan The Harahan-based caterer

and bakery has a“festival store” section on itswebsite, offering all of itsJazz Fest dishes in large, party-sized quantities for shipping or pickup, including the incredible crawfish strudeland its white chocolatebread pudding, pork debris and gritsand shrimp and grits. Order through cottagecatering.com Crawfish breadfrom Panaroma Foods

This classic Jazz Festdish is served at the Fair Grounds as aslice of cheesy,meatystuffed bread. The Marksville-based maker Panaroma Foods will ship whole loaves of crawfish bread, along

withits sausagejalapeño bread and shrimp bread,from itskitchens in central Louisiana.See nolacrawfishbread.com.

Rawand charbroiled Lady Nellie oysters at Parleaux Beer Lab,642 LessepsSt.

The off-bottom oysters at Jazz Fest are beauties, farmed off Grand Isle by JustinTrosclair. In addition to raw,this year he added charbroiled oysters, which were plump, full of juice, snapping with chile butter sauce andtoppedwith exceptionally good cheese.

He serves both styleseach Sunday at apop-up at ParleauxBeer Lab, the Bywater’sfamily-friendly taproom and beer garden Jama jama combo from BennachinRestaurant,1212 RoyalSt. Jamajama, oneofthe signature flavors of theCongo Square area at Jazz Fest, is awell-seasoned sauteed spinach dishthat’salways on the menu at this homey African eatery in the French Quarter,along withpoulet-fricassee (chickenona stick) and friedplantains, together on its“Jazz Fest comboplate.” Pralinestuffed beignet,crabmeat beignet, pralines,fromLoretta’sAuthenticPralines, 2101 N.RampartSt.; and the French Market, 1100 S.Peters St. Lorretta’sships orders forits

Creolecandiesaround thecountry, and, at itsMarignyrestaurantand French Market stand, the menu includes the Jazz Fest specialty of stuffedpraline beignets (along withsome savory stuffedbeignets notserved at Jazz Fest). For shipping see lorettaspralines.com

Ya-ka-mein from MissLinda Green “OldSober” is abeefy,brothy remedyina cup, theNew Orleans street food classic. Linda Green is thequeen of ya-ka-mein, andapart from Jazz Fest sheand herfamily set up at numerousother festivals andholdfrequent pop-ups, often at 2304 Washington Ave. For updates, see facebook.com/ChefLindaGreen/.

More from thepast

Andbecause Jazz Fest memories endure, here are moreflavors that are no longer at Jazz Fest butstill withinreach forthe next meal. Crawfish,spinach and zucchini bisque and more from Jamila’sCafé,7808 Maple St. For nearly30years, the Sbaa family imbued thefestivalmenu withtheir North African specialties. While they saidgoodbye to the fest last year,the family restaurant is still open fordinner, serving all thedishesfrom itsJazz Fest menu. Thatincludesa dishthat’satouchstoneofthe fest formany: their uniquely green crawfish bisque Creole stuffed bread from Creole Lunch House,713 12th St.,Lafayette Creolestuffedbread is ahandheld flavorbomb, ablend of seasoned beef,sausageslices, jalapeñosfor amild biteand cheddar between it all. It wasone of thelowkeysleeper hits of Jazz Fest food from itsdebut in 1983, when the Lafayette restaurantCreoleLunch House joinedthe food vendors. Itslast festivalappearance was in 2019, before thepandemichiatus; itscreator,MerlineHerbert, diedin2025 at age84. Buther family still runs the little cottage restaurantand serves Creolestuffedbread on itsmenuof plate lunches. When in Lafayette, this is always worth avisit Email IanMcNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

The meaty,mighty cochon de lait po-boyisa JazzFest dish many flock to at the festival.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,May 3, the123rd day of 2026. There are 242days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On May 3, 1999, the Bridge CreekMoore tornado struck the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, causing 41 deaths and nearly 600 injuries; thetornado’stop wind speedof321 mph was the highest ever recorded on Earth. Also on this date:

In 1802, Washington, D.C., was incorporated as acity

In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, “Gone with the Wind.”

In 1948, the Supreme Court, in Shelley v. Kraemer,ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to Blacks or members of other racial groups were legally unenforceable.

In 1979, the Conservative Party ousted the incumbent Labour government in British parliamentary elections; Conservative leader Margaret Thatcherwould become the first female U.K. prime minister the following day

In 1986, riding the longshotFerdinand, Bill Shoemaker became the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby at age 54

In 2016,ina stunning triumph for a political outsider,DonaldTrump all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination with aresounding victoryin theIndiana primary.(Trump would defeat Democrat Hillary RodhamClinton in November 2016 for hisfirst presidential term.)

In 2021, an elevated overpass on a Mexico City metro line collapsed onto aroad, killing 26 peopleand injuring dozens just as asubway trainwas crossing over the section.Atleastone carwas trapped beneath the rubble.

In 2023, a13-year-old studentshot dead nine childrenand aschool guardat aschool in Belgrade, Serbia. Theshooter was too young to face trial under Serbian law,but his parents, charged for failing to keep the weapons out of reach of their son, wereconvicted of child neglect. The boy’sfather also was convicted of “grave acts against public safety.”

Today’sbirthdays: Singer Frankie Valli is 92. Singer Christopher Cross is 75. Actor Amy Ryan is 58. Actor BobbyCannavale is 56.Music executive-entrepreneur Damon Dash is 55. Actor Christina Hendricks is 51. Actor Dule Hill is 51. Country musicianEric Church is49. Golfer Brooks Koepka is 36. Country singer Ella Langley is 27. Actor Rachel Zegler is 25. Soccer player Florian Wirtz is 23. Actor Maxwell Jenkinsis21.

Is it rude forthriftshopperstobrag?

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave some friends who frequently announce to me how much money they are saving by shopping at discount stores, buying off-brand items and buying all of their clothing, including shoes, at secondhand and thrift stores.

Iamnot wealthy, but Iama professional who works hard. Ido not shop at these stores because whenever Ihave tried in the past, Iamnot satisfied:Idon’twear or use the items, andend up feeling thatI have truly wasted money instead of saving it

an interesting story,but she proceeded to say that shewas so spoiled by the prices at such-and-such discount store, she just could not make thepurchase elsewhere.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Whether something is “expensive” is subjective, isn’tit? Idonot ever brag or tell anyone what Ipay for anything.

It is one thing to makegeneral comments about good shopping places, but when one of my friends starts telling me the exact dollar-and-cents difference, I can’trespond.

She will continue to repeat how much she saves as though shewants me to agree, which Iusually don’t.

For example, afriend announced that she could not buy abag of chocolate chips at the grocery store. Ithought it might be

Mostofthe time Ihavenoresponse, but Idid laugh at this one and say,“Youmustnot have wanted them verybadly.” Occasionally I’ll say,“Well, good for you.” Most of the time Ijustignore the discussion, but it always feels awkward.

Isn’titjustasrude to constantly talkabout penny-pinching as it is to brag about how muchmoney one spends?

Gentlereader: It is not quite the same. But Miss Manners agrees withyou that it is certainly no moreinteresting.

Dear Miss Manners: Would you please ask everyone to avoid completing someone else’ssentence unless you’re aclose friend of the speaker,understand thecircumstances and know thecontext of what they’re saying?

When someone does this to me, Ibite my tongue and have theurge to say,“If you are telepathic, then we don’teven have to continue this conversation at all.” But I’ve outgrown the urge to be sarcastic.

Gentle reader: That is arelief. Miss Manners will reward you by spreading the word. Although she will warnyou against giving close friends, and even partners and family members, your exemption. They can be equally bad at predicting the end of your sentence —and even moreinfuriating if they get it wrong.

Dear Miss Manners: Iwould like to ask your readers to think twice about giving asurprise party

The surprise may be much moreenjoyable forthe hosts and guests than for the person being surprised.

If you wanttohonor someone, why wouldn’tyou do it at atimeand in amanner that is agreeable to the person being honored? The surprise not only deprives the honoree of the joy of anticipation; sometimes the honoree may find the party painfully embarrassing or inconvenient. Gentle reader: Or worse, if they have a heart condition.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

An overnightway to refreshsmellyshoes

Dear Heloise: Shoes can develop odors quickly,especially after long days.

Asimple solution helped in my house: Isprinkle baking soda inside each shoe before bedtimeand let it sit overnight. Bakingsoda absorbs moisture and neutralizes odors. Shake it out in the morning, and the differenceisnoticeable right away

After dealing with one too many unpleasant odors, Imade this part of my routine. You can repeat it as needed. —Eric W., in Omaha, Nebraska Keep theshower flowing

Dear Heloise: Weak water pressure in the shower can make mornings frustrating. Mineral buildup often clogs the tiny

holes in theshowerhead over time. Ifixed minewithout replacing anything by doing this: Fill aplastic bag with white vinegar and secure it around theshowerhead using arubber band.

Let it soak for afew hours or overnight. The vinegar breaks down thebuildup and clears theopenings.

After dealing withuneven spray for months, Itried this and noticed thedifference right away.Remove the bag, run hot water,and wipe the surface clean. The flow should improve almost instantly —Teresa G., in Phoenix,Arizona Aclean blender

Dear Heloise: Washing ablender can feel like achore, especially after making something thick or sticky.Ifound amuch easier way that skips thescrubbing altogether.Right after using theblender,Ifill it about half-

way with warm water and add asmall drop of dish soap. Then Iplace the lid on securely and run theblender forabout 20 seconds. The spinning action reaches around the blades and sides, loosening food that usually sticks. Istarted doing this after struggling to clean out peanut butter and smoothie residue that seemed impossible to remove. Now cleanup takes almost no effort at all! Once the cycle finishes, pour out the soapy water and give everything a quick rinse. Most of the messis already gone. Forthe best results, clean theblender soon after using it so that food doesn’tdry inside. Be careful not to overfill it and always makesure that the lid is tight before turning it on. This simplehabit keeps the blender fresh, saves time, and avoids thehassle of deeply scrubbing

every time. —Olivia

Keep icecream scoopable

Dear Heloise: Rock-hard ice cream can be tough to serve straight from the freeze, but asimple storage trick keeps it softenough to scoop. Place the ice cream container inside aresealable plastic bag before returning it to the freezer.This helps block out cold air and slowsdown freezing. Istarted doing this after bending one too manyspoons by trying to dig into frozen dessert. Now the texture stays smooth and scoopable without waiting. It also helps prevent ice crystals from forming on top —asmallchange but abig improvement when dessert timerolls around! —Brian C., in Madison,Wisconsin Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Hints from Heloise

N., in Portland, Oregon

FIELDS STORMING THE

‘We’re notsaturated yet’:Louisiana’s localleaders hope foreconomicgains from youth sports complexes

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Last weekendatthe Youngsville SportsComplex near Lafayette,70 teams competed in ayouth baseball tournament, hundreds of people played soccernearby and ESPN trucks were there to broadcast the Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship games also happening on-site

For Josh Smith, Youngsville’sassistant director of parks and recreation, the level of activity was nothing special.

IDEAS INNOVATION &

“It was aquiet weekend, actually,” he said.

Welcome to the booming world of youth travel sports, which has transformed out-of-the-way areas across Louisiana —likeasugar cane field in Youngsville —intocomplexeswithmeticulously maintained playing surfaces, high-techlighting and camera systems, busy concessionsbooths, concert venues and other creaturecomforts for young athletes and their families.

Over thelast dozen years, communities statewide have investedhundreds of millions in facilities in Broussard, Ruston, West Monroe, Baton Rouge, Westwego and other locations as the youth sportsindustry in theUnited States has grown intoa$40 billion annual colossus. Parents with the means to do so spend hundreds or thousands ayear on registration fees,equipment, lessonsand travel in an effort to give their young baseball, soccerorvolleyball players acompetitive edge.

That spending andbusiness nationwide seeing Over the la 100 large“des complexesh across theU ney’sESPN Wi of Sports Complex in Florida Rocky TopSpor World in Te nessee.

ä See COMPLEXES, page 2F

ABOVE: The Conference USA Beach VolleyballChampionship took placeApril23-26 at the youngsville Sports Complex near Lafayette.

PROVIDED PHOTO

BOTTOM: John AlarioJr.,former president of the Louisiana Senate and former speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, throws abaseball to hisgrandson Maddox Alario, 6, following the dedication ceremony of the newAlarioyouth Sports ComplexonJan. 23 in Westwego.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByCHRIS GRANGER

Statelooks to be at center of newnuclear energy sector

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

For the past year,former SpaceX

engineer Ben Kellie has been building anuclear power company that will provide cleaner and safer energy at asmaller scale to large, industrial users like petrochemical refineries and artificial intelligence data centers.

Last week, Kellie cametoNew Orleans in search of the kind of deals and financing neededtogrow his Los Angeles-based company, Applied Atomics, at the state’s first Nuclear Strategy and Supply Chain Summit.

Hosted by Louisiana Economic Development, thetwo-day event at the Windsor Court Hotel brought together more than 200investors,

energy executives, industrial contractors and federal regulators to network, mingle anddiscussall aspectsofanuclearenergy sector that many experts believe is on the cusp of anew era of explosive growth.

“It was impressive to have such abroad-based coalitionofpeople interested in nuclear power in one room with acommon goal,”said Kellie, whose company helped sponsor the event. “I think everybody is trying to figure out where this is going to go and how we build up overtime.”

Gov. Jeff Landrywants Louisiana to be at the center of whatever that new nuclear energy sectorlooks like.

At aglobal energy conference in March in Houston, Landry unveiled his nuclearenergy strategy for the

state.Itseeks to position Louisiana as ahub for nuclearpower plant fabrication —building the modular components that will make up the next generation of plants. It also calls for expanding existing plants like Waterford3and Riverbend.

At the summit at theWindsor Court, LED began workingthrough thedetails of what it will taketo implement that strategy.

“Wehave200 of themost impressive people in theindustry upstairs,”LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois said ahead of thesummit.“We want feedback and direction from them aboutwhat they need. This will lead to the work planabout building Louisiana out as anuclear leader.”

‘Nuclear renaissance’

Attendees at the summit included leaders in energy services and utilities

Bernhard Ca pi ta l’ s principal Jeff Jenkins, Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May and Turner Industries CEO Stephen Toups, who announced at the summit that his industrial construction company is expanding its nuclear fabricationbusinessinLouisiana. Representatives from major corporations, including Dow,Meta and the venture capital arm of Nippon Steel, were there, too.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Ho K. Nieh opened the summit with remarks on the Trump administration’spriorities, while David LaCerte, aformer Louisiana secretary of Veterans Affairs who now sits on the Federal Energy Regu-

COMPLEXES

Continued from page1F

Though not on thesame scale as the country’slargest facilities, Louisiana’s sports complexes serve localsthroughout the week and tournaments on the weekends, bringing in revenue through rental fees, sponsorships and concessions while boosting local economies by hosting visitors needing meals, lodging and entertainment. Small businesses —from restaurants to T-shirt shops and entertainment centers —have cropped up around the complexes to provide related services.

Though popular,these sites —which are often built with public funds—can be controversial, as some studiesquestiontheir economic benefits and others show the growth of travel teams is an unfair advantage for wealthy families.

In Youngsville, Mayor Ken Ritter said the investmentin thetown’s complex has paid off by bal ancing community access with rentals to tournament organizations.

“It definitely put us on the map,” Ritter said. “It’sa huge driver of quality of life, whichhas fueled population growth here.”

Tale of 2sportscomplexes

Neighboring cit ies Youngsvilleand Broussard —both suburbs of Lafayette —showhow sports tourism can spark growth.

On the same day in 2011, residents in both towns voted to implementnew sales taxes that would support their parks and recreation departmentsand raise money to build complexes that would be used by the community and also serve travel tournaments.

The now-121-acre Youngsville facility opened in 2014 on donated sugar cane fields The 122-acre Broussard Sports Complex debuted three years later,and leaders in both towns say the complexes have fueled dramatic growth.

In Youngsville, the city’s population grew from 11,000 in 2014to over 20,000this year,and many of thenewcomers are regular users of the complex their tax dollars support. On weekends, they share the space with visitors coming from as far away as Japan, China and Venezuela. Combined, the locals and visitors led to 1.5 million visits to the site last year,according to parks and rec data.

Broussard’ssports complex, about 16 minutes northeast, had about1million visits in 2025, generating $21 million in related spendingina town that historically has been ahub for oilindustry-related businesses. The populationhas climbed to about17,000, a

latory Commission, hosted a “fireside chat.” They were joined by dozens of investors and executives from companies that wantapiece of what Landry in his opening remarks called“theworld’s second nuclear renaissance.”

One attendee was scouting forsites to build what his company says will be a$7 billion facility that turns nuclear wasteintofuelfor nuclear power plants. Another was looking for opportunities for hisLondon-based company, which plans to build small modular nuclear reactors atop offshore platforms.

Kellie is lookingfor asite in New Orleans for atesting and training centerfor Applied Atomics. The facility will house anonnuclear simulator —ascaled-down version ofone of the company’spower plants— that will also be used to train future employees.

“SpaceX didn’treinvent the rocket. Theytook existing rocket technology and modernized it,” Kellie said of Applied Atomics’ business model.“That is whatwe are tryingtodo withnuclear —make it affordable, easier

roughly 30% jump since the complex opened Lafayette’sconvention and visitor’sbureau and its economic developmentagency support bothfacilities, and their operators say there’s enough demand to justify both

“Wepartner with Youngsville becausesome tournaments are too big forany one facility to host,” said Broussard Mayor Ray Bourque.“We understand our economy is bigger than our borders.”

Region’s biggest?

Youngsville and Broussard are some of Louisiana’s first big travel sports facilities. Several othershavefollowed suit.

The185-acre Ruston Sports Complex, completed in 2022, notched ahalf-million visits last year and is contributing to the growth of aonce-sleepytown of about22,000 people that will soon be home to the$370 million Radiance Technologies microchip packaging facility andthe state’s first Buc-ee’s.

Afew weeks ago,the facility hosted 92 travel baseball teams, which used every available field, according to Matt Cotton, thetown’s parksand recdirector Forfamilies of players who can’t attend every game in person,fancy cameras use artificial intelligence to track the ball to stream the action online.

About30miles east of Ruston’splaying fields, the West Monroe Sports &Event Centeropened in 2024 with indoorspace forbasketball, volleyball, pickleball and more. In January,the New Orleans area welcomed the $45 million John Alario Jr.Youth Sports Complex.Leaders of the Westwegofacility, which hosted its firsttravel tournament in February,are already hopingfor an expansion that would bringdormitory-style rooms for teams.

One of thefacility’sdraws is its proximity to New Orleans.

“When you come here, you get to go onaswamp tour or take aside trip to the French Quarter,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “When my kids played travel sports, we were often stuck in agym in themiddle of nowhere with acrappy motel and bad coffee.”

In Baton Rouge, Elite TrainingAcademy opened its indoor sports facility in 2024, and theownersare already planning amassive expansion

Last week,the EastBaton Rouge Parish Metro Council paved the way for atax incentivetosupport theacademy’splan to build what could be the biggest indoor sports in the region.

Thebusiness’sinvestors include billionaire Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane’srestaurants, and Joe

to build using modern software to bring down cost.”

Cleaner, safer?

Landry’s focusonnuclear power aligns withPresident DonaldTrump’sinterests. The Trump administration has invested billions in nuclear energy and pushed to speed up the regulatory approval processfor new and expanded nuclear power plants.

The movement long predates boththe sitting president and governor.President Barack Obama started paving the wayfor more nuclear power nearlytwo decades ago. And President Joe Biden’s2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and2022 Inflation Reduction Act both set aside billions for new nuclear capacity.

At the state level,former Gov.JohnBel Edwards’ Louisiana Climate Action Plan in 2022 included nuclear in the recommendations to meet agoal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In 2023, the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approved adirective to study new nuclear plants in thestate.

Driving the interest is de-

mand for power sources that do not emit the greenhouse gassesthatcause extreme weather

Environmentalists note that while nuclear power is cleaner in some respects thannatural gas, it is not a truly clean energy source, like wind and solar,and its radioactive waste carries healthand safetyrisks.

Experts say thelatest versions of cooling technology used in the kind of mini power plants generating a lotofthe buzz at themoment —smallmodular reactors that can be deployed behind thefence of large individual users or in energy “parks” that serve agroup of several plants andrefineries— are safer than those usedin older plants.

“It’sfundamentally the sametechnology but smaller machines and in the process of making them smaller they have investedininherent or passive safety,” saidMichael Corradini, professor emeritus in the Department of Nuclear Engineeringand Engineering Physics at the University of WisconsinMadison.

Expertsalso point out thateven among the legacy

plants, like Waterford 3and Riverbend, the safety record is good.

“Riverbendand Waterford 3havebeen very well-run plants,” Corradini said. “It’s important to remember also that even withThree Mile Island(thePennsylvania nuclear plant that nearly melted down in 1979), nobody waslost or hurt on-site.”

Chernobyl, the high-profile Russian disaster in 1986, was different. “That was a faulty design,” he said.

Benchstrength

The bigger challenge for widespread deployment of nuclearpower at themomentisthe cost. Nuclear power is expensive to build and the handful of projects in recent years have been built have come in late and over budget.

New designs take timeto demo and scale up. Companies looking to ramp up arelooking forclients and financing. AppliedAtomics, which is backed by venture capital,has raised $8 million so far.Itneeds alot more.

“Weneed companies that need green power,” said Leigh D’Angelo, Applied

Atomics chief marketing officer.“We need someone to finance build-out of construction.”

Toups, of TurnerIndustries, believes Louisiana’s biggest role in the emerging nuclearsector will be in doing the kind of work his company does —fabricating the modular components that are portable, smallerand can be reassembled on-site forindividual users.

“There arehundreds of companies like us that are going to make up this nuclear supply chain …building the stuff, thepipes, the modules, the subassemblies that are going to go in all the nuclear reactors,” he said.

ToupssaidLouisiana’s deep bench strength in industrial construction —seven of the 10 largest industrial construction companiesinthe U.S., including Turner,are basedinthe state— make Louisiana well positioned to build nuclear power plants.

“Ifthere is aboiler maker or apipemakeranywhere in the globe, they came from Louisiana,” he said.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

With the TPC Louisiana golf course

buidlinga $20.6million-plus

Burrow, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals and former LSUstar

Lake Charles is also getting in on the act,planning an indoor sports complex on thesite of thedemolished Capital One Tower using $23 millioninCommunity Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds. Expenses addup

Despite theoptimism and investmentinyouth sports, some saycomplexoperators need to setrealistic expectations.

Ritter,the Youngsville mayor,saidhis town’sfacility finished lastyear in the red, with $1.6 million in revenue and$3.8 million in expenses.

“Insurance, utilities,repairsand maintenance all addup, so the complexis supported by adedicated sales tax,”hesaid. “Our community made that investmentearly.”

Critics say thegrowthof travel sports —prompting families to spend thousands ayear —excludes low-income kids. There also have been high-profile failures. In Arizona,one of the country’s biggest sportscomplexes the320-acre BellBankPark —filed for bankruptcy in 2023. The site was sold later that year andrebranded Arizona Athletic Grounds.

But in communitieslike Broussard and Youngsville, where the complexes have become part of everyday life, thoseconcerns are far removed

Kristi Comeaux, owner of the custom screen-printing andembroiderybusiness LDD Concepts in Youngsville, has seen business and personalbenefits from the town’s investment because hercompanymakes shirts andsouvenirs for leagues andteams, andher family members areregulars on gamenights.

“Our sixth grader plays track, softball andsoccerand we’re basically at the complexseveral times aweek,” she said. “Theykeep it clean and safe, so she walks around the place like she owns it.” Email Rich Collinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD

at rear,a 90-acre swath of land sits along Nicolle Boulevard where plans call for

youth sports complex between Avondaleand Marrero. The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District is buildingthe complex, and Jefferson Parish will operate it.

Ritter

Bourque

Fish fry producer sets growth strategy to boil

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Louisiana Fish Fry Products

CEO Joe Tuza says he plans to make the Baton Rouge brand a national player

Tuza is a newcomer to Louisiana and started his role last summer previously working in Richmond, Virginia, for Sauer Brands, best known for Duke’s Mayonnaise.

Tuza sees a parallel between the loyal consumer bases of the 100-year-old condiment brand and the Louisiana Fish Fry Products which was started in 1982 by Tony’s Seafood founder Tony Pizzolato.

The company already has a footprint across the country, with its top-selling fish fry mix present in 90% of grocery stores in America. Louisiana Fish Fry Products rakes in over $100 million in annual revenue and has more than 200 employees spread across its headquarters and production facility, distribution centers and warehouses.

“Being new here, I had misconceptions about Cajun food,” Tuza said in an interview at the company’s Plank Road headquarters, next door to Tony’s Seafood.

“People will say it’s too spicy, or it’s too complicated, or ‘I wouldn’t even know where to start to make that.’ Part of what we’re trying to do is demystify Cajun food for consumers and making it simpler for them.”

In this week’s Talking Business, Tuza talks reaching new consumers, sales growth and goals as the company’s new leader

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Can you talk a little bit about the audience you’re trying to reach?

I think the home chef hasn’t gone away There might be more time crunch than they’ve had in the past. One of the pieces that benefit us, particularly, say, a gumbo or

jambalaya is that proteins have become more readily available and easier to manage.

When you start thinking about mom, who’s leaving work at 4 or 5 and trying to figure out what’s for dinner that night. Because the kids are coming home from school or practice, and she’s like, well, “I have some sausage in the fridge, and I have a rotisserie chicken that I bought. What am I going to do with it?”

Those types of products for us, we call them our bases Those types of products are really quick. You can make products on a Tues-

day night, and you can have a Cajun meal in 30 minutes. That’s who we’re targeting with those types of products. What are some of your other goals and priorities as leader of the company?

It’s critical that we remain a key part of Baton Rouge. It’s critical that we maintain the homeliness that the kind of part of the community that we are and maintain that.

We have employees who have been here for 40 years working here, and so there’s something right going on. My goal is to make sure that I understand what works

WITH JOE TUZA

in that culture and how we amplify that going forward. That’s really critical for us.

Of course, sales growth is critical. Expansion is critical for us as an organization to survive. It’s a good opportunity for us to bring Cajun to the world. Our competitors aren’t necessarily Cajun companies.

Some of them sell Cajun foods and that we compete against, but not many of them wake up every day like I do and think nothing but Cajun food, and I think that’s what helps differentiate us as well is we as a company are 100% focused on the categories we are in.

What have you noticed among other companies that work in a similar vein, and are there any challenges or certain trends that you all may be experiencing right now?

If you’re running a soft drink business, you know 99% of households are going to buy soft drinks.

If you’re running a crawfish boil company, your opportunity is a little bit more limited. That probably is one of the tougher pieces we’re up against. We do a really good job of the folks who buy us, they buy us a lot and so we will get folks who will buy our products, six, seven, eight, times a year which is a lot for what we sell. How do we get those folks who aren’t buying us in the household ever, any of our products or any of our category to go, “Hmm, I should do something different for dinner tonight What should I do?” What we’re trying to do is offer as many solutions as we can. How are you going to get there?

We have opportunities to get our products in the grocery store and distribution. We have one product that’s in 90% of grocery stores in America. The next product below that is in about 50%.

Just basic fundamentals, if we could get four or five items into 90% of the grocery stores in America instead of just one, that, by itself, is what I would call just sales execution, just getting it in the store, the first part. The other area for us is going to be innovation. We’ve recently launched a number of new items that are that early on are showing great success. We came out with a Cajun Reserve boil, a premium crawfish boil or seafood boil product, came out with some new bases, seafood bisque, jambalaya, and we’re coming out with red beans and rice bases, so people can sometimes make products easily and quickly at home and in under 30 minutes.

Any plans in the near future to increase your team?

As the business grows, we definitely will. We’ve added a few new roles since I started here

In the last six months, we’ve added some new roles under research and development to be able to make sure we’re creating some really great new products. We’ve added a few sales roles. Today, I went out and walked the plant with our vice president of operations, and tried to say where are our bottlenecks if we were to grow this percent? We’re already having those conversations as to what’s next. We’re adding headcount as needed. We’re looking to see where we can invest as needed, and we’re excited about where the growth is going to come from and how we’re going to get there. We start moving into product lines that we can’t make here, we will use outside manufacturing the order to meet demands, but as of right now, most of which everything we make is made right here.

AROUND THE REGION

Hancock Whitney is venturing into north Mississippi

Newest branch marks bank’s ‘next chapter’

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Hancock Whitney Bank is con-

tinuing to expand beyond its traditional Gulf Coast base.

The Gulfport, Mississippi-based bank — which has a major presence in New Orleans is opening a new branch in June in a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi.

The new Flowood financial services center, which joins a second Jackson-area location that’s been in operation for less than a decade, is one of only a dozen or so Hancock Whitney branches north of Interstate 20, which cuts across north Louisiana and bisects central Mississippi.

the bank’s area market president, said in a prepared statement.

“We’re growing with purpose to meet the evolving financial needs of Mississippians.”

Hancock County Bank was founded in 1899 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It acquired its New Orleans-based rival Whitney Bank in 2011 and a few years later began its expansion into central Mississippi. Now Hancock Whitney is the largest bank headquartered in the region.

Hancock Whitney’s Greater New Orleans regional director, Liz Hefler, said the bank plans to grow by acquisition and continues to evaluate potential transactions.

Last year, it acquired the Tampa, Florida-based wealth management

firm Sabal Trust Co.

Most of the institution’s nearly 200 locations are clustered near the Gulf Coast in five states from Texas to Florida.

The planned opening signals the bank’s new focus on a metro area of about 600,000 people that’s less than a three-hour drive from its headquarters but wasn’t part of its footprint for more than a century

“Our planned Flowood financial center represents the next chapter in our continued growth across the Jackson metro area,” Leigh Pace,

Today, the institution has more than $35 billion in assets, $29 billion in deposits and about 3,600 employees. Roughly a third are located in greater New Orleans, and about half of that team works in Hancock Whitney’s downtown building, 701 Poydras St., the former One Shell Square.

Hancock Whitney declined through a spokesperson to comment on the planned expansion. In an interview last year, however,

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

Staff report

South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

Baton Rouge

Donald Price has been hired by Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann as special counsel. Price began his career as a plaintiff’s attorney at Dué, Price, Guidry, Piedrahita and Andrews in Baton Rouge and, most recently worked on regulatory issues and coastal land loss litigation as special counsel for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

Lindsey Duplessis has been hired by Currency Bank to become its

Ascension market president, where she will lead its planned expansion into Ascension Parish.

Duplessis has previously held senior management roles with Renasant Bank and Capital One, where she has focused on commercial lending, business development and long-term client relationships.

The nonprofit Better Louisiana announced the addition of seven new members for the first quarter of 2026.

They include: Jon Atkinson, president and CEO of The Idea Village; James Craven, chief physician executive at FMOL Health; Jeffrey Goodman CEO of the Committee of 100 Shreveport-Bossier; Greg Hamer, president of B&G Foods; Andy Kopplin, president and CEO of

the Greater New Orleans Foundation; Patrick Moore, managing partner and president of Moore Planning Group; Jim Tucker, president and CEO of CommCare Management Corp. and former speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

The board of directors of Women’s Hospital has elected three new officers: Janet Olson is chair, Nick Speyrer is chair-elect and Dr Shawn Kleinpeter is secretary/treasurer New Orleans

Oscar Carlsson has been appointed to the board of directors of Rep Data, as the market research firm scales up its investment in Europe following the acquisitions of survey tool ReDem and research platform SightX.

Hefler said the bank has been aiming to grow its market share by adding more consumer accounts, hiring more small-business bankers and growing loans, deposits and fee income in the middle market space, which includes companies with revenues between $50 million and $1 billion.

As of June 30, the most recent date for which figures are available, Hancock Whitney was the second-largest bank in Louisiana, with a nearly 13% share of the market, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. It has less than 6% of the market in Mississippi, where it is the state’s sixthlargest bank.

Based in Stockholm, Carlsson is the founder of Milo Advisory and previously spent more than 20 years at the research technology company Cint.

Chloe Seydel has been hired by Arnaud’s Restaurant to lead the 108-yearold restaurant’s dessert program as head pastry chef. Seydel is a New Orleans native with experience working at the Ace Hotel, Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Arena.

Across Louisiana

Dr Kanchan Upadhyay, Jenny Anderson and Samantha DeWitt, of the Vernon Oncology Clinic, are now part of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center network.

The Alexandria-based network will expand the clinics services

Like its competitors large and small, Hancock Whitney is navigating challenges and opportunities unique to 2026.

Slowly falling interest rates mean lower loan yields but potentially more demand, and uncertainty surrounding commercial real estate — the office market, in particular — could mean credit losses, experts say Regional banks, meanwhile, struggle to compete with the economies of scale buoying their big bank competitors when trying to keep up with expensive technology and fraud prevention costs. In that atmosphere, many banks are prioritizing fee-based income from wealth management and other services.

The new Jackson-area Hancock Whitney branch will offer personal, commercial and small business banking, along with wealth management, lending and other financial services.

with more early detection and supportive care services.

Upadhyay, who has been in practice since 2022, will continue to provide internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology services from the Leesville clinic.

Nancy Credeur has been hired as the director of educational technology for Lafayette Parish school system. Credeur has more than a quartercentury experience as an educator, most recently having been named the LPSS Elementary Principal of the Year for the 2025-26 school year

Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate. com.

Price

Carlsson

Seydel

Upadhyay Duplessis

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The Gulfport Miss.-based Hancock Whitney Bank which has a major presence in New Orleans, is expanding beyond its traditional Gulf Coast boundary.

Flyingtaxishaveleftthepagesofsciencefictionfor TerrebonneParish.

Louisianaisoneofjustahandfulofstatesselected bytheFAAtotestthenextgenerationofaircraft.

TheLIFTOffLouisianaprogramwillgeneratetherealworldsafetyandoperationaldatanecessarytoguide responsibleaviationpolicyacrossthecountry

Fromshipyardstoskyways,Louisianaishelpingto shapewhatcomesnext

Alaska villageseeks to revive polarbeartourism

BY MARK THIESSEN Associated Press

ANCHORAGE,Alaska Late everysummer,hulking white bears gather outside atiny Alaska Native village on the edge of the continent, far above the ArcticCircle,to feast on whale carcasses left behind by hunters and to wait for the deep cold to freeze the sea.

It’saspectacle that once brought 1,000 or moretourists each year to Kaktovik, the only settlement in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in a phenomenon sometimes called “last chance tourism” —achance to see magnificent sights and creatures before climate change renders them extinct.

The COVID-19 pandemic and an order from the federal government halting boat tours to see thebears largely ended Kaktovik’spolar bear tourism amid concerns that the tiny village was being overrun by outsiders.

But Kaktovik leaders are now hoping to revive it, saying it could be worth millions to the local economy and give residents another source of income —provided the village can set guidelines that protect its way of life and the bears themselves.

“Wedefinitely see the benefit for tourism,” said Charles Lampe, president of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp, which owns 144 square miles of land.“The thing is,itcan’tberun like it was before.”

Atinyvillage

As far back as the early 1980s, anyone in Kaktovik with aboat and knowledge of the waters could take afew touristsout to watch the bears as they lumbered across the flat, treeless barrierislands just off the coastortore into the ribs of a bowhead whale left by subsistence hunters.

Tourism in Kaktovik soared in the years after federalofficials declared polar bears athreatened species in 2008.The rapid warming of the Arctic is melting thesea ice that the bears use to hunt seals, and scientists have said that most polar bears could be wiped out by the end

of the century As visitation boomed, the federal government imposed regulations requiring tour operatorstohave permits and insurance, and that began to squeeze locals out of the industry, Lampesaid. Larger outof-town operators moved in, and before long, crowdsoftourists were coming to Kaktovik —avillage of about 250 people—during the sixweek viewing season.

The town’s twohotels andrestaurants lost out on somebusiness when large operators began flying tourists in fromFairbanksorAnchorage for day trips. Locals complainedthattouristsgawkedatthem or traipsed through their yards.

Small plane capacity became an issue, with residents sometimes battling tourists to getonflights to or from larger cities formedical appointments, forcing those left stranded in the cities to get expensive hotel rooms for the night.

Renewing tourism, with changes When the pandemic struck, Kaktovik paused visitation.Then

in 2021, the federal government, which manages polar bears, halted boat tours, mostly over concerns abouthow tourists were affecting bear behavior andoverrunning the town Alaska Native leadersare now in talkswith the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService to address those concerns and reignitethe industry,perhaps as early as 2027. The agency toldThe Associated Press in astatementthat it’s working with Kaktovik “to ensure that any future opportunities are managed in away that prioritizes visitor safety, resource protection, and communityinput.”

Among the changes Kaktovik leaders wanttosee is alimit on how long aboat can sit in the water near thebears. Toolong, Lampe said, and the bears get used to humans —making for adangerous situation whenbearswanderinto town looking for food.

Duringthe heightofthe tourism boom,itbecame tougher to haze bears out of town, even with thetown’s bear patrol shooting at

Polar bears rest on a beachon abarrier island near Kaktovik, Alaska, on Sept. 18, 2019.

themwith nonlethal rounds. The patrol had to kill about three or four bears per year,compared with maybe oneper year before the boom,Lampe said. “Our safety wasatrisk,”Lampe said. In 2023, a24-year-old woman and her1-year-old sonwere killed in a polar bear attack in Wales,infar western Alaska. It wasthe first fatal polar bear attack in nearly 30 years in Alaska, theonly U.S. state hometothe species.

Since the boat tours in Kaktovik were halted, the bears once again seem more fearful of humans, Lampesaid.

Encouragingrespectfulvisits

Polar bear tourism coincides with Kaktovik’ssubsistence whaling season. When acrew lands a whale, it’susually butchered on a nearbybeach. While the communityencourages visitors to watch or even help, some were recording or takingpictures without permission, which is considereddisrespectful, Lampesaid.

Working

Native communities that are ready fortourists “want them to comeand be educated and walk awaywith agreater understanding of ourpeople andour way of life and our culture,” she said. Roger and SoniaMacKertich, of Australia,werelooking forthe best spot on theplanet to view polar bears in the wild when they came to Kaktovik in September 2019. They spent several days in the village, took awalking tour led by an elder and bought souvenirs madebylocal artists, including a hoodie featuring apolar bear For Roger MacKertich, aprofessionalwildlife photographerbased in Sydney, thehighlight wasthe boat tours to see bears roaming on the barrier islands or taking adip in the water.The bears paid them no attention. “That’snearly as good as it gets,” he said.

NewOrleans Is #1 in theNationfor Recent Grads

As Jazz Fest 2026wraps,it’sprettyeasytomakethe casefor living in NewOrleans basedonculturealone. Butanew national rankingmakes it clearthis is also oneofthe smartest places in thecountryfor young workerstobuild acareer

Glassdoorand Redfin justnamed NewOrleans the best mid-sized city in thecountryfor recent college graduates The2026BestU.S.Citiesto Launch Your Career report ranked citiesacross13indicators that include housing affordability, careeropportunity,and quality of life, analyzing millions of salaryreviews,employerratings,job postings,and home sales. They callitthe “fullfinancial picture,”and NewOrleansshows up strong acrossthe board:

•Average early-career earnings: $57,414

•Typical starterhomeprice: $175,000

•Monthly mortgage payment as% of income: 24%

•Monthly rent as %ofincome: 32%

•Whatmakes it great: Jobvariety,pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, andstrongtransit access

Andthose opportunitiesare real.Greater NewOrleansoffersdiverse career pathsacrosshealthcare, energy,education, aerospace,hospitality andmore. Whydoesthatmatter? Because 43% of youngprofessionals say careergrowth mattersmosttotheir quality of life.Creating pathways to those opportunitiesisapriority forlocal leaders. GNO, Inc.’s GNOu initiative connects employersand universitiestobuild industry-aligned curriculum andbettermatch talent with demand.

Part of what puts NewOrleans over thetop doesn’t show up in adataset. Walkable neighborhoods, live musicevery night, world-classfood, anda culturalcalendar unlike anywhere elseare notjustamenities.These arethe community features that bringyoung professionals to GreaterNew Orleans andkeeps them here

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Sherry Rupert, CEO of the American Indigenous Tourism Association, suggested that Kaktovik market itself as atwo-orthree-day experience.

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

While large corporations tend to dominate the headlines of business pages, statistics show small businesses serve as the backbone of the American economy

According to the most recent U.S. census data, companies with fewer than 100 employees gener-

ate $11.6 trillion in annual business revenue and account for more than 32% of all jobs at firms with employees nationwide.

In Louisiana, which had just three companies on last year’s Fortune 1000, such firms employ an even larger share of the workforce 37.6% of employees and generate $145.7 billion in revenue every year

In honor of National Small Business Week, which kicks off Sunday, we wanted to hear from small business owners across the state. In the latest installment of our occasional One Big Question feature, we asked six business owners

“What is the biggest challenge of running your small business?”

GREG AND LISA ROACHE

President and CEO, Gainey’s Concrete, Holden precast concrete manufacturer

Lisa Roache: The most difficult thing is communication and making sure that everyone is on the same page and aligned. Greg has a lot of ideas. He has more ideas in an hour than most people have in a lifetime. Someone needs to be able to hone those, take them and execute them If not, it’s chaos in a company

Greg Roache: I’m the president, Lisa is CEO, and we’re husband and wife and we’re 73% owners, so it’s very unique that owners actually can fulfill these roles. In order to run a precast plant, we need lots of skilled positions — project managers, estimators, safety,

ONE BIG QUESTION

-down is real. I mean, meaningful opportunity to lead to prime work and to be trusted with projects that match our actual capabilities.

The expertise is here, the experience is here, the past performance is here. What’s missing is the trust from public agencies to put that work in our hands as locals only, instead of constantly giving projects to large multinational firms that depend on small firms like ours to really get the local work done and to understand what’s under the street and what’s under the surface and what’s above it, how to navigate the agencies and how to get real results that keep projects moving forward.

We live here. We hire here. We invest here. We regenerate dollars here. We’re a part of the tax base.

The challenge is not whether small business can do the work, it’s whether we’re given the opportunity to prove it at the level that we know we can deliver

RUSSELL PERRONE

plant management, all with strong semi-engineering skills. But then we need unskilled people, too. So, getting quality people into the company is a challenge.

LR: Contributing to it is the fact that people can get medical marijuana cards so readily We have a zero tolerance for drug and alcohol at our company, and after we make them a job offer, they fail the pre-employment drug screen. It’s a really bad problem when you think of all the effort, because everyone gets interviewed three times.

NENETTE GRAY

Founder and CEO, Lemonade Creative Marketing, Baton Rouge marketing firm Navigating through uncertainty would be my biggest challenge —

dealing with the erratic nature of tariffs, the instability of the economy, supply chain disruptions, managing changing client expectations.

Another big one is handling the cash flow crunches while still being able to grow Resiliency is absolutely necessary as an entrepreneur if you want to succeed. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart. It’s just absolutely not.

IAM CHRISTIAN TUCKER

President and CEO, ILSI Engineering, New Orleans civil engineering firm

Between the budget shortfalls of the city and Sewerage & Water Board and other various different agencies, it’s a lack of opportunity

Funding is limited, the federal government isn’t spending like they were before and that lack of trickle

Fewindustriesdependonsuchavastarray of raw materialsand high-techproducts, or have such complex business relationshipsamongsuppliers,designers, vendors, or contractorsasthe construction industry

JonesWalker’sConstruction Team helpsclients from across theindustrymanage allofthese moving parts

We understand thecomplexdynamicsbetween —and theuniquepriorities of —industryparticipants andcraft solutionsthatminimizedisputes, managerisks,and help keep projects moving from conception to completion

Ourclients’projectsare equallydiverse andinclude major infrastructure,manufacturing facilities andplants, hospitals, marine facilities,and airports,aswellasthe products andservicesnecessary to complete such facilities

WilliamH.Hines

LAKEISHA ROBICHAUX

CEO, Chief of Minds, Baton Rouge organizational development firm

President and owner, Perrone & Sons, New Orleans produce distributor The hardest part is insurance, both auto and wind-hail insurance. You can drive down our streets and you see billboard after billboard of personal injury attorneys going after trucks.

Every time one of my trucks gets on the road with our name to advertise, we are a target for these lawyers to go after if we’re in an accident. That’s really put a damper on wanting to do business in the state.

We’ve been through the Great Depression, we’ve been through World War II, and each generation has faced their problems, but most of our problems are not related to a particular industry taking advantage of bodily injury payouts.

Maintaining the visionary role, because oftentimes we tend to want to put our hands in a little bit of everything, so getting out of the day-to-day operations of things can be a challenge. We’ll get a project that I’m very interested in, and I want to jump in and say, “Hey, what’s going on? I think we should do this.”

We have to trust our team to do the work and implement it even though we’re excited about it. You have to be positioned to let that work flow like it’s supposed to flow, so I can make sure we’re getting the revenue, the projects that we have great culture across the organization and that the systems are working like they’re supposed to.

ALFONZO BOLDEN Co-founder and co-CEO, Cajun Nation Cajun Seasoning Co., Lafayette food producer

Everybody has a seasoning now — everybody — and the biggest challenge has been staying ahead of that. We use a major co-packer in this area, and those same seasoning companies are using the same co-packer The lead time, at one time, was two weeks. Now, it’s four to five weeks. So, we’re trying to

so it really impacts the bottom line.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

Every time I wake up with an alert on my phone, I hope it’s not an accident because even a little 5 mph fender bender winds up costing a couple hundred thousand dollars.

Largecommercialconstruction projects often face disputes over delays, defectivework cost overruns, andsubcontractor failures.For Louisianaproject owners,resolving these conflictsisa legal obligation andbusiness strategy.Early planning, contracts, andclaims canturnsetbacksintorecoveryopportunities, protecting investments andstrengthening delivery.

Effective preparationevaluates projectriskand contract structure,since deliverymethods and pricingshaperesponsibility.Indemnification provisions,schedules,and liquidated damages provideleverage, whilealigned litigationstrategy andearly insurerinvolvementsupport business objectives.Documenting issues, preserving evidence,meeting bond requirements,and presenting supportedclaimsenhance credibility,resolve disputes,and safeguardproject success

Jones Walker is proudtohelpleadthe wayfor Louisiana’s construction industry as it navigatesacomplex legal environment.

FILE PHOTO By ANTHONy McAULEy

Small Business Administration chief Isabel Casillas Guzman, left, and

Iam Tucker, head of New Orleans engineering firm ISIL, stand on the site of the $1 billion River District project, where Tucker’s firm is prime civil engineering contractor, on July 5, 2024.

STATEUNIVERSITYBAND UNIFORMS.Atwhich time andplace thebidswillbe publicly opened andread aloud. Anybid received after closingtimewillbe returned unopened Copies of thespecifica‐tionsmay be obtained in electronic format by vis‐itingthe Stateof Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site,https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53Copiesofspeci‐ficationsare on file in the Office of theDirectorof Purchasing,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.Toobtain a copy of thespecifica‐tionsfromGrambling StateUniversity, call (318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram.edu

g ceipt of bids for at least thirty (30) days TheUniversityreserves theright to reject anyor allbids, andtowaive any informalities. Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). An EqualOpportunity Employer GRAMBLINGSTATE UNIVERSITY GRAMBLING, LOUISIANA Erin Walker Director of Purchasing TO APPEAR:4/28/2026 BIDDUE:6/4/2026 186108-may3-10-17-3t $86.76

ment.Atwhich time and placethe

publicly opened andread aloud. Anybid

after closingtimewillbe returned unopened MandatoryPer-BidMeet‐ingisscheduled on April 30, 2026 at 11:00am,at theFacilitiesConference Rm,1 Facilities Drive, Grambling, LA 71245. Copies of thespecifica‐tionsmay be obtained in electronic format by vis‐itingthe Stateof Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site,https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53Copiesofspeci‐ficationsare on file in the Office of theDirectorof Purchasing,GRAMBLING STATEUNIVERSITY, Gram‐bling, La.Toobtain a copy of thespecifica‐tionsfromGrambling StateUniversity, call (318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram.edu Bids must be returned to thePurchasingOffice at purchasingbids@gram. edubythe duedateand time referenced.Bids must be submittedon theforms enclosedwith thebid specification,and i i f i i h

p instrict conformity with theintentofsamewith‐outmodifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, andtitle of person signingthe bidshouldbe shownonthe bid. Evidence of GeneralLia‐bility Insurance, Auto Li‐abilityInsurance,and

Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing,LaPAC Web Site https://wwwcfprd. doa.louisiana.gov/osp/ lapac/dspBid.cfm?sea rch=department& term=53 Copies of specifications areon file in theOffice of theDirectorofPurchas‐ing, GRAMBLINGSTATE UNIVERSITY,Grambling, La.Toobtaina copy of thespecificationsfrom GramblingState Univer‐sity,call(318)-274-3280 or e-mail walkere@gram edu.

Bids must be returned to thePurchasingOffice at purchasingbids@gram. edubythe duedateand time referenced.Bids must be submittedon theforms enclosed with thebid specification,and in strict conformity with theintentofsamewith‐outmodifications. Bids must be signed inink dated, andtitle of person signingthe bidshouldbe shownonthe bid. Evidence of GeneralLia‐bility Insurance, Auto Li‐abilityInsurance,and WorkersCompensation Insurancerequiredfor this contract No bidmay be with‐drawnafter thesched‐uled closing time forre‐i f bid f l

Yes, knowledge is power, and the choice is yours. But you MUSTACT NOW to put your estate planinplace.Itall starts by attending one of LauraPoche’s free educational eventswhich makes it clear that regardless of your networth, if you want to preserveyourhard-earned assetsorhavepeople in your life you need to protectorhavecauses that youwanttopromote, EVERY PERSON NEEDSALEGAL ESTATE PLAN. Let LauraPoche and her professional and knowledgeable staffmakethis process as easyaspossible so youcan livewith PEACEOFMIND.

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• What the asset rule is if youare married and need to qualifyfor Medicaid.

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• Penaltiesfor transfers -can youtransferassetstoqualify forMedicaid without being penalized?

• When the penalty periodstartsfor Medicaid.

• Owning exemptassets.

• What happensifyou don’thavefiveyearstoplan?

WHAT IS NURSING HOME POVERTY ANDHOW DO YOUAVOID IT?

Nursing home povertyisaproblem that creeps up on Louisiana familiesand forces them to depletetheirlifesavings, withdraw their family funds from theirretirement accounts and spend all of their monthly incomeontheir long-term care and nursing home expenses withoutany assistancefromMedicaid. In ordertoavoid this from happening, youMUSTplan ahead at leastfiveyearspriortoentering anursing home.

Nelda came to ourofficeabout sixyears ago.Weasked her what her mainconcerns were.She wasdiagnosed with arthritis,and she wasconcerned that as hercondition worsened,she would berequired to reside in anursing home.She had seen three of herfamily members lose their life savings to unexpectednursing home stays. Nelda wanted to protecther homeand her life savings of $450,000. She knew she had to spend down all of herassetsuntil she hadlessthan $2,000 in her checking account, andshe knewthatnursinghomecosts were about$80,000 year.She wanted to leave what she had savedtoher three children equally.Sowetalked to Nelda about setting up avery specific,very customMedicaid Trust.Nelda wouldretain controlofherassets, andifshe hadtoenter anursing homefiveyears in the future, shewould nothaveto deplete her life savings on nursing homecosts.

We told Neldathere wasasenseofurgency to setupher legal affairsinorder to start thefive-yearlookbackperiod.Neldaaskeduswhathappensifsheenteredthenursing home four years(instead of fiveyears) aftersetting up theTrust. We assuredher that if she enteredthe nursinghomeinfouryears, she would be aprivatepay patientuntil shereached thefive-year markwhich is amuch better result than losing it all!

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All people who attend willreceiveaFREE copy of theupdated2nd edition of LauraPoche’s Book, “Estate Planning AdvicebyaWoman forLouisiana Women: AGuide forBothMen and Women About Wills,Trusts,Probate, Powers of Attorney, Medicaid, Living Willsand Taxes.”

LOUISIANA

BACK AT HOME

First Louisiana patient out of isolation following sickle cell gene therapy

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

The first patient in Louisiana to re-

ceive genetically edited therapy for sickle cell disease went home this week after months in isolation at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.

Daniel Cressy, 23, is one of many patients in line to receive this treatment for a possible cure for painful, unpre-

dictable chronic condition. Next week, Manning Family Children’s will begin the process of harvesting stem cells from a 14-year-old from Monroe.

Sickle cell disease is a chronic condition that causes intense pain throughout the body, often leading patients to multiple hospitalizations in their lifetime. With new gene editing, doctors hope this will be a “functional cure” for those with sickle cell.

After

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

To Mackenzie Johnson, boredom was the enemy

As a daughter to two basketball coaches and high school counselors in Dry Creek — just outside of DeRidder — she was always at the ready She was 19. She was in school. She was a healthy, ex-college athlete. Then, in the fall of her sophomore year of nursing school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she started having unusual

Louisiana consistently ranks among states with the highest sickle cell disease prevalence per capita. About 80 babies are diagnosed each year Medicaid covers care for roughly 3,000 people with the condition, but the total number living with it is unknown, though the state is building a registry In 2023, 1,430 people were hospitalized with sickle cell disease in Louisiana. Sickle cell disease manifests in the first year of life, but babies with the condition often appear completely healthy

symptoms: headaches, nausea, vomiting, ear pain and personality changes.

“I just didn’t care about anything,” Johnson said.

On her 20th birthday, when she was home for Thanksgiving, her mother insisted she go to the doctor They went to the ER. Johnson was sent back home that night with a migraine diagnosis. The next morning, she woke up and told her parents there was something wrong.

“My body is shutting down,” she told them. “I can feel it.”

She went back to the hospital and insisted on a scan of her brain. That CT scan showed she had a hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding in the brain.

The hospitals began to make calls to other programs that could treat Johnson. Dr Cuong Bui, a vneurosurgeon at Ochsner Health, contacted them directly because he thought her brain bleed was something more rare.

One of the more common causes of brain bleeds is an aneurysm,

Most parents only learn their child has the condition after a routine heel prick in the hospital.

That’s because, during infancy, the body still relies on fetal hemoglobin, a type of oxygen-carrying protein that’s produced in the womb.

But, in sickle cell patients, the gene that makes fetal hemoglobin is turned off shortly after infancy Those with

PROVIDED PHOTO

After surviving a dangerous brain bleed while a nursing student, Mackenzie Johnson, right, went on to become a nurse practitioner

At left is her surgeon, Dr Cuong Bui.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Daniel Cressy Louisiana’s first patient to receive gene therapy for sickle cell disease, leaves Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans on April 21. Staff members held a small parade for him as he walked from his room and went outside for the first time in weeks.

Psychedelic retreats spring up across the world

Booming business has few safety guardrails

BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Surging interest in the purported benefits of psychedelic drugs has given rise to books, documentaries and conferences dedicated to the mind-altering substances. Now add one more business to the list: psychedelic retreats.

Hundreds of outfits across the world are offering multiday trips where attendees pay for drug-assisted experiences claiming to promote psychological healing, personal growth and other benefits.

Many have safety procedures in place, but they still carry “potential for physical, psychological, and interpersonal harms,” researchers who surveyed dozens of retreats wrote in a recent paper in JAMA Network Open.

Currently no psychedelics have been federally approved in the U.S., although that may soon change. On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate reviews of psychedelics that show potential for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder The order also directs law enforcement agencies to quickly lower restrictions on any psychedelic approved by the FDA.

THERAPY

Continued from page 1X

the chronic condition have a mutation in the hemoglobin gene that makes blood cells stiffen and curve into a crescent shape that easily clots and gets jammed up in their joints, causing intense pain

Dr Benjamin Watkins, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, came to Manning Family three years ago after participating in early clinical trials of using gene editing to mimic healthy hemoglobin at Emory University. Those trials found a 97% success rate in reducing pain for people with sickle cell disease

Cressy contacted Watkins and the team at Manning Family far before the FDA approved a stem cell gene therapy for sickle cell patients. He was first in line for the treatment when the New Orleans hospital started taking patients.

“I really just wanted to be cured so I could fly,” he said He sought treatment so he can get his pilot’s license, which the disease currently prevents him from obtaining. Once he found

Continued from page 1X

according to Bui. However, for Johnson, the bleeding was a cerebral cavernoma deep in her brain. The malformation is caused by a cluster of abnormally thinwalled blood vessels.

“It looks like a raspberry, and blood can leak out and ultimately bleed,” Bui said.

The causes of cerebral cavernomas are, by and large, spontaneous and unknown and most patients are asymptomatic until the bleeding causes irritation in the brain. For Johnson, the bleeding caused her to have seizures and some of the leaking blood went into the fluid spaces in her brain.

Johnson was picked up by Acadian Air Med and flown to Ochsner in New Orleans

She was still talking on the flight and remembers mentioning to her mother that she wanted to be an in-flight nurse one day Less than 24 hours after landing, everything got worse. Johnson stopped breathing while getting her CT scan. Doctors intubated her and put her on life support.

“We were in a fight for my

been used for centuries by Indigenous cultures.

No matter where they operate, experts say there are no industrywide standards or regulations for how participants are screened, prepared or monitored afterward.

could impair their ability to respond in an emergency

Important questions when evaluating retreats include:

n Do retreat staff have training and equipment to handle a medical emergency?

think it could stop them from attending.

“When you’re really desperate and hoping to access something that you think could help you, there’s an incentive not to be truthful,” McGuire said.

The only drug to come before the FDA thus far, MDMA, was rejected as a PTSD treatment in 2024 due to concerns about its safety and effectiveness

Dr John Krystal, a Yale School of Medicine psychiatrist who has followed the field, says psychedelics should be approached as “a serious medical procedure that carries risks that must be carefully managed.”

People who work in the field say today’s retreats are far safer than those of prior decades, when psychedelic experiences were almost always conducted underground with few safety precautions

“The sheer visibility of psychedelics has led to more demand for these retreats,” said Brad Burge, who has worked with psychedelic nonprofits, drugmakers and retreat operators for nearly 20 years. “That growing market has allowed retreats

out his treatment would be the first, “I figured I should share what it’s actually like so other patients know it’s possible,” he said.

In March 2024, Manning Family Children’s became a treatment center for multiple gene therapies available for sickle cell patients. Then, the process began for Cressy to receive treatment It took the hospital, and Cressy, 18 months to coordinate with Louisiana health insurances to cover the massive bill these therapies front from $2.2 million to $3.1 million depending on the therapy That doesn’t include the hospital stays, chemotherapy and other costs.

The gene therapies for sickle cell disease are intended for the most severe forms of the chronic condition where patients, despite doing everything right, they still stuffer

Patients must be older than 12 and within the last year have had at least two vaso-occlusive events, extremely painful episodes that commonly lead to emergency department visits.

While these treatments are for both young and older adults, the therapy can

life,” Johnson said. “My body was declining really fast.”

Johnson was taken to surgery, where Bui drained the excess blood to relieve the excess pressure in her brain. Her brain bleed was coming from the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that controls motor control, habit formation and emotional processing.

It’s located in the center of the brain and is difficult to access surgically Bui and his team at Ochsner elected to monitor Johnson’s cavernoma instead of surgically removing the malformation.

“For some reason, unbeknownst to anybody, (the cavernoma) stopped bleeding,” Johnson said. Johnson was on life support for a couple of weeks, in the hospital for a month and home by Christmas.

Since then, Johnson recovered with no issues No more bleeding. No seizures Instead, she decided to continue life as she had before.

Building back up

Just two weeks after coming home from brain surgery, Johnson began her first semester of clinicals at UL nursing school. All the while, she was in occupational and physical therapy four times a week.

to expand their services, hire more medical and coaching staff and take safety more seriously than we’ve ever seen in the past.”

Psychedelic retreats

Virtually all the drugs offered at retreats are illegal under U.S. federal law, including magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, MDMA and LSD.

Retreat companies will not always make that explicit or sometimes claim that they are protected by a rare legal exemption for religious organizations that traditionally use psychedelics.

But only a handful of groups have formally obtained that legal status, including the Native American Church, which uses peyote in its ceremonies.

Some retreats are held in countries that don’t restrict psychedelics, including Peru and Brazil, where ayahuasca a psychedelic brew of Amazonian plants — has

only prevent future damage to the body, not reverse the effects of years with sickle cell, according to Watkins.

Harvesting, editing, healing Cressy’s stem cells were harvested in both August and September and sent to a genetics lab in Scotland, where the stem cells were genetically edited to reset his body’s switch for protection from the searing, unpredictable pain of his chronic disease.

Although there are three types of gene therapy offered at Manning Family Children’s, Cressy’s does not correct his sickle cells. It reverts his genes back to his fetal hemoglobin — before the sickle cell disease switched on.

In early March, Cressy underwent chemotherapy for four days, removing the sickle-celled hemoglobin in his body to make room for the new genetically edited cells While in hospital, the team at Manning Family thawed out his new stem cells, received at -180 degrees Fahrenheit from Scotland, transferred to a syringe and given to Cressy down a tube in his chest.

“It’s the easiest part of the

Before continuing her education, she looked to Bui for advice: Was this a good idea for her recovery? According to Bui, this was exactly what she should be doing.

“The saying ‘use it or you lose it’ applies to the brain just as much as it applies to our physical bodies,” Bui said. “In neuroscience, it’s one thing to take care of the immediate problem, but ultimately, what we do is we hope to restore or preserve function. It’s ultimately about getting back to normal function.”

That encouragement from Bui was what Johnson needed to go full steam ahead.

Despite long hours in therapy where the team at Our Lady of Lourdes retaught her basic motor skills like walking up the stairs, relearning simple math and how to do a puzzle, Johnson graduated nursing school in four years. She did so with honors and with the help of her care team, best friend Heidi Garcia and her boyfriend Jordan Johnson, who drove her places, helped button her shirts, brewed her coffee and folded her laundry

“We were only 20 years old,” Johnson said. “And they were stuck with me, but we got through it.”

After graduation, Johnson

“If there is no regulation, what does that mean about the quality of care you’re going to have?” said Joshua White, founder of the Fireside Project, which runs a hotline for people experiencing distress during psychedelic trips. ”I certainly fear that there could be a race to the bottom where there is no liability or accountability.”

Standards vary

With essentially no oversight, potential attendees are on their own when vetting different options.

“It’s really important that somebody interested in a psychedelic retreat do their research, talk to the organizers or facilitators to get more information about what is being offered and how,” said Amy McGuire, a biomedical ethicist at Baylor College of Medicine and co-author of the JAMA Network Open study

McGuire and her colleagues documented a wide range of practices, including some companies offering multiple psychedelic drugs over the course of their retreats.

Many retreats have health professionals on site, but their roles and responsibilities are often vague. In some cases they take psychedelics alongside participants, which

n Is there a hospital nearby and transportation to get there?

n Do staffers spend significant time helping participants prepare and process the experience?

Websites that compile user reviews, such as Retreat. guru, are one source for this information.

One of the most important safety steps happens before any retreat begins: screening out people with serious medical conditions who shouldn’t take psychedelics.

More than half the retreats surveyed for the study excluded participants with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

“Psychedelic drugs may worsen symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia,” noted Krystal, who was not involved in the research. “It is important that patients are carefully screened to ensure that appropriate patients enter treatment.”

Significantly, all the retreats said they rely on potential customers to truthfully disclose their medical history and health conditions.

That approach carries risks, the authors noted, since people suffering from severe afflictions may withhold information if they

Discontinuing medications

Another potentially risky practice: Nearly 90% of the surveyed retreats require or recommend that attendees stop taking certain medications, including antidepressants, before using psychedelics. These so-called “washout periods” ranged from one day to six weeks before the psychedelic experience.

Medical experts say safely tapering off antidepressants like Prozac can take six to 12 weeks and requires professional supervision.

“The patient needs to realize that by going off their medicine they’re at greater risk of recurrence or exacerbation of their symptoms,” said Dr Jeffrey Lieberman, a Columbia University psychiatrist. “They should be monitored regularly to make sure nothing bad happens.” The rationale for halting antidepressants comes from research that combining those drugs with psychedelics may cause excess levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that influences mood, sleep and other functions. But retreat operators may also be trying to make sure the medications don’t dull the intensity of the psychedelic experience, according to McGuire.

a newborn,” Watkins said. “And the side effects of having chemotherapy — hair loss, nausea, mouth sores — gets better as these stem cells grow then start to heal him.”

For now, Cressy is still looking to the skies for his next adventure Before his gene therapy, Cressy applied for his pilot’s license with the Federal Aviation Administration but was denied due to his condition. After his isolation period is finished, he plans to get back to flight training.

process,” Watkins said. “It takes two minutes.”

Then, they watched him.

For weeks or months after receiving new or altered cells, the body has to catch up. Within 24 hours, the genetically edited cells found their way to Cressy’s bone marrow Then, those cells need to ramp up to make all of the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets he lost during chemotherapy

“These are like greatgreat-great-grandmother cells,” Watkins said. “They divide and replicate and

started as a trauma nurse at Ochsner Lafayette General. Then, years later, as she had reminded her mother, she became an in-flight nurse for Acadian Air Med.

“I ended up flying as a flight nurse for the same helicopter that airlifted me to Ochsner five or six years ago,” Johnson said. “I transferred probably hundreds of hemorrhagic strokes.”

Not one to stand still for too long, Johnson went back to school after flying for a few years to pursue a masters for nurse practitioner at McNeese University. At the end of her courses, Johnson had to complete specialty hours working with patients.

She gave Bui a call.

“I just thought it would be amazing to learn from the man that saved my life,” Johnson said.

A few days and a four-hour

make more, new cells.”

When the bone marrow cells mature enough, a process that takes about four weeks, the new cells can make their way into the blood stream.

During that time, Cressy was isolated and given medication to control his pain and prevent viruses, bacteria and fungus from infecting is fragile new blood system.

This week, he headed home. He’s still on strict orders to stay away from possible infection.

“It’s kind of like having

drive later, Johnson walked into Ochsner in New Orleans, not as a patient, but as a caregiver

“Seeing her walking back into the clinic in scrubs instead of a hospital gown was definitely one of the more surreal moments that I’ll never forget,” Bui said. “To really stand next to someone in your clinic that you once were standing over their hospital bed, that I now see as a colleague, I think that’s incredibly powerful.”

Johnson spent four days with Bui and his neurosurgery team at Ochsner She was in some of his surgeries. She spoke to families. She even brought her mother and daughter to visit with the team.

The FAA confirmed to Cressy that other sickle cell patients who underwent gene therapy were able to fly again. Cressy befriended one of them, creating a brand called “Privileged Pilots.” He has been speaking at aviation and sickle cell events, explaining the process to people who might want to do the same. For now, Cressy is still on isolation while at home and will be continuously monitored by his doctors and team at Manning Family Children’s.

“I want people to see that what was once impossible is possible,” he said. “If I can do it, they can do it.”

She still has her cavernoma and revisits Bui and Ochsner every three years for scans.

“I was at the lowest of lows. Now, I’m a nurse practitioner building a house with a third kid on the way,” Johnson said. “I’m trying to get some roots. I’m trying to make a difference in the community that I’m from.”

“I’m very proud of her and what she’s done. She’s taken a personally bad medical situation. she’s turned one of the hardest moments of her life to a purpose that’s bigger than herself. As caregivers, you can’t teach that kind of empathy,” Bui said. “Mackenzie has really earned it.” Now 33, Johnson is married to her high school sweetheart, Jordan, and is a nurse practitioner at Bardin Dermatology in DeRidder Despite doctors telling her children wouldn’t be in her future because of the pressure it puts on the body, Johnson has two young children.

BEYOND

Join us on a health journey through 2026 with ‘BEYOND

Our next project will explore community obesity efforts. We pose one question to our readers: Tell us about a community group you participate in that makes you feel healthier Email your answers, comments or questions to Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JESSIE WARDARSKI

Participants lay face down on the grass on Oct. 15, 2022, during an integration circle at an ayahuasca retreat in Hildale, Utah.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Daniel Cressy sits on a hospital bed on July 30 as his blood stem cells are harvested as part of the process to remove sickle cell disease at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Cressy is back home after being in isolation after the therapy.

EatFit Live Fit

Menopause isn’t just hotflashes —here’swhat’sreally happening

Whenmostpeoplethinkabout menopause,theythinkabout hotflashes,nightsweatsor maybeevenmoodswings.

ButwhatI’vebeenhearingmoreand morefromfriends,colleaguesandreaders —issomethingdifferent:“Ijustdon’tfeel likemyself.”

Thatfeelingcanshowupinways thatdon’talwaysseemconnectedat first—skinthatsuddenlylookscrepey, jointpain,brainfogorrestlesssleep. Youmightnoticechangesinweightor muscletone,orevenshiftsincholesterol levelsdespitenochangestoyourdietor exerciseroutine

What’sbehindit?Often,itcomesback toestrogen.

“Wehaveestrogenreceptorsalloverour body—brain,skin,heartandmuscle,”says ElizabethLapeyre,M.D.,aboard-certified OB/GYNatOchsnerHealthandmedical directoroftheMenopauseandWomen’s WellnessCenteratOchsnerBaptist.“So whenestrogenlevelsstartdipping,that’s whenwestartnoticingchangesinso manyaspectsofourwellbeing.”

This“head-to-toe”effectisoneofthe mostoverlookedpartsofmenopause.It’s literallyasystem-wideshift.

Takethebrain.Manywomendescribe walkingintoaroomandforgettingwhy they’rethere,orstrugglingtofindwords mid-sentence.That’snotimagined.“There arethreetimesinyourlifewhenyour brainchanges:puberty,pregnancyand perimenopauseormenopause,”said Dr.Lapeyre.“It’snotpermanent,but that’swhywomenstarthavingthese cognitivechanges.”

Sleepoftenunravelsatthesame time,whetherfromnightsweatsor simplywakinginthemiddleofthenight andnotbeingabletofallbackasleep. Andoncesleepisoff,everythingelse

follows:energy,appetite,mood andevenmetabolism.

Bodycompositionshifts,too.As estrogendeclines,maintaininglean musclebecomesmorechallenging. Thatcanshowupasagradual lossofstrength,moreabdominal weightgainandchangesinhow yourbodyrespondstothesame routinethatusedtowork.

Evencholesterolcanchange. Estrogenhasaprotectiveeffecton cardiovascularhealth,andwhenit declines,LDLcanstarttorise.

Andthenthere’sskin.Collagen productiondropsquickly.Womencan loseupto50%oftheircollageninthe firstfiveyearsaftermenopause.Skincan feelthinner,drierandmorefragilealmost overnight.It’soneofthemorevisible— andsurprising—signsthatsomething significantisshifting.

That’salsowhereagrowingquestion comesin:Whataboutusingestrogen directlyontheskin?

Topicalestrogenforfacialskinhas beenstudiedfordecades,withsome datasuggestingimprovementsinskin thickness,hydrationandelasticity.

“It’simportanttonotethatnotevery symptomisgoingtobehormonerelated,”saidDr.Lapeyre.“Therecanbe overlapwiththingslikethyroidissues, sleepproblemsorstress—buttoooften, womenaretoldeverythingis‘normal’

withoutreallydiggingdeeperintowhat’s goingon.”

Partofthehesitationaroundtreatment comesfromoutdatedfearsabout hormonetherapy.

“Alotoftheconcernaround hormonescomesfromolderstudies thatwenowunderstandwereflawed,” saidDr.Lapeyre.“Thewaywethinkabout hormonetherapytodayismuchmore nuancedandmuchmoreindividualized. Andnowweknowthat,formostwomen, hormonereplacementtherapyissafe, whichisabigshiftfromwhatweused tothink.Anditdoesimprovemany ofthesehormone-relatedissuesthat womenareexperiencing.”

Hormonetherapycanincludeestrogen, progesteroneand,insomecases, testosterone.Eachonehasaspecificrole, andthetreatmentscanbelife-changing.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

ManyFDA-approvedoptionsare bioidenticalhormones,meaning theyarechemicallyidenticalto whatyourbodyproduces.That’s differentfromcompounded hormones,whicharecustommixedandnotFDA-regulated animportantdistinctionwhenit comestoconsistencyandsafety Withinthatconversation, testosteroneisoneoftheareas gettingmoreattention—andoften confusion.Whileitmayhelpwith energyandlibidoinsomecases,it’s notwithoutrisk.

“Testosteronetherapyinwomenisa bitofthewildwest,”Dr.Lapeyrenoted, emphasizingtheimportanceofcareful dosingandmonitoring.Sideeffects canincludeacne,oilyskin,enlarged pores,facialhairandmoodchanges likeirritabilityoraggression,whichcan improveifdosingisadjustedorstopped Othersideeffects,likeadeepeningof thevoicewhentoomuchtestosteroneis given,arenotreversible.

Thebottomline:Ifsomethingfeelsoff it’sworthpayingattention.

Thisstageoflifeisn’tsomethingyou simplyhavetoendure.Itshapeshowyou feeleachday—yourenergy,yourfocus, yourrelationships,andhowyoushowup forthepeoplearoundyou.Withevolving scienceandmoretreatmentoptions available,it’sworthhavingaconversation withyourdoctoraboutwhatmightbe rightforyou.

Foradeeperunderstandingofwhat’s happeningduringmenopauseandhow tonavigatethephysicalandcognitive changes,listentothefullconversation withDr.ElizabethLapeyreontheFUELED Wellness+Nutritionpodcast,available nowwhereveryougetyourpodcasts.

Cholesterolguidelinesaffectpatientsasyoung as 9

BY KARL HILLE

The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

BALTIMORE Updated for the first time in six years, clinical guidelines for screening and managing cholesterol now recommend earlier screenings —asyoung as 9years old —for those with afamilyhistoryofheartdisease, among other standards of care.

“Shifting the paradigm toward proactive prevention strategies earlier in life can meaningfullychange the trajectory of cardiovascular disease and lead to better

healthoutcomes forpeople decades later,” Johns Hopkins cardiologist SethMartin,amember of the guidelinewriting committee, said in astatement on the Hopkins website

Introduced at theAmerican College of Cardiology’s annualScientificSession in NewOrleans on March 28, the guidelines includea new frameworktohelpdoctors calculate personalized risk assessmentsconsidering each patient’sunderlying conditions. These can include afamily historyof congestedarteries,arthritis,

In2024, 14.8% of Louisianans avoided or delayedneeded health care due to cost according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Avoiding or delaying neededhealth care has been associated with increasedpreventable hospitalizations and missed opportunities to prevent disease and managechronic conditions, all of which can lead to worse and more expensivehealth outcomes.

Health care prices are higherinthe United States than in other countries. In 2024, U.S. health care spending grew 7.2%, reaching $5.3 trillion —that’s$15,474 per person.

On average, 11.5% of Americanadultscould notsee their doctor due to cost withinthe past 12 months. Louisiana had the sixth-highest percentageofadults whodid not seek caredue to health care expenses.

According to America’sHealth Rankings analysis, the prevalence of avoiding caredue to cost is higher among:

n Women compared with men

n Adults ages 18 to 44 have aprevalence more than four times higher than adults age65 and older

n Hispanic,American Indian/AlaskaNative andHawaiian/PacificIslander adults compared

early menopause, and several pregnancy-related issues like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. The guidelines alsoencourage shared decision-making between doctors and patients and emphasize reducing blood levels of low-density lipoproteins, or bad cholesterol, andotherfatsand lipids at earlier ages

“Weknow that lower LDL cholesterollevels are better when it comes to reducingthe risk of heartattacks, strokesand congestive heart failure,” Johns Hopkins Dr RogerS.Blumenthal, chair

withAsianand white adults.

n LGBTQ+ adults comparedwith straight adults.

n Adults whohavenot servedinthe U.S. armedforces comparedwith adults whohave served.

Additionally,75% of adults ages 18 to 64 whowereuninsured in 2025 saidtheyskipped or postponed gettingneeded health care in the past year due to costs, compared with 37% of adultswith health insurance. Even among those withhealth insurance, many adults are underinsured, meaning their coveragedoesn’t allowaffordable accesstohealth care.

These states had the lowest percentageof adultswho avoided health care needs due to cost in 2024, in ascendingorder:

n Hawaii with 6.4%; n Vermont with 7.9%; n Iowa with 8%; n Massachusetts with 8.1%;

n NorthDakota with 8.2%;

n NewHampshire with 8.6%;

n SouthDakota with 8.9%;

n Maine with 9.2%; n Delaware with 9.5%

of the guideline writing committee, said in thestatement. “Wealsoknowthat bringing elevated lipids and blood pressure down in young adults supports optimal heartand vascular health throughout aperson’slife.”

The guidelines were jointly published in theJournal of the AmericanCollege of Cardiology andCirculation on March 13. They come at atime when one in 10 American adults has tested positivefor high blood cholesterol, accordingtothe Centers for Disease Control andPreven-

tion. Specialists believe the actualnumberofpatients suffering from high cholesterol might be one in four adults. High blood cholesterol increases the risk of narrowing or hardening of the arteries, blocking blood flow,and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Blumenthal said 80% to 90% of apatient’srisk depends on habitsthatcan be changed to support hearthealthy living and keep cholesterollevelswithin a normal range. These include eating aheart-healthy diet, engaginginregular,brisk

physical activity,avoiding tobacco,getting enough sleep and maintaining ahealthy weight. He said focusing on lifestyle interventions should be afirst or foundationalapproach.

In addition to screening children witha family history of heart disease, the guideline recommends that everyone get aone-time screening forlipoprotein(a), which can reveal genetic factors that increase individual risk forheartdiseaseby40% or more. Additional testing can help doctors refine care for each patient.

n Pennsylvaniawith 9.8%

These states had the highest percentageof adults whoavoided health care needs due to cost in 2024, in descending order: n Texaswith 17.4%; n Nevada

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Honoring Our DedicatedNurses

ThisNursesWeek,wecelebratenotonlythecompassionanddedication thatdefinenursingtoday,buttheboldvisionshapingitstomorrow.From cutting-edgetechnologyandadvancedpracticeleadershiptoinnovative patientadvocacyandcommunityimpact,thefutureofnursingisbrighter thanever.

Acrossourhospitals,clinics,classroomsandcommunities,Ochsnernurses areleadingchange,drivingaccesstocare,providingextraordinarypatient experiencesandredefiningwhat’spossibleindeliveringthehighest qualitycare.

Thisweekwehonoryou–yourvoice,yourpurposeandthepromising futureyou’recreatingforyourself,ourpatientsandtheprofession.

Sha’QuanaH.,RN | BatonRouge

Cultivating community

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Contributing writer

Lafayette’sGrande Dame de MahJongg, Pat Link, is experiencinga peak inpopularity,just like the strategic tile game she loves.

At 92, in what she calls her third era of life (teachingand tour organizing were her first two), she has turnedher homeintoa Mah Jongg parlorwhere shewelcomes players, up to six times aweek, to clack tiles and enjoy the comradery that forms around the tables

The game has multiple accepted spellings, but Link teaches and plays bythe rules of the National Mah Jongg League, which uses “Mah Jongg.”

On arecent gameday,Linkwelcomed newplayers to learn more about the game that is played obsessively by its adorers. With coiffed hair,full makeup and anaura of calm concentration, she presided over her Vegas-style automated table in aback room of her home

The‘Grande Dame de Mah Jongg’ in Acadiana shares

joyin tabletop game

Clarksdale andhome

By the timeyou read this, I should be on the last day of my canoe trip downpart of the Mississippi River —that is, if the good Lord is willing and the creek don’trise, as my mom would say These days, Ilive closer to the Mississippi River than Iever have —less than amile, as the crow flies. And yet, forall that proximity,this will be my first timepaddling it.

Our all-female crew plans to put in at Clarksdale, Mississippi, and head south. We aren’tsure yet where we’ll be getting out —it depends on the current and our strong backs.

The Father of Rivers has defined so much of my life. Living my childhood in Mississippi and much of my adulthood in Louisiana, I’ve thought of the river itself as abridge from one state to the other

The river shaped the lives of those whocame before me, too including my great-great-grandfather,who came to NewOrleans from Liverpool, England, then decided to head north on the Mississippi and got off at Vicksburg. Iwonder how carefully he considered that decision. Isaid yes to this adventure thinking Iunderstood what Iwas agreeing to. Idid not.

The logistics alone have humbled me. In my mind, Ihad all the gear Ineeded. I’ve had it for years. Then, about three weeks ago, Irealized Ihad none of the gear —yeolde fire strikes again. Goodneighbors stepped in and helped me fill the gaps —camping mattress, duffelbag, head lamp, large hat, sun clothes. The required mosquito netting to drape over said hat arrived this week. This is not the American West, where my crew and I have paddled before. Out there, mosquitoes werenot aconcern, and the nights were so cool and clear we didn’teven sleep in the tents. We just lay under the giant sky dotted with stars from east to west.

The ladies around Link’stable —with its well-lit, self-rolling dice —had dabbled in some of these variations.

Carol Saucier,the longest-playing participant with45yearsoftile clacking un-

As the table suckeda setoftilesdown a hole in its center,she gave players aquick history lesson while showingoff her antique wooden tile set whichincludedwhat she playfully called, “Mr.Babineaux’sred book of rules,” explaining, “I’m originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, but forsome reason,Iwant to Cajun-ify Joseph Park Babcock.” Babcock, born in Lafayette, Indiana, was an employee of Standard Oil in China who brought “Mah-Jongg” to the UnitedStates in theearly1920s. His redbook of rules is considered closer to therules of China where the game originated —closer than theover 40 known variations played globally

der her belt,learned theWright-Patterson variation,created by the Officer’s Wives Club at theAir Force base of the same name. Someone had played Riichi, aJapanese form, on vacation once.

Beforeshe connected with Link, Leslie Leonpacher learnedaformofparty Mah Jongg which the table dubbed “Cahj Jongg,” when they heardher descriptionof the loose rules and lack of cards.

Around Link’s tables, players follow the rules of theNational Mah Jongg League whichuses “the card” —asmall folding brochure coveredinwhatappears to be colorful hieroglyphics but actually are lists of various hands (patterned tile combinations) needed to win. Link explained that, as you play,the patterns become ingrained in your mental muscle memory

At the table,players swiftly discarded and pulled symbol-rich printed tiles, attention focused,calling out, “Three dot Eight bam …Six crack …Red dragon.”

“The game is stimulating and challenging. It’sneurologically goodfor you,” Link said.

“Unless you lose allthe time, then you want to kill people,” one player said, countering with asmile, despite being down $2

Themonetary stakesare low,serving more as away to keep scoreratherthan to getrich; some days they play only for prizes.

Justwhen players have memorizedthe hands listed on the card,the Mah Jongg New Year rolls around on April 1, and the ä See MAHJONGG, page 2Y

On the Mississippi in April, the sky is still giant, but it comes with considerably morecompany As the trip has inched closer I’ve felt atrepidation I’mnot accustomed to feeling. The Mississippi River can be beautiful and brutal in equal measure. Something about this trip has asked moreofmebefore Ieven get in the boat.

Songs, poetry and friends have pushed me forward.

In 2022, my husband and I drove to Lake Itasca in Minnesota, to the headwaters of the Mississippi. Standing there was morepowerful than Icould have anticipated. Families were wading across, children jumping

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

PatLink plays Mah Jongg at her home

STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIE WESTBROOK

Players shuffletiles between games of Mah Jongg at the home of PatLink on April 10 in Lafayette

Afold-out card containing the official hands andrules of the National Mah Jongg League is kept near aplayer’stiles during agame. The playablehandsare changed each year by the League, and newcards are provided to members.

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER

The mighty Mississippi River beginsits journeyinLakeItasca, Minnesota. Thislittleboy and his family easily walkedacross the river, in true Indigo Girls’ fashion in five steps.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Youth gaming labs support social emotional skills

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

Years before esports programming became a thing in New Orleans, nonprofit Unchained Realities began with a group of friends who wanted to improve youth outcomes by focusing on athletics, education and community building.

Its founder, Gentilly native Brent DeLarge, has since expanded the organization into a gaming hub that offers internships, esports labs and social connections at schools, public recreation centers and other locales across New Orleans. Its subsidiary, NOLAGROWN also introduces kids to graphic design, screen printing and photography

Through a partnership with the New Orleans Recreation Department, the organization cut the ribbon on its third and fourth esports lab last year

Unchained Realities now has esports labs at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East, Milne Playground in Gentilly, Cut-Off Recreation Center in Algiers and the Lyons Center Uptown.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

How did you guys bring in the gaming aspect of Unchained Realities? During the pandemic, communicating through the game was one of the only ways to hang out with my friends. We thought, ‘We need to do something like this for kids.’

But we didn’t know what or how

We later started working with this school that was connected to the YMCA and we got someone to donate 10 gaming PCs. We had students unbox them. We didn’t know much about curriculums but we started teaching lessons

about design and media for about six weeks. And how did you grow from there?

Maybe a year or two later the YMCA reached back out to us, and we ran free play where kids would come out and play video games with us. We started learning more about the gaming space from an educational standpoint.

Can you tell me about how the partnership with New Orleans Recreation Department came to play? I heard that NORD was trying

Q&A WITH BRENT DELARGE FOUNDER OF UNCHAINED REALITIES

to get into the esports space. I had a relationship with NORD, so I reached out to (CEO) Larry Barabino, and he brought me to the table. What other places do you offer programming? Our newest thing is we’re teaching at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center on Saturdays for four hours. We have two different sets of kids that do curriculum and play games with us. We do field trips where we go on site or they come to us and we talk to kids about the jobs they could pursue in the gaming world. Can you give some detail about the curriculums you’re teaching? Sometimes the gaming environment can be stressful. Kids get frustrated when they lose. We teach them about triggers and social emotional learning skills to better manage their emotions. We introduced our kids to Unreal Engine, which creates games such as Fortnite. We teach kids how to set up a stream through Twitch or You-

Tube. We teach them how to use AI prompts to come up with their own esports teams. They pick team names, create a logo and then the kids print T-shirts with the logo they designed. For our music and sound design program, we take a video game clip and they learn how to do voice-overs and add sounds to it. What kind of impact could gaming have on New Orleans youth?

When we first started with the YMCA, kids from an alternative school came to us two times a week. For whatever reason, the school and the YMCA parted ways and those kids could no longer come to our lab. But two of the boys ended up pulling (car) door handles one day and one of them was shot during the same exact time frame that they would’ve been with us. I’m not saying it would’ve never happened, but it wouldn’t have happened that day

Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

National League issues new cards with new hands to learn one of the reasons cited when people talk about the cognitive benefits of the game. At the nonautomated table in Link’s dining room, the tiles made a clicketyclacking sound as they were shuffled. Collectively shifting and tumbling the hard, smooth tiles, each player relaxed their focus and the chatting flowed. There was talk of plans for the weekend, upcoming tournaments and past games. The question arose, “Why is Mah Jongg so popular now?”

“I would love to know,” said Link, who has been playing for 32 years and teaching the game for over a decade, adding, “I’ve met so many people. My life wouldn’t be as rich without Mah Jongg. I’m never lonely.” A couple of players cited the pandemic, as it was a game people could play outdoors. Coming out of those isolating times, people were eager to gather together and reconnect. Another person mentioned the 2018 movie, “Crazy Rich Asians,” which features an intense Mah Jongg scene. No matter the reason, the game is hot right now — even the South Regional

Library branch of the Lafayette Public Library is hosting lessons. By her estimates, Link has taught over half of Lafayette’s players. She has devised lesson plans to teach groups of four to six players the National Mah Jongg League variation in eight weeks. She starts with learning the tiles, then the history, then the “touchyfeely” of the tiles, followed by the rules in incremental steps. Her final advice to learners is to play online as much as possible to create the mental muscle memory required to play swiftly since the game is most fun

when it flows at a good pace. (On realmahjongg.com her handle is “allons.”)

Link is an advocate of the National League rules — the standard for tournaments. People seek her out for her commitment to the rules as well as her no-nonsense approach which she mixes with a dry sense of humor. Using the organizational skills she honed in her second era of life as owner of the tour company Allons a Lafayette, she recently helped her granddaughter host a highly successful charity fundraising tournament in Shreveport. In Lafayette, she hosts an

annual tournament, scheduled for June 23 this year, at the Petroleum Club.

“For Pat, it’s about building community,” Leonpacher said.

One of Link’s recently widowed students shared that Mah Jongg helps her to fill the void after her husband’s death. It’s a planned event that allows her to meet people, giving her an added dimension to life

“Pat is the Grande Dame of Mah Jongg,” said player and student Ali Romero. “If you get invited to play at her house, you say ‘yes!’” She recalled a time when

Link had encouraged her with a wry comment that made her laugh.

“When I was new, I was nervous. Pat’s kind of scary,” Romero said. “Once, I kept complaining about not having a good hand, and she said, ‘Well, Ali, maybe you’re not a good player.’”

To an outsider, these words might sound harsh, but to sit at the table with Link and witness her take delight in the game is to know that her words are taken as encouragement by the players who adore her and show up regularly for the community she has created.

Continued from page 1y

help thinking I knew a thing or two those young parents couldn’t yet imagine about where their children’s lives were going and who they might become. I think of Lake Itasca every time I hear the Indigo Girls’ “Ghost.” The song traces the Mississippi from those Minnesota headwaters — small enough for those children and me to cross in five steps — to something so vast it hardly seems connected to where it began.

The mighty and the tender, always braided together

Then there is Heraclitus, who wrote more than 2,000 years ago: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” I would substitute woman there, but the truth of it has outlasted the noun by millennia.

The river I paddle this week is not the river at Lake Itasca not the river my ancestors went up or crossed, not even the river I saw last Tuesday from the bank.

And I am not the same woman who said yes to this trip, either

One of my favorite quotes, often attributed to St. Augustine, has also been with me as this trip approached: “The deepest desire of the human heart is to belong, to be welcomed, to know you are seen and worthy of kindness.” I cannot verify he wrote it more than a thousand years ago, but I cannot argue with it, either

The women I’m paddling with make me feel all of those things. Most of them I’ve paddled with before. One of them found the outfitter, arranged the details and made the whole adventure possible. What a blessing to have friends who make me feel like I belong. That is no small gift. Finding people who make me feel welcomed, seen and worthy of kindness is the journey I always want to take. These women also make me laugh. And somewhere between Clarksdale and wherever we take out, I suspect that may be what this trip is really about.

Email Jan Risher at

PROVIDED PHOTO

DeLarge supervises a group of students while they game in one of his programs.

MAH JONGG

Continued from page 1y

Players slide tiles into the center of an automatic shuffling table.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Pat Link, clockwise from top right, Jo Tu, Jane Sawvel and Dolores Champagne play Mah Jongg at Link’s automated table.

THERE’S GOOD NEWS,TOO

Theseare storiesofglobalprogress, compiled by the media group Fixthe News andshared in partnership with The Advocate/The Times-Picayune.

Each story overview is linked to an original report or story with more information.

NEWWEIGHT-LOSS PATHWAY

Researchers at StanfordMedicine andthe University of Colorado, Boulder, studied pythons’ extreme “feast-and-famine” metabolism to uncover new clues about weight loss. After eating massivemeals, pythons experience dramatic physiological changes and produce hundreds of metabolites.

One molecule —called pTOS— increased more than 1,000-fold. When scientists administeredthis molecule to obese laboratorymice it suppressed appetite and caused weight loss comparable to GLP-1 drugs likeOzempic.

“Although it’stoo soon to tell whether this metabolite, called pTOS,will translate to anew weight loss drug in humans, the studysolidifies the powerofstudying extremes in the animal kingdom. Reptiles have repeatedly gifted humans with clinically significant drugs,” med stanford.edu reported.

The pTOS molecule appearstoact directly on the appetite and feeding behaviors of the mice, causingthe obese mice to eat less thanthe control mice.After 28 days, the obese mice lost 9% of their bodyweight. Although promising,the findings are still early,and it’sunclear whether pTOS can be developed intoasafe and effectivetreatment for humans. Still, the discovery opens apotential newpathwayfor obesity therapies

ECUADORCONSERVATION

Last month, the Wildlife Conservation Society reported that Ecuador officially recognized the

STORIES OF GLOBAL PROGRESS,COMPILEDByFIX THE NEWS

NEW WEIGHT-LOSS PATHWAY

CourtlandPotter,7,lets JeremyHumphreyofAce’sReptile Emporium place aballpython on her arms.After eating massive meals, pythons experience dramaticphysiological changes and produce hundreds of metabolites.One molecule —calledpTOS—increased more than 1,000-fold.When scientists administered this molecule to obese laboratorymice, it suppressed appetite and caused weight loss comparable to GLP-1 drugs likeOzempic.

Llanganates-Yasuní Connectivity

Corridorasa Special Conservation Area,linkingLlanganates National Park in theAndes withthe yasuní Biosphere Reserve in the Amazon. Covering about2,159 square kilometers, the corridor represents a major step in protecting biodiversity and sustainableland use.The initiative, launched in 2024, involved ecological studies,community engagementand collaboration among localgovernments, civil societyand more The corridorspans from high Andean páramo ecosystemstolowland tropical humid forests, creating a continuous ecological transition betweenAndean and Amazonian

Powering Progress

landscapes— which supports diverse habitats and allows the movement of species.Because of this, the corridor functions as acritical climate refuge. Sebastian Valdivieso, CountryDirector of WCS Ecuador,saysthisrecognition helps to safeguard biodiversity and supports localcommunitieswhose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.

CHILDPOVERTY FALLS

Newdata shows that child poverty in Scotland is declining, with rates falling from 25% (2020-23) to 21% (2022-25), while remaining lowerthan the UK average.The improvement, as reported by the Child Poverty ActionGroup,reflects

policy efforts such as targetedsocial security measures and more accurate data collection using administrative records alongside surveys. However, the statistics arestill considered “in development,” meaning furtherrevisions arepossible as methodologies improve.Despite progress, around one in five children in Scotland still liveinpoverty, highlighting ongoing challenges.The ScottishGovernmentremains legally committedtoreducing child poverty to below10% by 2030/31 underthe Child PovertyAct.

PHILIPPINES’ TRANSPORT Commuters in Manila successfully pushedfor safer,moreinclusive

streets by organizing collectively and influencing public policy, according to The WorldResources Institute. In acity whereonly about 6% of residents owncars, most people rely on walking,cycling or public transport— yetinfrastructure and funding historically prioritized vehicles, leaving commuters with unsafeconditions.

During the pandemic, when transit shutdownsexposeddeep inequalities, acoalition of transportworkers, cyclists and community advocates formed.The Move As OneCoalition unitedadiverse group of jeepney drivers, bus operators, commuters, disability advocates, women’s groups, youth organizers, LGBTQ+ activists and cycling groups.

“By organizing across sectors, the coalition has turnedfragmented demands into collectiveaction, reframing transportation as apublic service that shapesthe livelihoods, health and opportunitiesofmillions, The WorldResourcesInstitute reported.

Armed withdata, the coalition found that “just 1% of road spending supportedpublic transport, walking or cycling.”Through advocacy,public campaigns and direct engagement withpolicymakers, theysecured major reforms— influencing decisions affecting an estimated$946 million in immediate transportfunding and $12 billion in medium- and long-term funding This includesthe creation of pedestrian boulevards, bikelanesand adedicatedbusway.The movement also improvedwages and working conditions fortransportworkers.

Fixthenews.com is asolutions journalism newsletter that finds stories of progressand shares them withreaders from across the world. Acclaimed author Steven Pinker calls Fix theNews“thebestsource for positivenewsonthe internet.”

With thousands of Shellmen and womenacross thestate,we areworking everyday to reduce emissions, while increasing efficiencyinour operations

Our tomorrowdepends on whatwedotoday.Together, we arepowering progress forabrighterfuture. Louisiana is where we live and we’reproud to call it home.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Congregation raises money to tackle medical debt

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

In the end, turns out it wasn’t

much of a dilemma at all. Mount Olivet Episcopal Church in Algiers Point in New Orleans had some money set aside and the thinking was that it would help purchase a statue of Mary But then the church’s pastor, the Rev. Bill Terry found himself researching a sermon on Christian engagement. That research turned up a church in South Carolina whose congregation raised money to partner with a nonprofit, Undue Medical Debt, that purchases medical debt and then “forgives” debtors

“So I did my due diligence,” Terry said one recent morning The company was legit. So was the debt relief program.

“I preached my sermon about it,” Terry said. “It fits with the beatitudes; they call us to relieve suffering.”

A church member was so moved that she pledged a donation, saying, “We don’t really need a statue, but people can use our help,” Terry said. “I agreed.”

So did the church leadership and many of its congregation of 30-35 people And after a funding campaign that just wrapped up in the weeks after Easter Mount Olivet was able to send around $17,000 to Undue Medical Debt.

‘It’s just math’

It might not sound like a lot but that $17,000 was enough that the nonprofit could purchase $1.7 million of debt, said Allison Sesso, Undue Medical Debt’s president and CEO.

In the coming weeks, nearly 1,500 New Orleans area residents will receive notification that their medical debt has been erased

Because medical debt is typically part of a hospital’s “bad debt portfolio,” it’s often sold at pennies on the dollar, Sesso said. She said the company has erased more $40 billion in debt since its founding in 2014.

“It’s not magic,” she said, “It’s just math.”

Mount Olivet traces its roots to 1846, when services were held in the parlor of the Hughes Hotel a couple of blocks from the church’s current location on Pelican Avenue. The congregation formally organized in 1848 and was admitted into the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana in 1851.

Terry, 74, is a New Orleans native, Navy veteran and a former insurance underwriter who “became a priest in my 50s.” For

Looking for La. faith

The newspaper is inviting ministers from across Louisiana every faith tradition, every denomination, every corner of the state to contribute first-person columns on faith for occasional publication in the Louisiana Inspired section.

Topics are wide open, as long as they’re rooted in faith. Write about doubt, community or why ancient traditions still matter Write about what faith looks like in a flood zone, a small town or a hospital room. Write about why you do this work.

Columns should be 550–750 words, first-person, written for a general audience, original and unpublished. Submissions do not guarantee publication and will be edited for length and clarity

Promotional content and attacks on other faith traditions are not a fit. Honest, personal writing about faith in Louisiana life is.

To submit, email the following to Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com:

n The completed column (550–750 words)

n A headshot

n A bio of no more than 100 words

n The name and address of your church or place of worship

n The best contact phone number for the minister (not to be published). Louisiana has always had a lot to say about faith. We’re listening.

years, he led St. Anna’s Episcopal Church on Esplanade Avenue. He was a recognizable figure around Treme, with his white beard and ponytail and his commitment to annually chronicling the city’s murder victims with each of their names written on a large board outside the church

He retired from St. Anna’s in 2023 and has been at Mount Olivet for the past couple of years.

“I’m a priest and retirement doesn’t work for me,” Terry said with a grin.

At Mount Olivet, Terry says, he not only found a charming, old church that has been a fixture in Algiers Point since the 1800s, but also a congregation that hungered to spread kindness and become known beyond the stained-glass windows of the sanctuary

Looking for an identity

Partnering with Undue Medical Debt doesn’t only help area residents struggling under the weight

of debt, it is part of a local congregation shaping its image.

“This place (Mount Olivet) has been looking for an identity that goes beyond that lovely building on Algiers Point,” Terry said.

Several times during a conversation inside the church one recent morning, Terry refers to the Beatitudes the blessings taught by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew They include several well-known phrases, including “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” and “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

“Undue Medical Debt was a perfect fit. We’ve become a beatitudes church,” Terry said.

“Imagine you’re sitting at home worrying about paying off the bills and you get a letter that says, simply, your debt is forgiven,” he added. “That sounds like something Jesus would say.”

Terry was astounded as he researched medical debt. Nearly a

quarter of Louisiana’s population, he said, struggles with medical debt.

“Most people don’t realize it, but medical debt is traded like a commodity in this country,” he said.

Sesso said for-profit companies buy and sell that debt. Undue Medical Debt buys blocks of debt but instead of then trying to collect it as some other companies might, it forgives the people carrying the debt.

Buying, selling debt

Sesso said Undue Medical Debt analyzes a number of factors, including income and debt ratio, to determine eligibility Then letters are sent to people telling them they’re now clear of that debt.

Some of the people might have been uninsured Others had insurance that didn’t cover all the bills.

“It’s not a personal failing,” she said of people who face medical debt. “What did they do wrong? They got sick.”

Undue Medical Debt isn’t new to Louisiana. In 2024 it partnered with the city of New Orleans and Ochsner Health to forgive some $59 million in debt for 66,000 New Orleanians. Ochsner also said in 2024 that it was teaming with Undue Medical Debt to wipe out the debt of nearly 200,000 patients across its system.

Terry said Mount Olivet members made donations, and the church worked with the nearby Old Point Bar, a well-known Old Algiers meeting spot, on a fundraiser in March. Band members and bartenders dug into their tip jars to help, he said.

Hazel Pomfret, a Mount Olivet member who lives in Algiers Point, called the debt relief effort a “nobrainer.”

“It puts us on the map,” she said. “It tells people we care about the community

Email reporter Bob Warren at bwarren@theadvocate.com.

Student teaches kids how to manage money

BY DAHLIA BAZZAZ Seattle Times (TNS)

Editor’s note: This story was created by Dahlia Bazzaz for the Seattle Times. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities solutions that can be adopted around the world.

SEATTLE Seventeen-year-old

Siddhi Tandon didn’t set out to start a financial literacy program She was just trying to figure out what to do with her first paycheck.

Three years ago, the student at Lakeside School in Seattle had earned about $500 working as a camp counselor, and went to a Chase bank location to cash the check After hearing about the different kinds of accounts she could open, she got her first sense of just how little she knew about money management “I realized this was going to be important in my life going forward,” she said. “This is such a gap and something I never learned in school.”

That experience — part confusion, part curiosity — pushed her down a financial literacy research rabbit hole She pored over YouTube videos and articles that explained budgeting, investments loans and the stock market Then, last year, she decided to share that information with everyone else, starting an organization called “Cubs of Wall Street.”

Tandon now gives free financial literacy workshops to students at libraries and schools across Washington state, reaching more than 4,500 students so far She also authored a book released in

formula.

“Budgeting is not simple. This is a really good rule to get kids started thinking about this,” she said.

Part of what makes the sessions effective, she believes, is that they’re led by someone close in age to the audience. Students are often more willing to engage, ask questions and see themselves in the material. That relatability shows up in the kinds of questions she gets. In some sessions, students reference financial research or specific stocks. In others, she explains what a bank account is.

The range, she said, highlights just how uneven access to financial knowledge can be.

Tandon’s own learning curve included early mistakes. She remembers panic-selling a stock during a dip, only to watch it rebound the next day, a lesson in how volatile markets can be and why long-term thinking matters.

February, “What I Learned About Money,” aimed at helping kids understand the basics of managing money early Her efforts reflect a broader gap lawmakers have repeatedly tried and failed to address in Washington. This year marked the third consecutive attempt to require financial literacy in schools; proposals with bipartisan support did not make it through the 2024 or 2025 legislative sessions, and again fell short this year The issue has gained traction nationally, where more than two dozen states now require some form of financial literacy education, up from just five in 2018. Her sessions are designed to

meet students at different levels. Some arrive already familiar with investing concepts, while others are starting from scratch. The lessons begin simply, covering how money is earned and what it means to budget, and then move to more advanced topics like investing and different kinds of interest. Tandon often uses examples that feel accessible to younger audiences for example, comparing investments to collectibles like Pokémon cards that gain value over time. She also introduces foundational concepts like the 50-30-20 rule, which breaks income into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings. But she’s careful to frame it as a starting point, not a rigid

Now, she shares those experiences openly, along with practical steps students can take, like opening a bank account, understanding taxes on a first job or simply thinking differently about saving small amounts of money

“Every bank account started is a huge win,” she said.

While she continues to expand her program, Tandon sees schools as a critical part of the solution, and an area where more could be done.

“School prepares us to get a job,” she said during a TedX talk she gave last year about her journey to becoming financially literate “But what it doesn’t prepare us to do is manage the money that we earn from a job.” For now she’s helping to fill that gap herself.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

The Rev. Bill Terry hugs a member of the congregation after his final Mass at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans on July 23, 2023. Now at Mount Olivet Episcopal Church in Algiers Point, Terry has led an effort to raise money for medical debt relief.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Tutor Ashlyn Miller helps Mason Gray, 10, and his brother, MJ, 11, with math skills during an after-school program on Oct. 8, 2024. Like Miller, Siddhi Tandon helps students by giving free financial literacy workshops at libraries and schools across Washington state.

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

grams

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — HeritAGe: HEH-rihtij: Something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor

Average mark 40 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 58 or more words in HERITAGE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

Overcoming adversity

Today’s deal is from a recent team match in Turkey. We know that four spades failed at the other table.

We don’t know why West at this table chose to lead a club, dummy’s first-bid suit, but it gave declarer nothing that he couldn’t get on his own. Dummy’s jack of clubs won the opening lead.

The contract would be cold if the trumps split 3-2, so South cashed the ace of spades and led a spade to his king, getting the bad news. He led a low heart from his hand. The defense took two heart tricks and led a club to South’s king. South ruffed a heart in dummy and discarded a diamond on the ace of clubs.

♠

♠

TAURUS

help you get what you want.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Get ready to go for it. You can be powerful without letting your ego get in the way Avoid unnecessary arguments, and set the stage for your success.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Use your energy to engage in helping others or to participate in a cause that concerns you. A constructive idea applied to how you earn your

The king of diamonds was followed by a diamond to the ace, leaving this position (at left). South led a spade to dummy’s queen and led the club from dummy. He scored his eight of spades “en passant” Very nicely done!

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

living will be the push you need to get ahead. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Get involved in an event, activity or pastime that motivates you to learn something new Your input will make a difference, and the people you encounter will have a positive impact on how you live and move forward.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) An honest assessment regarding your skills will make a difference in how others perceive you. Let intelligence guide you and detail help you reach your objective. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You have more possibilities available to you

than you think. A change of scenery will spark your imagination and help you direct your energy accordingly You have plenty to look forward to, so stop procrastinating.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Bantering with those closest to you will result in opportunities, insight and a fresh start. You will get good results from constructive ideas, joint ventures and being true to yourself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Start changing your surroundings to meet your needs. How you live will have an impact on how you

perform. Self-improvement is prominent. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Less talk will spare you grief. Focus on home, comfort and all the things that put a smile on your face. Refuse to let outside influences interfere with your schedule.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Update your look, pamper yourself and live in and enjoy the moment. Take better care of yourself. Look after your emotional well-being and start mapping out your future.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Opportunity knocks; open the door. Get out, mingle and discover what’s

new and exciting. Rely on your judgment in financial matters to avoid scams and aggressive sales tactics.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Keep your thoughts and emotions to yourself, and offer patience, understanding and love to the people you encounter Overreacting will ruin your day and disrupt your domestic environment.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

1. Central Park.2.The Big Apple.3.The Statue of Liberty.4.Bronx Park.5.BrooklynBridge. 6. The East River. 7. Rockefeller Center 8. Times Square. 9. Museum of Modern Art. 10. TheHigh Line. 11. Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, StatenIsland.12. New Amsterdam. 13. Mayor of New York City 14. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. 15.Wall Street.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: I've neverlosta game;I just ran out of time. —Michael Jordan

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend

dustin /bySteve Kelley&JeffParker