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Court allows abortion pills by mail for now

E LEC T ION 2026

Voters report confusion over election changes

La. at center of legal debate over access to drugs

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

and the impact of Landry’s order.

Andre Pagliarini, a history professor at LSU, wasn’t sure when he arrived at the State Archives building in Baton Rouge whether he could vote in the 5th Congressional District race until he saw a sign inside the voting booth telling him that the race had been canceled.

Denise Lyons was advised by election officials at City Hall in New Orleans

WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday issued an order that temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the drug mifepristone at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Alito lifted the ban without comment, as is usual until the Supreme Court decides whether to hear a case. Alito’s order pauses a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ order until Monday. In the meantime, Alito asked the parties to submit briefs.

Ruling Friday in a law- Alito suit brought by Louisiana, the 5th Circuit, based in New Orleans, ruled that mifepristone could not be ordered by or mailed to women because, partially, it undermined the state’s ban on abortions after the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Louisiana is among the 13 states that have outlawed abortions. The state contends that abortions are continuing in the state because of the availability of the mail-order drugs.

The pills are responsible for two-thirds of abortions in the U.S., according to Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based nonprofit that studies reproductive issues.

The drug regimen was approved in 2000.

The Food and Drug Administration had rules to allow mifepristone, which along with the drug misoprostol, induces a miscarriage, only after the woman consulted in person with a physician.

The FDA lifted that requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, it made permanent the ability to buy the pills via mail with the prescription of a physician who consulted with the patient remotely over a telemedicine visit.

The state argues that the FDA’s

ä See VOTERS, page 4A

ä See ABORTION, page 5A

Voters cast their ballots on Monday during early voting at the Louisiana State Archives.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Officials say early voting numbers normal despite challenges

BY TYLER BRIDGES

ä Bitter redistricting fight looms

Widespread confusion.

That described the scenes at early voting sites throughout Louisiana on Monday as voters dealt with a new primary election system, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, Gov. Jeff Landry’s order on Thursday canceling the House elections — and lawsuits filed by Democrats challeng-

ing the court ruling and the governor’s order.

Election officials did their best to minimize the turmoil, training election commissioners beforehand on questions they might face and posting signs throughout early voting sites describing the new semi-closed primary rules

in Legislature. PAGE 4A

Staff writer

U.S. fights to reopen Strait of Hormuz as UAE is attacked Latest action threatens ceasefire

BY ADAM SCHRECK, BEN FINLEY and SAM METZ Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early

WEATHER HIGH 84 LOW 71 PAGE 6B

April.

The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait on Monday as part of a new initiative.

The UAE Defense Ministry said its air defenses CO ONFLICT had engaged 15 missiles and four IN THE T fired by MIIDDLE drones I r a n . A u t h o r iEAST AST ties in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.

Tehran did not outright confirm or deny the attacks but early on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”

In similarly vague terms, Iranian state television earlier quoted an anonymous military official as saying Tehran had had “no plan” to target the UAE or one of its oil fields.

“The incident resulted from U.S. military adventurism to create an illegal passage,” the official said

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AMIRHOSEIN KHORGOOI

A patrol boat moves through the water as cargo ships sit at anchor in the ä See HORMUZ, page 5A Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Saturday.

Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

Southern University Baseball vs Jackson State First Pitch 5/5 Jackson State CIS Day

Dr. Garland Green, Cardiovascular Institute of the South

May 5th, 6:00P.M. at Lee-Hines Stadium 225-771-3171 • GOJAGSPORTS.COM

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2A ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Afghanistan: Pakistan killed 3 in civilian areas

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan accused Pakistan of carrying out cross-border attacks into its territory on Monday that hit civilian areas, killing at least three people and wounding 14, as tension between the two neighbors remain high despite recent peace talks.

Afghan deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said on X that the attacks also destroyed two schools, two mosques and a health center in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected the allegation in a post on X, saying that Fitrat’s accusations follow recent crossborder firing from Afghan territory into Pakistan. Those attacks, in March and April, killed nine women and children in Bajaur, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

It said Bajaur attacks “exposed the Afghan regime’s reckless and shameful actions.” The ministry also argued that images circulated with the latest Afghan claim show damage “inconsistent with artillery impact,” citing intact roofs and localized breakage as indicators of possible staged destruction.

Pakistan and Afghanistan had been embroiled in months of deadly fighting that killed hundreds of people since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Giuliani hospitalized with pneumonia

NEW YORK — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after being hospitalized with pneumonia and placed on a ventilator, his spokesperson said Monday.

Giuliani, 81, remains in critical but stable condition at a Florida hospital and is being monitored as a precautionary measure, spokesperson Ted Goodman said.

Goodman said Giuliani’s condition was exacerbated by restrictive airway disease attributed to his exposure to dust and toxins from the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Giuliani’s hospitalization, near Palm Beach, Florida, came after he was heard coughing Friday on his nightly online talk show and hoarsely told viewers that his voice was “a little under the weather.”

“This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition,” Goodman said in a statement.

He described Giuliani as “the ultimate fighter” and said, “he is winning this battle.”

Giuliani’s family and primary medical provider are by the former mayor’s side, Goodman added. He said they thanked well-wishers for an “outpouring of love and support.”

Jet hits truck, light pole near airport, lands safely

A United Airlines jet came dangerously close to disaster Sunday when it hit a semitrailer truck and light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike as it came in to land at Newark Liberty International Airport.

“A major catastrophe was avoided by feet,” said safety expert Steve Arroyo, who landed on that same short runway many times during his career at United. “Had it been another 5 feet lower, 8 feet, I mean, no more than 10 feet, that plane would have been all over the New Jersey Turnpike.”

The driver of the bakery delivery truck was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, and the Boeing 767 flying in from Venice, Italy, with 231 people aboard was able to land safely. No one on the plane was hurt. Air traffic control audio suggests the incident may have created a hole in the side of the plane, but the airline and the National Transportation Safety Board haven’t confirmed that.

The NTSB said Monday afternoon that it has reclassified the incident as an accident because of the extent of the damage to the plane, but it didn’t provide any details.

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Driver plows into shopping area Two killed in Germany

By The Associated Press BERLIN — A driver plowed into people in a busy shopping area in the center of the German city of Leipzig on Monday afternoon, leaving two people dead, authorities said.

An additional three people were seriously injured in what officials believe was a deliberate rampage, Mayor Burkhard Jung said.

He described it as “a terrible tragedy.” An unspecified number of people sustained less serious injuries.

The driver, a 33-year-old German citizen, was detained in the car. Police said he was a German-born resident of the Leipzig area.

Prosecutors said he is under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. There was no immediate word on

DPA PHOTO By SEBASTIAN WILLNOW

Rescue workers stand next to a damaged car that crashed into several people on Monday in Leipzig, Germany, killing two. a possible motive.

The interior minister of Saxony state, Armin Schuster, said investigators believe the man acted alone.

He said that rage and “psychological instability” are often factors in such cases, but added that he wouldn’t speculate on whether that

was the case here.

Police chief René Demmler said the man drove from the Augustusplatz, a major square, along the

Grimmaische Strasse into the city’s central pedestrianized shopping area. He stressed that there was no longer any danger.

The driver was arrested in the vehicle and didn’t resist arrest, Demmler said.

Saxony state Gov. Michael Kretschmer expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

“An act like this leaves us speechless — and it makes us determined,” he added, according to German news agency dpa. “We will do everything in our power to solve this case quickly and completely.”

Photos from the scene showed a car with a battered front and a shattered windshield after the incident, which happened at about 5 p.m.

Leipzig is located southwest of Berlin and has more than 630,000 inhabitants, making it one of the biggest cities in eastern Germany.

Russia declares truce Cruise ship awaits help amid in Ukraine to mark suspected hantavirus outbreak WWII Victory Day Three people out a “massive misKyiv says it’ll carry sile strike on the center of Kyiv.” It warned the halt attacks two civilian population there employees of foreign days earlier and diplomatic missions of

By The Associated Press

Russia’s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, but it threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tries to disrupt the Victory Day festivities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m.

Wednesday and respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He did not put an end date on the truce.

The announcements on Monday come as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with a traditional military parade on Moscow’s Red Square pared down due to what officials say are concerns over possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been launching drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter its more than 4-year-old invasion.

They also follow a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires — most recently around Orthodox Easter — that had little to no impact.

The Defense Ministry said if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday’s celebrations, Russia will

“the need to leave the city promptly.”

Zelenskyy responded by saying that while Kyiv has not received any official requests for a truce, in the time left until midnight on Wednesday “it is realistic to ensure” that a ceasefire takes effect.

He urged the Kremlin “to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”

For years, the Kremlin has used the pomp-filled Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, and it has been a source of patriotic pride.

But this year, the parade in the Russian capital will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. Some of the smaller parades that are held elsewhere across the country have also been pared down or even canceled for security reasons.

Speaking at a summit with European leaders in Armenia on Monday, Zelenskyy said that the Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square” on Saturday.

“This is telling. It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them,” he said.

have died

BY GERALD IMRAY Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after three passengers died and at least three other people were left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus, according to the World Health Organization and the ship’s operator.

The MV Hondius, a Dutch ship on a weekslong polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic, had requested help from health authorities Sunday after making its way to the island of Cape Verde, off the West Africa coast. But no one has been allowed to disembark, Netherlandsbased operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.

Cape Verde’s Health Ministry said Monday that for now, it will not allow the ship to dock because of public health concerns and that it would stay in open waters close to shore.

Hantavirus is a rodentborne illness spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings. WHO says that while it is rare, hantavirus may spread between people.

It was unclear how an outbreak could have started, and the WHO said it was investigating while working to coordinate the

Police seek Okla. party shooters At least 23 injured

BY NICHOLAS INGRAM and ALONZO ADAMS Associated Press

EDMOND, Okla. — Authorities in Oklahoma were looking for assailants Monday in a weekend shooting at an unsanctioned lakeside party packed with young adults that left at least 23 people injured, some critically, according to police and hospital officials.

It wasn’t clear how many of those injured had been shot, according to a statement released by police Monday. No arrests have been made.

The shooting broke out Sunday night during a

party near a campground at Arcadia Lake, a popular swimming and boating spot in Edmond, just outside Oklahoma City, said Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward.

At least 18 people were treated at hospitals in the Oklahoma City area. One healthcare system said the victims it treated ranged in age from 16 to 30. It said three people were in critical condition and four were listed as serious.

Jason Hearne told ABC News that he was nearby when the shooting started and saw people who had been shot in the legs and one young woman with a head wound who was still breathing.

“These kids came out to have a, probably a good time, and for this to break

out, I know that wasn’t what they expected, and it’s just tragic,” he said.

Police in Edmond said Monday that the party had been advertised across social media, drawing a large crowd of mostly young adults from across the Oklahoma City area.

“There is no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to the public,” police said in a statement.

Edmond Mayor Mark Nash said the shooting took place at a public park where spaces can be reserved for large gatherings. “To our knowledge, there was no reservation through the parks department,” he said.

Nash declined to answer questions about the shooting, saying police were handling the investigation.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARILSON ALMEIDA

The MV Hondius cruise ship is anchored Monday at a port in Praia, Cape Verde. evacuation of two sick crew members. Another sick person — a British man evacuated to South Africa on April 27 — tested positive for the virus, authorities said. He is in critical condition and isolated in intensive care, according to local health officials.

The body of one of the passengers who died — a German — remains on the ship, according to an Oceanwide Expeditions statement. A 70-year-old Dutch man died

onboard April 11, and his 69-year-old wife died later in South Africa after leaving the ship, officials said. Her blood later tested positive for the virus, making two confirmed cases, South Africa’s health minister said.

Among the 87 remaining passengers, 17 are Americans, 19 are from the U.K. and 13 from Spain, according to the company. Sixty-one crew members, including the two who are ill, also are onboard.

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Europe sees need for bigger role within NATO Leaders meet as Trump plans to pull some troops out of Germany

BY MARK CARLSON and LORNE COOK Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia — European leaders on Monday said President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany is just the latest signal that Europe must take more responsibility for its security.

The Pentagon announced last week it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday the U.S. plans on “cutting a lot further.”

Trump offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO. But his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war it launched with Israel on Feb. 28.

Trump has also expressed anger over European allies’ reluctance to get involved in the conflict.

European leaders meeting at a summit in Yerevan, Armenia, sought to both down-

play the impact of 5,000 fewer troops in Germany while acknowledging that it provides a useful nudge for the continent to step up its role within NATO. “I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “there needs to be a stronger European element in NATO, I have no doubt about that.”

Tensions within NATO have mounted since the second Trump administration came into office last year ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEFAN ROUSSEAU warning that European allies France’s President Emmanuel Macron, from left, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and would have to defend themCanada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney attend the European Political Community summit on selves and Ukraine in the Monday in yerevan, Armenia. future. Talks on ending the war there, now in its fourth year, have bogged down as Trump, so he has to explain it into question NATO’s deter- Iran war. the U.S. focuses on Iran. himself.”

France and the U.K. have rence capability,” he added.

Merz did not attend the EuEuropean countries and given U.S. forces limited use Taken by surprise ropean Political Community Canada have increased de- of bases on their territories The European Union’s summit in Yerevan, which fense spending and military to attack Iran. Spain has outforeign policy chief, Kaja included about 30 European recruitment efforts over right denied U.S. forces the Kallas, said the timing of leaders, plus Canadian Prime the last year in response to use of its airspace and bases.

Trump’s threats.

Trump’s announcement Minister Mark Carney.

Rutte, who has championed At a military exercise in came as a surprise, even Trump’s leadership at NATO though there has been “talk northern Germany, the coun- NATO seeks clarity despite the U.S. president’s about withdrawal of U.S. try’s defense minister, Boris NATO Secretary-General criticism of a majority of the troops for a long time from Pistorius, said Berlin has not Mark Rutte also played down allies, said: “I would say the Europe.” yet received “official confir- the significance of fewer U.S. Europeans have heard a mesAsked whether she be- mation of when and how this troops in Germany, while sage.”

European allies and Canlieves Trump is trying to pun- is supposed to happen, on acknowledging U.S. “disapish Merz, Kallas said: “I don’t what scale.” The reduction pointment” about the level ada have known since early see into the head of President of U.S. troops “would not put of European support for the last year that Trump would

pull some troops out of Europe — and some were pulled out of Romania in October — but U.S. officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said over the weekend that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

Iran and trade trouble With the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran looking shakier, Rutte said European nations “have decided to preposition assets, key assets, close to the theater for the next phase.” He provided no further details.

European leaders have insisted their countries would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.

“If the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning,” said French President Emmanuel Macron. But he underlined that Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear.”

Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

AP, Washington Post, Minnesota Star Tribune among Pulitzer winners

BY JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for scrutinizing the Trump administration’s sweeping, choppy cuts and changes to federal agencies, and The Associated Press won the award Monday for international reporting about surveillance.

In a year when several prize-winning projects zoomed in on the Trump presidency, the Post’s coverage illuminated the fastmoving, sometimes opaque particulars of the administration’s drive to reshape the national government, and judges credited the Post with detailing what the changes meant for individual Americans.

The Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown was given a special citation for her reporting, nearly a decade ago, that drew attention to Jeffrey Epstein ’s abuses. The New York Times won three of the coveted prizes, the Post and Reuters each won two, and smaller outlets ranging from The Connecticut Mirror to

Secret Service says man opened fire on them Agents shot man near Washington Monument

By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — A man spotted carrying a gun in the vicinity of the White House by plainclothes officers and agents was shot by law enforcement Monday after he opened fire on them near the Washington Monument, the Secret Service said.

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. in the area near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the weapon on him. The agents followed him briefly and contacted the uniformed officers.

The unidentified man attempted to flee when uniformed officers with the Secret Service approached him. Quinn said the man fired at the officers, who returned fire. The alleged gunman was transported to a hospital. Quinn said he had no information on the suspect’s condition.

the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” also were recognized in a challenging year for American journalism.

“This is always a day of celebration in our communities, but perhaps never more so than today as we face tremendous political and economic pressures,” prize administrator Marjorie Miller said in a livestream announcing the awards.

In the last few months, the Post cut a third of its staff, CBS News announced it would shutter its nearly century-old radio service, the AP offered buyouts to over 120 journalists and some regional newspapers also publicly struggled. CBS parent Paramount’s acquisition of CNN has raised questions about what’s next for those networks. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continued to bash, and sometimes sue, outlets whose coverage he finds objectionable.

Spanning three years, thousands of pages of documents and numerous interviews, the AP project found that American companies help lay the foundations of

the Chinese government’s system for monitoring and policing its citizens.

“This was sweeping and deeply impactful reporting, the kind of work that highlights the unique strengths of AP’s global, multiformat newsroom,” executive editor Julie Pace said in an email to staffers. She is among the Pulitzer Board’s new members.

The prizes covered President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House, and two winning entries focused on his pulverizing approach to norms and constraints. The Times took the investigative reporting prize for exploring Trump’s boundary-pushing approach to the notion of conflicts of interest. Reuters, which won for national reporting, looked at how Trump has used the federal government and his supporters’ influence to expand presidential authority and to try to punish his foes, the award judges noted.

Reuters’ reporting on the social media giant Meta won a prize in the newly revived category for beat reporting,

a term for journalists consistently assigned to a particular topic. The board brought that honor back for the first time in two decades.

Reuters’ wins spotlighted “fearless, deeply reported, original work that holds powerful institutions to account,” editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni said in a statement.

The prize for breaking news went to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s coverage of last year’s mass shooting

at a Minneapolis Catholic school, where two children were killed and more than a dozen others were injured during the school’s first Mass of the academic year.

Judges praised the thoroughness and compassion of the newspaper’s reporting on a scene of carnage in its hometown, “To me, it’s really a moment to appreciate the power of local journalism,” Kathleen Hennessey, the Star

Tribune’s editor and senior vice president, said in an interview. One Tribune reporter who lives in the neighborhood heard the gunshots and called 911 before running over to the scene, she noted; an editor at the paper has children who attend the school.

“It feels really gratifying to be recognized, but for this newsroom, this is also just still a really painful event,” Hennessey said.

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4A ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Bitter redistricting fight looms in Legislature

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

As Republicans in the Louisiana Legislature said they would start drawing a new voting map for Congress as soon as Friday, Democratic lawmakers countered that they’ll resist any attempts to reduce the number of majorityBlack districts.

“Any talk of anything less than two seats is something that I will not entertain, nor should any of my colleagues, particularly those in the Black Caucus and those in the Democratic Caucus,” Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, told reporters.

But, with Republican supermajorities in both the Louisiana House and Senate, Democrats have little chance of stopping maps that have fewer Democraticleaning districts.

“We’ve already done the 4-2 once and it didn’t work,” said Senate President Cameron Henry, RMetairie.

Louisiana has six U.S. House seats. Currently, four are held by White Republicans, and two are held by Black Democrats.

After the U.S. Supreme Court in a watershed decision last week ruled that voting map unconstitutional — and limited how race can be used to draw voting districts — Louisiana Republicans quickly prepared to draw a new map eliminating one or two Democratic districts for this year’s midterms, which will determine which party controls Congress.

VOTERS

Continued from page 1A that her vote in the 2nd Congressional District House race would not count.

She was not happy.

“That they are canceling our obligation to vote is pretty effing wild,” she said just after voting. “The denial of voting in Louisiana is starting here.”

Clarissa Hoff in New Orleans voted in the House race anyway.

“I want it documented that my vote was stolen,” Hoff said. “I’m pretty pissed.”

Allison Dumas in Baton Rouge also voted anyway, “in case they do count those votes,” she said. “I want my vote to be heard.”

Turnout on Saturday and Monday — the first two days of early voting in Louisiana — was about normal for the first two days of early voting, according to election officials throughout the state.

“Saturday was a little more than we expected,” said Dale Sibley, the registrar of voters in Caddo Parish, where the biggest city is Shreveport. “Today has been a little bit slower.”

Several voting officials said Landry’s order may have caused some voters to stay home.

“They come in and they say, ‘We thought the whole election was canceled,’” Lafayette Parish Registrar of Voters Charlene Meaux said Monday.

Landry and Republican elected officials said they had no choice but to postpone the

Democrats said they would refuse discussions on any map that has less than two majority-Black districts and have noted that Louisiana’s population is now roughly one-third Black.

“We are not in favor of anything other than a 4-2 map. If you bring us something that has less than two African-American representatives, we are not in favor,” said Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.

It’s not clear whether Republicans will seek to advance a map that contains exclusively Republican-leaning districts or a map with five Republican districts and one majority-Black, Democraticleaning district.

“It might be 6-0, it might be 5-1,” said Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, chair of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, which handles redistricting.

“I don’t know yet.”

Kleinpeter said Louisiana’s Republican members of Congress “have serious concerns” about whether they could easily hold onto their districts under a map that has six GOP districts.

“They might have issues running for reelection,” he said. “We can’t jeopardize the leadership in Congress with changing maps.”

Henry echoed that concern.

“A 6-0 map does not guarantee six Republicans,” he said. “We’re working on the numbers.”

Henry said lawmakers will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. Friday on the new maps.

House elections scheduled on May 16 and redraw the congressional map after the Supreme Court ruled that the current map is an illegal racial gerrymander.

But Republican lawmakers are also attempting to address President Donald Trump’s calls to deliver more districts that Republicans can win to prevent Democrats from emerging with a House majority after the midterm elections.

Landry and legislators plan to move swiftly to redraw the six congressional boundaries in the coming weeks before the legislative session ends on June 1.

Louisiana has four Republican members of Congress and two Democrats. The Republicans have said they plan to eliminate the seat of U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, or U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, or both of them.

In the meantime, early voting continues until Saturday for those who don’t want to vote in the party primaries on May 16.

The marquee race features Sen. Bill Cassidy running for reelection in a Republican primary, challenged by U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. Three candidates — Nick Albares, Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis — are competing in the Democratic Senate primary.

The winners of each party primary will face off in a June 27 runoff election, unless someone wins the primary with at least 50% of the vote. The party nominees will face off in a No-

After public testimony is taken Friday, Kleinpeter said the committee chairs will vote on the legislation by May 13, followed by a possible full Senate vote May 14.

The map would then need approval in the House.

Henry also said he believes the state will have to go back to open primaries for the House seats instead of the new, closed party primaries.

Duplessis said Republicans are trying to help President Donald Trump, who has pushed GOP-led states to draw district lines to win more Republican seats.

“This is a decision that’s coming from Trump,” he said.

But Kleinpeter said he is not aware of pressure by Trump to pass a map that has only Republican-leaning districts.

“I have not had any communication from the White House,” he said.

Henry also said he hasn’t talked with anyone from the White House about redistricting.

Calls to keep voting U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, whose district could be eliminated in the impending redistricting process, made appearances at events across the state Monday, echoing state lawmakers’ call to demand a congressional map with two majority-Black districts.

“If I was in the Legislature, I wouldn’t vote for anything that wouldn’t include two majorityBlack districts out of defiance to

vember general election.

Early voting and the May 16 primary also feature two Public Service Commission races in different parts of Louisiana, a state Supreme Court race on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, an election to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to represent suburban New Orleans and local races.

The Secretary of State’s Office reported that 42,829 people had voted absentee through Saturday, while 37,015 had voted in person that day. Those numbers were in line with voting in 2022, the last nonpresidential election year.

Progressive groups — including Voters Organized to Educate, Black Voters Matter, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice and Step Up Louisiana — held a getout-the-vote rally outside City Hall in New Orleans on Monday that included denunciations of Landry.

“It’s important to stand here against the anti-democratic forces,” Albares said in an interview.

State Rep. Alonzo Knox, DNew Orleans, also attended.

He noted that he spent 16 years in the Marines, including a combat stint during the Desert Storm offensive during the Iraqi war.

“Democracy is something I hold dear,” Knox said.

“I’m here on the streets on American soil fighting for our rights to vote.”

Steve Raborn, the registrar of voters in East Baton Rouge Parish, said his office recruited additional early voting commissioners and gave them extra training to

be prepared to handle questions.

Lisa Manning Bridges, the registrar in Orleans Parish, said the biggest confusion has been among no-party voters. Under the new semi-closed primary rules adopted by Landry and the Republican Legislature, noparty voters must choose between voting in either the Democratic Party or Republican Party primary.

Bridges said election commissioners have had to ex-

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More lawsuits filed Legal challenges to the governor’s order postponing the election continue to pile up.

A group of voters and the League of Women Voters of Louisiana on Monday sued Secretary of State Nancy Landry in federal court over the suspension of U.S. House races in Louisiana, adding to a list of several other lawsuits that were already filed late last week over the issues.

The plaintiffs argue that, by enforcing the executive order, the secretary of state is violating the fundamental constitutional right to vote of those who already cast absentee ballots.

They’re asking a judge in the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana to stop the Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees elections, from enforcing Gov. Landry’s order suspending the House elections and to count ballots that have been cast.

Several lawsuits were filed in both state and federal court late last week challenging Gov. Landry’s emergency suspension of Louisiana’s U.S. House races.

Gov. Landry has said the suspension is lawful and declared that Louisiana will not hold its 2026 midterm elections under a map declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

plain to some no-party voters that choosing to vote in either party’s primary does not mean they are changing their party affiliation.

In Baton Rouge, some voters complained that the new primary rules meant they couldn’t vote for Democrats and Republicans — as voters could under the long-standing open primary system.

“I’m an independent and don’t want to have to vote a straight ticket,” said a man in Baton Rouge named Don-

ald. He said he chose to vote in the Republican primary.

A no-party voter, Sean Lou read up on the new rules on the Secretary of State’s Office’s website before voting at the Archives building.

“I was kind of confused,” Lou said.

In a call with reporters Monday, Cassidy said he’s hearing that many Democrats switched to no-party or to Republican to be able to vote for him in the Republican primary.

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this governor and this secretary of state,” Fields said.

He also urged voters to continue to cast ballots in Louisiana’s congressional primary elections, which Gov. Jeff Landry suspended Thursday, two days before in-person early voting began.

Landry’s executive order declaring a state of emergency immediately prompted several lawsuits, which are ongoing. So far, no judge has halted the suspension.

Fields said lawsuits challenging of the governor’s suspension of U.S. House races have not yet been decided by courts, and he urged people to vote for congressional candidates.

“Vote the full ballot,” Fields said. “Don’t listen to the secretary of state or the governor, for that matter, because this issue is not resolved yet.

“I feel that the governor and the secretary of state basically said to people across the state, both Black and White, their vote doesn’t matter ‘cause it won’t count. That’s wrong.”

Democrats in the Legislature also urged people to disregard Landry’s order suspending the election and keep voting for congressional candidates.

“What we can’t win through legislation, we will win through litigation,” Jordan said.

Attorney General Liz Murrill, who has promised to defend the decision to suspend the elections, took to social media to push back against the criticism.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 5A

lll

HORMUZ

Continued from page 1A about the oil facility attack, apparently referring to President Donald Trump‘s latest efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy.

Breaking Iran’s chokehold on the strait would ease global economic concerns and deny Iran a major source of leverage. But such efforts also risk reigniting the fullscale fighting that erupted when the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on Feb. 28, prompting it to close the strait.

Shipping companies, and their insurers, are unlikely to take such a risk, given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so. Iran has said the new U.S. effort is a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, which runs between Iran and Oman, has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and rattled the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center had advised ships Monday to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it had set up an “enhanced security area.”

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that American forces have successfully opened a passage through the strait that is free of Iranian mines. He said Iran launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at civilian ships under the U.S. military’s protection.

U.S. military helicopters sank six of the small boats, Cooper said, adding that “each and every” threat had been defeated.

ABORTION

Continued from page 1A justification for removing the inperson medical provider visit was based on inadequate research.

The state further argues that taxpayers in a state that forbids abortion are on the hook for Medicaid expenses for low-income women seeking emergency treatment when the medication causes medical problems.

A three-judge 5th Circuit panel

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AMIRHOSEIN KHORGOOI

An Iranian tugboat floats in the foreground as cargo ships sit at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Monday.

“The U.S. commanders who are on the scene have all the authority necessary to defend their unit and to defend commercial shipping — as we saw and demonstrated earlier today,” Cooper said.

Trump had warned Sunday that Iranian efforts to halt passage through the strait “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

He described “Project Freedom” in humanitarian terms, designed to aid stranded seafarers on hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began.

The UAE condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.

Four missile alerts were issued Monday urging UAE residents to find shelter — the first such alerts since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago. Commercial planes bound for the UAE — home to the

global travel hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi — turned around midair.

The extent of the attack on Fujairah was unclear, but it is the terminus of a pipeline the UAE has used to avoid shipping some of its oil through the strait. The emirate on the Gulf of Oman is home to extensive oil storage facilities and is the UAE’s main sea access outside the strait.

“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation,” the UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X. In Oman, authorities said a residential building near the strait “was targeted,” resulting in two foreign workers wounded, four vehicles damaged and nearby windows shattered. The report carried by state-run media did not provide further details.

Iran’s military command has warned that ships passing through the strait must coordinate with

them.

“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB. The South Korean government said an explosion and fire had broken out aboard a South Korean-operated ship anchored in the strait off the UAE. No injuries were reported. It was not immediately known if the vessel was one of the burning ships reported by the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

Trump said in a social media post that Iran had “taken some shot” at a South Korean cargo ship, without elaborating.

The UAE accused Iran of targeting a tanker linked to its main oil company with two drones as it navigated the strait. It did not say when the attack occurred. No inju-

ordered reinstatement of the rule that required women to visit their doctors in person in order to receive mifepristone until the Louisiana case was decided. The 5th Circuit order in GenBioPro Inc. v Louisiana applied to all women seeking abortions across the country.

Over the weekend, the drugs’ manufacturers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, filed for an emergency stay of the 5th Circuit order.

The pharmaceutical companies countered that hundreds of stud-

ies accepted by the medical community have shown mifepristone is safe. Physicians counseling patients via telemedicine are not required to prescribe the pill by mail and that method doesn’t prevent Louisiana from enforcing its ban on abortions, the companies argued.

“It simply removes a federal inperson dispensing requirement,” they said.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement: “Big abortion pharma claims they need an emergency stay

because they will lose massive amounts of money if they can’t kill more babies quickly and efficiently by mail without medical oversight. The administrative stay is temporary, and I am confident life and the law will win in the end.”

The 5th Circuit’s three-judge panel included Judge Kyle Duncan, a Baton Rouge native and LSU law school grad who served as general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based legal nonprofit that has opposed abortion, before

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

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ries were reported.

The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.

The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait.

The U.S. has meanwhile enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling at least 49 commercial ships to turn back, according to Central Command.

The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope that the blockade will force Iran to make concessions in talks on its disputed nuclear program and other longstanding issues.

Iran’s latest proposal for ending the war calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions, ending the blockade, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security apparatus.

Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters Monday that changing demands made diplomacy difficult.

He did not give details.

Iran has claimed its proposal does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium — long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that the proposal would lead to a deal.

President Donald Trump nominated him to the federal appellate bench.

He was joined by Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt, another LSU law school grad who had been chief judge of the federal district court in his home city of New Orleans before Trump nominated him to the 5th Circuit, and Judge Leslie Southwick, of Jackson, Mississippi, who was an appointee of President George W. Bush.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

6A ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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

DOW 48,941.90 -557.37 -1.13%

NASDAQ 25,067.80 -46.64 -0.19%

BRIEFS WIRE REPORTS

Spirit Airlines seeks to start orderly wind-down

Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. is set to start an orderly wind-down process to sell its assets, capping the downfall of the low-cost carrier that has filed for bankruptcy twice in recent years and failed to clinch a lastminute U.S. government rescue.

The airline filed a motion on Monday requesting to wind down operations, after ceasing all passenger flight operations early Saturday. It is also seeking to modify a bankruptcy loan to have the necessary funding to proceed with the sale of its assets, which include aircrafts and spare engines and parts.

The airline had planned to exit bankruptcy by the summer after striking a deal with creditors to shed billions in debt and lease obligations.

But its financial position significantly worsened due to the surge in fuel costs stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

As Spirit veered toward liquidation last month, the Trump administration floated a rescue package. But the effort fizzled out after pushback from a group of creditors and even some Republicans. Late last week, the company was informed that this potential new financing “was no longer an available option,” Chief Financial Officer Fred Cromer said in a declaration filed Monday in support of the wind-down request.

The company made the call to wind down on Friday as it was running short on cash, Cromer said. Spirit incurred nearly $100 million in incremental fuel costs between March and April 30, he said.

Spirit ceased operations around 3 a.m. Saturday so that none of its planes would be in the air and all crew who were away from bases had sufficient time to make hotel accommodations, Cromer added.

GameStop makes $56B bid for eBay GameStop Corp. is trying to buy eBay Inc. for about $56 billion in cash and stock, a bold attempt by Ryan Cohen to take over a storied e-commerce name several times larger.

The gaming retail chain has offered $125 per share in cash and stock for the online marketplace, or about a 20% premium to its Friday close. GameStop, which built a roughly 5% stake in eBay, has secured an initial, non-binding “highly confident letter” from TD Bank to provide about $20 billion of debt financing for the deal. In a memo to investors, Cohen’s company pledged to find some $2 billion of annual savings within 12 months of closing.

Cohen is proposing to take over a company roughly four times larger than the retail chain he operates.

GameStop had a market value of $12 billion as of Friday. EBay was much bigger at around $46 billion, though the game retailer has about $9 billion in cash. The takeover offer is split evenly between cash and GameStop common stock.

EBay said Monday that it would review the offer “with a focus on the value to be delivered to eBay shareholders, including the value of the GameStop stock consideration and the ability of GameStop to deliver a binding, actionable proposal.”

Calif. says State Farm violated law after wildfires SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s top insurance regulator says the state is seeking millions of dollars in penalties from State Farm after an investigation found the insurance company violated state laws while handling claims from the 2025 Los Angelesarea wildfires.

State Farm violated the law hundreds of times by delaying claim investigations, providing unreasonable payouts and failing to communicate with policyholders, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said Monday.

Regulators are also seeking to prohibit State Farm, the state’s largest home insurer, from writing new policies for a year.

Lara launched the investigation last June after survivors of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires said that State Farm was delaying and mishandling claims regarding damage to their homes and possible contamination from smoke.

“Our investigation found that State Farm delayed, underpaid, and buried policyholders in red tape at the worst moment of their lives. That is unacceptable, and we are taking decisive action to hold them accountable,” Lara said in a statement.

State Farm didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

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Wall Does weaker $ make Street life more expensive? pen falls from records

BY MATT SEDENSKY AP national writer

NEW YORK — A hidden force is quietly pushing up costs for everything from your summer vacation to your weekly grocery bills: a weaker U.S. dollar.

The dollar has fallen about 10% against other major currencies since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, a pullback potentially playing a role in Americans’ concerns about affordability.

“It’s kind of a hidden tax,” said economist Thomas Savidge, of the conservative-leaning American Institute for Economic Research.

“What your dollar is going to be able to buy is going to shrink.”

The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against other major currencies, logged its steepest six-month drop in more than 50 years in the first half of 2025. Though the decline hasn’t deepened, the dollar index is still about 10% lower than the start of Trump’s term.

A strong dollar makes imports cheaper and can help keep inflation in check. A weak one can increase prices on foreign goods but boost American exports.

U.S. presidents have long voiced support for a strong dollar even as they pursued policies that, at times, pushed the currency lower. Trump has suggested a strong dollar puts the U.S. at a disadvantage and that a weak dollar helps American industry. And as with most things with Trump, he’s been blunter in his messaging.

“You make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar,” he said last year, one of a number of public statements showing his preference for seeing the dollar decline.

Trump isn’t alone in seeing benefits of a weaker buck.

In recent months, corporate earnings calls have been peppered with talk of how a weaker dollar has helped companies from Philip Morris to Coca-Cola, with executives pulling out Csuite phrases like “favorable currency impact” to note how the dip brought tailwinds outside the U.S. that added to bottom lines.

“In many cases, we’ve got a weaker dollar, which is not unhelpful,” Elie Maalouf, the CEO of InterContinental Hotels, said on a February call as the compa-

Oil prices jump amid fighting flares in Middle East

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

A customer loads purchases into a cart at Walmart Neighborhood Market in Bossier City. ny announced higher profits and revenues.

For big multinational companies that do business overseas, a weaker dollar can spur sales for products that suddenly become cheaper. But the vast majority of U.S. businesses are not operating beyond the border. For those catering to domestic customers, it’s a different story, particularly if they are reliant on importing goods.

Travis Madeira, a fourth-generation lobsterman who founded the lobster-shipping business LobsterBoys with his brother, makes about 80% of his sales to Americans, unlike some competitors who primarily export.

“The exporters are gonna have the advantage when it comes to the dollar weakening,” says Madeira, who is paying more to import bait and buy Canadian lobsters. “These guys are gonna have a little bit of a lever on us.”

Even among companies that do have a presence outside the U.S., the dollar’s fall can have an impact. While many big companies hedge currency to try and insulate themselves or push more sales overseas, smaller businesses are often more susceptible to the turbulence.

David Navazio, CEO of Pennsylvania-based Gentell, which makes bandages and other medical supplies, operates plants in Brazil, Paraguay, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In each location, the dollar has fallen, increasing Gentell’s costs.

Gentell has had to raise some prices to reflect the currency

fluctuation, which stacks on top of other challenges, including tariffs and war-related spikes to fuel costs.

“A year ago, none of these were concerns,” he says. “And it always hurts the consumer.”

For the American consumer, the reality of a declining dollar is most obvious during foreign travel or when making a purchase directly from an international seller.

Cross the border into Mexico, the top foreign destination of Americans, and your dollar is about 16% weaker versus the peso compared with early 2025.

Declines of about 10% to 17% have been recorded elsewhere, including against the Swiss franc, South African rand, Danish krone, Swedish krona and the Euro.

As for goods imported to the U.S., there is an impact, but it’s harder to gauge. Many economists estimate that, in advanced countries like the U.S., only about 5% to 10% of a currency dip is passed on to consumers.

But they are an added stress when prices are already affected by other factors.

Take coffee, one of the grocery items that has seen the biggest price hike in the past year. Brazil is the biggest source of coffee for the U.S. and the dollar has fallen around 13% versus its real. Currency fluctuations can hit harder in developing economies and, while only a fraction of the change may feed into coffee’s ballooning price, every bit can pile up. Coffee prices are up nearly 19% in the U.S. in the past year, according to government data.

N.M. seeks child safety restrictions in Meta trial’s second phase

BY MORGAN LEE Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico state prosecutors are seeking fundamental changes to Meta’s social media apps and algorithms to safeguard children in the second phase of a landmark trial on allegations that platforms such as Instagram have created a public safety hazard.

Opening statements began Monday in the three-week bench trial to decide whether the platforms of Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, pose a public nuisance under state law.

In the first phase, jurors ordered $375 million in civil penalties against Meta, determining that it knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

Prosecutors are now asking a judge to impose fundamental changes aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight.

Meta has vowed to appeal the jury verdict and warned that it could eliminate Instagram and Facebook service in New Mexico if forced to comply with impractical mandates.

“The fact that we’re having a trial on nuisance is itself a remarkable outcome,” said Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law

Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law in California. “That theory is not well accepted as applied to the internet, and that theory doesn’t really fit the internet.”

As the trial reconvened Monday, state District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid addressed concerns that the court might overreach its authority.

“I’m probably not the easiest sell on the idea where I would become a one-person legislator, judge and executive branch enforcer,” he said.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the jury verdict punctured the aura of invincibility protecting tech companies from liability for material on their platforms under Section 230, a 30-year-old provision of the U.S. Communications Decency Act. A Los Angeles jury separately found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children, validating long-standing concerns about dangers of social media.

New Mexico prosecutors are demanding that Meta help remedy a mental health crisis among children through a series of safeguards and changes, including a redesign of algorithms that make content recommendations so they no longer prioritize constant engagement.

New Mexico prosecution attorney David Ackerman outlined a $3.7 billion proposal for Meta to remedy harm to children that “recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused.”

“Across New Mexico, across the country, children are begging for help,” he said. “It is thorough and it is necessary. There are items in this abatement plan for public education, to assist schools, to assist law enforcement, to assist mental health providers.”

Prosecutors are also targeting other app features linked to compulsive use such as “infinite scroll,” which continuously loads content; push notifications; and default settings that show tallies for “likes” and sharing. Their lawsuit also seeks improvements to age verification and other steps aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation.

And New Mexico wants child accounts on Meta platforms to have an associated parent or guardian, as well as a court-supervised child safety monitor to track improvements over time.

Executives have said the company continuously improves child safety and addresses compulsive use and that many demands from prosecutors are redundant.

In opening statements, Meta attorney Alex Parkinson disputed the idea that there is a public right to social media under laws against public nuisance, and that New Mexico’s proposed remedies would be unprecedented in the U.S. He said the state’s $3.7 billion plan goes too far and would “reshape the way all mental and behavioral healthcare is delivered to New Mexico teens.”

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market fell from its record heights Monday, while oil prices jumped following escalations in the Middle East that may undermine the ceasefire in the war with Iran.

The S&P 500 sank 0.4%, coming off its latest all-time high.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 557 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.

The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude leaped 5.8% to settle at $114.44. It jolted higher after the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally, said it came under attack by Iran for the first time since the ceasefire took hold in early April. The attacks appeared to be in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s closure of the strait has kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf and away from customers worldwide. That in turn has sent the price of Brent soaring from roughly $70 per barrel before the war.

Trump said Sunday that the United States would guide ships through the strait, which could get oil flowing again and bring down its price. But prices instead climbed with uncertainty about what would happen next.

The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz. It also said that it sank six small boats as it set up an “enhanced security area” for ships crossing the strait.

Even with all the uncertainty about how long the war with Iran will last, the U.S. stock market has remained remarkably resilient and has powered to record after record. Hope is still high on Wall Street that the global economy can avoid a worst-case scenario because of the war. And in the meantime, companies continue to deliver big growth in profits.

That’s key because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term.

The strength so far this reporting season has been broad-based and not confined to just the Big Tech superstars that dominate the market. The median stock in the S&P 500 is tracking for the best growth since 2021, according to Savita Subramanian, a strategist at Bank of America.

Tyson Foods joined the list Monday of those topping analysts’ expectations for both profit and revenue during the latest quarter.

It sold less beef than it did a year ago, but it did so at prices that were 11.5% higher, so its total beef revenue edged up. It also sold more chicken and pork than a year earlier, at slightly higher prices. Its stock rose 8% and helped limit Wall Street’s losses.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings likewise delivered a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But it’s feeling the effects of the war, which has not only raised pressure on fuel prices but also pushed customers to think twice about travel plans, particularly to Europe.

The cruise operator said some “execution missteps” also have bookings below where it would like, and its stock fell 8.6%.

UPS and FedEx dropped even more for some of the market’s sharpest losses after Amazon announced a move that could cut into their businesses. The online giant said it’s begun allowing Procter & Gamble, 3M and other big companies to use its logistics services to move inventory, fulfill orders and deliver packages directly to shoppers.

UPS dropped 10.5%, and FedEx fell 9.1%, while Amazon rose 1.4%.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 7A

lll

Judge questions why D.C. dinner Indian leader’s party attack suspect on suicide watch wins key state election

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

BY SHEIKH SAALIQ

WASHINGTON — A federal magistrate judge on Monday pressed a jail official to explain why a man charged with trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempting to kill President Donald Trump was placed on restrictive suicide watch after his arrest.

Officials at the city jail in Washington, D.C., removed Cole Tomas Allen from its designated “suicide status” over the weekend after his attorneys complained that he had been unnecessarily confined in a padded room with constant lighting, repeatedly strip searched and placed in restraints outside his cell.

But the relaxed conditions didn’t satisfy U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui’s concerns that Allen may have received disparate, punitive treatment in violation of his due process rights. Faruqui noted that the D.C. jail routinely houses convicted killers and others charged with violent crimes without placing them on 24-hour lockdown.

“It could drive a person crazy to be in that situation,” he said.

Faruqui apologized to Allen over his confinement conditions. In response to a news report on that apology, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro criticized him in a social media post that said Faruqui “believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant.”

Allen’s lawyers said he wasn’t

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party has wrested control of the opposition stronghold of West Bengal in a key state election.

The Election Commission of India released partial results Monday showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly and was leading in 83 others.

Modi’s party has never governed West Bengal and had tried for years to dislodge the All India Trinamool Congress government led by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She is one of Modi’s most prominent critics and has held power in the politically influential state since 2011.

Opposition parties have sharply criticized the polls in West Bengal after the Election Commission removed millions of voters from electoral rolls.

Governments were ousted in two other states and Modi’s party retained power in another that held elections in April.

India has more than 1.4 billion people in 28 states and eight federal territories, and elections are staggered with several states and territories voting each year.

The outcome in West Bengal was expected to boost Modi’s standing and strengthen his position midway through his third term in office. The 2024 national election forced his ruling party

Associated Press

Associated Press

IMAGE PROVIDED By DANA VERKOUTEREN

Attorney Eugene Ohm, from left, speaks to the judge during a Monday hearing as his client, Cole Tomas Allen, and Tony Towns, the acting general counsel for the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, listen. showing any suicidal risk factors after his arrest. But a jail psychiatrist evaluated him and initially concluded that he posed a suicide risk, according to Tony Towns, acting general counsel for the city’s corrections department.

“Every case is different, your honor,” Towns said.

Allen was moved into protective custody after the jail lifted the suicide prevention measures. His attorneys didn’t object to his new confinement status. They had asked the magistrate to cancel Monday’s hearing, but Faruqui forged ahead with it due to his “grave concerns” about Allen’s treatment in jail.

Allen was injured but was not

shot during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.

Allen was armed with guns and knives when he ran through a security checkpoint and pointed his weapon at a Secret Service agent, who fired back five times, authorities said. Pirro has said that Allen fired a shot that struck the agent’s bullet-resistant vest.

Allen later told FBI agents that he didn’t expect to survive the attack, which could help explain why he was deemed to be a possible suicide risk, said Justice Department prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine.

to rely on regional allies to form a government. He is expected to run for a record fourth term in 2029.

Addressing supporters at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Modi said the results pointed to the party’s widening appeal in a state where it had historically struggled.

“A new chapter has been added to Bengal’s destiny,” Modi told a cheering crowd.

India’s opposition has struggled to mount a unified and sustained challenge to the BJP’s dominance nationwide.

Banerjee had emerged as one of Modi’s most prominent national rivals, particularly after positioning herself as a key leader to unite regional parties against the BJP. Her defeat was likely to weaken her leverage within an opposition bloc already divided by regional power struggles.

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, who launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party only two years ago, ousted the ruling DMK party. Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most developed states, has a history of electing movie stars to the top office.

In Kerala, another southern state, the Indian National Congress-led opposition defeated the ruling communist government, ending leftist rule in one of its last remaining strongholds.

Modi’s party also returned to power in the northeastern state of Assam for a third consecutive term.

Prosecutors: Palisades Fire arson suspect was angry ‘at the world’

BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The man accused of sparking the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was upset that he didn’t have plans for New Year’s Eve and ranted about being angry at the world before the initial blaze was sparked, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has

pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.

It began Jan. 7, 2025, in hillside neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu and killed 12 people.

Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1 that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later.

Rinderknecht’s trial is set to begin June 8. His attorneys say he is

being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.

An outline of the prosecutors’ strategy — with details about the defendant’s alleged state of mind on the night before the first fire began — appears in an April 29 pretrial memo filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Wi t n e s s e s r e p o r t e d t h a t

Rinderknecht had been driving erratically while on Uber routes around the Palisades on New Year’s Eve, said prosecutors. His passengers described him as “angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world,’ ” the memo said.

According to court filings, Rinderknecht ranted to passengers about accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi

Mangione, capitalism and vigilantism. In an interview with investigators on Jan. 24, when asked why someone might commit arson in the Palisades, Rinderknecht “responded that it would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as ‘we’re basically being enslaved by them,’ ” and again referenced Mangione’s alleged crime, the documents said.

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Jan Risher LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Paddling on the Mississippi We made it: Three days, 50 miles, 12 women, three guides and two oversized canoes on the Mississippi River.

We put in near Clarksdale, Mississippi, and got out at Terrene Landing in Bolivar County, Mississippi — paddling right up alongside the American Melody, a cruise ship, as its well-dressed passengers returned from an excursion.

We had been on the water, sleeping on islands for three days.

They had been sailing from Memphis, Tennessee, to New Orleans.

We were not, at that moment, peers.

But several of them wanted to talk to us. So did the crew. One female crew member told us she was seriously impressed. I believed her. John Ruskey, founder of the Quapaw Canoe Co. out of Clarksdale, was our primary guide. He is white-haired, leanlegged and always on a mission.

Originally from Colorado, he arrived in Clarksdale in 1982 and was astonished to find that people who had lived their whole lives alongside the Mississippi had never once been on it.

He decided to do something about that. He built the giant voyager-style canoes, based on those used by French explorers. They can hold 12 people or, in our case, seven or eight people and all the gear. They are remarkably stable.

Also, he swims in the river every day. As we were getting in the canoes Friday morning, he suddenly dove into the water and started swimming around like a mermaid, as if the temperature didn’t apply to him.

It was cold. I was not frolicking like a mermaid. I was focused on not getting my feet wet.

Ultimately, I did not swim in the river. A few of the braver women did. I did, however, eventually get my feet wet.

At our first stop for the night, I relearned how to put up a tent — meaning, I was present while others did it well. One handled the poles, another the stakes, and one folded it all back up with impressive efficiency. I did not have a specialty.

What I hadn’t expected was the night noise.

I had imagined island camping on the Mississippi would feel remote and hushed, cut off from everything.

I was wrong in a way you can only be wrong at 2:43 a.m.

Tow boats run all night on the Mississippi, and those things are loud — and long. Even though, from its banks or bridges, I see barges on the Mississippi often, I have a different level of appreciation for it being a working river now. It never rests.

We saw several tow boats pushing what appeared to be 42 barges, lined up side-by-side. Barges can be larger on the lower Mississippi because the river is so wide.

I learned that a standard inland barge carries 1,500 to 1,750 tons of dry cargo. According to the U.S. National Waterways Foundation, inland barges can move a ton of cargo 647 miles on a single gallon of fuel.

The river is, among other things, an engine.

I also learned that the river islands are numbered. Below the confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois, they run sequentially — we paddled roughly from Island 63 to Island 69. I had no idea such a system existed.

But back to noises: We also heard coyotes. They were howling at the full moon.

And birds — so many birds.

On Sunday morning, as we

ä See RISHER, page 2B

|

T u e s d ay, M ay 5, 2026

1BN

BREC search yields 3 finalists Commission expected to name new leader on May 28

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Baton Rouge’s park agency announced Monday three finalists from its national search for its next superintendent.

The search for a new BREC superintendent comes after former Superintendent Corey Wilson announced in March 2025 that he would not seek contract renewal.

Janet Simmons has served as interim superintendent since June.

The BREC Commission is expected to pick a new superintendent at the May 28 commission meeting, according to BREC’s announcement.

Brooks Williams, Chris Maitre and Daniel Betts have been named finalists for the role.

Williams serves as city manager and chief executive officer for the city of Ferris, Texas. He has a doctorate in public administration.

Maitre serves as chief executive officer of Brackenridge Park

Never forgotten

Conservancy in San Antonio, Texas. He previously held senior executive leadership roles with New Orleans City Park and Tulane University.

Betts is the executive director of recreation for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. His background includes leadership roles in Chicago, Denver and Cook County, Illinois.

During the first week of May, each finalist will spend time in Baton Rouge participating in a

comprehensive interview and evaluation process. They will be meeting with leaders and staff and touring East Baton Rouge Parish and BREC facilities, BREC said in its news release.

“Selecting BREC’s next superintendent is one of the most significant decisions for the organization’s future, and this process is designed to ensure the best possible choice for our staff, our parks system, and the community we serve,” said BREC Commission Chair Mike Polito in the news release.

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ABOVE: Student Payzleigh Browning lays flowers Monday outside Seventh Ward Elementary School in Denham Springs before a memorial for Katy Wells.

RIGHT: Students hold up candles while singing ‘This Little Light of Mine’ in honor of Wells, a beloved crossing guard who died after being struck by a vehicle.

1 dead, another injured 2 attorneys running for in Monday shooting Family Court bench ELECTION 2026

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Votes have already begun to be cast this past weekend for two candidates running for an open judge’s seat at the in East Baton Rouge Parish Family Court.

The candidates, Democrat Caulette “Twin” Jackson-Guillard and Cataldie Republican Joseph Cataldie, are both attorneys who’ve practiced family law for more than 15 years.

Both said personal experiences

as clients in Family Court motivated them to enter the field and now to seek the judgeship.

Cataldie said in addition to being a staff attorney for a Family Court judge and representing families with the Prendergast Law Firm, he’s a single dad and co-parent to his daughter.

“I have seen it Jackson-Guillard from the inside and the outside from every angle that one possibly can,” Cataldie said.

ä See FAMILY, page 2B

A 56-year-old man died and another person was injured in an early Monday morning shooting in Baton Rouge, officials said.

CRIME The shootBLOTTER ing happened about 2:45 a.m. staff in the 1600 block reports of North 16th Street, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office said.

Baton Rouge police found a man, later identified as Donald Bennet, dead on scene from apparent gunshot wounds.

The surviving victim was transported to a hospital in stable condition, Emergency Medical Services said.

No suspects have been devel-

oped at this time, Baton Rouge police said in a Monday afternoon statement.

Man who died during arrest sought in shooting The man who died by suicide Monday morning as officers tried to arrest him in East Feliciana Parish was wanted in a shooting in Jackson last month, officials said.

Nicholas Cunningham was one of two men wanted in an April 2 shooting in the Charles Drive area of Jackson. The shooting sent the victim to a hospital after lifesaving aid was given at the scene, according to an online

ä See BLOTTER, page 2B

2B ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Gulf could overtake N.O. in the future, study reveals Scientists urge city to begin relocation planning

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

A team of scientists led by a Tulane University geologist is urging Louisiana to begin planning now for how to relocate entire communities away from the coast, warning that sea levels may eventually rise high enough to overtake New Orleans.

The paper, published Monday in the journal Nature Sustainability with Tulane coastal geologist Torbjörn Törnqvist as lead author, gives a concrete picture of what southeast Louisiana could look like in the coming centuries as sea levels rise. The team identified, for the first time, an ancient shoreline about 30 miles north of New Orleans that marks where the Gulf once reached.

That finding underpins an argument the paper makes that one its authors acknowledge won’t be popular: that the state should begin planning now for a gradual, multigenerational relocation of coastal residents to higher ground. New Orleans, the paper argues, will eventually become “physically impossible” to defend with flood walls and levees.

“They are saying out loud the things that no one wants to say,” A.R. Siders, an associate professor at the University of Delaware who studies how people are adapting to climate change, said of the study’s authors. “No one wants to say New Orleans won’t be there in 200 years.” Siders reviewed the paper but was not involved with the study.

The argument isn’t entirely new, and Törnqvist has been warning about New Orleans’ longterm future for years. In a 2020 paper, he wrote that Louisiana’s

wetlands had crossed a tipping point and that the eventual shoreline would likely settle near the Baton Rouge Fault, a geological line where land to the south sinks faster than land to the north.

What the new paper adds is direct geological evidence of where that shoreline once was, and a sharper policy stance from an interdisciplinary team that combines geology with archaeology, demography and policy. It’s a perspective article, a format in which authors advance an argument supported by evidence rather than report a standalone research finding.

“What is new about this study is that it lays out in clear scientific terms with abundant data and supporting information that we are facing right now a multigenerational need to relocate our coastal communities,” said Sam Bentley, a professor of sedimentary geology at LSU who was not involved with the paper. “That has never been spelled out so clearly and with such urgency.”

Robert Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University who was not involved in the study, agreed with its findings but doubted it would move Louisiana’s political class.

“It is going to be fairly straightforward for the political class to dismiss it because the timeframe is so long,” he said. “Politicians are not going to get reelected by telling communities that they need to leave.”

Not everyone in the region accepts the idea that the city might have to relocate. Greater New Orleans Inc., the regional economic development organization, said the paper goes too far in advocating for wholesale relocation of the city.

“The study’s findings are academically compelling, but empirically unconvincing,” said Michael Hecht, the organization’s president and CEO. “Experience

around the world, and here in Louisiana, demonstrates that relocation is not inevitable, nor always desirable.”

Ancient shoreline The discovery happened almost by accident.

About a decade ago, Tulane geologist Zhi-Xiong Shen — now at Coastal Carolina University and a co-author on the paper — was using lidar, a laser-based mapping technology, to study fault lines that contribute to southeast Louisiana’s sinking. He noticed a low, curving feature in the elevation data, drilled into the ground, and found sand: the remains of an ancient beach.

That beach, now called the Ponchatoula Ridge, runs from roughly Mandeville in the east to Ponchatoula in the west. The sand had been shaped by wave action, indicating it is likely where the Gulf lapped against the shoreline about 125,000 years ago, when the Earth was warmer than it was during most of human civilization. The shoreline from that period was known across much of the Gulf Coast, but it was never located in Louisiana until now.

The discovery of the Ponchatoula Ridge is “a small detail, maybe, to some readers, but the implications of it are epic,” Bentley said. To him, it underscores that an area where more than a million people live will eventually be submerged.

Earth is now roughly as warm as it was during that last interglacial period, when temperatures peaked at as much as 2.7 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Sea levels lag behind temperature, though, as ice sheets take centuries to melt, meaning the warming already locked in is expected to keep raising seas for centuries.

That means the city could become a kind of fortified island in the Gulf by the time sea levels rise by roughly 10 feet above

where they are now, the study finds. And if sea levels rise by over 20 feet — a level the researchers say is locked in over the long term, though the timing is uncertain — sea water could slosh over the French Quarter’s wrought-iron galleries.

Current projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show seas rising off Louisiana by between 3.5 and 9 feet by 2100, depending on emissions scenarios.

Fewer diversions, less time

nothing wrong with that. It just means we have to think about palliative care and how we are going to treat those who are immobile and those that are getting left behind.”

The paper also argues that getting ahead of relocation could give New Orleans a “first mover advantage,” or a chance to develop expertise other coastal cities will eventually need.

Young, the Western Carolina geologist, wasn’t convinced that was really an advantage.

“The main problem I have with the paper is at the very end when it talks about the possibility of making New Orleans and places south a model for what could happen elsewhere,” he said. “I’m just really skeptical that that can happen anytime soon.”

Without a state-managed plan, the paper warns, residents with savings will leave first, taking the tax base with them and stranding lower-income residents in communities with eroding services and worsening climate hazards.

“Those people with abundant resources will move, and then who do you leave behind?” Keenan said. “A highly impoverished and immobile population.”

Articulating all of this and publishing it in a reputable scientific journal puts the researchers in a somewhat uncomfortable position, they said, having to tell people what they don’t want to hear.

Törnqvist said he was “preparing for some hate mail.” Keenan said he would not have published the paper if he didn’t have tenure.

“Many of us have taken the approach that advocating for a particular stance can threaten our apparent objectivity in reaching a solution,” said Bentley. “But sometimes you have to do it.

And I think this is an exceptional case.”

The state’s recent cancellation of two major Mississippi River sediment diversions, the MidBarataria and Mid-Breton projects, both opposed by shrimpers and oyster farmers, has shortened the timeline.

“New Orleans is in a terminal state,” said Jesse Keenan, an associate professor at the Tulane School of Architecture and a coauthor of the study. “The question is how much time do we have, and how much time can we buy?”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built and maintains the post-Katrina levee system, is designing new additions to extend protection through 2073. Beyond that, the Corps said in a written response, “additional evaluations” will be needed.

Without the diversions, the city has less time, Törnqvist said. Future projects could buy some or all of that time back, though they will not change the eventual outcome.

“The negative outcomes of continued sea level rise are just going to happen earlier,” Törnqvist said. “The time window to do this managed relocation is just going to be shortened by maybe a couple of decades. And that’s a lot of time.”

“There’s a kind of mortality here,” Keenan said. “We’re facing our own mortality with New Email Alex Lubben at alex.

Orleans, and that’s fine. There’s lubben@theadvocate.com.

FAMILY

Continued from page 1B

STAFF PHOTOS By JAN RISHER

Skilled guide John Ruskey, of Quapaw Canoes in Clarksdale, Miss., chased fast water and dodged barges while leading Jan Risher’s group of adventurers on a trip along the Mississippi River.

RISHER

Continued from page 1B camped on an island on the Arkansas side of the river, in the silence between barges, I tried to count how many birds I could hear. With the Merlin app, I spent five minutes identifying songs and counted 19 species.

Nineteen.

At home, I probably hear just as many and register maybe two.

Out there, the birds were not background noise — it was either them or barges. Hearing all those birds made me want to get better at paying attention.

Saturday night, we sat in the sand around the campfire with a guitar strumming, friends singing — and the river lapping 5 feet away. The sky was clear, and the constellations were extraordinary — the kind of sky that made me feel both small and lucky to be in that place with that view.

Then the full moon cleared the eastern horizon, its reflection stretching like gold a mile and a half across the Mississippi, straight to us.

There are moments that don’t need improving.

Ruskey navigated us across the river repeatedly, always chasing fast water. Through most of our journey, the river was at least a mile and a half wide.

Being in the river — at water level, in a canoe — is a different kind of understanding.

Catherine S. Comeaux, of Lafayette, made all of this happen.

is to provide calm to families during the “most challenging times of their lives.” He hopes to bring that same demeanor to the families that come before him as a judge.

“I feel like I’ve progressed to a level as an attorney where the next logical step is to try to take that ability that I’ve honed in myself and apply it as a judge,” Cataldie said. “I think (that calmness) is almost better suited for the bench.”

Jackson-Guillard said she hopes to bring mutual respect to the families who come before her and help them move forward.

“I also believe in encouraging early resolution when appropriate, through mediation that’s available on the fourth floor every Tuesday and problemsolving, so families can avoid prolonged conflict,” she said, “especially when children are involved.”

Early voting ends Saturday, with the race to be decided during the May 16 election.

Jackson-Guillard said her path to a Family Court judgeship began when she was 10 years old and decided she wanted to pursue that kind of law. Now she has 20 years of experience.

“I experienced dysfunction growing up,” Jackson-Guillard said. “I know what it feels like when families struggle, when stability is uncertain, and when children are caught in the middle. That experience didn’t break me; it shaped me. It gave me purpose.”

She said her personal experiences let her see firsthand how decisions impact real people — especially children.

Jackson-Guillard ran for a similar seat in 2023, losing to Judge Kyle Russ.

This is Cataldie’s first campaign. He said he decided the judgeship was the next step in his career after 16 years representing families with Prender- Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@theadvocate. gast.

He said his style as an attorney com.

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

of Monroe Street, according to Baton Rouge police.

Jackson man killed in motorcycle crash notice last month by the Jack-

Catherine S. Comeaux, who organized a 50-mile paddle trip down the Mississippi River, laughs along with the group that includes 11 friends and strangers. The canoe trip started in Clarksdale, Miss., on Friday and finished at Terrene Landing in Bolivar County, Miss., on Sunday.

She asked, I said yes, and then spent the weeks before the trip wondering why.

I have a better idea of why now.

In the lives of comfort that we live, this trip was a reminder that we can do hard things — actual hard things, cold-morning-

getting-in-a-canoe hard things, sleeping-on-an-island hard things.

Fifty miles. Three days. Twelve women. Three guides.

The river did the rest.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

son Marshals Office.

Another suspect in the shooting, Corente Anderson, turned himself in and was booked into the East Feliciana Parish Prison on a count of principal to attempted second-degree murder.

Cunningham had remained at large until Monday morning, when officers with the U.S. Marshals Service tried to arrest him.

As task force officers were working to take Cunningham into custody, he died by suicide, the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“No shots were fired by the task force nor was there any other use of force by task force personnel,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

No East Feliciana sheriff’s personnel were present or involved in the apprehension efforts.

The Sheriff’s Office is documenting the incident.

Police say toddler injured in gunfire A toddler was injured in a shooting early Monday morning in Baton Rouge, officials said.

The shooting happened shortly after 4 a.m. in the 2800 block

A motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon in West Feliciana Parish claimed the life of 67-year-old Bruce Bellingham, of Jackson, according to State Police.

Bellingham was traveling south on La. 965 about 3:45 p.m. on a 2017 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. Bellingham failed to negotiate a slight right curve, exited the roadway to the left and was ejected from the motorcycle, troopers said.

Bellingham was pronounced dead on the scene. He was wearing a Department of Transportation-approved helmet at the time of the crash. Impairment is not suspected; however, routine toxicology samples will be obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

LOTTERY

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Funerals Today Delahaye, Linda

Wilbert Funeral Home, 24120 Railroad Ave, Plaquemine, LA at 12pm.

Geter, Whitney

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 865 Hatchell Ln., Denham Springs, LA at 11am.

Page, Alice

Greenoaks Funeral Home, Florida Boulevard, at 10 a.m.

9595

Obituaries Blades, Shirley McMillion Harris

Shirley Marie McMillion Harris Blades passed away on April 30, 2026. She was born on October 4, 1936, to Harley and Johnie McMillion and was a resident of Zachary, Louisiana. She is survived by her two sons, Fred Harris and companion, Ann Johnson, Jerry Harris and wife, DeDe, along with numerous grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. She was preceded in death by her two sons, Curtiss Harris and Jeffrey Harris, and her daughter, Linda Harris. A small graveside service will be held Wednesday at 11AM, Hillcrest Memorial in Baker, Louisiana.

Cambre, Darryl

Darryl Cambre passed away Saturday, May 2 in his Prairieville home after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 65. He is remembered as a beloved PawPaw, Daddy, husband, brother, and son. A Baton Rouge native and Louisiana sportsman, he loved fishing, hunting, cooking, gardening, NASCAR, the LSU Tigers, and Saints football. He retired from LEMOINE after 2+ decades supervising construction of some of the region's most important cultural and economic sites. Darryl is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sherri McKey Cambre; children Mandi Cambre (Dustin Reuther) and Alex Cambre (Dorisia Francois); grandchildren Evie and Zélie Reuther; brother Wayne Cambre (Donna Kay); and sisters Cindy Guilbeau (Bobby) and Ruth Whitehead (Ellis); as well as numerous nieces and nephews, dear friends, and colleagues. He is predeceased by his twin brother, Harrell Cambre; sister, Judy McQueen; and parents, Clinton and Marie Millet Cambre. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 6 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Ourso Funeral Home and will continue on Thursday, May 7 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church before a Mass of Christian Burial at noon.

Pallbearers are Dustin Reuther, Bobby Guilbeau, Jim McQueen, Ellis Whitehead, Neal Dozier, Seth Dozier, and Derek Bercegeay. Honorary pallbearers are Alex Cambre, Alton McKey, Jr., and Jude Whitehead.

Greer, Mary Geoghegan

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.

Today we celebrate the life of our mother, Mary Virginia Geoghegan Greer.

Mary left this world on May 1, 2026 to be reunited with her husband, Horace Oscar Greer, her parents, Archie Vaughan and Bessie Perry Geoghegan, her daughter Kathy Virginia Greer, her sons-in-law Jerry Valentine, Sr. and Robby Smith, and her brother and his wife Archie Vaughan d li b h G

his wife Archie Vaughan and Elizabeth Ann Geoghegan.

She is survived by her daughters Tammy Valentine and Christy Smith and a son Thomas Greer, five grandchildren Brittany Seal and husband Jamie, Stephanie Ryals and husband Brian , Jerry Valentine, Jr. and wife Kelsey, Randa Smith, Catlyn Smith and husband Logan Miller.

Mary was blessed with eight great grandchildren Caden Gettys, Raegan Falcon, Paige and Braxton Ryals, Kameron and Jorden Seal, and Micah and Lane Valentine as well as many nieces and nephews.

We would like to thank Heart of Hospice for the care and love they showed our mother during this trying time.

Our hearts may be heavy today, but may we rejoice in knowing she has reached her heavenly home.

A celebration of life will follow at a later date.

Johnson, Norwyn

Norwyn was born on November 4, 1943 in Lytham St Annes, England to Horace Calvin Johnson and Irene McGrath Johnson. He passed away on April 29, 2026 at his beloved family farm in Simpson, Louisiana.

He graduated from Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Louisiana State University and Tulane University and also served in the Unites States Army during the Vietnam War. After a long career with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Coastal Restoration Authority, he retired and settled to live in Kirkland, Washington with his wife Lynda Johnson.

Norwyn will be missed every minute of every day.

God was gracious to bring him home painlessly from the place he so dearly loved, his family farm in Simpson, Louisiana.

He took great pride in his family and spent the last five years enjoying his grandchildren, birding and exploring Washington and the Pacific Northwest. He was a lifelong sports fan and enjoyed following the LSU and University of Virginia sports teams.

He is preceded in death by his parents Horace Johnson and Irene Johnson and his brother Larry Johnson.

He is survived by his wife Lynda Johnson; brother Donald Johnson, children Shane Johnson (Jen), Laurel Bennett (Tony) and Ryan Purcell; grandchildren Trevor Hatley, Anna Bennett, Eli Bennett, Briana Johnson, Shana Johnson, Hunter Purcell and Addison Purcell. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

The family held a private wake on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Lamy, Raymond George

member. He was an avid golfer scoring several holes in one at Brechtel Park Golf Course. Most importantly, Raymond spent his life as a devout Catholic serving Our Lord as a lector, usher, alter server, Knights of Columbus member, and Eucharistic Minister. He was extremely devoted to his St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference in Immaculate Conception Parish.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents John Earl and Camille Sperandeo Lamy; brothers John and Harold Lamy; beloved wife Marcia Ann; and sons Dennis Michael and Daniel Patrick.

He is survived by his sons Raymond, Jr. (Jann), Timothy (Kathleen), and daughter Leslie Champagne (Michael, Sr.); grandchildren Ryan, Rhett, Reid (Lacey), Toby (Julie), L. Nick, Kyle (Abby), DevenPaul, Trevor (Connie), and Michael Champagne, Jr. (Christine) as well as 10 great-grandchildren.

Visitation at Immaculate Conception Church, 4401 Seventh Street, Marrero, LA. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 11:00 AM followed by a Catholic Funeral Mass at 1:00 PM. Private interment at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Vincent de Paul Society, Immaculate Conception Conference, 4401 Seventh Street, Marrero, LA 70072.

LeBlanc, Clara Ann Robert

Clara Ann Robert LeBlanc, a loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Friday, May 1, 2026, at the age of 87. She was a resident of White Castle and a native of Donaldsonville, LA. Visitation will be held at Wilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 8:30am until 10:30am with Mass of Christian burial at Our Lady of Prompt Succor, White Castle at 11am, celebrated

by Father Alec Sheldon. Entombment will follow at White Castle Cemetery.

Clara is survived by her children, Jeddy LeBlanc, Jr. and wife Sharon, Vickie Pearce and Dale Breaux, Darin LeBlanc and wife Toni; grandchildren, Kirsten Gravois, Kyle Pearce, Kayla Pearce, Haley Lowe, Daryn Ann Prejean, Anthony LeBlanc, Renee Breaux and Courtney Guidry; twelve great grandchildren; brother, Eugene Robert; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband, Jeddy LeBlanc, Sr.; parents, Benoit and Elise Cire Robert; and siblings, Bernard "Red", Herman "Whitie", Curtis, and Irby Robert, Agnes Daigle and Marian Guercio. Special thanks to her sitters Ms. Ditty, Ms. Laonna, Ms. Lavern, Ms. Tracy and Ms. Sharla for their loving care.

Please share memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.

Simpson, Grace

Raymond George Lamy, Sr. passed away surrounded by his family on April 30, 2026, at the age of 93.

He was born in New Orleans on May 10, 1932, and was a long-time resident of the New Orleans Westbank.

Raymond was a graduate of St. Aloysius High School in 1950 where he was the class salutatorian.

As a star football player, he was named to the 1949 New Orleans Quarterback Club. Upon graduation, Raymond earned an academic and baseball scholarship to Loyola University where he graduated in 1954 with a degree in accounting.

After graduating from Loyola, Raymond was appointed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army where he admirably served our country in Fort Knox, KY. Raymond had a successful career in the insurance industry. He was extremely dedicated to his family and community where he was a Scout Leader, baseball coach, volunteer fireman, school PTA officer, and HOA board member. He was an avid

Grace Simpson passed away at her son's home surrounded by family on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the age of 78. She was a retired retail manager, resident and native of Plaquemine, LA. A memorial visitation will be held at Wilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 5pm until 8pm. Grace is survived by her children, Hondru Chiasson, Hassel Chiasson, Heidi Wilson, Hollis Simpson, III and Miranda, and Heath Simpson and wife Blakeney; grandchildren, Megan and Eric Chiasson, Kelli Vicknair, Kaci Wilson, Fischer and Hollis, IV Simpson, Caroline Marionneaux, Clayton Counts, Annaleise and Cinclaire Simpson; great grandchildren, Langdon Hale, Avery and Mason Chandler, Hazel Grace i k i d ill

Chandler, Hazel Grace Vicknair, and Miller Ann Marionneaux; siblings, Dawayne Locke, Priscilla Locke, and Hardy Locke; special nephew, Sean Witt; fur baby, Beaux Beaux; numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by her son, Hunter Paul Simpson; and parents, Harry and Margarett Merchant Locke. Grace was very artistic, she especially enjoyed making ceramics.

She also enjoyed planting her flowers and was a great cook. Special thanks to Comfort Care Hospice and staff, Ms. Latasha Coleman and family for their loving care. Please share memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.

Trahan Jr., Huey Pierce 'Butch'

Huey Pierce Trahan, Jr., affectionately known to all as "Butch" passed away peacefully on May 1, 2026.

An expert hunter, trapper, and fisherman, Butch lived with a deep respect for the outdoors and shared that knowledge with others throughout his life. Butch retired from Feliciana Forensic Facility after many years of service. He was a gifted storyteller whose tales captivated all who listened and the author of The Gobbler and the Looking Glass. He was also an accomplished NMLRA champion and record holder. As a longtime Assistant Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 51 and a founding member of the College of Knowledge, Butch shared not only skills but values that will endure in those he mentored.

His involvement with youth also included coaching Little League baseball and Peewee football teams. His grandsons were his pride and joy though. He leaves them with a legacy of respect for nature, a heart of wonder, and a thirst for adventure.

He is survived by his sister, Linda Young; brothers, DeWayne Trahan (Florine) and Ronald "Rocky" Trahan (Shannon); sister-inlaw, Sharon "Aunt Shay" Thompson, grandsons, Warren "Tray" Torrance (Mandy), Logan Pierce Torrance (Shelby), and Sage Yetta; great-grandchildren, William "Willy,", Juniper "Miss Fussy Pants," Wilder Pierce "Mud Turtle," Cooper "Princess Whiny Baby," Rivers "Fritz" Torrance, and Axel Yetta; nephews, Thomas Ray Freeman and Troy Freeman (Sandi); niece, Shelley "Shell Shock Shelley" Milliken; greatnieces, Breanna Hopkins (Richard), Lynzlee Milliken, and Carley "T-Baby" Milliken (fiancé Sammy); and his best hunting buddy, Charlie Sue Moss, and the many scouts he mentored in Troop 51. He was preceded in death by his parents, Huey P. Trahan and Naomi Trahan; his beloved wife, Marsha Trahan; stepmother, Margie Trahan; daughter, Daria Nicole Gregg; son, Warren Ladd Trahan; nephew, Ret Michael Thompson; and brothers-in-law, Keith Thompson and Bobby Young. Pallbearers will be Jamey Norsworthy, Sean "Jim" Moss, Walter Bradley, Damon "Mud Cat" DeLee, Kevin Tomb, and Nolan J. Parrenin. Honorary pallbearers will be Gerald "Scooter" Boyette, Robert Threeton, Hal Ware, Ronald "Coonie" Giroir, Steve Lea, Roy Darryl Adams, Mark Anders, and Darren Gidel.

Butch - proud Army veteran, gifted storyteller, and mentor to many young men - was a living legend.

He will be deeply missed, but his stories, lessons, and love for the outdoors will live on in all who knew him.

Visitation will be at Charlet Funeral Home in Zachary on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 5pm until 8pm.

Visitation continues on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at Jackson United Methodist Church from 9am until service at 11am. Burial will be in Jackson Cemetery.

Share memories at www.CharletFuneralHome. com.

■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 3B The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com to newcomers with fresh

Tullier, Adriane W.

Adriane W. Tullier passed away in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at the age of 85. She was born on February 15, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Eldon and Alice Winchester. After graduating from Mundelein College in Chicago, Adriane was a dedicated teacher for 38 years in both public and Catholic schools. Not only was she committed to education, but she had a special place in her heart for children that came to her facing struggles at home, at times going beyond the classroom to offer guidance and care. Her compassion for children was also displayed by her volunteer service for three months with the Peace Corp in Brazil and by her two-year service with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in New Orleans. As a devout Catholic, Adriane supported parish life at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Baton Rouge, helping with after mass gatherings and caring for the alter linens used in liturgical celebrations. At home, Adriane loved a good book, following her favorite TV dramas and watching sports - especially Catholic High and Brother Martin events.

More than anything, she cherished her role as a grandmother and took great pride in spending time with her grandchildren. Adriane is preceded in death by her parents, Eldon Francis and Alice Mary Anne (Young) Winchester.

She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Gerald Eugene Tullier; children, Damien Martin Tullier (Jamie Cashio Tullier), Marcel Pierre Tullier (Angela Nicoll Tullier), and Jeanne Tullier Takyi (Mawe Takyi); grandchildren, Tyler Tullier, Maggie Tullier, Julien Tullier, Yve Tullier, Luc Tullier, Philip Takyi, and Vivienne Takyi; and brother, James Eldon Winchester. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, at Resthaven Funeral Home, located at 11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816. Visitation will continue Friday, May 8, 2026, at St. Joseph Cathedral, located at 401 Main St., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, starting at 9:00 AM, with Funeral Mass to begin at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. The family would like to give special thanks to Candy Bailey, Brenda Daniel, and Wanda Brooks.

These women served Adriane faithfully and joyfully for the last few years as sitters, companions, and most importantly, friends.

Special thanks also to Gina Stonich, Nicole Simmons and the members of Moving Forward with Parkinson's, and to the staff of The Hospice of Baton Rouge. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate in Adriane's name to the American Parkinson Disease Association or The Hospice of Baton Rouge.

and open-minded perspectives led her to feel like she had finally found her tribe.

When her father was offered a new employment opportunity, the family moved back to Louisiana and settled in Denham Springs.

Melinda enrolled at LSU in interior design, but later shifted to mass communications, where she became DJ Lois Lane at then-WLSU. After graduation, her wideranging interests drove an early recognition that she needed to become an independent business owner.

Her career encompassed radio, national voice talent work, the film industry (both in front of and behind the camera), strategic consulting, civic service, and award-winning marketing. Melinda was a driving force in the establishment of the Baton Rouge Film Commission, which helped the city become a major player in the southern film industry. She was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and is listed on IMDB for her acting roles. In addition, she was a published author, a keynote speaker, a certified ontological coach, a mentor to many, an ordained minister/officiant, and an avid runner/halfmarathoner.

Melinda was a relentless learner, always striving for growth in her professional, personal, and spiritual pursuits. A voracious reader, she delighted in the new Southdowns Branch library, which she suspected was built just for her. She was also a fixture in the Southdowns Mardi Gras Parade's "Dancing Girls," spreading illuminated joy and killer dance moves throughout the neighborhood that she adored.

Melinda's life was marked by creativity, positivity, and a desire to make her community and the world a better place. She was especially attuned to the thoughtful use of language and to the stories that shape-and have the power to transform-our lives. Her profound impact is reflected in the vast network of deep friendships she formed across so many different circles. She truly lit up every room and heart she entered and leaves behind a legacy of light.

She is dearly missed by her husband of 12 years, Thomas Naylor; sister, Claire Doucet; niece, Jennifer Doucet; nephew, Brandon Eddards; grandniece, Alexa Lesage; her "bonus" children, Amanda Enete, Amy Champagne, and Matthew and Taylor Naylor; and her grandchildren, Rue Champagne, Isabella Champagne, Via Champagne, Jacob Enete, Ella Enete, Emily Enete, and Chloe Enete.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to her beloved East Baton Rouge Parish Library at https://poplebrpl.org/ through Patrons of the Public Library (tax-deductible), or to support advocacy efforts through the EBR Library PAC (not taxdeductible) at https://give b u t t e r . c o m / e b r-l i b r a r ypac.

A celebration of Melinda's life will be held at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church,12663 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, on Saturday, May 9, at 5 PM. A celebration of life will be held at 5:00 PM on 2026-05-09 at St Maragaret's Episcopal Church, 12663 Perkins Road.

Walsh, Melinda Eddards

Melinda Jean Eddards Walsh-a creative, soulful, accomplished force of nature in the Capital Region and beyond-left this earthly plane on March 24, 2026, after a sudden, short illness.

She was born in 1958 to Miles LeRoy and Willie B. (Courtney) Eddards in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She grew up there along with her younger sister, Claire, until her family moved in 1972 to Gautier, Mississippi, where she attended eighth and ninth grades.

This time was pivotal for Melinda, since Ingalls Shipyard brought many employees and their families from California. Exposure to newcomers with fresh d i d d

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4B ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

Air quality picture in La. hazy with spots of hope The latest “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association gives some Louisiana cities cause for concern and others reason to breathe easier.

The report presents results of a three-year nationwide examination of smog and fine particle pollution, using data from the Environmental Protection Agency from 2022 to 2024. It gave the Baton Rouge-Hammond metro area a failing grade on the number of high ozone days.

The New Orleans area received a “C” grade, but dropped in the rankings nationally for total air quality. Lafayette likewise received a “C” grade for ozone.

On the positive side, ozone ratings showed that the Monroe-Ruston metro area had some of the cleanest air in the nation, and ShreveportBossier ranked among the best for short-term particulate matter. And let’s be clear, it’s good news that no Louisiana city was on the list of the 25 worst for air quality based on any of the standards measured by the group.

Overall, the New Orleans metro area ranked 100th worst nationally, and Baton RougeHammond ranked 26th worst for ozone out of 226 metro areas studied. Iberville had the state’s worst rating for ozone, with a three-year weighted average of 10.2 bad air days per year.

Ground-level ozone, or smog, and fine particulate matter in the air affect human health in myriad ways, causing asthma attacks in children and increasing the risk of chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

On yet another measure the report looked at — annual particulate levels — there were some mixed results, though, especially in ShreveportBossier, which received an “A” grade for shortterm particulates.

The report says that in Caddo Parish during the three-year period, annual particulate levels were 7.7% higher than federal standards, giving the area a failing grade on that measure.

The data come from air quality monitoring networks around the state, and officials with the Department of Environmental Quality have said there may be some unusual factors contributing to the numbers, such as wildfires in 2022 and 2023.

Still, we believe these numbers provide important guidance as to the health of our environment. We often talk about “quality of life” measures that Louisiana is seeking to improve.

None can be more fundamental than clean air.

While we seek to attract industry and jobs to our state, we cannot ignore their effect on our air and water. If we are truly to continue to be “Sportsman’s Paradise,” let’s pay attention to the natural resources that make that possible.

These numbers do not paint a dire picture, like the situation of our coast. But we don’t have to wait for a crisis. Let’s resolve to look at the warning signs and take steps to improve our air quality now and for the future.

Support Fund has benefited La. education in countless ways

Hastily put together St. George school district will serve no one This is in rebuttal to your recommendation of a Yes vote on Constitutional Amendment 2. The editorial’s central logic is flawed: Simply “following the process” does not mean a proposal deserves approval. Persistence is not the same as merit, especially when the consequences for children and families are so significant.

We repeatedly hear, “The people of St. George want this.” That has not been my experience as a parent. When this legislation moved through committees last May, the parents present, including myself, overwhelmingly opposed it.

Those speaking in favor were political figures, not families currently relying on public schools. That distinction matters. School-aged children make up only about 17% of St. George’s population, and a majority of those children attend private schools. Why should those not using the system drive decisions that will directly impact the families who do?

The editorial briefly acknowledges “short-term deleterious effects,” but for many of us, those impacts are anything but abstract. My incoming kindergarteners, already registered, will attend their school for one year only to be displaced the next, while their older sibling remains. This kind of disruption is not a minor inconvenience, but rather a significantly destabilizing event for children and families. We raised these concerns with legislators and offered constructive feedback, but they were dismissed.

After more than a decade of effort, there is still no clear, public plan for how this district will operate. The bill’s authors gave themselves just one year to make the district operational. If the goal were truly to build a high-quality, resource-rich school system, it would not be rushed together under such uncertain conditions.

In the oft-quoted words of former President Ronald Reagan, “There they go again.” In 2025, voters by nearly a two-thirds majority overwhelmingly defeated efforts to eliminate the Quality Education Support Fund. Now, encased in a glossy new package, wrapped in bright multi-colored ribbons, clever politicians are again presenting this ill-conceived artifice to voters on May 16.

Their assumption: Apathetic voters will forget last year’s disquieting maneuver. They are wrong.

Voters will resoundingly defeat this proposal for a second time.

Why? Every public and private college or university, every public or private school or school district has benefited enormously from the Support Fund, in diverse ways.

For public and private colleges and universities: endowed chairs and professorships, superior graduate fellowships, research and enhancement grants.

For public and private schools and school districts: targeted initiatives in math, science, technology and vocational education, languages, social studies, music and geography.

The Support Fund, established through a Constitutional Amendment of 1986, has been one of the rare diamonds in the history of Louisiana’s public and private education, the envy of public and private educators throughout the nation.

ANA NOLAN St. George

Don’t let parish become the nation’s dumping ground Think about garbage for a moment.

Rotten food. Dirty diapers. Then imagine what happens to all this garbage.

Where does it go?

If River Birch landfill’s expansion request to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is approved, all that garbage — and more — could come to Jefferson Parish. And in order to get to the River Birch Landfill in Waggaman, that garbage would travel by truck and rail through other parishes.

River Birch, currently permitted to accept solid waste from 13 Louisiana parishes, wants to be allowed to take in solid waste from all 64 Louisiana parishes and 50 states in the United States. Imagine a train hauling decomposing garbage in your neighborhood, or worse, stalled on the track on a summer day.

River Birch takes in 1.3 million wet tons of solid waste and could double that to 2.6 million tons per year. As solid waste decomposes, it gives off noxious landfill gases, including hydrogen sulfide, which has a “rotten egg” odor. Added garbage truck traffic will erode our highways, and selling a home anywhere near what would be the nation’s largest landfill will surely be a challenge.

Who would benefit from River Birch’s expansion if it’s approved? The owners of the privately owned landfill would, and so would the people in communities shipping their garbage to Waggaman.

They would enjoy fresh, clean air while those of us in south Louisiana would be stuck with the stench.

LISA KARLIN River Ridge

KERRY DAVIDSON Baton Rouge

DCFS continues to shun oversight, insist on secrecy

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TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

I read with interest your article detailing issues at the Department of Children and Family Services. The writer opened with a claim by the DCFS Secretary that the Child Ombudsman’s Annual Report included confidential information that breached federal law. One had to read to the very end to see the statement by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor that releasing the information is “absolutely not” a violation of law.

As a member of the Child Death Review Panel for many years, I observed that the department routinely hides behind confidentiality in death review cases. I can also tell you that the federal

Glad to see Nussmeier land in the right spot

requirement for citizen review panels is barely met, with only a few such panels when one in every district could provide helpful information to address the chronic problems with Child Protective Services. Again, it is clear that the department doesn’t want anyone looking over their shoulder.

If DCFS is to address the longstanding problems with child protection, they should welcome the ombudsman report and work to address the deficiencies instead of accusing it of violating federal and state law.

Congratulations to Garrett Nussmeier on being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs! He was selected by a top five NFL team and will have the opportunity to learn from a future Hall of Fame coach in Andy Reid and a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Patrick Maholmes. What a fabulous opportunity. Please know that we, the LSU fans, are pulling for you.

Make us proud.

SANDRA ADAMS Baton Rouge

P.J. MEYER Baton Rouge

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 5B

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COMMENTARY La. needs a budget for water Thank God we’re not in Texas.

That’s not a sentiment you often hear in Louisiana. Our western neighbor, as some tell it, is a utopian model with nothing but good roads, good schools, an attractive tax structure and plenty of opportunity.

It’s no wonder that the Lone Star State is a major destination for Louisianans looking for a better life.

But those Bayou State expatriates may find themselves staring down Faimon some familiar problems.

Like in Louisiana, Texas Roberts officials are grappling with aging and crumbling infrastructure, especially when it comes to providing drinking water to residents.

A recent draft report by the Texas Water Development Board estimates that communities there will need $174 billion in repairs to their local water systems in order to avoid a major crisis in the next 50 years. That’s more than double the estimate the TWDB produced just four years ago.

Texas has a Texas-sized problem on its hands, and it’s getting bigger. And it’s complicated by a problem Louisiana, at least for now, doesn’t have: a lack of water supply.

Corpus Christi, for instance, could be just months from a water emergency, worsened, in significant part, by drought.

Hundreds of miles away in north Texas, groundwater worries are a recurring problem, especially for farmers.

Texas’ supply issues won’t stay bound by state lines. Last year, a Texas firm inquired about purchasing fresh water from the Toledo Bend Reservoir in northwestern Louisiana. The deal, proponents argued, would generate significant revenue while having a minimal impact on water levels in the 186,000acre reservoir, which is a popular fishing and recreation spot.

But the proposal was abandoned when the leaders of two Louisiana legislative committees, each of which would have had to approve the deal, sent a letter opposing it.

This year, a third legislator, state Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, R-Hornbeck, is trying to prevent such transactions from happening in the future. Schamerhorn, who represents a district near Toledo Bend, has filed House Bill 599 to prohibit Louisiana from selling “running surface water” for use in other states.

“This bill is to protect our natural re-

STAFF FILE PHOTO

The 2.1-mile-long earthen-and-concrete dam of Toledo Bend Reservoir holds back millions of acre-feet of water in the Sabine River valley along the Louisiana-Texas line. sources. It’s water. One day, oil and gas may disappear, and water will disappear if we’re not careful,” Schamerhorn told the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee last week.

HB599 is not a bad idea on its face.

Selling Toledo Bend water, as I have argued, is a bad idea, at least for now.

But the bill’s narrow focus on “running surface water” distracts from the real need: a comprehensive water management plan for Louisiana. And unlike HB 599, such a plan must also include groundwater.

This idea has been discussed many times, but never implemented.

It could hardly be more urgent. Each of the handful of large data centers currently under construction will require significant water supplies.

For instance, company officials working on the Meta data center in Richland Parish notified the state that they might need as much as 23 million gallons of groundwater per day. Normal operations would require much less, they said, but still.

Other data centers in Shreveport, Boyce and West Feliciana are not as big as Meta’s site. But their water needs will still be significant.

All of this is why Louisiana needs a comprehensive water strategy more

than it needs another piece of smallambition legislation. As part of any such plan, the state needs to conduct a full and transparent audit of supply, both on the surface and under it.

Louisiana has long acted like it has an inexhaustible water supply, but we really have no idea how much we have.

Until we know that, we can’t know how much we can use and how much we can sell. It may be, in fact, that Louisiana can reasonably profit by selling some of its abundant water supplies.

Rebecca Triche, executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, highlighted this fact even as she spoke in favor of Schamerhorn’s bill.

“So, we’re not even sure how much water we could sell or permit or what that impacts on priority users. In the absence of a comprehensive management plan, this is very prudent to put in place,” she told the committee.

So Louisiana would find itself in a place we know too well: with no real strategy or solution, just a cobbledtogether collection of narrowly tailored regulations.

Those may solve local problems, but they do little to move the state forward.

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

Seattle has a case of the Ayatollah Itch The Ayatollah Itch is a disease that lished to provide … training,” Seattle manifests in an urge to use government inflicted mandatory, race-segregated power to coerce conformity to quasisessions. The preferred euphemism religious agendas. The disease is not for such evasions of the law is “affinity confined to clerics in foreign theocragroups.”

They separate White people and BIcies. Consider Seattle.

Last month, Joshua Diemert, who for POCs (Black, Indigenous and people of eight years was a city employee admin- color). Seattle seems unaware of how close it has come to formulating a 21stistering social services, will get what century version of the Jim Crow “sepathe city wants to deny him: his day in court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the rate but equal” doctrine.

9th Circuit will hear his arguThe city’s first manager of the Race and Social Justice Initiament that a district court erred by granting summary judgment tive was almost endearingly in favor of Seattle. candid: “We asked all the white That court held that no major people to go in one room and factual issues are in dispute. all the people of color [to] go in George another room. … Well, the White Oh? Here are undisputed facts laden with legal significance: people got in the room and just Will In 2004, Seattle’s government, talked about their fear, and the as woke as a rooster at dawn, Black people got in the room and adopted the Race and Social Justice Ini- talked about how glad they weren’t the tiative, which was more than a program White people.” Living, no doubt, in a to promote workforce diversity. Rather, bubble of the like-minded, this person probably had no clue how repulsive he it was a program of compelled racial sounded to normal Americans. identity.

Racialized messaging was directed Its explicit purpose was to change at White employees in general and “the fundamental nature of local govDiemert specifically. But the district ernment” by embedding “racial equity court complacently accepted Seattle’s and social justice principles” throughinsistence that its initiative cannot be out city “programs, budgets, and culture.” This involved evaluating city em- discriminatory because its aim is “eqployees through a “racial equity lens.” uity.”

Facially illegal and presumptively The training’s pettiness and animus unconstitutional, this monomania feasometimes produced unintelligible tured the full spectrum of now-familiar verbal mush, as with its instruction that White employees must “decenter” nostrums and policies. They are divithemselves. Such jargon is a sure sign sive, bullying and, by now, boring. that the speaker has had a smattering Favoring a colorblind society is stigof what today counts as higher educamatized as “racial evasion.” What normal people consider elementary adult tion. virtues — e.g., punctuality, individualThe district court accepted the city’s lackadaisical characterization of its ism, perfectionism — are residues of Race and Social Justice rigmarole as “white supremacy culture.” Diversity, equity and inclusion trainers told train- a benign “presentation of concepts.”

The city says each individual affront ees that racism is “in white people’s Diemert experienced was “not severe.”

DNA.” Although it is against the law to But what matters legally is the total“limit, segregate, or classify” employees by race “in any program, estabity of conditions, and the cumulative

impact of episodes. So, Diemert’s resignation from his city job satisfies the criteria for an involuntary “constructive discharge”: His working conditions were made so intolerable that he felt compelled to resign.

Constitutional law is clear: Freedom of speech includes freedom from compelled speech — freedom from coerced affirmations of government catechisms. Furthermore, equity “training” — meaning, invariably, indoctrination — is inherently poisonous. It also is, however, a billion-dollar business, siphoning up government and corporate money, coast to coast. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm that defends Americans from government overreach, and is representing Diemert, has more work to do.

In Illinois, the “LGBTQIA+ Equity and Inclusion” initiative sweeps far beyond compliance with nondiscrimination law, to propounding murky theories of “overlapping identities” and “micro-invalidations.” The purpose, obviously, is to extinguish viewpoint diversity.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit recently looked askance at a Missouri school district’s mandatory training for staff who, presented with a migraine-inducing “oppression matrix,” are supposed to ingest the district’s interpretation of white supremacy. For example, “covert” supremacy includes the vice of “tone policing.” If you are mystified by that, you are presumptively a racist.

The Ayatollah Itch is a communicable disease spread by aspiring thought police. The vaccine against it is the visceral American recoil against government establishment of religion. Including ersatz religions concocted from evanescent political fads.

Who is monitoring the debt?

People of a certain age will recall a lyric from the Tennessee Ernie Ford song “Sixteen Tons”: “Another day older and deeper in debt.”

I thought of that song as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth asked Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion budget for fiscal year 2027 to put the military on what he called a “wartime footing.”

Hegseth says the Pentagon needs the money for more drones, munitions and modCal ernized systems.

Thomas Though President Donald Trump has denied it, bragging that we have the strongest military in the world, it would appear that the Iran conflict has significantly depleted U.S military resources.

Whatever Congress decides to do in response to Hegseth’s request will be done with borrowed money, because we don’t have enough resources — and haven’t for some time — to pay for the unrestrained spending Congress loves to do. Notice there were no pledges of cost reductions in Hegseth’s request. There never are when it comes to government If you want to be shocked, assuming we are shocked about much these days, visit usdebtclock.org and watch the numbers rise faster than a space rocket. It’s $39 trillion and counting with the average cost to each American family of $114,130, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

No nation in history has ever been able to shoulder such debt and survive. The politicians don’t seem to care as long as they can dole out money to keep themselves in office.

I have written about the debt before, but it bears repeating until Congress takes action. What frustrates those who are paying attention to the debt is that it is not an unsolvable problem. It’s been fixed before, even within recent memory for many people.

In the mid-1990s, an unlikely partnership was forged between President Bill Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich to address the debt, which had increased from $4.8 trillion to $5.6 trillion. Chump change compared to today.

From fiscal years 1998 to 2001, thanks to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the federal government achieved four consecutive budget surpluses. There was still debt but surpluses were reducing it. What created the surpluses?

Clinton and Gingrich addressed the biggest drivers of the debt — Medicare and Medicaid, the so-called “third rail.” They managed to cut $115 billion in Medicare spending, $14 billion in Medicaid, along with significant reductions in discretionary spending to eliminate the deficit by 2002.

Much of this was done by removing fraudsters and the unentitled from the rolls. Sound familiar?

While Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with rooting out fraud as in the child care centers in Minnesota, no one wants to re-visit Medicare and Medicaid, especially with elections just five months away.

Somebody has to do it. According to the Kiplinger Retirement Report and numerous other projections, the “Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) trust fund is projected to be exhausted by 2033-2040, requiring automatic benefit cuts of 11-13% if not addressed. While Medicare itself won’t totally ‘run out,’ it will only cover roughly 89-90% of costs. Medicaid is funded differently via federal/state taxes, so it does not face the same ‘trust fund’ insolvency, but is facing severe funding pressure, with 2025 legislation implementing significant cuts.”

These would not be tough choices if the public was properly prepared.

The reduction in benefits and/or an increase in taxes is inevitable. Means testing, allowing people to choose a hybrid retirement fund combining reduced Social Security payments with investments in the stock market and other reforms would save the programs for those who need it and allow more individuals to care for themselves instead of burdening the government.

Simple, right? If only the politicians would do what they know must be done.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

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6B ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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TODAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Breezy with periods of sun

Breezy with a strong t-storm

Showers and a heavier t-storm

Some sun, a t-storm possible

A couple of thunderstorms

A t-storm around in the p.m.

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

84° 71°

LOW

HIGH

89° 73°

LOW

77° 63°

Beaumont 82/75 Port Arthur 82/75

Baton Rouge 84/71

Lake Charles 82/74

New Orleans 83/73 Houma 81/72

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

0s

Hattiesburg 84/67

Alexandria 83/72

Lafayette 81/73

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

LOW

HIGH

LOW

86° 70°

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 64 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Monday

Jackson 83/70 Many 84/72

HIGH

82° 70°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 85/72

-0s

LOW

Monroe 83/72

Shreveport 86/74

-10s

HIGH

80° 64°

Our winds shifted around to the south yesterday, and they’ll be southerly and stronger today. The result will be higher humidity, higher temperatures and more cloud cover. So, expect a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, warm and more humid day. Temperatures this afternoon will be just about where they should be, in the mid-80s. Winds will be southerly at up to 15 mph, and rain chances once again will be at zero today and 40% tomorrow.

Expect a threat for some severe weather late Wednesday into Thursday.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today LAST

MAY 9

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

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

79°/51° 83°/62° 78°/55° 94° in 1952 40° in 2013

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

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

HIGH

10:16p 4:36p 9:04a 12:49p 11:58a 11:15a 1:06p

6:18 a.m.

7:45 p.m.

11:43 p.m.

8:45 a.m.

NEW

FIRST

MAY 16

Hi

80 89 76 81 60 92 40 86 74

TODAY Lo

63 74 59 60 43 64 29 75 59

FULL

MAY 23

W

pc c s s c t r c pc

Hi

83 88 66 81 56 75 37 87 82

MODERATE

PRECIPITATION

MAY 31

WED. Lo

68 62 54 67 39 55 28 69 66

W

c t sh c c pc sn t s

FT.

LOW

0.00” 2.24” 0.64” 18.44” 20.96”

FT.

HIGH

0.8 9:44a 0.0 1.7 2:03a 0.0 2.1 11:11p 0.0 1.9 2:25a 0.2 1.3 11:43p 0.0 1.7 10:03p -0.1 1.6 --- ---

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

FT.

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LOW

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FT.

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

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday

City

2:30a 3:26a 4:21a 5:13a 6:02a 6:48a 7:31a

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

Hi

68 87 73 83 86 79 60 63 76

8:43a 9:38a 10:33a 11:25a 12:14p 12:37a 1:20a

TODAY Lo

54 75 65 61 64 61 47 54 52

2:55p 3:51p 4:45p 5:37p 6:26p 7:11p 7:53p

W

pc pc t pc s pc r r s

GOOD

Hi

74 89 68 69 70 84 56 67 71

9:08p 10:03p 10:58p 11:49p ---12:59p 1:42p

WED. Lo

58 76 51 52 53 67 39 55 50

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

W

s pc t sh sh s c pc pc

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

MON. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

18.10 35.40 38.00 21.90 13.40 10.16 6.20

+0.94 +0.01 +0.10 -0.20 -0.20 -0.26 -0.36

40

33.78

+0.14

19

0.33

-3.50

18 29 8

2.37 23.09 3.62

-1.48 +0.11 -0.06

13 15

6.06 6.32

-1.20 +1.29

47 34 29 20 12 6

18.88 13.85 11.62 9.12 5.30 3.27

-0.04 +0.01 -0.01 +0.08 -0.20 +0.28

data as of 7 a.m. Monday

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

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T u e s d ay, M ay 5, 2026

1CN

Freshmen helping keep LSU’s regional hopes alive

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU broke its nine-game losing streak in Southeastern Conference play last weekend with an emphatic sweep over South Carolina, improving to 28-21 overall and 9-15 in the Southeastern Conference.

After Friday’s game ANALYSIS was postponed, the Tigers won 6-1 in Game 1 and 7-3 in Game 2 on ä Tulane Saturday night, and at LSU, 7-0 in the series finale 6:30 P.M. Sunday.

TUESDAy, SECN+ Here are five takeaways from LSU’s first series sweep since the opening weekend of the season against Milwaukee.

ä See LSU, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU shortstop Steven Milam leaps over South Carolina first baseman Will Craddock while turning the double play on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

POINTING UP

LSU baseball, softball enjoy sweeping success Liner notes in my baseball/softball scorebook. Not just a golf scorecard this time. Everything else is changing in sports, it seems, so why not? n For perhaps the first time this season, the LSU baseball team got what it needed this past weekend when the Tigers produced a three-game sweep of South Carolina.

Necessity need not be celebrated beteams in the Southeastern Conference, yond its station — the Paul Mainieri-less just a notch below LSU. Despite the Gamecocks remain one of the worst sweep, the Tigers (28-21, 9-15 SEC) are

Scott Rabalais

still mired in 14th place in the conference and open the week with a tepid RPI of 55.

Nonetheless, you can only beat who you play and LSU took care of business, going 4-0 including a midweek win over SLU. The pitching looked improved (again, it must be said, against an anemic-hitting South Carolina team), defense generally was better and, most

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU catcher Omar Serna jogs home for a run after a hit by teammate Cade Arrambide in the first inning on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

Southern softball reaches unforeseen heights this year Williams, who led the Jaguars to a The matchup will be a first for Jaguars set for program record for wins in a sea- Southern this year. The last time and a 17-0 home record. it faced the SWAC East division semifinals of SWAC son“This year’s team’s winning for- squad was during the 2022 SWAC mula?” the fifth-year coach said. “I Tournament, Williams’ first year Tournament might sound crazy, but it’s literally leading the program. The Jaguars

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Talent, resilience and consistency.

Those are a few of the ingredients Southä Southern vs. ern (32-13, Bethune-Cookman, 18-6 SWAC) possessed 1 P.M.TUESDAy during its historic softball regular season.

There’s another component that’s just as crucial for coach Brittney

to have fun. Go out there, compete, get excited, even if someone makes a routine out, because that’s one less out that we have to make. Pay attention to detail in the game, but when that gets too strenuous, just genuinely have fun.”

Her team’s culture prioritizes joy, and the Jaguars plan to bring that with them to the Gulfport Sportsplex in Mississippi for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. No. 2-seeded Southern will face No. 3 Bethune-Cookman at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the first round of the SWAC Tournament.

went 1-1 against Bethune-Cookman that postseason.

Williams, who was named the SWAC Coach of the Year, said the message to her team entering the tournament is to play cleanly, dominate offensively and to maintain the standard it has developed through 45 games.

A significant part of Southern’s success has been the standout play of outfielder Laila Clark, who was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore is first in the

PHOTO PROVIDED

Southern softball won a program-record 32 games and went undefeated ä See SOUTHERN, page 4C at home (17-0).

LEARN MORE

Head Coach Jay Johnson LSU Baseball

2C ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS 6 p.m.

On TV 7 p.m.

3 p.m.

Noon 3 p.m.

COLLEGE BASEBALL Louisville at Vanderbilt ESPN2 COLLEGE GOLF PGA WORKS Collegiate Champ. Golf COLLEGE SOFTBALL SEC Tourn.: Auburn vs. Missouri SECN SEC Tourn.: Kentucky vs. Miss St. SECN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

SEC Tourn.: Ole Miss vs. S. Car. SECN MLB 7:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Houston TBS,TRUTV 8:40 p.m. Pittsburgh at Arizona MLBN NBA PLAYOFFS 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Detroit NBCSN, Peacock 7:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Okla. City NBC, Peacock NHL PLAYOFFS 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Colorado ESPN

MEN’S SOCCER 12:45 p.m. Al Hilal at Al Khaleej FS2 2 p.m.

Atletico Madrid at Arsenal CBS 6:30 p.m. Atletico Ottawa at Toronto FC FS2 8:30 p.m. Nashville SC at UANL FS1 TENNIS 4 a.m. (Wed.) WTA,ATP Tennis 5 a.m. (Wed.) WTA,ATP Tennis

LSU heads to Las Vegas for 4 games next season

LSU baseball will play four games in Las Vegas next season, LSU coach Jay Johnson said on his radio show Monday.

The Tigers will be in Sin City from March 5-8 and play four games. Johnson told The Advocate on Monday that his team will play three contests at the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic before playing a fourth game on Monday, March 8, against UNLV. LSU’s opponents at the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic have not been finalized, Johnson said.

This season, LSU traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, to face Indiana, Notre Dame and UCF at the Jax College Baseball Classic. The Tigers won all three contests to cap off an 8-0 start to the season.

Pistons, Bickerstaff agree on contract extension

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DIANE BONDAREFF

Jockey Jose Ortiz celebrates after Golden Tempo wins the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Winner’s journey began in New Orleans Golden Tempo broke maiden at Fair Grounds

BY JEFF DUNCAN Sports writer

Golden Tempo and the connections of the winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby started their journey to horse racing glory in New Orleans.

The 3-year-old colt, his trainer, Cherie DeVaux, and jockey Jose Ortiz competed at the Fair Grounds Race Course, as did the Derby’s third-place finisher, Ocelli.

Ortiz was the meet’s leading rider for the second consecutive year, and DeVaux, who became the first female trainer to win the Derby, finished fifth in the trainer standings at the 2025-26 race meet.

Golden Tempo broke his maiden at Fair Grounds on Dec. 20 and stamped himself as a Derby contender by winning the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at the Gentilly oval a month later. He finished third in the track’s subsequent graded stakes races for 3-year-old colts, the Grade II Risen Star in February and the Grade II Louisiana Derby in March.

Those third-place finishes likely

PROVIDED PHOTO

Golden Tempo, with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, wins the 83rd running of the $250,000 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course. caused his odds to dip to 23-1 for the Kentucky Derby, but his connections were confident in his ability to run the race’s demanding 11/4-mile distance after the way he finished both races at the Fair Grounds.

“We knew he was the type of horse that’s going to get better with development and racing,” DeVaux told TwinSpires.com this week. “We had committed to doing the series of Derby prep races at the Fair Grounds, with the idea that they do have the longest dis-

tance as a prep (the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby) and we knew the more distance the better for him and it gave us more time between that race and the Derby.

And the discussion was, as long as he’s moving forward in his numbers and his performances then we should take a shot at the Derby.”

Golden Tempo completed the 11/4-mile trip on a fast main track in 2 minutes, 2.27 seconds and made Ortiz the ninth rider to sweep the Kentucky Oaks and

Kentucky Derby in the same year.

Lafayette native Brian Hernandez Jr., who also competes annually in the Fair Grounds jockey colony, was the most recent rider to do that in 2024 with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan. “Jose has a lot of faith in him,” said DeVaux, who has wintered at the Fair Grounds since the 202324 meet. “Jose is the one that has had the most faith in him and encouraged us to continue on our path with each race.”

The victory was worth $3.1 million for Golden Tempo, a Kentucky-bred son of Curlin out of the Bernardini mare Carrumba. He is now a two-time graded stakes winner with a record of 5-3-0-2 and increased his earnings to $3,433,000.

Golden Tempo returned $48.24, $19.14, $11.90. Renegade, ridden

by Irad Ortiz Jr. returned $7.14 and $5.46, with Ocelli paying $36.34 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.

“He’s a dead closer, and the Louisiana Derby really solidified he was getting there from the eighth pole home,” DeVaux said at the post-Derby press conference Saturday. “If he had extra ground, he was going to make it. We had to have faith in the process, faith in the horse, faith in Jose (Ortiz).

That was an incredible experience. I’m so proud of this horse.”

Elliott on roll with two Cup victories under belt

BY STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas — Chase Elliott never before had won two Cup races this early in a NASCAR season.

After first winning at Martinsville at the end of March, the most popular driver in the series opened May in victory lane at Texas. That 11/2-mile track is growing on Elliott after he had not been much of a fan of the repave and reconfiguration done there nine years ago.

“I think having a win early at Martinsville ... I said it to you guys then and there, it’s not like, ‘oh, hey, the pressure is off, we have a win,’” he said Sunday at Texas after another 1-2 finish ahead of Denny Hamlin. “It’s ‘man, we have a lot longer period of time to build on that.’ That’s genuinely where my mind was at.”

And still is after already getting another victory.

Elliott has the two wins and five other top-10 finishes this year, and Alex Bowman has consecutive third-place finishes for Hendrick Motorsports after missing four races because of vertigo. And it was Bowman who provided the decisive push for his teammate on the final restart with four laps left Sunday.

When crew chief Alan Gustafson came on the radio at the end of the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LM OTERO

Chase Elliott does a burnout at the finish line after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. race proclaiming Elliott a twotime Texas winner, the driver’s initial feeling was, “I’ll be damned.

I’d have never thought.”

Now 30 years old and 11 races into his 12th Cup season, Elliott joined five-time winner Tyler Reddick as the only drivers with multiple wins this year. The soonest before that Elliott had two wins in a season was 17 races into 2022, when he went on to match the career-high five wins he had during his 2020 championship season.

“I knew it right at Martinsville, we’ve never won a race this early, much less to now have two this early,” Elliott said. “I’m proud of our team for that, because anytime you can check off new boxes

in this sport when you’ve been doing it for 10-plus years is cool, and it’s hard to do. ” Elliott led a race-high 87 of the 267 laps at Texas for his 23rd career victory. That came two years after ending a 42-race winless streak in the No. 9 Chevrolet with an overtime victory there.

“The 9 just performed flawlessly,” said four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, now vice chairman of the Hendrick team.

“One of our strongest races that we’ve had in quite some time,” Elliott said.

Elliott moved up a spot to third in the season standings, only eight points behind Hamlin but still trailing Reddick by 117. The other

two Hendrick drivers, Kyle Larson (eighth) and William Byron (10th), are in the top 10 while Bowman is stuck in 34th after the four missed races.

On the final restart Sunday, Elliott had control and chose to start on the inside of Hamlin. Bowman was behind his teammate and gave him the push of momentum onto the backstretch to clear for the lead he kept to the checkered flag.

That winning move came through turns 1 and 2, the part of the track where the banking was reduced and racing surface widened during the repave in 2017.

Turns 3 and 4 were left in their original form, making the ends of the track different for the first time since Texas Motor Speedway opened in 1997. Elliott is far from the only driver to express his displeasure about those changes.

“Yeah, you know, I’ve trashed this place for years. ... I thought it was a really strong track (for me), and then it turned into not a strong track at all,” Elliott said.

Two wins in three trips to TMS certainly have eased that feeling for Elliott.

“When you run better, it grows on you little by little,” he said. “For as hard of a time as I’ve given (the track), for some reason it likes me. It loved me back. I didn’t like it, but it liked me. So I’m learning to come around a little bit.”

DETROIT — Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff has agreed to a contract extension on the heels of Detroit’s first-round playoff series victory over the Orlando Magic.

Details regarding the value and length of the extension were not released by the Pistons when they announced the deal on Monday.

The Pistons have gone 104-60 in regular-season games under Bickerstaff and made two playoff appearances since he took over for Monty Williams at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Detroit lost in the first round a year ago. This season, the Pistons had the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22 and on Sunday defeated Orlando 116-94 to close out a playoff series victory for the first time since 2008.

High-scoring guard Harris commits to Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Former Wake Forest guard Juke Harris has committed to Tennessee, the school announced on Monday, giving the Volunteers one of the top scorers in this year’s portal.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder scored 21.4 points per game last season for the Demon Deacons to rank No. 14 in the country. He was named to the All-ACC second team as a sophomore and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Harris had originally declared for the NBA draft but decided to go to Tennessee after being projected as a late first round or early second round selection.

“Juke is not only an explosive talent, but also a humble young man from a great family,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said in a statement.

Top tennis players criticize French Open prize money

Top players including No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka expressed “their deep disappointment” at the French Open prize money on Monday.

The players added their other demands have not been addressed by officials from the four Grand Slam tournaments, including better representation, health and pensions.

French Open organizers announced last month they were increasing overall prize money by about 10%. But the players’ statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming they will receive a smaller share of tournament revenues.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the players said.

Yankees radio broadcaster Sterling dies at age 87

NEW YORK — John Sterling, the ebullient radio broadcaster known for extravagant, individualized home run calls and shouting “theee Yankees win!” after each of New York’s victories, died Monday. He was 87.

Sterling had a heart attack and bypass surgery this winter and had returned to his home in Edgewater, New Jersey, where he was cared for by health aides. He died of complications Monday at Englewood Hospital, according to his former wife, Jennifer.

“He brought that New York theater to the ballpark,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “He was almost a kid up there in the broadcast talking about the game.”

Sterling called 5,651 games, including 5,060 in a row from September 1989 through July 2019. He retired in April 2024.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 3C

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White Sox 3B Murakami sports Bonds-like HR rate

BY NOAH TRISTER AP baseball writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal throws a pitch Wednesday in Atlanta.

Cy Young winner Skubal to have elbow surgery

By The Associated Press DETROIT — Two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will have surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow after being scratched from Monday’s start against the Boston Red Sox. Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that the left-hander felt discomfort in his elbow on Sunday, less than a week after an injury scare against the Atlanta Braves. The 29-year-old — set to become a free agent next offseason — underwent tests that showed the loose bodies. The surgery hadn’t yet been scheduled.

There is no immediate timetable for his return, though similar injuries usually require a twoto-three month recovery period.

The phrase “loose bodies” often refers to pieces of bone or cartilage that break off and float in the joint space, though the specifics of Skubal’s case are unclear.

“From my understanding, you just go take it out,” Skubal told MLB.com. “I think length of the rehab is probably just getting your spring training buildup up again, getting your volume up.

But the procedure itself I think is pretty simple as far as what I’ve been explained.”

Skubal pitched for the U.S. in

the World Baseball Classic this spring but was careful with his workload, throwing in just one game before returning to spring training with the Tigers. He won a record salary arbitration case in February and is being paid $32 million this season, far exceeding the team’s $19 million offer.

Skubal has a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA over seven starts this season, striking out 45 over 431/ 3 innings. The Tigers were tied for first place in the AL Central with an 18-17 record entering Monday.

Skubal initially felt pain in his elbow last week against the Braves but stayed in the game.

He rubbed his left arm after a 2-2 pitch to Matt Olson, drawing a visit from the trainer and Hinch.

Skubal threw one warmup pitch, decided he was OK and struck out the side to end his night.

He allowed five hits, fanned seven and didn’t walk anyone.

The two-time All-Star won the AL Cy Young award in each of the last two seasons. He had an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 2024 and was 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts last year.

He’s also been effective in the postseason with a 2-1 record, 2.04 ERA and 56 strikeouts over six starts.

LSU

outing was the longest and best.

“Just landing the off-speed Continued from page 1C (pitches) ... is a big thing for me, whether it’s slider or curveball, just kind of stealing strikes or getFreshman report ting weak contact,” Paz said. “And then, once you get ahead in the It was another standout series for count, just finish the batter when you can. I feel like I did that pretty the LSU freshmen.

In Game 1, right fielder William well today.”

Patrick had two hits, first baseman Mason Braun reached base four Braun getting on base times and catcher Omar Serna A quick peek at the box score scored on three occasions and hit a would suggest it was a quiet weekdouble. Game 2 was even more im- end for Braun. pressive, when right-handed startHe had only two hits all series er Marcos Paz allowed just one hit after going 7 for 13 at Mississippi in five innings, and Braun, Patrick State. But in reality, it was another and Serna combined to go 5 for 11. strong series for the freshman.

Second baseman Jack Ruckert Braun had six walks against had a big day Sunday with two hits South Carolina, reaching base eight and an RBI. Serna also homered times in 15 plate appearances. His and drove in three runs. ability to get on base at the top of “(The freshman hitters) had the order went a long way toward some adversity early in the game LSU consistently producing quali(Sunday) where they didn’t get a ty at-bats throughout the weekend. couple things done or didn’t take Since Johnson moved him to the at-bats maybe that they had the leadoff spot, the Tigers have had in the stretch that they’ve been scored at least six runs in each playing,” LSU coach Jay Johnson contest, and Braun has gotten on said. “And they overcame that, and base in every game. His on-base every single one of them positively percentage is up to .474, which is affected winning today after that.” the best mark on the team.

The freshmen were responsible “Play the Billy Beane clip,” Johnfor driving in nine of the Tigers’ son said. “… If you get on base, 20 weekend runs. They scored 14 you’re going to play for me.” times and smacked four extra-base hits. Serna’s homer was his seventh Improved defense? of the year, and Braun blasted a Two weeks ago, Johnson called homer in Game 2 on Saturday. the defense a problem that may Paz was the only freshman pitch- not get fixed until 2027. His comer who threw this weekend, but his ment made sense at the time, giv-

RABALAIS

regular season at home against a Florida team fighting to earn Continued from page 1C an NCAA regional host slot. The Tigers need to find some way to take at least one game off Georgia (the Bulldogs perennially come encouraging for LSU baseball up short of baseball expectations, fans who have given up on this so anything’s possible) and win season, the lineup looks like it’s two, if not three, against Florida. starting to bunch hits and get Twelve SEC wins would at least them in a more timely fashion. give LSU a shot at an NCAA bid in And with freshmen doing a lot of the hitting, a sign of optimism for a road regional, probably as a No. 3 seed.

2027.

None of this is remotely close to The 2026 Tigers still have a long, long way to go to get to 13-14 the Tigers’ typical expectations nor their lofty preseason goals SEC wins, including the tournawhen they started ranked No. 2 in ment, which is what’s assumed to most polls. But for the first time be needed to get into the NCAA in a long time, this LSU season is Tournament. Injuries still have lowered this team’s ceiling — Jake pointed in a positive direction ... for now.

Brown is out, Cooper Moore is n Baseball’s sweep wasn’t the out, previous Friday starter Casan Evans didn’t pitch last weekend — only one by an LSU team this past but there is finally some optimism. weekend. The softball Tigers endThe future is daunting, though. ed their regular season against AuAfter Tulane on Tuesday, another burn with a 3-0 slate, including an must-win game for the Tigers, eye-popping and record-breaking LSU goes on the road to face SEC 25-0 demolition Saturday of the Tileader Georgia and closes the gers from the plains.

After three straight 100-loss seasons — including a record 121 defeats in 2024 — the Chicago White Sox needed a little excitement.

Munetaka Murakami has certainly provided that.

The 26-year-old infielder from Japan is tied with Aaron Judge for the major league lead with 13 home runs. That accounts for nearly half of Murakami’s hits so far this season. He has 14 singles and no doubles or triples.

This type of all-or-nothing production would be quite rare if it continues for an entire season. So far, 48.1% of Murakami’s hits have been homers. The single-season record — among players who qualified for the batting title — is 46.8%

by Barry Bonds. He did it during his famous 2001 season, when he slugged a record 73 home runs and had 156 hits.

Next in line are two of Mark McGwire’s best years. He had 70 homers on 152 hits (46.1%) in 1998, and 65 homers on 145 hits (44.8%) in 1999. Only nine players have homered on at least 40% of their hits, but not all of them needed stratospheric home run totals to do it. Joey Gallo hit 41 home runs on 94 hits (43.6%) in 2017, finishing with a .209 average. That might be a more reasonable comp for Murakami, who is batting .223.

Following Murakami’s lead, the White Sox rank 28th in the major leagues in batting average and ninth in home runs. Colson Montgomery is hitting .227 with nine homers. It was an encouraging week for Chicago, which had a chance to reach .500 on Sunday but lost to San Diego — the end of a fivegame winning streak.

Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million contract in the offseason to come over from Japan and join the White Sox. Montgomery, meanwhile, is 24 and under team control for a while. On the pitch-

ON DECK WHO: LSU (28-21) vs.

Tulane (23-26) WHEN: 6:30 p.m.Tuesday WHERE: Alex Box Stadium ONLINE: SEC Network+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM,103.7 (Lafayette) RANKINGS: LSU and Tulane are not ranked PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — TBA; Tulane — TBA PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LSU hasn’t faced the Green Wave since the 2023 Baton Rouge regional. In that game, Paul Skenes threw a complete game as the Tigers won 7-2.Tulane got swept by Charlotte this past weekend on the road, falling to 8-13 in American Conference play.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORy BULL

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami bats during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres on Sunday in San Diego. ing side, left-hander Noah Schultz has made his debut this season and is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA. And the White Sox also have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

ABS impact So far there doesn’t seem to be a huge correlation between success with the automated ball-strike system and winning. The teams with the most successful ABS challenges are the Twins (52), Rockies (50), Marlins (46), Athletics (45) and Royals (44). Only the A’s are above .500 from that group.

On a percentage basis, the teams with the best success rate have been the Diamondbacks (64.3%), Padres (62.3%), Royals (62%), Tigers (60.7%) and Reds (59.6%).

San Diego, Detroit and Cincinnati have winning records.

ronto on April 28. That was a third straight victory for the struggling Red Sox, but they’ve dropped four of five since. Suarez left Sunday’s start after four innings because of hamstring issues.

Comeback of week

The Atlanta Braves scored seven runs in the last three innings to beat Colorado 8-6 on Friday night. The Braves were down 6-1 in the seventh. They scored a run that inning and then four more in the eighth, with Mauricio Dubón’s bases-loaded triple the highlight.

Michael Harris’ two-run homer in the top of the ninth put Atlanta ahead.

The Rockies’ win probability peaked at 97.7%, according to Baseball Savant.

After sweeping three straight at Colorado, the Braves had an 81/2Performance of week game lead in the NL East entering Ranger Suarez struck out 10 in Monday. Atlanta also had the best eight one-hit innings for the Bos- run differential in baseball at pluston Red Sox in a 5-0 win over To- 81.

defense at second base and showed improved chemistry with junior shortstop Steven Milam on plays around the bag at second.

Behind the plate, Serna and sophomore Cade Arrambide were more stout at catcher. LSU had just two wild pitches in the series.

“We didn’t catch a couple of popups at third base,” Johnson said after Game 2. “But other than that, we played pretty good defense today.”

The only spot where the Tigers had trouble defensively was at third base, where fifth-year senior Seth Dardar committed multiple mistakes in the second game on Saturday, including an error. He also missed a ground ball on Sunday that was originally ruled an error but was later changed to a hit.

Dardar’s struggles were somewhat placated by the two hits he had in Game 2 on Saturday. It’s easier to stomach his defensive mistakes if he’s producing at the plate, especially as Milam and Ruckert provide quality defense up the middle.

just four runs in the series.

“I feel like it’s just kind of what I’ve done my whole life,” senior right-hander Zac Cowan said after he threw 60 of his 82 pitches for strikes on Sunday. “And I feel like I’m just able to be consistent with all my pitches and … I feel confident when I go out there, and I’m just able to flood the zone.”

Regional hopes

en the number of players who had tried and failed to fix the defensive issues at first, second, third and catcher.

But last weekend was a step forward, especially on the infield.

Braun made multiple nice picks at first base. Ruckert played solid

Finding the strike zone has been an issue for LSU all season, but it was a strength for the LSU pitchers against the Gamecocks.

LSU walked only eight batters across the three-game set, and no starter threw fewer than 60% of his pitches for strikes. That consistency went a long way toward the Tigers holding South Carolina to

LSU had to sweep South Carolina to keep its slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but even after taking three games from the Gamecocks, the Tigers have a lot of work to do.

They still need to win four of their final six contests in SEC play to get to 13 wins. Those victories have to come against two opponents that could make it to Omaha: Florida and Georgia. The Bulldogs have a 21/2-game lead over Texas A&M at the top of the conference, and the Gators are the No. 12 team in RPI, a schedule-based metric used by the NCAA Tournament committee to help determine the field.

Not only does LSU need these wins for its conference record but it also needs them for its RPI. The Tigers are only the No. 55 team in RPI, a standing that’s probably too low for them to earn an at-large bid.

Four wins over Florida and Georgia and a couple of victories at the SEC Tournament could change that picture in a hurry.

The bottom line? Last weekend was a step forward, but LSU has a long way to go.

Remember all that hot-seat talk about coach Beth Torina going into the season? Well, LSU heads into this week’s SEC Tournament with a respectable 37-16 record and a No. 11 RPI (the Tigers are the No. 8 seed in the tourney).

It all adds up to put LSU in line to again host an NCAA regional, though Torina’s Tigers have a long way to go to be considered for a top-eight national seed. That would probably mean winning the tournament this weekend in Lexington, Kentucky.

Still, Torina looks to be on solid ground as do her Tigers, though getting through a regional and at least back to a super regional would help her cause immensely. n The Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Monday announced its tournament dates for 2027: April 19-25. The tournament, like many non-majors or elevated events on the PGA Tour, still faces an unknown future beyond 2027 with talk of the tour revamping its schedule. But with a committed

sponsor and a date tournament organizers want to maintain — balanced between the Masters and the PGA Championship — things could definitely be much worse. Hopefully the PGA Tour will do one of its solid citizens a favor and spread out the surrounding big purse signature events crowding the Zurich into other parts of the schedule.

From the Much Worse Department, we have LIV Golf. That tour is having its funding pulled by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund after the Saudis dumped at least $5 billion down its rabbit hole over the past four years, proof that even uber-rich people eventually tire of losing money.

LIV says with typical “Ignore the riot behind me, all is well” aplomb that it will try to pivot to other investment streams. But with pitiful TV ratings and stars jumping or considering jumping ship, that looks like a fool’s errand.

Meanwhile, what of LIV’s proposed tournament in New Orleans? The June tournament

at Bayou Oaks in City Park was scrapped, with some vague talk of a smaller, exhibition-style event coming to the city this fall.

Great idea, right in the middle of football and hurricane season.

Hopefully, LIV — like the hurricanes — just veers to a different course entirely. The state of Louisiana did no favors to the Zurich, a tournament that began way back in 1938 and funded numerous charities in New Orleanss and Baton Rouge to the tune of a record $3.6 million last year (there were no announced plans of local charitable contributions from LIV) by inviting the competing, if lesser, golf tour into the market.

If there is any silver lining it’s that there were improvements made to Bayou Oaks, namely its practice facility, a benefit for local public golfers in the Crescent City.

But to put a modern spin on an old Frank Sinatra tune, LIV-ers stay away from my door.

Koki Riley

Lots of strikes

4C ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Wilson’s G.O.A.T case grows Source: Pels could look as Aces chase a fourth title at recently fired coach

BY ROD WALKER

BY MARK ANDERSON

Staff writer

AP sportswriter

HENDERSON, Nev. — The GOAT talk regarding A’ja Wilson began in earnest late last season when her play and leadership not only rescued the Aces but helped carry Las Vegas to the WNBA title.

And when it comes to greatestever discussions, there is no separating Wilson from her team.

History is a large part of the background for Wilson and the Aces as another season is about to begin.

Wilson already has taken her career where others have yet to go.

She became the league’s first fourtime MVP last year and the first WNBA or NBA player to be named the top player, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP and lead the league in scoring in the same season. For all that, Wilson was the fifth basketball player to become The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

Her success has been the Aces’ success, Las Vegas coming off its third championship in four seasons. Should the Aces win another title this year, they would join the Comets, Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm as the only franchises to win four overall. They also would join the Comets as the only teams to win four times in five years; Houston captured the WNBA’s first four championships.

What’s scary for the rest of the league is that the 29-year-old Wilson remains in her prime years, meaning her GOAT argument has an excellent chance to strengthen and for the Aces to continue to build their legacy.

Wilson said she has taken the approach of focusing on the daily process since being drafted No. 1 out of South Carolina in 2018 and changing the arc of the franchise.

“I’ve worked so hard to get to these situations and put myself in these spaces that I’m like, ‘OK, yeah, I’ve earned it, of course,’ ” Wilson said. “But when it comes to people and where they want me and they’re saying are you the next GOAT? I have no idea because in my mind I have a lot more winning to do.”

And in an Aces uniform, with the club having signed Wilson to a supermax three-year, $5 million contract that is the most lucrative in WNBA history.

Wilson’s athletic ability has been unquestioned since she entered the league, the 6-foot-4 post player averaging 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots over

AP FILE PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson dribbles against the Phoenix Mercury during the first half of Game 4 of the WNBA finals on Oct. 10 in Phoenix.

OPENING DAY Friday Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty, 6:30 p.m.

Washington Mystics vs. Toronto Tempo, 6:30 p.m.

Golden State Valkyries vs. Seattle Storm, 9 p.m.

her eight-year career.

But greatness isn’t just about accumulating numbers, and Wilson showed in two notable moments last season in her commitment to the team why she has separated herself.

One was there for all to see when she made a turnaround jumper over two defenders with 0.3 seconds left to win Game 3 at Phoenix and set up a four-game WNBA Finals sweep.

The other and probably even more important action occurred out of sight as the season was slipping away. Minnesota had come to Las Vegas and handed the Aces a 53-point defeat — the largest home loss in league history — and at 1414 even making the postseason was far from assured.

Wilson texted her teammates to say that they might as well not show up anymore if they were not embarrassed by that performance.

They were. And the league was in trouble.

“I was pissed and I knew they were pissed, which is the better option,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.

The Aces rolled off 16 consecutive victories on the way to winning another championship.

“A’ja’s a great leader because she does it herself first,” Hammon

said. “Any time you have a leader that works by example first, holds herself accountable to the highest standard, then she has two legs to stand on with the group about holding others accountable.”

Six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd, who was traded to the Aces last year after helping the Storm win two titles, agreed with Hammon’s assessment.

“She wants the best out of each and every person here no matter if you’re the security guy at the front or you’re Chelsea Gray,” Loyd said of Wilson. “She takes good ownership, and that’s what you want as your leader. As someone who’s the face of women’s basketball, you want that as an ambassador.”

Hammon said Wilson also has surrounded herself with a strong supporting cast off the court that includes her mother and boyfriend Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat that helps keep the WNBA superstar grounded. But Wilson also is careful not to get caught up in the accolades that come her way and instead focuses on the next task.

For the Aces, that’s another season as defending champs and knowing they again will get every opponent’s best shot.

“We’ve been the hunted with the Aces before we even got banners and rings, so it’s a part of who we are,” Wilson said. “We try to let our newcomers know when you put this jersey on, it’s a different feel and I love it. It brings the competitor out of everybody. So, yeah, we’re definitely going to be the hunted, but we’re the hunters as well.”

Add another name to the list of New Orleans Pelicans’ head coaching candidates.

A source close to the Pelicans’ search said Monday morning that “there could be interest” in former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.

Mosley was fired by the Magic on Monday after coaching there for five seasons.

The Magic’s season ended Sunday in the first round of the playoffs with a loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 7. Orlando led the series 3-1 but was unable to pull off the upset against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The series included a loss Friday night in Game 6 when the Magic scored just 19 points in the entire second half. Orlando was one win away from becoming just the seventh No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

It wasn’t enough for Mosley to keep his job.

“We’re grateful to Jamahl for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” Magic president Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”

Mosley compiled a 189-221 record in Orlando. His teams missed the playoffs his first two seasons, but made it each of the past three seasons. Orlando was eliminated in the first round each time. The Magic won the Southeast Division twice under Mosley.

Mosley, 47, won his last nine games coaching against the Pelicans.

The Magic was one of the better defensive teams in the league under Mosley over the past three years. Orlando ranked third in the league in defense two seasons ago and second last season. It was 11th in defense this season when it finished 45-37.

Orlando won 21 games the season before Mosley took over, then won just 22 games in his first season, but the win total jumped to 47 by Year 3.

The 47 victories were the franchise’s most since the 2009-10 season.

AP PHOTO By DUANE BURLESON

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons on April 29 in Detroit.

To our fans, there is nothing but love in my heart,” Mosley said in a statement. “The joy I had coaching this team, in this city, for the people who live here is something I will never forget. All I ever wanted was to make you proud to be Magic fans, and my journey here will certainly stay with me forever.”

Prior to taking over in Orlando, Mosley was an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks.

The Pelicans are looking for a head coach to replace Willie Green, who was fired 12 games into the season. James Borrego, the Pels interim head coach after Green was fired, is one of the four candidates considered front runners for the job.

The others are former AllStar guard Rajon Rondo, former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Hetzel. All four of those candidates have interviewed for the job, sources confirmed to The Times-Picayune.

The Pelicans’ job is one of four openings right now.

The Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and the Magic are also looking for head coaches.

Wade adds another former staffer as assistant coach

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Another familiar face will be back on the sidelines for LSU men’s basketball.

Coach Will Wade hired former LSU staff member Vernon Hamilton as an assistant coach, the program announced Monday.

Also joining the staff is Greg Goldin, who will serve as chief of staff and director of performance.

Hamilton, 41, is the fourth

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C SWAC in batting average (.453) and doubles (14), third in hits (63) and RBIs (56), fourth in slugging percentage (.777), fifth in home runs (9) and 11th in stolen bases (20 of 21).

Clark went to Brusly High School and returned home after spending her freshman season at William Carey, an NAIA school in Mississippi. She also made the All-SWAC first team.

One of Southern’s five other players hitting over .330 is outfielder Asia George. The redshirt senior has spent her entire career at Southern and is enjoying her best season. She is second in the SWAC in both runs scored (52) and stolen bases (35 of 35). She is hitting .379 and has six home runs and five triples. George is on a 16-game hitting streak.

The Southern ace is Aaliyah Zabala, the SWAC Pitcher of the Year.

The sophomore also was named All-SWAC first team after a dominant year in the pitching circle.

addition to Wade’s coaching staff. The former Clemson basketball player served as an assistant under Wade at NC State last season and at McNeese State for two seasons (2023-25). He joins associate head coach Rick Stansbury, assistant head coach Johnny Jones and assistant coach Damon Stoudamire as members of Wade’s first-year staff back with the program.

“We are pleased to have Vernon Hamilton rejoin our staff

at LSU,” Wade said in a statement. “His work here in player development previously and his work with top players at McNeese and NC State on our staff was a big part of our ability to get to the NCAA Tournament our last three seasons.

He knows our priorities to help build this LSU program back to where it will be.”

Goldin worked with Wade during his first stint at LSU and most recently at NC State last season. He was the Tigers’ strength and condi-

tioning coach from 2017-21.

During Hamilton’s first stretch at LSU, he was the assistant to the head coach during the 2020-21 season and director of player development in 2021-22. He helped develop eventual NBA players Trendon Watford, Tari Eason and Cam Thomas.

Before rejoining Wade at McNeese, he was the director of player development at Georgetown under coach Patrick Ewing in 2021-22.

In the 2023-24 season at Mc-

“I knew these girls were going to do something big, though. I told it to some of my coaching friends that I’ve recruited with over the summer. But this, I couldn’t even imagine it.

These girls, they exceeded my expectations.”

BRITTNEy WILLIAMS, Southern softball coach, on team’s season The Perris, California, native has the second-lowest ERA (1.82), best record (17-3) and second-most strikeouts (85) in the league. Zabala is also tied for the most shutouts with four and has allowed 29 earned runs in 1111/3 innings.

Southern has improved its record every season since 2023, so Williams believed her group would be successful. What she did not expect was a 10-win improvement from last season.

“Honestly, no,” Williams said after being asked if she foresaw this level of play. “I knew these girls were going to do something big, though. I told it to some of my coaching friends that I’ve re-

PHOTO PROVIDED

Southern slugger Laila Clark is top five in the SWAC in batting average, slugging percentage, RBIs, home runs and doubles.

cruited with over the summer.

She maintains that team chemBut this, I couldn’t even imagine istry is what has elevated her it. These girls, they exceeded my group’s ceiling. Her players celexpectations.” ebrate each other’s successes in

Neese, Hamilton served as the acting head coach for the first five games of the season. The Cowboys won all of those contests.

McNeese State went to the NCAA Tournament in the two years Hamilton was on staff.

Hamilton and Wade’s paths first crossed at Clemson. While Wade was a graduate assistant for the basketball team from 2005-06, Hamilton was in the midst of his playing career from 2003-07.

heated battles and spend time together outside of practice. When the team received an off day on April 27 after it secured a perfect home record with a three-game sweep over Prairie View, which is No. 1 in the SWAC West, players bonded on their own by going to the movie theater to watch “Michael.”

The Jaguars also honed their skills. It’s why after Southern opened the season with 18 errors in its first three games, the group didn’t lose faith in itself.

The Jaguars now turn their attention to winning the program’s first SWAC championship since 2003. Williams loves that Southern reinvigorated the fan base.

The next goal is in front of the Jaguars.

“As much as I would love to say ‘No, there’s no pressure,’ that’s not true,” Williams said. “Everything that we’ve done this season is a great step forward, but people only remember championships, right?

So it’ll be nice to have this memory associated with a ring as well.

“We were made for this moment.

So I’m really excited to see how they come out.”

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 5C

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Kamara says he’s happy with Etienne signing

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Alvin Kamara thrived playing alongside Mark Ingram.

The New Orleans Saints running back believes he and Travis Etienne can create a similar bond.

Kamara, speaking publicly for the first time since the Saints signed Etienne this offseason, said on former teammate Terron Armstead’s podcast Monday that he is excited to team up with the former Jacksonville Jaguars standout.

“I watched (Etienne) in Jacksonville the last couple years and (he’s) explosive,” Kamara said.

“He hit home runs. He did it in college. Strong dude, seems smart.

“I’m excited to see what we can do together.”

Kamara’s optimism — as well as his positive-sounding tone about the Saints — came as questions surround the 30-year-old’s future in New Orleans.

The Saints signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract in free agency, and the Saints still want to address Kamara’s status — despite Kamara being under contract for next season, and the team already restructuring his cap hit once.

Armstead did not ask Kamara whether he anticipates returning to the Saints in 2026, but the veteran running back spoke glowingly about the moves the franchise made. He also praised quarterback Tyler Shough and coach Kellen Moore ahead of their second season.

Kamara also shot down any idea that he was unhappy about the Saints potentially signing his replacement in Etienne.

“You know I ain’t into social media and all that,” Kamara said. “I don’t do too much watching and stuff, but I think a lot of people be thinking (there’s) like beef or something, when moves like this happen. And it’s like man, I couldn’t be happier.

“Like, one, my boy got paid. And two, (the signing) ain’t nothing but some help in the backfield. That’s the name of the game. Shoot, one person can’t do it by themselves, so I’m cool with it.”

Kamara would know about the latter experience firsthand.

He benefited early in his career

when working with Ingram. The duo combined to put up prolific numbers, with the runners’ styles complementing each other to keep defenses off balance.

But the Saints have struggled to find that type of running mate for Kamara in the years since Ingram’s departure.

“Me and Marcus set the bar,” Kamara said.

“High,” Armstead added.

“Yeah, very high,” Kamara said.

“That’s what efficiency looks like.

I’m 100% for (Etienne’s signing).

If that’s what the direction we’re going in, I’m with it. I think we can get there. You know (Ingram’s) my dog, so I’m not saying we’re going to re-create that, but we’ll see.

We’ve got to get close and reach for it.”

The effectiveness of the duo could also depend on how much Kamara has left in the tank. The 30-year-old is coming off his worst season as a pro, averaging career lows in several categories before suffering a season-ending knee injury that caused him to miss the last six games.

Kamara was not asked about his health, but he indicated he had been training in Miami. He also noted his involvement in other offseason projects, including real estate and TV production.

But Kamara sounded like a man eager to return to the Saints. He said he looked forward to meeting first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson — “I’m super excited to get him in the building” — and the team’s other rookies. Kamara later said that he is “supposed to” link up with Shough, who the running back said has “higher expectations” entering his second year.

Kamara brought up how former Saints coach Sean Payton would always tell his players to “not drink the Kool-Aid” and how they have to work “10 times harder,” adding he believes the same approach is relevant for Shough.

“I think he’s ready for it, man,” Kamara said of the quarterback.

“He’s mature. He’s got some swag to him. It’s like there’s a lighthardedness about his game and his approach that like, he works his (butt) off, but he doesn’t take himself too serious. … I’m excited for Shough, man.”

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Dutchtown pitcher Kason Johnson celebrates after a strikeout to end the first inning of an LHSAA Division I nonselect regional playoff game against Sulphur on April 24 in Geismar.

How Dutchtown upset one of nation’s best teams, Barbe

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Leading into Dutchtown’s quarterfinal series against Barbe, a player asked Griffins coach Chris Schexnaydre a question.

“Why is Barbe always getting so many social media posts?” he said.

It doesn’t take the average baseball fan long to figure out why. The Buccaneers are ranked fourth nationally by Prep Baseball America, third by MaxPreps and 15th on Rivals.

“I said, ‘Hey, if you want to get that recognition, you go knock those guys off,’ ” Schexnaydre said.

The Griffins did just that.

Dutchtown went to Barbe High this past weekend and took two of three games to advance to the Division I nonselect semifinals.

No. 1 Barbe entered the quarterfinals with a 35-1 record. The Buccaneers’ only loss came in their second game on Feb. 12 against a high school in Texas. No. 8 Dutchtown (26-12) beat them twice across two days.

So just how did the Griffins slay a giant?

Schexnaydre pointed to his pitching coach, Troy Templet.

“He had a great game plan going into facing their hitters,” he said. “Believe me, they have nine hitters in the lineup that can leave the yard at any time.”

Dutchtown ace Kason Johnson got the nod in the first game on Saturday, pitching a complete game.

A Barbe lineup that features top talent like Texas A&M commit J.D. Alexander and UL commit Myles Ledoux managed just one run on three hits in the series opener in a 3-1 Dutchtown win.

The Buccaneers rolled in Game 2 on Saturday night with a 14-1 drubbing to even the series.

In the final game, Taylor Tun-

Dutchtown third baseman Cade Delaune races to second base against Sulphur on April 24. nard took the mound and picked up where Johnson left off. He tossed a complete game, allowing just one earned run off seven hits in a 6-2 victory.

“Johnson and Tunnard were able to put that together and really just dominated their hitters all weekend,” Schexnaydre said.

“They gave us a chance.”

Barbe swept Dutchtown in the quarterfinals last year. The Griffins faced the Bucs this year on the road and lost 12-2. While Dutchtown lost all three contests, that experience allowed Templet to compile a game plan fit for an upset.

Offensively, the Griffins got off to a quick start in Game 1. Eli Freeman smashed a two-run homer in the second to give Dutchtown a lead it never give up.

In Game 3, Barbe scored in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Dutchtown tied it on Hayden Becnel’s sacrifice fly in the top of the second.

Barbe broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth, scoring one run off an error on a fly ball to right field. The run deflated the energy in the Dutchtown dugout, but Schexnaydre wasn’t having it.

“I said, ‘Hey, guys, we’ve got six outs between us and uncertainty,’ ” he said. “’It’s our time, but we’ve got to make these last

six outs as intense as we can.’ ” In the top of the sixth, Dutchtown put runners at first and second off a single and a hit batter with one out. Barbe swapped pitchers, and the Griffins took advantage.

Brooks Bumstead tied the game on an RBI single to centerfield.

Cade Delaune then swung the momentum back for good. He got a second-pitch fastball and launched it over the fence for a three-run homer to make it 5-2.

“You could just feel the momentum shift to our side,” Schexnaydre said. “We just took a little wind out of their sail.”

Dutchtown added another run in the seventh, and Tunnard slammed the door in the final frame to complete the upset.

Schexnaydre also credited his other assistant coaches, John Michael Collins and Max Richter, for preparing the team to do the unthinkable.

Despite dropping the second game by 13 runs, Schexnaydre’s belief in his side never wavered.

He pointed to the team’s 0-3 start to the year. His veteran-heavy team of 14 seniors knew how to shake off slumps.

“It started at the beginning of the year,” he said. “They knew what it took to get back and get playing well.”

Now, Dutchtown will face a familiar opponent in No. 4 Zachary in the semifinals.

On the road back home, Dutchtown’s players’ phones buzzed with constant social media posts about how the Griffins conquered a juggernaut. While the team shifts focus to earning a state title berth, Schexnaydre reflected on what they earned Sunday: recognition.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “You knocked that giant off the playoff bracket, and now you’ve got to fill that role.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints running back Alvin Kamara smiles before the start of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 23 at the Caesars Superdome.

PREP REPORT Softball playoffs

St. Joseph’s, Catholic’s Bryan win tennis titles

BY JACKSON REYES

Staff writer

Catholic and St. Joseph’s Academy both had strong showings at the state tennis tournament in Monroe on Saturday.

The Redstickers won the Division I girls team state title with 13.5 points. Barbe and Mt. Carmel tied for second with 8.5 points each.

St. Joseph’s stood out in the doubles bracket. The duo of Ryland Stafford and Harper BrownRachleff went unbeaten in doubles play. The pair never dropped a set and took down Barbe’s duo of Danara Marcos and Claire McMorris.

Brown-Rachleff and Stafford won the finals match 6-2, 6-1. Their path to a doubles state title included a semifinal win over their teammates Sophie Bourgeois and Lily Guillot 6-0, 6-1.

The Redstickers’ state title marks the program’s sixth straight.

On the boys side, Catholic finished as runner-up to Brother Martin.

The Crusaders tallied 14.5 points, while the Bears finished with 7.5.

The highlight of the weekend for Catholic was 13th-seeded freshman Parker Bryan.

After a first-round forfeit helped him advance to the next round, he dominated the rest of the way. He dropped just one set across his next four matches.

In the quarterfinals, he beat Brother Martin’s Reed MacAlester 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 to move on to the semifinals. He defeated Barbe’s Fared Marcos 6-4, 6-2 in the semis.

Bryan faced Andrew Dillelo of Southside in the final. He won the first set by a narrow margin of 7-5.

He secured the singles state title with a 3-1 win in the second set.

State tournament glance At Frasch Park, Sulphur

Nonselect Division I Semifinals

No. 3 Hannan 1, No. 2 E.D. White 0

Division II nonselect

No. 1 Vandebilt Catholic 2, No. 3 Hannan 0

No. 5 Lakeshore at No. 4 Pearl River

Final

Division III Semifinals

No. 1 Calvary Baptist 12, No. 4 D’Arbonne Woods 2, 6 innings No. 2 Parkview Baptist 5, No. 3 Notre Dame 2

No. 8 Hahnville 6, No. 5 St. Amant 4 No. 10 Live Oak 4, No. 3 West Monroe 2

Final

No. 8 Hahnville 6, No. 10 Live Oak 5

Division IV

Final

No. 1 Calvary Baptist 5, No. 2 Parkview Baptist 1

Division II

Semifinals

Semifinals

No. 1 North DeSoto 9, No. 5 Iota 4 No. 3 Brusly 3, No. 2 Lutcher 0

No. 1 Riverside 11, No. 4 Ascension Catholic 2 No. 14 St. Frederick 4, No. 2 Glenbrook 1

No. 1 North DeSoto 1, No. 3 Brusly 0

No. 1 Riverside 11, No. 14 St. Frederick 1

Final

Final

Division III

Class B

Semifinals

Semifinals

Final

Final

No. 5 Sterlington 1, No. 1 Jena 0 No. 2 Kaplan 8, No. 3 French Settlement 5

No. 5 Sterlington 5, No. 2 Kaplan 4

No. 4 Anacoco 9, No. 1 Stanley 6 No. 2 Quitman 5, No. 3 Hicks 2 No. 2 Quitman 7, No. 4 Anacoco 5

Division IV

Class C

Semifinals

Semifinals

No. 1 LaSalle 8, No. 4 Logansport 7 No. 2 Oak Grove 16, No. 11 Grand Lake 1, 3 innings

Final

No. 2 Oak Grove , No. 1 LaSalle 0

Select Division I

Semifinals

No. 4 John Curtis 2, Mt. Carmel 1, 10 innings No. 2 Pineville 13, No. 3 Chapelle 1

Final

No. 2 Pineville 12, No. 4 John Curtis 1, 6 innings

Division II Semifinals

No. 1 Vandebilt Catholic 6, No. 5 Patrick Taylor 0

No. 1 Northside Christian 8 No. 13 Simpson 0 No. 2 Claiborne Christian 8, No. 6 Maurepas 7

Game 1: Pearl River 4, Lakeshore 1 Game 2: Lakeshore 1, Pearl River 0 Game 3: Lakeshore 11, Pearl River 4; Lakeshore wins series 2-1

Division IV select Regionals No. 13 Ascension Episcopal 4, No. 4 St. Martin’s 1 No. 6 Riverside 5, No. 11 Glenbrook 0

Division I select No. 8 Alexandria vs. No. 1 Brother Martin

At Kirsch-Rooney Stadium Game 1: Brother Martin 10, Alexandria 0, 6 inn.

Game 2: Brother Martin 7, Alexandria 0, 7 innings; Brother Martin wins series 2-0

No. 5 Rummel at No. 4 St. Thomas More

Game 1: Rummel 2, St. Thomas More 0 Game 2: St. Thomas More 6, Rummel 2, 8 inn.

Game 3: St. Thomas More 8, Rummel 5; St. Thomas More wins series 2-1

No. 6 Jesuit vs. No. 3 John Curtis

At Harahan Playground Game 1: John Curtis 16, Jesuit 9 Game 2: John Curtis 12, Jesuit 10; Curtis wins series 2-0

Final

No. 7 Holy Cross at No. 2 Catholic-BR

Baseball playoffs

Division II select

No. 1 Northside Christian 10, No. 2 Claiborne Christian 4

Division I nonselect No. 5 Hahnville at No. 4 Zachary

Game 1: Zachary 12, Hahnville 2, 5 innings Game 2: Hahnville 11, Zachary 1, 5 innings Game 3: Zachary 6, Hahnville 1; Zachary wins series 2-1

No. 14 Destrehan at No. 6 Benton

Game 1: Destrehan 4, Benton 2 Game 2: Destrehan 4, Benton 2; Destrehan wins series 2-0

Game 1: Catholic 3, Holy Cross 2 Game 2: Catholic 13, Holy Cross 4; Catholic wins series 2-0

No. 7 E.D. White at No. 2 St. Charles

Game 1: St. Charles 4, E.D. White 3, 8 innings Game 2: St. Charles 13, E.D. White 8; St. Charles wins series 2-0

Division III select No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Newman

At Avenger Field Game 1: Notre Dame 3, Newman 2 Game 2: Newman 2, Notre Dame 1 Game 3: Newman 8, Notre Dame 3; Newman wins series 2-1

6C ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds Sports Betting Line NBA Tuesday

FAVORITE at DETROIT at OKC

MLB

LINE 3½ 15½

O/U (215½) (213½)

East Division

UNDERDOG Cleveland LA Lakers

NHL

LINE -200

UNDERDOG LINE Boston OFF at TAMPA BAY -102 Texas OFF at KANSAS CITY -102 White Sox OFF UNDERDOG Cincinnati at ST. LOUIS at COLORADO Pittsburgh San Diego

UNDERDOG LINE Athletics OFF Baltimore OFF at WASHINGTON OFF at HOUSTON +172 Atlanta +130

UNDERDOG Minnesota

L 11 12 18 19 21

Pct .676 .636 .471 .441 .382

GB — 1½ 7 8 10

Atlanta Miami Washington Philadelphia New York

W 25 16 16 14 12

L 10 18 19 20 22

Pct GB .714 — .471 8½ .457 9 .412 10½ .353 12½

Cleveland Detroit Chicago Kansas City Minnesota

W 18 18 16 15 15

L 17 17 18 19 20

Pct .514 .514 .471 .441 .429

GB — — 1½ 2½ 3

Chicago Cincinnati St. Louis Milwaukee Pittsburgh

W 22 20 20 18 19

L 12 14 14 15 16

Pct .647 .588 .588 .545 .543

GB — 2 2 3½ 3½

Athletics Texas Seattle Houston Los Angeles

W 18 16 16 14 13

L 16 18 19 21 22

Pct .529 .471 .457 .400 .371

GB — 2 2½ 4½ 5½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona Colorado San Francisco

W 21 20 16 14 13

L 13 13 17 21 21

Pct .618 .606 .485 .400 .382

GB — ½ 4½ 7½ 8

NBA Playoff Glance SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Eastern Conference Detroit vs. Cleveland

Tuesday, May 5: Cleveland at Detroit, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 7: Cleveland at Detroit, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: Detroit at Cleveland, 2 p.m.

Monday, May 11: Detroit at Cleveland, 7 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 13: Cleveland at Detroit, TBA x-Friday, May 15: Detroit at Cleveland, TBA x-Sunday, May 17: Cleveland at Detroit, TBA

New York 1, Philadelphia 0

Monday, May 4: New York 137, Philadelphia 98 Wednesday, May 6: Philadelphia at New York, 6 p.m.

Friday, May 8: New York at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: New York at Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 12: Philadelphia at New York, TBA x-Thursday, May 14: New York at Philadelphia, TBA x-Sunday, May 17: Philadelphia at New York, TBA

Oklahoma City vs. L.A. Lakers

Tuesday, May 5: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 7: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 11: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 13: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBA x-Saturday, May 16: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBA x-Monday, May 18: L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBA

San Antonio vs. Minnesota

College softball State scores, schedule Sunday’s games Southland Conference tournament

Hammond bracket Game 6: No. 5 Lamar 2, No.1 Southeastern 1 Lake Charles bracket Game 6: No. 2 McNeese 7, No. 3 Nicholls 6

Monday’s games

No games scheduled

Tuesday’s games

No games scheduled

Wednesday’s games No games scheduled

College baseball Sunday’s games

Charlotte 6, Tulane 3 UL 4, Georgia State 3 UNO 12, Nicholls State 0 Southern 12, Mississippi Valley State 8 Lamar 8, Southeastern 2 LSU 7, South Carolina 0

Monday’s games

No games scheduled.

Tuesday games

UNO at UL, 6 p.m.

Jackson State at Southern, 6 p.m.

Nicholls at Mississippi State, 6 p.m.

Tulane at LSU, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s games

No games scheduled.

Hockey NHL Playoff SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Buffalo vs. Montreal

Wednesday, May 6: Montreal at Buffalo, 6 p.m.

Friday, May 8: Montreal at Buffalo, 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: Buffalo at Montreal, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12: Buffalo at Montreal, TBA x-Thursday, May 14: Montreal at Buffalo, TBA x-Saturday, May 16: Buffalo at Montreal, TBA x-Monday, May 18: Montreal at Buffalo, TBA

Carolina 1, Philadelphia 0

Saturday, May 2: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 0 Monday, May 4: Philadelphia at Carolina, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 7: Carolina at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: Carolina at Philadelphia, 5 p.m. x-Monday, May 11: Philadelphia at Carolina, TBA x-Wednesday, May 13: Carolina at Philadelphia, TBA x-Saturday, May 16: Philadelphia at Carolina, TBA

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Vegas vs. Anaheim

Monday, May 4: Anaheim at Vegas, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 6: Anaheim at Vegas, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, May 8: Vegas at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: Vegas at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 12: Anaheim at Vegas, TBA x-Thursday, May 14: Vegas at Anaheim, TBA x-Saturday, May 16: Anaheim at Vegas, TBA

Colorado 1, Minnesota 0

Sunday, May 3: Colorado 9, Minnesota 6 Tuesday, May 5: Minnesota at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 9: Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Monday, May 11: Colorado at Minnesota, TBA x-Wednesday, May 13: Minnesota at Colorado, TBA x-Friday, May 15: Colorado at Minnesota, TBA x-Sunday, May 17: Minnesota at Colorado, TBA

Sunday’s Games

Boston 5, Detroit 4 Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 1 Kansas City 6, Cleveland 2 N.Y. Yankees 12, Baltimore 1 L.A. Dodgers at Houston, n Chicago White Sox at L.A. Angels, n Atlanta at Seattle, n

N.Y. Mets 4, Colorado 2 Philadelphia 1, Miami 0 Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, n Milwaukee at St. Louis, n L.A. Dodgers at Houston, n Atlanta at Seattle, n San Diego at San Francisco, n

Athletics (Severino 2-2) at Philadelphia (Sánchez 2-2), 5:40 p.m.

Baltimore (Bassitt 2-2) at Miami (Alcantara 3-2), 5:40 p.m.

Boston (Bello 1-4) at Detroit (Valdez 2-1), 5:40 p.m.

Toronto (Gausman 2-2) at Tampa Bay (Rasmussen 2-1), 5:40 p.m.

Minnesota (Bradley 3-1) at Washington (Cavalli 1-1), 5:45 p.m.

Texas (deGrom 2-1) at N.Y. Yankees (Rodríguez 0-1), 6:05 p.m.

Cleveland (Williams 5-1) at Kansas City (Cameron 2-2), 6:40 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 2-1) at Houston (Lambert 1-2), 7:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox (Fedde 0-3) at L.A. Angels (Kikuchi 0-3), 8:38 p.m.

Atlanta (Elder 3-1) at Seattle (Kirby 4-2), 8:40 p.m.

Athletics (Severino 2-2) at Philadelphia (Sánchez 2-2), 5:40 p.m.

Baltimore (Bassitt 2-2) at Miami (Alcantara 3-2), 5:40 p.m.

Minnesota (Bradley 3-1) at Washington (Cavalli 1-1), 5:45 p.m.

Cincinnati (Abbott 1-2) at Chicago Cubs (Taillon 2-1), 6:40 p.m.

Milwaukee (TBD) at St. Louis (Pallante 3-2), 6:45 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 2-1) at Houston (Lambert 1-2), 7:10 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Peralta 1-3) at Colorado (Lorenzen 2-3), 7:40 p.m.

Atlanta (Elder 3-1) at Seattle (Kirby 4-2), 8:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh (Chandler 1-3) at Arizona (Rodriguez 2-0), 8:40 p.m.

San Diego (Waldron 0-1) at San Francisco (Webb 2-3), 8:45 p.m.

Monday’s Games

Tuesday’s Games

BOX SCORES

Western Conference

Monday, May 4: Minnesota at San Antonio, n Wednesday, May 6: Minnesota at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, May 8: San Antonio at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: San Antonio at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 12: Minnesota at San Antonio, TBA x-Friday, May 15: San Antonio at Minnesota, TBA x-Sunday, May 17: Minnesota at San Antonio, TBA

West Division

Pittsburgh 1, Cincinnati 0 Washington 3, Milwaukee 2 Philadelphia 7, Miami 2 Tampa Bay 2, San Francisco 1, 10 innings L.A. Dodgers 4, St. Louis 1 Chicago Cubs 8, Arizona 4 Atlanta 11, Colorado 6 N.Y. Mets 5, L.A. Angels 1 San Diego 4, Chicago White Sox 3

Tuesday’s Games

Pro basketball

Central Division

Minnesota 4, Toronto 3 Tampa Bay 2, San Francisco 1, 10 innings N.Y. Yankees 11, Baltimore 3 Houston 3, Boston 1, 10 innings Athletics 7, Cleveland 1 N.Y. Mets 5, L.A. Angels 1 San Diego 4, Chicago White Sox 3 Kansas City 4, Seattle 1 Detroit 7, Texas 1

Monday’s Games

LINE +165

East Division

W 23 21 16 15 13

Sunday’s Games

LINE +132 +100 +144 +110 OFF

National League

New York Tampa Bay Toronto Baltimore Boston

West Division

American League FAVORITE LINE at DETROIT OFF Toronto -116 at N.Y YANKEES OFF Cleveland -116 at LA ANGELS OFF National League FAVORITE LINE at CHICAGO CUBS-156 Milwaukee -118 N.Y Mets -172 at ARIZONA -130 at SAN FRAN OFF Interleague FAVORITE LINE at PHILADELPHIAOFF at MIAMI OFF Minnesota OFF LA Dodgers -205 at SEATTLE -154

FAVORITE at COLORADO

American League

Central Division

Tuesday

Tuesday

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

New york Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns dunks during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in New york. The Knicks won 137-98.

Golf PGA Tour Statistics Through May 3

FedExCup Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 2,431. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 2,394. 3, Cameron Young, 2,371. 4, Collin Morikawa, 1,727. 5, Jacob Bridgeman, 1,501.

6, Si Woo Kim, 1,374. 7, Akshay Bhatia, 1,322.

8, Chris Gotterup, 1,317. 9, Rory McIlroy, 1,226. 10, Ludvig Aberg, 1,143.

Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 69.367. 2, Jake Knapp, 69.571. 3, Cameron Young, 69.817. 4, Matt Fitzpatrick, 69.868. 5, Xander Schauffele, 70.028. 6, Collin Morikawa, 70.121. 7, Jacob Bridgeman, 70.205. 8, Si Woo Kim, 70.222. 9, Nicolai Hojgaard, 70.263. 10, Chris Gotterup, 70.294.

Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 326.7. 2 (tie), Michael Brennan and Gary Woodland, 323.1. 4, Chris Gotterup, 320.7. 5, Jesper Svensson, 319.9. 6 (tie), Jake Knapp and Marco Penge, 319.8. 8, Rasmus Hojgaard, 319. 9, Nicolai Hojgaard, 318.7. 10, Min Woo Lee, 317.4.

Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Russell Henley, 70.24%. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 70.20%. 3, Si Woo Kim, 69.79%. 4, Corey Conners, 69.51%. 5, Aaron Rai, 69.46%. 6, Andrew Putnam, 69.35%. 7, Collin Morikawa, 68.33%.

8, Lucas Glover, 67.05%. 9, Kensei Hirata, 66.94%. 10, Tommy Fleetwood, 66.52%.

Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 11 tied with .00%.

Total Driving 1, Michael Brennan, 51. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 53. 3, Scottie Scheffler, 64. 4, William Mouw, 66. 5, Jordan Smith, 67. 6, Min Woo Lee, 68. 7, Cameron Young, 71. 8, Ludvig Aberg, 72. 9, 2 tied with 82.

SG-Putting 1, Jacob Bridgeman, 1.106. 2, Vince Whaley, 1.046. 3, Akshay Bhatia, .848. 4, Robert MacIntyre, .832. 5, Matthieu Pavon, .790. 6, Jake Knapp, .744. 7, Chad Ramey, .738. 8, Beau Hossler, .735. 9, Karl Vilips, .630. 10, Sam Burns, .625.

Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 5.03. 2, Akshay Bhatia, 4.86. 3 (tie), Ludvig Aberg and Jacob Bridgeman, 4.75. 5 (tie), Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young, 4.69. 7, Collin Morikawa, 4.63. 8, Pierceson Coody, 4.61. 9, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 4.6. 10, Robert MacIntyre, 4.53.

Eagles (Holes per) 1, Jake Knapp, 43.7. 2, Sahith Theegala, 63.7.

3, Nicolai Hojgaard, 68.4. 4, Max McGreevy, 81. 5 (tie), Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood, 82.3. 7, Joe Highsmith, 83.3. 8, Aldrich Potgieter, 84.9. 9, Max Homa, 85.5. 10, Chris Kirk, 87.

Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%.

All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Scheffler, 174. 2, Ludvig Aberg, 228.

3, Collin Morikawa, 263. 4, Akshay Bhatia, 296. 5, Matt Fitzpatrick, 300. 6, Min Woo Lee, 302. 7, Chris Gotterup, 314. 8, Cameron Young, 315. 9, Jake Knapp, 324. 10, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 328.

LPGA Tour Statistics Through May 3

Scoring 1, Nelly Korda, 68.04. 2, Hyo Joo Kim, 68.92. 3, Hannah Green, 69.33. 4, Haeran Ryu, 69.93. 5, Ina Yoon, 70.29. 6, Lydia Ko, 70.32. 7, In Gee Chun, 70.33. 8, Ryann O’Toole, 70.38. 9, Sei Young Kim, 70.42. 10, Minami Katsu, 70.43.

Driving Distance 1, Riley Smyth, 293.78. 2, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 291.46. 3, Auston Kim, 287.15. 4, Polly Mack, 283.36. 5, Yana Wilson, 283.1. 6, Helen Briem, 281.7. 7, Laney Frye, 281.41. 8, Ina Yoon, 280.91. 9, Nelly Korda, 280.43. 10, Ryann O’Toole, 279.97.

Greens in Regulation 1, Haeran Ryu, .79%. 2, Nelly Korda, .78%.

3, In Gee Chun, .76%. 4 (tie), Helen Briem, Hannah Green, Andrea Lee and Lottie Woad, .75%. 8, 4 tied with .74%.

Putts per GIR 1 (tie), Ariya Jutanugarn and Hyo Joo Kim, 1.68. 3 (tie), Minami Katsu and Minjee Lee, 1.7. 5 (tie), Mi Hyang Lee, Brooke Matthews and Angel Yin, 1.71. 8, 5 tied with 1.72.

Birdies

1, Akie Iwai, 147. 2, Ayaka Furue, 129. 3, Hyo Joo Kim, 127. 4, Jin Hee Im, 126. 5, Haeran Ryu, 125. 6, Lottie Woad, 124. 7 (tie), Minami Katsu and Yan Liu, 123. 9, Ina Yoon, 117. 10, Chizzy Iwai, 116.

Eagles 1, Nelly Korda, 9. 2, Ryann O’Toole, 7. 3 (tie), Hyo Joo Kim and Weiwei Zhang, 6. 5 (tie), Jenny Bae, Hye-Jin Choi, Brooke M. Henderson and Jing Yan, 5. 9, 10 tied with 4.

Sand Save Percentage 1, Minjee Lee, .86%. 2, Patty Tavatanakit, .72%. 3, Nelly Korda, .69%. 4 (tie), Stephanie Meadow and Hinako Shibuno, .67%. 6 (tie), In Gee Chun and Pornanong Phatlum, .64%.

8, 3 tied with .63%.

Rounds Under Par 1, Akie Iwai, .66%. 2, Nelly Korda, .91%. 3 (tie), Haeran Ryu and Rio Takeda, .72%. 5, Lottie Woad, .68%. 6, Jin Hee Im, .57%. 7, Hyo Joo Kim, .76%. 8, Hye-Jin Choi, .66%. 9, Chizzy Iwai, .58%. 10, Minami Katsu, .64%. 11, Nelly Korda, .51%. 12, Ina Yoon, .64%.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League BOSTON RED SOX — Placed LHP Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day IL. Placed LHP Danny Coulombe on the 15-day IL retroactive to May 2. Selected the contract of LHP Alec Gamboa from Worcester (IL).

DETROIT TIGERS — Placed LHP Tarik Skubal on the 15-day IL retroactive to May 1. Recalled RHP Ty Madden from Toledo (IL).

HOUSTON ASTROS — Designated CF Daniel Johnson for assignment. Reinstated LF Zach Dezenzo from the 10-day IL. Recalled CF Zach Cole from Sugar Land (PCL). Optioned LF Zach Dezenzo to Sugar Land.

NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned SS Anthony Volpe to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). Agreed to terms with RHP Dariel Chalas on a minor league contract.

National League CINCINNATI REDS — Recalled RHP Chase Petty from Louisville (IL). Optioned RHP Zach Maxwell to Louisville.

MIAMI MARLINS — Selected the contract of C Joe Mack from Jacksonville (IL). Optioned C Agustín Ramírez to Jacksonville.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Designated LF Greg Jones for assignment. Reinstated 1B Andrew Vaughn and CF Jackson Chourio from the 10-day IL. Optioned LF Blake Perkins to Nashville (IL).

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Optioned LF Thomas Saggese to Memphis (IL). Recalled 2B César Prieto from Memphis.

N.Y. Mets 4, Colorado 2

Philadelphia 1, Miami 0

New York

Philadelphia

Colorado

ab r h bi ab r h bi Soto lf 3 1 0 0 Moniak lf 4 0 2 0 Bichette ss 4 0 0 0 Freemn dh 3 0 0 0 Melendez rf 3 0 0 0 Rumfild 1b 4 0 0 0 Taylor rf 1 0 0 0 Goodman c4 0 0 0 Vientos 1b 4 0 1 2 Castro 2b 4 1 1 0 Baty 3b 4 0 0 0 Beck rf 3 1 1 1 Semien 2b 3 0 0 0 Johnstn ph1 0 0 0 Benge cf 2 1 1 1 Karros 3b 3 0 1 1 Alvarez dh 3 1 1 0 Tovar ss 3 0 0 0 Torrens c 3 1 1 1 Doyle cf 2 0 0 0 Julien ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 30 4 4 4 Totals 32 2 5 2 New York 000 004 000 — 4 Colorado 000 000 200 — 2 DP_New York 0, Colorado 1. LOB_New York 1, Colorado 4. 2B_Alvarez (4), Torrens (3), Moniak (7). 3B_Beck (1), Moniak (1). HR_Benge (3). SB_Freeman (3).

IP H R ER BB SO New York Brazobán 1 0 0 0 0 0 Warren 2 1 0 0 0 3 Peterson W,1-4 4 3 2 2 0 6 Kimbrel H,1 1 1 0 0 0 1 Williams S,4-5 1 0 0 0 0 1 Colorado Sugano L,3-2 5 1⁄3 3 4 4 2 1 2 Hill ⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 Mejia 2 0 0 0 0 5 Bernardino 1 0 0 0 0 0 HBP_Brazobán (Freeman).

ABS Challenge_Doyle (Strike-Confirmed); Freeman (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Benge (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Pitch timer violations_Torrens (batter).

Umpires_Home, D.J. Reyburn; First, James Hoye; Second, Sean Barber; Third, John Libka.

T_2:15. A_15,564 (50,144).

Miami

ab r h bi ab r h bi Turner ss 4 0 0 0 Marsee cf 4 0 2 0 Schwarber dh4 0 0 0 Stowers lf 4 0 2 0 Harper 1b 4 1 3 1 Sanoja pr 0 0 0 0 García rf 4 0 2 0 Lopez ss 4 0 1 0 Marsh lf 4 0 1 0 Edwards 2b4 0 1 0 Stott 2b 4 0 0 0 Hicks dh 4 0 0 0 Bohm 3b 4 0 0 0 Morel 1b 3 0 1 0 Stubbs c 4 0 1 0 Mack c 3 0 0 0 Crawford cf 3 0 0 0 Caissie rf 2 0 0 0 Ruiz ph-rf 1 0 0 0 Pauley 3b 2 0 0 0 Norby ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 35 1 7 1 Totals 32 0 7 0 Philadelphia 001 000 000 — 1 Miami 000 000 000 — 0 E_Turner (5), Lopez (7). DP_Philadelphia 1, Miami 0. LOB_Philadelphia 7, Miami 5.

2B_Harper (9). HR_Harper (7).

IP H R ER BB SO Philadelphia Nola W,2-3 6 5 0 0 0 5 Banks H,2 1 0 0 0 0 1 Alvarado H,5 1 0 0 0 0 1 Keller S,2-2 1 2 0 0 0 0 Miami 1 1 0 6 Junk L,2-3 5 ⁄3 5 1 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 King Faucher 1 1 0 0 0 1 Bachar 2 1 0 0 0 1 WP_Nola.

ABS Challenge_Edwards (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Crawford (Strike-Confirmed); Hicks (Strike-Confirmed).

Umpires_Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Mark Wegner; Second, Carlos Torres; Third, Nate Tomlinson.

T_2:35. A_7,626 (37,446).

Boston 5, Detroit 4

Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 1

Boston

Toronto

Detroit

ab r h bi ab r h bi Duran dh-lf 5 1 3 3 Jones dh 2 1 0 0 Contreras 1b 4 0 0 0 Carpntr ph1 0 0 0 Anthony lf 1 0 0 0 Vierling cf 3 1 0 1 Yoshida lf 4 1 2 0 Dingler c 4 0 1 2 Whitlock p 0 0 0 0 Greene lf 4 0 1 0 Chapman p 0 0 0 0 Torkelsn 1b4 0 0 0 Story ss 5 0 1 0 Pérez rf 4 0 0 0 Abreu rf 4 1 1 1 Lee 2b 4 0 0 0 Rafaela cf 5 0 2 0 Keith 3b 2 2 1 0 Mayer 2b 4 0 2 1 Short ss 3 0 0 0 Narváez c 3 1 0 0 Monasterio 3b41 1 0 Durbin 3b 0 0 0 0 Totals 39 512 5 Totals 31 4 3 3 Boston 000 000 500 — 5 Detroit 000 002 020 — 4 E_Narváez (3), Monasterio (1), Short (1).

DP_Boston 0, Detroit 1. LOB_Boston 10, Detroit 3. 2B_Yoshida (4), Greene (9), Dingler (7). HR_Duran (4). SB_Duran (6).

IP H R ER BB SO Boston Tolle W,1-1 7 1 2 0 1 8 Whitlock H,6 1 2 2 2 1 2 Chapman S,7-7 1 0 0 0 0 1 Detroit Holton 1 2 0 0 0 1 Madden 5 4 0 0 0 7 2 ⁄3 3 4 4 1 0 Vanasco L,0-1 BS,0-1 De Jesús 1 1⁄3 3 1 1 1 2 Jansen 1 0 0 0 1 1 HBP_Tolle (Keith).

ABS Challenge_Abreu (Strike-Confirmed); Torkelson (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Pérez (Strike-Confirmed).

Umpires_Home, Dan Iassogna; First, Adam Beck; Second, Jonathan Parra; Third, Jeremie Rehak.

T_2:37. A_22,321 (41,083).

Tampa Bay

ab r h bi ab r h bi Piñango lf 5 1 3 0 Simpsn lf 4 1 1 0 Okamoto 3b 4 0 1 0 Cminro 3b 3 1 0 0 Guerrero 1b 4 0 1 1 Vilade rf 2 1 1 3 Sánchez rf 4 0 1 0 Mullns ph 2 0 1 0 Clement 2b 4 0 1 0 Díaz dh 4 0 0 0 Varsho dh 4 0 0 0 Aranda 1b 4 1 3 0 Straw cf 3 0 1 0 DeLuca cf 4 0 1 0 Giménez ss 4 0 1 0 Willimsn 2b4 1 2 0 Valenzuela c 4 0 1 0 Fortes c 3 0 1 0 Walls ss 3 0 1 2 Totals 36 110 1 Totals 33 5 11 5 Toronto 001 000 000 — 1 Tampa Bay 300 002 00x — 5 DP_Toronto 1, Tampa Bay 1. LOB_Toronto 10, Tampa Bay 5. 2B_Piñango (1).

HR_Vilade (1).

IP H R ER BB SO Toronto 3 1 2 Lauer L,1-4 4 1⁄3 5 3 2 0 1 Miles 1 1⁄3 3 2 1 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Fluharty Nance 1 1 0 0 0 1 Mantiply 1 1 0 0 0 0 Tampa Bay Martinez W,3-1 5 5 1 1 1 4 0 1 2 Seymour H,8 1 1⁄3 2 0 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Kelly Sulser 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 ⁄3 3 0 0 0 0 Legumina 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Baker S,9-11 ABS Challenge_Seymour (Ball-Confirmed); Sánchez (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Umpires_Home, David Rackley; First, Chris Guccione; Second, Nestor Ceja; Third, Charlie Ramos.

T_2:24. A_11,263 (25,025).

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association CHICAGO BULLS — Hired Bryson Graham as executive vice president of basketball operations.

DALLAS MAVERICKS — Hired Masai Ujiri as president and alternate governor.

ORLANDO MAGIC — Fired head coach Jamahl Mosley.

FOOTBALL

National Football League GREEN BAY PACKERS — Signed QB Tyrod Taylor to a contract. Released QB Desmond Ridder.

HOUSTON TEXANS — Claimed OLB Ali Gaye off waivers from Tennessee.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Signed WR Xavier Loyd, DB Marlen Sewell and T Kahlil Benson to contracts. Waived QB Jake Haener, DE Ethan Hurkett and DT Zacch Pickens.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — Signed WR Jonathan Brady to a contract. Placed WR Justin Shorter on injured reserve.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Released LS Taybor Pepper. Waived CB Isaiah Johnson and Jason Maitre, TE Zack Kuntz, EDGE Derrick McLendon, LB K.C. Ossai and P Seth Vernon.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Signed TE Jaheim Bell to a one-year contract.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League CAROLINA HURRICANES — Assigned D Charles-Alexis Legault to Chicago (AHL).

MONTREAL CANADIENS — Assigned D Adam Engström to Laval (AHL).

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS — Activated F William Karlsson from long-term injured reserve.

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL May 5

1904 — Cy Young of the Red Sox pitched a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics, beating Rube Waddell 3-0.

Having pitched nine hitless innings in two previous efforts, he ran his string of hitless innings to 18.

1917 — Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox for a 1-0 win in St. Louis.

1925 — Manager Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hit three homers, a double and two singles against the St. Louis Browns.

1925 — Shortstop Everett Scott of the New York Yankees was benched, ending his streak of 1,307 consecutive games played that started while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Scott, who gave way to Pee Wee Wanninger, had the longest playing streak before Lou Gehrig.

1933 — Pepper Martin of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for the cycle and scored four runs in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1939 — Sam Chapman of the Philadelphia Athletics hit for the cycle in a 10-5 win over the St. Louis Browns. Chapman completed the cycle with a single in the ninth.

1955 — Brooklyn Dodgers rookie Tom Lasorda makes his first major league start as he he throws three wild pitches in one inning, tying a major league record. After

his pitching career, Lasorda will enjoy far more success as a Hall of Fame manager.

1962 — Bo Belinsky of the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 with a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium. Belinsky struck out nine and walked four.

1975 — The Oakland Athletics release pinch runner Herb Washington, ending his unusual major league career. Curiously, Washington played in 105 major league games without batting, pitching, or fielding. He collected 31 stolen bases and scored 33 runs.

1978 — Pete Rose became the youngest and 14th player with 3,000 hits when he singled against Montreal’s Steve Rogers at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

1980 — National League president Chub Feeney suspended Pittsburgh’s Bill Madlock for 15 days and fined him $5,000 for shoving his glove in the face of home plate umpire Gerry Crawford.

1999 — Colorado became the first team in 35 years and the third this century to score in every inning in a 13-6 win over the Chicago Cubs. The last time a team scored in all nine innings was also at Wrigley Field, when St. Louis beat the Cubs on Sept. 13, 1964.

2000 — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire hits the longest home run in the 30year history of Cinergy Field, but the 473-foot shot is not enough as Ken Griffey, Jr.’s home run leads the Cincinnati Reds past St. Louis, 3-2.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

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T u e s d ay, M ay 5, 2026

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Good spirits

Beautiful bougainvillea captures the colorful mood of spring and summer in Louisiana Spring and summer are colorful times. The vivid shades of these seasons — blue skies, green grass, flowers of all colors — are a reminder that the world around us is alive and GARDEN growing.

NEWS One plant that perfectly captures the vibrant spirit of warmer weather is bougainvillea. Often seen in hanging baskets adorning porches and patios, this tropical vine has been a favorite in Louisiana for decades. Bougainvillea relishes our heat and humidity, providing a punch of color on and off from spring through summer and even into fall.

Speaking of color: You can find bougainvillea in an array of radiant hues at your local garden center. Magenta and purple are popular standbys, but you can take your pick of white, light pink, coral, yellow and red, too. Colors are sometimes mixed in containers for a unique rainbow effect.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU TigerRacing members Ryan Benn, far right, and James Sirois look at the vehicle’s wiring outside the electrical engineering building on April 23 on LSU’s campus.

Fast track LSU racing team gears up for national competition with new electric engine

LSU’s team started building cars in 1983, and the Tiger cars have been through many iterations since then. TigerRacing started carting their car to Brooklyn, Michigan, to compete against other universities in 2006.

BY MARGARET DELANEY

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO

By OLIVIA McCLURE

The colorful parts of the bougainvillea plant are bracts.

The flowers are small and white.

The colorful parts of bougainvillea are not flowers.

Instead, they are bracts, a type of modified leaf. The flowers are small, white, tubular structures that are enveloped by clusters of the papery bracts.

While bougainvillea’s vining habit lends itself nicely to being displayed in a hanging basket, there are other ways to grow this plant. Some people like to place it in a container near a trellis, allowing it to climb and form a wall of color.

You might even come across bougainvillea tree topiaries at the garden center.

Bougainvillea is a fast grower that will do best in full sun.

Its stems have thorns, so be careful when handling it!

Native to Central and South America, bougainvillea is what is known as a “dry tropical.”

Many people assume tropical plants want lots of water — but many species, including those in the Bougainvillea genus, prefer drier conditions and can even tolerate droughts once they’re established.

Be sure to let the potting media dry out in between waterings to avoid stressing your bougainvillea. Don’t neglect it, either, though. Most folks grow this plant in containers, and those can quickly become parched in peak summertime.

Check the potting mix regularly to see if water is needed.

Bougainvillea tends to be treated as an annual here in Louisiana, but it is in fact a perennial that can live for many years with the right care. Most important: Keep it indoors during winter. Temperatures below 50 degrees will cause bougainvillea to stop growing, and anything even approaching freezing will kill it.

I

Staff writer

n the late evening hours after class or in various parking lots across campus on the weekends, 30 students at LSU are often found on the first floor of the electrical engineering building, past tealtiled hallways in an old switchboard room huddled around a 4-foot-tall formula-style race car.

The TigerRacing club is working to build a new car for Formula SAE, an annual engineering competition sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers where students design, build and compete a small formula-style racing car against 117 national and international universities and colleges. The competition is the student version of Formula 1 engineering and racing.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM TIGERRACING LSU’s team started building cars in 1983, and the Tiger cars have been through many iterations since then.

TigerRacing started carting their car to Brooklyn, Michigan, to compete against other universities in 2006.

Gareth Oram, this year’s captain of LSU’s racing team and a senior in mechanical engineering, went to his first TigerRacing meeting before attending his first class at LSU five years ago. Since then, he’s taught himself the ins and outs of race car-making, even welding.

ä See RACING, page 2D

Le Rêve Coffee opens shop in former Southfin space Iced chocolate vanilla latte from Le Rêve

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Le Rêve in Baton Rouge had its grand opening April 26 with coffee and free flower bouquets.

During the event at 4321 Perkins Road, the first 100 people to place an online order got a free bouquet from local floral business Forage.

Before Le Rêve, the space was home to Southfin, a poke spot that closed in November. It was owned

by Rotolo’s President Brad Mire,

who now owns Le Rêve.

“We did Southfin here for nine years,” Mire said, “We love the location, and we were trying to figure out what was the next natural fit for it. We really kind of landed on a coffee shop.”

It’s separate from Rêve Coffee Lab, a business with five locations across Lafayette, Eunice and Baton Rouge, but Le Reve uses the same coffee beans out of Lafayette. Mire said the

ä See LE RÊVE, page 2D

2D ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Avoid lingering trash odors

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gareth Oram, right, talks to a prospective student touring campus about LSU TigerRacing and how it’s helping begin his career at the club’s automotive shop.

RACING

Continued from page 1D “We don’t just show up and drive,” Oram said.

In mid-June, the team will drive over 16 hours with their car packed into a rented trailer from LSU’s College of Engineering to Michigan International Speedway, to put their yearlong efforts to the test and brace for subjective judging from industry experts.

The team’s evaluation is broken down into two major parts: static and dynamic.

The “still tests” are essentially an inspection, according to TigerRacing president and senior in mechanical engineering Mizuki Teryama.

On top of the basic requirements (the car has to run, be safe to drive and follow the annual guidelines mapped out in a 145-page rulebook), students must also back the strategic, mechanical and financial decisions they made to build and develop their car.

They must present a working hypothesis for each choice, “nuts and bolts and everything,” along with data-backed proof and financial reasonings for various purchases, Oram said.

“The more detailed, the better,” he said.

Only if the car passes the static technical inspection, the experts take a look at the cars on the move, “for safety reasons,” Teryama said.

The dynamic tests look at acceleration, cornering ability on a figure-eight, singlelap speed and 30-minute reliability and endurance.

Since transitioning from a combustion engine to an electric engine in 2022, the team has yet to pass technical inspection. Teryama and the team hope to buck that trend at this summer’s competition.

Switching gears LSU placed 7th overall four years ago with a combustion engine, a 427-pound car affectionately named Justin.

After their successful 2022 season, the highest ranking in the program’s history building cars, LSU’s team made a pivot from a combustion engine to an electric engine in the hopes to get ahead of an industry-wide transition to electric vehicles.

“Other universities can afford to do the electric, combustion and hybrid competitions each year,” Teryama said. “We have to reuse so many parts each year, and break down the old cars, that it didn’t make sense for us to keep going with just combustion.”

TigerRacing reused the steering wheel, breaks, vari-

LE RÊVE

Continued from page 1D businesses are like cousins.

“All of the coffee beans that we’re grinding are all Rêve Coffee,” Mire said.

“We’re more like a cousin to the other Rêve coffee shops.”

He hopes that the new coffee shop will serve as an approachable neighborhood spot. It has an online ordering system and a drive-thru window for a quick, convenient stop.

Interior and menu Inside, the walls were painted mint, some covered

it loosely with a plastic Dear Heloise: Trash cans bag and store it in the recan develop odors even after you empty them, but frigerator. The herbs stay a quick step keeps hydrated and fresh smells under confor days longer.

Change the watrol. Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda ter every couple at the bottom of the of days to keep can before adding a things clean. Some new bag. The bakherbs like basil do Hints from better at room teming soda absorbs Heloise perature, so adjust odors throughout the week. After noas needed. It’s a simple way to stretch your ticing lingering smells in my kitchen, I added this to grocery budget and keep meals tasting fresh. — Paula my routine, and it made a noticeable difference right H., in Savannah, Georgia away. For extra freshness, Loosen stuck-on lids wipe the inside of the can occasionally with a mild Dear Heloise: Stubborn jar cleaner. — Mark E., in Columbus, lids can be frustrating, Ohio especially when nothing seems to work, but a quick Keep herbs fresh longer tap usually does the trick.

Gently tap the edge of the Dear Heloise: Fresh herbs lid against the counter to can wilt quickly if they sit break the seal, then twist in the fridge for too long. it open. You can also run I started treating them the lid under warm water like flowers, and it made a for a few seconds to help it big difference. I trim the expand. stems slightly and place I started doing this after the herbs in a glass with a struggling with a jar of little water. Then I cover

pasta sauce that refused to budge. Now I don’t waste time wrestling with lids. A better grip from a rubber band can also help if needed. This simple approach saves effort and avoids the risk of spills. — Kevin R., in Des Moines, Iowa

Foggy mirrors Dear Heloise: Foggy bathroom mirrors can slow down your morning routine, so here’s a simple trick to keep them clear: Rub a small amount of shaving cream onto the mirror, then wipe it off with a clean cloth, which leaves behind a thin layer that prevents fog from forming. I was tired of wiping the mirror after every shower. Now it stays clear long enough to get ready without interruptions. I repeat the process every few days. — Dana R., in Hartford, Connecticut Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

yianni Kiritsis, left, and Emiliano Owsley show off the different iterations of PCBs this year’s vehicle battery has gone through at the LSU TigerRacing electrical shop. ous buttons and lights, tires and other bits and bobs from cars past. The only thing that must be rebuilt each year is the frame of the car.

However, the rules often change year to year for Formula SAE — rules the team has to go over with a finetoothed comb before competition.

Oram received this year’s new rule book in July and started building the specs for the car’s new battery.

He designed eight different iterations before settling on one to build out.

Then, in December, he welded carefully crafted and cut aluminum pieces together in the automotive shop behind Patrick F. Taylor Hall before passing the battery’s shell to the powertrain team.

Yianni Kiritsis and Emiliana Owsley, two sophomores in electrical engineering, lead the powertrain for the team and spent months balancing cells and adjusting circuit boards in the battery — keeping in mind important safety measures along the way.

“We slowly start integrating with the battery management system,” Kiritsis said.

“It monitors temperatures, voltage and makes sure everything can shut down

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM TIGERRACING

The Formula SAE at the University of Texas at Arlington boasts a fleet of past and present studentbuilt formula-style racing cars for competition.

in wall decals with red accents depicting a French city scene. Greenery-like pothos plants sit on shelves next to Le Rêve T-shirts and bags of coffee. Outside, a mural painted by local artist Kristen Serio depicts the logo that’ll soon appear on to-go cups.

Just a few days after the soft opening on April 20, caffeinated diners filled almost every table, inside and on the outdoor patio.

“We wanted to do a coffee bar where people can sit up here and watch the coffee get made in front of them,” Mire said. “Plenty of internet. Plenty of outlets.”

On the beverage side, the menu has signature lattes,

the car if something goes wrong.”

The team finally got their car running in March. Now, they are in the final stretch of adjusting and tinkering with the car before their trip to Michigan.

Building connections Although building a running, functioning and performance-ready racing car is already an engineering feat itself, the team at LSU also works to establish relationships with auto, oil, gas and production companies across Louisiana to build the car.

With the average cost of engineering a race car hovering around $60,000, the LSU team relies heavily on local sponsorship and support — tires from Hoosier, an oil can from a former Tiger-racer who got an internship at Exxon Mobil, livery printed from Composite Envisions and more.

Thomas Au, the head of public relations for TigerRacing, works to recruit new members (including nonengineering majors) to the team, manage the nonprofit organization and build relationships with Baton Rouge companies and sponsors.

“We market the car as if it were a small company,” Au said. “It teaches a lot of business skills to help market yourself.”

Those experiences — including budgeting, 3D modeling and communication skills students learn throughout their time at TigerRacing — place them in a unique category when applying for jobs post-graduation.

SpaceX, Tesla and General Motors are just a few of the recruiters that scout for new hires at Formula SAE events.

“It’s like a full time job,” Teryama said. “You are gaining more skills than a typical club at LSU. It’s a lot of late nights, but it’s worth it.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

cold brew, espresso drinks, frappes, matcha and teas.

For food, there’s several pastries baked in-house, like chocolate chip cookies, honey glazed croissants, white chocolate cranberry togas, cinnamon rolls and more.

There’s also a menu with heartier handhelds of sandwiches and biscuits, a ham and gouda grilled cheese, chicken salad sandwich and pepper jelly sausage biscuit.

In all, Mire wants the environment to feel approachable.

“We wanted to offer something a little bit more guestfriendly and approachable,” he said, “And Rêve beans are just the best way to do it.”

Today is Tuesday, May 5, the 125th day of 2026. There are 240 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America’s first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.

Also on this date: In 1862, Mexican troops repelled French attacks on the city of Puebla de los Ángeles in the Battle of Puebla, also known as the Battle of Cinco de Mayo.

In 1925, high school teacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution.

(Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)

In 1945, in the only fatal attack on the U.S. mainland during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing a pregnant woman and five children.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories, in a time of 1:59.4 — a record that still stands.

In 1981, Irish Republican Army militant Bobby Sands died at age 27 at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland on the 66th day of a hunger strike.

In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced

from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.

In 2016, Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of 10 counts of murder in the “Grim Sleeper” serial killings in Los Angeles that targeted poor, young Black women over two decades.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Lance Henriksen is 86.

Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 83. Actor Richard E. Grant is 69. R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn is 51.

Actor Vincent Kartheiser is 47. Actor Danielle Fishel is 45. Actor Henry Cavill is 43. Singer-songwriter Adele is 38. R&B singer Chris Brown is 37. Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka is 28. Olympic figure skating gold medalist Nathan Chen is 27. Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz is 23.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Shift into high gear and take care of business, health and legal matters that are time-sensitive. How you handle responsibilities will not go unnoticed.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Stick close to your people, the ones who understand and share your opinions, and you'll find hope and support. Be careful not to reveal too much personal information. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Refrain from wasting time and energy on people and situations you cannot control. Look inward and consider how you can best serve your needs. Being the best version of yourself will be uplifting.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Try something new. Engage in an event or activity that challenges you physically, and you will gain strength and understanding of the intellectual challenges you encounter.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Be aware of what's happening around you. An unexpected change can be beneficial if you are ready to act. A smile and a positive attitude and response will set the tone.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) When in doubt, sit still, observe and reflect. Put greater emphasis on physical activity, eating habits and health, and use your intelligence to stabilize your financial situation. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Broaden your horizons. Update your skills and network every chance you get. Who you

know and how you build your relationships will determine how far you get.

Be creative, and do your best. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Initiate change, and don't stop until you are happy with the results. It's time to play the game instead of sitting on the sidelines. Procrastination will not lead to healing old wounds. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Read between the lines, ask questions and turn any negative into a positive.

Respect and understanding will help you build a solid environment to develop and grow your aspirations.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to money matters. How you earn and manage your financial affairs will have more influence on your meaningful relationships than you realize. Hard work will pay off.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Review your options. Balance and equality are necessary if you want to feel good about the outcome of any situation you face with friends, relatives or associates.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Let go of what you cannot change, and place more energy, time and discipline into improving your domestic situation and personal relationships. Consider what's missing in your life, and revamp your schedule.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: E EQuALs I

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 5D

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Dick Gregory, a comedian, social activist and writer, said, “I wouldn’t mind paying taxes — if I knew they were going to a friendly country.”

Let’s examine a deal that ought not to be taxing for someone who remembers the bidding.

First, though, look at the South hand.

West deals and opens one club. After two passes, what should South do?

In this balancing seat, the meanings for three of South’s bids change. The first is a one-no-trump overcall. It is no longer strong. Now it is weak, showing 11 to an unappealing 15 points.

Norththenwiselypasses,leavingSouth in one no-trump. How should he plan the play after West leads his fourth-highest club and East puts up the jack?

Note that with a strong no-trump, South would double first and hope to rebid one no-trump on the next round (if an eightcard major-suit fit was not revealed).

Here, that would be easy. But if West’s opening bid were one of a major, South might be forced to rebid two no-trump, which is uncomfortably high. Then, a balancing one-no-trump overcall might contain a poor 16 points.

South has only four top tricks. The best chance for the extra tricks lies in diamonds. From the bidding, West is a

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

heavy favorite to hold the ace. So declarer should win the second (or first) club trick in his hand with the ace and lead a low diamond to dummy’s king. After it wins, he returns a diamond and plays low from his hand. When the ace comes tumbling down, South has seven tricks: two hearts, three diamonds and two clubs. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — cHARIty: CHAR-ih-tee: Aid given to those in need.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 16 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 22 or more words in CHARITY? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — MELton melon

motel

omen

melt

lemon

noel

mole

lent

note

molt

lone

molten

tole

monte

tome

mote

tone

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for you, Lord, only make me dwell in safety.” Psalms 4:8

Trust the Lord and have a good night’s sleep. — G.E. Dean

6D ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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classifieds.theadvocate.com Search& &Place PlaceAds AdsOnline Onlineatatclassifieds.theadvocate.com classifieds.theadvocate.com* Call * Call -Friday Us Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 Search

Announcements

Employment

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of any heirs, successors, and/or assigns of Larry Helmke please contact Tammy Bowden at 225-2664873.

186471-May 4-6, 3t $97

Merchandise WANT TO BUY Wanted: Records, CDs & music memorabilia. No collection too large. Call/text $1 & up 225-936-5600

EDUCATION NOTICE OF VACANCY Applications are being accepted for the following position(s): Head Baseball Coach/Teacher LOCATION: North Iberville High School

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

STARTING SALARY: $66,557 - $78,272 Range based on teacher salary plus coaching supplement. Actual pay level will depend on verified years of experi‐ ence.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE Anyone interested in being considered for this position should submit an ap‐ plication @www.ipsb.net JOIN OUR TEAM

All IPSB employees must pass a criminal records check.

The Iberville Parish School System is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Thursday, May 28, 2026, no later than 2:00 pm for the

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Town of Jackson (herein referred to as the "Owner") hereby solicits sealed bids for the Sewer Repairs and Rehabilita‐ tion project described as follows: STATEMENT OF WORK: Rehabilitation of Sanitary Sewer Collection System.

PEC Project No. 11829.05 Sealed Bids shall be ad‐ dressed to the Town of Jackson, and delivered to the 1610 Charter Street Jackson, LA 70748 not later than 2 P.M., on the 4th day of June , 2026.

Any bid received after the specified time and date will not be consid‐ ered. The sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 2 p.m. on the 4th day of June, 2026, at the Town of Jackson City Hall located at 1610 Charter Street Jackson, LA 70748.

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD: TIME & DATE: N/A LOCATION: N/A Attendance at the PreBid Conference is not mandatory in order to bid on the project; how‐ ever, bidders are encour‐ aged to attend. It is the responsibility of all po‐ tential bidders to visit the job site to assess the location and conditions prior to bidding.

Complete Bid Docu‐ ments, Instructions to Bidders, Bid Form, Con‐ tract, Plans, Specifica‐ tions, and Forms of the Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Payment Bond, and other bidding docu‐ ments may be down‐ loaded from the Profes‐ sional Engineering Con‐ sultants (PEC) Plan Room as hosted by Central Bid‐ ding https://www.cen tralbidding.com (subject to fees and conditions).

For any questions re‐ garding the website call Central Bidding at 225810-4814.

Prospective Bidders are solely re‐ sponsible for obtaining the most up-to-date bid‐ ding Documents from the designated website. Bids will not be accepted through the online bid‐ ding portal. Bids will be received by mail and/or hand delivery to the loca‐ tion as stated above.

Complete Bid Documents may also be examined by emailing egomer@for teandtablada.com or at the Office of the Engineer for the contract; Profes‐ sional Engineering Con‐ sultants Corp. located at 9107 Interline Ave., Baton Rouge, La 70809; (225927-9321). Hard copies may be obtained at this office upon payment of a deposit of $150.00. This deposit will be refunded upon request in accor‐ dance with R.S. 38:2212.

Contractors submitting bids shall be licensed under LA R.S. 37:21502164, Municipal and Pub‐ lic Works. The bidder shall show his license number on the bid and on the sealed envelope submitting the bid.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause; such actions will be in accor‐ dance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements stated in the Bidding Documents shall not be waived by any entity.

Each Bidder must de‐ posit with his/her bid, security in the amount of at least five percent (5%) of the total bid price, provided on the specified form and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bid‐ ders. Sureties used for obtaining bonds must appear as acceptable on the U. S. Department of Treasury Circular 570.

No bidder may withdraw his/her bid within fortyfive (45) days after the actual date of the open‐ ing thereof.

OWNER Town of Jackson BY: Mayor Joesph Dane Brown PUBLICATION/DATES: The Advocate Tuesday, May 5, 2026 Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Tuesday, May 19, 2026 186355-may 5-12-19-3t $191

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived by Domain Archi‐ tecture, located at 11130 Industriplex Blvd., Suite 200, Baton Rouge Louisiana 70809 until

Louisiana Building Toilet Room Renovations Mid-City Campus Baton Rouge Community College 201 Community College Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Electronic bids will also be accepted. Please find bid related materials and place your electronic bids at Central Bidding, www.centralauctionh ouse.com. Bids received after the above time will be returned unopened.

Complete bidding docu‐ ments may be obtained from the Central Bidding website. All documents will only be distributed electronically. For any questions relating to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 833-4125717. If you have any questions, please con‐ tact Domain Architec‐ ture.

Domain Architecture 11130 Industriplex Blvd., Suite 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-216-3770 A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 10:00 am at 1st Floor Lobby of the Louisiana Building at Baton Rouge Community College Mid-City Cam‐ pus, 201 Community Col‐ lege Drive, Baton Rouge Louisiana 70806.

All bids must be accom‐ panied by a bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the base bid and any alternatives and sub‐ ject to the conditions provided in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders. The suc‐ cessful contractor will be required to enter into a contract with the OWNER and to furnish all the ma‐ terials, perform all of the work, supervise, coordi‐ nate, administrate and be responsible for the work of the entire pro‐ ject. No bids may be withdrawn after the clos‐ ing time for receipt of bids for at least forty-five (45) days. The bond of the low bidder will be held for forty-five (45) days, or until the con‐ tract is signed, whichever is shorter.

PERFORMANCE AND PAY‐ MENT BOND: A perfor‐ mance and payment bond for the work will be required upon execution of the contract, equal to one hundred percent (100%) of said contract written by a company li‐ censed to do business in Louisiana and who is cur‐ rently on the U.S. Depart‐ ment of the Treasury Fi‐ nancial Management Service List. The bond shall be countersigned by a person who is under contract and who is li‐ censed as an insurance agent in the State of Louisiana, and who is re‐ siding in this state.

Baton Rouge Community College reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A) (1) (b), the provisions and require‐ ments of this section, those stated in the ad‐ vertisement for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be consid‐ ered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity.

AREA 3 5135 & 5137 Fairfield (Duplex) 1BR/1BA, Rent $500, Dep $300 Updated 225-357-6436

g person has been desig‐ nated to handle inquiries regarding the non-dis‐ crimination policies: Title —Compliance Office, Ad‐ dress—3820 Sen J Ben‐ nett Johnston Ave, Lake Charles, LA 70615, Tele‐ phone No—337-421-6565 or 800-256-0483, Email complianceofficer@ sowela.edu

g ber in LaPac at www.doa. la.gov/doa/osp/ or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified.

The right is reserved to reject any and all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities.

186102-may 5-1t $112.72

Amy Vincent Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 186402-may 5-1t $11.77

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 1005 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd.

Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000026202, June 2026 Meat & Cheese DOC - PE, 5/19/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ d b i

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed bids for the con‐ struction of the following project will be received by the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission in the Port’s office at 2425 Ernest Wilson Drive Office, Port Allen, Louisiana, or online at www.centralauctionh ouse.com until 10:00 AM on May 26, 2026, at which time and place bids will be publicly opened and read. No bids will be re‐

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

MOBILE HOME 1, 2 & 3 BR mobile homes, $675 & up 6061 Plank Rd. CALL 225-978-4653

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COMPUTER/HOME OFC I am selling my upgraded laptops & my Chromebook. $300 each.

Excellent condition. 225-304-1045

AREA 5 1BR $550, 2BR $650 Tigerland. $500 Deposit. 225-475-1737

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CEMETERY PLOTS 2 Burial Plots in Baton Rouge, Green Oaks Memorial. Sec 17, Lots 146 -2 & 146-4, Side by Side. $5800 each, negotiable 803-215-0456.

PLACE YOUR PET SERVICES INFORMATION IN THE PET SERVICES DIRECTORY TODAY! • IT IS FAST AND EASY! • CALL 225-383-0111

AREA 3 3060 N. Acadian Thrwy 1BR/1BA $500/mth $300Dep Water/Sewer Paid 225-357-6436

DEADLINE FOR APPLYING Until filled or May 13, 2026

PUBLIC NOTIC ---

AREA 5 655 North St. Subsidized eff Apts cpabr.org 225-383-5551.

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CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ceived after 10:00 A.M.

portgbr.com

PROJECT NR: 2026-3

Bids must be submitted on the forms provided by the Contracting Agency, must be prepared in ac‐ cordance with Section 2 of the 2018 Edition of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and De‐ velopment, Office of Mul‐ timodal Commerce, Gen‐ eral Provisions and must include all the informa‐ tion required by the bid form. Bid forms are avail‐ able from the Engineer and will not be issued later than 24 hours prior to the time set for open‐ ing the bids. Each bid shall include a proposal guaranty in an amount not less than specified above.

IMPROVEMENTS TO: WATER TOWER REHABILI‐ TATION AND PAINTING PROJECT LOCATED IN: ALLEN, WEST ROUGE PARISH

PORT BATON

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION: MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION; PAINTING, COATING and BLASTING CONTRACTING AGENCY: GREATER BATON ROUGE PORT COMMISSION P.O BOX 380 PORT ALLEN, LOUISIANA 70767-0380 ESTIMATED COST: $1,100,000 - $1,250,000 PROPOSAL GUARANTY: 5% OF THE AMOUNT OF BID PAYABLE TO THE GREATER BATON ROUGE PORT COMMISSION ENGINEER: CORTNEY WHITE, P.E. GREATER BATON ROUGE PORT COMMISSION 225-342-1660 whitec@

The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder with‐ out discrimination on grounds of race, color, sex or national origin.

Disadvantaged busi‐ nesses will be afforded full opportunity to sub‐ mit bids.

Plans and specifications may be seen at the Port's office. Plans may be ob‐ tained from the Engineer f $

DOGS AKC English Bulldog female puppy, born 2/1/26. No text. Call 225-223-4351

DOGS CKC Reg. Rat Terrier & Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Pups Avail. (985) 217-2950

DOGS AKC Miniature Dachshunds - Cham‐ pion bloodline long hair Miniature Dachshunds up to date shots & worm‐ ing. $1000. 985-222-0577

DOGS Labrador Retriever - 3 month old female yellow reddish lab. Beautiful and sweet. Call for pictures or videos $500.00 (225) 963-1960

DOGS AKC Reg. Rottweiler, Puppies, Exc. Temp. 1 -M 1 -F Show Quality $1500504-782-9291

DOGS Standard Goldendoodle & Poodles GoldenDoodle 3/15/ Standard Poodles 2/22 CKC Registered, Vet ChD Serious inquiries only. $800-1000 (504) 307-7786 or (504) 541-1098

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g upon payment of $50. In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (D), deposits on the first set of docu‐ ments furnished bona fide prime bidders will be fully refunded upon re‐ turn of the documents, deposits on any addi‐ tional sets will be re‐ funded less the actual costs of reproduction.

Refunds will be made upon return of the docu‐ ments if within ten days after receipt of bids.

The award of a contract, if awarded, will be made to the lowest qualified bidder whose proposal complies with all require‐ ments prescribed within 45 calendar days after opening proposals. The successful bidder will be notified by letter mailed to the address shown in the proposal that the bidder is awarded the contract.

On projects involving state funds the award of contract will also be con‐ tingent upon concur‐ rence by the appropriate state agency.

The right is reserved to reject bids and waive in‐ f li i

Public Notices Bids/Proposals j formalities.

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference of Prime Bid‐ ders will be held 10:00 A.M. May 13, 2026, in the Port’s office at 2425 Ernest Wilson Drive Of‐ fice, Port Allen, Louisiana, 70767.

PUBLISH: ADVOCATE 4/28, 5/5, 5/12 Jay Hardman Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission 185435 April 28, May 5, 12, 3t $165.76 PUBLIC NOTICE --Public Solicitation Notice Request for Qualifications, 13-25 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from highly qualified Ar‐ chitectural Firms inter‐ ested in providing com‐ l hi l

Public Notices Bids/Proposals p g plete Architectural De‐ sign Services for the fol‐ lowing project: New High School in the Southern Part of the Dis‐ trict /New Construction Solicitation No. 13-25 Statements of Qualifica‐ tions shall only by sub‐ mitted on East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Standard Qualifi‐ cations Form EBRPSB-AE. Only those firms that have obtained the official RFQ package for this pro‐ ject will be considered. If applicant is a joint ven‐ ture, each prime firm is required to obtain an RFQ package.

The official RFQ package will be available elec‐ tronically at Beacon Bid (www.beaconbid.com) on April 28, 2026. All re‐ quired documents shall be retrieved via www. beaconbid.com. There is no cost associated with collecting the documents through Beacon Bid. These documents will not be provided in any other way than as de‐ scribed here.

Print subscriber but haven’t set up your digital access yet?

It’s easy!

Bidders must meet the requirements of the State of Louisiana Con‐ tractor’s Licensing Law, R.S. 37:2151 et seq.

NOTE: BIDS SHALL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CON‐ TRACTORS WHO ARE LI‐ CENSED UNDER LOUISIANA CONTRAC‐ TORS LICENSING LAW FOR THE MAJOR CLASSI‐ FICATION OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. Baton Rouge Community College encourages all small businesses, minor‐ ity-owned firms, veteranowned firms, and women’s business enter‐ prises to participate.

Advertising Dates Friday May 1, 2026 Friday May 5, 2026 Friday May 12, 2026 END OF SECTION 186076-may 1-5-12-3t $1, 272 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT SOWELA Technical Com‐ munity College is accept‐ ing sealed bids for an Anatomage table & ac‐ cessories to be used at SOWELA Technical Com‐ munity College campus.

Bids will be publicly opened and read at SOW‐ ELA Technical Commu‐ nity College; 3820 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Av‐ enue, Lake Charles, LA 70615 on May 21, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. Specifications and bid form (#85691) may be obtained by con‐ tacting Susan Tucek at bids@sowela.edu. SOW‐ ELA Technical Commu‐ nity College does not dis‐ criminate on the basis of race, color, national ori‐ gin, gender, disability, or age in its programs or activities. The following h b d i

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 7D

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Professional work • Lic/Ins/Bond.

40+ years experience No job too smalll/large Call 225-921 2633

CALL FOR SPECIAL PRICING! INSTALL NEW ROOFS, J-W SHINGLES, METAL, ROOFING* FLAT, & REPAIRS.

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STOP ALL LEAKS! CARPENTRY & PAINTING Lic/Ins. 225-205-9537 *Senior Citizen Discount

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8D ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

Legal Notices

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Legal Notices

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA COUNCIL CHAMBERS 3325 GROOM ROAD, BAKER, LOUISIANA 70714 www.youtube. com/@bakerforward April 28, 2026 - 6:00 p.m.

The City Council of the City of Baker, Louisiana, met in regular session on April 28, 2026, with the following members in attendance at the meeting: MAYOR Darnell Waites COUNCIL MEMBERS Desiree Collins Rochelle Dunn Cedric Murphy Dr. Charles Vincent Robert Young CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Waites presided.

The invocation was given by Council Member Murphy.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Vincent. ***Public comment shall be observed before a vote is taken on any agenda item. Such comments shall not exceed 3 minutes and shall be confined to the agenda item and any proposed disposition thereof.*** DISPOSITION OF THE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Young to approve the minutes of the meeting held on April 14, 2026.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

RECOGNITIONS 1. Recognize Mr. William and Mrs. Jewel London Payne for celebrating 50 years of marriage and their united commitment of service to the City of Baker (Collins) Council Member Collins recognized Mr. William and Mrs. Jewel London Payne for celebrating 50 years of marriage and their united commitment of service to the City of Baker.

2. Recognize Cherie McCastle for her invaluable community service and voter advocacy work (Collins) Cherie McCastle was unable to attend the meeting, however, Council Member Collins recognized her for her invaluable community service and voter advocacy work.

3. Recognize Kinta Cage for her dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint (Dunn) Council Member Dunn recognized Kinta Cage for her dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint.

4. Recognize Kamari Stinson for his dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint (Dunn) Council Member Dunn recognized Kamari Stinson for his dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint.

5. Recognize Percy Vessell for his dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint (Dunn) As Mr. Vessell was not in attendance, no action was taken on this agenda item.

PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS RESOLUTIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS 1. Proclamation declaring April 2026 Alcohol Awareness Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Aneatra Boykin.

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Dunn to accept the proclamation.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

2. Proclamation declaring April 2026 Minority Health Awareness Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Aneatra Boykin.

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Murphy to accept the proclamation.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

NEW BUSINESS 1. Change June 9, 2026, council meeting date (Mayor) The motion was made by Council Member Murphy, seconded by Council Member Collins to change the date of the council meeting from June 9, 2026, to Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

2. Schedule work session to review FY2025 audited financial statements (Mayor) The motion was made by Council Member Dunn, seconded by Council Member Murphy to schedule a work session to review FY 2025 audited financial statements on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

3. Discuss amending Chapter 14 – Offenses and miscellaneous provisions – section 14-103 Disturbing the peace (number 7) Unauthorizing firing of guns in the city limits of Baker and remove from 4 “three or more” thus it would be any person (Vincent) Council Member Vincent initiated discussion regarding amending certain sections of Chapter 14 of the Baker Code of Ordinances, saying they need to be strengthened. He said there has been an increase in gun violence everywhere. Council Member Vincent proposed meeting with the police department, mayor, attorney, and anyone else who is interested to discuss strengthening the city’s ordinances. The mayor stated that a draft of the proposed amendments could then be presented to the council for their consideration.

PUBLIC MEETING 1. Adopt Ordinance 2026-10, an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on the issuance of certain permits, licenses, and approvals for used tire shops located on Main Street, Plank Road, and Groom Road within the City of Baker, Louisiana (Mayor) (Introduced 4/14/2026) Public meeting was held.

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The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Young to adopt Ordinance 2026-10.

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7. Chamberlain Avenue at John Marks (Mayor) 8. 2441 Ray Weiland (Mayor)

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

9. 4331 Amerest

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

REPORTS ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 1. Planning and Zoning Commission 2. Annexation Review Committee 3. Economic Development Team 4. Heritage Museum/Related Committees 5. ABC Board 6. Other Special Committees a. Buffalo Festival b. Prayer Breakfast c. Strategic Planning Committee d. Citizens Advisory Board to Law Enforcement e. Main Street District Committee

2. Adopt Ordinance 2026-11, an ordinance establishing temporary moratoria on certain zoning, land use, occupancy, and business approvals for barbershops and beauty shops, and for smoke shops and vape shops, within designated corridors of the City of Baker, Louisiana (Mayor) (Introduced 4/14/2026) Public meeting was held.

Dante Bidwell spoke about how the passage of the proposed ordinances on tonight’s agenda will serve to facilitate economic development in the city and help the city move towards realizing its vision.

Christopher Sanders expressed is concerns regarding the ordinance stating that establishing a temporary moratorium on any business is disruption of free enterprise.

The motion was made by Council Member Murphy, seconded by Council Member Dunn to adopt Ordinance 2026-11.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

3. Adopt Ordinance 2026-12, an ordinance amending the City of Baker Code of Ordinances to establish rules for certain city parks and public recreation areas relating to alcohol, loitering, and supervision of minors (Mayor) (Introduced 4/14/2026) Public meeting was held.

The mayor explained the reason for the proposed ordinance.

The motion was made by Council Member Murphy, seconded by Council Member Collins to adopt Ordinance 2026-12.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Council Member Vincent asked that signs advising those visiting the park of the guidelines be placed in the park.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

4. Adopt Ordinance 2026-13, an ordinance of the City of Baker, Louisiana, creating and providing for regulation of tire businesses; requiring permits, records, safe storage, and lawful disposal of used and waste tire; establishing enforcement and penalties; and otherwise providing with respect thereto (Vincent) (Introduced 4/14/2026) Public meeting was held.

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ADJOURN The motion was made by Council Member Dunn seconded by Council Member Murphy to adjourn.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA I, Angela Canady Wall, certify that I am Clerk of the Council for the City of Baker, Louisiana, and that the above and foregoing is a copy of the minutes of a regular meeting of the Council for the City of Baker, Louisiana held on April 28, 2026. ____________________________________ Angela Canady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Council MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS NORMAN E. “PETE” HEINE MEMORIAL GARDENS CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD BAKER, LA 70714 April 28, 2026 The City Council of the City of Baker, Louisiana, sitting as the Board of Commissioners for Norman E. “Pete” Heine Memorial Gardens, met in regular session on April 28, 2026, with the following members in attendance at the meeting: COMMISSIONERS Desiree Collins Rochelle Dunn Cedric Murphy Dr. Charles Vincent Darnell Waites Robert Young CALL TO ORDER – Commissioner Waites presided.

Council Member Vincent explained the reasoning behind the proposed ordinance as well as a summary of things the city hopes to accomplish by implementing said legislation.

DISPOSITION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The meeting was called to order and the motion was made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Dunn to approve the minutes of the meeting held on April 14, 2026.

Discussion followed.

Commissioner Waites called for public comments or questions.

The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Dunn to adopt Ordinance 2026-13.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

The mayor called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with a vote of 5-0.

Recognize Percy Vessell for his dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint (Dunn) Council Member Dunn recognized Percy Vessell for his dedication to the City of Baker, especially District 2, and always answering the call to serve the community without complaint.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS 1. District 3 announcements: District 3 Community Walks will begin on the first Tuesday of each month beginning May 5, 2026, recognition of those to be honored at the Citizen of the Year Banquet on May 11, 2026, the City of Baker Recreation Association is currently accepting new athletes ages 4-15 to play baseball, and/or NFL flag football, the Rotary Club of Baker will be hosting inclusive bowling for students receiving special services on Monday, May 18, 2026, please text (225) 954-3360 for registration details, and Clean Green Neighborhood Alliance Recycle Challenge with Thomasina Joseph – the goal is to educate and empower the city officials, employees and students about recycling correctly (Collins) Council Member Collins asked Ms. Thomasina Joseph to come forward.

Ms. Joseph, Executive Director of Clean Green Neighborhood Alliance Recycle Challenge, provided an overview of her program and its goal to educate and empower city officials, employees, and students about recycling correctly.

Council Member Collins announced District 3 Community Walks will begin on the first Tuesday of each month beginning May 5, 2026. She also announced the Citizen of the Year banquet will be held on May 11, 2026. This year’s honoree is Shanna Claiborne. Council Member Collins announced that the City of Baker Recreation Association is currently accepting new athletes ages 4-15 to play baseball, and/or NFL flag football, and that the Rotary Club of Baker will be hosting inclusive bowling for students receiving special services on Monday, May 18, 2026, please text (225) 954-3360 for registration details.

2. Baton Rouge Black History Hall of Fame for the Lincoln Theare fundraiser “An evening of jazz and blues” Friday, May 15, 2026, at Manship Theater – Shaw Center for the Arts (telephone 225-270-1714 or lbhhf.org), notification from Fire and Police Departments if events or tragedies in our districts, etc. (Vincent) Council Member Vincent reiterated the importance of recycling and thanked Ms. Ruby Duhe for her efforts with the citywide cleanup, Love the Boot Day, held on April 18, 2026. He thanked the Baker Fire Department for hosting the event. Council Member Vincent asked that at future city events various receptacles be placed about so that items may be recycled properly. He asked that there be separate trash and recycling receptacles.

Council Member Vincent announced the Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the refurbishment of the historic Lincoln Theater in Baton Rouge. An evening of jazz and blues will be held Friday, May 15, 2026. For more information call (225) 270-1741 or visit www.lbhhf.org. He asked that the Fire and Police Departments notify council members when events or tragedies occur in their districts, so that when constituents contact them for information or with questions they are able to provide the necessary information. He thanked everyone who helped with Love the Boot Day. He also thanked the mayor and Public Works Department for all they do.

The mayor read an excerpt from a letter he received regarding children under 16 years old riding skateboards on the sidewalks. The person responsible for the letter asked that the children not do so, and called for parental supervision.

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS CONDEMNATIONS 1. 1916 Florida (Mayor) 2.

2235 Chamberlain (Mayor)

3. 1984 Chamberlain (Mayor) 4. White house next door to 1984 Chamberlain (Mayor) 5. 12979 Wedgewood (Mayor) 6. 1008 Epperson (Mayor)

PUBLIC NOTICE NEW BUSINESS OTHER NECESSARY BUSINESS 1. Monthly Business Report 2. Other Reports 3. Items Requiring Action ADJOURN There was no other business to come before the commission. The motion was made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Dunn to adjourn.

Commissioner Waites called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA I, Angela Canady Wall, certify that I am Clerk of the Council for the City of Baker, Louisiana, and that the above and foregoing is a copy of the minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners for the Norman E. “Pete” Heine Memorial Gardens held on April 28, 2026. _________________________________ Angela Canady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Council MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BAKER CONSOLIDATED UTILITIES SYSTEM CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD BAKER, LA 70714 April 28, 2026 The City Council of the City of Baker, Louisiana, sitting as the Board of Commissioners for the Baker Consolidated Utilities System, met in regular session on April 28, 2026, with the following members attending: COMMISSIONERS Desiree Collins Rochelle Dunn Cedric Murphy Dr. Charles Vincent Darnell Waites Robert Young CALL TO ORDER – Commissioner Waites presided.

DISPOSITION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The meeting was called to order and the motion was made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Vincent to approve the minutes of the meeting held on April 14, 2026.

Commissioner Waites called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

PUBLIC NOTICE NEW BUSINESS OTHER NECESSARY BUSINESS 1. Monthly Business Report

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ 9D

lll

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2. Other Reports 3. Items Requiring Action ADJOURN There was no other business to come before the commission. The motion was made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Dunn to adjourn.

Commissioner Waites called for public comments or questions.

Vote was called for.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Statements of Qualifica‐ tions for this project will be accepted until 2:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Statements of Qual‐ ifications that have not been received by the deadline date and time will be rejected.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

ties is reserved.

Bid# 1109 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE Stephin Henderson, Purchasing Department 184703-apr 20-may 5-2t

p q public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing and must contain the name and contact information of the requester. Below are the referenced applica‐ tion(s):************CUP NUMBER: P20250947 Name: Magnetar Operat‐ ing LLC c/o C.H. Fenster‐ maker & Associates, L.L.C. 135 Regency Square, Lafayette, LA 70508 Attn: Chris Guidry Location: Cameron Parish, LA; POB proposed access route (Grand Lake) @ Lat. 29-58-20.70N / Long. -92-47-33.70W; Proposed Bayou Prospect No. 1 @ Lat. 2937-59.00N / Long. -92-3804.20W (see plats for ad‐ ditional coordinates); Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge; approximately 10 miles southwest of Lake Arthur, LA. Description: Proposed propwashing in Grand Lake (Areas 1, 2 & 3) and bucket dredging within an existing canal (Area 4) for access to drill six (6) proposed prospects (Bayou Prospects Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) within three existing slips located on Rocke‐ feller Wildlife Refuge.

Two (2) existing earthen plugs will be removed from the main canal to allow for barge access to the proposed well slips.

A third existing earthen plug will be removed for barge access to an exist‐ ing well slip. Upon suc‐ cessful completion of the wells, a typical caisson well protector will be in‐ stalled. Approx. 212,137 CY of native material will be excavated and used beneficially on site and 109,580 CY of native ma‐ terial will be temporarily displaced from prop‐ washing activities.

NUM‐ ************CUP BER: P20260202 Name: Hilcorp Energy Company c/o Brandon Muller 965 Beauregard Parkway, Covington, LA 70433 Attn: Brandon Muller Location: Plaquemines Parish, LA; Lat. 29-24-20.73N, Long.

-89-50-11.84W (see plats for additional project co‐ ordinates); Lake Wash‐ ington Field. Description: Proposal to remove pil‐ ings, walkways, dock fa‐ cilities, production equipment, flowlines and a tank battery. Wells SN 230517, SN 154560, and SN 167551/169186 will be plugged and abandoned.

No dredging or excava‐ tion is required for the project. Flowlines will be pulled by barge from open water.*********** NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compli‐ ance (OPC) has received a request to extend for the referenced applica‐ tion(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq., and the rules of the Coastal Man‐ agement Program. Appli‐ cations for coastal use permits may be in‐ spected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC webpage at: https:// denr.louisiana.gov/page/ public-notices.

Copies are available, costs apply. Written comments are solicited from the public and must be re‐ ceived within 10 days of the date of this notice.

Comments must be up‐ loaded directly to our electronic record through the OPC web‐ page or mailed to: OPC Administrator, Kyle Balkum, P.O Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 708044487. All comments must contain the appropriate CUP number and the commenter's full name and contact information.

Below are the referenced application(s): CUP NUM‐ P20230784 (Ex‐ BER: tended) Name: Talos En‐ ergy, LLC, c/o Tim Morton & Associates, Inc. 500 S. Morgan Avenue, Brous‐ sard, LA 70518 Attn: Donna Hollier Location: Vermilion Parish, LA; Lat. 29-49-52N, Long. -91-5912W; Section 17, 18 T14S R5E; Description: Pro‐ posed removal of struc‐ tures and removal/aban‐ donment of 3 pipelines for the P&A of Broussard

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

VOUCHER# 26-000220

A mandatory Pre-Pro‐ posal Conference will be held at 4:00 P.M. CST, May 14, 2026, 3000 North Sher‐ wood Forest Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70814, Room 32. All firms interested in submitting a SOQ in re‐ sponse to the RFQ are re‐ quired to attend. No SOQ Package will be accepted from any firm that does not attend and sign in at the Pre-Proposal Confer‐ ence.

Electronic or sealed bids will be received by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐ sion, City Hall Building, Room 826, 222 Saint Louis Street, 8th Floor, Baton Rouge, La. until 11:00 A.M. May 21, 2026, for the following:

Notice is hereby given pursuant to the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Louisiana Public Service Commission (“LPSC”) that Southwest‐ ern Electric Power Com‐ pany (“SWEPCO”), an electric public utility supplying retail electric service to approximately 235,000 customers in eleven Parishes in the State of Louisiana through its retail busi‐ ness, and who also customers in serves Arkansas and Texas, filed with the LPSC its annual filing for a rate adjust‐ ment to its Formula Rate Plan (“FRP”), so it can continue to provide safe and reliable service for its customers in Louisiana. The eleven Parishes through which SWEPCO’s service area extends in Louisiana are: Bossier, Bienville, Caddo, DeSoto, Grant, Natchi‐ toches, Red River, Sabine, Webster, Winn, and Vernon.

Additionally, the mem‐ bers of the Architectural and Engineering Services Selection Committee re‐ quest that the Prime Firm submit Form EBRPSB-AE only. No consultants/as‐ sociates listed in Item 7 of the form are to submit a Form EBRPSB-AE. Un‐ less otherwise stated or required by the instruc‐ tions, all other attach‐ ments or embellishments shall be excluded. It is also requested that Form EBRPSB-AE not be bound in a booklet, but be sta‐ pled.

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is an Equal Opportunity Em‐ ployer. Therefore, all re‐ spondents are encour‐ aged to utilize minority participation to the ex‐ tent possible using small, disadvantaged, and women-owned busi‐ nesses as consultants.

Submissions will be re‐ viewed by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Architectural and Engineering Selection Committee. The Commit‐ tee reserves the right to reject all the submittals in response to this Re‐ quest for Qualifications.

Publication Dates: 1st insertion – April 28, 2026 2nd insertion – May 5, 2026 3rd insertion – May 12, 2026 185385 April 28, May 5, 12, 3t $149.73

PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Office of State Parks is requesting proposals for a Public, Private Partnership pro‐ ject to operate certain components of Poverty Point State Park and Black Bear Golf Course.

For more information go to OpportunitiesinLouisia na .com 186440-may 4-22-19t $87.78 PUBLIC NOTICE --TO BE PUBLISHED-LEGAL: April 20, 2026 & May 5, 2026 BIDS TO BE OPENED: 10am – Thursday – May 21, 2026 NOTICE The Purchasing Division, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Suite 200, Jackie Cochran Building, Parish of East Baton Rouge will receive sealed bids, until 10am / Thurs‐ day – May 20, 2026 for the following: “FIRE EQUIPMENT” At precisely 10am / Thursday – May 20, 2026 they will be publicly opened and read aloud in Suite 200, Jackie Cochran Building. Bid proposals, amendments to bid or re‐ quest for withdrawal of bids received after time specified for bid opening shall not be considered for any cause whatso‐ ever. Bidders or their au‐ thorized representatives are invited to be present.

No other information or tabulations will be avail‐ able until awards are made after all bids are fully checked as to speci‐ fications and accuracy.

We reserve the right to divide items to avail our‐ selves of the low bid.

The bid proposal is firm for a period of sixty (60) days from the opening of the bids and no bid pro‐ posal can be withdrawn for any reason during this period of time.

Full information and bid specifications may be obtained upon request from the Purchasing Divi‐ sion, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, P. O. Box 3277, Baton Rouge, La 70821 by phone at (225) 389-4833, and infor‐ mation also available on‐ line and bids may also be submitted online at https://www.centralbidd ing.com The right to reject all bids and waive informali‐

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

REQ220 2026 or Newer Ford 2026 F600 4x4 Chas‐ sis Articulating Tele‐ scopic Bucker Truck Official bid documents are available at Central Bidding (https://www. centralauctionhouse. com/rfpc10656-city-ofbaton-rouge.html) or by request from the City of Baton Rouge at lcan‐ non@brla.gov.

Bids shall be submitted electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on the solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge prior to the bidding deadline.

Electronic bids for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Begin‐ ning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all electronic bids will be downloaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in Room 806 immedi‐ ately after the 11:00 a.m. bid closing. Bidders or their authorized repre‐ sentatives are invited to be present.

Note: The City-Parish has elected to use LaPAC, the state's online electronic bid posting and notifica‐ tion system, in addition to its standard means of advertising this require‐ ment. This Invitation to Bid is available in elec‐ tronic form at the LaPAC website https:// wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid. cfm?search=departm ent&term=102.

Bids, amendments to bids or request for with‐ drawal of bids received after time specified for bid openings shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever.

Inquiries will be received up until 5 pm on May 18, 2026.

Full information may be obtained upon request from the above address or by telephoning Latisha Cannon at (225) 389-3259, Ext. 3271, or via email lcannon@brla.gov.

Any vendor who would like to listen to the open‐ ing of this bid can access the following link, at the date and time of this bid opening:

NOTE: The only vendor information shared at the bid opening will be the reading of the names of those vendors who submitted bids.

Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network traffic (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-5358110 United States Toll (Dal‐ las) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Den‐ ver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jack‐ sonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065 These numbers will pro‐ vide you with live audio access to this bid open‐ ing.

186362-may 5-12-2t $101.18

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority’s (EBRPHA) 2026 Annual Plan is available for re‐ view and public com‐ ment at EBRPHA offices and posted on the EBR‐ PHA website at www. ebrpha.org. Public com‐ ments may be submitted in writing no later than 4:00 PM (CT), 6/15/2026, via email to dmejia@ ebrpha.org or in writing i

Notice will be published in the Official Bulletin of the LPSC. Pertinent docket information will be provided in the Offi‐ cial Bulletin. The annual Formula Rate Plan ad‐ justment will allow for SWEPCO to continue to provide and maintain safe and reliable service for its Louisiana cus‐ tomers, and is being sub‐ mitted in accordance with LPSC Order No. U37502 dated April 7, 2026.

SWEPCO’s FRP filed at the LPSC on May 1, 2026 may be viewed in the of‐ fice of the LPSC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and on the LPSC’s website (www.lpsc.louisiana.gov) upon publication in the LPSC’s Official Bulletin.

Additionally, SWEPCO may be contacted at 318673-3453 regarding any questions.

186519-may 5-1t $204.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE is hereby given that Louisiana Water Company (“LAWCO”), a water utility providing service to customers in the following Parishes: Acadia, Avoyelles, Cal‐ casieu, Iberia, Rapides, and St. Landry, pursuant to the Formula Rate Plan (“FRP”) approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (“LPSC”) in LPSC Docket No. U-37760, filed its FRP Annual Re‐ port for the test year ending on December 31, 2025 with the LPSC. The FRP Annual Report as filed by LAWCO results in an average increase in water rates of 3.14%, which equates to an ap‐ proximate average resi‐ dential water bill in‐ crease of $1.29 per month.

LAWCO’s filing may be viewed in the offices of the LPSC located at 602 North Fifth Street, Galvez Building, 11th Floor, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, phone 225-342-4999, and on the LPSC website (www.lpsc.louisiana. gov).

186495-may 5-1t $135.17 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the La. Dept. of Conservation and Energy, Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) has received the following application(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accordance with the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978, as amended, (La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41), and the rules and regula‐ tions of the Coastal Re‐ sources Program. Appli‐ cations for the proposed work may be inspected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC web page at: http://denr. louisiana.gov/index.cfm? md=pagebuilder& tmp=home&pid=591.

Copies may be obtained upon payment of cost of copying. Written com‐ ments, including sugges‐ tions for modifications or objections to the pro‐ posed work and stating the reasons thereof, are being solicited from the public. Comments must be received within 25 days of the date of publi‐ cation of this notice.

Comments should be up‐ loaded to our electronic record, but may be mailed, faxed or emailed to the designated OPC Reviewer. All comments must contain the appro‐ priate application num‐ ber and the commenter's full name and contact in‐ formation. Any person may request, in writing, within the comment pe‐ riod specified in this no‐ tice, that a State or Fed‐ eral public hearing be held to consider this ap‐ plication. Requests for bli h i h ll

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_________________________________ Angela Canady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Council

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#1 & #2 wells. The maxi‐ mum draft of equipment will be 7.5'. Board mats for access are proposed under P20231055. Approx.

0.11 acres of temporary impacts will result from the project.

y April 15, 2026, in the Council Chambers (Room 348) on the third floor of the City-Parish Govern‐ mental Building in this City, these proposed or‐ dinances being entitled as follows: ORDINANCE

186509-MAY 5-1T $60.64 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the Louisiana De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy (DCE), Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) has received the following application for an AfterThe-Fact (ATF) Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in ac‐ cordance with the State and Local Coastal Re‐ sources Management Act of 1978, as amended, (Louisiana R.S. 49:214.21214.41), and the rules and regulations of the Coastal Resources Pro‐ gram. As per Louisiana R.S. 49:214.36.N.2, notice is being provided that a Draft ATF Permit has been issued for review.

The draft ATF permit as well as the application for the unauthorized work including drawings may be inspected at 617 North 3rd Street, LaSalle Building, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OPC web page at: http://denr.louisiana. gov/index.cfm?md=pag ebuilder&tmp=home& pid=591. Copies may be obtained upon payment of cost of copying. Writ‐ ten comments, including suggestions for modifi‐ cations or objections to the draft permit and stat‐ ing the reasons thereof, are being solicited from the public. Comments must be received within fifteen (15) days of the date of publication of this notice. Comments should be uploaded to our electronic record, but may be mailed, faxed or emailed to the desig‐ nated OPC Reviewer. All comments must contain the appropriate applica‐ tion number and the commenter's full name and contact information.

Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period speci‐ fied in this notice, that a State or Federal public hearing be held to con‐ sider this application. Re‐ quests for public hear‐ ings shall state, with par‐ ticularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing and must contain the name and contact infor‐ mation of the requester.

CUP Number P20260291 ATF; Christopher E. Lol‐ lar: 1427 Old Barnwood Avenue, Zachary, LA 70791; Attn: Christopher Lollar; Location: Terre‐ bonne Parish: Lat 29-2948.25 N Long 90-33-12.00 W; 905 LA Highway 55, Montegut, LA 70377; Bayou Terrebonne; De‐ scription: Unauthorized construction of an ap‐ proximately 98-foot bulk‐ head along Bayou Terre‐ bonne.

Amending the Compre‐ hensive Zoning Map of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, as contained in and made part of the “Unified Development Code “, as amended so as to change the zoning on the property located at 5956 and 5986 Stum‐ berg Lane To rezone from Rural to Light Commer‐ cial Three (LC3) on prop‐ erty located on the west side of Stumberg Lane, north of Jefferson High‐ way, on property now or formerly known as Lot N and Lot K of Stokes Place. Section 57, T7S, R2E, GLD, EBRP,LA (Coun‐ cil District 8 - Amoroso) CASE 15-26 ORDINANCE Amending the Compre‐ hensive Zoning Map of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, as contained in and made part of the “Unified Development Code “, as amended so

REQUISITION 11297747 OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE REGULAR ZONING MEETING OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE Notice is hereby given to all citizens of the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge and to all other interested per‐ sons, of the introduction at the regular meeting of the Metropolitan Council of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, held on April 22, 2026, of the pro‐ posed ordinances, the ti‐ tles of which are set forth hereinafter, and that public hearing will be held thereon by the Metropolitan Council at 4:00 P.M., Wednesday, il i h

2. Roll Call 3. Silent Meditation 4. Pledge of Allegiance B. Welcome of Visitors C. Recognitions 1. Best Yard in Baker Win‐ ners D. Approval of Agenda (Action) E. Action Items-The pub‐ lic may comment on Ac‐ tion Items. Public Com‐ ment is limited to 2 min‐ utes per individual.

1. Consideration and Ap‐ proval of Minutes from the School Board Meet‐ ing of 04-14-2026.

2. Consideration and Ap‐ proval of Monthly Finan‐ cials for periods ending 3-31-2026.

3. Consideration and ap‐ proval of MOU with Helix Community Schools for the administration of Food Services.

4. Consideration and ap‐ proval of the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Future Seed to de‐ velop the Education, Pathways, and Innova‐ tion Center (EPIC) Initia‐ tive.

5. Consideration and ap‐ proval of the lease agree‐ ment with Impact for the 2026-2027 school year.

F. Information Items 1. Report from Helix

G. Announcements 1. Date of Next Meeting – June 2, 2026 H. Adjournment (Action)

185535 May 5, 12, 19, 3t $122.17

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --City of Baker School Board Board Meeting Agenda Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 6:00 P.M. School Board Office Monique Butler, Presi‐ dent – Presiding “The function of Educa‐ tion is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically”.

– Martin Luther King Jr. A. Meeting Commencement 1. Call to Order

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

186494-may 5-1t $22

Public Notices RFQ

PUBLIC NOTICE --NWI and Lemoine Pro‐ gram Services invite con‐ tractors to submit State‐ ments of Qualifications for work related to the construction of Waste‐ water Treatment Plants, the installation of Trans‐ mission and Forcemain HDPE and PVC pipe, and the construction of Pump Stations. Requests for Qualifications will be ac‐ cepted through May 8. To receive the Qualification Package, please email brian.briggs@1lemoine. com.

184886-apr 21-may 8-6t $354.60

CLASSIFIEDS.THEADVOCATE.COM

OLD CITY HALL SURPLUS ITEMS ITEM 1. Burgundy metal restaurant chairs (7) 2. Burgundy low back-office chairs (4) 3. Burgundy high back-office chairs (4) 4. 12 ft church pew with split (1) 5. 5 shelf bookcase 6. computer desk with hutch 7. desk 8. credenza with cabinet 9. credenza with side cabinets 10. L shape office desk with drawers 11. solid wood credenza/cabinet 12. 4 drawer wood filing cabinet 13. Metal filing cabinet 14. metal storage two door cabinet 15. refrigerator • • • •

Office desks, chairs, and filing cabinets Shelving units and storage cabinets Miscellaneous office equipment and fixtures Additional items accumulated during City Hall operations

• All items are sold as-is, where-is, with no warranties or guarantees • Buyer is responsible for removal and transportation of all items • Items must be purchased as a complete lot (no individual sales) This is an excellent opportunity for businesses, resellers, or organizations looking to acquire a large quantity of office furnishings at once.

Sealed bids/offers will be accepted until: Monday, May 11, 2026 Inspection/viewing available: Saturday, April 25, 2026 - Monday, May 11, 2026, 8:30-3:30 p.m.

M-F at 13421 Hooper Road, Central, LA 70818 Submission details: Sealed offers may be submitted to Central City hall (11530 Sullivan Road, Central, LA 70818) For more information or to schedule a viewing, please contact: Jenn Kimble 225-921-4079/Jenn.Kimble@central-la.gov 185379-641214-apr 25-may 5-15t $ 1,940.40

Authorizing the Metropolitan Council to declare the following properties previously adjudicated to East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, surplus property, and to authorize the sale of said properties to the indicated persons, their agents or assigns for the consideration mentioned (Minimum Bid Amount), or to the highest offeror who submits their offer with a certified check or money order in the amount indicated: Nakeya White $ 100.00 $ 500.00 Haze Grey Management $ 100.00 $ 500.00 Demetris Chambers $ 100.00 $ 500.00

Lot 8, Square 89, Istrouma Huron Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Gernesia Williams

Lot 1-A-1, Square 20-A, Scotland Addition 2703 Badley Road Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Nakeya White

$ 100.00 $ 500.00

$ 100.00 $ 500.00 Daniel Sharon Avie $ 100.00 $ 500.00

Lot 20PT, Square 39, South Baton Rouge Georgia Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Darren Patterson

Lot 15+, Square 2, Richmond Park North 32nd Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

N Stewart & D Oliver

Lot 14PT, Square 5, Scott Sherman Street

as to change the zoning on the property located at Beaumont Lane to Eliza Beaumont Lane Pro‐ posed street name change for Beaumont Lane to Eliza Beaumont Lane, located north of Malmaison Drive, west of South Acadian Thruway, and east of Parker Street (Council District 7 - Har‐ ris) SNC-1-26

This package includes a variety of office and facility furnishings and equipment, such as:

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DECLARE ADJUDICATED TAX PROPERTY SURPLUS AND TO SELL SAME UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF LSAR.S. 33:4720.10 ET SEQ AND LSA-R.S. 33:4712.

Lot 8, Square 2, Plank Road Winnebago Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

The City of Central is offering a unique opportunity to purchase surplus items from the former City Hall facility. All items will be sold as a single package deal.

REQUISITION 11297746

Lot 21, Square 23, Hickey Town North 23rd Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Legal Notices

Important Details:

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Lot 9pt, Square 1, Lenmann Place Myrtle Walk Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

186391-644236-MAY 5-1T $ 914.76

CITY OF CENTRAL — SURPLUS PROPERTY SALE (PACKAGE DEAL)

186284-may 5-1t $26.63

Lot 1-A-1, Square 20-A, Scotland Addition 2703 Badley Road Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Legal Notices

minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Baker Consolidated Utility System held on April 28, 2026.

I, Angela Canady Wall, certify that I am Clerk of the Council for the City of Baker, Louisiana, and that the above and foregoing is a copy of the

p g g to EBRPHA Attn: Doris Mejía, 4731 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. A public hearing is sched‐ uled for Monday, June 15, 2026, 4:00 PM (CT), at the above address.

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Legal Notices

CITY OF BAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA

Legal Notices

186093-MAY 1-7-7T $61.67

Legal Notices

YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None The motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

Legal Notices

Failure to submit all the information on Standard Form EBRPSB-AE shall be considered non-respon‐ sive and may result in the Qualifications State‐ ment being rejected.

BIDS TO BE OPENED: 5/27/26

Legal Notices

$ 100.00 $ 855.00

$ 100.00 $ 950.00 Eric D Sanders

Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

$ 100.00 $ 500.00

Lot 10+, Square 6, Scott 2554 Cable Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Eric D Sanders

Lot 68, Highland Gardens Addition 4021 Dalton Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Beatrice Smiling

Lot 41, Cypress Park Horseshoe Lane Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds): Lot 44, Cypress Park Horseshoe Lane Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds): Lot 10+, Square 4, North Baton Rouge 1467 Fairchild Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds): Lot 34PT, Square 39, South Baton Rouge Georgia Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds): Lot 1-B, Square 5, Dayton 4061 Alliquippa Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds): Lot 133, Victoria Gardens Conley Avenue Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

$ 100.00 $ 500.00

$ 100.00 $ 500.00 Rusty Messer $ 100.00 $ 500.00 Rusty Messer $ 100.00 $ 1,935.00 Nakeya White $ 100.00 $ 500.00 Clyde Forbes $ 100.00 $ 855.00 Rebuilding Together BR $ 100.00 $ 500.00 W Faye D S Stewart $ 100.00 (Mow to Own) $ 200.00

Lot X, JJ Burke Estate East Blvd Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Angela F Lockett

Lot 9, Square 164, South Baton Rouge West Garfield Street Initial Bid Amount Advanced costs required (certified funds):

Pharaoh Johnson III

$ 100.00 (Mow to Own) $ 200.00

$ 100.00 $ 625.00

186529-644629-may 5-12-19-3t $ 586.32

10D ■ Tuesday, May 5, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

lll

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Finance Committee Meeting 03/10/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767 MEETING MINUTES ____________________________________________________________ Please silence all cellphones Attendance ____________________________________________________________ Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business ____________________________________________________________ 1. Call Meeting to Order The chairman called the meeting to order.

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

A quorum was made: The following board members were absent: Dr. Atley Walker Sr., Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Mr. Mike Maranto, Board Member 4. Agenda 1. Receive and review Head Start Directors Monthly Report.

(Crystal Leon) The board members reviewed the attached Head Start Directors Report The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Informational Item, No Action Necessary 2. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports for January 2026 (Jared Gibbs) Mr. Gibbs went over attached report The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves monthly expenditures and financial reports for January 2026 Motion made by: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved 3. Consideration of request for approval to advertise for bids for food service items for the school year 2026-2027. (Jared Gibbs) They will be advertising for bids for everything besides milk.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves the request to advertise for bids for food service items for the school year 2026-2027 Motion made by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 4. Budget Revision for Maintenance Budget (Jared Gibbs and Chad Fontenot) Mr. Fontenot is asking to add $500,000 to the Maintenance Budget The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves to Revise the Maintenance Budget.

Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved 5. Update on the 16th Section Sugar Lease - Heath Morris, Sugar West, Inc. (Jared Gibbs) Mr. Heath Morris went over the current Sugar Lease and what he would suggest moving forward.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Informational Item, No Action necessary.

6. Consideration of request to approve a new sugar lease with Sugar West, Inc. for the terms of January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2036. (Jared Gibbs) Tabled this item to April Committee Meeting The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

7. Consideration of request to approve and update the Personnel Evaluation Plan (Barbara Burke) There were a few updates that Dr. Smith and Barbara Burke went over on the Personnel Evaluation Plan The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves and update the Personnel Evaluation Plan Motion made by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 8. DS Bus Update Staffing, Emergency Procedures, Office changes, and Safety procedures.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Informational Item, No Action Necessary 9. Policy Updates Dr. Smith went over each policy and there changes - A-M The chairman declared the floor open for public comments.

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Motion made by: Mr. Matthew Daigrepont Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved a. DCI- Budgetary Line Item Transfer Authority b. DFM- Sale of Surplus Equipment and Supplies c. DG- Depository of Funds d. DIA-Accounting Systems e. DIC- Inventories f. DID- Audits g. DJCB- Salary Deductions h. DJD- Expense Reimbursements i. DJE- Purchasing j. DJED- Bid and Quotations k. DL- Cash in School Buildings l. DE- Debt Limitations m. BH- School Board Ethics

Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved

Facilities Committee Meeting 03/10/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767 MEETING MINUTES ____________________________________________________________ Please silence all cellphones Attendance ____________________________________________________________

6. Report from Community Committees/Agencies dow CAPS MEETING. Report good on safety.

7. Unfinished Business Resolution for Ellis James Gauthier passing 3 terms as a West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Member.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves a resolution of condolence for the family of Ellis James Gauthier former School Board Member

8. Presentation of Consent Agenda 1. Consideration of request for approval of the monthly expenditures and financial reports for January 2026 (Jared Gibbs) 2. Consideration of request for approval to advertise for bids for food service items for the school year 2026-2027. (Jared Gibbs)

Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business ____________________________________________________________

3. Budget Revision for Maintenance Budget (Jared Gibbs and Chad Fontenot) 4. Consideration of request to approve and update the Personnel Evaluation Plan (Barbara Burke)

1. Call Meeting to Order The chairman called the meeting to order.

5. Policy Updates A. DCI- Budgetary Line Item Transfer Authority B. DFM- Sale of Surplus Equipment and Supplies C. DG- Depository of Funds D. DIA-Accounting Systems E. DIC- Inventories F. DID- Audits G. DJCB- Salary Deductions H. DJD- Expense Reimbursements I. DJE- Purchasing J. DJED- Bid and Quotations K. DL- Cash in School Buildings L. DE- Debt Limitations M. BH- School Board Ethics

2. Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Chust z led us in The Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call The following board member were present: • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member.

• Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President A quorum was made The following board members were absent: Dr. Atley Walker Sr. Board Member Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member Mr. Michael Maranto, Board Member

9. Approval of Consent Agenda Be it resolved that the Board does hereby approve and adopt the Above Consent Agenda Items #1-5 The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Motion made by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved

4. Agenda 1. Facilities Updates (Chad Fontenot) Mr. Fontenot went over the attached Facilities Updates.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Informational Item, No action necessary.

5. Adjourn The facilities committee be adjourn.

Motion made by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Mrs. Hayley Clouatre Voting results: Unanimously Approved _________________________________________________________________ Regular Meeting of the WBR Parish School Board 03/18/2026 05:00 PM West Baton Rouge Parish School Board Office 3761 Rosedale Road Port Allen, LA 70767

Non-Voting Members Jessica Blanchard, Executive Secretary Dr. Chandler Smith, Superintendent Jared Gibbs, Supervisor of Business ____________________________________________________________

5. Superintendent’s Report Dr. Smith went over his attached Superintendent Report.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Informational item, No action necessary

Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Voting results: Unanimously Approved

Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President

Voting Members Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

4. Approval of Minutes Be it Resolved, That the approval of the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held February 18, 2026 be approved as presented.

The Chairman declared the floor open for public comment.

Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved _________________________________________________________________

Attendance ____________________________________________________________

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

A quorum was made The following were absent Dr. Atley Walker., Sr. Board Member Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member

5. Adjourn That the finance committee meeting be adjourn The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the finance committee meeting be adjourn.

MEETING MINUTES ____________________________________________________________

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Jessica Blanchard conducted the roll call. The following were present • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Sonceria Evans, Board Member • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mr. Michael Maranto, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President

That the board approves Policies A-M

2. Pledge of Allegiance dispense with The Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call Jessica Blanchard conducted a roll call: The following members were present: • Mr. Burke Fiscus, Vice President • Mrs. Hayley Clouatre, Board Member • Mr. Ronald LeBlanc, Board Member • Ms. Chareeka Grace, Board Member • Mr. Alden Chustz, Board Member • Mrs. Teri Bergeron, Board Member • Mr. Matthew Daigrepont, President

WBR Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

10. End of Consent Agenda 1. Consideration of request to approve replacement of the HVAC chiller line at Port Allen Elementary School (Chad Fontenot) Mr. Fontenot went over the reason for the replacement.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves replacement of the HVAC chiller line at Port Allen Elementary School.

Motion made by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Mrs. Teri Bergeron Voting results: Unanimously Approved 2. Approve amendment to Superintendent contract (Matthew Daigrepont) Mr. Daigrepont explained the extension of Dr. Smith contract.

The chairman declared the floor open for public comment That the board approves to amend the Superintendent contract.

Motion made by: Mr. Alden Chustz Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved 11. Organization Items 12. Any other business unanimously approved by the board for consideration 13. Adjourn That the Regular board meeting be adjourn.

Motion made by: Mr. Ronald LeBlanc Motion seconded by: Mr. Burke Fiscus Voting results: Unanimously Approved

1. Call to Order The chairman called the meeting to order.

2. Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Daigrepont led us in The Pledge of Allegiance

186439-644371-may 5-1t $ 623.70

3. Roll Call

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