The Acadiana Advocate 05-28-2026

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‘Still not feeling safe’

MITT THE ROAD

Mall of Louisiana traffic down after fatal shooting, workers say

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Gloves wait to be loaded onto the bus for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette baseball team’s trip to the NCAA baseball regional in Starkville, Miss., at M.L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette on Wednesday.

UL baseball players board buses Wednesday headed to the Starkville Regional hosted by No. 14 national seed Mississippi State.

It’s the 20th NCAA regional appearance for the Cajuns, including four in the past five seasons. Their first game is at 6 p.m.

Friday against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Mothers pushed strollers through the Blue Zoo Aquarium at the Mall of Louisiana early on the afternoon of April 23, cruising their children through the dark rooms, illuminated by the lights of tanks filled with aquatic creatures.

Around 1:23 p.m., two groups opened fire following an altercation in the mall food court upstairs, killing one teen from Lafayette and injuring five, sparking a chaotic scene as shoppers fled to safety.

Blue Zoo Aquarium manager Garrett Callender recalls his staff ushering all guests out of the aquarium within a minute.

Ever since the tragedy, the aquarium has not been the same, he said, with revenue this quarter down more than half from the previous one.

“Many people are still not feeling safe,” Callender said.

The mall — more than a million square feet of space for retail, food and services galore — is usually humming with the shuffle of shoppers. But attendance since the shooting has been sparse: 17 mall employees contacted said traffic has fallen, by double digits for some stores, as the community continues to reel from the tragedy.

A dozen other mall employees either declined to comment or deferred comment to their corporate office in fear of retribution from their employer or company policy restricting employee communication with the press.

ä See MALL, page 6A

Major fortified roof grant expansion begins

ä See more photos. PAGE 1B

UL baseball coach Matt Deggs heads to the bus while players load up for their trip to the NCAA baseball regional.

ä Freshman Rodriguez becomes catalyst for UL. PAGE 1C

Landry signs bill for more funding

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Historic Grand Isle hotel to get new life

the Augustin family for Nonprofit raises from $362,000 last week after raismore than $400,000 for its money for Oleander ing acquisition and preservation, transformation in partnership with the town of

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

A three-year effort to restore a historic landmark on Grand Isle is now coming to fruition after a local nonprofit purchased the nearly century-old Oleander Hotel last week.

Restore Grand Isle, a nonprofit run by local residents, purchased the derelict hotel

WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 71 PAGE 6A

Grand Isle.

While the Oleander will likely never house hotel guests again, the goal is to transform the site into a visitor and cultural center featuring a permanent exhibit for photographer Fonville Winans, famous for his blackand-white images of south Louisiana. It will also include rotating works from Louisiana

ä See HOTEL, page 5A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The former Oleander Hotel is seen in Grand Isle on March 13, 2024. After being purchased by the nonprofit Restore Grand Isle, the historic hotel will be transformed into a visitor and cultural center.

Louisiana will dole out a record 3,000 grants to help homeowners put fortified roofs on their homes in the coming weeks, after elected officials agreed on a bill that injects $50 million into the program.

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said Wednesday his office will open up a lottery for the next batch of grants from Monday to June 19. Temple Until now, the program has seen far more demand than supply, with only about 20% of people who sign up for the lotteries winning grants.

Homeowners have been desperate for relief from staggering property insurance costs in recent years, and fortified roofs have proven to save homeowners money on their premiums.

But lawmakers, Temple and Gov. Jeff

Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................4A Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C

ä See ROOF GRANT , page 5A

101ST yEAR, NO. 332

2A ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Puerto Rico announces erosion emergency

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s governor announced a state of emergency Wednesday to fight a surge in coastal erosion along the U.S. territory’s north coast.

Gov. Jenniffer González said the executive order would allow her administration to accelerate projects to protect natural resources and vulnerable coastal communities. The government said in a statement that rising sea levels, storm surges and other factors have intensified coastal erosion in Puerto Rico.

González pledged to help northern towns including Loiza, where people have been evacuated and chunks of asphalt from coastal roads have tumbled into the ocean following heavy swells.

The order was signed just days before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

The cost of the projects has not yet been determined.

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Trump sets Ebola response policy

Americans exposed while abroad to be sent to Kenya

BY ALI SWENSON and MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday.

The quarantine and treatment center being set up by the Departments of Defense, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and receive care quickly, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to share the Republican administration’s plans.

The person said the plan would help patients avoid an hourslong medical evacuation to the U.S. It was unclear where in Kenya the new facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has signed off on the plan.

The official said the facility will be able to care for the full spectrum of Ebola, a rare but severe disease that is often fatal in people.

But the official said people may be transported elsewhere for more advanced care as appropriate.

Kenya’s health minister confirmed officials there were talking with the U.S. about “preparedness and response mechanisms for Ebola” but didn’t address whether the country would establish a treatment facility for Americans.

“Any arrangements regarding international health cooperation will be guided by Kenya’s national laws, public health regulations, biosafety and biosecurity standards, and the government’s responsibility to safeguard the health and welfare of Kenyans,” Health Minister Aden Duale said in a statement.

For decades, medical experts have suggested moving patients suffering from Ebola and similar

illnesses as little as possible in case their condition worsens, said Dr. Ali Khan, the public health college dean at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. But, he added, the quality of care must be equivalent to what someone would receive in American facilities.

“You’ve got to make sure the patient gets the best quality care, and you need to ensure excellent infection control,” said Khan, who earlier in his career led international responses to Ebola and other outbreaks for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Craig Spencer, a public health professor and emergency medicine doctor at Brown University who survived Ebola in 2014, said he doesn’t expect the facility in Kenya to provide the same quality of care that dedicated facilities in the United States do. He said refusing to consider bringing American Ebola patients home for treatment is “a moral abdication of

SpaceX’s rockets grounded after test CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX Starship launches are on hold pending an investigation into last week’s test flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that the hourlong spaceflight resulted in a mishap based on the performance of the mega rocket’s first-stage booster.

Minutes after Starship blasted off from Texas on Friday, the booster separated as normal but engines conked out as it made its way back to Earth. Instead of a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, the booster came in hard. There were no reports of injury or property damage, according to the FAA, which will oversee the company’s investigation.

The spacecraft continued around the world, releasing 20 mock satellites before ending the mission as planned with a fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

The 407-foot rocket is SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s biggest and most powerful Starship yet, designed to carry crews to Mars.

NASA is looking for it to land astronauts on the moon as soon as 2028 and help build a lunar base.

Teen charged with killing stepsister remains free MIAMI — A federal judge on Wednesday allowed a teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a Carnival Cruise ship to remain free for now as the judge considers arguments following a hearing in Miami.

Timothy Hudson was initially arrested and charged as a juvenile, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ruled in February that the 16-year-old could live with an uncle and be electronically monitored. But after the case was transferred to adult court, prosecutors wanted Hudson in custody.

Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court, and this case landed there because Kepner apparently died in international waters, outside any state’s jurisdiction.

The judge ended Wednesday morning’s hearing without making a final decision, saying he wanted to speak with the U.S. Marshals Service about the logistics of detaining Hudson in central Florida, closer to his family, rather than South Florida, where the trial is taking place.

It’s unknown when Torres will announce his decision. In the meantime, Hudson walked out of the courthouse after the hearing, rather than being immediately taken into custody.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. His federal public defenders have declined to comment on the charges.

Kepner, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family, including Hudson. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with Hudson and another teen, a criminal complaint said.

what this country owes its own.”

Officials have been expanding the number of U.S. airports where CDC staffers are screening and monitoring incoming passengers from outbreak countries. Enhanced screenings began last week at Washington Dulles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. CDC staff began screenings at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston this week, and are being dispatched to start screenings Friday at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The CDC’s acting director, Jay Bhattacharya, sent an email Monday to CDC employees asking for volunteers from across the agency to work the screening stations.

CDC veterans say it’s not unusual to see a call for volunteers for staffing major epidemic responses.

The government also has temporarily banned the entry of people without U.S. passports, as well as U.S. green-card holders, who have visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.

Congress members visit N.J. immigration detention center

later spoke with protestAdvocates say ers and family members immigrants are on of detainees demonstrating outside the facility’s a hunger strike security gate.

BY TED SHAFFREY and PHILIP MARCELO The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MOSES SAWASAWA

A Muslim man washes his hands as a precaution against Ebola before attending the Eid al-Adha prayers at Sayo Muhamed School in Bunia, Congo, on Wednesday.

Uganda closes border with Congo as precaution Suspected cases of rare strain of Ebola surging

BY RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda on Wednesday ordered the closure of its border with Congo, where suspected cases of a rare type of Ebola are surging, and as cases have been confirmed at home after Ugandan health workers were exposed to the disease from Congolese patients.

The measure, which goes against the guidance by the World Health Organization, underscores growing fears of contagion in East Africa from Bundibugyo, a rare type of the Ebola virus that is behind this outbreak and that has no approved medicines or vaccines.

Like Congo, Uganda has faced Ebola outbreaks in the past. A local Ugandan task force made the decision on the border closure. The Ugandan health workers were exposed to the virus by Congolese patients who had crossed the border before the outbreak was declared in eastern Congo on May 15.

Border crossings will be authorized only in emergency cases, including for the outbreak response, cargo or security reasons, Dr. Diana Atwine of the Ugandan Ministry of Health, told journalists.

Anyone entering from Congo under emergency circumstances will be taken into mandatory isolation for 21 days.

Tracing and isolating Ebola contacts is seen as key to stopping the spread of the disease, which usually manifests as hemorrhagic fever. The virus is spread through close contact with sick or deceased patients’ bodily fluids. Experts say healthcare workers and family members caring for patients face the highest risk.

The number of suspected cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congo’s health ministry on Tuesday said 101 cases have been confirmed, and they are looking into over 3,000 possible contacts.

On Wednesday, Congolese authorities said that the first person who recovered from the Bundibugyo virus has been released home from a treatment center in Rwampara, one of the towns in eastern Congo at the heart of the outbreak.

WHO has discouraged border closures with Congo while acknowledging that neighboring countries are at high risk of contagion. The U.N. health agency has declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Closures “push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease,” the agency said.

The Uganda-Congo border is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts. Many people come and go in the course of a day to visit families or to trade.

Divers find 5 villagers alive in cave Two are still missing in Laos

BY JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press

BANGKOK — Five villagers who became trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos more than a week ago have been found alive by divers who discovered them sitting on a rock in the darkness, rescuers said Wednesday, but two others are still missing.

The seven villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked

the exit, according to Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.

Thai rescuer Chakkit Taengtang posted video of himself in the cave saying divers were delivering food and water to the five and planning to extract them as soon as possible.

All of the villagers are men, according to a Facebook post by the Lao group Rescue Volunteer for People.

“I’m still shaking. Our team made it happen,” Bounkham Luanglath, a member of the Lao rescue team, said in a voice message to The Associated Press. He said the search for the missing would con-

tinue.

A video posted by the rescue group appeared to show the moment divers emerged from the water and discovered the trapped men. In the footage, the men are wearing headlamps and sitting on a rock surrounded by floodwater.

Other videos showed rescuers inside and outside the cave cheering, jumping and hugging each other in joy after the discovery.

Another villager who went into the cave with the seven was able to escape when the flooding began, and he raised the alarm about the trapped men.

NEWARK, N.J. — Democratic members of Congress visited a federal immigration detention center in New Jersey on Wednesday, where protesters have been demonstrating in recent days and asserting that detainees are on a hunger strike.

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Manhattan Democrat, said after touring Delaney Hall in Newark that detainees were refusing to eat over what he described as “inhumane” conditions.

“We will shut this center down. We will shut it down,” he vowed after the roughly hourlong visit.

U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman, also Manhattan Democrats,

“We want to make sure the conditions here are going to be dealt with,” said Goldman, shortly before the two lawmakers entered the facility.

More than 50 people held signs saying “Stop Family Separation” and chanted “Free Them All” and other slogans.

Some shouted directly at the armed and helmetwearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers standing outside, calling them “cowards” and “idiots.”

The protests began Friday and have been tense at times.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said he was pepper-sprayed as he and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill led a delegation of Democratic officials who tried to visit detainees but were denied entry.

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Zelenskyy asks Trump for more air defense help Kyiv has requested Patriot missiles

By The Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written to U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress asking for more American-made air defense ammunition to counter intensifying Russian ballistic missile attacks, Kyiv said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers have backed a draft bill to have bank employees join the fight against Ukraine’s long-range drones that strike deep inside Russia — with trained bank staff shooting down the unmanned aircraft.

The steps came after a recent escalation in aerial attacks by both sides in the more than four-year war that followed Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor. Neither side has been able to make much progress on the 780-mile front line.

Also on Wednesday, Anne Keast-Butler, head of U.K.’s intelligence agency GCHQ, asserted that Russian President Vladimir “Putin is going backwards on the battlefield.” New data shows that “almost half a million Russian soldiers have now been killed since the conflict began,” she added.

Ukraine has pounded Russian targets, especially oil facilities and manufacturing plants, with its domestically produced drones.

At the same time, the Russian military has intensified its aerial attacks, firing almost 90 missiles as well as hundreds of drones at Kyiv last weekend in an effort to overwhelm air defenses.

More Patriot defense systems The Ukrainian leader urged Trump and Congress in a letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, to supply more Patriot PAC-3 missiles and other air defense systems, warning that deliveries to Ukraine are falling dangerously short as the Iran war diverts U.S. stocks.

Ukraine has raised its drone interception rate to more than 90%, the letter says, and Ukrainian specialists have helped countries

in the Middle East — specifically the Gulf Arab region — strengthen air defenses. They have also helped at American military bases in the Mideast, the letter says.

But Ukraine cannot yet produce its own anti-missile defense systems, Zelenskyy said, and for that relies “almost exclusively on the United States.”

“For us — for a nation fighting for its survival — there is hardly anything more painful to see than Patriot batteries with no missiles loaded,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Deliveries, he says, are “no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face.”

Washington did not immediately comment on the letter.

The U.S. weapons that European nations and Canada buy to donate to Ukraine are a vital component of the country’s air defenses, but only a few NATO allies are investing significant sums in the arrangement, alliance officials say.

Bank employees to join fight In Russia, an ambitious plan approved by the country’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday envisages banks installing electronic jamming systems on their premises while selected employees would be trained to shoot down incoming drones.

And with banks in almost every town, their incorporation into Russia’s air defenses could help expand its cover.

The bill, which state news agency Interfax said was first presented last August and later expanded in scope, must still be approved by the upper house Federation Council and signed by Putin before coming into force.

Russia is finding it hard to protect its large land mass from a growing number of attacks by increasingly sophisticated Ukrainian long-range drones.

Smaller drones are also holding back Russian troops along the front line, Western analysts and officials say.

As the intensity and depth of Ukrainian drone attacks have increased, Russian authorities have encouraged businesses to contribute to protective measures against aerial strikes.

U.S. will need years to replenish stockpiles of advanced weapons Analysis finds depletion possibly opens window of vulnerability

BY BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON — U.S. military contractors need at least three years to replenish stockpiles of three key weapons systems used heavily in the Iran war, according to an analysis released Wednesday, adding to concerns that American forces would have limited firepower in any future conflict with China.

The weapons systems are Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are used to strike targets deep inside enemy territory, and Patriot and THAAD interceptors that defend against incoming missiles and drones.

“The United States has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in its new report, provided to The Associated Press. “The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern.”

China has a stated goal of ensuring its military is capable of taking Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, which experts see as more aspirational than a hard deadline.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping warned this month that if Washington mishandles its relations with the self-governing island, the U.S. and China could end up clashing or even in open conflict.

Production takes time The analysis by the Washington think tank factors in the Republican Trump administration’s historic $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal for 2027, which significantly accelerates spending on high-end munitions that began under the Democratic Biden administration. While there’s bipartisan agreement in Congress to boost inventories, “the problem today isn’t money; it’s time,” the report said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

Acting Under Secretary of Defense and Comptroller Jules Hurst III, from left, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine arrive to testify at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing on the budget request for the Department of Defense on May 12 in Washington.

“It takes time to expand production capacity and to build these complex systems,” the report said, adding that the window of vulnerability will last “for several years until inventories return to their previous levels and another several years before they get to the levels that war planners desire.”

Although munitions inventories are classified, CSIS said sufficient public information exists in Pentagon budget materials to estimate production timelines.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have insisted the U.S. is capable of fighting any war. They have pushed defense contractors to speed up munitions production, with Hegseth telling lawmakers last month that military spending under Trump will help manufacturers double or even triple their capacities.

During Trump’s Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Hegseth lauded the president’s efforts to expand the nation’s defense manufacturing sector, with private contractors investing in new plants and production lines “so that we’re getting weapons faster than ever.”

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of

KICKOFF

the President’s choosing.”

“We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” Parnell said.

How long it will take to rebuild The U.S. fired 1,000-plus Tomahawk missiles at Iran, and it could take until late 2030 to fully replenish the prewar inventory, CSIS estimates show.

Fewer than 200 Tomahawks are made a year because of small orders in the past, the report says.

However, manufacturer Raytheon has a goal of ramping up capacity to more than 1,000 per year.

RTX, Raytheon’s parent company, declined to comment on the CSIS findings because it had not yet seen the report. But RTX pointed to investments of several billion dollars to boost production, including expanding facilities in Alabama and Arizona.

For in-demand air defense systems, replacing as many as 290 THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, interceptors that shot down incoming Iranian drones and missiles could take until the end of 2029, CSIS estimates. Replenishing more than 1,000 Patriot interceptors should wrap up in mid-2029.

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PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Request for proposals will be accepted until 10:00 a.m., June 30, 2026 at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office at 316 W. Main Street, Lafayette, Louisiana for the follow‐ ing: ADVANCED TRANSMIS‐ SION X-RAY BODY SCAN‐ NING SYSTEM For information on this contact Armen.

RFP, Alexandrian@lafayettesh eriff.com at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. are also Documents available at the Sheriff’s Office Website at www. lafayettesheriff.com.

RFP’s received after the above date and time will be returned unopened.

RFP’s will be evaluated by and purchased based on quality, cost and of said adaptability items. The Sheriff re‐ serves the right to reject any and all proposals deemed unsuitable in the best public interest.

Mark T. Garber, Sheriff Parish of Lafayette 189155-may 28-jun 4-18-3t $54

Legal Notices

LEGAL NOTICE RE: 407 Sunbeam Lane Lafayette, LA 70583 Assessment # 6065507 LOT 4 NORTH MIDWAY SUB (0.143 AC) Sec. 27, Township 9, Range 4 (50X125) NORTH MIDWAY SUBDIVISION The above-described property has been adju‐ dicated on 06/08/2018 with liens by Lafayette City Parish Consolidated Government. Notice to Estate of Leon Smith and Estate of Marie Stelly Smith, or anyone having an interest in this prop‐ erty will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to: Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Tax Department located at 1010 Lafayette Street, 4th Floor, Lafayette, LA 70501, and/or City of Lafayette Tax Office located at 1875 W. Pinhook Rd Suite-B Lafayette, LA 70508, or file a lawsuit in accor‐ dance with the law within 60 days of the date of the date of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership.

Your rights or interest in the above-described property located at 407 Sunbeam Lane, Lafayette, LA 70501, may be terminated by opera‐ tion of law if you do not take further action in ac‐ cordance with the law.

188467 May 21, 28, 2t $296.36 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given that GBB Properties Two, L.L.C., a Louisiana Lim‐ ited Liability Company, is being dissolved out of court in accordance with filed and documents recorded in the Office of the Secretary of State on May 20, 2026. Any credi‐ tor or person having a claim against the said Company shall submit such claim or claims in writing and in detail to Donna B. Hines, Liquida‐ tor of the Company, at 3636 N. Causeway Blvd, Ste 300, Metairie, LA 70002 on or before De‐ cember 15, 2026. The publication of this notice shall not be deemed an acknowledgment of the validity of any claim against the Company, waiver of any defense or set-off to any such claim, interruption of prescrip‐ tion on, or tolling of any statute of limitation ap‐ plicable to any such claim, or revival of any claim which has been barred by any prescrip‐ peremption, or tion, statute of limitations.

189186-may 28-jun 4-2t $250.44

DOGS Australian Shepherd - We have six Australian Shepherd puppies one male blue merle, one female black tri, two male red tri, two female red merle’s looking for their forever homes. $800 985-688-7455 DOGS German Shorthaired Pointer - Beau‐ tiful Registered German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies, Now taking de‐ posits of $100, born April 25th. $700 337-692-2179

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Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE FINANCIAL ASSURANCE GROUP LLC Versus No. SHANTELL 20245673 A/K/A ALEXANDER MONIQUE SHANTELL ALEXANDER 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL IMPROVE‐ WITH MENTS THEREON, AND ALL RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVI‐ LEGES, SERVITUDES, AP‐ PURTENANCES AND AD‐ THEREUNTO VANTAGES BELONGING AND ALL AP‐ PURTENANCES THEREOF, SITUATED IN SECTION 6, TOWNSHIP 10 SOUTH, 4 EAST, RANGE PARISH, LAFAYETTE BEING LOUISIANA, AND DESIG‐ KNOWN NATED AS LOT TWO (2) OF WEST WINDS PARK SUBDIVISION, PHASE I, A OF THE SUBDIVISION PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA ON THAT CER‐ TAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY ALDON A. LEBLANC, ATTACHED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 19852053 AND MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING DESCRIBED REFERENCE WITH THERETO AS HAVING A ON PINTO FRONTAGE AND HAVING STREET DIMENSIONS, SUCH BOUNDARIES AND MEA‐ AS ARE SUREMENTS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY; SUBJECT TO RESTRIC‐ SERVITUDES, TIONS, AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY OUTSTANDING MINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AF‐ FECTING THE PROPERTY. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 101 STREET, PINTO LAFAYETTE, LA 70506

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

ING A FRONTAGE ON PIN‐ NACLE DRIVE AND HAV‐ ING SUCH DIMENSIONS, BOUNDARIES, AND MEA‐ AS ARE SUREMENTS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY. SAID LOT BEARS THE MU‐ NICIPAL ADDRESS OF 113 DRIVE, PINNACLE YOUNGSVILLE, LA 70592.

ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $33.90 SHERIFF'S SALE CATALYST BANK Versus 20260896 BRIAN No. CHRISTOPHER MARTIN 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN TRACT OR PARCEL OF GROUND TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL BUILD‐ AND IMPROVE‐ INGS MENTS THERETO APPER‐ TAINING, LYING IN SEC‐ TIONS 23,85,87, T-8-S, R-4E, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, BEING LOT 55 OF BARRINGTON PLACE AS PER THAT PLAT OF SURVEY BY PAUL L. MIERS, RLS, FILED JULY 3, 2018 UNDER ENTRY NO 18-22782, RECORDS OF PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 217 WATERHOUSE RD. CAREN‐ CRO, LA

ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS

ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS

PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026

PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $36.90

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $30.25

SHERIFF'S SALE

SHERIFF'S SALE

CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Versus No. 20260726 NATALIE GAIL GARCIA AND DARREN DOUGLAS PAASCH

COMMUNITY FIRST BANK No. 20253753 Versus SPARTAN TRANSPORTA‐ TION LLC, F/K/A TWO BROTHERS PROPERTIES LLC, AND STEPHEN W. BARTLEY

15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL IMPROVE‐ WITH MENTS THEREON, BEING AND DESIG‐ KNOWN NATED AS LOT SEVEN (7) OF PINNACLE PLACE SUB‐ DIVISION, A SUBDIVISION THE PARISH OF OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE, ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY COMEAUX ENGINEERING AND CONSULTING, INC., DATED APRIL 12, 1996, A COPY OF WHICH IS AT‐ TACHED TO THAT CER‐ TAIN ACT FILED UNDER ENTRY NO. 96-38853 AND MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING DESCRIBED WITH REFER‐ ENCE THERETO AS HAV‐

15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of AMENDED SEIZURE AND SALE issued in the here‐ entitled and inabove numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, appraise‐ ***WITH*** ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public at the auction, LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: ONE CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL IMPROVE‐ WITH MENTS, SITUATED IN THE MILLS ADDITION TO THE OF LAFAYETTE, CITY LOUISIANA, BEING A POR‐ TION OF LOT EIGHTYEIGHT (88) OF SAID ADDI‐ TION, CONSISTING OF THE ENTIRE LOT EIGHTYEIGHT (88), LESS AND EX‐ CEPT A PORTION IN THE CORNER NORTHWEST THEREOF FRONTING 79 ON VOORHIES FEET STREET, BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY LOT 89 FOR A DISTANCE OF 57.6 FEET, ON THE SOUTH BY A POR‐ TION OF LOT 88 FOR A DISTANCE OF 79 FEET,

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

AND ON THE EAST BY A PORTION OF LOT 88 FOR A DISTANCE OF 58.6 FEET, IN ACCORDANCE ALL WITH A PLAT OF SURVEY OF ROLAND W. LAURENT, REGISTERED SURVEYOR, DATED APRIL 27, 1973, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO AN ACT OF VOLUNTARY PARTITION FILED FOR RECORD UNDER FILE NO. RECORDS OF 608435, PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. AND ONCE CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND, TOGETHER ALL IMPROVE‐ WITH SITUATED IN MENTS, MILLS ADDITION TO THE OF LAFAYETTE, CITY LOUISIANA, BEING THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF LOT EIGHTY-EIGHT (88) OF SAID ADDITION, MEA‐ SURING 79 FEET FRONT ON VOORHIES STREET AND BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY LOT 89 OF SAID ADDITION FOR A DIS‐ TANCE OF 57.6 FEET ON THE SOUTH BY A POR‐ TION OF THE SAME LOT 88 FOR A DISTANCE OF 79 FEET AND ON THE EAST

BY LOT 88 FOR A DIS‐ TANCE OF 58.6 FEET, AS IS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE PLAT OF SURVEY OF ROLAND LAURENT DATED APRIL 27, 1973 AND ATTACHED TO THAT CERTAIN CREDIT SALE DATED MARCH 19, 1981, RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 1981-6616, RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. THE PROPERTY OR ITS ADDRESS IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS 600 BLOCK OF ST. JOHN ST. & 700 LAFAYETTE, VOORHIES, LA 70506.

LESS AND EXCEPT: THAT CERTAIN LOT OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL BUILDINGS WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND AND THE COMPONENT PARTS THEREOF, SITU‐ ATED IN SECTION 26, T9S, R4E, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, AND BEING AND DESIG‐ KNOWN NATED AS LOT 88B OF MILLS ADDITION, SAID LOT HAVING A FRONT ON VOORHIES STREET WITH DIMENSIONS, THE SHAPE, BOUNDARIES, FORM, LOCATION AND AS CONFIGURATION SHOWN ON THAT CER‐ TAIN PLAT OF SURVEY DATED MAY 15, 2018 PRE‐ PARED BY PAUL L. MIERS LLC, ENGINEERING, WHICH PLAT OF SURVEY IS ATTACHED TO THAT ACT OF PARTIAL RELEASE OF MULTIPLE INDEBTED‐ NESS MORTGAGE FILED FOR RECORD MARCH 31, 2021 UNDER FILE NUMBER 2021-00014356, LAFAYETTE PARISH PUB‐ LIC RECORDS, WHICH PLAT IS MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE THERETO. BEING THE SAME PROP‐ ERTY SOLD BY TWO BROTHERS PROPERTIES, LLC TO OPEN DOORS LOUISIANA, INC. BY CASH SALE DATED JANUARY 27, 2021, FILED FOR RECORD JANUARY 28, 2021 UNDER NUMBER 2021FILE LAFAYETTE 00004108, PARISH PUBLIC RECORDS. THE PROPERTY REMAIN‐ ING SUBJECT TO THE MULTIPLE INDEBTEDNESS MORTGAGE BEING THAT IDENTIFIED AS LOT 88A ON THAT PLAT OF SUR‐ VEY DATED MAY 15, 2018 PREPARED BY PAUL L. MIERS ENGINEERING, LLC REFERRED TO ABOVE. ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $56.62 SHERIFF'S SALE BANK NA‐ DEUTSCHE TIONAL TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE FOR AS AMERIQUEST MORTGAGE SECURITIES INC., ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH SERIES CERTIFICATES, Versus No. 2002-2 20226063 HERBERT G. BLISS (A/K/A HERBERT BLISS, CORK GEORGE BLISS) 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of FI FA issued in the here‐ entitled and inabove numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL BUILDINGS WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND THEREON, SITUATED IN PARISH OF THE LAFAYETTE. LOUISIANA, HAVING A FRONTAGE OF ONE HUNDRED TEN (110) ON HILLCREST FEET DRIVE BY A DEPTH BE‐ TWEEN PARALLEL LINES OF TWO HUNDRED (200) FEET, BEING BOUNDED, NOW OR FORMERLY AS NORTHERLY FOLLOWS:

BY PROPERTY OF NED GUIDROZ OR ASSIGNS, SOUTHERLY BY PROP‐ ERTY OF LURNICE BEG‐ NAUD OR ASSIGNS, EAST‐ BY HILLCREST ERLY DRIVE WHICH WAS FOR‐ MERLY PROPERTY CLAU‐ DIA PATIN BEGNAUD, AND WESTERLY BY PROPERTY OF ALLEN J. CHURCH AND LURNICE BEGNAUD OR ASSIGNS. SAID PARCEL BEING DESIGNATED AS PLOT THREE-A (3-A) AND THE FIFTY (50) FOOT STRIP BETWEEN PLOT THREE-A (3-A) AND PLOT THREE (3) ALL AS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON THE PLAT ATTACHED TO ACT 352386 OF THE NO. OF THE RECORDS PARISH LAFAYETTE CLERK OF COURT’S OF‐ FICE, WHICH PLAT IS MADE A PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING THE SAME PROPERTY AC‐ QUIRED BY FERRLYN JUDE ALLEMAN AND WIN SU KHINE ALLEMAN BY CASH SALE RECORDED UNDER NO.: 95-032339.

FILE LAFAYETTE PARISH REAL ESTATE RECORDS. WHICH HAS THE AD‐ DRESS OF 107 HILLCREST DRIVE, LAFAYETTE, LA 70507 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30,

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

2026 & MAY 28, 2026

SHERIFF'S SALE

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $39.69

GITSIT SOLUTIONS, LLC, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS SEPA‐ RATE TRUSTEE OF GV TRUST 2026-1 Versus No. 20261991 HELEN D. TIM‐ MERMAN A/K/A HELEN DEMAREST TIMMERMAN A/K/A HELEN TIMMER‐ MAN

SHERIFF'S SALE BANK & EVANGELINE TRUST CO. Versus No. 20260775 ERICK JAMES MARTIN 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN TRACT OR PARCEL OF GROUND LO‐ CATED IN THE TOWN OF PARISH OF DUSON, LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, BEING PORTIONS OF LOTS 10, 11 AND 12, BLOCK 21 OF THE TOWN OF DUSON, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF SURVEY OF SAID TOWN ON FILE IN THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, PARISH, FRONTING 40 FEET ON “F” STREET, BY A DEPTH BE‐ TWEEN EQUAL AND PAR‐ ALLEL LINES OF 120 FEET, THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID TRACT OF LAND BEING LOCATED 40 FEET FROM THE DISTANCE SOUTH SIDE OF THIRD STREET AND BEING PAR‐ ALLEL WITH SAID THIRD STREET AND BOUNDED NOW OR FORMERLY ON THE NORTH BY A POR‐ TION OF LOTS 10, 11 & 12, BELONGING TO VALERY MYER, HEIRS OR AS‐ SIGNS, EAST BY LOT 9 AND WEST BY “F” STREET. ABOVE-DESCRIBED THE PROPERTY BEARS A MU‐ NICIPAL ADDRESS OF 208 STREET, DUSON, F LOUISIANA 70529, BEING THE SAME PROPERTY AC‐ QUIRED BY MATTHEW ENTER‐ THIBODEAUX PRISES, LLC FROM TELEO INVESTMENTS, LLC BY CASH SALE DEED DATED APRIL 1, 2022, RECORDED APRIL 4, 2022, UNDER ENTRY NUMBER 2022OF THE 00013634 RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. MU‐ NICIPAL ADDRESS: 208 F STREET, DUSON, LA 70529 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $37.12 SHERIFF'S SALE BANK & EVANGELINE TRUST CO. Versus No. 20260781 ERICK JAMES MARTIN 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: ITEM NO. I: THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ANY AND ALL BUILDINGS AND IM‐ PROVEMENTS LOCATED THEREON, SITUATED IN THE VILLAGE OF DUSON, PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, KNOWN AND DESCRIBED AS LOT EIGHT (8) OF BLOCK NINE (9) ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY A. E. MONTAGNET, DATED 7, 2024, NOVEMBER NOVEMBER RECORDED 12, 2024 UNDER ENTRY NUMBER 2024-0003594 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. BEING A POR‐ TION OF THE SAME PROP‐ ACQUIRED BY ERTY MATTHEW THIBODEAUX ENTERPRISES, LLC FROM GOSPEL PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY CHURCH BY CASH SALE DEED DATED 25, 2024, OCTOBER RECORDED OCTOBER 30, 2024, UNDER ENTRY NUM‐ BER 2024-00034815 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. ITEM NO. II: THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ANY AND ALL BUILDINGS AND IM‐ PROVEMENTS LOCATED THEREON, SITUATED IN THE VILLAGE OF DUSON, PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, KNOWN AND DESCRIBED AS LOT SEVEN (7) OF BLOCK NINE (9) ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY A. E. MONTAGNET, DATED 7, 2024, NOVEMBER NOVEMBER RECORDED 12, 2024 UNDER ENTRY NUMBER 2024-0003594 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. BEING THE PROPERTY AC‐ SAME QUIRED BY MATTHEW ENTER‐ THIBODEAUX PRISES, LLC FROM PENTE‐ COSTAL GOSPEL ASSEM‐ BLY CHURCH BY CASH SALE DEED DATED OCTO‐ BER 25, 2024, RECORDED OCTOBER 30, 2024, UNDER ENTRY NUMBER 2024OF THE 00034815 RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. MU‐ NICIPAL ADDRESS: 508 & 510 3RD STREET, DUSON, LA 70529 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $42.26

15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL BUILDINGS WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND THEREON, BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT 16-C OF THE RE-SUBDIVI‐ OF LOTS 12 SION 20, THROUGH WOODRIDGE ESTATES, A SUBDIVISION OF THE CITY PARISH OF AND LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA. SAID PARCEL HAS A ON FRONTAGE STONEWOOD CIRCLE AND HAS THE FURTHER DI‐ MEASURE‐ MENSIONS, MENTS, SHAPE, FORM, LOCATION, CONFIGURA‐ TION AND BOUNDARIES AS WILL BE SHOWN ON A PLAT OF SURVEY PRE‐ BY SELLERS, PARED DUBROC AND ASSOCI‐ ATES, INC., LASTLY RE‐ VISED NOVEMBER 6, 1979, A COPY OF WHICH IS AT‐ TACHED TO ACT NO. 7928782 OF THE RECORDS THE CLERK OF OF COURT`S OFFICE FOR THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY REFER‐ ENCE THERETO (“PROP‐ ERTY”). MUNICIPAL AD‐ DRESS: 107 STONEWOOD CIRCLE, LAFAYETTE, LA 70508 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $36.26 SHERIFF'S SALE JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION No. 20256562 Versus JOHN JASON HENDERSON 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and appraise‐ ***WITH*** ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public at the auction, LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THE IMMOVABLE (REAL) PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: TRACT I: PLOT 1, PROP‐ ERTY OF KENNETH P. DUHON AND MARY JO MCGILL, CO OWNED AS COMMUNITY PROPERTY, SECTION 22, TOWNSHIP 9 SOUTH, RANGE 4 EAST, PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, AS PER AN‐ NEXED PLAT OF FRED L. COLOMB UNDER DATE OF 2, 1971.

SEPTEMBER BEING THE SAME TRACT OF PROPERTY ACQUIRED

BY RUBY B. HENDERSON KENNETH P. FROM DUHON AND MARY JO MCGILL ON JANUARY 24, 2000, RECORDED AT FILE NO. 00004216, RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. TRACT II: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND WITH ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THEREON AND THERE‐ BELONGING, UNTO AND DESIG‐ KNOWN AS LOT 43, NATED ADDITION, BREAUX PARISH, LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA, LO‐ CATED IN SECTION 22, 9 SOUTH, TOWNSHIP RANGE 4 EAST, ALL AS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON A PLAT OF SAID PARCEL OF GROUND ON A MAP BY MR. FRED L. COLOMB UNDER DATE OF SEPTEM‐ BER 2,1971, RECORDED AT FILE NO. 575969, RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, MEASURING 100 FEET ON ST. JUDE BY OTHER DIMEN‐ SUCH SIONS AS SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY, BOUNDED NORTHERLY BY LOT 44 OF SAID ADDI‐ SOUTHERLY BY TION, PROPERTY OF PERCY L. BREAUX, WESTERLY BY ST. JUDE STREET AND EASTERLY BY COULEE; SUBJECT TO RESTRIC‐ SERVITUDES, TIONS, AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY OUTSTANDING MINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AF‐ FECTING THE PROPERTY. THAT CERTAIN MANUFAC‐ HOME TURED/MOBILE SITUATED ON THE ABOVE PROPERTY, DESCRIBED BEING A 1985 HS MAGN, NO. GDVKM‐ VIN S108512428, WHICH SAID MANUFACTURED HOME/MOBILE HOME WAS IMMOBILIZED PUR‐ SUANT TO DECLARATION IMMOBILIZATION OF DATED OCTOBER 10TH, 2002 AND FILED FOR RECORD AS INSTRUMENT NO. 02-049782 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $44.19

Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL BUILDINGS WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND THEREON, AND ALL THE RIGHTS BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALL THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVI‐ LEGES, SERVITUDES, AP‐ PURTENANCES AND AD‐ THEREUNTO VANTAGES BELONGING AND ALL AP‐ PURTENANCES THEREOF, BEING KNOWN AND DES‐ IGNATED AS LOT FIFTYFOUR (54) OF SOUTH‐ FIELD SQUARE SUBDIVI‐ SION, A SUBDIVISION IN PARISH OF THE LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY RANDALL J. HEBERT & AS‐ SOCIATES, INC. DATED JULY 27, 1981, WHICH PLAT IS ATTACHED TO ACT NO. 8206624 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY THERETO. REFERENCE BEING THE SAME PROP‐ ACQUIRED BY ERTY THOMAS J. BEARY AND KIRSTEN NAOMI BREAUX BEARY, BY THAT CERTAIN CASH SALE DATED FEBRU‐ 29, 2016, AND ARY RECORDED IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, PARISH, UNDER FILE ENTRY NO. 2016-7193 (“PROPERTY”) MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 207 PKWY, SOUTHFIELD LAFAYETTE, LA 70506 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $36.26 SHERIFF'S SALE LLC D/B/A NEWREZ SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING Versus No. 20256927 ANDREA CHAR‐ LIER 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: LOT SIXTY-EIGHT (68) OF FAIRWAY VILLAGE, A SUB‐ DIVISION OF THE PARISH LAFAYETTE, OF LOUISIANA, AS SHOWN ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY ATTACHED TO ACT NO. 1993-35487 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, AND HAVING MEASUREMENTS SUCH AND DIMENSIONS AS ARE MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY. TOGETHER WITH ALL AND IM‐ BUILDINGS PROVEMENTS THEREON AND ALL THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, WAYS, APPURTE‐ SERVITUDES, NANCES AND ADVAN‐ TAGES THEREUNTO BE‐ LONGING OR IN ANYWISE (THE APPERTAINING. “PROPERTY”) MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 133 MARIETTA DR., YOUNGSVILLE, LA 70592 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $32.83 SHERIFF'S SALE PENNYMAC LOAN SER‐ VICES, LLC Versus No. 20251811 CHRISTINE PUT‐ NAL 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JUNE 3, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF TOGETHER GROUND, ALL IMPROVE‐ WITH MENTS THEREON, SITU‐ ATED IN THE TOWN OF CARENCRO, PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, COMPRISING .363 AR‐ PENTS, BEING IRREGULAR IN SHAPE, MEASURING 75 FEET FRONT ON BERNARD STREET BY SUCH OTHER METES AND BOUNDS AS ARE SHOWN ON PLAT OF SURVEY THEREOF PRE‐ BY FRED L. PARED COLOMB, SURVEYOR, OF DATE JULY 3, 1978, AT‐ TACHED TO THAT CER‐ ACT RECORDED TAIN FILE NUMBER UNDER OF THE 1978-208089 RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH CLERK OF COURT, WHICH PLAT OF SURVEY IS MADE A PART HEREOF REFERENCE BY THERETO.LESS AND EX‐ CEPT: ONE (1) CERTAIN TRACT(S) OR PARCEL(S) LAND, TOGETHER OF WITH ALL THE IMPROVE‐ SITUATED MENTS THEREON, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIV‐ ILEGES, SERVITUDES AND THERE‐ ADVANTAGES UNTO BELONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN SECTION(S) 119, TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH, RANGE 4 EAST, SOUTH‐ WEST LAND DISTRICT,

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

LAFAYETTE PARISH, IDENTIFIED LOUISIANA, AS PARCEL NO(S). 4-6 AS SHOWN ON SHEET NO(S).

4 OF THE PROPERTY MAP FOR STATE PROJECT NO. 828-44-0013, F.A.P. NO. STP-2800(501), LA 182 - I49 (CARENCRO), ROUTE 726, LAFAYETTE LA PARISH, LOUISIANA, PRE‐ PARED BY LYLES L. BUR‐ PROFESSIONAL DEN, LAND SURVEYOR, DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2000, SAID MAP BEING ATTACHED TO CERTAIN ACT THAT RECORDED UNDER FILE NUMBER 2002-42053 AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY THERETO, REFERENCE AND BEING MORE PAR‐ TICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: PARCEL NO. 46: FROM A POINT ON THE CENTERLINE OF STATE PROJECT NO. 828-44-0013, AT STATION 0+573.733, PROCEEDS S03°06’34”W A DISTANCE OF 6.428 ME‐ TERS TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE PRO‐ CEED S79°57’00”E A DIS‐ TANCE OF 22.997 METERS TO A POINT AND CORNER; PROCEEDS THENCE S14°51’01”W A DISTANCE OF 5.108 METERS TO A AND CORNER; POINT THENCE PROCEED ALONG A CURVE TO THE RIGHT HAVING A RADIUS OF 1286.500 METERS, WHOSE LENGTH IS 21.845 METERS WHOSE CHORD AND LENGTH IS 21.945 METERS AND BEARS N80°03’07”W TO A POINT AND CORNER; PROCEED THENCE N03°06’4”E A DISTANCE OF 5.167 METERS TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. ALL OF WHICH COM‐ PRISES PARCEL 4-6 AS SHOWN ON SHEET 4 OF THE RIGHT OF WAY PLANS OF STATE PROJECT 828-44-0013, AND NO. CONTAINS AN AREA OF 115.51 SQUARE METERS OR 0.0116 HECTARES OR 1243.3 SQUARE FEET OR 0.029 ACRES. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 606 VETERANS DRIVE, CARENCRO, LA 70520 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: APRIL 30, 2026 & MAY 28, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $49.55 SHERIFF'S SALE PENNYMAC LOAN SER‐ VICES, LLC Versus No. 20261810 DONNICA AN‐ NETTE PICKNEY 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL THE AND IM‐ BUILDINGS PROVEMENTS THEREON, SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN THAT SUB‐ DIVISION KNOWN AS HID‐ DEN HAVEN, AND BEING DESIGNATED ON THE OF‐ FICIAL PLAT OF SAID SUB‐ DIVISION, ON FILE AND OF RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND OF SAID RECORDER PARISH AND STATE, AS LOT 43, SAID SUBDIVI‐ SION, SAID LOT HAVING SUCH SIZE, SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS AND BEING SUBJECT TO SUCH SERVI‐ TUDES AS ARE SHOWN ON SAID MAP (“PROP‐ ERTY”). MUNICIPAL AD‐ DRESS: 102 OAK HAVEN DRIVE, LAFAYETTE, LA 70507 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $32.19 SHERIFF'S SALE ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC No. 20262051 Versus MATTHEW ALAN MOSES MATTHEW A. A/K/A MOSES A/K/A MATTHEW AND LISETTE MOSES GABRIELLE CENAC MOSES A/K/A LISETTE GABRIELLE CENAC A/K/A LISETTE G. CENAC A/K/A LISETTE CENAC A/K/A LISETTE GABRIELLE MOSES A/K/A LISETTE G. MOSES A/K/A LISETTE MOSES A/K/A LISETTE CENAC MOSES A/K/A LISETTE C. MOSES 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and ap‐ ***WITHOUT*** praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL BUILD‐ AND IMPROVE‐ INGS MENTS THEREON AND ALL RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVI‐ SERVITUDES, LEGES, EASEMENTS AND APPUR‐ TENANCES THERETO BE‐ LONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED THE PARISH OF IN LAFAYETTE, STATE OF AND LO‐ LOUISIANA, CATED IN SECTION 72, TOWNSHIP 10 SOUTH, RANGE 4 EAST, AND BEING KNOWN AND DES‐ IGNATED AS LOT 49 OF BROOKSHIRE SOUTH SUB‐ DIVISION, PHASE I, THE SAID LOT HAVING FUR‐ DIMENSIONS, THER SHAPE, BOUNDARIES, FORM, LOCATION AND AS CONFIGURATION SHOWN ON THAT PLAT OF SURVEY DATED AU‐ GUST 9, 2012, PREPARED

BY COMEAUX ENGINEER‐ ING & CONSULTING, THE ORIGINAL OF WHICH IS RECORDED UNDER FILE ENTRY NO. 2015-19825 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY REFER‐ ENCE THERETO. MUNICI‐ ADDRESS: 110 PAL ROW, WINTHORPE LAFAYETTE, LA 70503 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY FULL PURCHASE THE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $37.76 SHERIFF'S SALE THE EVANGELINE BANK & TRUST COMPANY Versus No. 20258658 INFINITY HEALTH SOLUTIONS OF LA LLC AND SHAWN PAUL CALVIT 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF STATE OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale sell for cash, and appraise‐ ***WITH*** ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public at the auction, LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND in Lafayette, FLOOR Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: PARCEL 1: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND TOGETHER WITH ALL BUILDINGS AND IM‐ PROVEMENTS THEREON, SITUATED IN THE CITY PARISH OF AND LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, AND KNOWN AND DESIG‐ NATED AS A PORTION OF BLOCK 46, MCCOMB AD‐ AND THE DITION SOUTHERLY PORTION OF THE ABANDONED 7TH STREET, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF SURVEY PRE‐ PARED BY BARRY J. BLE‐ REGISTERED ICHNER, SURVEYOR, DATED NO‐ VEMBER 16, 1981, RE‐ VISED NOVEMBER 25, 1981, ATTACHED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 1982-434 OF RECORDS OF THE PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY REFER‐ THERETO, THE ENCE PROPERTY COMPRISING 0.131 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, IS IRREGULAR IN HAVING A SHAPE, FRONTAGE OF 40.48 FEET, MORE OR LESS, ON JOHN‐ STON STREET, A DEPTH ALONG ITS WESTERLY LINE OF 99.48 FEET, MORE OR LESS, AN IRREGULAR EAST LINE, INCLUDING THE CURVE OF 85.59 FEET, MORE OR LESS, A REAR OR NORTHERLY LINE OF 85.54 FEET, MORE OR LESS, AND IS BOUNDED SOUTHERLY BY JOHN‐ STON STREET, WESTERLY

BY GARFIELD STREET, NORTHERLY BY PROP‐ ERTY BELONGING TO J.K. WHITE HEIRS, OR AS‐ SIGNS, AND EASTERLY BY CYPRESS STREET. PARCEL 2: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND SITUATED IN MCCOMB ADDITION IN THE CITY AND PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, 52 FEET, MEASURING MORE OR LESS, ON CY‐ PRESS STREET BY A DEPTH BETWEEN PARAL‐ LEL LINES RUNNING A COURSE SOUTH 65 DE‐ GREES 27 MINUTES WEST TO GARFIELD STREET, THE DEPTH OF SAID PROP‐ ERTY ALONG THE NORTH‐ ERN LINE IS APPROXI‐ MATELY 103.5 FEET, MORE OR LESS. THE PARCEL OF GROUND IS BOUNDED NORTH BY PROPERTY OF MRS. EUGENIE BRANDT BARNES OR ASSIGNS, SOUTH BY PROPERTY OF R. HENRY MARTIN OR AS‐ SIGNS, EAST BY CYPRESS STREET AND WEST BY GARFIELD STREET; SAID PARCEL OF GROUND CON‐ SISTS OF THE WHOLE PROPERTY ACQUIRED BY R. HENRY MARTIN UNDER ACT # 218508 AND THE NORTHERN 27 FEET BE‐ TWEEN PARALLEL LINES RUNNING FROM CYPRESS TO GARFIELD STREET STREET OF THE PROP‐ ERTY ACQUIRED BY R. HENRY MARTIN UNDER ACT NO. 208460 OF THE CLERK’S OFFICE, PARISH LAFAYETTE, OF LOUISIANA. FOR THE LO‐ CATION OF THE NORTH‐ ERN LINE OF THE PROP‐ ERTY, REFERENCE IS SPE‐ CIALLY MADE TO THE LINE RUNNING FROM THE LETTER “A” TO THE LET‐ TER “D” ON THAT PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY VAL E. SMITH, C.E., DATED 13, 1948, DECEMBER WHICH IS ATTACHED TO ACT NO. 218508 OF THE CLERK’S OFFICE, PARISH LAFAYETTE, OF LOUISIANA. BEING THE PROPERTY AC‐ SAME QUIRED BY SECORP IN‐ DUSTRIES, INC., ON JANU‐ ARY 23, 1985, PER ACTS 85-02617, 1985-2618, 19852619 AND 1985-002620 OF THE CLERK’S OFFICE OF PARISH OF THE LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA. INDUSTRIES, SECORP INC., A LOUISIANA COR‐ PORATION DOMICILED AT LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE CHANGING THE CORPO‐ NAME TO RATION EQUIPMENT “SAFETY AND CORPORATION”, DULY RECORDED UNDER NO. 1986038250, ACT RECORDS OF THE CLERK OF COURT, PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, ON NOVEMBER 7, 1986, IN THE RECORDS OF CHAR‐ TERS BOOK 342.

PARCEL 3: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND SITUATED IN THE MCCOMB ADDITION THE CITY OF TO LAFAYETTE, AND BEING THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF LOT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 6 OF BLOCK “B” OF THE AD‐ DITION. THE PORTION OF LOTS HAVE A FRONT OF 51.3 FEET ON CYPRESS STREET BY A DEPTH BACK GARFIELD STREET TO (NEAR JOHNSTON), AND FRONTAGE ON A GARFIELD STREET OF 56.1 FEET; ALL AS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON PLAT OF SUR‐ VEY ATTACHED TO ACT NO. 218508 FOR THE CON‐ VEYANCE RECORDS OF PARISH, LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, MADE BY VAL E. SMITH, DATED DECEM‐

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Louisiana redistricting effort in home stretch

“It’s not over till it’s over, and districting bill on Thursday and put tricting, gerrymandering — this is the new congressional GOP leaders ‘close’ tomap,protest which will eliminate one of things are always subject to it to a vote. Should it pass, the Senate how they steal the American dream majority-Black voting districts change,” Morris said. will need to sign off on it. from you. This is how they steal on a deal as protests two Senate Republicans were set to that favor Democratic candidates Henry said he’s hopeful the Sen- your democracy.” continue and add a district that favors Re- meet Wednesday evening to review ate will be able to agree to the plan Wu called on voters to get involved

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Republican leaders in the Louisiana House and Senate say they are nearing a final deal on a new congressional map as the lower chamber is set to take a vote Thursday that would bring the proposal near the legislative finish line.

Senate President Cameron Henry said the two chambers are “very close” to an agreement after several key GOP players in the redistricting effort met early Wednesday afternoon to discuss the plan.

He and others said the map will likely look similar to an initial version approved by the Senate two weeks ago.

Lawmakers who have been working on the map have reached “a compromise that, I think, will make everybody as comfortable as they’re gonna be and follows all the rules and regulations of redistricting,” Henry said.

But even as Republicans appeared close to a deal, Democrats continued

publicans.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision weakening the federal Voting Rights Act that led to redistricting in Louisiana represents “the most significant attempt” to reduce Black and Democratic congressional representation in the South in a generation, Rep. Kyle Green, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said at a Wednesday news conference alongside Democratic leaders from other Southern states.

Republicans get on same page Sen. Jay Morris, the sponsor of the map legislation, and state Rep. Beau Beaullieu, chair of the House committee that handles redistricting, agreed that a deal was imminent.

“We’re pretty close to an agreement,” Beaullieu said. “Conceptually, we’ve gotten to a place where we think we can get it out of both bodies.”

Beaullieu, Morris and Henry all expressed optimism about the prospect of a deal, but they also cautioned that any plans remained tentative.

the proposed map, as were House Republicans on Thursday morning.

Last week, a House committee altered the initial version of the map approved by the Senate. Districts in southeast Louisiana and anchored in New Orleans remained intact.

But the committee made significant changes to district lines in the Baton Rouge and Acadiana regions, as well as Calcasieu Parish and some parishes in north Louisiana.

Some of those changes irked senators.

“We have to talk to members and make sure that we have the votes,” Beaullieu said of the latest agreement. “We’re not gonna make everybody happy. It’s impossible to make everybody happy.”

Henry, Morris and Beaullieu were all at the Wednesday afternoon meeting about the proposed map.

So were Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, chair of the Senate redistricting committee, House Speaker Phillip DeVillier and Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, who sponsored the House amendments.

The House is set to take up the re-

without the need for further negotiations in a closed-door “conference committee.” If that’s the case, the Senate’s sign-off could happen as early as Thursday afternoon or Friday, he said.

The legislation, Senate Bill 121, would then go to Gov. Jeff Landry for his signature.

The legislative session is scheduled to end Monday.

Democrats protest Meanwhile, Louisiana Democrats continued to protest the GOP map, holding a news conference Wednesday at the State Capitol alongside prominent Democrats from other Southern states.

Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said Louisiana’s Republican redistricting effort reflects broader concerns with the GOP agenda, like affordability, underfunding of schools and a healthcare system that’s broken.

“If you’re thinking that this is just about Democrats, or you’re thinking this is just about the Black community, you’re wrong,” Wu said. “Redis-

HOTEL

built a hotel, according to the Preservation Resource Center.

Continued from page 1A Four years after the Oleander opened its doors, State Route No. 78 opened to drivers, marking the artists, a visitor center, museum first and only entryway by car in space and community gathering and out of the town. Before that road, Grand Isle was only accesareas.

“Today would not have been pos- sible by ferry.

The Oleander is the only survisible without the generosity and support of so many people who vor out of 17 hotels and resorts believe in preserving the history that once dotted the island, which and spirit of Grand Isle,” Restore has been hit repeatedly by the Grand Isle President Ronnie Sam- most severe storms in Louisiana history. pey said in a news release.

It’s unknown exactly when the Hotel history hotel shut down, but best guesses The Oleander Hotel, commis- are that it was sometime in the sioned by Grand Isle resident John mid-1990s. Now the building’s yelLudwig, opened in low paint has faded 1929 with 30 rooms and chipped, its Barataria Bay and a large porch windows are brooverlooking the ken and boarded Gulf of Mexico’s up, and its insides GRAND ISLE waters. It was covered in debris billed at the time and decay.

1 by the New OrBut while much of the building apleans Item as “the Oleander most desirable pears to be in disHotel stopping place for repair, engineering Gulf of people desirous reports have indiMexico Staff map of the best,” with cated the structure prices of about $3 of the building is per day to rent a room in the 1930s still intact, as well as some original and ’40s. fixtures like toilets and bathtubs.

During its heyday, the Oleander attracted some of the most power- Restoration efforts ful people in Louisiana, like Gov. Restore Grand Isle, run by SamHuey P. Long, while providing lo- pey and Elsie David, according to cals with a snazzy eatery between business filings, launched in 2023 in the wake of Hurricane Ida’s devfishing trips.

It’s rumored that the hotel played astation as an effort to purchase STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER a pivotal role in the state’s highway and renovate the building, which system as well. Joseph Augustin, was added to the National Register A photograph shows Huey P. Long in front of the Oleander Hotel in Grand a former co-owner of the hotel, of Historic Places last year.

Isle. once told a researching graduate “The Oleander Hotel serves as a student that Long had told Ludwig unique and preserved snapshot of Coast architecture. It illustrates ural forces and the community’s he’d build the town a road if they its time, specific to Louisiana Gulf both the challenges posed by nat- adaptive responses, highlighting

ROOF GRANT Continued from page 1A

Landry agreed on House Bill 1187

by Rep. Paul Sawyer, R-Baton Rouge, which will allow the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to send excess funds from Hurricane Katrina-era emergency bonds to the fortified roof program. The move is expected to net $50 million for the program, on top of $30 million in annual dedicated funding.

Landry signed the bill at a news conference Wednesday at the State Capitol.

“People want to protect their homes,” he said. “Louisianans are hungry for solutions that will actually work and drive down their insurance costs.”

The new lottery round in midJune represents the first 3,000 of 8,000 grants the state will be able to fund this year. The Insurance Department is also expanding the

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

BER 13, 1948, BEING THE SAME PROPERTY AC‐ QUIRED NOVEMBER 20, 1981, FROM ANTOINE J. C. MOUTON, PER ACT NO. 81031678. ALL OF THE ABOVE PROPERTIES BEING THE SAME PROP‐ ERTY ACQUIRED BY INFIN‐ ITY HEALTH SOLUTIONS OF LA LLC IN THAT ACT RECORDED ON SEPTEM‐ BER 29, 2021, UNDER ENTRY NO. 2021-44392 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, AS COR‐ RECTED BY THAT ACT

and Vermilion parishes.

Fortified roofs have emerged as a bipartisan solution to the state’s homeowners’ insurance crisis, which has driven premiums to unsustainable levels for thousands of Louisianans. Around the nation, climate change and inflation have caused a spike in insurance rates, particularly in places where wildfires, hurricanes and other types of severe weather are worsening.

“Risk is why we pay so much money,” Sawyer said at the news conference. “This bill represents managing risk and promoting resiliency.”

The 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons ratcheted up crisis here, as a STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE dozen insurers went belly up and Roofing materials sit in the foreground as workers with Sunbelt Roofs tens of thousands of Louisianans install a fortified roof with impact-rated shingles on a home in Jefferson were forced onto the rolls of Citizens, the insurer of last resort. on Friday.

Elected leaders have searched eligibility criteria to include more and Jefferson Davis. Homeowners for ways to get more money into parishes, not just those closest to who had previously been excluded the fortified roof grant program. the coast. are also now eligible in Ascension, Louisianans have proved eager to Parishes newly eligible to par- Calcasieu, Iberia, Livingston, St. fortify their homes: Nearly 5,000 ticipate include Lafayette, Acadia Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa have put new roofs on through

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

RECORDED ON SEPTEM‐ BER 19, 2023, UNDER ENTRY NO. 2023-29819 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA. THE PROPERTY OR ITS ADDRESS IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS 220 JOHN‐ STON ST, LAFAYETTE LA 70501.

NOTE: PARCEL 1 IS ASSESSED UNDER LAFAYETTE PARISH PARCEL ID 6071538 AND THE AD‐ DRESS IS SHOWN AS 220

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

JOHNSTON STREET, LAFAYETTE. PARCEL 2 IS ASSESSED UNDER LAFAYETTE PARISH PARCEL ID 6071536 AND THE AD‐ DRESS IS SHOWN AS 220 JOHNSTON STREET, LAFAYETTE. PARCEL 3 IS ASSESS UNDER LAFAYETTE PARISH PARCEL ID 6071535 AND THE AD‐ DRESS IS SHOWN AS 423 GARFIELD STREET, LAFAYETTE. ANYONE

PURCHASING

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $72.49

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE U.S. BANK TRUST COM‐ PANY, NATIONAL ASSOCI‐ ATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUC‐ CESSOR IN INTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL AS‐ SOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR ASSET BACKED SECURITIES TRUST 2006-HE4, MORT‐ GAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-HE4 Versus No. 20261202 SARAH L. MOU‐ TON, (A/K/A SARAH LEE MOUTON, SARAH SAM MOUTON)

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITH*** appraise‐ ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JULY 1, 2026*** ,the following de‐ scribed property, to wit: A CERTAIN TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL BUILD‐ INGS AND IMPROVE‐ MENTS SITUATED, THEREON, SITUATED IN NORTHSIDE SUBDIVISION,

in the political process.

“Go tell your state legislators, ‘We want our democracy back. We want this country back from the king. We want it back from the orange king,’” he said, apparently referencing President Donald Trump.

Georgia Democratic Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley also spoke, along with Mississippi state Rep. Zakiya Summers.

“The vote is still our most powerful weapon,” said Hugley. “It’s your protest. It’s your right. It’s your weapon. It’s your power.”

State Rep. Edmond Jordan, a Baton Rouge Democrat and chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, said Democrats are ready to bring a lawsuit over any map passed by the Louisiana Legislature.

“Our motto has always been over the last few years, what we can’t win through legislation, we’ll win through litigation,” Jordan said.

“And so we are prepared to do that.

We’re going to continue to fight for the African Americans of not only of this state but throughout the whole country.”

the evolution of coastal vernacular practices on Grand Isle,” the nomination packet read.

It has since received about $405,000 from various donors, a quarter of which came from one anonymous donor. Another $57,000 came from Jefferson Parish Council member for District 1 Timothy Kerner Jr.’s office; $50,000 each from the Karen B. Yoh Foundation and Gary Chouest; and $25,000 each from Todd Graves and the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.

About $68,000 came from smaller individual contributions, including through fundraising events like crawfish boils.

Restore Grand Isle estimates it will cost an estimated $2 million to complete the work at the Oleander, according to the Preservation Resource Center. State officials have previously said they’ll raise funds at the Legislature to assist the project once the building is acquired.

“Places like the Oleander Hotel play an important role in the history of our town,” said Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle. “This project helps ensure the Oleander continues to be part of our future as well. Restoring this historic property will create a place where residents and visitors can celebrate the culture, history and resilience of Grand Isle for generations to come.”

Restore Grand Isle also partakes in other community preservation and conservation efforts like tree plantings, iris flower plantings and cleanup days.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

the grant program, which gives homeowners $10,000 each. In total, 13,000 people have put fortified roofs on their homes in Louisiana, meaning most people are doing it on their own dime.

Landry earlier this year asked the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. to use some of its money to fund the program, but the idea didn’t go anywhere. Instead, Temple and legislative leaders landed on Sawyer’s bill.

The legislation targets money that Citizens raised by assessing policyholders a fee, part of a 20year effort to raise money to pay off emergency bonds needed to pay claims after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Having raised enough money to pay off the bonds, Citizens finally canceled the surcharge last year.

But it took months for insurers to stop collecting the money, leaving Citizens with $64 million in excess funds. Citizens is expected to send $50 million of that to the fortified program.

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

EXTENSION NO. 1, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, SAID TRACT BEING MORE PARTICU‐ LARLY DESCRIBED AS THE SOUTHERN 44’ OF LOT 2 AND THE NORTHERN 45’ OF LOT 3 OF SAID SUBDI‐ VISION AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT OF SURVEY RECORDED IN THE PARISH RECORDS. SAID PROP‐ ERTY HAVING SUCH OTHER DIMENSIONS AND BOUNDARIES AS ARE SHOWN ON SAID MAP. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 2317 LOUISIANA AVENUE,

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

LAFAYETTE, LA 70501 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: MAY 2026 & JUNE 25, 2026

28,

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHER‐ IFF $34.33

6A ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Showers and a heavier t-storm

A shower and t-storm; humid

Humid with a t-storm in spots

A shower and t-storm; humid

Humid with a thunderstorm

A couple of afternoon t-storms

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

82° 71°

LOW

86° 74°

LOW

88° 74°

Beaumont 85/72 Port Arthur 84/72

Baton Rouge 82/71

Lake Charles 84/71

New Orleans 82/73 Houma 80/72

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

0s

Hattiesburg 85/70

Alexandria 79/69

Lafayette 82/71

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HIGH

92° 70°

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89° 70°

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Wednesday

Jackson 83/70 Many 82/68

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TEMPERATURE

Longview 86/68

-0s

89° 72°

Monroe 82/70

Shreveport 85/70

-10s

LOW

Well, once again today there is a marginal risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to flash flooding in the forecast. With saturated ground in many parts of southwest Louisiana, there is a general flood risk as well, especially with some scattered storms having the potential for high rain rates dropping another 1 to 2.5 inches of rain today. Besides rain and thunderstorms, expect a partly cloudy, warm and humid day. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the mid-80s and rain chances are lower tomorrow.

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

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

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

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

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6:40p 12:24p 5:02a 7:47a 8:09a 7:39a 9:17a

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Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

FT.

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90 67 86 61 84 83 85 88 86

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72 55 70 43 72 61 58 76 67

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pc sh t c sh s c t t

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91 68 90 61 85 80 81 88 86

FRI. Lo

73 46 74 43 73 65 62 77 69

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0.32” 11.08” 4.63” 26.06” 23.25”

FT.

HIGH

0.7 5:51a 0.0 1.6 11:12p -0.1 2.0 9:46a 1.6 1.7 11:10p 0.1 1.2 7:20p -0.1 1.5 5:48p -0.1 1.5 8:22p -0.1

6:08 a.m.

8:03 p.m.

5:59 p.m.

4:05 a.m.

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

82°/72° 88°/70° 89°/70° 96° in 2024 46° in 1901

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s c s sh sh s pc t t

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READING 37 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

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SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

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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 9:37a Friday 10:18a Saturday 11:03a Sunday 11:52a Monday 12:18a Tuesday 1:12a Wednesday 2:07a

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New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

Hi

82 88 78 93 72 88 87 69 87

3:26a 9:59p 4:06a 10:41p 4:51a 11:28p 5:39a ---6:31a 12:44p 7:25a 1:38p 8:20a 2:32p

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73 73 56 68 47 65 66 61 77

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t t pc s pc t c sh t

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85 89 80 90 77 84 82 69 89

3:48p 4:30p 5:15p 6:05p 6:57p 7:50p 8:44p

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74 73 58 70 52 69 66 61 79

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t t s s s pc t s t

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

MALL

Diners sit Friday at the Mall of Louisiana food court. Mall employees say traffic is down following the April 23 shooting as some customers are afraid to return, but some stores have seen upticks tied to holidays and graduation season.

Continued from page 1A Mass shootings at retail centers tend to decrease revenues, customer shopping time and traffic at stores within a 1.25-mile radius from the incident, according to a 2025 study on the retail impact of such shootings. The ripple effects from April’s shooting extend beyond retail: In response, the state Legislature passed a bill this session to expand the definition of first-degree murder, potentially making more people eligible for the death penalty.

The mall, considered to be a superregional shopping center due to its size, has fared relatively well compared to other shopping centers since it opened in the 1990s. It has survived the fall of brick-and-mortar retail across the country in the past decade thanks to trendy spots like Zara and experiential tenants like Dick’s House of Sports, though some local real estate experts heed caution concerning the mall’s future due to vacancies surrounding its campus.

Lately, customers who do return seem jumpy, said Charita Antoine, manager of clothing store New Square. Business has suffered in the past month since many people are afraid to go to the mall, she said.

“Most of them who come in are rushing,” Antoine said.

The shooting The April 23 shooting took the life of 17-year-old Martha Odom, a student at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, who was remembered as “a light to everyone around her.” Donnie Guillory, 43, was shot three times during the shooting. He is recovering and returning to his activities, including Special Olympics events and shopping at GameStop at the mall.

The investigation of the shooting is ongoing. Last week, Baton Rouge police announced that they have identified an individual who appeared in a surveillance video during the time of the shooting and is wanted for questioning.

Police arrested 17-year-old Markel Lee the day after the shooting when Lee turned himself in.

He faces charges including illegal use of a weapon, attempted firstdegree murder and first-degree murder.

STAFF PHOTO By IANNE SALVOSA

Security updates

seeing crime all around the state, she doesn’t think the mall should More security guards and police be seen as a dangerous place.

“The streets of Baton Rouge officers began patrolling the mall following the shooting, accord- aren’t safer than the Mall of Louiing to spokespeople at the Baton siana,” she said.

Rouge Police Department and GGP, the retail arm of Chicago- Mall traffic based Brookfield Corp., which While traffic has slowed at the owns the mall. They declined mall, it hasn’t ceased. Shoppers to specify the exact number of have milled around the mall’s guards and officers and declined grounds since the Saturday after to share other security updates the shooting. to prevent compromising the efThe mall does not release traffic data, per Brookfield Corp. policy. ficacy of their work.

Michael McKee, a 24-year-old The mall’s curfew policy, which requires customers younger than LSU student, returned to the mall 18 to have a chaperone 21 or older on May 21 for the first time since after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Satur- the shooting to get his phone fixed days, is still in effect after its en- at the Apple store. The violence actment in June 2024 as a proac- wasn’t what deterred him from coming back — he doesn’t have tive measure.

Some staff members, includ- much reason to be at the mall ing Callender, said they feel like since he feels its popularity has security has gone back to the pre- dwindled, he said.

While waiting for his phone reshooting level after a large uptick in presence immediately after the pair, McKee ate lunch at the food tragedy. Others aren’t convinced court, which he said made him that the mall is completely safe feel a little uneasy due to it being despite the security update due to the site of the shooting. While he the random nature of the April 23 is comfortable returning to the shooting. mall, he said the violence adds to “It might happen again, you the “unrest” that already existed in never know,” said Jamie Johnson, Baton Rouge. a sales associate for Essence Fra“It doesn’t help that our city isn’t the safest place,” McKee said. grances.

Some stores have seen an uptick Sarah Forest, manager of Sake Japan and Sake Sushi N Ramen, in sales tied to holidays and other said she joined the staff about two annual celebrations.

An employee at Lush, who deweeks after the shooting. After

GOOD

clined to share their name due to fear of retribution from their employer, said traffic at the bath products store started to pick up around Mother’s Day. Chelsey Cook, a shoe stylist at Steve Madden, said graduation and prom season have attracted shoppers back to the store as they look for shoes to match their outfits. The shooting has been “heartbreaking” for the mall, she said, but she hopes that a few more months of calm at the shopping center will assure shoppers it is safe to come back.

William Bourgeois, an employee at Charleys Cheesesteaks, said he has started to see traffic pick back up after an initial setback.

“Should be better with the kids being out of school,” Bourgeois said.

Tenant protocol Large retailers typically have their own safety protocols for employees during active shooter situations, and some managers said they recall mall management holding a briefing on active shooter protocol the week of the shooting.

For most stores in the main interior of the mall, employees pull down the gate at the front of the store, hide in a safe space and exit the store if possible. The open-air portion of the mall outside its front entrance has a similar protocol to lock its doors, hide and exit if it is safe.

WED. 24-HOUR

MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 17.40 +1.87 Vidalia-Natchez 48 29.40 +1.04 Red River Landing 48 31.80 +0.40 Baton Rouge 35 15.70 +0.20 Donaldsonville 27 9.10 +0.10 Reserve 22 6.84 -0.13 New Orleans 17 5.10 +0.13 OHIO Cairo 40 34.49 +1.01 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.17 -0.15 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -0.09 -0.17 Denham Springs 29 13.20 -0.57 Port Vincent 8 2.84 +0.13 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 2.49 +0.12 Holden 15 2.19 -0.54 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 13.51 -0.42 Melville 34 9.59 -0.68 Krotz Springs 29 8.07 -0.09 Butte La Rose 20 7.10 -0.37 Bayou Sorrel 12 5.50 -0.20 Morgan City 6 3.05 -0.05

data as of 7 a.m. Wednesday

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

Jeans retailer True Religion was one of the few stores that successfully pulled down their gates on April 23, manager Ronald Norwood said, since the store’s gate is manually operated, while others are automated.

Kiosks spread throughout the mall, selling items like phone cases and fragrances, are in the open, so the employee protocol is to run to safety, said Shahab Uddin, who runs the Jewelry World kiosk just outside the food court.

Leaving his inventory behind made him a bit nervous, but safety must come first, he said.

Stanton Hargrave, a manager at Zara, said the shooting activated his fight-or-flight instinct as he ushered guests to the back of the store to wait until it was safe to evacuate.

Kelsey Caldwell, another manager at Zara, said the responsibility of mall employees to protect their shoppers by leading them to a safe space feels natural.

“We’re all human beings by the end of the day,” Caldwell said. “If I need to do something, I will do it.”

Employee impact While Mall of Louisiana customers can opt to satiate their shopping needs online or at other shopping centers, the level of fear remains for some staff members who have to be there regularly.

Many mall employees frequent the food court on their breaks, but some have not returned to the site since the shooting, Norwood said.

“There’s clear apprehension among employees,” he said.

Yan Sun, a manager at Dos Bros, said experiencing the shooting has put her on edge.

“Loud noises can be frightening,” she said through Google Translate.

Mall management and corporate offices of some retailers brought in counselors following the shooting, which many staffers said was helpful for processing the traumatic event.

Uchenna Okoroma, manager of Journeys Kidz, said she appreciates mall management’s efforts to remember the life taken on April 23 and ensuring employees had mental health professionals to speak with. She has worked at the mall for five years and has formed bonds with other employees in and out of her store, a community she said is helping them get through the emotional impact.

“There’s still something to smile about,” she said.

METRO

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

T h u r s d ay, M ay 28, 2026

1BN

MC Bank to open River Ranch location

Bank officials announced to the team include former said.

The Acadiana expansion ficials said.

Former IberiaBank Wednesday MC Bank has signed a let“We have assembled an ex- is part of the bank’s broader morning what Acadiana market President Pat Trahan, former busiceptional team in Acadiana ter for its office in they described as a longgrowth strategy after its leaders join team term commitment to the city ness banking group manag- — bankers who are deeply merger and capital raise Riverof intent Ranch. It also has lo-

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor MC Bank, now under the leadership of longtime former IberiaBank CEO Daryl Byrd, will increase its presence in Lafayette and plans to open a River Ranch location.

and Acadiana and named several former IberiaBank leaders to leadership positions.

Bill Fenstermaker, chairman and CEO of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates and former board chair for IberiaBank, was named to the board. Others named

er Brandon Boudreaux and Mike Pelletier as senior vice president and chief human resources officer.

Hayes Berthelot, most recently vice president with First Horizon, will be Acadiana market president.

“The strength of any bank starts with its people,” Byrd

connected to the market, understand their clients and are committed to long-term relationships.”

Other appointments include Jason Kennemer as commercial relationship manager and Lincoln Narcisse as business development manager.

that brought in more than $225 million from over 550 investors.

MC Bank wants to expand its presence across key southeastern markets while maintaining the relationship-driven approach that has defined the bank for more than 70 years, of-

cations at 115 Verot School Road and 2480 Youngsville Highway in Youngsville and still owns land next to Dave & Buster’s that was previously announced as the site of a multistory office.

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

17-year-old arrested in Sweetbriar Street shooting

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

University of Louisiana at Lafayette baseball players load the bus Wednesday at M.L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette baseball team leaves Lafayette for the NCAA baseball regional in Starkville, Miss.

CAJUNS READy TO ROLL

Moncus Park’s summer schedule released

through August.

Fadyen, executive director of ana,” MacFadyen said.

Dance lessons, food June The season includes four nights Moncus Park. “Whether it is twoBefore the summer events, of live music at the new Sunset stepping on a Thursday night, there the ritual that anchors trucks and more will Sessions concert series, a Fa- fishing with your dad on Father’s every isSaturday morning in Acather’s Day family pop-up, Na- Day or just showing up for a walk diana. The Lafayette Farmers be available and Artisans Market brings totional Food Truck Day and more on a Wednesday morning.”

BY JA’KORI MADISON

than 50 weekly programs — all free to attend.

“Lafayette has a culture worth Moncus Park announced its full celebrating, and our community summer season of free events deserves a real place to come toand programming, running from gether and do that,” said JP Mac-

Staff writer

The park is also debuting two major additions, including an expanded parking lot that will bring significantly more parking.

“We want this park to be that place for every person in Acadi-

gether local farmers, artisans and craftspeople from 8 a.m. to noon, with fresh produce, handmade goods, unique crafts and a

ä See EVENTS, page 4B

Multivehicle crash involves overturned ambulance

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

The Lafayette Police Department was on the scene of a crash Wednesday afternoon involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 49 at Pont Des Mouton Road.

The crash involved an overturned ambulance and several other vehicles.

Two motorists were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries, according to police.

The roadway was cleared after about two hours, and traffic returned to normal.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Emergency personnel work the scene of a multivehicle crash involving an overturned Acadian Ambulance on Wednesday on Interstate 49 just north of the Pont Des Mouton Road interchange in Lafayette.

A Lafayette Parish teen has been arrested on a second-degree murder count in the fatal shooting of another teenager earlier this year, according to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Keenan Charles, 17, was booked Tuesday into the Lafayette Parish CRIME Correctional CenBLOTTER ter in the death of Wykiel Provost.

Advocate Sheriff’s depustaff ties originally rereports sponded just after 1:30 p.m. April 19 to the 100 block of Sweetbriar Street, where they found a 17-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities confirmed April 21 that the teen had died from his injuries.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Juvenile critically injured in St. Landry ATV crash A juvenile is in critical condition after an ATV crash in St. Landry Parish, authorities said.

The crash occurred Tuesday evening when a juvenile under the age of 17 entered Lenora Road from a private drive and the ATV was struck by a car, according to Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz.

The juvenile suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a Baton Rouge-area hospital for treatment. Authorities said there is no suspected impairment on the part of the automobile driver.

“We have provided, only recently, the laws regarding the operation of off-road vehicles. Operators must be licensed and should attend training, such as the upcoming event hosted by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries,” Guidroz said. “Improper or unsafe operation will ultimately lead to injury or worse.”

The crash remains under investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

1 dead, another injured in Opelousas shooting The Opelousas Police Department is continuing to investigate a shooting that left one person dead and another critically injured.

Police said the shooting happened Tuesday evening in the 400 block of West Bellevue Street.

According to investigators, two male victims were injured in the incident. One of the victims later died from his injuries. The second victim remains in critical condition. Police have not released the identities of the victims or any information about possible suspects.

Authorities said the investigation remains active as detectives continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.

Anyone with information regarding this shooting is urged to contact the Opelousas Police Department at (337) 948-2500 or St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers at (337) 948-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous.

ä See BLOTTER, page 4B

2B ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

OUR VIEWS

Rural residents lose again in dispute over broadband In 2026, reliable and fast internet is almost as important to daily life as electricity and water.

It’s how we shop, entertain ourselves, work, access healthcare and do so much more.

Any community without it is doomed to struggle to attract new residents or keep the ones it has.

That’s the situation that tiny Lake Providence, population about 3,500 in East Carroll Parish, finds itself in.

For years, town residents have wanted good internet service. A local activist group, Delta Interfaith, had made the call a central part of its platform. And within the last couple of years, it seemed as if they might have finally gotten their wish.

A Missouri-based company called Conexon had agreed to lay fiber throughout East Carroll Parish, including in Lake Providence, paid for in part by federal and state grants. As of just a few months ago, much of that work had been completed: Fiber had been installed right up to the edge of town.

But then it stopped. Multiple reasons, including a Trump administration rewrite of program rules and a fight between Conexon and Louisiana’s broadband office, were to blame.

Months later, residents are still waiting.

“We’re furious,” a local organizer from Lake Providence told this newspaper’s Jenna Ross.

“We’re fed up.”

So are we.

The first signs of trouble came after the Trump administration made changes to the federal roadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, or BEAD, program. It was created under the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law to speed the rollout of broadband to rural areas. But critics argued the program was moving too slowly.

The Trump administration vowed to change that by shifting its focus away from installing cheaper, more reliable and faster fiber internet and instead allowing satellite internet companies, like Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which operates Starlink, to get the grants. But satellite is already available in East Carroll.

Compounding the federal change is an ongoing dispute between Conexon CEO Jonathan Chambers and the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity. Chambers contends that the state office owes his company millions of dollars for work already completed. Veneeth Iyengar, the lead state official, says the company still must comply with a series of checks to ensure its work follows federal and state rules.

Little of that matters to local residents, and none of it is their fault. As one resident told Ross, “We’re the community that gets caught in the middle.”

They’re justified to feel that way. Of course, companies should be fairly paid for the work and investment they pour into our communities. And we understand the need to ensure that public money is spent transparently and toward the objective for which it was allocated.

We urge Conexon and state officials to resolve this dispute and get the fiber into Lake Providence with all due haste. Even more importantly, we urge each side to learn from this example so that such delays are not repeated elsewhere.

No other community should end up caught in the middle.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence.

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

YOUR VIEWS

Gerrymandering doesn’t benefit anyone but politicians

Speed in effort to dismantle voting rights says it all My grandmother had a phrase she used when she watched somebody move too fast. Not when they were eager. Not when they were excited. When they were guilty. She’d narrow her eyes and say, “Up to no good.”

The Supreme Court handed down its decision in Louisiana v. Callais on a Wednesday. By Thursday — before the ruling was even certified — Gov. Jeff Landry had suspended Louisiana’s House primary elections so the Legislature could redraw the congressional map. As U.S. Rep. Troy Carter pointed out, mail ballots were already out, early voting was set to begin that Saturday, and soldiers overseas had already cast votes that wouldn’t count.

A day. Landry gave it a day.

You don’t move that fast on a process you believe in. You don’t suspend an active election unless you already know what map you want and you already know the public won’t like how you got it. The speed is the tell.

If this were about fair representation, there would be hearings. There would be public input. There would be the slow, patient, grinding work of democracy that doesn’t make the cable news.

Instead, we got an executive order and a thank-you note for moving quickly.

My grandmother wouldn’t need a law degree to read this one. She’d read it from the porch. She’d read it from the speed alone. Up to no good.

Gerrymandering is wrong. It does not matter what political party you belong to, what race you are, what gender you are or any other aspect you consider important. Gerrymandering is a tool of segregation and voter nullification. Gerrymandering guarantees voter disenfranchisement. Eventually, gerrymandering promotes extremism. Why would any politician listen to anyone but those people who guarantee his election?

The determination of the boundaries of a U.S. House of Representatives district should be accomplished using geography and math, not the desire for the attainment or maintaining political power.

Step one is the determination of the population center for each prospective representative district.

The population for congressional districts averaged about 760,000 in 2020.

For example, that means Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport would be the population centers for the state of Louisiana (sorry Lafayette).

Step two would be the simultaneous expansion of district boundaries in a 360-degree direction from each population center until they meet another district boundary or state line.

This will result in some districts exceeding and others not meeting the 760,000 population goal. Step three involves the simultaneous expansion and/or contraction of district boundaries until the 760,000 population average is attained for each district.

This would result in a more diverse electorate for each district.

Using geography and math, representatives would have to listen to and consider the concerns of a broader base of the electorate. The determination of the boundaries of the U.S. House of Representatives districts based on geography and math would not eliminate extremism, but it should help in limiting it.

Politicians should not be involved in this process. They would only screw it up and disclose their racism and authoritarianism.

DAVID W. HOOVER New Orleans

Storm recovery fees an added burden on homeowners The storm may be over, but for Louisiana residents, the financial damage keeps coming every single month.

Since the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved hurricane and storm damage recovery fees, my monthly electric bill has spiked noticeably and consistently. What was presented as a small addition has compounded into a significant financial burden that disrupts my household budget month after month. I did not cause the storm damage. I did not make the infrastructure decisions that left our grid vulnerable. Yet I am the one absorbing the cost.

The timing could not be worse. Louisiana residents are already battling rising gas prices, inflation and in-

creased living costs across the board.

Layering storm recovery fees onto already strained household budgets is pushing families like mine dangerously close to the financial edge.

I urge the commission to take immediate action: cap the duration of storm recovery fees with a clear end date; introduce income-based exemptions for low-income households; increase transparency around how collected fees are being utilized; and accelerate infrastructure improvements to prevent future storm-related cost transfers onto consumers.

Louisianans have weathered enough.

We should not be endlessly billed for it.

LESLIE TAYLOR Baton Rouge

Data centers growth should prompt question about energy use The rapid growth of data centers in Louisiana should concern all residents.

While these facilities may create shortterm economic opportunities, they also consume enormous amounts of water and electricity. Some data centers use millions of gallons of water daily to cool servers and rank among the largest industrial users of electricity.

As energy demand rises and data centers continue to be approved at a rapid pace, will Louisiana have adequate resources now and in the future to meet the needs of its citizens?

Utility companies receive state tax incentives to support these projects, but when, how often and by what means are the results of public oversight

shared with the public? Could the increased utility demands from these facilities place a greater financial burden on Louisiana residents than the benefits these projects promise?

If demand continues to rise while resources remain limited, will the needs of data centers take priority over those of Louisiana citizens and at what cost?

Consumers should carefully review their utility bills. Detailed charges may reveal hidden fees, meter-reading mistakes or billing errors. Understanding energy use patterns can also help households reduce waste and develop more efficient habits.

LORETTA DILAURA Baton Rouge

WILLIAM BENDER Baton Rouge

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COMMENTARY AMERICA 250

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM SAIL 250

ARA Libertad is a 340-foot, three-masted, steel-hulled tall ship based in Buenos Aires. Built in 1963, it carries 28,545 square feet of sail and a crew of officers, sailors and cadets.

The river that forged a nation Ships tell only part of the story of the vital role the Mississippi has played in our history

F

ew places tell the story of America quite like United States.

Louisiana — where our people, our commerce New Orleans has long played a defining role in and our waters have helped to shape a nation America’s military and maritime history — from now approaching its 250th birthday. And no place the pivotal Battle of New Orleans in 1815, which carries that story more powerfully than the Mishelped cement the young nation’s confidence and sovereignty, to the production of Higgins boats dursissippi River, a river system that connects 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces through ing World War II, innovations manufactured in New a watershed that drains roughly 41% of the conOrleans that helped Allied forces change the course of history on the beaches of Normandy and tinental United States. This means rainfall, throughout the Pacific. commerce, agriculture, energy and industry This city has always mattered to the from nearly half of the nation ultimately flows American story because it has always conthrough this interconnected water network.

From the earliest days of our republic, nected America to the world.

America has been defined by its maritime Explorers and immigrants arrived here might. Our prosperity has long depended on seeking opportunity. Entrepreneurs built Walt the Mississippi River and the ports it sustains fortunes here. Musicians transformed Leger — from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Port global culture here. Generations have GUEST of New Orleans — gateways through which COLUMNIST stood along these riverbanks in awe of a the agricultural and industrial strength of the city shaped by the movement of people and American heartland reaches the world. ideas from every corner of the globe.

The vessels traveling these waters are more than And that spirit remains alive today. ships of commerce. They carry the lifeblood of the Sail 250 New Orleans will feel unlike celebrations nation’s economy. Grain, energy, steel, chemicals anywhere else in the country. It will look different, and goods produced across the interior of North sound different and taste different — because only America all move through this corridor. The Missis- New Orleans could welcome the world in this way.

From Louisiana seafood and live music to unforgetsippi River is not simply a Louisiana story; it is an American story. table experiences along our historic riverfront, this For centuries, it transported music, language, tra- week will create lasting memories for families, visiditions, cuisine and ideas that helped shape one of tors, crewmembers and military guests alike. the world’s truly great cultural cities.

With thousands of crewmembers visiting our city, The story of New Orleans begins with water — Sail 250 represents more than a celebration of mariwith the Mississippi River connecting the center time history. of a continent to the wider world. Along these rivIt is another opportunity to showcase the very best of New Orleans to the world and to demonerbanks, cultures collided and converged, producing something entirely original and unmistakably strate what we already know: We are one of the American. world’s great gathering places — resilient, authenMark Twain famously called the Mississippi “the tic, welcoming and deeply connected to the indusbody of the nation,” immortalizing its spirit through tries and culture that continue to move America the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. forward. Events of this magnitude happen because Generations later, the river remains exactly that: a of extraordinary community partnerships, political living symbol of the movement, ambition, resilience leadership and public support. and diversity that define the United States itself.

As America approaches its 250th birthday, New In many ways, New Orleans exists because of Orleans stands as a reminder of what has always this riverfront. It made the city a gateway to the made this country exceptional: our openness to the world, a center of trade, a crossroads of cultures world, our ability to blend cultures into something and a place of constant reinvention while remaining new, and our enduring belief that commerce, credeeply rooted in history. ativity, freedom, and opportunity can flow together For more than 300 years, New Orleans has stood just like the waters of the Mississippi River itself. as a global port of call. And this week, as Sail 250 arIn a world that too often feels divided, New Orrives along our riverfront, it is fitting that New Orleans reminds us that culture still connects us. Muleans is among the first cities in America chosen to sic still unites us. Food still brings us to the same help commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary. table. And joy still matters.

To welcome the United States Navy, the United New Orleans is a city where history still breathes.

States Coast Guard and international maritime Where culture still evolves. And where people partners to the banks of the Mississippi River is a from every corner of the world still gather along tremendous honor. the banks of the Mississippi River — the great waBut it is also a reminder of something larger: terway that helped build America and continues to America would not be the nation it is today without carry its story forward.

New Orleans, without this riverfront and without the Mississippi River system that helped build the Walt Leger is president and CEO of New Orleans & commerce, culture and strategic strength of the Company.

ON THE CALENDAR There are several events around Louisiana to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Here is a list of some going on now. For a full list, go to america250la.org n Sail 250 at the New Orleans Riverfront offers visitors a chance to see the largest flotilla of tall ships ever assembled in the Mississippi and participate in festivities designed to entertain and educate audiences about the history of the U.S. May 28 to June 1. Go to www.sail250neworleans.com for more details n The Louisiana State Museum at the Cabildo, 701 Chartres St., New Orleans, is featuring the exhibit, “Gálvez and Louisiana in the American Revolution,” which explores the life of Spanish Gov. Bernardo de Gálvez and the diverse people of Louisiana who fought for American independence.Through May 15, 2027. louisianastatemuseum.org. n Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, is featuring the exhibit,“Bought for a Song: A young Nation Expands,” whose only artifact is the French exchange copy of the convention between the Republic of France and the United States that finalized the Louisiana Purchase.Through July 11. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. n The Historic New Orleans Collection, 520 Royal St., New Orleans, is featuring the exhibit,“American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition,” where visitors can immerse themselves in 3D interactive reconstructions of key moments in American history.

Through Jan. 17. hnoc.org

ABOUT THE SERIES Throughout the year, the Opinion pages are featuring columns and conversations from historians, scholars, politicians and others about what this 250th anniversary of America means.To read previous pieces, go to the Opinion section of our website.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

4B ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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N.O. judge spars over ankle-monitoring violations

BY JOHN SIMERMAN

have cropped up since well before the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office gave up running the operation a decade ago in a dispute with the city over funding, leaving it to private operators.

The controversy involving Banks centers on ASAP Release and Dennis, a bail bond veteran who helped push new state regulations and reporting requirements on an industry that has long operated in the wild.

Dennis hasn’t shied from calling out judges for failing to address warnings when violence ensues. Last week, he claimed Flemings-Davillier had let sit almost 50 violation reports since March about Banks, who awaits trial on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things tied to vehicle break-ins.

The judge in February set his bail at $10,000 and ordered Banks on 24/7 electronic monitoring and home incarceration, with the lone exception that he “must attend school.”

Police say Banks’ extracurricular activities included hailing Uber drivers, then stealing their vehicles.

The system helped police tie Banks to the carjacking scheme before his arrest, Dennis said.

Banks, who turned 19 last month, appeared at least once in Flemings-Davillier’s Section B courtroom since his purported violations began, for a May 15 hearing that was continued, according to online court records.

He was rebooked last Thursday on a dozen new felony counts, accusing him of armed robbery, carjacking and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Bail in that case was set at $600,000. Prosecutors have asked Flemings-Davillier to revoke his earlier bail based

on the new allegations. She locations that are not accuset a July 7 hearing date. rate; and ASAP fails to provide any details regarding ‘A lack of doing the work’ the alleged violations and On Tuesday, Banks stood what, if any, research is consilently in orange jail scrubs ducted to verify the listed with a public defender as locations that are reported Flemings-Davillier unloaded as violations,” it states. on ASAP, after she accused The letter added that neiDennis of promoting a “bla- ther the court nor District Attant misconception … that torney Jason Williams’ office the court has not addressed had received “any reports of certain issues in an appro- violations on either May 8 or May 9, 2026” for Banks, a priate manner.”

Saying judicial ethics period during which he and barred her from discussing other teens are accused of details of Banks’ case, she carjacking Uber drivers.

Dennis, however, provided portrayed ASAP as a dubious value for the $8 per day copies of emails sent to an it charges defendants, plus address tied to the judge’s a startup fee of more than court section, citing viola$300. tions for Banks on May 8 and She then highlighted ad- May 9. Each notice was sent dresses flagged by ASAP the day after the alleged vioin its notices about Banks lations, according to ASAP’s that she said were either records. close by his home, around Williams’ office said in a his mother’s house, or near statement that its prosecuthe agency on Oretha Castle tors take compliance seriousHaley Boulevard where he ly and said a review found went for his GED. “no emails, alerts, or notifica“These are examples of an tions from ASAP concerning absence or lack of investiga- the alleged monitoring violation, and a lack of doing the tions” attributed to Banks.

“Any claim suggesting this work they need to be doing,” office ignored notifications Flemings-Davillier said.

Dennis said ASAP sends is unsupported by the docuout 15,000 violation reports mented record presently annually, but the judge available to us,” the statecalled the information con- ment said. tained in them sketchy and the company’s notification Conflicting statements process slipshod.

State law requires firms “Calling parents, guard- like ASAP to report susians, schools — this is what pected violations within 30 the monitoring company is minutes to the bail agent, obligated to do in exchange relevant law enforcement for their for-profit business,” agency, prosecutor’s office she said. “Actual informa- and court. Dennis said his tion to the court, so the court auditors investigate every can act on that information.” alarm, reviewing “dots” on Flemings-Davillier echoed a map and the conditions criticism contained in a of a defendant’s release beletter Friday to a Times- fore sending off a violation Picayune reporter that was report. signed by Rob Kazik, the “What more does she want court’s judicial administra- from me? Does she want me to go there and just measure tor.

“ASAP reports include them all?” Dennis said. “She

can go look herself. We all know the city. She should open that email and she should say, ‘I need him to come in here.’ ” Defendants are supposed to text ASAP when they leave home. If they don’t, Dennis said, a violation report goes out.

“If he walks 100 feet away and stands on a corner, I don’t care that he’s close to his house. That’s a violation,” he said. “My obligation is to follow the court’s order to the letter.”

If someone cuts their ankle monitor or lets the power run down, a special enforcement team goes out, Dennis said, but not for suspected violations of home incarceration limits.

“I’ve had judges telling me, ‘I don’t want you doing that. You have to tell me, and I decide,’ ” he said.

Even so, Dennis acknowledged a series of struggles ensuring his reports citing violations reach prosecutors in Williams’ office, particularly those assigned to Flemings-Davillier’s court.

A top prosecutor last year shut off a “catch-all” email address at the District Attorney’s Office where ASAP sent all its violations, balking at the volume. Prosecutors in Section B also began reporting in February that they weren’t receiving ASAP’s emails at another address, he said.

Dennis blamed a problem at the District Attorney’s Office. He added that about two dozen prosecutors still have login access to his system.

ASAP doesn’t send the alerts to public defenders, who are “very anti-this stuff,” Dennis said. “They don’t want to look like they’re cooperating.”

A public defender for Banks, Catherine Kearney,

said in court Tuesday that ASAP’s reports “leave us sorting through, trying to figure out what exactly are the violations and makes it very difficult for us to address them with our clients.”

Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, called it a “missed opportunity,” saying defense counsel should receive those notices directly to head off trouble.

Goyeneche said the ASAP system has proven itself in helping law enforcement place a suspect at a crime scene. But after Tuesday’s court event, he questioned if it provided “actionable” information for revoking a bond.

A free family pop-up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will feature food trucks, yard games and Continued from page 1B a live fly-fishing demonstration at Lake Reaux from weekly Cajun jam. Free to Acadiana Flyrodders.

The demonstration runs attend all summer long. from 11 a.m. to noon. Fly Other events include: rods will be available to try, Sunset Sessions and the Flyrodders team Thursday nights in La- will walk through casting, fayette just got a whole lot fishing and fly tying for all better. Sunset Sessions is a ages and skill levels. Food new outdoor concert series trucks will be on-site with bringing four consecutive food, drinks and treats. No Thursday evenings of live registration required. music, food trucks, cold drinks and professional National Food Truck Day dance instruction under the Presented by NFP, Natrees at the Doerle Pavilion tional Food Truck Day at and b1BANK Backyard. Ev- Moncus Park, from 11 a.m. ery night kicks off with free to 8 p.m. June 26, is one of dance lessons by Britlyn the biggest free days of the Delahoussaye from 5:15 p.m. summer. More than a dozen to 5:45 p.m. No experience local food trucks will be set needed. Live music runs up and serving all day long, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admis- with free yard games for the whole family, face painting sion is free; parking is $10. n June 4: Latin Night fea- and a full afternoon of fun.

At 4 p.m., the full bar turing La Tran-K Band n June 11: Cajun Night opens with cocktails, cold beer, wine and punch. From featuring Chère Élise n June 18: Zydeco Night 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Q Major featuring Curley Taylor and and Dwight James and The Royals take the stage at the Zydeco Trouble n June 25: Country Night Doerle Pavilion for a live sunset concert. featuring Dyer County.

Parking is $2 per hour Father’s Day Pop-up from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., then Looking for the perfect a flat $10 per vehicle for the way to spend Father’s Day? concert and bar hours. All Come spend it at the park. parking proceeds benefit

Moncus Park. Admission is theater. Bring your own mat. free. More at moncuspark. No registration required. org/foodtruckday.

Whether you are a seasoned yogi or just looking for a Community pop-ups midweek reset outdoors, n Book Club with The Book this is the place. Instructors Rack of Acadiana meets at rotate throughout the sum6 p.m. June 9, July 14 and mer; check moncuspark.org/ Aug. 11 for a free monthly programs. n Tai Chi, led by Neil in-person discussion for all ages. This summer’s reading Gresham, is July 23 and list spans dystopian fiction, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. This gentle, cozy science fiction and non- low-impact practice focuses fiction, so there is something on balance, hip mobility, for every kind of reader. posture and deep breathBooks are available at The ing through smooth, flowing Book Rack of Acadiana, 2476 movements. All ages and fitW. Congress St., local book- ness levels welcome n Pilates at the Park with stores or your local library. n Art in the Park with Club Pilates South Lafayette Scrappie Studio is at 6 p.m. is Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. at the June 16, July 28 and Aug. 18. First Horizon Amphitheater.

Every month brings a dif- Free, no equipment needed, ferent free hands-on art ex- all levels welcome. n Sound Bath with Ann perience for all ages, led by the team at Scrappie Studio, Kergan is June 15 from 2116 Johnston St., Lafayette. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the new Kergan Meditation Garden.

Free summer programs The session uses sound freAll programs are free to quencies, gentle vibrations attend. Parking is $2 per and mindful stillness to quiet hour Tuesday through Sun- the mind, release stress and day with every Monday free. restore balance to the body. n Mom Walks, presented The Fit for All Series, presented by Louisiana Or- by Lafayette Pediatric Denthopaedic Specialists and tistry and hosted in partnerOrthopedic Urgent Care, ship with Acadiana Baby is the backbone of summer Steps, meet every Wedneswellness at Moncus Park. day at 9:30 a.m. at the Vetn Yoga in the Park meets erans Memorial. This is a every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the First Horizon Amphi-

welcoming, low-key gathering for moms to walk, connect and spend time outside together. Come as you are. n Kids Fitness with KidStrong is June 8 and Sept.

7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Savoy Family Treehouse. This free pop-up is open to children from walking age to 11 and focuses on strength, confidence and movement through high-energy play.

No registration required.

Community Hour brings free monthly programs to the park all summer: n Family Game Night is July 2 and Aug. 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Come out for chess, checkers, Connect 4, Jenga and cornhole in the open greenspace. No registration required. n Trivia Night with Pigeon Post Trivia is July 9, with a U.S. history theme in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, and Aug. 13, with a Disney theme. Both run 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. n Language Cafe meets monthly at 6 p.m. at the park. Each session highlights a different culture, led by international students and local cultural organizations. June 18 celebrates Creole culture and language and will be held at the Doer-

le Pavilion as part of Sunset Sessions; note that the $10 parking fundraiser will be in effect that evening. July 16 celebrates South Asian Heritage Month. Aug. 20 celebrates African languages and culture. n Pack Walks, presented

by Camp Bow Wow Lafayette, take place on the second Monday of each month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Each walk has a theme: June 8 is “Bloom in June,” July 13 is “Sparks Fly” and Aug. 10 is “Pups and Passports.” All pups welcome.

Staff writer

When a police SWAT team found two teens last week holed up in an attic with a gun in the Desire neighborhood, each was wearing an electronic monitor.

The one strapped to 19-year-old Ja’Maarion Banks, to enforce a judge’s order for home incarceration, had pinged dozens of possible violations since March, according to the provider. That included it pinging earlier this month when police allege he led a group of teens on an Uber carjacking spree.

The incident has sparked a caustic exchange between the monitor’s provider, ASAP Release, and Criminal District Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier over the lapse in oversight, while raising fresh questions about what it means to be monitored in New Orleans.

To Matt Dennis, the company’s outspoken CEO, Flemings-Davillier is falling down on the job.

“Why is she the only judge who doesn’t know how to read a report?” he said.

“This kid is running the streets. She could have corrected him.”

But the judge sounded off in court Tuesday as she accused ASAP, the dominant provider of electronic monitors for adult defendants in New Orleans, of “lazy work” that fails to keep accurate tabs on suspects who pay a few hundred dollars monthly to wear a monitor.

She accused the outfit of collecting “a big chunk of money just to autogenerate locations of a client without any further information to the court.”

Troubles with electronic monitoring in New Orleans

EVENTS

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

Woman shot during sale; teen arrested A Lafayette teen has been arrested after a woman was shot during a meeting to sell personal property.

Alvin James Harris, 18, of Lafayette, was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on one count of attempted first-degree murder in the incident.

According to the Lafayette Police Department, officers responded Tuesday at 4:48 p.m. to a hospital in reference to a female victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers later determined the shooting occurred in the 200 block of Mercer Lane in Lafayette.

The victim and her boyfriend were attempting to sell an item to the suspect, police said. During the ex-

change, he brandished a firearm and fired at the victim and her boyfriend, police said.

Officers later identified the suspect as Harris. He was apprehended in the 300 block of North Buchanan Street by the Police Department’s TNT and SWAT teams.

The victim was listed in stable condition with injuries that were not lifethreatening.

New Iberia residents arrested in scheme Four New Iberia residents have been arrested, accused of roles in an automobile insurance fraud scheme.

Rayshonte Oppenheimer, 29; Briannie Butler, 32; Passion Keal, 24; and Quandalyn Bernard, 33, all of New Iberia, were arrested by the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit, according to a news release from the Louisiana State Po-

lice.

The investigation began after a criminal referral from Timber Creek Insurance Services and the Louisiana Department of Insurance Fraud Division regarding allegations of fraudulent insurance claims involving the four.

The investigation determined the suspects made false statements during the insurance claims process following a 2025 crash involving a Pelican Waste & Debris garbage truck, according to the release.

Had the claims been successful, the suspects could have collectively received approximately $4 million in compensation.

Between April 30 and May 1, investigators obtained arrest warrants for all four suspects on counts of automobile insurance fraud, a felony. The suspects were later apprehended or turned themselves in and booked into the Iberia Parish Jail.

‘Our thing is bulletproof’ In Dennis’ view, the criticism is evidence of bad blood on the bench over the new regulations he pushed in the Legislature. Dennis pointed to a new requirement that forces judges to jail people after “a third finding of noncompliance by the court.”

“That’s why they’re mad at us, because we actually did all of this in a box. We forced them into this process,” Dennis said. “They don’t like the fact that the ‘his fault, her fault’ is over.”

Banks is among 14 defendants on ASAP monitors in Section B, according to Dennis.

Dennis argued that the criticism threatens to sow false doubt in a system he said is accurate within 14 feet.

“Our thing is bulletproof,” he said. “If what she says is true, there’s not a good criminal case in the courthouse that has anything to do with my program.”

Staff writer Matt Bruce contributed to this story.

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T h u r s d ay, M ay 28, 2026

U L V S . C I N C I N N A T I • 6 P. M . F R I D A y • E S P N +

BLAZING START

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Wade content with LSU’s position Despite roster eligibility questions, Tigers coach feeling ‘very comfortable’

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Recently released NCAA eligibility guidelines aimed at restricting the influx of international and previously professional basketball players could have a major effect on returning LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade’s 2026-27 roster.

If Wade is overly concerned about it, he isn’t letting it show.

“We feel very comfortable in our position,” Wade said with a smile Wednesday as he prepared to head home from the Southeastern Conference spring meeting here at the Sandestin Hilton.

Wade, who returned to LSU in March after a previous stint from 2017-22, gave little elaboration, though he did add: “We’ve got a job to do. A big task ahead of us. We’ve got to get it done.”

Potentially in question is the eligibility of five of LSU’s nine newcomers. They include: Brice Dessert: A 6-foot-11, 23-year-old center from France, Dessert plays for Anadolu Efes in the Turkish League.

Saliou Niang: A 6-6, 22-year-old wing player

ä See WADE, page 3C

Ragin’ Cajuns shortstop Blaze Rodriguez throws to first base during a game against UL-Monroe on March 28 at Russo Park. Rodriguez has a .974 fielding percentage this season. STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Freshman SS Rodriguez answers questions to become catalyst for Cajuns

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

UL assistant coach Seth Thibodeaux knew about Blaze Rodriguez.

He had recruited the Pope John Paul II shortstop and knew he had special defensive skills. Thibodeaux also knew Rodriguez had been committed to Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College for about a year.

But a friend on the Pope John Paul II coaching staff and former Nicholls player Jacques Jobert told Thibodeaux, the former head coach at Nicholls, that Rodriguez was a Division I shortstop.

“I knew defensively he was on a different level, no question,” Thibodeaux said. “I was only hesitant because I didn’t know whether he would be able to help us offensively his freshman year.”

The Cajuns sure are happy they decided to offer Rodriguez, who is now batting leadoff as the everyday short-

stop heading into the Starkville Regional this weekend, starting at 6 p.m. Friday against Cincinnati.

“I was understanding,” Rodriguez said of not being heavily recruited. “I mean, I knew I was undersized, smaller.”

When Thibodeaux called him with an offer in June, Rodriguez “committed on the spot.”

“I was just taking it one day at a time and just enjoying my time here,” Rodriguez said. “It’s baseball. It’s the same game. I’ve always had a decent glove, and I guess it just finally starting to showcase the best of its ability up here.”

Thibodeaux said that midway through the fall, Rodriguez’s glove was so effective that “it got to the point where coach (Matt Deggs) didn’t care about the offense anymore. It was like, ‘This kid is going to take away too many runs. He’s got to start for us.’ So yeah, we recognized early in the fall he was going to be our guy.”

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

Torina says LSU softball trending up

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

LSU’s defeat in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional was a microcosm of their season.

After being shackled offensively in the first game, the Tigers rebounded with a much better effort but still could not overcome the No. 1 national seed Alabama that scored 7-0 and 4-1 wins last weekend.

The Tigers started the season slowly but came on strong at the end. They dominated this season’s regional at Tiger Park where they’d lost twice to No. 4 seed Southeastern Louisiana the year before.

Coach Beth Torina believes her program is trending up.

“I’m incredibly proud of this team,” Torina said. “I’m glad I got this week with them.

I would like to have had another week. They showed a ton of growth throughout the season, and I’m excited about what’s in front of them.

“I still think last year’s team was kind of flukey; we played bad for one day. This team grew a ton, they finished strong. We’d like to continue to play on, but we’ve got to keep growing and continue to find ways to do that.”

Torina is trying to get the program back to the Women’s College World Series, where it hasn’t been since 2017. But the program is in

ä See LSU, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU softball coach Beth Torina talks with first baseman Tori Edwards in the third inning of a regional championship game against Virginia Tech on May 17 at Tiger Park. LSU beat Virginia Tech 8-0 to advance to the super regionals.

This team grew a ton, they finished strong. We’d like to continue to play on, but we’ve got to keep growing and continue to find ways to do that.”

BETH TORINA, LSU coach

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Will Wade talks about his journey back to LSU as men’s basketball coach at an introductory news conference on March 30 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

U.S. senators propose bill with ‘Kiffin Rule’ in it

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — It’s being called the Lane Kiffin Rule.

It’s just one segment of a sweeping and potentially landmark bipartisan piece of legislation called the Protect College Sports Act, put forward Wednesday by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, intended to regulate college athletics. But in Louisiana, Scott one part of the ponderous Rabalais 111-page bill will get the most attention.

The part that pertains to Kiffin, who you may have heard left Ole Miss to become the LSU football coach on the eve of the Rebels’ appearance in the College Football Playoff, would prohibit coaches from leaving their schools for another coaching position before the season ends, or for schools to make such a hire.

The act is obviously a long way from becoming law, especially with all of Congress and one-third of the U.S. Senate facing impactful midterm elections in November.

But it begs an interesting question: If the act had been law this past season, would Kiffin have been able to coach Ole Miss in the CFP before taking — or even entering into negotiations — the LSU job?

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

2C ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV COLLEGE SOFTBALL (WCWS) 11 a.m. Mississippi State vs.Texas Tech ESPN 1:30 p.m. Tennessee vs.Texas ESPN 6 p.m.

UCLA vs.Alabama ESPN2 8:30 p.m. Arkansas vs. Nebraska ESPN2 GOLF 6 a.m.

DP World Tour: Austrian Open Golf

3 p.m.

11 p.m.

9 a.m.

1 p.m.

Noon 3 p.m.

6 p.m.

PGA Tour: Schwab Challenge Golf LIV: Busan, South Korea FS1 MEN’S HOCKEY (IIHF) Canada vs. U.S. NHLN Swizerland vs. Sweden NHLN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL L.A.Angels at Detroit MLB Atlanta at Boston MLB Toronto at Baltimore MLB

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

NBA PLAYOFFS 7:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at San Antonio NBC MEN’S SOCCER 1:30 p.m. Ireland vs. Qatar FS2 TENNIS 1 p.m.

French Open TNT/TruTV WNBA 7 p.m.

Las Vegas at Dallas PRIME 9 p.m.

Indiana at Golden State PRIME

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Things to know as NCAA tourney gets started Friday

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

The NCAA baseball tournament opens Friday with play in 16 double-elimination regionals.

Regional winners advance to best-of-three super regionals next week, and the final eight go to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, beginning June 12.

Who’s hot Alabama State (34-21) and The Citadel (35-24) each have won eight straight games entering regionals.

SWAC Tournament champion Alabama State, which opens at Alabama as a No. 4 seed, turned nine double plays and averaged better than eight runs per game in the conference tournament. Miguel Oropeza drove in 13 runs over the past four games.

The Citadel (35-24), which plays Oklahoma as a No. 3 seed in Atlanta, knocked off regular-season champion Mercer twice on its way to the Southern Conference title. The Bulldogs have won 17 of their past 20.

Who’s not Boston College (36-21) has lost four in a row entering its game against Liberty as the No. 2 seed in Athens, Georgia. The Eagles have been outscored 46-5 over those games — 38-3 in three games against Georgia Tech and 8-2 by Miami in the ACC Tournament.

Kentucky (31-21) has dropped three in a row and 11 of its past 16.

Still waiting East Carolina (36-22-1), which received the American’s automatic bid by winning the conference tournament, has never reached the College World Series in 35 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, the longest streak of its kind. The Pirates are in an eighth straight regional and 10th in 11 years.

Florida State (38-17) has never won a national championship in 61 previous appearances. The Seminoles are a regional host for a record 38th time and open against St. John’s (33-24).

Ole Miss (36-21), the No. 2 regional seed, played the fourth-toughest schedule in the country and was in the running to be a host until two weeks ago. The Rebels lost 10 of their past 17 and tied for ninth in the SEC. The Rebels open against No. 3 regional seed Arizona State (37-19). The Sun Devils tied for third in the Big 12 and bring a powerful offense featuring conference player of the year Landon Hairsto (28 homers).

South Dakota State (2431), the bottom seed, opens against Nebraska. The Jackrabbits lost 5-4 in Lincoln in March.

No guarantees Regional hosts have advanced to super regionals 66.3% of the time (276 of 416) since the tournament went to its current format in 1999. Last year, nine hosts won regionals.

The fewest hosts to advance were seven in 2007 and 2014 and eight in 2018.

Feeling a draft Fourteen of the first 25 players in the mock draft

by MLB.com analyst Jonathan Mayo are in the tournament, including three of the top five.

Heading the group are UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1), UC Santa Barbara RHP Jackson Flora (3), Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey (5), Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress (7), Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian (8) and Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick (10).

Next are Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (11), Florida RHP Liam Peterson (12), Virginia outfielder A.J. Gracia (14), Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell (17), Coastal Carolina RHP Cameron Flukey (18), Tennessee RHP Tegan Kuhns (23), Arkansas LHP Hunter Dietz (24) and Virginia shortstop Eric Becker (25).

Bashing Bulldogs

Georgia leads the nation in home runs for the second straight year and is on pace to set its single-season record. The Bulldogs enter with 149 in 58 games, two shy of the 151 in 60 games in 2024. The Bulldogs are in Welcome to the party their fourth straight season Tarleton State (37-19) is with at least 100 homers.

SEC player of the year the only first-time participant, winning the Western Daniel Jackson leads the Athletic Conference Tour- Bulldogs with 27 and is nament to earn the No. 3 among six players with seed in Austin, Texas. The double-digit homers.

Texans also won the WAC in 2024 but weren’t eligible Who is this guy? for NCAA championships The best player you’ve because they were transi- probably never heard of is Cincinnati first baseman tioning from Division II. Tarleton State, which Quinton Coats. The 6-footopens against UC Santa 3, 225-pound sophomore is Barbara (38-18), owns three tied for fourth nationally wins over teams from pow- with 28 homers, is fifth with er conferences. The Texans 78 RBIs and third in the Big will be playing on the same 12 with a .764 slugging perfield where they beat re- centage. He has four multigional host Texas in March. homer games and went hitless in just six of 57 games.

Toughest regional

The Lincoln Regional, hosted by Nebraska, appears to be the toughest of the 16.

Nebraska (42-15), the No. 13 national seed, won 40 regular-season games for the first time since 2003 and will play in a regional at home for the first time since 2008.

The Huskers played a meaty nonconference schedule and posted wins over national seeds Auburn, Florida State and Oregon.

Geography lesson California, Florida and Texas all have five teams in regionals, most among the 30 states represented in the tournament. Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia all have four schools in regionals.

Massachusetts, not known as a bastion of college baseball, has three teams in the tournament in Boston College, Holy Cross and Northeastern.

Saints sign LB Sirmon, son of linebackers coach

The Saints signed linebacker Jackson Sirmon — the son of Saints linebackers coach Peter Sirmon.

Jackson Sirmon, 26, signed after a two-year stint with the New York Jets. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder mostly spent time on the practice squad, appearing in one game last season.

Peter Sirmon joined the Saints last season when Kellen Moore hired him. He coached Jackson at Cal, where Peter served as the defensive coordinator while Jackson was a first-team all-Pac-12 choice in 2022.

Jackson Sirmon went undrafted in 2024. He played 18 specialteams snaps and recorded a tackle in his career debut against the Carolina Panthers.

To make room for Sirmon, the Saints waived cornerback Jeremiah McClendon.

Major league players ask for expanded free agency ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VASHA HUNT

Alabama starting pitcher Jocelyn Briski throws against Belmont during an NCAA regional game on May 16 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Fully loaded

No. 1 seed Alabama, reigning champion Texas lead deep, talented field at Women’s College World Series

BY TIM WILLERT Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Top overall seed Alabama, reigning national champ Texas, and Big Ten Conference champion Nebraska headline a balanced field at the Women’s College World Series.

Alabama, with star pitcher Jocelyn Briski (22-3, 1.30 ERA), is capable of knocking off the second-seeded Longhorns and six others, including newcomers fifth-seeded Arkansas and unseeded Mississippi State.

The Crimson Tide (54-7) will open on Thursday against No. 8 seed UCLA, which boasts NCAA single-season home run leader Megan Grant and the top scoring team in the nation.

No. 4 seed Nebraska, which is ranked first in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, is making its first series appearance since 2013. The Cornhuskers (51-6) have won 26 straight games and are led by USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Jordy Frahm.

Frahm led Oklahoma to a national title in 2023 as Jordy Bahl before transferring, then later getting married and changing her name. Her previous team — eight-time national champion Oklahoma — won’t be making the 26-mile drive to Oklahoma City’s Devon Park for the first time since 2015.

The third-seeded Sooners, who won four of the past five national titles, were eliminated by Southeastern Conference upstart Mississippi State in three games at the Norman Super Regional. The Bulldogs (43-19) are coached by former Sooners All-American Samantha Ricketts, who played for coach Patty Gasso at Oklahoma.

“This week right now has been about enjoying the moment after obviously a historic super regional for us and also just being where our feet are,” Ricketts said. “We want our players to enjoy every step of this, being present, but then really using today to lock back in and knowing that we’re not done yet.”

Mississippi State will open with 2025 runner-up Texas Tech and ace NiJaree Canady. The Red Raiders (57-7), seeded No. 11 overall, took down sixth-seeded Florida at the Gainesville Super Regional and are looking to get back to the championship series. Canady, who wore down against Texas last year, now has help from pitcher Kaitlyn Terry, a transfer from UCLA. Arkansas, the team with the top regular-season RPI, makes its Devon Field debut. The Razorbacks haven’t reached the World Series, despite playing in super regionals in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2025. Coach Courtney Deifel’s team racked up 26 run-rule victories this season, including five straight. The Razorbacks went undefeated in regional and super regional competition.

Texas opens defense of its title Thursday against No. 7 seed Tennessee and hard-throwing Karlyn Pickens, the No. 1 overall pick in the AUSL draft.

The Volunteers (47-10) are making their 10th appearance in Oklahoma City and Pickens (15-7, 1.53 ERA and six saves) is among the reasons why, with 180 strikeouts in 1321/ 3 innings. But the Lady Vols can throw more than just Pickens at opponents. Sage Mardjetko (0.99 ERA) and Erin Numar (1.09 ERA) rank second and fourth, respectively.

“They definitely have three pitchers that have shown they can beat anybody at any time, especially going through the SEC Tournament,” Texas coach Mike White said. “They’re dangerous. They’re well coached.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NICK SMITH

UCLA senior Megan Grant leads the nation with an NCAA-record 40 home runs this season.

THURSDAY’S GAMES Game 1: Texas Tech vs.

Mississippi State, 11 a.m., ESPN Game 2: Texas vs.

Tennessee, 1:30 p.m., ESPN Game 3: Alabama vs. UCLA, 6 p.m., ESPN2 Game 4: Nebraska vs.Arkansas, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2 The Longhorns counter with Teagan Kavan, the Most Outstanding Player of last year’s Women’s College World Series. Kavan has a 25-5 record with a 2.47 ERA and beat Alabama in the SEC title game. Katie Stewart leads the team with a .436 average and 27 home runs.

Briski has 198 strikeouts in 1562/ 3 innings. She combined with teammate Vic Moten to limit LSU to one run and seven hits in two games at the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.

“I just think really the main goal here is to just go out and win one game at a time and win each game,” Briski said.

“I’m just excited to take the field. It all starts (Thursday), and we’re just focusing on that game.”

The Tide staff will be tested right away.

UCLA (52-8) features Grant, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist who has 40 home runs, and Jordan Woolery, the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year who is on pace to become the first player in NCAA history to hit .500 with 30 or more homers and 100 or more RBIs in the same season.

“I think a lot of the times me and Jordan are talked about as a duo, but I’m happy to say that I can finally talk about her individually because what she’s done this year is simply incredible,” Grant said. “I mean, honestly, she’s just going out there and she’s being herself, and she’s being everything that we always knew that she could be.”

Alabama coach welcomes support Alabama coach Tim Murphy invited fans of the Sooners to switch their allegiances for the next 10 days or so.

“First, to all the Oklahoma fans that are looking for a team to cheer for, it’s right here,” Murphy told reporters during media day interviews. “We have the same color palette. AMA at the bottom.

You can almost think it says Oklahoma, pretend it does. I’ll take those 10,000 fans cheering for us.”

WCWS has a big talent pool Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco called the overall talent level “unbelievable.”

“There’s literally — I think anyone in the field can win it, and I just don’t see anybody that’s going to be a clear-cut favorite,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a war from start to finish. There’s just so many teams that are really good here.”

NEW YORK — Baseball players fired the opening salvo Wednesday in what is expected to be long and contentious labor negotiations, asking for expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights along with almost doubling the major league minimum and increasing the money high-revenue teams share with the less-wealthy clubs.

A day before Major League Baseball is expected to make a salary cap proposal, the union outlined its initial economic proposals during a bargaining session at the players’ association office in Manhattan. It included what it called a “competitive integrity tax” that would penalize teams dropping below a payroll floor and called for the luxury tax threshold to rise to $300 million next year.

Packers RB Jacobs released from jail after Tuesday arrest

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was released from a Wisconsin jail on Wednesday while authorities further investigate allegations of domestic abuse.

Jacobs was arrested Tuesday in Brown County on allegations of strangulation and suffocation and other offenses over the weekend.

His lawyers said he denies wrongdoing. District Attorney David Lasee said it’s too soon to make a formal charging decision.

Hobart/Lawrence Police Chief Michael Renkas said police responded to a complaint about Jacobs around 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

Jacobs is the Packers’ top returning rusher after running for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025.

Former NL MVP McCutchen designated for assignment

ARLINGTON,Texas — Former NL MVP outfielder Andrew McCutchen was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, after he hit .192 in his 37 games.

The 39-year-old McCutchen had joined the Rangers on a minorleague contract midway through spring training and made their opening-day roster for his 18th MLB season. He started only 15 games, nine as the designated hitter and six in the outfield.

Texas signed infielder Nicky Lopez to a major league contract.

The 31-year-old Lopez has played in 693 big-league games over parts of eight seasons with five teams.

The left-handed hitter was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

McCutchen had two doubles, one homer and five RBIs with Texas.

Sánchez sets Phillies’ scoreless innings record

SAN DIEGO — Philadelphia lefthander Cristopher Sánchez extended his scoreless innings streak to 442⁄3 innings on Wednesday to set the Phillies franchise record by passing Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Sánchez reached the milestone by getting through the four full innings he needed to pass Alexander, who had a 41-inning scoreless streak in 1911.

There was a heart-stopping moment, though, as Manny Machado lifted a fly ball to left that Edmundo Sosa caught just in front of the wall leading off the fourth. Sánchez struck out Xander Bogaerts, Ramon Laureano doubled to left and then the lefty got Jackson Merrill to ground out to second base to set the record.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● 3C

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WADE

Continued from page 1C from Senegal, Niang has played in the EuroLeague.

He was also the 58th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Michael Ruzic: A 7-0, 19-yearold forward/center from Croatia, Ruzic played for Jovenhut in Badalona, Spain.

Marcio Santos: A 6-9, 23-yearold center/forward from Brazil, Santos plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel and in the EuroLeague.

Also in question is LSU commitment RJ Luis. The 2025 Big East Player of the Year at St. John’s signed

CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C Rodriguez has made seven errors in 62 games this season for a .974 fielding percentage, but that only begins to tell the story.

He makes difficult grounders look routine, relishes the opportunities to make spectacular plays and the angles he takes to get to balls are well beyond his years.

“I think coach Thib has made me 10 times the fielder that I was in high school,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve always had a good glove, but when I got here, I think I kind of understood how everything needs to work as a whole and not separately.”

Playing on grass for the first time last week in Montgomery, Alabama, Rodriguez charged the ball less and showed off his arm strength more than usual.

“Yeah, I haven’t been able to do that very much this season, so I was excited to let it rip a couple times,” Rodriguez said.

Thibodeaux said the main challenge of coaching Rodriguez is knowing when to tell him to slow down.

“He made one error in the fall and the next morning, he wanted ground balls at 7 o’clock in the morning,” Thibodeaux said. “I had to tell him he was being too reactionary and calm down, but he’s that serious about it.”

Hard work on his game is enjoyable for the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder from Slidell.

“He loves making plays and taking away hits, and so he likes practicing that,” Thibodeaux said. “He loves repetition. He loves to work at it. He’s got a broad vision of what he can do, and he wants to practice those big plays, too.

“It’s not just a boring thing for him. Like, he can’t get enough. He can’t stop.”

Rodriguez is already doing things defensively that first-round pick and UL AllAmerican Kyle DeBarge wasn’t doing until later in his career.

“He understands things most freshmen or sophomores, or even juniors, don’t,” Thibodeaux said.

“He does things that Kyle

LSU

Continued from page 1C the midst of a transition that won’t come into focus until school opens in the fall.

While Torina is in line to welcome back six of nine daily starters and two of her top three pitchers, the comings and goings of the transfer portal — which is open for business June 8 — will have something to say about the roster composition.

Last year, Torina signed five key players from the portal but also in the fold is a recruiting class that has been ranked in the top three in the nation at different times. The shift to the offense coached by assistant Bryce Neal, who just completed his second season in Baton Rouge, has begun to take hold.

“It’s the first recruiting class (Bryce) had his hands in,” Torina said. “Getting athletes that fit his style is important. We are excited about the class. They were ranked No. 1 at the time we signed them. The group of freshmen we have coming

with LSU after having previously signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Utah Jazz. He later played three exhibition games for the Boston Celtics.

A 6-7 wing player, Luis also signed with Boston’s G-League affiliate the Maine Celtics but never played for that team and was waived because of an injury. Luis may need to file a lawsuit to gain eligibility to play for the Tigers.

“We’ll let that play out,” he said.

Under the NCAA’s new eligibility rules issued earlier this month, players who have “entered an agreement with, competed on or received compensation from

a team that participates in a league with minimum compensation that exceeds actual and necessary expenses” would not have their college eligibility reinstated.

According to Sports Illustrated, which obtained a document outlining the new NCAA rules, the document specifically mentions the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA and Premier League, though other top international basketball leagues also could become part of the same ruling.

Including Luis, LSU has nine prospective players on its 2026-27 roster. Wade didn’t rule out the possibility of adding more.

“We may get another couple,” he said.

STARKVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE Friday’s Games Game 1 – Mississippi St. (40-17) vs. Lipscomb (29-24), 1 p.m.

Game 2 – Cincinnati (37-20) vs. UL (39-22), 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Games Game 3 – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 3 p.m.

Game 4 – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 8 p.m.

Sunday’s Games Game 5 – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – 2 p.m.

Game 6 – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 7 p.m.

Monday’s Game Game 7 – If Necessary – Time TBD

PROVIDED PHOTO By AJ HENDERSON

UL freshman shortstop Blaze Rodriguez has become a star with his unique defensive skills this season for the Ragin’ Cajuns. couldn’t do until he was a junior. That’s just understanding the game of baseball.

Just a student of it. He’s married to it.”

The offensive production took longer to show up. After getting a pair of walkoff hits early in the season, Rodriguez’s batting average dipped as low as .219.

“I’m here to play some defense,” Rodriguez said. “The hitting’s a plus and I’ll figure that out eventually.”

Handling the expected failures at the plate is one of Rodriguez’s skills.

“He doesn’t take his offense onto the field,” Thibodeaux said. “I mean, he could strike out with the bases loaded, it doesn’t matter. When he’s on defense, it’s all about defense. He moves on right away.

“I have not really coached that before, especially as a freshman.”

These days, Rodriguez is more comfortable at the plate. Against Appalachian State in early May, Deggs put Rodriguez in the leadoff spot.

It’s worked like a charm.

“That’s where I’m comfortable. I’ve hit there my whole life,” Rodriguez said.

“When he put me there, something in my brain just

switched.”

Rodriguez was familiar with the role.

“I had a different job as a 9-hole hitter,” said Rodriguez, who is now batting .235 with nine doubles, 18 RBIs, 38 walks, 39 strikeouts, a .368 on-base percentage and 15 stolen bases. “It’s still my job to bunt sometimes, but also work the pitcher’s count. I’m trying to see as many pitches as possible, trying to see the whole pitcher’s arsenal to give some good feedback to the team.”

Rodriguez is no longer a freshman with question marks, and he’s one of the few Cajuns ever to play at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.

“The first baseball camp I ever went to was at Mississippi State when I was in the eighth grade,” he said.

On Friday, it’ll be Rodriguez seeing the first pitch of the game against Cincinnati.

“I’ll embrace it all on deck, for sure,” he said.

“Then once that umpire tells me it’s time to roll, I’ll walk into the batter’s box and say it’s time to go.”

in will be immediate difference-makers.”

The class includes catcher Samantha Alekman (El Dorado Hills, California), infielder Giselle De Casas (Hayward, California), pitcher Addie Rackley (Buford, Georgia), outfielder Adelynn Siegel (Shiner, Texas), pitcher Ayla Tuua (Murieta, California), catcher Karmen Vazquez (Hanford, California) and outfielder Sydnee Williams (Phoenix, Arizona).

Tuua, the California Gatorade Player of the Year, and Rackley are two-way players; Williams is a center fielder who could step in with the loss of senior leadoff hitter Jalia Lassiter; and Vazquez is a left-handed hitter who could step in for senior Maci Bergeron.

The freshmen will be hard-pressed to unseat multiple possible returners, including shortstop Kylee Edwards, who had 10 homers, 40 RBIs and a .341 batting average. Tori Edwards is also expected back after hitting a team-best 12 homers with 45 RBIs. The Tigers survived the loss of pitching ace Sydney Berzon to the transfer portal last off-

season by bringing in veterans Cece Cellura and Paytn Monticelli, the latter of which won’t be back. But Cellura teaming with Jayden Heavener would give LSU a seasoned twosome in the circle.

Torina is aware that some of the 2026 team will opt for the portal, but she likes the direction the program is trending. The schedule next season looks to be among the toughest ever with seven of the eight SEC opponents reaching this year’s super regionals and four of those playing in the Women’s College World Series this week.

The SEC schedule for LSU will feature Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia.

“We’re on the right track,” Torina said. “It’s a new age of college athletics. We’re learning and growing, trying to put the program in the best possible position to win.

We’ve made a lot of changes and keep making changes that allow us to do that.

“We won’t return everyone, but nobody does that anymore. Oklahoma, UCLA, whoever you are, nobody lives in that world.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C There’s a lot to absorb about the proposed act and how much it does to cure some of college sports’ ills — believe it or not, some of which Kiffin has nothing to do with — currently imperiling college athletics. But if it does get passed, the Lane Kiffin Rule is on its way to becoming imprinted in the sports lexicon.

In case you’re wondering, Kiffin was leaving here to fly back to Baton Rouge along with men’s basketball coach Will Wade and women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey right about the time news of the bill was breaking.

There’s obviously a lot more in the bill than what pertains to job-hopping coaches. There are provisions to prevent the creation of a so-called “super league” of an elite group of power schools, limit fees for agents to 5% of player deals, permit the pooling of media rights, and allow the NCAA and College Sports Commission to enforce strict standards to prohibit third-party NIL deals. It also leaves open the possibility of collective bargaining for athletes, a highly controversial outcome that would allow athletes to be considered university employees.

“This bipartisan bill is designed to save the part of college sports that fans actually care about,” Cruz recently told Yahoo Sports.

Something tells me a lot of folks will focus on the part that they think will save college sports from Kiffin.

In other news from the SEC spring meeting: Football scheduling: The Southeastern Conference revealed more kickoff times and TV assignments Wednesday for early season games.

The only new LSUrelated information was on the Tigers’ Sept. 12 home game against Louisiana Tech. Kickoff will be at

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin pumps his fist to a crowd on Nov. 30 as he leaves the MMR hangar at Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

6:30 p.m., with the game being shown on a streaming basis on SECNetwork+.

That means LSU’s first three games of the Kiffin era will all start at 6:30 p.m. As previously announced, the Sept. 5 opener in Tiger Stadium against Clemson will be on ABC, as will its Sept. 19 game at Ole Miss.

According to the SEC, kickoff windows for remaining SEC-controlled games — which will include all nine remaining games on LSU’s schedule — will be announced June 10. Following a scheduling format that debuted in 2024, the windows are as follows: early (11 a.m.noon), afternoon (2:303:30 p.m.), night (5-7 p.m.) or flex (afternoon or night).

CFP expansion: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday before the SEC meetings began that there would be no vote here on whether to support expansion of the College Football Playoff from 12 to 16, 24 or even 28 teams.

After a couple of days of discussions, LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said that remains the case.

“I’m still looking at all the pieces of the puzzle,” Ausberry said. “Figuring out what’s the best for LSU, first of all, and then the conference. We want to make sure we get it right.”

The Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Notre Dame are all unified in their support for a 24-game playoff.

Sankey said Wednesday that the SEC continues to

support an expansion to only 16 games, at least for now.

“We have not talked about our decision point,” Sankey said. “This is likely a fall decision. As we work to gather information to see if there is interest in an expanded playoff from media markets, we’ll try to plot out the calendar.

All of those need time for research and planning.

There’s no need to rush to do this by, to pick a date, (SEC) media days.”

It’s expected that the college football conferences, led by the SEC and Big Ten, have to let ESPN know about their plans for the 2027-28 playoff by December.

Anti-gambling education: In the wake of the NCAA denying reinstatement to Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby over his admission of extensive sports gambling, the SEC on Wednesday unveiled its plan for mandatory sports gambling education for athletes.

The league has produced an educational video, among other initiatives, that must be viewed by all SEC athletes before their start of competition for the 2026-27 athletic year.

Among those in attendance at a news conference to announce the SEC program was former LSU offensive lineman Braden Augustus, who earlier this year was elected vice chairman of the SEC Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

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4C ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Djokovic survives heat for 4-set victory

BY ANDREW DAMPF AP sportswriter

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Cecilia head coach Cody Champagne and his coaching staff were a lot more prepared to get more out of spring football this year.

Cecilia football coaches more seasoned this spring

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

The difference between this spring and 2025 was like night and day for Cecilia football coach Cody Champagne.

Last May, Champagne was making his debut as the Bulldogs head coach, and the former offensive coordinator made do with only a couple of holdovers from Dennis Skains’ previous coaching staff.

“Oh, man ... last year, it was like, OK, there are only three of us left,” he said. “Let’s just get through the spring.”

Champagne and his assistants capped off this spring in much more comfortable fashion with a scrimmage against Lakeshore, a program that the No. 13-seeded Bulldogs eliminated on the road in the 2025 playoffs in traditional highscoring Cecilia fashion (54-42).

“I thought it went well,” Champagne said. “Lakeshore had some kids out with their baseball team going to the semifinals. They had their quarterback (Brody Loudermilk). We were able to push their defensive line around some.”

The Bulldogs are experienced up-

front with three returning starters on the offensive line, headlined by 300-pound three-year starter Ethan Journet. Receiver Ashton Ruffin, the younger brother of former Cecilia star Ellis Stewart, landed his first scholarship offer from Southern after the spring game.

“He’s going to be a problem,” Champagne said of Ruffin, who hit a growing spurt during the offseason and is now taller than 6-foot-4.

Junior quarterback Layne Champagne will throw to Ruffin and fourstar LSU commitment Braylon Calais, who is moving from running back to receiver and will take some snaps at quarterback. Calais sat out the scrimmage with a minor injury.

“I think he’s happy about that,” Champagne said of the position move for Calais, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons and still will take some snaps at running back with Deondre Brisco, a starter last year at H-Back.

On defense, some players who impressed during the spring were nose guard Chance Guidry, linebackers Kaleb Journet and Brandon Lejeune, and safety BJ Patt, who comes from a long line of Bull-

dogs in his family tree.

Additional standouts includ returning starters in the secondary Demarcus Babineaux, Dakorey Living and Franky Frank. Babineaux is a three-year starter, while Frank has been a key cog in the lineup since his freshman campaign.

“I thought we got out there and did what we needed to do,” Champagne said. “We put some kids in new positions to see if they could handle the pressure. Obviously, the actual season is a different animal, but the guys went out there and performed.”

Chase Narcisse and Amiri Noel are new faces in the defensive backfield whom Champagne expects big things from. Kennan Batiste is a returning starter on the defensive line who is recovering from offseason surgery.

Cecilia will scrimmage Kaplan in the fall and then will face Lafayette High in the jamboree. St. Amant and Central-BR have been replaced on the regular-season schedule by Barbe and Teurlings Catholic.

Carencro is a new addition to the district after dropping down from Class 5A.

PARIS — Novak Djokovic placed ice packs around his neck and on top of his head during changeovers to keep cool amid the Paris heat wave at the French Open on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Djokovic was pushed by 74thranked French player Valentin Royer — who is 15 years younger than him — for more than 31/2 hours before he reached the Djokovic third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3 victory.

For the fourth straight day of this year’s tournament, the temperature rose above 90 degrees.

“When you play a three-and-ahalf hour match on clay, it’s long and very exhausting,” Djokovic said. “These days have been really, really very challenging for a lot of players.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion wasted a chance to close the match out earlier when he missed a backhand long in the third-set tiebreaker, then required four more match points in his final service game before a forehand from Royer landed in the net to conclude a long rally.

Before arriving in Paris, Royer had earned only one tour-level win across 11 tournaments he played this season.

Djokovic came to Roland Garros with questions about his form after getting beat in his only clay-court match before the tournament. He lost to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic at the Italian Open after two months out because of a right shoulder injury.

But Djokovic is playing himself back into form after coming back from a set down to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, another Frenchman, in a firstround match that lasted nearly three hours.

Djokovic reached the third round in Paris for a 21st straight year. He raised the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy in 2016, 2021 and 2023.

Up next for Djokovic is potentially a bigger test against 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who came back from two sets down for a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1,

6-2 victory over the 20-year-old Prizmic. Fonseca has been touted as a future Grand Slam contender.

Meanwhile, Jakub Mensik collapsed to the clay because of cramps and had a tough time getting up after edging Mariano Navone in a fifth-set tiebreaker.

That match lasted 4 hours, 41 minutes.

Then in the next match on Court 6, Hailey Baptiste was forced to retire while facing a set point against Wang Xiyu after landing awkwardly on her left leg.

Djokovic suggested that French Open organizers should consider moving more matches later in the day and night on days with extreme heat.

“With Grand Slams it shouldn’t be an issue, because we have so many courts,” Djokovic said. “If you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe that’s something to consider.”

In the night session, secondseeded Alexander Zverev beat Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina, this year’s Australian Open winner, was beaten by Ukrainian opponent Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Also advancing were Ukrainians Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, who are coming off trophies at the Madrid Open and Italian Open, respectively.

The seventh-seeded Svitolina beat Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4 to extend her winning streak to eight matches. The 15th-seeded Kostyuk beat Katie Volynets 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 to extend her winning streak to 13 matches.

“I’m most pleased that I didn’t cramp to death or didn’t pass out during this match,” Kostyuk said after her match, which lasted nearly three hours. “It was not easy for everyone.”

Four-time champion and No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek improved her career record at Roland Garros to 42-3 by eliminating 35thranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3.

Swiatek won at Roland Garros in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

She next faces Magda Linette in the first all-Polish meeting at Roland Garros in the professional era (since 1968). Linette eliminated 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

SCOREBOARD Odds

Hockey

NBA

NHL playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS

Thursday

FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG at SAN ANTONIO 3½ (218½) Oklahoma City

MLB Thursday

American League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at DETROIT -130 LA Angels Minnesota -122 at CHI. WHITE SOX at BALTIMORE -124 Toronto at TEXAS -152 Houston National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at PITTSBURGH -174 Chicago Cubs Interleague FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Atlanta -136 at BOSTON

LINE +110 +104 +106 +128 LINE +146 LINE +115

Pro basketball

WESTERN CONFERENCE Vegas 4, Colorado 0

Western Conference Oklahoma City 3, San Antonio 2

Monday, May 18: San Antonio 122, Oklahoma City 115, 2OT Wednesday, May 20: Oklahoma City 122, San Antonio 113 Friday, May 22: Oklahoma City 123, San Antonio 108 Sunday, May 24: San Antonio 103, Oklahoma City 82 Tuesday, May 26: Oklahoma City 127, San Antonio 114 Thursday, May 28: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. x-Saturday, May 30: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

WNBA glance Atlanta Indiana Chicago New York Toronto Washington Connecticut

W 4 4 3 3 3 2 1

L 1 2 3 4 4 3 7

Pct .800 .667 .500 .429 .429 .400 .125

GB — ½ 1½ 2 2 2 4½

Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Portland Los Angeles Seattle Phoenix

W 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2

L 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5

Pct .667 .667 .667 .571 .571 .500 .429 .286

GB — — — ½ ½ 1 1½ 2½

No games scheduled.

Wednesday’s games

Phoenix at New York, n Toronto at Chicago, n Atlanta at Minnesota, n Connecticut at Portland,n Washington at Seattle, n Las Vegas at Dallas, 7 p.m.

Indiana at Golden State, 9 p.m.

Tampa Bay New York Toronto Baltimore Boston Central Division Cleveland Chicago Minnesota Kansas City Detroit West Division Athletics Seattle Texas Houston Los Angeles

Tuesday’s games

27 31 33

.509 .456 .400

9 12 15

W 33 29 29 29 29

L 20 25 25 26 26

Pct .623 .537 .537 .527 .527

GB — 4½ 4½ 5 5

W 35 31 30 22 20

L 20 23 24 33 36

Pct GB .636 — .574 3½ .556 4½ .400 13 .357 15½

Wednesday’s games W 34 33 27 25 22

L 18 22 29 30 31

Pct GB .654 — .600 2½ .482 9 .455 10½ .415 12½

W 33 27 27 22 21

L 25 27 28 33 34

Pct GB .569 — .500 4 .491 4½ .400 9½ .382 10½

W 27 27 25 24 21

L 28 29 29 32 34

Pct .491 .482 .463 .429 .382

GB — ½ 1½ 3½ 6

College softball NCAA Div. I World Series glance At Devon Park Oklahoma City, Okla.

Double elimination x-if necessary

Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m.

Game 6 — Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m.

Game 8 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Game 9 — Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 2 p.m.

Game 10 — Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 6 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Rodriguez 1-1) at Detroit (Flaherty 0-6), 12:10 p.m.

Minnesota (Bradley 5-1) at Chicago White Sox (Martin 7-1), 1:10 p.m.

Atlanta (Sale 7-3) at Boston (Tolle 2-2), 3:10 p.m.

Toronto (Corbin 2-1) at Baltimore (Bassitt 4-3), 5:35 p.m.

Houston (Arrighetti 6-1) at Texas (Eovaldi 5-5), 7:05 p.m.

National League

Pct .673 .509

Atlanta (Sale 7-3) at Boston (Tolle 2-2), 3:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Rea 4-3) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 6-4), 5:40 p.m.

Friday’s games

Thursday’s games

L 18 28

Thursday’s games

Game 1 — Texas Tech vs. Mississippi St., 11 a.m.

Game 2 — Texas vs. Tennessee, 1:30 p.m.

Game 3 — Alabama vs. UCLA, 6 p.m.

Game 4 — Nebraska vs. Arkansas, 8:30 p.m.

Seattle at Athletics, 3:05 p.m.

Cleveland 3, Washington 2 Toronto 2, Miami 1 Tampa Bay at Baltimore, n L.A. Angels at Detroit, n Atlanta at Boston, n Minnesota at Chicago White Sox, n N.Y. Yankees at Kansas City, n Houston at Texas, n

W 37 29

Cleveland 3, Washington 2 Arizona 3, San Francisco 2 Milwaukee 2, St. Louis 1 Toronto 2, Miami 1 Philadelphia 3, San Diego 0 Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, n Atlanta at Boston, n Cincinnati at N.Y. Mets, n Colorado at L.A. Dodgers, n

Thursday’s games

Wednesday’s games

Atlanta Washington

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

28 26 22

Washington 6, Cleveland 3 Pittsburgh 12, Chicago Cubs 1 Atlanta 7, Boston 6 Toronto 8, Miami 1 Cincinnati 7, N.Y. Mets 2 Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 0 Philadelphia 4, San Diego 3 Arizona 7, San Francisco 5 L.A. Dodgers 15, Colorado 6

Washington 6, Cleveland 3 Baltimore 6, Tampa Bay 1 Atlanta 7, Boston 6 L.A. Angels 10, Detroit 6 Toronto 8, Miami 1 Texas 10, Houston 7 N.Y. Yankees 15, Kansas City 1 Minnesota 5, Chicago White Sox 3, 11 innings Seattle 4, Athletics 1

East Division

Milwaukee Cincinnati St. Louis Chicago Pittsburgh West Division

Tuesday’s games

Wednesday, May 20: Vegas 4, Colorado 2 Friday: Vegas 3, Colorado 1 Sunday: Vegas 5, Colorado 3 Tuesday: Vegas 2,, Colorado 1

East Division

Tuesday, May 19: New York 115, Cleveland 104, OT Thursday: New York 109, Cleveland 93 Saturday: New York 121, Cleveland 108 Monday: New York 130, Cleveland 93

Thursday’s games

Thursday, May 21: Montreal 6, Carolina 2 Saturday: Carolina 3, Montreal 2, OT Monday: Carolina 3, Montreal 2, OT Wednesday: Carolina at Montreal, n Friday, May 29: Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. x-Sunday, May 31: Carolina at Montreal, TBA x-Tuesday, June 2: Montreal at Carolina, TBA

American League

Eastern Conference New York 4, Cleveland 0

Tuesday’s games

EASTERN CONFERENCE Carolina 2, Montreal 1

MLB glance

(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Major League Baseball

NBA playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Philadelphia Miami New York Central Division

GB — 9

Monday’s games

Game 11 — Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 11 a.m. x-Game 12 — Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1:30 p.m.

Game 13 — Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. x-Game 14 — Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Championship Series (Best-of-3) Wednesday, June 3

Game 1 — Teams TBD, 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 4

Game 2 — Teams TBD 8 p.m.

Friday, June 5

x-Game 3 — Teams, TBD, 7 p.m.

Pro tennis French Open results Wednesday

At Stade Roland Garros Paris Purse: €28,900,000 Surface: Red clay

Men’s Singles

Second Round Alex de Minaur (8), Australia, def. Alexander Blockx, Belgium, walkover.

Jesper De Jong, Netherlands, def. Federico Cina, Italy, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

Thiago Agustin Tirante, Argentina, def.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21), Spain, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-3.

Karen Khachanov (13), Russia, def. Marco Trungelliti, Argentina, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Andrey Rublev (11), Russia, def. Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Argentina, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain, def. Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australia, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0, ret.

Nuno Borges, Portugal, def. Miomir Kecmanovic, Serbia, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

Jakub Mensik (26), Czechia, def. Mariano Navone, Argentina, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (11).

Quentin Halys, France, def. Ugo Humbert (32), France, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8).

Novak Djokovic (3), Serbia, def. Valentin Royer, France, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3.

Rafael Jodar (27), Spain, def. James Duckworth, Australia, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5.

Alex Michelsen, United States, def. Nishesh Basavareddy, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Joao Fonseca (28), Brazil, def. Dino Prizmic, Croatia, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

Tommy Paul (24), United States, def. Lorenzo Sonego, Italy, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Alexander Zverev (2), Germany, def. Tomas Machac, Czechia, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Casper Ruud (15), Norway, def. Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Women’s Singles

Second Round Belinda Bencic (11), Switzerland, def. Caty McNally, United States, 6-4, 6-0.

Tamara Korpatsch, Germany, def. Wang Xinyu (32), China, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

Iga Swiatek (3), Poland, def. Sara Bejlek, Czechia, 6-2, 6-3.

Peyton Stearns, United States, def. Daria Snigur, Ukraine, 6-4, 6-0.

Viktorija Golubic, Switzerland, def. Alycia Parks, United States, 6-2, 6-2.

Elina Svitolina (7), Ukraine, def. Kaitlin Quevedo, Spain, 6-0, 6-4.

Magda Linette, Poland, def. Jelena Ostapenko (29), Latvia, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

Marie Bouzkova (27), Czechia, def. Francesca Jones, Britain, 6-0, 7-6 (3).

Marta Kostyuk (15), Ukraine, def. Katie Volynets, United States, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3.

Yuliia Starodubtseva, Ukraine, def. Elena Rybakina (2), Kazakhstan, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Wang Xiyu, China, def. Hailey Baptiste (26), United States, 5-4, ret.

Jil Teichmann, Switzerland, def. Magdalena Frech, Poland, 7-5, 6-4.

Sorana Cirstea (18), Romania, def. Eva Lys, Germany, 6-3, 6-0.

Solana Sierra, Argentina, def. Jasmine Paolini (13), Italy, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Mirra Andreeva (8), Russia, def. Marina Bassols Ribera, Spain, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Karolina Muchova (10), Czechia, def. Kamilla Rakhimova, Russia, 6-2, 6-2.

Men’s Doubles

First Round John Peers, Australia, and Robert Galloway, United States, def. Reese Stalder, United States, and Cleeve Harper, Canada, 6-3, 6-4.

Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl, Czechia, def. Finn Reynolds and James Watt, New Zealand, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Evan King, United States, and Andre Goransson, Sweden, def. Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz (16), Brazil, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Robert Cash and James Tracy (15), United States, def. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Moise Kouame, France, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Diego Hidalgo, Ecuador, and Patrik Trhac, United States, def. Fernando Romboli, Brazil, and John-Patrick Smith, Australia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

David Pel and Sander Arends, Netherlands, def. Kyrian Jacquet and Arthur Gea, France, 6-4, 6-3.

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz (6), Germany, def. Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov, Kazakhstan, 7-5, 7-6 (4).

Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, and Hugo Nys (10), Monaco, def. Vit Kopriva, Czechia, and Filip Pieczonka, Poland, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Vasil Kirkov, United States, and Bart Stevens, Netherlands, def. Corentin Moutet and Luca Van Assche, France, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4.

Lucas Miedler and Alexander Erler (14), Austria, def. Ryan Seggerman, United States, and Rinky Hijikata, Australia, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4).

Hendrik Jebens, Germany, and Ray Ho, Taiwan, def. Mac Kiger, United States, and Ignacio Buse, Peru, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7).

Women’s Doubles

First Round Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Stefani (4), Brazil, def. Maia Lumsden, Britain, and Isabelle Haverlag, Netherlands, 6-2, 6-0.

Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine, def. Xu Yifan and Xinyu Jiang (14), China, 6-1, 6-1.

Nicole Melichar-Martinez, United States, and Cristina Bucsa (6), Spain, def. Katarzyna Piter, Poland, and Renata Zarazua, Mexico, 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-0.

Sara Errani, Italy, and Lilli Tagger, Austria, def. Sofia Kenin and Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

Shuko Aoyama, Japan, and En-Shuo Liang, Taiwan, def. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Italy, and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Spain, 6-2, 6-3.

Maya Joint, Australia, and Hanne Vandewinkel, Belgium, def. Jessika Ponchet and Leolia Jeanjean, France, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3.

Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, def. Antonia Ruzic and Petra Marcinko, Croatia, 6-1, 6-0.

Vera Zvonareva, Russia, and Laura Siegemund (11), Germany, def. Ann Li, United States, and Clara Tauson, Denmark, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Qianhui Tang, China, and Elena Pridankina, Russia, def. Linda Noskova and Tereza Valentova, Czechia, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Anastasia Zakharova and Oksana Selekhmeteva, Russia, def. Leylah Fernandez, Canada, and Diana Shnaider, Russia, 6-3, 6-1.

Emiliana Arango, Colombia, and Iva Jovic, United States, def. Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson, Australia, 6-3, 6-2.

Ulrikke Eikeri, Norway, and Quinn Gleason (15), United States, def. Hao-Ching Chan, Taiwan, and Ekaterina Alexandrova, Russia, 6-2, 6-4.

Mixed Doubles

Second Round Neal Skupski, Britain, and Desirae Krawczyk (4), United States, def. Harmony Tan and Gregoire Jacq, France, 6-2, 6-1.

Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Asia Muhammad, United States, def. Amandine Hesse and Sadio Doumbia, France, 6-1, 6-3.

Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwan, and Mark Wallner, Germany, def. Andreja Klepac, Slovenia, and Lloyd Glasspool, Britain, 6-3, 7-5.

Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard, France, def. Estelle Cascino and Luca Sanchez, France, 6-1, 7-6 (2).

Leolia Jeanjean and Geoffrey Blancaneaux, France, def. Hugo Gaston and Clara Burel, France, 7-6 (6), 5-7, 10-5.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

T h u r s d ay, M ay 28, 2026

H

5CN

Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad packed with protein

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

For this simple salad dinner, I combined chickpeas with bulgur wheat for a hearty yet refreshing taste.

Bulgur is made from whole wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and then crushed, giving it a tender texture and a subtle nutty flavor. Let the wheat sit a little longer if it is not soft after 20 minutes.

One key technique for boosting flavor is to crush fresh scallions together with the bulgur, allowing the scallion juices to seep into the grains and infuse them with a savory aroma. Drained canned chickpeas add protein, while cheddar cheese brings a rich, tangy note.

A handful of pistachio nuts finishes the dish with a delicate crunch, creating a vegetarian meal full of flavors and textures.

savor pring s Strawberry cake has cooked strawberries inside and can be topped with fresh ones.

TNS PHOTO

Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad is full of protein and flavor.

Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer.

1/4 cup bulgur wheat 1/2 cup hot water 1 ⁄3 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 tomato, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup reduced-fat, shredded, sharp cheddar cheese 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 ⁄3 cup unsalted pistachio nuts Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint 2 cups washed, ready-to-eat lettuce leaves 1. Place bulgur wheat in bowl with hot water and let sit 20 minutes.

2. While wheat is soaking, prepare remaining ingredients. Combine lemon juice and garlic in a bowl. Stir in olive oil.

3. Drain bulgur and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with your hands. Add the scallions and squeeze again so that the scallion juices penetrate the wheat.

4. Add to olive oil mixture. Fold in cheddar cheese, chickpeas and pistachios. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle mint on top.

5. Divide the lettuce between two dinner plates. Divide the chickpea mixture in half and serve over the lettuce.

Nutrition info per serving: 530 calories (53 percent from fat), 31.5 g fat (6.7 g saturated, 13.6 g monounsaturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 21.4 g protein, 46.9 g carbohydrates, 13.1 g fiber, 311 mg sodium.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Enjoy the bounty of Louisiana gardens

May is the month when every fruit and vegetable sold anywhere is at its peak. It could be that the abundance of your farmers market has you invigorated about enjoying the bounty, or Recipes season’s you may simply find Fresh Pea the produce in your Soup, grocery store to be Lemon plump and alluring Caper right now.

Shrimp, Whatever you can Strawberry get your hands on, Cake I say enjoy it while 6C you can.

One of my favorite cold soups to make this time of year uses fresh peas.

It’s even worth it, to me, to shell peas for it. If you cannot find fresh peas, or if you are disinclined to shell fresh peas, frozen peas will work. Be sure to buy frozen baby peas, not the big ones, as they aren’t as good for this soup. And be sure to fully defrost and drain

Liz Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE

them.

I like to serve the soup in teacups as an appetizer. In fact, it would go well as a starter for Lemon Caper Shrimp. Besides produce, there is often an abundance of shrimp in this season.

I think this recipe is a good alternative to New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp. Don’t get me wrong, I love barbecue shrimp, but sometimes I want a change. This recipe can be made with shells on, so no need to peel them, although this is up to preference.

If you are having a dinner party,

Fresh peas are best for making cold pea soup.

ä See SAVOR, page 6C

Take advantage of asparagus season

BY NICOLE HVIDSTEN

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS) Versatile asparagus is the vegetable you’ll want to include in everything while it’s in season.

It is a perfect side dish, whether you’re grilling meat or baking a quiche. It can be an ingredient in quiche, too, or just add leftover asparagus to scrambled eggs if you’re in a rush. It’s a natural in pasta dishes, with a light cream sauce to hold things together, and can be the star of a springtime soup. Try your hand at pickling,

and extend its season even further; pickled asparagus is a natural charcuterie, and a must in a homegrown bloody mary bar.

When shopping for asparagus, look for spears with tightly closed tips.

To prepare, cookbook author Beth Dooley suggests snapping off and discarding the toughest part of the stalk and storing in the fridge like cut flowers — in a glass of water and tented with a plastic bag. (Or wrap the ends in a damp paper towel, then bag, and place in the refrigerator’s crisper.)

Recipes

Asparagus, Bacon and Parmesan Omelet Pie; Creamy Smoked Salmon, Asparagus and Peas

6C

Whether to choose thick or thin stalks is a matter of personal preference, and how you intend to use it. I can’t resist pencil-thin spears cooked on the grill. But for these recipes, either will do.

ä See ASPARAGUS, page 6C

GETTy IMAGES PHOTO

6C ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, May 28, the 148th day of 2026. There are 217 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which forced nearly 50,000 Native Americans, primarily in the Southeastern U.S., to move to designated territories west of the Mississippi River.

Also on this date: In 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, made up of free Black men, left

Boston to fight for the Union in the Civil War. In 1892, the Sierra Club was founded in San Francisco by naturalist John Muir.

In 1918, American troops fought their first major battle during World War I as they launched an offensive against the Germanheld French village of Cantigny; the Americans succeeded in capturing the village.

In 1959, the U.S. Army launched Able, a rhesus monkey, and Baker, a squirrel monkey, aboard a Jupiter missile for a suborbital

flight which both primates survived.

In 1972, burglars working on behalf of the Nixon White House broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., installing surveillance devices on telephones and taking photos of DNC documents. The ensuing scandal led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

In 1977, 165 people were killed when fire raced through the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky.

In 1987, to the embarrassment of Soviet officials, Mathias Rust, a teenage West German amateur pilot, landed a private plane near Moscow’s Red Square without authorization. (Rust was held by the Soviets until he was pardoned and freed the following year.)

In 2013, in one of the biggest money-laundering schemes in U.S. history, federal prosecutors charged seven people with effectively running an online, underworld bank, saying Liberty Reserve handled $6 billion for drug dealers, child pornographers, iden-

ASPARAGUS

a 1/ 8-inch-thick round and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

9. To assemble: Pour the filling mixture into the pie shell and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is puffy in the center.

Continued from page 5C

Asparagus, Bacon and Parmesan Omelet Pie

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Lemon caper shrimp

SAVOR

Continued from page 5C

Fresh Pea Soup

Lemon Caper Shrimp Serves 4 to 6.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup chopped capers (if using salt-cured capers, rinse and drain them first) 6 cloves minced garlic Grated zest of 2 lemons 3 pounds unshelled fresh shrimp Juice from 2 lemons 1 lemon, sliced thinly and seeded 1/2 bottle dry white wine 1 teaspoon hot sauce with more for the table 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 bunch parsley, chopped 1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. When it begins to sizzle, add the capers and garlic. Stir and reduce the heat to make sure that you do not burn the garlic.

2. Add the lemon zest and the shrimp. Toss to ensure that the butter mixture covers all of the shrimp. Keep tossing to ensure that all of the shrimp cook. Do this for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice, the lemon slices and the wine. Stir and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the hot sauce and toss again. Turn off heat.

Add the ground pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes.

5. When ready to serve, heat again, tossing the mixture. Dump the shrimp and the sauce into a platter.

Scatter with parsley. Serve with a generous supply of paper napkins or cloth napkins. (You may want to consider bibs.)

There should be plenty of extra hot sauce on the table and extra lemon wedges, as well as warm French bread for sopping up the sauce.

Makes 6-8 appetizer servings.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup chopped leeks, white parts only (you can save the tender green parts for something else) 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts 1 quart chicken stock 5 cups freshly shelled small peas (you can use two 10-ounce packages of baby peas that have been defrosted and drained) 2 ⁄3 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup buttermilk Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or chives 1. Place the butter in a pan over low heat to melt the butter. When it has melted, add the leeks and cook slowly for about 20 minutes until the leeks are soft, but not browned.

2. Add the scallions and cook 10 more minutes.

3. Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer.

4. Add the shelled peas (or Strawberry Cake the defrosted, drained peas) Makes 1 cake. and cook for 20 minutes for 11/4 cup flour fresh peas and 10 for frozen.

1 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons Stir occasionally. for the strawberry step 5. Remove from heat and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder add the mint. Add the but1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs cracked into a small bowl and beaten together with a fork 1/2 cup fruity olive oil Zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon rosewater 3/4 cup milk 1 or more pints of fresh strawberries, trimmed flat on the broad side For curing: 6 tablespoons orange liqueur 8 ounces mascarpone 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of wholefat plain yogurt Zest of 1 lemon 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat the inside of an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil (if the pan is old, prepare a parchment paper round and oil it.)

2. Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add the eggs, olive oil, orange zest, vanilla, rosewater and milk. Stir vigorously until all of the ingredients come together into a smooth batter.

3. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan evenly with the sugar. Place the whole strawberries in concentric circles, with the pointed side up, until the entire surface of the pan is covered.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cook for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

If more time is needed, check again every 5 minutes.

4. Remove the cooked cake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the pan onto a wire rack. Flip the cake over so that it cools with the flat side down.

5. When the cake is completely cool, brush the syrup on the top and sides using half of the syrup.

Wrap in plastic film and set aside in the refrigerator.

6. Unwrap the cake and repeat again with the remaining syrup right before serving. Place the cake on a serving platter. Bring to room temperature.

6. Mix the mascarpone with the yogurt to thin it to a spreadable, but still thick consistency. Sprinkle the orange zest over the strawberries. Spoon the mascarpone mixture over each slice of cake as you serve it.

Liz Williams is founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’s podcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. Email Liz at lizwillia@gmail.com.

Serves 6. Recipe is from “Southern Roots”

by Spring Council (Countryman, 2026).

For the filling: 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed 4 thick slices of bacon, diced 8 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (recipe follows) For the crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon. salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold 3 tablespoons ice-cold water 1. To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375 F. 2. Slice the asparagus 1-inch thick on the diagonal, leaving the tips whole.

3. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet on medium-high heat until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

5. Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus, cooked bacon, parsley and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Set aside.

6. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. Add the water and mix everything together to form a soft dough.

7. Gather the dough, press it into a ball, and then flatten it into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 days.

8. When ready to prepare, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out into

Creamy Smoked Salmon, Asparagus and Peas Serves 4. From “Spinning Plates” by Anna Stanford (Hamlyn, 2025).

14 ounces pasta of your choice For the sauce: Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 11/4 cups creme fraiche 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and chopped 9 ounces asparagus spears, woody ends removed, stems chopped, tips reserved 2 ⁄3 cup frozen peas 51/2 ounces smoked salmon,cut into strips (see Note) Salt and freshly ground black pepper Chopped fresh dill, for garnish 1. Combine the lemon zest and juice and the creme fraiche in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water for 8 to10 minutes, or according to the package instructions.

3. Meanwhile, heat a separate pan until hot, then add the olive oil, leeks and asparagus stems. Cook on a medium heat for 4 minutes before adding the asparagus tips and frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

4. Add the smoked salmon, stir, and remove from heat.

5. Stir through the lemony creme fraiche, adding a ladleful (about 1/ 3 cup) of pasta water to loosen.

6. Drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the pan, toss together with the sauce and serve. Garnish with fresh dill.

Note: You can replace the smoked salmon with flaked cooked salmon or hot smoked salmon.

r y ou da tY o ar T St ove M

it’s nice to take the time to peel the shrimp for your guests. But family can enjoy the informal fun of licking their fingers.

And who can resist a strawberry cake? This one has cooked strawberries inside and fresh ones on top.

That pavé layer of strawberries is always that kind of surprise, as the cake releases from the pan, that makes me smile.

You can go Spartan and eat it as a snack right after it cools without any embellishments. Or you can put it on a cake pedestal and add flavored mascarpone to the top. A nice thick layer. And then gild the lily by adding fresh sugared strawberries over the top.

Be sure to drain the strawberries, but keep that wonderful juice. I like to make a sauce by heating a good strawberry preserve with the reserved strawberry juice and a bit of Grand Marnier. Place the warm sauce in a small pitcher on the table for everyone to serve themselves.

Grate orange zest over the top and serve in wedges. Let me know what you think!

termilk.

6. With an immersion blender (you can transfer in batches to a food processor, but the immersion blender in more convenient) blend the ingredients together until they are homogenous. You decide how much texture you want the soup to have.

7. If you are going to serve the soup cold, put into the refrigerator for 2 hours or until chilled. Serve with parsley or chive garnish. If you want to serve the soup warm, allow the soup to stand for 1 hour so that the flavors can meld. Reheat over a low heat until hot.

Serve with parsley or chive garnish.

tity thieves and other criminals worldwide. Its founder, Arthur Budovsky, was later convicted in the scheme and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Today’s birthdays: Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is 82. Singer Gladys Knight is 82.

Musician Billy Vera is 82. Musician John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 81. Country singer-songwriter Phil Vassar is 64. Singer-actor Kylie Minogue is 58. Actor Justin Kirk is 57. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is 55.

Visit us today and take the first step toward finding your perfect address.

addresslafayettela.com DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● 7C

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Participate in a learning experience or a day trip that leads to something or someone you find exciting. Approach people who can offer sage advice or a helping hand to get you to a place you want to be. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Stop worrying, and start exploring the opportunities that are waiting to be discovered. A positive attitude will help you see situations from a different angle.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Reject anger; keeping busy will lead to self-satisfaction.

Tie up loose ends, set boundaries and dance to your own beat. Life is too short to waste on no-win situations.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Less talk, more action, greater stabilization. Your actions should reflect what's right and best for you and those you love.

Research, pay attention to detail and execute your plans flawlessly.

LIBRA (sept. 23-Oct. 23) Learn through experience. Sign up for something that interests you or that will help you make a better decision. Information is golden when navigating your path forward.

Avoid situations that put you at risk. scORPIO (Oct. 24-nov. 22) Take the initiative to put your plans in motion. Taking physical action will be tough but rewarding. Kindness trumps aggressive behavior. Expand your awareness, knowledge and plans to meet your needs. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Rearrange your surroundings. Realign your space to meet demands and to ensure the flow

is designed to make your life easier.

Change will offer the boost you need to trust and believe in your abilities. cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Now is not the time to take a break, you're on the right track. Discipline, ingenuity, networking, and using your knowledge, expertise and charm will carry you forward with grace and glory.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Mixed emotions will lead you down a slippery slope. Do your research, fight your own battles and choose to be honest, not angry, when dealing with unsavory situations.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) What you do counts. A change someone makes will not favor your interests. Don't feel bad; head in a different direction or try something that sparks your imagination.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Follow your instincts, and use discipline to make your dreams come true. Walk away from those asking for too much or trying to tempt you to participate in expensive entertainment. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) You can jump for joy or let stubbornness set in and cause you grief. You have more going for you than you think, and allowing anyone to cost you peace of mind is on you.

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: D EQuALs I

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana 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 Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Rupert Murdoch said, “The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.”

Not necessarily at the bridge table, though. Sometimes, for example, drawing trumps early will lose a contract.

And, of course, occasionally not drawing trumps soon enough can be fatal.

Which applies in this deal? South is in four spades, and West leads the heart king.

Note North’s four-spade rebid. It promises at least four-card support and denies a first- or second-round control. South is implying that he has (at least) nine winners when he opens two clubs and rebids two spades.

North hopes that his trumps will provide a 10th trick. (Yes, South’s hand is a minimum. Some experts would rebid two no-trump to limit the hand. But that would not work well here, because North would surely pass, and the contract would fail.)

Given that the trumps are 3-1, South has five losers: one spade, one heart, one diamond and two clubs. The blacksuit losers are unavoidable, so declarer must ruff his low red-suit cards in the dummy.

The right play is to win the first trick, to cash exactly one top trump, then to play off the three top diamonds, discarding dummy’s remaining heart. Next, South ruffs the heart seven in the dummy,

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

returns to his hand with a trump, and ruffs his diamond five — mission accomplished.

Note that if declarer begins with both of his top trumps, he will be stranded in the dummy after the first ruff. West can get in with his club ace and draw dummy’s last trump, leaving South with a fourth loser. © 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 — OFFEnsIVE: uh-FENT-siv: Rude or insulting.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 15 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 26 or more words in OFFENSIVE? yEstERDAy’s WORD — WAyLAyInG wail wain waling wanly waylay wigan wily wing again alga anyway

away yawing yawl yawn lain lanai lawn layin laying ling lying

inlay inly nail gaily gain gala gnaw

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34 Our words will reveal what is in our hearts. G.E. Dean

10C ● Thursday, May 28, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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

DOW 50,644.28 182.60 0.36%

NASDAQ 26,674.74 18.55 0.07%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Robot with 20 legs can see in any direction

DURHAM, N.C. — A robot being developed at Duke University is almost ready to face the world, in any direction.

Instead of trying to copy symmetrical shapes from nature by building robots that look like people, dogs or insects, engineering professor Boyuan Chen and his team focused on uniformity in action, or what he calls “dynamic symmetry.”

The result was Argus. The roly-poly robot named after a mythological many-eyed giant has depth-sensing cameras attached to 20 telescoping legs that radiate from a central core. With no front, back, top or bottom, it can see and move in any direction instantly.

“Instead of measuring how your legs are arranged around a different part of your body, we’re measuring how fast you can move in any direction,” Chen said. “Who said, you know, if you have a robot to help us in a most effective way, it has to look like us?”

In experiments, Argus has navigated sandy beaches and forest undergrowth, rolling over obstacles and stabilizing itself after being pushed. It can climb between parallel brick walls by alternating bracing and thrusting motions with its legs. If one or more motor dies or a leg breaks, it continues to function.

“Watching Argus move is unlike watching any other robot we’ve worked with,” said Jiaxun Liu, a graduate student and co-author of a study about Argus published online Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics. “The first time we saw it navigate among trees and rough terrain, even under heavy collisions, we knew this was something different.”

Meta lays off nearly 1,400 in Seattle area Meta’s sweeping layoffs announced last month hit 1,395 employees in King County, per a recent state filing last week.

While Meta is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company maintains a significant presence in the Seattle area. Meta’s Puget Sound hub grew rapidly during the pandemic — reaching a local head count of 8,800 employees at some point — as the company focused its virtual reality efforts in the area.

The layoffs affect 259 employees across two Seattle offices, 699 workers at a Bellevue office and 206 at a Redmond office, plus 231 remote workers statewide. Engineering and product manager roles were hit the hardest.

The tech giant let go of the employees on May 20, though their official separation date will be July 22, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification sent to the Washington State Employment Security Department on Friday.

Their severance packages include 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for every year of continuous service.

Canada, Germany reach LNG deal TORONTO — Canada has reached a deal to export liquefied natural gas to Germany from a planned Pacific Coast terminal, an official familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The official confirmed Canada will sign the agreement with Germany’s SEFE group, which stands for Securing Energy for Europe, from the proposed KSI Lisims export facility on the coast of British Columbia.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak ahead of Wednesday’s announcement.

The official said up to 1,1 million tons 1.1 million of liquefied natural gas per year will be exported.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has set a goal to double non-U.S. trade in a decade.

Oil- and gas-rich Canada exports almost all of energy oil and gas to the U.S. currently.

S&P 500 7,520.36 1.24 0.02%

EURO 1.1630 -0.0001 -0.01%

CRUDE OIL 93.89 -2.71 -2.81%

GOLD 4,448.40 -72.60 -1.61%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.76 -0.01 -0.27%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.01 -0.02 -0.3%

U.S. stocks on the rise to more records

BY STAN CHOE

AP business writer NEW YORK — U.S. stocks inched to more records Wednesday after oil prices fell and eased the pressure on households and businesses worldwide.

The S&P 500 edged up by less than 0.1% and added to its all-time high set the day before.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 182 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.1% as both indexes also set records.

Stocks of companies with big fuel bills helped lead the way on hopes that lower oil prices will remove a big drag on their profits.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

climbed 6.1%, and United Airlines rallied 6.3%. Delta Air Lines rose 3% and set an all-time high.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell 4.6% to $92.25 after the ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to hold despite the U.S. military launching what it called “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude fell even more, 5.5%, to settle at $88.68 and is back to where it was in midApril on hopes that the United States and Iran can reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf for deliveries again.

Stocks have been able to run to records despite the painful infla-

tion and uncertainty caused by high oil prices largely because companies have reported surprisingly strong profits for the start of 2026, and the forecast is for them to continue.

Bath & Body Works rallied 9.7%, and Abercrombie & Fitch climbed 8.9% after both reported bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

That’s even as U.S. consumers continue to say they’re feeling discouraged about the economy and inflation.

Lululemon Athletica rose 2.9% after reaching a deal with its founder, Chip Wilson, where it will add a former chief marketing officer of ESPN and a former co-CEO of On to its board of directors.

On the losing side of Wall Street was Dick’s Sporting Goods, which dropped 6% despite delivering a profit for the latest quarter that edged past expectations.

Analysts pointed to how much profit it wrung out of each $1 in revenue, which some called a bit weak.

Oil-and-gas stocks also sank, hurt by the dropping prices for crude. Exxon Mobil fell 1.3%, and Chevron slipped 1.3%. Halliburton dropped 3.6% to bring its gain for the year so far back toward 40%.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 1.24 to 7,520.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 182.60 points to 50,644.28, and the Nasdaq composite gained 18.55 to 26,674.73.

GAINING INDEPENDENCE Independent bookstores are multiplying, but many people still think they’re dying

BY HILLEL ITALIE

AP national writer

NEW YORK — Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, is used to strangers expressing sympathy when they learn what she does for a living.

“It’s all so funny,” she says. “When I tell them I run the trade association for independent stores, they’ll say, ‘It’s just so sad that they’re disappearing.’ I don’t think they’re really keeping track, or they just know about a store that closed or heard about one closing.”

The decline of physical bookstores remains so embedded in popular culture that the man dating Anne Hathaway’s character in “ The Devil Wears Prada 2 ” laments that bookstores are “getting downsized and consolidated.” But the decline actually ended years ago, and the latest numbers from the American Booksellers Association show independent stores expanding at a pace not seen this century.

Membership in the ABA grew by more than 500 over the past year, to a total of 3,417 (at 3,783 locations), nearly triple what it was ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RACHyEL P. MAGAÑA a decade ago and the highest level since the late 1990s. The surge included stores of vari- Co-owners Anika Omark, left, and Matthew Hein appear behind the counter at their ous kinds — general interest shops like Hey bookstore, Hey Books!, in San Diego.

Books! in San Diego; mobile stores like the Wandering Quills Bookshop in Westerville, who hopes to find a larger space that would ing new ones and struggled for years to find Ohio; pop-up stores like Banyan Books in St. make it easier for customers to gather and a new owner before the hedge fund Elliott “just be.”

Petersburg, Florida.

Management Corp. bought it in 2019.

“People are craving conMany of the new members reflect the curUnder the leadership of CEO James Daunt, rent boom in romance, fantasy and their nection, especially in-person Barnes & Noble is expanding again, adding hybrid, romantasy, whether the Spicy Liconnection,” she said. “Peo- more than 100 stores over the past two years. brarian in Denver or the Flutter Romance ple are over the internet and In Chicago, the owner of the decade-old VolBookstore in Austin, Texas: “Where buttervirtual meetings and algo- ume Books has blamed a new Barnes & Noflies begin. And every story ends in happilyrithms. They’re not the same ble for putting her out of business, while Hill ever-after,” according to its website. as having a human to human added that “even a small decrease in sales connection. It feels really can make or break a bookstore’s year in an Both a business and a calling healing.” industry with paper-thin margins.”

Hill can joke about the Daunt denies any intent to take business Independent bookselling, rarely a way to Hartnett mistaken elegies for book- from independent sellers, saying it’s not in get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, selling, while expressing concern that the his “DNA.” “I’m an independent seller myself,” he retirees embarking on a new life or middle- state of independent stores is healthy but aged people no longer satisfied with their ca- “precarious.” Costs are high, and schools says, noting that he founded Daunt Books in reers. “I think people want to realign their and libraries face budget cuts that limit their London. Daunt says he has customers who shop at his store and the British chain Waterpurchases from local stores. lives with their values,” Hill says.

In Wentzville, Missouri, 55-year-old Kelstones (where he’s also managing director).

“I never thought of the market as finite.” ley Hartnett is a marketing consultant and Is there room for indies and giants?

The owners of The Book Loft Oak Park, copywriter who had always wanted to run Independent owners also find themselves a bookstore. worrying about a onetime competitor which another Chicago-area store that opened last Her husband’s concerns included com- itself had seemed endangered, Barnes & summer, acknowledge some nerves about a nearby Barnes & Noble coming soon. But peting against Amazon, but Hartnett went Noble.

The superstore chain was the dominant Heather Nelson and Sophie Schauer Eldred ahead and opened Double Dog Bookshop in 2025 as a mobile store. She rode about the seller in the 1980s and 1990s, and was wide- hope the stores ultimately compliment each area in a converted cargo trailer, joined by ly seen as the leading cause for hundreds — other.

“We’re hoping people whose curiosity is two Australian Cattle Dog mutts, and has maybe thousands — of independent stores since opened a storefront downtown. shutting down. But by the 2010s, Barnes & piqued by the new Barnes & Noble will walk “For me, Double Dog is about maybe 50% Noble had been surpassed by Amazon. It down the street,” Schauer Eldred said, “and books and 50% community,” says Hartnett, began shutting down stores instead of open- pop into our bookstore.”

Trump’s tariffs are pushing Mexico back toward low-value exports

BY GONZALO SOTO

Bloomberg News (TNS) U.S. tariffs pushed by President Donald Trump and supply-chain disruptions are eroding Mexico’s gains as a manufacturing hub, raising the risk that the country slips back into exporting lowervalue goods that create few jobs or investment opportunities.

On the surface, Mexico’s exports are still breaking records, giving President Claudia Sheinbaum a headline number to tout as proof of economic resilience. Shipments surged nearly 33% from a year earlier in April to $72 billion, according to official data released Monday. Imports climbed 24% to a record as well, but with a telling detail: intermediate goods used

in manufacturing and assembly made up nearly 80% of total imports in the first four months of the year.

“Mexico’s export profile has deteriorated significantly since last year,” said Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base. “Mexican exports have become extremely reliant on inputs from Asia that are just assembled in Mexico.”

The data suggest Mexico’s trade profile is shifting away from more lucrative industries built around highly integrated supply chains, such as its vast auto sector, and back toward lower-value goods that require simpler assembly, or none at all.

That marks a setback for Sheinbaum’s plan to move Mexico be-

yond its maquiladora model and toward higher-value exports to the U.S. The goal, outlined in her “Plan Mexico” economic blueprint, now faces even steeper challenges as a high-stakes review of the USMCA trade pact approaches.

“Mexican factories are essentially triangulating products. They receive high-value inputs and package them for shipment to the U.S.,” Siller said. “If the US strategy was to transform Mexico into a new, closer China, it’s succeeding.”

In fact, Mexico’s exports of light vehicles have stagnated as US tariffs and other barriers to trade with its northern neighbor — by far its top main export market — have increased.

At the same time, exports of computer equipment spiked by

144% last year, doubling their share of the country’s total exports to almost 13%, largely due to lower trade barriers for those products in the U.S. plus strong demand from the AI-driven data center boom.

But such triple-digit growth can mask where the Mexican economy would benefit more.

While Mexico’s automotive industry employs 800,000 people, computer equipment assembly employs only 60,000, mainly in the northern part of the country where production is concentrated.

Mining is another sector that underscores the trend of growth without adding value. Metals exports rose 71% in April and by an even higher level during the first four months of this year.