The Advocate 06-21-2026

Structural issues andsafetya concernafter hundreds of crashes on theLakeCharles

I-10 bridge

ASPAN TOOSTEEP

The Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridgeisseen May21inLakeCharles. More than 100 people have been injuredonthe bridge in recent years. While it is rated structurally deficient, officials assure it remainssafedue to regular inspections and timely repairs.

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

First in aseries

Lolly Comeaux Sr.rarelywore aseat belt 20 years ago when he worked as a truck driver in Westlake.

But he buckled up on the morning of May 23, 2006, while hauling sand in an 18-wheeler fromKinder. He wasdrivingupthe steep inclineofInterstate 10’sCalcasieu River Bridge whenhe and another 18-wheeler collided to avoid astalled taxi

Both tumbled 40 feet off the bridge’s pistol-lined guardrail.

Now73, Comeauxlived to tell the tale.

“There’safew other people that’ve

went over the side of that bridge since then,”said Comeaux, who was bornthe same year the bridgefinished construction. “I know what they went through.”

It was thekind of nightmarishwreck that those who frequently drive the bridge say they fear mostonthe imposing structure with asteep incline, narrow lanes and no shoulders.

Morethan 100 people have been injured in crashes on the bridge since 2018, The Advocatefound in an analysis of statedatathat tracks bridge crashes,injuries and fatalities.

Several factorsmakethe bridgea concern —both for driversand for those in charge of maintaining it.

It’s rateda 3out of 9bythe Federal

Forclergy, sermonscome from theheart,not AI

Pope Leowarns prieststowrite theirown homilies

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

The Rev.Kurt Young says nothing is off-limits, but treads carefully aroundhot topics.

Deacon Eddy Beckendorf works to make it relatable, such

as telling the story about the timehegot hit by atruck. And Monsignor Keith DeRouen is asticklerfor the eight-minute rule

“But sometimes four is better,”DeRouen said.“C’mon, you know the listening capacity of most people. If you’re just makingone point,you don’thaveto sayit16times.” Differentclergy,different

ä See SERMONS, page 6A

HighwayAdministrationand considered to be in “poor condition,” based on annual inspections dating back to 2011. The rating, whichthe feds used to describe as “structurally deficient”before a2017 classificationchange, means thatstructural components have started to deteriorate. Engineers base theratings on inspections of a bridge’sdeck where vehicles drive, along with its other structures and supports.

Still, bridge engineers say the low rating does not mean it’sunsafe for drivers.

“WeatDOTDwant to stress that the bridge is regularly inspected and

ä See BRIDGE, page 8A

Senate race couldbe closer than expected

Pollsshowgap narrowing betweenLetlow, Fleming

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlowappeared to hold an insurmountable advantage coming outofthe Republican Senate primary on May 16 whenshe led state TreasurerJohnFleming by 17 points and nearly won the election outright. Butsigns have emerged before the June 27 Republican Senate runoff that the outcome will be muchcloser, and avictory by Fleming is possible, even though Letlow’s side is badly outspending him, and she has President Donald Trump’sendorsement. In what will be alow-turnout election,Fleming appears to have supporters whoare more committed to him,especially among Republicans who back himbecause of hisvigorous opposition to carbon capture and sequestration. That’sanew technology where companies want to build pipelines to transport carbon dioxide from industrialplantstolocationswhere it would be injected deep underground.

ä See SENATE, page 4A

BatonRouge man arrested in teen’s disappearance

Police suspectmissing 15-year-oldisdead

BY CHARLESLUSSIER Staff writer

A51-year-old Baton Rougeman was arrested on acount of first-degree murderSaturday in connection with the disappearance of 15-yearold Ja’Derrius Minnieweather,who is believed to be dead but whose body has not been found. Baton Rouge police apprehended Maurice Parms at his house Saturday morning. He alreadywas facing counts of indecentbehavior with juveniles and computer-aided solicitation of aminor Minnieweatherwas last seen around 2a.m June 5onBradley Street in the Fosterand

ä See ARREST, page 4A

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Fleming Letlow

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The Rev. Kurtyoung teaches homiletics at Notre Dame SeminaryinNew Orleans. young spends three semesters teaching seminarians the process of writing and delivering effectivehomilies during Mass.

Comeaux

Massive fire destroys resort in Caribbean

SANTO DOMINGO Dominican Republic

A large fire almost completely destroyed a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday forcing the evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists, authorities said Local media reported an Italian tourist died in the fire and several other tourists required medical assistance.

The Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort is located in Bayahibe, a popular destination for U.S. and international tourists on the Dominican Republic’s southeastern coast.

Authorities reported about 1,690 tourists had to be evacuated from the resort to other hotels and nearby housing facilities because of the massive blaze

The cause of the blaze was under investigation and the country’s Emergency Operations Center said it appeared the “fire spread rapidly” due to wind and because part of the resort’s roof was made of thatch.

Founder of video game company killed in crash

PARIS A founder of global gaming company Ubisoft, maker of Assassin’s Creed, was killed in a plane crash in western France, authorities said Saturday

The twin-motor Cessna 421 carrying Claude Guillemot and a flight instructor crashed Friday evening near La Baule airport on the Atlantic coast, Mayor Franck Louvrier said in a statement. Both were licensed and experienced pilots. The instructor also was killed, the mayor said. Ubisoft confirmed Guillemot’s death but did not comment further Guillemot and four brothers founded Ubisoft in 1986. In addition to the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, Ubisoft’s games also include Just Dance and the Rayman and Tom Clancy game franchises.

RFK Jr. moves to lift testosterone warning

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants to remove some of the stigma from testosterone treatment.

The agency, through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is asking manufacturers to take off warnings that have long appeared on hormone replacement therapy labels for older men whose testosterone levels decline naturally with age, it said in a statement Thursday

The FDA a decade ago required drugmakers to study the impact of testosterone use on men at high risk of heart problems They also had to note that the safety and efficacy of the products had not been established due to limited evidence. Now, those warnings are no longer needed, the agency said “By updating testosterone therapy labels to reflect current evidence, we are giving patients and physicians clearer information, supporting informed medical decisions, and improving care for millions of American men,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a selfdescribed testosterone user and proponent.

The new recommendation follows a review of new clinical data and scientific evidence, the agency said. Researchers in 2023 found testosterone had about the same effect on heart attacks, strokes and death from cardiovascular disease as a placebo in a study of more than 5,000 men published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The trial, funded by AbbVie Inc. and others, did find a higher rate of atrial fibrillation, kidney damage and pulmonary embolism in those taking testosterone.

Fire engulfs historic Brooklyn church

NEW YORK A massive blaze engulfed a nearly 200-year-old church in Brooklyn on Friday, causing the steeple to collapse and injuring a firefighter officials said.

The fire broke out around 1:20 p.m. at South Bushwick Reformed Church and quickly escalated to three alarms, a Fire Department spokesperson said The church was built in 1853, but the congregation dates back to the Dutch colonial period in the 1600s, according to the National Fund for Sacred Spaces.

Pope Leo XIV exalts

first American saint

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and BRIAN HENDRIE Associated Press

SANT’ANGELO LODIGIANO, Italy Pope

Leo XIV on Saturday exalted the first American saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, as a model for Christians today to care for migrants in need, as he visited her birthplace during a day trip to northern Italy

Leo, who has clashed with the Trump administration over its migrant crackdown, urged young people in particular to learn about Cabrini’s life and service, once again confirming history’s first U.S. pope as the heir to Pope Francis in prioritizing the plight of migrants.

Leo prayed before Cabrini’s tomb in a basilica named for her in her birthplace in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, near Milan, and presided over an evening prayer service. The visit to northern Italy is part of Leo’s summertime grand tour of Italy to visit key cities to get to know his flock.

Cabrini, the patron saint of migrants, is well known to many Americans for her work caring for Italian immigrants in the United States at the turn of the last century Her work went beyond the U.S., however, as she crisscrossed the globe building schools, hospitals and orphanages for those who had nothing After she died in 1917, as a natu-

ralized U.S. citizen in Leo’s native Chicago, Cabrini was beatified and then canonized in 1946 as the first American saint.

Leo asks what Francis would do

In praising Cabrini on Saturday, Leo said she was inspired by her faith to help those migrants who had left everything behind to try to find a better life. “What could be more relevant today than a missionary charism dedicated to serving migrants?” he said.

“Let us ask ourselves: if Mother Francesca were alive today, what would her missionary spirit tell her?” Leo said. “And what would a pope like Francis — who, as the son of Italian immigrants, made service to migrants one of the key priorities of his pontificate — ask of her?”

“I therefore take this opportunity to make an appeal, especially to young people: get to know St. Frances Cabrini!” Leo said, urging them to read her writings, travel journals and notes from retreats.

A July 4 with migrants

Leo has embraced the Catholic Church’s Gospel-mandated call to “welcome the stranger” in his ministry to migrants. Last week, Leo spent two days in Spain’s Canary Islands, a major destination for migrants leaving West Africa, where he called for welcoming and

integrating those fleeing hardship and conflict.

Leo’s next Italy day trip is on July 4, when he heads to Lampedusa, the Sicilian island that is a major destination for migrants fleeing North Africa for Italy

Prayer at tomb of St. Augustine

Leo arrived in Cabrini’s hometown after first stopping in nearby Pavia to pray at the tomb of St. Augustine, the fifth-century inspiration of his religious order There, he encouraged Italians to rediscover their lagging Catholic faith.

Like many once-Christian strongholds in Europe, Italy has seen its churches empty in recent years amid secularizing trends, with fewer and fewer Italians getting married in the church or going to Mass regularly

“At a time when many people seem to have lost their spiritual appetite or for various reasons, no longer find the Christian faith appealing for their lives, we are called first and foremost to proclaim the Gospel,” Leo said.

Augustine was born in 354 in what is today Algeria, but he lived for five years in and around Milan, where he converted to Christianity He later became a bishop, developed a rule for monastic life and wrote some of the most important works of Western thought, including “Confessions” and “The City of God.”

Ghana conference urges slave-trade nations to issue apologies,

BY EDWARD ACQUAH and WILSON MCMAKIN Associated Press

ACCRA, Ghana African and Caribbean leaders in Ghana on Friday urged former slave-trading nations to issue apologies and reparations over the trafficking of enslaved Africans after a landmark U.N. resolution in March declaring it “the gravest crime against humanity.”

The “Next Steps” conference in the Ghanaian capital of Accra issued a declaration calling on countries involved in the Atlantic slave trade to “offer full, formal and unconditional apologies as a foundational step towards reconciliation, trust-building and reparatory justice.”

The U.N. resolution is nonbinding but carries moral authority Organizers said the Ghana conference was aimed at moving the reparations debate from recognition to concrete measures, including moves to require compensation under international law

About 12 million Africans were forcefully taken by traders from European nations from the 16th to the 19th century and enslaved on plantations that built wealth at the price of misery

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama said the

reparations

U.N. resolution had created a new opportunity for meaningful engagement on reparations. He said the effects of slavery continue to be felt across Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider African diaspora.

“We’re here because recognition creates responsibility, and because the enduring consequences of this history continue to demand thoughtful, coordinated, and sustained international engagement,” Mahama told delegates from more than 80 countries.

At a reparations summit in Ghana in 2023, participants proposed establishing a Global Reparation Fund, though they did not

clarify how it would operate. Positions on reparations are mixed in countries that would contribute.

For example, residents of the United States view the prospect of reparations mostly negatively A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2021 found that only about three in 10 U.S. adults said descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way, such as being given land or money

Some activists say reparations should include direct financial payments, but also developmental aid for countries and the return of colonized resources.

Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON The paint is peeling from Washington’s Reflecting Pool after the renovation ordered by President Donald Trump, and he is now alleging that someone damaged it intentionally

“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” he posted on his social media site Friday night. “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.” He offered no details to substantiate his claim. Agencies responsible for law enforcement and upkeep on the National Mall — the U.S Park Police, National Park Service and Interior Department — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Washington Post reported that Park Police officers arrested someone on Friday who they said was peeling paint from the pool, an act that does not explain the clouds of algae in green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom. Trump insisted something nefarious was going on. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he posted on Truth Social. That was a reference to the discovery of large numbers etched in discolored grass on the National Mall the week before: “86 47.” Authorities said the numbers could have been meant as a threat to Trump, the 47th president The number 86 can be slang for “getting rid of.” Trumps claims came after days of negative attention to the state of the pool, which he made a point of rehabbing to the tune of more than $14 million. The pool was swiftly beset by an algae bloom that returned its waters to the greenish color that Trump had tried to replace by having the bottom painted “American flag blue.” Federal workers treated the pool with chemicals to kill the algae Now chunks of the blue paint are gone, exposing its rocky bottom.

Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor225-388-0200 News Tips /Stories:

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANTONIO CALANNI

Faithful reach out to Pope Leo XIV as he leaves Pavia Cathedral in northern Italy on Saturday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REUBEN EKOW QUANSAH

Dr Julius Garvey, son of Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, lays a wreath in a ceremony to honor victims of the transatlantic slave trade at Christiansborg Castle during a Juneteenth ceremony Friday in Accra, Ghana.

Trumpthreatens to charge U.S. tollsinStraitofHormuz

mistic on making progress.

BY KAREEM CHEHAYEB, BASSEM MROUE and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

TYRE, Lebanon Iran on Saturday said it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’sattacks in Lebanon and warned that while negotiators were going to Switzerlandfor talks with the United States on their interim agreement, not much likely will happenif the fighting doesn’tstop.

CO IN T MI EAST NFLICT HE DDLE AS

U.S. President Donald Trump, in respon se, threatened to impose American tolls in the crucial waterway if afinal deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days,saying the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.” His social media post underscored that the agreement calls for tollfree travel for 60 days. Theannouncementsindicated arough start to tech-

nical-level U.S Iran talks that key mediator Pakistan saidwill begin Sunday,with Qatari mediatorsalso participating U.S. Vice President JD Vance left for Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TVposted videoshowingIran’snegotiators arriving there. They includeparliamentary SpeakerMohammad Bagher Qalibaf, ForeignMinister Abbas Araghchi andcentral bank and oilofficials, among others. Thedeal calls for billionsofdollars of Iran’sassets to be unfrozen

Talkswere meant to start Friday,but the Iranians initially canceled their plans to attendbecause of escalating fighting in Lebanon. Negotiators for theU.S.and Qatar, with help from Iran,worked out an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah to tamp down hostilities, according to U.S. and regional officials who spokeonthe condition of anonymity Vancetold reporters he wouldbe in Switzerland “for aday or two” butwas opti-

Negotiationstoward afinal agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld,IranianForeign Ministry spokespersonEsmail Baghaei said. If they are not, “the memorandum of understanding as awhole will be jeopardized.” Strait poseschallenge

But thestraithas emerged again as afocus. Iran’sjoint military command saidit was closed becauseofthe U.S. “clearbreachofits commitments” by failing to end the war.The interim deal is meant to stopfighting on all fronts. The U.S. disputedIran’s announcement.

“Iran does notcontrol the StraitofHormuz. Traffic continuestoflow,and U.S forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,”said Capt TimHawkins, aspokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The militarysaid that 55 merchant ships transited Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

TrumpdustupwithItalian PM deepens

BY SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald TrumponSaturday lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, insistingthatshe asked “over andover” fora photowith him at the recent Group of Seven summit and criticizing what he said was Italy’s lack of cooperationduring the Iran war The remarks deepen the spat that beganwith theRepublican president’sinterview with an Italian broadcaster,duringwhich Trump claimed Meloni “begged” for the photo during the G7 meeting in France. Meloni has called that “completely fabricated.”The dustupled Italy’sforeignministerto

cancel aplannedtrip to the United States as Meloni’s government lined up in her defense

“ItalianPrime MinisterGigiorgia Meloni asked,over and over,for apicture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wroteonhis socialmedia platform while spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat. He misspelledher first nameinthe initialpost, whichhelatercorrected.

He continued: “She isdoing poorly in Italywith her level of popularity,possibly becauseshe turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy,when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing aNuclear Weapon (But so didNATO,

for that matter!).”

Meloni soon responded, saying in astatement to Trumpthat“these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”

“Asfor my popularity, being your friend certainly hasnot helpedit, nordoes it depend on my relationship withyou. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’snational interest, andthatisexactly what Ihave always done,”Meloni said in apost on Instagram. She added that “in any case, my popularity is none of your concern. Isuggestyou focus on yours.”

In hispost, Trumpalso complainedthatMeloni would not allow the U.S. to use Italy’slandingstrips or runways during theIranwar

The global economybraced for more uncertainty

Ships began transiting after theinterim U.S.-Iran agreement was signedearlier in the week, amilestone that left plentyofquestions unanswered.The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’sports andnow allows Tehran to sell itsoil freely —terms that have left some in U.S. Congress asking whether thewar was worth it.

Vance earlier confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland andworking throughtechnical details of anticipated negotiations on Iran’snuclear program. The interim deal givesnegotiators 60 days to reach anuclear agreement, but theissue is intricateand thetime can be extended.

Israeliattacks kill 16

AHezbollah official told

TheAssociatedPress that Iran informed the militant group thatTehranwon’t reopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a“comprehensiveceasefire” in Lebanon and an end to military operationsthere.The officialspoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly

An Israelimilitary official, speaking on condition of anonymityinlinewithregulations, latersaidthatthe military hadreceived “updated directives from the political echelon to cease fire.”

EarlierSaturday, Israeli strikes on southernLebanon killed at least 16 people, including twochildren, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there.

The death toll in the latest Israel-Hezbollahwar has surpassed 4,000, Lebanon’s health ministry later announced.

An Israeli military official said that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeliforces in southern Lebanonovernight. Israel’s army said that it struck dozens of Hezbollahtargets and militants.

On Friday,the Israeli ambassadortoWashington, Yechiel Leiter,said that Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal between the U.S. and Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until anythreat to Israel is eliminated.Hezbollahhas refusedtohaltits attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon.

Continued

Winbourne area, police said. During the investigation into the teen’sdisappearance, police came intocontact with a16-year-old girl.

Using asearch warrant for the juvenile’s phone, police found messages between her and Parms along with several Cash Apppayments from Parms to the girl.

Police Chief TJ Morse said police gathered additional evidence on theprevious 24 hours, executingthree

SENATE

Continued from page1A

Asign of Fleming’ssupport among the Republican base occurred last Saturday when Gov.Jeff Landry had to personally interveneto keep 150 members of the state central committee from endorsing Fleming over Letlow.One Fleming supportersaid shewas threatened by asurrogate of Landry’swith punishment by the governor if she voted to back Fleming. The committee voted to issue no endorsement. But it was striking to observers that, even though Letlow has theendorsementofLandry and Trump, the only question that day was whether Flemingwould get the endorsement. Letlow had no shotatit.

To be sure, most political analysts expect Letlow to defeat Fleming, given a steep fundraising advantage and along list of endorsements.

Pollssuggest tightrace

Still, amonth after the primary,two independent surveys by New Orleans pollster Greg Rigamer have shownthatFleming has closed the gap,and the race is now neck-and-neck.

Apoll of 600 likelyRepublican runoff voters taken June 15-16 by Rigamer showed Letlow with 40.2%, and Fleming with 38.2% That poll showed aslight gain by Letlow compared to asimilar survey aweek earlier by Rigamer that had Flemingleading,40.3% to 37.7%. Super lobbyist Alton Ashy, aLetlow supporter,paid for both polls.

Jay Dardenne, who won electionstothe state Senate and to be secretary of state and lieutenant governor cited his own election history to caution anyone from counting out Fleming.

In 1991, Dardennetrailed in the primary, 41%-48%, for aBaton Rouge seat in the state Senate. But he won the runoff, 52%-48%.

“The lesson is to never give up on arace whereyou appear to be trailing significantly,” Dardenne said. “On its face, you would say Julia is aheavy favorite given the margin. But it’scertainly possible to make up that differential based on my experience.”

Meanwhile, two Democrats are competing on June

search warrants at locations in town.

Morse spoke Saturday night as Parms was transported to the parish prison.

On Wednesday,police alongwith East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-PresidentSid Edwards held anews conference wheretheyannounced they would paya$10,000 reward to anyone with informationonMinnieweather’s disappearance.

“Weare still asking forthe community’s help,” Morse said Saturday,noting that his office has receivedhelpfulevidencefrom the public since the Wednesday news

27 for theDemocratic nomination to face the Republican runoff winner in the Nov.3general election

conference.

“Now,the focusshifts for us to bringing Ja’Derrius home forhis family,” Morse added.

Edwards, whowas also present Saturday,thanked residents for theirhelp.

“They stepped up,” Edwards said. “Without them, todaymay not have happened. People arespeaking. They’re doing the right thing.

“If you hurt one of our babies in Baton Rouge, we’re going to get you,” Edwards added. “It’snot if we’re going to getyou,it’swhenwe’re going to get you.”

The 16-year-old girl told

Crockett’s campaign signs.

police earlier this week that she andParms hadstarted messaging each other in September 2025 using the app Text Now. Themost recent messageswereinApril, police said.

In the messages, Parms repeatedly told the teen that he loved her and called his 7-year-old daughter the girl’s “stepdaughter”The teen told policethatshe hadmet up withParms multiple times at his home and his whitetruck and black SUV

Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

They are JamieDavis, a farmer from no rt he a st Louisiana who led the May 16primary with 45%, and Gary Crockett, aNew Orleans business owner, who captured 26% that day.Davis has the endorsement of the Louisiana Democratic Party andNew OrleansMayor Helena Moreno.

Tiny turnoutexpected

The biggestquestion during theprimary was whether Cassidy couldsurvive Trump’seffort to unseat him.

With that settled, interest in the race has droppedsharply

Early voting figures indicate that the overall turnout for the June 27 primary will be about 15%, downfrom the primary turnout of 28%.

The drop-off during early votinghas been higher among Democrats than Republicans. Rigamerbelieves that’sbecause Democrats turned out to register their anger withLandry’smove on redistricting —which turned aDemocrat congressional seat into aRepublican oneand delayed the congressional elections —byvoting against the governor’sconstitutionalamendments

Despite their ideological differences, Letlow andDavishave one thing in common: Both have refused to debate their opponent.

Letlow’s decision— she also wouldn’taccept calls by Sen. Bill Cassidy for televised debatesduring the primary —has raised questions among someRepublicans abouther ability to thinkon herfeet.

“She can’ttalk about what she believes,” said Christy Haik, president of Louisiana Republican Assembly, aconservative grassrootsgroup “That’swhat has given him (Fleming) the momentum he has maintained when people wrote himoff.”

Davis rejected most recentlyanoffer from host Will SuttontodebateCrockett on his WBOK-AM talk radio morning show in New Orleans

Davissaidhe saidnoonthe advice of hiscampaign attorney becauseCrocketthas threatenedtosue Davis over Crockett’sallegationthat Davis workers tore up some of

Mostofthe attention lately hasbeen focused on the Republican ledger because whoever captures the GOP runoff on June 27 will be expected to win a state where no Democrat ha s been elected to the Senate since2008.

Letlow hasbig advantages There’splenty of information to indicate that Letlow will emerge victorious

The candidates who Trump has endorsed in this election cycle nationally have mostly won their races. In addition, sheand her outside supportersare spending much more money to get outher message.

The latest quarterly campaign financereports filed with the Federal Elections Commission, which cover April 27 thru June 7, show thatLetlow raised$732,000 and had $1.7 million on hand. Fleming raised only $86,000. How muchmoney he still had is unclear becauseofhis personal loans to thecampaign. Davis raised $665,000 and had $383,000 on hand.

Crockettmissedthe June 15 reporting deadline. He blamed “a technical issue” with his computerbut said he filed thereport Wednesday, anditwould show that he raised lessthan $50,000. Twooutside groups are spending heavily to elect Letlow

OneisThe Accountability Project, and it is ledbyJay Connaughton and Jason Hebert, who have worked for Landry.The group is organizedsoitdoesn’t have to discloseits donors.

In one ad, TheAccountabilityProject showed a video clip of Fleming from

2008 to make it seem as if he supports undocumented immigrantscoming across the border. Theadcut off the video so viewersdidn’tsee what followed:Fleming immediately corrected himself

An AI-created ad showed Flemingdriving abus full of illegal aliens.

“I don’tcare about which ad you’re lookingat, there isn’tany truth in any of it,”

Fleming told agroup of 50 people in Covington Monday night

He notedthathescored a 96% rating from Numbers USA, whichfavorsstrict controlsonlegal andillegal immigration, from when he servedinthe House from 2009-16. Thegroup gives Letlow an 80% score.

Anothergroup, American Mission,isspending up to $2.7 million to promoteLetlow, according to AdImpact, which is tracking election spending.

The group supports light regulation of AI anddata centers, according to press accounts

“She’llsecureAmerican energy dominance,unleash American innovation and always standwill law enforcement,” an announcer says in the ad in which Trump appears twice endorsing Letlow

“The United States cannot allowChina to outpaceusin AI, andWashingtonshould notsmother Americanin-

novation with heavy-handed rulesthatdrive jobs, investment and technological leadership overseas,” Letlow said in astatement, adding that “AI must not be used to exploit kids.”

In an interview,Fleming said he supports data centers coming to Louisiana but insisted that they not use so muchwater or electricity to drive up costs forresidential customers. He also expressed concern that AI could be usedtocreate“a police state” in the United States.

Another metric suggesting Letlow will win: She has theendorsementof amajority of state House andSenate Republicans, along withU.S.Rep. Steve Scalise and U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins. With thatand Trump’ssupport, Letlowisthe quasi-incumbent,saidAaron Broussard, who won 12 elections without aloss in Jefferson Parish.

Moon Griffon, the Lafayette-based conservative talk radio show host. Griffon organized andmoderated the only debate during the campaign on May 5. Letlow said sheagreedtothe event because Griffon’slisteners would likely be Republican primary voters.

Cassidyvoters

For Dardenne, the key question is: Who will the Cassidy voters favor?

“The strong pro-Cassidy voters —who are chronic voters —some will go with Fleming, andsome will go with Letlow,” Dardenne said.

“Cassidy supporters who aremoderates mayvote for Fleming because he’s not Trump-endorsed. So me bo dy wh o thinks that Julia has thepotential to be more independent post-Trump will go with her given that Fleming is moreconservative.”

“A low turnout has an incumbent advantage,” he said. “The incumbent has a machine, anetwork.Incumbentsget theendorsements of otherincumbents, so they getthat support, too.”

But, added Broussard, “that matters only if they activate their base.”

Fleming’shighest profile endorsement comes from

Fleming had afired-up crowd when he spoke to a groupMondaynight that opposes carbon capture and sequestration.

“He has been with us from the very beginning,” said BradLeBlanc,aveteran geologistwho saidthe proposed pipelines and storage facilitiespresent agrave danger because of the likelihood they would leak carbon dioxide.

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON East Baton RougeParish Mayor-President SidEdwards, left, speaksonthe arrest of Maurice Parmsinthe murder of missing 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minniweather in Baton Rouge on Saturday

Cassidy

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•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvement in back pain andbetterfunction. No patientrequiredany invasive therapies(e.g. epidural injections,surgery).”American Academy of Pain Management

•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesasurgicalprocedure whichpermanently alters theanatomy andfunctionofthe affectedlumbarspine segment.”JournalOfNeuroscienceResearch

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completedthe therapy reported immediateresolutionofsymptoms.”-Orthopedic Technology Review

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successfulin 71%ofthe 778cases”-Journal of Neurological Research

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniated discs” - TheAmericanJournal of Pain Management

•“Decompression Therapyreported a76.5% with completeremissionand 19.6%withpartial remissionof pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital,Department of Neurosurgery

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SEEWHATSOMEOFOUR PATIENTS HAVE TO SAY…

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tips for inspiring congregations in the digital age.

But each is clear on one thing: When it comes to crafting a homily, letting AI handle the writing is not OK.

Pope Leo XIV is clearly concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence, and what it’s going to mean not only to the world’s Catholics, but to humans everywhere. In May, he issued a 42,000-word encyclical letter “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”

ably be pretty decent,” he said. In his “Magnifica Humanitas” encyclical, Leo cautioned that technology — including AI — takes on the values of its creators and financial backers and can divide, rather than unite

But even before that, he warned priests during a meeting in Rome to not let AI write their homilies

“To give a true homily is to share faith,” the pope said in February, according to news reports Artificial intelligence, he added, “will never be able to share faith.”

‘We can’t ignore it’

Modern life is awash in artificial intelligence. With increasing speed, AI composes and replies to emails, summarizes texts and memos, writes code, manages schedules, sorts and organizes data, spits out complete works of nonfiction and fiction, makes movies and comes up with songs

The term paper, the novel, the legal filing, the summer blockbuster: Is there anything it can’t do?

Yes, say the people tasked with getting up in front of churchgoers each week and connecting them, on a deeper level, to the word of God.

Catholic priests and deacons in Louisiana say that a good homily a standard part of the Mass liturgy, delivered after readings from the Old and New Testaments and a reading from one of the four Gospels can take all week to craft. It requires prayer, reflection and insight. Like any writing task, it starts with a blank page and the expectation that you will be able to reach those who will hear it, and that it might fortify their faith.

The temptation is there to let AI help with that.

“We can’t ignore it,” said Young, 39, a priest and professor at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans He teaches homiletics — the practice of creating and delivering homilies — and he tells his students each semester: “If you use AI to write your homily, you’re going to fail.”

As an experiment, Young said he has asked ChatGPT, an AI program, to write some homilies.

“The sad thing is that sometimes the homilies that AI writes are better,” he said.

Deacon Seth Smith, of New Orleans, a fifth-year seminarian and one of Young’s students, said letting AI write a homily “would be an insult to the Holy Spirit.”

“The scary part is that if you ask it to write a homily for you, it will, and it’ll prob-

His message on homilies runs parallel to one of the encyclical’s themes: That AI has value, but it doesn’t have a human heart; that people must guard against allowing it to replace the very things that make us human That includes human weakness.

“(Leo) talks about the value of human weakness,” said Tom Ryan, a professor of theology and ministry at Loyola University in New Orleans. “Who decides what human weakness is? What some think are weaknesses could actually be dignity.”

Young, DeRouen and Beckendorf say they don’t specifically know of any instances where priests used AI-generated homilies.

But Beckendorf, 75, deacon at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, said he has heard a “canned” homily or two, referring to online sites where prewritten homilies can be found

Priests can get very busy running churches, tending to the needs of large congregations and handling business matters. Beckendorf said it can be tough to find the prep time it takes to deliver a meaningful homily

“But it’s sad to listen to someone read a canned homily,” he said.

Like their colleagues on secular campuses, Young said he and other seminary instructors are always on guard for computer-generated work students might try to pass off as their own.

The seminary instructors, he said, are allowed leeway to determine how far they’ll allow students to go when using things such as AI for research.

AI shouldn’t be shunned, Young said: “It’s like calculators. Calculators used to be forbidden in (math) classes. Now you have to have them.”

Though AI-generated writing isn’t always easy to detect, Young said there are some giveaways.

“It loves ‘threes,’ ” he said as in providing three instances or points in a sentence, the writing principle sometimes called “the rule of three.”

“And sometimes it’s just too positive,” in its tone, he added

The age gap

Young said he thinks it would be newer, younger priests who might be more tempted to let something like ChatGPT handle their writing.

“Older priests are probably fine doing what they’ve been doing most of their lives,” he said.

While at Notre Dame, seminarians spend three semesters in Young’s homiletics classes. It starts with the basics of public speaking and then moves on to more

specialized topics, including marriages, funerals and baptisms.

Young, a Metairie native and Archbishop Rummel High School graduate, has a masters of divinity from Notre Dame Seminary At the urging of former Archbishop Gregory Aymond, he earned a doctorate in preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, then returned to teach at Notre Dame.

“I am the homiletics department,” he joked one recent morning.

Smith, 25, said the classwork includes writing daily and Sunday homilies that some students are asked to preach to the class, where their work is critiqued.

“Father Kurt can be blunt sometimes,” Smith said.

Smith, who was ordained a transitional deacon in May, said he recently preached his first homily during a Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Destrehan.

“I was nervous, but it went really well,” said Smith, who will serve as a deacon at St Dominic Catholic Church in New Orleans.

He said many in the congregation knew it was first homily but laughed at the thought that perhaps they cut him slack due to that. “Nah, they were complimentary,” he said.

Smith preached during the observance of the Feast of the Ascension and keyed his message on the desire to make it to Heaven. He noted the homily was not generated by AI, but instead flowed from prayer

Building a homily

By his own estimate, DeRouen has preached as many as 13,000 homilies during a 44-year career that has taken him to several churches in the Diocese of Lafay-

Monsignor

ette, including Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Opelousas, where he is currently pastor DeRouen, 69, said his process never varies. If it’s for Sunday Mass, he begins reading the highlighted Scripture early in the week. “It needs to ruminate,” he said.

By Wednesday, he’s “feeling it” and begins to put his thoughts on paper, using the same ink pen he has for years. He never writes his homilies and sermons on the computer “It’s too sterile.”

On Saturday, the draft undergoes a final edit Homilies in Catholic churches tend to be shorter than homilies or sermons in Protestant or Evangelical churches. Besides not going over

LESLIE WESTBROOK

eight minutes, DeRouen has a couple of other rules.

He tries to steer clear of politics, especially during an election season. “You just can’t win,” he said.

Also, he said, every homily must include a “safety net.”

Safety net?

“That Jesus saves, and you can be saved, too. People need that good news.”

Beckendorf added another tip that would seem a nobrainer, but can sometimes be difficult.

“You have to watch your language,” he said. “When you get preaching, you’ll preach like you talk.” He spent four years in the Navy and 20 years as a police officer, which means staying vigilant about colorful language, he says with a grin.

While DeRouen makes sure to include the safety net, Beckendorf said it’s crucial to know your audience and follow their tells.

“He starts preaching and then stops. He says to everyone ‘Y’all know I work hard on my homilies. But nothing came to me this week!”’ DeRouen said.

“Then he says to everyone, ‘God loves you. So do I. Let’s pray.’” DeRouen thought it was terrific.

“I still remember it, right?”

A parting thought

To give the congregation the sense that one is wrapping things up, we circle all the way back to Deacon Eddy’s story about that time he got hit by a truck. It was in 1985, and it happened at an industrial plant in St. Charles Parish. The culprit was a Dodge Ram.

“Spun me around and put me under the truck,” Beckendorf said. “Under the truck!”

“Not everyone’s been hit by a truck, but it’s something people can relate to,” he added. “So you can roll that into a homily.” Which is probably not the way AI would preach it. Email Bob Warren at bwarren@theadvocate.com.

“I’ve changed (the homily) on the altar,” he said. “We have the ‘out.’” The “out,” Beckendorf explained, is the ending he goes to when he decides to wrap things sooner than he had anticipated. DeRouen recalls one memorable ad-lib and says it’s one of the most stirring homilies he’s ever witnessed. He was 25 at the time, and a deacon at St Edmund Catholic Church in Lafayette. The Rev Joe Breaux, the church’s very popular pastor, was handling the duties that Sunday

Leo XIV

The Rev. Kurt young, who teaches homiletics at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, puts on his vestments for a portrait.

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it remains safe for travel,” said John Guidroz, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

“If there were any issues that deemed the bridge to be unsafe, then the bridge would be closed immediately to traffic.”

Guidroz described the current bridge as having “deficiencies across the spectrum” given its age Those have led to the replacement, which broke ground in April after decades of work.

The new bridge has been a long topic of debate made more difficult by the ground around the bridge being contaminated in an ethylene dichloride spill in the 1990s, spawning lawsuits and cleanup orders. The price tag of the new bridge has come in at $2.3 billion, but it will take at least five years before it’s ready for drivers. DOTD says that between 60,000 and 65,000 vehicles drive across the current one daily, a common route on I-10 between Louisiana and Houston.

The aging structure, though, has not necessarily been the culprit in most crashes. The bridge had 432 crashes on it between 2018 and 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, according to DOTD. In roughly 27% of them, people were injured.

That’s about the same percentage of people who were injured in wrecks on the Horace Wilkinson Bridge on I-10 over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge during the same time frame, though the Baton Rouge bridge experiences nearly twice as much daily volume.

On the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, which sees about 45,000 vehicles per day there was a similar percentage of injuries in the 1,885 crashes — 12 of which had fatalities — during the same time frame

Well-known New Orleans personal injury lawyer Morris Bart, whose firm handles cases across the state, said the Lake Charles bridge’s steep slope and narrow lanes can lead to rear-end collisions and side-swipes, which are the most common type of wrecks his firm litigates related to the bridge. His own reaction to driving over the bridge for the first time was that he couldn’t believe

it was real and thought he must have made a wrong turn.

“In Louisiana, we’re not so used to driving up and down,” Bart said. “We like to drive flat.” The slope of the Lake Charles bridge can also make it tricky for

first responders. There are only two ways to get up the bridge in a firetruck, said Westlake Fire Chief Jonathan Duff, who has spent 25 years responding to emergencies on the bridge. One option is for a firetruck to

Comeaux Sr 73, was injured after driving off the side of the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge 20 years ago.

go up the bridge in the wrong direction, which Duff described as daunting even with an all-clear

The other is to split traffic, making a third lane and forcing vehicles to move out of the way to let a firetruck squeeze through the

middle.

Sometimes, after an incident, crews must back a firetruck down the bridge in reverse for nearly a mile.

“It’s something you never forget,” Duff said. “And it’s not something very many people get to do.”

Still, the pistol design on the bridge’s guardrails is so steeped in southwest Louisiana lore that Duff incorporated it into the Westlake Fire Department’s patch after becoming chief.

While responding to overnight incidents, Duff sometimes enjoys being on the top of the dark bridge and feeling its gentle sway as he looks out onto his hometown illuminated by the lights of chemical plants.

An old bridge The Calcasieu River Bridge predates the nation’s interstate system. Construction of the $10 million project began in 1948 and finished in 1952 to better carry traffic on U.S. 90 over the river The 1.25-mile

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

The Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge is seen in Lake Charles on May 21.

Lolly

Continued from page8A

bridge reaches a5%vertical grade, or slope, andpeaksat 143 feet above the river

The steep grade has prompted concerns for first responders as wellasviral videos from out-of-towners.

Duffsaidfirefighters occasionally haveto walk the steep incline to the top of the bridge to respond to emergencies while wearing heavy equipment.

“That’sacrazy arch, a crazy angle,” Duff said.“If you’renot in good shape, you’ll wear yourselfout.”

The bridge led to viral TikTokvideos last year from British influencers Josh Cauldwell-Clarke and Jase Riley when they visited Lake Charles,describing it as an insane stairway to heaven.

“This thing looks like it’s going into space,” Riley said in the video.

Guidroz acknowledged the vertical gradeasa concern, saying the grade,two-lane capacity,lack of shoulders and lack of lights are all issues on the bridge. They also can’tbesolved through projects to improve the current bridge. The new bridge that’s under construction, however, is expected to havethree widertravel lanes in each direction, shoulders on both sides of the roadway,better lighting and reach only 75 to 95 feet in height.

One final, major maintenance project for the currentbridge is on deck to extend its life. The $1.71 million project should repair several components that allow the bridge to expand, contract, and support and distribute the weight of theroadway and the vehicles that drive on it. It’s expectedtobegin in June and take more than a year to complete. Despite thoseissues,Michael Shields, aprofessor in the Department of Civil &Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, said even aging and poorly rated bridgesare relatively safe “Even abridge that is classified as structurally deficient, the risk to the average driver is still very,verylow,” Shields said.

Still, Shields said that the number of deficient bridges across the country is aconcern, and chances are higher that “something’sgoing to happen on one of those bridg-

es somewhere.”

The Lake Charles bridgeis inspectedannually,though Guidroz said that if significant problems cropupbetween inspections, DOTD addresses them right away Theaverage annualcost of maintaining the bridge from 2021through 2025 was $21,500, he said. Maintenanceissues have caused some ofits wrecks and closuresoverthe years. In 1981, arepair plate on an expansion jointpunctured a truck’sfueltank, causing a diesel spill that ledtoa 26-vehiclepileup.Itkilledthree peopleand injured18.

Decades later,inJune 2024, adriver reported apiece of metal —another joint stickinguponthe bridge and reported ittoWestlake Police. DOTD shut down the road for several hoursto make emergency repairs.

‘A roller coaster’

Connie Matte, wholives in Moss Bluff, avoids the bridge afterbeingstranded on it for hours duringanice storm.

In January 2024, she left earlyfrom the imaging center where she works as anurse, hoping to avoid impending bad weather As she drove westbound on the bridge and tried to pass astalledvehicle, another drivercrashed into her SUV, propelling Matte into the stopped vehicle. Her Toyota 4Runnerblocked both lanes and broughttraffic to ahalt It would be about six hours before Matte,with the assistanceoffirst responders, couldcarefully drive her totaled vehicle down the icy bridge. In themeantime, she couldfeel thebridge —busy with traffic in theeastbound lanes —swaying over the Calcasieu River “It took me several months before Icould go over it again,” Matte said.“My husband was driving the first time Iwentoveritagain, andI just cried and prayed.”

Westlake Police Chief ChrisWilryesaidrespondingtotragedies on the bridge never becomes routine. He remembered aparticularly difficultone about adecade ago, whenabox truck plunged off the eastboundsideofthe bridge, leading to afiery crash.

Thedriver survived

“You seea bigold ball of fire and see things goingoff theside,” Wilrye said.“You don’tknow if there’svehicles or people, so you got

Louisianahighway bridge crashes

Here's

Source:Louisiana Department of Transportation andDevelopment

to hurry up andget there as quick as you can to make sure everyone’ssafe.”

More recently,abucket truckalso flew from the bridge earlier this year in an incidentthatclosed the right,westbound lane of the bridge for aboutfive days while crews made emergency repairs to the guardrail. Thatdriver also survived with minor injuries.

DOTDsaysthatthe bridge has not had anyfatal crashes from 2016 through 2024, the mostrecent year forwhich data is available.Amotorcyclist died in aMarch 2025 crash on the bridge.

“It kind of remindsmeof aroller coaster,” saidattorneySpencer Gulden,whose firm represents crash victims injured on the bridge “It just goes up and comes back down. It’s almost triangular-shaped, which is very unusual.”

Nick Canaday,aretired attorney whogrewupin BatonRouge andnow lives in Austin, said he noticed temporaryrailings and aging sectionsofthe bridge during arecent trip through LakeCharles “When Isee bridgeslike this bridge, Ithink,‘Iwish this is wherewespent our money,’”Canaday said. “Because they’re scary,and you knowsomeday they’re going to collapse.”

Throughthe guardrails

The Calcasieu River Bridge will remain theprimary route for many driversalong I-10for theforeseeable future

Theyinclude Comeaux, who does not avoid driving thebridgedespite hisdramatic wreck in 2006

After he veered off the bridge then, Comeaux landed in aboat dock parking lot near the river’sshore. His truck burst into flames andheunbuckledhis seat belt, broke the window and crawledout of the cab.Two nearby crabbers helped pull him to safety

HisSupplierServicescoworker,Jack Powell, drove the other truck that collided with Comeaux’sonthe bridge as theybothtriedto avoidthe stalledtaxi.

“I was watching the paramedics trying to bring him back,” Comeaux said. “They nevercould.”

Newbridge, newtolls

After decades of studies, debates and delays, construction finally began this spring on the replacement bridge.

The new bridge will be built through apublic-private partnership thatincludes tolling —one of the most divisive aspects of the project

Comeaux, the truck driver whosurvivedthe 2006 crash, opposes tolling the replacement bridge.

“That’s foolishness, if you ask me,” he said. “The state

ought to furnish theroadsto travelon.”

Others simply want the replacementbuilt by any means necessary Gerard Hill, who works at the Port of Lake Charles and crosses the bridge about once aweek,saidhesupports tolling if it speeds up construction. In the meantime,Hill said he truststhe inspectorsresponsible for ensuring thesafety of the existing bridge

“If that’swhatittakes to build anew bridge, Iguess we have to deal with it,” Hill said.

Comeaux went through treatment for burns and abroken hip, initially at a Lake Charles hospital, then at aShreveport hospital. Although he spent six months in awheelchair and afew moremonths in physical therapy,there’s now little to remind him of the crash in his day-to-day life. He struggles to curl his right toes or raise hisheel after breaking his hip, but otherwise getsaround just fine He hasn’t drivenan 18-wheeler sincethe dayhe crawled out from the flaming cab of one. And he wonders howmanymorepeople will soar through the guardrails of the existing bridge in the meantime. Staffgraphic

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EDUCATION

Education Dept. changes could break a flawed system

BY HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, ANNIE MA and MORIAH BALINGIT AP education writers

For months, and sometimes longer, parents of kids with disabilities say they have waited for the Education Department to make progress on their complaints of bullying or other discrimination Now that the department is offloading civil rights enforcement and special education, some parents and advocates warn a process that has largely been stalled since President Donald Trump took office will see only more chaos and roadblocks.

“It’s to the point I don’t even check in anymore with the attorney,” said Nicole May, an Ohio mother May filed a complaint in spring 2024 with the department’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging her teenage daughter was bullied over her hearing aids and was getting in trouble in class because she couldn’t hear her teachers. More than two years later, the case lacks a resolution.

Under the changes announced Tuesday the Department of Justice will take over civil rights enforcement in schools, and the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The moves help fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to dismantle the Education Department Linda McMahon, the education secretary, pitched the changes as a way to get more help to families of kids with disabilities.

Advocates said special education doesn’t belong in a health department, which usually treats disabilities as conditions to manage, instead of differences in how children learn. The top Republican on the Senate education committee agreed, saying he’d pursue legislation to keep special education out of Health and Human Services. Taking cases elsewhere

For many, though, the response to the announcement was a sigh of resignation.

The Education Department’s civil rights office had long been the last resort for parents who believe their child is facing discrimination at school, with a mandate to review all complaints. Under Trump, the backlog of cases has ballooned, and resolutions have dwindled. Increasingly, attorneys say they are turning elsewhere to try to ob-

“I feel like they’re probably collecting dust on a virtual shelf somewhere,” Harvey said.

In response to the federal backlog, she helped to push for a new state law that expands the types of civil rights cases Colorado education officials can pursue. States across the U.S. already investigate various special education complaints, including when parents allege schools aren’t following a child’s individualized education program. But the Colorado legislation, signed into law in May, allows the state to pursue the types of cases typically handled at the federal level, such as those involving allegations of discrimination and harassment.

Harvey said she didn’t think the federal civil rights office was ever perfect. “But I think it’s become even less help for people who are trying to resolve issues,” said Harvey, who worked as an Education Department civil rights attorney in 2020 and 2021.

“Compliance and enforcement of federal civil rights laws will remain a priority,” the department said in a written statement. Taken together, the fracturing of programs, enforcement and oversight for disabled students across multiple agencies raised questions of what would fall through the cracks, special education advocates said.

Robyn Linscott, who directs education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, a major disability rights group, recalled attending a three-hour listening session the Education Department hosted in January Families, educators and advocates described barriers to accessing proper support and services. Although they acknowledged breaks in the system, not a single parent advocated for moving oversight of special education to Health and Human Services.

Still, she isn’t surprised the Trump administration moved the program anyway

tain justice for children.

The reaction is a marked change from a year ago, when parents and attorneys were in a panic as Education Department staff and attorneys were slashed.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024, and the Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller Meanwhile in the Department of Justice, the Education Opportunities Section has shrunk by half, according to estimates provided by Justice Connection, a network of department alumni.

“I think a lot of people are mad, but they are like, ‘What are we going to do?’ ” said Emily Harvey, the co-legal director at Disability Justice, formerly Disability Law Colorado, who has watched her cases languish. When Trump took office, she had a federal complaint pending, alleging some Colorado schools were illegally rejecting enrollment from kids outside their neighborhood boundaries because they had disabilities Harvey also has a case pending at the Department of Justice, alleging a district south of Denver restrained and secluded disabled students hundreds of times, even though the practice is supposed to be reserved for emergencies.

Boston-area special education advocate Craig Haller said he’s heard nothing on a complaint he filed early last year with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Ever since the Trump administration started dismantling the department, he has leaned more on Massachusetts’s state system for resolving special education matters.

He recently used that system to help a student whose high school didn’t take into account his special education plan when it suspended him.

“I got it fixed for my client,” Haller said. But without the federal Office for Civil Rights, “I can’t get it fixed systematically.”

Jobs made harder

While only Congress can close the Education Department, McMahon, a billionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has signed 10 additional agreements to give department functions to other federal agencies.

So far, those agreements have not reduced the number of employees working on specific programs. But the union that represents department workers says staff have run into issues with equipment and access at their new postings.

“It’s hard to describe how inefficient the implementation of the (agreements) has been,” said Rachel Gittleman, the union’s president.

The Education Department said Wednesday the latest agreements will help the Office for Civil Rights run “more effectively and efficiently.”

“It has only been 24 hours, but I think we anticipated this move for over a year,” she said on Wednesday In Congress, senators from both sides of the aisle said they would try to stop the move to put special education in Health and Human Services.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said he would “publicly commit” to working with his Democratic colleague, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, on legislative action that would push the administration to change course. Cassidy, who lost a primary election this spring and has less than six months left in his Senate term, has personal knowledge of the education challenges faced by kids with disabilities: His wife co-founded a network of charter schools for students with dyslexia.

If special education is moved, he said Wednesday it should go to the Labor Department. That agency, he said, is better positioned to support people with disabilities as they learn and work.

Ultimately, what matters to parents is whether they can get the services their children need, said Rob Harris, an IEP advocate in Colorado Families spend an inordinate amount of time navigating systems that should be working together to serve children, but often aren’t Harris has navigated those systems himself: His 19-yearold daughter is blind.

“Families don’t experience the government through organizational charts,” Harris said. “We experience it through the services our children receive.”

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Spylaw renewalreveals Trump-GOPrift

WASHINGTON —America’s intelligence agencies are no longer allowed to spy on foreigners without awarrant because Congressstill has not reauthorized the law that would allow them to do so.

“At the moment, it is a multiple vehicle pileup,”

Mark Ballard

Sen. John Kennedy,RMadisonville, told Fox News on Wednesday.

“The president is aggressively unpredictable. We thought we had things worked out. We don’t.”

Even Vice President JD Vance is alittle worried about Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. Pointing at arecentlybroken-up plot involving Americans, Vance told Fox News Wednesday,“If somebody had been engaged in foreign terrorist activities communicating with these guys, we would actually be kind of blind to it right now because FISA has elapsed, FISA expired.”

But it was President Donald Trump who threw awrench into the U.S. Senate’scarefully orchestrated effort to reauthorize the law.Though surveillance is continuing for FISA cases certified before the sunset of Section 702, new cases cannot go forward.

The president told his nominee for director of national intelligence to skip

the confirmationhearing and announced he would not signlegislationre-upping the surveillance program, whichiscrucial forU.S. intelligence efforts, until the Senate approvedabill requiring voters to prove citizenship in ordertovote Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hassaid repeatedly thathe can’t find enough votes to passthat voting bill, called the “Save AmericaAct,”orSAVEAct

Though allthe RepublicansinLouisiana congressionaldelegationtrumpet the SAVE Act, Democrats opposethe bill because of the additionalburdens createdinfinding the necessary documents,particularly

Deadline on teacher pay proposal looms

The Louisiana Legislature has until 5p.m. Tuesday to approve Gov.JeffLandry’splan to trim education spending, freeing up money to give teachers another year of pay stipends.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

The Legislature adjourned on June 1after passinga budget that did not include the stipends teachers have received for the past several years —$2,000 for educators and $1,000 for support staff. Voters in May rejected aproposed constitutional amendment that would have turned those stipends into apermanent pay raise by liquidating several education trust funds and paying off retirement debt.

Near the end of the session, Landry issued an executiveorder requiring the Board of Elementaryand SecondaryEducation to find $168 million in cuts to the state’spublic schools budget,

for new American citizens

Additionally,seniors, rural residentsand low-income workersalsocould face costly and time-consuming tasks before be allowed to registertovote. It is illegal for noncitizens to castballots, and no evidence has been shown thatillegal immigrantsare voting in any significant numbers.

Louisiana, Mississippi and five other states already require proof of citizenship to register.The SAVE Actwould make proof of citizenship and submitting a picture ID at the ballot box a national standard.

Section 702 of FISA allows the U.S.government to

freeingupmoney to give thestipends to educators again in the comingschool year.That plan requiresapproval fromtwo-thirds of legislators, whoare casting their ballots remotely Landry and somelegislative leaders have argued school districts have bigfinancial reserves and can sustain the budget cut in order to give theincreases. But some school district officials have protestedthe plan, arguing it will make it harder for them to pay for vitalservices like school buses andmaintenance.

Looming over legislators’ vote is the fact that Landry has not yet signed the bills that contain the state budget. The governor has the authority to line-item veto individual spending projects, a tool that can be usedtopunish lawmakers that vote against his priorities.

Before gavelingout,the Legislature created atask force that is studying Louisiana’sschool funding formula. Its goal is to find money to permanently shift toward increasingteacher pay, instead of relying on repeated one-timestipends.

collect, without awarrant, theemails,texts, phone calls and other electronic surveillance of foreigners Sometimes American citizens are caught up in the dragnet Despitemonths of effort by leaders in bothparties in both chambers, Congress had been unable to find consensus enough to passreauthorizationlegislation.

First, the reauthorizationbill had been slowed because anumber of congresspersons from both parties demanded additional protections for Americans caught up in investigations of foreign plots Then, Trump’snominee for director of national intel-

Murrill, feds seek to end desegregation order

LouisianaAttorney General Liz Murrill, theU.S. Department of Justice and the Bossier Parish School Boardare asking afederal judge to end one of the state’slongest-running desegregation cases.

The parish school system has been under acourt order since 1964. Butofficials say there has not been any contested litigation in the case for decades, and federal oversight has not found any problems with theschool district’scompliance efforts.

“The SupremeCourt has repeatedly recognized that federal court supervisionoflocal school systemsisintended to be temporary,” Murrill said in anews release. “The record demonstrates sustained compliance by the Bossier ParishSchool Board. It is long past due to return power back to thepeople of Bossier Parish and to their elected representatives on the School Board.”

The jointmotion,filed June 12, asks the court to dissolve all remaininginjunctions, terminate federal supervision, and dismiss

ligence, Bill Pulte, attracted too muchopposition from senators of both parties, whichstalled another vote. Critics said Pulte had no intelligence experience and as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency he had allowed the administration to look at mortgage records for the alleged purpose of locating immigrants who hadentered the country illegally Trump replaced his first DNI choice with U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of New York. Based on that switch, Senate leadership felt they now had enough votes to reauthorize FISA and were poised to do so. Then, from Evian-les-

thecase with prejudice. It is up to judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr ,ofthe U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, to rule on the motion.

Landry signs homelessness bills

Gov.Jeff Landry has signed several bills taking aim at homelessness in Louisiana.

Bains, France, where he was attending the G7 economic conference, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The Republicans agreed with Dumocrats to remove very fair,and talented, William Pulte, from serving as Acting DNI in return for getting FISA approved by the Dumocrats.” It was 10 a.m.Wednesday in France but 4a.m.in Washington. Trump then named James McDonald, apartner in the New York-based global law firm Sullivan &Cromwell LLP,for the U.S. Attorney posting in NewYork, one of the most prestigious in the nation, that Clayton would be leaving. But Trump doesn’twant to forward Clayton as DNI until McDonald is confirmed.

“I maynot be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan &Cromwell Partner,Jamie, approved, and Idon’twant to take Jay Clayton away from the great job he is doing until Jamie is in place,” the president said on his Truth Social platform. So, Pulte remains as acting director for the time being.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,RBaton Rouge, wrote Thursday on X: “Democrats have been blocking FISA in bad faith, but confirming Jay Clayton would allow for aquicker resolution. Mr President, by preventing Jay Clayton from testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, it puts American lives at risk. Put America first. Don’tstop Jay Clayton from coming before the Intel Committee.”

EmailMark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

sources they need,” Landry said on X. “Wewant economic growth instead of economic destruction!” Critics fear the new law will criminalize homelessness and makeiteven harder forpeople to get back on their feet.

Landry also signed three bills sponsored by Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-NewOrleans, aimed at improving state oversight of homeless shelters.

Landry posted avideo to social media this week saying he had signed House Bill 211 by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner.The new law makes unauthorized camping on public property amisdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison. It also allows courts to set up specialized homelessness programsthat can connect people charged with rehabilitation and other services to avoid jail time.

“This bill helps get people off thestreets while also providing them with the support and re-

They establish minimum standards forshelters, group homes and halfway houses; put stricter auditing requirements forshelters that get public funding; and create apilot program in Orleans Parish to divert homeless people out of courts and into treatment.

“Homelessness is one of the mostcomplex challenges facing our communities, and there are no simple solutions,” Knox said in anews release thanking Landry forsigning his bill.

“These new lawsrepresent acompassionate and balanced approach that protects vulnerable individuals, strengthens public trust, and creates pathways toward stability and selfsufficiency.”

Villio

Kennedy

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, talks to reporters June 11 at the CapitolinWashington after the House failed to temporarily extend FISA, the lawthat allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad.

Patriotism,painfor Native

Birthdaymarks a milestoneof resilience

BY SUSAN MONTOYABRYAN Associated Press

SANTAFE, N.M. Swiftly marching toward westward expansion, the United States in the 1800s brought with it atidal wave of displacement and cultural suppression for Native Americans.

Acentury of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federalgovernment, and widespread forced assimilationwas accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances came declining populations. Survival was hanging in the balance.

Renowned for their masterful beadwork, Lakota women had astrategy

Incorporating symbolsof American patriotism into their work was more than a simpleembrace of the Stars and Stripes. It was an act of quiet resistance that provided an avenue for conserving their values as U.S. policies unraveled their communities.

So with America’s250th birthday come mixed emotions rooted in pain, pride and even patriotism. Native youth are writing essays about what 1776 means to them.Museums are displaying elaborate beadwork as a window into that past, while contemporary Native artists are offering critics in paintings on more modern political struggles.

It’samilestone marking resilience —and afresh opportunity to look at the nation’shistory throughan unexpected, and perhaps less varnished, lens.

Unique relationship

Curators and tribal scholars say the Native experience cannot be overlooked or minimized whentalking about the complex tapestry that is America.

“The United States could notexist without Native history having been here first,” said Aaron Carapella, who is of Cherokeedescent and creates maps of Indigenous territories. “There’s so many influences that Native people embedded into the fabric of what we call America.”

Astudent of history,Carapella finds it unlikely that most of the Founding Fathers would have expected tribes to persist as sovereign entities. Rather,they thought tribes would be absorbed into American society Implementation of laws likethe 1830Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson and the 1887 Dawes Act enacted by President Grover Cleveland led to forced relocations through brutal journeys like the Trail of Tears. Land grabsresulted when millions of acres of tribal landholdings were broken up.

Bounties in Minnesota and the Southwest along with militias in California further eroded tribal territories. Then came the boarding

schools, where Native children were sentinaneffort to erasetheir connections to culture, language and religion.

It’snot ancienthistory Tribal leaders say their people are still livingwith the effects of those policies.

Today,there are 575 tribes with inherentsovereignty recognized by the U.S, with theLumbeeTribe of North Carolinajoiningthe listin December.The governmentto-governmentrelationships are unlike arrangements many other countries have with Indigenous populations.

N. Bruce Duthu, chairof Native American and Indigenous Studies at Dartmouth Collegeand amember of the United Houma Nation,has taught and lecturedaround theglobe. He said it’s hard for Indigenous leaders in Bolivia and elsewhere to believe that tribes in the U.S have beenable to build power over thelast half-century It’sanongoingfight, but Duthu points to successful efforts to influence environmental policiesand pass major legislation to hold nontribalcitizensaccountable for crimes committed in Indian Country.

“The U.S. is routinelyatthe topofthe heap in termsofa country that, despite all the flaws, atleastnow in the last 50 yearsorso, seemstohave gottenitright,” Duthu said.

Deep historyofinfluence

Nativeinfluences span from the notions of democracy shared with the Founding Fathers to the warrior ethos exhibited by the fierceness with which tribal nations fought to protect their land —from other tribes, foreign nations and thefederal government.

It’snot unlike the patriotism many Americans feel today.And for someNative Americans, it’safundamental part ofwho they are; they have one of thehighest percapita rates of military serviceinthe country At thecenter of the“Stars, Stripes and First Americans”exhibit at New Mexico’sMuseumofIndian Arts and Culture is apainting by Kee Yazzie titled “Diné Code Talker.” The brushstrokes pay homage to theNavajo CodeTalkers, who used their language to create an unbreakablecode that played a critical role in U.S.victories during World WarII.

DanyelleMeans, the museum’s executive director and amemberofthe Oglala LakotaNation, said other tribes also had codetalkers. That included theChoctaw Nation and Comanche, Kiowa, Hopi, Muscogee, Sioux and Seminole recruits.

“Veteransare ahuge part of celebration and ceremony within Native communities and are often revered and have their own societies within these communities,” Means said. “So it is something— thataspect of the U.S.and beingawarrior for this country —thatis very deep-seatedinsomany Native communities.”

Influenceinart andculture

The Smithsonian’sNation-

al Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., is commemorating the250th withaninstallationoftwo dressesthathighlight heritage and Native American servicewomen.

Made acentury apart, one is aLakotabeaded dress likely made for aJuly Fourth celebration and the other is amodernjingle dress worn by members of the Native American Women Warriors that includes apatch honoring LoriPiestewa, who is believed to be thefirst Native woman killedincombat on foreign soil. The Hopi soldierdiedfrom injuries following an ambush in Iraq in 2003.

Those military operations came after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Navajo artist Pauline Thomas called it a scary time,knowing that more Native soldiers would be headingoff to war.The 73-year-old created aweaving following 9/11 that is now part of the exhibition in New Mexico.

For Thomas, her weavings mark moments in time, but they’re also away for Navajocustomstolive on. Her 12-year-old granddaughter already is winning blue ribbons for her weavings.

“I think it’svery,very important,”Thomas saidfrom her hometown of Naschitti on theNavajo Nation.“I don’twant my people to lose their culture. Iwant them to learn more about their ancestors, where they came from.”

Theway forward

Jami Powell, curator of Indigenous art at Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum of Art, uses thephrase “colonial entanglements” to describe thecomplexity of U.S tribalrelations. She tells her students that things aren’talways black and white.

“And it is OK to have feelings of ambivalence around these issues and the difficult histories that led to this current moment,” said Powell,a citizen of the Osage Nation.

The Hood Museumisdisplaying the work of Native artistsaspartofits 250th commemoration. Both subversive and pointed, the pieces broaden the conversation and get visitors thinking about thenexttwo centuries, Powell said.

Ensuring Native youth have avoice in that future is adriving force for Tracy Canard Goodluck, executive director of the Center for Native American Youth.

Amember of theOneida Nation of Wisconsin and of Mvskoke Creek heritage, Goodluck said the power of thosevoices rang loud and clear in essays submitted fora recentcompetition focused on the 250th. They touched on sovereignty,selfdetermination andmaintainingaconnection with land and culture.

“They know who they are, where they come from, their identity,their culture, their history,” Goodlucksays, “and we need to create pathways for them to be able to share that with everyone.”

ICT PHOTO By JOURDAN BENNETT-BEGAyE

Museum of the American Indian in Washington on May23.

THE GULF COAST

Summertime packs in repeat customers

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

The sun set over Destin hours ago, but at a roadside diner off Beach Boulevard, breakfast never ended.

Waiters scribbled orders on notepads and refilled coffee, often disappearing into the kitchen where eggs, bacon and hashbrowns fried on the griddle. Tucked into booths, patrons bumped elbows as they doused maple syrup over stacks of pancakes and smeared strawberry jam on biscuits Solo diners stood in a single-file line at the counter, lingering over the glass case of key lime pie and glazed doughnuts.

Surrounding the families, late-night workers and travelers were photographs of the beach town from long ago palm-lined streets, weathered storefronts and stretches of sand stamped with footprints. Outside, a neon sign glimmered blue, beckoning drivers along the boulevard to pull over for plates of fried pork chops, omelets or simply a bit of banter at the bar

With its cushiony stools, cramped booths and all-day breakfast, The Donut Hole embodies the archetypal American diner Its motley mix of customers also reflects the broader transformation of Florida’s Gulf Coast — long a vacation destination for regional travelers but now a fast-growing region drawing new residents alongside nationwide tourists.

The region’s rapid growth has been accompanied by an evolving dining scene shaped by established institutions and newer arrivals.

We spent three days visiting some of these places from a charming Irish pub decked out in dollar bills to a breakfast spot started by a New Orleans chef — to experience another side of the region beyond its beaches and find restaurants worth seeking out on your next vacation.

Big Bad Breakfast

Though the name might suggest otherwise, this Miramar Beach restaurant is no greasy spoon. But it is about as Southern as they come.

John Currence, a seasoned New Orleansborn chef, mines his upbringing on the menu at Big Bad Breakfast, blending classics with innovative takes. Even the restaurant’s name nods to the South, drawing

Big Bad Breakfast serves an array of breakfast

inspiration from Mississippi novelist Larry Brown’s “Big Bad Love.”

The decor is minimalistic, but the menu is anything but. Scallions and a fried egg top buttery grits and sauteed Gulf shrimp. Fried chicken with white gravy and cheddar cheese is tucked inside a biscuit. Those ingredients come together again in the Creole omelet, a combination of shrimp, andouille and tomato gravy

Traditional breakfast fare is offered, too: Steak and eggs, oatmeal doused in fruit and brown sugar and pancakes. The sides range from brûléed grapefruit to biscuits with strawberry jelly and whipped butter

The restaurant can’t be labeled, with dishes satisfying everyone from Southerners who grew up on grits and eggs to healthconscious acolytes who swear by avocado toast and granola.

McGuire’s

The nightlife of Ireland is defined by its pubs — little watering holes lit by the glow of corner fireplaces, where regulars nurse pints beneath low-beam ceilings. But inside a massive, resort-like complex, McGuire’s Irish Pub in Destin embraces pub culture in American fashion.

of black bread drizzled with honey butter before moving on to entrees like chopped steak accompanied by two fried onion rings or a towering Reuben sandwich served with thick-cut fries.

McGuire’s is identified by traditions beyond the customers who pin dollar bills to its walls each day It offers an 18-cent bean soup that has been served daily in the U.S. Senate dining room for more than a century. Unlike in the nation’s capital, however, the price has remained the same at the pub.

The family-owned restaurant, started by McGuire and Molly Martin in 1977, helped popularize Irish culture along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a region better known for its white sand beaches and tourism.

The Donut Hole

Though we’ve covered it already, The Donut Hole deserves another mention and the long line of customers that snakes around it each morning would likely agree. Finding a blank space on the menu is like trying to spot a four-leaf clover among thousands of shamrocks. There are omelets, benedicts and pancakes in nearly every variation imaginable, alongside eight salads that likely are not ordered very often in a restaurant better known for doughnuts. But “The Diet Plate” stands out mainly because it’s anything but diet-friendly Two homemade biscuits topped with sausage patties, cheese, fried eggs and gravy, served with hashbrowns, fill the plate until it seems a biscuit might tip over the edge. It’s worth breaking your diet over, though. Perhaps with a slice of key lime pie.

The Great Southern Cafe Traces of New Orleans can be found everywhere at The Great Southern Cafe in Seaside, even in the

The restaurant leans into the notion that bigger is better from the walls and ceilings covered in millions of dangling $1 bills marked in black ink to the hefty portions. Every table starts with a pillowy loaf

PHOTOS By POET WOLFE

plates in Miramar Beach, Fla.

At The Great Southern Cafe, the Dyana is a blackened chicken sandwich topped with two strips of bacon and Swiss cheese on brioche with homemade mustard, served with a side of black-eyed peas.

Teensfrustratedwithsummerjob search

BY MATT SEDENSKY

AP national writer

NEWYORK— JaelynChester will wait your tables or stock your shelves. She’ll wash your dishes or scrub your toilets. If only someone would give the 17-year-old a chance.

“I’ve been looking everywhere,” says Chester, an A+ student, highschool basketball star and aspiring engineer who has blanketed her community with dozens of applications. “I’m not unemployed because I’m incompetent. I’m unemployed becausenobody’shiring.”

The summer job, arite of passage for generations of American teenagers, isn’t so easy to come by Aboutone-third of 16- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. were employed last summer,federal data show,down from apeak of about 60% in the late1970s.Experts’ pessimistic forecasts are combining with reports from frustrated jobless young people around the country to form aseasonal outlook far from bathed in sunshine.

“The opportunitiesfor workersatthe start of the career ladder started to dry up,” says Nicole Bachaud,an

economist forZipRecruiter, saying teens are among the labormarket’s“most marginalized groups.”

Withouta job, Chester worries her summer will be ruined. She wonders how she’ll fill her tank with gas andwhat she’lldoifshe wants to go to aconcert. A trip to look at colleges in NorthCarolinawithsome friends would be destined to be canceled. So her hunt continues.

Chesterkeepscopies of herrésumé in her car and hasa 30-second spielmemorized when she decides to pop into arestaurant or store and try to talk with amanager. She and her friends help ready one another when theyset out on their job hunt, trading tips and professional-looking clothes from their closets. Positions that once sounded awful to her,like dishwashing, no longer seem so.

“At this point,” says the teen from Lake Mary, Florida, “it would be hard to say no to anything.”

Analyzingdata from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, theoutplacement firm Challenger,Gray and Christmas foundthe numberofjobssecured byteens

fell25% last summer from theyear prior.The firm says inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring are likely to lead to even fewer jobs this year resulting in thelowestsummer hiring total for teens since the federal government begantrackingitin 1948.

Teens most commonly work in food preparation andserving jobs and sales, according to BLS data. But Jaune Little, director of recruiting services at thehuman resources company Insperity,says some entrylevel jobs have been eliminatedand teensnow competewith more experienced candidates for the remaining ones.

“A lot of the entry-level rolesthat once existed simply do not any longer ”Little says. “Those that do exist areonleaner teams that have lessabilityand desire to develop and train someone. In many instances, they are prioritizing moreskilled workers even if they are overqualified.”

Max Stephenson began looking for ajob last year aftergraduatingfromhigh school. Nothing turned up all summer.Once she began at the UniversityofArkansas-

Pulaski Technical College, she got awork study position in the cafeteria, still keeping an eyeout for amore permanent gig.

Now,school’sout again, and Stephenson is again jobless.

The 19-year-old from Little Rock, Arkansas, losttrack of how manyjobs she’sapplied for,but thinks it’ssomewhere between 50 and 100. She can’thelp thinking it’s tougher than previous generationshad it to find work paying around the minimum wage.

“I thought it would be much easier than it’sbeen,” Stephenson says. “Old people say,‘Just walk in there andgive them afirm handshake.’That doesn’twork so well now.”

A2022 report by Pew Research Center found summer employmentof teensfellduringthe early

2000s dot-com bubble,and dropped even more during and after the GreatRecession of 2007 to 2009. White teens are more likely to have ajob than teensfrom any other racial group, Pew found.

Across demographics, though, teens are reporting difficult job searches, taking to Reddit and TikTok with rants about phantom postings, managers who ghost them and applications that go nowhere.

It’sastruggle Connor Vukelich knowswell.

After he turned 16, he applied anywhere he could find in a30-mile radius of hishomenearVancouver, Washington.Nooffers followedand Vukelich’sfriends were similarly coming up empty-handed.

“There’sall these ‘We’re Hiring’ signs but no one’s actually hiring,” Vukelich

says. “What’sgoing on? Why can’tany of us find jobs?” When his search turned fruitless, he ended up working on his parents’ lavender farm. Butthe frustration of the experience led Vukelich—who is now20and a studentatEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University —tolaunchPoppin’ Jobs, an employment search site launched this year and aimed at teens and 20-somethings.

Vukelich believes artificial intelligence is robbing teens of some potential jobs and that laws to boost the minimumwage in somestates have pitted first-timejobseekers against moreexperienced candidates.

“Theydon’t seethe value in hiring someone without any experience,” he saysof employers, “they’re notas willing to give someone that shot.”

BY PANPYLAS Associated Press

LONDON— Archaeologists revealed Thursday that they have discoveredastructure near the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge in southernEngland that may have served as a“prototype” for the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument.

Ateam from the British firm Wessex Archaeology said the structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 394 feet apart and aligned to point directly at therising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice.

Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years

The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. through his many years of excavations for Channel4 TV series “Time Team.” Harding, 76, said the site, which also turned up atreasure trove of finds including pottery,animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been afocus for major religiousgatherings. “Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career,ina lifetime,” Hardingsaid. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now,but thank God I’m still in archaeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’scertainly the highlight of my career.”

The findings werereleased ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year

on Sunday,whenthousands head to Stonehenge each year tocelebrate thelongest dayofthe year inthe Northern Hemisphere. Stonehengeisa symbol of British cultureand history and remains one of the country’sbiggest tourist draws. The World Heritage Site was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected inthe late Neolithic periodabout 2,500 B.C The site’smeaning has been thesubjectofvigorous debate.The mostgenerally accepted interpretation is that it was atemple aligned with movements of the sun lining up perfectlywiththe summer and wintersolstices.

Researchers who found the structurenear Stonehenge carried out the dig at Bulford, 3.1milesfrom the main stone circle, as partofarchaeological work to support theBritish de-

fense ministry’sprogram to accommodate troops who have been withdrawn in recentyears from Germany, wherethe army hadabig footprintfor decades.The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training groundsand in the U.K. and Bulfordishome to abarracks.

Theoriginal excavation took place between 2015 and 2017, with the findings requiring many years of analyses and tests.

EnglishHeritagesaid other theories aboutStonehenge include thatitwas a coronation place forDanishkings, adruidtemple,a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.

Whatever theexplanation, thousands of people, many dressedasdruids andpagans, planned to gather at thesite on Sunday to see the sun rise.

Activists navigate increased pushback

‘We have no one on our side,’ one environmentalist says

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

A dozen teenagers ride their bikes down a quiet street in Norco on a warm June morning, stopping at an empty playground beside a Shell petrochemical plant Helmets off and bikes parked, they listen to their tour guides for the day, local advocates telling a story that weaves together Black history in the River Parishes and the current environmental justice movement.

BR teenage shooter sentenced to prison

Father shot 4 times after daughter’s bullying incident

BY QUINN COFFMAN

Staff writer

A Baton Rouge father, shot four times last year while defending his daughter from bullying, told the 19-year-old shooter in court Wednesday that he should “stop being a coward” and accept responsibility

But all Jerry Huggins did in response was laugh, mumble back and slump down in his chair for the rest of the proceeding.

Huggins’ interruption made Judge Louise Hines say she regretted accepting his Monday plea deal, which reduced his attempted second-degree murder charge to a count of aggravated second-degree battery

“The state and Mr Huggins agreed upon this sentence, so I ratified it. But looking at the code and the sentencing guidelines and understanding through the impact statements of the family what went down, I wish I hadn’t,” Hines said.

“And your inability to allow them the time and the respect that they deserve while they were speaking further solidifies my regret.”

For the reduced battery charge, Hines sentenced Huggins to serve 11 years in state prison. She also sentenced him to two years for a second charge, illegal use of a weapon. The punishments will run concurrently, and Huggins will receive credit for time served

He declined to make a statement of his own.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said his office originally had offered a 15-year plea deal, which Huggins did not accept.

“While my office, the victim and his family originally sought a 15year agreement that was rejected by the defendant, we agreed to the sentence to ensure some

ä See SENTENCED, page 2B

“The ordinary people stood up and fought Shell and won,” said Cathy Laurino, a tour guide with the advocacy group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, referencing a community battle over a relocation effort two decades ago.

The bike ride and related summer camp are examples of the kind of outreach a constellation of local community and environmental groups have long been engaged in That work gained unprecedented prominence and funding under former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Richlyn Gibson, a seventh grader from Donaldsonville, said later: “It was very inspirational because you see how you can stand up for something.”

But since 2025, such groups have watched a stunning reversal both nationally and in Louisiana under the administrations of President Donald Trump and Gov Jeff Landry Landmark pollution rules long sought by local groups have been rolled back, and sharp cuts in grant funding have left environmental justice advocates navigating how to remain effective. For some industry groups and

politicians, the changes have been welcome a necessary pushback against what they view as regulatory overreach that harms business and the broader economy

But local organizations say that without the work they carry out, pollution will only worsen and poorer residents without an effective voice will suffer the most.

“The state of (environmental justice) is we’re in a bad place. We’re hanging on by a

COLORFUL LIVES

BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer

West Feliciana Parish school employees will get a $7,000 stipend for the next two school years, courtesy of an early infusion of cash to parish agencies from data center developer Hut 8. Parish officials, in a series of meetings this week, approved an agreement in which Hut 8 will pay the parish $10 million in lieu of property taxes a full year early A new parish Industrial Development Board, representing the

parish government, school system and Sheriff’s Office, agreed earlier on a plan to split the initial $10 million payment.

The School Board will get

$5.3 million, the Sheriff’s Office

$800,000, and the parish government $3.9 million.

Schools Superintendent Hollis Milton told the School Board on Tuesday that the $5.3 million coupled with expected increases in sales and property tax revenue, will give the school system a projected revenue increase of $3.65 million, enough to fund $7,000 stipends for every school employee in the upcoming school year and the 2027-28 school year

The revenue increase is not

Drag queen

TayTay Love

Bonet is crowned the 2026 Miss Ascension Pride during the Pride’s ‘Rainbow Carnival’ on Saturday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

being rolled into regular school salary schedules because of the possible temporary nature of the hike.

School employees will get a $3,500 check on Oct. 9 and another one on April 9, according to the adopted plan.

The payment from Hut 8 is expected to arrive on July 1 and will be deducted from the amount due the parish on July 1, 2027, under a separate agreement with the data center developer

The Florida company is building a data center for artificial intelligence purposes off La. 964 in the southern part of the parish. Anthropic, the AI firm that launched the Claude chatbot, will be Hut 8’s

tenant.

Hut 8 also has agreed to spend up to $16 million for water system improvements, including a new water well, that it will donate to the parish water system.

Asked by a board member why the extra payments were up for approval before the money is on hand, Milton said approval will help the system as it recruits new teachers before the start of school year and keep West Feliciana competitive with area school systems.

“It’s a very competitive game,” Milton said “It’s a bird-in-thehand thing, and I think you should

ä See SCHOOL, page 2B

Luna Pritchard has her face painted by Clare Norman

Nine tornadoes hit La., Miss.

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

At least nine tornadoes touched down in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi on Thursday and Friday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur crossed the region, the National Weather Service said Saturday

The weather service said Friday afternoon that it had confirmed the tornado that struck Arabi just before 6 p.m. Friday as an EF0 with peak winds of 85 mph. It traveled two-thirds of a mile for about three minutes through the St. Bernard Parish community, the weather service said.

The updated number also includes three additional confirmed tornadoes in Houma, one near Slidell and one in south Mississippi. The weather service previously confirmed three tornadoes touched down across Houma, Avondale, Bridge City and New Orleans.

More tornadoes could be confirmed in the next several days as the agency keeps surveying damage from severe weather around the region.

In the updated report, the weather service said Thursday’s first confirmed tornado hit Houma at 2:49 a.m. as an EF1 with peak winds of 90 mph. Three more tornadoes hit Houma over the next hour, including two EF1 tornadoes with maximum winds of 95 mph and an EF0 tornado with winds up to 85 mph.

An EF0 tornado hit Avondale at about 5:30 a.m. and lasted a minute with peak winds of 90 mph, according to the report.

An EF1 tornado with 95 mph winds also touched down in Bridge City just after 5:40 a.m. and stayed on the ground for 16 minutes as it crossed into New Orleans.

By 6:50 a.m., an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph touched down in Eden Isles and moved east for about 25 minutes

before it ended near Pearlington, Mississippi. The National Weather Service said teams will keep analyzing damage near Eden Isles and may confirm additional tornadoes next week. In Mississippi, an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 90 mph cut a 6.38-mile path through Hancock and Harrison counties at 8:01 a.m.

The tornadoes caused widespread damage across the region. In Houma, several homes lost roofs and walls, and winds tossed a truck 30 feet, according to the NWS report. Officials have said severe winds in Avondale destroyed four homes and hospitalized two people after a mobile home blew into a nearby modular home.

Hotels, vehicles and homes were damaged by winds in Eden Isles, and New Orleans sustained minor building damage. Staff writers Lara Nicholson and Willie Swett contributed reporting.

Saying goodbye to Comeaux High

Legacy Walk to be held June 25

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Comeaux High School alumni and former members of the school community are invited to a special Legacy Walk to say goodbye before the school closes on June 30. The Lafayette Parish School Board on June 11 voted 5-4 to close Comeaux as a high school effective June 30. It will be repurposed to house a career center and systemwide sports complex.

ACTIVISTS

Continued from page 1B

thread,” said Beverly Wright, founder of The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, a New Orleans-based organization hit hard by cuts in federal grants

“But I take heart in the fact that we have been here before and during worse times and under worse conditions, with fewer allies than what we have now.”

‘Lot of obstacles’

The Trump administration’s approach to environmental justice is in many ways the inverse of what occurred under Biden.

Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency chief, Michael Regan, was the first Black man to hold the position and put a high priority on environmental justice, or concerns that poor and Black neighborhoods have been forced to disproportionately suffer the effects of industrial pollution. Louisiana and its heavily industrialized region along the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which activists refer to as “Cancer Alley,” was among Regan’s areas of focus

He visited Louisiana twice to tour industrialized areas and speak with residents. When he signed off on what is known as the HON rule aimed at reducing cancer risk in communities near industrial plants, Louisiana activists attended the event in Washington, D.C. Sharon Lavigne, who founded Rise St. James, one of the most prominent local environmental groups, was there and still has a pen Regan used for the signing. But for her the promise of that day has since eroded.

Officials said student enrollment has dropped so low that it isn’t financially feasible to keep the school open. Students are instead being sent to Lafayette, Acadiana and Southside high schools.

The existing W.D. Smith and Mary Baker Smith Career Center building is in disrepair, officials said and there is supposedly a long waiting list of students who want to take classes that range from cosmetology to robotics.

About $2.1 million is expected to be saved by staff cuts with the school closure, Superintendent Francis Touchet said. The savings will be bonded to gener-

ate revenue to pay for the renovations.

The Legacy Walk at Comeaux High is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 25, 100 W. Bluebird Drive, in Lafayette.

The event will provide an opportunity to walk the campus, reconnect and recognize the lasting impact the school has had on generations. The school opened in 1966.

Only clear bags are allowed. Per the Lafayette Parish School System’s policy, all guests will also be required to pass through a weapons detection system upon entry

The 2024 rule had required over 200 industrial facilities nationwide to use stricter pollution controls and conduct routine air monitoring. The plants had until July 2026 to meet the bulk of these requirements.

But last summer, Trump exempted 49 chemical plants nationwide from complying with the standard by the 2026 deadline, including a dozen in Louisiana.

Industry groups in the state argued that the rule was impossible to comply with and would harm important sectors. Advocates see the exemptions as an interim move while the EPA seeks to permanently undo the requirements.

“Our member companies spend millions of dollars each year on emissions controls, operational reliability and safety systems because environmental, health and safety performance remains a core priority across the industry,” said David Cresson, president of the Louisiana Chemistry Association, which represents the state’s largest chemical companies.

Lavigne said “now that the new administration is in, we still have hope, but it’s a lot of obstacles that’s in our way.”

“We have to fight a little bit harder — a whole lot harder — and we have no one on our side,” she said. ‘Not going anywhere’

The changes have not only involved regulation. Some local groups have also been hit by the EPA’s cut of $70 million in funding for Louisiana agencies and nonprofits.

Wright’s Deep South Center, a 34-year-old organization that partners with smaller groups, lost a $13 million grant and laid off roughly 10 employees as a result, she said.

The grant had supported a proj-

SENTENCED

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meaningful measure of justice to the victim and his family,” Moore said.

Corey Breaux was bringing his teenage daughter home from a doctor’s appointment on March 18, 2025, when the shooting occurred.

While the father and daughter were making their way inside, the girl was teased by a group of teenagers in the complex’s parking lot, who called her “emo” and harped on her appearance

“So I foolishly thought that I could ask politely, ‘Could you please not make fun of her?’ A simple request turned into laughter, threats to ‘go the eff inside,’ and threatening to shoot by showing what he had in his waistband,” Breaux said during his victim impact statement Wednesday

Huggins refused to leave, Breaux said, following the father and becoming agitated after being told that police had been called.

“I told you multiple times I had no weapon, but it didn’t appeal to your ego,” Breaux said turning to Huggins in the courtroom.

Breaux’s daughter watched from an apartment window, she said in her own victim impact statement.

She said she saw Huggins level the gun, then saw her dad walk up to Huggins, then “it just all happened in a flash.”

Breaux attested to being shot four times in the abdomen by Huggins.

“I saw my dad fall down on the same concrete that me and my sister used to walk on as kids, that same apartment complex that we walked around and had our memories at, where it would snow, where we’d sit on the

SCHOOL

Continued from page 1B

take the bird in the hand.”

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board recently approved an average of $8,500 in raises for its schoolteachers, which would raise the starting salary for a teacher in that parish from $50,000 to $56,000 per year

Milton said the $7,000 stipend will raise West Feliciana’s starting teacher pay to $59,272, which will be at or near the highest rate in the state.

Dannie Garrett, parish and IDB attorney, explained the proposed “cooperative endeavor agreement” with Hut 8 and the parish entities in meetings Monday and Tuesday, telling the School Board the company is paying the parish before any money is actually due “to let people know they’re serious.”

He said officials are still negotiating with Anthropic over the terms of a “payment in lieu of taxes” agreement. Anthropic is expected to install $60 million worth of graphic processing units in the Hut 8 facility

“We’re talking tens of millions of dollars on an ongoing basis,” Garrett said of the projects underway

The early payment agreement had to be structured in a way that does not create a public debt obligation. Although the agreement says the

ect that spanned 250 communities across 14 states, connecting local groups with researchers with expertise in pollution, flooding and energy consumption.

Wright said the loss was a “big blow,” but it hasn’t “taken the wind out of us.”

Tish Taylor, of The Concerned Citizens of St. John, another local group, said the organization received federal EPA support through a $500,000 grant managed by the Deep South Center. The funding focused on air monitoring data in the parish, including exposure to a likely carcinogen — chloroprene — emitted from the nowsuspended Denka Performance Elastomer Plant in Reserve.

Before Denka announced last May it would suspend operations, the Trump administration granted it an exemption from the HON rule and dropped a landmark federal government lawsuit alleging the facility threatened the area with unacceptable cancer risks.

When it comes to funding, however, Taylor said that philanthropy is the ultimate source.

“I’m just grateful because the philanthropy was there before. They’re not going anywhere,” she said. “They know that we need it even more now.”

Significant funding for Louisiana-based groups has come from organizations including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Earth Island Institute and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Local groups have long faced criticism from Louisiana politicians and industry over allegations they are slowing economic development Pointing to the groups’ funding, they also accuse them of doing the bidding of outside activists. The groups counter that their

staircase and actually feel comfortable,” she told the court. She said it was the same kitchen window she would look out of as she cooked, or where she would watch rain tap against the glass, that she now saw her father on the ground through, blood running out from beneath his back.

The girl’s sister Breaux’s other daughter, also spoke. She said she had to scrub that blood out of the parking lot as her siblings cried, believing their dad had died.

“Every day I have to remember that those four gunshots could have taken my father away,” she said. “The four gunshots that could have prevented him from watching me walk the stage at graduation Four gunshots that could have prevented him from walking down the aisle, to be a grandfather to my future family.”

It took Breaux over six months to recover, as he underwent multiple surgeries and needed to return to the hospital routinely due to infection. A kidney and a lung were hit, and a portion of his intestines had to be removed during surgery

Speaking to The Advocate Breaux said the recovery was more difficult and more painful than the shooting had been.

But overall, Breaux’s family tried to express to Huggins that the shooting had lasting effects, leaving them all with a sense of residual “fight or flight” whenever they are in public.

“Me and my family will not let this be something that defines us or controls us,” said Lorena Breaux, the girls’ mother “But I do want Mr Huggins to understand that the poison that he put into my family has sickened us, and we are working on recovery.”

three agencies will repay the $10 million from the 2027 payment, they are under no legal obligation to do so, Garrett told the Parish Council and School Board members.

Hut 8’s willingness to accept that arrangement without a guarantee, interest payments or specific time span indicates its seriousness, Garrett said.

The Parish Council deferred action on a separate agreement to accept a servitude from Hut 8 for its water line construction after council member John Thompson questioned provisions that would appear to allow the company to build a parking area or other improvements over the servitude. The parish would have to rebuild the improvements if it disturbed them to work on a water line, Thompson said.

St. Francisville lawyer Charles Griffin also cautioned that many landowners’ property lines extend to the middle of roads in the parish, which would require Hut 8 to obtain rights of way from them to install the water lines.

Garrett said he would bring Thompson and Griffin’s observations to the company’s attention for possible changes.

Parish President Kenny Havard said Hut 8 is making the water system improvements and donating them to the parish in order to have adequate water available at the site in case of a fire.

work requires funding and that they are transparent about where it comes from. They also say the need for their advocacy is selfevident in a state with high levels of pollution. Rise St. James recently welcomed middle schoolers from Colorado for an environmental class. Some schools in New York also teach students about the environmental justice group, Lavigne said. But within the state, she said that U.S. Rep. Troy Carter D-New Orleans, is the only elected official who has met with them.

Shamell Lavigne, Sharon Lavigne’s daughter who helps lead Rise St. James, said opposition to their work has appeared to become more organized recently

She pointed to an organization called Industry Makes, which shares posts and videos on social media about Rise St. James. It has criticized the environmental group for traveling by car and plane, and for using items such as computers and clothing derived from industry

She believes the group is also involved with a “Stop Rise St. James” yard sign campaign cropping up around the community and questioned whether it was paying residents to post about the advocacy group online.

Desiree Lemoine, executive director for Industry Makes, said the organization does not pay anyone for the posts, yard signs or its ambassador program. However, she said that Industry Makes did “partially pay” for a poster seen in parts of the community Lemoine said Industry Makes’ focus on Rise St. James “is a small piece of our overall pillar to provide a positive perception of industry and the benefits it brings to the communities where it operates.”

“Industry Makes does not believe that Rise St. James or any of the other activist groups in and around the area work toward environmental advocacy,” Lemoine said. “It is our experience that they work to enrich their own pockets through spreading misinformation and fear among the communities they claim to want to protect.” Lemoine said her organization’s funding comes from yearly dues from individuals, businesses and associations in Louisiana that “serve as partners that give us platforms and other media support.”

Like Rise St. James, Taylor’s organization has continued to fight on a wide range of issues.

Other smaller environmental groups are also pushing ahead — and even expanding — despite federal cuts and changing policies. Cynthia Robertson, who runs the Sulphur-based group Micah 6:8 Mission, said that her organization has persisted even after losing federal funding last year

Robertson’s organization began in the aftermath of 2020’s Hurricane Laura and in the midst of the COVID pandemic, providing food, health information and clothing to residents in need.

“I just lean into God and know that whatever is supposed to happen will happen, and it does, so I’m very pleased with where we are now despite the federal government,” Robertson said.

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

LOTTERY

Lottery results not available at press time.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Mike and Amanda Kok pick up tree debris from their yard with Melicie Kok, 2, in Arabi on Saturday, the day after a tornado hit.

Prosecutor onCantrellcaseput on leaveafter allegations

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Allegations that aveteran federal prosecutor hid aromanticrelationshipwith a workplace subordinate,a source of seething controversy within New Orleans’ U.S. Attorney’sOffice, have set legal circles abuzz given the parallels they conjured with the prosecutor’shighest-profile case.

Former New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, after all, was charged last August in acriminal indictment packed with details about her own alleged relationship with acity employee. Theprosecutor who shepherded the probe thatyielded her indictment, Jordan Ginsberg, was placed on leave last week from the U.S. Attorney’sOffice amid an investigation into the allegations surrounding him.

“You couldn’twrite it better for areality show,” said Silas Lee, aveteran pollster,trial consultant and

former Cantrell adviser

Despite the parallels, legal veterans say the allegations may have little bearing on the blockbuster case’strajectorywithinthe walls of federal court.

“If there’ssome misconduct that’s case-related, that’sa di ff er en t story,” said Matt Coman,aveteran civil lawyer and former assistant U.S. at t or ney wholed the corruption prosecution of former Ne wO rleans mayor Ray Nagin.

“Here,”Comansaid, “there’sno indication that theallegationshave anything todowith the grand jury investigation, the trial preparation or the prosecution overall.”

Allegations that Ginsberg had arelationship witha U.S. Attorney’sOfficelegal assistant erupted within the officeearlier this month, throwing amajor wrench in the Cantrell prosecution and raising questions about the case’s fate in courtand the public eye.

Therevelations so alarmed Justice Department leaders that they placed GinsbergonadministrativeleaveonJune 12, fourdays before his colleagues filedtowithdraw him from the Cantrell prosecution team. Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitterofthe Eastern District of Louisianagranted their motion on Wednesday, courtrecordsshow

The Justice Department has opened an internal probe into what officials have described only as “employee misconduct.”

DOJ leaders are fearful, sources have told The Times-Picayune,thatparallels between the allegations against Ginsberg and ele-

ments of evidence against Cantrell might engender public skepticism over the veracity of her charges.Officials are less concerned, sources have said, that revelations of the relationship might sway the case’slegal strength.

But while the allegations mayhave limited bearing on decisions of a judge,legal experts noted thatdefense attorneys for Cantrell and her former NOPD bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, may well pushto invoke thesimilarities in pretrial motions or hearings. They also may seek material related to the Ginsberg allegations in discovery.

Cantrell is represented by EddieCastaing, aveteran white collar defense lawyer. Vappieisdefendedby former NewOrleans U.S. Attorney Harry Rosenberg and Shaun Clarke, aformer federalprosecutorand veteran white-collar defender They declinedtocomment.

In recentmonths, thede-

fendantshad been fighting apushfromGinsbergand other prosecutors on the case to introduce araft of new evidence, including campaign finance records unrelated to theformal charges their clients face.

Last August, agrand jury at federal courtonPoydras Street indicted Cantrell on 11 criminal counts including wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lyingtoafederal grand jury.All sprang from what prosecutors described as a scheme to spend taxpayer moneyonromantic trips with Vappie. Thetwo are also accused of lying and destroying evidence to conceal the scheme.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty

In part,the pair are accused of stealing from taxpayersbyallegedly cavorting during hourswhen Vappie was being paid for work on the NOPD’sExecutive Protection Unit, police payroll records later showed.

Few public details have been released about Ginsberg’salleged workplace relationship, which remainsunder theinternal DOJ review.Thereare no signssofar thatthe coworkers are accused of pursuing the relationship while at work Ginsbergdid not respond to multiple emails,text and phone messages over several days lastweek.

U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle’soffice has released asingle statement on the matter,saying Ginsberg was placed on leave as DOJ opened the internal probe and pledging a“thoroughreview of the facts.” Aspokespersonfor the office declined Thursday to answer detailed questions about that probe’s status, referring areporter to Courcelle’searlier statement.

AJustice Department spokesperson, NatalieBaldassarre, said the department does not comment on personnel matters.

Coastalplantorestore vitalEastOrleans Landbridge advances

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

Out on the far fringes of New Orleans, alone chunk of land stands guardagainst an invading army of contemporary threats. Those threats no longer involve invading British warships —the reasonthe nowcrumbling Fort Pikewas built in the same location on the northeastern edge of the city.They instead have to do with the range of enemies now tearing at south Louisiana’sexistence: storm surge, saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and erosion

The problem? That landis gradually disappearing.

The state’slong struggle to maintain what is known as the East OrleansLandbridge, which divides Lake Pontchartrain, Lake St. Catherine and Lake Borgne, is costly and painstaking. But it is now in line for an important boost with what would be thelargestrestoration project yet for the landbridge Aplan to restore the equivalent of roughly 1,000 football fields of wetlandsat acost of $101 million is moving toward final approval. The project would be paid for with funds related to the 2010 BP oil spill, money that has allowed Louisiana to pursue awide array of coastal restoration projects. It will by no means solve the problem. The restoration plan addresses only one portion of afar larger stretchof land and marsh that is under threat every minute.

But it is important nonetheless, coastal officialsand advocates say,allowing the state to at least temporarily turn backthe tide in one area of avital location.

“You can look at amap and see howcritical it is to separatingthe waters” of

the three lakes,said April Newman, project manager for the state’sCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority,which is carrying out theplan

“Restoringthe marshwill giveit alonger lifespan so it can serve that important purpose.

Outonthe island

Theentire landbridgehas been described as some of the most important land in allofsouthLouisiana. That hastodowith its location.

Driversused to the journey all the way down U.S. 90, or ChefMenteur Highway,are familiarwith it.

Past where thelevee systemendsand acrossthe old swing bridge over Chef Pass, it suddenly feels more like GrandIslethanLouisiana’sbiggestcity

Elevated campslinethe narrow stripbetween Lake Pontchartrainand Lake St Catherine, an area locals refer to as “the island.” On thefar end, theroad leads to anewer bridge over the Rigoletspass andthenSt. Tammany Parish.

The island and surrounding marsh all makeup the landbridge.Itisestimated to protect some 1.5 million people in the New Orleans area from stormsurge, on bothsides of the lake.

Losing it would allow Gulf waters to roll in withlittle resistance,threateningthe area’slevee system. It would also drastically change the Lake Pontchartrain estuary’s brackish ecosystem forever

Erosion,subsidence, sea level rise and hurricanes have long beenpeelingaway at the landbridge, similar to most ofLouisiana’s coastline. One section of it is estimatedtohave lost about110 acres of marsh since 1956. Thestate’scoastal master

plan lays outalarger strategy for restoring 29,000 acres at acostof$1.1 billion. Smaller restorationprojects have occurred in the past

Theproject currentlyin line for approval focuses on an area on the northeastern end, lining the gradually widening Rigolets,the pass that leads from Lake Pontchartrain to LakeBorgne, the MississippiSound and theGulf.

Newman says that roughly half of the project area is already underwater. The shorelineinthatareacould retreat by another 95 feet by 2043 if no action were taken, theproject proposal says. Through cost-benefit analysis, consideration of duck hunting leases andother factors, the state crafted aplan that would restore 1,320 acres with sediment from nearby Lake St.Catherine. The sediment would amount to around 5million cubic yards,which would overflow theSuperdome.

Theproject would also include shoreline protection along the Rigoletsinthe form of permeable containers withlimestone to help prevent erosion. Native vegetation including cordgrass and roseau cane would be planted atop the sediment Trustees overseeing BP dollarsmust givefinalapprovaltothe plan, which Newman expects to occur in October.Construction could then begin in thefall of 2027 and could last around three years. Like allsuchprojects, its designedlifespan will be two decades.

‘Reallyimportant’

At Rigolets Marina, a launching point for crowds of area fishermen, owner LesterRalph said he was glad to seeany type of marsh restoration. But he ques-

tioned how long it would last andproposed his own idea: Use theexisting rail line farther outand into Mississippi to construct aprotective bermand floodgates to keep water from moving in during storms.

“If youdid allthat andfocused it at your outer boundaryrather thanfocusing on inner boundaries, then you would protecteverything,” Ralph, 78, said inside the elevated shop at his marina, overlookingthe boat launch below Regardless of whether that type of project could ever be possible, Ralph touched on several issues at once: What type of restoration and protection projects shouldthe state build? Which ones are actually fea-

sible and achievable? How muchmoney will Louisiana have to spend on them?

TheBPfundscannotbe used forcoastal protection projects, only restoration, since the moneyisdesignated to repair whatthe spill harmed. Thatmoney will also expire by 2032, though projects already in the works by that time will continue.

Amongcoastal advocates, the landbridge haslongbeen apriority and the new plan is awelcome sign.

The Restore the Mississippi RiverDeltacoalition, which haslongadvocated forlandbridge restoration, has distributed aletter in support of the project with morethan 100 signatures from community leaders,

businesspeople, activists and politicians.

Amanda Moore, whois part of the coalition as senior director of the Gulf program for the National Wildlife Federation, said it is hard to overstate the importance of maintaining thelandbridge She has been among those seeking to draw attention to the need forrestorationin recent years.

“It is critical for storm surge reduction, for the hydrologyand thesalinity maintenance of the area, for wildlife habitat, and so it serves alot of really important functions,” Moore said. “Having that be maintainedand be restoredis critical to protection for all thecommunities around Lake Pontchartrain.”

Ginsberg Cantrell

Atkins,Ross Robert Barnett

February 29, 1964 -June 17, 2026 ACelebration of Lifeservice forRossRobert Barnett Atkins will be held onMonday, June 22, from 2pm to 4pmatThe Local, 130 W. Park Ave, Ruston, Louisiana.BorninHomer in February1964, Ross was raisedinRuston. After earning hisbachelor'sde‐greefromLSU,his career took himtoWashington, D.C., BatonRouge,Rhode Island,and Floridabefore hereturnedtoRustonin 2023. Much of hisprofes‐sionallifewas dedicated toserving thebestinter‐estsofhis belovedState of Louisiana.Rosswas abig personality anda true peo‐ple person whoenjoyed connectingwithfolks from all walksoflife. Ross was ateaseconversingwitha Senator or aCEO as much ashewas with acheckout clerk or asecurityguard Rosswas notaverseto spontaneity,drama,or laughter- he livedpassion‐ately.Hewas oftenthe life ofthe party, ensuring that everyonewas entertained. But beneaththe legendary charm andplayful swagger was aman with aheartof gold. He will be deeply missedbyhis children,his siblings, extended family and hismanydearfriends inLouisiana andbeyond. Rossispredeceased by his parents,A.B.AtkinsJrand Ouida BarnettAtkins. He is survivedbyhis sisters, Angelyn Cannada(Barry) and GinnyHootsell (Ault); brothers, A.B. Atkins IlIand JohnAtkins(Elise);daugh‐ters, Virginia Rand DeWitt (Cali)and HelenChase Atkins; son, CharlesWhite‐house Atkins;grandson, SamuelDeWitt; andmany adoring nieces and nephews.The family is ex‐tremely grateful to the medical staffs of North Louisiana MedicalCenterit Ruston, OurLadyofthe LakeRegionalMedical CenterinBaton Rougeand the loyalfriends of the familyinthe Ruston and Baton Rougeareas.Inlieu of flowers, memorial con‐tributionsmay be made to the LouisianaMethodist Children's Home in Ruston

Bateman, Paul B.

Paul B. Bateman was born on July 6, 1941,in Warrington, Louisiana,to Myford Bateman and Maggie Bateman. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University. During his undergraduate studies, he played cornet in the LSU Marching Band. It was there that he met Patricia Ann DeArmond, whom he later married. They shared more than fifty years of marriage until her passing in 2015. Paul continued his education at New Orleans Baptist TheologicalSeminary, where he earned aMaster of MusicinChurch Music Ministry, and later returned to Louisiana State University to earn aMaster of Music in Vocal Performance. He began his professional career as Minister of Music at Hebron Baptist Church. He went on to work for the Social Security Administration for 43 years. Paul was alongtime member of Broadmoor Baptist Church, where he touched the lives of countless children and families through his volunteer work with the children's choir for many years He passed awayonJune 18, 2026. He is survived by his brother, Gary Bateman, and wife Mary Bateman; sisters FrancisChancelor, Widow of Gerald Chancelor, and Delores Tousinau, Widow of Billy Tousinau; daughterAllison Roark and husband Kenneth Roark; daughter Angela Hannie and husband Patrick Hannie; and son Patrick Bateman and wife Holly Bateman. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Malynn Bateman, Kaleigh Martin and husband James Martin, Molly Hannie, Daniel Hannie, Ryan Roark, Matthew

Roark, and Zoe Roark. The family is deeply grateful forthe kindness and support provided by family friend Mona Cox, EmmerTurner, and to the nurses and staffofPinnacle Hospice,especially Anna Ellingburg, for their compassionate care, attentiveness, and support. The family requests that visitation be observed beginning at 9:30 AM on Wednesday,June 24, 2026, at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home, 11817Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816. Funeral services willfollow at 11:00 AM, officiated by Rev. Bobby Rayburn. Interment will take place at Resthaven Gardens of Memory, following the funeral service. Family and friends may signthe online guest book or leave apersonalnote to the family at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com

Bradford,Donald Eugene 'Don'

Donald "Don"Eugene Bradford, alovinghus‐band, father andlongtime Baton Rougeattorney, passedonJune 14,2026. He was born December 4, 1941 inAlexandria, Louisiana. Known forhis infectious smile,Don is survived by his devotedwifeJane (Pierce), hischildrenMark Bradford(Stephanie), Leigh Ackerman (Gerard), Amy Kubricht (Trey),Beth Carroll (Clayton)and stepchildrenJenniferHat‐ter (Chipper)and Trey D'Ar‐mond(Kelly) as well as beloved nieceNancy Romero(Jerry).Hewas an adoring "PawPaw" to Hal‐lie andMatthew Bradford Ava andEdwardAckerman, Addison andCampbellCar‐roll, FaithKubricht, Hunter and BenD'Armond, as well asAllyand Gray Hatter. He isprecededindeath by his parents OttieLouise(Van‐dervort)and Joseph Cor‐bittBradfordaswellashis brother JC Bradford.A proud graduate of Louisiana StateUniversity, bothfor undergradand law school,Don waspresident of SigmaChi fraternity.As a believer,hewas on the First NewTestament Church boardofdirectors for 33 years. Laterinlife, hewas an elderatChapel atthe Creek in BluffCreek, Louisiana."Onething I havedesired of theLORD, thatwillI seek after, that I may dwellinthe houseof the LORDall thedaysofmy life, to behold thebeauty ofthe LORD,and to enquire in histemple." Psalm27:4

Mrs. Verna Burleigh (85) passedawayonMonday, June 15, 2026 in Prairieville LA.

Verna had the sweetest smile, you noticed that first. Thatand her beautiful blue eyes.She was quiet, almost shy, always had her hairfixed and make-up on. Shealwaysmadesure everything aroundher was neat and pretty She proudly worethe title of housewifebut also worked whenever shewas neededatMartinSausage, the business they owned and helped with their many pets and barn animals. Sheonce had her nose broken by aparticularly orneryhorse. She was so much stronger and tougher than she appeared. Shedid anything and everythingfor her husband and family. Theywereher priorityuntil theveryend.

Mrs. Verna is survived by her husband, James Burleigh;daughter,Tina Burleigh Staggs (Terry); son,Scott Burleigh (Jamie); sisters, Carol Paronto, Judith Calhoun (Gary);sisters-in-law, Diane Mizener and Mary 'Putsy' Guedry (David); grandchildren,Daniel Burleigh (Victoria), Ryan Burleigh (Leslie) andKatie Burleigh;and great grandchildren,Noah Burleigh, Brennon Stringerand Ellie Burleigh

She is preceded in death by her parents, William and Thelma Mizener; brothers, Floyd Mizener (Shirley), Lawrence Mizener (Jean) and James Mizener; sister, LorettaSmith (Stanley); and brother-inlaw, Roland Paronto. Visitation willbeheldat Ourso Funeral Home in Gonzales, LA,onTuesday, June 23, 2026, beginning at 10:00 AM. ACelebrationof Life Service willthenfollowat12:00 PM,beforethe CommittalService at Hope Haven: GardenofMemory in Prairieville, LA

Dalrymple, Nina

After alifefulloflove, Nina Dalrymple passed away on June 14thinHouston, Texas surrounded by family.Bornand raised in thesmall town of Winnsboro,Louisiana in 1936, she carried thesimple pleasures of farm living throughout life.Having received afull scholarship to Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, she graduated withhonors earning aBachelorsof Nursing degree.After graduation, she married and started afamily.Nina moved her family to several states until settling in BatonRouge where she livedalmost 40 years. She enjoyed spendingtime with friendsand family square dancing and attending local theater. In addition to visiting many national parks, she also traveled abroad to England and India Nina is survivedbyher children, grandchildren, her loving sisterand extendedfamily.She was predeceased by her parents, her eldest sonand eldest grandchild. Shewill be remembered for her beautiful eyes, telling stories of alifewell lived, and singing songs. She took prideinbeing anurse where those traits were appreciated by countless patients.

Because advancement of medicine was important to Nina, she donated her body to BaylorCollege of Medicine in lieu of afuneral

DeBruyn, Deborah Elizabeth

Deborah Elizabeth DeBruyn, aged 76, on Sunday morning, June 14 at The Crossing on Bluebonnet Survived by her beloved spouse and partner of 49 years, Kathleen (Kathy) Ann Naquin, Deborah was born on November 16, 1949 in Mobileand raised in NewOrleans. In 1977, she moved to Baton Rouge. Deborah was aconsummate homemaker. She lovedbooks, the news, jewelry-making, plants, dogs, bees, and Cuddles, her Yellow Nape Amazon parrot.She willbemissed by allthose who lovedher. May her memory be eternal.Deborah is also survivedbyher nephews, AaronM.Lawrence of Tampaand Martin E. Lawrence of Plaquemine; a niece, Elizabeth P. Speights (Robbie)ofRuston; aloving cousin, Joanie M. Slana of Mobile; along-time dear friend Janet M. Cazes (Mary Anne)ofPort Allen, as well as several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in deathbyher father, William DeBruyn, her mother,Elizabeth (Libby) RollsJuan, her younger brother, William (Billy) DeBruyn, Kathy's mother, Helen W. Naquinand Kathy's sisters,Mary Jean Thomas and Helen S. Lawrence.A celebration of life is plannedfor alaterdate. Deborah's family would like to thank Nina Oliveaux and thestaff of Clarity Hospice for theircompassionate care. Memorial donations may be madeto Capital Area Animal Welfare, 6357 Quinn Drive, BatonRouge,LA70817.

Stuart WilliamDuke, age 62, passedaway on Monday, June 15, 2026. He was born on October 4, 1963, in BatonRouge,Louisiana and spent most of his life in his hometown before moving to ButteLaRose, Louisiana, aboutten years ago.

Stuart wasa graduate of BelaireHighSchool and attended Southeastern Louisiana University. After spending several years working in construction throughout theUnited States, he returned home to Baton Rouge and began alifelong careerinthe chemical manufacturing industry, specifically at bothFormosa Plastics and Shintech.

Aboveall else, Stuart's greatest love and source of pridewere histwo sons, William SidneyDuke and Zachary Stuart Duke. He enjoyed thesimple pleasures of life,such as fishing,spending peaceful hoursonthe water, and tending his garden. He was known forhis playful spirit, quick wit, and wonderful sense of humor. Whether sharing ajoke,telling a story, or simply enjoying thecompany of friends and family,Stuart was oftenthe life of the party. He is survivedbyhis belovedsons, William Duke and Zachary Duke, and their mother,Anne Church; his father, Alton Eugene Duke; his brothers, Stacy Duke and hiswife Rickie, and Steve Duke and his wife Barbara; his nieces and nephew, Taylor Deutsch and her husband Carter, Leighton Duke, Hunter Duke, Haley Babb and her husband J.D., Heather Pocicand her husband Ethan, and Hannah Greer and her husband Austin; along with his great-niecesand greatnephews. Stuart is also survivedbyhis chocolate lab, Charlie.Hewas preceded in death by his mother, SylviaSullivan Duke.

Visitationwillbeheldat 10:00am at First United Methodist Church 930 NorthBlvd. BatonRouge on Monday, June 22, 2026, followedbya funeral service at 11:00am conducted by theRev.Brady Whitton.In lieu of flowers,please make acharitable contributiontoa charityofyour choice.

Patricia B. Ketelsen

BornMarch 21, 1940Jun 13, 2026 to Frances and JimBallard passed away on Jun 13, 2026 at theage of 86.

She was married to the late Dale Glenn Ketelsen for 52 years, and was later blessed to spend timewith her longtime friend who became adearpartner and asourceofmuch comfort, Don Delaville

She is survivedbyher sister, Georgian Ortiz (Tom); her three children, CraigKetelsen (Emily), ErikKetelsen, and Penny Jo Kelly(Lee);her five cherished grandchildren and her threegreat-grandchildren as wellasmany nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. Along the way, she mentored and "mothered"any and all who came intocontact withher. She was atalented seamstress and enjoyed Crochet among her many hobbies. She wasanenthusiastic member of theUniversity United Methodist Church where she played bells. Later in life she tookleadership roles in Adult Sunday School, Lagniappe,and Seniors on the Go. In lieu of flowers,the family requeststhat donations be madetothe UniversityUnited Methodist Church or Alzheimer'sServices of theCapital Area in Pat's memory. Acelebration of life will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on 2026-07-11 at University United Methodist Church , 3350 Dalrymple Dr.

Kieren, GuerdonMarshall

Guerdon Marshall Kieren,a native of Miami Arizonaand aresident of Baton Rouge,LA, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the age of 90. He attendedMiami High School andservedinthe U.S. AirForce,stationedin Juneau,Alaska and Biloxi, Mississippi. Guerdon was an electricalengineer whose career began with Westinghouse in California andlater broughthim to Louisiana during Baton Rouge's industrial expansion.His expertise and leadership soon carried himacross the globe with Siemens, wherehecontributedtomajor projects worldwide.After retiring, he continuedsharing his knowledge locally through consultingworkwith Southern PowerSystems andTPS,remaining atrusted expertinhis field throughout hiscareer. To hisfamily, he wasa source of love,wisdom, support, and historical insight,always ready witha story, a lesson, or ahelping hand. He wasprecededindeath by hisloving wife,Mildred Anne Hahn Kieren; sons, Guerdon "Butch" Kieren TerryJoe Kieren, andKeith LynnKieren; parents, Leslie Francis Richard Kieren andGeorgina Ina Kieren;his sister,Patsy Stamper; andgrandson, JamesKieren. Guerdon is survived by hisdaughters Leslie Kieren Mariano (Joe) andMichellePastorick (Kirk); grandchildren, Margaret Kieren Jouette (Jeremy), ChristopherKieren (Katrina), Jeremy Fenn, Dylan Pastorick (Jordan), LilliePastorick, Nikki Pizzalato (Andrew), TerryJoe "JoJo"Kieren, andGuerdon "Butch" Kieren;brother George Kieren; andnumerousgreat-grandchildren nieces, andnephews. Visitation will be held at ResthavenFuneral Home, 11817 JeffersonHwy. Baton Rouge,LA70816, on Friday, June 26, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. untilMemorialService at 11:00 a.m. Inurnment will follow at Resthaven GardensofMemory. Family andfriends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamilyatwww.resthavenbaton rouge.com

George Theodore Meyer, Jr., native of NewOrleans, LA, andlong-time resident of Baton Rouge,LA, passed away on June 14, 2026, at the age of 83. After graduating from Southeastern Louisiana Anniversary, he began adecades long career with Ford MotorCredit untilretirement.True to histireless work ethic, he continuedparttimeemploymentwith multiple financecompanies for many years after retirement.He wasa loving and devoted husband, father,grandfather,brother and friendto themanywho were lucky enough to know him. He waswell known andloved for hisjoy andinfectious laughter, findingthe humor and delightineven themost mundaneand simplest of moments. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, watchingbaseball, playing games, puzzles,and especiallyspendingquality time with familyand friends. He is survivedbyson, Michael Meyer; his daughterand son-in-law, Becky andMichael Herrington; grandchildren, Carley Leachand GarrettHerrington;great-grandchildren RowanHerrington andKorehLeach; sister and brother-in-law, Gwendolyn andBob Hamm;brother-inlaw,Richard Day; brother andsister-in-law, Winston andBernadette Day; nieces, PhyllisHerron and CrystalDupre; friend/ cousin,Karen Myers and herhusbandEdward. He is preceded in death by hisparents,George

Theodore Meyer, Sr.and Violet Meyer Fasnacht; and hisloving wife,Bobbie Day Meyer. AprivateCelebrationof Life will be held by the familyata later date. The familyinvites all to share yourfavorite stories,joyful moments, andmemories of George on hismemorial page at www.greenoaksfu nerals.com .Yourwords bring comforttoour family. Thefamilywould also like to thank all of his friends andneighbors for theactsofkindnessand support theyhave shown throughout theyears.

JamesRandolph Montalbano"Tater" at age 69 went to eternallybewith hisJelly RedonSunday, May31, 2026 at Clarity Hospice of Baton Rouge.He wasa retiredSpecialty Welder outofLocal 198 whose skillsetallowed him to travelthe worldaswell as createa networkoflifelong friends andbrothers. Tater always felt most at home in theAtchafalaya Basin Spillway therefore he kept acampinBayou Pigeon that later became hisresidencearound2018. Tater began as aparttime Commercial Crawfisherman around2012 and transitionedtoa full time Commercial Crawfisherman upon retiring. Tater wasan avidoutdoorsman who couldalways be found huntingorfishingdeep in thebasin. Tater is survivedbyhis wife, Darlene Gautreau Montalbano; daughters, Nicole Montalbano and wife Jessica Kennedy,and Jessica Montalbano Lyles; andgranddaughter, Clarencia Lyles. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Christine Bennett; his parents,AnthonyMontalbano and Bessie Aime Montalbano andhis in-laws, N.C. Gautreau and Geraldine Tullier as well as numerousother familymembers andfriends

Tater asked that we extend thefollowing messages- Wake up America andstop fallingvictimtoa system created to keepus dividedand by all means listen to andsupport ourbi -racial childrenastheyare theonlyracewho truly understand what theworld needstoheal.

AFloating Memorial will be held in the Atchafalaya Basin SpillwaySaturday, July 42026 at 11:00 am launching from theBayou Pigeon Boat Launchfollowedbya Celebration of Life at his residence Please have yourboats in thewater andloadedfor an 11:00 am departure Please adhere to all LDWF regulations whileinthe boat on thewater.Send an e-mailto montalbanon@msn.com if you need more information

Being the eldest child andonlygirl,

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fell in love,and marriedCecil Nickens.Barbara finished herlast year of high school after shemarriedCecil and graduatedsalutatorian.After hergraduation,Barbaraand Cecil were blessed with theirfirst

Duke, StuartWilliam

Montalbano, James Randolph 'Tater

Ketelsen, Patricia Jo 'Pat'

Meyer, George Theodore

Burleigh, Verna

Nickens, Barbara Faye Butler

Barbara Faye Butler Nickens stepped into heaven on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at herhome in Galvez, Louisiana after walking this Earthfor 88 years. Barbarawas born in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. She moved with herfamilytoBaton Rouge at ayoung age, and later they settled in Baker, Louisiana.

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child, Gwendolyn (Gwen). Afew short years later, they had another daughter, Brenda, and less than a year later had their third daughter, Karen. Seventeen months later, they welcomed their son, Don to the mix.

Barbara enjoyed her role as homemaker, mother, and wifefor many years. Once her children were grown, she earned an Accounting Clerk degree at Ascension VocationalTechnical School where she graduated in August 1989, at the top of her class. Later that same year, she was awarded a certificate of participation from Blue Cross Blue Shield for completing courses in contracts, data sheets, and terminal usage. Barbara's love of learning pushed her to earn her real estate license and excel in several other ventures throughout her life such as working at H&R Block, being aVoting Poll Worker, serving as a board member for "Arc of East Ascension", and as a proof-reader for Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

Barbara is survived by her four children Gwen Nickens (Melva "Sonny") McLaurin, Brenda Faye Nickens, Karen Nickens Roberts, Don Allen Nickens, one brother, Kenneth (Brenda) Butler, three grandchildrenTisha (Matt) Svoboda, Bryan (Maria) McLaurin, Michelle(Jennifer) Stephens, seven great grandchildren Lydia, Madeline, Robert, Celest, James, Jackie, Jessie, and two great-great grandchildren James and Thomas. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, L.J. and EvelynButler, her husband, Cecil Nickens, three brothers, Glenn, Jack, and DeWayne Butler, ason -in-law, DarrellRoberts, a grandson, Aaron Roberts, and many brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Barbara's celebration of alife well lived will be at Ourso Funeral Home in Gonzales, Louisiana on Monday, June 22, 2026. Visitation will begin at 9am with the funeral service at 11 am. Interment will follow at Carpenter's Chapel Cemetery in Galvez Louisiana. Pence

Pellowski, Gregory 'Greg'

"Deathleaves a heartache no one can heal Love leaves amemory no one can steal." (Anonymous-Irish headstone) Gregory "Greg" Daniel Pellowski, born May 26, 1971, in Baton Rouge,LA, passed away on June12, 2026,atthe age of 55. He was a1989 graduate of Central High School and attended LSU 1989-1991.Heis survived by his loving parents, Myra Powers Pellowski and Terry Julius Pellowski; his brother, Todd Michael Pellowski; aunt, Maureen Ann Pellowski; uncle, Michael Joseph Pellowski; and numerous family and friends who loved him and will miss him greatly.

Greg worked as aDJfor Premier Sound Services since 1997. His warm personality and remarkable ability to read acrowd made him afavorite amongclients andguests alike, contributing to a successful career doing what he loved. He adored children and animals, and theyseemed to love him just as much. In his free time, he especially enjoyed fishing, one of his favorite pastimes.

Greg possesseda wealth of knowledge on countless subjects, making him an outstanding trivia player and aconversationalist who could connect with just about anyone. He was deeply patrioticand had aprofound love for his country. Above all, he was adevoted son who brought great pride to his family and will be remembered with love and admiration.

Aprivate celebration of life will be held at alater date. Please visitwww gre enoaksfunerals.com to leave condolences to the family.

Frank "Woody" Pence, Jr.passed awaypeacefully on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the ageof82, surrounded by his loving family. Woody dedicated more than 30yearsofhis lifeto educating and mentoring students at Central Middle School, whereheservedas aPhysical Education teacher.Healsoshared his passion for athletics as a track coach formany of those years. In addition to his career in education, Woody proudlyservedhis country for29yearsinthe U.S. Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant.Throughout his life, Woody enjoyed staying active and pursuing his favorite pastimes. He was an avid runnerand golfer and cherished the friendships and memories made through both sports. Woody is survivedbyhis belovedwifeof60years, Helen GersteinPence;his daughters, TaraPence Dixon (Allen) and Jennifer Pence Parker(Scott); and his grandchildren,Victoria Dixon Beard (Matthew) Taylor Parker (Emily),and Nicole Dixon (Isabelle).He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank Pence, Sr and Dorothy Pluskat Pence,aswellasmany beloved family members.A private service for immediate family willbeheldata later date. Woody will be rememberedfor hisdedication to his family, his students, his country, and the countless liveshe touched throughout his yearsofservice and friendship.

Phillips,Keith Paul

Keith Paul Phillips, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was born November 12, 1955, and went to be with the LordonJune 16, 2026, after an illness. Keith is survived by his daughter, Mary Ann Russell(William Todd), their children Kason and Jase; his son,Adam Keith Phillips (Amanda), their daughter, Emily, with daughter Ella expected soon; and his children's mother,PaulaSmith Phillips. He is also survived by his siblings, Brian Phillips (Andrea), Jeanie Hannaman (Phil),Craig Phillips (Nedemar), and KevinPhillips (Jennifer); along with numerous niecesand nephews. Keith is precededindeath by his parents, Gerald E. Jerry" Phillips and R.J. Phillips. A celebrationofKeith's life willbeheldatalaterdate.

Savoie,MargaretMary

Margaret Mary Savoie, age 76, passed peacefully in her sleep on June 19, 2026, in Hammond, Louisiana,and was welcomed into the presence of her Lord and Savior after a life markedbylove,faith, and devotion Born on November23, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Margaret was the beloved daughterof Eva and Joseph Webre.She was raised with strong values, akind heart,and a deepappreciation forfamily, allofwhich shaped the beautiful life she lived.She was awomanofChristian faith whose life reflecteda steady trust in God anda sincere desire to care for others.

Margaret was aloving wife, mother, grandmother,great-grandmother,sister, and friend. She was precededindeath by her husband, SidneyJ.Savoie III, herparents, Eva and Joseph Webre, and hersiblings Joseph, Warren, Carroll, Nelson, Tommy,Jeannette, Brenda, andConnie She is survived by her daughter,KellyMcDonald and her husband Dwayne,

and her son, Shane Savoie and hiswife Christina. Margaret was aproud and loving grandmother to Ashley Bottolfs and her husband Ryan, Justin McDonald, Shane SavoieJr. and EmilySavoie.She also cherished her great-grandchild, Brayden Bottolfs, who brought specialjoy to her heart.Her family was one of her greatest blessings, and she treasured each moment spent with them. She loveddeeply and faithfully,and her legacy willcontinue to live on through thegenerations that follow. She found comfortin God, treasured her beloved dog, Abbey, and delighted in time spent withher family. She enjoyed reading and games, pastimes that brought herrelaxationand enjoyment.Above all, she found her greatest peace in her relationship with the Lord and in thelove she shared with those closest to her. She was known as loving, spirited, and faithfilled,and thosewords beautifully describethe way she livedeach day.

Margaret Mary Savoie willberemembered forher gentle strength and the love she poured into her family and community.She willbedeeplymissed, and her memory willremaina blessing to allwho knew and lovedher. May she rest in eternal peace in the arms of her Savior.

Visitation willbeatOurso Funeral Home in Gonzales, LA,onTuesday, June 23, 2026, beginning at 9:00 AM. ACelebrationofLife Service willthenbegin at 11:00 AM, with aCommittal Service to follow at Hope HavenonHwy 30.

CarlaStrickland Tarver, passed away on June 14, 2026, at theage of 69. Carla was alovingwife,mother, grandmother,and cherishedfriend. She found joy in shopping,cooking, dancing, singing, and traveling,embracing life with warmth and enthusiasm. Aboveall else, Carlatreasured her family.Her greatest happiness came from spending time with her lovedones, creating lasting memories,and sharing her love with those closesttoher. She willbe remembered for her kind heart,joyful spirit,and the deep love she had for her family and friends.

Carla is survivedbyher loving husband, Robert "Bobby" Tarver; sons, ChrisTarver(Heather) and Jeremy Tarver (Brooke); daughter, Hayley Tarver; and her belovedgrandchildren,Zane, Seth,Brennan, Hayden, Bryson, Lilli, Klayton, Keegan, Presley,Kambree; great-granddaughter, Murphy; and her siblings and their spouses, Vicki(Glen), Mike (Patricia), and Dayna (Randy).

She is preceded in death by her parents, DJ and MillieStrickland Avisitationwillbeheld at Greenoaks Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 4pmuntil 8 pm andwillresume on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at St.Alphonsus Catholic Church from9:30 am until Mass of ChristianBurial at 11 am. Burial willfollow in Greenoaks Memorial Park In lieu of flowers,donations can be madeto Dreams Come True of Louisiana. The family wouldliketo express their heartfelt gratitudetothe first responders,both professional and civilian, as wellas thedoctors, nurses, and support staffatOur Lady of theLake Regional Medical Center for theirtireless efforts,compassionate care, and dedication. Their kindness,professionalism, and support during this difficult timewillalways be deeply appreciated

Robert "Bob" Arnell Tarver, passedaway on June 14, 2026, at theage of 94. Bob was alovinghusband, father, grandfather, and dear friend.Heenjoyed hunting, fishing, dancing,and sharing jokes with those around him. Aboveall,hecherished the time he spent with his familyand close friends. His kindness,sense of humor, and love forotherswillbe remembered and treasured by allwho knew him.

He is survivedbyhis sons, Robert "Bobby" David Tarver, Lonnie Tarver, and Donavan Tarver (Dina); grandchildren, Kamron, Chris, Joel,Jeremy, Greg, Hayley, Tristen, Kacy, Trent,Trey, Tara, and Gracie; and numerous greatand great-greatgrandchildrenand extended family

He is preceded in death by hisparents, Williamand Linder Mae Tarver; his wives, Mary Zumo and Bobbie Carter; daughter, Lawana Lachney; and siblings, TJ Tarverand Juanita Nash.

Avisitationwillbeheld at Greenoaks Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 4pmuntil 8 pm andwillresume on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at St.Alphonsus Catholic Church from9:30 am until Mass of ChristianBurial at 11 am. In lieu of flowers donations can be madeto Dreams Come True of Louisiana. Aburialwill take place at Hillcrest Cemetery at alaterdate.

The family wouldliketo express their heartfelt gratitudetothe first responders,both professional and civilian, as wellas thedoctors, nurses, and support staffatOur Lady of theLake Regional Medical Center for theirtireless efforts,compassionate care, and dedication. Their kindness,professionalism, and support during this difficult timewillalways be deeply appreciated

Donna K. HillThorning passed away on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at theage of 93. Donna thanked God everyday forHis love,answered prayers,miracles, andthe family and friends that helpedher grow in love and faith.She prayed to be agoodand faithful servant, and now, Donna is sittingatthe feetofJesus giving praise to HisHoly name. She is preceded in death by her first husband of 34 years, Earl J. Hill; parents, WilliamJennings Bryan Kavanaughand Alvine Oubre Kavanaugh; and sister, BertaK.Rodosta.Donna is survivedby her husband of 18 years, Vernon W. Thorning;her children withEarl, David, Paul,Jana(Ted), and Ann; several grandchildrenand great-grandchildren; sister, Beryl B. Seymour; and ahost of nieces, nephews, and cousins.There was a privateburial at Greenoaks Memorial Park.

Waguespack, Barry Edward

sonsand the last of the childrentogrowuponFelicityPlantation in Vacherie,Louisiana, a place that shaped hisdeep roots andlifelonglove of hishomestate. Barrygraduated in 1965 from St JamesHigh School, where he proudlyplayedinthe bandand earned all-district honorsinfootball, finishinghis high school career as valedictorian.He went on to attend Louisiana State University, wherehebecame amemberofKappa Sigmafraternity andforged thelifelong friendships that meantso much to him. Barryearned hisJuris Doctoratefrom LSULaw School in 1971 and wasadmittedtothe Louisiana bar in 1972. His distinguishedlegal career began at theChief Counsel'sOfficeofthe Internal RevenueService,where he served from 1972 to 1976, first in Washington,D.C., andlater in Boston,Massachusetts. Whilein Boston,Barryattended Boston University and earnedanLLM in Taxation in 1976. He often spoke of those yearsinBoston as some of thebest of his life, shared with hisbeloved wife, Jan.Barrybuilt arespected law practice in Baton Rouge,concentrating in federal, state, and local taxation,aswell as corporate, probate, andestate planninglaw,employee benefitsplans, criminal tax, andoil and gas law Over theyearshewas admitted to practice before theU.S. Tax Court, theU.S District Courtfor the MiddleDistrict of Louisiana, theU.S. District Court for theWestern District of Louisiana, the U.S. Courtof Appealsfor theFifthCircuit,and the United States SupremeCourt.Beyond his accomplishments, Barry will be remembered for his devotion to hisfamilyand hisgenerous spirit.He leaves behind hisloving wife, Jan;his daughterand son-in-law, Emilyand Jake Mayo,and theirtwo children,Hilland Molly; his son, Matthew Waguespack, and hiswife,Laura, andtheir son, Hudson; twelve nieces and nephews, and hisfaithful dog, Honey. He wasprecededindeathbyhis parents, Stan andIrma Waguespack, andhis two older brothers David and Stan J. Waguespack. A memorial reception will be held on Tuesday, June 23rd.Please contactthe familyorBarry'sofficefor details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of theAnimalsBaton Rouge:8476 Highland Rd,Baton Rouge,LA70808. The familyextendsheartfelt gratitude to Hospice of Baton Rouge,Dr. Mary Raven andDr. Danielle McMechan for theircompassionate care andsupport of Barry andhis family. They also wish to thank Beth Erwin, Barry'ssecretaryofnearlythirtyyears, for herunwaveringsupport andloyal service.Barry'swarmth,intellect,and steadfast loyaltytothose he lovedleavea legacyfar richer than anyprofessional achievement. He willbe deeply missed by all who knew him.

Walsh,Thomas William 'Tom'

Thomas William Walsh, Jr., 83, passed away peacefully in hishomein Magnolia, Texas, on May 21, 2026. "Tom" wasborn on September22, 1942, in Baton Rouge,Louisiana, andissurvivedbyhis wife of 60 years, Louise Cook

Walsh and two daughters, LaurieWalsh Payneof Plano, Texas, andKendall Walsh of Houston, Texas, andgrandchildren, Leland andMackenziePayne; Jon Dewey, Faithand Grace Raborn; Rileyand Thomas W. Walsh V; great-grandson, WayneRaborn. He is predeceasedby hisson,Thomas W. Walsh IV of Houston, Texas, and hisparents,LauraRaworth Walsh and Thomas William Walsh Sr.ofBaton Rogue,Louisiana. Tomgraduatedfrom Baton Rouge High School andLSU wherehewas a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity andreceived a BS in Finance anda MBA He began his career as a Sales Representative for NationalSupplyofArmco Steel. After graduate school, he returned to Houston as aRegional CreditRepresentative for Armco Steel. During the1980s, he became Administrator for Kemp, Smith,Duncan and Hammond law firmand Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton;Woodard, Hall and Primm; and Fleming &Associates wherehewas CFO. After retirement, he wasa licensedreal estate broker for Exit Town & CountryRealty. He will forever be rememberedfor hisoutgoing Irishspirit,life-of-the-party attitude andpassionate willingness to help others. Wiggins,Judith 'Judy'

Judith 'Judy'

83, passed away peacefully at home in Zachary, Louisiana, on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Born on December 11, 1942, in Columbus, Ohio, she later made her home in Louisiana, where she earneda Master's Degree in Physics from Louisiana State University. Judy devotedmuchof herlifetocaringfor others. Shefounded Nursery Rhyme DayCareCenterin 1978, serving generations of localchildren and families.She later established Friendship Village Adult DayCareinpartnership with theCouncil on Aging, findinggreat joyinprovidingcompassionatecarefor older adults. She also raisedPolled Herefordcattle, reflectingher strong work ethic andlove of agriculture Judy is survived by children Laura (Brian)Thompson;Kathy Duda; Jennifer Hughes; grandchildren, SidneyRidgell, Christina Ridgell, Huey Ridgell, Morgan Thompson;greatgrandson, Bellamy Ridgell. Sheispreceded in death by herparents,Ernestand Frances Cady; brother, Charles Cady; sisters, Jocelyn Ritterand JerilouCady. Private familyservices will be conductedata later date.

Thefamilyextendssincere gratitude to Cast A Line Private Caregiver Service andHospice of Baton Rouge for thecompassionate care andsupport provided duringthisdifficult time

Barry Edward Waguespack,a distinguished tax attorney whose careerand warmth touched thelives of countless friends, colleagues, and family members, passed away on June 13, 2026. BornJune 5, 1947, in NewIberia,Louisiana,to Stanislaus "Stan" Waguespack Jr. and Irma Hickson Waguespack, Barry was theyoungestoftheir three

Jr.,Frank 'Woody'

Tarver, Robert Arnell 'Bob'

Wiggins,

Tarver, Carla Strickland

Thorning, Donna K. Hill

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Legislatorsneed to do thehard work to get teachers a permanentraise

For years, Louisiana legislators have debated whether to pay publicschool teachers more, and how.Inrecent times that has ledtoaseriesof one-time stipends that temporarily boosted pay rather than sustained salaryincreases.

This year,after voters rejecteda constitutional amendment that wouldhave reallocated the money in three trust funds to payfor permanent raises,Gov.Jeff Landry issuedanexecutive ordertofund another round ofstipends —but with acatch. He proposed taking the money from state education funding already allocatedto local districts.

Thestopgap movemust be approvedbya twothirdsmajorityofthe legislators,with mail-in ballotsthatweretobedue Tuesday

That process, however,may be haltedbecause aBaton Rouge judge issued atemporary restrainingorder Thursdayafter public school advocates sued, arguingLandry’sorder is unconstitutional

We admit we’re not fans ofLandry’sapproach, even though Legislative AuditorMike Waguespack thinks most districts can absorbthe unexpectedcostatthis late date by tapping into their reserves.

Our skepticism stems not from afeeling that teachers don’tdeserve the money; wehave steadfastly advocated formorepay forthe state’softbeleagured educators, especially as documented gainsinreading and mathinLouisiana’spublic schoolshave drawn national attention.

Yetgiving teachers along-awaitedpermanent raise —rather than yet anotherone-time stipend —was not amajor priority whenthe Legislature convened earlier this year.Itonly became one aftervoters rejectedabroad package of constitutionalamendments that,amongother things, wouldhaveeliminated thetrust funds to pay for permanentpay increases

Of the fivequestions on the May16ballot, the teacher pay raise came the closest to passing. But it stillfell by asignificant margin, and some have suggested that means voters don’tsupport higher pay.Wethink it means most voters simply don’ttrust their elected leaders and don’tlike amendments to the constitution. After the election, Landry insisted that no one would getraises if teachers didn’t. Thatwas a good thought, but his plan came too late to go through the normal legislative process.Unfortunately,itnow puts the burdenonlocaldistricts to afford it by cutting the same amount from state funding for local districtsinthe Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP, as they re already finalizing budgets for theupcoming school year

We endorse the idea of reconsidering the MFP, especially in an age of declining enrollment, but this slapdash process wasunnecessaryand unprofessional.

Going forward, the governor and legislators need to get back into aroomand do thehard workoffinally paying forthe raise that our teachers deserve —even if that means calling aspecial session. Such sessions have certainly been called forless urgent issues. Theimprovements in education rankings have not come easily. They’rethe fruitof hard work by both administrators and students and, yes,teachers.Now it’stimefor thepoliticians to buckle down and get to work, and send some of the rewards into teachers’ paychecks.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

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

Anti-carboncapture forces emboldened by Beaver Lake projectcancellation

Has Louisiana’santi-carbon capture insurgency notched its first win? That depends on who you ask.

On June 12, SunGas Renewables, a Houston-based energy company that was converting an abandoned paper mill in Pineville into a$2.4 billion plant to produce woodbased clean fuels, announced it would halt work on the site.

The project, known as Beaver Lake, was announced to great fanfare in 2023. It was heralded as away for the state’sbeleaguered central region, which has few natural resources beyond itsabundant pine trees, to capitalizeonnewer technologies in thehopes of spurring an economic turnaround. The project included acarbon capture and sequestration component. In astatement, companybrass said thedecision to walk away was based on several factors, including demand for themaritime fuels the company produces,financing, regulatoryconcerns and “uncertaintyregarding the carbon capture and storagepathway.”

The passing reference to “uncertainty”was enough forCCS opponents, an ideology-bending alliance of left-leaning environmentalists and property-rightsconservatives. Those folks, many of whom live in Central Louisiana, have packed public meetings and kept up asteady online cadence against CCS for much of thepast two years. So SunGas’ announcement, predictably,was met with joy

On one Facebook page titled “The People of Louisiana Against Carbon Capture Sequestration,” which has morethan 18,000 followers, commenters were exultant, with one calling it a “victory,” another “a huge relief”and a third“out f*****g standing.”

Economically,the abandonment of theproject is ablow to the fortunes of Central Louisiana, aregion that, over theyears, has gotten accustomed to disappointment. Of course, the region now has itsfirst announced data center project,somaybe this loss won’tsting quiteasmuch.

Parsing what is behind all that bizspeak is probably futile. It’s true that thecompany’sproject relied on aconstellation of international market and funding factors that make asimple explanation difficult,ifnot impossible. For some, it doesn’tmatter

One of the interesting things about therange of letterswereceive is that, on occasion, writersreveal that their opinions change when there arenew factstoconsider.Whether it’son big national issues, like immigrationorgun rights, or local issues, like new parks or roads, readers saythattheir opinions change when theyget new information. Iknow thatitisnot common these days to shiftinyour views Often, Americans areportrayed as unyielding on any given topic, stuck in aperpetual cycle of repeating the positions of whichever party aligns with their views. The reality,Isuspect, is much more complex. It is easy to spout platitudes in avacuum, but when confronted withthe realitiesofour world, space opens for us to question why we believe what we believe.

Politically,the potential fallout could prove much moreinteresting. CCS opponents, who have never been shy about making their feelings heard, will now be further emboldened. With one victory,real or imagined, in hand, they will certainly go look foranother Their biggest hurdle, though, is in

Baton Rouge. Apart from afew legislators from the region, fewlawmakers have been willing to come out against CCS. This year,abill sponsored by Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, that would have given locals morecontrol over CCS projects, died in committee. It wasthe second year in arow that the Legislature killed such abill, and it wasn’t particularly close. And statewide, a number of CCS projects are going forward. Opponents aren’tcompletely without political allies, however.Republican John Fleming, whoisinthe Republican primary runofffor aU.S. Senate seat with Julia Letlow,has come out against it. Plenty of the commenters on the above-mentioned post urged others to vote forFleming. Another post on that samepage touted Democratic candidate Jamie Davis’ opposition, and somecommenters vowed that if Fleming loses in the primaryrunoff, they will support Davis in the fall. Regardless of how the topic plays out in this Senate race, the issue and the furor around it are not going away, even if there are manyinstate governmentwho would like to see it buried deep underground.

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

warrant arepracticing the highest form of critical reading and thinking. It is askill that manybelieve we are losing as we become more polarized in our politics.

But Ihope otherwise. Even if mostpeople don’toften announce their changing views publicly,itisimportant to questionyourself and your opinions. Iadmire those who can do that.

Those who can look at facts and then change their opinions when thefacts

As we celebrated Juneteenth on Friday and are approaching the Fourth of July celebration forthis 250thyear of our founding, we have asked you to consider whatthe quintessential texts of American history are. If you had to have someone read something to understand who we are as apeople, what would it be and why? We know the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two of our mostimportant documents, but outside of those,what words about the Ameri-

can experience do you find inspiring? Send us aletter to letters@theadvocate. com.Wewill feature some of the best responses in the paper and online. Turning to our letters inbox, for June 4-11, we received 56 letters, and Ihave to say,there wasnosingle topic that stood out. In fact, for the first time, the biggest category for letters was miscellaneous, agrab bag that can include everything from shoutouts to Good Samaritans to messages from visitors to our state. Aside from that, there were two letters on the D-Dayholiday,two on the America 250 celebrations and two on the legislative session just passed. But overall, we are seeing fewer letters on politics. That could mean that the summerdoldrumsare here, but as always, we love to hear from you.

Arnessa Garrett is Managing Editor |Opinion Page Editor.Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon

COMMENTARY

Courtshootsdowngun-marijuana law, wrongful arrest

The Supreme Court on Thursday reconfirmed that not even illicit drug use can alter thefact that theSecond Amendment makes firearm ownership afundamental right. At least as importantly, it reaffirmed the importance of the due process of law,including the crucial principle that an alleged criminal offense cannot be used to turn otherwise-legal behavior on acompletely unrelated front into acrime of its own. Put another way,there’sno such thing as guilt by osmosis. The main thrust of the decision in U.S. v. Hemani had been expected due to the tenor of various justices’ comments during oral argumentonMarch 2. The case, the government’sappeal of a decision of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal based in New Orleans, involved aman named Ali Hemani who smoked marijuana several days aweek and also owned ahandgun,safely secured at home.

Thegovernment, relying on federal law, 18 U.S.C. §922(g) (3), said that because Hemani smokes pot, it is illegal for Hemani even to own agun —even though the potuse and thegun ownership are otherwise wholly unrelated, and even though Hemanihad no prior criminal record and had not even been charged with acriminal offense for the marijuana use itself. The Fifth Circuit disagreed with the government, and now the Supreme Courthas affirmed thatdecision.

I’ve been writing on this precise constitutional issue in numerous columns for 14 years. I am an avid opponent of legalizing marijuana(I’ve neversmoked it, not even once),and Ihaven’t even fired agun in decades,soI have no personal ax to grind here —but theprinciples involved shouldbeofinterest to everyone who cares about constitutional liberty

Thefirst eight amendments

to the Constitution (along with the thirteenth through fifteenth) protect rights that are recognized as essential to civil society and which should be seen as naturally belonging to all humankind, rather thanbeing merely granted by abenevolentgovernment

This is no less true forSecond Amendment weaponsrightsthan forFirst Amendment religious or speech rights. In hundreds of cases, theSupreme Court hasexplained that government can restricta fundamentalright only after “strict scrutiny,” which means the restriction must be “narrowlytailored” andbethe “least restrictive means” of achieving a“compelling government interest.”

Unless anduntil an actual criminal conviction (or perhaps aformal medical diagnosis, in accordance with some lawor other) carries with it aconcomitant restriction on future firearm ownership, there is absolutely no compelling government interest, narrowlytailored, that can allow the denialofthe fundamental

Second Amendment right If the gunisnot usedina crime, andifsimple marijuana use is at most amisdemeanor,and if the gun isn’thandledorbrandished while under theinfluence, then the government hasnolegitimate authority to make gun ownership illegal. Suchhas been my argument for years —eversinceIanalyzeda case in whichanAlabama public officialwas convicted forillegal gun ownership because he hada handgun in his bedroom in Mobile while he smoked ajoint on a Florida beach 67 miles away.Yes, that conviction wasabsurd, and so wasHemani’sinthis case.

On Thursday,the court agreed, without asingle dissent

In the main opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that by the government’sflawed argument (in favorofprosecution), it doesn’t even matter “howmuch [or little]marijuanaHemaniuses or whateffect it hasonhim. It makes no difference either if he keepsa firearm only in his home for self-defense, nevermisuses a

gun while intoxicated,and never poses adangertohimself or others as aresult of his marijuana use. The only thing thegovernment mustshow, it says, is that an individuallike Mr.Hemani regularlyuses anyamount of any controlledsubstance Butthe government’s [argument]fails underevery measure it asksusto consider.”

Acriminal conviction should be imposed forthe crime actually committed.Otherwise, ourliberty writ large is at thewhim of rogue prosecutors or of selective, even politically targeted enforcement by officers on powertrips The protectionsagainstsuchabusive practices are particularly compelling whenanexplicit constitutional right is at issue No matter howmuchIoranyoneelsemight object to marijuana, theSupreme Court, like theFifthCircuit in NewOrleans, gotthis oneright.Wecan’t letour rightsgoupinsmoke.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Senate race couldbeheading off-script

As Louisiana’s dreary election forU.S Senate lumbers on, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow remainsthe favorite. That would be the case with anyone who finished within a handful of points of winning aprimary majorityoutright, instead of having to endure another round of voting

Check?Maybe not.

In Letlow’scase, she got 45% in the May GOP primary to 28% for stateTreasurer John Fleming, her opponent in Saturday’s Republican primary runoff. Based on how Louisiana votes in national elections, whoever becomes the Republican nominee is highly likely to beat thewinner of the Democratic runoff and go to Washington. That’show the authors of thescriptshe’s following plotted it out, anyway

Act One: Eliminate the popular open primary and replace it with apartisan primarysystem designed to allow theparty faithful to winnow thefield.Check

Act Two: Find aRepublican to challenge incumbentBillCassidy for his alleged disloyalty to Donald Trump, anduse the new voting system to send thegood doctorinto retirement. Check.

Act Three: Ride Trump’sendorsementall the way to an easy victory anda six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

The upcoming partyprimary runoff was actually designed to keep acandidatelike Cassidy from grabbing thenomination withoutgetting amajority of primary votes.

But there’sa twist.

With Cassidy already dispatched, Fleming —afounding member of theHouse Freedom Caucus and aonetime official in Trump’sfirst administration —is hanging in there.

He’srun aboisterous grassroots campaignpainting himself as the truer conservativeand Trumper,one that has seizedon the emotional opposition to carbon capture andsequestration and taken advantage of Letlow’ssparser record and her relatively low public profile. He’s skillfully focused attention on Letlow’sother big-name sponsor,Gov.Jeff Landry,who is morecontroversial among thechosen electorate than Trump.

Anditmight be working. One recent poll sponsoredbyaLetlow supporter shows Fleming with aslight edge going into next week.

Also,popular conservative radio talk show host Moon Griffon recently announced that he’sa Flemingvoter.He’snot

against Letlow,hesaid, and would definitely vote for her should she be the GOP candidate. ButFleming, he said, has walked the walk for longer and “won’towe anybody anything.”

Griffon’snod is actually kind of ironic, because back in theprimary,Letlow considered his show asafe anti-Cassidy space and chose it as the only place where she was willing todebate. Cassidy,who’d pushed to meet in aneutral venue, declined, but Fleminghappily showed up.

During the runoff, he’spushed formore debates between the two surviving candidates, but Letlow has refused That’sa classic front-runner strategy, astatusthat Letlow won not through her own efforts to distinguish herself but by her anointment by powerful sponsors. The theory is that the supporters who’s far ahead doesn’twant to legitimize an opponent in voters’ eyes, and can onlylose support by saying thewrong thing in an uncontrolled environment

Butwhen theperson avoiding the debate might not be such astrong front-runner, it can look less like flexing andmore like hiding.

Andyou’ve got to admit that the person

whomade her the front-runner in the first place isn’tdoing her so manyfavors these days. Trump, whohas shownhimself time and again to be driven by grievance, badly wanted to take Cassidy down. Now that that’shappened, he’snot showing aton of interest in choosing between two proven sycophants. So has any of this actually upended the narrative? Maybe, maybe not. We’ll know in aweek.

One feature of inventing anew election system is that nobody can predict whowill show up to vote. Saturday’sGOP runoff, which is only open to registered Republicans and no-party voters, comes at the start of aholiday week, so getting people to the polls will be challenging. And it’ll be extra-challenging to attract voters whose motivation in the first round wastoeither try to save Cassidy or to channel Trump’s anger and eliminate him Which is another wayofsaying that if the May 16 primary wasabout Cassidy and Trump, this round is about Letlow and Fleming. And that creates the chance of asurprise ending.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Ronald Greene’s momsayssettlementdoesn’t settle anything

Nearly everyone in Louisiana knows the name Ronald Greene

He’sthe young man that Louisiana State Police said died in asinglecar accident in Union Parishnear Monroe in 2019 Then they were caught in their baldfaced lie when video surfaced showing troopers and aparish deputy beating and tasing Greene as he cried out, “I’m your brother” and “I’m scared.” Mona Hardin, Greene’smother, got acall from adaughtertelling herthat Ronnie had died in acar accident, astory they thought was true until the State Police lie unraveled, unleashing the fire and ire that Hardin continues to exhibit these days. In the last seven years, Greene’s death has made headlines across the nation and the world as blatant law enforcement misconduct was shown on video for everyone to see. Hardin doesn’tlikethat phrase. They’re responsible for “my son’smurder,” shetoldme. The case has seen federal, legislative, parish and state trooper investigations. Nationally prominent civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt are handling the case after three sets of family attorneys. The matter has resulted in asuspicious trooper death, five law enforcement indictments but no jail time for the officers involved, as charges werereduced or dropped and the case withered to little left beyond thestunningly clear evidence thatthe man was murdered.

Committee on the Budget must approve it. The settlement must have approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. There aremeetings regularly throughout the year to consider legal settlementsinvolving the state. Louisiana caps damages in wrongful death claimsat$500,000. The Greene family avoided that cap by filing afederal civil rights claim, which isn’tsubject to state limits. That opened the door to a multi-million-dollar jury verdict or settlement. Because adistrict courtruled that the law enforcement officers could not build a casebased on qualified immunity Louisiana attorneys were pushed to go to mediation rather than risk ahigh, multi-milliondollar federal jury verdict. The odds weren’tin their favor that way.

Aftermediation, Hardin was sent astory reported by this newspaper.Things had changed. There was asettlement.

$27 million.

Tayla Greenewas always the only Greene family memberplaintiff. She couldn’tbereached for comment. Hardin is deeply disappointed, but the settlement was Tayla Greene’sdecision to make. Hardin was neveraplaintiff in the case. She wasthe family face, the family activist, the family voice. But it wasn’ther decision.

It’snot just the money.She had hoped the case as it proceeded would expose what was really going on at Troop F.

“That wasour opportunity to uncover everything,” she told me She said as muchtoCrump, Merritt and attorneys from Philadelphia’sMcEldrew Purtell Law Firm

For sevenyears,this case has hauntedGreene’sfamily.Hardin is the mother offive children, grandmother of nine and greatgrandmotherof two. She’sbeen theface of the Greene family, faithfully traveling from her CentralFlorida home to Louisiana to advocate, demonstrate, protest and sit in on everylegislative hearing and every courtroom hearing she could. She’sbeen the glue holding thefamily together Finally,after pushing for justice, the family got a$4.8 million settlement agreement in May —although it’sstill tentative, because the LouisianaLitigation Subcommitteeofthe Joint Legislative

“I didn’tknow anything about it,” she said. “Wewere supposed to go to trial.” Hardin was stunned. After years of fighting forjustice for Ronnie, Tayla Greene, Ronald Greene’s daughter and Hardin’sgranddaughter,had agreed to settle the caseand move on.

It wasn’teven close to the numbers thathad been discussed if theyhad ever decided to settle. They were told $28 million. They weretold $15 million. Crump settledthe George Floyd case for

The Philly law firm proudly announced the settlement on social media: “No resolution can undo the loss of Ronald Greene, but this outcomereflects years of persistence by his family in demanding answers and accountability.” Persistence? Yes. Resolution? No Answers? No. Accountability? Absolutely not. It’snot just the system that failed Hardin.

The state of Louisiana failed Hardin and her family.But she believes others did, too, including those she thought were on her side.

EmailWill Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Mona Hardin stands in silence while surrounded by family during anews conference following the indictments of five officers in the death of her sonRonald Greene in 2022 in Baton Rouge.

Will Sutton

Stephanie Grace

Quin Hillyer

Fleming Letlow

SPORTS

Here to settle ‘real’ DeathValleydebate

WorldCup expectations growingfor USMNT

BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

ä U:S: vs:

The early results are in: This U.S men’s nationalteam is forreal in this World Cup. With aquick and creative offensive attack producing goalsinfront ofstadium-shaking home crowds, the Americans havealready won their group and booked their place in theknockoutround.A final group stage match against Turkey in Los Angeles awaits before the pressurerampsup again. The questionnow is just how far can the team can go? The optimism and expectations ofa deep run in the tournament are risingquickly The American players seem eager to embrace what might have seemed inconceivable for abig nation with arelatively shallow pedigreeininternational soccer “I don’tthink it’sridiculoustosay that we want to win it,”U.S. defender ChrisRichards said afterFriday’s2-0 win over Australia. “Wewant to lift atrophybythe end of this.” Few would have predictedthis kind of quick success, saidstriker Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the openeragainst Paraguay

“You know,(if)someonesaid before the tournament, ‘Two games andyou’re through to the knockouts,’ Ithink we all would have took it,” Balogun said. “We’re delighted.”

The first two matches saw theU.S. attack Paraguayand Australia with an energy, skill and creativity on offense rarely seen by the Americans in theWorld Cup

The U.S. has won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930.And the six goals in the first two matchesare one short of the team recordfor aWorld Cup

The architect is coachMauricio Pochettino, an Argentine who wasbestknownfor his European club stints with Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-German. He never hadcoached anationalteam untilhewas hired by the U.S. in 2024 withaneye on this year’sWorld Cup.

As aco-host, theU.S.was an automatic

ä See WORLD CUP, page 5C

NewLSU football reporter arrivesoff Clemsonbeat

Which DeathValley is the real Death Valley? Pleasedon’ttell me. Let me decide on my own. Even though Ijust started as The Advocate/Times-Picayune’sLSU football reporter, I’m further along in this research project thanyou’d expect.For the past five years, Icovered Clemson —the other Tigers in the other DeathValley —for The Post and Courier (Charleston, SouthCarolina).

Jon Blau

My initial take: The better historical claim belongs to Clemson, which started calling Memorial Stadium “Death Valley” in the 1940s after Presbyterian coach Lonnie McMillan compared playing in the stadium to theoppressive Californiadesert. LSU’smythology is abit murkier be-

cause it’scentered around aBaton Rouge gas station, Deaf Valley Shell, which is perhaps evidence that locals werecalling Tiger Stadium “Deaf Valley” before it evolved into “Death.” Intriguing lore, but the timeline is less clear

The word “real,” however,doesn’t have to be historical. If we mean real as in the tougher place to play?

Real as in the sheer electricity of the environment?

Allow me to objectively start measuring this Sept. 5with Clemson at LSU, which is arare seamless transition from one sports journalism job to the next. Ishould be the mostknowledgeable reporter on aWeek 1

ä See BLAU, page 8C

ManningPassing Academyhas grownexponentially in 3decades

30 S PASSING

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

When Archie Manning started the Manning Passing Academy in 1996, he neverdreamed it would growinto thegiant it is today

He modeled thecamp after one run by the Bowden family (Bobby,Tommy and Terry) at Samford University and hoped it would attract players from the Gulf Coast region. Thefirstcampwas held at Tulane Universityand attracted amodest 185campers,includingfutureTulane andNFL standout Patrick Ramsey and Major Applewhite, now the head coachatSouth Alabama. Thecollege counselor lineup consisted of threeplayers: Bo Meeks of then-Northeast Louisiana,and JakeDelhomme and Brandon Stokleyof then-Southwestern Louisiana. The oldest of Archie’s three sons, Cooper,had just graduated from OleMiss. Peyton

Editor’snote:

GLENN GUILBEAU

was about to enter his junior year at the University of Tennessee. Andyoungest son Eli wasasophomore at Newman and attended the MPAasacamper

Three decades later,the MPAhas developed into the most prestigious passing campinthe country,asummer tradition that annually attracts campersfromacrossthe nationand lures the top quarterbacksincollege football along withcountless industry VIPs andinsiders to south Louisiana.

Thiswill be aspecial year forthe camp,whichstarts Thursday and concludes June 28. The MPAwill celebrate its30thyear of operation andwillwelcomemorethan1,300 campers, 120 coaches and 40 collegequarterbacks to Nicholls State University forthe four-day aerialbacchanalia ESPN and Omaha Productions will be in towntodocument

ä See MANNING, page 8C

STAFF FILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manningtalks to campers during drillsatthe Manning Passing Academy on June 28, 2024, at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. The camp has been asummer staple since1996.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU football players runonto the field from the locker room for agameagainst South Carolina on Oct. 11 at TigerStadium.

Yan holds lead at windy Meijer LPGA Classic

BELMONT Mich. — Jing Yan shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to maintain a one-shot lead in the wind-swept Meijer LPGA Classic, the final event before the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship next week at Hazeltine.

Yan birdied the par-5 18th to cap her second straight bogeyfree round at Blythefield Country Club. Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 30-year-old American had a 14-under 202 total.

Lottie Woad of England was second. She also birdied the 18th in a 68.

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Sooners rout Tar Heels in Game 1

BY ERIC OLSON Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb With his team one win away from the national championship, Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson won’t mess with success. The Sooners’ offense is producing at a level higher than any team to play in the College World Series since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field 15 years ago. When it looked as though OU’s pitching could implode after being nothing short of magnificent the last week, Cord Rager settled in after a rocky first inning and combined with two relievers to shut down North Carolina the rest of the way in a 9-3 victory in Game 1 of the CWS finals Saturday “I’m just going to stay out of their way,” Johnson said. “I don’t know any other way to do it. You think we’re going to go out and hit tonight and take 100 groundballs somewhere? We’re not going to do that I can promise you that. Just stay out of their way.”

Deiten Lachance homered twice off North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro early and the Sooners (42-22) used a four-run fourth inning to pull away for their ninth straight win. Rager Gavyn Jones and LJ Mercurius allowed only two runners to reach second base after the Tar Heels (53-12-1) struck for three runs in the first. Oklahoma won national titles in baseball in 1951 and 1994 and will go for its third on Sunday North Carolina, looking for its first, will try to force a deciding Game 3 on Monday

“North Carolina’s a really good team,” Johnson said, “and we picked a fight today They’ll be ready for us tomorrow.”

OU ended DeCaro’s uncharacteristic bad day in the fourth inning. The Sooners scored all four runs that inning with two outs starting when Kyle Branch broke a 3-all tie with a two-run single. Branch came home on Jason Walk’s base hit and Camden Johnson singled off Walker McDuffie to make it 7-3.

DeCaro (11-3), who came in with a 2.31 ERA, was charged with all seven runs after having not al-

lowed more than three in any of his previous starts.

“I think they just really punished the mistakes,” DeCaro said. “I feel like for the most part I made some pitches, and then whenever I did leave a ball over the plate, especially with two strikes, they capitalized.”

Lachance homered for a 2-0 lead in the first inning and again in the third to tie it at 3. The 6-foot5, 231-pound Canadian known as

“Big Maple” has hit all 18 of his homers in the past 32 games, including six in the past eight.

“I’m just trying to catch barrel at the plate right now and just help the team, just pass the baton,” Lachance said. “That’s a big thing for us.”

Oklahoma has hit 45 of its 93 home runs in the past 17 games.

OU has connected 28 times in 11 NCAA Tournament games, and its 10 homers in four CWS games are the most by a team since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field. The Sooners are batting .331 and averaging better than eight runs per game in the CWS.

“Their approach is to get an ‘A’ swing off. That’s clear,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “They’re not afraid to strike out.”

Rager (7-3), who threw 15 2⁄3 shutout innings over his previous three outings, steadied himself in the second inning and lasted through the fifth “After the first inning, I stopped playing for myself,” Rager said. “I

just started playing for the guys around me, for the team. I really had to try to really be a pitcher today because I didn’t have my best stuff.”

Carolina’s Carter French made the defensive play of the CWS in the third when Walk sent a drive to deep right As French went back to make the play, his glove got lodged under the padding running across the top of the fence. His glove was a bit crumpled as the ball landed in it. He held onto it and displayed it to the umpire

“The great thing about baseball when you’re playing in a weekend series is you move on quickly,” Forbes said. “That’s what our team will do. They just beat us today.”

Bengals DT looks to keep same offseason approach

BY JOE REEDY Associated Press

CINCINNATI Things calmed down a little bit for Dexter Lawrence during the final three weeks of the Cincinnati Bengals offseason program.

That might be the only time until January that the defensive tackle is feeling a sense of calm.

Even though the Bengals canceled the final two days of minicamp practices, Lawrence will use the next five weeks before the start of training camp to gear up for this first season in orange and black. The Bengals acquired the three-time Pro Bowl selection from the New York Giants on April 19 for the 10th overall pick in the draft.

“I’m going to be like a boxer before they’re going into a fight. You’ve got to put your head down and train,” Lawrence said on Wednesday at the end of offseason workouts.

It’s the same approach Lawrence has used since he was the 17th overall pick by the Giants in the 2019 draft. Lawrence arrived just at the start of the offseason program and used the past two months to get to know his new teammates while also imparting some of the wisdom he has learned over the past seven seasons.

“It’s part of my role to allow people to understand my knowledge of the game and to grow in that

sense I’m just excited to keep growing with them and learning,” he said.

Coach Zac Taylor said the important thing is that Lawrence has led by example instead of words, and that he has been front and center with the defense since arriving.

“I don’t know if he’s left since the day he showed up in the trade. It’s good to have veteran leadership like that that’s been in the building,” Taylor said. “I just think that the leadership on that side of the ball has really expanded amongst the amount of players that we have.”

Cincinnati has one of the league’s top offenses with quarterback and former LSU star Joe Burrow and All-Pro wide receiver

Ja’Marr Chase, but its defense has been among the worst the past two seasons and needs to take a step forward if it wants to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The Bengals lost seven times over the past two seasons when scoring at least 30 points. They also became the first team to lose at least three games in consecutive seasons when scoring at least 34 points. They were 31st in yards allowed, 30th in points allowed and

last against the run last season.

Lawrence is the lynchpin to the franchise’s reconstruction of the defense. They also added twotime Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook.

“We know the caliber of player he is. Having him on our side, it makes it so much easier It makes everyone’s job around us easier. He’s a calming presence because we have him on our side,” Mafe said of Lawrence.

Lawrence and Mafe combined for only 2½ sacks last season, but they are hoping to revive a Cincinnati pass rush that was tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the league in 2025 with 35.

Lawrence is also hoping the upgrades on Cincinnati’s defensive line will help him to avoid double teams. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence faced the fifthhighest, double-team rate among defensive tackles last season at 70.35%. That is a significant reason why he had a half sack last season after getting a career-high nine in 2024.

The drop in sacks is also why Lawrence has a big chip on his shoulder going into the season.

“I’m more managing it now because you can’t really beat up on other teams. So during the season you just let it go and you flow,” Lawrence said. “I know how I approach this game and my impact to the game, even when it doesn’t show up on the sack numbers.”

Cassie Porter of Australia was two shots behind after a 69. In Gee Chun had a 65 to get to 10 under

Van Gisbergen wins pole for first race at Coronado

CORONADO Calif. Even when he’s less than his best on the twistiest tracks in NASCAR, Shane van Gisbergen still is better on one lap than the rest of the Cup Series drivers.

The Trackhouse Racing driver qualified first Saturday for the inaugural race on Naval Base Coronado near San Diego, turning a 2-minute, 14.788-second lap around the 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course that easily put him ahead of Carson Hocevar

But van Gisbergen, who has won seven of his 14 Cup starts on street and road courses, was unhappy with the effort despite winning his sixth career pole and second this season.

“I left a lot of time on the table,” said van Gisbergen, who scraped the wall with his No. 97 Chevrolet. Ryan Blaney qualified third, and Zane Smith was fourth.

Red Sox place Kiner-Falefa on IL for forearm injury

SEATTLE The Boston Red Sox placed utility infielder Isiah KinerFalefa on the injured list Saturday with left forearm inflammation. Kiner-Falefa underwent an MRI after missing Friday night’s game against the Mariners. He told reporters before that game that the arm has been bothering him for more than two weeks and felt worse after the flight to Seattle. Kiner-Falefa, 31, is batting .277 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and seven stolen bases this season, playing every infield position He has started 31 games for the Red Sox, and 21 of those starts have come at second base.

Boston recalled Anthony Seigler from Triple-A Worcester

Nationals OF Young leaves game after crash into wall

ST PETERSBURG, Fla. — Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young left Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth inning after crashing into the outfield wall.

Young chased down a fly ball off the bat of Victor Mesa Jr., deep into the alley in left-center field with the National ahead 3-2.

As he caught the ball, Young hit the wall hard with his right shoulder and head but held on to the ball and quickly get it to left fielder Daylen Lile to prevent Chandler Simpson from advancing from first base.

Young was down on the warning track for several minutes while being attended to by the Washington training staff. He eventually got to his feet and walked off the field. After the game, Washington manager Blake Butera told reporters that Young is considered day-to-day

L.A. star Ohtani announces birth of his second child

LOS ANGELES Shohei Ohtani is a father again.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar posted the news of his latest addition on his Instagram account Saturday

“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together Thank you for being born safely,” read a message from Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka. They also thanked supporters.

The post showed an image of a baby’s hands and feet in a blue blanket, suggesting that Ohtani has a son to go with his daughter who was born in April 2025.

Tucked in the baby’s arms was a tiny stuffed version of Ohtani’s beloved dog, Decoy, who also got his own photo at the bottom of the post.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA S GRATZ

Oklahoma’s Deiten Lachance, right, celebrates with Camden Johnson after hitting a two-run home run against North Carolina in Game 1 of the College World Series finals on Saturday in Omaha, Neb

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, center runs a drill during the team’s practice on May 26 in Cincinnati.

OUTDOORS

Post-storm floods help dampen Father’s Day

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Another storm has left

thousands of our fellow Louisianans in need of help

For those among us who are not dealing with the damage and water in the wake of whatever that thing named Arthur left, let’s remember their plight.

It means staying away from the heavily affected areas like the Florida Parishes, scattered locations south and east of Baton Rouge and in Pointe Coupee and Avoyelles parishes.

State climatologist Jay Grymes said last week’s storm was “more significant and destructive than anticipated.” Rain totals in the double digits cause flooding throughout the state. Swelling bayous, rivers, creeks and canals take days to recede, all of which means folks in the flood plains are dealing with workloads folks in the Baton Rouge area endured in the days after the August 2016 flood. There were tornadoes, too. Even worse, there is the forecast of continued rain coming to already saturated grounds from last week’s deluge. Throw in high midday temperatures and recovery conditions become

NOTEBOOK

even worse on this Father’s Day weekend

Helping out is fine, but only if they ask. Please don’t go sightseeing because the folks dealing with this latest Louisiana storm do not need more problems.

The animals

Once again, the folks at Wildlife and Fisheries are warning us about the impact of flooding when it comes to displaced wildlife. The advice is to avoid contact with all wild animals seeking refuge from floodwaters. Don’t feed them, because the idea is for these displaced critters to find their way back into their native habitat. Also, be cautious when traversing flooded areas. The agency’s advisory included species like black bears, alligators, snakes, deer and feral hogs. Gators and snakes pose the most significant problem. Alligators are everywhere and they like to roam in flooded areas. Snakes, the venomous and nonvenomous species, like to crawl into hidden places, so be careful when moving objects where a snake can hide. There are ways to report

wild animals when they become a nuisance. Google Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Nuisance Wildlife Control or the agency’s Nuisance Alligator webpages, or call the enforcement division’s dispatch number at (800) 442-2511.

Fish kills Dead fish usually show up after we’ve had rainfall totals of this magnitude. Wildlife and Fisheries asks if you find a “significant” number of dead or dying fish to call the department or report on its website: wlf.louisiana. gov/fish-kills. Fisheries biologists will need your name, phone number, the fish-kill location, species and the estimated number of fish.

Closures

Floods have forced the agency to close all or parts of three wildlife management areas including:

n The Old U.S. 11 and the Honey Island Shooting Range within Pearl River WMA;

n Blount, Annie’s Lake and Dobbs Bay roads in the Richard K. Yancey WMA in lower Concordia Parish;

n And all roads in the Bogue Chitto WMA at the front gate off La. 437 in Washington Parish.

Swollfest Rodeo

GRAND ISLE — Final leaderboard from the annual Swollfest Fishing Rodeo held from the Grand Isle Marina with categories, top three anglers and weight of catch in pounds: Overall Swollest/adult (heaviest fish): 1, Preston Morgan, 211.2 pounds (swordfish). 2, Jonah Doucet, 201.4 (swordfish). 3, Mimi Murrill, 136.0 (swordfish). Salty kids Swollest: 1, Colin Burke, 62.6 (tuna). 2, Dylan Hadley, 41.0 (tuna). 3, Thomas Templeton, 40.6 (cobia) Best offshore team: 1, Team Reel Deal, 7 points. 2, C Monster, 6 points. 3, Down with the Sickness, 4 points. Best inshore team: 1, Gray Sky Outfitters, 9 points. 2, Team Matrix, 6 points. 3, Flippin Flounder, 6 points. Best deep drop team: 1, Bluewater Bandits, 7 points. 2, Southbound, 5 points. 3, Laid By, 3 points. Best kayak team: 1, HOW, 6 points. 2, Old Yackers, 6 points. 3, Flippin Flounder, 5 points Offshore-open division Yellowfin tuna: 1, Charles Patterson, 107.8. 2, Cody Roddy, 89.6. 3, 3, John Murrill, 87.4 Dorado: 1, Damon Wood, 9.8. 2 Shane Livaudais, 7.6. 3, Robert Evans, 5.2. Red snapper: 1, Ryan Perry, 28.6 2, Tanner Theriot, 27.4. 3, Thomas Mancuso, 27.2. Cobia: 1, Ethan Branch, 63.8. 2, Brett Thornton, 39.2. 3, Ryan Finnan, 29.0. Mangrove snapper: 1, Hayden Jefferies, 10.8. 2, Molly Doiron, 10.8. 3, Talmar Butler, 10.66. Blackfin tuna: 1, Molly Perry, 30.4. 2, Cody Campbell, 27.4. 3, Hayden Jefferies, 27.4. Shallow water grouper: 1, Tony Prideaux, 72.0. 2,Caroline Ber, 18.6. 3, Peter Landgrave, 18.4 Warsaw grouper: 1, Seth Bagwell 55.8. 2, Molly Doiron, 48.8. 3, Preston Petersen, 37.4. No entries in Wahoo nor Scamp.

MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS

FLY-TYING SESSION: 7 p.m.,

Bluebonnet Regional Library 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Materials and tools available for beginners. Website: www.rsff.org

THURSDAY

CASTING FOR RECOVERY & FLY FISHING FILM TOUR:

5:30 p.m., NOLA Brewing & Pizza, 3033 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans. Film & fundraiser supporting women impacted by breast cancer. Raffles & silent auction. Tickets $20. ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS:

6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly-tying and local beers provided. Open to the public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: www.packpaddle. com

SATURDAY

STARS, STRIPES & SHOTGUNS: Covey Rise, Husser. Main, 100 targets; Super Sport, 50 targets; 50-target 12-gauge True Pair; 50-target 5-stand events. Fees $45-$85. Email: rhonda.barfield@ gmail.com. Call Covey Rise

FISHING RESULTS

Deep-drop division Tilefish: 1, Hunter Callais, 22.8. 2, Clay Moffitt, 22.4. 3, Shawn Wilks, 15.0. Deep-water grouper: 1, Damon Wood, 34.6. 2, McKennan Ledoux, 34.6. 3, Sawyer Gosserand, 33.8. Swordfish: 1, Preston Morgan, 211.2. 2, Jonah Doucet, 201.4. 3, Mimi Murrill, 136.0. Barrel fish: 1, Fischer Gosserand, 23.6. 2, Wyatt Kent, 22.0. 3, Kent, 20.2. Inshore division Speckled trout: 1, Josh Romig, 5.17. 2, Keith Luminais, 5.14, 3, Ron Madere, 4.95. Three-trout stringer: 1, Rudolph Hall, 14.64. 2, Hall, 13.18. 3, Hall, 12.06. Redfish (under 27 inches): 1, Lee Audibert, 8.9. 2, Ashley Dufrene, 8.11. 3, Claire Dufrene, 8.11. Sheepshead: 1, Sam Jackson, 6.82. 2, Lee Audibert, 5.63. 3, Audibert, 5.58. Flounder: 1, Nikki Parman, 2.49. 2, Parman, 2.24. 3, Graham LeBlanc, 2.19. Children’s inshore division Speckled trout: 1, Dev Delahoussaye, 3.41. 2, Jai Resweber, 3.36. 3, Cooper Benoit, 3.18. Redfish (under 27 inches): 1, Dré Boudreaux, 7.89. 2, Kayson Felterman, 7.83. 3, Charlee Lemoine, 7.13. Sheepshead: 1, John Indest, 6.04. 2, Cooper Benoit, 5.73. 3, Charlee Lemoine, 5.48. Flounder: 1, Maddox Willis, 2.07. 2, Willis, 1.71. 3, Charlee Lemoine 1.51. Children’s offshore division Red Snapper: 1, Thomas Schonacher, 24.8. 2, Dev Delahoussaye, 24.6. 3,

CALENDAR

(985) 747-0310, Ext. 2. Website registration: scorechaser.com

ONGOING STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Through Sept. 7, Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long fishing event. Tagged redfish, coastal/offshore species categories & youth division. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com/star

AROUND THE CORNER

JUNE 28 — SOUTH LOUISIANA

HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH:

8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC & F-Class match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) & Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call Mike Burke (337) 380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com

JULY 2-4 — 76TH GOLDEN MEADOW-FOURCHON TARPON RODEO: Fourchon Marina & Pavilion, Port Fourchon. Benefits South Louisiana High students. Fishing begins daylight July

2. Weigh-in open June 3-4. King of the Catch cooking contest. Inshore, Big Game, Shoreline, Kayak, Spearfishing & Children’s divisions. Website: fourchontarpon. com JULY 3-4 — NSCA SPORTING CLAYS EVENTS: Wilderness Club, Lafayette.

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season open; all outside waters open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Private recreational red snapper; gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATE

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/ boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction) EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

Clark turning tough U.S. Open into runaway

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y Not even Shinnecock Hills and its strongest test of the week in the U.S. Open could match the toughness of Wyndham Clark on Saturday Clark had a collection of par saves around the turn as Scottie Scheffler was making a move, then poured it on with a 3-wood to 4 feet for eagle on the par-5 16th, leading to an even-par 70 that gave him a six-shot lead going into the final round. Riding shotgun with him will be Scheffler, who finally got on track by making three straight birdies, shooting 32 on the back nine and at least keeping alive hope of a career Grand Slam. But it’s a big mountain to climb. No one has ever lost more than a five-shot lead in 125 previous editions of golf’s toughest test. Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters is the only player to lose a sixshot lead in any major.

“It’s all in Wyndham’s hands, really,” said Xander Schauffele, who faded with a pair of double bogeys on the back nine. “If he plays a really solid round of golf (Sunday) — if he shoots even par or 1 over or 2 over he’s going to win the golf tournament. That’s how I

break par in the third round — Emiliano Grillo in 30 mph wind in the morning before the leaders teed off, and Scheffler late in the afternoon with a 69.

Clark nearly joined them. After all his great saves, he missed a 5-foot par putt on the final hole and finished at 7-under 203, the lowest 54-hole score ever at Shinnecock Hills.

“I’m pretty satisfied with 70,” Clark said.

He made par putts of 7 feet, 5 feet and 6 feet. And when he got in trouble on the 13th after trying to drive the green, he made a 15-foot putt for par. It was like that all day And the lead kept growing, even with that short miss at the end.

ting a nice bounce short of the green as the ball rolled out to 4 feet. It was the only eagle on the 16th hole all week.

“Really one of the shots of the tournament,” Clark said.

He now has one more round to add another U.S. Open title to the one he captured at Los Angeles Coun-

try Club in 2023. At his side will be Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, trying to turn Sunday into a most magical day Sam Stevens, who closed within two shots of Clark on the front nine, started the back nine with three straight bogeys and closed with six straight pars for a 72 Tom Kim dropped two

“It’s all in Wyndham’s hands, really If he plays a really solid round of golf (Sunday) — if he shoots even par or 1 over or 2 over — he’s going to win the golf tournament. That’s how I think it’s going to pan out.” XANDER SCHAUFFELE, golfer

think it’s going to pan out.”

Shinnecock Hills did its part, even after the strongest wind subsided. Only two players managed to

“The only way that you catch somebody like Wyndham is the golf course starts to win against him,” Keith Mitchell said after his third successive round at 70. He joined Clark as the only player at par or better three straight rounds, and Mitchell was eight shots behind.

Clark went from scrambling to soaring with one shot. He was 275 yards away on the 604-yard 16th hole, with helping wind that made it a perfect 5-wood — except he didn’t have one in his bag. His caddie suggested taking a little off a 3-wood, and he played a high cut to perfection, get-

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

A truck that wound up in a ditch is seen along a flooded roadway on Thursday following heavy rain from Tropical Storm Arthur in Mansura a small town in Avoyelles Parish.

ALL-METRO SOFTBALL

CLASSES4A, 5A OUTSTANDINGPLAYER

ABIGAILHEIDBRINK BRUSLY,SOPHOMORE • PITCHER

The trust Brusly softball coach Beau Bouvier has in his pitcherAbigail Heidbrink was evident duringa game against ParkviewBaptist on March 31. In the seventh inning,the Eagles hit ahome runtocut the deficit to 3-1. Bouvier came out to the circle to talk to Heidbrink.They differed on what pitch to go with next, butBouvier trusted his sophomore star. She then executed her pitches to sealthe win. “WheneverIwent out there to talk to her,I wanted to do something else,and she wanted to go withthispitch,” Bouvier said.“I trusted her,and we went with it, and it worked out.” Heidbrinkstacked up stellarperformances throughout the year to helpBruslyreach the Division II nonselect state titlegame.The sophomore finishedthe season with a24-7 recordand a1.55 ERA across 1712/3 innings. Shestruckout 219 batters and walked40. Forher performances in the circle, Heidbrink wasnamed TheAdvocate’sAll-Metro player of the year forclasses 4A and 5A. Jackson Reyes

CLASSES4A, 5A COACHOFTHE YEAR BEAU BOUVIER BRUSLY

Beau Bouvier has experiencedstate title games before.The players on his 2026 team hadn’t. His goal this past season was for them to getoverthe semifinal hump and feelthe joy of areaching astate title game His Panthers did just that. Brusly defeated Lutcher in the semifinal round to reach the Division II nonselect state title game.

Bouvierguided Bruslytoa24-7 record and wasa runawayfrom achampionship after a1-0 loss to North DeSoto. He helped to develop talented players such as pitcher Abigail Heidbrink. Forhis efforts, Bouvier was named TheAdvocate’sAll-Metro coach of the year for classes 4A and 5A.

CLASSES4A, 5A ALL-METROTEAM

BAILEY DUCOTE St.Amant, Sr Infielder Hit.487

KENLEY MASSETT St.Joseph’s, So Infielder Hit.550

ZOE FABRE Brusly,So. Infielder Hit.410

JENNA BLANCHARD Dutchown, Sr Outfielder Hit.422

MOLLY LATHAM Live Oak, Sr Outfielder Hit.504

LILLYROSE ALBAREZ Brusly,So. Outfielder Hit.457

OAKLEE BAILEY Walker,Sr. Outfielder Hit.510

NATALIE BREEDLOVE Central, Jr Utility Went 13-7 with 3.25 ERA

MILES FRENCH SETTLEMENT,JUNIOR • PITCHER

MalloyMiles had ajunior season to remember.She opened theseason with four straight no-hitters,including a five-inning perfect game.

Miles baffled hitters all season long and surpassed 800 career strikeouts in leading the Lions to the Division III nonselect semifinals

The Ole Misscommitment shined on the biggest stage as an eighth graderand continuesto improve as sheenters hersenior year

Thispast season, Miles finishedwitha 20-2 record and a0.61 ERA in 127 innings. She totaled 269 strikeouts and walked 37.At the plate, Miles batted .420 with a.540 on-base

percentage. Shehad twohomeruns, nine doubles and 15 RBIs. Miles relishesthe opportunitytopitch every timeshe steps into the circle

“Being aleader on the fieldisthe main thing that made me want to be apitcher,”Miles said. No matterwho wasatthe plate, Miles was effectiveasher talent and attitude have turned herinto one of the top players in the state

For heroutstanding season, Miles was named The Advocate’s All-Metro Class 3A and belowMVP Jackson Reyes

CLASSES3AAND BELOW COACHOFTHE YEAR

ASHLEE DUCOTE PARKVIEW BAPTIST

ParkviewBaptist’steam this season was filled with youth, but there was no shortage of top talent. CoachAshlee Ducote developed her young team into one of the area’s best TheEagles went 30-7 and reachedthe DivisionIII select state titlegamewitha team

Jackson Reyes

EDYN MANNINO Central, Jr Utility Hit.427

AVERY HASTINGS Zachary, Sr Utility Hit.505

MADDIE BOURGEOIS Lutcher, Sr Utility Hit.367

ADALYN STOLTZ Walker,Jr. Utility Hit.330

CAROLINE JOHNSON Dutchtown, Jr Utility Hit.378

BROOKE VICKNAIR Dutchtown, Sr Utility Hit.308

LEXIE GUERCIO Central, Sr Utility Hit.412

Editor’snote: All-Metro softballteams selected by areacoaches.

LOUPE

Brusly,Sr.

Infielder Hit .339

JADA JOHNSON Brusly,Sr. Utility Hit.352

featuring five freshmen,two eighth graders and one seventh grader.

For leading the Eaglestoanexceptional season, Ducote wasnamed The Advocate’sAllMetro Class 3A and belowcoach of theyear. Jackson Reyes

CLASSES3AAND BELOW ALL-METROTEAM

JALAYAH

SLAUGHTER Parkview Baptist, Fr Pitcher

Went 11-1 with 1.19 ERA

MALLOY MILES French Settlement, Jr Pitcher

Went 20-2 with 0.61 ERA

SAVANNA TRICHE Albany, Sr Pitcher Hada3.67ERA

AVA

GAUTHE Ascension Catholic, Sr Pitcher

Went 17-9 with 3.25 ERA

KHLOE LUQUETTE Maurepas, Fr Catcher Hit.379

ADDIE YOUNG Parkview Baptist, So Catcher Hit.376

HADLEY SPELLMAN French Settlement, So Catcher Hit.410

AIMEE GAWLIK Parkview Baptist, 8th Infielder Hit.400

CHARLI NEUMANN St. John, Sr Infielder Hit .605

GENIE LOVETT Doyle,Sr. Infielder Hit.473

LILY HAMMONDS Parkview Baptist, Jr Infielder Hit.324

EMMA DELATTE Ascension Catholic, So Infielder Hit.485

EMMARIE LACY Parkview Baptist, Fr Outfielder Hit.388

MORGAN SINGLETON University High, 8th Outfielder Hit.515

SOPHIE CROCHET Ascension Catholic, Sr Outfielder Hit.475

AVA LANDRY Parkview Baptist, Jr Outfielder Hit.391

KENNA MILES French Settlement, Sr Outfielder Hit. 394

AVA ACOSTA French Settlement, Jr Utility Hit. 360

CINCLARE LANDRY St. John, Sr Utility Hit.430

SIDNEY LAUZERVICH

FILEPHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Pitcher Abigail Heidbrink helped lead Brusly to the Division II nonselect statetitle game after posting a24-7 record and 1.55 ERA. The sophomore struck out 219 batters in 17123 innings.

FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI

French Settlement pitcher Malloy Miles, whoopened the season with fourno-hitters, led the Lions to the Division IIInonselect semifinals. An Ole Miss commitment, Miles has racked up more than 800 strikeouts in her career

Andrew Putnam, USA

Jordan Spieth, USA

Ludvig Aberg, Sweden

+6

+6

+6

+7 Ryan Fox, New Zealand

+7

Chris Gotterup, USA 75-69-73—217 +7

Angel Hidalgo, Spain 69-74-74—217 +7

John Keefer, USA 71-70-76—217 +7

Jackson Koivun, USA 72-71-74—217 +7

Robert MacIntyre, Scotl. 70-74-73—217 +7

Miles Russell, USA 72-71-74—217 +7

Jacob Bridgeman, USA 73-71-74—218 +8

Marek Fleming, USA 72-72-74—218 +8

Max Greyserman, USA 69-73-76—218 +8

Benjamin James, USA 69-72-77—218 +8

Kurt Kitayama, USA 74-68-76—218 +8

WORLD CUP

qualifier for the tournament, allowing Pochettino more time to experiment and craft the lineup he wanted. He was blunt earlier this month when he said the U.S. does not have any players that rank among the top 100 in the world.

But the lineup he has put on the field the first two matches has been rock solid and maybe even better than expected. The players credit him with instilling a tougher, more resilient mindset.

Pochettino said after the win over Australia that he could feel the fan support reverberating throughout the stadium in Seattle.

“Today, even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional,” Pochettino said. “It was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stands and the team. This makes us feel very proud.”

Because the U.S. already has won its group, Pochettino could experiment with his lineup for the match with Turkey on Thursday And it could provide extra rest for star midfielder

Christian Pulisic, who missed the match with Australia because of a calf injury.

Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan, is considered the best U.S player, but his absence also allowed the Americans to show off some depth in the lineup.

With Pulisic out, Pochettino started striker Ricardo Pepi, and Pepi combined with Balogun on the run that created the first goal of the match in the 11th minute.

“We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” said Alex Freeman, who scored the second goal against Australia “For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”

SCOREBOARD

Spencer Tibbits, USA 68-74-76—218 +8

Jackson Van Paris, USA 70-72-76—218 +8

A. Dumont De Chassart, Bel.71-71-77—219 +9

Nicolas Echavarria, Colombia71-73-75—219 +9

Caleb Surratt, USA 75-69-75—219 +9

Hideki Matsuyama, Japan 71-73-77—221 +11

Neal Shipley, USA 71-73-77—221 +11

Eric Lee, USA 74-70-78—222 +12

Russell Henley, USA 70-73-80—223 +13

Patrick Rodgers, USA 72-71-80—223 +13

Peter Uihlein, USA 74-70-80—224 +14

James Nicholas, USA 71-72-82—225 +15

Dylan Wu, USA 73-71-82—226 +16

Meijer LPGA Classic par scores

Saturday At Blythefield Country Club

Belmont, Mich

Purse: $3.3 million Yardage: 6,611; Par: 72 Third Round Jing Yan 68-66-68—202 14

Lottie Woad 69-66-68—203 -13

Cassie Porter 67-68-69—204 12

In Gee

7

-7

72-67-70—209 -7

6

-6

21. (91) Kevin Magnussen, Chevrolet, 89.167.

22. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 89.158.

23. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 89.100.

24. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 88.820.

25. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 88.801.

26. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 88.777.

27. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 88.713.

28. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 88.629.

29. (6) Brad Keselowski, Toyota, 88.621.

30. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 88.616.

31. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 88.124.

32. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 87.978.

33. (47) R. Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 87.898.

34. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 87.606.

35. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 87.484.

36. (84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 85.980.

37. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 85.214.

38. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 71.441.

39. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 59.492. IndyCar Road America Grand Prix lineup After Saturday qualifying; race Sunday At Road America Plymouth, Wis. Lap length: 4.014 miles

1. (10) Alex Palou, D/H/F, 01:43.6615 (139.4 mph).

2. (12) David Malukas, D/C/F, 01:43.9542 (139.007).

3. (66) Marcus Armstrong, D/H/F, 01:44.0225 (138.916).

4. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, D/H/F, 01:44.0502 (138.879).

5. (28) Marcus Ericsson, D/H/F, 01:44.1737 (138.714).

6. (3) Scott McLaughlin, D/C/F, 01:44.8242 (137.854).

7. (14) Santino Ferrucci, D/C/F, 01:44.127 (138.777).

8. (6) Nolan Siegel, D/C/F, 01:44.2026 (138.676).

9. (4) Caio Collet, 01:44.3713 (138.452).

10. (5) Pato O’Ward, D/C/F, 01:44.4003 (138.413).

11. (26) Will Power, D/C/F, 01:44.4918 (138.292).

12. (9) Scott Dixon, D/H/F, 01:44.5003 (138.281).

13. (7) Christian Lundgaard, D/C/F, 01:44.202 (138.677).

14. (18) Romain Grosjean, D/C/F, 01:44.2824 (138.57).

15. (2) Josef Newgarden, D/C/F, 01:44.3111 (138.532).

16. (21) Christian Rasmussen, D/C/F, 01:44.285 (138.566).

17. (19) Dennis Hauger, 01:44.3717 (138.451).

18. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, D/H/F, 01:44.3002 (138.546).

19. (8) Kyffin Simpson, D/H/F, 01:44.4129 (138.397).

20. (15) Graham Rahal, D/H/F, 01:44.4601 (138.334).

21. (20) Alexander Rossi, D/C/F, 01:44.4546 (138.341).

22. (76) Rinus VeeKay, D/H/F, 01:44.5392 (138.229).

23. (47) Mick Schumacher, 01:44.4556 (138.34).

24. (45) Louis Foster, D/H/F, 01:44.7699 (137.925).

25. (77) Sting Ray Robb, D/C/F, 01:45.529 (136.933).

Pro tennis

(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 89.766

(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 89.646

(17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 89.584

(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 89.562.

(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 89.385. 19. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 89.314. 20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 89.298.

AP PHOTO By LINDSEy

“Today, even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional It was an

host nation has won the World Cup six times, most recently France in 1998.

When Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986, it reached the quarterfinals both times. In 2002, co-host South Korea reached the semifinals. Host Russia reached the quarterfinals in 2018.

The U.S finished third in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. Its best finish in the modern era of soccer was the quarterfinals in 2002.

Still, the U.S. will want Pulisic’s steady hand and creative playmaking as it gets deeper in the tournament. He has scored 33 goals in 87 international appearances, including the game winner against Iran in the 2022 World Cup that sent the U.S. to the round of 16. The U.S. will enjoy the home support for as far as it can go in the tournament. It can be considerable. The U.S. is co-host of the tournament with Canada and Mexico. Since 1930, the

When the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, the underdog Americans played in front of huge crowds and slugged their way through the group stage before being eliminated by Brazil.

Back then, just reaching the knockout round was the goal and a huge achievement for a group of players that punched above their weight. The expectations this time are for much more, and growing with every goal in the back of the net.

“I think people can see what we’re capable of as a team,” Pepi said.

ATP World Tour Terra Wortmann Open results Saturday At Gerry Weber Stadium Halle, Germany Purse: €2,583,330 Surface: Grass Men’s Singles Semifinals Taylor Fritz (5), United States, def. Alexander Zverev (1), Germany, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5. Frances Tiafoe, United States, def. Daniel Altmaier, Germany, 6-1, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Semifinals Albano Olivetti and Theo Arribage, France def. John Peers, Australia, and Robert Galloway, United States, walkover. Daniel Altmaier, Germany, and Joao Fonseca, Brazil, def. Flavio Cobolli,

Netherlandsrolls past Sweden

By The Associated Press

HOUSTON Underintense pressure after an opening-game draw

the Netherlandsdelivered adominant performance against Sweden in the World Cup on Saturday to move atop the Group Fstandings

Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo scored two goals apiece topower Netherlands to the 5-1 win Brobbey’sgoals came in the first half, helping the Netherlandsget offtoa great start and roll to the big win after playing Japan to a 2-2 draw Sunday

Thevictory gives Netherlands agroup-leading four points. Sweden has three points, with Japan and Tunisia scheduled toplay later Saturday

“It could be that the way we playedbuilds confidence,” Netherlandscoach Ronald Koeman said. “Now we’ve got aslightly better peace of mind with the four points. Youcan build on what happened now,and that’sreally good. Gakpo extended the lead to 3-0 just after halftime, scoring in the 47th minute off across from Denzel Dumfries. He matched Brobbey when he scored on arightfooted shot from the left box in the 54th minute.

Sweden couldn’tbuildonits strong performance in a5-1 walloping of Tunisia in its first match

The loss to the Dutch was its biggest World Cup defeatsince losing 7-1 to Brazil in 1950.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByERIC GAy

Brian Brobbey,left, of the Netherlandsscores on Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt during aWorld Cup matchonSaturdayinHouston.

WORLDCUP ROUNDUP

GERMANY 2,IVORYCOAST 1: In Toronto, Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in thesecond half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast and clinched aspotinthe knockout phase at the World Cup. Four minutes into stoppage time, Undav received apass from Felix Nmechainfront of thenet andrifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to give the Germansa comebackwin. Undav’sfirst goal of thematch came afterNadiem Amiri sent in along ball— that strikerKai Havertz let pass him by —onto thebootofUndav, who slammed it into the back ofthe net at the 68thminute. Both Amiri and Un-

dav had subbed on eight minutes earlier ECUADOR 0, CURAÇAO 0: In Kansas City, Missouri, Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made15saves againsta relentlessEcuador attack, allowing TheBlueWaveto earn a0-0 draw against the heavily favored La Triand earn the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point. The outcome alsoallowed Germany,which beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day,toclinch Group E. The 37-year-old Room,whose

shutoutofJamaicalast November sent Curaçao to its first World Cup, bounced back from a7-1 loss to Germanywith one of the finest performancesbya goalkeeper in World Cup history.His savetotal was one shy of the record —since saves became an officialstat in 1966 —of16set by TimHoward of theU.S.against Belgium on July 1, 2014. The draw doesn’t eliminate eitherteam from knockout play,but it put Ecuador in dire shape going into its groupfinale.

Predictionsof lopsided gamesnot panningout

BY TALES AZZONI Associated Press

GUADALAJARA, Mexico

Not long af-

ter FIFAannounced an expanded 48-team World Cup, criticism began to pour in about how thequality of the tournament wouldlikely be worsened.

The critics argued that by allowing smaller teams to the expanded field, the number of weak matchupswould increase,aswould the chances of lopsided results.

But as the biggest WorldCup ever progresses, those fears have not fully materialized.

Through thefirst24games, the goal differentialwas unchanged compared to the tournament in Qatar in 2022, suggesting the larger fielddid not create more one-sided competition.

Germany did rout newcomer Curacao 7-1, Qatar was trounced 6-0 by Canada, andHaiti was eliminated after two matches. But some of the less-traditional nations were able to hold their ground early on.

Cape Verde, the fifth-lowest ranked team entering the World Cup and one of the smallest nations to ever makeittothe tournament, pulled offone of thebiggest surprises in World Cup history by holding European champions Spain to a0-0 draw Congo, whose only otherWorld Cup participation was in 1974 as Zaire, was unfazedwhile facingCristianoRonaldo’s Portugal, holding one of the tournament favoritestoa1-1 draw

What are the reasons for the

overall competitiveness?

Coaches, players and analysts say global soccer has become increasingly competitive, with more players joining the top leagues andmoretop coaches being hired by smaller nations.

There is also wider availability of tactical knowledgeand physical conditioning methods, allowing less-traditional teams to better competeagainstthe traditional powerhouses.

“It’svery toughtowin,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirresaid. “It surprised me howeventhings are.

They had talked abouthaving 48 teams, but not counting Germany,which did have abig gap with many goalsscored,all other matches werevery complicated.”

While the number of goals scored after thefirst24matches increased from 57 in Qatarfour yearsago to 75 now,the goal differential this year was 35, exactly thesame after the same number of games in Qatar

Cape Verde was ranked 67th when it came upwith theupset by playing second-ranked Spain to a draw

“This game showed us that the World Cup is atournament with a lotofequality.It’svery complicated,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “These teams have their limitations, but they do what they do well. The team we faced was clearly inferior to ours, but it did what it had to dovery well and defended very well. In every match you have to be fully focused and extremely precise to be able to overcome yourrivals.”

Curacao,the third-lowest ranked team at thestart of the tournament at No. 82, held Germany to a1-1 draw untillatein thefirst half before theEuropean powerhouse took over for good. Haiti, ranked83rdand back in theWorld Cup after five decades, lost 1-0 to Scotland in adecent performanceinits opener,but then wasnorival forfive-time champion Brazil, conceding three first-half goals before improving to hold itsground in thesecond half of a3-0 loss.

UEFApresident AleksanderCeferin was criticized last Sunday forallegedly saying theexpanded tournament created uninteresting matches

“Wehaveahuge number of

matches that arecompletely uninteresting,” he said, according to Zurnal 24.

The associations of Cape Verde, Congo,Curaçao, Haiti, Jordanand Uzbekistanissued ajoint statement they said wasinsolidarity with thefederations of Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

“Footballdoes not belong to aselect group of nations. Itsstrength comes from its universality,”the statementsaid. “Formanycountries, participationinthe FIFA World Cupisnot only asporting achievement. It is amomentthat inspires ageneration, accelerates football development and creates memories that last alifetime.”

Spain, Belgiumseek1st wins afteropening with draws LOOKAHEAD

By The Associated Press

Sunday’sWorldCup actionfeatures eight teams looking for their first win of this year’stournament.

Lamine Yamal and Spain take on Abdulelah Al-Amri and Saudi Arabia in aGroup Hgame in Atlanta. Romelu Lukaku and Belgium face Iran in Southern California, andNew Zealandplays Egypt in another Group Ggame in Vancouver,British Columbia. Uruguay takesontinyCapeVerde in the other Group Hgame. Each of those eight countries opened with adraw,including

ascoreless tie for No. 2Spain against CapeVerde.Al-Amri scored forSaudi Arabia in a1-1 game against Uruguay,and there was another 1-1 stalemate for Egypt versus Belgium.New Zealand played Iran toa2-2 tie. Thefour draws last Monday were the most in asingle dayat themen’sWorld Cup since 1958. That means Group Gand Group Hare wide open going into their second dayofplay Spain and Belgium are looking

to establish themselves as championship contenders, while awin forCapeVerde would stamp the group of islands off Africa’sWest coast as oneofthe tournament’s biggest surprises in itsWorld Cup debut

KeyBelgium player out Belgium’s Jérémy Doku will not play against Iran because of an illness. TheManchester City winger hasbeenruled out for the match at SoFi Stadium. ThespeedyDokustarted Belgium’sWorld Cup opener and playedinto the 86th minute of its

draw withEgypt. Doku reportedly left apractice earlydue to breathing issues during the week before theopening match.

Dokuhas been in the spotlight in recent days after telling reporters that he planned to leavethe team if necessary for the birth of his first child during the World Cup. Doku’swifeisdue in early July, during theknockout stages. Belgium is 10th in FIFA’sworld rankings, butitneeds astrong result againstIran to stay on track to win itsgroup. The Red Devils finish group-stage play against New Zealand on Friday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIK S. LESSER

Cape Verde players celebrate after amatch against Spain on Monday in Atlanta. The tinynation stunned powerhouse Spain in a0-0 draw.

Reese quickest WNBA player to reach 1,000 boards

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese looks to drive the ball against the Indiana Fever on Thursday in Indianapolis. Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds in Saturday’s game.

BLAU

Continued from page 1C

matchup ever

Beyond that, there’s plenty more I’m looking forward to in this job. Here’s my short list: Kiffin experience

I just left a newsmaker of a head coach, Dabo Swinney, for another headline-grabber in Lane Kiffin They are lightning rods in different ways.

Kiffin is known for stirring the pot on social media, particularly X. Swinney doesn’t have an account.

Swinney still lives by “Til graduation do we part,” refusing to nudge athletes out the door for a lack of performance. He has only recently started using the transfer portal in a meaningful way, adding 10 this offseason.

Kiffin just brought in four times

that number as part of LSU’s 2026 roster overhaul.

Swinney has been a head coach at Clemson since 2008. In that same time period, Kiffin has been fired from two jobs — the Raiders and USC and enraged Tennessee and Ole Miss fans after voluntarily bouncing elsewhere.

I’m fascinated to see how this next twist in Kiffin’s roller coaster of a career plays out, and it’s weird to think, in an alternate universe, I may have covered him already

Kiffin interviewed for the Clemson job in 2008 after he was fired by Hall of Fame Raiders owner Al Davis, but Clemson’s administration decided to hand Swinney, a 38-year-old receivers coach, the full-time job after a trial run.

Swinney went to six straight playoffs and won two national titles, but he made the CFP just once in my five years covering him Kiffin just had a squad make the playoffs last season, but he didn’t get to

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

ATLANTA Angel Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds in the Atlanta Dream’s 113-96 win against the Indiana Fever on Saturday

Reese achieved the feat in 79 career games, 10 games faster than Tina Charles, the previous record holder

The 6-foot-4 forward and former LSU star reached the milestone with 4:29 remaining in the third quarter She finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds.

“I think people don’t realize rebounding is harder than you think,” Reese said after the game while reflecting on her record.

“Defensive rebounds are a little bit easier than going in and crashing every single time to give a second chance opportunity on the offensive end.”

coach Ole Miss in the postseason.

I’ll be interested to compare their CFP success from this point forward.

Connecting more dots

Before I landed on the Clemson beat, I covered Indiana football for The Herald-Times in Bloomington, Indiana.

This was well before Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers turned into an Alabama-bruising Cinderella.

The last bowl game I covered the Hoosiers in was the 2021 Outback Bowl, which featured national coach of the year Tom Allen versus Kiffin in his first year at Ole Miss. The Rebels won, 26-20, behind 342 yards passing from quarterback Matt Corral.

Strangely enough, Allen became the defensive coordinator at Clemson in 2025. He’ll be the play-caller opposite Kiffin’s offense on Sept. 5 in Tiger Stadium. One of the receivers Allen

MANNING

Continued from page 1C

the landmark occasion.

“Thirty years is hard to imagine,” the elder Manning said. “When we started it, we just thought we’d have a nice little regional camp, a Louisiana-Alabama-Mississippi kinda thing. We never imagined it would turn into what it is today.” Over the years, the MPA has attracted campers from as many as 46 states and Canada. It has lured the sons of coaches such as Sean Payton, Mike McCarthy and (this year) Zac Taylor, and football luminaries such as Robert Kraft and John Madden. Along the way, it’s attracted almost every top college quarterback in the nation. The roster of camp alumni includes 17 former Heisman Trophy winners and the past four NFL MVPs — Matthew Stafford (2008), Josh Allen (2016), Lamar Jackson (2017) and Patrick Mahomes (2017).

This year’s camp will again feature a roster of elite college quarterbacks. Among the top names scheduled to attend are seven of Pro Football Focus’ top-11 returnees for the 2026 season: Julian Sayin (No. 1, Ohio State), Arch Manning (No. 3, Texas), Trinidad Chambliss (No. 4, Ole Miss), CJ Carr (No. 5, Notre Dame), Jayden Maiava (No. 6, USC), Noah Fifita (No. 10, Arizona) and Gunner Stockton (No. 11, Georgia)

Other top QBs committed include Steve Angeli (Syracuse),

Bear Bachmeier (BYU), CJ Bailey (NC State), Ryan Browne (Purdue), Kevin Jennings (SMU), Kyle Lowe (Southeastern Louisiana), Owen McCown (Texas-San Antonio), Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (California), Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State), Conner Weigman (Houston) and Demond Williams (Washington).

“I don’t think there’s ever been as many good college quarterbacks as there are this year,” Manning said. “We had more requests than we could honor.”

As usual, there were a few highprofile withdrawals or declines.

Brendan Sorsby recently decided to cancel his plans to attend the camp after he became embroiled in an eligibility controversy at Texas Tech. Sorsby announced this week that he plans to bypass his final year of college and enter the supplemental NFL draft.

Josh Hoover (Indiana), Sam Leavitt (LSU), Darian Mensah (Miami), Dante Moore (Oregon) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) were extended invitations but were unable to attend because of various reasons, ranging from health to scheduling conflicts Leavitt, who attended the MPA last year, was only recently cleared to participate in summer workouts and has been restricted from full-scale, on-field passing work because of his recovery from Lisfranc surgery

The quarterbacks will again work the camp as counselors and compete in the annual Friday

Reese tops the WNBA with 11.9 rebounds per game this season.

The Atlanta newcomer has received criticism for getting rebounds from her own missed shots.

“You can look statistically not just for my shots, but for my teammates’, it gives us more points, it gives us more opportunities,” she said. “Just being able to go out and do what I do every single night just shows my consistency.”

Reese is taking the moment to give herself some credit, though she admits it’s tough to do when she has her sights set on bigger things.

“A lot of the time I’m really hard on myself, what I want to be and how great I want to be, but I’m just taking my time and knowing that I’ve done some great things,” she said. “I’m just patting myself on the back and knowing that I want more.”

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points and Allisha Gray added 22 for the

will hope to contain is Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins, who is cousins with legendary Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins.

The Clemson offense will face an ex-Clemson defensive tackle, Stephiylan Green, who transferred to LSU this offseason. He’s coached by LSU interior line coach Kevin Peoples, who was the Indiana D-line coach in 2020.

Those are just a few of the connections that fire in my memory bank. You get far enough into a career and the world really shrinks, especially in a realm such as college football.

Louisiana isn’t Indiana or South Carolina, and the SEC isn’t the Big Ten or ACC, but I can’t wait to see which people or events turn out to be oddly familiar in some way There’s a live tiger?

I’m feigning surprise, because of course I’ve heard of Mike the Tiger

HOF

Continued from page 1C

fame, a Converse shoes marketing executive who would one day become the LSU athletic director and hire Brady as the LSU basketball coach.

“I’m telling you, the dominoes were falling, and I didn’t even know what was going on,” Brady said “I had no idea It’s crazy now.”

After graduating from Belhaven with a business degree in 1976, Brady enrolled at Mississippi State for a master’s degree in education to coach. He sent a resume and letter to Davis, who hired him. There he met Joe Dean Jr., who had just finished playing at Mississippi State and was a graduate assistant.

“Joe Dean Jr and I became best friends,” Brady said. “I used to go home with Joe on weekends to Baton Rouge and hang out at his house with his dad. It’s amazing how that all worked.”

Soon, Joe Dean Sr was the star of Brady’s resume.

Dream. The Dream earned its third straight win in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,044 at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Hawks. The Dream usually plays at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, which has a capacity of 5,000 fans. The win for the Dream (11-4) was the second in three days against the Fever after a 108-101 road victory on Thursday Clark scored a team-high 26 points for the Fever (9-7). Kelsey Mitchell had 16 points, and Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham each had 13 points.

Trailing 59-56 at the half, Atlanta outscored Indiana 28-15 in the third quarter to hold an 84-74 edge heading into the fourth. Jordin Canada scored eight of her 12 in the quarter Naz Hillmon added 19 points for the Dream. Mitchell contributed to Indiana’s strong start with 16 points in the first half.

Circling back to the two Death Valleys, I just spent the past five years enjoying the “most exciting 25 seconds in college football,” Clemson’s pregame run down its famed hill. But I’m a bit awed that Tiger Stadium has an actual tiger habitat close by I’m going to reserve judgment on which is better I hold to my objectivity steadfastly — but I can’t imagine Mike’s enclosure won’t score a point in LSU’s favor That being said, I won’t know until I’ve been there. And that’s probably what I’m looking forward to the most: everything unfamiliar There are probably a million things I don’t know about Baton Rouge and Louisiana, from the culture to the food to the football traditions. I can’t wait to dive in, and thanks for following along for the ride.

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com

Night Lights skills competition at John L. Guidry Stadium. The starstudded event has become the highlight of the camp. Additionally a crew of receivers from Nicholls, South Alabama, Southeastern and Tulane will participate in passing drills Saturday

“We’re constantly trying to upgrade the camp, but in a way, we do a lot of the same things we did in 1996,” Manning said. “(Friday Night Lights) is always a fun competition, and we are working hard to make it a great show.”

Despite undergoing major back surgery three months ago, the elder Manning will once again be overseeing the entire operation. As in past years, he’ll operate out of a golf cart to aid his mobility, which has declined in recent years because of neuropathy in his feet.

Thecampagainwillserveasafamily reunion for the Manning clan. A third generation of Mannings the children of Cooper, Eli and Peyton have become regulars Marshall Manning,aprecociouseighthgrader at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will attend as a camper May Manning, Cooper’s daughter, works the camp as a marketer for Excel Sports Management. Charlie Manning, Eli’s only son, is still a few years away from attending, Archie said.

“The camp is always one of my favorite times of the years because I get to see my boys and my grandkids,” Archie said. “In 30 years, none of them has ever missed a single minute or left before the camp is over That means a lot to me.”

“It changed my life,” Brady said. “Joe Dean was the Converse shoe man. He knew everybody My connection with Kermit and his dad changed my life, too. That all played a huge part in me coming to LSU.”

First, Dean helped Brady land the coaching job at Crowley High in 1977.

“He embraced a collegiate blueprint as though we were in college,” said James Moore, who played on Crowley’s 1980-81 team.

“He put Crowley on the map. He promoted his teams all over Crowley at grocery stores, churches, businesses.”

After one season with Floyd at UNO, Brady got the head coaching job at Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, over bigger names such as Mark Gottfried and Matt Doherty

“Joe Dean helped me get every job I ever had,” Brady said. Brady quickly turned around Samford, which was coming off six straight single-digit-win seasons. Brady went 17-10 in his first season and won back-to-back Trans America Athletic Conference West titles in 1996 and 1997, but he never made an NCAA Tournament.

Before the 1996-97 season, his 25th, LSU coach Dale Brown announced it would be his last.

Brady called Dean the next day

“I want to be the next basketball coach at LSU,” he said.

“John, I love you like a son,” Dean said. “But I can’t hire you at LSU from Samford.” Brady said to keep him in mind anyway

At this time, the NCAA was investigating LSU over its recruitment of star Baton Rouge forward Lester Earl. And one by one, the top candidates removed themselves. It came down to Ole Miss coach Rob Evans or Brady

“If Rob doesn’t take it, I’m sending the plane to pick you up,” Dean told Brady Evans didn’t, and Brady took over a program coming off four straight losing seasons.

Brady had losing seasons in 1997-98 and 1998-99. Then the NCAA sanctions hit and LSU lost six scholarships through 2002. Still, Brady and assistants Butch Pierre and Davis signed one of the top players in the country in Shreveport forward Stromile Swift. As a sophomore in 19992000, he led LSU to the Sweet 16 with a 28-6 finish and its first SEC title since 1991 at 12-4.

Once the sanctions stopped, LSU returned to NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2005 before a magical 2005-06 season when the Tigers won another SEC title at 14-2 and reached the school’s first Final Four since 1986 to finish 27-9.

“I didn’t like John Brady at first,” Brown said just recently “But I grew to admire and respect him as a coach and a man. He did a wonderful job with his Final Four team and really should’ve got to coach longer I’m proud of him.”

The magic quickly ended, though, as Brady fell to 17-15 and 5-11 in the SEC in 2006-07. He was fired midway through 2007-08 season at 8-13 and 1-6 in the SEC. Brady quickly got another job at Arkansas State for the next season and won two Sun Belt Conference West titles before retiring from coaching in 2016.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

From left, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Cooper Manning and Archie Manning watch as quarterbacks compete in passing drills during the Friday Night Lights event at the Manning Passing Academy on June 27 in Thibodaux

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER LSU coach John Brady holds up a piece of the net as the Tigers celebrate a trip to the Final Four with a victory over Texas on March 25, 2006, in Atlanta.

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Smallsummer respites can become a game-changer

When my wife and Iboarded an airlinerfor San Diego last month, we had plenty of company on the flight. The summer travel season was in high gear,and our plane brimmed like abiblicalark.

The boarding line stalled as passengerstried to squeeze luggage into carry-on bins. Travelers inched over each other to shoehorn themselves into the narrow seats. There were sighs all around as everyone sizedupthe prospect of crossing half the country in such tight quarters.

Wedged in place, Ithought of amagazine interview Idid last year with Arthur Brooks, who writes and lectures about the science of happiness. He travels alot, which means manyhours on commercial flights. Brooks has come to see it as an opportunity.Ashe explained,“theairplane is a great laboratory” for asocial scientist.

He gets to see human behavior in all its variety

In that spirit, my wifeand I focused our attention on the senior airline attendant on our flight, apersonable woman named Pamela. In the midst of the bustle, she remained serene, findinga couple of spare seats to create slightly more room. Pamela smiled calmly as she worked the aisle, even joking with apassengerwho had requested, tongue-incheek, to be moved to first class.

“I’m happy to do that,”she responded with awink, “as long as you’re willing to sit in someone’slap.” Impressed by Pamela’s easygoing attitude on what was obviouslyastressful day my wife asked her the secret to her good humor “I had the day off yesterday,” she told us. “It helped a lot.” Can asingle day of rest really be agame-changer? Such asmall interlude of respite might seemlike atrifling thing here in summer, when thoughts so often turn to weeklong idyllsonthe beach and the pleasure of extended time off the clock.

But when Ispoke with novelist Ann Patchett afew weeks ago, she touched on this very thing. Patchettis especiallybusy this summer as she promotes “Whistler,” her new novel, but her work as an author and bookstore owner in Nashvillekeeps her active all year.Patchett has built alife filled with people, and she seems deeply grateful for the community it’screated.

Even so, she’sfound that just asingle day alone can be restorative.

“And if Ispend awhole day by myself, in which Inever get in the car,it’slike I’ve spent the day plugged into a generator,” she said. “I have so much energy.Ihave so many greatideas. Ican solve any problem, do anything, if I don’t have to see people.” My trip to Californiagave me anice weeklong break. I’m back in the thick of things, but it’sgood to know that when I need abreather,evenaday away from the grind might be worth it.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

LIVING

RichardLipseystood with JFKand danced with Jackie.But this Louisianaicon’sproudestroleisPops

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

Richard Lipsey briefed presidents and built one of the country’slargest firearmsbusinesses. Askhis children and grandchildren about him, though, and thestories get smaller —and that is thepoint.

tJacqueline Kennedy’scommand, the24-year-old lieutenant from Baton Rouge took thefirst lady onto thedance floor at the WhiteHouse. By then, Richard Lipsey was already afixture of the Kennedy Camelot days. He had landed there as an aide to Gen. Philip Wehle who had plucked him from Fort Polk to work receiving lines in the Oval Office.

In October 1963, weeks before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,Marshal Tito, of Yugoslavia, was at the White House to meet with JFK. As Lipsey entered the room for the meeting, camera in hand, aguard told him cameras weren’tallowed. The president said otherwise.

The photographs Lipsey took that day of the president with Tito turned out to be among the last taken of JFK in Washington. Six decades later,ask Lipsey what he is proudest of, and he doesn’tmention Camelot —not the Kennedys, not the White House.

“My family’swhat I’mmost proud of,” Lipsey said, and began to list them: his twodaughters, Laurie and Wendy, his grandchildren and his wife of 63

PROVIDED PHOTO LukeLipsey, WendyLipsey, Anna Aronson, Marla Aronson, LaurieAronson, Susan Lipseyand Richard Lipsey

PROVIDED PHOTO Richard Lipsey, king of 2022 Washington Mardi Gras, withhis grandson, LukeLipsey.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Lipseyfamily are hugeLSU and Kim Mulkey supporters. Pictured here, Laurie Aronson, Richard Lipsey, Kim Mulkey and Susan Lipsey.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Richard Lipseyin1963 in his dress uniforminWashington, D.C.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON LSUcoachJay Johnson celebrates with Richard Lipseyasthe Tigers punched itsticket to Omaha in 2025.

COMMUNITY

Area student qualifies for national rodeo contest

Cooper Phelps a fifth grader at Napoleonville Elementary School, is the Louisiana Junior High School Rodeo Association’s “Rookie of the Year” and has earned a bid to compete in the 2026 National Junior High Rodeo running through Saturday at the Lazy E. Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Phelps turned in a stellar performance at the LJHSRA’s state finals in Lake Charles’ Burton Coliseum to qualify for the national competition. He won the bareback steer riding competition, placed second in the Average bareback steer riding competition, was named the Reserve State Champion in bull riding and placed first in the Average bull riding competition. He also placed in the Top 10 of the final two rounds of the goat-tying competition. The combined accolades earned him the “Rookie of the Year” title. Phelps has traveled across Loui-

siana over the past year to compete in a variety of rodeo events. Students must earn the required number of points in sanctioned LJHSRA rodeos to qualify for the state competition. Points are only awarded to the top 10 competitors in each rodeo.

Phelps was required to finish in the top four at the state competition to earn a bid for the nationals.

He qualified to compete in bull riding and bareback steer riding.

Capitol City wins Squadron of the Year

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Capitol City Composite Squadron was honored as the 2025 Louisiana Wing Squadron of the Year Squadron deputy commander, Capt. Lawrence Corts, accepted the award during the annual Louisiana Wing Convention recently in Alexandria.

The squadron, which is located at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, actively supports and participates in statewide search and rescue exercises, serves youth in the community through the CAP Cadet Program for youth ages 1217, and supports local schools with free STEM educational materials and training.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

The Community column runs Sundays in the Living section and accepts submissions for news of events that have taken place with civic, philanthropic, social and religious auxiliary organizations, as well as academic honors.

Submissions should be sent by noon Monday to run in the upcoming Sunday column. Because of space limitations, organizations that meet monthly or more are limited to one photo per month. If submitting digitally we prefer JPG files 300KB or larger If taking a photo of a group, have them stand or sit shoulder-to-shoulder If more than six people are in the photo, arrange them on multiple, distinct rows.Avoid strong background light sources.

Identify those pictured by first and last names as viewed from left to right, row by row.We prefer emailed Community column submissions to features@theadvocate.com.We also accept submissions by mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821.A phone number must be included.

Members of the Baton Rouge

have wrapped up their annual youth Ballet

PROVIDED PHOTO

Civil Air Patrol

First Lt. Laurence Corts, vice commander of the Baton Rouge Composite Squadron, left, receives the 2025 Louisiana Wing Squadron of the year award from Louisiana Wing commander Col. Todd Scioneaux

Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre

Ballet Theatre

Summer Tour

Shown are, from left, Ai Nguyen, Britton Mayo, Mary Harper Hart and Sara Booty

PROVIDED PHOTO

PROVIDED PHOTO

Elizabethan Gallery

Elizabethan Gallery artists held their annual ‘Spring Art’ opening on May 15. The event was rescheduled from May 8 due to inclement weather and will hang until July 3. Gathered are, from left, front row, artists Carol Creel, Carol Hallock, owner Liz Walker, artists Krista Roche and Andrea Phillips; back row, artist Claire Pasqua, gallery

manager Heidi Bergeron, and artists Pat Wattam and Keith Douglas

Cooper Phelps

PROVIDED PHOTO

OLLI at LSU

An OLLI at LSU group took a nine-day trip to the Tuscany region of Italy in May 2026. Gathered are, front row, from left, Luann Reise, Amy Maggio and Olga Sparks; back row, Sarah Burnette, John Reise, Elizabeth Parks, Joe Maggio, John Sparks, Chuck McBride, Nancy Tatarski and Tarilyn McBride.

TRAVEL

First-timernoodles around on CaddoLake

BY MOLLYTERRELL Staff Writer

If you’ve been craving alake day and are looking for an adventure, grabbingacatfish out of its underwater hole with your handmight be the perfect activity

Idid it, and let me tell you, it was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had.

It all started when Isaw asocial media page for anoodling guide service on Caddo Lake in northwest Louisiana. Idecided to find out more.

Noodling is aunique form of fishing that requires you to retrieve a catfish from its hole with only your feet and hands while standing in murky water

Ischeduled anoodling tour with Geaux Noodling. My guide, Vinny Wozniak, offers the tours from May until around the end ofJune, when catfish lay their eggs.

Iwas nervous aboutwhat it would be like, but Iwas putatease that day by Wozniak’sfriendliness and thorough explanation

My colleague, Jill, and Istarted in aboat with Wozniak, while their client, Ryan O’Banion, and another guide, Remington Bearden, went in aseparate boat.

Wozniak told us that when the waterreaches acertain temperature, male catfish go into holes and clear out the space for females to make anest. When she lays her eggs,the male fertilizes them and guards them until they hatch. To noodle, you stick your handorfoot intothe holefor the fish to attack and then catch them.

Geaux Noodling catches two types of catfish —the blue catfish and the Opelousas, or flathead,catfish.

Differenttypes of catfish holes

According to Bearden,both types of catfish lay their eggs toward the middle of the hole, butan Opelousas male stays at the back

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

to watch over its eggs, while ablue remainsatthe frontofthe hole

According to Wozniak, blues are more aggressive. There are natural holes that catfish find in trees and in sunken old boatramps, which Wozniak said thecatfish like because they like concrete, which heats up faster. Theyalso have their own boxes, like old tractor tires, cast-iron bathtubs and anything else they can make to imitate these holes and improve chances of finding catfish

Wozniak said there are often two in ahole if thefemalehasn’tlaid eggsyet. Wozniak and Bearden are very

knowledgeableabout wherethe hot spotsare.

At our first stop, Iwatched O’Banion go first as he pulled a catfish out. Eventhough he was lessexperienced than Wozniak and Bearden, he had been noodling before, andsohewas ready for the challenge. He went in barefoot, which Wozniak was not happy about because there are plentyofthings on the lake floor that can pierce the bottom of your foot, like fishing hooks, bottles and more.

Pullingcatfish outofthe hole

Iwas wearing an old pair of running shoes, and when Wozniak

found another catfish in aconcrete hole,itwas time formetotry.He went in first and waited for the catfish to latch onto his foot before tellingmethat it was my turn.

Iwent in extremely nervous and afraid the catfish might hurtme, but Wozniak calmed my nerves and clearly explained what to expect. He said that common fears aretheir bite andthe barbs, but that the barbs get duller as catfish age, so bigger catfish, like the ones we were catching, wereless likely to injure. Ialso had gloves to wear andacut-resistant sleeve.

Ilaidonmyside, partiallysubmerged in the shallowwater to have enough leveragetograb the fish.

The first catfish in the hole got away,but there were twointhere, andWozniak guided my hand and the catfish latched on to it.I couldn’tfeel anything through thegloves, buttheir teethseemed similar to sandpaper

Wozniak also told me howtograb thegills so Iwouldn’thurt the fish, and thenwepulled it out of the hole.

Mine wasafemale, flathead catfish, only about10to15pounds, but it was by farthe biggest fish I had seen in person, so Iwas very pleased.

Wozniaksaid that his service has also recently started “tagging” catfishthey catch by attaching a zip tie to the part of their dorsal fin that won’tgrow,sothey don’t hurtthe fish,and if they catch the same one again, they can see how far they’ve moved and grown. They’restarting with agreen zip tie for 2026.

Afterhetagged my catfish, we lether go back intothe hole because Geaux Noodling catches and releases allofthe fish after taking pictures with them. He said that sometimes when they’re released, they don’tswimright away,so movingtheirtailback andforth encourages them to move.

Therewereseveral otherstops and catfish that day.Jill caught one that was much biggerthanmine, andO’Banion caught onethat weighed about 46 pounds. By thetime we went to afew

morespots with no luck, about five hours hadpassed. It didn’treally feel that long. At the last hole, Wonziak pulled out an aggressive female catfish that was more than 30 pounds without gloves. Shedid alittlebit of damage to his hand andforearm. After thecatfish was pulledout, O’Banion and Bearden found another female catfish in the hole about the same size that hadn’t laid eggs yet. That was an interesting catch for us to end our day on because Wozniak said the females sharing the holewere unusual, and there wasn’tamale in the hole. Whydoeshedoit?

It was areally good timeonthe lake, and even waiting to see how the O’Banion, Beardenand Wozniak blocked the catfish holes was an interesting experience and definitely made me understand why they find noodling so enjoyable. WhileWozniak said he loves catching the bigger catfish, he also loves taking inexperienced people who get excited about the smaller ones, too.

“What Irealized is Ireally like seeing otherpeople conquering a fear of doing this type of thing,” Wozniaksaid. “. I’ve gottenso many peoplethatprobably haven’t even held afishing rodintheir life, andI wasabletotalktheminto noodling.”

Wozniak said that he likes seeing clients’ faces when they overcome theirfear anddosomething they never imagined they could do. Icould see myself noodling again or helping someone else catch the fish. But there are definitely limits to how far I’d be willing to stick my hand in.

Both lake days and traditional fishing are fun. But Ifound that combining them to experience the thrill of catching large catfish with your hands is unlike anything else. To book aguidedtourwith Geaux Noodling and Wozniak, you can message the Facebook page or call (318) 560-9945.

Email Molly Terrellatmolly terrell@theadvocate.com.

Princess Cruisescancels couple’s reservation, despitepayment

Ipaid $2,369 for aPanama Canal cruise with Princess Cruises through atravel agent last year.Mywife Norma and Imade a deposit and then paid the final balance one daybefore the due date.

Christopher Elliott

Twodayslater,I checked my account on the Princess app, and the reservation was gone. When our travel agent called Princess, acustomer service representative told herwewere in default for nonpayment and owed approximately $2,000 more.Where was this new $2,000 charge coming from? Nobodyat Princess could tell us. After weeks of calls and emails to various Princess representatives, including their director of customer relations and VP of guest services, the mystery finally unraveled.Apparently,wewere being charged for a“Princess Plus” upgrade that cost $1,440

—a62% priceincreasewenever authorized and didn’teven know about. It turns out my wife tried to upgrade to Princess Plus, an optional add-on package that bundles several onboard amenities into asingle daily price, through the website. Thesystem returned an error message saying the purchase didn’tgothrough and instructed hertoeithercontact the travel agent or payfor the upgrade onboard.We followed the system’sadvice and planned to handle it on the ship.

Yetsomehow,Princess wasnow treating us as if we’dpurchased this upgrade and never paidfor it.They canceled our reservation and kept $1,298 of ourmoney as a cancellation fee.

This feels less likea billingproblem and morelikea system failure that the companyisexploiting. I’m aretired accountant. Iknow how computer systems work.When someone’saccount shows “no balance due,”and their travel agent can’t see apending chargeeither,something is

catastrophically wrong with Princess’sinfrastructure.The companyishiding behind system failures they should have fixed.

We don’teven care about the cruise anymore.We just want our $1,298 back. RobertBattaglia, Oro Valley,Ariz.

Princessshould never have canceled your reservation. Full stop.

When your final payment went through, your account should have been settled. If the systemlater discovered aphantom charge that nobody could document or explain, Princess needed to contact you before taking action. Not after —before.

Instead, Princess reliedonabilling system thatgave conflicting information to different employees.Your travel agent couldn’t seethe charge. The Princess customer servicerepresentative couldn’texplain what you supposedly owed. The company’sown

portal told your wife the upgrade purchase failed. Yetsomehow,all of this addeduptoacancellation and afee.

When acustomer makes apayment by the due date, and the company’sown statement shows “no balance due,” the burden is on the cruiseline to explain any subsequent charges before taking punitive action.

Youdid agreat job of keeping records.A paper trail is essential when you’re dealing with any billing dispute.

Youcan appeal any rejection to the executive contacts at Princess Cruises listed on Elliott.org. A brief, firm email to amanager is the next step.

When my advocacy team and I contacted Princess on your behalf, the company directed us to your travel agent. That’sacommon

deflection in the cruise industry many cruise lines prefer to have travel agents handle disputes rather than dealing with customers directly.The agency declined to comment, saying the matter was between you and Princess.

Ultimately,Princess agreed. A full three months after your cancellation, the cruise line refunded $1,298 to your credit card. Princess should tell its IT department to fix the billing software. This probably isn’tthe first time the cruise line has canceled areservation because of asystem problem —and it surely won’tbethe last.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

VinnyWozniak, center,and Remington Bearden, left, both of Geaux Noodling Guide Service, help Molly Terrell noodle foracatfish for the first time on Caddo Lake.

REASON TO GATHER’

Chef dads describe dreammeals forFather’sDay

BY KATIE WORKMAN

Associated Press

For Father’sDay,somedads want to eatout, some want to eat in. Some want abig old meat-andpotatoes meal, some dream of a sushi omakase extravaganza

But whatdothe dads who cook and feed people for alivingwant?

The dad chefs and cooks who spend their working hours behind astove (or agriddle or ahibachi) —what is their dream Father’s Day meal?

Three of them answer here.(Spoiler: All agree that being together is more important than the food.)

Barbecuecrosses generations

TomColicchio, chef andowner of the New York-based CraftedHospitality,has three kids,ages14, 15 and 33.

“The teenagers? They’re not cooking anything,” he says. “But my oldest might —hedabbles in barbecue, so I’d put him to work on smoked short ribs, bone-in,low and slow.I’d be nearby to step in if things went sideways.”

Colicchio, alongtime head judge on “Top Chef,” envisionsthe Father’sDay meal enjoyedoutside at his place on the North Fork of

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM DENISE yAMAGUCHI

Royyamaguchi, founder of Roy’sRestaurants, center,sits withhis son, RoyJr.,right,and Denise yamaguchi at arestaurant in Venice in 2023.

Long Island, New York, surrounded byfamily

Go fishingfor freshcatch

Cesar Zapata, chef andowner of theVietnamese-Colombianfusion restaurant Phuc YeainMiami, also has hissights on theoutdoors.

“Since (mystepson) Eli loves to fish, we’ll probably spend theday out on the water trying to catch

ourown meal,” he says. “Being in Florida, hopefully we’ll catch some snapper or grouper,bring it home, cleanittogether, androast the whole fish over the grill.”

Andnobody should worry about impressing thechef. “Wespend so muchofour lives cooking for others that themealsthat mean the most are usually the ones that feel effortless and shared,” Zapata says.

LIPSEY

Continued from page 1D

years, Susan.

There is, in fact, agreat deal more he could have named

At 86, Lipsey has livedseveral lives’ worth of remarkability —and hasa book coming out later this year to prove it.

Boundtosecrecy

After the Army, he came home, earned aMaster of Business Administration at Harvard University and transformedhis family’sretail sporting goods business, Steinberg’s, into what is now one of the country’s largest wholesale firearms distributors, Lipsey’s.

His grandson, Luke Lipsey,said the Dos Equis man needs to move overbecause, in reality,Richard Lipsey is the most interesting man in the world.

Despite the glamour of the Kennedy days in the White House, RichardLipsey was also there for the darkest hours.

has worked alongsideher father for 33 years andnow runs the company he built, said hissix-days-a-week work schedule nevergot in theway of supporting his children andgrandchildren.

“He never missed anything,” she said.

WendyLipseyremembers Saturdays at Steinberg’s, where “put us to work” mostly meant hiding in camping tents and jumping out at customers. The girls also spent hours cranking an antiquated machine that spun redbows for gift wrap, hundredsofthem, into abox. And there was the phone. Their father had arule: no matter who sat acrossthe desk —agovernor, achief executive, anyone —ifone of hisdaughters or grandchildrencalled,he answered.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Richard Lipseywith his granddaughter Anna Aronson and his wife, Susan Haspel Lipsey.

In November 1963,the young lieutenant was the officer placed in charge of the assassinated president’sbody.Hewas theonly man at the autopsy who was not aphysician. Bound to secrecy for years, he kept all of it to himself, and when the restriction waslifted around 1978, he still turned down the talk shows out of respect for the Kennedy family.Hehas never made adollar from any of it

“My grandfather does notembellish things,” LukeLipsey said.“He’svery straight-shooting. No pun intended.”

Allofthoselarger-than-life details, though, represent thesliver

That is the word his family keeps reaching for when the Kennedy years come up —asliver of afar larger life. He came home and became an advocate forBaton Rouge, ahuge LSU supporter and several other causes.

Asked to describe him,his daughtersand grandchildren didn’tsay “historic” or “famous.”

LaurieLipsey Aronson said honorable, a class act. Wendy Lipsey said atrue Southern gentleman. Anna Aronson said aleader,aman of integrity,charitable. Luke Lipsey saidkind, thoughtful, genius.

‘Henever missed anything’

What his children marvel at is not the rocking chair in the Oval Office but that he has consistently shown up.

Laurie Lipsey Aronson, the older daughter who

“I love keeping really fresh fish simple, especially when it’ssomething you caught that same day.”

He pictures serving it with a Vietnamese-style salsa verde, grilled asparagusand mushrooms, accompanied by good music and cold drinks.

“Forme, Father’sDay is less aboutthe ‘perfect’ meal and more about slowing down, beingpresent, andcreatingmemoriestogether around food and conversation,” he says.

Afamily-stylemeal

Roy Yamaguchi is on the same page. He’sthe founder of Roy’s Restaurants, aHawaii fusion restaurant with locations in various cities, and is one of the pioneers of thecooking style Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

“For Father’sDay,I don’tneed afancy restaurant or an elaborate dinner,” he says. “What Ireally want is to have all of my kids home. My idealmealwould be shabu shabu or chankonabe because they’re the kinds of dishes that bring everyone together.”

Both shabu shabu andchankonabe areJapanese hot-pot-style meals, where everybody eats from acommon pot on the table.

“At theend of the day, Father’s Day isn’treally about the food,” he says. “The meal simply givesusa reason to gather.”

Everyone pitchesin

At his ideal meal, Yamaguchi says, nobody just sits and waits to be served —everyone cooks, shares, laughs and contributes. And he does have onerequest: For someone else to do all the prep work.

“Anyone who has madeshabu shabu knows that slicing the vegetables, preparing the sauces, and arranging everything takes time Having thefamily takecareof that would be the greatest gift,” he says. Then he would sit back, enjoy aasimple glass of Japanese shochuoverice, enjoythe conversationand watcheveryone have fun around the table.

KatieWorkman writesregularly about food forThe Associated Press. She has writtentwo cookbooks focused on familyfriendlycooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “TheMom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at themom100.com. She can be reached at Katie@ themom100.com.

“Excuse me aminute. This is my daughter,”hewould say He spent afew seconds to be sure everyone wasall right, and then he would call back.

Thepurplepopsicle

Richard Lipsey’sapproach to fatherhood is linkedtohis own father.Growing up, his family would go downtown for dinner at the Piccadilly —all four of themfed forunder $2 He remembers that every time astruggling family walked in, his father would find awaiter and slip them acouple of bills,withinstructions to feed that family

Richard Lipsey’smother,Anna Lipsey, helped found Mary BirdPerkins Cancer Center,aplace thefamily still treats as sacred ground. Wendy Lipsey spent her young adulthood volunteeringonits chemotherapyfloor,making beds and holding the bucket for patients too sicktolift their own heads.

Then came thepurple popsicle.

After Wendy Lipsey had aliver transplantin2009and akidneytransplant in 2015, the one thing she could keep down was agrape popsicle. Herson Luke recognizedthe power of the popsicle and wondered, “Ifapurple popsicle could do that much for his mother,what might it do forsomeone else?”

He used his allowance tobuy popsicles forothersfor years. In 2016,hestarted

PROVIDED PHOTO

Richard Lipseydescribes this photo as: ‘Returning JFK’sbodytothe EastRoom of the White house at 4:30 a.m.after the autopsy.First ladyJackie is in the pink suit she had worn all that dayand night. Richard Lipseyisbythe door next to family and staff members.

handed themout each month at Our Lady of the Lake Children’sHospital, trademarking thename “Luke’sPopsicle Pals.”

“It’sagenerational thing,” Wendy Lipsey said.

Andshe has written her own chapter of it.The twotransplants that nearly tookher turnedher intoacertified organ-donation speaker,carrying her story across Louisiana,and the founderofan annual gala, Fais Do Donate.

After thisspring’sevent, herfather toldher what he tells her everytime: “You are literally saving lives.” Carrying thename

Richard Lipsey’s grandchildren grewup inside the gravity of the name.

Anna Aronson, his oldest grandchild, did not love it at first. She rememberswalking into almost any Baton Rouge restaurant andsomeone there knowing exactly whose granddaughter she was.

“I love being Richard Lipsey’sgranddaughter,” she said. “But being my own person in New York is also very special to me.”

Shehas learned, too, thatthe man who wears a sport coat toa New York pizza joint is the same

PROVIDED PHOTO

Richard Lipseytook thisphoto in 1963. He describes it as: ‘The last known picture of JFK on the White house lawn with foreign dignitaryMarshall Tito, president of the Socialist Federal Republic of yugoslavia.’ Other people in the photograph include Tito’swife, JovankaBroz, an unnamed interpreter, SecretaryofState Dean Ruskand Eunice KennedyShriver, JFK’ssister

one whoflew to Vietnam last summer withher andher youngersister Marla Aronson. The summerbeforethat, he peeled offfrom thegroupinLondon to find Indian food with her when no one else would go.

The mostlasting testimony to Richard Lipsey’slegacy mayhave comefrom the only grandson. Luke Lipsey’sparents divorced more than adecadeago.About four years ago, he decided he wanted to carry the Lipseynameforward —and he wenttohis grandfather first.

“If you don’tsupport this idea, Iwill notdothis,out of respect foryou,” he told him With his grandfather’sblessing, Luke went throughthe courts andbecame Luke Lipsey

He said he wanted to go through with this while his grandfather wasalive. He borrows asentiment from another Baton Rouge figure the family holds close, LSU basketball coach Kim Mulkey,who likes to say:Give me my flowers while I’malive Richard Lipsey will mostlikely spend part of this Father’sDay where his family can find him —atPhil’sOyster Bar or in front of aballgame —being, to the peoplewho get to callhim Dadand Pops, the mostinteresting man in the world precisely because he hasnever acted like it.

Email Jan Risheratjan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Lukeand Richard Lipsey hunting in Canada

PROVIDED PHOTOByHEATHER McCLELLAND

Stacia Haynie, deanofstudents for the LSU CollegeofHumanities and Social Sciences

interviews Richard Lipsey, an LSUpolitical scientist, whoworked as an aide to President John F. Kennedywhen he wasassassinated, during their firesidechat style talkatTEDxLSU 2018.

AT THE TABLE

Fill your emptynestwiththe aromaofsourdough

Iamanempty nester now

Both of my children have graduated from high school and spendthe school year in citiesaway from home. This summer,they are farther away still —out of state, working, exploring and collecting the kind of experiences that only this stage of life can offer Meanwhile, Iremain at home, watching thedog and keepingmydaughter’ssourdoughstarter alive until shereturns.

Sourdough English Muffins

Makes1dozen English muffins. Recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour

Olivia Regard

I’m no stranger to sourdough. During the pandemic, Ieagerly joined the ritualoftendinga jaronthe counter—feeding,discarding, baking. After afew years and one ill-timed trip, Ilet mine go. Yethere Iamagain, reacquainting myself with therhythm of sourdough.

There is aquiet kind of magic in flour andwater left to sit. With regular feedings, it stirs and sighs withbubbles, alive and capable of transformingthe simplest ingredients intosomething layered and complex. Maintainingitfeels lesslikeascience experiment andmore like aritual.

With my prior starter,bread was on regular rotation. But this time, Ifind myselfdrawn to baking something less expected and exploring wayssourdough can slip into everyday momentsrather than anchor an all-day baking project. I’ve been folding this starter into recipes that feel both familiar andquietly transformed.

Sourdough English muffins, tender with nooks ready to catch butter,deliver the character of long fermentation without the ceremony of aloaf. And sourdough cookies —perhapsmost surprising —are thick and chewy with a gentle tang that deepens sweetness and adds unexpectedcomplexity.

In this seasonoftransition,asroutines shift and the house grows quieter, sourdough feels less like achallenge and more like acompanion —adaptable, forgiving and quietly alive.Sometimes, transformation looks likeaperfectly risen loaf. And sometimes, it’sanEnglish muffin at breakfast or awarm cookie at the end of the day.

Sourdough

1tablespoon granulated sugar

1cup water,warm(110 F-115 F)

1/2 tablespoon active dryyeast

1/2 cup sourdough starter,ripe (fed) or discard(ripe will give you amore vigorous rise)

31/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup nonfat drymilk

2tablespoonsunsalted butter,atroom temperature

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt Yellow cornmeal,for coating

1. Combine all the ingredients,except the cornmeal, in a large bowl

2. Mix and knead —by hand, electricmixer or bread machine —toform asmooth dough that is soft and elastic, butnot particularly sticky.Add additionalflour if necessary

3. Place the doughinalightly greased bowl, cover,and set it aside to rise for about 11/2 hours, or until it’snoticeably puffy.(Note: For the most pronounced sour flavor,cover the bowl and immediately place it in the refrigerator,without rising first.Let the dough chill for 24 hours todevelop its flavor.)

4. Gently deflate the dough and turnitout onto alightly floured work surface. Cover it and let it sit for afew minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

5. Divide thedough in half. Working with one piece at atime,roll the dough to 1/2inch thick, and cutinto3-inch rounds. Re-roll andcut any remaining scraps. Repeat with the remaining half of dough.

6. Place the 12 rounds onto cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet.Sprinkle withadditional cornmeal, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until light and puffy,about 1hour.Ifthe

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 1dozencookies. RecipeisfromCamille Regard, as adapted from Little SpoonFarm.

1

+2teaspoons all-purpose

1. Whisk flour,baking soda,baking powderand salt in a small bowl.Set aside.

2. In aseparate bowl, beat the egg, vanilla extractand sourdough starter until smooth. Setaside.

3. Placethe cold, cubed butter, light brownsugarand granulated sugar into the bowl of astandmixer with the paddle attachment.Beatatalow speed until the mixture forms small crumbles. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speeduntil the batter starts to become acrumbly mixture.

5. Pourinthe egg mixture and mix onlow speed until thedough comes togetherand starts to pullaway fromthe sidesofthe bowl.

6. Stir the batter,usingaspatula, to ensurethe ingredients are fully incorporated.

7. Use acookie scoop to portionthe dough into 12 balls and place on aparchment-lined baking tray.Cover dough with plastic wrap so they do notdry out and chill thedough in therefrigeratorfor aminimum of 2hours up to 24 hours

8. Preheatthe oven to 375F.Priortobaking, sprinkleeach cookie with flaky sea saltand bake the cookies for15-17

dough has been refrigerated overnight, the rise time will be about 2hours.

7. Carefully transfer the rounds (as manyatatime that will fit without crowding) rightside-up to alarge electric griddle preheated to 350 Fortoan ungreased frying pan that has been preheated over mediumlow heat

8. Cook the muffins for about

5minutesontheir first side; then lay acakepan,cookie sheet, or similarflat (though not overly heavy) object atop them to help keep themflat. Continue cooking for about 7minutes. Remove the pan, turn over the muffins andfinishcooking without the panon top for atotal of about 10 to 12 minutes (the centerofamuffin should register190 Fonadigi-

minutes until the edges aregolden brown andthe center still appears slightly under-baked.

9. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on thebaking sheet for 5minutes. Transfer to acooling rack to cool completely

Note: Store baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to sevendays.Store unbaked cookie dough in thefridge,covered tightly foruptoseven days Freezeunbaked dough by portioning out the dough onto aparchment-lined baking sheet and flash-freezing for 15 minutes. Transfer frozen dough balls intoa freezer-safe containerand keep them frozen for up to three months.

talthermometer).

9. Remove the muffins from the griddle andcool on arack before splitting in half. (Use a fork for maximum nooks and crannies.)Serve toasted or at room temperature

Storage note:Store leftover sourdough English muffins tightly wrappedatroom temperature for four or five days; freeze for longer storage.

PHOTOSByOLIVIA REGARD

SourdoughEnglish Muffins

SourdoughChocolate Chip Cookies

ä For area book events, go

Belonging, yearning and secrets

New book from ‘dual citizen’ Acadiana author has that and more

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

For author Sheryl Cornett’s first novel, “No Secrets in This House,” she sets her characters in a place familiar to her: Ocracoke Island, part of North Carolina’s coastal Outer Banks region. Though not a native to the island, Cornett says she feels most at home there. She refers to herself as a “dual citizen” of Sunset, Louisiana, and Hillsborough, North Carolina. She lives in Sunset roughly half of the year “That’s a thing I get a lot: Why did you write about Ocracoke? You’re not from there. You’re an outsider,” she said. “That’s how they are, small towns. I feel that way about Lafayette in some ways — that I’ll always be an outsider here. That’s not a bad thing. People are very gracious.” Cornett, who taught English and Creative Writing at North Carolina State University for several years, started working on “No Secrets in This House” in 2016.

“It was a comfort thing for me to do because I love the island so much, and I’m never gonna get to live there. So I could dwell there in my

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH SHERyL CORNETT

brain,” Cornett said. The book, a romance and historical fiction novel, spans four wars, three generations and two continents — focusing on women who are nearly a century apart but tied to the same home on Ocracoke

Island. This interview was edited for length and clarity

The chapters in“No Secrets in This House”bounce from different characters’points of view,but they are also fairly short chapters — with 57 chapters total.What was your thought

process in formatting the book that way?

I’ve done a lot of homework, taking apart books that I love. Thinking about modern readership and attention spans — talking to fellow readers and writers — the shorter chapters work better with our world that we live in.

You can read one chapter sitting in the doctor’s waiting room or waiting for a friend to meet you for coffee. There’s something to the structure of smaller chapters where audiobooks are concerned. And there is an audiobook in the works. My thinking was reader friendliness.

Would you consider yourself a teacher or author first? Or is there no line in the sand?

I would say they’re dual vocations. They’re symbiotic.

I’ve really learned a lot from teaching and from my students — their insights, their bravery trying new things and their writing inspired me. Now I’m focused

a little more on the full-time writing part and a little less teaching.

In the book,the weather is almost a character in and of itself.It tends to coincide with the characters’emotions.Was it a conscious decision to do that?

I wasn’t consciously structuring the weather to be part of it, but I have spent a lot of time on this island, and it is a presence like another character Everything revolves around the weather

Louisiana is a hurricane zone, so anywhere that you live that vulnerable, that close to the sea, I think there is a demanding presence. You mentioned feeling like an outsider in Ocracoke and Lafayette. There’s mention of the character Avila being an outsider in the community on Ocracoke Island. Is that a reflection of your feelings?

I feel more at home on Ocracoke Island, even though it’s not my hometown, than anywhere in the world. And I feel at home here in Sunset. My dad was a diplomat, and I moved around my whole life. It’s like being a military dependent, or a child of military parents.

When you move around, you go to the next new place, and you’re always the outsider So how do you make yourself at home, regardless of how you’re perceived by the community? And how do you,would you say?

On Ocracoke, I feel like I’m almost part of an expat community I’ve been going for decades as a family vacation spot. It was not about me trying to write a book.

That’s where we went and built amazing memories and traditions with our kids. I feel like I’m part of something that’s more than the sum of its natives.

In a general sense,when someone is constantly moving or just moving to a new place,how can someone make themselves at home?

It’s definitely through being part of a community, whether that’s through your job, church or volunteering I think it’s giving back when we can and then building true friendships.

With all of the references to letters sent back and forth in the book,I noticed this sense of yearning In pop culture right now,male yearning is a big topic of conversation.How do you think yearning has changed? There is definitely yearning. I’ve not even identified that until you said that. Probably because I’ve been yearning for Ocracoke the whole time I was writing it. And I partly wrote it for myself so I could dwell there in my mind.

Culturally speaking, we love to yearn for something bigger than ourselves — and something much more than the sum of our little lives. In the book, Will is writing emails and doing Skype. So it could be our world of technology People don’t write snail mail the way they used to.

“No Secrets in This House” is available at Beach Glass Books, bookshop.org and other online retailers. Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

Biography captures the rich life of poet Frank Stanford

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford,” by James McWilliams,The University of Arkansas Press, 686 pages.

The lives of few poets, this side of Arthur Rimbaud that foxy, flop-haired, French proto-modernist and libertine who lived fast, died young and has inspired innumerable vows of devotion ever since have risen to such tragically poetic heights. Few, that is, except for Frank Stanford, the Southern lyricist who broke countless hearts, produced an enormous amount of work, including his 15,434-line masterpiece, “The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You.” Stanford died by suicide in 1979, two months before his 30th birthday The “Huckleberry Rimbaud” he called himself, perhaps portending his fateful fall.

A “swamprat Rimbaud” a poetdevotee called him, no harm intended.

Since his death in 1978, Stanford’s legacy has been mythologized, romanticized, yet never quite canonized. But that could change with James McWilliams’s “The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford,” a masterful biography and recent Pulitzer Prize finalist Francis Gildart Stanford was born in Richton, Mississippi, in 1948, abandoned by his birth parents and quickly taken in by a Delta divorcee (his adoption was the first granted to a single woman in the state). He grew up in Memphis and, after his

mother married a levee engineer, in the all-Black work camps that labored to separate land from water along the Mississippi River Most formative, perhaps, were Stanford’s teenage years in Mountain Home, Arkansas, where he lived what McWilliams calls a “delightfully feral Ozark boyhood” on the area’s bucolic twin lakes.

Brainy and bookish, Stanford read everything everywhere, seemingly all at once, even holing up in the family outhouse to read D.H. Lawrence aloud. He enrolled at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the site of a burgeoning literary community

In a letter to himself, Stanford boasted that “my feet will fit sweet William Faulkner’s boots like a glove” mixed metaphors never sounded so poetic — and for most of his life, he kept a butcher knife and a horseshoe

stolen from a Rowan Oak shed.

But self-mythologizing and ego flexing came easier than his studies, and soon he dropped out of school.

Stanford wrote and wrote and wrote, publishing his first wave of poems in literary journals. Soon, some of the era’s great poets fell in line with his self-fulfilling vision. On a visit to Arkansas, Allen Ginsberg came away charmed, noting that Stanford’s poems “always seem slightly electric.”

Lawrence Ferlinghetti chimed in: “I do dig many of your poems,” while Alan Dugan deemed him “the Anointed One,” telling Stanford, “I think that you are a genius and a beautiful poet.”

He was a moody-eyed, ringlethaired Southern Adonis.

“A beautiful man,” according to his friend, the writer Ellen Gilchrist.

“The Singing Knives,” his first

collection, arrived in 1971, followed by publications in many of the prominent magazines of the period. All the while, he continually waged war on the “Battlefield.”

He began his life’s work, one of the longest poems ever written, as a teenager Mixing myth and autobiography — McWilliams calls it “stubbornly antiautobiographical” — “The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You” tells the story of a 12-year-old orphan named Francis Gildart growing up in a South that stubbornly refuses to shake the last vestiges of Jim Crow

Ambitiously or, depending on your taste for surrealist-gothic verse, annoyingly baroque, this epic poem is 386 pages in the painstakingly notated volume, coedited by McWilliams and fellow Stanford scholar A.P Walton, released in March — of unpunctuated, stanza-less text written in a half-dozen or more languages, including Black and White Southern dialects. It is cryptic and chaotic, infinitely more challenging to read than the Faulkneriest Faulkner

“tonight the gars on the trees are swords in the hands of knights / the stars are like twentyseven dancing russians and the wind / is I am waving goodbye,” it begins.

I’m still making my way through it. Perhaps I should take up McWilliams’ suggestion that it’s “best read aloud and in company.”

Over 500 pages, “The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford” mostly succeeds at making the poet’s life as interesting as his art. As in

many biographies of this magnitude, McWilliams, a professor of history at Texas State University, tends to swamp readers with the too-muchness of his protagonist’s life (such as, in just one example, the grades Stanford earned in each of his college courses). The narrative momentum of this biography is ultimately provided by the very thing that led to Stanford’s downfall: his messy, soap-operatic romantic life. He was an artist who loved being adored by other artists, and who in his final days juggled relationships with as many as four women: his second wife, the painter Ginny Crouch, the poet C. D. Wright, the New Orleans photographer-poet Kay DuVernet and the musician Lucinda Williams, who called Stanford “charismatic, enigmatic, swashbuckling, sensitive I was in love with him.”

If Stanford had lived into his 30s, it’s easy to imagine him ending up in the place where he spent many of his final days, New Orleans, in his words, “a wonderful city full of wonderful people” including several close artist-friends like Gilchrist, Ralph Adamo, Bill Lavender, John Biguenet, Deborah Luster and Everette Maddox, the subject of McWilliams’ next book.

It’s comforting to picture him here — writing, raising hell, hopefully slowing down, perhaps even doing public readings from the “Battleground.” Aloud and in the company of others, that would have been the best.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He can be reached at rienfertel@gmail.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Author Sheryl Cornett

PROVIDED PHOTO

Author James McWilliams

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,June 21, the 172nd dayof2026. There are 193 days left in the year. Summerbegins today.

Todayinhistory:

On June 21, 1788, the United States Constitution wentintoeffectasNew Hampshirebecame the required ninth state to ratify it.

Also on this date:

In 1834, Cyrus Hall McCormick received apatent for his mechanical reaper

In 1893,the first Ferris wheel opened to thepublic as part of the Chicago World’sFair

In 1942, an Imperial Japanese submarine fired shells at Fort Stevens on the Oregon coast, but caused little damage.

In 1954, scientists of theAmerican Cancer Society presented astudy to ameeting of the American Medical Association in San Francisco which found that men who regularly smoked cigarettes died, particularly from lung cancer,ata considerably higher rate than non-smokers.

In 1964, civil rights activistsJames Chaney,Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were killed in Neshoba County,Mississippi; their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam six weeks later.(Forty-one years later,onthis date in 2005, Edgar Ray Killen, an 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman, was found guilty of manslaughter in their deaths; he wassentenced to 60 years in prison,where he died in January 2018.)

In 1982, ajury in Washington, D.C., found John Hinckley Jr.not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shootings of President Ronald Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady,Metropolitan Police Officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service Special Agent TimMcCarthy

In 1989, asharply divided Supreme Court ruled, in Texas v. Johnson, that burning the American flag as aform of political protest wasprotected by the First Amendment.

In 1997, the WNBA made its debut as the New York Liberty defeated the host Los Angeles Sparks 67-57. In 2004, the aircraft SpaceShipOnemade the first privately funded human spaceflight.

In 2010, Faisal Shahzad, aPakistan-born U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to charges of plottinga failed car bombing in New York’sTimes Square. (Shahzad was later sentenced to life in prison.)

In 2021, Las Vegas Raiders defensive endCarl Nassib became the first activeNFL player to come out as gay,saying he felt representation and visibility were important; other NFLplayers came out as gay after their careers were over Today’sbirthdays: Musician Ray Davies (TheKinks) is 82. Actor Meredith Baxter is 79. Actor Michael Gross is 79. Author Ian McEwan is 78. Musician Nils Lofgren is 75. Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is 69. Country musician Kathy Mattea is 67.FilmmakerLana Wachowski is 61. Rapper-DJ-producer Pete Rock is 56. Actor Juliette Lewis is 53. ActorChrisPrattis47. Rock singer Brandon Flowers (TheKillers) is 45. Britain’s Prince William is 44. Singer-songwriter LanaDel Rey is 41. Golfer Scottie Scheffler is 30. Singer Rebecca Black is 29. Country singer Elizabeth Nicholsis24.

Thecynical ballad of Clydeand Stan

Dear Miss Manners: Afriend told me he had been contacted by his former college roommate. Clyde and Stan are in their 60s and live in different states. They have remained good friends since college, and see each other sporadically at informal reunions of their large group of common college friends. Stan’sdaughter is getting married and he is inviting all his college friends tothe wedding because he thinksitwould be a“fun” occasion at which they can all reconnect. Clyde politely declined theinvitation because he has never metStan’s daughter or her intended.

wedding present, andhesaid he does not plan to do so since he is not attending any of the actual wedding festivities. Isaid that some might thinkhehad timed his arrival in order to enjoy the social amenities of gathering with his friends withoutpaying the “price of admission” by buying apresent.(Clyde is well-offand agenerous friend, so Ireally don’tthink this is the reason.)

He thinksI have acynical view of human nature. What does Miss Manners think?

Subsequently,Clyde learned he would need to travel, for an unrelated reason, tothe city where thewedding is being held. The timing of the trip is flexible, so Clyde has decided to arrive theday after the wedding. Most of his old college friends who are coming to thewedding will still be in town for a day or two after and plan to socialize. Clyde looks forward to joining them, including Stan. Iasked him if he would be sending a

Dear Heloise: The best activity for kids

before aholiday meal is having them help in preparing it

GentleReader: That you are making trouble when no one else seemsto care. Even you do not believe your theory that Clyde is trying to get away with something.

Youdid not mention your specific role in all this, but if the real motivation is that you wish you could either skip thewedding or the present yourself, Miss Manners would not call you cynical, just envious.

Dear Miss Manners: My son married a woman who had divorced her first husband several years ago. She has chosen to use ahyphenated last name

Dietaryissues

that is acombination of her ex-husband’sname and my son’s. Ifind this inappropriate and very disrespectful to my son. She has no children, so I can’timagine whyshe does this. They live in the samesmalltown as her exhusband, and Ithink her decision must be both hurtful and embarrassing for my son. Irealize this is not something I should discuss with him,but Iam wondering what your opinion is in this regard.

Gentle Reader: The lady’schoice is unusual, but presumably she has her reasons, such as having established aprofessional reputation under that name. Miss Manners has to believe —as you should —that your son has already addressed this or has chosen to ignore it. In either case, you will only benefit from not saying anything. Especially if he does at somepoint decide that it is disrespectful and needs to vent to his loving, discreet mommy

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com or to dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Chemicalsinour food

This is how they’ll learn how to prep for a big celebration, which is the only way to learn how to do anything. Of course, the work must be geared to each kid’s level of ability,and some guidance is required. This will also teach them responsibility and give them pride. —LouisR., in Reseda, California Louis,this is asolution that brings varied results. It’ll all depend on whether the host likes to have everythingready for company before they arrive and whether the children are underfoot.Ifit’sa small gathering or just thefamily,then it’s easier to assign them atask, such as setting the table or filling thesalt and pepper shakers. Well, readers, what do you think about this idea? Have any of you tried this,and if so, how did it work out for your family? —Heloise

Dear Heloise: Regarding the letter titled “Curing Dry Hair” from the woman whose hair was brittle, it could be due to her diet Years ago, Iwas chronically dehydrated. When anurse told me that I needed to drink more water,I listened. Not only did my sinuses improve and my headaches go away,myhair and nails stopped snapping off like fresh potatochips! When Iadded extra virgin olive oil tomydiet, my hair and nails got even stronger (andlonger!). Also, my skin wasn’tasdry as before either All thehair and skin products in the world won’tcompensate foradiet that is lacking in water,vitamins and minerals. —Marcia B.,inBirmingham,Alabama Marcia, this is anice suggestion, but thebest thing for physical problems like dry hair is to see adoctor and make sure that there’snounderlying cause. As we age, ourbodies change, and acheckup can often detect a healthissue that we wereunaware we had. —Heloise

Dear Heloise: Irecently discovered that older Corelle dishes contain lead that is harmfultohumans. Somepatterns contain harmfulamounts of lead, mercury and cadmium, as wellas additional chemicals. Please do your own research. Itrashed my dishes as I wasn’tcomfortable donating them to a thriftstore forresale. Also, black plastic utensils and black takeout boxes are madefrom recycled electronics and can contain harmful chemicals. Iwas told that somethrift stores won’t accept them. So, again, I trashed them —Jan, in Dayton,Ohio Jan, yes, this is true. Many black plastic itemsthat we use fortakeout orders have cancer-causing agents from flameretardants, which leach into our food. Black plastic can contain unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals, including heavy metals. In addition to this, black plastic usually isn’trecyclable because of the color Heloise Send ahint to heloise@heloise.com

Tina Fey’s‘TheFourSeasons’ renewedfor athird season

BY ROSA CARTAGENA

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

PHILADELPHIA Clear your TV schedulebecause the funniest vacation crew is coming back: Tina Fey’s hit romantic comedy series

“The Four Seasons” has been renewed for athird season, Netflix announced last week.

The show,initially an adaptationofa1981film directed by Alan Alda, released its second season in Maywith its ensemble cast including Fey,Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver,Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. Each season sees the friend group travel together on four trips throughout the course of one year,going as far as Italy and Puerto Rico and as near as upstate New York and the Jersey Shore.

Created by Feyand her fellow “30 Rock” writers Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher,“The Four Seasons” has been credited for its realistic and heartwarming portrayalofmiddle-aged couples in long-term relationships and friendships. Fey and Domingo, from Upper Darby and West

Philly,respectively,direct some episodes as well. Liketheir onscreenfriendship,the actors have gotten closer as they’ve worked togetheron the show,they said.

“Wegrewup so geographically close together.I was like on the very edge ofthe last street in UpperDarby, and across the street was Cobbs Creek Park,”said Fey, addingthat they’re the same age. “I feel like you can see (ourfriendship) onscreen, because it’sactually what has happened personally forusaswell, as we gotto know each other and each other’sfamilies, each other’s hearts,” said Domingo. “The Jersey Shore location felt very personal for us, because Ifeel likewegrew up there and it brings up (memories).”

In Season 2, the group is grieving thedeath of their friend Nick (Steve Carrell) and navigatingmajor life changes,likeinthe case of Domingo and Calvani’s characters.

Danny and Claude move to Italyafter deciding notto have children. In thefinale, however,the coupledecide

to move to Danny’shometown of Philadelphia to care forhis agingmother. (Initially Danny triesconvincing mom to live with them in Italy,but when she hears there’snoWawa in the country,she simply replies, “Then there’snoBeverly in Italy.”)

Calvani, in the Netflix announcement,suggestedthatseason three might feature Danny and Claude’s “other,hotter” friend group; Calvani said he hopesto“explore our gay friends”and Domingo addedthatitwould be fun to “take thestraightson that vacation.”

One potentialnew addition to the showis“Doctor Who” actor David Tennant, who made acameo in the Season 2finale as alove interestfor Kenney-Silver’scharacter, Anne.Wigfield hinted at the idea of morestorylineswith his character “Tina Fey,LangFisher, and Tracey Wigfield have amagical way of blending heart and sharp humor, making us feel like part of the inner circle,” said Netflix’svice president of U.S. comedyTracey Pakosta in theannouncement

Celebrationwill mark America’s 250thbirthday

BY MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK Macy’swill

celebrate America’s250th birthdaywith aFourth of July fireworks show live on NBC featuring Post Malone, Blake Shelton, Salt-N-Pepa, Noah Kahan, Bebe Rexha and Shaboozey

The 50th edition of thenation’slargestIndependence Day celebration in New York City will fire85,000

Post Malone Shaboozey

shells in 30 colorsfromsix barges, as wellashost anew laser show from the Brooklyn Bridge. The fireworks show will be accompanied by avocal performance by “The Voice” season 29 winner Alexia Jayy TV viewers can watch on NBCorsee it simulcast live on Peacock from 7p.m. to 9p.m. and livetotape on

Central, Mountain and Pacific times. ASpanish language simulcastwill aironTelemundo starting at 7p.m.

“‘Macy’s4th of July Fireworks’ delivers the largest Independence Day celebration in the nation through ashow-stopping spectacle that reminds us of the power of connection and shared experience. We’re proud to honorour 50th Fireworks with an expanded show,never-before-seen effects and music’sbiggest stars fora truly unforgettable celebration,” Will Coss, Macy’s4th of July executive producer, said in astatement.

CBSpayslicensing feefor Stephen Colbert’sparting ‘Peanuts’joke

BY BRIANNIEMIETZ Newyork Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK Funnyman Stephen Colbert got one last laugh at CBS by using music from “Peanuts”while joking that the publisher who owns those rights is famously litigious.

“Ohno, Ihope this doesn’t cost CBSany money,” he joked as his house band played asnippet from the “Peanuts” tune “Linus and Lucy,” by composer Vince Guaraldi, on the May 21 finale of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The upbeat jazzcomposition,with its boppy piano riff, is what most peoplethink of as the “Peanuts” theme song.

LeeMendelson Film Productions, Inc.,which controls Guaraldi’smusic, said Tuesday that it had entered into “a licensing agreement withCBS for the use of Guaraldi’s‘Linusand Lucy’ in the final broadcast of Colbert’s program.”

Acompany statement addedthat proceeds from

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO

Stephen Colbertappears during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the PeacockTheater in Los Angeles in 2025.

its deal withCBS is being donated to the nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen headed by chef José Andrés.

Colbert’spenultimate show included a$2.5 million donation to that charity, which feeds people in need due to naturaldisasters or humanitarian crisis. The money was raised through an auction of “Late Show” memorabilia.

“LMFPfound the music’s use on ‘The Late Show’ funny andentertaining, and is proud to support World CentralKitchen’smission,”the company’schairman said. LMFP hasrecentlytaken legalactionagainst companies and government agencies that infringe upon its artists’ rights. The productioncompany addedthatitenforces licensing protectiontoremind anyone who usesits music in acommercial setting that permission to do so is required.

CBS said its decision to end“TheLateShow” after 33 years on theair wasbecausethe programwas reportedly losing $40million annually

Criticssuggest thenetwork’s2025 acquisitionby Paramount Skydance Corporation, which has afriendly relationship with President Donald Trump, wasafactor, with the new owner happy to take one of the administration’sharshest critics off its airwaves.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Tina Fey, left, and Colman Domingo star in Season2 of Netflix’s‘The Four Seasons.’

BY RICHCOLLINS Staff writer

Most of the lettuce grown in the United States comes from California or Arizona, where certain regions have been dubbed the nation’s“salad bowl.”

But for the last 18 months, more than 12 tons of thegreen stuff consumed in southLouisiana —enough for tens of thousands of garden salads —has originated from a source much closer to home:anindoor farm tucked away behind aChevy dealership in Harvey Based in abrick office building and metal warehouse on Leson Court, the $2 million AgriAquacultureCenterof Excellence is an “aquaponic” farming operation that uses nutrient-rich water from fish tanks to grow lettuce floating in water instead of rooted in soil. The

BY TIMOTHY BOONE

facility,founded and funded by the nonprofit Louisiana Chamber of CommerceFoundation, donates and sells its produce while also teaching entrepreneurs how to build theirown urban farming businesses.

Theproject alreadyhas produced tensofthousandsofdollars’ worthof lettuce, trained afew dozenaspiring farmersand madeafan out of Gov Jeff Landry, who visited the space last year. Its founders have bigger plans,

LEFT: Okra and basilgrows on the demonstration tableatthe AgriAquaculture Center

including a$1.5 millionexpansion, a collaboration with Jefferson Parish schoolsand apotential sales agreement with one of the region’sgrocers. They’re approaching aquaponics which emerged as acommercially viable category of agriculture in the last couple of decades —aseconomic development.

“We’re not just farming fish and produce, we’re also farming farmers,”

taurants andother attractionswhile they’re in town. Nine out of 10 cruise ship passengersinNew Orleans are visitors from out of state, with nearly three-quarters of them spending a nightortwo in the city beforeorafter their voyage.That comes to more than 300,000 room nights and more than$445 millionindirect andindirect economic impact. “Cruising is avital

STAFFPHOTOSByENAN CHEDIAK

Trent Corbylifts aplastic foam trayoflettuceplants from the water at the AgriAquaculture Center of ExcellenceinHarvey.

tLouisiana Chamber

entrepreneurshow to build their ownurban farmingbusinesses.

ABOVE: Catfish swim in one of the tanks.

2E ■ Sunday, June21, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com

Fool’sTake: Blue-chip dividends

Investors looking for stocks to boost their income should consider leading consumer-staples company Kimberly-Clark (Nasdaq: KMB), which has paid adividend for 92 consecutive years and raised it for 54 consecutive years. The stock’s dividend yield has soared to 5% recently,driven in part by its falling stock price.

Sales growth and profitmargins are under pressure due to factors such as the sell-off across the consumer staples sector,inflationary cost pressuresdue in part to high oil prices, weak consumer spending due to cost-ofliving increases and uncertainty around Kimberly-Clark’spending acquisition of Kenvue.

Yetunlike companies with high-yield stocks but falling earnings that must use debt to fund their payouts, KimberlyClark continues to generate plenty of operating cash flow to support its long-term capital spending plans, dividendand share repurchases. Meanwhile, it expects profit margins to improve, withorganic growth accelerating in the secondhalf of 2026. Plus, the stock is inexpensive, recently trading at aforward-lookingprice-toearnings ratio of 13.2, well below its five-year averageof18.5.

Long-term investors who believe in the staying power of Kimberly Clark’sbrands (such as Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Scott and Viva), as well as the brands it will get from Kenvue (like Neutrogena, Aveeno, Listerine, Band-Aid and Tylenol), are getting agreat opportunity toscoop up shares of Kimberly-Clark on sale. (The Motley Foolowns sharesofand recommends Kenvue.)

Fool’sSchool: Foolish investing philosophy

If you’ve been reading the MotleyFool’sarticles online or

CRUISE

Continued from page1E

the horizon, Port NOLA is well positionedtodeliver even greater value to Louisiana and the Gulf South,”Branch said in astatement. Port officials said acoupleof factors led to the slight dip in passenger numbers. Boththe Carnival Valor and the Carnival Liberty spent more than amonth in scheduled dry dockgetting ahost of upgrades, includinga new water park and aveteran-themed bar and lounge. The two shipsaccount for the majority of passenger traffic at theNew Orleansport, with nearly 445,500 people boarding and departing the Carnival Valor each year and more than283,000 passengers boarding and exiting the Carnival Liberty Also, Royal Caribbean temporarily dropped its New Orleans cruises in November but will return this fall with regular voyages on the Mariner of the Seas, which can hold more than 4,000 passengers. Port officialshave said passenger numbers in New Orleans could set another recordin2026, based on currentand anticipated ship schedules. About1.2 million to 1.3 million people are projected to board or departships this year Just under 550,000 people boarded and departed ships throughMay Helping bolster the passenger numbers in New Orleans thisyear is the arrivalofthe Norwegian Escape, which can hold more than 5,000guests, making it thelargest ship to ever homeportinthe Crescent City,along withRoyal Caribbean’sreturn. In the future, Carnival is looking at deploying a larger ship to the city Port officials said New Orleans is unique in that it offers both ocean going and river cruising, allowing for year-round activity.More than 37,500 passengersboarded or departed the Mississippi River cruises that stopped at the port last year

Arebound in BatonRouge?

Cruise activity also dropped in BatonRouge during 2025, but is on track to rebound. American CruiseLines said an average of 5,510 passengers stopped in Baton Rouge in 2025 on its 38 dockings, according to figures from Visit Baton Rouge. That’sdownfrom an average of 18,705 passengers on 129 dockings.

Anew 20-year deal announced in February will lead to American Cruise Lines making significantly more stops in 2026 in Baton Rouge. Under the agreement, American

in newsprint or have been listening to our podcasts, you might be wondering about our overall approach toinvesting. Here’sa summary of our investing philosophy

We prioritize buying and holding high-quality stocks for long periods. We focus most on the business fundamentals of the companies in which we invest, ratherthan on the short-term movementsoftheir stock prices

Whenwerecommend astock to any user of our premium subscription services, we recommend buying and holding it for aminimum of five years. When we write positively about stocks at our free website(at fool.com) and in our newspaper feature (here!), we similarly hope that you’ll invest only money that you won’tneed for at least five years. Let’stalk about the stock market. It fluctuates: up 5%, down 10%, flat for months, up 40%, down 15%. Thestock market actually loses value in one out of every three years. Butover decades-long periods, historically the stock market’svalue rises andmakes money for investors. Why? Because over long periods of time, companies’ minor setbacks are dwarfed by theirmajoraccomplishments. Astock’s long-term performance reflects the efforts, financial discipline and creative innovation of companies, entrepreneursand people like you.

To invest the Motley Fool way, we suggest aiming to buy stock in 50 or more companies and to hold each for at least five years. For best results, add regularly to your investment account(s) and hang on to your holdings through inevitablemarket volatility. Not every investment will be awinner, but with your winners, let themkeep winning. Focus on long-term gains. Youcan build a portfolio worthmillionsofdollars overtime by consistently investing small amounts. Letting great companies work and succeed for you as you make money calmly,methodically and over your lifetime can lead to financial freedom. Our goal is to make you smarter,happier and richer —for life.

Cruise Lines will spend $2 million to improve the City Dock,aswell as paying monthlyfees to cover the maintenanceand upkeep of the facility

The riverboat cruises are on tracktomakenearly 100visits to Baton Rouge this year,withmore than 14,000 passengers. The passengers are estimatedtospend at least$1.2 million at localattractions andbusinesses.

Viking River Cruises hada decrease in2025, with 8,280 passengers on 23 cruises, compared to nearly 10,500 passengerson29 cruises. Right now,the cruise line is on track to post similar numbers again,with aprojected 24 dockings carrying 8,640 passengers. Globally,Cruise Lines International Association said37.2 million peopletook acruisein2025, up from 34.6 millionin2024, a 7.5% jump.

Of that total, 55% of cruisepassengers came from the U.S.,or 20.6 million passengers. The number of passengers from theU.S. also increased by 7.5% from 2024.

That number ofcruise passengers is projected to grow to 38.3 million this year,a4%increase Cruise Lines International Associationisforecasting steady passenger growth forthe next few years, with more than 42 million people expected to takeasea voyagein2029.

One of thefactorsdriving the increase in cruisepassengers is the growing popularity of cruises among younger passengers. The averagecruisepassenger in 2025 was just under47.

Younger cruisers are likely to findvoyages of lessthan5 nights about as appealing as the traditional six- to nine-night cruise, accordingtoareport from Internova Travel Group, one of theworld’s largest travel servicecompanies “Shorter cruises areopening the door for anew generation,” Henry Gilroy,executivevice president of strategyfor Internova, said in areport earlierthisyear. “These travelers want flexibility and quick getaways.”

AAA said20.7 million Americans took ocean cruises in 2025, a8.4% increase from 2024. The forecast for 2026shows the growthrate will go up by 4.5%, to 21.7 million.

“These numbers reflect the growing demand for ocean cruises among U.S. travelers,”said Stacey Barber,vicepresident of AAA Travel. Barber notedthat cruises offervariety andconvenienceand since most of the trip is already paid for,passengers don’tneed to worryso much about expenses

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

PRODUCE

Continuedfrom page 1E

said Paul Begue, the facility’sprogram coordinator.“This industry is notgoing away andweneed a workforce.”

Food to fertilizer to food

Begue andhis colleagues opened theAgriAquaculture Center in January2025and have been applying finishing touches ever since.

The complex now has 47,000 gallons of water flowing through six systems designed to either raise catfish or grow plants. There’s an indoor classroom, alab where seedlings are grown anda warehouse filledwith catfish tanks. Next door,a basketball court-sized greenhouse is filled withnearly 12,000lettuce plantsofdifferent sizes floating in special rafts on water-filled beds

In the warehouse, workers feed the catfish twoorthreetimes aday, causing afrenzy that sends water splashingovertheir 12,000-gallon tanks’6-foot-tall walls.Then the fish excrete nutrient-filled waste into the water

“The cafeteria turns intothe bathroom,sotospeak,” Begue said.

Thenaturalfertilizerthat results is processed and added to thekneeheight beds in the greenhouse to supercharge plants’ growth.

Using thisprocess, workers turn inch-tall seedlings intofullgrown heads of lettuce and other greens in about six weeks. Then they pick it,bag it and provide it to food banks, church groups, senior centers, food co-ops and other consumers.

The farm, which operates underthe brand name“Harvest to Health,”also is cultivating asmall butgrowing listofpaying customers, including vendorswho buy the produce and resell it at local farmers’ markets.

Sharingspace

Thereare morethan 100 commercial aquaponic farms nationwide,including a13-acre operationincentral Wisconsin thatsupplies morethan 2,000 stores with Atlantic salmon andleafy greens. AfacilityinNew York grows both salmon and cannabis

But theAgriAquaculture Center might be theonly one operated by and sharing space with anonprofit like the LouisianaChamber of Commerce Foundation, which was created in 2018 to raise funds for and supportregional chambers around the state.

Thatorganization’sday-to-day workisgenerally much drier than what’sgoing on down the hall, but KelishaGarrett, thefoundation’s vice president and chief operating officer,championed theproject as away to create programmingfor agriculture-focusedsmallbusinesses. The seeds of the operation were

planted when Garrett and foundation CEO David St. Etienne connected with Begue —aconsultant who’sworked in controlled-environmentagriculture for morethan adecade—and started sketching outa plan to build an innovation centerthatprovides education, workforce trainingand small business support. Federal funding secured with help from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter provided $2 million for the original buildout plus another $1.5 million for an expansion.

Theproject helpedaddress a need that Garrett had identified several years ago during her travels around the state.

“Farmers are nothing more than small businesses that happento grow acrop, and they were asking us to find moreways to support them,” Garrett said.

Challenges to growth

Dozens of offshore oyster farms and inlandcrawfishand catfish farms place Louisiana amongthe nation’stop three aquacultureproducers, along with Washington and Mississippi.

Butaquaponics, the subset of aquaculture thatcombines farming fish and plants, is amuch newer and more niche endeavor.In Louisiana, it’smostly the domain of afew dozennonprofits, schools, hobbyists, smallbusinesses and othersexploring ways to cultivate fresh and healthy food.

Challengestothe growth of the industry include high startup costs,a slow path to profitability anda reliance on consumerswho are willing to pay apremium for locally grown produce.

Begue said the AgriAquaculture Center is designed to overcome those obstacles.

“In the1990s, the University of the Virgin Islands developed modern commercial aquaponics, and we’ve taken anumber of steps to optimizethatdesign andmakeit easier to expand,” he said.

Begue said providing free courses in aquafarming is an important step, as is building demand forthe farm’sproducts.

“If we don’thave robust support from local buyers, urbanagriculture can’twin because we’re competing against commodity pricing of lower-tier products,” he said.

Thefarmcurrently sells 10-pound boxes of lettuce for $30

to $35, similar to whatBegue said the national suppliers charge. He said the farm’sproducts, which have been rankedasU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture-grade “fancy” by several ag experts, should sell for morebut he said there needs to be more consumer education to create the demand.

Despite the challenges, several of the 32 graduates of the center’s 14-weektraining sessionhopeto launchorexpand theirown aquaponic operations. That group includesMichael Richard, astaffer at the nonprofit organization Recirculating Farms.

Richard said he’s been buying lettuce from the AgriAquaculture Center sincethe start of theyear and distributing it to the community.Now he wants to apply whathe learnedinthe workshoptoboost the organization’sown aquaponics capabilities.

“This is definitely aviable business,” he said. “America used to be aleader but has fallen behind.”

Expansionand partnership

The AgriAquaculture Center’s creators have plans to grow Garrett said she’stalking to Rouses about selling produce on the grocer’sshelves, and she forged apartnership with JeffersonParish to install aquaponic systems in 11 schools this year.Each system is capable of producing around 350 heads of lettuce and two crops of fish annually.Schools will use them in their environmentalscienceprogram as they tryto kickstart agricultural education that waned after HurricaneKatrina, Begue said. The AgriAquaculture Center also is beginning its $1.5 million expansion into an adjacent property owned by the Jefferson Parish public schools system.

Begue said the increased space, which will morethandouble the farm’sgreenhouse footprint, will allow it to increase production and to grow fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers that will command higher prices. Ultimately, thenonprofitwill harvest catfish as well, but, for now,Begue and Garrett said the fish are more valuable for their abilitytomake fertilizer than as food.

Email RichCollins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com

Motley Fool

STAFF PHOTO By RICH COLLINS

David St.Etienne, from left, Paul Begue, AubreyPrice, Shavonne Garner-Priceand Kelisha Garrett pick ahead of lettuce at the AgriAquaculture Center of Excellence in Harvey, on June 16. Garner-Price is the executivedirector of teachingand learning at Jefferson Parish Schools,which is partnering withcenter in several ways.

Director of Operations

PatSkid shows where a group of lettuce plants are sprouting at the facility

STAFF PHOTO

By ENAN CHEDIAK

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Communications vet says tech has changed the game

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans-based communications and marketing agency

Beuerman Miller Fitzgerald is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year

In 1926 when the industry at large was concentrated in New York, the firm debuted as Fitzgerald Advertising to help emerging Southern brands grow Over the decades, it has worked for Tabasco, Pickapeppa, Coca-Cola, Wesson Oil, K&B, Brown’s Velvet Dairy, Zatarain’s and other household names.

In 2002, the agency was acquired by a public relations firm led by Greg Beuerman and Virginia Miller who have developed a client roster that spans hospitality, energy, healthcare, maritime transportation and consumer industries.

These days, BMF is especially known for crisis communications, litigation support, reputation management and strategic public affairs counsel.

In this week’s Talking Business, Beuerman discusses the firm’s most “gut wrenching” job, his proudest accomplishment and how technology is changing the industry

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity

BMF does a lot of things in the communications realm.What’s the focus?

We have several employees who work almost strictly on what I would call the good news PR side: promoting special events, promoting product launches, doing familiarization tours for reporters.

Then there are four of us that are principally involved in litigation and helping companies plan for, train for and respond to crises like oil spills, shipwrecks, plant explosions and train derailments — or even change management when there’s an abrupt exit of a CEO. We’ve done work in this category all over the world, including mari-

time incidents from the Aleutian Islands to the Gulf of Aden and a lot of places in between.

What are some of your notable crisis-related projects?

I think easily the most tragic thing that we’ve ever been involved in was the I-40 bridge collapse in Oklahoma in 2002. We represented a barge company whose vessel struck a bridge pier on the Arkansas River Fourteen people were killed when their automobiles, trucks or trailers went into the river That was the most gutwrenching and most difficult thing

I think that we have ever been involved in.

We also did work related to MV Cougar Ace, the Korean car-carrying ship with nearly 5,000 new Mazda vehicles on it that nearly capsized in the Pacific Ocean near the Aleutian Islands The shipping company was my client, and I spent a month and a half in Anchorage, Alaska, handling media

inquiries. The vessel never flipped, but they had to tow it all the way to Vancouver

Were the vehicles saved?

Yes, and here’s the funny part. It went from media calling me wanting to know whether the ship had flipped yet to people wanting to know where they could go to buy one of those cars at a discount. Mazda ended up scrapping every single one because they didn’t want the liability

What’s the most impactful or challenging crisis you helped manage?

I could do this job for the next 100 years and never have a more rewarding and important experience than helping the medical professionals who were falsely accused of euthanizing patients after Hurricane Katrina. That is a signature for us. What did you do to help?

The thing that really turned the tables was when we did the unthinkable and we put our client on

“60 Minutes” with Mike Wallace.

People usually run from that show, but we ran to it because we knew what happened and we knew what was in her heart and we were not afraid to let her tell her own story

And the entire issue flipped like a light switch. I think ultimately it helped drive the right outcome with the grand jury

Is your job to try to win the court of public opinion?

It can be. And I don’t want to sound cynical when I say this, but judges and juries or prospective juries or grand juries for that matter are not immune to what’s happening in the marketplace of ideas. They may not seek out information, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

Can you talk about some of BMF’s pioneering work?

Fitzgerald was the agency of record for Tabasco for more than 60 years, along with Southern Comfort and Zatarain’s. Back in the day, they did all the work for Maison Blanche, including all the promotional work around Mr Bingle.

Fitzgerald actually created icecream-scented ink for print ads for Brown’s Velvet Dairy that ran in The Times-Picayune. It also was easily the first agency in the South to recognize women as a distinct consumer audience. It went out and hired women in the agency to serve as account executives and to help develop product lines and marketing initiatives to appeal to female consumers. We have an employee, Ron Thompson, who’s been with the agency since 1958. He’s in the office every day and provides an incredible amount of wisdom and context.

How has technology changed your advertising work? Back in the day, ad agencies had

over 100 employees, including buyers for print, radio, outdoor and television There were teams of graphic designers with timeconsuming tasks. Technology not only accelerated the production turnaround time, but it greatly reduced the number of people it takes to run an agency Another big change is consumers are so impulsive right now

They can tune in and tune out in the blink of an eye. On Facebook, they might pass over 45 things and then land on something they like. It’s still incumbent on advertisers to grab and hold people’s attention and it’s incumbent on advertisers to keep their promise to consumers. That is one thing that has not changed.

How is AI and potential misinformation changing things?

It’s changing every day Twenty years ago, none of us thought we’d have to monitor personal networks for misinformation that can skew how the public responds to litigation or an environmental accident. But it happens every single day

You work all over the world, but the company is headquartered on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans.Are you optimistic or concerned about your hometown? We are incredibly resilient people, and I think that is always a cause for

Staff report

South Louisiana businesses and nonprofitgroups recently announcedthe followingpromotions, new hires and resignations.

BatonRouge

Melissa Cresson has been hired as special counselinthe litigation practice group and amemberof the commercial disputes team for Jones Walker Cresson, aformer Kean Miller partner,has represented industrial clients in highstakes litigation involving mass toxic tort and class action claims.

Billy Wilson has joined Building Enclosure Consulting Inc. as asenior architect in the Florida-based firm’s Baton Rouge office, whichopened in 2024. Wilson previously spent 30 years with the Officeof State Buildings and of Facility Planning and Control.

Celena Cage has been hired by CK Associates as part of its waterprogram. Cagepreviously spent 30 years with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality,eventually becoming assistant secretary ofthe Office of Environmental Compliance.

Barrett Dick and Zack Klein have been named to lead anew national sales team for Guarantee Restoration Services.

Dick is director of national sales and Klein is director of business development and marketing.

As part of the expansion, the restoration contractingcompany has also hired DavidStern,who formerly worked for the New Orleans Saints andPelicans organization, as anational sales executive.

Chad Catalano,asales manager and project coordinator whojoined the company in January,isalso part of the new team.

NewOrleans

Christopher Tusa hasjoined the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity St.Tammany West.

Tusa is the assistantvice president and business bankingrelationship managerfor FirstHorizon Bank.

Charlotte Jarreau has been appointed to the position of partnerships andcommunity relations adviserfor The Historic New Orleans Collection.

ShelbyWynne has been namedthe 2026-27president of Junior League of New Orleans.

Elizabeth Egle has been hiredby theLSU Health Foundationas itsfirst managing director of external relations.

Egle haspreviously held senior leadership roles at SBP,formerlyknown as theSt. BernardProject,and serves on the board of Kids Join the Fight.

KevinPerque hasbeen promoted to assistant director of campus logistics for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Perque was, most recently, theConvention Center’s campus logistic parking manager,and he previously held operational and leadership positions with Reef Parking at theFour Seasons New Orleans and EZ Park

Do you have personnel changes to shareorother ideas for our business coverage? Drop us aline at biztips@theadvocate.com.

Here’s thecockroach of credit mythsthatjustrefuses to

It is the cockroach of personal financemyths. No matter how many times experts try to exterminate it, it finds away to survive.

I’m referring to the flat-out wrong belief that youneed to carry abalance on your credit card to build or maintain an excellentcredit score.

Credit scores, which generally range from 300 to 850, influence whether we qualifyfor amortgage,auto loan or apartment lease. They alsocan determine howmuchwepay for home or car insurance. Let me be as clear as possible aboutthismisconception: If you payyourcardstatement balance in full andontime, youget the credit-boosting benefit of using debt withoutgiving financial institutionsa single penny in interest.

However,amajority of consumersconsistently believe otherwise.

AsurveybyLendingTreefound that nearly 90% of cardholders areconfident they knowhow the credit scoring system works. Yet 59% of theserespondents think that carrying asmallbalance will improve their score.

“It’sdefinitely the cockroach of credit myths,” says MattSchulz, chiefconsumer finance analyst at LendingTree. “Itjust won’t die.”

Irecentlyheard from areader concernedthatshe needstocarry abalance on hercredit card.

She hasonlyone credit card andpaysitoff in full each month Recently,she was notified by oneofthe major credit bureaus that it could no longercalculate a credit score for her.

She still hasexcellent scores with two of thecredit bureaus, Equifax andTransUnion. But it appears hercredit card issuer stopped reporting her credit usagetoExperian,which hadtold hershe didn’thaveenough transactionstoproduce acreditscore.

“When your credit report fails to meet the minimum require-

Beyond.

Beyond isn’t aplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabelief that haspowered us forover80years.Weare Jones Walker LLP,afirm driven by an entrepreneurialspirit, a deepsense of community, andafierce determination to deliver exceptionalservice andvalue forour clients.

Since1937, our firm hasbeencommitted to working with communityleaders to develop business opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing our dedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supporting initiativesand organizationsthat make Louisianaabetterplace to live andwork.

William H. Hines

Managing Partner

bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100 joneswalker.com

ments for credit scorecalculation, youwill notsee atraditional credit score,” Experianexplains in an online post. “Credit scoring models need recentinformation to evaluatehow youmanage credit. Without current data, though, they simply don’thave enough to work with.”

During tough economictimes, lenders getnervous. To protect their own bottom lines, theywill shut down inactive accounts. They do this to reducethe risk that financially strappedconsumerswill suddenly tapinto credit linestheyweren’t using andrun up debt they can’t affordtorepay

Even in good times, if youstop using acard, theissuercan close the account due to inactivity.Or, acreditor may simply stopreporting your data. Lenders aren’t legally required to report your activity to thecredit bureaus.

“Itjust seems intrusive to be told that Ineed to open more credit accountsand to carry a balance,” thereader wrote.“It goes against my thoughtsabout debt andresponsibility.”

Isuggested thereader contact herlender and find outwhy it isn’treporting heractivity to Experian. It might be amistake, since the other bureausare receivingthe information. Or it could be the result of abusiness decision

Some lenders may chooseto save money by submitting consumer data to only oneortwo bureausinstead of allthree. Whatever thereason,the solution for this reader or anyone else in this situation isn’ttostart carrying abalance. Youjust need to show youcan use credit responsibly

One way to showthatistoapply forasecuredcredit card, which is often backed by funds depositedina savings account. Forexample, if therequireddeposit is $200, that amount becomes your credit limit.Because youonly need to show activity, youcan make small-dollar purchasesand paythe full balancebeforethe due date each month.

Shoparound to avoidcards with high fees.Mostimportantly,

chooseanissuerthatreports to allthreemajor credit bureaus. Bankrate andNerdWalletprovide listings of thebestsecuredcard offers.

The majorcredit bureausnow have freeprograms thatfactor your positive payment history for rent, utilities, cellphone bills and even streaming services.Keep in mind, however, that these creditboosters areprimarily usedby newer scoring models.

If youwantthe biggest impact, youneed to knowthe two most consequentialdata points reportedtothe bureaus. Your payment historyaccounts for35% of your score. Paying late drops your score. The amount youowe, or your “credit utilizationratio,” which is howmuchcredit you’re using compared with your total revolving limit,comes in aclose second, making up 30% of your score.

You’ve probably hearda general rule of thumb to use no more than30% of your available limit. For example,ifyourcredit card limit is $1,000, keep your balance at $300 or less. This recommendationappliestoeach individual credit cardand to the overall levelofborrowing acrossall your cards. Using ahigh percentageof your available credit may signal you’re overextending yourself, which can pull down your score. If you’re aiming for asuper high credit score, youshould use amuchlower percentageofyour available credit.Consumers with scores of 800 or highermaintain exceptionally lowcredit utilizationratios, averaging just 5.5% of their available credit, according to LendingTree. This data provesyou don’tneed to use alot of debt to demonstrate your creditworthiness. Youcan also have atop-tiercredit score andbedebt-free. Stomping out the cockroach of abeliefthat youmust carry acredit balance liesinknowing howthe system actually works —nobug spray required.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

Drivingregionaleconomicgrowththrough legalknowledge,strategic guidance, and industry-focused relationships.

Ourfirm is confidentinLouisiana’s economic future.Asone of thestate’s largest lawfirms, we counselbusinesses navigatingcomplex transactions andregulatory landscapes across theenergy,healthcare, and technology industries,among others.

Louisiana’s oiland gas industry remainsacornerstoneof growth,whileemergingmarkets fornatural gas,lithium andbiofuelscreatenew investment opportunities. We strongly believeinleveraging AI to supportthe development andsuccess of Louisianabusinesses, with datacenter construction underscoring itspotential forlarge-scale economic growth.Ashealthcarecontinues to advance, we also seeexponential growth forits digitalsector.

With strong momentum andexpanding opportunities, Louisiana is poised forsignificanteconomicgrowth— andweare proudtohelpleadthe wayforward

Cresson

Wilson

Cage

Tusa

Wynne

Egle

Perque

Michelle Singletary

THECOLOR OF MONEy

Bill Hines

CONNECTIONS THATCOUNT

$1Billion WoodsideEnergyanditscontractors commitmenttoin-statesuppliers withthesupportofSourceLouisiana

SourceLouisianaisthestate’sofficialdirectory connectinglocalbusinessestomajorprojects.It enablescontractorstoidentifyqualifiedLouisiana companiesearlyintheprocess,aligningservices, certificationsandcapabilitieswithprojectneeds. Withmorethan75,000businessesinthesystem,it isfreetojoinanddesignedtopositionbusinesses forrealopportunity.

AROUND THE REGION

Growing La. network is building up female entrepreneurs

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Victoria Armstrong stood before a room of her best friends

The exquisitely dressed, highheeled women complemented the artwork adorning the walls of Ann Connelly Fine Art in Baton Rouge, where the ladies gathered. But not all of the women were longtime acquaintances of Armstrong, founder of Curate for Women Who Work, a network of businesswomen and their supporters.

They were Curate Besties, angel investors looking to support female founders, who often struggle with access to capital Funds pooled together from the group become prize money for the winner of a pitch competition at the annual Curate Conference. Armstrong recounted her own struggle to find investors to scale the conference, despite its success.

“They kept telling me ‘No, I wasn’t ready We haven’t done enough,’ ” Armstrong said at a Curate Besties event this month.

“Even though every conference was bringing 300-plus women. I was so confused.”

She solved the funding problem after asking friends and family for $1,000 donations, which gave birth to the Curate Besties model.

On average, women launch their businesses with about $75,000 in capital, according to the National Women’s Business Council. That’s less than half of the average funds that men use to start businesses.

It’s a global issue, with a $1.7 trillion total funding gap for micro to medium-sized enterprises around the world, according the World Economic Forum.

Now in its fifth year, the Curate Conference is expanding into New Orleans as a natural next step for the business’s growth, Armstrong said The multiday conference, set for Sept 17-19 at Hyatt Regency New Orleans, brings female professionals together for professional and personal development, a combination that Armstrong says is critical for the workplace.

Sessions at this year’s conference will include professional development training on artificial intelligence, grant writing, experiential marketing campaigns and personal development classes on social styles, understanding hormone cycles and therapy

“We have learned for many years that you keep your personal stuff at home, but you bring your personal self to work,” Armstrong said “In order to be our best selves at work, we have to be our best selves mentally.”

Baton Rouge roots

Armstrong and her husband run video production company 4thFLR, which produces films sharing stories of businesses and creates visuals for brands and campaigns.

Founding Curate was a result of a calling, she said, dreaming of joining women together to teach and to learn from. She hosted the first conference, then called Curate Women in Marketing, with 114 women ranging from healthcare workers to business owners to college students. The second conference brought

more than double the attendees at the inaugural event. As the Curate network grew, Armstrong recognized a need for more space and decided to host the conference in New Orleans due to the city’s greater capacity for large, multiday events.

The conference has already garnered a national footprint with women attending from across the country and Armstrong hopes to one day have the conference move to new U.S. cities each year

But no matter where the Curate Conference goes, Armstrong is dedicated to keeping it headquartered in Baton Rouge, where she’s lived her whole life. She said the business landscape is “promising,” due to Baton Rouge’s strong culture and her experience building 4thFLR in the city

But Baton Rouge needs to focus on retaining college students by creating opportunities that will make them want to stay, she said.

“I would never move Curate headquarters from Baton Rouge because there’s a lot of need here, but there’s also a lot of resources here,” she said.

‘I just want to see a girl win’

This year’s pitch competition at the annual conference will be the second ever and will focus on tech startups, with a $15,000 prize on the line, up from $10,000 the first year

She named the program Curate Besties, symbolized by a pinky promise, because of how best friends show up and support one another, like how she’s seen female founders support each other Though not all Curate Besties are businesswomen, some are simply women who want to support a female-owned business.

“They want to help fund whatever ideas that these women have that could be beneficial to them, or our children or our jobs, or some of them are just like, ‘I just want to see a girl win. I have no attachment to this other than to see these women flourish,’” Armstrong said.

AnnaBeth Guillory, founder of beauty professional booking service Beauty Findr won first prize at the first 2024 Curate pitch competition.

She launched the Baton Rouge-based business in March 2024 as a way for clients to find and book hairstylists, makeup artists or tanning salons.

The company has more than 2,700 clients and more than 200 businesses on the platform, and Guillory has become a Curate Bestie investor herself. Guillory said she wants to give back to others and help beauty professionals, like herself, build their clientele, a challenge she’s seen many young beauty professionals struggle with.

“When you’re an entrepreneur, just to hear someone say ‘I believe in you’ means a lot,” Guillory said. Businesswomen community

Laura Siu Nguyen, founder of annual event Night Market BTR and a Curate Bestie, has been a part of the Curate network for three years after first meeting Armstrong and her husband when they produced a promotional video for the Asian market event. She said she loves to support other women entrepreneurs, especially since most people in venture capital are men.

“The origin story of the business is that I had help from friends. It’s so imperative for everyone that’s trying to launch and find their way to have a group of people that circle you and believe in you.”

ANN CONNELLy, owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art

She had participated in other pitch competitions before but found that Curate offered training for contestants, unlike other contests. Participants worked through their pitch with consultants from business consultancy Success Labs and were able to meet with other founders prior to pitch day

Guillory said the $10,000 prize helped her invest in technology and marketing to rebuild the Beauty Findr platform from the ground up The platform is now available on the web and on the App Store and Google Play Clients can now directly book with beauty professionals, in addition to the original model of submitting requests to a group

Only 11% of investing partners at venture capital firms are women and only 13% of venture capital funds go toward businesses with a woman on board, according to a 2019 Harvard Kennedy School report. Curate has introduced her to other women who look like her, she said.

“We just want to see women thrive,” Nguyen said.

Ann Connelly, owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art, told the crowd in her gallery that her mother, her husband and a mentor helped her launch the business, which is in a predominantly male industry It took her five years to launch the gallery she said.

“The origin story of the business is that I had help from friends,” Connelly said at the event. “It’s so imperative for everyone that’s trying to launch and find their way to have a group of people that circle you and believe in you.”

Working

NewOrleans TakesLogisticsintothe Future

NewOrleans wasfounded over three hundredyears agoasatrade entrepôt Today, theregion is reinventing itself to takelogisticsintothe future, in ways big andsmall.

At thehighestlevel, thePortofNew Orleans is in theprocess of building the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), theonly greenfield deepwaterport under development in thecountry. When operational, LIT will allowthe port to receivesignificantly larger vessels than today, 14,000 TEUs or more,inastateof-the-art, clean facility

At amoretactical level, thePortisintegrating AI into its legacyoperations. ThePortand theNew Orleans PublicBelt Railroad have partnered with New Orleans-based UTCTransoceanic to deploythe country’sfirstAI-powered rail clearance systemfor oversized cargo.The technology has twocomponents working in tandem:

•A customer-facing app that allows shipperstoenter cargodimensions, weight, andrailcarspecifications andreceive near-instant routing recommendations

•A live“digital twin” of theNew Orleans Public Belt Railroad that continuously tracksclearance data,bridge ratings, crossing geometry and infrastructureconditions in realtime

Together,theycondense aprocess thatused to takeweeksofengineering studiesintosomething thatcan be resolved almostimmediately.For shippers moving massivepower transformers, wind turbine components, refinery vessels, or industrial generators– vital components needed to keep up with the state’shistoric economic growth –thatspeed is critical.

“Today, planning alarge industrial shipment caninvolveweeksofengineering studiesand coordination between multiple railroads beforeacustomereven

You can read the full press releasehere

Youcan read the

knowswhethera routeispossible,” said Beth Branch,President &CEO of Port NOLA.

“WhatUTC Transoceanic is bringing to NewOrleans helps provideanswers almost immediately.That’samajor advantage forshippers, manufacturersand project developerswho aremaking multimillion-dollar logistics decisions.”

This mattersnow more than ever,asLouisiana is in themiddleofanindustrial construction boom,withover$110billion of announcednew projects in justtwo years.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Victoria Armstrong is the founder of Curate for Women Who Work, which forms a network of Curate Besties, female angel investors looking to invest in female entrepreneurs.

Michael Hecht President &CEO GNO Inc

NATION &WORLD

Retailersare making billions sellingads,not just products

BY CARSON HARTZOG

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

For decades, retailers made money the old-fashioned way: buying merchandise and selling it for more than they paid.

Now,some of the industry’sbiggest players are finding alucrative business beyond the products on their shelves.

Retailers increasingly see themselves not just as sellers ofgoods but as media companies, using the data generated by millionsofshoppers to help brands reachconsumers and influence buying decisions. Those advertising operations known as retail media networks, still account for asmall share of most retailers’ sales. But they have become one of the industry’sfastest-growing businesses and avaluable sourceofprofit in an industry known for thin margins.

“(It’s) highly,highly profitable,” said Matt Marsh, managing partner at Deloitte in Minneapolis.

“From aretailer standpoint, the oldmodel was, ‘I bought aproduct, Imarked it up and Isold it to aconsumer, Marsh said.“Now it’sevolved into, ‘Wait aminute,I can monetize other aspects of my business.’ ” The growth comes as retailers grapple with tariffs, supply chain disruptions and inflation-weary shoppers. Advertisingrevenue can provide acushion when selling another television or apackage of diapers becomes more difficult

“This isn’tthe next wave —the wave has already hit,” said retail consultant Carol Spieckerman. “Services and solutions have become the profitengine that pure

product salescan’t be right now.”

The shift is changing how some retailers describe themselves.

During arecent earnings call, incoming Best Buy CEOJason Bonfig said thecompany is “becoming aretail, media, advertisingand technology company”and has described Best Buy Adsasa“highmargin, high-growth”business.

TheMinnesota-based electronics chain expects advertising collections —the total amount billed for services —toapproach $1 billion

this year aftertopping$900million last year.Best Buynearly doubled its number of advertising partners to 750 in itsmost recent fiscal year Forcomparison, Best Buy generated morethan$41 billionin revenue lastyear,meaningits advertising collections grew to the equivalent of roughly 2% of the company’ssales. Lastyear, the company introduced “store takeover” packages that allowbrands like Nintendo, Metaand ESPN to advertise

throughout stores using displays and checkout screens.

Bonfig said diversifying revenue streamshas become increasingly important.

“Wecompete with some of the largest companies in the world,”

Bonfig said in an Aprilinterview with theMinnesota StarTribune “There’s aneed forustobemore diverse in the way that we go to market.”

Target’sadvertising business, Roundel, grew revenue by double digitslast year.The company said the unit generates over $2 billion in value, boosting overallsales while offsetting the cost of goods.

TheMinneapolis-basedretailer is also expanding its partnership with OpenAI, testing sponsored messages within ChatGPT that appear alongside some shoppingrelated conversations.

Despite the push by retailers to highlight theiradvertising businesses, experts say they still lag behind larger rivals like Walmart.

Spieckerman said Walmart has emerged as the industryleader, openly touting advertising growth and positioning its media business as akey driver of future growth.

The company generated $6.4 billion in advertising revenue last year

Google and Walmart recently announced apartnership that will allow brands to use Walmart’sshopper data to deliver moretargeted ads on YouTube and track whether those adsresultedinpurchases at the Arkansas-based retailer,giving advertisers aclearer picture of which campaigns are driving sales.

Target and Best Buy,bycontrast, have used the business to help offset pressure on their core retail operations, she said, describing their advertising divisions as moreofa

“defensive margin tool.”

Retailmedia networks, in some ways, evolved from the banner ads retailers once sold on their websites.

Today, companiesuse information gathered through loyaltyprograms, apps andpurchase histories to help brands target shoppers more precisely,Marsh said. Ads can appear on retailers’ websites, inside stores and across other digital platforms.

APampers commercial on YouTube that includes alink to buy the product at Target is one example.

The strategy relies heavily on first-party data —information retailerscollect directlyfrom customers. Thatdata,combined with AI, can reveal buying habits, brand preferences and even whenshoppers may be readytoreplace an older product.

“As AI gets smarter and it’sdeployed against these large data sets,there’s goingtobemoreand more personalization,” Marsh said. The growth of retailmedia networks initially sparkedfearsthat retailers would siphon business from traditional advertising agencies.

Instead,the twoindustries are increasingly learning to coexist, experts say Keri Starr Paison, who leadscommerce media for Deloitte Digital, said agencies focusedprimarily on execution could face pressure as retailers build more capabilities in-house.

Butfirmsthatcombine strategy, creativity,technology and data expertise are likely to continue playing an important role.

“The agencymodel has to evolve,” Paison said. “So Iwould frame this less as athreat to agencies overall and more as ashift toward the next generation of agencies.”

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

NATION & WORLD

Toyota RAV4 the most coveted used car in U.S.

BY CHESTER DAWSON Bloomberg News (TNS)

Most cars lose value the moment they leave a dealer’s lot. The RAV4 hybrid gains it.

Used, late-model versions of the RAV4 hybrid often list for more than their original sticker prices, even with thousands of miles on their odometers. In some cases, they cost more than a new 2026 model fresh from the Toyota factory CarMax recently advertised a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid XSE with 29,000 miles for $46,998, which is higher than the original $38,735 sticker price. The price inversion seems to defy a natural law of used-car economics. But it illustrates some of the most powerful forces driving the U.S. auto market this year

The Iran war sent gas prices surging, with the national average for regular well above $4 per gallon. Some car buyers have responded by snapping up used electric vehicles, which often sell at a steep discount from their original price. Others who are either unwilling or unable to go fully electric have turned to hybrids, which pair an electric motor with a gas-burning engine. Long considered a niche product in the U.S., they’re now highly coveted. And for the moment at least, there aren’t enough new hybrid RAV4s to go around.

Production hit a lull last year as Toyota stopped building the fifth generation of the compact SUV and started making the sixth. With fewer new RAV4s reaching showrooms, many would-be buyers have been stuck on waiting lists. Used versions — as long as they’re from a recent year and in good shape — command a premium, even topping the list price of a new car

The hybrid RAV4 gets upwards of 40 miles per gallon, well above the U.S new-car average of 27.2 mpg. It’s popular enough that Toyota discontinued all nonhybrid versions of the RAV4, starting this model year And Brandon Wingate of Albany,

Georgia, decided it was just what his family needed. He and his wife were sold on its roominess, Toyota’s reputation for reliability and the hybrid’s promise of savings at the pump Wingate paid $32,000 in February for a 2024 RAV4 with 44,000 miles on it — a car that listed for $38,735 when new He drove about five hours across the state to test-drive it after spotting it online and was only able to haggle the dealer down $500 to compensate for a small window crack.

“There’s no negotiating anymore — you basically pay the asking price,” said Wingate, 42, an IT technician. “I’m just glad to have bought when we did, because prices for the same vehicle are up anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 since then.”

Indeed, Carvana listed a 2025 RAV4 Hybrid Limited with 5,606 miles for $48,590. That’s a cool

$6,040 above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price when it was new It’s also more than the $43,300 sticker price of a 2026 Limited model.

Toyota, which began offering Americans a hybrid RAV4 option a decade ago, kept gas-electrics to a relatively low percentage of overall production volumes. That shortage helping to fuel high prices should end as Toyota scales up output of the new all-hybrid RAV4. “We have a very methodical cadence of ramping up to ensure high quality,” said Cooper Ericksen, Toyota’s North American head of product planning and strategy

For now, however, Toyota has less than five days’ worth of new RAV4 hybrids in its U.S. showrooms, far below the company’s overall inventory of about 15 days.

“We’re selling every one we have in stock and have quite a few presales,” said Ryan Redding, general

manager at Jim Norton Toyota in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Customers unwilling to wait often look for used RAV4s, he said, which means they’re also in high demand. “Most of the time, we don’t sell above the original MSRP,” Norton said. Consumer Reports warns that new 2026 RAV4s are selling for about 4% more than their sticker prices. Managing Editor Jeff Bartlett, in a recent blog post, wrote that prices should edge down as production revs up, but “because elevated gas prices may keep interest in the RAV4 high, don’t expect discounts any time soon.” With the average transaction price of a new car in the U.S. now around $50,000, used cars have surged in popularity So too have hybrids, which not only cut fuel costs but let drivers use highway carpool lanes in at least 12 states. Once limited to a handful of models like the original Toyota Prius —

with a shape often compared to a cheese wedge hybrid drivetrains are now available in most every class of passenger vehicle, including the Ford Maverick pickup, the Kia Carnival minivan and the Jeep Cherokee SUV

Some of those hybrids command high prices used, although not as consistently as the RAV4.

All used RAV4 hybrids from the 2024 model year onward command prices of at least 90% of their initial MSRPs, according to CarGurus. Of the seven hybrids offered in the 2025 model year, four now list for more than their original sticker prices.

“Toyotas are in general tough to find, and hybrids are tough to find,” said Kevin Roberts, director of economic and market intelligence at CarGurus. “If you’re struggling to find a new RAV4 hybrid, you might pay more for any used one you can get your hands on.”

BAy AREA NEWS GROUP/TNS PHOTO By RAy CHAVEZ

MADE IN LOUISIANA

Fire trucks custom built for specific needs around country

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Nearly 350 welders, electricians, painters and other skilled workers

toiled in an unassuming Livingston Parish assembly plant on a recent Tuesday, surrounded by the brightred bodies of fire trucks that will soon be helping to save lives across the U.S.

The 300,000-square-foot facility belongs to Ferrara Fire Apparatus, the Louisiana company that produces custom pump trucks and other vehicles for fire departments It’s big business Each year, Ferrara produces hundreds of custom vehicles, priced from a few hundred thousand dollars to several million.

“We say we build snowflakes,” said Chris McClung, vice president of Terex Fire Group, Ferrara’s parent company “No two are the same.”

Different fire departments have different needs. In cities, firefighters need more ladder trucks. In wilderness areas, fire departments need to be able to spray water onto wildfires while on the move. And Ferrara builds for seemingly everyone. On a recent visit, fire departments from more than a dozen states and one Canadian province were represented.

Founded in Louisiana in 1988 by Chris Ferrara, the custom fire truck manufacturer was acquired in 2017 by Wisconsin-based Rev Group, which produced about a third of all the fire apparatus sold in the United States and reported more than $1.8 billion in sales last year

The result is a manufacturer with a big piece of a niche market, all based in the unincorporated town of Holden. And a second fire truck maker US Fire Apparatus founded by Chris Ferrara after he sold to Rev, operates next door

Marrying a fire truck

“We

Building fire trucks is time- and labor-intensive. Long before the first component hits the production line, a team of engineers creates a digital model of the finished truck as envisioned by the customer Figuring out how to realize a customer’s vision can be an early challenge.

CHRIS MCCLUNG, vice president of Terex Fire Group

After the deal went through, Rev Group moved the production lines of a former competitor, KME, into the Livingston Parish Ferrara facility Then, earlier this year, the Rev Group completed a merger with Connecticut-based industrial and specialty equipment manufacturer Terex Corp. in a $3.2 billion deal.

“When they’re buying the truck and making the specs for it, sometimes they’ll come in there with unrealistic things that they’re asking for,” contract administrator Amy Willis said. “So they’ll have to call the engineers downstairs and all sit together and really discuss whether it is physically possible or not.”

A fire truck chassis begins with a pair of steel frame rails. It arrives

pre-drilled before they are moved onto the chassis line, where workers add axles and, eventually, the engine and transmission.

Across the floor on a parallel production line, truck cabs take shape. They arrive as raw, unfinished metal boxes before metalworkers cut out custom compartments and windows. They’re then painted (usually red), coated and wired as they travel across about a dozen stations, each worker adding to the complicated array of components.

Meanwhile, in the welding area, workers build the parts for the truck’s body and pump-house frame the components of the truck that sit behind the crew riding in the cab — before the pumping units themselves are assembled on their own line.

Next comes the “marriage,” as a crane lifts the finished cab and lowers it onto the chassis. The married unit then undergoes a test drive and functionality check before the pump and body are added and the vehicles move to the final assembly line.

The collection of more than a dozen water tanks of various capacities — resembling large black Tetris pieces — that sit in an out-

door lot speaks to the bespoke nature of the production process.

And one of the final steps of the process demonstrates why each truck needs its own plan.

To test out the pumps, workers hook them up to an underground water tank. But sometimes that is insufficient for high-flow industrial units that can pump more than 3,000 gallons per minute. In that case, Willis said there’s a backup plan.

“We actually throw a hose over into the pond and it sucks up the water from there because it takes so much. It’ll shoot water completely across the entire pond,” she said. “You can actually see the water level of the pond go down.”

Time and money

Over its nearly 40 years in business, Ferrara has delivered more than 6,000 fire trucks, developing a particular expertise in the highflow pumps that come in handy when fighting industrial fires.

“The fires are just so massive, they’re so big, so the more water you got, the more you suppress it,” said sales director Jason Louque.

The company also builds ladder trucks, which involves a somewhat different production process, and it sometimes starts with a truck from Ford, Peterbilt or another major manufacturer and then adds the necessary firefighting equipment. Fire trucks have always been expensive, and they’ve always taken a long time to build — especially fully customized ones. But in re-

cent years, they’ve taken longer and cost more than ever before. Demand slowed during the Great Recession as local governments cut costs. Private equity roll-ups later consolidated the industry, which led to some complaints from firefighters unions and class-action lawsuits alleging anticompetitive practices. Manufacturers have denied those claims and say the reason for rising prices has everything to do with rising production costs and regulatory requirements.

The COVID-19 pandemic is another factor It disrupted supply chains and sent federal pandemic relief to local governments, cutting supplies and boosting demand at the same time.

“It’s insane,” said Louque, a 32year company veteran “When I first started, you could get a commercial pumper for $90,000. We can’t buy a chassis for that now.”

According to McClung, the most complex trucks can take up to three years to produce, though more common pumpers and tankers take about a year Ahead of its merger with Terex, Rev had a sales backlog of $4.4 billion about two years — for fire and emergency vehicles.

“We’ve been working through that post-COVID,” McClung said. “We’ve made a lot of headway We’ve increased our throughput by almost 50%, by the end of this year post-COVID.”

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Edgar Barrera, top left, cleans the windshield of a fire truck while another worker cleans the interior of a compartment at Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Livingston Parish.

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Many Americans are fortunate

through

Whenthosebenefits end with retirement, paying dental billsout-of-pocket cancome as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care.

Simplyput —without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparingplans

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limitthe number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to payhundreds out of pocketbefore benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection,you needto purchase individual insurance.

Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensiveones.

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LOUISIANA

‘I was just doing my job’

Medical professionals work to help patients as research finds higher colon cancer rates among people of Cajun descent

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Cherie Broome wasn’t in a hurry to get another colonoscopy.

She had one when she was 42, like she was told. At 46, she knew she was due for her routine procedure, but thought she could put it off just a little bit longer Broome’s father had colon cancer when he was in his 50s. And her mother’s brother died of colon cancer at 63. For her family history, colonoscopies

Researchers at LSU Health Shreveport conducting trial

BY MOLLY TERRELL Staff writer

A clinical trial enrolling patients in Shreveport could potentially help women struggling with peripartum cardiomyopathy the leading cause of death in pregnant women.

are recommended every five years

Andrea Cothern, Broome’s primary nurse practitioner went ahead and put Broome on the list for a colonoscopy after one of her wellness appointments.

“I was just doing my job,” Cothern said.

Broome, who lives in Baton Rouge, went to her colonoscopy with a plan to head straight to a Friday-night LSU baseball game after the Tigers were on a winning streak.

When she woke up, her doctor told her she had polyps, or lesions, in two

Bromocriptine, a medication being used in a clinical study at LSU Health Shreveport, is used to treat multiple conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.

According to Dr Kalgi Modi, professor of internal medicine and interim division chief of cardiology at LSU Health Shreveport, it may

areas of her colon.

“Did she just say I have cancer?”

Broome remembers asking her husband in the recovery room.

By Monday morning, the pathology of the polyps confirmed it She had colon cancer

While Broome’s family lives in Shreveport, she comes from a long line of Cajuns in Opelousas.

Back in 2014, researchers at the Tulane and LSU schools of medicine and public health found a link between colorectal cancer and Louisiana’s Cajun

also help women struggling with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a weakened heart condition that develops after childbirth.

Heart disease is prevalent in pregnant women, which Modi teaches about and invests a lot of research into. Even though the risk of heart disease increases with age, heart disease is the leading cause of death in pregnant women.

The cardiology team at LSU Health Shreveport is enrolling patients in the Randomized Evalu-

population.

The White populations in the state, particularly White men in the Louisiana Acadian parishes where French is commonly spoken, have colorectal cancer rates that are among the highest in the United States, according to a research study published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology

Dr Jordan Karlitz, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine, lead a

ation of Bromocriptine in Myocardial Recovery Therapy trial, a National Institute of Healthsponsored trial that is evaluating whether bromocriptine can improve heart function in women with peripartum cardiomyopathy

According to Modi, this study will enroll 200 women newly diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy within five months postpartum in a randomized placebocontrolled trial of bromocriptine therapy to evaluate its impact.

“The reason we’re doing this clinical trial is to try to understand this condition, which can be fatal,” Modi said.

Modi is a principal investigator on this study, and LSU Health Shreveport is the only site in Louisiana participating, along with over 60 sites in the United States, including Harvard Medical School, Cleveland Clinic, UAB in Birmingham, Alabama, Stanford

ä See STUDY, page 3X ä See CANCER, page 2X

STAFF

PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Cherie Broome, left, and Andrea Cothern laugh together while talking outside Cothern’s office at Ochsner Health Center Broome was successfully treated for colon cancer in 2023 after a screening arranged during a wellness visit with Cothern, Broome’s primary nurse practitioner

HEALTH MAKER

Pennington doctor bridges research and patient care

‘We’re still in an obesity epidemic’

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Dr Tim Gilbert, a Lake Charles native, knew he wanted to be in healthcare. What started as bachelor’s in nursing from McNeese State University turned into a career in endocrinology and leading Pennington Biomedical Center’s first independent outpatient clinic.

Pennington, a global research center for metabolic, nutrition and lifestyle in Baton Rouge, opened the endocrinology and diabetes clinic in March 2025. Gilbert lead the charge for the center, “even down to the phone number,” he said. For the past 18 years Gilbert has run a diabetes program at the Cashadi Indian Reservation in Elton. He runs an outpatient diabetes

Gilbert

program once a month at a clinic in southwest Louisiana, seeing sometimes 30 patients in one day Gilbert graduated medical school in 2006 from LSU Health New Orleans, trained in internal medicine at LSU in Baton Rouge and completed his fellowship in endocrinology at Ochsner in New Orleans. In addition to obesity, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients, Gilbert also treats patients with thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and more diseases of the endocrine system. This interview has been edited for length and clarity

What sparked your interests in healthcare?

There was an interest in healthcare, but I didn’t have anybody in healthcare in my family My dad was a firefighter, and my mom worked in the dental field as an assistant. When I started, I wasn’t

quite sure what path I was going to take. Nursing, at the time, was in very high demand, and it seemed to offer the most opportunity for diversity if I decided to move on to something different.

When I went to medical school, because of my background in nursing in the ICU, I thought I was going to do pulmonary critical care.

Endocrine is a lot of feedback loops, a lot of biochemistry It either clicks for you or it doesn’t. For me, it just clicked. What brought you to Pennington Biomedical Research Center?

It was really out of the blue. I was had been working in Lake Charles for 20 years, and was thinking in the back of my head about a change. I really wasn’t looking, and this position didn’t exist before me.

I was dating a girl (who I’m now engaged to) who’s from Baton Rouge. I was driving into the city one Thursday evening and got a call from the then CEO of

Pennington John Kirwan.

Initially the conversations were about me consulting with the center But that quickly led into me moving. What was the vision for the center’s first clinic?

Pennington has been doing cutting edge, worldrenowned research for almost 40 years. They’re recognized as a global leader in medical research, specializing in metabolic health and endocrine disorders. The vision was expanding the mission of Pennington to go beyond research, but to take it to true patient care and patient treatment.

We started seeing patients in March of 2025 after about four to five months’ leg work of onboarding and getting the staff that we needed.

The goal was to bridge research by some of the top scientists in the world and bench-level research and merge it with a clinic that’s actually treating patients.

We were participating in

pretty much the research of every obesity drug on the market — and many more to come — as well as a lot of other nutritional studies and lifestyle modification studies.

Also, we now have the ability to recognize patients that we see in clinic that may be candidates for studies, and have the ability to move patients into an appropriate study, whether that be for obesity or thyroid disease.

What are some incoming research studies?

We have an upcoming study with Amgen, called a switch study

We’re looking at patients who are currently on a maximal dose or maximum tolerated doses of the weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound, but are not at their goal weight. We had these patients switch to Maritide to see if we can achieve further weight reduction.

All three weight loss drugs have slightly different active ingredients:

Wegovy contains only semaglutide, or GLP-1s, and Zepbound combines GLP-1s and a peptide mimicking a natural hormone in the body that regulates fat storage in the gut. Maritide is a once monthly injectable that combines different peptide formulations of gut hormones that could be effective in weight loss when Wegovy or Zepbound don’t work. We’re also looking at potentially starting a new study for hyperthyroidism, or Graves’ disease. That’s exciting because there’s not been any new treatments made available for hyperactive thyroid or overactive thyroid in the last 30-plus years. At Pennington, we average between probably 65 and 80 clinical trials at any given time — everything from maternal fetal health to pediatrics, to adult physiology and more.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Mayo Clinic study shows AI can reveal brain tumor risks

Method avoids costly genetic testing

Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have shown that artificial intelligence can analyze routine pathology slides to help classify meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and predict a patient’s risk of tumor recurrence The study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, demonstrates that deep learning models can extract molecular and prognostic information from standard hematoxylin and eosin, or H&E, slides — the same type of tissue images already used in routine clinical care. These insights are typically obtained through DNA methylation profiling, an advanced genetic test which provides valuable diagnostic and prognostic information but can be costly,

time-consuming and is unavailable in many hospitals.

“This is one of the many studies where we can harness the strength of digital pathology by capturing the last two decades of genomic and molecular knowledge into AI algorithms,” says Gelareh Zadeh, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and the David C. and Flora C Pratt Distinguished Chief Medical Officer for Mayo Clinic Platform.

Meningiomas can vary widely in behavior Some grow slowly and may never return after treatment, while others are more aggressive and more likely to recur Understanding that risk is critical for patients and care teams deciding whether additional treatment, such as radiation therapy, may be needed after surgery

Molecular testing can help identify which tumors are more likely to recur and which may respond differently to treatment. But these tests require specialized

technology and expertise, limiting access for many patients.

Using tissue samples, pathology images and clinical data from 672 patients, researchers trained AI to uncover information about a tumor’s biology Drawing on multiple de-identified

datasets, including data resources from Mayo Clinic Platform, the models were able to classify meningioma subtypes and predict recurrence risk using standard pathology slides that are already part of routine patient care.

The findings suggest that

AI could one day help clinicians obtain more detailed tumor information without requiring patients to undergo advanced genetic testing

For patients with meningiomas, recurrence risk can influence follow-up care, imaging frequency and whether radiation therapy should

be considered. The study found that AI-based predictions remained useful even after accounting for traditional clinical factors such as tumor grade, the extent to which surgery was able to remove the tumor and patient age.

Researchers also found that the AI models could identify patterns of tumor heterogeneity — differences within the same tumor — that may help explain why some tumors behave more aggressively or respond differently to treatment. The researchers note that additional prospective studies are needed before the AI models can be used routinely in clinical care. Still they say the findings lay the groundwork for more accessible, personalized care for patients with meningiomas and potentially for similar AI approaches in other cancers.

“The aim is to make these algorithms readily and simply accessible for use globally, improving patient care across many healthcare settings,” says Dr Zadeh.

Study examines effect of a diet high in soybean oil on gut health

BY KARL HILLE

The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

More than half of the oil consumed in the United States is heavy soybean oil, but studies link the ingredient to changes in gut bacteria, a weakened intestinal lining and issues such as ulcerative colitis.

For one study in Gut Microbes, researchers from the University of California, Riverside, fed mice a diet high in soybean oil for up to 24 weeks. Then they measured disruptions in the animals’ gut microbiome — beneficial bacteria declined, while harmful bacteria increased, including adherent invasive Escherichia coli.

This type of E. coli has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease in humans.

“Soybean oil is currently the most highly consumed cooking oil in the U.S. and the second most produced edible oil in the world,” UC Riverside researchers wrote, “and its increased consumption parallels the rise in IBD incidence in humans.”

The researchers focused on linoleic acid, the predominant fatty acid in soybean oil, and found that excessive amounts of it can cause problems in the gut. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid, meaning it cannot be produced in the body but is derived from foods. While

people need to consume 1% to 2% of their fat from linoleic acid, the average American diet derives 8% to 10% of its linoleic acid from soybean oil, UC Riverside researcher Poonamjot Deol told SciTechDaily Harmful E. coli bacteria feed on linoleic acid, while excessive levels cause some beneficial bacteria to die off, they found. The excess linoleic acid also made the intestinal lining more porous, allowing toxins and microbes to leak into the blood, fueling inflammation.

As an unsaturated plant oil, soybean oil is often viewed as healthier than saturated fats from animal products, but Deol and his

colleagues said the issue is more complicated.

“Since studies showed that saturated fats can be unhealthy, it was assumed that all unsaturated fats are healthy,” toxicologist Frances Sladek told SciTechDaily “But there are different types of unsaturated fats, some of which are healthful. For example, the unsaturated fat fish oil is well known to have many beneficial health effects. People, therefore, assumed that soybean oil is perfectly safe and healthier to consume than other types of oils, without actually doing a direct comparison as we have done.”

While corn oil contains linoleic acid levels similar

to those in soybean oil, the researchers said olive oil contains much less and has a well-established health profile. Avocado and coconut oil are similarly low in linoleic acid.

A related study in Scientific Reports compared coconut oil, soybean oil and a soybean oil product modified to have lower linoleic acid to assess their effects on mice. Unmodified soybean oil caused more disruption in genes tied to metabolism, immune function, gut barrier health, inflammation and microbiome interactions, they found, supporting the idea that excess linoleic acid may be an important factor

A third experiment, pub-

lished in the Journal of Lipid Research, focused on soybean oil and obesity by measuring oxylipins, compounds the body makes when it processes linoleic acid. Mice that did not have soybean oil had lower levels of the related oxylipins, gained less weight and were less likely to develop glucose intolerance or fatty liver disease. Soybean oil’s neutral flavor, low cost and versatility in large-scale food production have made it a more common ingredient than most people realize, but experts advise avoiding processed foods, checking labels and using an air fryer, which uses very little oil for similar results.

Continued from page 1X

study bridging the connection between Acadiana and colon cancer A leading hypothesis of the team for this high rate of cancer is that it is genetic, although an environmental cause is also possible. If it is genetic in nature, it may be an instance of the “founder effect.” A “founder population” is a distinct new population that has descended from an original, larger population

The Cajuns migrated in the 1700s from France first to Canada then Louisiana, where they settled in the state’s Acadian parishes.

“Further studies are planned to gather additional data to examine both genetic and environmental factors that may be playing a role in the high colorectal cancer rates in the region,” Karlitz said. “In addition, as the current study is populationbased, more detailed study is needed to determine if the colorectal cancer risk is concentrated in the Cajun population specifically.” In 2021, he revisited his findings and confirmed Acadiana’s disproportionately high colon cancer rates In parishes with the highest Cajun ancestry rates, colon cancer incidence in White populations was 13% higher

than statewide rates, and 23% higher than the national average.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Louisiana, which has a rate almost 50% higher than the national average, according to the Louisiana Tumor Registry at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. If caught early, like it was for Broome, it is highly treatable. However, rates of colon cancer are also increasing among young people, prompting a change in the age requirement for colon cancer screenings — from 50 to 45 years old. Broome had her first surgery on June 22, 2023. In-

“They were on the way to

She had stage one colon cancer, and her cancer team was “pretty aggressive” to remove the cancerous lesions surgically After two surgeries, her doctors determined she had clear margins. She was cancer-free.

“If (Cothern) hadn’t made my appointment, if I hadn’t had that first colonoscopy, imagine how many years I would have waited,” Broome said. “The story would have been completely different.” Cothern and Broome still see each other annually for Broome’s wellness visits. But now they also see each other (and text) as friends. Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

stead of music, she asked her surgeon to play LSU’s baseball game in the operating room.

Omaha,” she said.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Andrea Cothern sits in her office at Ochsner Health Center

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have shown that artificial intelligence can reveal brain tumor risks.

Eat Fit LiveFit

–Eat FitInspiring Stories –

My father and the person he chose to become

Whilethiscolumnoftencenters onfood,healthandhabits, well-beingreachesbeyond whatweeatorhowwemove.Italso showsupinhowwelive,howwetreat people,howwemakedecisionsandwhat wechoosetovalueovertime.

Withour“InspiringStories”series, wehighlightindividualswhoselives reflectdifferentexpressionsofwellness. Thismonth,inhonorofFather’sDay, I’msharingsomeoneclosertohome –mydad–whoselifehasshapedmy understandingofwhatitmeanstolive withintention,consistencyandcare.

TheStoryThatStartedItAll Backincollege,Iwaswaitingtables whenawomanrecognizedmylastname. SheaskedifIwasFredKimball’sdaughter. WhenIsaidyes,shetoldmeastoryIhad neverheard.

Atthetime,shewasrentingfrom mydad.Hersonwasdealingwith seriousmedicalissues,andthecostof hismedicationwasoverwhelming.She waspreparingtomoveoutbecause shecouldn’taffordtherent.Whenshe explainedthesituation,mydadtoldher hewouldsetherrentat$1foraslong ashersonneededthemedication.He nevermentionedittome.Ionlyknow becauseshetoldme.

Mydadlosthismotherwhenhewas four.Heandhisbrotherswereraised bytheirfather,wholedwithstructure andauthority,butnotmuchinthe wayofemotionalconnection.Mydad startedfiguringthingsoutonhisown earlyinlife,runningalemonadestand beforehewas10andopeninghisfirst

BY THENUMBERS

restaurantasateenager.He builtalifeearly.Butlikealot ofpeople,hehadtolearn laterhowhewantedtoliveit.

ATurningPoint

Hisfirstmarriageended whenhewasstillyoung.My brotherandsister,Kenny andKristie,wenttolive withtheirmom,anditwasa turningpointformydad.He startedgoingtocounseling andpaidattentiontohow hecommunicated,whathe readandwhohesurrounded himselfwith.Hestartedto shapeadifferentversionof himself–notovernight,but deliberately.Andthenhe livedit

Overtime,hefocusedon hisrelationships,including connectingcloselywith KennyandKristie,andhe stayedclosetothepeople whohadbeenpartofhislife alongtheway.Peoplewho workedforhimdecadesago arestillintouchwithhim. Heattendstheirbirthday partiesandstaysconnected

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

LOUISIANALEADS DECLINE IN U.S. DIVORCERATES

Divorce is down in America, and Louisiana hasthe lowest divorce rate in the country

In 2023, over1.8 million Americans divorced.Additionally,a third of Americans who have everbeen married have also experienced divorce.

Louisiana sawits lowest divorce ratein2022 with 0.7 divorces per 1,000 people.In2023, that rate increased to 0.9 divorces—still the lowest rate in the country, according todata from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The PewResearch Center reportedthat the refined divorce rate in the U.S. peakedaround 1980, at 22.6 divorces per 1,000married women, before falling slightly to 20.5 in 2008. It has fallen more sharply in the past 15 years, to 14.4 divorces per 1,000 marriedwomen in 2023

One reason the divorce rate has declinedis whoismost likely to getmarriedthese days, according to the PewResearch Center.Over time, the married population hasshiftedtoward adults with higher levels of education as people with lowerlevels of education have become less likely to marry.Adults with more education are less likely to divorce, and these shifts have driven down the divorce rate

STUDY

Continued from page1X

Medicine and more.

Importance of REBIRTH

According to Modi, she’d lovetohave 10 women in the Shreveport area participate in the study because the condition is more prevalent and results in more deaths in the South, and she feels they shouldhave alarger percentage of women because of that.

Modi said it’sreally important to have participants because this condition was first identified 100 years ago, and

totheirlives.Tohim,they’renotformer employees—they’refamily Athome,somethingshavealways stayedthesame.ForaslongasIcan remember,hisdaystartswithashort devotionalfromTheUpperRoom.It’sa ritualthatreflectsthewayheapproaches everythingelse:routine-oriented structuredandconsistent.

Thatsameapproachcarriesinto howhetakescareofhimself.He’salways prioritizedeatingwell,stayingactive andtakingcareofhishealth–something Isawgrowingupandstillseenow. It’sabigpartofwhatshapedmypath intonutrition

Mydadisalsohuman.Hecanbe stubborn.He’lltellyouwhenhe’s frustratedornotfeelinghisbest.He’s thefirsttoadmithedoesn’talwayslove change.Buthedoesn’tholdontothings forlong.Heforgivesquickly.Hecomes backtowhatmatters.

HowItShowsUpToday

Inhis80snow(his86thbirthdayis thisweek),heandmystepmom,Pat, arethoughtfulabouthowtheyspend theirtime.Theirdaysarefullwithchurch, friendsandneighbors,volunteeringand stayingconnectedtothepeopleand communitiesaroundthem.

Forme,they’vebeenamodel–notof perfection,butofhowtochoosehow youwanttolive,overandoveragain. That’swhatI’vecometounderstand aboutmydad.

Hedidn’tjustbecomeacertainkind ofperson.Hedecidedtobecomethat person.Andthenhekeptdeciding–and keepsdeciding–everydaysince

Thenumberofdivorcesper 1,000peoplelivinginthe each U.S. statein2023.

Otherreasons fordecliningdivorcerates include adeclineinmarriages, increased access tocouples therapyand pandemicrelateddelays in both marriageand divorce. In the past decade, Louisiana’sdivorcerate has been halved: n 2.2per 1,000 people in 2013; n 2.3per 1,000 people in 2014; n 2.8per 1,000 people in 2015; n 2divorces per 1,000 people in 2016; n 1.9divorces per 1,000 people in 2017; n 1.7divorces per 1,000 people in 2018; n 2.4divorces per 1,000 people in 2019; n 1.4divorces per 1,000 people in 2020; n 2.2divorces per 1,000 people in 2021; n 0.7divorces per 1,000 people in 2022; n 0.9divorces per 1,000 people in 2023.

These states had the highest divorcerates in the U.S. in 2023: n Nevada with 3.8 divorces per 1,000; n Idahoand Wyoming with 3.4 divorces per 1,000; n Oklahomawith 3.3 divorces per 1,000; n Alaska andUtah with 3.1 divorces per 1,000; n Alabama,Arkansas and Florida with 3 divorces per 1,000. These states had the lowest divorceratesin

doctors are still trying to find out what’s causingitand whysome populations,especially Black women, are two to four times more at risk of dying from thecondition.

It’salso important to Modi that potential participants know thatbromocriptineis not an experimental drug and thepatientsare not guinea pigs.

“This medication hasbeen outfor decades,”Modisaid. “Wejust think this medication might have arolenow in this condition.”

Modi said enrollmentfor the clinical trial has been underway for about two years and ends in August,sothey really want more partici-

pantstofinish strong. These patients who enrollwill have follow-ups for three years. The trial is free to those who areparticipating. According to Modi, participants will even be incentivized with$100 gift cards at each follow-up.

LSUHealthShreveport is alsopartofa larger network for women with peripartum cardiomyopathy,and even those who don’tparticipate in theclinical trial can have access to it.

According to Modi,it’s importantthat thetrial gets its 200 desiredparticipants because with this rare condition, there might notbe another chance in the near

Source:Centers forDisease Controland Prevention Staffgraphic

the U.S. in 2023: n Louisiana with 0.9 divorces per 1,000; n Illinois with 1.2 divorces per 1,000; n Kansas with 1.7 divorces per 1,000; n Massachusetts with 1.8 divorces per 1,000; n Iowa with 1.9 divorces per 1,000; n Arizona with 2divorces per 1,000; n Texasand Wisconsinwith 2.1 divorces per 1,000.

future to do another study of this magnitude.

“This is ourchance to understand the diseaseand to bettertreat and find acure

Divorce rates, collectedbythe National Center forHealth Statistics, are based on provisional state counts of divorces. Each divorce,including annulments, is countedinthe state in which the marriagewas legally ended or legally petitioned to end. California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota and NewMexico did not reportdata to the CDC and are not includedinthis dataset.

for these women,” Modi said. To find out how to enroll or get more information, visit peripartumcmnetwork.

pitt.edu.

Email Molly Terrellat molly.terrell@theadvocate. com.

TheLouisiana Health section is focusedonproviding in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This sectionlooks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state andnational health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to livewell.

Health editions will also profi

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Molly’sfather,FredKimball

Men’s health

3

Weknowthatmanyconditionsanddiseasesrespondbetterto treatmentwhenthey’rediagnosedearly.ThisFather’sDay, it’sagoodtimetoremindthemeninourlivesofthe importanceoftakingstepstostayhealthy.

Aprimarycarephysicianservesasahealthcarepartner,providingaconsistent,coordinatedpointofcontactformedicalneeds. Theyhelpmentaketheguessworkoutofstayinghealthy.Here’show:

1 2

Personalized care

Ideally,menshouldvisitaprimarycaredoctoronceayear forannualwellnessexams.Routinewellnessvisitshelpcatch potentialhealthproblemsbeforetheybecomeserious.Regular screeningsforbloodpressure,cholesterolanddiabetescan leadtoearlydiagnosesandmoreeffectivetreatments.

Personalized guidance

Aprimarycarephysiciantracksthepatient’s overallhealthovertime.Theylookatthe fullpicture,includingpersonalandfamily medicalhistory,lifestylefactors,andongoing conditionstooffercomprehensivecare.

Ongoinghealth management

Fromhealthylifestyletipstomanaging medicationsorchronicconditions,a primarycaredoctorprovidestailored advicetohelppatientsstayincontrolof theirhealthateverystageoflife.

Tofindtherightprimarycaredoctor,menshouldlookforaproviderwholistens,communicatesclearlyandunderstandstheiruniqueneeds. Visitochsner.org/primarycaretofindaprimarycaredoctornearyou.

?

What is Aquablation and howdoesit treatbenign prostatic hyperplasia?

Benignprostatichyperplasia(BPH)isamedicaltermforanenlarged prostate.Mostmenwillexperiencethisnoncancerousconditionas theygrowolder.Untreated,itcaninterferewithurination.

DoctorsnowhaveanewapproachtoBPHtreatmentthatcan beusedinlieuofotherprocedures,suchaslasertherapyor traditionalsurgery.Aquablationtherapyisaminimallyinvasive

What

are

the

signs

of depression in men?

Morethan6millionmenintheUnitedStates experiencedepressioneachyear.Somemen maytrytohidetheirdepressionasmanysee depressedmoodsordepressionasaweakness. Thegoodnewsisthathelpisavailable.

Lovedonescansupportthemenintheirlives bybeingonthelookoutforsignsofdepression. Someofthosesignsinclude: Fightingwithhisspouse

Losinginterestinsexorotherformerly enjoyableactivities

Becomingwithdrawnoruncharacteristically uncommunicative

surgicalprocedurethatusesroboticsandahigh-pressurewater jettodestroyandremoveexcessprostatetissue.Sideeffectsare minimal.

In2023,OchsnerHealthbecamethefirsthealthcareorganizati inLouisianatoofferAquablationtherapyforthetreatment oflowerurinarytractsymptomsduetoBPH

Taking action to addressdepression

Establishingasupportsystemoffamilyandfriendstorelyonisoneofthe mostimportantstepsmencantaketohandledepressionanditssymptoms.Herearesomeothersteps:

Seekhelp:Ifyouknowsomethingisn’tright,gettingappropriatetreatmentfordepressionearly onisessentialinpreventingtheconditionfromgettingworse.Startwithaphysicalexamby yourhealthcareprovider.It’simportanttoseekoutaphysician,becausesometimesthesigns ofdepressioncanmirrorsymptomscausedbyothermedicalconditionsormedications.Ifthose possibilitiesareruledout,askyourprovidertoreferyoutoatherapistorpsychiatrist.

Exerciseregularly:Studieshaveshownthatexerciseandlifestylechangescancombatdepression andstressalmostaswellassomemedications.

Evaluateyourlife:Areyouhappyinyourjobandrelationships?Ifnot,whatcanyoudoto improvethem?

Doyourownresearch:Seekinginformationfromreputablesourcescanhelpyoulearnmore aboutdepressionandwhatyoucandoaboutit.Youcandotheresearchinprivate,fromthe comfortofafamiliarsetting.

Considertherapy:Talktherapyandcounselingcanprovidetoolstohelpnavigatelife’schallenges. Havingaconfidentialspacetoexpressyourfeelingsandatrainedprofessionaltoguideyoucan significantlyimproveyourmentalhealth.Visitochsner.org/psychiatrytofindadoctororprovider inyourarea.

Fathers, sons and a FULL CIRCLE

BY JANRISHER Staffwriter

Cole Pham spentyears trying to get his family to Vietnam. Nobody moved. Nearing amilestone birthday,hedrew aline.

“I’m 29,” he told his family.“If I don’tgotoVietnam by my 30th, with or without you guys,I’m goingtohate myself. I’m putting this in motion. You guys can come or you guys can stay.”

More than 50 years had passed since the fall of Saigon and the end of awar that scattered millions of Vietnamese refugees across the world.

Cole’sfather,Peter Pham,was 4 years old that night —carried through the dark onto asmall boat as bombs fell near their villageofPhc Tnh. Back then, Cole’sgrandfather,Luc Pham, was 25. His wife, Loan, was 23. With three small children,for months they had lived withbagspacked,half in theboat, half in the house —waiting for the bombstoget tooclose.

When the shellingstarted,they ran. The family’sfishing boat wastoo small for everyone, so they bought passage on another vessel and left in thedark of night —15people in all, Luc’sfamily and their village priest, the Rev.Joseph Mau Nguyen, who stayed with them the entire journey, through waters where pirates boarded the vessel and took everything they had at gunpoint

For six months they floated from Singapore to thePhilippines andbeyond with no safe harbor. Luc held to one non-negotiable condition: he would not allow his family to be separated. That conditionnearlystranded them.

“There were 15 people,” Peter said, translating his mother’s words across akitchen table in Lafayette. “Too much. No one wants to sponsor 15 people.” Decades later,much of that story had never been spoken aloud inside thefamily.Thosekinds of conversationswerenot apartofthe Phams’ way of life. They still aren’t.

“Wecouldn’thave an intimate conversation with our parents because of culture, because of language,” said Peter,now 55. ButCole, who lives in New York City and works in themusic industry, kept pressing to makethe return trip with hisdad andgrandfather,who live in Lafayette. His 30th birthday,Mardi Gras and Tet—the Vietnamese LunarNew Year —converged in thesameweek in February 2026.Hebooked the flights His father came. So did his grandfather

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JanRisher

Thegifts my father gave

One afternoon when Iwas 17, fornooccasion anyone could name, my father walked into Thomas Great M, afancy little store in our hometown, and bought me apair of lavender jeans and alavender T-shirt to match. He was not aman whoshopped. He was not aman tied to other people’soccasions. But there he wasatthe counter,picking out lavender.I’ve often wondered if one of the nice ladies there helped him pick it out or how he knew what size to buy

That was how my father gave —not on anyone else’sschedule, not on cue, but in sudden bursts of generosity that arrived like weather

My dad passed away in September 2022. This Father’sDay, Ifind myself taking inventory of those gifts. The specific, physical things. Iremember many. He came by his complicated relationship with giving honestly His parents divorced, remarried each other and divorced again —inatimewhen people just didn’tdothat. By all accounts, the Christmases of his Mississippi boyhood werelargely lean and uneasy,with twooranges and somenuts in the stockings.

Except once.

One year,heand his brother received fancy cowboy suits —holsters, hats, the works. That gift waslegendary.Hetold the story his whole lifeand had the picture to prove it.

Ithink about that now,looking over the inventory of his physical gifts to me.

My father repeatedly gave the kind of gifthehad received exactly once.

My mother built Christmas with awhole lot of love and thoughtfulness. It wasn’tfancy,but there were meaningful gifts foreach of us under the tree. Iknow he thought we should be grateful for all this togetherness and bounty Maybe part of him resented all the wayshis children’schildhoods did not resemble his own.

He had no map for that kind of dedication to holidays. So he gave the way he could, when the spirit moved him

He gave me apurple bicycle when Iwas 4and abanana-seat bike with awhite basket when I was6.When Iwas in the ninth grade, he gave me awhite football jersey —areal one —with royal blue bands on the sleeves, the number 1onthe front and RISHER across the back. He gave me awhite warm-up suit with red and blue stripes downthe legs in the spring of eighth grade.

In 1977, he gave me ayellow skateboard formybirthday

Ayear later,when Iwas 14, he insisted Ienter askateboard

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

PROVIDED PHOTO Coach GaryRisher advises quarterback

STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIE WESTBROOK

PeterPhuocPham looksthrough afamily photo album at his parents’ Lafayette home withhis father,Luc Pham.

PROVIDED PHOTO Cole Pham snaps aselfiewith Lien Pham,from back left, Peter Phuoc Pham, Luc Joseph Pham, family friend Jason Ladmirault and the family’s youngest brother,Truong Pham,during avisit to Vietnam in February.

FAITH &VALUES

Shreveport’s oldest Blackchurchcelebrates160 years

BY DONECIA PEA Staff writer

Sunday service at Shreve-

port’soldest Black church looks much different than it did in years past, when the congregation would pack the iconic downtown house of worship for prayer,singing, breaking bread and building community

Now,lifelong and new members of Antioch Baptist sign on via Zoom or meet in different spaces around town as they raise money to fix the interior of their church that has servedas their homebase since it was built in 1903.

Antioch, founded the year after the Civil War, is usedto adapting.

“We’ve enduredslavery,post-slavery,Black codes, redlining,” saidThe Rev. BruceCarroll Sr., the church’spastor.“We’ve endured the Great Depression …the Civil Rights Movement, Yellow Fever,even COVID. So the Black church in particular,has been able to make it over hurdles because we’ve seen this before. It’snot new to us.”

The perseverance of the congregation speaks to its tenure in Shreveport. Antioch is celebrating yetanother milestone this year

And the congregation marked their anniversary right where the church’s story began 160 years ago —atFirst Baptist Church in Shreveport where Black parishioners left to form Antioch in 1866.

“These 73 (formerly enslaved) free people had the courage to step out on nothing and create something,” Carroll said. “They didn’t have abuilding. They didn’t have aplace to worship. They had courage and faith to say ‘Hey,you know,we want to create our own place of worship.’”

Steepedinhistory

Prior to their emancipation, local Black Baptist congregants were only allowed to attend First Baptist Church and sit in segregated sections with limited participation.

“Blacks who attended were basically town slaves and asmall number of free men of color.All of the Blacks sat in traditionally assigned areas suchas the balcony or the extreme rear of the sanctuary,”late historian Willie Burton Sr wrote in “The Blacker The Berry …ABlack History of Shreveport.”

The church was originally named FirstColored Bap-

RISHER

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slalom competitionata nearby park. Iwasn’tcompletely convinced, mainly becauseitmeant getting up so early in the morning, but there was no deterring my father when his mind was set. He drove me to Roosevelt State Park, and the competition turned out to be between about 20 college-aged boys and me. Irode my yellow skateboard down that hill through the conesand beat every one of them. It remains one of the great vic-

tist Churchled by Rev. John Jones as pastor.In1871, the name waschangedtoAntioch Baptist Church. In 1901, nationally renownedShreveport architect N.S. Allen wastapped to designits currentRomanesqueRevival style building located downtown at 1057 TexasAvenue.Construction wascompleted in 1903. And with the help of eight Antioch members, thechurch was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

The 160-year celebration at First Baptistincluded singing, praise, andprayers. Butthere was also apowerful reflection.

First Baptistpastor,The Rev.Jeff Raines, apologized for the actions of his predecessors in his sermon. It touched the heartofAntioch member Anya Jackson

“I really thought thatwas powerful …itwas afull circle moment,”she said Legacy of generations

Of course, Jackson,45, wasn’talivewhenAntioch wasfounded 160 years ago, but it’sbeen apart of her family’shistory herentirelife.

“Myparents tell this story,” shesaid with alaugh. “My momwas pregnant with me and then theyjoined Antioch.”

BobbieJackson and her husband, Walter JacksonJr., were invited by their longtime friend Barbara Matthews Burney,daughter of the late Rev.David Matthews, who servedasAntioch’spastor for nearly 30 years.

Burney and Walter Jackson were co-workers at Huntington High School, “And she kept inviting us to come to her church,”Bobbie Jackson said. “She told us, ‘If you go, you’re going to joinand you’re not going to want to leave.’”

More than fourdecades later,evenafter Burney’s death in 2009, Anya Jackson and her parents still attendevery Sunday Walter Jackson Jr.isone of the church’slongtime deacons and Sunday School superintendent,and their mom Bobbie Jackson has heldnumerous rolesthrough theyears, including Sunday school teacher,choir member and more. “I cook,soI’ve been over the kitchen pretty much since Igot there…And guess what? Istillwork in the kitchen,”she saidwitha laugh. Their children, Anya and Dr.WalterJackson III, 41, were baptized at Antioch while their olderdaughter, Sheros Thomas,who lived in

tories of my life —and my father made it happen Years later,when Iwas 23 and living out West away from home for the first time, apackage arrived from L.L. Bean Insidewas ared flannel shirt. My brothers received them too. Thecard read:

“Hope the kids stay warm.Love, Dad.” Sevenwords. For my father,that was awhole conversation. He kept track of usthe way he knew— warmth from Mississippi, by way of Maine. But the gift Ikeep recalling came at Christmas, of all times,whenIwas 8: a

Lookingahead

Antioch is commonly referredtoasthe “Mother Church” in Shreveport because of other BlackBaptist churches that were birthed from it, including Avenue Baptist, Evergreen Baptist, Trinity Baptist and Union Mission Baptist.

But like many churches across thecountry,Antioch has felt the sting of declining attendance recently.And due to much-needed repairs andrenovationsthat have left the church uninhabitable, followed by the onset of the COVID-19pandemic, Antioch’schurch services went predominantly virtual in 2020 with occasional inperson worship held at various local sites.

more connected than ever and still serving the community,Anya Jackson said.

“That’swhat Ireally love aboutPastorCarroll’sspirit and action. He works hard to maintain(Antioch’s)legacy andisalwaysrepresenting our church and congregation while also getting the community involved,” Anya said.

California at the time,regularlyattendedwhenever she was in town. While they’ve seen members come and go through the years, for the Jackson family,Antioch will always be home. “It’sjust our love for thechurch and thehistory is really special as well as our relationships with thevarious pastors throughout the years,” Anya Jackson said. Carroll,anative of Holly, La.,who has served as Antioch’s17th pastor since he waselected in 2017, said

10-speed English Racer, far toobig for me. After astring of bicycles Ioutgrew almost as fast as he could buy them, he went the other direction. He picked out abike Icould grow into. Abike for the girl Ihadn’tbecome yet. Irode it anyway thatday, on Christmas morning, toobig and all. Irode it to school and all over our side of town for the next eight years,until my family moved away when I was 16. My dad never said much about it.Hedidn’t have to.For eight years, thatbike carried me everywhereIwanted to go. Looking back, Ithink

families like the Jacksons arepartofAntioch’s lasting legacy

“Wehave third and fourth generations that are still a part of Antioch. Ithink that’s what makes it that type of legacy where we’re able to tell the story aboutJesus, his love, his death, burialand resurrection and disciple to others,” he said.“Many people have comethrough Antioch, but because we were the first African American Baptist church in this city,Ithink, holds great weight.”

my father spent alifetime recreating that Christmas morning from his Mississippi boyhood. The cowboy suit.The wonder of it. The feeling of being seen. He gave bicycles and skateboards and football jerseys and lavender jeans He gave them unexpectedly and imperfectly But over and over again, he gave what had meant so much to him: the feeling that, at leastfor amoment, somebody thought you deserved something wonderful.

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

Services also regularly feature guest speakers including those from other denominations and faiths.

But there’sgood news and more change coming.

Because of the church’s historic status, the church was able to secure funding needed to renovate the church facility twoyears ago, “so we’re going through the process of drawing down these funds so thatwecan start work on ourbuilding,” Carroll said.

In spite of all of thechallenges, under Carroll’sleadership, the congregation is

Moving church services to Zoom hasallowedAntioch to reestablish connections with itsout-of-town members, such as Anya’sbrother who nowlives in Baltimore, Maryland, but serves as the Sunday school teacher “Prior to the pandemic, whenwewere going to church in-person, Walter wasn’table to participate because he was away from home, but now with us having virtualservice, he’s able to participate and he actually leadsour SundaySchool,” Anya said. When the house of worship officially opensits doors again, Carroll expects the people filling the pews will look different, too.

“The avenue around this historic building is shifting,” he said. “So even when you talk aboutthe Black church, Antioch will no longer be a church just for Black people because there aren’tjust Black people in the community.Sowehave to talk about being relevant.”

The late Rev. Webster C. West, center,poses with members of the Jackson family,AnyaJackson, from left, Walter Jackson Jr., Bobbie Jackson, Sheros Thomas and Walter Jackson III, at Antioch Baptist Church.

Jan Risher and her brother Robin Risher stand behind their parents, Nelda and GaryRisher in Forest, Miss.,in 2020.

PROVIDED

PHOTO By JULIO NAUDIN

ASKTHE EXPERTS

BR entrepreneur starts podcasttoshare good news

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Michael Hackett, aBaton Rouge guy through and through, has made his impact on Baton Rouge through business, relationships and consulting chief executive officers. After getting fed up with negativity about Baton Rouge, he decided to do something about it, starting apodcast called “Alligator Shoes” to highlight the good things happening in the capital city.Hehas just recorded his 50th episode after nearly ayear of podcasting.

Former owner of Petz Plaza, Hackett sold the business to private equity in 2018. He planned to take it easy for awhile, but he was diagnosed with Stage 3colon cancer and fought it from 2019 to 2020. He invested in the juice company Main Squeeze and bought a franchise in 2019.

In 2021, he started Hackett Consulting, and his wide range of clients include Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge, Our Lady of the Lake RegionalMedical Center,alocal automobiledealership, amortgage lender, aconcierge nursing group and The Baton Rouge Area Chamber His goal is to make Baton Rouge feel like home for those who are moving here from other places. He is married to J.T., who is the executive director of the Companion Animal Alliance, and they have two children, Ford and Estelle. This interview has been edited for length and clarity What makes Baton Rouge unique? It’ssuch awonderful place,and open. People are willingtohelp each other. People who comeonthe podcast say, “It’sabigger city with asmall town feel.” Andthen we have LSU

and Southern, and then Baton Rouge Community College, which is thesecond largest community college in the state. Idon’tthink we’re acol-

lege town. We’re auniversitycity,and I’d like to start using that language. What is the difference between a college town and auniversity city? We’renot acollege town

Q&A WITH MICHAEL HACKETT ENTREPRENEUR

like Auburn or Oxford.

We have amazing healthcare. We have incredible petrochemical industries that are leading the way. We have all these gigantic companies with incredible CEOs that are giving back.

Whydid youcreate the “Alligator Shoes” podcast?

We have all this. What bothers me the mostisthat we have all this, and people are still cynical. Idon’t mind people being angry sometimes, but Idon’tlike the cynicism.

Like, Ilook at KeepTiger Town Beautiful and Clean Pelican, twogroups cleaning up Baton Rouge. They were mad,but instead of getting cynical, they got active.

Iwanted to shine alight on people like that.

Where did you come up with the title forthe podcast?

It’s from asong by Gary Clark called “Baton Rouge.”

What have you learnedfrom your guests on the “Alligator Shoes” podcast?

Ihave learned so much from every single one of my guests. We all have so much in common and yet every story is unique and very personal to everyone.

Somecommon themes are:

n Being kicked in the butt when you need it from a mentor

n Rising and learning from tough moments In life

n Never giving up

n Taking what lifegives you and recognizing opportunities

n Being kind

As it relates to Baton Rouge, every single guest is in love with our city —unconditionally and proud to call this place home. They all recognize how special we are as apeople. It’s obvious. We just need to do somework on ourselves and realize that nothing is out of reach or not attainable.

Howdoes being afathershape your desire to highlight the good things in Baton Rouge?

That’sthe easiest question, because Iwant my kids to know that if they go off to college, they can always come home. If they stay at LSU, it is awonderfulplace, and they can makeawonderful lifehere. If they go off, Iwant to help the city build something to where our kids wanttobe here.

When Iwas akid, my mom and dad said, “Go away to college, but we want you to come home.” Iwent to Ole Miss, and I came back.

Later,I think we fell into athing where it became, “Goawaytocollege and don’t come home.” That was abad step. And now Ihave alot of friends that tell their kids whogoawayto college, “Don’tcome home. When mom and dad retire, we’re coming to join you there.” That’ssuch atalent drain. The challenge in my lifeistochange people’s mentality around that. Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

STEAM STEAM

HarryHurst’s Advanced STEAMLab PreparesStudentsfor Real WorldCareers

At HarryHurst Middle School,students aregaininghands-on experience in engineering, broadcasting,journalism, and technology throughthe school’sAdvanced STEAMLab.Theydesignprojects likecircuitboards and mechanicaldeviceswhilealsoproducing news broadcasts,podcasts,videos,and theschool newspaper

Principal Sean Dwyercredits thelab’ssuccess to communitysupport, includingfunding from Shell. “Whatour students do is amazing,” Dwyersaid. “Shell askedhow it could help,encouraged us to think bigger when we answered, and that support transformed ourSTEAMclassroomintoaninnovative Advanced STEAMLab.” Throughthese uniquelearningopportunities, studentsare discoveringnew passions and preparing forfuturesuccess.Shell’sinvestment is helping open doorsfor thenextgenerationofengineers, creators,and innovators

“I see studentsproblem solvingand accepting taskstheynever thought they could do.Theyare growingasleadersand taking riskslikespeaking in frontofthe entire school or interviewing our principal.”

LINDSAY MAXIE STEAMCoordinator

HarryHurst Middle School

PROVIDED PHOTO

Michael Hackett, right, standswith LSU President Wade Rousse.

LAB

ADVA NCED

Blind veteran uses pottery to mentor others

Ukrainian lost his sight in combat, teaches what he learned in rehabilitation

BY HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

VINNYTSIA, Ukraine

— The two burly men stare straight ahead hands intertwined on a pottery wheel, fingers buried in the clay They sense each other’s presence through touch alone

One is a veteran who lost his sight in combat and now teaches other blind veterans. Slowly, a piece resembling a cup takes form

The instructor, Ivan Shostak, 37, said he has made more than 1,000 such pieces but has never seen a single one. The craft came into his life only after he lost his sight during one of Ukraine’s bloodiest and longest battles.

Making plates, cups, mugs, candle holders and other objects helped him find new meaning in a life upended by trauma What began as a rehabilitation exercise has grown into a business and a mentoring practice for veterans and others.

“I have two kids I have to help through life and show by my own example that you have to fight for your life,” Shostak said. No family

Shostak rejoined the army in the early years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, not joining right away since he wanted to be there for his second son’s birth. He previously fought in eastern Ukraine after the conflict broke out in 2014.

His second tour lasted a few months. While fighting in the battle of Bakhmut in March 2023, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded just above his head. The blast destroyed his eyes Besides blindness, he also had a concussion a traumatic brain injury and displaced vertebrae in the neck.

He said the real ordeal began at home. His wife at the time could not endure it. She left him alone with his new challenges

“There was a family, and after the injury there was no family,” Shostak said. But his parents

FULL CIRCLE

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At 76, Luc is frail nearly blind and moves slowly, but he wanted to see family he hasn’t seen in decades — and to visit his father’s grave.

Generations of eldest sons On Lunar New Year, Feb. 17, they gathered at Luc’s father’s grave near the village where the family had lived There, they saw photos of the six generations of eldest sons. For the Vietnamese relatives who had not left, meeting Cole carried a significance that needed no translation.

“My mom is the oldest in her family My dad is the oldest in his family,” Peter said. “Both my grandfathers were the oldest of their families. I’m the oldest of mine. Cole is the next to carry the Pham name to carry on the name and the legacy.”

Two days later, on Cole’s 30th birthday, Peter wrote a short tribute in a blend of English and Vietnamese.

“Cháu ích tôn — the eldest son of the eldest son — entrusted to honor our ancestors and carry our family legacy forward. Six generations of first-born sons in our family from black-and-white photos to today Happy 30th Cole — our cháu ích tôn.” The road to those graves ran through Louisiana.

Smurf Village

In October 1975, with Nguyen’s help, the family moved to Louisa, a small community in St. Mary Parish all 15 sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. With Nguyen as the priest they lived in buildings on the church’s property, amid the sugar cane fields — a place the children called “Smurf Village.”

“That’s what we were watching, I guess,” Peter said. “The Smurfs lived in a secluded area, and we felt like we lived in a secluded area away from civilization. It was just us, our com-

stayed close, supporting him.

Total darkness

He spent half a year bedridden, dulling the pain with medication. The despair was harder to manage. No pills could ease that.

A fellow soldier home on leave came to his aid, taking him to a local rehabilitation center for people who had lost their sight. Within a month, staff taught him to use a phone and a cane and to handle daily life.

“It turned out you could live even in total darkness,” Shostak said.

One day, he and others from the center were invited to visit a pottery workshop, where he made his first plate. “And after that came the thrill that I could still do something,” he recalled

He began attending classes regularly and later sold his work.

He became an instructor after the first “Pottery in the Dark” project, supported by Sweden and the U.N. Development Program, in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine. The program helps veterans who lost their sight, including in the war

Then he launched his business.

Shostak has three others on his team who help him sell his pottery, mostly through his Instagram page. He keeps no strict schedule, working according to his mood in a workshop that his older brother, also a soldier, set up for him in his apartment.

“Clay is that kind of material, and pottery is that kind of work, where if you feel bad, there’s nothing to do here. It won’t come out at all. Everything breaks, comes out crooked,” he said “Only when you feel good, you sit down, you work, and it all turns out great.”

The later stages happen in another workshop, where he gets help with firing and glazing. But he chooses every color himself, guided by his imagination.

Each piece bears the emblem of the air assault forces he served in — a dome, wings and a sword — with the motto “Nobody but us” and his name on the side.

A veteran teaches a veteran

Roman Shtohryn, director of the Podillia rehabilitation center in Vinnytsia, said six of the 11 project participants who completed the pottery training already earn an income from it. All but one are

veterans.

“We planned all this so it would turn into a business,” Shtohryn said.

Pottery serves multiple functions, he said. The first is psychological: A person concentrates on something, stops thinking about problems and stays in a kind of flow in the moment. Second, working with clay yields an immediate result.

At the rehabilitation center, Shostak works with fellow veteran Viacheslav Sadovskyi, 47.

“All good? Hands working?” Shostak asked, laughing, before reaching for Sadovskyi’s hands. He guided them toward the wheel.

“There, I can feel it,” said Sadovskyi, who had served in the military since the start of Russia’s invasion. In 2024, a drone exploded near him, damaging the left side of his face and forcing him to undergo five surgeries.

Shostak directed him telling him how to press the clay and from which side, his hands never leaving Sadovskyi’s.

“It matters that a veteran teaches a veteran,” the director Shtohryn said. “We’re equals. We understand and support each other.”

munity with the big church surrounded by sugar cane fields.” Luc found work as a welder, earning minimum wage to support a family of five. Layoffs came. “Whatever work came, we did it,” Luc said through Peter’s translation. “Nineteen dollars a week If we didn’t need it, we didn’t buy it. If we did not work, no one would give anything to us.”

Sustained by faith Loan woke most mornings at 2:30 a.m. and rode in a van

on wooden benches with a dozen other women to a crab processing plant, where she worked 10- to 12-hour days. She came home with hands raw and cut from crab shells and cooked for her family some days scraping the rice from the bottom of the pot so her children and husband could eat first. Through the years, her Catholic faith sustained her “We believe in God,” Loan said through her son’s translation. “Whatever we do, we pray We pray for what we want. If we want it, we pray

for it.”

In the afternoons, when the children came home after the 45-minute bus ride from Glencoe Elementary in Franklin, Nguyen rang the church bell.

They went straight from the bus into the church.

“We prayed all the time,” Peter said.

Eventually he said, he and his younger siblings figured out how to live between Vietnam at home and America at school.

“Somehow through the grace of something — my

mom would say through the grace of God — we picked it up and ran with it,” he said.

From the start of their education, Peter, the oldest of six children, signed his and his siblings’ report cards.

Just before he began high school, his middle brother, Tho, drowned near their home while playing in a canal.

“I remember asking God why He had not taken me instead,” Peter wrote. “I was the oldest.” That next year in high school, he continued to do his best in academics.

But it was football that saved him in many ways.

At 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds playing for Franklin High, he became the shortest and smallest kid on Louisiana’s All-State team.

“It showed me I can do whatever I put my mind to,” he said. “At that time, that was the highest mountain I could climb. I climbed it.”

He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and became a coach and educator, spending 26 years in schools in Lafayette Parish. He and his wife, Johanna, built REACH, an educational and childcare business that serves nearly 1,000 children each year Their daughter, Claire, lives in Los Angeles and works in the fashion industry

Going home

Luc spent most of the February trip back to Vietnam at his oldest sister’s house in Ho Chi Minh City surrounded by his siblings. He was too tired and too unsteady to travel.

“He was a very tired man going home for what is likely the last time,” Cole said.

Peter and Cole, along with other family and friends who made the trip, went to the beach at Vung Tau, where the family had launched into the dark on April 30, 1975.

Peter stood there and tried to picture that night.

“Visualizing how my parents would have felt that day — that we end up in the darkness, setting sail out there,” Peter said. “It’s the

most courageous thing they could have ever done.”

‘Eating pho in a different place’

Cole said that when he was out and about in Vietnam with his four friends from New York, he was the Vietnamese link.

When he was with his family or on his own, he was the American.

“Vietnam is a place. Being Vietnamese is a feeling,” he said. “If I wasn’t there with my family, it would’ve just felt like I was eating pho in a different place.”

Much in the family still goes unsaid.

Not, Peter said, because the love isn’t there.

Peter is not a man who cries easily, but when considering how his parents’ sacrifice lives in him now, his voice broke.

“They put everything on the line for us to succeed and survive,” he said. “They never told us that every day They just showed us.”

From the five who arrived in 1975 — Luc, Loan and their three children, with nothing but green cards and Social Security numbers — like so many other Vietnamese families in Louisiana, the Phams have grown into something they could not have calculated the night they ran toward the water

All five children graduated from college among them two military veterans, a physicist, a pharmacist, a medical records administrator, a supply chain management director and an educator

Four grandchildren followed. Two are serving in the United States Air Force. Two built careers in Los Angeles and New York. Peter put it plainly in the note he wrote from Vietnam, on his son’s 30th birthday, in the country he left at 4 and cannot remember:

“This is what happens when parents plant a tree knowing they may never sit in its shade — but believing their children will.” Cháu ích tôn.

Ivan Shostak, left, a blind Ukrainian war veteran, walks down the street with Anastasia Lanina, a UNDP community development officer

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

A wedding photo of Loan Do Pham, top left, taken with her mother-in-law about four years before she left Vietnam with her husband, Luc Joseph Pham, is displayed in a photo album with other photos of the Phams taken over the years in the United States.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By EVGENIy MALOLETKA

Ivan Shostak, left, a blind Ukrainian war veteran trains his blind comrade Viacheslav Sadovskyi, right, to make a clay plate on a pottery wheel in a workshop at a rehabilitation center in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, on May 21.

SUNDAY, JUNe 21, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — decrePit: dih-KREPit: Wasted and weakened; impaired by use or wear

Average mark 45 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 63 or more words in DECREPIT?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

JeFFrey diTon & KaTie

goren Bridge

Young star

South in today’s deal was Espen Lindqvist, from Norway

Atthetimethisdealwasplayed, he was fresh out of the junior ranks. This deal is from a pairs competition where overtricks are vital. The contract was an easy one. Would there be an overtrick?

Lindqvist won the opening club lead with dummy’s jack, led a diamond to his ace, and led the jack of spades West covered with the queen, dummy won with the ace, and Lindqvist led another spade. East rose with his king to lead the queen and another diamond. Lindqvist ruffed, led a club to the king, and a spade back to his 10.

This was the position:

would simply duck a heart into East. East shed a low club, so Lindqvist cashed the ace of clubs before leading a heart, covering whatever heart West played. East won but had to lead a heart into dummy and Lindqvist made two overtricks. Nicely played!

Lindqvist led the nine of spades and East was stuck for a discard. A heart discard and Lindqvist

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Set goals, but be honest with yourself regarding what you can and can’t handle. Don’t hesitate to call in an expert or downsize plans. Pay attention to those you love.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Speak and act passionately. Show your concern, and make suggestions. Listen carefully and work as a team player; successwillbeyours.Alittlecharmwill go a long way Learn from experience.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Strive for personal and financial growth. Use yourmemoryandintelligencetooutmaneuver anyone who challenges

you. Consider different applications for your knowledge, experience and physical skills. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Be careful what you share. Someone will be quick to replace what you say with their own interpretation. If you plan to implement change, then oversee every aspect to avoid costly mistakes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) An open mind will help you understand possibilities. Participating in an event that offers insight and a unique perspective regarding what you can do to help will bring you in contact with someone of interest.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay more attention to how you look and feel and to fine print and details surrounding financial obligations, contracts and medical issues. Certain projects will be time-consuming.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It’s up to you to set high standards and to create opportunities Set your sights on what excites you most, and use your intelligence, connections and energy to outperform anyone who tries to compete with you

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your paperwork in order and any unfinished business to rest Lowering stress is a surefire way to improve

health and get back to the best version of yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Participating in conversations and events that bring you in contact with people from different backgrounds will spark your imagination and encourage you to rethink how you want to move forward. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t deny yourself the right to explore, create and find your happy place. Dance to the beat of your own drum while engaging in playful activities that spark your imagination.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Size up your situation and your schedule,

and rearrange your calendar to meet your demands. The plan is to ease stress and tension and to set boundaries with those who eat up your time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Don’t deny yourself the chance to pick up additional skills to accommodate what you want to pursue. Change begins with you. Take pride in what you do, and reach for the stars.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

1. Canada. 2. Brazil. 3. Ireland.4.Finland. 5. Cuba 6. Spain. 7. Panama. 8. Denmark. 9. Paraguay 10.Bangladesh.11. Netherlands. 12. Madagascar 13. Andorra. 14. Peru. 15. Armenia.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Dad is, and always will be,myliving,breathing superhero. —Bindi Irwin

CrosswordAnswers sCrAbble

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend

/bySteve Kelley&JeffParker