The Times-Picayune 06-21-2026

TRUMPTHREATENS TO CHARGE U.S. TOLLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ 8A

LAYO LANDBR

Plan wouldrestore vitalc

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

Out on the far fringes of New Orleans,alone chunk of land stands guard against an invadingarmyofcontemporary threats.

Those threats no longerinvolve invading British warships —the reason the now-crumbling Fort Pike was 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 levelrise and erosion. The problem? That land is gradually disappearing

The state’slong struggle to maintain whatisknown as theEastOrleans Landbridge, which divides Lake Pontchartrain, Lake St. Catherine and Lake Borgne, is costly and painstaking. But it is now in line for an important boost withwhat wouldbethe largestrestorationproject yetfor thelandbridge.

Aplan to restore the equivalent of roughly 1,000 football fields of wetlands ata cost of $101 million is movingtoward final approval. The project would be paid for with funds related to the 2010 BP oilspill, 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 onlyone portion of afar larger stretch of land and marsh that is underthreat every minute.

“You can look at amap and see how criticalitistoseparating thewaters. Restoringthe marsh will giveita longer lifespan so it canserve that important purpose.” APRIL NEWMAN, projectmanager forthe state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

The Rev.Kurt Young says nothing is off-limits, but treads carefully around hot topics. Deacon Eddy Beckendorf works to makeitrelatable, such as telling the story about the time he got hit by atruck. And MonsignorKeith DeRouen is astickler forthe eight-minute rule.

“Butsometimes fourisbetter,” DeRouen said. “C’mon, you know the listening capacity of mostpeople. If you’re just making onepoint,you don’thaveto say it 16 times.”

Different clergy,different tips forinspiring 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, andwhatit’s going to mean not only to the

ä See SERMONS, page 6A

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

See PLANT, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

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, reparations

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

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.

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.

LANDBRIDGE

Continued from page 1A

But it is important nonetheless, coastal officials and advocates say, allowing the state to at least temporarily turn back the tide in one area of a vital location.

“You can look at a map and see how critical it is to separating the waters” of the three lakes, said April Newman, project manager for the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority which is carrying out the plan.

“Restoring the marsh will give it a longer lifespan so it can serve that important purpose.”

Out on the island

The entire landbridge has been described as some of the most important land in all of south Louisiana. That has to do with its location

Drivers used to the journey all the way down U.S 90, or Chef Menteur Highway, are familiar with it. Past where the levee system ends and across the old swing bridge over Chef Pass, it suddenly feels more like Grand Isle than Louisiana’s biggest city Elevated camps line the narrow strip between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake St. Catherine, an area locals refer to as “the island.” On the far end, the road leads to a newer bridge over the Rigolets pass and then St. Tammany Parish. The island and surrounding marsh all make up the landbridge. It is estimated to protect some 1.5 million people in the New Orleans area from storm surge, on both sides of the lake.

Losing it would allow Gulf waters to roll in with little resistance, threatening the area’s levee system. It would also drastically change the Lake Pontchartrain estu-

ary’s brackish ecosystem forever Erosion, subsidence, sea level rise and hurricanes have long been peeling away at the landbridge, similar to most of Louisiana’s coastline. One section of it is estimated to have lost about 110 acres of marsh since 1956.

The state’s coastal master plan lays out a larger strategy for restoring 29,000 acres at a cost of $1.1 billion

Smaller restoration projects have occurred in the past.

The project currently in line for approval focuses on an area on the northeastern end, lining the gradually widening Rigolets, the pass that leads from Lake Pontchartrain to Lake Borgne, the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf.

Newman says that roughly half of the project area is already underwater The shoreline in that area could retreat by another 95 feet by 2043 if no action were taken, the project proposal says.

Through cost-benefit analysis, consideration of duck hunting leases and other factors, the state crafted a plan that would restore 1,320 acres with sediment from nearby Lake St. Catherine. The sediment would amount to around 5 million cubic yards, which would overflow

the Superdome.

The project would also include shoreline protection along the Rigolets in the form of permeable containers with limestone to help prevent erosion. Native vegetation including cordgrass and roseau cane would be planted atop the sediment.

Trustees overseeing BP dollars must give final approval to the plan, which Newman expects to occur in October Construction could then begin in the fall of 2027 and could last around three years.

Like all such projects, its designed lifespan will be two decades.

‘Really important’

At Rigolets Marina, a launching point for crowds of area fishermen, owner Lester Ralph said he was glad to see any type of marsh restoration But he questioned how long it would last and proposed his own idea: Use the existing rail line farther out and into Mississippi to construct a protective berm and floodgates to keep water from moving in during storms.

“If you did all that and focused it at your outer boundary rather than focusing on inner boundaries, then you would protect everything,”

Ralph, 78, said inside the el-

evated shop at his marina, overlooking the 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 should the state build? Which ones are actually feasible and achievable? How much money will Louisiana have to spend on them?

The BP funds cannot be used for coastal protection projects, only restoration, since the money is designated to repair what the spill harmed. That money will also expire by 2032, though projects already in the works by that time will continue.

Among coastal advocates, the landbridge has long been a priority and the new plan is a welcome sign.

The Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition, which has long advocated for landbridge restoration, has distributed a letter in support of the project with

more than 100 signatures from community leaders, businesspeople, activists and politicians.

Amanda Moore, who is 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 the landbridge. She has been among those seeking to draw attention to the need for restoration in recent years.

“It is critical for storm surge reduction, for the hydrology and the salinity maintenance of the area, for wildlife habitat, and so it serves a lot of really important functions,” Moore said.

“Having that be maintained and be restored is critical to protection for all the communities around Lake Pontchartrain.”

STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD

Lane Sisung, aconsultant who works for the Louisiana Public Service Commission andregularlyanalyzes utilities’ proposals, filed testimony rebutting Entergy’s proposal earlier this month.

Sisung raised arange of concerns: The plantis22years old, has reliability issues that will require hundreds of millions in spending by Entergy and was acquired afew years ago by its private equity owners for far less than what Entergy plans to payfor it. And, he wrote, the need for power exists “principallyby the Meta-related ramp period rather than by general system load growth.”

The filing represents a rare potential roadblock to Entergy and Meta, who have wonnear-totalsupport forthe massive buildout of data centers and power plants from Louisiana’s Republican elected leaders. In recent months, Gov. Jeff Landry’sadministration has set aside millions in incentives for Meta and the PSChas fast-tracked Entergy’splans for powering the data center

Both aMetairie Republican and aBaton Rouge Democrat on the PSC are raising concerns aboutthe deal, citing high costs and the PSC consultant’sfinding that it’s largely only needed because of Meta. Other PSC members did not return messages for thisstory

The report comes on the heels of aWhite House meetingthis March, when President Donald Trump had major tech executives sign a pledge promising that their companies would pay for their own power needs when building data centers, inabid to stave off rising public outrage about high electric bills. Meta rebuffed claims that it was violating the pledge, saying Entergy wouldfile a response to Sisung’sanalysis in July.And the company emphasized that it is spending billions to cover itsown power needs for the data center campus, arguing it will save

customersmoney in thelong run.

“This consultant’sreport is inaccurate speculation given thefacility willprovide power to multiple Entergy customers andEntergyplanned to acquireit before Meta decided to build in Louisiana,” Meta spokesperson Francis Brennan said in astatement.

“Meta pays its own way,both forthe powerand newinfrastructure we use. Ouragreement with Entergy is built to guaranteewepay those costs, not Louisianans.”

Entergy’sfirst mention of buying Cottonwood in PSC filings came when it asked to purchase the facilityinDecember.The company said Cottonwood’sowner made an “unsolicited offer” to Entergy in January of last year

“It’s kind of gobsmacking,” said Logan Burke, head of the Alliancefor Affordable Energy,anonprofit that advocates on behalf ofratepayers and hasbeen critical of theMeta deal.“This is asidedoor acquisition to serve Meta with no Meta promise behind it.”

Sisung recommended that thePSC reject Entergy’srequesttorecover costsassociatedwith buying theplant from customers. Instead, he saidMeta shouldpay for the plant if the commissiondecides that it’sneeded to fill capacity gaps caused by Meta’s data center Documents filed by Entergyshow that if approved, acustomerusing 1,250 kilowatt-hours amonth, roughly theaverage for Louisiana customers, would pay $8.65 amonthtopay for theplant. In the summer,customers would be hit with higher chargesasconsumption increases. For instance, Entergy’sdocumentsshowacustomerusing 2,000 kWh would pay nearly $13 more amonth.

Entergyspokesperson Brandon Scardigli said in a statement thatEntergy will address claims about Cottonwood “through the regulatory process,” and noted the Public ServiceCommissionwill ultimately decide whether it’s in the public interest.Hesaid it’sinthe “preliminary stage.”

He added that Entergyhas been projecting capacity

deficits starting in 2027 since well before Meta announced plans for its data center here.

He pointed to the company’s 2023 resource plan, initially filed in 2021, which did not mention Cottonwood by name but forecast a510-megawatt energy shortfallin2027, growing to morethan 5,000 megawatts in the 2040s.

“No single customer is driving this acquisition,”hesaid.

“This facility is the best optionfor all Louisiana customers. The demand for power across the state hasaccelerated consistently and significantly for anumber of years —from the needs of residential customerstolargerprojects in LNG, steel and other industrialand petrochemicaldevelopment across the state.”

It’s still notclear what action thePSC will take on the matter, which is being litigated in a“docket” between PSC consultants and Entergy.A hearing is setfor September and Entergy wants approval by November

Aspokesperson for the PSC declined to make Sisung available for an interviewor answer questions.

Significant profits

Thedeal would notonlybe awin for Entergy and Meta. The seller stands to make a significant profit.

The Cottonwood plant was tossedaround between several owners for years until 2023, whenAtlas Holdings, aprivate equityfirmbased in Connecticut, bought Cottonwood and several other power plantsfromCleco for $600 million.

Intheinterveningyears,the market for power changed dramatically.Arush of data centers has caused afeeding frenzy in theelectric power sector,causing the price of building anew natural gas plant to skyrocket

Now,Atlas is planning to sell Cottonwood for $1.4 billion to Entergy,filings show That’sabout $1 billion more than the underlying value of the facility,Sisung’stestimonyshows. Entergy would spend more than $300 million on acquiring and upgrading theplant, bringing thetotal cost to $1.8billion.

PSC memberEric Skrmetta, aMetairie Republican who has supported thedata center projects, said the sale price is “taking advantage of the moment.” He said he doesn’tsee areason to consider approving the deal unless Meta pays for it

“The Atlasguysthink they’ve gotsomething that’s worth more than it is,” Skrmettasaid. “They’re going to try to get as much for it as they can. Good luck to them. That doesn’tmean we’re going to do it.”

Entergyexecutive Laura Beauchamp wrote in company filings that the premium is reasonable given thedifficultyand “rapid escalation in costs” associated with buying or building new natural gasfired power plants. She wrote that new-build gasplantsbeing putinto service in 2030 are forecast to cost 65% more than projects comingonline today

The rush to build data centers has sent demand for power soaring, and utilities

filed for nearly 24 gigawatts of gas-fired power across the country last year,a570% increase compared to 2023, according to areport from BloombergNEF.One gigawatt can power about 750,000 homes, andCottonwood generates about 1.3 gigawatts.

Sisung suggested the price tag is theresult of a“scarcity premium.” But he argued that the value being extracted fromthe transaction “far exceeds” thelimit of what regular ratepayers shouldbe asked to shoulder.And those “scarcity conditions” are primarily the result of Meta’s huge powerneeds forits data center,hewrote.

“Less thanthreeyearsafter affiliates of Atlas acquired the entire Cleco Cajun generation portfolio forapproximately $600 million, Louisiana customers are being asked to fund approximately$1.43 billionfor Cottonwood alone (and) invest at least $300 million for additional rehabilitation capital,” Sisung wrote.

The amount thatwould be chargedtoregularcustomers from the deal also raises “serious concerns,” he added.

Reliability problems

Entergy’sstock pricehas soared as Meta and Amazon build data centers in north Louisiana whileindustrial customers build energyintensive plants in south Louisiana.

Scardigli, theEntergy spokesperson, said Cottonwood would give the com-

pany immediate capacity as Louisiana sees huge growth in power needs. “The resource is expected to support all customers on thesystembyhelping meet near-term capacity needs and reducing the risk of supply shortfalls,” he said. Butthe plant also hasreliability problems, filings show.The facility recently had “catastrophic transformer failures,” according to Sisung. Due diligence done by Entergy found equipment condition problems, major rehabilitation projects and reliability concerns.

Burke noted that Atlas, the private equity seller, could double its money on its purchase of Cleco’spower plants through one sale. If the deal goes through, there would be $672 million in stranded costs, or money still owed on the deal when the plant is no longer operational. Burke said customers would shoulder the costs.

PSC memberDavante Lewis said he wants to see the case litigated instead of settled so Entergy cananswer the questions raised by PSC consultants.

“When the commissionapproved Meta, it wasalways clear there wasgoing to be more generation needed to fully serve their load,” said Lewis, aBaton Rouge Democrat. “This request brings a lotofquestions abouthow we materialize that and continue to protect ratepayers.”

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.”

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

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.

“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 probably 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. His message on homilies runs parallel to one of the

“(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

Monsignor

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 Lafayette, 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.

WESTBROOK

The Rev. Kurt young who teaches homiletics

Seminary

Besides not going over 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.

“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 “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.

ANon-surgical, Drugless method of RelievingPain

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SEEWHATSOMEOFOUR

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Youwillsit with thedoctorone on onetogooveryour x-rays,and you’ll gettosee everything firsthand. At LeBlancSpine Center,our goal is to help youlive pain-freeand return to theactivitiesyou love.Wegenuinelyenjoy meetingwithpatients, answeringquestions, andshowing firsthandhow spinal decompressioncan be alife-changing solution.Ifyou’vebeenlivingwith back or neck pain,weinviteyou to schedule aone-ononeconsultationand experience what sets ourclinic apart-personalized attention, proventechnology, and compassionatecare. Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything Youdon’t have to go on living in pain-Callustoday! 225-763-9894

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Trumpthreatens to charge U.S. tollsinStraitofHormuz

Iran hasclosedstrait becauseofIsrael’s attacksinLebanon

BY KAREEM CHEHAYEB,BASSEM MROUE andMUNIRAHMED Associated Press

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

CO IN T MI EAST

U.S.-Iran talksthat keymediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.

Esmail Baghaei said. If they are not, “the memorandum of understanding as awhole will be jeopardized.”

Congress asking whether the war was worth it.

NFLICT HE DDLE AST

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response, threatened to impose Americantolls in the crucial waterwayifafinal deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for “services rendered as the GuardianAngeltothe countries of the Middle East.” His social media post underscored that theagreementcalls fortoll-free travel for 60 days. The announcementsindicated arough starttotechnical-level

U.S. Vice President JD Vance leftfor Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TV posted video showing Iran’snegotiators arriving there. They include parliamentary SpeakerMohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign MinisterAbbas Araghchi and central bankand oil officials, among others. The deal callsfor billions of dollars of Iran’s assets to be unfrozen Talkswere meant to start Friday, but the Iranians initially canceled their plans to attend because of escalating fighting in Lebanon.

Negotiators for theU.S. and Qatar, with help from Iran, worked outan agreementbetween Israel and Hezbollah to tamp down hostilities, accordingtoU.S.and regionalofficials who spoke on the condition of anonymity Vance told reporters he would be in Switzerland “for aday or two” but was optimistic on makingprogress.

Negotiations toward afinal agreementwillbegin once key commitmentsare upheld, Iranian ForeignMinistry spokesperson

Strait againposes challenge

Butthe strait has emerged again as afocus. Iran’s joint military command said it was closed because of the U.S. “clear breach of itscommitments” by failing to end thewar.The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts.

The U.S.disputedIran’sannouncement “Irandoes not control theStrait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow,and U.S. forces are monitoring the situationtoensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, aspokespersonfor U.S Central Command. The military said that 55 merchantships transited Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

The global economybraced for moreuncertainty

Ships began transiting after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week, amilestone that left plenty of questions unanswered. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’sportsand now allows Tehran to sellits oilfreely —terms that haveleft some in U.S.

Vanceearlier confirmed that top negotiatorsJared Kushner and Steve Witkoffwere already in Switzerland andworking through technicaldetails of anticipated negotiations on Iran’snuclear program. Theinterim deal givesnegotiators60days to reach anuclear agreement, but the issue is intricate and the time can be extended.

Israeliattacks kill 16

AHezbollah official told The Associated Press that Iraninformed the militant group that Tehran won’treopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a“comprehensive ceasefire”inLebanon and an end to military operationsthere. The officialspoke on conditionofanonymity because he wasn’tauthorized to speak publicly

An Israeli military official, speaking on conditionofanonymity in line with regulations, later said that the military had received “updated directivesfrom the political echelon to cease fire.” The official said that the military is operating in adefensive mannerin Lebanon,which includes the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks.

The official also said that five Israelisoldiers hadbeen killedinthe past 48 hoursinsouthern Lebanon. EarlierSaturday,Israelistrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there.

The death toll in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war hassurpassed 4,000, Lebanon’shealth ministry later announced.

An Israeli military official said that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. Israel’sarmysaid that it struck dozens of Hezbollahtargets and militants.

On Friday,the Israeli ambassador to Washington,Yechiel Leiter,saidthatIsrael “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities. Neither Israelnor Hezbollahare 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 any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing fromLebanon.

Trump’sfears abouteconomy undercut U.S. leverage in Iran talks

BY MAGDALENA DEL VALLE

Bloomberg News (TNS)

President Donald Trump said the prospect of global economic collapse was abig reason he signed an interim peacedeal with Iran. That admission exposes akey U.S. weakness heading into the next round of talks with Tehran. The memorandum of understanding that Trump signed on Wednesday reopened the Strait of Hormuz and set in motion waivers for sanctions on Iran’soil sales to the international market. The effect was immediate:

Theprice of oil tumbled further and U.S. stocks rose.

“I didn’t want to see economic catastrophe,” Trump said at anews conference in Evian, France, on Thursday “If you kept this going, that could’vehappened.”

Thatacknowledgment undercuts the U.S. negotiatingposition as the twosides plan to open talks in SwitzerlandonSunday. Under the deal, they have 60 days to discuss imposing limits on Iran’snuclear program and granting Iran economic relief. Knowingthat Trump will be reluctant to restart the military campaigneases

the pressure for Iran to end thetalks quickly

The pressure on the U.S. may only getworse. Aprolonged conflict could trigger the deepestglobalslowdown in 40 years. At home, the war in Iran has proved deeply unpopular, with 56% of Americanssaying it has impacted U.S. interests more negatively thanpositively, according to apoll from the University of Maryland.

“Taken as awhole, the 14 points in the MOU put Tehran in astrong negotiating position as the two sides tackle thenuclear file,” said Chris Kennedy,the economic

TrumpdustupwithItalian PM deepens

BY SEUNG MINKIM 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 aplanned trip to the UnitedStates as Meloni’s government lined up in her defense.

“Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over,for apicture with me during the G-7 meetingin France,” Trump wrote on his socialmedia platformwhile

spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat. He misspelled her 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, sayinginastatement to Trump that “theseconstant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.”

“Asfor my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’snational interest, and that is exactlywhat Ihave alwaysdone,” Meloni said in apost on Instagram She addedthat “inany case, my popularity is none of your concern. Isuggestyou focusonyours.”

Trump’sinitial comments were aired Friday on the La7 network. Acorrespondent had asked the president aboutUkraine,but Trump raised Meloni and made the claim about the photo. Trump said he was not obliged to take the picture withher but that he felt sorry for herand agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster put adubbed version of the conversation online,but not theoriginal English audio.

In his post, Trump also complained thatMeloni would not allow the U.S. to use Italy’slanding strips or runways during theIran war Italy, akey logisticshub for the U.S., declined in March to allow American bombers headed for the Middle Easttouse abase in Sicily withoutparliamentary approval. It wasadecision reflecting constitutional constraints andstrong domestic opposition to the war.Meloni has insisted that anyuse of Italianbases for offensive operations would require parliamentary backing.

statecraft lead at Bloomberg Economics and aformer State Department official. Theproblem forthe U.S. is that thedeal was skewed in Iran’s favor,giving the country broad gains before the next round of talks even begin. ABloomberg Economics analysis of the

14-pointagreement found that 10 pointsfavored Iran versus just one advantaging theU.S withthe other three being neutral.

Under the memorandum, the U.S. is settogrant sanctionswaivers forIranto restart oil exports immediately and open the door for

eventually ending all sanctionsprograms as part of the 60-day negotiations. Iran also gets a$300 billion development program to help with reconstructionafter the conflict. The U.S. concessions have alreadyprompted pushback and anger from Republican lawmakers.

AwastecollectionsystemwidelyusedacrossCanadaand EuropeismakingitswayintoLouisiana,offeringbusinesses public facilities andresidential communitiesacleaner andmoreefficientalternativetotraditionaldumpsters Subcontain,asemi-undergroundwastestoragesystem is working with BatonRouge entities on potentialpilot projects Thecompany’slong-termplansincludeexpanding itsservicesthroughoutthecapitalcityandeventuallyinto otherLouisianacommunities.

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Overall,Subcontaincustomerscanreducetheiroperationalexpensesbyabout 30 percentand reduce their storageand serviceareabyabout 90 percentcompared totraditionaldumpsters Therearealsomoreoptionsforcustomization.Customers canhaveasayinthevisualappearanceofthesystemaswell as thefrequency of pickups. We workindividuallywith eachcustomertounderstandtheirpreferencesandneeds What types of customersorindustriesinLouisianadoyou think wouldbenefitthe most from Subcontain? Restaurants,officeparks,shoppingcenters,apartment complexes,hospitals,schools,parksystems.Thiscouldalso beusedforplannedresidentialcommunities.Essentially, Subcontain worksanywherethatyou need alocationto consolidatewaste from multiplesources.Any placethat currentlyusesdumpsters to collectwaste canbenefit from ourSubcontainbins. They canhandleanything youtypicallythrowinatrashbag,andwealsomakewet bins specificallyfor restaurants, sincetheyhavespecific typesofwaste HowwelldoSubcontainsystemsperforminvariousweatherconditions? Subcontainbinsareinstalledallovertheworldinvarious climates,fromCanadatoAmsterdam They canhandle everythingfromextremecoldtohighheatandhumidity Mosthavebeeninuseforover20yearswithnoissues They arealsodesignedtohandle flooding, as thebagssimply floatoutofthebinintactwiththewastecontained.With traditionaldumpsters floodingcancauseindividualpieces oftrashtofloataway,creatingahugemess. WhatkindoffeedbackhaveyouheardfromSubcontaincustomers in otherareas? Everycustomerthathasmadetheswitchhassaidthe samething:‘Whydidn’twestartdoingthissooner?’.Once peoplemaketheswitch,theyneverwanttogoback.There’s areasonEuropeandCanadahavebeenusingsemi-inground wastemanagementsystemsforalmost30years Thebiggest question we have been gettinginLouisianaisabout thepotential of hittingthe watertable during installation.However,thatdoesn’t happen very often.Subcontainbinshave been successfullyinstalled in Amsterdam, whichisbelow sealevel,and have not hadanyproblems.InLouisiana,peoplebuildin-ground swimmingpoolsallthetimewithnoissues.ASubcontain systemisgoingtobeasimilardepth. Formoreinformation,visit www.subcontain.com,call 888-870-4018oremail info@subcontain.com.

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,”

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

Ballard

“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.”

Mark

Villio

Kennedy

THE GULF COAST

5restaurants to checkout on theFlorida Panhandle

Summertime packsin repeatcustomers

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

The sun set over Destin hoursago,but ata roadside diner off Beach Boulevard,breakfast never ended.

Waiters scribbled orders on notepads and refilled coffee, often disappearing intothe kitchen where eggs, bacon andhashbrowns fried on the griddle. Tucked into booths, patrons bumped elbows as theydousedmaple syrup over stacks of pancakes and smeared strawberryjam on biscuits.Solodiners stood in asingle-fileline at the counter,lingering over the glass caseofkey limepie and glazed doughnuts.

Surroundingthe families, late-nightworkers and travelers were photographsofthe beach town from long ago —palm-lined streets, weathered storefronts and stretches of sand stamped with footprints. Outside, aneon sign glimmeredblue, beckoning drivers along the boulevard topulloverfor plates of fried pork chops, omelets or simply abit of banter at the bar

With its cushiony stools, cramped booths andall-day breakfast, The Donut Hole embodies the archetypal American diner.Its motley mix of customers also reflects the broader transformation of Florida’sGulf Coast —long avacation destination for regional travelers but nowa fast-growing region drawing new residentsalongside nationwide tourists.

The region’srapid growth has been accompanied by an evolving dining scene shaped by established institutionsand newer arrivals.

We spent three days visitingsome of these places —from acharmingIrish pubdecked out in dollar bills to abreakfast spotstarted by aNew Orleans chef —to experienceanother side of the region beyond its beaches and find restaurants worth seeking out on your next vacation.

BigBad Breakfast

Though the name might suggest otherwise, this Miramar Beachrestaurant is no greasyspoon. But it is aboutasSouthernas they come.

John Currence, aseasoned New Orleansborn chef, mines his upbringingonthe menu at Big Bad Breakfast,blending classics with innovative takes. Even the restaurant’sname nods to the South, drawing

BigBad Breakfast servesanarray of breakfast plates

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

The decor is minimalistic, but the menu is anything but. Scallions and afried egg topbuttery grits and sauteed Gulf shrimp. Fried chicken with white gravy andcheddar cheese is tucked inside abiscuit. Those ingredients cometogetheragain in theCreole omelet, acombination of shrimp, andouille andtomato gravy

Traditional breakfastfareisoffered,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 everyonefromSoutherners whogrew up on grits and eggs to healthconsciousacolytes whoswear by avocado toast and granola.

McGuire’s

The nightlife of Irelandisdefinedbyits pubs —littlewatering holes lit by theglow of corner fireplaces,where regulars nurse pintsbeneath low-beam ceilings. Butinside amassive, resort-like complex, McGuire’s Irish PubinDestin embraces pub culture in American fashion.

At The GreatSouthernCafe, theDyana is a blackened chicken sandwichtopped with twostrips of bacon and Swiss cheese on brioche withhomemade mustard, served withaside of black-eyedpeas.

The restaurant leans into the notion that biggerisbetter,from the walls and ceilings covered in millions of dangling$1 billsmarkedinblack inktothe heftyportions. Every table starts with apillowyloaf

of black bread drizzled with honey butter before moving on to entrees like chopped steak accompanied by twofried onion rings or atowering Reuben sandwichserved with thick-cut fries.

McGuire’sisidentified by traditionsbeyond the customers whopin dollarbills to its walls each day.Itoffers an 18-cent bean soup that has been served dailyinthe U.S. Senatediningroomfor more than acentury. Unlike in the nation’scapital, however,the price has remained the sameatthe pub.

Thefamily-owned restaurant, started by McGuire and Molly Martin in 1977, helped popularize Irish culture alongFlorida’s Gulf Coast, aregionbetter known for itswhite sand beaches and tourism.

TheDonut Hole

Though we’ve covered it already,The Donut Hole deserves another mention and the long line of customers thatsnakes around it each morning would likely agree. Finding ablank space on themenuis like trying to spot afour-leaf clover among thousands of shamrocks. There are omelets, benedicts andpancakes in nearly every variation imaginable, alongsideeight salads that likely are not ordered very often in a restaurant better knownfor doughnuts. But “The Diet Plate” stands out —mainly because it’sanything but diet-friendly.Two homemade biscuits topped with sausage patties, cheese, friedeggs andgravy,served with hashbrowns, fill the plate until it seems abiscuit might tip over the edge. It’s worth breaking your dietover, though. Perhaps with aslice of key limepie.

TheGreat Southern Cafe

Traces of NewOrleans can be found everywhere at The Great Southern Cafe in Seaside, even in the smallest details. Folk artist Dr.Bob’sfamed “Be Nice or Leave” sign hangs above the bar,where bloody marys stackedwithgreen olives, okra and banana peppers are served. In the center of the polishedbeach town along 30A, afternoon crowds filled the outdoor seating area on arecentThursday, digging into shrimp and grits, oyster po-boys and gumbo. Among them was “The Dyana” —ablackened chicken sandwich topped with two strips of bacon and Swiss cheese on brioche with homemade mustard. The waitress recommended the black-eyedpeasasaside —a recommendation worth taking.

Is The Great Southern Cafe great? That is for you to decide. But it is unmistakably Southern.

InspiringThroughEducation

CornerstonehasbeenacommunitypartnerinWaggamanand JeffersonParishforover70years.AtCornerstoneEnergyPark, weinvestincollaborativecommunityprogramstochampion educationandempowerthelocalscience,technology,engineering, andmathematics(STEM)workforceofthefuture.

We’recommittedtoourcommunity.Togetherwithourcommunity partners,wearehelpingbridgethegapbetweeneducationand opportunitytoinspirelearning,locally.

PHOTOSByPOETWOLFE

in Miramar Beach, Fla.

Archaeologyteamunearths ‘prototype’ofStonehenge

BY PANPYLAS Associated Press

LONDON Archaeologists revealedThursday that theyhave discovered astructure near the prehistoric stone circle of StonehengeinsouthernEngland thatmay have servedasa “prototype” for the5,000-yearold Neolithic monument.

Ateamfromthe Britishfirm Wessex Archaeologysaidthe structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 394 feet apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solsticeand the setting sun at the winter solstice.

Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years.

The team was led by archaeologistPhil Harding, who is well known in the U.K through his many years of excavationsfor Channel 4TVseries “Time Team.”

Harding, 76, saidthe site, which also turned up atreasure trove of finds including pottery,animal bonesand ararediscshaped knife, was likelytohave been a focus for major religiousgatherings.

“Opportunities like this probably only come once in acareer,inalifetime,” Harding said. “I’m probably towards theend of my career now,but thankGod I’mstill in archaeology long enough to be partofthis discovery,because it’s certainlythe highlight of my career.”

The findings were released ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year on Sunday,when thousandshead to Stonehenge each year to celebrate the longest dayofthe year in theNorthern Hemi-

sphere.

Stonehenge is asymbolofBritish culture andhistoryand remainsone of thecountry’sbiggest tourist draws.The WorldHeritage Site was built on the flat lands of SalisburyPlain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.

The site’smeaning hasbeen the subject of vigorous debate. Themost generally accepted interpretationisthat it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun —lining up perfectlywith the summer and winter solstices.

Researchers who found the structure near Stonehenge carried out the dig at Bulford, 3.1 miles from the main stone circle, as part of archaeological work to support the British defense ministry’sprogramtoaccommodatetroops who have been withdrawn in recent years from Germany,where the armyhad abig footprint fordecades. The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training grounds and in the U.K. andBulford is hometoabarracks.

The original excavation took place between 2015 and 2017, with thefindings requiring many years of analyses and tests.

EnglishHeritage said other theories aboutStonehenge include that it was a coronation place for Danish kings, adruid temple, acult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses andsolar events.

Whatever the explanation, thousands of people, many dressedasdruids andpagans,planned to gather at the siteSunday to see the sun rise.

JacobDaniel Plaisance, surrounded by thelove of his family,peacefullyentered into Eternallife on June 17, 2026. Born on September 22, 1929 to the lateEuzebe& Lionel Plaisance. Loving husband to thelate Marion Lowery Plaisance. Devoted father to RhondaSudo (the late Nile), Scott Plaisance (DoBee), and thelate JacobJ Plaisance. He was grandfather to 8grandchildren.He was thegreat grandfather to 13 greatgrandchildren and thegreat greatgrandfather to 6great great grandchildren. He was a brother to Rita Boudreaux (the lateNathan), was preceded in deathbyRachel Plaisance, EthelMcAllister, Verly Borras, and Gideon Plaisance. He was also survivedbya host of nieces nephews, cousins,and other relatives and friends whose liveswere touched by hislove, wisdom, and unwavering support.

Jacoblived alife of faith, love,and laughter and adevotiontothose he cherished most.His faith remained aguiding force throughout his life,and was evident in his kindness and compassionhe showed to everyone he encountered. He never met a stranger,hehad aremarkable abilitytomakepeople feelwelcomed,loved,and valued.Hewas always willing to help anyone.

He enjoyed spending time with his family,fishing,working around his yard, and finding projects. He was asportsman, outdoorsman, and ahardworking man. He was known to many as Jacob, Jake, Doc, and PawPaw. Hislovewas genuine, his heart was big, and his presence was ablessing to allwho knew him.

He was acommercial trawler.Healso worked for Lowery Brothers and his own boat Quicksilver, from which he retired.

The family wouldliketo extend their sincere grati-

Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home 5101 Westbank Expressway in Marrero, Louisiana. Avisitation will begin at 8:30AM and continueuntil theService time.Jacob will be laidto rest following theservice at OurLady of Prompt Succor Mausoleum in Westwego,Louisiana.

TerryLee Rodriguez passedawayon Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in Covington,LA. He was 85. He wasprecededin death by hisparents, SidneyBuelRodriguezand MabelFaulknerRodriguez andhis brothers, Sidney Gordon Rodriguez, Ralph Rodriguez, Delton Rodriguezand Jerry Rodriguez.

Terryissurvived by his loving wife of 55 years, Mary Ann Rodriguez, his daughter, StaceyMoore (Richard), hisbrother Galen Rodriguez(Mary) andhis sister,Sharon McKeon.Heisalso survivedbyhis grandchildren, Michael Moore (Stephanie), Alexander Moore (Emily) and Katherine Moore,his close familyfriend, Bea Berry, Aunt Pat Austin,cousins, Michael Austin and Robert Austin, his loyal andfaithfulcaninecompanion Sophie,and ahostof nieces andnephews.

Terrywas born in Houma,LAonJune2,1941. He grew up in SE LA, graduatingfromEast Jefferson HS in 1959, and then LSUin 1964 with aBSinElectrical Engineering. He joined the

BROUGHTTOYOU

USAF in thefall of 1964 and served until1968, reaching therankofCaptain.After leaving USAF, he began his civil service career of 28 years with theUSNavy, then continuing to work with theUSAF at bases in NM andOK. After retiring from civil service,he workedfor the Public Regulatory Commission in NewMexicofor 5years. Terrywas adevoted and faithfulservanttothe Lord. He will be rememberedfor hisgenerous, kind spirit,sense of humor, and unwaveringlove of familyand friends. He touched countless lives andleft an impression on everyonehemet.His love of animals, gardening,puzzles,and reading continuedthroughouthis life. His familyand friends will miss himdearly andhold hismemory in theirhearts forever. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend theFuneral Service on Monday, June 22, 2026 at 2:00 pm at EJ Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 West 21st Avenue, Covington,LA andthe visitation will begin at 12:00 pm untilservice time.Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens. E.J. Fielding Funeral Home hasbeen entrusted with funeral arrangements. Please sign the guestbook at www.ejfieldingfh.com

PHOTO PROVIDEDByWESSEX ARCHAEOLOGy

Archaeologist Phil Harding stands at Stonehenge near Salisbury, England, in May.

Plaisance,Jacob Daniel

Rodriguez, Terry Lee

Beverly Hoffman Stanley died on May 8, 2026, at the remarkableage of 104. She was born on August13, 1921, in New Orleans on Elysian Fields Avenue in a house that her father and grandfather built. Beverly was the older of two sisters borntoBertha Graff Hoffman and Louis Jerome Hoffman. She always said her sister Lois was her mother's favorite, because Lois was the dutiful, helpful daughter while Beverly hid behind the living-room curtains "with my nose in abook." Her lifelong love of reading came from her father, who was also avoracious reader. In fact, he named his newborn daughter after the heroine of the book he was reading at the time, Beverly of Graustark. Beverly's tasteinbooks included every major romance novelist of the last 40 years and also reflected her active curiosity about ancient civilizations and the possibility of other worlds beyond our own. Her collection of paperback books was vast, and she wouldoften reread her favorites over the years. You would know, because each time she read the book, she would write the month and year inside front cover. She loved working on jigsaw puzzles, and almost always apartially completed puzzle could be found on the table in herhome office. This pastime began in 1965 when, in the wake of Hurricane Betsy, the city was without electricity for aweek. Beverly used the family pool table to build that first puzzle by candlelight. She loved playing bridge, and for decades gathered with three loyal friends every Wednesday to celebrate the game and sharing time with each other. She loved to travel. She often talked about summer road trips across the country when she was agirl, with her father at the helm, her mother beside him, and Beverly, Lois, and their grandfather sandwichedin the back seat. She took her first trip to Europe in the mid1960s, and that adventure launched alifetimeof excursions to every continent but Antarctica.She loved art and experienced most of the world's major museums. Her favorite city was Paris, and her favorite trip was acruise down the Nile at the ripe age of 78. She loved jewelry! Sometimes it appeared that she loved travel only as an excuse to buy jewelry from around the globe, which she always claimed was an "excellent investment"! Beverly and her sister Lois faithfullyattended thenumerous jewelry shows in Atlanta and New Orleans for decades—and never came away empty handed!

In addition to all these enduring passions, Beverly learned to love plants and flowers and gardening from her mother. She devoted more than 25 years to avid and active participation in local garden clubs, joining the Greater Pines Village Garden Club in theearly 1990s. She served as its president (1993-96) and treasurer

(2004-05) and earned the coveted title "Woman of the Year" twice (1992-93 and 1999-00). After Hurricane Katrina, she joinedLakeviewBotany Guildin2006 and servedon various committees for over adecade until she retiredfrom the club at age 97. She also ledthe Federated Council of New Orleans GardenClubs as president (1996-97) and was recognizedas "Woman of the Year"(2003 -04).Her amiabilityand strong workethic made for agoodleader Beverly had notrouble getting people to helpher, because people wantedto work with her.She was a vivacious personalitywith natural people skills that she employedtohost many memorable Christmaspartiesover the years (which she planned to the inth degree). Even in her very old age, Beverly was young at heart, feisty, and retainedher sense of humor. She had an easy laugh, enjoyedgoodwit, and was alwaysgracious and welcoming to guests Sheloved learning and watching "Jeopardy!" almost everyeveningfor at leastthe last 25 years. Untilveryrecently,she could stillsnagthe right answer now and then! She could have done testimonial ads forthe Hallmark Channeland raved about allher favorite stars.But Frank Sinatraranked first among her favorites, and she knew virtually every oneofhis dozensofhitsby heart. Sheloved agood OldFashionedand enjoyed the weekly ritual of Red Beans Mondayfor almost thelast10years, when a fewcherished friends wouldvisit fordinner. But most of all, Beverly loved chocolate,which was exemplified in her lateryears by an insatiabledesirefor QueenAnne Chocolate CoveredCherries. One recent Christmas,she hauled in 12 boxes from various fans! In the midst of raising five children, she and her husband Tom founded their own business, Thomas L. Stanley and Associates, Inc., Marine Engineers, Surveyors, and Adjusters. For almost 30 years, Beverly served as the company's secretarytreasurer, and she developed exemplary knowledge of the shipping and fishing industries in south Louisiana.Her marriageto Tomtook herinitiallyto NewJersey,then California, Texas,and,finally,back to her hometown of New Orleans. She returnedherewithher family in 1962 Beverly died peacefully athome where she lived in Kenner forthe last 51 years. She was lovingly caredfor byDenise Reed RobeyVogler, and Pamela Rivera. Beverly was precededindeath by herhusband Tom, son Thomas StanleyIII, and daughter-in -lawTerri MackeyStanley. Sheissurvived by her children, Lois StanleyLaRose (Guy)ofRichmond, TX; DavidStanley(Hazel) of Fernandina Beach, FL; Jerry Stanley of Baton Rouge, LA; and Jaye Stanleyof Metairie, LA; as well as eightgrandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; and seven nieces and nephews spread across the country, including herniece Jeanne Lazaro, who adored her Aunt Bev and went above and beyondtoensure that she had excellent care during her last few months. Beverly donated her bodytothe LSU Medical Center(NewOrleans) Department of Anatomy and requested no services. Remember foremosther

generosity of spirit,her joie de vivre, and that she was amarvelous dancer!

Lawrence William Jacob Thonn, Sr., 09-14-1936 -0614-2026

Lawrence Larry Thonn, Sr., age 89, was born on September 14, 1936, in NewOrleans, Louisiana, to thelate Lawrence Victor Thonn and LillianEstherOwens Thonn.

He was preceded in death by his loving and devotedwife of 66 years, Noella Joan Sinclair Thonn. He was also preceded by parents and siblings.

Larry is survivedbyhis sons, Lawrence Jr. (Tina), Terrence S., Tracy F. (Ping); and hisdaughter, Shelda Thonn Melancon (George); along with alarge host of grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Larry was alifelong, devotedemployee of Wallace C. Drennan, Inc.,a New Orleans-based contractor. He retired as General Superintendentafter 50 years of service.

Family and friends are invitedtoattend thevisitation at Harry McKneely & SonFuneralHome, 2000 N. Morrison Blvd.in Hammond, Louisiana, 70401, on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from11:00 a.m. until theCelebrationofLife Service at 1:00 p.m.

Arrangementshave been entrusted to Harry McKneely &Son Funeral Home

Vasquez, Maria Moguel

Maria“Nancy” Moguel Vasquez passedawayon June 7, 2026 at theage of 67. Shewas born on March 11, 1959 in Orange Walk Belize. Nancywas pre‐ceded in deathbyher fa‐ther, NatalioMoguel.She is survivedbyher mother Lucia Otilia Rosado,her husband of 26 years, Paul Anthony Vasquez, herson, Christopher Paul Vasquez, her sistersRositaRicoand Dalia Batty,and herbroth‐ers,Francisco Moguel,Ri‐cardo Moguel,and Miguel Moguel.Nancy earned a bachelor’sdegreeand workedasanaccountant. She wasa former member ofthe Belize Associationof Louisiana,and herhobbies includedgardening,na‐ture, traveling, andtaking photographs of plants and animals.She will be deeply missedbyall who loved her.The familywould like togivespecial thanks to The PlaiaFamily, TheBurns Family, Jean Benard,and Roy Lissarague fortheir kindnessduringthisdiffi‐culttime. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tenda Memorial Mass held atSt. ClementofRome Church,4317 Richland Ave. Metairie,LAonWednes‐

day, June 24, 2026 for 12:00pm.Interment will be privateata laterdate.

ately known as "Nette,

departed this life on June 5, 2026. Shewas born on January 10, 1978, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the lateSylvester Jordan and Constance Hinkson Jordan Anjanette dedicatedapproximately 25 years of civilian service to the Defense Intelligence Agency(DIA) as an intelligenceanalyst. Shewas known for herintelligence professionalism, and commitment to excellence.

Sheleaves to cherish hermemory herloving husband, CedricWarren Jr.; herchildren, Chloe E. Warren, CedricS.Warren, andCarsen C. Warren, all of Huntsville,Alabama and hersister,Heather Jordan of Lynbrook, NewYork.

Relativesand friends of thefamilyattendeda Funeral Service held at City of Love Church,8601 PalmettoSt. NewOrleans LA 70118 on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Visitation

Before HurricaneKatrina made landfall in 2005,New OrleansEastwas home to a40-bed inpatientbehavioralhealthunitatThe PendletonMemorialMethodist Hospital—the same campus whereLCMCHealth’sNew OrleansEast Hospital (NOEH),the only city-owned hospital, is nowlocated.

NOEH opened itsdoors in 2014 andhas worked with thecommunity to restorecriticalservices to theneighborhoods of Gentilly,Lower NinthWard, andNew OrleansEast, whichhavehistorically experiencedhealthcareaccesschallenges, both pre- andpost-Katrina.

“Thisreallyisa transformative investment made in conjunctionwithNOEH, LCMC Health andthe StateofLouisiana’s CapitalOutlay program, anditsends apowerfulmessage to the residentsofthese neighborhoodsthattheydeserve accesstothese services closetohome,”saidDr. Takeisha Davis, Presidentand Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of NOEH

“It’sabout more than just bringing additional hospital beds—it’sabout restoringhealthcare access andensuringresidents have theservices they need wheretheyneedthemmost—in their community,”continuedDr. Davis.

Currently, thelargest inpatientbehavioral health unit in thecityislocatedatLCMCHealth’s University MedicalCenter(UMC) in Downtown NewOrleans

“There is adefinite need forbothinpatient and outpatientbehavioralhealthservices in NewOrleans,”saidDr. ErichConrad, Professorand Interim Chairfor theLSU Department of Psychiatry and Directorfor theBehavioralHealthService Line at UMC. “AtUMC,our behavioral health unit treats adults for anxiety, depression,and otherchronic or acuteseverementalillnesses,including substance usedisorders.”

AccordingtoDr. Conrad,the unit’s 60 beds are frequently full,and demand exceedsavailable capacity on most days,resulting in patients being

transferredtothe nearestavailable inpatient facility.Withanother 28 beds beingadded to theLCMCHealthnetwork at NOEH,Dr. Conrad said he is hopefulmorepatientswillbeableto receivecareclosertohome, whichcould benefit long-termrecovery.

“Our patients sometimesend up as faraway as Shreveport,which then makesitdifficult for ourquality providersaroundthe city andstate to fullyintegrate patients back into theirhome community,”saidDr. Davis.

“The East makesupapproximately 20 percent of NewOrleans’population, so this addition to theLCMCHealthfamilyinNew OrleansEastis goingtobeveryhelpful in servingthe community, said Dr.Conrad. NOEH willbeworking in partnershipwithUMC andLSU Health Sciences Center to ensure the highestquality inpatientcare. Key outpatient partners—BACHTherapeutic Counseling Services, IntegrityBehavioralManagement, andMetropolitanHuman Services District—alsoprovide services on theNOEHcampus.

On Tuesday, June 16 at 11AM,agroundbreaking ceremony washeldtomarkthe startofconstruction for thebrand-new inpatientbehavioralhealth unitwhich is projectedtoopeninMarch 2027 MayorHelenaMoreno; CouncilmemberJason Hughes of District E; Greg Feirn, CEOofLCMC Health;Dr. Takeisha Davis, presidentand CEOof NewOrleans East Hospital;and RonnieBurns Sr., chairofthe NewOrleans East Hospital Boardof Commissioners, were in attendance to celebrate this milestonefor NewOrleans This $10million investment will provide28 beds in astate-of-the-artbehavioralhealthfacility. Adultpsychiatric services,including psychiatricevaluationand diagnosis, crisis stabilization, medication management,and individual andgroup therapywillbeoffered on campus in asafe, wellstaffedenvironment.Therapeutic design features such as amplenatural light, calmingcolors,and communal indoor andoutdoor spaces will be incorporatedtopromote patienthealing andrecovery. “Wewantour residents to know that mental health is as importantasphysicalhealthconditions. Mental health conditions aretreatable,and recovery is possible,” Dr.Davis said.“In thesame waywesee ourcommunity membersseekcare for diabetes,heart disease, andstroke, we want them to seek care fortheir anxiety, depression andsubstance usedisorders.” Formoreinformation

Warren, Anjanette Laurice Jordan

Anjanette Laurice Jordan Warren, affection-

Thonn, LawrenceWilliam

'Nancy'

‘OUT OF NOWHERE’

Arabi neighborhood works to repair tornado damage

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

In yards strewn with branches and roof shingles, residents across several blocks in Arabi spent Saturday cleaning debris and surveying the damage from a tornado that battered their neighborhood Friday evening.

The tornado slammed homes with winds up to 85 mph that snapped trees flattened fences and ripped the roofs from several properties, according to the National Weather Service.

But many neighbors still escaped the worst gusts.

“It’s crazy, man,” said Rodney Neumeyer whose garden was untouched despite damage to the roof “I don’t know if this one was a tornado or a twister or what. It was just weird.”

The National Weather Service confirmed Saturday that an EF0 tornado hit Arabi just before 6 p.m. and spun northwest for three minutes It traveled about two-thirds of a mile between Rowley Boulevard and Norton Avenue and Sable Drive and Livingston Avenue.

St. Bernard Parish President Louis Pomes said five homes sustained major damage and many more lost shingles. But no injuries were reported.

“Everything could’ve been way worse,” Michael Kok, another neighbor said Saturday morning as he picked up branches from his front yard on Rowley Boulevard.

Kok said he was eating dinner with his family Friday night when they noticed debris churning through the air They slammed their windows shut and rushed to the center of their home as branches blasted into their yard leaving indentations in the mud.

“This was literally out of nowhere,” Kok said “That’s the scary part.”

Many newer homes in the neighborhood suffered minor damage, but some older properties fared worse. Two of the three homes that

lost part of their roofs were built in the 1950s, according to the weather service. Neighbors said the third home was abandoned and had termite damage.

Pomes said he plans to meet with a representative from Gov. Jeff Landry’s office on Monday but does not expect the scale of damage in Arabi will warrant a state of emergency or government reimbursement. Some neighbors in the area cannot afford the cost of homeowners insurance and may not be covered for the damage.

“It’s a hard hit on them,”

Pomes said.

Several residents said the tornado warning alert blared from their cellphones a few minutes after

the system passed, when neighbors had already begun clearing their streets of branches. Mike Efferson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, said the agency issued a tornado warning at 5:54 p.m. — one minute before the tornado first touched down.

Wireless carriers typically distribute the weather service’s warnings to cellphones in an affected area.

Pomes said Saturday afternoon that he had heard no reports of delayed warnings but would look into the matter Friday’s tornado was the third to hit Arabi in recent years. A powerful twister

ä See NOWHERE, page 2B

How will prosecutor’s leave shape Cantrell’s legal fate?

Ginsberg allegedly had romantic relationship with workplace subordinate

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Allegations that a veteran federal prosecutor hid a romantic relationship with a workplace subordinate, a source of seething controversy within New Orleans’ U.S. Attorney’s Office, have set legal circles abuzz given the parallels they conjured with the prosecutor’s highest-profile case.

Former New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, after all, was charged last August in a criminal indictment packed with details about her own alleged relationship with a city employee.

The prosecutor who shepherded the probe that yielded her indictment, Jordan Ginsberg, was placed on leave last week from the U.S. Attorney’s Office amid an investigation into the allegations surrounding him.

“You couldn’t write it better for a reality show,” said Silas Lee, a veteran pollster, trial consultant and former Cantrell adviser Despite the parallels, legal veterans say the allegations may have little bearing on the blockbuster case’s trajectory within the walls of federal court.

“If there’s some misconduct that’s case-related, that’s a different story,” said Matt Coman, a veteran civil lawyer and former assistant U.S. attorney who led the corruption prosecution of former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin.

“Here,” Coman said, “there’s no indication that the allegations have anything to do with the grand jury investigation, the trial preparation or the prosecution overall.”

Allegations that Ginsberg had a relationship with a U.S. Attorney’s Office legal assistant erupted within the office earlier this month throwing a major wrench in the Cantrell prosecution and raising questions about the case’s fate in court and the public eye.

The revelations so alarmed Justice Department leaders that they placed Ginsberg on administrative leave on June 12, four days before his colleagues filed to withdraw him from the Cantrell prosecution team. Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter of the Eastern District of Louisiana granted their motion on Wednesday, court records show

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, that parallels between the allegations against Ginsberg and elements 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’s legal strength.

But while the allegations may have limited bearing on decisions of a judge, legal experts noted that defense attorneys for Cantrell and her former NOPD bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, may well

ä See CANTRELL, page 2B

Environmental activists navigate increased pushback

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

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

the current environmental justice movement.

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

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. 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 regula-

tory 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 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.”

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

ä See ACTIVISTS, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Michael Chalona III and Louie Spera pack up boxes provided by Home Depot in Arabi on Saturday, the day after a tornado hit. Spera, who was there to help his daughter pack up the house, said Home Depot employees gave out flashlights, boxes and water to residents affected by the tornado.

Ginsberg Cantrell

Mike and Amanda Kok pick up tree debris from their yard with Melicie Kok, 2.

9 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.

NOWHERE

Continued from page 1B

with winds between 158 and 206 mph slammed Arabi in 2022, destroying about 70 homes and killing two people.

Another weaker tornado passed through the same area several months later

Many neighbors at the time lacked enough insurance to cover all of their losses, and

ACTIVISTS

Continued from page 1B

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.

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

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

some moved out of the area.

Residents across the neighborhood said they felt lucky that Friday’s tornado was not worse. And some signs of solace were already emerging. Power returned by Saturday to about 1,500 residents who lost it Friday night, according to Entergy Officials said the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office was sending extra patrols through the neighborhood, and publics works crews were picking

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 project that spanned 250 communities across 14 states, connecting local

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.

up curbside debris.

By noon, Kenneth St. Charles, the regional chief executive officer of American Red Cross, arrived with a trunk full of cleanup kits, water, snacks and lunches from Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. He sat on the bed of a pickup truck, taking notes and chatting with a man who emerged from a home with no roof. Then he handed the man a bag full of lunch and moved on to the next house.

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 now-suspended 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 Philan-

CANTRELL

Continued from page 1B

push to invoke the similarities in pretrial motions or hearings. They also may seek material related to the Ginsberg allegations in discovery Cantrell is represented by Eddie Castaing, a veteran white collar defense lawyer Vappie is defended by former New Orleans U.S. Attorney Harry Rosenberg and Shaun Clarke, a former federal prosecutor and veteran white-collar defender They declined to comment. In recent months, the defendants had been fighting a push from Ginsberg and other prosecutors on the case to introduce a raft of new evidence, including campaign finance records unrelated to the formal charges their clients face.

Last August, a grand jury at federal court on Poydras Street indicted Cantrell on 11 criminal counts including wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to a federal grand jury All sprang from what prosecutors described as a scheme to spend taxpayer money on romantic trips with Vappie. The two 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 taxpayers by allegedly cavorting during hours when Vappie was being paid for work on the NOPD’s Executive Protection Unit, police payroll records later showed.

Few public details have been released about Ginsberg’s alleged workplace

thropies, 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 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

relationship, which remains under the internal DOJ review There are no signs so far that the co-workers are accused of pursuing the relationship while at work.

Ginsberg did not respond to multiple emails, text and phone messages over several days last week.

U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle’s office has released a single statement on the matter, saying Ginsberg was placed on leave as DOJ opened the internal probe and pledging a “thorough review of the facts.”

A spokesperson for the office declined Thursday to answer detailed questions about that probe’s status referring a reporter to Courcelle’s earlier statement.

A Justice Department spokesperson, Natalie Baldassarre, said the department does not comment on personnel matters.

‘Relatively simple’

The allegations facing Ginsberg became public after The Times-Picayune reported Wednesday that his removal from the Cantrell case, administrative leave and the freshly opened internal probe stemmed from the allegations of a workplace relationship. He has worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans since 2009, building a reputation among trial bar colleagues for aggressively prosecuting corruption among public officials.

Dane S. Ciolino, an ethics attorney and law professor at Loyola University, echoed Coman’s view of the allegations’ potential ramifications for Cantrell’s trial, saying that “there is no indication of misconduct tied to the

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

investigation, charging, or anticipated trial” of Vappie and Cantrell.

“Courts treat the removal or replacement of a line prosecutor as an internal Department of Justice personnel issue,” he added, “not as a defect in the prosecution itself, so long as there is no showing that the alleged misconduct infected evidence, charging decisions, or trial strategy in the case at bar.”

In federal criminal investigations, prosecutors tend to work step-by-step with agents from the FBI and other federal agencies to guide cases from investigation to indictment, and then, if a defendant fights the charges, to trial.

Ginsberg spent years working on the Cantrell probe, which gathered steam in 2022 and culminated in her August indictment. He was discussed as a candidate for U.S. Attorney last year as Louisiana’s U.S. senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, weighed applicants for the President Donald Trump-appointed position.

Courcelle, who is recused from the Cantrell prosecution because he previously represented a witness as a defense lawyer, received the nomination instead.

Compared to other federal corruption probes, Ciolino called the facts of the Cantrell case “relatively simple and straightforward.”

“For that reason, I don’t think it would take very much time for a new prosecutor to step in to take over his responsibilities,” he said. Email James Finn at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

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.

Atkins,Ross

Brewer,Sandra

Cambeilh,Sheila

Diket, Glennon

Famularo,Mary

George III, Henry Gioiello,Joseph Gonzalez,Alejandro Greene,Margarita

Johnson, Roy Julian, Kenneth

LaBonia, Michael

LassalleSr.,Irvin

Lehrisse Jr., Joseph

Lescale, Lillian

Maratea, Merrill

Martin,Floyd

McCarthy,Callaghan

Mintz, Mitchell

Nicholson, Sheila

Niklaus Jr., Walter

Olivier, Claire

Orgeron, Helen

Pearson, Betty

Plaisance, Jacob

Rodriguez, Terry

Stanley, Beverly

Thonn Sr., Lawrence

Vasquez, Maria

Warren,Anjanette

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

George III, Henry

Leitz-Eagan

Famularo,Mary

Julian, Kenneth

NeptuneSociety

Orgeron, Helen NewOrleans

DW Rhodes

Warren,Anjanette

Greenwood

Gioiello,Joseph

Lehrisse Jr., Joseph Nicholson, Sheila

JacobSchoen

Lescale, Lillian

Lake Lawn Metairie Brewer,Sandra

Greene,Margarita McCarthy,Callaghan

Mintz, Mitchell

Olivier, Claire River Parish

Millet-Guidry

Cambeilh,Sheila

St Tammany

Audubon Gonzalez,Alejandro

Bagnell Son

Maratea, Merrill

EJ Fielding

Rodriguez, Terry West Bank

Mothe

LassalleSr.,Irvin Martin,Floyd

Niklaus Jr., Walter West Leitz-Eagan

Plaisance, Jacob

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 who enjoyed 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 aheart of 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 familyisex‐tremely grateful to the medical staffsofNorth 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.

Brewer,Sandra A.

SandraA.Brewer, 79, of Amite, passedawayon June 13, 2026.She was born in New Orleans to Vincent Paul Gaffand Rita Mary Koch Gaff. Sandraworked as aSurgicalTechnician at BaptistHospital, East JeffersonGeneral Hospital, OurLady of the Lake Hospital, Women's Hospital, and North Oaks Hospital. Sheand Mickey loved attending New Orleans Saints Football gamesand cheering for Tulane Football. Sandra was preceded in death by parents and nephew, JoeyGaff. Survivors include her husband, of 41 years, Mr. Emile "Mickey" George Brewer;daughter,Lisa Guepet; brother, Larry Gaff; and great-nephews, Caden and Collin Gaff.

Relatives and friends areinvited to attend a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am, Monday, June 22, 2026, at St. John the Baptist CatholicChurch, 11345St. John ChurchRoad, Folsom, LA 70437. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am priortothe service.Interment willbe in Lake LawnPark,New Orleans,LA. To view and sign the family online guestbook and shareyour memories of Sandra, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Inlieuofflowers, memorials may be made to St. Johnthe Baptist CatholicChurchorSt. Jude Children's Hospital.

SheilaBarbierCambeilh, age81, quietly lost her battlewithLeukemiaand passed away on June 17, 2026. She is survived by Richard "Rich", her husband of 55 years, her daughter Elizabeth Cambeilh Duhe (Brett)and granddaughters, Clair ElizabethDuhe and Sarah Grace Duhe, to whom she was affectionately known as "MeMe". Surviving Barbierfamily members are siblings EllenMolina (Henry), SallyBarbier Weldon (Penn), Mary Bigelow (Raymond)and Edward J. Barbier Jr (Marie). She was preceded in deathbyher father Edward J. Barbier, her mother Selma Caballero Barbier and her brother TimothyJ.Barbier(Kim). Sheilawillbesadly missed by numerous dear relativesand friendsaswellas by her faithful canine friend "Nola" She wasa resident of LaPlace, LA,for thepast47 years. Sheilawas born and raised in Plattenville,LA, graduated from Assumption HighSchool and then attended Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in NewOrleans. Upon graduationshe receiveda diploma in Nursing and then passed theStateBoard of Nursing exam to earn RN status in 1965. Despitea short butnotable nursing career she never lost the desire to help others when needed.She always maintainedfond memories of her years in theENT operatingrooms and Endoscopy department at CharityHospitalinNew Orleans. Her relentless patience in dealing with chronic hearing issues shouldbea lessonfor everyone. Arrangementsare being handled by Millet-Guidry Funeral Home of Laplace, LA,withvisitationscheduled at St Joan of Arc CatholicChurch, 529 W. 5th St, LaPlace on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 from9:00a.m. to 11:00 a.m. withthe Funeral Mass to immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. in church. Private internment will follow at Assumption Catholic Cemetery in Plattenville,LA.

In lieu of flowers please considerhaving Masses saidfor heratthe Catholic church of your choice. All are invitedtosignand share your memories of Sheilaonthe online guest book at www.milletguidry.com

Glennon S. Diket Sr. age 80, died quietly in his home, after alongand debilitating strugglewith Parkinson'sdisease. He is preceded in death by his wife PamelaPanvelle Diket,and parents Glennon and Madolin Diket of Algiers, Louisiana. He is survivedbyhis son Glennon S. DiketII, his sisterGwendolyn Diket Hebert, nieces Toni Marie Breaux and husband Kris, ElizabethHebert,godsons LeoMoore III, Thaddeus RayEratoand Paul Erato. In his early life he first graduated elementary schoolatHolyName of MaryCatholicSchool in Algiers,LA. Fromthere he moved acrossthe riverto attend De La SalleHigh School fromwhich he graduated in 1963. From there he wouldgoontoattend thethenUniversityof Southwestern Louisiana (now Universityof Louisiana, at Lafayette) where he graduated with a bachelor'sdegree in Science and Agronomy. In life he was many things; he worked many years in retail as part of Home Depot and then Ast Manager of WoolCo.Upon reaching midlifehebecame afather in thefallof 83 at which point he transitionedtoworking as an Outside SalesRep under Johnny Bales, before finally landing his job as a Grain Inspector for grain exportwith the USDA/ FGIS/GPISA; apositionhe held until his retirementin December of 2014. Glennon was always an

avid Gardner, even achiev-

ing the rank of Master Gardenerfrom theMaster Gardener'sAssociationof Galveston/Houston. Among his many friends in theassociationhebecame known as the"Tomato Man".A title he took personal delight in. Glennon was also an avid andactivemember of theKnightsofColumbus; he has been apart of Council#1905 for ArchbishopBlenk in Gretna, LA,Council #5544 forSt. Jude, Church, in Cedar Rapids,Iowaand then lastly Council#10959 in Houston,TX. He was a member of the4th Degree of each Councilhewas a member of. He was even brieflyactive on second and thirddegree teams alongsidehis son

Famularo, Mary Mae Dellsperger Berkowitz

MaryMae Dellsperger Berkowitz Famularo,82, passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Shewas born in NewOrleans and raised in JeffersonParish. She attendedSt. Agnes Elementary School, East JeffersonHighSchool, and graduated from the University of NewOrleans. She workedfor the State of LouisianaMotor Vehicle Commissionasaninspectorofcompliance and retired fromthat position. Mary lovedtotravel around theUSA and later to Italy. Her specialplace was Taormina, Sicily.She lovedtodriveour Corvette Speedand curveswere not achallenge.She droveUS Highway 129 "The Tail of theDragon" many times along with numerous racetracks including The Atlanta MotorSpeedway, Talladega, The Circuitof theAmericas and her favorite, theIndianapolis Motor Speedway. Mary is survivedbyher husband, Felix J. Famularo; her sons, Felix J. Famularo, Jr.(Deidra), Wayne Berkowitz (Sloan) and Michael Berkowitz;her daughter, JudithSuminski; four grandchildren, William, Timothy, Matthew and Olivia;four greatgrandchildren, and numerous niecesand nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, John

William "Bill"Dellsperger andMae EmilyLester Dellsperger and herbrothers, John William Dellsperger, Jr.and Charles Harry Dellsperger. Col. Mary Berkowitz joined the Civil AirPatrol in 1958, embarking on amore than 67-year journey defined by selfless service andvisionary leadership. As acadet,she attended multiple encampments andspecial activities. As an adult, she wasassigned as astateemployee in an administrative position with the Civil AirPatrol andwas instrumental in developingwhatwas to become theWing Administrator position.As aseniormember,she participated as arepresentative with the International AirCadet Exchange (IACE) program, served in multiplepositions andwas, for years, afully qualifiedmission coordinator. As an exemplaryleader,she served as Louisiana Wing Chiefof Staff, Louisiana Wing Vice Commander,and Louisiana Wing Commander from October1998 through April 2003.

After Wing command, Mary continuedtoserve as Louisiana Wing's finance officer, andasthe Southwest Region finance officeraswell as asenior advisor to subsequent Wing Commanders.

During hertimeinCivil AirPatrol, Col. Berkowitz earnedmultiple awards, including numerous Wing Commander and Region Commander Commendations, andthe Distinguished, Exceptional, andMeritoriousService Awards. In recognitionof herexceptional leadership andservice to the Louisiana Wing,duringthe 2026 conference,the Wing Commander announced theinaugural "Col.Mary Berkowitz Squadron Officerofthe Year"award. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd.inMetairie from 1:00 PM until3:00 PM followed by aMemorialMass. Thefamilyinvites you to share your thoughts,fond memories, andcondolences online at www.leitz eaganfuneralhome.com.

HenryRichard George III ofKenner, LA passedaway peacefully at home on June 18, 2026 at theage of 73 fol‐lowinga long andbravely foughtbattlewithParkin‐son’s disease. He wasborn onNovember17, 1952 to the late HenryRichard,Jr. and thelateAnneEllo George. He is survived by his loving wife LetitiaBell George, hischildrenHenry (Leslie)and Amanda,his grandchildren Zoey,Lily, and Sophie,and hissib‐lings Steve(Diane),Tommy (Gigi), andJoanne.Froma young age, Henrydis‐playeda naturaltalentand passion forautomotive technology andrepair, which he transformedinto a successful lifelong ca‐reer.Asthe ownerand op‐eratorofAutomotiveSer‐vices,Inc he builta busi‐nessthatbecamea trusted fixtureinthe Ken‐ner community formore than40years.His unwa‐veringdedication, in‐tegrity,and strong work ethic earned therespect, loyalty,and friendship of countless customers throughoutthe years. Above all, Henrywas de‐voted to hisfamily. He was a loving husband, father and grandfatherwhose familymeant everything to him.Inhis retirement years,nothing broughthim greater joythanspending timewithhis beloved grandchildren,who were truly thelight of hislife. He alsoenjoyed gardening, fishing, andattendingcar shows with hisbeautifully maintained1971 Mach 1 Mustang.Eachyear, he looked forwardtohis an‐nualretreat at Manresa, where he cherishedthe op‐portunity to pray,reflect, and spendtimewithdear friends.His Catholic faith was aguiding force throughouthis life andre‐mainedatthe heartofthe remarkableman he was. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend thefu‐neral services on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Garden of MemoriesFuneral Home 4900 AirlineDr. Metairie,LA 70001. Visitation will begin

Cambeilh, Sheila Barbier

George III, HenryRichard

Diket, Glennon Stephen

4B ✦ Sunday,June 21,2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune at 10:00AM,witha Mass following at 12:00PM.Inter‐mentwillfollowimmedi‐ately after services in Gar‐den of Memories Ceme‐tery.

Gioiello,JosephGabriel

Joseph GabrielGioiello passedawaypeacefully on June4,2026, just days after celebrating his90thbirth‐day on May25, 2026. Joe was predeceasedbyhis beloved wife,Brenda, with whomheshareda lifetime ofloveand devotion.He willbedearlymissedby his sisters-in-law,Arlene Wischan(Harold Sr.) and MaryGioiello; hisnumer‐ous nieces,DebbieMiller (Freddie),Linda Addison, Pam Lambert(Kenny), Becky Wagner (Dennis) and KarenBaldassaro (Mike); hisnephews,Louis Rigney(Michelle), Johnny Rigney(Marsha), and HaroldWischan Jr (Mandy);aswellashis cousin, Gary Morris (Joy). Hewas preceded in death byhis parents, Gabrieland FlorenceGioiello; hissis‐ters, FrancesSchiambra Christina Geisler, Florence Reidling, Carmella Crosby Helen Kelly, andGloriaLan‐dreneau;and hisbrothers, PhilipGioiello andGabriel Gioiello.Joe worked as an elevatormechanicfor 30 years andwas aproud memberofLocal 16. He was an avid golferand achievedthe remarkable featofmakingthree holesin-oneduringhis lifetime His othergreat passions were fishingand cooking for familyand friends. He alsoenjoyed theocca‐sionaltriptothe casino Brendawas theloveof Joe's life,and he neverlost sight of that.Heoften said thatifitweren't forher,he would be nowhere.To‐gether, they traveled the world,but some of their happiestmoments were spent enjoying acolddrink onthe back porchwith neighbors Cheryl andCarol Perretand otherfriends Joe also looked forwardto his regularvisitstoSouth‐sideinSlidell,where he was treatedlikefamilyand alwaysfeltlikeroyalty.Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend a funeralservice at Green‐wood FuneralHomeonSat‐urday,June27, 2026. Visita‐tionwillbeheldfrom9:00 a.m.until 11:00 a.m.,fol‐lowed by aMass. We also inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com

Gonzalez,Alejandro 'Alex'

Alejandro“Alex”Gonza‐lez,ofSlidell, Louisiana, passedawayonJune 15, 2026, at theage of 74.He was born on February 5, 1952, in Havana,Cuba, to his loving parents, thelate JuanJoséGonzalezand Dulce MariaGonzalezGon‐zalez.For 51 years, Alejan‐dro shared adevoted mar‐riage with hiswife, Cindy Spain Gonzalez.Heisthe cherished father of Alejan‐dro Gonzalez Jr Ryan Gon‐zalez (Leigh), Jesse Gonza‐lez (Missy), andAdrian Gonzalez; proudgrandfa‐therofCollin(Sophia), Cole, Lilly, Cade,Olivia, Jesse,Braelyn,Brennan Emma,and BellaGonzalez; great-grandfather of Juliet Gonzalez; andbrother of JoséManuelGonzalezand the late MariaDeLos An‐geles “Nana”Gonzalez. Alejandro is also survived bya host of extended fam‐ily membersaswellashis dog, Sam, who wasalways a faithfulcompanion.Ale‐jandrowas theownerof Alex’sBodyShop, abusi‐nessthatwas farmore thana livelihood to him. It was hislife. Throughhis work, he earned there‐spect of many andbuilt a reputationfor dedication, skill,and honesty. Afaith‐ful parishionerofSt. Genevieve’s Church,Ale‐jandroheldhis faithclose tohis heart. Hisspiritual life wasanimportant part

States Navy ShowBand

of who he was, andhis presenceinthe parish community wasa reflec‐tionofhis devotion and gratitude. In hisleisure time, Alejandroloved going out on theboatand fish‐ing,enjoyingthe peace and serenity of thewater Healsoloved going to rehab at SlidellMemorial Hospital, where he found encouragement andsup‐port. Thosewho caredfor him therebecamepartof the circle of kindness that surrounded him in recent years.Alejandro Gonzalez willberememberedasa hardworking man, ade‐voted husband,a loving fa‐therand grandfather, a faithfulbrother,and a cherished friend.His life was oneofdeepfamilyties and steadfastdedication. Heleavesbehinda legacy oflovethatwillcontinue through generations. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend avisitation onSaturday, June 27,2026, from10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.at AudubonFuneral HomeinSlidell. AMassof Christian Burial will begin inthe chapel at noon.Ale‐jandrowillbelaidtorestin the Gonzalez Family Ceme‐teryata laterdate. Memo‐riesand condolencesmay beexpressedatwww.Aud ubonFuneralHome.com.

Greene,Margarita Monserrate Bauza-Salas

Margaritawas bornin Adjuntas, Puerto Rico on November 21, 1931tothe late Juan Bauza-Ripolland the late CandinSalas-Arce. The oldest ofthreechildren, she was preceded in death by her sister, Tinda Vazquez-Bauza (Angel), herbrother,JuanBauzaSalas (Lila), and by the loveofher life, thelate RobertCharles Greeneof Folsom and New Orleans, LA. They marriedon August 22, 1953 and had four children:John Robert Greene (Patti), Carmen Maria Griffin(Taylor), Susan MargaretGorman (Ray), and Edward Emile Greene (Kellie); two grandchildren, Timothy David Griffin (Chelsea), and Benjamin John Gorman (Kit); three step-grandchildren, MichelleMarie Lynch (Jody), Lori Ann Rowe (Mark), and DavidStephen Derbes, Jr.(Tracy); and 10 great-grandchildren Margarita(known to her children and grands as Mia) passedawayin Mandeville,LAonJune 16, 2026.She was anamazing womanwho raised four children, wentback to college in her 40s,receiveda BA from UNOand anMSW from Tulane University. Bilingual,she worked asa socialworker until her retirement,despite having lostmost of her hearingas aresultofauditorynerve damagefromradioactive treatmentfor Grave'sdisease. Thisprogressive hearinglosslikely contributedtothe dementia that framed her later years. And, yet, despite thedementia,she still retained her spark and her beautiful smile.She knew her children until the end. Shewas wicked smart, fierce, sensitive, loving, headstrong, creative,and taughther children thata person shouldbejudged by the content of their character ratherthanthe coloroftheir skinevenbefore Dr.King didso. She willbewell, and truly, missed. The time, and location, of serviceshave not yet been determined.Should you wishtohonor her memory,the familyasks that you spend time and/ or money on the charitable organization of your choosing.

Johnson, Roy W. 'Hank

Roy W. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.ofCovington passed awayonMay 29, 2026 at the age of 74. He was born November 1, 1951 He was agifted, lifelong musician beginning with the clarinet in 4th grade, marching in numerous Mardi Gras parades with the Covington High School Marching Lionsand playing across the globe in his careerwith the United

Hank was an EagleScout, a nature lover, master gardener and motorcycleenthusiast.Helived by the motto"Keeplivingonthe edge .and fall off."

He is preceded in death by his parentsRoy and Irene Johnson. He is survivedbyhis wife Holly, siblings Gordon,Mark and Tami and hisfour nephews

Hank was acharacter with character. Services are private.Per his wish his asheswillbespreadat sea

Kenneth Julian, 85, of NewOrleans, Louisiana, passed away peacefullyaftera brief illness on Friday, June 12, at OchsnerBaptist Hospital. He was born on April 28, 1941, in New Orleans, LA,toArchille Sr. and PhilomeneHumphrey Julian.

Kennethgraduated from Cohen HighSchool in 1960, where he met Wilhelmina Gales, who wouldlater become hiswife.Together they builta loving family and raised threesons: Kenneth Jr., Patrick,and Kyle.

Afterworking for Schlitz Brewery, Kennethcompleted hisdegree in Psychology at Southern University. He then began working for NOPSI as a public transportation bus driver.Following aworkrelated injury, he changed professions and joinedthe staff at Mandina's Restaurant,where he remained for 40 years until his retirement.Inretirement,Kennethcontinued servingothers through his workatSt. Katharine Drexel Church. Alifelong resident of his neighborhood, Kennethattended Holy Ghost School and spent hisentirelifein thecommunity he loved. He was adevoted member of the SeniorKnightsof Peter Claver, an avid tennis player,and adie-hard Saintsfan. He cherished thecamaraderieofhis neighborsand friends and, throughout his life,had a profound impact on many people in the community.

Kenneth was aproud and devoted family man who deeply cared forboth his immediate and extended family.Ashis healthbegan to decline,hebecame aresident of Chateau de Notre Dame, wherehe spent hisremaining years. Evenashis healthchallenges increased,hemaintaineda strong faith, quiet strength,endearing wit, and encouraging wisdom that inspired allwho knew him.

Kennethwas preceded in deathbyhis parents; his belovedwife,Wilhelmina; and hisbrothers and sister. He is survived by his sons, KennethJr.,Patrick, and Kyle; his daughters-inlaw, Kimand Yashica; and his cherished grandchildren,Kenneth III, Andrew, Ryan, Stephen, KyleJr.,and Aliyah. He also leaves behind ahost of cousins, nieces, nephews, lifelong neighbors, and dear friendswho willtreasure hismemory

The family extends heartfeltgratitude to the staff of Chateau de Notre Dame for thecompassionate care and comfort they providedduring Kenneth's final years. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be madeinKenneth's honor to St.Katharine Drexel Church, 2015 Louisiana Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70115. Visitation willbeheldat St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 2015 LouisianaAve, New Orleans, LA on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from9:00am to 11:00 am, followedbya Mass of ChristianBurial at 11:00 am. Interment will follow mass at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum, New Orleans, LA.

Michael J. LaBonia, 89, of Germantown, Tennessee, passed away on June 8, 2026, in Germantown. Born on September 24, 1936, in Des Moines, Iowa, he was theson of Santo and Clara LaBonia (neeScaglione).

Mike graduated from Dowling High School in 1954 and laterfromDrake Universityin1958. He went on to builda distinguished and successful career in broadcasting.Hebegan his careeratKRNT-TV in the late1950s and then became part of theoriginal team that created theIowa Public Broadcasting Network. He later served at WYES-TV in NewOrleans from1979 to 1991, where he rose to thepositionof President and General Manager.In1991, he joined WKNO-TV/FM, where he served as President and CEO until 2022.

Mike was adevout Catholic, aproud broadcaster,and aman whose work helped shapepublic mediafor generations. He willberemembered for his leadership, dedication, and thelasting impact he made on thecommunities he served. He was preceded in death by his belovedwife, Patricia F. LaBonia, in 1989. He is survivedbyhis children, Samuel (Jill)LaBonia of Holly Springs, Mississippi; Michael (Debra) LaBonia of New Orleans, Louisiana; John (Renee) LaBonia of Weston, Florida; Robert (Adrienne) LaBonia of Germantown, Tennessee; and Angela(Chris) Susilof WestDes Moines,Iowa; his brother, John (Mary Kay) LaBonia of Des Moines, Iowa; eleven grandchildren;and threegreatgrandchildren. Avisitationwillbeheld from11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at St.Anthony's Catholic Church, 15 Indianola Rd,Des Moines, Iowa, followedbya FuneralMass at 12:00 p.m. Graveside serviceand burial willfollow at Glendale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be madetoWKNO Public Broadcasting Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com

IrvinLouis Lassalle Sr passedawayathis resi‐dence on June 16, 2026 at the ageof93. Belovedhus‐bandofthe late Jane Roddy Lassalle.Fatherof IrvinL.LassalleJr. and VeronicaLassalleNunez. Father-in-law of CarraLas‐salle andthe late Ronald Ramon Nunez. Grandfather ofRobert, Hidovel, Rory and Kelly Burke, Shannelle Lassalle, IrvinLassalleIII, Melissa GraceLassalle, and Brevin Lassalle.Also survivedbymanygreatgrandchildren,great-greatgrandchildren,his cousin Lenny Cassioppi alongwith other relativesand friends. Irvinservedhis country honorably in theU.S.Army duringthe Korean War. He spent much of hiscareer working forBluePlate, Western Electric,and Jef‐fersonParishWaterworks. Hewas an avid baseball and softball player,playing for theCorps of Engineers and wasready to sign a contractwiththe Ap‐palachian League before hewas drafted in 1953 Familyand friendsare in‐vited to gather at Mothe FuneralHome, 2100 West‐bankExpressway, Harvey, LAonWednesday,June 24 2026 from 5p.m.to9 p.m., resumingonThursday June 25, 2026 from 8a.m.to 11a.m.A FuneralMasswill follow. IntermentRestlawn ParkCemeteryinAvon‐dale. Condolencesand memoriesmay be shared byvisitingIrvin’s memorial pageat: www.mothefunera ls.com.

Lehrisse Jr., Joseph Anthony

Joseph Anthony Lehrisse Jr., knownlovingly tofamilyand friendsas Joe,passedawayinDen‐ton,Texas,inJune 2026 after acourageousbattle withParkinson's Disease. BornonJanuary 18, 1938, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Joe liveda full andmean‐ingfullifedefinedbyser‐vice, dedication,and an unwavering love forhis family. Joeproudly served his countryinthe United StatesNavy, acommit‐mentthatshapedhis char‐acter andinstilled in hima deep senseofduty. After retiringfromthe Navy,he built adistinguished civil‐ian career with theFederal Reserve,where he worked until hissecondretire‐ment. Throughevery chap‐ter of hislife, Joecarried himself with quietstrength and determination. Above all else,Joe wasa family man.Heloved hisfamily deeply andalwaysencour‐agedthemtobethe best theycould be in life Whetherofferingwords of wisdomorsimplybeing present.Hewas asteady sourceofsupport andin‐spiration.Joe enjoyed watchingfootball,and he cherished long phonecon‐versationswithhis brother Michael,reminiscing about the good ol'daysgrowing upinNew Orleans. Those moments of connection and laughter meantthe world to him. Joeissur‐vived by hisbeloved wife, Francia BravoLehrisse,his son,Michael Anthony Lehrisse,his daughter Magdalena "Maggie" Lehrisse Scioneaux, and his grandchildren, JonEric Lehrisse,Kelly Lynn Lehrisse,JustinMatthew Bishop, andArielle Lehrisse.Joe touchedthe lives of everyone he knew withhis warmth,his en‐couragement,and hisgen‐uinespirit. Relativesand friends areinvited to visit Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124, on Friday June 26, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM.A FuneralMass willfollowthe visitation at 1:00PMinthe Greenwood FuneralHome’sChapel. The burial will be in Green‐wood Cemetery.Wealso inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Joseph’s lifeand keep hismemory alive

LillianAvernaLescale 93, died peacefully at home onJune 19, 2026. Shewas bornat825 NorthRampart Street in NewOrleans on June 24, 1932. Shewas pre‐

deceased by hermother, Lillian DupuyAverna; her father, Rosario“Sam” Av‐erna; herbrother,Roy Av‐erna; andher aunt,Sister GertrudeDupuy (Aunt Weeze),ofthe Congrega‐tionofthe SistersofSt. Joseph(CSJ).She is sur‐vived by herhusband of 71 years,MelvinLescale (96); her children Leslie Matys (Ed)ofBoston, MA;Mark (Albert Palumbo) of New Orleans;Keith (Henrique) ofGreenwich,CT; andLau‐ren Holmes (Bruce)of Austin, TX.She is also sur‐vived by hergrandchildren Aaron Matys(Meredith), AbbeySherman (Kevin), AlecMatys (Bri), Paul Holmes, andKelly Wines (Chris);her sister Elaine Valentine Jones(Wil) of Houston,TX; andher sister inlaw DorisAvernaofTal‐lahassee, FL.Her great grandchildren include twins Ariand AceMatys, WesleySherman and LouisaMatys.And many niecesand nephews. Lil‐lianattendedSt. Augustine School in Treme. At age nine, herfamilymoved to GentillyBoulevard,where she continuedher educa‐tionatSt. James. Shegrad‐uated from St.Joseph Academy on Ursulines Street in 1948 andearned anassociate degree in businessfromDominican College on St.Charles Av‐enue in 1950. Sheworked atCharity Hospital forthe headofSocialServices, SisterStanislaus, whose leadershipoffered Lillian anearly glimpseofstrong women in positionsofre‐sponsibility. Inspired by thisenvironment,she pur‐suednursing—despite the strictrules of thetime, which required students to liveinthe dormitoryand prohibitedmarried women fromattending school.She graduated from theCharity HospitalSchool of Nursing in1954 andmarried the loveofher life,Melvin, that sameyear. Aproud wearer ofthe nursing capand the “CharityPin,” Lillianbal‐anced part time work with raising hergrowing family. She became an instructor atthe TouroSchool of Nursing andoften brought her sonMarktoclass, jok‐ing that he hadcompleted his medicalsurgicaltrain‐ing at ageeight.In1969, the familywas involved in a seriousautomobile acci‐dentonAirline Highway. Lillian suffered ashattered femur,ankle andhandin‐juries, beginninga long pe‐riodofrecovery. Despite these challenges,she per‐sistedinher education. She went on to complete bothher BS andMaster’s degrees in Educationfrom LoyolaUniversityin1974 She taught at theWilliam Carey School of Nursing and laterbecamethe As‐sistant Dean of Students She found hercalling in counselingnursing stu‐dents,helping them map out theirpathtogradua‐tion, andencouraging themwithher signature message:“Youcan do it.” Her passionfor education extendedtoher ownchil‐dren, each of whomcom‐pletedadvanceddegrees Later shewas head of the education department at LakesideHospitaland found anew love public re‐lations andfounded “April Showers”anexpofor ven‐dorstopromote theirprod‐uctstoexpecting mothers. Not willingtoretireyet she began to counselwomen after beingdiagnosed with breastcancerand encour‐agedbreastscreeningat the TouroInfirmaryradiol‐ogy department andin 1999 shefounded “Touro’s Mardi Gras Mambo” festiv‐ities foremployees and their families -complete withsweatshirts promot‐ing theHospital. In 2004 mom herselfwas diag‐nosed earlywithbreast cancerand became asur‐vivorafter radiationtreat‐

LaBonia, Michael J.

Julian, Kenneth

Lassalle Sr., IrvinLouis

Lescale, LillianAverna

mentsatTouro proving early detectionmatters Special thanks goesto Heart of Hospice- Sarah and caregivers Shelita, Brenda, Lynn, Desiray, Angie,Catina, andYolanda Familyand friendsare in‐vited to honorthe legacy ofLillian A. Lescale at Jacob Schoen andSon Fu‐neral Home 3827 CanalSt New Orleans, La on Wednesday June 24,2026 visitationat11:00am fol‐lowed by 1:00pm Mass in the J. GaricSchoenChapel. Private burial at St Louis #3Esplanade Ave. In lieu of flowersthe familykindly request that donationsbe madetoThe LescaleFam‐ily ScholarshipFund estab‐lishedinthe herhonor at Brother Martin High School bycalling 504-284-6700

Merrill Maratea, born August 26, 1952 to the late Frank Marateaand Lily Maratea in Riverside, New Jersey, journey home on June 18, 2026 after avaliant fight with Pancreatic cancer. Anear lifelong resident of New Orleans and Metairie, he attended John F. Kennedy High School and received aB.S. from UNO in Medical Technology. He is survivedbyhis loving wife of 52 years, Pamela Horridge Maratea, son Christopher (Melissa) Maratea, two daughters, Stacie (Emery) Minnard, Julie (James) Mayes anda grandson. He is also survived by asister, Alison Belsom and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews.

Merrill worked in the medical field before moving to Industry at the (QA) Laboratory of Shell Chemical enjoying many special projects, special assignments, advanced instrumentation, and computer integration. He retired from Shell Chemical achieving Laboratory Supervisor position and following assignments in both the Chemical Plant and Refinery forming many lasting relationships.

Following retirement, Merrill enjoyed his time being an extra in several movies and TV enjoyinga special segment in the series Kville. In addition, he was amember of the St. Philip's Men's Club, a Defensive Driving Instructor for the Nat'l Safety Council and on "at the elbow" software support for nurses and physicians training on electronic medical records around the US. An avid golfer and woodworker, Merrill recently began enjoying pickle ball and the many wonderful people he met Thanks for all the prayers and support from all who knew Merrill andin lieu of flowers please consider adonation to Wounded Warrior Project or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Family and friends are invitedtoattend a Memorial Service on Thursday June 25,2026 with visitation at 10:00 a.m. by Mass 11:00 a.m. at St. Rita Catholic Church 2729 Lowerline Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70125

Martin,Floyd Arlen'Flukie'

Floyd(Flukie)Arlen Mar‐tin passedawayonJune 14, 2026 at theage of 91 Floyd is survived by hislov‐ing partnerofalmost25 years;GloriaLanglinais, his siblings;Carroll (Bar‐bara/Bobby),Patricia (Phil), andMJ(Peggy Rose).Floyd wasloved and adoredbya host of nieces, nephews,great-niece and nephews,and great-great niecesand nephewswho hetreated with such love and adoration. He wases‐peciallycherished and loved by hisgodchild, Ken‐nethBegovich(Ana).In ad‐dition, he wasloved by manyclose friendsand his bonus" children,Meme Levert(John),Michael Mario(Carolyn) andSal

Gagliano.Floyd waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, SarahCross Martin and Marcus Martin and siblingsDonald, Beatrice MartinBegovich, and Melba.Floyd wasbornon May 11,1935. He worked for Bass Enterprisesfor al‐most45years andwas al‐waysa hardworkingand fairman.Hewillalwaysbe rememberedfor hiszest for life.Inhis earlyyears heenjoyed huntingand fishingand especially his beloved huntingdogs.He spent many days mentor‐ing hisnephews andpass‐ing on hisloveofthe sport tothem. Laterinlifehe loved riding in paradesand everythingrelated to Mardi Gras. He nevermisseda paradeand celebrating withfamilyand friendsup until theveryend.Hewas alsoanavidSaintsand LSU Football fan andloved music anddancing. Floyd willbegreatly missed by all who knew himand had the pleasure of sharinglife withhim.Friends and fam‐ily areinvited to attend a FuneralMassonMonday, June 22,2026 at 1:30PM in the Chapel of MotheFu‐neral Home,2100 Westbank Expressway, in Harvey,LA. Visitationwillbegin at 11AM. Intermentwillbeat WestlawnMemorialPark, 1225 Whitney Ave.,in Gretna, LA immediatelyfol‐lowingMass. Please visit mothefunerals.com to view and sign theonlineguest‐book

Callaghan James McCarthyIII, who has died at the ageof90, lived a longand productive lifeas alovinghusband, father and businessman in New Orleans.Jim was born September21, 1935,inNew YorkCity, and graduated from The Lawrenceville School. He enteredYaleat age17where he majored in businessand pledged the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. While at Yale, he completed ROTC trainingand was commissioned a2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine CorpsonJune 1, 1956. Following his initial officer training at Quantico, Virginia he servedanextended tour on Okinawa. Foryearsafterward,a favoritememory of his Okinawa experiencewas theten-cent martinis at the Officer'sClub. On anotheroccasion in Okinawa, Jimvolunteered to assist as an alter serverduring the Catholic Mass. The congregationwas small, justthree or four Marines. The nextSunday, the small church was filled to capacity. The Priest askedJim if he knew why the congregation had grown so large so quickly. Without missing abeat, Jim replied "because theyall wantedto see their Lieutenant on his knees." Eager to launch a business career,Jim separated from the Marine Corps as aCaptain but never losthis Marine's tenacity and spirit. Jim joined Proctor and Gamble wherehebegan his sales career in the foodindustry. For yearshejoyfully recalledhis answer to the hiring interviewer's question:"If you could know anything in the worldright now, what woulditbe?" With that known twinkle in his eye Jim replied, the winner of next week's Kentucky Derby."One evening Jim'sManhattan roommate received aride home from the daughter of afamilyfriend. Jimand the young lady hada short conversationinthe apartment before she left. "Do you plantodate her?"Jim askedhis roommate. "My parents wouldlove that, but Ialreadyhave a girlfriend.""Good" Jim said, "because I'm going to marry her." Their first date was to afootball game at the Yale Bowl. Jim and the same young lady, WinifredViguerie (

McCarthy (Winx to her friends), were married for 66 years. Aftera few years, Jimmoved fromP&G to Hunt Wessonwhere he was offered twoopportunities: thefirst in Detroit and thesecond in New Orleans, which happened to be Winx's hometown. Thisisone of thefew business decisions Jimdid not participate in.They moved to NewOrleans. Jimserved in NewOrleans as President of Hunt Wesson's Blue PlateFoods working out of itsiconic building.When WilliamB Reily& Companybought Blue PlateFoods in 1974, Jim joinedReily where he rose to serveasPresident formany years and later Chairman of theBoardfollowing thedeath of his friend and mentor,William Boatner ReilyIII.Jim loved his working relationship with Boatnerand his family and was proud of his contributiontothe company's success. Throughout his life,Jim was an exceptional athlete and die-hard sports fan. Initially afierce tennisplayer, injury turned his focus to golf where he carried asingle digit handicap formany years. Alifelong Yankeesand Saints fan, Jim and friends enjoyed 50 yard-line seats from theSaints' first season, and he rarely missed ahome game.Those who challengedhim to games of backgammon, ginrummy or bridge rarely came out on top. Jimwas a member of various social organizations in New Orleans and lovednothing better than gathering with friends during Carnival. In lateryears, he lookedforward to spending summers in thecoolmountains of Cashiers, North Carolina, where he celebrated his 90thbirthday singing and dancing to dueling pianoswithfriends and family.Jim is survived by his beloved wife Winifred (Winx), and his five childrenWendy Beron (Thomas), Shaun McCarthy (Paige), Megan Nelson (Willie), Moira Taylor (Frank) and Mason McCarthy (Kristi), his 11 grandchildren, Scout (Will), Emma,Callie (Jenkins), Connor, Winnie (Calder), Shaun, Grace, Kevin, Jack,Patricia and Annabeland twogreat grandchildren(Jack and Julia) alongwith his belovedsister,Patti McCarthy. Jim was predeceasedbyhis parents Callaghanand Josephine Hauck McCarthy and his sisterJoy McCarthyBaxter. AMass will be celebrated on Saturday, August 1st at 11:00am at St.Francis XavierCatholicChurch with visitationfrom 9:30am—11:00am. Your support and prayers for Jimmean themosttoour family.Inlieuofflowers, thefamily suggests memorial donations be madeto acharity of your choice. Always proud of his family's Irish heritage, we bid Jimfarewell with aslight variationofhis favorite Hibernian toast:

May theroadriseto meetyou, May thewind be always at your back May thesun shine warm upon your face, The rains fallsoft upon your fields. And until we meetagain Dad, May God holdyou in the palm of his hand.

Mitchell LloydMintz, age74, of NewOrleans, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2026, leaving behind alegacy of family devotion, business leadership,philanthropy, and communityservice. BornonNovember 9, 1951, in NewOrleans, Mitchell was thebeloved son of Elaine LevyMintz

and Ellis Mintz. He was raised with thevalues of hard work, integrity, generosity,and adeeplovefor family and community. Mitchell willbelovingly remembered by his devoted wife of 40 years, Christie Mintz; his daughter, Cheryl Mintzand her spouse, BrettBauman; his cherished granddaughter, Darcy Bauman; and his mother, Elaine Mintz. He is also survivedbyhis sisters -in-law, PriscillaGremillion (Glen) and LucilaMadden, his brothers-in-law,Barry Smith (Camille) and Robert Rachel (Donna), first cousins Eddie and Rodney Pick along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in deathby his father, Ellis Mintz. Aproud graduateofthe University of Alabama, Mitchell returned home to joinhis father in thefamily business, Hurwitz Mintz Furniture, becoming athird -generationleader of one of NewOrleans' most respectedbusinesses. Avisionary and forward-thinking entrepreneur, Mitchell helped guide Hurwitz Mintzthrough decades of growth and transformation. He embraced innovation, expanded thecompany's reach, and developed creativemarketing and strategic initiatives that allowedthe business to thrive in an ever-changing marketplace Mitchell's success was never measuredsolelyby business achievements. He genuinely cared forthe people who worked alongside him and considered employees part of theextendedHurwitz Mintzfamily.Hebelievedthata successfulbusiness was built on trust,loyalty, and relationships, and he took greatpride in supporting and mentoring generations of employees throughout his career. His leadership stylewas marked by kindness, respect, and an unwavering commitment to those around him. Mitchellwas also apassionate philanthropist whose generosity touched countless lives. He quietly and consistently supported numerouscharitable organizations and causes that were important to him, ranging from thearts and healthcare to animal welfare and medical research. Among theorganizations he championed were theNew Orleans SPCA,Touro Hospital, Hadassah, ShirChadash, March of Dimes, BRAVO, theLouisiana Research

Consortium, and many others. He believeddeeply in giving backtothe community that hadgivenso much to himand hisfamily. Mitchell was also known as an enthusiastic sports fan whorarelymissedan opportunity to cheerfor hisbeloved NewOrleans Saints, NewOrleans Pelicans, and Alabama CrimsonTide. Whether watchinga game with friends andfamilyordiscussing the latestseason prospects, hispassion for sportswas infectious.

The familywould like to extendsincere thanks to thesupport team at Anvoi Hospice of Metairiefor the excellent care providedto Mitchell andhis family.

In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that donationsbemade to oneof themanycharitable organizationsMitchell supported throughouthis lifetime To view andsignthe online guestbook, visit www.LakeLawnMetairie.co m

Sheila AnnNicholson, lovinglyknown as LaLa passedawayonJune 17, 2026, in NewOrleans, Louisiana,the city where she wasbornonJuly4, 1951, andwhere shespent her life sharingher warmth, wisdom,and kind‐nesswithall who knew her.Sheilawas adevoted daughter, sister,aunt, cousin, partner, teacher, and friend whose life was markedbylove, generosity, and adeep commitment to others. Shewas thecher‐ished sister of Shelley Nicholson (Richard Hirstius) andshe held a special placeinthe livesof her nephewsRichie Hirstius(Suzanne) andVin‐centHirstius(Taylar), as wellasher great-nephews Teddy Hirstius,Jacques

Histius, MathieuHirstius, and hergreat-niece Mar‐gauxHirstius. Shewas also deeply lovedbyher cousins SusanHoffman and CindyB.Burke,who werelikebestfriends to her.She will also be re‐memberedbya host of ex‐tendedfamilymembers and friendswho were blessedbyher presence Sheilawas preceded in death by herbeloved life partner of 20 years, Tracy Humble, herparents JosephNicholson andMar‐ion Stolz, andher grand‐parents,Jeanne Pettavino Stolz andEdwardA.Stolz Sr. Alifelongeducator, Sheiladevoted 48 yearsto teaching, touching count‐lesslives throughher pa‐tience, dedication,and steadyencouragement She taught at St.Anthony ofPadua for five yearsand atSt. Christopherfor 43 years,where shebecamea treasured andfamiliar presencetogenerations of students, families,and col‐leagues.Her work was morethana profession to her.Itwas acalling,and she answered it with grace,intelligence, andun‐waveringcare. Shegaveof herself freelyand made a lasting difference in the lives of thoseshe taught In addition to beinga teacher,Sheilawas also a licensedcounselor.Assist‐ing theyouth in the schoolsshe taught at while also having herown practiceasa privatecoun‐selor.She wasknown to extendher compassion and wisdom to thosewho needed guidance andsup‐port. Herlife’sworkre‐flectedher deep belief in helping others,and she gaveofherself freelyand faithfully. Sheila was known forher remarkable mindand herloveoflearn‐ing.She wasextremely knowledgeable aboutthe history of theworld and could speakwithinsight and confidenceoncount‐lesssubjects. Sheloved to travelwithher sister,and wherevershe went,people seemed to recognizeher,a reflection of thememo‐rable spirit shecarried withher.She hada won‐derfulsense of humor and could bringlaughtertoany room,yet shealsoknew whentobeserious and offerthoughtfulguidance. Her presence wascomfort‐ing,her wordsweremean‐ingful, andher heartwas alwaysopen. Thosewho knewSheilawillremember her as loving,funny, and selfless. Shehad alarge heart andhelpedsomany people withouteverex‐

Maratea, Merrill

Nicholson, Sheila Ann

McCarthy, Callaghan James

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Mintz, Mitchell Lloyd

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

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.

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 capitalize on newer 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’t sting quiteasmuch.

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.

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

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

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.

Opinions canevolveasthe factschange

Oneofthe 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

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.

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.

Often, Americans areportrayed as unyielding on any given topic, stuck in aperpetual cycle of repeating the positions of whichever partyaligns withtheir views. The reality,Isuspect,ismuch 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. Those who can look at facts and then change their opinions when thefacts

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.

As we celebrated Juneteenth on Friday and are approaching the Fourth of July celebration for this 250th year 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 DeclarationofIndependence and the Constitution are two of our most important documents, but outside of those,what words about the Ameri-

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 Roberts

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.”

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

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

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.

Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

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.

“I didn’tknow anything about it,” she said. “Wewere supposed to go to trial.”

$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

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.

Will Sutton

Fleming Letlow

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.

pectinganythinginreturn. She woulddropeverything tohelpsomeone in need, and shedid so with humil‐ity andsincerity.She loved good food,good times, and good company, andshe es‐peciallytreasured themo‐ments spentwithfamily and friends. Aboveall else, Sheilawas an amazingand lovingpersonwhose devo‐tiontoothersdefinedher life. Hermemorywilllive oninthe hearts of allwho werefortunate enough to knowher.SheilaAnn Nicholson leaves behind a legacyofkindness, laugh‐ter,service,and love that willcontinue to inspireher family, friends, students, and allwhose livesshe touched.The familywould liketoextenda special thank youtothe entire staff at SummerHouse Vista Shores as well as Hospice Specialists of Louisiana fortheir atten‐tionand dignified care.In lieuof flowers, please con‐sider making adonationin Sheila’shonor andmemory toSt. Jude Children’s Hos‐pital or acharity of your choice. Friendsand family are invitedtoattendthe FuneralMassonThursday, June 25, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. being held at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd.,New Orleans, LA 70124. ACelebration of Life willtakeplace from 9:00 a.m.until Mass time.Burial willfollowatGreenwood Cemetery. To sign theon‐lineguestbook as well as share memories andcon‐dolences, please visit www.greenwoodfh.com

NiklausJr.,Walter Thomas 'JunieBoy'

Walter Thomas Niklaus, Jr. passedawaypeacefully onMonday, June 15, 2026, atthe ageof88. He was borninNew Orleans, Louisiana,onAugust25, 1937, to Alba andWalter Niklaus.The father of An‐gela Ruiz, Christian

Niklaus, andAlvin Niklaus; the grandfatherofJessica Stegall,Hopie Ruiz, Nicole Manno and Alyssa Ruiz; and great-grandfatherof Adrianna, Aurora,Aaliyah Angelina, Julianna,Chris‐tiana,Jace, Sophia,Ryder and Arya;and greatgreatgrandfather of 3. Walter was thesibling of thelate Marlene Weber, thehalfsibling of DianeMartin, SandraRichardson, JoAnn Niklaus,Shirley Niklaus, Debra Niklaus, andthe late Alvin Darcey.Heisalso survivedbyhis nieces, nephews,cousins,and wonderful lifelong friends. A specialacknowledge‐mentisgiven to his nephew, Steven Richard‐son,for hisdevoted care, kindness, andsteadfast support.Hewas anativeof New Orleans, and proud residentofAlgiers forover 50years.After high school in1956, Walter went to boot camp andbegan his professionalcareer as a United States Marine where he retiredasMaster Sergeant. Walter waslov‐ing,compassionate,and mostofall averycaring persontoall.Heenjoyed spendingtimeatthe shootingrange and fishing. Hewas an avid anddedi‐cated carenthusiast. How‐ever, histruepassion was tothe United States Marines.Walterwas uniqueand irreplaceable, wellrespected andliked and will be deeply and dearlymissedbyall who knewand lovedhim.His spiritand tender nature willremaininthe many memoriesofhis cherished friends and family until theymeethim again. In lieuof flowersplease kindlyconsidercontribu‐tions andprayers in mem‐ory of Walter Thomas Niklaus,Jr. to Holy Name of MaryCatholic Church: https://www.paypal.com/ donate?hosted_button_ id=PTW4QZK73G9BS. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend thefuneral mass in thechapelat Mothe FuneralHome, 2100 WestbankExpwy Harvey Louisiana,onWednesday, June 24,2026, at 1p.m.with visitationfrom11a.m.to1 p.m.Interment will follow inWestlawnMemorialPark Cemetery, 1225 Whitney Avenue, Gretna,Louisiana Mothe FuneralHomehas been entrustedwithfu‐neral arrangements.The familykindlyinvites youto share thoughts,fondest memories,and condo‐

lences online at www.Mot heFunerals.com

CLAIRE FORESTIERE

OLIVIER peacefully passed away at home, surrounded by lovedones, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. She was 95 years old. She was preceded in deathby her parents, Frank J. Forestiereand Mae Claiborne Forestiere; her husband of 42 years, Harry J. Olivier, Jr.; and her sister and brother-in-law, Gloria and Fred Feske. Her six children surviveher, Harry J. Olivier, III, Jeanne C. Olivier (the late Robert E. Dineen, Jr.), Dr. Maureen Olivier, Frances M. Olivier (Judge MarkDoherty), Catherine S. Olivier, and Judge Rebecca M. Olivier (Jacob McGavock Dickinson, V); twelve grandchildrenand six greatgrandchildren, including MatthewOlivier Hart(Charlotte) with Caroline,Philipand Victoria;MikeyFreedom Hart (Angi); DavidHart (Jovita); Emily Hart;Dr. Meaghan Olivier Doherty (Dr. Steven Fielkow) with Claireand Thomas; Jack Doherty; Catherine Doherty (Pauline); Paul Olivier; Harry Olivier Fink; Jeanne-Claire Olivier Fink; DelaneyOlivier; and Jacob McGavockDickinson, VI (Rose) with Rita

Claire, alongwithher husband Harry,embraced and shared theirbeliefs in aclose-knit family;anappreciationfor music and art; and theimportance of self-reliance and education with their children. She embodiedthiswhether playing thepiano, singing her favorite songs, sewing, gardening, preparing teaching plans, or goingto class herself. Committed to advancing her ownacademicgoalsand career as an educator, she spent

time after workand in the summers earning her Master of Education from theUniversity of New Orleans, as wellas30 hoursofcredit forher DoctorofEducation. After decadesofteaching high schoolmath, she retired.

Thisallowedher to pursue painting,a long-held interest closetoher heart. She found both passion and friendshipthroughher involvement withLePetite ArtGuild, St.Charles Art Guild, NewOrleans Art Association, Louisiana Art Association, Metairie Art Guild, and Jefferson Art Guild. Her pencildrawings, watercolors, and oils were featured in many local art shows.

Forever theteacher, she made her garage her classroom at home, whereshe was happy to spend time with her grandchildren, sharing thetechniques and processes of creating art.

Clairealso enjoyed traveling and oftenvisited her childrenacross theUSA and Europe whilethey were gaining their own life experiences. She was proud of their various pursuits, especiallytheir educational and professional accomplishments

She hadincredible strength and courage, which was evident when she facedadvanced ovarian cancer. Her survival against alloddswas nothing short of miraculous, and her bravery was an inspiration.

Claireloved theculture of NewOrleans, and she never missed family gatherings, MardiGras, birthdays,communions, graduations, holidays, or Saints game watchparties. She washappytocelebrate withothersand always welcomed everyone to her home.

Her legacy willcontinue with her family and the countless livesshe impacted throughher teaching and her caring concern for others.

The family extendsdeep appreciationand thanksto Anita Romas, Justina Thomas, and Gloria Barber who cared for Claireasif she were theirown mother

Visitation willtake place at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,

5100 PontchartrainBlvd., NewOrleans,onSaturday, June 27, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with aMass of Christian Burial at 1:00 p.m. Burial to follow

In yourheartmylove hasfound ahomeand in it, it will neverdie HelenWhitehead Orgeron passedaway peacefully on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the age of 102. Sheisprecededindeath by herbeloved husband Raphael Orgeron.She is thelovingmotherof Raphael Orgeron,Jr. (deceased); Carol LeJeune (John,deceased);David Orgeron (Sheree); Dianne Battaglia(Sal); and Michael Orgeron (Tania). Sheissurvivedbyher grandchildren, Todd, Dana, RaeAnn, Natalie, Johnny, Denise, Sean,Benjamin, Sonny, Nick, Mike,Brandi, andBrooke, and19greatgrandchildren. Sheworked several years in theERatWest JeffersonMedicalCenter andalso retiredfrom Sears.She lovedgardening, theSaintsteam and knew all theplayers.She enjoyed playing the slots at thecasinoand in her leisure she read Shewas very optimistic, herpat answer to "how are you"was always "I'm just fine, honey."She always puteveryonefirst. Ourheartsare heavy but sheisinGod's hands now andinher husband's lovingarms. She always put everyonefirst and rarely complained about things exceptwhenthe Saints lost. The familywishes to expressthankstoeveryone at East JeffersonGeneral Hospital. She wasgrateful for thekindnessextended to heratNouveau Marc Special thanks to hersecondfamilyatSt. Margaret's Hospice forthe care she received over the past twoyears.

Pearson died peacefully on May26, 2026, after abrief illness, at the University Retirement Community in Davis, California. Born in 1922, Betty grew up on afarminBobo, Mississippi, surrounded by four generationsofher family. In 1947, Betty married BillPearson, who farmed near Webb, Mississippi. Theearly years of theirmarriage coincidedwith pivotal events in thecivil rights movement. Betty joined the NAACP,supported the farm's Blackemployeesin theirefforts to vote, and befriendedcivil rights attorneys and otherswho came South to work for racial justice. In 1968 Betty wasappointedtothe Mississippi State Advisory Committee to theU.S. Commission on Civil Rights.She wasone of nine activists featured in the2003 documentary Standing on OurSisters' Shoulders, whichwas screened in Washington D.C., to astanding ovation Today, Betty is honored as aPoint of Lightinthe Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.(Afull obituarycan be viewed at ht tps://w ww.smithfunerals.com/obituaries/ betty-pearson). ACelebrationofLife will be held at theUniversity RetirementCommunity on August 14 from 2-4pm. A memorial service willtake place in Mississippi at afuture time.Inlieuofflowers, the familyasks that donations be made to the Emmett TillInterpretive Center,P.O. Box 405, Tutwiler,MS38963, or the Southern PovertyLaw Center,400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery,AL 36104.

Orgeron,Helen Whitehead

Olivier, Claire Forestiere

Pelicans on outsidelooking in of NBAdraft

WorldCup expectations growingfor USMNT

BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

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

Oneyear after being themost talked about team on NBA draft night, the New OrleansPelicansmay not be talked about at all this time around.

As of now,the Pelicansdon’thave afirstround draft pick for the draft that will be held Tuesday and Wednesdayin Brooklyn, New York. They relinquished their pick last year in the highly criticized trade that allowed them to leap from the No. 23 spot to No. 13 to select Derik Queen. Joe Dumars, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, said after last year’sdraft that you could look at theQueen pick as the Pelicans just getting afirst-round pick ayear early

So farthat hasn’thappened. All that has occurred lately are abunch of trade rumorsthat have kept social media buzzing. Dumars’ phone has been ringing with teamscalling to inquire about guys such as Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, but none of those calls have come close to offering anything to makeDumars pull the trigger

ButDumars also said two days after the season ended in April that the Pels could makeatrade to get back into the first round this year

There’sstill timefor adeal to get done and the Pels maketheir way into the first round. Such adeal wouldn’thave to come before commissioner Adam Silver steps to the podium Tuesday night to start the first round. If the Pelicans have someone they are targeting in the first round, they could just wait until the draftstarts and see how things plays out. Finding agood player in that

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 was about to enter his junior year at the UniversityofTen-

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

New Orleans natives and former NFL superstars Eliand Peyton Manning, whocombinedtolead their teams to four Super Bowl championships, headline the Class of 2026 for the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Former O. Perry Walker High and University of New Orleans standout Bo McCalebbwill join the Manning brothers in the class, which will be honored during aceremony at the AllStateSugar Bowl awards banquet at the Caesars Superdo-

nessee. 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 campers from across the nation andluresthe top quarterbacksincollege footballalong with countless industry VIPs and insiders to south Louisiana.

This will 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 thelandmark occasion.

“Thirty years is hard to imagine,” the elder Manning said.“When we started it, we just thought we’d have anice ä See MANNING, page 8C

me on Wednesday In addition to welcomingthree inductees to itsNew OrleansSports Hall of Fame, theSugar Bowl will also recognize its annualJamesJ.Corbett Award winners; the top coaches, athletes and teams fromNew Orleans; andthe SugarBowlAthletes of theMonth for 2025-26.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

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

PRESS PHOTO By

ADAM HUNGER

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-foot-

5, 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.”

Dream forward Reese sets WNBA rebound mark

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

The former LSU standout achieved the feat in 79 games, 10 games faster than Tina Charles, the previous record holder

The 6-foot-4 forward 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.”

Reese tops the WNBA with 11.9 rebounds per game this season.

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.

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

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.”

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

and

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

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.

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, Fischer Gosserand, 23.8. Mangrove snapper: 1, Austin Rader, 9.2. 2, Andrew Schneller, 8.8. 3, Stella Phillips, 8.0. Cobia: 1, Thomas Templeton, 40.6. 2, Andre Doucet, 28.0. 3, Davy

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

(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

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.

“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.

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 shots at the wrong time and shot 72. Sahith Theegala had one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars for a 70. All of them were at 1-under 209, leaving only five players under par Former LSU golfer Sam Burns shot a 1-over

think it’s going to pan out.”

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

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

ALL-METRO SOFTBALL

CLASSES4A, 5A PLAYER OF THEYEAR

LONDON LAMBERT HAHNVILLE, FRESHMAN • PITCHER

London Lambertreturned to the pitcher’s circle with atwo-run cushion and her softball team three outs from reaching thestate championship game

Again, the moment did not overwhelm the Hahnville freshman.Twostrikeouts and a fly ball later,the Tigers advanced.

“Toward the end of that game,I handledthe last fewoutsbetter than Iwould have at the beginningofthe season,”Lambertsaid.

Hahnville went on to win thetitle game with Lambert in the circle, and it was herseasonlong impact there and at the plate that helped theTigersbecome state champions.

The Times-Picayune selected Lambert as the All-Metro largeschools softball playerof the year aftershe hammered 12 homeruns and batted .467 with 50 hits while batting third in thelineup, along with a2.62 ERAwith 165 strikeouts in the circle.

In aquarterfinalwin against Central-Baton

Rouge, the left-handed hitting Lambert’s RBI single toleft fielddrove in the go-ahead runin the fifth inning,and she retired the final six batters after issuing aleadoff walk to startthe sixth. She also homered in that game.

“Wesaw her grow through the year,” coach Jeremy Duplantis said.“It wasn’t just on talent anymore. She learned to compete.Whenwe gottothe end of the year,she was readyto go.”

For years, Lambertsplit timebetween softball anddance, sometimeschanging clothes in the car while being driven to the ballfield.

“Dance wassomething Iloved to do,” Lambertsaid.“OnceIgot to middle school,I decided Iwanted to focusonsoftball.”

That decision, plus herburgeoning competitiveness, helped Hahnville secure a statechampionship.

Christopher Dabe

CLASSES4A, 5A COACHOFTHE YEAR

JEREMY DUPLANTIS HAHNVILLE

The Tigers wonthe DivisionI nonselect state title with Duplantis in his second season as headcoach.The school hiredDuplantis after he coached Vandebilt Catholic to the Division II select state title in 2024 —bringing with him

hopes for atitle runatHahnville. Duplantis previouslycoachedatH.L Bourgeois, first as abaseball coach before switchingtosoftball.

Christopher Dabe

MIA

ABBY DAGRO Ponchatoula, Sr Pitcher

.512 average, eight home runs,2.69ERA

MAKAYLA ESCUDE

John Curtis, Jr Pitcher

2.39 ERA, 123 strikeouts, 1342 3 innings

LONDON LAMBERT Hahnville, Fr Pitcher

.467 average, 12 homers, 2.62 ERA

PAIGE REUTHER

Mount Carmel, Jr

Pitcher .434 average, seven homers,2.13ERA

CATELYN

YEAGER

Covington, Sr Catcher .605 average, 13 home runs,47RBIs

CATHERINE ANDRADE

Dominican, Fr

Infielder .495 average, 48 hits, six home runs

ADRIENNE ARNETT

St.Charles, Sr Infielder .440 average, 51 hits, 30 stolen bases

GABBY FABACHER John Curtis, Jr Infielder .514 average, 57 hits, 10 extra-base hits

EMRI ROUSSEL MountCarmel, Jr Infielder .454 average, 44 hits, 16 stolen bases

SHELBI ALPHONSO MountCarmel, Jr Outfielder .435 average, 25 stolen bases

ELLA SANCHEZ Northshore,Sr. Outfielder .480 average, 43 stolen bases, 50 runs

KELSIE SCHMIDT Chapelle, Sr Outfielder .440 average, 44 hits, nine home runs

CLASSES3AAND BELOW PLAYER OF

ASHTYN ROGERS PATRICKTAYLOR, SENIOR • PITCHER

Ashtyn Rogers struck out astaterecord 34 batters during a16-inning marathon shutout when coach Lance Reine boarded the team bus and received acelebratorytext messagefrom his athletic director

“Aslong as I’mcoaching at Patrick Taylor,” Reine said in hismessage back to AD Brad Womack,“I don’t think anybodyelse could wear No. 19.”

From there, an idea was born. Rogers, selected as The Times-Picayune’s AllMetro smallschoolssoftball playerofthe year for the second year in arow,completed her remarkablesix-year varsity softball career at Patrick Taylor by leadingthe Tigers to their first state tournament appearance. Whenthe season ended, the school honored theSoutheasternLouisiana signeewith a number retirement ceremony “It was really exciting —agood feeling,

obviously,” Rogers said.“Veryhumbling.” Rogers, whoposted a0.65 ERA with304 strikeouts and a.475 battingaverage that included 47 hitsand 27 stolen bases, came into theseason with hopes of reaching statefor the firsttime.That goal became reality withPatrick Taylor’s5-0 quarterfinal victory over St.Charles. “Just ateambuilt on trust,for sure,” Rogers said about this year’ssquad.“Trusting each other, having each other’sback.The biggest difference between this year and every other year waswedidn’t care whowewere playing.” The number retirementincludedthe unveiling of abannerthat nowhangs in thePatrick Taylor gym. “Weneverwereknown as aschool for athletics,”said Rogers, avarsity starting pitcher since she wasinseventh grade.“I’m glad I wasaninspiration forthe next generation of softball players at Patrick Taylor.”

Christopher Dabe

CLASSES3AAND BELOW COACHOFTHE YEAR THOMAS HYMEL RIVERSIDE

Riverside wonthe DivisionIVselect titlein Hymel’ssecond season as head coach. TheRebels cameinto the postseason with the No. 1seed and outscored four playoff opponents44-3, winning threeofthose

KAMRYN

CANCIENNE

IMPASTATO Chapelle, Jr

Utility .423 average, 47 hits, 16 doubles

JOLI

LOZANO Destrehan, Jr

Utility .469 average, 2.52 ERA

RYLEE VILLASENOR Hahnville, So

Utility Nine home runs (twoin state final)

KHLOE RENTON Hannan, Jr.

Utility .409 average,15extrabase hits

KODI

RICKS Hannan, Jr

Utility .411 average,six home runs, 23 stolen bases

Riverside, Sr

Pitcher

2.09 ERA, .437 average, 34 Ks in 22 playoffIP

ASHTYN

ROGERS

Patrick Taylor,Sr. Pitcher

0.65 ERA, 304 strikeouts, .475 average

ABIGAIL

WILLIE

NorthlakeChristian, Sr

Pitcher

1.95 ERA, 192 strikeouts, .418 average

LEAH

GODOY

Patrick Taylor,So. Catcher .434 average,46hits sevenhome runs

contests in five innings. Hymel wasanassistant coach at his alma materthe last timeRiverside wona state title in 2023.

Christopher Dabe

JACI

BORDELON

Riverside, Sr

Infielder .512 average, 43 hits, 13 doubles

JESSE

LAMBERT

Newman, Sr

Infielder .697 average, sevenhome runs,50RBIs

OLIVIA

ST.PIERRE

Riverside, Sr

Infielder .477 average, 43 hits, nine home runs

HAYDEN

WILLIAMSON

Patrick Taylor,8th

Infielder

.419 average, 49 hits, 43

stolenbases

MIA

ENNIS

CountryDay,So. Outfielder .889 average, 29 stolen bases

SYDNEY

FRAHER

NorthlakeChristian, Jr

Outfielder .431 average, .504 on-base, 27 RBIs

BAYLI

MELANCON Riverside, So

Outfielder .447 average, 13 doubles, four home runs

GABRIELLA GOODICK

Cabrini, Fr

Utility .544 average, five home runs

STAFF FILE PHOTOByENAN CHEDIAK

Patrick Taylor senior AshtynRogers pitches against Riverside on March18atCatfish Bourgeois Park in Westwego. Rogers, aSouthesternLouisiana signee, had adominant season, postinga 0.65 ERA with 304 strikeouts. She also hit .475 and stole 27 bases.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Hahnville freshmanLondon Lambertdelivers apitch against LiveOak during the Division Inonselect championship game on May3inSulphur. Lambertwas aforce in the circle andinthe batter’sbox in leading the Tigers to thestate title.

+1

Keegan Bradley,USA 70-71-71—212 +2

Corey Conners, Canada 69-72-71—212 +2

Ryder Cowan, USA68-72-72—212 +2

Alex Fitzpatrick, England

71-69-72—212 +2

AkshayBhatia, USA70-70-73—213 +3

ZacBlair, USA71-70-72—213 +3

Brian Harman, USA69-71-73—213 +3

RyoHisatsune, Japan

71-69-73—213 +3

Sungjae Im, South Korea74-68-71—213 +3 Michael Kim, USA71-72-70—213 +3

Rory McIlroy,N.Ireland 69-71-73—213 +3

Maverick McNealy, USA72-68-73—213 +3

John Parry, England71-71-71—213 +3

J.T. Poston, USA71-71-71—213 +3

Aaron Rai, England 74-67-72—213 +3

Gary Woodland, USA67-73-73—213 +3

Pierceson Coody,USA 72-71-71—214 +4

Ben Griffin, USA72-70-72—214 +4

Tyrrell Hatton, England 74-68-72—214 +4

Dustin Johnson, USA66-77-71—214 +4

Max McGreevy,USA 68-73-73—214 +4

William Mouw,USA 70-70-74—214 +4

N. NorgaardMoller, Den. 71-70-73—214 +4

Justin Rose, England 71-70-73—214 +4

Justin Thomas, USA71-68-75—214 +4

Laurie Canter, England 72-72-71—215 +5

Ben Kohles, USA70-71-74—215 +5

Joaquin Niemann, Chile78-65-72—215 +5

Cameron Young, USA72-70-73—215 +5

Michael Brennan,USA 72-71-73—216 +6

Bud Cauley,USA 72-72-72—216 +6

Harry Higgs, USA71-68-77—216 +6

Andrew Putnam, USA74-68-74—216 +6

Jordan Spieth, USA73-70-73—216 +6

Ludvig Aberg, Sweden 69-72-76—217 +7

Ryan Fox, New Zealand 70-73-74—217 +7

Chris Gotterup, USA75-69-73—217 +7

Angel Hidalgo, Spain 69-74-74—217 +7

John Keefer, USA71-70-76—217 +7

Jackson Koivun, USA72-71-74—217 +7

Robert MacIntyre, Scotl. 70-74-73—217 +7

Miles Russell, USA72-71-74—217 +7

Jacob Bridgeman, USA73-71-74—218 +8

Marek Fleming, USA72-72-74—218 +8

Max Greyserman, USA69-73-76—218 +8

Benjamin James, USA69-72-77—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 saidthe 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 himwithinstillingatougher, more resilient mindset.

Pochettino said after the win over Australia thathe could feel the fan supportreverberating throughout the stadium in Seattle.

“Today,even if I’m not American,after the game Iwas 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, Pochettinocould experiment with his lineup for thematch with Turkey on Thursday. And it could provide extra rest for star midfielder Christian Pulisic, who missed the match with Australia because of acalf injury

Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan, is considered the best U.S. player,but his absence alsoallowed 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.

“Weknowhow 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 camein and had an amazing game. Ithink that just shows how

SCOREBOARD

Spencer Tibbits, USA68-74-76—218 +8

Jackson VanParis, USA70-72-76—218 +8

A. Dumont De Chassart, Bel.71-71-77—219 +9

Nicolas Echavarria, Colombia71-73-75—219 +9

Caleb Surratt, USA75-69-75—219 +9

Hideki Matsuyama, Japan 71-73-77—221 +11

Neal Shipley,USA 71-73-77—221 +11

Eric Lee, USA74-70-78—222 +12

Russell Henley,USA 70-73-80—223 +13

PatrickRodgers, USA72-71-80—223 +13

PeterUihlein,USA 74-70-80—224 +14

James Nicholas, USA71-72-82—225 +15

Dylan Wu,USA 73-71-82—226 +16

MeijerLPGA Classic parscores

Saturday At Blythefield Country Club

Belmont, Mich

Purse: $3.3million Yardage: 6,611; Par: 72 ThirdRound

Jing Yan68-66-68—202 -14

LottieWoad 69-66-68—203 -13

Cassie Porter 67-68-69—204 -12

In Gee Chun 69-72-65—206 -10

Wei-LingHsu 69-69-68—206 -10

YanLiu 66-70-70—206 -10

Jin Hee Im 74-67-66—207 -9

Riley Smyth 70-70-67—207 -9 Miyu Yamashita 72-68-67—207 -9

JennyBae 70-67-71—208 -8

Karis Davidson71-70-67—208 -8

MinJiKang 68-68-72—208 -8

MinamiKatsu 69-69-70—208 -8 Yu Liu 71-70-67—208 -8

Rio Takeda 71-66-71—208 -8

AditiAshok 69-69-71—209 -7

Hannah Green 70-72-67—209 -7

NataliyaGuseva74-68-67—209 -7 Grace Kim 73-67-69—209 -7

Julia LopezRamirez 71-69-69—209 -7

Yahui Zhang 72-67-70—209 -7

Daniela Darquea68-71-71—210 -6

Nanna KoerstzMadsen70-72-68—210 -6 Somi Lee72-67-71—210 -6

Chanettee Wannasaen 73-67-70—210 -6 Yana Wilson 69-71-70—210 -6

Briem 70-72-69—211 -5

Ciganda 72-69-70—211 -5

Duncan 72-70-69—211 -5

-5

71-70-70—211 -5

70-70-72—212 -4 Celine Herbin 70-72-70—212 -4 Jin Young Ko 69-73-70—212 -4

Kupcho 68-70-74—212 -4 Jeongeun Lee6 71-70-71—212 -4

Preece, Ford,90.343 8. (88) Connor Zilisch,Chevrolet, 90.077. 9. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 90.048. 10. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 90.027. 11. (54) Ty Gibbs,Toyota, 89.901

12. (23) BubbaWallace, Toyota, 89.789.

13. (67) CoreyHeim, Toyota, 89.785.

14. (5)Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 89.766. 15. (16) AJ Allmendinger,Chevrolet, 89.646.

16. (17) ChrisBuescher,Ford, 89.584.

17. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 89.562. 18. (3)AustinDillon, Chevrolet, 89.385. 19. (22) JoeyLogano, Ford,89.314.

20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 89.298.

“Today,evenifI’m notAmerican, after thegameI was emotional. It wasan amazing and perfect connection between theenergyfrom the stands and

and Mexico. Since 1930, the host nationhas wonthe WorldCup six times, most recently France in 1998.

WhenMexicohosted in 1970 and 1986, it reached thequarterfinals both times. In 2002,co-host South Korea reached the semifinals. Host Russia reached the quarterfinals in 2018.

TheU.S.finished thirdin the inauguralWorldCup in Uruguay in 1930. Its best finish in themodern era of soccer was thequarterfinals in 2002.

21. (91) KevinMagnussen,Chevrolet, 89.167.

22. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 89.158.

23. (1)RossChastain, 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) WilliamByron, Chevrolet,88.713.

28. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 88.629.

29. (6)BradKeselowski, Toyota, 88.621.

30. (9)ChaseElliott, Chevrolet, 88.616.

31. (2)AustinCindric, Ford,88.124.

32. (4)Noah Gragson, Ford,87.978.

33. (47) R. StenhouseJr, 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) ChristopherBell, Toyota, 85.214.

38. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 71.441.

39. (51) Cody Ware,Chevrolet,59.492. IndyCar Road America Grand Prix lineup

After Saturdayqualifying; 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) DavidMalukas, 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) CaioCollet,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) JosefNewgarden,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) KyffinSimpson, D/H/F,01:44.4129 (138.397).

20. (15) Graham Rahal, D/H/F,01:44.4601 (138.334).

21. (20) AlexanderRossi, 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 RayRobb, D/C/F, 01:45.529 (136.933). Pro tennis

ATPWorld 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, UnitedStates, def. Daniel Altmaier, Germany, 6-1, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Semifinals Albano Olivetti and TheoArribage, France def. John Peers, Australia,and Robert Galloway,United States,walkover. Daniel Altmaier, Germany, and Joao Fonseca, Brazil, def.Flavio Cobolli, Italy, andBen

Shelton, United States,7-6 (6), 6-7 (14),11-9. ATPWorld Tour Cinch Championships results

Saturday At The Queen’s Club London Purse: €2,583,330 Surface: Grass Men’sSingles Semifinals Francisco Cerundolo (7), Argentina, def. Brandon Nakashima, United States, 6-7(5) 6-3, 6-4. TommyPaul (8), United States,def.Ugo Humbert, France, 6-3, 6-3. Men’sDoubles Semifinals Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo (4), El Salvador, def. Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash (2), Britain, 6-4, 6-3. Harri Heliovaara, Finland, and Henry Patten (1), Britain, def. Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (3), Britain,6-4, 3-6, 10-3.

WTABett1Openresults

Saturday At Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss TennisClub Berlin Purse:

Eala,Philippines, 6-2, 6-4.

Women’s Doubles

Semifinals

SaraErrani,Italy, and Nicole Melichar-Martinez(3),United States,

(good) our roster is.”

Still, theU.S. will want Pulisic’ssteady hand and creative playmaking as it gets deeper in the tournament.Hehas 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 homesupport 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

When the U.S. hosted the WorldCup in 1994,the underdog Americans played in frontofhuge crowdsand slugged theirway through the group stage beforebeing eliminated by Brazil.

Back then, just reaching the knockoutround was the goal and ahuge achievement for agroup of playersthat punched above their weight.

The expectations this time are formuchmore, and growing with every goal in theback of the net.

“I think people can see what we’re capable of as a team,” Pepisaid.

SaturdayfromRothesayOpenNottingham at Nottingham TennisCentre(seedings in parentheses): Women’s Singles Semifinals Marie Bouzkova (4), Czechia,def.Karolina Pliskova, Czechia,6-4,6-1

PHOTO By LINDSEyWASSON

States coach Mauricio Pochettino embraces Folarin Balogun after he was substituted during aWorld CupGroup Dmatch against

WORLDCUP 2026

Netherlandsrolls past Sweden

By The AssociatedPress

HOUSTON Underintense pres-

sure after an opening-game draw the Netherlandsdelivered adominant performance againstSweden in the World Cup on Saturday to move atop the Group Fstandings

Brian Brobbey and CodyGakpo scored two goals apiece topower Netherlands to the 5-1 win Brobbey’sgoals came in the first half, helping the Netherlands get 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.

“Today there was more variation in attacking play,more players in different positions, movement and all those things,”Gakpo said. “Soitwas maybemoredifficult for the defenders to really markus, and we became free in the box. Ithink that was the little thing maybe we missed in the last game.” Sweden couldn’t build on its strong performance in a5-1 walloping of Tunisia in its first match.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByERIC GAy

Brian Brobbey, left, of theNetherlands scores on Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt during aWorld Cup match onSaturdayinHouston.

WORLDCUP ROUNDUP

The loss to the Dutch was its biggest World Cupdefeat since losing 7-1 to Brazil in 1950.

GERMANY 2,IVORYCOAST 1: In Toronto, Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second half asGermany defeated Ivory Coast and clinched aspotinthe knockout phaseatthe World Cup. Four minutes intostoppage time, Undav received apass from Felix Nmechainfront of thenet

and rifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofanatogive the Germans acomeback win.

Undav’sfirst goal of the match came after NadiemAmiri sent in along ball —that striker Kai Havertz let passhim by —onto thebootofUndav,who slammed it intothe back of the net at the 68thminute. Both Amiri and Undav had subbed on eight minutes earlier Four-time champion Germany has comeback from disappointing group stage exits in 2018 and

2022, while Ivory Coastisstill searching for itsfirst knockout stage appearance and could still qualify. Thelast time Germany got pastthe group stage, it won thetournament in 2014. Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie opened the scoring in the 30thminute after midfielder Yan Diomande sent in across to forward Amad Diallo.His shot was blocked by Germany’sNathaniel Brown, but the ball bounced back to Kessie, who slotteditinthe wide-open leftcorner of the net.

Predictionsoflopsidedgames notpanning out

BY TALES AZZONI Associated Press

GUADALAJARA, Mexico Not longaf-

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 theWorld Cup and one of the smallest nations to evermake it to thetournament,pulled off oneofthe biggest surprises in World Cup history by holding European champions Spain to a0-0 draw Congo, whose only otherWorld Cup participation was in1974 as Zaire, was unfazedwhile facingCristianoRonaldo’s Portugal, holding one of the tournament favorites to a1-1 draw

What are the reasons for the

Spain,

overall competitiveness?

Coaches, players and analysts say global soccer has become increasingly competitive, with more players joining thetop leagues andmoretop coaches being hired by smaller nations.

There is also wider availability of tactical knowledge and physical conditioning methods, allowing less-traditional teams to better competeagainstthe traditional powerhouses.

“It’svery toughtowin,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said. “It surprised me howeventhingsare

They had talked about having 48 teams, but not counting Germany,which did have abig gap with many goalsscored, allother matches werevery complicated.”

While the number of goals scored after thefirst24matches increased from 57 in Qatarfour yearsago to 75 now,the goaldifferential this year was 35, exactly thesame after the same number of games in Qatar Cape Verde was ranked 67th when it cameupwith the upset 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 do very well and defended very well. In every match you have to be fully focused and extremely precise to be able to overcome yourrivals.”

Belgiumseek1st

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

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.

“Wehave ahuge 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. “For many countries, participationinthe FIFA World Cupisnot only asporting achievement. It is amomentthat inspires ageneration, accelerates football development and creates memories that last alifetime.”

wins afteropening with draws LOOKAHEAD

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 GroupG andGroup Hare wide open going into their second dayofplay Spain and Belgium are looking

to establish themselves as championship contenders, while awin for CapeVerde 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 earlyJuly, during theknockout stages. Belgium is 10th in FIFA’sworld rankings, but it needs astrong result againstIran to stay on track to win itsgroup. The Red Devils finish group-stage play against NewZealand on Friday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIK S. LESSER

Cape Verde players celebrate after amatch against SpainonMonday in Atlanta. The tinynation stunned powerhouse Spainina0-0 draw.

Connections helped Brady’s career soar

Editor’s note: This is one among 12 profiles of inductees for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Festivities will take place from Thursday-Saturday in Natchitoches.

BY GLENN GUILBEAU Contributing writer

Former LSU men’s basketball

coach John Brady wanted to become a coach back when he was at McComb High in the early 1970s.

Little did he know that the contacts he would make in life would lead to the 2006 Final Four, induction into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame last fall, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in May and now the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches.

Who would have known the Hattiesburg High guard who defended Brady in high school games and in junior high, Tim Floyd, would become a college head coach and one day hire him?

Or how he happened to catch on with Mississippi State basketball coach Kermit Davis as a graduate assistant and become friends with Kermit Davis Jr who would later become his top assistant coach at LSU and a lifelong friend.

Or that one of his best friends in his early 20s would happen to be the son of Joe “String Music” Dean of SEC basketball TV 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

PELICANS

Continued from page 1C

15-20 range in a deep draft class is doable. They’d obviously have to move on from one of their key players, though. On the day the Pelicans introduced Jamahl Mosley as the new head coach, Dumars made it clear that he’s willing to listen to offers. And who can blame him with a

HOF

Continued from page 1C

At Tennessee, Manning led the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC championship and passed for more than 11,000 yards and 89 touchdowns while leading the Volunteers to multiple major bowl appearances.

The Indianapolis Colts made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. In Indianapolis, he became the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, a unit the featured former John Ehret standout and Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James. Manning led the Colts to eight AFC South division titles and to two Super Bowl appearances. After joining the Broncos in 2013, he set the single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55). His 71,940 yards passing and 539 passing touchdowns rank third among career leaders in NFL history

He won an NFLrecord five MVP awards and became the first quarterback to lead two different teams to Super Bowl titles: the Colts in Super Bowl XLI and the Broncos in Super Bowl L. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

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.

“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

team that has finished with less than 30 wins in each of the past two seasons.

“Unless you’re a championship team, you might tweak one or two things,” Dumars said that day “When you’re where we are, you have to be open to everything. And that’s where I am. I am open to whatever comes across my desk Whatever phone calls I get, I’m open to it to listen and see if this is the right thing for us at this moment. I don’t think you can

reer milestones for passing yards (10,119) and touchdowns (89). As a senior, he passed for more than 3,600 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading the Rebels to a 10win season and Cotton Bowl victory That year he was named the SEC Player of the Year and won the Maxwell Award

The New York Giants selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He went on to pass for more than 57,000 yards, 366 touchdowns and earn four Pro Bowl invitations He led the Giants to historic upsets of the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, earning the game’s MVP award each time.

“I have a great love for sports, and I have a great love for New Orleans so it means a ton to go into the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame,” Manning said.

STAFF

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.

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

close off anything where we are right now.”

That response was followed up by Dumars being asked whether Zion Williamson was a guy he wanted to continue to build around.

“We haven’t changed our opinion on Zion,” Dumars said. “I’d love to see Jamahl coach Zion. I’d love to see him get Zion to defend and do all the things that he said. Let’s see what we have here.” Assuming Dumars meant that,

“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

Williamson is likely one of the few untouchables on the team. You can also put Queen and Jeremiah Fears in that category Queen and Fears, the two firstround picks from last season, both were voted second team on the All-Rookie team and are foundational pieces. Will the Pelicans be able to add more quality pieces like that through this year’s draft? Or will they have to try to add through free agency, where their current

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 199798 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 1999-2000, 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.

salary-cap situation handcuffs them from landing some of the big names. We’ll have to wait and see what Dumars is planning. What we do know is the team desperately needs more rebounding, rim protection and reliable 3-point shooting. Their only draft pick currently is a late secondround pick (58th overall). Will the Pelicans find a deal to get someone in the first round to address those issues? Stay tuned.

“I had dreams like any kid and my dad was my favorite football player, my hero, and role model, all wrapped in one.”

“It’s very special to me because that’s where I grew up. I have a special love for the people, and the people of New Orleans have always supported me through my college career and through my NFL career They’ve always welcomed me home, so it’s a special bond and I’m very honored to go into the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.”

PEyTON MANNING, Former NFL quarterback

“I had dreams like any kid and my dad was my favorite football player, my hero, and role model, all wrapped in one,” Peyton Manning said. “I’ve been so fortunate to have a tremendous support system including my family, my friends, my coaches at Newman, my teammates, and the entire New Orleans community I really appreciate the support and help that I’ve received along the way in my football journey and it all started here in New Orleans.” At Newman (1996-98), Eli Manning passed for a then-schoolrecord 7,389 yards with 89 touchdowns, earning all-state honors three times and being selected as the Louisiana Player of the Year During his four-year career at Ole Miss (1999-2003) he set or tied 47 school records, including ca-

McCalebb set scoring records at UNO from 2003-08 and enjoyed a 10-year professional career internationally as a high-scoring 6-foot point guard A 2003 graduate of O. Perry Walker High School, he averaged 20.9 points in his four-year UNO career and played in a school-record 128 games. He led the Sun Belt in scoring three times and finish his career with a UNO-record 250 steals. His 2,679 points are UNO and Sun Belt Conference career records and rank 36th all-time among NCAA Division I men. McCalebb was inducted into the UNO Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023 and the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. His No. 1 jersey was retired by UNO a year ago.

“As long as I’m around the game, I’m happy,” he said. “Basically, basketball has been my life. Basketball gave me an opportunity to make connections, build relationships and travel to places I never thought I would go.”

little regional camp, a LouisianaAlabama-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 winnersandthepastfourNFLMVPs Matthew Stafford (2008), Josh Allen(2016),LamarJackson(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 Mc-

Cown (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 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. The camp again will serve as a family reunion for the Manning clan. A third generation of Mannings the children of Cooper Eli and Peyton — have become regulars Marshall Manning, a precocious eighth grader 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.”

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.

FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER

My late father was theoriginal musicman in ourfamily

Near the end of his life, my dad said this to me for the first time: “I’m responsible for your career.”

LIVING

Urban angst fuels the colorful paintingsbyLuis Cruz Azaceta and Angel Perdomo in the CAC’s Festival/New/Works exhibit.

Our careers, like our personalities, were very different He studied to be aLutheran minister,switched to accounting and eventually retiredas the regional architectural engineering manager for a banking systems company Iwas unlikely to do any of those things. He was organized, planned everythingin advance and stuck to thatplan. He never drank abeer in his life, kept his hair cut short and routinely cleaned rooms in his house that no one used. In college, my hair fell past my shoulders. Ienjoy theoccasional beer.Ilike last-minute decisions and improvising and consider clutter part of the creative process. But our common denominator was music.

Ihave spent 35 years writing about it. My dad first showed me what it means to appreciate it. He instilled other values as well. Honesty.Integrity.Commitment. Working hard. Doing things the right way But by passing on his loveof music, he did in fact give me a career

STAFF PHOTO By KEITH SPERA Frank Spera andgranddaughter Sophie playtheir ukuleles together on Newyear’sEve 2024.

Records flooded twice

Growing up in New Orleans in the 1950s, he embraced listening to and, especially, dancing to rhythm &blues and early rock ’n’ roll My mom and dad met as students at Concordia College in Austin, Texas. One night, he took her to adance. The bandleader,Roy Head, asked for volunteers to start the dancing. My father pulled my reluctant mother onto the dance floor and earned acopy of Roy Head’slatest single, which he kept for the rest of his life.

Sixty-five years later,he was just as joyful dragging his granddaughter,Celia, onto the dance floor as the Creole String Beans played old-school swamppop and rhythm & blues at the Broadside. When Iwas aboy,his records —byFats Domino, Irma Thomas, Little Richard and their contemporaries —spun constantly on our living room’s console stereo.

His allegiance was to the music of his youth. The Beach Boys and The Beatles defined the outer limits of his tastes. He liked both bands’ early singles but not the more experimental albums they made later in the 1960s. He had no interest whatsoever in Led Zeppelin or other harder-edged ’70s rock bands. He did, however,like TheEagles’ “Lyin’ Eyes,” from 1975. And he absolutely adored Bob Seger’s1979 single “Old Time

ä See FATHER, page 7D

Contemporary Arts Center turns 50 by connecting NewOrleans artistswithup-and-comers

BY DOUG MacCASH| Staff writer

At age 50, the Contemporary Arts Center may have a little gray hairatthe temples, but it’sstill got avant-garde passion in its heart.

The sprawling exhibit, titled “Festival/New/Works,” is acelebration of the center’slong history as thehome of thenew in NewOrleans’ downtown arts district. It’salso athrowback to the annual group shows presented by the CACinits early days,but with a generation-spanning twist.

The CAC’sresident curator, DiQuanForcell, selected 15 local artists who’d previously exhibited at the center,and asked them to propose aless-well-established artist whose work somehow reflected their own. Thoselocal artist pairings produce some marvelous harmonies

to consider images of the female anatomy through history.

Solomon Jr.seeks subtlety in his wall sculptures on displayinthe CAC’sFestival/New/Works exhibit.

When is modern notmodern?

For decades, Martin Payton has blended ageless African design and geometric abstraction into rugged, weldedsteel sculptures. Payton’srigid, somber constructions, like those in Festival/New/Works remind us that one of the main inspirationsfor modernism wasn’tmodernatall. Picasso, Modigliani, Brancusi and othersbased some of their aesthetics on age-old non-European pictography Payton’s art protégée, Jer’Lisa Devezin, follows the African-modernist impulse andmakes it herown in workssuchas“Cowry,”anaustere ceramicsculpture that transforms the natural seashell forms into simple, striking shapes.

See EXHIBIT, page 8D

Dave Walker

Raelle Myrick-Hodges joined the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans as executive director in November 2025. She’d served as the CAC’sperforming arts curator forthree years about adecade ago and had since created “He Has the Prettiest Handwriting,” atheatrical and visual-arts performance piece, and served as founder and executive director of Philadelphia’sAzuka Theater Collective. She returned to the CAC as the artist-founded Camp Street institution was preparing to observe its 50th anniversary On view through July 6, the exhibition “Festival/New/Works” pairs established and emerging artists and serves as the anniversary

See LEADER, page 7D

PROVIDED PHOTOByRAELLE MyRICK-HODGES Raelle Myrick-Hodges

Dillard University professor John Barnes’ striking wooden sculptures in the CAC’sFestival/ New/Works exhibit ask us

Myron

Keith Spera

DINING SCENE

Coquette’s last nights

“It’sabit like being at your own wake,” said Wade Benoit,general manager at Coquette, looking around the dining room.

Tables were full and so was the bar,with people perched elbow to elbowover carrot Bolognese and smothered flounder.Stories flowed —between friendsdining together,between staff withtheir customers, between strangers at the bar —all of them aboutthe Magazine Street restaurant through the years.

Chef/owner Micheal Stoltzfusannounced earlier in June that he would close Coquette after nearly 18 years in business. The last night of regular service is set for June 26, with aspecial night planned for June 27 (details tobe determined). Reservationbookings immediately lit up. And so Coquette right now is like astage production in itsfinal run, with fanspackingthe house one last time, with theclosing cast saying goodbye.

It’salso, through these last few days, an ongoing illustrationof an elusive ideal: the right wayto close arestaurant.

Howtoclose People flock to new restaurant openings. In New Orleans, people are also drawn to an old favorite when they learn it’sclosing. They wantone last visit. Sometimes, though,they never get that chance

The decision to close any business must be wrenching,and it’soften not even adecision.

The money runs out, investors call in their chips, partnerships dissolve, anew lease becomes untenable. Factors like this can dictate aclosure, no matter how good the food or well-known the name.

It’seasy to understand why owners and proprietors, withthe most on the line, might do everything to delay and extend, to search for an answer or pray for achange of fortune.

But living on borrowed time means the final curtain can fall quickly.Too often, whenclosing is inevitable, the news is sprung

on customers and, worse, staff with no advance notice. The ideaofalivingwake for a restaurant might sound mournful, but around of last visits from regulars keeps theregister ringing. Abusiness can selloff some inventory (even if it has to

suck up those gift cards floating around out there).

Tipped employees often have great final shiftsassympathetic customers open their wallets. They alsoget time to potentially networkfor their next job

Not every closing happens

under circumstancesthat allow along, graceful wind-down. But there are still ways to emphasize thesweet part of abittersweet goodbye.

Making thedecision

Coquette is notclosing from lack of business or the dreaded New Orleans summer slump. Stoltzfus hasanother restaurant, Here TodayRotisserie, and through the progression of

his ownlife andcareer,he’sdeterminedhis energies are best devotedtogrowing the potential of this more casualconcept. It was time to closethe book on the restaurant he opened as ayoung chef in 2008.

Some customers returning now have been dining here forthat long.

On onefinalMondayatCoquette,talkrevolvedaround special dishesfromthe early days, some of which the kitchen is reprising onelast time. Otherstalkedoftheme nights from the past, like Coquette’speriodic fried chickenand Champagne feasts or its just-trust-me “no menu Tuesdays.” RyanBlas, the wine director for adozen years, was opening the last of certain bottles from the list. He’s been holding some back for specific customers whose taste he knows through yearsofservice.

People recalledwhenthere was atrailer-mountedsmoker by the oak treeoutside, in aperiod when the chefswereadding a rustic seam to delicate dishes. Theytalkedofotherchefs who have come through the kitchen in their owncareers.

Others brought up the experience of returning early in the COVID time,willing to abide by whatever latest protocol wasin place in ordertopartake again, andtosupport avalued restaurant.

Coquette brought its own lens on modern American cuisine within an indelible certainty that it washappening in NewOrleans, an ambitious, high-end restaurant thatcould feel like aneighborhood institution.

New Orleanspeople mint memoriesand attach emotiontotheir favorite places,and that definitely includesrestaurants. The final weeks at Coquette will go down as part of an individualistic and influentialrestaurant’slegacy, andpartofits memory

Email IanMcNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

Chef Michael Stoltzfus, shown in 2019, opened Coquette in NewOrleans in 2008.

Ryan Blas is knownasthe ‘wine guy’ at Coquette.

FATHER DAYS

n Harry’s Field of Dreams

The Arbor Room at City Park galvanized followers of the Harry Tompson Center for three hours on arecent Sunday afternoon. Baseball themed the event that was titled “Harry’s Field of Dreams!” and resulted as amulti-faceted home run. Among the visuals were the attractive display of thematic white and blue floral arrangements in baseball vases provided by Fat Cat Flowers. As for the social “coaching,” agala planning committee chaired by Paisleigh Kelley batted in the bash.

More names on the latter committeewerethe center’s executive director Emily Bussen Wain,along with Nikaela Busekrus, Stephanie Clark, Stacie Daley,Stacey Davis, Roslyn Duplessie,Bernardine Dupre, Craig Forshag,Vicki Judice, Geri Kolwe, BevMcCoy,Claudia Nelson, Angela Rinehart, Sylvia Schully and Anna Pepper Tompson.MaryBaudouin is the HTC board president and Stephen Romig and Paul Buras, respective treasurer and secretary.Stephenteamed with wife Keenan to chair the “Field” fun.In2014, the Rev. TomStehlik,C.M. introduced them to thecenter, whichcares forthe city’shomeless population

When the doors opened at 3p.m., the Emily LouiseEntertainment struck up thesounds; thesilent auction beckoned with39 choice items, including sportstickets,a custom clothing piece by Madison Roy,and acrawfishboil for 25 people donated by GeorgeWilson and Truck &Transportation Equipment Company; andBig 3Giveaway ticketswereavailable for sale. The winners were Ronnie Sloan ($3,000 travel package), Victoria Wain (dine-around) and Jim Nelson (Parkway Bakery Catering for 25.)

Aligned with the day’stheme,Lucky Dogs from thehot dog cart were ahand-in-baseball-glove

fit. Pass the ketchup, yellow mustardand relish!Abuffet of local favorites also sated the folks, who enjoyed an open bar witha special spiked (or not) lemonade. Event Espresso Catering topped the innings with cupsofjoe

One of the many highlights was thetribute fromHTC assistant director EvaSohl to Legatus Christi awardee Bob Roesler for outstanding volunteer service. Four years ago, he retired from a long, successful career in film and waslooking for away to give back.“What IdoatHTC is one of the most important thingsinmylife right now…andI’m just grateful to be apart of it,” he stated.

Topsponsors dubbed Homerun counted Dr Moises and RosemaryArriaga,WilliamBaker,Gwen and Ronnie Briggs, Jerryand Shannon Daigle, DePaul CommunityHealthCenters, Donaldand CathyEspenan, The Hammer Family,Drs. Anand and Maya Irimpen, Dr Dan and Jean Jens,the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation (Byron LeBlanc), and the Romigs.Inthe next category,Triple,names of persons were Paul and Karen Buras, Richard and Anna Tompson (brother and sister-in-law of thelateFather Harry Tompson S.J.),and Rick and Susan Yelton,and in the next, Double, Ralph and Linda Capitelli, Lewis and Sheila Derbes, Karen Eagan, Ashley and Cyd GearyIII,Dr. Charles and MaryHaydel, Charles and SusanIves,Todd and Coco Johnson, Mark and Jane Landry, David and MaryBeth Mettz,Jim and Claudia Nelson, Dr Fred and Susan Rodriguez,TerriRomano, Rosemary Ryan, Jim and MaryTemple Thomas,Dr. Mackand Victoria Thomas, and George Wilson. Most all were noted, as were representatives from Immaculate Conception Church, St. Joseph Church, Single category sponsors, and HTC board members and staff. Missing but ever-present inspirit wasthe Rev. Harry Tompson, S.J.,who, withparishioners of Immaculate Conception Parish in 1999, foundedthe center that now bears his name. It is located at the St. Joseph Rebuild Center,where it sharesspace with the LanternLight Ministry and Depaul USA. Last year,183 guestsofthe center were placed in housing. To recall the founder, apicture of him smiling was printed on theevent’s program cover.Hesported abaseball cap, a jersey inscripted with “HTC” and “26,” anda bat almostpoised to swing.

n YMCA

n Scouting

The Southeast Louisiana Council Boy ScoutsofAmerica held its annual PillarsofScouting Luncheon at the Audubon TeaRoom. On the program cover were “Scouting America, Southeast Louisiana Council” and “America 250.” Alsofeatured werethe photos of thefour honorees, starting with Archbishop (now emeritus) Gregory Aymond representing the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which “has been the largest partner of Scouting hosting moreCub Scout Packsand Scout Troops than any other organization” for decades in the SLC.

The next honoree was Jack Fernandez,vice president of Operations, BWC Terminals, who becameaScoutmaster of Troop 106 in 2020. In 2025, his same-name son earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the troop. Executive Vice President and Louisiana President forBankPlus Jeff Ehlinger was recognized forhis professional work, his education, and service on nonprofit boards, such as the SLC. Suzanne Mestayer, managing principal of ThirtyNorth Investments; current board chair of the National WWIIMuseum and past chair of Ochsner Health, NewOrleans Business Council, GNO Inc., United Way, Loyola University,Contemporary Arts Center,Leadership Foundation of the International Woman’s Forum; and spouse of Eagle Scout Mike,was the next honoree. Honored in 2025 were Leon Cannizzaro, Francis Exposito,Bobby Savoie, and Marian Wallis. In thefirst set of awardees in 2017 was Frank StewartJr.,who wasrepresented at the 2026 luncheon by his wife, Paulette

The luncheon, which thanked the Gayle &Tom Benson Charitable Foundation as the Life Scout Investor,began formally with emcee Jeff Crouere‘s welcome and subsequent opening comments; the Opening Flag and Scout Oath by local Scouts; Jim Schoen‘s invocation (and final benediction); remarks by Council President Dr AndrewTodd,who then madethe award presentationswith 2023 honoree Patricia A.“Pat” Denechaud;and Torrey Hayden‘s report on Scouting in our area, recognition of certain guests, and general “Thank yous.”

Meanwhile, the attentive assembly admired the centerpieces by pameladennis (that’s Pamela Georges,whose brother John wasa2022 award recipient) and savored amenu of salad (with delicious dressing), chicken, and dessert.The just deserts, as rewards, were the funds raised forScouting.

Building on the 174 years of YMCA of Greater New Orleans,aluncheonand annual awards ceremonyunfolded in Ralph’sonthe Park. As guests looked out over the nearby oaks in CityPark, they commented that the YMCA of GNO, “founded in 1852,isinfact twoyears older than the park itself.” Board member and secretary Pastor Dean Ross gave the invocation, which was followed by an opening of themeetingby board chair Marlin Gusman Jr Caesar salad grilled chicken breast, andcheesecake composed the palate treatsenjoyedby present and past YGNO board members, staff from five branch locations, special guests, and annualYGNO awardees. The first, the Mildred Wild Volunteer of the Year,was presented by Dr AmyLeggette, executive director of YMCA Educational Services, to athreesomein Jules Cote, Henri Louapre,and Mark Williams from the Ignation Volunteer Corpsthatserves adultlearnersinthe above ES programs. The next award, given since 1979 and titled The C. Allen Favrot Humanitarian of theYear,was presented by Marlin Gusman Jr.to Julie Brent Nosser outgoing board chair Gordon Wadge, YGNO president and CEO, recognized new board members Tray Ansardi, Spencer Gagnet, and Katie MingoLay, as well as newofficers chair Gusman,vicechair Heather Olivier, treasurer Neel Fallis, and Julie Nosser Among those applauding them,and with notable titles, were Sean Elliott, Rebecca DeCouteau, ChristineBriede,Betsie Gambel, Michael Williamson, Jennifer Neil, Christy Bloom, and Becky Goff.

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

Richard and Anna Tompson, Jean and Daniel Jens

Paul Buras, Mary Baudouin, Emily Wain

Paisleigh Kelley, Bob Roesler

Keenan and Stephen Romig

PHOTOSByJEFFSTROUT

Torrey Hayden, PatDenechaud, Andrewand Ian Todd

JackFernandez, Suzanne Mestayer, Archbishop GregoryAymond

Jeff Crouere, Lynne Burkhart

Jim Schoen, Paulette Stewart

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Marlin Gusman Jr., Heather Olivier,Nicole Provosty,Dean Ross

Andrew, Julie, Jayand Brady Nosser

Spencer Gagnet, Tray Ansardi

Rachel Rodi, JimThomas, RandiHebert

TRAVEL

First-timernoodles around on CaddoLake

Method involves catching catfish with your hands

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 to watch over its eggs, while ablue remainsatthe frontofthe hole. According to Wozniak, blues are more aggressive.

There are natural holesthatcatfish find in trees and in sunken old boat ramps, whichWozniak said the catfish like because theylike concrete, which heats up faster They also have their own boxes, like old tractor tires, cast-iron bathtubs and anything else they

TRAVEL

TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

can make to imitate these holes and improve chances of finding catfish

lake floor that can pierce the bottom of your foot, like fishing hooks, bottles and more.

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 weretwo in there, 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.

pictures with them

He said that sometimes when they’re released, they don’tswim right away,somoving theirtail back and forth encourages them to move. Therewereseveral otherstops and catfish that day.Jill caught one that was much biggerthanmine, andO’Banioncaught onethat weighed about 46 pounds. By the time 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 there are often two in ahole if thefemalehasn’tlaid eggsyet.

Wozniak andBearden are very knowledgeable aboutwhere the hotspots are. At ourfirst stop, Iwatched O’Baniongofirst as he pulled a catfish out. Even though he was less experienced than Wozniak and Bearden,hehad been noodling before, and so he was ready for the challenge.

He went in barefoot, which Wozniakwas not happy aboutbecause there are plenty ofthings on the

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 hurt me, 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

Mine wasafemale, flathead catfish, only about 10 to 15 pounds 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

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

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.

STAFFPHOTOSByJILL PICKETT

VinnyWozniak, center,and Remington Bearden, left, both of Geaux Noodling Guide Service, help Molly Terrell noodle for acatfish for the first time on Caddo Lake.

VinnyWozniak, of Geaux Noodling,left, and Molly Terrell showoff her first catfish.

TV ENTERTAINMENT

Tina

Fey’s ‘The Four Seasons’ renewed for a third season

BY ROSA CARTAGENA

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

PHILADELPHIA Clear your

TV schedule because the funniest vacation crew is coming back: Tina Fey’s hit romantic comedy series

“The Four Seasons” has been renewed for a third season, Netflix announced last week.

The show, initially an adaptation of a 1981 film directed by Alan Alda, released its second season in May with 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 Fey and her fellow “30 Rock” writers

Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher, “The Four Seasons” has been credited for its realistic and heartwarming portrayal of middle-aged couples in long-term relationships and friendships.

Fey and Domingo, from Upper Darby and West

Philly, respectively, direct some episodes as well. Like their onscreen friendship the actors have gotten closer as they’ve worked together on the show, they said.

“We grew up so geographically close together I was like on the very edge of the last street in Upper Darby, and across the street was Cobbs Creek Park,” said Fey, adding that they’re the same age.

“I feel like you can see (our friendship) onscreen, because it’s actually what has happened personally for us as well, as we got to know each other and each other’s families, each other’s hearts,” said Domingo “The Jersey Shore location felt very personal for us, because I feel like we grew up there and it brings up (memories).”

In Season 2, the group is grieving the death of their friend Nick (Steve Carrell) and navigating major life changes, like in the case of Domingo and Calvani’s characters.

Danny and Claude move to Italy after deciding not to have children. In the finale, however, the couple

decide to move to Danny’s hometown of Philadelphia to care for his aging mother (Initially Danny tries convincing mom to live with them in Italy, but when she hears there’s no Wawa in the country, she simply replies, “Then there’s no Beverly in Italy.”)

Calvani, in the Netflix announcement, suggested that season three might feature Danny and Claude’s “other, hotter” friend group; Calvani said he hopes to “explore our gay friends” and Domingo added that it would be fun to “take the straights on that vacation.”

One potential new addition to the show is “Doctor Who” actor David Tennant, who made a cameo in the Season 2 finale as a love interest for Kenney-Silver’s character, Anne. Wigfield hinted at the idea of more storylines with his character “Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield have a magical way of blending heart and sharp humor, making us feel like part of the inner circle,” said Netflix’s vice president of U.S. comedy Tracey Pakosta in the announcement.

Macy’s Fourth of July show to feature Post Malone, Shaboozey

Celebration will mark America’s 250th birthday

BY MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK Macy’s will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a Fourth 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 the nation’s largest Independence Day celebration in New York City will fire 85,000 shells in 30 colors from six barges, as well as host a new laser show from the Brooklyn Bridge. The fireworks show will be accompanied by a vocal performance by “The Voice” season 29 winner Alexia Jayy TV viewers can watch on NBC or see it simulcast live on Peacock from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and live to tape

Central, Mountain and Pacific times. A Spanish language simulcast will air on Telemundo starting at 7 p.m. “ ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks’ delivers the largest Independence Day celebration in the nation through a show-stopping spectacle that reminds us of the power of connection and shared experience. We’re proud to honor our 50th Fireworks with an expanded show, never-before-seen effects and music’s biggest stars for a truly unforgettable celebration,” Will Coss, Macy’s 4th of July executive producer, said in a statement.

CBS pays licensing fee for Stephen Colbert’s parting ‘Peanuts’ joke

BY BRIAN NIEMIETZ

New york Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK Funnyman Ste-

phen Colbert got one last laugh at CBS by using music from “Peanuts” while joking that the publisher who owns those rights is famously litigious.

“Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money,” he joked as his house band played a snippet 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 jazz composition, with its boppy piano riff, is what most people think of as the “Peanuts” theme song.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. which controls Guaraldi’s music, said Tuesday that it had entered into “a licensing agreement with CBS for the use of Guaraldi’s ‘Linus and Lucy’ in the final broadcast of Colbert’s program.”

A company statement added that proceeds from

“LMFP found the music’s use on ‘The Late Show’ funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen’s mission,” the company’s chairman said. LMFP has recently taken legal action against companies and government agencies that infringe upon its artists’ rights.

The production company added that it enforces licensing protection to remind anyone who uses its music in a commercial setting that permission to do so is required.

its deal with CBS is being donated to the nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen headed by chef José Andrés.

Colbert’s penultimate show included a $2.5 million donation to that charity, which feeds people in need due to natural disasters or humanitarian crisis. The money was raised through an auction of “Late Show” memorabilia.

CBS said its decision to end “The Late Show” after 33 years on the air was because the program was reportedly losing $40 million annually

Critics suggest the network’s 2025 acquisition by Paramount Skydance Corporation, which has a friendly relationship with President Donald Trump, was a factor, with the new owner happy to take one of the administration’s harshest critics off its airwaves.

Post Malone Shaboozey

PROVIDED PHOTO

Tina Fey, left, and Colman Domingo star in Season 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons.’

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Stephen Colbert appears during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in 2025.

BOOKS

Belonging, yearning and secrets

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

For author Sheryl Cor-

nett’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

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

Smallsummerrespitescan become agame-changer

When my wife and Iboarded an airliner for San Diego last month, we had plenty of company on the flight. The summer travel season wasinhigh gear,and ourplane brimmed like abiblical ark.

The boarding line stalled as passengers tried to squeeze luggage into carry-on bins. Travelers inched over each other to shoehorn themselves into the narrow seats. There weresighs all around as everyone sized up the prospect of crossing half the country in such tight quarters.

Wedged in place, Ithought of amagazine interview Idid last year with ArthurBrooks, who writes and lectures about thescience of happiness. He travels a

FATHER

Continued from page1D

Rock and Roll,” because it sounded like old-time rock ’n’ roll. His vinyl collection went underwater twice: Once during Hurricane Betsy in 1965 and again during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Both times, he rescued his records from the muck. He also made copies of his collection on cassettes and CDs. All of it was,of course, meticulously cataloged and labeled.

Nota festival guy

As ateenager in the 1980s, my tastes tended toward Blondie, Pat Benatar,Rush, REO Speedwagon and Journey.Idismissed my dad’s records as old man music

Years later,Icame to realizejust how cool his records were. And Igot to tell him tales about traveling to New York with Fats Domino,interviewing Irma Thomas at herhome, and getting pulled into abackstage prayersession led by Little Richard. There is an inherent sense of competition between afather and son. But Iconcede without hesitation that my dad was amuch better dancer than me. Just ask my wife. At our wedding reception, he spun her around the dance floor as Deacon John pumped out classic New Orleans rhythm &blues. Incongruously,musicfestivals weren’tapriority for him. Ihaven’tmissed aday of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in more than three decades.He never went once. And he didn’texperience theFrench Quarter Festival until 2024, when he was 85. After Katrina, he moved to my late mom’shometown in central Texas. During one of his semi-annual trips back to New Orleans, Iescorted him and Miss Martie, his partnerofthe past 20 years —they met naturally,atadance —to the French Quarter Fest. He had aball Which got him thinking about why he’d never gone to festivals. One reason was that his weekends were devoted to getting things done —coaching my brothers and me, working on cars, cutting the grass, etc. He’d takeabreak for parades —heloved Mardi Gras as much as music —but not festivals. He didn’tgotomany concerts either.ShaniaTwain was one of the few concerts we attended together.He was abig Shania fan, and not just because of her music. She was, in his estima-

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

lot, whichmeans many hours on commercial flights. Brookshas come to see it as an opportunity

As he explained, “the airplane is agreat laboratory” fora social scientist.

He gets to see human behavior in all itsvariety In that spirit, my wife andI focused our attention on thesenior airline attendant on ourflight,a

personable woman named Pamela.Inthe midst of thebustle,she remained serene,finding acouple of spare seats to createslightly more room. Pamelasmiled calmly as she worked the aisle,even joking with apassenger whohad requested, tongue-in-cheek, to be moved to first class. “I’m happy to do that,” she respondedwitha wink, as long as you’re willing to sit in someone’s lap.”

Impressed by Pamela’seasygoing attitude on what was obviously astressfulday,mywife asked her thesecret to her good humor

“I hadthe day offyesterday,” she told us. “It helped alot.”

Canasingle dayofrestreally be agame-changer? Sucha small interlude of respitemight seem like atrifling thing here in summer,whenthoughtssooften turn to weeklongidylls on thebeach and the pleasure of extended time offthe clock But whenIspoke withnovelist Ann Patchett afew weeksago, she touchedonthis very thing. Patchett is especiallybusy this summer as shepromotes “Whistler,” hernew novel, but herwork as an author and bookstore owner in Nashville keeps heractive allyear.Patchett hasbuilt alife filledwithpeople and she seems deeply grateful forthe communityit’screated

Staff writer KeithSpera, left, with his dad FrankSpera Jr.and his dad’s partner,Martie Crocker,atthe 2024 French QuarterFestival. It was the firstand only time Frank Spera, a lifelong music fan, attendedamusic festival in NewOrleans

tion, “gorgeous.”

We also saw country singer Randy Travis. Dave Bartholomew,the legendaryproducer and co-writer of most of Fats Domino’s hits, happened to besitting nearby.Mydad thanked Bartholomew for creating thesoundtrack to his life. He didn’tmake much music himself.Inhis own words, he“couldn’t carry a tuneinabucket.”

But he could strum aukulele. When my kids last visited himinTexas in March, Sophie, my 18-year-old, brought alongher ukulele. She and GrandpaFrank performed the Hawaiian Christmas song“Mele Kalikimaka”and other favorites as aduo at hiskitchen table. Windingdown

As his cancer asserted itself this spring, he mostly stopped listening to music He preferred quiet, one of manysigns his life was windingdown Daysafter the2026 Jazz Fest, he was gone. He was cremated in Texas. The funeraldirector drove hisashes to New Orleans and arrangedtomeet me at adowntown hotel. Walking to the hotel, I poppedinto agaragesale inside acluttered office/ warehouse. Shelves and

tables were laden with dustybric-a-brac, including piles of wellworn albums.

The guy running the sale ambled over to a turntable perched on a bar stool, pulled vocalist Peggy Lee’s1961 album “Olé ala Lee!”from a stack and cued up the first track on Side 2. The opening notes stopped mecold. It was Lee singing “Love and Marriage.”

One of my dad’sfavorite TV shows was the sitcom “Married …with Children.” The theme

song of “Married …with Children”?

FrankSinatra’srendition of “Love and Marriage.”

Maybe it was acomplete coincidence that, on my way to collect my father’s ashes, astranger randomly picked that particular album and that particular song to play right after I walked in.

Or maybe it was myfather reminding me that, long before Iwas amusic guy,hewas. Either way,thanks, Dad. Email KeithSpera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

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LEADER

Evenso, she’sfound that just asingle dayalone can be restorative

“AndifIspend awhole dayby myself, in whichInever getin thecar,it’slike I’ve spentthe day pluggedintoagenerator,” she said. “I have so much energy. I have so many great ideas.I can solve anyproblem, do anything, if Idon’t have to see people.”

My triptoCalifornia gave me a niceweeklong break.I’m back in thethickofthings, but it’s good to knowthatwhenIneed abreather, even aday away from thegrind might be worth it

Email DannyHeitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

Continued from page1D

celebration’skickoffinstallation.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Youjoinedthe CACatanimportant juncture in its history,a half-centurylegacy that the current exhibit “Festival/New/Works” addresses.

“Festival/New/Works” was conceivedasthe first stepincelebrating the Contemporary Arts Center’s50thanniversary

While the CAC was officially incorporated in March1977, its story really beganin1976 with a group of artists who came together to createvisceral andkinetic visual art. Overthe last five decades,thatspirit shaped generations of artists in New Orleansand beyond its city limits.

At its heart, “Festival/ New/Works” is acelebrationofthe mentor-mentee relationship. It is the ideathatsome of the most meaningful artistic growth happens when knowledge,experience andinspiration are shared acrossgenerations.

It felt like the right way to begin this milestone anniversary by highlighting connection, exchange and the creative community thathas always beencen-

traltothe CAC. CuratedbyDiQuan Forcell, the exhibition exploreshow artists connected to the CAC’shistory continue to support and be inspiredbyemerging artists today. What drew me to this moment is that it feelsbothreflective and forward-looking. The CAC is approaching its 50thanniversary,and with thatcomes an opportunity to honoranextraordinary legacy while also asking whatthe next 50 yearsmight look like.

“Festival/New/Works” captures thatspirit beautifully.Atits core, it’sa celebrationofartistic lineage— the conversations, mentorships andacts of generosity thatallow creativity to move from one generationtothe next. By pairing established andemerging artists, the exhibition reminds us that artisnever created in isolation. It’sbuilt through relationships, shared curiosity andthe willingness to learnfromone another Where is the institutioninits evolution today?

The CAC is at aremarkable point in its evolution. Nothing reaches 50 years without accumulating both mistakes andmagic, andthe CAC is no exception. Whathas endured through everychapter is

ä See LEADER, page 8D

STAFF PHOTOSByKEITH SPERA

Frank Spera dances with granddaughter Celia to the music of the Creole String Beans at the Broadside’sindoor Pavilion in NewOrleans in December 2024.

EXHIBIT

Continued from page 1D

Devezin’sfree-standing sculpture Muva is made from nothing morethan stiffconcrete reinforcing rod, yet is seems to spin somewhat disconcertingly, like aChristmas tree in atornado.Muva is the swirling centerpiece of Festival/New/Works Nearby,visitors will find deliberately chaotic, colorful, found-object assemblages by Kerry Punzo, for whom trashheaps are art supply stores. Punzo’semotional work is acounterpoint to his collaborator Gina Laguna’swonderfully well-wrought, welded-steel studies of trees, insects and such. Laguna views theworld as if Mother Nature were Rosie the Riveter Latin flavor

Meanwhile in aback room, agitated angst has come to aboil. Eyeballs bulge with terror,apartment buildings are bombed, smiling skeletons shoot craps, andbarbed wire spirals around magnolia blossoms in colorful canvases by Luis Cruz Azacetaand Angel Perdomo.

Since the 1990s, Cuban-born Luis Cruz Azaceta has beena starofthe Crescent City art scene, known for hisunique blend of buoyant geometric abstraction

with existential expressionism. Imagine acombo of Mondrian andMunch with an anti-authoritarian political punch.

Perdomo, who was born in Honduras and grew up in Metairie, is almost ahalfcentury younger than Azaceta, but he has asimilar social consciousness. His soft-focus, Rosenquistish pop styleisthe yintothe Azaceta’syang.

Perdomo’sfabulouslyfunny painting of abloody marycocktail run amok —a witty commentary on New Orleans-style excess, perhaps —isone of the many Easter eggs scatteredthroughout the exhibition.

Punk nostalgia

At one juncture of the exhibition, visitors will be transported to what seems to be a1980s-style punk rock boutique, atemple of loud music, erotica and general anti-establishmentarianism.

Thegrimy entrance is occluded with acollage of posters and graffiti. Inside, there’sa kiosk displaying aselection of subversive magazines, with lurid covers and titles like “Goon” and “Public Freakout.”

Amakeshiftclothes rack displays Tshirts and canvas tote bags emblazoned with nihilistic imageslike dead cockroaches and handguns.

Theauthentic punk shop facsimile hasbeen meticulously constructed by New Orleans’ pop art maestro Skylar Feinand stocked with screen-printed T-shirts and other outré fashionaccessories created by his art colleague, Jake R. Swanson. Theinstallation is asentimental masterpiece based on adecidedly unsentimental era.

Splintery history

Dillard University professorJohn Barnes’ wooden sculptures are another high pointofFestival/New/Works. Two of thecreations are rough-hewn renderings of thefemale anatomy

One,titled“Ishtar,”isacharacteristicallybuxom versionofa mythological Mesopotamian goddess of love and war Theother, titled“Standing Baartman with BBL,” is areference to an historical figure SarahBaartman,an African woman, who was cruelly exhibited in 18th-century England as asideshow-style human curiosity Baartman was apparently advertisedasboth a“Venus” and a“missing link,” because of her unfamiliarappearance. The abbreviation in the title of the artwork is abitterly wry reference to thecurrent Brazilian butt lift surgery craze. In bothcases,Professor Barnes seems to askustoconsiderhow female anatomyis used and, frequently,misused in popular culture across theages. Beside the two womanly figures hang wooden reproductions of rib-eye steaks, each 5

LEADER

Continued from page7D

theorganization’slegacy that is rooted in experimentation, courageand community

Apracticing artist has not been theexecutive director at theCAC in over adecade, and Ibelievethe artistperspective requires empathy,curiosity and awillingness to engage in open, fearlessdialogue. Iknow the historical mistakes, and Ialso know how artistsbuild something from nothing

Afteryearsof grappling with questions of institutional identity, Ibelieve the CAC, its board and its staff arereadytolookahead with the same ambitionthat inspired its founders.Wehopetocelebrate locally and platform globally

As we approachour 50th anniversary,we’re embracing a vision that honors the artist as leader,the curator as teacher and the emerging artist as essentialtothe futureofthe field. Youbring abackground in theater to the job.What role do interdisciplinaryartsplay in your vision for what’stocome? As atheater artist with amul-

feet tall. The drippingly redpieces of meat are marked hereand there with various, intriguing words andphrases, such as “desperate,” “collateral” and “permafrost.”

Perfectlyunderstanding themeaning behind Barnes’ “Beef” and “Beef 2” isn’t required. Nor is it necessary to know if thewooden rib-eyeshave any relation to thewooden female bodies.It’senough to consider the possibilities Barnes’ contribution to Festival/New/Works could be aknockout solo exhibit in itsown right. His protégé Myron SolomonJr.’s wall sculptures aresubtlegray shapes thatbring to mind anything from ocean waves to tangled silk bed sheets.Theydeserve contemplation, though their visualquietude can be lost beside the profes-

tidisciplinarypractice, and with experience presenting, venuemaking and thedeeply humbling work of curation, Ibelieve theater offers one of the strongest models for cultural leadership. Theater is,bynature, collaborative. It requires artists, technicians, administrators, audiences and communities to participate in ashared act of making. There is growing evidence that arts organizations thrive when they embrace interdisciplinarycollaboration, community engagement and artist-centered leadership. We theater artists are uniquely

sor’smuch more aggressive work. Artistic heredity

Visitors will discover several moreinspired,generation-spanningpairingsinthe exhibition. Forcellsaidthathehopes the show demonstrates that, even in the somewhatisolating age of the cellphone, “artists aren’tcreating works in asilo or bubble.” As in earlier times, “the younger generations are influenced by the older generations.” And the CAC has certainly been alocus of that artistic inheritance. Festival/New/Works is thesortofCrescent City fine artfeastthat the Contemporary Arts Center has been serving up for ahalf-century now The CAC is located at 900 Camp St. Hours are 11 a.m.to5 p.m. daily closed Tuesday

trained in these skills.

My vision for the CAC is straightforward: First, to champion theextraordinary artists who call New Orleanshome, across visual art, performance, music, theater,dance andforms yet to be defined.

Second, Ihopetobring exceptional regional, national and international artists into conversation with ourcity in ways that elevate local voices ratherthan overshadowthem.

The goal is notsimply to present great work.

It is to create aculturaleco-

systemwhere local artists are connected to broader conversations outside of the region, where audiences encounterideas from around the world, and where New Orleansisrecognized not only as aplace rich in artistic history,but as acity actively shaping the future of contemporary artand performance.

Dave Walkerfocuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museumshere and at www.themuseumgoer com. Email Daveatdave@ themuseumgoer.com.

Sculptors Martin Payton and Jer’Lisa Devezinare one of the most inspired pairingsinthe CAC’sFestival/New/Works exhibit.

Urban angst fuels the colorful paintings by Luis Cruz Azaceta andAngel Perdomointhe CAC’sFestival/New/ Works exhibit.

Popart master Skylar Fein and satiric print designer Jake R. Swanson collaborated to createaveryauthentic punk rock shop in theCAC’s Festival/ New/Works exhibit.

Monumental cave arton Parisbridgefinallyopens

Street artist transforms Pont Neuf into artificial cavern

BY THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press

PARIS Forweeks, ablack mountain loomed over the Seine where Paris’ oldest bridge should have been. On Monday evening, its doors finally opened.

Inside, Paris smellsdifferent. The air carries the scent of earth after rain —damp ancient stone, cellar walls, perhaps atrace of smoke.

Visitors step from the bright riverfrontinto adark passage lined with glowing photographs of caves, as a low electronic pulse seems to breathe through the walls.

Beneath it all, the old cobblestones of the Pont Neuf rise and fall underfoot.

The Pont Neuf Cavern, a monumental installation by French street artist JR also known as the French Banksy—isfree to enter around the clock through June 28.

Made largely from printed fabric and air,ittransforms the 17th-century bridge into an artificial cavernrising 59 feet above the Seine.

“It feelslikethe city has disappeared,” said Léa Martin, a22-year-oldart student from Lyon on Tuesday “You know the river is right outside, butfor amoment you’re somewhere ancient.”

The smell is central to the illusion.

Olfactory expert Sarah Bouasse created two shifting scents: drawing on geosmin and isoborneol, compounds associated with the aromareleased when rain strikes dry earth.

It changes along the crossing: first wet earth and mineral dampness, then something warmer,smokier and faintly animal.

“UsuallyI crossherewithout looking up once,” said Michel Dupré, a67-yearold retiree,blinking as he emerged into daylight. “Today Ifeltthe stones under my feet. Andsmelled them too. It makes you walklikea child again.”

Asound installation by Thomas Bangalter,formerly of the French electronic duo Daft Punk, accompanies the work, filling the cavern with low rumbles, echoes and pulses

Completed in 1607,the Pont Neuf —despite its name, “New Bridge” —is the oldest bridge still standing in Paris.

JR’s installationaskspeople to experience thefamiliar crossing through their noses,ears and feet.

It also pays tribute to Christoand Jeanne-Claude, whose 1985 wrapping of the bridge in pale golden fabric drew an estimated 3million visitors Their work covered the Pont Neuf in light. JR sends visitors into darkness.

“You enter into the darkness,” he has said, “and emerge intothe light on the other side.”

Visitors can also raise their phones to activate an

augmented-realityexperience developed with tech companySnap.

Digital bats trail light through thecave, passing bodies leaveghostlytraces and adancer materializes in space JR haslinkedthe work to Plato’sallegory of thecave, in whichprisoners mistake shadows forreality.Today’s cavewalls, heargues, are

screens andthe algorithms that shape what people see Yetthe installation’sstrongest effectsrequire no phone.

“It’scompletelystrange,” said Nadia Benali, 34, smiling beside the artificial cliffs.“Parisneedsthings that make people stop.”

When the cave closes, its fabric will be reusedorrecycled.

Dear Annie: My wife and Iare membersofalocal church, though Iwill admit we are not exactly frontpew regulars. We go about once amonth, sometimes moreduring holidays or when life is calmer.Our faith matters to us, but we practice it quietly and privately

Oneofour neighbors and her husband also belong to thesame church. They are much moreinvolved. He does readings, and she sings in thechoir.I respect that, and Iadmire people who give so much of their time.

hood feud? —Keeping the Faith

Privately

Dear Keeping the Faith: Your neighbor may have an important role singing in the choir,but that does not makeher head of admissions.

The next timeshe points out that she didn’tsee you in church on Sunday, smile and say,“We must have missed each other.But thank you forthinking of us.” Then change the subject.

The problem is that this neighbor seemstohave appointed herself thechurch attendance monitor.At neighborhood cookouts, driveway chatsand casual gatherings, she will say, in front of others, “I didn’t see you in church on Sunday.”

It always lands like a little public scolding. My wife and Iboth feel embarrassed, as if we have been called to the principal’s office in front of the whole class.

Sometimes there is a perfectly good reason we missed church. Sometimes we were tired, traveling, helping family or just needed aquiet Sunday at home. ButIdonot think we should have to explain ourselves.

We like our neighbors and do not want to create hard feelings. At the sametime, ourchurch attendance is personal, and Idonot appreciate being shamed over potatosalad at ablock party

What can Isay that is polite, firm and maybe even alittle humorous, so she getsthe message without turning it intoaneighbor-

If she insists on figuring out what you did in the timeyou weren’t at church, say something even clearer,such as, “We prefer to keep our church attendance private.”

Translation: It is none of her business. But that is subtly said with ahymnal in one hand and good manners in the other

Youdonot owe her any explanation on what you do with your own time and how you observe your own religion. Faith is something that manypeople consider to be deeply personal, and you have every right to keep yours private.

Dear Annie: My best friend has becomeimpossible to makeplans with. She says yes to everything, then cancels at the last minute with avague excuse. Sometimes she says she is “too tired,” other times she says workgot crazy,and once she forgot completely until Itexted from the restaurant asking if she was on her way The worst was when I saw on social media that she had gone out with another group the samenight she canceled on me because she “needed aquiet night.”

Iknow people are busy, and Idonot wanttobe

needy But after the third canceled dinner,the second missed birthday lunch and one weekend trip she backed out of after Ihad already booked the hotel, Istarted to feel foolish. I had arranged childcare, moved meetings and turned downother invitations because Ithought we had plans. When we are together, she is warmand fun, and it feels like old times. She tells me how much she loves me and says, “We need to do this moreoften.” Then weeks go by, texts go unanswered, and another plan falls apart. Imiss the friendship we used to have, but Iam tired of saving space for someone whotreats my timelike asuggestion. How do Istop feeling hurt without making adramatic announcement? —Waiting on aMaybe Dear Waiting: Youdonot need adramatic announcement. Youneed aquiet adjustment. Your friend may love you, but she is not treating your timewith care. It is also possible she is going through something she has not fully shared, so lead with curiosity before resentment. Youcan say,kindly,“I love seeing you, but it hurts when plans keep falling through. Is everything OK?Let’spick something only when you know you can makeit.” In the meantime, stop arranging your lifearound her maybes. Avoid prepaid plans, invite her when it is easy,and let her be the one to follow through for awhile. Friendship should feel flexible, not flimsy Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AURELIEN MORISSARD

Visitors walk into theartwork ‘The Pont Neuf Cave’byFrench street artist JR on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris, which is open to the public throughJune 28.

The installation is made largely from printed fabric and air,transformingthe 17th-centurybridgeinto an artificial cavern rising59feet above the Seine.

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 weekslater.(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 SupremeCourt ruled, in Texas v. Johnson, that burning the American flagas 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 SpaceShipOne made the first privately funded human spaceflight.

In 2010, Faisal Shahzad,a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to charges of plotting afailed 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 (The Kinks) 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. 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

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?

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

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

Dear Heloise: The best activity for kids before aholiday meal is having them help in preparing it

Dietaryissues

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

Why you need dentalinsurance in retirement.

Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-providedbenefits. 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. The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care.The American Dental Association recommends checkupstwiceayear.

Previous dental work canwear out.

Even if you’vehad qualitydentalwork in the past,you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dental problem only go up as youage.2

Treatment is expensive— especiallythe servicespeople over 50 often need.

Consider these national averagecostsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis canbeareal burden, especially if you’re on afixedincome.

“Medicare&You,” Centersfor Medicare& Medicaid Services,2025. 2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov,4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees.Datacurrent as of July 2025;subject to change

ADVERTISEMENT “Absolutely love” “I absolutelylove my dental insurance. My dentaloffice files the claims,leaving me with very littlebalancetopay.” DorothyP TN

Hints from Heloise

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Corbylifts aplastic

entrepreneurshow to build their ownurban farmingbusinesses.

Afacility hidden in Harvey is usingcatfish to grow produce

BY RICH COLLINS 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 Staff writer

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.

Orleans port set amonthlyrecord in March2025, when nearly 166,000 people

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,

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,”

ä See PRODUCE, page 2E

STAFFPHOTOSByENAN CHEDIAK

Fool’sTake: Blue-chip dividends

Motley Fool

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 5,000 guests, making it thelargest ship to ever homeportinthe Crescent City,along with Royal Caribbean’sreturn. In the future, Carnival is looking at deploying alarger 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 portlast 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

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.

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

Staff report

South Louisiana businesses and nonprofitgroups recently announcedthe followingpromotions, new hires and resignations.

NewOrleans

Christopher Tusa has joined the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West Tusa is the assistant vice president and business banking relationship manager for First Horizon Bank.

Charlotte Jarreau has been appointed to the position of partnerships and community relations adviser for The Historic New Orleans Collection.

ShelbyWynne has been namedthe 2026-27 president of Junior League of New Orleans.

Elizabeth Egle has been hiredbythe LSU Health Foundation as its first managing director of externalrelations.

Egle has previously heldsenior leadership roles at SBP, formerly known as the St. Bernard Project, andserves on the boardofKids Join the Fight.

Kevin Perque has been promoted to assistantdirectorofcampuslogistics for the Ernest N. MorialConvention Center Perque was, most recently,the Convention Center’s campus logistic parking manager, and he previously held operational and leadership positions withReef Parking at the Four Seasons New Orleans and EZ Park.

BatonRouge

Melissa Cresson has been hired as special counselinthe litigation

practice group andamember of the commercial disputes team for Jones Walker Cresson, aformerKean Miller partner, hasrepresented industrial clients in high-stakeslitigationinvolving mass toxictort and class action claims.

Billy Wilson hasjoined Building Enclosure Consulting Inc. as a senior architect in the Floridabased firm’sBaton Rouge office, which opened in 2024. Wilsonpreviously spent 30 years withthe Office of State Buildings and of Facility Planning and Control.

Celena Cage hasbeen hired by CK Associates as part of its water program. Cage previouslyspent 30 yearswith theLouisiana Departmentof Environmental Quality,eventually becoming assistant secretary of the Office of EnvironmentalCompliance.

Barrett Dick and Zack Klein have beennamed to lead anew national sales team forGuarantee RestorationServices

Dick is director of national sales and Klein is director of business development and marketing.

As part of the expansion,the restorationcontracting company has also hired David Stern, who formerly worked for the NewOrleans Saints and Pelicans organization,asanational sales executive.

Chad Catalano,asales manager and project coordinator who joined the company in January, is also part of the new team.

Do you have personnel changes to shareorother ideas for our business coverage? Drop us aline at biztips@theadvocate.com.

Michelle Singletary THECOLOR OF MONEy

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

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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.

of

entrepreneurs.

Besties,

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

angel

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.

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

“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.”

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. 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

ANN CONNELLy, owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art

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. 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.

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

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.”

NewOrleans TakesLogistics intothe Future

NewOrleans wasfounded over three hundred yearsago as atrade entrepôt Today, theregion is reinventing itself to takelogistics intothe future, in ways bigand small.

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, cleanfacility

At amoretactical level, thePortisintegrating AI intoits legacyoperations

ThePortand theNew Orleans Public Belt Railroad have partnered with New Orleans-based UTCTransoceanic to deploythe country’sfirstAI-powered rail clearance systemfor oversized cargo. Thetechnology has twocomponents workingintandem:

•A customer-facingapp that allows shipperstoenter cargo dimensions weight, andrailcar specifications andreceivenear-instant routing recommendations

•A live“digital twin” of theNew Orleans Public Belt Railroad that continuously tracks clearancedata, bridge ratings, crossing geometry andinfrastructureconditions in realtime

Together,theycondense aprocess thatused to takeweeksofengineering studiesintosomethingthatcan be resolved almostimmediately.For shippers moving massivepower transformers, windturbinecomponents, refinery vessels, or industrial generators– vital components needed to keep up with the state’shistoric economic growth –thatspeed is critical.

“Today, planninga large industrialshipment can involveweeksofengineering studiesand coordination between multiple railroads beforeacustomereven

Youcan read the full press release here

Youcan read the

knowswhetherarouteispossible,” said Beth Branch,President &CEO of Port NOLA.

“WhatUTC Transoceanic is bringing to NewOrleans helps provideanswers almost immediately.That’samajor advantagefor shippers, manufacturersand project developerswho aremaking multimillion-dollar logisticsdecisions.”

This mattersnow more than ever,asLouisiana is in themiddle of an industrial 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

Curate

female

investors looking to invest in female

Michael Hecht President &CEO GNO Inc

NATION &WORLD

“Froma retailer standpoint,the oldmodel was, ‘I bought aproduct, Imarked it up and Isolditto aconsumer.’Now it’sevolved into, ‘Waitaminute, Ican monetizeother aspects of my business.’”

Minneapolis

in

MATT MARSH, managing partner at Deloitte

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 themostcovetedusedcar in U.S.

BY CHESTER DAWSON

Bloomberg News (TNS)

Most cars lose valuethe moment

they leave adealer’slot. The RAV4 hybrid gains it.

Used, late-model versions ofthe RAV4 hybrid often list formore than their original sticker prices, even with thousands of mileson their odometers. In some cases, they cost more than anew 2026 model fresh from the Toyotafactory CarMax recently advertised a 2024 RAV4 HybridXSE with 29,000 miles for $46,998, which is higher than the original $38,735sticker price.

The price inversion seemstodefy anatural law of used-car economics. But it illustrates someofthe most powerful forces driving the U.S. auto market this year

The Iran war sent gasprices surging, with the nationalaverage for regular well above $4 pergallon. Some car buyers have responded by snapping up used electric vehicles, which often sellata steep discountfrom their original price. Others who are either unwilling or unable to go fully electric have turned to hybrids,which pair an electric motor with agas-burning engine. Long considered aniche product in theU.S., they’re now highly coveted. And for the moment at least, there aren’tenough new hybrid RAV4s to go around.

Production hit alull lastyear as Toyota stopped building the fifth generation of the compact SUV and started makingthe sixth.With fewer new RAV4s reachingshowrooms, many would-be buyershave been stuck on waiting lists. Used versions —aslong as they’re from arecent year and in good shape commanda premium,even topping the list price of anew car

The hybrid RAV4 gets upwards of 40 miles per gallon,well above the U.S.new-car average of 27.2 mpg. It’spopular enough that Toyota discontinued allnonhybridversions of the RAV4, starting this model year. And Brandon Wingate of Albany,

Georgia, decideditwas just what his family needed.

He andhis wife were sold on its roominess, Toyota’s reputation for reliability and the hybrid’spromise of savings at thepump.Wingate paid $32,000 in February for a 2024 RAV4 with 44,000 miles on it —acar that listedfor $38,735 when new. He drove about fivehours across thestate to test-drive it after spotting it onlineand was only abletohagglethe dealerdown$500 to compensate fora small window crack

“There’snonegotiating anymore —you basically pay the asking price,” said Wingate, 42, an IT technician. “I’m just gladtohave bought when we did, because prices for thesamevehicle areupanywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 since then.”

Indeed,Carvanalisted a2025 RAV4 Hybrid Limited with 5,606 milesfor $48,590. That’sacool

$6,040 above the manufacturer’s suggested retail pricewhenitwas new.It’salso morethan the$43,300 sticker priceofa 2026 Limited model.

Toyota, which beganoffering Americans ahybrid RAV4 option a decadeago,keptgas-electrics to a relatively low percentage of overall production volumes. That shortage helping to fuel highprices should endasToyota scales up output of thenew all-hybrid RAV4.“We have avery 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 hasless than five days’ worth of new RAV4 hybridsinits U.S. showrooms, far below the company’soverall inventory of about 15 days

“We’reselling everyone we have in stock and have quite afew presales,”said RyanRedding, general

manager at JimNorton Toyota in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Customers unwilling to wait often look forused RAV4s, he said, which means they’realso in high demand. “Most of the time, we don’tsell above the original MSRP,” Norton said. Consumer Reports warns that new 2026 RAV4sare selling for about 4% more than their sticker prices. Managing Editor Jeff Bartlett, in arecent blog post, wrotethat prices should edge down as productionrevsup, but “because elevated gas prices may keep interestinthe RAV4 high, don’texpect discounts any timesoon.”

With theaverage transaction price of anew carinthe U.S. now around $50,000, used cars have surged in popularity.Sotoo have hybrids,which notonlycut fuel costs but letdrivers usehighway carpool lanes in at least 12 states. Once limited to ahandful of models like the original Toyota Prius

with ashape oftencomparedtoa cheesewedge —hybrid drivetrains are now available in most every class of passengervehicle,including theFordMaverick pickup, the Kia Carnivalminivan and the Jeep Cherokee SUV

Some of those hybrids command high prices used, although not as consistently as the RAV4. AllusedRAV4hybrids from the 2024 model year onward command prices of at least90% of theirinitial MSRPs, according to CarGurus. Of the sevenhybrids offered in the 2025 model year,four now list for more than their original sticker prices.

“Toyotas areingeneral tough to find, and hybrids are tough to find,” said Kevin Roberts, director of economic and market intelligenceat CarGurus. “If you’re struggling to find anew RAV4 hybrid, you might pay more for any used one you can get your hands on.”

BAyAREA NEWS GROUP/TNS PHOTO By RAyCHAVEZ

Visitors look at aToyota RAV4 Hybrid on displayduring the 2025 SiliconValleyAuto Showatthe Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif

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 say we build snowflakes. No two (fire trucks) are the same.”

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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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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

CANCER

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

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

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

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

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-

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.

“They were on the way to Omaha,” she said. 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.

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have shown that artificial intelligence can reveal brain tumor risks.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Andrea Cothern sits in her office at Ochsner Health Center

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

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.

pitt.edu.

for these women,” Modi said.

To find out how to enroll or get more information, visit peripartumcmnetwork.

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 profile people whoare advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do youhavea health story? We want to hear fromyou. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more. WE WANT

Molly’sfather,FredKimball

Men’s health

3

1

Weknowthatmanyconditionsanddiseasesrespondbetterto treatmentwhenthey’rediagnosedearly.ThisFather’sDay, it’sagoodtimetoremindthemeninourlivesofthe importanceoftakingstepstostayhealthy.

Aprimarycarephysicianservesasahealthcarepartner,providingaconsistent,coordinatedpointofcontactformedicalneeds. Theyhelpmentaketheguessworkoutofstayinghealthy.Here’show:

Personalized guidance Personalized care Ongoinghealth management

Ideally,menshouldvisitaprimarycaredoctoronceayear forannualwellnessexams.Routinewellnessvisitshelpcatch potentialhealthproblemsbeforetheybecomeserious.Regular screeningsforbloodpressure,cholesterolanddiabetescan leadtoearlydiagnosesandmoreeffectivetreatments.

Aprimarycarephysiciantracksthepatient’s overallhealthovertime.Theylookatthe fullpicture,includingpersonalandfamily medicalhistory,lifestylefactors,andongoing conditionstooffercomprehensivecare.

Fromhealthylifestyletipstomanaging medicationsorchronicconditions,a primarycaredoctorprovidestailored advicetohelppatientsstayincontrolof theirhealthateverystageoflife.

Tofindtherightprimarycaredoctor,menshouldlookforaproviderwholistens,communicatesclearlyandunderstandstheiruniqueneeds. Visitochsner.org/primarycaretofindaprimarycaredoctornearyou

?

What is Aquablation andhow does it treat benign 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 inLouisianatoofferAquablationtherapyforthetreatmen 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 Shreveport’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

Continued from page1y

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.”

Shreveport that has servedastheir homebase since it wasbuilt in 1903.

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

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

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

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

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

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

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.

STEAM 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

Continued from page 1y

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