The Acadiana Advocate 07-05-2026

‘A

greatnight’

Acadiana celebrates theFourthofJuly with fire hoses, fais do-dos and fireworks

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staffwriter

From fais do-dos in New Iberia to traditional fireworks displays in Youngsville, Acadiana always knows how to bring its own unique cultural flair to Independence Day

None of its communities show out quite like the town of Erath, however The celebration actually starts several days before July Fourth, with acarnival and afais do-do.

In the morning hoursofthe Fourth, likely before any fireworks go off or any barbecuepits are flared up, the fire hosesare soaking Broadway Street in what has become an intense sporting event forbothparticipantsand spectators. Every year,Erath, some 10 miles fromthe Gulf of Mexico betweenAbbeville andNew Iberia, hosts awater fighting competitionbetween severalareafire

AMERICA

departments The rules are simple: Each departmentgets to select five members to represent itsteam and is given large fire hoses to aim as agroup in an attempttosoak the other team. Each matchup takes theformofa three-game series with teams facingeach other in asingle elimination bracket. Each

ä See FOURTH, page 6A

Spectators watch volunteer firefighters from area fire departments battle it out during the Fourth of July Water Fights on South Broadway Street in Erath.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

High court recalls Murrill’s arrest warrant

BY ANDREAGALLO Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed to recall an arrest warrant forLouisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in an emergency order late Friday night, the high court’ssecond major intervention to pause Murrill’sprosecution after her indictment by an Orleans Parish grand jury

The grand jury indicted Murrill on Thursday, charging her with 16 felony counts of malfeasance in office and intimidation. Orleans Criminal DistrictCourt Judge Leon Roche issuedan aliascapiasarrest warrant andset Murrill’sbail at $400,000.

Theindictment, which happened behind closed doors, set offa flurry of filings to Louisiana’shigh court.

The attorneygeneral quickly asked late Thursday night for the state SupremeCourt to intervene, and the court responded with an order Friday morningthat stayed the indictment. The court issued the stay order on a5-2 vote, critiquingthe lack of transparency,alleged conflicts of interest and otherdeficiencies in the case.

TheSupremeCourt ruled that Murill was “likely to succeed on the merits of amotion to quash this indictment on either alegal basis or due to apparent procedural irregularities.” They remandedthe case back to district court forMurrill to file motions in her defense. But by late Friday,Murrill returned to the high court and alleged the special prosecutor appointed to her case, former NewOrleans Judge Laurie White,had refused to recallthe alias capias arrest warrant despite the stay “I object to theremoval of the capias(warrant), as the accused should not get any more preferential treatment thanany other criminally charged defendant,” White allegedly told Murrill’slegal team, according to their second emergency filing to the SupremeCourt.

The Louisiana SupremeCourt issued another ordershortly before midnight on Friday, saying it was“in order to add clarity and specificity where none should have been required.” The order recalled Murrill’s arrest warrant, ordered the warrant removed from law enforcement databases, and ordered White and law enforcementto“take all necessary actions to comply.”

“This Court’sJuly 3, 2026 Stay obviously prevents the state frompursuing the Attorney

Troy Wingerterhas served UL football in some waysince 1987

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

For nearly four decades, Troy Wingerter had somewhere to be every August.

On Tuesday,for the first timesince Ronald Reagan was president, he walked away from the University of Louisiana atLafayette football program with no practice schedule, no recruiting calendar andno idea what comes next. Despite the many unansweredquestions

facingthe New Ol ti who hasserved t juns in multiple erter realized he prepared forthe days ahead than h ined.

“I always joke have to drag m kickingand sc Wingerterlaugh it turned out, Go preparedmefo more than Ieve imagined.”

His journey began in 1987 from the Catholic League;

O l t w e r d r h la r eans na ive he Ragin’ Caays, Wingwas more uncharted eeverimagdthatthey’d out of here eaming,” ed.“As had it

“That’sastrange, strange thought.”

hi laying days ended in 1991. e returned in 1996 and performed every role from runner to cameraman to assistant coach.

“I’m about to have nothing to do in the nth of August for the first esince like 1982,” the year-old Wingerter said.

Wingerter servedasan istant coach under several oaches during histhree decades at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. PROVIDED PHOTO

The past year has been trying, Wingerter said, but certainly wasn’tthe first crossroadsofhis career at UL.Hewas on multiple staffs that were fired, from Jerry BaldwintoMark Hudspeth.

“I kept expecting astay of execution, but clearly that’snot happening,” he said. Somehow,hesaid, it feelsdifferentthis time.

Wingerter learned May 11 that he would not return for the 2026 season after astate audit found violations involving falsified documentation forrecruiting expenses tied to aLaCarte state credit card.

“During all of those situations, Ireally always hadfaith Iwas going to be able to stay,”

ä See WINGERTER, page 4A

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

A fireworks showisheld during the Red,White &Boom youngsville Independence Daycelebration at the youngsville Amphitheater on Friday

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Paul Pelosi accused of hit and run in Napa County

LOS ANGELES The husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was involved in a hit-and-run in California that left a parked car with “major” damage authorities said Saturday, and he could face misdemeanor charges.

Paul Pelosi was driving his brown convertible Friday in Yountville, a town in the heart of wine country, when he struck a legally parked car on the side of the road, briefly stopped and then drove away, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

A witness saw the collision and called 911. Shortly after sheriff’s deputies found Pelosi with severe damage to the front of his car on a nearby road roughly one-quarter of a mile away The octogenarian told officers that he knew he hit something but wasn’t sure when or what caused the damage to his car Pelosi didn’t have any alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, according to the statement.

3 children dead after boat capsizes in Wisconsin

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. Three children who died when a boat capsized in Geneva Lake during a Wisconsin storm were wearing life vests, authorities said as the nation assessed damage from storms and a heat wave that marred the July Fourth holiday, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power

As the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency investigated the Geneva Lake tragedy, the city’s police department issued a statement blaming it on a “sudden and severe storm” that rapidly produced hazards for boats. It said a privately owned recreational motorboat carrying 10 occupants, including four children, tried to race to safety before it was overwhelmed by severe wind and waves. As it took on water, it eventually capsized and sank, the release said.

Six adults and a child were rescued from the water, but three children recovered from the lake after an intensive search were unresponsive, police said.

Boat sinks in Congo, killing at least 20, authorities say KINSHASA, Congo A wooden boat transporting students back from state exams sank in central Congo, killing at least 20 people, authorities said. The vessel was traveling in Kasai province when it sank while entering the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers, according to witnesses.

“There were 80 survivors and 20 bodies,” said Francois Kabula, administrator of the Ilebo territory in Kasai province, where the sinking happened Friday

However, Tshikudi Jean, who witnessed the crash, told The Associated Press that the boat was carrying over 200 people.

“The shipowners of the DRC are only after money and don’t care about human lives,” said François Malepo, president of the Ilebo civil society organization.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

People swim in the Seine River in Paris on Saturday.

3 spots opened for swimming along Seine

PARIS Swimming in the Seine River is settling into a new Paris summer ritual as the city on Saturday opened three supervised bathing sites for the second year in a row

The free swimming areas near City Hall, the Eiffel Tower and in eastern Paris will remain open through the summer depending on water quality and weather conditions. They are placed under strict lifeguards’ watch and authorities conduct daily water quality testing.

Visitors described swimming in the heart of the French capital as an unforgettable experience.

“It’s amazing to be swimming in the Seine while looking at the Eiffel Tower,” said Stewart Talbot, a tourist from Melbourne, Australia.

Storms force evacuation ahead of Trump’s speech

Other cities continue Fourth of July festivities

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s plans to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary of independence with a rally on the National Mall were complicated on Saturday by severe storms that gathered near Washington, forcing event organizers to order an evacuation.

“Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement that encouraged participants to seek shelter at museums and federal buildings near the National Mall.

Washington’s metro system also said several of its underground stations were available for shelter Signs at the Great American State Fair posted an alert shortly after 7 p.m. encouraging participants to leave the area.

Crowds were building in the area several hours before Trump’s speech.

David Koshko, 42, and his wife, Jennifer Koskho, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, came to Washington for a baseball game but planned to stay for the city’s fireworks show After baking in the heat for hours during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ win over the Washington Nationals, they took

a break in the shade of an overpass near the National Mall to plot their next stop.

“Just to be a part of the 250 years (anniversary) is an amazing thing,” said David Koshko, a commercial driver and veteran of the Marine Corps reserves.

In Philadelphia, fireworks began to crack as early as midday in the birthplace of the nation near the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Hundreds of visitors were gathering at Independence Hall in the sweltering heat to await the celebrations coinciding with the France-Paraguay World Cup knockout game at Philadelphia Stadium, which began with commemorations of the holiday

“It’s one big party in here,” Carlos Alban, who traveled to Philadelphia from Chicago to watch the match, said as he arrived at the stadium, adding that he spotted a fan in the parking lot dressed as one of the Founding Fathers.

About 45 minutes before another World Cup match in Houston, a message from astronauts aboard the International Space Station noting the holiday was beamed into the stadium.

In New York, tall ships, with their masts, rigging and white sails outlined against a blue sky, made a procession around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River

The 43 ships were followed by a display of aerial might with a stealth bomber and the Navy’s Blue Angels. Patrouille de

France, the French Air Force’s acrobatic teams, flew over New York Harbor with their red, white and blue trails, evoking images of the American flag.

“We got up early and just rode our bikes about a mile down here to come see the scene,” said Oona Moore, a Jersey City, New Jersey, resident who took in the New York festivities. “We saw the tall ships and we saw the planes you know all different manner of military aircraft. I’ve never seen it so close and in the sky at the same time.”

On Coney Island, crowds gathered in the sweltering heat to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her title as well in the women’s division.

“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown.

Celebrations unfolded against the backdrop of a deep divide this election year that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.

At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a “mortal threat to American liberty” with the Republican president saying it was more dangerous than either World War or 9/11.

Egypt uncovers lost city from Byzantine era in western desert

BY SAMY MAGDY Asscociated Press

CAIRO A well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the western desert is one of two major archaeological finds announced by Egypt on Saturday

The recent discoveries at the Dakhla Oasis and at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, near Alexandria, are the latest findings which the Egyptian government hopes will boost the country’s vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing Along with the strategic Suez Canal, tourism is a major source of foreign currency in the cashstrapped country

The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said that the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire.

The unearthed quarters included north-south thoroughfares intersected by east-west streets forming open squares and public spaces, said Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities.

PROVIDED PHOTO

A recently discovered artifact is displayed in the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Egypt.

A basilica church dating back to the mid-fourth century stands at the settlement’s head, overlooking its main streets, along with remains of two watchtowers to safeguard the outskirts, said Mahmoud Massoud, who chairs the archaeological mission.

The oasis, located in Egypt’s western province of New Valley in the western desert, is on UNESCO‘s Tentative List, a step away from being added to the agency’s World Heritage List.

A heavily fortified structure with thick de-

fensive walls, and many houses consisting of reception halls and vaulted roofs were found in the area, Massoud said.

Among them were the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon and dating to the second half of the fourth century, which archaeologists believe served as a house church before the construction of the city’s basilica.

Archaeologists also uncovered bread ovens, kitchens and stone grinding tools that had been apparently used to produce food Also found were well-preserved bronze coins bearing portraits of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions and Christian symbols, alongside a group of gold coins dating to the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled between 337 and 361, the ministry statement said.

Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities department, said they found a collection of about 200 pottery fragments which would have been used as writing material. The fragments, known as octraca, have inscriptions detailing commercial transactions, correspondence and other details of daily life, Zahran said.

Ukrainian drones hit oil terminal in St. Petersburg

By The Associated Press

A Ukrainian drone attack struck an oil terminal in St Petersburg on Saturday, Russian officials said, as Kyiv presses on with bombardment of Russia’s oil infrastructure.

Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year

Gov Alexander Beglov said the city’s Kirovsky district on the Baltic Sea was hit. He also said that air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones across Russia’s second-largest city and the surrounding region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia. He said that Ukrainian forces also hit a military target on the island of Kronstadt, just off the coast of St. Petersburg.

“The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war and there were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target,” he said in a post on Telegram.

St. Petersburg’s Kirovsky district was previously hit in June, ahead of Russia’s flagship St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, has suffered particularly from heavy strikes, causing local authorities to suspend gasoline sales to civilians. A Ukrainian attack on Saturday killed one person and injured two more, including a 10-yearold child, the Moscow-installed Gov Sergei Aksyonov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has shrugged off Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy facilities as “not critical,” and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.

He has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months.

On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the war in Ukraine and received a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka, after weeks of intense street battles.

Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor337-234-0800 News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

Obituaries: 225-388-0289• Mon-Fri9-5; Sat10-5; ClosedSun

Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174•Mon-Fri 8-5

Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111 •Mon-Fri 8-5

Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe

E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition

Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

ASSOCIATE PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Military planes perform a flyover of the Hudson River, above the the Manhattan skyline, Saturday

SupremeCourt ends term with high-profile rulings

BY MATT BROWN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court wrapped up aterm that yielded significant rulingsin cases involving race and discrimination that could have lasting effects on U.S. politics and society

Justices were at times bitterly divided —and critical of one another —inrulings that winnowed key provisions of alandmark voting rights law, allowed the governmenttorevoke protections for some immigrantsandevenchallenged the historic understandingof birthrightcitizenship for the children of immigrants.

The decisions come at a momentwhen long-standing debates over race and identity have turned toward immigration, increasing racial diversity and the fairness of policiesmeant to prevent and redress discrimination.

Temporaryprotected status

The court allowed the government to end deportation protections for Haitians and Syrians in the U.S. who have fled violenceand natural disaster.President Donald Trump’sadministration revoked the temporary pro-

Pope

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and ANDREAROSA Associated Press

liberal minoritysaw the situation.“The references— of filth, disease, andprimitiveness —are shot through with racial stereotypesand tropes. It is hard to imagine the statements being made today of any White community,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent.

Birthright citizenship

cause of Black Americans’ fight forfreedom.

Freed Black Americans did not receive citizenship as a “reward,” Roberts wrote, but because “the Amendment recognized theirrightful claim to birthright citizenship simply andsolelybyvirtue of theirhaving been born on American soil.”

criticized Thomas’ claim in a joint opinion. Voting rights

Activistscelebratethe Supreme Court’sbirthright citizenship ruling outside the Supreme

tected status last year With the president’smore thandecadelong track record of denigrating developing nationsand immigrants who come to the U.S. from Africa, Asia,Latin Americaand the Middle East,attorneys for someaffected migrants contended that thegovernment could not cancel the designations, in part because Trump’s comments about immigrants were racist.

“The true reason for the termination is the president’s racial animus towards nonwhiteimmigrantsand bare dislike of Haitians in particular,”Geoffrey Pipoly, an attorneyfor the Haitian nationals

LAMPEDUSA, Sicily PopeLeo XIV, who has sparred with theTrump administration over its immigration crackdown, spent the Fourth of July on Saturday in the epicenter of Europe’smigration debatetohonor the tens of thousandsofpeoplewho havedied trying to reach Europe to find freedom and prosperity.

Whilethe United States marked the250th anniversaryofthe Declaration of Independence with rallies, partiesand fireworks, the U.S.-born pope traveled to the Sicilianisland of Lampedusatoprayatamigrantcemetery and celebrate asolemn Mass

on Tuesday

in thecase, saidduring April oral argumentsinthe case, Mullin v. Doe. The attorneys notedthat, during his second presidential campaign, Trump claimed immigrants “are poisoning the blood of our country” and suggested in another instance thatmigrants have “bad genes.”

In writing for the 6-3 conservative majority,Justice Samuel Alito said none of the cited statements was “overtly racial,” reasoning that any of Trump’sactions could have been taken withoutracial animus andattributing his anti-immigrant comments to “political discourse.”

That’s not how thecourt’s

In one of the highest-profile cases of the term, the court reaffirmedthatthe 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution means allpeople born in the U.S. are citizens.

On hisfirst dayinoffice last year,Trump signed an executive orderseeking to restrict birthright citizenship to the childrenofU.S.citizens, a move thatcivil rightsgroups challenged as unconstitutional and racist

In his majority opinion, ChiefJusticeJohnRoberts traced thearc of birthright citizenship —aprinciple that all people born on U.S. soil are citizens —from itsorigins in Englishcommon law to its codification in the 14th Amendment.

Roberts notedthat race and citizenship hadbeen fiercely debated in courts, speeches, Congressand battlefields be-

The6-3 ruling wasablow to theTrump administration, whichhas made restricting immigration itscentral goal

“The clause does notextend citizenship to thechildrenof temporary visa holders or illegalaliens,”

U.S. Solicitor General JohnSauer argued before thecourt in April.

Justice Clarence Thomas agreed and wrote in his dissent that African descendants of enslaved peopleinthe U.S. are aunique case separate from the children of tourists or people in the country illegally

“Blackswereentitledto citizenship because they were Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no allegiancetoany foreign power, and were subject to no other authority,” Thomas wrote.

In astark move, liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson andSonia Sotomayor directly

The Supreme Court handed down adecision in April that gutted akey provision of theVoting RightsAct meant to remedy efforts to disenfranchise minority voters. Amongthe methods thelaw permitted to stop voting discriminationinstateswas the creation of majority-minority congressional districts. In the majority opinion, Alitofound that because race and partisan voting behavior were so intertwined, it was unfair to conclude that apartisan gerrymander of astate’s congressional districts could be racist, given there may be other reasonsfor themap’s results. Alito reasoned that “in astate whereboth parties have substantial support and where race is often correlated withparty preference,” partisanactorscan “easily exploit” lawsmeant to protect minority political participation fordisingenuous reasons. The liberal justices balked at the logic and criticized the conservative majority for harming minority representation in politics and culture.

for the island’sresidents and newest arrivals. LateronSaturday,hegot into the July 4spirit with avisit to the residence ofthe U.S. ambassador to the HolySee, BrianBurch,a rarity for popeswho usually don’tcall on ambassadors. The U.S.Embassy said Burch gave Leo acommemorativebaseball, an apple pie and aU.S. World Cup jersey Leo confirmed he was rooting for theU.S.team,the Embassywrote on X, adding that the two discussed “American efforts to pursuepeace, religious freedom and the need for moral clarityand courage around theworld.”

Atreeless strip of rock 5.6 miles long,Lampedusa is closer to Africa thanthe Italian mainland and is the

main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants whocrossed by boat from Libya or Tunisia, often smuggled by human traffickers.

Leo met with some migrants at the port and thenwalked alone onto the jagged jetty rocks, thewindwhipping his cassock and blowing his zucchettoskullcapoff as he lookedout to the sea. He then blessed aplaque dedicating thedock to Pope Francis, who visited in 2013, before celebratingMass on land.

“Thisisaplace wheregestures speak louderthan words,” Leosaid. “But for gestures to be human, they need aheart.”

In making the visit on this particular Saturday,Leo was sending

apowerfully symbolic message to theUnited States and Europe of the Christianobligationtoupholdthedignity of every human being, migrants andthe most vulnerable especially, while reminding the United States that it wasfounded by immigrants.

In aletter senttoAmericanson July 4, Leoinsisted that protecting theunborn and all human life also means “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning.”

“Toreceive them with compassion andgenerosity is not only an act of charity, butalsoarecognition of the dignitythat belongs to every human person,” Leo wrote.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

CourtonCapitol Hill

Wingerter said. “I think that’s why it’ssohard now.Normally,when a coach gets fired, he gets fired with abunch of guys.This is different.”

In astatement, Wingerter said no one personally benefited from the questioned expenditures and attributed the issues to shortcomings in training, communication and oversight. While disputingaspects of the audit’sconclusions, he said he accepts responsibility as a senior administrator for the oversightthat occurred.

Rather than dwell on the audit during his final weeks, Wingerter said he focused on preparing his successor,former UL defensive back Pat Mensah, for the role.

“I’ve probably worked as many or more hours in the last month and ahalf than Ihave allthrough April and May,” Wingerter said. “I don’twant agrenadetogooff and be catastrophic. Idon’twant to make Pat look bad or Mike (Desormeaux) look bad or the teamtosuffer at all.

“It’sstill me. It’sstill my heart.”

Just getitdone

Ask Wingerter about hisplaying days and he’ll tell you less about awards than one block. He still remembers springing Brian Mitchell for atouchdown in 1989 by taking on Alabama All-American linebacker Keith McCants

But those whoknowthe program say Wingerter’sgreatest legacy came after his playing days.Wingerter became the program’sgo-to person for nearly three decades after returning to his alma mater

“You canreplace theposition, but you can’treplacethe person,” head coach Desormeaux said.

“That guy does so much for us.In my first year when Igot thejob afterthe conference championship, we had to go on the road recruiting on that Monday

“Wewouldn’thave even gotten off the ground, if it wasn’tfor Troy.”

Over his years at UL, Wingerter had his specific duties, but he’s never been limited by his technical job description.

“He does everything every ops guy does, but he also plays arole in recruiting official visits and academics and if the fields needed to be lined. just everysingle thing,”saidDarren Walker,who Wingerter hired to replacehim as football’svideo coordinator 26 yearsago.

“Hewas around so long that if something comes up that had nothing to do with his job, he knewwho to get in touchwith to take care of it —whether it’sinathletics, the universityorinthe community.”

Perhaps the biggest thing leaving with Wingerter is thelinkto the past.

“I’m the conduit for every single player that comes through here, whether Iplayed with them or not,”hesaid. “Ifyou look back the last 40 years, I’m pretty much coached or played with everybody that’scome through.”

Missed Cajuns toomuch

Few people have witnessed Wingerter’sfour-decade relationship with UL more closely than Gerald Broussard, who coached him as aplayer, coached alongside him and traveled with him as a color analyst.

“He gave up amoney-payingjob just to come and be present and be around us until we had aspot for him,” Broussard remembered After finishing up his eligibility, Wingerter left the statefor acouple of years before moving back to

“I

TROy WINGERTER

New Orleans, first to get amedical sales job that never happened and then managingnightclubs.

“I was making more money than Ieverhad,”Wingertersaid. “It took me15years in thisbusiness before Imadeasmuch money as I

was making there.”

Andyet, he was miserable.

Oneday,a friend grew tired of hearing him talk about how much he missed football, slammed a handful of quarters on the bar and told him to call somebody

Wingerter called former coach Nelson Stokley

“The first time he didn’tanswer,” Wingerter said. “The second time he answered Brandon’sphone.”

Stokley allowed Wingerter to return to the program andhenever left untilTuesday

“The biggest thing about Troy is he was tough andnot just physically tough,”Broussard said. “You’re talking about aguy who took six years to get ageneral studiesdegree andthen ended up getting a doctorate.

“He’s nationallyknownand respected in that (operations) industry,”hesaid. “This is just an opportunityfor him to show that he’s way more than that position at UL He offers alot to somebody who will see that.”

Spiritualbattles

While friends have spent the past twomonths assuring him he’lllandonhis feet, Wingerter believes Godhad been preparing him for the momentmuch earlier

Last fall, while on leave as universityofficialsweighed hisfuture after the audit, Wingerter began attending daily Mass.

“I started going to Mass every day to try and get the voices out of my head the ones that show up at 3a.m.,” he said. He described them as the kind of thoughts that can overwhelm aperson withbitterness.

Even after he was initially told in March that he would keep his job with some conditions, Wingerter said it didn’tsit right with him He was advised to moveonand leavethe issue behind him, but he couldn’tshake the feeling that something was still ahead. And he couldn’tunderstand why he still felt compelledtoattend daily Mass.

“I was still scared of something,” Wingerter said. “I was praying for peace. Iprayed so hard forpeace so once Iwas told Iget to keep my job,I’m like, ‘What are you worried about?’“

He believes he gothis answer May11, when he learned his time at UL was over

“Fortunately,God had prepared me for it,” he said.

Victorythrough trials

Wingerter said the experience

also reminded him of whathis wife of 25 years, Cydra, endured after the 2023 election ended her tenure as chief administrative officer.During aconversation with a priest,hesaidherealized he had been holding onto bitterness over how that chapter ended.

“Who are you to allowyourpersonal feelings to interrupt God’s edict?” Wingerter recalledthe priest telling him. “He said to forgive. He said to let it go.”

That message stuck with him as his career hung in the balance.

“I was happy where she ended up —she’sgot agreat job,” Wingerter said. “But Iwas always bitter about how it happened and the visceral nature of the election and the issues Ipersonally have with people and Ikept holding on to that.

“It wasalmost like God said, ‘You didn’tlearn your lesson. I’mgoing to have to show you again.’”

In Wingerter’smind, that’sanew direction in his career

“I trust the plan,” he said. “I trust that God has aplan and I’m going to do something else. Whether it’s bigger or not, it’sgoing to be better.”

So what’s next?

Wingerter’splans aren’t100% clear just yet. But he’sgot is aton of options.

The first one is as aconsultant to teach other less experienced operation directors his tested methods at programsacross the country

He’salready scheduled to consult with JamesMadison,where former Cajuns coach Billy Napier is now coach, sharing the systems he developed over three decades at UL

Other options include getting another operations job at another program, consulting with programsall over the country or just getting another job locally in adifferent field.

“I can’treallysay whatI’m going to miss the most,” Wingerter said.

“What Ivalue the most is the intrinsic motivating factor of being an alum,”Wingerter said. “I wasalways doing this formyalma mater.Iwas always doing this for something thatfeltbiggerthan me.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Troy Wingerter,right, joins agroup of former University of Louisiana at Lafayette

neverplaying in abowlgameasaplayer.

Troy Wingerter,pointing center,was part of the offensiveline under assistant coach Gerald Broussard, standing left, during his playing days.

General’sarrest or any other step in the prosecution,” wrote the Supreme Court in its second emergency ruling. The high court also ruled that the prosecution could still respond to Murrill’s defensive pleadings in district court while the stay wasin place. The court’svote on recalling the warrant was 4-3, with Justices Billy Burris, Cade Cole, Jefferson Hughes and Jay McCallum voting in the majority.Chief Justice John Weimer and Justices Piper Griffin and John Michael Guidry each dissented.

Weimer and Guidry had also dissentedearlier Friday from the decision to stay Murrill’s indictment; Griffin had voted in favor of the stay,but againstthe warrant recall.

Weimer wrote in his Friday night dissent that Murrill’steam had requested “an extraordinary remedy” that went far beyond requesting enforcement of the stay order “In criminal cases procedural rules are indispensable to serve justice and ensure that all are treated equally,” Weimer wrote over recalling the warrant. “Yet, ironically,onthe eve of this July4th when ournation will commemoratethe 250th anniversary of theDeclaration of Independence, this courtis once again called upon to provideexceptions to the normal process pursuant to another feigned emergency by one party.”

Griffin wrote in adissent that recalling the warrant goes to the merits of the case. She’d written in aconcurrence earlier Friday that the reason she agreed to stay the prosecution was because it did not reach the meritsof the case.

Guidry wrote in his sec-

recalling the warrant.

‘Opencourt’issue

Rochealso defended the grand juryprocessinhis own filing to theSupremeCourt on Friday Roche’s court appeared to have “violatedexpress provisions of state law requiring that grand jury returns occur inthe public eye, ‘in open court,’”the Supreme Court said in its stay order

Roche closed his courtroom to the public while the grand jury handed up Murrill’sindictment. Some reporters werehandcuffedand otherswere threatened with arrest while they waitedin thecourthousehallway for newsofthe grandjuryreturn Rochewrote that “open court” does not mean “open to thepublic.”

“Rather,itmeans while thejudge is present onthe bench,”Roche wrote. “This interpretationiswell-establishedinLouisiana law.”

He asked the Supreme Court to clarify theirinterpretation of “open court.” If it means “open to the public,” Roche said thejustices shouldgiveguidance to lower courtsabouthow toopen

gle between the Republican attorneygeneral and Democratic local officials in the Crescent City

The grand jury “choseto investigate”Murrill at the end of its six-month term, White said in anews briefing shortly after the indictment. They combed through evidence about whether Murrill triedtointimidate local political officials in New Orleans, including Mayor Helena Moreno,District Attorney Jason Williamsand several City Council members.

Williams recused himself, leading to the White’sappointmentasspecial prosecutor.Murrill has alleged a tangle of conflicts involving White, including that the Attorney General’sOffice represents the former judge in an ongoingsexual harassmentlawsuit in state court.

The indictment specifically points to aseries of letters thatMurrill sent in May to New Orleans officials over adisputeabout thecity’s criminal clerk of courtposition. New Orleans voters lastfall elected former life prisonerCalvin Duncan to thejob, who was freed from

him innocent of murder. Whitealsopreviouslyrepresented Duncan in his criminal case. But before Duncan could take office, the Republicanled Legislature passed a newlaw to eliminate the criminal clerk of court position in New Orleans, combining the civil and criminal clerk roles into one role. As former CivilClerk Chelsey Napoleon stepped into the combined job, Moreno and Williams argued that there should be another election to fill the role. Five City Councilmembersvoted to trigger an election. Murrill sent letters in response, warning the local officials wereputting their jobs at risk by “usurping” Napoleon’sauthority.Moreno at the time responded in

asocialmedia video, noting “there is also acriminal law that prohibits intimidating or threatening apublic official in an efforttotry to influence their decision or change their position.” The law, whichforbids “public intimidation, retaliation, retributionbythe use of force and threat,” is now thebackbone of eight counts in Murrill’sindictment. For the other eight malfeasance counts, grand jurors found she “intentionally refused or failed to perform any duty lawfully requiredofher,” the indictment states. Convictionsfor public intimidation can lead to five years in prison and carry of fine of up to $1,000. Convictions formalfeasance can lead to 10 years in prison or afine of up to $5,000.

prison when ajudge found

FOURTH

Continued from page 1A

match is judged by a panel who determines which team was most effective in spraying the other side.

The winning department receives a trophy adorned with the names of past winners, and a boot with a fireman’s rod labeled with the cheeky slogan, “We Kick Ash!!”

The water fight this year pitted seven different departments in Vermilion, Iberia and Acadia parishes, including both of Erath’s two fire departments, Delcambre, Leblanc, Mire, Rynella, and Meaux/ Nunez.

In a final match between the previous year’s champion Mire and Erath #1, Erath #1 came out victorious, winning the first two matches in the series. Erath’s team did not lose a single match, sweeping each of its opponents on their way to winning the bracket.

The water fights are part of the town’s broader Fourth of July celebration that includes live music performances, a fireworks shows, as well as a 5K run held in the early morning hours The celebration’s roots extend back many years. This year marks the 90th such celebration the small Vermilion Parish community of around 2,000 residents has put on. The first event from 1936 was held as a fundraiser for Erath High School. The celebration has been run by the Erath 4th of July Association for the past 50 years, and according to the association’s website has helped fund the lighting projects in the community educational technology for local elementary schools as well as safety features through donations received through the annual event.

For both spectators as well as members of the participating departments, the celebration, as well as the water fights, are highly anticipated as something that helps bond the nearby community together as well as draw in large crowds to the small town

“Erath is a really special community,” said one member of the winning Erath firefighting team “We as a department love participating in these unique traditions. It’s really a way for us to stand out and share something with our kids that we can pass down.”

The night before the Erath water fights, families from across Acadiana gathered at the Youngsville Sports Complex for the city’s annual Red, White & Boom Independence Day celebration.

The free event featured live music, food trucks, face painting, fun jumps, a children’s zone and other family-friendly activities, with a fireworks show to close out the night.

This year’s celebration held special significance as communities

across the country commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.

“This year is particularly special because it’s America’s 250th birthday,” Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter said.

The celebration has become an annual tradition for many families.

“It’s just such a great night for our city to celebrate community and celebrate with all of our neighbors,” Ritter said. “It’s the middle of summer, so just very proud to be an American and excited to welcome everybody here.”

Fireworks were also offered in downtown Lafayette on Saturday night. Lafayette Stars & Stripes took place in Parc International, featuring a lineup of food trucks, live music and a fireworks finale.

STAFF

PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Volunteer firefighters from Mire fire departments battle it out against Erath #1 during the Fourth of July Water Fights on South Broadway Street in Erath.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Attendees watch the fireworks show during the Red, White & Boom youngsville Independence Day celebration at the youngsville Amphitheater on Friday.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Families from across Acadiana gather at the youngsville Sports Complex for the city’s annual Red White & Boom Independence Day celebration, where a fireworks show closed out the night.

PHOTO By LEE BALL

The Fourth of July celebrations in Erath included fais do-dos and carnival rides

EDUCATION

TrumpAccountsaim to boostfinancialindependencefor kids

Children born during president’ssecond term get$1,000

BY MORIAH BALINGIT AP education writer

WASHINGTON— On Saturday,President Donald Trump’sadministration was expectedtolaunch Trump Accounts, tying the 250th anniversary of the signing of theDeclaration of Independence to an effort to boost financial independence for American kids.

Under the program, parents can open investment accountsfor any child born during Trump’ssecond term andautomatically receive $1,000 fromthe government. Accounts can be opened on behalfof older children —aslongasthey don’tturn 18 beforethe endof the calendar year —but theywill not receive the $1,000. That money —and anything else deposited by employers,philanthropies and relatives —isinvested in thestockmarket by private firms. Children can’taccess the money until theyturn 18, and then only for specific purposes, like paying for ahome or school.

The accounts have already gotten aboost from billionairesbeyond the $1,000 from the government. Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, andhis wife, Susan, pledged to give $6.25 billion to the accounts of some kids who don’tqualify for the government’s $1,000. On Wednesday,Trump announcedonTruth Socialthat Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology,would give $250 million. The donation “will help jumpstart the American Dream for these fabulous children as we celebrate America’s250th Anniversary! This MASSIVE Investment will help MILLIONS of American children and families get astrong start in life, and give themREAL Financial Security,” wrote Trump, aRepublican.

Trump Accounts launch amid widespread affordability concerns.The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflationgauge rose to anew three-year high in May as gaspricespeaked during thewar with Iran. Food prices have risen since Trump’sinauguration,too. Meanwhile, manyAmericansare bracing for changes to social safety netprograms like Medicaid and theSupplementalNutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP,which were cut under the same legislation that created TrumpAccounts. What is aTrump Account?

It’s anew savings tool in which money is investedinthe stock marketona child’sbehalf. The child can’taccess the money until they turn 18 and can use it only for specific purposes, such as paying tuition,startinga business or making adown payment on ahome. Families can already sign up at trumpaccounts.gov

After aparentorguardian opens an account, the U.S. Treasury Department will contribute $1,000 for

newborns. Private banks andbrokerageswill manage the money whichmust be investedinU.S equity index funds that track the stock market and charge the accounts no morethan 0.10% in annual fees.

Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, much like they do for retirement accounts. Parents’employers, relatives, friends, local governments andphilanthropic groups can also pitch in. Yearly contributions are cappedat$5,000, but contributions from governments andcharities don’tcount toward that total.

“We’redoing something much better than giving the next generation ahandout,” Trump said. “We’re giving them ownership of America’sfuture.”

Whogets$1,000?

As part of the initiative’slaunch, parents of older children also are encouraged to open accounts,but they won’tget the$1,000 bonus. That money is reserved for babies born during the calendaryears of

the current Trumpadministration

To qualify for the $1,000 seed money,a baby must be aU.S. citizen, have aSocial Security number and be born between Jan.1,2025, andDec. 31, 2028. Any parent can open an account foraqualifying child, regardless of the parent’s immigration status.

It’simportant to note the child won’tbeable to access the money until they turn 18, except in rare circumstances. So the money can’t help withimmediate expenses. And disbursements from the accounts will be subject to taxes.

Canolder kids getany bonuses?

Some can, thanks to contributions from some of the country’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.

TheDells’ $6.25 billiondonation will allow somechildren who are age 10 or under to receive $250 in seed money if their parents open an account. That money is reserved for kids wholive in ZIP codes with amedian family income of $150,000 or less who are too old to get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury Hedge fund founder Ray Dalio and his wife, Barbara, pledged $75 million for kids under age 10 in Connecticut, where Dalio lives. That wouldamount to $250 for 300,000 children in qualifying ZIP codes.

Trumpannounced in January that investor Brad Gerstner would donate $250 to TrumpAccounts for everychild underage 5inIndiana.

Several major companies also plan to add TrumpAccount contributions to their benefits packages, including Uber,Intel, IBM, Nvidia andSteak ‘n Shake. The administration has encouraged such donationsthroughwhat U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls the “50 State Challenge.”

What’s behind theaccounts?

Backers of the accounts say they wanttointroduce morepeopletothe stockmarketand give even children born into poverty a chance to benefit from it. Supporters also say the accounts bolster

capitalism when openly socialist candidates are growing more popular

“The answer to more socialism is morecapitalism,” Gerstner said in January at aWhite House event.

“This makes every child in America acapitalist from birth.”

About 58% of U.S. households held stocksorbonds in 2022,according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the wealthiest 1% owned almost half the value of stocks in that year Before Trumpcreated the accounts, California,Connecticut and the District of Columbia were piloting baby bonds programs, which are similar to TrumpAccounts in some ways. Severalother states,including Maryland,are weighing programs.

Butthoseprogramsare targeted to youths growing up in poverty or foster care, plus children wholost aparent to COVID-19. Wealthier childrendon’t benefit fromthem. They’re also managed by the state, not private investment firms. What do criticssay?

Critics point out the accounts do little to help children in their early years, when they’remostvulnerable and mostlikely to be in poverty.The accounts, they say,also fail to offset cuts the Trumpadministration and congressional Republicans have made to other programs that benefit young people and the adults in theirlives, including food assistance and Medicaid. Republicans created the accounts in the Trumptax and spending cuts bill that reduced spending forsome of those programs. And even with the contribution from the government,critics say the Trump Accounts will widen the wealth gap. Affluent families that can afford to make the maximum pretax contribution to the accounts will realizethe greatest benefits. Poor familiesthatcan’t affordto setaside money for the accounts will benefit theleast. Assuming a7%annual return, the $1,000 in seed money would growtoroughly $3,570 over 18 years.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Johnson, ScaliseleverageMamdani’s wins to go afterDems

WASHINGTON —House Speaker

Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise likened recentdemocratic socialist primary victories to the revolution that founded the Soviet Union in 1917.

“You could call it the Bolshevik Revolution of 2026, but theMamdani takeover of the Democrat Party is official now,” said Scalise, R-Jefferson, referring to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose endorsed candidatesknocked off incumbents in closed New York party primaries.

Mark Ballard

They’ll nowrepresent Democrats in the Nov.3midterm elections that will decide which party will control the U.S. House starting in January Democratic Party candidates openlyrallying around the democratic socialist banner —noparty of that name is certified forelections —advanced to general elections for avariety of postsinNew York, Denver,Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington —all decidedly blue cities. They beat incumbent Democraticofficials.

“Weare not done working and delivering for the American people while the Democratsare fighting to see how far left to the socialistleft they can go,” Scalise added.

Johnson, R-Benton, picked up on the theme.

“It’scommon senseversuscommunism, because that’swhat’s happening in the Democrat Party. The insurgent left is taking it over —the insurgent leftthat hates America, hates our foundingprinciples. They hatethe idea of borders and prisons,” hetold reporters.

Prior to ascending the speakership in October 2023, Johnson was in charge of messaging andmaking sure Republicans were saying thesame things.

“We’re no longer in abattle just between Republicansand Democrats arguing over marginal tax rates or the size of regulation this election and this year,” Johnson continued.“Right now,wehave a

Trump approves disaster request for Arthur President DonaldTrump this week approvedLouisiana’srequest for$8.6 million in federal aid for the damagecaused by Tropical Storm Arthur last month. The storm dumped record rainfall on Avoyelles Parish and the surrounding areas, causing widespread flooding. It also generated numerous tornadoes across southeast Louisiana. In apost on Truth Social announcing he had approved Gov Jeff Landry’srequest forfederal funding, Trump praised Louisiana’sRepublican leaders.

“Louisiana is trulyaspecial place, withGovernor JeffLandry, Senator John Kennedy,soon to be Senator Julia Letlow,Speakerof the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader SteveScalise, and Congressman Clay Higgins,” he said.

Athlete agent registration system goes online

Louisiana’s new system for registering agents who represent Louisiana athletes is nowonline, Attorney General Liz Murrill’sofficeannouncedWednesday

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

The system is part of anew law the Louisiana Legislature passed this year seeking to more closely regulatehow athletes —particularly high schooland college students navigate anew era in whichtheycan be paidfor their name, image and likeness. Coaches and parents have raised concerns that, withoutsome protections, agents could takeadvantage of youngathletes.

Agents are now required to completean application that includes abackground check andmust undergo mandatorytraining, among other requirements. Those applicationsare reviewedbythe Attorney General’s Public Protection Division.

contrast between people who love thecountry and its founding principles, and those who have open disdain and hatred for them.”

President Donald Trumpalso likened Democrats to communistswho need to be stopped.

“They use theword ‘social democrat’ because it sounds so nice, but it’s really communism you’re talking about,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

LouisianaDemocratic Party Chair Randal Gaines, of LaPlace, says this is falderal, an attempt to divert MAGA voters’ attention away from the Republican majority’sinabilitytogovern. Over the past few weeks, GOP factions in the House have failed to rally enough to pass legislation, includ-

Agents can submit an application online at nil. ag.louisiana.gov

“Louisiana’sstudent athletes deserve advocates whooperate with integrity, transparency,and their best interests at heart,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill.

JohnOliver mocks

Louisianaredistricting

As theredistricting battles that Louisiana helped launch continue to reverberate across thecountry in thelead-up to midtermelectionsthis fall, comedian John Oliver took shots at Louisiana and Gov.Jeff Landry for eliminating one of the state’s twomajorityBlack congressional districts.

On an episode of theHBO program “LastWeek Tonight”that airedlastSunday,Olivercriticized President Donald Trump’s push forstates to drawnew votingmapsfavoring Republicans, which was superchargedbyan April U.S.Supreme Court ruling

ing araise forthe troops, requiring Johnson to send Congress homeearly forthe nation’s250th birthday

“That’s the usual tactic of the Republican Party when they’re losing,” Gaines said. “And typically,those sound bites are incorrect,wrong, and misleading, and dishonest.”

Republican leaders want to tie images of gulags to all Democratic candidates, Gaines said.

While perhaps moreextreme in their rhetoric and conclusions, democraticsocialists are adopting the general positions of more moderate Democratic candidates who also chafe at the GOPwhittlingdown Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act while passing

tax breaks, they see as mostly benefiting the wealthy,headded.

Gaines’ read is shared somewhat by Steve Bannon, the rightwing podcaster whohelped get Trumpelected president twice. Bannon told Politico last week that the democratic socialists’ prescription isn’tcrazy,it’s resonating. Voters seem open to a widespread affordability appeal coupled with ousting mainstream incumbents.

“They campaign as anti-establishment,” which the GOPhasn’t fully grasped, said Bannon. “If you just sit there and demonize, that’scertainly not enough.”

Structurally,Republicans are in better shape to maintain their majority in the House. Trump insisted that GOP-run states draw moreseats to favor GOPHouse candidates.

Democrats responded in kind, but Republicans have been more successful.

The House currently has 218 Republicans, 212 Democrats, an independent whousually votes with the GOP, and four vacancies.

For the midterm elections, 205 seats favor Democrats, 212 districts back Republicans and 18 races rated as “Toss Ups,” according to The Cook Report with AmyWalter,arespected electoral handicapper based in Washington. Democrats need to win13ofthe 18 toss-up contests to reach the 218 representatives necessary to retake the majority in the House, Still, Trumpisunpopular with 60% to 75% of the voters as are manyofthe administration’s policies, according to aseries of recent surveys conducted by pollsters from both parties.

Despite Johnson’soptimistic rhetoric, Republicans seem worried about losing their majorities in the House when the ballots from the Nov.3midterm are counted.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

in thecase Louisiana v. Callais. Oliver tauntedthe White Louisiana plaintiffs who originally brought thecase challenging the constitutionality of amajorityBlack voting district, saying their reasoning amounted to,“Thismap hurt my feelings, and now Iwant to talk to yourmanager.”

William; andthree, he sounds like Elmer Fudd if he exclusively went to schoolsnamed afterRobertE Lee,” he said.

Aspokesperson for Landry did notrespond to arequest for comment.

The comedian mocked an interview Landry did with“60 Minutes” in which Landry defended thestate’sredistricting effort, arguing thathe understood thelived experience of African Americans because he grew up in apredominantly Black community,heshould not be judgedfor being White, and theracism of the past hasalready been rectified.

“He shouldn’tbejudged just becauseheisWhite,” Oliver said.

“He should be judged because one, he just had to have the concept of racism explainedtohim on TV;two, he’sfor some reason dressedlike 30 Rock’s Leap Day

Landry has said Louisiana was requiredtodrawanew congressional map after theSupreme Court ruled the state’sprevious onewas unconstitutional.

The watershed Supreme Court decision released in Aprilweakened akey provisionofthe federal Voting Rights Act, whichfor decades hadrequiredsomestates with ahistoryofracialdiscriminationtodrawmajority-Black districts as aremedyfor the racist voting practices

Thejustices ruled that using race to draw district lines is unconstitutional in virtually all circumstances In the wake of that decision, Louisiana anda numberofother southern statesdrewnew voting maps eliminating majority-Black districts that favor Democratic candidates in an effort to win more GOP seats in Congress in the November midterm elections.

Murrill

Trump

Oliver

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTOS

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, left, and Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, arrivefor aclosed-door conference withfellowRepublicans at the Capitol in Washington last week.

Newyork MayorZohran Mamdani speaksduring arally

THE GULF COAST

Miss. man contracts flesh-eating bacteria while fishing

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

It started with a horsefly bite Or, at least, that’s what doctors think.

Steve Wilson didn’t have a cut when he cast his first line in the Gulf off the coast of Mississippi last Saturday, but Amanda Wilson remembers her husband pausing to apply bug spray

Lifelong Mississippi residents and avid fishers, the Wilsons have heard all the horror stories about vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous flesh-eating bacteria found in warm, brackish coastal waters and raw or undercooked seafood.

It’s rare to contract it at all, but 1 in 5 people who develop severe infection die, sometimes within 48 hours

Amanda Wilson, a 47-year-old nurse, said she’s exceedingly careful when it comes to vibrio. The Wilsons never swim in the Gulf and stay on Cat Island’s south side while fishing, where the open waters are thought to be less prone to bacteria propagation Before they hit the water, they always check for cuts and other open wounds, gateways through which vibrio can enter the body and trigger necrotizing skin infections, bloodstream infections or gastrointestinal illness.

Later on Saturday afternoon, when they launched their boat into Jourdan River from McLeod Park, the Wilsons made sure to head farther upriver away from the Gulf before getting in the water

“It’s crazy because it was just a typical day,” Amanda Wilson said.

Despite all the precautions, 50-year-old Steve Wilson awoke early the next morning to searing pain near his right ankle, pain so severe he couldn’t walk. His ankle was swollen and hot, Amanda Wilson said, and she noticed what looked like a small bruise at the center of the swelling.

Vibrio was her first thought. She rushed her husband to Slidell Memorial Hospital and by the end of the 45-minute drive from Necaise Crossing, he’d developed a fever of 103.6 degrees and was septic Doctors there confirmed the worst: he’d contracted vibrio vulnificus and the infection was eating away at the flesh of his foot and leg

After surgery and a cocktail of antibiotics, Steve Wilson’s leg had finally shown some improvement by Tuesday But he was still in the ICU, and doctors warned his wife that infections like these can take dramatic turns practically overnight.

“We have to take it day by day,” she said. “It’s a day-by-day issue.”

Last year’s spike in cases Cases of vibrio vulnificus spiked

across the Gulf Coast last year, prompting Louisiana public health officials to issue warnings about a sharp increase in hospitalizations and deaths related to the bacterium last fall.

Most Gulf states are seeing fewer cases so far in 2026, though health officials say infections peak between May and October, when Gulf waters are warmest and residents are most likely to swim and fish.

Rising summer temperatures and runoff from storms can also help vibrio flourish.

In Mississippi, where a total of 58 vibrio cases were reported in 2025, seven cases have been reported so far this year, none of which have proven fatal, according to data collected by the Mississippi State Department of Health. The rarer, flesh-eating species vibrio vulni-

ficus has been behind just one of those cases.

Twelve vibrio infections have been reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health so far this year, and three of those cases involved vibrio vulnificus specifically, according to ADPH spokesperson Ryan Easterling. One case proved deadly

A total of 19 vibrio cases were reported in Alabama last year, Easterling said.

Louisiana’s numbers were not immediately available, but by September of last year, vibrio vulnificus had led to 26 hospitalizations and five deaths, compared to annual average of about 10 cases and one death over the previous decade.

Preventing infection

With much of vibrio peak season left to go and an upcoming warm holiday weekend, Amanda Wilson worries cases along the Gulf Coast could spike.

She and doctors aren’t sure where exactly Steve Wilson contracted the infection. Could it have been when he poured a cup of Gulf water onto his boat to wash away a little blood from a caught fish,

Roughly 10 hours after exposure to vibrio,

using his foot to splash the water around? Was it his dunk in the Jourdan River, shortly after the area saw massive flooding from Tropical Storm Arthur?

“The thing I want people to know is to think outside the box,” Amanda Wilson said.

It’s easier than you might think to become infected, she said. It could be cutting yourself on something that’s been in the water recently eating a bad oyster or going for a swim in the Gulf with a fresh tattoo.

Public health officials advise those with chronic health conditions to avoid eating raw oysters or undercooked shellfish, keep wounds covered when in brackish water and wear protective gloves when handling seafood.

Wash any cuts exposed to seawater or raw seafood with soap and clean water, and seek medical care immediately if a wound shows signs of redness, swelling or blistering.

“It takes just as little as a bug bite that we were not even aware of,” Amanda Wilson said. Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By AMANDA WILSON Steve Wilson spent June 27 fishing south of Cat Island in the Gulf.

travel between worksites in Jefferson DavisParish, LA required Must be able to lift50lbs.Randomdrug screeninguponhire(paid forbyEm‐ployer). To applyfor position,contact employer at (337) 849-6640 or by apply‐inginpersonat21026 Highway102,Jen‐nings, LA 70546. Rate of Pay$36,733.00 HOSPITALITY We arecurrently seekingexperienced Chefs/UtilityHand/Housekeeping per‐sonnel foroffshoreworkrotating hitchesof14days/12 hoursper day then 14 days off. Must have thefollow‐ing: RIGPASS• SAFEGULF •HUET BOSIET •MMC •TWIC• THREEYEARS OFFSHORE UTILITYEXPERIENCE. Appli‐cantswillalsoberequiredtopass a USCG Merchant MarinerPhysicaland a USCG DOTDrugTest. https://cardinal bamboohr.com/jobs. CATS RAGAMUFFIN &RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up!Reg.Shots &Guaranty 337-230-3150

List of jurors randomly drawn and to serve for the term beginning on July 13, 2026:

ALBARADO, CHLOE RUTH

ALEXANDER, RICHARD E

ALFRED, CHELSEA KARIN

ALHEZAMI, AHMED AN

ALLANSON, DESTINEE DESHAWN ALLEN, CORNELIUS EUGENE

ANDERS, AMANDA PAIGE

ANDRE, LINDSAYPATRICIA

ANDREPONT,CHELSA L ANGELLE, BRYANJUDE

ARCENEAUX, LANCE JUDE

AVOL, HOLLYJOY

BABIN, JARED MICHAEL

BABINEAUX, ROSEMARYDEAN

BACACERRATO, OLGA YAMALY

BADEAUX, RICKY JAMES

BADEAUX, RICHARD

BARKER, JASON ALLEN BARRY, KAREN BRIGNAC

BATISTE, LATOYADECHON

BATISTE, JEREMY LACOY

BELTRAN, SIGIFREDO RODRIQUEZ

BELTRAN, DEMESA GUILLORY

BENOIT,CHRISTIANJAY

BENOIT,BLAINE J BERNARD, COREY JAMES

BOLDEN, SYARAIN

BOUDOIN, JESSELEE

BOURG, BRYCE ANTHONY

BOURQUE, CHRISTINE M

BOUSTANY,BRIDGET EDWARDS BOX, LINDA S BRANTLEY,GREGORYTODD

BREAUD, KATHY LYNN

BREAUX, PHILIP K BREAUX, TANYAMARIE

BREAUX, RONALD

BREAUX, ROXANNE CECILE

BREAUX, EMMY LADOUSA

BRILEY,CHARLES R BROOKS, JOSHUA P BROUSSARD, CHRISTINA RAE

BROUSSARD, PAMELA D BROUSSARD, SHEILA C BROUSSARD, DELILAH MOUTON

BROUSSARD, CONNOR REID

BROWN, MALIJAH MARIE

BUCHANAN, AMANDA CHRIS

BULLER, MARLENE G BUXTON, ELIZA LORRAINE BYRON, VICTORIA MARIE

CAIN, AQUARIUS SANDERS CAIN, JOSHUA VAUGHN CAIN, ANNA MARIA

CAPELL, BRIAN WESLEY

CASTILLE, ERIN CLEMENT CATROU, ANNE RPREJEAN CEDOTAL, LEA MARIE

CELESTAIN, ANGELA F CELESTINE, MONA F CELESTINE, VITTORIO M CETNAR, KATRINA F CHAFIN, ROBERTJERREL CHAISSON, AALIYAHRASHYNE CHARLES, MAIYATERESA CHARLES, LAMONT KEITH

CHIASSON, SHEILA C CLAYTON, THOMAS ANDREW

COHEN, STEVEN D COLEMAN, THOMAS CHARLES COLVIN, KAYE MELANIE

COMEAUX, ALYSSABROOKE RICHE

CORMIER, RICKEY L CORMIER, EDGAR JAHIR

CORMIER, JOHN K COROLLA, THEODORE JOSEPH CORSEY,QUINTEZ M CROCKETT,JASON DOUGLAS CROUCH, SUELLYN BARRAS CROWLEY,KATHALINE J CRUM, BRENDA ANN CURTIS, DOREEN HARVEY DAVIDSON, HOLANE ABLES DAVIS, MICHAEL LAWRENCE DAVIS, CHAD MARCUS DAVIS, GINGER R DAWES, JOSIELAINE DEBARBIERIS, SEAN MICHAEL DEEL, STEVEN DEES, AMANDA JEAN DELK, MATTHEW ROBERT DENIS, LEAH ANNE DESORMEAUX, SHELIA DEVILLE, SYLVIA DOERLE, MALINDA B DOMINGUE, NICOLAS JAMES DOMINGUE, DUSTIN WAYNE DOMINGUE, NICKI ANN DORE,PAMELA S DOUCET,TATEJ DUCK, CASSANDRA RAE DUFRENE, CHRISTIANJOSEPH DUGAS, ALYSSA RENEE DUHON, ADAM E DUHON, KELLYALEXANDER DUHON, MARYCATHERINE

DUHON, CHARLES MANNING DUHON, DANNI DUCK DUHON, ROGER JOSEPH WILLIE

DUHON, LENA F DUPUIS, JACOB ADAM DUPUY,SARAH SIMPSON

DURIO, ANDREIA LOUISE

EBOKA, JACQUES EBOKA

EDISON, JOSHUA TREMANE

ELKINS, DONOVON SCOTT

ELLINGTON, WILLIAM K

EVANS, MARISSA ALLISON

FARRIS, AMANDA MICHELLE

FERRY, MARJORIE F

FINLEY,JAMES M FITCH, MARCIA MARIE

FITZGERALD, TRISTIN BROUSSARD

FLORESDELGADO, ITZEL IVONNE

FONTENOT,JIMMIE P FONTENOT,LANDON JUDE

FOSS, STEVEN VINCENT

FOX, STEPHANIEBROOKE

FRANCIS, LINTORYLASHAWN FRANK, CLARENETTADANETTA

FREDERICK, GABRIELLE PAGE FRIEND, AMY DAIGLE

Title38:2212(B)5.A Cor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authorityau‐thorizingthe person signingthe bidisre‐quired to be submitted with bid. Failuretosub‐mita CorporateResolu‐tion or Certificate of Au‐thoritywiththe bidshall be causefor rejectionof bid. Copies of thebidding documentsare available at thePurchasingOffice locatedat705 West Uni‐versityAvenue Lafayette,LA70506. Tele‐phonenumber(337) 2918263 (Attn:AntoniHoyteSmall).Bidding docu‐mentsshall be available until twenty-four (24) hoursbeforethe bid openingdate. PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐callyathttps://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in theof‐fice of thePurchasingDi‐vision at theLafayette Consolidated Govern‐ment Building,located at 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette, Louisiana, until 11:00 am

FROST,PATRICIA HOFFPAUIR

FRUGE,TROY GLENN

FRUGE,CORY FULBRIGHT, TIFFANYNICOLE HEAD

FUSELIER, JOSEPH DONALD FUSELIER, LEE J GALLAGHER, DONALD R GALLAGHER, KENNETH W

GALLIEN, TIFFANYNICOLE

GARZOTTO, PAULINE B

GAUTREAUX, PHYLLISBALL

GILCREASE, MILBURN D

GILL, CHRISTOPHER BRETT

GIROUARD, PAMELA MARIE

GLAUDE, KEENAN ANTHONY

GLEASON,SUSAN W GOODMAN, PETER J GOTCH, BARBARA JEAN

GRANGER, ELIJAH DWAYNE

GRANT,ELIZABETH DUERSON

GRAVOUILLA,MACI MARIE

GRIFFIN, LAMARKUS QUINTAZS

GRIMES, ELI LEE

GUIDRY,ROLAND GUIDRY,DAVID W

GUIDRY,LEVIEMARIE

GUIDRY,ANNETTE T

GUIDRY,BRAD JOSEPH

GUILBEAU,LESLIEJ

GUILLOT, RONALD L HABBIT, BLAKE SAMUEL

HAIK,MICHELLE GRAVOIS

HAMILTON,BELVA B

HANKS, BRYANPATRICK

HANSON,JARED MICHAEL

HARGETT,COURTNEYMICHELLE

HARMON,RONSHEKA MICHELLE

HARRINGTON, MITCHELLWADE

HEBERT, ROMONAD

HEBERT, STACYLATOUR

HEBERT, PAUL J

HEBERT, TIMOTHYJ

HEBERT, KAVINJOSEPH

HEBERT, ANGELA W

HEBERT, TAMMY L

HEBERT, BRAELYN CAMILE

HEBERT, MELANIE BLANSETT

HEBERT, GABRIELLE ALYSE

HELAIRE, JAVION ADONNUS

HELDENBRAND, TROY DANIEL

HENDERSON,LORNAANN

HENRY, FRANK

HESSE, JASON MATTHEW

HICKS, DARRELL

HILL, BARTON E HOPKINS,AMANDAVURNIQUE

HOSS, NICHOLAS JAMES

HOTARD, ANTOINETTE HOLLIER

HUTCHINS, CHANDLER P

IRBY,LATOSHIA NASHA

IRONS, JAZMYN DESHAE JENKINS

ISTRE, RAYALLEN

JACKSON, KRISTOPHER MICHAEL BARKER

JAMES, GAYLE M

JOHN,DAVID MONTGOMERY

JOHNSON, DANABORNETTE

JOHNSON, ISAIAH AHMAD JONES, BRYSON WILLIAM JONES, KYLIE AMIREROSE

JONES, KARLA MICHELLE

JOSEPH, GABRIEL JOSHUA

JOSEPH, ANGELA RENEE

JOURNET,JEFFERYJOSEPH

JUSTUS, PLEASANTD

KATTAVIRAVONG, ANGELA CHRISTEEN

KENNEDY,DEBBY E KENNEDY,JUDITHR KIDDY,JAMIE CAROLINE

KIMBLE, CATHERINE ANGELLE

KING, JOHNNY WAYNE

KNOTT,JOLEEANN LABBE, LOGAN KANE

LABIT,ARLENE BIRD

LAGASSE, MANARD M

LAGRANGE, LILLIAN NOEL

LAIDLAW, LYNDSIERAE ULLOA

LALONDE, BAILEIGH ELIZABETH

LAMKIN, DEBORAH LYNN

LANCLOS, ETHAN JESSE

LANCON,VICTORIAANNE

LANDRY, REBECCA CLAIRE

LANDRY, JEROMY JOSEPH

LANGLINAIS, PAULETTE M

LAPOINT,CAROL

LAWRENCE, TINA RAMB

LAWRENCE, WILLIAM L

LEAL, GUILLERMOV

LEBLANC,SCOTT A LEBLANC,BRITTNEY NICOLE

LEDEE, SAMANTHA BREE

LEON-TORRES, MIRCA GUADALUPE

LEONARDS, THOMAS WAYNE

LESTER, SPENCERJOSEPH

LEWIS, TANEISHA SHONTELL

LIBERSAT, MICHELLE RIVET

LONG, MELINDA L

LOPEZ, JACIE RAE

LOTIEF,MICHELLE JEANETTE

LOWE, KAMRON CHANCE

MACMURROUGH,WIWIK S

MALLERY, KELTON JARRELL

MARCEL, LACEY SCOTT

MARINO,GABRIELLE ELIZABETH

MARTIN, DANALYNN

MARTIN, MICHAEL ANTHONY

MASTAN,JAMIHASSAN

MATTHEWS, ROBERTCLARENCE

MCCLELLAND, HATTIEJANE

MCCORD, LEA BABINEAUX

MCGOLDRICK, TRENT THOMAS

MCKINLEY, SHANTA RENEE

MCKINNEY,THERESA PORTALIS

MCRAE, ANDREW DWON

MEDRANO, ISMAEL

MELANCON,CULLENANDEL

MILLER, SAMANTHA DELOME

MIRE, SARAH C

MONTE, MARY M

MOORE, BRIAN KEITH

MORGAN,ALICE E

MORRIS, DAWN LAUREN

MORRISON,KAYLON L

MOURAIN, TODD M

MOUTON,WILTON MOUTON,FREDDIEJ

p u7y58IbxH2f8ybW.1 In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212. vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredwithinLCG Vendor Access at thewebsite listed above. Theregis‐trationprocess cantake some time;therefore LCGrecommendsregis‐tering days in advanceof thetimethatbidsare due. It is thesolerespon‐sibility of thebidderto ensure theirbid is deliv‐ered (whether electroni‐callyvia Vendor Access in person,orvia mail) to thePurchasing Division i h h d l d g prior to thescheduled date andtimeofthe bid opening. Vendorsmay requestthe bidpackage electronically from An‐toni Hoyte-Smallatahs‐mall@lafayettela.gov Vendorssubmittingbids electronically arere‐quired to providethe same documentsasbid‐ders submitting through themailassoon as avail‐able.Onlya bidbond, certified checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity.Electroniccopies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS

MYERS, TAMMY VINCENT NAVY,ASHLEECHERELLE NEUSETZER,HENRY AUGUST NEWELL, DOUGLAS RAY NIXON, HARVEY LYNN NOEL, RAYMOND NORMAN, DARIAN MICHAELA NORTON, CAITLYN DSHAY ONEILL, SHAWN P ORGERON, KATHRYN C OUBRE, GRANT R PADDIO, MARTHA ANN PARKER, MADELINEBEATRICE PATEL, KALAVETIBEN V PATIO, EVELYN PELLERIN,KALI RAE PEREZ, FRANCES ELIZABETH PICARD,SANDRA CORMIER PICARD,LUC PHILIPPE PIERCE, RHIANNON REBEKAH PINGLEY, MICAH RYAN PIPPEN, BRANDON J POCHE,JOSHUA MICHAEL POLK, EDNAM PREJEAN, RONTREAL JAVON PREJEAN, JARRAD K PREJEAN, INGRID TRINISE PREJEAN, KARAGAN ANN PRIMEAUX,ASHLEYMENARD PRIMEAUXLAZARUS, MICHELLE PRITCHETT,SHEILAD PROVOST,PAUL RAYMOND QUOYESER, AVERYBELLIS RABEAUX, GLENNAARON RAMOS,DELMY ELIZABETH RAMOS,MIGUEL A RAY, RHIANNON MICHELLE REAVES, JAMES BERNARD REIF,LINDA TURNLEY RICE, RICOLYNN RICHARD, HANNAH LORRAINE RICHARD, TOBY JOHN RICHARD, BRETT CHRISTOPHER RIGGS, VANEQUA LASHAWN RILEY,JOHN P ROBICHAUX,CARLEYMAE ROGER, BLAKE ANTHONY ROMERO, DWAYNE ROSSER, MACKENZIE SORENSEN RUNNELS, COCO OANH RYAN, DEBORAHA SALOPEK, STEPHENROBERT SALSMAN, WILLIAM ERIKSON SANCHEZ, ARMANDOM SANDERS,JERAERENEE SANTIAGO, CHASITY NICOLE SAVELL, JESSIE QUANTRILLE SCHEXNAYDER, NICHOLAS PAUL SCHRIEFER, KASH BRADLEY SENEGAL,ROSELLA MARTIN SHERIFF,CHRISTOPHER STEPHEN SHICKEL, MICHAELR SHIVERS,SAMUELJOSEPH SIBILLE,SYLVIA SILLAVAN, SHEILAB SIMON, BYRON EDWARD SMITH, ROBERTNORRIS SOLOMON, CLEVELAND JOSEPH SONNIER, KELSEY MARIE SPELL, VIENNA D STACKS, JASON STARAJ, SERGIO STOGNER, GARRETT PAUL STPIERRE, EVAN ALEXANDER STRICKNEY, JOSH CONRAD STROTHER, HILARYNICOLE STROUD,LISA A STUTES, GREGORYW STUTES, KENNEDY RENEE SYLVESTER, HANNAH EMILY TAUZIN, LINDAMARGARET TAYLOR, FRANK TAYLOR, JESSICA ALEXANDER TEZENO, SANDRA NOEL THERIOT,JACKLYN MICHELLE THIBEAUX, PRECIOUS GWENDA THIBODEAUX, ELIZABETH ABSHIRE THIBODEAUX, ROSEMARYNUGENT THOMAS, DEMETRIA WILLIAMS THOMAS, AMANDAHENRY THOMAS, NADIA NOELLE THOMPSON, JONATHAN WILLIAM THOMPSON, MOSE ALEXANDER TIMBER, LATOYASHARLOW TRAHAN, CAROL A TRAHAN, DONALD P TURNER, ELLA FRANCES TWEEDEL, MICHAELDAVID UNDERWOOD, JAMES H UNDERWOOD, CECILI COLLYN VALENZUELA, MARIE VICTORIA ROMAN VALLOT,MORIAL BRICE VARNAM, BRANDON TYLER VERDIN,REED PETER VIATOR, BARRETT JAMES VIDRINE, COLBYJACOB VIGEE, GERALDINE V VILTZ, TRONVAN ROMELL VINCENT,ABBY MARIE VOORHIES, PAUL E WADE, BURNES J WALKER, PATRICK DEION WASHINGTON, ETHAN JAMES WATKINS, LANITA IRENE WHITE, JOHN PATRICK WHITE, DERRICKRODERICK WILLIAMS, EULA M WILLIAMS, KADEN ALEXANDER WILLIS, SEAN JOSEPH WILSON, DAVID KEITH WILSON, MICHELLE COURVILLE WISE, ROBERTJ WRIGHT,PAUL M ZACHARY, JOHN B ZENO, CHALIN LAMAR ZENON, DATAVANIE M ZERBE, KYLE SAMUEL ZERINGUE, BECKI J

The heat will continue thisholidayweekend, although it won’t be quite as hot as what we experienced yesterday. Expect apartly cloudy, hot and humid Sunday with scattered showers and storms Some thunderstorms todaycouldbefairly intense. Temperatures this afternoon will be about where theyshould,rising to the lowto the mid-90s.Humidity willremainhigh, so temperatures will feel likethe tripledigits.The UV index is at the very high level, so wear your hat, shades and sunscreen.

Tribes hope Farm Bill canfeedpeople, preserve culture

BY JOSHUAA.BICKEL and JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press

HOPKINTON, R.I. At Ashawaug Farm in southwest Rhode Island,Dawn and Cassius Spears preserve their Indigenous knowledge of agriculture through the cultivationand keeping of three Narragansett heritage crops: white corn, succotash beans and crookneck squash They wouldliketoexpand their farm’sreach beyond their farm stand, but it’schallenging. Likemany small food producers,the Spears have sought financial assistance throughfederalprograms. Some have been cut or significantly scaled back under the Trump Administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture programsthat helped tribal farmers

Tribes relied on theseprograms to grow and distribute culturally-significant foods locally

“When we go into these federalprograms, we’rehoping that they’ll last long enough, CassiusSpears said.“They usually start out with agood song and dance. And they’re going to last along time. Andthen something happens where they getcut.”

The Biden administration started two programs during the pandemic to help states and tribes purchase local food from nearby farmers for food banks and schools: the Local FoodPurchaseAssistanceCooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative AgreementProgram. These programs offered farmers, including tribal farmers, reliable markets for their products. Tribal governments received assistance to purchase foodfrom local producers to distribute to tribalmembers.

This allowed tribes to getfederal dollarsdirectly to smallscale producers, said Carly

Griffith Hotvedt, executive director of the IndigenousFood and Agriculture Initiative and amember of CherokeeNation.

TheSpears’ farm provided food foratribal farm in nearby Connecticutthat used LFPAfunds, after an agreement was signed in August2022.

In some instances, tribes used those dollars to source culturally-significant foods for tribal memberssuchas bisonmeat, certain typesofberries and wild rice that were included as partofafood box distribution. Forsomelow-incometribal members, it was thebest way to access these types of foods, Hotvedt said.

“It wasn’tjust commodity foodsinthat box. It was highly local, traditionally relevant, culturallyrelevant foods that were included,”Hotvedt said.

In March 2025, under the Trump administration, theAgriculture Department ended thetwo programsthat provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks, saying that they no longer aligned with the agency’s goals.

U.S. Sen. JackReed, aRhode IslandDemocrat, and Sen. Jim Justice, aWest Virginia Republican, introduced abill they say takes thebestfromthe twoprograms andcreates apermanent grant program. It would allow stateand tribalgovernments to buy local foodsfrom local andregional producers to distributetonearbyhunger relief programsand schools.

Reedsaidhefeared that when theUSDA programs were cut, families across the country would have amoredifficult time getting access to food. And, he said,the access wouldn’tbeto nutritious,freshly grown produce

Reed saidhe’shoping to get thelegislationpassed as part of the Farm Bill, themassive, multi-year law that governs agricultural and food programs. TheHouse passed its version

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOSHUAA.BICKEL

Dawn Spears, left, and her grandson, Giizhig,9,right, prepare tomatoes for plantinginAprilatafarminHopkinton, R.I.

of the bill in April, and aSenate committee released its draft in late June.The House version also includes abipartisan proposal for apermanent program modeled after theLocal Food Purchase Assistanceprogram. It would allowstates, through theUSDA,toestablish cooperative agreements connecting local farmers and producers with localfooddistribution organizations. Both proposals would set aside 10% of the program’s funding for tribes.

Fora newprogram to succeed,Congress must include mandatory funding in order to help farmers better plan,purchase suppliesand hire staff because theyknow they’regoing to sell productsthrough thoseprograms, said Hannah Quigley,a policyspecialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.The House version would require Congress to agree on funding annually,she added.

Reed said he’s advocating for mandatory funding in the Senatebecause without it very little is funded these days, and becausefarms areunder so muchpressure economically An optional programwouldn’t help them as much, he said.

“Wereally wanttopunch through theexistingobstacles for smallfarmersand Native American farmers,” he said.

Dawn andCassiusSpears would like to see Indigenous producers prioritized when tribalentities purchase food.

And theysaid theythink having dedicated programs that

Indigenous producerscan accessoutside of their tribal government would help more Indigenous producers.

Underthe canopy of oneof herfarm’shigh tunnels at the start of this year’splanting season,Dawn Spears carefully organizedher tomato crop,separating the tiny plants before moving them to afieldoutside

The name of the6-acre farm is an homage to the Narragansett name of the river thatflows through town.Itstarted as a small community garden and food sovereignty project.

Oneofher grandsons, 9-yearold Giizhig, walked in to ask if she needed help.

“Only if you want to,” Spears replied. “It’salways good to know how to do it,right?”

Teaching the next generation aboutwhere food comes from and how to grow responsibly is key for her.But herculture isn’tjust aboutcultivating crops. It’salsoabout gathering foods they eat from the wild and being able to preserve and access land wherethosefoods are.

She’s working to protect the land around their farm as development grows with the hope of introducing native plants into that area that can be foraged for food.Federalfunding programs can also help withsecuring access to land, she said.

“If youtake aperson away from thelandthat they come from, then it’s likethey’re not whole,” she said. “Wehaveto eat the food that’snaturally from that space that we come from.”

National Park staffordered not to reveal deaths, report says

By The Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration is reportedly ordering staff not to confirm deaths or details about severe injuries at U.S. nationalparks —but officials are adamant the policy is not meant to conceal information from the public.

In astatement to the Los Angeles Times, an Interior Department spokesperson said the “narrative” that the agency is trying to obscure information “is false and reflects a significant mischaracterization of the Department’sguidance.”

An internal memo, circulated in Decemberand first reported by The Washington Post, states that Departmentofthe Interior employees, including National Park Service staff, arenot permitted to confirm deaths that takeplace in federalparkfacilities. Only “appropriate authorities” can confirm afatality after coordinating with the communications office and notifying the decedent’snext of kin, the Post reported, citing the memo. Thememo didnot specifywhat agency would be taskedwith confirming deaths, according to the Post.

The Department of Interior did not respond to arequest from the Los Angeles Times asking to review the memo.But as reported by the Post, it states that the department “shall not confirm the severity of injuries” and “may state only that an individual wastransported and the method of transport.”

Staff arepermitted only to confirm that an incident happened, the general location where it occurred andthatauthorities are responding, according to the Post.

Last month, Park Service staffhave offered only minimaldetails about twodeaths at California national parks, including afatality at Yosemite in which ayoung man perished after falling from anearly 600-foot waterfall. AYosemite National Park spokesperson would only confirm the date of the incident, thatitinvolveda 23-year-old manand that the agency is investigating.

“Emergencypersonnelresponded to the incident, which remains under investigation. No additional information is available at this time,” the spokesperson wrote.

In an email, an Interior Department spokespersontoldThe Times that “theguidance wasdeveloped to create amore consistent approach to incident communications across the Department and is not intended to conceal fatalities or delay information.”

BIG BOOM

Crowley women arrested in fraud crackdown

Duo accused of submitting false Medicaid documents

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Two Crowley women are among 21 people arrested on charges of Medicaid fraud or cruelty to those in need in a state Attorney General’s Office operation.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the operation was conducted by a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit that has been elevated to a stand-alone division in the Louisiana Department of Justice.

Valerie Roy and Victoria Bertran Trahan, both listed as from Crowley, were among those arrested in the operation. Roy was arrested June 19 charged with two counts of Med-

icaid fraud, according to Murrill’s office.

She was employed as a direct service worker for Golden Rule Care Provider in Breaux Bridge, supposedly providing services to a Medicaid recipient while simultaneously clocking in at a second job. Roy allegedly submitted false documents for services she did not perform.

Medicaid paid $6,199 for services not actually provided.

Trahan was arrested June 22, charged with two counts of Medicaid fraud a felony

She also allegedly filed false documents reporting she provided services to a Medicaid recipient but did not provide those services.

Trahan’s alleged false submissions resulted in $9,014 in Medicaid being paid for services not provided.

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

A Youngsville restaurant will open in the former Pizza Amore space just off Interstate 49 in Carencro.

KK’s Café owners Lee and Wendy Oubre signed a lease for the space at 3730 NE Evangeline Thruway, Suite F, after it became available earlier this month. It will be the second location for the Oubres, who bought the restaurant at 905 Savoy Road, Suite 5, seven years ago. They hope to complete work inside the building to open before Aug. 1.

“We’ve got a lot of customers who already come in from Carencro,” Lee Oubre said. “We feel it’s far enough from Youngsville to

Gulf shark levels rebound

But experts say swimmers have little to fear

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The growing crowds on Gulf Coast beaches are beginning to confront an uneasy truth: They are now sharing the water with more sharks than they have in decades.

After years of conservation work, the population of many shark species that live near the coastline and out at sea are returning to levels not seen since the 1970s. Their return is helping restore nature’s delicate balance. It is also raising new safety questions as record numbers of visitors arrive to swim and fish across Alabama and Florida.

“People are just going to have to get used to seeing sharks,” said Dean Grubbs, an associate director of research at Florida State University, who has studied the animals for more than two decades. “And they’re going to have to take precautions.”

Florida Panhandle residents were rattled earlier this summer when a shark attacked and severely injured a man swimming near a U.S. Navy Installation in Panama City Days earlier, authorities near WaterColor, Florida, temporarily closed 5 miles of beachfront amid reports of a possible shark bite after a child emerged from kneedeep water with a leg wound.

The incidents made harrowing headlines for the first time since 2024, when sharks bit three tourists in one day at beaches along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A.

But researchers say beachgoers have little to fear Sharks are already swimming in their midst, and the chances of being attacked are almost infinitesimal.

“If everybody knew how close they swam to sharks, they’d be terrified,” said Gavin Naylor, director of a shark research program at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which manages a database of shark attacks around the world.

“If the sharks really wanted to target people, we’d have about 5,000 shark bites a day,” he added. “But the fact that we see so few of them means the sharks are doing their level best to avoid these people.”

It is difficult to track precisely how many sharks are living across the Gulf. But researchers know the population of many species

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

on

at the Youngsville Amphitheater

OUR VIEWS

AMERICA

What started 250years ago continues today

The founding of anation is seriousbusiness. And as they gatheredinPhiladelphia 250 years ago, the delegates of the SecondContinental Congressknewthis.

To break with all that they knew and to establish something the world had never before seen —anationrooted in theright of the peopleto govern themselves —took ameasure of courage that we can only marvel at today. The Declaration of Independence openswith that famous triad of “Life, Libertyand thepursuit of Happiness.” And it endswithanother as the signatories stood on aprecipice of history and proclaimed, “we mutually pledgeour Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” to this cause.

These final words are worthyofreflection for us two and ahalf centuries later

The founders had no guaranteeofsuccess. No model to follow.They surely had their individual differences and pettygrievances.Yet they put these aside and joined together with faith in one another and in the future. And whatthey started succeededbeyond their wildestdreams Couldtheyimagine that 13 colonieswould grow into anation that leadsthe world in commerce, technology,innovation and so many otherareas? Thatour land mass would span from sea to shining sea? That oneday,their descendants would be calledonintwo world wars to save the lands they had left?Thatthe United States of America they created in penand ink would land aman on the moon?

That’snot to say that there have not beenfailures,challenges and upsetsover the course of this history.There werethe dark days whenwe turned on each other in civil war.Westill wrestlewiththe factthatthe framers’ versionof freedom left so many people onthe outside lookingin. Butwe alsomust acknowledgethatthey gave us institutions to address these injustices Howthey found the strength to build the America we live in today is embeddedinthat last line of the Declaration —theymutually pledged. They stood together come whatmay They were ready to loseeverything —except belief in one anotherand this greatexperiment they were about to embark upon.That’sthe only way anyone could take such arisk. So in this 250th year,wetoo must turn to one anotherand pledge again touphold idealsofthis nation come what may.For all our divisionsand disagreements, when most Americanssee their neighbor in need, they cometohelp.Whenwe are called to serve, we answer.Whenthere’s a job to do, we do it.

That’sthe American way.It wastrueatour founding and it is truetoday.May this semiquincentennial year not only remind us of ourhistory,but also of the continuing work of building anation thatbegan 250 years ago.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

ARTISTS’ VIEWS

COMMENTARY

The Declaration of Independence was only the beginning. In order to form a working government,the founders drafted theConstitution, which laid aframework for ourcountry.The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. Shortly afterward,the framers appended10amendments knownasThe Bill of Rights to limit the powers of thegovernment they hadcreated. The Bill of Rightswas ratified by the states on December 15, 1791.

ThePreamble

We the People of the United States,inOrder to form amoreperfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide forthe common defence, promote the general Welfare, and securethe Blessings of Libertytoourselves and our Posterity,doordainand establish this Constitution for the United States of America

TheBill of Rights

THE Conventions of anumber of the States, havingatthe time of their adopting the Constitution, expresseda desire,inorder to prevent misconstruction or abuseofits powers, thatfurther declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: Andasextendingthe ground of public confidence inthe Government,will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVEDbythe Senateand HouseofRepresentatives of the United States of America,inCongress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the followingArticles be proposed to theLegislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or anyofwhichArticles,whenratifiedby three fourthsofthe said Legislatures, to be valid to all intentsand purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz. ARTICLES in addition to,and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to thefifthArticle of the original Constitution.

AmendmentI

Congressshall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging thefreedom of speech, or of thepress; or theright of thepeople peaceably to assemble, and to petition theGovernment fora redress of grievances.

AmendmentII

Awell regulated Militia, being necessary to thesecurity of afree State, theright of the people to keep and bear Arms,shall not be infringed.

AmendmentIII

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war,but in amanner to be prescribed by law

AmendmentIV

Theright of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation,and particularly describing theplace to be searched, and thepersons or things to be seized.

AmendmentV

No person shall be held to answer for acapital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on apresentmentorindictmentofaGrand Jury,except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in timeof Warorpublic danger; nor shall any person be subject for the sameoffence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be awitness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private propertybetaken for public use, without just compensation.

AmendmentVI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to aspeedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law,and to be informed of the natureand cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him;tohave compulsoryprocess for obtaining witnesses in his favor,and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

AmendmentVII

In Suits at common law,wherethe value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by juryshall be preserved, and no fact tried by ajury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Courtofthe United States, than according to the rules of the common law

AmendmentVIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

AmendmentIX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

AmendmentX

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,or to the people.

CommunityCoffeeoffersuniquetastes

Family-owned companyworks to entice next generation

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

It is not unusual for Matt Saurage Sr.to strike up a conversation in thecoffee aisle at the grocery store. If someone looks confused aboutaroast or flavor,he said he has given some advice.

Saurage is part of the fourth generation to own and run BatonRouge-based Community Coffee and is the current chair of the board. “We’re one of the few remaining regional companies,muchlessindependent family-owned companies, in the United States,” he said Community Coffee is available worldwide through e-commerce, but in terms of grocery store penetration, Saurage says to think of the reach of Southeastern Conferencefootball —from south Louisiana through Texas to southern Missouri acrosstothe Carolinas and up the East Coast The company’sconnection to the communities they serve matters. Saurage’semails include his cellphone number,which he answers. He is also aregular at the grocery store, where he buys his own coffee and occasionally shares recommendations withother shoppers.

“I want to know what it feels like to buy it and pay for it and drink it. So when people are able to reach me and tell me astory,good or bad, it really connects me to the business,” he said. “It connects my son and my daughter who work here. I share the emails with my mom. She responds to alot of them because they may be stories of things that

SHARK

Continued frompage1B

dropped when the U.S. opened trade with China in the 1970s, which gave fishermen access to international shark fin markets. Fisheries management plans that began in the 1990s started to help populations bounce back. Now the resurgence is posing a complex new question for many fast-growing beach communities: Are humans ready to live with sharks? Some governments are already responding.President Donald Trump last week signed legislation backedbyAlabama Sen Katie Britt creating aprocess for sending emergency cellphone alerts to beachgoers near any future shark attacks. The bill is known as “Lulu’sLaw” in honor of Lulu Gribbin, an Alabama teenager who survived the 30A attack in 2024.

“The timing of this law couldn’tbebetter,” Britt said last week, “as countless Americans are enjoyingour nation’s beaches thissummer.”

Researchers say the return of sharks, which Gulf Coast visitors sometimes spot from condo balconies overlooking the water,can keep other species in check. Scientists have documented thenumberofbabybull sharks in Mobile Bay,Alabama, has grown by fivefold over the past two decades as waters warm there. Great white sharks are migrating thousands of miles from the northeast United States to the Gulf each winter,though most stay miles from shore.

FRAUD

Continued frompage1B

happened in the past.”

Saurage’sday generally startswith asignature blend dark roast, hot, and usually black, oneofhis up to sixcups of coffee per day. He might switch to one of the company’scold brews before dinner. He saidhe believescoffee is unique in that, as much as abeverage, itis an important social ritual. “You know, there’s not many things you do during the daythat you have to go throughaprocess of preparationfor yourself andto enjoy.Sothere’sa lot of therapytoit. Ibelieve that’s whypeoplesaythat coffee relaxesthemand centers them, even though it has caffeine,”Sauragesaid Challenges aplenty

Thecoffeeindustry, like others, has faced years of challenges and changes. There wasCOVID-19,then supplychainissues, then weather,then tariffs.

“I’ve challenged thecompany,and we just kept doingwhatwecan do, and as afamily just accepted this is going to be areally tough year and we’re not gonna make money.But we’re not goingtosacrifice thebrand for short-term gain,” Saurage said.

Thankfully,thingsare looking better.While tariffs are unpredictable, agricultural conditionsare “really good,” he said.

Thegrocery/retail part of thebusiness is also changing. No longer is shelfspace adeterminant of thenumber of productsthat can be offered

“Insomeways, theshelf is gettinglarger,because of theWalmart dot com, the Amazon dot coms ofthe world have created avirtual shelf now,” Sauragesaid.

“You stillhavetoperform, but it’sa little easier to have flavors in limited-time offers multiple times during the year by rotating them

through e-commerce.”

It’snot just about flavored coffees, although Community’scaramel cookie butter,French vanilla, hazelnut crème, Irishcream, pecan praline andvanilla waffle cone continue to duke it out withlong-time favorite Mardi Gras king cake. It’s also aboutpeople wanting to buy whole beans to grind and brew at home.

“I see wholebean coffee and brewing at home to be an exciting area for our brand,” Saurage said. Home preparationis changing as well, from a traditional drippot to single-serve K-Cups and capsules. Younger customers arepurchasingready-todrink cold brews.

Communityoffersanother unique regional appeal withits chicory-blend coffee, which incorporates endive root sourced from northeastern France. The carrot-shaped root,which is caffeine-free andsweet, is broken and roasted.

“It adds alot of body and

color and mouth feel to the coffee, so it can be heavy

To bring out the sweetness, though, you need to put just atouch of sugar,and it absolutely just brilliantly makes it kind of asweetflavor to it,” Saurage said. “The hidden benefit to chicoryisthat it is asuperfood.” It is possible coffee flows through Saurage’sveins. Hismotherfirstput alittle coffee in milk and sugar for him when he was around 3 yearsold. “I remember distinctly when Iwas in elementary school, drinking coffee withmilk and sugar with my grandparents.”

His business is planning now for thenext generation of coffee drinkers.

“Wewanttohavea real growing, energetic, healthy industry for my children, my grandchildrentoinherit,and our employees to participate in over avery long time. We owe all of our success as abrand to the people who consume our product, you know,it’sas simple as that,” he said.

Medical personnel carry

on June 7, 2024.

The shift is also forcing fishermentoadapt. One anglerwas bit last month after he hooked abull shark near Pensacola, Florida.

Congress is considering establishing afederal task force that would help anglers solve the pesky and growing problem of sharks snatching fishfromtheir lines. And scientists areconfronting asurge of questionsastheyrace to understand how climate change will impact sharks’ behavior in the future. Researchers believe some shark species are now swimming closer to GulfCoast shores earlier in the year and staying there longer as watertemperatureswarm. Butthey are stillstudying how shark habitats might change and what species will provemost resilient as climate changeintensifies.

ALake Charleswoman, Moriah Edwards, also was arrested as part of the operation. She was charged with cruelty to persons with infirmities Edwards, according to Murrill’s office, was adirect service worker employed byNormal Life of LakeCharles/ ResCare to provide care to aMedicaidrecipient withprofoundintellectual disabilities andDown syndrome. The plan of care included24-hourmonitoring.

“It is agiant unknown,” Grubbs said. Rare attacks

Twenty-threeunprovoked shark attacks have been reportedover thepast25 yearsinthe waters between southeast Louisianaand the Florida Panhandle, accordingtothe FloridaMuseum of Natural History’sdatabase. Just one has been fatal: Abull shark killed a 14-year-old from Gonzales, whowas boogie boarding about 100 yards offshore from abeachnearDestin in 2005.

Researchers say such tragedies are often the result of confusion. JohnCarlson, who researches sharks for theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told WJHG-TV in Panama City Beach that the recent attack there probably involveda bull

Edwards allegedly left the patient unattended in hervehicle for an extended period of time. The recipient was found covered in sweat and was seated on top of what appeared to be atrash bag.

ContactClaire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate. com

KarronAngelaClark Alford of Baton Rouge,LA, wascalledhometoher Heavenly Father on June 30, 2026, at the age of 48. Karron'sgreatest joy andhighest calling was beinga mother.Her deep, unconditional love lives on through hertwo children, Zoe and Keaton,who were theabsolute centerofher worldand hergreatest blessings. Hergentlespirit anddevotion willcontinue to guidethemastheycarry herlegacy forward. Some of theirmost cherished momentsasa family were spent together right at home, baking with Zoe, tending to thegarden with Keaton and actingashis number onefan,orenjoyingtheir laughterand friendlycompetition on familygame nights. Hermemory will also be lovingly kept alive by her sister Shannon andher husband George Veeder, alongwiththeir children Bailey and Ietta, and by her brotherJason and his wife Dulcie.Karron is now peacefully reunited in glory with hermother,Susan, andher father, Stan Clark. Afaithful servant witha quiet, humbleheart, Karronpouredher love into herhomeand community. Whileshe enjoyedher work with the State of Louisiana Tourism and lovedhelping othersdiscovernew places, hertrue dedication was always to thefamilyGod entrusted to her. Herkindness, grace, and steady love willforever remain in thehearts of those whoknewher To honor Karron'smemoryand walk in herspirit of generosity, the family welcomesactsofkindness or donations to theMultipleMyeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) at https://themmrf.org/ Adatefor Karron's memorial service hasnot been decidedatthistime.

Obituaries Lafayette, LA, Carla Guidry, of Clearwater, FL, Joy Kennamer, of Oklahoma City, OK, andJill Guidry (Jeff Barnard), of Santa Rosa,CA, and herson, Michael 'Brent' Guidry, of Lafayette, LA. She is survivedbyher eightgrandchildren, Megan Letchworth (Herb), Sam Kennamer, Jeff Kennamer, Jill Bonar Gaspard(Jarod), SaraBonar,Alyssa Kennamer, Jackson Barnard,and Simone Barnard,her great granddaughterMarren Lawrence, and'adopted' son GradyLynn; herbrother,Jack Blank(Martha) andstepgrandchildren, nieces, andnephews. She waspreceded in death by herhusband, Milton Francis Guidry, Sr.; herfather,RobertEmmet Atkins; hermother, HelenJoy McCluskey Blank, hersister, JoyAtkinsNelson; her twosons, MiltonFrancis Guidry, Jr., andGregPhilip Guidry, and herson-in-law, Craig RoyKennamer. Bette leaves alegacyoflove, beauty, sass, charm, care andlaughter, andwill be deeply missed by all who hadthe goodfortune to have known her. Alwaysin ourhearts, hermemory will be cherished forever. A Celebration of Life will be held on July 10, 2026, at CommunityBaptist Church,800 RueduBelier, Lafayette, LA 70506. Visitation from 10:00am12:00pm. Service at 12:00pm. Special thanks are extendedtoShanna of AcadianaWOW,Lauraand Victoria of UnityHome Healthfor their compassionate care,and Johnny for hischeerful daily visits with MealsonWheels. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bette's name to theLafayette CouncilonAging: Adopta Senior for MealsonWheels Program, 337-262-5990, www.laf-coa.org/supportus Online full-length obituary andguest book may be viewed at www.fountainm emorialfuneralhome.com. FountainMemorialFuneral Home and Cemetery,1010 Pandora St 337-981-7098, is in chargeofarrangements.

Guidry, Bette Atkins

Bette JaneGuidry, née Atkins, wasbornJuly8, 1927, in NewOrleans,LA. Shepassed away on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at herresidencein Lafayette, LA. Bette is survived by herfourdaughters, Mona Izzo (Danny), of

shark in murky waters that may have confused the victim withasea turtle. The manwas hospitalized and remained in intensive care last month

“It’s avery sad situation,” Carlson told thenews outlet. “It was alikely mistake.”

Many Gulf Coast beach cities already monitor their waters for dangerous marine lifeand fly purple flags at beaches to warn visitorsofanimals, includingsharks, stingrays and jellyfish. Scientistssay precautionary steps —like avoiding swimming near fishermen or in cloudy waters— could becomemore important over the next decade.

“Everybody’salways saying there’ssomany sharks around,” Naylor said. “Their numbers are coming back to wheretheyshould be.”

PHOTO PROVIDEDByWALTONCOUNTySHERIFF’S OFFICE

ashark attack victim from the beach in Walton County,Florida,

PROVIDED PHOTO

Green coffee beansfall from aburlap baginCommunity Coffee’sPortAllen production plant.

H

Clark Alford,Karron

SPORTS

These Saints in position to breakout

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

It would be an overexaggeration to say the New Orleans Saints’chances next season start and end with Tyler Shough. But not by much.

Yes, the same could be said about every starting quarterback andteam inthe NFL. The idea hasbecome acliche for agood reason. But at the risk of relying on tired tropes, the Saints are banking on Shough to carry them in 2026.And the second-year signal-caller has more than embraced the responsibility

From organizing workouts with teammates in the off hours to taking on moreof aleadership role, Shough understandsthe weight thejob entails. Forthe Saints to snap afive-year playoff drought, the 26-year-old will have to buildonhis electricrookie campaign —and then some.

“I’ve been able to learn over time just to be yourself,” Shough said. “Tobeagood leader,you have to serve others and you have to develop those relationships.

That said, Shough isn’t in this alone. He and the Saints would likely point out that results rarely come down tojustone player. Andso, as much as the Saints are counting on their quarterback’sgrowth this coming fall, there are ahandful of others whocould alsobeon the verge of taking their game to another level

These are the Saints’ breakoutcandidates of 2026, not including Shough

CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

McKinstry already has changed his jersey number more times (four) than he’splayed seasons (two). But the Alabama productis backwearing No. 1, the samenumber when he became abona fide star in college and erased an entireside of thefield. Will this be the year he earns that reputation as ashutdown corner in the NFL?

He has work to do for that to happen. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinstry allowed the seventh-most yards (676) among cornerbacks last season. But it wasn’tall bad. He allowed apasserratingof101.1 on those plays, which ranks just 74th. He also

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

Orgeronworks

TexasTechpledgegives view into LSUcoach’s pitch

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

How does acoach recruit an athlete who has everything?

JalenBrewster,a 6-foot-3,300-pounddefensive tackle, is rated as theNo. 1prospect in the 2027 class. He’scommitted to Texas Tech, one of the nation’srichest programs in the NIL era.

But this is also aday andage where “commitments”are onetantalizing pitch away from “flipping.” LSU’stitle-winning coach, Ed Orgeron, who has returned to LaneKiffin’s staff as an ace recruiter,triedhis best to turn Brewster duringa visittoBaton Rouge this summer.

“Weall need something,” Orgeron told an athlete who not only pounces on quarter-

OF E

July is theseason for optimism in the NFL.

Every team is undefeated and magically has fixed whatever ailed it in theoffseason. It’sthe time for unbridled hope and optimism, and the New OrleansSaints are in that number

The Saints are coming off a6-11 campaign that marked their third losing season in the past four years. They missed theplayoffs for the fifth consecutive campaign.

Butthere are reasons tobelieve those streaks will end this season, and the Saints have become trendy picks by someleague observers to go from worst to first in theNFC South. Here are five reasonstobelieve the hype in New Orleans: TylerShough

In aquarterback-driven league, the Saints might have found afranchise talentwith the No. 40 overall pick of the2025 draft —amassive coup.

Shough has started only nine games, so there’sreason

backs for Cedar Hill High School (Texas) but also lines up at quarterback, running for touchdowns with frightening size and speed.

“Weall need to get better,” continued Orgeron, whotold Brewster that he could make himeven better.Hepointed to apiece of advice Brewster heard moments earlier, which he otherwise never knew he needed.

“Because nobodyevertoldyou that,” Orgeron said.“Think about that.” Brewster, whoposted anearly15-minute recap of his LSU visit to his personal YouTube channel on Friday, offered aglimpse of what Orgeron hasbrought back to LSUasa

“special assistant to recruitingand defense.”

Duringthe visit, the64-year-oldCajun called Michael Irvin on FaceTime, presentinga Hall of Fame receiver to Brewsterin thepalm of his hand.

“Meand Mike are buddies,” Orgeron said.

“Been knowing Mike for awhile.”

After the callended, Orgeron added his pitch: He’slearned so much in four de-

to be cautious, but he has all the tools and is doing everything right in his first offseason as the starting quarterback. On the field, he has looked noticeably moreconfident and comfortable in Kellen Moore’soffense. Offit, he has embraced his role as one of the team leaders and galvanized the locker room behind him

Forthe Saints, everything starts with Shough. He’s raised the expectations foreveryone in the building and is the primary reason foroptimism throughout the organization.

More dynamicpassing attack

In ashow of belief in Shough, the Saints front office spentthe offseason building its offense around him and adding offensive weaponry to his arsenal. Veteran running back Travis Etienne is amultipurpose threat out of thebackfield, atrue every-down back.

cades as acoach and defensive line guru that he couldimpartthatwisdomtothe nation’stop recruit.

Brewster turned to his own camera to say “Getting coached by alegend, 1of1.” It remains to be seen if Orgeron left a strong enough impression to pry Brewster away from Texas Tech, but theTigers are certainly battlingacross theborder LSU just flipped four-star defensive back Karnell James fromthe University of Texas,and James saidshortly after hisThursday announcement that he’sworking to persuade Easton Royal, afive-star receiver from New Orleans,toalso flip from the Longhorns to the Tigers. Lamar Brown, LSU’stop recruit in the 2026 class, posted to XonFriday,just before Brewster’svideo release, writing: “Comebe

Ed Orgeron STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

STAFFFILEPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry runs drills duringorganized team activities on June 10 at the team’spractice facility in Metairie.

Jeff Duncan

Saints quarterback Tyler Shoughlooks to make apass during minicamp on June 16 at the team’sindoor practice facility in Metairie. STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

6

WIMBLEDON

Eala upsets 2025 champion Swiatek

BY KEN MAGUIRE AP sportswriter

LONDON Iga Swiatek’s title defense at Wimbledon ended Saturday in a 7-6 (9), 6-2 third-round loss to 21-year-old Alexandra Eala, who continues to make history for the Philippines.

Eala is the first Filipino player male or female, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament on a day of upsets in the women’s draw

The left-handed Eala dropped to her knees and rolled onto her back on Centre Court after hitting a forehand winner on her third match point.

“It’s incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and knowing that we’re all in this together,” she said in an on-court interview as she looked around at the Philippines flags.

“This goes out to them, this goes out to my family, this goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks It means the world,” said the 29thseeded Eala, who saved two set points in the first-set tiebreaker The third-seeded Swiatek earned her first Wimbledon women’s title a year ago when she beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final.

Eala, who has trained in Mallorca at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy, gained worldwide support last year on her breakthrough run to the Miami Open semifinals, which included an upset of Swiatek.

She next faces 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini for a spot in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Shortly before Swiatek’s exit, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was upset in the

third round by Elise Mertens 7-6 (4), 6-1. At No. 2, Rybakina is the highest seed on the women’s side to be eliminated. Her loss ensures that Aryna Sabalenka — who faces Naomi Osaka in the fourth round on Sunday will keep her No. 1 ranking after the tournament Belgium’s Mertens is the No. 25 seed at Wimbledon, where she’s won two doubles titles. She will next face 21st-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic. In another upset, Madison Keys rallied to oust the sixth-seeded Anisimova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-

American contest on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The 26th-seeded Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, was asked how she’ll celebrate the U.S. holiday “I have no plans,” she told the Centre Court crowd after her victory “When you’re not in the States, it’s just kind of another day.” Keys will next play ninth-seeded Linda Noskova. Ashlyn Krueger, another American, has come through qualifying to reach the fourth round. She beat Ukraine’s Daria

Snigur 6-3, 6-2 and will face another Ukrainian — 12th-seeded Marta Kostyuk for a spot in the quarterfinals.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev, the No. 2 seed, got past American Marcos Giron 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to set up a fourth-round match against 13th-seeded Jiri Lehecka. Ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli the runner-up at Roland Garros overcame a slow start against Karen Khachanov to win 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2 and will face No. 5 seed Alex de Minaur in the fourth round.

Williams’ coach: Nerves, closed roof were factors in loss

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

LONDON Looking back, it seems perfectly understandable that it took Serena Williams some time to settle her nerves in her first singles match in nearly four years.

Rennae Stubbs, one of Williams’ coaches, pin-pointed a moment about an hour into the 44-year-old’s defeat to an opponent less than half her age earlier this week at Wimbledon.

“I noticed in the middle of the second set her take a big sort of deep breath and I actually turned around to Venus and said, ‘Oh I think she just relaxed,’” Stubbs said, referring to Serena’s older sister In an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday, Stubbs also revealed that she first started coaching Williams again in March and immediately noticed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion could still play.

Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Tuesday

While the result on the court was a loss, the reaction in the locker room from other players and coaches was a resounding victory, according to Stubbs.

“They know what it would be like to be in that position of not playing a match for close to four years, going on Centre Court at Wimbledon, knowing there’s how many millions of people around the world watching this match,” Stubbs said. “There’s 15,000 people in Centre Court. They expect good tennis They expect you to not embarrass yourself. So all the players know, to a small degree, what it must be like.” The match set ratings records on ESPN and Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic are among the players who have publicly complimented Williams for her performance.

Williams injured her right knee

toward the end of the first set against Joint and withdrew from her doubles match with Venus on Saturday

An Instagram update from Serena included images of four syringes that she said “shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match.” An accompanying video showed her walking with strapping up and down her right leg and what appeared to be one of her daughters holding a cane for her.

“The good news is my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again,” Serena said.

“The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn’t able to get it ready for doubles.”

However, with the U.S. Open approaching, Serena indicated she could play again somewhere else soon.

“All I can say,” Serena said, “is stay tuned to a city near you.”

Right attitude

Serena became known for her emotional outbursts and run-ins with chair umpires and linesjudges toward the end of her career

So Stubbs was concerned about

her on-court behavior during her comeback.

But Williams maintained her composure from start to finish.

“That was sort of like the one sort of thing that I asked, is that she try and — as hard as it was going to be — to control her emotions and her nerves and all that sort of stuff,” Stubbs said. “I don’t think people even remotely can quantify the amount of pressure that was on her to walk out there and do what she did.”

Negative reactions

Stubbs was disappointed, though, to see negative reactions to Williams’ return on social media. She was also criticized for skipping her post-match duties – since the injury was not announced until a day later

Stubbs herself was also criticized on social media.

“I just don’t understand why people feel the need to tear somebody down,” Stubbs said. “What she’s doing out there is trying to play a sport she loves. That’s what it’s about. Show the kids, be out there, enjoy it and give the people another look at playing. What is wrong

Serena’s knee injury forces

Williams sisters to withdraw

Serena Williams withdrew from her doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon on Saturday due to a right knee injury

The 44-year-old Serena was injured during her singles return earlier in the week in a three-set loss.

“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,” Serena said in an Instagram post.

The post included images of four syringes that Serena said “shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match.”

The sisters are six-time champions as partners in women’s doubles at Wimbledon.

Astros send OF Meyers to Triple-A in slew of moves

The Houston Astros optioned struggling outfielder Jake Meyers to Triple-A Sugar Land in one of four roster moves made before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Astros also optioned outfielder Joey Loperfido to Triple-A, recalled outfielder/infielder Zach Dezenzo from Triple-A and reinstated infielder/outfielder LaMonte Wade from the injured list.

Meyers, a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 and the Astros’ third-longest-tenured position player, went hitless in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Rays, dropping his batting average to .206 for the season. He has posted a .167/.231/.250 line since June 2, and he started just three of the Astros’ previous 10 games Loperfido is batting .136 since returning from the injured list June 4.

Reese’s double-double not enough in Dream loss

Veronica Burton scored 21 points and Gabby Williams had 14 of her 19 points in the second half to help the Golden State Valkyries complete a season sweep of the Atlanta Dream with an 88-83 victory on Saturday Burton made 6 of 9 shots, with two 3-pointers and 7 of 8 free throws for Golden State (14-7) in its fourth straight victory Williams sank 7 of 14 shots, including four 3-pointers, to help the Valkyries hand Atlanta (12-9) its fifth straight loss. Reserve Janelle Salaun had three 3s and scored 14 points.

Allisha Gray led the Dream with 22 points, and former LSU star Angel Reese had 17 points and 13 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season.

on with a seven-time Wimbledon champion a 23-time Grand Slam champion — wanting to play another time at Wimbledon? God let her.”

Closed roof

Because the match started late in the day and there were concerns about darkness, the roof over Centre Court was closed for the match.

“She was hitting the ball so well in practice and moving really well and the conditions were very different indoors,” Stubbs said. “They were heavy Her ball wasn’t shooting through the court like it was outside.”

Despite being away for so long, Williams still hit serves beyond 120 mph and showed off her heavy groundstrokes that landed within inches of the baseline.

The only real issue was her movement

“When you’re great, you’re great,” Stubbs said. “When you have great timing, you always have great timing. I saw that from the moment I stepped back on court with her I was like, ‘Well, you never lost that.’

“And then it’s just getting the movement going and getting the body going and all that sort of stuff again and at a certain age you also have to monitor the workload. So what I saw out there didn’t surprise me at all, because I had been seeing it for months: The capacity to hit the ball as well as she’s always hit the ball.”

What’s next

While Williams indicated in her injury post that she would play again, her team is still awaiting details.

“She’s not just going to do a one-off,” Stubbs said. “I think she would like to play more but that is 100% her decision. I’m sure she’ll re-evaluate and reassess how she wants go forward and then we’ll be there for her either way.”

Celtics extend contract of breakout center Queta

The Boston Celtics have signed center Neemias Queta to a fouryear extension, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the signing cannot be announced until Monday at the earliest. The extension is reportedly worth $56 million.

Retaining Queta seemed to be a priority for the Celtics, who traded perennial All-Star Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia on Wednesday for Paul George and draft picks. Queta, who turns 27 on July 13, is coming off a breakout season with the Celtics. He averaged a careerbest 10.2 points, a career-best 8.4 rebounds and was a full-time starter for the first time. He averaged 11.2 points on 68% shooting after the All-Star break.

Cink, Harrington battling for U.S. Senior Open again COLUMBUS, Ohio It is shaping up as another duel between Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington for the U.S. Senior Open championship. Cink shot a 64 in Saturday’s third round at Scioto Country Club, tied for the tournament’s lowest round. At 9-under 201, he leads reigning champion Harrington by one shot. This is the second straight year Cink and Harrington will be in the final group. Harrington, Cink and Mark Hensby were tied after last year’s third round at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs Colorado, before Harrington won his second Senior Open title by one shot. Cink could become the fifth player to win the event after being runner-up the previous year Fred Funk was the last to do so in 2009.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA

Serena Williams of the United States waits for the service of Maya Joint of Australia during their first-round singles match at Wimbledon in London on Tuesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a third-round singles match against Iga Swiatek of Poland at Wimbledon in London on July 4.

Chapman becomes strikeout king of relief

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aroldis Chapman became the Major League Baseball career leader in strikeouts as a reliever Friday night, toppling a record that had stood for more than half a century

The 38-year-old left-hander for the Boston Red Sox didn’t do it with one of the triple-digit fastballs that have made him one of the most imposing pitchers of his generation and one of the most accomplished relievers in baseball history Instead, his high pitch to the Denzer Guzman of the Angels was clocked at a mere 98.6 mph — and Guzman still couldn’t get around in time.

“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Chapman said through an interpreter “I just feel very satisfied right now.”

The strikeout was the 1,364th in Chapman’s 17-year career It broke the record long held by Hoyt Wilhelm, the Hall of Famer whose 21year career ended back in 1972, just five days shy of his 50th birthday Chapman paused and soaked in the moment only briefly after fanning Guzman, aware of the significance of the strikeout while also knowing he still had to get two more outs. He promptly gave up two hits, but he escaped the jam with a double-play grounder to

LSU

Continued from page 1C

apart (sic) of something that will be the most dominant group in the country for the next 3-4 years brudda.”

Nothing is ever over in recruiting, especially when NIL and revenue-sharing negotiations are invariably part of the process for five-star prospects. LSU is showing it has the resources, brand name and coaching cache to be in the mix for top recruits.

If the Tigers flip Brewster, it would supercharge a defensive line room that brought in five-stars Brown and Richard Anderson, and upper-tier four-star Deuce Geralds in 2026. It als currently has top-50 edge rushers KJ Green and Chris Whitehead committed in 2027.

Brewster may be a Texas Tech commitment, but he’s not so devoted to the Red Raiders that he wouldn’t publicize his positive thoughts about LSU.

“As far as the people, it’s different,” Brewster said in his YouTube video.

At LSU, he shot jumpers on a basketball hoop brought into the Tigers’ team meeting room. He played pickleball on LSU’s courts. He met with Kiffin He also toured the Tigers’ locker room and was impressed with their custom helmets and cleats that can change color

“That helmet was hard,” Brewster said. “I ain’t gonna lie.”

Dialing up the former Miami Hurricanes legend wasn’t a new trick for Orgeron because Irvin recently joked on Instagram about another time Orgeron, who led the Hurricanes defensive line from 1988-92, brought him into an LSU

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

recorded three interceptions and 12 pass breakups, making him disruptive at times.

This is a pivotal season for McKinstry With Alontae Taylor leaving in free agency, McKinstry is unquestionably the No. 1 corner And in the third year of a four-year contract, McKinstry’s performance next season could go a long way in determining his value if extension talks commence after the year

OT Kelvin Banks

If not for an ankle injury early in the Saints’ season finale Banks likely would have led all rookies in snaps last season. Heck, he still finished third with 1,066 snaps. No player on the Saints arguably benefited more from his playing time. Banks demonstrated tremendous growth as his rookie season progressed, as the first-round tackle went from allowing 28 pressures in his first eight games to 18 in his final nine. Banks increasingly found ways to use his size (6-foot5, 315 pounds) and athleticism to dominate his matchup The next natural step for the 22-year-old would be to generate more consistency, so he can be viewed among the best at his position.

“Rookies that play early like

secure Boston’s 5-2 win over Los Angeles and his 383rd career save The Red Sox celebrated Chapman’s achievement in their Angel Stadium clubhouse, showing a video retrospective of Chapman’s career to his younger teammates

— everything from his debut with Cincinnati in 2010 to his two World Series championships with the Cubs and Rangers.

“It’s cool. We’ve been waiting for that one,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “What a career he’s had. The cool thing is watching the video, and you’re seeing him at a young age throwing 102, and he’s still doing it. It’s just incredible.”

In his 889th major-league appearance — all of them in relief

— Chapman saved a deserved victory for Red Sox rookie Jake Bennett, who was making his seventh appearance.

“It’s incredible,” said Bennett who tired in the eighth. “It’s incredible to even just be a part of a team that it happens on.”

Chapman hadn’t pitched since he tied the strikeout record last Sunday while blowing a save against the Yankees, with whom he spent parts of seven seasons before an acrimonious split four years ago.

He has pitched for seven teams since he defected from Cuba in 2009, earning eight All-Star selections and moving up to 10th on the majors’ career saves list.

This record spanned across a

half-century of baseball history and a fundamental change in the way pitchers are used.

Among the 14 pitchers in majorleague history who have recorded 1,000 strikeouts as a reliever, only Lindy McDaniel was a contemporary of Wilhelm, a World War II veteran and a pioneer in relief pitching. The crafty knuckleballer

and defense.

recruiting visit virtually

“I couldn’t say anything to Coach O because that’s my guy,” said Irvin, who burst out laughing when he recalled that recruit ultimately pledged to Miami.

He could be referring to fivestar edge rusher Jaiden Bryant, who flipped from the Tigers to the Hurricans on June 3.

“He got my subliminal (messages),” Irvin said. At least with Brewster, Orgeron didn’t let Irvin have the last word.

He led Brewster down a hallway to where previous LSU greats are depicted Orgeron pointed to defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence, who could recall Orgeron telling him he’d be the captain of a national title team during a recruiting visit.

“Speak and it’ll become,” Orgeron said Next in line was Joe Burrow

“Ohio State didn’t want him,” he said of the Heisman winner

Then Orgeron tapped on safety Grant Delpit, adding “Texas boy, Houston,” before he ended with offensive lineman Lloyd Cushenberry, who was judged as too small and committed to South Carolina before LSU swiped him late.

Cushenberry is now in the NFL.

“How about that, guys? It’s gonna happen,” Orgeron said to Brewster’s family “I’m gonna put a ring on y’all so darn big you’re gonna have to have three fingers to wear that thing.”

Brewster’s takeaway: “LSU and Louisiana coaching, way different. Life after ball, development and getting to the League — that’s the main goal for me.”

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com.

was among the first pitchers to be used regularly as what’s now known as a high-leverage reliever, coming into close games and tight situations regardless of whether the starter was tired or not.

Chapman has spent his entire career in those tight spots, and he usually has excelled when healthy, often with a fastball that has

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C

Veteran free agent Noah Fant and rookie Oscar Delp should team with Juwan Johnson to give the offense a capable trio of tight ends. And rookie receivers Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown add speed and playmaking ability to the perimeter group.

Further, veteran left guard David Edwards was a priority signing in free agency He should shore up a lingering hole on the left side of the line and improve the pass protection on Shough’s blind side. The result has been noticeable this offseason. The offense is more versatile, dynamic and wide open in Year 2 under Moore.

Improved kicking game

There’s no sugar-coating how bad the Saints were here a year ago. The addition of free agent punter Ryan Wright and kicker Tanner Brown has bolstered two of the shakiest spots on the roster

Wright should provide an immediate upgrade to the punter position and will give the Saints their first top-10 punter since Thomas Morstead’s run from 2009-20.

Few noticed when the Saints added Brown to the roster after a strong tryout last month, but he could be the surprise of the offseason. He was named the UFL Special Teams Player of the Year and became the first kicker in pro football history to make two field goals from 60 or more yards in a game this season.

that usually take a pretty big jump from Year 1 to Year 2,” offensive line coach Brendan Nugent said.

“And he’s on that path. Everything I seen here from the offseason program, he’s figured out what worked, what we needed to tweak and he’s worked on it. We’ve worked on it. And he keeps getting

better.” DE Chase Young Twenty sacks. That’s what Cam Jordan said he thought Young was capable of next season. And, for the first time since Young’s rookie season, the possibility didn’t feel

topped 105 mph at times during his career

He has even been in a renaissance since joining the Red Sox before last season. After earning AL Reliever of the Year honors in 2025 with a minuscule 1.17 ERA, he has 17 saves in 19 chances this season, still taking high-leverage assignments and usually succeeding.

Brown is not just the proverbial “camp leg,” brought in to ease the load on incumbent Charlie Smyth during camp. He has a strong chance to supplant Smyth and earn the starting spot on the final 53-man roster

Full year (hopefully) of Young Chase Young is the most talented defender on the roster He might be the most talented player on the team. When healthy and engaged, as he was in the second half of last season, he is a handful on the edge, where he racked up a career-high 10 sacks in only 12 games last season. Young has blossomed in Brandon Staley’s 3-4 scheme and is poised for a breakout campaign if he can stay healthy That’s a big “if.” Young has played a full season just once in his six-year NFL career Young looked terrific throughout the offseason and will be asked to play a key leadership role for the front line. He is poised for a breakout year Staff carryover

After a foundational 2025 season, Moore managed to keep almost the entire coaching staff intact for 2026, a rarity in today’s NFL. The lone exception is Jahri Evans, the assistant offensive line coach, who departed for Pittsburgh. Otherwise, the Saints managed to protect their key coordinators, including prized defensive coordinator Staley and position coaches from being poached this offseason.

The continuity has shown in practices, where players are noticeably more comfortable and confident in Year 2 of the offensive and defensive systems.

son

another

be in

S Jonas Sanker It might seem

member of last year’s

on this

but hear us out: The Saints have big plans for Sanker in 2026. They’re trusting him to replace Taylor at the Star position, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s version of an inside cornerback. Sanker earned the role after a surprising season in which he proved to be reliable after a season-ending injury to Julian Blackmon. Safeties coach Terry Joseph said Sanker displayed a “mental toughness” that will serve the 23-year-old as he adapts to a new position.

“I think it’s really hard to evaluate off of college film that this guy can (play the) Star,” Joseph said. “I think you got to get him in your organization, in your building, and you gotta really get a feel for where that guy is mentally how tough he is and how much can he handle, because a lot’s on the plate of the star.”

digits as a pro. Admittedly 20 sacks is a hard threshold to reach. Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt are the only rushers in the last five years to hit that mark, and those two are seen as the two best pass rushers in today’s

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON Saints safety Jonas Sanker runs a drill during organized team activities on June 17 in Metairie.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron watches his players before kickoff against Texas A&M on Nov. 27, 2021, at Tiger Stadium. Orgeron returned to LSU as a special assistant to recruiting

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By WILLIAM LIANG

Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman delivers a pitch during the ninth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday in Anaheim, Calif.

LIVING

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Iwork at anonprofit that orders its business by the fiscal year,a12-month period that begins each July and concludes at the end of the following June. Every summer,though the calendar year is already at its halfway point,myfellow employees and Iare turning apage and starting anew chapter in our work lives. As our fiscal year ended last month and we prepared for another one, our staff decided to have alittle fun with a workplace New Year’sparty. It was the first New Year’s celebration I’d ever attended in June, and maybe the best one. To prepare for the gathering, Iordered New Year’sparty hats and festive noise makers. In anod to summer, we brought in gourmet ice cream and watermelon for the refreshment table

With aknowing wink at our inside joke, we wished each other Happy New Year as we gatheredinour conference room for summer treats. While savoring sliced melon and frozen treats, we took a rare chance to catch up on each other’slives. There was news of children, summer road trips and personal and professional challenges we’d navigated in recent months as awork family

Iwas left with the thought that we should celebrateNew Year’severy summer When the traditional New Year’sDay arrives each January,I’m grateful for the chance to mark another milestone with friends and family.But by the time New Year’srolls around at the close of the winter holiday season, I’m often pretty tired. When viewed through weary eyes, Jan. 1can seem like just another box I’m checking before Ifinally put the holidays away

Our June New Year’sparty was much more relaxed, and it offered awelcome pause in the progress of the year

Many of us remarkedathow surprising it felt that halfof 2026 is already gone. It’san abiding truth that as we get older,time seems to move more quickly.That’sall the more reason to create small momentsofreflection so that we can consider where we’ve been and where we’re going. Those respites don’thave to be solemn affairs. They can evenbeasfrivolous as aNew Year’sparty on asweltering summer day

What Iliked best about our summer New Year’sparty is that it gave us all anew beginning. The celebration reminded me that beyond New Year’sDay each January, each year is full of other beginnings. There’sthe start of spring, summer,fall and winter,the beginning of aschool year,personal birthdays and wedding anniversaries.

Each offers achance to think about the turning of time, our place in the world, what kind of people we want to be. Yes, the year might look a little shopworn right now.But as my summer New Year’s party reminded me, we always have the power to start again. Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

Lisa Moore, head of research services at the Amistad Research Center,shows visitors a book from the archives at Tulane University in NewOrleans.

Stillsailing

BY VIOLETBUCARO| Staff writer

The doors to thearchive are locked when youarrive, openingonly by appointment. Rare, historic collections are shelved on each wall, some locked glass cases, others curated by hand, sprawled open on tables.

Kathe Hambrick, the executivedirector of theAmistad Research Center,holds acopyof thebook ‘Bulbancha is Still aPlace: Indigenous Culture of NewOrleans’ at the archives.

It may look likeanentrance to alibrary,but it is theworld’s largest independent archive of Black history,tuckedinUptown New Orleans.

For 60 years now, scholars searching for overlooked histories of African Americans and other minorities have found their way to theAmistad Research Center

Kathe Hambrick and Lisa Moore look throughacollectionof the Louisiana Weekly in the archives at the Amistad Research Center

The nonprofit, located in Tilton Hall at Tulane University,is hometoanestimated 15 million pages, 1,000 fine artworks, 400 oral histories and 33,000 books. Somenotable materials include papers by John O’Neal’srecords of the Federation of Southern Cooperative, Helen Keller’s handwritteninscription from her ä See AMISTAD, page 4D

“I sincerely NEVER THOUGHT they would have this much or many materials Icould use for theresearch. … IT’S BEEN ABLESSING.Iwill have to keepcoming back every day.” TAIWOBELLO,Ph.D.,a professor whoteaches African history at Oklahoma State University said of theAmistadResearchCenter

MaryEllen Miller of the ShadyOaks Garden Club, from left,stands with Joe Willis, holding the National Garden Club Award of Excellence, and his wife, Paula Barton-Willis.

“When Igot the notice from the National Club saying that Ihad won, andthatIwas one of three winners, Ithought, ‘Oh man, that’s quite an honor.’ Iwas very humbled at thesametime,”Willissaid. Willis won two Louisiana Garden Club Federation awards and aLouisiana County Agricultural La.horticulturistwinsnationalgardenclubaward ä See AWARD, page 4D

BYJOY HOLDEN Staff writer

es, andshares horticulturalwisdom with individuals around NewOrleans and beyond.

STAFFPHOTOSBy ENAN CHEDIAK

‘Darkology’

Princetonprofessor’s book delves into the rootsofblackface in American society

BY RIEN FERTEL

Contributing writer

“Darkology: Blackface and theAmerican WayofEntertainment,”byRhae Lynn Barnes, Liveright, 528 pages.

Acentury and ahalf ago, as centennialcelebrations touched off across thecountry,muchof White America was united by the crude caricatureknown as blackface. Once thedominion of professional minstrel performers, amateur blackface began to proliferateinthe waning days of Reconstruction, permeating everydayAmerican life.

From coast to coast, blackface became inescapable. Fraternal organizationsused blackface to build brotherhood.Publishing houses marketedblackface-themed books.Blackface helped Hollywood sell tickets. Students in elementary schools and colleges performed in public blackface showcases. The government supplied troopswith blackfacekits for DIY minstrel shows. In 1872, areporter for theNew Orleans Republican newspaper estimated thatthreequarters of Mardi Gras maskers costumedin blackface.

The ugly persistence of blackface in American culture is the subject of PrincetonUniversity professor Rhae Lynn Barnes’sbombshell of abook, “Darkology,” arangyhistory that should be required readingthisSemiquincentennial.

Barnes begins with the Benevolentand Protective Order of the Elks, a“burnt-cork brotherhood” founded by professionalblackface minstrelsin1868 in NewYork City.The Elks produced and disseminated how-to manuals to welcome new members to thefold,trainingthemin what Barnes terms darkology, “the commodification, study, anddehumanization of Blacklife.”

Performing in blackface before theirfellowbrothers became arite of passage for these respectable, patriotic-minded men, and later for the generation of Polish, Irish and Italian immigrants eager to enforce boundaries of race By the early 20th century,darkology had leaptfrom thecloaked confines of theElks to TinPan Alley, where publishers churned outblackface-themed theatrical productions, joke books and sheet music thatrevived the career of minstrel maestro StephenFoster —and paved the way for thepreeminent blackface superstar of stage and screen, Al Jolson. Destined for living rooms, church fellowship halls andschools,these publications were the blueprint for much of what White America called entertainment. Following the twin crashes of the Great Depression and World WarII, PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt, an exalted Elk member,leaned on blackface toadd some peptoAmerica’sstep.

The New Deal’sFederal Theatre Project distributed original blackface contenttoanation hungry for amusement, including three versionsof“The Story of Little Black Sambo.”

The WarDepartment flooded troopswith burnt cork makeup, black wigsand banjos,ensuring that every G.I. Joe could put on ashowfor theirfellow soldiersabroad. Back home, convalescing service members weretreatedtominstrel shows at Walter Reed Army Medical Center And the government provided Japanese-American concentration camp prisoners withthe same racist accoutrement, an “unlikely cultural bridge,” Barnes writes, to Americanization.

In one of the book’smost damningsections,Barnes tells thestory of thestrange footnote to FDR’sembrace of blackface. On the day he diedofacerebral hemorrhageathis Little White HouseinWarm Springs, Georgia, the presidenthad planned to preside over akids’ musical showcase he had cowritten titled “Polio Minstrels.”

His wife, Eleanor,insisted that theshowgoon, with young White polio patients in blackface.

At war’send, riding thetideofBlack respectability and Civil Rights legislation to end Jim Crowsegregation, the NAACP ramped up across-country antiminstrel campaign. The widespreaduse of blackface showcases in publicschools, and thepsychological damage they inflicted on children,wereanearly target. When ateacher asked aclassroom whata “suitable punishment for Hitler” would be, ayoung Black girl

raisedher hand: “Paint him black,andbring himto America.”

In 1963, the NAACP pressured the Universityof Vermont totweak apopular campus tradition known as the Kake Walk. Adance competition featuring blackfaced fraternitymembers, theKake Walk harkened back to bondage, when enslavers forcibly conscripted Black bodies to parade for the rare promise of sweet treats. For three years, greenface replaced blackface, before theoverwhelmingly Whitestudent body restored the insidious custom UVMofficially banned theKake Walk in 1969, after the university’ssix Black studentsintrepidly attended the event. The following year,the fraternities surreptitiously walked anyway.A handful of Black studentsshowed up, including Charlie Titus of nearby Saint Michael’sCollege, who came armed withabaseball bat.

“Anybody who wantstodoaKake Walk,” he screamed after walloping the multi-tiered cake the gathering planned to eat, “Kake Walk over my dead body!”

(In another 1960s episode that Barnes does not mention,the NAACP also called out the Zulu Social Aid &Pleasure Club for their continued use of black makeup, resulting in that organization banning the practice for several years.)

In acrowded field of blackface scholarship, one of the merits of Barnes’sbook is her focus on individuals who pushed back against what she calls “the longest-running gag in American cultural history.”

Onesuch true American patriot was Betty Reid Soskin, née Charbonnet,aNew Orleanian who relocated toCalifornia after the 1927 flood (she later gained famefor being theoldest serving National ParkService ranger in theUnited States). In 1952, she was horrified to learnthat her son’sintegrated elementary school would host aminstrel show fundraiser,featuring the principal in blackface. She showed up, sittingfront and center,forcing the company to “perform that show in front of me.” California banned blackface in public schools soon after Butblackface has never really disappeared.

Cyberscholars warn of “digital blackface,” the application of AI and other technologies by non-Black individuals to perform and perpetuate racist stereotypes.

In April, Georgia GOPState Representative Kasey Carpenter apologized for wearing blackface to acostume partyover adecade ago. In Baltimore, Republican House of Delegates primary candidateBobby Berger was forced toanswer questionsabout his former career as apopular blackface entertainer Though he retired his act in 2015, after performing over 1,000 shows, his longtimenickname appeared on the ballots: Al Jolson.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books

Book highlights La.activism during AIDS epidemic

BY MOLLYTERRELL Staff Writer

In the ’80s and ’90s, muchlike the rest of the country, Shreveport was grappling with the peak of the AIDS crisis. Much of the government indifference, medical neglect and religious hostilityduring theheight of the epidemic prompted activists to form support organizations, like AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).

David W. Hylan, an award-winning documentary filmmakerand longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, has spent years preserving the stories of those who livedthrough the epidemic in northwest Louisiana. Hylan, aShreveport native,co-directed “Small Town Rage: Fighting Back in the Deep South” (2016) with Raydra Hall, examining the work and influence of ACT UP Shreveport.

He has now written abook with the same title, released in June,thatexploresthe organization andthe activists who confrontedfear, silence,discrimination andpolitical indifference during the AIDS crisis in northwest Louisiana, according to a newsrelease from Hylan.

The organization wasfoundedinNew York City in 1987 as apolitical action group in response to the AIDS crisis and has since expanded with independent local chapters across the country According to Hylan, it was important to write this book because he felt like there were alot of storiesand people that wereleft out of the original documentary

“I was reliving allthose stories allover again— and people’smemories and the pain of the pandemic the loss of my ownfriendsand thefriends and family of those that we had filmed,” said Hylan, whoserved formore than three decades as executive director of the Betty andLeonardPhillips Deaf Action Center in Shreveport.

Today,Hylan is retired and living in Mexico. In researching forthe book, he conducted about 75 interviewsand collected over 400 clippings from newspapers and magazines. He noted that telling the stories over againinprint assured him that the AIDS pandemic experience for Shreveport residents would not be forgotten and would be documented through interviews andmaterials.

He saidthe silence and the way Shreveport and the surrounding areas chose to handle the AIDS epidemic made it even morepainful forthose involved.

“Inthe South, we have acultureofsilenceand politeness, andpeople didn’twanttodeal with it,” Hylansaid. “I think Shreveport had an overwhelming feeling that this was happening somewhere else.”

Hylan said he believes alot of patients weren’tgiven the services they needed in someplaces, and somewere starved because nurses didn’twant to go in their rooms, leaving food trays outside.

According to Hylan, the book is morein-depth than the film

“The book is not an expansion in the sense of telling the same story as the movie —asthe film —but it gave alot more detail aboutwho thosepeople were andwhatwas going on in their lives and what motivated them to get involved,” Hylan said.

Hylan

Barnes

TRAVEL

Summertime is when theopenroadcalls

Four tripstoexplore that areclose enough to take by car

BY CHERÉ COEN

Contributing writer

Travel doesn’thave to mean flights, rental cars and apacked itinerary

Sometimes, agreat adventure may be had by the road, pausing for roadside attractions and sampling indigenous cuisine in unexplored towns.

Here are afew road tripsto considerthis summer,all only a few hours from south Louisiana.

Highway7,Arkansas

One of the best ways to view Arkansas in all its diversity,from cotton fields to mountains, is to follow Route 7from El Dorado at the Louisiana border to its finale at Missouri.

The highway was the state’s first state-designated scenic byway,and visitors can enjoy four geographical regions as they head straight up the center of the Natural State.

Scenic Byway 7begins in the state’scoastal plains andcontinues through the Ouachita Mountains and Hot Springs, then up through the Ozarks, including passing through the Buffalo National River —perfect for hiking, camping and white water rafting. Along the way are springs, historictowns and authentic Southern cuisine.

Length: 290 miles.

Stop: Indulge in hot mineral soaks and massagesonBathhouse RowinHot Springs National Park, one that is uniquely integrated into the downtown area.

Imbibe: Cliff House Inn and Restaurant in Jasper not only serves up Southern meals for thehungry traveler butoffers amazing vistas of the “Grand Canyon of the Ozarks.” Most Arkansas establishments serve yummy Possum Pie, thankfully chocolaterich and not the mammal.

Stay: The 1920s Arlington Hotel Resort &Spa finished its massive renovations and continues to serve as adowntown Hot Springs icon.

What’sunique: Youcan hunt for diamonds —yes, diamonds —at Crater of Diamonds StatePark or stop in Mt. Ida, where crystals are in abundance.

Highway61, MississippiDelta

Although U.S. 61 beginsinNew Orleans and runs through Baton Rouge, the portion known as the Blues Highway starts around Vicksburg and moves north through the Delta to just shy of Memphis.

This stretch contains numerous blues landmarks and attractions, but the highway alsomarks the route many African Americans took heading north toward Chicago during the “Great Migration” during most of the 20th century

Their movement brought theindelible sounds of the blues tothe rest of the country and contributed to almost allofwhat Americans listen to today

It’sthe reasonwhy the Mississippi DeltaNational Heritage Area was formed, apartnership with the National Park Service,

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

one of only 55 such designations in the country

Length: 1,400 miles if you head from New Orleansall the way to Minnesota. For Delta road trip ideas, visit www.visitthedelta.com/deltablues-road-trip.

Rivercruiserefuses

My wife and Ihavebeen looking forward to our six-dayRhine River cruise with CroisiEurope. It wassupposed to be arelaxing trip before we continued on to Dublin.What we gotinstead wasaseries of mechanical problems —and alot of anxiety

2,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica. This year,Route 66 turns 100, so there will be lots of celebrations alongthe way. Route 66 was established on Nov.11, 1926, after the American AssociationofState Highways was formed to create solid surfaces nowknown as the nation’s highways. It wasfamous before Bobby Troup’ssong, “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” and everyonefromtourists to celebrities traveledfromChicago to California,staying in “tourist homes” andmotor courts built alongthe highway.

Length: 2,400 miles from Chicago to LosAngeles.

Stop: The Route 66 Museum in Lebanon, Missouri, explains not only the famous road but the chronology of America’shighways.

Imbibe: The halfwaypoint of Route 66 is in Adrian, Texas, the perfect spottostop and enjoy the Elvis Pie —among other diner favorites— at the Midpoint Café.

Stop: Just outside of Greenwood lies one of three graves of bluesman RobertJohnson. Dockery Farms near Cleveland is, arguably,the place where the blues were born.

Imbibe: The CrownRestaurant in Indianola —B.B. King’shometown —focuses on Delta favorites such as catfish, hushpuppies and homemade pies.

Stay: Choose between the Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, The PeabodyHotel in Memphis or the Shack Up Innoutside Clarksdale, where sharecropper cabins were relocated forunique accommodations.

What’sunique: Didyou know that Mississippi has moreGrammy Award winners per capita than any other state? The Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi, celebrates theirachievements.

Route66

Arguably the most famous American road trip begins in Chicago and travels more than

Stay: Imagine you’re traveling in time at the historic 1939 BootsCourt in Carthage,Missouri, amotel thatClark Gable frequented. Or choose amore elegantstayatHotel Vandivort, aboutique hotelinthe former Masonic building in downtown Springfield.

What’s unique: Guy Mace has collected more than 70 classic sports andcollector cars, and he displays themathis Route 66 CarMuseum in Springfield. Look for aBatmobile, a1963 Morgan ownedbyDesertStorm’sGen Norman Schwarzkopf andthe truckusedinthe film “Grapes of Wrath” with Henry Fonda. OldSpanish Trail

U.S. 90, known as the Old Spanish Trail, is considered by some as the “Route 66 of the South.”

The OST runs along Southern statesfromFlorida to California, andincludesthe width of south Louisiana,fromSlidell to Texas crossing the Mississippi Huey P. Long Bridge fromNew Orleans andwest-northwest toward the Acadiana towns of Lafayette, Rayne andLakeCharles.

Length: 2,750 miles.

Stop: Highway90follows the Mississippi coastfrom Alabama to Pass Christian, Mississippi, where it veersnorthward toward Kiln andthenSlidell. Stop and enjoythe beaches,great restaurants andfun attractions of CoastalMississippi.

Imbibe: In Houston, savorcrawfish with an Asianflareatthe Viet-Cajun Crawfish &Noodles. Steaming andspiced boiled crawfisharrive with side dishes suchascrawfish fried rice and shrimp spring rolls.

Stay: Forhistory lovers, the magnificentHotel del Coronado, which just finishedarestoration of its redspires, liesatthe end in SanDiego.ClosertohomeisMobile’s historic Battle House Coming up: South Louisiana community leaders, tourism professionals, municipal officials and economicdevelopment leaders will gather Sept. 25 for the OST Conference 2026, aregionalsummit focused on promoting the tourism andeconomicpotential of the highway. The conference will be held at the Rayne Civic Center.

of abad motor

Christopher Elliott

The trouble beganalmost immediately.On the first night, the ship stopped cruising early The next morning, scuba divers worked under the hull.We departed late and ascheduledexcursion to Heidelberg was canceled. That night, around midnight, the ship hit something.The hull shook.At 1:30 a.m.,all passengers were woken up and sent to the lounge.This lasted for an hour before we were allowed to go back to our staterooms. The final announcement came the next morning: The cruise wascanceled because

Our original disembarkationwas Amsterdam, and we hadnonrefundabletravel booked fromthere to Dublin.Mywife and Idid not want to risk further delays.We immediately booked noncancelabletrain travel to Amsterdam,plustwo nonrefundable nightsatthe Hotel des Arts. Later that afternoon, aCroisiEurope representative advised that some guestswould continue by bus,but by then, we had already made firm commitments andcould not join that alternative trip. CroisiEurope refundedthe original cruise fare of $4,792, butwehaveadditional expenses of about $1,400. Can you help us geta refund?— MichaelCawley,West Chester,Pa.

Ithink CroisiEurope should have reimbursedyou for all of your expenses Mechanical failures,aninter-

rupted night’s sleep after the ship struck something —these are not minor inconveniences.

Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, aEuropean consumer protection law,passengers on inland waterway journeys are entitled to reimbursementincases of cancellation because of technical faults, which includes meals and, if an overnight stay becomes necessary,reasonable accommodations.

Butthe regulation for inland waterways is alittle tricky.Once an event like yours happens, the operator must offer two options: either rerouting you to thefinal destination free of charge or providing afull refund of the ticket price.

CroisiEurope offered abus rerouteafter you had already com-

mitted to the nonrefundable train and hotel to Amsterdam.This timingisimportant. Youwere forced to makearrangements because thecompany did not provide the necessary assistance immediately.The offer of abus came too late.

What couldyou have done differently?

The momentthe cruise was officially canceled, you should have contacted amanager at CroisiEurope and ask that it book and pay for your rerouting, which the regulation implies it should do.

Bookingnonrefundable tickets on your own, especially without a clear paper trail confirming CroisiEurope’srefused assistance, makes recovering that money harder

Since CroisiEurope has already

issued the full cruise refund, your dispute is over the out-of-pocket expenses. After we contacted the company,CroisiEurope offered you a$1,400 credit forafuture cruise.

“Per our legal analysis, the Regulation (EU)No. 1177/2010 does not apply to Mr.Cawley’scase, as this law concerns apackage travel contract and not merely a river transport service,” arepresentative told us. That’snot the resolution you were hoping for—and frankly,it wasn’tfor me, either 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.

The 1920s Arlington Hotel Resort& Spa islocated at 239 Central Ave., HotSprings,Ark

PHOTOSByCHERÉ COEN

DockeryFarms,located in the MississippiDelta, is widely regarded as the place where Delta blues music was born.

Route 66 beginsin Chicago and travels to the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica.

Most Arkansas establishments serve Possum Pie, thankfully chocolate rich and not the mammal.

Oneofthree graves of bluesman RobertJohnson is located outside of Greenwood, Miss.

California to institute Bruce Lee Day

Martial arts icon will become the first Chinese American in state’s history with an annual namesake day

By The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO Martial arts icon Bruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco, will become the first Chinese American in California history with an annual namesake day

Gov Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday afternoon officially designating May 17 as Bruce Lee Day, according to the office of state Assemblymember Matt Haney, who represents San Francisco. An 18-year-old Lee re-

AMISTAD

Continued from page 1D

turned to San Francisco on May 17, 1959, after spending his childhood in Hong Kong. Lee’s daughter, Shannon, who is CEO of the Bruce Lee Foundation, said the honor is a testament to her father’s enduring legacy as a bridge between cultures.

“From young people who found confidence and possibility in his philosophy, to families who finally saw themselves represented on screen, to athletes who still draw on his teachings of discipline and inner strength, his reach is profound,” Shan-

book “The World I Live In,” George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat” newspaper comics and a recent acquisition of papers by American-Mexican artist Elizabeth Catlett.

“Without the Amistad Research Center, many documents from the African American experience would end up in landfills, and many stories would end up in cemeteries,” said Freddi Williams Evans, an independent scholar and New Orleans author Evans’ work led to New Orleans renaming Congo Square in 2011, and she’s also worked to get permanent markers at historic slave trade sites.

“When I first started looking at this history, I searched Louisiana and New Orleans history books, and I was very discouraged to find that many of them, I would say over 50%, did not even mention African American presence here in the city,” Evans said. “Sometimes if the African presence was mentioned, it was distorted and misrepresented.”

History makers

The Amistad Research Center shares its records across the country, loaning documents, manuscripts, films and art to museums such as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History Collections include the Congress of Racial Equality and the American Committee on Africa, along with works by Jacob Lawrence, Chester Himes and Fannie Lou Hamer

But it started in 1966 as a stack of the American Missionary Association’s papers at Fisk University

Historian Clifton H. Johnson a former professor at LeMoyne College in Memphis, founded the center with the conviction that African Americans’ stories had been systematically left out of documentation used for education

“Traditionally, historians, especially White American historians, have chosen to exclude the positive contributions of African Americans and other ethnic minorities to our history and culture,” Johnson said in a 2005 lecture at Texas A&M University “They have been treated not as actors in history, but as a part of the historical landscape upon which Whites were the

represented with strength and dignity,” he said in a statement.

The foundation and various Asian American organizations hope Lee will be celebrated every year with voluntary commemorative activities around the state such as cultural exhibits, public events and classroom lessons.

non Lee said in a statement.

Haney called Lee the epitome of the best of California. “At a time when Asian

Americans were too often absent from or stereotyped on screen, Bruce Lee helped generations see themselves

Born in 1940 to Chinese parents who were touring with an opera, Lee was allowed to have birthright citizenship. A few months later the family returned to Hong Kong where Lee became a child actor and began learning Chinese kung fu. He moved back to the U.S. in 1959 and enrolled in the University of Washington in Seattle two years later

He dropped out and threw himself into practicing and teaching martial arts. In the 1960s, Lee found work in Hollywood, most notably as Kato in the TV series “The Green Hornet,” but studios wanted him to play racist stereotypes and paid him less than his White counterparts. He pivoted back to Hong Kong and soon became a megastar of martial arts flicks, including “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury.” Lee died in 1973 at 32 after an allergic reaction to pain medication.

Lee’s name and likeness remain popular Fans gather on his birthday A treatment for a proposed TV action series he wrote inspired the HBO Max show “Warrior.”

history makers.” His vision for the center took shape while organizing Civil War and Reconstruction archives of the American Missionary Association, which supported education for Black Americans and racial equality

It started as one collection, and grew with documents from Civil Rights leaders, educators, social justice organizations, ministers, pastors and artists, gathering thousands of papers over Johnson’s tenure.

Now, the staff can lay out handpicked archives for viewers based on appointment and specific interests. Restricted files and the art collection are caged for protection including original writings by Lewis Tappan, who helped free slaves aboard the Amistad. The archive even has a halon fire sup-

A visitor points to some handwritten letters from the archives at the Amistad Research Center

AWARD

Continued from page 1D

Agents

ings

pression system for security in the event of potential damage.

Preserving stories

Professor Taiwo Bello, Ph.D., teaches African history at Oklahoma State University and recently visited the center for its historical account of the American Committee of Africa. At the beginning of his archival dig, he had trouble finding any research on the topic.

“Virtually every document that I found pointed me toward the Amistad Research Center as the hub for this type of research, which then gave me a sense that, look, you’ve not even started (research) at all until you take yourself there,” Bello said.

He said he could visit every day for 10 years and still not cover the extent of materials available. His topic alone has 300 boxes of documents.

“I sincerely never thought they would have this much or many materials I could use for the research,” Bello said. “The staff has been helping a lot; it’s been a blessing. I will have to keep coming back every day.”

Here, researchers like Bello can receive a personalized, “intimate experience with history” curated by appointment for each visitor, Executive Director Kathe Hambrick said.

Throughout the center’s history, finding a permanent residence for a growing collection proved complicated After Fisk University, it moved to Dillard University in New Orleans, then the U.S. Mint in the French Quarter But Hambrick said the Mint’s conditions were insufficient, prompting another relocation

a fungus and helped the club take everything out and replace the soil. “We thought he would win at the state, because he’s so good, and he cares so much,” Miller said. “But he didn’t just win state he won for the Deep South and then the national. He has definitely earned it and made all this education of horticulture really accessible to everybody.”

Willis said that when he found out he won, he reflected on all of his work as a part of his job, outside of his job and working with people and plants.

in 1987 to Tulane, where the center has remained Tulane marked the kickoff to the Center’s 60th year in late May at President Mike Fitts’ house, where he quoted Henry Louis Gates Jr in remarks to attendees. “If you don’t tell your stories, other people will tell their stories about you,” Fitts said. “It’s important that we nurture and protect these memories.”

One part of New Orleans history preserved at Amistad is that of the Morial family “It almost makes me want to cry because not every family gets the opportunity to have their history preserved in this way,” Judge Monique Morial told WGNO at the event. “And it’s an honor for us to be able to share my father’s papers, own my mother’s papers, with them and have it be available.”

Looking to the future

Amistad also unveiled a new commemorative poster called “Head Start” for the 60th anniversary It’s by Ayo Scott, son of artist John T. Scott, whose work is included at the center, and based on Norman Rockwell’s painting of Ruby Bridges, but with a heavier burden atop her head in the form of ships.

The art and posts double as a fundraiser for the center, which saw its federal funding slashed by 40% after Trump administration changes last spring. Half of the staff was laid off, and Hambrick said they looked to local and private donors for support. In 200 days, they raised $1.8 million and staff was rehired.

She said the process has been hard, but they are meeting their annual $1.3 million budget to run the institution. The center has also received a $150,000 Wisner

“I remembered that when I started this position 10 years ago, Mary Ellen had contacted me and asked me to be part of a tour bus group through the gardens of New Orleans to talk about the plants. From the very beginning, I’d been working with the garden clubs, and it came full circle,” Willis said. Popular in the New Orleans area for his regular appearances on Fox 8 WVUE-TV and WWL, the community calls Willis “Dr. Joe,” for his gardening diagnoses and solutions. He says he gets recognized

Family Foundation grant for the virtual education program called “Amistad on the Go” for junior archivists.

As part of the launch, teachers and school leaders can learn more at the Summer Teacher Institute from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 18. Hambrick said they hope to implement digital humanities into the school curricula and bring more accessibility to education on an international scale.

Hambrick has also introduced quarterly pop-up vinyl fundraisers, where community members bring personal records to spin on a chosen theme. The next one is at 5:30 p.m., July 18 at The Blue Crawfish Hotel & Bar with $25 entry Amistad hosts a variety of events and lectures. On May 21, the collective Who Owns Black Data discussed the protection of digitalized media with scholars and activists from around the world.

Other events, like book signings by local authors and researchers, are scheduled this summer One is Conversations in Color by former Chief Justice Bernette Joshua and attorney and Amistad Board Chair Kim Boyl on July 15.

The plaque marking the anniversary, in the hands of Hambrick reads, “The ship is still sailing,” a nod to the Amistad Research Center’s ongoing effort to preserve truthful history

“The Amistad ship was a freedom ship,” Hambrick said.

The Amistad will host its largest anniversary event on Nov 12, with special guests including Mayor Helena Moreno.

For more information on the center, visit amistadresearchcenter.org.

in public, and people approach him with questions about their gardens. “Essentially I want to make it easier for people to have success and fun in their gardens and in their landscapes and garden clubs,” Willis said. His words of advice for anyone planning to start a garden are to “plant the right plant

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

Lisa Moore, head of research services at the Amistad Center, left, shows visitors a collection of letters from the archives at the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans on May 21.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

A man walks past a mural showing Bruce Lee and a dragon in San Francisco in 2020.

DININGSCENE

NewOrleans restaurantschanged American dining

Happy birthday,America. And on behalf of Louisiana and New Orleans, you’re welcome.

That’sfor the debt of gratitude owed for many contributionsto this great nation, including in the world of food and drink. The food culture thriving in New Orleans has made an outsized impact on the spectrum of American dining. It’sa narrative that flows through aprogression of influential local restaurants like acommon thread.

McNulty

WHAT S COOKING Ian WHAT’S

It starts with the fact that New Orleans has its own food. As the country’smost successfulfusion cooking, Creole cuisine is apolyglot tale of blended influencesin the New World.

It survived America’sculinary dark ages, the era of homogenization, and it kept evolving.It made New Orleans agastronomic destination long before the current crazefor it.

Thegrand Creole restaurant

Consider Antoine’sRestaurant, founded in 1840, the oldest in the country in continuous operation It’snot just the restaurant’slongevity that makes it influential, noreven the canonical dishes created in its kitchen.

Instead, it’sAntoine’srole in establishing the idea of arestaurant destination serving alocal cuisine distinctive to the city,an early “bucket list” to experience aplace and its culture through dining. It set the templatefor the grand Creole restaurant that was in place when, nearly80years later,Arnaud’sRestaurantopened in 1918. It was founderand namesake “Count”Arnaud Cazenave, a Frenchman and wine salesman with an assumed title of nobility, who issued adare to French Quarter barkeep Owen Brennan. The countclaimed an Irishman could never operate aproper finedining restaurant Brennan, essentially saying “hold my Burgundy and watch,” proceeded to open Owen Brennan’sVieux Carre across from Arnaud’sonBourbon Street in 1946, and the Brennan family res-

OystersRockefeller are servedatop abed of

Restaurant in 1979.

PROVIDED By BRENNAN’S RESTAURANT Owen EdwardBrennanJr.,Ella

Brennan’sbrother, standsoutside theVieux Carre Restaurant on RoyalStreet in 1943.

taurant saga began. That would lead to thenowlandmark Brennan’sonRoyal Streetin1956, which today is the ongoingevolution of ahistoric Creole restaurantinto amodern one.

Anew American cuisine

From Brennan’s, we get to Commander’sPalace, which one branch of the Brennan family

took over and, through the 1970s, turned intoaforerunner of the idea of modernAmerican cuisine. It was aLouisiana creation that elevated local ingredients and dishes at atime when regional cuisines from coast to coast were gettingfresh recognition as worthyofpursuit Commander’sPalace was apivotal example and helped embolden chefs all over the country to forge their own paths, rather than strive to fit European ideals. Butperhaps it was the late Commander’sPalace matriarch Ella Brennan’seye for talent, and

ability to cultivate it, that would have themost wide-ranging influence nationally

It was abreak from the tradition of kitchens led by Frenchtrained chefs when she named a young Louisiana native from Cajuncountry to be head chef. That was Paul Prudhomme, of course, who went on to open K-Paul’s LouisianaKitchen, which wasits own engine of influence through the1970s and 1980s.

In thebeginning, K-Paul’swas small and casual,with communal tables and no reservations. That was amarked change from the traditional Creole restaurants of theday.Itbecame asensation for its robust Louisiana flavors, and Prudhomme becameasuperstar If it’scommon now forcasual, creative restaurants to winhighprofile awardsand draw throngs of eager diners, K-Paul’sblazed thepath early Waybefore social media, Prudhomme’sblackened redfish “went viral,” igniting anational craze for the dish that prompted fishing restrictions on redfish. He even hosted theequivalent of pop-ups, setting up temporary traveling versions of K-Paul’sinother cities. So much that feels new with modernrestaurant trends had an earlier iteration flowing from New Orleans

In thesame era as Prudhomme, chef AustinLeslie rose to national prominence forhis mastery of Black Creole cooking at his restaurantChez Helene. It inspired the CBS television sitcom “Frank’sPlace,” which in 1987 gave America aglimpse of New Orleanslifethrough the lens of ahomey,backstreet joint, with

food as the entry point to bigger cultural issues.

Leslie’sway with fried chicken still lives on Jacques-Imo’sCafé (where he cooked later in life) and the related Crabby Jack’s. Part of his lasting legacy wastogive ahigh profile face and persona to the Black chefs whohave long been vital to NewOrleans food and too often wentunrecognized.

Thestory continues

Back at Commander’sPalace, the chef whosucceeded Prudhomme was Emeril Lagasse, who was just 25 when he wastapped forthe job. It wasthe launching pad to open his own Emeril’sRestaurant in 1990 and that, in turn, set his star trajectory in creating anew kind of celebrity chef, one moreakin to arock star

From his cookbooks and TV shows, his influence on successive generations around the excitementofcuisine, and even the career path of achef,can’tbe understated.

One of those he influenced clearly was his own son, E.J. Lagasse, whonow leads Emeril’s Restaurant in its new age as a two-Michelin-Star destination. It too, is showing anew side of American dining, one that sets local cuisine on the highest global plane of refinement.

In NewOrleans, history is around every corner.Sometimes on that corner is arestaurant where we can visit to experience the living laboratory of what American cuisine can be.

Email Ian McNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

VoiceofMinions says he nowunderstands hishenchmen

BY JAKE COYLE AP

writer

NEW YORK Filmmaker Pierre

Coffin is the creator and chief practitioner of Minionese, but it’s adialect —like most things Minions —that’staken time tohone.

“I havethis file on my phone of Indian dishes or weird words.” Coffin says. “People come up to me and say,‘Youshould say that!’ andIwrite it down.”

“The hardest thing,” addsCoffin, “is just to find the melody.”

It’sbeen 16 years sinceCoffin co-directed Illumination’s“Despicable Me.” He has made three more movies in the franchise, directing “Despicable Me 2,” “Despicable Me 3” and “Minions.” But the Minions, like Coffin’s personal version of Frankenstein’smonster,have often remained adeviling, even mystifying force to him.

Coffin, aFrench Indonesian animator wholivesinParis,where Illumination productions are based,has struggled withboth the dictates of Hollywoodfranchisebuilding and the strange narrative conundrums of movies based aroundasupervillainand gibberish-speaking henchmen

“That’swhy Ikind of disappeared from the series,” Coffin said in arecent interview from Paris. “I mean, the first one was really good. Abad guy becoming a good guy after contact withthree little girls, Icould see it. The second one was alittle bit moreshady because it was like: That guy who’snolonger abad guy falls in love and there’samarriage at

the end. That’sliterally how Chris (Meledandri) pitched it to me. My French sensibility threw up a little bit.”

If youcan’ttell, Coffin —the still-mischievous 59-year-old son of aFrench diplomat and an Indonesian novelist —isunusually candid about the franchise he helped create. Evenmovies thathedirected, he’shighly critical of.

The previous “Minions”spinoff, 2022’s“Minions:The Rise of Gru,” Coffin won’teven talkabout because, he says, “I don’tnecessarily like it and it’s strange to me.” “Despicable Me 3,” the2017 sequel, was the last movieCoffin directed, buthesayshedidn’t even want tomake it.

Afterward,Coffin told Meledandri,the Illuminationchief executive,that he was done.

“I told him: Igot to moveon. I did my trilogy,myprequel —I’m good. Ican help with thevoices, no problem.But Iwant to move on,” Coffin says. “I worked on separate things, butI always get pulled back by the Minions.”

The Minions have away of ma-

nipulating their bosses, Coffin included. Afterwalking away from them, he’sback for “Minions & Monsters,”the third standalone feature for the little guys

“Allthe other ones Ihad doubts about. Iwas guided into adirection that Idid not necessarily like or understand,” saysCoffin of the previous sequels. “Butthe things were ahuge success. Iwas humbled. OK,there hastobesomething Idon’tunderstand.

“This one is horrible because I’m thinking Ireally like it,” Coffin says, laughing. “And I’m thinking, man, maybe Ijust killedthe franchise.”

Making Minionsmaincharacters

On thecontrary,“Minions & Monsters,” whichopenedlast week, may be thebest “Minions” movie yet In it, the Minionsturn filmmakers. AlongsideCharlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, theytry to make amonster movie in 1920s Hollywood. Thepremise, suggestedbyMeledandri, was too enticing for Coffin to turn down.Heevenwanted

to writethe script, which he did withco-writer Brian Lynch. “Minions &Monsters” makes theyellow troublemakers something more than chaos-inducing sidekicks

They’resilent film stars who for the first time feel like actual protagonists.

“This movie has so muchfor people whowerekidswhenthey first encountered theMinions,” saysMeledandri. “More than any previous Minion movie, it incorporates all of that wonderful silliness of the Minions but it’salso a terrific story.”

Even after seven films and more than $5 billioninbox office, the Minions are still revealing themselves to Coffin. They were,inthe first place, a product of evolution. For “Despicable Me,” they were first designed like hulking thugs, then more like robots, then more like mole men.

Coffin, Chris Renaud and art director Eric Guillonkept refining. Addinsome goggles, overalls and nameslike Stuart andKevin and, bingo: movie history

Howtospeak Minionese

Yetgiven that the Minions are impossibletounderstood, except for aword or two, they make for trickyprotagonists. Handthem over to anew boss, and you risk making the Minions second bananasagain. At the same time, long sections of uninterrupted Minionese can grow tiresome without some human interpreter

“If it’stoo long and annoying to theear,wejustkill it,” Coffinsays. “All of these movies, we do until we find the little formula.”

Even just writing for the Minions isn’ta clear process. Coffin, whovoices all the Minions, is accustomedtoimprovisingtheir dialogue back and forth.(Forthe first “Minions” movie, he’d begin his mornings with two hours alone with amicrophone before commuting to the studio.) Putting pen to papercame less naturally “Briandidn’tknowhow to write them,” Coffin says. “He tried writing gibberish. Itoldhim, ‘Don’t write gibberish. Idon’tunderstand what they’re saying. Let’s write them in English.’ It took us awhile to establish that dumb thing.”

Coffin can sound almost parentalabout the Minions.

The characters he gave voiceto aren’tjust in the movies. They’re like mascots for Illumination, generated billions in merchandising. Not every treatment nails their singularnature In writing “Minions &Monsters,”Coffin wanted to think aboutthe origins of friendships. He begansurveying people about how they mettheir best friends. Many of the replies inevitably went back to when someonewas 8or10yearsold.

“Thatmadeitveryclear to us: The Minions are kids,” Coffins says.

“I discovered that on this movie. It dawnedonme. They’re irresponsible, they don’tlisten, they makeamess, they don’tlisten to authority.Fromthatmomentonward, it was very easy.”

FILEPHOTO By J.N. PITTS

hot rock salt at Antoine’s

STAFFFILE PHOTO

Chef Paul Prudhomme and Margaret Orrin1985.

STAFF FILEPHOTO

Emeril Lagasse in his first restaurant, Emeril’s, in 1993.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

Chez Helene chef Austin Leslie at work in hisTreme restaurant in itsoriginal location, at 1536 N. Robertson St., in 1988.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ILLUMINATION/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

lmmakers. Alongside Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, theytry

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,July 5, the 186thday of 2026. Thereare 179 days left in theyear

TodayinHistory:

On July 5, 1996, Dolly the sheep, the first mammalcloned from an adult somatic cell by scientists at the RoslinInstitute at the University of Edinburgh, wasborn.

Also on this date:

In 1687, Isaac Newton first publishedhis Principia Mathematica,a three-volume worksettingout his mathematical principles of naturalphilosophy

In 1811,Venezuela became the first South Americancountry to declareindependence from Spain.

In 1852, Frederick Douglass deliveredhis speech “Whattothe Slave is the Fourth of July?” atCorinthianHallinRochester, NewYork.

In 1865, the Secret ServiceDivision ofthe U.S. TreasuryDepartment wasfounded in Washington, D.C., withthe mission of suppressingcounterfeit currency.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor RelationsAct.

In 1937, Hormel introduced acanned meat product called Spam; more than 9billion cans have been sold since

In 1940,during World WarII, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke off diplomatic relations

In 1943, the Battle of Kursk began during World WarII; in the weeksthat followed, the Soviets wereable to repeatedlyrepel theGermans, who eventually withdrewindefeat.

In 1946, the modern bikini, designedbyFrenchmanLouis Reard, was first modeled in Paris.

In 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with theCleveland Indians,becoming the first Blackplayerinthe American League three months after Jackie Robinson broke thecolor barrierin theNational League.

In 1954, Elvis Presley recorded his first single, “That’sAll Right,” at Sun StudioinMemphis, Tennessee

In 1971,President Richard Nixon certified the26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, whichlowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.

In 1975, Arthur Ashe becamethe first Blackman to win aWimbledon singles title, defeating Jimmy Connors

In 1977, Pakistan’sarmy,led by General Mohammad Zia ulHaq, seized power from President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

In 1980, Bjorn Borg became the firstmaleplayer to win five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles.

In 1994, Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos as an online marketplace for books.

In 2011, ajury in Orlando,Florida,found Casey Anthony,25, notguiltyofmurder,manslaughterand child abuse in the2008 disappearanceand death ofher 2-year-olddaughter, Caylee.

In 2013, Pope Francis cleared twoofthe 20th century’smost influential popes to become saintsinthe Roman Catholic Church, approving amiracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waivingVatican rules to honorPope JohnXXIII. Today’sBirthdays: Julie Nixon Eisenhower is 78. Rockstar Huey Lewis is 76. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage is 75.NFL Hall of Fame receiver JamesLofton is 70.Cartoonist Bill Watterson (“Calvin and Hobbes”)is68. Singer-songwriter MarcCohnis67. Actor Edie Falco is 63. Actor Kathryn Erbe is 61.Actor Michael Stuhlbargis58. RapperRZA is 57. Author Gary Shteyngart is 54. R&B singerJoe is 53.RapperRoyce da 5’9” is 49. International Tennis HallofFamer Amelie Mauresmo is 47. Actor Ryan Hansen is 45. Country musicianDaveHaywood (Lady A) is 44. Actor Danay Garciais42. Retired soccer player Megan Rapinoe is 41. ActorJasonDolleyis35. LosAngelesDodgerspitcher anddesignated hitterShoheiOhtani is 32.

Delete theemails, notthe friendships

Dear Miss Manners: It is like acompulsion for manypeople to forward emails they’ve received, usually filled withjokes and such. To my surprise, manyseem to enjoy those emails.

Istopped everybody from forwarding me thoseemails by tellingthem the truth: If Iwant jokes, Iwill buy abook of jokes. Ihave TV sets, radios, newspapers and all kinds of ways Ican get thelatest news from around the world. Ialso have acomputer that gives me everything Iwant and need, but when Iwant and need it

Someofmyfriends were surprised at mydecision. “Oh, but my jokes are SO funny!” they tell me, but Inever lost an interesting correspondent by tellingthem not to send me anyforwarded messages. Idelete them right away

GentleReader: So you already have asolution. Youjust want toadmonish your humorless friends and boast about how dispensable they are?

Yes, thepractice of forwarding these emails can be annoying. But

if that is your test forgood companionship, Miss Manners fears you will have alonely lifeofcensoring everyone you know Because badtaste in humor (or moreaccurately,taste that is somethingother than your own) is not just confined to inboxes, but to all social situations, even (especially) familial ones. Onewould think it would be easier just to humor the humorless and quietly delete their emails, rather than obliterate the relationship with their senders. Dear Miss Manners: My partner,Derek, our lady friend, Jessica, and Idined at a highly renowned restaurant in the big city. The waitstaffwas young and attractive, the silverware was clean, and the food was attractively displayed when we wereserved. Derek and Jess each had adrink, Ihad water,and the bill came to somethingjust south of $200.

My companions are used to fine dining, but Iwas shocked when the food was delivered. It waslike a joke—the plate wasnearly empty The“meal” wasartfully prepared, probably with rare and desirable

ingredients, but after dinner,I went to areal restaurant and got a cheeseburger It’s not my inclination to makea scene when we’re out having anice time, so Ididn’t, but if we ever go “fine dining” again, what are my rights as acustomer? Should Ihave sent the plate back to the kitchen and told them to put somereal food on it?

Gentle Reader: Youalready know the answer to that.

“Fine dining” is often synonymouswith pretentiousness and sadly,the joke is on us when the portions are laughably small —if no doubt artfully prepared and sustainably sourced.

Miss Manners suggests that next timearestaurant like this one is suggested, you look up the menu (and accompanying pictures) online beforehand. At least that way you can be prepared —either by suggesting somewhere else or by eating hearty appetizers beforehand.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com or to heremail, dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Dear Heloise: Imake calls for work concerning client requests, and somenumbers now have an app that screens all calls. This starts after waiting for the voicemail. Youhave to give aname, a reason for the call, or aphone number, then wait some morewhile alist is checked. Then, if you’re on the list, it goes to voicemail. Noneofthis is efficient,as it wastes my time andalso ties up your phone. The person can see who’scalling, and they don’thave to answer.Not all calls are spam. This isn’trespectful to people you’ve given your number to. —Ann, via email Ann, this may seem tobeanannoyance to you, but thegeneral public is tired of spamcalls. Ican tell you that when I’m sittingatmy

desk during working hours, it’snot uncommon to get between 10-11 spam calls in one day Thank heavens my phone alerts me to thesespam calls, and Iignore them. While I’m not thrilled by the system you’ve written about, Ican certainly understand it. —Heloise Disposingofshreddedpaper

Dear Heloise: Regarding Anni’sletter,Icalled 311 (the city helpline) in Houston about recycling shredded paper.Iwas told to empty the shredded paper into apaper bag, staple it shut, then put it in the recycle bin. —Linda S.,via email Shampoobars

Dear Heloise: Abar of shampoo that is packaged in acardboard box saves our planet from moreplastic. Ifound this product during COVID, and I’ll never buy aplastic bottle of shampoo again. Even my hairconditioner comes

in abar.The best part is that it saves me money because these bars, when used properly,last fora while. —B., in Prairie du Sac,Wisconsin

Markingwineglasses

Dear Heloise: We keep cute little flower suction cups to stick on our glasses to identifythem during the day

They’re in different colors, and my husband and Ihave aparticular one that we use all the time and different ones to give company Ialso have cute little glass ornaments on metal rings that will fit around awine glass stem so that when Ihave company,each person has their own wine glass. They can refill it, leave it somewhere, and know which one it is. This way,weonly have to wash the glasses at the end of the day —Emily M., in Kingwood,Texas Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.

Hints from Heloise

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

MADE TO MA

EXPERIENCE

From roller rinkstolaundromats, Bywatercompany builds memorablemarketing installations at festivals, sporting events,more

IDEAS INNOVATION &

“Wewant to continue to push the boundaryof what’spossible in the time that you’re given to build something. Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen some amazing advances in technology, and I want Raventobe the leader.”

CHRIS BERENDS, Ravenco-founder

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

For the last two years, the half-millionattendees of theLollapalooza summer music festivalinChicago’s Grant Park have been treated to anew feature: abright red Coca-Cola-branded pop-up rollerskating rink, complete witha DJ booth, cubbiesfull of skates and plenty of frosty soda cans.

The marketing ploy was thebrainchild of Coke and Live Nation Experiential, an in-house division of the globalcompanythatowns thefestival. But the rink itself was built about athousand miles south —inNew Orleans’Bywaterneighborhood —byRavenPMG, an under-the-radar Louisianabusiness that’s found success in the $130 billion and growing experiential marketing industry Operating out of awarehouse on Montegut Street, not far from wherethe train tracks cross St.Claude Avenue, Ravenisaspecialty fabrication company that designs, builds, ships and installs elaborate temporary structures used to promote productsand brands at festivals, sporting events and conventions while giving attendeesa shady place to sip adrink, use the bathroom or get agreat view of whatever action is going on outside.

The private company,which was founded more than a decade ago but grewdramatically afterthe pandemic, ä See EXPERIENCE, page 2E

AirProductsdecisionpointsto

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

On the same day last week that Air Products announced it was scrapping plans for its $4.5 billion “clean” hydrogen plant in Ascension Parish, which would have captured carbon emissions andstoredthemunderground,ExxonMobil canceledoffshore leases in the Gulf it had acquired for potential carbon-capture projects. Twoweeks earlier, Houston-based SunGas Renewablesdropped itsplans for a$2.4 billion plant in central Louisiana that alsohad acarboncapture and sequestration component. And in February,aHoustonfirm that had been planning a$9.2 billion clean energy project at the Port of Greater

Baton Rouge since 2020 was acquired by aSilicon Valley company thathas shelved the project —GrönFuels —for the foreseeablefuture,ifnot altogether Takentogether, theprojectstotaled more than$15 billion in planned investmentsinthe state andpromised hundreds of permanentnew jobs,thoughLouisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois saidnone of them was among the $110 billionworth of new capital spending that Louisiana has secured since 2024. Still, therecent decisions raise questions about the futureofan industrial boom in thestate that was predicated, at leastinpart, on state and federal policies that incentivizedcom-

Barfield

RavenPMG executiveJosh Beck holds a3D-printed hippohead at the New Orleans warehouse.

TOP: Workers build a structure made out of shipping containers, steel and other materials at Raven.

LEFT: A walk-in disco ballisput in storage.

panies to reduce their carbon footprint by capturing emissions and burying themunderground. Those policies, under President Donald Trump, are changing, at atime when Gov.Jeff Landry’s administration has pausedpermittingfor new carboninjection wells amidgrowing environmental concerns from local communities. “Wethought therenaissance wasgoing to be this energy transformation,” said Tim Barfield, president andCEO of Baton Rouge-based consulting firmCSRS, which was working with the developersofthe Grön Fuels project.“Someofthose projectshave

ä See ENERGY, page 2E

STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON Air Products crewawaitadetonation on LakeMaurepas in Akers during ademonstration in 2022.

STAFFPHOTOSBySOPHIAGERMER

JCPenney building

listed for sale

The Florida real estate company that bought the JCPenney store in Acadiana Mall in 2019 has put it up for sale.

Out of the Box Ventures has put the 122,512-square foot mall anchor space and adjacent parking up for sale and is asking for $1.4 million, according to the listing posted by Elifin Realty

Out of the Box Ventures, a subsidy of Miami-based real estate investment firm Lionheart Capital, bought the building in 2019 from the JCPenney Corp for $750,302 and leased it back to the retailer, court records show The initial lease was for five years with two options to extend it another five years, records show

The owner and JCPenney were subject to a lien filed in 2020 for failing to pay for $1,310 to a Texas company that performed HVAC work on the building, court records show. The lien was lifted in 2021.

The JCPenney location made a list of company store closures in 2020, but company officials reversed course on it and two others in Louisiana.

The retailer has closed five stores this year with another expected to follow suit, reports indicate.

EXPERIENCE

Continued from page 1E

oversees nearly 200 installations — or “experiences,” in industry parlance annually for major events like Lollapalooza the World Cup, Bonnaroo and Essence Festival of Culture. It works for roughly 100 brands or agencies, including Live Nation’s in-house team. It has about 70 full-time employees, and contractors swell that number to well over 100 during busy seasons. Depending on the scale and complexity of the work involved, Raven will charge as little as $10,000 to more than $1 million for a project. The company declined to provide its annual revenues but says the number quadrupled over a three-year period after the pandemic.

It’s an impressive trajectory for a venture that began by providing sound systems for concerts at New Orleans bars. Raven co-founder Chris Berends said that success owes much to the company’s Louisiana roots, which have informed its ability to make massive events more fun.

“At the end of the day, we want to build something that when someone attends an event, they want more of it, whether it’s a tequila drink or a ticket to the next festival,” he said during an interview last week.

To the big time

Larose native James Dufrene founded Raven in 2009 primarily to provide audio production at New Orleans events. Three years later he forged a professional bond with future business partners Berends and Mélinda Cohen while designing stages, lighting and sound systems on a shoestring budget for the fledgling BUKU Music + Art Project, an electronic music event that was active from 2012 to 2022. In 2015, Berends and Cohen joined Raven full-time as the company pivoted to focus on fabrication. Early New Orleans successes for the trio included a project to promote a Disney video game at the Voodoo music festival and another marketing Mountain Dew during the 2017 NBA All-Star weekend.

The company continued to grow through the end of the decade, moving its headquarters several times along the way, graduating from what was essentially a storage space underneath the Eiffel Tower building on St. Charles Avenue to a series of warehouses in town before moving to its current location in 2019. During the pandemic, which brought events-based marketing to a halt, Raven pivoted to using its fleet of 18-wheelers to haul loads for customers outside of the entertainment industry Then, after the lockdown — when attendance at festivals, concerts, sports events and other gatherings skyrocketed

AOC Community Media hires executive director

AOC Community Media has named Jamie Angelle as its executive director

Angelle, who was deputy chief of staff under former Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Josh Guillory, will lead the 45-year-old organization that serves as Lafayette’s public access media.

The board selected Angelle for his experience in journalism, government and civic engagement, AOC President John Pastor said. Angelle has worked with TV stations KADN and KATC along with KPEL radio.

“We are confident that Jamie’s vision and experience will strengthen AOC’s role as a leader in digital media arts, community broadcasting, media education, and civic engagement throughout Acadiana,” Pastor said.

Angelle replaces Michael Messerly, who resigned last year

Shane’s Famous Quesadilla Burgers closes

A Lafayette restaurant that sprang from a food truck started by a former University of Louisiana at Lafayette football player has shut its doors.

Shane’s Famous Quesadilla Burgers, 3822 W. Congress St., closed Friday

“To every customer, employee, friend, and family member who supported us along the way thank you,” owner Shane Vallot wrote in a Facebook post announcing the closure “Your love and support meant more than you’ll ever know.”

The restaurant opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2023 in a small space at 803 W. Pinhook Road before moving to its current space, which had previously housed Smitty’s Wings.

Vallot, a Comeaux High School graduate who walked on to the Cajuns football team as an offensive lineman, opened Shane’s Cheesy Mac Bar, 1043 Johnston St., last year That restaurant closed recently after it was damaged by fire.

Vallot started in 2022 when he opened Big Thane’s food truck. Pizza sales slump so far in 2026, report shows

Pizza restaurants have taken the biggest hits in the restaurant industry so far this year one report shows.

The 2026 Mid-Year Market Report issued by Consumer Edge, a national consumer research firm, tabbed quick-serve pizza outlets as the biggest loser with year-overyear consumer spending down about 6%.

The Lafayette area has followed that trend. At least seven pizza

places have closed since last year, including the Pizza Amore location in Carencro last month.

The report blamed the prevalence of customers taking GLP-1 drugs and a growing awareness around calorie intake and portion control.

“Increasingly health-conscious diners are trading down to smaller pies or trading out to lighter, higher-perceived-healthy alternatives,” the report read.

Pizza Amore’s closure followed others, including two Pizza Hut locations in Lafayette, the Pizza Artista in Broussard and the Blaze Pizza in Lafayette near Costco.

Home Bank announces split in leadership roles

Home Bancorp, the parent company of Lafayette-based Home Bank, named a president after splitting the position from CEO John Bordelon. Bank officials announced the move to name Darren E. Guidry previously the bank’s chief risk officer, as president while Bordelon will remain as CEO and board chair Bank officials said the move will enhance Home Bank’s leadership structure by allowing the CEO to remain focused on overall corporate strategy, capital planning and shareholder relations. The president will lead daily business opera-

shipping them to events using a flat-packing system that’s like IKEA on steroids.

In an open area outside the factory workers applied finishes to a twostory VIP lounge, secondfloor viewing platform and garden promoting a national bank that will be installed at the Minnesota Yacht Club music festival this July in St. Paul. Elsewhere, team members worked on projects for other clients, including a liquor company, several clothing manufacturers, a doughnut and coffee chain, and a mouthwash maker

ENERGY

Continued from page 1E

tions and execution of its strategic priorities.

Guidry who had been chief risk officer since October 2022, will work with the bank’s executive leadership team to drive performance across the organization while maintaining a strong discipline in credit quality, risk management and customer service.

“Darren Guidry is a highly respected leader with deep knowledge of our business, strong commitment to our customers, employees, shareholders and communities,” Bordelon said.

Catalyst Bank acquisition gets shareholder OK

Opelousas-based Catalyst Bank has gained shareholder approval to move forward with its acquisition of a Sulphur-based bank. Lakeside Bank’s shareholders approved the merger with Catalyst and all required regulatory approvals have been obtained for the deal, bank officials announced.

The merger is expected to close July 14.

Lakeside Bank has four locations in Calcasieu Parish and ended 2025 with $385.7 million in assets, $236.3 million in loans and $287.5 million in deposits Once combined, the two banks are expected to have $627.3 million in assets, $399.9 million in loans and $470.0 million in deposits.

dropped down on the priority list because of broader, macroeconomic factors.”

“I do think it will come back,” he said. “Maybe not with the same kind of vigor and blind optimism we had at one time but eventually.”

Different priorities

Nearly two decades ago, as a growing body of research established the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, the federal government began offering federal tax credits to companies that lowered their carbon footprint by capturing and storing carbon dioxide.

President Joe Biden’s administration expanded the program in an effort to boost projects that would limit the impacts of climate change That led to the proliferation of carbon capture and sequestration projects along the Gulf Coast.

Though Trump has not done away with the tax credits in his second term, he has questioned the effects of human activity on climate change and focused on increasing traditional fossil fuel production, shifting the focus away from low-carbon projects.

low carbon methanol facility planned for a former paper mill in central Louisiana, SunGas blamed several factors for its decision not to move forward. Among them: “slower-than-expected market adoption of low carbon methanol, uncertainty regarding the carbon capture and storage pathway for the project and clarity on the available regulatory support and financing conditions needed to support a project of this scale.”

Grön Fuels, a low-carbon project planned for the west bank of Baton Rouge that would have used soybean and canola oil, tallow and used cooking oil to produce renewable diesel fuel was put on the back burner after the Houston firm behind the project, Fidelis Energy, was acquired by California-based Nscale.

Though Nscale did not say outright that it is canceling the project, a release announcing the Fidelis acquisition said the deal would enable Nscale to focus on artificial intelligence data center construction.

Barfield, who worked with Fidelis on the Grön project for more than five years, said the country’s energy industry is in a different place than it was in 2020, with different priorities and mandates.

— Raven grew as well.

“People were clamoring for real experiences,” Berends said. “Audiences wanted to touch grass again and build relationships with brands in a more realistic way and not just get hammered by digital trash.”

Promoting brands

Experiential marketing is nothing new Think of the world’s fairs from the 19th century, when companies assembled pavilions to unveil innovations like electric lights and washing machines.

But the industry is operating at a different gear this decade, as marketers and brands look to build consumer trust by connecting with audiences at big events like Formula 1 races, the Super Bowl, the World Cup and scores of big music festivals. At those gatherings companies compete to create memorable experiences, hoping for exposure at the event plus coverage on traditional media and social media during and after The Wall Street Journal reported last year that advertisers’ interest in experiential and live marketing surged after the pandemic, with spending in 2024 increasing 10.5% year-overyear to $128.35 billion globally, surpassing 2019’s pre-pandemic spending of $121.87 billion

This marketing arms race has led to increasingly elab-

orate “activations,” to use the industry jargon.

In addition to the temporary roller-skating rink, Raven has created a pop-up laundromat promoting the South Korean electronics company LG. The activation debuted in 2018 at Bonnaroo, the Tennessee music festival. Last year the company built a movable mansion for Live Nation Experiential to promote the Mexican tequila brand Patron. The structure recently named “best festival activation” by an industry publication, debuted at Lollapalooza and has since made the rounds.

This summer, Raven workers are putting the finishing touches on a free airbrush station to promote a T-shirt brand. The company’s list of creative builds also includes a 35-foot-tall steel middle finger that shoots fire, dragons that spray water and a temporary tattoo parlor

“The space has become more and more competitive and impressive,” Berends said.

Busy workspace

Raven PMG’s Bywater manufacturing facility was bustling with activity recently as metal workers, carpenters and scenic artists finished building several structures using repurposed shipping containers and other materials. Employees assemble all projects completely at the factory before taking them apart and

The scene looked like a combination of what you’d see at one of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras float-building studios and its many industrial manufacturing facilities. Berends said that’s because Raven’s strength is pulling talent from many of the state’s industries, including artists from Bywater, carpenters and electricians with backgrounds in film production, construction pros, transportation industry vets, and a healthy contingent from “down the bayou.”

“There’s a heavy Cajun component to our business,” Berends said. “The build methodology for our steel structures really reflects that identity, because all of these guys are coming from the shipping industry or the oil field.”

Berends said those skillsets help Raven provide turnkey service and keep up with competitors as the experiential marketing industry continues to chase innovation.

“We want to continue to push the boundary of what’s possible in the time that you’re given to build something,” he said. “In 2005, you would have a tent with a folding table and someone giving out shots. Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen some amazing advances in technology, and I want Raven to be the leader.”

Email Rich Collins at rich.collins@ theadvocate.com.

At the same time, the global market for lower carbon products like the so-called “blue” ammonia that Air Products planned to make in Ascension Parish has chilled somewhat, experts say, reducing the demand.

Closer to home, Landry has given credence to concerns about the impact carbon injection wells could have on aquifers and communities near where they’re located, imposing a moratorium on new well permits in 2025.

The combination of factors, experts say is making some companies rethink decisions they made several years ago.

“It’s fair to say that that regulatory uncertainty has been one of the factors that contributed to some of these projects maybe not moving forward,” said Greg Upton, executive director of the LSU Energy Institute. Instability, unpredictability

While regulatory uncertainty impacted each of the recently canceled or shelved clean energy projects once planned for Louisiana each project also faced unique circumstances.

As far back as last year, Air Products indicated to investors it was it was looking to sell off the ammonia and carbon-capture components of its project to focus on its core business of transporting and selling industrial gases.

Last week, its Norwegian partner in the deal announced that it would not acquire the ammonia component of Air Products’ Louisiana project, citing low projected financial returns. In the case of Beaver Lake, the proposed wood fiber-to-

“There is more geopolitical instability, there is more unpredictability, the world was moving in one direction and now it is swinging back the other way,” he said. “Some of these projects that were good projects may have missed their window.” Changing dynamics?

LED’s Bourgeois cautions against drawing too many parallels between recent company decisions and said the state’s energy policy is not based on carbon capture and sequestration.

“We have an all-of-the above energy strategy and carbon capture was never the driver of that,” she said “It was a valuable component but I do not think the dynamics are changing as much as people think they are.” To that point, on the same day Air Products canceled its project, a $2 billion renewable diesel project planned for Caldwell Parish in north Louisiana received a permit from the state to inject captured carbon in several deep underground wells. The project was one of several to have applied for permits before Landry’s moratorium last year

Bourgeois said while lowcarbon projects may be on the back burner at the moment, she doesn’t think they’re dead.

“I still think that is the longer play,” Bourgeois said. “But when the Strait of Hormuz is closed, people quit worrying about sustainable jet fuel and just start worrying about jet fuel.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Raven PMG, which operates out of warehouse near the Mississippi River in New Orleans, is a specialty fabrication company that designs, builds, ships and installs elaborate temporary structures used to promote products and brands at festivals, sporting events and conventions nationwide.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Hacienda Patrón, constructed by New Orleans-based Raven PMG for Live Nation Experiential, is a temporary structure that has made appearances at several major festivals since debuting in 2025 at Lollapalooza The ‘moveable mansion’ — built using a combination of specialized steel construction and scenic carpentry — has space for a DJ, a bar and views of the festivities outside.

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Biomedical corridor touted as best hope for city’s future

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

When Tulane University

Kopplin

announced last month it had reached an agreement to take control of the long-stalled effort to redevelop the former Charity Hospital downtown, Andy Kopplin was among those cheering the most.

Since 2016, Kopplin has served as president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, backer of the BioDistrict, which would bring together hospitals, research and teaching institutions to reinvigorate downtown and stimulate the economy A reimagined Charity Hospital is a key part of the plan.

Kopplin has decades of experience bridging the gap between government, business and nonprofits. He assumed the reins at GNOF after serving as former Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s chief administrative officer

His CV also includes stints as a senior adviser to Teach for America, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and chief of staff for Govs. Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster In this week’s Talking Business, Kopplin discusses the role GNOF has played in the creation of the BioDistrict, why it matters and what he sees as New Orleans’ biggest opportunities — and challenges.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity

We’ve been talking about a biomedical corridor downtown for 30

years, but there’s still not much to show for it.What is the problem?

The BioDistrict was created (by the state) in 2005 before Katrina but didn’t have any money. It got some one-time funding in 2008 but nothing after that Then, in 2018, the GNOF board made a generational commitment to get behind the idea of a redeveloped Charity So, we did a strategic plan that talked about everything that could flow from that — small-business development, entrepreneurship, increased research, reactivating that section of downtown.

Part of the plan called for creating an economic development entity a publicprivate partnership — that would lead the way We started working on that and

invested resources in getting the BioDistrict back up and secured funding from the city and the state. So, we really feel that from 2018 to today, the biggest champion of the BioDistrict, hopefully anchored now by Charity, is GNOF

How much money does the district have now? What is it actually doing?

Between now and 2040, the district is eligible to receive up to $40 million from the city through tax increment financing, and the state will match up to $25 million. So, we have the ability to earn up to that amount assuming there is incremental sales tax revenue generated in that area. But there’s not much around there yet, so where does the revenue come from?

Not yet, but the new Trad-

er Joe’s on Tulane Avenue is in the district, and it has been a significant generator of sales taxes, so that has been a real boost We actually got our very first funds at the end of 2025, about $1 million in all.

What have y’all spent it on?

We spent some on an immediate beautification effort, landscaping the area. We also have been investing through the New Orleans Bioinnovation Center (a nonprofit business incubator on the edge of the BioDistrict), helping researchers get seed funding to develop new companies based upon their research.

Why does this have the power to be so transformative?

When you look at other cities around the country, you can see how this works.

Pittsburgh is one example. It has done some really impressive things, transforming the old industrial district into a medical district, thanks to the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Of course, there’s Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which has spawned countless tech companies. And from a medical district standpoint, Birmingham (Alabama) is a good example of a city that has become a hub of worldclass medicine in just one generation. There is no reason we cannot do that here.

But, again, this requires a lot of cooperation among rival teaching institutions that have not really collaborated over the years.

Thirty years ago, they did not. During Mike Foster’s administration, my job was to negotiate a détente between LSU and TU. What is different today is that the leadership of these institutions now recognize that as a small region, we have to work together to punch above our weight. Today there is more collaboration than there has ever been, and I think the BioDistrict’s work has advanced that because it includes Tulane, LSU, Delgado, Ochsner, Xavier, LCMC and folks appointed by the mayor Why is GNOF, a community foundation, doing this kind of place-based work?

Because if you look at the biggest challenges facing this community, it is economic development. We cannot address the dis-

parities in our city without growing our economy New Orleans, if it is going to be successful, has to grow, and we have to grow in a way that enables all our folks to benefit. There seems to be an optimism in New Orleans around the new mayor How much of that is grounded in real, positive change that is actually happening?

There is a lot of reason to be optimistic. Tulane’s research investments are the biggest untold economic development story of the past decade. They are bringing in $100 million more a year to New Orleans than they were a decade ago — net new money to the region. There is excitement around the BioDistrict. And several big projects are finally moving forward. The NSA apartments in Bywater is under construction. Lindy Boggs is being knocked down. The River District is activated, and the Shell Building is beautiful and

Email

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

University signs surround Charity Hospital in New Orleans on June 23. Tulane is

ACROSS THE REGION

Meta mayhaveasolutionfor La.workforce challenges

BY IANNE SALVOSA and STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writers

In early June, Meta identified BatonRouge as the siteofthe first class of America’sWorkforce Academy,aprogram training people how to build artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers. As the tech giant invests billions of dollars in the AI boom, including amassive ongoing project in RichlandParish, the academy signals an intensifying need to fill worker gaps in the skilled trades Trainings will be hosted at the Asso ciate d Builders and Contractors Pelican Chapter training center,o n Highland Road in the southeast corner of East Baton Rouge Parish,this fall.

“For years, we’ve talked about workforce shortages in the construction industry, and Ithink this partnership represents exactly the kind of innovative collaboration that we need.”

DAVID HALVESTON, Associated Builders and Contractors Pelican Chapter CEO

ABC Pelican Chapter Presidentand CEO David Halveston said the academy has already received thousands of applicants. It’s free of charge to participants, who will receive a stipend and aguaranteed job with aMeta contractorfollowing completion of the four-tofive-week training program.

ABC Pelican has trained students on the craft trades since the early 1980s buthas not seen afully funded, large-scalepartnership like this before, Halveston said. The program, which is still under development, will be unique to ABC duetoits short-term, accelerated format. Though many industriesin the state have struggledwith recruit-

Leaders at GrowNELA, the northeast Louisiana economic development

artificialintelligence data center in Richland Parish is helping to create alarger

thatwill serve not only the Meta data center but projects throughout the region.

ingand retaining employees, Halveston saidthe academy’s promise of employment will make the difference. Demandfor trades workers in the U.S. increased by double digits from 2022 to 2026, according to consultingfirm Randstad.

“For years, we’ve talked about workforce shortages in the construction industry,and Ithink this partnership represents exactlythe kind of innovative collaboration that we need,”Halveston said.

Backlash,opportunity

The announcement comes as state and local governments

around the country are beginning to push back against therapid proliferation of AI data centers, which use massive amounts of electricity andwater to power super computers andhavedriven up utilityrates in many communities where they operate.

Even Louisiana, whichcourted Metatwo years ago with agenerous incentive package, recently imposedwhatGov.Jeff Landry’s administrationdescribedas guardrails intended to shield ratepayers from being saddled with highercosts because of Meta’s power needs. Critics have also pointed out that

while AI data center construction can create an economic boom in a region, as it has in northeast Louisiana, fueling land deals, spawning new retail establishment andcreatingthousandsofconstruction jobs, theeffects are temporary Oncethe construction work is over,the communitymay be left with empty mancamps, dollar storesand only afew hundred fulltime jobs.

Anew study by Dutch-basedfinancial consulting firm ING, which specifically mentions theHolly Ridge project, says as AI data centers grow ever larger,communities have an opportunity to turn

short-termactivityinto longerterm economic gains.

The key is to transition from beinga construction hub to part of a“broaderAIecosystem,” which could include partnerships with nearby colleges to support R&D, train skilled labor,and facilitate AI adoption among local companies, according to the report.

Leaders at Grow NELA, the northeast Louisianaeconomicdevelopment partnership, believe the Richland Parish data center already is helping to create alarger logistics hub in nearby Monroe that will servenot onlythe Meta data center but projects throughout the region.

They point to several companies that haverelocated to the area signing long-term leases forwarehouse space to provide mechanical and electrical supplies and equipmenttodata center projects.

“These are notthree-year leases,” Grow NELA President and CEO Rob Cleveland said earlier this year.“These are companies making a20-year commitment to the community.”

Construction fundamentals

Halveston believes the new Meta training program at the ABC training center is an important first step in preparing local workers forwhat economic development boosters hope will materializeinthe months andyears to come.

The curriculum will include fundamentals like safety and construction mathand introductions to crafttrades like electrical and plumbing work. The goal is to prepare students, who are notrequiredtohaveconstruction experience, to entera work site after thetraining andcontinue on with aconstruction career after their project with Meta.

Classsizeistobedetermined, but Meta projectsthe academyto train thousands.

“This is just thefirst step of their career in construction,” Halvestonsaid.

Good evening! Apair of important stories forthis week’shighlight:

1) Violent crimeinNew Orleanshas fallen to itslowestlevel since the1960’s TheNew Orleans PoliceDepartmentrecorded 38 murdersthrough June25, representing oneofthe lowest year-to-date totalsthe city hasseen in decades. If this paceholds, NewOrleans will finish 2026 with about 78 murders, nearly matching the 76 recorded in 1969. Violent crime has fallen dramatically in allother categories, as well.

Four yearsago this month,the NOLA Coalition wasfounded to combat awaveof deadlyviolence in NewOrleans, andtoinvestinour children fora betterfuture. Since thattime, themurder rate has fallen 74%.

NewOrleans’improvementisabout 60% betterthan thenational average.Multiple factorsare driving this remarkable improvement, including: courageous first responders, broad civic action, proactiveand precisionpolicing, cooperation between city,state,and federal agencies, andtechnology andanalytics. Thenext step forsafetywillbethe use of first-responder drones,which arenow employed from NewYork City to Nashville to California;inJefferson Parish,first-responder drones have reduced response times to 90 seconds.

June2022 -June2026

•Homicides- 74%decline

•Shootings-64% decline

•Carjackings- 78% decline

•Armed Robber 66%decline

2) Tulaneannoun

Aftersitting vacan

Working

“This is asignificant step forwardin what would be thelargest andmost consequentialeffortofits kindinthe history of Tulaneand perhaps in the history of NewOrleansitself,” said

TulanePresident Michael Fitts.

Project Details

•650,000+ squarefeet devotedtoTulaneeducation, health,research, andinnovation, including newhomes forthe CeliaScott WeatherheadSchool of PublicHealthand Tropical Medicineand theTulane University InnovationInstitute

•700 researchers, innovators, andsupportstaff concentrated in asingle building, creating oneofthe largesthealthand biomedical research clusters in theGulf South

•Residential, retail, andcommunity spaceoccupying theremaining one-thirdof theone-million-square-foot structure

•Constructionstartsbeforeend of 2026, with completionexpectedin2029

•The project is projected to generatea$1.2 billion one-time economic impact on Louisiana’s economy, create approximately 7,300construction-phase jobs, andproduce2,400 permanent newjobs once complete

Youcan read more here

ospital

Lastweek, TulaneUniversity ent to become lead of thetransfo tonabuilding thecity has been tr

GNO,Inc.has longsupportedBioDistrictNew Orleans andthe broader innovation economyanchoredinthe medical corridor,including theTulaneUniversity InnovationInstitute. Theredevelopment of CharityHospital notonlyturbocharges theBioDistrict but moreover promisestorevitalize an urban “blindspot” intoamajor economicand civic catalyst forthe city andregion

Finally,aspecialtip of thehat to Chalmette,St. Bernard’sown Mitchell Robinson, whohelped theNew York Knickswin theirfirstNBA championship since,well, there were actualknickerbockers in NYC. June25was Mitchell RobinsonDay in Louisiana.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

partnership, saythe development of an

logistics hub in nearbyMonroe

AREYOU A LOUISIANA BUSINESS?

SOURCE LOUISIANA is LouisianaEconomicDevelopment’s official directoryofLouisiana-based vendors, subcontractors,and suppliers. It brings Louisianacompaniestogetherinone trustedplace,helping local vendorsbeconsideredfor majorprojectsastheytakeshape across thestate

DESIGNED FORMAJOR PROJECTS

From construction andinfrastructuretoprofessionalservices, logistics, food andfacilitiessupport,large developments depend on awiderange of local partners. Source Louisianahelps project leadersidentifyqualified businesses early, so localcompaniesare includedfromthe start.

OPEN,FREE&STATEWIDE

Registration is free andopento ALL Louisiana-basedbusinesses. Companies canregister, verify informationand update profiles with currentcapabilities.

WHYITMATTERS

Earlyvisibilityhelps Louisianabusinessescompete as projectsare planned andcontracts areformed.

CONNECTLOCALLY. COMPETENATIONALLY GROW GLOBALLY.

NATION & WORLD

Gen Z shoppers energizing malls as they stroll, scroll

BY JUDITH KOHLER

The Denver Post (TNS)

Teens to 20-somethings hang-

ing out at the mall, maybe trying on clothes meeting friends at the food court or a nearby restaurant, checking out the window displays.

The scene isn’t from an ’80s movie or a flashback moment shared by millennials or baby boomers.

Many of the young people strolling while also scrolling for the latest fashion trend are members of Generation Z, ages 14 to late 20s.

And Gen Z, which grew up with the internet and smart phones, is being credited with helping to energize shopping malls that have struggled through the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of e-commerce.

Flatiron Crossing in Broomfield Colorado, is in the middle of a multimillion-dollar project outside the mall on the center’s grounds: a mixed-use development that will have housing entertainment and new places to dine. Inside the mall, new stores are being added and existing stores are being transformed.

Several of the changes are geared toward Gen Z shoppers.

“We have a Gen Z group. We sit and focus and pay attention to what we think would attract Gen Z and continue that customer experiencing the mall,” said Kate Taggart, Flatiron’s general manager Employees at Flatiron and Macerich, which owns and operates the mall, use social media to track trends and new businesses that are opening, Taggart said.

“It’s not always just going to be pure retail,” she added. “It has to be all the other aspects that make it a little more holistic of an experience.”

For instance, Macerich is looking at incorporating businesses focused on wellness and fitness to the new development, called HiFi.

“I think nationally, Gen Z represents about 19% of shoppers Here at Flatiron, we’re seeing it be about

30% of our shopper base,” Taggart said.

Macerich, which owns 36 malls across the country, told The Wall Street Journal that it is redesigning some of the centers’ common areas, making them photogenic for shoppers who want to take and post photos on social media.

Josh Weber, senior general manager of the Park Meadows mall in Lone Tree, Colorado, said it’s common to see younger shoppers in search of the right backdrop for a TikTok or Instagram post, whether in a retailer’s space or throughout the center He said shopping centers used to discourage photography and video recordings.

“Today, social sharing is a natural part of the customer journey,” Weber said in an email. “Park Meadows’ distinctive lodge-inspired design creates an environment that

photographs well, and retailers have embraced that shift by creating visually engaging store experiences and they highlight products that are trending online.”

The shopping malls that have survived and even thrived are those that have transformed themselves to offer a mix of uses to appeal to customers looking for a different experience, said Ray Wimer, a professor of retail practice at Syracuse University High-end malls, considered Class A, are doing well, Wimer said. Others, especially ones that haven’t made updates, are struggling or closing, he said.

In 2016, there were roughly 1,220 of the traditional enclosed malls in the U.S. About 890 of them were left in 2025, Wimer said. E-commerce, overbuilding and lack of investment contributed to the de-

mise of shopping centers.

“Existing malls that are in decent metropolitan areas or near an urban population are trying to redevelop or recreate themselves,” Wimer said “OK, there’s some shopping, but there’s dining, there’s entertainment, there’s condos, apartments. There’s office space.

“Instead of a retail mecca, it’s becoming a mixed-use development,” he added.

The evolution of shopping malls fits with what experts say is younger people’s craving for socializing.

About 58% of shoppers ages 1834 often or sometimes patronize malls, compared with 48% for ages 35-54 and 38% for those 55 and older according to research by Ipsos, a market research and public opinion polling firm.

Younger shoppers emphasized

socialization, convenience and physical interaction when talking about in-store experiences, Ipsos reported.

Nearly almost 50% of total Gen Z spending on general merchandise is done in stores, a 2025 report by Deloitte said. “With Gen Z’s spending power projected to reach $12 trillion by 2030, retailers should consider evolving to meet their expectations,” Deloitte advised.

“The thing with Gen Z is that they enjoy it. It’s the social experience,” Wimer said of shopping malls. “We talk about digital and how isolated people are becoming, but there’s a social dimension to shopping because you go with your friends or you go with your mom.”

And it’s instant gratification if people find what they want at the store, Wimer said.

Mattea Drake, 19, a University of Colorado-Boulder student, likes not having to wait for a purchase to arrive.

“Especially if you’re crunched on time or you see something, you’re just like, ‘Wait, I need it now I can’t wait,’ ” Drake said. “That’s a really fun aspect about the mall. It’s so accessible. You can just go in, grab it, super, super easy.” Drake often visits Flatiron Crossing, which is a short drive from Boulder She said going to the mall is “a great way to kind of unplug and hang out with my friends.” She likes touching the fabrics and trying on the clothes.

“I find things in the store that I never would have searched for online,” Drake said. “Finding my new favorite outfit is way more fun than scrolling on my phone, like I do on a day-to-day basis.”

Going to the shopping mall is almost a fresh concept for younger shoppers, said Meghan Kaltenstein, vice president of leasing at Flatiron.

“They grew up in the digital era,” Kaltenstein said. “We grew up in the mall, and then we kind of got over it. We were excited about online. Now, it’s full cycle back to that.”

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over80years We areJones Walker LLP,a firmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsenseofcommunity,and afierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor our clients.

Since1937, ourfirm hasbeencommitted to workingwithcommunityleaders to develop business opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

William H. Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000 201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100

THE DENVER POST/TNS FILE PHOTO By TIMOTHy HURST

Shoppers walk past a

Gorjana Jewelry store at a mall in Broomfield Colo.

NATION &WORLD

WorldCup Panini packssellout

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sports writer

KANSAS CITY,Mo. AdamMartin

remembers taking boxes of Panini stickers and their accompanying WorldCup albums to aFormula1 race in May,shortly after his collectibles shop had received ashipment and long before the tournament was to begin.

The idea was to give them to friends with kids. But what happened next surprised him.

“When Iwalked in with this box of cards,” Martin recalled, “hundreds of people of all creedsand cultures said something: ‘Where did you get those? How can Iget some?’ Those Panini stickers are just that iconiccollectible that goes beyond sports collectors.”

The stickers depicting players andteams in the World Cup have beenaround since 1970,whenfour Italian brothers paid $1,000 to procure the rights to produce theimages. More than 50 years later,the stickers are available in packs all over the world, and fans young andold not only purchase them but also swap among themselves, helping each other filltheirkeepsake albums.

This year’sbook is the largest ever,partly due to an enlarged 48team tournament, with 980 distinct stickers. They’vebecome sucha hot commodity that many stores are sold out, and backorders may not ship until the tournament has crowned achampion.

“We’ve sold an unbelievable amount of the stickers,” said Martin, one of the owners of Daveand Adam’sCard World, which has shops in New York and Europe.

“Wethought the order we placed months ago would be enough to tide us over,” Martin said. “We’ve

hadtoreorder twice.”

Panini had produced more than 2billion packs —each containing seven stickers —bythe start of the tournament, said Jason Howarth,the senior vice president of marketingand athlete relations forPaniniAmerica.That’squite afeatconsidering thefieldwasn’t setuntil April 1.

Most stickersare not valuable by themselves, though older ones such as the debutsofLionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo —can fetch hundreds ofdollars. The value comes in trying to fill the World Cup album.

“In European and SouthAmerican culture, completing thesticker albumissomething almost every child does at some point,” said MattBlazey, of Milton Keynes, England, whose YouTube channel featuring cards and collectibles has more than 62,000 subscribers.

“Most rediscover it in adulthood,” Blazey said,“when they realize they have adult money,which brings back allofthose memories of bringing stickers into school, showing them off to your mates and swapping them to complete the album.”

Indeed,part of the beauty of the Panini stickers is in their accessibility.Each pack only costs about $2 or 1.50 euros.

Beginning with thelastWorld Cupin Qatar,though, Panini also began producing variations with special borders that aremuch more scarce. Suddenly,stickers with red, purple or orange edges became especially sought-after, and collectorshave put huge bounties on ultrarare,black-bordered, 1-of-1s —asin, oneinthe world depicting Messi, Ronaldo, Lamine Yamaland otherbig stars.

Some industry experts believe

theblack Messi sticker alone could command $200,000 at auction.

“We’retracking and following through social media who pulls the black 1-of-1s,”Howarthsaid.

“Neymar,Leo,Ronaldo —thisis probablytheir last World Cup. What do those stickers sell for?

That’s going to be anew high mark forthe category ”

Sammi Kaewsawang hadnever participated in the World Cup album experienceuntil thisyear, when the content creator from LongBeach, California, decided to seehow long it wouldtaketo physically peel andstick all980 examples into the album.

By the time Kaewsawangfinished with Panama, thelast of his 48 teams, he’d beenatitfor about 7hours, 47 minutes.

“Now I’m on my second one, helping my fiancé’snephew complete his,” Kaewsawangsaid.

“Whatmadethe experienceso memorable wasthe people Imet

alongthe way.Trading stickers brought me together with fansof all ages.”

That is undoubtedly part of the appeal: Even though Panini has adigital collection available, the sense of community that comes from swapping your doubles for aplayer you might needbrings with it aquaint sense of nostalgia, notunlike theway American kids have collectedand traded baseball cards for generations.

Many shops help by scheduling swap meets. Panini itself has atruckatRockefeller Center in New York, where thousands have shown up in the evenings to trade. Message boards allow fans to connect anywhere in the world, and about8,000 collectorsrecently showed up at astadium in Santiago, Chile, to swap.

“I’ve made genuine new friends though this hobby,” Kaewsawang said, “and that means more than completing the collection itself.”

Even though Panini stickers have neverbeen hotter —apartnership with Coca-Cola means stickers can be found under labels of certain bottles —the company is facing theend of an era after the 2030 tournament in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

The Fanatics brand Topps will take over the rights to produce World Cup cards, stickers and other FIFAcollectibles, and it’s unclear whetherthe U.S.-based company will produce asimilar product as its Italian rival.

“Itisareal bittersweet moment,” Blazey said. “From my side,and forprobably 90%ofcollectors at the moment— more so outside theU.S., where Panini is a household name —it’saverysad momentfor this to be the end. So many people grew up collecting them,and it’s synonymouswith their childhood, so the loss of the license is very muchseen as sacrilege.”

ACADIANA INBOX

Ervin

The Louisiana man who is widely regarded as the owner of the first drive-thru daiquiri business was inducted into the Acadian Museum’s“OrderofLiving Legends.” David Ervin,who opened the Daiquiri Factory along Johnston Street in 1981,was honoredbythe Erath-based museum recently for his efforts to shape and redefine Acadian culture Ervin, who is writing amemoir about his experiences running the business, is the first personinductedfor revolutionizingthe food and drink cultureinLouisiana, said Warren Perrin, the museum’sco-founder Ervin’sstory continues to gain attention locally and nationally.Hewas subject of a2025 story by food online magazine Bon Appétit titled “An Oral History of Louisiana’s Drive-Thru Daiquiri Stands.”

The Tallulah nativeisnow livinginNew Orleans. He sold his remaining Daquiri Factorystoresin 2021 and now worksasanindependent foodscientist and retail frozen cocktail business consultant. Previous inductees include four-timeGov.Edwin Edwards, Acadian Ambulance co-founder Richard Zuschlag,folkloristand poet BarryAncelet and Grammy-nominated recording artist Jo-El Sonnier

Fourteen local graduates fromthe NationalEMS Academy’sLafayette campusearned their emergency medical techniciancertifications and are ready to answer the call in the Hub City region. Graduates from Lafayette include Aleigh Ashby, Courtney Bayone, Benjamin Bordes, AsontiJohnson, Jasmine Mitchell, Isiah Robertson, Tyler Streets and Monique Breaux

Other graduates include Ashton Dalton of Carencro, Jake Doucet of Arnaudville, Kimberly Living of Breaux Bridge, Zade Mitchell of Abbeville, Breanna Morgan of Scott and Samuel Robin of Arnaudville

Issued June 24-30

Commercial alterations

RESTAURANT: 3220Johnston St., description, shell building for new location of Chipotle Mexican Grill; applicant, SPEC; contractor, HorizonConstruction Co.;$1.2million.

STORAGE: 605 Rue de Belier, description, commercial building for Rue Storage Group; applicant andcontractor,Keith Brooks Agency; $40,000.

AEROSPACE: 2201 S.E. Evangeline Thruway,description, tenant improvements for FedEx at the Lafayette Regional Airport; applicant, Vortex Engineering; contractor, JC Construction; $325,000.

OFFICE: 412 W. University Ave., Suite 102; description none listed; applicant,Tiffany

Fool’sTake: E-commercegiant

Carolina

MercadoLibre (Nasdaq: MELI) is an e-commerce giantinthe fast-growing Latin American market that helps people acquire goodsand pay for them, too. It recently operated in 18 countries and boasted 83 million monthlyactive users. During the past 12 months, its shares were down 36%.Despite some challenges, though, there are good reasons to consider buying andholding MercadoLibre.

Forstarters, it’sgrowing briskly.Inthe first quarter, MercadoLibre’srevenue grew by 49% year over year to $8.8 billion. That’simpressive, but its profit margins andprofits declined meaningfully.Why? Well, it hasbeen facing stiff competition andhas chosen to sacrifice short-term margins and profitstoextend initiatives that may pay off handsomely.For example,it lowered the thresholdfor free shipping in Brazil, whichis resulting in greater sales volume. That may helpMercadoLibre scale up itshigher-profitmarginadvertising business.

MercadoLibre is also home to amajor financial technol-

Tauzin; contractor, G4 Elite Construction; $78,000.

CHEER: 116Nolan Road, Broussard;description, new home for Element 4Athletics cheerleading and tumbling; applicant, Element 4Athletics; contractor, Elite Construction; $15,000.

INDUSTRIAL: 131 IdaRoad, Broussard;description, roof work; applicant, 4-K Properties; contractor, Bergeron’s MetalBuildings; $18,000.

Newcommercial

SCHOOL: 600 Foreman Drive, description, newbaseball and softball fields forLafayette High School; applicant,AQ Studios; contractor, K&J Development of Southwest Louisiana; $2.8 million. MEDICAL: 8000 Ambassador

ogycompany, MercadoPago, which is pursuing growth opportunities such as expanded credit card offerings. Many of thepeople in themarkets it servesare underbanked,providing another major growth opportunity SharesofMercadoLibre appearfairly valued or undervalued at current levels and could deliver strong long-term returns to investors whobuy today.(TheMotley Fool owns sharesofand recommends MercadoLibre.)

Fool’sSchool: Historylessons

Former University of PennsylvaniaprofessorJeremy Siegel hascollected andreviewed data on investment returns going back to 1802. Hisbook “Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive GuidetoFinancial Market Returns &Long-Term Investment Strategies,” features seven “guides to successful investing.” Here’s arecap: n “Keepyourexpectations in linewith history.” Siegel points outthat,after accountingfor inflation,stock market returns havebeen between about6%and 7% historically, but might fall to 5% n “Stocks are realassets and excellent long-term hedges against inflation.” Ashare of stock,after all, represents a

BUILDINGPERMITS

CafferyParkway,Broussard; description, new offsite emergency room center for Ochsner Lafayette General; applicant, Stirling Medical Broussard; contractor, Kent Design Build;$9million.

MEDICAL: 100 Avenue Des Freres, Broussard; description, new facility forAlliance Health Care; applicant, Alliance Rental Properties; contractor, Legendary Contractors; $871,000. SCHOOL: 1800 Chemin Metairie Parkway,Youngsville; description, field housefor Ascension EpiscopalSchool; applicant, Chad Disher; contractor, Allstates Building Systems; $399,998. Newresidential 616 GREYFORD DRIVE: Acadi-

ana Dream Home, $525,500. 414 KAREN DRIVE: RedemptiveConstruction, $593,750.

501 BRAQUET ROAD,CARENCRO: Andries Builders, $409,500.

105 DECOYDRIVE: Manuel Builders, $322,500. 624 GREYFORD DRIVE: selfcontracted, $0.

308 CLEVELAND ST.: Castle RowConstruction, $214,375. 310 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $302,500. 721 LAFITTES LANDING PASS: ManuelBuilders, $299,500. 107 ASHVILLE LANE: McLain Homes, $259,000. 103 YORKTOWNCOURT: DSLD $191,125. 119 BEXLEY COURT: DSLD $281,875.

small ownership claimona real asset-owning business.

n “Stock returns aremuch morestable in the long run than in the short run.”He adds thatpeople with longer investment horizons “should hold agreater proportionof their portfolio in (stocks) anda lowerproportioninbonds.”

n “Invest the largest percentage of your stock portfolio in low-coststock indexfunds that spana globalportfolio.”

Broad indexfunds, suchas S&P500 indexfunds, have performedwelloverlongperiods andare especially good for those of us who aren’t expertinvestors.

n “Invest at leastone-third of your (stock)portfolio in international stocks.”

n “Tilt your portfolio toward value (stocks)” by favoring “those with lowerprices relative to their fundamentals, such as earnings anddividends”—asthey“have superiorreturns andlower risk than growth stocks.”

n Have “firm rulestokeep your portfolio on track.” He urgesinvestors to keep emotions in check andnot act out of anxiety or fear

Ask the Fool:

Valuation shortcuts

Arethere anyquick and easy ways to figure out if acompanyisover- or undervalued? —P.M., Hickory,North

200 CHARSKI COURT: DSLD, $274,250.

303 GUN RUNNER DRIVE, CARENCRO: ManuelBuilders, $311,375.

120 KEELINGWOOD LANE: LevelConstruction &Development,$471,000. 113 HAMILTONPARC WAY: ManuelBuilders, $334,875.

204 CROSSBILL DRIVE: LR MitchellConstruction &Development,$464,750.

205 CAMERONS COVE DRIVE, CARENCRO: ManuelBuilders, $227,250. 105 BLUSHINGGROOM DRIVE, CARENCRO: ManuelBuilders, $265,625.

Evenifyou undertake many calculations, it’shard, if not impossible,todetermine forsure whata stock is really worth —and, therefore, whether it’sover- or undervalued. Evensmart stock analysts will likely arrive at different numbers forany companytheystudy because theyall make different assumptions, suchasthe company’sgrowth rate Still, there areindeed some quickand easywaystoget a rough ideaofvaluation. One is the price-to-earnings ratio dividing acompany’sstock pricebyits annualearnings pershare;itcan sometimes be helpful to use the EPS expected over the coming year.A low P/Esuggests alow valuation, though it’ssmart to compare it with peers’ P/Eratiosand its ownfive-year P/Erange.The P/Eshows howmuchyou’d be paying foreach dollarof earnings.

Youmight also check out the price-to-salesratio,which dividesthe company’smarketcapitalization(its market value —the totalvalue of all its sharesoutstanding) by its annualrevenue (sales). This is especially handy whena company haspostedlossesrather thanprofits, making the P/E ratio moot. The P/Sshows how much you’dbepaying foreach dollarofrevenue

109 LANTANA COURT: Manuel Builders, $427,542.

404 BROYLES ST., YOUNGSVILLE: The GenGroup Construction, $500,000.

100 MASTERMIND BLVD., YOUNGSVILLE: DSLD,$101,340.

106 MAROON ST., YOUNGSVILLE: DSLD,$124,320.

117 BAYFIELD DRIVE,YOUNGS-

201 RUE DE LA ROCHELLE, BROUSSARD: Rajun Cajun Construction, $875,000. 113 SHADOWBEND DRIVE, BROUSSARD: ManuelBuilders, $258,484.

Motley Fool

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Not many retail businesses make it to 108.

Fewer still have survived the wars, economic downturns and disruptions of e-commerce over the past century without making major changes to their operations.

But Gem Printing has been selling custom party and wedding stationery in much the same way it always has — printing in-house and on-site — since it was founded in 1918 by the great-grandfather of its fourth-generation owners Tommy Cousans, 44, and Melissa Cousans Mortillaro, 45.

From an unassuming storefront in a Metairie strip mall Cousans and Mortillaro have defied the odds and the broader market forces of evites and Amazon — to keep their family business afloat by building on customer loyalty diversifying into a broader array of party supplies and holding fast to a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround time that dates to the store’s founding.

“The one-day service is obviously a blessing,” Cousans said. “I silently curse my grandfather for that every once in a while, but it’s probably one of the biggest reasons that this business is still around.”

Storied history

Photos on a store wall trace the company’s history back to 1918, including one of Cousans and Mortillaro’s great-grandfather, Sidney Cousans, wheeling around a wooden cart with a Gem Printing sign. He sold business cards printed from a small hand press and offered to shine customers’ shoes.

Another picture shows the company’s brick-and-mortar storefront on St. Charles Avenue, opened by their grandfather Sidney Cousans Jr sometime after he took over the business in the 1930s — when he was just 14 years old. His grandchildren today credit him with carving out Gem’s niche in the wedding and party invitation category and also for coming up with the one-day service guarantee.

Today, Gem operates from a bridal-white brick storefront on Veterans Boulevard near Bonnabel Boulevard that has been its home since 1976, with eight fulltime employees.

Though Cousans and Mortillaro, who are brother and sister, declined to provide company revenues, they say Gem regularly sees year-over-year sales growth of 5%-10%.

Customer service and loyalty

The siblings attribute their longevity and steady growth to several factors, chief among them being their quick turnaround time.

On the second floor of Gem’s otherwise unassuming 5,000-squarefoot storefront, the company has a printing studio that holds more than a dozen presses and modern digital printers, the key to fulfilling one-day orders.

While the store’s hours run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week, the team prints products overnight, often working on Sundays and Mondays — their typical days off.

The team prides themselves on fast sometimes instant service.

“We’ve had people pull up in limos and run out in bow ties, going,

‘I need a pillow right now,’ and they get to skip the line and grab a ring pillow and head to their church and get married,” Mortillaro said.

That customer service has helped fuel loyalty in a traditional market in the Deep South and a pervasive party culture.

Customers who designed wedding invitations with Gem come back for anniversaries, christenings, birthday parties, all the way up to condolence cards. The tradition is often passed down. Parents recommend Gem to their children, then grandchildren.

“I’m the fourth generation helping sometimes the fourth generation of a customer’s family,” Cousans said. “It’s kind of crazy that it’s a family tradition on both sides of the counter.”

Over time, Gem’s customer pool spread around the country, particularly after many New Orleans natives moved following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Those customers are “constantly ordering” quintessential New Orleans items, including second-line handkerchiefs, party cups and feather-trimmed umbrellas, Mortillaro said.

The company ships dozens of orders a week all over the country Gem also benefits from New Orleans being a party town, Cousans

said. The shop stays busy during August through February during holiday and festival season.

“I don’t know if printers in Jackson, Mississippi, get a Halloween rush, but we get a Halloween rush,” Cousans said. The business has also diversified by growing its party supplies line over the years. Lately, that’s meant learning how to print matchbooks. Wedding cake toppers currently displayed in-store, popular in the ’80s, are also making a comeback among younger generations. The team also learned how to print onto tambourines, another wedding favor reclaimed in recent years.

Planning for the future

As a kid, Cousans remembers watching Mardi Gras parades pass by the store windows. Mor-

Note pads celebrating the 108-yearold Gem Printing Co.’s milestones were recently uncovered from storage.

tillaro recalls making netted rice bags for weddings, which Gem used to sell for 10 cents. In high school, they both started working in the shop. By college, they realized they couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

The biggest challenge Gem faces today is navigating fluctuating material prices, Cousans said. He vigilantly checks prices to purchase materials at a low cost, but due to inflation, their team has had to eat higher prices to avoid raising costs for customers.

While Gem has largely leaned on word-of-mouth referrals, the company is also making a concerted effort to bolster its social media presence to attract younger consumers, Mortillaro said. Cousans and Mortillaro hope to pass on the business to the fifth generation — possibly Mortillaro’s kids. Her 11-year-old daughter has already shown an early enthusiasm for the career: For a school career day, she wore business casual clothing and a name tag that read, “fifth-generation Gem Printing manager.”

“It’s definitely in our minds to keep this going. I want this to be a fifth-, sixth-generation business,” Mortillaro said. “When it comes to planning for the future, it’s honestly just watching the trends and making sure that you’re servicing the next generation.”

Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

Mortillaro sorts through metal type.

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

Siblings Melissa Cousans Mortillaro and Tommy Cousans are fourthgeneration owners of Gem Printing Co. in Metairie.

CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY HHH HHH

250 years

Andmore thanacenturyofpoweringthe GulfSouth SPONSORED by

Harvey Couch, president of Arkansas PowerCompany, hasthe ideatobring safe, affordable, reliable power to theMiddle South. He and H.H.Foster, president of Arkansas Land and Lumber,shakehandsonadeal to useFoster’ssawdustasfuel to generate power, the beginning of what would eventually becomeMiddle South Utilities

MississippiPowerand Light Company,orMP&L, is formed.

Louisiana Powerand Light Company, or LP&L,iscreated as part of Electric Powerand Light Corporation.

LP&L’s Little GypsyPlant,near NewOrleans,becomes theworld’s first fully automated generating unit

MiddleSouth Utilitiesofficially changesits name to Entergy Corporation –acomposite of thewords “enterprise,”“energy”and “synergy,”three qualities that described the company’snew approach

TheEntergy Charitable Foundation is established to focus on low-income initiatives,educationand literacyprograms.

Hurricane Katrina devastatesthe Gulf Coast, leaving 1.1million Entergy customerswithout power. Twentysixdayslater, Hurricane Ritaleaves 800,000 Entergy customersinMississippi, Louisiana, Texasand Arkansas in the dark.Thousands of our employees help the region recover, despite living in the hardesthit places

Entergycelebrates 20 consecutiveyears of recognition by DowJones as aleader in sustainability.

United WayofSoutheastLouisiana names Entergyasthe leading companyinits Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces for20242025. This is the 11thyear Entergyhas been recognized in the top 10 list.

NewOrleans Public Service Inc or NOPSI, is established as the sole provider of electricity, gas andtransit service in NewOrleans

Gulf States Utilities Company is incorporated in Texas.

Originally headquartered in NewYork,Middle South Utilities Inc.,isformed as aholding company forAP&L, LP&L,MP&Land NOPSI.

AP&L’sArkansasNuclear One becomes the first nuclear powerplant to operate in the Southeast.

Entergy merges with Gulf States Utilities Company, addingRiver Bend Stationasits fourth nuclear site. Entergy nowservesmorethan 2.3 millioncustomers.

Entergy becomes the country’sfirst utilitytopledge to hold greenhouse gasemissions to year 2000 levels

Entergy begins installing advanced metersfor 3million customersthroughout its servicearea. The newtechnology allows forfasterdetection of outages and greater insight into energy usage.

Entergy announced as the founding partner of theSuper Bowl LIX HostCommittee. The Super Bowl ultimately generates $1.25 billion in total economic activitystatewide.

2026

Entergy establishes its Fair SharePlus pledge, which ensures that data center customers moving into ourregion payfor the powerthey use, pluscreate additionalsavings or benefits forall of ourcustomers. To date, atotal of $7 billion in savingstoour customersare expected overthe next twodecades

stronger grid for 50 years

gridstronger to stand up against weather.

upgrading approximately 3,300 and reinforcingutility poles to up to 150 mph—efforts that will estimated $1.2 billioninavoided sfewer and shorter outages when and we’re committedtopowering dcommunities today andfor

LOUISIANA

“Thesun is dangerous. If you’vegot asunscreen, it’sbetter to putitonthan notput it on.”

ANEW WAY TO BLOCKTHE RAYS

Bemotrizonal, awidely-used ingredientinternationally, is coming soon to asunscreen near you

BY MARGARETDELANEY

Staff writer

In June, theFood and Drug Administration approvedthe activeingredient, bemotrizinol, for use in over-the-counter sunscreens —the first change tothe active sunscreen ingredient list in 27 years.

Butit’snot available on U.S. shelves just yet The European company,DSM Nutritional Products,has exclusive rightstoproduce and manufacture bemotrizinol sunscreens for18months. Theyexpect to deliver productstoAmerican shelves, under the brand nameParsol Shield, as early as September

Bemotrizinal, although newtoU.S.markets, was authorized in European sunscreens in 1999 andhas been widelyused in international sunscreen brands from Asia, Europe and Australia.

Sunscreen protects the skin from two types of ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet

Arays penetrate the skin moredeeply, causing skin aging, andultravioletBrays penetrate thesurface layer of the skin, causing sunburns. Both types of UV can degrade the integrity of skin, damage its DNA structure and cause skin cancer

“That’swhy protectingyourskinwith sunscreen is so important,” said Dr.Guy German, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Binghamton University, State University of NewYork.

There are two forms of sunscreen: chemical and mineral.

Mineralsunscreens, with ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium oxide, coat the top layer of skin and physically block the sun’sUVrays from hitting the skin. These mineral sunscreens, approved by the FDA, often leave achalky white cast.

“Ifyou see lifeguards or cricketers, they usually have the white stripesontheir

ä See RAYS, page 3X

Tanningbedsare trending,and they shouldn’tbe

Editor’snote: This is acolumnina series from Dr.OliviaRagusa,a primary care physician at Baton Rouge General, sharing insight on avariety of health topics for patients of all ages, including prevention, wellness tips and everyday strategies to help individuals and families stay healthy. For years, public health effortsappearedtobeworking: tanning bed usewas declining. Butrecently,I’ve become increasinglyconcerned by signsthat indoor tanningmay be making acomeback, particularly among youngerwomen. Arecent survey from theAmerican Academy of Dermatologyfound that about 20% of Gen Zrespondents prioritize getting atan overprotecting their skin. Even more concerning,

Dr.Olivia Ragusa DOCTOR SAyS

oneinfoursaid they believe looking goodnow isworth potential health consequences later.As aphysician, that mindset is troubling because we know therisks of tanning beds are not theoretical; they are well documented. Justlook at the science.Tanning beds can emit up to 15 times moreultraviolet radiation thanthe sun. That exposure damages DNA in skin cells and increases therisk of mutations that can eventually lead to skin cancer.Infact, UV radiation is considered acarcinogen, in the same categoryastobacco and asbestos

Research continues to reinforce these dangers. People who use tanning beds are nearly three times morelikely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.Starting young raisesthe stakes even more:Using tanning beds before age 20 increases melanoma risk by nearly 50%. Unfortunately,myths still persist Many young adultscontinue to believe a“base tan”offers meaningful protection against sunburn, despite evidence showing otherwise. The desire for atan may be understandable, but from amedical standpoint,the risks are clear.Myhope is that better awareness helps people makechoices that protect not just how their skin looks today,but their long-term health as well.

DR. GUy GERMAN, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Binghamton University,State University of Newyork

‘I

HEALTH MAKER

had to kick Mr. Cancer to the curb’

Zeeland Street owner says fresh food aided recovery

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Zeeland Street owner Stephanie

Phares was diagnosed with Stage

3 lung cancer in 2024, the same

year The New York Times recognized her Baton Rouge restaurant in its “Restaurants List 2024.”

She started out hosting potluck dinners, which transitioned to a deli, which led to her opening the restaurant in 1992 During the pandemic, she prepared plate lunches for her elderly neighbors near the restaurant in exchange for fresh rosemary

Phares completed treatment this year and received “encouraging news” from her doctors.

She credits much of her recovery to eating fresh, homemade food and maintaining a healthy routine.

“I thank my customers for the first 35 years,” she said. “Now we’re working toward 25 more.” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tell me about your lung cancer diagnosis. At the time I was going through a lot. I had just received The New York Times nomination, I had a biopsy on my lung and was visiting my daughter for a wedding.

When I came back from my trip, they gave me my diagnosis. They said I would be all right, but would have to do some radiation.

I was totally confused because I was the healthiest person

When I was going through radiation and chemo, I told my doctor that I didn’t really want to hear any of his predictions. I was going to use mind over matter I was going to stay positive.

I didn’t want to hear the possible symptoms. The more people plant stuff in your brain, it’s as if the body can manifest it

They told me my lung cancer was an environmental cancer I never smoked. The doctor said to quit using coated pans, no more styrofoam, use a filter for water no more bottled waters — I did it all.

I just tried to stay positive and I ate real food. Now, my oncologists told me my

blood test shows that I’m 50 years old, rather than 65. Where did your love for real, whole foods begin?

I’m always honoring my grandmother, Miss Rachel, and all the ways she made real food. She never threw anything away I always thought of cooking food like feeding (God’s) sheep. Would He be happy if I fed the sheep AstroTurf? No!

Once you start cooking from scratch, it’s hard to go the other way I also had a child who was allergic to a lot of things, but she didn’t come along until I was 40.

I did work at one or two fast food restaurants when I was a teenager I saw, even back then in the ’70s and ’80s, how bad the food was.

My husband, we married when I was 24, loved fresh food. We always cooked. One day, we gave a potluck on the last Friday of the month. There were 75 people outside our door I fed them all. He told me I needed to own a restaurant. What kept you going with the restaurant, even during your cancer battle? I’m not just in to make a profit.

This is our 36th year, and I get up every morning. I did it every day that I was going through radiation and chemo. I got up every morning, I went into the restaurant and I made the biscuits I cooked all day Then right before close, around 1 p.m., I’d come home, take a shower and go to the hospital for chemo. It kept me with a routine. There was no time to feel fearful or scared.

I kind of treated cancer like it was a bad boyfriend I was breaking up with: We weren’t getting en-

gaged We weren’t getting married. He’s not coming home with me. I had to kick Mr Cancer to the curb. I’m just grateful for the following that I’ve had for 35 years — most restaurants don’t make it that long. I’m feeding third or fourth generations. I may not win all the awards, but I get so much love from my customers. I know I’m doing the right thing for my community Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

AI system treating Floridians with brain tumors

BY LAUREN PEACE

Tampa Bay Times (TNS)

TAMPA,Fla.— Dr. Brian Collins was completing his medical residency at Georgetown University in the early 2000s when the institution invested in a new and groundbreaking technology that would shape the course of his career The system was called CyberKnife.

Developed at Stanford University three decades ago, the CyberKnife System is one of the earliest adoptions of artificial intelligence in medicine, Collins said. It’s a specialized and effective way to treat challenging tumors — like those in the brain.

Today, Collins is a radiation oncologist and one of the world’s leading experts in CyberKnife treatments. That drew the attention of researchers at Tampa General Hospital and USF Health, who recruited Collins from D.C. to Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2022. He started the hospital’s CyberKnife program in 2024.

Why it matters

When tumors form in the brain, surgeons face a daunting task in the operating room.

The growths are often entrapped in clusters of arteries and nerves that control a person’s ability to see, hear, move and breathe. Error can result in paralysis and death.

The operations are risky But CyberKnife helps minimize the likelihood that something will go wrong. Using the machine, doctors like Collins can zap away bits of tumor using highly targeted radiation after surgery That means surgeons can be more conservative when making cuts — they can leave remnants of tumors behind That was the case for Mallory McLean, who learned she had a brain tumor while pregnant last year McLean, who underwent surgery a week after giving birth, had a tumor the size of a golf ball growing near her brain stem.

In an hours long operation, doctors were able to remove around 93% of the mass. But the remaining 7% lingered dangerously close to her body’s essential wirings.

That’s where CyberKnife comes in. How it works

Radiation can be used to treat cancerous and noncancerous tumors by exposing the abnormal cells to beams of high energy that kill them The trouble is, radiation kills healthy cells, too.

Exposing areas of the brain to high doses of radiation could come with its own negative side effects. But the CyberKnife system has made it

BAy

Mallory McLean holds up the mask she wore during CyberKnife radiation treatment. She learned she had a brain tumor while pregnant with her second child Doctors embarked on a treacherous waiting game — delaying surgery to protect her baby. Now, they’re both healthy.

possible to target fragments of abnormal cells while sparing healthy tissue.

First, doctors like Collins take images of a patient’s brain and plug them into a computer Once they distinguish the healthy tissue from the unhealthy telling the computer which areas to target, it forms a sophisticated plan.

Artificial intelligence is able to map the brain, or another part of the body, to find the best path to the tumor cells. When the tumor is hit from different, highly calculated angles, the unhealthy tissue is exposed over and over again, while healthy tissue avoids the repeated exposure.

And CyberKnife eliminates the higher risk of injury or error if a surgeon were to attempt it by hand.

“It does it independently, and it does it better than any human can deliver radiation,” Collins said.

Because of the degree of accuracy, this type of therapy can be used to treat a broader range of patients than those who were treated by radiation in the past. And, Collins said, the procedure is far less invasive. Previously, radiation oncologists would have

to still patients using heavy frames that were screwed into their skulls to prevent movement. Because the treatment is noninvasive, it can be administered over several sessions. That lessens the side effects and protects the brain stem and facial nerve from damage.

A robotic remedy

Outside of brain tumors, the system can be used to treat lung tumors and those in the spine. More recently, researchers have studied CyberKnife and its effectiveness in treating neurologic conditions like tremors, and mental health conditions like depression and obsessive compulsive disorder But its primary use, Collins said, is treating brain tumors because of its precision.

For patients with small tumors, CyberKnife treatment can sometimes spare them from surgery altogether, clearing the growth on its own.

For others, like McLean, CyberKnife is the final step toward recovery She underwent five sessions — each between 15 and 20 minutes — in the months after her surgery Now, her tumor is gone.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret. delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

TAMPA

TIMES PHOTO By DIRK SHADD

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Owner Stephanie Phares chats with customers during lunch at Zeeland Street.

Eat Fit LiveFit

Sweat-smart sips to beatthe Louisiana heat

Waterisalwaysthefoundation. Iwanttostarttherebecause electrolytepowders,tablets andready-to-drinksareeverywhere. WhileIlovehavingthoseoptions,water isoftenthebestoptionformanyofus, mostofthetime.

Ifwe’reinsideintheA/Candmoving throughanormalday,waterisusually enough.Wealsogetelectrolytesfrom food:sodiumfromsaltandnaturallysalty foods;potassiumfromfruits,vegetables, beansanddairy;magnesiumfromnuts andgreens;andcalciumfromdairyand fortifiedfoods.

ButLouisianaheatchangesthemath Whenwe’reexercising,workingoutdoors orevenjustrunningerrandsintripledigit“feels-like”temperatures,we’re losingmorethanfluid–we’relosing electrolytes,especiallysodium.When sweatlossesclimb,plainwatermaynot beenoughtokeepenergy,focusand musclefunctionwherewewantthem. Low-leveldehydrationcanshowup asfatigue,headache,higherheartrate andcrampingwhilemoresignificant dehydrationraisestheriskofheatillness andheatstroke.

Electrolyteshelptoregulateourfluid balance,nervesignalingandmuscle contractions.Sodiumisthebigonewhen itcomestosweat.Potassiummatters too,especiallyformusclecontractions andfluidbalanceinsideourcells,but wetypicallylosefarlesspotassium thansodiuminsweat.Magnesiumand calciumalsosupportmuscleandnerve function,thoughthey’renotusuallythe toppriorityforsweatreplacement Apracticalruleofthumbforheavy sweatingistoaimforabout300to 600mgsodiumperhourofexerciseor outdoorwork.Somepeoplemayneed more.Cluescanincludesaltstreaks

onclothes,grittyskinafterworkouts frequentcrampingorfeelingwipedout despitedrinkingplentyofwater.

Idon’trecommendmosttraditional sportsdrinksasadailygo-tobecause theybringmoreaddedsugarand syntheticfooddyesthanIwouldwantin aneverydayhydrationchoice.

MyTopFiveOptions

LMNT,pronounced“element,”is myhighest-sodiumpick:1,000mg sodium,200mgpotassiumand60mg magnesium,withnosugarandsteviaas thesweetener.Ittastessalty,notsyrupy, whichiswhatmanyheavysweatersneed Ilikeitforlongruns,intenseworkouts, tennis,pickleball,longoutdoorevents oranyonewhofinisheswithsaltringson theirshirt.

TransparentLabsHYDRATEsurprised memostthisyear.Ithas500mgsodium, 250mgpotassium,50mgmagnesium, 84mgcalciumand1gramtaurine,with5 calories,1gramcarbohydrateandnosugar. It’sstevia-sweetened,withnoartificial colorsorartificialsweeteners.Iappreciate the“transparent”part:thelabelgives amountsforeventhesmalleringredients, andthecompanyprovidesthird-party testingandcertificatesofanalysis.The packagealsonotesbanned-substance testing,helpfulforcompetitiveathletes. UltimaReplenisherisacompletely differenttypeofproduct.Ithasonly

55mgsodium,with250mgpotassium, 100mgmagnesiumand47mgcalcium, 0calories,0sugarandsteviaasthe sweetener.Thisisnotmypickfor replacinglargesodiumlossesaftera sweatyworkout,butitisagreatoption forthosewhoneedtolimittheirsodium intakeandwanttosipsomething flavorfulwithaddedminerals.

BodyArmorLyteismygrab-and-go bottleoption.It’seasytofind,which matterswhenwe’reoutandabout.A 16-ouncebottlehasabout20calories,2 gramssugar,noartificialdyes,roughly30 to40mgsodiumandabout680to700 mgpotassium.LikeUltima,it’scentered onpotassium,notsodium,soIgenerally

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

don’trecommenditasaheavy-sweat sodiumreplacer,butIdoloveitas alower-sugar,easy-accesssports drinkswap.

TheDIYoptionisthemostaffordable andcustomizable:add1/4teaspoonsea saltortablesalttoabout20ouncesof waterforroughly600mgsodium.You canaddapinchofpotassiumchloride (availableonlineasasingleingredient, orinstoresassaltsubstituteslikeNoSalt orNu-Salt).Then,flavoritwithlemon orlime,freshgingerjuice,hibiscustea, mintteaornaturallysweetenedno-sugar lemonade.Thefunctionisthesodiumand potassium;theflavorjustmakesitmore interestingandpalatableforthosewho preferflavor

TheBottomLine

Waterwinsforeverydayhydration. Whenheat,humidityandsweatlossesgo up–addelectrolytes.Matchtheproduct tothepurposewithhighersodiumfor heavysweat,lowersodiumforeveryday sippingandlowsugarwithnosynthetic dyeswheneverpossible

LOUISIANAHAS THELOWESTMARRIAGERATEINTHE

In 2023, there were over2 million marriages in the United States,atarate of 6.1 marriages per 1,000 people.

Louisiana had the lowest marriage ratein the countrywhencompared to other states at 3.7 marriagesper 1,000 people, according to marriagerate data publishedbythe Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

Marriage rates, compiled by data from the National Center for Health Statistics,are calculated based on where, by state,a couple gotmarried.Nevada, with LasVegas in mind, has had the highestmarriagerate in the U.S. for36years —although it has declined,from 99 marriages per 1,000 peoplein1990 to 24.6marriages in 2023.

Louisiana sawits lowest marriagerate in 2020 with3.4 marriages per 1,000 people.The marriageratefor the statehas been steadily declining since1990:

n 9.6 marriages per 1,000 people in 1990;

n 9.3 marriages per 1,000 people in 1995; n 9.1 marriages per 1,000 people in 2000; n 8marriages per 1,000 people in 2005; n 6.9 marriages per 1,000 people in 2010; n 6.8 marriages per 1,000 people in 2015;

n 3.4 marriages per 1,000 people in 2020. These states had the lowest marriage rates in 2023:

n Louisianawith 3.7 marriages per 1,000 people;

n Delaware and NewMexico with 4.7 marriages per 1,000people;

n Minnesota with 4.8 marriages per 1,000 people;

n Michigan and Wisconsin with 5marriages per 1,000 people;

n Illinois, North Dakota and Ohio with 5.1marriages per 1,000 people; n Iowa, Maryland and Massachusetts with 5.2 marriages per 1,000 people.

These states had the highest marriageratesin2023:

n Nevada with 24.6 marriages per 1,000 people;

n Hawaii with 12.5 marriages per 1,000 people;

n Utah with 11.2 marriages per 1,000 people;

n Montana with 9.2 marriages per 1,000 people;

RAYS

Continued from page1X

faces, which is indicative of the physical sunscreen,” German said “It’sfar more aesthetic to havean invisible layer.” Chemical sunscreens are transparent andact “likeasolar sponge,” German said, that absorb photons in aharmless chemical reaction.

Chemical sunscreens available in the U.S. combine ingredients that filter UVArayswith separate ingredients that filter UVB rays. Thosesunscreens, oftencalled “broad-spectrum protection,” are only effective for ashort time

“(Bemotrizinal)isverystable in sunlight, so it keeps working longer

than someolder sunscreen ingredients,” saidDr. Therese Pacheco, a dermatologyprofessor at theUniversity of Colorado Anschutz. Bemotrizinal, achemical sunscreen, blocks bothUVA and UVB rays and does not leave awhite cast on theskin.

“The chemical sunscreens are becoming better and better,” Germansaid On top of the aesthetic benefits, bemotrizinalstays on the surface of theskin with very little absorption or irritation to theskin.

Regardless of new sunscreen ingredients,it’simportanttostill applyit before hittingthe beach or thetennis court this summer

Choosing the right sunscreen can help reduce the risk of skin cancer,including melanoma, the

Marriagesper 1,000people living in each state, in 2023

deadliestform of skin cancer

Here’s whattolook outfor on the shelves:

Blocking both UV rays

Back in 2012, the FDA did amajor update of sunscreenstandards, including banning theinaccurate, misleadingterms “sunblock”and “waterproof.” Now manufacturerscan only label products“water resistant” andmust state howsoon they break down fromswimming or sweating, either 40 or 80 minutes. In the meantime, use sunscreen that protects against both harmful types of ultraviolet rays, UVAand UVB. The level of protection against UVBrays is measured by SPF,or sun protection factor.For UVA rays, sunscreens are rated as

passing or failing government standards. Pick sunscreen rated at least SPF 30,considered theminimum needed.

“The higher theSPF,the better,” German said. Make sure the labelsays“broad spectrum” to ensure the ingredients block both UVAand UVB rays. Applyitproperly

Most people using sunscreen don’trealize they’re applying too little, too late and too infrequently, says Dr.Darrell Rigel of the American Academy of Dermatology’s sunscreen regulations task force.

An average-sized person should apply roughly an ounce, or about two tablespoons, on all exposed skin. That’sabout twice what most

n Arkansas and Coloradowith 7.8 marriages per 1,000 people; n Tennessee with 7.3marriages per 1,000 people; n Vermont with 7.2marriages per 1,000 people; n Florida,Idaho, Maineand Wyoming with 7marriages per 1,000

people use. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes before going outside,thenreapply at least everytwo hours, morefrequently if swimming or sweating alot. With spray-on sunscreen, apply two coats, then rub it in to ensure even coverage.

‘Anythingisbetterthannothing’

“The sun is dangerous,” German said. “If you’ve gota sunscreen, it’sbetter to put it on than not put it on.” While looking at the options on the shelf,ifa greasy sunscreen feels better on the skin, or ascented one makes the summer day feel better,that’sfine, German said. “The sunscreen that best suites you is the best sunscreen. Anything is better than nothing.”

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

OchsnerLafayetteGeneralprovidescompassionate,personalizedcare foreverystageoflife.Fromyourchild’swellvisitsandteensportsphysicals tomanagingchronicconditions,ourexperiencedprimarycareteamis heretosupportyourfamily’shealthjourney.Withsame-dayandnext-day appointmentsandmorethan70physiciansandadvancedpracticeproviders fromLafayettetoLakeArthur,wemakeiteasytogetthecareyouneed whenyouneedit.

Call337-571-1111toscheduleyourappointmenttoday.

Aidingthe industry

Groups work to supportand promote Louisiana’sfragile shrimp industry

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Staff writer

When Lance Naciostarted out in the shrimping industry in the late 1990s, he had abag phone. At thedock,he could get $4 apoundfor shrimp,and he paid alot lessfor diesel.

Today,hehas Starlink satellite internet, navigation technology and

an iPhone on his shrimping boat, theAnna Marie. Thegenerationthat came before Nacio didn’thaveaccess to thesetools,but,compared to today, those shrimpers andbusiness owners weren’tgrapplingwith the negative effectsofimportedshrimp.

Statewide, organizations like Shrimp Aid are dedicated to supportingthe industry andshrimpers like

Nacio, whose family made aliving offthe land and grew up in atrapping camp.The nonprofit promotes responsible harvesting practices and connects with policymakerstoenact change within the industry

“Wehave this natural resource, andmyfamily’smade aliving for several generations—living offthe resource. Now we’re justhaving to do it alot differently than they used to.They’ve all hadtheir share of struggles,but theynever hadimportedshrimptocompeteagainst,” Naciosaid as he waited outashort summer rain shower from thedock of hishome in Montegut, where he operatesAnna MarieShrimp. Louisiana leads the nation in the shrimp industry,ranking as thetop harvester of shrimp in the Gulf and theUnitedStates, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife andFisheries.The state alsohas the largestcommercialblue crab fishery and leads theway in oyster production and crawfishproduction

“More than 70% of the seafood and other fisheries products landed in the Gulf each year comes through Louisiana, creating atotal annual economicimpact of nearly $2 billion,” LDWF states. The shrimping industry is an anchor of the state’sseafood industry, butit’satrisk.

Shrimp Aidexecutive director and chef Dana Honnsays that most of theseafood industry’sinfrastructure wasbuilt around shrimping,interms of the state’swaterfronts, processors, icehouses and docks “Thewhole thing would crumble if theshrimping industry collapsed,” said Honn, who owns Nikkei Izakaya andTempero’sKitchen in New Orleans. “There wouldbecataclysmic cultural effects throughout theregion. Ithink it’shard to quantify and qualify just howdire that would be foreverybody.”

Through collaboration, education andadvocacy,Shrimp Aid’sgoal is to protect the livelihood of Louisiana’s shrimpers.

JanRisher

Taking a cold plunge outwest

More thana thousand miles from Louisiana,Ifelt completely at home in the steam sauna at Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The small room felt like aJuly afternoon in NewOrleans after arain. Our daughterPiperlivesin Denver.Two days after Iarrivedfor avisit, she and Idrove farther west to spend time in springs thatrun hotoverlooking the Colorado River that runs cold.

We made the same trip at the same time last year —just weeks before ourhouse fire in August. Sincethen, my days have been filledwith work andmynights with insuranceadjusters, tile samples, paint colors, delayed sinks, doorsthatopen out when theyought to open in and the wrong-sized windows. Piperand Iarrived early and lovedsitting in the hot pools watching the mist rise and fall acrossthe surrounding mountaintops. Afull dayinand out of mineral water was just what I needed Iron Mountain has35poolsthat range from 45 to 107 degrees, with minerals from potassium to sodium, calcium andmore. This year it also hasfive newsaunas —steam, salt, redlight, aromatherapy anda traditional Finnish one.

I’ve been fascinatedbysaunas sincestudying the role theyplay in life in Finland. Iwas eager to try themall. Finland hasbeen named the world’shappiest country for nine yearsrunning —a ranking that measures life satisfaction rather thanpassing joy. Researchers sometimes credit sauna culture as onecontributor

Forall those reasons, Istarted the dayinthe saunas. Iskippedthe coldplunge pools. Iskippedthemagain after a while, andagain afterthat. Last year,Itrieda coldplunge once, gotpartwayin, anddecided it was notfor me.

Drew Brees may swear by them, but Ihad made my peace. In the early evening, awoman who lives in Glenwood Springs startedtalking with us as we relaxedina magnesium pool. The lady makes almost daily use of herannualpassand spoke about the coldplunge the waysome people talk abouta miracle drug. She explained how it had genuinely changedthe wayshe felt. Herconfidencemademereconsider, andImustered the courage to once againtry the coldplunge

Igot onefoot in, up to the calf.

“Let’sdothe steam sauna,” she said, “thentry again.”

So we satinthe heat that reminded me of home, and then we went back out. The second time I gotinuptomywaist.

Icountedthatasavictory and retreated to the steam where a talkative group had gathered. Theystarteddiscussing the coldplunge.One by one, they decidedtotry it. One by one, theycameback into the steam sauna. They had allgonein, allthe wayunder Thenthis group of strangers begantoencourage me to give it onemoretry WhenIstood up to try the cold plunge fora third time, people Ihad known for 20 minutes cheered me on Iwalkedoutside,walked right into the 45-degree water, lowered myself allthe wayin, even dunking my head

Idid nottarry

WhenIwalkedtothe steam

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Lance Nacio packages shrimp for shipment to another state recently at Anna Marie Shrimp in Montegut

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

the second Louisiana Shrimp Festival/Shrimp Aid event in NewOrleans in October 2025, visitorsattendeda presentation from SeaDConsulting on testing that determines if shrimp is local or imported.

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Creative director helps others see a world without prisons

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

In 2024, artist and activist

Jackie Sumell established the nonprofit Freedom to Grow, an abolitionist-driven initiative of art, land-based healing justice, community empowerment and archival practices. The abolitionist movement works to end incarceration and create alternatives to punishment. Sumell serves as the creative director. Freedom to Grow’s current projects include Herman’s House, Solitary Gardens, the Abolitionist’s Apothecary the Abolitionist’s Sanctuary and an artists-in-residence program.

Originally from New York, Sumell moved to New Orleans in 2005 and says she’s lived there longer than she’s lived anywhere.

Sumell’s creative practice has been supported by residencies and fellowships, including the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, 2023 Christian A. Johnson Fellowship, 2022 Marguerite Casey Foundation Fellowship and Rockefeller Foundation. Her collaboration with Herman Wallace, one of the Angola 3 (Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King — former Angola prison inmates who lived in solitary confinement for several decades), was featured in the Emmy Awardwinning documentary “Herman’s House.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

For those who may be unfamiliar with the term “abolitionist work,” how would you describe that?

It’s really important that we think about abolition as a practice that isn’t precisely defined.

I personally think of abolition as a practice where we respond to inevitable harm with the intention of not creating more.

Creative Director Jackie Sumell leads an Abolitionist’s Tea Party, discussing how natural ingredients grown by incarcerated individuals can be used for connection and healing

There are many people who speak much more eloquently to this, but I think of abolition as something that not only exists as the desire to live outside of a punitive system, but as something that we do relationally every day with every thought, word and action.

How did you get involved in abolitionist work in Louisiana?

I started off as a pen pal with Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3. That evolved into moving here to be closer to them, and I began work on a project called “The House That Herman Built.”

It really reorganized my life and value system. The next 20 years of this work has been a way to say thank you to Herman and Albert and John Thompson. As a practice of gratitude to be closer to them, I have created family relationships with other folks who are still incarcerated.

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

sauna with my hair dripping they cheered again. That sounds small. It was small. It was also something I had been sure I would never do, and I did it because a roomful of strangers encouraged me. I smiled despite myself and had to admit: I felt fantastic. Maybe the moment wasn’t as much about the cold water as being reminded how quickly strangers can become allies. For the past few weeks, the World Cup has been everywhere, with North America hosting visitors arriving from all over the world. That story keeps surfacing in interviews and clips guests amazed by how welcoming Americans have been, how warm, how generous with directions, seats, time and breakfast.

For the first time, I have been glued to the World Cup this summer mostly for that strangers-turning-

allies feeling. (As a side benefit, I’ve even begun to understand offsides.)

Lately, I’ve felt as if our country is constantly being reminded of what separates us. The World Cup has shown that we can still be the people I grew up believing we are.

I don’t know exactly what a cold plunge in Colorado says about a country turning 250. Maybe nothing. Maybe this: People who will never see one another again stood up and cheered for a stranger over something that did not matter at all and mattered completely

We do not have to agree, but we can still be kind. We can still talk someone into the cold and cheer when she goes under — and welcome her back into the warmth.

A country turning 250 is a lot to hold in the mind at once. A roomful of strangers cheering someone in and out of cold water is not.

I will take this small thing — and be ready to celebrate the next one.

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

Q&A WITH JACKIE SUMELL ARTIST AND ACTIVIST

hope is that we inspire a world where we don’t rely on punishment to respond to harm.

We just started a capital campaign to be able to retrofit the John Thompson Legacy Center to be this museum.

How do the Freedom to Grow Solitary Gardens spread that abolitionist practice?

Solitary Gardens, in particular, is birthed out of Herman’s House — creating garden beds that are the same size and blueprint that solitary cells are. Then they’re grown in collaboration with folks who are currently incarcerated and tended to by folks on the outside who are formerly incarcerated.

My elders often say those of us who are closest to the problem are also closest to the solution.

live and exist outside the world that we know That’s terrifying. We’re asking them to look at the legacy, not only of the horrors that have happened on the land now occupied by the Louisiana State Penitentiary, but to imagine, to feel and to think about the magic or the resistance or ways that people not only survived the impossible, but transmuted it. Ultimately, to look at the ways that people can take the impossible and alchemize it into a different outcome.

How can Freedom to Grow impact Louisiana?

What’s been so beautiful is that it no longer is just Angola. It’s prisons across the country.

I feel very deeply committed to this land and this place. I’m here for the long haul.

How did Freedom to Grow evolve into the organization it is now?

It’s an outgrowth of this work and the legacy of the Angola Three.

Starting a nonprofit was not something that I, as an artist, ever imagined, but it became necessary in a world in which it has become increasingly difficult to fundraise. Doing abolitionist-centered work and visiting folks in prison has been a labor of love for most of this journey, but the larger the projects get the more they require sustenance.

Freedom to Grow will continue long beyond my own life, and it allows us to create a means of fundraising and sharing. The

SHRIMP

Continued from page 1y

In 2024, Honn hosted the first Louisiana Shrimp Festival in New Orleans, which featured live music, food vendors, panel discussions and presentations from leaders in the industry Last year, SeaD Consulting, a private thirdparty testing company that conducts genetic testing on shrimp dishes, was present to conduct testing. This year’s festival is scheduled for Oct. 18 at The Broadside (600 N. Broad St., New Orleans).

Honn also wants to start a “Shrimp Drops” initiative to bring Louisiana shrimpers, chefs, musicians and culture bearers to people beyond the South His goal is to educate people on how their seafood choices can have an effect on Louisiana’s coastal communities.

“Ultimately, it is the consumer that has the power,” he said. “They wield a huge influence over the entire system.”

Nacio has also done his fair share of advocacy for the industry working with the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, making trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers and encourage opposition to imported shrimp — which often poses health and environmental risks because of the use of banned antibiotics, habitat destruction to coastal communities and unsustainable farming practices.

Honn says these risks were introduced with imported shrimp, and awareness has increased over the past decade. Many imported shrimp include silicone that’s used make shrimp appear larger Others include carcinogenic antibiotics, preservatives or biological toxins. Some processors use illegal and unethical labor practices

Many European countries require shippers to prove they tested shrimp for contaminants If it doesn’t pass, they destroy the packages. In the U.S.,

What is the Freedom to Grow Artistin-Residency program and who are the artists?

Artists are the vanguards of complicated and sometimes impossible conversations. Art is a critical vehicle, and so, how do we engage artists in abolitionist and revolutionary thinking?

New Orleans icons Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun are our inaugural artists in residence. This was a relationship that was like literally born out of deep admiration for their work and for their legacy, both inside Angola and inside New Orleans.

We’re asking Keith and Chandra, who are very established photographers, to work outside of their medium and comfort zone as an abolitionist practice. It’s challenging them to be an example of growth within the realm of productive discomfort.

An abolitionist future is not reform, but it requires us to really

I want people to know that the entire world is born from the tip of intention. If our intention is to be kinder, faster, we can build that world. If our intention is to be bigger and meaner then we will build that world. So, what Freedom to Grow is hopefully doing is creating an alternative universe that is rooted not only in possibility but in lived experience. Herman used to say to me, “Slow down, baby this is a marathon.” What I’ve come to realize is that it’s actually a relay race, and Freedom to Grow is the baton. I want people to know to trust, and to believe that another world is possible. The first step is an act of faith. Our relationship to faith and to spirituality is actually a superpower, and we can think of abolition as a practice of faith. In some ways, I want Freedom to Grow to be a container for folks to feel safe in abolitionist thought and practice.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Nacio said, we return it to the shipper if contaminants are found.

“So, there’s no risk sending to the U.S. The risk is sending to the European countries, so that’s why we became a dumping ground for shrimp,” he said.

In June, Louisiana passed several laws to support shrimpers, including one that expands the authority of the agriculture department to destroy seafood that fails to meet the state’s testing requirements.

Shrimp fraud is also another industry concern.

Louisiana law requires restaurants to explicitly state when they serve imported shrimp, but some establishments are getting caught for serving it without accurate labels. SeaD Consulting has conducted

research throughout the state to expose seafood fraud — efforts that also move the needle.

“I want to see people survive and thrive in the industry And the only way is if we can combat the fraud and get people to be aware of what they’re eating,” Nacio said. “That’s the biggest problem: People aren’t aware of what they’re consuming.”

Nacio and Honn encourage consumers to always ask a retailer where their shrimp comes from. Honn even suggests going a little deeper and making a connection with a local shrimper or fisher because “your life, and your table, will be much richer.”

Louisiana’s fisheries are shaped by a mix of ethnic groups that are deeply tied to the Gulf’s coastlines,

including Vietnamese Americans, Cajuns, Croatians, indigenous African Americans, Native Americans, Filipino communities and others.

When so much of the state’s culture is imbued in the spirit of gathering around food, what happens when those ties are severed? Honn, Nacio and other coalitions are championing the industry, in hopes that Louisianans don’t have to find out.

“We’re talking about an activity of harvesting wild seafood that is rarefied today, so we have to be in awe of and have respect for that,” Honn said. “We are stewards of that resource.”

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Freedom to Grow

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER Morning mist rises and falls near the mountaintops in Glenwood Springs, Colo., on June 25.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Anna Marie Shrimp packages soft shell shrimp in Montegut on June 5. Statewide, organizations like Shrimp Aid are dedicated to supporting the industry and shrimpers.

Locals help addressneighborhood’shousing needs

BY BRIANNAMEEKS

Contributing writer

Damon Walker remembers adifferent Scotlandville. As achild in the 1980s, he rode his bike through the neighborhood on Baton Rouge’snorth side, visited the local “candy lady” and watched residents support nearby businesses.

At the time, he said, local stores were woven into the neighborhood and children could walk to gathering spots without traveling far from home.

“It was afun place growing up,” Walker,now 40, said. “Parents could trust you to go to the corner store.”

It’sdifferent today Walker and his partnerin life and business, Brittany Moss, 43, are working to bring new investments into the neighborhood they once explored as children. They said they want to create opportunities for future generationswhile helping address housing needs.

“The idea wasalways there,” Walker said.

Earlier this year,they brokeground on the CottagesatRavelle Homes, which they said will provide affordable housing for students at Southern University

Investinginthe community

Moss and Walker both knew they wanted to invest in their community.For years, separately and now together,they workedtoward that goal through entrepreneurship, real estate and property development.

“Everythingacquired over time,” Moss said. “So it was just destiny.”

The couplemet at aLouisiana Leadership meeting in 2022. At the time, Walker owned acar wash and detailing business. Soon, they started real estate ventures, including aproperty they bought together

acrossfromWalker’sbusinesses near where the Cottages at Ravelle Homes are being built.

Walker oversees development projects while Moss handles the real estate side of the business. Sitting recently at French TruckCoffee on Government Street, Mossand Walker reflected on their childhoods.

Moss described herself as atalkative kid. Walker said he had aknack for building things fromthe ground up.

In addition to operating awindshield repair business with his cousin,Walker invested in property throughout Scotlandville. One of his earliestdevelopment projects was the Compound, located across the street from where the future Cottages willstand.

Mossstartedworking at ChaseBankat18, thinking she’d transition to college at Southern University with thegoalofbecoming asocial worker.She was a first-generation college student, but there was another motivation pushing her forward.

She became amother at a young age.

Still, at 22,she purchased her firsthome. It was in thathome, she said, where her daughter took her first steps. After becoming a mother,she wanted to create stabilityfor her daughter

So,in2019, Moss made avision board of what her life could be in thefuture. She reimagined every piece sheput onthatboard andcouldn’tbelieveall that she’d already accomplished.

“You don’t realize you’ve done so much withina circle of time,” said Moss, who eventually changed her mind about pursuing a career in social work Moss said she hasgenerated morethan $15 million in sales as areal estate

agent while helping over 50 families purchase homes in Baton Rouge. Years of vision,property acquisitions and community investment eventuallyled Moss and Walkertodeveloping the CottagesatRavelle Homes Breaking ground

TheRavelleHomes LLC broke groundonnew student housing near Southern at 56668thAve.onMarch 21. Theproject aims to address blight in the Scotlandville area. With increased enrollment at Southern, dorms have reached maximum capacity, creating a need formore affordable options forstudents.

Moss and Walker worked with local officials, includingEast Baton Rouge Par-

ishMetroCouncil member Anthony Kenney,tomove theproject forward.Kenney said the development will provide studentswith an opportunity to live closer to campus andwas thrilled to help rezonethe area.

“Outofthe 8,000 students at Southern, about 5,000 need housing,”hesaid. The development will consistofeight small, standalone houses under 1,000 square feet, each including two bedrooms,one bathroom and accessibility features for individuals with disabilities. The homeswill also include kitchens, porches and designated parking spaces, along with in-unit stackable washers anddryers.

Construction is expect-

ed to take sixmonthsto ayear,Walker said, with occupancy starting for Southern’sspring 2027 semester.

Current on-campus housing at Southern University typically ranges from about $1,880 to $3,000 per academic year,depending on the housing style, said Nevaeh Paschall, who worksasa resident assistant. Affordability remains aconcern, Paschall said, noting that housing applications fill quickly due to limited availability

“A lot of studentsare barely making it with the rates we currently have,” Paschall said.

Rental rates for the Cottages at RavelleHomes areexpected to range from about $1,100 to $1,300 per

unit,according to Moss. Since this project is Moss and Walker’s first, they will alsomanage the properties and maintain safety measures, including 24-hour securitycameras, they said. In the future, the team hopes to createmore opportunities fordevelopment in the Scotlandville area and improve the community while doing so This storywas reported and written by Brianna Meeks, ajournalism student at Southern University,with the support of the nonprofit Louisiana CollegiateNewsCollaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the HenryLuceand John D. andCatherineT.MacArthur foundations

“I am honored and excited to take on this newrole.Shell Norcoisanimportant site with alonghistory and areputation forhavinggreat people and astrongculture.” AlexMarkos, ShellNorco VP

ShellwelcomesAlexMarkosasthe newlyappointed Vice President of theNorco site. Markoshas worked in severalcountriesinavariety of roles. Most recently,his leadership at Shell Polymers MonacainPennsylvania andthe Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Canada prepared himfor balancing thedemands of large-scale operations with theimportanceofculture, trust, andvisible leadership.AtNorco,he steps intoaworkplace widely recognized within Shell forits strong culture.“There’sa real sense of pride here,”hesays. “People care about thesite, about each other, and about doingthingsthe rightway.You can feel that immediately.”

At thecoreofhis leadership philosophyisthisprinciple:safety comesfirst. “Nothing is more important than making sure everyperson who comesto work goeshomesafely,” he says.His focus alsoincludesenvironmental performance reliability, and developing thepeople who keep thesite running. “You have to deliver today while preparingfor tomorrow.”

ShellNorco is one of themostimportant sitesinShell’sU.S. operations. Theonly Shell refinery in thecountryintegratedwith chemicals manufacturing, Norcoplaysa centralrole in thecompany’soperationsand remains astrongeconomic engine forthe Gulf Coast.

PROVIDED PHOTO

DamonWalker,left, and Brittary Mossy speak at the March groundbreakingfor the Cottages at Ravelle Homes, intended as housing for SouthernUniversity students. Walker and Moss co-own Ravelle Homes, which is buildingthe houses

A ‘dig of the century’ unearths 1,700 years of history

Archaeologists are exploring beneath Notre Dame

BY THOMAS ADAMSON and JEFFREY SCHAEFFER Associated Press

PARIS Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its gargoyles.

13 feet beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging the other way — straight down and back in time, to Roman Paris 2,000 years ago. In 2019, fire brought Notre Dame’s spire crashing down as the world watched. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in late 2024, and now Paris wants to soften the hot, bare square in front of it with trees and shade

But in a city this old, the soil cannot be turned until what lies beneath it is excavated, in case it is damaged during works.

So a slice of Notre Dame’s forecourt has become an excavation site — an open pit ringed by barriers and crossed by a wooden walkway, a few steps from the lineup

A modern Da Vinci Code

French media have dubbed it the “dig of the century.”

“It’s a rare opportunity for us to work on something that’s tangibly going to make a difference to the history of Paris,” Lucie Altenburg, a conservator with the Paris archaeology unit, told The Associated Press.

Among the hundreds of objects already found: a fourth-century coin stamped with the face of the Emperor Constantine, and shards of medieval pottery painted on the inside with marks no expert has yet deciphered — like a modern Da Vinci Code.

“It makes Notre Dame feel alive again,” said Emily Carter, 34, a tourist from Manchester waiting in line with her two children. “You come to see the cathedral, then realize there’s another city under your feet. That’s almost more moving.”

The first traces appear 20 inches down; 13 feet lower, the team is still pulling up the past. Some days they fill 15 crates — from ground that has lain untouched for decades.

Archaeologists monitoring digs

This is the bargain in every old city: The past is not in a museum down the street it is under the

street Cities rise. Each age builds on the rubble of the last, and the ground climbs with it; in Rome, it has risen about 30 feet since the empire fell in the fifth century AD.

When Athens built its metro for the 2004 Olympics, it set off the largest excavation in Greek history and turned up tens of thousands of objects, now shown in the stations themselves. Paris is no different.

It all comes from the island in the Seine, the Ile de la Cite, where Paris began.

Centuries later, Notre Dame rose on the same ground.

At the cathedral’s birth in 1163, the entire square was packed with medieval houses, split by a single street, said Camille Colonna, the archaeologist leading the dig. Digging down, her team has reached their cellars — and therefore also the time in history they represent.

Below them lie Merovingian and Carolingian grain pits, from the sixth to the 10th centuries; below those, darker and deeper still, a dense Roman quarter from the fourth and fifth centuries.

Twenty centuries are stacked in 13 feet of earth — or about the height of two-and-a-half Napoleon Bonapartes standing on top of one another

“Here you can see the layers

Young people search

BY AUDREY PACHUTA Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO There’s something addictive about it. Sitting in bed late at night watching one 30-second clip after another Bright, blue light illuminating the room.

Whipping out a camera the moment a restaurant server brings a meal or a favorite performer appears onstage. Succumbing to the urge to scroll Instagram the second conversation grows quiet or social awkwardness creeps in The alarm bells began to ring in recent Loyola University graduate Kamryn McPhaul’s head when she realized a third of her waking life was spent on her cellphone.

She, like so many others, craved the “cheap hits of dopamine,” the sense of mindless joy she received from watching a short video only to forget it moments later

Earlier this year, she decided enough was enough. Goodbye to Instagram and Snapchat; hello to sightseeing adventures, solo trips to the movies and hours spent at the Art Institute. The moment McPhaul installed a “permanent black-and-white filter” on her screen and deleted all her social media apps, she felt something shift. She doesn’t plan on going back.

While McPhaul’s mission to curb her screen time has been an individual endeavor, others are increasingly seeking out social spaces to join like-minded people hoping to unplug. The number of phone-free experiences grew by 567% globally in 2024 and 2025, according to Eventbrite, a platform where organizers can advertise events.

In Chicago, this trend has taken various forms: everything from creative spaces relegating devices to cotton bags and locked boxes to phone-free raves moshing into the morning’s wee hours

Some of these events are planned and attended by young adults, most of whom hardly remember a world before instantaneous digital communication. In many cases,

phone-free parties emerge in the form of novelty pop-ups, advertised as a chance to escape the pressures of an ever-demanding online universe.

“Some people want to let loose and be free and they don’t want to be filmed while they’re doing that,” said 29-year-old Samantha Boehlen, an event producer who helped plan multiple phone-free dance parties around the city

‘How all of our parents hung out’

After acquiring her first iPhone at 13, Olivia Gork spent most of her young life wondering what a party free of digital disruption would look like.

She dreamed of dance floors packed with crowds who let music move through them. Bars where people entered as strangers and left as friends. But the more she went out, the more she realized phones inherently stood in the way of the experience she longed to have.

“I was ending the night just being like: Where were we?,” Gork said. “Were we just capturing the moments or were we living them?”

Unbeknownst to her, Gork’s vision was one she shared with event producer Chinaecherem Nwaubani, whom she met at North Coast Music Festival in 2024. Now business partners, the pair founded an agency Saturnalia, to plan “otherworldly phone free(dom) gatherings.”

Back in December, they hosted their first and only party to date at Fulton Street Collective, a West Town art gallery and event space.

The event, with bright colorful fabrics draped from the ceiling drew a crowd of more than 100 people, Nwaubani said.

Some came with friends and others came alone, but all followed the night’s one rule: Phones must be kept in a locked box by the entrance.

“We debated putting them in little pouches, but something for me is that I just hate being encumbered and I was just like, what is

— medieval Paris, Roman Paris, maybe even before that,” said Yasmine Benali, 22, an archaeology student watching from behind the barriers. “It makes the city feel less like a postcard and more like something still being discovered.”

Coins, ceramics

The richest finds here come from the foulest place: the deep pits beneath the medieval houses, old latrines that doubled as rubbish dumps. Out of them the team keeps lifting whole jugs and cups thrown away centuries ago, yet

still intact — among the broken plates and animal bones.

It’s “rare to find complete ceramics,” said Valentine Breloux, an archaeologist with the unit. Here the soft waste cushioned them, and centuries later they miraculously came up whole. Then some other objects came that confounded experts. As conservators cleaned what looked like ordinary medieval pottery, they found faint reddish writing painted on the inside — the same mysterious markings on shard after shard. What they mean has yet to be

deciphered.

Of everything she has cleaned from Notre Dame, Breloux said, these are the most “astonishing.”

Coins can help date the layers

The coins came up as black discs, eaten by rust. But under an X-ray, a face returned: it was Constantine, the Roman emperor who ruled in the early 300s AD. Such objects also “can be invaluable in giving us the date of the (underground) layer,” Altenburg said.

The Roman finds are the ones the archaeologists value most — the deepest, oldest and least understood. In Roman times, the town was called Lutetia, and its center lay across the river, on the Left Bank.

As the Roman empire collapsed, people pulled back to the Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame would later rise, and fortified the island with walls of stone taken from earlier buildings.

Colonna’s team found some proof: a Roman doorstep found in the dig, taken from a much bigger building, carried over, turned upside down, and laid in a road as paving.

Paris houses thousands

Every find leaves the pit and travels north, to the city’s archaeology center — what Colonna calls “a huge archaeological store,” a treasure house of Paris.

For archaeologists, the cathedral dig is a rare treat. In France, like elsewhere, they work only where building work is about to begin — a bit like how industrial quarry workers end up unearthing dinosaur remains.

“This only happens because the city of Paris decided it wanted to beautify the area,” Altenburg said.

The new square should be mostly finished by 2028: a kind of woodland clearing, with 160 new trees and a thin film of water sliding over the stone to cool it in summer — part of how Paris is bracing for ever hotter summers induced by global warming.

The tourists who now wait in the bare sun beneath the gargoyles will, in a few summers, line up in the shade. The old underground parking lot will reopen as a visitor center looking onto the Seine.

Until then, the Notre Dame team wants to go deeper still — past the Romans, toward whoever came before them, the Gauls who gave the city its first name.

“The hope is that we are able to go back in time even further than we’ve ever been before,” Altenburg said.

a way that everyone can be as unencumbered as possible?” Gork, now 23, said. “I think the phone just needs to be completely locked up.”

The zero-tolerance phone policy brought people together in ways even Gork and Nwaubani couldn’t have predicted. They were particularly struck by a moment when a group gathered to play chess with a security guard, and the fact that one attendee got so caught up in being screen-free, she forgot her phone at the venue when she departed for the night.

“This is how all of our parents hung out,” Nwaubani said. “There was a time not that long ago where this was just normal.”

Boehlen, the 29-year-old event producer whose work ranges from creative collage clubs to nightlife, said she wishes she had been “more stringent” about phone usage when she helped plan a January dance party in Wicker Park.

Over the years, she has advertised many of her events as being “phone-free,” but unlike the owners of Saturnalia, she never enforced the rule as anything more than a friendly suggestion.

Recently she said she attended a few events that weren’t marketed as screen-free, but ended up operating that way once she arrived. She recalled a concert’s policy of storing phones in automatically sealed bags as something that could be a good idea for her future functions.

“I think people can use their phone as a crutch,” Boehlen said. “It’s very easy to look down at your phone and just scroll or answer a text message, rather than sitting in that uncomfortability.”

Phone-free creative spaces

For some, the notion of unplugging isn’t a new idea. With its eclectic collection of vinyl records and board games, Kibbitznest, a WiFi-free book bar in Lincoln Park, has been capturing the fancies of those seeking a digital detox for nearly a decade.

While phones are technically permitted inside, those visiting find themselves hard-pressed to spot anyone choosing to use them. Instead, groups gather on comfortable furniture and chat while sipping cocktails and dealing playing cards. The dark interior features walls covered with books of every genre, encouraging those who enter to keep their laptop tucked away for the sake of the written word.

One weeknight in May around 30 people gathered for an event called “Skip the Small Talk” in Kibbitznest’s back room. As the name suggests, the night was centered around facilitating deep conversations between strangers, a task much easier when phone usage is kept to a minimum, event organizers said.

Over two hours, attendees shuffled from partner to partner, engaging in 10-minute conversations centered around cardprompted topics like “What are some of your biggest hopes for your personal future?” and “What are some things you loved about yourself as a child?”

Jessa Fuller, an event curator and co-founder of experiential marketing agency Little Council, sought to cultivate a similar sense of belonging when her team hosted a phone-free pop-up event on a Saturday morning in River North last month. The event, called Fulfillment Center, was geared toward people of all ages who were encouraged to come, put their phone in a cotton bag and engage with one of the many activities centered around reading, writing, making and playing at a long, communal table.

“Right now, when you think of a fulfillment center, you think of a large, giant, warehouse-y building built to get us things we order online super fast,” Fuller said “So we said: ‘What would it look like if we took up space with one that was more focused on personal fulfillment?’” Fuller’s team hosted the pop-up over two days. For her, the most

striking part of the weekend was seeing people come to the Fulfillment Center alone and leave with plans to reconnect with the people they met at her event.

Students, teachers

For some, the conversation around limiting screen time has extended beyond social circles and into professional or academic ones.

This spring, Olivia Stewart Lester a Loyola professor who typically teaches classes on the New Testament and early Christianity, proposed and taught a new class that investigated the intersection of religion and technology

Eighteen students joined her for her semester-long passion project, together exploring topics such as artificial intelligence and online religious communities, as well as participating in a monthlong digital fast coinciding with the start of Lent and Ramadan.

“They were surprisingly enthusiastic,” Stewart Lester said, adding she was unsure of how students would respond to a professor mandating a behavioral change. In assigned reflection papers, students described how the fast gave them the chance to take up new hobbies, she said. Given the choice of how to implement the assignment in their lives, some students opted to eliminate certain apps like TikTok, while others chose not to use their devices on public transportation in order to be more aware of their surroundings.

“(They found) once they got through the kind of rocky adjustment period of getting used to detaching from those devices, that their mental health improved,” she said. “That they were sleeping better and forming more connections with other people that felt more authentic to them.”

At the University of Illinois Chicago, 20-year-old engineering student Nawar Masood sometimes employs the help of an app called FocusFlight, which allows her to lock her phone for the typical duration of any flight.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By NICOLAS GARRIGA

Archaeological workers wearing hard hats dig 13 feet underground during excavations outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Archaeologist Valentine Breloux holds ceramic fragments discovered during excavations.

SUNDAY, JUlY 5, 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

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

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 — LeoPArd: LEH-perd: A large, strong cat with black spots. Average mark 47 words Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 66 or more words in LEOPARD?

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

sHeLdon poLonsKy

The elegant way

Today’s deal is from a pairs tournament in Turkey and overtricks were crucial West won the opening diamond lead with his king. The lead was a certain singleton given the missing spot card, so East returned the five of diamonds. West ruffed and shiftedtothethreeofclubs.South played the jack from dummy and overtookitwithhis ace whenEast played low An obvious line for an overtrick, assuming West held thequeenofclubs,wastocashthe ace of trumps and lead a trump to dummy’s queen for a ruffing finesse in diamonds. That would require West to be out of trumps intwomorerounds.Southfounda more elegant way He led a heart to the queen and began to run his trumps This was the position with one trump remaining:

♠

On the last heart, West had to keep all his clubs so he discarded a spade. Dummy then discarded a club and East a spade. A club to the10andthekingofclubsforced East to discard another spade. The ace and eight of spades took the last two tricks. Very nice!

wuzzLes

super Quiz

this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on

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

and legal matters are updated. Paying attention to detail will put your mind at ease. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You’ll be drawn to unique individuals who offer both enrichment and a learning experience that will help you curb unnecessary habits. You are overdue for a change. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Indulge yourself in travel, social events or learning something new and exciting. A partnership will change how you view prospects and enhance your goals. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Change thingsupathometohelpyouexplore

new possibilities. Use your imagination to elaborate on ideas and plans you want to pursue. Someone who interests you will warm up to the idea of collaboration CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19) Push for what you want. Dreaming won’t get you to the finish line. Take heed of what others do and say, but take control of your destiny Don’t skirt issues or leave out important details.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your ideas and plans into motion. Turn your surroundings into a workspace dedicated to bringing in extra cash. Invest more time and money in

yourself and what you enjoy doing most.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Fact-check your resources before following through with your plans. Networking events will encourage you to explore new possibilities. Share your feelings and intentions with someone of interest.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Distance yourself from trouble or those trying to talk you into something you don’t want to do. Volunteer work that addresses a cause touches you emotionally TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Don’t make unrealisticpromisesoraskformore

than others can offer Pay more attention to detail, how you look and feel, and creating your lifestyle and personal happiness.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Focus on learning, preparing and perfecting whatyouwanttopursue.Implement changes that require your time and energy and are not dependent on outside influences. Choose your words carefully

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

goren Bridge

Answers to puzzles

1. Margaret Thatcher.2.John Adams. 3. Alexander Graham Bell. 4. AmeliaEarhart 5. Nelson Mandela. 6. Yuri Gagarin.7.Roald Amundsen. 8. Vladimir Lenin. 9.Roger Bannister.10. "Wings." 11. Delaware. 12. "The Jazz Singer." 13. Thurgood Marshall 14. Ferdinand Magellan. 15.Marie Curie.

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: America wasnot built on fear.Americawas built on courage, on imagination andanunbeatable determination to do the job at hand. —Harry S. Truman

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend dustin /bySteve Kelley&JeffParker