The Acadiana Advocate 07-12-2026

SAINTS QB SHOUGH ORGANIZES TEAM DRILLS

HIGH DEMAND, HIGH RISK

Some in La. bet the farm on raw milk, despite concerns

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

Two gallons, four. Six gallons, eight. The store at Sinagra Family Dairy in Amite had just opened at 2 p.m., but a half-hour later the cooler was close to empty

One shelf, in particular “Mom, can you grab a few more gallons of raw milk?” Miles Sinagra called from behind the register

Just days before, the Louisiana Health Department reported that 11 people got sick after drinking unpasteurized milk from three operations. Two were hospitalized. The department did not name the operations and still hasn’t Still, at this Tangipahoa Parish dairy farm 90 minutes north of New Orleans, customers were clamoring for raw milk. Low-temperature pasteurized milk, too. One father grabbed four gallons

of chocolate milk not just for his two daughters.

“As crazy as it sounds,” Josh Simonsen said, getting close, “if I go out and mow for a few hours, I’ll come in and grab a big glass.” Raw milk outsold the others on this recent Monday af-

ternoon, as it does most days when the farm opens this bright little store on the land where Miles’ father, Darrell Sinagra, has been raising and milking cows since 1997. The family has bet the farm on this model — selling less-processed milk direct

to consumers. Since the state legalized the sale of raw milk in 2024, to a chorus of mooing legislators, some of that milk has been raw. There’s risk to that, said Miles, 26. “I’m not going to shy away from that. It’s like eating a raw oyster. We’re in Louisiana, big raw oyster state. Now do we do everything we can to mitigate that, to decrease that risk as much as possible? Absolutely.”

As raw milk has become an elixir of the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement, some small family farms have seen it as a rare lifeline in a difficult industry dominated by largescale operators. But scientists have warned against skipping pasteurization Raw milk is hundreds of times more likely to contain

NIL era comes to high school sports

Louisiana lawmakers, coaches want safeguards put in place

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Now that student athletes are allowed to cash in on their talent and make money off endorsement deals, teenagers in high school are increasingly being drawn into the big business of sports, and coaches are raising concerns that young athletes and their families could be taken advantage of.

Some elite high school students are now getting offers for marketing deals to use their name, image and likeness, or NIL, similar to college players.

The young athletes are being approached by people — including friends and family members — who put themselves forward as sports agents but don’t have any experience in the industry, said J.T Curtis Jr football coach at John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge.

Curtis

Lafayette builders weigh keeping trees in new projects

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

“They might mean well, but they’re just not qualified to do well,” he said.

“They’re not qualified professionally to be an agent.”

Curtis, who is Louisiana’s all-time winningest high school coach, said he started to see the problem crop up in high school sports several years ago, but in the past two to three years it’s gotten “significantly worse.”

To counter the risks to students, Louisiana lawmakers this year began putting up guardrails. That includes mandatory registrations, background checks and training for sports agents.

“There’s just no real regulation that protects the athlete, and that’s what we’re trying to do at this point,” said Curtis, who served on Louisiana’s NIL Task Force and advocated for new laws.

Louisiana law now acknowledges that high school athletes have a right to profit from their personal brands. That right was originally enshrined in state law for college athletes in 2021,

ä See NIL, page 6A

The Couret Farms neighborhood in north Lafayette has an unmistakably new air about it the homes are freshly constructed, the

street trees are a modest height, and crews are still filling out the edges of the subdivision with new streets and residences.

But even though the development is new, there is a sense of rootedness at Couret Farms, located off West Pont Des Mouton Road. Sidewalks connect residential streets to Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy, and the landscape offers

See RAW MILK, page 6A ä See OAKS, page 7A

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

Cassie Sinagra, center, maneuvers through the shoppers gathered in the Sinagra Family Dairy in Amite as she tries to keep the refrigerator stocked on June 29.

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Jay ‘Sandwich’ Stevenson milks cows on the line at Sinagra Family Dairy near Amite on June 29.

Judge

tosses remnants of Proud Boys

case

WASHINGTON A federal judge has dismissed the remnants of the government’s landmark case against far-right Proud Boys members who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting to attack the Capitol to keep President Donald Trump in the White House more than five years ago

The case’s dismissal late Friday became a foregone conclusion when Trump last year used his pardon powers to erase every case that the government prosecuted after a mob of his supporters stormed the building on Jan. 6 2021 The judge who presided over the Proud Boys leaders’ trial saw no basis to preserve the convictions after Trump’s sweeping act of clemency last year

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, whom Trump nominated during his first term, said there is “little mystery” about why the second Trump administration decided to abandon this case and every other Jan. 6 riot case.

“President Trump’s views about the prosecution of those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — whether those views are based on fact or fiction are well known, as is his intention to extend clemency to them,” Kelly wrote.

The judge stressed that his order should not be mistaken as an endorsement of the Department of Justice’s decision to abandon the case. He referred to the Capitol riot as “a perilous event” and an assault on the constitutional imperative for a peaceful transfer of power between presidents.

“Moving forward, if this Nation’s experiment in self-government is to last another 250 years, the American people — no matter their partisan preferences will have to act together to preserve, protect and defend that miracle through our constitutional framework,” Kelly wrote

One runner gored at bull run festival in Spain

PAMPLONA, Spain A runner was gored in the face and many more were fortunate to not be seriously injured during a chaotic bull run at Spain’s San Fermin festival on Saturday

The six bulls and accompanying steers charged through crowds of thrill-seekers who packed the narrow street course in Pamplona. The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day

One runner was pierced by a horn in the face, while 12 more people needed medical treatment for an assortment of knocks, according to the University of Navarra Hospital

A black bull broke away from the pack early in the 957-yard run and plowed into a group of people, smacking one full in the side of the face with a horn. It was not clear if that was the moment of the goring.

Many runners appeared completely unaware when bulls were breathing down their necks and, instead of trying to gore them, just shoved them out of the way

U.K. police release man held in ex-MP’s killing LONDON British police on Saturday released a 26-year-old man arrested as a suspect in the killing of former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe, as they revealed she was attacked in her home a full day before her body was discovered.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man detained on Friday a few miles from the scene of the attack was no longer under investigation. The force said detectives are working at “at a significant pace” to find the killer and they don’t believe there is a risk to the public.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead Thursday in her isolated rural home in the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. Police did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that she had sustained “serious injuries.”

Fate of strait challenges talks

Trump and Iran’s supreme leader trade threats

BY JON GAMBRELL, MICHELLE L. PRICE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers met on Saturday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz that lies between them, after days of Iranian attacks on ships and U.S. retaliation that dealt a blow to the interim deal to end the war

Iran’s new supreme leader, still unseen since the war began, vowed in his first statement since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iranians would avenge his killing in the war’s opening strikes on Feb. 28.

Such revenge “is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out,” Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement carried on state television, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened more missile attacks.

Oman said it and Iran agreed to keep talking about the crucial waterway “at the technical and political levels,” a day after the

United States called on Iran to publicly say the crucial waterway is open and ships won’t be attacked.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he met with his counterpart in Oman to discuss “appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships.”

The world for decades has considered the strait an international waterway Iran has insisted that the strait now remain under its control and that it be allowed to charge ships moving through it, a stance it took after the war began.

The U.S. urges mariners to transit on a southern route through Oman’s territorial waters.

About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran’s grip on it during the war led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of $120 a barrel.

Iran’s top diplomat also accused the U.S. of violating the interim deal by ending waivers allowing Iran to sell crude oil on the open market in U.S. dollars. Washington ended them in

response to the attacks on ships in the strait.

“Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance,” Araghchi wrote on X.

A thousand “missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow should the Iranian Government act on its threat,” Trump wrote on social media overnight

He said he was responding to threats “to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate” him. During Khamenei’s funeral, mourners

held posters or banners calling for Trump to be killed along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has declared the ceasefire over but said the U.S. would continue negotiations.

U.S. officials, speaking Friday on condition of anonymity about the current situation with Iran, said the resumption of strikes in recent days came after what they described as a rogue faction of Iranian hardliners tried to sabotage the ceasefire.

Iran has insisted its theocracy is unified under the new supreme leader

After the U.S. wrapped up its latest strikes on Thursday, more attacks reportedly hit Iran, raising questions about who else may be targeting the Islamic Republic.

Israel didn’t claim them, meaning the Gulf Arab states may have launched them, likely as a means to deter Iran from attacking them again. Iran on Thursday retaliated for U.S. strikes by targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar

The strikes in Iran over two days killed at least 17 people and wounded 115 others, Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said.

Reporters subpoenaed after Air Force One stories

BY WILL WEISSERT and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Department of Justice has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, marking a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump‘s campaign against the media that has drawn condemnation for eroding a fundamental freedom of American democracy.

The new jet, a present from the U.S. ally that the administration spent $400 million on to retrofit and upgrade, entered service last week. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey and later referenced threats against him made by Iran.

The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas

to the reporters at their homes.

They were issued after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to talk about the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The journalists subpoenaed included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt,

the Times reported.

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement

Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said Trump’s “war on the press is looking for another victim.”

Russian attacks kill 6, wound 29

as Ukraine targets oil tankers

By The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russian attacks on Ukraine killed six people, including a child, and wounded 29, officials said on Saturday, adding that Ukrainian forces damaged more than two dozen Russian tankers and other vessels in the Sea of Azov

The exchange came as Ukraine’s drones have lately been hitting oil refineries and other infrastructure across Russia to undercut its war effort, triggering a widespread fuel crisis with gasoline shortages. Moscow has responded by intensifying its bombardment on Kyiv and other cities, exposing Ukraine’s vulnerability to ballistic missile strikes. Ukraine’s General Staff said 21 tankers used to transport oil and petroleum products were damaged overnight, in addition to four tugboats, two cargo ships and a dredging vessel. Russian officials said

one person was killed in the Ukrainian drone strikes and that only four ships came under attack

In Ukraine’s northeast Sumy region, four people were killed, including a child, and 17 people were wounded when two aerial glide bombs hit a crowded area where civilians were present, said Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov Eleven people, including one child, were wounded in missile and drone attacks overnight on Kyiv, the State Emergency Service reported. In the southern region of Odesa, two people were killed after a Russian missile struck a building, said regional head Oleh Kiper Another man was wounded by shrapnel. Explosions and fires were reported across Kyiv’s Solomianskyi, Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts, the emergency service said.

Russia launched 12 missiles, including six ballis-

tic missiles, along with 121 drones against Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He said most of the drones and some of the missiles were shot down, but the ballistic missiles reached their targets, reiterating Ukraine’s dire air defense gaps. Ukrainian air defenses said they shot down or electronically suppressed two missiles and 111 drones. The air force said direct hits were recorded at 11 locations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces targeted drone production facilities in Kyiv as well as the ports of Izmail and Chornomorsk in the Odesa region.

The ministry also said Russian air defenses destroyed 178 Ukrainian drones overnight over eight Russian regions, as well as over the Russianoccupied Crimean Peninsula and the Black and Azov seas.

He said in a statement that the subpoenas “break from long-standing Justice Department practice to protect the public interest and press independence by requiring prosecutors to only seek information from reporters as a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted.”

The department said that “to be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

Its statement said “we value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not

sharing classified information.”

While recognizing “there may always be natural tension there,” the department said “we are not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s OK to leak classified information impacting national security.”

Issuing subpoenas represents further ramping up of Trump’s effort to threaten independent new organizations by leveraging the power of the federal government against them. It is also part of a systematic pattern by the Republican president to attempt to undermine press freedom in order to shield him from negative coverage.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI

A cleric waves an Iranian flag while holding a child as a woman waves a religious flag on Saturday during a pro-government gathering commemorating the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a square in Tehran, Iran.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDULLAH GÜÇLÜ Air Force One carrying President Donald Trump arrives Tuesday for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey

Dangerousheatwavethreatens oppressive temperatures

BY PATRICK WHITTLE and TAMMY WEBBER

Associated Press

Awidespread and danger-

ous heat wave was building across the U.S. on Saturday, with triple-digit highs expected in the Southwest and Great Plains next weekend before spreading eastward under adome of highpressurethat meteorologists say could trap oppressive temperatures for aweek or more.

“The heat doesn’t necessarilystop when it’sdark out,”said JoshAdam, a meteorologistwith the National Weather Service in Bismarck,North Dakota, wheretemperatures will surpass 100 until Tuesday, adramatic spike for astate where summer temperatures are typically in the80s.

Tynika Smith of Bloomington, Minnesota, handed outfrozentowelsand wash clothsalong withbatteryoperated fans at encamp-

Forecasters advisedpeople to stay hydratedand find places to cool off, warning of temperatures 15 to 25 degrees warmer than normal in many areas, including at night —especially bad for people’shealth because their bodieswon’thavea chance torecover.The heat dome was expectedtoaffect as much as two-thirds of thecontinental United States.

mentsofhomeless people in nearby St. Paul and will continue next week, when temperatures are forecast to climbinto the mid- to high 90s.The residents put theice packsaround their necks and on their heads.

“Theycan’t get into acar with air conditioning or go into ahouse,” said Smith, who also distributed water, freezerpops, food andhygiene supplies The encampments are so secluded that it’sdifficult for theresidents to walk or bicycle to cooling centers, she said. There also is little outside shade, while the temperature inside their tents gets even hotter than outdoors.

“I can only do so much,” Smithsaid, “but at least I can help them stay cool for alittle bit.”

The National Weather Servicepredicted that more than 90 U.S.local temperature records will be tied or broken through Wednesday —with two-thirds of those being overnight heat records. Temperatures were not forecast to drop below 80 at night in FortLauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa, Florida; Galveston, Texas; andCharleston, South Carolina.

Theheat dome —formed when high pressure traps hot air while blocking cooling winds and rain —isone of the strongest to affect the

Dakotasin25years,said Chad Merrill, asenior meteorologist with AccuWeather Record triple-digit highs were forecast forthe weekend in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas.

In Helena,Montana, where temperatures were expected to creep above 95, Last ChanceSplash Waterpark &Pool washolding a swim meet for hundreds of swimmers.

Thetiming couldn’t be better,asit’suncommon for Helena to getsohot, said Sean Swingley,assistant manager

“It’scertainly ahot day, but the pool is nice and cool,” Swingleysaid. “Usu-

ally in thesummerwehave acouple 95 degree days, but it mostly hovers around 85 to 90 in June and July.” Nevada, astate accustomed to hot weather,was even hotter than normal, said Andrew Gorelow,ameteorologist with the National Weather ServiceinLas Vegas. Thetemperature there was expectedtohit 111 on Saturday,Gorelow said. Hydrating andfinding cool spaces is critical, experts said. They also warned that the heat could spike fire risk in someparts of the country that already are dry,including the Rockies, where Merrill said dry thunderstorms could develop.

BY HALLIE GOLDEN and KRISTIN HALL Associated Press

One person remained missing in Missouri on Saturday after heavy rainfall battered partsofthe state thepreviousday,forcingnumerous emergency rescues and evacuations, including at asummer camp with more than 200 children.

Severalother states also faced the potential for severe thunderstorms and flash flooding as theslowmoving storms moved southward.

The NationalWeather Service said the severe weather impacted awide region stretching from the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri eastward into much of theOhioand Tennessee river valleys.

The service said the storms could bringdamaging winds, heavy rainfall and scattered flash flooding to the multistate region,with some places seeing impacts into Sunday.Ineastern Ten-

nessee, flooding closed some roads and downed power lines, andauthorities from Kentucky to West Virginia toldpeopletobeready to seek higher ground

Missouri’sEmergency Management Ag ency warned that while the storms move south and out of thestate,furtherthunderstorms couldstill bring additional flash flooding, especially in areas that have already received 6and 12 inches of rain.

Friday’sdrenching rains washed away roadsaround Camp Taum Sauk, trapping children and staffatthe site in thesmallsoutheastern community ofLesterville, accordingSgt. Eddie Young, with the state’shighway patrol. The Army National Guard used Black Hawk helicopters to fly them to a nearby elementary school and reunite them with their families, hesaid The camp thanked emergency crews in apost on Instagram, saying, “Weare beyond thankful for your

help keeping our campcommunitysafe.”

Meanwhile campersat theBearcat Getaway campground near theBlack River,about85milessouth of St. Louis, climbed onto a building to get away from theraging waters but it then

collapsed, Young said.

“Between the weight and theconstant waters underneathit, it just gave away on them,” he said.

Threeother people were trapped on trees on the Black River in Reynolds County andwererescued,

Young said. There werenoreports of major injuries or fatalities, but awoman in Crawford County wasmissing after ahouse wasswept from its foundation.

Young confirmed Saturdaythatthe woman,Faith

Gregory,was the only personstill unaccounted for in the county,whichisabout 70 miles southwest of St. Louis. Family and friends said on social media that they had resumedtheir search and urged others to look out for Gregory andher dogs, who werealso swept away

The weather service had issuedflashflood warnings forthe area as thunderstorms piled on one after another

“It’svery,very popular place forrecreation,” Matt Beitscher,alead meteorologistwiththe NWS office in St. Louis, said of theaffected counties. “So there are campgrounds there.There are float trip locations there. Alot of vulnerable populations thatwould be susceptible to flash flooding.”

Gov.Mike Kehoe declared astate of emergency and activated one asearch and rescue team to assist. He said late Friday that hundreds of people were saved from floodwaters, trees,rooftops and stranded vehicles.

Mexicanbuilder fatallyshotbyICE officermourned

BY TIM SULLIVAN Associated Press

The builder got up every morning long before dawn, left home to pickuphis construction crew and then headed out to work on yet another house somewhere across the sprawl of Houston.

Fourteen hours later, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo would return to the wife he’d metas ateenager in Mexico and the modest house he’d built for his family on the city’seast side.

It’swhat he’ddonefor decades, according to Ronaldo Salgado, his oldest son. He said his father built hundreds of houses over 35 years, creating alife for his family and watching as his three sons headed off to college.

On Tuesday,aU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shotSalgado Araujo, 52,after he was pursued by federal agents driving unmarked vehicles while he was taking his crewtotheir latest job site. The shootinghas outraged Houstonleaders and renewed public scrutiny over ICE and Trump’simmigration crackdown.

Four Democratic members of Congress who represent the Houston area said at avigil Saturday that they would push for an independent investigation into the shooting.

Communitymembersholdsigns reading ‘ICE

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston.

“Weare nevergoingtoforget that his blood is on Donald Trump’shands,” Rep. ChristianMenefee said.“We are not at war.Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not acasualty.Hewas ahuman being who was murdered by our government.”

Federal agents werelooking for someone elsewhen theytried to stop Salgado Araujo’swhite van, Garcia said,citinga briefing she receiving from ICE’sacting director.The Department of Homeland Security hassaidanICE officerfired

at the van in self-defense after Salgado Araujo,who officials described as an “illegal alien,” rammed an ICE vehicle. They have provided no evidence.

The three men that Salgado Araujo was driving said he was shotthrough apassenger window and that the ICE officer who fired was not in frontofthe vanoreven in danger,alawyer who has spokenwith them said Friday His family hasalso disputed the account from ICE. They said lawyers, who were

helping him apply for awork permit,had explained how he should behave if immigration agentsstopped him. Salgado Araujo was close to obtaining legalstatus when he was killed, they said.

“He knewwhattodo,” Ronaldo Salgado told reporters this week. “He knew not to sign anything. He knewthat the first phone call he should make should be either to myself or to my mom. So that way we can getthe process startedofgetting him out.”

He believes his father may have been scared that he was

being followed by unmarked vehicles, worried someone wasplanning to steal his van or his tools.

The shooting in the heavily Hispanic neighborhood is at least the eighth death during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.

Salgado Araujo enteredthe U.S. more than 30 years ago, settling in Houston with his wife where they raised their three children.

Education was aconstant focus in the house, said Ronaldo Salgado, who is now a teacher.One of his brothers is an engineer.The other is in college studying engineering.

Several childhood friends of Salgado recalledthathis fatherwas kind andsoftspoken,always inquiring about his wife’s day and how his sons’ friends were doing after along day at work.

“Wedidn’treally see him until the end of the day when he came home to have dinner,but that just shows how muchofahard workerhe was,” said neighbor Jessica Alanis Magdaleno. “Everythingtheyhavenow is thanks to the dedication to that.”

JosuéFlores, afriend of Ronaldo Salgado since their freshman year of high school,saidhefirst sawLorenzo Salgado Araujo at his son’sfootball game.

“I think it speaks volumes of the kind of personthathe

was,” Flores said, recalling howSalgado Araujo showed up forhis sonevenafter an arduous day of work.

SalgadoAraujo’swife, a relative said, is “inconsolable.”

“She is very upset... angry, sad, disoriented,” Jose Torres Ramon, anephew who lives in Mexico, told The Associated Press in aFacebook message. Ronald Salgado, his oldest son, said at the Saturday vigil that he hoped he wasmaking his father proud.

“I’ll keep fighting for him,” he said.

His brother Lorenzo Salgado Jr.said the shooting of his fatherwas “a hard moment to be an American.”

“Even though my government, my federal government took away my father, we the people will bring justice,” he said. “Wethe people are America.”

Aftercoming home in the evening, SalgadoAraujo liked to listen to music on the porchand petthe family dog. His family has described him as asimple manofroutine.

“He did not deserve to die,” Ronaldo Salgado said. “He dedicated his life in the United States to giving his family the American dream.”

Associated Press reporters Jack Brook in New Orleans, Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed.

Whistlebloweralleges construction problems at KennedyCenter

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

ADemocratic senatoron Saturday alleged that whistleblowers have detailed severalproblems stemming from rushed or improper reconstruction of the Kennedy Center,adding anew layer to the travails of the arts complex as President Donald Trump tried to seize control of it and its name.

Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island, said in arelease on Saturday that he had received awhistleblower disclosure from the Government Accountability Project, anonprofitwhistleblower protection group, alleging that “the Center rushed aseries of renova-

tions drivenbythe president’saestheticwhims and his desire to star in aseries of televised eventsinDecember.”

“The Center’ssubservience to the President’sdesires andits corner-cutting contracting practiceshave resulted in steelcolumns that are rusting through fresh paint, areflecting pool that may havetobetorn out andrebuilt,and abrandnew bathroomfloor torn out over an offending tile color,” Whitehouse continued. “This is waste, andittreats anational memorialtoPresident Kennedyasifitwerea private renovation project ” TheKennedy Center did not immediately respondto arequest for comment.

Trump seized control of the arts and culture venue, namedafter former President John F. Kennedy,at the beginning of his second term. Trumpousted the center’sprior leadership and replaced it with aBoard of Trustees thatnamed him chairman andaddedhis nametothe building.

Democrats sued to remove it and afederal judge ruled Trump’sname must come off the venue, which hadbeenwracked with boycotts by artists during the turmoil. He tried to close the center for twoyears, only to be ordered to keep it open by thecourt because only Congress could change itsname.

Whitehouse released alet-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

The sign is covered up on June 19 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the PerformingArtsinWashington.

ter he wrote to the center’s executive director,Matt Floca, demanding answers by July 23. He said thewhistleblower report included “firsthand accounts of mul-

tiple former Center project managers, supported by contemporaneous documentsand photographs.” He also included an 83-page appendix full of internal cen-

ter documents, emails and photos of apparently shoddy construction. The allegations include that the center rushed work before it was authorized by Congress becauseitwanted it to be completefor Trump to acceptthe newFIFA Peace Prize that thesoccer federation awarded him.In doing so,the letteralleges the center didn’tfollow requiredcontracting guidelines and wasted money replacing abathroom because the president didn’tlike the color andinkingno-bidcontracts. One $8 millioncontract to replace the concert hall’sfloor went to afirm with no experienceinconcert halls, Whitehouse contended.

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and MATTHEW BROWN

Associated Press

PROVO, Utah Lawyers for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk tried to sow doubt aboutthe case on Friday, while aprosecutor countered that authoritieshave “overwhelming” evidence that includes DNA tests and apparent confessions by the defendant.

Judge Tony Graf said he will decide if the case against Tyler Robinson should advance to trial after hearing

againfrom the two sides on Sept. 1. Kirk, a31-year-old confidant of President Donald Trump, waskilled ashe spoketoacrowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder andcould face the death penalty Friday’sproceedings capped aweekofpreliminary testimony and brought an emotional moment for Kirk’sfamily: The court played surveillance video that prosecutors saidshowed Robinson on the rooftop

whereheallegedly fired a single bulletthathit Kirk in the neck.

Kirk’swidow, Erika, watched intently as aperson saidtobeRobinson ran across the roof. When the figure dropped to acrawl near theroof’s edge, Erika Kirk turned andembracedCharlie Kirk’smother,Kathryn, whowas crying.Theyheld each other and looked away until thevideo was almost over Prosecutorsthis week presented arecorded interview witha formerroommate, who said the23-year-old de-

fendant expressed remorse for theshooting before turning himself in.Lawyers from theUtah County Attorney’sOffice alsooffered DNA analysis that investigators said linked Robinsonto boththe suspected murder weapon and atool he allegedly used to etch messages ontobullet cartridges.

Robinson’s team didnot offer alternativetheories for Kirk’sdeath.But oneof his attorneys, Michael Burt, repeatedly questioned the reliabilityofDNA tests and other evidencefrom prosecutors.

“If you had alot of DNA on your hand, we shook hands and Iwent to pick up an exhibit, agun, and Itouched the trigger of it, your DNA could be on that trigger,right?”

Burt asked Caitlin Oliver, a forensic biologist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearmsand Explosives.

“It is possible. Yes,” Oliver replied.

The defense attorneynoted that government policies don’tallow analysts to say thatDNA evidenceis“infallible” or that it has a“zero error rate.”

Experts say the science

behind DNA testing is sound.

Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney ChadGrunander questionedthe relevance of bringing in Oliver as awitness. He suggestedprosecutors metthe burden of proof needed to advancethe case to trial.

“Your honor’sheard four days of testimony now.The evidenceisoverwhelming. It’sdevastating,” Grunander said.

Robinson did not testify at the hearing. One of his attorneys told the judge theyhad advised him not to.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE PHOTO By RAQUEL NATALICCHIO

Out’ on Saturdayduring acommunity vigil for

MajorprojectsacrossLouisiana aremoving from announcementtoreality.Morethan $111 billionincapital investment is creating over 70,000 jobopportunities,with averagesalariesexceeding $90,000 The work spans across energy,manufacturing, infrastructureand logisticstogrow Louisianacommunitiesstatewide

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$11billion timber industry

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MajorsuppliertoU.S.beverage brands andretailers NiagaraBottling

$30billion+inLNG

pathogens, such as listeria, E. coli and campylobacter The people sickened in Louisiana tested positive for campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis or both, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Even as more states have legalized the sale of raw milk, few are testing it. Louisiana’s law requires labels that warn “not for human consumption.”

“I would call it the Wild West,” said professor John Lucey, director of the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It’s just completely unregulated with every state doing their own testing and procedures and temperatures. God knows.”

No matter how careful the farmer, cows get infections, including mastitis, might kick off the milking equipment and “literally poop everywhere,” Lucey said These are “not just possibilities. They happen all the time.”

A drop in dairy farms

The customers arrived with empty ice chests.

A veteran who’d driven from Mississippi, where raw milk is prohibited. A Tickfaw man who’d seen the farm’s Facebook posts. Neighbors who’d grown up on dairy farms not far from here, back when dairies dotted the region.

Miles remembered their orders:

“It’s Monday aren’t you a Thursday man?” His father scooped their ice: “You in the silver? Want it in the back?” John Bohning, who carries Sinagra milk in his grocery stores, stopped by with his wife and two kids, hoping for a tour “Mommy,” their 3-year-old son pleaded, “I want to see the cowies.”

Clad in farmer chic — Red Wing boots, Levi’s jeans, a Timex watch

— Miles grabbed a bag of alfalfa treats and brought them to an older, rougher building: the red milking barn, built in the 1970s. Schyler Bohning peered in, her 3-year-old on her hip.

“Has this always been your dream?” she asked.

Miles smiled, a story behind his eyes. After college, he’d nabbed what he thought was his dream job at a conservative New York City

think tank, the Manhattan Institute.

But six months in, he knew he’d made a mistake. He hated his cubicle and missed his farm. Worried his parents would sell the cows, he watched how farms in upstate New York were marketing themselves.

“I saw demand for this more nutrient-dense, less processed milk,” he said.

So a few years back, he called home: “Dad, we need to buy a pasteurizer.”

Now 55, Darrell Sinagra had grown up working at dairies in the area, hopping fence after fence.

But since the 1990s, the number of dairy farms in Louisiana has plummeted from more than 1,200 in 1992 to fewer than 100 today

Darrell understands why “I love taking care of cows,” he said. But costs have soared. His newest tractor is a 1981 model He maintains 110 tires You’d get more for a cow selling it for meat than milk.

For decades, he sold the farm’s milk for commodity prices out of his control.

But in 2024, with Miles back home, they added a production building with wide windows to let customers see the low-and-slow pasteurization process. Their Facebook post about the farm store’s opening garnered more than 1,000 shares.

“I think we’re going to need more milk,” he told his dad.

They were doing both until May 31, when their milk processor notified them that because they were selling outside of their contract, the company would no longer buy and process their milk.

So now, Sinagra is bottling, labeling and selling everything it milks at the farm store, as well as about 20 local groceries, health food stores and Farmer’s Butcher and Farmstop in New Orleans, where the warning “raw milk not for human consumption” is written in pretty script

‘Just too scary’

Raw milk’s evangelists describe a host of health benefits, most of

them not backed by scientific study

But a growing body of research, much of it out of Europe, acknowledges the so-called farm effect.

It’s something Miles and his sister experienced: Being raised among the cows and in the fields,

“My mom always says that we were never sick,” Miles said, bumping along in a four-wheeler across the family’s 250 acres.

Growing up on a family farm seems to protect kids from developing asthma and other allergies not a small feat at a time when allergies have surged. (Almost a third of adults and children report having an allergy according to the CDC.)

Some parents are buying raw milk with the hope that it could transfer some of those benefits, no hay baling required.

But scientists are still sorting the protections from the causes They warn that giving children raw milk puts one of the most vulnerable groups at risk of injury or even death.

A recent study comparing the Amish and Mennonite populations in Wisconsin suggests that the protections could be “more about contact with animals early in life maybe before the baby is born,” via breastfeeding said Lucey the professor

“You’re taking such a risk with your kids — and you’re not clear you’re going to get the benefit from the milk at all.”

The Louisiana Department of Health has not released the names or locations of the milking operations it’s investigating. A spokesperson declined to comment beyond the department’s initial advisory

According to the law passed in 2024, the state’s agriculture commissioner has the power to “temporarily suspend the sale, distribution, or movement of any raw milk from a producer when the raw milk causes an outbreak of a contagious or infectious disease that poses an immediate threat to animal or public health.”

But as of last week, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry hadn’t gotten information from the Health Department, spokeswoman Jennifer Finley said.

“After reviewing this matter, we have not received an official report from the Louisiana Department of Health identifying the cause of the illnesses, nor have we been notified of the farms involved.”

A push to legalize, test

Even in high school, as part of a civics project called TeenPact, Miles Sinagra had “authored” a bill legalizing the sale of raw milk. Growing up, “neighbors were constantly asking my dad if they could buy milk from him, and he would have to tell them ‘no,’” Sinagra said. “And I just thought that was insane

“How is it that we’re producing this product that I grew up drinking, yet we can’t sell it?”

At King’s College in New York City, he wrote his senior thesis on the subject. “It is described as ‘nature’s most perfect food,’” it begins. And when he returned to Louisiana, he lobbied lawmakers to make selling raw milk legal.

But Sinagra had been pushing for a law that would allow human consumption — and include state testing.

For now, it’s up to him. He has employees set a timer for 15 minutes, never allowing milk to warm. He sends milk samples to Nebraska twice monthly to be tested for pathogens at $400 a pop. He has been talking with one employee, who has a degree in biology, about how they could test on-site for bacteria counts.

But it all starts in the barn, where employees wipe, sanitize and seal the cows’ teats.

Just past 3 p.m. on a recent Monday Darrell Sinagra left the air-conditioning to round up the cows. During the day, the cows mosey around 125 acres, finding shade and water where they can. At night, they stay on 30 acres, so that when Sinagra goes looking for them at 4 a.m., he can find them in the darkness.

Once the cows were in the pens the first six on the milking machines, Sinagra hopped off the four-wheeler and stepped into the barn. His tan, thick-knuckled hands grabbed the water hose He took a swig.

“It’s a hot one,” he said. He checked the gauges, making sure the groundwater was flowing, quickly bringing down the milk’s temperature before it hit the bulk tank. For years, an 18-wheeler would back up to this barn to take the milk hundreds of miles away for processing and selling.

But today, Sinagra walked along the milk’s new route: 86 feet of pipe from the barn to the store where his wife was filling jugs and his son was ringing up customers.

after the Supreme Court ruled that they are allowed to make money from playing sports In 2022, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports, issued a formal policy acknowledging high schoolers can also enter into NIL deals, though it wasn’t codified in law

“There has always been a business ecosystem built around athletes at the high school level, as well as at the college level,” said state Rep. Rashid Young, D-Homer “This is the first time in history that athletes are able to participate in the ecosystem that was built around them, and it’s really important for equity.” Young, an attorney who chaired Louisiana’s NIL Task Force and a former Grambling State University football player, this year sponsored Act 810, which ensures high school players can enter into NIL deals. But the new law also puts some

limits on high school athletes Par-

ents must sign off on deals for those under the age of 18, and high school players can’t make money from marketing deals for alcohol, drugs, gambling, tobacco and weapons.

High schools can also prohibit students from making money from NIL deals during school or sports activities and from using the school’s facilities and branding in those deals And they can block student NIL agreements if there is a “material conflict” with another agreement the high school already has in place

Curtis, who testified in favor of the new law this spring, warned about the perils accompanying the new financial opportunities.

“We have heard eighth grade and ninth grade students that are already being influenced and asked to be represented by men that are not qualified to count 1 to 10, much less to negotiate a contract,” Curtis told lawmakers

New rules for sports agents

Over the past few years, Louisiana has run into problems with unqualified agents who see the lack of regu-

lation as a “money grab,” said state Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, who sponsored Act 895, which expands and strengthens state laws governing sports agents.

“On a high school level and a grammar school level, we need to protect these young men and women from unscrupulous agents that are looking out for themselves and not for the athletes,” Connick said. Louisiana law now regulates agents representing high school and college players, not just those at the professional level.

Sports agents have to comply with new requirements and could face tougher penalties for wrongdoing. They’re now also required to register with the state Attorney General’s Office before they pitch their services to student athletes.

Attorney General Liz Murrill this month launched the new athlete agent registration system which requires a criminal-background check.

For endorsement or NIL deals, the agent has to provide a written form to the athlete disclosing the services being provided, how he calculated the fees being charged, and any

other parties making money from the deal.

Not following the rules could lead to fines of up $100,000, and athletes themselves can now sue agents for financial or reputational harms or losing eligibility to play as a result of the representation. The Attorney General’s Office can block an agent’s registration for not complying with state regulations.

“These young people are being told things, and their parents are being told things that are not realistic,” Curtis said.

Unqualified sports agents can exaggerate the benefits they can deliver for high school athletes and downplay the need to train rigorously and develop their skills on the field with their team, he said.

“When you present to a 15-yearold, 16-year-old kid that the future’s all mapped out for you,” he said, “I think to some degree you begin to lessen their understanding of what they need to do from a commitment standpoint as an athlete.”

More changes ahead

Ethan Anderson, director of communications for LHSAA, said the

high school athletics association backs the new laws and is working to educate school leaders on the changes.

He noted that, while some people may worry that NIL could affect the essence of high school sports, LHSAA doesn’t expect that to happen.

“High school sports is still the truest form of sports,” Anderson said. “It’s just that sense of community, that sense of school spirit, and the pride of wearing your school colors and playing in front of your fans.”

“We don’t see NIL causing that to change anytime soon,” he said

But Curtis and lawmakers acknowledged the new for-profit marketplace of high school and college sports remains in flux, and the laws passed this year are just a starting point.

“I think we can grow from here as the environment changes,” Curtis said.

Young, the state representative, said Louisiana’s NIL Task Force, which held its final meeting in December, is weighing whether it needs to continue its work.

“The NIL landscape is evolving it seems like every year,” he said

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

A crowd gathers and waits their turn to check out with gallons of milk in hand at the Sinagra Family Dairy in Amite on June 29.

thekind of variety you find in established neighborhoods, such as apond, park benches, community spaces, walkingpaths, and amix of single-familyand apartment homes.

Southern LifestyleDevelopment is the firm behind this traditional neighborhood, which is modeled along the same lines as the company’s luxury developments at River Ranchin Lafayette and Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville. General manager ChrisVentre saidthat the focal pointof thedevelopment at Couret Farms is the neighborhood’scluster of seven live oak trees, which stand on the lawn outsideahistoric farmhouse that anchors the community’sclubhouse and common area.

Rumors circulated recently that the trees could be removed to make room for additional lots. However,Ventre said the trees are there to stay

“The trees are at least 250 years old, and we just had some pruning done for their health,” said Ventre.

“They’re in thecommon area, which is already part of the HOA, and we wantto do everything we can to ensure their longevity there, for as long as the neighborhood’sthere and as long as they last.”

The debate over the live oaks reflectsabroader questionfacing one of Louisiana’sfastest-growing communities: Does new development have to come at the expense of mature trees?

While residential developershave few restrictions on clearing privateproperty, some say preserving century-old trees can strengthen aneighborhood’scharacter increase property values and create the sense of place that attracts buyers in the firstplace.

Couret Farms residents Dana and Glenn Latiolais have ahome directly across from the oaks, where they enjoysitting on the porch and chatting with neighbors. The couplesaid the treesare agathering point for everything from wedding receptions to graduation photos, which has helped builda sense of community in the newdevelopment.

“Twice ayear,wehave alittle marketplace under the oaks, and sometimes we have 100 vendors in there, with food trucks and everything. It’sawesome,” said Dana Latiolais.

According to Ventre, trees are often part of the planned amenity package at traditional neighborhood developments like Couret Farms, where builders did clear hundreds of acres for homes— to be replacedby rows of sidewalk trees and manicured green spaces that buffer tidy lots.

“Any time you’re preserv ing alarge common like this, it certainly thedeveloper more money because your density lower —but you improve the value and longevity marketability of the opment with these mat old trees, which are hard to find in alot of developments,” he said Couret Farms’ central “If you look at these ventional neighborhood communitiesacros country,lots willbeabou to 60 feet wide, so you have muchroomtol existing trees. Youh do earth work, comply local stormwater drainag regulations,put in ties —bythe time

constructedthe lot, thedirt has been turned over in its entirety.”

Other Lafayette builders agree that trees can enhance the value of aproperty,but keeping existing trees is entirelydependent on factors particular to thelot, homeowner andtype of construction.LafayetteParish codes provide strict guidelinesfor trees and landscaping on commercial projects and rights-of-way,but residential developersface few regulationswhen it comes to clear-cuttingprivate lots.

Residential builder Stephen Gauthier,presidentof RonGauthier Homes Inc., said that theproperty’s owners have the final call when it comes to clearingor preserving alot’sexisting canopy.

“Iftheydon’t want trees, if that’snot what their vision for theirhome is, they have theright to do what they want with that lot. But my experience hasbeen that if there’sabeautiful old tree onthat lot, that’sprobably why the owner bought it. They want to feel the minute their home is complete that it’s been therefor along time,” he said.

“Sometimes it just doesn’t work, or the tree isn’t healthy. Sometimes it does happen that if atree gets removed, Ican fit two more lots in this subdivision. On normaloccasions,it’snot malice, like, ‘I’m gonna get rid of all the trees.’ When

youhavea development with some old-growth

sense of place. Sincetree removal is easy to accomplish on privatelots, preservation largely depends on what happens in the decision chainbetweendevelopers, owners, builders, architects and otherstakeholders. In Lafayette, theTreesAcadiana organizationadvocates for builders to strategize around tree preservation in the pre-development stage, so they won’tbetreated as construction obstacles once aplan is finalized.

Said TreesAcadiana president Kiera Frey: “Many of these trees were already mature before our neighborhoods, roadsand even some of ourinstitutions existed Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

“Because our landscape has historically remained so green and resilient, we have often taken thatnatural advantage for granted,” she added. “When we hear about aspecific tree that is in dangerofremoval,usually from neighbors wholivenear it andenjoy it,wetry to provide guidance on preservation options. A200-year-old live oak isn’tsomething that can realistically be replaced within ahuman lifetime. So we try anddemonstrate as muchaspossible, in the pre-development stage, that trees are community assets, not just landscaping.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Liveoak trees are clustered around the commonarea at Couret Farms, atraditional neighborhood development from SouthernLifestyle Development in north Lafayette Parish.

Trumpsuggests ordertoattackIranifitkills him

ButVance would make thecall

BY WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is suggesting he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to destroy Iran “at levels they’ve never seen before” if Tehran follows through on itslongstanding threats to killhim.

But the U.S. government has no way to create an automatic, preauthorized “dead man’sswitch” that would prompt immediate retaliation.

Instead, if Trump were killed, the transfer of power to his successor is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance instantaneously would become commander in chief and haveauthority for any retaliation.

Under such ascenario, Vance could do exactly what Trump called for,though there alsoisa chance he could decide not to follow his predecessor’sorders —or offer adirect response in a different way “The U.S. has, for awhole variety of reasons, never utilized atechnical ‘dead man’sswitch, said Garrett M. Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’sSecret Plan to Save Itself —Whilethe Rest of Us Die.” The UnitedStates does have extensive contingency plansfor continuity of government in the event of a nuclear attack or other major catastrophe that wipes out most or all of Washington. But those plans also do not allow for immediately launching retaliatory strikes upon the death of apresident, even if that president had demanded that the military be ready to do so.

Trump nonetheless posted

on hissocial media website Saturdaythat Iran had made threats “toassassinate, or attempt to assassinate” him and he said1,000 “missiles areLocked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat.”

Iran’ssupreme leader,MojtabaKhamenei,said hours laterthat Iranians would continue to avenge the killing of his father,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The elder Khamenei died in theinitial U.S. andIsraelistrikesthat staredthe war in late February,and he was mourned in funeral eventsthroughout Iran this past week.His son said retaliation“is the will of our nation and must certainly be carriedout.”

“Wepledge to take revenge for thepure blood of youand all themartyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraceful killers,” he said on remarks aired on state television. “This revenge is thewillofour nation and must certainly be carried out.”

The White HouseonSaturday did not immediately answer questionsabout what would becomeofTrump’s military orders should he be killed.

Duringthose recent funeral events, mourners repeatedly held postersor banners calling for Trump to be killed along with Israeli PrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel alertedU.S. officialstofresh Iranian plots to kill Trump. The White Househas refused to comment, but Trump appeared to reference to such threats in comments during last week’sNATOsummit in Turkey,saying, “They want to take out the U.S. leader— me.”

Sabrina Singh, former Biden administration deputy Pentagon press secretary

Awoman holdsa sign reading ‘We’ll Kill Trump’ while waiting in Islamic Revolution Square for the funeral processionofthe slain Iranian SupremeLeader Ayatollah AliKhamenei beneath abillboard depicting Khamenei on MondayinTehran, Iran.

said “Iran wanting to target senior American leaders is something that we knowis happening.”

“You have to take these as credible threats,” Singh said.

Trump was targeted in two domestic assassinationattemptsduring the2024 presidentialcampaign and saw agunmanstorm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner he was attending in April.

The president flew part of theway back to Washington from Turkey last week aboardanolder Air Force

One jet rather anew Qatarigifted aircraft, raising fresh security questions aboutthe newer plane. Images of the jet, which was retrofitted at an estimatedcostof$400million, show it is not equipped with some of thesame missile detection and countermeasuresystems as earlier versions.

Theswap occurred as the U.S. and Iran once again begantrading strikes, jeopardizing last month’sinitial deal to endthe war.Asked aboutIranianthreats, Trump told reporters aboard Air

U.S. lawmaker says he wasdetained by Israelimilitary, settlers

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna said Saturday that he was detained by settlers and the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank and released only aftercalls to the American Embassy in Jerusalem. The Israeli Defense Forces denied detaining any visitors in theincident, the latest example of escalating political tensions involving Israel and its ally’sDemocratic Party Arepresentative for Khanna, aCalifornia Democrat who is an outspokenprogressive, said the confrontation occurred Wednesday in the middle of athree-day tour of the West Bank.As the congressman visited a Palestinian village that had been abandoned after settler attacks, masked men with guns stoppedhis group and refused to let them leave The New York Times said theincidentwas witnessed by one of its photographers. Khanna’sofficesaiditoccurred in the town of Khirbet Zanuta.

Khanna said that when Israeli soldiers arrived he was dispirited to see them interact in afriendly manner with the settlers and block the exit for the congressman’sparty Not untilthe U.S. Embassy and Israeli police werecalled wasKhanna’sgroup allowed to proceed.

“If this can happento an American member of Congress, imagine whatlife is like for Palestinians who have no smartphones, no security,and no national platform,” Khanna, whois exploring apresidential bid in 2028, said in afundraising email he sent out shortly after his post Saturday about the incident. In astatement,the IDF said it received areport of Israeli citizens blocking foreign nationals and media in Khirbet Zanuta.

“Upon receiving the report, IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the

Force One, “I’m No. 1on their list.”

Graff said the U.S.prepared years of plans for how nuclear launch authority would devolve in theevent of asurprise attack. That included, during 30 yearsofthe Cold War, thecountry keepingfleets of airborne command posts flying 24 hours aday with ageneral aboard oneofthemwho could take over nuclear launch orders in the event Washington was lost.

“WhatIbelieve Trumpis saying is that he’sleft standing orders to attackifhe’s killed, e.g., that the Pentagon should proceed withstandard launch protocols,” Graff said. “There’sa lot of reason to doubt the legality of such

standing orders, since in the eventofapresident’s death, the nuclear launch authority would immediately pass to the vice president or designatedsuccessor—and ultimately it would be up to him or her to determine whether to proceed.”

Trump’spost only refers to firing missilesatIran, which the U.S. has done scores of timesince its war with Iran began. He did notexpressly threaten involving nuclear weapons.

Graff said that, in addition to leaving standing orders in case of his death, Trump also might say “something to Vancelike,‘If I’mkilled, nuke Iran,’” andthatwould make “more sense andwould be absolutely legal”

Washington receiving credible threats against the president and top U.S. leaders from Iran and other foreign adversaries is not uncommon and is often disclosed via national security briefings or other classified means. But far less common is Trumpdeclaring publicly that he personally has been targeted by Iran. Still, this is notthe first time Washington hasthreatenedIranover threats against Trump.

In 2022, the Biden administration warned Iran against attacking U.S. citizens afterthe JusticeDepartment’sdisclosure that amemberofIran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had planned to assassinate John Bolton, Trump’sfirstterm national security adviser. Now aTrump critic, Bolton last month pleaded guilty to illegally retaining classified documents in a case led by Trump’sJustice Department.

President Joe Biden’snational security adviser Jake Sullivan said in 2022 that “should Iran attack anyof our citizens, to include those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iranwill face severe consequences.” Twoyears later,inthe heat of Trump’s campaign against DemocratKamalaHarris, Biden’svice president, the Biden administration again quietly warned Iran. This time, officials made clear that an attack on Trump would be considered an act of war.

in West Bank

Armed menblock the road, stoppingvehicles containing U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and his delegation on Wednesdaynear the West Bank villageofKhirbet Zanuta.

blocked road,” themilitary said in astatement. “The IDF soldiers operatinginthe area did nottake part in blocking the road.”

Democratic politicians from the United States have stepped up their criticism of Israel amid asharpturn against thecountry by the party’svoterssince the war in Gaza began. This past week, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel,whose father wasborn in Jerusalem and fought in Israel’swar of independence, gave ablistering speech in TelAviv in which he said Israel has become a“territorial pariah.” Emanuelalso is apotential White House contender

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

As parents fill theirfamilies’ summer calendars withvacations,campsandpooldays,anotheritem shouldmaketheschedule–anannualwell-child visitwithapediatrician.Whilemanyparentswait untilthefinaldaysofsummerbreaktomakewellnessappointments,itcanbemoreadvantageousto scheduletimebeforetheback-to-schoolrush

familyhasrelocated–aswellastheirfriendships, hobbies,academicperformanceanddailyhabits. Thoseconversationscanrevealimportantinformation aboutachild’smentalandemotionalwell-being.

“Pediatriciansgetintothedetailsoffamilylifein awaymostotherdoctorsdonot,”shesaid.“Iwant toknowallthatIcanaboutthelivingsituationsoI canmakesureachildisinahealthyenvironment If they’renot,wecan take stepstoworktoward someremedies.”

Thatholisticapproachhasbecomeincreasingly importantaschildrenandteensfacenewerchallenges relatedtotechnologyandsocialmedia.

“Pediatricianofficesareslowerinthesummer thanatanyothertimeoftheyear.Appointments aremorereadilyavailable,thewaittimesareshorter andtherearen’talotofsickkidsaroundwhomay inadvertentlypassonsomethingtoyourchild,”said Dr.TracyLemelle-Christophe,apediatricianwhois MedicalDirector,ClinicalSolutionsatLouisianaBlue Morethanasimplephysicalexam,awellness visitprovidespediatricians with an opportunity totakeacomprehensivelookatachild’soverall health,emotionsand living environment. Dr Lemelle-Christophesaidevaluationsofgrowthand developmentarekey,includingmeasuringthechild’s heightandweight.Pediatriciansalsotestthechild’s visionandhearing,andlookforpotentialsignsof chronicconditions.

“I always encourageparents to bringa list of questions,”shesaid.“Wheneversomethingcomes tomind,jotitdowninanotebookorinyourphone Noquestionistoosilly.Iencourageallparentsto comewithanopenmind,comecuriousandcome readytohaveadiscussion.”

Thosediscussionsfrequentlyincludevaccines forconditionssuchasthe flu, measles, chicken poxandwhoopingcough.Dr.Lemelle-Christophe saidparentsoftenoverlooktimeswhentheirolder childrenneedboosters,whilesomehavequestions abouttheeffectivenessofcertainvaccines “Awellnessvisitisagreattimeforparentsto discusswithuswhichvaccinestheirchildneeds, when they need it andhow oftentheyneedit. A pediatricianshouldalwaysbeopentoanswering questions,addressingconcernsandexplaininghow avaccineworks.Thenationalrecommendationsand schoolrequirementsdosometimeschange,sothis isthetimetoaskaboutthose,”shesaid.

Dr.Lemelle-Christophesaidpediatriciansalso spendtimediscussingachild’shomelife–including whetheranyonehasmovedinoroutrecently,orifthe

“Aspartofcheckingonachild’smentalhealth Iask howmuchscreentimetheyget andwhat theirnon-screencommunicationlookslike,”Dr. Lemelle-Christophesaid.“Theprevalenceofsocial mediaandtextingcancreateaddedstressandanxiety thatpreviousgenerationsdidnothavetodealwith. Thatistaxingonayoungmindwhenyou’realso tryingtodoeverythingelseright.”

Dr.Lemelle-Christophesaidacertainamountof emotionalfluctuationiscommoninkids,especially teens.But,itshouldbearedflagtoparentsiftheir childstopsenjoying activitiesthat once brought themhappiness,especiallyiftheyhaven’treplaced thatactivitywithanewfoundinterest.

“Kidsandteensoftenfindnewhobbiesorwant toswitchtoanactivitythattheirfriendsaredoing Youwanttomakesuretheyareshiftingtheirtime andattentioninsteadofbeingisolatedandnotdoing anything at all,”she said.“As pediatricians, we alwaysaskwhatthekidsdoforfun.Iftheansweris ‘nothing,’wegiveadviceonactivitiestheycanstart.”

Atthesametime,Dr.Lemelle-Christopheencouragesfamiliestotakeadvantageofsummer’sslower pacetostrengthenconnectionsathome.

“Thisisagreattimeofyeartogetkidsinvolved in age-appropriatechoresand tasksaroundthe house. Youcan turn thoseintolearningopportunities andfamilyevents,”she said.“Youcan also do family activities like jigsaw puzzlesor movienights,ortakeeveryoneouttoarestaurant Ireallyencourage parentstoembrace this time whenschoolactivitiesareonpauseandtouseit tomakepositivememories.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByALTAF QADRI

PHOTO PROVIDEDByCAMERONKASKy

Hundreds of firefighters battle wildfire in Spain

At least 12 killed in blaze

BY SERGIO RODRIGO and SERGE CARTWRIGHT Associated Press

BEDAR, Spain Hundreds of firefighters backed by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft struggled on Saturday to contain one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires that erupted earlier this week and killed a least 12 people. The blazes, which also lashed France this week, came as parts of Western Europe are facing their third heat wave in six weeks. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

In Spain’s Andalusia, a combination of light winds and high humidity are helping crews but the sheer size of the fire still poses challenges, Antonio Sanz, head of the region’s emergency services, said. The fire has so far scorched some 25 square miles of forest and farmland — about the size of Manhattan.

Sanz said fire crews carried out controlled burns overnight around the perimeter of the fire, which broke out late Thursday in a semiarid area near the Sierre de Los Filabres mountains in

Almería province, just as Spain was sizzling. Favorable weather conditions were expected into Sunday, which could help firefighting efforts, Spain’s official EFE news agency reported. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said nearly all homes on the fire front’s perimeter were undamaged.

Most of the victims, who are believed to be foreign nationals, died after ignoring shelter-in-place instructions, authorities said. Seven people died while on foot after abandoning their cars.

Four of the dead were believed to be British because the steering wheel of their

burned-out car was on the right side, as with British vehicles, regional authorities said.

Sanz said Saturday that authorities had completed autopsies and DNA samples were collected to identify them.

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has spoken with his counterparts from the U.K., Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands about the fire, EFE reported. Almería is home to one of the largest communities of foreign nationals in Andalusia.

Authorities proactively evacuated 1,448 people from

some 11 areas.

Many are fleeing

Jeffrey Kember and his wife, Christine, were watching a favorite TV show in their Los Pinos farmhouse when the blare of a siren alerted them to the fire. The couple jumped into their respective cars while also trying to help a neighbor with two toddlers.

The husband described how they got separated and how he was unable to speak to his wife because she didn’t have a phone on her

“I’m driving through the flames It was actually flames. I though, ‘I can’t stop,

I just gotta go,” he told The Associated Press, his wife now next to him outside an evacuation center “It was eerie because all of a sudden I came out of the flames and it was all bright sunshine It was like surreal.”

Meanwhile, Spanish authorities arrested two people for ignoring evacuation orders and returning to a highrisk area, according to EFE. Authorities are still combing through the Bédar area in search for any victims.

Europe withers in heat

Spain has battled frequent and severe heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 104 degrees. Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall help small wildfires grow into unchecked blazes.

Bolaños, the justice minister, on Saturday attributed the ferocity of the Almeira wildfire to a “climate emergency.” He said the fire, at its most intense, advanced as fast as 328 feet per minute.

Spain’s Meteorological Agency warned that the wildfire risk over the weekend will remain very high.

In June, Spain experienced several days of record-setting heat, with over 1,000 excess deaths. Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing several intense heat waves across Europe.

Wildfires lash France

Several wildfires remained

Authorities say U.S. citizen tests positive for

BY JEAN-YVES KAMALE and MONIKA PRONCZUK Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo has tested positive for the Ebola virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, as the Central African country struggles to contain the swelling outbreak.

The CDC said it was working with the person’s employer, U.S. agencies, the public health authorities and Congolese partners to prevent further transmission and identify close contacts. It did not provide any further details. Earlier this week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that the outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded on the conti-

nent, with 1,830 confirmed cases in Congo, including 648 deaths. Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda. In the first week of the outbreak, an American doctor working in Congo tested positive for the virus and was transferred to Germany for treatment

Initially, Trump administration officials had said that the United States was

Man partly sucked out window during flight saved by passengers

BY COSTAS KANTOURIS Associated Press

THESSALONIKI,Greece A man who was partially sucked out of a dislodged window on a flight from Greece to Germany on Friday was pulled back inside the aircraft by fellow passengers

The 61-year-old passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns, according to a Greek hospital official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.

The incident happened on a morning flight from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki to Memmingen,

near Munich, which was operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air. Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget carrier, said in a statement the flight “returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take off when a passenger window dislodged in-flight.”

Passengers told Greek media that they heard a loud bang, oxygen masks dropped and the plane began to lose altitude. One passenger identified only as Christina, told Thessaloniki radio that some passengers panicked and screamed and that one passenger was partially sucked out of the window

“His whole head, neck, shoulders” were pulled out

of the window, she said, adding that those seated near him pulled him back in.

“Most people had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. We heard a sound, I’d describe it like a tire bursting, but very loud,” she said. “We knew straight away we lost pressure because we lost altitude. Screams, shrieks, shouting.”

The plane landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal, and one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki, the airline said in a statement. A replacement aircraft was later provided to fly the passengers to Germany

planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them home. But the project has been suspended after an order from a Kenyan court

The Congolese authorities declared a fresh Ebola outbreak on May 15, after the

active across France on Saturday as temperatures soared Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that 32 people have been arrested across the country since the beginning of the summer in connection with wildfires. “Those unacceptable acts, which have disastrous consequences and mobilize our firefighters at the risk of their lives, now fall into the hands of the justice system,” he said. “We will continue our determined action and will not let anything slide.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also weighed in, recalling in a post on X that nine out of 10 wildfires start because of human activity. More than 62,000 acres of land have burned in France since the start of 2026 roughly double the area compared to the same period last year France is experiencing the peak of its third heat wave this summer with temperatures reaching 104 across western and central areas and around 98 in Paris. In the French capital, the Eiffel Tower will close in the afternoon over the weekend instead of late at night, as it usually does. The Louvre and Orsay museum have also announced reduced opening hours because of the heat wave. Last month was France’s hottest June on record, with deaths surging by nearly a third during the hottest week.

Ebola in Congo

disease had been transmitting for weeks without official detection, according to the World Health Organization

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Efforts to contain the virus have also been hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health centers and an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak. Last week, clinical trials for treatment began after researchers launched a highly anticipated study in the hope of fighting the virus.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIO MARRERO

An area in Bedar, near Almeria, Spain, is charred Saturday after a wildfire.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Republicansdownplaying OneBig BeautifulBillAct

WASHINGTON —While this year’s July4 celebration in Washington, D.C., was highlighted by extreme temperatures and fireworks, last year’sceremonial focus was President Donald Trump signinginto law abill Republicans were sure would cement GOP majorities in the House and Senate after November’scongressional midterm elections.

Mark Ballard

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included tax breaks and conservative bucket-list policies that leadership argued would persuade voters to overcometheir historical inclination to replace the ruling majority in the House and Senate. At nearly athousandpages, the law is a touchstone whenever House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, andHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, talk about the upcoming election.

“Wejust celebrated oneyear of that great bill, the ‘Working FamiliesTax Cut,’ being signed into law on the Fourth of July,” Scalise saidTuesday on Fox News Channel’sHannity show, using the act’srebrandedname rather than the OBBBA name on the legislation.

“Forget about the Democrat Party leadership; most Americans still lovethis country.But there are alot of good things. It’s notjust the fact that if you’re an overtime worker,apolice officer, or ashift worker,you don’t have to paytaxes on overtime or tips Seniors get great benefits,” Scalise continued.

“Lower taxes, bigger refunds, and more money in the pocketsof hardworking Americans,” Johnson said at anews conference. “Wedid that intentionally, and that’sexactly what’shappening. Thanks to the ‘Working Families TaxCuts,’ Americans in all 50 states are benefiting from taxes

Legislatorsdecline to override vetoes

that are lower and simpler and fairer for their families.This legislation is so revolutionary because it is permanent.”

GOP leadership refers to the bill alot. Rank-and-file Republican candidates do not —orso says aseries of national news reportslast week,starting with The Washington Post. It appears that when counting thenumberofmentions on the campaigntrail and on social media, Democraticcandidates are relying on the measure as acampaign talkingpointfar more than Republicans do.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

The Louisiana Legislature has decided not to hold asession to consider overriding Gov.Jeff Landry’svetoes of several bills fromthisyear’slegislativesession. The state constitution calls for lawmakers to hold an overridesession unless the House and Senate affirmatively vote to cancel it. In practice, they almost always do —with the exception of former Gov.John Bel Edwards’ second term, whenthe Republican-controlled Legislature metseveral times to overrule the Democratic governor Landry vetoed six bills, one sponsored by aRepublican and five by Democrats. He also issued line-item vetoes in several of the mainbudget bills, mainlyhalting projects in Democratic-leaning areas,especially in New Orleans. Landry’soffice said he was following through on his goal of rein-

inginstate spending on nongovernmental agencies; Democrats accused him of retaliating against them for opposing hisagenda

Landry also vetoed House Bill 688, by Rep. JosephOrgeron, R-CutOff, which would classify Atlantic tarpon as asaltwater game fish, saying it was unnecessary and could lead to more regulations.

Thegovernor also vetoed House Bill 950 by Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, which would have created aprogram in the Office ofElderly Affairs to help protect retirees’pensions and retirement funds, and House Bill 1194, by Rep. Terry Landry, Jr., D-Baton Rouge,which would have created afinancing program to help build grocerystores in food deserts. His vetomessage for those twobills said lawmakers did not allocateany funding for the programs, so their responsibilities could not actually be carried out.

Landry alsovetoedSenate Bill

Calling it the“Big Ugly Bill,”

Democrats are frequently reminding voters of changes to Medicaid and food stamps that reduce availability for millions of participants, according to the Post. Democrats alsoare linking thebill to voter concerns about inflation and the higher cost of consumer goods. “Republicans have largely retreated from talking about the law by name, as they did more often earlier last year —opting instead to focus on the tax cuts under it,” the Postreported. That Johnson, Scalise and the

125, by Rep.Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, that would have increased the cap on compensation for people who are wrongfully convicted; Senate Bill 283 by Sen ReginaBarrow,D-Baton Rouge, that created new special taxing districtsinthe city; and Senate Bill 384 by Sen. Jimmy Harris, DNew Orleans, which would have created pilot innovation hubs with exceptions to government procurement rules.

La. students sought for ‘Patriot Games’

Louisianaislooking for high school studentstorepresent the stateinthe Patriot Games, an athletic competition that is part of thefestivities President Donald Trump’sadministration has organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Onemale and one female athlete will be selected to “represent their home state or territory on anational stage as they compete in aseries of high-intensity challenges designed to test strength, speed, agility, teamwork, resilience, and leadership,” according to thewebsite for Freedom250,

leadership team have rebranded OBBBA with another nameis an indication of the problem for GOP candidates. The legislation addressed all sorts of issues, including border security,transgender athletes, and environmental programs. Someofthe provisions are popular by themselves. But overall, theOBBBA polls poorly Johnson and Scalise focus on the parts thatkept taxes from increasing dramatically this year and lowered taxes for millions of households and businesses. Taxpayers savedabout $2,300 per filer

which is organizing the event.

“Over the course of the competition,athletes will face aseries of demanding physical and mental challenges, culminating in the crowning of one maleand one female Patriot Games champion,” thewebsite says.

Each champion will receive $125,000 in scholarship funding, according to the website.

In apost on X, Gov.Jeff Landry welcomed Louisiana student athletes ages 14-17 to apply.Applicationscan be submitted online at freedom250.org/patriot-games.

The competition will take place from Aug. 9-11, with aprime-time special on ABC on Aug. 13.

In addition to submitting an application form, students need to

Rolling back someregulations and easing tax burdens creates economic stability and spurs investments, Johnson and Scalise say The “no tax on tips” deduction wasclaimed by seven million taxpayers and 28 million used the “no tax on overtime” provision, according to the House Ways and Means Committee. Elderly taxpayers got abonus deduction that wasclaimed by about 32 million taxpayers.

But to payfor the package, Republicans added work requirements andchanged other standards forMedicaid, the statefederal health insurance forlowincome anddisabled individuals, as well as for those who rely on the SupplementalNutrition AssistanceProgramfor groceries.

The UrbanInstitute estimates more than3.5 million people have lost accesstofood assistancebecause of eligibility changesand stricter application processes.

The $1 trillioncut to Medicaid and$180 billionSNAP reduction actually strengthens the safety netprograms by reducing waste, fraud andabuse of the program, Johnsonand Scalise argue. Strong majorities of Americans nationally viewprograms like Medicaidand SNAP favorably andare deeply concerned about the impactsofcuts, according to areportThursdaybyNavigator Research,aleft-of-center polling operationbased in Washington. Regardless of what it’scalled, the new law is unpopular,according to somepolls. Only 33% of Americans view the One Big Beautiful Bill Act favorably,while 48% have an unfavorable opinion, according to Navigator.Those numbers include 53% of Republicans who have an unfavorable opinion of the new law

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

submit aone- to two-minute introduction video.

Funeral services scheduledfor Selders

The funeral forstate Sen. Larry Selders, D-Baton Rouge, will be held Tuesday,July 14, at Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, where he worshipped. Visitation will be from 9a.m. to 11 a.m., with services after Selders, 44, died Tuesday at his sons’ football practice of aheart condition that had hospitalized him in May He waselected last year to the Senate, replacing U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, after five years in the state House of Representatives. Asocial worker,hewas knownfor his work on mental health and addiction issues.

Tributes to Selders and condolences forhis family continued to pour in from across the state.

“He didn’tsee public service as atitle; he saw it as aresponsibility,” Fields said in astatement.

Selders

Orgeron

EDUCATION

La. teens helped to pass school safety law

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Beija Lopes-Morgan

excelled in high school, but occasionally her mind wandered during class. How hard would it be, she wondered, for a stranger to enter the building?

During a meeting of fellow student leaders from across Louisiana, she asked if anyone else had ever felt unsafe at school.

“Every single person raised their hand,” said Lopes-Morgan, who graduated from Mandeville High School this spring

The students were members of Louisiana’s Legislative Youth Advisory Council, or LYAC, which gives ambitious high schoolers an opportunity to work with state lawmakers on solutions to issues affecting young people. The teens decided to focus on school safety

Last year, they worked with Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, to establish a school safety task force. This year they partnered with Edmonds on Senate Bill 450, which requires schools to report threats to law enforcement and allows schools to request campus security assessments.

After the students testified in support of the bill, the Legislature passed it unanimously and Gov Jeff Landry signed it into law It takes effect next month.

Lopes-Morgan, who is headed to Harvard University this fall, recently reflected on the experience with two of her equally impressive peers from the council. Everett Etie, who graduated from Erath High School in Vermillion Parish, will attend the University of Texas

thing that goes through my head is that you don’t want to get used to the idea of it. You don’t want to sit there and just write it off as, “Well, bad things happen, and there’s nothing really we can do about it.” That’s kind of an easy mindset to slip into.

at Austin. Lincoln Trumps, who went to Lafayette High School, is entering Yale University.

The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

Why is it important for students to be involved in policymaking?

Beija: As students, we are the eyes and ears of our school. So having students on the council, I think that representation and our stories really matter.

Lincoln: I think it’s important that you speak or else other people are going to speak for you. A lot of times, there’s a certain disconnect, where maybe people who are very well-intentioned don’t really know what’s going on on the ground

Everett: You get to be the voice of youth, and you get to speak with all these legislators and really make a difference.

Can you talk about your own experiences with school safety?

Beija: We had these portable outdoor buildings (at the high school) that are just in the parking lot. There’s no gates. There’s no locks. The ID scanners don’t work. I’ll be in class, especially in

the portable buildings, and I’m looking at all these cars outside, people walking, and I’ll think how easy it would be for someone to just walk in.

Everett: My freshman year my parish took some strides for safety and security I saw my school transform from people just walking out all the time — we didn’t have gates, we didn’t have singlepoint entry — to our districtwide safety officer implementing some of these things.

When I got on the council, I saw that not every parish is doing this.

When you hear about school shootings or other acts of violence, how does that affect you?

Beija: I know for me, it just really hits home because I picture myself in their shoes. You know, why couldn’t it be me? Why couldn’t it be anyone? It also makes me worried for the younger generation. I think about kindergarteners, about first and second graders, our students in pre-K, who are the most vulnerable. I want them to live in a world where they feel safe at school.

Lincoln: A lot of times, the first

Everett: For me, it’s that you’re better safe than sorry I would rather do those (safety) drills every time and be prepared as a school than push that to the side and say after it happened, “Man, we should have.” That’s the two worst words: “should have.” What misconceptions do people have about school safety?

Beija: A lot of people say, “We don’t want to make schools look like a prison.” We hear that argument probably every day But I think it actually makes your experience at school better, and I think you feel more welcome when you feel that your school is secure. Lincoln: There’s kind of an idea that most students aren’t really cognizant of the idea of school safety and I think that’s very untrue. It’s something that a lot of us really do experience that impacts us directly Not just in the abstract sense of “what if,” but also when we have lockdowns, when we have drills, when there is an act of violence in Louisiana. We spend the first 18 years of our life within school walls. Feeling safe and valued is something that really does matter to a lot of students

What was it like helping develop this legislation?

Beija: This was definitely a long process. Last year, we passed (a resolution) with Sen. Edmonds, and that established the K-12

School Safety Task Force. SB 450 came out of the recommendations of that task force. We also met with district safety officers in Florida. We met with national representatives from the Partner Alliance for School Security We had meetings with architects really everyone we could kind of think of that’s related to school security

Everett: We’ve had superintendents come talk about what they’re implementing in their parish. My districtwide safety officer went to talk about what they implemented in Vermillion Parish.

What have you all learned through this process?

Lincoln: I’ve heard about how hard it is for kids to get involved in the policymaking process. And I think really the opposite is true. A lot of younger people don’t realize how accessible it is because people really, really want to hear your opinions. I think that it’s important for young people who are interested in policy to know that people really do want to hear what you have to say and want you involved.

Everett: This council brings together some of the brightest kids in the state. Just

County seekshelptocarefor 16 kids from squalidhome

LocalOhioofficials seek aidtoprosecute thechildren’sfamily

BY JULIE CARR SMYTH and PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS Associated Press

COLUMBUS,Ohio

The discovery of 16 siblings who authorities say were held at arural Ohio home for years in squalidconditions is straining the county’sresourcesas it works to prosecute their parents andtwo grandparents andprovide care to so many children at once. The local prosecutor said the cost of medical care requiredalso for one of the defendants alone would have bankrupted Vinton County, which led the court to change the grandfather’sbond and releasehim from jail on his ownrecognizance for care at ahospital so thecounty didn’thave to pay for it. Meanwhile, the county sought help from other prosecutors on the criminal case andiscountingonapproval next week of $1 million from the state to assist with care for the children, including some who have medical needs or are unable to speak.

Vinton is Ohio’ssmallest county and one of itspoorest,a rambling 415 squaremilesofisolated Appalachian terrain with one traffic light andasingle grocery store.That makes the case of the Siders family “an unprecedented child welfare crisis” there, state officials said. Affording it is requiring the actionsofbothlocal andstate officials.

On Tuesday, 73-year-old Gary Siders Sr.was released from jail after his bondwas adjustedto not require up-front payment, andhe was moved out of the county for medical care.

VintonCounty Prosecutor WilliamArcher Jr.said Siders had fallen at the jail and it becameapparent that he “hasa serious medical condition that requires specialized care.” In the regionaljail, the costs of that care would fall on the county, Archer said.

“Based on the information the county was provided, his medical care couldpotentially bankrupt Vinton County,” Archer told reporters Wednesday.“We were notgoing to put that burdenalso on our local taxpayers.”

Siders is charged with felony child endangerment. Also charged were his 67-year-old wife,Christina Siders; son GarySiders Jr 36; and daughter-in-law,33-year-old ElizabethSiders, thechildren’smother They have pleaded not guilty, and some of theirattorneys cautioned against drawing conclusionsbefore moreisknown about what happened.

Vinton County Common Pleas

Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers made clear in herorderthat should the elder Siders’ health improveenough to leavethe hospital, the GPS tracking device he’llberequired to wear also will be “paid for at the State’s expense.”

“A lotofsmall counties likeus, we’re in the same boat as Vinton,” said Mike Davis, prosecutor for PikeCounty, anotherfinanciallystrappedsouthern Ohio county.“If aperson hasa medical issue,dowe pay themedical bills and keep them in jail and blow our budget, or do we letthemout and risk something happening that’sworse?”

Archer emphasized that authorities determinedthe strategy didn’t put thepublic at risk in GarySiders Sr.’scase, given his health conditionand the fact the casestrictly involved family members.

The judge agreed last week to

Archer’srequests to bring on three special prosecutors —Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, Assistant Attorney General Kara Keating and Highland CountyProsecutor Anneka Collins, an expert in child abuse cases —toshare the load of the case“withoutcompensation.” That means their offices will cover their own costs.

Vinton CountySheriff Ryan Cain alsohas requested assistance from thestate Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to records released by Wilson’soffice, which is not unusual.

“Money’sgreen and it’sabsolute. Youeither have it or you don’t,” said Davis, who said he could relate to Archer after Pike County had to grapple witha major criminal case of its own: the 2016 Rhoden family murders.

He said thedemands of asignificant criminal prosecution are felt across asmall county’sentiregovernment operation, as workloads are shifted amonggovernmentof-

fice staffs of oftentimes just one or twopeopleand larger spacesand reliable internet service have to be secured for the influx of investigators and out-of-town media outlets.

Removing the16siblings from their home also instantlymorethan doubled thenumber of children in temporary custody in Vinton County— adaunting prospect for a county with about 12,600 residents andthe smallest budgetamong Ohio’s88counties.

On Monday, astatelegislative panel is expected to approve arequestfrom the Ohio Department of Children and Youth to provide $1 million in additional statecashto Vinton Countytohelpitcope with the“emergent anddeveloping child protection crisis.”

TheSiders childrenrangedinage from 18 months to 18 years, and some were described as “feral” and unable to speak.Authorities said their medical conditions variedand alleged that they had been kept in about a12-foot-by-12-foot room for

several years. Twowere flown for hospital care. Archer did not elaborate but said this week that all the children are “safe and being cared for.”

The eldest was born in May 2008, twomonthsafter then-18-year-old GarySiders Jr.and Elizabeth, who was 15, crossed the state line to getmarried at theMason County Courthouse in West Virginia with theconsentofElizabeth’s parents, according to court records. She’s had pregnancies most years since then, the records show

The 16 Siders siblings at the center of the endangerment case were all born in hospitals,according to birthcertificates reviewed by The AssociatedPress on Friday.Among them are three sets of twins. Elizabeth Siders also had afourth set of twins in 2022, records show,who died hours after birth.

The state Department of Children andYouth estimates that placement costs for the siblings will run between$150and $250 perchild perday.Thatadds up to roughly $850,000 ayear,ormore than three times the amount generated by Vinton County’slevy that’s split between children’sand senior services.

South Central Ohio Job &Family Services is consulting with itsattorneysabout setting up atrust for the children after an influx of financial and other types of donations poured in following news of the case, the agency said on Facebook.

The state cashheaded to Vinton County will allowthe agency to “ensure vulnerable children receive thesafety, treatment, andsupport they urgently require,”the funding request said. Additional expenses, such as court costs and police overtime associated with the case, can also be covered with the state money

By The Associated Press

Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN,

Trinidad and Tobago has signed agreements paving the way for U.S. companies to begin groundworkfor installing large data centers in theCaribbean nation, sparking concerns about potential energy consumption and

environmental impacts

The memorandums of understanding with the Florida-headquartered HummingbirdAIHoldings and New York-based Ernst andYoung LLP were signed on Friday, according to astatement from the office of Trinidad and Tobago’s PrimeMinisterKamla

Persad-Bissessar. Theseare the first such agreementswith aCaribbean country

The deal withErnst and Young LLP will set out the framework for collaboration on developing large-scale datacenters,with the company planning to “partner with thirdparties in the development”

of a300 megawatt data center,the statement said. The agreement with HummingbirdAIHoldings sets up the framework for“preliminary cooperation, due diligenceand coordination” for aproposed 150 MW AI infrastructure anddata center facility

Data centers are listedwith a megawatt figure to indicatetheir electrical power capacity to operate at peak load. The 300 MW centerhas acapacityof300 million watts of electricity

Thedeals raisedonlinequestions about the environmental impact of the centers.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Police tape surrounds ahomewhere authorities saytheyremoved16 children and arrested four adults on July 1inHamden, Ohio.

118TH ANNIVERSARY

Home Bank sets kindness campaign during celebration

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

Home Bank is celebrating two milestones this year: its 118th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of its headquarters at 503 Kaliste Saloom Road in Lafayette

The bank marked the occasion with a reception July 7. Founded in 1908, Home Bank now operates 43 banking centers across south Louisiana, the greater Houston area and Natchez, Mississippi.

As part of the celebration, the bank launched a “118

Acts of Kindness” initiative Guests received $30 “Kindness Cards” and were encouraged to use the money to perform an act of kindness for someone else.

“Celebrating 118 years of service and 30 years at Kaliste Saloom is a testament to the trust our customers place in us and the dedication of our employees past and present,” CEO John Bordelon said in a statement. President Darren Guidry said the initiative is intended to inspire acts of kindness throughout the community

Neoprene plant settles hazardous waste probe

Denka Performance

Elastomer to pay nearly $1M

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

The now-idled Denka neoprene plant in LaPlace has reached a settlement with the federal government over allegations it mishandled hazardous waste and disposed of the material in landfills not designed for it. Under a federal consent agreement, Denka Performance Elastomer has agreed to pay a nearly $1 million penalty to settle the hazardous waste violations. The plant, which suspended production in May 2025, had long been the subject of regulatory action and concern from residents over its emissions of chloroprene, classified as a likely carcinogen For at least seven years, Denka workers ferried and dumped byproducts later determined to be hazardous waste in open air, new federal settlement papers allege That process also emitted toxic and flammable chloroprene fumes at levels tens to hundreds of thousands of times greater than the long-term federal air safety standards, they say The chloroprene emissions, which federal regulators say were “excessive and dangerous,” were around workers and eventually wafted into neighborhoods near the plant that at one time had the highest cancer risk from air pollution in the nation. Workers were required to wear full-face respirators around some of the work

This hatch was left open on June 22, 2022, at Denka Performance Elastomers in Reserve, potentially letting likely human carcinogen chloroprene escape into the air unabated, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency engineer The engineer who filed a report on his finding with a federal judge in New Orleans, inspected the facility and noted several instances in which basic work practices that would keep hatches closed and use enclosed containers to transport chloroprene-containing materials could cut fugitive emissions of the highly volatile chemical.

questioned for its open-air emissions, regulators said.

The company also agreed to clean up the site and put in new processes, improved equipment and worker training programs to control emissions if operations restart under its control or another company’s. The property has no chloroprene currently in inventory, according to the EPA.

“Denka’s mishandling of hazardous chloroprene waste and

its many violations of the law exposed workers and the surrounding community to excessive chloroprene and potentially serious health risks,” Jeffrey A. Hall, an EPA assistant administrator, said in a statement.

“Although this facility has suspended operations for business reasons separate from these enforcement actions, this order ensures that if the facility resumes operation, it will be in compliance

Former Lafayette official dies

Domingue was director of administration

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

Floyd Domingue, former director of administration for Lafayette city government, died Wednesday at age 90.

with the law.”

Denka didn’t admit to any of the six alleged hazardous waste violations and avoided a penalty that could have reached in the hundreds of millions of dollars at maximum, though a precise total isn’t clear

In a statement, Denka officials said that the modified processes required under an earlier 2022 agreement “improved waste handling at our facility and delivered further emissions reductions, reflecting the company’s additional investment and innovation by our dedicated employees.”

“DPE is pleased to have this matter fully and comprehensively resolved,” the company added.

Denka operated the only neoprene production plant in the United States The synthetic rubber is used in many products from wet suits, engine hoses and fan belts to electrical insulation and mouse pads.

In 2010, however, EPA scientists determined chloroprene the critical chemical building block of neoprene — would be considered a likely human carcinogen.

The announcement set off years of regulatory efforts, community activism and litigation to have DuPont, which invented neoprene in the early 1930s, and then Denka, which bought the plant from DuPont in late 2015, slash chloroprene emissions.

The latest agreement stems from an unresolved EPA hazardous waste inquiry dating to 2022.

Since 2023, other regulatory actions against the company have been dropped amid the shifting

Domingue was known for his time serving as Lafayette’s director of administration, where he was responsible for all City Hall employees. While there, he was instrumental in directing programs and financial moves that helped save the city money He also had a professional career that spanned over 64 years in the oil and gas industry, where he worked as an

Landry embraces Trump plan for foster children

Survivor benefits will go to their account funds, he says

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

President Donald Trump officially launched Trump Accounts this week at an Oval Office news conference, and Gov Jeff Landry quickly threw his support behind the program, announcing the state is taking steps to bolster it.

Louisiana will now put federal Social Security survivor benefits owed to foster children whose parents have died into Trump Accounts, Landry announced in a video posted to social media. He had lunch this week with Trump in the White House Rose Garden to talk about the new savings accounts. They were joined by Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a fellow Republican who said that state is also putting survivor benefits owed to foster kids into Trump Accounts.

“What the president’s done is absolutely genius,” Landry said in an interview with Newsmax. A spokesperson for the governor did not respond to questions about the initiative.

Trump Accounts are a new type of traditional individual retirement account, or IRA, that has special rules and can be set up by a legal guardian, parent, adult sibling or grandparent for children under age 18. Before the child turns 18, anyone can put money in the account, but there is generally a $5,000 annual limit on contributions, though that limit doesn’t apply to government contributions or rollovers from other accounts. The federal government will contribute $1,000 to Trump Accounts for children born from 2025 to 2028.

The money in the account can be invested in “certain exchangetraded funds and mutual funds tracking the value of stocks of U.S. companies,” according to a report from the Congressional Research Service.

Once the child turns 18, Trump

PROVIDED PHOTO

PROVIDED PHOTOS By JAMIE ORILLION

Guests gather for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at Home Bank’s 118th anniversary celebration July 7.

Mark Herpin, right, senior executive vice president and chief operations officer, welcomes University of Louisiana at Lafayette President Ramesh Kolluru.

Domingue

THE GULF COAST

Seasideisbeach town that ‘feels pretty comfortable’

Idyllicvillage wasstar of ‘The Truman Show’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Tanned cyclists recently pedaled along East County Highway in Seaside, Florida, passing pastel cottages, white picket fences and lush flower beds on brickstreets faded by years of sunshine.

Some rode down to the town square, where the line betweeneveryday life and vacation seems to blur.Window shoppers peeked at mannequins dressed in linen and polos. Goldendoodles tugged at leashes as people huddledbeneath palm trees for lunch and coffee before returning to the beach for another few hours.

If the sun-bleached hair and swimsuits didn’talreadymake it clear this is abeach town, the punfilled signs hanging outsidehomes and driveways did:“Parking Is All That Smathers,” “Sandity” and “Here Comes the Sun. Every place has its own ethos. For New Orleans, it’sresilience; for Philadelphia, grit; for New York City,ambition. For Seaside, it’s escapism— an escape from life’shardships into apastel bubble of Gulf waters, bike ridesand manicured homes,where summer never seems to end.

That’swhat itsfounder, Robert Davis, intended after an eraof futurism concluded the American dreamcouldbefoundinspeed, technology and progress. Davis countered that philosophy,instead embracing new urbanism when he transformed 80 acres of land inherited from his grandfather into Seaside in 1981.

Inspired by his childhood vacationsalong Florida’sGulfCoast, he painted aportrait of smalltown America, where neighbors knew one another,where residents strolled through the town square instead of navigating winding culde-sacs andrarely reached for their car keys.

as polishedorperfect as it was showntobeinthe movie.”

Yetonarecentweekdayafternoon, its flaws faded into the background, with only the sunbleached streets revealing the passage of time. Signs of imperfection remained undetectable turning onto apalmshaded Natchez Street and approaching “The TrumanHouse” —the words painted in navy blue on the whitepicketfence. With a butter-yellow facade, coral trim anda lime green door,the home whereTrumanlives in thefilm was far morevibrant in real life than howitappeared onscreen

The rows of pastel cottages dwindled approaching the town square,where cream-colored commercial buildings and Airstream trailers converted into food stands circle around agrass field.

through Southern fiction books Cormac McCarthy, Eudora Welty, Ernest Gaines —surrounded by shelves that resemblehighwalls made up of paperbacks and hardcovers. Overlooking theroom is a portraitofFlannery O’Connorbeside her quote about life’sabsurdities: “Possibly the Lord just thinks allofthisisfunny.Itisfunny if youcan standit.”

Upstairs, at Central Square Records, theatmosphere shiftsfrom nostalgic to alternative, where teenagers fresh offthe beach sift through records beneath string lights as Radiohead plays in the background.

“Thiswas avision of personal mobility, isolated in comfort,”Davis said, “Andescapefromthe city to abucolic suburbwhere everyone would have agarden andlive in akind of splendidisolation. His vision is the reason why Seaside was chosen as the setting for the1998 film “The TrumanShow, directedbyPeter Weir andstarring JimCarrey as Truman Burbank, who discovers his seemingly ordinary life is areality television showthat’schronicled his every move from the timehewas afetus to, presumably, hisdemise.

The ones he loves most —his mother,wife, friend and neighbors —are paid actors, while the town he resides in,Seahaven, is acolossal soundstage. Beneath its idyllic facade and saccharine faces liesa world of control, surveillance and illusion,where every relationship and conversationiscarefully engineered for the audience’samusement Thescript, Davissaid, originally envisioned aneighborhood in New

York City,until Weir’swife read a magazine article about Seaside while scouting locations for the film.Davis obliged, he said, adding that thecommunity “was so un-busy at the time thatwewere happy to have some activity.”

But he did have some concerns. Aside from the army of production crews that would descend on Seaside,heworried about “the reaction of thegreater world.”

The community had already been dismissedasa “lab-like place” by some architecturalcritics. Davis was concerned the film would reinforce thatimage —an oasisengineered to unreachable perfection —and he wasn’twrong. But when “The Truman Show” wasreleased in theaters, he didn’t take offense to howhis town was portrayed. He knewthat likeanywhere else, Seaside had flaws of its own “Anybody who was inspired by the movietovisit Seaside would realize that it wasn’tjust astage set,”hesaid, “Itwasn’tnearly

In one corner sits Modica Market, afamily-ownedstore operating in Seaside since 1989. Inside, Charlie Modica stood at the cash register, ringing up groceries as the lunchrushsteadily grewcloser to noon. At least three times a day,ashopper approaches him about his briefappearance in “The TrumanShow.”

Modica steppedaway from theregister and stood beside thewooden ladder where he was perched during his scene in the film. Across from him was a framed movie poster of agrinning Truman Burbank, hanging above black andwhite photos of his family’sgourmet grocery store from decadesago

He recalled what Seaside was before it transformed into Seahaven for the film —“asleepy village” where Modica Market was accompanied by abookstore and an ice cream shop.

“Seaside’schanged since the movie,”hesaid. “There’s alot of businesses, andtheyfinishedoff a lotofwhat Robert (Davis) wanted to have.A lotofthis wasn’there.”

Some of those longtime fixtures remain.

At Sundog Books, customers leaf

The shops filled with books and vinyls were areminder that character does exist in atown that lurestravelers with its picturepostcard beach, boutiques and cottages. Davis thinks families feel connected with Seaside because it brings back afree-range childhood— areturn to thedays working parents sent their kids to school withhouse keys strung around theirnecks.

“It’sbeen awhile since Americanswerecomfortable just letting theirkidsrun free,” he said. “But this is aplace where that feels pretty comfortable.”

It appeared thatway alongthe smooth-paved roads and into the town square, where kids biked and teenagers wandered, where parents bumped into other parents in moments of serendipity It was aplace where everyone seemed comfortable forgetting, if only for awhile,about theworld beyond Seaside For Truman, however,thatillusion is no longer enough. At the endofthe film, when he discovers his fabricated reality, he chooses to leave it behind, accepting the discomfort of real life —the heartbreak,fear anduncertainty. But the creator of the televisionshow believes the real world is simply toobroken, unlike his versionof paradise.

“The worldisthe sick place,” he said. “Seahaven is the waythe worldshould be.”

STAFF PHOTO By HANNAHLEVITAN

Modica and his sister runModica Market, agourmet grocery store in Seaside, Fla. Modica,64, arrived in Seaside as ayoung adult and has seen the region transformasmore newcomers and tourists arrive

Rock of Ages purchasesN.O.church

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

It wasn’tsolong ago that thechickenswould threaten to drownout the Sunday services at Rock of Ages Baptist Church. So small was the congregation, and so loud werethe neighbor’schickens, that the Rev.Jonathan Everett joked there were times he wished he could have taught them to clucktheir way through “Amazing Grace.” Everett can laugh at the memory now.The congregation that once numbered only ahandful inside the old Rock of Ages church building on North Tonti Street in New Orleans has grown exponentially.And during the 9:15a.m. Sunday service on July5,Rock of Ages announced that it had signed the paperwork fora $4 million purchaseofthe 70,000-square-foot campus it has worshipped in for the past two years.

“It’sbeen along journey, Everettsaidone recent afternoon, walking around the expansive auditorium-style sanctuary Rock of Ages, which has grown its membership to more than 4,000 in Everett’s 13 years as pastor,now routinely fills the near-2,000seat church on FranklinAvenue in the St. Roch neighborhood that for years had been the home of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church.

“In 2013, this church had three members and we were upwards of $85,000 in debt,” Everett saidofhis first days as pastor there.

DOMINGUE

Continued from page1B

independent petroleum landman with Bullen & Domingue, Amoco, and Williams Companies Domingue served as past president of the Lafayette Association of Petroleum Landmen, presidentofLafayette Town Houseand ball chair for the Krewe of Troubadours. He was a

PLANT

Continued from page1B

focuses of the Biden and Trump administrations. The Trump EPAisalso reconsidering chloroprene air standards finalized by the Biden EPAin2024.

The latter administration has seen the former’semphasis on environmental justice as an inappropriate racial focus and legal overreach thathurts economic growth.

Some alleged violations, including those related to hazardous waste handling and disposal, continued for sevenyears untilanEPA order in late 2022 directed interim changes. But the violations also faultedthe company for not identifying the waste as hazardous for more than adecade. Under the law,the EPA could have assessed fines of as much as $124,426 for each day of aviolation, plus inflation, under each of the six hazardous waste counts. The precise penalty is $996,703.35, representing about eightdays of violations at maximum penalty Arepresentative for a St.Johncommunity group

LANDRY

Continued from page1B

Accounts operate like any other traditional IRA, the report says “Children can, at the age of 18 and after,become very wealthy people come into the world with essentially no money and end up at avery young age, be very rich,” Trump said last week at anews conference about the accounts.

Childwelfare agency

Earlier this year,Landry

“Thechickens werelouder than thepeople.” Rock of Ages hasa proud history,datingback to 1923. But when Everett arrived to takethe helm, it was still struggling fromthe devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, which had swampedthe city in 2005 and depopulated it almost overnight.

“Butwekept growing,” Everett said, careful to give credit to thechurch’scongregation. “Their commitment has been breathtaking. This momentbelongs to theentirechurchfamily.”

Alongthe way,Rock of Ages outgrewthe churchon North Tonti and foracouple of years held worship services in the auditorium of McDonogh35Senior High School,before leasing Franklin Avenue Baptist Church’sold campus at 2515 Franklin Ave. in 2024.

The move to that large Franklin Avenue campus opened the doorstoeven more worshippers, Everett said.

“I told(Everett), ‘Man, if y’allmove to this place y’allare going to explode,’” said the Rev.Fred Luter Jr., who is senior pastorofthe Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, whichoutgrewthe Franklin Avenue campus in 2018 and routinely has 5,000-6,000 attend Sunday services at its New Orleans East church.

“It’sagreat location. It was great for us,” Luter said.

Luter,who will soon pass thetorchofchurchleadership to his son, the Rev

member of the Petroleum Club andwas actively involved with the Acadiana Home BuildersAssociation, where he was recognized as Associate of the Year,accordingtohis obituary He was instrumental in developing the Professional Land and Resource Management degree and curriculum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and hetaughtclasses at UL on mineral law and lease forms.

that, foryears, has highlighted toxic pollution concerns said they welcomed the settlement.

“Weare very happy that this actually didn’tslip through thecracksjust to be totally removed,because every other protection that’sbeen given tous has been reversed, so this makes us feel really good,” said Tish Taylor,program director for Concerned Citizens of St.John. Taylor added thepenalty seemed sufficient, given Denkaisnolonger operating, but saidshe wouldlike it to remainclosed.

Previous investigations

Foryears, Denka attempted to challenge the EPAcancer risk standard for chloroprene and had charged that anowdropped Clean AirAct suit theEPA filedagainst the company in 2023 was politically motivatedafter it had spent $35 million to cut emissions.

EPAsaysthe interim changes to the wastehandling had cut chloroprene emissions by 1ton,a small portion of Denka’soverall air emissions. In 2016, Denka emitted 119tonsofchloroprene into the air.By2024, the

issued an executive order prohibiting the Department of Children andFamily Services,the childwelfare agency that administers foster care,fromusing federal survivorbenefits to reimburse the statefor caring for children in state custody.

For decades,states routinely appliedfor Social Security survivor and disability benefits onbehalf of foster children and used thatmoney to help cover thecostsoffoster care services. Butoverthe last several years, that practicehas

Fred“Chip” LuterIII, remembers moving into the Franklin Avenue church in March 1997 andthe years there building alargefollowing.

That growth necessitated Franklin Avenue Baptist’s move in 2018 to anew,$35 million campus on theI-10 Service Road

“It was bittersweet,” Luter said of building and movingout of St. Roch. “I have such great,great memories of that location.

“We’d donesomuchin that neighborhood, that community.Wejust ran out of space.”

Luter said he’s pleased to seeEverett andRock of Ages take ownership. He said Everett has “done some great things” to grow Rock of Ages.

Everett, 41, is aNew Orleansnative whostudied at Washington Bible College in Lanham,Maryland. He began full-timeministry work in Maryland before moving back to New Orleansin2009 to take aposition at ProvidenceBaptist Church. He has been at Rock of Ages since December 2013.

When the church first leased theFranklin Avenue site,Everett said he knocked on doors in the neighborhood to introduce himself and talk up the church.

“(Neighbors) were excited,”hesaid. “They were glad to see us. These neighbors havebeenthe protectorsofthis place. It means alot to them.”

Everett said the church’s growth hasbeen aidedby

According to his obituary, oneofDomingue’s greatestloves wasMardi Gras From 1955 to 2018, he rode with the Krewe of Gabriel, holding the distinction of beingthe longest-running float rider in Lafayette Mardi Gras history at 50 consecutive years. He was amember of theKreweof Brigands from 1964 to 2023 and reignedasKing of Les Brigands de Lafitte on Jan. 24, 2004. He also served as King Lacassine of the

lastfull year of operations, annual emissionshad fallen by 90% to 12 tons, according to an EPAdatabase.

Before EPAinspectors uncovered thehazardous waste handling process Denka and Dupont had faced earlier federal and state investigations. It reached an earlier consent agreement with the state in 2017 to cut emissions.

The open-air,hazardouswasteprocess continued, however,according to the consent agreement State hazardous waste inspections also didnot flag thatprocess, as asiteinspection in 2021 found no violations

Known as “Poly Kettle StrainerWaste”and as treated chloroprene and butadiene popcorn waste, the materials are amix of chloroprene, butadiene, toluene andother chemicals andwerethe resultof Denka’s batch production of neoprene. That process involved reactingchemicals,then washing and straining them andcarrying them in open carts to open, outdoor brine pits to solidify the material.Anexcavator was thenusedtograband move thesolidified wasteinto open waste bins for landfill

started to change across thecountry due to pressure from child advocates who say it’simmoral and detrimental to foster children, because it exhausts funds that could have helped them transition to adulthood.

Now,underLandry’sorder, Louisiana’schild welfare agency must invest the benefits intoa savings account on behalf of the child.

According to information providedbyDCFSlast week, up to $5,000 will be depositedinto aTrump Account,and any remaining funds will be savedina Louisiana START529 education

Obituaries

Domingue Sr., Floyd Joseph

its digitalpresence. Its social media prayer line reaches thousandseach day,hesaid, and during the pandemic, the livestreamed worship services drew manypeople who later attended in person.

“I’dsay 65-70% of our people today cameafter seeing us online,” Everett said.

The2024 Easter service Rock of Ages heldatCity Park’s TadGormley Stadium drewatleast 10,000 people, he said, and “showed us thatsomebody needed to find achurch home.”

Askedhow it will pay forits newhome, Everett smiled and said, “tithes and offerings. We’restill at it.”

From theFranklinAvenue campus,Everettsaid the church has been involved in countless community endeavors. It has organized large-scale food giveaways, given away $40,000 in gasoline cards and has teamed withOchsner Healthand Xavier University on communitywellness programs. Future endeavors include aprogram to help first-time homebuyers, more communitywellnessprograms,a cafe and asupportspace for pregnant women.

Rock of Agesstill owns thebuilding on NorthTonti Street andcould lease it out in thefuture, Everettsaid.

Andthe chickens?

“Still there. Ithink they’reevenbiggernow,” he said.

Contactreporter Bob Warren at bwarren@ theadvocate.com

Krewe of Attakapas.

Domingue is survivedby his wife, Verona“Vee”; six children, 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 1great-great-grandchild. AMass of Christian Burial will be held at 2p.m. Friday in theCathedral of St.John theEvangelist in Lafayette. The family requests that visitation be held at Martin &Castille’sdowntown location from 4p.m. to 9p.m. Thursdayand from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Friday

shipment, according to the consent agreement.

EPAtesting showed the material was highlyreactive and could easily catch fire. It also found high chloroprene emissions from thewaste handling.

In one example, EPAinspectors found that when the Poly Kettle Strainer Waste was ferried to the open brinepits, chloroprene levels hit 243,000 micrograms per cubic meter whichis810,000 times the lifetimeexposure standard allowed at the plant’sfence line.

The brine pits were used to reduce the“Poly Kettle” waste’spotential risk for fire and explosions before disposal in residential or industriallandfills not designated for hazardous waste. TheEPA says this processwas neverauthorized;Denka began using a hazardous wastelandfillin early 2023.

EPAfound similar unauthorized treatment and disposal withthe butadiene andchloroprenepopcorn, which are nowsenttoa hazardouswaste incinerator

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

savings account,which can be used topay for college expenses.

TheAssociated Press contributed to this report.

LOTTERY

FRIDAY,JULY10, 2026

Floyd Joseph Domingue, Sr With profound love anddeep sorrow, we announce the passing of Floyd Joseph Domingue, Sr., age 90, a belovedhusband, father grandfather, great-grandfather,great great-grandfather,mentor,and proud son of Lafayette, Louisiana. Floyd departed this worldleavingbehinda remarkable legacy rooted in hisfaithinJesus Christ family, service,and avivaciouslove for life.

Born on October11, 1935, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Floyd wasa lifelong residentofthe communityhesodeeply cherished.Hewas theson of thelateLazard"Meon" Domingue andCoraBreaux Domingue, andson-in-law of thelateNolan andNetta Simon. He grew up in Lafayette, attendingNP Moss, Lafayette High School, andSLI, wherehe laidthe foundationsfor a life dedicated to progress, tradition,and excellence.

Floyd was marriedto thelove of hislife, Verona SimonDomingue, for 48 years. Together, they built abeautiful life grounded in mutual respect,unwaveringsupport, andunconditional love.Thatlove added into avibrant, evergrowingfamilythat was thecenter of Floyd's world.

He is survived by his wife, Verona "Vee"; his six children-Martha Domingue Williams (Miles), Jimi "Boo" Domingue Bernard (Neal), Floyd "Joey" Domingue, Jr.(Michelle) Winston "Lee" Domingue, Sr.(Laura), Lydia Domingue, andBrent Domingue (Rachel)-as well as 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren,and 1 great-great grandchild whoadoredhim and proudlycarryonhis legacy.His deep love foreach of them and hisinfluence will continue to shape generationstocome.

Floyd's professional career spanned over 64 years in theoil and gas industry, whereheworkedasan IndependentPetroleum Landman with Bullen & Domingue, Amoco, and Williams Companies. As a French-speakingCajun with grit,charm, andintegrity, he paved theway for adistinguishedand respected career,mentoring countless individuals who wouldgoontofind success in theoil andgas industry.

In addition to hiswork, Floyd hadanenduringimpactonhis community. He served in the Louisiana NationalGuard, Director of Administration for Lafayette Parish andas Chairmanofthe Parish Zoningand Planning Commission. Hisinfluence extendedintopolitics, whereheoffered trusted counsel and insightacross both sides of theaislein various campaigns. His leadership also touched numerousprofessional andcivic organizations serving as Past President of theLafayette Association of Petroleum Landmen (LAPL), President of Lafayette Town House andBall Chairmanfor the KreweofTroubadours. He wasarespectedmember of thePetroleum Club, and wasactively involvedwith theAcadianaHome Builders Association, wherehewas recognized as Associate of the Year-a

distinction that reflected thehighregardinwhichhe washeld across industries

Education wascloseto hisheart,and Floyd was instrumental in developing theProfessional Landand ResourceManagement (PLM) degree and curriculumatthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He taughtclass at ULLonmineral law andlease forms. Hisvisioncontinues to educate andempower future generationsofprofessionals. OneofFloyd's greatest joys in life was Mardi Gras From 1955 to 2018, he proudlyrode with the KreweofGabriel, holding thedistinctionofbeing the longest float riderin Lafayette Mardi Gras history at 50 consecutive years. He wasa cherished member of theKrewe of Brigands from 1964 to 2023 andreignedasKingofLes Brigands de Lafitteon January24, 2004. He also served as King Lacassine of theKrewe of Attakapas. Floyd wasa man of extraordinary charisma-a talenteddancer, amaster storyteller,and aspirited soul whomade everyroom brighter.His generosity wasboundless, his loyalty unwavering. He lived with an open hand andanopen heart, always ready to support,uplift, and celebrate others To know Floyd wasto witnessa rareblend of wit, wisdom, warmth,and unwaveringprinciples. He lovedfiercely, gave freely, andled with honor Lafayette haslost oneof itsfinest sons, but hisstory will continue to be told through thelives he touched andthe indelible mark he left on his beloved hometown. Hisfamily, friends, and communitywill forever cherish thelaughter, guidance,and love that Floyd shared so generously. AMass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 17, 2026, in the Cathedral of St.Johnthe Evangelist in Lafayette at 2:00 PM.The familyrequests that visitation be held at Martin& Castille's DOWNTOWNLocation on Thursday from 4:00 PM until9:00 PM andwillcontinue on Friday from 10:00 AM until1:45 PM Intermentwill be in Calvary Cemetery Reverend Andrew Schumacher, Pastor of Holy CrossCatholic Church,will be the Celebrant of theFuneral Mass. Honored to serve as pallbearers are hisbeloved grandsons: Brannon Bernard, Stefan Bernard, MartinBernard, Bonner Williams, Blake Domingue Winston Domingue, Jr., HarrisonDomingue, Grayson Domingue,Collin Williams andAshton Domingue. Honorary pallbearers are longtime friends: Rick Bajon, JimBearb, Bobby Buller,ClydeCourtright, KenCorner,JohnDejean, GlennDuhon,Art Leblanc andMike Poole. Lafayette haslost oneof itsfinest gentlemen. His familyhas lost itspatriarch. Heaven haswelcomed home afaithfulservantwhose greatest wealth was never measured by what he accumulated,but by thecountless lives he loved, encouraged, andmade better. Floyd's familyextends theirsincerest gratitude to Gladis, Rosa and Gabriel fortheir loving compassion andcareextended to Floyd and Vee. View theobituaryand guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin& Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St LandryStreet, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-2342311.

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Tulane deal gives ‘Big Charity’ newlease on life

When it was built nearly 90 yearsago, the structure that housed CharityHospitalinNew Orleans wasn’tjust the largest hospitalinthe state, it was the second-largest in thenation. The hulking art deco structure withits 20-story central column and 13-story wingswas,like so much of Louisiana’siconic infrastructure,first conceived under the administrationofGov Huey P. Long, with funds from theNew Deal’s Public Works Administration.It opened in1939, anew locationfor the hospital establishedin 1736 by aFrenchsailor and shipbuilder. In addition to welcomingpatients fromacross the region who couldleast afford care, “Big Charity,” as the site was affectionately known, served for decades as atraining ground fortens of thousands of doctors in Louisianaaspart of the LSU and Tulane medical schools.Then Katrina struck, and the site, once knownasa center of healing, became etched on thepublic mind as ahouse of heartache. It never reopened after the storm. At the time, it wasthe secondoldestcontinuously operating hospitalinthe country.Only Bellevue Hospital in NewYorkis older Butnow,thanks to alonglist of visionaries and philanthropists, this storied history won’t be lost. In an agreement unveiled last month, Tulane University announced it’s taking over a project to revitalize the building that hadlong languished amid disputesand mountingcosts Aconsortium called 1532 Tulane Holdcowill oversee the multimillion-dollar renovationdesigned to anchor agrowing medical districtin downtown New Orleans. Two-thirdsofthe buildingwill become the new home of Tulane’s Celia ScottWeatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and theTulane Innovation Institute. In addition, apartments,offices and retail space are planned for thesite. It is expected to open in 2029.

We cannot stress how much this projectcould be transformative for the cityand the entire region. As we look to attract new industriesand highly skilled workers to our state, thebiosciences offer aprime opportunity. Tulane said it envisions bringing around700 scientists, researchers and others to thedistrict, whichcould serve as acatalyst for arebirth of downtown street life in New Orleansoutside of the French Quarter

While much remains to befinalized, we applaud Tulane and all those who joined with the universityinmoving this project forward once again. The Goldring Family provided thelead privategiftfor the project,and Tulane said it is workingwithotherpublic andprivate partners to secure funding.

It’satremendous vote of confidenceinour future by Tulane, and it is what we like to seefrom ourlargest employers andnonprofits. Thereare few institutions that meant more to ourstate than Big Charity.Now it has achancetolead the wayfor generationsto come.

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

Theauthentic meaningofAmerica

Forthe fourth anniversary of the Supreme Courtdecision that ended Roe v. Wade, Ifound myself over an hour away from the George Washington Bridge, at aconvent hidden within aprotective shield of greenery.Marycrest is the home of theParish Visitors of MaryImmaculate, and Mother Maria Catherine there has me thinking about Abraham Lincoln. In his second inaugural address, Lincoln famously began his conclusion with “With malice toward none, withcharityfor all ...”

which may achieve and cherish ajust and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

We are surelyanation of walking wounded. Depending on how you look at it, we could even be considered anationatwar not just with Iran, though there is that debacle —but with ourselves

That sounds like an American calling, doesn’tit?

Fifty years of legal abortion doesn’t reflect that idea of malice toward none, from whereI’m standing. Nor do some recentpostures toward refugees seeking asylum in theUnited States.But thereisstill time to reflect on what it means for apresident to talkabout the“mystic chord of memory,” as Lincoln did in his first inaugural.

Regarding charity,inhis second inaugural, Lincoln said: “Withfirmnessinthe right as God gives us to see theright,let us strive on to finish thework we are in to bind up thenation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne thebattle and for his widow and his orphan —todoall

Over by the George Washington Bridge back in New York lie most of the remains of Mother Francis XavierCabrini. She died in 1917.Mother Tallon, thefounder of Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, diedin1954. Both women concerned themselves with orphans —Cabrini more materially,bycreating homesfor orphans. Tallon’smission focusedonspiritual orphans, seeking to be an instrument of revitalization of faith. Were it not for charity,noneofus would be here.

That’swhy Mother Cabrini had a dedication to theSacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Catherine does,too —she even moved her position in the chapel recentlysoshe could have abetter view of the embrace of Jesus signaling to her from one of the statueson theside of thealtar.The statue sits above the humble tomb of Mother Tallon.

Now that the fireworks and cage

fights areover, we could afford to see the synergy between acalltofirmness fromLincolnand the first U.S.born pope,Leo. Just aftervisiting the birthplace of MotherCabrini in the Lombardy regionofItaly,the Chicago-born Leo emphasizedthe need for auniversal contemplation. He said that such an activity is notreserved for monks, but forall people of faith.

Contemplation, Leosaid, “helps us to have amorefirm andconscious faith, andconsequently to be credible andfreedisciples, men and women capable of reflecting the light of the Gospel in everysetting and every situationoflife,and of bearing witness to it even where its value is not understoodoraccepted.”

Americahas been abeacon for freedomseekersbecause we knowwhat we arestewards of.

Whenwelosethis —this knowledge of ourparticipationwith the eternal, even as we face White House ballroom construction, critiques of Usha Vance’sOld Navy maternity wear discounts, midterm elections and everything. We arehere because of and for charity.That’sthe point of being alive.Therein liesthe solutiontoour sorrows andhealing of ourwoes Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

HistoryofUnitedStateshas much to teachus

The commemoration of our country’s250th birthday this year has prompted much reflection on our historyand what it means today We launched aseries of guest essays that explore this question as well as seek to enlighten readers about Louisiana’struly unique role in our country’s history.Ihope you have been enjoying this series as much as Ihave.

mentofcrisis for ourcountry.Sometimes it is hard to see the common ties that bind us as anation, but looking at our history showsthat we have faced and survived difficult moments before.

The wealth of information from historians and scholars has certainly taught me much Ididn’tknow It also made me look at our history in new ways. That to me is thebiggest reason why we commemorate such milestones. It’s always good to takestock and see how far we’ve come.

Butseveral of you have also written to say that you worry that this is amo-

Ihope you have taken the time to participate in someof thecommemorations and special events around the state for the250th.

There have truly been awide varietyofactivities to enjoy As ahistory buff myself,I am especially impressed by the offerings at museumsaround the state. It’s truly remarkable what they have on display Turning to our letters inbox, Ican give you thenumbers forthe end of June. From June 11-18, we received atotal of 42 letters. That’ssomewhat down from our average of 60 letters aweek.

No statewide or national topics stood out. The topic that drew the mostletters wasthe plans forCity-Brooks Park in Baton Rouge. We received six letters on the issue. For the week of June 18-June 24, we received 49 letters. Again, there was no standout topic. We received three letters on the U.S. Senate race, twoletters on the teacher pay raise plan and twoletters on the climate study about NewOrleans.

For the week of June 25-July 2, we received 50 letters, and naturally,the America 250 anniversary was foremostonyour minds. We received 10 letters on the subject. The next most popular topic was the Senate race, with twoletters received.

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

Arnessa Garrett

Kathryn Jean Lopez

COMMENTARY

La.prosecutorpersecutes‘factuallyinnocent’ man

When aman serves 28 years on death row for acrimehealmost certainly didn’tcommit, and then two courtsfind him “factuallyinnocent” under a law passed five years ago by aconservative, toughon-crimelegislature, he shouldn’tbesubjected to yet another trial. Indeed, anew trial could be unconstitutional. So why is aprosecutor in Monroe saying he intends to charge and try the managain?

to convict Duncan was based on junk scienceand that several other evidentiary claims were extremely dubious —including the very notion that the girl had been sexually assaulted, with medical analysts nowsaying otherwise.

On June 29, the Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously upheld alower-court ruling thatJimmie “Chris” Duncan had been wrongly convicted on ahorrid charge of raping and murdering his girlfriend’s23-month-olddaughter in 1993. To be clear,this decision didn’tinvolve letting Duncan off on some procedural technicality; this was aslew of judges finding the original conviction itself was factually mistaken.

Iwrote about this case for the first time one year ago this week, when the trial-court judgefound that “bite mark” evidence used

Suffice it to say that by now,the near-certain truth is what Duncan has claimed all along: The little girl,who had ahistory of seizures, had another seizure and drowned while briefly left alone in apartially filled bathtub.

district attorney for Ouachita and Morehouse parishes,told Kaitlyn Maness of theOuachitaCitizen on Wednesday that he wants to retry Duncan for murder,although he isn’tsure which “degree” of murder he wantstocharge.

thesame offence to be twice put in jeopardy of lifeorlimb.”

Either way,why is Tewhellbent on further punishing Duncan?

Yes, that is within Tew’sauthority under Act 104 of the 2021 legislative session, through which Duncan secured his postconviction release based on being “factually innocent.”

As state Supreme Court Justice CadeCole wrote for the unanimous court,“Hadthe ‘new’ evidence, in light of all relevant evidence, been presented at trial, no rational juror would have found Duncan guilty of thefirst degree murder of Haley beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Cole, by theway,isfar from a judicial leftist: He was the Louisiana College Republican state chairman and amember of the Federalist Society Nonetheless, Steve Tew, the

That act explicitly says anew judgment in the convict’sfavor “shall not prevent (him) from being retried for the offense.” And Louisiana’slegal definition of forbidden “double jeopardy” says double jeopardy doesn’tapply when “judgment has been arrested” on the convict’s“own motion.”

Well, I’m no expert on strange wrinkles in “double jeopardy” jurisprudence, but this idea of retrying someone whom multiple courts have found to be factually innocent seems to violate the letter of, and certainly the spirit of, the U.S. Constitution’sFifth Amendment.Toquoteit: “Nor shall any person be subject for

The man had no criminal record before thetragic event; eight judges decided the mostessential “evidence” against him is junk and theother supposedly incriminating testimony has been convincingly refuted. And all the relevant familymembers of the victim,including the child’smother,believe Duncan is innocent.

ernment is that safeguards and redress always should be available —because all government officials, including prosecutors, can makemistakes. That’sthe essence of conservatives’ desire to limit government’spower: to protect citizens from government’s error or abuse.

That, too, is whyLouisiana’s conservative lawmakers this very decade passed Act 104: to give convicts achance to show that newly understood facts now exonerate them.

Surely no jury,33years after little Haley Oliveaux’sdeath, would find Duncan guilty of anythingworse than somesort of manslaughter charge based on carelessness. Louisiana law says themaximum prison term for “negligent homicide” is 10 years. Duncan has already served three times that long, mostofitunder a deathsentence.

Again, what’sthe point?

There’sacrucial principle at play here, oneatthe heart of modernAmerican conservatism. Namely,the American framers’ whole pointindesigning so many “checks andbalances” in gov-

The legislators got the policy mostly right, and all the judges on the state SupremeCourt got the facts and law right. Chris Duncan has suffered long enough for leaving achild unattended while he washed dishes in anearby room

Let this man finally live free without further persecuting him —and perhaps amend the law to remove the chance forprosecutors to retry men already found factually innocent.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

An improved Essencedeservesfinancial investment

The early reports about the Essence Festival of Culture are in, and the multiple-eventwas farbetterthanthe 2025 fest.

Will Sutton

Generally,I catch parts of aday or two of the fest, mostly because joining thousandsand thousands of my family members, friends, people Imeet and people I don’tmeet, but love seeing, can be overwhelming. This year,for the first time, Iattended dayand night, eachday.IfIcount the official Essence Festival media kickoff and an offsite, Essence-adjacent event, thatwas another day,making atotal of four daysand four nights.

It was alot. Awhole lot.

Once the doors opened, Essiesquickwalked in, most of them pausing to get their dance on as aDJhit the ones andthe twos of popular contemporary songsthat made it hard to keep going withoutshaking your head to the beat, or shaking your juttingposterior from side-to-side and front-to-back and back-to-front. It was that way each day Thousands of people visited, oftentimes on multiple days, it seemed. According to New Orleans &Co., more than 350,000 visitors were in the city during the threeday event, up by 40,000 in 2025. Louisiana visitors were up 25,000, and visitors from Alabama,Georgia and Mississippi were up, too. Amazingly,with Coca-Cola as the ongoing major sponsor,Target as asignificant sponsor and other brandscontinuing to support the Essence Festival, nearly all daytime activities are free.

Ispent most of my daysatthe Global Black Economic Forum stage, theSuede men’sstage, the Authors Showcase andthe Food and Wine Festival. Idon’tusually get caught up in some largerentertainment

Visitorstakea selfieduring the Essence Festival of Culture at the NewOrleans Ernest N. MorialConvention Center in NewOrleans on July 3.

and music spaces and stages, but Coke’s SpinCity washard to ignore. Members of theGrambling StateUniversity WorldFamedTiger Marching Band closed out SpinCity with aparade-style march into the space andanupbeat music set The night concerts were well-produced. Overall, the acts were strong. Therewere some unexplained pauses, but the shows started on time or close. Icaught mostof the performances. Iamchronologically gifted,and thelong days wore me out. I didn’tlast until the last noteswere played any night. After more-than-usual complaints

about last year’sfestival, mostly on social media, it was good to see some wellestablished and emerging businesses at the fest.

Youmay have heard of some and not others, but Essence Festivalexposure was wonderful for some Louisiana businesses that participated in the New Voices Foundation’sNew Voices xESSENCE Festival, the Makers Studio and the We Love Us Marketplace, which had more than 230 vendors.

Compere Lapin chef and owner Nina Compton curated the Essence Food& Wine Festival for asecond year.The

James Beard Award winner based in New Orleans’ Warehouse District took the opportunity to include other chefs —from Dooky Chase, Lil’ Dizzy’s, Orleans Brothers and WowTurkey She also included New Orleans-based artist-photographer L. Kasimu Harris, whose work is now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City Community Book Center was the festival’sofficial book partner and the designated bookseller for Essence Authors. Mama Vera Warren-Williams has operated the store for more than 40 years. She was the official bookseller for the first 14 years of the festival. One of the best things about her participation is that though the festival has ended, there’sanongoing benefit —she will now be included among the official booksellers that contribute to the data determining which books make the highly valued The New York Times Best Sellers list. It’ssafe to say thatthere aren’tmany Black-owned bookstoresthat contribute to that list.

“I appreciated the opportunity,” Mama Vera told me after the festival ended. “Things went well, really well.” The more Essence and Sundial Media show acommitment to New Orleans and Louisiana businesses and culture, andthe more the event has asolid economic impact, the more there are good reasons for local business, city and state investment. The existing agreement expires in September.Essence wants to build out an Essence 365 approach, something like what Isuggested ayear ago. That’sunlikely to happen without asignificant investment. The NFL Super Bowl comes every few years. It gets millions. The Allstate Sugar Bowl is here each December.Itgetsmillions.

Why not the Essence Festival?

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

JusticeinMurrill saga requires an open courtroom

Irrespective of the legal merits of the recent New Orleans grand jury’sindictment of Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill, one thing is beyond question: What transpired in the courtroomand hallway before and duringthe proceedings was unacceptable. That’swhen court security —Orleans Parish Sheriff’s deputies —hustled journalists and the public out of the courtroom.Some time later,the deputies ordered them to leave the building. WWL-TV producer Danny Monteverde objectedtothe directive to go outside —apart from the reporters, no other members of the public were asked to leave —and was handcuffed and detained for several minutes. An attorney with him was also cuffed. Ostensibly,clearing the court-

Faimon Roberts Quin Hillyer

room was necessary to maintain the confidentialityofgrandjury proceedings and to protect the identitiesofthe grand jurors. That’s what New Orleans CriminalDistrict Court Judge Leon T. RochéII argued in afiling to the Louisiana Supreme Court after Murrill sought astay and then arecall of the indictment “The Court was appropriately concerned with the protectionand safety of the grand jurors. Outofan abundance of caution for the grand jurors’ safety and anonymity,the Courtadmonished the media not to speak with or film any grand jurors, then instructed the deputy sheriffs to clear the courtroom when the grand jurors were entering the courtroom,” Rochéwrote. He also said members of the

media had parked in thejurors’ parking lot and that some of them were wandering around the basement wherejurors meet. Rochésaid he had nothing to do with the handcuffing or detaining, however In astatement, aspokesperson for OPSO saiddeputies “acted in accordance with the directives they received and worked to ensure an orderly conclusion to the proceedings.” Whatever thejustification, and whoever is ultimately to blame, thewhole thing should never have happened. Membersofthe media and thepublic should have been able to be in thecourtroom to hear thecharges read aloud. The officersofthe court,including the judge, should have known better Their oaths obligate them to uphold theU.S. Constitution and thelaws of Louisiana. Both are

unequivocal in their protection of the public, including journalists, andthe requirement that court proceedings, except in rare circumstances,beconducted in theopen. That last fact was rightly seized uponbyLouisiana Supreme Court justices, amajority of whom referred to reports of “what appear to be extraordinary proceduraldefectsand improprieties,” in how the indictment was handled.

Specifically,theycited Article383 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure,which requires thatgrand jury indictments be handedupin“open court.”

“By all public accounts the Orleans Parish CriminalDistrict Courtviolatedexpress provisions of statelaw requiring that grand jury returns occur in the public eye,‘in open court,’”the

Supreme Court wrote.

In otherwords, whatwent down in thatcourtroomand hallwayshould never have happened.

Secret court proceedings are badenough, but whenthe case at hand is aminefield of political intrigue,like this one, it’seven more important for it to be conductedtransparently

About 20 minutes after deputieshad slappedthe cuffs on him, Monteverde wasfreed and walked outofthe courthouse. There,hewas askedhow he was feeling. “I’m angry,” he responded. He’s notthe only onewho should be. Reporters being cuffed and courtrooms being closed are a badway to begin ournext 250 years.

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

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

SAINTS PREVIEW RUNNINGBACKS

Etienne on top, but rest of room fluid

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Back in 2017, Mark Ingram tallied his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaign for the New OrleansSaints, leading apotent ground attack that included Offensive Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara

That was the last time the Saints had a 1,000-yardrusher.They are oneofthree teams tied for the longest active drought in the NFL when it comes to aplayer crossing that statistical milestone, joined by theKansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Maybe that changes this year

The Saints ponied up this offseason to sign Louisiananative Travis Etienneto be their new lead back.Etienne arrived as oneof eight running backs to have at least three 1,000-yard rushing seasonsinthe lastfour years This is about morethan nice, round numbers. New Orleans didn’t sign Etienne to snap adry spell but rather to add some juice to arunning game that has lacked itfor several years now.What goes on behind Etienne —particularly concerning the long-running Kamara drama —isanyone’s guess, but there’snodenying who is at the top of the pecking order going into the2026 season.

Depth chart(name, height, weight, experience)

n Travis Etienne,5-foot-10, 215 pounds, 6 years

n Alvin Kamara, 5-10, 215, 10

n Devin Neal, 5-11, 213, 2

n Audric Estimé, 5-11, 227, 3

n Kendre Miller,6-0,220, 4

n Ty Chandler,5-11, 205, 5

n C.J. Donaldson, 6-1, 230, R

Number to know:7

That is how many runsof20ormoreyards Etienne tallied last year, afigure that included touchdown runs of 71 and 45 yards and does not include a45-yard touchdown catch

Why doesthat matter?Because it’s one

PiratestakeCurielatNo. 5

Pittsburgh continuestrend of pickingrecentTigersbyselecting LSUcenter fielder

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSUcenter

fielder Derek Curiel was taken by thePittsburgh Pirates with the No. 5overall pick in thefirst round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday Curiel was thefirst LSU player or signee selected in this year’sdraft

Theslotvalue of thepick is worth $8.34 million.

“Togotoanorganization like the Pittsburgh Pirates means the world (to me),” Curiel said on aZoom call with reporters after he was selected.

ä MLB draft Rounds 5-20

10:30 A.M. SUNDAy,MLB.COM, MLB.TV

MoreLSU players selectedinthe first round of the MLB draft, Page 3C

“I know alot of guys (over) there right now, so I’m excitedtoget to work and go compete with those guys and go win some ball games.” He is the fourth LSU player to be picked in the top five of the draft in as many seasons, joining Paul Skenes (No. 1overall in 2023), Dylan Crews

(No. 2overall in 2023) and Kade Anderson (No. 3overall in 2025). Curiel never played with Skenes, but he did spend his freshman year with former LSU star Jared Jones, whoPittsburgh took in theninth round of last year’sdraft.

“Togoout there and play again with my guy Jared Jones,wewon a national championship together,” Curiel said. “Last timeweplayed, we hit back-to-back in the lineup.So, can’t wait to play with him again.”

He’salsojoining an organization

See LSU, page 3C Tigers on the move

Shough to foot bill forteammates on California excursionthatincludesBrees

Noah Fant has conducted summer throwing sessions withmultiple quarterbacks during his NFLcareer, everyone from Joe Burrow to Geno SmithtoDrew Lock

So when Tyler Shough reached out to theveteran tight end earlier this year and asked him to participatein passing workoutswith teammates in San Diego this summer,itwasn’tunusual. Fantwas all in —especially when Shough told him he was footing the bill for an estimated group of 18 teammates thatincluded airfare, hotel rooms, meals,etc.

Considering Shough’srelatively modestrookie salary,it’saneyebrow-raising gesture, atestament to the Saintsquarterback’scommitment to servant leadership. Shough, after all, earns less than most of his veteran teammates.

“It’s really cool of him,” Fant said. “He hasn’treached asecond contract or anything, and he’sputting his neck

out there foreverybody to come and get better.That says alot.”

Starting Monday,Shough will lead agroup of Saints receivers and tight ends forfive days of workouts and passing sessions in Del Mar,California, just north of San Diego. And they’ll do it under the watchful eye of Drew Brees, whoplans to attend at least someofthe sessions.

Brees conducted similar workouts in the area near his homeduring his Hall of Fame tenure with the Saints. The Saints will even workout at the samefacility run by Brees’ longtimeperformance coach, Todd Durkin.

“It’spretty sweet out there,” Shough said. Fant and veteran wideout Chris Olave are the only Saints players to say they plan to attend the sessions.

Jeff Duncan

SOPHIA GERMER

backTravis Etienne runs

LSU CF Derek Curiel STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Noskova rallies to win Wimbledon

21-year-old defeats

Muchova in all-Czech

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

LONDON Linda Noskova is the latest in a long line of Czech women to win Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old Noskova recovered from a second-set meltdown in which she wasted five match points to overcome Karolina

Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in an allCzech final on Saturday for her first Grand Slam trophy

When Noskova finally won it with a service winner on her sixth match point, she covered her face and dropped down to the grass on her back.

“It’s never easy to get the last point,” Noskova said. “Karo, you really made me work for it.”

Noskova became the third Czech woman in four years to win the grass-court major, after Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.

Muchova and Noskova played doubles together at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished fourth.

“I am so glad that I could play my first Grand Slam final with you,” Noskova told Muchova during her victory speech. “We made history today I believe that all our Czech fans at home are proud of us, so no matter the result today I think it was a good day for both of us.”

Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, was in attendance, as was the greatest Czech-born player of them all, Martina Navratilova — who won a record nine singles titles at the All England Club.

Navratilova looked on from the Royal Box, where she was seated next to Kate, the Princess of Wales, who presented the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy to Noskova. Noskova grew emotional during her victory speech when she mentioned her mother who died two years ago

“I definitely would not be standing here without her, so thank you,” said Noskova, who then looked up and blew a kiss to the sky Navratilova wiped away tears listening to Noskova’s tribute to her mother Moments earlier, Muchova began her runner-up speech by calling Noskova “my ex-friend.

“I’m kidding, obviously,” Muchova quickly added. “You’re so young and this was your first final of a Grand Slam and the way you handled it was really unbelievable. You deserve it.”

It was the 29-year-old Muchova’s second Grand Slam final after getting beat by Iga Swiatek at the French Open in 2023.

In the men’s final on Sunday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner will attempt to defend his title against

French Open champion Alexander Zverev Wasted chances Noskova led 5-2 in the second set before she lost five straight games to send it to a third. When Noskova wasted a chance to serve it out at 5-3 in the second, she placed fingers in both ears to drown out the crowd noise on the changeover Then she draped one of Wimbledon’s strawberry-red towels over her head after she dropped her serve again to give Muchova a 6-5 lead and a chance for her opponent to serve it out — which Muchova did. It’s Noskova’s second grass title of the season after beating Jessica Pegula in the Berlin Open final three weeks ago.

But as this match displayed, it hasn’t been all straightforward. Noskova saved a match point in the third set of her third-round match against Sorana Cirstea.

The 12th-ranked Noskova will climb to No. 7 — a new careerhigh — when the next rankings are released on Monday Now Noskova is the youngest woman to win Wimbledon since Kvitova was also 21 in 2011.

And it marks the second consecutive Grand Slam won by a player 21 or younger after Mirra Andreeva claimed the French Open at 19 last month. It’s the first time that’s happened for Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year since Justine Henin and Serena Williams, respectively, claimed those titles in 2003.

Sinner practices on hard court to regain

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

LONDON Jannik Sinner was still struggling to rediscover his rhythm a month after his meltdown at the French Open, and Novak Djokovic was lurking in the Wimbledon semifinals.

Sure, Sinner had won his opening five matches of his title defense at the All England Club But none of those performances resembled the way that Sinner awed the tennis world earlier this year during a 30-match winning streak. So how did the top-ranked Sinner suddenly rediscover the form that enabled him to completely overwhelm Djokovic the seven-time Wimbledon champion — during Friday’s highly awaited encounter on Centre Court?

The answer lies in a return to familiar ground. Instead of continuing to toil away on Wimbledon’s grass courts, Sinner spent Wednesday practicing on an indoor hard court, the top-ranked player’s team said.

Hard courts are the surface where Sinner has won three of his four Grand Slam titles and the indoor setting was reminiscent of where Sinner learned to play while growing up in a small Alpine village in the Italian Dolomites. The decision by his two coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, enabled Sinner to regain the timing that has made him the

strongest and most feared baseline player in the sport.

“He’s reminded himself just how much that ball can explode off his racket,” said Andre Agassi, who was also coached by Cahill in his career

Agassi noted how Sinner was “swinging with a full conviction” against Djokovic.

The improvement displayed against Djokovic was a stark contrast from Sinner’s opening five matches.

Sinner twice had to come back from a set down in a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in his opener; he was pushed to two tiebreakers by 48th-ranked

Nuno Borges in the second round; dropped his serve twice against Jenson Brooksky in the third round; had to play another tiebreaker against Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in the round of 16; and was also tested by Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarterfinals. Against Djokovic, Sinner led 4026 in winners, committed only 15 unforced errors to Djokovic’s 23 and saved the only break point he faced with an ace. “Was a good old blowout,” Djokovic acknowledged. Djokovic had beaten Sinner over five sets in their previous meeting in this year’s Austra-

lian Open semifinals. This time, Djokovic never really threatened and it was finished in three sets.

“He was just a level or more better than I was,” Djokovic said, adding Sinner was the “much better player” and a “dominant force.”

Sinner hadn’t displayed that much confidence since the opening two sets and six games of the third set against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of Roland Garros in late May — before he wilted in a Paris heat wave and was eliminated in stunning fashion. Now, he’s favored to seal his second straight Wimbledon title against French Open champion Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final.

Zverev is ‘a different player now Zverev, whose breakthrough at Roland Garros came in his fourth Grand Slam final, is attempting to become the first man in the professional era (since 1968) to win his second major title at the next event immediately after his first.

But Sinner has won nine straight meetings with Zverev and 14 consecutive sets against the German.

“You can’t underestimate anyone, especially in a Slam final,” Sinner said. “His victory at Roland Garros really helped him.

He’s playing very aggressively He’s a different player now.”

IN BRIEF

South Africa World Cup midfielder dies at 25

JOHANNESBURG South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams, who played at the World Cup, has died. He was 25. His death was confirmed by Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s minister of sport, arts and culture, in a statement on Saturday

“It is with profound shock and a heavy heart that I have learnt of the passing of Jayden Adams, midfielder for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana, at the age of 25,” McKenzie posted on X.

“South African football has lost one of its brightest young talents, and our nation mourns alongside his family, his teammates and the millions of supporters.” Adams helped South Africa reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Further details were not given.

Johnson shoots 63, leads at rain-softened Firestone

AKRON, Ohio Zach Johnson shot a 7-under 63 on Saturday at Firestone Club to take a four-stroke lead in the Kaulig Companies Championship, the fourth of the five major tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions.

“It was for the taking today,” Johnson said. “It was wet. It was pretty much point and shoot and stop.”

The 50-year-old Johnson has two victories in eight senior starts this season. He skipped the U.S. Senior Open last week to play in the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic, where he tied for ninth.

Reigning champion Miguel Angel Jimenez was second after a 62. The 62-year-old Spanish star shot his age for the first time.

“Every time you can shoot your age is great,” Jimenez said.

Fitzpatrick, Thorbjornsen lead foggy Scottish Open

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland The notorious Scottish haar off the North Sea brought two fog delays Saturday, leaving Matt Fitzpatrick and Michael Thorbjornsen atop the leaderboard with a long final day ahead to finish the Scottish Open and move south to England for the final major of the year Thorbjornsen birdied his last two holes to reach 11 under through 13 holes, while Fitzpatrick missed the green on No. 8 and failed to save par before play was stopped. At stake Sunday for Thorbjornsen and perhaps a dozen other players is getting one of three spots left for the British Open for leading finishers not already exempt.

The third round was to resume at 7 a.m., followed by the final round of threesomes off the first tee.

Khosia family to purchase Seahawks for $9.612B

The Khosia family ownership group, including Vinod Khosia, has entered into a formal agreement to purchase the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, according to the estate of Paul Allen.

The sale price is $9.612 billion, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The Khosia family will become the team’s controlling owner, according to a social media post by the Seahawks on Saturday

“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” Vinod Khosia said in a statement. “We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organization and fans everywhere.”

A’s All-Star 1B Kurtz goes on IL with thumb sprain CHICAGO Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz, who was set to start at first base for the American League at next week’s All-Star Game, went on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right thumb sprain.

The move is retroactive to Friday Kurtz did not play in the Athletics’ 14-1 loss to the White Sox in Chicago. Neither Kurtz nor Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was available to speak to reporters. Kurtz is batting .266 with 20 home runs, 66 RBIs and a leagueleading 76 walks. The 23-year-old

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH

Linda Noskova poses with the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy after defeating Karolina Muchova in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday in London.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRIAN INGANGA

Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Novak Djokovic in their men’s singles semifinal match at Wimbledon on Friday in London.

MLBdraftsthree LSUplayers,three signees

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball had three players andthree high school signeestaken on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday,which covered rounds 1-4 of a20-round draft

Star center fielder Derek Curiel went No. 5overallinthe first round to the Pittsburgh Pirates, before the Cleveland Guardians selected LSU signee Logan Schmidtwith theNo. 59 overall pick in the second round.The Seattle Mariners took right fielder Jake Brown at No. 65 overall in the same round

The only Tiger to come off the board in the third round wasLSU signee Jensen Hirschkorn, who was taken with the No. 84 overall pick by the Atlanta Braves.Inthe fourth round, the Miami Marlins selected signee WessleyRoberson with the No. 115 overall pick, and right-handed reliever Deven Sheerin was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies with theNo. 128 overall selection.

The low number of LSU high school signees selected wasa surprise, especially since theTigers entered the draftwith theNo. 2 recruiting class in the nation and had multiple top-200 draft prospects who were left on theboard

Those top prospects include outfielder Malachi Washington, outfielder Dominic Santarelli and first basemanWill Adams.Santarelli and Washington were top-100

LSU center fielder Derek Curiel reacts after adouble against Florida on May14. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Curiel with the No. 5 overall pick in the MLB draft on Saturday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU

players in the draft, according to ESPN,while Adams was the No. 57 player in The Athletic’sdraft rankings.

The draft resumes beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday on MLB.com.

Signeesselected

Schmidt, aleft-handed pitcher, was thefirst Tiger signee taken in the draft. He attended Ganesha High in Pomona,California, and was thetop high schoolsigneein LSU’s class, according to draft rankings.

He wasthe No.45playerinMLB com’sdraftrankings and atop-60 prospectinESPN and TheAthletic’srankings.

“You can say it’sone of the best left-handedfastballs in theclass with aclean deliveryand astarter’sframe,” onescout told The Advocateonthe conditionofanonymity.“The concern is that he doesn’t have ago-to second pitch quite yet. Buthehas the ingredients to get there.”

Schmidt wasfollowedbyHirschkorn, aright-hander and fellow Californian whoattended Kingsburg High. At 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds,Hirschkorn hasafastball that’sbeen upto97mph and pairs it with aslider and achangeup. He’salsoknownfor his effortless delivery and major league-ready frame.

“It’sa big-time arm.Imean, it’s up to 97, (he’s) 6-foot-7,” one scout told The Advocate. “This is where

Continued from page1C

that selected former LSU signee KonnorGriffin with the No. 9overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Griffin and Curiel came up in the same recruiting class

“He actually texted me this morning,” Curiel said. “He said, ‘Good luck today,bro. I’mpraying for you.’ And he said, ‘God’s got aplan.’ We got to compete together on the U-18 USA team in Taiwan.”

Curiel had two fantastic seasons at LSU after turning down MLB the first time as apotential high school draftee. As afreshman, he won anationalchampionship andbecameafirst-team freshman All-American, hitting .345 with a.990 on-base plus slugging percentage He delivered asimilar season as asophomore the next year, posting a.353 batting average, 13 stolen bases and aslugging percentage that rose to .526despite playing with abroken left ankle at the beginning of the year

“It wasmybackfoot, andit was kind of hard to load into my back foot,” Curiel told 104.5-FM after this season came to aclose.

“… People were saying Iwas pressing and trying to hit home runs. That’snot me. Inever try to hit ahome run. I’m trying to hit abackside single, abackside double.

“Everyone on our team got injured at one point, and it was just very unfortunate. Ihurt my ankle in mid-November.Ican’tsay how Idid it, but it was not agood reason. Butthat happened,and that’s why the season started out how it did. Ifelt like Ishowed some toughness being able to progress through that.” Curiel was also astandoutdefender in two seasons in Baton Rouge. He didn’tcommit an error on 98 total chances in left field as afreshman. He then shifted to center field as asophomore, improving his route-running and making multiple diving catches. His prowess in centerfield quieted some critics who were skeptical of his ability to play the position at the major-leaguelevel.

“He hit the ball harder this year and showed he could play center,” one scout, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,told The Advocate before thedraft.“He puts good at-bats together,and I would say he’sprobably just kind of proved overall that he can do all of those things.”

LSU right fielder JakeBrown walks to first base during agame against Oklahoma on March 19 at Alex Box Stadium. Brownwas selected by the Seattle Mariners in the second round of the MLB draft.

thefirst round (and) second round arms come from. He’sathletic, he (throws)iteasy. If he wants to sign, he’sgoing in the top two rounds.” Roberson, an outfielder from Georgia,was thenextLSU signee off the board.Few expected himto be one of the first LSUsignees taken in the draft, but two scoutstold

DUNCAN

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The other attendees are unclear Shough said he prefers to keep thelist of participants private to honor his teammates’privacy and maintain the solidarity of the mission.

“It’saninvestment, but for me, it’sjust the sharedtimetogo, the qualitytime, thebonding, and then you’re also getting in the work,” Shough said. “It’s something that Iwant to do every single year, whether that’sDel Mar or another place, just go spend time with guys outside of the facility and go get some work in. The memories there areawesome.”

The Advocate that he was willing to sign for arelatively low number One scout said his number wasas low as $500,000.

LSUplayers

Curielwas the first Tiger of any kind selected in thedraft, becoming the fourth LSU player to be

year and in Oregon last summer He plans to makethe sessions an annual event now that he’sbecome entrenched as the starter

The week will involve more than just football. Shough has mapped outadaily itinerary that includes golf and beach outings along with nightly dinners.

“Tyler does it at such afirstclass level, as farasgetting it really well organized,being able to spend sometimetogether,get somereally good work,” Moore said. “And tying it in with Drew obviously is an awesome opportunityfor him and forour guys. Andsoit’ll be perfect forthem.”

selected in the top five in as many seasons.

Brownwas taken 60 picks after Curiel,following aseason in which he blasted 16 homeruns with a 1.047 on-base plus slugging percentage as ajunior

He finishedhis three-year career in Baton Rouge with a.304 batting average and a.951 OPS and became aleader for LSU after winning anational championship with the purple and gold in 2025.

“I think he plays hard; he’spassionate,” one scout told The Advocate. “I think he can movethe ball whenheneeds to, hit for power when he needs to.

“He can playdefense, andhecan run. He can do alittle bit of everything. He’safun player to watch and be agood player for somebody to draftfor sure.”

The final LSU player picked was Sheerin, who returned to the moundthis spring after missing all of last year with atorn ACL and posted a4.78 ERA in 372/3 innings. Despite the high ERA, Sheerin was one of LSU’sbest relief pitchers this season. He struck out 33.7% of the batters he faced and earned five saves.

“Hemissedthe entire year, the year before,” one scout told The Advocate, “and he’s just sort of trying to find hisfooting with his season-long conditioning again.”

Email Koki Rileyat koki.riley@theadvocate.com.

of times people see him as the G.O.A.T.and the upper echelon of NewOrleans Saints’ history because of obviously his longevity here and his success, but early on his career …itwasn’tnecessarily perfect.

Curiel is thesixth LSU player to be taken in the first round of the draft sincecoach Jay Johnson arrived on campus, joining Jacob Berry,Skenes, Crews, Ty Floyd andAnderson.

Berry was selected by theMiamiMarlins with the No.6overall pick inthe 2022 draft. He is in Triple-A and has yet to make it to the major leagues.

Skenes, Crews and Floyd were allselectedinthe 2023 draft.

ThePittsburgh Pirates selected Skenes, who wonthe Cy Young Award last season.The Washington Nationals pickedCrews, who went No. 2overall, and he made hismajor-leaguedebut in 2024.

Curiel eventually became Crews’ successor in center field, but he had always looked up to Skenes. The two used to train together inCalifornia when Skenes was 14 and Curiel was no older than 10.

“I remember he wouldbelifting in his cowboy boots with his shirt off,” Curiel said.

Floyd was selected by the CincinnatiReds with the No. 38 overall pick in the competitive balance portion of the first round. Injuries have limited him to just 10 starts since hewas drafted.

Anderson was pickedbythe SeattleMariners last year.He’s been dominant sincemaking his professional debutthis summer, posting a1.36 ERAin14starts in Double-A.

Curiel took arisk two years ago when hedecidedtotake his name out of the draft and attend LSU. He even admitted on Saturday that he never thought he’dplay college baseball untilhis senior year of high school, when he made hisfinal decision

But afterwinning anational championship,becomingthe D1Baseball National Freshman of the Year andwinning aGold Glove, it’ssafe to say he madethe right decision

“It’sbeen everythingI can dreamofand more,”Curiel said.

“I didn’tknow what to expect, going to Louisiana, playing in the Southeastern Conference. I(had) newteammates; we had like two Californiaguys.They were all older thanme. Iwas the only incomingfreshman whowas an outfielder

“I think that just made me better,being around guys who have more knowledge than me, who have more experience thanme, pushed me to be better.And they showed me what it took.”

Email KokiRiley at koki.riley@theadvocate.com.

Summer throwing sessions are common around the NFL. Saints coach Kellen Moore said they’ve been an annual tradition since he was aplayer in the 2010s and have continued since he moved into thecoaching ranks.

Shough conducted similar workouts with Saints receivers —including Juwan Johnson and Ja’Lynn Polk,amongothers —at Tulane University earlier this

SAINTS

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fewer run of 20 or moreyards than every Saints running back has managed —inthe last four seasons combined.

That is correct. From 2022-25, Saints running backshavetallied just eight runs of 20 or moreyards New Orleans hadbeen leaning on quarterback Taysom Hill for itsexplosive plays in therun game (during that span, Hillaccountedfor nine such runs, while other quarterbacks and receivers accounted for six). Kamara hasnot hit abig chunk since November 2024.

It’s abig part of why New Orleanswanted to getEtienne, whose provenhome-runabilityshould add another layer to its offense.

Thelowdown

Why does ateam that has not made the playoffs for fiveyears go out and make asplashy free agent signing at running back, of all places?Just check out the team’s recent history during itsplayoff drought

Here are the Saints’ recentNFL rushing rankings (yards per game/ yards per carry)

n 2025: 28/31

n 2024: 14/14

n 2023: 21/31

n 2022: 19/22

n 2021: 15/28

Only once in thelast five seasons have the Saintsfinishedinthe top half of the league in both rushing yards per gameand yards per carry —Klint Kubiak’slone season and they’ve finished as one of the NFL’sfour worstteams in yards percarry three times in that span. Simplyput, running the football has been aproblem for too long, which explains why the team invested so heavily in fixing it this offseason by signing Etienne and offensive guard David Edwards.

Now take alook at some of head coach Kellen Moore’sbest offenses during his time as aplay-caller

The sessions are abyproduct of the burgeoning relationship between Shough and Brees, aconnection that began when Shough was serving as the backup to Spencer Rattler ayear ago. Since then, Shough has picked Brees’ brain about his preparation habits, conditioning regimen, recovery techniques and legendary weekly routine.

“Last year when Iwas still abackup, Igot to talk to him about his daily routine and also his mindset whenever he was abackup,” Shough said. “A lot

{span}“For me, it was really cool to kind of talk to him about just his preparation, regardless of the circumstances or regardless of what people think of you. And that was big formebecause shortly thereafter Igot an opportunity to play and it wasjust kind of hit the ground running and go from there.”{/span} So far, so good. The throwing sessions in California should enhance Shough’sgrowing reputation as ateam leader “I’ve been telling everybody, he’ssuch agood leader,which is somewhat uncommon for a guy that (inexperienced) in the league,” Fant said. “He’svery authentic. He wants to be one of the guys and to connect on adeeper level (with his teammates). He just wants to be great and lead this team.I think everybody in the locker room really loves him.” Even moresoafter the all-expenses-paid trip to Del Mar

He’scalled the offensive plays for four teams that finishedthe season as atop-10 scoring offense, and each of those teamsfeatured atop10 rushing offense. Whether it was Saquon Barkleyorthe 1-2punch of Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard, astrong run game has served as thefoundation of ahealthy Moore offense. If Etiennecan carry over his successes from his time in Jacksonville —orifthe Saints can coax even more outofhim as alead back —itshould allow the entire offense to flourish.

Potentialcampbattle

This position group has the potential to be themostvolatile during training camp. Before New Orleanscan thinkabout slotting players into tidy slots on the depth chart, it is going to have to answer somequestions. Andthatbig, blinking light above Kamara’shead is the first one that needs to be addressed. Will Kamara be on the roster? The Saints have had about adozen opportunities to give astraight-

forward answer regarding the status of one of the best playmakers in franchise history,and they’ve declined every single time. That in itself shouldgivepeople pause when writing Kamara’sname on the roster in ink. He’snot the only one that comes with some questions, though. Former third-round pick Kendre Miller may notbereadytocontribute forWeek1,asheisstill working his way back from atorn ACL suffered last October.Ifhedoesn’t startthe season on thephysically unable to perform list, can the Saints afford to save aroster spot for aplayer who has never appeared in morethan eight games in aseason?

Thenthere are players such as Devin Neal andAudric Estimé, who both showed flasheslatelast year after Kamara’s injury but are both still relatively unproven, and Ty Chandler,whose return ability may give him an inside track for aspot.

Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER Saints running backAlvin Kamara throws the ballduring minicamp at the team’soutdoor practice field on June 17 in Metairie. Kamara’sstatus on this year’sSaints roster remains unknown.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LIVING

PatMire continues Cajun mission

Independent

film director’s latest is murdermystery

Bobby Boucher still getsa laugh. The awkward dimwit with the exaggerated Cajun accent remains an icon from the1998 movie, “The Waterboy.”

Sure, actor Adam Sandler was just playing acharacter in a comedy.But Boucher feeds into old stereotypes about Louisiana. People love us as much as they don’tunderstand us.

I’ve had to explain that NewOrleans is not Cajun country.Drive two hours west on Interstate 10 for that.

Herman Fuselier

Yes, Louisianahas roads and bridges and is not overrun with swamps and alligators. Istill remember thelook of disbelief from the personItold that Lafayettehas an airport.

I’ll have to start suggesting that the uninitiated watch “Pointe Noire,” the latest from independent film director Pat Mire. The murder mystery is now available for rent or purchaseinthe United States and Canada on Amazon Prime, Apple TV,Google Play, DISH and Vimeo VOD.

AFrench-speaking native of Eunice and Lafayette resident, Mire has spent 30 years telling compelling stories in settings filled with Cajun traditions and culture. HisCinema on the Bayou event stands as the state’ssecondoldest, annual international juried film festival.

“Pointe Noire,” filmed throughout St. Landry Parish and thesurroundingarea in southwest Louisiana, is the story of Louis Leger, afilmmaker and crawfishfarmer played by RoyDupuis. He andattorney DoloresArceneaux (Myriam Cyr) try to save Joel Richard (Michael Bienvenu), awrongly convicted inmate on DeathRow Leger and Arceneaux uncover secrets related to rice farmer Nathan Smith, portrayed by Scott native and French musicicon Zachary Richard. But therevelations may be too late to prevent the surprise ending.

True to his career mission, Mire carves another story that reflects his native Cajun culture. Elements of the traditional Courirde Mardi Gras, rice fields,traiteur (faith healer), hand-fishing,LA31 Beer (brewed in Arnaudville) and the Whirlybird dance hall in Opelousas fuel the narrative.

The film offers an introduction to Tay-Sachs disease, afatal nerve disorder that affects Acadian descendantsand the Jewish population

Characters with familiar surnames of Mouton, Richard, Touchet and Arceneaux float in and out of English and Cajun French greetings and

ä See FUSELIER, page 4D

“WhatI’m hopingtodoisintroducethe

to an Acadiana audience whomay not

KENNETH HOFFMAN, Museum of the Southern Jewish Experienceexecutivedirector

Acomplicated story

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

Historiesabout themoder South have comparatively littl to say about southern Jewish communities, which played im portant roles in freedom move ments throughoutthe 20th century —and aLouisiana mu seum is working to highlight those stories.

The Museum of theSouthern JewishExperience in New Orleans was founded to educate people about how Jews in the South lived and interacted withthe religious, economic and civic communities around them, with exhibitions and collections that tell the storyofimmigrants, merchants, soldiers, civic leaders and more who helped shape the American South, particularly in the postWorld WarIIera.

KennethHoffman, the museum’s executive director,will speak at the Shadows-on-the-Teche Visitors Center at 320 E. Main St.,New Iberia on July 16 from 6to7 p.m. Histalk will center on southern freedom movements, from abolition to the Civil Rights era, andthe ways in which southern Jews contributed to thesehistory-defining

touchpoints. Like much of southern history,it’sacomplex story, but an important one, according to Hoffman.

“What I’mhoping to do is introduce the museum as awhole to an Acadiana audience whomay not know we’re here,” saidHoffman, who cameonasthe first director of the museum in 2021, after working as the educationdirector at the National WWIIMuseum

“During the Civil War, southern Jews fought for the Confederacy

PHOTO PROVIDED By THE MUSEUM OF THE SOUTHERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE

Museum of the SouthernJewish Experience is located at 818Howard Ave. in NewOrleans.

PROVIDED PHOTO

TheMuseum of the SouthernJewish Experience in NewOrleans includes kiosksfor each state.

PROVIDED PHOTO

An exhibit in the Museum of the SouthernJewish Experience in NewOrleans highlightsthe role of peddlers and merchants.

Rioannounces royaltyatannualSummerSambada

Kris Wartelle

If you want to beat the summer heat, just take acue from the Krewe of Rio crowd. The members gathered June 13 at the oh-so-cool McElligott Club at theOur Lady of Lourdes Stadium at UL Lafayette for theirannual Sambada.

The sizzling, red-hot party is Rio’sofficial kickoff event for the upcoming Mardi Gras season. The krewe announced thenew King DomPedro and Queen Isabel,as well as the new Royalty Court members for 2026/2027.

The new Rio king, Matt Randazzo, hasbeen amember for 20 years. He has served on the board of directors in several positions. Queen Danielle Cyriaque has been amember for seven years and now serves as vice president of the Krewe of Rio.The newly named royals will begin their duties immediately.They’llfollow abusy schedule from now untilRio Ball Night on Jan.9.The themefor the ball is “Rio’sRhythm of Time.” Court members willwear costumes to match the ball’stheme.

This krewe has come alongway since its beginningin 2005. Over thepast 22 years, theyhave grown from 300 members to now over 600 members. Wecan only say wow! Rio, you have grown up quite nicely and in so many excitingways. We look forward to your next over-thetopadventure. Let the party begin!

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,July 12, the193rd dayof 2026. There are172 days left in the year

TodayinHistory:

On July 12, 1979, as an angry reactiontothe popularity of discomusic, the Chicago White Sox held the “Disco DemolitionNight”promotion,inwhicha crate of disco records was blown up on the field betweengames of adoubleheader;the ensuingriotand damage to thefieldcausedthe WhiteSox to forfeitthe second game Also on this date:

In 1543, England’sKing HenryVIII married his sixth and final wife, CatherineParr.

In 1812, U.S. forces led by Gen. William Hullentered Canadaduringthe Warof1812 against Britain.(Hullretreated shortly thereafter to Detroit.)

In 1862, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed abill authorizing the Army Medal of Honor In 1909,the House of Representativesjoined the Senate in passing the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing for afederal income tax, and submittedittothe states. (It was declared ratified in February1913.)

In 1962, the Rolling Stonesplayedtheir first show, at the Marquee ClubinLondon In 1967, rioting erupted in Newark,New Jersey, over the police beating of aBlack taxidriver;26peoplewere killed in the five days of violencethat followed.

In 1984,Democraticpresidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced hischoice of U.S. Rep.Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate;Ferraro was the first woman to run for vicepresident on amajor-party ticket

In 1991,Japanese professor Hitoshi Igarashi, who had translated Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses,” was found stabbed to death, nine days afterthe novel’s Italian translator was attacked in Milan.

In 1994, President BillClinton, visiting Germany,went to theeastern sector of Berlin, the firstU.S. president to do so since Harry Truman.

In 2003, the USS Ronald Reagan, the first aircraft carrier named foraliving president, was commissionedinNorfolk, Virginia.

In 2012, ascathing report by formerFBI Director Louis Freeh said thelate Joe Paterno and other topPenn State officials had buried child sexualabuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than adecadeearliertoavoid bad publicity

In 2022, Twitter sued Elon Musk to force himtocomplete the $44 billion acquisition of the socialmediacompany afterMusk said he was backing off his agreement to buy the company. (He would eventually become Twitter’sowner three months later.)

Today’sbirthdays: Writer Delia Ephronis82. Singer Walter Egan is 78. Writer-producerBrian Grazer is 75.Actor CherylLaddis75. Singer Ricky McKinnie (The Blind Boys of Alabama) is 74. Singer Sandi Patty is 70.Actor Mel Harris is 70.Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez is 64. Rock singerRobin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) is 61. Actor LisaNicole Carsonis57. Olympic goldmedal figure skater KristiYamaguchi is55. Actor Anna Friel is 50. Singer Tracie Spencer is 50.Actor Topher Grace is 48. Actor Michelle Rodriguez is 48.Singermusician Kimberly Perry (The Band Perry) is 43.Actor NatalieMartinez is 42. Actor Ta’Rhonda Jones is 38.ActorRachel Brosnahan is 36. Olympic goldmedal gymnast Jordyn Wieber is 31. NobelPeace Prize laureateMalala Yousafzai is 29. NBA guard ShaiGilgeous-Alexanderis28.

Idon’t want to talk aboutmygroceries

Dear Miss Manners: Ibelieve what I buy at the grocery store is myown business, whether it’scarrots and onions or products whose purpose would be embarrassing if explained. Iwish supermarketswould train their staff not to comment on customer purchases, no matter how benign thesentiment. (“Oh,Ilike those cookies!”)

Dear Miss Manners: Why do so many people thinkit’sacceptable to lick their fingers while eating when napkins are readily available?

Questions about relevant issues are OK. Mostly though, Ijust want topay thestore what they’re due and escape with my bags.

GentleReader: Wouldn’tthat be nice. Unfortunately,the problem is that thestaff are probably being trained to participateinthis intrusive banter Apparently theweather is just too banal.

However,just for fun, Miss Manners suggestsyou treat their comments as though they were weatherrelated anyway.Asin, “Yes, it does look like it might rain” in response to any of your grocery items being needlessly approved.

Ifind this disgusting, especially when they do it in public places. They’re spreading germswhen they touch things without washing their hands afterward.AmIthe one with a problem?

GentleReader: Youwill be when those germsfind their way to you.

Dear Miss Manners: My husband and I got asave-the-date card forthe wedding of his cousin’sdaughter.Itwas out of state, so they gave awebsite with names of hotels and prices. Because of the highprices, long travel and my husband’spoor health, we would not be able to attend, but we didn’ttell anyone. As theyear went by,I never got an invitation for her bridal shower, which was odd, and we never got an invitation to the wedding! Weeks before the wedding, Icalled his cousin tofind outwhat happened, and was given an excuse that the guest list had gotten too big and too expensive so they “made cuts”! No other family member wascut except us. Iasked if it wasbecause

my husband’ssister would be there and he’snot speaking to her,but was told no. Idon’tbelieve that because it madenosense —when planning a wedding you know how manyguests you’ll invite and what the cost will be.

Thank goodness Ididn’tbuy a shower giftorbook ahotel —we could have been out hundreds of dollars!

Gentle Reader: And as you weren’t planning to go, they could have gotten away with inviting you without having to count you in their bloated guest list. Indeed, save-the-date cards are binding on the hosts’ part, but not on the guests’. So they wereatfault. But fortunately,you had not intended to go anyway,orMiss Manners thinks you might be prone to hold agrudge against them. Phew All you missed was the opportunity to decline, even to the shower,which is not an automatic add-on forwedding guests. And the chance to not speak to your sister-in-law

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Dear Heloise: To open abottle of nail polish that’sstuck, place acup of water in themicrowave for 1 minute. Then remove thecup from themicrowave and place thebottle inside of the cup. Wait about aminuteand remove. Presto! —Marty R., via email Nail polish removerhint

Dear Heloise: Regarding stuck-onnail polish lids, when Inotice that abottle cap feels difficult to open,Iapply nail polish remover toacotton ball and clean off the bottle top. Ithen pour alittleremover into the screwtop, let it sit for aminute, then wipe it off with acotton ball. This prevents stuck lids. —Jean H., in Pleasant Prairie,Wisconsin Tiny holesinT-shirts

Dear Heloise: I’m wondering if anyone has an answer tothis mystery.We wear shirts made of T-shirt material every day in our family.Yet, after

ashort while, they end up with tiny holes in thestomach area. Male or female, belt or no belt, it doesn’tmatter;these tinyholes suddenly appear Anyidea where they come from?

Monica T.,via email Monica, thetiny holes are usually caused by alowerquality of fabric, from rubbing against ahard surface (suchasthe buttononapair of jeans), or from standing against ahard stone surface. Generally speaking, they are mostoften found around the belly button region. —Heloise Scalyshowerdoors

Dear Heloise: The best remedy for scaly shower doors is prevention. For years, after every shower,I’ve sprayed my shower doors with this concoction, and they look like they did on the day they were installed:

n 3cups water

n 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol

n 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

n 1tablespoon dishwasher rinse aid n 1teaspoon dishwashing liquid. —Martha C., in Sapulpa, Oklahoma

Smelly dishwasher

Dear Heloise: When Iopen my dishwasher,ithas anasty smell. Is there agood way to remove it? —L.W., in Richmond,Virginia L.W., thisisasignthatbacteriahas started to build up in your dishwasher The best waytoget ridofthe odor is to useacommercial dishwater tabletdesignedtoclean outthe “gunk” that has built up in thedishwasher’sdrainand innerworkings. Youcan probably pick up abox of these tablets or powderin your local grocery store. —Heloise DIYhankies

Dear Heloise: This may sound weird, but Ihave aproblem with aconstantly runny nose. So, unfortunately,I can end up using alot of tissues. Having anumber of old T-shirts etc. that Isaved to use as rags, Irealized that Icould also cut them up and use them as hankies. —Louise W.,via email

Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Hints from Heloise

PHOTOSByJDMOSLEy

Rio King DomPedroXXII Matt Randazzo and Queen IsabelXXII Danielle Cyriaque

Rio RoyaltyCourt: back row, Eileen Ehlers Topham,Simone Degeytaire, John Dayries, JeremyMartin, Thadd Prince, KaceyCaldarera, Raul Viera, Kali DarbyAli, Ryan AHebert;front row, CaseyMaturin, Brian Griffin, King DomPedro XXII Matt Randazzo, Queen Isabel XXII Danielle Cyriaque, AshleyRay Kieta

Thomas Kieta, Dana Pellerin, AshleyRay Kieta, John Slaughter,Lea Griffin

LJ and Lisa Meynard

Sonja Randazzo,MaryBeth Lowry, Raul Viera, Mella Viera

Catalina and Landry Carbo

Damian and Meredith Domingue

Trampus Gaspard, Scott Dartez,Rachael Dartez, Guy Picard, Michelle Picard, GageBoudreaux, Sara Gaspard, Cullen Curry

Russell and Erin Heim, Mella and Raul Viera

Drake Duhon, Casey Maturin, Matt Thorpe

Janine and Jason Patout, MaryLeBlanc

TRAVEL

MountMagazineworth exploringinArkansas

Find stunning views, outdooractivities andwine

BY REBECCA DELATIN Contributing writer

At The Lodge in Arkansas’ Mount MagazineState Park,the in-houseSkycrest Restaurant with large south-facing windows,a twostory stone-cladfireplace andtimber beams is acharming place to take advantage of the views over the southern bluff of the mountain.

Because of the restaurant’s location within adry county, alcohol purchases at the bar and restaurantcan only be madebymembers of Skycrest’sprivate club

Thankfully,becoming amember is free and easy —just sign up at the hostess stand.

The Arkansas River Valleyarea hosts wineries, wildflowers, valley vistas and hiking opportunities for all. Located two hours west of Little Rock, Mount Magazine State Park, with its grand lodge, cliffside cabins and campgrounds perched around the highest point in Arkansas.

The Lodge at Mount Magazine, which celebratesits 20thanniversary this year,offers sweeping views of the Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake.It boasts an indoor heated swimming pool, game room, conferencecenter,gym and gift shop to suitall creature comforts

Flanking the lodge are 13 cabins thatoffer wood-burning fireplaces, full kitchens and covered porches overlooking the valley,each with rocking chairs and ahot tub. There are several campsite offerings that range from simpletentcamping to those equipped with full hookups for RVs.

State park interpreters routinely provide guided hikes and educational programs for kids and adults, most of which are free. Those interested can check out upcoming events and programs by visiting the lodge’sfront desk or ArkansasStateParks.com

Since Magazine Mountain is a flat-topped mesa, the beautiful

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

views are accessible to almost anyone via several hiking trails on the mountaintop

Signal Hill is ashort 1.4-mile hike that starts near the lodge and takesparticipants to Arkansas’ highest point.The marker reads 2,753 feet in elevation.

North Rim Trail is amoderatehike that starts at TheMount Magazine Visitor Center,whichis agreat place to explore before hitting the trail. There’sagift shop andeducational displaysabout local flora and fauna. Winter storms have atendency to strip leaves and upper branches from the trees, bringing sunshine to theforest floor,creating aburst of wildflowers in the spring. Alocalfloral favorite is Dutchman’s Breeches, named for the flower’s resemblance to tinypantaloons.

Butterflies are acommon sight flitting among the flowers. Lucky hikers might glimpsethe dazzling Diana Fritillary,ablue-and-

First-classticketvanishes,

black speckledspecies rarely seen outside the Arkansas River Valley ecoregion. Join conservation efforts to protect Arkansas’ state butterfly by logging photos andsightings on iNaturalist.org. (Learnmoreatthedianaproject. org).

Overlook Drive —a one-way loop with pull-offs and paved paths leading to stunning views of the cliff sides androlling hills below —can be tackledonfoot, bike or by car

Travelers looking for more daring adventureshavelots of options, too.

There are sites designated for horsebackriding, mountainbiking, rock climbing and rappelling. There’seven asite for thrill-seeking hang gliders to launch offinto the valley between Cabin 7and 8. The experience is thrilling to watch, even for those who would prefer to keep their feet firmly planted on solid ground.

It may be tempting to spend all your time at Mount Magazine State Park, but just an hour’s drive away is Altus, Arkansas, where visitors will find St. Mary’sMountain and picturesque vineyards andwineriesestablishedbyGerman and Swiss immigrants nearly 150 years ago.

Weidekehr Wine Cellars continues to be run by the third and fourth generations of the Weidekehr family.Enjoy classicalpine dishes like schnitzel and bratwurst by cozy candlelight at The Weinkeller Restaurant, which is housedina hand-dug wine cellar dating back to the 1880s.

The nearbyPost Winery offers alarge tasting room with awide variety of winestosample and purchase.Their most popularoffering, Blue Parachute, is alightly sweetand slightly effervescent muscadine wine.

Mount BethelWinery offerstastings of its wines served in aquaint converted wine cellar.The hosts are happy to share family and vineyard history while you sip. In the spring, the pink dogwood in the courtyard puts on ashowagainst the dark wooden barn and rolling green hills that surround the winery

Christopher Elliott

Ibooked two first-class, round-trip tickets through the Hawaiian Airlines appfor my wife, Linda, and me to travel from Honolulu to Haneda. Ireceived written confirmations for both tickets almost immediately.Both were purchased, one after the other, using the same credit card. When we arrived at the Honolulu airport, an agent told me that Ihad aticket, butmy wife’shad been voided. No one could tell us why. Her seat hadalready been sold to someone else.The agent told us that to getmywife on alater flight, Iwould have to buy her acompletely new ticket.The new ticket cost $575 more than the original Ihad already paid for.I wasassuredatthe airportthat Icould contact the customer relationsdepartment for arefund.

HawaiianAirlines first insinuated that my credit card wasdeclined. Ihavespoken at lengthwith my credit cardissuer, and it is adamant that it didnot decline the charge formywife’s ticket. (Whywoulditdecline one ticket andnot the other,purchased on the same card at the sametime?) Then, Hawaiian triedtodeflect blame to athird-party booking channel,even though Ibooked directly on its app and had the confirmationtoprove it. In another email, arepresentative admittedour tickets were being treated asa Hawaiian Airlines direct booking Since neither Chase nor Itook anyaction to void my wife’s ticket, the fault lies with Hawaiian.The airlineshouldnot be able to takeadvantageofits own mistake, hold me hostage in Honolulu,and forcemetopay an additional$575. Ionly want reimbursement forthe extra amountI wasrequired to pay. Can you help?— James Phillips, Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Hawaiian Airlines should have honored your wife’sconfirmed ticket. Full stop. When an airline’ssystem suffers aticketing error —which this obviously was —itshould have twoimmediatepriorities. First, alertthe passenger.Second, fix the problem at no costtothe customer

What an airline should not do is void aconfirmed reservation without notice, sell theseat to someone else, and then charge you apremium to get her on another flight.

The airline’sresponsetoyou was even worse.Blaming anonexistent “third party” or,even more absurdly,your credit card, was a classic runaround. Youdid exactly what Ialways recommend: Youkept ameticulous paper trail. Your documenta-

tionwas flawless. When acompany gives youanonsensical answer you mustcontinue to push for a logical one in writing —which you did. When front-line customer servicefails, the next step is to appeal to the executives. Ipublish the executive contacts for Hawaiian Airlines and many other companies on my consumer advocacy site,Elliott.org.

Basedonthe correspondence you shared, it looked as if Hawaiian Airlines was doubling down on itsmistake. So, we took atwopronged approach. My advocacy team and Idecided to contact the airline on your behalf. We presented your clear documentation and asked for areview.You also filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation. That worked. Iheard back from

BY JAMI GANZ Newyork Daily News (TNS)

NEWYORK There’s atrashy development in the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce nuptials as garbage from outside the couple’swedding venue, Madison Square Garden,is now being sold to obsessive fans.

Artist Justin Gignac’sNew York City Garbage —which brands itself as “100% authentic. Hand-picked from the fertile streets of NY, NY”— is sellingwaste,collected in atransparent box stamped with “JUST&T MARRIED! 7/3/26.”

asenior resolution coordinator at Hawaiian Airlines, who apologized and admitted that the previous agent’sresponses “did not provide afair resolution,” adding that the agent was “coached regarding this case.” Hawaiian Airlines admitted that its system canceled Linda’sticket by mistake. It refunded the entire fare difference and issued both you and your wife each a$250 travel voucher

This is atextbook case of why you should never accept acompany’sfirst “no,” especially when it defies logic.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

By

Workersunload cargooutside Madison Square Garden ahead of the wedding between TaylorSwiftand Travis Kelce on July 2inNew york

The electronic billboards outside The Garden famously also flashed “JUST&T MARRIED” in the immediate aftermath of the ceremony “There’sgarbage on the floor after the party,” reads the description for the $25 mini cube oftrash, in anod to the start of Swift’s2017 song “New Year’sDay”— which openswith, “There’s glitter on the floor afterthe party.” The Grammy-winning singer and Super Bowlwinning Kansas City Chiefs tight end, both 36, held their wedding Fridayatthe World’sMost Famous Arena joined by more than 1,000 guests, including manyfellow A-listers. Gignac donned “a full tuxedo,” too, the day of the wedding as he collected the trashoutsideThe Garden, pickingup“avariety of left behind items like cigarette butts …pieces of arainbow fan,straws,utensils …aring pop, and one left AirPod.” Outsidetrash from Swift-Kelcewedding beingsold

PHOTOSByREBECCA DELATIN

The sun setsatthe bluffs along Old LodgeTrail near The Lodge at Mount Magazine in Arkansas.

Alocal floral favorite is Dutchman’sBreeches, named for the flower’s resemblance to tinypantaloons.

PHOTO

EVAN AGOSTINI

From wild flowers to silksand everything in between

BY YVONNE BAHRYCABALLERO Contributing

writer

Talents used in the past canbe recalled, especiallywhenyour granddaughters are involved

Human Condition

Once upon atime, Ibecame a licensed florist to complementmy husband’s funeral business. The journey involved attending afloral design school in New Orleans, then passing state boardtesting for alicense. The next step was setting up amakeshift work area in the garage of the funeral home. What was neededto begin the business and accommodatemy oneand only client? Acitybusinesslicense, aused cooler from aformer business venture of my dad’s, and connecting witha wholesale floral company fordelivery of fresh cut flowers.

Sooner than expected, the business outgrew the garage location and was moved to asmall shop in downtown Donaldsonville. Next came the move to the buildingadjacent to our home.

Throughthose doors, we created floral arrangements for proms, weddings, holidaysand other special occasionsaswell as funerals for 12 or more years until The Flower Boutique was sold. That was manyyears ago. Fastforward to the wedding of my

Dadneeds to make better health choices

granddaughter Katie, who lives in California. She planned the event fora natural settinginthe hills of the Golden State, so travel was involved.

Once we were settled into our cabins, we gathered around an outdoor fire for an evening of vis-

iting. Early the next day,wedding day,wepicked wild flowers and fashioned them into bouquets for thebride andher maidofhonor, and boutonnieres forthe groom and his best man The bouquets fit perfectly into thenatural, outdoor setting. Several yearslater,for the wedding of my granddaughter Blake, fresh flowers were purchased from awholesale florist and fashionedinto bouquets and boutonnieres forthe wedding party.Mypastskills were called upon to make these floralaccents for awedding venue overlooking theMississippi RiveratBaton Rouge. Next came the wedding of my granddaughter Taylor,who chose silk flowers from alocal craft store. We fashioned these into bouquetsfor the bride, maidof honor,bridesmaids, and her partner,best lady and bridesmaids. The flowers blended well into theloft-like setting forthe Baton Rouge ceremony.

Lastly,mygranddaughter Hailey also purchased silk flowers that we fashioned into aloose

nosegay.Her vision of “going into the garden and picking the flowers” forher bouquet came together.The informal bouquet was perfect forher plantation wedding in Plaquemine. The groom’s boutonniere followed this natural pattern.

Iwas probably in my late 50s when we picked wild flowers in California, then late 60s for Blake’swedding. Iwas an octogenarian forTaylor and Hailey’s weddings. From wild flowers in California to fresh flowers in Baton Rouge and silks forplantation nuptials, it wasasheer delight to revive old skills and play this part in these special chapters in my granddaughters’ lives.

—Caballero lives in Baton Rouge.

Advocate readersmay submit stories of about 500 wordstoThe Human Condition at features@ theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Thereisnopayment, and stories will be edited. Authorsshould include their city of residence.

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

DEAR HARRIETTE: My fatherisalittle larger anddoesn’tproperly take care of himself, and Ibelieve it’sstarting to affect his health. My family and Itried walking around NewYork City,and after15minutes, we had to stop at apark bench.He was panting, and Igenuinely thoughthe might have been having aheart attack He hashighblood pressure, is prediabetic and drinks at least three Monsterenergy drinks aday.Mymom and Ihave both tried telling my dad that we’re worried about him and his health, and he brushes it off as a joke. His own mother has tried sayingsomething, and he still refuses to make better life choices. Is there anything else we can doto help him realize he needsto make some health changes, or is that something he’ll havetodealwith alone? —Concerned Child DEAR CONCERNED CHILD: Youhave every reason to be worried while having no power overyourfather to make him change. Youcan appeal to his lovefor you.Be directwith him. Tell him you think he will die if he doesn’tmake some changes in his life. Point out the things that concern you. Remind him that you lovehim and need him to be healthy andpresent for years to come. Ask him if he will at least go to the doctorand get aphysical. Basic diagnostic tests will give him information on the status of his health,after which he can make decisions about how to take careofhimself.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Iwas recently asked out to dinner by aguy,and Ihappily accepted.The evening was going amazingly until the bill came. To my surprise, he paid for his meal and drinks and asked the waiter to give me aseparatebill. I was shocked, especially since he was the one who asked me out. Growing up, Iwas taught that if aman asks you out,hepays for your meal. Iasked him if he was being serious, and he said yes. He told me it was unfair for me to expect someone to buy my meal without even knowing them. Am Iinsane? Am Igoing crazy expecting the guy who askedmeout to pay for my meal at the restaurant he selected? —Confused Date

DEAR CONFUSED DATE: Youare not crazy What’sstrange these days is that the old rules of dating have mostly gone out the window,but there arenoclearnew rules. Yes, it used to be customary thata man would invite awoman out for adate and pay for the meal. Currently,roles areunclear among heterosexual couples and surely in the LGBTQ+ world. So it’s best to speak up about your expectations. Awkward? Perhaps, but clarityis refreshing. Let me add that if someoneinvitesyou out to eat at arestaurant of their choice, it is common for the expectation to be that the one extending the invitation pays thebill.That’strue even if youaren’ton adate. My recommendation is that in the futureyou ask whether the person doing the asking is going to pay.Also, always be prepared to pay for your meal. In terms of whether someone is date-worthy,that will depend on whether you share values. If you want adate who expectsand wants to cover at least that first date, let thatbe known.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

MUSEUM

Continued from page 1D

They benefited like all White Southerners from the racial hierarchy of the South, up until the 20th century andthe Civil Rights movement,where southern Jews had choices to makeabout how to advance, promote or support civil rightswithout endangering theirown community, whichwas alsoexperiencing violence and threats and hatred from groups like theKKK.”

The1958 bombing of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation TempleinAtlanta was aretaliation against Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild’s civil rightsadvocacy,and it was followed by attacksagainstsynagoguesin Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi, in the late 1960s.

That said, there were also realdifferences between the Jewish youthwho camedown on freedom buses from cities like New York and Boston, and Jewish Southernerswho did

notwanttobeperceivedasradical in the communities where they had built families and businesses,said Hoffman. “Nothing is monolithic,” he said. “There were southern Jews on thefront linesofthe Civil Rights movement, there were southern Jews who were segregationists. There were those who worked behind the scenes.

Edith Stern is aname that alot of people know —she and her husband helped create Dillard University,and she worked to make sure that voter rolls weren’t wiped away, and to make sure that everything wasdone properly so that African Americans would have theright to vote.

“It’s acomplicated story,like so much of history is, andwetry not to present it in a simplified version.”

Hoffman saidthe museum was created out of collection that was held foryears at the HenryS.Jacobs Jewish summer camp in Utica, Mississippi, whichhegrew up attending. Theyhad workedtocollect artifacts andephemera from disappearingJewish communities in small southern

towns, but the museum’sremote location meantthat it didn’tget alot of visitors.

The museum then relocated to NewOrleans, where Hoffmanwas tappedtoreestablishand modernizethe exhibits. He worked with the exhibit designers from the WWII Museum to create the new space, and said that they have received around 50,000 visitors from all over the world since opening.

He said, “We’re focusing on avery small sliver of the southern population, but we think thatthe lessons of thathistory are lessons for everybody.How people navigate theirenvironmentand theirlandscapes, being whothey are, holding onto the traditions that are important to them,but fitting into alarger population —that’sthe American story.”

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience is located at 818 Howard Ave., New Orleans.

Email Joanna Brownatjoanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

conversations. Subtitles included, although you may recognize acurse word or two.

Viewers used to Hollywood’sobligatory shootings, explosions, car chases and sex scenes may get drowsy during “Pointe Noire.” But those whostay with the unfolding mystery will appreciate Mire’s ongoing, cinematic salute to his heritage —minus Bobby Boucher HermanFuselier is executive director of the St. LandryParish Tourist Commission. Alongtimejournalist covering

The Museum of the SouthernJewish Experience in NewOrleans includes adisplay on the foundations of Judaism

PROVIDED PHOTO

RoyDupuis and MyriamCyr star in PatMire’s‘Pointe Noire.

AT THE TABLE

Turkey bone gumbo utilizes ‘liquid gold’ for flavor

Utilize the carcass and feed a crowd

Even in July, Michael DiResto is thinking about making broths. Here he shares his take on a recipe inspired by Ronnie Foreman from “Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans.

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO

Contributing writer

Nearly five years ago, the newspaper did a story about my ramen recipe, the cornerstone of which is a bone broth that I simmer for 27 hours, inspired by “Ramen Heads,” the 2017 documentary about Japan’s top ramen chefs. Due to the article, I became briefly and mildly famous as the “Super Stock Guy,” based not only on the fact that I combined beef, poultry and pork bones in the same pot but also because, at any given moment, I have a collection of all those bones in my freezer ready to be deployed for a fresh batch — once I run out of the gallon-sized freezer bags of broth that are also present in the freezer at any given moment. The “super” power of this liquid gold also derives from an almost inexhaustible number of ways it can be included in recipes Partly because of that experience, and also because I grew up in a household with very frugal parents, I also developed a fairly fanatical devotion to leftovers — more importantly, to making something different or even better with whatever remains from the original meal.

It’s a message I preached in my April column and recipe for fried rice. So, when it came time to select my second recipe from the book “Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans,” choosing Ronnie Foreman’s “Turkey Bone Gumbo” was a no-brainer, as it combines two of my favorite obsessions in one meal: bone broth and leftovers.

In “Cooking Up a Storm,” the introduction to the gumbo recipe informs us that for years, “Foreman has gathered turkey carcasses from family,

friends, and neighbors the day after Thanksgiving,” then simmers the bones for a broth that he uses, “along with any leftover meat, to make a delectable gumbo, which he serves to his friends while they play poker.”

A man, and a meal, after my own heart!

Minus the poker-playing, my family — just like many in Louisiana, I suspect — has done almost the exact same thing going on 15 years now, or long enough for our annual Carcass Party to become just as much of a family tradition as Turkey Day itself.

I’ve even been known to accept bones and carcasses from neighbors for an even richer broth, although this recipe calls for just one carcass

In the early years, we would host the Carcass Party either on Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving, depending on when LSU football was playing, turning it into a watch party too. Friends and family were invited to bring leftovers, their own folding chairs and beverage of choice, and we would gather around folding tables in the street in front of our house (with orange cones set up to divert traffic.)

One of my favorite memories was the year my New Yorker parents were in town for the Carcass Party and got to take part in this perfectly Louisiana form of hospitality and festivity

Following a COVID respite, in more recent years, we have hosted our Carcass Party in our renovated kitchen and dining room, with guests overflowing onto our back patio. On a couple of occasions, we have served gumbo for up to 60 friends, family and neighbors — meaning that the recipe that appears alongside this story has, on occasion, been tripled (or more) in size.

These days, I typically get started on the bone broth during the evening of Thanksgiving itself, then let it simmer covered on the lowest possible heat overnight, so preparations for the gumbo can start in the morning for a Friday afternoon or evening party

There’s nothing quite like waking up to the aroma of liquid roast turkey wafting through the whole house. And there’s nothing quite as heartwarming as opening our home to scores of friends and family for piping hot bowls of gumbo, served with good bread.

Turkey Bone Gumbo

Serving size 1 cup (as a side or starter) or 2 cups or more (as an entree)

Recipe inspired by Ronnie Foreman from “Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans”

For the turkey broth:

3. Remove from

and

sausage and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add the turkey broth, bring to boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.

the

‘Little House’ series keeps heart, community in mind

BY ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press

It’s a story with covered wagons and one room schoolhouses, but showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine says the “Little House on the Prairie” remake for Netflix still speaks to today’s American dream.

The show, which debuted Thursday and set in the late 1800s, follows the Ingalls family led by Charles and Caroline and their two daughters Mary and Laura — as they settle in the American frontier It’s adapted from a series of semi-autobiographical books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about her own family’s pioneer life. In 1974, Michael Landon co-created the TV series based on the books where he played Pa alongside Melissa Gilbert as Laura. It aired for nine seasons. In the new version, Luke Bracey plays Pa and Alice Halsey is Laura. Sonnenshine says the same frontier spirit from back then is baked into how Americans see themselves, even today

“This idea of rugged individualism is the cornerstone of American mythos,” Sonnenshine says. “It’s still manifesting in our lives constantly We’re real gogetters.”

In “Little House,” we see the Ingalls family seeking land and opportunity as they move west In real life, Sonnenshine says, those settlers often didn’t understand what they were part of.

“There was no CNN or upto-date newspapers, telling you” what was really happening, she says.

“They did not understand the politics of land ownership or these treaties that have been made or these reservations,” she said. In the show we see Charles begin to grasp the politics at play as the family encounters the Osage Nation and their new neighbors — and keeps some of that to himself. Sonnenshine says “it’s

not out of malice, exactly” but because “knowledge did not flow as freely as it does now.”

Key events a priority

As the Ingalls family builds their new life, we’re introduced to various neighbors who help them do it.

That includes an Osage family adjusting to their own new way of life as settlers claim parts of their land. Laura strikes up a friendship with an Osage girl, and there’s a mutual respect among Charles and the Osage family patriarch.

“A lot of what this show is about is getting to know people that are not like you, all kinds of different people, because once you get to know people, that’s where

all the change happens,” said Sonnenshine.

Mr Edwards, a fan favorite from the books and series, helps Pa build the family’s cabin. He’s a rugged Civil War veteran with a heart of gold — grieving the loss of his own family, finding a new one in the Ingalls. Staying true to characters like Edwards and including key events from the source material was a priority for Sonnenshine. She and her writers made a list of “iconic moments” with a checklist to follow “We just crossed them off as we went along ‘OK, we’ve found a way to incorporate this’ or ‘Ma gets a chair,’ which is very important, or ‘great Pa builds a

door.’” Building a door says Sonnenshine, is “a whole chapter in a book.”

Trip Friendly, whose father Ed co-created the series with Landon and was an executive producer, controls the overall rights to the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories. He’s an executive producer on the remake, and Sonnenshine says Trip is “very passionate about telling the story of the books.”

Pa is good but not perfect

Landon’s portrayal of Pa made him arguably one of the most popular TV dads in the history of the medium. He was a devoted family man with strong morals and compassion for others. Bracey had never

watched the original which he says was beneficial to creating his own interpretation of the character

“I didn’t feel that burden,” said Bracey “The intimidating factor has come after making it. When I’ve told people what I’ve done, and I’ve been told how important it is to them. That’s where it’s got intimidating. Bracey said it’s refreshing to play a genuinely good person, who makes mistakes, but is good.

“There’s very few really good people in television and movies. I feel lots of times they have to have a dark secret or a checkered past or whatever,” he said. Crosby Fitzgerald, who plays Ma, says that goodness is present off-screen

too. “Working with Luke is incredible. He actually is like Pa in person. Just really lifted me up all the time. It’s impossible to work on a set like this, especially with this legacy, and not be uplifted by the vibe.”

Sonnenshine says Season 1 is also about Laura learning that neither of her parents are perfect, particularly Pa. She comes to understand that “he does make mistakes and that’s OK.’ And even Charles talks about that. I think that’s a more honest portrayal of fatherhood.”

Adding Laura’s rival Sonnenshine most recently wrote the adaptation for the hit film “The Housemaid” starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried and is writing its sequel. She was also a writer on “The Boys,” which was known for its explicit language and sex and graphic violence. It’s not an exaggeration to say that writing for “Little House,” even on a streaming platform, is different.

“This is the first time I’ve ever written without using any curse words,” said Sonnenshine

“I’ve usually done, like much darker material So I always say, well, I’m in my family era right now.”

Filming on the show’s second season is underway. Netflix recently confirmed the addition of another popular character from the originals. Willa Dunn has been cast as Laura’s rival Nellie Oleson, whose father owns the general store

“She’s here and she’s acting up a storm,” said Sonnenshine. “It’s really fun. People love that character I think we’re doing a slightly different take on the character which is also really fun. The book is our sort of touchstone and then building upon that for her and her family has been — it brings a new dynamic to the Ingalls family.”

PHOTO By MICHAEL DIRESTO

Turkey bone gumbo is inspired by Ronnie Foreman from ‘Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and

Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans.

NETFLIX PHOTO

From left, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, and Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls star in ‘Little House on the Prairie.’

SHUTTERS IN THESWAMP

Photographer’sbooktakes readersalong foraLa. ride

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Staff writer

Andy Crawford, born and raisedinsouth Louisiana, spent more than 20 years in the outdoor industry as awriter. After that, he turned to photography full-time. He has photographed locations across the United States, but Louisiana’sswamps have always been his firstlove. Recently,hehas traded his motorboat for akayak, paddling through cypresstreesand photographing sunrises, sunsets, landscapes, wildlife and more. He hosts annual “Intothe Swamp” photographic kayak tours through areas that are largely inaccessible.

In his first photo book, “Into the Lost World,” which was released in April, he takes readers along for the ride. Thebook was published by Schiffer

This interview was edited for length and clarity

In the introduction of “Intothe Lost World,”you write that Louisiana’sswamps are “one of the best-kept secrets inthe world,”with agoal to make peoplefallin love with andappreciate them. Do you think the book accomplishes that?

If you talk to most people outside of Louisiana, theyknow Louisiana has swamps. Idon’t think the picture they have in their mind is necessarily beautiful. The swamp is aharsh place,but Ithink the book takes the viewer inside the swamp and shows the beauty that we all know is there. It even helps those whohave grown up in it see it in adifferent light, because you can get lost in the complexity and chaos of it. In the book, I’m looking for those scenes that encapsulate the swamp. Ithink the book does agood job at letting readers, even locals, come away with afuller picture of just how beautiful the swamp is How do you know when you’ve gota

meaningful photo with astorybehind it?

Italked about getting lost in thechaos ofthe bigsceneofit.

Amentor,James Overstreet, andIwould goshoot together while we were on theroad. We might be shooting an old house, and I’d come back with abarn and anice scene. He would come back with a light fixtureor theporch. It alwaysdrovemeinsane.

Icomplained andcomplained, andhesaid,“Crawford, the whole is made upofpieces

Your job is to find thepieces.” His words runthrough my head all thetime.

They havehelped me when I go out paddling. I’m looking for piecesinthe chaos

Sometimesinspiration happens by accident.Sometimes it’safeeling,like an aha moment.Sometimes it’s aculmination of planning avision I’ve got

in my head. If you were to takeareader out to the swampfor the day, where would you go?

LakeVerret, the queen of the Louisianaswamp. There’sjust a character to it. There’ssomuch Spanish moss, sheetsofit, and thetrees comeout where you can work. It’sshallow enough. I thinkit’sthe prettiest swamp. Youmention in the introduction that you didn’tgive Louisianaswampsmuch thought at first.What has working in the swamptaught you? Iknew that they were beautiful. You’ve got to be blind not to see that,but Iwas mostly fishing in theswamp. Spending so much time therehas taught me that we’retoo easily accustomed to what we are surrounded with. We takethat natural beauty for granted. Ithink everybody does that. The people who live in Jackson

Hole might wake up and go, “Oh, look, there’samountain,” and shrug their shoulders and go to work. There’slittle natural beautyinthe United States prettier than the swamp. The swamp taught me to not be so fixated on going somewhere else but learn what’s beautiful about your home. Did it teach you patience?

Well, Idon’thave any.I don’t know that it’staught me patience. It’staught me to slow down and enjoy themoment. My wife will tellyou that Ihave atendency to get lost behind thecamera, but behind thecamera is my happy place. When Iget behind the camera, everything goes away,because I’m focused on what’sinfront of me. Youcan drive up to alot of places, get out,pull out your camera, hold it and shoot. You can’tdothat in the swamp. A Louisianaswamp is largely inaccessible, so you have to boat. Youhave to take your time. So, it has taught me to slow down, because when you speed up is when you drop the camera or misssomething. Do you see this bookasyourown way of working toward conservationefforts? Ihope. Again, Ithink that swamp’staken forgranted far too much. Ihope people look at it and say,“This is worth protecting.”

Partofmy goalistoput it in front of people so that they understand the value of it and understand the beauty and worthiness of protection. Because thingshappen. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Ialso love how the book shows how interwoven the swampiswith our lives. What would we be without the swamps? We’d be like everybody else.

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

Revisiting aresolution to document my reading life

We’ve reached the midpoint of the year,which can be agood time to ask how all those NewYear’sresolutions we madelast January are panning out. As this year opened, Iresolved to record the nameofevery book Iread. The idea came after Iwrote about my friend Linda Lightfoot, who’skept such areading journal since 2005. I was also inspired after visiting with Tricia Day, aBaton Rouge woman whose late mother,Kitty Day, kept a reading journal from 1937 until her death in 2007.

The stories Ishared about Lightfoot and Daysparked anice conversation about how reading journals have shaped the lives of other book lovers. Jamie Freeman, owner of TBR Books &Tea in Baton Rouge, mentioned that she stocks afew reading journals in her shop, though she prefers another method to track her own reading.

“I personally keep my reading ‘journal’ digitally,with the Goodreads and Fable apps,” she told me. “I have tried keeping aphysical journal in the past, but I’ve found that I’mmuch morelikely to keep up with it if Ican update it from anywhere.”

Freeman also enjoys the social aspect of her reading apps.

“With Goodreads, Ican keep up with what my friends are reading and enjoying,” she noted. “And Ilike Fable because it provides me with somegraphs and insights about my reading. That’swhat Ienjoy most about keeping ajournal —tracking the number of books Iread each year,but also being able to look at the different types of books, authors, genres, etc. There were afew years awhile back when Icreated and utilized my own Google form that linked to aspreadsheet with lots of charts about the types of books Iwas reading. That wastoo cumbersome to keep up with, though!”

But forthose whoprefer paper reading journals, Freeman gives customers someoptions.

“Wehave afew different versions,” she said, “including apocket-sized version, which Ithink is adorable.”

Reader Steve Gagnon told me that he’sbeen keeping areading journal since the 1990s.

“It’snearly 600 books, mostly fiction,” he said. “Every once in awhile, Ienter the list into aspreadsheet.”

Reader John Berry told me about his own twist on reading journals.

“I love to read, like manyothers,” Berry said. “But instead of journaling my finished reads, Idothe opposite: keeping alist of books, poems, films, plays, music and other such interesting itemsthat Ihave not yet enjoyed. This is my memoryassistant, which Idepend on to safely keep up with all the itemsI wanttoenjoy in the future.”

More than six months in, how am I doing with my own reading journal? It’s been abit of an adventure. In another column soon, I’ll let you know how it’sbeen going.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

Dan y e t an Dannny H Heiitmman Da Heitman

PHOTO By ANDyCRAWFORD

Agreat blue heron stalks Louisiana’sLakeDauteriveswamp on afoggy morning

PHOTO By RICK BERK

AndyCrawford stands waist-deep in theblack waters of Lake Maurepas as he photographs the swampduring asunrise.

ABSHIRE, CHRISTINA SUE

HINAI ABDULMALIK MOHAMMED ALEXANDER, MARTY M ALEXANDER, KELVIN DANIEL ALVAREZ, JEADON LUKAS

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BOURGEOIS, JONATHAN LEE

BOURGEOIS, ALICIA KAY

BOURQUE, RICHARD P BRADY,GLORIA A BRANIFF,KYLE WILLIAM

BREAUX, BYRON KEITH BREAUX, DUSTIN JACOB BROOKS, JASMINE ANTARES

BROUSSARD, CINDY LOIS

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BROUSSARD, ANTHONY BROWN, NICKOLAS CRAWFORD

BROWN, WARREN LENOX

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BUSHNELL, LUCILLE BUTLER, ALLISON ROSE BYRD, STEPHEN C CARAMBAT, JORDAN MARCEL CART, SLADE AARON

CASTILLE, CHRISTOPHER CARL CASTILLE, SOPHIE MARIE CAYCE, SHANE C CEASAR, HENRYJUNIOR CELESTINE, CAYLON BLAKE CHADDERDON, MARYA CHAMPAGNE, LISA LANCLOS CHAPPUIS, RICHARD D CHARBONEAU, PAUL W CHAU, CUONG N CLARKE, DEAN JERMAIN CLAVELLE, WILLIE JAY

COHN, JULIE ROSE COMEAUX, LYNETTE MARIA COMEAUX, MARC LOUIS CONROY,WES MITCHELL

COOPER, ROY ANTHONY CORMIER, DWAYNE E CURTIS, RICKY R CYRUS, JENNIFER LYNN

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DIPPLE, JETTASIXX

DORE, KEVIN P

DORSEY,JERMAN T

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DUHON, MERRICK T DUPUIS, CHAD J DUVALL, JEFFREY DEWAYNE

EATLEY,JANE L EDGE, ROBERTBRUCE

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ETIENNE, KAYLA DANAE

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FRANCIS,DONTA DEMONIE

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FULTON, DOMINICBEAU

GANNARD, HAYDEN ALLEN

GARNER, AMANDA LYNN

GARRISON, JOHN CARR

dayofJuly, 2026 forthe following: 2026 FRAMES AND GRATES andwill, shortlythere‐after,beopenedand read aloudinCityHalllo‐catedat705 West Univer‐sity Avenue,Lafayette, LA.Bidsreceivedafter theabove specified time foropening shallnot be considered andshall be returned unopened to thesender. Biddersare encouraged to attend the bidopening virtually by usingthe followinglink https://us02web.zoom us/j/85171966352? pwd=6fg8QaOyPDio6t3 b4gthofPSxb3wQa.1 MeetingID: 851 7196 6352 Passcode:071035 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 thePurchasingDivision priortothe scheduled date andtimeofthe bid opening.Vendors may h bid k

p g y requestthe bid package electronically from Thomas Metrejeanattg‐metrejean@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 signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5.A Cor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authority au‐h i i h

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38§2214.B TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise)inall con‐tracts or procurements letbythe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernment forgoodsand services andlabor andmaterial. To that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐prisesinthe purchase or sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies, services andlabor andmaterialin which disadvantaged business areavailable Assistance in identifying said businessesmay be obtained by calling2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISHDATES: 7/7/2026, 7/12/2026 DPR# 1005310 192887-JUL7-12-2T $99.96 PUBLIC NOTICE AnnouncementofPublic Meeting Notice is hereby given

GAUTHIER, DANIELJOSEPH

GAUTREAUX, STACYJ

GENTRY,JUSTINE JANELLE

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GERARD, LEE R GILBERT, KAYMARIE

GLASS, GENE A GOBERT, DONALYN DENELL

GOODWIN, MEAGAN ANNE GOODWYNE, ANNE MOURAS

GORUM, MAYGAN ALEXANDRA GOTCH, TROY RANDAL GRAHAM,TANYA MICHELLE GREEN,HALIECATHERINE GRIFFIN, KANYON MCKOI

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HEBERT, SHEREE R HEBERT, JOSHUA SAMUEL

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HEBERT, JOHN W

HEBERT, JOEL B

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HENRY, MARCUS DEAUNTRE

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IVIE,ELIZABETH SUE

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JUDICE, TAYLOR CHRISTOPHER KASPER, CARSON DONALD KIDDER, JARED J KLEINPETER, RYAN

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LANGLINAIS, STEPHEN MICHAEL

LANTRIP,DENNIS RAY LEBAS, MARGARET ESTORGE

LEBLANC, PATSY T

LEBLANC, GEORGETTE ANNE

LEBLANC, JOSHUA MICHAEL

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LEMAIRE, STEVEN JAMES

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LENOIR, ALYSON M LIN, YU YING

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MARKS, HANNAH KAY

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As legislationthreatens abillion-dollar industry,Louisiana’s THCdrink makers hope forthe best,planfor theworst

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Colorful cans of Louie Louie Strawberry Spritz, Crescent 9Passion Punch and Driftee Tangerine Ginger Seltzer are acommon sight these days in Louisiana stores and bars.

In fact,commercial THC drinksofall types have becomesoubiquitous that it’seasy to forget that they didn’t debutlocallyuntil three years ago, after federal andstate laws created a new category of consumable cannabisproductsdesigned to create feelings of relaxation or euphoria for people who drink them.

The instant popularity of the newbeverages has sparked a$1billion-plusnationwide market that is the fastest-growing segment of amuch larger industrythat includes gummies, supplements and other products In New Orleans, acity famous forits drinking culture, several THCbeverage startups have risen to the occasion —and they’ve quickly grown beyond mom-and-pop status.

Crescent Canna, which by some metrics is the country’stop-selling brand, grosses at least $2 millionmonthly,according to companyco-founder and CEO Joe Gerrity.Basin Street Beverages, maker of Louie Louie,reports several million in annual revenue, as does the THC beverages division of UrbanSouth Brewery

In 2024, Louisiana sales of all THC-infused products —including gummies, topicals and tinctures —reached about $33 million, generating about $4.3 million in state tax revenuesfromabout 2,500 licensed retailers.

But amid the boom,the upstart industry is facing an existential crisis in the Pelican State and nationwide.

The country’sentire sector maynot survive the year after Mitch McConnell, Kentucky’ssenior senator,spearheaded legislation eight months ago that bans certain types of THC products beginning this fall.

Industry boosters are hoping for alast-minute reprieve, but so far,nohelp has come from state or federalleaders. The uncertaintyisalready causing repercussions in Louisiana,where several companies have laid off employees, canceled

ä See THC, page 2E

AI hallucinations causingheadaches in state’scourtrooms

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

In acase that made headlines earlier this year,anattorney with Dudley DeBosier was cited by aBaton Rouge statecourt judge for including afabricated quote in alegal pleading drafted with the help of an artificial intelligence tool. In awritten apology to the court, the attorney saidhefelt “surprise, confusion, shame and regret” over the incident, explaining that the firm had recently begun using anew AI platform for lawyers called EVE.

“I cannot be sure if the mistake involved the EVE AI soft-

ware or if this was my personal mistake,” RossLeBlanc wrote in his March apology to 19th Judicial DistrictCourt Judge William Jorden. “Either way, the mistake is ultimately mine.” The incidentwas oneofmore than adozeninLouisiana state and federal courts since last August in which lawyers have been fined or sanctioned for citinginaccurateorfabricated quotes —calledhallucinations —inlegal pleadingsthat have beendrafted with thehelp of AI

It’s aproblem that is causing headaches in the legal system andreshaping theway lawyers andcourts dosomeofthe most basicfunctions of their job.

“Courts are getting increasingly exhausted, saying it’s not an excuse anymore forlawyers to say they didn’tknowchatbots could make up cases,” said attorney Andy Lee, apartner with Jones Walker whohelps companiesdeal with legalissues around the use of AI. “But lawyers are still doing it.” Louisiana lawyersare not alone. Morethan 1,700 incidents of hallucinated content in legal briefs have been flaggedby courts aroundthe world since 2022, the year that OpenAI introduced the first generative AI platform, ChatGPT. More than 70% of those in-

The 19th Judicial District Court buildingislocated in Baton Rouge. Louisiana judges are crackingdown amidthe increased use of artificial intelligence tools in courtbriefs leading to inaccurate or fabricated quotes referred to as hallucinations.

STAFFFILE PHOTOBy MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Four-packs of LouieLouie THC seltzersare packaged by Spencer Boudreaux at Port OrleansBrewinginNew Orleans.

FILEPHOTO

Hemp-derived THCbeverages are on displayat Total Wine in Metairie.

5rules to follow if you’re askedtobepartofa pricey wedding

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

I’ve long stood up for the friends and family members whosesavings would be strained by accepting an invitation to participate in an extravagant wedding. Toooften, they don’thavethe heart to say no, even knowing therequest will demand outlandish spending.SoI’ll say what they often can’ttothe couple:Stop being selfish.

Many engaged couples fail to take into account how much they’re asking peopleto payfor the privilege of joining the wedding party.The event can entail lavish bachelorette and bachelor parties spanning aweekend, and other pre-wedding and postnuptial festivities that you are expected to help fund.

If there’sany pushback, couples may be inclined to protest that it’s their “big day.”

Your wedding isn’taBurger King commercial where you“have it your way” becauseyou rule with no financial consideration for the people you profess to care about. Here’sacomment from abridesmaid Ionce interviewed: “I don’t think couples do the mathonhow much the bridal party is spending, and Ifelt (the) couple let the vision

AI

Continued from page 1E

cidents occurred in the U.S. And the numbers are growing fast, according to Damien Charlotin,aresearcher and writer who maintains adatabase of AI hallucination cases.

“Pre-2025, there weretwo or three hallucination incidents amonth,”he wrote in ablog post on his website in November.“Now,that’s the daily average.”

He attributed the surge to the increased availability of large language models like ChatGPTand Claude andtogreaterpublicawareness of AI tools.

‘Madeupmorestuff’

The technology has already touchedall types of lawinLouisiana, from billboard attorneys and bankruptcy lawyers to old-line firmsthat specialize in real estate deals and government lawyers.

In March, afederal district judge in the U.S. Eastern District of Louisiana fined two assistant cityattorneys in New Orleans for including nine AI hallucinationsinpleadings they filed in acase alleging civil rights violations, court records show The city did not respond to arequest for comment.

In April, afederal bankruptcy judgeinLafayette fined an attorney $2,750 for filing “false and misleading pleadings” that she admittedto drafting with help from ChatGPT According to court records, federal bankruptcyJudge John Kolwe, for the Western District of Louisiana, said he hoped the fine would “serve as awarning to all attorneys and personspracticing in this court,” addingthat future finesfor AI hallucinations would not be so “lenient.”

In May,afederal districtjudge in Alexandria sanctioned apersonal injury attorney for using hallucinated quotes in alegal brief generated by the AI platform Claude. Court records from the U.S.District Court for the Western District of Louisiana show that alaw clerk initially caught the faulty quote before the brief was filed and notified the attorney,who then “entrusted” Claude to fix it.

“Instead, Claude just made up more stuff,” District Judge Jerry Edwards said in court documents. The lawyer,Paul Wilkins, also with Dudley DeBosier,apologized to the court andvowed that ahuman clerk would double check any future pleadings he filed with the court. Still, Edwards finedhim $1,000, saying,“Ignoranceofthe risks of AI usage is no longer an excuse.” Wilkins did not respond to arequest seeking comment. LeBlanc, the Dudley DeBosier attorney cited in the Baton Rouge case, declined to comment.

Dudley DeBosier founding partner Chad Dudley acknowledged the firm has had trouble with AI platforms and is working to address them.

“Weare always looking for ways to use technology to get betterresults for our clients and have successfullyimplemented theuse ofAI in anumber of ways over the past 18 months,” he said. “Wedid have issues with its use in case research and case citations. We take those issues very seriously and immediately implemented an AI usage policy for our attorneys.”

of the wedding theyboth grew up wantingcloud some wisdom on howmuchthis vision was costing everyone involved, including themselves.”

If you’ve been asked to be a bridesmaid or groomsman, here aremysuggestions for what to do beforeand after you accept the invitation.

1. Don’ttreat the invitation likeit’sa subpoena.

It’simportant to show up for special events. It’swhat forges good relationships.Soit’sunderstandable that youmay feelyou can’t say no whensomeone youlove asksyou to be part of thewedding celebration.

The pressure can be intense. It seems wedding partyproposalsare athing. It’shardtoturn downthe invitationtobeinthe wedding party when you’ve received apersonalized bridesmaid box.

One bridesmaid’sTikTok video wentviralaftershe showed off aproposalbox with gifts totaling more than$400

Or,there’s the guilt factor.It’seither said or heavily implied by the couple ortheir inner circle: “You can’t put apriceonfriendship.”

Except you actually can, because affordability matters. Youhave to live out your financialtruth, which means recognizing when arequest is outside your budget

Fear factor

Experts say the use of generative AI in thelegal field is inevitable becausethe technology is advancingtoo quickly and is already too widespread to ignore.

For all its faults, Lee said, AI can be “extremely useful” for brainstorming, distilling hundreds of pages of material and transcripts and coming up with novelarguments in legal proceedings.

Problemsarise when attorneys or theirstaff become overly reliantonthe technology without checking the cites and quotes it pulls up, according to Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino.

Just as dangerous, he said, is the tendencytoignore the technology for fear of using it incorrectly and gettingintrouble.

“I see so many lawyers who read the reports of thehallucinated case sanctions levied against other lawyers andsay,‘I’mgoing to stay away’ and that is not acceptable,” Ciolino said. “This is a very powerful tool that lawyers notonlycan andshould but must be using for the benefits of their clients.”

Thekey to successfully using AI tools in alegal practice is to understand theway it worksand becomewell versed in the limitationsand thepotential advantages of thetechnology

“It is notalaw library,” Lee said.“It is apredictive mechanism and apeople pleaser,set up to be asycophanttoits user.”

That’swhy phantomquotes or hallucinations pop up in pleadings, Lee said. The technology is trying to support the legal argumentinthe most effectiveway possible, even if that means fabricatingsomething Ciolino said it’sthe user’sresponsibility to safeguard against that possibility by carefully prompting the platform: limiting which sources it can research, telling it where to look anddirectingitto assess itslevel of certainty in the sources Lee advises telling AI “not to suck up butto be critical andfind whereyourargument has holes or problemsand to tell youwhat the other side is going to attack.”

It’salso critical, he said, that attorneys read everythingfor themselves, essentially doublecheckingAI’swork.

“There are safeguards forlawyers who are using it responsibly,” Lee said. “But theyare not fail-safe, and lawyers get busy.”

Bravenew world

Thecontroversy generated by the recentsurge in AI hallucinationsinthe legal fieldunderscores larger and more profound shifts that thetechnologyisalready foretelling.

AI, usedcorrectly, can also make firmsmore efficient. Ultimately that may mean that firms will be able to do more with fewer researchers, clerks,paralegals and attorneys. “No doubt it is going to affect howyou stafflaw firms,”Lee said. “The lawyers who resist and do not adapt are going to lose business as aresult. But it doesn’t mean thebusiness goes away.It willgotothose whoare adapting.”

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

For instance, when theinvite comes and the couple says it’s a destination wedding, you have the righttoconsiderwhether you can affordthe airfare and hotel expenses

If you know that being part of the wedding party would be afinancial burden, it’sOKtodecline the invitation. Amaturecouple will accept your decision withgrace.

2. Don’tsay yes to the dress until you know the cost. It’s not just about the required attire

Frequently,bridesmaids and the matronormaid of honor are expected to pay for not only the dress but also matchingshoes and styling, including hair and makeup. Youmight also be responsible for expensive dress alterations. By theway,groomsmen, don’t assumeyou’reonthe hook just for atuxedo.

Afriend requested advice after being asked to be agroomsman in his brother’sLas Vegas destination wedding. Between the airfare, a sharedhotel room, food, the bachelor party,agolf outing and the tux rental, he was looking at more than$1,200. He just didn’thave it

“Tell the truth,” Itold him He ended up attending as a guest, and his brother was perfectly fine with it. Get theline-item details of what you’re expected to

THC

Continuedfrom page 1E

expansionplans,slowedproduction and pivoted to new products. For pioneersinanindustry promisingrelaxation,it’sbeen theultimatebuzz kill.

Anew,and booming, industry

The story of Louisiana’s newest mood-altering beverage industry began eight years ago, when thefederalgovernmentlegalized hemp, aformofthe cannabis plant with only trace amounts of the chemical compound THC thatcan createthe feeling of being “high.”

“The market was created almost by accidentbythe 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hempaslong as it had less than0.3% of psychoactive compounds,” said Jacob Landry, owner of Urban SouthBrewing Co., which added the THC drinks Driftee and Stratus to itslineup three years ago. “Capitalists soon realized they could just usealot of hemp to getenough compound to give it psychoactive properties.”

In 2022, Louisiana made theproductslegal within its borders, and a year later,the state’sTHC beverage industrywas in full swing.

Crescent Canna, a7-year-old venture, releasedits first drinks that year andhas sincegrowntodistributein20states, eventually becoming the No. 1selling THC beverage brand in U.S.stores, accordingto themarket intelligence firmNielsenIQ. The company, headquartered on Magazine Street, manufactures its products at afacilityinNorth Carolina.

Also in 2023, BasinStreet Beverages debuted the Louie Louie brand of THCseltzers. Thestartup, founded by married couples Michelle and Eric Becker and Marie La France and Ken Jackson, manufactures and packages its products at aNew Orleansbrewery and ships directly to customersin37 states while distributing to retailers, bars and restaurants mostly in the South. In Louisiana alone, Basin Street sells about2,500 cases each month, according to La France.

Urban South, the decade-old New Orleansbrewery knownfor Paradise Park and other beers, unveiled its own lines of THC beverages in late 2023 and now sells in 16 states withafocus on the Gulf Coast Landrysaid THC beveragesprovide roughly 20% of his company’s distribution revenue.

Other Louisiana businesses, includingParish Brewing Co., Indigo, Fleur de Leaf andCypressHemp, also sell their own takes on THCinfused drinks.

‘Deals were putonice’ Louisiana THC drink makers have respondedtolast year’s“November surprise” in different ways

Crescent Canna has shifted the focus away from raising money, seeking partnerships and getting products into newstores. Instead, it is prioritizing maintenance of existing accounts, which remain robustand profitable, according to Gerrity

“As soon as the ban was made official, all fundraising conversations stopped, and all potential new distribution deals were put on ice,” he said.

In June, the company took more dramatic action, laying off 20 employees, nearlyreducing its work-

buy before you commit. It’sbetter to know whatyou’re getting into thantoregret the price tag later

3. Don’tgointo debt. Take arealistic look at your financial situation.

Amajority —53% —ofAmericans don’thave enough liquidity or cashonhand to cover a$1,000 emergency expense, according to Bankrate’s 2026 Emergency Savings Report. Nearly 3in10adults have morecredit card debt than theyhave in emergency savings.

Agrowing numberofAmericans are maxed out on plastic, with serious delinquency (90 days late) creeping up in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If joining the wedding party means racking up credit card debt thatwill take you months, if not years, to pay off, factor that into your decision. Iwouldn’tdoit, but if you decide to proceed, at least make sure you have aplan to pay down the debt.

4.Youdon’thavetoattend everything Weddings have gone from asingle day to multidayevents, often requiring participants to share the expenses People fear aGroom- or Bridezilla breakdown if they elect to skip any of the activities. If the events —out-of-town bachelorette or bachelor party, bridal tea, spa day,post-wedding

brunch —are out of your budget, say so. Youhave achoice. Be clear and upfront about what activities you can afford to attend. It’syour timeand your money

5.Your presenceisyour present. OK, you’ve resigned yourself to ponying up the money to participate in the wedding party.Then you wonder: “Do Ialso need to give awedding present?”

Did youget agift for the engagement party? What about the bridal shower,bachelorette and/or bachelor party?

If you’re traveling out of town or attending adestination wedding, you’ll have to spend money on transportation, ahotel room and meals, right?

Will you have to take time off work, whichwill cut into your available vacation time?

While etiquette maydictate gifts from wedding guests, wedding party attendants should be exempt from the expectation of giving a present.

If you feel you can’tgoemptyhanded, anice card with aheartfelt note should be plenty It is an honor to be asked to be part of the wedding party.But the couple should also recognize that your presence is agift.

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

force by half.

BasinStreet Beverageshas made similar moves, cutting four out-ofstate,part-time sales rep positions, leaving ahalf-dozenemployees plus contractors. And the company is experimenting with apivot to its first non-THCproduct, due fora September release.

Andrew Godley,ofParish Brewing Co.,located in Broussard, said he’s winding down productionof hisyear-old THC beverage Veri so he can sell through inventorybefore November

“The revenue we will lose from stopping productionand sales, we will makeupwith additional beer sales,” he said.

While all this is going on, some Louisiana companies are sticking withplans to release new products.

CrescentCanna debutedits Crescent 9PassionPunch this summer, and Urban South will releasea pair of THC-infused sodas under the “NolaCola” brand name this month.

“We’re smalland nimble enough to hold justenoughinventory,and we keep ourdistribution footprint tight,”Landry said. “We’ll make sure we’re notgetting ahead of our skis.”

And, notably,the looming ban is nothurting business,according to La France.

“Weare up quarter over quarter so I’mnot sure when the falloff would happen,” she said.

Hoping fora reprieve

Despite the layoffs and modified business plans, most of Louisiana’s THCbeverage entrepreneurs are holdingout hope foralastminute rescuefromCongressor theTrump administration— and they’recounting on consumer support to make it happen.

“We’re operating under the assumption that the industry goes away Nov.12, but we’re very hopeful thatitdoes not,” Landry said. Some industry insiders have identified two Republican lawmakers—Kentucky representative

Andy Barr,who’sPresident Donald Trump’spicktoreplace McConnell, andSam DimesinTexas —aspotentialsaviors. Others arehoping Congress’songoing continuing resolution process might provide aremedyorthatanexecutive order from Trumpcouldprotect the industry.But nothing has sparked as muchoptimism as aJune 24 lettersignalingsupport forthe hemp industry from Trump Cabinet member Russell Vought to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Congress should revise “the Federalregulation of hemptoensure the fair treatment of hemp products,” Vought wrote in adocument laying out the administration’s funding priorities.

“That news set off jubilation in the industry,knowing that the WhiteHouse wants asolution to thisand doesn’twant the industry to go away,” Landry said.

In Louisiana,the lobbying has been mostlybehind the scenes, butLaFrancesaid they willbe “shouting from the rooftops” if the deadline gets closer and help hasn’t come.

Some of the efforts already underway have made allies of THC beverage makers and their distributors, who often also work for beer, wine and liquor companies.

Monica Olano, founderofthe Cali Sober Market in Metairie and owner of Mélange,anonalcoholic bar in the Faubourg Marigny,said those partnerships with “big alcohol” couldbebad forthe hemp-derived THC industry overall.

“Only5%ofthe entire industry is beverages,” Olano said. “And when we just focus on them, we kind of throw the rest of the industry under the bus.Wehavetotalkabout the tinctures, the edibles and— though Louisiana banned it —the flower.”

As the politics play out and the deadline nears, most in the industry aretrying to maintain the status quowhile preparing fordisruption.

The9-year-old,Baton Rougebased company Cypress Hemp sells hemp-derived cannabis wellness products —including aseltzercalledHiatus —toretail and wholesale customersnationwide The business hashad to adapt to changing stateand federalregulations several times, according to its wholesale sales director,Anthony Foreman, who expects that trend to continue.

Said Foreman: “We’ve learned to stay the course until the change occurs and then create products that fit the new guidelines.”

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Urban South Brewing Co. owner Jacob LandrysaidTHC beverages nowaccount for 20% of the NewOrleans-based brewery’s distribution revenue.

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

GabbyPhillipsand Troy Davispackage four-packs of Louie LouieTHC seltzers at Port OrleansBrewing in NewOrleans

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Contractor bringing south Louisiana mall back to life

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

When Jacoby Landry bought the old Northgate Mall in Lafayette a year ago, he walked inside the anchor space that had recently housed a Planet Fitness.

This, he thought, could be a starting point.

In order to get a revenue stream going, he created his own anchor tenant when he opened Xtreme Health Club with a goal of getting 500 to 600 members Membership is now at 950, and the mall rebranded as The Hub — has gone from 14 tenants to 36 with increased foot traffic on the weekends.

It’s been a long 12 months since Landry, a contractor based in nearby St. Martin Parish bought the 56-year-old mall from longtime Brothers Food Mart owners Imad “Eddie” Hamdan and Ziad “Z” Mousa, of New Orleans, for $2.8 million. Landry admitted banks did not want to take a chance on the project.

Addressing lots of deferred maintenance was Landry’s first step. One tenant, he said, had been without air conditioning for 10 years. Now he said the mall has gone from collecting $15,000 a month in rent from tenants to $60,000. Several vacant spaces remain, but there is progress He’s dividing many of the larger spaces to make it more attractive to smallbusiness owners while turning the mall inside out.

“This is the hardest thing I did in life,” Landry said. “It was real hard. We had some months that we were struggling early on, but we were able to overcome that. I’m overwhelmed with the amount of tenants we’ve got today.”

In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Landry shares how much work was needed on the 250,000-square-foot building, the rooftop bar and urgent care clinic that are planned and how mentor

Q&A WITH JACOBy LANDRy OWNER OF THE HUB

Monte Anderson of Dallas, helped along the way

This interview has been edited for clarity

When you bought the mall, you talked a lot about the number of leaks in the roof and air conditioners that did not work. Have all those issues been addressed? Right when I came in here, I was bleeding capital like crazy No tenants had HVAC A lot of these HVAC problems were small, simple problems. We got the roof under control. We did a little painting on the façade. But the majority of the capital that was spent went into that health club. I

took a gamble with it, and it paid off. Tell me more about the health club and how it’s been able to create an income stream for you. It has me in a position where now I’m going to go to the bank and get more banking and finish the project. Nobody believed in the health club, and people’s minds are just blown away I did it on my own. I’m a risk-taker

I knew to complete this task wouldn’t have been easy Before I bought this place, I had a blueprint and I said I’m sticking to it

You got approved for the restorative tax abatement earlier this year In the overall picture, it’s not a huge deal. But it is significant, right?

The property tax is right around $30,000, under $40,000 with city and (Lafayette Parish). It’ll freeze that for five years and give me

time to fully develop this so I can afford a higher rate. It’s significant, man. It’s going to be significant after you start adding up the property tax and especially when you start throwing millions of dollars into the property The property value is going to shoot up. The rooftop bar project that you announced last year along the mall’s north side months ago — how is the progress on that?

He’s been working on it for a while. He does subdivisions and they had other projects they were working on. But they’re working hand in hand with the engineer, the architect and the other engineer Probably in the next two weeks or so, they’ll start back on construction. They’re starting on the outside, and I think they’re going to do something in the future on the inside. The outside is

maybe like 4,600 square feet. It’s my next big tenant that’s coming.

You have an urgent care clinic coming in between the gym and the rooftop bar What’s the story behind that?

It’s a private practice. She’s local and real good friends with my sister, who has the med spa inside the health club. I believe in this so much. There’s nothing around there. Everything is there (on the south side of Lafayette). This property is just so accessible. With the gym, we’ve got people who drive in from Rayne and Opelousas.

You’ve had help along the way from lots of people, including Monte Anderson, of Dallas, who mentored you through the Elevate North Lafayette program.What kind of impact has he had on your vision for this project? It all started with Monte. Monte was like, “Hey man, just try a shopping center.” I was like, I own one in

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Jacoby Landry, center, bought the Northgate Mall in Lafayette a year ago and has rebranded it as The Hub. With him are Andrea Knott, left, and Dona Knott, who work at stores inside the mall.

ACROSS THE REGION

Former GM plant fully occupied 14 years after closure

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

Shreveport

For the first time since Shreveport’s General Motors plant closed 14 years ago, the owners of the 3.5 million-squarefoot facility said it is 100% occupied.

The company that has pushed occupancy to “full” is SLB, once known as Schlumberger SLB’s footprint at the plant has now expanded to 3.1 million square feet

As recently as December, Louisiana Economic Development was in Shreveport to co-host an announcement touting SLB’s additional investment in 2 million square feet of space, along with plans to add 600 new employees to its current roster of 660 by the end of 2027 The growth has been fast.

“We’ve done an amazing job here. The progress has been unbelievable,” said Stuart Lichter, president of Industrial Realty Group, which owns the building. “I think a lot of people were disappointed that this took us a while, but that was our expectation when we went in, because I love Shreveport, but it’s not the center of the universe, you know, as far as where companies’ first choices would be to locate.” SLB was drawn to Shreveport to build modular infrastructure used in data center construction, specifically power distribution and cooling equipment because of the former GM plant’s size and amenities, said Andrew Johnston, SLB’s director of data centers.

“It’s an industry that’s growing rapidly, and we’re here to capitalize on that growth,” he said in December Other tenants using the additional 400,000 square feet are the U.S. Postal Service, which has a mail sorting facility and Hyundai Glovis, which finishes out Kia and Hyundai cars before going to the dealerships. A 2017 news release from the office of then-Gov. John Bel Edwards stated that Glovis’ “inland distribution center” would create 150 direct jobs.

By 2027, IRG says 1,400 full-time

employees will work at the site, now known as Shreveport Business Park. The majority of them will be employed at SLB. Manufacturing was the goal

The plant became vacant in the aftermath of General Motors’ 2009 Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history In 2012, the automaker shuttered its Shreveport plant, a facility that — over its 31 years in production — had turned out nearly 4.9 million trucks and sport utility vehicles.

By JILL PICKETT

The factory was best known for its Chevrolet S-10 and Colorado trucks, GMC Canyons and Hummer H-3s. At its height, the plant had about 3,000 full-time employees. In 2011, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court established the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust to handle the environmental cleanup of GM-owned properties and position the properties for redevelopment RACER Trust took control of the Shreveport facility In 2013, Caddo Parish, through

the parish’s Industrial Development Board, purchased the plant for $7.5 million. Lichter’s IRG contracted with the board to manage, develop and/or redevelop the site.

In August, IRG officially took ownership of the plant and the 530 acres it sits on through an Act of Conveyance for “benefits derived and other good and valuable considerations.”

“The original transaction was the lease with an option to purchase, so actually we exercised the option,” Lichter said.

Included in the conveyance were three buildings: a 1 millionsquare-foot general assembly and stamping plant facility, an 842,000-square-foot building that was also part of the old stamping plant and a 1.5 million-square-foot building that was the former paint facility

In addition to the square footage, acreage and rail spur, the plant had 18 miles of conveyor line, on-site water treatment, steam generation and a 35,000 explosion-proof containment area.

What he wanted in the huge facility, Lichter said, was more manufacturing.

“This was going to be on an industrial, primarily, tenant that was doing things in the space, because it’s not considered to be a great logistics location for warehousing so you know, getting a big warehousing company in here would be a bit of a reach, so we were waiting for a manufacturer or people doing something in the space, and all of our tenants fit that category,” he said. “While that takes longer to accomplish, it’s better in the long term, because they’re a lot stickier than just a warehouse who can leave very easily.”

What’s next?

Lichter said building a facility like the GM plant now could cost $700 million or more.

“We have a huge amount of confidence as an amazing long-term value, because the cost to replace a building with this infrastructure is enormous,” he said.

With all the land, he said, there are options.

“We’re looking at the possibility of adding a building or two, so evaluating, you know. In other locations around the country,” he said, “we’ve gone into a rail transloading business; at some point we might do that here. Right now, one of our tenants uses most of the rail, so it’s a limited opportunity, but we think over the long term that’s an opportunity, but over time, we will do more on the land.”

North Louisiana Economic Partnership President and CEO Justyn Dixon said it is surprising to him that many people still believe the facility is vacant.

“When I came here five years ago, it was 95% empty And to be able to fill it up completely with a great company like SLB doing great work in the data center field, with thousands of employees now, it’s just fantastic and hopefully it’ll be a way that we can turn that final page.”

Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.

NATION &WORLD

Americansare travelingclosertohome

BY MAE ANDERSON

AP business writer

NEW YORK Small-business own-

ers in U.S. tourist destinations say they’re seeing more Americans sticking closer to home this summer,trading overseas travel for road trips, choosing daylongsojourns over extended beach stays, and cooking instead of eating out while on vacationtosave money

The reported boost to domestic tourism, though anecdotal, comes as higherairfares andgasoline priceshave made vacationsmore expensive. The FIFAWorldCup soccer tournament and celebrations of the nation’s250th birthday have given some U.S. residents additional incentives to create summer memories withoutgoing far

Ameaningful reduction in summer globe-trotting mighthavean upside for businesses that depend on tourists, said Tarik Dogru, an associate professor at Florida State University’sDedman College of Hospitality.Fewer U.S. residents headingabroadorflying across the country means more of theirvacation budgets are stayinglocal too, Dogru said.

“The current economic and tourism dynamics are likely to redirect spending toward small businesses, such asregional restaurants, local attractions, Airbnb hosts, and roadside businesses along drive routes that serve budget-conscious and close-tohome travel,” he said.

cordingtothe National Travel and TourismOffice.

Morgan Kain, ateacher in Baltimore, said herfamily is amongthe ones keeping their travel bugs in check for financial reasons. Kain, her husband and three children usuallytakemultiple tripseach summer,including aweeklong stay at aVirginia lake house.Last year, they spent six weeks traveling around Italy

“This summer,we’re still doing acoupleovernights and the lake house,but nothing else,” Kainsaid. “Things are crazy expensive, from travel costs to food costs to gas.”

Around Lake Tahoe, which straddles California andNevada, several businessesreported spotting more visitors driving in from cities along the West Coast.

RonWilliams,who owns Tahoe Sports,saidheworriedatthe beginningofthe season that customers might not show up to rent boats andJet Skisdue to economic concerns.Like the gasoline that powers cars, the price of boat fuel went up during the Iran war But Williams so far is “pleasantly surprised with howwell the business is doing across the board.”His

“We’re definitelyseeing alot of locals, so to speak. Peopleare maybe skipping the long drive to thebeach this year, and they’re kindofdoing just something close by so that they cansavealittle money and stillenjoy afamilyouting.”

AUBREy ANDERSON, ownerofariver tubing outfitterinAsheville,N.C.

If the trend holds through the summer and the rest of theyear,itcould reduce atravel and tourism trade deficit the United States has run since the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year since 2020, Americans spent more on foreign travel than international visitorsspent on travel-related goods and services in the U.S., ac-

future bookings are 10% higher compared with the same time last year, he said

“I think people areprobably sticking closetohome, and being in Lake Tahoe,wehave such ahuge drive-up market,” Williams said. Increased demand forthe three

LakeTahoe area rental properties that Jerry Bindel manages for PyramidGlobalHospitalityalsocame as arelief. Ski season bookings peteredout along with the snow during an unusually warm winter, but “wejust sawthatflip”with thearrivalofhiking and boating weather,hesaid Bindel,anareageneral director forthe property management company, said he spotted apossible sign of Tahoe visitors watching their spending: moreofthem skipping restaurants andusing the kitchens in theirrental units or outdoor barbecuegrills to prepare their own food

“We’reseeing alot of additional useonthose itemsthissummer,” he said. In Asheville, North Carolina, small-business ownershavehoped tourism would rebound sinceHur-

ricane Helene and flooding from days of torrential rain caused widespread destruction to the city’s landscape, buildings andinfrastructure in September 2024.

Aubrey Anderson, who owns a river tubing outfitter in Asheville, reduced her summer staff from 100 people to 25 after Helene. After reservations picked up earlier this year andshe noticed“alot new people coming into town,” Anderson feltencouraged enough to hire 50 workersfor Zen Tubing’scurrent season.

Theunfamiliar faces include day-trippers driving in from South Carolina, Tennessee and other parts of North Carolina to spend several hours floating down the French Broad River for around $30 per person, Anderson said. After tubing, customers from aroundthe region often grab ameal, stop at a brewery,shop or visit other local

attractions before heading home, which is “a win for Asheville as a whole,” she said.

“We’re definitely seeing alot of locals, so to speak,” Anderson said. “People are maybe skipping thelongdrive to the beach this year,and they’re kind of doing just something close by so that they can save alittle money and still enjoy a family outing.”

Factory tours offered by French Broad Chocolate have surged this summer,according to Jael Skeffington, the Asheville chocolate maker’sCEO and co-founder.Tourtakers often stop in the on-site cafe forice cream or coffee and buy a box of chocolate bars or bonbons before they leave, she said.

“So it’sgood for business, but it also seems to be what people are looking for is something to do, not just something to eat —something to experience.” Skeffington said.

People cheer at awatch partyJuly1 for aWorld Cup soccer match between the United States and Bosniain Washington at the FIFAFan Zone on the National Mall.

ACADIANA INBOX

Whitney Savoie was named chief growth officer at Lafayette-based FlyGuys. Savoie joined FlyGuys in 2021 and hadbeen the company’schief marketingofficer Shehas more than 15 years of experience in marketing, brand developmentand customeracquisition

Thecompany,backed byKevin O’Leary,of“Shark Tank”fame,

hasexpandedits nationwide reach and increased itsstrategic partnerships acrossindustries. It has grownanaverage of 70%in the past four yearsand nowhas over 20,000 Federal Aviation Administration-certified drone pilots in its network. Before joiningFlyGuys, Savoie led go-to-market strategy for Waitr,where shewas aprimary contributortothe company’s growth from aprivately held startuptoa publicly traded company on theNasdaq.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Median sale price of a home up $65K since’19

The median sale price of ahome in Lafayette Parishhas risen just under 5% annually on average since 2019, data shows.

The median sale price, which is more of an indicator of prices in a real estate market, is at $256,996 through June, accordingtodata compiled by Bill Bacque, of Market Scope Consulting.

Themedianhas increased by about $65,000 since 2019.

Theaverage sale priceisat $305,391 and has increased by over $81,000since2019, largely due to the increasednumber of luxury homes that havesoldin recent years.

The escalating pricesfor homes have shown up in other ways, includingthe number of houses priced at $300,000 or higher which grew more (13.1%) than homes priced at $150,000 to $299,999 (3.6%).

Yetthe market remains strong as total sales could top pre-pandemic numbers this year.Total sales areat1,719,justshy of the 1,734 sold by June 2020, data shows.

New listings so far are at 2,486, an increase forthe third straight year

Acadiana exterminating business founder dies

The founder of longtime Acadiana businessJ&J Exterminating has died.

Robert “Bobby” John Sr., who co-founded the business with his

brotherHarry,died June 12 at his home

Thebrothers started the business in Crowley withone truck, the necessary equipment and a landline housed intheir mother’s breeze house, company officials said in atribute.

The company grew into Louisiana’slargestfamily-owned pest control companies, serving communitiesthroughout Louisiana and East Texas with acorporate headquarters in Lafayette.

John’sgrandson Robert Lewis JohnIII now leadsthe company. 180-unit development planned for Milton area

Adevelopmentfeaturing 180 residential lots is being planned forthe Milton community adjacenttoa newlybuilt development

Theproject, identified as Milton Commons, will stretch from EBroussard Road to Picard Road just north of JulieDrive, accordingtodocumentsfiledwiththe LafayetteConsolidatedGovernment’s planning office.

Thematter will go beforethe parish planning commissionfor plat approvalduring itsmeeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday

The 28.62-acre property,which is in theunincorporatedareaof Lafayette Parish just southofthe Gable Crest subdivision, would be divided into units along both sides of one street,documents snow Planning officials are recommending the projects getsapproved. Genevieve Homes is the applicant.

Issued July 1-7

Commercial alterations

DANCE: 100 Sycamore Drive, description, restroom addition at Delarue Dance Center; applicant, Parish Architecture; contractor, Domingue Construction; $30,000.

SCHOOL: 1400 S. Orange St description, vestibules at Paul Breaux Middle School;applicant, MBSB Group; contractor, Chart Construction; $15,000.

OFFICE: 412 W. University Ave.,description, none listed; applicant,Tiffany Tauzin; contractor, G4 Elite Construction; $70,000.

OTHER: 2318 Moss St description, space for Cultivating Vette entertainmentvenue; applicant, Cultivating Vette enter-

Fool’s Take: Accent on Accenture

BUILDINGPERMITS

tainment venue; contractor, Gloria Williams; $2,000.

Newcommercial CHURCH: 205 Touchet Road, description, Pagoda Buddha Temple; applicant, QTINC; contractor, Quan TrongInc.; $940,000.

Commercial demolition

OTHER: 421 Carmel Drive, description, none listed; applicant and contractor, Diversified Construction of Louisiana; $68,000.

Newresidential 914 HOPKINS ST.: Lafayette Habitat for Humanity $200,125. 305 HOMEWOOD DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $392,500. 402 DARDEN ROAD: Andries Builders, $194,375.

207 CAMERONS COVE DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $231,875. 608 TRADITIONSDRIVE: BCS Builders, $563,625. 107 SONOMA WAY: YB Construction, $748,625. 107 BLUSHING GROOM DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $301,750. 118 MCCLENDON ST.: Manuel Builders, $265,750.

232 MEADOWS RIDGE LANE, DUSON: DR Horton, $271,625. 231 MEADOWS RIDGE LANE, DUSON: DR Horton, $248,625. 117 BEXLEY COURT: DSLD, $233,250.

301 GUNRUNNER DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $274,375. 203 GUNRUNNER DRIVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders, $256,625. 102 MAEBETH LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: Head Construction, $526,890. 220 LAKECREST LANE, YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Homes, $550,000. 306 QUEENSTOWNAVE., YOUNGSVILLE: Vincent John Construction, $300,000. 118 STAPLETONDRIVE, CARENCRO: Andries Builders, $415,000. 206 NAVALST.,CARENCRO: DSLD,$298,924. 308 DUNWOODYCOURT, CARENCRO: DSLD,$248,961. 310 DUNWOODYCOURT, CARENCRO: DSLD,$241,100. 307 DUNWOODYCOURT, CARENCRO: DSLD,$267,330. 305 DUNWOODYCOURT, CARENCRO: DSLD, $262,554.

is where the world today is most vulnerable.”

Shares of tech consultancy Accenture (NYSE:ACN) were recently down more than 50% over the past year,pushing the stock intobargain territory for longterm believers. It’s not thatthe company isn’tgrowing: In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, Accenture’srevenue rose 6% year over year to $18.7 billion, while diluted earnings per share jumped 9%. What investors didn’tlike was thatmanagement lowered near-term expectations while announcing threecybersecurityinvestments totaling $4.18 billion.

Accenture is buying full or partialcontrol of threespecialists in operational technology security. It’s all about protecting the physical stuff that keeps modernlife humming along: power grids, pipelines, manufacturing facilities —and data centers. The company is making asecurity-focused play on the massive boom in artificial intelligence-oriented data center construction.

CEO Julie Sweet put it bluntly on the earnings call: “Wecannot have an AI revolution without critical infrastructure, and you cannot have those without OT security,which

Accenture’sstock is attractively priced, with arecentforward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E)ratioof 9.3, well below itsfive-year average of 23.3. Better still, Accenture’s dividend recentlyyielded4.75%

It’s been buying back billions of dollars’ worth of shares, too. (The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of and optionsfor Accenture.)

Fool’s School: Balance sheets

To be asavvy (andpotentially more successful) investor in individual stocks, learn whata balance sheet can tellyou.(Notall of us have this interest andenergy, though; if youdon’t,just sticking withlow-fee, broad-market index funds can be quiteeffective.)

The balance sheet is oneofthree main financial statements —along withthe income statement and cash flow statement— that publicly traded companies are required to issue at least quarterly.

The income statement andcash flow statement show how acompany performed over aperiod, such as aquarter or ayear; in contrast, the balance sheet reflects the company’sfinancial health at one point in time —often theend of a quarter or year

The balance sheet hasthree main sections: assets, liabilitiesand

shareholder equity.Assets are set equalto— that is,they balance liabilitiesand shareholderequity. Rearrange that relationship,and youcan state it another way: Shareholderequity equals assets minus liabilities.

Think of it like apersonal net worth exercise: Addall your assets (such as house, cars andfinancial accounts) andsubtract your liabilities (including mortgage, car loans andcredit card debt)toarrive at your networth

Acompany’s assets may include “cash andcash equivalents,” “prepaid expenses” (such as insurance paid forahead of time),“investments” and/or “property,plant and equipment.” Some such assets may notbeasvaluable as they appear, though. For instance, “accounts receivable”reflects money from sales that thecompany hasn’t yet received—and may notreceive. And“inventory”reflects cash tied up in materialsthat haven’tbeen soldyet, someofwhichmay endup notsold.

Liabilitiesoften include shortterm and/or long-term debt. Debt isn’tnecessarily bad, but it’s often good forabusiness to have relatively littleofit. Another liability, “accounts payable,” represents invoices thecompany hasn’t yetpaid. Shareholder equity,then, is the difference between assets and liabilities. It’s the portion of acompany’svalue that itsshareholders can claim.

Savoie

Motley Fool

BY THE NUMBERS

La. ranks last in Tulane’s first ‘State of the States’

But report authors see signs for hope

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Louisiana landed on the bottom of a new comprehensive ranking of U.S. states across dozens of metrics — the latest in a long line of comparative reports pointing out the Bayou State’s shortcomings in key health, education, economic and quality of life indicators.

The first State of the States report from Tulane University’s Murphy Institute analyzed 31 measures dating back to 1990. The purpose was to come up with a progress report of every state that could be used to help inform policy debates.

It ranked Louisiana 51st out of all states and the District of Columbia.

But the report, which goes deeper than many other comparative rankings by including trends and relative improvements or declines, also found reasons for hope in Louisiana and noted a couple of areas where the state is outperforming the national average.

Among them: improved test scores and self-reported measurements of well-being.

“There’s something happening in terms of social goods in Louisiana which is very, very positive,” said Anna Lembke, a Stanford University psychiatrist and a member of the board behind the study “It’s a weak and subtle signal, but it’s definitely there.”

Following the trends

The State of the States report builds on the State of the Nation report produced last year by the same research team, which compared the United States with other countries. According to its authors, the goal of the project is to establish a shared set of objective facts about personal, economic and social outcomes that can serve as a foundation for public policy decisions.

Tulane economics professor Douglas Harris, director of the project, put together a bipartisan board of more than a dozen experts in a range of fields, including advisers from the last five presidential administrations, to determine what measurements were worthy of inclusion. Approval of 75% of board members was needed to make the cut.

The report compiles data from federal agencies, nonprofits and academic researchers and includes indicators of health, economics, education, violence, trust and life satisfaction.

“The idea is to make sure everybody’s working off reliable, trustworthy information,” said Frederick Hess, a board member and education expert at the American Enterprise Institute a conservative think tank

Collecting state-level data turned out to be significantly more

difficult than nationwide numbers, sometimes requiring special permission to access. A pair of research assistants then crunched the numbers to produce individualized reports for each state — a total of about 3,700 pages.

Some of the report’s findings were unsurprising. It ranked Louisiana 50th or 51st compared with the national average in categories including the share of young adults employed or in school (85% vs 89%), children born with low birthweight (11.2% vs. 8.6%), children living with single parents (40.7% vs. 29.9%) and overall poverty rate (18.7% vs. 15.2%).

“I wasn’t happy to see that, obviously, living in Louisiana, but we tried to let the data speak,” Harris said.

The report compared data for each state in three different ways: its current national ranking, the direction it’s trending and how that

Beyond.

Beyond isn’t aplace —it’samindset. Andit’sa belief that haspowered us forover80years.Weare Jones Walker LLP,afirm driven by an entrepreneurialspirit, a deepsense of community, andafierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor our clients.

Since1937, our firm hasbeencommitted to working with communityleaders to develop business opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing our dedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supporting initiativesand organizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork.

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compares with national trends. That gave researchers a more nuanced picture of the state’s performance and one that was not entirely negative.

It showed, for instance, that Louisiana’s labor-force participation rate is improving faster than the rest of the nation, though its hourly earnings growth is worsening faster than in other states.

And it showed that the state clearly trending better than the nation as a whole when it comes to academic test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the “nation’s report card.” Over the past decade, Louisiana eighth graders have narrowed the gap with the national average by roughly half in math and by about 85% in reading, where Louisiana students’ scores have improved even as they’ve declined nationwide.

“Louisiana seems to be doing a

remarkably good job over the last half-decade or more,” said Hess. Louisiana also ranked high in the freedom of the press category, as measured by the U.S Press Freedom Tracker, though it shared the top spot with the 20 other states that did not record any press freedom “violations” in 2024. The rankings do not take into account more recent legislative changes that have expanded exemptions from public records laws and secrecy surrounding economic development projects.

‘Relatively happy’

Data from every state tells a similar story: Income is going up, but life satisfaction is going down. That mirrors the findings of the nation-level report, which found that measurements of economic progress and subjective well-being are moving in opposite directions in the U.S.

“Here we are, wealthier than ever and getting wealthier, and yet more depressed, more anxious, more likely to die by a drug overdose, more likely to end our own lives,” said Lembke. “What is going on there?”

No state is doing great when it comes to self-reported measurements of well-being. But that’s one area where Louisiana is doing comparatively well, with depression rates for adults (11th) and youth (12th) both below the national average.

“People in Louisiana are relatively happy considering everything else,” Harris said, explaining that the state-level data follows a theme that has emerged from the project’s research — the disconnect between income levels and overall well-being.

“Louisiana is an extreme case of that, where the economic measures are really not good, but yet depression is pretty low, our life satisfaction is middle of the pack, and our suicide rate is also middle of the pack,” he said.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

Drivingregionaleconomicgrowththrough legalknowledge,strategic guidance, and industry-focused relationships.

Ourfirm is confidentinLouisiana’s economic future.Asone of thestate’s largest lawfirms, we counselbusinesses navigating complex transactions andregulatory landscapes across theenergy,healthcare, and technology industries,amongothers.

Louisiana’s oiland gas industry remainsacornerstoneof growth,whileemergingmarkets fornatural gas, lithium, andbiofuelscreatenew investment opportunities. We strongly believeinleveragingAItosupport thedevelopment andsuccess of Louisiana businesses,withdatacenter construction underscoring itspotential forlarge-scale economicgrowth. As healthcare continuestoadvance, we also seeexponential growth forits digitalsector.

With strong momentum andexpanding opportunities, Louisiana is poised forsignificant economic growth andweare proudtohelpleadthe wayforward

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The State Capitol can be seen from chemical plants in Baton Rouge. Louisiana fell last of all states and the District of Columbia in a report compiled by Tulane University’s Murphy Institute that measured key health, education, economic and quality of life indicators.

Bill Hines

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Personalized care andpeace of mind gohand-in-handat

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For many older adults andtheir families, choosingaseniorlivingcommunity is about more than findingassistancewithdaily tasks. It’s about findinga home that supports independence,relationships andpeace of mind. That philosophy is at theheart of The VincentSeniorLivingin Lafayette, whichoffersIndependent Living,AssistedLivingand Memory Care to more than 230 residents.

“Our growth has come as we have createda place whereresidents feel respected, valued andsecure,”saidExecutive Director Cody Begnaud. “Asour community has expanded, we have addedteammembers to ensure we maintain highstandards of care,service and safety. This allowsustoprovide personalized attention, respondpromptlytoresident needsand offer asupportive, nurturing environment.”

Aholisticapproachtowellnessbased on physical,emotional,purposeful, intellectual, spiritualand social needsguides lifeat The Vincent. Dailyroutinesand activities are designedtopromote engagement while maintainingacomfortingpredictability.

Residents benefitfromamenities including housekeeping,laundry,physical therapy, flexiblemealplans,abeautysalon,theater,

library, game area andregular outingsto localattractions.

“It’simportant to know that each person hastheir definition of what stress-free means,”saidCommunity RelationsDirector Lorenzo Viator.“We’vealsofound that simpleactslikesharing akindwordor asking howtheyare doinggoesalongway. Somethingthatmight notfeellikeabig deal to us canchange aresident’sday forthe better.”

Safety andemergencypreparedness is anothertop priority at TheVincent. Begnaudsaidthe staff reviewsprocedures monthlyand communicates often with state offices on planstohandlesevereweather, poweroutages or otherdisruptions. The community keepsa stockpileofnecessities on hand at all times, regularlyensures its

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Eating Aging Healthy Healthy

Thefoods seniors eat provide the fuelneeded to stay active, maintain strength and recoverfrom exercise or daily activities.

Without proper nutrition, energy levels candecline, making it more difficult to participate in activities that supporthealthy aging.

WHY NUTRITION MATTERS MORE WITHAGE

Nutritionalneedschangeaspeopleget older.Seniors need specificnutrients to help maintain muscle mass, bone health,heart health andhydration,aswellastohelp manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or highblood pressure.

Seniors often need more protein, fiber, calcium, VitaminD andpotassium. Consult with alocal nutritionist,dietitianorhealth care provider aboutthe diet that’s rightfor you.

LOCAL RESOURCES SUPPORTING HEALTHY EATING

Looktolocal farmersmarkets forfresh produce.Local grocerystoresmight offer seniordiscounts or delivery.You caneven grow your ownproduce in acommunity garden.

Seniorcenterlunch programs andMeals on Wheels programs also helpseniors access healthyfood.

COOKINGFOR ONEOR TWOWITHOUT WASTE

Many seniors face challengeswhencooking smaller portions,astheymay be used to cookingfor alarge family

Cookingand freezingmeals in batches canbehelpful.Get into thehabit of buying smaller portions,and choose simple, nutritious recipestoavoid wasting ingredients.

You canuse meal prep containers to portionout mealsfor severaldaysfroma largerbatch.Consider usinga vacuumsealer to keep produce or meatsfresh longer.

MANAGING DIETARY RESTRICTIONS WHILE STAYINGACTIVE

Many olderadultslivewithchronic health conditions such as diabetes, highblood pressure,heart diseaseorosteoporosis, making nutritionanimportant part of managing their health.

Becausemanyseniors take medications that canaffectappetite, digestion or nutrient absorption,itisimportant to discussdietary changeswithahealthcareprovider or registered dietitian

Manyviewretirementasan opportunity to give back to their communities throughvolunteering.

Many view retirement as an opportunity to give back to theircommunities through volunteering.

Older adults continue to play an important role in strengtheninglocal organizations andmentoring youngergenerations, while stayingactive, connectedand purposeful. Awide varietyoflocal organizations— includingschools,hospitals, nonprofits, churches, andcivic groups —relyonolder volunteers andvalue theexperience and stabilitytheybring.

WHY VOLUNTEER

Thepersonalbenefits of volunteering after retirement caninclude feelinga senseof purpose staying connected socially mental

After

Retirement Volunteerism

Retirement no longermeans slowing down formanyolder adults.

beingand physical activity.

Retirement canbeatimeofreinvention. Volunteering allows seniors to explorenew interests.

In addition,volunteerismhelps strengthen community connectionsacrossgenerations, as youshare lifelongskillsand knowledge with youngerpeople.

Volunteerroles often offer flexible schedules andallow youtomeetnew friends whoshare similarinterests

WHERE TO DONATE YOUR TIME

No matter what talents andexperience you have to share, youwill find an opportunity to volunteer. Becauseseniors aretypically reliable volunteers whooffer patience and professionalexperience,manycommunity i ti ti l it ti f

Checkwithlocal schoolsand libraries foropportunities to read with students. Nonprofitmentoring programs often depend on older adults to help shapeyoung minds. If you’re interested in care-giving, consider volunteeratalocal hospital.

Food pantries arealwayslooking for assistance,and church outreach programs canallow youtoshare your faith.

Museum docents canshare their love for history, culture, science or art. Pass on your love of animalsbyvolunteeringatananimal shelter, or help fellow veterans through veterans organizations. Community theaters, historical societies andenvironmental groups areother places to offer your services. Retirement todayisincreasinglydefined notbysteppingawayfromcommunity life, butby findingmeaningful newwaystostay involved.

Whyitmatters

Our Louisianaroots rundeep

Fornearlytwo centuriesour daily newspapershave beenLouisiana’s most trustedsources forlocalnews. Ourdedicatedteamofover500 workstirelesslyto delivertimely,trustworthy reporting on thestate’s most criticalissues.

Community support providesfunding to grow and augmentour news teams andenhancescoverageof stories thatmattertoyou.

Your SupportEnables

The Advocate operates fivenewsrooms throughout thestate, publishing daily news andinformation.Our local newsrooms focusoncritical issues importantto Louisiana.Coverageofschoolboarddecisions, local elections, public safety, business growth and community eventsdoes not come from national newsrooms. Theseare the stories only we tell.

•Morereporters across the state

•Coverage of issues in underserved parishes in Louisiana

•Storiesthatleadtoreforms –improved accountability

•Freeaccess to our storiestothe members of the Louisiana Press Association

Have aconversationabout local news in Louisiana –Karyn Kearney

Learn moreabout howwecan makea differencetogether.Goto: Louisianajournalismfund.org

ExecutiveVice President of Strategic Partnerships 504-329-2444 I Karyn.kearney@theadvocate.com or scan the QR code:

Get with Technology Comfortable

Seniors areincreasinglyusing technology in their day-to-daylives.

The AARP’s 2025 technologysurvey putthe trendintofocus.Smartphone ownershipamong seniors soared from 55% in 2016 to 90%in2025. Textingisnow theleadcommunicationmethodamong adults age50-plus; ninein10use social media, andeight in 10 stream videoweekly.

Today’sseniors were born before theage of digitalnatives. Whiletheymight nothave grownupwithtoday’s advanced electronics andmight feel overwhelmedorintimidated, that doesn’t mean they can’tharness the poweroftechnology, whichhas become an essentialpartofeverydaylife.

Seniors aregainingdigital literacy to usetechnologyfor everything from communicatingwithfamilytomanaging healthcare appointments andfinances to learningnew hobbies.

WHY IT MATTERS

Technology helps seniors maintain

reduces isolationand improves access to essentialservices.

Thiscan includevideocalls with family, onlinebanking andshopping, telehealth appointments,prescriptionmanagement, accessingcommunity information, educationand more.

WHERE TO LEARN

Agrowing number of localbusinesses, libraries andcommunity organizationsoffer supportdesignedspecificallytohelpolder adults confidently usesmartphones, tablets, computersand onlineservices.

In your community,lookfor technology workshops at your locallibrary or senior center, community collegeorlocal tech repair andsupport businesses.

Lookfor patient, hands-oninstruction tailored to beginners, as well as afocus on theimportanceofprotectingpersonal information online

SKILLS TO MASTER

Seniors should aimtomasterahandful of basic skills to help them feel more comfortablewithtechnology. This includes password management,smartphonesettings, onlinescamand phishingprevention, videoconferencing, downloading apps,understandingupdates andusing notifications.

USING TECHNOLOGY EVERY DAY

Once you’ve masteredbasic skills, it’s time to applywhatyou’velearned in your daily life.

To getstarted,practice usingtelehealth services, settingmedicationreminders, operating smarthomedevices such as lightingand security andschedulinggrocery andprescriptiondeliveries.

Before long,you’ll find that digital lifewill b f d il lif

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SeniorLiving NewFace of The

Today’sretirees arelooking for active, engaging lifestyles rather than simply care andmaintenance.

Modernretirementand assisted living communities nowemphasize independence,wellness, learning andsocialconnection. In addition,residents maintain independenceand qualityoflife.

Here’s alookathow today’sseniors are reshapingexpectationsfor retirement living

RESORT-STYLE AMENITIES

Modernseniorlivingcommunities now featureamenities once associated with resortsorupscale apartments. Examples include fitnesscenters,walkingtrails, pools andspas, fine dining options,coffee shops andlounges, beauty salons or barbershops andtransportationservices.

WELLNESSPROGRAMS

Rather than just traditional medical care, seniorlivingis increasinglycenteredaround preventive wellness.Atmodernseniorliving communities, you’ll find yoga andstretching classes, wateraerobics,nutrition counseling, mental health support, on-site health h d f ll d

mobility programs.

Theseprogramshelpseniors remain active longerand improvesocialengagement. Maintainingcognitive health is agrowing priority forolder adults.Accordingto McKnightsSeniorLiving, Alzheimer’s diseaseisthe fifth-leadingcause of death amongAmericans age65and older. In response,manyseniorlivingcommunities areplacing greateremphasisonbrain-health programs,memory-enhancingactivities andwellnessinitiatives designedtosupport cognitive function andhelpresidents remain mentally engaged.

LIFELONG LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY

Learninghelps seniors stay mentally engagedand socially connected, and technologysupport helpsresidents stay connectedwithfamilyand health care providers.

Many seniorlivingcommunities nowoffer educationalopportunities andenrichment programs forresidents.Seniors canexpect to find guest lectures art and music classes

onlinelearningopportunities. Facilities sometimespartner with local colleges, libraries, museumsorcommunity organizationsfor even more programs. If your center doesn’t have an education programyou’d like to see, just ask. Senior living communities areeager to attractand retain residents with diverseofferings.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ANDCOMMUNITY CONNECTION

Seniorlivingcommunities areputting a growingemphasis on creating places where residents buildfriendships andremain active participantsinlocal life. Keepinga busy social calendarhelps seniors combat lonelinessand improvetheir emotionalwellbeing.

Activities caninclude groupoutings, volunteeropportunities, game nights, gardeningclubs, travel groups, holiday events andthemeddinners.meaningful new ways to stay involved.

LOUISIANA

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staffwriter

Wireless. Wireless. Wireless.

Listening to music hands-free while squatting weights or plucking weeds or running errands became easier with wireless headphones

No longer did music lovers have to swat away cords in their face or detangle wires for two minutes before jumping on acall.

Along the way,skepticism grewabout the health consequencesofBluetooth and wireless devices. The main potentialculprit: radiation. Bluetooth devicesemita type of electromagnetic radiation that can come from bothnatural and man-made sourceslike cellphones,X-rays andthe sun.

Electromagnetic radiation comes in two forms, ionizing and non-ionizing.Ionizing radiation has enough energy to potentiallydamage cells and increases therisk of cancer.X-rays and the sun, for example,emit different levels of ionizingradiation. Bluetooth, however,emits non-ionizing radiationand has lessenergy to effect people.

A2024studyof600 participants reported an association between prolonged Bluetooth

WIRELESS WARNINGS

Doctorsdiscuss risks of Bluetoothheadphones

headset use(more than three hours aday)and a higher incidence of thyroid cancers. The study, conducted as aself-reported questionnaire from WenJuanXing in China, had manylimitations including alack of diversity,not using age as acontributing factor and potential bias that can occur in self-reporting.

“Thus, future research should employmore precisetrackingtechnologiesfor usageduration to enhance the objectivity and reliability of the data,” the studystated.“These metrics do not inherently imply causality.”

Current scientific consensus, supported by agencies like the U.S. Food and DrugAdministrationand theWorld Health Organization, indicates thatlow-level non-ionizing radiation does not carry enough energy to directly damage DNA,making adirect causal link to cancer “biologically implausible.”

The more immediate concern for headphones,according to doctors, aretheir effects on hearing.

Dr.Duncan Hanby,anear,nose and throat physicianand section head at OchsnerHealth’s The Grove, said it all comes down to volume.

BY RACHELMIPRO

Contributing writer

Doulas, house visits, wellness checks:InLouisiana, theseare someways advocates are looking to improve thestate’sconsistently low ranking in the U.S. for maternal health.

Between2020 and2022,Louisianasaw 222 deathsrelated to pregnancy, accordingtothe Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review

Blackwomen were more than twice as likely to die compared with White women, according to thereview,and 84% of these overall deaths were deemed preventable.

A2026 study conducted by Tulane University’sNewcombInstitute found asimilarly dire state of maternal care; 29.6% of Louisiana parishes are maternity care des-

erts, where it more is more difficult to access obstetrics, gynecologists andhospitals with obstetric services.

“Weare in amaternal health crisis across the state of Louisiana,” said Dr.Stacey Holman, division director of Women andChildren’s Services at Touro Infirmary.“I think that we are seeing lots of barriers to accesstocarefor obstetrics and forpostpartum care.”

Grassrootsorganizationsand community partnerships are attempting to bridge thegap.In New Orleans, ahome-visit pilot program hasbeen addressing postbirthneeds since 2023.

Family Connects NewOrleans is acity health department partnershipwith OchsnerBaptist andTouro hospital.Inthe program,which hasbeenadopted in severalother states, trained nursesprovide

free in-home visits in the metro area Orleans for parents who had theirbabies at OchsnerBaptist or Touro.

During home visits, nurses conduct acomprehensive assessment on mothers’ mental and physical state, andcheck to seeifthe family needs any resources. The visits are key to finding health issues post-birth and other factorsthatcontribute to mortality chances.

“Weknowthatthe postpartum period is where moms fall offin terms of getting access to care,” Holman said. “They have anew baby to takecareof, so they’reless concerned about getting to their own appointment.”

Katherine August-Autry,Touro’sclinical manager for Family

PROVIDED PHOTO

Community Birth Companion started out in 2012 with the missionof lowering infantand maternal mortality rates in St. Landry Parish.

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Dr.Duncan Hanby, an ear,nose and throat physicianand section head at Ochsner Health’sThe Grove in Baton Rouge, holds amodel of an ear in an exam room at the complex.

Mental health challenges can linger for cancer survivors

BY NATALIE KREBS

Iowa Public Radio, KFF Health News

The cancer diagnosis came as a shock, disrupting Morgan Newman’s plans for launching her life. It was 2015, and she was working as a dental assistant in Des Moines, Iowa, while studying to become a social worker

After an abnormal result on her Pap smear, her doctor brought her back in to check the tissue for signs of cancer Newman wasn’t that concerned at first. She was only 24 years old.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. Friends had received abnormal results, she recalled, “and they turned out to be OK.”

But during the follow-up examination, she started bleeding so heavily that the doctor stopped the exam and immediately referred her to a gynecologic oncologist. Newman soon learned she had cervical cancer She had just moved into her own apartment for the first time.

An increasing number of Americans are getting — and surviving — cancer There were more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. in 2025, and the National Cancer Institute estimates that number will grow to 22 million by 2035. But long after completing treatment, many survivors face lingering mental health challenges that go unaddressed.

Newman underwent six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy Her scans after that were clear until the six-month mark, when her doctors found suspicious nodules in her lungs.

Newman endured additional chemotherapy which had more side effects. It was physically exhausting. But she was also struggling psychologically as she watched her friends hit significant adult milestones.

“My friends were getting

married, they were having children, you know, progressing in their lives and their careers, and I just felt stuck,” she said. Newman had done therapy before, for anxiety and depression. But after she got sick, she had to quit. Therapy was too expensive now that she had her other medical bills. And amid the doctor appointments, college courses, and her full-time job, she didn’t have the time.

Newman’s cancer treatment ended, and the scans remained clear By 2017, she had a new job with better health benefits. So she decided she could go back to therapy.

She worried that every ache and pain could be the cancer coming back. At times, it was emotionally difficult to spend time with her friends who had kids, because the radiation treatment had damaged her reproductive system, leaving her unable to have her own children

Now, almost 10 years later, Newman remains free of cancer, and cancer prevention has become her passion. She started a new job in December as the Iowa grassroots manager for the lobbying arm of the American Cancer Society, and she has served on the boards of other cancer organizations in Iowa.

But she continues to go to therapy to deal with the lingering anxiety, as well as the lingering effects of her treatment, such as her infertility

“The fear of the unknown really takes over and can physically impact your body, as well as your mind,” she said. That question kept circling: “What if the cancer is back?”

Cancer’s ‘silent’ impacts Studies show cancer survivors experience anxiety and depression that can last years after they finish treatment.

The advocacy group Cancer Nation surveyed patients nationwide last year

It found that about a third of those who had finished treatment reported anxiety about their cancer potentially coming back, as well as problems with not feeling like their “old self.” Only 1 in 5 of the surveyed survivors reported seeing a mental health professional.

Finding therapists who understand how cancer can affect people physically and emotionally can be a challenge, especially in states like Iowa. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, the number of Iowans living five years after their diagnosis has increased about 0.4% each year since 2000, and the state has the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses Researchers aren’t sure why but the University of Iowa scientists who run the reg-

istry are taking a deep dive into the issue in a two-year state-funded project.

Iowa is also largely rural. Some of the counties that have the highest cancer rates also have the fewest mental health workers. Newman went through several therapists before she was able to get an appointment with Julie Larson, a Des Moines-based therapist who works with a lot of cancer survivors.

“I just felt like I needed something more specific to what I was going through,” Newman said.

In Larson’s practice, it’s common for clients like Newman to start therapy months or even a year after finishing treatment, when they realize they aren’t feeling how they expected to feel.

“Physically people’s bodies have changed,” Larson said. “And they are reconcil-

HEALTH NOTES

ing loss and grief. And those experiences are a little bit more silent, a little more invisible, and friends and family don’t often fully understand or grasp that.”

Larson said cancer survivors often seek her out because she understands cancer and the different forms of treatment people may have experienced.

“I’m not a doctor, but I’ve done this a long time. So I know what happens when people have Adriamycin. I know the treatment protocol for carboplatin,” she said, citing chemotherapy drugs.

Oncology, mental health

When it comes to treating cancer the field of oncology often neglects mental health, said Patricia Ganz, an oncologist and professor at the UCLA School of Public Health who has spent decades doing research on cancer survivors and their

lingering challenges.

“We know how to give pills. We know how to give pain medicine, sleep medicines. But we’re not really schooled in the antidepressants,” she said.

There’s an increasing awareness about the need to screen for psychological distress in cancer patients and the need to provide mental health services for cancer patients and survivors, Ganz said, but expertrecommended screenings and referrals don’t always happen to the extent they should.

The MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center in Des Moines has started offering services such as counseling, music therapy, and mindfulness sessions to reduce stress for those in and out of treatment.

“You get cared for intensely when you’re getting treated for cancer,” said Richard Deming, the medical director at the clinic named for him. By contrast, he said, when people com pl ete treatment, the care typically shifts: “It’s almost like, ‘You should feel fo rtun ate that you’re cancer-free and just get on with your life.’”

To treat cancer comprehensively, Deming said, doctors need to pay attention to far more than just physical symptoms. That requires a shift in the way doctors treat patients, he said.

“Every step along the way, whether it’s through diagnosis or treatment or follow-up, we have to ask, ‘What are the issues you’re experiencing?’ ” Deming said. “Not just: ‘Do you have cancer? Did we get rid of the cancer?’”

This article is from a partnership that includes Iowa Public Radio, NPR, and KFF Health News.

Ochsner Children’s in New Orleans begins Summer Toy Drive

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

Ochsner Children’s has launched its annual Summer Toy Drive, collecting new toys to help brighten the hospital experience for patients throughout the year

The community is invited to donate items at designated drop-off locations, helping ensure children have access to comfort, play and moments of joy when they need them most.

Accepted donations include brand-new toys in original packaging as well as books, games, puzzles and craft kits for infants through teens. To protect the health and safety of patients, the program cannot accept stuffed animals or cloth items. For New Orleans donation locations visit ochsner.org/toydrive.

BR children’s hospital names president

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System-Our Lady of

DOULAS

Continued from page 1X

Connects, estimates that nurses have made around 2,000 initial visits to families — helping identity a range of issues, including high blood pressure, lactation and breastfeeding challenges, physical recovery complications and mental health changes.

“We’re just ensuring that (a mother) is well-informed, well-educated and knows that she’s not alone,” August-Autry said. “There’s support out there.”

In northwest Louisiana, Devine “Divine” Bailey-Nicholas focuses on the pre-birth side of the issue. Bailey-Nicholas can’t put a number to the number of mothers she’s helped. She’s been a doula for over 50 women and offered many more counseling through her organization, Community Birth Companion, where she is executive director Community Birth Companion started in 2012 with the mission of lowering infant and maternal mor-

the Lake Children’s Health named Dr Shaun Kemmerly as its new president, following a national search. Kemmerly has more than three decades of pediatric care and physician leadership experience.

Kemmerly has served in several leadership roles, bringing clinical leadership, operational experience and a deep commitment to advancing pediatric care across Louisiana.

North Oaks Health welcomes ENT

Dr Erik Rasmussen joins the North Oaks ENT & Allergy Clinic in Hammond. He specializes in Inspire Therapy, an FDA-approved surgical implant that treats sleep apnea in patients who cannot tolerate CPAP machines.

Rasmussen earned his undergraduate degree from John Brown University in Siloam Springs and his medical degree from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. He completed his otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) residency

PROVIDED PHOTO

Devine ‘Divine’ Bailey-Nicholas of Opelousas was honored with a 2025 Angel Award from the Louisiana Blue Foundation for her work supporting pregnant mothers and breastfeeding mothers.

tality rates in St. Landry Parish. “I wanted to support mothers and families in the way in which I wished I was supported in my first two pregnancies,” Bailey-Nicholas said “I knew that it was a maternal health crisis among women in general and Black women specifically in this country, and I wanted

at the University of Louisville in Kentucky

Tulane cardiologist named physician of the year

The American Heart Association honored Tulane cardiologist Dr Keith C. Ferdinand with its 2026 Physician of the Year Award on June 23 at the association’s National Volunteer Awards ceremony in Irving, Texas.

The award recognized Ferdinand, the Gerald S. Berenson Chair in Preventive Cardiology and director of clinical cardiology at Tulane University School of Medicine, for his dedication to preventing heart disease, improving lives and ensuring more people, especially patients in under-resourced communities, have access to cardiovascular care. Ferdinand was born and raised in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, a neighborhood where a career in medicine was not often seen as an option. But he was encouraged by his family and teachers, who saw

to work toward a change in a positive direction.”

Over the years, Bailey-Nicholas expanded her roles; she now holds certificates as a professional midwife, lactation counselor, maternalchild community health worker and doula trainer

Although the research on Louisiana’s maternal care can be negative, it’s “an opportunity where we can really build up communities with doula support and midwifery support,” Bailey-Nicholas said. “We have work ahead, but I’m hoping that we are growing a solid workforce that is going to be able to make some changes.”

Community Birth Companions has trained over 20 people to become doulas since its founding. Bailey-Nicholas said she’s seen a shift in perception of doulas since then.

“It was for some people seen as a luxury,” she said. “A lot of folks felt like they may not need a doula because they have an aunt or a friend, but I think people are understanding now that doulas are trained specifically.”

in him the ability to make a difference.

“I was pleased to have the opportunity to work at Tulane, and it has always been rewarding for me to serve communities,” said Ferdinand.

Pennington study to eye women’s diets

Pennington Biomedical Research Center is launching a LEAP study to examine the impact of a diet high in fresh lean pork, compared to a plant-based diet, on cardiovascular function in perimenopausal women who are overweight or have obesity and who are experiencing menopause symptoms.

To qualify for this research study, participants should:

n Be a female, 40 to 55 years old

n Have a BMI of 28 to 45

n Be experiencing irregular menstrual cycles (e.g., not having a period every month) but have not gone longer than 12 consecutive months without a period

Louisiana passed legislation in 2025 requiring Medicaid-managed care organizations to reimburse doula services. Since the change, Bailey-Nicholas said she’s seen more awareness of doula services as an option for mothers seeking help in these healthcare deserts. She takes a nuanced view of maternal health in the state.

n Be experiencing severe menopause symptoms daily (hot flashes, excessive sweating during the night, fatigue, frequent urinary tract infections, etc.)

n Be doing less than three hours per week of structured exercise. Compensation of up to $600 is offered for the completion of this study with provided meals.

New therapy at Ochsner

LSU Health in Shreveport

North Louisiana patients with leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma can receive CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment that reprograms a patient’s own cells to fight cancer, in Shreveport at Ochsner LSU Health — Feist-Weiller Cancer Center For more information, visit ochsnerlsuhs.org/fwcc.

Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

“I would like to reframe it in a way that even though I can feel discouraged, I know that it’s joy there,” Bailey-Nicholas said. “I know that we are making connections, that we are having some great partnerships, and we’re identifying people within the hospital system and with other community organizations who are really working just like we are to better the outcomes

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 re-examining 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.

IOWA PUBLIC RADIO/KFF HEALTH NEWS/TNS PHOTO By NATALIE KREBS

Morgan Newman was diagnosed with Stage 3 cervical cancer at age 24 but has been cancer-free for a decade. She says she still deals with lingering fears of the cancer returning

Deming

Eat Fit LiveFit

Formanyofus,eatingdoesn’tstop oncedinnerends.There’softenone moretriptothekitchen,maybe forafewsquaresofchocolate,asmall bowloficecream,popcornorcrackers. Sometimesit’slessabouthungerand moreaboutthecomfortofendingthe daywithafamiliarroutine.

ThisiswhyI’veneverbeenafanof rigidrulesthattellusweshouldn’teat afteracertainhour.Atthesametime,the questionofwhetherlate-nighteatingis “bad”forusisn’tnew.Researchershave beenstudyingitfordecades,andthe sciencehasbecomeincreasinglyclear ononepoint:ourbodiesgenerallydon’t processfoodthesamewayat9p.m.as theydoat9a.m.

Thatdoesn’tmeananoccasional bedtimesnackisaproblem.Thebigger concernisaconsistentpatternofeating largemeals,orasignificantportionofour dailycalories,lateatnight.

WhattheResearchShows

Ourbodiesoperateoninternalclocks knownascircadianrhythms.Duringthe day,prioritiesincludedigestion,blood sugarcontrolandenergyuse.Atnight, ourbodiesnaturallybeginshiftingtoward rest,recoveryandenergystorage.

Researchhaslinkedregularlate-night eatingwithhigherbloodglucoselevels, poorerinsulinsensitivity,weightgain, acidrefluxanddisruptedsleep.Studies havealsofoundthatpeoplewhoroutinely eatlatertendtofeelhungrierand experiencechangesinappetiteregulatinghormones.

Oneofthemosteye-opening experiencesformecamewhenIfirst experimentedwithacontinuous glucosemonitor.Iassumedthatasmall bedtimesnackwouldn’tmakemuch difference.Afterall,asliceoftoastwith nutbutterorasmalllow-sugarcookie

Late-nighteating: Is it really that bad?

seemedharmlessenough. Instead,myglucose levelsclimbedabove 140andstayedelevated formorethansixhours overnight.Toputthis inperspective,glucose levelsconsistentlyover 140canbeanindicator ofinsulinresistance orprediabetes

ButwhenIchose protein-andfat-based snackslikealmondbutter, nuts,cheeseoroneof thepeanutbuttercupsfromourEatFit Cookbook(recipealsoavailableontheEat Fitmobileapp),myglucoselevelsstayed wellunder100throughoutthenight.

tobed.Lyingdownmakesiteasierfor stomachcontentstomoveupwardinto theesophagus,disruptingbothdigestion andsleep.

sleptpoorly,we’refarmorevulnerable tointensecravingsatnight.Late-night eatingbecomesadistractionfrom everythingswirlingaroundinourheads,a waytoturndownthe“noise.

Plus,manyofthefoodswereach foratnightareengineeredbyfood manufacturerstohitthe“blisspoint,”(yes, thisisactuallywhatit’scalled)thatsweet spotcombinationofcarbs,fatandsalt thatlightupourbrains’rewardcenters andkeepuswantingmore.

SoWhatCanWeDo?

Stayhydrated.Eatregularly.Include proteinandhealthyfatseachtimeyou eat.Choosefiber-richcarbohydrates. Moveyourbody.

Thisisastudyofone,notaclinical trial,ofcourse.Butitreinforcedwhat we’relearningfromtheresearch:Many ofusappeartohandlecarbohydrates differentlylateatnightthanwedoearlier intheday.

Andtheconcernisn’tjustweightgain. Whenglucoseremainselevatedforhours, especiallyovernight,itcancontribute toinflammationandinsulinresistance. Overtime,thiscanincreaseourrisk ofconditionsliketype2diabetesand cardiovasculardisease

Late-nighteatingcanalsoworsen acidrefluxandheartburn,particularlyif we’reeatingwithinafewhoursofgoing

BY THENUMBERS

WhyNighttimeCravings

HitsoHard

Butonequestionthat’softenmissing fromtheseconversationsis:Whyarewe eatingatnightinthefirstplace?

Manyofusstartthedaywiththebest intentions.Yetbyevening,thecookies, chipsandicecreamseemtohaveavice griponus.Whenwegivein,it’seasyto blameourselves.Butit’snotnecessarily areflectionofourwillpower.Moreoften, it’stheresultofeverythingthathappened earlierintheday.

Ifwe’veunder-eatenduringtheday, skippedmeals,neglectedprotein,gotten dehydrated,livedunderchronicstressor

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

RATESOFINDUCED LABORRISE IN LOUISIANA, ACROSS THEU.S.

Rates of induced labor in United States are increasing,and have been for decades. Laborwas induced for more than one-third of all singleton births in 2024 (34.5%), an increase of 39% from 2016.

Birthcertificate data showthat labor was induced in fewerthan 1in10births in 1989 compared with more than 1in4 births in 2016,according to data released by the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

Inducinglaborbymedical or surgical means instead of waiting for the spontaneous onset of labor can helpprotect maternal and perinatal health by reducing the complications of continuing the pregnancy, but it mayalsocarry risks.

In Louisiana, labor inductionrates increased by 33%ineight years,from 28.4% in 2016to37.7% in 2024.

These states hadthe highest percentageincrease in labor induction in singleton births, from2016to2024:

n California with a 106% increase, from 14.6% to 30.1%;

n Massachusetts with a 77% increase, from 19.5% to 34.5%;

n Hawaii with a 68% increase, from 18.3% to 30.7%;

n Pennsylvania with a 68% increase, from 23.8% to 39.9%;

n Maine with a 57% increase, from 25.8% to 40.6%;

n Minnesota with a 54% increase, from 23.8% to 36.6%;

n Colorado with a 53% increase, from 22.2% to 33.9%;

n Nevada with a 53% increase, from 21.6% to 33.1%;

n Michigan with a 50% increase, from 22.5% to 33.8%;

n Virginia with a 48% increase, from 19.1% to 28.2%

These states hadthe lowest percentageincrease in labor induction in singleton births,from 2016to2024:

n NewMexico with aslight decrease,from 35.1% to 34.6%;

n Tennessee with a 4% increase, from 34.5% to 35.9%;

n West Virginia with a 12% increase, from 40.2% to 45.2%;

HEADPHONES

Abriefwalkafterdinnercanhelp, too.Even10minutesofmovementcan improvebloodsugarcontrol,support digestionandreducetheurgefor mindlesssnackinglaterintheevening Andifyoutrulyarehungryatnight, choosefoodsthatworkwithyourbody ratherthanagainstit.Greekyogurt, cottagecheese,nuts,almondbutter,a ready-to-drinkproteinshake,protein granolaoraprotein-richsmoothiecan oftenbemoresatisfyingthanthehighly processedsnacksthattendtocallour nameafterdark.

Anighttimesnackisn’tautomatically theproblem.Butifwe’refindingourselves inanightlybattlewithcravings,the answermayhavelesstodowithwhat happensat9p.m.andmoretodowithour choicesandbehaviorsthroughouttheday leadinguptoit.

Findthepeanutbuttercuprecipeand morequick,protein-forwardideasin “TheEatFitCookbook,”availableatlocal retailersoronlineatEatFitCookbook.com. UsepromocodeADVOCATEatcheckout for10%off

Percentchangeininduction of labor, by state, from 2016 to 2024 Laborinduction increasesinAmerica

“The biggest problem right nowisthatkids wear these headphones,and parents don’trealize howloud they’re listening to things until they’ve been doing it for years,”hesaid.“Sometimes theyhave hearing damage already.”

Continued from page1X Choi

‘Don’t putitatmax’ Earbuds themselves are not necessarily harmful, but how they are used can be. The biggest concernislistening at high volumes for extended periods of time. Over time, repeated exposure to loud sounds can damage the delicate hair cells insidethe inner ear that are responsible for hearing. Once those cells are damaged, they do not regenerate.

According to the American OsteopathicAssociation,hearing loss linked to headphone usage is increasing. About 1in5teenagers will experience some form of hearing damage, which is about 30% higher thanitwas 20 yearsago Agood rule, according to

Dr.Janet Choi, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California, is to put headphones at 60% volumefor 60 minutesata time.

“T her e’s no cl ea r guidancefor recreational noise exposure at this point,” Choi said. “But we don’twanttoput headphones at maximum volume.” Choi treats many Los An-

n Arizona with a 13% increase, from29.7% to 33.6%;

n Georgia with a 13% increase, from24% to 27.2%;

n Utah with a 14% increase, from15.8% to 18%;

n Delaware with a 20% increase, from32.4% to 38.9%;

n Idaho with a 24% increase, from30.1% to 37.4%;

n NewJersey with a 24% increase, from24.1% to 30%;

n Oklahoma with a 20% increase, from33.2% to 39.8%;

n South Carolina with a 24% increase, from29.1% to 36%;

n Texaswith a 24% increase, from24.8% to 30.8%.

Thereportisbased on birth certificate data fromthe National Vital Statistics Systemreported by the CDC.

geles-areamusicians who are often exposed to loud volumes at concerts, rehearsals and practice spaces.

She recommends “high fidelity earplugs,”orhi-fi’s, to reduceloud noise exposure at an even decibel level without distorting or muffling sounds.

Hanby,who primarily sees patientsinthe Baton Rouge area, also recommends ear protection for hunters.

“Going on just one hunt without ear protection can permanently damage your hearing,”Hanby said. “And once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

There are some issues with headphoneswithmoisture and infection in the ear canal, according to Hanby Headphones and earplugs need to be sanitized often as bacteriaislikely to build up over timeand after repeated use.

“Wipe the headphones on a regular basis with an alcohol swab,” Choisaid. “Especially if there is ahistory of ear infections, like in swimmers.”

Some headphones even have replaceable tips that can be asecondary option to keep up with earpiece hygiene.

Here are someearly signs to look out for that indicate hearing loss: n Frequently asking people to repeat themselves; n Difficulty following conversationsincrowded settings; n Turning on thetelevision or phone volume up higher than others prefer; n Feeling like people are mumbling; n Trouble hearing highpitchedsoundssuchas birds, alarmsorchildren’s voices; n Ringing, buzzing or humming in the ears.

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Forgenerations,familiesacrosstheregionhavetrustedOchsnerLafayetteGeneraltobethereforlife’smost importantmoments.Wehonorthattrustbyinvestinginourfacilities,servicesandworkforce—ensuringaccess tothehighestqualitycareclosetohome,todayandforgenerationstocome.Fromadvancedspecialtiesto expandedaccessandinnovativeprograms,we’rebuildingahealthierfutureforourcommunity.

Learnmoreatochsner.org/lafayette

Palmetto Island State Park is nestled in the swamplands on Bayou Vermilion, south of Abbeville.

PHOTO BY

CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

LOUISIANA

ON THE

BAYOU

AmasterplancametoBayou Vermilion’srescue decadesago.Those wholoveitnow look ahead.

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX | Contributing writer

ATthe Vermilionville performance center this spring in Lafayette, citizens gathered and put sticky notes on maps withmessages.

“Weneed more places to relaxand have a drinkonthe bayou.”

“More ecotourism, please.”

Ayellownote said, “What about ariver walk?” and was countered withapink one, “Don’t

The Bayou Vermilion quietly flows throughLafayette Parish for 33 miles Wildlife and residents depend on it in many ways, for habitat, recreation, irrigation and drainage —not to mention it musthandle thetreated wastewater of thousands of flushing toilets daily Waterways across the globe facethe challenge of maintaining their ecological integrity whilebeing so heavily used. To meet that challenge, the waterway itself needs an advocate. In Lafayette Parish, that’sthe BayouVermilion District.

Funded by atax millage, the district’s original, spiral-boundmaster plan, published in 1985, contained practical ideas. But it also dreamed big, envisioninga cultural center,hotels and horsebackriding along the bayou.

Aworkinprogress

Partsofthatplanhavebecomereality.The organization monitors water quality,regularlyclears trash from the bayou, manages seven boat/paddle craft launches, provides educational opportunities and operates Vermilionville —abayou-side living historymuseum and culturalcenter Since its creation and aided by the Teche-VermilionFresh Water District, the goalhas been to helpimprovewaterquality.In 1982, theTeche-Vermilion project beganoperating pumps which reestablished ahistorical connection betweenthe Vermilionand the Atchafalaya Basin, whichhad been cut off by levees. Thatchange andinfluxesoffresh water allowed the Bayou Vermilionto more readily flush pollutants and debris.

ä See BAYOU, page 2Y

overdevelop likethe San AntonioRiverwalk!”

In 1984, when dead livestock still floated the bayou waters, theLegislature created theBayou Vermilion District as apolitical subdivision with three purposes: improve water quality,create economic developmentand do “anyand allother acts” to improveBayou Vermilion

By theend of theyear,the organization is getting arefresh with anew master plan, coordinated by consultants with Frees and Nichols, whowere on hand to gather input.

ABOVE: Reenactor KevinRees stops to chat with outof-state tourists as they explore the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park in Lafayette. LEFT: Blacksmith Sean Hayes lightsthe forge STAFF PHOTOS By

LESLIE WESTBROOK

Interview leadsto original angel

For the third summer in arow, our daughter Piper has moved to anew spotinDenver.When she sent me the new address last month, Ilooked it up, the way amotherdoes.I realizeditwas barely ablock from East High School,whichmade me think of Mary Nell Barringer Ihad gone on awalk with and written astory aboutBarringer in April. At 82, she takesdaily walks, picks up bits she finds alongthe wayand makesbug art from the unsuspected treasures. Partwaythrough our interview, she mentionedshe grew up in Colorado.Itoldher our younger daughterisa teacher in Denver

“At East High School?” Barringerasked. Itoldher thatwasn’tPiper’s school,but Iwas familiar with it andthatIthought it to be such a beautiful campus.

“My grandmotherwas the originalangel,”Barringer said. Ihad no ideawhat she meant andaskedfor an explanation.

The short version: In 1886, the high school’s architect wanted ayoung girl’sface carvedinto the entryway, akind of keystone. Thousands of local girls were considered. A6-year-old named Ella Catherine Matty won. The child’sface andsculpture were so lovely thatthe school’s students were referred to as angels, even becoming the East High Angels as their official mascot.

Ella Catherine went on to graduate from East High in 1898. Her granddaughter, born decades later, was the womanacross the table frommeinBaton Rouge, telling me aboutthe magic she works turning notebook spirals andold flip phonesinto butterfliesand cicadawings.

Having walked East High’s campus on my way to Tattered Cover, abookstore I’ve loved for decades,Iwas amazed by Barringer’sstory.She told me that the sculpture still exists on campus —and Ifiledthat tidbit away until Isaw ourdaughter’snew address.

As Piperwas moving to her newapartment andvisiting the nearby weekly farmers market with her boyfriend, Itexted and askediftheywould walk the campus andlook for an angelic sculpture of alittle girl’sface. I thought it would be afun adventure for them, anditseemedeasy enough.

It wasn’t.

ä See RISHER, page 4Y

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER

Piper Naudin, left,and Jan Risher stand by the plaque that tells the storyofhow Ella Catherine Matty Orman became the original East High AngelinDenver.

Couple creates safe place for youths to ride ATVs

BY IYAHNNA CARTER Contributing writer

When Louis and Stephanie Al-

len saw a story about young riders navigating illegal ATVs across Baton Rouge’s Mississippi Bridge, it sparked an idea.

The Baton Rouge couple owned 35-plus acres of undeveloped property in Scotlandville and had been looking for creative ways to use it

Maybe creating a safe space for the youths to enjoy their off-road vehicles could be it.

“And so we said, ‘You know what? We have the skills to do it. We have the property to do it Let’s do it,’” said Stephanie Allen

That was the beginning of the Throw Dat Dirt ATV Park & Trail in 2022, a venture that has expanded far beyond recreation. The Allens provide safety training and are helping to boost the economy in an area that has been overlooked for new development.

By drawing visitors from outside the neighborhood to the park, located at 11890 Gibbens Road, the couple says they are bringing new dollars into the community.

“We get to redevelop an area of the city that struggles for development dollars and for new businesses to come in and stay afloat right?” Allen said.

The ATV park only strengthened what the couple had already begun. They had established a teaching garden on the property, where they educate young people on farming and land literacy

The ATV park became another form of what they called “creative land use,” a way to make unused

BAYOU

Continued from page 1y

This, along with the organization’s actions have contributed to a reduction in the fecal coliform bacteria from 1984 levels of 3,000 colonies/100mL down to 530 colonies recorded in 2022.

The Bayou Vermilion District works to improve water quality in a highly visible way with boats, grapples and a trash trap located on Coulee Mine In 2025 they removed 1,806 barrels plus 71 tires from the main bayou and 120 cubic yards on Coulee Mine.

But, improving water quality involves more than getting the litter out.

The organization also regularly monitors water quality indicators like dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and fecal bacteria. This water quality data alerts the Bayou Vermilion District to situations that need urgent and ongoing attention — often necessitating action by agencies with code enforcing powers.

“Water quality is the center of the Bayou Vermilion District’s mission as evidenced by our commitment to a community-driven master plan, our Water Quality Task Force and our most recent initiative to educate Lafayette students on all aspects of our watershed,” said Karen Hail, president of the Board of Commissioners which governs the organization Since its creation three years ago, the Water Quality Task Force has prioritized reducing high fecal bacteria counts by working to strengthen regulations and enforcement related to home septic systems and privately managed mid-size wastewater package plants.

Along with pet and agricultural waste, these systems contribute to high fecal bacteria when they are not properly maintained

High bacteria counts are the main reason why swimming in the bayou, while refreshing, is a bad idea. They affect whether the bayou receives the DEQ’s primary or secondary (or neither) status. Waterways with primary contact status are considered swimmable.

Secondary contact recreation status allows for safe paddling, fishing and boating but is a tentative status affected by fluctuations in bacteria counts, influenced by heavy rains washing pollutants into the bayou.

Commissioner Sam Oliver says the task force has done important work, particularly in coordinating activity between code enforcement agencies like Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Department of Environmental Quality

“Making sure there is clear communication between these agencies is a big step,” Oliver said. “The master plan will build on that, now that we’ve deepened these partnerships.”

No matter the technical reported status of the bayou, there has been an

and her husband, Louis, began opening their land in 2022 to provide a space for youths to ride their off-road vehicles safely

space functional while investing directly into the community

“The learning curve is very

steep,” she said. “A lot of challenges, and then just the maintenance on it. We definitely bit

off a chunk. But we are, I feel like we’re the most prepared to do it.”

Tourists who come to ride ATVs and explore the area often ask where to eat, where to stay and what else is happening nearby, the couple said.

In recent years, safety has become a major focus of their work.

After discovering that ATV safety training was nonexistent locally and that people were traveling as far as Texas for such training, the Allens became certified instructors through the ATV Safety Institute.

Now, they offer training sessions designed to teach both youths and adults how to ride responsibly

“There was nowhere close that offered safety training,” Stephanie Allen explained. “So, we stepped in to fill the gap.”

In June, the park offered free training to community members during ATV Safety Week and OffHighway Vehicle Training Week.

The couple hopes to expand access year-round, especially for younger riders.

One of their biggest needs moving forward is securing more youth-sized ATVs, which can be just as expensive as full-sized models. With additional partnerships or funding, the couple said they hope to broaden their programs and reach younger participants.

At its heart, this is not just a business — it’s an extension of the Allens’ life and values. They describe themselves as “serial entrepreneurs,” combining their individual business experience into shared efforts that benefit their family and neighborhood.

They’ve raised two sons but say their impact goes far beyond their household. Neighborhood kids regularly gather at their home and on the property participating in projects, learning skills, and building relationships.

“As far as we’re concerned, they’re all our sons,” she said. “They come from everywhere. They eat together, work together and grow together.”

From constructing trails to growing their garden, the Allens say every project is designed to connect young people with practical skills and real-world applications.

“Our primary goal is to make this a place where people can live, work and play,” she said.

For now, the couple plans to continue expanding their safety programming and community partnerships, encouraging residents and visitors alike to stay connected through their website and social media for updates on upcoming training events.

But their mission remains steady: invest in the next generation, uplift the community and prove that even neglected spaces can be transformed into something meaningful.

This story was reported and written by Iyahnna Carter, a journalism student at Louisiana State University, with the support of the nonprofit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T MacArthur foundations.

museum on the

“People need to access the bayou in order to enjoy it and appreciate our heritage — Vermilionville is an effective tool for doing this.”

SAM OLIVER, Bayou Vermilion District commissioner

PROVIDED PHOTO

Entrepreneur Stephanie Allen, who co-owns Throw Dat Dirt ATV Park and Trail in Scotlandville, conducts an

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Paddlers meander down Bayou Vermilion during the 2024 Bayou Fest and Boat Parade.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Reenactor Emily Duplechain stands on the front porch of the Boucvalt House at Vermilionville in Lafayette.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK Bayou Vermilion District workers pick up debris on the Vermilion River near the Pinhook Road bridge in 2020.

at this location in 1863.

Workingshiftsatfoodbankhelps with theirsobriety

BY VIOLET BUCARO Staff writer

Calandria Robinson droppeda canofcorn into acardboard box andwatched it inchdownanassembly line, where more groceries gotstuffedinand it headed to the back of adelivery truck.Her first day volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank back in late 2024 became amonthly field trip —it helps her stay sober

Walking into the large warehouse in Harahan feels like you’ve entered amore industrialized Costco or Home Depot. Conveyor belts, stacks of food —“Theyrun like awell-oiled machine,” Robinson said, and at first, “It’s alittle daunting.”

When Second Harvesttrucks pass by on the highway,Robinson likes to think her box is in there, on its way to the hands of someone hungry

She has overtwo years of sobriety since completing the addiction treatment program at Avenues Recovery Center.She started avolunteer initiative at Second Harvest for patients and alumni to complete their court-mandatedcommunity service hours andpractice the last step of 12-step programs: helping others.

In Louisiana, Avenues Recovery has clinicalfacilities in Metairie, Covington and Baton Rouge. It offers aftercare groups forits alumni to continue recovery involvement and encouraging what some may feel is impossible to achieve in sobriety: Having fun.

About once amonth, Robinson andAvenues fellows gather at Second Harvestinmatching blue smock vests to, as Robinson puts it, “help improve the community and improveourselves allatthe same time.”

The foodbank delivers food to 500communities across 23 parishes in south Louisiana and distributes approximately 40 million pounds of food each year. It’satall order,requiring help from several volunteers and groups in the region.

Robinson said she has seen manypeople in addictionface food insecurity,one of thereasons Second Harvest is meaningful place for people in recovery to

program for the Avenuesgroup

give back.

“It’sone that strikes very dear to most of us,” she said. “At theend of ashift,tosee how many boxes we packed, how many families we were able to affect, is alot. It’s meaningful and we wear it likea badge of honor.”

Gettingout of ‘self’

Avenues alumni coordinator Jacie Plaisance, said her five years of sobriety is achieved through acts of service. Shejoined the alumni association in 2021 and later came back to be an employee at the facility.Without giving back, she said shequestionswhethershe would be abletostay sober

“Theentirepoint of recoveryis getting out of ‘self’and helping somebody else,” Plaisance said.

As the group sets up at stations packing, weighing,carryingand boxing, Plaisance noticed the peopleshe hadseen come through the doors to detox from drug abuse were now smilingand laughing in afriendly competition to fill as many boxes aspossible.

“It’sthe community whowins.

We win,” Robinson said.

Lessthan10peopletotaled a high score of 800finished boxes in just afew hours.

“It’ssuper important to me to show them that they can have fun and recoveryand have fun doing

TwoAvenues Recoveryalumni build boxes during volunteer work at Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater NewOrleans.

service work,”Plaisance said. She recalled atime apatient approached herafter ashift andsaid, “The whole timeI’ve been here, I have not thought about adrink.

That’sthe entire point, she said. “It just warms my heartsomuch because not toolong ago we were either on the streets, or manipulating, or lyingordoing godawful things just to, youknow, drink,” shesaid. “It’sjusta shiftinperspective and we get to see that in real time.”

Offthe clock, Plaisance will go on thefieldtrips just because it fills her spiritualcup. “It does something to me,” shesaid. Plaisance said when arecovery facilitylike Avenuesgivesback to volunteer forcharitable groups, clientsfeel like it’s easier to approach servicework for themselves andcontinue to volunteer after they leaveAvenuesand reintegrate intothe world sober “Somanypeople stay in addic-

tion because theydon’t see away out,” she said. “The more youget outside of ‘self,’ the better your recovery will be.”

What volunteering canachieve

John Sillars, chief strategist at SecondHarvest, said the Avenues helps pack for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, boxing shelf-stable groceries for senior residents.

Roughly 14% of seniors 60 yearsand olderare foodinsecure in Louisiana, possibly the country’shighestrate. SecondHarvest deliversfood boxesmonthly to 19,000 senior residents in the region.Abox provides about 20 meals.

Sillars said theirprograms must meet aquota of 1,500 meals per day,with thousands of residents relying on daily distribution.

Last year,Second Harvest tallied 86,000 volunteer hours, which equates to 42 full-time employees.

Sillars said it would be financially impossible to distribute food withoutvolunteers.

“Just putting acan of beansin every box that passes by them, that work is feeding the seniors,” Sillars said.

It is estimatedthatover 800,000 people in Louisiana face food insecurity,and 300,000 are children. Whenschoolsare outfor the summer,theydon’t close shop.

Second Harvest pledges to provide thelargestfood supply of free meals for children in its Southern region. This year, thesummerfeeding program prepares 10,000meals aday for 10,000 kids,saidJon Toups said, the group’sCEO. That’stheir largestorderyet

Sillars said he believesvolunteering goes beyond the box. It is agreat place for friendship.

Gabriel Garrido Jr.isinhis first year of sobriety and attended Avenues’ recovery programinFebruary.Hesaid the people he’smet volunteering at Second Harvest have stayed in his friendship circle andwill frequently meet up to go bowling or tube down the river

“There’snothing like knowing your helping another person,” he said. “It helps me sleep at night.”

After yearsspent battling the disease of alcoholism,Garrido saidherealized if he wantsto be of value he must do valuable things.

“Focusonothers and the rest is takencareof,” he said. That sentiment is shared by manyrecovering alcoholics and addicts. For Robinson, helping others as shewas helped allows hertokeep the life she’sbuilt.

“In ordertokeep it, youhave to give it away,” Robinson said. Volunteer opportunities at SecondHarvest canbefound at nohunger.org. People who are seeking support forrecovery canvisit Avenues Recovery Center at avenuesrecovery.com or by phone at (866) 530-6842.

Email Violet Bucaro at violet. bucaro@theadvocate.com.

“I

am honored and excited to take on this newrole.Shell Norcoisanimportant site with

alonghistory

and areputation forhavinggreat people and astrongculture.” AlexMarkos, ShellNorco VP

Shell NorcoWelcomes AlexMarkos, 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.

Garrido

Calandria Robinson, left, and a Second Harvest staff member embrace in ahug duringawork shift in 2024, the year she started thevolunteer

Older instructors finding their groove

Playing hip-hop or Doris Day, exercise teachers can speak their peers’ language

BY DONNA BLANKINSHIP Associated Press

SEATTLE Bengie Santos was a dancer and choreographer for 30 years before reaching an age when most artists hang up their dancing shoes and take a seat in the audience. But she wasn’t ready to sit back and enjoy the show So Santos began her third act as an exercise instructor

Now 72 and in her 14th year teaching at the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Santos has an almost cultlike following of older adults — many in their 80s and 90s who come to stretch, dance and lift weights multiple times a week.

From Doris Day singalongs to hip-hop routines and country line dances, the classes get people kicking, popping and spinning.

Some of Santos’ students say younger instructors — however great — don’t quite “get them” in the same way And Y organizers and other experts say many older instructors can be role models, speaking their peers’ language in a way that makes exercise more fun.

Building social connections

Sharon Ruff, 81 was attracted to Santos’ classes by the eclectic mix of music, and loves the instructor’s energy and enthusiasm. Before she retired from her job as a teacher she had never exercised regularly “I didn’t really like it, because it wasn’t fun,” she says.

Her friend Ann Kashiwa, 91, often stays for two hourlong classes in a row She started taking Santos’ classes during the pandemic, and has stuck with them through treatment for pancreatic cancer

“She is not only a fantastic teacher, but she gets people together,” says Kashiwa, whose Y friendships have helped her through tough times.

Santos says inspiration flows both ways. Her students inspire her to keep going, she says, and “I’m hoping I inspire them to keep going.”

What older instructors can offer Exercise and being with people are crucial for healthy aging, so finding incentives to do that is important.

“Everybody has to figure out what their barriers are” and come up with strategies to make physical activity rewarding, says Daniel E. Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard and author of several books, including “Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding.” Finding someone to get you moving, whether an instructor or a friend, can help overcome that natural resistance.

“People who stay active as they get older are important role models for everyone,” Lieberman says.

Harry King, an 83-year-old personal trainer in Greenville, South Carolina, agrees that motivation

Continued from page 1y

They walked the grounds twice. No sculpture, not one that matched what I had described and they had pictured. What they didn’t know yet, and neither did I, was that there wasn’t much of a sculpture left to find. The original had worn down over more than a century of Denver weather, until barely a face remained.

The next day, they went back with better information and found a plaque instead of a statue, marking a spot on the grounds where the eroded original still sits. The fuller likeness, they later learned, was inside the school.

I filed away that success too. I arrived last week in Denver to help Piper move into her new place. On my first full day there, she and I walked over to East High together She led me straight to the small garden that continues to pay homage to the school’s original angel. There it was the face of a young girl who looked, in fact, a lot like an angel. I stood there taking it all in, connecting the dots and doing the math. Ella Catherine Matty was 6 years old when Grover Cleveland was president Standing there

“We know it’s more than just fitness for the majority of our active older adults. It’s also the mental and emotional aspect.”

KERRy ASHBy,yMCA program executive

to take that first step is tough for many people, and becomes even harder as their mobility weakens.

King had always been active — kayaking, hiking and playing basketball but when he retired from his job as an insurance executive and business coach, he felt a pull toward a comfortable chair in front of the TV But that got boring fast, so when he saw a Help Wanted sign at Planet Fitness, he applied and worked his way up to become a trainer

Most of his clients are 50 or older

“I’ve heard people say I set a good example and I try to,” he says. “At my age, if I can exercise, why can’t other people too?”

Recruiting older instructors

The YMCA in Seattle is mindful of the value of having an older instructor leading a senior class.

“We don’t put an age limit on our applicants,” says program executive Kerry Ashby, who started there as a younger instructor for the Active Older Adults program. The Y does recruit from within the older adult classes, and a lot of instructors are former participants.

“We know it’s more than just fitness for the majority of our active older adults,” Ashby says. “It’s also the mental and emotional aspect.”

Tom Kleinecke, 67, has been a member of the Y for 18 years and has sampled many different classes. Younger instructors, he says, tend to teach their classes, while Santos leads and inspires.

Kleinecke says his fitness and endurance have improved noticeably since he started taking three of Santos’ classes a week. Although he’s fit, he says, it’s challenging to keep up with her One of the classes includes a faster-paced dance class not designed for older students. At first,

parts were tough to follow, he said, but before long, he knew all the steps, from mambo to moonwalk.

“If you’re worried about being out of sync and uncoordinated, don’t worry about it because nobody is paying attention to you,” Kleinecke says. They’re all watching the instructor Now, he and his wife go out dancing on the weekends.

Looking forward to working out

Santos says she considers the ages and backgrounds of her stu-

East

dents when choosing the exercise class soundtrack.

“I always tell other instructors it isn’t your class, it’s their class,” she says.

She also teaches smaller classes in three senior living facilities.

Those students range from 80 to 102.

“The caregivers wheel them out. I play their music. It triggers their memory,” from Judy Garland to Louie Armstrong, Santos says.

“When they see me they think they’re going to party.”

Some even waltz in their chairs.

governor’s

as

Orman

as

Jonas Salk

invented the polio vaccine), which led to Barringer and her siblings being the first in Pueblo to get the polio vaccine.

Today Barringer and her sister are the last surviving grandchildren.

I wouldn’t have known about this particular angel without meeting a woman in Baton Rouge who makes beetles out of bottle caps. I wouldn’t have gone looking for her without a daughter who happened to move a block away And I wouldn’t have appreciated any of it without one offhand sentence in the middle of an interview

Those are the moments that make the world feel stitched together

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

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

In April, Mary Nell Barringer of Baton Rouge, mentioned to Jan Risher that her grandmother was the original

High angel. In June, Risher visited the plaque in Denver that commemorates Barringer’s grandmother

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By LINDSEy WASSON

Instructor Bengie Santos, 72, at front, leads an exercise class for older adults at the Dale Turner Family yMCA in Shoreline, Wash.

Bengie Santos, 72, collects small exercise balls between portions of her exercise class for older adults

SUNDAY, JUlY 12, 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

grams

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 — HieroGLYPH: HY-rohglif: A character used in a system of writing using pictorial characters.

Average mark 42 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 67 or more words in HIEROGLYPH?

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

wuzzLes

How many goats?

Today’s deal is from a match between a team from the USA and a team from Poland, featuring two of America’s greatest players. South at this table was Jeff Meckstroth He won the opening heart lead with dummy’s king and led a club to his ace. A spade to the queen won, and Meckstroth cashed three more club tricks. West had to make two discards and shed one low diamond and the nine of spades. Meckstroth led the jack of spades to the king and ace, and exited dummy with a heart to West.

West realized that he would be forced to lead away from his king of diamonds after running his heart winners. Trying desperately to get off this endplay, West led a low heart and Meckstroth had nine tricks.

winners, Hamman discarded his two low diamonds, baring his king. Now when South tried to endplay him, Hamman was able to cash all his hearts and exit with the nine of spades to defeat the contract. Stars on parade!

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman

SUBJECT: EVENTS OF 1984-1999

(Example: 1984: The Bhopal disaster took place in a pesticide plant in this country Answer: India.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1999: The U.S. turned over administration of this canal to the country’s government.

Answer________

1998: The Good Friday Agreement ended troubles in this part of the U.K. Answer________

1997: This princess was killed in a car

At the other table, West was TGBH The Great Bob Hamman. The bidding was different, with the Polish South opening one club and Hamman overcalling one heart. The final contract was the same, and the play proceeded the same way except when declarer cashed his club

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Say

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

ventures, going into debt or buying into someone else’s dream.

to take a

those trying to get

Stick to what and who you know best, and use your intelligence to navigate your way through any sticky situations you face LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Turn limitations and setbacks into something fresh, exciting and uplifting. It’s up to you to generate the type of life you want to live Surround yourself with positivity

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take the high road. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or take advantage of your vulnerability Avoid joint

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take flight, experience life, discover what’s possible and start the process of change. Let go of what’s not working for you anymore and replace it with a little excitement and adventure.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Communication will help you gain access to new possibilities. Refuse to let negativity or anger stand between you and something or someone you want in your life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Listen, negotiate and change only what’s

necessary and affordable. Back away if someone tries to use emotional manipulation. Take hold of whatever situation you face.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It’s OK to take a break, reflect and find your happy place. Opportunity comes from doing what’s best for you. Someone you encounter will push emotional buttons.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 19) Choose a diverse course of action. Change may be necessary, but so is security Don’t promise more than you can deliver. Having integrity and keeping a positive attitude will bring hope for a brighter future.

PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Home is where the heart is Enjoy your space; fill it with the people you care about, host an event and be the one to bring people together Personal satisfaction is derived from doing the right thing.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t settle for less than what you want. Express your concerns if opposition surfaces. Having a positive attitude and being willing to compromise will help you put your plans in motion.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to what’s unfolding around you. Don’t take an unnecessary

risk. Avoid crowds, scammers and those trying to mistreat you. Stick close to home and take care of unfinished business.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Put more effort into learning and expanding your interests. Don’t be tempted by lofty offers or those trying to talk you into overindulgence. Focus on self-improvement, not destruction.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact.

© 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

goren Bridge

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: Youdon't passuparide to space. —Victor Glover

1. Panama Canal. 2. Northern Ireland. 3. Diana, Princess of Wales. 4. Afghanistan. 5.O.J. Simpson. 6. SouthAfrica. 7. Bill Clinton. 8. European Union. 9.Indira Gandhi. 10.Chile 11.Beijing. 12. Channel Tunnel. 13.Israel and Palestine. 14. Challenger.15. Titanic Crossword

mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly