The Times-Picayune 07-26-2026 by The Advocate

INSIDE MORENO’SPOLITICAL

‘CHESS GAME’

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

New Orleans Mayor Hel-

ena Moreno glided through the packed assemblyroom at Berean BibleChurch in Algiers on arecent Friday

She and other community leaders were honoring participants in anonproﬁtprogram called HeroesofNew Orleans that aims to put atrisk teenagers on thepath to success.

Several people stopped Moreno for aphoto or ahug.

One woman asked her about AI and ended the conversation by saying she hadbeen nervoustotalk with the mayor Moreno smiled and patted her arm.

If anyone should be nervous, it should be themayor

During her first six months in office, Moreno has had to grapple with finding enough money for the city to pay its bills, ﬁx broken streetlightsand ﬁll gaping potholes.She has had to worry aboutkeeping residents safe and making progress on her other campaign promises. At the same time, Moreno has had to maintaina delicate balancing act with Ba-

“Wehavetoworkasacoordinated, collaborative front, the

and the City Council, to really deal withthe issues the city is facing.”

ton Rouge Republicans, led by Gov. Jeff Landry, who are aggressively injecting themselves into the city’s affairs, andher Democratic constituents, who expect her to stronglydefend New Orleans’ interests.

The Democratic mayor and six other local political leaders took the extraordinary step on Tuesday of

asking aspecialprosecutor to drop an OrleansParish grand jury indictment against Attorney General Liz Murrill, aRepublican, in an attempt by the ofﬁcials to resetrelations between the city and state. The controversies don’t seem torufﬂeMoreno, 48. During several recentinterviews over atwo-week

Up to 20% of students fail in transition to college

Supportgroupsstepupto counselhighschoolgraduates at amake-or-break time

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Skyi’ Lewis dialed the number of ahigh school graduate headed to theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette this fall and rattled through alist of questions.

“You gotyourconfirmedhousing? Aschedule? Can you send me ascreenshot? Do you know the location of your courses andwhattime they start? How are you getting to Lafayette?”

ä Group helps students fight ‘summer melt.’ PAGE 14A

Arecent alum of G.W. Carver High School in NewOrleans and arising sophomore at Colorado College, Lewis is familiar with the checklist of things that need to be completed before astudent ever sets foot on campus. She’salso seen what happens when those logisticsfallthrough the cracks.

Up to 20% of students who areaccepted into college and fully intend to enrollnever makeitto campus, according to national studies. In Louisiana, that couldmeanhundredsofstudentsacross

ä See TRANSITION, page 8A

period, where themayor allowed TheTimes-Picayune to shadow herand attend meetings with hersenior staff, Moreno was relentlessly optimistic, saying she is focused on avoiding distractions andonbettering thelives of New Orleans residents.

Moreno favorsanapproachable and inclusive style that draws people in, but she also doesn’thesitate to say no when necessary

“Everything in my background preparedmeto be in this very seat,” said Moreno, aformer WDSUTV reporter/anchor who spent atotal of 15 years in the state House andonthe City Council beforewinning themayor’s race lastyear in theprimary with 55% of the vote. “I had an understanding of what to do. Iknow my capability.”

One of those capabilities, she believes, is to approach politics strategically,to minimize mistakes that result from ad hoc or improvised decisions.

“I think through things I’m going to say or Iwill present,”Moreno said.“I am constantly thinking 20

ä See MORENO, page 7A

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Federal agents knocked on adoor in Covington last summer,searching forawoman wanted for an unusual crime.

ArielKornienkohad been hiding asecond life from her childrenand ailing mother.Tohundreds of closely vettedvisitorsinsecretive chat rooms, she was the “Baronness” —aleader in adark underworld whose members draw delight from videos of live apes being burned, ﬂayed andsexually tortured. In an interviewwith aU.S.Department of HomelandSecurityspecial agent that morning and in documents ﬁled later in federal court, Kornienko laid out new revelations into the “monkey hate community” she had come to inhabit. The groups, which found ahomeonthe encrypted website Telegram,had their own terminology

Covingtonwoman arrestedinglobalprobe ä See RING, page 9A

MayorHelena Moreno sits in ameeting with council members and staff at City Hall in NewOrleans.

STAFF PHOTOSBySOPHIAGERMER

MayorHelena Morenoisinterviewedbylocal media after atour of DelgadoCommunity College’sMaritimeand Industrial Training Center in NewOrleans earlier this month.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Van slams into Berlin Pride event, killing 1

BERLIN A van slammed into people gathered for Berlin’s famed LGBTQ+ event on Saturday killing one person, injuring at least 16 others and prompting police to call off the celebrations and a concert in the German capital hours after they had begun.

Police said some of the victims had life-threatening injuries. In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the site of the event immediately as ambulances and ﬁreﬁghters attended to the victims.

According to police, a white van had driven into the Tiergarten park, which is next to the route that the pride march had passed along earlier, and hit several people before colliding with a tree. Police could not say how many ofﬁcers had been deployed to the scene but that it was “deﬁnitely a lot of police.”

Police spokesperson Alexander Klute told The Associated Press later that “at this point, we don’t know anything about any possible motives, the identity of the perpetrator or the perpetrators, or anything of that nature.”

Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours dancing to loud music, and cheering the around 80 ﬂoats that participated in the parade.

Southern China on high alert for Typhoon Noul

HONG KONG Typhoon Noul is bringing winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the province of Guangdong with the region on high alert and at least dozens of ﬂights canceled.

Hong Kong’s Observatory said Noul, which had intensiﬁed with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph near its center, was moving on Saturday across the South China Sea and edging closer toward the coast of Guangdong

The city’s observatory forecasts Noul could make landfall Sunday morning around the vicinity of the southern Chinese cities of Huizhou and Shanwei and then move inland, bringing strong winds and squally showers to parts of the region. China’s weather center expects Noul to make landfall in the early hours of Sunday

As Noul approaches Hong Kong, parts of a large scaffolding on a high-rise building collapsed on Saturday afternoon, local police said, adding that initial reports indicated there were no injuries. Mainland Chinese authorities issued their highest-tier red typhoon alert on Saturday evening, while Hong Kong’s observatory hoisted the storm signal No. 8, the third-highest under the city’s alert system.

More than 340,000 people had been evacuated by Saturday afternoon in Guangdong province, according to state broadcaster CCTV Train services in the province have been canceled for Sunday 8 found dead in Michigan after fire Eight people, including six children, were found dead in a Michigan home after a fire, some with gunshot wounds, law enforcement said Friday Police and fire authorities responded just before noon to a house fire in Grand Haven Township, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. When they went inside, they found the bodies, Capt. Jacob Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said at an evening news conference. Sparks said authorities had not fully identified all the victims yet and do not have an official cause of death for them. The children’s ages ranged from 5 to 15, he said. He did not say how many of the people had gunshot wounds.

“It’s a complicated scene, a complex scene,” Sparks said He said investigators were not looking for outside suspects and that one theory so far is a murder-suicide. He said everyone that lived in the home appeared to be deceased.

Sparks said the ﬁre was “suspicious” and that there was reason to believe it was intentionally set. Michigan State Police arson investigators are assisting on scene, he said.

health

is set on fire

on Saturday.

More Congo health, frontline workers strike

Ebola cases near 3,000, including over 1,300 deaths

BY PROSPER HERI NGORORA and CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA Associated Press

BUNIA, Congo — Health workers at an Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo went on strike on Saturday, demanding their pay

The walkout disrupted care for patients in the epicenter of the country’s rapidly growing outbreak.

The number of conﬁrmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,973, including 1,309 deaths, according to government data released on Friday in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record

The Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri province, came to a standstill after doctors, nurses and security staff stopped work.

About a hundred health workers protested outside the treatment center on Saturday They said the unpaid bonuses were undermining morale and disrupting patient care, and called on Congolese authorities to resolve the backpay so they could resume their work.

“We need to be paid, because

in the meantime the disease is spreading at the treatment center,” Martin Bolombi, one of the health workers on strike said.

“I’ve already had ﬁve people die who are still inside there. A solution must be found for us,” he added.

In a statement issued Friday, staff said they had unanimously voted to strike until “concrete solutions” were found to resolve “two months of unpaid performance bonuses.”

The strike comes a day after Congo’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa came to Ituri, touring major treatment hubs, in Rwampara and Mongbwalu, to assess the outbreak response. During her visit in Mongbwalu, she faced urgent demands from healthcare personnel protesting payment issues.

Dr Adelard Lufungula, operations manager for the Ebola response, said Saturday the payment issue is “being resolved,” with workers now paid via mobile money instead of cash, and that the backlog “should be cleared” in the coming days.

Last week, health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the re-

gion’s largest medical center, had already gone on strike over unpaid salaries. Some told The Associated Press they had not received any payment since they started work at the onset of the outbreak.

The World Health Organization says more than 100 healthcare workers have been infected since the beginning of the outbreak.

The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15. A total of 766 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 540 have recovered so far, according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.

The eastern province of Ituri accounts for nearly 90% of confirmed cases. The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response. A key challenge is that patient zero has yet to be identified in the outbreak while displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining in the region have made it difficult to trace thousands who have come in contact with infected individuals

Dry, windy weather fueling spreading Oregon wildﬁres

Fourth responder dies weeks after Colorado blaze

BY MEAD GRUVER Associated Press

FORT COLLINS,Colo.— As dry windy weather fueled a big wildfire near a city in central Oregon, a fourth firefighter died after he and several colleagues last month were overcome by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border authorities said Saturday Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died Friday, the federal Interior Department said in a statement. Meanwhile, several fierce wildfires in a summer of big ones continued burning across the western U.S.

One of the worst and the one deemed top priority for ﬁreﬁghting efforts was just a few miles north of Sisters, a central Oregon city of about 3,800 people. Winds gusting up to 30 mph threatened to push flames into new areas.

Firefighters made progress keeping the ﬁre in check, however, and ofﬁcials were optimistic the city would be in the clear once the worst of the wind died down Sunday

“It’s going to take a while to put it out entirely But as long as it stops moving, I think that’ll get people to relax a little bit,” Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz said.

As of Saturday, the lightning-caused

ﬁre had burned about 40 square miles and was 5% contained. About 30 people evacuated from areas north of Sisters were in a shelter at the local high school, with about as many more staying in recreational vehicles parked outside, Letz said. The city wasn’t in any immediate dan-

ger, and business was carrying on like usual, Letz said.

“We’re not necessarily asking everybody to come to Sisters. But it’s safe here,” said Letz.

Months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to the blazes in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado and elsewhere this summer

In Canada, 926 ﬁres were burning Saturday, including 82 deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

About 300 aircraft and 5,300 people were involved in ﬁghting the ﬁres. They included 133 in northwestern Ontario alone, according to the province’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services agency The biggest in Ontario had covered some 1,200 square miles.

The U.S. firefighter who died was among a group that had deployed tentlike emergency shelters to try to shield themselves when ﬂames closed in June 27. Three of them died at the scene: Emily Barker, 38; Nick Hutcherson, 27; and Sydney Watson, 26.

They were part of a Helitack crew — a group that gets dropped by helicopter into remote areas to try to squelch new, rapidly expanding fires — that had been deployed in Mesa County Colorado west of the city of Grand Junction. Matthews and another firefighter were taken for medical treatment. The Interior Department declined Saturday to discuss their treatment, Matthews’ career or the surviving firefighter’s current condition.

Watson, Hutcherson and Barker were honored at a memorial service earlier this month. Memorial arrangements for Matthews weren’t yet announced.

Man who caused Park ﬁre convicted of arson

Wildfire was one of the largest in California history

BY CLARA HARTER Los Angeles Times (TNS)

It was a blistering day in Butte County when a man revved his wheels in dry grass until a spark ignited, then pushed the ﬂaming vehicle down a 60-foot hill.

Whipped by strong winds amid 100-plus degree temperatures, that spark grew into California’s fourth-largest wildﬁre on record, ultimately scorching some 429,000 acres and destroying 427 homes.

On Friday two years to the day since the devastating Park fire ignited — a judge found Ronnie Stout guilty of purposefully starting the blaze. The 44-year-old Chico man faces 25 years to life and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 9, according to the Butte County district attorney’s ofﬁce. Butte County Superior Court Judge Kristen Lucena found him guilty of felony arson with multiple enhancements, including that he caused the destruction of multiple residential structures and is a “threestrike” offender Stout had waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead to let Lucena decide his fate. In 2001, he was convicted of molesting a Butte County child under 14 and served a year in jail The following year, he was convicted of robbery and causing great bodily injury in Kern County and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Then, while on parole for the robbery sentence in 2020, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence near Upper Bidwell Park in Chico.

And on July 24, 2024, Lucena ruled, he started the largest wildﬁre caused by arson in California history

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA

Rubble

and frontline workers protest at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Congo,

Iran-backed Houthis fire missiles at SaudiArabia

yemenrebelssay

theattackwas in responseto

Hodeidaairstrikes

BY SAMY MAGDY and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

CAIRO— Yemen’sIran-

backed Houthi rebels said Saturday that they fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to Saudi airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida,in an escalation over vital shipping routes in the Middle East while the United States andIran vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, said in aprerecorded statement that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan that belong to Aramco,the world’slargest oil company

Saudi Arabia’s civil defense said alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday in both cities, but the kingdom didn’t

comment further Therewere no reported strikes overnight in Iran, in an apparent break from nearlytwo weeksofconsecutive nights of U.S. attacks.

Shipping threatened

TheHouthishave said they would closethe Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudilinked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom’sblockade on Yemen and arecent attack on theinternationalairport in Yemen’srebel-held

capital, Sanaa.

“Nothing short of ending theaggression and lifting theblockade, otherwise, it’sall illusionand mirage,” Mahdi al-Mashat,head of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council governing rebel-controlled territories in Yemen, said of what it would take for the Houthis to notblockade the Bab-El-Mandeb.

That strait, at the southern tip of the ArabianPeninsula, is avital shipping chokepoint connecting the

Red Sea to theGulf of Aden. Around 12%ofthe world’s trade, including aquarter of its container trafﬁc, passes through thenarrows.

The Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankersinthe Red Seathis week.Inresponse, Saudi Arabia struckHodeida,the Saudi-led coalitionopposing therebels said Saturday.The strikes late Friday hit the port and the state-run telecommunications corporation,injuring twopeople, said Anees al-Asbahi, aspokespersonfor the Houthi-run healthministry

The Saudi-led coalition said it didn’thit the port but struck “legitimatemilitary targets” in Hodeida provincethat“werelinkedto threatstocommercial vessels in theRed Sea.

Iran’sforeignminister, Abbas Araghchi, called for “diplomacy anddialogue” to solve the Yemen conﬂict without“military confrontations” in an interview published Saturday by thestaterun newspaper called Iran. Iran condemns attack “Iranhad apeaceful

Cleanenergygrantscanceledbased on politics

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON— TheTrumpadministration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’sstate” —inthis case, 16 states that voted for Democrat KamalaHarris in the2024 presidential election.

The statement contradicts repeated assertions by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials that the projects were canceled becausethey did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or had otherproblems that made them apoor investment of taxpayer dollars.

Democrats and environmental groups seized on the court ﬁling Friday, saying theadministrationhad “weaponized” the federal governmenttokill

good jobs and punish working families because of their political views.

Democrats:‘Obvious’ acknowledged

“Thisadministrationhas now admitted in court what has long been obvious:it terminated nearly 300 cost-cutting energy projects for no reason other thanthe fact that the states theywere in did not vote forthe president in the 2024 election,” saidRep. MarcyKapturofOhio andSen.Patty Murray of Washington state. Both are high-ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, respectively

“Weaponizing the federal government like this is outright un-American, and it’shardworking families already struggling with sky-high costs who are sufferingthe consequences of this corruptabuseofpower,” Kapturand Murray said.

Theycalled on congressional Republicanstojointheminholding the

Trumpadministration “accountable for the President’sfailure to look out for all Americans.”

The Energy Departmentannounced last Octoberthat 321 funding awards across 223 projectswere terminated, sayingthatafter review,they“didnot adequately advance the nation’senergy needsorwere not economically viable.

The cuts, part of broader attacks from PresidentDonald Trump on climate programs and clean energy funding, slashed federal supportfor projects to build batteryplants, develop hydrogen technology,upgrade theelectric grid and capturecarbon dioxide emissions.

Russell Vought,the WhiteHouse budget director,highlighted the cutbacksina socialmedia post,saying money “tofuel theLeft’sclimate agenda is being cancelled.”

The Energy Departmentdid notimmediatelyrespond to arequest for comment.

night,” Hossein Kermanpour aspokespersonfor Iran’s HealthMinistry,posted on X. U.S. CentralCommanddidn’t immediately respond to arequest forcomment. Unlike theprevious 13 nights, it didn’tannounce new strikes. But Iran’sforeign ministry condemned what it called a Ukrainianattack Saturday on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying one person was killed and another was hurt andcalling it an act of aggression

In aseparate statement, Araghchi said he spoke with European Unionforeign policy chief Kaja Kallasabout it and that Tehran demanded aresponse. Ukraine’s diplomatic representative to Iran

wassummoned, Iranian state media reported. UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said on XthatUkraine “achieved very strong results withlong-range strikesinthe CaspianSea —including vessels used in military cargo shipmentsinvolving Iran.” Whileefforts at mediationbetween the U.S. and Iran continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuplans to travel to the United Statesnext week andmeet with President Donald Trump in WashingtononTuesday, his ofﬁce saidFriday. They last metinWashington in February,weeksbeforethey launched the war

CRANE

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OSAMAHABDULRAHMAN

Fireworks burst as Houthisupporters rally against the Saudiled coalition in Sanaa, yemen, on Monday.

Evacuationsgrowaswildﬁresrage

Shifting winds, dryconditionsin

France,Spain cause fast spread

BY MARK CARLSON, EMMA DA SILVA and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press

LEGE-CAP FERRET,France

France sent ahulking military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as it battled raging wildfires on Saturday and slashed the final stage of Tour de France to redeploy security personnel to the blazes that forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The latest wildfires in southern Europe this week have displaced more than 250,000 people, including some 70,000 people who were evacuated in central Spain.

One man died in Manises, the municipality reported on its Facebook page, the ﬁrst death so far in the blazes.

In France, the giant A400M transporter swooped in low, its long plume of ochre-colored retardant trailingover drought-hit woodlands in the southwest as ﬁre crews on the ground fought ﬂames that authorities feared could spread toward thewine region city of Bordeaux.

Race organizers and the Paris police department announced atruncated 21st and final stage on Sunday forthe three-weekTour, France’smost famous annual sporting event, reﬂecting the immense strain that two large ﬁres in the southwest are causingfor emergency services.

Tour riderswill raceSunday inside Paris, rather than starting from Thoiry, west of the capital, on acircuit of 55 miles —down by athird from the 82.5-mileroute that had been planned. Part of the race’s security detail will instead“reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires,” according to the statement

announcing the “exceptional measures made necessary by the situation.”

Windsraise concerns

With winds expected to shift in awest-to-east direction on Saturday afternoon, potentially drivingflames closer to Bordeaux, ﬁre crews andauthorities weredigging trenches, using retardants and taking other blaze-blockingsteps,FrenchInterior Minister Laurent Nunez said, predicting a“long and very difﬁcult” battle.

He saidthe ﬁre was about 20 miles west of thecity and lost someofits intensity overnight. Theprefect of theGironde regionthat includes Bordeaux said the blaze grew into “a ﬁrestorm” on Friday after igniting earlier this week andcautioned that it “remains dangerous even though firefighters were making progress.

The government mobilized soldiers to join fire crews and was rushingin1.5 million face masks to protect against chokingsmoke Authorities ordered people between the ﬁre and Bordeaux to evacuate, including

fromparts of thecity’swesternsuburbs andother towns and villages

PrimeMinister Sébastien Lecornu described the ﬁres as unprecedented andsaid the Gironde blazebecame so strong on Friday thatithad begun generating itsown winds. Firefighting teams were being reinforced with the additionofhundreds of soldiers and breathing masks to ﬁlter out potentially noxious smokeparticles were being rushed to those exposed, Lecornu said.

Caught offguard

TheFrenchmilitaryA400M transport plane,specially convertedfor fire-fighting, was aheavyweight new tool in the battle. It joined at least 18 other water-and retardant-dropping aircraftand helicopters that Nunez said were deployed in the Gironde region, working in rotation in the smoke-ﬁlled skies.

The virulence of the French andSpanish wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change, caught fire crews and authorities off guard.

Fireﬁghters in Spain said the blazesspread so fast and violently that they could not be tackled head on. In France, some people even fled by boat when flames swept throughtouristic townsonthe Atlantic coast.

“We’venever seen anything like this,” saidJavier Organista, aresidentofEl Tiemblo, west of Madrid, where ﬁre charred afamed chestnut grove. “When we sawthe ﬂames coming into ourtown,surrounding us, leaving us with practically no way out,all the neighbors joined together to try to stop its advance.”

“It’sjust really sad,”he said.

Smallbusinessesﬁle lawsuits

BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer

NEWYORK— President Donald Trump’stariffs are headed to court —again.

Twolawsuits ﬁled by small businessesare challenging Trump’ssweeping tariffs announced Thursdaythat impose double-digit levies on 60 tradingpartners.

The tariffs, implemented underSection 301ofthe TradeAct of 1974 forwhat the Trump administration says is countries’ failure to preventimports produced by forced labor,cover 99% of U.S. imports. Criticssay the goal is less to prevent forced-labor imports and more to replace the worldwide tariffs Trumpimposed last year that werestruck down by the Supreme Court in February.They came

just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired. Educational toy company Learning Resources, which was part of the tariff lawsuit that won in the Supreme Court, filedanew suit along with several other small businesses in the Court of International Trade over the currentround of tariffs The secondlawsuit was filed by Burlap and Barrel, aNew York-based spice company, andCollective Horology, awatch retailer based in Ventura, California.Theyare represented by Liberty Justice Center Both lawsuits arguethe governmentdidn’tadequately establish its case against each specific economyor spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practicetheyarebeingleviedfor, as required by Section 301.

TheLCMCHealthNeuroscienceInstitute brings together afullyintegratedteamofspecialists and subspecialistsfocused on thefullspectrumofneurologicalcareacrosstheir system of eighthospitals From brainand spinetumorstostrokecare, spinal pain,peripheralnerve conditions,and rehabilitation theNeuroscience Institute’smultidisciplinary team givesNew Orleanians accesstohigh-qualitycare whereitmatters most—close to home.For residents of theWestbank, this care livesatWestJefferson MedicalCenter(WJMC).

“The answer to apatient’s problem is rarely one-dimensional,” said Dr.ColeLewis,a neurosurgeonwiththe CulicchiaNeurologicalClinic, a partnerofthe LCMC Health NeuroscienceInstitute “Itusually takesa multi-prongedapproachtooptimize theircare.”

AccordingtoDr. Lewis, that approach begins with athoroughevaluation, allowing patients to share theirsymptomsand experiences before followingup with imagingand otherdiagnostictests.Thena coordinatedtreatmentplanisdeveloped andpresented to specialistsinother disciplineswho mayviewthe conditionthrough adifferentlens, offeringadditional insightand treatmentoptions as needed

“Wehaveaccess to theneurosurgeons in ourgroup andwillhave thepatient setuptosee them as quickly as possible,” said Dr.Brian Koch,who specializes in Pain Medicine andPhysicalMedicine&Rehabilitation at theCulicchia Neurological Clinic at WJMC. “The same is true in reverse: if surgeryis notthe rightﬁt, neurosurgeonscan connectpatients to non-surgical options, such as minimally invasive pain management procedures or rehabilitation.”

cian—a physicianwho is well-integratedintothe placewhere they practice,” continuedDr. Wolfe. “Itisajoy to servethe Westbank of NewOrleans whereIgrewup. It’s somethingI’m very proudof andthatI hold close. At WJMC,advancesinneurologicalprocedures such as surgical navigation technology andintraoperativeimaging,helpphysiciansachieve greater precisioninsurgery.Meanwhile,new minimally invasive procedures arereducingthe need formore extensivesurgeries,resulting in faster recovery timesand increasedaccesstotreatments that may signiﬁcantly improvepatients’quality of life AccordingtoDr. Koch,a number of recent advancements in proprietarymedical technologies andprocedureshaveexpandedthe rangeoftreatmentsavailable to patients in thepainmedicine arena, including, butnot limitedto, Intracept, VIA Disc NP,and theMinuteMan procedure. Thesetechnologies aredesignedtoaddress speciﬁcsources of spinal pain whilekeeping recovery as efficient as possible Dr.Lewis notedanother exciting advancement on thehorizon forWJMC—anew vagusnerve stimulationtechnologydesignedtosupport patients whohavesuffered an ischemic stroke in recovery Thedeviceisimplanted in theneckand connected to abattery.Aspatientsworktoregainmotor function during rehabilitation,therapistsactivate thestimulator, sendingimpulsesintendedto promoteneuroplasticity

In addition to neurosurgery andpainmanagement,the NeuroscienceInstitute encompasses a number of disciplines, includingneurology,inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, andongoing clinic follow-up. WJMC hasalsomaintainedaccreditation from TheJoint Commission as aComprehensive Stroke Center since2018, reﬂectingthe capabilities of theon-site neurocriticalcareunit. WJMC also consistently earnsnationalrecognition from the AmericanHeart Association(AHA) for enhancing patientcarewithevidence-basedguidelines. This year WJMC proudlyearnedthe AHAGet With The Guidelines®StrokeGoldPluswithTarget: Stroke EliteHonor Roll,AdvancedTherapy HonorRolland Type 2DiabetesHonor Roll “WJMCisanextremely capablehospital,”said Dr.RyanWolfe,a pain medicine specialist at WJMC “Itplays aboveits weight class. It hasthattight-knit communityfeelwhile also providingthe Westbank of NewOrleans accesstonumerousspecialties andsubspecialties. “I always dreamt of beinga communityphysi-

Just as importantastechnologyisa care plan built around each individual patientthatincorporatesthe patient’sbackgroundand life circumstances into the decision-makingprocess. WJMC is apillarofthe Westbank community, primarilyserving Jefferson, Plaquemines,and Orleansparishes, with areach that extendsacrossSoutheast Louisiana. Thehospital offersneuro ICUcarefor patients whoneedclose monitoring,inpatientrehabilitationfor thosewho maybeneﬁtfromintensive therapybeforereturninghome, andoutpatientfollow-up to help monitor recovery afterdischarge “WhenI wasintraining, amentortoldme, ‘Look around your work environment.Iftheyaren’tbuilding, changing,and improving, then youdon’t want to be there. Youdon’t want to be somewherethat’s stagnant,’”Dr. Koch said “WJMCisanythingbut stagnant.Weare always workingtoimprove theexperiencefor patients and physicians,aswellaskeeping up with technology,” continuedDr. Koch Formoreinformation

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLINE BLUMBERG

Fiirefighters spraywater in aburning forest in the Lège-Cap-Ferret region, westernFrance, on Friday.

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Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is a breakthrough,non-invasivetreatment for herniated, ruptured,bulging anddegenerative discs. withoutsurgery,injections, or alifetime of pain pills.

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We beganour practice 14 yearsago,and we have helped thousandsofpatientseliminate pain andreclaim theirlives. Duetothe high demand,wehave 10 advanced decompression machines at ourBaton Rougeand Kenner locations. Ourstate-of-the-arttechnologyis proventoreverse disc herniationsand relieve nervepaininthe neck,arms, lowbackand legs .and we love what we do!

Disc issuesare common,and patients suffering areusually givenlimited optionsoftreatment Themostcommoninvasivetreatment fordisc herniationsissurgery.Werun thesebig newspaperadvertisementsbecause we want to letpeopleinthe communityknowthere is anotheroptionoftreatment forpain.

legs wassosevere that Ibegan stayinghomeratherthan attendingsportingorsocialevents. I began Spinal Decompression treatments andsince then,Iam70% improved! Iamfeeling well enough and energetic afterworkingall daytocook, do household chores,attendfunctions etc. Ihavemoremobility andIamnot exhaustedfromthe pain!The staff and Doctors here are wonderful.Everyone is so kind andfriendlyand will do whatever is needed to decreasethe pain.What Ilikemostabout my care at LeBlanc SpineCenterisTHE RESULTS! Ihighly recommendLeBlancSpine Centerdue to thenon-invasivetreatment andresults! As amatteroffact, Ihaverecommended Dr.LeBlanctopeoplealready

SabrinaRuggiero (CustomerService Represenative/ InsuranceAgent) Hometown -Plaquemine, LA

Forthe next 7days, we are offeringaspecial Decompression Evaluation-atnocosttoyou!

What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewill listen .really listen to thedetails of your case

•A complete neuromuscularexamination

•Afullset of specialized X-rays (ifclinically necessary) to identify theexact source of pain

•Athorough analysis of your exam andX-rays. Yousit with thedoctorone-on-onetoreviewyour findings in detail

It is importanttonotethatnot everypatient is a candidatefor Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athoroughindividualassessment andX-ray analysis foreachpersonwho walks throughour doors.

At LeBlancSpine Center,

We arehonestwithour patients andour consistently high successratestems from our commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

If youhaveseenour adsinthe past andhave thoughtabout calling, don’thesitate!

We spendtimeanswering allofyour questionswhenyou come in foryourfree evaluation Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything,soyou have nothingtolose.

We trulyenjoy meetingwithpatients, reviewingX-rayswiththem, andhelping them find outifSpinalDecompressioncould be their pain solution,likeithas been forso many others

Iwas suffering with lowerbackpainfor years, anditwas gettingworse andworse It wassopainful that Icould notfunction.I couldnot getout thebed withoutfalling tothe floor. Ihad triedorthopedicdoctors,medication scans, physical therapy- alltonoavail IcametoLeBlanc SpineCenter, andI startedSpinalDecompression treatments in August…and Inow feel 100% improved! Iamnow sleeping better,drivingwithout pain,walking further–all of theseactivities

Ican nowdo, andIhaveenergythatIonly hadwhenI wasyoung Iamtreated wonderfully by thestaff at LeBlanc SpineCenter. They aresopolite andcaring. Dr.Scott andDr. Dana are unbelievably helpful. Thetreatment is not painful, andIenjoy themusic whileIam theretoo! If askedtorecommend LeBlancSpine Center, Iwould saythatIamconvinced that you will improvea bigamount, if not100%. Decompression therapyisthe waytogo!

RonnieHebert

(Civil Engineer) Hometown -Plaquemine, LA

Ihad been sufferingwithpainfrom herniateddiscs in my lowerback. Icould notstand for longerthan5minutes withoutpain. Ihad triedepiduralsteroid injectionsand physical therapyinthe past,but wasstillsuffering. Ihavealways been active andmybackpainwas affectingmylifestylegreatly IcametoLeBlancSpine Centerand began Decompressiontreatment andIamnow 100% improved! Ican do everything Idid beforemypain started, andmyfavoritepartabout this treatmentisthe results! Ican do allofmydaily activities without anypain. Thedoctors andstaff here have also treatedmegreat IhaverecommendedLeBlancSpine Center to manypeople. andwill continue to do so!

Mark Evans (FormerHighSchoolCoach and InsuranceAgent)

Hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

Ihavebeensuffering with sharppainful back achescausing immobility foryears butcameherewhenmypainwas more severe.Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments at LeBlancSpine Centerand Iamnow 80-90% improved! Ican stilldo my hobbies andworkwithlesspainthan before,I am also sleeping better andIhavemore mobility.Ifeelsomuchbetter! Thestaff here is alwayscaring, helpful, andaccommodating. Thedoctors are alwaysassessing andevaluatingissues trying to find asolution.One of thebest things Ilikeabout my care at LeBlanc SpineCenteristhateveryoneissocaring andthe attentivenessIreceive! Iwould 100% recommendLeBlancSpine Center, thestaff is alwaysniceand helpful.Dr. Scottand Dr.Dana have alwaysbeen proactiveand thorough when trying to find asolution!

Cory Manuel (Project Management) Hometown -Gonzales, LA

BeforecomingtoLeBlanc SpineCenter, Isuffered from lowerbackpainwhen standing andaconstantdullpaininmy lowerlefthip fornearlythree years. Ihad CT scans, an MRI, andeventriedphysical therapy, whichonlygavemesome relief.AfriendrecommendedLeBlanc SpineCenter, andI’m so gladtheydid Thedoctors andstaff are top-notchwonderful,competent,and genuinely interested in helping theirpatients.Since startingcare, I’ve improved about80% Ican nowstand longer,walk, fish,and enjoyactivitiesthatwerepreviously limitedbypain. In fact,I’m even planning twovacationsthisyear. Beforemyvisits,I felt like my world wasshrinking. LeBlanc SpineCentergavethatworld back to me andIrecommend them with enthusiasm

Leonard Kleinpeter

(Retired government worker andowner of Southern Hydroseeders) Hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

Dr.Scott LeBlanc, D.C. Dr.DanaLeBlanc, D.C.

Israel detains over 70 after fatal violence in West Bank

Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least four Palestinians

By The Associated Press

NABLUS West Bank Israel’s military said it detained over 70 suspects across the occupied West Bank overnight and on Saturday, a day after troops deployed across the territory following violence that left two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian villagers dead

Soldiers remained in the village of Tell, in the northern West Bank, where Friday’s clashes were centered.

Palestinians described searches that included raids of a hospital in the city of Nablus, one of the territory’s most violent areas.

Palestinians in the West Bank have faced violence as Israel’s hard-line government, dominated by settler leaders and supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. The international community overwhelmingly considers the Israeli settlement construction illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Soldiers make arrest

“More than 50 armed soldiers and ofﬁcers stormed the hospital, terrifying the patients,” Ghassan Barkat, director of Nablus Specialty Hospital, told journalists He said soldiers on Friday detained, bound and insulted staff and patients, raided hospital departments and arrested a seriously injured man, Ali Hussein Ali Ramadan.

“This should not happen in a healthcare institution,” said Barkat, adding that women and children were present.

An Israeli military statement did not mention the hospital, but it said over 300 locations were searched

and what it described as afﬁliates of the Hamas militant group, arms traffickers, “terrorists” and others were detained.

The circumstances of Friday’s events remained unclear, but Israeli media reports and interviews with local Palestinian officials suggested a group of settlers entered Tell and were confronted by residents fearful of an attack. The village is off-limits to Israelis as part of Area B under the 1993 Oslo Accords. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers shot and killed four Palestinians in Tell, while the military reported the deaths of two soldiers, one of them a settler in a local defense squad. Two other Israelis and four more Palestinians were wounded, health ofﬁcials said The Israeli military on Saturday said it detained 11 suspects in Tell. Over 80 Palestinians were arrested across the territory, said Amin Shuman, president of the Palestinian higher commission for the affairs of prisoners, calling them “an attempt to impose collective punitive measures and retaliatory

policies” against Palestinian citizens after Friday’s events.

On Saturday, Israel’s military said Israeli civilians and Palestinians threw rocks in a confrontation in the West Bank village of Susya, and the weapon of a soldier on leave was stolen but retrieved.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for an independent state along with the Gaza Strip.

Strikes kill at least 4

Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least four Palestinians and wounded at least 15 others across Gaza, according to Palestinian health ofﬁcials.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, an airstrike killed a man and a woman, whose bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, the hospital said.

In northern Gaza, a strike on a vehicle in the Jabaliya area killed one person and wounded two others, according to ofﬁcials at Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

Wisconsin’s capital cancels events, grapples with shooting

Protesters determined to continue pressure

BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis.

— A police shooting in Wisconsin’s progressive capital city this week put the spotlight on persistent and deep racial divisions, prompting cancellations and other changes to popular summertime events as protesters said they were determined to continue public pressure for change in Madison.

Corey Ruiz, who is identiﬁed as Black or Latino in Wisconsin court records, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer on Wednesday after a brief scufﬂe at an intersection in the city’s most liberal neighborhood just yards away from a popular 52-year-old food co-op. It marks the third time since 2012 that Madison police have shot and killed someone in the same neighborhood The shooting has sparked renewed calls for police reforms and forced the city to once again reckon with calls from the Black community to address racial justice issues.

Pressure from protesters, and sympathy for their cause, has also led to the cancellation or disruption of many of Madison’s signa-

ture summertime events.

“Our community has spoken loud and clear: this is NOT business as usual,” Black activist Clyde Mayberry posted on Facebook on Friday amid a string of cancellations. “Your decisions have helped ensure that this city continues to acknowledge the pain, the loss, and the call for accountability.”

Protesters took to the streets hours after the shooting, disrupting a popular Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra outdoor concert at the state Capitol that attracts about 30,000 every week in the summer The scene captures a familiar divide in Madison, a city that is more diverse than the state overall but still 70% White. Protesters, many of whom were Black, stood

over White concert attendees sitting at tables near the stage that cost as much as $1,800 to rent for the night. Concert organizers canceled the event.

Threats of a protest on Thursday led the city to postpone the grand opening of a new public market, just a few blocks away from where the shooting occurred. A popular neighborhood festival near the shooting called AtwoodFest, scheduled to begin on Saturday, was also canceled in the face of potential protests. And on Saturday, the popular downtown farmers market that attracts about 20,000 people each week around the Capitol building, shut down nearly four hours earlier than usual in solidarity with protesters.

Managing health insuranceinthe modern world caninvolve everythingfromﬁndinga doctor and checking claims to replacinga member ID card or tracking priorauthorization status.Louisiana Blue hassimpliﬁedthosetasksbyexpandingitsMyLABlue digitalplatformtoall members, includingthose on Medicare Advantageplans Thenew expansionmeans Medicare Advantage memberscan nowaccessthe same secure digital experiencethatother LouisianaBluemembers have been usingsince MyLABluelaunchedlastfall. The platform is availableonApple andAndroid mobile devicesviadownloads intheirappstores,plusonline usingChromeorSafaribrowsers.

“Ourpreviousapphadcorecapabilities,suchasthe abilitytosee claims,deductibles andbeneﬁts, plus ﬁnda provider.Wewantedtoenhancethatexperience streamlinecommunicationandconnectourmembers totheirhealthdatainaneasierway,”saidJayBalden, LouisianaBlueVicePresident,ChiefCustomerExperience Officer.

Memberscan useMyLABluetoaccessand use theirdigitalIDcard,payinsurancepremiums,review chargesassociatedwitheachclaimandseethecurrent coverage statuses for medical, vision anddentalfor themselvesandanyoneontheirplan.Informationon newclaimsisavailable within 24 hours. Louisiana Blue Medicare Advantageplanmembers canalso accesstheirFlexCardandHealthyRewardsthrough MyLABlue BaldensaidonekeynewfeaturewithMyLABlueis theabilityformemberstoseetheirpriorauthorization statusinrealtime,withouttheneedtowaitforaletter orphonecall.Theplatformalsonowgivesmembersan easywaytosendsecuremessagestoLouisianaBlue’s customer serviceteam, even outsideoftraditional business hours.

“It’smoreconvenientfor membersand givesthem moreself-serviceoptions,” said KiaPrice,Louisiana BlueVicePresident,CustomerOperations.“Ourgoal istomakeiteasyforpeopletodobusinesswithus.We wantthemtohaveasmuchinformationaspossibleat theirﬁngertipsandtheﬂexibilitytoengagewithusin away that worksbestfor them.”

Anothermajor enhancementisthatMyLABlue is integrated with Epic,the electronic health record system used by many Louisianahealthcareprovidersand hospital systems. LouisianaBluemembers

whoalreadyaccesstheir health informationvia MyChart,Epic’spatient portal,can addMyLABluetotheir MyChart accounts.Thisletsthem quicklyviewinformation from theirproviders alongsidetheir LouisianaBlueplaninformation within thesame platform.

“Everythingisinone place,”Baldensaid.“Epic hasalonghistory in the healthcare space. They know howimportant privacyisand what regulationstheyneedtohavein place. That wasanother reasontheywereour ﬁrst choice for apartner. Thenew MyLABlue digitalplatformalsoallows memberstosearchthe nationwide Blue CrossBlue Shield provider network, making it easier to ﬁnd physicians,hospitals or pharmacies when away from home

“Ittruly brings healthcare to theirﬁngertips no matter wheretheyare.Ithinkthatisone of themost valuable features,” Pricesaid. MyLABlue also nowsupportsdelegated access, allowingmemberstosecurelysharetheirinformation with caregivers or family memberswho have their permission

“Overall,weare seeing more memberswho want toengage withus digitally. This platform givesthem more opportunitiestodothat,”Baldensaid. “The feedback so farhas beenthatMyLABluemakes self-service easier andgives them theinformation thattheywantwhentheywantit.Peopleparticularly like thesecure messagingfeature andhavefound it easy to use. LouisianaBluemembers

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA

On Saturday, a Palestinian man cleans a room of a house damaged following an attack by Israeli settlers the previous day in the village of Sarra, near the West Bank city of Nablus.

moves ahead. That’s just how I’m programmed. I’ve got a little chess game in my mind all the time I try to be very thoughtful in whatever I do, particularly now as leader of the city.”

Landry targets New Orleans

During her initial months as mayor, Moreno had a good working relationship with Landry, who worked collaboratively with city leaders to reduce crime and spiff up the city in advance of the 2025 Super Bowl.

But during the legislative session, Landry and Republican lawmakers took dead aim at New Orleans by eliminating nine judges, 10 assistant district attorney salaries and the position of Calvin Duncan, the newly elected Orleans Parish clerk of criminal district court.

The governor followed that up by eliminating $33 million of spending and infrastructure projects in New Orleans.

In the meantime, Murrill threatened to remove Moreno and other New Orleans ofﬁcials over a proposed election involving the clerk’s office. The mayor responded by noting in a social media post that a criminal law prohibits intimidating or threatening a public ofﬁcial. “Bottom line,” she said, “I won’t back down.”

Six weeks later, an Orleans Parish grand jury indicted Murrill on 16 counts because of her comments. She and Landry then blasted New Orleans ofﬁcials. Moreno, knowing she couldn’t win approval, withdrew a request for state authorization to sell $110 million in bonds that she planned to use to avoid budget cuts

In an attempt to normalize relations, Moreno and the city leaders made the next move by writing special prosecutor Laurie White to ask her to drop the indictment of the attorney general. White complied.

It hasn’t produced an immediate payoff for the city Responding to the letter Landry and Murrill continued to express anger at the indictment and vowed to ﬁnd out whether New Orleans leaders were involved. The mayor and the others have said they weren’t.

“They incited this and they fed it,” Murrill said.

Landry raised the temperature on Wednesday by saying he might call a special legislative session to allow the state to take greater control over New Orleans’ courts.

Asked in a text if she had orchestrated the letter-writing, Moreno replied, “I’m not talking about any of this anymore. Moving on.” Robert Collins, professor of urban studies and public policy at Dillard, has been closely following the saga.

“I think she has done everything possible to bring the governor back to the table,” Collins said “She has left the door open; she has gone through intermediaries. But right now, she’s left out in the cold from state assistance and resources.”

Getting her message out Moreno has had a better time producing regular digital media posts that typically draw about 35,000 views.

Moreno updates her constituents on upcoming issues every Sunday after a run, in the car on her way to church or from her Uptown home.

“I’m not doing anything scripted or having anyone shoot me or doing a bunch of different takes,” Moreno explained, sitting in the back seat of her city SUV, returning to City Hall. “Really it’s a one-take type of thing. I’ll just do it and post it, and that’s my message for the day It’s a good way for people to know what I’m doing.” Moreno said she ﬁlms and edits the video herself and provided a quick demonstration on her phone of how she drops photos into the video.

“Because of her experience in television, Helena is very good at talking directly to the camera. She’s controlling her message,” said Lisa Collins, who worked as a producer with Moreno at WDSUTV and is now a professor of practice in journalism at Loyola University “More people are getting news and information from social media platforms.”

On a recent Monday, Moreno took a seat at the head of a rectangular table in the middle of her cavernous office on the second floor of City Hall. An aide sat on a sofa nearby that Moreno has taken with her from her legislative apartment at the Pentagon Barracks in Baton Rouge to her council office on the other side of the second floor. In an aside, Moreno called herself “cheap.”

Nine members of her Cabinet sat around the table. Moreno began by noting that the day before marked her six-month

anniversary in ofﬁce.

The Cabinet ofﬁcials cheered, and everyone smiled.

Moreno quickly got down to business. She led a discussion about how the city responded to ﬂooding over the weekend and the continuing problems of the Sewerage & Water Board.

She announced she had canceled plans to travel to Los Angeles the following day to speak at a conference.

“I just don’t want to be stuck someplace, on a plane, if we have another Saturday situation,” she said, referring to the ﬂooding. She and her senior advisers moved on to plans to have the City Council raise the sanitation fee.

Moreno’s priorities

The sanitation fee and gaining greater control over the embattled S&WB are two of Moreno’s priorities going forward.

Having had to cancel the $110 million bond sale request, the mayor said she will tap into the city’s rainy-day fund, a step that ofﬁcials have been trying to avoid because then-Mayor LaToya Cantrell raided the reserves, leaving her successor with a shortfall.

Moreno will keep pressing to collect money owed to the city and will continue the furlough program that reduces pay for highersalaried city employees. To save more money, she is postponing

various spending projects.

The Cabinet ofﬁcials then took turns giving updates on key issues for the mayor Laughter frequently punctuated the conversation. Moreno sipped bubbly water from a can of La Croix A turkey and provolone cheese sandwich from Subway sat uneaten on her desk.

Steve Nelson, who heads the Department of Public Works, said he had just hired three more workers to pave over potholes. Moreno noted that her administration has patched over 15,000 potholes and restored more than 5,000 streetlights.

Joe Giarrusso, the mayor’s chief budget aide, said that the city is now receiving a 3.7% interest rate on money held in reserve bank accounts that was earning no return before. Spending on travel by city employees has dropped by 90%, Giarrusso added.

“From what I’ve observed, this is a mayor who is very decisive, dives into the details, makes a decision, works on executing it and then moves on to the next thing,” said Andy Kopplin, who served as chief of staff to two governors and as the top budget aide to thenMayor Mitch Landrieu.

In the coming months, Moreno said in a text, she will continue to press for investment in two corridors of New Orleans East, revamp Canal Street, keep working

to improve basic city services and support policing that has the city projecting by year-end to have the lowest number of murders since 1969.

Drawing supporters, critics

To triumph last year, Moreno created a biracial coalition that included former U.S. Rep Cedric Richmond, White progressives, Black pastors and conservative White voters in Uptown and in lakefront neighborhoods who liked her willingness to work with Republicans. U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and state Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, appeared on stage at her inauguration. Former Vice President Kamala Harris swore her in.

In a poll she paid for, she had a favorable rating of 78% in a survey of 400 voters in New Orleans taken in mid-July by prominent pollster Greg Rigamer

To be sure, Moreno has her detractors.

An Instagram post on July 11 by Darnell Philipson, a New Orleans resident, showed video of a ﬂooded street and a person piling trash bags outside of a house where she said construction work was taking place without a city permit.

“Look at this,” Philipson said “Where is her code enforcement?”

Moreno has an uneasy relationship with WBOK-AM, which has a largely Black audience.

She has declined repeated requests to appear on any of its programs.

“I just choose to do media requests and interviews based on who’s going to be fair to putting my information out,” Moreno said and then declined to elaborate on her answer

One of the owners is Troy Henry, a business owner who butted heads with Moreno last year when she sat on the City Council and opposed his bid for the French Quarter garbage contract. Moreno’s administration has raised concerns this year about Henry’s efforts to develop Bayou Phoenix the shuttered site of Six Flags in New Orleans East.

Henry said he and his co-owners have no issue with Moreno, but he couldn’t help but poke at her

“Perhaps she doesn’t want to speak directly with our predominantly African American community,” Henry said.

Oliver Thomas, who served on the City Council with Moreno and ﬁnished third in the mayor’s race, was a longtime morning host on WBOK.

Thomas said Moreno hasn’t reached out to him since the election.

“What I’ve heard, people are tired of her blaming agencies and past elected ofﬁcials,” he said. “I live here, and I want her to do well. I want her to lower my taxes, make my city safe and give us two trash pick-ups a week.”

Moreno had a contentious relationship with Mayor Cantrell during the eight years she served on the City Council.

Now that she’s in charge, Moreno said she has prioritized having a close working relationship with the seven council members.

After wrapping up a recent meeting with council members Jason Hughes and Aimee McCarron, Moreno said she met three times with Cantrell during their ﬁrst four years together and none during the second four years.

“She is a very hands-on mayor,” said Hughes, who represents New Orleans East. “She’s deep in the weeds on policy and wanting to understand problems and ﬁnd solutions. She and I talk multiple times some days, from economic development to lighting issues. She’s been an extraordinary partner She’s a serious mayor but doesn’t take herself too serious.”

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng also lavishes praise on Moreno for stepping up to work with other regional elected leaders. Last week, the two of them announced an agreement that aims to redevelop an area of West End Park on land in both parishes that has been dormant since Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago destroyed the restaurants there.

“We were kind of at a standstill on how we’d split the revenue” generated from redevelopment, Lee Sheng said. “She just had this view that no one was getting anything from it then It was a surprise we could work through it so fast in a real common sense way.”

Back in her ofﬁce, Moreno explained her approach.

“We have to work as a coordinated, collaborative front, the executive branch and the City Council, to really deal with the issues the city is facing,” she said. “No one can do it on their own. No one can be that single hero. It has to be a team effort.”

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

George Gruber a master ship pilot and simulation director at Delgado’s Maritime and Industrial Training Center shows Mayor Helena Moreno how to maneuver a barge around Algiers Point in New Orleans earlier this month.

Items rest on a shelf in the office of Mayor Helena Moreno at City Hall in New Orleans.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Jonah Gilmore, director of communications for the city of New Orleans, speaks to Mayor Helena Moreno.

Mayor Helena Moreno, from left, talks to Jeanette Weiland interim chancellor and chief administrative officer, with Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff Kevin Ferguson at LSU New Orleans in New Orleans.

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This articleisbrought to youbyTulaneMedicine. Tulane

Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Asthe number of adultsage65and oldercontinues toclimbbothinLouisianaandnationwide,Tulane Medicineissettingthestandardinprovidingintegrated,proactivecaretohelpthemremainindependent,avoidpreventablecomplicationsandmaintain thehighest possible qualityoflife.

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That philosophy is thedriving forcebehindthe newTulaneComprehensive GeriatricClinicat East JeffersonGeneral Hospital in Metairie.Led by Tulane Medicine,the clinic offersspecialized care forolder adults andtheir families througha team of threeboard-certiﬁedgeriatricians and other clinicians.

Follow-upvisitsatthe Tulane Comprehensive GeriatricClinicare recommendedevery twoto threemonthsand arecenteredaroundpreventing future problems as much as possible.For example, apersonwho is at ariskoffalls mayreceiveadvice from aphysicaltherapist on howtoimprovetheir balanceand stability. If theboard-certiﬁedgeriatricians feel thepersonisonsomanymedications that they areineffective,theymay work with other providerstoeliminate some or reduce theirusage

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“These providershave additional training and expertisetotakecareofolder patients,” said Dr OsvaldoNavia,TulaneMedicineSection Chief of GeriatricandPalliativeMedicine.“Thecareatthis clinicisstrategic,proactive anddynamic.It’snot just abouttakingcareofacute events.It’sabout propermedication,activityandfunctionality.Wetry toﬁndtherightbalanceforeachpatient,helpthem adapttoagingandgivethemabetterqualityoflife.” Dr.Naviasaidaperson’sinitialappointmentatthe TulaneComprehensiveGeriatricClinicincludesa comprehensivediscussionoftheirmedicalhistory, dailyfunctionandlong-termgoals.Thegeriatricians reviewchronicconditions,medicationsandprevioushealthcareexperiences. They also askquestionsdesignedtogivethemanideaofaperson’s everydaylife,includingwhatactivitiestheycando independentlyandwhethertheyhaveexperienced challenges such as falls, memory changes, depression or insomnia “Oncewehavethatinformation,wecanconnect thedotsand tailor thecaresoitisunique. That’s importantbecause each person is different,”Dr. Naviasaid.“Wepayalotofattentiontounderstandingapatient’schronic medicalproblemsaswellas theirgoals.Wetalktothemabout thebig picture. Wecan’t cure everything, butwecan getthemtoa better qualityoflifeand help theirfamiliesbetter understand howtohelptheir lovedones.

“The strategicrelationships we have with other specialists,our patients andtheir families is key to ourcare,”Dr. Naviasaid. “One of ourgoals is to help people over 65 realizethattheycan stilltake controloftheirlivesandtheirhealth.Theirfamilies playabigroleinthataswell.Wewantallofthemto bewell-informedaboutthepossibilitiesandlimitationstheycan expect in thefuture. This clinic lets us have that kind of communicationand improve theoverall qualityofcare.

TheTulaneComprehensive GeriatricClinicis thelateststepinTulaneMedicine’songoing work in geriatriccareand complements initiatives such as theTulaneCenterfor Aging,which supports research to providesolutions to problems associated with aging, includingtopicssuchasgenetics, productivity,diet, exercise andsocialactivities. This work comesastechnologicaladvanceshelp physiciansbettermonitorandunderstandhowthe agingprocessaffects each person

“I thinkAIwillhelpusbetterintegrate care acrossmultiplespecialties,” Dr.Navia said.“We arealsoseeingadvances in medicationstotreat chronicconditions.Therearenewdevicesthathelp usseeapatient’svitalsigns,gait,sleeppatternsand more.Allofthathelpsushaveamorecomprehensive pictureofeachpersonastheyage andpersonalize ourcareevenfurther.”

Tolearnmore,visithttps://medicine.tulane.edu/ tulane-doctors/comprehensive-geriatric-clinicor call 504-988-5000

Rhonda Dale, center, helps Jalana Farlough and Olivia Morales contact recent high school graduates on Thursday.

—chat rooms were “kitchens,” videos “sauce.” Rival group leaders doxed each other.Members thirsted forasteady dietofeverlurid videos, whichcalled for connectionstooverseas trafﬁckers willing to torture living creatures on camera. Most of the footage features macaques, an ape native mostly to Southeast Asia and known for vivid,humanlike facial expressions.

Since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal investigators say lockdowns drove more people online and sowed the seeds of the phenomenon, U.S. law enforcement agencies have expended significant resources on stamping out transmission of the horriﬁc content.

At least 30 people have beenindicted acrossthe country,including Kornienko in New Orleans and two others from the Shreveport area charged in Ohio.

“I hope this serves as a warning to others who acquire or distribute this kind of content: HSIwill ﬁnd you, and you’ll end up in federal court,” Todd Lyons, asenior U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, said after arecent arrest by a New Orleans-based team that has led the investigation.

Akey prong of the efforts has run through the Louisiana field office of Homeland Security Investigations, DHS’ criminal investigations arm dedicated to uncovering transnational breaches of U.S. law,according to court records and interviews withU.S. ofﬁcials.

Kornienko’sarrest last summer represented a breakthrough in the agents’ attempts to unravel the grisly frontier of internet crime Agents discovered her role after the prosecution of aprominent group moderator in Virginia. They arrested and charged Kornienko withtransmitting10videos of monkeys being burned, drowned, tortured with pliers and strangled, among other violent acts inflicted in the videos.

Kornienko, who records show was due to report to federal prison last month, pleaded guilty in abid to take “full responsibility for her conduct,” said her attorney,Jarred Robinson.

“Sheshared this material; she did not create it, she didnot ﬁlm it, and she never harmed an animal,” Robinson said. “That distinction matters,but it does not erase her accountability,and she has never asked it to.”

After Kornienko’sarrest, the New Orleans-based agents tracked down more group moderators:agovernment-contracted aerospace engineer in CoralGables, Florida, and aveterinarian in northern Georgia.

The string of arrests eventually led the New Orleans agents to agreater coup: guilty pleas by aPennsylvania man and an Illinois woman this year,both of whom admittedtopayingoverseas traffickers to torture the

monkeys on camera, supplying the footage that formed the groups’ lifeblood.

Pandemic-era phenomenon

Agrowingappetite for filmed torture of apes emerged on the radar of animal welfare activists and U.S. federal investigators a few yearsinto the pandemic Federal law criminalizes “animal crushing” —acatchall term for animal torture andvideos depictingit. The statutesetspenaltieswhen “livingnon-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians are purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled” or treated in other ways that could causetheir deaths.

People who woundupin Telegramgroups like Kornienko’sseemed to be pulled in on YouTube and social media, saida Homeland Security agentassigned to the case whoasked not tobenamed to discussthe ongoing investigation.

Somegot hooked firston videos that were generally innocent, like ahandler teasing monkeys with food. In comment sections,the agentsaid, people discussed moving to the encrypted Telegram site, where more acts of violence couldbeshared freely A2023BBC investigation dove into the emergingphenomenon.

TheBritishnewsservice followed as federalinvestigators traced the videos appearingonYouTube and Telegram to aVirginia man namedMikeMaccartney, aformer motorcycle gang member who sported aswastika tattoo and called himself “The Torture King” online. Maccartney was arrested and admittedina2024 guilty pleatosendingmorethan 300 payments to overseas videographers for footage of the “torture, murder,and sexually sadistic mutilation of animals,” prosecutors said. Investigationgears up His arrest shocked the “monkey hate” community,

saidthe New Orleans-based HSIagent.For many,itwas their first realizationthat sharing the content could be acrime. Maccartney’s adherents splinteredoff into afluid groupofnew Telegram chat rooms, like those runbyKornienko.

Documentsfiled in New Orleansfederal court a year agodescribe10videos Kornienko was charged with distributing. Ranging in length from five to 41 minutes, they showed monkeys being nailedtotrees andtortured in otherways. Somevideos showed multiple monkeys being tortured at once.

The arrests brought new insightsintothe politics thatshaped and sometimes cleaved the groupsapart.

Francisco Ravelo, the Floridaman investigated by theNew Orleans-based agents, andKornienko shared adesire to keep the groups closed off to the outside world —asense of paranoia that HSI ofﬁcials said hadpermeated from the groups since Macartney andadozen other suspects wereindicted in aparallel FBI-run probeinOhio.

Twopeople indicted in the Ohio probewere from north Louisiana —Brady Shellhammer,who appeared online as “Beglu,” and Victoria Haskins,who was known as “Cat Face” and“Sparkles Fancy Pants.”They were accused of paying aCincinnati man,Nicholas Dryden, for videos Dryden commissionedfromaboy in Indonesia showingmonkeys being tortured andkilled.

Theindictmentunsealed lastyear accused Haskins of soliciting suggestions online for what to do to a monkey named “Pav Pav.”

“‘(W)e are giving aprize to the personwho can comeup withthe best torture method to Pav Pav!’”she wrote, according to theindictment. “Bring your favoriteadult beverage because we are also play adrinking game! it will be great fun!”

Sh el lh amm er an d

Haskins’ cases are ongoing. Both pleaded not guilty in arraignments last year, court recordsshow

Ravelo,who speaks three languages and has adegree in aerospace engineering, railed against users he felt were violating thegroups’ privacy or “using my name for clout,” according to courtrecords.Hecalled for one rival to be beheaded and disemboweled. He pleaded guiltyin March, and afederal judge last month sentenced him

to five years in prison. Prosecutors had asked for astiff sentenceinlight of the “extraordinary level of pain andsuffering” which he “celebrated anddisseminated.”

“That’sthe best part!!!” Ravelo wrote to one user who said avideoofanape’s intestinesbeing squeezed fromits body made them squeamish.Anattorneyfor Ravelo did notrespond to a request for comment.

Joseph Buckland and Amanda Leigh Fourez, who were chargedinPennsyl-

vania as aresult of the New Orleans-basedprobe with paying forvideos,have also pleaded guilty

Kornienko’sattorneysaid shehas focused sinceher arrest on her recovery so she can return to her children andher illmother, for whom she is aprimary caregiver.

“She is committedtoher recoveryand to becoming the person her family needs hertobe,” Robinson said.

Email James Finn at jﬁnn@theadvocate.com.

Whether youwanttopaddlepeacefulbayous, sample creativecuisinefromlocalchefs,castareelinaﬁshing competitionorexplore Louisianahistory,MonroeWestMonroeoffersplentyofreasonstoplanagetaway thisfall.Newoutdoorexperiences,annualfestivalsand one-of-a-kindattractionsmakeitanidealdestination for adults andkidsalike andpromise afullitinerary ExploreNew Waterways In June,six newOuachitaPaddlingTrails were launched:CheniereLakeJoe’s Island Trail, Cheniere Lake CypressTrail,Black BayouWest Trail, BayouDeSiard Frenchman’sBendNorth Ouachita RiverMoontoMonroeand Ouachita River Campbell’s Landing. Thesetrailscreatemoreopportunities forlocals andvisitorstoexploretheparish’snaturalwaterways. Paddlerscan bringtheir ownvesselorrenta kayak fromOuachitaPaddle&Provisions.Traversethearea on your ownortakepartinweekend paddling events, fromleisurepaddlestocompetitiveraces.And,thanks to theregion’stemperate climate, theweather should be greatfor gettingoutdoorswellintothe fall months Tastethe LocalFlavor

If you’re afoodie, plan your visittoMonroe-West Monroeduring2026RestaurantWeek,scheduledfor September14-20.Allweeklong,localrestaurantswill featureﬁxed-pricemenusdesignedtoshowcasetheir most populardishesand newest culinary creations. RestaurantWeeklunchspecialswillrangefrom$10 to $20, whiledinnermenus willbeoffered at $25, $35 and$50.Coffee shops, bakeries anddessert destinationswilloffer $10to$20 LagniappeSpecials. Participatingrestaurants already announced includeWaterfrontGrill,Lea’s of Monroe,and Catﬁsh Charlie’s.

CelebrateLouisiana’s OutdoorHeritage

Outdoorenthusiasts won’t want to miss oneofthe region’smostuniqueweekendsAugust28-30whenthe NorthLouisianaSportsman’sExpoandWestMonroe GarRodeo return TheSportsman’s Expo is ashowcaseofeverything youneedtoenjoy life in theoutdoors, whetheryou’re pitchingatent, waitingina huntingstand or heading outontothe waterfor aday filledwithfishing. The expo willfeature thelatestwatercraft, fishing gear andoutdoor equipmentunder oneroof, making it an idealtimetorestock andprepare for your best adventuresyet ThatsameweekendistheWestMonroeGarRodeo presentedbyHoneyHole.Anglerswillcompeteinvariousdivisionssuchasjugfishing,polefishing,bowfishingand youthcategoriestocatch thegar,one of the state’smostancientandruggedfish.Thisyear’srodeo

featuresanewcategory,NumbersOnlyBowfishing,to seewhich boat brings in themostgar.All registration fees will go towardsprize money. Join TheLocalsToHonor Tradition TwolongtimeMonroe-West Monroe community favorite events arebackthisfallaswell. OnSeptember19,LandryVineyardshostsitsAnnual GrapeStompandBlackWaterBrakeConcertbeginning at 3:30 p.m. ThrowonyourbestLucille Ball costume andjointheLandryfamily fordeliciouswine,bellinis andmorewhile listeningtolivemusic.Guestscan stompgrapesfor free anddance thenight away.Bring alawnchair or picnic blanketfor when your feet need abreak!Admission is $10for adults,$4for kids ages 13-18and free forkidsages12and under. Just afew weekslater,onOctober 3, LazarrePark hoststhe annual NortheastLouisiana Celtic Festival wherelivemusic,Highlandgames,liveanimals,food trucks andartisansand craftspeople showcase the tradition of Celtic heritage DiscoverStories That ShapeAmerica Beyond seasonal events,Monroe-West Monroe offersattractions that visitors canenjoy year-round FansoftheRobertsonfamilycantourtheself-guided Duck Commander TheMuseuminWestMonroe. Go beyond what you’ve seen on thehit shows“Duck Dynasty”and“DuckDynasty:TheRevival”andexplore more than 10,000 square feet of show memorabilia, familyartifactsandphotos,setrecreations,costumes andmore. Historyenthusiastswillfindplentytodiscoveratthe Biedenharn Museum &Gardens in Monroe.The site honorsJosephA.Biedenharn,thefirstpersontobottle Coca-Cola,andfeaturesaCoca-ColaMuseumcomplete with vintagememorabilia,anoriginaldeliverytruck, historic bottling demonstrations anda workingfivecent soda vendingmachine.

Thecomplexalsoincludesthebeautifullypreserved Biedenharnhome,formalEnglishgardens,anationally recognized Bible Museum featuringrareeditions–includinganoriginally1611KingJames Bible– and rotating exhibits that showcase artand historyfrom around theworld ADestination WorthExploring From scenic waterwaysand chef-inspiredmeals to localfestivals andhonoringhistory,Monroe-West Monroe offersuniqueexperiences that can’tbefound elsewhereand that appeal to everytypeoftraveler. Whetheryou’replanningaweekendgetawayoralonger roadtrip,OuachitaParishwon’tdisappoint.Visitwww monroe-westmonroe.comtolearnmoreandplanyour visittoday

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbyDiscoverMonroe-West Monroe

Georgia swamp joins UNESCO’s World Heritage List

Okefenokee

Swamp added with temple in Thailand, other sites

BY KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea

The Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, an ornate 13thcentury Buddhist temple in Thailand and tidal ﬂats in western South Korea were among several sites added to the World Heritage List on Saturday at a U.N. committee meeting in South Korea.

The UNESCO meetings in Busan, which continue through next Wednesday, are reviewing dozens of other nominations, including the D-Day landing beaches in France, Mount Olympus in Greece and the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.

Impressive biodiversity

The Okefenokee Swamp is regarded as one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems, encompassing a vast network of wetlands that supports exceptional biodiversity and serves as the source of two major rivers Its largely undisturbed peat beds preserve a 5,000-year record of environmental change, making the swamp both a globally significant natural habitat and a valuable source of information on long-term environmental change, according to a UNESCO description.

While the World Heritage designation places the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge alongside iconic U.S. landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, some locals have opposed the listing, fearing it would increase U.N. involvement in managing the site.

“We accept this inscription not as a ﬁnish line, but as a commitment to keep

the Okefenokee wild, resilient, and thriving for generations to come,” said Kim Bednarek, executive director of the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park that’s worked with the U.S. government on the refuge’s nomination package.

Unique architecture

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, a 13th-century Buddhist temple in southern Thailand known for its 255-foot stupa and distinctive architecture, was also inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming Thailand’s ninth site.

UNESCO has described the temple as an outstanding example of Theravada Buddhist architecture that remains a living place of worship, preserving religious traditions that draw large gatherings of devotees. The temple was ﬁrst proposed to UNESCO in 2012, and has gone through more than a decade of preparation to meet the nomination requirements.

While the World Heritage listing is expected to dramatically increase visitors to the temple, Kanop Ketchart, mayor of Nakhon Si Thammarat City, said ofﬁcials are prepared to address potential infrastructure and capacity challenges.

“We have prepared our infrastructure, buffer zoning and evacuation plan to ﬁt all the requirements of UNESCO,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press this month. “More importantly, the people are getting used to all this process for almost 10 years. So they are very much looking forward to (it).”

Other sites

Sarnath, an ancient Buddhist site in the northern Indian city of Varanasi, was another Asian religious location newly added to the World Heritage List. Recognized as the sacred location where the Buddha

delivered his ﬁrst sermon, the site’s architectural and archaeological properties remain deeply significant despite periods of decline and revival UNESCO said.

The committee also decided to expand the World Heritage listing of the South Korean “getbol” tidal flats with four additional coastal wetlands in Seosan, Goheung, Muan and Yeosu in the country’s west. UNESCO had previously inscribed four other South Korean tidal flats in 2021 for their biodiversity and crucial role as a stopover for migratory birds.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the expanded designation of the tidal ﬂats “reafﬁrms the importance of international cooperation for the conservation of the Yellow Sea ecosystem and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,” a major migratory bird route that stretches from the Arctic through Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

Centuries-old handicraft porcelain industry sites in the eastern Chinese city of Jingdezhen were another new addition to the World Heritage List. The sites trace the evolution of handcrafted porcelain production in China from the 10th to the 19th centuries, showcasing innovations that helped make Jingdezhen a leading center for fine porcelain, with its blue-and-white porcelain becoming a global symbol of Chinese craftsmanship, according

Visitors return to Stephen C. Foster State Park after an overnight camping trip on the Red Trail in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Fargo, Ga., in 2022.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

STEPHEN B MORTON

to UNESCO. The Indian Ocean island

nation of Comoros secured its ﬁrst World Heritage list-

ing after the committee inscribed six historic towns dating to the 11th century that later emerged as the principal urban centers of the country’s sultanates. UNESCO says the towns reﬂect centuries of cultural exchange through Indian Ocean trade networks while preserving distinctive urban traditions shaped by African, Arab and Islamic inﬂuences.

What does it mean to take arisk? Andwhy take one when playingitsafefeels,well, safer? At itscore, risk is theuncertainty of an outcome, with thepotential for both gainsand losses.Weencounter risk everyday,often withoutgivingitmuchthought.Getting behindthe wheel, for example, meansaccepting thepossibility of road hazards in exchange for thebeneﬁtofreachingyourdestination

Thesameideaapplies to personal ﬁnances.Exposingassetstomarketriskcan create both opportunities andchallenges, anddetermininghow much risk to take dependsonaperson’sgoals,risktolerance,and ﬁnancial circumstances.AtGregory RicksTotal Wealth,the goal is nottoeliminate uncertainty, but to help clients understand it well enough to make informeddecisions

“Despite acommonmisconception,riskisn’t always bad,”saidGregory Ricks, founder,CEO andwealthadvisoratGregory RicksTotal Wealth.“It’s anatural part of seekinginvestmentreturns,and when managedappropriately,itcan help in thepursuit of long-termgrowth.

Striking aBalance

Findingthe rightbalance begins with recognizing that everyone’s situationisdifferentand that preferences oftenchangeasone enters newstagesoflife. When the correctbalance is foundfor an individual,itcan help them to pursue ﬁnancial growth whilealsohelping to reduce thedrawbacks of market volatility

AccordingtoRicks,age andanticipated retirement timing areamong themostimportant considerations when determininganappropriate levelofportfolio risk

Onegeneral rule of thumbheusesissubtracting aperson’s agefrom100 to estimate astartingpoint for risk exposure though actual allocationsvarybased on an individual’s goals, income needsand overallﬁnancialpicture

A30-year-old,for example, mayhaveaportfolio with approximately70% market exposure,while someonewho is 70 maybecloserto30%.For theportion of aportfolio invested in themarket, Ricksalsorecommends diversifyingthrough amix of investments, such as stocks,bonds andother strategies

“The time horizonofaninvestmentshapesits risk,” Rickssaid. “Younger investorsgenerally have more time to recoverfrommarketdownturns andmay be able to make more growth-orientedinvestments.Asclients approach retirement,weoften adjust portfolios with a greater emphasis on preserving funds, as they prepare to pull an income from theirassets. Understanding theEmotional Side of Risk

“There isn’t aone-size-fits-allsolution,”Ricks said “The reasonyou’retakinginvestmentriskistopursue growth,but your assets canbeallocated into different segments,allowingsomeportionstopursuegrowthwhile others remain more conservative.” Financialgoals oftencarry significant emotional weight.Therefore,how someonefeels aboutmarketfluctuations is an importantpart of developing asustainable investment strategy

“Webelieve that levelofinvestmentrisktaken is ultimately apersonalchoice,”saidRicks.“Ihad aclientafew yearsbackwho carriedsomemarketriskinhis portfolio. He came to me andwantedtosubstantially reduce hismarketriskbecause it wouldmakehim feel more comfortable,and we adjusted hisportfolio accordingly.

“Being able to sleepatnight andfeelcomfortablewith your ﬁnancial plan is essentialwhendeterminingthe rightbalance of investment risk,” Rickscontinued Risk Capacity andPersonalized Planning Risk capacity considersnot only howmuchrisksomeonecan affordoriscomfortabletaking, butalsohow much risk maybeappropriate

grow Throughin-depthconversations andestablished risk assessment tools, Ricksand histeamseektobetter understand each client’sriskprofile. To take afreerisk assessment on your own, visithttps://gregoryricks.com/ risk-assessment/ Each clientreceivesa risk profile scoreduringthe first fewmeetingswiththeir team.Thatscore serves as aguideline in developing investment recommendations. AccordingtoRicks,the firmoften recommends maintainingportfolio risk toward thelower endof a client’sriskprofile. Ariskprofilecan,and likely will,changeoverthe course of someone’slife, as financial circumstances change.Marriage, purchasing ahome, thedeath of a lovedone,divorce,and thebirth of achild canall have asignificantimpactonfinancialgoals andpriorities, making periodic reassessment an importantpartoflongterm planning.

“We’re very proactiveincommunicating with our clients,”Ricks said.“That’s whywemakequarterly calls to checkin. Ouradvisoryteamalsomeets everyFriday afternoontodiscuss clientsituationsand reviewpotential recommendations.

Growing Legacies “The most rewarding part of helping ourclients navigate risk andmarketvolatilityisseeingthemgainconfidenceand clarity, especially during uncertaintimes or majorlifechanges,” Rickssaid. “Every thank-youfrom aclientorradioshowlistenerreminds us that ourwork hasameaningfulimpactonthe families we serveand thelegaciestheyare building.” Risk does nothavetobefearedorignored.Whenit is measured,reviewedperiodically, andaligned with aperson’sfinancialgoals,itcan become an important part of along-term financial plan.Gregory RicksTotal Wealth workswithclients to tailor investment strategies that reflect theirindividualgoals,timehorizon,and comfortwithrisk. FormoreinformationonGregoryRicksTotalWealth,or

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Senate won’ttouch billswithadded voting restrictions

WASHINGTON —Olive Garden

joined the talking points on Capitol Hill last week as U.S.House leadership attached language that restricts who can vote onto nearly every billthat cleared thelower chamber before representatives headedhome until September

Mark Ballard

The Orlando-based chain of Italian restaurants, whose current marketing pitch is “embrace the obsession,” requires photo identiﬁcation to become a“Pasta Passholder” and receive unlimited pasta reﬁlls.

“Can we at least have theOlive Garden standard when we protect the democracy and the franchise that we have to keep this great democracy?” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, asked his colleagues while pitchingabillinwhich he and House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, had language inserted from the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act.

President Donald Trumpinsists that Congress pass legislation that would require applicants to prove their citizenship when registering to voteand produce a picture ID when casting aballot, along withlimiting use of mail-in ballots. He refused to sign any more bills into law,including a bipartisan one aimed at lowering housing costs, until the SAVE Act passed.

Agroup of right-wingers had disrupted procedural votes required to bring an instrument, even ones they support, to the ﬂoor, effectivelystalling work in the House for several weeksand provoking the famously eventempered Johnson to reportedly cuss at one of his members.

Bits of SAVE Act wording,as appropriate to the instrument, were added to bills that fund the U.S. State Department,toOKthe National Defense Authorization Act, plus the Stop Insider Trading Act, as well as abill that setsup abudget reconciliation which, if passed, would allow the Senate

Landryraises prospect of special session

Landry

Gov.Jeff Landry said theLouisiana Legislature could hold a special session to take more control of OrleansParish courts after a grand jury there indicted Attorney General Liz Murrill earlier this month, infuriating Republican state leaders who say the now-dropped charges against her were bogus and politically motivated.

Lawmakers “want to look at ways that they can take more control of the court system in the city of New Orleans,” Landry said Wednesday during anews conference at the Governor’sOfﬁce of Homeland Security &Emergency Preparedness in Baton Rouge. It is unclear whether keyleaders in the Legislature would be on board with returning to the

to increase appropriations with a simple GOPmajority of 51 votes instead of the 60 votes usually needed.

“Conservatives in the House of Representatives consider the SAVE America Act to be anonnegotiable, nation-saving piece of legislation,” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, said in astatement.

“Yet some Senators seem indifferenttothe will of the American people.The House of Representatives’ hard workonthis coreissue has produced athree-track legislative opportunity forthe Senate to getthe job done.”

But that’s notreally going to work, said Sen. Bill Cassidy,RBaton Rouge. The idea has been debatedand shotdown by the Senatesix times since January

Capitol ahead of the regularly scheduled session next spring.

SenatePresident Cameron Henry, R-Metairie,did not immediately return an inquiry and state Rep.Phillip DeVillier,R-Eunice, who serves as house speaker, declined to comment.

Landry’sremarkswere asign that the political war waged over Orleans courts in thespring won’t end anytimesoon.During the recent legislative session,the Republican-controlled Legislature passed laws cutting down onthe numberofOrleans judgeships,combining the civil and criminal clerk positions and taking fundsaway from theprosecutor’sofﬁce. Republicans said the bills were part of along-needed right-sizing of thecity’s court system, but the changes were bitterly fought by theNew Orleansdelegation and drew theire of cityofﬁcials, who are Democrats. They accused Republicans of unfairly targeting

2025, when Trumptook ofﬁce for thesecond time. ASAVEAmerica Act cosponsor, Cassidy said thebill needs to be expanded to incentivize participation —for instance, by forbidding closed party primaries in federal elections, like theone in May that will end his 12 years in theSenate come January He pointsout that the newly enacted May 16 closed party primary attracted only 401,174 LouisianaRepublicans, about 32% of registered GOP voters. In his last election in 2020, when theprimaries were open to all comers, 70.1% of the state’sregistered voters participated and he won with 1.2 million votes or 59% of those cast.

“Weneed to make it easier for

thecity

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

Murrill’sindictmentstemmed from letters she sent Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five citycouncil members in May after the city appointed an interim clerk to head up thecombined civil and criminal clerk’soffice. That decision usurped the authority of Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the civil clerk whom the Legislature chose tohead theunified office, Murrill said, warning that the officials were breaking thelaw and could lose their jobs.

Laurie White, the special prosecutor assigned to thecase, said she would not pursue thecharges after Moreno, Williams and other city ofﬁcials called for the case to be dropped, citing repercussions for New Orleans.

Special election set for Selders’ seat

Aspecial election will be held

theAmerican people to vote,” Cassidy said, adding that the bill also shouldn’trestrict use of mail-in ballots. “And right now (voters) arebeing progressively disenfranchised by people cynically using the rules to favor their particular political position.”

SenateMajority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, told reporters Thursday that he simply doesn’thave the 50 Republican votes necessary to advance the budget framework sent over by theHouse with SAVE language that would allot $73 billion to fund themilitary and intelligence agencies, $12 billion forfarmers and $10 billion forSAVEAct changes.

He saucily added that if Trump’sallies think it possible,

on Dec. 17 to ﬁll the District 14 seat in the Louisiana Senate that was left vacant after Sen. Larry Selders died earlier this month. If arunoff is necessary,itwill take place on Jan.9

Candidates will qualifytorun from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, according to adeclaration by Senate President Cameron Henry U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, has said he will run forthe Baton Rouge-area seat, which he held before Selders. Fields decided not to runfor reelection after theLouisiana Legislature redrew his district to favor Republicans.

Ex-community college leader gets newjob

MontySullivan, wholed Louisiana’sCommunity and Technical College System for12years, has been selected as thenext president of the North Carolina CommunityCollege System,according to anews release.

Sullivan retired from his Louisianarole in January; Gov.

they should get the president on the phone to lobby reluctant GOP senators.

Thune said he planned to hold the budget resolution and perhaps use it as avehicle in September to pass aresolution to continue operations forashort term to avoid agovernment shutdownonOct. 1.

“John Thune, in my experience, wants to pass the SAVE Act. I want to pass the SAVE Act,” Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, told reporters according to Punchbowl, anews website that focuses on Capitol Hill. “But you can’tmake people vote acertain wayifthey don’twant to vote that way. It’s called democracy.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Jeff Landry replaced him with then-Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson.

In his new role, he will oversee asystem of 58 community colleges that serve morethan 600,000 students each year.He was selected Thursday by the system’s board and will serve as acting president until the state Senate conﬁrms him Astart date has not been set.

TomLooney, chair of the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, said in the release that Sullivan “has the passion, experience, vision, character,and proven record to lead our Community College System at the speed of business and innovation. We are conﬁdent he is the right leader to strengthen our 58 colleges, serve our students and employers, and build on North Carolina’sextraordinary momentum.”

Sullivan

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, is surrounded by reporters as he heads to the chamber foraseries of votes on President Donald Trump’spriorities,atthe CapitolinWashington on Wednesday

EDUCATION

Group helps students fight ‘summer melt’

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

About a decade ago, Walter L Cohen College Prep High School

achieved the unthinkable: 100% of the New Orleans charter school’s graduating seniors were accepted into college. But within months, many had dropped out. Some never even made it to campus

A year later, two Cohen educators founded College Beyond, a nonproﬁt organization meant to help more New Orleans students graduate from college. The work begins by tackling “summer melt,” a phenomenon where students who were admitted to college and intended to enroll don’t actually enter college in the fall

In the weeks before classes start, many are tripped up by ﬁnancial barriers or administrative obstacles, like registering for classes or securing housing.

Nationally, up to 20% of accepted college students who intend to enroll don’t end up attending, according to research. The number is higher for ﬁrst-generation college students and low-income students, the studies show In Louisiana, up to 15% of LSU incoming students drop off.

College Beyond is one of many organizations across the state working to prevent summer melt Its staffers send text messages reminding students about ﬁnancial aid deadlines, coach students through the enrollment process, and make sure they complete im-

munization forms and have transportation lined up.

Clara Baron Hyppolite, a former mental health professional who previously worked at another New Orleans-based nonproﬁt that promotes college access, is the executive director of College Beyond. She recently discussed barriers that can prevent students from making it to college and how her group tries to combat summer melt.

The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

What’s College Beyond’s origin story?

College Beyond was founded because Cohen (College Prep) was struggling with college ma-

triculation.

The year before College Beyond was founded, (the school) had 100% of their students get into college, they had 100% FAFSA completion. The CEO took out a billboard on I-10 and it was a huge celebration for the school.

What we found was that a lot of students were struggling even just getting onto the college campus.

What contributes to summer melt?

There’s so many things that happen in those few months before they get onto campus.

Senior year ends so early here that they will have gotten their acceptance letters before gradu-

ation, but a lot of students don’t really understand their ﬁnancial aid offers. For example we ﬁnd that students will sign up for schools they can’t afford or sign up to live on campus and they can’t afford it.

Do financial challenges keep some students from enrolling?

One of the most crucial components of our summer melt intervention is helping the students actually understand their financial aid: Do you have enough aid to afford all the things that you’ve signed up for? Are you planning on working? And a lot of students are selected for verification where they need to submit additional paperwork to prove they are eligible for the Pell Grant (federal need-based financial aid).

There are also different components of navigating the financial aid process for different schools. Sometimes there’s aid that hasn’t been implemented and we need to support the student in contacting the financial aid office

For students who don’t have someone they can call to talk to, the process can be really overwhelming.

What other barriers can keep students from entering college?

The ﬁnancial component is probably 80% of our work. But there can be other issues that crop up during the summer. For example, we’ve had students transferring to a different institution last minute, maybe deciding they want to go to a twoyear instead of a four-year. For

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS.

students going out of state, they may not have thought through expenses like getting to campus and getting their stuff to campus and those kinds of logistics. What kind of interventions does College

Beyond use?

We do text campaigns throughout the summer that send blasts to students and their families to let them know about important deadlines coming up, like FAFSA submission or orientation dates. The coaches also do direct oneon-one support with the students.

Once the student has identiﬁed that they’re matriculating to college, we advertise the program so we’re able to support them starting before they even have left school. Over the summer, we have introductory coaching sessions that go over all components of enrollment and a checklist that includes making sure their FAFSA is fully completed, ﬁnancial aid has been applied and that students attend orientation and have a course schedule

Have you found that these interventions make a difference?

Yes, having somebody to talk to and run these things by is such an important component in the summer melt intervention.

The difﬁcult part is sometimes you need an existing, trusting relationship with a student. That’s something we’re hoping to work on this year with these new high school partners. We want to be a bridge for those students so they’ve had interaction with College Beyond throughout their senior year, such as in FAFSA workshops.

PROVIDED PHOTO Alisen Reed, left, is a success coach for College Beyond, an organization that supports college students through the enrollment process and beyond.

GULF COAST

Tiredoftourist spots? Trythese restaurantslocalslove

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The Mississippi coast has hundreds of dining options,including classic beach restaurants and bars. But visitors sometimesoverlook these 10 spots away from the waterfront beloved by locals Here’sthe list.

Long BeachMarket&Deli

Long Beach Market &Deli is about 2miles from the beach, and its menu is distinct from the Mississippi Coast’smost popular tourist dining spots. Customer favorites, according to the restaurant, include its banh mi po-boy,kogipo-boy,Korean barbecue, General Tso’s chicken, red beans and rice and falafels. It is usually bustling over the lunchhour

Inside of aconverted gas station in the middle of aresidential neighborhood, the restaurant servesawide range of cuisines, including Korean, Chinese, Cajun, Vietnamese and American dishes. Its chef, Lucia van Norden, graduatedfrom LeCordon Bleu, the renowned culinary school.

Price: $$

Hours: 9a.m. to 8p.m. Tuesday through Friday,10a.m. to 8p.m. Saturday and Sunday,closed Mondays.

Address: 20110 Pineville Road, Long Beach, Mississippi

Dempsey’sSeafood &Steak

Dempsey’sSeafood &Steak is in Kiln —asmall but growing community about a20-minute drive north of Bay St. Louis. Its original location in Waveland, Mississippi, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. But the Kiln restaurant —housed in a green tin building —isbusy

It’s known forbig portions. Customers rave about its mac and cheese Dempsey’ssays itsmenufeatures fresh, locally-sourced seafood and many dishes inspired by Louisiana. It’salso partofthe same restaurant family as Jack Dempsey’sinNew Orleans’ Bywaterneighborhood.

Price: $$ Hours: 11 a.m. to 8p.m. Wednesday and Thursday,11a.m. to 9p.m. Friday and Saturday,11a.m. to 2p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Address: 6208 Kiln Delisle Road, Kiln, Mississippi

Pirate’s Cove

Pirate’sCove is just afew blocks away from the beach in PassChristian, but it’susually filled with locals rather than tourists. Its menu is dominated by classics —po-boys, hamburgers,friesand seafood plates. It’sbeloved by broadcasterRobin Robertsand comedian TigNotaro, whobothgrew up in PassChristian. Notaro even had the restaurantcater herwedding. Roberts recommends the shrimp po-boy.

Price: $$ Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8p.m.Monday throughSaturday,closed Sundays

Address: 208 Menge Ave., Pass Christian, Mississippi

Ms.Audrey’sSouthernKitchen & Catering

Ms.Audrey’s SouthernKitchen &Catering, about amilefrom Gulfport’sbeachfront,serves homestyle Southern dishes to diners cravingmeals that are unique fromthe shrimp and oysters featured in many other restaurantsacross theGulf Coast.

Its owner,Audrey Duncan, has served customersinGulfport for more than 25 years, and her menu features homemade fried chicken, red beans andrice and smothered pork chops.She has become abeloved staple in her neighborhood.

“Peopleare looking for some love in their food,”Duncan told the Biloxi Sun Herald in 2022.

Price:$$ Hours: 10:30 a.m.to2:30 p.m. Monday throughFriday, closed on weekends.

Address: 1526 Mills Ave., Gulfport, Mississippi

SouthChina Restaurant

South China,about amile from the beachinGulfport, is unassuming. It sitsoff abusy road in between aMcDonald’sand Gulfport High School.

But it’sago-to spotfor many locals seeking affordable Chinese food and its dining room is often full.It featuresa buffet and regular menu, with dishes including orange chick-

en, egg rolls,fried rice and noodles It is decorated with yellow and red lanterns.

Price: $ Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.Monday through Saturday,closed Sundays

Address: 548Courthouse Road, Gulfport,Mississippi

BlueDog Bistro

Blue Dog Bistro expandedfromits original Ocean Springs restaurant in 2023, when it opened alocation on theeastside of Gulfport.It’sa popular breakfast,brunchand lunch spot thatisusually busy Its menu is divided into two categories —“good dog” and “bad dog.”The “good dog” side includes healthy options like banana oat pancakes,baked avocado and egg, and a spinach and mushroom frittata. The “bad dog” side features moreindulgent meals, including cochon Benedict, banana Foster French toast and steak and eggs

Price: $$

Hours: 8a.m. to 2p.m. Tuesday throughFriday, 7a.m.to3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday,closed Mondays

Addresses: 8829 Lorraine Road, Ste. 100, Gulfport, Mississippi and 1801-A GovernmentSt., Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Le Bakery

Le Bakery,a Vietnamese pastry shop, is belovedbylocals.Itwas one of the ﬁrstbusinessestoreopenin east Biloxi after HurricaneKatrina devastated theMississippi Coast It’s known for turnovers ﬁlled with fruits andcream cheese, andalso itssignature banh mi sandwiches The bakery is afew blocks from the beach and near several casinos. It alsosells affordable king cakes during Mardi Gras.

Price: $ Hours: 9a.m. to 3p.m. Tuesday through Saturday,9 a.m. to 1p.m. on Sundays, closed Mondays

Address: 280Oak St., Biloxi, Mississippi

KimLong

ThisbusyVietnameserestaurant in Biloxi is ﬁlled during lunch hours withloyal customerseating pho and vermicelli. Kim Long reopened soon

after HurricaneKatrina in 2005, serving residents, street cleaners, volunteers and ﬁrst responders. Therestaurant’sbusiestday is Sunday,whenVietnamese families visit from New Orleans andelsewhere around the South. Reviewers praise itsfast serviceand rich ﬂavors.

Price: $$ Hours: 9a.m.to9p.m.daily

Address: 832 Division St., Biloxi, Mississippi

Buzzy’sBreakfast

Buzzy’sBreakfast is often busy with locals andvisitorsinOcean Springs, aquaint town known for its arts scene. Buzzy’soriginallocation in downtown Ocean Springs hassincebeen joinedbya newspot about amile down the road.

Buzzy’sspecializes in Southernstyle breakfast and lunch, including biscuits andgravy,breakfast tacos andsandwiches. Its newmidtown location features an exclusive lunch menu that begins at 11 a.m

Price: $ Hours: Buzzy’sMidtown is open

7a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday,Buzzy’sDowntown is open

7a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and 7a.m. to 1p.m. on weekends

Address: Buzzy’sMidtown at 1061 Thorn Ave.,OceanSprings, Mississippi, and Buzzy’sDowntownat1019

DesotoSt., Ocean Springs, Mississippi

El Rincon

The popular Mexican restaurant El Rincon is about ﬁve miles north of Biloxi and ashort drive from Interstate 10 in the community of St. Martin. Most diners are locals. The restaurant is ago-to for classic Mexican dishes, andits signature offeringsinclude birria tacos, fajitas, burritos and enchiladas. The restaurant saysitsources spices, chiles and specialty ingredients from Mexico. It also has locationsinMobile and Theodore, Alabama.

Price: $$ Hours:11a.m. to 9p.m. Monday through Saturday,11a.m.to8 p.m.

Sundays.

Address: 15701 Lemoyne Blvd., St. Martin, Mississippi

DEATHS continued from Stevens Jr., James H. 'Jimmy'

JamesHenryStevens, Jr passedaway on Monday, July 20, 2026. He was87 years old. James, better knownas Jimmy, wasborninNew Orleans, LA on May3,1939 to James(Harry)H Stevens and Ruth Zengel Stevens.Hegraduated from De La Salle High School in 1957 and then joined theCoast Guard. He went on to work for and eventually take over the familybusiness, Harry Stevens Corporation,that specialized in tires. Jimmy wasa long-time parishionerofOur Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church andvolunteered at theirfood bank. He enjoyed fishing andhunting with familyand wasa member of theJefferson Parish Rodand Gun Club. He wasanelectedofficial on theJeffersonParish RepublicanExecutive Committee anda proud member of theDeLaSalle AlumniAssociation. He wasalso an avidballroom dancer, whoparticipated andwon awardsinnumerouscontests. Most of all Jimmy wasa proudfather, grandfather, andgreatgrandfather. He wasprecededin death by hisparents, James(Harry)H.Stevens andRuth Zengel Stevens, as well as manybeloved aunts, uncles, andcousins. Jimmy is survived by his children, JamesH.Stevens III,KurtPaulStevens (Diane), Daria AnnStevens Rutledge (Russell), and SevenStevens; grandchildren,Zoe Boswell, Noel Stevens,Eamon Rutledge, Hunter Stevens,April Stevens,Skye Stevens DylanStevens,and ShendroStevens;greatgrandchildren, Lucy Boswell, Hannah Boswell, JaneBoswell, Isobel Boswell, JayceStevens, andWaylon Leal;his former wife andmotherofhis children, Mary Virginia Stevens Fabacher; as well

as his special friend, Angel Werner. The family would liketo give aspecialthank you to St. Francis Villa Assisted Living for their care.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend James Henry Stevens, Jr.'s services on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70124. Visitation begins at 10:00 AM until the Funeral Mass at 12:00 noon. Interment to follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum, 5454 PontchartrainBlvd. New Orleans, LA 70124 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in his honor. To view and sign the online guestbook, visit www.LakeLawnMetairie.co m.

On June 4, 1932, in New Orleans, LA. the heart of our family, Frances Tasker, was born. Her love knew no limits as she touched the lives of many with her warmth, kindness and grace. Her unwavering faith, quiet strength, and selfless spirit brought comfort, wisdom, and unconditional love to all who had the privilege of knowing her. Frances was an impeccable master seamstress; she devoted her professional life to her craft. With her gifted hands, she created countless costumes that brought New Orleans' Mardi Gras and festival celebrations to life year after year. Every stitch reflected her passion, creativity and pride in her beloved city bringing beauty and joy to generations. She also cherished doll collecting and the art of making them. Yet beyond her many talents, it was Frances' heart that defined her. Her breathtaking smile and embrace felt like home. She loved fiercely, forgave freely, laughed often and gave generously.

She is preceded in death by the love of her life andbelovedhusband of 75 years, Anthony Harrison Tasker; her parents, Walter J. Meyers and Mary Cousin Brazile; her cherished daughter, Antonia Tasker Mazant; and her beloved sister, Barbara Rita Wilson Though their reunion in eternity brings peace, her absence leaves an immeasurable void in the hearts of those who remain. Frances leaves behind her loving daughter, Warrene Tasker Prior, along with atreasured legacy carried on by her grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, and countless friends. Each of them blessed by her endless love, gentle encouragement, andunwavering presence. Her family was her greatest joy, always placing the needs of others before her own.

Although our heartsare heavy, we areforever grateful for your love.Your lifewas agift, and your memorywillforever remain alight in our hearts. You willbedeeply missed, endlessly lovedand never forgotten.Restpeacefully Frances. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins .com(504)282-0600.Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Directors

Williams,Eddie Joseph

Eddie JosephWilliams, age76, passed away peacefully on Fridayafternoon, July 17, 2026, at Ochsner Foundation Hospital with his loving familybyhis side. He passedawaybattlinga 9 month longdifficult illness and treatment forkidney cancer.

Beloved Husband of Judy Tassin Williams for55 years. Lovingfather of Christie L. Durr, herhusband Steven R. Durr, and the lossofaninfant, Elizabeth, in Januaryof 1980.Devotedgrandfather, who was affectionately called"Tubby" of Steven R. Durr, Jr., and Garrett F. Durr. He issurvivedbyone brother,Robert H. "Willie" Williams,Jr. Eddie is precededin death by his late parents, Bernice Duplessis McElveen and Robert H. Williams and by hissiblings, Lynda Graham, Lois Maes (her living husband John "Jack" Maes). Also survivedbynumerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

As aVietnam Veteran in the US Army, Eddiewas stationed at Okinawa, and discharged in November 1971.Heattended Redemptorist High School in NewOrleans,and later in 1985,graduated from DelgadoCommunity College in Funeral & MortuaryScience.Eddie was ahardworking man and had many different careersthroughout hislife Eddie began his young career,at the ageof17, at the infamous Antoine's Restaurant. Eddiebegan as abusboy, then worked in the kitchen, and eventually becameGeneral Manager, workingthereuntil2006. He began his funeral industry careerinthe mid 1980's starting with Ranson's Funeral Home, then with Tharp Sonthiemer Funeral Home, and ending with LeitzEaganFuneral Home.Eddie developed close,longtime intimate friends in the funeral business...these friends and colleagues will miss him very much. In 2007 Eddie entered the La. POST (PeaceOfficers Standard& Training) Academy.Upon graduation,hereceived an award forthe most determined and resilient cadet.He then went to workfor the St. BernardParishSheriff's Office as aCorrections Officer. Upon retiring from SBPSO, he workedfor Veteran SecurityServices up until his illness.

Eddiewas aloving and devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend, he willbetruly missed by allwho knew and lovedhim. Relatives and friends of thefamily are invited to attend theMass of Christian Burial on Monday, July27, 2026 at Our LadyofPrompt SuccorCatholic Church, ParisRd.,Chalmette at 11:30 AM with Visitation beginning at 10:00 AM. Interment willfollow at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Rd., SlidellLAat1:30 PM.

Willis, JaniceOlsen'Jan'

Our dear mom, Janice

"Jan" OlsenWillis, 88, of Covington, LA passed away on Friday, July 17, 2026, surrounded by her four children and daughter in law. Janice was abeloved mother, daughter, sister, grandmother,mother-inlaw, friend and mentor She was "Gram" and "Mommy Dots" to 10 grandchildrenwho adored her. Atrue Scandinavianof Norwegian and Finnish descent,with golden blonde hair and tanskin, Janice was born in San Franciso CA on December14, 1937, to Theodore"Ted" Olsen, originally from Walcott, North Dakota, and Evelyn Amanda Johnson Olsenof San Francisco.Her great grandparents and grandparents were tanners and farmers. She was thebig sistertoher younger brother, Gary. Janice grew up running and skatingon thehilly streets of the Mission District in San Francisco and vacationing in theRussianRiver Valley with Gary and her cousin, Joan. She walked to Kate Kennedy Elementary and James Lick JuniorHigh School. She lovedher San Francisco favorites Molinari Salami,Boudin sourdoughbread, Fisherman's Warf, Ghirardelli chocolate,the cable cars, thehills, the smell of thebay and surf, and theGoldenGate Bridge.Her family later moved across thebay to San Rafael in Marin County where Janiceattended San Rafael High School. She wanted to be aveterinarian more than anything but was told by theguidance counselorthatwas nota fieldopen to women at that timeand then opted fornursing instead. In 1958 she graduated from the Mt.ZionSchool of Nursing in San Francisco,where she became aRegistered Nurse specializing in labor and delivery.Shortly after graduating, she traveled to Hawaii and later took ajob at St. Luke'shospital in Denver, Colorado where she wouldmeetand later marry her belovedhusband of 63 years, James Robert "Jim"Willis of Shreveport,LA. The original plan was for Jim to finish his residency at Charity Hospitaland thetwo wouldreturn to Colorado fora life "out west", butafterJim was offered the first chief radiology position at St.TammanyParish Hospital, they feltthey shouldgiveCovington a try; and there they stayed. While she was adiehard California girl, she fully embraced and truly loved

her adoptedhomestate of Louisiana, trading "Yah Sure's" for"Y'all", and taught her children and grandchildrentolove and appreciate thebeauty, history and culture of our home state.

Janice was themother of five children, Laura, Michael, Casey, Robert and Jami. While being astay-at -home mother was her chosen careerafter retiring fromnursing,she had many other talents and skills. She was an artist,an extraordinary baker, selling her famous German sour cream twist cookies to local shops. An incredibleseamstress, she designed and created costumes forPlaymakers Theatre in Covingtonand sewedeverything from Barbie clothes to curtains. She wasanenthusiastic community leader and served as amodel to her children, encouragingusto do thesame. She was adevoteddoctor's wife and helpedtolaunch fundraisers forSt. TammanyParish Hospital. Sheserved on many charitable andnonprofitboards: Ladies Medical Auxiliarywhich provided nursing scholarships to localstudents, Cystic Fibrosis, Candy Stripers, garden clubsand countless schoolPTA's. She taught Sunday School at theFirst Baptist Church of Covington and tutored childreninreadingatthe oldRosenwald School.She was theswim team Mom and driver to hundredsof meets across thesoutheast, little league football mom, dance class mom, brownie and girl scout troupe leader, homeroom mom and late-night school project "assistant". In 1996, she was namedthe Tchefuncta Club Estates "Woman of theYear" serving as thevery first female board president and house chairman in thehistory of theestates and country club.She lovedtraveling around theworld and was

especially excited about hertriptoNorway withJim andher cousin Joan and husband Dick. Shelearned to cook manysouth Louisiana recipesfromher belovedneighbor and friend, Sarah Champagne andwas famous for her barbecued shrimp,red beans andriceand herdelicious German sourcream twist cookies. Aconsummate learner,later in life, shewentbacktocollege to study art history, and she said she lovedbeing theoldest student in the class. Shesurvived flights in Jim's tiny plane butwas widely known to be aterriblebackseat driver! Mom embraced growingold with humor and dignity. Shewas agoodsport Janiceispredeceased by herparents and her son, Robert.She is survivedbyher four children Laura (Mark) Gauthierof Tampa, Florida, Michael Willis of Charleston,South Carolina, Casey (Toni) Willis of Covington, Louisiana andJami (Mitch) Worley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; andher 10 grandchildren, Mark,Max andMary Olive Gauthier, Hayden andHarrison Willis, True, Indieand Gray Willis, andPeyton and MadelineWorley.

Ourmom wasthe life of theparty butalso the calmingrespiteinour lives.She was an extraordinarylistenerand not quicktopass judgement Shewas beautifuland elegantwith amovie star's smile, whileteaching us to work hard andnot be afraid to getour hands dirty. She was famous for herhappy hours, which sometimes went on until thewee hours, whereall of theworld'sproblems could be solvedand roars of laughtercould be heard from hergazebo. Herpassinghas left avoid in our hearts whichwill neverbe filled, butshe helped us to become strong, determinedadults whowill car-

ry on herzest for life, her love of familyand friends andtrust in God. Rest in peace sweetMama. We love you Funeral Serviceswill take place on Saturday, August 1st at E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 West 21st Avenue, Covington, Louisiana. Visitation will be from 10:00 -11:00

dolences by signing an online guestbook at www.ejfieldingfh.com

Cornerstoneinvests in localstudentsthrough scholarships and leadership development

CornerstoneChemicalCompanyiscontinuingtoinvest in Louisiana’snextgenerationofscientists, engineers andskilled professionals.

Cornerstonerecentlycelebrated13localstudentsfor theiracademicachievementsandleadershippotential during itsannualScholarship BanquetonJune4.The eventcelebratedrecipients of thecompany’s CornerstoneScholarshipProgramandLouisianaYouthSeminarsponsorships.

“Whenwethinkabouttonight,tonight’saboutrecognizing excellence.WhenIlookaroundthe room,Isee morethanjuststudentsandscholarshiprecipients,”said Tony Henry, Director of Supply Chainand Logisticsat Cornerstone,duringtheJune4banquet.“WhatIseeare ourfutureengineers,our future scientists, educators, entrepreneurs,publicservants,communityleadersand maybea CEOone day.

“Butmostimportantly,whatIseearepeoplewiththe potentialtomakeapositivedifferenceinotherpeople’s lives. Isee future leaders.”

of 2028,saidthe fundingopenedupnew educational avenuesfor him.

“I’vebeenabletofreelyexplore allthe opportunities I’ve been givenwithout ﬁnancial constraints, Nguyen said ArieLinton,aCornerstoneScholarshiprecipientand chemicalengineeringmajoratLouisianaTech,Classof 2027,echoedthose sentiments

“Thisscholarship will help supportmeoverall as a ﬁnancially independentstudent,soI canreallyfocus on my career andcurriculum,”Lintonsaid.

Thisyear’sCornerstoneScholarshipProgramrecipientsare:

•OliviaBares,Louisiana Tech University

•Aimee Guillory,Louisiana StateUniversity

•EllaGuillot,UniversityofCentral Missouri

•Mia Guillot, University of LouisianaatMonroe

•ArieLinton, LouisianaTechUniversity

•JoshuaNguyen, TexasA&M University

•Ethan Pittari, University of LouisianaatMonroe

•NadiaPowell, LouisianaState University

•XavierPowell, LouisianaState University

•Sky Rickson, YoungAudiences Charter School

Island HoppingHawaii - Discover turquoisewaters, blacksand beaches, andthe spectacularrainforests, canyons,memorials, andmuseums across Maui,the “Big Island”ofHawaii, andOahu.

9-nights from $5,053

Alaska Inside Passage - Witnessmajesticglaciers, wildlife,and pristine wilderness as youjourney throughVancouver,Juneau, GlacierBay,&Ketchikan

7-nights from $1,179

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8-nights from $4,955

TheCornerstone ScholarshipProgram hashelped dozens of localstudentsprepare forcareers in science technology,engineering andmathematics (STEM) by annuallyawarding$1,000one-timescholarshipsto10 eligiblestudentswhoplantopursueorarealreadypursuingSTEM-relateddegreesataccrediteduniversitiesor communitycolleges. Funds aregranted to graduating high school seniorsand currentundergraduate and graduatestudentstoempowerthecommunity’sfuture workforceandmakehighereducationmoreaccessible StudentsmayapplyfortheCornerstoneScholarship multipletimesthroughouttheirhighereducationjourney, furtheramplifyingthe program’spositiveeffects Recipientsareselectedanonymouslybyacommitteeof localcommunityleaders.Toensurerecipientsrepresent thelocal community, applicants must be aresidentof theThirdDistrictofJeffersonParishorthe childofa Cornerstoneemployee. Priority is giventoapplicants whoresideinWaggaman,KennedyHeightsinAvondale andOld Kenner

Cornerstonealsosponsorsthecostofregistrationand tuitionfor threeareastudentseachyeartoattendthe LouisianaYouthSeminar,aweek-longsummercampfor high school students focusedondevelopingleadership skills,suchaseffective communicationskills, setting andachievinggoals,teambuilding,understandingand acceptingothers,developingself-conﬁdence,conducting effective meetings andproblem-solving skills

This sponsorship reﬂectsCornerstone’s belief that leadershipdevelopmentfuelsconﬁdenceandlong-term successfor both an individual andtheir community.

This year’s LouisianaYouth Seminarsponsorship recipients are:

•RoseGelin,JohnEhret High School/Cuillier Career Center

•AlexPrestenbach,Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy/Cuillier Career Center

•Harmony Stewart,Patrick F. Taylor Scienceand Technology Academy/ Cuillier Career Center

ThesupportprovidedbytheCornerstoneScholarship Programand LouisianaYouth Seminarsponsorships relieves some of theﬁnancialburdenassociatedwith higher educationand professional development, thus enablingrecipientstofocusonstudiesandparticipatein programsthatmayhaveotherwisebeencost-prohibitive.

Previousscholarshiprecipientsarepursuingdegrees in ﬁeldssuchasengineering,pharmacy,economics speechpathology andmore, across alllevelsofhigher education, from undergraduatetoPhD programs “Withthisscholarship,I wasabletogothrough all threeyearsofcollegewithoutanydebt.Thattookstress off of me,” said Ella Guillot, aCornerstone Scholarship recipientand graduate studentstudyingindustrial hygieneatthe University of CentralMissouri, Class of 2028 MiaGuillot,a CornerstoneScholarship recipient andtoxicology majoratthe University of Louisianaat Monroe,Class of 2027,saidshe felt thesameway “It’sgoing to help me graduate debt-free,”she said JoshuaNguyen,aCornerstoneScholarshiprecipient andeconomics PhDcandidate at TexasA&M,Class

“These programs representjust asmall part of Cornerstone’scommitmenttothe communityand the waywegiveback,”Henry said at thebanquet.“It’s the waywestrengthenthe communitythatwecallhome. Applications for the2027scholarship programwill open in January. To learnmoreabout Cornerstone, visitwww.cornerstonechemco.com

Tasker, FrancesM.

By Amanda McElfresh| amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbyCornerstone Chemical Company.

Kenner amphitheater moves forward

Laketown concert facility to cost $19 million

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Kenner’s Laketown area could begin to see thousands of visitors next year for concerts as a plan to build a $19 million amphitheater to spur economic development moves toward construction. Jefferson Parish Council member

Arita Bohannan announced Wednesday the concert venue would soon go out for construction bids, after parish and city ofﬁcials were able to secure funds, ﬁnish designs and clear permitting hurdles over the past two years. They will build an amphitheater along Lake Pontchartrain’s shoreline capable of hosting concerts of up to 15,000 attendees.

“It is reflective of months and months of innovation, meetings and hard work,” Bohannan told the Parish Council. “We are moving this vision that we had to a reality.”

The 12,000-square-foot amphitheater will include an outdoor concert stage and metal canopy that looks onto the lake, on elevated ground that puts the stage higher than the nearby levee for storm protection. Behind the stage, a “back of house” facility will have private green rooms with en suite bathrooms, a catering kitchen, lounge area, ofﬁce space and mechanical and electrical rooms, according to design plans. Funding for the amphitheater comes from roughly $12.5 million in fed-

eral Community Development Block Grants the parish received after Hurricane Ida. Bohannan also plans to fundraise the remaining $7 million the project needs, or pay for it using her council District 4 discretionary funds. The city of Kenner also plans to pay for sewer and infrastructure upgrades to the area. Once completed, the parish intends to turn the property over to the Kenner Laketown Area Development Beneﬁt Corporation and contract LiveNation to operate it. City and parish officials said the amphitheater will jump-start several other beautification and economic

See KENNER,

“It’s a tough time financially for the city, but when you have a program like this that is … helping stabilize families, it’s really the smart thing to do to continue providing resources.”

LAURA

TUGGLE, executive director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

Funding for tenant program cut

Lawyers provided in effort to reduce evictions

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

A program that ensures tenants have a lawyer when facing eviction will receive less than half of the funding it was promised by Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration this year, as New Orleans ofﬁcials struggle to solve the city’s cash crisis.

The “right to counsel” program will receive $575,000 — around 44% of the $1.3 million it was allocated in the city’s 2026 budget, according to Jeff

Schwartz, the city’s deputy mayor of economic development.

The funding shortfall has cast uncertainty on the future of the popular program, which was created by the New Orleans City Council in 2022 to stem the tide of evictions and homelessness amid an acute shortage of affordable housing.

Laura Tuggle, executive director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, which manages the program, said she has no immediate plans to cut back services to tenants as she holds out hope

that the city will tap other funding sources.

“It’s a tough time ﬁnancially for the city, but when you have a program like this that is… helping stabilize families, it’s really the smart thing to do to continue providing resources,” said Tuggle.

The program has led to a sharp reduction in the rate of cases resulting in eviction, winning the praise of city ofﬁcials, housing advocates and landlords.

In a statement Tuesday, Schwartz said that “because of the City’s ﬁnancial challenges, the City is not able to

Slidell police chief worked his way up

Williams has spent lifetime in military, law enforcement

with nary a hair out of place and wearing a tailored uniform sans a single crease,

did just that. Williams was sworn in July 1 as Slidell’s police chief after winning 65% of the vote in a

As chief, Williams said if there is an area he wants to specialize in, it will be to make sure he is visible in the community and says it is important for him

fully fund the program at the level anticipated.”

The administration “hopes that we can amend the contract later this year if additional sources of funding are identiﬁed,” he said.

The program is one of a number of casualties of the Moreno administration’s austerity efforts as it works to steer the city out of a budget deficit created under former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration. Upon taking office, Moreno stripped City Hall of some departments, including the Ofﬁce of Resilience and Sustainability, and

See TENANT, page 2B

page 2B

PHOTO By MATTHEW DOBBINS Tommy Williams, right, beams after he was elected Slidell’s next police chief on May

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Larry Lung credits the right to counsel program with keeping him in his 7th Ward home, even as his landlord sought to evict him in 2024.

Continued from page 1B

to have regular input from them. If a resident has a problem or a question, “my door is open,” he says. “If I am not in a meeting, I don’t care what’s on my desk we can move that paperwork, and sit at this big table and hash it out.

“That’s why I am here. I am a people person; I love talking to people. I love going to events and fairs and walking around, and I support this community with my business.”

From the Navy to the force Williams, 62, graduated from Pearl River High School in1982andthenwentontothe University of New Orleans and Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas. He joined the Navy and was classiﬁed as a nuclear weapons technician, working with bombs on aircraft carriers He decided to leave the military after “eight years, three months and 13 days,” and has spent his life since then in law enforcement — including more than a decade with the Roswell Police Department in Georgia, becoming a sergeant and working in the traffic department.

He inherited land from his grandparents and returned to Slidell in 2007 with the expectation he would become a Louisiana state trooper However the job fell through when then-Gov Bobby Jindal instituted a hiring freeze, and then-Slidell Police Chief — and later Mayor Freddie Drennan talked Williams into coming to work for him.

For a time, he worked in the department part time or in the reserves to continue his charter-boat business. But he never let go of his dream of being chief.

His motto is to “lead from the front,” and to not only be the face of the department, but for the men and women who work under his command to see him in the ﬁeld Last week, Williams stood by the side of his longtime colleague Daniel Seuzeneau as he made his own announcement of a run for St Tammany Parish sheriff. The two men started together in Slidell more than two decades ago, and it was Seuzeneau who served as interim chief before Williams was elected.

It’s a full-circle moment for both men, and Seuzeneau said it meant a great deal to have his fellow ofﬁcer there to support him and that no matter what happens in his campaign, he’s looking forward to seeing what Williams can do as Slidell chief.

“He was kind of a mentor for me in the sense that he

had a lot of experience, and I was 23 and just starting,” Seuzeneau said. “It was kind of ironic he taught me and then 20 years later, I was teaching him the ins and outs of how to be chief.

“Leading an agency is about being a good leader who people want to follow And Tommy? He listens People want to follow him, and that’s the biggest thing. Everything else falls into place; you don’t have to know everything.”

‘Two terms is enough’

Williams says police work is drastically different from his ﬁrst days in the ﬁeld, and that the biggest changes are bodycams, cellphones and drones — all changes for the better

In his early days, he would use tapes and “a little prism to measure” distances, which often seemed to be “blistered in court saying the numbers were wrong,” Williams said. “Now, we fly a drone over the scene and everything is to scale. It draws everything for you.”

He didn’t realize how much paperwork would come in his role as chief, but he is quickly adjusting. Within the next couple of years, his department will move from their 53-year-old building into a new complex, which was given ﬁnal approval last week by the Slidell City Council.

His public service likely will end with his time as police chief, Williams said, no matter whether he gets four or eight years in office He jokes that he will not follow in the footsteps of quite a few of his predecessors, including his friend Randy Fandal, who was the latest Slidell police chief to become mayor

“Two terms is enough,” he said. “I want to make it clear: I am not going to be your next mayor. I am not going to run; I am breaking the cycle.”

There’s little question that Williams should be able to ﬁnd plenty to do, whenever he decides to take off his uniform for the ﬁnal time.

He still owns a charter fishing boat He goes out on the water occasionally, when he has a little time to himself.

Williams and his wife, Susan Williams, will celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary Sunday They have two daughters, a son-in-law who is a detective in the Slidell department, and four grandchildren They have been together for nearly 30 years.

“She baits her own hooks, takes her own fish off. Her dad was a colonel in the Air Force and she loves the water,” Williams said. “She doesn’t have a problem with me buying ﬁshing poles, and I don’t have a problem with her buying purses and shoes.

“She’s my rock, and she’s with me everywhere I go.”

KENNER

Continued from page 1B

development projects for Laketown, with the ultimate goal of attracting tourists to Kenner from across the region while spurring revitalization along the Williams Boulevard business corridor

“We needed something that’s going to be an attraction,” said Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser. “Something that’s going to bring people from Pensacola, bring people from Lake Charles, and spend a night here in Kenner and spend money here in Kenner.”

“We needed something that’s going to be an attraction. Something that’s going to bring people from Pensacola, bring people from Lake Charles, and spend a night here in Kenner and spend money here in Kenner.”

KENNER MAyOR MICHAEL GLASER

Alongside the amphitheater, the parish plans to build a $1.8 million inclusive playground in Laketown, as well as a breakwater that will reduce wave action and help create a “living shoreline” and boardwalk similar to the one in Bucktown, paid for using $4 million from the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Bohannan said they are also currently working on a master plan to make the area more walkable using city-owned land around the Pontchartrain Center

“Since the ’80s, we were known for the Esplanade Mall, and losing that mall is sort of a loss to our identity,” Bohannan said. “So we are hoping the amphitheater will help bring back a community identity.”

The amphitheater comes after several previous attempts to revitalize Laketown never came to pass.

Atlantis Gaming Corporation, based in Las Vegas, proposed in 2021 a $450

TENANT

Continued from page 1B

furloughed workers in an effort to save an estimated $27 million.

The Moreno administration is planning additional cost-saving measures, including extended furloughs for city employees, after it abandoned a $110 million bond sale request to the State Bond Commission amid clashes with Gov Jeff Landry’s administration.

Deep budget cuts

In 2022, with evictions climbing as pandemic-era moratoriums ended, housing advocates pushed for right to counsel as a longerterm tool to keep struggling tenants from falling into homelessness.

million “destination resort” for Laketown with luxury condominiums, restaurants, music venues and more, although Glaser pulled the project after he came into ofﬁce the following year because it wasn’t ﬁnancially feasible.

Former Mayor Mike Yenni also touted a plan in 2014 to build a Ferris wheel and boardwalk in Laketown, though it never succeeded. The developments in Laketown come as Kenner prepares to welcome the New Orleans Pelicans’ G-League team to the Pontchartrain Center which will now be run by the city instead of a third-party operator

The city of Kenner also added green lights to its ﬁshing pier and a new Laketown police substation in 2024, in anticipation of increased foot trafﬁc from the amphitheater and the Treasure Chest’s new land-based casino, which opened the same year Glaser said the city has been eyeing the former riverboat casino site as a spot for future development since the casino moved Kenner also updated its sign ordinance to create uniform standards for businesses along Williams Boulevard

attorneys in 2025, compared with 35.5% for tenants without.

Officials have celebrated the program since its launch. In a September council committee meeting, then-City Council Vice President JP Morrell described it as “probably one of the most impactful things that the council has funded” and said that the “council has committed and will recommit” funding.

Moreno, who sponsored the ordinance codifying right to counsel as thenCity Council president, highlighted her record on efforts to keep tenants in their homes during her campaign for mayor

between Interstate 10 and Lake Pontchartrain, with those businesses having five years to get into compliance. To assist those businesses, Bohannan’s office also launched an incentive program to pay back the costs to replace signs up to $20,000. The deadline to receive 100% reimbursement is Friday Leaders in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans have poured millions of dollars in recent years into projects along Lake Pontchartrain’s shoreline with the goal of boosting foot traffic and the local economy In Metairie’s Bucktown, leaders have constructed a $15.5 million “living shoreline,” bird’s nest pavilion and kayak ecotourism along the lakefront trail. And in West End, New Orleans and Jefferson Parish leaders are working together to develop the westernmost side of the park that’s been vacant since Hurricane Katrina with restaurants and other retail businesses.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

$1 million previously allocated for a now-canceled emergency grant to Habitat for Humanity He criticized his council colleagues for approving a tax break for a new affordable housing development at the River District earlier this month.

“The priority should be taking care of an existing program,” said Morrell.

‘Back out on the street’

After years of on-and-off homelessness, Larry Lung has found a rare stability in his tiny 7th Ward shotgun home.

eviction dockets at Orleans Parish Civil District Court often running upward of 30 cases long.

Having attorneys available to assist tenants helps him “run through the docket very smoothly,” said Judge Robbins Graham, one of a group of judges who oversees eviction court four days a week.

Christoph Bajewski, an attorney who represents landlords in eviction proceedings, said he works on the “opposite side” from the legal aid attorneys. Even so, “I don’t want to see them go anywhere,” he said. Lung said he was disappointed but not surprised to learn of the funding shortfall.

He credits the right to counsel program with keeping him in his home, even as his landlord sought to evict him in 2024 in a “no-cause” case claiming possession of the property

The program has achieved that goal, according to data collected by Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a local housing advocacy organization. Before the program launched, two-thirds of eviction cases ended in eviction while a third were dismissed or settled through a payment plan or other agreement. By 2024, those numbers had more than flipped, with 22% of cases leading to eviction and 72% of cases ending in dismissal or consent.

Just 1.9% of cases ended in eviction for tenants with

Yet the first budget of Moreno’s term saw deep cuts for the effort, from $2.3 million in 2025 to $1.3 million in 2026. Tuggle said that her organization has dipped into its reserve funds to keep the program aﬂoat for now

“But we can’t do this next year,” Tuggle said.

“We have to solve the budget crisis in a different way,” added Davida Finger, associate dean of the law clinic at Loyola University “Taking funds from legal services that are a lifeline for vulnerable tenants cannot be the go-to step.”

In an interview Wednesday, Morrell, now council president, said that he remained committed to funding the program and advocated for dedicating nearly

The case was dismissed after his attorney showed that Lung had ﬁled complaints to the city about his landlord’s maintenance of the property

The attorney argued that the eviction was retaliatory

“I’m certain I would have been back out on the street,” without his attorney’s help, 77-year-old Lung said.

In many cases, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services’ clients still end up needing to move. But attorneys can often buy tenants time to ﬁnd other housing, so they don’t land on the street with an eviction on their record.

Each month on average over the past year, 400 New Orleans residents have received eviction notices, with

“Politicians will make promises, pass legislation, and they get all these accolades,” said Lung. “If there’s no follow-up, then it’s for what?”

Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED By JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

An amphitheater is planned for the undeveloped field on Laketown’s western edge in Kenner

PHOTO By GRANT THERKILDSEN

Slidell Police Chief Tommy Williams is sworn in at the Slidell Auditorium on July 1.

Barry, Michael

Culotta,Christine

Fruhling, Beryl Gauslin,Robert Giacona,Patricia

Groce, Walter

Guastella,Robert Guevremont,Jacques

Hearin Jr., Robert Hobson, Jeanne

Killian,Ione

MalarcherIII, Jules

Murphy,Barbara Nahm,Andrew Naquin, Ivory Rogers,Joan Rousseau,Dianne

Ruder, Ruth Schwam,Stanley

Simon, Francis SnellPennington, Ethel StevensJr.,James Tasker,Frances

Williams,Eddie

Willis,Janice

Obituaries

Michael Francis Barry, son of Bertha Lion Barry and Francis Julian Barry was born in NewOrleans on November 30, 1943, and died on July 16, 2026, after ashort illness. He was an Honors Class Graduate of Jesuit High School in 1961, received aB.A. Degree from Loyola University in 1965, and aJ.D. Degree from Loyola Law School in 1968. He practiced criminal law defense for many years. He is mourned by his brother, Francis J. Barry, Jr.; hissister-in-law, Janice Barry; his nephew, Francis J. Barry,III; his niece Marianna Barry Boyd; their spouses; andseven grand nephews and nieces.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain BlvdinNew Orleans, on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Visitation will begin at9 AM with aFuneral Mass following at 11 AM. Michael will be laid to rest in his family's property in Metairie Cemetery immediately after the chapel service has concluded. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Clinton Edward Boyle, Jr age 83 of Metairie,LA, passedawayonJuly16, 2026.Clinton was born in New Orleans, LA on July 29, 1942,toClinton Edward Boyle,Sr. and Angeline Comberrel Boyle.Clinton is survived by his lovingwife MayLoCiceroBoyle,his son BillyEdward Boyle (Missy), his granddaughter Alexandria Pereira (Brian), his granddaughter Samantha Boyle,his greatgranddaughtersOllie May Louise Wolk, Rosalie Marie Pereira, and Camille Faith Pereira, and also survived by many nieces and nephews. Clinton is precededindeath by hisparents as well has hisbrother Gary DavidBoyle, Sr (Paulette). Clinton attended St.Matthias Catholic Grammar School and graduated from Delgado Community College, after studying electronics. He also proudly served his country in the United StatesMarineCorp. Clinton retiredfromthe New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board after workingwith them for 30 years. In Clinton's free time he enjoyed beinga flea marketdealer,which he did formany decades, his specialty items were nostalgia.Hebelongedto the Crescent City Coin Club and Casino Collectibles Association, he specialized in illegal gambling chips. If he was not at the flea market, you couldcatch him going to drag raceswith BillyorlisteningtoNew Orleans Rhythm and Blues Music. Clinton will be greatly missed and forever remembered, especially forhis witty comments. Arrangements entrustedto Tharp Funeral Home. Expressions of love and sympathy maybeplaced and viewed at www.tharpcares.com.

With faith in the promise of the Resurrection, we announce the peaceful passing of ChristineMarie Culotta on July 22, 2026, at the ageof 49. Agraduate of Benjamin Franklin High School and Auburn University, Christinewas awomanof immense generosity whosegreatestjoy was bringinghappiness to others. Acreative spiritwith a thoughtful heart, she expressedher lovethrough meaningful gifts and countless selfless acts of generosity. Herwarmth, compassion,and thoughtfulness left alasting impression on allwho encountered her Above all, Christine loved and adoredher son, Brennan ChachereCulotta, age8.Hewas the greatest blessing of herlife. Though hertime with Brennan was fartoo short, the love,

kindness,and compassion she pouredinto him will continue to live on through him. Christine was preceded in death by her beloved brother, Vincent Anthony "Trey"Culotta,III She is survivedbyher cherished son, Brennan; her loving mother, Aurelie "Mimi"FlotteCulotta; her father, Dr. Vincent Anthony "Van"Culotta, Jr.; her sister, Melissa Andre Culotta; her brother and sister-inlaw, Jason and Taylor Culotta;and her adored niece and nephew, Thérèse Aurelie Culotta and Vincent Anthony"Ford Culotta IV. She also leaves behind countless loving relatives and dear friends who will forever cherish her memory Although our hearts are broken by her passing, we take comfort in knowing that Christine has been reunited with her brother, Trey, in thelovingpresence of our Lord.May she nowrest in thepeace of Christ,and may her spirit of love,generosity,and compassion continue to shine throughBrennan.

Family and friends are invitedtocelebrate Christine's life on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie FuneralHomein NewOrleans, Louisiana. Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m.,followedbya Memorial Mass at 11:00 a.m. To view and sign theonline guestbook, visit www.LakeLawnMetairie.co m.

Fruhling,Beryl Casey

Beryl CaseyFruhling entered intoeternal rest on July20, 2026. Belovedwife of the late Henry H. Fruhling. Mother of Donna F. Bensel(Ronald)and Lisa F. Lanoix (Gerald). Grandmother of Nicolle Cousin, Ashley Slater (Samuel), BrittanySpese (Robert), and Kristin Macke (William). Greatgrandmother of 11 and great-great-grandmother of 1. She waspreceded in death by her parents Iona Braud Caseyand Andrew Michael Casey. Sister of thelateLloyd Casey, Floyd Casey, and Beverly Casey. She was awonderful wife mother, grandmother,and great-grandmotherwho was loving, caring,and compassionate to her familyand friends. Her strong faith gave her peace and strength throughout her life.She willbedearly missed by her family and friends. The family would like to express theirgratitude to thestaff of Sage Lake SeniorLiving.

Relatives and Friends of theFamily are invitedto attend theFuneral Mass in theChapel of Mothe Funeral Home,2100 Westbank Expy, Harvey, LA on Monday, July27, 2026 at 11 AM. Interment Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Gretna, LA

Visitation willbeheldfrom 9:30 AM untilservicetime

Gauslin,Robert Paul

Bobby Gauslin,"Mr. Character" at theage 80 years oldhas gone to heaven on July10, 2026, to spend eternal life with his Lord and Savior. He was surrounded by his family then and during his long illness. He is preceded in death by his loving parents thelate Robert Warren Gauslin and Rose Cannella Gauslin.Heissurvivedby his wife of 54 years, Evelyn Bankston Gauslin, twosisters, Marie GauslinJacob (Wayne); Rosalie Gauslin Porche Lobello(Gus), nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.

Bob graduated fromOur Lady of Lourdes Grammar School, East JeffersonHigh School and Loyola University NewOrleans. He had alongand lucrative career in theoil industry beginning with Gulf refinery progressingtoAlliance refinery where he achieved thepositionof Merchandise Manager. He lovedlife andpeople! One of his greatest joys was bringing people together to laughand havefun--plant buddies,his grammar schoolfriends, Italian club members, and Over The HillGang.The family wouldliketosincerely thank thedoctors, nurses, and staff of theICU and the 3rd floorofWestBank Ochsnerhospital; as well as theCompassus Hospice company and everyone who gaveoftheir self and care to Bob.

Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend a Memorial Mass in the Chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., NewOrleans, La. on Tuesday, July28, 2026, at 12:00 PM.Visitation begins at 10:00 AM till12:00, fol-

lowedbya mass. Intermentwill follow in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery,Gretna, La. To view and sign theFamily online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairi e.com

Giacona, Patricia Nunez

With love in ourhearts andtreasuredmemories to hold dear, we announce thepeacefulpassing of Patricia NunezGiacona, a devoted wife,mother, grandmother,sister,and friend, on July 21, 2026, at the age of 83. Born in Gretna, Louisiana, on November 24, 1942, Patricia wasthe cherished daughterofthe lateEarl and BerthaNunez

Patricia'slifewas atestament to love,creativity, anddedication.She was blessed with amarriage of over six decades to her husband, Corrado Giacona, II, whom she marriedon July 25, 1964, at St.Joseph Church.Together,they built abeautifulfamilyand aremarkable life, surroundedbytheir childrenGina, Corrado, III,and Louis, II -and theirfamilies

Hercareerasaninterior designerand home builder wasmarked by an unparalleledsense of styleand creativity. Patricia'swork left alastingimpression on everyonewho experienced it,asher designseffortlessly transformedspaces into works of art.Inaddition to herdesign career, she served as the Secretary /Treasurerof GiaconaContainer Company, thefamily's plastic drinkcup printing andmanufacturingbusiness. Beyond herprofessional accomplishments, Patricia hada profound passion for fashion. Herunique style and elegance always stood outwith herimpeccable

taste, no matter theoccasion.She also lovedher countryand wasalways a proudsupporter of the USA. Sheissurvived by her loving husband, Corrado; herchildrenand their spouses, Gina, Corrado, III andChristine,and Louis, II andCrissy; her7 cherished grandchildren, Caroline, Christopher, Corrado, IV Nicholas, Julia, Louis, III, andAlex; andher dear sister, Bertha Vera.Patricia waspredeceasedbyher parents, Earl andBertha, hergrandson, Scotty, and hersisters, Jacquelyn and Geraldine, all of whom she dearlymissed. Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Funeral Mass in thechapel of Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.inNew Orleans, on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 12:00PM Avisitation willbeheldat thefuneral home beginning at 10:00AM.The intermentwillfollow the Mass in MetairieCemetery Patricia'slight will continuetoshine through the lives of all whoknewher Shewill be deeply missed butneverforgotten, as her spirit lives on in thehearts of herfamilyand friends. To view andsignthe online guest book, please visit LakeLawnMetairie.com

Walter"Bubba"Groce,a cherished father,grandfather,brother,and friend, passedawaypeacefullyat home surrounded by his loving familyonJuly20, 2026. Born on April 25, 1937 in Germantown, Tennessee. Bubba'slife wasone of dedication love,and adeep commitmenttothoseheheld dear. Bubbawas the beloved son of the later WalterE GroceIIand Daryl Goodwin

Groce, Walter 'Bubba'

Barry,Michael F.

Culotta,Christine Marie

26,2026

Dale. He was predeceased by his devoted wife Earline, with whom he shared many happy years after marrying in New Orleans. Together, they nurtured aloving family and created alegacy of warmth and laughter that endures through their children and grandchildren.

Bubba was also predeceased by two of his sisters, Robin Groce Jones and Judy Konos.

Bubba's academicjourney took him to De la Salle High School,where he graduated in 1956. He then obtained an ASEE degree in ElectricalEngineering from Tulane in 1970 followed by aBSEE in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois in 1972. His career was marked by apassion for innovation and excellence, a testament to his life's work and the respect he earned among his peers. Service to his country was important to Bubba, who proudly service in the Louisiana Army National Guard. The values of duty and honor were hallmarks of his character, and he carried those qualities into every aspect of his life.

Bubba was aman of many interests, with alifelong passion for music that resonated with everyone who knew him. Whether sharing afavorite tune or "jamming" with friends and family, his enthusiasm was infectious.

Bubba's personal qualities were defined by aquiet strength, agenerous spirit, and an unwavering commitment to his family. He was known for his kind heart and gentle nature,always ready with asmileor word of encouragement. His presence lit up any room, leaving lasting impressions on everyone fortunate enough to know him. He leaves behind a loving familywho will forever cherish his memory: hischildren, Karen Groce, Gene Groce (Marcelle), and Richard Groce (Lori); his brother, Very Rev Archimandite Nikoforos (Groce), and sister, Greta Groce; andhis grandchildren, Christina Marullo (Anthony), Garrett Groce Emily Groce, Cassie Chase, Alexis Brown (Bryan), Kaylin Willeford (Hunter), Aubrey Groce, and Avery Groce. Bubba's legacy also lives on through his greatgrandchildren, Caiden Groce, Aspen Tibbils, Eli Tibbils, LeLe Groce, and Luke Ridgley.

Bubba's family extends their heartfelt gratitude for theoutpouring of love and supportduring this difficult time. They invite all who knew him to join in honoring alife well-lived and to remember the joy that Bubba brought into the world. May his soul rest in peace, and may his memory be aguiding light for all who loved him.

Avisitation to celebrate Bubba's remarkable life will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA at 11:00 AM on July 31, 2026, followed by aMemorialMass at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family kindlyrequests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association (https://alz.org) in Bubba and Earline's memory.

To view and sign the online guestbook, visit www.LakeLawnMetairie.co m.

Robert Paul

Robert Paul Guastella—"Bob" to most and "Bobby" to afew—passed away Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in New Orleans, the city where he was born, lived, helped build, and truly loved. As a builder, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, husband, and friend, he will be dearly missed by many. With arguably the best head of hair ever created, his infectious laugh and generous smilebrightened the lives of all who were lucky enough to know him. Bob never met a stranger, and his charm and mischievous sense of humor endeared him to all. He was the son of Antonina and Rosario Guastella, and brother to Rosario Guastella, Jr. and Ronald Guastella, all of whom he has now joined in heaven.

He leavesbehind avery large family who willrememberhim with great joy, admiration, and appreciation.Thisincludes his wifeand friend of 48 years, Debra Rodriguez Guastella; his children, Catherine and Mike Cooper, Roxanne and Donald Guastella, Christy and DavidGuastella, Darren and Cindy Guastella, Deborah and Nick Nolfe, and Courtney Guastella and William Callihan; his grandchildren, Rachel and Whitney Brown, Allie and Duncan Brown, Christina and Justin Ledet, Priscilla and Donald Guastella, Jr., Jessica Guastella, Zoe Guastella, Chloe Lemoine,Isabella Nolfe, JosephNolfe,and Elliot Callihan; and 12 beloved greatgrandchildren. and still counting.

While this is the family he made, Bob wasalso enormously proud of and grateful for the family of dear friends he created, with whom he shared incredible memories. Bob loved people, dogs, agood martini,oysters, and the beach. He was an amateur meteorologistand was known for his abilityto "track asystem". Hiswanderlustbrought himtoall cornersofthe world, and his fearless ingenuity built homes, apartment buildings, hotels, and restaurants across NewOrleans and the Gulf Coast. He had an unrelenting sweet tooth and adeepdevotionto news channels and sports. Bob had an enormous heartthat unfortunately could not keep up with his endless spirit, but he will liveonthrough the hearts of allwho loved him. He attendedSt. StanislousSchoolinBay St.Louis, MS and graduated from St. AloysiusHigh School and Loyola University; both located in New Orleans Amasswillbeheld in his memory Monday, July 27th at Jacob Schoen& Son FuneralHome in New Orleans with visitation at 2:00 PM and mass at3:00 PM.

Guevremont, Jacques 'Jack'

JacquesGuevremont, 86,of MetairieLouisiana, passed awayonJune 1st 2026.Hewas acherished husband, father, grandfather,brother,uncle, and faithful friend and hispresence willbedeeply missed To sharesympathies memories, and condolences and to view full obit visithttps://www.tharpcar es.com/obituaries

Hearin, Robert Matlock

With great sorrow, we share the news thaton Friday, July 17, 2026,Robert Matlock Hearin, Jr.passed away. He waseightyyears old. Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on January 15, 1946,Bob was raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduatedfromMurrah High School in Jackson in 1964,and from the University of Mississippi in 1968.Allured to New Orleans by its joie de vivre, mystery,and cultural openness, Bob attended Tulane Law School,graduatingin1971.A brave knock at the door of another free spirit led to afortysix year marriagewith Zetta MaeBryantin1972. Bob was afun-loverand aman of mischief;his mother, AnnieLaurie, often referred to his "overdevelopedsense of humor."He and Zetta shared alove for travel, and were always eager forthe next adventure in France,Jamaica, Italy, Hawaii, or Mexico. Bob first practicedlaw with NOLAC, drawntothe organizationbyits charter to provide free civil legal aidtothose in need, and in the late 1970sfounded his own lawfirmasa personal injury attorney.

Bob was astudent of history,inparticular the American Civil War. He especially enjoyed traveling with his friendsand family to romp around thefields of battle from Gettysburg to Franklin. He was adevoted husband and father. As a baseballcoach to his two sons, Andrewand Tim, he instilled in them arelentless drive to improve oneself and one's craft.Bob also taught his sons that "lifeisfor the living," his favoriteexpression to celebraterelishing themoment

Evenafter losing his wife in 2018, Bobmaintainedhis sunny disposition and wry senseofhumor.Heloved sipping"lipsmacking"red wine, eating extra crispymargherita pizzawithhis grandchildren,and listening to the music of BobDylan, Peter Tosh, Warren Zevon, and Talking Heads.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Zetta Bryant Hearin, and by his parents, Robert Hearin and AnnieLaurieSwaim.

Bob is survivedbyhis sons Andrew(Robin Hoffman) of Chicago, IL, and Tim(ElizabethSedlar) of Northport, MI; by Tim and Elizabeth's children, Heronand August Sedlar of Northport, MI; his sister, LaurieMcReeofFlora, MS; and his nephews, Nathan and LaurenSchrantz of Pass Christian, MS, and Jonathan Schrantz of VirginiaBeach, VA.

Bob's interment services took place on Saturday, July25, 2026 at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Gulfport,MS.

Jeanne Aucoin Hobson, born on December 24, 1950, entered eternal rest on July15, 2026. Jeanne was preceded in deathbyher belovedhusband, Peter Hobson; her parents, Felix and Winnie Aucoin; her brothers, EdselAucoin, Van Aucoin, KenAucoin, and Paul Aucoin; and her sisters-in-law, Connie Aucoin and Rita Aucoin. She is survivedbyher brothers, LeonardAucoin (Karla) and Ralph Aucoin (Keiren); her sisters-in-law, HeidiAucoin, D'Anne Aucoin and Thayer Esquirol;and countless nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and greatnephews, all of whomwill cherish her memory. A Memorial Mass celebrating Jeanne's life will be held on Tuesday, July28, 2026, at St.PhilipCatholic Church in Vacherie, Louisiana. Visitationwilltakeplace at thechurch from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.,followed by aMemorial Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment will immediatelyfollowthe service.

Final care and professionalservices entrusted to TreasuresofLife Funeral Services, 315 E. Airline Hwy., Gramercy, LA 70052.

"Whensomeoneyou love becomesa memory, that memory becomesa Treasure"

Killian, Ione Mary AnnDuhe

Ione Mary AnnDuhe Kil‐

lian passedaway peace‐fully at home on July 20, 2026 at theage of 84. Born on May11, 1942, to Norman andElizabeth Duhe,she wasone of sixchildrenin‐cludinga twin brother. She grew up in Lutcher, LA and movedtoNew Orleansin herteenswhere shegrad‐uatedfromAlcee Fortier High School.Ionewas a ParishionerofSt. Joseph Catholic Church in NewOr‐leanswhere sheattended mass with herdaughters Ione metJohnKillian on a blinddateand sixmonths latertheyweremarried on August 24, 1968 at St Stephen’sChurch in New Orleans. Shortlythereafter they settledinKenner, LA wheretheyraised ﬁve chil‐dren andremainedlifelong residents. Ione wasa dedi‐catedhomemaker andthe heartofher family.After raisingher children,she poured herloveintothe next generation as avery hands-on Mawmaw to

sevengrandchildren and twogreat-grandchildren Caring forher family was hergreatestjoy.The only thingIoneloved as much as herfamilywas Mardi Gras.She wouldalways ﬁnd herway to thefront of thecrowd andhad aknack forgetting thebestthrows. Ione wasprecededin deathbyher parentsNor‐manand ElizabethDuhe; andsiblingsGilbert, Michael,Melvin, Norman Jr., andher twin brother Ronald Duhe.She will be dearly missedbyher hus‐band of 58 years, John “Donny”Killian Jr.and her ﬁve children:Donna Blady (Darren),David “Tim”Kil‐lian (Jennifer),John“J.P.” Killian(Audrey), Michelle Tuggle (Troy),and John “Charlie”Killian III (Keri); hergrandchildren Paige Murphy (Joseph),Lauren Cemo (Mason), Dylan Blady, Cole Killian, Crystal Killian, Ashley Killian, and RenéeKillian;and two great-grandchildrenMax‐imus andAndersonMur‐phy. Relativesand friends areinvited to attend visita‐tion on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at JacobSchoen &Son FuneralHome, 3827 CanalStinNew Orleans, followed by Mass cele‐brated in theFuneralHome Chapel.Interment will fol‐lowatGreenwood Ceme‐tery

MalarcherIII,Jules A. 'Jay'

Jules "Jay" A. Malarcher III, PhD, passed away on July19, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 65. Known as Dr. Jayto many, he was aman of letters and languages.He was ascholar, author, actor, director,dramaturg, and university professor. Jayheldbachelor's degreesincommunications and modern foreign languages fromLoyola University of NewOrleans; amaster's in theClassics from St.John'sCollege in Annapolis, Maryland; and a doctorate in theatre from Louisiana StateUniversity in BatonRouge,Louisiana. He was also agraduate of Jesuit High School in NewOrleans, Louisiana. Jay spent thebulkofhis career teaching,most notablyinhis hometown at ArchbishopChapelle High School in Metairie, Louisiana, and for more than twodecades at the WestVirginiaUniversity School of Theatre and Dance in Morgantown, WestVirginia. He also earneda Fulbright scholarship to teach American comedy (his favoritesubject)during aone-year residency at theUniversityof Zagreb in Croatia. He authoredanassortment of plays and screenplays, myriad academic papersonfilmand theater, and theauthorizedbiography"The Classically American ComedyofLarry Gelbart. Along with directing morethan60theater productions, Jayappearedin several movies and stage plays, bringing to life such characters as thewily Roman slave Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to theForum." He spokea half dozen languagesand studied more. Always learning. Always teaching.Always laughing. Always loved. Jaywas fulloflife,car-

ing, generous, and quickwitted. Hismemory borderedonencyclopedic. He wasa master of triviaand proudtohave appearedas acompetitor on "Jeopardy!," "TheWeakest Link" and"Wheelof Fortune." Jay was predeceasedby hisfather JulesA MalarcherJr., and mother Juanita Wild Malarcher. He is survivedbyhis sister ReneePitre,brother Andre Malarcher(Ann),nephew ChristopherMalarcher, nieceKatie Pitre Rodriguez(Miguel), and grandnephew Miguel Luke Rodriguez, alongwith many cousins, andhundredsofcherished colleagues, friends and former students with whom he kept in regularcontact.

Jay'sfamilyand close friends ask that you honor hismemory by doing something that Jay didhis entire life: Laugh alot and puta smileonsomeone's faceeach day.

Murphy,

Barbara Stafford Murphy passedaway peacefully on July 20, 2026 at the age of 92. Shewas born on December 28, 1933. Belovedwife of thelate PatrickG.Murphy. Mother of Patrick G. Murphy, Jr (Jennifer)and Shawn K. Murphy. Grandmother of Clayton A. Murphy and TimothyP.Murphy. Greatgrandmother of Camden Murphy andCarter Murphy. Step-grandmother of Laniand LizziStanton andHunterand Sawyer Wright.She waspreceded in death by herparents, CatherineDonewar Stafford Hebert,Paul Stafford, andstep-father Phillip Hebert.Sisterof PaulE.Stafford of Kerrville, TX. Shewas awonderful wife, mother,grandmother andgreat-grandmother whowas loving,caring, andcompassionate to her familyand friends. Her strongfaithgave her peace andstrength throughout herlife. She wasa substituteteacher andretired secretary for theJeffersonParish School System.Barbara lovedto sew, read, travel andespeciallyenjoyedDisney World. Shewas alongtime member and Past Presidentofthe Westbank LionsClub Ladies Auxiliary andwas adevoutChristian andpatriot. Herfamily, church,community and countrywerea huge part of herlife. Thefamilywould like to express their appreciation to thestaff of Bayside Healthcare, especially nurse Keisha andAnvoi Hospice andnurse Catherinefor theircare andcompassion during this difficult time

Donationsinher loving memory may be made to GretnaUnited Methodist ChurchBuilding Fund (www.gretnaumc.org) or a charity of yourchoice

Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to gatheratGretnaUnited Methodist Church, 1309 WhitneyAvenue, Gretna, LA on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 from 10 AM to 11 AM Funeral Serviceswill follow. IntermentWestlawn Memorial Park.

MotheFuneral Home is assistingthe familyduring

this difficult time Condolences andmemories may be sharedbyvisiting Barbara's memorial page at: www.mothefunerals.com

McComb, MS -Andrew EwingNahm, 66, passed away after abrief illness on June 13, 2026, in McComb, Mississippi. Born on April 5, 1960, in Greeley, Colorado, Andrew wasthe son of Mary Jane ConnellNahm. He was raisedinNatchitoches, Louisiana, wherehedeveloped thegracious southernhospitality that would definehim throughout his life. As achild,heenjoyed spending hissummers with hisextended family on theirfarms in central Illinois, whereheformed lifelongmemories and familyconnectionsthatremained importanttohim throughout hislife. Andrewgraduated from Louisiana State University in 1987 with aBachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design.After graduation, he began hisprofessional career in NewYorkCity, whereheworkedasaninterior designer for Laura Ashleyand contributedto avariety of beautifulresidential andcommercial projects. He later returned to NewOrleans,building a successfulcareerasaninterior designer, creatingelegantspaces that reflected hiscreativity, refined eye,and appreciationfor beauty. Andrewwas abon vivantwith agift forentertaining. He delightedin openinghis home to family andfriends.His annual Mardi Gras Thoth Parade brunch became acherished tradition, bringing friends togetherevery Mardi Gras Sunday for a day filledwith laughter, food, andlavish celebration He hada lifelonglove for animals, especially his beloveddog, Boone, who was hisfaithful companion. Andrewwillberememberedfor hisvibrantpersonality, colorfulstories, creative spirit,and enduringfriendships. He will be deeply missed by hisfamily andfriends Andrewwas preceded in death by hismother, his belovedsecond"mother Loneta"Tee"Graves,and hispartner Alan Fetzer. He will be laidtorest at McLean Cemetery in McLean,Illinois, duringa gravesideservice at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026. ACelebrationofLife will be held August 15, 2026, at the ColumnsHotel from 2:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. in New Orleans. We invite Andrew'sfriends andfamily to join us there for a drink and jazzcelebration to celebrate hislife. In lieu of flowers, we encourage those whoknew Andrewtocelebrate his memory by gathering with friends, sharinga meal, extending hospitalitytoothers, or makinga donation to an animal rescue orga-

Nahm, Andrew Ewing

Barbara Stafford

Hobson,JeanneAucoin

Guastella,

nization in honor of his lifelong love of pets.

Quiram-Peasley Funeral Home of Atlanta, Illinois, is assisting the familywith arrangements.

Naquin, Ivory Elaine

Ms. Ivory Elaine Naquin, 71, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026, at Harmony House in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Born on September 26, 1954, in BridgeCity, Louisiana, Ivory was aloving mother, sister, grandmother, and friend who was known for her warm heart, generous spirit, and unwavering love for her family. She found joy in cooking, fishing, and bringing people together. Some of her happiest moments were spent around the dinner table, on fishing trips, and creating cherished memories with those she loved.

Ivory was preceded in death by her beloved son, Glenn Naquin; her siblings, Herbert Lewis, Florestone Lewis, Martha Williams, Barbara Naquin, andKelvin Naquin.

She is lovingly remembered by her son, Germika Davis; her daughter, Alicia Naquin; her sisters, RosaleeMcGary, Viola Betty Rouselle, Leora Theresa Ard, Carolyn Wicker, and Joyce James; as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends whose lives she touched with kindness, compassion, and love. Ivory's legacy of love, strength, generosity, and devotion to her family will live on in thehearts of all whoknew her. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Harmony House in Chicopee, Massachusetts, for the compassionate care, dignity, and kindness they provided during Ivory's final days. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to Harmony House of Western Massachusettsin Chicopee, Massachusetts, in honor of Ivory Elaine Naquin's memory Donations may be made online at harmonyhousewma.org.

Joan Capro Rogers, a lifelong resident of New Orleans who grew up in the Irish Channel passed away peacefullyonJuly 21, 2026,atthe age of 84, following acourageous battle with dementia. Joan was born on July 9, 1942. She graduatedfrom Redemptorist High School in 1960. She was preceded in death by her parents Peter Francis (Frank) Capro and VirginiaSheldon Capro. Joan is survived by Gene, her beloved husband of 61 years; her son Stephen (Holly); and her two granddaughters Brooke (Garrett), and Skye who were the joy of her life. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Ann Rogers Calongne (Terry); her brother-in-law, Robert A. Rogers (Arlene); and numerous nieces and nephews who will cherish her memory. Joan possessed aremarkable entrepreneurial spirit. Early in her married life, she worked for the US Government at Lakefront Airport. In 1980 Joan and Gene founded York Construction Co., Inc ,a heavy construction business. As President of the corporation, Joan played an integral role in its management and success. Over time, Joan became increasingly involved in real estate, forming five LLC's through which she bought and sold properties and invested in mortgage financing. Her fairness, honesty, and integrity earned her the respect of clients, competitors, and colleagues alike. To many she was simply known as "MissJoan". Joan's calmand kind personality touched everyone who knew her.

Although she was astrong and successful businesswoman, she wasequally known for hercompassionate heart. Shenever hesitated to help someone facing difficult times. If a tenant struggledtomake a rent or mortgagepayment, Joan was alwayswillingto work with them, provided they werehonest about their circumstances. She often rememberedher tenant'schildrenwith birthday and Christmasgifts, quietly spreading kindness wherevershe could.

Among Joan'sgreatest joys were spending time with hergranddaughters and immediate family, entertaining familyand friends ather home in Metairie, and at her boathouse at Orleans Marina, and travelingwith Gene

Together theyexplored many places around the world, visited many of America's premier vacation destinations and national parks, and took numerous cruises, including transatlantic voyages, European river cruises, and trips to manyinternational destinations. Joan and Gene also enjoyedseveral cruisesand roadtrips with Stephen, Holly, Brooke,and Skye creating many cherished family memories.

Joan willbedeeply missed by everyonewho knewher,especially her devotedfamily

The family extends its heartfeltgratitude to the compassionate staff of PassagesHospice for their exceptionalcareand kindness. They also wish to express sincereappreciation to Joan'sprivate caregivers, ChantelleWebb andMabel Barrera fortheir loving, professional, and dedicatedcare. In lieuofflowers, consider donationstoSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Family and friends are invited to attend aFuneral Mass on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Lake Lawn Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd New Orleans, LA.Visitation will begin at 12:00noon.

Rousseau, Dianne

Folsom, LouisianaDianne Mullan Rousseau passedawaypeacefully surrounded by her beloved family on July 6,2026, at the age of 86. Shewas a devoted wife, aloving mother and grandmother, acaring sister,and aloyal friend to many.She lived a life defined by deepspirituality, unboundedintellect, and fierce devotion to her family, friends,and community Born in NewOrleans on November26, 1939,tothe late Russell David Mullan and the late Clare Werhan Mullan, Dianne was preceded in death by herparents and her siblings.She spent her highschool yearsinthe novitiate at Rosaryville Convent, educated by the Dominican Sisters of Peace.She then left the novitiate to pursue her nursing education at Mercy HospitalinNew Orleans, where she practiced as aRegistered Nurse.There, in 1960,she found the love of her life: Dennis Leon Rousseau,an assistant professor at Loyola Law Schooland the brotherofher friendJune Rousseau Vaudry. Dianne and Dennis were married on August 18, 1962, beginninga committedmarriage that wouldlast64years until her death. Together they raised four childrenin NewOrleansbeforerelocating to Folsom in 1994 As her childrenleftfor college,Dianne returned to the classroomasanadult student herself, earning a Bachelor ofLiberal Studies, summa cum laude, from LoyolaUniversityCity College in 1992,where she graduated as class valedictorian. She went on to complete aMaster of Social Work from Tulane University in 1995, graduating with honors, and practiced for several years as an inpatient psychiatric social worker Dianne is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, DennisLeon Rousseau;her children, Dionne Rousseau (John Pojman), Dennis Rousseau, Jr.(Sharon), Julie Rousseau (John Penney),and David

boundless energy and end-

Rousseau(Amy); her grandchildren, John Pojman Jr., Lexie Rousseau, Celeste RousseauPenney, Timothy Rousseau, and Sam Rousseau; and ahost of nieces, nephews, extended family,and dear friends who willcherish her memoryand laughter. In lieu of flowers,the family kindly asks that memorial giftsbemadeto theSt. James Place Foundation, 333 LeeDrive, BatonRouge,LA70808, or online at stjamesplace.org under theFoundation tab, in support of thecompassionatecare and community that meantsomuch to her in her final years.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Dianne's life with avisitation at Grace Funeral Home,450 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, LA 70433, on Saturday, August 8th from noonto2 pm,followed by aFuneral Mass at 2pm, withburial to follow in St.Lazarus Cemetery in Covington.

RuthAdler Ruder,19412026

RuthAdler Ruder passed away in Bend, Oregon, on July13, 2026, surrounded by her husband Phillip,her son Eric, and her daughterAnna. BorninNew Orleans to Milton Adler andElizabeth ThompsonAdler,Ruthremained a Southerneratheart throughout her life.She carried withher thetraditions that shaped her—gracious hospitality, impeccable manners, an appreciationfor beauty, and theconviction that thebest way to care forpeople was to welcome them warmly,feed them well, and make them feelathome. Those qualitiesnever left her, no matterwhere life took her.

RuthattendedMetairie Park Country DaySchool in NewOrleans, aplace she cherished throughout her life.Her affection forthe school enduredlongafter graduation, and she delighted in organizing class reunions and helping classmates stay connected. She later attended Spring HillCollege and Skidmore College.

She mether husband aftershe saw him perform at aconcert by theNew Orleans Symphony Orchestra, where Phillip served as concertmaster. It was thebeginning of a remarkable partnership that spanned 59 years of marriage, countless moves, and alifetimedevoted to family,friendship,and music. Together they built homes in Dallas, Cincinnati, Reno, and Bend, each one becoming a place wherefriends, musicians, neighbors, and family gatheredaround Ruth's tableand experienced her gift for making people feelwelcome.

Ruthhad seemingly

less curiosity. She was an accomplished gardener who found equal satisfactionincultivating beautiful landscapes and growing food

Her generosity reached far beyond her ownhome. She volunteered withorganizations including theAssistance League and asuicide hotline,advocated passionately for causesshe believed in, helped organizefamilyreunions, and gave freely of both her timeand resources.

Ruthradiated optimism, as she also letyou know what she thought!Strongwilled, endlessly energetic, and deeply loyal, she had an uncommon gift formaking every gathering feelspecial People who met Ruth rarely forgot her. Ruthissurvivedbyher devoted husband, Phillip; her son, Eric; her daughter, Anna;and her brother, Coleman E. Adlerand his children, including awidecircle of extendedfamily members and lifelong friends whose liveswere enriched by her warmth, generosity, and unwavering friendship

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be madetothe Sunriver Music Festival,whose music and community brought Ruthimmeasurable joyfor morethan aquarter century.

Though deeply missed, her warmth and generosity remain woven intothe livesofeveryone fortunate enoughto knowher

Stanley Schwam, widowerofhis beloved Ruth Freedman Schwam, died peacefully at home at the ageof98onWednesday, July22, 2026. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by many who lovedand cared forhim. Stanley was aBrooklyn boybornonSept1,1927. He was aLife-ranked Boy Scout in every sense of the word, and livedlifewith boundless enthusiasm and steadfast principles.

As ayoung man, he served in theArmyatthe end of WorldWar II,then came to NewOrleans to attend Tulane University on theGIbill.There he met theloveofhis life,Ruthie, gotmarried, served in Korea, had threechildren they adored,and dedicated his professional life to Sazerac Bottling Company. Stan was preceded in death by his parentsTillie and Herman Schwam, and siblings,brothers Jerry (Shirley) and Bernard (Suzi) Schwam and sister CynthiaShevitz(Leon). He was also preceded in death by his wife's parents, JosephDaniel and Dora Frank Freedman, Ruth's oldersiblings, Teal Freedman Bennett (Jimmy) and Alex Freedman, and her triplet sisterand brother, BettyFreedman Regenbogen (Albert) and Ben Frank Freedman (Flo). Stan is survivedbytheir threechildren -Julie Schwam Harris, Shira Schwam-Baird, and Nathan Alan Schwam; by their spouses Seth Harris, David

Schwam-Bairdand DanielleNice;fivegrandchildren, Michael "Mikush" Schwam-Baird(Vanessa) Joshua DanielHarris (Shelby), Jonathan Zachary Harris, and twinsAsher andBlaise Schwam; greatgrandchildrenMaya Ulmer Bairdand MaxwellBishop Harris; numerous nieces andnephews; and hisloving, expertcare-givers SandraBarker, Shelia Cagnolatti,Catherine Chachere, andCynthia Denson Stan wasa loving father, dedicated familyarchivist, andgregarious friendtoall he met at partiesand onegs, in theham radio universe (WA5YYG), in B'nai B'rithactivities,on raftingtrips in theWest's most beautiful canyons andthrough hisdedication to thestudy of Torah.His motherand hersistersinstilledinhim alifelong love forclassical music andopera. Therewill be abrief gravesideservice for family andfriends on Friday, July 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM at Hebrew Rest Cemetery #3. We welcome all to an indoor celebrationof Stanley's life to be held at alater dateTBD. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Touro Synagogue,Delta Chapter of theSierraClub, or a charity of yourchoice. Arrangements entrusted to Tharp Funeral Home.

On the eveningofJuly 19, 2026, FrancisGerard Simon, devotedhusband andfather, died peacefully in RiverRidge, LA Surrounded by hischildren.Hewas 99 years old, dedicating hislifetohis wife and family. He was born July 14, 1927 in Vacherie LA, theson of the lateLaurentClement Simonand Winnie Heltz Simon.

Francis wasmarriedin November of 1955 and predeceased by hisloving wife, the lateHazel Martin Simon, to whom he made a lifelongcommitment and whom he cherished with all hisheart Francis is survived by 6 children: Paula Hotard (Robert), Lisa Dick (lateLawrence), Cheryl Marino (John), Craig Simon,Darrin Simon(Joelle)and Francis Simon, Jr andispredeceased by onedaughter, thelateCindy Lowenberg (Lyle), and oneson,the lateKevin Simon. He is survivedby3 grandchildren, ChristopherDick (Ashlynn), Gregory Dick andJohnLukeMarino,predeceased by onegranddaughter, thelateKellie Dick,and survivedbythree great grandchildren, Lawrence, Simon and Robert Dick.Heisalso predeceased by twosisters, the lateIrene Simon Guidry (Eugene) andthe late Annamae Simon Hartmann (Robert).

Francis served in the United States Army as a Private First Class, was an Accountantbytrade and workedhis trade well into

hisnineties He wasa faithfulhusbandtohis wife, loyal and steadfast,and he lived his life with integrity andhonesty. He devotedmuchof histimethrough theyears volunteering hisfinancial servicestohis church, familyand friends andtirelessly workedtoprovide for hisfamily. He wasalways presentina time of need as adutifulpatriarch andsupportive husband. Mayhis body rest in peace beside hisprecious wife andmay hissoulrest in peace in thebosom of his belovedSavior. He lived a very long life of 99 years, so it couldbesaid "he must have donesomething right" "Gray hair is acrown of splendor; it is attainedin theway of righteousness" Proverbs 16:31 Funeral Service andinterment to be private. Special thanks to his faithfulcaregiver, Terri Mansfield,St. FrancisVilla Assisted Living,and Koryn, Valerie andAngelof Hospice-CareAssociates

EthelSnell Pennington With love and gratitude, thefamilyofEthel Snell Pennington announcesher passing on June 29, 2026, at the age of 92. Born January 1, 1934, in Chamal, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Ethel lived alifemarked by courage, hard work, and devotion to herfamilyand community. Shewas preceded in death by herhusbandof65 years, RoyE.Pennington, Sr.She is survived by her childrenand their spouses—Sandra andMark Dugas, Mary and Ralph Ruhter,and Roy Pennington, Jr.and Cathy Pennington—and by her grandchildrenand their families: Ferrel Dugas and Karen Crossman, Mark Dugas II, Amanda Dugas, and MiaAllen,Amanda Link, andMichael Link. Her familywas hergreatest joy, andshe supported eachofthemwith quiet strength andunwavering love AGretnaresident for more than fivedecades Ethelwas deeply involved in civic and fraternal life. Herdedicated service to theOrder of the Eastern Star included rolesas Louisiana State AmbassadortoPuertoRico andasWorthyMatron of theGretnaand Lumberton, Mississippi chapters. From herearly years in Mexico to herproud achievementofbecoming aU.S. citizen,Ethel met everychallenge with determination.She will be rememberedfor herresilience, gentleness, and kindness, Herlegacylives on in thefamilyshe cherished. Amemorial service will be held Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the William D. WhiteLodge, 501 AmeliaSt.,Gretna, LA.

SnellPennington, Ethel Guadalupe

Ruder, Ruth Adler

Simon, Francis Gerard

Schwam, Stanley

Rogers, Joan Capro

See more DEATHS page

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Affordable housing needs focused attention

The housing market in Louisiana hasbeen a roller coaster for awhile now.Soaring insurance premiums, high interest rates and lack of inventory have drivenupcostsand left some would-be buyers and sellers on thesidelines. Now, though, there may beglimmers of hope with real estate agents reporting increased activity.Inthe ﬁrst six months of theyear,sales were up nearly 7% in the greater NewOrleans area, almost 4% in greater Baton Rouge and 5% in Lafayette,reporters from thisnewspaper found. Median sales prices also rose That’sdue to many factors. Ourinsurance market, long asore spot forhomeowners, is stabilizing, so more insurers are willingto write policiesagaininareas of our statethattheypreviously shunned. It alsomay bethatbuyers are getting usedtointerest rates hovering around 6.5%.

Whatever the reason, we are glad to see the market recovering from thepost-pandemic slump. But there is still aways to go.Though median prices have risen, they are not keeping up with inﬂation. And theamount of timehouses stay on themarkethas risen —to71days in greater New Orleans and more than80 days in theBaton Rouge metro area.

That’swhy we applaud policies on the state and national levelthat encourage home ownership and bring down costs. Ahome is oftenthe biggest assetmost families have, and owning a home can put peopleonthe pathtothe middle class Certainly, the work done bystate lawmakersand Insurance Commissioner TimTemple to address our insurance crisis is worthy of praise.State leaders correctly sawthis as the existential threat it wastosome Louisianacommunities and actedwith urgency.Weare now seeing thatwork pay off withnew insurers entering the market and premiums slowly start to come down. It’sbeen along-term effort, but we ﬁnally seem to be moving in the rightdirection. We previously applauded thefortiﬁed roof programs and reforms to ourlaws that aimedto make Louisiana’smarketbehave more like that in other states.

We also note that Congress recentlypassed the21stCentury ROADtoHousingAct with broad bipartisan support. It aims to increase housing supply and prevent largeinstitutional investors from snapping up single-family homes. These are worthy goals, andwewill be watchingto see what effect this hasonmaking housing more affordable. But there are worrying signs onthe horizon. We see in Louisiana abifurcation of the state’s housing market, with luxury homes selling in all-cash deals while lower-incomebuyers struggle to ﬁnd starter homes. This isn’tgoodfor our communities or our youngpeople. We challenge policymakers to come to thetable with more ideas to make the dream of homeownership more attainable in the future for more people.

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Rawmilklaw notenoughfor public health

The LouisianaLegislature has sometimes been accused of having aherd mentality.One time it was literally true. That was in 2024, when theHouse passed abill allowing the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk directly from farms. As thevote was being taken, anumber of legislators belted out heartymoos to celebrate. That cud-in-cheek moment doesn’tlook so whimsical now Lastmonth, the Louisiana DepartmentofHealth announced that 11 people had been sickened, with two hospitalized, after drinking raw milk purchased from three different producers under thenew law LDH did not namethose producers, nor did it mention anycorrective actionstaken.

Legislatorsbrushed that aside. The bill passed out of the Louisiana House unanimously.Its author,state Rep. Kimberly Coates, R-Ponchatoula, acknowledged theconcerns, but added “There is risk withmanyfoods.”

So, here we are two years later with afrightening situation on our hands and little information to help the public navigate it.

LDHhas refused to publicly name the sources of the tainted milk, which would enable consumers to makeinformed decisions.

It’snot as if ofﬁcials weren’twarned. As it was ﬁrst being debated, scientists and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain sounded alarm bells over the bill.

“We’re weighing the politics versus the science and the risk,”Strain said at thetime.

He pointed to ﬁgures showing raw milk causes 840 times more illnesses and 40 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized products.

When thebill got to the Senate, the concerns focused on the financial impact: specifically,how much it might cost thestate to regulateand test the raw milk —almost $1 million per year, LDH officials said. The senators’ solution? Producers would be required to affixasticker to each raw milk container,warning that it could contain bacteria and that the milk was “not intended forhuman consumption.” In other words, an adhesive wink at consumers.

“I don’tcare what you do with it after you get it,” said state Sen. Stewart Cathey,R-Monroe, washing his hands of the potential dangers.

The bill came as part of the bigger cultural pushback against manylongaccepted public health maxims. The Legislature is not immune to this, of course. It has, in recent years, relaxed vaccine requirements andloosened rules for those wishing to pursue alternative remedies. Raw milk, and its “good” bacteria, are seen by someas key to better health.

And it’snot telling the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry which is headed by Strain and actually has the power to suspend sales if it feels it’swarranted. On July 17, more than three weeks after LDH put out its newsrelease, an LDAF spokeswoman told me that the department had heard nothing from LDH on the matter “Wehave not received an ofﬁcial report from the Louisiana Department of Health identifying the cause of the illnesses, nor have we been notiﬁed of the farmsinvolved,” Jennifer Finley said. “The products in question are licensed and intended forsale as animal or pet feed and are not intended for human consumption.”

So perhaps, forsome, afew people getting sick is worth it so they can continue to buy raw milk without alot of heavy-handed government interference. For their pets, of course. Wink wink.

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

News judgment in theage of theinternet

The famous taglineofThe New York Times is “All the news that’s fitto print.” Ithink in somemanner all news outlets have asimilar motto. But what does it mean to be fitto print?There is alot of news out there that doesn’tmake it onto our websites or into our printed editions. Andhow we make decisions on what not to publish mattersalmost as much as what we do publish. Certainly on social media, there is often no such filter.Some people post rumor,speculation and items of questionable sourcing with little concern. We have to believe a news item is in the public interest to publish it.And to be sure, there is often news that appears on social mediathat doesn’tmake the cut for us. Salacious stories, sometimes called clickbait, while they might spark inter-

est in some quarters, are not what we trafﬁcin. But, you might say,ifpeople are talking about something, doesn’t that make it news? It might. That’swhere newsjudgment comes in. Our reporters and editors work every day to decide what to cover and what to post withour audience in mind. What stories will matter most to you? What is newsthat you need to know? What are the important conversationsweneed to have in our society?

That all might soundalittle stodgy in the anything goes digital age, but we like to believe it sets us apart from all the other content out there. We want to be thetrusted source amid a sea of information you have access to. We know somepeople like their news unﬁltered, but that can makeithard to

know what’saccurate. We aim to help you cut through the noise.

Turning to our letters inbox, Ican report that in the weekfrom July 16-23, we received 56 letters. Concerns about voting and voter fraud wereatthe top of our readers’ minds. We received six letters on the topic, likely due to President Donald Trumpraising the issue in aprime-time address. Then there were anumber of topics that drew two letters, including the ﬁght between the state and the city of New Orleans, how Louisiana executes prisoners and public safety in New Orleans. Iwas also happy to see aletter about our series about the warming Gulf.We hope it generates moreresponses in the future.

Arnessa Garrett is managing editor for Opinions. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

COMMENTARY

FEMA nomineeshows that truth-tellingisnodisaster

When aU.S. Senate committee on Wednesday advanced thenomination of anew administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency,it emitted aray of hope for the idea that principled stancesdon’t always necessitate career suicide. Considering the importance of FEMA for Louisiana, this could be very good newsif, Lordforbid, acataclysm occurs.

knock out all the states’preplanned responses. That is, well, what disasters do, andit’swhy resources from other states and the federal government are rushed in to help: not because theaffected state is incompetent, but because disastersare by deﬁnition disastrous.

The Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsCommittee voted 8-4 in favor of the nomination of CameronHamiltonfor the post, and full approval is almost certain if the Senate makes time to vote before itsabsurdly long August“recess.”

Hamilton was the Trump administration’soriginal “acting” administrator of FEMA, but hewas ﬁred last May for the dreaded sin of testifying that his agency should actually continue existing. Imagine that! He had the gall to saythat we need anational government agency to handle major disasters because when states are hit by such catastrophes, the disasters by their very nature

calamities do still require anational agency to exist as astrong and nimble backstop and provider of desperately needed aid.

The taskforce also suggested elimination of some bureaucratic hurdles and unnecessary procedures that have slowed down assistance in prior years. Andmore, with mostofthe ideas appearing to be wise ones

Apparently in Washington, such logic was a seriously endangered species. PresidentDonald Trumphad suggested astrongpreference for eliminatingFEMA altogether,so when Hamilton spoke up for commonsense, hewas canned. Thankgoodness, though, that wasthenand this is now

To Trump’scredit, the president backedoff of hisinsistence on gutting FEMA. Instead, he appointed areview committee. That task force proposed not ending FEMA but mending it. As this newspaper editorialized in May thetask force’seventual recommendationsgot alot of things right. As Trumpwanted, it still devolvedsubstantialresponsibilities back to thestates —but, crucially,it insisted that the worst

The mend-not-end philosophy was, in essence, what Hamilton had been proposing ayear earlier Pushed to theprivatesector in themeantime, Hamilton suddenly was invited back to takethe very job from which he had unwisely been ﬁred —this time, not as “acting” but,assuming theSenate gives itsexpected approval, as theofﬁcial administrator

The man ﬁred for saying what he believes is being rehired because people realized what he believes actually is right.Hallelujah.

Butishecapable?

Hamilton apparently hasn’t managed responses to natural disasters before, but his experience certainly sounds impressive. ANavy SEAL for adecade, he later spent eight years as a

StateDepartment emergency management specialist and in an important supervisory role at the Department of Homeland Security.According to the NewYork Times,Trump ofﬁcials say Hamilton performed key crisis response workand “kept U.S. personnel and facilities safe in dangerous environments, and managed morethan 4,000 emergency medical technicians and ﬁrst responders.”

In his conﬁrmation hearing, Hamilton struck all the right notes: “I believe states need to receive better customer service. Ihave full faith and conﬁdence in theFEMA workforce, but we can do better

There’sasigniﬁcant amount of areas where that process should be simpliﬁed, better understoodand we owe you answers, Ithink, much faster.”

Wow, what’snot to like?

Hamilton “gained alot of respect”and is “somebody that obviously understands FEMA,” said Mark Cooper,aBossier City na-

tive and chief of stafffor former Louisiana Gov.John Bel Edwards, in arecent interview with my colleague Stephanie Grace. Cooper wasamember of the aforementioned task force that recommended reforming FEMA rather than killing it. And he played a large role in convincing FEMA leaders to have akey hurricaneplanning meeting in June not in D.C. but in NewOrleans, showing that Louisiana is very much at the forefront of their thinking.

Hearing of Hamilton’sreturn from banishment, Cooper said, “was kind of asurprise, but it was agood surprise.”

There’salesson here. Namely, it’snot the end of the world if one risks one’sjob by abiding by one’s conscience and speaking what one believes is true. More people in government and politics should do the same.

There’salso hope here. If the right man is on the job at FEMA, with the right plan, we in Louisiana should be able to recover morequickly no matter what ill wind might blow

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Scorched-earth politics come to La., andwe’re worseoff forit

If anyone was relieved when the NewOrleans ofﬁcialswho’d been threatened with removal by Attorney General Liz Murrill offered an olive branch last week, it was short-lived.

their requestwas “driven by our belief that thepublic interest is now better served by moving forward rather thanby prolonging litigation.”

“It’snot over,” Murrilldeclared aftera special prosecutor dropped the criminal charges she bizarrely faced for making that threat, at Mayor Helena Moreno’sand the AG’sother alleged victims’ request.

Sigh. Moreno and five City Council members had wisely called on appointed prosecutor Laurie White to dismiss the grand jury indictment, which stemmed from adispute about how to fill the newly merged court clerk job in OrleansParish District Attorney JasonWilliams, who’d recused his office, sent asimilar message: that the fighting was adestructive distraction that put all the progress thecityand statehave made together at risk. It’strue they had plenty of reasons to stand down. Murrill and her Republican allies, Gov.Jeff Landry chief among them, madeitclear they wereout to punish the city —and by extension its majority Democraticresidents —bywithholding stateresources. The state Supreme Court had already indicated theextraordinary charges were unlikely to stand.And Murrill, as part of her effort to have the case thrown out, was pursuing communications that may or may not havebeen embarrassing to the city officials.

Stephanie Grace

If only Murrill and her allies would meet them halfway In saying that, Idon’tminimize the wrongheadedness of theindictment, or the mystery over whether it was really the work of arunaway grand jury or manipulation by someone with an agenda. Itoo am dying to know how it all unfolded behind closed doors, and Ifully understand Murrill’sanger,just as Iunderstand why the New Orleans ofﬁcials were furious at her claim that they’d acted illegally

But neither Murrill nor Landry is backing down from the hardball tactics that started this most unseemly city v. state showdown.

Both are pointing fingers without offeringevidence of thetype of wrongdoing that the city officials deny.Landry said that Williams should have his law license “ripped from him,” suggested Council President JP Morrell should meet asimilar fate and floated aspecial legislative session to grab more control over New Orleans courts.

And Murrill doubled down on her original contention that thecouncil violated the law

tionsatthe heart of her warning should be off the table “due to theobvious confusion” surrounding thesituation.

Murrill said her effortstouncover improper intervention that were once part of her attempt to have thecase thrown out —which included, as mycolleague Quin Hillyer reported, her lawyers’ outrageous demand that anonymous citizen grand jurors preserve electronic communications or risk civil or criminal penalties —will continue unabated.

If this all sounds heavy-handed, well, that’sa patternwith Murrill.

ecution forretired Judge Calvin Johnson, who’d agreed to step up as interim clerk at the council’srequest. If his namesounds familiar,that could be because he’salready received astate apology forwrongful prosecution stemming from a1965 incident in which he and agroup of other teens protesting forschool integration were assaulted by amob. In issuing the apology in 2019, then-Gov.John Bel Edwards rued that “Louisiana’sauthority and power” had been “unjustly wielded.” Separately,Murrill sued Caddo ofﬁcials on procedural grounds over aharmless welcomeresolution forVermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, which the judge deemed “frivolous” and “improperly motivated.” And she indicted former Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, not forany alleged selfdealing but foranabysmal performance in ofﬁce forwhich voters had already sent her packing.

Murrill even emulated President Donald Trumpbyposting aself-aggrandizing meme after the charges weredropped, showing her with red lasers coming out of her eyes.

YetMoreno and the council members were also dead-on when they wrotethat

This, even though the same state SupremeCourt majority that deemed the Legislature’sconsolidation of clerk ofﬁces legal andthe council’sreaction improper —while also acknowledging lawmakers’ timing,right before theelected criminal court clerk was to take ofﬁce, was “unfortunate”— said that the usurpation allega-

Her initial round of bullying letters which even her own lawyer Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue said at the time were illadvised —not only dangled the possibility of removing thecity’sDemocratic leaders but also having Republican Landry appoint their replacements.

It also invoked thepossibility of pros-

Indeed, Murrill and Landry are channeling the Trumpian worldview:that red states are at warwith their blue cities, that ofﬁcials need answer only to the voters whosupport them,that policy should be based on retribution and that it’sbetter to escalate than to deescalate. It’s no waytogovern. And it’scertainly no waytomake Louisiana any less dysfunctional.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Cleo Fields gettingbacktowhere he once belonged

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields campaigned and earned the title of congressman twice in his career Andhe’slost the title twice. Neither time did Fields go to Washington, D.C., with the intention of being ashort-term player in the U.S. House of Representatives. With many years of service by the time his second congressional tenure ends Jan. 3, Fields will have served longer than a number of congressional representatives who had shortterms, some for as little as one day but far from the likes of West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, whowas in the U.S. Senate for more than 51 years. Fields isn’tpacking up and returning home because he wants to. Gov.Jeff Landry and the LouisianaLegislature eliminated the sixth congressional district that he was duly elected to serve in favor of aRepublicanfavorable district that would’ve beentoughfor Fields to win. The two-timecongressman ofﬁcially announced daysago thathewill not seek reelection to Congress.

Instead, he will seekthe state Senateseat he left to return to Congress.

Will Sutton Quin Hillyer

In amost unfortunate twist of fate, the seat is open because his successor,state Sen. Larry Selders, died earlier this month. Selders served about five years in theState House and won aspecial election to finish thebalanceofFields’ term Fields first won thesame Senateseat in 1987 as a24-yearold activist outsider,defeating a longtime incumbent. He’s held onto theseat since—except for thetwo times when he was elected to Congress. Each time he was elected to aseat created by the state Legislature in response to callsfor greater representation of Black voters. He’srepresented two different congressional districts, the 4th and the 6th, based on political district boundaries drawnat thetime. Both werecenteredin Baton Rouge. He’srepresented Baton Rouge and other communities as asenator three times, each timewith aBaton Rouge center

If Fields is elected to ﬁll Selders’ unexpiredterm, it would be the fourthtimehe’sbeen elected to thestate Senate —and he’llquite likely run fora full term next fall. Sometimes congressional representativesare forced to pack their Washingtonbelongings and head home when districtboundaries are changed. It doesn’t feel good.

“Am Idisappointed?” Fields asked rhetorically.“Of course.”

“It’snothing I’munfamiliar with.We’vebeen here before We were very hopeful.” He, Iand othersthought we were on our waytomore equalrepresentation in Louisiana.

In late April, theU.S.Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that geographic boundariesfor political subdivisions cannotbe drawn based on race but they can be drawn based on politics. In effect, that wasthe endofthe Voting Rights Act Section 2, which hasprovided protectionsagainst voting discrimination while providing morerepresentation opportunities forBlacksand other underrepresented groups Thatwas thedeath of Fields’ district.

Landry andhis Republican Legislature created the6th District that Democrat Fields represents until Jan.3.InMay,after thehigh court ruling,and before Fields hadcompleted 18 months of the term, the samegovernor and the Legislature eliminated the district.

On Thursday afternoon,hetold me he’s looking at onething at a time.Hedoesn’t knowwhether anyone elsewill jump intothe race, but he’s making it clear that he wants theseat. “It is notmy seat,” he toldme. “I’mrunning forthe seat. Idon’t own it.” WhenFields became acon-

gressman this time, Selders ran forthe rest of his unexpired Senate term.Fields hadknown Selders formore than 20 years andhewas excited to seeSelders succeed him.

Now Fields is running to ﬁll the balanceofSelders’ unexpired term

This is notthe wayFields would have chosen to have this playout If it were up to him, he’d be staying in Congress,gaining more seniority, ﬁghting forhis district andall of Louisiana

Now he wantstoreturn to the Louisiana Capitol as thesenator withthe mostseniority

All of Louisiana should be as disappointed as Fields is about this turn of events. All of us should want Fields in Congress, where he belongs and where we’d have the representation we deserve. Though Fields hastoearn the state Senate seat he left,many in his district, in theCapitol and across thestate will welcome thecongressman back home as a senator

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Hamilton

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

AttorneyGeneral Liz Murrill holdsupalegal padfull of notes during anewsconference in Baton RougeonWednesday.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Cleo Fields

Saints readyto tackle life without Davis

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

When Demario Davis left the New Orleans Saints in free agency,the initialbelief was that the veteran linebacker simplyreceived an offer too rich to pass up. After all, even at the age of 37, the two-time Pro Bowler commanded atwo-year,$22 million contract from the New York Jets.

The Saints wouldn’tbeblamed if they didn’twant to hand out that sortof compensation to an off-balllinebacker.But in a twist, they did anyway

After losing out on Davis, theSaints gave athree-year,$33 million contract to reunite with KadenElliss—the former NewOrleans linebacker who spent the last three years with the Atlanta Falcons.

The ﬁnancial commitment to the 31-yearoldElliss wasn’tjust about trying to get younger,either.The offer was believedto be in the ballpark of what Davis ultimately accepted from the Jets. Davis, it turned out, simply wanted to go back to New York, where he began his career By effectively swapping Davis for Elliss,the Saints linebacker room has undergonea signiﬁcant change ahead of this coming season That doesn’thavetobea bad thing, though Depthchart (name, height,weight, experience)

n Kaden Elliss 6-2, 238, 8

n Pete Werner 6-3, 242, 6

n Danny Stutsman 6-3, 233, 2

n Isaiah Stalbird 6-1, 215, 2

n Jaylan Ford 6-2, 240, 3

n JacksonSirmon 6-2, 240, 1

Number to know:1,103

OneofDavis’bestattributes throughout hiscareer hasbeen hisconsistency. Even last season, Davis logged 1,081 snaps— his

ä See SAINTS, page 5C

SPORTS

Let’spreface this by sayinggood vibes don’twin footballgames.

If they did, New OrleansSaints fans probably could go ahead and book February ﬂights to Inglewood, California, the site of Super Bowl LXI Don’t do that.

However,with Saints training camp starting Wednesday,there are plentyof reasonstobeoptimistic aboutthe 2026 season. EvenSaints defensive end CamJordan, entering his16th season, can sense there’ssomething alittledifferent about thevibes surrounding this year’s squad.

“I’m going tohold off until we get pads on,”Jordan said Friday.“But Ilove walking in the building and feeling that high energy.Ineed to see us in pads. ButIthink we look phenomenal on paper,though.”

The Saints haven’tmade the playoffs since acertain quarterback who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August was still playing. Will the ﬁve-year postseason drought ﬁnally cometoanend? The oddsmakers in Vegas don’tthink so. The Saints have the11th-best odds in the NFC to makethe playoffs, according to one sportsbook, which would have them on the outside looking in yet again. We’ll know if they are right in January

That’ssix months away.It’sstill July,the perfect timeofyear to talk yourself into believing this is the year.Perhaps this is the year to stick your chest out with pride like you did after that2-0 start in 2024 when the Saints started the season by thumping the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.This time, unlike thatyear,maybe you’ll be able to

keep your chest out all season long. It’searly,but here are ﬁve reasons you should be more optimistic about the Saints this year than recently

TheShoughfactor

The Saints have been searching fortheir quarterback of the future ever since their quarterback of the past (Drew Brees) retired. Nine different quarterbacks have started forthe Saints since Brees called it quits. Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, IanBook, Andy Dalton, Derek Carr,Jake Haener,Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough. They ﬁnally found their ä See WALKER, page 5C

DefendersRodgers,Tchienchouready to lead Wave

BYGUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Safety Jack Tchienchou stopped specializing at wide receiver when he reached high school. Linebacker Chris Rodgers’dream of being astar running back in college lingered signiﬁcantly longer Tulane’stop twotacklers in 2025 appear poised for evenbigger numbers this year even thoughthey did not originally envision the roles that prompted Phil Steele to make them first-team preseason All-American Conference selections. Rodgersrushed for 13 touchdowns and added two scoring receptionswhile leading Corinth (Mississippi) High to a14-1 record in 2022 —nearly double its win totalfor the two previous years combined. He scored four times in one game.

“He was an unbelievable running back in high school,” Tulane coach and fellow Mississippi native Will Hall said at American Conference media days. “He’sjust an unbe-

lievable talent. He’sreally just ﬁnding his way now as alinebacker.”

Tchienchou,aself-described“big offensive guy” in middle school,changed hisfocusfrom receiver to cover guy because his high school in Atlanta ran thetriple option.

“It was either down block on adefensive end or you go play defense,” he said.

Bothplayers signed withTroy and thencoach Jon Sumrall as partofthe 2023 class before following him to Tulane the next year Hall could not be happier to inherit themin his ﬁrst season as Green Wave head coach.

“I love those two guys and what theyare about,” he said. “They are the type of men that justliftothers up. They lead the right way.They are out in our community doing community service. It means theworld to me that both of them stayed.”

The naturally gifted Rodgers (6-foot-1, 229 pounds) arrived at Troy as araw prospect Listedasanickelback on the Trojans’initial

Ilove those two guys and what they are about. They are the type of men that justlift others up. They lead the right way. It means the world to me that both of them stayed.”

Rod Walker

RACING

8a.m. F1: Hungarian Grand Prix APPLE TV Noon NHRA:Qualifying* FS2

1p.m. NASCAR Cup: Brickyard 400 TNT 3p.m. NHRA: Northwest NationalsFox BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Noon AVP: League Week 7CBSSN BIG3BASKETBALL

NoonDMV Trilogyvs. Miami 305 CBS CFL

6p.m. Hamilton at Montreal CBSSN CYCLING

8:30a.m. Tour de France NBCSN

1p.m. Tour de France NBC

6a.m. LPGA: Women’sScottish Open CNBC

7a.m. LIV: JCB Golf& CountryClubFS1

7:30 a.m. Champions:Senior Open Golf

Noon PGA: 3M Open Golf

2p.m. PGATour:3MOpen CBS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

11 a.m.Cleveland at TampaBay NBCSN

12:30 p.m.Hall of Fame ceremonyMLB

3p.m. L.A.Angels at San Francisco MLB

6p.m. N.y.yankees at Philadelphia NBC SAILING

10 a.m.SailGP: Event 08 CBSSN MEN’S SOCCER

4p.m. ForgeFCatInter Toronto FC FS2

7:50 p.m. Honduras vs.Jamaica FS2

TOUR DE FRANCE

WOMEN’S SOCCER

4p.m.Seattle at San DiegoCBSSN

8p.m.Louisville at Angel City ESPN SOFTBALL

1p.m.Utah vs. ChicagoESPN TENNIS

7a.m.Hamburg-WTA& Prague-WTATennis

11:30 a.m.Estoril-ATP singles final Tennis TRACK AND FIELD

3p.m.U.S.championships NBC XGAMES

1p.m.MoonPay-NewOrleans ABC

5p.m MoonPay-New Orleans ESPN *taped

Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, wearing the overall leader’syellow jersey, rides in the pack during the20th stage of theTour de France on Saturday.The race startedinLeBourg d’Oisans, France,and finished in Alpe d’huez, France. Pogacarhas a61/2-minute lead headingintoSunday’s finish in Paris.

Closinginonhistory

Pogacarnears

By The Associated Press

record-equaling fifthtitle as Carapazwinspenultimate stage

ALPE D’HUEZ, France Tadej Pogacar moved to within touching distanceofa record-equaling

ﬁfth Tour de France titleafter ﬁnishing safely in thepenultimate stage on Saturday

TheSlovenian star heads into Sunday’s showcase ﬁnish in Paris with alead of 61/2 minutes over Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel Barring mishap, Pogacar willjoinBelgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain, and FrenchmenJacques Anquetil andBernard Hinault as the only men to win ﬁve Tours.

“I have donea really good Tour.Someof ourcompetitors hadbad luck,” said Pogacar, whosemain rival Jonas Vingegaard crashed outofthe race. “Wemade it through with the team and now there is just one last show left.” The20th stage was won by Richard Carapaz for his second win at this year’s raceand third overall. The Ecuadorian rider overtook Sepp Kuss near the end as the American almost crashed out. Evenepoel also surged past Kuss near the line to take second place.

“There was amomentwhen Icouldn’t believe what was happening,” Carapaz said. “This Tour de France has been incredible, with all the spectators and all the support I’ve receivedfrom Ecuador,where they’ll be jumping for joy.”

Pogacar chose not to launch one of his attacks like on Friday’s19th stage.

Stage 20 was amammoth 106-mile alpine trek featuring three hors catégorie climbs —the hardest category —and onecategory 1climb.

After three weeksinthe saddle,wearyriderstackled hors catégorie ascents of Col de la Croix de Fer, ColduGalibier andCol de Sarenne, and the one category 1climbofCol du Télégraphe, making for 41 miles of hard climbing in total beforeahilly ﬁnish to Alpe d’Huez.

Carapaz rode from thefront in order to securethe polka-dot jersey awarded to the Tour’sbest climber.Pogacar’s yellow jersey groupwas hanging back whenCarapaz, Kuss, Spaniard Juan Ayuso and AustralianJai Hindleywent over theGalibiertogether Pogacar’spriority was ensuring his AE Team Emirates teammate Isaac DelToro ﬁnished thirdinthe rankings,and theMexican rider is now more than two minutes clear of

Frenchman Paul Seixasinfourth.

“It’sbeen an honortoride forIsaac today,” said Pogacar,who gifted Del Toro victoryon Stage2

“Crossing the ﬁnishline togetherwith him hasbeen memorable.”

Ayuso was droppedasthe former Spanish Vuelta winnerKuss, Hindleyand Carapaz— both former Giro d’Italia winners —battled for supremacy in the Sarenne pass.

“Itwas really, really tough,” Carapaz said. “Sepp, in particular,was avery tough nut to crack.”

An exhausted-looking Kuss lost controlof hisbike going downhill when he mistimeda turn with3.1 milesleft andalmost tumbled over aroadside concretebarrier.Somenetting cushioned him.

Carapaz rode swiftly pasthim to victory

“It was absolutely brilliant to win hereand in adistinctive jersey,” Carapaz said. “I think Ideserve it, because I’vefought so hard in this Tour de France.”

Sunday’s finalstage shortened Sunday’s ﬁnal stage starts shortly before 11 a.m. CDT on an 55-mileroute featuring an uphill dash through the Montmartredistrict in Parisand ﬁnishing on the ChampsÉlysées.

The stage was shortened from 82.6 miles and its starting point in Thoiry,west of the capital, was changed to Paris so as to reduce pressure on emergency services combatting wildﬁresinthe southwest.

Koivun shoots 61 to take lead at 3M Open

PGATourrookiesetstourney record with 28 on back nine

BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP sportswriter

BLAINE,Minn. PGA Tour rookieJackson Koivunshot a61inthe third round of the 3M OpenonSaturday to take athree-stroke lead at 20-under par,setting atournament record with a28onthe back nine at the TPC Twin Cities. Emiliano Grilloand BenKohles each had a 65 and are tied for second at 17 under.Michael Brennan shot a63and shared fourth with Chandler Phillips at 16 under.Denny McCarthy,Billy Horschel and Michael Kimwere in sixth at 15 under Scottie Scheffler,the world’stop-ranked player,was six strokesbehind Koivunin afour-way tie for ninth place withDavis Thompson, Seamus Power andBrianHarman. The 21-year-old Koivun, who wasthe topranked amateur player after astandoutcollege career at Auburn and turned pro last

Koivun sank a12-foot puttonthe 12thgreen and a14-footer on the 18th to eagle two of the three par-5s on the lake-filled course, which joined the tour schedule in 2019. He confidently hit his second shotfromthe 18th fairwayover the water and landed safely on the green. “It’sgoing to be definitely atest (Sunday),” Koivun said.“I’m sure someofthe pins will be tucked and we’ve gotalot of great players behind me, but just goingtostick to my game plan and try tosmile.”

Richardson, Lyleswin 100 at U.S. championships NEW YORK Sha’Carri Richardson andNoah Lylessurged to 100-meter wins at the U.S. track and ﬁeld championships on Friday night. The 26-year-old Richardson, a formerLSU star,got off to aslow start but quickly madeuptime, ﬁnishing in 10.77 seconds to breeze past training partner Kayla White and win by 0.13 seconds at Icahn Stadium

“It feels phenomenal to be back in abetterplace —healthy,mentally,physically,emotionally,” Richardson,who battled injuries last year,said in an interview with Peacock after the race. “It shows that hard workpays off.” Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, was trailing early but quickly caught up to the ﬁeld— andthenblewright by them. He matched his personal-best timeby ﬁnishing in 9.79 seconds.

49ers coach Shanahan suffers injuries in car crash

SANTACLARA, Calif. San Francisco 49erscoachKyleShanahan was injured in acar crash earlierthis month that will limit his participation at the start of training camp, the team announced Saturday, when camp opened.

Shanahan suffered aconcussion, broke his nose andseveral ribs, and injured his hands in the crash.

The team described the injuries only as “non-life-threatening” and thanked ﬁrst respondersfor their work at thescene of thecrash last week.

The Niners will conduct their ﬁrst practice on Sunday with assistanthead coach/offensive line coach Chris Foerster running the team, alongwithcoordinators KlayKubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer

Shin keeps five-shot lead at LPGA’s Scottish Open TROON, Scotland South Korean golferJenny Shin maintainedher ﬁve-shot lead at the Women’s Scottish Open after round three on Saturday

Shin carded a1-under 71 after two birdiesand abogey just after the turn.

She’schasing hersecondLPGA Tour win and first sincethe Texas Shootout more than 10 years ago. Leading since the first round, Shin admitted she felt early nerves on Saturday Shin was at 12 under on the Dundonald Links, five ahead of Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand. Anannarukarn hit abogey-free 69, matching the low round of the day, to climbfromfourthplace to second.

Mets slugger Soto placed on 10-day injuredlist

NEWYORK New York Mets power hitter Juan Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of aleft calf strain.

Soto walked twice against Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki in Friday’s 4-2 loss before being replaced by Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning with the score tiedat1.Heappeared to experience discomfort while running to second base on Bo Bichette’sdouble-play grounder in the second inning.

Soto is hitting .293 with21homersand 52 RBIs in 84 games this season.Hemissed15games from April3-21 witharight calf strain, andthe Mets went 3-12 withouthim

Soto sat out Wednesday’s4-3 loss at Milwaukee but was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets had aday off.

Perez breaks Brett’sRoyals record for most homeruns

month following the U.S. Open, had two eagles andsix birdies to separate from the pack on a steamy and still afternoon that was ideal for low scores. “Just got to keep thefoot on thegas,” Koivun said.

Koivun, whotied for 10thtwo weeksago at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky,shot a 64 on Thursdayand a68onFriday.Hetied the 54-hole record (193) set by wire-to-wire 2023 championLee Hodges and became the youngest 54-hole leader on tour this season. But don’tassumehe’sastrangertothis type of pressure.

“Playing at Auburn was so much fun. We were deﬁnitelyput in some stressful situationsatnationalchampionships andjustcollegiate play,”Koivun said. “I’m just trying to lean on those experiences.”

DETROIT Salvador Perez hit his 318th career homerun on Saturday,breaking George Brett’sKansasCity Royals franchiserecord, withasoloshot againstthe Detroit Tigers. With the Royals trailing 2-1, Perez ledoff theseventh inningwithhis 401-foot homeroff Kyle Finnegan over theTigers’ bullpeninleft.It washis 31st career homer against Detroit, trailing only the 36 he has hitagainst the MinnesotaTwins. Brett held the franchise record for40years, having passed Amos Otis with his 194thhome run on April 9, 1986.

Perez’s318 homers for the Royals ranks third among active players who have playedfor only one team. MikeTrout has422 homers for the LosAngeles Angels and Aaron Judge has385 for the Yankees.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By MOSA’AB ELSHAMy Richard Carapaz of Ecuador celebrates as he crossesthe finish line to win the 20th stage.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByTHIBAULT CAMUS

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By BRUCE KLUCKHOHN Jackson Koivun hits from the sixth tee during the first round of the3MOpen on Thursday in Blaine, Minn. Koivun has athree-shot lead entering Sunday’s finalround

Some SECrivalries putonhold

Move to nine-game league schedule

pauses big grudge matches

BY EDDIE PELLS and MARK LONG AP sportswriters

TAMPA, Fla. It used to bethe biggest rivalry game of the week, the month —maybe the entire season In 2026, Florida and Tennessee will be complete strangers. Their once-a-year matchup that, back in the day,featuredSteve Spurrier,Peyton Manning, Phillip Fulmer and the snark that sometimes even outweighed thestakes —“Youcan’tspell Citrus without ‘U-T’ ”—isabsent from the schedule for the ﬁrst time in 37 seasons. Alabama-LSU —soonthat’llbe gone, too, for the ﬁrst timesince 1963.

The Gators and LSU —they’ll miss each other this year for the ﬁrst time since 1970.

Such is the price of progress in the Southeastern Conference, which has grown from 10 teams in the old days to 16 now

The league is introducing aninegame league slate this seasoninan attempt to boost strength ofschedule for what is now aplayoff system that has acommittee awarding seven at-large spots in the 12-team ﬁeld.

“When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference,” commissioner Greg Sankeysaid

The divisions that once made Florida-Tennessee such abig deal —the winner hadaninsidetrack for the East, aspot in the conference title game and maybe the national championship —are gone, another product of expansion.

Under the new system, in place through 2029, each school will play three “annual” foes.Someofthe SEC’smost ancient rivalries, like Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia

and Auburn-Georgia, were preserved.

Othersare nowless-permanent affairs. Anotheroldie but goodie that’s missing this year,Georgia vs. Tennessee, was ﬁrst playedin 1899 and became an annual event in 1992. TheVolunteers gotthe best of the Bulldogs early,but Georgia has won nineina rowand 14 of the past 16 —arun that prompted aquestion to Georgia coach Kirby Smart on Tuesday about feeling like he has“one lesswin”onthe schedule.

“You saidthat; not me,”Smart responded.“Igot alot of respect for Josh (Heupel)and their staff. Imean, they’re atough prep. I’m glad other teamsget an opportunity to do that, and then we get some newteams to play.”

Some newteams, yes. Some old

rivalrieswill return, too.

For instance, Arkansas-Texas,a must-see game on the old Southwestern Conferenceschedule that produced theGame of the Century, attendedbyPresident RichardNixon in 1969, is an annual affair again. Twoyearsago,Missourirenewed acquaintance with Oklahoma, reupping arivalry thatmeant alot in the Big Eight foratimeinthe 1970s. And Texas-TexasA&M, the “Lone Star Shootout” andagameheld everyyear between 1915 and 2011, will now be played annually

Asked about rivalriesbeing renewed and others that, in another effect of realignment, are changing dates— Missouri’s season-ending tradition againstArkansas has been moved to Week 8— Tigers coachEli Drinkwitzsaid: “I don’t

worry aboutthat. Iknoweach and everygame in theSEC is extremely difﬁcult.”

The SEC also mandated its teams play a10th gameagainst aPower Four opponent,which ledKansas andMissouritorenew theirsocalled “Border War” and created other early-season matchups like Oklahoma-Michigan, ClemsonLSU,Ohio State-Texas, AuburnBaylor,Arkansas-Utah and Arizona State-Texas.

SECcoachessaidmovingtoa nine-gameleague schedule would coincide with College Football Playoff expansion, whichdidn’thappen. Now,they have tougherschedules, no increased access to the 12-team playoff and afew less rivalries.

“That’swhat our conference

looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brett Venablessaid.“Eachand every week, you’re not going to sneak up on anybody.”

Tennessee-Floridaseries

The Tennessee-Florida rivalry decided the SECEast adozen times between 1993 and 2009. Spurrier gotunderFulmer’sskinwithhis “Citrus Bowl” comments. Manning, despite allhis accolades, went 0-4 againstthe Gators. The importance of the rivalry diminishedbeginning in 2011, with both schools falling behind Georgia in the East.

Florida-LSUseries

TheFlorida-LSU matchup has been filled with chaos, controversy and close games. Among the most memorable: LSU upset No. 1 Florida in 1997, andfansstormed the field and tore downgoal posts; the top-ranked Tigers won another close one adecade later by converting five fourth-downplays; and in 2020, unranked LSU stunned the sixth-ranked Gators in Gainesville on Cade York’s57-yard field goal through heavyfog after cornerback MarcoWilsoninexplicably threw an opponent’sshoe and kept alive the game-winning drive. Alabama-LSU series

Alabama andLSU played 12 times between 2008 and2021 with one of them ranked ﬁrst or second. It often had Western Division andnational titleimplications. It comes off theschedulefor 2027, no longer an annual ﬁxture. Few matchups outweigh the2011 showdown in which top-ranked LSU knocked off No. 2Alabama 9-6inovertime. The Crimson Tide won the rematch in New Orleans twomonths later forthe national championship.

Lookingbeyond2029

The SEC has been adamant that each team’sannual opponentswill be revisitedand potentially realignedtomaintaincompetitive balance before the 2030 season. Of course, by then, there’snotelling what the SEC or college football will look like.

Wallacelooks forrepeatatNASCAR’sBrickyard 400

BY MICHAELMAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS WhenBubba Wal-

lacereturned to Indianapolis this week, he felt like he was retracing the steps from last year’s Brickyard 400 victory.Then he pulled through one of the speedway’s tunnels, right underneath a bannerofhis image next to the previous race winners.

No, he’snot here to relive the lifechanging moment from last July

He’sback to deliver another historic moment when he tries to defend the biggest win of his career Sunday on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s21/2-mile oval.

“I wish it was as easy as copy and paste, but it’snot —clearly as Igobanging offthe wall on Lap 11/2,” WallacesaidSaturday, referring to an incident during Friday’s lone practice session. “It’s just really cool to be here; Ialwaysenjoy Indy for whatever reason. We’ve had really good ﬁnishes here in the Cup car.” Race weekend has not started well for Wallace, however.

Though he felt fortunate when the 23XI Racing team determined hisNo. 23 Toyota was not seriously damaged from the lightbrush with the wall, qualifying didn’tgo much better than practice. He’ll

WAVE

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roster,hemoved to linebacker quickly

“I watched his film from high school,” said Tchienchou, who initiallythought they would be competing for the sameposition at Troy.“Isaw him taking heads off and running for 40-yard touchdowns, so Iknew we were dealing with afreak athlete.” Rodgers earned playingtime as atrue freshman, making 15 tackles, and he upped that total to 24 as areserve in his firstyear at Tulane. He did not maximize his potential until starting linebacker Dickson Agu tore an ACLearly in

start 29th on the oval, which has traditionally rewarded the top qualiﬁers over those who struggle.

ButWallace also felt snakebitteninqualifyinglast year when he watched Chase Briscoe beat him for the pole by 0.013 seconds.

He rebounded by overcoming an 18-minute rain delay,two overtimes,worries about running out offueland harrowing back-to-back restarts againstthe hard-charging Kyle Larsoninthe excruciating ﬁnal minutes to be-

theAmerican opener against Tulsa last September.Before then,Rodgers was just “a great athlete chasingthe ball,” accordingtoHall. He made acareer-high 10 tackles

afew games later vs. Army in his second start and performed at a high level therest of theway.His current trajectory indicates apotential NFL future.

“I don’treally pay attention to that stuff,” he said. “I just want to be me. Ijust want to go outthere and play my game andshowthe scouts out there and just worry about the season, win anotherchampionship and get further in the playoffs.”

Tchienchou lacksthe samebuzz because of his diminutive size (5-10,181 pounds), but he makes amuch heavier impact thanhis body suggests.Afterplaying spar-

come the ﬁrst Black drivertowin amajor race on Indy’soval. The only thing that would be better is doing it all over again. Since NASCAR first started racing at Indy in 1994, only three drivers have celebrated back-toback victories —HallofFamer and seven-time Cup champ JimmieJohnsonin2008-09, thelate Kyle Buschin2015-16 and Hall of Fame selection Kevin Harvick in 2019-20.

Wallace acknowledgesthe ﬁrst win helped make hima better husband, abetter father and a

ingly at Troy while redshirting, he had 50 tackles in his ﬁrst year with the Wave and raised that total to a team-best 83 last season.

“Wewerehangingout withJon Gruden yesterday(foranAmerican Conference media days podcast), andGrudencalled him (Tchienchou) Tylenol because he’s ﬂying around giving peopleheadaches,” Hall said. “He’sa hitter.”

He alsogalvanizes everyone around him.

less stressed person.Asecond win seems almost unimaginable.

“I just went through theNASCAR post of everywinnerfrom ‘94, and to be on that list, it’s kind of like Isaid last year,unbelievable,” Wallace said. “I’m justthankfulfor theopportunity, thankful for the career I’ve had. Younever know what cards you’re going to be dealt but you put on your poker face and go do the best that you can, andsometimesyou endupwinning.”

Themillion-dollarquestion

Ryan Blaney might have the hottest streakgoing in theCup circuit.The Team Penske driver has posted 11 consecutive top 11 ﬁnishes, won his secondraceofthe season two weeks ago in Atlanta andisthird in points entering Sunday

Todd Gilliland calls himself theunderdog in the ﬁnal round of the In-Season Challenge. The FrontRow Motorsports driver hasnowins, no top ﬁves, only twotop 10sand is 23rd in points this year

Yetsomehow these two Ford drivers will go head-to-head, the topfinishers collecting $1 million Sunday.Blaney has the clear edge after qualifying 13th while Gilliland will start 36th. ButGilliland said he thinks he can defy the odds.

“Webeat them here last year so Idon’tknow why we can’tdoit again,”said Gilliland, who ﬁnished sixth at lastyear’s Brickyard onespotahead of Blaney

Honoring Kyle Busch

Race organizers are honoring Busch in several ways this weekend. Thetwo-time Cupchampion diedinMay,atage 41, fromcomplications from pneumonia. Abanner featuring Busch’simagehas beendisplayed downtown this week, and another banner covering the seats near the start-ﬁnish line features the No. 8and Busch’s signature. Also,onLap 8ofSunday’srace, the track’sscoring pylon will have aspecial display for Busch, similartowhatIndianapolis500 organizersdid during their May race.

30-yearanniversary

Racing at Indy is built on traditions, and one of those favored moments— kissingthe bricks— beganwhen Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett diditafter winning the 1996 Brickyard 400.

Today,it’sone of the most memorable momentsonrace weekend notjust for NASCAR’s Cup race at Indy but anyrace at this track anddrivers can’t imagine notpartaking in the tradition.

“It has become areally cool thing regardless of howitgot to be,” said 41-year-old Justin Allgaier,who celebrated hisXﬁnity serieswin with the smooch. “I think whenyou talk to teams, drivers, sponsors, even fans, that’ssuch akind of iconic moment that everyone wants to experience it because it’s become something almost as big as winningthe race.”

“He’slike a10-year NFL veteran in the way he leads,” Hall said. “He understands howhis wordsimpact others. The way he demands every dayhas really taken on that Sam Howard to Nick Anderson type role as the no-doubt voice of our defense and our team.” Tchienchou cannot wait for preseason practice to begin after he missed all of spring drills while recovering from the broken ﬁ

Tulane safety JackTchienchou celebrates

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By ED REINKE

Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manninglaunches apass during agameagainst Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 22, 1997.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DARRON CUMMINGS

Bubba Wallace reactsafter winning aNASCAR CupSeries race at Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayonJuly 27 in Indianapolis.

LeBron joins another ex-teen star

James, Harper both chasing titles in Philly

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA LeBron James and Bryce Harper spent their careers on a parallel path toward stardom.

They were teenage phenoms who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated (back when magazines were cool), and both prodigies were No. 1 overall draft picks straight out of high school.

When Harper earned his first chance at testing free agency, there was only one city and one contract that was right for him. Philadelphia.

It took a few years, but Harper has some company on the short list of top elite athletes who have signed in Philadelphia.

In the greatest July signature in Philadelphia since 1776, James has followed Harper from free agency to Philly when he rocked the NBA and signed a two-year deal for the bargain-basement price of $8 million total — only a smidge more per season than Philadelphia ﬁrstround pick Labaron Philon will earn — that stamped the Sixers as the most compelling team in the

Then Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the second half of a game on Dec 7 in Philadelphia.

league this season “He’s going to have a great couple of years here, and obviously everyone’s going to expect him to win a championship here like everywhere else,” Harper said. “So nothing new for him. He’s had all the pressure since he was in high school or younger than that.”

Here’s the difference between James and all the superstars in the city who played before him: He’s LeBron James. Meaning, his reach is so beyond the court — from fame around the globe to his bank account to pop culture — that there is no fair comparison. He is No. 4 on Forbes’ real-time list of wealthiest athletes at

$1.4 billon, so his pay cut may not even be noticed in the ledger book. James has commercials, movie roles and endorsement deals that alone would outearn every single player on the Sixers.

Joel Embiid, league MVP and two-time scoring champion. He’s not LeBron.

Jaylen Brown, NBA Finals MVP and champion, He’s not LeBron.

Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star and the real franchise player in Philly He’s not LeBron.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have one of the greatest basketball players ever to play in the same city,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said. “So I’m excited for those who

LeBron shifts title odds, but West teams still favorites

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

The parity era in the NBA seems like it could continue. At least, that’s what oddsmakers and bettors appear to believe after LeBron James’ latest decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers.

New York’s championship run last month capped a season that extended an unprecedented run of NBA parity, with eight different franchises winning titles in the last eight seasons Toronto in 2019, James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023, Boston in 2024, Oklahoma City in 2025 and now the Knicks.

There’s at least a reasonable chance the run of new champions will continue in 2027, with reigning Western Conference champion San Antonio, Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia now among the teams with the best odds of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy next June.

Here’s a look at the teams and their odds, broken down by tiers: The favorites

James’ decision moved Philadelphia into the upper tier of favorites, but not the highest tier

Most major sportsbooks and prediction markets are clear: Teams are going to have to get through Oklahoma City and San Antonio to get out of the West The Thunder as of Saturday, are considered a slight favorite to win the NBA title in 2027, barely ahead of the Spurs. That shouldn’t be a surprise: The Thunder is led by two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and have a proven championship core, while the Spurs have unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece of a young team that took huge strides in 2025-26 and should get better

Close to the top

This is the James impact: He’s got Philadelphia right there with reigning champion New York

The Knicks and 76ers have the third- and fourth-best championship odds — in some order, depending on the site — according to most books and prediction markets.

The good news for the Knicks: They’re right where they were entering last season, not quite the favorites but ahead of just about everybody in the league when it comes to title odds

The good news for the 76ers: They’re going to have their best entering-the-season odds since probably 2019-20.

At No. 5, Boston

Some of the Celtics’ decisions

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JESSIE ALCHEH Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks against the Phoenix Suns during the second half on April 10. The Sixers are one of four favorites to win the NBA title after James committed to them on Friday

this summer particularly the trading of Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia — have faced serious criticism. Bettors don’t seem to mind, perhaps mindful of how the Celtics exceeded many expectations last season.

Boston is ﬁrmly the No. 5 choice right now according to most books and markets, not quite there with the Thunder, Spurs, Knicks and 76ers but leading the rest of the pack.

Next five (or six)

This is where things start to get muddled, and where books and markets tend to vary on that next tier the teams with the sixth-best through 11th-best odds.

Denver Toronto, Minnesota, Detroit and Cleveland are all jammed fairly close together The only real rising team in that mix is Toronto, clearly based on the expectation that the Raptors will eventually close the trade for Kawhi Leonard and bring back the key to their 2019 title run

The next team in the race for a top-10 preseason odds spot is Miami. Betting opinions seem to vary widely, though the one thing that is consistent is an expectation that the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo to play alongside Bam Adebayo will get the Heat back into the playoffs.

Likely playoff teams

Even though the Lakers lost James, the odds still say that Luka Doncic’s team will be playoffbound next season. And bettors seem to think that 2025 NBA ﬁnal-

haven’t gotten a chance to see him play.”

James is a 22-time All-Star a 21-time All-NBA selection, a fourtime MVP, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He also is coming off a season when he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

“He’s played in big markets before,” Harper said. “He knows exactly what he needs to do.”

Harper has largely lived up to the 13-year, $330 million contract he signed ahead of the 2019 season when he spurned the Washington Nationals for the Phillies and owned the richest contract in baseball history. He led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series, won the NL MVP in 2021 and helped win back-to-back NL East titles. But he’s 0-for-October Saquon Barkley rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his ﬁrst season with the Eagles and led them to a Super Bowl championship.

Pete Rose was the missing piece to help Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton win the World Series in 1980 for Philadelphia. It was the ﬁrst World Series title in franchise history

The 76ers have seemed to wait almost as long for a parade down Broad Street. They won titles in 1967 and 1983, but the Sixers have failed to advance out of the second round of the Eastern Conference

playoffs since 2001. And yet somehow, one of the most famous athletes on the face of the planet decided he wanted to play in Philadelphia.

“I’m not going for money I’m not going for family,” James wrote Friday on social media. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacriﬁce. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning.”

James celebrated his decision on Instagram with a career highlight reel set to Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares,” the adopted sports anthem of city teams blasted ad nauseam throughout the sports complex. The video ends with the lyric, “hold up, wait a minute. Y’all thought I was ﬁnished?” and cuts to a 76ers logo.

James isn’t ﬁnished even if his best isn’t yet to come.

He won NBA titles at each of his three previous stops Cleveland, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers — and could become the ﬁrst player ever to win a title with four teams.

The countdown to opening night is on.

The stakes have really never been higher for the franchise. If the Sixers can’t win with this group, can they ever?

James doesn’t need any tips on surviving the deep fryer of fandom in Philly

“He can do whatever the hell he wants,” Harper said. “But the city loves a winner So win.”

WNBA scrutiny intensiﬁes as league popularity grows

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

TheWNBAneverhasbeenbigger

More people are watching. More are investing. Salaries for many players are higher than ever But mounting turmoil and discord have been a part of this transformative period that has featured a landmark collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing player recognition. It seems to have reached a new ﬂashpoint, as discussions about race, gender and sexuality made headlines ahead of Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game. Race-driven conversations resurfaced after an incident between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, while players continued to voice frustration with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and leadership over what they say is a lack of protection from social-media harassment and divisive remarks.

I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

The WNBA’s conversations about race were thrust back into the spotlight after Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was suspended one game for referring to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as a “protected species.”

The comment, picked up by the broadcast after Reese drew a foul on Toronto player Nyara Sabally, quickly drew criticism. Brondello, a former player who has won two WNBA titles, is Australian. The “protected species” phrase is used in Australian sports to express frustration over a lack of calls against a player However in the U.S., the phrase suggests that someone isn’t human and could be seen as derogatory toward Black people. Brondello later apologized. Reese accepted, saying she appreciated the league’s swift action.

ist Indiana, which played without Tyrese Haliburton this past season because of an Achilles injury and plummeted to the bottom of the league, will return to the playoffs this season.

Houston and Golden State round out the top 15 in current odds, suggesting that the belief is those clubs are postseason-bound as well. Not too far back from there: Atlanta, Orlando and Portland.

The hopefuls

Washington will have Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Khris Middleton. Bettors expect the Wizards to be better, but they aren’t ready to put money on them being a playoff team yet. The Wizards, with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, are in a cluster of teams that odds point to as possible playin candidates, along with Phoenix, Charlotte, Dallas and Utah.

The long shots

Value bettors can ﬁnd some very good odds right now on the clubs that books and markets aren’t loving right now

That group: the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans, Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Sacramento. A reminder there’s always a surprise. Charlotte was toward the bottom of most preseason odds lists this past season and won 44 games. The season before that, Detroit had some of the longest preseason odds in the league and also won 44 games. West play-in teams (but not in playoffs) — Phoenix, Dallas.

“It is a moment to be celebrated without a doubt,” said Ketra Armstrong, sport management professor and director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan. “We want to celebrate what’s great. But sometimes, the progress can overshadow, still, where the perils are.”

Issues of race, gender and representation have been an undercurrent throughout the league’s history Debates over those issues have grown as women’s sports have exploded. And they remain a challenge that shape the WNBA’s public and online discourse.

“This is what a sports league” is, said David Berri, sports economist and economics professor at Southern Utah University He cited the NFL’s Rooney Rule as an example. “If a sports league is going to get attention, you’re going to get attention for these things as well.”

Contentious conversations also spread to issues of transgender athletes and harassment.

WNBA veteran Brianna Turner said on social media this week that her former team, the Fever, ﬁred a male employee last season for sexual harassment. Turner, who was with Indiana last season but now plays for Las Vegas, said Indiana players were encouraged not to discuss the ﬁring.

Turner’s comments came as she defended transgender athletes days after Indiana forward Sophie Cunningham spoke on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’ ” Cunningham was quoted as saying in a story published by ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But

“It’s a much bigger platform now Everything that happens is news,” Berri said. “There were hard fouls 10 years ago. Nobody paid any attention to that. It ends up being because of the coverage now everything gets magniﬁed which is good. I mean, this is what we wanted.”

Clark has repeatedly attempted to downplay the noise surrounding her, but she has become a springboard for projections far beyond the game itself.

“It’s basketball,” she said in a recent ESPN interview “When I walk out of the locker room I shouldn’t be fearful of what the conversation is going to be. It’s emotionally exhausting It’s draining It makes your shoulders tense because people don’t want to talk about the basketball. They just want to stir it up and make something else.”

The WNBA retroactively assessed Thomas a flagrant foul and suspended her one game after the veteran made contact with her ﬁst to Clark’s throat in a June 24 matchup.

The play, which Thomas has said was an accident, gained widespread attention and ignited debates over officiating, with coaches, pundits and lawmakers weighing in on whether the league needs to take action about physical play involving Clark. Thomas, who is Black and in her 12th WNBA season, said after the incident she had received death threats, part of increased online vitriol players have faced in recent years. Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces recently posted a message from a man that included a racial slur And Engelbert this week met with a pair of player committees to discuss what more can be done to protect players from online harassment.

SZAGOLA

Ex-LSU player Clark says ESPN ‘fired’ him

Former LSUfootball star Ryan Clark was among severalprominent personalities laid off this week by ESPN, and the Marrero native didn’ttake long to go public with his thoughts on the matter

Clark went on The Pivot, apodcast he co-hosts with Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder,togive his side of the events that led to hisdeparture after 12 yearsasan analyst at ESPN.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers safety explained that he felt the need to adjust to the expectations of executives duringhis time at the network, saying that there was at least one person inpower at ESPN who didn’tappreciate his contributions.

“What makes me alittlebit sad about myselfisIdid adjust who I was to try to keep my job,” Clark said, adding that he had meetings with executives to try to determine how he could better meet their demands. “I couldn’thave no beef.I couldn’trespond to disrespect. I knew,for alack of abetter word,I couldn’tbetoo Black. What makes me sad is even in trying to adjust

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guy with Shough.

This time ayear ago if someone had told you that Shough would ﬁnish second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, there’snoway you would have believed it. Especially after Rattler edged him out in training camp for the starting job. Shoughgot hischanceinWeek 9and shined. If what we saw at the end of his rookie season spills over into Year 2, theSaints will trend in the right direction. Shough has done all the right things this offseason, including footing the bill (ﬂights, hotelsand food) for about 20 of his teammates for aworkout in California. Youdon’toften see that from quarterbacks heading intotheir second season. Recent history tells us that second-year QBs can leadtheir teamsdeep into the playoffs. Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix and New England’sDrake Maye, both in their second seasons lastyear, helped navigate their teams tothe AFC championship games.

Fillingthe holes

The potholes in New Orleans may not always get ﬁxed, but when it comes to the holes on the Saints’ roster,Mickey Loomis did asplendid job this offseason. Especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Saints desperately needed to improve in the running game and signed Travis Etienne in free agency.They also beefed up the line by signing guard David Edwards. On top of that, the Saints reached adeal with Alvin Kamara, giving them the typeof1-2 punch in the backﬁeld they last hadin the Zoom and Boom daysofKamaraand Mark Ingram. Loomis revamped the passing game,too, drafting receiver JordynTysonto go alongside Chris Olave

All of asudden, the Saintshave playmakers and quality depthat the skill positions.

Expect more from Moore

If you watched Kellen Moore from the time he was ﬁrstnamed the Saintshead coach in February

Rams report to camp with eyeonDonald

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOSANGELES Aaron Donald is still determining whether he is ready and able to return to the Los Angeles Rams, but coach Sean McVay said theteam will welcome the superstar defensive lineman if he decidestoend his two-season retirement. While the Rams reportedto training camp at LoyolaMarymount University on Saturday, McVay said he has no idea whether one of the greatest defensive linemen in recent NFL history will decide to resumehis career “Ifthat is something thathe wants to do, we’re going to try to be able to make that happen,” McVay said. “But Igenuinely do not have an answer on whether he is or he isn’t.I knowhe’spreparing himself to be able to make that decision,and Iknowifhe feels good, he’sgoing to be ready to rock. If not, he doesn’towe us anything.”

AP FILE PHOTOByKyUSUNGGONG

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVaywatches hisplayers during the team’spractice on June 2in Woodland Hills,Calif.

to being more of what certain peoplewanted,they still ﬁred me.”

WhileClark was joined by other prominent figuresonthe list of those whose time ended at ESPN this week, he rejects the ideathat he wassimplypart of thelatest round of layoffs.

“Let me put this to bed: Iwasn’t laid off; Iwas ﬁred,” Clark said.

Karl Ravech, who spent 33 yearsat ESPN; Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton; and NFL insider TomPelissero werealso among thosewho losttheir jobsatESPN

community.I wouldn’tchange anything because that means the world to me.

“When Igohome andthis kid, youknow,from the West Bank is like so accepted in New Orleans now,like Iwouldn’tchange that. Never.All Iever wanted is to be accepted andwanted. So yeah, Iwouldn’tchange that.”

“Let me put this to bed: Iwasn’tlaid off; Iwas fired.”

RyAN CLARK, former ESPN analyst and NFL, LSU player

WhileClark made it clear that he is displeased with theway ESPN treated him, he didn’tbecomeemotional until he was asked whether therewas anythinghe’d change about his time with the network.

“It depends on whenyou ask me,” said Clark,who began to struggle to get his words out. “Likewhen Isee people in public …theytell me they’re proud of me. They’re proud of theway Irepresent the

According to The Athletic,anon-air conflict between Clark andPeter Schragerplayeda roleinthe former defensive back’souster at the network. During adebate on “Get Up” about the Dallas Cowboys,Clarksaid Schrager’s perspective on his opinion was “the nonplayer” in him Schrager instantlypushedback on thecommentand Clark later apologized.

On ThePivot,Clark indicatedthe incident was overblown.

“Meand Peterdon’t have an issue,”hesaid. “If you ask him right nowafter what wenton, nobody has been nicer to him.”

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE Saints defensivecoordinator Brandon Staley givesdirections during trainingcamp on Aug. 5atthe team’s practice facility in Metairie.

2025 to where heisnow,it’squite clear heismore comfortable in hisrole.

He’sbuilt the culture he wants, putting an emphasis on team bonding. All thebow fishing trips and community service projects theteam has doneaway from the practice facilityonAirline Drivehaveallowed players to get to know their teammates. As a result, they believeineach other Butmore importantly,they believe in their 38-year-old coach. The ship could have easily sank last season when the Saints started theseason 2-10. Moore kept theteam afloat anditwon four of its last five games. Yes, the schedule was pretty light down thestretch,but awin is awin in theNFL

Expect Moore to show someimprovement in Year 2, especially now that he hassome new toysto playwith on offense.

Staley’sdefense

The Saints ﬁnishedninth in the league in yards allowed per game last season. Not bad for aunit playing anew scheme under ﬁrstyear coordinatorBrandonStaley

Also notbad for ateam that wasmissing defensive end Chase Young forthe ﬁrst ﬁve weeks of the season. Young, who recorded a career-high 10 sacks in 2025, could surpassthat number this season.

Demario Davis is now with the New York Jets, but Kaden Elliss should be more than capable of ﬁllinghis shoes. Depth at cornerback is the biggestconcern.

If the defense can duplicate last season’ssuccess, thereisa good chance Staley could ﬁnd himself

ﬁelding phone calls to become a head coach again.

Down South

If we’ve learned anything from thepast four years, it’sthat the NFC South is always there for the taking The Carolina Panthers,whom theSaints swept last season, won thedivision despite an 8-9 record. It was thesecond time since 2022 ateam has won the division with just eight wins. Only once in the past four years has ateam in the division won 10 games (the 2024 Bucs finished 10-7).The average wins for the division champions is 8.75 over the last four years. So, anywhere from 8-10 wins could be enough towin it. The Saints finished 6-11 and last in the NFC Southlast season. Even that could be areason for hope. There have been 24 seasons since theNFL went to eight divisions. In 20 of those 24 seasons, at least one team has gone from worst in thedivision one year to winning the division thenext. The Saints have gone from worst to first twice. The first time was 20 years ago in Sean Payton and Brees’ first season in New Orleans. The second time was three years later,when theSaints won theSuper Bowl. Can the Saints go from worst to first againand winanother SuperBowl?Thatmay be a stretch, but can they at least get to the playoffs? The vibes in July say they can. I say they will.

Email RodWalker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

McVay said Puka Nacua is expected to practiceintraining camp while the Rams work on the next contract for their AllProreceiver,who is entering the ﬁnal year of his rookie deal. The coach saidNFL MVP Matthew Stafford is fully healthybut will sit out multiple practices in trainingcamp as part of amodified preparation schedule to keep the 38-year-old quarterback fresh for thelong season ahead.

The Rams also conﬁrmed ﬁrstroundpickTySimpson hadformally signedhis four-year,$25.4 million rookie contract as he begins atraining camp competition with StetsonBennett forthe backup job behind Stafford. But McVay waseager to talk about aplayer whowasn’treporting to the Loyola Marymount dorms —Donald, who anchored theRams defense for adecade before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024.

Donald apparently beganto entertainthe idea of acomeback early last month after the Rams acquired superstar pass rusher MylesGarrett in atrade with Cleveland. The prospect of lining up next to oneofhis fewcontemporarypeers compelled the now35-year-oldDonaldtobegin an extensive workout programaimed at returning him to footballshape.

“He is going through his process, andheisputting himself in aposition to makeadecision,” McVay said. “He’searned the right to be able to do that. He’s very diligent. Anything that he does,hedoes all-in, and so he’s going through avery strict regi-

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

sixth-straight season crossing the 1,000-snap threshold. In that same span, Davis playednofewer than97% of theteam’ssnaps per season. That availability led to reliable, down-to-down production year in and year out. Luckily for the Saints, Elliss has similardurability.Henot only played in everygame forthe Falconsover the last three years but he’salso coming offa campaign in which he logged 100% of theteam’s defensive snaps: 1,103. Elliss may not be aone-for-one replacement for Davis, but like his formermentor,the 2019 seventh-roundershould be aplayer the coaching staff knows it can rely on.

Thelowdown

Therewill be aspects of Davis’ game that theSaintswill miss. Beyond his leadership, which players say can’tbe ﬁlled by just oneguy,Davis wasstill avery effective run stopperand easily could identify opposing plays at this late stageofhis career Oneofthe reasonsDavis said he wanted to keep playing is that he seta career-high in tackles last season with 143. ButElliss can makeadifferent impact in 2026. Perhaps he can even let defensivecoordinator Brandon Staley becomemore exotic in how he wants to deploy his linebackers. In Atlanta, Elliss was used all over the ﬁeld. Just last year,according to Next Gen Stats, he alignedasa traditional linebacker,asanedge rusher and was even disguised as adefensive tackle —where he’d be slotted next to an interior lineman with arusher on the edge. That versatility unlocked Ellissasapass rusher as he recorded87pressures and 121/2 sacksinhis last three seasons.

men and process that’ssimilar to what he did when he played.” Donald hung it up nearly 21/2 years ago after avery successful decade spent entirely with the RamsinSt. Louisand Los Angeles. He racked up ateam-record 111 sacksasthe heart of thedefense, winning the AP NFLDefensive Player of theYearthree times while earning eight All-Pro selectionsand 10 Pro Bowlselections.

Donald led the Rams to achampionship in the 2021-22 season, making the decisive defensive plays in both the NFC title gameand the Super Bowl victory over Cincinnati in their home SoFi Stadium.

“I mean, him being the greatest of all time, I’m sure he’d have a pretty good impact, right?” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said. “It’sonly been two years, but if you’ve seen the (workout) videos, it doesn’tseem like he’s lost too muchofwhere he’sat. If it happens, great. If not, you know,we’ll play some good football.”

Fiske is among the linemen whose snap counts could be affectedifDonald returns, but the Ramsappear to be wholeheartedly excited about theprospect of adding Donald to aroster already considered to be among the Super Bowlfavorites.

“I think if AD makesthe decision to come back, he’sgoing to want to play the whole year, just knowing how he is and the mindset that he has,” said left guard Steve Avila, who played with Donald as arookie in 2023.

“I don’tthink he’d be halfwayin, halfway out with being part of the team,and that’sjust what you expect from someoneasgreat as him.”

Davis, as smart and productive as he is, is no longerthe pass-rushing threat he used to be. After back-to-back 61/2-sack campaigns in 2022 and2023, Davis has just 21/2 sacks over the last twoyears. In that samespan, Elliss recorded 81/2 Outside of Elliss, this is astrong room —even without alot of bodies at the position. Pete Werner has been auseful starter,while the Saints found productive roles for Danny Stutsman and Isaiah Stalbird last season.Stalbird, Stutsman and Jaylan Ford also contributemeaningfully to special teams.

Training camp battle

Wernerhas been a ﬁxture at linebacker for thelast four seasons, but could his starting spot be in danger?

For that to happen, it would take atrue commitmentfrom coach Kellen Mooreand Staley to rotate in other linebackers acrossfromElliss. And that didn’toccur at all during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, although training camp is usually when that sort of shuffling begins. But acompetitioncould be worthexploring.The Saints liked what they saw last year out of Stutsman,who played 19% of the snaps and would often replace Wernerwhile doing so Werner has been solid as apro, but he arguably does not produce enough high-impact plays. In five seasons, he hasrecordedonly one interception and two forced fumbles. He didrecordtwo sacksand recover three fumbles in 2025. The Saints could opttouse Elliss as aweak-side linebacker andnot just amiddle linebacker, despite the veteran wearing“the green dot,” which signifies that Elliss can relate Staley’s play call to the rest of the defense. That would then open up aspot at middle linebacker,where Stutsman played primarily in college

Staff report

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark speaksbeforeaMonday night NFL game between theHoustonTexans and Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 18,2024, in Arlington, Texas. Clark was let go by ESPN last week.

OUTDOORS

Nathanial Watts took home first place in the 7-to-10-yearage group with a five-bass catch

weighing 6.17 pounds in lastweekend’sJuniorSouthwest Bassmasters Julytournament held from the Amelia publiclaunch. TheLivingston anglerposedwithhis dad,MatthewWatts,who finished second in the adult division. The father-sonteamwas among 13 anglers bringing in a five-bass limit on ahot, sultryday in the marshes and the Verret Basin

Tarpon rodeomostly unscathedbyBertha

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Lastweek’sbrushwith atropicalsystemwasn’ta ﬁrst for theGrand Isle Tarpon Rodeo and likely won’t be thelast.

In the 30 or so years attending this oldest fishing competition in our country, at least three stormshave threatened the thousands annually invading ourstate’s only inhabitedbarrier island in the ﬁnal days of July Tropical storm Bertha didn’tleave scars.

Rodeoweighmaster Marty Bourgeois said the predicted storm surge wasn’tstrong enough to cover the lone access road —La. 1—to the island and there wasn’t enough rain to cover the island’sprone-to-flooding roadway

“We’ve got alight breeze on the island,” Bourgeois said Friday,the rodeo’ssecondday.Thursday’sopening-day festivities were postponed until 5p.m. and Bourgeoissaid he andhis team weighed in only three fish,aspeckled troutand two gafftopsail catﬁsh. Friday was busier,mostly because seas calmed.

Chasingbass

It’snosecret about our weather.It’shot andthe water gets alittle hotter each day,and that usually means it’stough to ﬁnd bass in a biting mood

So,let’slet theJunior

SouthwestBassmasters show us the way.The club’s Julytournament washeld from theAmelia public landing, which meant most of theanglers were ﬁshing in the marsh.

While there were no topweight recordsbroken there was enough action for the fieldtoboast of weighing in 13 five-bass limits, asureenough sign the bass were ready to eat.All the eight young fishermen taking top spots in theage groups weigheda limit alongwith the top three in the adult division. The youngsters fish with an adult “guide.”

Club reporter Jim Breaux said most of the fish took crank baits, bladed jigs and avariety of softplastics.

Redsnapper

MONDAY RED STICK FLYFISHERS

FLY-TYING SESSION: 7p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to thepublic. Materials and tools available for beginners. Website: www. rsff.org

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

BASSMASTER HIGH SCHOOL

CHAMPIONSHIP: Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com

SATURDAY

WOOD STORK/WADING BIRD

VIEWING: 7-10 a.m., South Farm, Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. Ponds drained exposing feeding opportunity for storks, wading and shorebirds. No fee except 18 and older must have aWMA Access Annual or a 5-daypermits from Wildlife &Fisheries website: louisianaoutdoors.com

FRIENDS OF NRA/NORTHSHORE BANQUET: 5:30p.m., American Legion Post 16,2031 Ronald Reagan Hwy., Covington. Call Jeffrey Antwiller (504) 616-1140. Email: jeffreyantwiler@gmail.com

ONGOING

STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT &ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Through Sept. 7, Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long ﬁshing event Tagged redﬁsh,coastal/off-

shorespecies categories& youthdivision. CCAmembership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com/star LOTTERYHUNTS

DOVE/TEAL: July 27application deadline for dove hunt on ElbowSlough Wildlife Management Area &tealhunt on White LakeWetlandsConservation Area. Website applicationsonly on Wildlife & Fisheries/Louisiana Outdoors License, Permits and Tags webpage. Fee$8.50. Details: dove hunt,David Hayden at dhayden@wlf.la.gov; teal hunt,Lance Ardoin at lardoin@wlf.la.gov

AROUND THECORNER

AUG. 6— LA. WILDLIFE &FISHERIES COMMISSIONMEETING: 9:30 a.m., JoeHerringRoom, state Wildlifeand Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. AUG. 7— FRIENDS OF NRA/ ACADIANA BANQUET: 5:30 p.m RiverOaksCatering &Event Center,520 East Kaliste Saloom Rd Lafayette. Call Kendall Comeaux(337) 2985236. Email: kcomeau10x@ aol.com

AUG. 8— NSCA REGISTERED SPORTING CLAYS: Bridge View Gun Club, Port Allen.

AUG. 8—FRIENDS OF NRA/CENLA BANQUET: 5p.m., Randolph Riverfront Center, 707 Second St.,Alexandria. Call Paul Mahfouz (318) 528-0382. Email: paul.mahfouz@yahoo.com

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except for Breton/Chandeleur sounds; all outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEA-

SONS: Private recreational redsnapper;ﬂounder;lane, blackﬁn, queen and silk snappers &wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath &Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; gray triggerﬁsh (opens Aug. 1);blueﬁn tuna; gag, goliath &Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATES

n CLOSED: Hope CanalRoad/ boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction);ReserveRelief Canal Boat Launch by order of Corps of Engineers (Reserve Relief Pump Station construction) with alternate launch locations at Pete’sLanding, the Akers boat ramp &Bonnet Carré Spillway boat launch.

n DRAWDOWNS: Saline Lake (Natchitoches/Winn parishes through Oct. 5);Iatt Lake (Grant Parish throughOct. 5); Clear-Smithport Lake(DeSoto Parish beginning Aug. 3 through Nov. 16).

EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

“Wewere able to runeverywhere,”charter skipper Frand Dreher saidFriday.“Just the ﬁshing’snot thatgood We’reworked hard, and ran alot of water to catch seven (speckled) trout. There’sa lot of muddy water everywhere in theback.”

The “back” takes in Barataria and Caminada bays, vast waters northofGrand Isle.

The finalleaderboard for this 99th rodeo is available on itswebsite: tarponrodeo.org.

The latest one-week catch forthe private recreational sectorislikelya record. In theweek ending July 5, offshore fishermen took 217,791 pounds to boost this year’s total haulto632,882 pounds. That’snearly 72% of our state’s882,439-pound allocation forthie year

That record-setting estimate from LA Creel came after the Fourth of July holiday when thedaily limit was increased to ﬁve forthe four-day holiday period, andcameafter calm seas allowedthe June 28

estimate to reach 126,442 pounds. The one-week estimate forthe week ending June 21 was22,229.

SCOREBOARD

05:09:41. 26. Sean Quinn United States, EF EducationEasyPost, 05:17:07. 56. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 05:34:49 Overall Standings: 1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 72:53:44. 2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 73:00:10. 3. Isaac Del Toro Romero, Mexico, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 73:03:26. 4. Paul Seixas, France, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 73:05:40. 5. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious, 73:06:46. 6. Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark, Lidl-Trek, 73:08:43. 7. Juan Ayuso, Spain, Lidl-Trek, 73:11:32

8. Richard Carapaz, Ecuador, EF EducationEasyPost, 73:13:44. 9. Tom Pidcock, United Kingdom, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, 73:23:12. 10. Jordan Jegat, France, TotalEnergies, 73:27:05.

Also: 13. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 73:56:07. 18. Quinn Simmons, United States, Lidl-Trek, 74:29:12. 19. Sean Quinn United States, EF EducationEasyPost, 74:40:49. 24. Matthew Riccitello, United States, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 75:04:53

30. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 75:27:13

Withdrew Stage 18 Brandon McNulty, United States, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 60:57:21.

Tennis

ATP World Tour Generali Open

Results

Saturday At Tennis Stadium Kitzbuhel Kitzbuhel, Austria Purse: €612,620 Surface: Red clay Results Saturday from Generali Open at Tennis Stadium Kitzbuhel (seedings in parentheses): Men’s Singles Championship Quentin Halys, France, def. Alexander Bublik (1), Kazakhstan, 6-4, 7-6 (6) Men’s Doubles Championship Lucas Miedler, Austria, and Marc Polmans (2), Australia, def. Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner (3), Germany, 6-2, 6-2. WTA Livesport Prague Open

Results

Saturday At TK Sparta Praha Prague Purse: $283,347 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Saturday from Livesport Prague Open at TK Sparta Praha (seedings in parentheses): Women’s Singles Semiﬁnals Daria Snigur (8), Ukraine, def. Tereza Valentova (5), Czechia, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Lilli Tagger, Austria, def. Barbora Krejcikova (2), Czechia, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Women’s Doubles Semiﬁnals Lucie Havlickova and Laura Samson, Czechia, def. Hao-Ching Chan, Taiwan, and Miyu (1994) Kato (3), Japan, 5-7, 6-3, 11-9

WTA Hamburg European Open

Results

Saturday At Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss Tennis Club

Hamburg, Germany Purse: €246,338 Surface: Red clay Results Saturday from Hamburg European

Open at Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss Tennis

Club (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Singles

Semiﬁnals

Anna Bondar (4), Hungary, def. Elina Avanesyan, Russia, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (2). Tamara Korpatsch (5), Germany, def. Mayar

Sherif Ahmed Abdelaziz, Egypt, 6-1, 2-0, ret.

Women’s Doubles

Semiﬁnals

Dalila Jakupovic and Nika Radisic, Slovenia, def. Zhibek Kulambayeva, Kazakhstan, and Darja Semenistaja, Latvia, 6-2, 6-1

Alexandra Panova, Russia, and Magali Kempen (1), Belgium, def. Irina Khromacheva, Russia, and Anastasia Detiuc (3), Czechia, 6-4, 6-3.

ATP World Tour Millennium

Estoril Open Results

Saturday At Clube de Tenis do Estoril

Estoril, Portugal Purse: €612,620

Surface: Red clay

Results Saturday from Millennium Estoril

Open at Clube de Tenis do Estoril (seedings in parentheses): Men’s Singles

Semiﬁnals

Luca Van Assche, France, def. Hugo Gaston, France, 6-4, 7-5. Men’s Doubles

Semiﬁnals Titouan Droguet and Kyrian Jacquet, France, def. Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral, Portugal, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 11-9

Golf

3M Open

Saturday At TPC Twin Cities Blaine, Minn. Purse: $8.8 million Yardage: 7,431; Par: 71 Third Round Jackson Koivun 64-68-61—193 20

Emiliano Grillo 64-67-65—196 -17

Ben Kohles 62-69-65—196 17

Michael Brennan 65-69-63—197 -16

Phillips

Kitayama

Fishburn 70-68-66—204 9

When you’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limit thenumber of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Previous dental work canwear out.

Even if you’ve had quality dentalwork in the past, you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted.Infact,yourodds of havinga dental problem only go up as you age.2

Treatment is expensive especially the servicespeople over 50 often need.

-3

2.50 miles (Car

in parentheses) 1. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 186.598 mph. 2. (7) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 186.382. 3. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 186.077. 4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 185.966. 5. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 185.835. 6. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 185.762. 7. (67) Corey Heim, Toyota, 185.456. 8. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 185.368. 9. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 185.345. 10. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 185.315. 11. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 185.269.

12. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 185.265.

13. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 185.197.

14. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 185.060.

15. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 184.991.

16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 184.896.

17. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 184.877.

18. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 184.782.

19. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 184.699.

20. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 184.699.

21. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 184.574.

22. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 184.540.

23. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 184.287.

24. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 184.245.

25. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 184.237.

26. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 184.128.

27. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 183.887.

28. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 183.869.

29. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 183.861.

30. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 183.494.

31. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 183.132.

32. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 183.083.

33. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 182.990.

34. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 182.786.

35. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 182.726.

36. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 182.460.

37. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 182.072.

38. (62) Casey Mears,

expensive ones. The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be areal burden, especially if you’re on afixed income.

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

“Absolutely love” “I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dentalofﬁce ﬁles the claims,leaving me with very little balancetopay.” Dorothy P.,TN

Thirteen-year-old skater Keegan Schloss approaches agraffiti-decorated ramp during the X Games Underground party at theParisite skate park in NewOrleans. | STAFF PHOTOSByDOUG MacCASH

BY DOUG MacCASH | Staff writer

Seventeen-year-old

northshore skateboarder Cohen Ellzey is going to getto compete at the XGames down at the Caesars Superdomethisweekend. No lie. He got the chance by winningarecent contest amongLouisiana teenageskaters. Ellzeysays he’salittle scared about performing stunts in front of abig crowd —his usual audience is just his friends from the Dreamlandskatepark in Hammond. But hey,he’sused to being alittle scared

An unidentified flying skater at the so-called XGames Underground party at the Parisite skate park in New Orleans

“Skateboarding for me is about the adrenaline,”Ellzey aid. As he looks down theramp before attempting astunt, he aid,there’s always“the fear hat Idon’t knowifIcan do this.” For skateboarders, BMXbikrs andmotorcyclists,the X Games are abig deal. As Ellzey xplains, what he and his pals doislike backyard football. The X Games is like the NFL.

“Just to see allthe prosisgongtobeacrazy experience,” hesaid.

This weekend’sevent is the ﬁrst-ever championship of the XGames League. For New Orleans, it’sa tourist boon, expected to draw thousands of fans to the cityduring the summer doldrums. For skaters, cyclists and bikersfromacross Louisiana and the region, it’sa multimillion-dollar validation.

TheBattleofthe Boot

Collegestudentstry to

BY KIMBERLEY SINGLETARY

Contributing writer

As the world’smost famous archaeologist, Indiana Jones was asnake-hating, whipwielding adventurer who traveled the world ﬁghting villains and jumping out of the way of giant boulders in the pursuit of historical treasure. Speaking from an Italian palazzo ﬂankedby16th-century frescoes, LSU New Orleans

(formerly UniversityofNew Orleans) ChairofAnthropology and Sociology Professor D. RyanGray’sdeep tan and youthful energy were reminiscentofIndiana —just replace thefedora with abaseball cap. His quest,however,istorecover amuch deeperkind of treasure, and he is not alone in his efforts Since earlyJune, Gray has beenbravingthe heat of central Italy alongside agroup of stu-

dentsand archaeologistsfrom LSU NewOrleans andNew Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, agroup of ROTC cadets from Tulane University,and archaeologistsfrom Austria and Italy,insearch of theremains of an American pilot whoseplane crashed during World WarII. The deadliest andmost widespread conﬂictinhistory,World WarIIclaimed between 70 and

See REMAINS, page 9D

BY JA’KORI

MADISON Staff writer

Riding aMardiGras-themed bike with acustom alligator-skin seat cover,Opelousas native Wyatt Fontenotisbringingapiece of Louisiana to the 2026 XGames Championship in New Orleans this weekend. Fontenot will return to his home state to compete in the grand ﬁnale of the inaugural MoonPay XGames League Summer Season,taking

DonaldDunbarJr.,director of community engagement for Greater New Orleans Sports ä See XGAMES, page 8D ä See FONTENOT, page 8D

Ateam led by the U.S. DefensePOW/MIA Accounting Agency and LSU NewOrleans is in Italytoinvestigate the siteofa possible WWII aircraftcrash to recover missing U.S. personnel.

PROVIDED PHOTOBy EVATEDESCHI/ LSU NEWORLEANS

DONALD DUNBAR JR., on The Battle of the Boot contest held at Parisite skate park

Wyatt Fontenot displayshis first medal,a bronzeinthe BestWhip competition, at XGames Sacramento in June. | PHOTO PROVIDEDByXGAMES

DINING SCENE

The hubbub of abusy Bourbon Street had nothing on thedin of Galatoire’smain dining room during arecent Friday lunch.People dressed to the nines packed tables crowded with Sazeracs and Champagne, trout meuniere and chicken Clemenceau.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

Abustling, and boozy,Friday lunch is just one of many traditions that endure at thehistoric French Quarter restaurant, from the tuxedo-clad waitstaff to the menu of classic New Orleans dishes. But while much can feel timeless in the mirror-lined dining room, the ranks of those responsible for keeping Galatoire’straditions alive do change. Thelatest shift is abig one for the landmark restaurant.

Today,chef NicoleTheriot is Galatoire’sdirector of culinary operations, and she’smadehistory as the ﬁrst woman to lead its kitchen since the restaurant opened in 1905.

She took the job late last year, and headlines around her role materialized this spring when the restaurant began publicizing her appointment. Quietly,though, in the months since she’sbeen at the helm, Theriot has been applying her vision for the storied restaurant, and subtle but signiﬁcant changes are beginningto coalesce.

“It’ssmall touchesto lift the reﬁnement that will eventually garner something different, but in away that you don’tsee the change while it’shappening,” Theriot said.

“It’slike being at the Carousel Bar,and suddenly you’re across the room,” she added, in avery French Quarter point of reference to the famous,slowly revolving bar at nearby Hotel Monteleone Alight touch

The oysters Rockefeller today has alighter touchthan in recent

in the city’sunique French Creole cuisine. They have also developed roles in thecity’ssocial rituals and traditions that ﬂow through generations of local families

Changes that wouldn’tdraw notice elsewhere can be touchy subjects. Someregulars still grumble about Galatoire’sdecision in the1990s to switch from hand-chopped ice to machinegenerated cubes for itsdrinks, for instance. The 1990s was also when the ﬁrst woman joined the restaurant’s waitstaff.

years, theroastedoysters juicier under amore delicate dollop of minced green vegetable topping. Theriot is also workshopping a changetothe bouillabaisse that could see waiters pouring the aromatic ﬁsh broth over seafood and rouille at the table.

In trial runs, it makes for a more elegant presentation. But how might its mechanics play out in thejostlingpace of Friday lunch service? That’sjust one of thespecialconsiderations a Galatoire’schef must navigate when it comes to anything new or different

Therestaurantat209 Bourbon St.ispart of asmall circuit of oldline grande dames that specialize

ButGalatoire’shas changed in manyways in more recent years.

Many spinning plates

In 2009, therestaurant was bought by new owners led by John Georges (who is also owner of The Times-Picayune |The Advocate)

Galatoire’slater expanded and doubled itssize by developing Galatoire’s33Bar &Steak in the adjacent building, with alarge bar and adistinct, green-andgold-trimmed dining room

There are morebanquet rooms and more private dining rooms on the upper ﬂoors now.And in 2021, the restaurant added a privatedining venue, Galerie de Galatoire, ablock away on Royal

Street

Anycombination of these different rooms could be clicking at once, plus off-site events as well.

That means the job of Galatoire’sculinary director today is different from the role of achef overseeing one kitchen. Theriot’s primedirective is to keep the manymoving pieces in sync, while balancing customers’ longstanding expectations with the reality that time does not stand still in the hospitality business.

At age 35,Theriot has been working in restaurants since she was ateenager in her hometown of Houma. But at Galatoire’s, she sometimes compares her job to her role with her high school marching band.

“I was adrum major,and that meansyou’re conducting the whole band,”she said. “When you’re expediting akitchen, it’s just like conducting. If we’re all playing from the samesheet music, we should get relatively the sameresult.”

Path to thetop

Theriot is agraduate of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University.Her mostinﬂuential restaurant experience was cooking forchef Nina

Compton at both Compère Lapin and her (now closed) Bywater American Bistro. Compton’sexample of strong leadership stuck with her She also works aperennial gig at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National GolfCourse, running the kitchen forone of the temporary restaurants created forVIPseach spring. Hers specializes in French Creole cuisine —eggs Sardou and all —similar to the menustandards of Galatoire’s.

That experience opened the door to Galatoire’slast year,when the New Orleans restaurant began looking forits next top chef (Phillip Lopez, whohad been corporate executive chef, departed in 2025).

Today,Theriot is part of arising tide of womenleading landmark NewOrleans restaurants. That includes Meg Bickford, who becameexecutive chef at Commander’sPalace in 2020, and Kris Padalino, whowas promoted to the samerole at Brennan’sRestaurant last year

Bickford is also agraduate of the Nicholls culinary program, and Theriot sees their shared trajectory as part of the bigger story of women in culinary leadership.

“When that happened forMeg, it mademefeel seen and that things were possible forme,” Theriot said. “So if somefreshman girl at Nicholls feels the that waywhen she sees astory with my name, then Ifeel like there’s value to it.”

Meanwhile, in the Galatoire’s kitchen, testing and reﬁnement of those subtle changes to traditional preparations continue, and there are weekly specials and menus forCoolinary and wine dinners and private events where the chef can ﬂex her creativity Every day,though, her aim is to manage inevitable changes in operations with aharmony of tradition.

“There’ssomething unique in staying the course,” Theriot said. “It’sdeceptively easy to take a risk and makeachange. Ithink sometimes it’sharder to be consistent. If something isn’tworking, you have to commit and you have to ﬁxit.”

Email IanMcNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

“Tonight has avery full program,” said Dina Powell McCormick, who perused the packed premises in the Galerie de Galatoiredining room. And smiled. The location was in anupstairs area, handsomely decorated,onRoyal Street in the French Quarter,and facing the historic Monteleone Hotel.

The emailed invitation came aweek or so earlier from the above speaker andstated, “Dina Powell McCormick,President and Vice Chair of Meta Platforms, cordially invites you to aspecial evening with Governor Jeff Landry,House MajorityLeader Steve Scalise, Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Walter Isaacson plus special guests, Archie and Cooper Manning.” Steve Scalise was represented in absentia. Cohosting the event, called aSalon Supper with food served family-style, was John D. Georges, Galatoire’s majorityowner and owner of Georges MediaGroup. In attendance were two of his three childrenwith spouse Dathel: John Jr.“Nike” Georges,Georges Enterprises president; and Liza Georges Freeman,with the Meta team. Meta plannedto bring in 50 team members, among whom were Josh Ginsburg,Tucker Bounds,Andrea Saul, Brian Rice, Joel Kliksberg, and Shelley Venus Guests, who began arriving at 6p.m., rubbed shoulders in the Galerie’sGarden Room with brass from business, the universities, and the media, as well as elected officials and notables from theCrescent City and the state.They hovered over the 10 raised, circular tables that were centered with small arrangements of white and violet flowers, greenery,and mini cattails. Hors d’oeuvres were passed. Delfeayo Marsalis and his music makers entertained on an improvised stage, based with an abundance of the same flowers, priorto the arrival of the Kinfolk BrassBandand their jaunty rendition of “LittleLiza Jane. Slated to attend, and all witha professional title, or two, were Meryl KennedyFarr, Kristin Preau,Aimee Quirk, Ben Dupuy,MikeFitts,Larissa Littleton-Steib,Xavier Cole, Susie Schowen Fuller CathyBeeding,Drew Marsh,Anne and King Milling, Barry Kern and son Fitz, Julia Letlow,Kristi andScott Ballard, Julie Emerson, Bill Hines,TimPoche, Darryl and Louellen Berger,David Aubrey, Susan and Mace Bourgeois, Suzie H.Terrell, David Gaines, Kyle France, E.J.Lagasse,Walt LegerIII, Sarah and GregFeirn,Shane Guidry,TJand Kaycie Weed,Timand Lindsay Allen,and Scott Holmes. Noted, too, from Georges Media (and guests) were president andpublisher Kevin Hall,executive editor ReneSanchez (with spouse KerriWestenberg), Karyn Kearney (with husband Bill), Jo Anne Keck, RobertElliottYoung, Ryan Lips, and Chase Heatherly

At 7p.m., and in the trellagedining room where seats were designated bya postcard place card with the person’sname anda picture of acherished image, such as a steam boat or astreetcar,John Georges welcomed the assemblyand thepresence of two New Orleans mayors, current Helena Moreno and past Mitch Landrieu, whowere joined by respective spouses Chris Meeks and Cheryl Landrieu. Archbishop James Checchio, who began by saying he tells his formersacerdotal colleagues that he’s in “the funest archdiocese in the country,” gave the invocation and asked for prayers for “ourcity and our beautiful state.”

The felicitous occasion wasthe announcement of Meta’sincreased investment in our state. Meta planstobuild a massive AI data center in RichlandParish to the east of Monroe and has increased the original ﬁgure ﬁvefold to $50 billion.

Meta also announced agrant to Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe to train workers for theHyperion datacenter and donated $250,000 to the New Orleans Career Center to provide tech training.

DinaPowell McCormick then spoke, saying she felt “so honored to be here” and praised Gov Jeff Landry for his role in bringing the data center to the state. She thanked the archbishop and then called on

Cathyand WalterIsaacson (with ashout-out to his recent book, “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written”) to come to the stage. Walter addressed the subject of social media and local media, as well as “new tech.” Claire Jecklin,NOCC CEO and founder,was then singled out and applauded. As attendees supped on a ﬁrst course of asparagus and hearts of palm, which was followed by thethree coursesserved family-style of Gulf ﬁsh meuniere amandine,

demi ﬁlet, and wild mushroom cassoulet, they watched Mitch and Cheryl Landrieu ascend the stage to speak. He talked about getting people back (to the city and parts of Louisiana) after Katrina. And Cheryl, the successful New Orleans Book Festival on the Tulane campus. She co-chairs the fest with Walter Isaacson. Avideo that featured, among others, Sheldon Jones,Richland Parish School District Superintendent, was then shown. The message was that Meta was giving people opportunities and hope. McCormick requested those present from the parish to stand.

The next speaker,and introduced by McCormick, wasGov.Landry,who began saying, “Dina, the fact that you wereable to get John Georges in from Greece (for the dinner) wassomething.” Of Greek ancestry,John Georges and his family retain apresence in the country.The governor raved about the future data center and the connected economic opportunity that it will bring to Louisiana. Among his concluding words were, “The world is watching Louisiana.” In arelaxed interview, Archie Manning and oldest son Cooper wereinterviewed by Betsy Fischer Martin (joined by husband Jonathan). In addition to their talk about football, they were hailed forthe renaming of Children’s Hospital to Manning Family Children’sand their generous involvement.

After the program and the prandial pleasures, the guests returned to the capacious Garden Room formore music and a suite of sweets. From Brennan’s(owned by Ralph Brennan)came small mint chocolate doberge cakes, lemon ice box cakes, garnished with lemons and mint sprigs, and fruit tarts; and from The Batterina (owned by JoAnna Euraque), mini cheesecakes and additional confections. Observant members of the crowd wereamused to see aframed rendition in French of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which will be useful forthe Saints football team’sgame in Paris on Oct. 25 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Salon Supper and related sociality concluded with aparty favor: Meta smart glasses, for, among other things, handsfree photo/video capture, and charging cases.

Chatter was lively as the throng exited. Said one departing guest after he issued thanks forthe invitation and surveyed the site, “Itwas very exciting to see that many leaders all in one space.”

Shane Guidry, Gov. Jeff Landry, Bill Goldring

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Walter Isaacson, MayorHelena Moreno, SheldonJones, Dina Powell McCormick

Cooper Manning,Archie Manning,John Georges, Mitch Landrieu

ABOVE: MaryLandrieu, Anne Milling

Savannah Morris, Barry Kern RIGHT: Tony Adams, Archbishop James Checchio, NikeGeorges

CathyIsaacson

TRAVEL

In aconeorinabowl, icecream hits thespot

BY CHERÉ COEN Contributing writer

Technically,July is National Ice Cream Month, establishedbyPresident Ronald Reagan in 1984.

But since when do we need an official date to enjoy one of life’s finest culinary creations? Below, we’ve compiled afew favorite ice cream stopsthroughout the South to offer ideas on where to getyour next fix.

RumblinginBowlingGreen

Chaney’sDairyBarn

Bowling Green, Ky

The bold Big Red Rumble flavorpays tribute to one of Bowling Green’smost recognizable icons —Western Kentucky University’s “Big Red”mascot, alarger-thanlife character receiving some recent national attention.

Big Red Rumble takes awhite chocolate base with red velvet cake and adds chocolate ﬂakes and fudge swirl.

TheDrPepperFloat

Dr Pepper Museum

Waco,Texas

I’m both afan of Dr Pepper and Blue Bell Ice Cream, so imaginemydelight in discoveringa handmade ﬂoat consisting of both served at the old-fashioned ice cream fountain at the Dr Pepper Museum.

It’satreat to tour the museum and learn that Dr Pepper was ofﬁcially introduced to the restof America at the1904 World’sFair in St. Louis, along with the ﬁrst hamburger buns, hot dog buns and ice cream cones.

Don’tmiss astop at thecounter for a ﬂoat.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

Orbitz

Shakin’itup

Brent’s Drugs

Jackson, Miss Jackson’sFondrenneighborhood is astepback in time, much of its retro buildings used in the filmingof“The Help,” set in the early 1960s.

Visitors will feel they have entered the mid-20th century at Brent’sDrugs, where the soda fountain has been serving meals andice cream concoctions since 1946.

Customerscan choosefrom shakes, sundaes, ﬂoats and pie, but if you love the addedtaste of malt, theMaltdown shakecombines crushed Whoppers,malt and vanilla ice cream.

Soft servewithaview

BigWalker Lookout in Wytheville,Va

At theconﬂuence of U.S. Highways52and 621 (Walker Mountain Road) outsideWytheville is a100footobservationtower where ﬁve statescan be seen on aclear day Scale the tower and peruse the BW CountryStore thathostsmusicians and artists inaddition to hot dogs, fudge and delicioussoft-serve ice cream.

Homemade icecream in hand-rolledwafflecones

Sweet Things Ice Cream Lexington,Va.

You’llbehard-pressed to believe that thehomemade icecream at SweetThingsislow in sugar.It’s the high percentage of butterfat that gives the scoops such rich ﬂavor— and boy is it good.

Chris and Patty Williams run thelandmark Lexington shop that utilizes localdairies and insists on

authenticingredients

—their vanilla must originate within two degrees of theequator, for instance —tomake its 26 ﬂavors. Be sure to choosethe wafﬂecones, handrolled on-site,which is atreat to watch.

Sweetand salty Island Ice Cream &Treats GulfShores,Ala.

When temperaturessoar,nothing cools off like adip in the Gulf and an ice cream cone —just not at the same time!

It’s the perfect combination. Choose one scoop or two of Sea Salt Caramel, aBlue Bell ﬂavor that’s alittlesweet anda little salty, just like your beach vacation.

Peachplease

The yard MilkshakeBar

TheYardhas numerous locations throughout the Deep South, includinginGulfShores, Destin and Flowood, Mississippi. There’smuch to choose from, but if peach calls your name, try theSpritewith Blue Bell’sPeachy Peach ice cream andstrawberry drizzletoppedwith whipped cream and more strawberry drizzle. For something truly decadent, theMint Brownie Mudslide features mint chocolate chip ice cream in amarshmallow-dipped Masonjar rolledincrushedOreo cookies andtopped with abrownie,whipped cream, drizzle and more crushed Oreocookies.

ADollywood special Showstreet Ice CreamatDollywood PigeonForge,Tenn.

Mayfield Dairy Farms created the Smoky Mountain Fudge flavor especially forDollywood and, much like Dollywood, it’s an ice creamthatembracesfun anda touch of Smoky Mountainmagic The package design changes to reﬂect the latest attraction opening in the park. Right now,it’spromoting the new NightFlight Exhibition ride.

Closer to home

LolliPops Sweets Shoppe in Gonzales serves up aLouisiana favorite that combines what’s great about our state: apraline pecan ﬂavor

Trythe Manning Mudslide, consisting of hazelnut praline ice cream swirled with rich fudge and brownie chunks, or the cookie butterice creamatPaddycake’s Parlor in Thibodaux.

Raceland’s CentralSno,known fornot only snowballs but delicious and unique sundaes,combinescookieswithvanilla ice cream for its Biscoff Cookie Butter Sundae.

There’s so many icecream parlors in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans that it’s impossible to namethem all.

Afew unique places to try are the LSU AgCenter Dairy Store on LSU’scampus, which serves up homemade ice cream on weekdays;a variety of icecream specialties at Borden’sindowntown Lafayette, the last retail Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe in the world; andCreoleCreameryinNew Orleans, creating thecity’sindigenous Creole CreamCheese ice cream.

Christopher Elliott

Irecently booked around-trip flight from Minneapolis to Dublin for my wife and myself through Orbitz. Ipaid $1,626for the trip on American Airlines and AerLingus. Months before the flight, Ireceived an email from Orbitz that Aer Lingus had canceled the PhiladelphiaDublin segmentof the flight. Icontacted Orbitz, and arepresentative told me Icouldtakea flight from Minneapolis to Dublin via London on British Airwaysand then returnona direct flight from Dublin to Minneapolis on Aer Lingus. Iagreed. The changewas confirmed on the My Trips section on Orbitz. Idownloaded the Aer Lingus appfor my phone, which showed me booked on the new flights. Iassumed all was fine. It wasn’t. During our stopover in London, British Airwayshad some initial trouble checking me in for the next legofthe flight but put me on the plane to Dublin.Anagent told me to check in with Aer Lingus whenI reached Dublin.

But on my return flight,Aer Lingus refused to let me board theplane.Arepresentative claimed that Orbitz had failed to confirm the itinerary changeproperly It wasessential thatmywife and Iget back to Minneapolis that day.An airline agent told me no economy seats were available.The only seatsavailable were in business class.The costwas approximately $8,000 fortwo tickets. Combined with the original paymentfor tickets that were not honored,the costtouswas close to $10,000. Out of necessity,I agreed,and we gotto Minneapolisthat day.

Iemailed Orbitz andreceived no response.Aer Lingusopeneda case file but responded that it wouldnot refund my money because it does not process refunds fortransactions made throughthird parties. Iwould like arefund of the $8,000 that IpaidAer Lingus forbusiness class tickets. This is asignificantcosttomeafter Ireceived assurances fromOrbitz that my flight back home wasconfirmed.Can you help?

—Steve Miller,Shoreview, Minn Youshould have had avalid

ticket to ﬂyfrom Dublin toMinneapolis. Orbitzconﬁrmedyour new itinerary,and theairline’sapp showed you werebooked. Youhad everyreason to believe you were good to go.

So what happened?

It appears you fell into ablack hole between your online travel agency and the airlines operating your flights. When Orbitzrebooked you, it seems they created areservation code —also known as aPassengerNameRecord— but the ticket was never actually issued. This is acritical distinction thattrips up many travelers. A reservationconfirms that aseat is held for you. Aticket is thepayment for that seat.You can have areservationcode without having aticket number.Inthe airline’scomputer you existed as apassenger, but you hadn’ttechnically paid for the flight in their system

When you checked in at Heathrow, the British Airways agent

likely saw the reservation but couldn’tgenerate aboarding pass for the second leg because the ticket number wasmissing or invalid. They sent you to Dublin hoping AerLingus could sort it out. They couldn’t—orwouldn’t.

Youdid the right thing by trying to resolve this on the spot. But when you’re stranded in aforeign airportwith no other wayhome, you sometimes have to pay the ransom. In this case, that was the price of two business-class tickets. Orbitz should have ﬁxed this immediately.You emailed your online travel agency,but it didn’t respond. Aer Lingus also washed its hands of the problem, telling you thatbecause the booking originated with athird party,it couldn’tissue arefund. This is why Ialways advise travelers to check for aticket number,not just aconﬁrmation code.

That number usually starts with athree-digit code representing the airline (053 for Aer Lingus)

followed by 10 digits. If you don’t see that number,you don’thave a ticket. Ithink abrief, polite email to one of the executives at Orbitz (Expedia) might have helped. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of Expedia’scustomer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott. org. Icontacted Expedia, which owns Orbitz, on your behalf. Arepresentative reviewed your case and admitted the mistake.

“After reviewing the situation, it appears the tickets were notissued correctly,which resulted in the airline not having his reservation,” the representative told me Expedia refunded you $8,206, covering the cost of the emergency business class tickets.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

N.O. actorheadedfor Broadway BoundTheatre Fest

KC Simms to take lead in debutof ‘One Nightatthe

New Orleans actor KC Simms (“Hit Man,” “Mike”) is bound for Broadway,starring in anew play set in the 7th Ward —one of 12 new productions in this year’s 10th-anniversary Broadway Bound Theatre Festival in Manhattan.

Leslie Cardé

The festival is a launching pad for Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers. Oddly,Simms was abit of aJohnny-come-lately to the theater scene.

“You know theater wasn’talways my goal,” Simms explained. “I was working toward a ﬁlm career,but as I’ve grown and met these really talented people in theater,I’m loving this opportunity to work on stage.

“Considering that there’snot much ﬁlm opportunity right now in Louisiana, I’m more than happy to spread the word that we have talented actors in Louisiana by performing at the Broadway Bound Festival in Manhattan.” Simms’ entrée into the theater world began with The NOLA Project, an ensemble theater company in New Orleans which engages in the production of innovative and adventurous new plays. Simmshad worked with the group on aseries of theatrical snippets that are performed as part of the Rough Draft series around New Orleans.

It was through this group that he met writer and producer Thomas Mullen, who had Simms read anew play called “One Night at the Blackbird,” which he co-wrote along with fellow playwright Maria Messias Mendes. WhenMullen decided to enter it in the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, he asked Simms if he’d be interested in reprising his role as Herman Godfrey

“Godfrey is the devoted manager of this hidden New Orleans 7th Ward speakeasy,” Simms said. “There’sasupernatural plot element within this nightclub because it’svisited by ghosts. And

“I’m proud to represent Louisiana,Baton Rouge and New Orleansona Broadway stage, because the last timeI wasinNew York Iwas watching aballdrop in Times Square, and nowI’m performingright around the corner.”

KC SIMMS,actor

not just any ghosts—the ghosts of Louis Armstrong, Allen Toussaint and Mahalia Jackson. ButGodfrey must continually bargainwith club owner Lucy (Lucifer herself) who’sburned outand wants to close the club. Godfrey may be making adeal with the devil but believes he must save the souls of the legendary music royalty which still gathers there.”

For Simms, who is currently in NewYork for rehearsals preceding the show’sAugust premiere, this is his ﬁrst time in theBig Apple in over 18 years. As achild, his mother took him and his siblings to New York City to watch the ball drop on New Year’sEve.

At the time,the 9-year-old wanted to be an astronaut. As he grew up, he began to realizejust how long he’d be in collegetoattain thatgoal. In the meantime, he happened to see the remake

of “The

With that

notioncemented in his mind, he begantothink about drama classes in middle school.

“I was living in Baton Rouge as

akid, andIdidn’tinitially know what to do,but Iknew my school hadanexcellent drama department with alot of talented kids who were apartofit, so Isigned myself up,”Simms recalled. “My mom didn’tevenknowabout it, andinfact,I forged her signature on the papers thatIneeded to take those classes. When she found outwhatIwas trying to do,she supportedmeand even took me to the audition.”

Simms majored in theater at LSU New Orleans, formerly the University of New Orleans, and begantoauditionfor local ﬁlms.

While he’s garnered roles that have shotinLouisiana, auditioning as of late hasslowed to a crawlwith the absence of studio ﬁlms shooting in the state —a situationthatSimms, like most otheractorsinthis community, ﬁnds frustrating.

But he’s been prepared for the slump sincethe strikes, acting in microdramas (short, episodic formats for mobile viewing) and local theater productions, with rolesin“Guess Who’sComing To Dinner?” and“AStreetcar Named Desire.”

“Sometimes, for better or worse, youhavetomake aleap somewhere,just to keep honing your craft,” Simms said.

“I feel very lucky to be apart of sucha creative acting community in Louisiana, which has supportedmenomatter what andevenhelpedme ﬁnd aplace in NewYorkwhere Ican couchsurf for the fewweeks I’m up there

“So,I’m proud to represent Louisiana,Baton Rouge and New Orleansona Broadway stage, because the last time Iwas in New York Iwas watching aball dropinTimesSquare, and now I’m performing right around the corner.

Of the ﬁve castmembers in “One Night at the Blackbird,” two arefromNew Orleans Simms andAria Franklin as Lucy (Lucifer).

The rest of the cast is from the New York area. The play runs from Aug. 12-16 at the AMT Theater in NewYorkCity

Contact Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail. com.

KarateKid” in 2010 with Jaden Smith, and realized there might be room in the ﬁlm industry for him, too.

KC Simms, third from left, and Aria Franklin, second fromright, takepart in atable read for ‘One Nightatthe Blackbird’ in NewOrleans.

THEPAGES WITH BRIAN FONTENOT JR

‘Space is nota barrier’

Former La. reporter launches sci-ﬁ horror novelwithUK publisher

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

AMetairienative who grew upinBaton Rouge, Brian Fontenot Jr.studied English at LSU before working as areporter forthe Tri-Parish Times, the Daily Comet andthe Houma Courier

After the daily grind of parish council meetings, ﬁres, murdersand new business openings, Fontenot pivotedtotechnical writing. He self-published two epic fantasy novelsalong the way For his new sci-ﬁ horror novel, “Seraphim Descent,” Fontenot secured atraditional publication deal from Matthew James Publishing, the U.K.’slongest-running indie publisher

The story follows James Carter,aveteran, father and recoveringalcoholic who’s forced by an authoritarian government aboard awarship to investigate agreen star. Joining him is amotley crew comprisedof mystics, soldiers, artiﬁcial intelligences, a vampire engineer and apsychic.

The book, which Fontenot describes as a combination of “Event Horizon”and “Solomon Kane,” will be released Sept. 3.

This interviewwas edited for length and clarity When and how did you startworking on “Seraphim Descent”?

Ever sinceIwas asmall kid,myfather and Ialways watched crazy sci-ﬁ movies, all the B-movieschlock —everything from “Hell comes to Frog Town”and “Predator” to the old “Runaway” movie withTom Selleck and “Logan’sRun.” He would cover my eyes when the bad scenes came on Leading into COVID, Iwas work-fromhome for two years (as atechnical writer and editor) with Blue Cross BlueShield, and Ihad just lost my father to cancer.I wasn’t writing, and Iwas ready to give up.But I told my father before he passed that Iwould write another book.

How wasthe writing process?

It took on alife of its own after arough start of doing maybe acouple hundred words amonth. Iwanted to writea sci-ﬁ

book, and Ilove horror.Iwanted to mash all my influences andloves together intothis compelling sci-fi epic. I’d write ascene Iwas excited about,and Islowly started stitching them together and sequencing them. It’sabout writing these images Ihad in my mind and filling in all the in-between stuff. It took acouple years, maybe late 2020 into early 2022.

What wasthe publicationprocess like?

While Iwas writing it, Iwas doing freelance editing for other writers. One was areporter buddy,Chris Scarnati. He kept encouraging me to try thesmall publisher route. Istarted going to different publishers who Ithought ﬁtthe genre. It didn’ttake long, surprisingly,for me to getaresponsefrom Matthew James Publishing. The editor bit on it real quick.

How did you fitghosts and demons into this universe?

There’sa little bit of Graham Hancock inﬂuence. Hancock wrote about his experience with psychedelics. He relates DMT to shamanistic rituals and aliens. Iwas interested in the DMT thing.

Iwanted that to be atechnical backdrop, where that is accepted science and achance to plunderthat realm for moreinformation and power.The old explanation is dabbling in that realm corrupts and inﬂuences reality, andthat’swhere you get demons and ghosts and stuff.

Can you explain the physics of the warship’smovement?

Iwanted my own scary,faster-than-light travel system, and it’sloosely based on

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Brian Fontenot Jr photographed the Orion Nebula in 2021 at a Baton RougeAstronomy Society dark site on the AtchafalayaBasinlevee in Maringouin, east of Whiskey Bay.

Brian Fontenot Jr.has self-published twoepic fantasy novels.

fringe physics. Icombined the Dynamical Casimir Effect with theidea of constructive wave interference to allow aspacecraftto accelerate to many times the speed of light with afraction of the required energy

The speed of light is really fast, but it’s actually really slow for travel between planets. People don’tconsider just how vast the universe is.

What do you hope readers getfrom this book?

Ireally want people, even though it is a horror book, to rediscover thewonder of space. Space is not abarrier.Itisamedium. Iwant people to imagine what’sout there.

Danny Heitman

Book journal reveals readinglife

My Grandfather Heitman died in 1930, and he wasgone many years before Iwas born. Even so, he continued to live in family stories, including memories of the books he read. Among his favorites, we weretold, were Robert Louis Stevenson’s“Travels with aDonkey in the Cévennes” and “Quo Vadis,” asweeping historical novel about ancient Rome written by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz.

My grandfather’slifeasafarmer kept him mostly in Louisiana throughout his life, but he was,in the family lore, something of an armchair traveler.That Stevenson travelogue and Sienkiewicz’s saga of empire offer awindow into my grandfather’spreoccupations.

We are what we read, it seems, or at least we might be, which is whyI madeaNew Year’sresolution back in January to record every book Iread this year as away to learn about myself

Somereaders ﬁnd various apps handy fortracking the books that come and go through their lives, but Idecided to use abeautifully monogrammed journal my daughter gave me for Christmas.

Ifelt sheepish about making such an easy New Year’sresolution. What could be simpler than writing downevery book Iread? Idecided not to record books I don’t ﬁnish, but beyond that, my plan looked pretty straightforward.

I’mrealizing, though, that my reading lifeismore complicated that Ihad thought. As ajournalist, Idoalot of assigned reading, tackling books Imight not otherwise undertake. Do they warrant another category in my reading journal, alist apart from what I read just forfun?

As part of avolunteer gig at a local school, my wife reads books to small children, and Isometimes help her pick out titles by scouting out afew kids’ books, too. I’ve really enjoyed Margaret Renkl’s“The Weedy Garden” this year,aswellasAnca Sandu Budisan’sbeautifully illustrated “The HomeWeDreamed.”

Is it cheating to add those to my list of books Iread this year,even if I ﬁnished them in just afew minutes?

I’ve also been thinking about my ﬁve-volumeset of Virginia Woolf’s diaries, which has been part of my reading routine for years now.I keep at least one volumeofthe diaries on my nightstand, dipping in at random before Igotosleep. Idoubt I’ll ever know when or if I’ve ﬁnished reading them,but they’re old friends by now and seem to deserve amention.

What I’mcoming to understand is that my reading journal isn’t meanttoshow others how much I’ve read. Like atourist savoring snapshots, Ijust want to look back at the end of the year and see where my lifeinbooks has taken me.

I’ll continue to experiment with what works best forme, and at the end of the year,I’ll tell you how I’ve done.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,July 26, the207thday of 2026. Thereare 158 days left in theyear

TodayinHistory:

On July 26, 1990, PresidentGeorge H.W.Bush signed the Americans withDisabilitiesAct, prohibiting discrimination based on mentalorphysical disabilities.

Also on this date:

In 1775, the Continental Congress establishedan independent postal systemand appointedBenjamin Franklinits Postmaster General.

In 1847, the western African country of Liberia, founded by freed American slaves, declared its independence.

In 1863, Sam Houston, former president of the Republic of Texas, died in Huntsville at age 70.

In 1945,Winston Churchill resignedasBritain’s prime minister after his Conservatives were soundly defeated by the Labour Party.ClementAttlee succeeded him.

In 1947, President Harry S. Trumansigned the National Security Act, whichreorganized America’sarmed forces as the National Military Establishment and created the CentralIntelligence Agency

In 1948, President Trumanissued Executive Order 9981,which desegregatedthe U.S. military. In 1953, Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba. (Castroousted Batistain1959.)

In 1971,Apollo 15 was launchedfromCape Kennedy on America’sfourth successful mannedmission to the moon.

In 2002, the Republican-ledHousevoted to createthe Homeland SecurityDepartment in the biggest government reorganizationindecades.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the ﬁrst woman to be nominated for president by amajor political partyatthe DemocraticNational Conventionin Philadelphia.

In 2018, the last six members of aJapanese doomsday cult whoremained on death row were executed for aseries of crimes in the 1990s,includingagas attack on Tokyo subways thatkilled 13 people. Previously, sevenother cultmembers were executed on July6 of thatyear

In 2020, aprocession with the casketofthe late U.S. Rep. John Lewis crossedthe Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, whereLewis and othercivil rights marchers were beaten55yearsearlier

Today’sBirthdays: Former AustralianPrimeMinister John Howard is 87. Football Hall of Famer BobLilly is 87. Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall ofFamer Darlene Love is 85. The Rolling Stones’Mick Jaggeris83. Actor HelenMirrenis81. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Queen) is 77.Olympic gold medal ﬁgure skater Dorothy Hamill is 70. Actor KevinSpaceyis67. Actor Sandra Bullock is 62. Actor JeremyPiven is 61. Actor Jason Statham is 59. Actor Olivia Williams is 58. Actor Kate Beckinsale is 53.Former New Zealand Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern is 46. Actor Juliet Rylance is 47. ActorMonica Raymund is 40. Actor FranciaRaisais 38. Actor-singer Taylor Momsen is 33. Actor Elizabeth Gilliesis33.

Brother-in-law mindshis business,for once

Dear Miss Manners: My husband and I went on atrip to visit my mother-in-law. While we were there, she suggested that my husband’sbrother and wife alsojoin us for dinner.Werarely seethem and my husband thought it was agreat idea.

Iactually came away feeling hurt and angry

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Alittle background: In thelast six months, Iwas very ill and lost a substantial amount of weight. Iamnow in good healthand because of it at ahealthier weight than before. The loss of weight is deﬁnitely noticeable.

My brother-in-law has always been arrogant. Ireally don’tlike how he treats my husband. My husband, in turn, is good-natured and lets things roll off his back. He is theone who keeps therelationship alive.

When my brother-in-law and his wife arrived, the typical “I-know-everything”attitude was prevalent.IfIhad tried to converse with them, it was basically ignored.

On top of that, Ithought it was strange, they never once mentioned anything about my huge weight loss

Ispoke to my husband later and said Ithought they were rude. Itold him that the next time we see his mother, Iwould appreciate if we didn’tsee his brother and sister-in-law.Infact, Ireally don’twant much to do with them

Am Ibeing too harsh?Myhusband says that it’sjust theway they are and we have to accept it because they are family

GentleReader: Youare complaining that an arrogant know-it-all did not announce his observationsabout your body? Areyou mad?

Andifyou happen to gain back a pound or two, will you be insulted if he doesn’tdeclare that he noticed that, too? All right,you want encouragement. Andpraise for your effort. But not at theexpense of allowing everyone to size you up, so to speak.That’swhat your trainer,your dietitian and, chieﬂy, that nice husband is for.

Miss Manners took to him immediately; that attitude of not starting atrivial and pointless ﬁght is so rare. Please do not cause him trouble with his family

Dear Miss Manners Could you please

suggest away of saying something is stylishly sophisticated or upscale other than “classy”? While widely used, it seemstomeanything but.

Gentle Reader: “Classy” is, Miss Manners agrees, somewhat vulgar (a word badly in need of being revived). We do not have hereditary classes here; we have economic classes. And anyone whothinks those in the top brackets are modeling good behavior is not paying attention.

For that matter,the sameistrue in societies with hereditary class systems. Youhave only to read the headlines about foreign royalty to squelch the fantastic notion that their behavior is exemplary,oreven acceptable. In her vast experience monitoring civility,Miss Manners has observed that high standards, although perhaps rare everywhere, are just as likely,or perhaps even morelikely,tobefound among the lower as among the upper brackets. Are the terms“tasteful” and “civilized” too tepid forwhat you wantto convey?

Email Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Change is constant forlanguages forgenerations

When schools were established, it was naturally this socially correct variety of the language that wasinculcated and even hallowed. (I once heard ateacher correct astudent by saying, “God doesn’twant you to talk this way.”)

Dear Heloise: King Alfredthe Great would never have said “you” to oneperson, sincethis was the plural form, and “thou” was the singularform. (This can be compared tothe German“du” and the Spanish“tu.”)After theFrench-speaking Normans in 1066 forced atwo-tier society on England, theydemanded that theyshould be addressed withthe plural pronoun, while theyaddressed the conquered natives withthe singular (which explains why the plural “are”isstill used with “you”).Examples of changes could be multiplied. While the invaders and natives eventually melded, the two-tier system remained, with French vocabulary (and laterLatin, the language of education) being dominant in the speech of the upper class. To gain access to membership in the upper class, thoseinthe lower class had to learn thespeech of their social betters. Thus wasborn theidea of “correct English.”

Unfortunately, generations of studentshave been brainwashed with the misconception that there’sanabsolute “pure”formofthe language. An old quip says that the only thing constant in language is change, and alanguage doesn’t existapart from itsspeakers. It isn’t languages that change —people change their language. Social norms exist in language as they do in other areas of life, and norms change differently among groups thatare separated in any way— socially,geographically or temporally Afterall, 2,500 years ago, English and German wereone language. —Rudy T.,in Tucson,Arizona Coffee filter trick

Dear Heloise: After over 60 years of being frustrated when struggling to separateabowl-shaped coffee ﬁlter from thestack that it comes packaged in, I’ve

discovered atrick! If Ihold aportion of the stack in my hand and blow down on the exposed edges, the outside ﬁlter will separate from the stack and can easily be peeled off. —ChadronO., via email Chemicalsinfood

Dear Heloise: Iread the comments from Jan, in Dayton, Ohio, titled “Chemicals in Our Food.” It wasofinterest because Iwas drinking acup of takeout coffee that had ablack plastic lid. How can we determine if the black plastic itemsthat we use contain harmfulchemicals? Paul, in California Paul, since food chemicals are usually odorless, tasteless and not seen by sight alone, you’ll need to read labels and government reports on the chemicals that are used in plastics. In other words, it’scomplicated and hard to know.Most chemicals in plastic becomedangerous when the plastic is heated. Or if the food is stored in plastic foralong period of time, there could possibly be “leaching” of chemicals into the food. —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

Daughter upsetabout leavingprivate school education

Dear Harriette: My husbandand I are making the difﬁcult decision to pull my daughter from private school and put her in public school. Our family simply can’tafford it anymore because they keep hiking the price fortuition. My daughter is crushed aboutit because she’s been going to this school for ﬁve years and all of her friends are here. She doesn’twant to change schools because she lovesthe teachers, curriculum and other students. Ifeel horrible because this is by far the best school in the

area andthe qualityofher education will be lowered at the public school.

We’ve spent weeks going over our ﬁnances, trying to ﬁnd another way to makeitwork, but thenumbers just don’t add up.

We’ve cut back on other expenses and even considered taking on additional work,but we still can’t justify stretchingourselves so thin just to keepher enrolled. She keeps asking if there’sanything she can do to stay,and hearing that breaks my heartbecause I know this isn’t something she can ﬁx.

She’sworried about losing touch with her friends, having to start over with new classmates and feelinglike the new kid. Do you

thinkthere is another way,orare we doing what makes the most sense for our family ﬁnancially?

No More Private School

Dear No More Private School: Before you leave, talk to theschool. Find out if they offer ﬁnancial aid. Many families receive partial ﬁnancial aid from privateschools. Based on your salary,expenses, number of children and other factors, theschool determines eligibility In some cases, if theschool likes astudent and their parents, it will makeanexception. Pitch them for aid before you give up.

Dear Harriette: Imet anice guy alittle over amonth ago. We’ve gone on several dates since we met andhave been enjoying each

other’scompany.Our interests seem toalign on so manythings. We’ve even taken instructional classes together.For along time, Iavoided dating, but this, oddly enough, feels special to me. Though we’ve been dating for several weeks, it only just crossed our minds to share our nationalities andcultural backgrounds. It turns out that our families are from two countries that have ahistorically volatile relationship—the kind of history that has troubled our families and even ancestors fordecades. This discovery has really tainted the momentum of our relationship. The rest of that evening wasquieter,and allthe days since have also been quieter

Is there away to moveforward, or is this blissful romance over? Of TwoWorlds Dear Of TwoWorlds: This seems Shakespearean, doesn’tit? If you really like each other,talk about it openly Be honest about your family’s viewsand experiences. Discuss whether you think you can ﬁnd a way to get your family members to welcome each other.Can you yourselves see past national differences to whoyou are as individuals? Is it worth it to ﬁnd out?

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Hints from Heloise

X GAMES

Foundation, points out that extreme sports athletes have “the same passion and intensity” of athletes in any other sports, but they don’t get the same exposure.

When Dunbar learned New Orleans would host the X Games, he hatched a plan to get all the skaters from all across the state involved He set up skate competitions in ﬁve cities: Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Mandeville, Monroe and NOLA, one from each area code.

The statewide contest, called The Battle of the Boot, produced 15 ﬁnalists in three age groups.

The New Orleans contest was held July 18 in the Parisite a picturesquely gritty, grafﬁti-marked, concrete skate park under the Interstate 610 overpass at Paris Avenue, hence the name.

Sure it was suffocatingly hot, but Dunbar said it was still “high energy, very fast and very fun.”

Giving mom gray hair

Ellzey won the 14-18-year-old group that skated in New Orleans. Asked what maneuvers he performed to win his division, Ellzey said he “basically went 50-50 down a ramp, grinding both trucks on the coping.” He said he then “landed on the tail of the board and dropped back.”

Well, whatever he did it must have been impressive Ellzey said he’s been skating since he was 10 and always loved it. Though he loved it somewhat less whenever he was injured, which happens. His mother, Lindsey, said her son likes to “do anything that tries to give his mom gray hair or a heart attack.”

But at least mom’s probably not worried about Cohen spending too much time on the couch. “A big

part of skating,” he said, “is getting off your phone and getting off your screen.”

The sport is also therapeutic, he said. If he’s had a bad day as soon as he takes that ﬁrst heartpounding drop down a ramp or into a bowl imagine an empty, smooth-sided swimming pool — he forgets all about it. And, he’s observed, “it’s very good for kids having trouble in their lives.”

‘One sweet moment’

West Bank-born Nicholas Hall, 38, was the emcee at the Battle of the Boot contest at the Parisite. He’s been skating for 20 years,

and said that in the New Orleans area, most skating is done on the streets, not on purpose-built ramps and bowls.

The sport has grown over time, he said, but it’s still sort of obscure. “People understand the Olympics,” he said, “but not skating.”

Skateboarding, he said, is a “try and try again” sport. You repeat the move unsuccessfully until “one sweet moment when all the stars align.”

“If you can apply that attitude from skating for your whole life, you can go far,” Hall said. He hopes the X Games puts the spotlight on the sport and the re-

gional skaters. Maybe, he said, a new generation will “catch the bug.”

A sport for all economic brackets

The X Games seem to have already begun to coalesce the roller boarding community On Sunday, two 7th Ward entrepreneurs, Deontae “Duce” Walker, 36, and “Beezo” Charlot, 33, produced an all-ages, free skate party they called X Games Underground that drew dozens of participants to the Parisite, from as far away as Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Walker said the event, which included a DJ and refreshments,

was meant as a community tie-in with the big, professional competition coming up in the Dome — the X Games provided beverages. To his mind, the great thing about skateboarding is that it’s within reach of “all economic brackets.”

Walker said he calls skating “art in motion” and he loves to see the kids zipping up and down and over obstacles under the tutelage of grown skaters. “We’ve got to give it to the youth,” he said of the sport, “so when we’re old guys and not hanging out anymore, they can take over and we’ve got something to watch.”

Skate fans can watch Cohen Ellzey and the other Battle of the Boot ﬁnalists compete on custom ramps arranged at the X Fest, the outdoor fan fest in Champions Square beside the Superdome on Sunday The winners of the individual age groups will have a chance to try out the professional ramps and courses inside the Dome. The X Games take place from Friday through Sunday, and tickets start at $32.

Where to skate

The Parisite isn’t the only

place July 24-26 at the Caesars Superdome. Live music will be part of the three-day experience, with artists such as Metro Boomin and Subtronics set to perform Competing in front of family and friends adds another level of motivation, Fontenot said.

“It’s cool that I’m able to express myself being that I’m from Louisiana,” Fontenot said. “People know me as the Ragin’ Cajun, and it’s cool. I’m proud of where I’m from.” Earning his ﬁrst X Games medal — a bronze in the Best Whip competition at X Games Sacramento in June — has only added to his motivation. Having one of action sports’ biggest events in his home state makes this year’s competition even more special.

“When I saw it would be held in Louisiana, I was like, ‘Pinch me. Is this a joke?’” Fontenot said.

Marking the ﬁrst time an X Games event has been held so close to his hometown, Fontenot will compete

in the Moto X Best Whip competition inside the Superdome, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday Those competing in the

best whip challenges must throw their motorcycles sideways in the air, with competitors judged on style and how dramatically they

can rotate the bike before bringing it back under control for the best landing. While each run only lasts a few seconds, Fontenot said

it takes years of practice to get to that point.

“I’ve been working on a few things for this weekend,” he said. “So, I mean, it’s game time.”

Fontenot’s love for dirt bikes began at an early age. Growing up in Opelousas, he was surrounded by rodeos thanks to his father, who worked as a horse trainer and horseshoer But it was watching his cousin and neighbors ride dirt bikes that sparked his passion.

“Once I got my ﬁrst opportunity on a dirt bike around 10 years old, that was it,” he said.

Initially, Fontenot competed in traditional motocross racing, eventually reaching the professional level before discovering freestyle motocross, where creativity and style are just as important as athletic ability

“I mean, every rider has a different style of doing things, and we’re all kind of unique in our own way,” he said. “For me, I’m known for having the Cajun vibe.” In 2022, he moved to Temecula, California, where he now trains and competes professionally. But he comes back to visit Louisiana whenever he can. Unlike moto-

cross racing, where speed determines the winner, Fontenot said freestyle motocross is rewarded based on originality and style. Fontenot said his confidence is higher than ever after earning his ﬁrst medal.

“Oh yeah, I’m hungry,” he said. “I don’t want a bronze. I want more than a bronze. Especially being in my home state, I deﬁnitely want to do this for Louisiana.”

After New Orleans, Fontenot plans to continue competing, including returning to South Africa to defend his King of the Whip title after winning the event last year He’ll also compete in Big Hill Jam, where he has ﬁnished runner-up multiple times, and hopes to continue building his career When asked what message he wanted to share with those who have supported him throughout his journey, Fontenot said he is grateful. “I love you guys,” he said. “You’re all the reason that I’m here and the motivation I have. I’m so proud of being from Louisiana. I couldn’t have a better support group.”

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

Adult skaters pose for a group picture at the X Games Underground party at the Parisite skate park

PHOTO By PEARCE ADAIR

Orleans for the 2026 X

On the road again and eventful ﬂights across the pond

BY REBECCA WISBAR

Contributing writer

After our family enjoyed various vacations via road trip, my daughter and I planned a muchanticipated trip on our own to the United Kingdom

Human Condition

Our travel was to begin with a 9 a.m. flight to Chicago. Then, the airline rescheduled us for a flight at 5 a.m. And so began our saga. We arrived in Nashville in time for our connecting flight to Chicago This isn’t so bad. We grabbed our luggage and headed to the international terminal. The serpentine line wound through the departure area TSA experience was TSA. Finally on board! My tech-savvy daughter couldn’t turn on her television. A courteous flight attendant responded to her request for assistance.

“Well,” she conﬁded in hushed tones, “It is probably broken This airplane is crap.” Just what you

want to hear as you head out over the Atlantic. We arrived at Heathrow along with our luggage. All was right with the world. Our return trip was more of an adventure. Heathrow crowds made the O’Hare masses appear

sparse. Eventually, we were on our plane. All went well until we hit Chicago. One flight after another canceled. The boarding area was overwhelmed with passengers for three consecutive delayed flights. Then flight “A” boarded. Flights

“B” and “C” began to feel hopeful. Then came the announcement that flight “A” passengers” were being taken off the recently boarded but now canceled flight. Flight “B” was moved to a different gate. I noticed a high school choral group with chaperones. Bless those chaperones traveling with a group of teens. We waited. The choral group began serenading the airline crowds with Harry Belafonte’s calypso version of “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”. Thanks to them, the mood lightened and, several hundred passengers joined in song. Bless those teens. Finally we boarded the plane for Nashville. With the tight schedule in mind, we scrambled to the first available seats. Of course, we each got a middle seat. My daughter sat between two people who she, in her 20s, described as “really old.” Turns out they were married but didn’t want to sit next to each other (cue to ominous music OR is this the secret to a long marriage?). Prior

to takeoff, “ Marge” reached over my daughter, accidentally hitting her and yelling various instructions to “Norm.” This scenario repeated itself throughout the entire ﬂight. “Marge” and “Norm” bellowed at each other while “ Marge” inadvertently battered my daughter while reaching over to “ Norm.” And so it continued. Almost 30 hours after leaving our hotel in London, we arrived at 1 a.m. to be embraced by the humid, welcoming air of Louisiana. True to the title of this tale, our travel plans for the near future will abandon ﬂying and head out “on the road again.” Wisbar lives in Baton Rouge.

Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com or The Advocate, Features, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence.

85 million lives across more than 30 countries, including more than 416,000 American military personnel Of those lost, approximately 79,000 were declared missing in action leaving tens of thousands of families with unanswered questions and no sense of closure.

In 60 years, that number has dropped but still reaches over 70,000. Since 2011, Gray has led a ﬁeld school for students in archaeology, and it is that work he said caught the attention of the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency the federal agency tasked with recovering and identifying missing military personnel, in 2017.

“They reached out because they were starting a new program partnering with universities to resolve some cases overseas,” he explained, adding, “That ﬁrst project, it was such a meaningful experience for everyone that I knew we had to do more of this.”

The university’s ﬁrst partnership with the DPAA resulted in the recovery of the remains of Capt. Lawrence Dickson, the ﬁrst of 27 missing Tuskegee Airmen to be recovered.

“In that case, we found the captain’s ring, and inside there was an inscription with his initials, his wife’s initials and his birthdate,” said Gray “Of course we had to wait for the DNA testing, but that ring proved to us that the remains we had found were his. There was not a dry eye in our group.”

The students involved in the project were later able to meet Dickson’s daughter when she attended an event at The National WWII Museum in downtown New Orleans, which is also participating in the current recovery efforts.

Three members of the museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy are in Italy assisting the team, including Institute Specialist Stephen Bateman, who has worked for the past two years in the museum’s historical research department.

“I work with veterans’ family members,” he said. “I pull their military file and dissect all the information to uncover what they did, where they did it and how. The goal is to bring their combat experience to life and put it into a book form.” Also a doctoral student at LSU New Orleans, Bateman joined the team in Italy on June 22.

“I’ve become best friends with a pickaxe and a shovel,” said the self-described “history nerd” who found his love for military history after serving in the Army for seven years.

“Everyone here is an archaeologist by trade,” he added. “When we stepped in, we brought historical analysis and subject matter expertise to provide a better idea of what was going on in that operation.”

In a Zoom call from a local cafe, LSU New Orleans Anthropology major Ka’sha Fenceroy expressed sadness at the thought of leaving Italy in a few days after almost six weeks on the project’s team, which she said she joined initially for the adventure.

“The first thing that hit me when I got to the site was the heat,” she said. But then you look across this big grass ﬁeld, and you see where a plane knocked the top of a tree off decades ago as it crashed and you realize this is someone’s life we’re looking for.”

Fenceroy said she’s unlocked a new love of digging in the dirt, as well as an interest in mapping technologies.

“In the future, I might pursue something in GSSI (Geophysi cal S urvey Systems Inc.) and GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) mapping,” she said. “I want to learn more.” Those tools use radio waves and

other technology to see below ground.

If the university’s seventh recovery mission is successful, it will mark the fourth soldier recovered. Another mission in Germany resulted in the recovery and identiﬁcation of two B-17 crew members, Air Force Tech. Sgt. William Leukering and Staff Sgt. Edgar Mills.

“Both of those soldiers were reinterred in family cemeteries,” noted Gray, who added that Dickson was buried by his family in Arlington Cemetery

For Bateman, as with all participating, the recovery efforts are a chance to use their skills and training to honor those that gave their lives for their country

“It’s just incredible seeing all of these people get together,” said Bateman. “It’s really what being American is all about, honoring that promise that we’re going to bring you home, no matter how long it takes.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By D RyAN GRAy/LSU NEW ORLEANS

Bryan Haley, a geophysics and remote sensing specialist from Coastal Environments Inc. of Baton Rouge, conducts a ground-penetrating radar

Scholars question ChristopherNolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

Questionsover missed themes, characterbalance

BY HILLEL ITALIE AP national writer

NEW YORK For Greek translator Emily Wilson,the release of director Christopher Nolan’s“The Odyssey” has been gratifying in various ways.

Heracclaimed 2017 edition of Homer’sepic has reached the top 5onAmazon.com, leading awave of similar books boosted by the movie.

Nolan has even cited her translation, notably the opening line “Tell me about acomplicated man,” as inspiration.

But the ﬁlm itself, which opened last weekend and has received raves from many critics, left her unsatisﬁed.

“I want to celebratethe fact that so many more people are aware of ‘The Odyssey’ andwerebrought back to the poem,” she told The Associated Press. “But at the same time, Ihad the sense that Christopher Nolan was trying to pack everything in while missing themes that were essential to the poem.”

One of the year’smost anticipated releases, “The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon

as thereturning warrior Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as hiswife, Penelope, and TomHolland as their son, Telemachus.

Reviewershave praised the acting andthe narrative drive, the grand scale of amovie shot entirely on IMAX ﬁlm andhow it weds the sensibilities of ancient Greece andthe modern world, at least as Nolan perceives it

The divide between scholarsand critics seemsinpart amatter of whether the balance should tilt toward Nolanor Homer Wilson and fellow translatorDaniel Mendelsohn both expressed admirationfor Nolan’s cinematic ﬂair and ambition, what Mendelsohn

calls his“great visual panache.”Both speculated thathis desire to make a “Christopher Nolan”movie led to unfortunatedecisions.

Mendelsohn is an author, critic and translator and his assessmentappeared last week in TheNew York Review of Books, where he is an editor-at-large.

Mendelsohn hadpreviously defended Nolan’s controversialdecision to cast aBlack actor,Lupita Nyong’o, as Helen of Troy, calling it aworthy way to “provoke,challenge and discomfit howwethink about beauty and identity.”

But he faulted thedirector for giving us an Odysseus with “nocleverness, no hu-

Iconic Hollywoodtheater to getrenovation, reopen

Cinerama Dome wasshuttered during COVID

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The Cinera-

ma Dome,alandmarkHollywood theater shuttered during the COVID-19pandemic, will be restoredand reopen. Alamo DrafthouseCinema will operate themassive 86-foot-wide curveddome theater and an adjacent 14-theater complex.Alamo’s owner,Sony Pictures Entertainment, announced the plan to restore the Dome and reopen it in early 2028.

Alamo’splan will preserve the distinctive Cinerama Dome’sgeodesic exterior and large logo that have been aHollywood landmark since the theater opened in 1963. The dome will not have in-theater dining, as is common in other Drafthouse theaters.

“There is no moviegoing destination anywhere in the world that commands the affection, history,and cultural signiﬁcance of theCinerama Dome. It represents the kind of singular experience we value and champion,” said RaviAhuja, chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kustermann said the dome wouldbeits new West Coast flagship

theater

The dome’smassive screen supports 70 mm projection, which is having a moment thanks to Christopher Nolan’s“The Odyssey.” It was commissioned in 1963 by Pacific Theatres founder William R. Forman as astate-of-the-art way to seemovies usingthree projectors for its custom curved screen. When the dome closed in April2021, it was one of only three theatersinthe world with that capability.Its operator,Pacific Theaters, announced theclosing was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael O’Leary, thepresidentand CEO of the movie theater trade group Cinema United, applauded the news.

“The CineramaDome has been atreasuredand important landmarkfor movie fans and theentire film community for over sixdecades,” O’Leary said in astatement. “Thetiming could notbebetter with moviegoers making clear this year that they lovethe unique experience of seeing amovie on the big screen.” Alamo Drafthouse will alsoreopen a14-theater complex next to thedome that used tobeoperated by ArcLight Cinemas,which also shut downin2021. Those theaters will have intheater dining, although the chainhas faced backlash recentlyfor its pivot to an in-seat ordering operation that requires use of personal phones.

Matt Damon stars as the warrior Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey.’

PROVIDED PHOTO

mor,nowily charm.”

One of the Western canon’s formative tricksters hasbeen transformed,he contended, intothe kind of haunted protagonist featured in such previous Nolan movies as “Oppen-

heimer” and“Memento.”

“This tormented, guiltridden Odysseus, stripped of humor and wit, seductiveness andcleverness,is asibling of Memento’sanguished amnesiac, of Batman,ofOppenheimer,men tormented by pasts they wrestle with in different ways,” wrote Mendelsohn, whose “Odyssey” translation cameout in 2025.

“Nolanhas merely remade Homer’shero in his own image.”

Wilson, aprofessorof classical studies at the UniversityofPennsylvania,saidshe didn’twantto comeacross as a“snobby,” nitpickingexpert at odds with anydeviation from the originaltext.

Butshe questioneda rangeofomissionsand other choices, from the absenceonscreen of the Gods Zeus and Poseidon(Athena is playedbyZendaya)to

the “incoherent” messaging that condemns both war and physical cowardice. She found Penelope’srole so thinnedout thatitendangered “any possibility of believing in this marriage.” Wilson also that thought parts of the movie, notably the scenes with Odysseus’ dog, Argos, “catered towards modern sentimentality.”

“Everybody’sasucker for adog,” she said. Aspokesperson for Nolan did not immediately respondtoarequest for comment. Wilson declined to offer agrade or ranking forthe movie, butsaidshe would recommenditfor others, as long as theysee it in atheater

“It wasfun to be there with my kids. Ididn’tfeelit waspulling teeth to engage with it,”she said. “If you can see it on abig screen youshould absolutely go.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

The Cinerama Dome, aHollywood theater shuttered during theCOVID-19

In ajust a few years, American Safety founder Cory Rosales grew his Belle Chasse-based industrial safety training firm from aone-man operation into adiversified company with nearly 500 workers in multiple states.

American Safety, transportation provider for Saints and LSU, forSaintsand LS is much more than a bus company abus

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

For alot of Louisianabusiness own-

ers, the events of 2020 and 2021 —the COVID-19 pandemicand successive hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida were disastrous. For Corey Rosales, they were opportunities.

Over the course of just afew years, Rosales grew his one-manindustrial safety training firm, American Safety,into adiversified company with nearly 500 workers in multiple states and annual revenues in the tens of millions

Today,the Belle Chasse company transports industrial workers to and from job sites, cleans equipment at reﬁneries, cleans up after industrial accidents and weather disasters, transports water for industrial customers, rebuilds homes and businesses, and manages its own real estateportfolio

TAKING WHEELTHE

American Safety has amassed a fleet of 400 buses and other vehicles that it uses for manypurposes, including moving industrial workers to and from job sites acrossLouisiana’sexpanding industrialcorridor and providing transportation services to the NewOrleans Saints and Pelicans, LSU Athletics and Tulane University

American Safety also provides transportationservicestothe New Orleans Saints andPelicans, LSU Athletics andTulaneUniversity,while also servingconventions, weddings

and other events.

It’salot for the homegrown entrepreneur,who founded thecompany at age23— now30—and it keeps him busy. During arecent, hourlong

Influx of privateequityfirms drawn to

state’sbooming industrial sector

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Earlier this month, BatonRougebasedprivate equity ﬁrm Bernhard Capital Partners announced it will sell the parent company of Epic Piping, the Livingston Parish industrial pipe fabricator that was one of the original companiesinBernhard’s portfolio when it was foundedin 2013. Among the factors thatmade Epic an attractive target for acquisition, according to Ante Kusurin, apartner with the Houston private equity firm buying thecompany, is the booming industrial sector that Epic services.

“Wewereattracted to the longterm growth in infrastructure, energy,power,data centers, LNG and advanced manufacturing,” said Kusurin, whose ﬁrm, One Equity Partners, has approximately $16 billion in assets undermanagement,roughly three times more than Bernhard. The sale of Epic was thelatestof several in southLouisiana in the past month alone. Expertssay it won’t be thelast. Amid asurge of industrialconstructionactivity concentrated alongthe Gulf Coast, local companies that servicethe energy,petrochemicaland industrial sectors are busier thanever —and attracting theattention of potential buyersin

theprocess.

“This is atrend becauseofthis boom,” said DavidGallo, whose family-owned mechanical constructioncompany in New Orleans was acquired by aDallas private equity ﬁrm in 2025. “There is huge money gettingintoit.” Gallo, whose companyhad revenues around $500 million at the time of its sale last year,said he knows of several locally owned businesses in talkswith out-of-state buyers.

“Before we sold, we were getting contacted regularly,” he said. “A lot of people Italktoare getting contacted regularly.”

interviewatcompanyheadquarters, Rosales’ cellphone litupand buzzed every minute or two with an endless stream of text messages.

“I never know what I’m going to wake up and do because we have so manydifferent areas,” Rosales said. “Butthat’sone of the things Ilove mostabout my job.”

American Safety took the No. 2spot on the 2025 LSU 100 list, which recognizes the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by LSU alums. Rosales attributes thegrowth to ﬁscal discipline —plowing earlyprofitsback intothe company— andfortuitous timing.

Evan Gomes,a ﬁnancial adviser who works withRosales,also credits the company’ssuccess to Rosales’ hustle.

“Corey is decisive, and not just in business,” he said. “Ifyou were at arestaurantand the table waswobbling, he’d be the ﬁrst guy to grab a sugarpacket andshove it underthe table leg. Whenhesees aproblemor an opportunity, he’sthe firsttoaddress it.”

ä See BUSES, page 2E

STAFF PHOTOS BY DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFFFILE

PHOTOByBILL FEIG

Sparks flyduring fabrication at the Epic Piping facility in Livingston. Earlierthismonth, Baton Rouge-based private equity fi

What youshouldand shouldn’tdowhenyourteenstartsearning money

Istarted working duringthe summer Iturned 14. After my grandmother Big Mama tookmetoher creditunion to open an account, she announced that Iwould start being responsible for buying my school supplies and clothes for the fall. At the time, Iwas furious;Ididn’tdare push back.

Ithought my grandmother was being too tough. This wasmy money.Why was she tellingme what Ihad to do withit?

Looking backnow,after raising three kids of my own, Irealize my summer earnings gave her much-needed ﬁnancial relief as she raised my four siblings and me. Big Mama was teachingme thatearning money came with immediate responsibility.Itwasn’t play money In my experience, too many parents allow teens to treat all their summer income likeaslush fund with no ﬁnancial lessons. The teens become spendthrifts.

Parents often assume that becausetheir children aredigitally savvy and have easily adapted to using platforms like Cash App or Venmo, they understand how to manage their money But the data tells acompletely different story.

According to the 2026 State of Teen Financial Literacy report by Everﬁ,which surveyed over 160,000 high school students, there is amassive gap between what teenswant to do andwhat they actually know how to do. Nearly 60% of high school juniors and seniors report they feel only “somewhat,” “a little” or

Michelle Singletary

“not at all” prepared to set up and follow abasic budget. More than 57% of these same teens admit they are underprepared to manage basic checking andsavings account balances without overdrawing.

Even though they can’t function without their mobile devices, 20% admit theydon’tknowhow to recognize or avoid onlinescams Although older adults losemore moneyper incident, younger adultsare scammed more frequently,according to the Federal Trade Commission.

In my interactions with other parents, I’m often askedhow muchtheyshould interveneonce their children start earningtheir own money.Somethinktaking a hands-off approach teaches independence Idisagree. Youshouldconsider yourself their business partner or chief financialofficer.Don’t micromanage. Youdon’t need to approve every purchase, such as their back-to-school clothes, but if they want to spend agreat deal of money on adesigneroutfitthat would limit their ability to buy other things theyneed,point that out. Youshould be involved in the financialdecisions they make. And your kids need andwant your input. ASchwab Teen Invest-

ing Surveyfound that despite the constant pull of social media inﬂuencers, 56% of teenagerspointto their parents as their mosttrusted sourcefor investing andmoney advice. An overwhelmingmajority saytheytrust theirparents “a lot” when it comes to learning how to save andbe ﬁnancially responsible.

Youhavethe inﬂuence. Use it. Here are some tips to helpyou raise money-smart kids.

n All your money is no longer theirmoney

Once they have ajob,let them experiencethe real-worldfriction of spending their own cash. If they want to go to the movies or buy anew videogame, it needs to come outoftheir summerearnings, notyourwallet.

n Your bills arenot theirresponsibility.

If your household is struggling to make ends meet, any extra income can makeahuge difference. However,ifyou don’tabsolutely need theirmoney to keep the lights on,don’t burdenthemwith adult ﬁnancialobligations. Instead, transition them into paying for some of theirown expenses. Theycould start helpingwith their cellphone bill, gasiftheyare driving, or streaming subscriptions.

Your child is still adependent. Grown folks paytheir own bills

n Give them an incentive to save

If youwanttoblowyourteen’s mind with thepower of compound interest, help them set up acustodialRoth IRA.

ARoth is aretirement account fundedwith after-tax dollars. A custodial account is opened and managed by an adultonbehalf of

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

American Safety,the Belle Chasse-transportationcompany founded by CoreyRosales that has industrial and other clients, took the No. 2spot on the 2025 LSU100 list, which recognizes the fastest-growingbusinesses owned or led by LSUalums.

BUSES

Continued from page1E

Findingproblemstosolve

Rosales grew up in the New Orleans suburbs of Terrytown and Belle Chasse. He moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU, where he graduated in 2018 with adegree in petroleum engineering.

The nextyear,helaunched American Safety as an environmental training companytoteach clients about proper welding practices, respiratory protection andother skills that help industrial companies keep workers safe and comply with regulations.

But he didn’tstick with teaching for very long.

Partly because of his environmental safety certiﬁcation, Rosales landed ajob helping clean up after an oil spill at aretention pond at a Plaquemines Parish plant. Initially, he was broughtinasaconsultant but, one thing led to another, andhe ended up putting together ateam to do the job. Just like that, he’d launched his new company’s“environmental services” division.

Months later,when COVID hit, Rosalesexpanded his new business in atimely way,tapping his existing sources for protective equipment to become asupplier of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment for municipalities and commercial customers nationwide while also providing cleaning and decontaminating servicesfor commercial buildings in multiple states.

When hurricanesLaura, Delta, Zeta and Ida hit south Louisiana hard in 2020 and 2021, further throwing the state’seconomy offkilter,Rosales addeddisasterrecovery to his company’srepertoire, building teams to clean up debris across the Gulf South.

The work required transporting hundreds of workers to disaster sites, so Rosales started chartering buses until he realizedhe could save on rental fees by buying three used motor coaches of hisown.Using this small ﬂeet, he pursued a new and growing line of work: moving industrial workerstoand from jobsites across Louisiana’sexpanding industrial corridor

“New plantsand reﬁneries are often being built in remote areas,so you don’thave space to park thou-

sands of vehicles,” he said.“You have one road in and one road out, so if we canput 56 people on abus, that’s56 less cars.”

Notjust‘grabbing ashovel’

Twoyears ago, Rosales began expanding the environmental mitigationsideofhis business, opening his ﬁrst of 10 ofﬁces outside of Louisiana, including multiple locations in Florida. Those teams are called to clean up after oil spills, plant explosions and otheraccidents

The company boughtAtlantic Response, aNew Jersey-based venturethat works in the New Jersey and New York harbors, in January

Closer to home, American Safety hashelped clean up high-proﬁle accidents likethe 2025 explosion at Smitty’sSupply in Tangipahoa Parish and February’soil spill at the Louisiana OffshoreOil Portfacility nearCocodrie.

“Our people are trained to deal with hazardous and nonhazardous responses, so we’ll go in rather than someoneoff the street grabbing a shovel and not knowing what products there and evenifthey’re ﬂammable or not,” Rosales said. Rosales also gothis generalcontractor license in 2022,sohe’sable to offer clients turnkey services afterdisasters.

Afteraheavy rain last year, for instance,his disasterresponse team removedall debris and ﬂooded building materials from aJefferson Parish medicalofficeand was ableto rebuilditaswell.

“Wedid floodcuts, we broughtdehumidifiers, airblowers and other stabilization equipment,” he said. “Wetreated it, andthenwewent back and finished it by puttingthe sheet rockback and making it look pretty again.”

Saints,LSU dealsraise profile

Today,about 80% of American Safety’snearly500 full-time employees are in Louisiana,and two local acquisitions in the last two years boosted thatnumber

The company bought the halfcentury-old company New Orleans Tours in January 2025, just before New Orleans hosted Super Bowl LIX. It used the additional 18 buses acquired through the deal for its work as a“preferred vendor” for theNFL’s biggestgame, transporting more than 10,000 people, including teams and their families.

Ayear later, American Safetyac-

aminor. The beauty of aRoth is that the money grows entirely taxfree, andwhen your teen retires, they can withdraw it tax-free.

To open aRoth, you must have earnedincome. Your teen can contribute up to the annual IRS limit, whichfor 2026 is $7,500.

If youcan afford it, you might say you’ll match whatever they put in the Roth, or some percentageoftheir contribution, much like employers do.

n Do not allow themtoget acredit card

Many parents argue that kids need to start building acredit score early.But you do not need years of debt accumulation to getascore. According to FICO, to generate acredit score, aconsumer only needs one account open for at least six months, with at leastone update reported to the credit bureaus during that period.

Whenyour child is closer to graduating from college or moving outontheir own, they can easily establish acredit history by setting up asecured credit card. With asecured card, they deposit their own cash, usually $250, with abank, which then becomes their credit limit. They spend atiny amount, pay the bill in full every month, and the card issuer reports those on-time payments to the credit bureaus.

For now, their summer job should be about learning to live within their means and saving for their future, not about practice being aborrower

n Mandate college savings

If youhaven’tbeen able to fully fund a529 plan or save enough for the staggering cost of higher

INDUSTRIAL

Continued from page1E

Rising demand

To be sure, there are differences amongthree Louisiana dealsannounced this summer Epic andits parent company, United WELD Holdings, specialize in manufacturing piping systems for large-scaleprojects like refineries,chemical plants and liquefied natural gas export terminals. Thibodeaux-based Submar, which was also acquired in July by aHouston private equity firm, Sallyport, is aspecialist in remediating pipeline erosion and protectingpipelines from environmental challenges. Its clients include companies in the oil and gas and wind industries.

education, the money your child is earning should become part of the college fund.

Once my children started working, they had to save most of their earnings to cover their personal expenses while in college. We covered tuition, room and board. Aspring break trip was on them Late-night pizza runs were paid for with their savings.

Because their money was managed well, our kids had enough from their summer earnings alone to cover their basic day-today living expenses for both the fall and spring semesters. When they all got jobs during the school year,that extra earned income allowed them to build up asavings buffer that paid for the fun things they wanted, such as spring break trips. One thing. This mandate is useless without enforcement, which requires transparency.Ask them to share their bank account balances. If you see too many shopping sprees, talk about it and offer guidance. Share stories about how you mayhave mismanaged your funds. View this oversight as shepherding. Even when your children start earning their ownmoney, keep parenting. If you’re bad at managing your ownmoney,steer your kid to abetter resource, such as anonproﬁtcredit counseling agency.Ifyou can’thelp them,a budget counselor can show them how

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

niesthatare landing newdeals as subcontractors for data center developers and their contractors. “These data center developers are leaning on core thecompetenciesofenergyservicesthat have been doing this foralong time and are good at it,” he said. Sellingand buying

quiredDixielandTours, provider of luxury motorcoaches and charter buses in Baton Rouge Today,the company has amassed a ﬂeet of 400 buses and other vehicles thatitusesfor many purposes. And Rosales said he buys up to 90 news motor coaches annually with prices ranging from $500,000 to $800,000 each.

Though thecompany’sfleet primarily servesindustrialcustomers, the hospitality side of the business is raisingits proﬁle with consumers. Agood portion of that increased visibility comes from a sponsorship agreementRosales signedwiththe Saintsand Pelicans last year and similar partnerships withLSU and Tulane announced this month.

American Safety pays asponsorship fee to promote its association withthe Saints, Pelicans and LSU, and the teams and school agree to usethe companytohelptransport teams, bring players to special appearances, shuttle fans around training camp and more Notplaying it safe

Though Rosales named his company American Safety,he’sdone anything butplay it safe this decade, investing millions into equipment, personnel and real estate to grow ahalf-dozen lines of business Rosales andhis partner, Paul Hull, don’thaveany outside investors andhave ﬁnanced their growing ﬂeet and property portfolio with bank debt

The company’srealestate holdings are concentrated on the West Bank. In addition to thetwo ofﬁce buildings on Belle Chasse Highway,itowns two other warehouses in Belle Chasse plus abus barn in Harvey Looking ahead, Rosales sees growth potential in hospitality transportation and environmental cleanup, in particular

In an era when ﬂashy tech startups steal all the attention, Gomes, the ﬁnancial adviser,said he’sbeen amazed watching his friend build averyanalog enterprise based on identifying and solving problems.

“There aren’tthat many local companies doingthe things he’s doing,” he said. “It’sanold-school business performedwith care and attention to detail.”

Email Rich Collinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Rotorcraft Leasing Co., aBroussard company that wasacquired in late June by yetanother Houston private equity firm, Voyager Interests, providesoffshore aviation services to oiland gascompanies in theGulfCoastand California markets.

But while each of the companies services adifferentniche,they’re alldoing projects forenergyor large industrial clients in astate thatishometoLNG plants, marine defense contractors, aplanned Hyundai steel mill and new artificial intelligence data centers, including one of the largest in the world.

“Risingnatural gas demand drivenbyLNG exports andgasﬁredpower generation build-out” was among the reasons Sallyport decided to buy Submar,according to the ﬁrm’smanagingpartner Kyle Bethancourt.

“Webelieve the business is well positionedfor long-term growth,” he said.

Leveraging ‘corecompetencies’

While energy activity is fueling some of theacquisition activity, GayLeBreton, managing director at New Orleansinvestment bankingfirmChaffe and Associates, which tracks mergers and acquisitions, said new industrial constructionisthe bigger driver

“Everyone is interested in the industrial stuff,” she said. “You have new construction andconstructionrelatedjobs. That’ssigniﬁcant.”

The buildout of AI data centers across the U.S.,projectedtoexceed $750 billioninconstruction coststhis year,and theneed for ever more sources of electricity to power them,makes companies thathave traditionally serviced the energy and petrochemical sectors particularly attractive, according to Michael LeBourgeois, managing partner with Black Bay Partners, a New Orleans private equity ﬁrm.

“Ifyou areacompanythatprovides services to the energy industry,which is mission critical,and your execution capabilitiesare very high —because the energy sector demands thatthings get done right and safely —that translatesintoother sectors,”LeBourgeois said. “So, you’re seeing data center developers leaning on companies that have thesecapabilities.” LeBourgeois said he knows of several energy services compa-

While it’s aboonfor the Louisiana economy to have homegrown companies expand and create new jobs, which then attracts the interest of buyers, losing locally owned businessesand theircorporate headquarters to private equity ﬁrms from out of state has adownside. Private equity ﬁrmsare ultimately responsible for deliveringa return to theirinvestors Thatnorth stardrivesdecisions that can mean workforce cuts, a loss of localdecision-making at the executive level and less corporate support for the communities where companies were once headquartered.

In 2025, four longtimeLouisiana companies sold to private equity ﬁrmsfrom out of state, including Gallo,Canal Barge, Elmer Chocolate and CSRS. For now,all four companies have retained existing leadership teams andmaintainedtheir local ofﬁces.

Thebuyers of Epic, Submar and RotorcraftLeasing say they,too, want to keep their new portfolio companies doing what they do best and have no plans to break them apart or sell them off.

“Our intention is to partner with the existing management team, which is akey reason we invested in thebusiness,” Kusurin said of One Equity’s planned acquisition of Epic and its parent company.“Management is reinvesting alongside us, and we have no plans to relocate the company’sBaton Rouge headquarters.”

Le Breton points out that Louisiana companies have also been on the buying end of recent transactions. DeltaUtilities, anotherBernhard-backed company,purchasedCenterPoint Energyand Entergy’s natural gas division last year,expanding its footprint from Baton Rouge to Mississippi.

Epic Piping also acquired several companies over the years it was owned by Bernhard. “Epic was abuyer foralong time,” she said. “Now,they’re a seller and that’snot abad thing.”

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

THE COLOR OF MONEy

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

CEO landing bigger projects for family construction ﬁrm

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

Q&A WITH LAUREN GIBBS

GIBBS CONSTRUCTION

Gibbs Construction, founded in 1976, was already a dominant general contractor in town before Lauren Gibbs took over the business from her father, Larry Gibbs, in 2019. The Elmwood firm’s reputation and expertise grew as it racked up major projects, including significant renovations to the exterior of the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina and the $55 million Poydras Apartments, a 21-story highrise, in 2010. Later, the firm was a partner on the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport’s $1 billion north terminal, which opened in 2019. Under the younger Gibbs’ leadership, the second generation leading the business the company has achieved new heights and landed bigger projects. Gibbs works alongside her husband, Matt Moore, who has been president of the firm since 2016.

Currently, Gibbs Construction is the general contractor on the $100 million Clearview City Center redevelopment and the $64 million Rivana Apartments, an affordable housing complex in the planned River District. The ﬁrm which typically does projects ranging from $1 million to $30 million, is on track to grow by about 5% this year and reach projected revenues of $100 million Gibbs spent almost 10 years climbing the ranks at Gibbs Construction, rising from an estimator to a vice president before buy-

ing the business from her father and becoming CEO. Prior to that, she launched her career at a construction ﬁrm in Nashville, where she worked for several years before coming home.

“It gave me an opportunity to be in an environment where I wasn’t the boss’s daughter,” Gibbs said.

“I gained a lot of conﬁdence, a lot of knowledge, that was very portable to bring home.”

In this week’s Talking Business, Gibbs discusses how the ﬁrm competes for work in a crowded construction industry, the local talent pipeline and projects the ﬁrm is tackling This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Commercial construction is one of the most competitive industries. How has Gibbs Construction managed to stay competitive?

There’s a business strategy about working in a blue ocean or a red ocean, and construction is very much a red ocean it’s ﬁlled with blood because there is so much competition. We compete by being very selective about the

jobs we take on, and we follow whatever building trends are happening in New Orleans.

When there was a ton of multifamily development between 2015 and 2019, we built around 25% of the new units in the region. We do a ton of historic renovations, schools and medical ofﬁces, but we don’t do a lot of industrial work, like constructing plants. There have been times in our past where we made decisions because we were hungry meaning we felt like we needed the work. Usually when you make a decision that way, those jobs don’t go as well because you didn’t match-make.

What’s a project that you’re excited about that Gibbs is currently working on?

I’m excited about the Rivana Apartments, the affordable, multifamily housing project that should start construction in September This project, a part of the larger River District plans and the (Ernest N. Morial) Convention Center’s efforts, is a really important one for the city It will

provide affordable housing to the hospitality industry, which is such a big economic engine for us. Paired with the planned Omni New Orleans hotel (adjacent to the planned River District), it should bring more conventions and people to the city

While our ﬁrm isn’t involved with the Omni Hotel, that job will also create a need for more construction. Other hotels are going to have to do renovations to keep up with the Omni. Developers around the country are paying attention to the River District project, and they’re wondering: Can we get this done? Because if we can’t get it done, it makes us not very attractive for outside investment.But I feel really good about the energy and the support around it.

It’s been difficult for the city to retain recent college graduates and recruit employees in New Orleans. Does the city have a strong talent pipeline to recruit and retain employees in construction?

Our pipeline’s OK. Our ﬁrm does a lot of recruiting at LSU, and we do some recruiting at LSU New Orleans (formerly the University of New Orleans), which launched a new construction management program about six years ago. The hardest part about recruiting and retaining employees is the livability of New Orleans, the school systems, the quality of the streets and the crime, which is sometimes blown out of proportion. All of that stuff — quality of life — is important to attract and retain people to the city, and I can’t control that.

I’ve lost some really good employees because they didn’t want to stay on the south shore. They wanted to move to the northshore, and there are great contractors on the northshore. Why commute an hour, hour and a half from the northshore to the city when you can drive 10 minutes to work with another contractor? What could be done to improve that

pipeline? While there are a lot of great workforce development programs, more can be done to connect construction ﬁrms with young people before they go to college. How can we connect with middle schoolers and high schoolers and get them thinking about these careers earlier on?

Another thing is improving our education system, which could attract families to the area. Parents don’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg for private education because the public school system is inadequate.

With environmental challenges and other unique roadblocks to development in the city like a slow zoning and permitting process, does Gibbs Construction feel any pressure to grow by looking out of the state?

Where we are today it’s not necessary or desired to leave. We know the players. We know how to handle project bidding. We know our subcontracting community We do have one project in Mississippi right now, a repeat client, but the majority of our work is in the Greater New Orleans area. My team members also came to Gibbs Construction because they wanted to work on projects in the city and the region. It’s very hard to take that person and say, “We’ve got a job in Jackson, Mississippi, and you’ve got to go run it,” or that would mean I need to go hire someone in Jackson, Mississippi. Construction is also a very high-risk business, especially if things go wrong, and you manage that risk by being very aware of the environment you’re working in. I believe in a universe of abundance. There’s plenty of work to go around and wish the best for all my competitors. I know there’s plenty of work for us in this region that will keep us more than fed.

Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

We’re doing mor more

Strengthening the grid citywide to stand up to stronger storms

Entergyisproud to call New Orleans home.More than 2,000 members of the Entergy family live in New Orleans, and that’swhy we’re committed to doing more for our neighbors and communities. Our teamisworking on new projects acrossthe city to reduce outages whileworking hard to keep our rates below the national average

And we power New Orleans in more ways thanone.Our operations alone generated nearly $20 million in taxrevenue for the city.We’re proudtopower our hometown, and we’ll never stopworking as hard as we can to build astronger,brighter future for New Orleans.

Learn more at EnergizeNewOrleans.com

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The Rivana Apartments are planned next to the Shell Riverside building and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the River District along the Mississippi River

ACROSS THE REGION

Agency says north Louisiana seeing financial wins

Data points to Meta’s impacts on tax collections

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

Cleveland

Rob Cleveland, the president and CEO of Grow NELA, said he often hears questions about the impact the gian t Meta Hyperion data center construction project is having on the 10-parish region in northeast Louisiana.

So the economic development agency has started posting some of the dollars and cents details of the story Cleveland and his fivemember Grow NELA staff started by collecting publicly available sales tax data for the past ﬁve years and posting it on nelagrowth. com. His organization will continue to track the data

“so long as the data continues to be meaningful.”

The move comes as communities from Utah to Virginia have fought against data center development on the grassroots and legislative levels. At least 75 data center projects worth about $130 billion have been blocked or delayed on the local level in the ﬁrst quarter of the year, according to Data Center Watch, which tracks opposition to data centers nationwide,.

“Facts could matter,” he said. “We felt that it was really important to share the economic impact that

is being felt throughout the entire northeast Louisiana region.”

For the first quarter of 2026, Richland Parish, which is the epicenter of Hyperion construction, collected $38.7 million in sales taxes — more than six times greater than the $5.3 million it collected during the same period a year ago.

What of nearby parishes?

Increased sales tax collections are also being reported in the ring of parishes around Richland, as materials such as aggregate are ofﬂoaded and driven to the Meta site.

“Franklin Parish saw a 14% increase; East Carroll

Parish sales taxes up over 8% That’s not all attributable to Meta, but the most of it is,” Cleveland said.

Ouachita Parish, where the area’s largest city, Monroe, is located, is estimated by Grow NELA to finish 2026 with $267.8 million in sales taxes, versus its preMeta best of $223.7 million in 2024.

Richland Parish’s 2026 estimate is $97.7 million, nearly five times greater than its pre-Meta high of $20.6 million. Richland Parish is one of the poorest in the state and had a population of 20,000, according to the 2020 U.S. census. By comparison, Bossier City, home of Barksdale Air

Force Base and with a population of more than 63,000 collected $67.5 million in sales taxes during 2025.

Though sales tax data was publicly available before, Cleveland said it was not always easy to access.

“We were thrilled to get it,” he said, admitting that their ﬁrst goal was simply to push it out. He hopes more details, such as breaking down sales tax by their North American Industry Classiﬁcation System code, will follow

A NAICS breakdown will show not only how much sales tax is being collected, but also give a better view of where it is being spent. NAICS has 20 broad categories,

including construction, utilities, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, real estate and rental and leasing, and others.

“We just haven’t gotten there yet,” Cleveland said.

More data points

There are other individual success stories to tell, too, as well as job creation and property tax assessments, all numbers that Cleveland hopes to gather later.

“We need more hotels. We need more apartments. We need more housing. Those are going to take a little more time to come online, and then those will certainly increase the property tax, another area where we

expect long-term gains.” Cleveland said the ripple effect of the Meta activity can be felt across the region. A recent meeting with a development group that came specifically to build a data center near Hyperion led to them invest in four buildings in downtown Monroe, part of the 3.7acre Ouachita Candy Co. property, which they plan to transform into a multimillion-dollar mixed-use development. Local companies like Copeland Electric, MOEbiz and ServiceMaster Pro also are seeing a bump, he said. All concerns not abated

Though money is changing hands at a rapid clip, there are still concerns about Meta. Water use, a huge need for electrical power, the loss of farmland, signiﬁcant increases in trafﬁc, and a big change in the way of life are the chief issues. Cleveland said he appreciates when people ask him about those concerns, but that

STAFF PFILE HOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

NATION & WORLD

U.S. student loan defaults surging

Borrowers struggling to keep up with payments

BY NICKY FORSTER and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

Associated Press

Defaults on student loans have surged across the United States, reaching record levels as borrowers struggle to keep up with payments.

The numbers have spiked since payments came due again following a lengthy pause intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, around 9.5 million people — 1 in 5 federal student loan borrowers are in default, meaning they are more than nine months behind on their payments.

While credit scores can suffer when borrowers are just a few months behind, entering default brings the possibility of more serious consequences, including garnished wages or Social Security payments. For now, the Trump administration has held off on such involuntary collections.

behind,” said Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for the advocacy group Protect Borrowers.

The roots of the record number of defaults go back to the COVID pandemic.

The U.S Education Department allowed borrowers to suspend federal student loan payments during the economic tumult of the pandemic. Though payments technically started coming due again in 2023, the Biden administration provided a one-year buffer period that ended in fall 2024.

Loans couldn’t enter default during this time, and federal programs designed to help delinquent borrowers and debt forgiveness initiatives brought millions out of default.

Starting in June 2025, with the pause having ended nine months prior borrowers began defaulting again for the ﬁrst time since the pandemic.

“Folks

Since then, the number of defaulted borrowers has exploded from 5.3 million to around 9.5 million, according to data from the Ofﬁce of Federal Student Aid. Out of $1.7 trillion in federally backed student loans nationwide, $233.3 billion is in default.

are struggling to make ends meet and cover all the rising costs of everything else. The growing student loan bills are making things worse and folks are falling behind.”

AISSA CANCHOLA BAÑEZ, policy director for advocacy group Protect Borrowers

Despair is on the rise, advocates say “Folks are struggling to make ends meet and cover all the rising costs of everything else The growing student loan bills are making things worse and folks are falling

Another wave of defaults could be on the way The Trump administration has eliminated the most generous income-driven repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, as part of its overhaul of the federal student loan system.

The millions of borrowers who had been enrolled in SAVE now will face the strain of paying more each month.

The U.S Education Department allowed borrowers to suspend federal student loan payments during the economic tumult of the pandemic. Starting in June 2025, with the pause having ended nine months prior borrowers began defaulting again for the first time since the pandemic.

Starting this month, new borrowers pick between one standard repayment plan and one incomedriven option, as opposed to having several options. The Education Department has described the changes as a simplification of a “fragmented and confusing” system.

Many of the states with the highest concentrations of defaulted borrowers are in the South, an Associated Press analysis found.

Mississippi has the nation’s highest default rate at 28.3%, with Louisiana in second place at 27%.

Others near the top include Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia South Carolina and Texas. Rounding out the 15 states with the highest default rates are Alaska, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico and Nevada.

Of those states, New Mexico was the only one Republican President Donald Trump didn’t win in 2024.

Beyondthe Workplace.

Jones Walker’s Labor&Employmentattorneys offer clientsone of thelargest,mostdiverse,and experienced laborand employment lawpractices in theregion.

We counselanarray of regional andnationalcompanies in awiderange of industries in allaspects of laborand employment law. We help clientsﬁnd solutions to labor andemploymentlaw mattersusing practical, commonsenseapproaches.Webelieve our abilitytocombine our depthinlabor andemploymentlaw withJones Walker’s broadbaseofexperienceinother practice areasto addressuniqueworkplaceand industry situations gives our clientsadistinctadvantage notavailable from small boutique lawﬁrms.

William

H. Hines Managing Partner

bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100 joneswalker.com

“These are folks who live in states that President Trump won in the previous election,” Bañez said.

And why I bring that up is, you know, there’s a lot of misconceptions and tropes about who student loan borrowers are, and who are the ones who are falling behind.”

She said many are “workingclass folks who just cannot keep up with these bills on top of everything else.”

Meanwhile, the territory of Puerto Rico had a 30.9% default rate, higher than any of the states. Students who attended for-proﬁt colleges struggle more than others to pay back their loans.

Thirty-three percent of those borrowers were 90 days or more behind on their student loan payments, a rate more than double that of borrowers who attended public schools, according to data by the Ofﬁce of Federal Student Aid released this year to help

schools understand and identify default risks.

Out of the schools in the top quarter for nonpayment rates, 76% were for-proﬁt schools.

The FSA argues that a high nonpayment rate represents a “serious risk” of developing a high default rate.

An association for private trade schools and career colleges is so concerned it has created a task force to reach out to students about the importance of loan repayment.

Jason Altmire, the head of the group Career Education Colleges and Universities, said some of it can be chalked up to the pandemic Other borrowers are confused over the Biden administration’s failed loan forgiveness effort. Still, he said the issue will be discussed at the association’s summer convention.

“We take it seriously,” he said. “It’s a real problem.”

ForLouisiana businessleaders,labor and employmentlaw is no longeraback-office issue—itisacorebusinessconcern that directly impactsoperations, talent retention, andlong-termgrowth. Employersmust prepare forseveral upcoming labor and employmentchallenges.

Strong workplacemanagementiscriticaltolimitingturnover andavoidingdisputesthatcan lead to an arrayofissues. Accommodation andleave complianceisalsocomplex,as state-levelprotections maygobeyondfederallaw,particularly forpregnancyand disability.OSHAoversight also remainsa priority in Louisiana’sindustrialsectors,wheresafetyauditsand updated training canreducebothriskand penalties. Beneﬁts complianceadds furtherpressure, with COBRAnotices,401(k) administration, andhealthplan parity drawingscrutiny.

Proactiveattention is keytoworkforcestability—and we are proudtohelpleadthe wayforward.

JOSE LUIS MAGANA

SidLewis

NATION &WORLD

Mich.semiconductor plantoncetoutedbyBiden to close

Operations to wind down ‘based on market conditions’

BY BETH LEBLANC, GRANT SCHWAB and SUMMER BALLENTINE

The Detroit News (TNS)

Asemiconductor wafer manu-

facturer near Bay City,Michigan, once visited and touted byformer President JoeBiden, will wind down its operations andclose “basedonmarket conditions,” accordingtoaspokesperson forSK Siltron.

About 140 employees atthe site were informed last week of the decision and that the effectiveend date of their employmentwould be within 60 days, according to the company.The companyis currently on arepaymentplanwith the state after failing to meet job retention goals tied to taxpayerfunded incentives, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

“Based on changes in market conditions, SK Siltron will wind down itsU.S.-basedSKSiltron CSS subsidiary,” said JoeGuy Collier,aspokesperson for SK Americas. “SK Siltron appreciates the hard work and dedication of its Michigan employees as well as the strong support from local, state and federal ofﬁcials.”

SK Siltron CSS, aU.S. subsidiary of the Korean SK Group conglomerate, announced in 2021 that it would more than double itsMichigan employee basethrough a$300 million expansion that included anew site in Bay City,creating 150 jobs. Biden visited the plant in 2022 to tout state and federal investments and hailed the investment as a“game changer.”

“We’re going to be the supply chain,” Bidensaid.“The difference is going to be we’regoing to make that supply chain available to the rest of the world, but we’re not going to be held hostage anymore.”

TNSFILE PHOTOBySKSILTRON CSS

Ascientist at SK Siltron CSS holdsa silicon carbide wafer producedatthe company’sMichigan facility.The factorywill close ‘based on market conditions,’according to the company.

SK Siltron made the investments in the Bay City facility afew years agoto“meet then-growing customer demand for aspecialized productused in electric vehicles,” Collier said.

“Signiﬁcant changes in the EV markethavecreated sustained challenges for the silicon carbide wafer business,” Collier said. “SK Siltron CSSwill work closely with employees and ofﬁcials to ensure a responsible wind-down.”

U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonaldRivet, aDemocrat who has the plantin her district, calledthe news “devastating” forworkers in the region and she blamed the job losseson President DonaldTrump’sadministration

“Wehad new plantsand goodpaying manufacturing jobscoming to mid-Michigan, but this administration’schaotictariffs, energy policy,and foreignwars are killing them,” McDonald Rivet said in astatement. “This is therealityofhis chaotic policies —disappearing jobs forpeople whodesperately need them. We urgently need acourse correction.”

SK Siltron CSS wasawarded nearly $6 million in tax incentives by thestate, including a$1.5 million Michigan Business Development Program grant as well as a 15-year State Essential Services Assessment exemption.

SK Siltron was awarded the full $1.5 million from the state after

creating 150 qualified new jobs, MEDC spokesperson Danielle Emerson said Friday But, in 2025, the company reported the elimination of some of those jobs, which triggered astate repayment notice or asix-month cure period, Emerson said. Thecompany was onlyabletoreestablish 86 qualiﬁed new jobs and in Aprilterminated its agreement with the state, Emerson said. As part of that termination, she said SK Siltron wasrequired to repay roughly $640,000 to the state over four installments, with the first $160,000 installment made last month.

SK Siltron CSSintends to repay thestate subsidies, Collier said.

“SK companiesare responsible borrowersand partners,”hesaid. “Siltronwill provide the funds required to SK Siltron CSS to pay off its obligations before the SK Siltron CSS subsidiary is dissolved.”

The companyalso drewdown about$166.7million of a$544 millionloanfromthe federal government, according to the Department of Energy.SKSiltron recently paid off the loan, the department said.

“It’sunfortunate,” said Terry Spencer,Monitor Township supervisor.“As thetownship goes, we work really hard to help businesses get established in our township. Certainly, withSKSiltron, that wasagreat investment in ourcommunity.”

Bay County Executive Jim Barcia said he learned about the plant closure from newsreports.

The loss of the plant “is not going to be devastating to our county,” Barciasaid, adding that he has worked to attract diverse business enterprises and manufacturers to support the economy

“We’re disappointed,” Barcia said. “But we have aresilient workforce, and we will certainly continue to collaborate withall of ouravailableresources to help these displaced workers.”

The scaling back of business activitiesinMichigan forthe Korean company started in November, when SK Siltron announced it would close its plant in Auburn. At the time, the chipmaker cited aslowdown in theEVmarket and said it wouldconsolidate operations within the now-closing Bay County facility

Bay Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Magen Samyn encouraged displaced workers to reach out to the local Michigan Works branch for free career support.

“We’re committed to working with SK Siltron CSS, our local and state partners to explore future opportunities for the facility and help identifya use that supports jobs, investment and continued economic growth in Bay County,” Samyn said.

Fool’sTake:

South Louisiana businesses and nonproﬁtgroups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

NewOrleans

Trahan Architects announced several new hires and promotions. Kendall Baldwin becomes managing principal, overseeing New Orleans and New York studio operations. Baldwin has previous experience at Grimshaw, Thomas Phifer andPartners and WXY

SandraBaggerman was promoted to project designer after 21/2 years with the ﬁrm.

Stephen Breaux was promoted to project designer after five years with the ﬁrm.

Jamie Stogsdill has been promoted to become Arkansas and Louisianaconsumer banking executivefor Regions Bank, overseeing retail banking operations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge andShreveport; Little Rock and Fayetteville, Arkansas; and additional markets.

Stogsdill joined Regionsas abranch manager in 2012and

Drugs and dividends

Pharmaceutical giant Pﬁzer

served as aconsumer banking manager for Tennesseefor a decadebefore she was promoted last year to become retail salesand service manager for Regions’ middle and east Tennesseeand Georgia/Carolinas districts.

Victoria Bagot hasbeen named to the board of directors of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Bagot is a partnerinthe corporate practice group at Jones Walker in NewOrleans and co-leader of the law ﬁrm’s hiring and recruitment committee.

Michelle Michler hasbeen hired as taxmanager at Accounting Services Unlimited.

Michler,who hasmorethana decade of experience consultingontax planning andstrategies, will advise small-business owners on income tax andLoui-

siana tax relief matters.

BatonRouge

SabrinaHogan has been promoted to become senior vice president of government programs forBlueCross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Hogan, who has had senior positions at St. Francis Medical Centerand St. FrancisMedical Groupin Monroe in the past, was most recently seniorvice president for care delivery and president of Louisiana Blue’swholly owned subsidiary,TeleHealth

Jimmy Soper hasbeen named the first coach of the Baton Rouge Kingfish, the newly rebranded Federal Prospects Hockey League minor league club.

Soper is a nine-year veteran of professional hockey with experience at multiple levels of the sport, most recentlyascaptain of

the Knoxville Ice Bears in the SouthernProfessionalHockey League.

Allison Colón has joined Kean Millerassenior counsel. Her arrival strengthens the ﬁrm’scommercial litigation, complexbusiness transactions and corporate bankruptcy practices. Colón has more than 25 years of legal experience.

CarlosSample has been hired as the next head coach of theBaton Rouge Community College basketball program.

Sample was atwo-timeAllSouthwestern Athletic Conference selection at Southern University before spending 16 seasons as head coach at Scotlandville Magnet High School, which reached 14 consecutive state championship games and amassed arecord of 676-198 underhis leadership.

The Louisiana Pharmacists Associationinstallednew ofﬁcers anddirectors at itsannual convention in Bossier City

Richard Bordelon,ofWomen’sRetail Pharmacy in BatonRouge, becomes capital regional director; ChristopherGillard,ofXavier University,becomes the Orleansregionaldirector;and SteveRitter,ofKenner,becomes the Pontchartrain regional director Kevin LaGrange,ofThe Apothecary Shoppe in Lafayette, is the association’snew president. Scott Black, of Gulfcoast Pharmaceutical Specialty in Prairieville, is its president-elect; Michael Cockerham, of University of LouisianaMonroeCollege of Pharmacy in Shreveport, is the immediate past president; and Minh Nguyen, of Willow Bank Pharmacy in Gray,isits treasurer Acadiana

Al Patin will becomeCEO of Ochsner South Shore Community Hospitals and Bayou Region, starting Aug. 3. Patin has been with Ochsner for 23 years, spending the last ﬁve as CEO of Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center

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

(NYSE: PFE) offers one of the most attractive dividends in the healthcare sector, recently yielding around 6.8%. It has paid adividend for 350 consecutive quarters, with the 351st due in September Few companies have abroader lineup than Pfizer.Itmarketsover adozen blockbuster products, including vaccines and primarycare drugs, specialty drugsand cancer therapies. Pfizer’spipeline features 96 programs,36 of which are either awaiting regulatory approval or in late-stage testing. It’snot all rosesand rainbows, though. Pfizer faces daunting patentcliffsover the next couple of

years. Xeljanzloses U.S. patent exclusivity this year; Ibrance, Xtandi and Eliquis follow suit in 2027. Thedrugmaker also experienced arecentsetback when its lung cancer drug candidatesigvotatug vedotin failed to meet its initial goalinaphase 3study

Meanwhile, Pﬁzer has an experimental anti-obesitydrug called berobenatide, which it hopes to launch in 2028, believing it will compete well againstEli Lilly’s Zepbound.

Long-term income-seeking investors might want to takea closer look at Pﬁzer.(The Motley Fool ownsshares of and recommendsPﬁzerand EliLilly.)

Fool’sSchool:Warren Buffett’steacher

Many investors credit Warren Buffett for teaching them valuableinvestinglessons. But who didBuffettlearn from? He has

most often creditedhis longtime business partner, Charlie Munger,and his mentor,BenjaminGraham. Here are some instructive quotationsfromGraham’sclassic book “The Intelligent Investor.”

n “There are no sure and easy paths to riches on Wall Street or anywhere else.” This is agood reminder thathot stock tips and “investments” thatseem too good to be true will often disappoint

n “Obvious prospects forphysical growth in abusiness do not translate intoobvious proﬁts for investors.”Inother words,some companiesmay seem to have a goldenfuture,but they may not turn out to be great investments if they’re poorlymanaged, face tough competition or aregrossly overvalued.

n “The investor’schiefproblem —and even his worst enemy —is likely to be himself.”Weneed to keep ouremotions in check when investing, notselling in a

panic when others do or buying overpriced stockswhenothers do.Weneed to understandour investmentsand have reasonable expectations,too, andnot just followthe crowd

n “The margin of safety is always dependent on theprice paid. It will be large at oneprice, small at somehigherprice, nonexistent at somestill higher price.” While those chasing growth stocks will often buy into them no matter howexpensive they get, Graham (andBuffett) favor“value” stocks—those tradingfor less than they seem to be worth. Suchinvestments have abuilt-in margin of safety that can reduce investors’ possible losses.

n “Invest only if youwould be comfortable owning astock even if youhad no way of knowing itsdaily share price.” If you’re along-term investor,day-to-day or month-to-monthstock-price

movementsshouldn’tconcern you.

Buffett hassaidthat“The Intelligent Investor”is“by far thebest book on investing ever written.” If you’re serious about stocksand want to learnmore, check it out.

Ask the Fool:SEC access for investors

Iknowthat public companies have to file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. How do investors access them? —V.E., Bend, Oregon Many companies share their quarterly 10-Q and annual 10-K reports right on their own websites, often in an “Investors” section. Youcan also look them up at sec.gov/search-ﬁlings. If you’re old-school, try calling the company’sInvestor Relations department and ask if they can mail you the latest annual report and quarterly ﬁlings.

Hogan

Soper

Colón

Bagot

Michler

ONE BIG QUESTION

What was your worst or wildest business trip?

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

It’s summer, which, for some of us, means it’s time to get out of town and enjoy the experience of travel with family or friends.

For many busy executives, though, travel is a year-round part of the daily grind — and it’s not always enjoyable.

While swapping notes in the newsroom about our summer vacations, we decided for this week’s One Big Question feature to ask jet-setting south Louisiana business executives: What was your worst or wildest business trip?

Their stories went beyond the headaches of missed or canceled ﬂights and tight connections. They shared times when they had to navigate work meetings alongside chaotic weather events, wardrobe hindrances and even run-ins with wildlife.

The following answers have been edited for length and clarity

MIKE POLITO

CEO, MAPP

In the 1980s, I traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, a robust union town at the time, but the construction company I worked for wasn’t unionized. That became a problem.

Our team got a call threatening us to not take the project we had traveled there for. I picked up the phone, and the person on the other end said, in a passive aggressive tone, “Good morning, are you taking prices on the project?” I responded, “Yes sir, we are.” The person then said: “This is Jimmy Hoffa Concrete, and here’s our price,” which was a reference to the 1975 disappearance of Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union who had close ties to the Maﬁa. When I got off the phone, my division manager said, “What was that

about? You turned white as a ghost.”

We ended up not doing the job, because the owner got nervous about working with a nonunion contractor. I haven’t been to Delaware since.

RICHARD CORTIZAS

Partner and chief culture and inclusion officer, Jones Walker I flew to Washington, D.C., for a business presentation in the 1990s, but when I arrived, my checked luggage was missing. All I had was what I was wearing, which, at best, you could describe as business casual: shorts, a T-shirt and shoes. I was scrambling to find a place to buy a tie, a shirt and a jacket for my 10 a.m. meeting the next morning, but it was late and nothing was open at that hour I found a thrift store in Arlington that opened at 8 a.m. the next day

The only thing I found there that ﬁt was a seersucker suit with green, yellow and orange pinstripes. It was a bohemian, Uptown New Orleans-chic kind of ensemble. It

was not the most appropriate for a meeting where I was talking about international business. I got the impression from folks that they were thinking, “Wow, he’s a really cool guy,” or “Wow, New Orleans is very unique” because of the way I was dressed But the meeting went well.

MARY EYMARD

Investments asset manager

JPMorgan Chase

I traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, two years ago for what was supposed to be a day trip, but Mother Nature had different plans. By the afternoon, it was raining nonstop, several inches an hour I was trying to drive to the airport but got stuck in standstill trafﬁc and the streets were flooding. My ﬂight ended up getting canceled, at which point I tried driving to a nearby Embassy Suites.

When I got there, the hotel looked like an island, entirely surrounded by water I had to pull into a parking lot across the street and waited

there by myself from 6 p.m. that evening until 4 a.m for the floodwaters to go down. At that point, the water was still too deep for my rental car to drive, but I was able to call an Uber, this giant SUV, which drove me from where I was parked to the hotel right across the street. I crawled into the hotel bed and slept for a few hours and hoped to fly out that morning — but the Fort Lauderdale airport was completely flooded the next day

REID MARTIN

Artist manager and co-founder,

MidCitizen Entertainment

Last week, I was driving with Big Freedia (one of our clients), who was scheduled to perform at a festival in St. Louis, when our van started to malfunction three hours outside of the city First, my phone stopped charging, then the cruise control and the radio stopped working, then the battery light on the dashboard went on. We found an O’Reilly Auto Parts

not too far off the highway, where a mechanic determined the car needed a new alternator But the nearest in-stock alternator was at an auto store in Dyersburg, Tennessee, which we would have to drive to. One of the O’Reilly workers, this skinny, bald guy with a goatee, offered to drive me to grab the alternator and ﬁx the car himself.

The next morning, as we were driving, he started telling me about every conspiracy theory possible, including that Hurricane Katrina was man-made. It was a wild 45-minute drive, but he was also a super nice guy He drove me back to the tour van, replaced the alternator and I was able to get Big Freedia to her show in St. Louis.

KATIE JENSEN

CEO and co-founder

Triton Stone Group

While meeting with suppliers in Thailand and Indonesia, my team made a pit stop in Bali to visit the Uluwatu Temple an old temple located on the edge of a 230-foot cliff that looks out onto the Indian Ocean. There were hundreds of monkeys roaming around; these gray longtailed macaques that are considered guardians of the temple. Signs were posted everywhere advising visitors to hold onto their glasses and phones because monkeys would try to steal them. Sure enough, one of the monkeys came up to me and snatched the sunglasses off my face. They were my favorite pair, from the New Orleans brand Krewe, so I chased this monkey around to try to get them back. A local person ended up throwing pieces of bread to the monkey, which caused him to drop the sunglasses They now have bite marks along the edges, but I still wear them.

Email Grace Mayer at grace. mayer@theadvocate.com.

What theIndependent,Federal Data Actually Shows: AClearer Look at Louisiana’sCommercial andRecreationalFishing Economics

In Louisiana, whereﬁshingisbothaway of life andacornerstone of theeconomy,the data tellsanimportant story. It is notabout choosing onesectoroveranother,but about understanding howbothsupport ashared economicand cultural foundation forour state.

Economicdatareleasedthisyearfrom theNationalOceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA) offersone of the clearest pictures of theU.S.fishingindustry. Louisiana’scommercialfishing sector extendsacrossthe state’smajor saltwater industries –menhaden, shrimp,oysters blue crab,and awiderange of finfish–which together supportharvesting, processing, and distributionincoastal communities.

AccordingtoNOAA’sFisheries Economics of theUnitedStatesreport, Louisiana’s commercial fishingsectorgenerates approximately$1.46 billioninsales impact Recreational fishing, by comparison generatesabout $327 million. Employment andEconomicRole

Theemploymentfiguresshowa similar pattern. Commercial fishingand seafood processing in Louisianasupports28,993jobs, whilerecreationalfishingsupportsjust 2,422. That meanscommercialfishingsupports roughlyten timesmorejobsthanrecreational fishinginLouisiana.Thisgap underscores thesectors’differentroles in thebroader economy, whilebothcontinuetosupport livelihoodstiedtoLouisiana’s coastalidentity andway of life

Thesedifferences highlighthow each sector contributes to Louisiana’seconomy in distinct ways andatdifferentscales. Importantly, theseroles arecomplementary within a broader coastaleconomy InterconnectedIndustryInfrastructure Beyond theirdistincteconomic contributions, Louisiana’scommercialﬁshing

sectorsoperate as adeeplyinterconnected system builtonsharedinfrastructureand resources. Harvesters acrossﬁsheriesrely on thesameports,fueldocks,ice houses processing facilities,and transportation networkstobring seafoodfromthe water to market.Supplychainsfor gear,vessel maintenance, cold storage, anddistribution supportmultipleﬁsheriessimultaneously, meaningthe strength of onesectorhelps sustainthe viabilityofothers. This integrated logisticsnetwork reinforcesthatLouisiana’s seafoodeconomy functionsnot as isolated industries,but as acoordinated working waterfront

WhyComparableDataMatters

When viewed on comparable terms– such as totalsales impact andemployment– the data provides aclearer pictureofhow each sector contributestoLouisiana’s economy

When differentornon-equivalenteconomic measures areusedinpublic discussions, it cancreate confusion aboutrelative rolesand contributions. Usingconsistentmetrics –likejobsand totalsales impact –helps ensure a more accurate,applesto-applescomparison. A consistent,side-by-side understanding canhelp inform more balanced and effective decision-making.

ASharedResource

Import antly, both sectorsdependonthe same healthyﬁsheriesand coastalenvironment,and both play meaningful roles in Louisiana’sculture and economy.Sustaining that shared resource base is a

common interest that unites commercial and recreational stakeholdersalike

Understanding theFullPicture

TheNOAAdatadoesnot suggestthat recreational ﬁshing is unimportant.Onthe contrary,itplays ameaningful role in outdoor recreation andlocal economies

At thesametime, thedataoffersa useful benchmarkfor understanding thescale and structureofLouisiana’s commercial seafood economy.

Together,the data underscoresthat commercial fishing supports alarge share of jobsand salesactivity, whilerecreational fishingcontributessignificantlythrough participation, tourism, andrelated spending Both remain integral to Louisiana’sidentity as aworking coast.

LookingAhead As fisheriesmanagementdiscussions continue to evolve –expanding beyond

menhaden to includeshrimp, oysters, and othersectors –grounding thosediscussions in consistent,comparable3rd partydatawill be critical

With asharedunderstanding of the numbers, policymakers andstakeholders canbettersupport both sectorsand the communitiesthatdependonthem. Thegoal is nottoelevate onesectoratthe expenseof theother,but to ensure that policies reflect the full valueofLouisiana’s fisheries as awhole Thedataprovidesa foundation foramore informed discussion –one that reflectsthe full economic pictureand theimportance of gettingitright.Whenviewedalongside clear, comparable metrics, thetakeawayis straightforward: Louisiana’sstrengthlies in thecombinedcontributions of both its commercial andrecreationalfishingsectors.

Polito

Cortizas

Martin

Eymard

Jensen

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

A flight lands at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Broughttoyou by LouisianaCommercial FisheriesCoalition,LLC

WhyLouisiana? TheRiskand Reward Behind a$32 Billion Data Center Push

In lessthan 18months,Louisiana has transformedfromvirtually no hyperscale data center presence to hosting three of the largestprojects in the country,led by majordigital leaders.A$10billion campus in Richland Parish,1 a$12 billion investmentacrossCaddo and Bossier Parishes,2 and a $10billion River Bend facilityinWestFeliciana Parish1representacombined $32 billion commitment that placesLouisianaatthe center of the nationaldatacenterboom. Construction is nowunderway

Developers chose Louisiana forgood reasons. Thestate’s industrial contractorshavespent decades building reﬁneries, chemical plants and LNG facilities —complex,high-stakes work at scale

This expertisetransfers directly to data center construction,and it’s ameaningful edge.Louisiana contractorsare already building data centersacrossthe countrybecause they’reamongthe best at this type of work. Siting aprojectinthe statekeepsthattalent close,resulting in faster projectdelivery andtightercostcontrol.

Siteselection also reﬂectsaclear-eyedinsurancecalculation.Two of the three major projects sit in North Louisiana, near the Arkansas border.Locating away from the Gulf Coasthurricane corridor materially changes the underwriting math.

With conﬁrmed projects nowspreadacrossthe northwest,northeast and southeast of the state, underwritersare watching howthat geographic concentrationaccumulatesacrosstheir books

Powerand waterdraware legitimatecommunityconcerns. Data centersconsumeboth at ascale thatstrains local grids and utility capacity. Some Louisiana powercompanies arealready planning upgrades to support the newdemand. Longer term, on-site generation,including small modular reactors,may reducegrid dependency forfuturebuilds. These aren’t unsolvable problems. Buttheyneed to be part of the projectplan from dayone

Building success:Whatittakes to getitright

These facilities areinNorth Louisiana because it’s moreaffordable to secure the coverage and limits required —it’saninsurancedecision as much as alocation one

“ ”

Troy Wagener,AreaExecutiveVicePresident, Gallagher

Therisk pictureinLouisiana

Louisiana’s broader property and casualtymarket,byWagener’s currentread, is stable. Theinsurancemarketisabsorbing an unprecedentedvolume of high-limit construction requests as data center buildsacceleratenationwide.Excessliability and commercial automobile liabilityfor contractor ﬂeets —already under pressure in large construction programs —facegenuine capacityconstraints when asingle siteisworth $10billion to $15billion.

In Louisiana speciﬁcally,thosepressures aresharper: commercial automobile liabilityrates forconstruction rank among thehighest in the country,and excess liabilitycapacityfor large industrial programs is genuinelyconstrained. That friction shows up in pricing, deductibles and whatcarrierswill actually put on thetable

Climate perils compound thatscrutiny. North Louisiana avoidsthe worstofthe Gulf Coasthurricane corridor,but majorstorms still push wind and rain well inland. Inland ﬂooding and severe convectivestorms areliveperils acrossall three projectlocations.

Done right, projects of this scale bring lasting returns. Thetax revenuewill ﬂowintoLouisiana communities overdecades, into education, infrastructureand economic development, well beyond whatdirectemploymentfroma data center operation alone woulddeliver. Louisiana movedearly in this cycle and secured a strong position.

Gettingthatrightstarts beforeﬁnancingcloses,with construction risk, supply chain exposures, powerstrategy and operational coverage all aligned from dayone.Thatincludesparametric triggers forbusiness interruption —coverage thatactivates without a physical loss —which matterswhen agrid failureorsupply chain delaycan cost millions beforeasingle claim is ﬁled.

Gallagher’s Data Center Solutions team workswith developers, contractorsand operatorsacrossthe full projectlifecycle.To connectwith ourLouisiana team, visit AJG.com/louisiana

Troy Wagener Area ExecutiveVicePresident

Scan the code to connectwith us.

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LOUISIANA

Kidstakepartinphysical

GETTINGACTIVE

Physical educationisdue forastrong comeback in Louisianawithnew guidelines

BY MARGARETDELANEY

Staffwriter

Tevin Moton takes training seriously.Every morning he has agroup doing something new Jumpingboxes.Pulling weights Stretching hips. He plansnew activitiesfor each session.

“It keeps the mindsharp,”hesaid At Ochsner Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute’sElite Training Complex —Burbank in Baton Rouge, Motonworks with all ages —from 7to70— on full-body performance, power and conditioning

“The ﬁrst thing to goispower,” Motonsaid about theagingbody. “That can be as simple as atwo-second

pause whengetting up froma chair.”

Dailyphysical activity,according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, is key to keeping the body preparedand in itsbest shape to support it as it ages.

Gottschalk

“At least60minutes, but I’ll give 30 minutes aday to an adultwitha busy life,” said Dr.Andrew Gottschalk, Ochsner’sdirector of Primary Care Sports Medicine. “It’snever too late to start.Life is worth living, whether youare 18 or 95 years old.”

However,starting physical activities early in life has major beneﬁts.

Establishing active habits in youth

lays the foundation for lifelong wellbeing. Key advantages include buildingstronger bonesand muscles, regulating body weight, and lowering theriskofchronic conditions like heart disease and Type 2diabetes, theCDC reports. It also improves cognitive function, sleep quality and mental health.

“I do like seeing the young middle school and high school athletes, I can kind of encourage them to keep those habitsup,” Gottschalk said.“ There’sthis positive feedback loop. We’redoing the body good. We’reincreasing longevity, not just how long you live, but thequalityofthat life.”

ThePhysicalActivityAlliance, the nation’slargest coalition dedicated

ä See ACTIVE, page 2X

This is acolumn in aseries from Dr.Scott Hamilton,director of the pediatricemergency department at Ochsner Lafayette GeneralMedicalCenter, offering practicalguidance on preventingand treating illnesses and injuries so kids can stay healthyand outofthe emergencydepartment.

Jane, amom from Lafayette,was at Walt Disney Worldwithher constipated 3-year-old son. One morning beforeheadingout, she gave him alaxative.

“Within an hour it started to take effect,” Jane recalled, “In front of theSwiss Family Robinson Treehouse, he’spulling

down his pants, becausewhen you gotta go, you gotta go! I’ve never seen my husband runsofast.”

The moral of the story: preparefor vacation bodily function disasters. Pack medications for pain, fever,and diarrhea, and bandages and ointment for boo-boos. You

World renowned

decide on the laxative! If your child haswheezing issues, toss in thatinhaler Youdon’t want to be driving around an unfamiliar city at 11 p.m. looking for a24-hour pharmacy —I’vebeen there Jane always packed extra clothes for her kids, anticipating spills andvomiting.

However,she didn’tthrow extra clothesfor herself into the carry-on, when her son barfedonher at the beginning of aplane ﬂight. While he had fresh clothes, she wore his vomit for ﬁve hours, down her back andinto herpants.

ä See TRAVEL, page 2X

Dr.Scott Hamilton

PROVIDED PHOTO

TevinMoton works in the weightroom at Ochsner Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute at EliteTraining Complex-Burbank in Baton Rouge.

PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER

education in December at Laureate

Academy Charter School in Harvey.

HEALTHY DISCUSSION

Treating kids guides N.O. neurosurgeon’s research

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Dr Jerome Volk, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Ochsner Health and native of the New Orleans suburbs, spends his days in the operating room, with many of his cases coming directly from the emergency room.

That’s common in pediatric neurosurgery Volk said. He earned his medical degree, surgical internship and residency from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed a pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago.

”I’ve got more coats and layers in my closet that I’m never gonna wear ever again,” Volk said. Now back in New Orleans, Volk treats everything in pediatric neurosurgery from tumors to congenital spina biﬁda to seizures and more. Part of why he loves the job is when he gets to work with families.

”I’m going to be very open and honest with parents, show them pictures and explain everything they need to know,” Volk said. “The more opportunity I can give them to learn what’s going on, the better it will be.”

Ochsner

Dr Jerome Volk is a pediatric neurosurgeon at

Health in New Orleans.

Before joining Ochsner two years ago, Volk held several leadership and academic positions at hospitals in the Greater New Orleans area, including Manning Family Children’s Hospital and LSU Health He remains active in national neurosurgical societies, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This interview has been

edited for length and clarity

Tell me a bit about growing up here in Louisiana.

New Orleans is a unique city You can’t really describe it to anybody unless you’re here, right? We’re good at some things, and not good at some things. But don’t let anybody else tell you we’re not good at something.

Went to Jesuit High School, and you know, just love everything about New

Q&A WITH DR. JEROME VOLK

Orleans. Went to college in Georgia, and then came back to LSU for medical school because that was what I always wanted. Growing up, meeting doctors and hearing about the training at LSU had always sparked an interest to come back.

I always wanted to be a doctor At ﬁrst, it was because I was a very clumsy child. I had a lot of broken bones.

Another reason that drove me to become a doctor is my mother passed away with brain cancer when I was small. Seeing not just the role of a doctor as a physician, but the role of a doctor as someone who is there for families was something that’s pretty profound.

That’s part of the draw of working here. The connection to the community that I have.

I did neurosurgery ﬁrst at LSU. In my residency, I was hesitant if I wanted to go into pediatrics or not.

During one of my research years, my mentor Dr Clarence Green, said: “Why don’t you come rotate with us at the Children’s Hospital? We don’t have a resident right now.”

Kids, they’re just so tough. They don’t care what’s going on. We could take out a huge brain tumor, and all the kid wants to do is go play with their friends or go back to school the next day They are so much tougher than adults.

They always make me want to do better

Tell me about your work with pediatric gunshot victim data.What is your goal with the research?

For New Orleans, one of the things that we have more of than we’d like to is pediatric trauma.

I’ve built upon a postHurricane Katrina project I was a part of in my residency, looking at the decreases and increases in pediatric trauma. We recently published an article regarding 10-year data on pediatric gunshot wounds to the head. We unfortunately had one of the biggest series ever published regarding those patients.

We are in the process of a multicenter study across the country looking at the amount of gunshot wounds to the head in pediatric patients, mostly in the South.

Our goal is to use this data to see what we can do better We’ve looked at the best way to treat injuries to

the blood vessels and more. Because of our research, we’ve been involved with gun task-force committees through the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and colleagues in South Africa who also have a large number of pediatric gunshot trauma as well. What is that one major change in pediatric neurosurgery that sticks out to you that most impacted how you operate? In terms of surgeries, there’s been a dramatic increase in the amount of technology that we can use now For example, for seizure surgeries with a kid that has epilepsy we went from treating the condition with medicines to surgical to more minimally invasive treatments. Before, there were many big surgeries. Now, we can just place a ﬁber and burn a seizure from inside the brain without cutting a patient’s head open. There are even ways to do noninvasive with ultrasound-assisted surgeries as well — just in the past 10 years. I have a resident who just ﬁnished with me. I told him, “Make sure you learn the old ways, too.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Kids take part in physical education in December at

ACTIVE

Continued from page 1X

to advancing regular participation in physical activity, reported in 2024 that the overall physical activity grade for children and youth was a D-minus.

The grade was derived from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data that showed only 20% to 28% of 6- to 17-year-olds meet the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

In Louisiana, less than one in ﬁve youth meet the physi-

TRAVEL

Continued from page 1X

Speaking of airliners: tray tables, armrests, seat belt buckles and air vents are all touched by multiple people, and may not be regularly cleaned between ﬂights. They can harbor more germs than the ﬂush button in the airliner toilets. At one toilet per 50 passengers, that’s saying something. Bring disinfectant wipes to clean your hands and those surfaces as you settle

cal activity guidelines of an hour of physical activity every day

For P.E., some big changes In an effort to buck trends of increased screen times and low physical activity among American children, the Trump administration launched the return of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test, ﬁrst established in 1958.

The original test consisted of pullups for boys and modiﬁed pullups for girls, situps, a shuttle run, standing long jump, 50-yard dash and softball throw for distance, with a 600-yard walk-run being added later

The test underwent several modiﬁcations before it was retired in 2012 under

into your seat. Otherwise you increase the risk of catching a diarrhea and vomiting bug for you and your family Kids can be embarrassing on the road, especially sitting close to strangers in restaurants or airports. Jane’s son loved to chat up those around him. Loudly At ﬁrst she and her husband were mortiﬁed, until they realized that most people love kids, no matter how deafening Children’s conversations can be fun for other folks, distracting them from their own travel woes. Instead

the Obama administration.

Dr Katherine Spring investigates early childhood movement behaviors, including physical activity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. She served as co-chair of America’s 2024 fitness report card.

“The ﬁndings highlight the need for programs and policies that aid in enhancing children’s physical activity and healthy development,” Spring said.

Louisiana has now approved updated K-12 physical education standards to

of fussing at your kids for talking to others, pick your battles wisely While vacations are for fun and relaxation, they are stressful some more stressful than others. Besides travel strains, moving into unfamiliar hotel rooms and navigating new territories takes some effort and grace. Which kind of vacation are you planning? A pool resort or beach destination is much easier on your nerves than an exhausting Disney trek. Kids get more anxious with regimented schedules in those places, despite how magical

replace the 2017 standards after the state’s required seven-year review cycle. The new P.E. standards are intended to be implemented beginning with the 2027-28 school year, following teacher training during 2026-27.

“Physical education should help foster a lifelong commitment to movement play and healthy activities,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr Cade Brumley

The standards committee, whose 25 members include classroom teachers, health professionals, higher education faculty and other education stakeholders, looked to strengthen physical education instruction in Louisiana schools that “promoted lifelong physical activity.”

they are. And when children are stressed, they’re more likely to get sick.

One of the most noticeable changes is that high school students are expected to leave school knowing how to manage their own health.

Examples include:

n Creating personal ﬁtness plans,

n Setting measurable fitness goals, n Understanding cardiovascular endurance, n Muscular strength, n Flexibility, n Body composition, n Using community resources to stay active after graduation. Older standards discussed fitness, but the new standards make these practical life skills a major focus.

The new P.E. will focus on progression throughout school as well. Kindergart-

ners will learn to jump rope, catch, throw and balance. Grades two and three will work to combine those skills, improving aim, force and dribbling. Fourth and fifth graders will learn to control their movements in open environments and combine multiple movement patterns Middle-schoolers are expected to put their elementary school skills together for games and coordinate their own offensive and defensive tactics.

“It’s a process to add new standards to schools,” Spring said. “We’ll have to wait and see how training progresses this next school year.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Thus, “picking your battles” means being patient with them as well as the whole travel hassle. Isn’t that pool resort sounding better and better?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

Laureate Academy Charter School in Harvey.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Eat Fit LiveFit

Ultra-processed foods: whythey’re so hardtoresist

Ultra-processedfoodshavebeena hottopicinwellnessconversations, andforgoodreason.Research continuestolinkdietshighinthesefoods withanxietyandinﬂammation,obesity, Type2diabetes,heartdisease,certain cancersandmore.

Butthisisn’tastoryaboutfear.Thegoal isnotperfection.It’saboutawareness understandingwhysomefoodsaresoeasy toovereatandhowsmallshiftscanhelp protectourlong-termhealth.

Justlastmonth,aseriesofpapers publishedintheAmericanJournalof PublicHealthaddedtotheconversation. Someoftheresearchexploredpossible linksbetweenultra-processedfoodsand cognitivedecline.Otherpapersexamined theroletobaccocompaniesplayedinthe foodindustry.Thedementiaﬁndingsmade headlines,butthebiggerstorymaybehow thesefoodsbecamesosuccessfulinthe ﬁrstplace.

WhatUltra-ProcessedMeans

Lotsofnutritiousfoodsare processed.PlainGreekyogurt,steel-cut oats,frozenchoppedspinach,canned beansandevenpre-washedsaladgreens haveallbeenprocessedinsomeway. Processingcanmakehealthyfoodsmore convenient,affordableandaccessible.

Ultra-processedfoodsaredifferent.They aretypicallyindustrialformulationsmade mostlyfromreﬁnedingredients,additives andcompoundsmanyofuswouldn’thave inourownkitchens.Thinkofproducts likechips,cookies,candies,sugary cereals,frozenmeals,softdrinksand othersmarketedasconvenientgraband-gooptions.

Noteverypackagedfoodisaproblem. Thequestioniswhetherthefoodstill lookslikefood—withingredientswe recognize—orwhetherithasbeen carefullyformulatedtobeespecially appealinganddifficulttoresist.

TheBlissPoint Foodscientistsusetheterm“bliss point”todescribethe“sweetspot” combinationofcarbohydrate,salt,fatand texturethatlightsupourbrain’spleasure centers.Thatcombinationcanmake foodespeciallyrewardingtoeat—and incrediblydifficulttostopeating

ForarecentepisodeofmyFUELED Wellness+Nutritionpodcast,I interviewedEricaLaFata,PhD,aclinical psychologistandresearcherwhosework focusesontheaddictiveandreinforcing propertiesofultra-processedfoods

“Thisisn’tjustaboutwillpower;people aren’tsuddenlybecomingworseat regulatingtheireatingbehavior,”noted LaFata.Thefoodenvironmentitselfhas changed,makinghighlyrewarding,ultraprocessedfoodseasiertoaccessand consumethaneverbefore.

TheHistory

Accordingtotherecentseriesinthe AmericanJournalofPublicHealth,some ofthesestrategieshavedeeperrootsthan manyofusrealize.Duringthe1980sand 1990s,tobaccocompaniesownedsomeof thenation’slargestfoodcompanies

Researcherssuggestthattobacco companiesbroughttheirexpertisein marketing,consumerpsychologyand productdevelopmentintothefood industry,notingthatsomeproducts wereengineeredtoactivatethebrain’s pathwaystobehighlyrewardingto eat,whiletargetedadvertisinghelped

createanemotionalconnectionbetween productsandconsumers.Thathistoryis importantbecauseithelpsexplainhow certainproductsbecamesocommon, familiarandhardtoresist.

Akeytakeawayisthat,forthemostpart, theseultra-processedfoodsdonotexist innature.Instead,theyarestrategically designedtomaximizecraveability,and ourdesiretoconsumemoreandmore. Themoreweunderstandhowproducts arecreatedandmarketedtous,thebetter equippedwearetomakehealthierchoices.

WhatBrainResearchAdds

Researchersareincreasinglylooking athowultra-processedfoodsmayaffect morethanweightandmetabolism. Thelatestresearchoffersanother reasontopayattention.Inonerecent analysisofmorethan5,000adultsover age50,peoplewhoconsumedthehighest

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

amountsofultra-processed foodshadsigniﬁcantlyhigher ratesofdementiaandcognitive impairmentthanthosewho consumedtheleast.

It’simportanttonotethat thisstudydoesnotproveultraprocessedfoodscausedementia Itshowsanassociation,which meansresearchersfounda relationshipbutcannotsayfor certainthatonecausedtheother. Still,thesearen’tisolated examples.Theﬁndingsarepart ofagrowingbodyofresearch suggestingthatdietshighinultraprocessedfoodscannegativelyaffectour health,includingmetabolic,cardiovascular andbrainhealth.

Researchersareexploringseveral possibleexplanations.Ultra-processed foodstendtocrowdoutmorenutrientdenseoptionsandmaycontribute tochronicinﬂammation,bloodsugar instabilityandchangestothegut microbiome—factorsincreasinglylinked tocognitivehealth.

The(encouraging)ﬂipside?Higherintake ofwholeandminimallyprocessedfoods wasassociatedwithlowerrisk

NoNeedtoPanic

Thisisn’taboutobsessingoverevery ingredientlabel.It’saboutrecognizing howthesefoodsaredesignedand marketedtoussowecanmakemore intentionalchoices.

LaFatabelievesthatawarenessitself canbeempowering.Ithelpsusrecognize thattheissueisn’tsimplywillpower,but thefoodenvironmentsurroundingus everyday

Smallshiftstowardwholeandminimally processedfoodscansupportoverallhealth. Makingintentionalchoices–evenwhen foodsaredesignedtokeepuscomingback formore–isastepintherightdirection.

DEATHRATEFALLS TO PRE-COVIDLEVELS, BUTLA. RATE HIGHER

The U.S. death rate fell 4.6% last year,a returntoatrend before COVID-19. In 2025, the U.S. death rate was 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people, down from 722.1 in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention’s NationalCenterfor Health Statistics. In Louisiana, thedeath rate decreased by 3%, from 2023 to 2024. State-specificdeath rates for 2025 are not yet available from the CDC. Historically,Louisiana and its southeasternneighbors have the highest death rates in the country. In 2024, Louisiana had the eighthhighest death rateinthe U.S. behind Mississippi,West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky,

Arkansas,Tennessee and Alabama.

Since2000,Louisiana’s deathratewas:

n 920.5 deaths per100,000 in 2000; n 932.4 in 2001; n 933.5 in 2002; n 944.9 in 2003; n 927.3 in 2004; n 969.2 in 2005; n 930.7 in 2006; n 913.4 in 2007; n 929.3 in 2008; n 896.8 in 2009; n 897.1 in 2010; n 893.7 in 2011; n 919.3 in 2012; n 935.3 in 2013; n 943.8 in 2014; n 936.3 in 2015; n 946.4 in 2016; n 866.3 in 2017; n 870.9 in 2018;

n 857 in 2019; n 1,044.7 in 2020; n 1,094.6 in 2021; n 974.7 in 2022; n 920.8 in 2023; n 893.2 in 2024.

Since 2000, the national death rate was: n 854 deaths per 100,000 in 2000; n 848 in 2001; n 849.5 in 2002; n 843.9 in 2003; n 818.8 in 2004; n 828.4 in 2005; n 813.1 in 2006; n 804.6 in 2007; n 812.9 in 2008; n 794.5 in 2009; n 799.5 in 2010; n 807.3 in 2011; n 810.2 in 2012; n 821.5 in 2013; n 823.7 in 2014;

n 844 in 2015; n 849.3 in 2016; n 731.9 in 2017; n 723.6 in 2018; n 715.2 in 2019; n 835.4 in 2020; n 879.7 in 2021; n 798.8 in 2022; n 750.5 in 2023; n 722.1 in 2024 n 689.2 in 2025. The 2025 mortality data fromthe CDCisprovisional, and is not finalized.The report fromthe center identified limitations: the timelinessof death certificate submissions varies by jurisdiction, race categories mayhavebeen misclassified and the methodologyofpopulation estimatesvaried between 2024 and 2025.

U.S. death rate at all timelow Therateofdeaths, per100,000 people,every year since2000.

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Registration is open for afree men’shealth clinic at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge from 7a.m. to 1p.m on Aug. 22. The clinic, at 6400 Perkins Road, will provide health screenings, demonstration, exhibits, activities, panels and giveaways for men ages 18 and up. Preregistration is recommended at www.pbrc.edu/mhs.

NewOrleans hospital begins Summer ToyDrive

Ochsner Children’shas launched its annual Summer ToyDrive, 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

HEALTH NOTES

brand-newtoys in original packaging as well as books, games, puzzles and craft kitsfor infants throughteens. To protect the health andsafety of patients,the programcannot accept stuffed animalsorcloth items. Donations arecollected at various New Orleans locations that can be found on Ochsner Health’s website.

Cancerresearchers complete LCRC program

Tencollege undergraduates and postgraduates presented their research projects after an immersive eight-week programdesigned to supportthe next generation of Louisiana’s cancer researchers. The Louisiana Cancer Research Center’s SummerUndergraduate Cancer Research Experience selects agroup of students andassigns them afaculty mentor from LSU Health NewOrleans,Tulane University School of Medicine or XavierUniversity of Louisiana.

Thestudents’ research projects include:

n Saanvi Gambhira, Temple University,studiedgene expression using bioinformatics anddatafrom breast cancer cell lines with mentor Dr.Victoria Belancio at Tulane Cancer Center

n SohanGummadi, Seton Hall University,investigated the impact of obesityonprostate cancer in Black and Whitemales, working in the labofhis mentor,Dr. Hari Koul of LSU HealthNew Orleans.

n Handerson Hasseth, Tulane University,researched endocrine receptor positive breast cancer withtwo LCRCfacultymentors at Tulane School of Medicine: Dr Matt Burowand Dr.Jorge Belgodere.

n Jake Hebert,Louisiana State University,researched theCD36 proteinfor therapeuticoptions against triple-negative breastcancerinthe labofmentorDr. FokhrulHossain at LSU Health New Orleans

n Emily Jemison, Duke University,analyzed the EquityJustice Index for the Louisiana Tumor

Registry under the mentorship of Dr.Xiaocheng Wu,the director of the LSU School of Public Health.

n NyEla Pete, XavierUniversity of Louisiana, conducted spatial massspectrometry analysis of pancreatic cancer biomarkers in the lab of Dr.Jiri Adamec at LSU Health New Orleans.

n Rohit Srivastava, BaylorUniversity,analyzed the CISD1 protein for the development of potential new therapies fortriple-negative breast cancer with mentorDr. QiangShen at LSUHealth New Orleans

n Sebastian Salm, Emory University,assisted programdirector Dr Charles Wood of LSU Health New Orleans, with research detecting Kaposi Sarcoma herpes virus in tissuesfor downstream testing.

n Laniyah Thurman, Louisiana State University,worked in the lab of Dr.JenniferFang at the Tulane School of Science and Engineering, studying vascular biology and the growth of tumor blood vessels.

n Imille Woodard, Grambling StateUniversity,analyzed data on potentiallinks between e-cigarette

use and academic performance at theLouisiana Tobacco ControlInitiativeunder the direction of mentor and TCI director Dr.Michael Celestin of LSUHSC School of Public Health.

Clinical study eyes weight loss drugsfor youth Pennington Biomedical Research Center is accepting potential candidates foraclinical study with compensation of up to $775. ThePhITT studyistesting whether aweight loss medication calledphentermine works better than aplacebo to help teenagers with obesity lose weight.

To qualify forthis research study,participants should: n Be 12 to 17 years old, n Have aBMI at or above 95th percentile or 30 or greater BMI HealthNotes is an occasional listing of healthhappenings aroundLouisiana.Have something you’d liketoshare? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

‘THEYGOHANDINHAND’

Louisianadoctors discussrelationshipbetween poor sleep, temporomandibularjoint disorders

BY MATTHEW HAINES

Contributing writer

The potentialdamage from poor sleephas become increasingly known —ithas been linked to dementia, heart disease and more. The causes of these sleep issues are often attributed to boogeymen such as increased stress,the consumption of coffee or alcohol in the evening, and screen time before bed.

While those are part of thestory, many experts are ﬂagginganother common barrier:

Some of this is intuitive: Pain disruptssleep,and poor sleep depletes thebody’s ability to tolerate pain. In other ways, the linkbetween sleep and craniofacial discomfort is not so obvious.

Billings recalled onepatient who, during asleep test, stopped breathing for more than10seconds37times in one hour

“If that happened four times, that would be considered‘normal,’” Billings said,“but this guy basically suffocates 40 times everyhour. To saythat’sruining his sleep is an understatement.”

equipmentmanager,morethan one-third of adults in North and South America are afﬂicted with Sleep-Disordered Breathing. It is estimated that more than 8in10individuals are unaware they suffer from sleep apnea.

Billings said thatactions many ﬁnd common— icecream before bed, pizza andbeer with friends, or an evening espresso —all causeinﬂammation that lead to obstructed breathing, also triggering cortisol dumps that have the effectof winding us up before sleep,instead of allowing us to winddown.

your sleep, your mood, andyour long-term health.”

Sleepsolutions

breathing-related sleep issues.

“Honestly,” he said, “what usually brings them in is their partner eventually says, ‘Hey,doyou know you stop breathing alot while you sleep?’”

An appointment with acraniofacial sleepspecialist will likely begin with aconsultation and then an examination of the nose to identify potential breathing issues.

“You can’ttalk about poorrest without talking about craniofacial pain,” said Dr.Terry Billings, aMetairie dentist, referring to discomfort in the head, face, neck and jaw.Billings has been focused on craniofacial pain and its relationshiptosleep for more than 20 years. “They go hand in hand.”

In fact, in September 2024, the Journal of Oral &Facial Pain and Headache reported that 83% of patients with chronic craniofacial pain experience sleep issues.

Causingabad night’ssleep

Anasalexamination showed that the inside ofthe patient’s nose was inﬂamed, making it harder to breathe.Billings suggested he cut backonfoods that contribute to this inﬂammation, including sugar andbread

What followed was 21/2 weeks of improved sleep.

“He told me he was feeling so good that he decided it was probably OK if he hada Whopper and Cokeone night as areward,” Billings recalled.“Within 30 minutes of themeal, he noticed he could no longer breathethrough his nose!”

According to ResMed, amedical

This, Billingssaid, is where avicious cycle leads back to craniofacial pain.

“Our brain’snumber one objective while we sleep is to keep us breathing,”hesaid.“So if youcan’t breathe through your nose, your brain willhave you move your jaw, for example,toopenthe airway through your mouth.”

“Whenyou do thatall night, your muscles areoverworked and tired,” Billings added. “Your posture changesand strains your head andneck andyou endupwithissues like temporomandibular joint disorders that can lead to jaw issues,teethgrinding, headaches, migraines andmore.Itdestroys

Deep sleep,also known as slowwave sleep, is the stage of rest when your brain and body do their most essential work: releasing growth hormones that buildand repair bones, tissue, andmuscle; producing proteins that strengthen your immune system and control inflammation;converting shortterm memories into longer-term ones; reducing the risk of obesity, Type 2diabetes,and heartdisease by controlling sugar and blood pressure;and cleaning the brain wastethatcan lead to Alzheimer’s and other causes of dementia.

“Notsolving these sleep issues negatively impacts everythinginyour life,” saidDr. Paul Spring, aMetairiebased ear,nose, and throat specialist of almost 30 years. “Whatever maladiesyou have, it compounds those things, but it also makes you moreirritable and less productive.”

Spring said that mostpeopledon’t even realize they are suffering from

Possiblemitigations couldinclude minor surgery to solve anatomical obstructions to proper breathing, or the design of acustomized oral orthopedic that can correct the position of the patient’sjaw or teeth. CPAP machines are still widely used, though sometimes unpopular because of the cumbersome mask. In recent decades, the less intrusive Inspire sleep apnea device has gained approvalbythe FDA,acting as apacemaker that keepsyour airway open duringsleep by sending tiny electrical pulses to the nerves that control your tongue.

Whatever solution is right for thepatient, Spring said, will likely change their life.

He said,“Themostcommon thing Ihear from individuals when we solve their sleep problem is that they can’tbelieve they lived for so long in so muchdiscomfort.”

Research:ExperimentalAlzheimer’s drug showspromise

Treatmenttargets brainprotein

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press

WASHINGTON An experimental drug might help slow early Alzheimer’sdisease in amarkedly different way than today’streatments —bylowering levels of a brain protein called tau, researchers reported on July 14. Tauisone part of atoxic duo fuelingAlzheimer’s, but priorattempts to develop drugs that can target the protein havefailed. Two Alzheimer’sdrugs, lecanemab and donanemab, try to clear buildup of the better-known amyloid protein and can modestly slow cognitive decline.

Thenew findings suggestBiogen’sdiranersen didmorethan lower tau levels. The study of about 400 people foundsigns thatitalso slowed cognitive decline, in one small subset enough to be comparable to amyloid therapy,according to results presented at the Alzheimer’sAssociation International Conference in London. Biogen is planning alarger study to try to prove the drug’sbeneﬁt.

“This is really quite promising if it were to hold up” in that next-step

testing, said JessicaLangbaum of the BannerAlzheimer’sInstitute in Phoenix, who wasn’tinvolved with Biogen’sstudy

“This is early days,” cautioned Dr.Reisa Sperling of Mass General Brigham, who also wasn’tinvolved in the study.But “I think it will reinvigorate interest and investment in lots of tau mechanisms, and the ﬁeld needs that.”

It’sone ofmultiple novelattempts to fight themind-destroyingdisease, includinga possible tau vaccine, an experimental heart drug that might do double dutyfor some peopleathighrisk of Alzheimer’s, andways to helpmedicines more easily get across the so-called blood-brain barrier.

Newapproachesneeded

It’snot clearexactly what causes Alzheimer’s,which affectsmore than 7million Americans andtens of millions worldwide. Thatsticky amyloid protein startsbuilding up to form plaques in the brain about twodecadesbeforesymptoms appear.But amyloid aloneisn’t enough to cause Alzheimer’s. Many scientists believe that amyloid buildup eventually triggers an abnormalformoftau to form tangles in neurons,setting offsymptoms

Diranersen is what’scalled an antisense oligonucleotide that doesn’t

attack taubuildup but instead instructs atau-producing gene to produce less.

“If youlower tau production, you arelowering the amount of the abnormal tauthat needs to be cleared by themicroglia, by theclearance mechanism in the brain.And so you are enabling the normalclearance mechanism to have more capacitytoclear thetau,” saidDr. Cath Mummery, of University College London, who led the new study Today’santi-amyloiddrugs are given through thebloodstream via infusions or injections. Diranersen is injected into the ﬂuid surrounding the spinal cord, astraighter path to the brain.

Biogen’s drug missed goal

Biogen’sstudy included people with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s, randomly assigning them to different doses of diranersen or aplacebo. In May Biogen and partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that the lowest dose —given every six months —had the strongest effect.That was acounterintuitive surprise andmeantthe study didn’tmeet its planned goal of showing that higher doses brought greater beneﬁts Still, scientists had been anxiously awaiting details about how much that twice-a-year spinal shot

really helped. Five of six different braintests showed diranersen recipients’ memory and other cognitive abilities still worsened but more slowly than those given dummy shots, Mummery said. In one test of thelowestdose, thattranslated to a26% reduction in cognitivedecline— “approximately the same” change seen in earlier tests of amyloid drugs, she said. Side effects included injection site pain anda temporary stateof confusion that could appear afew days after theshot and last about a week,she said. Butthere were no signs of brain inﬂammation, which can affect recipients of anti-amyloid drugs.

Researcherstargettau

The UniversityofCalifornia, San Francisco, last week opened a firstof-its-kind study known as the Alzheimer’s TauPlatform.Funded by the National Institutes of Health,it will test avariety of experimental anti-tau therapies against and in combination with today’samyloid treatments. First up is avaccine calledAADvac1 designedtotrain the immune system to recognize and fight aspecificworrisomeportion of the tau protein, said UCSF’s Dr.Adam Boxer The “platform” approach will expand to locations around the

country,allow addition of other tau drugs to test and include people with Alzheimer’s-related protein buildup who aren’t yetshowing symptoms, he said.

AttackingAlzheimer’s

Researchers toldthe Alzheimer’smeeting that an experimental cholesterol-lowering drug called obicetrapib might do more than help heart health. They’re exploring if it also might lowerbuildup of Alzheimer’s-related proteins in people who carry agenetic risk for the disease.

Why? That gene, called APOE4, also affects how the body processes cholesterol. Obicetrapib maker NewAmsterdam Pharma plansto begin astudy soon to test if the drug’scholesterol effects also can mitigate the Alzheimer’srisk in people carrying one or two copies of that gene. Companies also are trying to get Alzheimer’sdrugs into the brain faster and at higher volumes by penetrating theliningmeant to protectthe brain from harm Denali Therapeutics’ CEO Ryan Watts describes it as “hitching aride”withironthatnaturally gets intothe brain. Hiscompany is pursuing drugs that target tau and amyloid using that “transport vehicle” technology

Billings

Spring

GETTy IMAGESPHOTO

By HOPE CONNOLLy

Awoman winces from grinding her teethwhile sleeping. Dr.Terry Billings,a Metairie dentist,saysthat youcan’t talk about poor rest without discussing discomfortinthe head,face, neck and jaw.

HowOchsner MD Anderson Cancer Center is making NewOrleans adestination for cancer research and innovation

MarcR.Matrana,MD,genitourinarymedicaloncologist,OchsnerMDAndersonCancerCenterandsystemmedicaldirectorofprecisionmedicine,OchsnerHealth,speakswithapatient.

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisstory is broughttoyou by OchsnerHealth.

Guided by acommitmentto compassionate care,innovation and discovery,Ochsner MD AndersonCancer Center provides patients acrosssouth Louisiana accessto world-classcancertreatments closetohome

At Ochsner MD AndersonCancer CenterinNew Orleans,physicians areleading national research collaborations,early-phaseclinical trials,genetic screening initiatives and cellular therapyprograms thatare improving outcomes forcurrent patients while paving the wayfor future treatmentinnovations

“When Ireturned to Louisiana over 13 yearsago,one of my goals wastoexpand Ochsner’s clinical trial portfolio.Todaywe offer hundreds of activeclinicaltrials,reﬂecting our commitmenttobringing innovativetreatmentoptions to morepatients andadvancing cancer care outcomes,”said Marc R. Matrana,MD, genitourinary medical oncologist,Ochsner MD AndersonCancer Center and systemmedicaldirector of precision medicine, Ochsner Health. “When aresearcher herelearns about apotential treatment, our internal committeediscusses howitsupports our patientpopulation, our institution and other research we aredoing.”

Testing the limits of cellular therapyincancer treatment

One of the newest frontiersincancer treatmentisCAR T-cell therapy, themost common form of cellular therapy. Doctors collect apatient’scells andsendthem to specialized labs to be re-engineered so theycan betterrecognizeand attack cancer withinthe body.The modiﬁed cells arethen reinjected into the patient

Cellular therapyhas provenmost effective in treating blood cancers, includingleukemia,lymphoma and multiple myeloma Ochsner has maintained its status as aleader in this space since 2023, when Ochsner MD AndersoninNew Orleans became the ﬁrst institutioninLouisianatotreat adult patients using CART-cell therapy. Now, Ochsner MD Andersonresearchers areleading studies on whether the treatment could help patientswithother types of cancers as well as non-cancerous autoimmune and neurological disorderssuch as lupus and multiple sclerosis.Other Ochsner trials are exploring howCAR T-cell therapyworksin conjunction with chemotherapyand ways to speed up the treatmentprocess

“Cellular therapyrepresents amajor shift toward morepersonalized, targetedtreatment.Itgives us the potential to treatcancers that have been difficulttomanagewith

conventional therapies alone, saidCarterT.Davis,MD,section head of malignant hematology andcellulartherapy,Ochsner MD Anderson.

Similar to CART-cell therapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapyhas shownpromise for patients withmelanoma.TIL involves collecting immune cells thathavemigratedtoatumor expanding them in alab andthen reintroducing them into apatient’s body so they canmoreeffectivelyidentifyand eliminate cancer cells.Researchers, includingmany at Ochsner MD Anderson, areexploring the potential to useTIL to treatother cancers, such as lung cancer.

CarterT.Davis,MD SectionHeadofMalignant HematologyandCellularTherapy, OchsnerMDAnderson

“Weare already using speciﬁc therapies based on apatient’sgenetics in lung and othercancertreatments. Thatisgoing to increasewith time.”

Dr.Matrana wasaprincipalinvestigatoronPathﬁnder 2,arecentstudy of about2,000 people who underwenta single blood test to screen for50types of cancer.The results showedthatthe blood test combined witha cancer-speciﬁc screeningled to thedetection of 6.5 times morecases of cancer thantraditional cancer screeningalone. Further research is nowunderway to determine therole that blood-based cancer screenings canplayindetection and treatment

Ochsner MD AndersonCancer Center’s Stem Cell Transplantand Cellular TherapyProgram is the onlyone in Louisiana accredited by the Foundation forthe Accreditation of Cellular Therapy(FACT), meaning it must adhere to thestrictest qualityand safety guidelines.Ultimately it means Ochsner MD Andersonpatients receiveadvancedcareunder protocols that meet national standards

“Cellular therapyisnot just an exciting innovation. It is an important part of how cancer care is becoming more precise,more effectiveand morehopefulfor patients and families,” Dr.Davis said.“We arebuilding the infrastructure and governance needed to safely scale cellular and gene therapies as newtreatments becomeavailable.

Personalizing cancer care through genetics and early detection

Every patientwho is diagnosed with cancer has their tumorsautomatically tested for genetic markers thatcan determine which therapies will work best.Dr. Matrana said thatstephas led to morethan100 yearsof improvedsurvivorship and 32 lives savedin lungcancer aloneinjust one year,thanksto personalized treatment.

Ochsner hasnow embarked on morerobust hereditary genetic testing formutationsthatcan increase aperson’srisk forcertain types of cancer and other diseases. TheGeneticWellnessAssessmentinthe MyOchsner app canquickly connect people to Ochsner’s high-risk clinics, genetic counselorsand specialists,depending on their individual results

“Thesetests arenot intendedtoreplace established screeningssuch as mammograms or colonoscopies.Theyare designed to complementthem andhopefully identify certaincancersatearlier stages,when treatment is often moreeffective,”Dr. Matrana said. “It makes ahugedifference if youcan detect cancer at stageIIinstead of stageIV. Iﬁrmly believe this is thefuture. It’samatter of howweget there. That’swhatthe research is all about.”

Connectingthe Gulf Coastto national research opportunities Throughits Center forInnovative Cancer Therapies (CICT), Ochsner MD Andersonhas built the leading early-phaseoncologyresearch program between Houston andBirmingham andisa vital site forNationalCancer Institute-sponsoredinvestigations. Thismeans GulfCoast patients have accesstonovelcancer treatments beforetheyare widely available.

One CICT-based upcoming clinical trial ASCEND,will followpatients with metastatic colorectalcancer to seewhy and how theyare resistanttocertain forms of existing treatment.

“Thisisthe type of studywecan do at CICT that will helpinformfuturetreatmentplans if apatientdevelops resistance mechanisms,” said Daniel Johnson, MD, cutaneous medical oncologist,Ochsner MD Andersonand medical director, OchsnerCenterfor InnovativeCancer Therapies

DanielJohnson,MD CutaneousMedicalOncologist, OchsnerMDAndersonandMedicalDirector, OchsnerCenterforInnovativeCancerTherapies

“Understanding apatient’sgenetic risk factorsallows us to bettertailor screening and prevention strategies,” Dr.Matrana said.

The dedication andsuccess at Ochsner MD Anderson has prompted its inclusion in the NationalCancer Institute’sExperimentalTherapeutics Clinical TrialsNetwork (ETCTN) and Gulf SouthMinorityUnderserved Clinical Trials Network (NCORP). Dr.Johnsonsaid this means Ochsner patients in the NewOrleans regionhavemore opportunities forleading therapies

“The main purposeofNCORP is to bring moreclinical trials to communitysites as

We’reconstantlyexploring newtreatments,and we’rebetterpositioned thanevertobringthese advancestomorepatients. Asourresearchportfolio continuestogrowacross allcancertypes,it’s extremelyrewarding toknowthatweare supportingqualityoflife andbetteroutcomes forgenerationsof patientstocome.

DanielJohnson,MD CutaneousMedicalOncologist, OchsnerMDAndersonandMedical Director,OchsnerCenterfor InnovativeCancerTherapies

opposedtoonly major academic centers Thatfits rightintoOchsner’s goals,”Dr. Johnsonsaid. He noted thatwhile research has shown that patients in clinical trialshavebetter health outcomes,participation is often not feasible forpeople due to transportation, ﬁnancial and logistical concerns.That’sa key reason whythe clinicaltrials at Ochsnerare crucial –not onlytoadvance cancer treatmentfor the future, buttohelp patientstoday livelonger,healthierlives

“Ochsner is alarge academic medicalcenterand research has been apart of Ochsner since its founding. We have manyfaculty who continue this legacy to provide cutting edgeclinical trials closetohome.”Dr. Johnsonsaid. “Innovation and research areatthe coreoftheworkwedotoimprovecancercare We’reconstantly exploring newtreatments andwe’rebetterpositionedthanevertobring theseadvances to morepatients.Asour research portfolio continues to grow across all cancertypes, it’s extremely rewarding to knowthatweare supporting quality of life andbetteroutcomes forgenerations of patients to come.”

OchsnerMDAndersonCancerCentercombinestheexpertiseofOchsnerHealth,Louisiana’sleaderincancercare,withthe world-renownedTheUniversityofTexasMDAndersonCancerCenter.AstheonlyfullyintegratedcancerprograminLouisiana basedonMDAnderson’sstandardsandprotocols,itofferspatientsaccesstocutting-edgetreatments,innovativeclinicaltrials, andpersonalizedcareplans.Withamultidisciplinaryteamofspecialistsandadvancedtechnology,OchsnerMDAnderson providescomprehensivecareforbothcommonandrarecancersacrossmultiplelocationsinsoutheasternLouisiana.This partnershipensurespatientsreceiveexpertcancercareclosetohome.

Inspiring HealthierLives andStronger Communities

Formorethan80years,OchsnerHealthhasservedtheGreaterNewOrleansareaandbeyond,providingthe highestqualityofcareforourpatientsandcommunities.Withmorethan4,700providersspanningover400 locations,wehaveyoucoveredforallofyourroutineandcomplexcareneeds.Offeringdigitalmedicine programs,virtualvisitsandextendedhours,wearefocusedonmakinghealthcareconvenientandaccessible, sothatyoucangetbacktodoingthethingsyouenjoymost.

For14yearsinarow,OchsnerMedicalCenter-NewOrleans(OMC),includingOchsnerBaptistandOchsner MedicalCenter–WestBankCampus,hasbeennamedthenumberonehospitalinLouisianabyU.S.News& WorldReport.Inaddition,ourObstetricsandGynecologyservicesranked#13inthenation.Weareproudof thishonorandremaincommittedtoexceedingqualityandsafetystandardsinhealthcare.

LOUISIANA

‘WEBELIEVE IN REDEMPTION’

LouisianaParoleProject pavesa path from prison release

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

On June 9, 2016, Andrew Hundley was packing his things to leave the Louisiana State Penitentiary after 19 years.Other men serving life sentences gathered to tell him goodbye. He was 34. They were in their 50s, 60s and 70s. Hundley apologized for leaving them

Twomen walked him to the door

He said they toldhim, “We know that you’re going to set an example, and you’regoing to make it easier for the rest of us.”

Hundley took those words to heart.

“I couldn’tturn back the hands of time andundo the harm that I’d done in my youth,” Hundley said, “but I could better myself and better the lives of the people that Iwas living with in my prison community.”

Hundley was convictedof second-degree murder in the 1997 slaying of 14-year-old Terri Elizabeth Pitre when he was 15 years old.

“The parole boards saw that Iwasn’tthe same person almost two decades before,” Hundley said, “and they thought Iwas worthy of a second chance.”

On his ride home, his sister asked him what was next.

“I told her,‘Ihaveto ﬁgure out away to help the people I’ve left behind,’ ”Hundley said.

Twomonths later he started Louisiana Parole Project with two LSU law professors. In 10 years,the organization has helped 703 paroleescome home and adjusttolife on the outside.

Firstbut notthe last Hundley,credits Henry Montgomery for setting him on the road to freedom and a post-incarcerationlife dedicated to helping others. The twoserved time together in

Louisiana StatePenitentiary at Angola, where juvenile lifers lived in close proximity

“Henry is such apart of my life,”Hundleysaid. “I told myself,‘I’m gonna workhere until Iget Henry Montgomeryout,’ —and now it’s acareer because of Henry.”

TheSupreme Court’s2012 Miller v. Alabama decision found mandatorylife without parolefor juvenile offenders unconstitutional —opening the door for juveniles to seek parole if they could prove they hadchanged With Montgomery’s case, Montgomery v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court upheld and solidified the decision by ruling it retroactive on Jan. 25, 2016. Hundleywas the first person in Louisiana sentenced to alife sentence as ajuvenile to be grantedparole. Montgomerywasn’tparoleduntilNov 17, 2021, at theage of 75. Hundley said 70 juvenile lifers were released from prison before Montgomery, who hadbeen sentenced to life at the age of 17 in 1963. Hundredsofother men and women were serving life sentences for crimes committed when they were children in Louisianawhenhewas granted parole in 2016. “I was not the one who had served the most time in prison,” Hundley said. “I wouldn’t say Iwas the most deserving. Iwas just theone that had the pathofleast resistance to get the first parole hearing.

Listening forthe soundof somewhere else

Ihad heard about the hot chocolate at the Prague Main Train Station before Iwent. Aneighbor,a locally famous half-Romani woman in the Slovak village where I lived, told me Icould ﬁnd the best hot chocolate in the world there.

It’s been decades since Iwent and had it, but Istill remember its rich ﬂavor —I’ve never tasted anything like it before or since.

The closest I’ve come wasadding cocoa powder and melted good chocolate to sweetened condensed milk, then carefully heating it Adab will do ya.

As good as that hot chocolate was, it wasnot the best thing about the Prague Main Train Station.

The best thing wasthe destination sign —the one that told where the next trains were headed and from which platform to board.

I’ve never seen another sign like it. Iunderstand they replaced it with an electronic version afew years ago. But fordecades, they used what wascalled asplit-ﬂap display,asensory marvel of digital electromechanics.

At various intervals, the whole sign would begin to change, line by line, and all these little cards would half-ﬂip —showing, for the briefest of moments, an array of European destinations before landing on one.

Brno on platform 7. Parížon platform 11. Víden on 2. Budapešt on 5. Mnichov on 3, and Berlin on 14.

Iwould stand and watch it, sipping hot chocolate, dreaming of Paris, Berlin and everywhere in between and beyond.

It performed an incredible alphabetical dance, but even better than watching it was listening to it. The clitter-clatter of Brno to Budapešt was the mostmesmerizing sound I’ve ever heard. It wasthat near whisper of sound an old clock radio made, going from 10:59 to 11:00 on steroids. It wasn’tloud, but it felt like “sound travel,” inviting me to imagine where Imight go next.

Lately,I’ve had asimilar feeling playing agame on my phone called MapTap —afew moments to consider places Iknow and places Idon’tand try to ﬁnd them on amap.

For morethan ahundred days, I’ve played it each morning with

See PROJECT, page 4Y

Project’sbeginnings Hundley didn’tknow where to begin hisnew mission,so he reached out to his lawyer, LSU law professor Keith Nordyke, and anotherlaw professor,Robert Lancaster,for help on creating anonproﬁttohelp worthy prisoners win parole. He wanted the organization to give pro-bonolegal representation to juvenile lifers

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Re-entrycoordinatorRiana Leverett, left, helps client Gabriel Logan withanissue on his phone during atechnologyliteracy class at the Louisiana ParoleProject office in June.

Client Gabriel Logan, center,helps Shawn Foster during alessonina technology literacy class at theLouisiana Parole Project office in June.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Hundley

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Southern professor finds hope in Egypt’s museums

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Dr Haitham Eid leads the Southern University at New Orleans museum studies master’s program, the only one of its kind in Louisiana.

In April, he completed a speaking tour in Egypt as part of the prestigious U.S. Department of State Speaker Program. He gave keynote addresses and lectures at the Grand Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport. He also joined roundtable discussions with cultural leaders, scholars and professionals. This interview has been edited for length and clarity

On your speaking tour, what contemporary issues in museum studies did you highlight?

Museums are now envisioning themselves as civic institutions that bring people together, create more peaceful communities and a more peaceful world. The world is facing an interconnected polycrisis, from wars to pandemics to social justice issues, and all of these compound and compel the civic society to act Museums are taking this responsibility and trying to be a space for communities to come together to build cohesion and understanding between the community and the world. That was most of the discussion I had on my speaking tour Of course, there were more speciﬁc issues related to Egypt and the museums in Egypt — a wonderful tour to the Grand Egyptian Museum — so I was fortunate

to be a part of this. Why was Egypt an apt place to deliver your lectures on these themes?

This is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Speaker

Program. I did a few programs with them before, one with Egypt as well that was last year, another one virtually with Libya. I was born and raised in Egypt, so of course I speak Arabic.

I’ve been here for 23, 24 years in the U.S., so I have these experiences from Egypt to the United States, and I can speak to both cultures, both institutions. I had a discussion with a

Q&A WITH DR. HAITHAM EID PROFESSOR AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITy AT NEW ORLEANS

State Department ofﬁcer, and we coordinated the program to Egypt.

You also participated in some roundtable discussions with professionals and scholars in the museum space.What were your biggest takeaways from them?

I was very inspired by the resilience of museum professionals in Egypt although they suffer from lack of resources, very limited support from governmental organizations. The landscape of museums in Egypt is different from the U.S. We have nonproﬁt organizations (that) mostly govern museums in the U.S. In Egypt, nearly all museums are governmental organizations, so with lack of resources, funding, it becomes very hard to do your daily work. But the resilience is amazing. The innovation to overcome these obstacles was just very amazing. That’s one of the takeaways regardless of the challenges and the lack of resources, we can create or do great work in our institutions.

Are there any memories that stand out from your time abroad?

I think, when you do these types of programs, one of the things that you need to always maintain is ﬂexibility

One time, I was traveling back from Alexandria to Cairo for a meeting with the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. We received a call that he was called for another meeting with the prime minister of

Egypt for something pressing. They wanted to postpone to another day or later in the evening. We had to rework the schedule to do that. With international travel, I think that’s the mindset you need to have, to be ﬂexible, willing to adapt. In another incident, I was supposed to deliver a lecture in English. They gave the instruction that it would be in English. I went to the venue; it was a university in Aswan. I started speaking in English. I felt like people were not very comfortable. I was like, do you prefer Arabic? They said yes. So, I delivered the entire lecture in Arabic. What other thoughts did you have from this experience that you want to share with your students and colleagues?

The history, the culture, the sights in Egypt are just profound and inspiring. I always advise people, especially students, to travel to Egypt if they can. I can be biased about this, but it’s truly transformational. I try to take some of the students to Egypt when possible through a study abroad program we have here at SUNO. I’m excited that our program, and myself, started this study abroad program a few years ago. We’re trying to go to Egypt in October Also, I lead community trips different from the study abroad trips, just trying to bring these two countries together and these cultures together to build more understanding.

Journey’s biggest song is actually about Christian faith

BY JIM HARRINGTON

Mercury News (TNS)

The

SAN JOSE, Calif There’s a deeper meaning to “Don’t Stop Believin’” — one that might not be widely evident to the some of the fans who hear the Journey anthem played at sporting events and on classic rock radio

The song, which was released on Journey’s seventh studio album “Escape” in 1981, is actually a song based on Christian faith and dealing directly with the Holy Spirit, says the song’s co-author Jonathan Cain Cain says that, if one really thinks about it, the song is actually about the Holy Spirit.

“We don’t stop believing,” Cain said in an interview with christianpost.com. “We never do.” Cain who co-wrote the “Don’t Stop Believin’” with fellow Journey members Neal Schon and Steve Perry (who is no longer in the band) — says that connection to Christian faith can be heard in one of the song’s best-known lyrics

“And when we say ‘hold on to that feeling,’ that might just be the Holy Spirit,” he says. Neither Schon nor Perry have commented on the matter Cain, who has embarked on a solo career in Christian music and plans to leave Journey after the Bay Area band’s current farewell tour, says that the song was originally inspired by an encouraging talk that he had with

his father that addressed God’s “vision” for the songwriter

“I wrote the song based on what my father had said to me when I was going to quit the music business or come

home and regroup,” Cain remembers in the interview with The Christian Post.

“I was in L.A. and I said,

‘Should I stay or should I go?’ He said, ‘No, you’ve got to stay Don’t stop believing.

God has a vision for you.’

“He was referring back to a ﬁre that I was in when I was 8 years old, where 93 children died. And my father prophesized and said, ‘You were saved for music. I be-

lieve the Lord saved you for making music. And I’m going to get behind that. This was 1958 — dads didn’t do that They said get a real job.” Instead of getting a “real job,” Cain would pursue a career in music and eventually land a gig with Journey in the early ’80s.

“I went straight into the studio with them and created the ‘Escape’ album in 1981,” Cain said in the interview It sold 9 million copies So, my dad’s prophecy came true.

“Only God can do that. Only the Lord — the hand of the Lord — could take an accordion player from Chicago and put him in Steve Perry’s living room to write ‘Don’t Stop Believin.’” That’s pretty incredible. That’s kind of miracle stuff, you know?” Cain and Journey bring their Final Frontier Tour to the Chase Center in San Francisco on Nov 28. Journey is also playing Sept 17 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton. Visit ticketmaster com for tickets and other information. The current Journey lineup features Cain (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Schon (lead guitar), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals), Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass, vocals).

Continued from page 1y

“You get that awesome feeling of realizing how vast everything is. India is huge! China is huge! Africa is enormous!” he said “It’s also extremely humbling. You think you should know where, say, the Philippines are, but once you’re required to put a pin on a map, you realize you may not know at all.” He’s right. Without borders, even familiar cities go missing.

One group of “friends” I play the game with daily is my younger daughter and her boyfriend in Denver They say they’ve become quite competitive, leading them to study maps independently My friend James McGuire in Chicago says that MapTap is a morning routine that doesn’t make him feel bad about looking at his phone. He also likes the trivia blurbs tied to each spot, but what surprised him more was what the game has revealed about his blind spots. We both use rivers and natural landmarks to ﬁnd

places we’re familiar with, but Russia and China don’t have the same easily recognizable hints for us. He also plays Wordle every morning with his college roommate and friends a habit he’s kept up for years. We put both games in the same category: small rituals that keep us tethered to people we don’t see enough.

I tracked down John Donham, MapTap’s creator He says the game is a labor of love. Donham had the idea in 2008 but didn’t begin building it until 2023. Last year about 3,000 people played. Today, more than 2

million do. Part of the game’s charm is the stories Donham and his team attach to each place.

“I generally pick the stories ﬁrst that I think are the strongest. I aim for geographical, gender, cultural and era diversity I have so many favorite stories it will ﬁll any article,” he wrote. Parachuting beavers, for example. When Idaho needed to relocate dozens of beavers into the mountains, they turned them into paratroopers. There’s Cecil Chubb, who bought Stonehenge.

I asked if he had a favorite story about a place, and his answer explains part of why so many people enjoy the game so much.

“Human history is so full of all these hopeful, joyful moments,” he wrote. “I don’t know that I could pick one. I think that’s part of why the game exists. Because there are thousands of them.” A thousand miles away, someone I love is dropping a pin on a place we’ve never been, and for a second, I can hear the cards ﬂip. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By HAITHAM EID

Southern University at New Orleans professor Haitham Eid stands on April 8 in the King

Tut Ankh Amun Gallery in front of the Golden Mask of King Tut Ankh Amun at the Grand Egyptian Museum

BAy AREA NEWS GROUP/TNS FILE PHOTO By JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO

Jonathan Cain of Journey performs onstage during San Francisco Fest 2016 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Calcasieu Parish authorities tout youth justice program

With MARC, agencies, courts and schools work to break cycle of incarceration

BY IZZY WOLLFARTH

Contributing writer

In the southwest corner of Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish law enforcement agencies, the juvenile court system and school board are working together to try to break the cycle of incarceration and rewrite the narrative around youth justice.

The collaboration, called the Multi-Agency Resource Center, based in Lake Charles, aims to address the needs of kids between the ages 6 and 17 at the ﬁrst sign of trouble.

Ofﬁcers, judges, school ofﬁcials, or anyone who notices youths in need of extra support, can refer them to the MARC, where they will undergo comprehensive testing to understand the root cause of their harmful behaviors.

They are then connected with a variety of services that best suit their needs, including crisis intervention programs, local counseling, healthcare, education support, child-abuse case management, and even curfew drop-offs by law enforcement.

Calcasieu authorities at MARC say they have created a program that works.

the brainchild of that legislation and remains under the jurisdiction of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the Calcasieu Parish Children and Youth Planning Board.

The Calcasieu Parish’s Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice Services is divided into ﬁve departments: administration, a short-term 38-bed detention facility, probation services, family services (Truancy Assessment and Service Center and Families in Need of Services) and MARC.

In 2004, Louisiana passed legislation that restructured the youth justice system. Under Act 7, Youth Services officially became its own entity apart from Adult Corrections. Act 555 mandated the creation of children and youth planning boards in every judicial district across Louisiana. These planning boards provide youths with community-based services and divert them away from both the justice and the foster care systems.

“It’s something that we feel could change the landscape of a lot of work that people are doing in juvenile justice, if they just dare to think a little bit different,” said Anthony Celestine, director of the Calcasieu Parish Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice Services and MARC. Since opening in 2011, MARC has grown into an organization where youths can gain access to needed services all under one roof and avoid falling deeper into the criminal justice system.

Celestine said MARC is

At its core, MARC is an assessment center, where evidence-based initiatives and screening tools are put at the forefront of youth justice.

MARC’s philosophy revolves around data.

on criminal justice reform, conducted an outcome study of MARC’s services. The study found that case processing times for youths referred to MARC decreased from 17 days to 3.9 days. Referrals overall decreased ﬁvefold and youths’ chances of reoffending decreased from 26% to 12%.

er into the justice system.

“We have become more intentional with making sure that public safety is still forefront,” Campbell said.

“Since 2014, we have had the same criteria in place as we do now, but we also have the cooperation with law enforcement that if it’s a minor offense, they’re not seeking detention.”

Campbell

“Whenever you look at an assessment center, you look at a process It seems very amazing, but it’s kind of like pulling the curtain back at Oz when you see it,” said Joshua Campbell, MARC’s assistant director “There’s just commonsense practices there.”

Two years after the center’s opening, the Vera Institute of Justice, a New Yorkbased nonproﬁt that focuses

Powering Progress

So far this year, 31 youths have been booked into the detention center between every agency, according to MARC’s data.

MARC also forecast that approximately 64 youths in total will be admitted to the detention center this year, which would be down from the 115 admitted last year MARC calculates this number using their data forecasts, which measures the number of detention booksins so far by the number of days left and passed in 2026.

Since opening, MARC has served 22,486 youths, providing 46% with immediate support, diverting 88% from formal processing and halting 39% from entering deep-

MARC is open from 8 a.m. to midnight Monday to Saturday giving families and administrative partners the opportunity to walk in at any point. This also gives families the chance to be involved in every step of their child’s care.

“When families are able to stay in the driver’s seat, we’re seeing more from them as far as the collaboration success and actually being able to get something in place that truly works for them,” Campbell said.

Campbell said that once youths enter the criminal justice system, families and parents can quickly lose oversight over their children.

“We are trying to get them (parents) to understand that you have total control right now, and we want to make sure it stays that way So, just come in and have a conversation with us,” he said.

MARC was originally supported through a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Louisiana Models for Change; it is also a learning hub site for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Both Celestine and Campbell said MARC’s success did not come overnight.

“Everyone’s like, well, how do we get this? I said, well, we got this many, many years, decades ago,” Campbell said. “You have to put something on the books, and you have to start small and potentially get bigger.”

One of MARC’s early discoveries was a result of youth feedback, where youths acknowledged the trauma and harm in being handcuffed and put in a cop car before being dropped off at MARC. This feedback became MARC’s modern-day referral process, granting youths and their families more agency, and law enforcement and local agencies more discretion in how troubled youths are handled.

“I think a lot of folks would prefer to work within silos or work within the parameters of their agency as opposed to realizing the more you share the wealth, the more you share alignment with working with people the better you have opportunities to create outcomes,” Celestine said.

Izzy Wollfarth received her master’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University in May She reported and wrote this story 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.

PROVIDED PHOTO

At the first sign of trouble with youths between the ages of 6 and 17, law enforcement officers, school officials and others in Calcasieu Parish can refer the youths here to the Multi-Agency Resource Center in Lake Charles for evaluation.

Celestine

Tai chi practitioners seek balance, well-being in Beijing

BY MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ Associated Press

BEIJING — One arm raised and the other lowered, hundreds of people move every morning like birds spreading their wings at the heart of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven.

It’s a movement in tai chi, a physical and philosophical practice developed more than 300 years ago that continues to resonate in China today

“The environment is great and the air is good too,” said Ye Guirong, 64. “You can see we’re surrounded by trees.”

Most practitioners are retirees in their 60s and beyond. Some exercise in groups while a speaker plays relaxing music in the background. Others move silently on their own.

ﬁrst encountered tai chi in 2010. Recently retired, she took walks across the city and one day spotted the group she now leads

“I thought it looked good, so I started practicing,” Ye said.

Once a new member joins a group, its leader teaches the basic moves. The apprentice’s progress is reviewed and corrected periodically until a new level is achieved.

Among tai chi’s basic movements are “White Crane Spreads Its Wings,”

Executive Director Andrew Hundley stands at the Louisiana Parole Project office.

in which one arm is raised while the other is lowered, and “Part the Wild Horse’s Mane,” a broad, fluid sequence in which the body weight shifts forward while the arms open gently in front of the chest.

“The movements have been passed down from one instructor to another,” Ye said.

Newcomers keep joining Ye’s tai chi group, Cypress Grove, has around 30 people and recently welcomed its newest practitioner Zu Hong, 59, learned a 24-movement routine in

PROJECT

Continued from page 1y

facing parole hearings, and to support them in building successful lives once home.

While Louisiana Parole Project was in its early stages, Hundley attended Baton Rouge Community College, then LSU, graduating with a bachelor’s degree. He went on for his master’s in criminology at Loyola New Orleans, where he currently teaches a criminology course as an adjunct.

Once Louisiana Parole Project got underway, Hundley and his partners decided to expand beyond juvenile lifers to include people who served long prison sentences. The organization started as a boot camp for people coming home. For two to three weeks, the parolees would open bank accounts, get driver’s licenses, get Medicaid, learn how to use smartphones and then go on their way

Hundley said they started renting one apartment and then two, and now they operate 48 properties in Baton Rouge — 12 are transitional houses and 36 are post-transitional properties — for clients to build rental history

“We didn’t think about housing as the significant need it’s become,” Hundley said. Many clients had outlived their families, had families living in poverty, or didn’t want to return to the environments they’d left. Hundley realized that longer-term housing was a necessity Hundley said he and his team learned that the multiple-week boot camp idea was not going to work. Their clients needed more assistance and longer support.

“We were just delaying the inevitable,” Hundley said.

“We weren’t giving them an opportunity to restart their lives.” Hundley said the organization encourages the clients to build their foundation and utilize their time in the program. There is no arbitrary set time period for the program. Some people will be in it for several months, and others for a year or longer It’s dependent on each person.

10 years later

Now, through secure hous-

ing and formerly incarcerated staff members who model how to rebuild their lives, Hundley said Louisiana Parole Project is better able to support their clients. They remove barriers so the clients can start working, receive healthcare and earn money

“A big part of what we do is we don’t wait for people to knock at our door saying they need help,” Hundley said. “We don’t wait for people to be in crisis, and to be homeless before they need our help, so we start working with our clients while they’re incarcerated.”

Formerly incarcerated re-entry specialists each case-manage two or three transitional houses, visiting daily to run programming, check in on savings and offer counsel.

Marquis Dalton, a Louisiana Parole Project client who has been home for a year, was 19 when he began his 26-year incarceration. He joined the Forgotten Voices Toastmasters inside Angola, a rehabilitationfocused public speaking group.

Now, he is in the third phase of the Louisiana Parole Project He has a fulltime job and his own place — and is in school to be an HVAC technician

“That transition coming home and having somewhere to go and feel accepted was huge,” Dalton said.

“Having someone like a big brother, Mr Coates, my case manager, holds me accountable. He’s always checking up on me if I need any help.”

Another ally in the organization for Dalton is his attorney, Adreaynne Hutchison, who has been a full-time attorney for Louisiana Parole Project for three years.

Hutchison started with the nonproﬁt as an LSU law student in its parole and reentry clinic.

After time working in courts, Hutchison returned to Louisiana Parole Project — this is it for her, especially representing clients before the parole board

“Watching what people overcome and hearing about the different things that they’re doing on their path to redemption is so inspiring,” Hutchison said.

“To watch them come home and thrive and flourish. They keep up with me. It’s a constant reinforcement of

about a month. Ye said she’s ready to take on the second set.

“I thought tai chi looked very beautiful,” Zu said. “I wanted to exercise, so I came here to the Temple of Heaven.”

Founded in the 15th century by a Ming dynasty emperor, the site is a complex of religious buildings symbolizing the relationship between heaven and earth.

Its most iconic building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It served as the ceremonial site where emperors acted as intermediaries between humans and

heaven, offering sacriﬁces and prayers for good harvests.

Today it serves primarily as a tourist attraction and its surrounding gardens remain open to the public.

Ancient ideas endure

Tai chi carries two meanings in China It refers both to the martial art, or Taijiquan, and to the philosophical ideas behind it, or Taiji.

One of its key concepts is qi, or vital energy, which is understood as a life breath that ﬂows through the body

In traditional Chinese medicine, health depends

on qi circulating through a network of pathways known as meridians, which are believed to connect the body’s organs, limbs and other parts. Acupuncture and other traditional treatments aim to regulate that ﬂow

“Practices like tai chi and qigong are all about activating, regulating or improving the ﬂow of qi in the body,” said James Miller, a professor of Humanities at Duke Kunshan University in China’s Jiangsu province.

“That’s something very key to Daoism (Taoism), but it’s also part of the broader Chinese conception of the body and of the world.”

Beyond the human body, qi is also believed to exist in nature. Mountains and rivers are understood to be animated by its ﬂow

“This is also why it’s traditional to establish temples on mountains,” Miller said.

“They’re understood not just as beautiful or remote places, but because they’re closer to nature.”

Ancient practice lives on

There are several styles of tai chi, each with its own forms.

Ye’s group gathers every morning at 7:40 a.m to practice Yang-style for about an hour and a half. The group rotates through different sets. Some consist of 24, 42 or 48 movements, while others incorporate swords or fans.

“Through exercising, everyone’s health has improved,” Ye said. “Our spirits are especially good.” Chen-style is widely recognized as the oldest form of tai chi. It was developed in the 17th century by Chen Wangting, a military commander who later in life changed paths to embrace spirituality

“He practiced Daoist (Taoist) methods of selfcultivation including meditation,” said Tai Chi master Chen Haitao. “Then one day he experienced a sudden awakening: the meridians throughout his body all opened, his mind became enlightened, and wisdom suddenly emerged.” Chen Wangting’s experience was life-changing, said Chen Haitao. Dreaming of sharing the sensation with others, he found in movement the means to do so. Both the martial art and the philosophy behind tai chi are meant to work together Chen said. The movements provide the method while the philosophy gives them meaning.

“One of the great beneﬁts of Taijiquan is that it is suitable for everyone,” Chen said. “As long as you learn the basic principles correctly and maintain proper alignment, whoever practices it will beneﬁt from it.” AP video journalist Wu Jia contributed to this report.

the why.”

Part of the solution

After 10 years, Louisiana Parole Project has earned broad support from the state, other organizations and donors. Hundley said early skepticism has given way to a proven track record:

n Louisiana’s ﬁve-year recidivism rate for the total Department of Corrections population is 43.5%.

n The ﬁve-year recidivism rate for parolee releases is 29.4%.

n Louisiana Parole Project’s recidivism rate is less than 3%.

“We don’t have to convince people of our worth anymore,” Hundley said.

“We’ve proven formerly incarcerated people are serving an incredible purpose in this work. Redemption’s possible. There’s a way in which you can provide pathways for people to come home, and we’ve proven that model and it’s worked more often than not.”

Hundley said that 90% of people who go to prison are coming home, and they want those people to have support to help the economy, build stability and eliminate recidivism.

Even though clients are from all over the state, they all start their parole journeys in Baton Rouge.

“Louisiana is different,” Hundley said. “I’m Catholic, and I think that culturally we believe in redemption.”

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Staff attorney Adreaynne Hutchison, left, chats with her former client Marquis Dalton at the Louisiana Parole Project office in June.

Deputy Director Kelly Garrett, right, goes over the program expectations during orientation with new client Roger Beard, who was released from prison two days prior after 21 years incarcerated, at the Louisiana Parole Project office.

New client Dermon Rodriguez looks for business attire that fits him inside the community closet at the Louisiana Parole Project office.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDy WONG

People practice Tai Chi on July 9 at a park near the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

SUNDAY, JUlY 26, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — Hornets: HOR-nets: Wasps that usually live in colonies like bees.

Average mark 42 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 58 or more words in HORNETS?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Brilliant play

South in today’s deal was Levent Imamoglu, from Turkey It is from a pairs competition, where overtricks are very important. Imamoglu might have bid three no-trump directly over North’s two-heart bid, gambling that the diamonds would run and that the opponents could not take five heart tricks, or that they would notleadahearteveniftheycould. He made a conservative threediamond bid and his partner alertly found another bid. Imamoglu ducked the opening king of spades lead, won the spade continuation, and ran off seven diamond tricks. East had a difficult discarding problem and he chose to discard two spades and all four of his hearts, including the king. This was the position:

cashed the queen of

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Push for what you want. Be the one who steps up, asks for assistance and makes the world a better place. Your enthusiasm and hands-on help will set you apart and make you the go-to person.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Stick to what you know and do best. Don’t get involved in situations that pose a health risk or put you in a vulnerable position. Protect your reputation and your job

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Consider what you want, how much you know and what you must do to take advantage of an opportunity that

hearts, forcing a spade discard from East, and led his last spade. He discarded the ace of hearts from dummy as East won with the 10. East had to lead away from his king of clubs and Imamoglu had two precious overtricks. Well done!

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interests you Conversations will change your perspective.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Look for answers Wanting to accommodate others is honorable; however, if you detect that someone is taking advantage of you, back away Don’t pay for someone else’s mistakes.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Focus on your surroundings and how to make your life easier without overspending. Have patience, and do what you can yourself. Nurture meaningful relationships, but don’t put up with someone’s lack of respect.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay more attention to what you have and what you are willing to give up before you negotiate a deal based on emotions. When in doubt, step back and take care of your needs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your energy where it counts, and make lifestyle changes that make you feel good about who you are and what you can do. An opportunity to form a personal or professional partnership is favored.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Talks will help decide what’s best for you emotionally Listen carefully and don’t be afraid to make your needs

clear if you want them to be met. A job prospect or proposal may sound better than what’s intended.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Use your imagination and have fun. Social, creative and entertainment pastimes will help you stretch your mind and find interesting outlets for your skills, attributes and heart’s desires.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Refrain from overdoing it or making promises you cannot deliver Trying to buy someone’s attention will lead to being taken advantage of.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Size up situations, and react accordingly Be ready to hit the reset button if someone you are counting on reneges. Don’t take a risk, but don’t miss out because you are slow getting started.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Keep your life simple. Don’t get involved in other people’s business. Concentrate on the things you enjoy doing most Avoid anyone looking for a fight or trying to manipulate you.

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: Walkingthroughthe surf, the seasneaks up behind me,and shows me its love. —Nallen

1. Bat. 2. Bird. 3. Peacock. 4. Bee. 5. Fox. 6. Mule. 7. Kitten.8.Skunk.9.Beaver.10. Lark. 11.Church mouse. 12. Goose. 13. March hare. 14.Mouse. 15. Dog Crossword