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ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

F r i d ay, M a r c h 13, 2026

2026 LEGISLATURE

Recreational hunting of alligators proposed

$2.00X

Officials eye route for new BR bridge

Mississippi River span could cost $1.78B to $2.04B BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Chandler Franklin lifts a 6-foot alligator out of the water as Dwain Hodge, left, anchors the boat and Eric Edwards wraps up the string used to catch it during an alligator hunt in 2024.

Bill would create a season for licensed hunters BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

A $50 lottery could soon give anyone a chance to reel in one of Louisiana’s 3 million alligators. Senate Bill 244, sponsored by state Sen. Robert Allain, R-Franklin, would expand alligator hunting by adding a recreational season. Currently, the state has a three-month commercial period when licensed hunters can harvest alligators on land they own or des-

An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the ship-toship transfer zone at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, late Wednesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

WEATHER HIGH 74 LOW 49 PAGE 8B

ignated public land and water bodies. of alligator habitat. If the Louisiana Legislature passes “We’re trying to kind of kill two Allain’s bill, the Louibirds with one stone: “We’re trying to kind increase the availabilsiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries ity to go and harvest of kill two birds with would be able to issue one stone: increase the an alligator and, at the 10,000 tags for recresame time, not upset availability to go and the commercial marational hunters, accesharvest an alligator and, ket,” Allain said. sible via a lottery. at the same time, not Increasing hunting Cole Garrett, the of the reptile could upset the commercial general counsel of help address overLDWF, said hunters market.” would be able to get population of the onceendangered species SEN. ROBERT ALLAIN, R-Franklin up to two tags in the lottery, which would without disturbing the cost $50 to enter. The commercial industry, recreational season could begin Oct. according to Allain. The added season would also give a 1 in areas south of Interstate 10 if the broader swath of people the opportu- bill gains approval. The hunting would nity to hunt, as the commercial indusä See ALLIGATORS, page 9A try mostly serves private landowners

State highway officials say they expect to choose a route for a new Mississippi River bridge by year’s end — unless further study is needed on the environmental impact of the long-awaited project. The bridge, estimated to cost about $2 billion, would run between La. 1 south of Plaquemine and La. 30 near St. Gabriel. The state Department of Transportation and Development has narrowed down a field of 32 possible bridge crossings to three. All begin and end in Iberville Parish, which is split by the river, and require new approach highways. State highway engineers recently concluded the future intersections with La. 1 and La. 30 would need more land than previously thought, citing the results of deeper analysis. Christina Brignac, DOTD’s critical projects manager, said the additional land requires a targeted environmental review once engineers decide on a preferred route and the type of intersections needed. After that, DOTD hopes to pick a final route

ä See BRIDGE, page 8A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Traffic rolls into Baton Rouge across the Interstate 10 bridge over the Mississippi River.

Iran’s leader vows to keep up attacks BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING, MIKE CORDER and NATALIE MELZER Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s secretive new leader issued his first public stateCO ONFLICT ments Thursday, IN THE T resolving to keep MIIDDLE fighting, promising more pain for EAST AST Gulf Arab states and threatening to open “other fronts” in a war that has already disrupted world energy supplies, the global economy and international travel.

INSIDE

yahu said his country’s attacks were creating conditions for the ä Pro-Iranian hackers starting to Iranian population to topple the stretch into the U.S. Page 6A government. “It is in your hands,” Netanyahu ä Trump administration denounces said at a news conference, adCNN for airing Iranian leader’s dressing the Iranian people. “We statements. Page 6A are creating the optimal conditions ä Oil prices jump to $100 per for the fall of the regime.” barrel. Page 3B Since the start of the war, U.S. and Israeli strikes have targeted ä Trump now trying to paint high oil security checkpoints in Iran to costs as positive. Page 3B undermine the government’s ability to suppress dissent, accordThe hard-line stance revealed ing to Armed Conflict Location by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mo- and Event Data, the U.S.-based jtaba Khamenei came as Israeli ä See ATTACKS, page 8A Prime Minister Benjamin Netan-

Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................5B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C

101ST yEAR, NO. 256

2A ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Drone strike in Sudan kills 4, injures more

CAIRO — Massive explosions caused by a drone strike at a market in the Darfur region near Sudan’s border with Chad on Thursday killed four people and wounded over two dozen civilians, a medical group said. Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, blamed the strike on the army, saying the drone hit fuel reserves at the Adikong border market in West Darfur, marking the second fatal drone strike in Adikong in less than a month. Gado Mahamadou, MSF head of mission in Chad, said 23 people were injured, including seven children and four women. Sudan plunged into war in April 2023 after simmering tensions between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and the army broke out into ﬁghting in Khartoum and spread across the country. The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. ﬁgures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher. The Darfur and Kordofan regions became the epicenters of the war, with deadly drone attacks frequently reported in Kordofan. A surge in drone strikes in the Sudanese region of Kordofan has taken a growing toll on civilians and hampered aid operations, analysts and humanitarian workers previously said.

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Israeli military drops charges

5 soldiers were accused of sexually abusing Palestinian detainee BY JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military on Thursday said it was dropping charges against ﬁve soldiers accused of beating and sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee in an alleged assault partially caught on camera. The decision, which came as much of the country’s attention was focused on the war with Iran, closed a ﬂashpoint case that has bitterly divided Israel since the soldiers were arrested in 2024 at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison, prompting anger from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement, while human rights groups accused the military of ignoring one

of the gravest instances of abuse in the country’s network of wartime prisons. “Israel’s military advocate general just gave his soldiers license to rape — so long as the victim is Palestinian,” said Sari Bashi, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, after the case was dismissed. She said the decision was “the latest in a long line of actions that whitewash abuses against detainees whose frequency and severity have worsened since Oct. 7, 2023.” Netanyahu welcomed the decision, saying that “the state of Israel must pursue its enemies, not its heroic ﬁghters.” The now-dismissed indictment against the soldiers accused them of an assault that included dragging a Palestinian prisoner along the ﬂoor, stepping on him, tasering him, and sexually assaulting him by stabbing him in the rectum. The

Palestinian was taken to an Israeli hospital with fractured ribs and a perforated rectum that required surgery before he was returned to the prison. The allegations of abuse at the facility gained steam when, in August 2024, Israeli news broadcast a leaked video of the alleged assault. The video showed a group of masked soldiers wresting a detainee from the ground, where he and other Palestinians were lying face down and handcuffed in a fencedin pen, and taking the detainee to an area of the pen they cordoned off using shields. In its Thursday decision dismissing the case, the military’s top legal ofﬁcers said the charges against the soldiers were being dropped because the video did not show abuse violent enough to merit a criminal conviction and had been improperly leaked to the media. The decision added that the

California sued over vehicle-emission rules BY SOPHIE AUSTIN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press

19 convicted over 2004 Moscow concert attack MOSCOW — A court in Moscow on Thursday convicted 19 people of involvement in the 2024 shooting rampage at a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people and wounded over 600 in one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in years. A faction of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the March 22, 2024, massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue. Authorities said four gunmen, identified as citizens of Tajikistan, shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire. All 19 defendants were handed lengthy prison terms: 15 received life sentences, one got 22½ years, and three were given 19 years and 11 months each. Those with life sentences will serve part of them in a prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, according to the verdict. They were also ordered to pay fines ranging from about $6,300 to $34,000.

PHOTO PROVIDED By BRONX ZOO

A red fox that stowed away on a ship is pictured at the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday in New york.

Fox stows away on ship from England to U.S. NEW YORK — This stowaway truly was sly as a fox. A red fox somehow slipped onto a cargo ship that traveled from Southampton, England, to New York, where the animal is now in the Bronx Zoo’s care. The zoo said Wednesday that the 11-pound male fox appears healthy after early examinations. “He seems to be settling in well,” Keith Lovett, the zoo’s director of animal programs, said by phone. “It’s gone through a lot.” It’s not clear how the animal got on the ship full of automobiles, which left Southampton on Feb. 4, according to the zoo. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the ship’s crew discovered the furry passenger while traveling to the Port of New York and New Jersey, where the vessel arrived Feb. 18. Ofﬁcials brought the fox to the zoo the next day. He’s estimated to be 2 years old. The species, formally named Vulpes vulpes, is widespread in Europe, Asia, North America and parts of Africa. A long-term home for this fox will be found once he clears some more health screening. For now, he’s in the zoo’s veterinary center.

Palestinian victim had since been released back to Gaza, creating an “absence of certainty” he would be able to testify in a trial. In November 2025, after much speculation about how the leaked video got out, Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi — the top legal ofﬁcial in the military — admitted that she had approved its release, saying she had wanted to show how serious the abuse was and convince people the military had a duty to investigate. Facing an uproar from Netanyahu’s government, she abruptly resigned and then disappeared, only to be found phoneless on a Tel Aviv beach after a frantic search by authorities. The phone, believed to hold possible evidence against her, was later recovered in the sea. The Associated Press investigated allegations of inhumane treatment and abuse at Sde Teiman before the surveillance video.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID A. LIEB

People opposed to new the U.S. House districts passed by the Missouri General Assembly demonstrate Tuesday outside the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo.

Mo. judge rejects challenge to new U.S. House districts

BY DAVID A. LIEB

Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri court has rejected a legal challenge to new U.S. House districts backed by President Donald Trump that are aimed at helping Republicans win an additional seat in the midterm elections. Opponents of the new districts claimed they violated a state constitutional provision requiring districts to be compact. But Jackson County Circuit Judge Adam Caine rejected that in a ruling Thursday. Although the decision marked a victory for Republicans, a separate legal challenge remains pending at the Missouri Supreme Court alleging that middecade redistricting is unconstitutional. Opponents also have submitted over 300,000 petition signatures in an attempt to force a statewide vote on the new congressional map. Missouri is one of several states targeted for congressional redistricting by Trump, who has been angling for an edge in the November elections as Republicans try to hold their narrow House majority. After Trump called on Texas Republicans to redistrict, Democrats countered with new districts in California, and a redistricting battle soon spread to other states. Missouri currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Republicans and two Democrats under a map passed in 2022 based on the most recent census. At

the time, Republican lawmakers turned back an attempt by some in the party to push a map giving Republicans a shot at winning seven seats. They cited concerns that it could spread Republicans too thin and backﬁre in losses if Democrats enjoyed a favorable election year. But Republicans set aside those concerns last year under pressure from the White House to revise the districts for partisan advantage. A new map passed during a September special legislative session is intended to help Republicans win a Kansas City-area seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. It reassigns portions of Kansas City to two neighboring districts represented by Republicans and stretches the remainder of his 5th Congressional District eastward into Republican-heavy rural areas. Court ﬁlings on behalf of suing voters asserted that the new map “radically departs” from historical norms by splitting apart and stretching out the 5th District, which previously had been more concentrated in Kansas City. But attorneys for Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway countered that the new map actually is an improvement. Although the 5th District may be less compact, the state asserted that the map overall is more compact and splits fewer local governments among multiple districts. Caine agreed with that in his ruling.

Latvia’s security service says 2 set fire to train and rail equipment for Russia BY EMMA BURROWS

AP European security correspondent A train and some railway infrastructure were set on fire in August in Latvia by two people acting in Russia’s interests, Latvia’s State Security Service said Wednesday, the latest in a series of warnings by Western officials who say Russia is attacking critical infrastructure across Europe. The security service said the two people set fire to the train and some railway relay cabinets — boxes that contain equipment to control train movements — and also filmed the attack. The video material was later sent to the people who commissioned the arson who used it for propaganda purposes to claim the fires were in Ukraine, the service said. The arson in August is one of at least 151 incidents of sabotage and malign activity across Europe tracked by The

Associated Press and linked to Russia by Western officials since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ofﬁcials say a goal of the attacks is to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources. Russia often uses proxies for such attacks and some perpetrators say they have no idea they have been hired by Moscow. In November, Polish ofﬁcials said Russia’s intelligence services were behind several incidents of sabotage on a rail line used to deliver aid to Ukraine. The cyberattacks demonstrate the vulnerability of European critical infrastructure and are part of a concerning trend which suggests Moscow is adopting a “more aggressive posture,” toward European countries it views as adversaries said Ciaran Martin, former head of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state’s nation-leading vehicleemission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars. President Donald Trump has long fought California’s efforts to curb tailpipe emissions and spur electric vehicle adoption, and last summer he blocked the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of new gaspowered cars by 2035. He’s also routinely criticized California’s highestin-the-nation gas prices, which are largely due to taxes and environmental regulations. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ofﬁce blasted the lawsuit, noting it comes as gas prices climb amid the Iran war and as some drivers consider going electric. “Gas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump’s reckless choices, and now he’s attacking the Golden State for trying to

give Californians more freedom and cheaper options,” Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said. After Trump blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, the state quickly sued over the move. The California Air Resources Board then said previously adopted standards tackling emissions from cars that pose climate and public health risks would remain in effect even if the state’s more ambitious rules remained blocked. But the federal government said in its lawsuit that the state didn’t have the authority to enforce even its less stringent standards. “Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. California has for decades been able to seek approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt stricter emissions standards than the federal government. Other states can sign on to adopt California’s rules.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 3A

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ROTC students subdue shooter who killed 1 Gunman yelled ‘Allahu akbar’ before opening fire at Old Dominion

BY JONATHAN MATTISE, OLIVIA DIAZ, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

A former Army National Guard member who had spent eight years in prison for attempting to aid the Islamic State opened fire on a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University on Thursday before ROTC students subdued and killed him, authorities said. He had yelled “Allahu akbar” before the shooting, which left one person dead and two wounded, according to the FBI. Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, said at a news conference that the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students showed “extreme bravery and courage” and prevented further loss of life by stopping the gunman, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh. The students subdued him and “rendered him no longer alive,” Evans said. “I don’t know how else to say it.” She confirmed Jalloh wasn’t shot but didn’t provide further details. The campus shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media.

Background on the gunman Evans said Jalloh aspired to conduct a terrorist attack like the 2009 killings at Fort Hood. Jalloh had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was released from federal custody in December 2024. Ashraf Nubani, a Virginia attorney who represented Jalloh in his 2016 criminal case, said in a statement that he’d had no recent contact with Jalloh and had no infor-

VIRGINIAN-PILOT PHOTO By KENDALL WARNER

Bystanders are evacuated from Old Dominion University’s campus after reports of an active shooter on Thursday in Norfolk, Va. mation about Thursday’s events. “Any loss of life is tragic, and violence against innocent people is completely contrary to Islamic teachings and basic human morality,” Nubani added. Jalloh’s sister, Fatmatu Jalloh, of Sterling, Virginia, said Thursday she knew nothing about the attack. She said she last saw her brother two days earlier. “I have no idea what is going on,” the suspect’s sister said. “I know nothing. I don’t even know who to call.” The public university in Norfolk canceled classes and suspended all operations on its main campus through Friday. In a message to the university community, ODU President Brian Hemphill said the school faced a tragedy on campus. He expressed gratefulness for the swift emergency response and thoughts and prayers to those impacted.

Shooter confirmed dead At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said officers responded after receiving reports that people were being shot in one of the classrooms in the university’s business school building, Constant Hall. After the university initially said there were two victims, Shelton said authorities learned that there was a third victim who brought themselves to a hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shooter died. He did not acknowledge whether any officers fired a weapon. He said all three victims are affiliated with the university. Shelton said authorities are “very early” in the investigation and have not yet determined the “full cause of death” of the shooter.

Within a matter of less than 10 minutes, the call came in, ofﬁcers arrived and they determined the shooter was dead, the chief said.

Guard service, Islamic State ties The suspected shooter, Jalloh, is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone. According to a 2016 FBI afﬁdavit ﬁled in his criminal case, Jalloh told a government informant he quit the Army National Guard after hearing lectures from radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The Virginia Army National Guard confirmed Jalloh served as a specialist from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged. A court affidavit recounts a three-month sting operation in which Jalloh, then 26, said he was thinking about carrying out an attack similar to the 2009 shootings

at Fort Hood, which left 13 people dead. Authorities launched the 2016 operation after Jalloh made contact with Islamic State members in Africa earlier that year. Jalloh later told the informant that the Islamic State group had asked if he wanted to participate in an attack. He tried to donate $500 to the Islamic State, but the money actually went to an account controlled by the FBI, according to court documents. Jalloh then tried to buy an AR-15 assault rifle from a Virginia gun store but was turned away because he lacked the proper paperwork. The affidavit says he returned the next day and bought a different assault rifle. Prosecutors said the rifle was rendered inoperable before Jalloh left the store, unbeknownst to Jalloh. He was arrested the following day. The Justice Department in 2017 requested a 20-year prison sentence for Jalloh, noting that he had made multiple attempts to join the Islamic State and had attempted to acquire a gun to carry out a murder plot in the United States. Jalloh’s lawyers requested a 61/ 2-year prison sentence and placement in a facility with residential drug treatment for inmates with addiction and substance abuse issues. “The defendant was fully aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of those actions. His only misgivings seemed to be a fear that he would waver at the critical moment,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. They added: “By putting the idea of this murder plot into religious terms, and by suggesting that murdering members of the US military would be a path to heaven, the defendant showed how strongly committed he was to the deadly ideology” of the Islamic State. U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, sentenced him instead to 11 years in prison.

Fla. lawmakers approve giving governor power to name ‘terrorist’ groups BY LAWRENCE MOWER Tampa Bay Times (TNS)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State lawmakers approved giving Gov. Ron DeSantis broad new powers to name “terrorist” organizations, despite concerns from Democrats that he would abuse it to go after left-leaning college students and Islamic schools that receive public voucher money. House lawmakers on Thursday passed HB1471 along party lines, sending it to DeSantis’ desk. DeSantis’ ofﬁce originally proposed the legislation, which would give him and future governors powers typically reserved for the federal government. Under the bill, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which reports to the governor, would have the ability to deem groups as foreign or domestic “terrorist organizations.” Foreign terrorist groups would already have to be deemed as such by the federal government, such as alQaida, ISIS and various drug cartels. Domestic terrorist groups would have to be engaging in “terrorist activity” as de-

ﬁned in state law and pose “an ongoing threat” to security. Neither the group nor its members would have to be charged with a crime to be deemed a terrorist group. Lawmakers on Thursday also passed another bill making records around those decisions secret under state law. Groups could receive access to some of those records if they challenge their terrorist designation in court. Rep. Hillary Cassel, the Dania Beach Republican who sponsored both bills, said she had no intention of blocking students’ right to protest or debate. “This bill protects the Constitution, protects us from those that want to change us, protects us from those who want Western civilization to fall,” Cassel said Thursday. But the bill specifically targets college students who “promote” terrorist organizations. Promotion includes “making a statement or taking an action that supports, approves, or encourages a terrorist organization’s extralegal violence.” Such students would be immediately expelled and assessed out-of-state tuition fees.

The legislation also folRep. Wyman Duggan, a minutes on Thursday, enraglows years of efforts by Jacksonville Republican, ing Democrats. DeSantis to stamp out pro- shut down questions on “This is political represPalestinian protesters on changes to the bill after 19 sion through and through,” college campuses. In 2023, his hand-picked State University System chancellor accused two Florida chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine of knowingly providing material support for Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In December, DeSantis also named the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, as a terrorist organization through an executive order. A federal judge temporarily blocked it on free speech grounds. The bill also bars supporters of terrorist groups from receiving any state funding, including institutions receiving school choice scholarship money — a response to reports of Islamic schools receiving vouchers. Free speech groups have widely condemned the legislation as unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that it is unconstitutional for the government to target speech it disagrees with, even speech in support of terrorist groups, advocates say.

OPENING SOON

New Name, Old Tradition 4205 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

said Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat. “This is disrespectful to us as lawmakers.”

4A ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Synagogue attack ‘targeted act of violence’ lll

Man rammed vehicle into building, fatally shot by security

“We do go into lockdown.” Rabbi Arianna Gordon, from Temple Israel, thanked the security team, law enforcement and early childhood teachers for getting the children out safely and reunited with their parents, calling them the “true rock stars of the day.”

BY COREY WILLIAMS and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — The armed man who rammed his vehicle into one of the nation’s largest Reform synagogues has been identified as a 41-year-old naturalized citizen born in Lebanon, according to federal officials. Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was fatally shot by security personnel after ramming his vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit, Michigan, and driving through a hallway, authorities said. The vehicle caught fire after crashing into the building. Ghazali came to the U.S. in 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, called the incident “deeply disturbing and tragic” and said the FBI is leading the investigation. The agency considers the crime a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” she said at a news conference Thursday. Investigators have not determined a motive yet. “What drove this person into action has to be determined by the investigation,” said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. The vehicle caught fire after crashing into Temple Israel and driving through a hallway as security opened fire, authorities said. None of the synagogue’s staff, teachers or the 140 children at its early childhood center were injured, Bouchard said. In the minutes after the at-

Race to retrieve children

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By PAUL SANCyA

Law enforcement escorts families with children away from the Temple Israel synagogue Thursday in West Bloomfield Township, Mich.

Chief Dale Young said Temple security officers “engaged the individual and neutralized the threat.” The suspect was found dead inside his vehicle, Bouchard said. Cassi Cohen, director of strategic development at Temple Israel, was standing at the hallway where the crash happened. She said she heard a loud bang, grabbed a few staff members, ran into her office and locked the door. “When I heard the crash, I knew it was bad,” Cohen said. She said a classroom was near where the car rammed the synagogue and, in addition to the children, there were also more than 30 staff Law enforcement responds to a call at Temple Israel synagogue Thursday in West Bloomfield members in the synagogue. Township, Mich. “Thankfully, we have had many active shooter drills and our staff is prepared for tack, smoke billowed from but did not suffer life-threat- for smoke inhalation. the synagogue. One security ening injuries, the sheriff West Bloomfield Police these situations,” she said. officer was hit by the vehicle said. And 30 law enforceand knocked unconscious ment officers were treated

2 Colo. students covered in fake blood staged active shooter hoax, police say Denver Post (TNS) DENVER — Two students at Adams City High School are accused of calling in a fake bomb threat and a false claim of an active shooter at the Commerce City school on Wednesday, then covering themselves in something meant to look like blood, police said. The two teens, who were not identiﬁed by police because they are juveniles, were arrested on charges of false reporting of explosives and false reporting of an active shooter, both felonies, and interference with staff or faculty of an educational facility, a misdemeanor, the Commerce City Police Department said Wednesday evening. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across metro Denver responded to Adams City High, 7200 Quebec Parkway, around 1 p.m. after someone called 911 to report a bomb at the school and the presence of an active shooter, with wounded people supposedly inside the facility, authorities said. Ofﬁcials put the school on lockdown, with students and staff secured inside classrooms. Adams City High currently enrolls

1,422 students, according to state records. Police entered the school, going room to room to clear the building and look for a shooter and any victims, officials said. Once inside, officers found “what appeared to be a blood trail in several areas of the school,” Commerce City police said. After searching the school for two hours, police determined there were no victims and no real threat. But they found and arrested two students “who were covered in what looked like fake blood — the same substance officers had encountered in parts of the building,” police said. “For many, calls of this nature are their worst nightmare,” Commerce City police Chief Darrel Guadnola said in a statement. “The notion that this call may have been part of a prank is highly disturbing and pulled valuable law enforcement resources away from real emergencies in the Denver metro.” No students were injured during the lockdown, but one experienced an unrelated medical issue and was transported to a hospital by paramedics as a precaution, Adams County School District 14 officials said.

About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children soon after authorities cleared the building. Other families were reunited at a nearby Jewish community center. Allison Jacobs, whose 18-month-old daughter is enrolled in Temple Israel’s day care, said she got a message from a teacher saying the children were OK even before she knew what happened. “There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she told the AP. “I was hoping that it was a false report.” Jacobs, whose family is Jewish, said she tries not to think about all that’s going on in the world. “You never think that this is actually going to happen to you,” she said. “But I know that it’s — it’s just terrible. This morning I was mourning the loss of the school that got hit in Iran.” President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the attack, calling it a “terrible thing.” Steven Ingber, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, lamented the fact that his organization had to train and prepare for an attack. “I’d love to say that I’m shocked, that I’m surprised, but I’m not,” he said during a news conference Thursday. He added: “This will not change us. This will not deter us and we will continue.” Oakland County is Michigan’s second-largest county with roughly 1.3 million people. The majority of Detroitarea Jewish residents live there.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 5A

Senate GOP plans talkathon on voting bill lll

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans plan to launch a “full and robust debate” next week on legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements, an effort to show Trump that they are serious about the bill even though it doesn’t have enough support to pass. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is planning a talkathon on the Senate floor for an indefinite period of time, though it won’t officially be the “talking filibuster” that Trump has suggested. Republicans plan to hold the floor for days, if not weeks, to pressure Democrats. “I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record,” Thune said on the Senate floor Thursday as he announced the plan to take up the bill, which has already passed the House. Trump has said he won’t sign any other legislation until the bill — known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE America Act — is passed. It faces unified opposition from Democrats, meaning that the Senate likely can’t approve it unless Republicans change the rules and eliminate the filibuster. Many GOP senators are unwilling to go that far. Trump has made the bill a priority ahead of the mid-

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican who has led the effort with Trump to pass the SAVE America Act and has pushed for the talking ﬁlibuster, said Thursday that it’s not yet clear how it will play out. “I think he understands that we need to put in an aggressive effort here,” Lee said of Trump. The extent of Trump’s satisfaction with the process, Lee said, “will depend on whether in his view, we gave it everything we have.” Democrats uniformly oppose the legislation, arguing that it would disenfranchise some 20 million American voters who don’t have birth Hoping to appease Trump certificates or other docuSimilar to the talking ﬁli- ments readily available. Sen. Alex Padilla, the rankbuster, though, the plan does have risks — mainly that it ing Democrat on the Senate won’t satisfy Trump, who Rules Committee, said the has demanded passage and act “is not a voter ID bill. It threatened to hold up almost is a voter suppression bill. It everything else in Congress. is a voter purging bill.”

Thune said this week. Caught between Trump and Democratic opposition, Republican senators have come up with an alternate plan to hold the ﬂoor themselves — denying Democrats the opportunity for a weekslong stage to talk. The strategy avoids the procedural pitfalls, even if the process is likely to end with a failed vote. Republicans are also expected to consider several amendments on issues that Trump has named as priorities, including an end to most mail-in balloting. “Republicans are looking forward to this debate,” Thune said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB

Senate Republicans plan to launch a “full and robust debate” next week on legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements. term elections, arguing that Republicans need it to win — even as his party won the presidency and congressional majorities in 2024 without it. Federal law already requires that voters in national elections afﬁrm under oath, at the risk of prosecution, that they are U.S. citizens. The bill would also require that voters provide a photo ID when casting ballots, as many states already require.

An alternate path The president’s insistence on the bill, and an energized push from the GOP base, has put pressure on Thune. The GOP leader has repeatedly said they don’t have the

votes to eliminate the ﬁlibus- legislation in history that’s ter, which triggers a 60-vote been passed that way,” threshold, or even to move to the talking ﬁlibuster that Trump has aggressively lobbied them to deploy. Even if they did have the votes, a talking filibuster would not guarantee passage. Supporters of that approach say that Democrats would eventually tire of speaking or allow the legislation to pass. But Democrats would also be allowed to bring up an indefinite number of amendments on any subject, forcing Republicans to take hard votes in an election year and delaying the process even more. “We can’t find a piece of

Classic Eats,Timeless Memories

Live Nation employee mocked customers as ‘so stupid’ in messages made public BY LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK — Incendiary internal messages in which a Live Nation employee mocks customers as “so stupid” and says the company is “robbing them blind, baby” have been made public as over two dozen states weigh whether to continue their antitrust trial against the entertainment giant and its subsidiary Ticketmaster. The messages from late 2021 through early 2023 on the online work messaging platform Slack were highlighted late Wednesday in a ﬁling by government lawyers released in the public court record. The lawyers insist the messages should be evidence in the week-old trial in Manhattan federal court against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. At the trial, lawyers for the federal government and 39 states and the District of Columbia say Live Nation and Ticketmaster were squelching competition and driving up prices for fans through threats, retaliation and other tactics to “suffocate the competition” by controlling virtually every aspect of the industry, from concert promotion to ticketing. The companies insist that artists, sports teams and venues set prices and decide how tickets are sold.

The government lawyers wrote that the statements should be part of the trial because they are “candid, internal messages” in which Ben Baker “calls fans ‘so stupid,’ explains that he ‘gouge(s)’ them, and brags that Live Nation is ‘robbing them blind, baby.’” In the submission to Judge Arun Subramanian, the lawyers noted that Baker made the statements while he was a regional director of ticketing with responsibility for a large amphitheater in Florida but has since been promoted to head of ticketing for Venue Nation with responsibilities relating to all of Live Nation’s venues. They said the employees were discussing Live Nation’s price for access to the VIP area of a show at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa when Baker wrote that the prices are “outrageous,” that “these people are so stupid” and that “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them” before writing, “BAHAHAHAHAHA.” Live Nation wants the exhibits disqualiﬁed from the trial, saying the messages reﬂect “off-the-cuff banter, not policy” between two friends who do not work together. The company’s lawyers wrote that the exhibits don’t relate to the antitrust

claims. They said the employees were making “passing references to non-ticket ancillary products — such as VIP club access, premier parking, or lawn chair rentals — sold to concertgoers at two amphitheaters” in Florida and Virginia. But lawyers for the plaintiff states and U.S. government wrote that “excessive prices for ancillary services are directly relevant” to their claims and that “ancillaries are a signiﬁcant way that Live Nation monetizes its monopoly position in the amphitheater market.” In a statement Thursday, the company said the Slack exchange “from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reﬂect our values or how we operate.” The trial’s status is up in the air after the federal government announced this week it was settling with Live Nation in a deal that would give Live Nation’s competitors some access to ticket sales they are currently excluded from. Lawyers for more than two dozen states have asked that the ongoing trial be scrapped and that a new jury be chosen in the weeks ahead. A jury that began hearing evidence last week was told to stay home this week with the expectation the trial would resume on Monday.

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6A ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Iran-linked hackers take aim at U.S. lll

BY DAVID KLEPPER

short term. But experts say Iranian hackers and their allies will aim for quick victories by targeting the weakest links in American cybersecurity. Often, local water plants or health care facilities lack the funds and know-how to install the latest software patches or take other security steps. That has made them a favorite target, both because of the relative ease of penetrating them and because of the panic these disruptions can cause. This can include denial-of-service attacks, in which hackers try to jam a network so legitimate users cannot use it, and website defacements, which can prevent a company from communicating with customers. Hack-and-leak operations, where hackers threaten to release sensitive stolen material, are another possibility. The attacks are not that sophisticated, according to Shaun Williams, a former FBI and CIA ofﬁcer who is now a senior director at the cybersecurity firm SentinelOne. But if a business or government agency has failed to keep up with its cybersecurity, it could pay a steep price, he said. “Patch your systems. Ensure your ﬁrewalls and security solutions are up to date,” Williams said. “Remove your stale accounts. All the cyber hygiene that you should be doing, it’s more critical now than ever. Prepare for disruption.”

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Pro-Iranian hackers are targeting sites in the Middle East and starting to stretch into the United States during the war, raising the risk of American defense contractors, power stations and water plants being swept into a wave of digital chaos that could expand if Tehran’s allies join the fray. Hackers supporting Iran claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack Wednesday against U.S. medical device company Stryker. Since the war began Feb. 28, they also have tried to penetrate cameras in Middle Eastern countries to improve Iran’s missile targeting. They have targeted data centers in the region, as well as industrial facilities in Israel, a school in Saudi Arabia and an airport in Kuwait. Iran has invested heavily in its offensive cyber capabilities while cultivating ties to hacking groups. In recent years, groups working for Tehran have infiltrated the email system of President Donald Trump’s campaign, targeted U.S. water plants and tried to breach the networks used by the military and defense contractors. The goal is to wear down the American war effort, drive up the costs of energy, strain cyber resources and cause as much pain as possible for American companies that depend on the defense industry. “Something is going to happen because the gloves are off,” said Kevin Mandia, founder of the cybersecurity companies Mandiant and Armadin.

Who is being targeted Pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hackers claimed credit for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company. A group known as

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NATHAN ELLGREN

Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye, gives a tour of the cybersecurity company’s unused office space in Reston, Va. Handala said the attack was in retaliation for suspected U.S. strikes that killed Iranian schoolchildren. Like other ideologically motivated hackers, proﬁt is not Handala’s goal, according to Ismael Valenzuela, vice president of threat intelligence at the cybersecurity company Arctic Wolf. “What distinguishes this group is its clear focus on data destruction rather than ﬁnancial extortion,” he said in an email. Polish authorities are investigating a recent cyberattack — on a nuclear research facility — that may have ties to Iran, though they acknowledge that another group could be behind the attack and using the Iran war to mask its identity. Going forward, U.S. defense contractors, government vendors and businesses that work with Israel are likely targets, as is critical

infrastructure such as hospitals, ports, water plants, power stations and railways. Pro-Iranian hackers openly discuss their plans in Telegram and other online message boards. “The datacenters need to be taken out,” wrote one user, as uncovered by researchers at U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group. “They host the brains of USAs military communication and targeting systems.” Cyber operations also gather intelligence — for example, Iran’s effort to hack into cameras in neighboring countries to aid its missile targeting. Inﬁltrating U.S. networks, meanwhile, would offer view into military planning or supply chains.

Iran is considered a chaos agent

Russia and China present the greatest cyber threats to the U.S., while North Korea is a growing concern. But what Iran has lacked in resources it has made up for in ingenuity, experts say. In recent years, Tehran’s digital warriors have impersonated Going after easy targets American activists online to coThe strikes on Iran’s military as vertly encourage protests against well as internet outages may have Israel on college campuses. They limited Iran’s cyberattacks in the have set up fake news websites

and social media accounts primed to spread false and exaggerated claims before big U.S. elections. In 2024, Iranian hackers infiltrated the email system of the Trump campaign and later tried to disseminate ﬁles that the hackers said they stole. Hackers linked to Iran also tried to hack into the WhatsApp accounts of both Trump and his then-Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden. The activity prompted the Department of Homeland Security to issue a public warning last year about Iranian cyber threats. “Iran and especially the proxies don’t care how big or smart you are. This is about making an impact, about creating chaos,” said James Turgal, a cybersecurity expert who spent 22 years as an FBI agent and is now a vice president at Optiv, a Denver-based information security ﬁrm.

Next moves from Russia, China Experts are watching closely to see if Russia, China or hacking groups allied with either country provide hacking assistance to Iran, mounting attacks intended to undermine American operations in Iran and make it harder for the U.S. to sustain its ﬁght. While China has so far taken a cautious approach, there is evidence that pro-Iranian hackers in Russia are already at work. Researchers at the cybersecurity ﬁrm CrowdStrike detected a surge of activity from Russian hackers in support of Tehran since the war began. One group known as Z-Pentest claimed responsibility for disrupting several U.S. networks, including some involved in closed-circuit video cameras. The timing of the attack suggests the hackers were targeting U.S. interests because of the war in Iran, according to Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike.

Trump administration denounces CNN for airing messages from Iranian leaders BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer

The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader’s public statement, the second time in three days that he’s targeted the network for reporting on how the regime is responding to the American attacks. The attack illustrated the care news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of American journalists to report the perspective of countries its government views as enemies. It also exposed inconsistencies. The message of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during his first public statement since he succeeded his father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was widely available elsewhere. The White House said on social media that “fake news CNN just aired four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV, run by the same psychotic and murderous regime that prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.” Two days earlier, White House communications director Steven Cheung took

issue with CNN anchor Erin Burnett’s interview with Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator. Burnett asked Mousavian what he had been hearing about the Iranian government’s interest in having talks with the United States. There wasn’t much, he said. “Ever notice how CNN just regurgitates quotes and unveriﬁed information from Iranian terrorists?” Cheung wrote on X. “Total disgrace. They have become the murderous Iranian Regime’s version of Pravda,” he said, referring to the official newspaper of the former Soviet Union. CNN did not address Cheung’s statement but did respond to the White House attack on Thursday. It noted that CNN, Sky News and Al Jazeera also showed portions of the ayatollah’s statement live. “The world is watching with anticipation which direction this war will take,” CNN said. “Purported remarks from Iran’s new supreme leader are a critical component in helping audiences understand where this conﬂict is heading and were aired for their obvious news value.” Other news outlets, including The Associated

Press, sent out alerts on what Khamenei said. His vow to keep up attacks on other Arab countries in the region and plans to choke off the world’s oil supply were headlines. The New York Times led its website with a story on the speech in its immediate aftermath, later writing that the speech “was an early indication of how the new supreme leader would approach the war, as well as how he would lead the country.” CNN has long been a favored target of President Donald Trump, dating back to his ﬁrst term. It’s a particularly vulnerable time for the network with Paramount Global’s agreement to purchase CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, raising questions about its future editorial independence. CNN showed a news anchor reading a portion of Khameini’s remarks in Farsi, with an English translation. It did not air them in full. After the speech, correspondent Nick Paton Walsh gave a debrief to anchor Kate Bolduan, noting how the non-appearance of the leader — reportedly injured in an air attack — was as important as what he said. “We were waiting to see

the face of the man to have proof of his health and survival,” Walsh said, “and they’ve not met that moment. Instead, a handwritten message, it seems, that

mostly reiterates things we kind of already knew.” Thursday’s remarks by Iran’s new supreme leader were absolutely newsworthy and legitimate for CNN

to air them, said Jane Ferguson, a veteran international correspondent. It’s not the job of government leaders to pick apart what CNN is reporting, she said.

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lll

NASA clears rocket for April launch BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA cleared its moon rocket on Thursday for an April launch with four astronauts after completing the latest round of repairs. The 322-foot rocket will roll out of the hangar and back to the pad next week at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, leading to a launch attempt as early as April 1. It will mark humanity’s ﬁrst trip to the moon in more than 50 years. The Artemis II crew should have blasted off on a lunar ﬂyaround earlier this year, but fuel leaks and other problems with the Space Launch System rocket interfered.

Although NASA managed to plug the hydrogen fuel leaks at the pad in February, a helium-flow issue forced the space agency to return the rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs, bumping the mission to April. The space agency has only six days at the beginning of April to launch before standing down until April 30 into early May. “It’s a test ﬂight and it is not without risk, but our team and our hardware are ready,” NASA’s Lori Glaze told reporters at the end of the two-day ﬂight readiness review. Glaze and other NASA officials declined to provide the risk probabilities for the upcoming mission.

History has shown that a new rocket has essentially a 50% chance of success, said John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team. There’s so much gap since the only other SLS flight — more than three years ago without anyone on board — that it’s difficult to understand any risk assessment numbers, Honeycutt said. “It’s not the first flight,” Glaze said. “But we’re also not in a regular cadence. So we definitely have significantly more risk than a flight system that’s flying all the time.” Late last month NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, announced a major overhaul of the Artemis program to speed things up and, by doing so, reduce risk.

Dissatisfied with the slow pace and lengthy gaps between lunar missions, he added an extra practice flight in orbit around Earth for next year. That is now the new Artemis III, with the moon landing by two astronauts shifted to Artemis IV. Isaacman is targeting one and maybe even two lunar landings in 2028. NASA’s Office of Inspector General warned in an audit this week that the space agency needs to come up with a rescue plan for its lunar crews. Landing near the moon’s south pole will be riskier than it was for the Apollo astronauts closer to the equator given the rough polar terrain, according to the report. The report cited the lunar

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) moon rocket with the Orion spacecraft slowly rolls back towards the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 25 after issues with the rocket. landers as the top contributor for potential loss of crew during the ﬁrst few Artemis moon landings. It listed the

space agency’s loss-of-crew threshold at 1-in-40 for lunar operations and 1-in-30 for Artemis missions overall.

Thiel’s lectures on Antichrist come to Rome, and Catholic institutions back away BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME — One of the hottest tickets in the Vatican’s backyard these days is for a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The invitation-only conference in Rome, from Sunday to Wednesday, has proven so controversial that the Catholic universities initially associated with it have all denied ofﬁcial involvement. Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, the data-mining company that has been assisting the Trump administration’s migrant deportation crackdown. An early donor to the political career of Vice President JD Vance, Thiel is also deeply interested in the apocalyptic concept of the Antichrist and has written and lectured on it before. “Christians debated these prophecies for millennia. Who was the Antichrist? When would he arrive? What would he preach?” he mused in a November essay in the Catholic magazine First Things.

Catholic institutions distance Discussion of the Antichrist by a tech billionaire in the Vatican’s

backyard has proven divisive. Initially, the lectures were reportedly going to be held the Pontiﬁcal St. Thomas Aquinas University, the Dominican university in Rome known colloquially as the Angelicum. It is best known these days as the place where a young priest named Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, wrote his canon law doctoral thesis. But as word began to circulate in the Italian media about alleged seThiel cret lectures on the Antichrist by Thiel at the pope’s alma mater, the Angelicum took its distance: “We would like to clarify that this event is not organized by the University, will not take place at the Angelicum, and is not part of any of our institutional initiatives,” the university said in a statement on its website. According to an announcement for the event seen by The Associated Press, the lectures were “jointly organized” by an Italian organization, the Vincenzo Gioberti Cultural Association, and the Cluny Institute at the Catholic University of America in Washington. The Gioberti group, which de-

scribes itself as a cultural association dedicated to the renewal of Italian political culture, conﬁrmed it was involved. The association, named for a 19th century Italian Catholic priest-philosopher, said in a statement it believed in promoting research and encounters “based on the great tradition of classical and Christian thought. We believe this heritage is fundamental to addressing the crisis engulﬁng the contemporary West.” But CUA distanced itself. “The Catholic University of America is not sponsoring or hosting an event featuring Peter Thiel this month in Rome,” a university spokesperson told AP. “The Cluny Project is an independent initiative incubated at the university.” The Cluny Institute is a new initiative of the CUA to bring together leaders from the worlds of academia, religion and technology.

ing humanity to confront the existential risks of the world today. The Rome lectures appear to follow the blueprint of a four-part lecture series he gave in San Francisco last September. Some of the invitations circulating in Rome, for example, copy the description of the San Francisco event. “His remarks will be anchored on science and technology, and will comment on the theology, history, literature and politics of the Antichrist. Religious thinkers upon whom Peter will draw include René Girard, Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Carl Schmitt and John Henry Newman,” said one invitation. After PayPal was sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion, Thiel then founded the hedge fund Clarium Capital Management and helped launch Palantir Technologies, which recently inked an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to streamA fascination with the Antichrist line the process of identifying and Thiel is known to be somewhat deporting people the agency is obsessed with the Antichrist — targeting. the Biblical term used to describe someone who opposes or denies Ties to the Trump administration Christ — and Armageddon — the Thiel was a key adviser and Biblical ﬁnal battle between good donor to U.S. President Donald and evil. Thiel speaks of the con- Trump during his ﬁrst administracepts in terms of the choices faction and has retained some ties to

the White House. Palantir is also one of the donors to the White House’s ballroom project and David Sacks, who worked with Thiel at PayPal, is also chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Thiel is also known to be close to Vance. He poured millions of dollars into Vance’s successful primary race for the U.S. Senate, from where Trump named him running mate and eventual vice president. Some see Thiel as a mentor to Vance, a Catholic convert and the most high-proﬁle Catholic in U.S. politics. Vance’s theological justiﬁcation for the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants, based on an ancient Christian concept of the order of love, received a famous slapdown from Pope Francis just before he died. A few months before he was elected pope, Prevost shared an article from a Catholic publication from his now dormant account on X with the headline, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” Vance attended Leo’s installation and later had an audience with him, during which he delivered a letter from Trump inviting Leo to visit.

Ohio State names provost as president after predecessor’s abrupt resignation BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State elevated its chief academic ofﬁcer to president Thursday, moving swiftly past the abrupt resignation of former President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. following revelations about his “inappropriate relationship” with the female host of a podcast for military veterans. Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi Bellamkonda as Carter’s successor — bypassing the traditional nationwide search — and Ohio State’s fourth president since 2020. The trustees want what’s best for the university, board chair John Zeiger said. Days earlier, the board of trustees confronted Carter about a tip from outside the

university. He disclosed that he had “made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership,” according to his public statement, and submitted his resignation. The retired Navy vice admiral was just two years into a five-year contract under which he made more than $1.1 million a year, plus bonuses and residency at Ohio State’s president’s mansion. He did not elaborate on the nature of the relationship, and his statement indicated he and his wife, Lynda, are still together. Expressing surprise and disappointment, Zeiger accepted his resignation Sunday and the university said it was investigating Carter’s “inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.”

JobsOhio, the state’s privatized economic development office, said Carter’s resignation was “possibly connected” to his relationship to Krisanthe Vlachos, host of what was supposed to be a four-episode veterans’ podcast pilot, “The Callout,” for which it paid $15,000 an episode. Only one of the sponsored episodes was delivered, and the state entity is trying to claw back its $60,000, the ofﬁce said. VetEarnUSA LLC, an Ohio business registered by Vlachos on Dec. 20, is part of the investigation, said an Ohio State spokesperson. The Associated Press left phone and email messages seeking comment from Vlachos. A YouTube channel and LinkedIn page associated with the podcast appear to have been scrubbed of content or taken down.

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ATTACKS

Continued from page 1A independent monitoring group known as ACLED. Netanyahu denounced Khamenei as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards.” Khamenei is close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and is widely seen as even less compromising than his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His location is unknown, and he is likely a prime target for the U.S. and Israel. Khamenei said in a statement read by a state TV news anchor that he was keeping a “file of revenge.” He did not appear on camera and has not been seen since his father and wife were killed in the war’s opening salvo, which also wounded him, according to an Iranian ambassador. The war continued to escalate on its 13th day as oil prices spiraled up again to $100 per barrel. Iran has made clear it plans to keep up attacks on energy infrastructure across the region and use the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel. At a news conference Thursday, Iran’s ambassador to Tunisia, Mir Masoud Hosseinian, said Iranian naval forces “have established full control” over the strait and “carried out precise strikes in response to attacks on our oil infrastructure.” A fifth of the world’s traded oil flows through the waterway leading from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean. “Global energy security is contingent on respect for Iran’s sovereignty,” he said. In other developments, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war. The agency said that it was granting a license that authorizes the delivery and sale of some sanctioned Russia crude oil and petroleum products for the next month. Trump signaled earlier this week that he would take further action to ease restrictions on sanctioned

BRIDGE

Continued from page 1A by December, though it’s possible a far more extensive review of the entire bridge project would be necessary under regulations for federally funded projects. That could take two years to complete, officials have said. Public hearings will be held on the route choice. Upon a final selection, further design, land acquisition and other preliminary steps would begin. The cost estimates for the three alternatives range from $1.78 billion to $2.04 billion, excluding some types of work that would likely be needed. So far, about $400 million has been set aside for design and construction. Tolls remain a possibility as one of several funding streams, state highway officials have said. Some residents and landowners have raised concerns about how the routes could affect old-growth cypress forests on each side of the river. Laura and Cliff Comeaux,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI

A woman sits on rubble on Thursday across from a residential building damaged last Sunday during the U.S.-Israeli air campaign in Tehran, Iran. oil to help make for the loss of oil ﬂowing on the market because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to grant temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil. Hosseinian told The Associated Press the new supreme leader was wounded in the attack on his family’s home, but “it is not serious.” The hope is he will attend the massive, state-organized Eid prayer next week that his father traditionally led. Hosseinian added that Iran’s strikes on Gulf nations have also been strategic. “Even when we targeted hotels, we had precise information that they were hosting American and

who own an east bank forest known as the A.E. LeBlanc Natural Area, have called for the deeper environmental review. A botanist working for the family has cited the loss of 200-year-old cypress if the cheapest path is chosen. The owner of a west bank state natural area — St. Barbara, with similarly aged cypress — has voiced opposition to routes that would affect that swampland. Plans for a new bridge in the Baton Rouge area have been batted around for decades, and began to be fleshed out about 15 years ago during discussions over the now scuttled Baton Rouge Loop. In 2020, the state and Federal Highway Administration began an “enhanced planning investigation” into a Mississippi bridge, triggering work that led last year to the start of a formal environmental assessment process called for under the National Environmental Policy Act. Brignac’s comments came earlier this week during the ﬁrst of two public meetings updating residents on the environmental assess-

Israeli soldiers,” he said. Khamenei called on Gulf Arabs to “shut down” U.S. bases in the region, saying protection promised by Washington was “nothing more than a lie.” He also said Iran has studied “opening other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and would be highly vulnerable” if the war continues. He did not elaborate, but Iran has been linked to previous attacks on U.S., Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post Thursday that ensuring Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon was a higher priority than soaring oil prices. Hours later, Netanyahu announced Israeli attacks had killed

a top Iranian nuclear scientist and hit others but gave few details. Israel said earlier it struck a nuclear facility in Iran in recent days that it had destroyed with an airstrike in October 2024. Earlier this year, satellite photos raised concerns that Iran was working to restore the facility. The U.S. military said American forces have now struck more than 6,000 targets since the operation against Iran began, including more than 30 minelaying vessels. British ofﬁcials said several U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries Wednesday night when drone strikes in northern Iraq hit a base in Irbil that houses both British and American troops. And on Thursday in western Iraq, rescue efforts were under-

way after an American military refueling plane went down. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement that the mishap involved two aircraft, including one that landed safely, and that the cause was not related to hostilities. Israeli warplanes pummeled Lebanon, targeting even the busy heart of Beirut, in response to missiles from Iran-backed Hezbollah ﬁghters launched into Israel. One strike hit in a neighborhood that is close to Lebanon’s parliament, United Nations ofﬁces and international embassies. An Israeli strike also hit in the vicinity of Lebanon’s only public university, killing a professor and the director of the science faculty at the campus in Hadath.

ment. At the meeting in new bridge. said. to build where they’re go“I mean, we’ve got wetPlaquemine, people offered Added the 60-year-old ing to build, you know what a mix of views, with many lands all over this state,” he Gautreaux: “They’re going I mean?” saying they were ready for progress. Audrey DeVillier, of Addis, recalled a parish meeting long ago where the potential for a new bridge was discussed. “Thirty-something years later, they’re still talking about it, but this is some progress, but I don’t know, I might not see it in my lifetime,” she said. But Dan Mooney, of Plaquemine, has concerns, arguing the A.E. LeBlanc forest wouldn’t regrow in 100 years, if ever. He said he has researched birds there, adding that their habitats and populations already have been declining. Others were less concerned about the impact on swamps than about other effects. Vanessa and Robert Moore and Vanessa’s brother, Craig Gautreaux, were checking to see how close their a family home is to one of the proposed routes. Robert Moore, 72, a Plaquemine resident, said he wasn’t concerned about the loss of swamp forests for the

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ALLIGATORS

Continued from page 1A be limited to hook-and-line catch from land. “You cannot shoot these things from a boat,” Garrett said. The Senate’s Natural Resources committee on Wednesday greenlit the measure without objections. The bill still needs approval from the full Senate and the House, and would need Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature. Louisiana’s wild alligator population has soared from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million since the launch of the state’s alligator management program more than 50 years ago. Following a decade of closed seasons in the 1960s, the state wildlife agency developed a hunting program that gave an economic incentive — commercial harvesting — for landowners to protect the coastal wetland habitat that alligators call home. The wildlife department estimates that the program brings in more than $250 million each year. “It’s probably the greatest conservation story in America,” said Allain, a commercial alligator hunter himself. “They did such a good job that we have overpopulation now.” The market price for gators is “very low,” Allain said, so fewer people were hunting alligators commercially. Data from the state agency shows price drops in recent years. In the early 2000s, the average price per foot for alligators exceeded $25. But in the past 10 years, that price frequently dipped to $7.50 per foot. Tyler Bosworth, secretary of the wildlife agency, told legislators that the new season dovetails with the department’s larger goal of increasing hunting opportunities for Louisianans. This includes expanding hunting opportunities to the black-bellied whistling duck and black bears, as well as gaining state control of am-

Alligator hunters run their mud boats through the swamp near Lake Cataouatche as they check on their bait. berjack season. He said the agency has been working with Allain on the alligator hunting proposal for the past two years. “We want to provide that recreational opportunity for the common folk of Louisiana,” Bosworth said. Under the current system, hunters need to own alligator habitat in order to get a commercial tag, Allain noted. Around 80% of coastal alligator habitat is privately owned land, though alligators also live on some public lands and waterways. The agency is working with private landowners and the alligator industry to cover potential concerns, Garrett told legislators. This means differentiating tags from their commercial counterparts so that the recreationally harvested alligators stay out of the market. “It’s a very highly regulated species, and it’s important we keep it that way,” Garrett said. Kevin Hayes, a representative of the Louisiana Landowners Association,

said wildlife agency ofﬁcials have been in recent discussions with coastal land managers and property owners. He said trespassing and enforcement of property rights were important issues, but that his conversations “gave us some comfort, not 100%, but some comfort that we’re part of the discussion.”

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8-year-old dreamed of joining Navy

Family remembers honor roll student killed in crossfire BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Eight-year-old Davian Thomas loved to make pancakes, do math problems and read Bible verses every morning, his aunt said. His favorite was Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Davian was killed Sunday night while playing basketball on a makeshift court with his neighborhood friends. He was hit by a stray bullet from a shootout between four people, two in a Davian car and two on foot, and succumbed to his inju-

ries at a hospital. “His name deserves to be heard and his face to be remembered,” Davian’s aunt Katrina Culbreth said. He was a third grader at Sharon Hills Elementary School and a straight-A, honor-roll student from kindergarten through third grade. Davian got his smarts and wit from his mom, Kamicka Nicholas,

who grew up reading well above her level and skipped from kindergarten to second grade. She was very proud to see herself in him, Culbreth said. His mom said he loved to challenge himself with everything and brightened up his teachers every day he was in class. He was even reading the Louisiana Purchase for fun. “He was amazing. He was that

child that would get on your nerves only to come over and love you and kiss you and give you a sneaky smile,” Nicholas said. Davian always said he wanted to be in the Navy and ﬂy planes. He was inspired by his aunt on his father’s side who served in the military. Before moving to Baton Rouge, Davian had been living with his dad in Virginia for the past year where he learned all about the world of aviation.

ä See STUDENT, page 2B

WBR residents voice concerns on ICE Rumors surface of potential detention facility BY AIDAN McCAHILL

Staff writer

Dozens of West Baton Rouge residents spoke out Thursday after hearing rumors of a potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in their community, using a Parish Council meeting to press local leaders to take a stronger stance against the possibility. Federal officials have been seeking locations nationwide as part of a $45 billion expansion of immigration detention infrastructure. The Washington Post first reported in December that a warehouse in Port Allen was among potential sites for holding ICE detainees. Parish leaders, however, say they have received no formal communication from federal agencies. “(Neither) I, nor any of my staff, have had any contact with anyone from any federal agency in regards to a detention facility in WBR parish,” Parish President Jason Manola said. When asked to stand in opposition to the potential facility, more than 20 residents — over two-thirds of those in attendance — rose from their seats. Every speaker during the public comment period opposed the site, citing either moral objections, concerns about the local economy or its potential to strain resources. “I haven’t talked to anybody that wants this,” said Port Allen resident Chris Perry. “This is not what Port Allen wants.” “While most of Louisiana is shrinking, West Baton Rouge is growing,” said another resident, Hannah Freeman. “Families are choosing us, and businesses are choosing us. Why would we allow something to jeopardize that?” Residents and officials have been referring to a document circulating that purportedly contains leaked internal ICE records — not yet verified by The Advocate — that identifies a warehouse at 2070 Commercial Drive as a potential processing center with capacity for up to 500 detainees. The building, a former Conn’s Furniture warehouse, sits just outside the Port Allen city limits in an industrial park. It is owned by Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, which leases to multiple industrial tenants across the region.

ä See ICE, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

General manager Ashley Boyer caries cases of vodka seltzers as Alan Bridier walks past with a dolly of beer at Ivar’s Sports Bar on Wednesday as they prepare for St. Patrick’s Day.

LUCK OF THE IRISH

Perfect weather predicted for St. Patrick’s Day parade

BY ELLYN COUVILLION and JUDY BERGERON Staff writers

The St. Patrick’s Day parade will be rolling in Baton Rouge on Saturday under sunny skies and no rain in the forecast, the National Weather Service said Thursday. The cold front that brought lightning, thunder, sheets of rain and a tornado watch for Baton Rouge on Wednesday night is “down in the Gulf now,” said Danielle Manning, a weather service meteorologist. Must be the luck of the Irish. Saturday’s daytime weather is predicted to be clear and sunny, with a high near 76. Baton Rouge will enjoy a nice evening, too, with an expected low of 58 degrees. “It should be a really nice day,” Manning said. It’s a nice interlude for the parade —

a thunderstorm is expected on Sunday night, along with a temperature drop for the first part of next week, which includes a predicted low around 38 degrees on Monday night. The Wearin’ of the Green Parade, which made its first appearance in 1986, then became an annual event some years later, begins at 11 a.m. at Hundred Oaks Boulevard and South Acadian Thruway and travels through the Garden District before ending at Perkins Road and Stanford Avenue. Louisiana-born stand-up comedian Theo Von will not ride as a special guest in the parade, but there are late additions to the lineup. Fresh from their state championship wins, members of the University High, Southern Lab and Zachary High girls’ basketball teams will be atop the champions’ float. “The community has really come together to give these kids this opportu-

nity to be celebrated,” float organizer Darryl Hurst said Thursday afternoon, adding that the float has a sponsor, and the entry fee has been taken care of. Meanwhile, Mabyn Shingleton, a The Parade Group LLC spokesperson, confirmed Von’s late exit from the parade. Shingleton added that U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, will be riding in the parade as a dignitary, but East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards declined an invitation as he will be attending a funeral on Saturday. “Can’t make this, Baton Rouge! Have shows in Jacksonville this weekend. See y’all next year. Love y’all,” Von, 45, posted on X earlier Thursday. Von, a native of Covington, has appeared on MTV and Comedy Central shows and hosts the “This Past Weekend” podcast. Von has a Friday night show and two Saturday shows in Florida, according to his website.

BR police: Man found shot to death in vehicle Police found Marcus Franklin, 44, dead inside a vehicle with a CRIME gunshot wound BLOTTER o n We d n e s d a y morning, around staff 8:46 a.m., accordreports ing to a news release with more details on the killing. Franklin was found in the 3300 block of Woodcrest Drive, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. The Coroner’s Ofﬁce was notiﬁed around 9 a.m.

Man on probation in slaying arrested again

A Baton Rouge man who was given ﬁve years of probation for killing his girlfriend’s father when he was caught in the girl’s bedroom was arrested for armed robbery Tuesday. Details about Nicholas McQuirter’s armed robbery arrest on Tuesday have not been released by Baton Rouge police. McQuirter, 22, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of negligent homicide and illegal use of weapons

last summer for the 2021 killing of 34-year-old Dezmon Hamilton, the father of McQuirter’s thengirlfriend. McQuirter, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was found in the closet of Hamilton’s eldest daughter’s bedroom after having used a ladder to climb into the window to see her. The incident led to multiple gunshots being ﬁred between Hamilton and McQuirter while other family members were in a different room. Both men were injured, and Hamilton died. District Attorney Hillar Moore

said at the time of the trial that a plea deal was offered to McQuirter because the state couldn’t establish who the aggressor was. A full jury trial would have risked McQuirter receiving a not-guilty ruling and no sentencing at all, Moore said. The ﬁve years of probation McQuirter was sentenced to included an 8 p.m. curfew, 100 hours of community service, and mental health and substance abuse evaluations. It also disallowed McQuirter from carrying ﬁrearms.

2B ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Acadia Parish priest formally charged Clergy member accused of indecent behavior with juvenile

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

An Acadia Parish priest has been formally charged with alleged indecent behavior with a minor. Korey LaVergne, 37, was named on March 5 in a bill of information by the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Ofﬁce charging him with three counts of felony indecent behavior with a juvenile, court records show. A bill of information is a charge directly from the District Attorney’s Ofﬁce, while an indictment is a charge determined by a grand jury. LaVergne previously was arrested on Jan. 16 on the same charges. The bill of information alleges on or about Jan. 1, 2024, LaVergne “did willfully, unlawfully, know-

STUDENT

Continued from page 1B “He lived far beyond the galaxy because he knew something was up there,” Nicholas said. “Inﬁnite life was valuable to him.” While his head was in the stars, his mom said he used his hands to offer up daily acts of kindness. He loved to cook, especially for his three older brothers, Jakobi, 24, Jakhyi, 11, and Jaikey, 9. He would regularly make stir fry and Swedish meatballs, which his brothers loved. He’d also make his signature pancakes for the whole household. And because his mother was adamant about her kids eating

ICE

Continued from page 1B Managing partner Hank Saurage declined to comment on any matter involving ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. Manola told residents that after hearing the rumors, he contacted the Governor’s Office, which connected him with an ICE official in New Orleans. Manola said he relayed his concerns about the location to the official. “To give you my opinion about the rumored location … it’s not conducive for any type of facility like this,” Manola recalled telling the official. “Directly behind it you have a residential area, a stone’s throw away you have our convention and visitors bureau, you have numerous hotels. It’s a heavy industrial corridor with constant truck traffic.” The ICE official told him the Department of Homeland Security had not purchased any property in Port Allen or Louisiana, and assured Manola he would be notified if that changed, Manola said. Beyond those conversations, parish leaders said there was little else they could do at this stage. “If y’all know something that we don’t know, let us know,” said council Chair Carey Denstel of District 6. “It’s all kinds of speculation going on.” East Baton Rouge resident Ross Young urged leaders to be more proactive, pointing to a pattern he said ICE has used in communities across the country — leasing warehouses from private com-

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ingly, and intentionally commit lewd and lascivious acts upon a juvenile,” age 15, or in the presence of a juvenile where there is at least a two-year age difference. LaVergne, through his attorney, Kevin Stockstill of Lafayette, entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday, court records show. He has a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 12. Stockstill filed several pretrial discovery motions on Thursday asking: n that the district attorney disclose any criminal arrests and convictions of any witnesses. n that officials provide copies of arrest warrants, warrants for search and seizure and affidavits related to those warrants. n that officials provide all initial reports on the case.

n that the district attorney disclose the substance of any grant of immunity, plea bargain, agreement or consideration to witnesses or prospective witnesses. n that he reserve the right to move to suppress and/or conduct a preliminary examination of evidence. LaVergne’s case comes as the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette faces a growing number of sexual abuse allegations in civil court. At least 13 lawsuits were filed against the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in 2025, alleging sexual abuse by priests and other employees against minors across Acadiana, bringing the total pending lawsuits ﬁled since June 2024 to about 50. The Louisiana Supreme Court in June 2024 upheld a Louisiana law

well, he would say, “You’ve got to have your protein. So, Mom, how many eggs do you want?” Davian loved to hang out with his brothers and play video games, basketball and football. He had even done some boxing while with his dad in Virginia. He was a quick learner in sports, just like he was in school, Nicholas said. Davian’s aunt took him to the skating rink one time and even though he had never skated before, he caught on quickly. “I just said to be brave, start sliding and gliding and guiding yourself. And he got it on the first try,” Culbreth said. His intellect was so strong that Culbreth said she would block off 30 minutes

if she saw him calling and sit close to a computer to look up some of the words he used in his advanced vocabulary. Davian was the victim of a crime he was never a part of. He had come home from Virginia just six weeks ago. Four men were arrested in the shootout that led to the killing. Investigators believe an argument involving the four escalated into the gunfight, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux has said. Jeremiah Scott, 21; Jeremiah Walter, known as “Meezy,” 25; Hunter Calligan, 22; and Everett Chambers, 21; were booked in the death. The family has organized a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.

panies and converting them into detention facilities without notifying local governments. “Not knowing anything is not enough,” Young said. “You can make a stand before it becomes a problem. It may be a rumor now, but it may not stay that way.” Young encouraged council members to follow the example of Kansas City, where local leaders passed a resolution temporarily banning immigration detention centers. As of last month, more than 20 towns across the country with large warehouse facilities had been identiﬁed as “stealth” targets by ICE as potential detention sites, according to The Associated Press. Many have been small towns and suburbs, includ-

ing Romulus, Michigan, and Surprise, Arizona, where local ofﬁcials were not notiﬁed of purchases. In some cases, property owners backed out after public opposition. “They are not seeing this is a tactic that’s being all over the place, typically in smaller communities,” added Young, referring to local leaders. Processing centers like the one rumored for Port Allen are used to book and process detainees before they are transferred to larger detention facilities and eventually deported, according to The Washington Post. Port Allen is about two hours away from the Alexandria International Airport, one of the busiest deportation hubs in the country.

LaVergne is the pastor at St. Edward Catholic Church in Richard in the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. “The Little Cajun Saint,” Charlene Richard, is buried in the St. Edward Church cemetery. LaVergne was the ofﬁcial courier who delivered documents related to her cause for sainthood to the Vatican in July. Richard died in 1959 at age 12 of acute lymphatic leukemia. A parishioner of St. Edward Catholic Church, she dedicated her suffering in prayer to the salvation of other souls. For decades, the faithful have visited her grave with prayers and offerings. Devotion to Richard has been credited with healing some people suffering from various illnesses.

giving abuse survivors a threeyear window — until June 14, 2027 — to sue for damages. The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette had challenged a 2021 “look back” law, arguing in court that it violated due process rights. The Supreme Court disagreed, opening the door for victims to ﬁle lawsuits against the diocese, churches and others. The lawsuits filed in 2025 in the 15th Judicial District, which includes Lafayette, involve allegations of abuse at churches and schools in Church Point in Acadia Parish, Abbeville and Gueydan in Vermilion Parish, East Cameron in Cameron Parish, Grand Prairie in St. Landry Parish, Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, Berwick in St. Mary Parish and New Iberia in Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ Iberia Parish. theadvocate.com.

Allegations surface in state congressional race Accuser’s rape claim disputed by her family

“she did not want Blake to get into trouble, but she wanted him to understand that he is not to disrespect her like he did.” In last month’s interview, the mother said that her daughter has suffered from mental health issues as an adult, has been arrested several times for substance abuse and is now homeless. “She suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, depression,” the mother said. “She is sleeping in cane ﬁelds, behind churches. I talk to her every now and then.” The ex-girlfriend could not be reached for comment. In a statement issued Wednesday night, Miguez’s campaign said, “The 2007 allegations made by the woman in question against Blake are categorically false.” The woman was 22 when she made the accusation. Miguez was 25 and a student at Southern University Law School. Through a public records request, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune also obtained last month a thick ﬁle from the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office containing case reports in which the woman later called the police several times, alleging domestic violence against her by several later boyfriends, and the boyfriends made claims against her. The Atlantic published a story Wednesday evening citing the police report and noting that President Donald

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

A police report filed by an ex-girlfriend of state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, accusing him of rape 19 years ago that has been circulating among Louisiana political insiders for several weeks burst into public view Wednesday night when national media reported on it. But the mother and brother of the accuser separately told The Advocate | The TimesPicayune recently they doubt her allegation against Miguez, a candidate for the 5th Congressional District. “I don’t believe that (police report), not for one minute,” the mother said in a 45-minute interview on her doorstep in Youngsville on Feb. 11. In the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office report from 2007, the woman said Miguez raped her at her apartment after a verbal argument at a bar. She said she then fled and hid from Miguez and called 911. The report also stated that she declined to press charges. He was questioned but not arrested. The Sheriff’s Office report also said that the woman refused medical treatment from a hospital. According to the report, she told a sheriff’s deputy that

Trump had endorsed Miguez. The Guardian then published a lengthy report citing the Atlantic article. The mother said her daughter and Miguez were together for about two years. “(Blake) was one of the best things she ever had,” the mother said. “He was honest. He was just a good guy. He tried to keep her on the right track. Because she was all over the place. She was my problem child. I just want her to get diagnosed and get medication to have something of a normal life.” The mother said she hasn’t talked to Miguez in years and didn’t know he is a candidate now for the 5th Congressional District, which includes East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, the Florida Parishes and the parishes that extend up the Mississippi River to Arkansas. Miguez, who served in the state House before his election to the Senate in 2023, is a Republican from Erath, near New Iberia. The mother’s account was seconded by the woman’s brother, who wrote in a March 5 text, “100% Blake is a fantastic man and my sister has battled drug addiction her entire life. The allegations are completely made up.” The Miguez campaign provided a Feb. 24 email that the accuser’s father sent to Miguez’s legislative ofﬁce account. In it, the father said his daughter’s accusations were “lies” and added, “You have our 100% support.”

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Energy secretary won’t rule out $200 oil prices

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Thursday refused to rule out oil prices skyrocketing to $200 a barrel and admitted the United States is “simply not ready” to escort tankers despite President Donald Trump’s claim that the Persian Gulf is safe for shipping. In a live interview with CNN outside the White House, Wright struggled to formulate an answer when asked about the chances of a large oil spike, which would send average American gasoline prices shooting up to near $6 a gallon. “Um … I would say unlikely,” Wright said. In a sober assessment, Wright claimed the widespread pain at the pump for Americans would amount to “short-term energy disruption for just huge longterm gain.” Wright conceded that the U.S. military is unable to escort oil tankers and cargo shipping through the Straits of Hormuz. “It can’t happen now,” Wright said, a day after he deleted a tweet claiming the U.S. had started escorting tankers. “We’re simply not ready.”

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Oil prices jump to $100 per barrel

Last month’s hiring by U.S. em- again hit companies with big fuel that if the Strait of Hormuz remains Stocks sink worldwide closed, oil prices could jump to $150. ployers was surprisingly weak, bills. Cruise-ship operator Carnival the U.S. stock mar- which raised worries about a pos- fell 7.9%, and United Airlines sank as Iran war continues ketTohasbe asure, history of bouncing back sible worst-case scenario for the 4.6%.

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK — With no clear end in sight, the war with Iran sent oil prices back to $100 per barrel on Thursday, and stocks sank worldwide. The price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 9.2% to settle at $100.46. Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inﬂation for the global economy. Analysts have said

relatively quickly from military conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, as long as oil prices don’t stay too high for too long. Even with all the up-and-down swings of the last couple weeks, many rocking markets hour to hour, the S&P 500 is just 4.4% below its all-time high set in January. What’s made this jump for oil prices frightening is not only the degree — prices jumped near $120 this week to their highest level since 2022 — but that they’re occurring during an uncertain time for the economy.

economy called “stagﬂation.” That’s where economic growth stagnates while inflation remains high, and it’s a miserable mix that the Federal Reserve has no good tools to ﬁx. Dollar General reported better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But the retailer with relatively low prices, whose customers often have the least cushion to absorb higher gasoline prices, gave forecasts for revenue this upcoming year that indicated a potential slowdown in growth. Its stock fell 6.1%. Some of Wall Street’s worst losses

Worries about the private-credit industry also continued to hurt the market. Investors have been pulling their money out of some funds and companies that have lent to businesses whose proﬁts are under threat. Many of the worries are focused on business that may not pay back their loans because of competition from AI-powered rivals. Morgan Stanley fell 4.1% after its North Haven Private Income Fund said it allowed investors to redeem 5% of its total shares instead of the nearly 11% they had requested. That 5% cap is the advertised limit.

Unemployment declines slowly WASHINGTON — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels despite a weakening job market. The number of Americans filing for jobless aid for the week ending March 7 fell by 1,000 to 213,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 215,000 new benefit applications. While weekly layoffs have remained in a historically low range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years, a number of high-profile companies have announced job cuts recently, including Morgan Stanley, Block, UPS and Amazon in recent weeks. Last week, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs in February, a sign that the labor market remains under strain. Economists had expected 60,000 new jobs in February. Revisions also slashed 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls, nudging the unemployment rate up to 4.4%. The Labor Department also recently reported that job openings fell in December to the lowest level in more than five years. For now, the U.S. job market appears stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state that has kept the unemployment rate historically low, but has left those out of work struggling to find a new job.

Universal Pictures expands theatrical runs LOS ANGELES — Universal Pictures will now keep its new films in theaters for at least five weekends, a reversal from the studio’s previous policy of at least 17 days that was set during the pandemic. The change takes place immediately, the studio said Thursday. “We firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem,” Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in an email to the New York Times, which first reported the news. The amount of time films are available exclusively in theaters — known as “windowing” in industry jargon — has become a contentious topic of conversation in Hollywood. That debate ramped up during the pandemic, when some studios shortened theatrical exclusivity periods in order to move films to release for video on demand or streaming. Prior to the pandemic, those windows could be as long as 90 days. Now, the average is around 30 days.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALTAF QADRI

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday.

After bragging about prices, President does about-face Trump now trying to paint high oil costs as positive

BY JOSH BOAK

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Since starting a war with Iran caused oil and gasoline prices to spike, President Donald Trump has pivoted from a focus on keeping energy prices low to painting high oil prices as a positive. The about-face comes as Trump’s team has struggled to offer a clear plan for opening up the critical Strait of Hormuz so that tankers full of oil and natural gas are no longer stranded. “The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump said Thursday on his social media site. It was only last month, in his State of the Union address, that Trump had bragged about gas prices at $2.30 a gallon, a figure that has since soared more than 50% to a national average of $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA. The flip-flop shows Trump’s political interests at home are suddenly at odds with his desire to flex America’s muscles on the

global stage. It comes at a precarious time for Trump’s party, ahead of November midterm elections. Trump has said that high gas prices helped him defeat his predecessor, Joe Biden. But he told reporters on Saturday that he had no worries about the rising costs that could influence voters this year, and create pressure for him to end the conflict prematurely. The investment bank Goldman Sachs on Thursday said that based on its forecasts and historic experience, higher oil prices would cause inflation to be higher, growth to be slower and the unemployment rate to increase by the end of the year. Benchmark oil prices have swung violently with Trump’s shifting statements and as most tankers avoid traversing the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, the global crude oil benchmark price jumped to $100 a barrel. “The swings in Brent crude oil prices over the past several days are eye-catching and odds are volatility will remain because of the absence of a timeline for when the conflict will deescalate and when the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed, will see traffic begin to recover,” analysts at the consultancy Oxford Economics concluded on Wednesday. The president has given a series of contradictory messages about his plans to address this issue. He said in a Monday news confer-

ence that the Strait of Hormuz “is going to remain safe” well after it was identified as a danger zone, claiming that the presence of the U.S. Navy and insurance for tankers would keep things secure. By Tuesday, he said on Truth Social that Iran would face “Military consequences” that would be “at a level never seen before” if it placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, later stressing that the U.S. military was blowing up Iran’s mine-laying ships. After initially downplaying the need to tap strategic reserves, Trump by Wednesday said the U.S. would join with other countries and release oil to lower prices, with the administration later saying it would draw down 172 million barrels. The coordinated release among countries is unlikely to bring down oil prices, so much as stabilize the market. “Such a move will slow rather than stop rising oil prices and offer a temporary salve to the searing burn of rising gasoline prices,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy RSM. The White House also said it may waive Jones Act requirements to use U.S.-flagged ships to move goods between U.S. ports, a temporary move that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said could “ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports.”

Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access, affordability It is unclear if the House will take it up

The legislation, she said, “will help drive down prices.” Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., led the effort with Warren. He said ahead of the BY CHARLOTTE KRAMON, ALEX vote that the Senate would “do what VEIGA and MARY CLARE JALONICK so many people failed to do in this Associated Press legislative body for the last few deWASHINGTON — The Senate passed cades, and that is pass consequential a broad bill on Thursday to make legislation that makes it easier to beU.S. housing more accessible and come a homeowner.” affordable, a rare bipartisan effort in Congress to address a growing Roadblocks ahead national problem. Despite the bipartisan vote in the The bill, which passed 89-10, Senate and a shared eagerness to would reduce regulations, regulate pass the legislation ahead of the corporate investors and expand midterm elections, It’s unclear how housing dollars can be used to whether the House will take up the build affordable homes and rent- bill again — or if President Donald als. It will now head back to the Trump will sign it. Trump has backed the legislaHouse, which passed a similar bill earlier this year. tion through the bipartisan nego“We have a housing shortage all tiations, but he has also slowed its across America,” said Massachu- momentum with a declaration last setts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth weekend that he won’t sign any new Warren, who worked with Repub- measures unless Congress passes licans to win overwhelming sup- legislation that would require votport from both parties for the leg- ers to show proof of citizenship and islation. “We need more housing of end most mail-in balloting. At the same time, House leaders every kind. ”

have indicated that they are unlikely to accept the Senate version of the housing legislation and have suggested they could launch a formal conference process to negotiate a ﬁnal deal between the chambers — a process that could take months.

Making housing more attainable Both Republicans and Democrats have embraced the legislation as there has been a national shortage of home construction and as prices have climbed faster than incomes. The bill would give local governments more power on housing issues, allow banks to invest more in affordable housing and lift limits on the number of public housing units that can receive private ﬁnancing through Section 8 funding to rehabilitate properties. “You’ve got many provisions in this bill that stop treating the U.S. like one single housing market and start giving local leaders the tools they need to ﬁx their unique regional puzzle,” said Peter Carroll with Cotality, a company that tracks housing data.

The bill aims to make homebuilding easier by streamlining some regulations that require environmental reviews and inspections. It also lifts a limit on a grant for emergency shelter beds and street homelessness outreach. As many affordable housing developers are leaning on manufactured and modular homes that can be transported to areas that need housing, the legislation also would eliminate the requirement that they have to be built on a permanent chassis, reducing costs and making them easier to build and design.

Corporate investors One of the more contested provisions of the bill would bar institutional investors from buying single-family homes — a top priority for Trump. The bill deﬁnes such investors as any that directly or indirectly own 350 or more single-family homes. Investors of any size would not be required to sell single-family homes bought before the date that the bill becomes a law.

4B ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Authorities seek driver in fatal crash Xavier graduate remembered as dedicated volunteer

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Martha Saidu visits the cemetery two to three times a week to spend time at the graveside of her daughter, Patricia. Almost six months ago, the 21-year-old Xavier University graduate was killed in a ﬁery crash on Interstate 10 in St. John the Baptist Parish that Louisiana State Police troopers said was caused by a drunken driver traveling in the wrong direction. “I keep promising her that she’s going to receive justice,” Martha Saidu, 50, said Wednesday after returning home from another visit. Crimestoppers of Greater New

Orleans and the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday released a bulletin identifying the driver, Manmeet Singh, 30, of Ponchatoula. Singh is at large, wanted in connection with vehicular homicide, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving in the wrong direction, according to authorities. Investi- Singh gators believe Singh ﬂed Louisiana, possibly headed to California, New York, New Jersey or India. “(My daughter) died in a very painful way,” Martha Saidu said. “He needs to turn himself in so that other people will not experience the same thing.”

Place on the night of Sept. 23, 2025, when Singh, in a GMC Yukon, entered I-10 from U.S. 51 in LaPlace, according to State Police. But Singh was driving east in the westbound lanes. He crashed head-on into Patricia Saidu’s car, causing both vehicles to catch ﬁre, State Police said. Saidu was pronounced dead at the scene. Singh was taken to University Medical Center with serious injuries. State Police investigators later determined that Singh had a blood alcohol content of 0.21% at the time of the crash, more than twice the legal 0.08% limit. Authorities obtained a warrant for Singh’s arrest on Oct. 21. But Singh, who had been released from the hospital, has not been found, according to authorities.

scribed her as a friendly and intelligent light who lived a life of selfless service. “She was so full of life. Everybody loved her,” said her brother, Patrick Saidu, 20. “She could have a conversation with you about anything.” A straight-A student, Patricia Saidu graduated from Liberty Magnet High School in Baton Rouge in 2022 and attended Xavier in New Orleans. She graduated there a year early in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. Patricia Saidu was premed with her heart set on becoming a pediatrician. “She loved children,” Martha Saidu said. Patricia Saidu was also a dedicated volunteer with the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and September crash Immigrants and the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, which called her Patricia Saidu was driving her A dedicated volunteer Nissan Altima west on I-10 in LaRelatives of Patricia Saidu dean engaged alum “who embodied

everything we hope for our Fellows — altruism, determination, and kindness.” She also volunteered as a math tutor. When she wasn’t studying, she did makeup for friends and classmates, her brother said. She was also a New Orleans Pelicans fan. The last six months have been extremely difﬁcult for Patricia Saidu’s family as holidays and birthdays pass without her. But Patricia Saidu Martha Saidu is determined to help her daughter rest and make sure that the case is not forgotten. “As long as I live, I will ﬁght for justice for my daughter. And justice we shall receive,” she said. Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

‘It was a dream that I never knew I had’

La. native gets chance to play Banana Ball BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

The FaceTime call came through just as Bryce Grizzaffi’s head hit the pillow, which is really when dreams are supposed to start anyway. The baseball draft that Grizzaffi had been highly anticipating was nearing the end. Rounds seven, eight and nine came and went and he had yet to hear his name. As the disappointment started to creep in more and more on that day in November, he decided to take a nap. But the nap plans were interrupted by that FaceTime call where one simple question was asked by the guys on the other end. “Are you ready to be a Banana?” This was the call that Grizzaffi, a Morgan City native, had been waiting for. It was an opportunity to play with the Savannah Bananas, the oh-so popular baseball team that travels the country and mixes America’s pastime with a whole lot of showmanship and fan participation. “It was a dream that I never knew I had that came true,” Grizzaffi said. That dream becomes even more euphoric Saturday and Sunday when the Savannah Bananas play games at Caesars Superdome, just 70 miles from where Grizzaffi was born and raised. The Dome, like it is to many folks in Louisiana, is near and dear to Grizzaffi. He attended football games there as a kid, rooting for his childhood heroes like Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister and Drew Brees. He remembers crying in his living room that day Garrett Hartley’s field goal sailed through the uprights to send the Saints to the Super Bowl for the first time. He just might cry again when he gets to play baseball in that very same building. “I don’t even know what to say about getting to play in the Superdome,” Grizzaffi said. “I might shed a tear walking on that field.

That’s how big of a Saints fan I am and how big of a fan I am of New Orleans and Louisiana. I’m full Louisiana, born and raised. That’s going to be so awesome, I can’t describe it.” The ticket requests from friends and family have been nonstop. Sorry, folks. They are all gone. The Dome will be sold out, just like every stadium is when the Bananas come to town. Grizzaffi got his first taste of just how passionate the fans are last week when he made his debut with the Bananas. That game was played at Doak Campbell Stadium, the football stadium at Florida State University. The attendance was over 60,000. The largest crowd Grizzaffi had ever played in before that was in 2023 when he was a catcher at Southeastern Louisiana when the Lions made the NCAA baseball tournament and played in the Auburn regional. “That place (at Auburn) was jumping,” Grizzaffi said. “But when I saw that whole football stadium filled with people in every single seat the other day, that was breathtaking. That was crazy.” Expect more of that craziness Saturday and Sunday as baseball’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters makes its way to New Orleans. The Bananas will take on the Party Animals, one of their Banana Ball rivals, at 6 p.m. Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. “It’s a show,” Grizzaffi said. “I don’t think fans should expect a baseball game. When people hear baseball game, they sometimes think slow pace, boring and a lot of down time. Fans should expect to be excited and ready for a show every single inning, every single at bat. It’s just a show the entire time.” Fans will get to see Grizzaffi and his teammates swing their bats and sway their hips. Dance routines during games are a part of the craze. The Bananas set aside 30 minutes to an hour during practice working on the routines with first base dancing coach Maceo “Mace” Harrison. “I wouldn’t have considered my-

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Bryce Grizzaffi, a Morgan City native who played college ball at Southeastern Louisiana and Lamar University, is in his first season with the Savannah Bananas. self a dancer before this,” Grizzaffi said. “But I like to have fun though. A lot of energy. A lot of moving around. Just being a ball of energy on the field is exactly how I have played baseball my whole life.” Baseball is one of the sports he loved growing up in Morgan City. He dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues, the NFL and the NBA. But baseball became his love. He was the kid who would skip his friends’ birthday parties if they conflicted with a game. And he was the kid whose parents had

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to make him come in the house because he would be outside long after the sun went down throwing balls against the brick wall of their home. A three-sport star at Central Catholic High School, he won a baseball state championship as a freshman. He played four seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, earning second-team All-Southland Conference honors and also making the All-Defensive Team. He transferred to Lamar University and ﬁnished his career there last season. Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ “I wasn’t really sure what I was theadvocate.com.

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going to do next,” he said. He began pursuing a coaching career and landed a job as director of player development at Lamar. He was invited to a Banana Ball tryout in Philadelphia last summer. His initial thoughts about the invitation? “I don’t dance and I don’t do TikTok.” But he went to the tryout anyway. “I went and I absolutely killed it,” he said. “Some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a baseball field. After that, it was the waiting game.” Being patient is one of the lessons his dad always taught him. “The cream will always rise to the top,” Ronnie Grizzaffi taught his son. He wasn’t going to be denied. The Tommy John surgery he had after leaving Southeastern Louisiana wasn’t going to deny him. Neither was the fractured orbital that occurred when he was hit in the face by a fastball while playing fall ball after that. “He worked his butt off through blood, sweat and tears,” his dad said. “A lot of blood. And he got through that.” Now he’s getting to play baseball with a bit of a twist. Not a bad way to enjoy life for a small-town guy living a big dream. “I’m just so happy that he gets to do what he loves,” said Amber Taylor, his mom. Bryce Grizzaffi turns 25 on St. Patrick’s Day. But the real celebration will be Saturday and Sunday when thousands of sports fans pack the Superdome as if it was one of those fall Sunday afternoons he remembers as a kid. “The people in Louisiana are going to absolutely love it,” Grizzaffi said. Nobody will love it quite as much as Grizzaffi himself. He’s on a one-year contract with the team, but he hopes this is just the beginning. “I feel like I’ve always just been meant to be here,” Grizzaffi said. “I can see myself doing this for however long they let me do it.”

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Funerals Today Ainsworth, Cheryl

Greenoaks Funeral Home, Florida Boulevard, at 10 a.m.

Graham, Joyce 9595

Benge, Billy

Bethel Baptist Church, 20419 Circle Dr., Livingston, LA at 11am.

Clark, Lois

Goodwood Boulevard Church of Christ, 10715 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, La. at 11am.

Jones, Beatrice Carter 'Bit'

Coppock, Jeanette

Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Highway in Gonzales, at 11:30 a.m.

DeMarco, Mary

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 15615 Jefferson Hwy., at noon.

Jackson, McHenry

Greater King David Baptist Church at 11 a.m.

Kennedy, Shelton

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Prairieville at noon.

Luke, Joyce

Hall Davis & Son Funeral Services in Plaquemine at 11am.

Muhammad, Zita

Hall Davis and Son Funeral Home, 9348 Scenic Hwy., Baton Rouge, LA at 10am.

Price, Marilyn

Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway, at 11 a.m.

Scott, Donald

Living Faith Christian Center, 6375 Winborne Ave., Baton Rouge, La. at noon.

Watts, Madeline

Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, 80 Tennessee Jackson Lane, Greensburg, LA at 1pm.

Young, Josie

Graham, Joyce Marie Entered into eternal rest following a lengthy stay at St. Luke Medical Center, Houston, Texas on March 4, 2026. She was a 67-year old native and resident of Zachary, Louisiana. Celebration of Life Service will be held Greater Oak Grove Baptist Church on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 11:00 am conducted by Pastor Henry L. Frazier; interment church cemetery. Survivors include her devoted son, Jeffferey Graham(Kellie); loving mother, Corrine Green; siblings, Jessie Jeanpierre, Karen Battley, Nathan Green, Jr. and James Ringold; granddaughters, J'Niya and Elle Graham; preceded in death by her husband, Harry Graham, Jr.; and father, Nathan Green Sr. Arrangement entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortuary.

Howes, Terrell Emmett 'Terry'

Hall's Celebration Center at 2pm.

Obituaries Adams, Mark Anthony 'Click'

Mark Anthony Adams entered into eternal rest on February 27, 2026. Although Mark's earthly journey has ended his memory will continue to live on in the hearts of his family and friends A visitation will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on March 14, 2026 at Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services, 9348 Scenic Highway. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2026 at Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services, 9348 Scenic Highway.

Cancienne, James Clarence

James Clarence Cancienne, PhD, age 60, of New York City, died on March 6, 2026, after living with neuroendocrine tumors, a rare form of cancer. James was born on November 4, 1965, to Partick Edward Cancienne, Sr and Rosa Mae Blanchard Cancienne in New Orleans, LA. James graduated from Ascension Catholic High School in 1983, he went on to study at Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University and the New School for Social Research in New York City. After graduating in 1995 with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, he worked in various settings focused on delivering mental health services to underserved populations. Later, he had a private practice for many years, first in Hudson NY, then in New York City. In addition, he was trained as a yoga instructor, was a student of Buddhism, and was an aspirational sailor earning his Captain's certification just prior to getting his cancer diagnosis. James is survived by his five brothers and sisters-in-law, his devoted nieces and nephews, and dear friends in New York.

DeConge' III, Alphonse Francis

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Alphonse "Al" F. DeCongé, III on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Baton Rouge with Fr. Roderick Coates, SSJ officiating. Services are entrusted to Desselle Funeral Home 263 Eddie Robinson Sr Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. 70802

11:30 AM. A procession to Evergreen Memorial Cemetery will then take place, concluding with a graveside service. A reception for family and friends at St. Francis Episcopal Church will follow the burial. Pallbearers are Bradley Howes, Brennan Howes, Cole Sullivan, Tyler Sullivan, Sidney Davis Wall, and Jacob Cason.

Terrell Emmett "Terry" Howes, a resident of Denham Springs, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, at the age of 91. Terry was born on December 31, 1934, in Enon, Louisiana, to Emmett Lee Howes and Mildred Louise Pittman Howes. His life was characterized by faith, hard work, and a deep devotion to his family. He treasured his family above all else, sharing 50 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Sue Sullivan Howes. Terry is survived by his wife, Sue Howes, and their six children: Stephen Howes (Janice), Laura Bankston (Roger), Sidney Wall (Wendy), Brian Howes (Tracie), Vivian "DeeDee" Sullivan (Chad), and Ashley Wall True (Christian). He was a proud grandfather to Brittany Howes, Bradley Howes (Rebecca), Brennan Howes (Brianna), Kayla Cason (Jacob), Cole Sullivan (Ciera), Annie Bankston, Tyler Sullivan (Megan), Sidney Davis Wall, Mason True, and McKenzie Myers, as well as a great-grandfather to 11 great-grandchildren. Terry also cherished the friendship of Jesse and Debra Jones. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett Lee Howes and Mildred Louise Pittman Howes; his brother, Michael Wayne Howes; and his sister-in-law, Eleanor Howes. Terry spent 37 years working as an Operations Supervisor at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery before retiring. He earned the respect of many colleagues and friends throughout his career due to his strong work ethic and character. As a dedicated member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Terry worshiped faithfully, served alongside many dear friends, and continually deepened his relationship with God. He was also involved in the Masonic community, having been raised to the degree of Master Mason in 1962. He served as Past Master of Trinity Union Lodge #372 F&AM; in 1997 and 2010 and was a 33rd degree Mason of the Scottish Rite. He was a member of the Baton Rouge Valley, the Istrouma York Rite Masonic Bodies, and the Acacia Shrine Center in Baton Rouge, where he served as Past President of the Shrine Klown Unit. Additionally, he was Past Patron of Myrtle Celeste Chapter No. 231 of the Order of the Eastern Star. Through his work, church, and years of dedication to the Masonic community, Terry exemplified a life of service to others, a belief reflected in his favorite scripture: "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) A visitation at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Denham Springs will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Visitation will resume on Saturday morning, March 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM, followed by a funeral service at i

Beatrice "Bitsy" Carter Jones, 87, passed away peacefully at home on March 3, 2026. Born July 23, 1938, Beatrice was a graduate of Dawson High School. In 1972, she wed Raymond Jones, and the two shared 53 years of devoted marriage. Known for her work ethic and kind heart, Beatrice served West Feliciana Parish Schools as a bus driver for many years, retiring in 2007. She also worked as a cashier at Sack-A-Value and as a substitute teacher. A faithful supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, she enjoyed puzzle books and sharing stories with loved ones. She is survived by her husband, Raymond; daughter, Karolyn Taylor; sister, Alice C. Bryant; daughter-in-law, Ivory Lloyd; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and a large extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, son Tommy Lloyd III, son-in -law Michael Taylor, and 11 siblings. Her legacy of strength and humor will be deeply missed. Celebration of Life to be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Magnolia Full Gospel Baptist Church of St. Francisville, LA--Visitation 10 am, and service to follow at 11 am.

Reese, Ronnie

BellSouth for 35 years, where he retired as a network manager. Donald was very proud of his children and loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed hanging out with his sister Susan at football games, playing with his children and grandchildren, gardening, and fishing. He was a "people" person who never met a stranger. Donald was a devoted member of Midway Baptist Church where he began playing the organ at the young age of 13. He was an accomplished musician who played for numerous churches, including Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church, Mount Hope Baptist Church, New Zion Baptist Church, St. Matthews Baptist Church, and Turner Chapel AME Church. Donald leaves to cherish his memory: his wife of 55 years, Gwendolyn Mitchell Scott of Baton Rouge, LA; his children, Natasha Scott Flowers (Jerry) of Prairieville, LA, Don Marcus Scott (Rachel) of Houston, TX, and Atoyia Scott Harris (Timothy) of Slidell, LA; seven grandchildren, Jeremy Donahue, Jarrell Flowers, Jarvis Flowers (Andrea), Dylan Scott, Noelle Scott, Tiana Harris and Tori Harris; and one great grandson, Jayson Flowers. Donald also leaves to cherish his memory: his mother, Jescina Crenshaw of Denham Springs, LA; six brothers, Billy Robertson and Robert Robertson (Wanda) of Baton Rouge, LA; James Jenkins (Betty), Joe Jenkins (Alice), Elder Willie Jenkins (Katie), and Floyd Jenkins (Janet) of Ruth, MS; four sisters, Susan Thornton (Clarence) of Baton Rouge, LA, Jescina Lockley (Arthur) of New Iberia, LA, Lisa Hayes of Denham Springs, LA, and Hazel Carr (Zeb) of Tylertown, TX; three goddaughters, Petula Clark Newby, Tamekia Marie Cooper, and Temeka Williams; two bonus sons, Michael Banks and Deon Ramsey; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Sidney Andrew Scott and Inez Gray Scott, his brothers Willie Fortenberry, Bobby Robertson, and Joe Eddie Gray. Viewing will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Living Faith Christian Center, 6375 Winborne Ave.,

Baton Rouge, La at 10 am until the religious service at 12 noon. Arrangements entrusted to MJR Friendly Service Funeral Home

White Thomas, Seabell 'Mama'

Turner, Angeline R.

Angeline Turner "Mother Turner" a resident of Pride Baywood, LA, passed away on March 6, 2026 at the age of 88 surrounded with love. Funeral services will be March 13,2026 at 10AM at 8930 Plank Rd.

Webster, Eddie Louise

Webster, Eddie Louise Eddie Louise Webster, born September 1, 1938 to the parents of Nellie and Ernest Piggee of Lockesburg, Arkansas, peacefully transitioned March 9, 2026 to be with the Lord. She moved to CA where she completed college and earned a degree in nursing. After marrying Rev. Isaiah Webster she continued to faithfully serve alongside him in ministry. In 1985, they moved to Baton Rouge, LA, where she became a devoted pastor's wife at Greater New Guide Baptist Church, actively serving as a Sunday School teacher, in the Deaconess Ministry, Evangelistic Ministry, and the Inspirational Choir. She leaves to cherish her memory her loving husband, Rev. Isaiah Webster; her additional blessings Cassandra Webster of Crowley, LA; Sean Webster (Samantha) of Orlando, FL, and Angela Webster of Houston, TX; and blessed grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers.Her legacy of faith, service, and love will remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Greater New Guide Baptist Church. Arrangements entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortuary.

Seabell White Thomas was born July 9, 1943, in Summit, Mississippi, to the late Mable Harris White and Aaron White. Raised in Centreville, MS as the 9th of 13 children, she entered eternal life on February 21, 2026, in Baton Rouge, LA. She was married to the late Arthur Thomas, Sr., and was the devoted mother of Sonyja Thomas and Arthur "Ken" Thomas, Jr. She served as Director of the South Baton Rouge Community Service Center, Coordinator of the Veterans Program, and later owner of the Silver Moon Café, sharing her faith, love, and meals with all who visited. Her favorite color was white. Please join the family in honoring her life: Visitation & Services Saturday, March 14, 9-12, St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church, 5354 Plank Road, Mass of Christian Burial at 12 noon. Livestream: https://www.y outube.com/@phunkymon keys.

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How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear. TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

WEIGHT SCOOTER Ronnie D. Reese entered into eternal rest at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center on February 27, 2026. He was a 52year old native and resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Viewing at Shady Grove First Missionary Baptist Church on March 14, 2026 at 9:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at 11:00 am conducted by Rev. Kenneth Chandler; interment at Southern Memorial Gardens. Survivors include his wife, Desiree Hunter Reese; daughter, LaSha Reese; granddaughter, London Dunn; siblings, Arthur, Freddie and Cynthia Wiliams; and Janice Farlow(Guy), all of Baton Rouge; sisters-in-law, and brothers-in-law, Sonseeshray Brown(James), Adrienne Jackson(Marti), James and Brandon Grayer; nieces and nephews including Sunchez Williams whom he reared; aunts and uncles; other relatives. Arrangements entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortuary.

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Donald Ray Scott was born on December 21, 1953, in Independence, Louisiana. He was the son of Sidney Andrew Scott and Inez Gray Scott. He peacefully departed this life on March 4, 2026. Donald was united in holy matrimony to Gwendolyn Mitchell Scott on April 17, 1971. To this union, Natasha, Don, and Atoyia were born. Donald was a native of Denham Springs, Louisiana and later moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from Denham Springs High School in 1971, and thereafter attended Spencer Business College. Donald worked for

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6B ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

OPINION lll

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

La. building a path to a thriving 21st-century economy 2025 was a banner year for eco- create prosperity by itself. We nomic development in the state need to leverage our “external” of Louisiana. From January to wins to invest in both thriving December, the state announced main streets and growing new $61 billion of new direct inindustry leaders, through companies built here from vestment and the expected the ground up. creation of 9,300 direct Practitioners of ecojobs. This is real change, headnomic development use the term “fenceline induslined by a wide variety Jon of innovative companies tries” to describe compleAtkinson mentary businesses that tackling hard problems GUEST from Louisiana and creatsupport major industries. COLUMNIST The easiest business to ing real value in the 21st attract is the one that ancentury global economy. From rare earth elements chors to what is here. That to low carbon steel, data, AI and is why the most important quesautonomous ships, Louisiana is tion in economic development building the infrastructure that is to go to industry drivers who the world will depend on for a chose to be here and ask who they prosperous tomorrow. would want “next door.” While this is needed progress, By pitching complementary we can do even better. Louisiana business, you eventually create has a long history of investing a cluster that becomes hard for in locating new businesses here these industries to ignore. With without making comparable density comes opportunity that investments in the surrounding ﬁnds its way to your door rather systems that lift the prospects of than always having to do the hard local businesses. Outside investwork of searching. People can see a career across multiple compament is a catalyst, but it does not

nies in a sector, not just one job. Communities become stronger and new local businesses that serve residents suddenly thrive. Consider the history of states that have deﬁned their own destiny through new industry: space in Alabama, robotics in Pennsylvania, ﬁnance and bio-tech in North Carolina, software in Texas. Each has reached a tipping point through deliberate focus on locally anchored, future-looking industries. Each also leveraged its “wins” to drive homegrown innovation and double down on creating places where people want to live. Historically, Louisiana has been good at incentivizing companies to bring jobs here, but we become frustrated with the long-term impacts because we lack adequate follow-through to support the things that must happen on the other side of the “fence.” In contrast, states like Texas, Utah and Tennessee have invested hundreds of millions of state dollars (alongside attraction investments) in economic development

through local innovation and local business development. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund provides an example of the scale and ambition of these investments. Launched in 2005 by Gov. Rick Perry when the population of the Austin metro hovered around 1.4 million people and its key industries centered on education, health care and tourism, this fund was a $500 million investment in building an economy based on homegrown innovation in frontier technology. While not a perfect strategy, it built on Texas’ strengths in industrial innovation, research capacity and the emerging technology workforce, centered largely around Dell, to pour fuel on the ﬁre. Today, the Austin metropolitan area has over 2.5 million people and an economy of opportunity deﬁned by software, hardware, advanced manufacturing, data, life science and digital media. To build a world-class 21st century economy in Louisiana, we must make proportionate invest-

ments “outside the fence.” This means supporting startups and local businesses and making capital for them as readily available and abundant as it is for our largest businesses. It also means investing in systems of education, mentorship and market access that encourage entrepreneurship by making it less risky and investing in the places where creative collisions happen and doors are opened. In 2025, Louisiana took signiﬁcant steps, for the ﬁrst time in its history, to build state-level systems to prioritize innovation and fund local business development by creating the Louisiana Innovation or “LA.IO” initiative. This has changed the game and laid a foundation for Louisiana to win longterm. Now we must double down and commit to bold investments in growing our own innovative companies that match the scale of our ambition. Jon Atkinson is the CEO of The Idea Village.

Cancer advocacy matters Congress needs to act as much as treatment does to support farmers now Sugar cane is an inextricable part of the culture and economy in south Louisiana. Our state is the northernmost location in the world where sugar cane is grown, planted across more than 25 parishes and supporting nearly 20,000 jobs and more than $4 billion in annual economic impact. As a sugar cane grower, my family depends on the sustainability of the sugar Chad cane industry, but today we Hanks face serious challenges from labor shortages and stubborn GUEST COLUMNIST inflation. That’s why I spent a week in February in Washington, D.C., pressing for policies that will keep farms like mine alive. I’m a first-generation sugar cane grower, having switched from rice 35 years ago. Even as our industry has adopted new technologies and modernized operations, the nature of sugar cane planting, cultivating and harvesting still requires significant human labor. For example, sugar cane is a tropical grass. You can’t neatly drop seeds into furrows — you must plant parts of the grassy stalk, called billets, to grow. While most planting operations are mechanized, many farms still rely on workers to ensure those billets are correctly planted. Throughout the season, there are many reasons to require farm labor and, similarly, harvest season requires boots on the ground. On my farm alone, we have 3,500 acres of sugar cane that must be cut every fall, either for planting new seed cane or to feed the sugar cane mill. It’s a lot of work to keep harvesters and carts running smoothly while delivering cane on a timely schedule to ensure the mill can run efficiently. Even with farm wages amounting to more than double the minimum wage, it has become increasingly difficult to secure the help we need to plant and harvest our sugar cane. Simply put, most Americans don’t apply to work on a farm during a hot and humid Louisiana summer. While we always prefer to hire American workers, our farm does rely on migrant workers who legally come to work in the U.S. through the H-2A visa program. Many return year after year, determined to work hard and create a better life for their families back home. These workers are taking time away from their families to help plant, tend and harvest the crops that feed American families. It is a responsibility none of us takes lightly. Unfortunately, the programs that we rely on for these workers have become increasingly complex. Congress must act to make

PHOTO By LEE BALL

A two-row sugar cane harvester is pressure washed at HMC Farms in Loreauville.

these programs truly workable for American agriculture. Labor is one pressure. Inﬂation is another. The costs for farm inputs, such as new machinery, repairs, fuel and fertilizer have increased signiﬁcantly in recent years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts that other expenses will continue to rise over the coming year, as well. Meanwhile, only about 24% of each dollar spent at the grocery store goes to farms, and less than that for the food you purchase in a restaurant. Farmers receive only a fraction of the food dollar spent by consumers. John F. Kennedy once said, “The farmer is the only man in our economy who has to buy everything he buys at retail — sell everything he sells at wholesale — and pay the freight both ways.” That was true in 1960, and it is true today. The price we receive for raw cane sugar has fallen steadily over the past few years and now barely covers our costs. Louisiana’s sugar cane farmers continue to do more with less. We do it because we love agriculture and we want to preserve this way of life. We do it because we value providing jobs to our communities and contributing to the economy. Importantly, we do it because a strong America must be able to feed itself and American-made, all-natural sugar is a vital part of our food supply. We in the Pelican State are blessed to have a congressional delegation that recognizes the strategic importance of the Louisiana sugar cane industry, and I was proud to share our message with other federal lawmakers from across the U.S. to build support for American agriculture. It is my hope that Congress will help ensure American farms will sustain many more generations to come. Chad Hanks is a sugar cane farmer in Lafayette.

Cancer treatment is an uphill battle, not only against the disease itself but also against health care bureaucracy. A few years ago, a patient with prostate cancer came to my clinic seeking treatment after multiple other options had failed. Mounting evidence has Marc shown that a class of canMatrana cer drugs, called PARP GUEST inhibitors, could help him. COLUMNIST Yet his insurance company refused to cover it. Appeal after appeal, they would not budge. Despite having an effective treatment available, we could not get it to the patient who needed it. Binay Only through compassionShah ate use from the manufacGUEST turer did we finally secure COLUMNIST the drug after months of fighting. The patient responded well to the therapy. Health policy profoundly impacts cancer patient outcomes. Cancer’s trajectory is shaped by factors far beyond biology. While the disease ravages organs and bloodstreams, complex administrative barriers and socioeconomic and environmental hazards create another layer of destruction, one that can allow cancer to thrive and become fatal. Consider Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” where environmental pollution has created some of the highest cancer rates in the world. Petrochemical plants and refineries have operated in this region for decades, promising economic benefits like job creation and tax revenue. But the human cost is alarming. When weighed against the devastating health consequences, these economic promises ring hollow. Since joining with cancer survivors, oncology clinicians and philanthropists to form the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana (CAGLA), we have helped pass more than a dozen new laws to improve access to cancer care and protect patient rights in the state. Take CAR T-cell therapy, for example, an immune-based treatment that has dramatically improved outcomes for multiple cancers. Access to this treatment has been a major barrier. In response, we advocated for a bill requiring Louisiana Medicaid to cover all inpatient and outpatient CAR T-cell therapy when FDA-approved and administered in appropriate facilities. But the work doesn’t stop there. Insurance-related hurdles, from prior

authorization delays to claim denials, continue to impede care and frustrate patients and oncology care teams. We need policies that expand coverage for prevention, screenings and innovative and beneficial treatments. And contrary to industry pushback, it may not significantly raise premiums and can save money long-term. Patient voices and advocates must be at the center of policy discussions. This ensures that laws are effective, targeted and meaningful. And passing a law is not the finish line. Insurance companies must comply. As the United States debates disagreements over a national funding bill, health care policies are once again at the forefront of public attention. From an oncologist’s perspective, our priority is clear: We want policies that improve the quality of life for patients. Reducing Medicaid access will only put the health of individuals already vulnerable to cancer at greater risk. Whether you are a patient, a caregiver or a cancer care professional, you have the power to influence these policies. If you are frustrated by the red tape and administrative hurdles, start advocating. Start locally: Connect with local oncology associations, patient advocacy groups or government officials. Speak up and share your experience. Sooner than expected, you could be standing alongside the governor as a bill is signed into law. A law you envisioned, drafted and fought for, and that will improve care for hundreds of patients, maybe thousands, for years to come. That is the force and impact of legislative advocacy. History offers hope. In downtown New Orleans, there is an old tuberculosis hospital, now crumbling and abandoned. A relic of a disease that once devastated communities but is no longer a major threat thanks to medical advances and policies that drove its decline. This is how we must envision the future of cancer. We want a world where every patient has access to high-quality cancer care. And one day, perhaps, we will have a world where cancer centers are abandoned and crumbling, because cancer has now become a problem of the distant past. Marc Matrana is an oncologist at the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center. Binay Shah is a hematologistoncologist and the co-founder and president of oncology nonprofit Binaytara.

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COMMENTARY

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, with her husband Bryon Noem seated behind her, appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on March 3.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK NOEM FIRED As secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem was the face of one of President Donald Trump signature policies — a crackdown that aimed to deport those living and working in the country illegally. But as protests mounted against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and after the killings of two American citizens by federal agents, Noem drew increasing criticism of how she ran the department. Last week, Congress called her in to testify about her tenure and the results were disastrous. Trump fired Noem two days later and nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace her. What does this mean for the future of immigration enforcement? Here are two perspectives.

Can our immigration policy DHS Secretary takes her improve now that she’s gone? last ride off into the sunset The worst of Secretary of Homeland authority would go on to conduct brutal Security Kristi Noem’s many terrible mo- and legally dubious round-ups of imments in recent congressional hearings migrants (and Americans who look like on immigration control probably came them) in a succession of U.S. cities. They when she admitted to being unfamiliar would shoot and kill at least four U.S. citiwith the shockingly appalling case of Ma- zens, including the two in Minnesota, one in California and one in Texas. rimar Martinez. Others, like Martinez, would be She is the Chicago woman who lucky to survive their wounds. managed to survive being shot five As DHS operations inspired times by Border Patrol agents in mass political protest, and October, leaving her with nerve tanked President Donald Trump’s damage in her right hand. polling numbers, Noem faithfully Yet, as Noem, dubbed “ICE BarClarence parroted the administration’s bie” by some for her love of posPage talking points, continually charturing in front of media cameras, was pushed by U.S. Sen. Richard acterizing immigrants as danBlumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, gerous and protesters as terrorists, and to acknowledge that the shooting was Trump stood by her. “wrong” during a heated Senate JudiYet their relationship came crashing down last Thursday when Trump uncerciary Committee hearing, ignorance was her defense. emoniously fired her. Or, rather, demoted “Sir, I don’t know that situation or the her to United States Special Envoy for case,” Noem replied. “I’ll look into it to The Shield of the Americas, whatever ensure that all procedures were followed that is. properly....” Noem had been caught in a lie in testifyHow likely is it that Noem had not ing about $220 million of taxpayer money looked into the case surrounding Marshe spent on TV advertising — some of which ended up going to a company run tinez’s shooting last Oct. 4, especially in by the husband of her erstwhile press light of the embarrassing details that aide, Tricia McLaughlin. On Tuesday became to light as the U.S. Justice Department attempted to prosecute the victim? fore the Senate Judicial Committee, she Some of those details were in evidence claimed the contract for the ads had been in the Senate hearing room, including submitted for competitive bids. However, posters bearing the text messages exon Wednesday, in front of the House, she admitted it was a no-bid arrangement. changed by Martinez’s shooter, Border Worse, she claimed that Trump had Patrol agent Charles Exum, bragging: “I blessed the affair. fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put Bye, bye, Madam Secretary. that in your book boys.” Lying, corruption, illegal deportation Got that, “boys”? Sounds like the govand even taking innocent life seemingly ernment’s immigration enforcers have are no bar to a seat in Trump’s Cabinet been going after anyone who looks as Room. But implicate him in your shenanithough they might, just might, be an undocumented newcomer, whether they gans, and you’re likely to end up “as dead happen to be here illegally or not. And the as fried chicken,” as the colorful Repubboss isn’t going to check your work. lican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana put In her 13 months leading the Departit. I hope that Trump’s apparent nominee ment of Homeland Security, Noem manto be her replacement, Republican Sen. aged to cut quite a media figure. In May, Markwayne Mullen of Oklahoma, will do just months into the job, she visited an a better job if he gets confirmed. infamous prison in El Salvador, to which But first, leaders from both parties need her department had deported Venezuelan to talk seriously about what is needed to immigrants. Posing with flowing locks protect our borders without endangering and perfect makeup in front of caged the rights and freedoms that make this gang members clad only in their underwear, Noem sent a message that would be country so attractive in the first place. hard to decode as anything other than a Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@ taste for authoritarian kink. gmail.com. Homeland Security agents under her

At times, you could be forgiven for havtrol over the department’s spending. Self-dealing played a direct role in ing thought that Kristi Noem wanted to be Noem’s defenestration. The department a uniformed DHS officer rather than the approved a $220 million contract — funsecretary of the department. Now, the cabinet member most inclined neled in part through firms run by Noem to glamour shots out in the field is going to and Lewandowski allies — for an ad camhave to go back to wearing civilian clothes. paign encouraging illegal immigrants to For all his trademark firings during go home. “The Apprentice” and the rapid turnover The ad starred — who else? — Kristi of his first term, President Donald Noem. She was on horseback and Trump has been loath to oust top in chaps. The implicit message was officials this time around. Kristi that if illegal immigrants didn’t Noem is the exception, and she’s leave on their own, she’d immediearned the dubious distinction. ately form a posse and run them Incompetent and preposterover the border. It was a production worthy of a ously self-promoting, Noem took Rich spaghetti western, or — more to the a serious role and made it like Lowry point, given her political ambitions something out of the HBO political — a commercial for a 2028 presispoof “Veep.” The Wall Street Journal recently pubdential campaign. Noem couldn’t defend the sketchy lished a devastating report on her time spending decisions, or the blatantly selfat the department, which she ran in close glorifying ad, or much of anything else, partnership with the man she’s been ruin brutal back-to-back House and Senate mored to be having an affair with, former congressional hearings that precipitated Trump consultant Corey Lewandowski her doom. (she dismisses such reports as tabloid She’d already been taken down a notch trash). after the Minneapolis ICE operation went It was a little like Antony and Cleopatra sideways. Not working with copious supon the Potomac, except the empire was a sprawling bureaucracy and as farce plies of credibility to begin with, she rather than tragedy. tossed away whatever she had by instantly According to the Journal, Lewandowski labeling both agitators shot by DHS agents fired a Coast Guard pilot who left Noem’s “domestic terrorists.” blanket behind on another plane and then, All of this said, it was Trump who hired when they reached their destination, reNoem despite her manifest deficiencies, including no notable experience in iminstated him because there wasn’t anyone else to fly them home. migration enforcement. She was cameraReportedly, Noem tracked how often ready and loyal, so why not? Tom Homan, the border czar who supHer designated replacement, Oklahoma planted her in Minneapolis, was on TV and senator Markwayne Mullin, also doesn’t have a background in immigration policy. sought to outpace him. One hopes, though, that he won’t interfere The Journal related that Lewandowski with the professionals and will continue was desperate to get a federally issued the Homan-backed approach of focusing gun and badge and exacted retribution on apprehending illegal immigrants who against those who didn’t cooperate (he have committed other criminal offenses failed to get the gun, but apparently got and received final orders of removal, and the badge). ramping up worksite enforcement. DHS officials denied much of the JourThe French World War I-era statesman nal story, but even if a fraction of it was Georges Clemenceau once said, “War is too true, it was still damning. important to be left to the generals.” By The two were turfy, sharp-elbowed buthe same token, immigration enforcement reaucratic players, not a new or unusual is too important to be left to self-serving offense in Washington. But their enemies glory hounds who are focused more on the tended to be people who knew what they main chance than the underlying mission. were doing, with Tom Homan high on the Trump’s first firing was the right one. list. Noem and Lewandowski raised eyebrows by taking an unusual amount of con- Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

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8B ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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TODAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Sunny and pleasant

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Breezy; t-storms at night

Breezy; partial sunshine

Pleasant; partial sunshine

Mostly sunny and nice

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

74° 49°

LOW

77° 59°

LOW

81° 45°

Beaumont 72/59 Port Arthur 71/61

Baton Rouge 74/49

Lake Charles 72/53

New Orleans 73/54 Houma 75/52

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Hattiesburg 74/45

Alexandria 76/48

Lafayette 73/51

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

71° 56°

LOW

70° 45°

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’s high/low Record high Record low

YESTERDAY

3:22a 10:15p 4:39p 6:29p 6:28p 5:38p 7:36p

7:17 a.m. 7:11 p.m. 3:56 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

FIRST

MAR 25

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

MAR 18

PRECIPITATION

64°/51° 72°/50° 80°/48° 87° in 2006 29° in 1996

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

NEW

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

HIGH

Baton Rouge through 5 p.m. Thursday

Jackson 73/46 Many 76/50

LOW

TEMPERATURE

Longview 75/50

-0s

58° 38°

Monroe 74/47

Shreveport 75/49

-10s

LOW

A much different morning than the cloudy, wet and windy one we experienced yesterday. If you enjoy sunshine, nice temperatures and low humidity, boy do I have a Friday for you! Expect a clear, mild and breezy day. Temperatures this afternoon will be higher than yesterday, rising into the low 70s. Winds will be light and southeasterly at 5 mph. Rain chances today are zero and won’t rise again until Sunday with the next cold front. If you’re headed to Nashville for LSU baseball, bring your jacket, as temperatures will fall to the 40s.

68 80 42 63 44 78 71 77 87

TODAY Lo

43 51 36 43 31 54 46 54 61

FULL

s s pc s pc s pc s s

APR 9

SAT.

77 84 46 73 40 81 72 80 87

55 63 28 48 35 63 20 65 62

LOW

FT.

HIGH

0.5 4:07p -0.1 1.1 10:03a -0.3 1.6 5:04a -0.1 1.4 9:09a -0.1 0.9 5:16a -0.2 1.2 3:33a -0.4 1.2 6:18a -0.3

s s pc s c s pc s s

FT.

---------------

MODERATE

READING 50 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

---------------

FT.

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The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 7:47a Saturday 8:34a Sunday 9:18a Monday 10:01a Tuesday 10:43a Wednesday 11:27a Thursday 11:46a

LAST

APR 1

FT.

0.97” 4.10” 1.82” 11.91” 12.60”

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

92 82 68 45 52 93 59 65 40

1:34a 2:21a 3:06a 3:49a 4:32a 5:15a 6:02a

TODAY Lo

60 70 42 41 44 64 37 51 35

8:13p 8:59p 9:43p 10:25p 11:07p 11:50p 12:14p

pc t pc pc pc s pc pc sn

TODAY

GOOD

83 83 73 52 56 92 63 70 47

2:00p 2:46p 3:30p 4:13p 4:55p 5:39p 6:25p

SAT. Lo

55 72 56 35 36 63 56 52 36

pc t s pc pc pc pc s sh

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

THU. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

18.70 27.30 28.90 13.60 7.50 5.61 3.80

+1.81 +1.76 +1.10 +0.90 +0.40 +0.10 +0.37

36.21

+1.30

-0.30

-1.43

18 29 8

2.53 25.87 5.19

-0.31 -2.79 +0.32

13 15

11.28 10.49

-0.68 +1.14

47 34 29 20 12 6

11.88 8.50 8.88 5.90 4.10 3.25

-0.06 +0.18 +1.20 +0.12 -0.10 +0.65

data as of 7 a.m. Thursday

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SPORTS

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

F r i d ay, M a r c h 13, 2026

1cN

LSU seniors focus on ‘these last moments’

L S U A T V A N D E R B I L T • 6 P. M . F R I D A y • S E C N +

Seven gymnasts to compete in final regular-season meet

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Jay Johnson and Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin listen to the umpire before a game on April 6, 2024, at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers and Commodores open SEC play Friday night at Alex Box Stadium.

What’s wrong with the SEC? Evaluating LSU’s, Vanderbilt’s struggles as league play begins

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

For nearly a decade, the Southeastern Conference has dominated college baseball. The SEC has produced the past six national champions and seven of the past eight winners. More than 100 players from the conference were selected in the MLB draft last summer, and 98 players were picked the year before. That level of dominance was expected to continue this season, and it may still be the case, with the likes of Texas and Mississippi State getting off to hot starts in nonconference play. But as SEC play begins this weekend, when LSU travels to

Nashville, Tennessee, to take on Vanderbilt for a three-game series starting Friday (6 p.m., SEC Network+), an inordinate number of teams in the conference, not just LSU, have struggled against relatively weaker competition. It hasn’t been a disastrous start for the conference. Seven teams enter this weekend with two or fewer losses, and 11 clubs populate D1Baseball’s top-25 rankings. But several teams known for their championship success have struggled. LSU and Arkansas made the College World Series last season, but both teams have lost ﬁve games in nonconference play. All of LSU’s defeats have come against mid-major teams. Arkansas failed to win a home nonconference series last

weekend for the first time since 2014, breaking a 34-series streak. Tennessee, after losing coach Tony Vitello to the San Francisco Giants, has dropped four games while struggling at the plate. Vanderbilt has seven losses, and its pitching staff has taken a relative step backward. Florida has won some big games, but it also nearly got swept by High Point last weekend. It would be one thing if these teams were projected to ﬁnish at the bottom of the conference. South Carolina has ﬁve losses, but the Gamecocks weren’t expected to make the NCAA Tournament this season. LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee,

ä See LSU BASEBALL, page 3C

Southern women advance in SWAC tourney BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

ä Southern vs.Alabama A&M, 10 A.M. FRIDAy, ESPN+

The Southern women’s basketball team opened play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday, and the Jagä Southern uars showed men advance they still have a high level past UAPB. of comfort in PAGE 3C postseason action. The reigning champion Jaguars looked much the same as they did last season, and posted a 64-51 quarterﬁnal win over Jackson State at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. The win moves third-seeded Southern (17-13) into the semiﬁnals where it will face top seed

Alabama A&M (22-9) at 10 a.m. Friday. “We started the game with the intensity we need to be a championship-caliber squad,” Southern coach Carlos Funchess said. “We did a good job of taking (JSU) out of what they wanted to do.” Just as it did in a 67-43 win at Jackson State on Jan. 29, Southern took control at the outset and never trailed. Zaria Hurston, Jaylia Reed and Olivia Delancy each connected from 3-point range, sparking the Jaguars to an 18-7 lead after one quarter.

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Southern’s Zaria Hurston drives the ball to the goal as Alabama A&M’s Coriah Beck defends on Feb. 7 at the F.G. Clark Activity ä See SOUTHERN, page 4C Center.

LSU’s seven senior gymnasts come from all corners of the country and are equipped with all sorts of experiences. From California to North Carolina, Minnesota to Houston and spots in between. Only one is a traditional, old school, four years at LSU student-athlete. The rest are in their fifth year or sixth year, some still holdovers from that Scott of college athletes Rabalais class whose careers started in the topsy-turvy world of the COVID-19 pandemic. Friday night against No. 8 Arkansas, they will compete in their last regularseason home meet. They will all be back in the Pete ä Arkansas Maravich Assembly Center for the at LSU, NCAA regional No. 7:30 P.M. FRIDAy, SECN+ 2 LSU will host in April. Partly for that reason, LSU coach Jay Clark, in his gruff but endearing way, says the point of Friday’s meet (7:30 p.m., SECNetwork+) is to win, not to eulogize anyone. Still, there is a finality to collegiate gymnastics that doesn’t exist in other sports. For most of these young women, gymnastics is something they can’t remember not doing. After 20 years of tumbling and flipping and balancing, of dealing with injuries and surgeries and smiling through it all for the judges and the fans, there is no professional level to graduate to. There is no senior tour. When the gymnastics season ends next month, that will be it. For some, there is a strange kind of joy in that. The early 20s brings the magnetic pull of wanting to move on to the next, even if the next is somewhat unclear. Chase Brock, a sixth-year senior from Atlanta, is trying to figure her next out. “I try not to look too far into the future,” Brock said this week. “I know everything is going to come together, whether it’s stay here for a year or go to Dallas where my sister is at to be close to family. “I’m just trying to enjoy these last moments.” Alexis Jeffrey, a fifth-year senior from Warrensburg, Missouri, who transferred to LSU from UCLA before the 2022 season, is planning on becoming an elementary school teacher. But she won’t give gymnastics up completely. “I’ll probably go home and do some coaching on the side while I get my teaching certificate,” she said.

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

Elliss didn’t expect Saints reunion in free agency “His leadership, his voice, his in the weeks before because of one LB was surprised simple wisdom,” Elliss said, “I don’t think reason. “Demario doesn’t age,” Elliss you can replace that with one huwhen veteran Davis said. “So he’s probably going to be man being. … It’s going to take a effort to ﬁll the void left by back here anyways.” didn’t return to N.O. Demario Davis was, in fact, not group Demario, because he’s special.”

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The ﬁrst day of NFL free agency came and went with Kaden Elliss unsigned. This was an unexpected development for the 30-year-old linebacker. But what happened on Day 2 left him even more surprised. That was when the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted him seven years earlier, came calling. They wanted to know if he was interested in a reunion — something Elliss had barely considered

back. The 37-year-old linebacker reached a two-year, $22 million deal with the New York Jets on Monday. A day later, the Saints struck a three-year, $33 million deal with Elliss. By Thursday, Elliss looked as if he were still trying to comprehend the whirlwind. Davis really left the Saints after eight seasons? And they really wanted the player who spent the past three seasons playing for their hated rival, the Atlanta Falcons? All Elliss could do was smile — even knowing the situation he was stepping into.

Even now, Elliss talks about Davis with the utmost respect. The former 2019 seventh-rounder from Idaho began his career, essentially, as Davis’ understudy. He would listen to nearly everything Davis had to say, from teaching him how to rely on the tools “in his bag” to helping him realize he should develop his own routine rather than trying to just copy the veteran’s methods. Elliss went as far as describing Davis as a father-like ﬁgure, despite the fact that they’re only about seven years apart.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss stops Saints running back Alvin ä See SAINTS, page 4C Kamara during a game on Nov. 26, 2023, in Atlanta.

2C ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV AUTO RACING 2 p.m. Indy NXT: Practice FS2 3 p.m. NTT IndyCar: Practice FS2 9 p.m. Formula 1: Sprint Race APPLETV WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 5:30 p.m. Korea vs. Dominican Republic FS2 7 p.m. U.S. vs. Canada FOX COLLEGE BASEBALL 7 p.m. Georgia Tech at Clemson ACCN MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 10:30 a.m.GWU vs. Saint Louis USA 11 a.m. Ohio State vs. Michigan BTN 11:30 a.m.Missouri St. vs.TBD CBSSN NOON Kentucky vs. Florida ESPN NOON TBD vs. UAB ESPN2 1 p.m. St. Bonaventure vs. Dayton USA 1:30 p.m. Wisconsin vs. Illinois BTN

2 p.m. Sam Houston St. vs.TBD CBSSN 2:30 p.m. Tennessee vs.Vanderbilt ESPN 2:30 p.m. TBD vs.Tulsa ESPN2 4 p.m. Dupuesne vs.VCU USA 5:30 p.m. Purdue vs. Nebraska BTN 6 p.m. Ole Miss vs.Alabama SECN 6:30 p.m. Davidson vs. St. Joseph’s CNBC 8 p.m. TBD vs. Michigan St. BTN 8 p.m. TBD vs. UC Irvine ESPNU 8:30 p.m. TBD vs.Arkansas SECN 10:30 p.m.TBD vs. UC San Diego ESPN2 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 4 p.m. Maine at Vermont ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS 5 p.m. ByU at Clemson ACCN GOLF NOON PGA Tour: Championship GOLF 8:30 p.m. LIV Golf: Sentosa Golf Club FS2 9 p.m. LIV Golf: Sentosa Golf Club FS1

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

HORSE RACING NOON America’s Day at the Races FS2 4:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB SPRING TRAINING NOON N.y.yankees vs.Atlanta MLBN 3 p.m. San Diego vs.Athletics MLBN 5 p.m. Houston vs. St. Louis MLBN 8 p.m. Arizona vs. Kansas City MLBN NBA 6:30 p.m. Cleveland at Dallas PRIME 7 p.m. New Orleans at Houston GCSEN 9 p.m. Minnesota at Golden State PRIME PARALYMPICS 7:30 a.m. Alpine Skiing: Men’s Slalom USA 8:10 a.m. Biathlon: 7.5km USA 8:35 a.m. Sled Hockey USA TENNIS 1 p.m. Indian Wells: Doubles TENNIS 6 p.m. Indian Wells: Singles TENNIS

Wade: ‘I’m excited at NC State’ Former LSU coach says he hasn’t been contacted about job

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

North Carolina State basketball coach Will Wade discussed rumors of a potential return to his former job at LSU after being asked about the speculation on Thursday. According to NC State beat writer Noah Fleischman, Wade said, “No,” when the former Tigers coach was asked if anyone from LSU had contacted him. “Is the job open there?” Wade

said. “No? Listen, let me be very clear. I’m excited at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn’t going to take one year. I’ve already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes that we need to make and some of the things that we need to do to put this program where it deserves long term. “I’m not on social media. I’m not into gossip. I’m not into any of that sort of stuff.” Wade is in his ﬁrst season after signing a six-year contract worth $17.25 million to lead the Wolfpack. NC State (20-13, 10-8 ACC) lost 81-74 to No. 10 Virginia in the quarterﬁnals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Thursday.

After the defeat, NC State’s coach expanded on his commitment to building a winner where he’s at. “Look, we’re going to win, and we’re going to win big at NC State,” Wade said. “That’s what we’re going to do. That’s what we’re going to moving Wade forward. We have the resources we need. We have what we need, and it’s on me and my staff to get the job done. Look, this year hasn’t gone exactly how we wanted it to, but we’re going to rally and we’re going to work hard and we’re going to have a team

next year that’s ready to roll.” LSU basketball’s season concluded with an 87-82 defeat to Kentucky in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Coach Matt McMahon is in the fourth year of his sevenyear contract that he signed in 2022. When asked about his uncertain future as he’s set to miss the NCAA Tournament a fourth consecutive year, he said that he respects the decision made by the athletic administration. Wade led LSU to three NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons with an overall record was 105-51. He was fired for cause in 2022 after committing NCAA violations.

LSU players stand by McMahon after loss BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU basketball season concluded the way many expected after a last-place ﬁnish in the Southeastern Conference. The No. 16-seeded Tigers fell 87-82 to No. 9 Kentucky in the first round of the SEC Tournament. With the loss, the next piece of business is the status of coach Matt McMahon now that his team will miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. Before the coach of LSU (15-17, 3-15 SEC) could answer questions on his uncertain future after accumulating a 17-55 SEC record, Max Mackinnon spoke. The Portland transfer was asked about his emotions after playing what’s likely his last collegiate game. “Coach (McMahon) always says this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” the senior said after scoring a game-high 28 points against Kentucky. “I’m so grateful to just put on this jersey and just play at this level. And I just can’t thank this man (enough) next to me. I think everyone wants to say something on Twitter. Everyone wants to say something. Everyone’s got an opinion,

but we lost our two best players at the start of the year. We fought, and this guy never changed.” Mackinnon referenced the season-ending injuries to point guard Dedan Thomas and forward Jalen Reed. Thomas played three games in SEC play, and Reed injured his Achilles tendon in the sixth game. The fourth-year coach said injuries are a reality and that he’s proud of his group’s resilience despite the setbacks. McMahon, who has an $8 million buyout on his contract that ends in 2029, said that he’ll respect whatever decision the administration makes. “I think we have an elite leadership team, administrative team, and I’ll certainly respect whatever decisions they make moving forward,” McMahon said. “But I’m really proud of our players for how they came to compete today, and give great credit to Kentucky for getting the win.” While Mackinnon understands the criticism about his coach, he was still compelled to spotlight the impact McMahon had on him. “Every day he made me a better player, and that’s going to help me for my future,” Mackinnon said. “But I just want to say that

he was the same guy every day, (same) energy. He pushed me to limits I didn’t think I could get to. I never thought I could play at this level. So I want to credit coach (McMahon). He changed my basketball, and he’s changed my future for opportunities ahead. So I just wanted to credit that.” The Tigers’ locker room had saddened players who came up short on a neutral court filled with passionate Kentucky fans who created a home-court-like environment. Graduate student Pablo Tamba, like Mackinnon, was candid as he felt a whirlwind of feelings after playing what likely was his last game. The UC Davis transfer from Malaga, Spain, spoke to The Advocate in the locker room. He discussed how the team didn’t give fans enough to be proud of this season after a 12-1 start. “It’s heartbreaking the fact that we started the season like that, and didn’t really motivate the fans because we did have some support at the beginning,” Tamba said. “I kind of feel like we let them down. But, you know, we couldn’t just sit back and give up. So I’m glad we just kept ﬁghting.” Mike Nwoko, who had 16 points

and 12 rebounds, echoed his teammates’ somber sentiment. “It deﬁnitely sucks, you know, it’s not the way we thought the season would go out, for sure,” the Mississippi State transfer said. Before the hard-fought defeat, McMahon mentioned the disappointments that the Tigers experienced in conference play. The most conspicuous were their home losses in January to South Carolina (13-19, 4-14) and Mississippi State (13-19, 5-13). In both instances, the Tigers fell behind by at least 27 points in the ﬁrst half. Tamba didn’t sugarcoat how he felt after those moments. “We can’t be coming out there and looking like we won’t want to play,” Tamba said. The frustrations of LSU fans exist inside the program’s walls. Tamba said he’s glad he had the experience to be on this team, but he is disheartened with the outcome. Time will tell if LSU retains McMahon as its leader. What is known is that six players who don’t have an additional year of college basketball are upset with the close to their season. Nwoko shared what his message was to them.

Ingram feels the love in return to New Orleans New Orleans Pelicans fans always wished for a night like this. A night when Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones were all healthy and playing on the Rod Walker Smoothie King Center court at the same time. They got their wish Wednesday night, although Ingram was wearing a Toronto Raptors uniform in his return to New Orleans. Ingram would’ve really appreciated the video tribute the Pelicans showed during the ﬁrst timeout of Wednesday night’s game. Except there was one problem. “I didn’t even get to look at it because (Raptors coach) Darko (Rajakovic) was yelling,” Ingram said. But Ingram, in his ﬁrst game back in the Smoothie King Center since being traded from the Pelicans to the Raptors last February, didn’t really need to see or hear a video to know how much the folks in New Orleans appreciates him.

ä New Orleans at Houston. conference as former teammates and coaches stopped 7 P.M. FRIDAy, GCSEN. and chatted with him in the hallway. “It was everything that I picme different things. I love the fans. I love the coaching staff tured,” Ingram said. “All the and I love my teammates and love that I got from the fans, the city. It was a fun time for old coaches, my teammates, sure.” the ushers, security. EveryThe only part that wasn’t fun body showed love. They gave for Ingram was the game itself. me my flowers while I was The Pelicans beat the Raptors here.” 122-111. Ingram finished with Ingram spent 51/ 2 seasons 22 points, six rebounds and five with the Pelicans, arriving in assists. He shot 8 of 19 from 2019 as part of the trade that the floor, including 2 for 7 on sent Anthony Davis to the Los 3-pointers. Angeles Lakers. By the time “I needed a little bit of love Ingram was traded, he ranked STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD in the top 10 in franchise histoday anyway because I’ve Toronto Raptors forward Brandon tory in points, rebounds and been playing terrible,” Ingram said. “Everywhere I went, Ingram runs upcourt after sinking assists. He made his first AllI heard fans calling me. I Star game as a member of the a 3-pointer over New Orleans stopped and signed jerseys and Pelicans and made his second Pelicans forward Trey Murphy, right, one this season. remembered some old faces of on Wednesday at the Smoothie people that had season tickets. During the game, the fans King Center. I felt like I should show them showed their appreciation for love back.” his time in New Orleans. For Ingram, this night was all After the game, Ingram reHe could feel it. about returning to the city that He felt it from the time he turned the favor and showed walked into the building unhis appreciation for his time in he loved so much because it reNew Orleans. til the time he headed to the minded him of his hometown of “It made me who I am today,” Kinston, North Carolina. locker room to “BRAN-DON Ingram said. “I grew every sinIN-GRAM” chants. It took him “I felt the energy and love a while to reach his destinathroughout the whole game,” gle year with (coaches) Willie Ingram said. Green, Alvin Gentry and Stan tion because he stopped and Van Gundy and they pushed signed as many autographs as Email Rod Walker at me to be a better player each he could. It took him even lonrwalker@theadvocate.com. ger to get to his postgame news and every year. They taught

Newspaper awarded top honors by Associated Press

The sports staff of The Advocate and Times-Picayune was awarded multiple honors for its work in 2025 by Associated Press Sports Editors in the organization’s annual honors. The Advocate and Times-Picayune competed in Class A — the largest division of publications — and earned six top 10 recognitions as voted by a panel of sports editors and writers. The Times-Picayune’s Chris Dabe earned a High School Beat Writing top 10 for his work in the New Orleans area. Saints beat writer Luke Johnson was also awarded a top 10 in the Long Feature category for his indepth piece on Kellen Moore. Also in the print product area, The Advocate and Times-Picayune earned a Special Sections top 10 for the Super Bowl LIX special section.

WNBA, players’ union meet third straight day

NEW YORK — The WNBA and its players’ union met for a third consecutive day Thursday hoping to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. They have had two marathon bargaining sessions over the past two days that both ended late at night. Union president Nneka Ogwumike said Wednesday night that players are “feeling movement.” “At the end of the day, we want a season,” she said. “We want to play. We’ve heard that from the other side as well. We need to see a more robust demonstration of that as we continue on in these negotiations.” The two sides started Thursday’s discussions around 10 a.m. The main sticking point is still revenue sharing.

Vikings sign QB Murray after release from Arizona

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Kyler Murray on Thursday, after focusing their latest search on the ﬁrst overall pick from the 2019 NFL draft who was just released by the Arizona Cardinals. Murray visited Vikings headquarters before agreeing to join them, one day after he was cut by the Cardinals despite them owing him $36.8 million in guaranteed salary for this season. The Vikings didn’t have many other options this year for challenging — or replacing — J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 ﬁrst-round draft pick whose injuries and inconsistency have raised the question of how long they can afford to wait for him to develop.

Stephen F. Austin tops McNeese for NCAA berth

LAKE CHARLES — Myka Perry scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half, Harmanie Dominguez made five 3-pointers and finished with 18 points, and No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin beat top-seeded McNeese 71-59 on Thursday to win the Southland Conference Tournament and clinch an NCAA Tournament berth for the second consecutive season. Stephen F. Austin (25-9), which lost both regular-season matchups against the Cowgirls, have won nine of the past 11 in the series which the Ladyjacks lead 52-15. McNeese (28-5), which set the program’s single season wins record, saw its 21-game win streak — the longest in school history — come to an end. The Cowgirls won the conference’s regular-season title under ﬁrst-year coach Ayla Guzzardo.

Miami (Ohio) loses its first game of season

CLEVELAND — Travis Steele went 31 games and 363 days before addressing a losing locker room. Now, the Miami (Ohio) coach and his squad must wait an excruciating three days before finding out if they’ve made the NCAA Tournament. The 20th-ranked RedHawks became the last men’s Division I program to fall from the unbeaten ranks on Thursday as UMass rallied in the second half for an 87-83 victory in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Miami was the fifth team this century to go undefeated in the regular season and the first since Gonzaga in 2020-21. The RedHawks join Saint Joseph’s — which lost to Xavier in the 2004 Atlantic 10 quarterfinals — as teams whose unbeaten run ended in their conference tournament.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 3C

Southern men win thriller over UAPB lll

Late blocked shot allows Jaguars to advance in SWAC tourney

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson shoots a foul shot against Tennessee in the fourth period on Feb. 26 at the PMAC.

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

With time running out and Southern clinging to a threepoint lead, Michael Jacobs came up with a defensive gem Thursday night at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament. As Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Alex Mirhosseini launched a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key, Jacobs cleanly blocked the shot as time ran out. Jacobs’ heroics preserved an 84-81 quarterfinal win allowing the Jaguars to move on. “One stop was all we needed to win the game. I knew I had to get the block,” Jacobs said. Southern (16-16) led nearly the entire second half, but never by more than four points in the last 10 minutes. UAPB (1316) took a 79-78 lead with less than a minute to play, but Southern had a response. Terrance Dixon flipped in a layup with his back to the basket to put the Jaguars back on top, and then he grabbed a defensive rebound as Southern kept its foot on the gas. Southern sandwiched four free throws around an UAPB field goal in the final 15 seconds, setting the stage for Jacobs’ game-winning block. The win sends the thirdseeded Jaguars into Friday’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal against second seed Florida A&M (15-15), which defeated Jackson State 70-60 on Wednesday. The Rattlers defeated Southern twice in the regular season. Both teams enjoyed a productive night shooting. UAPB made 27 of 56 (48%) from the field while Southern was 29 for 51 (57%). The Jaguars outrebounded the Golden Lions 29-26. Southern’s lineup, which was the healthiest it has been since

LSU BASEBALL Continued from page 1C

Florida and Vanderbilt, meanwhile, have had national championship aspirations for at least the last decade and entered this year with high expectations. “I think some of it is just like expectations versus reality, which is that baseball is a highly unpredictable game on a game-by-game basis in a way that the other major sports are not necessarily,” D1Baseball analyst Joe Healy said. “And so sometimes when these kinds of results happen, we tend to look for something here that maybe is just a shrug of the shoulders.” There is no singular reason that explains all of these clubs’ struggles. For LSU, the problems have been multifold. The offense has had trouble taking advantage of weaker pitching, the bullpen has struggled to hold onto tight leads or keep small deﬁcits where they are and the defense has had problems ﬁelding the ball. The Tigers’ variety of issues is what scares Healy the most about their start to the year. “They’re the ones I’m most surprised are having trouble at this time of year,” Healy said. “If you look at it as like a metaphor of trying to plug holes in a boat, if you’re just trying to plug one hole — if it was just the lineup — then

LSU’s Johnson earns cancer fund award Tigers guard donated more than $25K in past few years

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southern coach Kevin Johnson questions a call against Prairie View A&M on Jan. 5 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center. On Thursday, the Jaguars defeated UAPB 84-81 to advance in the SWAC Tournament. January, was led by Fazl Oshodi’s 18 points. He made four of Southern’s 10 3-pointers, and got help from Malek Abdelgowad (17 points), Cam Amboree (14) and AJ Barnes (10), who pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. APBU also had four players in double ﬁgures — Quion Williams (21), Jaquan Scott (20), Mirhosseini (15) and Trevon Payton (13). The first half featured big runs by both teams. The initial surge came from Southern after the score was tied 5-5. A.J. Barnes scored on a baby hook from the right baseline that

started a 10-0 run for the Jaguars. APBU missed five consecutive shots while Southern converted on four straight trips to the basket. By the time Damariee Jones hit a jumper from the left side, Southern led 15-5 at the 12 minute mark. Southern made 5 of 7 3-point attempts, including three on consecutive possessions that gave the Jaguars a 27-19 lead. The Golden Lions fought back with a 13-2 run to take a 32-29 lead. Fazl Oshodi’s 3-pointer keyed a closing run that gave Southern a 39-37 halftime lead.

ON DECK WHO: LSU (13-5) at.Vanderbilt (11-7) WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday WHERE: Charles Hawkins Field, Nashville,Tennessee ONLINE/TV: SEC Network+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette) RANKINGS: LSU is No. 13 by D1Baseball; Vanderbilt is not ranked PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — RHP Casan Evans (1-0, 4.66 ERA); Vanderbilt — RHP Connor Fennel

(2-0, 3.80) PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Evans has improved on the mound each week, tossing ﬁve perfect innings last weekend before giving up a pair of runs in the sixth. He’ll almost certainly start on Friday.Vanderbilt is dealing with multiple pitching injuries, but has turned to Fennel on Fridays through the ﬁrst four weeks of the year.

you’d feel like that’s pretty ﬁxable, right?… But with LSU, it’s got three different holes in the boat, and it’s trying to plug all three.” LSU has the talent to turn it around and it won on Tuesday against Creighton, snapping a skid of four defeats in ﬁve games. But the Tigers have run out of time to get right with the return of SEC play this weekend. “It feels like they’re kind of experimenting with certain positions in their lineup, and they have a group of players they like more from a defensive standpoint, and players they like more from an offensive standpoint,” Healy said.

“And it kind of feels like whenever they try to do one, they struggle with the other and vice versa.” LSU’s opponent to open conference play has arguably found itself in an even deeper hole. Vanderbilt is dealing with injuries to six pitchers, including right-handed weekend starter Austin Nye. The Commodores have also been missing starting catcher Colin Barczi since the ﬁrst week of the season. Between power hitters Brodie Johnston and Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt has a pair of bats that can give the lineup more physicality than it’s had in recent

Koki Riley

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund surprised LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson on Thursday by giving her its inaugural Servant Leader of the Year Award. CEO Jenny Palmateer said that Johnson has played “an instrumental role” in the fund’s efforts in recent years. The LSU guard has donated more than $25,000 to the fund since 2022-23, she said, while also partnering with it to sponsor events in which women can receive free mammograms. Johnson held one in July in her hometown Savannah, Georgia. “She is opening doors to the next generation for us in a really big way,” Palmateer said, “and really setting the example for how the next generation can really make an impact in the ﬁght against all cancers affecting women.” Johnson started working with the fund during her freshman season. LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey pledged to donate $1 for every student who attended the Tigers’ annual Play 4 Kay game, and Johnson decided to match his contribution — something the two of them have done for each of the past four years. Starkey is a Kay Yow board member. He’s worked with the fund ever since his wife, Sherie, was diag- Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. nosed with breast cancer in 2007.

years. But one MLB scout, who saw Vanderbilt play and spoke with The Advocate on the condition of anonymity, is not overly impressed by the Commodores’ roster, especially on the mound. “Everyone’s kind of caught up (to them), right?” the scout said. “That Friday guy (Connor Fennel) is 86-88 (mph) with an invisible fastball. So he gets swing and miss, but, again, at some point, it’s only 88, so he’s got to throw it exactly where he wants, which he does a lot. But if he’s off a little bit, he can’t beat anyone with velocity because he doesn’t have it. “He’s a good pitcher. But you’re thinking Friday guy for Vandy, that guy over the last 20 years, basically has been a 10-year big leaguer.” If injuries have plagued Vanderbilt and underperformance has hurt LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida have stumbled for simpler reasons. Florida has been without one of its top hitters in second baseman Cade Kurland. Five players who have made at least 10 starts for Tennessee are hitting under .300 to start the season. Arkansas has three starters in its lineup who are sporting a sub-.200 batting average. LSU faces Florida and Tennessee in conference play. The Tigers do not have Arkansas on their schedule, but the same scout who saw Vanderbilt also watched the Ra-

LEARN MORE

Derek Curiel LSU Baseball, Outfielder

“If you know Flau’jae,” Starkey said, “once she buys into something, it’s non-stop. “It shows the amount of pride that she takes in doing something like this, and to be honest with you, that’s kind of the key goal of the award — to create an atmosphere at every school where everybody wants to participate at such a level where they can compete for this possible award.” Johnson said the fund’s work has “touched” her. She started working with the fund in part because she wanted to help women like her grandmother, who died from cancer, and in part because she knew it was important to Starkey — a coach she’s developed a strong relationship with in her career at LSU. “In the end,” Palmateer said, “just what Flau’jae was able to do and her sustained commitment to the community, I think, is really what set her apart.” Kay Yow was a Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach who led North Carolina State to four ACC Tournament championships, five ACC regular-season titles and 20 NCAA Tournament appearances across a 35-year tenure. The fund she founded before she died in from a battle with breast cancer in 2009 has raised roughly $10 million for cancer research and programs that support underserved women. Johnson, a senior, will exhaust her collegiate eligibility at the end of season. She’s one of only six players to ever score more than 2,000 career points in an LSU uniform.

zorbacks and was struck by their talent on the mound, despite their recent struggles. “My big takeaway from Arkansas is they can still really pitch,” the scout said. “Like that’s kind of their whole thing, the bullpen.Their bullpen’s a bunch of guys that throw really hard, and the strikes weren’t great, just OK, but it’s still a super talented roster. I mean, they have some guys back. (Ryder) Helfrick is really good, the catcher. They’ve got a guy back there that can settle the pitching staff down.” It’s more advantageous for LSU, Vanderbilt and the rest of the conference’s struggling teams to take their lumps before SEC play begins, given the added importance of in-conference results as it relates to NCAA Tournament seeding, and just making the big dance altogether. But suffering multiple losses to inferior opponents, such as Sacramento State, Stetson, High Point or Kent State, is not a healthy sign, especially with the guarantee that the schedules for all of these teams will be harder moving forward. Their struggles have all brought up an uncomfortable but reasonable question: Is everything OK with the SEC? “I don’t think our league’s going to have any problem continuing to win games and be at the top of the sport,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “I don’t see that coming at all.”

4C ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

With signing of Etienne, Kamara’s future uncertain

BY MATTHEW PARAS

The Saints, likewise, felt really good about Edwards. That’s why they had no qualms about giving him more than $15 million per year and handing him $20 million in guarantees. The deal was struck quickly, ensuring Edwards — one of the top guards on the market — would be wearing black and gold next season. “This guy is the ultimate pro,” Moore said. “He’s a special, special person. Tthe ultimate player, teammate, leader. He’ll have a huge impact on our offense and our team.”

Staff writer

The Saints made a big splash with the signing of former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. What does that mean for Alvin Kamara? Coach Kellen Moore was evasive Thursday about Kamara’s future, telling reporters that there was a “process” that the team would go through. New Orleans recently restructured Kamara’s contract for 2026, but there are questions about whether he’ll be on the roster. “We’d like to go through that process, certainly,” Moore said. “And so we feel, obviously, we know Alvin means a lot to us. “Again, we are three days in this thing. We’ve signed Travis, and we’ll go through that process.” Kamara will enter the ﬁnal year of his contract and carries a $10.4 million cap hit after his latest restructure, according to Over The Cap. ESPN reported that teams around the league are wondering whether Kamara will move on from the Saints and whether New Orleans would be open to trading him. The NFL Network also ﬂoated the possibility that Kamara, who turns 31 in July, could retire. “I’m not going to get into all that stuff,” Moore said. “I haven’t had those conversations in any way.” Kamara rushed for a careerlow 471 yards last season, missing the last six games because of a knee injury. He averaged only 3.6 yards per carry, also a career worst. The Saints struck a four-year, $52 million deal with Etienne when free agency effectively opened Monday. Moore said the Saints have a “lot of roster stuff to navigate” over the next few months.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C But as much as he learned from his mentor, Elliss also grew further after leaving New Orleans in 2023. In Atlanta, Elliss became a full-time starter and embraced new responsibilities. The Falcons, for instance, had Elliss wear the green dot on his helmet, meaning he communicated the play calls and pre-snap adjustments for the entire defense. The Falcons tapped further into Elliss’ diverse skill set after what he showed initially with the Saints. They leaned on his ability to rush the passer: No off-ball linebacker over the last two years has recorded more quarterback pressures than Elliss, who has 64, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s 15 more than the next three players. “I didn’t like playing this guy the last couple of years,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said with a smile, later adding, “His versatility and his ability to play in a number of spots, obviously, is very, very valuable.” It was so valuable that the Saints ended up committing more guar-

Keeping lines open Cam Jordan and Taysom Hill notably remain unsigned in free agency, but Moore said the Saints would stay in touch with each player to see if a reunion would be possible. Jordan has said he wants to play a 15th season, but the Saints and Jordan have not STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE been able to agree on a new contract. Hill has less definitive Saints running back Alvin Kamara scores for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson about whether he wants to contries to make the tackle on Sept. 7 in the Caesars Superdome. tinue his NFL career. “We love all those guys and we’ll “We know we love Alvin and agents like Edwards could formal- Ryan Ramczyk raved about the city. let this thing take its course,” Travis is a really special player,” ly chat with other teams up to an Aaron Kromer, Edwards’ former of- Moore said. Moore said. “Certainly identified hour before the start of the league’s fensive line coach in Buffalo and that (Travis) is a really good fit new year. Previously, teams could a longtime New Orleans assistant, Saints re-sign Radunz and really good timing. He’s gone only communicate with a player’s also gave a glowing review of the The Saints re-signed guard Dilthrough those first few years of his representative. franchise. lon Radunz to a two-year contract, league. He had to navigate a little But no such call was necessary. And he remembered the tape. the team announced Thursday. bit of some stuff early in his career, Edwards had already done his Speaking to reporters at his in- Radunz started 10 of 15 games got through that. homework. troductory news conference, for New Orleans after joining the “Then I thought last year, his film The former Buffalo Bills guard the 28-year-old recalled how im- team last offseason. He became was just was really, really good.” had spoken with numerous peo- pressed he was with quarterback the team’s full-time starter at left ple with ties to New Orleans Tyler Shough and New Orleans’ of- guard after the team traded TrevEdwards’ choice over the years, helping him get fensive line when he studied the or Penning in November. Radunz, who turns 28 later this David Edwards didn’t need to speak a good sense of what to expect team’s Week 17 win over the New with anyone from the Saints before with his new team. He remem- York Jets in preparation for Buf- month, spent his first four seasons the 6-foot-6 guard agreed to join bered, for instance, what former falo’s season finale against New with the Tennessee Titans. He was a second-round pick in the franchise on a four-year, $61 teammate — and now assistant York. million deal in the opening hour of coach — Will Clapp said about work“There’s so much excitement 2021. NFL free agency. ing with Moore and offensive line and momentum, I felt like leading The NFL changed its rules for its coach Brendan Nugent. He knew the into this decision that made me Email Matthew Paras at matt. legal tampering period so that free way former college teammate feel really good,” Edwards said. paras@theadvocate.com

anteed money — $23 million to $15 million — than what Davis earned from the Jets. Both deals averaged $11 million annually, but the Saints ultimately landed a younger player who can arguably do more at this stage of his career. Was that as intentional as it seems? “I don’t want to go into all the negotiating aspects of these things just because that’s not fair to anyone,” Moore said. “Obviously, we love Demario. And so, this thing worked out with Kaden having the opportunity to come here. And we’re really excited about it.” In a goodbye letter posted on his Instagram, Davis wrote he’ll always consider New Orleans home and that he felt the franchise is headed in the right direction — “and headed there quickly.” If it all goes right, Elliss will help with that. Though the linebacker said he couldn’t replace Davis as a leader, Moore noted Elliss’ leadership and ability to command a locker room. Elliss, 30, was named a captain by the Falcons this past year. And if Elliss thrives, Davis likely would be among those happiest. The longtime veteran would often

note that Elliss is part of his “linebacker tree,” a concept similar to a coaching tree in which coaches get credit for seeing their assistants get hired and thrive elsewhere. Elliss is well aware of the concept. He said he’s never talked about it with Davis directly but has chatted with Philadelphia’s Zack Baun, the Saints’ Pete Werner and a number of others about how it’s “pretty cool” to see. “He was obviously the alpha in our room, and there was a lot of high-end talent that, if you really look at Demario, he fended off a lot of talent that tried to take his job,” Elliss said, with a laugh. “He said, ‘Nuh-uh. This is my spot. I’m here, and I’ll tell you when I’m ready to leave.’ ” Davis left, and Elliss has returned. When he found out the news Tuesday, Elliss sent a text of three emojis — a fleur-de-lis, a crown and a frog — to his family group chat. They understood immediately, going “nuts” in the messages that followed. “To be back where it started, you just didn’t think it would ever happen,” Elliss said. Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C Southern’s advantage grew to 24 in the second quarter before it took a 38-16 lead at halftime. Jackson State (12-19) fought back in the second half, but the closest it got was at 42-30 midway through the third quarter. Southern shot 38% from the field (22 for 58), and was better from 3-point range, where it made 8 of 21. JSU outrebounded Southern 36-32, but the Jaguars forced 28 turnovers while committing only 13. Delancy made five 3-pointers, and was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points. Jocelyn Tate turned in an all-around effort with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals. Jestiny Dixon grabbed seven rebounds and had six of Southern’s 18 steals. “I think we could have closed the game a little better, but I like how we played together,” Delancy said. “I think we played well.” Free-throw shooting, a concern for Southern going into the game, wasn’t a factor for the Jaguars despite a 12-for-27 showing. JSU made 20 of 23 free throws, but just 13 of 43 shots (30%) from the field. Funchess is looking for better free-throw shooting in the semi-

RABALAIS

done all of one routine, vault, earlier this season at Georgia. Continued from page 1C One vault routine in two years. It takes about six seconds to complete. Yet, like the others, Weilbacher stayed. As a sport, gymnastics is a “I’m sure at some point somelittle like an iceberg. You only one will go in the portal,” Clark see the tip above the waves, the said. “It’s so prevalent in other meets with all the glitter and sports. music and cheering fans. The “We’re not perfect, but I do thousands of hours of work and believe when kids come here the concurrent track of rehab it’s basically what they thought and training take their toll by it was going to be. Rarely does the time gymnasts reach this their role go as they drew it stage of their careers. up in their head, being an allBrock hasn’t been healthy arounder like (Kailin) Chio or enough to compete this year Haleigh (Bryant). Ninety perbecause of an Achilles’ tendon cent of the time that’s not the injury. Jeffrey hasn’t competed at all. Tori Tatum, from Chanhas- case. But they appreciate the culture and care we try to prove sen, Minnesota, came back for for them as people.” her fifth season despite not havThe only traditional LSU seing recorded a score in a meet nior, if that term can be used since 2024, but remains bright anymore, is fourth-year Tiger and upbeat about the program Ashley Cowan of Hillsborough, she has loved being a part of so North Carolina. The 2024 Southmuch. eastern Conference uneven “I think the future looks bars champion, Cowan has been great,” Tatum said. “There’s so a regular contributor on that much talent and so many difevent for LSU once again this ferent personalities. It’s not a season. recipe, but just sticking to the There are still possibly six LSU culture.” meets left for these Tigers if The LSU culture, some secret alchemy, has given this gymnas- they make it all the way to this year’s NCAA final. That’s a lot, tics program the immunity to collect transfers in this transfer- but after 20 years of gymnastics, it’s like the vault: a pretty mad era without losing any. Adshort run. ditions like Courtney Blackson The sentimental journey these from Elk Grove, California, who seniors are on is already startessentially came out of “retireing to set in. ment” after four years at Boise “It’s just a family here,” Brock State and one year away out said. “I’ve loved every single of gymnastics to compete this year at LSU. Like Emily Innes of team I’ve been a part of. I have Pittsburgh, who came to LSU for lifelong friendships with all my old teammates and the teamher fourth and final season after mates I have now. It’s just been three years at Washington. cool to be part of this whole Or like Kathryn Weilbacher of experience.” Houston, a fifth-year senior who Advocate sportswriter Reed transferred to LSU from Bowling Green before the 2025 season. In Darcey contributed to this retwo years with the Tigers she has port.

SEC STANDINGS

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southern coach Carlos Funchess yells for his defense to get in position against Texas Southern in the ﬁ rst period on Jan. 3 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center. ﬁnal against Alabama A&M. “In all of our tight games, I think it came down to free throws,” he said. “It was us missing some free throws, some late and some early. I think we were 6 for 21 the last time we played (A&M), so we’ve got to do a better job.” JSU was led by Derrica McCall with 12 points while Angel Wilkinson and Tcheuhchoua Pierre-Noelle each scored 10. Jaileyah Cotton, Mikayla Brown and Pierre-Noelle had seven re-

bounds apiece. Hurston got Southern started with a 26-foot 3-pointer 10 seconds into the game. Reed and Delancy added 3-pointers to help Southern extend to a 13-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. Southern’s defense kept JSU off balance the rest of the ﬁrst quarter. The Tigers missed their last six shots from the ﬁeld and had seven turnovers as Southern took an 18-7 lead into the second quarter.

Team Oklahoma Florida LSU Alabama Georgia Missouri Arkansas Kentucky Auburn

SEC 8-0* 5-2 4-3 4-3 4-3 3-4 2-4-1 1-5-1 0-7

Pct. 1.000 .714 .571 .571 .571 .429 .357 .214 .000

Friday’s results

Overall 14-0-1 11-2 10-3-1 9-4 14-3 10-4 5-6-1 1-9-1 4-11

Pct. .967 .846 .750 .692 .824 .714 .458 .136 .267

Florida 198.450, LSU 198.325 Oklahoma 197.925, Arkansas 197.500 Alabama 197.200, Kentucky 196.675 Georgia 197.600, Missouri 197.300 Michigan State 197.700, Auburn 196.975

Sunday’s results

Oklahoma 198.175, Texas Woman’s 195.025 Alabama 197.125, Illinois 196.175 Georgia 198.075, Auburn 197.200, Clemson 196.875, Pittsburgh 196.000#

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

Friday’s schedule

Arkansas at LSU, 7:30 p.m. (SECNetwork+) Florida at Kentucky, 6 p.m. (SECNetwork+) Oklahoma at Michigan, 6 p.m. (BigTenNetwork+) Georgia at Alabama, 6:30 p.m. (SECNetwork+) Missouri at Auburn, 7 p.m. (SECNetwork+)

END REGULAR SEASON

*-Clinched share of SEC regular-season championship #-Elevate the Stage meet, Huntsville, Ala. All times Central

NQS Avg. 197.967 197.593 197.897 197.508 197.369 197.213 197.203 196.400 196.603

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 5C

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds

Charlotte 117, Sacramento 109

Sports Betting Line NBA

Detroit 131, Philadelphia 109 Phoenix 123, Indiana 108 Orlando 136, Washington 131, OT Atlanta 108, Brooklyn 97 Miami 112, Milwaukee 105 Dallas at Memphis, n Denver at San Antonio, n Boston at Oklahoma City, n Chicago at L.A. Lakers, n

Friday

FAVORITE at DETROIT at TORONTO at DALLAS at INDIANA at HOUSTON Minnesota at PORTLAND at LA CLIPPERS

LINE OFF 3½ OFF OFF 7 5½ OFF OFF

O/U UNDERDOG (OFF) Memphis (218½) Phoenix (OFF) Cleveland (OFF) New York (226½) N.O. (224½) at GSW (OFF) Utah (OFF) Chicago

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Friday

FAVORITE at SAINT LOUIS at MICHIGAN at FLORIDA Prairie View A&M at DAYTON at TOLEDO

NHL

LINE UNDERDOG 6½ G. Washington 13½ Ohio State 11½ Kentucky 1½at ALABAMA A&M 6½ St Bonaventure 3½ UMass

Friday

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at N.Y ISLANDERS -141 Los Angeles Edmonton -161 at ST. LOUIS

LINE +119 +135

Pro basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Boston New York Toronto Philadelphia Brooklyn

W 43 42 36 35 17

L 22 25 29 30 48

Pct GB .662 — .627 2 .554 7 .538 8 .262 26

Orlando Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington

W 36 37 34 34 16

L 28 29 31 33 48

Pct GB .563 — .561 — .523 2½ .507 3½ .250 20

Southeast Division

Central Division

Detroit Cleveland Milwaukee Chicago Indiana

W 46 40 27 27 15

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Southwest Division

L 18 26 37 38 50

Pct GB .719 — .606 7 .422 19 .415 19½ .231 31½

San Antonio Houston Memphis New Orleans Dallas

W 48 40 23 22 21

L 17 25 41 45 44

Pct GB .738 — .615 8 .359 24½ .328 27 .323 27

Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota Portland Utah

W 51 40 40 31 20

L 15 26 26 35 46

Pct GB .773 — .606 11 .606 11 .470 20 .303 31

L.A. Lakers Phoenix L.A. Clippers Golden State Sacramento

W 40 38 33 32 16

L 25 27 32 33 51

Pct GB .615 — .585 2 .508 7 .492 8 .239 25

Northwest Division

Paciﬁc Division

Wednesday’s Games

SWAC Tournament

At College Park, Georgia Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Prairie View 71, Bethune-Cookman 67 Florida A&M 70, Jackson St. 60 Thursday Alabama A&M 85, Texas Southern 74 Southern 84, UAPB 81

Thursday’s Games

Orlando 128, Cleveland 122 New Orleans 122, Toronto 111 New York 134, Utah 117 Denver 129, Houston 93 L.A. Clippers 153, Minnesota 128

Friday

Florida A&M vs. Southern, 8:30 p.m.

Friday’s Games

At Huntsville, Alabama First Round Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Missouri St. 77, Librty 69 Sam Houston 69, Jacksonville St. 61 Thursday Louisiana Tech 80, Middle Tennessee 69 W. Kentucky vs. Kennesaw St., n

Late Wednesday New Orleans 122, Toronto 111 TOR

SEC Tournament

Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Barnes 35:32 4-14 0-0 1-6 4 0 9 Ingram 38:01 8-19 4-4 2-6 5 3 22 Poeltl 29:34 4-7 0-0 3-5 0 4 8 Barrett 28:04 5-13 5-8 2-7 1 1 16 Quickly 34:27 8-14 6-6 2-6 3 3 25 Mklshvli 21:15 2-6 2-2 0-5 1 2 8 Shead 20:13 3-7 1-1 1-2 3 1 9 Walter 10:31 0-3 0-0 1-1 1 2 0 Battle 10:09 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 3 Dick 7:37 3-6 0-0 0-1 0 1 7 J.-Davis 3:13 0-3 0-2 2-3 2 0 0 Martin 1:24 1-1 1-2 0-0 0 0 4 Totals 240:00 39-9419-2514-43 20 17 111 Percentages: FG .415, FT .760. 3-Point Goals: 14-44, .318 (Quickley 3-7, Shead 2-4, Mamukelashvili 2-6, Ingram 2-7, Battle 1-1, Martin 1-1, Dick 1-3, Barnes 1-6, Barrett 1-6, Walter 0-3). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5 (Poeltl 3, Barnes, Mamukelashvili). Turnovers: 11 (Ingram 4, Barnes 2, Barrett 2, Dick, Mamukelashvili, Quickley). Steals: 13 (Ingram 4, Barnes 3, Quickley 2, Barrett, Dick, Martin, Walter). Technical Fouls: Ingram, 4:47 third. FG FT Reb

NOLA

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS

Bey 27:46 4-15 0-0 2-4 4 1 9 Williamson31:497-12 5-8 0-6 4 1 19 Jones 35:36 6-9 0-0 0-2 1 1 16 Murphy III33:42 8-12 7-8 0-7 3 2 28 Murray 31:27 12-20 1-2 0-5 6 3 27 Missi 19:17 3-6 0-0 5-10 2 1 6 Fears 16:33 2-7 2-2 0-2 2 2 7 Queen 14:27 1-3 0-0 0-5 3 2 3 Matkovic13:27 1-1 2-2 1-3 0 1 4 Jordan 13:08 1-3 1-2 2-4 2 2 3 Hawkins 1:24 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 Peavy 1:24 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240:00 45-8818-2410-49 27 16 122 Percentages: FG .511, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 14-29, .483 (Murphy III 5-8, Jones 4-6, Murray 2-6, Queen 1-1, Fears 1-2, Bey 1-6). Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 5 (Missi 2, Queen 2, Bey). Turnovers: 15 (Murray 4, Murphy III 3, Queen 3, Williamson 2, Bey, Jones, Missi). Steals: 10 (Murphy III 3, Murray 2, Fears, Jones, Matkovic, Queen, Williamson). Technical Fouls: Murray, 1:24 fourth. Toronto 30 28 25 28 — 111 New Orleans 29 31 33 29 — 122 A_16,568 (16,867). T_2:12.

College basketball

At Nashville, Tennessee First Round Wednesday Kentucky 87, LSU 82 Auburn 79, Mississippi St. 71 Ole Miss 76, Texas 66 Oklahoma 86, South Carolina 74 Second Round Thursday Kentucky 78, Missouri 72 Tennessee 72, Auburn 62 Georgia vs. Ole Miss, n Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma, n

Southland Conference Tournament Championship Wednesday McNeese State 76, Stephen F. Austin 59

Baseball World Baseball Classic GROUP A

At College Park, Ga. Second Round Tuesday Florida A&M 55, Bethune-Cookman 52 Ark.-Pine Bluff 81, MVSU 74 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Alabama A&M 72, Florida A&M 68 Ark.-Pine Bluff 64, Alcorn State 60 Thursday Southern 64, Jackson St. 51 Alabama St. 56, Grambling 50

American Conference Tournament

Men’s national scores

American Conference Tournament

Quarterﬁnal Virginia 81, North Carolina State 74 Miami (FL) 78, Louisville 73

Mid-American

National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Optioned LHP Hayden Harris to Gwinnett (IL). CHICAGO CUBS — Optioned LHPs Luke Little and Ryan Rolison and OF Justin Dean to Iowa (IL).

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES — Signed F Tyler Burton to a 10-day contract.

FOOTBALL

National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed LS Casey Kreiter, QB Gardner Minshew II, OL Matt Pryor, DL Jonah Williams, RB Zonovan Knight and CB Starling Thomas V to one-year contracts. Signed RB Tyler Allgeier and OL Elijah Wilkinson to two-year contracts. Signed WR Kendrick Bourne to a two-year contract. ATLANTA FALCONS — Re-signed DT LaCale London to a contract. BALTIMORE RAVENS — Signed DE Trey Hendrickson to a four-year contract. CHICAGO BEARS — Re-signed OL Jordan McFadden to a one-year contract. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed DE Boye Mafe to a three-year contract through the 2028 season. Signed OT Orlando Brown Jr. to a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season. Signed S Bryan Cook to a three-year contract through the 2028 season. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Re-sign P Corey Bojorquez to a contract.

Tuesday’s game

LSU 12, Nicholls 2

Wednesday’s games

Southeastern 11, Southern Miss 3 Nicholls 10, Jackson State 0, 6 innings

Women’s state scores, schedule Southland Conference Tournament

L Pct. 0 1.000 1 .750 2 .500 3 .250 4 .000

Major League Baseball

State scores, schedule

Quarterﬁnal Alabama A&M 85, Texas Southern 74, OT

W 4 3 2 1 0

Transactions

College softball

Quarterﬁnal UMass 87, Miami (OH) 83 Toledo 77, Bowling Green 76 Akron 73, Buffalo 70 Mountain WestQuarterﬁnal Utah State 80, UNLV 60 SoutheasternSecond Round Kentucky 78, Missouri 72 Tennessee 72, Auburn 62

Dominican Republic Venezuela Israel Netherlands Nicaragua

South Korea at Dominican Republic, 5:30 p.m. United States at Canada, 7 p.m.

Southern at Florida A&M, TBA LSU at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. South Alabama at UL, 6 p.m. Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern, 6 p.m. Texas-Rio Grande Valley at Nicholls, 6 p.m. Incarnate Word at UNO, 6:30 p.m. Creighton at Tulane, 6:30 p.m.

Ohio State 72, Iowa 69 Wisconsin 85, Washington 82

L Pct. 0 1.000 2 .500 2 .500 2 .500 4 .000

Friday’s games

Big Ten Third Round

W 4 2 2 2 0

No games scheduled.

College baseball

No games scheduled

Quarterﬁnal St. John’s 85, Providence 72 Seton Hall 72, Creighton 61

Japan South Korea Australia Taiwan Czech Republic

Thursday’s games

Big East

L Pct. 0 1.000 1 .750 2 .500 3 .250 4 .000

Canada 7, Cuba 2 Italy 9, Mexico 1 Dominican Republic 7, Venezuela 5

McNeese at UL, ppd. Nicholls 5, Xavier 4 South Alabama 10, Southeastern 3

Quarterﬁnal Iowa State 75, Texas Tech 53 Arizona 81, UCF 59

W 4 3 2 1 0

Wednesday’s games

Big 12

Pct. .750 .750 .500 .250 .250

Japan 9, Czech Republic 0 Canada 3, Puerto Rico 2 Israel 6, Netherlands 2 Italy 8, United States 6

Tuesday’s scores

Atlantic Coast

Italy United States Mexico Britain Brazil

Tuesday’s games

Tuesday FAU 74, Charlotte 70 Temple 86, Tulane 77, OT Second round Wednesday North Texas 80, FAU 57 UTSA 59, Temple 51 Quarterﬁnals Thursday North Texas 76, Tulsa 73 UTSA 62, South Florida 51

UL 11, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 7 Southern 20, Dillard 7, 7 innings Nicholls 12, Jackson State 2, 7 innings Mississippi State 11, Tulane 7 UNO 14, Mississippi Valley State 0 LSU 8, Creighton 4

Second Round George Washington 66, Fordham 62 St. Bonaventure 63, George Mason 57

L 1 1 2 3 3

GROUP D

State scores, schedule

Thursday’s games Atlantic 10

W 3 3 2 1 1

GROUP C

Tuesday Delaware 66, Kennesaw St. 47 Jacksonville St. 82, UTEP 77 Quarterﬁnals Wednesday Louisiana Tech 72, Delaware 43 FIU 76, Jacksonville St. 66 Thursday Liberty 89, Sam Houston St. 57 Missouri St. 69, Middle Tennessee 66

At Birmingham, Ala. First round Wednesday Tulane 81, Memphis 69 FAU 63, Temple 59 Second round Thursday Charlotte 74, Tulane 60 North Texas vs. FAU, n Friday UAB vs. Charlotte-1 p.m. Tulsa vs. North Texas-FAU-winner, 3:30 p.m.

Canada Puerto Rico Cuba Colombia Panama

GROUP B

Conference USA Conference

SWAC

Men’s state scores, schedule

UL at Southern Miss, 6 p.m. Grambling at Southern, 6 p.m.

SWAC Tournament

Conference USA Tournament

Cleveland at Dallas, 6:30 p.m. Memphis at Detroit, 6:30 p.m. New York at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. Phoenix at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. New Orleans at Houston, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Golden State, 9 p.m. Utah at Portland, 9 p.m. Chicago at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterﬁnals Tuesday UTRGV 76, Northwestern St. 67 Stephen F. Austin 63, Nicholls 60 Semiﬁnals Wednesday McNeese St. 67, Texas Rio Grande Valley 52 Stephen F. Austin 64, Lamar 59 Championship Thursday Stephen F. Austin 71, McNeese State59

Thursday’s games No games scheduled

Friday’s games

Nicholls at UIW (DH), 3 p.m. Houston Christian at Southeastern (DH), 4 p.m.

FRIDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS ENTRIES Post Time: 12:45PM First Race, Purse $19,000, Maiden Claiming $20,000, 3 yo’s & up, F & M (ﬁllies and mares) Six Furlongs-Dirt 01 Marlin Darlin (J Inirio) 4-1 02 Bronze Legacy (M Pedroza, Jr.) 7-2 03 Ocean’s Appeal (M Meeks) 12-1 04 Go Hot Girl (J Ramirez, Jr.) 6-1 05 Peace of Justice (J Riquelme) 4-1 06 Hammydown (A Concepcion) 9-2 07 Nothin (S Vives) 4-1 Second Race, Purse $55,000, Allowance, 4 yo’s & up, F & M (ﬁllies and mares) One Mile-Dirt 01 Factor of Time (T Thornton) 6-1 02 Pasila (S Vives) 9-2 03 Moonie Pie (M Pedroza, Jr.) 3-1 04 Becky’sgottahaveit (C Hernandez) 8-1 05 Thundering Desire (B Hernandez, Jr.) 8-1 06 Eve of Eve (M Murrill) 6-1

07 Precious Money (J Ortiz) 5-1 08 Sue’s Little Zing (B Curtis) 9-2 Third Race, Purse $60,000, AOC $80,000, 4 yo’s & up Six Furlongs-Dirt 01 Old Homestead (T Pompell) 6-1 02 Built (J Loveberry) 3-1 03 Maximum Bourbon (B Curtis) 2-1 04 Autodrive (B Hernandez, Jr.) 3-1 05 Red State (J Ortiz) 6-1 Fourth Race, Purse $24,000, Claiming $20,000, 4 yo’s & up, F & M (ﬁllies and mares) One And One Sixteenth Miles-Turf 01 Miss River Rat (I Castillo) 4-1 02 Rosie’s Angus (C Hernandez) 8-1 03 Tuck Check (B Curtis) 3-1 04 Forgotten Fortune (T Thornton) 8-1 05 Turf Rocket (M Pedroza, Jr.) 5-1 06 Miss Harmonic (H Hernandez) 10-1 07 Rosieontheriver (S Vives) 5-1 08 Differently (J Graham) 8-1

09 Jocasta (J Loveberry) 12-1 Fifth Race, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo, F (ﬁllies) Six Furlongs-Dirt 01 Knock Knock (J Loveberry) 9-2 02 Irish Punch (J Graham) 4-1 03 She’s Our Ten (B Curtis) 9-2 04 Startin Trouble (J Ortiz) 4-1 05 Rosecliffe (J Hernandez) 115 8-1 06 Winning Matters (B Hernandez, Jr.) 9-2 07 Kayla’s Komet (A Concepcion) 7-2 Sixth Race, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo’s & up, F & M (ﬁllies and mares) One Mile-Turf 01 Royal Ascot (J Ortiz) 6-1 02 Keen Gal (J Mudd) 50-1 03 Good Conduct (A Concepcion) 8-1 04 Olatz (GB) (S Vives) 10-1 05 Private Property (IRE) (B Hernandez) 5-1 06 Galatina (H Rea) 10-1 07 Buckeye Bombshell (C Hernandez) 9-2

08 Sunshine Daydream (B Curtis) 4-1 09 Tarzana (M Pedroza, Jr.) 7-2 10 Lit Up (C Hernandez) 12-1 Seventh Race, Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo, F (ﬁllies) Six Furlongs-Dirt 01 Aegis (B Hernandez, Jr.) 6-1 02 Lakota Lady (M Pedroza, Jr.) 5-2 03 Humble Toad (J Ortiz) 3-1 04 Be the Light (M Murrill) 7-2 05 Nut Bush City (A Concepcion) 6-1 06 Fast Gun (H Hernandez) 8-1 07 Nightmare Fuel (B Curtis) 8-1 Eighth Race, Purse $55,000, AOC $125,000, 3 yo, F (ﬁllies) Five And A Half Furlongs-Turf 01 I B Flyin (J Graham) 15-1 02 Hidden Map (C McMahon) 8-1 03 She’s a Live Wire (H Hernandez) 9-2 04 Stepping Stones (J Ortiz) 5-2 05 Echo Juliet (T Pompell) 8-1 06 Rani (B Curtis) 7-2

07 Candy Talking (M Pedroza, Jr.) 9-2 08 Nelson’s Penny (B Hernandez, Jr.) 6-1 Ninth Race, Purse $15,000, Claiming $5,000, 4 yo’s & up, F & M (ﬁllies and mares) Six Furlongs-Dirt 01 Miss Kennedy (J Vargas) 15-1 02 Where’s Aunt J (I Castillo) 6-1 03 Be a Bandit (J Rengifo) 10-1 04 Crusin Like a Cat (H Rea) 7-2 05 Little Z (J Ramirez, Jr.) 12-1 06 Mo Smoking (J Dominguez) 9-2 07 Lightening Mo (E Barrera) 12-1 08 Saberﬁght (D Magnon) 30-1 09 Taken It (J Inirio) 20-1 10 Easy Bet (E Santiago) 4-1 11 Hey Madalyn Claire (J Rodriguez) 8-1

THURDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS RESULTS First Race - $19,000, Maiden Claiming $20,000, 3 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs Classical Ocean (Cstllo) $12.00 $6.20 $3.80 Bayou Time (H. Hernandez) $3.60 $2.60 Easy Like Breezy (C. McMahon) $3.00 Finish Time: 1:10.38 Exacta (1-3) $22.00; Superfecta (1-3-2-4) $33.10; Trifecta (1-3-2) $46.00 Second Race - $30,000, Maiden optional claiming $50,000, 3 yo, Six Furlongs Alrosa (S. Vives) $14.60 $7.60 $4.00 Grazie Prego (J. Loveberry) $3.60 $2.20 She’s Tops (E. Murray) $3.80 Finish Time: 1:10.51 Daily Double (1-6) $46.30; Exacta (6-3) $28.30; Superfecta (6-3-5-1) $26.15; Trifecta (6-3-5) $42.95 Third Race - $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards Jr’s Gift (H. Rea) $6.80 $4.00 $3.40

License to Steal (M. Pedroza) $11.60 $5.60 Lil Bro Coop (I. Castillo) $3.20 Finish Time: 1:43.84 Daily Double (6-6) $43.40; Exacta (6-1) $46.40; Superfecta (6-1-8-3) $71.27; Trifecta (6-1-8) $88.40; Pic 3 (1-6-6) $103.05 Late Scratches: Wayllen Richard Fourth Race - $30,000, Maiden optional claiming $50,000, 3 yo, One Mile Seventy Yards Killa Sally (B. Hrnndz) $3.60 $2.40 $2.10 Look At Me Nah (J. Ortiz) $3.00 $2.60 U Vicky (B. Curtis) $5.20 Finish Time: 1:43.68 Daily Double (6-3) $7.50; Exacta (3-5) $4.20; Superfecta (3-5-6-7) $15.62; Trifecta (3-5-6) $23.80; Pic 3 (6-6-3) $38.35 Late Scratches: Dancewhenyoucan, Unlikely Queen Fifth Race - $19,000, Claiming $12,500, 4 yo’s

& up, Six Furlongs G’wildcat (A. Concepcion) $6.80 $4.20 $3.00 Young Tuscan (J. Dominguez) $13.60 $6.80 Summertime Peppers (H. Rea) $6.40 Finish Time: 1:10.47 Daily Double (3-2) $7.10; Exacta (2-3) $48.80; Superfecta (2-3-1-5) $133.40; Trifecta (2-3-1) $142.65; Pic 3 (6-3-2) $12.40; Pic 4 (6-6/9-ALL2/6) $168.45; Pic 5 (1-6-6/9-ALL-2/6) $1,723.00 Late Scratches: Majority Opinion Sixth Race - $55,000, AOC $12,500, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards Global Honor (S. Vives) $9.20 $5.60 $3.20 Island Cabana (H. Rea) $15.40 $7.00 Corporal Paul (J. Ortiz) $3.40 Finish Time: 1:43.87 Daily Double (2-10) $24.20; Exacta (10-5) $65.70; Superfecta (10-5-3-8) $193.81; Trifecta (10-5-3) $151.30; Pic 3 (3-2-10) $13.50 Late Scratches: Mardi Gras Empire, Single

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Shot, Tensas Camp Road, Wayside Drive, Woods N Water, Slick and Fast Seventh Race - $19,000, Claiming $12,500, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Tambourine Star (Pedroza) $13.60 $7.20 $5.00 Beach Blanket (I. Castillo) $11.00 $6.60 Ranch Water (J. Melancon) $3.40 Finish Time: 1:38.31 Daily Double (10-1) $41.90; Exacta (1-2) $62.80; Superfecta (1-2-5-9) $249.23; Trifecta (1-2-5) $202.50; Pic 3 (2-10-1) $71.45 Late Scratches: Take Charge J J Eighth Race - $55,000, Allowance, 4 yo’s & up, One And One Sixteenth Miles Crisis Manager (J. Ortiz) $3.60 $2.40 $2.10 Main Beach (A. Concepcion) $2.60 $2.20 Mary’s Boy Bolt (J. Graham) $3.60 Finish Time: 1:43.14 Daily Double (1-11) $19.30; Exacta (11-6) $4.40; Superfecta (11-6-2-8) $8.43; Trifecta

(11-6-2) $8.35; Pic 3 (10-1-11) $36.10 Late Scratches: John the Beer Man, Unleash the Power, Drilling for Gold, Edgerton Ninth Race - $15,000, Maiden Claiming $12,500, 3 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards Mo Diva (J. Dominguez) $11.20 $2.80 $2.40 Tortuga Coast (C. Perez) $2.10 $2.10 Bourbon Americana (S. Vives) $3.00 Finish Time: 1:44.99 Daily Double (11-4) $10.10; Exacta (4-9) $10.70; Superfecta (4-9-2-6) $54.25; Trifecta (4-9-2) $24.70; Consolation Double (11-3) $1.80; Pic 3 (1-11-4) $38.35; (1-11-3) $7.15; Pic 4 (10-1-1/4/9/10/11-4) $229.20; Pic 5 (2/6-101-1/4/9/10/11-4) $762.95; (2/3/4-2/6-10-11/4/9/10/11-4) $779.90 Late Scratches: Jailhouse Religion

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6C ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Zachary’s defense nets another title shot BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Dunham’s Elijah Haven goes to the basket between Episcopals’ Jeremy Mitchell, left, and David Dickerson on Jan. 9 at Dunham. Haven had 17 points in the Tigers’ 51-29 loss to Country Day on Thursday in Lake Charles.

Dunham falls just short to Country Day BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES – In a tied game, Country Day’s Herman Dyson drove toward the rim in a semifinal game against Dunham in the final 10 seconds. Two defenders swarmed him, and one hit Dyson’s hands, flinging the ball up toward the basket. The ball bounced twice around the rim before falling in to put the Cajuns up two with three seconds left. Dunham’s AJ Olivier caught the ensuing inbound pass and raced up the floor. Just before reaching midcourt, he heaved up one last shot attempt, but it hit the rim and bounced off at the buzzer. Country Day (20-5) defeated Dunham 51-49 in the Division III select state semifinals in the Burton Coliseum on Thursday. “I guess that’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes,” Tigers coach Chad Myers said. “Nothing to do with effort. We put ourselves in a position to win. We fell short.” The loss marks Dunham’s fourth year straight falling short in the semifinal, including a 54-53 loss to

Country Day last year. The lead switched hands six times in the first quarter, with the teams knotted at 13 after the first quarter. The Cajuns ripped off a 7-2 run to start the second quarter. Country Day’s Kellen Brewer scored consecutive three-point plays after he drew one foul off a layup, then stole the ensuing inbounds pass for a second. The Tigers turned it over nine times in the first half. The lead reached eight points before Dunham began to chip away. After free throws cut it six, senior Jarvis Washington connected with a 3-pointer to get the Tigers within three. Late in the second quarter, Dyson drew his fourth foul on a technical for shoving Washington after Tigers senior Khris Thomas already drew a shooting foul. The fouls resulted in four consecutive Dunham free throws to tie the game and the Tigers were given possession of the ball. Haven knocked down a jumper to cap a six-point sequence and put the Tigers in front. Dunham (22-5) led 32-28 at halftime after scoring the last four

points of the second quarter. The Tigers held a 41-39 after a back-and-forth third period. Midway through the fourth, the Tigers took a six-point lead after Haven pulled up from mid-range and buried a jumper to push the lead to six. Country Day cut it to two after a layup, and Curtis McAllister slammed down a put-back dunk. On the ensuing possession, a cutting Olivier caught a pass from Haven and finished a layup through contact to make it a fourpoint game again. The Cajuns tied it after a layup and two free throws by McAllister. As the clock ticked to less than a minute, Dunham turned it over. Country Day (21-5) won it late after Dyson’s late bucket and Olivier’s half-court heave failed to fall in. “The game plan worked,” Myers said. “We just didn’t finish the job.” Haven finished with 17 points in the loss. “The love for my guys and the love for these coaches made me want to come back,” Haven said. “We fell short, but it was still a hell of a season that I was glad to be a part of.”

Ruston’s second-half run does in Central BY JACKSON REYES

Staff writer

LAKE CHARLES – For nearly three quarters, Central gave Ruston all it could handle. The Wildcats opened the third with five straight points to take a two-point lead. Then Ruston’s big three took over. The second-seeded Bearcats made shots from all over, going on a 20-5 run to go from trailing to leading by 16 points after three quarters in a 71-57 win in the Division I semifinals on Thursday at Burton Coliseum. The Bearcats trio of Ahmad Hudson, Darren Ford and KeShun Malcolm combined for 69 points to eliminate No. 6 Central. The Bearcats will face topseeded Zachary in the state title at 8 p.m. Saturday. The two sides traded leads six times in the first quarter, but Ruston led 14-12 going to the second

period. The Bearcats went on a 7-3 run to start the second quarter. Central senior Jace Conrad ended the run with a 3-pointer and senior Shaun Washington tied it with an open 3 from the corner. Central (20-7) capped the run with a layup to take the lead. Ruston scored with five straight to close the ﬁrst half, ending with a three-point play by Darren Ford and the Bearcats led 26-23 at halftime. “I thought we battled for a really long time,” Central coach Scott Osborne said. “They were getting to the free-throw line. We had a couple busts on defense.” Wildcats senior Jalen Thomas ripped the ball out and raced down the court for a fast-break layup to open the third. Senior Keithon Womack then stole it, drove to the rim, and kicked it out to Conrad. He quickly ﬁred and drilled a 3-pointer to put

Central in front by two. Ruston (16-2) responded with an 11-0 run to take a nine-point lead. The run was capped by a steal and dunk by junior Ahmad Hudson. Conrad was called for a technical after, which led to two Bearcats free throws, forcing a Central timeout. Bearcats junior KeShun Malcolm then hit a 3-pointer out of the timeout to stretch the run to 140. Ruston outscored Central 20-5 down the stretch to take a 46-33 lead into the fourth. Hudson scored 10 points in the fourth to fend off a Central comeback. Osborne said he was proud of his team’s ﬁght in the game, despite falling short. “Every day with these guys is a treat,” Osborne said. “The only way we could do this is by loving each other, loving the work. Here we are together, and that’s the most important thing.”

LAKE CHARLES – Zachary doesn’t go a single practice without working on transition defense, and it paid off in Thursday’s Division I nonselect semifinal game. The Broncos led by 18 points in the fourth, but Denham Springs began to chip away with an 8-0 run to cut it to 10. The Yellow Jackets then two fast-break chances with less than two minutes left, but Zachary forced two missed layups on one chance and drew a charge on the other. Top-seeded Zachary never let No. 4 Denham Springs close the gap to single digits en route to its win at the Burton Coliseum as the Broncos return to their second straight state title game. They’ll play the winner of Thursday’s final game between No. 6 Central and No. 2 Ruston at 8 p.m. Saturday. “We started preaching (transition defense) back in August,” coach Jon McClinton said. “That’s something we hang our hats on.” McClinton pointed to the team’s slogan, “don’t flinch,” as another key to fending off Denham Springs. “When they make their runs, you’ve got to be able to not flinch,” McClinton said. “Just defend the culture. The culture is we stop the ball, and ultimately we just go play basketball.” The Broncos took a 9-2 lead after junior Ian Edmond hit a jumper and then nailed a 3-pointer. Zachary pushed its lead to 16-6 on a 5-0 late in the first quarter. Yellow Jackets senior Hayden Ray made a layup to end the run and Da’Sean Golmond spun around and faded away for a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 16-11. Denham Springs cut it to two after Jeremy Williams hit a 3-pointer and Golmond hit a pair of free throws. Golmond took over with a pair of assists to help the Yellow Jackets tie the game at 20. He then stole the ball and drew a foul on a layup attempt. He hit one free throw to put the Yellow Jackets up one. Broncos junior Jerry Armwood connected with a corner 3-pointer to put Zachary back in front. His score sparked a 13-3 run to close the first half that included

PREP BASKETBALL Boy’s LHSAA state tournament At Burton Coliseum, Lake Charles

Monday’s games

No. 6 Southern Lab 55, No. 2 St. Martin’s 50 No. 1 Gibsland-Coleman 66, No. 4 Saline 41 No. 2 Pleasant Hill 70, No. 2 Plainview 40 No. 2 Zwolle 48, No. 3 Quitman 42 No. 4 Lacassine 72, No. 8 Pitkin 63

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Lincoln Prep 58, No. 4 Central Catholic 42 No. 3 East Iberville 59, No. 2 Lakeview 42 No. 1 Ferriday 64, No. 4 West St. Mary 56, OT No. 3 Brusly 72, No. 2 Northwest 56 No. 1 Wossman 55, No. 4 Bossier 49

Wednesday’s games

No. 12 Northside 65, No. 1 Madison Prep 61 No. 1 John Curtis 47, No. 12 Catholic-BR 38 No. 11 Karr 44, No. 2 Alexandria 39 No. 1 Marksville 66, No. 5 Mamou 47 No. 2 Peabody 52, No. 3 Washington-Marion 48

Thursday’s games

No. 3 Country Day 51, No. 2 Dunham 49 No. 1 Calvary Baptist 66, No. 4 DeLaSalle 38 No. 2 Madison 49, No. 11 Green Oaks 46 No. 1 Zachary 74, No. 4 Denham Springs 59 No. 6 Central vs. No. 2 Ruston, n

Friday’s championship games

Division IV select: No. 1 Lincoln Prep vs. No. 6 Southern Lab, noon Class C: No. 1 Gibsland-Coleman vs. No. 2 Pleasant Hill, noon Division IV nonselect: No. 3 East Iberville vs. No. 1 Ferriday, 4 p.m. Class B: No. 4 Lacassine vs. No. 2 Zwolle, 6 p.m. Division II nonselect: No. 1 Wossman vs. No. 3 Brusly, 8 p.m.

Saturday’s championship games

Division III select: No. 1 Calvary Baptist vs. No. 3 Country Day, noon Division II select: No. 12 Northside vs. No. 2 Peabody, 2 p.m. Division I select: No. 1 John Curtis vs. No. 11 Karr, 4 p.m. Division III nonselect: No. 1 Marksville vs. Madison, 6 p.m. Division I nonselect: No. 1 Zachary, vs. No. 2 Ruston, 8 p.m.

Country Day 51, Dunham 49

Country Day 13 15 11 12 — 51 Dunham 13 19 9 8 — 49 SCORING: Country Day: Kellen Brewer 19, Curtis McAllister 12, Rhys Diley 10, Herman Dyson 4, Brennan White 4, Richard Dietz 2; Dunham: Elijah Haven 17, Gavin Blanton 12, Jarvis Washington 9, AJ Olivier 7, Khris Thomas 4. 3-POINT GOALS: Country Day 1 (White 1) Dunham 3 (Washington 1, Olivier 1, Blanton 1) RECORDS: Country Day 21-5, Dunham 22-5

two 3-pointers by Demarius Collins and a fast-break dunk by Mason Newman. Zachary (27-2) led 33-24 at halftime. The Broncos were relentless, driving to the rim to begin the third. Zachary scored ﬁve layups midway through the quarter to take a 15-point lead. The Broncos led 55-40 after three. The lead swelled to 19 after Zachary senior Kristion Brooks scored on a fast break and then later found junior Ethan Kimmie for a layup.

Zachary gets best of U-High ace, pulls away for nondistrict victory BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

Zachary baseball coach Jacob Fisher felt his team welcomed the challenge of facing one of the state’s top pitchers in Louisiana Tech signee Grant Sunstrom of University High. The Broncos took the initiative with three run runs in the top of the first and the staff’s co-ace Cullen Howard pitched shutout ball until the fifth, a combination that was good enough for an 8-1 victory on Thursday at UHS’ Vick Field. “They’ve got a guy on the mound going to Tech,” Fisher said. “It’s a really great opportunity to face a really great arm. Our guys were excited about it and got off to a good start.” Zachary (14-5) loaded the bases with one out against Sunstrom with Braden Sanders leading off with a double into a difficult sun in right field. The Broncos’ first run scored when Sanders beat the throw of U-High first baseman Judah Zito to the plate on a fielder’s choice. Madden McClure, who walked and was part of a double steal, scored on an errant throw and Collin Walls capped his team’s uprising with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Tyler Wilson. “We did not handle the chaos,” said U-High coach Jon Ramsey, whose team dropped to 12-6. “We allowed that inning to get away from us. We had a chance to get out of that, maybe give up one of two, but we ended up giving them three and that doesn’t help.” Sunstrom shut out Zachary over the next three innings on three hits with eight of his nine strikeouts. The Broncos were able to drive Sunstrom’s pitch count over 100 and get him out of the game, loading the bases in the sixth without an out.

Zachary put the game out of reach with five runs in the inning. Sanders greeted reliever Nicholas Zeringue with a sacrifice fly to right and the Broncos also scored on a pair of wild pitches to make it 6-1. Pinch-hitter Calvin Duncan came off the bench with a 2-run single up the middle that scored Kam Bailey and McClure. Howard (5-1) stranded a runner scoring position in the first until U-High threatened in the fourth. Mackie Musgrove and Jaris Hamilton singled and Camden Smith walked to load the bases with one out. Howard’s first pitch to Jude Lambert was a one-hop grounder that shortstop Walls turned into a 6-4-3 double play with second baseman Wyatt Roberts completing the play to Isacc Gaspard at first. Howard allowed his lone in in the fifth inning on Trey Sotile’s run-scoring single to score Ian McCauley. He threw 47 of 77 pitches for strikes during his five-inning outing, allowing six hits, striking out two and walking one before McClure closed out the final two innings. “The three-spot in the first really helped to have confidence,” Howard said. “Seeing my team put up three, I knew I could just fill it up, pound the zone and trust my defense to make the plays behind me and they did. That just gave me confidence to challenge them with the fastball and throw the off-speed when I needed to.” Linescore Zachary 8, University 1 Zachary 300 005 0 – 8 7 1 University 000 010 0 — 1 7 2 W: Cullen Howard (5-1). L: Grant Sunstrom. Leaders: ZHS – Noah Sullivan 2-4, Calvin Ducan 1-1, 2 RBIs, Madden McClure 0-2, 2 BBs, 2 runs; UHS – Jaris Hamilton 2-4, 2B, Ian McCauley 2-4. Records: Zachary 14-5, University 12-6.

POST-PARADE PALOOZA

MUST BE TEA TIME

Extend your St. Patrick’s Day fun after Saturday’s parade with Earlapalooza at the Perkins Road Overpass, 2857 Perkins Road, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The music lineup includes Boosie, KG & The Bad Habits, Connor Martin and Parish County Line. VIP tickets with access to The Colonel’s Club also are available.

Celebrate the arrival of spring with a traditional Chinese tea celebration festival at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Main Library on Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Learn how to pick the perfect tea for any occasion, sample teas and watch tai chi demonstrations. Free. ebrpl.com.

WICKED AND WITTY

The stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” will have one performance at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre, 240 St. Louis St. Lewis’ iconic characters come to life in a gripping battle of temptation and redemption. $64.70 and up. ticketmaster.com.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

F r i d ay, M a r c h 13, 2026

1dN

WEARIN’ OF THE GREEN Baton Rouge’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade

11 a.m. Saturday See map for route. wearinofthegreen.com

PROVIDED PHOTO By JUSTIN MAyOTTE

Tyler Nance

Tyler Nance lives the songs he sings ‘It was like music became my escape’

BY JOHN WIRT

Contributing writer

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP

GREEN

Jim Cantore talks St. Patrick’s Day parade in Baton Rouge BY JUDY BERGERON

WEARIN’ OF THE GREEN ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

Staff writer

Sunday, Marrch 14 • 11 aa.m. Sunday m Pe

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Jim Cantore says if he can come cover a hurricane in Louisiana, he can probably handle a parade. The longtime meteorologist for The Weather Channel isn’t just going to the Wearin’ of the Green St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Baton Rouge on Saturday; he’s leading it as grand marshal. “I just got home. I was in Charleston (South Carolina) for the big food and wine festival that they have,” Cantore said by Cantore phone on Monday. “But my next stop is, you know, Wearin’ of the Green.” March rainstorms have been uninvited guests at past Wearin’ of the Greens, triggering worry, postponements and cancellations. So who better to pilot the procession than the national spokesman for treacherous conditions? At least that’s what parade organizers thought last year when they popped the parade question to the Atlantabased Cantore. “I was very surprised,” he said. And as for Irish lineage? “Oh God, no,” Cantore said, adding that his adoptive mother was Irish, however, while his adoptive dad was Italian. “So, you know, I’ve got

Government St.

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Tyler Nance was in North Dakota last week on a country music tour with Ian Munsick. Even though Munsick headlined the tour, audiences knew newcomer Nance’s songs, too. “It’s kind of been crazy having people sing my songs back to me,” Nance said from Fargo during a morning phone interview. “I never would have expected that to be a thing or a possibility, but that’s been happening regularly. It’s shocking, in a way. I love it.” As Nance’s streaming stats reveal, millions of people are hearing his honest, earnest songs. In 2025 and early 2026, he’s generated more than 157 million global streams. “Keeps Me Sane,” Nance’s moststreamed song, also entered Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Songs Top 40. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter based the deeply personal lyrics on his own life. While “Keeps Me Sane” is his best-known song so far, audiences surprise Nance with their awareness of his earliest recordings. “I didn’t know anybody even knew those songs, but people connect with them a lot,” he said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

The 2025 Wearin’ of the Green parade rolls through the Garden District. This year’s procession is Saturday.

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a little Irish in me by default.” On the plus side, the Connecticut native does have grand marshal experience. “I did it at my high school many moons ago,” he said. “That would be Hartford High School in White River Junction, Vermont.” Also in Cantore’s favor — as of Tuesday, the weather forecast was sunny and 77 for parade day.

k in

Staff map

Running for it In its seventh year, the 5K Shamrock Run offers participants a chance to sprint the last mile of the parade route before its 11 a.m. start time. The event is open to all ages and costs $65. Race time is 9:30 a.m., and

ä See GREEN, page 2D

ä See NANCE, page 2D

The Oscar votes are in With varied slate of nominees, this year’s winners a toss-up in many categories

Best Picture. There are stories of a creature in “Frankenstein,” aliens in “Bugonia,” Formula One racers in “F1” and an angst-ridden portrayal of William Shakespeare and the impetus behind his masterpiece “Hamlet” in the film “Hamnet.” Additionally, there’s the portrait of a master ping-pong player (based on BY LESLIE CARDÉ a true story) in “Marty Supreme,” Contributing writer the dizzying crime thriller that finds When it comes to awards season a former revolutionary in a constant in the film industry, all roads lead to state of paranoia in “One Battle Afthe Oscars in Hollywood. ter Another,” the family dynamics The 98th annual Academy Awards involved with a fading director and will air at 6 p.m. Sunday on ABC, his rising actress daughter in “SenPROVIDED PHOTO FROM WARNER BROS. PICTURES and there is a particularly broad mix timental Value,” the tense Brazilian Leonardo DiCaprio appears in a scene from ‘One Battle After Another.’ of genres for the 10 nominees for historical thriller where assassins

hunt down a professor on the run in “The Secret Agent” and the melancholic drama “Train Dreams” that explores feelings of isolation and the deep grief of a logger who loses his entire family. Then, there’s the bluesy vampire flick “Sinners,” recipient of the Academy’s record 16 nominations. Shot entirely in Louisiana, it’s been hit-and-miss in previous awards ceremonies. Recently, the Actor Awards (formerly the SAG Awards) crowned Michael B. Jordan with its Best Actor award, and the film won

ä See OSCAR, page 2D

2D ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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BULLS, BANDS, & pi, who I was working with,” said. “He was like, ‘Dude, BARRELS FEATURING he Continued from page 1D this is really good. You need TRACY LAWRENCE to post this on TikTok.’ ” Reluctant at first, Nance AND TYLER NANCE found the courage one night Nance’s fans will have

more songs to connect with when he releases his debut album, “Midwest Memoir,” on March 20. It features a bountiful 17 tracks. “It was going to be less, but I wrote so many songs last year, trying to decide which ones (to include) was really hard,” Nance said. Nance, who’s performing Saturday at Bulls, Bands, & Barrels in Gonzales, comes from a generations-deep cattle-raising family in Missouri. During childhood visits to his grandmother’s house, he loved listening to her large CD and tape collection, which included Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers and more classic performers. “My early memories are just going home at night and listening to the Everly Brothers on my little RCA CD player,” Nance recalled. “I’d sleep in the living room, and have it turned way down, just enough to where I could hear it. I’d fall asleep to the Everly Brothers’ greatest hits. I got a cool feeling from listening to the older artists. It was like music became my escape and my whole life. I never thought anything would come from it, but I loved it.” He didn’t know it then, but the music Nance’s grandmother shared with him and the verbal gymnastics of auctioneering prepared him to write his own lyrics. “I was put into auctioneer-

OSCAR

Continued from page 1D Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Those are awards that involve only actors and are voted on by actors, and Best Picture is essentially a producer’s award, not awarded at the Actor Awards. The Golden Globe Awards, which separate comedies and dramas for Best Picture, gave the Drama Motion Picture to “Hamnet” and the Comedy Motion Picture to “One Battle After Another,” the Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle that had many questioning how this ﬁlm ﬁt into any comedy category, unless you consider campy to be comedic. Despite its genre, oddsmakers have “One Battle After Another” as the heavy favorite to walk away with the Oscar statuette. The BAFTA Film Awards (Great Britain’s version of the Oscars) is often the biggest predictor of what’s to come at the Oscars, and its Best Film went to “One Bat-

GREEN

Continued from page 1D racers will meet at Moreau Physical Therapy, 3129 Perkins Road. Packet pickup is from noon to 6 p.m. Friday at Baton Rouge Green, 2241 Christian St. Baton Rouge Green is partnering with the

6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday ● Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales ● $63.14-$130.90 ● lamardixonexpocenter.com and tylernance.com

to make his TikTok debut. “I got 200 likes,” he said of that ﬁrst try. “I thought that was the coolest thing ever. People were connecting to it. So, I was writing stuff and growing an audience on TikTok.” Nance’s TikTok followers included an artist-and-repertoire rep with the Santa Anna Label Group. They stayed in touch and, one windy, muddy day in South Dakota, Nance, emboldened by the A&R rep’s prodding, decided to quit the welding trade and to pursue music. “I had no clue what I was getting myself into,” he confessed. “But I was, like, ‘Yeah, dude, yeah. I’m here for it.’ I’m glad I overcame the anxiety. That was one of the best decisions I made in my life. Because now there’s people who have a deep connection with my music. It’s super cool to talk with people, to see the response from my music and be able to help them.” Like one of his musical heroes, Hank Williams Sr., Nance lives his songs when he sings them. “Like ‘Midwest Memoir,’ anytime I sing that song, it brings me back to me and my best friends living our lives in the Midwest. I think about that imagery every single time, and know that it was real.”

ing by my uncles, but I got tired of doing tongue twisters,” he remembered. “So, I started listening to rap music. I discovered Eminem and the Notorious B.I.G. I learned how to sing those rap songs. I really got interested in words. I actually read through a dictionary and had fun doing it.” Fast forward to 2020, Nance bought a cheap guitar from Amazon during the COVID-19 pandemic. He didn’t do anything with the instrument then, but a few years later, when he was working on the road as a welder, he retrieved the guitar from back home in Missouri. “I was 19 and bored,” he recalled. “I didn’t have much else to do outside of work. I was in Indiana at the time and kind of going through a tough time. I was like, well, I have this (guitar), I’m going to see about maybe trying to learn how to play this time — and I did.” Just as Nance escaped in music during childhood, songwriting gave him a new escape as a young adult. “And then I played a song Email John Wirt at j_wirt@ for this guy from Mississip- msn.com.

tle After Another” along with the nominees for Best Acits Best Director award to tor at the Oscars, you will Paul Thomas Anderson. be on the edge of your seat, as not one actor has risen to No clear front-runners the top of the awards pile. Ordinarily, by this stage Wagner Moura, of “The Seof the awards seasons, the cret Agent,” won the Golden same winners crop up again Globe for Best Actor in a and again, but this season drama, while Timothée Chahas turned into a real horse lamet won for Best Actor race, with three different in a comedy. The BAFTA actresses picking up Best award for Leading Actor Supporting Actress awards went to Robert Aramayo, at three different awards of “I Swear” — a ﬁlm totally ceremonies — Teyana Tay- off America’s radar at the lor, of “One Battle After An- Oscars. And, the Best Actor other,” took the Golden Globe; at the Actor Awards went to Wunmi Mosaku, of “Sinners,” Jordan, of “Sinners.” Oddspicked up that award at the makers favor Chalamet to BAFTA’s; and Amy Madigan, take home the Oscar. of “Weapons,” walked away As for Supporting Actor, with the honors at the Actor Sean Penn, of “One Battle Awards. After Another,” has won both Ultimately, this uncer- the BAFTA and the Actor tainty is good for ratings, Award most recently, but at as there are big questions the beginning of the awards and surprises surrounding season, the Golden Globe in the winners, unless you hap- that category went to Stellan pen to be Jessie Buckley, of Skarsgard, of “Sentimental “Hamnet,” who has consis- Value,” so no shoo-in there, tently been awarded Best either. Actress awards at the Actor Awards, BAFTA’s and Gold- Contact Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@ en Globes this season. However, if you’re one of gmail.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Friday, March 13, the 72nd day of 2026. There are 293 days left in the year. Today in history: On March 13, 2013, Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope, choosing the papal name Francis. He was the ﬁrst pontiff from the Americas, and the ﬁrst from outside Europe since Pope Gregory III’s death in the year 741. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. Also on this date: In 1781, the seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, was discovered by astronomer William Herschel. In 1925, the Tennessee General Assembly approved the Butler Act, which prohibited public schools from teaching the theory of evolution. (Gov. Austin Peay signed the measure on March 21; the bill was challenged in court

later that year in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Tennessee ultimately repealed the law in 1967.) In 1946, U.S. Army Pfc. Sadao Munemori was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for sacriﬁcing himself to save fellow soldiers from a grenade explosion in Seravezza, Italy; he was the only Japanese American service member so recognized in the immediate aftermath of World War II. In 1954, the pivotal Battle of Dien Bien Phu began during the First Indochina War as Viet Minh forces attacked French troops, who were defeated nearly two months later. In 1996, a gunman entered an elementary school in Dunblane, Scotland, and opened ﬁre, killing 16 children and a teacher before killing himself; it remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history.

In 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment during a botched raid by plainclothes narcotics detectives searching for a suspected drug dealer; no drugs were found, and the warrant used to enter by force was later found to be based on false information. Today’s birthdays: Songwriter Mike Stoller is 93. Actor William H. Macy is 76. Actor Dana Delany is 70. Republican U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota is 69. Bassist Adam Clayton (U2) is 66. Jazz musician Terence Blanchard is 64. Actor Annabeth Gish is 55. Rapper-actor Common is 54. Actor Emile Hirsch is 41. Olympic skiing gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin is 31. Rapper Jack Harlow is 28.

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is extremely damaging to the massive century-old oak trees that line those neutral grounds, according to the Garden District Civic Association. In order to protect the Don’t forget the trees oaks canopying the area, The medians in the Gar- volunteers are being sought den District just off the to rope off the medians at parade route are popular 5 p.m. Friday. For more information, call parking spots for paradegoers. This practice, however, (630) 805-1575.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 3D

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SHOWS TO WATCH — BATON ROUGE FRIDAY

KAITLYN WALLACE: Mi Padres, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m. CAITLYN RENEE: Agile Brewing, 5:30 p.m. BEN HERRINGTON: Drago’s Seafood, 6 p.m. EDDIE SMITH: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. CHRIS LEBLANC: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m. TAYLOR RAE: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6 p.m. ROCKIN’ ROUGE: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m. ERIC BASKIN: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6 p.m. ISSY DUO: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m. DON POURCIAU & KONSPIRACY: VFW Hall- Choctaw, 7 p.m. THE SOUTHERLIES: Court To Table, 7 p.m. ALREADY GONE: EAGLES TRIBUTE BAND: Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre, 7:30 p.m. BRIAN & THE BANDITS: TNT Lounge, 8 p.m. SUBFLUENCE: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m. HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. DENTON HATCHER: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m. CHRIS OCMAND: Spanky’sSherwood, 8 p.m. JOSIE & THE SMOKIN J’S: Icehouse Tap Room, 9 p.m. JOEL COOPER & SCOTT JOR-

WEDNESDAY

DAN: The Vineyard, 9 p.m. LA WESTWIND: Churchill’s, 9 p.m. MICHAEL FOSTER PROJECT: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9 p.m. DERRICK LEMON: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m. AARON DAY: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m. REGENERATION: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

THE LEE SERIO BAND/FACETIOUS: Phil Brady’s, 1 p.m. IAN WEBSTER DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m. GARY BELLO & FRIENDS: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. KEEPIN’ TIME BAND: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m. KAITLYN WALLACE: Mis Padres, Dutchtown, 6 p.m. DON POURCIAU & KONSPIRACY: Pedro’s-Siegen, 6 p.m. STUDIO4: Victoria’s Mexican, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. THE MAIN EVENT: Court To Table, 7 p.m. DENTON HATCHER: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7 p.m. KENDALL SHAFFER: Frozen Assets Daiquiris, 8 p.m. BUBBA PLAUCHÉ: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8 p.m. ACOUSTIC SATURDAYS W/ HENRY TURNER: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. HIGHWATER: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville, 9 p.m.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Catch the Houston-based Eagles tribute band Already Gone at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre. Tickets are $51-$72. TIGER LILY: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9 p.m. HEATH RANSONNET: The Vineyard, 9 p.m. 20 BELOW ZERO: Churchill’s, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

ERIC BASKIN: Watermark Hotel, 10 a.m. MIKE HOGAN: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 10:30 a.m. JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill-MidCity, 11 a.m. CAJUN JAM: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, 3 p.m. JOEL COOPER DUO: Icehouse Tap Room, 4 p.m. SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Cafe, 5 p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon,

Prairieville, 7 p.m.

MONDAY

EDDIE SMITH BAND: Sammy’s Grill, Prairieville, 6 p.m. JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

CAM PYLE: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m. EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

ERIC GAUTREAUX: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m. CHRIS LEBLANC DUO: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m. LSU JAZZ JAM: Classic Vinyls, 6 p.m. ADONIS ROSE QUARTET WITH SETH FINCH: Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 6:30 p.m. SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m. KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m. SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/ HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7 p.m. ANDY PIZZO TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

DON POURCIAU & KONSPIRACY: Pedro’s, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. JEFF BAJON PROJECT: BLDG 5, 6 p.m. CHRIS OCMAND: Luna Cocina, 6 p.m. KYBALION: El Paso-Sherwood, 6 p.m.

STYK: T’Quilas, Zachary, 6 p.m. IAN WEBSTER: Tallulah at the Renaissance, 6 p.m. HONKY TONK PLAYBOYS: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6 p.m. ALLISON COLLINS TRIO: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6 p.m. EMMA MURPHY: La Divina Italian Cafe, 6 p.m. ENUF: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 7 p.m. SHANNON B: Lil Daddy’s, Plaquemine, 7 p.m. HENRY TURNER JR. & ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8 p.m. CHRIS LEBLANC: Icehouse Tap Room, 8 p.m. BLUES JAM: Phil Brady’s, 9 p.m. JOVIN WEBB: Churchill’s, 9 p.m. RHETT GUILLOT: The Vineyard, 9 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

AROUND BATON ROUGE FRIDAY

“THE LIBRARIANS”: 6 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Presented by 10,000 Women Louisiana and including reception, panel discussion, ﬁlm screening and book signing. From $33.85. manshiptheatre.org. UNSCRIPTED IMPROV COMEDY SHOW: 7 p.m., Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, St. Ferdinand St. With Just in the Femur, Butterr and Mawgawita Babies improv troupes. $15. Beverages available for purchase. 225theatrecollective.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING: 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. See the majesty of the night sky in these public viewings for those 6 and up. hrpo.lsu.edu/ events.

FRIDAY-TUESDAY

A CELTIC CONCERT EXPERIENCE: various times, days and locations. Madam Dulcimer (Amanda Roberts) and Lady Chops (Elizabeth Vidos) performing music originating from the countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Schedule: 4 p.m. Friday, South Branch Library; 2 p.m. Saturday, Carver Branch Library; 3 p.m. Monday, Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library; 6 p.m. Monday, Jones Creek Regional Branch Library; 10 a.m. Tuesday, Zachary Branch Library; 4 p.m. Tuesday, Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library. Free. ebrpl.com.

SATURDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org. FFA PLANT SALE & FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Walker High School, 9677 Florida Blvd. Flowering and vegetable plants, hanging baskets, succulents, herb plants, preserves, goat soap,

beeswax lip balm, wood shop and welding projects. Also, kids face painting and petting zoo. SPRING PLANT SALE: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Southeastern Lifetime Learning Center, 93611 Florida Blvd., Walker. Presented by Livingston Parish Master Gardeners. Plants, vendors, speakers, demonstration and kids’ area. livingstonmastergardener@gmail.com. GARDEN DISCOVERIES: 10 a.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Hosted by the Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation. Abbie Judice Acosta, Lafayette’s Moncus Park conservation director, will speak. Registration at ebrpl. co/events or (225) 231-3750. FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followed by an all-ages show. lasm.org. GREATER BATON ROUGE MODEL RAILROADERS: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Republic of West Florida Historical Museum, 3406 College St., Jackson. Electric trains of all sizes will be running on ﬁve different layouts. Free admission and parking. ARTIST RECEPTION WITH BRANDON V. LEWIS: 6 p.m.7 p.m., Gallery at the Manship, 100 Lafayette St. In conjunction with Lewis’ current exhibit, “When All God’s Children Get Together.” Free. manshiptheatre.org.

SUNDAY

“PULP FICTION”: 2 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson play hitmen in this ﬁlm from 1994. $5. manshiptheatre.org. RED STICK RHYTHMS LAUNCH PARTY ROUND 2: 2 p.m., Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Live music, food trucks, vendors and activities for children. Free. ebrpl.com. “THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2”

(ANIMATED): 5:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Max the terrier encounters canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey when he visits the countryside. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog. $8.50. manshiptheatre.org.

TUESDAY

BATON ROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6 p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. A chance to play and learn; all levels welcome. Free.

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

“THE THORN”: 7 p.m., Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre, 240 St. Louis St. The story of Christ is presented in an immersive show with music, drama, aerial acts, movement arts, modern dance and special effects. For ages 12+. $65$146. ticketmaster.com

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8 a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farmfresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket. OUTDOOR COMMUNITY YOGA: 6 p.m.-7 p.m., pavilion by the pond, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Drop-in; no registration required; bring your own mat. Free, but donations welcome. www.lsu.edu/ hilltop. WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7 p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. Third St., Suite A. Free. fareharbor.com.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public event you’d like to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following Friday’s paper.

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4D ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

For better or For WorSe

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zodIAC PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Put common sense first when someone makes costly demands. Too much of anything will set you back. Prioritize your needs and focus on your health and emotional well-being. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Take your time. Making a kind gesture, volunteering your time for a worthy cause or focusing more on what you can do for others, not what they can do for you, will set the tone for what's to follow. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Communication is your gateway to better understanding what others expect of you and how to deliver. Your input will help you gain confidence and recognition. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Gather information. Preparation and knowing the facts will save you from scams and people trying to take advantage of you. Upgrade your skills and experience to meet today's demands. CANCER (June 21-July 22) It's time to invest in yourself and your future. Consider what you can add to your resume that will make you more marketable, unique or captivating, and prepare to put yourself out there. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Socialize, communicate and charm your way into the hearts of those you encounter. Put your best foot forward, and dedicate time, effort and ingenuity toward being the best version of yourself. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Look past negativity and roadblocks, and you'll gain

insight into what's possible. Intelligence, along with desire and a strong push forward, will make onlookers take notice. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) A change of perspective will help you adjust your goals to suit your situation. Put more energy into your relationships. Getting along will make a difference when it comes to recruiting hands-on help. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Speak up. Share your intentions and talk to experts. Show enthusiasm and stretch yourself to the limit to reach your goal. You can't buy love or respect. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Look for creative lifestyle alternatives. Use discipline to make your domestic life more comfortable and convenient. Focus on personal growth, love and happiness. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Make wellthought-out adjustments that advance your agenda. Opportunity is apparent in love, partnerships and financial gains. Don't take risks that can lead to illness or injury. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Spend more time dealing with money management, and you'll discover ways to lower your overhead. Incorporate a healthy mindset by implementing a fit-for-life approach into your daily routine. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: T EQUALS y

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 5D

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CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday. Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

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La TimeS CroSSword

6D ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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B.C.

Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER Timothy Zahn, a science fiction writer, said, “For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock.” Some bridge players are superstitious, thinking Lady Luck controls the outcome of deals. But good players know that normally she has no influence over the final result. Occasionally, though, everything looks like smooth sailing, when suddenly a nasty storm blows up. What should happen in today’s deal? South is in three no-trump, and West leads his fourth-highest spade. In the auction, I like North’s jump to three no-trump. If South has a club honor, the chance of five or six club tricks is high. Along with the spade ace and South’s known values, surely three no-trump will roll home. It is just Lady Luck’s perversity that South has only two low clubs. East wins the first trick with his spade king, then should return his remaining spade. Yes, here, a red-suit shift would work even better, but East should try to get the spade ace off the board. South will win with his spade queen and run the club eight. Now comes the key play — East must not take the trick. If East wins, declarer captures the next trick and drives out the club ace, while dummy still has the spade ace as an

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

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entry. But if East calmly allows South’s club eight to win, East will take the second club and shift to, probably, the diamond jack. Now dummy’s club suit is useless and the contract goes down one or two. Afterward, no doubt South will complain that he was unlucky. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

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 — PEtARD: peh-TARD: A firework that explodes with a loud

Bizarro

marmaduKe

report. Average mark 24 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 31 or more words in PETARD? YEStERDAY’S WORD — HARDtAcK hack hard hark arch rack dacha dark dart data drat tack

track carat card cart chad chakra char chard chart chat karat

kart

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “So will I make my holy name known in the middle of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39:7 Keep your eye on Israel. The end may be near. God will keep His promise. — G.E. Dean

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ 7D

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classifieds.theadvocate.com Search Search& &Place PlaceAds AdsOnline Onlineatatclassifieds.theadvocate.com classifieds.theadvocate.com* Call * Call -Friday Us Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 8AM-5PM at 225-383-0111 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the children or heirs of Edna Ruth Babin Bailey, contact Christopher Jenkins, Atty (225) 513-8100. 180322-3/12-13-14-3t $85.00

Announcements Cleaning help needed (2 bathrooms) prefer High School student, American English speaking please. Decent pay, must understand instructions. Call telephone only: 225-768-7798

Former yellow cab Drivers requested for Saturday & Sunday Shopping. Larger vehicle preferred. Call 225-768-7798 Anyone knowing of the whereabouts of DAYNEISE HORTON WHEELER and her heirs, assigns or legatees, please contact Barrington R. Neil, Attorney at Law, 328 Government St., Baton Rouge, LA, 70802, Ph: (225) 344-1704. 180335-3/12-13-14-3t $121.00 ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the children or heirs of Vickie Ferguson, contact Christopher Jenkins, Atty (225) 513-8100. 180328-3/12-13-14-3t $85.00 CAPITAL RUBBER & SPECIALTY CO If you worked here during 1966 to 1968, a coworker and his family need your help. Please call Rich Schardan at 618-205-2079.

Merchandise AUCTIONS Taylor Auction Realty currently has a large equipment Auction featuring quality Farm & Construction Equipment. Skid Steers, Tractors, Dozers, Excavators, Backhoes, Trailers & more. Bidding closes March 25, www.taylorauction.net

5046 WASHINGTON AVE JOHN L VEAL & GLORIA JEAN CLAYTON VEAL

Baton Rouge Rental

Garage Sales ESTATE SALE NL ESTATE SALE THIS WEEKEND! 9325 Blueridge Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70809 “The Hill” off Jefferson Hwy. March 13-15, 2026 Fri-Sat 8am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm OUR “HOUSE OF BLUES” IS LOADED WITH BLUE & WHITE PORCELAINS AND OTHER FANTASTIC FINDS! FOR NEWS AND PIX: www.nlestatesales.com AREA 9 HUGE SALE! 11503 Denham Rd. Sat 8a-2p (3/14) Lots of brand new items! From a closed Amazon Seller acct! Underarmor T-shirts, Toys, Etc. AREA 1 Multifamily Garage Sale. 4478 Yvonne Dr. Baker. Sat 7a-2p. TV, jewelry, kitchenware, home goods, tools, ﬁtness gear & more. AREA 4

HUGE GARAGE SALE! Wed & Thurs 4th & 5th 1pm-6p, Fri 8a-6p (6th) & Sat (7th) 7a-4p, 10375 S. Tiger Bend, Toys-Elec-ClthsDecor-Figurines-Access-Vintage Everything Must Go! Cash Only!

AREA 6 Jefferson Terrace Sub. 5015 Houston Dr. Sat 3/14, 8a-4p & Sun 3/15, 8a-1p Home decor, new Construction hardware, furniture, rugs, Lenox china & more. Quality items at great prices. Credit/Debit cards accepted.

2655 WYANDOTTE ST TYWANDA CANNON 13250 ARLINGFORD AVE JAY WILSON JAMESON

12041 PROVINCE PL CHEUNG C WONG

MISC FOR SALE SMALL SOLID BLACK THROW PILLOWS MANY AVAILABLE! EACH $5 225-752-7273

7082 SILVERLEAF AVE CARRIE N OTT 6763 E UPLAND AVE TRAVIS B. CONLEY

MISC FOR SALE Two 38” Tall Cement Cranes Each Crane $50 225-752-7273

23049 SUNNYSIDE LN CHARLES JOSEPH ALBERT III 10531 ELM GROVE GARDEN DR THE ESTATE OF ROBERT I KELLER, SR 179878-Mar 9-15, 7t $711 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Kevin Magee”, please contact Attorney Robert L. Delmore Jr., at 225-454-5233. 180139-Mar 13 & 16, 2t $80

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225-388-0111 Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived for the Louisiana Community and Techni‐ cal College System and shall be directed to Nunez Community Col‐ lege, 3710 Paris Road, Chalmette LA. The dead‐ line for receipt of bids is 2:00 PM on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at which time bids will be opened and read aloud in a pub‐ lic meeting in the Build‐ ing 1, Administration Building – 1st floor Con‐ ference Room FOR: Nunez Community College, Parking Lot Re‐ placement -Aerospace Building PROJECT NUMBER: 01-107-24-05 Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit from Holly & Smith Architects, APAC. Bid Documents may also be obtained from cen‐ tralauctionhouse.com for a nominal charge or sub‐ scription. Printed copies are not available from the Designer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most repro‐ graphic firms. Plan hold‐ ers are responsible for their own reproduction costs. Questions about this pro‐ cedure shall be directed to the Designer at: Rohit Sood, AIA, LEED, AP, ALEP Holly & Smith Architects, APAC 2302 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 585-1315 rohit@hollyandsmith. com All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security in an amount of five per‐ cent (5.0%) of the sum of the base bid and all al‐ ternates. The form of this security shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. The successful Bidder shall be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written as described in the Instruc‐ tions to Bidders included in the Bid Documents for this project. A PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 10:00 AM on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Administration Building – 1st Floor Conference Room # 117 Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of Building Construction. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). No bid may be withdrawn for a pe‐ riod of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R.S. 38:2212(B)(1), the provi‐ sions and requirements of this Section; and those stated in the bidding documents shall not be waived by any entity. When this project is fi‐ nanced either partially or entirely with State Bonds or financed in whole or in part by federal or other funds which are not readily available at the time bids are received, the award of this Con‐ tract is contingent upon the granting of lines of credit, or the sale of

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

bonds by the Bond Com‐ mission or the availabil‐ ity of federal or other funds. The State shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Con‐ tract Between Owner and Contractor is fully exe‐ cuted.

RFQ No.: 2026-001 PHMSA Natural Gas Distribution Infrastruc‐ ture Safety and Modern‐ ization Grant Name of Firm License Number Address of Firm Contact Name Contact Phone Number Contact Email Address

Act 751- Louisiana Com‐ munity and Technical College System is a par‐ ticipant in the Small En‐ trepreneurship (SE) Pro‐ gram (the Hudson Initia‐ tive) and the VeteranOwned and Service-Con‐ nected Disabled VeteranOwned (LaVet) Small En‐ trepreneurships Pro‐ gram. Bidders are en‐ couraged to consider participation. Informa‐ tion is available from the website at Hudson (SE) & Veteran Initiatives Louisiana Division of Ad‐ ministration. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please con‐ tact Robin Wegener at rwegen@dcc.edu or (504) 671-6230 as soon as pos‐ sible but no later than 48 hours before the sched‐ uled meeting. ACT 751LOUISIANA COMMUNITY AND TECH‐ NICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM VICE PRESIDENT OF AD‐ MINISTRATION TOBY R. COMEAUX, MPA OCTOBER 2024 178225 Feb. 27, March 6, 13, 2t $1,480.99 PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF PORT ALLEN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS RFQ NO. 2026-001 The City of Port Allen, Louisiana (the "City") is seeking statements of qualifications from firms to provide engineering and consulting services for PHMSA Natural Gas Distribution Infrastruc‐ ture Safety and Modern‐ ization Grant program and services. The City is soliciting qualifications from experienced firms to perform consulting engineering services in compliance with U.S. De‐ partment of Transporta‐ tion, Pipeline and Haz‐ ardous Material Safety Administration, and the State of Louisiana. Awarded firms shall be responsible for the per‐ formance of all required contracted grant admin‐ istration and consulting services as well as any and all associated ser‐ vices as required by the City. All submitted Sub‐ mittals shall be for prin‐ cipal firms and may in‐ clude sub-contractors. All appropriate forms, submittal instructions and questionnaire, can be obtained from City of Port Allen’s (City) office at City Hall, 375 Court Street, Port Allen, LA 70767, by emailing adaigle@portallen.org or on the City’s Website at www.portallen.org. Questions regarding the submission may be di‐ rected to Adrian Daigle by emailing adaigle@ portallen.org. Interested firms must submit one (1) marked original, five (5) copies, and an electronic scanned PDF file (on ei‐ ther DVD or USB thumb drive) of their submittal to Adrian Daigle, 375 Court Street, Port Allen, LA 70767. Deadline for submittals is March 16, 2026 at 11:00AM CST. Submittals shall be mailed or delivered in a sealed envelope or pack‐ age and shall be labeled as follows: City of Port Allen Professional Engineering Services Request for Qualifications

If mailed, the City shall not be responsible for delays in delivery. No RFQ’s shall be received or considered after the stated deadline.

LATE SUBMITTALS RE‐ CEIVED AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED DEAD‐ LINE DATE, EITHER BY MAIL OR OTHERWISE, WILL NOT BE CONSID‐ ERED AND RETURNED UN‐ OPENED. THE TIME OF RE‐ CEIPT WILL BE DETER‐ MINED BY THE TIME RE‐ CEIVED IN THE CITY’S OF‐ FICE. SUBMITTALS OF‐ FERED ARE THE SOLE RE‐ SPONSIBILITY OF THE VENDOR FOR ASSURING THAT SUBMITTALS ARE RECEIVED IN THE CITY’S OFFICE BY THE DESIG‐ NATED DATE AND TIME. NO FAXED, ELECTRONIC, OR ORAL SUBMITTALS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Any questions concern‐ ing this RFQ must be sub‐ mitted in writing no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time, on March 9, 2026 and should be di‐ rected to Adrian Daigle at adaigle@portallen.org The City reserves the right to waive minor ir‐ regularities, to reject any or all submittals re‐ ceived, and to otherwise make a decision in the best interests of the City. The City shall have the final decision-making au‐ thority concerning any final award or interim or comprehensive agree‐ ment entered by the City. Submittals will be evalu‐ ated and ranked in order of preference by the City. The City intends to nego‐ tiate an agreement with the highest ranked pro‐ poser. The City’s Mayor may, at her option, re‐ quest that proposers make presentations and/or participate in questions and answers sessions. The City may also request additional information from pro‐ posers that may be nec‐ essary to fully evaluate a submittal. After the City has ranked submittals in compliance with PMHSA requirements, the City will then begin negotia‐ tions with the highestranked firm. If only one submittal is received, the City may negotiate in good faith with that pro‐ poser. All submittals that are timely received shall be‐ come the property of the City and any costs or ex‐ penses incurred in rela‐ tion to preparation and submission of submittals shall be borne by the proposer. City of Port Allen /s/Adrian Daigle, Finance Director Advertisement Dates: February 20 and 27, March 6 and 13, 2026 177887-feb 20-27-mar 613-4t $275.12 Public Notice -Notice to Bidders: The Department of Public Safety and Cor‐ rections is seeking sealed bids for the reno‐ vation of the L.S.P. Camp 57 Renovation in Angola, LA. Complete bid docu‐ ments can be obtained electronically from the architect, Stout Architec‐ ture, LLC, by email creighton@stout-arch. com. Bids must be re‐ ceived by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (hand-delivered) to 504 Mayflower Street, build‐ ing 8, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, or (mailed) at P.O. Box 94304, Baton Rouge, i i b

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g Louisiana 70804 by 2:00 pm on April 2, 2026. A pre-bid meeting will be held on March 25, 2026 @ 10:00 am at the front gate of the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Each bid submitted shall be in a sealed envelope plainly marked with the project name and number, busi‐ ness name, address, phone number, and con‐ tractor’s license number. The contractor must have a Detention System Contractor license in the State of Louisiana. The owner reserves the right to reject all bids and to waive any information. 180413 March 13, 20, 2t $230.56 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 1861 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000025960, *Emerg*Forklift/Pallet Jack Rentals, SW, 3/31/26 RFx No. 3000025962, First Watch Rain Gear – LDWF, 3/31/26 RFx No. 3000025678, Statewide Emergency Re‐ mediation Services, 4/02/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. Louisiana.gov/osp or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is re‐ served to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities. Tom Ketterer Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 180225-mar 13-1t $13.77 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 978 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000025922, Blank Goods - DOC - PE, 3/25/26 RFx No. 3000025960, *Emerg*Forklift/Pallet Jack Rentals, SW, 3/31/26 RFx No. 3000025962, First Watch Rain Gear – LDWF, 3/31/26 RFx No. 3000026030, *Rebid* Grain Bin Instal‐ lation – DOC, 3/31/26 RFx No. 3000025678, Statewide Emergency Re‐ mediation Services, 4/02/26 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. Louisiana.gov/osp or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is re‐ served to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities. Tom Ketterer Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 180211 March 13, 1t $15.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge will receive elec‐ tronic or paper bids for the construction of the

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

following project: US-61 SCENIC HWY. (LA408 HARDING BOULEVARD TO SWAN AVENUE) CITY-PARISH PROJECT NO. REBID 20-EN-HC-0006 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Grading, earthwork, drainage structure modi‐ fications, asphaltic con‐ crete pavement, lighting, striping, signing, and as‐ sociated items of work Electronic or sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. Local Time, TUES‐ DAY _ March 24th, 2026 by the Purchasing Divi‐ sion, Room 826, City Hall, 222 Saint Louis Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802. No bids will be re‐ ceived after 2:00 p.m. on the same day and date. Bid Openings can be in person or via teleconfer‐ ence. Teleconference Call-in In‐ formation Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network traffic (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065 Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Beginning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all elec‐ tronic bids will be down‐ loaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in 806 of City Hall immediately after the 2:00 p.m. bid closing. Bids, amendments to bids, or request for with‐ drawal of quotations, re‐ ceived after time speci‐ fied for bid opening shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever. Bids shall be firm for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids and no bid shall be withdrawn for any reason during this period of time ex‐ cept as allowed per R.S. 38:2214.C. Official Bid Documents are available at Central Bidding (www.central bidding.com). Electronic Bids may be submitted at Central Bidding (www. centralbidding.com). For questions related to the electronic bidding process, please call Cen‐ tral Bidding at 225-8104814. Paper copies of the plans, specifications and contract documents are on file and may be ob‐ tained from the Public Works and Planning Cen‐ ter located at 1100 Laurel St., Engineering Division, Room 137 or Post Office Box 1471, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821, upon payment of Ten Dollars ($10.00). (Make checks payable to the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge.) Fees for plans, specifica‐ tions and contract docu‐ ments are to cover the cost of reproduction and are non-refundable in ac‐ cordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes. A Certified Check or Cashier's Check, payable to the Parish of East

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Baton Rouge or a satis‐ factory Bid Bond exe‐ cuted by the Bidder and an acceptable surety, in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid, shall be submitted with each bid. Bids shall be received electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish East Baton Rouge, and only those bids shall be received by the CityParish which is submit‐ ted by those Contractors in whose names the so‐ licitation bid forms and/or specifications were issued. In no event shall paper solicitation forms be issued later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the hour and date set for receiv‐ ing proposals. The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge has established a Socially and Economi‐ cally Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SEDBE) program in ac‐ cordance with Revised Statute RS 33:2233.4. It is the policy of the Parish to ensure that Eligible Business Enterprises EBE’s, certified in accor‐ dance with the Parish program, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in parish contracts. For this project the EBR Parish Purchasing office has directed a review of the scope of work and has established a mini‐ mum EBE goal of 14% of the contract amount. All Bidders shall achieve this goal or demonstrate good faith efforts to achieve the goal. Good faith efforts include meeting this EBE goal or providing documentation demonstrating that the Bidder made sufficient good faith efforts in at‐ tempting to meet this goal. Only EBE firms cer‐ tified under the Parish SEDBE Certification Pro‐ gram at the time of sub‐ mittal of the bid will count toward this EBE goal. To be considered responsive, the apparent low bidder must submit EBE Forms 1, 1A, and 2, and Letters of EBE Certi‐ fication, as appropriate within 10 days after bid opening All Contractors bidding on this work shall com‐ ply with all provisions of the State Licensing Law for Contractors, R.S. 37:2150-2163, as amended, for all public contracts. It shall also be the responsibility of the General Contractor to as‐ sure that all subcontrac‐ tors comply with this law. If required for bid‐ ding, Contractors must hold an active license is‐ sued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors in the classi‐ fication of HIGHWAY, STREET AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, and must show their license number on the face of the bid envelope and the Uniform Public Works Bid Form. In accordance with La. R.S. 38:2214 (B) the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertise‐ ment for bids, and those required on the bid form, shall not be considered as informalities and shall not be waived by any public entity. For additional informa‐ tion please contact Mr. Joseph Cain III, P.E, Pro‐ ject Manager at joseph. cainsiii@stantec.com. 178535 Feb. 27, March 6, 13, 3t $319.27

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

DOGS CKC YORKIES - with papers vet checked shot worming standard and parti avail‐ able meet in Gulfport $750 (334) 467-3416 DOGS EUROPEAN DOBERMAN - AKC regs euro Doberman puppies for sale. 4 males, 7 females born 2/5/26. Tails docked, dew claws removed will be wormed, uta on shots. $1800 (225) 953-3629 DOGS Golden Retriever - Beautiful Golden Re‐ triever pups born January 2 will be available on February 28. Males avail‐ able in all shades of color; dark red, light golden. $1000 225-614-5540

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE Sealed Bids for the Camp Beauregard Road Rehab Phase II, Pineville, LA 71360 will be received at the Camp Beauregard Post Headquarters BLDG 1451 Conference Room (BLDG 1451 15th St.), Camp Beauregard, Pineville, LA 71360, until 1:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 23, 2026, and immediately opened thereafter. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY CW3 MICHAEL HANKS OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOM‐ MODATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING. Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit from Mr. John Gagnard. Printed copies are not available from the Facility Engi‐ neers. Questions about this procedure shall be directed to the Mr. John Gagnard at Pan Ameri‐ can Engineers LLC, 1717 Jackson Street., Alexan‐ dria, Louisiana 71306. Phone (318) 473-2100. Attention: Mr. John Gag‐ nard, Project Manager. EMail Address: JohnGagnard@ paealex.com A Mandatory Pre-Bid conference and site visit is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT on, Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the Camp Beau‐ regard, Post Headquar‐ ters BLDG 1451 Confer‐ ence Room (BLDG 1451 15th St.), Camp Beaure‐ gard, Pineville, LA 71360. Attendance at this Con‐ ference is mandatory. Prospective bidders must attend the entire mandatory Pre-Bid con‐ ference in order to sub‐ mit a bid. The Military Department and Camp Beauregard point of con‐ tact is CW3 Michael Hanks, Email: Michael.W.Hanks10.mil@ army.mil Facility Engi‐ neers Building 636 I St., Pineville, LA 71360 (318) 2905690. BIDS SHALL BE ACCEPTED ONLY FROM CONTRACTORS THAT ATTEND THE ENTIRE MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY CW3 MICHAEL HANKS OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOM‐ MODATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN FIVE (5) DAYS BEFORE THE MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE. All Bids must be accom‐ panied by Bid Security equal to five percent (5%) of the Base Bid and Additional Bid Items (ABI) and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of HIGH‐ WAY, STREET, AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCION. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and requirements of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). The successful Bidder will be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in the State of Louisiana, equal to 100% of the Contract amount, including Addi‐ tional Bid Items (ABI), if required. No Bid may be with‐ drawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of Bids except under the provisions of LA R.S. 38:2214. Electronic Bid Docu‐ ments may be submitted by Contractors to the Fa‐ cility Engineers by sub‐ mitting their bid along with their bid security to https://www.centralauct i h l

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

p ionhouse.com/. Elec‐ tronic bids must be sub‐ mitted so as to be posted prior to 1:00 p.m. CT on Thursday April 23, 2026. Hard copies of the con‐ tractor’s electronically submitted packet must be sent to Facility Engi‐ neers Ofﬁce, ATTN: CW3 Michael Hanks, 636 I Street, LANG Training Center, Pineville, LA. 71360, telephone 318-2905690. Contractors MUST attend the mandatory Pre-Bid conference scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at the listed above location in order to sub‐ mit an electronic bid.

y shared at the bid open‐ ing will be the reading of the names of those ven‐ dors who submitted bids.

The Owner reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Bids for just cause. In accordance with directives and guid‐ ance published by Facil‐ ity Planning and Control, the Louisiana Revised Statutes, the provisions and requirements of those stated in the ad‐ vertisement for bids and those required on the bid shall not be form waivered. The Louisiana Military Department Deputy Director for Con‐ tracting and Purchasing and the State Contract‐ ing Ofﬁcer do not pos‐ sess authority to waive any informality inciden‐ tal thereto. The Owner shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Contract between Owner and Contractor is fully executed. The Louisiana Military Department is a partici‐ pant in the Louisiana Ini‐ tiative for Small Entre‐ preneurships (SE) Pro‐ gram (the Hudson Initia‐ tive) and the VeteranOwned and Service-Con‐ nected Disabled Veteran Owned Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program (the Veteran Initiative). Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. 178164 March 6, 13, 20, 3t $206.08 PUBLIC NOTICE --VOUCHER# 26-000795 BIDS TO BE OPENED: 04/06/26 NOTICE TO BIDDERS Electronic or sealed bids will be received by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Purchasing Divi‐ sion, City Hall Building, Room 826, 222 Saint Louis Street, 8th Floor, Baton Rouge, La. until 11:00 A.M. April 6, 2026 for the following: A26-0795 MOWING OF FIELDS & LOTS AT THE BATON ROUGE METRO AIRPORT A nonmandatory prebid conference will be held on March 24, 2025 at 9:00 A.M at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport, 9430 Jackie Cochran Drive, 1st Floor Conference Room. Ofﬁcial bid documents are available at Central (https://www. Bidding centralauctionhouse. com/rfpc10656-city-ofbaton-rouge.html) or by request from the City of Baton Rouge at dsstew‐ art@brla.gov. Bids shall be submitted electronically via www. centralbidding.com or on the solicitation bid forms furnished by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge prior to the bidding deadline. Electronic bids for the solicitation will be down‐ loaded by the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Pur‐ chasing Division. Begin‐ ning as soon as feasible after the bid closing time all electronic bids will be downloaded and publicly read aloud along with all paper bids received, if any, in Room 806 immedi‐ ately after the 11:00 a.m. bid closing. Bidders or their authorized repre‐ sentatives are invited to be present. NOTE: The only vendor information h d h bid

Note: The City-Parish has elected to use LaPAC, the state's online electronic bid posting and notifica‐ tion system, in addition to its standard means of advertising this require‐ ment. This Invitation to Bid is available in elec‐ tronic form at the LaPAC https:// website wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana. gov/osp/lapac/dspBid. cfm?search=departm ent&term=102. Bids, amendments to bids or request for with‐ drawal of bids received after time specified for bid openings shall not be considered for any cause whatsoever. Inquiries will be received up until 5 pm on March 27, 2026. Full information may be obtained upon request from the above address or by telephoning Dexter Stewart at (225) 389-3259, Ext. 3264, or via email dsstewart@brla.gov. Any vendor who would like to listen to the open‐ ing of this bid can access the following link, at the date and time of this bid opening: NOTE: The only vendor information shared at the bid opening will be the reading of the names of those vendors who submitted bids. Join by phone +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Access code: 263 373 080 (followed by the # but‐ ton) Alternate numbers to call if number above is not available, which may occur due to network traffic (use the same Ac‐ cess Code, followed by the # button): United States Toll (Boston) +1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Dallas) +1-469-210-7159 United States Toll (Denver) +1-720-650-7664 United States Toll (Jacksonville) +1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Los Angeles) +1-213-306-3065 These numbers will pro‐ vide you with live audio access to this bid open‐ ing. 180292 March 13, 20, 2t $113.30

Public Notices Conservation

PUBLIC NOTICE ---1BETHANY-LONGSTREET FIELD 26-106 and 26-107 LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF LOUISIANA, DE‐ PARTMENT OF CONSER‐ VATION AND ENERGY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA. In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana, and with par‐ ticular reference to the provisions of Title 30 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, a public hearing will be held in the Hearing Room, 1st Floor, LaSalle Building, 617 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 9:00 a.m. on TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026, upon the application of EXPAND OPERATING LLC. At such hearing the De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy will con‐ sider evidence relative to the issuance of Orders pertaining to the follow‐ ing matters relating to the Haynesville Zone, Reservoir B, in the

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Public Notices Conservation

Bethany-Longstreet Field, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. 1. To authorize applicant to drill, designate and utilize two cross unit hor‐ izontal wells to serve as alternate units wells for HA RB SU68 and HA RB SUYY, at the locations and in the general man‐ ner shown on the plat submitted with the appli‐ cation, or at any other legal locations within such units, and to ap‐ prove exceptions to the spacing provisions of Of‐ fice of Permitting and Compliance Order No. 289-R-1, effective April 29, 2008, as to the com‐ mon boundaries of the units which will be served by the cross unit horizontal wells, pro‐ vided that said cross unit horizontal wells will be perforated no closer than 330’ from any unit boundary, other than the common boundary be‐ tween the affected units, except as requested in Paragraph 2 below. 2. In addition to the re‐ quest for exceptional lo‐ cations as to the com‐ mon boundary between the affected units, the applicant requests an ex‐ ception to the well spac‐ ing provisions in Order No. 289-R-1 to allow the first and last perforation point or take point in the proposed cross unit hori‐ zontal wells to be lo‐ cated no closer than 100’ from the north and south unit lines and no closer than 200’ to any well on a competitive unit com‐ pleted in, drilling to, or for which a permit has been granted to drill to the Haynesville Zone, Reservoir B. 3. To find that the pro‐ posed horizontal wells are necessary to effi‐ ciently and economically drain a portion of the Haynesville Zone under‐ lying the units on which it is proposed to be drilled which cannot be efficiently and economi‐ cally drained by any ex‐ isting well on such units, will prevent waste, avoid the drilling of unneces‐ sary wells, protect cor‐ relative rights and pro‐ mote the full and effi‐ cient development of the natural resources of this state. 4. To provide that if the horizontal portion of a well is cased and ce‐ mented back above the top of the Haynesville Zone, Reservoir B, the distance to any unit boundary and offset well(s) will be calculated based on the distance to the nearest perforation in the well and not on the penetration point or ter‐ minus of the well in the Haynesville Zone, Reser‐ voir B. 5. To provide that pro‐ duction from the pro‐ posed wells shall be sep‐ arated and metered indi‐ vidually and that this in‐ formation shall be re‐ ported in the manner prescribed by the Office of Permitting and Com‐ pliance. 6. To provide that the unit allowables for the units to be served by the pro‐ posed wells may be pro‐ duced from the unit well, from any alternate unit well, or from any combi‐ nation of such wells serving the unit, at the discretion of the opera‐ tor. 7. To provide that pro‐ duction from a cross unit horizontal well shall be allocated to each unit penetrated by the well in the same proportion as the perforated length of the lateral in each such unit bears to the total length of the perforated lateral as determined by an “as drilled” survey performed after the well has been drilled and completed. 8. Except insofar as set forth above, to confirm and continue in full force and effect the provisions of Order No. 289-R-1, ef‐ fective April 29, 2008, as amended and supple‐ mented by the 289-R Se‐ ries of Orders, the units created thereby, and of all applicable Statewide Orders. 9. To consider such other matters as may be perti‐ nent. The Haynesville Zone, Reservoir B was initially defined in Order No. 289R-1, effective April 29, 2008, and was redefined as to the HA RB SU68 and HA RB SUYY in Order Nos. 289-R-8, effective July 2, 2008, Order No. 289-R-36, effective July 21, 2009. A plat is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, Louisiana. http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ conshearings All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF: DUSTIN H. DAVIDSON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY Baton Rouge, 3/10/26;3/13/26 S lck

Public Notices Conservation q p cation as to the common boundaries between the affected units, the appli‐ cant requests an excep‐ tion to the well spacing provisions in Order No. 855-E to allow the first and last perforation point or take point in the proposed cross unit hori‐ zontal well to be located no closer than 100’ from the north and south unit lines and no closer than 200’ to any well on a competitive unit com‐ pleted in, drilling to, or for which a permit has been granted to drill to the Haynesville Zone, Reservoir A. 3. To find that the pro‐ posed horizontal well is necessary to efficiently and economically drain a portion of the Hay‐ nesville Zone underlying the units on which it is proposed to be drilled which cannot be effi‐ ciently and economically drained by any existing well on such units, will prevent waste, avoid the drilling of unnecessary wells, protect correlative rights and promote the full and efficient devel‐ opment of the natural re‐ sources of this state. 4. To provide that if the horizontal portion of a well is cased and ce‐ mented back above the top of the Haynesville Zone, Reservoir A, the distance to any unit boundary and offset well(s) will be calculated based on the distance to the nearest perforation in the well and not on the penetration point or ter‐ minus of the well in the Haynesville Zone, Reser‐ voir A. 5. To provide that pro‐ duction from the pro‐ posed well shall be sepa‐ rated and metered indi‐ vidually and that this in‐ formation shall be re‐ ported in the manner prescribed by the Office of Permitting and Com‐ pliance. 6. To provide that the unit allowables for the units to be served by the pro‐ posed well may be pro‐ duced from the unit well, from any alternate unit well, or from any combi‐ nation of such wells serving the unit, at the discretion of the opera‐ tor. 7. To provide that pro‐ duction from the pro‐ posed cross unit horizon‐ tal well shall be allocated to each unit penetrated by the well in the same proportion as the perfo‐ rated length of the lat‐ eral in each such unit bears to the total length of the perforated lateral as determined by an “as drilled” survey per‐ formed after the well has been drilled and com‐ pleted, except that the proportion of unit pro‐ duction associated with the perforated length of lateral located within 330’ of the common unit boundary between HA RA SUDD and HA RA SUS shall be allocated equally between HA RA SUDD and HA RA SUS, and the proportion of unit production associ‐ ated with the perforated length of lateral located within 330’ of the com‐ mon unit boundary be‐ tween HA RA SUA and HA RA SUB shall be allocated equally between HA RA SUA and HA RA SUB. 8. Except insofar as set forth above, to confirm and continue in full force and effect the provisions of Order No. 855-E, effec‐ tive July 29, 2008, as amended and supple‐ mented by the 855-E Se‐ ries of Orders, the units created thereby, and of all applicable Statewide Orders. 9. To consider such other matters as may be perti‐ nent. The Haynesville Zone, Reservoir A was defined in Order No. 855-E, effec‐ tive July 29, 2008. A plat is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, Louisiana. http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ conshearings All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF: DUSTIN H. DAVIDSON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY Baton Rouge, 3/10/26;3/13/26 S lck

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF CON‐ SERVATION AND ENERGY AT P.O. BOX 94275, BATON ROUGE, LA 70804-9275 IN WRITING WITHIN TEN (10) WORKING DAYS OF THE HEARING DATE. 180315 March 13, 1t $94.22 PUBLIC NOTICE ---8WOODARDVILLE FIELD 26-105 LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF LOUISIANA, DE‐ PARTMENT OF CONSER‐ VATION AND ENERGY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA. In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana, and with par‐ ticular reference to the provisions of Title 30 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, a public hearing will be held in the Hearing Room, 1st Floor, LaSalle Building, 617 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 9:00 a.m. on TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026, upon the application of COM‐ STOCK OIL & GASLOUISIANA, LLC. At such hearing the De‐ partment of Conserva‐ tion and Energy will con‐ sider evidence relative to the issuance of Orders pertaining to the follow‐ ing matters relating to the Cotton Valley Forma‐ tion, Reservoir B, in the Woodardville Field, Bi‐ enville Parish, Louisiana. 1. To provide that Brook‐ ston Energy, Inc. (“Brook‐ ston”) should be desig‐ nated as the operator of the CV RB SU71; SUST Forest 33 No. 1 Well (SN 238295), as shown on the plat submitted with the application, which is cur‐ rently operated by Com‐ stock (originally drilled and operated by Em‐ presa Energy, L.P.). 2. To provide that Com‐ stock will remain as op‐ erator of all other exist‐ ing and future wells com‐ pleted in the Cotton Val‐ ley Formation, Reservoir B, in said unit 3. To provide that each of said operators, Brook‐ ston and Comstock, should be permitted to separately report pro‐ duction from the wells that they operate, re‐ spectively. 4. To provide that a single unit allowable should be assigned to CV RB SU71, which should be recover‐ able from either the unit well, any alternate unit well, or any combination thereof, with allocation of such allowable be‐ tween said wells to be arranged by the opera‐ tors of the wells at their discretion. 5. To consider such other matters as may be perti‐ nent. The Cotton Valley Forma‐ tion, Reservoir B was de‐ fined in Office of Permit‐ ting and Compliance Order No. 990-B, effective September 13, 2005, and was redefined as to CV RB SU71 in Order No. 990B-57, effective January 8, 2008. A plat is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ f i

Public Notices Conservation p p ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, Louisiana. http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ conshearings All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF: DUSTIN H. DAVIDSON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY Baton Rouge, 3/10/26;3/13/26 S lck

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF CON‐ SERVATION AND ENERGY AT P.O. BOX 94275, BATON ROUGE, LA 70804-9275 IN WRITING WITHIN FIVE (5) WORKING DAYS OF THE HEARING DATE. 180303 March 13, 1t $62.21 PUBLIC NOTICE --BW:kc Appr. April 13, 2026 STATE OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA March 10, 2026 RE: RICHIE FIELD 29-L-4 TO ALL CONCERNED: This will advise that the following Legal Notice has been given to The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for publication: LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana, and with par‐ ticular reference to the provisions of Title 30 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 and Statewide Order No. 29-L3, the following notice is given: Please be advised that Mineral U Operating, LLC has made application to terminate the unit(s) cre‐ ated for the Pool known as FRIO, Reservoir B, by Department of Conserva‐ tion and Energy Order No. 70-D-1, effective June 14, 2011, Richie Field, Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The applicant represents as true and correct that a period of one year and ninety days has elapsed without: (a) production from said Pool; and, (b) the existence of a well proven capable of producing from said Pool; and (c) drilling, reworking, re‐ completion, deepening or plugging back opera‐ tions having been con‐ ducted on a well to se‐ cure or restore production from said Pool. Application review by the Office of Enforce‐ ment indicated that all requirements of Statewide Order No. 29-L3, which governs the ter‐ mination of units have been met. Should any interested party feel that this appli‐ cation for the termina‐ tion of said unit(s) should not be approved, he is afforded the oppor‐ tunity to make his objec‐ tions known, in writing, to the Office of Enforce‐ ment, P. O. Box 94275, Baton Rouge, LA 708049275, within the thirty (30) calendar day period following the date of this notice. In the absence of the filing of any letter of objection during the said thirty (30) calendar day period, a Supplemental Order will be issued ter‐ minating the unit(s) as requested by the appli‐ cant. With respect to the computation of said thirty (30) calendar day period of time allowed for receiving written ob‐ jections, the date of this Legal Notice and the ap‐ proval date shall not be included. In the event the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period falls on a Saturday, Sun‐ day, or a legal holiday, it shall be understood that the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period will then be considered to be the following Mon‐ day or the day following the legal holiday. A copy of this applica‐ tion is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana. All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF:

DUSTIN H. DAVISON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY

Public Notices Conservation p y pp cation for the termina‐ tion of said unit(s) should not be approved, he is afforded the oppor‐ tunity to make his objec‐ tions known, in writing, to the Ofﬁce of Enforce‐ ment, P. O. Box 94275, Baton Rouge, LA 708049275, within the thirty (30) calendar day period following the date of this notice. In the absence of the ﬁling of any letter of objection during the said thirty (30) calendar day period, a Supplemental Order will be issued ter‐ minating the unit(s) as requested by the appli‐ cant. With respect to the computation of said thirty (30) calendar day period of time allowed for receiving written ob‐ jections, the date of this Legal Notice and the ap‐ proval date shall not be included. In the event the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period falls on a Saturday, Sun‐ day, or a legal holiday, it shall be understood that the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period will then be considered to be the following Mon‐ day or the day following the legal holiday. A copy of this applica‐ tion is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana. All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF: DUSTIN H. DAVIDSON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY Paper Applicant District Manager Wycoff File 180364-mar 13-1t $66.49

Public Notices Conservation

tion of said unit(s) should not be approved, he is afforded the oppor‐ tunity to make his objec‐ tions known, in writing, to the Ofﬁce of Enforce‐ ment, P. O. Box 94275, Baton Rouge, LA 708049275, within the thirty (30) calendar day period following the date of this notice. In the absence of the ﬁling of any letter of objection during the said thirty (30) calendar day period, a Supplemental Order will be issued ter‐ minating the unit(s) as requested by the appli‐ cant. With respect to the computation of said thirty (30) calendar day period of time allowed for receiving written ob‐ jections, the date of this Legal Notice and the ap‐ proval date shall not be included. In the event the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period falls on a Saturday, Sun‐ day, or a legal holiday, it shall be understood that the last day of said thirty (30) calendar day period will then be considered to be the following Mon‐ day or the day following the legal holiday. A copy of this applica‐ tion is available for in‐ spection in the Depart‐ ment of Conservation and Energy in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana. All parties having inter‐ est therein shall take no‐ tice thereof. BY ORDER OF: DUSTIN H. DAVISON, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY Paper Applicant District Manager Wycoff File 180355-mar 18-1t $66.49

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Legal Notices

BW:kc Appr. April 13, 2026 STATE OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA March 10, 2026 RE: RICHIE FIELD 29-L-5 TO ALL CONCERNED: This will advise that the following Legal Notice has been given to The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for publica‐ tion: LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana, and with par‐ ticular reference to the provisions of Title 30 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 and Statewide Order No. 29-L3, the following notice is given: Please be advised that Mineral U Operating, LLC has made application to terminate the unit(s) cre‐ ated for the Pool known as Tweedel, Reservoir C, by Department of Con‐ servation and Energy Order No. 70-E-2, effec‐ tive June 14, 2011, Richie Field, Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The applicant represents as true and correct that a period of one year and ninety days has elapsed without: (a) production from said Pool; and, (b) the existence of a well proven capable of producing from said Pool; and (c) drilling, reworking, re‐ completion, deepening or plugging back opera‐ tions having been con‐ ducted on a well to se‐ cure or restore production from said Pool. Application review by the Ofﬁce of Enforce‐ ment indicated that all requirements of Statewide Order No. 29-L3, which governs the ter‐ mination of units have been met. Should any interested party feel that this appli‐ cation for the termina‐

PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority’s (EBRPHA) revised Capital Fund Program plans for 2022, 2025, and 5 Year Ac‐ tion Plan for 2026-2030 are available for review and public comment at EBRPHA ofﬁces and posted on the EBRPHA website at www.ebrpha. org. Public comments may be submitted in writing no later than 4:00 PM (CT), 04/06/2026, via email to dmejia@ebrpha. org or in writing to EBR‐ PHA Attn: Doris Mejía, 4731 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2026, 4:00 PM (CT), at the above address. 179973-mar 10-16-7t $546.01 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE BONDS Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to a reso‐ lution adopted at its meeting of February 27, 2026 (the "Authorizing Resolution"), the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State Univer‐ sity and Agricultural and Mechanical College (the "Board") intends to issue its Auxiliary Revenue Re‐ funding Bonds, in one or more series (the "Bonds"), in an aggre‐ gate principal amount exceed not to $70,000,000. Sections 2181 through 2193 and 3351(A) (4) of Title 17 and Chap‐ ter 14-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and Article VII, Section 6(C) of the Con‐ stitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, and other constitutional and statutory authority, au‐ thorize the Board to bor‐ row money and to issue refunding bonds and pledge revenues to se‐ cure payment thereof in accordance with law and with the approval of the State Bond Commission. The proceeds of the Bonds will be made avail‐ able to the Board for the

PUBLIC NOTICE --BW:kc Appr. April 13, 2026 STATE OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA March 10, 2026 RE: RICHIE FIELD 29-L-3 TO ALL CONCERNED: This will advise that the following Legal Notice has been given to The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for publication: LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF LOUISIANA, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ENERGY, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA In accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana, and with par‐ ticular reference to the provisions of Title 30 of Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 and Statewide Order No. 29-L3, the following notice is given: Please be advised that Mineral U Operating, LLC has made application to terminate the unit(s) cre‐ ated for the Pool known as LOWER FRIO, Reservoir A, by Department of Con‐ servation and Energy Order No. 70-G, effective June 14, 2011, Richie Field, Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The applicant represents as true and correct that a period of one year and ninety days has elapsed without: (a) production from said Pool; and, (b) the existence of a well proven capable of producing from said Pool; and (c) drilling, reworking, re‐ completion, deepening or plugging back opera‐ tions having been con‐ ducted on a well to se‐ cure or restore production from said Pool. Application review by the Ofﬁce of Enforce‐ ment indicated that all requirements of Statewide Order No. 29-L3, which governs the ter‐ mination of units have been met. Should any interested party feel that this appli‐ i f h i

benefit of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechan‐ ical College ("LSU") to fi‐ nance or reimburse the costs of (a) refunding all or a portion of the Board's outstanding (i) Auxiliary Revenue Re‐ funding Bonds, Series 2016A and (ii) Taxable Auxiliary Revenue Bonds, Series 2016B (collec‐ tively, the "Prior Bonds"), (b) funding a reserve fund, if necessary, and (c) paying the costs of is‐ suance of the Bonds, in‐ cluding, without limita‐ tion, the premium for a municipal bond insur‐ ance policy, if deemed to be financially advanta‐ geous to the Board. The Bonds will be in fully reg‐ istered form, will be is‐ sued as tax-exempt and/or taxable obliga‐ tions in one or more se‐ ries in an aggregate prin‐ cipal amount not to ex‐ ceed $70,000,000, will ma‐ ture not later than 20 years from their dated date and will bear inter‐ est payable at a fixed rate not to exceed six percent (6%) per annum. The Bonds will not be a general obligation or pledge of the full faith and credit of the State of Louisiana, but will be solely a revenue obliga‐ tion of the Board payable from Auxiliary Revenues (as defined in the Gen‐ eral Bond Resolution adopted June 17, 1994, as supplemented and amended to date (the "General Bond Resolu‐ tion"), and as further supplemented by the Twenty-First Supplemen‐ tal Resolution adopted by the Board on February 27, 2026 (the "TwentyFirst Supplemental Reso‐ lution" and, together with the General Bond Resolution, the "Bond Resolution"), consisting of Auxiliary Revenues de‐ rived from certain Auxil‐ iary Enterprises, includ‐ ing, without limitation, athletics, residential life, parking, the student union and other miscel‐ laneous auxiliaries and certain other revenues that have been dedicated and pledged to payment of bonds issued under the Bond Resolution. The Bonds will be secured by the Auxiliary Revenues on a parity with the Board's outstanding Se‐ ries 2016A Bonds (to the extent not refunded by the Bonds), Series 2016B Bonds (to the extent not refunded by the Bonds), Series 2019 Bonds and Series 2022 Bonds, each as defined in the Board's General Bond Resolution. Within thirty (30) days after publication of this Notice of Intention, any person in interest may contest the legality of the Authorizing Resolu‐ tion or the Bond Resolu‐ tion, any provision of the Bonds to be issued pur‐ suant to the Bond Reso‐ lution, the provisions se‐ curing the Bonds and the validity of all other provi‐ sions and proceedings relating to the authoriza‐ tion and issuance of the Bonds. If no action or proceeding is instituted within the thirty (30) days, no person may contest the validity of the Bonds, the provisions of the Authorizing Reso‐ lution or the Bond Reso‐ lution, the security of the Bonds or the validity of any other provisions or proceedings relating to their authorization and issuance, and the Bonds shall be presumed con‐ clusively to be legal. Thereafter, no court shall have authority to inquire into such matters. Draft copies of the Bond Reso‐ lution are available for inspection at the offices of Tommy Smith, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Louisiana State Univer‐ sity, 330 Thomas Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 180286 March 13, 1t $487.34 PUBLIC NOTICE --Summary of Public Notice: Project Owner: Arbours at Cypress Bend, LLC Project Name: Arbours at Cypress Bend Project Address: 12265 l k d

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 6 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted on January 6, 2026, by the Board of Commissioners of FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 6 of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), after all required and appropriate legal notice and proceedings, acting as the governing authority of said District, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special election will be held in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana on SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026, and that at the election there will be submitted to all registered voters of the District, qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana and the United States Constitution, the following proposition, to-wit:

Paper Applicant District Manager Wycoff File 180360-mar 13-1t $66.49

Legal Notices

PROPOSITION Shall Fire Protection District No. 6, also known as Fire Protection District Six, in East Baton Rouge Parish (the “District”), pursuant to Louisiana law and the Constitution, be authorized to continue the levy and collection of the ad valorem property tax of five (5) mills in each calendar year on all property subject to taxation in the District for a period of nine (9) years, commencing in and including the year 2026 to and including the year 2034 (the “Tax”), which estimated amount of such Tax reasonably expected to be collected from such Tax continuation is approximately $351,194.50 for each entire year of the levy, and shall the avails or proceeds of said Tax be used entirely and exclusively for the development, operation and maintenance of the fire protection facilities of the District including the cost of obtaining water for fire protection purposes and fire hydrants within the District? This special election will be held at the following polling places situated within the district limits of Fire Protection District No. 6, in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, which polls will open at seven o’clock a.m. (7:00 a.m.), and close at eight o’clock p.m. (8:00 p.m.), in compliance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541, as amended, to wit: Notice pursuant to La. R.S. 18:1285.A(1)(a)(iii): A portion of the monies collected shall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law. Notice pursuant to La. R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(v): The estimated cost of the election as determined by the Secretary of State for the Fire Protection District No. 6 Tax special election scheduled for MAY 16, 2026, is $4,000.00.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Legal Notices

j Plank Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70811 Total Units: Approxi‐ mately 84 Unit Multifam‐ ily Apartment Housing for Families (1, 2, and 3 Bedrooms) The project owner is pleased to propose the new construction of Ar‐ bours at Cypress Bend. The development is clas‐ sified as a multifamily, family housing develop‐ ment and will have an es‐ timated 84 units which will be garden style apartments with 12 , onebedroom units, 36 , twobedroom units and 36 three-bedroom units. Ar‐ bours at Cypress Bend will market to families earning wages at or below 80% of the area median income. The de‐ velopment will consist of a community facility and supportive services which will be available for the tenants. The ap‐ plicant is applying for a reservation of 4% LIHTC’s and CDBG-DR funds from the Louisiana Housing Corporation and Office of Community Develop‐ ment. The total estimated de‐ velopment cost is $25,323,055.00. The devel‐ opment will be funded with private financing and equity proceeds from the sale of Low-In‐ come Housing Tax Cred‐ its and other financing as follows provided (amounts are esti‐ mated):

y LLC, for Home South Communities, LLC) S-26-0006: Subdivision at 6335 Morgan Road. Re‐ quest for a prelimi‐ nary/final plat to subdi‐ vide two tracts (2-A and 2-B, Taylor & Williams Es‐ tates) into four, revoke an existing 30’ servitude of passage, and dedicate a new 30’ private access & utility servitude. Com‐ prising 4.728 acres in the R-1 (Single-Family Resi‐ dence) zoning district. (Applicant: Shane Nicholas Engineering & Land Surveying LLC, for Darren & Susan Pizzo‐ lato) S-26-0007: Combination of Lots at 17585 Green‐ well Springs Road. Re‐ quest for a prelimi‐ nary/final plat to com‐ bine six tracts (A-1-A, B, C-1-A-1, C-1-A-2, C-1-A-3, C-1-A-4, Clifford L. Mon‐ dart Tract) into five; re‐ voke existing private servitudes of passage, access, and utility; and dedicate a new 30’ pri‐ vate access & utility servitude. Comprising 57.262 acres in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zon‐ ing district. (Appli‐ cant/Owner: Newsom So‐ lutions LLC) Central 2045. Adopt Cen‐ tral 2045 as the City of Central’s Master Plan.

LIHTC Equity $10,343,102.00

Zoning Commission T-26-0001: Accessory Dwelling Units. Amend Title 7 Uniﬁed Develop‐ ment Code and Appendix 1 Comprehensive Zoning Code to update regula‐ tions for accessory dwelling units and pro‐ vide for related matters.

CDBG Equity $8,250,000.00

179847-mar 9-13-19-3t $116.10

Permanent Financing $6,454,000.00

Deferred Developer Fee $275,957.00

Public Notices Sex Offenders

Total sources of funds $25,323,055.00 NOTE: Please contact Dee Brightwell at Dee@ arbourvalley.com (205) 855-9015 for any ques‐ tions regarding this no‐ tice.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

V-26-0001: Variance at 11702 Littleﬁeld Avenue. Request to allow an ac‐ cessory building closer than ten feet to a resi‐ dential structure (App. 1, Sec. 3.3.C.2) on Lot 83, Plantation Way Subdivi‐ sion, in the R-1 (SingleFamily Residence) zoning district. (Appli‐ cant/Owner: Danny Well‐ man) 179851-mar 9-13-19-3t $55.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Central Plan‐ ning & Zoning Commis‐ sions will hold public hearings on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6:00 pm at the Central Com‐ munity School System School Board Ofﬁce at 11576 Sullivan Road, Cen‐ tral, LA 70818, to consider the following:

I, George Alfred Wright Jr aka Walker, have been convicted of 14:42.1 - Forcible Rape. Date Convicted: 01/18/1996. 14:43.4 Aggravated Oral Sexual Battery. Date Convicted: 01/18/1996. 14:42 - Aggravated Rape. Date Convicted: 01/18/1996. 14:42.1 Forcible Rape. Date Convicted: 09/24/1990. 14:89.1 - Aggravated Crime Against Nature. Date Convicted: 09/24/1990. My Address is: 5549 Frey St Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 10/29/1968 Height: 5'9" Weight: 165 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: UNKNOWN Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 180343, Mar13-14 $250.00

Planning Commission S-26-0003: Subdivision at 13800 Old Greenwell Springs Road. Request for a preliminary/ﬁnal plat to subdivide one lot (D-1-A, Jack A. Michelli Property) into two, com‐ prising 2.554 acres in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zoning district. (Appli‐ cant: Professional Land Surveyors of Louisiana, f h

I, JASON DEL SEXTON aka Skinner Sexton, have been convicted of 14:81.2 - Molestation of Juvenile. Date Convicted: 12/03/2003. Details: Offender was granted parole and revoked.. My Address is: 722 S Lobdell Hwy, 270, Port Allen, LA 70767 Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 4/11/1975 Height: 5'7" Weight: 150 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: HAZEL Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 180350, Mar 13-14 $250.00

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 762220 B1BANK vs BATON ROUGE SHRIMP COMPANY, INC AND LUSCO HOLDINGS, L.L.C. 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana

177212-fe 20-mar13-27-3T $692.35

PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Central Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing on Thurs‐ day, March 26, 2026, at 5:00 pm at the Central Community School Sys‐ tem School Board Ofﬁce at 11576 Sullivan Road, Central, LA 70818, to con‐ sider the following:

Public Notices Sex Offenders

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Acting under and by virtue of Writ of SEIZURE AND SALE issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, May 06, 2025 and to me directed, I did seize and will, be‐ ginning at 10:00 o'clock on Wednesday, a.m. March 25, 2026, via an on‐ line auction site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales., offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: BATON ROUGE SHRIMP COMPANY, INC AND LUSCO HOLDINGS, L.L.C. WRIT OF SEIZURE AND SALE COMMANDING THE SHERIFFS OFFICE TO SEIZE ALL MOVABLE PROPERTY BELONGING TO BATON ROUGE SHRIMP COMPANY, INC AND LUSCO HOLDINGS, LLC, SEE ATTACHED LIST OF MOVABLE PROPERTY BEING SEIZED. STORED AT B1 BANK 500 LAUREL ST 1. Forklift (1) pallet jacks 2. Ice machine (1) ARTIC TEMP ICE MAKERS 3. Ice machine (1) ICE MACHINE #1500RCU 4. Ice machine (1) PLUMB ICE MAKERS 5. Pallet Racks (1) FAB PALLET 6. Pallet Racks (1) Grate 7. Pallet Racks (1) Pallet Racks 8. Pallet Racks (1) Up‐ rights, beams 9. Phone system/security (1) Computer phone sys‐ tem 10. Phone system (1) Se‐ curity camera 11. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) AUTO VC999 VACUUM PKG SY 12. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) BAND SEALER 13. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) BAR CODE PRINTER 14. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) CORROSION CONTROL EQUIP 15. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) ELECTRICAL WIRING RACK 16. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) EQUIP-GRADER SHRIMP SOR1

Ward 2, Precinct 11 (Part)

Sharon Hills Elementary School 6450 Guynell Drive

Ward 2, Precinct 12A (A-K) (Part) Ward 2, Precinct 12B (L-Z) (Part)

Foster Road Baptist Church 11333 Foster Road

Ward 2, Precinct 16A (A-K) (All) Ward 2, Precinct 16B (L-Z) (All)

Glen Oaks High School 6650 Cedar Grove Dr.

Ward 2, Precinct 23A (A-K) (All) Ward 2, Precinct 23B (L-Z) (All)

Merrydale Elementary School 6700 Rio Drive

Ward 2, Precinct 27A (A-K) (All) Ward 2, Precinct 27B (L-Z) (All)

Sharon Hills Elementary School 6450 Guynell Drive

Ward 2, Precinct 30A (A-K) (All) Ward 2, Precinct 30B (L-Z) (All)

Forest Heights Elementary School 7447 Sumrall Drive

Ward 3, Precinct 8 (Part)

North Sherwood Forest Park Rec. Ctr. 3140 N. Sherwood Forest

The polling places set forth above and situated within the District limits of Fire Protection District No. 6 are hereby designated as the polling places in which the special election shall be held, and the Commissioners-in-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law pursuant to La. R.S. 18:1286.A or La. R.S. 18:1286.1, as the case may be, of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as amended. The said special election will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 5, Chapter 6 and Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, and the officers appointed to hold the said election, as provided in this Notice of Special Election, or such substitutes therefore as may be selected and designated in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1287, and as amended, shall make due returns thereof to the Board of Commissioners of Fire Protection District No. 6. NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that said Board of Commissioners will meet at its regular meeting place, the Fire Protection District No. 6 station and headquarters, 7878 Prescott Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70812, on TUESDAY, MAY 26, at FIVE (5:00) O’CLOCK P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special election. All registered voters in Fire Protection District No. 6 in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana are entitled to vote at said special election and voting machines will be used at the polling places. THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this 6th day of January, 2026.

WARD AND PRECINCT

LOCATION

Ward 1, Precinct 11 (Part)

Cadillac Street Park Rec. Center 6117 Cadillac Street

Ward 1, Precinct 77A (A-K) (Part) Ward 1, Precinct 77B (L-Z) (Part)

St. Mark United Methodist Church 6217 Glen Oaks Drive

Ward 1, Precinct 84 (Part)

Cadillac Street Park Rec. Center 6117 Cadillac Street

SWORN AND CERTIFIED to the undersigned Notary Public in and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana.

Ward 1, Precinct 91A (A-I) (Part) Ward 1, Precinct 91B (J-Z) (Part)

EBR Readiness Middle School 10337 Elm Grove Garden

Ward 1, Precinct 93 (Part)

Glen Oaks Park Elementary School 5656 Lanier Drive

Ward 2, Precinct 1A (A-K) (Part) Ward 2, Precinct 1B (L-Z) (Part)

Glen Oaks Park Elementary School 5656 Lanier Drive

H. Craig Davidson NOTARY PUBLIC H. Craig Davidson, La. Bar No. 24368 Davidson Law Firm, LLC 9724 Jefferson Highway Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Ward 2, Precinct 10A (A-K) (Part) Ward 2, Precinct 10B (L-Z) (Part)

Foster Road Baptist Church 11333 Foster Road

By: /s/ Colin Dunn Colin Dunn, Fire Chief Fire Protection District No. 6

By: /s/ Reginald Higgins Reginald Higgins, Chairman Board of Commissioners Fire Protection District No. 6

178647-621396-Feb. 27, March 6, 13, 20-4t $ 942.48

10D ■ Friday, March 13, 2026 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Public Notices Sheriff Sales

17. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) Fab work for racks 18. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) FORMING TUBE/PKG EQUIP 19. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) FRESH PACK LN EQUIP 20. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) FRESH PACK LN EQUIP 21. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) FRESH PACK LN EQUIP-ELECT 22. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) GRADER-LIFT CONVEYER 23. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) HEAVY DUTY FL BNCH SCALE 24. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) METAL DETEC‐ TION EQUIP 25. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) PACKAGING EQUIPMENT 26. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) PLUMBING MA‐ TERIALS 27. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) Sanitech mark

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

IV 28. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) TABLE & TROUGH 29. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) TANK CONVEY & PEELER SY 30. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) VACUUM SEAL EQUIP 31. Processing Equip‐ ment (1) VERT FILL SEAL EQUIP 32. REFRIGERATION (1) Control system freezer 33. REFRIGERATION (1) Cooler panels 34. REFRIGERATION (5) EQUIPMENT-FREEZERS AT $10,600 EACH 35. REFRIGERATION (1) Equipment freezers 36. REFRIGERATION (1) Equipment freezers 37. REFRIGERATION (1) Equipment freezers 38. REFRIGERATION (1) Freezer 39. REFRIGERATION (1) FREEZER & COMPONENTS 40. REFRIGERATION (1) FREEZER BOXES

lll

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

41. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 42. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 43. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 44. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 45. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 46. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 47. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 48. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 49. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 50. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 51. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 52. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 53. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 54. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 55. REFRIGERATION Freezer components 56. REFRIGERATION Freezer components

(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) ( )

Public Notices Sheriff Sales p 57. REFRIGERATION (1) Freezer components 58. REFRIGERATION (1) FRREEZER DOCK COOLER 59. REFRIGERATION (1) FREEZER RACK/RETROFIT 60. REFRIGERATION (1) Freezer, tables and sinks 61. REFRIGERATION (1) FREEZERS 62. REFRIGERATION (1) FREEZERS 63. REFRIGERATION (1) Rack condensors 64. REFRIGERATION (1) Used refrigeration Equip‐ ment 65. REFRIGERATION (1) WALKIN COOLER & LUM INOM 66. REFRIGERATION (1) Walkin Freezers 67. REFRIGERATION (1) WALKIN PANELS COOLER 68. REFRIGERATION (1) WALKIN PANELS COOLER 69. REFRIGERATION (1) Walkins 70. SCALES (1) DORAN BENCH SCALE 71. SCALES (1) SCALES 72. TABLES (1) Steel ta‐

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

bles 73. TABLES (1) Steel ta‐ bles 74. Added onsite (1) 2017 Strapack RQBX 75. Added onsite (5) 4 drawer, metal ﬁles at $40.00 each 76. Added onsite (1) De‐ walt Upright air com‐ pressor 77. Added onsite (1) Eagle T210 78. Added onsite (2) Elec‐ tric forklift chargers. Pa‐ triot and Black Diamond 79. Added onsite (3) Prawn TO Shrimp perfect cutter/deveiner ma‐ chines. MLG4 at $230.00 each avg. 80. Added onsite (1) Toy‐ ota Truck Pallet, Electric 8HBW23 81. Added onsite (8) Wooden desks at $40 each avg. TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and di l

Public Notices Sheriff Sales pp according to law. Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE March 13, 2026 $671.09 SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 762520 ALLY BANK vs MARKEITH DEVONTE HATFIELD AND DAWNELLE DEVONN PARMS 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of SEIZURE AND SALE issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, September 24, 2025 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 d l k

Public Notices Sheriff Sales g g o'clock a.m. on Wednes‐ day, March 25, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales., offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: MARKEITH DEVONTE HATFIELD AND DAWNELLE DEVONN PARMS 2021 CHEVROLET/ SILVER‐ ADO 1500 1GCUY‐ EEL9MZ110105 MlLEAGEUNKNOWN STORED AT SMART TOWING 3045 ROSENWALD ROAD TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law. Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE March 13, 2026 $163.24

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE Suit No: (17) 773579 NEIGHBORS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION vs KYLIA S. THOMAS 19th Judicial District Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Acting under and by virtue of Writ of SEIZURE AND SALE issued out of the honorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled and numbered cause, dated, February 13, 2026 and to me di‐ rected, I did seize and will, beginning at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on Wednes‐ day, March 25, 2026, via an online auction site at www.bid4assets.com/ EBRSOsheriffsales., offer for sale at public auction the following described mortgaged property be‐ longing to: KYLIA S. THOMAS

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Public Notices Sheriff Sales

2025 HONDA/ TRX250T‐ MIS ATV 1HFTE2106SJ100924 MILEAGE-UNKNOWN STORED AT SMART TOW‐ ING 3045 ROSENWALD ROAD TERMS OF SALE: Cash to the highest bid‐ der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and according to law. Sid J. Gautreaux, Sheriff East Baton Rouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE March 13, 2026 $158.13

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