The Advocate 05-26-2026

Gulfport’s downtown stages a comeback

Revitalization attracts investors, spurs growth along coast

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

est city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The growing scene could be the start of a new era in Gulfport’s city center — a once-bus-

tling nightlife hub that fell quiet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, vacant buildings are filling with businesses and word of investment opportunities is spreading.

“People are really beginning to get it,” said Carole Lynn Meadows, chair of the Gulfport Redevelopment Commission. “There are possibilities here.” The largest project expected to transform downtown Gulfport is the construction of a $105 million mixed-use town center

The development, called Channel South, will include retail shops, more than 100 luxury

ä See GULFPORT, page 4A

With seven months left in term, senator says he will continue to work for state

BY

MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy isn’t sure when or even if he’ll go back to practicing medicine after January, when he leaves the Senate.

“I really don’t quite yet know what I’m going to do. I’ve got some speaking opportunities,” Cassidy told local reporters over the phone at a news conference.

“I just met with my staff. I’ve been really focused on the next seven months. What do we have teed up that we can do that’s going to help my state and my country?”

Cassidy was defeated in a closed Republican primary on May 16 But, for the next seven months, he remains chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Cassidy already has been working on legislative ideas to lower the cost of healthcare and health insurance.

“I’d really like to accomplish that,” he said. He’s got another measure to punish China for not enforcing environmental laws that he wants to see concluded. He’s working with LSU on ways to rebuild Louisiana’s fast-eroding coastline

Funding of local ‘pet projects’ questioned

Lawmakers defend not tapping reserve for teacher pay, vouchers

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana legislators’ plan to draw millions from a special state fund to pay for local projects and other initiatives without funding a stipend for teachers or expanding a school voucher program has drawn backlash both sides of the aisle, with government policy think tanks questioning lawmakers’ priorities.

The state’s latest set of budget bills, which could still be amended as legislators enter their final days of session, would divvy up $800 million from the Revenue Stabilization Fund for infrastructure upgrades, state economic development initiatives, regional law enforcement agencies, local governments and some nonprofits and other private organizations.

Legislative leaders say it is smartest to spend money from the reserve fund on one-time expenses. They contend the many initiatives added to the budget will make a huge difference to local communities and strengthen the whole state.

ä See LOCAL, page 5A

PHOTOS By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI

The Glen Oaks High School Color Guard presents the colors.

Muslims begin the Hajj amid heat, war concerns MECCA, Saudi Arabia The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, officially began

Monday

More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country, Saleh bin Saad Al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said Friday The faithful have been pouring into the country for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related regional tensions and uncertainty

Egyptian pilgrim Samya Abdul Moneim said she was grateful to God that she made it to the Hajj, which is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. “I am in a state of blessing and happiness,” she said in Mecca on Sunday “It’s an indescribable feeling, truly I mean, thank God, I am in a blessing.”

Typically on the first day, many pilgrims in Mecca converge on a vast tent camp in the nearby desert. Ahead of that, pilgrims have been circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in sweltering temperatures For pilgrims, Hajj can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. Pilgrims perform the Hajj rituals over several days.

This Hajj “is, in effect, a hard reset for me,” Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, said Monday from the tent city of Mina. “I pray that I emerge on the other side of this journey with a new sense of purpose and the discipline to see it through.”

Around him, many pilgrims were resting and refueling, he said via WhatsApp, noting how demanding the pilgrimage is. “It is for many pilgrims the most difficult thing they will ever do in their lives,” he said “But nothing this meaningful is ever going to be easy.”

He found it inspiring “to see so many who have sacrificed so much to be here only to compete with one another in giving charity and helping each other along the way,” he said.

Rescuers race to reach 7 trapped in Laos cave

BANGKOK Rescuers are racing against time to reach seven people who have been trapped in a cave in central Laos since last week.

A group of villagers in Xaisomboun province went into the cave to look for gold on May 19, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit, according to Laos and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation.

Bounkham Luanglath, who leads the Laos’ Rescue Volunteer for People, said Monday that one of the people from the group escaped before the exit was blocked and alerted authorities The status of the seven people who are trapped remains unknown.

He said the cave is a narrow chamber often visited by villagers searching for gold deposits. He said that authorities had repeatedly warned people against entering the cave out of safety concerns.

Deaths at 4 in building collapse in Philippines

ANGELES Philippines Rescuers pulled out three people Monday from an immense pile of rubble that was all that remained of a nine-story hotel that collapsed while under construction in a northern Philippine city, bringing the death toll to four with 17 others still missing, officials said. Two of the men were dead, while emergency personnel struggled in the early morning hours to revive one in an ambulance near the pile of concrete slabs, twisted iron bars and aluminum scaffoldings that was all that remained of the building in Angeles City of Pampanga Province. They eventually gave up and drove away The poignant scene was witnessed by a small group of journalistswho watched hundreds of rescuers led by firefighters and police scrambling for hours to extricate the men, who were at the time alive but trapped under concrete slabs and iron bars.

Official: U.S. strikes targets in Iran

Authorities call action ‘self-defense’; Trump says peace talks ‘proceeding nicely’

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely.”

The strikes were done “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” but the military was “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement

Further details were not immediately available, including more specifics on the threats from Iran and

what this means for negotiations. Earlier, Trump said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalizing relations with Israel.

The proposal came as the emerging Iran deal faced criticism from fellow Republicans who favor a harder line on Iran, and it could add new diplomatic complications to the negotiations.

Trump pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as countries that should “immediately” sign on, alongside Pakistan, Turkey Egypt and Jordan. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first countries to join in 2020.

He wrote that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory

that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”

Trump has long hoped Saudi Arabia would join, but the kingdom has maintained that any normalization deal requires first establishing a clear path for Palestinian statehood. That’s also key for Pakistan, which is among the countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Islamabad-based analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said Pakistan’s position on Israel remains unchanged despite Trump’s latest proposal.

The president said he brought up the Abraham Accords plan with leaders during negotiations on Saturday He said he would accept “one or two” countries declining to sign, but said most should be willing. Egypt and Jordan already formally recognize Israel and have long-standing peace treaties Turkey first recognized Israel in 1949.

Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, said it remains to be seen how workable the proposal might be for the countries on Trump’s list.

CALIFORNIA

“The invocation of the Abraham Accords at this stage gives an altogether new dimension to the diplomatic and mediatory processes because this issue was not on the agenda,” he said, pointing to the domestic pressure Trump is facing to strike a favorable deal.

Khan said, “the diplomatic track is still working, and I believe Pakistan is very much at the center of it, supported by regional countries.”

It remains unclear when or how any deal with Iran might be completed. Trump suggested even Iran could eventually sign on to the accords, if an agreement is reached.

The accords are a series of diplomatic, economic and security agreements created with U.S. influence during Trump’s first term, originally between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Sudan, Morocco, and, more recently, Kazakhstan.

They were framed as an effort to promote cooperation among countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and the administration saw them as partly paving a path toward full ties with Israel.

Authorities: Blast risk over at chemical tank

Evacuation

orders still in place for about 50K

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

The risk of a catastrophic explosion at a damaged chemical tank in Southern California has been eliminated following a close overnight inspection that confirmed a crack in the tank relieved pressure and cooled the chemical, authorities said Monday.

The results of the evaluation was “incredibly positive news,” and allowed officials to turn the corner after days of concern about a possible explosion, said Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey.

However evacuation orders remained in place for about 50,000 people in Garden Grove, California, located south of Los Angeles. There has been no chemical leak as of early Monday, but the Orange County Fire Authority said the risk to public safety is “ongoing.”

Covey didn’t say in the recorded message what

the most likely outcome might be but officials had previously said they hoped to cool off the chemical inside the tank so it wouldn’t leak or explode. The tank’s interior had cooled to 93 degrees, Covey said, down from 100 degrees Sunday

After the tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors, firefighters have repeatedly sprayed the tank with water in an attempt to cool the chemical inside, methyl methacrylate, which is used to make plastic parts. As the interior temperature ris-

es, methyl methacrylate converts from a liquid to a gas and increases the pressure, according to Purdue University engineering professor Andrew Whelton.

Exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological problems and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to fact sheets about the chemical.

Orange County health officials said the chemical is easy to smell and people may notice it over a large

Israeli military says it’s striking Hezbollah sites in Lebanon

Netanyahu vows to ‘increase the blows’

BY BASSEM MROUE and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

BEIRUT Israel’s air force targeted sites belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon, including in the country’s eastern Bekaa Valley, late on Monday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify attacks on the Lebanese militant group.

Netanyahu’s warning came as Hezbollah has been firing fiber optic drones — a weapon used widely in the war in Ukraine at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel in recent weeks.

“We will hit them. It’s true that they are shooting drones at us, fiber optic drones.

We have a special team working on that and we will solve that too,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media.

“What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity We will smite them hip and thigh.”

Lebanon’s state-run National News

Agency said that after Netanyahu’s post, some residents started leaving Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah has large presence. The agency also said several airstrikes hit the eastern town of Mashghara in the Bekaa region on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said that it car-

ried out eight attacks earlier in the day, including a drone attack on Israeli troops in Misgav Am in northern Israel.

The daily attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have been ongoing despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in place since April 17.

A U.S. State Department official said earlier on Monday that Hezbollah has ignored repeated requests to stop firing at Israel, including a recent ultimatum. The official, who was not authorized to talk to the media and therefore spoke on condition of anonymity, added that Israel will never be expected to passively absorb attacks on its forces and civilians.

Since the ceasefire went into effect, Hezbollah has fired over a thousand drones and over 700 rockets to try and derail ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, the official said, adding that “the status quo is untenable.”

Last month, Lebanon and Israel began their first direct talks in more than three decades with meetings held in Washington. Lebanese and Israeli military officials are to meet again on Friday, at the Pentagon, to discuss the ceasefire. Israel and the United States are seeking to have Hezbollah disarmed.

The State Department official said the direct Lebanon-Israel talks and the implication that Lebanon stands to get significant support from the U.S. is a threat to the Iran-backed Hezbollah, along with a challenge to its narrative of resistance against Israel.

area without being harmed. Kim Yen, a retiree who has evacuated from her home in Garden Grove, said she’s been following the news on an “hourly basis,” and was pleased to hear in the latest update that there was no longer a risk of an explosion. “According to that update I

am happy and many of us are happy, but still, we are still on our evacuation,” she said. Yen, who lives just two blocks from the plant, said that while she’s ready to return home, she wants to make sure it’s safe before she does. And, she said, she’s been worried about the emergency crews.

“They are really our heroes,” Yen said.

At a shelter that opened in a hall located in a large park in Fountain Valley, just southwest of Garden Grove, the parking lot was full on Monday as some people sought refuge inside the hall and others set up tents outside. Other people were gathered in the park to enjoy the outdoors on Memorial Day

The tank is at a site owned by GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, a British company that makes cockpit windows, canopies and windshields for military and commercial aircraft. The tank holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate used to make plastic parts.

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An American Red Cross volunteer walks Monday outside Freedom Hall, an evacuation center in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Pope apologizes for Vatican’s role in legitimizing slavery

Vatican releases

Leo’s first encyclical

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV

made a historic apology on Monday for the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery and for having failed to condemn it for centuries, calling the Vatican’s record a “wound in Christian memory.” Past popes have apologized for Christians’ involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade But no pope had ever publicly acknowledged, much less apologized for, the role that past popes played in giving European sovereigns explicit authority to subjugate and enslave “infidels.”

History’s first U.S.-born pope, whose family history includes both enslaved people and slave owners, delivered the apology in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” (Magnificent Humanity), which was released

Monday The sweeping manifesto is about safeguarding humanity in an era of increasing reliance on artificial intelligence. Leo raised the slave trade in relation to what he called the new forms of slavery and colonialism that the digital revolution is fueling.

Black American Catholics, activists and scholars have long called for the Holy See to atone for its role in the colonial-era trade in human beings, beyond generic apologies for the involvement of individual Christians.

“It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord,” Leo wrote. “For this, in the name of the church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”

Shannen Dee Williams, historian at the University of Dayton and author of the 2022 history of American Black Catholic nuns, “Subversive Habits,” welcomed the apology as a “monumental step toward the kind of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO Pope Leo XIV speaks Monday during the presentation of his first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,’ at the Vatican.

essential truth-telling and reparation that many Catholics have prayed and worked to witness.”

“The Catholic Church has never been an innocent bystander in the history of White supremacy,” said Williams. “Black Catholics have

waited a long time to hear the Vatican speak honestly about the church’s leading roles in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and chattel slavery--and thus by extension the enduring systems of anti-Black racism in the world today.”

The Vatican has insisted

that it always upheld the dignity of all human beings as children of God. But a series of 15th-century directives from the Vatican authorized Portuguesesovereignstoconquer Africa and the Americas and enslave non-Christians. In 1452 for example, Pope

Nicholas V issued the papal bull Dum Diversas, which gave the Portuguese king and his successors the right “to invade, conquer, fight and subjugate” and take all possessions — including land — of “Saracens, and pagans, and other infidels, and enemies of the name of Christ” anywhere.

The bull also gave the Portuguese permission “to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery.”

That bull and another issued three years later, Romanus Pontifex, formed the basis of the Doctrine of Discovery, the theory that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of land in Africa and the Americas. Nicholas V’s permissions to the Portuguese were confirmed or renewed by Pope Callixtus III in 1456, Pope Sixtus IV in 1481 and Pope Leo X in 1514, according to the Rev. Christopher J Kellerman, a Jesuit priest and author of “All Oppression Shall Cease: A History of Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Catholic Church.” Spanish kings received the rights for the Americas.

Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of artificial intelligence

BY NICOLE WINFIELD, KAITLYN HUAMANI and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), Leo’s first encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s first U.S.born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today In the text, Leo denounced

the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another flash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Artificial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death, the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic

morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the cofounder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI

Leaders watch Belarus for signs it might offer Russia help in Ukraine

BY HANNA ARHIROVA and YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Belarus’ exiled opposition leader visited Kyiv on Monday as the Ukrainian capital cleaned up after Russia’s biggest missile attack of the year and world leaders kept a close eye on how much support the Belarusian government is ready to provide for Moscow’s all-out invasion.

Russia and ally Belarus held joint nuclear drills last week, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned in recent days that Belarus could provide a launchpad for Russia to open a new front in northern Ukraine. Some Russian troops entered Ukraine from Belarusian territory in Moscow’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. In a further sign of concern, French President Em-

manuel Macron spoke by phone with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday about the war in Ukraine, their first call since the invasion began. Further “systemic strikes” on Kyiv are in store, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday It urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic missions, to leave the city as quickly as possible and told residents to stay away from military and government facilities

The ministry said Friday’s deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk was “the final straw.” Ukraine said it hit only targets supporting Russia’s invasion.

The Russian army is locked in a hard and costly slog on the 780-mile front line that mostly snakes through eastern and southern Ukraine. “Russia hit a dead-end on

the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said on X, after the weekend barrage that killed two people and damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital.

With U.S.-made air defense missiles in short supply because of the Iran war, Russian missiles are harder for Ukraine to stop. Meanwhile, U.S. efforts to stop the fighting have stalled.

In his call with Lukashenko, Macron “underscored the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be dragged into Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” according to a presidential aide in the French leader’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the presidential palace’s practices. Macron also spoke Sunday with Zelenskyy

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technology The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic as part of its decadelong effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he

wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and reflect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own profit or power, but the betterment of humanity AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar

IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

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apartments and a 114-room Marriott Tribute hotel at the intersection of U.S 90 and 49. Opening is slated for 2027.

Leaders hope Channel South, named to reference Gulfport’s manm ade shipping channel and honor the historic Great Southern Hotel that once stood on the site, will lure more visitors and young professionals to the growing city of 76,000 people. It is also an example of surging development across the Gulf Coast, where towns of all sizes are scrambling to accommodate tourists and second-homeowners moving in from Louisiana and around the country

Just a few blocks from the site of the future town center, the 115-room Markham Hotel reopened to celebrations last month.

The historic hotel was founded 100 years ago but closed in 1970 and the building was later damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Several restaurants — including one concept by a popular social media influencer — have recently opened or plan to start serving customers this spring and summer And all of the new businesses are within walking distance from Gulfport’s Amtrak stop, where passengers began flowing when the Gulf Coast line returned to service last summer

Leaders say the excitement in Gulfport is palpable — residents are chatting about the projects and closely tracking the progress of construction Bill Lavers, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, called the change in downtown Gulfport from five years ago to now “remarkable.”

Attracting investment

In the years after Hurricane Katrina , Gulfport’s downtown rebounded and became a destination for nightlife and college students home on school breaks. But during the pandemic contrary to trends around the country many of Gulfport’s downtown bars and restaurants became law offices and banks.

The city’s downtown has become so dominated by office space in recent years that it is often dark and quiet in the evenings. But seeking to reverse downtown’s fortunes, the Gulfport Main Street Association hosted a tour of vacant buildings in 2024. The group bused prospective investors to 25 properties and asked them to envision what business they wanted at each stop.

By the tour’s end, “we had a smorgasbord of ideas of what people wanted to

the Mississippi Legislature. Leaders say that support was critical in pulling the project off.

Now developers hope to revitalize the site with modern appeal and are seeking a Michelin-star chef for the town center’s hotel, according to the mayor

see in our downtown and what we were lacking,” said Kristen Garriga, the association’s executive director

The brainstorm led to the development of several restaurants, including Neighbors Tap & Table, which opened this month. The restaurant features small plates, shareables and cocktails, and is the creation of TikTok star Matthew Bounds and husband CJ Bryant

Another restaurant — a breakfast and lunch spot called The Downtowner, by restaurateur Robert St. John is expected to open nearby in the next few weeks.

Italian sandwich restaurant Tavi’s Salumeria an d s pe ak ea sy -st yl e restaurant and bar Siren Social Club opened in 2024. Gulfport Mayor Hugh

Keating said development is accelerating in part because the city is getting more aggressive at cleaning up derelict properties to make downtown more appealing to investors.

He also argued the city’s proximity to the Port of Gulfport, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, railroad tracks and Interstate 10 are “attractive to developers.”

“We intend to promote those assets as much as possible,” Keating said.

Gulfport’s future

Keating and other leaders say the restaurants, coupled with the town center, will lead to a more walkable downtown.

The Channel South development also includes a nearly 300-space public parking garage, funded through an allocation by

But leaders argue that the town center is an important step to spur economic growth.

“It presents a very bright future,” Keating said.

Attracting development in Gulfport can be challenging because some developers fear hurricanes and high insurance costs. But leaders say downtown Gulfport needs more amenities, including a grocery store, a dry cleaners and public arts. Some residents also say they hope the attention on downtown Gulfport will soon extend to other neighborhoods that need revitalization.

STAFF PHOTOS By JUSTIN MITCHELL

The recently opened Markham Hotel, at 14th Street and 23rd Avenue in Gulfport, Miss., began operating in 1927 but closed after Hurricane Katrina flooded the ground floor and damaged the roof in 2005.

A man walks through downtown Gulfport, Miss., on May 13. Restaurants are opening hotels are rising and developers are planning to build more apartments and shops in the area, part of a resurgence in the largest city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Leaders say the excitement in Gulfport is palpable — residents are chatting about the projects and closely tracking the progress of construction. Bill Lavers, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, called the change in downtown Gulfport from five years ago to now “remarkable.”

He’ll probably have to hand off lowering the cost of flood insurance to his successor.

Cassidy has long been on point in Senate efforts to fix Social Security

The Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund is expected to run out of money in 2032, at which point benefits for the elderly will be reduced by about 25%.

“We’ve been talking about it through the years, and I got seven more months to get it done,” Cassidy said.

But one thing is clear about how Cassidy will serve out the rest of his term: President Donald Trump can’t count on him to keep quiet.

Pushed out by Trump

Cassidy beat incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu in 2014. When he ran for reelection in 2020, Cassidy polled 1.2 million votes.

He received only 99,496 in this year’s Republican Party primary. He came in third and out of runoff contention.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, a Baton Rouge Republican who Trump endorsed, and state Treasurer John Fleming, R-Minden, face each other in a June 27 runoff to determine which Republican will face off in the November general election against either Jamie Davis, a farmer from Ferriday, or Gary Crockett, a businessman from New Orleans, who are competing in the Democratic runoff.

Cassidy’s third Senate race was not a charm because of lingering anger over his supporting Trump’s conviction in the 2021 impeachment trial on charges that the president incited his supporters to storm the Capitol and disrupt the official certification that Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy Gov Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Legislature changed the state’s open primary

LOCAL

Continued from page 1A

But critics from various policy groups have argued that, if lawmakers can back those investments, they should be able come up with $43.5 million to expand LA GATOR, a program that gives taxpayer dollars to families to pay for private school. And, they argued, the Legislature should be able to set aside $200 million to renew stipends for teachers and school support staff so that those workers do not make $2,000 and $1,000 less, respectively, next year

The latest budget proposal also has reignited debate over what critics call “pork” “pet projects” that receive funding at the request of individual lawmakers without going through a formal vetting process.

The Revenue Stabilization Fund is made up of corporate overflow tax revenue that accrues when annual collections exceed a certain threshold. Corporate tax revenue can be volatile, and the fund’s growth is expected to stagnate in the coming years after legislators passed bills in 2024 that cut corporate taxes.

The Revenue Stabilization Fund has about $3.9 billion in it, according to state Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who plays a key role in drawing up the state budget as chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

Top budget officials say it would be irresponsible to put money from the Revenue Stabilization Fund toward recurring expenses like investments in education. In general, putting temporary money toward one-time expenses can create so-called “fiscal cliffs” budget holes that arise when funding dries up.

The Legislature never committed to a long-term funding source that would turn the teacher stipends into permanent pay raises, but it has given those stipends to teachers three years in a row

Budget conundrums

The Legislature’s budget woes began earlier this month when state economists forecast that Louisiana would collect less revenue than previously expected. As a result, officials had to trim the budget for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, by about $100 million.

system, in which all candidates competed regardless of party, to a closed primary where only voters registered for a specific party or noparty voters can participate in the primary election.

Right before early voting began in the GOP primary, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Hopefully all of the Great Republican People of Louisiana, which I won, BIG, three times, will be voting Bill Cassidy OUT OF OFFICE in the upcoming Republican Primary!” It wasn’t the first time Trump castigated Cassidy In April 2024, Trump posted a twopage entry that read, in part: “One of the worst Senators in the United States Senate is, without question, Bill Cassidy, A TOTAL FLAKE, Republican though he may be.”

Cassidy didn’t respond to Trump’s humiliations, but kept his head down and worked to get back into the president’s good graces.

He is largely responsible for ensuring vaccine skeptic Robert F.

Then, on May 16, a constitutional amendment that would have liquidated state education trust funds to make teacher pay raises permanent failed at the ballot box. To extend the stipends, lawmakers would need to allocate $200 million next year

Top legislators spent hours in budget negotiations last week. Those talks culminated in a set of Senate amendments that did not include money for teacher pay raises.

“If they can find $800 million for local projects, for corporate incentives and other construction needs, then certainly they can find money to keep teachers from taking a pay cut in this economy,” said Jan Moller director of Invest in Louisiana, a Baton Rougebased progressive think tank.

The Revenue Stabilization Fund should not be a longterm solution, but it could buy legislators time until they reconvene, Moller said.

McFarland said lawmakers are committed to finding a way to give teachers permanent pay raises but declined to offer details about when that might happen. Senate President Cameron Henry has said he wants the Legislature to take up the matter in 2027.

Meanwhile, a Senate amendment that cut out new funds for LA GATOR is drawing backlash from some conservatives.

“The repeated state funding of local pet projects and nongovernmental organizations at alarming levels as critical state needs like LA GATOR remain unmet — demonstrates ‘business as usual’ at a time when lawmakers should be fulfilling their pledge to enact positive change and take Louisiana in a new, more prosperous direction,” said Erin Bendily, senior vice president of the Pelican Institute, an influential right-leaning think tank that has been a major proponent of LA GATOR. Gov Jeff Landry proposed doubling the size of the program, which would cost another $43.5 million. Henry has long been skeptical of the GATOR program and said earlier this year that it would be irresponsible to expand it ‘Pet projects’

Under the current budget proposal, about $81 million of the $800 million from the Revenue Stabilization Fund would be directed to an account that has been dubbed the Strategic Investments Across Louisiana Fund.

Kennedy Jr was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — the agency that oversees vaccines. He was a deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary for the Department of Defense.

Cassidy was in the Oval Office when Trump signed into law the HALT Fentanyl Act, which closed loopholes makers were using to avoid prosecution, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which provides first responders with naloxone, the medication to treat overdoses.

He drafted the section of the tax cuts law that eliminated taxes on tips for some barbers and hairdressers, as well as a set-aside for families who want to send their children to private parochial schools.

After Cassidy lost the primary election, Trump gloated on Truth Social: “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his

House Bill 1, a key budget bill, shows how the $81 million money would be spent.

The allocations vary greatly in size and have been set aside for a range of public and private entities, from organizations like Keep Louisiana Clean, which aims to reduce littering and would receive $500,000, to Visitation of Our Lady School in Marrero, an all-girls Catholic school that would receive $50,000 to pay off debt on its gymnasium

Some of the bigger ticket items include $2.2 million for a training center at the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, $800,000 for the YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge and $1.5 million for renovations at the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum in Monroe.

A large chunk of the money is dedicated to helping out local municipalities.

House Bill 312, which expands the budget for the current year, gives millions more to pet projects.

The House set aside about $70 million for amendments requested by legislators, but about $20 million is for statewide initiatives, McFarland said. The Senate added member-driven amendments worth millions more.

For years, outside groups and even some officials have questioned whether doling out money to individual lawmakers’ wish lists is the smartest way to spend state funds.

Steven Procopio, policy director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, a nonpartisan good government group, said spending on pet projects is “driven more by politics than they are by the overall needs of the state.”

State Treasurer John Fleming, who in 2024 tried to get lawmakers to submit forms indicating which amendments they requested, also cast doubt on pet project spending.

“There’s a lot of risk for mis-expenditures. There’s a lot of risk for inside dealing, especially when it comes to (nongovernmental organizations),” Fleming said.

If lawmakers were more “analytical” about spending and stopped “playing politics” to get money for their districts, Fleming added, “we could deploy that money for better roads and highways and better teacher pay.”

“Of course he (said that), he’s running for Congress,” McFarland said when asked to respond to Fleming’s statement. He was referring to

Constitution,’ I’ll figure that that’s going to be a better obituary.”

He criticized Trump’s effort to shoehorn into a narrow bill on funding immigration enforcement

$1.776 billion to compensate conservatives who felt targeted by the Justice Department under Biden

“We are a nation of laws; you can’t just make up things,” Cassidy said.

He also blasted a plan to spend $1 billion to build a ballroom at the White House.

“This is a spit-in-the-eye insult to all my taxpayers in Louisiana, to spend a billion on a ballroom when we should be doing something about the high price of gas, groceries and healthcare,” he said

Both amendments were pulled from the funding bill Thursday

Cassidy joined a handful of Republicans and all but one Democrat in a procedural move to eventually call a floor vote on a resolution to end the military action in Iran.

On Wednesday, Cassidy wrote on X that “Americans are exhausted by a culture that treats every disagreement as betrayal.”

political career is OVER!” A problem for Trump?

The caution that sits on the shoulder of most politicians left Cassidy’s after election night results were tallied.

In his concession speech, Cassidy didn’t mention Trump by name, but was hardly circumspect about who he meant.

“When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” the senator said. “But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim the election was stolen.”

Upon returning to Capitol Hill, Cassidy stopped speaking cautiously

He said he was at peace with his impeachment vote against Trump.

“That may have cost me my seat, but who cares? I had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution. Isn’t that a great thing?” Cassidy said. “When I die, if that’s put in my obituary, ‘He voted to uphold the

Fleming’s ongoing campaign for U.S. Senate. McFarland argued the allocations go toward critical local projects, and that the state has done a better job of scrutinizing funding for NGOs in recent years. Those, too, can

“Our constitutional system was designed around debate, persuasion, and compromise,” Cassidy continued

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Monday: “Bill Cassidy is a very principled conservative, very independent thinker and probably knew the challenges he was up against in that race.”

Thune also noted that as chair of the Senate Health Committee, Cassidy could still be “a real force for change and a factor in trying to get some things done” during the remaining seven months of this Senate’s term.

“Cassidy’s departure will subtract most of the Senate membership interested in responding to the approaching crisis of Social Security funding,” Washington Post columnist George Will wrote “He will be replaced by a Republican whose identity does not matter: He or she will win because voters are pleased to assume he or she will be a cipher, vigorously subservient to Trump.”

be vital, McFarland said, noting state funds have gone to everything from cancer centers to organizations that fight food insecurity Moller, of Invest in Louisiana, also defended the practice.

“As a basic matter I don’t think there’s anything wrong with legislators taking money back to their districts for needs in those communities,” Moller said “They know those communities the best. That’s why they’re there.”

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and his wife, Laura, greet Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte and other supporters as he takes the stage to give his concession speech on May 16.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Nightdives into lore of amusician

Imoved to Louisiana the same year the Blue Moon Guest House and Saloon opened in Lafayette First, my family stayed there

Then Istarted goingtoperformances and fun events there. I even organized acouple of them, but Inever even considered the possibility of singingonits legendary stage. Until last week.

Afew weeks ago, Iwent to a songwriting workshop with legitimatemusicians. Josh Brashear, Mary Alice Vanderwaters and Iwrote alittle ditty.Acouple of weeks later,Brashear invited me to “sing the bridge” at the Blue Moon.

So, Iwent —contributing 19 words in song to hisperformance during Storyteller Night, which happens every other Tuesday night at the Blue Moon in Lafayette. The crowd was generous,and the evening was ablast.

Nancy Nicholson, whoruns Acadiana Talent, organizes the Storyteller Night, which she calls alistening room. That means no talking —and she’sserious Musicians play original music, and the audience actuallypays attention. Jason Harrington is the onstage host and backs up musicians with his guitar and/or harmonica. He’sanincredible talent and moves the evening right along.

Steve Judice, whom Imet briefly at the songwriting retreat, also performed at the event. Afterthe workshop, amutual friend —who turns out to be Judice’scousin sent me alink to aYouTube video of Judice performing apiecehe wrote called “The Camel Song.” The song recounts an actual event that anyone in Louisiana who was paying attention in 2019 surely remembers. Awoman visiting the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete —the one that once housed a live tiger,replaced it with acamel, and kept the name —entered the camel yard to retrieve her dog and found herself pinned. What she did next, and what she bit, became legendaryonthe internet. Judice wrote the song within aday or two of the incident. He needed material for ashow opening for ahumorous songwriter named Kipp Adaway,and the incident arrived, he said, like an answered prayer

The song is clever in waysthat cannot be fully described in a family newspaper.What canbe said is that Judice has agiftfor wordplay,acommitment to the bit and the good sense to end with a disclaimer: “This is my interpretation of the facts as they might have been.”

The YouTube video has beenup for three years, and, for reasons unknown, has only 275 views. He has never released the song beyond YouTube. At the Blue Moon, Judice played nothing like “The Camel Song.” He played something called “Private Miller’sMama’sHouse,” asong in honor of soldiers who didn’tcome home.

Despite the hilarity of “The Camel Song,” his music is layered and many are about serious topics. They are the work of someone paying attention to the world. Judicepracticed law, primarily in Baton Rouge, for 38 years, primarily litigation, the highstress variety.In2012, he had a quadruple bypass. By Octoberof that year,symptoms were returning. He made achange, trading trial work for mediation, helping opposing parties find their way to settlement.

“Basically peacemaking,” he said, “which kindofagreesmore with my spirit.”

ä

LSUaddstoits WarMemorial

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

For years, the names Willie Stokes HeardJr.,Charles Schaeffer and Robert Todd had been overlooked.

Buton Monday,LSU’sWilliam A. Brookshire Military Museum made sure they would never be forgotten.

Museum Director James P. Gregory ranacross the names of thethreeLSU alums wholost their livesduring WorldWar II whileresearching differentprojects. He wrote them down, delved into their stories and said he realized they werenot amongthe list of 645 military dead engravedon theLSU WarMemorial’srounded walls.

Though no family membersof thenewly inducted soldiers attended, asmall crowdgathered Mondayatthe memorial on the edge of LSU’s Parade Grounds not only fora Memorial Daycommemoration of the LSU-connected military men and women who lost theirlives in warbut also to witness the additionofHeard, Schaeffer andTodd.

“It’sanunfortunate reality that some names areleft off,” Gregory said after the ceremony.“Over the last fewyears, when just doing research forthe museum, we typically comeacross information or stories that we didn’tknow,and we always make sure to doublecheck any names we find of those killed against our list to makesure it’sasuptodate as possible.” And Gregory anticipates adding

Forour heroes

Area sheriff’soffices to builddrone fleets

Iberville, WBR will be able to aid firstresponders

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

New sets of drones will be taking to the skies in two area parishes,thanks to acooperative endeavor agreement between the sheriff’s offices and the18th Judicial DistrictAttorney’s Office. The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office will add three drones from Seattle-basedmanufacturer Brinc, while the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Officewill be get-

ting fourdrones from Californiabased Skydio, as well as ahightech,four-legged friend named “SPOT.”

The additions, which will bring thestockpiles for bothsheriff’s offices to atotal of eight drones, are expected to significantly enhance theagencies’ surveillance and first responder capabilities.

The Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s Office, whichhas notyet signed the agreement with the District Attorney’sOffice, is expected to add 12 license plate readers, Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux said.

The three-year joint venture is madepossible through a

ABOVE: The Baton Rouge Concert Band performs its annual Memorial Day concertatthe Main Library on Monday.

LEFT: The freeconcert features patriotic musictohonor veterans.

BuildEBR to launch first plan sincepandemic Strategy will ‘createopportunities fornew stories’

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

The next five years of Baton Rouge’sredevelopment authority will be definedbytransparency,communitypartnerships and clear processes, organization leaders say Build East BatonRouge’sfiveyear strategic plan, the organization’sfirst sincethe pandemic,is openingupfor communityfeedback. Build EBR President and CEO Deidre Robert presented a

draft of theplanthatwill guide the authority through 2030 at the organization’sboard of commissioners meeting Thursday morning forreview

The plan is centered around five prongs: transparency,furthering redevelopment across the parish, securing capital, reducing blight andremoving barriers to redevelopment likeclearing titles. Over the past year,Build EBR led community town halls, stakeholderroundtables, interviews, used staff and board input and hired NM Consulting LLC to help form the plan.

Theorganization is workingwithconsultants to create

PHOTOSByAPRIL BUFFINGTON

Jefferson Parish bilingual program increases

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

As Principal Ninon Ledesma entered her third grade Spanish dual-language classroom at Alice Birney Elementary in Metairie last week, a young boy looked up from the cluster of students gathered around a Spanish vocabulary board game and waved enthusiastically: “Hola, Ms. Ledesma!”

While she watched the children work on end-of-year activities — some played with flash cards while others explored Spanish-language games — Ledesma gestured to the boy

“This is one of our friends who never spoke a word in Spanish” when he first entered the program as a preschooler, she said. “Now he’s fluent.”

Students who speak both English and Spanish during the school day are increasingly common in Jefferson Parish’s public elementary schools, 12 of which currently offer enrollment in the district’s dual-language program.

Last month, Louisiana recognized 11 of those schools, including Birney, as certified

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quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in all three parishes, which has been in effect since July 2024. District Attorney Tony Clayton said the tax is generating an estimated $5 million to $7 million annually for his office. A portion of that money is funding the new public safety technology Clayton said the agreement ensures that all evidence collected through the technology will feed directly into his prosecutions. He was quick to note the drones will not be flown down “Main Street” to spy on regular citizens, but will be deployed in high-crime areas to curb gang activity, drug trafficking and juvenile crime.

“I don’t believe government should be watching people,” Clayton said, but added, “for that 1% who operate in the criminal world, Big Brother will be watching you.”

“We know where your

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

language immersion schools, meaning they were found to meet rigorous state-set standards for providing an effective bilingual education. Local leaders hope the distinction encourages more families to participate, which will allow the district to expand the program to more schools. In a dual-language education setting, math, science and social studies are taught alongside a language other than English to help students develop bilingual and biliterate skills that proponents say improve their academic outcomes and broaden future job opportunities The program differs from typical foreign or English learner classes because it focuses on teaching fluency in both languages.

Children who are exposed to multiple languages often have better cognitive flexibility and excel in standardized testing, research suggests, performing as well or better than their peers.

At Alice Birney, where about 20% of students partake in the program and nearly 70% of the total population come from Hispanic households, staff say the benefits have extended beyond the

little drug hangouts are, we know who the gang members are, and we’re going to be monitoring, so those are the people that have to worry, not people like you and me,” he said. The drones will also be deployed as an extra set of eyes at large gatherings such as parades and football games, Clayton said.

‘This is cutting edge’

As part of the deal, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office will receive one DFR or “drone as a first responder,” which will be based in a hangar near Plaquemine and launched to active crime scenes, Sheriff Brett Stassi said. The remotely operated drone is designed to be launched to active scenes, stream live video back to headquarters and allow dispatchers to communicate with people on the ground. It can also carry supplies such as Narcan or life jackets.

Brad Treuil, an Iberville detective who heads the agency’s special response team and is known within the department as “the

Now 70, he has been playing guitar since he was 16. He wrote his first song around 1994, when two of his four daughters started piano lessons, and he started noodling on the rented piano When he and his wife moved to Lafayette after retirement, they built a small outbuilding beside the house: half garden shed, half music room. He works on his music in the building every day and is currently teaching himself fiddle and

LSU

Continued from page 1B

more names in the future.

“Unfortunately, I think it’s a reality that every now and then a name will be missed,” he said. “So we make sure we find them and get them added to the memorial.” So, on Monday, after a wreath of red, white and blue was placed at the foot of the flagpole at the center of the War Memorial and LSU music major Aaron Westbrook played taps on his trumpet, Gregory memorialized the three soldiers by reading their biographies. Heard was a native of West Monroe and graduated LSU in 1933 with a Bachelor of Arts. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves and graduated LSU Law School in 1936.

The Army called him up to served in Company B, 192nd Tank Battalion in the Philippines.

“When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they also began campaigns against other U.S.-held territory, including the Philippines,” Gregory said. “After wit-

classroom. Because the program’s structure emphasizes social collaboration, students naturally end up helping their nonprogram peers improve either their English or Spanish skills during day-to-day interactions, staff said, ultimately enhancing everyone’s linguistic abilities and creating a closer-knit school community

“Culture is represented all year long throughout the school,” said Natalia Nieto, Jefferson’s dual-language coordinator “Everything happens organically.”

An immersive style

Dual-language advocates say the program effectively teaches students a second language because it’s based on the idea that children learn a new language the same way they learn their first.

Jefferson Parish enrolls students in the program on a first-come, first-served basis when they enter preschool. The amount of time students spend speaking and being taught in both languages changes as they grow Students begin pre-K speaking 90% Spanish but evolve to

drone guy,” said the technology could improve safety for responding deputies and provide critical information ahead of arrival, from medical calls and plant explosions to hostage situations and school shootings.

“As soon as any call for service is called, we can launch that drone and beat the responding unit to that scene,” Treuil said. “I can fly the DFR over to the scene of a medical emergency and can start communicating with them — ‘Is this an overdose? Is this a heart attack?’ I can start telling medical units what to expect.”

Iberville will also add two Brinc “Lemur 2” drones, which can break glass but must be operated by a nearby deputy Treuil said video evidence gathered from the drones will make it easier for detectives to testify in the courtroom.

“I no longer have to tell that story to the jury; I can physically show them,” he said.

Iberville’s current drones are manufactured by Chi-

accordion.

50% English and 50% Spanish by the time they reach fourth or fifth grade.

Unlike their peers, duallanguage students stay in one classroom while general education and language teachers take turns teaching lessons Their progress is monitored by the World Languages and Accountability departments through LEAP testing.

Teachers say the program’s immersive style encourages kids to always think about how to transfer knowledge between languages.

In most foreign language classrooms, “You’re learning in isolation from a grammar book, but here, we’re teaching science and we’re learning the cognates,” said Stacy Kadinger, one of Birney’s master teachers. “I might be writing and learning something in the target language of Spanish, but then I need to transfer: How would I have a conversation about it in English?”

To achieve certification in Louisiana, programs must be in operation for at least three years and meet high evaluation standards set by the Department of Education. That includes completing in-depth questionnaires, hosting an

nese-based DJI, long considered the industry’s gold standard. But last year the White House banned imports of any new Chinese models, forcing agencies across the country to look for substitutes.

Brinc, founded in 2019 by 26-year-old CEO Blake Resnick, has raised about $82 million in venture funding, according to Forbes, with backing from Silicon Valley titans Peter Thiel and Sam Altman.

“This is some cuttingedge technology,” Stassi said.

WBR’s robo-dog

The West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, which currently operates three DJI drones, will add four Skydio X10 drones systems that can be flown remotely and are equipped with advanced video, thermal imaging and AI-assisted navigation, according to the company’s website. Skydio is based in San Mateo, California.

Sheriff Jeff Bergeron said the drones will improve response times and reduce the need to pull deputies

He says the outbuilding is separate from the house, so his wife doesn’t have to hear him play Judice has released six albums of original music — five solo, one co-written with a Texas songwriter named Slim Bob Pierce. His music is on Spotify, except for “The Camel Song.” He describes his musical style as “Amerikinda” — a word borrowed from his friends in a Texas band called The Chubby Knuckle Choir He says it’s not quite Americana. People who throw themselves into what makes them happy earn my re-

nessing the Japanese attack on Clark Field, the 192nd was ordered north toward Lingayen Gulf on Dec. 20 to face the Japanese invasion. By April 1942, Heard’s company was captured and forced to walk the Bataan Death March. The Americans were boarded onto a Japanese ship, for prisoner

of war camps in Taiwan when the vessel was torpedoed by a United States submarine.

Heard perished alongside 1,780 American prisoners of war that day Meanwhile, Shaeffer, a native of Paris, Texas, was serving in the Marine Corps in the southwest Pa-

unannounced site visit audit by state officials and employing district and school-level immersion coordinators and coaches.

Since Jefferson Parish introduced its current iteration of the program at two schools in 2018, demand has risen rapidly, with 2,000 of the district’s roughly 45,000 students now enrolled. It’s also risen in tandem with the district’s Hispanic student enrollment, which now hovers around 40%.

The number of dual-language programs across the U.S. is rising quickly in general, quadrupling to 3,600 between 2010 and 2023.

Sabrina Marsh, with the Center for Literacy and Learning in Metairie, pointed out that students in duallanguage programs often display better communication skills and an ability to easily pick up additional languages, both of which are invaluable in the job market

“I think as the landscape of the U.S. and the landscape of the global economy continues to change,” Marsh said, “we’re going to have to look at more ways that we can put our students ahead of the game.”

from patrol.

During the second year of the cooperative endeavor the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is also expected to use funds from the DA’s office to purchase “SPOT,” a remote-controlled robot “dog” designed by Boston Dynamics, which is utilized by two other law enforcement agencies in Louisiana, Bergeron said.

The “four-legged force multiplier,” which looks more like a massive cockroach than a dog, is about 2 feet high and can move as fast as 1.6 meters per second, according to Boston Dynamics. It has eight cameras, can open and close doors, climb stairs, analyze weapons and drag up to 50 pounds.

Bergeron said the robot will fill a “technological gap” in the agency for special operations, such as searching for an armed suspect who has barricaded themselves inside a structure, analyzing possible explosives, and performing search and rescue operations in hazardous chemical environments.

spect. Judice’s music is smart and fun. “The Camel Song,” for all of its bawdiness, is an outlier

But there’s value in laughter too — and, trust me on this one, “The Camel Song” is definitely worth a listen.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

“On June 11, 1943, while over Germany on a mission to bomb the submarine pens at Wilhelmshaven, their aircraft collided with a German fighter plane and crashed near the airfield at Marx, Germany,” Gregory said.

Todd was a 1928 graduate of LSU and had worked as a reporter for both The Times-Picayune and the Baton Rouge State-Times before going to war

The deceased’s names are listed beneath the wars in which they served.

“The War Memorial was put here in 1998, and as you can see, the last of the World War II names that were put there at that time end in Z,” Gregory said. “Only a few names have been added since, and I believe this is the first time names have been added in at least five years.”

a digital dashboard so the public can see the progress on its goals, Robert said.

“We want to make sure that we can execute on the plan,” Robert said during the meeting. “We want to track our progress in real time. We want to know where we’re doing better in some places; in other places, maybe not so strong.” The organization, which leads redevelopment projects and manages the parish’s landbank, has worked on notable projects. One such project was the transformation of the former Baton Rouge Electric and Gas Company power plant into Electric Depot, a mixed-use development, with architecture firm DNA Workshop. The new guiding plan marks a new era for the redevelopment authority: Before Robert’s hire last year, Build EBR had been without a permanent leader and a strategic plan for three years, and most of the staff joined last year In the past year, Build EBR has continued ongoing projects like the redevelopment of a section of Plank Road and launched initiatives, including a strategic plan for north Baton Rouge. Work on the draft master plan goals has already begun. Build EBR is looking to launch a group of programs this summer to ease the redevelopment process, which is often hindered by issues clearing titles and obtaining funds to redevelop properties.

The four programs, which are still under review by the organization’s legal team, will target the processes for the landbank to acquire properties and ensure a clean title, purchasing landbank properties, reducing property tax costs for developers and a facade refurbishment program.

“We’ve heard a lot from the community that they want it to be easier to buy property from the landbank,” Marlee Miller, Build EBR executive vice president and chief operating officer, said at the meeting. “It needs to be clear They need to understand what the pricing for that is, and in particular, they want to understand what discounts could be available to them.” As properties are passed down among family members, ownership can become muddled, creating a barrier to clearing the title. To alleviate this issue, Build EBR hosted an estate-planning clinic last month to educate residents on drafting wills to designate a clear heir for their property The organization plans to continue the estate planning clinics, with the next planned for this summer in Baker

“Every community we know has a story and a rich history and we really do take the responsibility seriously to preserve that story and create opportunities for new stories,” Robert said at the meeting. “That’s who we are.”

cific when he died in a plane crash on July 12, 1944, at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. He attended LSU from 1925 to 1928.

Finally, Todd, born in Virginia, entered the service on Oct. 3, 1942, serving as a gunner with the 527th Bomber Squadron in England.

“I think to me it’s our duty — not only for the museum but in general at LSU — to make sure all of the names are on this list, because they deserve to be remembered,” Gregory said. “They deserve to be honored for their sacrifice. So, even something as small as putting their name on the memorial is a way of making sure they will never be forgotten.”

The organization is entering its new era with limited financial resources, in part due to parishwide budget cuts following the failure of Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ proposed tax restructuring City-parish funding to Build EBR was slashed by 25%, Robert said in January The organization has tapped into its financial reserves to fund its operations, which Robert said is “not ideal,” but its financial outlook for 2026 is stable. The strategic plan is available to the public on Tuesday on the Build EBR website. Organization partners will review the plan in the next month before the board of commissioners’ next meeting, where the body will consider the plan for approval, pending any changes made during the review process.

PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

LSU’s William A Brookshire Military Museum Director James P. Gregory, left, talks with some of the attendees about the new additions to LSU’s War Memorial during the Memorial Day ceremony on Monday.

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Obituaries

Landry, SandraGriffon

Landry; SandraLandry Dugasand husband Roland; Charles"Charlie" Landry; Heidi Landry Safford; and Brandon Landry and wife, MackenzieTolliver Landry; 11 grandchildrenwho lovingly called her Meme", Griffon Landryand wife, Haley; Meredith LandryRase and husband, Larry; Jacob Dugas and wife, Jennie; Claire Dugas; Anna Lee Landry; Austin Saffordand wife, Rebecca; Caroline Safford Morris andhusband, Martin; Will Safford; Jett Landry; Sloan Landry; and Lawless Landry; and four great-grandchildren, Landry Dugas,Lucy Dugas, John DavidDugas, and JuliaSafford; as wellasnumerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.She is also survived by her sister,Glenda GriffonRoth Murphy; and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Griffon, Audrey Walker, Gerry RodgersYarbrough,Joyce Hymel(Charles), Norma Hernandez, Joanne Nastasi,and Marion Sanchez Sandra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles"Bobbie" Griffon Jr.and Sara Young Griffon; hersister, Sara Ann Griffon Sarradett, and husband, Paul;her brother,Tommy Griffon; and her brothersin-law, Alfred Roth, Don Murphy, Bobby Walker, Kenneth Hernandez,L.J Nastasi, and Zeke Sanchez. The family wouldliketo expressspecial thanks to her caregivers, Javetta

Queenand Linda Detrox, and thecompassionate staff of Hospice of Baton Rouge for their loving care and support. Visitation will be held at St. John the Evangelist CatholicChurch on Wednesday,May 27, beginning at 9:00 a.m. AMass of Christian Burial willbe celebrated by Reverend MartinLawrence at 11:00 a.m.,followedbyinterment at Grace Memorial Park Mausoleum. PallbearerswillbeJacob Dugas, Austin Safford, Griffon Landry, WillSafford,Larry Rase and MartinMorris. Memorial donations may be madetoSt. John the Evangelist CatholicChurch or St. JudeChildren's Research Hospital.

Sandra Griffon Landry, affectionally known as "Coochie," passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at her home in Baton Rougeatthe age of 87. She was anative of Plaquemine, Louisiana; a 42-year resident of White Castle, Louisiana;a 20-year resident of Plaquemine, Louisiana; and most recently aresident of Baton Rouge. Sandra was adevotedwife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who filled her home with love and laughter. Whether she was playing cards, rooting for the LSU Tigers, visiting with family and friends, or spending time with her garden club, she brought joy and laughter to every occasion. She was afaithful parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church during the years she lived in Plaquemine Sandra is survived by her husband of 64 years, Alton J. Landry Sr.; their children, Alton "Al" J. Landry Jr. and wife, Debbie Carona Howtoplace an Obituary Notice Howtoplace aMemorialAd

EMAIL: obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FORMORE INFORMATION: 225-388-0289

An In Memory Of”ad, is away to pay tributetoyourloved one.Thisremembrance is oftenprinted on theanniversary of aloved one’sdeath.Thedeadline is twodaysprior to the dayyou want your ad to appear TO PLACEAMEMORIALAD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com clicksubmit an obituaryand select create amemoriam.

Calcasieu bridge shows government canstill do bigthings

It is understandablethat there’salot of skepticism about government getting anything constructive done these days. Gridlock in Washington and squabbling at thestate Capitolhave become so commonplace thatit’softenthe only thingwe talkabout.

But in one corner of our state, we seewhat can happen when, after manytwists andturns, a major project finally moves forward. At theend of April, the much-neededand long-awaitedconstruction of anew Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge broke ground.

The $2.3 billion undertaking,byaninnovative public-private partnership championed by Gov.Jeff Landry,will replace the old bridge built in 1952 under the administrationofGov Earl K. Long. That rustingpistol-adornedstructure, with its steep grade and narrow lanes, has long been asource of anxietyfor drivers crossing from Louisiana to Texasand back.The bridge, which services the nation’simportant petrochemicalsector,initially saw about30,000 vehicles per day.Now theaveragedaily traffic count is up to 90,000. In recentmonths, crashes that shut down the bridgefor hours and damaged itsguardrailsdemonstrated justhow vital this corridor is.

The state has long known that theareaneeded anew bridge, butittooka long time to get here.InPresident Donald Trump’sfirst term, he vowed to replace the bridge in avisit to the area in 2019. Funds from PresidentJoe Biden’s infrastructure law wereeventually allocated to the project in 2021, with Biden traveling to Lake Charles and using the bridge as abackdrop to show the nation what failing infrastructure actually looks like. Gov.JohnBel Edwards proposed a$2.1 billion plan to payfor the new bridge with tolls and otherfunding,but Republican lawmakers killed it just as his time in office was ending in 2023. Thefederalgovernment threatenedto pull back funds if Louisiana couldn’tget its act together Just when we had almost losthope, abreakthrough came.The Landry administrationput forward arevised financing plan with some reduced tolls that was able towin supportin2024. So now the real work begins. The project also includes reconstruction of 5.5 milesofI-10with additional travel lanes in each direction andnew facilities for pedestrians andcyclists around the bridge, as well as maintenance forthe new roadway and bridgefor 50 years. Construction won’tbetotallycompleteuntil 2031,but the new bridge will be opento driverssometime in 2030, officials said. At the groundbreaking on April29, state and federal officials gathered to mark the triumph at long last. Lake Charles MayorMarshall Simien called it, “a bridgetothe future.” We certainly hope so. Now if we could only get anew bridge over the MississippiinBaton Rouge

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

StudentsinLouisiana are making historic gains in reading proficiency as we celebrate moving from 42nd in fourth grade NAEP results to 16th nationwide. Still, too manystudentsare not yet proficient readers, apredictor of high school graduation rates and future economic mobility

The Capital Area Literacy Network, agroup of nonprofit partners, educatorsand community members, seeks to advance literacy in the Capital Area by enhancing family engagement, supporting thefunding and implementationofliteracy efforts aligned with research-backed best practices and strengthening coordination among literacy-focused entities.

Several bills in thecurrent legislativesession could accelerate growthin Louisiana’sliteracy rates. First,House Bill 271 creates theLouisiana Commission on Foundational Education to evaluate and recommend improvements in foundational literacy,numeracy andfamily engagement from kindergarten through grade eight House Bill 316 builds on Louisiana’s literacy framework, which has led to growthinearlier grades, and extends it to grades four to eight to benefit

morestudents. Twoadditional legislative priorities focus on expanding tutoring and increasing access to books foryoung readers, bothcritical to literacy growthand family engagement. Highdosage tutoringisaproven lever for improving reading outcomes,and SenateBill 27 expands this individualized support for learners. House Bill 272 funds the READ program,while continued funding through House Bill 1helps provide free books to children under 5tobuild home libraries and encourage early reading through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The Capital Area Literacy Network supportsthe above requests in this legislative session to ensure more studentsinLouisiana can gain access to books, receive individualized support through high-dosagetutoring and benefit from coordinated efforts at the state and local level that support literacy growth. We encourage other memberstovoice their support for literacy and get involved in efforts to ensure students in Louisiana can continue to thrive.

LAURAVINSANT

CapitalArea Literacy Network core team member

The purpose of political gerrymandering is to waste as manyopposing party votes as possible. Say hypothetically,you have astate that needs to elect six representatives and has 400 Gold party voters and 200 Purple party voters. The Gold party-controlled state Legislature should draw one district so that it includes 100 Purple party voters and then distribute the remaining 100 Purple party voters in the other five districts so that they are in the overwhelming minority

With this redistricting, the maximumnumber of Purple votes are wasted. In the one majority Purple district, half of the votes are wasted since it only takes 50 votes to elect the Purple representative. In the other districts, all the Purple votes are wasted.

That redistricting turns 200 Purple votes into 50 votes that count; the rest of the Purple voters get an “I voted” sticker.Ifthe Purple voters feel disenfranchised, then they can movetoaPurple state.

DAVE WHIDDON NewOrleans

How easy is Rich Lowry’sjob? All theman must do to makeabuck is reframe every issue that could reflect poorly on the current administration as apolitical or culture war issue. His recentpiece on the failure of Spirit Airlines is no exception: misleading and untrue.

Lowry holds no love in his heart for theunion workers at Spirit or anywherefor that matter.Ifso, he would have belt-fed us pieces over thepast months bemoaning theloss of over 100,000 manufacturing jobs and roughly 300,000 smallbusiness jobsduring Trump 2.0. Whereare the crocodile tears for these workers? He only cares about Spirit to theextent that anymajor airline failure is ahigh visibilitymess which he must hang around the neck of anyone but President Donald Trump.

Rather than the tale of anefarious Bidenadministration at work which Lowry spins, Spirit’s demisestarts as asimple story of Spirit’scompetition

out-competing it.

Mostlow-cost carriers like Spirit have been in arace to the bottom, losing massive amounts of money since 2019 (Trump 1.0) because the legacy major airlines figuredout how to break them.

Low- and ultra-low-cost customers have verylittleloyalty to any specific carrier,which forcesthese carriers to compete only on price. Therefore by offering some numberofverylow cost and completely unbundled fares to this market segment, the legacy carriers were able to push Spirit to theedge. It was Trump, however,who directly caused the high fuel costs that finally pushed thecompany over that edge. Spirit would be financially bumping along the bottom today, but still operating, if the price of jet fuel had not doubled since thestart of our misadventures in Iran.

BRIAN HENNESSY NewOrleans

As aBoy Scout Idoalot of hiking and camping. Sadly,I notice alot of trash being leftbehind. It is everyone’sresponsibility to keep our nature areas trash-free. When people leave litter behind it not only ruins the way it looks but also harmswildlifeand pollutes waterways. Keeping trails and campsites clean is simple if everyone practices “leave no trace.”

“Leave no trace” is aprinciple that makes Boy Scouts clean up after themselves. It is aprinciple designed to protect the outdoors by minimizing human impact. Iurge the community next timethey are on the trail to pack up all trash and pick up after their pets. Let’swork to keep nature clean, safeand welcoming foreveryone.

THOMAS MARTIN

BoyScout Troop 230 Metairie

Agood friend’s finallesson

It was 1959, and Iwas asenior in high school, hanging out atthe Jewish Community Center in my hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey,when Iran into theolder brother of agirlI knew. His name was BarneyFrank, astudent at Harvard, and the next few minutes changed my entire life.

“You should apply to Harvard,” he told me and my twin brother Marc, “it’sagreat school.” I wasn’tquite surewhere Harvard was, but wetook his advice, and somehow,webothwere accepted.

That started alifelongfriendship andonly the first of many timesI’ve learned something valuable from Barney. He went on to become amember of Congress from Massachusetts for 32 years before retiring in 2013,and during his long public life, he was always astalwart liberal, fighting for arange of causes from civil rights to economic equality.Hewas hardly thefirst gay member of Congress, but the first with thecourage to come out publicly Barney,however,was nevera selfrighteous sermonizer.Hewas always asupremely practical politicianwho understood the value of compromise As columnist David Shribmanwrote “Hewas —this has disappeared from thecapital —simultaneously ideological andpragmatic.”

Barney died last week at age 86, but in his last days, he tried teachinghis liberal allies one last lesson: Realism is better than rigidity.Power is better than purity.Asked by The New York Times to name “the biggest problemDemocrats need to overcome,” he repliedthis way:

“The key to liberal democracy being able to come back is to get rid of the perception, that we have allowedto grow,that the entire Democratic Party is committed to aseries of verydrastic social reconstructions that go beyond thepolitically acceptable

“Most of my mainstreamDemocratic colleagues agree with me,” he added, “but they have been reluctant to say that because they’re afraid of being attacked in primaries and accusedofbeingsecret conservatives.”

Barney refused to ignore the statistics and fall prey to the left’svirtually infi-

nite capacity for self-delusion. This is nota liberal country.In2024, only 23% of voters identified as liberals in exit polls, with 42% calling themselves moderates and 35%conservatives.

“Making mattersworse,the left truly believes that its radical views are embraced by the public,” wroteJames Kirchick in TheAtlantic. As Barney put it, fellow liberalsare “notadvocating that we take consciously unpopular stands. They think they’re popular.They’ve convincedthemselves of that.”

Realism requiresnot justarecognition of statistics,but of history.Since the 1960s, Democrats have often nominated orthodoxliberals for president —Hubert Humphrey,George McGovern,WalterMondale, Michael Dukakis —and theyall lost.The mostsuccessful candidates —John F. Kennedy,Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama all followedBarney’sformulaoftempering ideology withpragmatism.

Toooften, Barney toldPolitico, progressive Democratshave “embraced an agenda thatgoesbeyond what’spolitically acceptable. Until we separate ourselves fromthat agenda, we don’twin.

Oneexample is immigration. Frank points to adebateduring the 2020 primaries, when nearly all of the Democratic presidential candidates raised their hands to signalsupport for decriminalizing border crossings. That image,Frank writes, “should have been

captioned ‘Wewho are about to die politically saluteyou.’”

Barneyparticularly denounced the left’sembrace of cultural wokeness. One example is “the rule of the pronoun police.”

The left, he argued, should learn from the fight —ultimately successful —to legalize gay marriage:Stay strong, but start slow.Gradually build support Don’toutrun public opinion.

“I am not arguing that people shouldn’tadvocatefor things that are currently unpopular,” Franktoldthe Times “I knowthere are someissues thatI support thatare currently unpopular.And the first thing to do is to try and increasethe degree to which they have public support.

“The problemwith my friends on the left today is that they wantthese things to be litmus tests, immediately,” he added. “Theydon’twant to spend any time. So what happens is they demand thatmoremainstream liberals sign on to these things, and then they lose becauseofit.

“Frankly,” Barneytold the Times,“if Iweren’t dying, people wouldn’tbepaying as much attention.”

I’ve been learning from my friend for 67 years.Istill am. Hopefully others will, too.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

Children arenow runningour bigcities

NewYork CityMayor Zohran Mamdani earned national attention in anotgood way when he recorded himself in front of Ken Griffin’sManhattan home revealing the billionaire’saddress. He tapped the lens in athreatening manner and said guys like Griffin aregoing to pay more taxes.

We’ve been having adebate about “book bans” in recentyears, but given the steep decline in student literacy,the deeper question is howanyone would notice whether abook is available in aschool library or not.

The NewYorkTimes publishedaneye-opening report on astudy by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford documenting steep declines in student test scores,especially in reading.

Overthe past 10 years, reading scores have declined in 83% of school districts.

Whatlooked like aCovid-drivencatastrophe is, instead,partofa long-running trend. Reading scores were falling at asimilar clip prior to the pandemic, in 2017-2019, and continued to fall into 2024. In athird of school districts, kids arereading afull grade levelbelow where theywerein2015.

This follows whathad been asteady increase in test scores from 1990 to the 2010s

The ability to read is foundational to achild’s development. It enhances verbal fluency, memory,concentration and executive function. It is associated with academic success andsundry advantages throughout life. That ourschoolsare falling down so badly on such an elementalmatterisnothing less thana civilizationalfailure

Our childrenaren’tlearning to read,inpart, because we’ve forgottenhow to teach them. We decidedtojettison acommon-sensical, tried-and-true methodofreading instruction —phonics—for faddish theoriesthathaven’t worked.

It is notable thatstates showing improvement between 2022-2025 embraced phonics, which now goes underthe rubric “the science of reading.”

It also can’t be acoincidence thatthese harrowing trends areplaying outagainst the backdrop of ubiquitous screensinschools. Schoolsare starting to ban mobile phones, but the screen thatthey take away with one hand, theygive with the other.According to a New York Timessurvey, 80%ofteachers say thatstudents at their schools have adevice assignedtothem; it wasonly athird in 2019. More than80% said that kids get devices by kindergarten. It would have beencomparable recklessness if schoolshad decidedatthe outsetofthe televisionage thatevery schoolchild needed apersonalTV. Parents struggle to gettheir kids off devices at home,and thensendthemtoschool, where theyread “ToKill aMockingbird” on an iPad.

Griffin is the founder and CEO of Citadel, agiant hedge fund. The wisdom of raising taxes on expensive second homes can be debated, but doxxing Griffin in that nasty, personal way was flat stupid. Griffin accurately described Mamdani’sstunt as “creepy andweird,” in addition to showing a“profound lackof judgment.”

It was quickly revealed that Citadel employed about 2,500 people in thecity who hadpaid$2.3billion in cityand state taxes over the past five years, according to Barron’s. About2,500 of them sit on local nonprofitboards.

Griffin himself has donated $650 million in charitable gifts to New York hospitals, museums and related good causes. Meanwhile, Griffin’s penthouse overlooking Central Park wasfilling the city’scoffers to the tune of over $500,000 ayear in propertytaxes.

Griffinwasn’tdone.

He put on hold his $6 billion plans to redevelop aPark Avenueoffice building that wouldhave created 6,000 construction jobs and lead to 15,000 permanent jobs.

That video, he said, reinforced his decision to “double down” on Miami, where Citadel is headquartered, rather than expand in New York.

Over in Seattle, the new leftist mayor, Katie Wilson, idiotically tauntedher city’seconomic powerhouses. After learning that Starbucks was building a2,000-employee corporate center in Nashville, reporters asked Wilson whether she was concerned that local billionaires wereleavingtown for friendlier and lower-taxed climes.

Cameras caught her blank face deliveringajuvenile sing-song response, “Like, bye.”

Shortly after being elected, Wilson had attended abarista union rally and declared, “Iamnot buying Starbucks, andyou should not either.” Amazing for the mayor to say that about a homegrown companythat helped make Seattle “cool.”

Starbucks co-founder Howard Schultz wrote in the Wall Street Journal the obvious,that her attitude “vilifies employers, even while she continues to rely on them for revenue.”

Back in New York, Mamdani tried to clean uphis mess by reaching out to Griffin,offering to meet him for anice, “I’m-there-to-listen” conversation. As of this writing, Mamdani has been met with radio silence. Griffin is “ghosting” him, the New York Postreports. And why shouldn’t he?

It’sbecoming rapidly clear that Griffin is more important to New York City than Mamdani is. Same goes for Schultz in Seattle, even after he moved to theMiami area. Seattle’sWilson isn’tnearly as polished asocial media performer as Mamdani is, but they share an equally

deep well of ignorance over how abig city funds itself. Neither ran as much as alemonade stand before thinking they could bully thecorporate leaders powering their economies. Both are on thefringe left and exploited the Democratic Party to get themselves nominated. They should not be confused withDemocratic politiciansrunning their towns with pragmatic smarts. It happens that Democrats in Nashville were instrumental in seducing Starbucks to expand their way Who elected these child mayors? Child voters largely ignorant of urban affairs and uninterested in learning about them. This is an electorate glued to social media feeds and their flood of political manipulation. Thus, we see Mamdani in ahard hat flooding themedia with “Mayor Mamdani Advances New York City’s First Free Child Care Program Pilot for Municipal Workers.”Itcovers all of 40 children. (More kids live in asingle tenement.) Andtheir parentshave to work for the city Words can’tdescribe Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.

Now,bookshaven’t disappeared from classrooms,but theyaren’tnearly as prevalent as theyshould be. Anew study by the Rand Corporationfound thatmostEnglish teachersassignedatleastone full book during the school year,although 9% didn’tassign any,and roughly two-thirds assigned between only one to four

Engaging with awhole book in print is so important because notall reading is equal. One analysis found that “digital reading does improve comprehension skills, but the beneficial effect is between six andseven timessmaller thanthatofprint reading.” So,too, reading a book is betterthan reading aseriesofextended passages; it requiresmoreattentionand greater immersion.

As educationexpert Robert Pondiscio of the American Enterprise Institute points out, it’s amistake to think of reading as solely atechnical skill, sincereading comprehension also depends on what the great educational theorist E.D. Hirschcalled “cultural literacy,” the basic facts abouthistory,civics, art and the like thatformour commonknowledge.

To ourgreat detriment, schools have downgradedthis, too.

The worst-case scenario is that we have become ascreen culture that is only capable of producing screen kids. Areport last year in the journaliScience found thatreading for pleasure steadily declined from 2003 to 2023. On topofevidencethatreading also fell from the 1940s to 2003, this makes for an 80-year decline

The poet andessayist Joseph Brodsky said, “There areworse crimes than burning books. One of themisnot reading them.” And not being capable of reading them is even worse thanthat.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

U.S. Rep. BarneyFrank, D-Mass., in 2009.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yUKIIWAMURA MayorZohran Mamdani speaks during arally in Newyork earlier this month.

Rich Lowry

Steve Roberts

Froma Harrop

FRIEND’S TAKE

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Three weeks have passed since J.B Bickerstaff’s Detroit Pistons eliminated Jamahl Mosley’s Orlando Magic in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

It was a grueling seven-game series. Making it even tougher is that it pitted two guys who are best of friends against each other The bond between Mosley and Bickerstaff, both 47, dates back more than two decades when they began their climb up the NBA coaching ladder

They’ve been tight ever since. Their families vacation together Bickerstaff’s kids refer to Mosley as “Uncle Jamahl.”

The two coaches talk constantly throughout the season. — except when they are playing each other This year was the second time in three seasons they’ve battled for seven games in a playoff se-

ries. In 2024 when Bickerstaff was coaching in Cleveland, his Cavaliers beat the Magic in seven games. That was the first of three straight playoff trips for Mosley in Orlando.

Bickerstaff, despite winning that series, was fired.

Bickerstaff was named head coach of the Pistons a few months later He took over a Detroit team that had won 14 games the year before his arrival there and 17 the year before that. Bickerstaff has led the Pistons to the playoffs both seasons since his arrival, including being the No. 1 seed in the East this season.

Bickerstaff is rooting for his close friend to have similar success in New Orleans. Mosley takes over a team that won just 26 games this season and 21 the year before that.

Bickerstaff spoke with The Times-Picayune on Saturday about Mosley, who will have his introductory news conference on

Tuesday

What was it like going against such a close friend in the playoffs?

It’s tough. It’s not easy emotionally because typically when you have questions or thoughts, he’s the guy I run it by And vice versa. For that two-week period of time, you just don’t have that. We make it a point to not communicate during those times, so it does become very difficult. But we are both high-level competitors and want to win, but also want to see each other be successful. As soon as it’s over, whoever wins, we support the person moving on.

What was your message to him when he was fired by the Magic?

We talk about everything all the time. I told him that his next job was going to be

Southern athlete clears track, life hurdles

Alase overcomes injury to post best NCAA time

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Happy tears occasionally trickle down Tasha Alase’s cheeks. The pride swells when she watches Southern track star Tashina Alase her twin sister — race, often on repeat, when viewing her online.

“I’m probably half the views on a video of her race,” Tasha said.

“I just watch it over and over because it makes me so happy for her And it makes me tear up watching her races, just because I know how badly she wants it and how hard she works.”

Those emotions will resurface when Tashina represents the Jaguars in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA East first round at

6 p.m. Thursday But Tashina’s athletic dreams were suddenly in jeopardy on March 26, 2025. She was in a head-on car crash when her red Hyundai’s brakes malfunctioned

She walked out of her totaled car seemingly unharmed on Interline Avenue in Baton Rouge. She contacted her dad and cried on the phone with her coaches before paramedics arrived at the scene.

While speaking with Southern assistant coach Freddie Glover she eventually looked down to see her bloody right foot. Her big toe was fractured in multiple places because the Crocs she was wearing didn’t protect her feet.

Despite the blood, she thought the injury wouldn’t stop her from competing in the second outdoor meet of the year in Austin, Texas, the next day

“It’s just dislocated,” Tashina

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball’s season is officially over

Unsurprisingly, the Tigers missed out on the NCAA Tournament after posting a 30-28 overall record and a 9-21 record in Southeastern Conference play They won their first game at the SEC Tournament last week over Oklahoma, then fell to Auburn in the second round. The NCAA Tournament field was announced on Monday morning. LSU was among the four SEC schools that didn’t make the tourney South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Missouri also failed to crack the field.

Seven SEC teams (Florida, Auburn, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Mississippi State) earned bids to host a regional Oklahoma, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Arkansas also made the tournament field as at-large teams. The last time LSU missed the NCAA Tournament was in 2011. That season, the Tigers missed the SEC Tournament despite winning 13 SEC games and posting a 36-20 overall record.

LSU also missed the tournament in 2007, coach Paul Mainieri’s first season in charge. That year, the Tigers went 2926-1 and won only 12 conference games

This season, LSU won fewer than 12 games in conference play for the first time since 1983 — the year before LSU hired Skip Bertman. They also won fewer than 35 games for just the second time during that same 43-year stretch.

LSU’s offseason begins when the transfer portal opens Monday

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey got the question out of the way right away

“I do not anticipate any decision on the CFP,” he said here at a Monday afternoon news conference. That doesn’t mean that talk of potential College Football Playoff expansion won’t dominate conversation this week at the annual SEC spring meeting, which begins Tuesday at the Sandestin Hilton.

The CFP grew from four to 12 teams just two years ago, but now there is increasing momentum to grow to 16 or 24 teams, starting with the 2027 regular season.

In fact, the other power conferences the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC plus Notre Dame — have all come out in favor of going to 24. The SEC appears to be the lone, if substantial, dissenter, with Sankey having previously supported staying at 12 or expanding to 16.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Sankey said. “Positions in college sports change a lot.”

That includes within the SEC. Sankey admitted in a recent interview that there is support within the conference for a 24-team playoff. That support, or lack of it, could come into sharper focus at this week’s meeting, which brings together school presidents, athletic directors, and football and basketball coaches from the league’s 16 member schools.

“I want to look at everything — 16 teams, 24 — whatever gives us a bet-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Southern hurdler Tashina Alase clears a hurdle during the first heat of the 100-meter hurdles during the LSU Alumni Gold meet on April 25 at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RON SCHWANE

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B Bickerstaff, left, talks with Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley during a game on March 28, 2022, in Cleveland. Mosley and Bickerstaff faced each other twice in the playoffs.

Jodar makes French Open splash

Spaniard has impressive debut; Poland’s Swiatek advances easily

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

PARIS Two-time reigning cham-

pion Carlos Alcaraz is out injured

Promising 21-year-old French player Arthur Fils also pulled out with a physical issue. Jack Draper has been bothered for months by a right knee problem.

The list of candidates capable of challenging top-ranked Jannik Sinner, who enters the French Open on a three-month-long 29-match winning streak, has been dwindling.

Enter Rafael Jodar, the 19-yearold Spaniard who has been making waves on the ATP Tour Jodar continued to impress in his Roland Garros debut, dropping just five games in a 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 rout of American opponent Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday despite boiling heat at the claycourt Grand Slam. The last man to concede fewer games in a French Open debut was Novak Djokovic, who allowed three to Robby Ginepri in 2005.

“I did the things very well from the start,” Jodar said. “It’s just my first year (on tour) and I’m experiencing a lot of things in these past few months.”

Mostly, Jodar has been experiencing victories. He’s won 16 of his last 19 matches, raised a trophy on clay in Morocco, reached the semifinals in Barcelona and had a run to the quarterfinals in Madrid ended by Sinner

A year ago, Jodar was ranked No. 707 and playing challengers tennis’ minor leagues in the U.S. after he competed at the University of Virginia. Now he’s No.29 and is seeded 27th in Paris.

“It was obviously another chapter of my life, but I think that chapter also helped me to develop a lot and to be a better player now,” Jodar said.

Going to college also helped.

“Living there alone, it was great to develop and to do things by myself,” Jodar said. “It was a new chapter new culture for me, actually a new life.”

ously worked with 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.

“Nothing comes easy,” Swiatek said. “With more titles, it’s even a bit harder because everyone expects you to be ready always and play perfectly So you need to stay humble and not take anything for granted and work your way from the beginning of the tournament.”

She improved to 28-1 in firstround matches at Grand Slams.

Also advancing were Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, who beat Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2; and recent Italian Open winner Elina Svitolina, who rallied past Anna Bondar 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Wawrinka, Monfils bow out

In men’s action, 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka was beaten by Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to end his 21st and last French Open.

Knicks sweep Cavs; first time in Finals since ’99

CLEVELAND Karl Anthony-Towns had 19 points and 14 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 17 and the New York Knicks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Landry Shamet scored 16 off the bench while Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson had 15 apiece for the Knicks, who became the fourth team to have an 11-game winning streak during their postseason run. The last to do it was Golden State, which had a 15-game run en route to its second title in three seasons in 2017.

This will be the Knicks’ third appearance in the Finals since winning their last title in 1973. They lost in seven to Houston in 1994 and in five to San Antonio in 1999.

Rays’ Franco found guilty in sexual abuse case

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty for a second time on charges of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor on Monday although the court granted him a judicial pardon. The ruling means Franco will not serve prison time because judges ruled he was both defendant and victim in the case, according to Dominican lawyer and journalist Juan Arturo Recio.

The mother of the minor was sentenced to 10 years for money laundering, which mirrors the sentence she received in the first trial. Monday’s verdict was the result of Franco’s second trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, stemming from a relationship with a then-14-year-old girl that started in December 2022, when Franco was 21, and continued until February 2023.

Rosenqvist collects record

$4.34 million at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS Swedish driver

Cautious Swiatek

Jodar appears destined to become a top-10 player and a serious contender for the biggest trophies. And Jodar is in the bottom half of the draw in Paris — meaning he could meet Sinner only in the final.

The only real issue for the thirdranked Swiatek came when she needed a trainer to re-tape the middle finger on her tennis-playing right hand for an apparent blister after the first set.

Four-time champion Iga Swiatek eliminated 136th-ranked debutant Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in her opener

Swiatek has not won a title on clay this season and recently made a coaching change. She hired Francisco Roig, who previ-

Gael Monfils also bowed out for the last time after losing to fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 just before midnight. Eighth-seeded Alex De Minaur defeated Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and No. 15 Casper Ruud — a twotime French Open runner-up — won against Roman Safiullin 6-2, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2.

Paris heat wave affects clay courts, players

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

PARIS Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics. And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August.

Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F) — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week

Besides making it uncomfortable for fans and players alike, the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court — changing the pace of the game.

“It is much different Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics, but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament,” four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said after routing Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in the first round on Monday

Players have been putting bags of ice around their necks on changeovers to stay cool, while fans refreshed themselves under sprinklers.

When workers water the clay courts between sets, they have taken to directing their hoses at spectators begging to be doused, too “I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,” Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. “Maybe one day But we’re going

to have it for the whole week.”

Kasatkina said the energysapping temperatures made for more up-and-down matches.

“You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said. “So this is a battle which you have to also win. Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.” Retirement, medical timeout

Canadian player Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired midway through his match against James Duckworth on Sunday

Both Andrey Rublev and opponent Ignacio Buse called for the trainer on separate occasions during the second set of their

3-hour, 39-minute match on Monday, which Rublev won in four sets.

Buse took a medical timeout and had salts and minerals added to his water bottle as a stethoscope was placed on his chest Rublev received treatment a few games later

Also during the same match, a weary-looking ball girl had to be helped off the court and received medical attention.

Heat protocol

The French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. But like in Australia and New York, the French Open has adopted an extreme weather policy

If the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature which takes into account temperature, humidity, sun, wind and other factors — reaches 30.1 degrees C (86 F) or higher, 10-minute cooling breaks can be installed between the second and third sets for women’s matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches.

If the WBGT hits 32.2 C (90 F), play is suspended. It would require an air temperature of about 38 C (100 F) for play to be suspended.

Some like it hot

Some players were embracing the hotter air

“I’ve always preferred hot and lively conditions to chilly on a clay court, because I feel like I can bring a little bit more of my all-court tennis on this type of surface,” Australian player Alex de Minaur said after beating Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

“It’s easier to be a little bit more aggressive. The ball is jumping. I don’t necessarily have to use as much spin or heaviness, and I can let the conditions do the job for me. And it’s quite physical. I don’t mind the heat,” De Minaur added.

Same goes for American player Alex Michelsen who eliminated Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets.

“It’s definitely good for us Americans,” Michelsen said “Generally we’re big serve, big forehand, big ground game and like to play offense. When it’s super hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast. I was so happy when I saw the forecast.”

Felix Rosenqvist earned a record $4.34 million payout after winning his first Indianapolis 500 on Sunday — topping Alex Palou’s total from last year by more than $500,000. The total purse, $30,906,400, was also a race record, organizers announced Monday That’s a nearly $11 million increase over last year’s previous all-time high. Rosenqvist made a daring, perfectly timed pass on the outside of David Malukas in the closing yards, beating Malukas across the yard of bricks by 0.0233 seconds in the closest finish in race history The previous mark came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds.

Misiorowski sets record for 100 mph pitches

MILWAUKEE Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski threw 57 pitches of at least 100 mph — the most in a single game since pitch tracking began in 2008 — while getting 12 strikeouts to match his career high Monday in a 5-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The previous record for 100mph pitches in a single game was 47 by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene against St. Louis on Sept. 17, 2022. Misiorowski (5-2) allowed two hits and one walk in his seven-inning stint. He improved his ERA to 1.83. The 24-year-old right-hander reached 101 mph on 40 of his 96 pitches. He got to 102 mph on 22 pitches and had nine of at least 103. His top velocity was 103.4 mph, which he reached three times.

U.S. beats Hungary, stays alive at hockey worlds

ZURICH Reigning champion the United States topped Hungary 7-3 and kept hopes alive of advancing to the quarterfinals at the ice hockey world championship on Monday Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals and set up two and captain Justin Faulk and Ryan Leonard also netted twice each in Zurich. Tommy Novak assisted on five goals and netminder Joseph Woll stopped 14 shots.

The Americans’ seventh and final Group A game is against Austria on Tuesday A victory earns them a spot in the quarterfinals. The U.S.

In

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRISTOPHE ENA

Alex De Minaur of Australia takes a break during a first-round men’s singles match against Toby Samuel of Britain on Monday at the French Open in Paris.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By THIBAULT CAMUS

Iga Swiatek of Poland returns to Emerson Jones of Australia during their first-round women’s singles match at the French Open on Monday in Paris.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland waves to the crowd after falling in a firstround men’s singles match against Jesper De Jong of the Netherlands at the French Open on Monday.

Spurs, Thunderplaying chess in WesternConference finals

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

It’slike Victor Wembanyama has been here before.

Dec. 28,2024, was acoldand drizzly morning in New York.Wembanyama had some spare time before the San Antonio Spurs’ charter flightwould leave for Minnesota thatafternoon, so he posted amessageonsocial media: Come meet me in Washington Square Parktoplay chess, he wrote. He played four games that morning: two wins, two losses.

Fast forward to now,where the Spurs and OklahomaCity areplaying adifferent form of chess —the Western Conference finals, with Game 5set for Tuesday on the Thunder’s home floor.The score to this point, just like that morning in New York: two wins, two losses.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault have both likened theback-and-forth of this series to achessmatch, where outthinking one’sopponent is just as importantasoutplayingthem. And Wembanyama, who often travels with his own chess set, appreciates that parallel.

“There’sdefinitelysimilarities,as in any strategy game,” Wembanyama said after SanAntonio’s series-tying 103-82 romp on Sundaynight. “It’s fun. It’svery fun.Inthe playoffs at some point, especially when aseries drags on, everybody knows the other team almost by heart.”

Nobody is in position to declare “checkmate” quite yet: San Antonio took Game 1, OklahomaCitytook Games 2and 3, the Spurs won Game 4.

ä SanAntonio

The combined numbers to this point: theSpurs have outscored theThunder 446-442, theSpurs areshooting 43%, the Thunder are shooting 42%.

“Theseries is2-2 and basically zerozero andit’sfirsttotwo games now,” Thunder guard and two-timeMVP ShaiGilgeous-Alexander said. “I mean, it’s not at thefrontofour mind, but it is afact anditisthe realityof where we are.”

These two franchises splitting the first four games in theWestfinals shouldhave been expected. They also metinthe 2012 and2014 West title matchups —and bothofthose series also were tied at 2-2 through four games, with the Thunder eventually winning in 2012 andthe Spurs eventuallywinning in 2014.

This is also the seventhtimeteams thatwon at least 62 games in the regularseason have gone head-to-head in the postseason. Of theprevious six series,three of them wereknotted at 2-2 going into Game 5.

And in each of those —ChicagoUtah inthe 1997 finals, Boston-Los Angeles Lakers in the 1985 finals and Lakers-Milwaukee in the 1972 West finals —the Game 5winner also won Game 6totake the series.

“Nothing from (Sunday) will carry over in Game 5,” Daigneault said.

“That’sablank slate.Wehave the sameexact opportunity that they do to go get that game. So,we’vegot to win the gapsbetween thegame right now.We’ve gottoget recovered,get ourselvesmentally back to zero,learn

thelessons from (Game 5) that we can apply forwardand get ourselves readytogo.”

ThePop factor

It should surprise nobody that Spurs president —and former coach Gregg Popovich still knows his way to thelocker room.

When San Antonio lost Game 3, Popovichmadeasurprise appearance in theroom after the game.

Popovich hadtostepdownfrom coaching after astroke in 2024. The actual volumeofhis voice isn’twhat it once was.But his messages, when he chooses to deliver them, still seem to resonate quiteloudly within the organization.

“Pop’s beenaround throughoutthe course of the season,but that was the first time he walkedintothe locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’sBS. That’snot howweplay basketball,’” Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said in a televised postgame interview on NBC.

“And obviously,hehad some choice words forit, butthatwas thefirst time allseason that he cameinto thelocker room right after agameand told us how he felt.And everybody felt that.”

The Spurstrailed by one point three times early in Game 4. San Antonio scored thenext 16 pointstotake control Maybe Pop’sa pretty good chess player,too.

“When you get into these series, we spoke pregame about the chessmatch and you can get intoalittlebit of a whirlwind in termsof, ‘DoI adjust andcounter?’ or ‘Do Ijust wanttodo it better?’ ”Johnson said. “And both answers are right.”

League-leading Dreamshows resilience

BY DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press

Nevercount theAtlanta Dream out.

The Dream has twice rallied from 15-point deficits this season to win,including Sunday’s victoryover Phoenix.

No one else in the WNBA has done that once, according to ESPN.

“Weare aresilient team; the game isn’tover till it’sover,” Atlanta guard Jordin Canada said after the Dream rallied to beat the Mercury.“We always come together in the fourth quarter,whetherwehave to make arun or sustain a lead. We battle to the very end,weget stops and try to executedown the stretch. What we’ve been doing in the fourth quarter,wegot to sustain thatinthe first three quarters.”

Atlanta sits atopthe WNBA standingsat4-1 the only team in the league with only one loss.

The Dream heads out for road games at Minnesota and Portlandthis week.

The Dream is getting everyone’sbestshotsofar, which coach Karl Smesko feelswill helpthe team down the road.

Golden State andChicago were seventh and eighth. Los Angeles and Phoenix followed the Sky.Portland, Washington andToronto were the 11th through 13. Seattleand Connecticut rounded out the poll.

Homecourtdisadvantage

Through thefirst few weeksofthe season, playing at home hasn’t really been an advantage for teams. Only two teams have winning records on their home court —Atlanta and Indiana. As aleague, teams are16-30 through Sunday.

Player of theweek

Kelsey Plum of Los Angeles averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds to help theSparks win both theirgames last week.Plum had a38-point effort in the win at LasVegas to spoil the nightthe champion Aces raisedtheir banner from lastseason.

BY NOAH TRISTER Associated Press

When the Nationals and Mets wenttoextra innings on May 18, Washington was quick to intentionally walk Juan Soto in thetop of the 10th. Then New York returnedthe favor, giving James Wood afree pass in thebottom half. When Soto came up againinthe 12th, the Nats pitched to him —but afterthe count went to 2-0 he wassent to firsttocomplete another intentional walk.

This back andforth was hardlyasurprise. Onebyproductofthe automatic runner on second base is that extra innings are one of the fewtimes managers can still stomach ordering up an intentional walk. It’s astrategythatwas beginning to fall outoffavor otherwise.

In 2019, only 753 intentional walks were issued in the major leagues. That was the fewest since 1961, when there werefewer teamsand fewergames.

And the numberhas only decreased since 2019. There were just 474 intentional walksin2023 and 556 last year.Just as some statistically mindedthinkers frown on the sacrifice bunt —don’t give away outs! —it’salso considered risky to give the other team an extra baserunner

But in extra innings, the calculus changes. The inning starts with first base open, and if it’sstill tied in the bottom half, there’s little downside to walking agood hitter intentionally and setting up apotential double play

From 1974 to 2019 —before theautomaticrunner —there wasanintentional walk every 140plate appearances. In extrainnings it was one every 26.7.

Since2020, there has been an intentional walk every 335 plate appearances overall. But in extra innings, it has been one every16.7. In extrainnings, intentional walks are ac-

tually more commonthan they used to be. Somefans may enjoy the extra strategy,while otherssurely find it frustrating to watch the bat taken out of aplayer likeSoto’s hands. Since 2020, here are themajor league leadersin extra-inning RBIs:

1. Eugénio Suarez, 22

2. Josh Naylor,21

3. Alec Bohm,20

4. Adolis García, 20 5. Daulton Varsho, 18 Here arethe leaders in extra-inningintentional walks:

1. José Ramírez, 25

2. Aaron Judge, 19

3. Juan Soto, 16

4. Shohei Ohtani, 15

5. Bryce Harper,15

Thetwo intentional walks to Soto didn’tstop theMetsonMonday.They scored 10 runs in the 12th inning and won16-7. Carson Benge had two hits and three RBIs in the inning. Benge now has an MLBbest sixextra-inning RBIs this season.

Performanceofthe week

Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels struck out 14 andallowedone hit in eight innings Sunday night against the TexasRangers. JakeBurgerhomered in the second. He was the only batter Detmers failed to retire.The Angels beat the Rangers 2-1. Comeback of theweek TheArizona Diamondbacks were downbytwo in the bottom of the ninth to SanFranciscoonTuesday night, with two outs and one on. Adrian Del Castillo hit an RBI single,and Ryan Waldschmidt reached on catcher’sinterference. ThenKetel Marte’s threerun homer gave Arizona a5-3 win. San Francisco’s win probabilitypeaked at 95.4%, according to Baseball Savant. The Diamondbacks have taken advantage of asoft patch on their schedule going 8-2 against the Giants andRockiesintheir past 10 games.

“When teams play Atlanta, it’sabig gamefor everyone now,”hesaid. “We’ll see everyone’sbest shot. Constantly playing against ateam’sbesteffort makesyou strongerover thecourseofthe season. They are seeing adifferent team than otherteams see. I’venoticed that so far this year Happy we met the moment afew times already.”

Powerpollrankings

Atlanta moved up to No. 1for the first timein the 10-year history of the rankings.The Dream was followed by LasVegas and Minnesota.Indiana,Dallas and New York werenext

Game of theweek

Atlanta at Minnesota, Wednesday.While alot was expected of the Dream this season, the Lynx were expected to struggle with star Napheesa Collier sidelined after having offseason surgery on herinjuredankles in March.

TheLynx have flourished with rookie guardOlivia Miles leading the way

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO By JAEC.HONG

Los Angeles Sparksguard KelseyPlum, right, pressures Indiana Fever guardCaitlin Clark during the first half of their game May13inLos Angeles. Plum is the Associated Press player of the week.

Tulane football signee dies in Florida

Offensivelineman,17, killed in caraccident

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Deontavis Cooper,a Tulane offensive lineman signee who was due to arrive this weekwith the rest of the freshman class for the beginning of the summer semester,diedSaturday night in acar accident. Cooper,17, had participatedina graduation ceremony earlierinthe

PELICANS

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his best job. When you get ajob as afirst-time coach, you’re kind of at the organization’swhim because they have to choose you. When yougointo your next job after having the successthat he had, you get an opportunity to choose. Youget an opportunity to ask questions that first-timehead coaches don’tget to ask. It’s important that you know the people that you’re working with. Obviously,Joe (Dumars) and Troy (Weaver) have atrack record. Jamahl was able to have conversations about whatit’sgoingto looklike andwhatit’sgoing to be. Youget adecision in thematter. Your first time is aone-way street basically because they have to chooseyou. So Jamahl’sexcited about this nextopportunity,and he is going to dive in head first.

SOUTHERN

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said then. “Coach Freddie, I’m running this weekend.”

Glover and head coach Teremine White furrowed their brows at the declaration. Instead of simply popping her toe back in place, Tashina sobbed that evening after X-rays revealed the severity of the injury,ending her junior year beforeittruly started. Shestayed in the hospital for three days after having surgery

She was on crutches fortwo weeks, in awalking bootfor seven-and-a-half weeks more, and in alower-elevationbootfor another several weeks. By the end of June, she ran for the first time in normal shoes to test her limits.

Tashina immediatelyregretted it. She couldn’twalk the next day.

“It hurt so bad, like it hurt in the weirdest areas,” she said. “I did not think atoe injury could do that. Idid not think Iwould ever be able to run and not think about it.”

While doubts crept in, they didn’tlinger.Tashina’smentality was hardened by the instruction of Glover,the Jaguars’ eighth-yearsprints and hurdles coach, who preachedthe importance of mindset when she had a disappointing sophomore season after transferring from Dillard.

She also leaned on lessons from herre-reading of “The Heart of aChampion” by BobRichards abookher childhood gymnastics coach oftenquoted. Yearslater, it helped herovercome adversity.

“I knew for sureIwas goingto come back stronger,” she said. “I didn’treally have doubt Iwas going to come back stronger,aslong as Ididn’tgive up in the process.”

Never losing sight of the process is how the 5-foot-5redshirt junior from Champlin, Minnesota, became one of the fastest 100hurdlers in the world.

At the Southwestern Athletic Conference outdoors championship,she posted theNCAA’stop time of 12.64 on May 12. The markbroke aSWACrecordthat had stood since 1985 and ranked second in the world in 2026 at the time.

Tashina is stilltied for the best wind-legal time in the NCAA and is tied for eighth in the world, trailing only Olympians, as of May 24

Her success is aproduct of diligent training after arrivingat Southern with raw ability from an NAIA program. But that talent needed refining.

“She had some potential, but her first year,she was not showing that at all,” Glover said. “In fact, she was struggling with hurdle drills, but Iknew she wastalented, so Iwas like, ‘Look, we’re not even gonna do drills. We’rejust gonna make you faster.’ ” She accepted coaching without hesitation and was eager tolearn, regardless of her earlier results at lower levels. That mindset is a

day at Thomas County CentralHigh School in Thomasville, Georgia. Accordingtomultiple reports, he was involvedina single-car crash just across the Georgia-Florida border and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tulane released astatement on Sunday addressing Cooper’sdeath.

heart touched many,and his absence leaves aprofound void in our hearts.

According to the FloridaHighwayPatrol, thevehicle drifted into the shoulder,hit aculvert,went airborne and struck autility pole beforerolling over,ejecting Cooper from the backseat.Two other occupantswerehospitalized in critical condition.

Were you surprised he gotback into coaching so soon?

He is obviouslyhighly qualified and deserving. He did agreat job in Orlando through really tough circumstance. Theynever really had the roster they expected to have because of injuries over the past fewyears. Yetthey continued to growand continuedto get better.Individually,they got better.Collectively, theygot better.And he’s just agood person. He deserves success,and he deserves the things that come his way because of theway he treats people andthe way he handles himself every single day

What makes Mosleyagood coach?

The way that he cares aboutthe people he works with. Hiswillingnesstosacrifice of himself for the greater good andfor the players he’s coaching andthe organization as awhole. Ithink that’swhere it starts.But then youlookathis teamsand his

Cooper played akey role in ThomasCountygoing 15-0 and winning the Class 5A state championship. Hehad scholarships offers from Cincinnati, Central Florida and EastCarolina among others before choosing Tulane.

teams arealways well coached Defensively,they are always really good,really sound. Offensively,they had aplan. Youhad to game-plan to beat histeams. His teams didn’tbeat themselves.

What typeofsituationdoyou thinkhe’s enteringwith thePelicans?

With me having built arelationship with Joe Dumars over the yearsand seeing Troy and having an opportunity to coach some of theplayersTroy drafted here in Detroit, the (Pelicans) organization is headed in the right direction. Youlook at the talentlevel on that team now It’s ateam that went through similar injuries (to Orlando) last year.Theyare talented. With Jamahl’sfittherewithhis personalityand abilitytocoach and organize and build an environment, Ifeel like thatorganizationhas achance to take astep this year.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON SouthernsprinterTashina Alase, left, battles UL sprinter Chaniqua Tonge in the 200 metersatthe LSUAlumni Gold meet on April 25 at the Bernie MooreTrackStadium.

dreamfor acoach.

“Whatever she has to do,she’s gonna follow theplanexactly how you tell her to do it,”White said. “When you have an athlete that trusts you and follows the plan you’re giving them,nine times out of 10 that kid is gonna be great.”

Her discipline stems from a decade of gymnastics,starting at age 5. She trained 30 hours a week,evenafter hertwinsister grew too tall for the sport. Tashina eventually left gymnasticsafter injuries piled up.

“Her body was kind of holding on by athread at that point with theintensity that it requires,” Tashasaid

Tashina found hernew passion in 2017 thankstoher sister

“I also startedtrackmy sixth-grade year,” saidTasha, who graduatedfrom Howard. “She eventually startedtrack, too. It’s funny,because she always says that shestarted track because of me,and nowshe’s doingit, and I’m not.”

Tashina’srecruitment stalled as ahigh school senior due to COVID-19. Sheenrolled as aregular student at theUniversity of Minnesota, seemingly readytolet go of thesport. Thatdidn’tlast.

Bola Alase told his daughter to ask about walk-on opportunities She did, but Minnesota denied the chance.

“It was just amazing how she’s alwaysbeen overlooked,” Bola said.“Iknow it hurt her, because I’manalumni of the University of Minnesota. Idid tell her just to try out …and they refused to do that.”

After ayear away from competition,one ofher high school coaches helped her findDillard.

After provingherselfasa freshman at the NAIA level, the door to Southern opened.

In three years in Baton Rouge, she has done more than break indoor and outdoor records. The 23-year-old is bringing aspotlight to herschool andall HBCUs. Her

“As an incoming member of the Green Wave,Deontavis exemplified dedication, resilience and a positive outlook. His love for the game andhis unwavering work ethic showed in everything he did, and he wasonthe path to making a significant impact both on the field and within the community

“Deontavis was admired not only forhis athletic ability but also for hiskindness and genuine spirit. His brightpersonality and warm

“In honoring Deontavis, letusrememberhim for his extraordinary spirit, his kindness, and the joy he brought to those around him. He remains forever avalued memberof the Tulane community.”

Cooper is the second Tulane athlete to dieinlessthan12months.

Starting forward Gregg Glenn III, whowas entering his thirdseason with the Green Wave basketball team, drowned in Florida last July

SpireMotorsports on rise,but bigger goalsare on horizon

Suarez’s winis team’s second victoryofseason

BY STEVEREED Associated Press

CONCORD, N.C. Daniel Suarez’s surprisingwin Sunday night at the Coca-Cola 600 gave Spire Motorsports itssecondvictory of the season,matching the total of racinggiant HendrickMotorsports.

Forateam withthree full-time Cup drivers andonly 175 employees, that’ssaying something. But that doesn’tmean the team is satisfied.

“Yes, we’re seeing results. Yes, we arebeing competitive,” Suarez said. “But we’re not even close to ourfull potential.”

standings, while Suarezmoved up to 10th after his third career win and first since joining Spire. The top16drivers in points qualify for the Chase “Still alongwaystogo,” Dickersonsaid. “I don’twanttofumbleit. But, man, it would be good to meet those goals.” Sparks was the unsung hero Sundaynight With rain on theradar,hetrusted his instincts and made the call to pit and go with twonew tires late in the race. It paid off big time Suarez was able to go from the middle of thepack to the topspot. Shortly after the race was redflagged for lightning, it looked like themovemight backfire on Sparks after cars were sent back on the track

success is proof that talent comes from unexpected places.

“She’saonce-in-a-lifetime kind of athlete,” Glover said. “I want to make sure people understand exactly what she’s doing at an HBCU. We’renot like Power Fives with allthe money and the bells andwhistles.Wehavetoreally do some special things to get the results that we want.”

Glover also creditedSouthern’s administration fordoing an “amazing job”helping the programgrow andbeina position to have an athlete like Tashina.

The reverence her coaches have for Tashina goes beyond her speed andthe attentionbrought to the university.They speak even moreglowingly of her character

Tashina mentors younger athletes, sharing the wisdom she’s gained. After her toe surgery,she attendedevery practice. She sat in herchair withanumbrella for shade,remaining asupportive voice.

“She’s alightfor theteam,” Whitesaid.

When she’snot performing intricate handshakeswith her hurdles coach after races, she’s volunteering to help him with the art classes he teaches at Southern Lab. Her dad is theleast surprised by howshe carries herself Kindness was acore tenet in the Alase household.

“I alwaystaught them that a person’scharacter andintegrity count way more than any money in this world,” Bola said.

The trackworld will learn more about Tashina. Everyone in hercorner saw this rise coming. Thestopwatch times in practice neverlied, andher heart never faltered during theyearlong setback Tashina also knows her story is unfolding the way it’smeant.

“I tell myself everyday,Iknow I’mthe fastest one,” shesaid. “I’mnot really surprised. It’s kind of like Iknew it was coming …it’s part of the plan, Iwould say.”

Suarez, the first Mexican-born drivertowin theCoca-Cola 600, saidwhenhearrivedatSpire last October thatitdidn’ttakelongto recognize just howhardeveryone worked,which he said is acredit to team owner Jeff Dickersonand crew chiefRyanSparks.

Theorganization’sstructure,he said, is wellorganized.

“When you have agood foundation, the house is going to be strong,” Suarez said. “Spire Motorsports hasanamazing foundation.”

Spire haslongbeen considered asmall Cup Series team,and any wins it has hadwerelargely considered upsets or one-offs.

That notionmay be changing underDickerson, who admits he can be difficult to deal withonrace day but refuses to apologize for setting the barhigh.

“I just don’tthink we’ve hit our ceiling,” Dickerson said. “I don’t think we’re hitting on allcylinders. Ithink we’ve still got along waystogoto.”

Carson Hocevar won earlierthis season at Talladega,giving Spire its first win and the entire organization ashotinthe arm. There was asudden realization it could compete withbigger race teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, 23XIRacing and Hendrick.

Suarez’swin at acrown jewel event like the Coca-Cola 600 was another huge step in the right direction

Dickerson said thegoal this season is simple: Puttwo carsinthe playoffs andwin threeraces Things are looking good right now. With 24 races left, Hocevar is ninthinthe Cup Series points

But Suarezheldoff JGR’s Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin who haddominatedmostofthe race,along with pole sitter Tylor Reddick—ontwo restarts to stay outfront

On the final restart, Suarez exploded off the line with alittle push from behind from Hendrick’sKyle Larson. From there he blocked Bell andHamlin as the JGR teammates frantically tried to pass. Just when it appeared they might catch Suarez, the sky opened up and rain poured down on the mile-and-a-half track With the scheduled 400-lap race alreadymorethanfour hours old andthe clockapproachingmidnight, NASCAR quickly calledthe race with 27 laps, declaring Suarez the winner.

He laterhonored his mentor,the late Kyle Busch, by imitating the NASCAR great’spostrace bow in victory lane Suarez led only 17 laps, several of those coming with the race undercaution.

“Something in the back of my mind told me to just go ahead and put two (tires) on,” Sparks said. “I kind of looked and saw what everybodyhad fortires on in front of me,and Ifigured there wasgoing to be agood opportunity forus to be first or second. Just wanted to getthatclean airand give ourselvesanopportunity.”

With two-thirds of the season remaining, Spire hasplenty of time to build on its early success and have arecord-setting season And continuetoshockthe big race teams

“I’m just extremely happy to be part of Spire Motorsports because Ibelieve that we haven’teven seen the full potential of this organization,” Suarez added. “And Ican’t wait to continue this journey.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByMATTKELLEy

Daniel Suarez celebrates in victory lane after winning aNASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

UCLA,Georgia Tech head NCAA draw

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb UCLA was rewarded Monday for its dominant wire-to-wire run through the regular season with the No. 1seed for the NCAA Tournament. The tournament opens Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Winners advance to eight best-ofthree super regionals. Those winners moveon to the College World Series in Omaha beginning June 12.

“The committee believed this year’schampionship field was deep and verybalanced from top to bottom,” saidNCAA selection committee chairman Michael Alford, the athletic director at Florida State. “Throughout the process, we remained focused on applyingthe selection principles pretty consistently across all conferences and regions and I hope that is noticed. Every decision was basedonafull body of work, not just single metrics.”

UCLA(51-6),which swept the Big TenConference regular-season and tournament titles, was No. 1by Baseball America in each of its weekly rankings since the preseason and has the most wins entering regionals since Tennessee came in with 53 in 2022.

The Bruins’ace, Logan

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KyUSUNGGONG

UCLA shortstopRochCholowsky bats during agameagainst TCUonFeb.20, 2025, in Los Angeles. UCLA is the overall No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Reddeman, and closer, Ethan Hawk, are among the best in the nation and lead astaff that has a3.31 ERA

Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is widely projected to be the No. 1pick in the Major League Baseballdraft,and

he, Will Gasparino and Big TenTournament MVP MulivaiLevuhavecombined for 57 homers. GeorgiaTech(48-9), which swept the Atlantic Coast Conference championships, features thenation’smost

prodigious offense. The Yellow JacketsleadDivisionIinscoring (10.8runs pergame), batting average (.358) andslugging(.636) JarrenAdvincula is batting .431 to rank second nationally and Vahn Lackey is

sixth at .410.

The national seeds following UCLA and Georgia Tech are Georgia (46-12), Auburn (38-19), North Carolina(45-11-1),Texas (4013), Alabama (37-19) and Florida (39-19). Top-eight national seeds, if they win their regional, are assured of hosting asuper regional.

Seeds Nos. 9through 16: Southern Mississippi (4415), Florida State (38-17), Oregon (40-16), Texas A&M (39-14), Nebraska (42-15), Mississippi State (40-17), Kansas (42-16) and West Virginia (39-14).

The Southeastern Conference hadthe most teams selected with 12. The ACC has nine teams in the field, followed by the Big 12 with six, Sun Belt withfive and Big Tenwith four

The last four teams to get at-largebidswereLiberty (41-19), Kentucky (31-21), Texas State (36-24) and Troy (32-29).

The first four teams left outwere Mercer (44-15), Michigan(34-24),Pittsburgh (33-24) and TCU (33-21).

LSU (30-28), the 2025 national champion, became the seventhprogramtowin the title and not makearegional the following year since the tournament expanded to 64 teamsin1999.

Been there, donethat Texas is in the tournament

fora record 65th time and Miamifor a51st.Florida State is aregional host fora record 38th time. Florida has the longest active streak with 18 straight appearances. Other notable consecutive streaksinclude Oklahoma State (13), Southern Mississippi (10) andArkansas (9). Vanderbilt (33-25) is missing regionals after making 19 straight appearances. First-timer

Western AthleticConference championTarleton State is the only first-time participant. The Texans began their transition to DivisionIin2021 and weren’t eligible forthe tournament when they won the WAC in 2024. Their most recent postseasonappearancewas in the2018DivisionIItournament.

Losing,but winning South Dakota State takes a24-31 recordintoits secondregional, andfirst since 2013, after winning the fourteam Summit League Tournament as the No. 4seed. Holy Crossis25-28 after winning the Patriot League Tournament and has its first back-to-backregional appearances since 1962-63 Horizon League champion Milwaukee is 25-31 entering itsfirst regional in 16 years.

ter advantage and what helps the conference as a whole,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said recently

Of major concern is how a24-team playoffmight affect the entire season, from when the schedule begins —does Week 0become Week 1, for example —towhether conference championship games continue to exist. The SEC championship game is reportedly worth about $100 million annually to the league. Asked about the SEC’s commitment to its football title game, Sankey curtly responded: “Wehave contracts, so we’re pretty committed.” The major impasse be-

Texas Friday’s games Game 1—Texas A&M (39-14) vs Lamar University (34-25), 3p.m. Game 2— TexasSt. (36-24) vs Southern California (43-15), 8p.m. Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 Eugene Regional Eugene, Ore. Friday’s games Game 1—Washington St. (30-26) vs Oregon St. (43-12), 2p.m. Game 2— Oregon (40-16) vs.Yale (30-13-1), 7p.m Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 Gainesville Regional Gainesville, Fla. Friday’s games Game 1—Florida (39-19) vs.Rider (33-18), noon Game 2—Troy (32-29) vs.Miami (FL) (38-18), 5p.m Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner

tweenthe SECand other conferences really comes down to the SEC and the Big Ten, asthe other leagues ceded control of theCFP to those two entitieslast year. If the SECand BigTen can’t agree on aCFP expansion number,the playoff stays at 12.

“We’ve looked at allkinds of models,” Sankey said. “We’ll really look at the process of how we come to aconclusion, whether to remain at 12 or go to some other number

“People have opinions. What Iencourage them to do is fulfill their leadership responsibilities, notget focused on anumber.”

If anything could take thefocus off the issue of CFPexpansion, it’sthe LSU contingent here this week. Since last year’s spring meeting, LSU has gotten anew president in Wade Rousse, anew foot-

Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 HattiesburgRegional Hattiesburg, Miss. Friday’s games Game 1—SouthernMiss.(44-15) vs Little Rock (36-26), 1p.m. Game 2—Jacksonville St. (46-13) vs Virginia (36-21), 6p.m. Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 Lawrence Regional Lawrence, Kan. Friday’s games Game 1—Kansas (42-16) vs.Northeastern (38-20), noon Game 2—MissouriSt. (34-19) vs Arkansas (39-20), 5p.m. Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 LincolnRegional Lincoln, Neb. Friday’s games Game 1—Nebraska (42-15)vs. South Dakota St. (24-31), 3p.m. Game 2—Arizona St. (37-19)vs. Ole Miss (36-21), 8p.m. Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 LosAngeles Regional LosAngeles Friday’s games Game 1—UCLA (51-6)vs. Saint Mary’s (CA) (34-25),2p.m. Game 2—Cal Poly (36-22)vs. Virginia Tech (30-24), 7p.m. Saturday’s games Game 3—Game 1winner vs.Game 2winner Game 4—Game 1loser vs.Game 2loser Sunday’s games Game 5—Game 4winner vs.Game 3loser Game 6—Game 3winner vs.Game 5winner Monday’s games x-Game 7—Rematch Game 6 Morgantown Regional Morgantown, W.Va

ball coach in Lane Kiffin, a returned men’sbasketball coachinWillWadeand a newathletic director in Ausberry,though he has been in LSU athletic administration for morethan two decades.Only women’sbasketball coach Kim Mulkey is back here in the same role as shefilled at last year’sgathering.

Ausberry also expects talk on how the SEC will or may notcontinue to exist under current NCAAgovernance,football scheduling now thatthe league has gone to nine SEC games, and how NIL and revenue sharing are controlled.

“These are themeetings that will change thedirectionofhow everything will look in college sports,” Ausberry said. “I think we will discuss issuesthathave neverbeendiscussed before. Real change may be coming.

Thai Constellation monstera

Star indoor plantworks in warm Louisiana gardens, too

GARDEN NEWS

Thai Constellation monstera was ahot commodity when it first hit the market, with the hype really taking off around 2020 thanks to social media. Entranced by the plant’s beautiful green foliage with white variegations that resemble stars twinkling in the night sky,indoor gardening enthusiasts couldn’t get enough of this cultivar developed in Thailand.

Thai Constellation wasn’t just cool, though. It was somewhat rare —so if you wanted one of these trendy specimensfor your own houseplant collection,itwouldcost you apretty penny These days, Thai Constellation is easier to come by.It’s now in mass production, allowing retailers to sell it at more affordable prices. There’sgood reason for its popularity —and that of monstera plants in general Members of the Monstera genus, which are native to thetropical forests of Central America, are some of the most recognizable indoor plants. They’re relatively easy to care for and have striking aesthetics.

Monsteras have glossy green leaves that look like bighearts. They unfurl one by one and, as they grow,form deep lobes along their edges. Over time, the interior of each leaf becomesdotted with oval-shaped openings called fenestrations, which is why this plant is sometimes called Swiss cheeseplant.

LSU AGCENTERPHOTO

By OLIVIA McCLURE

Thai Constellation features the trademark monstera fenestrations on its variegated foliage.

While afew monstera species are marketed as houseplants, Monstera deliciosa is the one most people are familiarwith. Within this species,you can find classic solid green plants as well as cultivars like Thai Constellation that feature variegated foliage

With creamy white marbling, Thai Constellation is undeniably attractive. But its unique variegations offer another advantage.

Monsteras are notorious for becoming, well, monstrous Standard green monsteras grown indoors can sometimes reach 6feet to 9feet tall —and that’s more space than some folks care to dedicate to a single plant!

Because Thai Constellation leaves are covered with white swaths and speckles, they produceless chlorophyll —the greensubstance plants rely on for photosynthesis and energy That helps keep Thai Constellation’sgrowth rate in check.

Thai Constellation alsohas shorter internodes,meaning its leaves are closer together along stems. It’sshorter and bushier than typical

LIVING

TOTALLY ‘AWESOME’

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

It’s official —10-year-old Jacob of Breaux Bridgeisawesome.

The child, whose last name PBS isn’treleasing, will be featured in PBS Kids’ new interstitial series “America’sAwesome Kids.” He wasselected in anationwide search.

In recognition of America’sapproaching 250th anniversary,the live-action short-form series debuted Friday,and airs within PBS Kids’ regular programming as well as children’sprogramming on PBS. The Louisiana segment is scheduled to premiere during “Alma’s Way” at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 4, andJune 24 on YouTube. The entire 25-installment series will be streamable on the PBSKidsvideo app, pbskids. organd the “America’sAwesome Kids” YouTube channel.

“Jacobimpressed producers with his diverse interests, including trail riding and football, as well as his leadership skills, whichincluded developing an anti-bullying campaign forhis school,” aPBS newsrelease states. “From taking care of llamas in Iowa to Bollywood dancing in Georgia to exploring Cajun culture in Louisiana, the series celebrates theunique spirit

Agolden praline crunchcrepe is servedupfrom Crêpe Haven, 7474 Corporate Blvd., which softopened May6in Baton Rouge.

of thenextgeneration.Episodes highlight what makes local communities special and how kids are makingapositiveimpact on the world around them.”

“AwesomeKids” is producedby GBH Kids station in Boston in coordination with 23 partnering PBS stations across thecountry,includingLouisiana Public Broadcasting Nowcasting

Just when you thought allreality TV ideashadbeen exhausted, here’s another one. Theworking title is “AgeofAttraction,” and thecasting company is looking for prospectsintheir 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. “If you don’tlook, feel or act your age— andprefer to date people whoare older or younger than you, we want to meet you!,” the call-out explains. Cast hopefuls must be available for the entire period from Oct. 3 to Nov.6;however,those dates are subject to change. Here aresome of the otherrequirements: n Youare or will be at least18 years old at the timeofapplication. n Youhave or will have the right to legally reside in the United

BYMADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Adessert shop specializing in crepes just soft-opened earlier this month in Baton Rouge. In between Yogurtland and Hikari Ramen is anew

PROVIDED PHOTOS FROM PBS

Trail riding is just one of the hobbies 10-year-oldJacob,ofBreaux Bridge, shares during his segment of ‘America’s Awesome Kids’set to aironPBS Kids nationwide

Jacob and his family’svisit with Papa Noel will be featured in the nationwidesegment of ‘America’sAwesomeKids.

Womancan help boyfriend understand culture

Dear Harriette: IamanAmericanborn Caribbean woman currently dating an African Americanman. As we begin to get more serious,Iwant to introduce him to my family soon.I was raised in an open family that was not xenophobic or exclusionary,soI’m not as worried about him being accepted as Iamwith him understanding our culture. There are alot of unique elements in our customs that may not be so familiar to him, and Iwant to makesure he’sprepared. Things like finishing your plate and not turning down food may seem small to him,

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

but it’simportant to us. Ican give him arundownbefore we go, but Idonot wanttoask anyone Ilove to change for anyone else. I just want to make sure he’s comfortablearound everyoneand doesn’tfeel out of place. HowdoI make sure that he feels accepted by my community? —Blending Cultures Dear Blending Cultures: Don’t think of this as achallenge. It is normalfor families to have their ways of being and for some of them to be differentfrom apartner who is coming into the fold. Just be honest with your boyfriend: Tell him thatyou

want him to be aware of their idiosyncrasies so that he and they can be comfortable. Youcan also remind your family thathemay not know everything thatisimportant to them, but he will learn over time. Likewise, askthem to get to know him and what he cares about.Mostofall, be patient and always have each other’s backs. Dear Harriette: Istarted livingwith my boyfriend, and it has been an adjustment. He grew up in a house full of boys —and it shows! Simple stuff like puttingyour clothes in the hamper is not regular to him;instead, he prefers to drop his clothes on the floor.Iappreciatehis willingness to live to-

With lowerchlorophyll production

MONSTERA

Continued from page1D

monsteras, which often have to be staked for support as they rapidlyspread upward and outward.

Like many plants with light-colored variegations, Thai Constellation is abit more sensitive to direct sunlight, which can scorch the white parts of its leaves. Place yours in bright, indirect light awayfrom drafts and vents.

TV NOTES

Continued from page1D

States during production,if selected.

n Submission of an application form and compliance herein does not in any way constitute an offer to appear on the series. The producer VelvetHM, LLC may or may not invite you to attend an interview at their discretion.

n Youwill need to be available during the production dates (which dates shall be determined by the producer in itssolediscretion)and be willing to travel to variouslocations as part of production

n If youare selected as a potential participant, you must execute waivers and release agreementsrequired by the producer or anyoftheir licensees, successors or assigns.

n Anyoffer to become a participant may be conditioned upon your submission to abackgroundcheck, in accordance with applicable laws. To apply,gotohttps://

CREPES

Continued from page1D

it and then took aleap of faith.” Menu rundown

There are specialty items like the golden praline crunch, whichcomes as a crepe or waffle with pecan praline bits, caramel, bananas and powdered sugar There’salso the Dubai chocolate, acrepe or waffle with crushed pistachio, drizzled with pistachio butter and white chocolate.

An east-facing window is usuallybest,asiskeeping the humidity higherin the immediate area around theplant. This is especially important in winter when heating systems tend todry theair outmore. Don’toverwater this plant. Just because it is atropical species does not mean it wants alot of water,especially when grown in an indoor container.Use awell-draining potting mix andavoid oversaturating it, which can cause root rot —acommon demise for monsteras.

us.castitreach.com/ag/realcasting/ageofattraction/welcome.html.

Andifyou’re Hollywood bound anytime soon,the long-running syndicated game show “Let’s Make a Deal” seems to alwaysbeon thehuntfor folkswho want to win cash,prizes and trips. “Wewant couples too!,” a recent news release states. To give it ashot, visit lmadcasting.com

Plansfor ‘A CapitolFourth’ Louisianawill have at leastone representative on stage when PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration” airs at 7p.m. Friday, July 3

Country music icon and Sarepta native Trace Adkins will debut his newsong, “American Made,” during the 90-minute live broadcast and streaming eventfrom the Capitol’swest lawn.

“I have been fortunate enough to have played a small part in several of the ‘A Capitol Fourth’ celebrations over my career,” Adkins says in anews release. “But to be invitedtojoin the 250th birth-

“The majority favorite is the strawberry banana Nutella,” Nofal said. “That’s what we sell the most, and I feel like it’sa good introduction for most people to go with.” There are coffee beverages likeSpanish lattes, that has milk, sweet condensed milk and an espresso shot. Othercaffeinated drinks include energizers in the flavors of triple berryrush, green dream, purple rain, tropicalchargeand sunrise glow. Milkshakescomein

In Louisiana, you can moveThai Constellation outdoors for the summer Sit it in afull-shade location,where its white variegations will pop. Be sure to bring it inside as temperatures cool in the fall. Finally,ifyou have curious children or petsat home, you’ll want toknow that Thai Constellation and other monsteras are toxic if ingested. These plants contain calciumoxalate crystals that can cause painful irritation of the mouth, throat and stomach.

STAFF FILEPHOTO

Louisiana nativeTrace Adkins will debuthis newsong, ‘AmericanMade,’during the ‘A Capitol Fourth’ special on PBS

day of our great country is an honor beyond all others.”

Adkins marks 30 yearsin themusic industrythisyear

The special will alsofeature afireworks show from George Washington’sMount Vernon. The fireworks will be the largest displayever at the iconic home of America’sfirst president

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

theclassic flavors as well as lotus, kinder, fruitypebbles and more.

Construction tookabout six months, but planning tooka yeartotal, he said The 1,100-square-foot space seatsabout 30 diners.

The interior was designed by Nofal’swife, featuring sagegreen walls and brown and beige leather seating under warm lighting. He said the shop is aspacefor everybody

“I wanted it to be elegant and comfortable,” he said. “A space where people could come with their families, withtheir dates or if they want to study.”

Crêpe Haven, 7474 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

gether andhis initiative in growing our relationship, so Itry not to come off as being anag. However, Ilike my environment to look a certain way so that Ican operate acertain way. It is difficult forme to maximize my productivity in a messy space. Idon’twant to come in and start setting up rules for his house, but Idofeel like since I’m here, we might need to have somemeaningful discussions to makeitwork. How should Iopen this conversation without coming off as judgmental? —Boy’s House Dear Boy’sHouse: Though you may be living in your boyfriend’s house, it now needs to be your collective home. Start by talking

to your boyfriend about how you like to keep your house. Point out that you think it’simportant forhim to think about living with apartner now,rather than with “the boys.” Point out that that meansputting clothes away, cleaning up after himself and basically being mindful that you live there, too. Ask him to workwith you to transform your homeinto a place that makes both of you feel comfortable.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City MO 64106.

Handling plasticproduce labels

Dear Heloise: How can I deal withplastic produce labels that won’tbreakdown in compost? —Gordon C., in Corona, California Gordon, these stickers cause alot of trouble for anyone who composts.Plastic fruit labels refuse to decompose, so you’ll find them scattered in your finished compost, even if one slips by Your best bet is to handle them right at the kitchen counter.Peel the labels off as soon as you put away the groceries and tossthem straight intothe garbage. Set adish or cup nearby so that you have somewheretodrop them; otherwise, they get buried under peels and scraps. It only takes acouple of seconds, but it saves you areal hassle later when working through your compost pile. Ialso wish labels were biodegradable, and I’m sure that plenty of folks

By The Associated Press

feel the sameway.Until somebody makes the switch, adding in this quick habit while prepping food keeps your compost clean and ready to use. —Heloise Spot-freedishes

luck! —Heloise Giving dogs pills

Dear Heloise: My dishes keep coming out with these weird gray and black streaks, even after awash. Could vinegar fix it? —M.B in TheVillages, Florida M.B., dish streaks usually stem from machine buildup, like hard water minerals or food debris. To fix this, rinse the filter and clear the spray arms. Next, run an empty cycle with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack to dissolve mineral crust and haze. Ensure that you use the correct amount of detergent foryour water type and avoid overcrowding racks to allow the proper water flow.These simple steps should restore the shine to your dishes. Good

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Tuesday, May 26, the146th day of 2026. There are 219 days left in the year.This is Memorial Day

Todayinhistory: On May 26, 1940, Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World WarII.

Also on this date:

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed ameasure creating the Montana Territory In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Immigration Act of 1924, which barred immigration from Asia and restricted thetotal number of immigrants from other partsofthe world to 165,000 annually

In 1927, theFord Model Tofficially ended production as Henry Fordand his son Edsel drove the15millionth Model Toff theFord assembly line in Highland Park, Michigan.

In 1938, the House UnAmerican Activities Committee was established by Congress.

In 1954, an explosion occurred aboard the aircraft carrier USSBennington off Rhode Island, killing 103 sailors.

In 1967, the Beatles album “Sgt. Pepper’sLonely Hearts Club Band” was released.

In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty in Moscow.(The U.S. withdrew from the treaty under President George W. Bush in 2002.)

In 2009, California’s SupremeCourt upheld the state’sProposition 8 same-sex marriage ban but said the 18,000 same-sex weddings that had taken place before the prohibition passed werestill valid. (Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in June 2015.)

In 2009, President Barack Obamanominated

Dear Heloise: If you ever need to give your dog a pill, buy somepill pockets. These are little canisters that are filled with irresistible-smelling dog food. (Irresistible fordogs, anyway.) Put the pill into one pocket, then pull asecond pocket into pieces. Call your dog and offer him

federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. SupremeCourt.

In 2011, Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general suspected of leading the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, wasarrested after a16year manhunt. (Extradited to face trial in The Hague, Netherlands, Mladic wasconvicted in 2017 on genocide and warcrimes charges and is serving a lifesentence.)

Today’sbirthdays: Singersongwriter Stevie Nicks is 78. Actor Pam Grier is 77. Country singer Hank WilliamsJr. is 77. Celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto is 71. Actor Genie Francis is 64. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait is 64. Musician Lenny Kravitz is 62. Actor Helena Bonham Carter is 60. Actor Joseph Fiennes is 56. Actor-producer-writer Matt Stone is 55. Singersongwriter Lauryn Hill is 51. Singer Jaheim is 48. NHLplayer Mathew Barzal is 29. Actor Lola Flanery is 21.

STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT ASpanish latte fromCrêpe Haven

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE

and shorter internodes,Thai Constellation monstera stays shorter and bushier than other kinds of monstera

Hints from Heloise

GEMINI (May21-June 20) Kick-start your plans;you'll grab attention and make interesting connections. Put your talents and experience to good use. Yourenthusiasmwill bring about the manpower you need to step up and make things happen.

CANCER (June 21-July22) Refusetoletyour emotions lead youastray; be watchful andthoughtful.Keepyourintentionsand personal information to yourself.Work or domestic problemswill surface.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Howyou make a difference will offer hope for abrighter future. Reach out, make suggestions or payitforward to someone in need. Apositiveattitude comesfrombeing happy with the decisions you make.

VIRGO(Aug. 23-Sept.22) Channel your energy wisely. Less talk and moreaction will helpyou gainmomentum and avoid interference. Personal changes that encourage smart living, healthy eating habitsand afitness routine will motivate you.

LIBRA(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Set goals, put a plan in place andmakechanges to your schedule thatencourageyou to follow through with your plans. Having atarget in mind will give you purpose.

SCORPIO(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Choose to use your strength, agility andconnectionsto forgeahead with confidence and to help gain respectand credibility. Orchestrate what you want to play out, and you'll soon see who's on your team and who isn't

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Home improvements,lifestyle changes and

partnerships will allbenefit fromyour words andyourability to bring about change. Apassionate pleawill get apositive response.

CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan. 19) Tune in to what othersneedand want from you. Showing respect will help yougain insight into what's possible.Don't limit whatyou can do because someone says no or getsinyour way.

AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Stay positive. Anegative attitude will lead to discord and regret. Getting along will help you putanendtouncertaintyandmissingout on something special. Explore how you can use your intelligence.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Put your energy where it has thegreatestimpact. It's whatyou do that will make others take an interest andlendahelping hand. Emotional issues will require unfiltered truth.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Ataste of something you like doesn't mean you should indulge.Gaugeyourtime,costandstress beforeyou sign up for something that can causeregret. Use your intelligence.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Keep busy in order to avoid theconsequences of idle time, leading to letting others take advantage of you. Pick apath that helps fulfill your dreams, notone that advances someone else's.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe 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

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Matthew Lillard, an actor,director and producer,said,“Now,morethanever,we have theabilitytomakefilms foralmost nothing andthat’s broken down allbarriers of entry. Ithink it’sanew goldenage of filmmaking.” Make films for almost nothing? Interesting. In this deal, though, declarer needs to break down the barriers to get to the dummy. How can he do it?

South is in six spades, and West leads the heartqueen to South’sace.

South opens two clubs, strong, artificial and forcing, then rebids two spades. North responds with two diamonds,typically0-7points,thenrebidswithadouble negative, two no-trump or threeclubs, according to partnership preference, to show0-4 points. South, out of ideas, takes ashot at sixspades. If South immediately casheshis spade ace, he can no longer make the contract. Yes, the4-0 break is unlucky, but declarer should be looking at 12 tricks via five spades, two hearts, three diamonds and two clubs. But toget three diamond tricks,heneedsadummyentry.Hemust usedummy’s spade eight.

At trick two, South should lead his spade jack. East ought to playlow. But then declarer unblocks(cashes) his two diamond winnersbefore leading the spade 10.

If East ducks again, South hasnospade loserand is home. Or if East takes thetrick and, say, returnsa heart, declarer wins in his hand, leads his low spade to dummy’s eight, discards his last heart on the diamond queen,ruffs aheart, draws East’s final trumpand claims ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Wordsthat acquire four letters by theaddition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words arenot allowed.

toDAY’s WoRD sMuGGLInG: SMUG-uh-ling: Importing or exporting secretly.

Average mark15words

Time limit 30 minutes

Can you find 24 or more words in SMUGGLING?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —HERBAL

today’s thought

he that takes nothis cross, and follows after me, is not worthyofme. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Howdoes Jesus’ statement comparetothe wayofmodern Christianity? Think it over G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2025 PROPOSED ORDINANCE

The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, held aPublic Hearing in the Council Meeting Room, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 21st day of April, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. pursuant to aNotice of Public Hearing published on the 23rdday of March, 2026 in The Advocate and posted on the Iberville Parish website.

The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called the meeting to order at 6:01p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1; Chasity B. Easley; District 2; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr District 3; Freddie Frazier,Sr.,District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Terry J. Bradford, District9;Trent Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13.

Absent: None.

Chief Administrative Officer-Dwayne Boudreaux, Finance Director Randall Dunn, and Legal Counsel- Nedi Morgan werealso in attendance.

Mr.Dunn read the following ordinance in entirety

ORDINANCE 1 ORDINANCETODECLAREPROPERTY TO BE SURPLUS AND TO SELL TO NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF ORDINANCE # 002-13 (GERVOIS &ROZELLA V. BERTHELOT; PARCEL #0800934800)

The floor was opened to comments and questions. Therewas no opposition to this ordinance from the public.

Therebeing no further business to be conducted, the hearing was adjourned at 6:03 p.m.

/s/ MACY W. OURSO /s/STEVE C. SMITH COUNCIL CLERK COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026

The Parish Council of Iberville Parish, State of Louisiana, met in Regular Session, in the Council Meeting Room, 2nd Floor,Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, on the 21st day of April, 2026

The Council Chairman, Steve C. Smith, called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. followed by the roll call with the following Council Members in attendance: Shalanda L. Allen, District 1; Chasity B. Easley; District 2; Thomas E. Dominique, Sr., District 3; Freddie Frazier,Sr.,District 4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce, District 6; Nadia Jenkins, District 7; Hunter S. Markins, District 8; Terry J. Bradford, District9;Trent Martinez, District 10; Charles Dardenne, District 11; Matthew H. Jewell, District 12; Bart B. Morgan, District 13.

Absent: None.

Parish President- Chris Daigle, Chief Administrative Officer-Dwayne Boudreaux, Chief Operations Officer-Randall Dunn werealso in attendance.

Aquorum was present and due notice had been posted and published in TheAdvocate newspaper on the 16th day of April, 2026. The Pledge of Allegiance followed.

Council Chairman Smith called for anyone wanting to make public comments to register with the Clerk.

ADDENDUM

None.

PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES

A) Resolution of Recognition for East Iberville High School for making it to the 2026 LHSAA BoysBasketballPlayoff

•Councilman Raheem Pierce read the Resolution of Recognition aloud and presented it to the team and coaches.

B) Proclamation for Child Abuse Prevention Month

•Councilman Piercereadthe proclamation aloud and presented it to Kendall Hebert representing CASA.

C) Terri Witt –Merry Way

•Ms. Terri Witt was unable to make it to the meeting, this item was passed on.

D) Announcing Candidacy for District Judge –Victor Woods

•Hecame beforethe Council to introduce himself. He has been attorney for 34 years and stated that his years of service have prepared him to serve as ajudge and he believes that with his experience he has something to offer the people of the 18th JDC.

E) Phil Canova –Sleepy Town Awakens

•Hecame beforethe Counciltoannounce his new book about the Civil Rights Movement in the City of Plaquemine in 1963.

F) Presentation by Entergy for Cypress Harvest Project

•Kristin Zatta and David Wilcox, with Entergy came beforethe Council to give abriefpresentation on aproposed solar farm project in the Plaquemine area. She stated that therewill be a community meeting on April 28 at the Civic Center

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Therewerenominutes to approve.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Daigle reported on the following:

•Hestated that he wanted to recognize Velma Dwyer for 10 years of service at the Visitors Center in Grosse Tete and introduced Josh Johnson as the new Director for the Council on Aging.

•Hestated that project that the 911/EOCproject is about 6 weeks away from completion and then phase 2will starts. The IPRD bathrooms at the White Castle and Bayou Goula parks have been awarded. The Grosse Tete bayou cleanout project hasbegun and the project will go into September maybe October

•Hestated that the 2nd Annual ‘Iberville Day’ at the Capitol on April 15, 2025 was big success and he’slookingforwardto next year and it’sa great way to showcase what is going on in Iberville Parish. Also, the Keep Iberville beautiful clean up day was also agreat success with alot of help from community partners.

•Thereare upcoming events that he wanted to let the Council know about, April 23, is wear blue day for Autism Awareness.

FINANCIAL REPORT

Finance Director,Randall Dunn stated that the Council received their budget to actual financial statements. He stated that they arecurrently working on the audit and therewas abig jump in sales taxes due to equipment coming into the Parish for alarge job.

OLD BUSINESS

ORDINANCE IPC #002-26

ORDINANCE TO DECLARE PROPERTY TO BE SURPLUS AND TO

LOT 8-BSEC 25 & 36,T11SR11E. SURV ANDERSON 3.25M/L LOTS 10 &24 SEC.25,T11SR11E 2.82AC ///CB 214 E120 TOTAL ACS. 5 Adjoining landowner intending to acquireownership: Michael Altazan Suggested price: $16,275.64

BE IT ORDAINED that the property described above is notneeded forpublic purposes and is declared to be surplus and should be returned to commerce.

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the property described above shall be sold to the adjoining landowner listed in accordance with the termsofOrdinance #002-13 and the IbervilleParish Adjudicated Property Program as administered by the Parish Administrator

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the adjoining landowner of the adjudicated property may purchase the adjoining property for the price suggested above unless another price is designated by the IbervilleParish Council

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that allordinances or resolutions or parts thereof in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.

BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED should any part of this ordinance be declared null, void, invalid, illegal or unconstitutional, the remainder of the said ordinance shall remaininfull force and effect.

The foregoing ordinance which was previously introduced at the meeting of the Iberville Parish Council on March17, 2026 and acopy thereof having been published in the official journal on March23, 2026 the public hearing on this ordinance heldonthe 21st day of April, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.,inthe Council Meeting Room, 58050 MeriamStreet, Plaquemine, Louisiana, was brought up for final passage with amotion by Councilman Bradford, and seconded by Councilman Markins,having been duly submitted to avote, the ordinance was dulyadopted by the following yea and nay vote on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell,Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: Dominique.

ABSENT: None.

NEWBUSINESS

A) IntroductionofOrdinances

1. Ordinance to declareproperty to be surplus and to sell to neighboring property owner pursuant to the termsof Ordinance #002-13 (Willie MaeW.& Joseph Landry; Parcel # 0210239850).

Upona motionbyCouncilwoman Allen, seconded by Councilman Bradford, it was moved that apublic hearing be held on Tuesday,May 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinances.

The motion having been duly submitted to avote, was dulyadopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Markins Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman.

2. Ordinance to add Article 7, Division F, to the Unified Development Code to include Battery Energy Storage Systems. An Ordinance to Enact Article 7, Division F, to the Unified Development Code of the Parish of IbervilletoBattery Energy Storage Systems within the Unincorporated areas of IbervilleParish.

UponamotionbyCouncilman Bradford, seconded by Councilman Martinez, it was moved that apublic hearing be held on Tuesday,May 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinances.

The motion having been duly submitted to avote, was duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call:

YEAS: Easley,Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: Allen, Dominique, Markins

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT: None.

The motion was declared adopted by the Chairman.

RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Resolution Committee met on Tuesday,April 21, 2026 at 6:04 p.m., followed by the roll call with the following Resolution Committee Members only in attendance: Jewell,Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Martinez, Frazier,Morgan, Dominique.

Absent:None.

The following resolution was read aloud by Mr.Dunn:

A) Resolutionauthorizing the IbervilleParish Council to prepareand submit aDrinking Water Revolving Loan Fund Loan Application Form 100a and accompanying documents to the Louisiana Department of Health

B) Resolution authorizing the IbervilleParish Council to prepareand submit apre-applicationtothe statewide flood controlprogram for assistance in the implementation of aproject for the purpose of reducing existing flood damages; providing for the necessary documentation of said flood damages; and providing forother related matters in connection therewith

C) Resolution authorizing the purchase of natural gas from the Louisiana Municipal Natural Gas Purchasing and Distribution Authority,d/b/a Louisiana Municipal Gas Authority (“LMGA”); approving the execution and delivery of agas sales contract and other documents relating to said purchase; approving the execution and delivery of aNorthAmerican Energy Standards BoardContract for the sale and purchase of natural gas (“NAESB Contract”) for the sale of said gas; consenting to the assignment of certain rights and obligations under the gas sales contract and NAESB Contract in connection with the issuance of bonds by the Black BeltEnergy Gas District; approving the execution of an amendment to the existing Gas Supply,Transportation,Storage and Load Management Agreement between LMGA and Iberville Parish; and addressing related matters

Councilman Jewell made arecommendation to forwardthe resolution to the regular meeting,seconded by Councilman Dardenne. The recommendation having been duly submitted to avotewas duly adopted by the following yea and nay votes on roll call by Resolution Committee

Members only:

YEAS: Jewell,Dardenne, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins,Martinez, Frazier Morgan, Dominique. NAYS: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT:None.

The recommendation was declared adopted by the Chairman to forward this item to the regular meeting During the Regular Meeting: RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-012

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE IBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL TO PREPAREAND SUBMIT ADRINKING

WHEREAS

WHEREAS,loans for this project may be available through the Drinking WaterRevolving LoanFund program operated by the Louisiana

LoanApplication; and,

Section 3. ThatChris Daigle,Iberville Parish President is hereby designated as the Official Project Representative andishereby givensignature authority for allrelative documents for the Iberville Parish Council for any project thatmay result from the submission of the LoanApplication Form 100A andaccompanying documents. Furthermore, Chris Daigle,Iberville Parish President representing the Iberville Parish Council is hereby given the power andauthority to do allthings necessary to implement, maintain, amend, andrenew such documents relative to anysuchproject

The foregoing resolution having been submitted to avote by roll callwas adopted in regularsessionthis 21st day of April, 2026 by the following vote:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique,Frazier, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan.

NAYS: None

ABSTAIN: None

ABSENT:None

The resolution wasdeclared adopted by the ChairmanonApril 21, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-013

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THEIBERVILLE PARISH COUNCIL TO PREPAREAND SUBMIT APRE-APPLICATION TO THE STATEWIDE FLOOD CONTROL PROGRAM FOR ASSISTANCE IN THEIMPLEMENTATION OF APROJECT FOR THEPURPOSE OF REDUCING EXISTING FLOOD DAMAGES;PROVIDING FOR THE NECESSARYDOCUMENTATION OF SAID FLOOD DAMAGES;AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER RELATEDMATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH

WHEREAS,the following resolution wasintroduced by Councilman Jewell, andsecondedbyCouncilmanDardenne

WHEREAS,Iberville Parish hasbeen adverselyaffected by damages from flood waters; and

WHEREAS,The Iberville Parish Council desires to applyfor State matching funds pursuant to L.A. R.S. 38:90.1et. seq., as amended, to implement aproject to reduce said flood damages, andthatIberville Parish Council is fully awareofits obligations undersaidStatute;and WHEREAS,The Iberville Parish Council is apolitical body duly organized andexisting underthe laws of the State of Louisiana andiseligible to apply for funds undersaidStatute

NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iberville Parish Council as follows:

Section 1. ThatIberville Parish Council acknowledgesthatupon approval of the pre-application aformalapplication will be prepared andsubmitted to the statewide Flood Control Programfor the purpose of Hebert Street Drainage Improvements.

Section 2. Thatatthe appropriate time andupon approvaloffunding assistance andprior to commencement of workonthe project Iberville Parish Council agrees to execute aStatement of Sponsorship pursuant to said Statute

Section 3. ThatChris Daigle,Iberville Parish President is hereby designated AuthorizedRepresentative for Iberville Parish Council to affect the preparation of the pre-application andapplication to the Statewide Flood Control Programfor funding assistance of a flood control project

Section 4. ThatsaidAuthorized Representative’s responsibilities shall pertain to technical matters only andshall not include anyofficial act on behalf of the Iberville Parish Council,

The foregoing resolution having been submitted to avote by roll callwas adopted in regularsessionthis 21st day of April, 2026 by the following vote:

YEAS: Allen, Easley,Dominique, Frazier, Pierce, Jenkins, Markins, Bradford, Martinez, Dardenne, Jewell, Morgan. NAYS: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None

The resolution wasdeclared adopted by the ChairmanonApril 21, 2026. RESOLUTION IPC# 2026-014

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THEPURCHASE OF NATURALGAS FROM THELOUISIANA MUNICIPAL NATURALGAS PURCHASING AND DISTRIBUTION AUTHORITY,D/B/A LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL GAS AUTHORITY (“LMGA”); APPROVING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERYOFA GAS SALES CONTRACT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATINGTOSAID PURCHASE; APPROVING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERYOFA NORTH AMERICANENERGY STANDARDS BOARD CONTRACT FOR THESALE AND PURCHASE OF NATURALGAS (“NAESB CONTRACT”) FOR THESALE OF SAID GAS;CONSENTING TO THEASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN RIGHTSAND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THEGAS SALES CONTRACT AND NAESB CONTRACT IN CONNECTION WITH THEISSUANCE OF BONDS BY THE BLACK BELT ENERGY GAS DISTRICT;APPROVING THEEXECUTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING GAS SUPPLY, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE AND LOAD MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN LMGA AND IBERVILLE PARISH; AND ADDRESSING RELATED MATTERS WHEREAS,the following resolution wasintroduced by Councilman Jewell, andsecondedbyCouncilmanDardenne. WHEREAS,the Parish of Iberville,

to LMGA, andLMGA will sell the gastothe Parish pursuanttoa Gas SalesContract (the“Gas Sales Contract”) in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit Atomeet aportion of the needs of Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC or an affiliate

PUBLIC NOTICE IBERVILLEPARISH COUNCILMINUTES REGULARMEETING, TUESDAY, MARCH17, 2026

division forGuillot Land Company E. Introduction of re-sub‐division forCasandria Haynes F. Introduction of re-sub‐division forEntergy Louisiana(Jumonville Pipe &Machinery)

On amotionbyMorgan, secondedbyReeves,the AdvisoryBoard votedto set theseitems forhear‐ing on May19, 2026. Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:Simpson OLDBUSINESS A. CONSIDERATIONOF RE-SUBDIVISION FOR RILEYBLANCHET

On amotionbyReeves secondedbyMorgan, the AdvisoryBoard votedto approve as is.The survey was prepared by Brad‐fordEngineeringand Ser‐vices,LLC.The mapre‐flects thesurveyand subdivision of tractVB-1 intoTract VB-1-A,VB-1-B, VB-1-C, VD-1-D, andVB-1E,located in Section67& 74, T-8- S, R-10-E,South‐eastLandDistrict, West ofthe Mississippi River, IbervilleParish, Stateof Louisiana forRiley Blanchet. Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:Simpson Themotionwas declared adoptedbythe Advisory Board B. CONSIDERATIONOF RE-SUBDIVISION NOLAN HYMEL

TheParishCouncil of IbervilleParish, Stateof Louisiana,met in Regular Session,inthe Council MeetingRoom,2nd Floor CourthouseBuilding, 58050 Meriam Street Plaquemine, Louisiana, onthe 18thday of March, 2026. TheCouncil Chairman Steve C. Smith, called the meetingtoorder at 6:30 p.m.followedbythe roll callwiththe following Council Membersinat‐tendance: Shalanda L. Allen,District1;Chasity B.Easley; District 2; ThomasE.Dominique Sr.,District3;Freddie Frazier,Sr.,District4; Steve C. Smith, District 5; Raheem T. Pierce,District 6;Nadia Jenkins, District 7;Hunter S. Markins, Dis‐trict 8; Terry J. Bradford District9;Trent Martinez District10; CharlesDard‐enne,District11; Matthew H. Jewell, Dis‐trict 12; Bart B. Morgan, District13. Absent:None. Terry Bradford arrived after roll call

ChiefAdministrativeOffi‐cer-DwayneBoudreaux and LegalCounsel-Nedi Morganwerealsoinat‐tendance.

y y call: YEAS: Allen, Easley,Do‐minique,Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins,Markins,Brad‐ford, Martinez,Dardenne Jewell, Morgan NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theChair‐man PRESIDENT’SREPORT

PresidentDaiglere‐portedonthe following: •Hestatedthathe wantedtorecognize the new director forbehav‐ioral Health,Dr. Krystal Wilson, he also recog‐nized employees fortheir years of serviceand 2 upcomingretirements •Hestatedthat911 EOC expansion is partially completed andwillup‐grade thefacilityand in‐creaseoffice space. The IPRD bathroomshavego out to bidand waitingto get thosebidsback. He alsostatedthatthe Rosedaleparkfence pricesare in •The Hwy1 northproject isstill waitingona per‐mit from UnionPacific and theBayou Grosse Tetecleanup contract has been awardedand theywillstart work soon There will be another drainageproject in East Iberville. •Hestatedthaton IbervilleDay at theCapi‐tal is coming up on April 15, andApril 18 is the Keep IbervilleBeautiful Day Clean-up Day.

man.

OLDBUSINESS None

2nd

58050

Louisiana,onthe

April, 2026.

On amotionbyReeves secondedbyMorgan, the AdvisoryBoard votedto approve as is.The survey was prepared by Brad‐fordEngineeringand Ser‐vices,LLC.The maps re‐flectthe survey of a93.55 acretract into LotH-1,H2,and H-3, locatedin Section 45, T-11-S,R-13-E, Southeast Land District Westofthe Mississippi River,IbervilleParish, State of Louisianafor Nolan Hymel. Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:Simpson Themotionwas declared adoptedbythe Advisory Board ADDENDUM None DISCUSSIONS None ADJOURNMENT Therebeing no further business, it wasmoved byEasley, andseconded bySimpson,toadjourn at5:31p.m Yeas:All present. Nays:None. Absent:Allen Themotionwas declared adoptedbythe Advisory Board

/s/ MACY W. OURSO COMMISSIONCLERK /s/ CHARLESDARDENNE COMMISSIONCHAIRMAN 188583 May26, 1t $60.69

Aquorumwas present and duenoticehad been postedand publishedin The Advocate newspaper onthe 12thday of March, 2026. ThePledgeofAlle‐giancefollowed. CouncilChairmanSmith calledfor anyone want‐ing to make public com‐ments to register with the Clerk. Oneperson registeredtospeak but later in themeetingwith‐drewhis request.

ADDENDUM

None PRESENTATIONSAND APPEARANCES

A) Proclamation declar‐ing April2026 as Autism Awareness Monthin IbervilleParish •The proclamation was readbyCouncilman Pierceand waspre‐sentedtoDr. Marilyn ThorntonwithFamilies Helping Families

B) Material Resources •Colby MoorewithMate‐rialResources came be‐forethe Counciltogive a presentationonthe road and thecurrent condi‐tions of theroads throughoutthe Parish

C) VLSSolutions •JohnClark,Directorof Environmental andEco‐nomic development, camebeforethe Council and stated found acom‐panythathas thede‐vices that will measure vibrationsand theParish has obtained 3ofthese devices to placeon housesnearthe levee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

FINANCIALREPORT FinanceDirector, Randall Dunn stated that the council didreceivedtheir budgettoactual finan‐cialstatementsand asked if they hadany questions.Hehad noth‐ing furthertoreport.

EXECUTIVESESSION 1) Considerationofany actioninthe matterof New Cingular Wireless PCS,LLC D/B/AAT&TMo‐bilityv.IbervilleParish Council, et al,No. 3:25-cv00736, U.S. District Court for theMiddleDistrictof Louisiana Upon amotionbyCoun‐cilwomanAllenat7:04 p.m seconded by Coun‐cilmanDardenne it was moved to go into Execu‐tiveSession to discuss a legal matter.The motion havingbeen duly submit‐ted to avotewas duly adopted by thefollowing yea andnay votesonroll call: YEAS:Allen,Easley, Do‐minique,Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins,Markins,Brad‐ford, Martinez,Dardenne Jewell, Morgan NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theChair‐man Upon amotionbyCoun‐cilmanDominique at 7:13 p.m seconded by Coun‐cilwomanAllen, it was moved to go outofExec‐utive Session. Themo‐tionhavingbeen duly submitted to avotewas dulyadopted by thefol‐lowingyea andnay votes onrollcall:

NEWBUSINESS A) Introduction of Ordi‐nances 1. Ordinancetodeclare property to be surplus andtoselltoneighbor‐ingpropertyownerpur‐suanttothe termsofOr‐dinance# 002-13 (Ger‐vois &Rozella V. Berth‐elot;Parcel# 0800934800. Upon amotionbyCoun‐cilwoman Easley,sec‐ondedbyCouncilman Bradford it wasmoved that apublichearing be held on Tuesday, April21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. on the introduced ordinance. Themotionhavingbeen duly submittedtoa vote wasdulyadopted by the followingyea andnay votesonrollcall: YEAS:Allen,Easley, Do‐minique, Frazier, Pierce Jenkins, Markins, Brad‐ford,Martinez, Dardenne Jewell, Morgan NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None. Themotionwas declared adoptedbythe Chairman on March17, 2026 RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT None PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT A) Considerationofresubdivision forThe Farm at BayouPaul, LLC Upon amotionbyCoun‐cilman Morgan,sec‐ondedbyCouncilman Dardenne,itwas moved to reject theproposedresubdivision.The motion having been duly submit‐tedtoa vote,was duly adoptedbythe following yeaand nayvotes on roll call: YEAS:Allen,Easley, Do‐minique, Frazier, Pierce Jenkins, Markins, Brad‐ford,Martinez, Dardenne Jewell, Morgan NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theChairman onthe 17thday of March, 2026

BOARDS &COMMISSIONS REPORT

None

DISCUSSIONS

None

ADJOURNMENT

Therebeing no further business, it wasmoved byCouncilmanPierce, and seconded by Coun‐cilmanFrazier,toadjourn at7:17p.m.The motion was unanimously adopted /s/ MACY W. OURSO COUNCILCLERK /s/ STEVEC.SMITH COUNCILCHAIRMAN

May11, 2026, at the BruslyTownHall, at 6:30 p.m by MayorPro-Temp Daigle. CouncilMember Young ledthe Pledge of Allegiance.A roll call de‐terminedthe following officialspresent: MayorPro-Temp: RustyDaigle CouncilMembers: Young,Chustz,Kershaw Town Attorney: Thomas Acosta,Jr. Absent:Tassin, MayorScotRhodes Recognitions & Commendations: MayorPro-TempDaigle recognizedand

Pro-Temp Daigle openedthe floor forpub‐lic comment.Hearing no comments, themotion passedwitha unani‐mousvote. Public Works Committee: MayorPro-TempDaigle readthe Public Works Reportfor themonth of April, prepared by Public Works Supervisor Shane Sarradet. Therewere4.1 inchesofrainfallinthe month;0 SCADAalarms atour wastewater lift stations; 0out of compli‐ancetestresultatSewer Treatment Facility;Union Baptist Graveyardditch was broughttograde; 2026 Overlayproject was completed;Repaired manhole coverbehind Salad Stationcomplex; Several catchbasin sink‐holes were repaired throughouttown; Had meetingwithParish Drainageteamabout up‐comingdrainageworkon Orleans Quarters WastePro roadside de‐brisand outofcart pickupisscheduled for the

Budget 2026/2027 Fiscal Year. Resolutions: AmotiontoapproveRes‐olution 3of2026, to defer the collection of the Town’sAdValorem tax for 2026, wasmadeby Council Member Chustz; secondedbyCouncil MemberYoung.Mayor Pro-TempDaigleopened the floor forpubliccom‐ment. Hearingnocom‐ments,the motion passedwitha unani‐mousvote. Police Department Report: ThePoliceDepartment Reportfor themonth of April wasgiven by Offi‐cer Keegan Allen. There were(33)AgencyAs‐sists,(8) Alarms,(1) Ani‐mal problem, (2)As‐saults, (1)Burglary, (1) Child CustodyExchange, (1) CivilIncident, (5)Con‐trolled Substances,(2) Damaged Property,(3) Disturbances, (1)DUI,(1) Fraud,(1) Juvenile Prob‐lem,(12)Medicals, (7)No InsuranceTows, (3)Ob‐structJustice,(2) Ob‐structPolice, (3)Ordi‐nance Violations,(1) PropertyCrime,(2) Pub‐lic Services,(1) Security Check,(1) Stolen Vehicle, (4) Suspicious,(2) Theft, (8) TrafficAccidents, (6) TrafficProblems, (2)Un‐locks,(2)

Ordinances:None

man Dardenne called the meetingtoorder at 5:15 p.m.followedbythe roll callwiththe following members in attendance: Randy LaPrairie, Anne Reeves,Maxie Gray CouncilmanPierce, CouncilmanDominique CouncilmanMorgan, CouncilmanDardenne Absent: CatherineSimpson Aquorumwas present and duenoticehad been published on the16th day of April, 2026 in The Advocate, andonthe IbervilleParishwebsite Others present: Parish Engineer,SenecaTous‐sant. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Therewerenominutes to beapproved. NEWBUSINESS PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCES BY THE IBERVILLEPARISH COUNCIL NOTICE IS HERE BY GIVEN thata Public Hearingwill beheldTuesday,June 16 2026, at 6:00 p.m.,inthe Council MeetingRoom 2nd Floor,Courthouse Building, 58050 Meriam Street,Plaquemine, Louisiana on theadop‐tionofthe followingordi‐nanceswhich were intro‐duced at theRegular Meetingofthe Parish Council of theParishof Iberville, Stateof Louisiana,onTuesday May 19, 2026. Copies of the proposed entitled or‐dinancesare availableat the CouncilOffice,Room 202, Iberville Parish Cour‐thouse,58050 Meriam

Upon amotionbyCoun‐cilwomanJenkins,and secondedbyCouncilman Markins,itwas movedto wavethe readingofthe minutes of February 23 2026 andapproveas written.The motion hav‐ing been duly submitted toa vote wasduly adopted by thefollowing yea andnay votesonroll ll

YEAS:Allen,Easley, Do‐minique,Frazier,Pierce, Jenkins,Markins,Brad‐ford, Martinez,Dardenne Jewell, Morgan NAYS:None. ABSTAIN: None ABSENT:None. Themotionwas declared adopted by theChair‐

PUBLIC NOTICE May11, 2026 Town of Brusly Brusly,Louisiana Theregular meetingof the Town of Brusly was called to orderthisdate,

of Ordinances: CouncilMemberKer‐shawintroducedOrdi‐nance 2of2026, Town BudgetAdjustments 2025/2026 Fiscal Year CouncilMemberChustz introducedOrdinance 3 of2026, SewerBudget Adjustments,2025/2026 FiscalYear. CouncilMemberYoung introducedOrdinance 4 of2026, Town Budget 2026/2027 Fiscal Year Council Member Ker‐shawintroducedOrdi‐nance5 of 2026, Sewer

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