Exemptions, catch-up efforts propel students in reading
Few third graders expected to be held back because of scores
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Lori Robertson knew the stakes were high.
Under a new Louisiana law, the third graders she taught this summer at J.B. Nachman Elementary School in Alexandria would have to pass a reading test or be held back. Yet Robertson, a 30-year veteran educator and the school’s literacy coach, exuded calm one morning last month as her students practiced the skills they’d soon be assessed on. One girl read aloud into a toy telephone, seeing how many words she could read correctly in one minute. Nearby, a boy read nonsense words like “soke,” a test of whether students can sound out unfamiliar words.
Robertson asked a quiet third grader named Kingston to spell words like “horn” and “corn,” in which the letter R changes the vowel sound. When she challenged him to turn “corn” to “cork,” he wrote the new word correctly
“This just lights my fire,” Robertson beamed.
In the spring, nearly 1 in 4 Louisiana third graders failed to earn the minimum reading score required by the new law to advance to fourth grade, putting thousands at risk of retention. Over the past month, educators like Robertson raced to give those struggling readers a final push before they took a retest that would determine their placement this fall — and could very well shape their educational trajectory
New learning pods planned
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Changes made to La. ethics laws
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Gov Jeff Landry and the Legislature have changed how the Louisiana Board of Ethics operates, adding new rules to how it investigates allegations of conflicts of interest, nepotism and other forms of corruption.
ä See READING, page 4A
But despite many parents’ fears, it’s likely that many of those targeted third graders won’t ultimately be held back. A significant number will qualify for exemptions, including if they have dyslexia or other disabilities, while others improved their scores due to the hard work of teachers like Robertson. For example, in Rapides Parish, which includes Alexandria, about
Charter school giant sets up shop in St. George, Zachary ä See PODS, page 4A
The largest charter school network in Louisiana is expanding yet again, opening satellite campuses in St. George and Zachary Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Charter Schools USA is launching these mini-schools, known as learning pods, this fall on property it’s leasing in both cities. St. George Academy is at 10420 Barringer Foreman Road at the former campus of Cypress Heights Academy, an independent Catholic school that closed in 2016. The pod will be the fourth charter school campus located in the newly created city of St. George. Its anticipated initial enrollment is about 150 students. It opens as leaders
Supporters say they are protecting public servants against frivolous investigations over dubious allegations of ethical misconduct and ensuring those who face investigation are afforded basic due process. But critics worry the new laws chip away at safeguards Louisiana put in place in response to the state’s long history of government corruption.
At its monthly meeting Thursday, two members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics raised concerns that the changes could undermine the board’s power and independence. La Koshia Roberts, the longest serving member argued they will quickly render the ethics board “nonessential” and ultimately lead it to become “extinct.”
The new rules could deter people from coming forward with complaints, leaving the board in the dark about problems it would otherwise address, she said.
The Board of Ethics enforces ethics and campaign finance laws It can undertake investigations into potential violations in either area as well as file formal charges against someone when it has evidence a law was broken.
The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana also argues the new laws “continued to whittle away at sunshine in government.”
However, the changes did avoid “severe damage to our ethics code,” said PAR President Steven Procopio, who said lawmakers heeded many of his organization’s concerns and recommendations.
Rep. Beau Beaullieu, a Republican from New Iberia who chairs the influential House and Governmental Affairs Committee, sponsored House Bill 674, which changed the ethics code.
Beaullieu has said some of the board’s investigations have been “egregious” and led some under investigation to feel they were guilty until proven innocent.
He said he committed to ensuring greater fair-
Supporters tout protection for public officials while critics worry about safeguards being eroded ä See ETHICS, page 7A
Officials vow to address
BY JIM VERTUNO, NADIA LATHAN and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
KERRVILLE, Texas The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpassed 100 on Monday as search and rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people. Authorities overseeing the search for flood victims said they will wait to address questions about weather warnings and why some summer camps did not evacu ate ahead of the flooding that killed at least 104. The officials spoke only hours after the operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced that they lost
ä See FLOODING, page 7A
Beaullieu
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Lead teacher and literacy coach Lori Robertson speaks to students last month during the summer program at J.B Nachman Elementary School in Alexandria. For third graders, it was their last chance to improve their reading scores — if they didn’t, they could be held back.
A paraprofessional works with third graders during the summer program at J.B. Nachman Elementary School.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELI HARTMAN First responders carry out search and rescue operations near the Guadalupe River on Monday in Ingram, Texas.
Ousted librarian steps back in national role
Hayden
NEW YORK The former librarian of Congress abruptly fired by President Donald Trump has found a new position with the country’s largest philanthropic supporter of the arts. The Andrew W Mellon Foundation exclusively told The Associated Press that Carla Hayden will join the humanities grantmaker Monday as a senior fellow whose duties will include advising on efforts to advance public knowledge through libraries and archives
The yearlong post places Hayden back at the center of the very debates over American culture that surrounded her dismissal. The White House ousted Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to hold the title, after she was accused of promoting “radical” literary material by a conservative advocacy group seeking to squash Trump opposition within the federal government.
Manager confirms beloved hotel burned
PORT-AU-PRINCE,Haiti — Haiti’s once-illustrious Grand Hôtel Oloffson, a beloved Gothic gingerbread home that inspired books, hosted parties until dawn and attracted visitors from Mick Jagger to Haitian presidents, was burned down by gangs this weekend.
Hundreds of Haitians and foreigners mourned the news as it spread across social media, with the hotel manager confirming the fire Monday on X. Even though gang violence had forced the hotel in Haiti’s capital, Portau-Prince, to close in recent years, many had hoped it would reopen.
“It birthed so much culture and expression,” said Riva Précil, a Haitian-American singer who lived in the hotel from age 5 to 15 In a tearful phone interview, Précil recalled how she learned to swim, dance and sing at the Oloffson.
Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron leaving Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron said Monday that he’s leaving the band after nearly 30 years.
The 62-year-old Cameron announced his departure in a social media post.
“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam,” Cameron said. “Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter.” Cameron didn’t give a reason for his departure.
“Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always,” Pearl Jam members said in a statement posted to the band’s social media accounts. He just finished a yearlong tour with the band in support of its 12th studio album, “Dark Matter.”
Troops descend on MacArthur Park
L.A. operation was close to immigrant neighborhood
BY TARA COPP and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press
LOS ANGELES Federal officers and National Guard troops fanned out around a mostly empty Los Angeles park in a largely immigrant neighborhood on foot, horseback and military vehicles on Monday for about an hour before abruptly leaving, an operation that local officials said seemed designed to sow fear
The Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t say whether anyone had been arrested during the brief operation at MacArthur Park Federal officials did not respond to requests for comment about why the park was targeted or why the raid ended abruptly.
About 90 members of the California National Guard were present to protect immigration officers, defense officials said.
“What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,” said Mayor Karen Bass, who showed up at the park alongside activists. She said there were children attending a day camp in the park who were quickly ushered inside to avoid seeing the troops. Still, Bass said an 8-year-old boy told her that “he was fearful of ICE.”
The operation occurred at a park in a neighborhood with
large Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations and is lined by businesses with signs in Spanish and other languages that has been dubbed by local officials as the “Ellis Island of the West Coast.”
Sprawling MacArthur Park has a murky lake ringed by palm trees, an amphitheater that hosts summer concerts and sports fields where immigrant families line up to play soccer in the evenings and on weekends. A thoroughfare on the east side is often crammed with food stands selling tacos and other delicacies, along with vendors speaking multiple languages and hawking T-shirts, toys, knickknacks and household items.
Among those who spoke with Bass were health care outreach workers who were working with homeless residents Monday when troops pointed guns at them and told them to get out of the park.
Photos show federal officers riding on horseback toward a mostly empty soccer field. Heavily armed soldiers and other agents stood guard nearby alongside armored vehicles.
“The world needs to see the troop formation on horses walking through the park, in search of what? In search of what?
They’re walking through the area where the children play,”
Bass said. The operation in the large park about 2 miles west of downtown LA included 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances and the armed soldiers, defense officials said. It came after President Donald Trump deployed thousands of Guard members and active duty Marines to the city last month following protests over previous immigration raids.
In response to questions about the operation in MacArthur Park, the Department of Homeland Security said in an email that the agency would not comment on “ongoing enforcement operations.”
Two defense officials told reporters that what happened at MacArthur Park on Monday was not a military operation but acknowledged that the size and scope of the Guard’s participation could make it look like one to the public. That is why the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the raid that were not announced publicly The primary role of the service members would be to protect the immigration enforcement officers in case a hostile crowd gathered, one of the officials said.
“It’s just going to be more overt and larger than we usually participate in,” that official said.
Gaza war looms over Trump, Netanyahu meeting
BY TIA GOLDENBERG and MICHELLE L PRICE Associated Press
WASHINGTON Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump might look to take a victory lap this week after their recent joint strikes on Iran, hailed by both as an unmitigated success.
But as Netanyahu arrived at the White House for his third visit this year, the outwardly triumphant visit will be dogged by Israel’s 21-month war against Hamas in Gaza and questions over how hard Trump will push for an end to the conflict.
Trump has made clear that following last month’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran he would like to see the Gaza conflict end soon. The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu could give new urgency to a U.S. ceasefire proposal being discussed by Israel and Hamas, but whether it leads to a deal that ends the war is unclear
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
After sharing dinner Monday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is set to again meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss the war in Gaza.
Before departing for Washington on Sunday Netanyahu praised the cooperation with the U.S. for bringing a “huge victory over our shared enemy.” He struck a positive note on a ceasefire for Gaza, saying he was working “to achieve the deal under discussion, on the terms we agreed to.”
urging Israel and Hamas to quickly seal a new ceasefire agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory, 20 of whom are believed to be living.
Leavitt announced on Monday that Witkoff will travel later this week to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire and hostage talks.
But a sticking point is whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do.
Flooding forces dozens to flee N.C. homes
BY ALLEN G. BREED AP national writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Floodwaters from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal swept a woman in her car from a rural road and forced dozens of people to flee their homes, officials in North Carolina said Monday
Parts of central North Carolina experienced hazardous conditions overnight including 3 to 8 inches of rain, according to North Carolina Emergency Management. Multiple water rescues were conducted in Alamance, Orange, Chatham and Durham counties overnight, and several areas have declared local states of emergency officials said.
About 120 roads were closed Monday across the state, but several major roads had reopened, including parts of Interstate 40 and 85 in Alamance County, according to Gov Josh Stein’s office.
An 83-year-old woman from Pittsboro was killed when her car was swept off a rural Chatham County road by floodwaters Sunday night, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Responding troopers found the submerged vehicle about 100 feet from the road, and the woman was found dead inside, officials said.
The Chapel Hill Fire Department and neighboring agencies completed more than 50 water rescues, many of them in areas where floodwaters entered or threatened to enter apartments, officials said. More than 60 people were displaced. After helping with rescues in Chapel Hill, the Durham Fire Department said in a social media post that its crews performed more than 80 more rescues in the Old Farm area.
Alesia Ray, 65, stood on a second-floor staircase at her apartment building in Chapel Hill for five hours, clicking a flashlight, until rescuers in a rubber boat got her out. Below her, floodwaters wrecked her home.
“It was really scary,” she said Monday as she and fiance Thomas Hux worked to salvage some of their belongings. “I’ve never experienced anything like that. I don’t want to go through that again.”
Several solid-waste trucks and police cars were also totaled from rushing floodwaters at a facility used to service local government vehicles in Carrboro, a town near Chapel Hill, the town’s public works director, Kevin Belanger said at a news conference Monday In Chatham County, authorities were searching for two canoers who went missing during the storm on Jordan Lake, according to a county sheriff’s office statement.
The Eno River crested early Monday at Durham at 25.6 feet, surpassing the previous record of 23.6 feet, according to the National Water Prediction Service’s website.
A story published in Sunday’s edition of The Advocate incorrectly stated the amount of National Institutes of Health funds awarded to Pennington Biomedical Research Center in 2024. The center received around $31 million that year The Advocate regrets the error
“The utmost priority for the president right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters ahead of the leaders’ private dinner
The prime minister met on Monday with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before his dinner with Trump Netanyahu is slated to meet Tuesday with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“I think that the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance that result, which all of us hope for,” Netanyahu said. White House officials are
Demonstrators, including hostage family members, gathered outside the U.S. Capitol before the leaders’ meeting to press for the release of all remaining hostages in any agreement.
“We cannot accept a deal for a partial release,” said Ilan Dalal, father of Guy Gilboa-Dalal. “A partial deal would mean that some of the hostages will stay in the tunnels for more time and this would be a death sentence.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES
Federal agents ride an armored vehicle Monday at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.
Trump: U.S. will send Ukraine more weapons
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will have to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after ordering pause in critical weapons deliveries to Kyiv.
The comments by Trump on Monday appeared to be an abrupt change in posture after the Pentagon announced last week that it would hold back delivering to Ukraine some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons as part of its announced pause to some arms shipments amid U.S. concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much.
“We have to,” Trump told reporters about additional weapons deliveries for Ukraine. “They have to be able to defend themselves.” Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including seven children, officials said Monday Meanwhile, Russian’s transport minister was found dead in what authorities said was an apparent suicide news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. The firing of Roman Starovoit followed
a weekend of travel chaos when airports grounded hundreds of flights due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine, although Russian officials did not give a reason for his dismissal.
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Moscow and St Petersburg, but Russian commentators said the air traffic disruptions have become customary amid frequent Ukrainian drone raids and were unlikely to have triggered his dismissal.
Starovoit, 53, served as Russia’s transport minister since May 2024. Russian media have reported that his dismissal could have been linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of state funds allocated for building fortifications in the Kursk region, where he served as governor before being appointed transportation minister
Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said.
Russia recently has intensified its airstrikes on civilian areas after more than three years of war In the past week, Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday
Will Abrego Garcia make it to trial?
Justice Department attorney says U.S set to initiate deportation proceedings
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press
GREENBELT, Md. — The U.S. government would initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he’s released from jail before he stands trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee, a Justice Department attorney told a federal judge in Maryland on Monday
The disclosure by U.S. lawyer Jonathan Guynn contradicts statements by spokespeople for the Justice Department and the White House, who said last month that Abrego Garcia would stand trial and possibly spend time in an American prison before the government moves to deport him.
Guynn made the revelation during a federal court hearing in Maryland, where Abrego Garcia’s American wife is suing the Trump administration over his mistaken deportation in March and trying to prevent him from being expelled again.
Guynn said U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would detain Abrego Garcia once he’s released from jail and send him to a “third country” that isn’t his native El Salvador However, Guynn said he didn’t know which country that would be.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said trying to determine what will happen to Abrego Garcia has been “like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall.” She scheduled a hearing for Thursday for U.S.
officials to explain possible next steps if Abrego Garcia is released.
Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies when he was deported in March to a notorious megaprison in his native El Salvador The Trump administration claimed he was in the MS-13 gang, although Abrego Garcia was never charged with a crime and has repeatedly denied the allegation.
When the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, it violated a U.S immigration judge’s order in 2019 that shielded him from being sent to his native country The judge had determined that Abrego Garcia likely faced persecution by local gangs that had terrorized him and his family and prompted him to flee to the U.S.
Facing increasing pressure and a Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. last month to face federal human smuggling charges. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee, during which Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with nine passengers without luggage.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers told a judge that some government witnesses cooperated to get favors regarding their immigration status or criminal charges they were facing.
They’ve also accused the
Trump administration of bringing Abrego Garcia back “to convict him in the court of public opinion” with the intention of deporting him before he can defend himself at trial.
A federal judge in Nashville, Tennessee was preparing to release Abrego Garcia, determining he’s not a flight risk or a danger. But she agreed to keep Abrego Garcia behind bars at the request of his own attorneys, who raised concerns the U.S. would try to immediately deport him.
In court documents, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers cited “contradictory statements” by the Trump administration. For example, Guynn told Xinis on June 26 that ICE planned to deport Abrego Garcia, though he didn’t say when.
Later that day, DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press that the Justice Department intends to try Abrego Garcia
on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted on X that day that Abrego Garcia “will face the full force of the American justice system — including serving time in American prison for the crimes he’s committed.” Abrego Garcia’s attorneys asked Xinis to order the government to take him to Maryland upon his release from jail, an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial. Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland for more than a decade, working construction and raising a family Xinis is still considering that request. Guynn told the judge on Monday that she doesn’t have the jurisdiction to decide where Abrego Garcia would be detained. Xinis responded by asking why she couldn’t order an “interim step” to ensure that Abrego Garcia isn’t “spirited away again.”
Health groups sue Kennedy over vaccine policy change
BY MIKE STOBBE
AP medical writer
Kennedy
NEW YORK A coalition of doctors’ groups and public health organizations sued the U.S. government on Monday over the decision to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for most children and pregnant women.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association and four other groups along with an unnamed pregnant doctor who works in a hospital — filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston.
U.S. health officials, following infectious disease experts’ guidance, previously had urged annual COVID-19 shots for all Americans ages 6 months and older But in late May, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr announced he was removing COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.
Many health experts decried the move as confusing and accused Kennedy of disregarding the scientific re-
view process that has been in place for decades — in which experts publicly review current medical evidence and hash out the pros and cons of policy changes.
The new lawsuit repeats those concerns, alleging that Kennedy and other political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have flouted federal procedures and systematically attempted to mislead the public.
The lawsuit also notes recent changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy, a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, fired the entire 17-member panel this month and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.
Doctors say Kennedy’s actions are making their jobs harder — with some patients raising doubts about all kinds of vaccines and others worried they will lose access to shots for themselves and their children.
“This is causing uncertainty and anxiety at almost every pediatric visit that involves vaccines,” said Dr Susan Kressly president of the American Academy of Pediatrics
And it’s happening after U.S pediatric flu deaths
hit their highest mark in 15 years and as the nation is poised to have its worst year of measles in more than three decades, she added.
And a legal dispute in Cambridge led to a landmark 1905 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld states’ rights to compel vaccinations. “We think it is significant and very meaningful” that the case is happening there, Hughes said.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said Kennedy “stands by his CDC reforms.”
Also joining the suit are the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
The pregnant doctor, who is listed in the lawsuit as “Jane Doe,” works at a Massachusetts hospital. She had difficulty getting a COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy and other sites and is concerned the lack of protection will endanger her unborn child, according to the lawsuit.
The suit was filed in Boston because the unnamed doctor and some others in Massachusetts are among those have been affected by Kennedy’s change, said Richard H. Hughes IV, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
The state has figured repeatedly in U.S. public health history
In 1721, some Boston leaders advocated for an early version of inoculation during a smallpox outbreak. Paul Revere was the first leader of Boston’s health commission.
At least 11 dead in Kenya protests
BY SIMON MARKS and DAVID HERBLING
At least 11 people were killed in violent clashes between Kenyan police and protesters demanding the removal of President William Ruto. In addition to the fatalities, 63 people were injured and 567 arrested, the police said Monday on X. The protests held to commemorate the July 7 marches that marked the beginning of multiparty democracy in the East African nation 35 years ago, took place in nearly half of Kenya’s 47 counties, with looting reported in at least six, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said. Police used teargas and
water cannons to disburse crowds that had lit bonfires at several flash points on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi. The normally bustling streets were deserted and many storefronts were soldered shut as workers and traders stayed away because of fears of violence.
Learning activities were disrupted nationwide, and hundreds of passengers were stranded as police erected roadblocks on major roads to deter movement.
“The commission received distress calls from patients unable to access health facilities due to road closures,” KNCHR said.
Monday’s protests come almost two weeks after others in which 19 people were killed, businesses looted and buildings torched.
The latest mass action was sparked by police brutality, after the killing in custody of an online activist. Longstanding grievances also stoking anger include the rising cost of living, joblessness, persistent corruption and wastage of public resources.
“The president does not listen to the people,” Samuel Zakayo said in the low-income northwestern Nairobi neighborhood of Kangemi “First of all listen to the ground and resign with immediate effect.”
Ruto, in the third year of a five-year term, has said his government needs to increase domestic revenue to cut reliance on loans, although the growth of national debt has continued apace to about $88 billion.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, center wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, joins supporters rallying outside the U.S District Court in Greenbelt, Md., where a hearing was scheduled Monday on returning him to Maryland.
half of the third graderswho were at risk of being held backqualified for exemptions, district officials said. Athird of the remaining students earned the minimum passing score after retesting Statewide data won’tbeavailable until next month, butofficials anticipate that relatively few students will be held back due to the law,which tookeffect last school year
“I expect it to be pretty low,” said Jenna Chiasson, the LouisianaDepartment of Education’s deputy superintendent of teaching and learning.
To critics, requiring even asmall number of 8-year-olds to repeat third grade puts too muchweight on asingle assessment and could demoralize those students.Onthe flip side, skeptics might argue that retaining just afraction of targeted students undermines theintent of the law to ensure thatchildren master basic reading skills before moving to the upper grades.
But the policy’sproponentssay its real power comes from channeling attention and resources to struggling readers who might otherwise fall through thecracks. That view is backed by recent researchthat found students’ reading scores risewhen they are flagged for retention —even if they aren’theld back— suggesting it’sthe extra support that matters most.
“The additionaleffort,the extra interventions, the level of specificity that educators are paying toindividual students and their needs,” Chiasson said, “that’sa direct result of this legislation.”
Passed by the state Legislature in 2023, the third-grade law is part of asweeping set of lawsand policy changes meant to overhaul how Louisiana studentslearn to read Over the past five years, elementary school teachers havebeen trained in the “science of reading,” aresearch-based approach
PODS
Continued from page1A
in St.George are strivingto create their own independent school district, adistrict that would open in 2027.
Zachary Charter Academy is leasing space from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Zachary and expects to have up to 200 students.Itwill be the first charter school campus in Zachary,acommunity home to the highest performing school district in Louisiana through much of its history
Theyare satellite campuses of Vermilion Charter Academy in Maurice, more than 70 miles from St. George and Zachary
Vermillion Charter is barely ayear old and alreadyit has more than 900 students State regulators recently agreed to let the schoolexpand again, to amaximum enrollment of more than 1,800 students —double its current size. Its amended contract allows it to grow even more in the future, to amaximum of more than 2,400 students by fall 2027 Charter schools arepublic schools run privately via charters, or contracts.
Charter School USA, a for-profit charter school managementcompany with schools in four Southern states, has grownrapidly in Louisiana. Last year,itenrolled about 11,300 students at eight charter schools. That’sroughly double the company’sLouisiana enrollment prior to the pandemic. If these schoolscomprised their own school district, it would be the 17th largest district in Louisiana. This growth spurt comes as public schools across Louisiana are steadilylosing students. Louisiana’spublic school enrollment has declined about6%compared with prior to the pandemic. Learning pods, aconcept which Charter Schools USA pioneered in Louisiana, is part of that growthstrategy. These pods educate children in smaller,more personalized settings via online, in-person instruction, or ahybrid of both. Charter schoolsinLouisiana have begun to embrace the approach as away to expand their reach well beyond the geographic boundariesof their physical campuses including setting up shopin
that emphasizesphonics; schools started assessing students’ reading skills every few months and flagging struggling readers for extra help; and the state launched intensive tutoring in schools and provided vouchers for private tutoring. State officials, whocredit
thepolicieswithdriving Louisi-
ana’srecent rise in national education rankings, say students now receive consistently high-quality reading instruction.
“I do notthinkitwould have beenfair to akid five years ago” to retainstruggling readers, said state Superintendent of Education CadeBrumley.But today the state has “a really robust system that prepares students forsuccess by third grade.”
Louisiana’s newliteracy policies, including third-graderetention, aremodeled on changesMississippi made that led to dramatic readinggains. Kymyona Burk, who oversaw thereformsasMississippi’sformer state literacy director,said the aim was to ensure all studentsare on track by the end of third grade.
“Retainingkids is not thegoal,” said Burk, now asenior policy fel-
suburban areas previously little touched by charter schools.
The number of pods in operation hasgrownfromsix in 2023 to an expected 14 thisfall. Nine of them are affiliated with charter schools runbyCharter Schools USA.
Thecompanyofficially alerted the Louisiana Department of Education on June11ofits intent to open newpods. Thecompany has yet to complete required pre-opening checklists that thestate education agency will need to approve before the pods open forbusiness.
Charter Schools USA helped pass the 2021 state lawsanctioning the use of pods, which the company hadbeen operatingsince 2018 without notifying state regulators.
In December 2022, after lengthy negotiations, the company persuadedstate education leaders to adopt relaxed rules for learning pods
The company’sunder-theradarpod venture, however sparked the state DepartmentofEducation to commission acritical audit by thenonprofit group TenSquare
In August 2023, theLouisiana Legislative Auditor’sOfficereleased its own report on learning pods,known as aperformance audit. The document offered 11 recommendations of ways the state could improve learning podlaws andrules
Thenew St.Georgeand Zachary pods willincrease to fourthe number of facilities that CharterSchools USAoperates in East Baton Rouge Parish. The other twoare South BatonRouge Charter Academy, acharter school that it built in 2014 along Burbank Drive near Bluebonnet Boulevard; and Red Stick Academy,a learningpod that opened in 2021 at 6455 Jefferson Highway, located in apreschool formerly run by the closed Runnels School
The St. George pod will educatestudentsingrades pre-K-12. Thepreschool portion will requiretuition, the elementarygrades K-5 will be in person, while older students willhaveamix of in-person and onlineinstruction
TheZachary pod will have students in grades K-8, with in-person instruction four days aweekand virtual days on Friday.
low at ExcelinEd, an education advocacy group. Rather,the retention law “changes adultbehavior” by creating “this sense of urgency andaccountability.”
Louisiana is one of nearly 20 stateswith such laws, according to ExcelinEd, which endorses thirdgrade retention policies. Because the laws tend to include generous “good cause” exemptions, often few studentsend up being held back, according to arecent study led by researchersatthe UniversityofMichigan.
For example, 60% of thirdgraders in Tennesseewere flaggedfor retentionin2024 due to low reading scores, but only 1.2% were held back. In Michigan, where less than 1% of thirdgraders were retained, theresearchers found that students’ scores improved even if they weren’theld back. Due to the law, strugglingreaders received all-hands-on-deck support that continued even if theywere promoted to thenext grade.
UnderLouisiana law,any student who scores below grade level on areading-skills testcalled DIBELS, which studentsingrades K-3 take three times ayear,must
Charter Schools USA has hired prominent educators to run them both.
Don Mayes is the site leader for St. George Academy Mayes has spent his career in Christianschools, including almost 12 years leading ParkviewBaptist School, which is near St. George. He was placed on leave from Parkview in October and left soon after for undisclosed reasons.
In February,hereemerged as theleader of this new mini-school.
“Itisour hearthereatSt. George Academytohavea calm, strong, great experience forour students,” Mayessaidina May25social media videointroducing thenew school.
Meanwhile, Kevin Lemoine has been tappedto becomesiteleader for ZacharyCharter Academy Lemoine servedfrom 2015 to 2019 as superintendent of schools in Pointe Coupee Parish. He hasspent the past several yearsashead of school at the private Silliman Institute in Clinton. He’sbestknown in Zachary for serving as principal of ZacharyHigh from 2003 to 2009.
The Zachary pod is the morerecent of the two. It opens in acity with no charterschools butonly oneprivateschool, TrinityChristianAcademy,which has about 50 students.
The first most people heard of thelearning pod was on May26whenthe Rev.Lamar Partin, pastor of St.John the BaptistCatholic Church, announced thenew school venture.
In apost on thechurch’s website, Partin said the charter school company
receive tutoring or other support.
Studentswho still score in the lowest level on DIBELS by the end of thirdgradecan be held back if they don’tqualify for an exemption or improve their scores on aretest. Those students must be screened for dyslexia and get extrahelp, along with students who are promoted to fourth grade due to an exemption. (The retention law only applies to students in traditionalpublic schools, notcharter schools.)
Based on preliminary data that five school districts shared with TheTimes-Picayune| TheAdvocate, the number of third graders who will be retained couldbequite low. In St. Tammany Parish, 16% of third gradersinitially faced retention,but only 4% remain at risk after exemptions and retesting. In St. Charles Parish, 14% of third graderswere flagged this spring, but only 1% now face retention.
St. Charles Parish schools Superintendent KenOertling said the newlaw has been good for third graders.
“Any time you’re focusing on aspecific group of students,” he said, “then of course you’re going to devotemore attention, moreresources tothem.”
Not everyone is convinced that retaining struggling students is thebest approach.
Louisiana enacted asimilar policy in theearly 2000s, requiring fourth and eighth graders to reach abenchmark on state tests to movetothe next grade. The share of Louisiana students who had to repeat agrade soared high above thenational average, anda 2017 studyfound that fourth gradeboys who were held back faced higher odds of dropping out of school. The stateeventually ended the policy
“When youretainachild, that’s aleading indicator of high school dropoutsand them not being successful,”saidKerry Laster,aformer literacy director in the state education department. “That disturbs me.”
Other critics note that holding back students is expensive, equivalent to an extra year of schooling,
andcan dampen students’self-esteem andmotivation. Still others say studentswithserious reading difficulties need help sooner.Arecent study found that moststruggling third graders in Louisiana enteredkindergartenwith deficits.
“Tome, thatsaysidentify them early, intervene early,”saidLindsay Weixler,who directs the Early Childhood PolicyResearch Labat Tulane University and helped conduct the analysis.
Parent Kiara Jolla has mixed feelings about the new law
After her third grader was flagged forlow reading scores last fall,his BatonRouge school sprang into action, developing asupport planand providing him with small-group lessons and tutoring. Jolla also useda state voucherto send him to private after-school tutoring.
The remediation exhausted her son, and Jolla wished the interventions had started years earlier. But shealsofeltthe lawspurred the school to vigorouslyaddress her son’sneeds, resulting in steady gains that allowed him to advance to fourth grade.
“For him,itwas abig confidence booster,” she said.
The new law seemed to galvanize educators in theRapides Parish school systemand J.B. Nachman Elementary School, whoregularly monitoredthird graders’ reading progress and strategically filled in gaps.
Abattalionofeducators—literacy coach Lori Robertson, classroom aides, even the librarian and music teacher —worked with smallgroups of studentsduring a daily reading-support period. This summer,district staffers used DIBELS data to plot thefocusofeach day’sliteracy lesson down to specific letter combinations.
The result: Third graders made “tremendous growth,”evenbefore the final push this summer,Robertson said.
“It’samazing what you can do in ayear,” she said.
Email Patrick Wall at patrick. wall@theadvocate.com.
is leasing for threeyears the gym anda temporary building from thechurch, an arrangement reached after “going back and forth with the Diocese (of Baton
Rouge).” He said it will have 100 or morestudents. Partin said he hopes it will lead to a rise in Catholic education in apart of the parish farfrom any Catholic schools.
“Though it will notbea Catholic school,itmay be theplanting of aseed that may oneday growinto a Catholic school,” Partin wrote.
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OPEC+ to boost oil by 548K barrels
Eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries say they will boost production by 548,000 barrels per day in August in a move that could further reduce gas prices this year
The group that includes Saudi Arabia and Russia made the decision at a virtual meeting Saturday They cited a “steady global economic outlook” and low oil inventories.
Oil prices spiked sharply last month during the bloody, 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran but then tumbled back down as the U.S. helped broker a peace deal after dropping bombs on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites.
Saudi Arabia holds significant influence in OPEC+ as the dominant member of the OPEC producers’ cartel, and Russia is the leading non-OPEC member in the 22-country alliance.
Along with Saudi Arabia and Russia, the group that met Saturday is made up of Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.
A statement said the new measures were in accordance with a December decision to put off increasing production at that time, but gradually increase it by 2.2 million barrels per day over an 18-month period starting in April and ending in fall 2026. The delayed ramp-up reflected weaker-than-expected demand and competing production from nonallied countries.
Wall Street falls with Trump’s new tariffs
Stocks on Wall Street closed broadly lower Monday as the White House stepped up pressure on major trading partners to make deals before punishing tariffs imposed by the U.S. take effect.
The S&P 500 fell 0.8% for its biggest loss since mid-June. The benchmark index remains near its all-time high set last week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back 0.9%. The Nasdaq composite also finished 0.9% lower, not too far from its own record high.
The losses were widespread Decliners outnumbered gainers by nearly 4 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Monday’s market sell-off came on the first day of trading in the U.S. after a holiday-shortened week. Nearly all of the sectors in the S&P 500 index closed in the red, with technology financial and consumer-related stocks among the biggest weights on the market. Apple fell 1.7%, JPMorgan Chase dropped 1.4% and Home Depot slid 1.1%.
Molina Healthcare fell 2.9% after the insurer lowered its profit guidance due to rapidly accelerating costs.
Shares of Tesla stock continue to slide
Shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla tumbled 7% as the feud between CEO Elon Musk and Trump reignited over the weekend.
Musk, once a top donor and ally of Trump, announced that he was forming a third political party in protest over the Republican spending bill that passed late last week.
In a social media post Sunday, Trump said that the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X had gone “off the rails” in recent weeks. Since hitting an all-time high of $479.76 on Dec. 17, Tesla shares have lost about 40% of their value. Investors fear that Musk’s companies, which receive significant subsidies from the federal government, could suffer further if his feud with Trump continues to fester “With the autonomous future ahead and the AI Revolution in full force Musk/Tesla do not need to keep poking the bear as Trump can create more hurdles for Musk/Tesla/SpaceX over the coming years if this political battle gets nastier heading into mid-terms in 2026,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients late Sunday
BY BARBARA ORTUTAY AP technology writer
Less than a month after extending a deadline to ban TikTok for the third time, President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday night that, “We pretty much have a deal,” on TikTok — but he did not offer details.
The details and timing of a potential deal are not clear TikTok did not immediately respond to messages for comment on Monday
Emarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman said while TikTok is “reportedly planning” a U.S. version of its
app to comply with legal restrictions, the platform — if it launches without the original TikTok algorithm — “risks losing the very personalization that drives user engagement.”
In other words, TikTok just isn’t TikTok without its algorithm.
“And getting millions to download a new app is no small feat, to say the least,” Goldman added.
Though he has no clear legal basis to do so, Trump has continued to extend the deadline for TikTok to avoid a ban in the U.S This gives his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership.
It is not clear how many times Trump can — or will — keep ex-
tending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance. While there is no clear legal basis for the extensions, so far there have been no legal challenges against the administration. Trump has amassed more than 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined last year, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters. He said in January that he has a “warm spot for TikTok.”
For now, TikTok continues to function for its 170 million users in the U.S. Tech giants Apple, Google and Oracle were persuaded to continue to offer and support the app, on the promise that Trump’s Jus-
tice Department would not use the law to seek potentially steep fines against them.
Americans are even more closely divided on what to do about TikTok than they were two years ago.
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they weren’t sure.
Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users’ data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report.
BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar and Tunisia, all of which would go into effect on Aug. 1. Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,” Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jaemyung.
The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the center His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the U.S and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday
He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signaling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump.
Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40%, South Africa at 30% and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25%.
Trump placed the word “only” before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated at a news briefing that similar letters to approximately four other countries also would be issued Monday Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mail them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements. The letters are not agreed-to settlements
BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press
Submerged in about 44 yards of water off Scotland’s coast, a turbine has been spinning for more than six years to harness the power of ocean tides for electricity a durability mark that demonstrates the technology’s commercial viability. Keeping a large, or grid-scale, turbine in place in the harsh sea environment for that long is a record that helps pave the way for bigger tidal energy farms and makes it far more appealing to investors, according to the trade association
but Trump’s own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side. Leavitt said that Trump was by setting the rates himself creating “tailormade trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that’s what this administration continues to be focused on.”
Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were “unfortunate.”
“Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation,” Cutler said “Moreover companies from both countries have made significant manufacturing investments in the U.S. in recent years, bringing high-paying jobs to U.S. workers and benefiting communities all around the country.”
Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in
Ocean Energy Europe Tidal energy projects would be prohibitively expensive if the turbines had to be taken out of the water for maintenance every couple of years.
Tidal energy technologies are still in the early days of their commercial development, but their potential for generating clean energy is big. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, marine energy, a term researchers use to refer to power generated from tides, currents, waves or temperature changes is the world’s largest untapped renewable energy resource.
The MeyGen tidal energy project off the coast of Scotland has four turbines producing 1.5 megawatts each, enough electricity collec-
which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55%.
Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many U.S. consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea
The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks.
It’s unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China’s economic heft.
“These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country,” Trump wrote in both letters.
Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the U.S. and its trade partners to reach new frameworks.
tively to power up to 7,000 homes annually On Thursday the Swedish company SKF announced that its bearings and seals on one of the turbines had passed the 61/2-year mark without needing unplanned or disruptive maintenance. It has been working closely with the industry for a decade on design and testing. Achieving six years in the water with constant operations is a “very significant milestone” that bodes well for the future of tidal energy, said Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe. Scotland and the United Kingdom are global leaders in tidal energy
The MeyGen site, operated by SAE Renewables, has been sending electricity to the grid for about eight
years. There are very few tidal energy projects generating electricity continuously Most have been tests and demonstrations, said Andrea Copping, an expert in marine renewable energy development. Copping said there are still large hurdles to overcome before tidal energy can be adopted more widely such as dealing with regulatory issues, potential environmental effects and conflicts with other ocean users. Still, the Scotland project seems to have addressed the question of whether the turbines can last in seawater, added Copping, a distinguished faculty fellow in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.
27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Kerr County officials said Monday 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found
Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said.
With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened saturated parts of central Texas. Authorities said the death toll was sure to rise.
The raging flash floods among the nation’s worst in decades — slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling sleeping people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees
Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, refrigerators and coolers littered the riverbanks Monday The debris included reminders of what drew so many to the campgrounds and cabins in the Hill Country a volleyball canoes and a family portrait.
Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, local officials said.
Among those confirmed dead were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters were still missing.
ETHICS
Continued from page 1A
ness and due process for Louisiana residents who could find themselves subject to a board investigation.
“I think we were successful, and I think the people of Louisiana are going to benefit from having a fair and judicious ethics system,” he said.
Stephen Gelé, an attorney who played a key role in crafting some of the changes, said the board “plays a crucial role” in enforcing laws.
But the new laws, Gelé says, “provide clear procedural safeguards” that ensure those being investigated have “due process rights guaranteed by the Louisiana and United States Constitutions.” Gelé is representing Landry in charges filed by the board over failing to disclose complimentary private airfare he received to a conference in Hawaii in 2021 when he was attorney general.
Under the new law, the board must follow more stringent protocols when considering formal complaints of alleged ethical misconduct and in investigating those allegations
The 15-member board must now have a two-thirds vote that there is probable cause a law was broken before it can proceed with an investigation. Should the board issue a subpoena as part of an investigation, it can now only do so if “the importance of the information sought out-
Authorities vowed that one of the next steps would be investigating whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in a place long vulnerable to flooding that some local residents refer to as “flash flood alley.”
That will include a review of how weather warnings were sent out and received One of the challenges is that many camps and cabins are in places with poor cellphone service, Kerrville City Manager
Dalton Rice said
“We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search
weighs the burden of producing the information.”
The subject of the investigation is also allowed to ask a district court to block or limit a subpoena from the board.
The subject of the investigation will also be provided with a copy of any subpoenas or requests for information, as well as any responses to those requests.
Alfred “Butch” Speer, a member of the board, said Thursday that if the board requests information from someone who made a confidential complaint, the new procedures risk revealing that person’s identity to the person under investigation.
David Bordelon, the board’s general counsel, replied that ethics staff will work to develop procedures to keep that from happening.
Under the new laws, at the conclusion of an investigation, the respondent will now get a copy of a final report of the investigation, have a chance to address the board directly over the allegations, and be reminded of having a constitutional right to counsel and to not incriminate oneself.
The board can now only file formal charges for ethics law violations with a twothirds majority vote.
Once the board’s charges are filed with the Ethics Adjudicatory Board, the administrative panel that handles the formal legal proceedings, the person accused gets a copy of all the evidence gathered during the investigation and has a chance to file an initial response.
Bordelon on Thursday told board members that, if eth-
and rescue complete.”
Some camps were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods.
Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent government spending cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings.
“There’s a time to have political fights, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz said.
“There will be a time to find out what could been done differently My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time
ics staff find that the new rules dampen investigations, he’ll work with them and the Legislature to rectify that.
Roberts, however, said she is not “optimistic” that the Legislature will be willing to work through issues that arise, based on past criticism of the board by some lawmakers.
Procopio said that an earlier version of the bill would have made the decision to undertake an investigation a “logical impossibility.” Lawmakers shelved a proposal requiring the board to consider if “it would more likely than not” find the law had been broken — even before having the chance to gather evidence.
“If the Board of Ethics would have chosen to follow the law, then they honestly would never have to do an investigation,” he said. “That would have been a death blow.”
As the legislations stands, Procopio said he’s worried that investigations could be delayed or hampered under the new subpoena rules. But he also said new reporting requirements on the board’s investigations and subpoenas should give insight into that question.
Outside of ethics investigation procedures, the bill made other changes to the ethics code:
n Expands the distance state lawmakers can travel to include anywhere in North America and U.S. territories when they are giving a speech and have food, transportation and lodging costs paid for by someone else.
n Expands the distance lawmakers can travel for
there is a flood.”
The weather service first advised of potential flooding on Thursday and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies a rare step that alerts the public to imminent danger
Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour the equivalent of months of rain Some residents said they never received any warnings.
President Donald Trump, who signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, said he plans to visit the state on Friday He had
“informational” or “educa-
tional” purposes to include anywhere in the U.S. and its territories and have travel costs paid for by someone else.
n Defines how public officials should value complimentary private airfare they receive on financial disclosure forms.
n Clarifies that public school educators who get paid for work at their school that’s in addition to teaching duties aren’t in violation of ethics rules.
n Allows athletic trainers who work at public schools
said Sunday that he does not plan to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year
“This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it,” the president said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said local and federal weather services provided sufficient warnings.
More than three dozen people were unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing, Gov Greg Abbott said Sunday Search and rescue crews at one staging area said Monday that more than 1,000 volunteers had been directed to Kerr County Kerrville city officials urged people to stop flying drones over the area after they said a private drone operating illegally Monday afternoon collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing and is out of service until further notice.
Reagan Brown said his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt. When the couple learned that their 92-year-old neighbor was trapped in her attic, they went back and rescued her
“Then they were able to reach their tool shed up on higher ground, and neighbors throughout the early morning began to show up at their tool shed, and they all rode it out together,” Brown said. Elizabeth
to be compensated for that work by a private entity
n Allows Louisiana Racing Commission members or the executive director to own a racehorse that participates in races licensed by the racing commission.
n Requires high-level public officials to file annual financial disclosure statements electronically
n Requires the Board of Ethics to produce monthly reports on the number of subpoenas issued and twiceyearly reports with aggregate data on complaints, investigations, fines it im-
poses, types of violations, charges filed and judgments. Another proposal the Legislature considered during the session, House Bill 160, ultimately died in the final weeks of the legislative session. It would have prohibited the filing of anonymous or confidential ethics complaints. Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said lawmakers were worried it would have had a chilling effect on ethics enforcement. Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELI HARTMAN
fighters from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, left, aid in search and rescue efforts near the Guadalupe River on Monday.
A Liberian-flagged cargo ship came under fire on Monday in the Red Sea, with two security guards on board reportedly hurt and two others missing in an assault that came after Yemen’sHouthi rebels purportedly sunk another vessel in asimilar attack.
Earlier,the Houthis said they attacked Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas also Liberian-flagged, with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire on Sunday,forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel.
The two attacks and a roundofIsraeli airstrikes early Monday targeting the rebels raised fears of arenewed Houthi campaign against shipping that could againdraw in U.S. andWestern forces to the area, particularly after President Donald Trump’sadministration targeted the rebels in amajor airstrike campaign.
The attacks come at asensitive moment in the Middle East,asapossible ceasefirein the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance, and as Iran weighs whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program followingAmerican airstrikes targeting its mostsensitiveatomicsites during an Israeli war against the Islamic Republic in June. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasto meet with Trump on Monday at the White House.
The private security firm Ambrey reported the latest attack on Monday night in the Red Sea, offering the details on the two hurt and two miss-
on Gaza stops and the siege on it is lifted,” Sareesaid.
The Magic Seas’ owners didn’trespond to arequest forcomment. Sareelater said the vessel had sank Monday in theRed Sea.
The Israelimilitarysaid that it struck Houthi-held ports earlyMondayatHodeida, RasIsa andSalif,as well as theRas Kanatib power plant. It released footage showing an F-16 launching from Israel for thestrike, which came after theIsraeli military issued awarning for the area.
U.N. adopts resolution on Talibanruleover objections from U.S.
BY EDITH LEDERER Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS— TheU.N General Assembly adopted aresolution Monday over U.S. objections calling on Afghanistan’sTalibanrulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations.
ing security guards.It said the vessel had been heading north towardthe Suez Canal when it came underfire by men in small boats and by bomb-carryingdrones. The security guards on board hadopened fire in theattack.
“The vessel’sengines had reportedly beendisabled and Ambrey observed that the vessel had started to drift,” the firmsaid. There were no otherimmediatedetails on the attack,which also was acknowledged by theBritish military’sUnitedKingdom Maritime TradeOperations, or UKMTO, center.The Houthis’al-Masirah satellite news channel noted the attack, but the rebels didn’t claimthe assault.
However,Moammar alEryani, the information minister with Yemen’sinternationally recognized government that opposes the Houthis and is based in southern Yemen, said the rebelshad also carried out the second attack. The Houthis control the northern halfofYemen and its capital, Sanaa.
TheU.S. military’sCentral Command said it was aware of reports of the attack, but declinedtocomment further Sunday’sattack on the Magic Seas, anotherbulk carrier heading north to Egypt’s Suez Canal,hap-
penedabout 60 milessouthwest of theport of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the Houthis. That’sthe same areaofthe attack Monday night.
The UKMTO first said that an armed securityteam on thevessel had returnedfire against an initial attack of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, though the vessel later was struck by projectiles. The UKMTO said the ship was taking on water and itscrew had abandonedthe vessel. Theywere rescued by apassing ship, it added.
AEuropean Union antipiracy patrol in theregion, called Operation Atalanta, said that 22 mariners had been on board the Magic Seas.
The United Arab Emirates later Monday saidthat one of itsships from Abu Dhabi Ports received thecall to helponthe Red Sea andrescued the 22 people aboard the Magic Seas.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, claimed Sunday’sattack andsaid the rebels used missiles andbomb-carrying drone boats to attack the ship.
“Ouroperations continue in targeting the depthsof theIsraelientityinoccupied Palestine, as well as preventingIsraeli maritime navigation in theRed andArabian Seas until the aggression
“These portsare used by theHouthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime,which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies,”the Israelimilitary said
TheIsraeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader,avehicle-carrying vessel thatthe Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the RedSea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war
“Houthi forces installed a radarsystem on the ship and have been using it to track vesselsinthe international maritime arenatofacilitate further terrorist activities, the Israeli military said.
TheBahamas-flagged GalaxyLeader wasaffiliated with an Israelibillionaire. The ship had been operated by aJapanese firm, NYK Line.
The Houthis acknowledged thestrikes,but offerednodamage assessment from theattack.
Israel has repeatedly attacked Houthi areas in Yemen, including anaval strike in June. Both Israel and the UnitedStates have struck ports in thearea in thepast —including an American attack thatkilled 74 people in April —but Israel is now actingaloneinattacking the rebels as they continue to fire missiles at Israel
The 11-page resolutionalso emphasizes “the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery,development andprosperity in Afghanistan,” and urges donors to address the country’s dire humanitarian and economic crisis.
The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as areflection of world opinion. The vote was116 in favor,with two —the United States and close ally Israel—opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India and Iran.
Sincereturning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade.Lastweek,Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’sgovernment.
Germany’sU.N.Ambassador Antje Leendertse, whose country sponsored the resolution, toldthe assembly before the vote that her country and many others remain gravely concerned about the dire humanrights situation in Afghanistan, especially the Taliban’s“near-total erasure” of the rights of women and girls.
Thecore message of the resolution,she said, is to tell Afghan mothers holding sick andunderfedchildren or mourning victims of terrorist attacks, as well as the millionsofAfghanwomen and girls locked up at home, that theyhavenot been forgotten.
U.S. minister-counselor
JonathanShrierwas critical of theresolution, whichhe saidrewards “the Taliban’s failure withmoreengagement andmoreresources. He saidthe Trumpadministration doubts they will ever pursue policies“in accordance withthe expectations of the international community.”
“For decades we shouldered the burden of supporting the Afghan people with time, money and, most important, American lives,” he said. “It is the time for the Taliban to step up. The United States will no longerenable their heinous behavior.”
Last month, the Trumpadministration banned Afghans hoping to resettle in the U.S. permanently and those seekingtocometemporarily,with exceptions.
The resolutionexpresses appreciation to governments hosting Afghan refugees, singling out the two countries that have taken the most: Iran and Pakistan. Shrier also objected to this, accusing Iran of executingAfghans “at an alarming rate without due process” and forcibly conscripting Afghans into its militias.
Whilethe resolution notes improvements in Afghanistan’soverall security situation, it reiterates concern about attacks by al-Qaida and Islamic State militants and their affiliates. It calls upon Afghanistan “totakeactive measures to tackle, dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organizationsequally and without discrimination.”
The General Assembly also encouraged U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres to appoint acoordinator to facilitate “a morecoherent, coordinated and structured approach” to its international engagements on Afghanistan.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Tworecent attacks, including one Mondayonthe Liberianflagged bulk carrier Magic Seas, and around of Israeli airstrikesearly Monday raised fears of arenewedHouthi campaignagainst shipping in the RedSea.
JanRisher
LOUISIANA AT LARGE
Join food bank challenge
I’ve done alot of volunteering through the years, but Imust say my time at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank lastweekwas oneofthe most user-friendly volunteer experiences ever Talk about having an effective system!
Other organizations that need volunteers could learn alot from the experience. Ihighly recommend signing up online at volunteer.brfoodbank.org/volunteersign-up? and givingitatry
First, Ichecked in at akiosk and then entered alarge warehouse to find avariety of tasks from making boxes, to sortingfood, to filling boxes.
Mark Walker,the food bank’s volunteer manager,wentbeyond justmanaging things. He wasalso the DJ and had aboom box playing upbeat music, which was nottoo loud, but just right —finding the right music for adiverse crowd and keeping everyone happywith the volume is agift in itself.
Steadfast volunteers who show up almost daily wore red T-shirts and helped lead the effort.
The efficiency of the 28 people volunteering on aThursdaymorning was impressive. Asmall group of high school and college students assembled 500 boxes
Iworked with students and volunteers from OmniCable to fill boxes with cans of green beans. Each box needed to weigh between 35 and40pounds. Figuring out the math was easy,and the process was oddly satisfying though Idid fill my firstbox too full. Never fear
The kind Amir Jaffar,arising junior and premed student, helped me take it to the scale. Ididn’t makethat mistake again
Brian Hightower,chief development officer,gave me atour of the giant facility,including the refrigerator,freezer,locally grown fresh produce, disaster relief, dry storage and the room where they package rice and beans,which they sell at alow price to food banks across the country High school student Eli Miller, ajunior at St. Michael’s, worked with Dexter Ricard Jr., asophomore at Southern Lab, and Ja’Van Williams, asophomore from Madisonville, to build boxes.
“I think volunteering is importantbecause Iwanttobeahelping hand in the community any way I can,” Ricard told me when Iasked why he was volunteering. “I know some people aren’tasfortunate as others, so Iwant to be apartof the helping.”
He’sright on all counts. There is agrowing sense of urgencyat food banks. The number of people who need food is increasing. Be like Dexter.Beapartof the helping. The ongoing 100-item Food Challenge encouragespeople across Louisiana to donate foodto any food bank. The 100-item Challenge lasts for 100 daysand runs through Oct. 6.
It’ssimple: We ask readers, as individuals or groups, to donate a specific list of 100 items (in total) to their local food banks.
Here’sthe list:
n 10 cans of tuna
n 10 jars of peanut butter
n 10 bags of dry beans
n 10 cans of canned meat
n 10
n
n 10
n
n
n 10 boxes of cornbreadmix. The 100 items in the challenge add up to about 82 pounds. Ioriginally imagined tracking aspecific
Slainofficerwas under investigation
with
BY HALEYMILLER Staff writer
The St. Gabriel policecaptain found stabbedtodeathinhis home Sunday was in an “on-andoffdomestic relationship” with the suspect and was suspected of corruption, authorities said Monday. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett
Stassi said he had asked theLouisiana Attorney General’sOffice to investigate Devin Boutte on allegations of corruption10days before his death. He declinedto give moredetails. Astatementfrom Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed that allegations of police corruption had been brought to her office.
“The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation had recently opened an investigation into policecorruption in St. Gabrieluponreferral from Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi,” the statementsaid.
“That matter has now been closed and returned to the Sheriff fora homicide investigation.” Boutte was found stabbed to deathearly Sundaymorning in his St. Gabriel home on Legion Drive Warren MitchellIII, 25, also of St. Gabriel, was booked Sunday afternoon on acount of seconddegree murder,according to a release from the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. Mitchell admitted to striking andstabbingBoutte multiple times,according to an affidavit of
probable cause from the Sheriff’s Office.
Detectivesfound crystal meth and other drugs inside the home, Stassi told WAFB. He said Mitchell told investigators Boutte supplied himwith drugs to selland forhis personal use. Mitchell was arrested in June in the robbery of astore, according to Iberville court records. He hadanoutstanding arrest warrant for failure to appear regarding a second-degree battery charge in 2023. Thehomicideinvestigation is ongoing, Stassi said.
BIG& LOUD
Boardrejects public defenders’ appeals
5challenged nonrenewal of contracts
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
ALouisianaboardonMonday
stitute terminations and that the district chiefs therefore did not have the right to appeal.
Rick Schroeder,anattorney for thechiefs, said they are considering taking the case to court. “I have to get approval from my clients to say what the next steps will be, but thepotential next step includesadeclaratory judgment and damages action in state court and acivil rights action in federal court,” he said. “Those are the two that we arereviewing.”
The defenders’ contractsended July 1. Starns,who couldnot immediately be reached forcomment,has replaced them with interim chiefs. The five public defenders whose contracts were not renewed are: n Trisha Ward, of Evangeline Parish n Michelle AndrePont, of Caddo
ä See BOARD, page 2B
LSUathletics coach’sleg amputatedafter accident
Hermothersays surgerywent smoothly
BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer
An LSUstrength and conditioning coach had part of her leg amputated Sunday after ajet ski accident on the Fourth of July,according to social media posts. Katie Guillory,also aformer LSUsoftballoutfielder,losther left leg from the knee down. The amputation hadtobeperformed after doctors could not restore blood flow to her lower extremity after the incident, her mother Cindy Guillory,posted on Facebook, accompaniedwith aphoto of Katie Guillory in ahospital bed. “Please keepher in y’all prayers,” she said.
Cindy Guillory kept friends and family updated after the amputation surgery on Sunday “Katie’ssurgery went smooth, as the doctor predicted,” she posted.“Shewas in severe pain after the surgery,but they were able to do an additionalblock.She is resting comfortably right now Thanks forall the concerns, well wishes and prayers.”
As thesupport on social media began to pour in, Katie Guillory lefta simple message in an Instagram story on Sundaynight. “Unbelievable support,” she said. KatieGuilloryplayedsoftball forthe Tigers from 2009-13. For herfirstthree seasons, shewas primarily apinchrunner for LSU. As asenior, she stepped to the plate more oftenand hit her first career homerun against North Dakota State.
ä See COACH, page 2B
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Starns
ST.GABRIEL
ROCKING RED
Pierre Part man found guilty in ’21 murder
Leonard gunned down victim in hotel hallway
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
A Pierre Part man was found guilty of murder for gunning down a man in the hallway of a Donaldsonville hotel.
An Ascension Parish jury found Marty Leonard, 37, guilty
Wednesday of one count of second-degree murder and three counts of aggravated criminal damage to property, according to records filed in the 23rd Judicial District Court The charges stemmed from the July 2021 shooting of Qwonkeious Williams, 25, in Donaldsonville. The jury deliberated for roughly 35 minutes following the trial. Judge Steven Tureau scheduled Leonard’s sentencing for Oct. 20. The charge of second-degree murder carries a mandatory life
sentence. Assistant District Attorneys Adam Koenig and Philip Prescott prosecuted Leonard, according to the Ascension Parish District Attorney’s Office. Leonard’s attorney, Jarrett Ambeau, declined to comment The shooting happened four years ago, on July 8, 2021, at the OYO Motel on La 70 near the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville. Ascension sheriff’s deputies found Williams lying on the floor of a hallway, suffering from
multiple gunshot wounds He was pronounced dead on scene.
Video surveillance footage showed Leonard pacing inside the motel when Williams walked inside toward his room. Leonard then fired a shot through a wall, which did not hit Williams. Williams stopped and addressed Leonard, who then fired additional shots, the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Deputies booked Leonard into the parish jail, where he remained with bail set at $285,000.
Continued from page 1B
Parish n Brett Brunson, of Natchitoches Parish n Deirdre Fuller, of Rapides Parish n John Hogue, of East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes. Starns clashed with those defenders during several policy debates, including last year when he supported a bill in the Legislature that gave him more power over the public defense system. They also opposed a compensation plan he proposed that would have cut some district chiefs’ salaries by tens of thousands of dollars.
In February, he sent the five chiefs letters saying their contracts would not be renewed. They appealed to the board, arguing they were fired without cause and in violation of state law, and that Starns’ decision was retaliatory Starns argued that the board did not have the authority to change his decision because he simply let contracts lapse instead of terminating the defenders.
The interim public defenders Starns appointed include Christopher Ludeau in Evangeline Parish, Mary Harried in Caddo Parish James Calhoun in Natchitoches Parish, Chad Guillot in Rapides Parish and Pamela Grady in East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes.
The five board members who sided with Starns were all appointed within the past month after a slew of previous members resigned. The new members include Stephen Dwyer and Jeffrey Hufft, who were appointed by Gov Jeff Landry, along with Mary Devereux, a Louisiana Supreme Court appointee.
Kevin Landreneau, named to the board by Senate President Cameron Henry, and Medlock Harbison, appointed by House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, also voted with the winning side. Frank Thaxton, Adreijia Boutte, Paul deMahy and Phyllis Keaty all voted to overrule Starns. All four members have been on the board since it was reconstituted last year Landry appointed deMahy and Keaty, and he picked Boutte off a list of nominees from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Public Defender Association of Louisiana. The state Supreme Court appointed Thaxton.
A debate over contracts
second term during which her approval rating has tumbled. A recent citywide poll estimated her popularity at 27%
N.O. mayor addresses criticism at Essence Festival Cantrell claps back at naysayers focused on her second term
BY JAMES FINN Staff writer
Mayor LaToya Cantrell defiantly addressed critics of her administration during a weekend panel discussion at the Essence Festival of Culture, clapping back for the second time in as many months at naysayers who have seized on a series of scandals during her second term.
Cantrell noted how she rose to the Mayor’s Office with more than 60% of the citywide vote in 2017 and was reelected with nearly 65% of the vote in 2021. Three months later she faced a recall campaign.
“It goes from celebration to crucifixion real fast,” Cantrell said, according to video of the panel posted on YouTube.
Cantrell delivered those remarks in the waning days of a tumultuous
Continued from page 1B
just isn’t possible. And the truth is, it really doesn’t matter, does it? The important part is helping others. I encourage you to contact your local food bank and give volunteering a try While you’re at it, see if you can find some friends to help donate the 100 items. You can drop off the
A tangle of factors have fueled her plummeting popularity, including the ultimately unsuccessful recall campaign, surging violent crime in the wake of COVID-19, dysfunctional city sanitation services after Hurricane Ida in 2021 and a federal investigation into her spending and political activities. Her inner circle shriveled and Cantrell has been left with few trusted advisers to shape her decision-making.
On Sunday, Cantrell said much of that criticism was baseless.
We’re in a climate that wants to tear mayors down, Black ones, Black women especially,” she said.
I can look at some of my sister mayors who did the job, but that were taken out,” she said “And I was one of them — but the fact of the matter is, they didn’t take me out, but they tried.”
Though once considered a fiery politician known for taking critics to task, Cantrell has adopted a much more reserved persona over the past 18 months.
Last summer, she rarely acknowl-
edged claims of an alleged romantic relationship with her bodyguard or the intensifying federal probe. The federal investigation has since fizzled, sources have said.
The mayor has remained a steady presence at public events, particularly around planning for Super Bowl LIX and in the wake of the Jan. 1 terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. Yet she has mostly avoided confronting those who have questioned her leadership or investigated her affairs.
As her mayoral career nears its final months — a period when public officials often seek to cement their legacies — she appears to be breaking that relative silence.
In June, she told a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors that her treatment as mayor has been “very disrespectful, insulting, (and) in some cases kind of unimaginable.”
On Sunday, two other panelists she appeared with moderator Quinting Lacewell, a Wells Fargo lobbyist; and Savannah, Georgia, Mayor Van Johnson — heaped praise on Cantrell during the panel focused on generational wealth
The panel was hosted by the Global Black Economic Forum
n Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Monday,Tuesday and Thursday at their Community Donations door facing West 29th Ave., Covington n Second Harvest Food Bank Acadiana: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 215 E. Pinhook Road, Lafayette
n Second Harvest Food Bank Houma: 8 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 700 Edwards Ave., Harahan
“Mayor Cantrell has set a very high bar for anybody coming after her,” Johnson said. “And I hope (voters) get as half as good as she is (in the next mayor).”
Lacewell noted Cantrell’s leadership on the 2019 “Fair Share” deal, which brought a higher share of hospitality industry revenue to city coffers, and her role in planning this year’s Super Bowl LIX.
In the mounting election to succeed Cantrell, four major candidates have sought to cast themselves as change agents who can set the city on a different path from what many voters view as Cantrell’s failure to deliver functional city services.
On Sunday, Cantrell seemed to suggest that the next mayor should put politics aside and seek to preserve aspects of her administration’s approach, though she did not specify which ones.
“You see Atlanta right now, it is that mecca because it has been able to sustain that support and investment, and not killing it because it was a different administration,” she said. “We fall victim to that sometimes.”
COACH
Continued from page 1B
She has been an assistant strength and conditioning coach for LSU gymnastics and beach volleyball for three years. Before returning to her alma mater, Katie Guillory worked at the University of Illinois and Liberty University A Lafayette native, Katie Guillory went to Carencro High School. The family has not said where the jet ski accident occurred or if anyone else was injured.
Email Rashad Milligan at rashad.milligan@ theadvocate. com.
At the crux of Monday’s debate over the former defenders’ jobs was whether state statute protected them from being fired without good cause.
During the meeting, the defenders argued the nonrenewals were illegal, citing a state statute that says: “In an effort to maintain continuity of public defender services in each judicial district, any person serving as the district public defender of a judicial district shall continue to contract with the office and serve as the district public defender of that district.”
They also cited quotes from legislators who indicated that the statute governing the state public defender was written to protect local chiefs from arbitrarily losing their jobs.
“We do not seek more than the law provides,” Fuller said. “Much to the state public defender’s chagrin, you have the authority and the obligation to follow the law.”
But Christopher Walters, deputy executive counsel for Landry, argued state statute did not give the board the authority to intervene. He contended that, when legislators overhauled the public defense system in 2024, they only intended to protect the current public defenders’ contracts for a year, citing quotes from hearings at that time.
The Attorney General’s Office also offered an opinion that the nonrenewals did not constitute terminations, which Tom Jones, director of the office’s civil decision, defended Monday
“If you’re terminated yeah you get a hearing but nowhere in those statutes does it say that anybody is entitled to a hearing when the contract expires,” Jones said. “Who in the world would think that a contract lasts forever?”
LOTTERY
SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2025
PICK 3: 1-5-3
PICK 4: 7-0-7-2
PICK 5: 9-7-0-9-2 Unof
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Whiskey Row singer Luke Jones plays a solo during Red, White and Boom! on Saturday in Central.
Funerals Today
Cormier, Terry
St.Jean VianneyChurchin Baton Rouge at 11:30am.
Holland-Richardson,
GlorylandBaptistChurch, 6745 Greenwell SpringsRd.,Baton Rouge at 10:00am.
Huval, Stetson
St.Alphonsus Catholic Church at 1pm
Joseph Sr Wilbert Mt.Triumph BaptistChurch, 206 W 10thSt.,Donaldsonville at
Obituaries
Emmit Stafford Chapman was born on March 27, 1941, in West Feliciana Parish to Ernest Lucious Chapman and Eddie White Chapman.
Emmit served in the US Army from 1961-1963. He also worked as awelderat Allied Chemical(later Formosa Plastics) and Cajun Electric. He married Geraldine Calvin and to this union La Shawn Renee' Chapman was born.
Emmit transitioned from this lifeonThursday,June 19, 2025. He is survived by his daughter, La Shawn Renee' Chapman; two sisters, Joerena Young Howard and Evelyn Joyce Chapman Albert, both of Baker, Louisiana.
He is preceded in death by his father Ernest Lucious Chapman and mother Eddie White Chapman; two sisters, Sarah Jane Campbell and Gladys Scott; and threebrothers Rutherford G. Chapman "RG", Harold Archie Chapman and Lucious A. Chapman.
Funeralservice willbe held on Wednesday, July9, 2025, at 12:00 noon at HallDavis FuneralHome.Viewing will be from 11:00AMNoon.
Chapman, Geraldine Calvin
Geraldine CalvinChapmanwas born on September 16, 1942, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Charles A. Calvin, Sr. and Martha Hardesty Calvin. She was adedicated educator for 25 years in New Iberia, St. Martin and Pointe Coupee parishes. She married Emmit S. Chapman and to this union La Shawn Renee' Chapman was born.
Geraldine transitioned from this life on Monday, June 30, 2025. She is survived by her daughter, La Shawn Renee' Chapman and ahost of relatives and friends.
Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July9, 2025, at 12:00 noon at HallDavis and Sons Funeral Home. Viewing will be from 11:00AM -Noon at Hall-Davis.
Frank Joseph D'Gerolamo, anativeand resident of Baton Rouge,passed awayonSaturday,July5 2025. Alsoknown as "Didge, Frankie D,"and "Papa Frank," he was born Sep. 1, 1945. Frankiegrew upinBaton Rouge on West Grant St, walkingdistance fromthe Mississippi River, which providedhim with lots of fishing and adventures as aboy.Frank went to St.AgnesSchool,and thentoLee HighSchool, wherehegraduated in 1963.Hegraduated from LSU with adegreeinBusiness. Following in the footsteps of many of hisrelatives,Frank startedXYZ ElectricCompany in 1974, having workedasanelectrician sincehighschool Helater changed the name toDesign Lighting and became one of the best and most respectedelectrical contractors in Baton Rouge. He retired in 2015, after50plus yearsasan electrician. Frank wasan "old hippie" who loved the musicofThe Beatles,Bob Dylan and Randy Newman. He was oftenknown to quote his favorite songs. He lovedtotravel, visiting his ancestral home of Sicily several times. Healso visited Alaska,Yucatan, Costa Rica, the Italian Peninsula, London, and Canada. In his younger years,Frank could be found drinking Margaritas in the ElMatador Lounge at La Fonda's with family and friends on most Friday nights.Heloved feeding hisbirds and his squirrels. He loved to cook,and was very good at it.Frankis preceded in death by his parents, AnthonyJoseph D'Gerolamo and Lena CarusoD'Gerolamo; sisters BessD'Gerolamo Bergeron and Mary Alice D'Gerolamo Mazzeo; and hiswifeand companion for 30 years, Patricia Lindsay D'Gerolamo. He is survivedbysister AngieD'Gerolamo Perrone; children Candace French (Rick)ofDallas, TX, Chad D'Gerolamo (Shannon) of Baton Rouge, Tracy Lee (Marty) of Fairhope, AL, and Ray P. "Jamie Fitch of Baton Rouge; grandchildren Grace French, Nicholas D'Gerolamo, NathanD'Gerolamo, and Shea Lee;ex-wife and mother of Candace and Chad,BrendaAndreTull. Thefamily wouldliketo extendtheir heartfelt thankstoLinda Bienemy, who provided 5years of loveand careduringhis declining health. Also, thankstohis best friend, Phil Bradywho was there for Frank in the best and darkest of times. In lieuof flowers, the familyrequestsdonations to an animalrescueorganization. Frank loved his dog Ginger and cat Max, hespent his last days in the company of "Big Tex", averylarge, loveableorangetabby.
Visitation at Greenoaks Memorial Funeral Home, 9595Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70815 on Thursday, July10th, 2025, from 4:30 PM until 7:00 PM, with sharing of memories at 6:00 PM. Following aprivate burial on FridayJuly 11th, family and friendsare invited to areception at Frank's home at noon.
Gennardo, Vincent Joseph 'Buzz'
VincentJoseph"Buzz Gennardo,ofHammond, Louisiana, passedawayat hishomesurrounded by hislovingfamilyonFriday, July 4, 2025, at theage of 88. He wasbornonFebru‐ary5,1937, in Hammond, Louisiana, theson of the late Joseph Gennardo and Anna Annina Gennardo.A dedicatedmemberofthe Holy GhostCatholic Church,Vincent wasde‐vout in hispractices,pray‐ingmanytimes each day. He consistently prayed for hisfamily, showinganun‐wavering concernfor their well-being, particularly for thosehefeltneeded it most.Vincent wasanac‐tive participantinthe KnightsofColumbus, en‐gaging with hiscommunity andpromoting thevalues
of faith andcharity.Vin‐cent wasanavidfan of LSU sports,a talented golfer, andheenjoyed spending time at theracetrack.He took prideinhis tractor andrelishedthe opportu‐nity to grow hisown veg‐etables. Vincenthad apro‐found impact on thelives of thosearound him, leav‐ingbehinda memory cher‐ishedbyfamilyand friends alike. Vincent'slovingfam‐ilyincludes: hisbeloved wife of 69 years, Frances "Chickie"Muscarello Gen‐nardo; hisson anddaugh‐ter-in-law,the late Samuel andPeggy Gennardo; his daughter,PatriciaAnn Gennardo Alphonse and husband Frank; grandchil‐dren,the late Chad Gen‐nardoand hissurviving wife Jaime, Todd Gennardo andwifeShelly, Heather Gorman andhusband Brian, BrookeLeBlanc and husband Seth,and Anna Lonergan andhusband Nick;great grandchildren, Sadie, Ruth,Collins Amelia,Genna,Scarlett, Sam, Harrison,and Nora; hisbrother,who passed awayasa child, Samuel Gennardo;three sisters, Lena MaeBonfiglio,Eliza‐beth Weihmier,Rose Hodges;and numerous nieces andnephews.Fam‐ilyand friendswillbere‐ceived at Holy Ghost Catholic Church,600 North OakStreet,Hammond Louisiana70401 on Tues‐day, July 8, 2025from9:00 am until 11:30am. TheFu‐neralMasswillbeheldat 11:30 am.Entombmentwill follow at Rose Memorial Park MausoleuminHam‐mond,Louisiana.Arrange‐mentshavebeen entrusted to Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHomeand Crema‐tory of Hammond andPon‐chatoula.Anon-lineguest book is availableatwww harrymckneely.com
CarolynKay Hebert,was called to be with herLord andSavior, JesusChrist, on July 4, 2025, surrounded by herlovingfamily, shewas 74. Sheentered this world on November 11, 1950, born to Christenaand George Gardner, in Pine Bluff, AR Shewas amemberof BethanyChurch in Baker, Louisiana. Carolynloved theLordand servingoth‐ers, shewas an avid gar‐denerand jewelrymaker andmadea lastingimpact on allwho knew her. Car‐olyn is survived by her daughter,Michele Hebert; grandchildren, Cody Sholmire,Chase Sholmire, Justin Sholmire,AlyssaSt. Pierre,Cason Schexsnay‐der, Victoria Schexsnayder DestinySanchez,and Ju‐lian Hebert Jennings;13 great-grandchildrenwith oneonthe way; abrother, Robert ChristopherGard‐ner; asister, RobinSue Butcher; anda host of nieces and nephews. Carolynisprecededin deathbyher husband of 47 years, Claude Joseph Hebert Jr;her father George Gardner; mother, ChristenaWebbGardner;a daughter,Susan Rene Jen‐nings; anda brother, David Gardner. Relativesand friendsare invitedtojoin thefamilyfor thevisitation at BakerFuneralHome, 6401 Groom Road,Baker, LA,onThursday,July10, 2025, from 9:00 AM until the FuneralService at 12:00 PM,officiated by Pastor BrianHilbun. Thegraveside serviceand burial will fol‐lowatHillcrest Memorial GardensinBaker Louisiana. Family and friendsmay sign theonline guestbook or leavea per‐sonalnotefor thefamilyat www.bakerfuneralhomeonl ine.com
Huval,Stetson Blake
StetsonBlake Huvalwas born on June 24, 2023. Every dayfor Stetsonwas a "Happy Day." Whether he was playing outsidewith his sisters and cousins, driving histoy cars around, or shaking his bootydancing. Stetson lovedhiding remotes,eating donuts, and playing with his tractors. He knew howtosay hisABCs, could
alreadycount to 10, and youshouldsee himswing his batleft handed. His handsome smirk looked just like his Daddy'sand always madehis Mommy smile. Hisheart was filled with love,and he brought so much light to each of our lives. And whiletoday may not be ahappy day forus, and thedaysahead won't be as happy without Stetson, he left us allwith twoyears of giggles, kisses, sweetmemories of him singing his favoritesong, Twinkle,TwinkleLittle Star, and always asking for therain, rain to go away His favoritething to do before bedwas sing You Are My Sunshine in the rocking chair with Mommy. Huval 6 lovedriding thegolfcart around,and Stetson always wanted to sit on his Daddy's lapand drive. So many people love Stetson As we mournthe loss of our sweetStetson,heis looking down at us saying, "I'll be right back .K," as he kisses hishand and placesitover his heart. Stetson passed away on July1,2025. He is survived by his parents, Blake Allen Huval and Lauren Breaux Huval; his sisters,Sage Blakelyn Huval,Rilye James Huval, and twin sisterand best friend,Lenyx Jo Huval; his grandparents, John "Poppie" Ray Huval, Rhonda"Nana" Dietrich Huval, Ronald "Pawpaw" James Breaux, and Charmon "Mimi" Bergeron Breaux; his uncle and godfather, Chase"Parrain" Ray Huval and his wife, AllisonMarieDay Huval;his godmother, Jade"Juju" Ashford Schopfer; and his auntsand uncles, Cheree "Nanny Ree" and Bryan Phenix, Rachael "Nanny Rae"and Kevin Pearson, and Blair"Aunt B" and Ryan Russo. He also leaves behind his greatgrandparents, cousins and so many friends.A celebrationof Stetson's life will be held on Tuesday, July8,2025, at St.Alphonsus Catholic Church. Visitation is from 10-1 p.m.,withMass to beginat1 p.m. Pallbearers willbeBlaineBurkett, Ronald Breaux, ChaseHuval, and John Huval. Aprivate burial willfollow. The family kindlyasks all guests in attendance to wearshades of blue and green, his favoritecolors. Central Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Genevieve LeBeauJordan, alovingwife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother passed away peacefully on 7/2/2025 at her home in BatonRouge She was born on 2/14/1925 in HermitageinPointe Coupee parish and livedto be 100 years old. She was a member thegirls basketball team in highschool and lovedfootballand baseball especiallyifitinvolved LSU. She also loved to fish butonlyfromthe pier at thecamp.She was amember of St Thomas More CatholicChurch since its beginning. Visitation willbeatSt. Thomas More Catholic Church at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 10 followedbya funeral mass at 11:00 am, with interment to follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park Sheissurvivedbya daughter and son-in-law Dottie Jordan Liddell(Jim), twosons and daughters-in -law Paul Jordan (Judy), Malcolm Jordan (Beverly), seven grandchildrenJennifer LiddellBarfoot, Jessica LiddellCronin, LaraJordan, Bryan Jordan, Kevin Jordan, Gail Jordan, and RandallJordan, and twelve great-grandchildren. She was precededindeathby her husband Janis Robert Jordan, parents Mr. and Mrs. JosephHazael LeBeau, threebrothers Francis LeBeau, Joseph LeBeau, and Elton LeBeau, and four sisters Mable Deville,Thelma Chustz, Vivian Baillio,and Gladys Dabadie and greatgrandson RileyGardiner. In lieu of flowers, donations may be madetothe charity of your choice
MarilynLandryMabile, passedawaypeacefullyon Friday,July4,2025, at The Crossing in BatonRouge Shewas 89. Shewas aresi‐dent of Port Allenand ana‐tive of Plaquemine.Marilyn wasa homemaker. Visita‐tion will be at WilbertFu‐neralHomeinPortAllen on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 9 a.m. until Rite of Christian Burial at 11 a.m.,con‐ducted by Rev. Jerry Mar‐tin. Burial willfollowin GraceMemorialParkin Plaquemine.Marilynissur‐vivedbyher daughter Stacey Mabile Hebert and husband KirbyofPort Allen; 3grandchildren, WhitneyHebertByrne and husband Scotty,Brennan & Tanner Hebert;3 great grandchildren, Emily, Ade‐line andMatthew Byrne; sister,Yvonne Landry Hebert;sister-in-law,Karen Landry;great friends, Yvonne Bourgoyne, Liz Bates, Elaine Pearce and Lynell Williams who cared forher.Marilynwas pre‐cededindeath by herhus‐band of 60 years, Morris G. Mabile;parents,Thomas andIrene FolseLandry; brothers,Artie,Anthony Rayand StanleyLandry; sister,Joyce Chustz;sis‐ters-in-law, Sally and Floyce Landry;brother-inlaw, Lynn Paul Hebert;and greatfriend, OscarBour‐goyne. Please sharemem‐oriesatwww.wilbertserv ices.com
June
2025, in Baton Rouge Dotwas aproud graduate of Louisiana State University, whereshe wasa member of theAlpha Chi Omegasorority. She earneda degree in French andlater aMaster's in Library Science. Shededicated 30 years of service to theDepartment of Transportation andDevelopmentinStatewide Flood Controlaswellasthe Port Construction and DevelopmentPriorityProgram. Afterher retirement,she
continuedcontributingher expertise as the manager of thePorts Association of Louisiana. Adevoted LSUfan,Dot foundjoy in photographing wildlife,especially the birds andfoxesaroundthe LSUlakes. Shealso cherished trips to theGreat Smoky MountainsofTennessee, whereshe continuedher passion for photography,always in pursuit of the perfect picture of ablack bear. Dotwas alongtime resident of Baton Rouge,living in thesame home for over 50 years. Shewas dearly lovedbyher family, friends, neighbors, andcolleagues for herwit,intelligence, and candor Sheissurvived by her husbandof57years, John McConnell, of Baton Rouge;her son, Dr.Douglas McConnell(Laura) of Columbia, SC; and her grandsons, JamesMcConnelland John McConnell. Dotwas preceded in death by herparents, Douglas andMelva Durrett. Agravesideceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on July 11 at the Masonic Cemetery in Clinton, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Friends of the Smokies (www.friendsofthesmokies .org).
Lieutenant ColonelRegi‐nald Melancon,a native of Thibodauxand resident of Paulina, passedaway peacefully andsurrounded by hislovingfamilyonJuly 4, 2025 at theage of 72. Reggiewas agraduateof ThibodauxHighSchool and Nicholls StateUniversity, with graduate work at Nicholls,Universityof Northern Colorado andthe Army's Command General Staff College. He served his countryproudly in theUS Army.Reggiewas awarded numerous awards includ‐ingthe prestigiousMerito‐riousService Medaltwice andthe JointService Com‐mendationMedal.Here‐tiredfromthe military after servingour country for30years.Reggiecontin‐uedhis career in logistics, workingfor Kaiser Alu‐minum,LaRoche Indus‐tries, andSafewayTrans‐portation. Reggie enjoyed travelingwithfamilyand friends. Reggie hada pas‐sion forplaying hisguitar andwriting hisown music. He enjoyedhunting, fish‐ing, andgardening and wasanavidLSU fan.His greatest joywas hissix grandchildrenand attend‐ingtotheir many events He wasanactivemember of St.Joseph'sChurch and aretired EucharisticMinis‐ter. Reggie is survived by
D'Gerolamo, Frank Joseph
Mabile,Marilyn Landry
Saynes, Louise BakerFuneral Home,6401 Groom Road,Baker,LAat12pm.
Chapman, Emmit Stafford
Hebert,Carolyn Kay
McConnell,Dorothy 'Dot' Durrett
Dorothy "Dot" Durrett McConnell, born October 13, 1946, in Winnfield, Louisiana, passed away on
29,
Jordan, Genevieve LeBeau
neighbors, Louisianais readyto help
The scenes out of Texasoverthe weekend were all too devastatingly familiar to many Louisianans: Houses wiped off their foundations. Mangled cars andtrees lying in a wrecked landscape. And the water —everywhere the water,even in places it should not be.
More than 80 people are confirmed dead in flash flooding along the Guadalupe River that began Friday night in central Texas. Dozens more are still missing in one of the deadliest floods in the last 100 years. Our hearts go out to the residents of our neighboring state. We were glad to see that the Officeofthe StateFire Marshal sent aspecial team from Baton Rouge, Zachary,West Feliciana, East Side and Shreveport fire departments to Texas on Saturday to assist in recovery efforts.
We know that Louisiana and its residents stand ready to help our neighbors in any way we can in the coming days, weeks and months. We will always remember the kindness of Texansasweapproach the 20thanniversary of Hurricane Katrina in August —withHouston’s Astrodomebecoming amassive shelter and other cities around the statetaking in evacuees from the storm.
Texans stood with us then, and many times overthe years, as Louisianans experienced natural disasters, Texanshave been among the first to offer shelter and support.Weare glad to return the favor
As the names and the stories of the victims become known, we also grieve with those affected. The young girls who were experiencing the wonders of Camp Mystic, the families who were enjoyingaFourth of July break in the beauty of Texas Hill Country —all of those lost are going to be in our prayers for along time.
We know that Texans are in just the first stagesofthis tragedy,with shock and disbelief mingled with mourning for the lives lost. We know there is along road ahead torecovery and healing. We alsoknowthere are many questions everyone wantsanswers to. Allthat will come in time. However,wedowant tosay in this moment that we hope this tragedy will lead to renewed support for the systems we’ve devised over the years to help prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
We all rely on the work of the trained scientists and researchers at theNational Weather Service andthe NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We all are vulnerable to increasingly extremeweather events caused by climate change that grants funded by the National Science Foundation aimed to study We all need aFederal Emergency Management Agency that can be there quickly on the ground with aid when all seems chaotic.
Alongthe Gulf Coast, when tragedies like these occur,it’sa given we’ll band together to help one another.But we also need to rememberthat as anation we arestronger when we recognize our shared interests and humanity
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE
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
Pharmacists,physicians, physical therapists, surgicalassistants, nurses, surgeons, EMTs and paramedics, and hospital staff —in2019, there were over 22 million jobs in health care in theUnited States, and abig chunk of that is thanks to Medicaid and Medicare patients. Healthcare is on track to provide 24% of new jobs, some1.6 million between now and 2033. These job creators need our politicians’ support Government at all levels is always trying to create jobs by giving businesses tax breaks worthbillions, but why not support thesolid and necessary jobs for health care?
Congress and some Louisianapoliticians ignore health care jobs. Then they give space flight programs billions of dollars to go to Mars, launch afew elites into space or to blow up giant rockets. Ourstate leaders spent $300 million to send theNational Guard to help Texas at the border Leadersshould know how manyand how good thejobs the spending will
create. Get off the political stage and support these good jobs. We should preserve what we alreadyhave. Medicaid and Medicare provide jobs and accessible hospitals in rural communities, jobsthat make forabetter life and spin up new enterprises. American politicians love supporting big business and billionaires, wellbefore any jobsare created A200-bed hospital typically employs nearly 1,000 people. In 2025, 84% of hospitals are community hospitals, andabout 58% are nonprofit; 24% are investor-owned, and 18% are government-owned, according to the American Hospital Association. Could that be thereal issue?Politicians take care of thefat catsbecause they give them money There’splenty to support jobs. Healthcare jobs and the economic impact at the local level are important across the country
G. PAUL MARX Lafayette
Forthe first time,the Catholic Churchhas an American-born pope,Leo XIV In arecentarticle about the pope,hementions serving and attending the 6:30 a.m. daily Mass. His memory triggered my memoriesofserving as an altar boy at age5.Our parish had an elderly priest, FatherBarbier,who did the daily 5:30 a.m. Mass. Thatearly beginning of serving as an altar boycontinued through my eighth grade year at St. Philomena Elementary School in Labadieville. Thatwas the cut-off point for serviceasanaltarboy
Imagine this:Apresident establishes apersonal security force to round up, detain and guard “enemies of the administration.” No courts. No oversight. No due process —just absoluteloyalty to theleader
Would you report for duty? It sounds unthinkable, yet we see theseeds of it today.Armed “volunteers” stand watch at polling places, searching for fraud that does not exist. Militias train for “war” on American soil against their political opponents. Federal agencies likeICE have called immigrants to hearings under legal pretenses, then arrested and deported them on the spot. These are not acts of loyalty to theConstitution —they are loyalty to political power
Toomany Americanshave forgotten that true patriotismmeans loyalty to therule of law,not to apersonality
When people start defending aleader above the law,itisonly ashort slide to justifying thearrest,silencing or even elimination of that leader’sopponents. History warns us. In 1930s Germany,
men volunteered for theSSbecause they were deceived by Hitler’smagnetism and warped interpretation of how thedemocratic institutions of the Weimar Republic hadfailed. In 1970s Chile, Pinochet’ssecret police detained, tortured or disappeared thousands in thename of protecting the regime. In bothcases, distrust of the political system,coupled with blind loyalty to aleader,led to systematic efforts to eradicate political opposition. We have arepublic, designed to withstand unpopular ideas through ballots, free speech and the peaceful transfer of power.The Constitution even gives us apeaceful path to fix what we dislike: amendments. Apresident is a temporary steward of these freedoms —never aking. So if you are ever asked to help identify,detain silence the “enemies” of a president,think carefully.That is the road totyranny
BRIAN
HANLEY Baton Rouge
The Catholic church is filled with rituals, some dating back over 2,000 years. And, the duties we performedasaltar boys serving at Mass arevivid memories today, over 80 years later Irecently triedtotally how many Masses I’ve attendedduring my altarboy years. Considering my time serving at weddings andfunerals, Sunday and daily masses, I’ve estimated the totalat nearly 1,000. Sincethen, the numberisabout 60,000.
Pleasedon’t take this as a “bragging moment.” Millions of Catholics attend Mass far more oftenthanIhaveattended. Ishare the numbertoillustrate that, as Catholics, we love attending Mass. It’sour connectiontoJesus, especially if we also receive the Eucharist.
If you areCatholic and don’t regularly attend Mass, why not increaseyournumbers so youcan rekindle the joya Mass brings to your life?Itcan be alife-changing experience to interact with Jesus during Mass.
BILLYARCEMENT Prairieville
Washington Parish Sheriff Jason Smith, on the job for one year as of July 1, doesn’tlike the word “progressive.” And why should he? He’s aRepublican sheriffinavery conservative parish. Progressive is adirty word there, applied to the likes of New York Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, the liberal firebrand. When Iasked him if it applied to him, he grimaced. “Please don’tuse that word,” he said. Ididn’t comeupwith it, though. It came from one of his captains, a Washington Parish native and longtime deputy who, when Iasked him to describe what working for Smith was like, said “refreshingly progressive.”
That term is not one you expect to hear in places like the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. Iasked the captain what he meant. It had nothing to do with being conservative or liberal, the captain said. Rather,Smithis turning law enforcement in the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office “from a political occupation to aprofessional one.” Smith certainly wouldn’tbecalled aliberal firebrand. Or aliberal anything.Inaddition to being aRepublican, he’saformer Marine Corps officer who earnedthe Silver Star for hisactions duringintense fighting in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. Hismilitary bearing is still very much evident. Butwhat he’sdoing in Washington Parish is progressive in the most basic sense: He’strying to move the office forward. And by doing so, he may be creating amodel for other officials, especially sheriffs, to balance fiscal responsibility and improving the qualityofservice.
Nowhere are Smith’sefforts more apparent than in the jail kitchen.
The day Iwas there, trustees charged with cookingwere slicing apples and making salad to serve withthe inmates’ lunch. Before Smith took over,inmates —who are mostly awaiting trial and thus haven’tbeen convicted —got premademeals that were more costly and less nutritious. Thekitchen was only used to prepare meals for staff.
Now,meals for those incarcerated there are made in-house. They include fresh fruits and vegetables. Supplies come from the local salvage grocer, whodonates things he can’t sell. In other words, inmates are getting better,more nutritious meals, and theoffice is saving money.It’spart of what Smith calls fulfillinghis “moral,
legaland constitutional responsibility” to the inmates and thetaxpayers of Washington Parish. That’sprogress.
Outside the kitchen, other changes are evident
Smithhas had thefloors waxed, the halls painted and new lightsinstalled.
Thejail’soutside areas, once littered with trash and used as ad hoc storage, have been tidied up and will soon be used for outdoor group visitation.
That’s not to say theWashington ParishJail is some breezy retreat on the Bogue ChittoRiver Its blocks are busting at the seams —“the most overcrowded jail in the state,” Smith says. The day Iwas there, the jail housed 252 inmates, far beyond its official 144-inmate capacity. The air conditioning in one unit wasn’tworking.
Because ofthe space issues, some inmatesare sent to other prisons around the state, somethingthat costs theparish extra money
Theparish needs anew jail, but it’s atough sell because nobody —especially notparish government, which is constitutionally required to provide thejail —wants to spend the millions it would cost to build one.
So Smithhas to make do with what he has.
Outside of the jailwalls, Smith is working to upgradethe responsiveness and approach of his deputies
To do that, he has established district stationsaroundthe parish, each headed by acaptain. He has moved thedispatch operations,which were in acramped corner of the jail offices, to astate-of-the-art communications office in thecenter of the parish. He has instituted physical fitnessstandards. He has begun training deputies on modern policing and de-escalation. Smithsays he wants to “create a culture” in which all of the deputies and employees have bought in and are held to high standards.Some of his ideals areborrowed from his stint in theMarine Corps, others come from different agencies and leaders. What Smithisdoing is moving the agency forward. That’sprogress. And Smith, as much as he may hateit, is a progressive. It would be ashame if calling him that makes what he’sdoing bad in some people’seyes.The foundations of Smith’sprogressivism—discipline, professionalism and respect —are not political terms. They don’tbelong to “conservatives” or “liberals.” We shouldn’tallow them to be hijacked, for good or for ill, by either side. Smithissimply doing what residents deserve. Louisianacould use more progressivism likethat
Faimon A. RobertsIII can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
It seems bizarre, in the year of our Lord 2025, to be debating whetherthe government should run the grocery stores. History has thoughtfully answered this question with multiple experiments, from the old Soviet Union to modern-day Venezuela. The answer is: “No! Absolutely not! Are you crazy?”
Elon Musk warned that if Republicans passed their big domestic policy bill, he would form anew “America Party” to primary those whovoted for it. He doesn’tneed anew party. He hashis old one,the Democrats. Many Democratshave grown to intensely dislike Musk,and they have their reasons.His prancing around with achain saw as he gleefullyfired thousands of valued federal employees wasugly.But his most damaging act wasspending nearly $300 million to get DonaldTrump reelected. As it happens, the rightdoesn’t like Musk, either.Trump’sserialabuse of him is something to behold. When Musk opposedhis “bigbeautiful” bill, Trump let loose on Truth Social. “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head backto South Africa,” Trump bellowed. “No more Rocket launches,Satellites, or Electric Car Production BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Look, Musk is aweird guy. He’s been agenius at building new companies, making him the richestperson on earth. But his understandingofhuman behavior is sketchy, especially with a personality as diabolical as Trump’s. By putting Musk at the head of DOGE, Trump made him the fall guy forunpopular budget cuts.
Alongtime Democrat, Musk was
turned off by the woke thing. It’strue that Democrats let some activists’ obsession with transgender issues and use ofpronouns get out of hand. The reality is that most Democrats aremoderate.
case, areturn to the environmental fold —which theeccentric Musk could pull off —would become aspectacular turnaround.
If Musk wants to exert power in primary races, he’d have moreimpact in Democratic primaries. Removing fringe leftists from the national stage woulddoaworld of good for Democrats,helping the party regain control of Congress. In sum, Muskcould use his smarts, moneyand controlofXtosupport the Democratic mainstream.
Trumphas argued that Musk is angry because the bill ends federal subsidies for electric vehicles.Why theman who built up Tesla went over tothe anti-EV sidemystifies to this day.But Trumpwas correct in noting that “Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that Iwas strongly against the EV Mandate.” Fact check time: ThereisnoEV mandate,never was.The subsidy was to encouragepeople to buy EVs. No onehad to. It was also to help domestic automakers compete in aworld that is rapidly moving to electric vehicles Musk’sassociation with Trumphas trashed Tesla sales in this country and in Europe. Areconnection with the worldwidecampaign for green energy could makeTeslas cool again. In any
Musk’sdescription of the massive bill as “the biggest debt increase in history” is accurate. It’sodd how little Americansrecognize that Democrats have been better at controlling deficits and growing theeconomy than Republicans.
Democrat Bill Clinton was theonly president to balance thebudget in over half acentury.Republican George W. Bush ran through thesurpluses, leaving Barack Obama with the Great Recession and adeficit of nearly $2 trillion. (This and the numbers that follow are in today’sdollars.) By his last year, Obama brought deficits down to $759 billion.
Trumpinhis first term oversaw an almost $1 trillion deficit before COVID, almost $4 trillion in his last year.Joe Biden brought deficitsdown to $1.87 trillion byhis last year —and that was after big investments in America’sinfrastructure and chip manufacturing. Today’sbudget monstrosityisprojected to increase budget deficits by roughly $4 trillion over the next decade. Musk should return to theDemocratic Party,and Democratsshould welcome him.
Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.
But here is Zohran Mamdani, the winnerofNew York’sDemocratic mayoral primary,suggesting that the city needs a“public option” for groceries: five pilot stores, one in each borough, to help bring prices down and provide oases in the city’s“food deserts.” Mamdani wants to socialize the means of consumption. Noristhere any reason to think the government can make the food in its stores more affordable than what’savailable privately.The idea of apublic option is drawn from left-wing health care advocacy.Though I’m skepticalit would work, at least you can argue the health care sector has serious market failures thatthe government might be able to solve. The grocery business, by contrast, is one of the most hypercompetitive and efficient parts of our economy, with profit margins that have historically averaged around 1% to 3%.
Even saving NewYorkers that percentage would be achallenge, because it’sreally hard just to break even in the grocery business. It takes extensive experience and arelentless focus on implementation to keep the right stock on the shelves, to prevent theft while providing attractive and easily accessible displays, to cultivate workers who provide excellent customer service, and to keep spoilage down to acceptable levels.
Even Amazon, with one of the best logistics operations in the world, hasfaced challenges trying to enter the brick-and-mortar grocery market. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.) Why would the government do better? Because it will save money by buying in bulk? A five-store chain has less negotiating power than Whole Foods. What’sthat Ihear from the back? They can save on rent by parking stores on city-owned land? My friend, let me introduce you to the economic concept of opportunity costs: A“free” location isn’tactually free if it means forgoing money you could have collected by leasing it, not to mention the tax revenue you’ll lose by substituting acity operation for asuccessful business. Now let’sadd in the factors that could drive the city’scosts well above those of private stores, like civil service salaries and onerous government procurement rules. It seems as though the only waythe city can outcompete private grocers is by selling at aloss, which would harm the private sellers, give richer New Yorkers asubsidy they don’tneed and createblack markets where people resell their subsidized groceries. It would cost the city alot of money that could have been spent on more useful projects. The best you can say about any of this is that Mamdani might not really mean it. It’sjust something that sounds great in aTikTok video In fact, that’sthe best you can say about many of his policy proposals: the rent freeze that will distort New York’salready grossly misshapen housing market, the free buses that would open up a$700 millionhole in the transit authority’s budget, the stiff tax increases that risk an exodus of higher-income taxpayers who pay the bulk of the city’sincome taxes. Indeed, that’sahope I’ve heard expressedsurprisingly often —surprising, Imean, givenhow clear Mamdani is about his distaste forcapitalism. He’snot just playing asocialist for the cameras; he clearly means every word of it. Nonetheless, I’ve seen center-left people suggesting that once the campaign is over and reality kicks in, he’ll focus on delivering good services,not pie-in-the-sky dreams of aworker’sparadise. There’ssomething to that, given that the City Council and/or the state legislature would have to sign off on many of his proposals. That would seem to leave some of them already deadinthe water —I’m skeptical Albany would authorize an extra $30 billion of borrowing to build affordable housing —and others, such as the free buses, unlikely at best.
On the other hand, the rent freeze, one of Mamdani’smost destructive policies, would be well within his powers, because the mayor appoints the members of New York’sRent Guidelines Board. And surely it matters that his instincts tend toward meddling in markets that are already working well, just as it mattered that Donald Trump wasirrationally obsessed with imposing tariffs on our trading partners. Youcan argue, as Trump’ssupporters did, for taking him “seriously,but not literally.” But in the hands of acharismatic zealot, seriously bad ideas have away of becoming literally awful realities.
MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.
Faimon Roberts
Froma Harrop
ega McArdle M n
STAFF FILEPHOTO
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Colonel Jason Smith, nowthe sheriff of Washington Parish, is recognized duringa2023 Veterans Dayprogram at Franklinton Junior High School.
Baton Rouge Weather
hislovingwifeof52years BrendaMelanconMelan‐con.LovingfatherofJen‐nifer Vosburg(Ryan), Dr Michelle LeBlanc(Ken) and grandfatherofTyler, Luke, andNicholasVos‐burgand Kate,Landree, and KorrynLeBlanc Brother of Earl JMelancon, Jr. (Pam), Ronnie Melancon (Rhonda), CraigMelancon (Stephanie),and Steven Melancon, brothers in law, Dr. DavidMelancon (Shirley),Randall Melan‐con (Lisa),Dr. Daniel Melancon(Gayle),and sis‐ter in lawJoEllen Bourgeois (David),and numerous niecesand nephews. Reg‐gie wasprecededindeath byhis parents, Earl Jand Elizabeth “Dell” Melancon, Sr.,brother Larry Melan‐con,niece LindseyMelan‐con,and father in law LawrenceMelancon, Jr Visitationwillbeheld Wednesday,July9th,2025 from8:30am-11:00amwith Masstostart at 11:00 am atSt. Joseph’s Catholic Church,2130 RectorySt, Paulina, LA 70763. Thefam‐ily wouldliketoextend their gratitudetoCompas‐sus Hospiceand care‐givers, Tiffhany, Sonyaand Kendrafor theirkindand compassionate care
SemienMcTeir, Francis Semien, Edna Ned, and Catherine Ned; uncles Joseph Preston Malveaux, Alton Ned,AristileNed Phillip Ned, Benjamin Ned RooseveltNed,PaulNed, and HerbertNed;sister-inlaw, Moneka H. Ned. Visitation Wednesday,July9 2025,Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Highway,Baton Rouge, LA., 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Visitation continues, Thursday, July 10, 2025, Rose Hill Church, 3213 Groom Road, Baton Rouge, LA., 9:00 am until religious service at 10:00 am. Interment Louisiana National Cemetery, Zachary, LA. PastorDanny Donaldsonofficiating. Funeral Service Entrusted to Hall Davisand Son. www.halldavisandson.com
Recer, Ervin Lee
Ervin Lee Recer,most recently of Roanoke,VA, and formerly along-time resident of Mandeville, LA, passedawayonThursday, July 3, 2025.Hewas 95 years old. Ervin is fondly rememberedasa father,grandfather,and generous friend. He was born in Fort Worth, TX on May19, 1930, and was agraduateofthe Texas TechUniversity journalism program. After school,heserved two yearsasanofficer in the UnitedStatesAir Force, stationed in Mobile, Alabama during the Korean War. In1954hebecame an FBI special agent, servinginmultiple resident agenciesand FBI Headquartersin Washington,DC. He was Assistant Special Agent in Chargeinthe Philadelphia, PA field office and Special Agent in Charge in the Albany, NY and New Orleans,LAfield offices. Among many career highlights was his coordination
and supervision of security for the1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY
After retiring fromthe FBI in 1980, Ervin volunteered forover 25 years as thePersonnelDirector for theMandevilleLACity Police Department, establishing and directinga civil -serviceprogram to professionalizethatdepartment Ervin was predeceased by hisparents, Lennie and B.W.,and by his wife of over 66 years, Betty, who died in 2019.
He is survivedbyhis children, Karen Higgins (Mark) and Gregg Recer (Catherine Graichen); his grandchildren, Megan, Rachel, and Bryce; brothers, HaroldRecer (Marcia) and Paul Recer (Lenna); many nieces and nephews; and numerous other family and friends.
Afuturememorial gathering for family in Ft Worth, TX willbearranged In lieu of flowers,donations can be madetoThe FormerAgents of theFBI Foundation at:https://ww w.socxfbi.org/SFSA/Dona te/Donate.aspx. Online condolences may be made at www.Oakeys.com. Arrangementshandled by Oakey's Funeral Service -NorthChapel, Roanoke, VA (540) 362-1237.
Rube Jr., Fred C. 'Ricky' Fred C. “Ricky” Rube Jr age 78, peacefully passed awayathis home sur‐rounded by hisfamilyon Saturday, July 5, 2025. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend Mr.Ricky's MemorialVisitationatHoly Ghost Catholic Church in Hammond,LA, on Thurs‐day,July10, 2025, from 9:00 a.m.until 11:30 a.m. Fu‐neral Mass will beginat 11:30 a.m.,officiated by Fr Charlie Johnson. Please visit ourwebsite,www.har rymckneely.com, forthe fullobituary. Arrange‐ments have been entrusted toHarry McKneely& Son FuneralHomes
Ned, Jonathan
Jonathanissurvived by his mother, Mary Ann Semien Ned; daughter Leah Rachel Ned; five siblings, Valerie Ann Ned Campbell of Greensboro, NC; Jessica Ned Semien Olive; Jennifer Michelle Ned O'Carroll; Dr. Judith Teresa Ned all of Baton Rouge, LA and Jerome Gregory Ned of Orlando, FL. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Herman Ned; grandmothers, Mary G. LaDay Semien and Ilean Chenier Ned; grandfathers Simon Semien and Albert Ned; aunts, Margaret A.
DEATHS continued from
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin scores a touchdown as Saints cornerbacks Alontae Taylor, left, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, right, defend during a game at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 15.
Is corner covered?
of
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
At this point last year, cornerback was a strength for the New Orleans Saints. On paper it was arguably the team’s deepest position.
That’s not the case anymore. Marshon Lattimore was traded to Washington in November. Paulson Adebo signed with the New York Giants in March. And the Saints appear to be relying on youth to take a step forward in 2025.
New Orleans drafted Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley in the fourth round
and signed veteran Isaac Yiadom to help offset the departures. And it’s banking on Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry to dramatically improve under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley Is it a risky bet? Perhaps. But as talented as the Saints were at cornerback in 2024, the unit struggled. New Orleans gave up the sixth-most passing yards last season, and the explosive plays allowed were hard to ignore. This was a unit that needed some change after how last year unfolded.
Djokovic’s push for No. 25 remains alive
BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer
LONDON — Right before Wimbledon began, Novak Djokovic declared it was the tournament that gave him the best chance to claim an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles trophy Made sense, really, given that he’s won seven titles there already and reached the past six finals.
For one uncharacteristically unsteady set in the fourth round Monday, it sure didn’t look as if that would happen this year Djokovic, though, turned things around and avoided what would have been his earliest exit at the All England Club since 2016, coming through for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 11th-seeded Alex de Minaur at Centre Court
With eight-time Wimbledon winner Roger Federer sitting in the front row of the Royal Box, very little went right at the outset for the 38-year-old Djokovic on the grass below during a breezy afternoon with the temperature in the 60s, a week after matches were contested in record-breaking heat.
“A lot of challenging moments for me,” Djokovic said right after the win, then later called it a “big, big relief” not to get pushed to a fifth set
He trailed 4-1 in the fourth before taking the last five games and 14 of the final 15 points.
“Lifted his level,” de Minaur said of Djokovic, “big-time.” Djokovic’s bid for an eighth Wimbledon title and 25th Grand
U.S. soccer player pool becomes game
BY RONALD BLUM AP sports writer
Now comes the U.S. national team’s version of “Survivor.”
Having expanded his player pool during a CONCACAF Gold Cup that ended with a 2-1 loss to Mexico in Sunday’s final, coach Mauricio Pochettino has eight friendlies left from September through March to evaluate players to pick for the World Cup.
“All the American players have the possibility,” Pochettino said. “We need to analyze every single player, see the circumstances, the situations, performance, fitness level.” After a CONCACAF Nations
League flop with his A team in March, Pochettino had largely a B squad for the Gold Cup. Star Christian Pulisic wanted vacation time; Yunus Musah opted out for an undisclosed personal reason; Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Gio Reyna were forced to be with their teams at the Club World Cup; Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun were hurt; and Sergiño Dest was regaining fitness.
Defender Tim Ream and Tyler Adams were the only holdovers in the lineup against Mexico from the starters in the 2022 World Cup second-round loss to
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
A few years from now when the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2025 draft class is evaluated, most of it will depend on how first-round picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen pan out.
Micah Peavy, the Pelicans’ secondround pick, wants to make sure he’s a part of that conversation, too.
The 6-foot-7 guard out of Georgetown knows exactly on which end of the court he likely will make his mark.
“A lot of guys don’t like playing defense,” Peavy said. “I love it. I don’t like being scored on. I don’t like the other team getting buckets. So I take pride in that.”
Peavy hasn’t taken long to show his knack for playing defense
“Micah is a really good defender,” said Pelicans Summer League coach Corey Brewer “You can tell that he loves to play defense and he plays hard. For us around here, that’s a breath of fresh air and we are happy to have him.”
The Pelicans are so happy to have him that they signed Peavy to a deal Monday morning reportedly worth $8.7 million over four years, according to HoopsHype.com.
“It means a lot,” Peavy said about signing his first NBA contract. “I’ve been waiting on this my whole life.” Now Peavy, who turns 24 next week, is waiting to show what he can do in the NBA. He gets his first chance Thursday in Las Vegas when the Pelicans play the Minnesota Timberwolves in their Summer League opener Peavy has watched plenty of Summer League action in the past, particularly his stepbrother Anthony Black who plays for the Orlando Magic So he knows what these games can mean to a player “I’ve watched it a lot the past couple of years because I knew I was going to get to this point,” Peavy said. “I see a lot of guys separate themselves, not just by scoring but by playing defense and the little things, and I can’t wait to do that as well.”
Defense always has been a thing for Peavy, who has been around basketball his entire life. His father David coached him at Duncanville High in Texas and instilled a defensive mindset.
“That’s what he preaches,” Peavy said. “My dad didn’t let anything go. I had to play hard at all times. I couldn’t take bad shots. So I think that’s helped me a lot to get to this level and playing the right way and playing hard at all times.”
Peavy, whose college career also included stops at Texas Tech and TCU, isn’t too bad on the offensive end, either He averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists this past season for Georgetown He shot 40% on 3-pointers If he can continue that success on 3-pointers, it will bolster he chances of getting valuable playing time in the league. It’ll just add to what he brings to the table on the other end.
“He can guard multiple positions 1 through 4,” Brewer said. “Then when you have the size that he has, that’s good. He wants to play defense Sometimes, playing defense isn’t about how good you are. It’s about the want. If a kid wants to play defense, he is going to play a long time. Trust me.” Brewer believes in Peavy More
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino, left, talks with midfielder Diego Luna as they walk off the field at halftime of the team’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final match against Mexico in Houston on Sunday.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Pelicans guard Micah Peavy checks out his jersey during an introductory news conference at the Pelicans’ training facility on June 28.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays Australia’s Alex de Minaur during a men’s singles match at Wimbledon in London on Monday
ä See TENNIS, page 2C
ä See PELICANS, page 4C
See SOCCER, page 4C ä See SAINTS, page 3C
WIMBLEDON
Sinner reaches quarters despite injury
Foe Dimitrov retires while up two sets
BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis
LONDON Jannik Sinner advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals despite hurting his right elbow in a fall and dropping the first two sets Monday night, because his opponent, Grigor Dimitrov had to quit with an injured pectoral muscle.
Sinner said he will have an MRI exam Tuesday on his elbow “to see if there’s something serious” and added in Italian: “There is some concern.”
The No. 1-seeded Sinner hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament until falling behind No. 19 Dimitrov 6-3, 7-5. But at 2-all in the third set, Dimitrov stopped playing. It’s the fifth consecutive Grand Slam tournament where the 34-year-old Dimitrov failed to complete a match. He also did it at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in May, plus last year’s Wimbledon and U.S Open.
“He’s been so unlucky in the past couple of years. An incredible player A good friend of mine, also. We understand each other very well, off the court, too,” Sinner said. “I hope he has a speedy recovery.”
On the last point against Sinner, Dimitrov served and immediately clutched his chest with his left hand. He took a few steps and crouched, before sitting on the grass. Sinner walked over to that side of the court to check on him.
“My pec,” Dimitrov told Sinner Dimitrov — a three-time major semifinalist, including at Wimbledon in 2014 then went to the
sideline, sat in his chair and was checked by a trainer and doctor
As Dimitrov talked with them, Sinner knelt nearby After a delay of a few minutes, Dimitrov walked toward the locker room with the medical personnel. Soon, he reemerged and said he couldn’t continue. “I don’t take this as a win, at all,”
Sinner said. “This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.”
Two hours earlier, it was Sinner down on the ground and seemingly in trouble He was hurt in the opening game, when his foot gave out from under him and he slipped
ABOVE: Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates a point during a women’s fourth-round match against Clara Tauson of Denmark at Wimbledon in London on Monday.
RIGHT: Ben Shelton of the U.S celebrates winning a fourth-round match against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy at Wimbledon in London on Monday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH
Continued from page 1C
Slam singles trophy overall will continue against No. 22 Flavio Cobolli of Italy Cobolli reached his first major quarterfinal with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) victory over 2014 U.S Open champion and twotime major runner-up Marin Cilic No. 10 Ben Shelton improved to 3-0 against Lorenzo Sonego at majors this year by beating him 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1), 7-5. Shelton’s first Wimbledon quarterfinal will come against No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who moved on despite a painful right elbow and a two-set deficit when No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov quit because of an injured chest muscle. Against de Minaur, Djokovic made mistake after mistake, double-faulting four times in the first
and fell behind a baseline, bracing his fall with his right hand while still holding his racket.
During a medical timeout while trailing 3-2 in the second set, Sinner winced as a trainer massaged the elbow Sinner’s coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, looked on from their box with concern. Sinner was given a pill to take and play resumed. He frequently shook his right arm or rubbed his elbow between points. Sinner entered Monday having lost a total of just 17 games in the tournament, tying the record for
the fewest in the Open era by man at Wimbledon through three completed matches.
Right after he fell behind by two sets against Dimitrov the match was paused so the stadium’s retractable roof could be closed because of fading sunlight.
The 23-year-old Italian is a three-time Grand Slam champion who will play No. 10 Ben Shelton of the United States for a berth in the semifinals.
Sinner leads the head-to-head series 5-1 and has won their past five matches, all in straight sets, including at Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open this year
set alone. Djokovic lost five of his first seven service games against de Minaur, a 26-year-old Australian who accumulated 19 break points in all. Djokovic made 16 unforced errors in the first set alone. All in all, Djokovic was discombobulated, chalking it up afterward to nerves and a swirling wind He rushed between points He reacted to flubbed shots by rolling his eyes or shouting and glaring in the direction of his guest box or putting his arms wide as if seeking explanations from someone, anyone. At changeovers, he placed an ice-filled towel usually wrapped around necks by players in steamy conditions — on his stomach, which he complained about during his first-round victory last week. But afterward, Djokovic dismissed the significance of that.
A loss would have been Djokovic’s soonest at Wimbledon since he was eliminated in the third round by Sam Querrey nine years ago. Since winning his men’s record 24th major title at the 2023 U.S Open, Djokovic has come close to raising his total. He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon last year the second consecutive time they met in the final, with the results the same — and departed each of the first two Grand Slams of 2025 in the semifinals.
No man as old as Djokovic is now has won a major championship. He keeps showing why it’s not preposterous to think he could.
“I didn’t have many solutions, to be honest,” Djokovic said, “but I just reset myself in the second.” By the end, it was almost as though de Minaur was resigned
LSU coach Johnson wins D1Baseball’s top honor
LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson, who this season directed the Tigers to their second College World Series title in three years, was named Monday as the 2025 National Coach of the Year by D1Baseball.
Johnson is the fastest coach to win multiple CWS championships during his tenure at a single school. The previous mark was set by Jim Morris, who claimed NCAA trophies in 1999 and 2001 during his first eight seasons at Miami. The Tigers posted a 53-15 overall record and finished the year on an eight-game winning streak, culminated by a two-game series sweep of Coastal Carolina in the College World Series final.
Johnson also won the award after he guided LSU to a national championship in 2023.
Magic, Banchero agree on a five-year extension
Paolo Banchero has checked a lot of boxes since joining the Orlando Magic.
He won rookie of the year, has been an All-Star and helped the team make the playoffs twice.
Banchero now has agreed to the richest contract in Magic history, a five-year extension that is worth $239 million and could reach about $287 million should he become eligible for a supermax deal, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Monday Banchero was the rookie of the year in 2022-23, living up to his billing after being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
He was an All-Star in his second season and was well on his way to that again last season before an early-season oblique injury
Astros put first baseman Walker on paternity leave
The Houston Astros placed first baseman Christian Walker on paternity leave Monday before the start of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Walker, who is in his first season with the Astros, is batting 231 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs. He’s heated up recently after a slow start and has hit .429 with two homers and eight RBIs in six games this month.
The AL West-leading Astros recalled outfielder Kenedy Corona from Triple-A Sugar Land to take his spot on the roster The 25-yearold Corona is hitting .228 with six homers and 28 RBIs in the minors this season. Also Monday, right-hander Jordan Weems cleared waivers and elected free agency
Merlier wins third stage of the Tour de France Belgian rider Tim Merlier won the crash-marred third stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish and Mathieu Van der Poel kept the yellow jersey on Monday Defending champion Tadej Pogaar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard — the main contenders — finished safely as they rolled in together with the main pack. But Stage 1 winner Jasper Philipsen abandoned after he broke a collarbone in one of the early crashes.
When the sprinters turned for home into a strong headwind, several crashed near the line at top speeds of 40 mph. Merlier just got the front of his wheel in front of Italian Jonathan Milan as they lunged to the line. German rider Phil Bauhaus was third.
to defeat, knowing he’s only the latest — and perhaps not the last opponent to succumb to a surging Djokovic. “I mean,” de Minaur said, “he’s been pretty good in big moments for a very long time.”
Also on Monday, No 7 Mirra Andreeva, an 18-year-old Russian, became the youngest player to reach the women’s quarterfinals at Wimbledon since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007, beating No. 10 Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3. Andreeva next meets Belinda Bencic, who defeated No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Iga Swiatek, a five-time major champion who is seeded No. 8, was a 6-4, 6-1 winner against No. 23 Clara Tauson and will play No 19 Liudmila Samsonova, who advanced to her first major quarterfinal with a 7-5, 7-5 victory against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Miami Heat acquires Powell in 3-team trade
The Miami Heat has acquired Norman Powell, while John Collins is going to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson are headed to the Utah Jazz as parts of a three-team trade that was completed Monday Powell averaged 21.8 points last season for the Clippers and is a career 40% shooter from 3-point range. Collins averaged 19 points in 40 games for the Jazz last season, while Love averaged 5.3 points in 23 games with the Heat. Anderson averaged 6.7 points in 25 games after being traded to Miami. Powell figures to give Miami much-needed scoring and shooting, and Love likely will be a Hall of Famer when his playing days end. Anderson is joining his sixth team, and Collins has averaged 16 points per game in eight seasons.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG
Italy’s Jannik Sinner, left, checks on Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov after he went down with an injury during their men’s singles match at Wimbledon in London on Monday. Dimitrov was forced to retire up two sets.
Saints delegation heads to Paris to bolster ties
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
A contingent from the New Orleans Saints that will include owner Gayle Benson and All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis are traveling to Paris this week to promote the club’s visibility in France.
The NFL granted the Saints international marketing rights in France as part of its Global Markets Program, announced in the summer of 2023. When that partnership was announced, Benson said in a statement that “New Orleans and France have enjoyed a unique cultural connection for centuries and we are excited about working with the NFL and our partners in France to grow the game of American football.”
This trip is designed to strengthen the connection between the team and its fans abroad, as well as making brand inroads with local officials, media and influencers. The team’s delegation will attend a series of events starting Thursday
Kansas City Chiefs
quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks to throw against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LIX on Feb 9 at Caesars Superdome.
and culminating in a Bastille Day river cruise Monday Davis is scheduled to attend every event on the Saints’ behalf, which will begin with a happy hour meet-and-greet with fans at the New Orléans Saints Cafe, and include a trip to the U.S. Embassy in Paris as well as a flag football clinic in tandem with the Fédération Française de Football Américain.
Benson will join the trip later in the week to attend a Paris Musketeers game.
Earlier this year, the Saints announced a strategic partnership with the Musketeers, who play in the European League of Football, through which the team hopes to grow the American game while also increasing its own brand visibility in France.
Benson and the rest of the delegation are expected to attend the team’s game this Sunday against the Vienna Vikings, at which the Saints are expected to launch a team-branded boys and girls flag football program in coordination
Mahomes enjoying familiarity with WRs for a change
SAM MCDOWELL
The Kansas City Star (TNS)
Commentary
KANSAS CITY,Mo.— A year ago, Xavier Worthy’s introduction to the NFL came while wearing shorts and a jersey top, a spectator’s fit as he stood next to a coach watching the Chiefs offense begin preparation for the season Mental reps, he called those. A year earlier, Rashee Rice popped out of a summer camp huddle and hurried to the wrong side of the line, prompting his head coach to stop the play and start it anew A few snaps later, he made the mistake again.
There’s a commonality in the subject of those two brief stories: The wide receivers were rookies. Oh, and one more similarity: They were the go-to wideouts on those teams.
Eventually
The No. 1 roles didn’t come immediately because, well, they couldn’t come immediately Rice and Worthy had just arrived in Kansas City and didn’t know the playbook, didn’t entirely know what to expect in the NFL and didn’t even really know the quarterback.
Which offers a direct contrast to this offseason.
Last month, with the Chiefs in a similar stage of summer work, quarterback Patrick Mahomes called a play during mandatory minicamp, and it prompted a verbal “fight” among their wide receivers. That was Hollywood Brown’s tongue-in-cheek word, not mine.
The receivers knew the play, knew every route assignment within it and therefore had a pretty good idea of where Mahomes would look to throw the ball. Thus, the fight.
“Let me get that one,” Brown said of the exchange in the huddle. “Let me get this one.” The top of the Kansas City wide receiver depth chart provides the quarterback with familiarity this year That sentence hasn’t been true since the Chiefs sent Tyreek Hill to Miami in March 2022.
The Chiefs are a couple of weeks shy of packing up for training camp. For three seasons, that “training” has most accurately defined teaching top-of-the-depthchart wide receivers the basic components of the offense.
The Chiefs were educating their wide receivers on snap counts Some of them rarely had even huddled in college.
This year? It’s an opportunity not to simply pass out the playbook but rather to expand it.
between Louisiana and France to help foster a relationship that can be beneficial to Louisiana and the New Orleans community Benson intends to leverage her status as an NFL owner to help bring some of this about.
“(Mrs. Benson) is our best ambassador and her work with the NFL International committee allows her to not only promote the New Orleans Saints but economic development for our state,” Saints senior vice president of communications Greg Bensel said in a statement. “Her presence in Paris for this game demonstrates her commitment to building relationships beyond our region.
“During her visit, she will meet with top French CEOs, politicians, cultural leaders and ambassadors with one goal in mind: promoting the state of Louisiana and the city New Orleans.”
They already have.
“It allows you to jump-start and line up in all these crazy formations,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said “It’s things that as (last) season went on, we were able to expand a little bit. Then we hit it running here.”
The Chiefs have a chance to layer into an offense that finished just 15th in the NFL in scoring each of the past two seasons.
Consider this:
• In his first 10 games as a rookie in 2023, Rice averaged 42 yards receiving per game. In his last six games, he averaged 86.3 yards per game. That’s more than double.
• In his first nine games as a rookie in 2024, Worthy averaged 27.3 yards receiving per game In his final seven games, he averaged 56 per game. That’s more than double.
It takes time.
It shouldn’t now The Chiefs finally will open training camp with their best receivers having a foundation
This year, the Chiefs return Rice, Worthy and Brown. Two of the three missed significant time with injuries last year, but they didn’t miss the education They return knowing the offense, the playbook, the assignments and the quarterback. So does veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster Fourth-round pick Jalen Royals does not arrive atop the depth chart.
That might not produce a higher ceiling for the offense, but it should give the Chiefs a higher likelihood of reaching it and there’s less of an excuse for them not to reach it far earlier in the season.
“I think you saw even at the beginning of last year, before Rashee got hurt, whenever you have a guy that you spent that time with and have that connection with, you can hit the ground running,” Mahomes said.
It’s the very foundation of Mahomes’ most prominent connection. He and tight end Travis Kelce are terrific talents first and foremost, but their production has been undoubtedly elevated not just by experience but by their experiences together
We haven’t see Mahomes develop that level of trust with other receivers recently, but we also haven’t seen much of a chance. The roster has lacked longevity at the position Rice, Brown and Worthy did not play a single snap together a year ago. If healthy it might be the most talented group Mahomes has had since Hill left.
But it’s not strictly about the talent.
It’s the familiarity At long last, the Chiefs have it.
with the Musketeers.
The hope is that the visit and, writ large, the exclusive market-
ing rights to France — goes beyond the scope of football, emphasizing the long-standing connection
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
New coordinator, QB Underwood revamp the offense at Michigan
ANGELIQUE
DETROIT It didn’t take long for Michigan receivers coach Ron Bellamy to jump completely on board with the direction of the Wolverines offense under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey Lindsey, most recently the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at North Carolina, was hired to revive an offense that was ranked among the nation’s worst last season, particularly in the pass game Bellamy wouldn’t share any secrets about what the offense might look like this fall, but he did make clear they’re aligned.
“I love it. Love it that we see it the same way,” Bellamy said to a group of reporters. “Smart guy who understands what Michigan football is, understands what the program is built on, respects it. He’s been around it a long time. Chip is going to do a phenomenal job. Super smart guy, and the kids love him.”
A successful offense certainly is about more than the coordinator It’s about all phases — the quarterback, offensive line, running backs and receivers, everyone working in sync. But having solid quarterback play is key, and that’s where the Wolverines are feeling better about themselves with the
SAINTS
Best case
There are two main reasons for optimism with this group — potential and the new scheme.
addition of five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, the nation’s top recruit.
Underwood enrolled early has been with the team since bowl practices in late December and went through spring practice as one of two healthy quarterbacks; Jadyn Davis was the other Bellamy, who also played at Michigan, doesn’t know who Underwood might be comparable to but said he has set himself apart.
“He’s unique,” Bellamy said. “Big kid, strong arm, accurate, super cerebral, super-smart kid. I know we’ve had a lot of great quarterbacks at Michigan. I don’t think it’s fair to Bryce to say who’s comparable to him now, but, obviously, there’s a lot of great things that he’s done thus far The short term, you can see it.
“I’m most impressed with his leadership and the way he comes out there ready to go every day For a young kid, that’s pretty impressive. Doesn’t get rattled. He’s always working. You love that as a coach, because he’s the quarterback (and he) leads the team and guys follow You can see that following now with summer with some of the guys, not just guys in this class, but some of the older guys.”
Underwood is on the EA Sports College Football 26 deluxe edition cover with a number of other
former and current players and coaches, and he is the first true freshman to appear on the cover of the video game. He has remained, Bellamy said, unchanged.
“It’s always big smile, great personality,” Bellamy said. “I haven’t seen a difference. Humble young man, awesome kid.”
Along with finding a quarterback, the offseason has been about shaping the receivers room. Tight end Colston Loveland was the team’s leading receiver, but the quarterbacks — the Wolverines started three different QBs last season and the receivers never found much chemistry Michigan ranked 131st nationally in passing offense.
Michigan added big-body Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson from the portal to join returners Semaj Morgan, Fred Moore and Peyton O’Leary, among others. McCulley, 6-foot5, 200 pounds, is considered the Wolverines’ top outside receiver
“You like big receivers — you want quarterbacks to be accurate, but they could be less accurate, if that makes sense,” Bellamy said, referring to the advantage of having a taller receiver “(Those) guys have a bigger catch radius. McCulley has been a great addition to our team, more so our receiver room, mentally because he’s a veteran.”
Continued from page 1C Saints cornerback Isaac yiadom breaks up a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton in the first half on Dec. 31, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Taylor and McKinstry have shown promise and are still young enough to believe that there’s room left to grow McKinstry, in particular, stood out during mandatory minicamp with a good feel for disrupting passes. Taylor seems best suited for the slot, and the Saints have put him there primarily this offseason.
Over the last seven weeks of the season, when Taylor and McKinstry were healthy and starting across from each other, the Saints gave up 229.9 yards passing per game — which was actually better than when Adebo and/or Lattimore were available during weeks 1-8 (249.1) The nearly 20-yard difference was enough to make the passing defense slightly below average (20th) instead of bottomof-the-league bad.
Staley’s scheme may help matters. McKinstry made a point to note how he, Taylor and Yiadom have played in similar systems before, whether that was college (McKinstry, Taylor) or the pros (Yiadom) Expect the Saints to deploy a match-based zone defense, one that relies more on vision than physicality.
The amount of zone the Saints could run next season might be striking compared to previous seasons While it was a misnomer to say former coach Dennis Allen didn’t like zone — he still ran it 60.6% of the time after taking over for Sean Payton the Saints ran the fourth-highest amount of manto-man coverage from 2022-24.
When Staley was with the Los Angeles Chargers (2021-23), the Chargers ran zone coverage 67.1% of the time. That put him more in
the middle of the pack, but it’s still a notable enough difference to wonder whether the philosophy change will benefit this secondary
The ceiling of this group could come down to the third cornerback spot The Saints used Riley and Yiadom on the outside during the first-team reps across from McKinstry (with Taylor inside), and those two figure to compete for the job ahead of the regular season. But New Orleans is still asking a lot from whoever emerges. Can Riley really be counted on as a fourth-round rookie? Can Yiadom be a reliable starter after spending most of his career as a backup?
The wild card in all of this is Asante Samuel Jr The former Chargers cornerback visited the Saints this offseason and remains unsigned. Though there are health questions — he’s coming off neck surgery — Samuel would elevate the talent at this position. Under Staley, the 25-year-old played primarily as an outside cornerback meaning he’d likely play across from McKinstry Worst case
The Saints have invested meaningful draft capital in Taylor and McKinstry, taking both in the sec-
ond round. The worst-case scenario for the Saints is that neither can hold up in pass coverage. Despite Taylor’s versatile skill set, it was alarming the way teams went after him a year ago. According to Pro Football Focus, the 26-year-old was targeted 110 times in coverage — trailing only Denver’s Ja’Quan McMillian. And the results weren’t good for New Orleans. Taylor gave up a leaguehigh 998 yards on 79 catches. His struggles on the outside were particularly surprising since he previously was adamant he felt more comfortable there than on the inside. Even if Taylor bounces back, opposing teams may go after Riley or Yiadom. That spot is a far greater concern at the moment. The track record for rookie cornerbacks becoming a net positive from Day 1 isn’t promising, especially for those picked in the midrounds Although Yiadom has held up when asked to start, the Saints probably prefer to use him as a depth piece. The secondary could bottom out again if the corners don’t take a leap.
A prediction in 10 words or less Saints sign Samuel but still struggle in coverage.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
S CHENGELIS
The Detroit News (TNS)
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Saints head coach Kellen Moore, left, poses with Saints owner Gayle Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis during a news conference at the Saints’ practice facility on Feb 13. Benson is heading to Paris to strengthen ties between the Saints and France.
AP FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARTIN MEISSNER
Spain coasts through 2 Women’s Euro matches
BY DANIELLA MATAR
THUN, Switzerland — World Cup
champion Spain booked a spot in the quarterfinals of the Women’s European Championship after another statement victory, 6-2, over Belgium on Monday It was the first time Spain won back-to-back matches at the Euros after beating Portugal 5-0 in its opener With 11 goals in two matches, Spain and its star-packed squad is living up to its billing as the tournament favorite, and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas had a stark warning for the other teams.
“The team is having an excellent performance. But almost all of us have room for improvement,” Putellas said. She scored two against Belgium and was named player of the match in a second straight game.
“I’m feeling very well mentally and I’m being quick,” Putellas said. “I see things in advance and for me that’s the trigger that I feel good. And that means I can help others.” The result combined with Italy’s 1-1 draw against Portugal in the late match advanced Spain to the last eight. Spain tops Group B with six points. Italy is second with four three more than Portugal. The top two progress to the quarterfinals. On Friday, Italy faces Spain in their final group match and Portugal plays the eliminated Belgium.
But Belgium can take positives.
The Red Flames went toe to toe with Spain before a flurry of late goals had them more concerned about goal difference, which could be a deciding factor
“I’m really proud of my team because I know 100% that they had the belief that I was looking for,” Belgium coach Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir said. “But, to be honest, I walked into the locker room and I really wanted to cry Emotionally it was difficult because I really believed in what we were doing, and I loved seeing my players give everything We gave them a really good game for at least 60 minutes.”
Spain laid siege to the Belgium goal from the start. Mariona Caldentey played in a lovely pass from the edge of the area to Vicky López, who cushioned it on for Putellas to sweep into the far corner
However, Spain’s 22nd-minute lead lasted barely two minutes before Justine Vanhaevermaet headed in Tessa Wullaert’s corner at the near post.
Spain captain Irene Paredes was playing her first match of the tournament after being suspended from the opener, and she made it 2-1 before the break when she headed in a corner
Two-time Ballon d’Or winner
Aitana Bonmatí was brought on at halftime. She was hospitalized for viral meningitis before the tournament and played only eight minutes against Portugal. Belgium leveled again through Hannah Eurlings shortly after the restart. It was initially ruled
out for offside but awarded by the VAR.
Less than a minute later, Spain led for a third time when Putellas played in Esther González for the veteran forward to score her third goal of the tournament.
When a González effort was blocked, the ball was not cleared and Mariona Caldentey fired in Spain’s fourth.
Claudia Pina curled a 20-yard effort into the top right corner, and there was still time for Putellas to net her second.
PORTUGAL 1, ITALY 1: In Geneva, Portugal desperately pressed Italy to find a goal to stay alive at the Women’s European Championship and finally got it in the 89th minute from Diana Gomes to secure a draw Italy was minutes from joining Spain in the quarterfinals with a lead taken in the 70th on captain Cristiana Girelli’s curling shot from 20 yards.
“The mood of the team is strong, we’re not devastated,” said Girelli, describing her 59th international goal as one of her best. “It would have been great to win in this way.”
Only when Portugal was heading to an early exit did its attacks start to fire. Diana Silva’s 80thminute goal was ruled out for an offside spotted after a two-minute video review
Then Portugal was denied by the crossbar in the 89th when Carole Costa’s firm header rebounded. But the ball was recycled down the left flank, and Gomes met a low cross with a looping shot that eluded Laura Giuliani’s dive.
Nuggets intend to keep center Valanciunas in NBA
DURANDO
BENNETT
The Denver Post (TNS)
DENVER The Denver Nuggets intend to hold Jonas Valanciunas to his NBA contract commitment despite his reported interest in an offer to return to the EuroLeague, a league source confirmed to The Denver Post. Denver is set to acquire Valanciunas who spent three season with the New Orleans Pelicans starting in 2021 — from the Sacramento Kings in a trade that was agreed on last Tuesday but hasn’t been finalized yet with the league office. On Thursday, a report surfaced out of Europe that Valanciunas was considering a three-year contract offer from the prominent Greek club Panathinaikos. But the 33-year-old Lithuanian center is still under contract through 2027 in the NBA, where the Nuggets are inheriting his $10.4 million salary for the 202526 season. If Valanciunas wants to play in Europe, he needs to work out a buyout with the Nuggets that would release him from his NBA contract and would likely require him to forfeit his salary Then he can receive a letter of clearance from the international basketball body FIBA, allowing him to sign with Panathinaikos.
But the Nuggets traded for Valanciunas with a vital role in mind for him, and they have a clear motive to make him honor his contract. On paper, the longtime starter should be Nikola Jokic’s best backup center in years, the type of player who can play significant minutes and ease the physical strain on Jokic. The three-time MVP averaged 36.7 minutes per game last season, fourth-most in the NBA. Valanciunas was in Europe as of last weekend. He’s also listed on Lithuania’s preliminary national team roster for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket tournament.
Refusing to release Valanciunas does involve some risk
for the Nuggets. If he still feels averse to playing in the NBA when he reports to Denver for training camp later this summer it could establish an awkward environment around the team going into a new season. But that might just be a chance worth taking for Denver, considering the shortage of centers available on the open market at this point. Valanciunas is a known commodity, with career averages of 13.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. If the Nuggets do reach a buyout agreement, they would be left scrambling for frontcourt depth after the majority of offseason moves have been completed around the league. The silver lining: Denver would have access to the full nontaxpayer mid-level exception, a salary cap mechanism worth $14.1 million.
Veteran big man Al Horford is still uncommitted in free agency He’s been linked to the Golden State Warriors for most of the last week, so he might not be available for much longer Nonetheless, he would be the natural place for Denver to start its search for a Plan B if it came to that.
Longtime Raptors big man Chris Boucher is another option, but he would be another smaller center at 6-foot-9, similar to Denver’s DaRon Holmes. Reports have circulated that Nikola Vucevic’s trade value has declined in Chicago enough for the Bulls to contemplate buying him out. While that seems unlikely at his $21.5 million salary, he’s a player who could feasibly choose Denver as his next destination if given the opportunity to be a free agent. He and Jokic are friends off the court.
Options are otherwise limited. The Nuggets could identify potential trade partners with a center surplus, such as Phoenix and the soon-to-be relegated Nick Richards. But the team’s preferred solution seems to be keeping Valanciunas at this point.
the Netherlands.
Players who boosted themselves during the Gold Cup included goalkeeper Matt Freese, right back Alex Freeman, midfielders Malik Tillman and Sebastian Berhalter, and forward Patrick Agyemang.
“Guys have stepped up who were maybe taking a back seat previously, not that they’re quiet mice and they just sit there and listen to everything,” said Ream, the 37-year-old who captained the U.S. against Mexico Pochettino has 10 wins and six losses since replacing Gregg Berhalter last fall. A segment of the team’s fan base was discouraged by last year’s first-round elimination at the Copa America, this year’s Nations League and a fourgame losing streak entering the Gold Cup, the team’s longest skid since 2007. Crowds that rooted overwhelmingly for Guatemala in the semifinals and Mexico in the final caused Pochettino to implore the American fan base to support its national team.
“I think it would have been different if we would have played in two stadiums, the other way around, both against Guatemala in St. Louis 90(%) to 10 for USA, and today, instead of 70,000 — I’m not saying 70, but 60 or 50,000 of our people supporting us,” he said Sunday “But, well, this is what we have to deal with.”
Even after Freese’s emergence, the American goalkeeper pool is its weakest since the 1980s. Matt Turner has failed to establish
himself with a top-tier European team, just like Zack Steffen. And given a chance to regain the starting spot after returning to Major League Soccer, Steffen got hurt ahead of the Gold Cup.
Richards and Ream are the strongest of the central defenders and Dest and Robinson the top choices at outside back with no clear No. 2s Midfield has the most depth and no one has seized the striker position.
Ex-players, including Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, have criticized the current player pool’s dedication.
Speaking late Sunday, Adams acknowledged “so much noise outside of what we were doing on the field” heading into the tournament.
“I told every single player after the game how proud I was just of the growth of every single individual,” Adams said.
He said the positive culture Pochettino established over five
weeks together has to be maintained for friendlies against South Korea on Sept. 6 and Japan three days later
“I think it has to translate right away or I think Mauricio just probably won’t call people in,” Adams said. “The culture that we have, it doesn’t matter who you are If it’s guys here that played well, if it’s guys coming back into the group, if you’re coming back from injury, just whatever it is, the culture and the emotion is the first thing that he wants to see.”
There also will be a pair of friendlies in each of October, November and March, a possible January training camp mostly for MLS-based players, then two pre-World Cup send-off games in early June. “The most important thing is to have our heads up,” Pochettino said. “I have no doubt that we are going to be really, really competitive and going to be very difficult for the opponent.’
PELICANS
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID J PHILLIP
United States defender Chris Richards celebrates after scoring against Mexico in the first half of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final match in Houston on Sunday
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By NICK WASS Georgetown guard Micah Peavy plays against Marquette on March 1 in Washington, D.C.
AP sportswriter
Spain’s Alexia Putellas, who was named player of the match, celebrates after scoring her side’s sixth goal against Belgium at Arena Thun in Thun, Switzerland, on Monday
Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas runs up to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic plays defense during a game at the Smoothie King Center on Feb 12.
CHICAGO NASCAR’sfirst in-season tournament hasn’tmade much of an impression on its drivers so far.TyGibbs said Sundayhe didn’t know who his second-roundopponent was until after the Cup Series race That might be about to change.
Gibbs is one of eightdriversstill in the mix for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of the five-race, bracket-style competition. While Shane vanGisbergen was closing out his Cupvictory in Chicago this weekend, some of the most compelling action on the downtown street course was at leastconnected to theinaugural In-Season Challenge.
Alex Bowman andBubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after theytangledin Chicago last year.Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighthand eliminating Wallacefromthe tournament.
John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better thanhis opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had astrong day and finished second, good enough to beat AJ Allmendinger in sixth. Ty
Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and ErikJones also moved on.
The 14th-seeded Smith upset No. 3seed Chris Buescher by finishing 14th.Heismatched up with Gibbs for Sunday’s road race at Sonoma.
“I hate we had to knock another Ford out, but it’ssuper cool to advance,” Smith said With the in-season tournament part of anew media rights deal that includes TNT —NASCAR is following in the footsteps of the NBA and soccer leagues around the world.
After Sonomathisweekend, it concludes with races at Dover and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Bowman said the tournament wasn’tonhis mind as he battled with Wallace at theend in Chicago.
Whatever the reason for the contact, their head-to-head matchup certainly added abit of intrigue to the racingbehindvan Gisbergen’s victory.
With the moneyinvolved and the field trimmed to eight drivers, there couldbemoremoments likethe duel between Bowman and Wallace in the final weeks of the challenge.
“I wasn’t expectingthattohappen or to get raced likethat,but we did,” Bowman said. “Wejust have to move on from it and keep digging.”
It sure sounds as if Dillon is enjoyingthe competition. Dillon, the No. 32 seed,eliminated Brad Keselowski on Sunday after he upset top-seeded DennyHamlin at Atlanta on June 28. There was absolutely no drama in Dillon’swin after Keselowski was collected in an early crash that began with Carson Hocevar hitting the wall and spinning out between Turns 10 and11. Hocevarwas eliminated by Reddick.
“I’mjust so proud of Kaulig Racing and our No. 10 team,” Dillon said. “I knew in abasketball city, goingupagainstBradinagame of knockout, Iwas going to have a good chance.”
Dillon takes on Bowmanand Preece faces Reddick in the next round. But the mostinteresting contestjust might be Nemechek versus Jones in amatchup of Legacy Motor Club teammates.
“I felt like if we could have gotten through thefirst round, these next two rounds are really good for us,”Preece said. “Our road course program is prettystrong, and we keep making it better.So going into Sonoma, Ithink we’re up against TylerReddick, so he’s really good at road courses as well, but Ilike being the underdog.”
Buxton is 4thslugger in Home RunDerby
By The Associated Press
Minnesota Twins center fielder andGeorgia native ByronBuxton wasannounced Monday as the fourth participant in theMLB HomeRun Derby
The derby will take place next Monday,the night before the AllStar Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta. The31-year-oldBuxtonwill be theeighth Twins hitter to take part in the derby,which Justin Morneau won in 2008. Buxton joins Nationals outfielder James Wood,Braves outfielder RonaldAcuñaand Mariners catcherCal Raleigh in the eight-man competition. Buxton, whohas 20 homers this season, is from Baxley,Georgia, and was thesecond overall pick by the Twins in the 2012 draft.
In discussing his secondAllStar selectionwith reporters on Sunday,Buxton beamed as he described the excitement of his 11-year-old son, Brix, who regularly plays the HomeRun Derby on the “MLB: The Show”video gameathome.
“He always is like, ‘Dad, if you do this,Iwant to bring you atowel’ and I’mlike, ‘All right.’ That’s all he cares about. He wants Dad to do it so he can bring me atowel and aGatorade. And for me, that’sspecial,” Buxton said. “Out
of everybody there, all the people he’sgoing to see, that’swhat he wants and cares about. So it’sthe small thingsthatadd up to thebig ones.”
NewYork Mets slugger and two-timewinner Pete Alonso joined Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and KansasCityshortstop Bobby Witt Jr.inelecting to skip the event. Those players confirmed their decisions to reporters over the course of Sunday and Monday Alonso was selected as aNational League reserve forthe AllStar Game in aseason whenhe’s hit 20 homers. He won the Home Run Derby in 2019 and 2021. It wasn’theldin2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m notnecessarily called this year to do it. Ilovethe event. It’s asick event. Ijust didn’treally feel motivated to do it this year,” Alonso said on Sunday,according to MLB.com. “I just figured I’d take abreak, use the break as recovery and get back at it, help the team win in the second half.”
Although he’snot participating this summer,Schwarberleft the door open to taking part next season when the All-Star Game is held in Philadelphia. Schwarber has 27 homers this season and madehis third All-Star team
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERINHOOLEy
John Hunter Nemechek competesinaNASCARCup Series race at the Grant Park 165 on SundayinChicago.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByABBIE PARR Minnesota Twinsoutfielder Byron Buxton reacts after hitting afoul ball against the Tampa BayRaysonSundayinMinneapolis. Buxton will compete in the MLBHome Run Derbynext week.
TIGER, LSUPURPLE
ANDMORE
5 tips to optimize your fig harvest
The
GARDEN NEWS
preserves, baked treats and other goodies. Most figs will ripen in early July in Louisiana. This can vary,however,depending on afew factors.
“Usually,north Louisiana is a little bit later than we are here in south Louisiana, but that’s not always the case,” said LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg. “Sometimes, rain and cloudy weather willslow down the ripening in some partsof the state. Also, it depends on what type of winter you may have had.”
This past winter was harsh, bringing extended freezes and even snow to Louisiana. Many fig trees suffered in these chilly conditions. Here’sthe good news: Figs produce fruiton new growth, so winter-damaged trees can still yield adecent crop for you this summer
LSU AGCENTERPHOTO
By OLIVIA McCLURE
Some figs, like LSU
Purple,
turn adark color as theyripen
With peak fig season here, Stagg offers thesetips fora successful harvest:
n Check trees daily.Figs can ripen —and become overripe —quickly.Remember that birds are likely carefully watchingyour trees, and they may beat you to the ripe figs!
n Pay attention to color changes. The fruit of some common Louisiana fig cultivars darkens as it ripens.LSU Purple figs, for instance, display aglossy,dark purple hue when ripe. Tiger figs develop prominent stripes while ripening; they fade oncethe fruit matures.
n Look for drooping figs. Some figs droop downward when ripe.
n Touch the fruit. Not all figs show obvious signs of ripening. Some, including the popular LSU Gold cultivar,remain greenthroughout much of the process, taking on ayellow tinge onlyatthe last minute. This makes it hard to tellwhen they are ripe, so you’ll need to gently squeeze these figsto check whether they’re readyto be picked.
“A ripe fig should feel sort of like aripe avocado,” Stagg said. “It should depress alittle bit, but not too much, but also not be too firm.”
RAISING THEBAR
BY COLETTEDEAN Contributingwriter
ABaton Rouge interior design firm was recently named “one of thebest in the country” by anational magazine.
House Beautiful, an interior decorating magazinefocused on home design andthe domesticarts, selectedTiekByday as one of the“next wave” designers in its2025 May/June issue.
“Meet this year’sclassofrising design stars who have grabbed our attention with theircreativity,skill andhustle. These visionariesare redefining what makes ahome both beautiful and meaningful,” according to themagazine.
Tiek Byday includesinteriordesigner mother-daughter duo Cindy and BridgetTiek, and architectHance Day
Hughes. Hughes’ BYDAY architecture
firmand Tiek &Co. merged in 2023 and have workedacross arange of custom residential, commercial andhospitality projectssince then. In Baton Rouge, they were thedesigners forThe Colonel’sCluband Tsunamiand areworking on the revival of Fleur De Lis Pizza in Mid City.
The
firm joined acoveted list spotlighting the top emerging talent in architectureand interiors.
“It was such an honor to be included with designers from all over the country,”Cindy Tiek said. In early June,the trio waswhisked away for atwo-dayprograminthe heart of New York City.Theyenjoyed awelcome dinneratJean’sand programs at Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan
BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer
Tucked away in ashopping center off Airline Highwaysits Crepe’resso,a stylishnew hub for breakfast, lunch, asweet treat or dessert in Gonzales. Upon entrance, thechic, modern white and gold interior at 14601
Baton Rouge interior design firm Tiek Byday was featured in the May/June issue of House Beautiful.
Tiek ByDay designed this porch, with stylingbyJo Gremillion.
PROVIDED
PHOTO By JACQUELINE MARQUE
PROVIDED PHOTO
‘Ladies first’ doesn’tapply everywhere
Dear Miss Manners: Iamagentleman who strives to live amannerly life. In that regard, when riding public transportation, I offer my seat to ladies who are standing. Ialso wait for ladies to leave an elevator before me. Now that Iamwell beyond retirement age, does that change any expectations and norms? When, if ever,doIkeep my seat and allow youngermen the privilege of offering their seat to the fairer sex?
applied there.
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Gentle reader: First, pleaseget off those elevators when you are in front, instead of creating confusion by trying to standback in favor of any ladies who are behind you. “Ladies first” never
By The Associated Press
Foryourhabit of yielding seats, Miss Manners commends you, and hopes that ladies alwaystreat the gesture graciously, whether or not they accept. But it is not only your agethat has changed; our system of precedence is in flux. Gender is becoming less of afactor,as it can do damage in the workplace, where deferring to colleagues as ladies undermines their professional identities. There, precedence should be determined by thejob’s hierarchy
Andinsociety at large, age is becoming more of afactor
Shouldayounglady offer you a
TODAYINHISTORY
Today is Tuesday,July 8, the 189th day of 2025. There are176 days left in the year
TodayinHistory:
On July 8, 2018, diversrescued four of the 12 boys who had been trapped in aflooded cave in northern Thailand with their soccer coach for more than two weeks. (The remaining eight boys and their coach were rescued over the next two days.)
Also on this date:
In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House(now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia In 1853, an expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perryarrived in Edo Bay,Japan,onamission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.
In 1889, the first issue of The Wall Street Journal was published.
In 1947, aNew Mexico newspaper,the Roswell Daily Record, quoted officials at Roswell Army Air Field as saying they had recovered a“flying saucer” that crashed onto aranch; officials then said it was actually aweather balloon.
In 1950, President Harry S Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander in chief of United Nations forces in Korea. (Truman would fire MacArthur for insubordination nine months later.)
In 1972, the Nixon administrationannounced adeal to sell $750 million in grain to theSoviet Union. (However,the Soviets were also engagedinsecretly buying subsidized American grain, resulting in what critics dubbed “The Great Grain Robbery.”)
In 2000, Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport for her first Grand Slam title, becoming the first Black female champion at Wimbledon since Althea Gibson in 1958.
In 2010, the largest spy swap
FIGS
Continued from page1D
n Harvest ripe figs before it rains. If rain is in the forecast or you see apop-up afternoon thunderstorm heading your way, go ahead and pick your ripefigs They tend to splitand sour when they become wet. This also is the time of year for diseases to show up on fig trees. The most common, fig leaf rust, causes brown spots to form on leaves. Fortunately,Staggsaid, rust will not affect the quality of the harvest, and it typically does not warrant treatment. If you want to apply afungicide toaddress the issue, wait until after harvest. Youcan limit the spreadofrust andother problems by raking up
COFFEE
Continued from page1D
family are globaltravelers. They noticed the popularity of crepe cuisine around the worldand knew they had to bring the luxuriousdelicaciestothe Prairieville/ Gonzales area.
“I saw that we were missing one in Gonzales,” Badawi said. “We needed something like this. Ilike crepes and waffles and sweets, so we kept training for it to see how we could do it.” To ensure authenticity,Badawi hadacrepier from Paris come
seat,Miss Manners hopes you will also respond graciously This is not to say that the gentlemanliness you practice should be abandoned —much less condemned, as is done by some. Tradition has its place, and these gestures add grace to society. So theshort answer is: Keep offering seats to ladies if you don’t mindstanding; if you do mind, then stay seated.
Dear Miss Manners: Iattended a concert at our church, which has an excellent endowed music program.The concert was an organ and poetry recital, about 40 minutes in duration. About 15 minutes in, Ibecame aware of askritching sound that didn’tstop.Ilooked in the pew behind me andawoman was sit-
between the U.S.and Russia since the Cold Warunfolded as 10 people accused of spying in suburbanAmerica pleaded guilty to conspiracy and were ordered deported to Russia in exchangefor therelease of four prisonersaccused of spying for the West.
In 2011, the 135th andfinal space shuttle mission began when space shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center
In 2021, President Joe Biden said the U.S. military operation in Afghanistanwould endon Aug. 31; in aspeechinthe White House East Room, Biden made an impassioned argument for exitingthe nearly20-year war withoutsacrificingmore America lives, but acknowledged that there would be no “mission accomplished”moment to celebrate.
In 2022, former Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abe was assassinated on astreet in western Japan by agunman who opened fire on him from behind as hedelivered acampaign speech.
Today’sBirthdays: Actor Jeffrey Tamboris81. Drummer Jaimoe Johanson (The Allman Brothers Band) is 81. Actor KimDarby is 78. Children’smusician Raffi is 77. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puckis76. Actor Anjelica Huston is 74. Writer Anna Quindlen is 73. Author and politicianMarianne Williamson is 73. Pro Football HallofFamer Jack Lambert is 73. Actor Kevin Bacon is 67. SingerJoan Osborne is 63. Actor LeeTergesen (TV:“Oz”) is 60. Actor Billy Crudup is 57. Actor Michael Weatherly (TV:“NCIS”) is 57. Musician Beck is 55. Actor Kathleen Robertson is 52. Christian rock musician Stephen Mason (Jars of Clay)is50. Actor Milo Ventimiglia is 48. Actor LanceGross (TV:“TylerPerry’s House of Payne”) is 44. Actor SophiaBushis43. Actor Maya Hawkeis27. Actor Jaden Smith is 27.
Monitor figs carefully in July,asthe fruit can become overripe quickly
fallen, diseased leaves and by watering trees at ground level rather than from overhead. Speaking of watering, be sure your trees are getting adequate water to help them survive the hot summer and be as fruitful as possible.
over to train the owners, who then trained thestaff.
Badawi said his favorite items on the menu are the Crepe’resso Mousse, which is made using a houserecipe that uses Ferrero Rocher chocolate, and the affogato, which is vanilla ice cream with espresso.
Crepe’resso isopen7 a.m. to 9p.m. Monday through Thursday and7 a.m. to 10p.m. Fridayand Saturday.For more information anda peek at the menu, visit creperesso.com or instagram.com/ creperesso.
Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.
tingthere filing her nails with an emery board. Itried to get her attention but she would not look at me. I reached back andtapped her knee, which startled her and madeher angry.I asked her to please stop filing her nails, which she did. At theend of the concert, she asked my nameand informed me that if Iever touched her again, she would callthe police and press charges on me for assault. I said “please do.” She had already ruined theevent for me. She madeacommotion as she left, which was noticed by others. Should Ihave done something different?
Gentlereader: Tapped her on the shoulder,not the knee.
No,wait. Youshould not be touching strangers at all, unless you are rescuing them from imminent danger.Besides, it would be difficult to reach ashoulder in the pew behind you. And it is difficult, Miss Manners admits, to reach adetermined scofflaw.Ifnochurch authority wasavailable during the incident, it might still be worth reporting in the hope that efforts will be made to restore proper behavior
Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.
Don’tlet strawberries spoil
Dear Heloise: We love fresh strawberries at our house, but frequently afew of them spoil in thecontainer before we can use them all. We discovered away to help prevent this:
When you bring them homefrom thegrocery store, place them in abowl and add water with acouple of tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in it to just cover the berries. Stir them alittle to make contact throughout, let them sit
for about 10 minutes, then rinse.
Patthem dry (wet strawberries spoil much faster) and put them in the fridge. We almost never have rotten strawberries anymore. —Brenda Claassen, in Lincoln, Nebraska
Budgetingquestion
Dear Heloise: In answer to Meg A., in Michigan, about some good hintsonbudgeting, may Ioffer what has worked much better for me for over 70 years? When
Ishared this advice with my grandson, he later told me that it wasthe best advice he had ever received. When faced with an impulse buy,ask yourself this question: How manyhours am Iwilling to work to acquire this product? If you are not willing to work acertain amount of hours forthe item, you don’tneed it. —Dale Hardin, La Habra, California
Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.
Continuedfrom page1D
and Kravet,ahomefurnishings company that distributes fabrics, furniture,wallcoverings, trimmings, carpetand accessories.
Kravet also ownsLee Jofa and Brunschwig &Fils. The second night was acocktail reception in The Gallery at 200 Lex at theNew York Design Center
To be considered forthe honor, whichTiekByday shared with 18 other firms nationwide, there was no application or contest entry
“Wehavebeen featured in several Hearst publications, and each onehas adifferent mission statement. Our Louisiana Lake House was featured in Veranda Magazine andMother’sLounge in Elle Décor.Wedosuch varied work, so that may have been the appeal,” Hughes said.
BridgetTiek said thatversatility is one of their strengths, which she attributestospending time upfront with each client.
“Wethoroughly interview each client before starting work, often extracting necessary information. Usually,mostpeople have something in mind, but it is very difficult for some people to express themselves,soweuse alot of imagery,” she said.
BridgetTiek did warn about leaning toomuch on sites such as Pinterest for design inspiration,asalgorithms can limit design suggestions.
The Baton Rouge team said they were delighted to network with other designers and explore the varied businessmodules. They agreed to stay in touch with Zoom meetings, whichHughesspearheaded.
“Wewere theonly firm from the Deep South, and we specialize in hospitality,”helaughed.
Cindy Tiek said therewas acommonality among the designers in emerging trends.
“The one thing that was univer-
LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE
PROVIDED PHOTOByJACQUELINE MARQUE
The Colonel’sClub in Baton Rougewas one of Tiek Byday’s projects, which also include Tsunami
PROVIDED PHOTOByKIM MEADOWLARK
The team behind Tiek Bydayis, from left, architectHanceDay Hughes, interior designer Bridget Tiek and her mother,interior designer CindyTiek.
Hints from Heloise
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Embrace a challenge without revealing your next move.A secretiveapproach will give youthe leverage yourequiretoget things done your way. Own thefloor instead of sharing.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Find events and activities that take your mind offyour troubles, but remember to respect yourbudget. Distancing yourself from aggravationswill help you resolve lingering issues.
VIRGO(Aug.23-Sept. 22) Window shop, but don't go into the store.It's time to rethink yourlifestyle, consider what's essential anddiscard what's taking up space mentally,physically and emotionally
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Hands-on learningisthe best; it will change your perspective, direction and dreams.Refuse to let anyonepressure you into making achoice that is better forthem thanit is for you.
ScORPIO (Oct. 24-nov. 22) Plancarefully before youtry to navigate your way forward. Preparation is everything when dealingwithrelationships, making deals andbudgeting forwhat you want.
SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Apply your energy to something worthwhile If youlet tension build, you will waste yourenergyfightingano-win situation. Instead,consider howyou can physically enforce positive change.
cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Useyour energywisely, ponderthe logistics of
your actions and proceed with dignity and gain ground. It'sall in the wayyou handle others; diplomacy is everything.
AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Look forinnovative ways to relax and save money. Investing in your skills and home and honing your ability to balance work and play will pay off.
PIScES(Feb. 20-March 20) Keep situations in perspective. Maintaining a calm state of mind and an easygoing outlook will help you navigate obstacles.Refusetolet what others do or saymake you angry.
ARIES(March 21-April19) Tallyupwhat things costand consider how to handle mismanaged funds or joint ventures When uncertainty sets in, askanexpert and initiate change to avoid loss.
tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Do it yourself. Signing up forsomething or bingeing on something unnecessary will tempt you. Look at the big picture, consider what's essential to reach your goal and eliminatewhat's disposable.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Do things yourself. Don't overloadyourself with duties or distractions. Focus moreonsaving time and money instead of casting your fate to the windand letting things spin out of control.
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS Hi and LoiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Peter Thomson, an Australian golfer who won the British Open five times, said, “Everytournament has its climax, its winning moment. If you’re not watchful, you will miss it and lose your best chance.”
Abridge deal often has itswinning moment.Ifyou’re not watchful, you will errand go down in your contract or fail to defeat the declarer.Inthisdeal,South is in five clubs. West leads alow heart, East winning with hiskingand (best) continuing withthe heart ace. How can Southprevail?
After South’s strong artificial opening and North’s weak artificialresponse,the bidding was natural. East thought about sacrificing in five hearts, but was dissuaded by the unfavorable vulnerability. (Fivehearts doubled should cost 500.)
Declarer seems to have 11 easy tricks: one spade, fivediamonds and five clubs. However, to get fivediamond tricks, South must draw trumps, unblock his ace and king of diamonds, and get to the dummy. What is his dummy entry? It is theclub eight. But if South ruffs thesecond heartinthe dummy, that will be the losing moment, destroying that entry when the trumps break 3-1, not 2-2. Instead, declarer shoulddiscardaspade from theboardattrick two.
If East continues with athird heart, South’s prettiest play is to ruff with his club nine, drawtrumps, cash the top diamonds, overtake the club seven with dummy’s eight, and run the diamonds. Alternatively, South can ruff low, pitch asecond spade from the board, draw trumps, cash his two diamonds and spade ace,and enter the dummy with a spade ruff.
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying,
InStRuctIOnS: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed.
tODAy’S WORD LIAISOnS: lee-A-zons: Close bonds or connections.
