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One table, six chairs: Why I’m committing to monthly dinner parties

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One table, six chairs: Why I’m committing to monthly dinner parties


In early January, I read about a couple who vowed to host a dinner party every week throughout 2025. Somehow, they did it — all 52 of them. The dinners ran the gamut, from fancy to simple. They had all sorts of positive takeaways from the experience.

I admired them.

But I also knew that this wasn’t the year for me to host weekly dinner parties. I might love it, but even floating the idea might push my husband over the edge. For him, a dinner party every week sounds less like hospitality and more like a hostage situation.

Still, the idea stuck with me — not the frequency, but the intention. It’s a decision to make gathering people around a table part of the structure of a year, rather than something that happens only when conditions are perfect.

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So I made a quieter vow. In 2026, I want to host at least one dinner party a month.

Thus far, I’m coming in strong — two in January, with another already on the calendar for mid-February. These dinner parties are nothing heroic (beyond the chile rellenos my husband made for the first one, which pushed his culinary skills to hero status). They are not ready for an influencer’s flashy and polished Instagram feed. They are simply people gathered round our big table, passing plates hand to hand.

Over time, I’ve learned a few things about myself as a host. One is that, for right now, eight people around a table — my former gold standard — is a bridge too far. Six is the sweet spot for now. Conversation is easier, and it’s enough without being exhausting.

Another is that the real pleasure, for me, is in the mix.

I love bringing together people who haven’t met but whom I suspect would have plenty to talk about if given the chance. It is the opposite of networking. It’s more like matchmaking (and truth be told, I really want to be a professional matchmaker in my next life).

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Jan Risher’s dinner guests helped make and decorate a Croatian apple cake


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Watching a conversation find its footing — and people connect — is one of my favorite parts of the evening. I work toward politeness giving way to curiosity around my table.

As I’m writing this, tonight we are hosting a Croatian-themed dinner party.

I’ve never been to Croatia. It’s on my list, but for now, it exists mostly as a place of coastlines I want to explore, a complicated history and food I’ve only encountered on the internet.

As it turns out, no one who will be sitting around the table tonight has been to Croatia either — a detail that felt like a feature, not a flaw.

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In preparation, I shared two movies our guests could watch if they wanted — one light and not-so-light about the horrific war of the mid-1990s. I only watched the light one. I’m not up for super-heavy, dark stories right now, and I’ve learned to trust that instinct. Gathering doesn’t require emotional endurance tests.

I also shared a poem: “Star on High” by Tin Ujević, who was from Croatia and is considered one of the great lyric poets of the former Yugoslavia. Translated poetry, I’ve discovered, is a gentle way to gain insight into another culture — imperfect, filtered, but sincere.







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Jan Risher’s dinner guests helped make and decorate a Croatian apple cake.

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I thought one line of Ujević’s poem was particularly beautiful: He loves no less who does not waste his words. There’s plenty to discuss in that line alone.

Never fear, I don’t always assign homework for dinner parties. Sometimes people just show up, and that’s enough. But with our long-running “Year of Countries” monthly dinners with friends, we try to reach beyond the menu. We share a book, a poem, a song, a film, a dance, a television show — something that gives us more than talking points about what we’re eating.

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It’s merely a shared reference point. An invitation to pay attention.

What I’ve learned is that hosting doesn’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful. It doesn’t require a theme every time or a perfectly timed menu. It does require intention — the decision to open the door, set the table and make room for conversation to wander where it will.

Tonight we’re not even going to have the whole meal complete when our guests arrive. I’m going to ask them to roll up their sleeves and help me make the gnocchi. I believe that conversation flows best when people are doing something with their hands — not to mention learning something new together. (In full disclosure, I’ve never made gnocchi either. However, I have watched a video. We’ll figure it out, no doubt.)

No, a monthly dinner party won’t change the world. But it might change a year. It creates a rhythm — something to look forward to. It’s a reason to keep saying yes to people when it would be easier to retreat into the glow of a screen and call it rest.

For now, that’s enough of a goal. One table. Six chairs. At least once a month.

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I don’t know who will still be sitting at our table by the end of the year.

I do know that I want to keep setting it.



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Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party

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Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party


The children of a disgraced Louisiana mayor told cops that they both caught their mom fooling around with a 16-year-old boy at a boozy pool party, according to video played at her rape trial.

Misty Roberts, the 43-year-old former head of DeRidder, Louisiana — population 9,8000 — faces a charge of third-degree rape over the 2024 incident.

Roberts’ son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his pal through a crack in a window.

Misty Roberts is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy in 2024.

But, when asked about his recollection, he demurred — telling the court he wasn’t exactly sure what he saw that night, according to KPLC.

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The jury also reviewed pictures from the party, which showed kids holding drinks as well as a photograph of Roberts and the victim that prosecutors described as “lewd.”

That picture showed Roberts at the party in her bikini, with the teen victim looking up at her smiling.

Roberts’ son texted his mom that night, incredulous about what was happening, and told her that his sister was crying, according to messages presented by prosecutors.

“He is seventeen,” the son texted Roberts.

The boy was later confirmed to be 16 years old, according to KPLC.

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Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while prosecutors played her interview with detectives, in which she said she saw her mom and the boy “on top of each other” that night.

The former mayor’s nephew also admitted he tried to sneak a peek — using his phone to try and get a peek at what was going on in the room. He testified that he wasn’t sure if he hit “record” — but if he did said he never sent it to anybody.


Roberts was in her second term as mayor when she resigned.
Roberts was in her second term as mayor when she resigned. 7 KPLC

None of the three witnesses who testified said they saw the “private parts” of Roberts and the victim. The teen boy, they noted though, was shirtless.

After the alleged tryst, the victim’s mother texted Roberts to ensure that she was not pregnant, to which she replied she was on birth control. Roberts shared a screenshot of that message to a group chat with her friends, who urged her to take Plan B.

A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house, which he recognized from trick-or-treating with his children there.

In other texts shown in court, Roberts asked her son what kind of alcohol her son and other kids wanted for the party.

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Days after police launched their investigation into the alleged crime, Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Texas border.

Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.



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Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Feb. 28, 2026

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The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

8-3-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

5-4-7-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

9-9-1-3-0

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Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

04-17-21-27-33

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing

08-10-15-21-22-33

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

  1. Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
  2. Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
  3. Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
  4. Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

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Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

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When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
  • Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack

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Schumer demands congressional brief on Iran; Louisiana delegation weighs in on attack


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded a congressional briefing from President Trump’s administration Saturday (Feb. 28), hours after the U.S. military joined Israel in launching airstrikes against Iran.

“When I talked to Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” Schumer said in a statement. “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.

“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.

“The administration must brief Congress — including an immediate all-senators classified briefing — and in public testimony to answer these vital questions. The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act. My prayers are with our brave American servicemembers.”

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Meanwhile, reaction to the attack from Louisiana’s congressional delegation appeared to break predictably among party lines.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) posted to X that the attack “is yet another move by President Trump to protect the United States and sends a message to the world: Never doubt America’s resolve or capacity to defend its interests.”

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) of New Orleans, however, said he was “deeply concerned” about the attack and said, “The American people deserve to understand the objectives, the risks and the path forward.”

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Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote, “The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war.”

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), who is mounting a primary challenge for Cassidy’s U.S. Senate seat, also endorsed Trump’s decision to attack Tehran.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) also backed Trump’s military action, writing that Iran was “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

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Democratic Rep. Cleo Field expressed reservations that Trump had not made a case for the attack to Congress or the American people.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy had not yet posted reactions to the Iran attack — dubbed by the Pentagon as “Operation Epic Fury” — on social media or sent statements to the news media.

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