The Acadiana Advocate 08-13-2025

SAINTS DEDICATE RESOURCES TO REPAIRING RUN DEFENSE 1C

Expansion at Lourdes aids maternity care

Construction continues Tuesday on the neonatal intensive care unit at Our Lady

Hospital in Lafayette. The expansion will provide 19 private NICU family

capacity to 60 total beds.

NICU project part of $100M hospital upgrade

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital is undergoing $100 million in improvements as part of what hospital leaders say is its commitment to provide the best maternity care and meet the growing needs of the region

At the heart of the Advancing Acadiana project is the expansion of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, featuring significant exterior upgrades and private suites — each with a full bathroom and a dedicated family area within the room. The NICU will expand from 51 to 60 beds and will feature 19 new private suites.

“The Advancing Acadiana Project is more than buildings,” Lourdes President Stephanie Manson said last year at its launch “It is a pledge to advance the health, to nurture the future and to cherish the community that we are privileged to serve. Each facet of this initiative is designed to ensure that every patient receives the highest standard of care in an environment of warmth, comfort and excellence.”

A rendering shows a private family suite inside the neonatal intensive care unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Alesha Alford, vice president of Women’s and Children’s, said because the medical center is one of four facilities in the state with a level three surgical NICU, having in-room accommodations helps ease the burden for families being transferred from rural areas.

“Traveling itself is difficult enough. Then if we don’t have rooms available for them to stay, they now have to worry about getting a hotel, which is expensive,” Alford said.

A March report from the Louisiana

ä See LOURDES, page 7A

Gulf Coast sees surge of flesh-eating bacteria

Pathogen found in warm salt water, raw shellfish

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

The Gulf Coast has seen a rise in in-

fections caused by Vibrio vulnificus a deadly pathogen found in warm salt water and raw shellfish known for its ability to rapidly infect and destroy skin and tissue.

So far this year, the bacteria has been linked to over 70 infections and nine deaths across Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. Louisiana accounts for a disproportionate share

of the cases, with 20 infections and four deaths. In comparison, the state averaged just seven cases and one death per year over the past decade.

Experts point to several factors fueling the recent increase, including rising water temperatures and storm runoff that provides nutrients for bacterial growth. While the bacterium can sometimes enter the body through eating raw or undercooked seafood, the Louisiana Department of Health reports that three-quarters of recent infections involved wounds or other

direct water exposure.

Vibrio bacteria flourish in warm, brackish waters — conditions that are common during the summer months. After heavy rains and storms, nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen wash into coastal waters, helping the bacteria multiply, said Tiong Aw, a public health microbiologist and professor at Tulane University

“All these create an ideal condition for Vibrio to grow and survive,” Aw said. There are dozens of types of Vibrio

ä See BACTERIA, page 6A

Haynes wants some evidence dismissed

Lafayette assistant DA indicted in bribery case

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Gary Haynes, who was indicted in September in connection with a bribery scheme involving the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Lafayette, wants a federal judge to exclude files seized during a May 2022 raid on the office where he was an assistant district attorney Haynes’ attorney, Todd Clemons, of Lake Charles, filed six motions in U.S. District Court in Lafayette on Monday The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed one motion.

A hearing on the motions and pretrial hearing are scheduled for Aug. 25 in Lafayette before federal Judge David Joseph. The trial is set for Sept. 8 and is expected to last about two weeks, according to court documents. Haynes handled the pretrial intervention program under District Attorney Don Landry He was indicted on six charges, including bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and obstruction of justice. He and a contractor in the District Attorney’s

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana has a near-total ban and criminal penalties for providers, for example, while in New York, there is an “absolute right” to abortion until 24 weeks in a pregnancy As some states outlaw abortion, others have passed shield laws to protect abortion providers and patients within their borders from states that have restricted the procedure. Abortion

La., N.y. case could help define post-Roe v. Wade era ä See ABORTION, page 4A

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022 ended a constitutional, nationwide right to abortion, states have passed their own oftentimes widely divergent laws.

and

3 hurt as fire burns century-old buildings

SALT LAKE CITY — Three firefighters were injured after a blaze that started in a restaurant’s kitchen scorched century-old buildings in Salt Lake City’s nightlife hub, officials said Tuesday

Firefighters were dispatched to a cooking fire at the London Belle Supper Club on Monday night and found smoke and fire in the kitchen area, Salt Lake City Fire Chief Karl Lieb said at a news conference. The intense heat created a challenging environment, and because it was unsafe to keep firefighters inside or on the roof, where they normally start their attack, he said they fought the fire with aerial devices

Mexico expels 26 cartel figures wanted by U S.

WASHINGTON Mexico has expelled 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States in the latest major deal with the Trump administration as American authorities ratchet up pressure on criminal networks sending drugs across the border, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday The cartel leaders and other prominent figures were being flown from Mexico to the U.S. on Tuesday, the person said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the operation that was still ongoing.

Those being handed over to U.S. custody include Abigael González Valencia, a leader of “Los Cuinis,” a group closely aligned with notorious cartel Jalisco New Generation or CJNG. Another person, Roberto Salazar, is accused of participating in the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, the person said.

6 ex-officials convicted in deaths of 41 girls

GUATEMALA CITY A Guatemalan judge convicted six people of various crimes Tuesday in connection with the deaths of 41 girls in a 2017 fire at a facility for at-risk youth that had a history of abuse.

They had all declared their innocence Tuesday Judge Ingrid Cifuentes handed down cumulative sentences of six years to 25 years for charges ranging from manslaughter to abuse of authority She also ordered the investigation of former President Jimmy Morales for his role in ordering police to work at a facility where minors who had not committed crimes were held Prosecutors had earlier requested sentences up to 131 years for some of those convicted, who were all former government workers, including several whose duties included protecting children.

‘What’s Happening!!,’ actress dies at 60

LOS ANGELES Danielle Spencer, who played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom

“What’s Happening!!” has died at 60.

Spencer, who became a veterinarian later in life, died Monday at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, after a yearslong battle with cancer, family spokesperson Sandra Jones said As Dee, Spencer was the smarter, more serious younger sister who offered a steady stream of deadpan roasts of big brother Roger “Raj” Thomas and his friends Dwayne Nelson and Freddie “Rerun” Stubbs. “Ooh, I’m gonna tell mama,” would become Dee’s catchphrase.

Zelenskyy: Putin wants rest of Donetsk region

BY LORNE COOK and SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the leader categorically rejected.

Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.

He said diplomatic discussions led by the U.S focusing on ending the war have not touched on security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression and that meeting formats currently being discussed do not include Europe’s participation, both key demands of Kyiv Meanwhile, Russian forces on the ground have been closing in on a key territorial grab around the city of Pokrovsk.

Zelenskyy said the necessity of territorial concessions was conveyed to him by U.S officials

ahead of a summit Friday between

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in further meetings at the level of national security officials. It remained unclear whether Ukraine would take part in the Friday summit European Union leaders also have been sidelined from the meeting, and they appealed to Trump on Tuesday to protect their interests.

Zelenskyy said Putin wants the remaining 3,500 square miles of Donetsk under Kyiv’s control, where the war’s toughest battles are grinding on, as part of a ceasefire plan, in a press briefing on Tuesday in Kyiv

Doing so would hand Russia almost the entirety of the Donbas, a region comprising Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted.

Zelenskyy learned of Russia’s position after holding a call with Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff, after the latter’s bilateral meeting with Putin.

Witkoff told Zelenskyy that Russia was ready to end the war and that there should be territorial concessions from both sides. Some European partners were also part of the call.

“And that probably Putin wants us to leave Donbas. That is, it didn’t sound like America wants us to leave,” he said, recounting the call.

Zelenskyy reiterated that withdrawing from Ukraine-controlled territory was out of the question, especially as the question of security guarantees for Ukraine, were not being discussed.

“We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part our territories are illegally occupied,” Zelenskyy told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday “Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive.”

Zelenskyy said this is what occurred in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

Trump has said he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year

The U.S. president has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender.

Texas attorney general escalates redistricting fight

Trump ally seeks arrest of progressive activist

BY BILL BARROW and NADIA LATHAN Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ratcheted up President Donald Trump’s congressional redistricting fight by calling Tuesday for progressive activist Beto O’Rourke to be put “behind bars” for helping Democrats who have managed to block the GOP’s gerrymandering efforts with an extended walkout Hours earlier, Texas Republican leaders said they were prepared to end their stalemated special session that includes the proposed new maps and immediately begin another standoff with Democratic legislators. Dozens of Democrats have left the state to prevent their GOP colleagues from voting on the changes and meeting Trump’s demands ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The developments are the latest escalations in a battle that began in Austin and now reaches into multiple courtrooms and statehouses controlled by both major parties.

Paxton, a Trump acolyte who is running for the U.S. Senate, asked a Texas judge on Tuesday to hold O’Rourke in contempt of court, arguing that the former congressman and onetime presidential candidate has continued to fundraise for absent Democrats despite an order last week that Paxton said should have stopped some of his activities.

“It’s time to lock him up,” Paxton said of O’Rourke in a fiery written statement O’Rourke denied any wrongdoing and called the attorney general a “corrupt, lying thug.”

At the Texas Capitol, House Speaker

Dustin Burrows was more muted as he confirmed Republicans’ next moves after dozens of Democrats again did not show up, preventing the necessary quorum for business to be conducted. Burrows said from the House floor that lawmakers will not attempt to reconvene again until Friday If Democrats are still absent — and they have given no indication that they plan to return — the speaker and Gov Greg Abbott said Republicans will end the current session, with the governor immediately calling another Abbott called Democrats “derelict” and said in statement that he will “continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed.” Democrats responded by declaring victory — even if temporarily “We said we would defeat Abbott’s first corrupt special session, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu said in a statement.

Netanyahu hints talks now focus on release of hostages

BY NATALIE MELZER Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts in Gaza are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, rather than in phases. Arab officials told The Associated Press last week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in one go in return for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The long-running indirect talks appeared to break down last month. But a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks on Tuesday, Egypt’s state-run Qahera news channel reported, a sign that efforts have not been abandoned after 22 months of war Israel has threatened to widen its military offensive against Hamas to the areas of Gaza that it does not yet control, and where most of the territory’s 2 million residents have sought refuge.

Those plans have sparked international condemnation and criticism within Israel, and could be intended to raise pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. The militants still hold 50 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war Israel believes around 20 of them are alive.

In an interview with Israel’s i24 News network broadcast Tuesday, Netanyahu was asked if the window had closed on a partial ceasefire deal. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdelatty told reporters that Cairo is still trying to advance an earlier proposal for an initial 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages and an influx of humanitarian aid before further talks on a lasting truce. “I think it’s behind us,” Netanyahu replied. “We tried, we made all kinds of attempts we went through a lot, but it turned out that they were just misleading us.”

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Trump’stakeoverofD.C.law enforcementbegins

BY ASHRAF KHALIL and LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON The new picture of law enforcement in thenation’s capitalbegan taking shapeTuesday as some of the 800 National Guard members deployedbythe Trump administration began arriving. The city’spolice and federal officials, projecting cooperation, took the first steps in an uneasy partnership to reduce crime in what President DonaldTrump called —without substantiation alawless city.

The influx came the morning after theRepublican president announcedhewould be activating the guard members and taking over the District’spolice department, something the lawallows him to do temporarily.Hecited a crime emergency —but referred to thesamecrime thatcityofficials stress is already falling noticeably Mayor Muriel Bowserpledged to work alongside the federal offi-

cials Trump hastasked withoverseeing the city’slaw enforcement, while insisting the policechief remained in chargeofthe department and its officers.

“How we got here or what we think about the circumstances right now we have morepolice, and we want to make sure we use them,” she told reporters.

Thetonewas ashift from theday before, when Bowser said Trump’s plantotakeover the Metropolitan Police Department and call in the National Guard was not aproductive step and argued his perceived state of emergency simply doesn’t match the decliningcrime numbers. Still, the law gives thefederal government more sway over the capital city than in U.S. states, and Bowser said her administration’s ability to pushback is limited

Attorney General Pam Bondi postedonsocial mediathatthe meeting was productive.

The law allows Trumptotake over the D.C.police for up to 30 days, though White House press

secretary KarolineLeavitt suggested it could last longer as authorities later “reevaluate and reassess.” Extending federal control past that time would require Con-

gressional approval, something likely tough to achieve in the face of Democratic resistance.

About 850 officers and agents fannedout across Washington

on Monday and arrested 23 people overnight, Leavitt said. The charges, she said, included homicide drunk driving, gun and drug crimes and subway fare evasion. She didn’timmediately provide further information on the arrests.

The U.S. Park Police has also removed 70 homeless encampments over the last five months, she said. People who were living in them can leave, go to ahomeless shelter or go into drug addiction treatment, Leavitt said. Those who refuse could face fines or jail time.

While Trumpinvokes hisplan by saying that “we’re going to take our capital back,” Bowser and the MPD maintain that violent crime overall in Washington has decreased to a30-year low after asharp rise in 2023. Carjackings, for example, dropped about 50% in 2024 and are downagain this year More thanhalfofthose arrested, however,are juveniles, and the extent of those punishments is a point of contention for the Trump administration.

Acadian is the onlyambulance service in Louisianatoholdaccreditationsfromboththe Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Servicesand the CommissiononAccreditation of MedicalTransport Systems, our industry’smost stringent accreditation agencies

ThatmeansAcadian exceeds thegoldstandard in EMStraining, equipment, protocols andmedics.

Louisiana.

The clashing state regulations could put Louisiana at the center of an unprecedented legal conflict, one that experts say is likely to make it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Louisiana’s criminal prosecution of Margaret Carpenter, a New York doctor who mailed abortion pills to West Baton Rouge Parish for use in an abortion may be the spark for what legal scholars have called a looming “war between the states.”

“It can feel a little bit like an arms race,” said Carmel Shachar, a professor of law and health policy at Harvard

She gave an example:

“Louisiana and Texas brought cases against Dr. Carpenter so a lot of shieldlaw states are adding provisions eliminating provider information from the prescriptions written for shield law patients.”

Carpenter is one of the founders of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, a group formed after the Dobbs decision whose mission is to support “clinicians who make safe, timely, and affordable telemedicine abortion care available to patients in all 50 states.”

The majority of women who have an abortion do so by taking pills, a number that has risen steadily ever since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug mifepristone for abortion 25 years ago, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.

And now with the rise of telehealth, an increasing number of women are accessing abortion pills online, according to data from the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion access.

A grand jury in West Baton Rouge Parish indicted

Carpenter for the felony of “criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs” for mailing abortion pills to the mother of a pregnant Port Allen teen. New York Gov Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has said she will not allow the doctor to be extradited or turned over to Louisiana for prosecution, “not now not ever.”

But Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the case “is far from over.”

“We are continuing to evaluate our options to ensure that Dr Carpenter faces justice in Louisiana,” she said.

Tony Clayton, the local district attorney prosecuting the case, echoed that sentiment.

“We will take all legal measures afforded to us to extradite Dr Carpenter back here, and you will see something along those lines in the not-so-distant future,” he said.

In Texas, officials are pursuing a civil case against Carpenter for prescribing abortion pills via telehealth Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton late last month said he filed a legal petition in New York to force a court

there to enforce his state’s judgment against the doctor Paxton sued and won a default judgment against Carpenter for $100,000 in damages. But a New York county clerk this spring refused to file the judgment, citing the state’s shield law

Legal and abortion scholars speculate that disputes arising from Louisiana or Texas could land before the Supreme Court.

When a federal right to abortion was overturned in 2022, abortion bans and other restrictions took effect in many states across the country

In response, some other states enacted laws specifically protecting doctors, patients and others involved in an abortion from prosecution by those states, legal protections known as shield laws.

There are abortion shield laws in 22 states, eight of which protect telehealth providers regardless of where the patient lives, according to the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA, which maintains a guide of shield laws across the country

New York’s shield law prohibits law enforcement there from cooperating or sharing information with out-of-state investigations into abortion care that is legal under New York law And courts there can’t issue subpoenas for out-of-state proceedings related to legal care.

New York’s shield law also blocks law enforcement from arresting or extraditing anyone for providing abortion care that’s legal under New York law in response to out-of-state proceedings.

It’s among the states that protect providers from civil and criminal liability imposed by other states when providing services via telehealth to patients in other states.

Without cooperation from New York, Louisiana’s criminal case against Carpenter is stalled, and Louisiana’s options to move it forward remain murky

“Telehealth has become this flashpoint between states that are choosing really different directions to go on this question of abortion,” said Shachar, the Harvard law professor

Because the practice of medicine is regulated at the state level, each state gets to decide whether its regulations view telehealth as taking place at the location of the provider or the patient, she said.

“Until recently, that answer was always wherever the patient is physically located at the time,” she said.

But abortion shield laws are now “flipping that assumption,” with some states changing their rules about the location of telehealth services, Shachar said. “So then you have this conflict where essentially you have two states trying to claim ownership over the same telehealth visit.”

There is an entire area of the law known as “conflict of laws” that deals with situations that could be handled in more than one jurisdiction and that raise

“Really,

CARMEL SHACHAR,

“choice of law” questions about which jurisdiction’s laws should be used.

Many legal scholars argue that the state-by-state patchwork for abortion laws is raising unprecedented legal questions in this area.

That’s because regulations from one state to another could now be in direct conflict — especially between states trying to impose liability for abortion-related actions on people located in other states and those with shield laws batting away those attempts.

“On the subject of abortion, the so-called ‘United’ States of America are becoming more disunited than ever,” George Washington University law professor Paul Schiff Berman wrote in a 2023 article titled “Conflicts of Law and the Abortion War Between the States.”

“These partisan and geographic divides create perhaps the biggest set of nationwide conflicts of law problems since the era of the Fugitive Slave Act before the Civil War,” wrote Berman and his coauthors.

“We cannot predict with certainty which state’s law would apply in an interstate abortion situation,” Susan Frelich Appleton, a law professor at Washington University wrote in a 2023 paper analyzing abortion and choice of law issues.

Legal scholars also note that jurisdictional issues between states don’t often come before the Supreme

Court, leaving little direct precedent to guide abortion and choice-of-law conflicts. In the Carpenter case, Louisiana courts and New York courts will assess those in fundamentally different ways.

“The thing that will probably drive these cases to the Supreme Court is that conflicts of law aspect, because what you’re going to have is basically two parallel legal structures,” said Shachar

“Really, the only way to resolve it is to take it out of New York and Louisiana and bring it to the Supreme Court,” Shachar said. “That’s part of what the Supreme Court was designed to do, is resolve conflicts between the states.”

Just one constitutional issue in the Carpenter indictment stems from the extradition clause of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution, which regulates the relationship between the states.

The extradition clause says that states have to respect extradition requests from other states for fugitives who commit crimes and “flee from justice.” Carpenter, however, was never physically in Louisiana, nor did she flee from that state to New York.

Typically, states cooperate on extradition requests, but with the rise of conflicting abortion laws, that cooperation could break down.

Clayton the district attorney, said that because Louisiana can show probable cause that Carpenter caused harm through an act that is criminal under Louisiana law, other states are required to honor that finding.

“We’re called the United States of America for a reason,” he said. “You can’t have folks go run to another state and hide under the political leadership of their state and avoid prosecution.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

LOURDES

Continued from page1A

legislative auditorhighlighted that one of the barriers for pregnant Medicaid patients in the state is limited access to prenatal andpostpartumcare,largely due to alack of reliable transportationin rural regions.

“Sohaving theseroomswherethey canstay makes aworld of difference for those families,” Alford said “I’ve been in afew NICUsand this is the first one I’ve seen with afamily-oriented patient room. Thatishuge andwe can’twait until it’scompleted,” said Buie Brown, senior project manager

Our Lady of Lourdes launched Advancing Acadiana in 2024and it includes 16 projects, said Elisabeth Arnold, vice president of marketing forWomen’sand Children. The program also includes amodernizedlabor and delivery experience, anew mother-babyunit, the

from page1A

Office,Dusty Guidry,who pleaded guilty,allegedly weakened requirements for criminal defendants to enterthe pretrialintervention program. Haynes then allegedly directed them to take classes, which the defendants paid for,from cooperating vendors like Leonard Franques who were to pay Haynes kickbacks.

The motions filed on behalf of Haynes request:

n Dismissal of files seized in an FBI raid of the District Attorney’sOffice on May 9, 2022, because federal investigators allegedly retained copies of the files butnot the folders they werein and returnedthe originals to the District Attorney’sOffice, leaving in question their authenticity and whether agents selected certain documents to retain

n Exclusion of evidence the prosecution plans to introduce regarding Haynes’ alleged attempt to join a bribery scheme involving the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Haynes’ alleged acceptance of bribes fromunindicted

transformation of the women’smedical/ surgical unit, expansionofthe pediatric emergency room, constructionofanew lobby and chapel,upgrades to postpartum rooms and relocation of the main entrance and lobby of the hospital.

“The NICU expansion is just one piece of the $100 million AdvanceAcadiana initiative that, in total,has 16 different projectswe’re completing,” Arnold said.

The project marks the latestimprovementstoWomen’s& Children’sHospital, whichLourdesacquired in 2019. Since then, Lourdes has establisheda Ronald McDonald Family Room, modernized the surgical technology by adding the Vinci XI roboticsurgical systemand added pediatric providersintoits physician enterprise.

TheNICUexpansion is scheduledfor completion this fall, while the remaining projects are expected to be finished in 2026.

EmailJa’kori Madison at jakori. madison@theadvocate.com

co-conspirators and Haynes’ knowledge or awareness of the2021federalbribery convictionofhis wife, Barna Haynes, who worked in the District Attorney’sOffice under former District Attorney MikeHarson

n Disclosure by federal prosecutors of theidentity of allconfidential informants, cooperatingwitnesses and individuals who provided information to theinvestigation and prosecution, and disclosure of all deals and incentives for prospective government witnesses

n At least one hour for the defense and prosecution to question potential jurors instead of the normal 10 minutes each

n Theuse of aspecial questionnaire forpotential jurors

n More details in writing from prosecutors of charges contained in theindictment Federal prosecutorsfiled onemotiontoexclude defense arguments and evidenceofpriorgoodactsby Haynes,suchasarguments that Haynes is not guilty because he didnot financially profitfromthe scheme,argumentsabout thepotential penalty he faces if convicted and instances of goodacts or absence of bad conduct

The motions reveal there aremorethan 300,000 pieces of evidenceinthe case, including documents stored separately as individualimages of each page, reports, photos,audio recordings and video surveillance.

Haynes’ motions allege alocal defense attorney, whose identity is not disclosed, cooperated with the investigation in May2022 andanother unnamed local defenseattorney toldinvestigators whereHaynes’ office was located.

His attorney allegesthat the government provided thedefense with avideo and audio recording andtranscript of an alleged meeting between Haynesand another man whoisnot shownon therecording, only heard, andwho is identifiedasCHS.

Clemonsstates in onemotionthat prosecutors are introducing evidence of Haynes’ knowledge of his wife’s2021 bribery convic-

tion to show he acted “corruptly” when Haynesallegedly instructed Franques to hide his cellphone and delete text messages between

Franques and Haynes’ coconspirator Guidry

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

Charlene Richardisclosertosainthood

Faithful mark herdeath anniversaryinAcadiana

Staff report

It’sbeen 66 years since Charlene Richard, a12-year-old girl from ruralAcadia Parish, passed away from acute lymphatic leukemia

On Monday,parishioners gathered at St. Edward Catholic Church in Richard for amemorial Mass honoring the girl affectionately known as “the Little Cajun Saint.” Pilgrimsfrom across thecountry came to celebrate her life and reflect on the impact she hashad on Catholic communities far beyond Louisiana.

“Before she died, the priestwould come to her hospitalroom every day,” Nannette Reiners,president of the Charlene Richard Founda-

Manin Rayneshot four times; suspect arrested

Ashooting in Rayne left aman hospitalized with serious injuries and landed another man behind bars.

CRIME BLOTTER

Demarques Francis, 19, is charged with attempted se con d-d eg ree murder

The Rayne Police Department reported the victim was found Friday on Reynolds Street with four gunshot wounds. He was airlifted to ahospital. Investigators said Francis was arrested earlySaturday morning. The investigation is ongoing 2sentenced in separate rape, manslaughter cases

Twomen have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in separate violent crime cases following guilty pleas earlier this year according to thePineville Police Department.

Al Keys was sentenced Aug. 6to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of seconddegree rape. Keys enteredhis plea May 19 and received20yearsfor each count,tobeservedconsecutively.His sentence is to be served without the benefit of probation,

ä See BLOTTER, page 4B

tiontoldKATC. “She would always ask whoshe wassupposedtosuffer forthatday.”

Charlene Richard died in 1959, but soon after,stories began to spread of peoplepraying to herand reporting answered prayers. Her quietsufferingand strong Catholic faith have become asource of inspirationfor many Now,her cause for sainthood is progressing. Charlene holdsthe title servant of God, thefirst of four steps toward canonization in the Catholic Church. The next step: being declared venerable, which Reiners said she’s “very close” to receiving.

Thefour stages to sainthood include: servant of God, venerable,

blessed and, finally,saint.

In July,the Vatican said it had officially approved the investigation in Richard’s life.Ithas since launched its investigation into her “heroic virtue.”

If thechurch proves hervirtue, amiracle through herintercession will alsoneed to be proven to move forward.

During that step, anthropologists doctorsand other specialistsare asked to give areasonable explanation for the unexplainable happenings that the faithful have attributedtoCharlene’sintercession.

“When shebecomes venerable, it’ll be done here,” Reiners said. “I think someone from Rome is going to come hereand do it.”

Street upgrades and beautificationwork continue Wednesday

downtown Broussard.

CENTER OF ATTENTION

RenovatedBroussard

downtown

area part of yearslongplan

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

The city of Broussard is making progress on itsEnvisionBroussard plan, with its centerpiece at the intersection of Morgan and Main Streetnewly opened fortraffic. It’s abig milestone, said Mayor RayBourque,who, along with his council, introduced the idea of Envision Broussard,a beautification andinfrastructure master plan, in 2019. Theyearslong projectaimsto breathenew life into the small city’s downtown area by improving mobilityand pedestrian and motorist access.

City marshal‘adopts’HolyFamily

TheLafayette City Marshal’s Office “adopted” HolyFamily Catholic School to enhance student safety The office will help with student crossings to and from Mass, conduct afull security assessment and collaborate with school leadership to implement recommended safety measures, according toa release.

“Our children deservetolearn andgrow in asafe, supportive environment,” Marshal Reggie Thomas said in astatement. “By adopting Holy Family School, we’re making along-term commitment to theirsafety,well-being and success.”

TheSt. John Street school serves studentsinkindergarten through eighth grade. Building community connectionsand increasing mentor op-

portunities between his office and Lafayette were some of the goals of Thomas’ campaign when he first ran for office. Hisoffice has also worked withcharterand private schools to position itself on campuses.

Thomas and hisoffice, led by Deputy Marshal Tyrone Alexander,spearheaded the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy.

Workerstoiled away in the Louisiana heat recently,putting thefinal touches on thenew street mural at the intersection of Morgan and Main streets. Theartwork depicts sugar mill gears, representing one of the major crops of the area, sugar cane. Beyond making the area look more appealing, the bulk of the workbeing done is underground,

ä See DOWNTOWN, page 4B

Shrimpers, seafood firms sueover’22 Gulf oilspill

Disaster occurred on season’s opening day

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

More than 2,300shrimpers, boat owners andseafood businesses from across the Gulf Coast are su-

ing two companiesover an oil spill off Louisiana’scoast on Aug. 8, 2022 —the opening day of shrimping season Roughly 200 of the plaintiffs are from Louisiana,with the rest from across the Gulf Coast. The case was filedlastweekinfederal court

ä See SHRIMP, page 4B

Cassidyshould fightfor vaccine research

When U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy backed RobertF Kennedy Jr.tolead the Department of Health and Human Services, the respected Baton Rouge physician and longtime vaccine advocate admitted that the decision had been difficult Kennedyiswell known for advocating policies that fall well outside mainstream medical thinking, particularly when it comes to vaccination. But Cassidy said at the time he would consult regularly with Kennedy,and use his oversight authority as chair of the Senate’sHealth,Education, Labor and Pension Committeeto“rebuff any attempts to remove the public’saccessto lifesaving vaccines without ironclad,causational scientificevidence that can be defended before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress.” The senator alsovowed to “carefully watch for anyeffort to wrongfully sow public fearabout vaccines...” With Kennedy’s recent revocation of almost $500 million in development contracts fornew vaccinesusing mRNA technology,we callon Cassidytodojust that.

Cassidy has already taken the first stepof publicly opposing Kennedy’smove, which affects22projects aimed at preparing fornational health emergencies. These vaccines can be developed and adjusted rapidly; theywere widely employed during the COVID pandemic, and scientists believe they have great potential to addressawide range of deadly diseases

“It is unfortunate that the Secretaryjust canceled ahalf abillion worth of work, wasting the money which is already invested,” Cassidy wroteonX.“He has also conceded toChina an importanttechnology needed to combat cancer andinfectious disease. President Trumpwants to Make America Healthy Again and Make AmericaGreat Again. This works against both of President Trump’sgoals.”

He’shardly alone in hiscriticism. Prominent researchers around the country aresounding alarms, as are several leading officialsfrom President Donald Trump’sfirst administration.

“Weknow that by the most conservativeestimates over 2million lives have beensaved becauseofmRNA technology.It helped us develop COVID vaccines in record time. It’squite frankly President Trump’s greatestachievement,” wrote Trump’sfirst surgeon general Jerome Adams, in asocial mediapostthat Cassidy retweeted.

We admit we were disappointed thatCassidy chose to cast his pivotal nomination vote on Kennedy’sbehalf, even as we were glad tohear of his plan to be an active partner incrafting ourcountry’shealth care agenda.

So while we applaudCassidy for speaking out on the mRNA decision, we hope he won’t stop there. We urge him to call Kennedy before his committee, ask hard questions, hear from experts and do everything inhis official power to reverseorminimize effects of apolicy that will harm the nation’sreadiness for the next pandemic,and also needlessly undermine confidenceinother promising uses forthis important technology,including in the fight against cancer We know this is not astance Cassidy is eager to take as he approaches next year’s election, but we believe lives depend on it. Based on his own words, we suspect that Cassidy does too.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A

OPINION

Ruralresidents andveterans need afairpharmacysystem

Recently,guest essayist Rob Maness suggested banning pharmacy benefit managersfrom owning pharmacies in Louisianawould create disruptions in care for veterans and rural residents. However,this perspective overlooks critical issues with PBM practices and thebroader implications for Louisianans, especially veterans. Maness’ claim that banning PBMowned pharmacies would harm veterans and rural residents is misleading. In truth, PBMsoften exploit these populations by funneling them into mailorder systems that lack transparency and accountability.TRICARE, the federally funded health plan for service membersand veterans, contracts with aFortune 15 corporation whose PBM pushes beneficiaries to fill their prescriptions through itsprivately contracted PBM mail-order pharmacy Veterans and service members may use themilitary base pharmacy,but there are only three militarybases in thestate.

Under the TRICARE PBM’splan, basic generic medications like Atorvastatin,which costs an average of $8.47 for a90-day supply without insurance, costs more than $500 through TRI-

The recent killings of Gazans attemptingtoget food at distribution pointsbring up adisturbing question. Why is this still happening? Is thekilling of scores of innocent civilians a necessary byproduct of the killing of, possibly,one or two Hamas terrorists?

The entire civilized world has been looking on in horror and disgust as this continues to occur.People, women and children are starving for no acceptable reason. Why don’tthe responsible nations of

CARE’sPBM-owned mail-order pharmacy.Inaddition, TRICARE’sPBM offers Louisiana independent pharmacies contracts with reimbursements so unsustainably low that very few local pharmacies can afford to join the TRICARE network. How does lack of access to alocal pharmacy benefit veterans and rural residents? Big box and national chainpharmacies rarely set up shop in rural areas, and patients cannot have arelationship with amail-order pharmacy or its call center Maness’ suggestionthat independent pharmacies “lack the capacity” to fill gaps left by PBM-owned pharmacies ignores the reality that independent pharmacies are often theonly healthcare providers in rural areas. Banning PBM-owned pharmacies is anecessary move toward afairer moretransparent health care system that also reverses instead of creates pharmacy deserts. Veterans, rural residentsand all Louisianans deserve asystem that works forthem,not against them.

MONIQUE WHITNEY executivedirector,Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency

theworld take action? Inform Israel and Hamas that multiple food distribution locations will be established in Gaza, backed up by United Nations troops and materiel, whowill ensure that any disruptions in food distribution will be met with appropriate force. This might take awhile to establish,but the alternative is not what acivilized society shouldbeaccepting. Where is therest of the world?

PAUL MAJOR Livonia

Peter Chol’sletter to the newspaper on July 19 about opinion columnist Cal Thomas hit thenail on the head. He didn’tmince words and the points he madewere unvarnished. Thomas has consistently proven that his opinions are delusional, ignorant and mean, typical of awide swath of

Americansnowadays. He is transparent as awar hawk, and the persona he depictsinhis opinions reveals his intolerance of diplomacy and peace. Thank you, Peter Chol. Icouldn’t agree more.

GENE PAQUETTE Breaux Bridge

This refers to an article in the July 21 edition regarding ameeting to be held in Lafayette on Sept. 8on absenteeism.The meeting is being called by Chief Justice John Weimer of the Louisiana Supreme Court and is expected to include teachers, principals, district attorneys and judges. There is no mention of parent input. The first teacher of any student is their parents. Even the lack of parents is alearning experience. The people most responsible for their children to be in the classroom are the parents. Isuggest they consider including across-section of parents in this meeting. That is, low-income single parents, parents who send their children to school by school bus and those who are able to deliver and pick up their children every day If achild is legitimately absent from school, their parents are/should be aware, if the student is absent without cause, the school administration is responsible for advising parents and Families in Need of Services to offer assistance at the source. Instead of attempting to put aBand-Aid on the problem, let us try to treat the problem from the source If parents do not care if their student is absent on agiven day or days, they should be required to state such and bear the consequences. The community and officials should look to them as the responsible party

JOSEPH ZEHNER

Metairie

The erosion of ourdemocracy was not caused by the workofthe farrightbut thework of thefar left Theystarted withour institutionsof higherlearning. The farleft began to attack ourdemocracy before the SecondWorldWar

MARIE SPICUZZA Kenner

Time forDemocrats to get seriousabout politicalfuture

Gee, what’shappened to the“silly season”ofU.S. politics?

That’swhat many of us in thedaily journalism trade used to call the periods, usually in latesummer or nearholidays, when news media put an unusually intense focus on lighthearted or frivolous stories duetoa shortage of more serious news.

We currently have no such shortage. Even latebreaking investigations and speculation surrounding thesuicide of President Donald Trump’slate friend Jeffrey Epstein have had to compete witha ferocious partisan war within some of thestates over redistricting.

Consider Texas, where Republicans in the statelegislature are attempting, at Trump’surging, to redraw congressional districtsinorder to flipfive more districts to Republican majorities. Democratic legislators have fled the state to deny the legislature aquorum, in hopes of preventing Republicans from carrying out their plan

Some have taken refuge in Illinois, leading Texas Republicanstocall for their arrest by the FBI. Illinois’ Gov. JB Pritzker has vowed to protect them.

“Donald Trump is trying to steal five seats from the people —frankly,ofthe country,not just the people of Texas— and disenfranchise people,” Pritzker said on “The Late Show withStephen Colbert.” “We’re talking aboutviolating theVoting Rights Act andthe Constitution.

Pritzker also declined to turn away from the possibility of amid-decade congressional remap in his own state He told Colbert: “It’spossible. I’ve said everythingisonthe table. We’ve gotta fightfire with fire.”

Are we starting to see thehardball attitude that many frustrated Democrats have been urging their national party to adopt?

Still smarting from the debacle of Joe Biden’s2024 candidacy and thesubsequent defeat of the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz ticket, Dems appear increasingly ready to face areal threat to their ability to regain power in 2026 and beyond. For their part, Republicansare not trying to hide their determination to gerrymander their way outofamidterm backlash in November 2026. Vice President JD Vance visited Indiana to urge lawmakers to redraw their congressional map. It’salreadya reliably Republican-voting state,but itappears the GOP wants to leave nothingto chance.

Ifind it to be no small irony that these battle lines are forming on the60th anniversary of the 1965 VotingRights Act.

Someof us areold enough to remember the feeling that anew page in American history had been turned when that law was enacted. We believed that itwould finally end thedenial and dilution of Black voting power

That dream,once won, now must be defended once again.

Frankly,it’sbeen anever-ending chore. Thelast time House Democrats held the majority,they introduced a sweepingpackage of good-government reforms, including acenterpiece legislation to endpartisan gerrymandering.

“The people should choose their politicians,” then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in 2021 beforethe House passed the For thePeople Act, which would later dieinthe Senate. “Politicians should not bechoosing their voters.”

Of course, choosing their voters is precisely what Trumpand Republican legislatures intend to do. Trump’steam haspushed Republicans to redraw maps“wherever redistricting is an option.”

Democrats can’tafford to respond with anything less. Indeed, some Democrats, such as California Gov.Gavin Newsom, are switching from their past

lofty positions in favor of bipartisan redistricting commissions toembracing theidea of fighting fire withfire. Pelosi, who remains amember of the U.S. House, said that while Democrats favor nationwide independent commissions to draw congressional district maps, they “cannot and will not unilaterally disarm.”

Recentpolling trends show eroding support for Trump’sactions and policies, which can aptly summed up as “reverse Robin Hood” with apolicestatesideshow.This is especially the case among independents but is noticeable even among Republicans, many of whom no doubt realize their president is off the chain.

Abig opportunityisopening for challengers who can show voters sanity, humanityand the backbone to standuptothe schoolyard bully in theOval Office. AndDemocrats have shown before that they can rise from theslough of despond to winanelectoral mandate. This normally silly season has turned sinister,and thestakes to Democrats are existential. Their first step in winning back voters is showing they’re willing to fight.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com

GREENSBURG —OnMonday, 16-year-old ChristopherWilliams stood in awood-paneled St. Helena courtroom and pleaded guilty to second-degreemurder

Some fads end slowly,taking up to ageneration to wane. Othersare like lightning, bursting on the scene unexpectedly,destroying all in itspath. This is what has happened in the Sydney Sweeney storm.Anadfor American Eagle blue jeans and especially the reaction to it catapulted the 27-year-old actress to national fame and controversy Move over,Taylor Swift!

In case you weren’t paying attention, thead shows Sweeney reclining while zipping up a pair of jeans and flashing alittle cleavage. What sparked the woke left’s attention and outrage was thead copy which invoked adouble meaning: “It’s not just good genes. Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Critics claim the ad promotes eugenics.

Critics also began likening the reference to genes, instead ofjeans, tothe pursuit of amaster race by the Nazis. The reaction was swift. American Eagle Jeans flew off the shelves. The company stock soared 25% one day.Onhearing that Sweeney is a Republican, President Donald Trump said, “If Sydney Sweeney is aregistered Republican, Ithink her ad is fantastic. Thetide has seriously turned. Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be.” Sweeney’svoting precinct is in Florida’smost southern and conservative Monroe County.Liberal outrage

from 51% to 40%.Itisnot likely to go higher for some time, if at all.

As for those American Eagle jeans, we’re not talking about the “No Excuses” jeanspromoted by Donna Rice after her affair with Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., became public in 1987, or the “You’ve Got the Power” ad featuring aMonica Lewinsky clothing line after her sexual encounterswith President Bill Clinton. Thoseads wereexploiting what might be called negative celebrity. The Sweeney ads and theleft’sreaction to them are combating thecultural zeitgeist.

Comedian Bill Maher saidthis about theSweeney backlash on his HBO show: “In other uncomfortable racial news,sad news, we found out this week that Sydney Sweeney is aNazi.

surged further when avideo showed her firing agun on agun range. What this signals is that promoters of the culture wars are losing. The recent resignation of Jaguar CEO AdrianMardell also proves the point. Jaguar created an ad featuring people wrapped in shades of pink. No cars appeared in the ad. It was made to introduce an all-electric product line beginning next year.Jaguar buyers rebelled. So did some dealerswho knew their customers didn’twant a single option. One person posted on social media “I don’town aJaguar,but if Idid Iwould sellit.” Jaguar owners, like most of the rest of thecountry, want the freedom to choose the type of car they wish to buy.According to aGallup poll in March, interest in owning an electric car has dropped

“No she’snot, but you’ve seen the ad This is avery important ad that we’re seeing now,thereshe is dressed like Jay Leno in all blue denim. And shetalks about thefact that shehas blue eyes and then saysshe has great jeans, you know,because she’swearing jeans! Butaccording to the woke people this means she’saWhitesupremacist.

“I also (think) it’spretty funny that all the online social justice girls are like ‘it’s racist, there is no such thing as good genes.’ Right, and then you go on Tinder and swipe left on everybald guy.”

Iwonder if American Eagle carries my size?

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

The pleacame nearly two yearsafter Williams opened fire into acar in the parking lot of St. Helena College and Career Academy, killing 16-year-old Vernon Gordon Jr.and wounding two others. The case, which grippedthe tiny St. HelenaParish community,vividly laid bare the gapbetween the idealsofjusticeand the messiness of their application, especially whenitcomes to young offenders. Williams wasjust 14 at the time of the crime. And even though he wastriedasanadult, as part of his plea, he received anine-year sentence. Thatfar shorter than the mandatory life sentence for second-degree murder that most adult offenders get.

Before agreeing to the plea, District AttorneyScottPerrilloux told me his staff had to navigate some thorny challenges.

“There’s no owner’smanualthat dictates howtohandle asituation like this,” Perrilloux said afterthe hearing. “There’snoformula.”

One of the first decisions was whether to try to have the casetransferred to adult court. If the casestayedinjuvenile court, andWilliams was found guilty,hecould nothaveremained in jail past his 21stbirthdayand his record would have remainedsealed.

Given the nature of the crime, the juvenile limitation“wasn’tsufficient” for this case, Perrilloux said. So prosecutors successfully moved to have the case transferred to adult court. Evenwith the case in adult court, because Williams wasjust 14, he cannotbejailed past his 31stbirthday, Perrilloux said.

Finally,eventhough there was little doubt thatWilliams wasthe shooter,getting aconvictionwasn’tnecessarily aslamdunk. Williams’ attorneyplanned to argue that the boy feared for his safety afterbeing bulliedby Gordon. Perrilloux worried thatcould affect the jury

“Having 12 people agree on just about anything is difficult,”hetoldme.

Hence, the pleadeal and the nine years. With credit fortime served and good time, Williams could be outbythe time he’s 24 yearsold. Though he’ll be aconvictedfelon,he’ll still have most of his life before him.

Along the wooden benches in the courtroom Mondaywereplenty who didn’tsee that as justice. About 20 of Gordon’sfriends and relativeshad come to the hearing, many wearing shirts emblazonedwith his picture.Before handing down the sentence, state District Judge Jeffrey Johnsonallowed several of themtospeak

“I’m so broken,”his grandmother said. She askedhow this could have happenedatschool, where hergrandsonshould have been safe.

“Theychangedour family forever,” Marquelle Bernard-Gordon, Gordon Jr.’smother, said. The killing had been especially hard on hertwo younger children, she said. “No one wins in this.”

His father,Vernon GordonSr.,saidthe killing would forcehis “family to serve alife sentenceofgrief.”

“Wefeel like this was done to secure aquick conviction,”hesaid, accusing prosecutors of notworking hard enough. “Wefeel we have no choice but to acceptthis plea deal.”

On the otherside of the aisle, far fewer had come to support Williams. But of the handful thatdid, severalworematching orange shirts emblazonedwith abiblical reference on the front and“Standing in love with Cjaye”writtenonthe back Forhis part, Williams spoke only when addressedbythe judge.During Gordon’sfamily’scomments, he looked down with folded hands.

Perrilloux understands the families’ frustration. One lost ason forever.Another is losing onetoyearsbehind bars. Their versions of what justiceisare not the same.

“People want tough on crimeuntil it’stheir family,thentheywantmercy,” he said. “We want to do the right thing but figuring out what thatisisnot always abright line.”

Outside the courthouse,Marquelle and VernonSr. stood with alife-size cutout of their son. The hearing took place five days after what would have been his 18thbirthday. In the cutout, he’s wearing abow tie, awhite shirt andAir Jordansneakers. Abright smile lights up his face.

Theyhope, with the case resolved, that they’ll finally be able to move on “This is the beginning of closure,” Marquelle said. “I feel like this is the beginning.”

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

$20M venturecapital fund targetsTulanealums

Startups,growing companies sought to bring work to La.

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Anew venture capital fund hopes to tap into Tulane University’snationwide brand and active alumni network across thecountry to find both investors andstartup companies worthy of acash infusion.

New Orleans-based 1834 Ventures on Mondayannounced the launch of its inaugural $20 million startup fund and its first two investments.

Co-managing partners Patrick Hernandez and Evan Nicoll said they plan to leverage the alumni network of Nicoll’salma mater, Tulane, to invest in and grow scalable ventures while encouraging them to bring their business to Louisiana.

“Tulane graduates and entrepreneurs who have participated in Tulane programming have received a top-tier education,” Hernandez said. “Weconsider that acompetitive advantage. Plus, we know that Tulane grads around the country have an affinity for New Orleans and Louisiana.”

“Weare hoping to capitalize on that to bring more business to the state,” he added.

Hernandez said the fund

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parole or suspension of sentence.

In aseparate case, Henry Dubea was sentenced Aug. 7to30years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.Dubea entered his plea April 23.His sentence is also without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension.

Thefirst two bets from 1834 Venturesare on out-ofstate startups with Tulane ties.

Cabana is adigitalmental healthplatform serving U.S. military veterans. Founded by Tulane alum David Black,the companyisbased in Annapolis, Maryland, but is planning an imminent move to New Orleans.

Cabana, which said it has secured seven-figures in annual recurring revenue throughfederal contracts, is partnering with Ochsner to strengthenwellness and support initiativesfor employees.

back here,”Hernandez said.

1834 Venturesisworking closely withthe Tulane Innovation Institute and the Tulane VentureFund on coinvestment, programming, and founder readiness

“With1834 Ventures now part of Louisiana’sinvestment scene, we’reopeningmoredoors forventures ready to launch and grow here,” said Kimberly Gramm, managing partner at Tulane Ventures.

withimprovements and modernization ofthe city’s infrastructure, including closing ditches, increasing drainage, and moving and upgrading utilities. The intersection opened to traffic over theweekend, Bourque said. The city will now be turningits eyeto the rest of the main drag. That is expected to take a bit longer,stretching past the New Year

This phase will cost about $5 million, with all three phases costing the city just over $9 million. The stateput up $3.2million when the citytookcontrol of Main Street, formerly La. 182. The remainder of the

has raised$4.4 millionin commitments from 30 investors nationwide.One of those investors is theLouisianaEconomic Development Corporation, which spends federal dollarsdedicated to economic development by the BidenAdministration.

The State Small Business Credit Initiative will match private dollars raised for investment.

Thefund’sfirst two investmentsare in Cabana Mental HealthSolutions,ahealth care platform, and Orion Longevity,maker of asmart mattress cover designed to improve sleep.

The fund, named in honor of Tulane’sfounding year, is not affiliated with the university. Instead, it was created to “support and in-

SHRIMP

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in Houston Astoragetank on Hilcorp’s offshore platform northofTimbalier Island failed afterWCC allegedly damageditduringanoil transfer,according to the complaint. The plaintiffs sayHilcorp neglectedto inspect the tank,which partially collapsed,fell into the Gulf,and spilled roughly 14,000 gallons of oil intonearby waters.

The slick drifted into Lake Pelto, apopular fishingarea southwest of Cocodrie,promptingstate officialstoclose about 33 square miles to oyster harvesting. Shrimpers say the contaminationfears upended their season.

Aspokespersonfor Hilcorp, based in Houston, said the platform’sautomated systems immediately shutdown when the spill was detected, and that the companyquickly notifiedlocal, state and federalagencies. The company also said it contracted athird-party lab to

vest in innovation emerging from its extendedcommunity,” said Hernandez, who spent morethan four years as director of capital access at theNew Orleans-based startup incubator Propeller Thenew fund gotSSBCI approval in February and kicked off fundraising shortly after “Wefocused alot on hittingsomebigger out-of-state markets, where people know thatLouisiana has thisinflux of capital,” Hernandezsaid. “Wewanted to build momentumoutside of the statefirst and then come back.”

The fund will invest both in newcompaniesand in establishedonesthatneed capital to continue growing. Attraction strategy

test shrimp in the area and confirmed they were safe for human consumption.

Kimberly Chauvin, the co-owner of David Chauvin ShrimpCompany in Dulac, is quoted in the lawsuit expressing her frustration over the difficulties the spill caused the shrimping industry “Fishermen are now confused on whether they shouldbetakinga chance of going out to shrimp,” shetold The Houma Courier shortly after the spill. “Doyou spend the money for supplies to get rejected at thedock for the saleofyourshrimp? And docks are worried that if we buy theshrimp, arewe going to get paid by the processors or will they reject theshrimp?Thisis ano-win situation for us.”

Theplaintiffsaccuse the companies of negligence and of violating the federal Oil Pollution Act and state environmental laws. They are seeking damages for the lost profits and damage to their gear and boats. They also want the court to order thecompanies to restore affected fishing areas

The company provides online, on-demand therapy with individual counselors or small groups, as well as workplace “pods,” physical booths whereusers cantake tailored,short mental health breaksduring the workday 1834’s otherannounced investment is in OrionLongevity, maker of mattress coversthatuse biometric sensors to monitorand optimizesleep. Thecompany, led by Tulane alum Harry Gestetner, aimstobegin full productionthisfall.Its prototypes use high-tech methods to regulate users’ body temperatures.

The company will remain headquarteredinCalifornia but plans to find waysfor its supply chain to run through Louisiana.

“Wehave an attraction strategy, focusingnot just on companies based locally but also ones willing to set up operationshere or move

and take steps to “repair reputational damage done to Terrebonne Bay’sand Louisiana’sseafood industry.”

In late August,the fund will co-lead atwo-part webinar series with the university’sInnovation Institute on venturecapital fundamentals. It will be open to foundersand startup teams

1834 Ventures encourages applications from startups founded by Tulane alumni, students, faculty,staff and community,agroup that couldinclude any business that participated in Tulane entrepreneurial support programming. But it is not limited to them.

It plans to invest in many different types of businesses and at different stages of development, including the pre-seed, seed andSeries Astages. Checksizeswill range from$50,000 to $1 million.

Rushingtoinvest

1834 Venturesisthe ninth fundinthe state approved to participate in the State Small Business Credit Initiative administered by LouisianaEconomic Development.The program, launched in 2023, could po-

Richard J. Nava, the Houston-basedattorney representing the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.WCC also did notrespondtoa request for comment. Hilcorp, oneofthe largest privately held oil companiesinthe U.S., reported morethan a dozenspills in Louisiana after HurricaneIda in 2021, and in 2018, paid $920,000 to settleclaims that it dredged through oyster reefswithout a permit.

tentially provide up to $113 million in capitalfor the state’sentrepreneurs with an emphasis on supporting historically underserved communities. There are deadlines that have to be met to unlock allthe money The state’sprogram,recently rebranded“LouisianaOpportunity Capital, has committed morethan $25 milliontonine participating funds, according to LED, which said 150 Louisiana small businesses have received investment or loans through the state program. The state added a direct investment program, the Louisiana Growth Fund, earlier this year in an effort to getdollars into the hands of entrepreneurs more quickly The program supplies public matching funds for privateinvestmentdollars up to aset amount. The state hascommitted $5 million in matching funds so far to 1834 Ventures. Ochsner Health and Tulane are among those operating SSBCI-backed funds. Boot64 Ventures has been among themost active,investing$5.8 million in 26 companiestodate. After the program’s slow launch, funds investingSSBCI money have pickedupthe pace, in the hopes of unlocking all the potential federal matching dollars in the time allotted.

Email RichCollins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Making up ground

Saints pour resources into restoring once-proud run defense

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

IRVINE, Calif. — There is pride in the way Davon Godchaux plays, and that may be a key element to the Saints defense this year At 330 pounds, the ninth-year pro is the heaviest player on the roster The offensive linemen who have had to face Godchaux are coming to terms with what “old man strength” means as he has tossed them aside to make plays. The veteran nose tackle has stood out for a specific reason during this training camp: He is on the field to play a central role in snuffing out the opposing team’s rushing attack, and that involves playing with pride.

Slice the numbers any way you like, they weren’t good: 4.9 yards per carry (31st), 2.01 yards per carry before contact (28th), 60 runs of 10-plus yards (23rd), 11.9% run stuff rate (30th) and +.08 Expected Points Added per run (30th).

“Last year still doesn’t sit well with us,” linebacker Pete Werner said. “Any good defense, you’ve always got to stop the run. That has to be a given within any single year.”

Cajuns have more to settle

Scrimmage doesn’t decide UL positions

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

After Monday night’s intrasquad

scrimmage, there was still 12 days left before game week begins for the Aug. 30 season opener against Rice at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

Although UL coach Michael Desormeaux wasn’t ready to make any position proclamations after the first scrimmage, there was some movement at key positions.

“At times, we show flashes and signs of being a really good football team,” Desormeaux said.

“We’re working really hard to do it more consistently, and that’s what the next 12 days before we get to the first game is going to be about.”

Like in many scrimmages, there was some back and forth, but the defense showed progressed.

“We had some really good drives by the offense, some really good runs, some great throws and catches,” Desormeaux said. “We had some big stops on defense, which is what you need. I think our defense is really settling in in Year Two.

“They’re really kid of understanding how the whole thing fits together and that’s good to see.”

The biggest battle is at quarterback with Walker Howard, Daniel Beale and Lunch Winfield battling.

“It’s just got to be something you really just do,” Godchaux said. “There’s a technique to it, but it’s more about pride in stopping the run.”

Football, becoming complete tight end now in Green’s court

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

What’s another 7 pounds?

Trey’Dez Green said he’s already packed on about 20 in the two weeks since LSU began preseason camp Only a few more, and he’ll be back up to the weight at which he finished last football season Green no longer has to slim down to play basketball after shifting his full focus to football following his freshman season at LSU when he played both sports. He now is focusing on developing into a complete tight end after LSU asked him to direct most of his attention to the passing attack a year ago. The sophomore already can run routes and catch. What needs to improve is his blocking, the skill that — if perfected — can turn him into an every-down player and one of the top tight ends in the country The first step is adding the weight back, so what’s his secret? “Eat every day,” Green said Tuesday “I eat like five meals a day.” The fried chicken. The red beans and rice. The jambalaya. None of it has slowed down Green, the former high-profile recruit and twosport star who’s emerged through

The Saints used to take pride in their run defense, but that hasn’t been the case in recent years. They had a top-five run defense four straight years from 2018-21 but have been bottom 10 in each of the past three seasons. The run defense cratered last season, when New Orleans ranked 31st among 32 teams in stopping the run.

Something needed to change. To the Saints credit, plenty did.

One of their first moves was to trade for Godchaux, giving them a physical presence in the middle of their defense that was lacking last season. Their big-ticket free agent acquisition was safety Justin

the first 11 practices of preseason camp as one of Garrett Nussmeier’s favorite targets. The two have struck up a nice connection — and not just in the red zone. In a one-on-one rep Monday Green’s release off of the line of scrimmage forced Harold Perkins to stumble. There was no catching him after that, even for a speedy player such as Perkins. Green’s long strides propelled him about 2 yards ahead of Perkins, and Nussmeier didn’t have much trouble fitting a high-arcing pass into the large throwing window that his tight end opened

Nussmeier then found Green open on a shallow out-breaking route on the first play of a team drill before firing him a pass in the flat after a play-action fake on the first rep of seven-on-seven work. Then came the red-zone targets. Nussmeier and Green connected on the first — a post route for a touchdown over the top of tight coverage before misfiring on the second, a fade pattern against freshman cornerback DJ Pickett.

“He’s a mismatch,” LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

“They’re ultra-competitive,” Desormeaux said “Daniel operated really well, but this is kind of in his wheelhouse when the whole offense is in. He’s really intelligent and operated well.”

Desormeaux said Howard was harder on himself than he needed to be after the scrimmage.

“Walker made some really big splash plays,” he said. “I think he kind of was a victim sometimes to some things around him not going

Zavion Thomas leapt for a ball thrown down the seam Tuesday morning as LSU worked on redzone situations. DJ Pickett, a 6-foot-5 cornerback, had tight coverage, but the 5-10 wide receiver jumped over him. Thomas held onto the ball as Pickett tried to knock it out of his grasp, and they fell to the ground.

tackle Ahmad Breaux recorded a tackle for loss when Thomas took a counter handoff.

Thomas’ catch was the offensive highlight of LSU’s fully padded practice, an hour of which was open to the media. But once again as often has been the case this preseason — the defense mostly won the 11-on-11 plays that were seen by reporters.

Here’s a full rundown of what we saw during LSU’s 11th preseason practice. The Tigers ran 18 plays in the 11-on-11 periods that took place during the open portion. The next two days are closed to the media. Defense stands out The 11-on-11 period started in the red zone with the starting offense playing against a defense mostly filled with backup linebackers and safeties. On the first play, sophomore defensive

After a false start on redshirt freshman right tackle Weston Davis, Thomas caught the roughly 22-yard touchdown from Garrett Nussmeier Otherwise, the LSU offense struggled to move the ball. After the touchdown, the second-team offense came onto the field against the apparent starting defense. The ball was placed at the 1-yard line after a pass interference call on sophomore cornerback PJ Woodland in the end zone on first down.

On the next play, linebacker Harold Perkins blew up an inside handoff to running back Kaleb Jackson for a tackle for loss. The backups did not score on the next three plays, either Their last play in the series was a direct snap that bounced off Jackson and was returned for a touchdown by senior cornerback Mansoor Delane No longer in the red zone, the starting offense retook the field at its own 1-yard line, once again against the apparent second-team defense. Breaux made another tackle, and Nussmeier completed a short throw to Nic Anderson for 7 yards.

Nussmeier’s last pass of the

White House lawn a UFC target

After Paramount deal, White says event will happen

BY DAN GELSTON

AP sportswriter

Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a billion-dollar rights deal, Dana White said he had yet to hear from his friend, President Donald Trump, on his thoughts about the fight company’s new streaming home.

That was fine with White The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug. 28 to meet with Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, to catch up and discuss logistics on the proposed Fourth of July fight card next year at the White House.

Trump said last month he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence.

“It’s absolutely going to happen,” White told The Associated Press. “Think about that, the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the UFC will be on the White House south lawn live on CBS.”

The idea of cage fights at the White House would have seemed improbable when the Fertitta brothers purchased UFC for $2 million in 2001 and put White in charge of the fledging fight promotion.

White helped steer the company into a $4 billion sale in 2016 and broadcast rights deals with Fox and ESPN before landing owner TKO Group’s richest one yet a seven-year deal with Paramount starting in 2026 worth an average of $1.1 billion a year with all cards on its streaming platform Paramount+ and select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS.

ESPN, Amazon and Netflix and other traditional sports broadcast players seemed more in play for UFC rights — White had previously hinted fights could air across different platforms but Paramount was a serious contender from the start of the negotiating window

The Paramount and UFC deal came just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger kicking off the reign of a new entertainment giant after a contentious endeavor to get the transaction over the finish line White said he was impressed with the vision Skydance CEO David Ellison had for the the global MMA leader early in contract talks and how those plans should blossom now that Ellison is chairman and CEO of Paramount.

“When you talk about Paramount, you talk about David Ellison, they’re brilliant businessmen, very aggressive, risk takers,” White said. “They’re right up my alley These are the kind of guys that I like to be in business with.”

The $1.1 billion deal marks a notable jump from the roughly $550 million that ESPN paid each year for UFC coverage today

But UFC’s new home on Paramount will simplify offerings for fans — with all content set to be available on Paramount+ (which currently costs between $7.99 and $12.99 a month) rather than various pay-per-view fees.

Paramount also said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S “as they become available in the future.”

UFC matchmakers were set to meet this week to shape what White said would be a loaded debut Paramount card. The UFC boss noted it was still too early to discuss a potential main event for the White House fight night.

“This is a 1-of-1 event,” White said.

There are still some moving parts to UFC broadcasts and other television programming it has its hands in as the company moves into the Paramount era.

White said there are still moving parts to the deal and that includes potentially finding new homes for “The Ultimate Fighter,” “Road To UFC,” and “Dana White’s Contender Series.” It’s not necessarily a given the traditional 10 p.m. start time for what were the pay-per-view events would stand, especially on nights cards will also air on CBS.

“We haven’t figured that out yet but we will,” White said. And what about the sometimescontentious issue of fighter pay?

Some established fighters have clauses in their contracts that they earn more money the higher the buyrate on their cards.

Again, most of those issues are to-be-determined as UFC and Paramount settle in to the new deal — with $1.1 billion headed the fight company’s way

“It will affect fighter pay, big time,” White said “From deal-todeal, fighter pay has grown, too. Every time we win, everybody wins.”

Boxer Jake Paul wrote on social media the dying PPV model — which was overpriced for fights as UFC saw a decline in buys because of missing star power in many main events — should give the fighters an increased idea of their worth.

CHRIS

This photo combination shows a UFC logo outside an arena on April 24, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla., and the Paramount logo during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon on April 3 in Las Vegas.

“Every fighter in the UFC now has a clear picture of what the revenue is...no more PPV excuses,” Paul wrote. “Get your worth boys and girls.”

White also scoffed at the idea that the traditional PPV model is dead.

There are still UFC cards on pay-per-view the rest of the year through the end of the ESPN contract and White and Saudi Arabia have teamed to launch a new boxing venture that starts next year and could use a PPV home. White, though, is part of the promotional team for the Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford fight in September in Las Vegas that airs on Netflix.

“It’s definitely not run it’s course,” White said. “There were

guys out there who were interested in pay-per-view and there were guys out there that weren’t Wherever we ended up, that’s what we’re going to roll with.”

White said UFC archival footage “kills it” in repeat views and those classic bouts also needed a new home once the ESPN deal expires.

Just when it seems there’s little left for UFC to conquer, White says, there’s always more. Why stop at becoming the biggest fight game in the world? Why not rewrite the pecking order in popularity and riches and go for No. 1 in all sports?

“You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC, and soccer globally,” White said. “We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them.”

Sprinter Richardson addresses arrest and apologizes

BY PAT GRAHAM AP sportswriter

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson addressed her recent domestic violence arrest in a video on social media and issued an apology to her boyfriend Christian Coleman. A former LSU sprinter, Richardson posted a video on her Instagram account Monday night in which she said she put herself in a “compromised situation.” She issued a written apology to Coleman on Tuesday morning.

“I love him & to him I can’t apologize enough,” the reigning 100-meter world champion wrote in all capital letters on Instagram, adding that her apology “should be just as loud” as her “actions.”

Duplantis raises pole vault record for 13th time

Former LSU pole vault star Mondo Duplantis raised his pole vault world record to 6.29 meters at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial meet in Budapest on Tuesday

The Olympic and world champion added a centimeter at his second attempt to the previous record mark which he set in June at a Diamond League meet in front of home fans in Stockholm. It was the 13th pole vault world record for the 25-yearold Swede and the third this year It was another statement win in Budapest for Duplantis, who retained his world title in the Hungarian capital in 2023 by clearing 6.10.

At the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting on Tuesday, Duplantis cleared 6.11 at his second attempt and then successfully targeted the world record also with his second try

Astros All-Star closer

Hader placed on 15-day IL

Houston Astros All-Star closer

Josh Hader was placed on the 15day disabled list Tuesday with a strained left shoulder

The move, retroactive to Monday, comes after the left-hander reported shoulder discomfort before Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

Manager Joe Espada added that they don’t yet know the severity of the injury and should know more after additional testing.

Espada said he would not name a closer to fill in while Hader is out, but would use his relievers based on matchups.

Hader who is in his second season in Houston, is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA and is tied for third in the majors with 28 saves in 48 appearances this season.

Bills RB Cook resumes practice after ‘hold-in’ Buffalo Bills running back James Cook resumed practicing on Tuesday ending his temporary “hold-in” as part of a contract standoff that began on Aug. 3. Cook took the field in uniform and participated throughout practice, including team drills, after missing four straight sessions last week — the last two in which the fourth-year player failed to even make an appearance on the sideline. Cook declined to speak to reporters afterward about his decision to return to practice while still in the midst of seeking to secure a contract extension on the final year of his rookie deal. Coach Sean McDermott anticipated Cook’s return, who was the NFL’s co-leader with 16 touchdowns rushing last season.

Packers QB Love out after procedure on left thumb

The Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will miss at least a week after having a procedure to repair a ligament issue in his left thumb, Packers said Tuesday Love was spotted with his thumb wrapped on the sideline during the Packers’ 30-10 preseason loss to the New York Jets on Saturday Love started the game and went 1 of 5 for 7 yards with neither of the two drives he led resulting in points. The injury is to Love’s non-throwing hand and occurred, coach Matt LaFleur said, when he was sacked for a 3-yard loss by Jay Tufele on the quarterback’s final snap from scrimmage.

LaFleur said the recovery process is a quick one, with the expectation Love will be back at practice in some capacity next week.

Dimitrov withdraws from U.S. Open with an injury

“To Christian I love you & I am so sorry,” she wrote. Richardson was arrested July 27 on a fourthdegree domestic violence offense for allegedly assaulting Coleman at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. She was booked into South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, Washington, for more than 18 hours. Her arrest was days before she ran the 100 meters at the U.S. championships in Eugene, Oregon. In the video, Richardson said she’s practicing “self-reflection” and refuses “to run away but face everything that comes to me head on.” According to the police report, an officer at the airport was notified by a Transportation Security Administration supervisor of a disturbance between Richardson and her boyfriend, Coleman, the 2019 world 100-meter champion.

“I was told Coleman did not want to participate any further in the investigation and declined to be a victim.”

The officer reviewed camera footage and observed Richardson reach out with her left arm and grab Coleman’s backpack and yank it away Richardson then appeared to get in Coleman’s way with Coleman trying to step around her Coleman was shoved into a wall. Later in the report, it said Richardson appeared to throw an item at Coleman, with the TSA indicating it may have been headphones. The officer said in the report:

A message was left with Coleman from The Associated Press. Richardson wrote that Coleman “came into my life & gave me more than a relationship but a greater understanding of unconditional love from what I’ve experienced in my past.”

She won the 100 at the 2023 world championships in Budapest and finished with the silver at the Paris Games last summer. She also helped the 4x100 relay to an Olympic gold.

She didn’t compete during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 following a positive marijuana test at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov withdrew from the U.S. Open on Tuesday, a little more than a month after he tore a chest muscle and had to quit playing against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon.

That exit from the All England Club on July 7 marked the fifth consecutive Grand Slam tournament where the 34-year-old Dimitrov failed to complete a match. It also happened at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in May, plus last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open. A year ago in New York, Dimitrov stopped while trailing 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 against Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov was a semifinalist at the U.S. Open in 2019, at the Australian Open in 2017, and at Wimbledon in 2014.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

Reid, who is known for his physicality. In the draft, the Saints used two third-round picks and a fourth-round selection on a defensive tackle (Vernon Broughton), a safety (Jonas Sanker) and a linebacker (Danny Stutsman) — with the latter two being known as exceptional run defenders.

New Orleans spent resources on the spine of its defense, and that didn’t come together by chance.

“(General manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Kellen Moore) and our personnel team have done a great job of trying to arm us with as many players that kind of fit the way we want to play,” defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. Staley is one of those

THOMAS

Continued from page 1C

changes, too.

The new defensive coordinator brought a 3-4 base defense with him to New Orleans, and while the Saints will spend most of their time in sub personnel packages with five or more defensive backs on the field, his scheme still will present different challenges to offenses than previous iterations of the Saints defense. The new-look defense will force offenses to account for more players at the line of scrimmage. In base looks, that means three defensive linemen and two players lined up at each edge of the line. In sub packages, the same principle will apply, just with different personnel.

The aim is to occupy the front so the second- and third-level defenders are free to make plays.

“The way we coach in the run game is (the defensive

day fell incomplete as he rolled out to his right. Nussmeier looked for redshirt junior receiver Aaron Anderson along the sideline, but junior cornerback Ashton Stamps had tight coverage Aaron Anderson continues to work his way back onto the field after missing the beginning of camp with inflammation in his left knee. He has compression sleeves on both legs, but he is doing more.

The second-team offense had one more chance against the starting defense Other than a completion from quarterback Michael Van Buren to tight end Donovan Green for a first down, it did not move the ball much during six plays. Wild Tiger?

With the ball at the 1-yard line during the red-zone periods, Van Buren motioned out of the backfield Sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson took the snap. Johnson, who has played quarterback and running back in the preseason, was tackled short of the goal line After an incompletion, Van Buren lined up on the outside with Johnson and Jackson in the backfield. LSU called the direct snap to Jackson, and the ball bounced off his hands, allowing Delane to return it for a defensive touchdown.

LSU did not show the wildcat look again, but it has experimented with it multiple times during preseason practice. On Tuesday, the wildcat plays did not have any success.

Other tidbits

Sophomore cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson,

linemen) are taking care of it so that the guys behind the ball can just go find the ball and play it instinctively and freely,” Staley said. If the goal of modern NFL offenses is to manipulate space to their advantage, this defense is designed to snuff it out.

“The difference is there’s less double teams for the interior guys, and the edge players can play on the edge,” defensive edge coach Jay Rodgers said. “So we’re actually, schematically, a little bigger up front than maybe some of the years prior

“The enemy of run defense is space. We want to take all the air out of the running back’s run lanes and then finish on the ball carrier.”

Godchaux is a space eater, and throughout his career he has played that role well. Staley has been on the op-

a Florida transfer, did not practice. Instead, he worked off to the side with athletic trainers or rode a stationary bike Jackson left Monday’s practice early after appearing to suffer an injury

When LSU practiced punts, Kentucky transfer Barion Brown, Aaron Anderson and Thomas were catching them. That’s a lot of speed in the return game.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter

Alabama names Simpson its starting

By The Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA,Ala.— No. 8 Alabama has named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback heading into the team’s season opener at Florida State. Coach Kalen DeBoer told Simpson along with fellow quarterbacks Austin Mack and Keelon Russell before sharing the news with the team Monday DeBoer and Simpson later spoke with Yea Alabama, a membership site that provides funding to the school’s student-athletes.

“They went through the X’s and O’s of why I would

be the starter and said they were really proud of the QB room for how tight-knit we were,” Simpson said. Simpson, a fourth-year junior from Martin Tennessee, spent the past three years waiting for his shot. He backed up Bryce Young in 2022 and then Jalen Milroe the past two seasons. “My journey is like no other,” Simpson said “And I think it meant a lot to the guys as well, knowing that I’ve had opportunities to leave and I didn’t because I want to be here, and I want to be with my guys.

posing sideline from Godchaux several times during his coaching career, and that’s part of what informed the trade this offseason.

“He’s one of the top interior players in the game, and I still believe that’s true,” Staley said. “... And the other thing that you’re getting with him when you’re starting a new program is that he’s also bringing culture to your team experience.”

That last point may be important for a team coming off a bad season defending the run, because Godchaux knows it’s going to take more than him to get the Saints back where they used to be.

Pride needs to be a defense-wide mentality

“Everybody’s got to gel together,” Godchaux said, “because if one person is weak, we’re all weak.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1C

said of Green, “and I think coach (Joe) Sloan and that offensive staff does a really, really nice job of trying to put him in advantageous situations.”

In camp, Green has lined up as a tight end and at wide receiver He’s taken reps from the slot and along the boundary In each spot, he’ll usually have an advantage. The cornerbacks and safeties are too small. The linebackers are too slow Now LSU needs to help Green take advantage of those mismatches.

On Monday, wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton spent time teaching the sophomore how to release off the line of scrimmage and how to separate from defenders at the top of his routes. Green said on Tuesday that he received special instructions from Alex Atkins, a former offensive lineman who’s now the LSU tight ends coach and rungame coordinator Atkins, Green said, is helping him put his hands in the right places when he blocks.

“You can’t be an in-line blocker at that position un-

less you’re willing,” head coach Brian Kelly said, “and I’ve had a lot of really good in-line tight ends that weren’t willing. He wants to get in there and mix it up.”

Green is 6-foot-7, which means he won’t have trouble coming down with contested catches, but he may struggle with bending low enough to gain the leverage he needs for certain blocks.

“The game is played from low to high,” Kelly said, “so we’ve got to get him in great leverage positions. Most of it is not playing too high, and that’s not an easy feat in his position in terms of his size.” Green said he’s working on it, and LSU can afford to give him time to learn. Mason Taylor may be off to the NFL, but Oklahoma transfer tight end Bauer Sharp is a large part of the offense, and he’s shown in preseason camp both a willingness and ability to tackle the dirty work.

Green has the willingness As for the ability, that’ll come from the weight he’s gained and the extra time he’s spent developing into the complete tight end LSU needs him to become.

“I’m all in on football right now,” Green said “That’s my focus.”

“Not only is it hard, sitting and waiting in this new era of college football, but you are sitting and waiting at the best, most competitive college football program in the nation. So I’m very excited for the opportunity I’ve been given.” Simpson has completed 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in 16 games.

Simpson’s first career start will come Aug. 30 in Tallahassee, Florida, against the Seminoles, who are trying to regroup after losing 11 of their past 13 games.

2025 SCHEDULE

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Acadiana High

PAST FIVE YEARS

PROJECTEDSTARTERS

What we know

When it comes to Acadiana High’sfootball program,the standard is the standard.

Regardless of roster turnover or coachingstaffchanges, the Rams’ expectation is to compete for two championships: district and state.

And that won’tchange under first-year coach Doug Dotson,who takesoveran Acadiana team that lost 20 of 22 starters from last season.

“That’salways the goals,” Dotson said. “Wehave had years when we were great, and we didn’twin it.And then we have had years whennoone expected us to winit, and we won it. So, you just never know.”

Although thelosses to graduation are well-known, Dotsonwarns thatthe cupboard isn’tbare by any means.

“When you haveaseniorclass like we hadlast year,you’re going to have some inexperience,”Dotson said. “But these kids gotalot of playing time in thefourth quarter of varsitygames in mop-up duty, and this group went undefeated in JV.We have somegood football playerstaking thefield this year.”

COACHES

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

going very well. That dude’sas competitive as can be. He’shad a greatcamp. He was alittle bit disappointed after,but Ithought alot of the stuff was out of his control.” Desormeaux said Winfield “plays well in the scrimmages. Ithink we’ve got to get him alittle more consistent in the practicesetting, but he’splayed well in the scrimmages we’ve had.” The other big battle in August camp is for the starting kicker job, and redshirt junior Tony Sterner is progressing.

Offensively,heisexcited about quarterback Ty Lamartina, receiver Collin Dibetta and his stable of running backs led by DionSimon and Troy Kennerson.

“I’m happywehaveaquarterback,” Dotson said. “Hedoesn’thave alot of experience, but he did play in somegames.”

Defensively the Rams will be led by defensive linemen Darryus McKinley, an LSU commit, and Jackson Hilts, linebackerGavin Coleman and defensive back Taveian Landry

“Defense is going to carry us early on,”

“I think things are starting to separate alittle bit,” Desormeaux saidbeforenotingthatnothing has been decided. “I think Sterner,in general,has been themost consistentinthe kicking game,. (Logan) Klotz is pushing them hard. He didn’thave agreat day (Monday). BrekSchultzstepped in and hit some bigkicks, too.”

Sterner hasa54-yard kick to his credit in atwo-minute drill; Klotz sportsthe best leg; and Schultz also serves as thebackup punter “They’reall talented enough,” Desormeaux said.“That’s one spot whereyou really want to see someone just really kind of takethat thing and run with it. That position is so confidence based.”

Dotson said. “Our secondary didn’tstart, but they gotalot of playingtime. We know we’re going to have some growing pains on offense, so hopefully ourdefense can keep us in games untiltheycomearound.”

What we don’tknow

The Rams always have aplethora of weapons in their offense, but the skill position playersaren’t whatmakes opponents“Fear theVeer.”

It’sthe Rams offensive line.

This could be said about mostofthe position groups, but the Rams are tasked withfinding an entirely new offensive line. Only time will tellifthe unit becomes astrength, butDotsonand his staff like what they have seen thus far in tackles George Gettridge, Isaias Avalos, guards KeddricBougerious andLandon Lavergne, center Nathan Fant and tight end Tayshawn Benjamin

“The biggest question markfor our team is the offensive line,” Dotsonsaid. “Wedon’thave anyone returning upfront. Allsix of ouroffensive linemen, including the tight end, wereseniors andare gone. But we have alot of confidence in the guys we have competing for those positions.”

Howwesee it

Although the Rams will have alot of new faces in the starting lineup on both sides of the ball, they’ve proven throughout the years thatthey alwayshavetalentwaiting in the wings. While there may be growing pains initially,expect theRams to once againbeDistrict3-5Acontenders and a postseason threat in Division Iselect.

EricNarcisse

COLLIN DIBETTA

WR, 5-10, 180, JR. Dibetta has been athreat for the Rams sincehis freshman season. Dibetta is agreat athlete whoisfast and has great hands. Equipped with ahigh footballIQ, Dibetta is beingcounted on to boost the Rams in multiple areas, includingdefense and special teams.

GAVIN COLEMAN

LB,5-11, 185, SR. Colemanisa three-year starterwho has aknack for finding the football.A good and physical tackler, Colemanhas elite skills when it comestoplay recognition.

DARRYUS MCKINLEY

DT,6-3, 275, SR. McKinley, an LSUcommit, has arare combination of size,speed and strength fora defensivelineman. McKinleyisa disruptive force upfront and often commands adouble team from opposing teams.

TY

LAMARTINA

QB,6-0, 200, SR. Lamartina is entering his first year as astarterfor the Rams,and the expectations are high. Praised forhis maturity,strong armand knowledgeofthe offense, the Rams don’t expect to missabeatwith Lamartina undercenter.

JACKSON HILTS

DT,6-0, 240, SR. Hilts has coachesexpecting abig season from him He’sa versatile playerwho can playinside or outside Hilts has the speed to beat blockersonthe outside to getafter the quarterback and the strength and physicality to stop the run.

On the defensive side,redshirt senior CalebKibodi is making progress from his spring status at inside linebacker

“I’dsay Caleb has probably shown up alittle bit more than maybe what Ianticipated going into the year,”Desormeaux said.

“I didn’t talkabout hima wholelot, but Ithink he’splaying really well right now

“He’sabig, physical,fast athlete, and he’splaying good right now At times, he’sbeen really up and down.”

Kibodi’s emergence means there’sfive options in the middle, along withJaden Dugger,Terrence Williams, KailepWilliams and Jake St. Andre.

“That’sgood for us, especially when you play ‘12’ (twotight ends) personneland you’ve got an opportunitytoput another backer on the field,”Desormeaux said. He saidthe running back depth chartisplaying out as expected.

Bill Davis and Zylan Perry are the 1-2 punch the Cajuns will depend on, but it remains adead heat for thethirdoption between redshirt

freshman Steven Blanco and true freshman Darrell Smith.

“I’mconfident enough in both of them where they need to play,” Desormeaux said.

The Cajuns will have another full scrimmage next week before game week begins on Sunday,Aug 24.

August camp, including Monday’sscrimmage, also verified Desormeaux’shunch thatformer CeciliasafetyBrent Gordon is among the mostready forplaying timeasatrue freshman on the UL roster

“Brent Gordon is the freshman right nowthatIwould sayhas really kind of stood out,” Desormeaux said. “Brent Gordoniswhat we thought he was, what he was in high school.He’sgoing to fit in that mixsomewhere. That kid will play this year.He’sphysical,he’ssmart, he’stough, and he does things the way they’re supposed to be done.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

‘THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF CONNECTION’

Family dinner is a secret weapon for school time

BY AVERY NEWMARK

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

Just as quickly as we rocked out to “School’s Out,” we’re diving headfirst into supply runs, schedule shuffles and weeknight chaos And if finding time for a home-cooked meal sounds impossible, you’re not alone. Who even has the energy?

But according to Susana Solomon, a licensed professional counselor, core faculty at the University of Phoenix, and mom of three, it might be time to rethink that assumption.

“If we never make the time, we won’t have the time,” said Solomon, who is based in Atlanta.

“Even if it’s just, dare I say, putting your Domino’s pizza in the oven just to get people together over a meal that they love.”

Between nurturing kids’ mental health and strengthening bonds in the process, enjoying a shared meal a few times a week can become one of the most meaningful parts of your family’s routine.

Here are a few tips Solomon recommends for making family dinners work — no matter what your evenings look like. Why dinner time matters

With years of experience counseling families in schools, youth detention centers and private practice, Solomon has seen just how transformative dinner time can be.

“I always ask families, ‘If I were a fly on the wall during your last family meal, what would I see?’” she said. “Sometimes the answer is that they haven’t eaten together in weeks and that’s not about shame. It’s about starting where you are.” Studies show consistency with shared meals, even just two or three times a week, builds emotional safety and self-esteem in kids. Solomon said the impact is even greater when paired with simple rituals like “ rose, thorn and bud,” where each person shares something good from their day, a challenge they faced and something they’re looking forward to or want to improve.

“Children thrive when there’s predictability,” Solomon explained “And a regular shared meal offers that.”

Redefining the table

The modern version of dinner might happen at 9 p.m. after a late shift, or with granola bars in the car between gymnastics and tutoring. That’s OK. What matters, according to Solomon, is intention.

“To schedule with intention is important,” she said. “The fact of the matter is if you don’t carve out time for your schedule like you would for a doctor’s appointment or a business meeting we’re (going to) continue to miss (opportunities).” For families who feel unsure how to spark connection, Solomon says it starts with parents modeling openness.

“Kids don’t want to feel interrogated,” she said. “Lead with vulnerability Share something that happened in your day, then invite them in.”

Technology at the table

Ditching screens entirely may not feel realistic, but Solomon recommends setting a 20-minute tech-free window during mealtimes and sticking to it.

“Turn off the sound to the world and turn the volume up

A TASTE OF TEXAS

Brisket, breakfast tacos and more offered at new Lafayette barbecue spot

BY JOANNA BROWN

Brisket has a mystique all its own. From its bark to the tender, melt-in-yourmouth meat, a great slice of brisket is more than just a meal it’s a moment of connection to the traditions, flavors and craft of barbecue. For chef Shane Wiggins, of Deuce’s Taste of the South, that tradition is firmly based in Texas. Wiggins, who is from the central Texas townofNormangee,grewuparound his grandfather’s butcher shop. After working in the oil field for more than 20 years, he’s back to carving meat out of a little drive-thru spot in Broussard, slinging breakfast tacos, pulled pork, smoked brisket and classic barbecue sides like mac and cheese and purple hull peas to hungry customers There’s something undeniable about his brisket, which comes with a richly caramelized and flavorful exterior bark (a crust formed from the reaction of spices sugars and the outer layer of the brisket itself as it smokes.) According to Wiggins, it’s the bark that sets a Texas brisket apart — and you only get it with a long, lowtemperature smoke.

“I just use a simple seasoning, with salt, pepper and some seasoning rub,” he said “The main thing is the slow, low-temperature cooking overnight I use pecan wood for everything I smoke, and that’s where you get that flavor profile from.

“The bark is not something you can necessarily get cooking on a grill, or in an oven, where you get a lot of folks saucing it while it’s cooking. This gets seasoned, smoked overnight, and that’s it.

Deuce’s sauce is a balanced concoction that doesn’t lean too sweet and isn’t too thick, but adds the perfect tangy note when dripping down a pulled pork or brisket sandwich.

“It’s my own recipe that I’ve made and refined over years and years. It brings a good balance to the smoke of the barbecue to help accentuate the flavors,” said Wiggins.

If you want sauce on it, we have our own barbecue sauce. You can put that on there, but that’s your choice. You know, we try to let the meat speak for itself.”

ä

It might have been the breakfast tacos that started pulling peoplein, said Wiggins.

Shane and Allyson Wiggins openedDeuce’sTaste of the South in 2022, aftera hard period of losses in both of their families.The trailer, where the couple spends hours aday smoking meats and serving customers, became arefuge for bothof them as they figured out the ropes of being first-time restaurant owners. Despite not having abrick-and-mortar —Deuce’sisinafood truck off of U.S. 90, at 2007 E. Main St. in Broussard —Shane Wiggins said that the food started taking off quickly, becoming especially popular with salespersons traveling up and down the Lafayette to Houma corridor

“Texas-style barbecueis notreally that prevalent in theAcadianaarea. There are also not alot of places that do breakfast tacos, whichwe make fresheveryday.That was one of the main things Imissed in Texas,” he said.

Deuce’sbreakfast tacos when available, can be prepared with smoked brisket, pulled pork, chorizo,bacon, hash browns —everything you want in ahot,compact meal pickedupbeforea hard day’swork

The couplehas no plans to move on from their current location to afull-service restaurantand arebusynow preparing asmaller trailer to be abletobring barbecue to more local markets and

other pop-up events. They are also planning thelaunch of anew idea forthe Acadianaarea: abarbecuedate night special featuring local comedyand arib-eye dinner under thestars.

“We’llcallitdate night at Deuce’s,” Wigginssaid “Rib-eye, baked potato, sides, salad, roll. Adults only,BYOB, acomedy show whereyou don’thave to worry aboutthe kids being there. Maybe in November, when it’snice and cool out.”

Deuce’sTaste of the South is open for breakfast and lunchhours only,7 a.m. till 2p.m. Tuesday through Friday. They areopen 8a.m. to 1p.m. on Saturdays, and are closed Sunday and Monday

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Keepingthe dishwasher clean

Dear Heloise: Ilive alone and only use my dishwasher acouple times aweek. In between washings, I sprinkle baking sodaonthe bottom of the dishwasher No more odors between washings! —Kaynella W.,inOmaha, Nebraska

Crispsheets

bring in at least one for your bedroom and one for your bathroom.Itcan be safely carried throughout the house and placed outside in the morning forrecharging as needed.

fewextra shirt buttons, alaundry bag, and some loose change forsnack machines.

—Heloise Wastenot

on the side for some extra deliciousness.

—Joy Holden Louisiana Inspired coordinator La. Crawfish Salad

n SoLou Lafayette, 1905 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite105, Lafayette

Executive chef and owner Peter Sclafani and his team opened SoLou in Baton Rouge in 2021. Then, in June 2024, SoLou opened in the former Grub Burger Bar space on Kaliste Saloom in Lafayette.

Ihad been wanting to visit since it opened, and I finally made the two-minute drive on arecent Sunday evening.

The vibe is laid back with elevated Louisiana comfort food like savory crabmeat cheesecake, chicken and waffles with balsamic strawberries and cane butter,and yes, aGulf shrimp corn dog with spicy mustard.

Iwas in the market for a salad, and the server recommended the Louisiana crawfish salad. It did not disappoint, with aton of Louisiana crawfish tails sitting atop afresh spring mix. The salad also had hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese,corn and aCreole honey mustard dressing.

The combination was savory and sweet and alittle

DINNER

Continued from page5C

tousconnecting,” she said Eventually,she says, the dinner table canfeel like

The roll includes snow crab, avocado and crispy onions layered and rolled in nori and sushi rice, then topped withdiced tuna, jalapeño and adrizzle of sesame-soy sauce. The dish is thentopped withahousemade strawberry preserve sauce.

spicy —asasouth Louisiana dish should be. —Kristin Askelson, managing editor,Lafayette

The Caroline’s Roll n Rock-n-Sake, 3043 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge

Caroline’sCookies owner CarolineMerryman teamed up with Rock-n-Sake to create aroll of her own.And it’sgood

asanctuary—where kids know they’re safe to vent, laugh orjust be quiet.

“(It becomes) aplace whereI’vegot your back andIwant to know what’s been happeningwithyou.” Connection doesn’thave to

Together,the rollissweet and savory,and theonions provide anice crunch in themiddle of thebiteof sushi. Iadmit that I’m a wimp when it comes to spice, and Iusually exile any sign of jalapeños from adish, but Idecided to go all in on this one. I’m glad Idid. The smokinessofthe jalapeños is anice contrast to thesweet strawberry preserves.

The Caroline’sRoll is available until theend of August on Tuesdays at all Rock-n-Sake locations.

—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator

be complicated.Itjust hasto be intentional.

“Make time today. If we don’tmaketime, we’ll never have thetime,” sheadded “Thesemoments, no matter howbrief, are the building blocks of connection.”

Dear Heloise: Years ago, my mother told me thethread count for crisp percale sheets. Naturally, Ihave forgotten about it, and she’snolonger with us.Even though Ialways hang up my sheets (weather-permitting), they are not crisplike they used to be. Could you recommend athread count for crisp sheets?

—Marilyn B.,via email Marilyn, a400 thread count is usually recommended for percale sheets. Youcan go higher on the thread count,but please remember that thehigher thethread count,the less breathabilityyour sheets will have. —Heloise Emergencypreparedness

Dear Heloise: Arecent hint about using candles when theelectricity is out was good, but candles can burn out and be dangerous if there are children or pets in the house. For long-term blackouts when disasters happen, another solution is to use your yard solar lightsand

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 13, the 225th day of 2025. There are 140 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Aug. 13, 1961, on what would become known as Barbed Wire Sunday, East Germany sealed the border between Berlin’s eastern and western sectorsbefore building awall that would divide thecity for thenext 28 years.

Also on this date:

In 1521, Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez captured Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City, from theAztecs.

In 1792, French revolutionaries arrested and imprisoned King Louis XVI; he would be executed

—Judi K., in Omaha, Nebraska Judi, this is a great idea, but in addition to this, there are light bulbs that actually are batterypowered. Every timeyou turn on alight, you can charge up the battery.If the electricity is off, you can still have light because of the recharged battery in the bulb.

Haveatleast three

flashlights and set them on theirends so that thelight bounces off theceiling and the whole room has light.

—Heloise

Offtocollege

Dear Heloise: In response to Seda, in Glendale, California, whoneeded alist of practical itemsfor her grandson who’sgoing off to college, Iwould like to add afew things:

n Agood pair of scissors n Asmallsewing kit (or at least aneedle and thread) n Adhesive tape n Aruler

—Sally R., in Oxnard, California Sally,instead of aruler atape measure might be abetter idea. Asewing kit is smart, along with a

TODAYINHISTORY

by guillotine the following January

In 1889, William Gray of Hartford, Connecticut, received apatent forthe first coin-operated telephone.

In 1918, Opha May Johnson becamethe first woman to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

In 1952, Big Mama Thornton first recorded the song “Hound Dog,” four years before Elvis Presley’sfamous version was released.

In 1969, NewYork City held aticker-tapeparadefor Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin andMichael Collins

In 1995, Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle died at aDallas hospital of rapidly spreading liver cancer at age 63.

Dear Heloise: For many years Iwould try to pinch the last remains of toothpaste (or similar items stored in amalleable tube) toward the top with my fingers to avoid waste. Recently,anidea struck me when Ihappened to have somelip balm on the counter nearby.Placing the lip balm container on its side at the bottom of the toothpaste tube and sliding it to the top with firm pressure madesure that every last speck of toothpaste wasused. This also works wellfor my wife’smakeup containers, and the cylindrical shape of the lip balm ensures you won’t accidentally rupture the container that you are squeezing. Tyler,inMurray,Nebraska Groceryshoppinglists

Dear Heloise: In response to Jan S., in Pennsylvania, regarding how she makes out her grocery shopping list, I have amagnetic dry erase board that Ikeep on the front of my refrigerator Whenever Iamrunning low on something, Ijust jot it on the board! —Helen B.,in New Hampshire

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

In 2011, seven people werekilled when astage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair during apowerfulstorm just before aconcert wastobegin.

Today’sbirthdays: Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders is 92. Opera singer Kathleen Battle is 77. High wire aerialist Philippe Petit is 76. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke is 76. Golf Hall of Famer Betsy King is 70. Movie director Paul Greengrass is 70. Actor Danny Bonaduce is 66. TV weatherman Sam Champion is 64. Actor Dawnn Lewis is 64. Actor John Slattery is 63.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) You have the intelligence and ingenuity to make your life better, but first, you must put aside your emotional baggage and get rid of what's weighing you down. Embrace positive change.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) An adjustment to how you handle your money and work responsibilities will reinforce the qualities that separate you from anyone trying to compete with you. Take the high road, and success will follow.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Set aside your differencesandlistentowhatothershaveto say.Lookatthebigpictureandrecognize what's in it for you, then address what's necessary for you to participate.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Make your actions count. Refuse to get caught in a verbal battle when it's what you do that makes a difference. Follow your heart and pursue your dreams.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Look around you and consider the upgrades you want to make to your surroundings Set a budget and stick to it to avoid unwanted stress and debt. Be smart with your money and protect yourself against illness and injury.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You may want to rethink your subscriptions, expenditures and investments. Consider your options. Address problems and offer alternativestoanyoneinfringingonyour kindness.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Yourfast-paced attitude and actions will lead to friction if they aren't in sync. Be aware of all

aspects of a situation. Be in control and make changes to protect yourself from anyone taking advantage of you.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Takeamidweek break and do something that makes you happy. Personal improvements, spending time with someone you love or visiting a place that brings you peace or closure can be uplifting.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Emotional excess is apparent. Pay attention, demonstrate discipline in all that you do and look for subtle solutions to unusual situations. Know when to say no and move on.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Go about your business, finish what you start and avoid conversations that lead to ridicule or resentment. Redefining what you want to do next will point you in a positive direction.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Reach out to special-interest groups and networking institutions that can guide you on your journey Learn as you go and take on whatever excites you A positive attitude will lead to new opportunities.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Take a closer look at situations that can influence your status, direction or relationships with associates. Keeping the peace is in your best interest. Choose to be creative, innovative and disciplined.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Dean Martin said, “When your opponent’s sittin’there holdin’ all the aces, there’s only one thing to do: kick over the table.”

Ihave never seen that at abridge tournament —but perhaps it has happened. Itisgenerallyconsideredthattheopponents are not on your team. But many of them, especially when on defense, will throw tricks in your direction. And there arealso deals where you can force the opponents to help you.

South is in four hearts. How should he plan the play after West leads the spade king?

With the annoying mirror distribution in theminors, declarer has four potential losers: one heart, two diamonds and one club. It looks as though South must guess trumps. If so, what is the percentage play?

Apriori, it is about2percent better to play for the drop. However, given the known uneven spadesplit, the odds have changed, making afinesse through East thefavorite.

Declarer, though, with reasonable minor-suitbreaks,doesnotneedtoguess atall.Heshouldwinwithdummy’sspade ace, ruff aspade in his hand, cash the club ace, play aclubtodummy’s king, ruff another spade, lead adiamond to dummy’s ace, and ruff the last spade.

Then South, whostill has A-9-8 opposite K-J-10 in trumps,exitswitha club or adiamond. Theopponents take their threetricks, but at trick 11, they must help declarer.

Whatever is led, South ruffs low in the nexthandanddoesnothavetoguesswho holds the heart queen. Perhaps East and West would wonder if they should have upended the table near the end! ©2025 by NEA, Inc.,dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Wordsmustbeoffour or more letters.2.Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” suchas“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 explicitwords are not allowed.

toDAy’sWoRD HoRoLoGERs: huh-RAHL-uh-jers: People whomake clocks or watches.

Average mark 25 words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 37 or more wordsinHOROLOGERS?

yEstERDAy’sWoRD—InFERRInG

infer infringe inner nine feign fern fine finer finger fining fire firing fringe erring reign rein reining rerig rife ring ringer grief grin

thought “And the cares of this world,and thedeceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word,and it becomes unfruitful.” Mark4:19

Don’t letthe cares andthe allurements of this world keep youfromserving the Lord G.E. Dean

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Stocks rally on hopes for interest rate cuts

NEW YORK The U.S. stock market rallied to records on Tuesday after data suggested inflation across the country was a touch better last month than economists expected. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% to top its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 483 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.4% to set its own record.

Stocks got a lift from hopes that the better-than-expected inflation report will give the Federal Reserve leeway to cut interest rates at its next meeting in September.

Lower rates would give a boost to investment prices and to the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to borrow to buy houses, cars or equipment.

President Donald Trump has angrily been calling for cuts to help the economy, often insulting the Fed’s chair personally while doing so.

But the Fed has been hesitant because of the possibility that Trump’s tariffs could make inflation much worse

Lowering rates would give inflation more fuel, potentially adding oxygen to a growing fire That’s why Fed officials have said they wanted to see more data come in about inflation before moving.

Spirit Airlines sounds alarm on its future

NEW YORK Just five months after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Spirit Airlines is warning about its future ability to stay in business.

Spirit Aviation Holdings, the budget carrier’s parent company, says it has “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue as a going concern over the next year — which is accounting-speak for running out of money In a quarterly report issued Monday, Spirit pointed to “adverse market conditions” that it’s continued to face after a recent restructuring and other efforts to revive its business.

That includes weak demand for domestic leisure travel, which Spirit said persisted in the second quarter of its fiscal year — among other challenges and “uncertainties in its business operations” that the Florida company expects to continue “for at least the remainder of 2025.” Spirit’s shares tumbled more than 40% Tuesday, with the company’s stock closing at $2.10.

YouTube to test age verification system

YouTube on Wednesday will begin testing a new age-verification system in the U.S. that relies on artificial intelligence to differentiate between adults and minors, based on the kinds of videos that they have been watching The tests initially will only affect a sliver of YouTube’s audience in the U.S., but it will likely become more pervasive if the system works as well at guessing viewers’ ages as it does in other parts of the world. The system will only work when viewers are logged into their accounts, and it will make its age assessments regardless of the birth date a user might have entered upon signing up. If the system flags a loggedin viewer as being under 18, YouTube will impose the normal controls and restrictions that the site already uses as a way to prevent minors from watching videos and engaging in other behavior deemed inappropriate for that age. The safeguards include reminders to take a break from the screen, privacy warnings and restrictions on video recommendations YouTube, which has been owned by Google for nearly 20 years, also doesn’t show ads tailored to individual tastes if a viewer is under 18.

La. companies make Inc. 5000 list

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Forty-eight Louisiana companies made the annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies, with a West Monroe construction firm ranking the highest. EPC, which builds and maintains fiber networks, ranked No. 202 on the list, after reporting 1,932% revenue growth between 2021 and 2024. EPC was founded in 2016. This is the first time EPC made the list.

Getpro Industrial of Prairieville, a female-owned business that sells fluid sealing products, such as gaskets and fasteners, to petrochemical plants was ranked 216. Getpro, founded by Kyle Landaiche, reported revenue growth of 1,771% over a three year period This was the first

time Getpro made the list.

Omega Foundation Services, a Slaughter civil and industrial heavy construction company, ranked 267 on the list, after reporting 1,467% revenue growth between 2021 and 2024. Omega was founded in 2019 and is led by Andrew Bennett. This is the second year in a row Omega made the list; last year, it was the highest-ranking company in the state.

Southern Coatings of Broussard made its first appearance in the Inc. 5000 at 545. The company, which provides painting and blasting services for water towers and storage tanks, posted 741% revenue growth over the three-year period. Southern Coatings was founded in 2021.

NOLA DMC, a New Orleans travel business, rose to 595 in its third appearance on the list. The busi-

ness is a destination management company that schedules events, activities and tours. It posted 696% growth.

Pulse eCitation Solutions of Baton Rouge debuted on the list at 628. The company provides technology that allows law enforcement officers to electronically generate and print citations. It saw its revenue grow by 664% over the past three years.

Currency Bank of Baton Rouge made its first appearance on the Inc. 5000 at 742. The community bank, which started in 2021, saw its revenue grow by 560% over the past three years. Crew One Productions, a New Orleans-based business that provides staffing for concerts, festivals and venues, also debuted on the list. The company was ranked at 927, after

U.S. inflation holds steady

Mild tariff hit offset by cheaper gas, food

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON U.S. inflation was unchanged in July as rising prices for some imported goods were balanced by falling gas and grocery prices, leaving overall prices modestly higher than a year ago.

Consumer prices rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, the same asthepreviousmonthandupfroma post-pandemic low of 2.3% in April.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, up from 2.9% in June. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

The new numbers suggest that slowing rent increases and cheaper gas are offsetting some impacts of PresidentDonaldTrump’ssweeping tariffs Many businesses are also likely still absorbing much of the cost of the duties. Tuesday’s figures probably reflect some impact from the 10% universal tariff Trump imposed in April, as well as higher duties on countries such as China and Canada.

Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College, said that overall U.S. tariffs calculated as the amount of duties paid by U.S. companies divided by overall imports — has reached 10%, the highest in decades, and will likely keep rising for months.

“Those cost increases will be passed on to the consumer in some way, shape, or form,” Bethune said. Some companies could return to “shrinkflation,” he added, in which they reduce the package size of a good while keeping the price the same.

And companies that are absorbing tariff costs, which would cut into their profit margins, are less likely to hire new employees, he said.

The Federal Reserve may now be in a difficult spot.

Hiring slowed sharply in the spring, after Trump announced tariffs in April. The stalling out of job gains has boosted financial market expectations for an interest rate

cut by the central bank at its next meeting in September, and some Fed officials have raised concerns about the health of the job market.

A rate cut by the Fed often, but not always, lowers borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans.

Economists are divided over how Fed officials will read the data in the coming months Some argued that the worsening jobs picture will outweigh lingering inflation concerns and lead the Fed to cut at its next meeting in September Yet some say that with core inflation notably above 2% and rising, the Fed will postpone that decision.

Chair Jerome Powell has warned that worsening inflation could keep the Fed on the sidelines a stance that has enraged Trump, who has defied traditional norms of central bank independence and demanded lower borrowing costs.

On Tuesday, Trump attacked Powell again for not cutting rates and suggested he would allow a lawsuit against the Fed to proceed because of the rising costs of its extensive building renovation. It wasn’t clear what lawsuit he was referring to.

On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.2% in July down from 0.3% the previous month, while core prices ticked up 0.3%, a bit faster than the 0.2% in June. Gas prices fell 2.2% from June to July and have plunged 9.5% from a year earlier, the government’s report said Grocery prices slipped 0.1% last month, though they are still 2.2% higher than a year ago. Tariffs appeared to raise the cost of some imported items: Shoe prices jumped 1.4% from June to July, though they are still just 0.9% more expensive than a year ago. The cost of furniture leapt 0.9% in July and is 3.2% higher than a year earlier Coffee costs nearly 15% more than a year earlier mostly because of troubled harvests overseas, thoughsteepdutiesonimportsfrom Brazil could push those prices higher in the coming months. Nearly all U.S. coffee is imported. Tuesday’s data arrives at a high-

reporting 459% revenue growth. Lafayette-based FlyGuys, a drone and data technology company, was ranked at No. 1,022. It reported a 418% jump in revenue.

Another Lafayette company S1 Technology, also made the list at No. 1,068. The company, which offers IT support and service for smalland medium-sized businesses, had 401% revenue growth.

Companies submit data to make the Inc. 5000 list In order to qualify the business must have been founded and generated revenue by March 31, 2021. Businesses must be based in the U.S., privately held, for-profit and independent entities, not subsidiaries or divisions of other firms.

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@ theadvocate.com.

ly-charged moment for the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which collects and publishes the inflation data. Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, then the head of BLS, after the Aug. 1 jobs report also showed sharply lower hiring for May and June than had previously been reported.

The president posted on social media Monday that he has picked E.J. Antoni, an economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and a frequent critic of the jobs report, to replace McEntarfer

Adding to the turmoil at BLS is a government hiring freeze that has forced it to cut back on the data it collects for each inflation report, the agency has said. UBS economist Alan Detmeister estimates that BLS is now collecting about 18% fewer price quotes for the inflation report than it did earlier this year He thinks the report will produce more volatile results, though averaged out over time, still reliable.

Smaller companies are trying to avoid raising prices and some have turned to novel ways of raising funds.

Clothing maker Princess Awesome, which designs matching clothes for children and adults, has seen its costs jump 15% to 20% because of the tariffs. The company has joined a lawsuit seeking to block the duties. Rebecca Melsky, CEO and co-founder of the firm, says it is prohibitively expensive to make the cotton blend fabrics it uses in the United States.

For now, the company has instituted a “tip jar” on its website where it asks customers to help defray the cost of goods.

“We have not across the board raised prices because of the tariffs yet,” she said

Trump has insisted that overseas manufacturers will pay the tariffs by reducing their prices to offset the duties. Yet the pre-tariff prices of imports haven’t fallen much since the levies were put in place.

Economists at Goldman Sachs estimate that foreign manufacturers have absorbed just 14% of the duties through June, while 22% has beenpaidbyconsumersand64%by U.S. companies.

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. budget deficit in July climbed 20% this fiscal year compared with the last despite the U.S. taking in record income from President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to Treasury Department data released Tuesday The U.S. saw a 273% increase — or $21 billion — in customs revenue in July over the same period last year, the data showed. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the data said overall increased spending is in part due to a mix of expenditures, including growing interest payments on the public debt and cost-of-living increases to Social Security payouts, among other costs. This comes as the federal government’s gross national debt creeps up to the $37 trillion mark Even as Trump talks about America becoming rich because of his import tax hikes, federal spending keeps outpacing the revenues collected by the government. That financial picture might change as companies exhaust their pre-tariff inventories, forcing them to import moregoodsandgenerateevenmore in tax revenues that could whittle away at the deficit without meaningfully reducing it as promised If tariffs fail to deliver on Trump’s pledge to improve the government’s balance sheet, the American public could be faced with fewer job options, more inflationary pressures and higher interest rates on mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The budget deficit is the annual gap between what the U.S. government raises in taxes and what it spends, over time feeding into the overall national debt.

While organizations like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget say that tariff income can be a stream of meaningful revenue — estimated to generate about $1.3 trillion over the course of President Trump’s four-year term in office; someeconomistslikeKentSmetters of the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model say tariffs are likely to result “ in only modest reductions in federal debt.” In June, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plan would cut deficits by $2.8 trillion over a 10-year period while shrinking the economy, raising the inflation rate and reducing the purchasing power of households overall. But revenue estimates are also difficult to predict as the president has changed his tariff rates repeatedly and the taxes declared as part of an economic emergency are currently under appeal in a U.S court. ATreasuryofficialdidnotrespond to an Associated Press request for comment on when the U.S. could begin to see tariff revenue start to put a dent in the deficit.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last month on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that the administration is “laser-focusedonbringingthisdeficitdown.” The Trump administration expects to make more trade deals with other nations, including China and other major economies.