The Advocate 08-28-2025

EBR council signs off on new tax near LSU

Proposal for new arena draws public scrutiny

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

Baton Rouge officials approved a new sales tax near LSU’s campus Wednesday after a public debate over the new arena where some of the tax could be collected

The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council unanimously authorized the LSU Economic Development District to levy a new sales tax in the district’s boundary, effective Oct 1. District officials say they are planning for a tax of one cent.

The approval came after several

comments from residents who feared the tax is going to be given to the developer of the proposed new arena and took issue with any new tax levied without direct voter approval.

“I can stand here very confident and say this whole tax is to prop up the development,” said former Metro Council member Darryl Glasper “It may have not have been created for that, but because it was created, it’s going to be used to prop up (the developer).”

Charles Landry, attorney for the Tiger Athletic Foundation who helped create the economic development district and is negotiating the arena deal,

said the tax at issue Wednesday had nothing to do with the arena. Landry said taxes collected from businesses in the district will not go to Oak View Group, the developer But the board of the LSU Economic Development District could choose to give the tax revenue generated directly within the 30-acre new development to Oak View John Engquist, a member of the development district board, said the tax’s use “has not yet been determined” and the board will decide that at a future date.

ä See COUNCIL, page 6A

La. wants part of Voting Rights Act overturned

Attorney general argues race-based redistricting is unconstitutional

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — Louisiana is now urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule a key section of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, which would throw out the state’s congressional map that has two minority-majority districts.

“The Constitution forbids sorting voters by race. And telling legislators drawing maps to think about race, but not think too much about race, is an untenable standard.”

LIZ MURRILL, Louisiana attorney general

“The Constitution forbids sorting voters by race. And telling legislators drawing maps to think about race, but not think too much about race, is an untenable standard,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said after releasing Wednesday afternoon a 58-page brief filed with the Supreme Court. Louisiana had previously defended the maps, saying they had created them under protest when a federal judge ruled a previous map with one minority district unconstitutional. But, after the Supreme Court asked for arguments on whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is constitutional, the state changed direction.

“We have consistently argued that the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting jurisprudence needs to be drastically changed or overruled,” Murrill said. “By requiring state legislatures to draw maps that sort voters by race, it forces us to violate the

See VOTING, page 6A

Two children killed in shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school

Authorities say gunman opened fire with rifle through the windows of building

MINNEAPOLIS A shooter opened fire with a rifle Wednesday through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school,

killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.” Armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, 23-year-old Robin Westman approached the side of the church and shot dozens of rounds through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School just before 8:30 a.m.,

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at news conferences. He said the shooter then died by suicide.

The children who died were 8 and 10. Fourteen other kids and three octogenarian parishioners were wounded but expected to survive, the chief said.

Fifth grader Weston Halsne told

ä See SHOOTING, page 7A

A parent hugs her son during an active shooter situation at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, on Wednesday.

Administration

appeals order to unfreeze funds

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration appealed to the Supreme Court again on Wednesday in its bid to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid funding frozen.

The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal seeking quick intervention to halt lower court decisions that have kept the money flowing, including for global health and HIV and AIDS programs.

The justices rebuffed the Trump administration on the issue earlier this year, but the court was divided 5-4. The justices have since sided with the administration in several highprofile cases.

The Republican administration says the funding at issue includes about $12 billion that would need to be spent by Sept. 30 if the lower court orders remain in place A judge’s March order requiring the funding to continue wrongly interferes with negotiations between the president and Congress over the cuts, they argued.

Trump has portrayed the foreign aid as wasteful spending that does not align with his foreign policy goals.

A divided three-judge panel of the appeals court in Washington allowed the administration to suspend the funding earlier this month, but the full court declined to let the freeze snap into place immediately.

Nonprofit organizations that sued the government have said the funding freeze breaks federal law and has shut down funding for even the most urgent lifesaving programs abroad

Rapper hospitalized after shooting at store

DALLAS Dallas rapper FBG Murda was shot in Irving on Tuesday after he and another man got into a dispute with the owners of a muffler shop, according to authorities.

The 21-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Cayto Rivers, is currently hospitalized, Irving police said. The extent of his injuries remains unclear

On Tuesday around 2:20 p.m., Irving police officers were dispatched to a muffler shop in response to a shooting.

After a preliminary investigation, police found the dispute began when Rivers and Elijah Jacobs, also 21, entered a restricted area of the shop

The shop’s owners asked Rivers and Jacobs to leave, after which the pair became “verbally aggressive” and brandished firearms, police said. According to police, the owners “physically restrained” Rivers and Jacobs to prevent them from using their weapons The two men allegedly threatened to shoot the owners.

As Rivers and Jacobs attempted to leave, an owner held on to one of them and was dragged along. A firearm was discharged during the altercation and Rivers was struck, police said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many shots were fired.

Irving jail records showed Jacobs was in custody as of Wednesday morning and is facing a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police said Rivers will be booked into jail once medically cleared.

Sting sued over ‘Every Breath You Take’ money

LOS ANGELES Sting’s former bandmates in the Police have sued the singer and bassist for what they claim are unpaid royalties over the group’s hit “Every Breath You Take.”

In the suit filed in London High Court, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland claim they never got songwriting credit on their band’s 1983 single, famously sampled on Diddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You.” They allege in the suit that they have never been paid for their writing contributions.

The Police formed in 1977 and quickly became U.K. charttoppers, earning a U.S. No. 1 single with “Every Breath You Take” before splitting in 1984. Sting went onto a successful solo career In February 2022, Sting sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal for an estimated $300 million.

Abrego Garcia requests asylum in U.S.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Kilmar Abrego

Garcia, whose case has come to encapsulate much of President Donald Trump ’s hard-line immigration agenda, wants to seek asylum in the United States, his lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday Abrego Garcia, 30, was detained Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore after leaving a Tennessee jail on Friday. The Trump administration said it intends to deport him to the African country of Uganda.

The Salvadoran national’s lawyers are fighting the deportation efforts in court, arguing he has the right to express fear of persecution and torture in Uganda. Abrego Garcia has also told immigration authorities he would prefer to be sent to Costa Rica if he must be removed from the U.S

A U.S. immigration judge denied his request for asylum in 2019 be-

cause he applied more than a year after he had fled to the U.S. He left El Salvador at the age of 16, around 2011, to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen and was living in Maryland.

Although he was denied asylum, the immigration judge did issue an order shielding Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he faced credible threats of violence from a gang there that had terrorized him and his family He was granted a form of protection known as “withholding of removal,” which prohibits him from being sent to El Salvador but allows his deportation to another country

Following the 2019 ruling, Abrego Garcia was released under federal supervision and continued to live with his American wife and children in Maryland. He checked in with ICE each year received a federal work permit and was working as a sheet metal apprentice earlier this year, his lawyers have said.

But in March, the Trump admin-

istration deported Abrego Garcia to an El Salvador prison, alleging he was a member of MS-13. The allegation stems from a day in 2019 when Abrego Garcia sought work as a day laborer at a Home Depot in Maryland. Authorities had been told by a confidential informant that Abrego Garcia and other men could be identified as members of MS-13 because of their clothing and tattoos. He was detained by police, but Abrego Garcia was never charged — and has repeatedly denied the allegation. He was turned over to ICE and that’s when he applied for asylum for the first time.

The Trump administration’s deportation of Abrego Garcia in March violated the immigration judge’s 2019 order barring his removal to El Salvador Abrego Garcia’s wife sued to bring him back. Facing mounting pressure and a U.S. Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. in June, where he was charged with human

Israel calls Gaza City evacuation ‘inevitable’

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD

Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israeli and U.S. officials were to meet Wednesday in Washington to discuss postwar Gaza, even as Israel’s military called the evacuation of Gaza City “inevitable” ahead of a new offensive and no sign of a ceasefire was in sight.

The meeting comes amid mounting outrage over this week’s double Israeli strike on a southern Gaza hospital that killed journalists, emergency responders and others. The toll from the attack on Nasser Hospital rose to 22 after two more people died Wednesday, Gaza health officials said.

The Israeli military, which has said it will investigate, offered no immediate explanation for striking twice and no evidence for an assertion that six of the dead were militants.

As a growing chorus of international leaders urge Israel to reconsider its offensive and commit to talks, Pope Leo XIV called for Israel to halt the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli military on Wednesday told residents of Gaza City to prepare to leave.

“The evacuation of Gaza City is inevitable,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee

wrote in Arabic on X. He said Israeli forces have surveyed vast empty areas south of the city “to assist the evacuating residents as much as possible.” He said the displaced would receive space for tents, and infrastructure would be set up to distribute aid and water

More than 80% of Gaza is designated as an Israeli military zone or subject to displacement orders, the U.N. humanitarian agency said in June.

Israel has pressed ahead with plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military will launch its offensive while simultaneously pursuing a ceasefire.

Hamas said last week that it accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators.

Qatar, which has rarely assigned blame through more than a year of mediation, said Tuesday that Israel has yet to officially respond and “does not want to reach an agreement.” Last week, an official from Qatar said the proposal under discussion was “almost identical” to an earlier draft that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff put forth and Israel accepted.

The deal said to be under discussion would include a 60-day truce, the release of some of the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a road map toward talks on a lasting ceasefire.

Leaders of ‘slave labor cult’ arrested

BY JOSEPH WILKINSON New york Daily News (TNS)

Two leaders of the Kingdom of God Global Church, a nationwide ministry once called a “slave labor cult” by a former member, were arrested Wednesday by the FBI.

David Taylor, the 53-year-old leader known as the church’s “apostle,” and Michelle Brannon, its 56-year-old executive director were both detained, the Justice Department announced. They stand accused of forced labor conspiracy and money laundering

The Kingdom of God Global Church, also known as Joshua Media Ministries International, operates from several locations in Michigan, Texas, Florida and Missouri.

The controversial and charismatic Taylor has led the church since it was founded in Michigan in 2013.

According to the feds, the church is little more than a front designed to convince people to give Taylor their money Church members work long, unpaid shifts at call centers throughout the country to solicit donations, according to a federal indictment.

“Taylor demanded that victims raise more money admonished victims for not meeting his monetary goals, explained the power God gave him, rebuked victims for disobedience and cursed those who stopped working for him,” the indictment reads.

The feds say Taylor ran his call centers with an iron fist, depriving food and sleep from those who failed to reach his “unobtainable” fundraising goals.

With the tens of millions generated from the call centers, Taylor bought expensive luxuries for himself, including properties, vehicles Jet Skis and a boat, according to the feds.

smuggling, a federal offense.

The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee There were nine passengers in the SUV and Abrego Garcia had $1,400 in cash on him. While officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling, he was allowed to drive away with only a warning.

A federal judge in Tennessee released Abrego Garcia from jail on Friday after ruling that he was not a flight risk or a danger The Trump administration moved to deport Abrego Garcia again on Monday, alleging he is a danger Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit to ensure that he can exercise his constitutionally protected right to fight deportation. He is entitled to immigration court proceedings and appeals, his lawyers say U.S District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland has ruled that the U.S. government cannot remove Abrego Garcia from the country as the lawsuit plays out.

Some FEMA staff are put on leave

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press

Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday evening, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press. More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter sent to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday critiquing recent cuts to agency staff and programs, and warning that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster was dangerously diminished.

Thirty-five signed their names while 141 signed anonymously for fear of retribution.

The Associated Press has confirmed that at least two of the signatories received notices Tuesday evening informing them they would be placed on leave indefinitely, with pay and that they must still check in every morning confirm-

ing their availability It was unclear what the status was for other signatories. The notice said the decision “is not a disciplinary action and is not intended to be punitive.” FEMA did not respond immediately to questions about how many staff received the notice and whether it was related to the opposition letter

The dissent letter contained six “statements of opposition” to current policies at FEMA, including an expenditure approval policy by which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must approve contracts exceeding $100,000, which the signatories said reduces FEMA’s ability to perform its mission.

In an email Monday, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargues said that the Trump administration “has made accountability and reform a priority.”

“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform,” Llargues said.

Trump takes control of Union Station

Management of D.C. transit hub has been Amtrak’s responsibility

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’s administration is taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak in the latest example of the federal government exerting its power over the nation’s capital.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the takeover Wednesday alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris at Washington’s main transportation hub during the launch of an updated version of the rail service’s Acela train. The federal government owns Union Station, which is near the Capitol. Duffy said the station has “fallen into disrepair” when it should be a “point of pride” for the District of Columbia. He said the Republican administration’s

move would help beautify the landmark in an economical way and was in line with Trump’s vision.

“He wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again And he wants our nation’s capital to be great again And today

is part of that,” Duffy said. It’s Trump’s latest attempt to put the city under his control. In recent weeks, Trump has increased the number of federal law enforcement and immigration agents on city streets while also taking over the Metropolitan Police

Department and activating thousands of National Guard members. Last week Trump said he wants $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington.

Duffy said the federal government can do a better job managing the train station

and attract more shops and restaurants and generate more revenue that will be used to pay for upgrades to the station, which opened in 1907. Since then, the cavernous Roman-columned building has been through multiple management changes and numerous ups and downs regarding its cleanliness, safety and state of repair

Mayor Muriel Bowser said upgrading the transit hub that serves various rail lines and buses would be an “amazing initiative” for the federal government to take on because the city cannot afford the cost.

“It has suffered from not being able to get the money that it needs for the renovation,” the Democrat said at a separate news conference.

National Guard troops have patrolled in and around Union Station ever since Trump announced the anticrime effort this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were shouted down by opponents of the federal intervention when they visited with troops there last

week. The deputy transportation secretary, Steve Bradbury, cited a new roof and new public restrooms among $170 million in upgrades that he said are needed at the station.

Union Station has had a history of ups and downs during its nearly 120-year history In 1981, after rain started pouring through the ceiling, the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over some of the area surrounding the station, declared the building unsafe.

The station was closed for five years for renovation and President Ronald Reagan signed the Union Station Redevelopment Act to help fund and organize its comeback.

The station has occasionally been a magnet for homeless individuals seeking shelter inside or camping in tents on Columbus Circle in front of the building. The proliferation of tents prompted the Park Service to clear the encampment in front of the station in June 2022.

Handling crime is relative strength for Trump, poll indicates

BY JILL COLVIN and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

WASHINGTON As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation’s capital as part of an unprecedented federal takeover of Washington’s police department, handling crime is now a relative strength for President Donald Trump, according to the latest AP-NORC poll. Americans are generally not happy about the Republican president’s handling of issues like immigration and the economy but are more positive about his toughon-crime approach, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Indeed, the vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities — a concern Trump has seized on as he has deployed the National Guard to the District of Columbia and threatened to expand that model to cities across the country Despite that perception, data shows that violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low

But Trump’s approach appears to be helping him, at least for the moment: His overall approval rating has increased slightly from 40% in July to 45% now.

But the poll shows there is less public support for federal takeovers of local police departments, suggesting opinions could shift over the coming weeks or months, depending on how aggressively Trump pursues his threats.

For now many Republicans in particular feel extreme action needs to be taken, even as statistics show violent crime is down in Washington and across the nation following a coronavirus pandemicera spike.

“About damn time that somebody did something,” said Charles Arnold, 87, a lifelong Republican who lives in San Diego.

About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of Trump’s handling of crime, the poll finds. That’s higher than his approval rating on the economy, immigration and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — which are in line with his overall approval rating.

Trump’s approach on crime is similarly popular among White and Hispanic adults, with roughly half

Grand jury refuses to indict man seen throwing sandwich at law enforcement

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors have failed to obtain a felony indictment against a man who was seen on camera hurling a sandwich at a federal law enforcement official in the nation’s capital, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Sean Charles Dunn was arrested on an assault charge after he threw a sub-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent. A video of the incident went viral, and shortly after he was fired from the Justice Department, where he worked as an international affairs specialist in the department’s criminal division

The case is one of the examples of the legal pushback to President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington that has led to more than 1,000 arrests. It is highly unusual for grand jurors to refuse to return an indictment, and it was once said that prosecutors could persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.”

Grand jurors decide in secret proceedings whether there is enough evidence for an indictment, and prosecutors could go

back to try again in Dunn’s case. The person briefed on the failure to obtain an indictment against Dunn on Tuesday was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to a spokesperson for the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose office is prosecuting the case. An attorney for Dunn declined to comment.

Dunn’s arrest came in one of the first days after Trump’s Aug. 11 order for federal agents and troops to flood Washington

Authorities say Dunn approached a group of CBP agents, pointed a finger in an agent’s face and swore at him, calling him a “fascist,” a police affidavit says An observer’s video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich at the agent’s chest, the affidavit says.

“Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!” Dunn shouted, according to police.

Dunn tried to run away but was apprehended, police said. He was initially released and then was rearrested by federal agents. A video of agents going to arrest and handcuff him was posted online by an official White House X account.

in each group saying they approve of the way he’s handling the issue

Black adults, however, are substantially less likely to say they’re on board with Trump’s approach to crime, with just 27% in favor

There’s broad agreement among Americans that crime is a significant issue in large cities, even with incident numbers in decline.

That belief is especially pronounced among Republicans, nearly all of whom see crime as a significant problem in large cities.

Roughly 7 in 10 independents and Democrats agree. Americans who live in urban areas are also more likely to say crime is a “major problem” in their own communities.

Still, there are limits to what the public may accept. The poll finds 55% of U.S. adults believe it is

“completely” or “somewhat” unacceptable for the federal government to take control of local police departments. Republicans are overwhelmingly in favor of the federal government using the military and the National Guard to assist local police, but even they are more hesitant about the federal government taking control of local police departments. About half of Republicans find this to be acceptable, while about one-third say it’s not. Democrats are broadly opposed to both.

For Republican David Gehret, 62, a maintenance technician who lives in rural Narvon, Pennsylvania, what Trump is doing is spot on. “Bring it on,” he said. “Protect us.”

CDCdirectorout afterlessthanamonth

BY MIKE STOBBE AP medical writer

NEW

YORK The director of the nation’stop public health agency has been fired after less than one month in the job, and several top agency leaders have resigned.

Susan Monarez isn’t “aligned with” President Donald Trump’sagenda and refused to resign, so the White House terminated her,spokesman Kush Desai said Wednesday night.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had announced her departure in abrief social media post late Wednesday afternoon. Herlawyersresponded with astatement saying Monarezhad neither resigned nor been told she was fired.

“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated healthexperts, she chose protecting the public over serving apolitical agenda. For that, she has been targeted,” attorneys Mark Zaid and Abbe David Lowell wrote in astatement.

“This is not about one official.Itisaboutthe systematic dismantlingof public health institutions, the silencing of experts, and the dangerous politicizationofscience. The attack on Dr.Monarez is a warning to every American: ourevidence-basedsystems are beingundermined from within,” theysaid. Her departure coincided with the resignations this week of at least fourtop CDC officials. The listin-

cludesDr. Debra Houry,the agency’s deputy director; Dr.Daniel Jernigan, head of the agency’sNational Center for Emerging and Zoonotic InfectiousDiseases; Dr Demetre Daskalakis, head of its National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; and Dr.Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology.

In an email seen by The Associated Press, Houry lamented the crippling effects on the agency from planned budget cuts, reorganization and firings.

“I am committed to protecting the public’s health, but the ongoing changes prevent me from continuing in my job as aleader of the agency,” she wrote.

She also noted the rise of misinformation aboutvaccines during thecurrent Trumpadministration, and alluded to new limits on CDC communications.

Daskalakis worked closely with theAdvisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy remade the committee by firing everyone and replacing them with agroup that included several vaccine skeptics —one of whom was put in charge of aCOVID-19 vaccines workgroup.

In his resignation letter, Daskalakis lamented that the changesput “people of dubiousintent andmoredubious scientificrigor in charge of recommending vaccine policy.” He described Monarez as “hamstrung andsidelined by an authoritarian leader.” He added: “Their desire to pleaseapolitical basewill result in death anddisability of vulnerablechildren and adults.

He also wrote:“Iamunable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientificreality.”

Some publichealthexperts decriedthe loss of so many of CDC’sscientific leaders.

Michael Osterholm,aUniversity of Minnesota infectious diseaseresearcher, said the departures were “a serious loss forAmerica.”

“The loss of experienced, world-classinfectiousdisease experts at CDCisdirectly related to the failed leadership of extremists currently in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said.

“They make our country less safeand less prepared for public health emergencies.”

Monarez, 50, was the agency’s 21st director and the first to pass through Senateconfirmationfollowing a2023 law.She was sworn in on July 31 —less than a monthago,making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the 79-year-old agency

Her short time at CDC was tumultuous. On Aug. 8, aGeorgia man opened fire from aspot at apharmacy across the street from CDC’s mainentrance. The 30-yearold manblamedthe CO-

VID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. He killed apolice officer and firedmorethan180 shots into CDC buildings before killing himself Monarez hadscheduled an “all hands meeting” for the CDCstaff— seen as an important step in addressing concerns among staffsince the shooting —for Monday this week. But HHS officials meddled with that, too, canceling it and calling Monarez to Washington, D.C., said aCDC official who wasnot authorized to talk about it and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity The Atlanta-based federal agency has been hit by widespread staffcuts, resignationsofkey officials and heated controversy over long-standing CDC vaccine policiesupendedbyHealth Secretary RobertF.Kennedy Jr During herSenate confirmation process, Monarez told senators that she valuesvaccines, public health interventions andrigorous scientificevidence. But she largelydodgedquestions aboutwhether thosepositions put her at odds with Kennedy,a longtimevaccine skeptic whohas criticized and sought to dismantle some of the agency’sprevious protocols and decisions.

UpdatedCOVID-19shots approved,but with limits

BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON U.S. regulators approved updated COVID-19 shots Wednesday but limited their use for many Americans —and removed one of the two vaccines available for young children

The new shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are approved for all seniors.But the Food and Drug Administration narrowed their use foryoungeradults and children to those with at least one high-risk health condition, such as asthma or obesity. That presentsnew barriers to access for millions of Americans who would have to prove their risk and millionsmore who may want to get vaccinated and suddenly no longer qualify

Additionally,Pfizer’s vaccine will no longer be available for any childunder 5, because the FDA saiditwas revoking the shot’semergency authorization for that age group.

Parents will still be able to seek out shots from rival drugmaker Moderna, the other maker of mRNA vaccines, which has full FDA approval for children as young as 6months. But the company’sSpikevax vac-

cine is only approved for children with at least one serious health problem.

The revamped vaccines target anewer version of the continuously evolving virus and are set to begin shipping soon. Butitcould be days or weeks before many Americansknow if they’ll be able to get one, with access dependentondecisions by federal health advisers, health insurers, pharmacies andstate authorities.

The new restrictions previewedbyFDA officials in May—are abreak from theprevious U.S. policy, whichrecommended an annualCOVID-19 shot for all Americans6months and up.

The approach reflects heightened skepticism about the ongoing risks of COVID-19and the needfor yearlybooster shots from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.and FDACommissioner Marty Makary, both outspoken critics of wide-scale vaccinations.

“The American people demandedscience, safety,and common sense.This framework delivers all three,” Kennedy wrote on social media.

Novavax’sshot is only open to people 12 or older, not younger children, and

carries thesame risk-based restrictions thatare now in place for Moderna and Pfizer. It’s the nation’sonly traditional, protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The new limits “can’thelp but create barriers to vaccinations” and cause confusionfor patients,doctorsand pharmacists, said Dr.WilliamSchaffner,aVanderbilt Universityvaccines expert.

Some medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have objected to the restrictions, saying they may block vaccine access for families who want to protect their children. Last week, the group offered its own recommendations for kids, saying annual shots are strongly recommended for children ages 6months to 2years and advised for older children.

In his post Wednesday, Kennedy said the shots will be “available for all patients who choosethem after consulting withtheir doctors.

But Americans arelikely to confront anumberoflogistical hurdles.

Insurers typically base theirvaccine coverage decisions on the recommendations of apanel of adviserstoCenters for Disease Control and Prevention,

CDCscalesbackprogram

that tracks food poisoninginfections

BYJONEL ALECCIA Associated Press

Federal healthofficials have dramatically scaled back aprogramthat has trackedfood poisoning infections in the U.S. for three decades. The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, known as FoodNet, has cut required monitoring to just two pathogens that cause infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’sdown from eight. Under the change, which began in July,health departments in 10 states that participate in the joint state and federal program will be required to monitoronly foodborne infections caused by salmonellaand Shigatoxinproducing E. coli bacteria Those are among the top contributorstofoodborne illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., the CDC said. Previously,the FoodNet system required surveillance of infections confirmed to be caused by six other germs as well:campylobacter,cyclospora,listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yer-

sinia. That is now optional.

Narrowing thereporting requirements “will allow FoodNet staff to prioritize core activities,” CDC spokesman PaulPrince said in astatement. The move lets the agency “steward resources effectively,”headded. It’snot clear whether the action is connected torecent funding cutsenacted by the Trumpadministration.

But food safety officials, including those in states that participate in theprogram, saidthe change could slow detection of foodborne illnessoutbreaks and obscure the full picture of food-related infections.

“Long term, it will affect our abilitytouse surveillance datatobetter understand risksinthe food supply,” saidCarlota Medus, whosupervisesthe Minnesota DepartmentofHealth’s foodborne diseases unit Foodborne infections causedbyspecificgerms are required to be reported to theCDC or to statehealth departments.But relying on passive reports of infections rather than actively seeking out laboratory data, hospital details and otherinformation can mean that somecas-

es are missed, Medus said.

“FoodNet doesn’tjust count cases. The FoodNet sitescollect robust data that contribute to the understanding of certain infections,” she said.

In addition to Minnesota, FoodNet sitesinclude health departments in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, certain counties in California and New York.

The FoodNet reduction was first reportedbyNBC News.

FoodNet was created in 1995 as apartnership between theCDC, the U.S. Agriculture Department, the U.S. Food andDrugAdministrationand several states. It hastracked infectionsin asurveillancesystemthat captures about 16%ofthe U.S. population.

It allowed the U.S. to estimate thenumber of cases of illness per100,000 population caused by certain foodborne germs, said FrankYiannas, afood safety expert and former FDA official.

“Wewon’tknowasaccurately as possible if we’re getting better or worse in respect to certain pathogens,” Yiannas said.

but some saythey will also look to medical professional groups, including the American Medical Association.

Earlier this year,Kennedy replaced the entireCDC panel, naming several doctors and researcherswho have repeatedly questioned the safetyofcommonly used vaccines and ingredients. Thepanel is expected to meet in September,but no agenda has been released. Depending on the panel’s advice, Americans under

age65could be expected to provide documentation of aserious medical problem before they can get ashot. Also complicating the rollout is the fact that pharmacists —who administer most COVID-19 shots —typically aren’texpected to collect that kindofinformation And laws governing their ability to administer routine vaccinations vary by state. Access couldalsobecomplicated for healthy adults and children who are inter-

ested in getting ashot for extra protection. If thelatestvaccines aren’t covered by their insurance, those patients could be requiredtopay $150 or more out of pocket if they want one. If they aren’tconsideredhigh-risk,they might also have to find adoctor or other health professional willing to give the shot “off label.”Manypharmacists might be reluctant to give theshotsoutside of FDA’s instructions.

Supporters of the project have argued it could attract major events to Baton Rouge, providing a massive economic boost. When the arena is not being used for LSU events, it will be open for concerts and other events.

Our Lady of the Lake Hospital is the sole finalist in negotiations for the naming rights for the arena for a price of $50 million over 10 years.

Ryan Cross, chief government relations officer for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, said the new tax will help strengthen economic development near LSU, which in turn will help keep young professionals from leaving Baton Rouge.

“For that reason that we are very strong proponents of this economic development district so that the dollars that are generated on campus within the boundaries of the district can be reinvested in the district,” Cross said “We’re

those comments in front of the council and questioned whether it was right for unelected leaders to be in control of the tax revenue.

“There are 109 businesses that would be subjected to this additional sales tax, which would make them the highest taxed people in Louisiana, and it would all be done without a vote of the people,” Jenkins said. “It’s giving a blank check in perpetuity for this 1% sales tax to be levied, not under the control of the Metro Council or the mayor.”

The economic district boundaries are drawn in a way that does not include any residents, which means voter approval is not required.

sole finalist to develop it — Tim Leiweke was indicted on federal charges in July Investigators say Leiweke rigged the bidding scheme for an arena at University of Texas at Austin, a facility the Tiger Athletic Foundation hopes to model the new LSU arena after Leiweke has since stepped down from that role.

The state’s brief details the position Louisiana will take Oct. 15 when state Solicitor General Benjamin Aguiñaga argues Louisiana v Callais before the nine justices of the high court.

The brief contends that Senate Bill 8, which enacted the maps, only became law because of “unprecedented pressure by the courts to draw a second majorityminority district or else the courts would. And that is why our original briefing in this case defends SB 8 under the Court’s existing precedents.”

“Whether race technically predominates or not,” the brief states, “…does not change the fact that the classification is fundamentally contrary to the Equal Protection Clause’s prohibitions.”

The filing concluded by asking the high court to find “the intentional creation of a second majority-minority district in SB8 is unconstitutional.”

If the Supreme Court accepts Louisiana’s argument, it would

excited about the future economic development opportunities on the campus.”

Only one council member Jen Racca, took part in discussion related to the new tax, asking the Parish Attorney’s Office what the revenue from this tax could be

mean drastic changes to how election maps across America are drawn, election observers say

“It’s a breathtaking, wholesale attack on the Voting Rights Act, which just turned 60 this month,” said Michael Li, a redistricting authority with the Brennan Center for Justice, which is affiliated with New York University Law School.

“It’s also completely unfounded,” he said, arguing that for four decades the courts were able to distinguish between situations where majority-minority districts are necessary to remedy race discrimination and where they are not

When Louisiana was required to draw new U.S House districts due to population changes in the 2020 census, it originally passed a map much like the old one, with five majority-White districts and one majority-Black district.

A group of Black voters, known as the Robinson litigants, filed a legal challenge arguing the Voting Rights Act required two majorityBlack districts, since roughly a third of the state is Black and the districts could be configured to be compact while linking communities with similar interests.

A federal district and appellate judges agreed

used for On Tuesday, Baton Rouge Republican Party Chair Woody Jenkins slammed the tax and the potential new arena, the deal for which he called a “scam” that those involved were shielding from the public. Jenkins again repeated some of

Gov Jeff Landry and the Legislature in January 2024 passed SB8, which redrew the maps from which the state elected its six representatives to the U.S. House to include two Black majority districts instead of one. State lawmakers argued that the map they drew was for political reasons: to protect the White majorities in the districts represented by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start. But a second group of “non-African Americans,” known as the Callais litigants, then filed their own lawsuit, claiming the new map relies primarily on race and is an illegal gerrymander under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution

Two of the three federal judges on a special panel ruled in their favor

The Callais parties argue that Louisiana’s Black population doesn’t live close enough together to support creating two Black-majority districts. The fact that the new district stretches from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Shreveport is evidence legislators were using race to draw a district with the goal of creating a second Black district, they argue. Section 2 mandates that states

Drafted terms between the developer and the Tiger Athletic Foundation included a requirement that various sales taxes collected in parts of the development district would be rebated back to the developer Landry and Engquist said those terms have now changed and are no longer accurate.

Increased scrutiny has surrounded the project since former CEO of Oak View Group — the

with histories of polarized voting and diluting minority voices must allow minority-majority districts if, generally, voters with like interests live close enough together When conditions such as segregated communities and polarized voting cease to exist, such as in parts of the northeast and west, voting rights challenges fail in court.

But some courts have ruled that those conditions continue to exist in Louisiana. For example, the state’s White majorities have never elected a Black candidate.

The state of Louisiana initially asked the U.S Supreme Court how best to balance Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which allows configuring districts in a way that minorities have an opportunity to elect one of their own, and the Equal Protection Clause, which forbids creating districts based on race.

The high court asked for new arguments on whether Section 2, the remaining legal tool to enforce the Voting Rights Act, violates the 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The state already has argued to the high court the validity and need for two minority-majority congressional districts, noted Ash-

On Wednesday, Engquist said Oak View Group is the only developer in the country that has the means to both build and manage the arena at LSU that the Tiger Athletic Foundation envisions. While LSU owns the land where the arena would stand, Oak View Group would own the building itself. LSU basketball and gymnastics would compete at the facility, which would also host live entertainment.

Landry said the latest plans put the facility’s price tag at $400-$410 million, with seating for roughly 12,500 people.

Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

ley Shelton, who leads the Power Coalition, a New Orleans-based community activist group that is one of the Robinson litigants.

“What has changed? Other than the political whims of the president,” Shelton said. The current configuration with two Black Democratic and four White Republican representatives was drawn by and approved by the Republican majority of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by a Republican governor

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, the Baton Rouge Democrat who won election in the newly created Black majority district, released a statement Wednesday saying the attorney general should represent the state’s interest whenever the validity of a state law is challenged.

“That responsibility exists for a reason: the people deserve to know that the laws passed by their elected legislature will be given a full and fair defense. I just have the belief that the Attorney General should be willing to defend the work of the people’s representatives,” Fields said.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

Missing N.O. boy killed by alligator, coroner says

NOPD probes mother, police response

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The day after a 12-day, multiagency search to find a missing autistic boy ended with the discovery of his body in a New Orleans East lagoon, another quest has launched to determine where the blame should lie in what NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has deemed a “failure.”

The New Orleans coroner determined Bryan Vasquez 12 died from blunt force trauma and drowning sustained during an alligator attack. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was asked to eradicate “nuisance alligators” in the waterway near the 13000 block of Sevres Street, where the child’s body was found, Kirkpatrick said

at a Wednesday media briefing.

New Orleans police confirmed that Bryan’s mother, Hilda Vasquez, has been served with a search warrant and had her phone confiscated as part of the unclassified death investigation.

“We’re looking at all aspects,”

NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon said. “This is a fact-finding mission.”

Hilda Vasquez’s criminal history is under review as part of the wider investigation by police and the

Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services, Kirkpatrick said.

“I think that the death of Bryan is a failure. I think it is,” Kirkpatrick said Tuesday “And as I said, we’re going to look at everything. I mean, everything.”

Orleans Parish court records show that Hilda Vasquez was charged in 2014 with cruelty to juveniles and second-degree cruelty to juveniles She later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple cruelty to juveniles by negligent treatment or neglect.

A police source familiar with the case said Bryan Vasquez, then 6 months old, was the victim and suffered a fractured skull and broken legs.

Hilda Vasquez declined to comment on her 2014 conviction. Cristina Rosales-Fajardo, who has served as a translator for Hilda Vasquez and an organizer of the

civilian search efforts, said the investigation process has been “like a war,” leaving the family without an opportunity to properly grieve, and Bryan’s mother without the phone that held pictures and videos of him.

A frequent presence at the search scene near the 13000 block of Sevres Street, Hilda Vasquez has been heartbroken over the death of her son, who had been missing since he sneaked out of Beaucaire Street at 5:20 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 His disappearance triggered a multiagency and volunteer search that ended Tuesday when his body resurfaced and was discovered by a United Cajun Navy volunteer’s drone

A mother of four, including an infant, Hilda Vasquez had recently moved to a new address in Village de l’Est and had not had time to install the security measures that contained Bryan in the past.

“She just was holding on to faith and fate,” said Rosales-Fajardo.

“When they finally confirmed that it is her son, she asked to see his body Well, they’re not allowing her to see the body because of the decomposition and the damage that the alligators caused.

“I brought them to my house, which is right around the corner from her house, and we just cried.”

Hilda Vasquez has criticized the NOPD’s five-hour response time, which Kirkpatrick described on Wednesday as “inordinate.” An internal NOPD investigation into that delay launched last week.

“We know that these are difficult outcomes, and we still have quite a grieving community and a grieving family,” Kirkpatrick said.

“This investigation does continue.”

Anyone with information may call Crimestoppers anonymously at (504) 822-1111 or contact NOPD at (504) 821-2222.

reporters he ducked for the pews, covering his head, shielded by a friend who was lying on top of him. His friend was hit, he said.

“I was super-scared for him, but I think now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old said, adding that he was praying for the other hospitalized children and adults.

Halsne’s grandfather, Michael Simpson, said the violence during Mass on the third day of school left him wondering whether God was watching over.

“I don’t know where he is,” Simpson said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

O’Hara said police hadn’t yet found any relationship between the shooter and the church, nor determined a motive for the bloodshed. The chief said, however, that investigators were examining a social media post that appeared to show the shooter at the scene and contained “some disturbing writings.”

“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” said O’Hara, who gave the wounded youngsters’ ages as 6 to 15. He said a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors, and that authorities found a smoke bomb at the scene.

Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer, said he did not know the accused shooter well. He said he last saw Westman at a family wedding a few years ago and was confounded by the violence: “It’s an unspeakable tragedy.”

The police chief said Westman did not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone. Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried ha-

tred being directed at “our transgender community.”

Westman’s gender identity wasn’t clear In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westman’s mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Frey said the violence had forever changed the students’ families and the city along with them.

“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Frey said at a news conference. “These kids were literally praying.”

Bill Bienemann, who lives a couple of blocks away and has long attended Mass at Annunciation Church, said he heard as many as 50 shots over as long as four minutes.

“I was shocked. I said, ‘There’s no way that could be gunfire,’” he said Bienemann’s daughter Alexandra, said she was an alumna of the kindergartento-eighth-grade school, and it made her sick to her stomach to think she might know some of those who were injured.

The police chief said officers immediately responded to reports of the shooting, entered the church, rendered first aid and rescued some of the children hiding throughout the building as

other emergency responders arrived.

Frey and Annunciation’s principal said teachers and children, too, responded heroically

“Children were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children,” said the principal, Matt DeBoer

Danielle Gunter, the mother of an eighth-grade boy who was shot, in a statement said her son told her a Minneapolis police officer “really helped him” by giving aid and a hug before her son got into an ambulance.

Amid a heavy uniformed law enforcement presence later Wednesday morning, children in dark green uniforms trickled out of the school with adults, giving lingering hugs and wiping away tears.

Aubrey Pannhoff, a 16-year-old student at a different Catholic school, rushed to Annunciation after her own school’s lockdown and prayer service, and she said she was asking God: “Why?”

“It’s little kids,” she said through tears. “It’s just really hard for me to take in.”

Minnesota Gov Tim Walz lamented that children just starting the school year “were met with evil and

horror and death.” He and President Donald Trump ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on state and federal buildings, respectively, and the White House said the two men spoke. The gov-

ernor was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in last year’s election against Trump’s running mate, now

Vice President JD Vance, a Republican.

From the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram of condolences. The Chicagoborn Leo, history’s first American pope, said he was praying for relatives of the dead.

News of the shooting rippled through a national Democratic officials’ meeting nearby in Minneapolis. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents the area around the school, visited the scene.

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmeyer, who chairs the board of the National Catholic Education Association, said in a statement that reasonable firearms legislation must be passed.

“The murder of children worshipping at Mass is unspeakable,” Hartmeyer said.

“We must take action to protect all children and families from violence.”

Monday had been the first day of the school year at An-

nunciation, a 102-year-old school in a leafy residential and commercial neighborhood about 5 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. Karin Cebulla, who said she had worked as a learning specialist at Annuciation and sent her two now-college-aged daughters there, described the school as an accepting, caring community

“Everyone felt safe here, and I just pray that it continues to be a place where people feel safe,” she said. The gunfire was the latest in a series of fatal shootings in Minnesota’s most populous city in less than 24 hours. One person was killed and six others were hurt in a shooting Tuesday afternoon Hours later, two people died in two other shootings in the city O’Hara, the police chief, said the Annunciation shooting does not appear to be related to other recent violence.

Alongside many major U.S. cities, violent crime in Minneapolis has decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ukrainian drone attacks cause gas shortages in Russia

Far East, Crimea feel pinch, but Moscow doesn’t

BY KATIE MARIE DAVIES Associated Press

Gas stations have run dry in some regions of Russia after Ukrainian drones struck refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks, with motorists waiting in long lines and officials resorting to rationing or cutting off sales altogether Wholesale prices on the St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange for A-95 gas — the highest octane — spiked to record highs last week, soaring to about 50% higher than in January, as demand soared from farmers seeking to bring in the harvest and Russians hitting the roads for their last big vacation of the summer Russian media outlets reported fuel shortages are hitting consumers in several regions in the Far East and on the Crimean Penin-

By The Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

In a lengthy written statement, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the deputy chief of mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with Danish foreign ministry officials. It declined to comment “on the actions of private U.S. citizens in Greenland

“The U.S government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens,” it said.

The department said Stroh had “a productive conversation and reaffirmed the strong ties among the Government of Greenland the United States, and Denmark.” It said the U.S. values its relationships with both Denmark, a NATO

sula, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine by Moscow in 2014.

Media outlets in the Primorye region, which borders North Korea, reported long lines and prices of about 78 rubles per liter (approximately $3.58 per gallon) at gas stations in the area, where the average monthly wage is about $1,200 Journalists at local news outlet Primpress found other drivers trying to sell gas online for as much as 220 rubles per liter (about $10.12 per gallon).

In the Kurilsky district of the Kuril Islands north of Japan, shortages of lower octane A-92 gas forced officials to halt public sales outright Monday In Crimea, a popular resort area, some companies sold fuel only to holders of coupons or special cards. Russia is no stranger to gasoline price increases at the end of summer But this year’s shortages have been aggravated by Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries in the war Larger, more concentrated attacks are causing more damage and hampering production, all timed to coincide with peak demand.

ally and Greenland and noted that Trump and his top aides had all said they respect “the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future.”

“We continue to foster engagement and cooperation with Denmark and Greenland to support increased security and prosperity for our nations,” it said.

Stroh is the second American diplomat to be summoned by a European NATO ally this week as the Trump administration shakes up its approach to foreign policy.

France had called U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to its foreign ministry after he sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism.

The White House did not offer an immediate comment on Denmark’s summons Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semiautonomous territory of Denmark He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically

Ukraine has targeted energy infrastructure before, but the recent strikes have been more successful, with more drones targeting a more concentrated group of facilities.

“The Ukrainians are attacking an arc of refineries, starting from Ryazan, which is south of Moscow, all the way to Volgograd. That region is where people are driving through on their way to (resorts on) the Black Sea That’s the region where most of the harvest operations are going on. And that’s also a rather densely populated region,”

Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told The Associated Press.

Between Aug. 2 and Aug. 24, Ukraine attacked oil infrastructure at least 12 times, according to media reports. Of those attacks, at least 10 were targeting sites in the Ryazan-Volgograd arc in southwestern Russia.

These attacks have damaged many oil refineries but have not destroyed them outright, Vakulenko said, adding that most of the facilities are extremely resilient against fires.

But they can slow refinery activity, as shown by a fall in the intake of crude oil to be turned into diesel, gasoline or other products by roughly 200,000 to 250,000 barrels per day said Gary Peach, oil markets analyst at Energy Intelligence.

“That’s just enough to make their gasoline industry feel some pain, especially during the high consumption months in the summer,” he told AP Gasoline production fell 8.6% in the first 19 days of August, compared with a year earlier, and diesel production was down 10.3%.

Other war-related issues have caused even more consumer pain. Ukrainian drone strikes repeatedly have disrupted Russian transportation networks, particularly air traffic, causing more people to travel by car and increasing demand for gas, Vakulenko said.

To try to ease the shortage, Russia has paused gasoline exports, with officials Wednesday declaring a full ban until Sept. 30 and a partial ban affecting traders and intermediaries until Oct. 31.

Oil company managers have also been summoned to government meetings twice this month to discuss the shortages, Russian media reported. While officials appear to be concerned, the gasoline shortfall “isn’t system critical,” Peach said. So far, the shortage remains confined to certain areas — the Far East and Crimea because these regions usually are supplied by fewer refineries and present greater transportation demands. Moscow has been spared the latest gasoline price spike because it is well-supplied from major refineries in Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, cities a few hours’ drive away The capital also has a refinery in the city itself. Russia is not at immediate risk of grinding to a halt — even in more vulnerable regions, experts say Although private drivers may feel some pain at the gas pump, most buses and trucks run on diesel, for which Russia has a surplus. The military, which largely uses diesel fuel, also is insulated from any shocks.

located Arctic island.

Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.

Public broadcaster DR said Danish government and security sources that it didn’t name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at

least three American nationals with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory

One of those people allegedly compiled a list of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of people opposed to Trump and got locals to point out cases that could be used to cast Denmark in a bad light in American media, the broadcaster reported.

Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, according to the report.

DR said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society It said it had been unable to clarify whether the Americans were working at their own initiative or on orders from someone else. It said it knows their names but chose not to publish them to protect its sources. The Associated Press could not independently confirm the report.

Attorneysclash in murder retrial

Onekickedout of court, 2othersheldincontempt

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Clashes between opposing attorneys compelled an EastBaton Rouge judge to hold three attorneys in contempt of court for actions taken during the murder trial of aman convicted thisweek of killing his ex-girlfriendand her newlover

Ajurydeliberated about21/2 hours before finding Brian Alexander Lavergne guiltyMonday night on two countsofsecond-degree murder in the January 2021 double homicide. Theverdict culminated an explosive six-day trial that saw presiding District Judge Louise Hines Myers tossone of Lavergne’sattorneysout of the courtroom midway through and

barthatattorney from reentering throughout theremainder of the trial. She also cited thedefendant’s lead attorney for several counts of contemptand held the prosecutor who argued for Lavergne’s conviction in contempt of court as well.

SHIPPING AHOY

The three attorneysstood before Myers during acontempt hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, and she expressed consternation at theprospect of having to discipline the attorneys, but said she felt theneed to maintain order in hercourtroom during trials.

“The wholething weighs heavily on me,” she said. “I don’twant to hold anybodyincontempt. Imean, Ibarely slept all week because of this. Idid not want to go there.”

Commercial truckspass over the Mississippi

Coolertemps

likely forcollege football opening weekend

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

Cooler evening temperatures will bringa taste of fall to LSU’s first game of the season on Saturday,anaway game in Clemson, South Carolina It’samixed blessing, though, withrain in theforecast as well,according to theNational Weather Service.

Kickoff time will be at 6:30 p.m.atClemson Memorial Stadium. Thegamewill be broadcast on ABC.

Baton Rouge fans watching the game from the comfort of adeck or porch chair outside at home willsee adaytimehighnear 88 degrees —rather thanthe 90sofrecent days —and alow on Saturday of around73, according to the weather service.

The temperatures will be held down by showers, thunderstorms and cloudiness in the Baton Rouge area, said Rob Frye,a National Weather Service meteorologist.

“The rain impact will keep temperatures from soaring into the 90s, but we’ll take whatever we can get,” Fryesaid.

A60% chance of rain in Baton Rouge on Saturday will drop to 20% that night.

“Once the rainfall clears by Tuesday,we’ll be back in the 90s next week,” he said. Autumn’s first, true appearance in Baton Rougenever sticksto aschedule,Fryesaid.

“Wemay get ataste of fall in September or as late as early November.”

“Probably,sometime inOctober,we’ll getthe first, bona fide cold front —but it changes every year,” Fryesaid

LSUcontendswith

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

After seven consecutive years of record-breaking freshman enrollment, LSU again started the fall semester with more incoming students than available dorm space on campus.

But parents’ concerns were stirred up last week by viral social media reports of cockroaches at theLSU-contracted apartmentswhere overflow students were assigned. Freshman student overflow is not uncommon at large universities, said Peter Trentacoste, LSU’sdirector of residential life,ina written commentprovided to TheAdvocate.

To meet housing needs, Trentacoste said, LSU leases more than 12% of the rooms at theIon Baton Rouge apartment building,across Alaska Street from campus and near other dorms, such as North Hall.

Sincemove-instartedlastweek, Ionhas been the epicenter of reportsofpests and unclean conditions.

In one TikTok from account @bymichellechristine,which received more than 675,000 views, amother who brought her daughter to Baton Rouge for the girl’s freshman semester said she was “dis-

Prosecutors provedtoajury of nine men and five women that Lavergne,38, used a12-gauge shotgun to shoot LaQuincia Jackson, his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend, and her boyfriend of five years, 33-year-old Fredrick Hollins, at point-blank range inside the couple’s Tigerland apartment in the 4600 block of Earl Gros Avenue. He killed the couple as they slept in their bed the evening of Jan. 23,

Officials: Black soot ‘no imminent threat’

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

The black, oily soot that spewed from theTangipahoaplant that caught fire andexploded last week does notpose “an imminent threat to public health,” regulators said Wednesday,but further details on the substance’scontents were not provided, and parish officials expressed concerns over the slow release of information.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials issued the finding, but nonetheless warned residents to wash surfaces and their hands if they’ve come in contactwiththe materialand to avoid concentrated collections of the black residue.

Coating surfaces across the area near Smitty’s Supply Inc theblack soot, which fell at least on Fridayand Saturday,has becomeone of several contamination concerns for residents after the devastating fire near Roseland and has been key in aseries of proposed classaction lawsuits over the blaze.

Covering roughly 20 acres,the complex holding as much as 8.7 million gallons of flammable hydrocarbons and other chemicals caught fire shortly before 12:52 p.m.Friday,sending atowering black plumeskyward.

The fire continued to smolder Wednesdaywithscattered hotspots andremains 98% contained, thoughofficials have not said what was in the complex and what burned.

EPAofficials said black soot from the fire has been reported as faras15miles away from theSmitty’s complex, but testing has shown the material isn’ta major health risk.

“Based on the data currently available,there is no indication of anyimminent threat to public health from the soot or smoke residue deposited in the surrounding area,” the EPAstatement said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, residents areadvisedtotakegeneral hygiene precautions, including washing any outside surfaces that may have been impacted by soot or smoke and practicing good hand-washing after contact with outdoor surfaces. Do notingest anydepositedsoot or come into direct contact with areas of concentrated residue,” the agency said.

gusted by LSUmove-in day.”

In thestory, thewoman details how her daughter was first tolda few weeks ago thatshe would be living in Ion because on-campus housing filledup. On move-in day,the daughter and her new roommate found roaches in the unit’sdishwasher, cabinets and oven.

“Apparently,their room is not the only onethatlookslike this,” the mothersaid at the end of her TikTok. Both LSU and Scion, the company that manages the Ion building, have said the

BatonRouge manconvicted of gunningdowncouple

Lawyerson both sidesheld in contempt

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Agrueling murder retrial ended this week with aBaton Rougeman being convicted of killing his exgirlfriend and the woman’s new lover with ashotgun inside the couple’sTigerland apartment 41/2 years ago.

Ajury of nine men and five women found Brian Alexander Lavergne guilty Monday night on two counts of second-degree murderfollowing four days of testimo-

ny andabout 21/2 hours of deliberations

Accordingtothe verdict, Lavergne shot andkilledLaQuincia Jackson,his 26-year-old exgirlfriend,and her boyfriend of five years, 33-year-old Fredrick Hollins. Prosecutors said he killed thecoupleasthey slept in their apartment inthe 4600 block of Earl Gros Avenue the evening of Jan. 23, 2021, using a12-gauge shotgun to shoot them at point-blankrange Investigators fromthe Baton RougePolice Department said Jackson dated Lavergne for three years.They broke up four or five yearsbeforethe shooting following aphysical encounter.Despite thebreakup, Jackson and Lavergne remainedclosefriends,

PlankRoadPiccadilly Cafeteriaclosesits doors

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

One of Baton Rouge’sfourremaining Piccadilly cafeterias closed its doors Tuesday

on August 26th, 2025,” the sign read Downtown Baton Rouge sawthe first Piccadillyopen at 214 Third St. in 1944. By the1960s,local cafeterias featured cloth napkins, live music, commissioned murals, chandeliers andhome-cooked food.

andLavergne stillhad strong ties to herfamily Assistant DistrictAttorney MorganJohnson, the state’slead prosecutor in the trial, told jurors during herclosing arguments that Lavergnekilled the victims days after he and Jackson had aheated argument andshe told him she was cutting him off for good “The defendantwas on theperiphery of LaQuincia’slife, and he wanted to be themain character,” she said. “He was jealous, prideful andfueledbydrugs.”

Lavergne, 38, faces twomandatory lifesentences when he goes before District Judge LouiseHines Myers for sentencing Oct. 1. It was his secondtimefacinga jury in the double homicide. His first trialend-

ed in amistrial last October after a jury failed to reach averdict after aweek of proceedings. This month’sretrial lasted six daysand waspunctuated by contentiousness between the opposing attorneys. Myers kicked LaDeisha Woods, one of Lavergne’s trial attorneys, out of the courtroom Thursdayand barred herfromreturning the remainderofthe trial

The judge levied contempt of court counts against Woods, Lavergne’s lead defense attorney,Stephen Sterling, as wellasJohnson, the lead attorney Investigatorsnever recovered the weapon usedtokill Jacksonand Hollins. They derived no DNA evidence to link Lavergne to the crime andhad no surveillance footageto

tie him to the scene of the shooting.

Sterlingsought to convince jurors that thepolicedetectives zeroed in on Lavergne because Jackson’s family members told them he was behaving suspiciously after the killings. But he said that blinded them to other possible suspects that could’ve actually committed the slayings. “In this case, there’s so many other leads and possibilities —and even suspects —that they failed to even patently look into,” Sterling said during his closing arguments. “But theydoubled down, tripled down on thebeliefthat they had the right suspect.”

Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

RETRIAL

Continuedfrom page1B

2021. Lavergne nowfaces two mandatory life sentences without thepossibility of parole when he goes before Myers for sentencing Oct. 1.

“This decision was not made lightly.Wealways consider astore closure our very last option, but it is sometimes necessary as we navigate the ever-changing environment of the restaurant industry,” said Piccadilly’sChief OperatingOfficer Keith L. Brown, of Youngsville, via email Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday,asign onthe front door at 5179 Plank Road announced the closure. Inside, employees in uniformcleaned the building, some wiping down windowswith rags.

An employee standingoutside said she was notified lastTuesday of the closure. When amanager came outside,she ushered the employee back inside and declined to be interviewed or offer further information.

“After proudly serving the North Baton Rouge community for65 years, we are sorry to announce we areclosing our doors permanently

For decades,the Baton RougebasedPiccadillyCafeteria built momentum and spread across the country, growingto270 locations in 1998. Butin2003, the company filed forbankruptcy due to poor performance, filing again in 2012.

About29Piccadilly locations remaininoperation across seven states, according to the company’s website.

Brown went on to sayinhis email that the company extends gratitude to thededicated staff, adding that “most of ourmanagement and team members will be going to work” at other Piccadillys.

The closure sign listed four of the nearest Piccadilly locations: n 6406 FloridaBlvd.

n 3332 Sherwood Forest Blvd. n 5474 Essen Lane n 27156 CrossingCircle, Denham Springs

Zacharyman booked in fatal Marque AnnDrive shooting

Staff report

Homicide detectives with the Baton Rouge Police Department arrested aZachary man onTuesday in connection with an early morning killing on Marque Ann Drive. Thomas King was bookedinto the parish prison with assistance from Zachary police and parish sheriff’s deputies on one count each of second-degree murder and

LSU

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pest reports were asmall andisolated problem that wasquickly resolved.

Out of 287 units, reportsofpests were made for only four at the time of move-in, Scion said

“Our pestcontrol vendor responded quickly and treated these apartments, and one studentwas transferred,” the statement read. “Ion has regular pest control treatments communitywide.”

The building has more than 700 residents, most of whomaren’t LSU students, and receives quarterly pest control treatments and inspections, Scion told The Advocate.

LSU could not confirm exactly how many students werestaying at Ion due to student overflow,but they did confirm that 49 other studentswereaccommodated at the Lod Cook Hotel for the first week after move-in. These students were each given rooms in campus residence halls when they became available. Universities oftenhave students who commit, but don’tactually enroll in the school, meaning that determining the number of incoming freshmen is an imprecise science, Trentacoste said.

Thephenomenonisreferredto as “melt” by those in higher education. When students don’t arrive at LSU, their rooms are then made available to studentsatIon and beyond.

Other student frustrations stemmed from the fact that commuter parking permits soldout by move-in week, leaving only “park

illegal use of weapons. King allegedlyshot 38-yearoldBraxtonScott shortly after 4a.m.Tuesday in the 1000 block of Marque Ann Drive

Whenofficers arrived at the scene, they found Scottsuffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to alocal hospital, where he later died.

King has prior arrests for armed robberyand illegaldischarge of firearms, but no prior homicides.

and geaux” permits for parking lots with ashuttle service to campus.

“Weunderstand this may be frustrating,” amemo sent to students from LSU Parking and Transportation Services stated.

“Especially since permitshave typically remained available for longer periodsinpastyears.This year’shigher demand, combined withlimitedspace, meant we had to cap sales earlier thanusualto align permits with the number of commuter spaces available.”

The memo addedthat while parkingservices does notexpect anypermitstobecome available during the semester,awaitlist has been opened.

Record enrollment

While exact andofficial freshmanenrollment numbers for LSU’s fall semester are notyet available, statementsfromboth Trentacoste and LSU interim President Matt Leehaveestimateditat over 8,000.

That setsafreshmanyearenrollment record for theeighth consecutive year in arow.Last year’s record was 7,912 freshmen.

Trentacosteconfirmedthat theBoard of Supervisors has approvedthe construction of a$215 million new dorm, which would add over 1,200 beds by thefall semester of 2027,“eliminatingthe need for overflow housing and enhancing the on-campus experience for first-year andupper-class students.”

Theresidence hall will be near thebusiness school andconstructed over an existing commuter parking lot.

EmailQuinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

Twomembers of his legal team of public defendersalsoface jail time if thejudge follows through on her contempt orders. Lead attorney StephenSterling was hit witheight counts of contemptuousbehavior and La’Deisha Woods, hissupporting counsel, received two counts. Woods was kicked out of the trial Thursday following arun-in with Myers and was notallowed back in the courtroom for the final 21/2 days of proceedings.

Assistant District Attorney Morgan Johnson, the lead prosecutor in the case, was also leviedwith acount of contempt for acomment shemade about DNA evidenceinher closingargument.

Myershas not levied her respectivepunishmentsfor the attorneys and delayed doing so at Tuesday’shearing as all sides await the court record

Friction in court

Lavergne was being triedin the killings for the second time in less than 10 months. His first trial last October ended in ahung jury that couldn’treach averdict and Myers declared amistrial

During Tuesday’shearing,the judge indicated frictions arose between the prosecutors anddefense attorneysduring lastyear’s trial —one lawyer washeld in contempt and fined $100 during last October’s five-dayaffair.Myers sent attorneys on both sides an email Aug. 14 warning them that she would not tolerate the unprofessional rancor and “back andforth” in thecourtroom again.

But the badblood spilled over into the second trial last Thursday —the secondday of testimony —afterSterlinguseda box of shotgun bulletssimilar to the shells found at thecrimescene as ademonstrative piece of evidencetoshowjurors during his opening statements. Whenprosecutors sought to use the same box of shells, it led to aseries of hearings with thejurors notin thecourtroom as well as aconference between attorneys at the judge’sbench.

An exchange during thesidebar prompted Myers to hold Woods, the second prong of Lavergne’s legal team, in contemptand have her removed from the courtroom. Shewas not allowed back in until after the trialwas done on Monday.Woodssaid shefaces 20 days in jail.

In ajudgment issued followingthe exchange,Myers alleged the attorney continuedarguing with her after shealready had issued her ruling on thepotential evidence.She chided Woodsfor repeatedly interrupting proceedings after she was admonished not to,according to thejudgment, and cited Woods for “insolent, disruptive and disorderly behavior toward”the judge.

Woods’ attorney,Harry Daniels, saidTuesday that he planned to review the record to mount a defenseonthe attorney’sbehalf.

“Knowing Ms. Woodspersonally and professionally,I find it hardtobelieve shewould do any of those things,”hesaid outside the courthouse. “I think it was really her being azealous advocate for herclient, which us defense attorneys have to do.” Sterling racked up eight counts of contempt over thecourse of thetrial.

Myersissued acontempt judgmentonhim on Monday that alleges his first two counts came during jury selection. The judge saidheargued with her during voir dire sessionswithprospec-

tive jurors and continued discussing unrelated wrongful convictions that were beyond the scopeofLavergne’s trial. Throughout the trial,according to the judge’s orders, he continued to press witnesses for answers after Myers sustained objections, making his questions inadmissible, and repeatedly said things in front of thejury that weren’tallowed. The judge lodgedthree counts of contempt againstSterlingfor statements he madeduring his closing arguments Monday afternoon that she determined were not admitted into evidence during the evidentiary portions of the trial.

Outside the courtroom on Tuesday,Sterling saidheremained unsure exactly whathedid to warrant the contempt allegations but saidheplans to review thetrial record.

‘That’sone’

The murdertrialwas repeatedly interrupted with anumber of sidebar conferences at the judge’sbench after attorneys on bothsides lodged various objections as witnesses testified. Those bench conferences could not be heardbyjurors or spectatorsinthe courtroom.And transcripts of the sidebars were not immediately available because of ashortage of court reporters available to transcribe the exchangesbetween the attorneys and Myers. While Daniels is representing Woods in the contempt proceedings,EastBaton Rouge Parish Attorney Greg Romehandled Sterling’smatter. During Tuesday’s hearing,Daniels and Rome both asked the judge to postponethe hearing 60 days so they can requestand review trial transcripts and make mitigating arguments. No new court date has been set. Myers recognized that Johnson, thelead prosecutor, wasrespectful throughout the majority of thetrial. But shedetermined astatement she made to jurors during the state’srebuttaltoSterling’sclosing arguments was not introduced into evidence. Johnsonwas referring to testimony BatonRouge PoliceDepartment Sgt. Chris Fisher, oneofthe lead detectivesinLavergne’s murder case,made about the collection of DNA samples from other pos-

sible suspects. Johnson, while trying to refute Sterling’sclaims told jurors the detective said “no unknownDNA profiles wereobtained in this case.” When she made thestatementMonday, Myers held up a finger and said, “that’sone,” indicating she was holding Johnsonincontempt. State prosecutors have asked the judge to review the record and reconsider the contempt orderifJohnson’sstatement was an accurate reflection of Fisher’s testimony.Johnson is set to appear before Myers forher contempt hearing at 9a.m.Tuesday. “I issued awarning via email before the trial even began based on the behavior last time,” Myers said at the hearing. “Ms. Johnson took it to heart. Iacknowledge that. But there are ground rules, and Ihave to maintain control of my courtroom and control of the trial process. Otherwise, the wheelscome off.”

Outsidethe courthouse Tuesday,East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore stood by his line prosecutor while acknowledging the “extremely” unusualcircumstance thatarose fromthe contentious trial. “I want to make it real clear: Ithink MorganJohnsoniscompletely innocent,” he said. “I think the judge, respectfully,was wrong. And that the evidence that described in her closing argument was actually testified to by detective Chris Fisher. Ithink that when (Myers) reviews the record, she will see that’swhat shewas referringtoinher closing argument and it will be resolved at that point. If not, we’ll askfor afull hearing just like all the others.”

EmailMatt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Ballard,Nancy

St.Jude Catholic Church,9150 HighlandRd., BatonRouge,LAat 11:30am. Richard, DeWanna ResthavenFuneralHome, 11817 Jefferson Hwy.Baton Rouge, LA at 2pm

Obituaries

DaggsJr.,Joseph 'Joe Cool'

Joseph “Joe Cool”

Daggs,Jr. departed this life onTuesday,August19, 2025, at AMGSpecialty HospitalinHouma,LA. He was 69, anativeand resi‐dentofNapoleonville,LA. VisitationonThursday,Au‐gust28, 2025, at Williams and Southall FuneralHome from2:00pmto4:00pm. VisitationonFriday, Au‐gust29, 2025,atBright Morning Star Baptist Church, from 10:00 am to religious services at 11:00 am. Cremationtofollow. ArrangementsbyWilliams & Southall FuneralHome, 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville, LA70390, (985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbook or offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome com.

John MaynardEvans was born on November 30 1942, theyoungestchild of the family. Oscar“Gramp” and Dorothy“Mimi”Evans boughtClaiborne Planta‐tionwhenhewas ayoung boy andhespent therest ofhis life therewith his beloved wife of over 60 years,Diane CrossEvans raising theirfamily, stew‐ardingthe land,loving, laughingand praying. He lived hislifeasanexample offaith anddedicationto his wife andfourchildren, JenniferMistretta,Oscar Evans II, ElizabethSar‐radet,and Rebecca Mouk His unwavering love and commitmentextended until theend of histimeon earth as they surrounded him in his finalhours re‐membering hisgreat love sense of humorand faith Hemarried Diane on SpringBreak in 1965 before hegraduated from LSU thenmoved to WhiteCas‐tle andstarted theirfamily. Their earlylives were spent raisingtheir four children, cattle andcrops His dedication wasdeep and loyaltystrongtohis family, theland, hisfaith and histruefriends.Abe Lincoln wasquotedassay‐ing,‘If Ihad 8hours to cut downa tree, Iwould spend 7 hourssharpeningthe axe.’ Always theinnovator and thinker, John took it to the next leveland would spend 7hours redesigning the axe. He designed and built oneofthe firstpro‐duction mechanical sugar caneplantersinthe 80’s, a predecessor to themodels being builttoday.John loved theoutdoorsinclud‐ing hunting, fishingand golf, butmainlybecause heenjoyed thepeoplewith whomhedid it.Inkeeping withhis innovative spirit, hereloadedhis ownshells and bulletsbecause ‘no company coulddoitas wellasI can’,designedhis own truckand boat acces‐soriesand even builta put‐ter in hisfarmshoponce. His office,barn, shop and other places bear theevi‐dence of someonewho was always thinking,al‐waysimproving,always buildingeverythingfrom canewagonstocrawfish boilers to toolboxes. He was alay speakerinthe churchand averyastute student andteacher of the Bible.Heknewand lived the Bibleinbothwordand spiritaswellasanyonein‐cluding some clergy.He held ahardlineontheol‐

in keepingwithhis understanding of the gospelmessage of Jesus was very loving of people ofall andevennofaith.His businessand professional lifefollowedhis ruggedin‐dividualpathand included owningand runningthe Bar Lazy ERanch andClai‐borne Plantation as well as partial ownershipinChee‐burgerCheeburgerRestau‐rants in La.Following his retirementfrom farming, heand hisdaughter, Re‐becca,boughta belea‐gueredAscension Roofing and SheetMetal and turneditintoa thriving business. John wasa for‐mer Presidentofthe Louisiana Cattleman’sAs‐sociation,Chairmanofthe WhiteCastleFertilizerCoopBoard of Directors, a 32nddegreeFreeand Ac‐ceptedMason of Lodge #16 in Plaquemine,a long timePlaquemineRotarian and afrequentguest at GonzalesRotary. He also servedasPresident of the Louisiana Land Bank Board,aswellasmany years on the Boardof SouthernFarm(SF) Ser‐vices.Hegraduated from WhiteCastleHighSchool and SewaneeMilitary Academy andhelda BS from- as well as an intense dedicationtothe purple and goldof-LSU.Heissur‐vived by hislovingwifeof over60years,Diane,his fourchildrenand their spouses,TroyMistretta, Clara-Leigh Horn Evans, Craig Sarradet andLee Mouk; 9grandchildren, Sarah Mistretta Thi‐bodeaux,Chris Mistretta, Ashleigh EvansPoppert Ainslee EvansHoover, John Garrett Evans, Emma Sar‐radet,ColtonSarradet, Louis Mouk and Sophia Mouk, theirrespective spouses;one greatgrand‐child,ShepherdThi‐bodeaux;his sister,Loretta Roberts anda very dear and extended list of nephews,nieces, and cousins.His familyinvites you to avisitationat WilbertFuneral Home, 24120 Railroad Ave. PlaquemineonThursday, August28, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m acelebration of his lifeatFirst United Methodist Church 930 North Blvd., BatonRouge onFriday, August 29,at10 a.m., conductedbyRev WeldonBares.Honorary Pallbearers arenephews, David Evans, John Tugwell, Andrew Tugwell, Thomas Cox,BoStevens andTed Hyde. In lieu of flowers, pleaseconsidera gener‐ous gift to St Jude’s Chil‐dren’sHospital, United Mi‐tochondrial DiseaseFoun‐dation, Samaritan’sPurse, Tunnels to Towers or Shriner’s Children’s Hospi‐tals. Please sharememo‐riesatwww.wilbertserv ices.com.

John WayneEvans passedawayonSaturday, August23, 2025. He was87. Johnwas born on Sunday October 17,1937, in Nashville,Tennessee. He graduated from George Peabody CollegeofVan‐derbilt University in 1961 witha Bachelor of Arts de‐gree. He attended Naval OfficerCandidate School in Newport,Rhode Island.In 1962, he received acom‐mission as an Ensign in the U.S.Navy. He washonor‐ablydischargedasa lieu‐tenantinthe USN after fouryears of service. He married Betty DorisCathey in1955, whentheywere both18. They wouldhave celebrated70years to‐getherinDecember. He is survivedbyhis wife,Doris; son,SamuelCraig Evans and hiswife, Stacey; grandchildren,Sarah Rudolph andher husband, Adam, Sawyer Evansand his wife,Alex; four greatgrandchildren,June, Jean Jade, andLuke; andhis brother,David Evans. He was preceded in deathby his parents, John T. Evans and SarahLucille Evans and hissister, Joyce Robertson.HeownedCom‐munity Motors,the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep,and Ram Dealership forjust shy of 50 years. He wasan avid fishermanand en‐joyed many fishingtrips withhis familyand friends. Familyand friendswillbe receivedat Harry McK‐neely& SonFuneralHomeHammond,2000 N. Morri‐son Blvd., Hammond, Louisiana 70401, on Friday August29, 2025, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm.Visitation

will continue at Harry McK‐neely& SonFuneralHomeHammond on Saturday,Au‐gust30, 2025, from 10:00 amuntil thememorialser‐vicebeginsat11:00 am withPastorMikeRoberts officiating. Arrangements havebeen entrustedto Harry McKneely& SonFu‐neral Home andCrematory ofHammond andPoncha‐toula.Anon-lineguest book is availableatwww harrymckneely.com.

MeganLaneGuerra, age 40, of St.Francisville, LA wenttobewithher Lord, Jesus Christ on August 25 2025. Meganwas atremen‐douslylovingand beloved motherand wife,the most genuine andfaithfulfriend, and atirelesslycaringand dedicated daughter,sister, and aunt.Mostofall though, shewas aservant ofGod.Ifyou knew Megan, you hada chance to see whatJesus waslike. Her devotiontothe Father shone throughinevery as‐pectoflife. To encounter her wastohavea glimpse ofHeavenonearth.Self‐lessness, devotion,purity, love, grace, andhumility are thelegaciesshe leaves. Meganissurvived byher husband,Eddie Guerra, four beautifulchil‐dren, Myla (14),Tallan(10), Asher (6), andElliot(2) parents,Billand Rita Mc‐Donough,and sister,Brit‐tanyRishell. Sheispre‐ceded in deathbyher sis‐ter,TaraMcDonough,ma‐ternalgrandparents, Fred and IdaMae Carter,pater‐nal grandparents,Ron and LouisePatterson,and Megan andEddie’sangel babyshe nowgetstomeet and hold forthe firsttime inHeaven. Meganserved asthe Women’sPastorat Healing PlaceChurch of St Francisvillefor 9years,but had many servingroles fromthe time of hersalva‐tion24years ago. She touched,enriched, and changed so many livesfor the better by living outthe scripture of “followmeasI followChrist” (1Cor11:1) The funeralservice to honor thelifeofMegan will beheldonAugust29, 2025 atHealing PlaceChurch Baton Rougeinthe Annex buildingat19202 Highland Road, BatonRouge,LA. Vis‐itation will beginat9:30am and Servicewillcommence at11:00am.The burial will beprivate to theimmedi‐ate familyonly. Sharesym‐pathies,condolences,and memoriesatwww.Charlet FuneralHome.com.

Ronald Wayne Hedrick, 78, of BatonRouge, Louisiana, passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2025, peacefully at home with his family Ronwas born on March 3, 1947, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Joel HenryHedrick Jr (FortSmith,AR) and Mattie Sue Samuels (FortSmith AR). The family moved to Tioga, Louisiana, in 1961, with therelocationofManning, Maxwell,and Moore, which later became apart of Dresser Industries 'BigR'graduated from TiogaHighSchool in 1965, then went on to enlist in theUSAir Force, serving twoyears in Vietnam with an Honorable Discharge.

Ron marriedDeborah June Neal on May 15, 1971, in Lafayette, LA.They were married for 54 years and had 3sons and 3 grandsons.

Ronjoinedhis parents and brother at GulfValve Service (GVS) in 1969, and over thenext 6decades, they builtaninternational reputationfor the quality and timeliness of their work. Big Rbuilthis legend by beingabletofix anything that came into Gulf Valve,regardless of itscomplexity,leaving thosearound him in constant amazement. Ronand his brotherBob didnot have employees;theyhad an extendedfamily that spent decadesworking with them. GulfValve was notjust abusiness; it was avessel to lift thelives of

those who surrounded them everyday. BigR especially loved Bass Fishing and Dirt Track Racing, and was highly accomplishedatboth. The walls of Ron's living room were covered in Bass weighing over 10lbs. Ron, alongwithhis brother Bob, owned GVS Racing of BatonRouge,which wonmultiple Dirt Track World Championshipsover the course of two decades (1991, 1993, 1996). Ronwas known forhis sense of humor and always had ajoke readyto share with his friends. His selflessnessand generosity knew few limitsashe and hisbrother Bobhelped countless others without ever asking for recognition or seeking praise.

Remaining to cherish Ron's memory are his wife of 54 years, Deborah;sons, Ronald,Chad (Angela), Eric (Lesley); grandsons, Derek, Jesse, and Van; brother, Bob (Lely); nieces and nephews, Joel Hedrick (Susan), Jeff Hedrick (Dana), Chuck Pitre(Pam), Sabrina Kallies(Joe),Simone Bignar (Jimmy), VickyDartez (Don).

Preceding Ronindeath arehis parents, Joel and MattieSue Hedrick, and a sister, Linda.

Privateservices will be held Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Resthaven for family and closefriends. Donations to The GarySinise Foundationare asked for in lieu of flowers,asRon was extremelypassionate aboutVeteran's issues.

BrotherLawrenceJones, Jr.,89years of age, anative ofDonaldsonville, LA,was a resident of Geismar, LA Hetransitionedfromhis earthly home on August 15 2025, in BatonRouge,LA while apatient at Baton Rouge GeneralHospital, to his heavenly home.Hewas borninRaceland, LA on October 11, 1935, to Ear‐leneBarnesWashington and Lawrence Jones, Sr.He leavesbehindtocherish his memory,his wife,of55 years of marriage,Evelina Saucier Jones, adaughter, Tanya Jones-Delmore (Jason) of Prairieville,LA, a son,LawrenceT.Jones (Tri‐cia)ofAustin, TX,a daugh‐ter,Debra Tubbs,ofDallas, TX, anda sonGerald Williams,ofBelle Rose,LA, a sister Rosa JonesSmith ofDonaldsonville, LA,a sis‐ter-in-lawPatriciaWash‐ingtonofRome, GA.Also, his grandchildrenMarcus Jones (Allison)ofGonzales, LA, ChristianJones,of Geismar,LA, Kerrance Caldwell(Raquel)and Tony CaldwellofGroves, TX, Gabriella andIsabella Jones of Austin,TX. One godchild, DarleneCantrell ofDonaldsonville, LA,a hostofniecesand nephews alongwitha large host of cherished familyand friends. He ac‐ceptedChristinhis life at anearly agebyRev.Mark ButleratMt. Zion Baptist Church in Donaldsonville, LA. He attended andgradu‐atedhighschool at St Catherine Catholic School inDonaldsonville, LA in 1955. He served hisnation for 22 yearsasa member ofthe United States Air Force andreceivedthe fol‐lowingcommendations: Good ConductMedal Army; Air ForceLongevity Service RibbonW/40LC; National Defense ServiceMedal; Vietnam ServiceMedal; RepublicofVietnam Cam‐paign Medal; AirForce Good ConductMedal w/1S0LC,Air ForceCom‐mendation Medal. He re‐tired with therankofMas‐ter Sergeant.Hereceiveda diploma from DeVryInsti‐tuteofTechnology,(Home Entertainment Electronics SystemIIinDecember, 1976).After hismilitary service he wasemployed atBASF, Wyandotte,Geis‐mar,asaninstrument technicianfor 15 yrs. He was an active member of the deacon boardand a choir member of Mt.Zion Baptist Church,until he be‐cameill.Hewas initiated in1964 andlater became anactiveMason of Hiram Lodge #12. He hasbeen a partofthe Masonicfamily for 61 years. Visitation on Saturday, August 30, 2025, atMt. Zion BaptistChurch 808 St.Patrick St., Donald‐sonville, La 10:00 am until religious services at 11:00 am. Burial in thechurch cemeterywithmilitary honors.

Jupiter, Celiner A. 'Turkey'

CelinerA.“Turkey

Jupiter departed this life onSaturday, August 16 2025, at ChateauLiving CenterinKenner, LA.She was 76, anativeof Napoleonville,LAand a residentofNew Orleans, LA. Visitation on Thursday, August28, 2025, at Williams andSouthallFu‐neral Home from 2:00 pm to4:00pm. Visitation on Friday, August 29, 2025, at UnitedFellowshipFull GospelChurch,2401 An‐nette St., NewOrleans,LA 70119, from 10:00 am to re‐ligious services at 11:00 am. Intermentprivate ArrangementsbyWilliams & Southall FuneralHome, 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville, LA70390, (985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbookor offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome com.

On August 19, 2025, Donald E. Shipley, 92, of Greenwell Springs, LA passed away peacefullywith immediatefamilypresent there togethertosay their last goodbyes.

Donwas born on December 27, 1932, to Charles andEvelyn ShipleyinMillville,New Jersey.Inhis youth he enjoyed sports andwentontoexcel in both academics and sports. At MillvilleHigh School, he wasclass president,president of theNational Honor Societyand vice presidentofthe Student Council. He wasalso afour-year letteredathlete andcaptain of thevarsity tennis team. After graduation,heattendedRutgers University wherehereceived abachelor'sdegree andwas captain of thecollegiate tennis team. From there, he attendedthe School of Auxiliary Medical Servicesatthe University of Pennsylvania. Upon completion, he wasgranted acertificate to practice Physical Therapy.

After this achievement, he joined theUnited States PublicHealth Service.For hisfirst assignment, he wasstationedinNew Orleanswhere he met and later marriedMargaret. After5 years in NewOrleans, he wastransferred to the United States PublicHealth Service Hospital in Carville, LA. During his 22 years of service,hehad several papers published in medical journalsand wasaninternationalHansen's disease consultantinJapan,India, andEthiopia. He wasalso a designated clinical instructor in Physical Therapy programs at LSU,Universi-

ty of Florida, Baylor University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, andState University of NewYorkat Buffalo.

Upon retirement as the Therapist Director and rankofCaptain,hewas recognized "forcontributionsleadingtothe reduction of disabilitiesin Hansen'sdisease patients throughout theworld and foroutstandingservice in theUnited States Public HealthService." Throughouthis life, he enjoyed playing golf, tennis, card games and most of all,lovingand supportinghis family. He will be rememberedfor hiskindness, leadership,generosity, sense of humor, unflappable stoicism, andto many in thetenniscommunity of days goneby, his magician-like tennis skills, especially theheavy topspinonhis wicked lefthandedslice serve.

Donissurvivedbyhis wife of 64 years, Margaret, his3 sons, Don& wife Debbie, Jeff &wife Cheryl, Gary &wife Donise; grandchildren and step grandchildren:Tristan &wife Alex, Colton &fiancé Emily, Tyler &wife Allie,Noelle, Skyler &Christoph, Jack, Wesley &wife Clara, Shannon& husband Casey, Marissa &husbandLuke. Great grandchildrenand step great grandchildren: Thomas,Collins, Hunter, Chesza,Ender,Mina, Emma, Emerie, andEvan He is preceded in death by hisparents Charles and Evelyn andbrother Charles.

Amemorial service will be held on Friday August 29, 2025, at Magnolia United Methodist Church, 16024 Greenwell Springs, LA 70739. Visitation will be from10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Theservice will be at 12:00pm. The burialservice will be at 2:00 PM sharp at Louisiana National Cemetery locatedon303 WMt Pleasant Zachary Rd, Zachary, LA 70791.

Jerome “Dr. J" Sylvester departedthislifeonSatur‐day,August16, 2025, at his residence in Napoleonville, LA. He was63, anativeof Napoleonville,LA. Visita‐tiononSaturday, August 30, 2025, at Williams and SouthallFuneral Home from9:00amtoreligious servicesat11:00 am.Inter‐mentprivate.Arrange‐ments by Williams & SouthallFuneralHome, 5414 Hwy. 1, Napoleonville, LA70390, (985) 369-7231. To signthe guestbookor offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome com.

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Tangipahoa blastneeds thorough investigation

After plumes of smoke from amidafternoon blast at aplant darkened theskiesoverRoseland on Friday,hundredsofresidents were forced to evacuate. Whenthey wereallowedto return Monday,they found their possessions covered in an oilyblack soot andthe smell of grease in the air

Fortunately,noone was injuredinthe accident.But it was thelatest example of therisks we face as Louisianans as we welcome the jobs andeconomicactivitythat heavy industry brings to our area

It also highlighted why federal and state oversight of these industries is so important.If our state’scitizens are expected to continue to accept such risks, we also must havevigorous environmentaland regulatory agencies thatcan assess the dangers and force companiestoaddress them before tragedystrikes.

The investigation of the explosion at Smitty’s Supply Inc. is in the early stages. Thecompany blendsand distributes oil and otherlubricants under brand names including SuperS,Shell, Quaker State, Castrol, Exxonand Valvoline.On the 20-acre site, its storagetankscan hold up to 8.7 million gallons of lubricants suchasethanol, charcoal lighter fluid, hydraulic fluids,diesel, brake fluid and other flammable liquids, according to state regulatory documents.

We were glad to see that TangipahoaParishofficialstookquick action toclose the Tangipahoa Riverand keep spilled chemicals from flowing into the nearby Lake Pontchartrain beforeturningthe scene over to theEnvironmentalProtection Agency.Likewise, resultsofair andwater quality monitoring by theEPA andthe state’s Department of EnvironmentalQuality cangive residents some comfort. Gov. Jeff Landry’svisit to Amite on Monday showed that hisadministration has made the cleanup apriority.The longterm health and well-beingofresidents should remain in the forefront.

Although poorer communities often bear the brunt of environmental disasters —and certainly,many neighborhoodsinRoselandwhere theblast occurred, were not wealthy—we note that in this case,the homes evacuatedincluded that of former Gov.John Bel Edwards.

An investigation into whatcaused the explosion has been opened by the Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration. Smitty’s employs about 450 people in theareaand has been the subject of complaintsbefore.AccordingtoOSHA, the plant hashad twoinjuriesand one fatality since 2017 and was subjectto more than $58,000 in fines. State andfederalregulators have alsodocumented various spills over the years, some of which thecompanyadmitted were preventable.

We hope those affected andthe widercommunity get some answers soon.

And moreimportantly,wehope thisincident leads to action that will prevent future accidents, onesthat could be deadly.While there has been apush recently to weaken theenforcement of environmental rules, that devalues what theseagencies do. When accidents like this happen, they prove their wortha thousand times over

Lower9th Ward isn’t

As alifelong resident of the Lower 9th Ward, a fifth-generation homeowner,and thefounder of Sankofa Community Development Corporation, Iread your recent article on the lack of grocery access in our neighborhood with disappointment. This is not to say thetopic isn’tcritical; it absolutely is, but it overlooks the real, ongoing work being done by thepeople who live here. It echoed the same tired narrative: that the Lower 9th Ward is still waiting for something to happen.

We’renot waiting. We’ve been working. For nearly two decades, Sankofa CDC has been responding to the legacy of food apartheid and systemic disinvestmentinour neighborhood not withcomplaints, but with action. We’ve grown urban farms, removed tonsofdebris from blighted lots, partnered withlocal farmers and fishers, operated mobile markets,employed community members, launched aMain Street corridor,created a40-acre wetland park and just last year,opened theFresh Start Market,the Lower

9th Ward’sonly green grocery store. That’snot theory.That’sboots on the ground. That’s progress. Have there been challenges? Absolutely.But despitelimited resources and systemic obstacles, we’ve pushed forward because we are not just rebuilding after Katrina. We are reclaiming our community,onour terms.

The narrative that the Lower 9th Ward is “still behind” fails to see the people already doing the work. It disrespectsthe families whoreturned, rolled up their sleeves, andcontinue to build. As we approach the 20th anniversary of HurricaneKatrina, we call on the media to stop with surface-level parachutecoverage and start showing up with intention, consistency and respect Ourneighborhood is not ablank slate. It is aplace of resilience, culture, history and power We’rehere. We never left. And we’re not done yet RASHIDAFERDINAND founder and CEO,SankofaCommunity Development Corporation

Housing immigrants at Angola abridgetoo far

Irecently took my 11-year-old grandsontothe airport.

As an unaccompaniedminor,I knewIwould have to check in at the airline kiosk, get both of us TSA passes, accompany him to the gate andwaitatthe gate until the plane departed.

Ialso knewfromrecent trips that short-term, long-term and surface lotparking have all been full. Upon arrival, thatwas the case, so my only recourse wastoswallowa $36 daily feefor valet parking.

Afterwaiting for 20 minutes, I was told thatIcould not request my car back for the first 24 hours. At leastthe valetoffered to call security in charge of the short-term lot, andIwas allowedtopark.

Upon entering, Isaw what seemed to be severaldozen empty parking spaces with reserved signs. Iwas able to find two empty spots for legitimate parking.

Iknowmanywould ask, “What in the world were they thinking when theybuilt this 5yearsago?” Ichoosetoframe this looking forward: “Whatare theygoing to do to quickly resolve this?” Ihopethe answerisnot to park at the old airport andtakeashuttle back andforth.

Visitors needing rental cars complain bitterly of the extra hour or more requiredtoget arental.

The proposed housing of nonviolent immigrants who have no criminal backgrounds at the Louisiana State PenitentiaryatAngola is barbaric, uncivilized and un-American. We say in our Pledge of Allegiance, “with liberty and justice for all” —“all” includes immigrants who may be here illegally Those politicians who advocate for such policies should be removed from office. These actions constitute agross abrogation of fundamental constitutional and civil rights. Furthermore, those policies are cruel, inhumane and ungodly.Every good andnoble citizen should stand up and be counted in opposing this grave injustice.

JASON SAVOY Mamou

Iamalifelong NewOrleanian, andfully understand the culture of privilege forour politicians and VIPs always having parking spots available

DAVID ELIZARDI Metairie LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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.

Lastfall, my van was hit broadside by adriver who ran ared light. The driver’slight had been red for several seconds. Thankfully,myfamily emerged from thecrash uninjured, very shaken and just glad to be alive. Ourvan, however,was totaled. Since that time, Ihave become much moreaware of how frequently this happens. Daily,Isee drivers blatantly run red lightsthat are very clearly red. When adriver runs ared light,

their lives and their passengers’ lives are as much at risk as all the other drivers entering the intersection with thegreen light.Inthis situation, the potential for alife-altering crash for manyvehicles is very high. Perhaps areminder of this tragic “lose-lose” scenario will encouragethose drivers to stop next time they encounter ared trafficlight.

MICHAELENE

WALSH Baton Rouge

The public needstobeaware of what to expect the next time they must park at the airport, as this might well have been adebaclefor me andmygrandson. We all expect to be told of the solution and not addmoresurprisestoanalready fraught experience traveling by air in ourcity

COMMENTARY

KATRINA

‘There wasnoplaybook’

As medical professionals, we all encounter tragedy daily —car wrecks, shootings, strokes and sudden deaths. But nothing prepared us for what we witnessed at theSuperdome during Katrina.

Iserved as thephysician medical director for Acadian Ambulance Service, which was the medical contractor providing EMS services at the Superdome. It wasAcadian’s tradition to staff the first aidstation at the Dome during hurricanes, since it was ashelter of last resort for people who were unable toevacuate thecity. Iwas there for twodays.

Though many of my personal memories remain buried, some scenes are still vivid:Diabetics in crisis, elderly people in heart failure, mothers in labor,and schizophrenicswithparanoia and hallucinations. Cancer patients wanted to know where they were goingtoget their chemo. Dialysis patients lookingfor direction. Thousands of people needing help all at once.

There was no playbook. When protocols failed, we had to invent solutions. For instance, oneofour air ambulance flightmedics evacuated six newborns from a flooded hospital using acardboard box padded with blankets. Everywhere, improvisation replaced procedure, andcourage replaced certainty

Our small first aid station was meant to handle minor illnesses and injuries and occasional heart attacks. Relief came when aFEMA Disaster Medical Assistance Team set up in the smaller New Orleans Arena next door.Together,weimprovised asystem: triage patients in theSuperdome, stabilize critical patients in the arena,movethemacross the raised walkway to theSuperdome helipad, and then flythemtoBaton Rouge. At first, helicopters made 90-minute round trips to LSU’sbasketball arena,which had beenconverted into a field hospital. But thedemand

tomove large numbers of people out of the Superdome was overwhelming. The breakthrough came when we realized the Interstate 10/Causeway cloverleaf outside of the flood zone could serve as an ambulance staging area and helicopter drop-off. Helicopters could cycle patientsout of the Superdome in minutes instead of hours, and ambulances could take them directly to moredistant regional hospitals. As fast as thehelicopters could land on the helipad, we would fill them with sick and injured people fortheir flight out

Theconditions inside the Superdome deteriorated rapidly.Inthe chaos of medical evacuations, families were tornapart, with no system in place to track where loved ones had been flown or which hospitals had received them. Rumorsswept through the Dome —whispers of violence, of rapes, of failing generators about to flood.

The National Guard urged us to strip off our orange vestsand conceal our stethoscopes to avoid being singled out. Fear for our own lives grew palpable. Iwondered if this was what soldiers meantbythe “fog of war.” Those days in New Orleanswere heartbreaking,yet what standsout most in my memoryisthe grit and determination of my colleagues paramedics, nurses, doctors and supportstaff. Oneco-worker persuaded three 18-wheeler drivers to push through floodwaters to Charity Hospital, where they loaded 48 patients andseveral staff members into the backs of those trucks and carried them out of thecity.Employees from Acadian’smaintenance department waded through 4feet of filthy water, hauling coolers filled with hamburgers so we could have ameal while working at the Dome. Icould tell a thousand stories like these —people sacrificing and pitching in with whatever they had. Even my own family found ways to help: Three of my

brothers flew intothe Superdome to assist with patient care and establish satellite communications.

Alot has changed in the 20 years since Katrina and Rita. Unfortunately,the standing of health care professionals seemstobeeroding. Online criticism is now routine. Public cynicism towardscience has grown louder.Meanwhile, ourhealth care system remains deeply flawed —profit-driven, bureaucraticand nearly impossible for theaverage patient,oreven theaverage physician, to navigate.

Beyond the core duty of caring for patients, today’shealth care workers face crushing workloads, chronic staffing shortages, endless paperwork and the dictates of insurance companies and profit-focused administrators. They endure verbal and physical abuse, punishinghours and the moral injury of knowing what their patients need but being unable to provide it.Layer onto that theshocks of pandemics and the increasing frequency of natural disasters, and it becomes clear: Working in health care today requires extraordinary commitment, resilience and sacrifice.

Idon’tthink about Katrinaevery day, but forgettingisimpossible. The memories remain etched in me like awatermark —faint at times, butalways present.

It’shard not to envision another catastrophe that could once again plunge us intochaos. In theyears since, I’ve cometocall myself a “practical prepper.” Itrainedasa ham radio operator,stockpiled food and essential suppliesand never leave home without my “get home or go” bag, packed withthree days’ worthofgear.I’ve made peace with the idea that disasters are not aquestion of “if” but “when.” And when that moment comes, thetruest resource we will have is eachother —our neighbors, our colleagues, our community

Ross Judice, M.D., served as chiefmedical officer of Acadian Ambulance Service from 1998 to 2010. He is the author of ‘The Katrina Diaries,’a firsthand account of medical responders’ experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Throughout August and September,weare featuring reflections on the 20th anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, two storms that changed Louisiana forever

Baton Rouge Weather

PLANT FIRE

Continued from page1B

The EPAstatement came only a fewhours after Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller expressed frustration withthe slow pace of informationfrom the unified command managing the fire’s aftermath. Miller said in astatement he is “standing with our residents and pushing for answers.”

“Due to the event’sUnified Command structure, we are allowed in all the meetings where we hear information and have input, but we are frustrated with the long process of validating that information and being able to distribute it to thepublic,” Miller said Wednesday Meetingwithgovernor

Miller sent out the statement after meeting Wednesdaymorning with Gov.Jeff Landry and other state and federal officials. EPAisthe lead of the unified command and didn’trespond on Wednesday to arequest for comment on Miller’sconcerns. Butit issued the statement about the black soot about two and ahalf hours afterward.

In that statement, EPAofficials didn’tsay what constituted the black material, which initially was described on Friday as oily at a time when it was intermittently raining, but later described as soot.

In an interview earlier this week, Peter Sunderland, aUniversity of Maryland professor whose specialties include fire protection engineering, said whether it is soot or potentially oil dropletsthrown from the fire, the materials are generally toxic. But offered the EPAstatement Wednesday,Sunderland saidthat the agency’sadvice seemed reasonable. “The main hazardfrom sootisinhalation. This is how it enters the lungs, bloodstream, brain, etc.,” he said. “Soot depositedonsurfaces is far less hazardous. It is most likely to slowly decompose on exposure to oxygen and sunlight,ordrain into gutters and streams,” he added He noted thata person mowing

MatthewAllen, executivedirector of Northshore Riverwatch, collects oil from the Tangipahoa RiverinIndependence on Monday,after residueseeped intothe waterwayfollowing an explosion at Smitty’sSupply

grass in the area where the black materialfell“couldbeatrisk, but nothing anN-95 mask couldn’tremove.”

He said the greater risk at this pointcould be from staining to property.

Causestill unclear

The fire forceda1-mile evacuation that affected close to 1,000 people anda localelementary school.The evacuation wasn’tfully lifteduntil Tuesday,though some roads remain closed.

Though it issued astatement Tuesday expressing sorrow and promising torebuild, Smitty’s hasn’tofferedexplanations about what caused the fire or what was

in the plant when it burned and exploded.

Smitty’sofficials said they remain focused on safelyand efficiently cleaning up, makingplans to moveforward and supporting the needs of local, state and federal agencies.

“Smitty’s will provide additional information as warranted as things progress andincooperation with all federal, state and local authorities,” company officials said. EPAofficialssaid boom has been placed along 42 miles of the Tangipahoa River in an effortto halt the flow of contaminants and foam used on the fire. Oilretrieval equipment is operating in multiple locations, Miller added.

Fire foams, like AFFF,can contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They are persistent pollutants that have been increasingly linked to human health impacts, suchasdecreased female fertilityand high blood pressure in pregnant women,child developmental effects, increased cancer risk and reduced immunity EPAofficialssaid fluorine-free firefighting foamwas mostly used to fight the blaze “except foralimited period of time when fluorinated AFFF,which does contain PFAS, was used.” In chemical fires such as the one at Smitty’s,foams must be used to smother the fire, Sunderland said. EPAofficials did not specify

the length of time that AFFF was used.Aerialphotosofthe fire and surroundingareaappeartoshow white foam in nearby ditches. The EPAhas not completed testing of river and ditch water,agency officials said. Minute PFAS chemicals are hard to control and filter and, Sunderlandsaid, won’tbestopped by boom in the river Miller,the parish president, also sharednumbers to report affected wildlife at (832) 514-9663 and to help affected residents at (877) 891-2276.

DavidJ.Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Fats

Domino’s journeyto LSUafter Katrina

The bad news coming outof New Orleans 20 yearsago this week was endless. And awful. Videos of an entire city that looked like a giant had picked it up anddropped it into Lake Pontchartrain. People on rooftops waving frantically for help.The siteofthe Superdome in shreds At my home in Baton Rouge, justa coupleofmilesfrom LSU, the damage from Hurricane Katrina was minor but theimpactofthe disaster was still quite visceral. Ambulance sirens and the chopping of helicopter blades could be heard all day andall night as victims were being ferried out of the shattered city to LSU’scampus, which hadbecome atemporary shelter for refugees from thestorm. Out of this slow-rolling nightmare, this ghastly parade of death and devastation, there were few positive storiesto be found. But there was one in particular that emerged, and Iwas fortunatetoget to writeabout it. Oneofthe countless questions that piled up like debris in Katrina’saftermath was this:Whathappenedtolegendary New

ä See RABALAIS, page 5C

LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, left, shakes hands with NewOrleans music legend Fats Domino on Sept.2,2005, days after Domino was rescued from his hurricane-ravagedhome in NewOrleans.

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Prior to becoming thestarting quarterback at LSU, Garrett Nussmeier had areputation as agunslinger He had abig arm and was never afraid to let it rip. That talentand tendency wereondisplay in the2022 SEC championship game, when Nussmeier replaced an injured Jayden Daniels in the second half and uncorked a57-yardcompletion and two touchdown passes of 30-plus yards.

throws, according to Pro Football Focus. LSU threw the ball often,but manyofNussmeier’spasses were shorter attempts. His average depth of target forthe season was under 10 yards, per PFF For offensive coordinator Joe Sloanand coach Brian Kelly,creating moreexplosive plays through the air wasanemphasis this offseason.

The expectation heading into his first season as astarter in 2024was moreofthe same, but that didn’tend up becoming thereality.The LSUoffense had trouble taking the top off of defenses. The vertical passing game became aweakness of the attack.

SEASON PREVIEW

Nussmeier was second in the country in pass attempts of 20 or more yards, but he completed only 36% of those

“Yards is one thing, but you’ve got to score points, and that comes from explosives alot of times,” Sloan said. “It comes from explosive-play touchdowns.”

Generating those big throws should be easier for the Tigers thisseason after they added Kentucky transferBarionBrown from thetransfer portal and brought back fifth-year senior Chris Hilton. Both wideouts provide elite speed to awide receiver corps that lacked it

The move didn’tcome as much of asurprise. When the New Orleans Saints trimmed their roster from 90 to 53 on Tuesday,defensive end Isaiah Foskey wasn’tonit. Foskey, just alittle more than twoyears removedfrom being asecond-round pick bythe Saints, never lived up to expectations. The last time Foskey sacked aquarterback was in November 2022. That was against Southern Cal as Foskey was finishing up his stellar career at Notre Dame. He finished as the school’sall-time leader in sacks. All of his collegesuccessand all the boxes he checked at the NFL combine nevertranslated to theNFL.Atleast not with the Saints. Who knows? Perhaps helatches on with another team and resurrects his career like former Saints Trey Hendricksonand ZackBaundid when they moved on. Or maybe he hithis peak in South Bend. Whichever direction hiscareer goes from here, one thing is clear: He’s the latest in arecentrun of guys theSaints selected with atop-40 pick whodidn’tquite

See WALKER, page 4C

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

ä Southern at MVSU 4P.M. SATURDAy

McCoy was in shotgun after Southern’s first seven offensive plays of the season wereonthe ground. Thejunior Jackson State transfer quarterback was on North CarolinaCentral’s 43-yard line on second and 8. McCoy took a three-step drop andlaunchedaneffortless deep ball to DarrenMorrisonthe leftside with a defender trailing,which looked like awalk-in touchdown. Southern fans in Atlanta on Saturday for the season opener held their breath,ready to cheerasecondtouchdown on their team’ssecond drive. That momentdidn’thappen. The pass was just beyond theoutstretched graspofthe 6-foot-2 Morris. McCoy took responsibility forthe incompletion at Tuesday’s media availability “Wejust didn’t connectonthat,”McCoy said. “I could’ve took alittle bit off. It was on me.”

Burns makes U.S. Ryder Cup squad

Captain Bradley picks six, snubs himself

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley went down the list of six names to fill out his Ryder Cup team, one by one, the suspense building whether he would call his own name and become the first playing captain in 62 years. Turns out Bradley knew all along. He had only one job in mind, and he said Wednesday while announcing his six captain’s picks — none named Bradley — that the best chance for the Americans to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was to leave his golf clubs at home.

“I know 100% for certain that this is the right choice,” Bradley said.

Shreveport native and former LSU golfer Sam Burns was one of the golfers who made Bradley feel that way Burns — along with Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young and Patrick Cantlay ended up being Bradley’s six captain picks.

This marks the second straight Ryder Cup selection for Burns, who finished seventh in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup that wrapped up Sunday in Atlanta. He posted a 1-2 record in Italy during the 2023 Ryder Cup.

“Getting selected to these teams are some of the highest honors you can achieve,” Burns said. “I’m privileged and honored to be a part of this team.”

Burns finished 16th in the Ryder Cup points, but he completed the 2025 season as the PGA Tour’s top putter

“He’s incredibly passionate and the best putter on the planet,” Bradley said. “He has an extreme competitive fire. He’s won the match play, and his back was against the wall and he played well to make this team. I can’t wait to see him out there in front of those fans.”

The automatic U.S. qualifiers were Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, J.J. Spaun, Harris English and Russell Henley

Although he didn’t win this season, Burns made more than $6 million this season, which he has now done for four straight years.

He’s made at least $5 million for five straight years.

“It’s going to be an incredible week; we will have tons of support,” Burns said. “These fans love getting behind their teams and their country. Hopefully we can rally behind that energy.”

For all the speculation — especially after Bradley made a bold run at winning the Tour Championship last week Bradley said he had known “for a while” he would not be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

“I grew up wanting to play the Ryder Cup. It broke my heart not to play, it really did,” he said. “Ultimately, I was chosen to do a job.

My ultimate goal was to be the

best captain I could be.”

Bradley went with a pair of Ryder Cup rookies in Young and Griffin. Thomas, Morikawa, Burns and Cantlay all were on the last U.S. team. Europe, which will announce the rest of its team on Monday, is likely to return 11 of the 12 players who won in Rome two years ago. Luke Donald returns as captain. Bradley made a compelling case as a pick, and he likely would have been chosen without much argument if he had not been captain. He has won twice in the last 13 months against strong fields — only Scheffler has won more since then. He finished at No. 11 in the Ryder Cup standings and was the eighth-best American in the world ranking. He said when he was appointed in July 2024 that he would play only if he qualified. And then he won the Travelers Championship and said, “This changes the story a little bit.” All

along, it became a singular talking point about the Ryder Cup.

“No matter what decision I made, I’m going to be defined by this decision,” Bradley had said at the Tour Championship, calling it the biggest decision of his career Instead, he will stick to being captain, a decision that is sure to be second-guessed if the Americans don’t win.

Thomas is playing in his fourth straight Ryder Cup, making him the most experienced American on the team. He also was part of the committee that selected Bradley at 39 — the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Palmer was 34 — to be captain last year

“He wants to do whatever is best for the team,” Thomas said.

“I know all of us are gutted for him. But him leading us to victory will be cooler than any experience he can have as a player We don’t doubt him for one second.”

Staff writer Roy Lang III contributed to this report.

Djokovic’s back in third round of U.S. Open

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

NEW YORK For the second contest in a row at this U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic appeared a bit sluggish, a bit off, for a stretch. This time, he even dropped the opening set. And then, as always at Flushing Meadows, the 24-time Grand Slam champion progressed to the third round. Djokovic improved to 36-0 across the first and second rounds in New York, a place he’s won four championships, by coming back to beat 145th-ranked American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday

“I really tried to soak it in and enjoy the moment, especially when I won the first set,” said Svajda, a 22-year-old from San Diego. “It kind of shocked me. I was like, ‘Wow!’” Asked on court afterward how he felt in his first competition since losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals on July 11 while hindered by a groin injury Djokovic replied: “Not that great, to be honest.” Svajda noticed.

“He was missing a little bit,” said Svajda, who got cramps in his legs and arms as the match wore on. “He was getting a little frustrated.” At his news conference later, the 38-year-old Djokovic spoke a little more about his mood.

“It’s not a motivation thing. It’s just like me a bit frustrated with my game, and then I kind of go through stuff internally that —

you don’t want to know the details what I’m going through and telling myself,” he explained after getting to the third round at a

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a shot to Zachary Svajda of the United States during the second round of the U.S Open on Wednesday in New york.

major for the 75th time, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most such appearances by a man.

“I’m just trying to be locked in.

Just trying to solve the riddle once I’m on the court,” Djokovic continued. “It’s not like I’m not finding joy on the court competing. I enjoy competing, but I don’t enjoy not playing well. That’s why I put extra pressure on myself and my team to be better the next day, the next match.”

That will come against Cam Norrie, a British left-hander who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2022 and is 0-6 against Djokovic.

Norrie got past Francisco Comesana of Argentina 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (4) in four hours and now

it’s his turn to face the task that Svajda did Wednesday against Djokovic.

“He does everything so well,

“He does everything so well, which is incredible ... It’s Novak Djokovic, so there’s not a big weakness.”

ZACHARy SVAJDA

which is incredible,” Svajda said. “I was talking to my team and coaches before, trying to figure it out. It’s Novak Djokovic, so there’s not a big weakness.” Townsend and Ostapenko have a heated exchange after their match. Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got into a faceto-face argument on the Court 11 sideline right after Townsend won their second-round match 7-5, 6-1. Townsend, an American who is ranked No. 1 in doubles, said Osta-

LSU men’s hoops hires ex-Texas A&M assistant

Coach Matt McMahon has welcomed a new member to his LSU men’s basketball coaching staff 70 days before the team’s season opener Vince Walden was hired as an assistant coach, the program announced Wednesday The Suffolk, Virginia, native most recently spent six years with Texas A&M, serving as an assistant coach last season. Walden replaces assistant coach Yasir Rosemond, who was hired April 7 but left the team June 21 for the same role at his alma mater Oregon. Walden helped the Aggies achieve a 23-11 record and fifth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference (11-5), serving as the team’s director of basketball operations before last season. Walden spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Arkansas State before working at Texas A&M.

Vikings bring back WR Thielen in Panthers trade

The Minnesota Vikings acquired 13-year veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who has the thirdmost catches in franchise history, in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday

The Vikings sent a 2026 fifthround draft pick and a 2027 fourthround pick to the Panthers for Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventhround pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in the deal, which was pending him passing a physical exam. Thielen, who turned 35 last week, was set to make $8.75 million this season, of which the Panthers already had paid out $1.75 million.

The Vikings, who have ample salary cap space, will assume the remaining $7 million on the contract, unless the two sides agree to adjust it.

Ravens extend safety Hamilton with $100M deal

Kyle Hamilton has been added to the list of Baltimore Ravens players to receive a big new contract this offseason.

The Ravens agreed to a fouryear, $100.4 million extension with the star safety The deal includes $82 million guaranteed, according to a person with knowledge of the contract, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the terms weren’t announced.

The deal for Hamilton, an AllPro in 2023, comes after the Ravens gave running back Derrick Henry an extension through 2027 and receiver Rashod Bateman an extension through 2029. Baltimore also re-signed tackle Ronnie Stanley this offseason, shortly before he was set to hit free agency

White Sox place center fielder on the 10-day IL

The Chicago White Sox placed Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, a tough blow for the center fielder after he started to deliver at the plate.

Robert has a left hamstring strain.

He left Tuesday night’s 5-4 loss to Kansas City because of hamstring soreness. The White Sox also recalled outfielder Will Robertson from TripleA Charlotte before their series finale against the Royals.

The 28-year-old Robert got off to a tough start this year, batting .190 with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 93 strikeouts in his first 79 games. He has been much better since the All-Star break, hitting .298 (34 for 114) with five homers and 18 RBIs in his last 31 games.

penko, a Latvian who won the 2017 French Open, told her she has “no class” and “no education.”

Other events

No. 5 seed Jack Draper a semifinalist in 2024, withdrew because of a lingering injury to his left arm. Winners included both of last year’s runners-up — Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz along with Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, 2021 champion Emma Raducanu, and Emma Navarro. No. 12 Casper Ruud, whose 0-3 record in Grand Slam finals includes a loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows in 2022, was eliminated 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 by Raphael Collignon of Belgium The 107th-ranked Collignon had never won a match at a major or played a five-setter until this tournament. Aryna Sabalenka and Ben Shelton played their second-round matches at night.

Chiefs receiver suspended for six games after crash

Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy keeping him out of a series of high-profile games starting with next week’s season opener against the Chargers in Brazil.

Rice pleaded guilty about six weeks ago to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury

As part of his plea agreement from the March 2024 crash on a Dallas highway, prosecutors said, Rice also received a sentence of five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail.

The NFL handed down its suspension, which Rice will not appeal after its own internal investigation.

MLB draft not kind to Johnson, LSU in ’25

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Good fortune had followed Jay Johnson when it came to the MLB draft

William Schmidt. Derek Curiel. Jake Brown. Jared Jones They were all high-profile high school prospects who passed up MLB for the chance to play for Johnson at LSU The Tigers’ streak of luck played a big part in the program capturing two national titles in three years. But last month, that trend dried up. LSU lost eight high school signees to MLB despite being crowned national champions a few weeks earlier

“You don’t always have control over those things,” Johnson said Wednesday. “Some guys made a decision that they thought playing for the Chicago White Sox is what they wanted to do.”

LSU entered the draft with the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game, meaning that the losses took a large chunk of what otherwise would have been the core of future teams.

As a result, LSU had to be aggressive in the transfer portal in the days after the draft.

“I feel like we recovered from what that was,” Johnson said.

“Professional baseball throwing around $2 million like it’s candy.”

After the draft, LSU added Division II right-handed pitcher Dax Dathe, Kansas transfer righthander Cooper Moore, Grand Canyon transfer first baseman Zach Yorke and Oregon State transfer third baseman Trent Caraway

The new veterans, combined with the six transfers Johnson added before the draft, result in LSU heading into next season with an older team.

Dathe is a seven-year senior Yorke is a senior, as is High Point transfer infielder Brayden Simpson. Kansas State transfer infielder Seth Dardar is heading into his sixth season of college baseball.

“I love talking to (Dathe),” Johnson said, “because he is like 30 years old.”

LSU’s age particularly shows with position players. Besides the incoming freshmen, the only hitter who isn’t draft-eligible in 2026 is sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide.

LSU added five freshman positional players this offseason, including catcher Omar Serna and outfielder William Patrick, who were ESPN top-150 prospects in the 2025 draft But there is still a better chance than not that LSU

World Series game between the Tigers and UCLA Bruins at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.

“We’ve got a really good 2026 (recruiting) class. What a great opportunity for them to be the guys that say, ‘I’d rather play at LSU than sign for $1.5 million.’ What a great opportunity for the best players in the transfer portal next year So I’m going to focus on who we have.”

JAy JOHNSON, LSU head coach

will have to heavily remodel its position player group after this season.

Sophomore Derek Curiel, junior Steven Milam and junior Jake Brown should receive plenty of interest from MLB. Senior Chris

Stanfield will be out of eligibility Caraway already has passed up two opportunities to be drafted (he could’ve been picked last month) and likely won’t turn down a third.

“It did turn out that way a little bit,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve shown a good aptitude to develop players and then reload as we need to.

“We’ve got a really good 2026 (recruiting) class. What a great opportunity for them to be the guys that say, ‘I’d rather play at LSU than sign for $1.5 million.’ What a great opportunity for the best

players in the transfer portal next year So I’m going to focus on who we have.”

The balance between veterans and newcomers doesn’t exist as much with the LSU pitchers A strong sophomore class led by right-hander Casan Evans means the Tigers should have a group of pitchers returning for a third season in 2027. Johnson added only four freshman pitchers.

The Tigers will try to repeat as champions with a team that’s built to win in 2026. As for 2027 and beyond, Johnson likely will have to piece it together with a drastically different looking group.

“I’m going to focus on kind of who we have,” Johnson said.

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

LSU baseball gets invite to White House

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball won its eighth national championship in June, but the celebration for coach Jay Johnson’s second title team isn’t over Unlike in 2023, LSU has been invited to the White House to commemorate its accomplishment, Johnson said Wednesday. A date has not been set for the visit.

“I think that’s sweet, so I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I know our players are excited about that.” Besides the trip to Washing-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

a year ago. “Fast, and he’s really good at tracking the ball downfield,” Hilton said of Brown. “That’s one of the things that impressed me the most.” Hilton played in only six games last season because of injuries. A fully healthy version of him from the start essentially is adding a new player to the mix alongside redshirt junior Aaron Anderson, senior Zavion Thomas, redshirt sophomore Kyle Parker and Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson. Thomas, Hilton, Brown and redshirt freshman Jelani Watkins have the speed to threaten any defense downfield.

“We got me, Jelani, Chris,” Brown said. “It’s some people that can move.” Nussmeier agrees that LSU is more equipped to create more explosive plays through the air this

ton, D.C., LSU will have its ring ceremony Oct. 25 in conjunction with the football team’s matchup against Texas A&M. “Very proud of that team and not just everything that it accomplished but how it went about its business,” Johnson said. “And so some things we look forward to, honoring those guys as they certainly deserve.”

LSU has 19 players returning from its 2025 national championship team. The Tigers begin to turn the page to the 2026 season on Oct. 9 when fall practices start Those practices will last until the week-

end before Thanksgiving.

LSU also will have scrimmages against Samford in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Nov 2 and in Hammond against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov 9. The Purple and Gold World Series will be held the weekend before Thanksgiving.

“My assessment of the team and what’s best for it will determine whether we play one game, two games or three games at the end of that,” Johnson said of the Purple and Gold World Series.

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

“We’ve got a lot more speed. We’ve got a lot more guys that can go take the top off the defense. And so I think that’s something that’ll help open up our entire offense as a whole a lot.”

LSU quarterback

GARRETT NUSSMEIER,

season. He believes it’s the biggest difference between the LSU offense this year from last year

“We’ve got a lot more speed,” Nussmeier said. “We’ve got a lot more guys that can go take the top off the defense. And so I think that’s something that’ll help open up our entire offense as a whole a lot.” An improved deep passing attack also will help LSU become more efficient in other aspects of its offense. Running the ball and throwing short to medium passes — the former of which the Tigers struggled to do — are easier to accomplish efficiently when safeties and cornerbacks are playing with greater caution,

making sure nothing gets over their heads.

Generating those explosive plays won’t be easy in LSU’s season opener against Clemson. The defense is a veteran group, featuring a defensive line that will make life difficult for Nussmeier to find enough time to throw it deep.

But for Sloan, leaning into LSU’s strengths as a unit will be important. And this offense, as constructed, should threaten defenses with the deep ball all year long.

“We’re going to get over the top of a lot of defenses,” Kelly said.

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin holds the ball during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 26 in Philadelphia.

WR McLaurin returns to practice for Commanders on cloud nine

By The Associated Press

Va. — Terry McLaurin

ASHBURN,

sat in front of a tent full of reporters and cameras after Wednesday’s practice and smiled broadly The Washington Commanders wide receiver’s answer when asked whether he received what he wanted in his newly signed contract extension explained his good mood.

“I did.”

McLaurin agreed to a threeyear extension Tuesday valued at up to $96 million, concluding an arduous negotiation. The 2024 second-team All-Pro skipped a mandatory minicamp in the spring, vented to reporters a week before training camp, turned a four-day holdout into a hold-in that extended throughout camp and requested a trade. He also was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury, though he is now cleared.

Even amid the uncertainty, McLaurin said he “knew I would end up where I’m supposed to be.”

On Monday, McLaurin entered the weight room, unaware that news of his extension had broken He found out when about 30 teammates congratulated him with a standing ovation.

“There’s no playbook or script on how to handle this situation,” said McLaurin, a 2019 thirdround selection by Washington. “It’s definitely been a process, but I’m really happy to be back out here with my teammates. I’m very grateful to be part of this organization.”

Adam Peters experienced the turbulent stretch from his purview as general manager Peters said he didn’t watch the pre-camp video of McLaurin’s outspokenness, “but I heard he was frustrated.” Once the receiver began his hold-in, the executive said the two had several “great conversations” in his office. “It wasn’t always easy,” Peters said. “We had a lot of bumps along the way.”

With McLaurin returning to practice, Washington seeks a smooth path ahead of the Sept. 7 opener against the New York Giants. The Commanders are coming off a stunning season with a 12-5 record and the franchise’s first NFC championship game appearance since 1991. The explosive combination of McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels fueled the surge.

McLaurin starred throughout his first five seasons despite a carousel of dicey quarterbacks and organizational drama Hooking up with Daniels, the offensive rookie of the year, raised his

production. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, caught a careerhigh 13 touchdowns in 2024 while recording a fifth consecutive campaign with 1,000 yards receiving.

Discussion of McLaurin’s absence dominated local and national conversations. And it didn’t help that Washington’s other receivers labored through training camp and the preseason. Both Peters and McLaurin remained strident in their positions while maintaining respect for the other

“I think deadlines prompt actions a lot of times,” Peters said. “We wanted to do this with Terry.”

The new terms have McLaurin under contract through 2028. Even during down moments McLaurin maintained a positive outlook.

“I still found joy in the middle of the chaos,” he said.

The receiver’s signing capped a headline-generating offseason. Washington traded for five-time All-Pro offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, in addition to signing edge rusher Von Miller, the league’s active leader in sacks. Selecting offensive tackle Josh Conerly in the first round further bolstered the line tasked with protecting Daniels.

Peters said the staff felt “confident” enough with the team’s backfield options, including Austin Ekeler and seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt, to allow him to trade running back Brian Robinson to San Francisco last week for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

“On paper this team is stronger than we had last year,” Peters said. “That means nothing until you play the games, but I have so much confidence in the guys in the locker room. We’re just getting started.”

Washington’s other starting outside receiver, Noah Brown, also practiced Wednesday after a knee injury sidelined him for the vast majority of camp Peters said the team will gauge McLaurin and Brown’s physical readiness over the remaining practices before hosting the Giants. McLaurin, based on his own assessment, returned to practice with ease. After catching an over-the-shoulder pass from Daniels, he turned to the young quarterback and said, “It’s like riding a bike.”

Having a familiar face throwing him passes helps speed up the acclimation period.

“This is the first time in my career I’ve had the same (Week 1) quarterback two years in a row,” McLaurin said. “That definitely helps.”

Local optimism in short supply on Saints SAINTS

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

We’re accustomed to threatening forecasts in New Orleans, so we should be prepared for the upcoming Saints season Everyone, it seems, is predicting a stormy year for the Saints, even local media members who cover the team on a daily basis.

My annual survey of local reporters forecasts a difficult season ahead. Only two of the 31 journalists predicted a winning season. This is easily the most pessimistic that local reporters have been about the team’s prospects in the five years that I’ve conducted the poll.

Preseason predictions are often wrong, though. We learned that lesson in 2000 and 2006.

Here’s the prognostications:

Madeline Adams,WVUE-TV: “This team will be tested early with tough matchups against San Francisco, Seattle and Buffalo within the first four weeks. If the Saints can stay relatively healthy there’s a chance they can be better than most people around the league expect.” Final record: 5-12

Paul Chestnutt, WPNN-FM: “New head coach Kellen Moore will find ways to upset some teams, and the Saints defense will be better at stopping the run with new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.” 8-8-1

Mike Detillier, WWL-AM: “Early stages of a rebuild. I like the additions on defense.” 6-11

Jeff Duncan, Times-Picayune: “There are too many holes and unanswered questions on this roster for Kellen Moore and staff to find answers in 2025. Unlike 2000 and 2006, Moore doesn’t have the luxury of having a veteran quarterback to build around.” 4-13

Kendall Duncan, WDSU-TV: “The team will struggle to find rhythm offensively, and an aging defense compounds the struggles. That, combined with the NFC South being vastly improved, results in another 5-12 campaign.” 5-12

Les East, Crescent City Sports: “Rookie head coach and youngest head coach in the NFL; least experienced group of quarterbacks in the league; shaky depth everywhere. If the rebuilt O-line is really good, which it can be, it can mask the inexperience at QB; if it’s not, it can exacerbate the inexperience. 6-11

Zach Ewing, Times-Picayune: “I’m not sure I believe the doom and gloom from the national media and oddsmakers. The defense almost has to be better than it was last year But is it going to be much better than that? The gaping hole of uncertainty at quarterback doesn’t leave me optimistic.” 5-12

Sean Fazende, WVUE-TV: “This season will have its challenges, especially early on. However six wins will be a great start to the Kellen Moore era in New Orleans.” 6-11

Marco Garcia, formerly Louisiana Spanish Network: “I’m optimistic primarily because of the defense and new mindset being installed by Kellen Moore and his staff.” 9-8 Garland Gillen, WVUE-TV: “The lack of depth at offensive line and wide receiver is a major concern for the offense. The Saints will miss the playoffs for the fifth year in a row, but they’ll get a

top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.” 4-13

Bobby Hebert,WWL-AM: “After the NFL draft I was thinking six to seven wins, but now I think we’ll be the same as last year — five wins. My biggest concern is the offensive line play.” 5-12

John Hendrix, New Orleans Football: “I can find eight games the Saints could realistically win, but the problem is trusting them to deliver They have to have everything go right to produce something better than we are predicting. They’ve not been that fortunate historically but I’m willing to buy the defense being better.” 7-10

Tina Howell, Canal Street Chronicles: “It’s a new era in New Orleans, and I believe Kellen Moore can put the Saints on the right track to success, but it will take time for everything to come together I think you will see an improvement from last season.” 7-10

Mike Hoss,WWL-AM: “While I’m typically a ‘get off my lawn’ guy in life, it somehow doesn’t apply to the Saints. I always lean more positive toward them, especially at the beginning of the season. If this team can get beyond the first four games intact, I think they are a 9-8 team and division winner I’ll get nailed as a homer for the Saints, but that’s OK. I’ve been called much worse in my 35 years.” 9-8

Sharief Ishaq WDSU-TV: “Quarterback play, health and depth at offensive line, receiver, linebacker and cornerback are all legit question marks. I think parts of the season will be fun and competitive, but it’s gonna be tough at times. The future is bright under Kellen Moore, who will have some young talent to work with.” 5-12

Ross Jackson, LouisianaSports.net/ Locked on Saints podcast: “It’s hard to believe this Saints team loses more games than last year’s Dennis Allen-led, injury-riddled iteration, but it’s just as hard to believe it wins more right away

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pan out, including Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner Davenport was drafted 14th in 2018. Turner was drafted 28th in 2021. Foskey was drafted 40th in 2023. Davenport and Turner never could stay healthy Turner is still dealing with injuries and was put on the Dallas Cowboys injured reserve list (ribs) on Tuesday

The Saints have selected seven other players with a top-40 pick since 2018

Cesar Ruiz, picked 24th in 2020, has started consistently But he has had his struggles this preseason. Chris Olave (11th in 2022) is one of the team’s best offensive weapons, but he has dealt with several concussions in his first three seasons. If he stays healthy, he can be a special one. Trevor Penning (19th in 2022)

also has dealt with injuries and hasn’t lived up to expectations. Penning’s switch this offseason from tackle to guard is supposed to change the course of his career, but he’s currently dealing with a toe injury

Yeah, some of it is just bad luck. But teams can’t afford to have so many misses. Outside of Foskey, the last four of the Saints’ draft picks in the top 40 look more promising. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (29th in 2023) has been solid in his first two seasons.

Taliese Fuaga (14th pick in 2024) appears to be a staple at tackle for years to come. Same goes for Kelvin Banks (ninth pick this year), who could end up being one of the best draft picks in years for the Saints.

This season is more likely to be about building momentum.” 5-12

Mario Jerez, Tropical Radio: “In my lifetime, the Saints have always surpassed expectations coming off an awful year and under a newly hired head coach. I think that will be the case this year, but not to the extremes of 2000 or 2006.” 8-9

Luke Johnson,Times-Picayune: “I feel better about the Saints future than I have in a long time. Kellen Moore is exceptionally bright, and he’s pulling all the right levers. Brandon Staley looks ready to reintroduce himself as a football genius, and there are some young players on the team who should excite fans. The Saints won’t be the worst team in football, but there is a lower ceiling with this group.” 6-11

Jared Paul Joseph,WGNO-TV: “The strength of schedule is deceiving. Some of the teams New Orleans faces had bad records last season, but a good chunk of them (San Francisco, Chicago, maybe even Arizona) will have better 2025 campaigns.” 5-12

Juan Kincaid,WVUE-TV: “The start of the season is the key If the Saints don’t start 3-3, then I don’t see them getting to five wins.” 5-12

Ricardo Lecompte, WWL-TV: “I think the Saints can find six wins on the schedule, although I think they will struggle to start the Kellen Moore era. Also, that win total is contingent on the Saints front-line players being available for at least 90% of the regular season. We’ll see if the workload measures taken during training camp help keep the team’s best players on the field.” 6-11

Fletcher Mackel, WDSU-TV: “Smart coaches, healthy playmakers, a solid O-line and a defense that has just enough juice. The Saints don’t finish with a winning record, but they clear the over/under that most sportsbooks have on them this season.” 7-10

Doug Mouton, WWL-TV: “I like what the Saints have done in Year One

Then there is quarterback Tyler Shough, selected with the 40th pick in April. He didn’t win the starting quarterback job, but he has shown flashes that he has the skillset and traits to become the franchise’s long-term solution at quarterback.

Time will tell. There have been some hits outside of the top-40 picks, such as Erik McCoy (48th in 2019).

But one thing we know is the Saints have missed on several draft picks over the last few years. It’s a big reason why they haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2020 season, Drew Brees’ final year It’s why the Saints are in the rebuild they currently find themselves in. The postseason drought probably won’t end this season. The Saints desperately need to start hitting on their draft picks, especially the ones in the early rounds. Foskey not lasting through the end of his rookie contract is the latest reminder Email Rod Walker at

of the rebuild, but the team has too many depth concerns and will get below average quarterback play I think Kellen Moore will win in New Orleans, but not yet.” 6-11

Jeff Nowak, WWL-AM: “I don’t like to be this negative, but the reality is the Saints are in a takeyour-medicine season. This version of the Saints will be in a good number of games, but I don’t expect them to find the winning plays on offense often enough to put together a playoffcaliber campaign. The defense will keep scores low and Kellen Moore’s first season still can be viewed positively if it ends with the Saints believing they have the QB of the future and a high draft pick to build with.” 4-13

Sara Palczewski, WGMB-TV: “I think this is going to be a rough year Some of the key pieces on the roster are aging, there’s a lot of unproven talent and the QB room is inexperienced. Based on the culture Kellen Moore is building, the Saints will have some fun moments this season. But overall, it’s going to be a rebuilding year.” 3-14

Matthew Paras, Times-Picayune: “Despite a favorable schedule, there’s just too much uncertainty around the quarterbacks. This roster also needs work, and it’ll take time for the pieces to align with Kellen Moore’s vision fully I think Moore can be a solid coach, even if the product looks bleak at times this year.” 4-13

Jon Sokoloff, WGNO-TV: “The defense in Brandon Staley’s new scheme will hold its own and the offense will be up and down. The schedule is ridiculously easy to the point where I was close to picking the Saints to win seven games. Their opponents’ combined winning percentage in 2024 was .419 (second worst in the NFL). New Orleans will play only four games against teams that made the playoffs last season, which is tied for the few-

est in the NFL. They play four games against teams that have a new starting quarterback, which is tied for third most.” 6-11

Katherine Terrell, ESPN: “I haven’t seen enough at the quarterback position this summer to alleviate concerns about the Saints’ deficiencies in other areas. Their top three wideouts all missed significant time last season, and Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau (11 combined TDs last year) are both working back through serious injuries. The defense, with the exception of the safeties, is largely the same unit from the end of the 2024 season. The defense will have to take a big step forward from its 21st finish in total defense last year 5-12

Mike Triplett, New Orleans Football: “The schedule gets super easy after a brutal first four weeks, and I like the Saints’ “starting 22” more than most teams picked to finish 32nd. So they could eventually settle in and start winning half of their games over the last three months. But they’re paper-thin at almost every position, so even a normal level of injuries could derail them.” 5-12

Nick Underhill, New Orleans Football: “I’ve been at five wins this whole offseason, and I don’t think anything we’ve seen would make me move off of that prediction. There’s the potential for upside, of course. I think there are some bright spots. But this is a rebuilding team, and my expectation is that the results will reflect that reality.” 5-12

Rod Walker, Times-Picayune: “The Saints will need everything to go right (no injuries, the growth of the young QBs, offensive line play, etc.) to have success. The defense will be good enough to keep them in most games, but the lack of depth will do the team in.” 4-13

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

Saints pick up receiver,

O-lineman from waivers

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staffwriter

Once the dust settled on the NFL waiver wire claims Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints picked up two players and saw two of their former players land elsewhere.

The Saints added former Buccaneers receiver Trey Palmer and former Broncos offensive lineman Xavier Truss on waivers.

To make space for them on the 53-man roster, the Saints released veterans Cedrick Wilson and Jack Stoll, both of whom had signed back to the practice squad by the end of business Wednesday

Former Saints D’Marco Jackson and Rico Payton landed with the Bears and Giants, respectively Palmer is a Kentwood native who began his college career at LSU before transferring to Nebraska, where he flourished. He landed with the Buccaneers as a sixthround draft pick and played 32 games in two seasons there.

He caught 39 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie, but he saw his role diminish in 2024, catching just 12 passes Tampa Bay used its first-round draft pick on receiver EmekaEgbuka this year, further

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C

McCoy ran for no gain on third down, and Southern punted for the first of five times in its 31-14 loss to North Carolina Central. While no single play decided the Jaguars’ fate, it’s normal to imagine how the game would have turned out if the pass had been successful.

The Jaguars are beyond caring about what-ifs and are preparing for Mississippi Valley State at 4 p.m. Saturday at Rice–Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Miss.

“We can’t change the past; we can only grind for the future,” McCoy said. “We’re just not gonna let our past affect (our) future. You know, we got a long season ahead of us. It’s a lot of things that we could have done differently in that game, but it’s a lot of things that I liked from the game. So it’s just a learning experience.”

McCoy is still in a quarterback battle with redshirt sophomore Jalen Woods, who entered the game Saturday with 6:12 remaining. Coach Terrence Graves and his staff haven’t decided on an outright starter.

They plan on playing both quarterbacks and weekly performance will dictate playing time, Graves said.

McCoy’s first start included 9 of 14 passes for 71 yards, and 98 yards rushing and a touchdown on nine carries. He also had one fumble.

Graves was complimentary of how he looked in his debut

“He led the team, managed the game,” Graves said. “He did well in terms of executing what we wanted to do. Of course, some things he’s gotta clean up, some things that he saw that he needed to fix in terms of a few missed throws. But overall, I thought he did a good job.”

Most of McCoy’s throws were on target, albeit the majority being less than 10 yards in the air

His longest completion was 12 yards to Kobe Brown, who added 8 yards after the catch.

pushing Palmer out of a spot. Palmer brings more speed to the Saints receiver corps. He ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 combine. Truss joined the Broncos as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Georgia this year

Although the 6-foot-7, 320-pounder is a guard by trade, he played all of his snaps for the Broncos this preseason at right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.

Practice squad mostly set

For the most part, the Saints know what their practice squad is going to look like.

The Saints announced 15 players they re-signed to their practice squad Wednesday afternoon. Because one of those players is kicker Charlie Smyth, who does not count against the 16-player limit because he came to the Saints through the International Player Pathway, New Orleans still has two more spots to fill. New Orleans brought two quarterbacks back on the practice squad, including Jake Haener, who cleared waivers. Haener opened training camp as one of three quarterbacks receiving first-team snaps, but he started to be phased out of the competition when the Saints traveled to California.

“We can’t change the past; we can only grind for the future. We’re just not gonna let our past affect (our) future.”

CAM’RON MCCOy, Southern quarterback

McCoy’s biggest mistake was a turnover with 9:47 remaining in the game On first down from the opponent’s 19-yard line, he was sacked after pump-faking a pass. Instead of throwing it out of bounds, he was tackled and lost possession. It was his team’s only time in the red zone.

McCoy’s final play of the game was the opposite of how he started. McCoy sprinted for a 69-yard rushing touchdown on Southern’s first drive of the game. He said that play was supposed to be a quick pass, but after recognizing heavy pressure and the hole in the man-to-man defense, he saw “daylight.”

His second-best rush was a 21-yard scramble, sliding to his team’s 46-yard line with 4:50 left in the third quarter.

While his improvisational running was exciting, it wasn’t able to consistently bail him out on third downs. McCoy admitted it’s one of the biggest areas he needs to improve.

The Jaguars went 2 of 10 on third downs. McCoy personally was responsible for converting only one third down — a 9-yard run on third and 8 — out of his six total passes and rushes. The other successful conversion was an 80yard touchdown carry by Trey Holly on third and 2 in the second quarter

McCoy’s talent is evident, with a clear speed advantage over Woods, who completed 4 of 5 passes for 21 yards but never ran out of the pocket in his limited action.

But McCoy didn’t convince the staff he should be a full-time starter for a reason. Improving his ability to move the chains more often with his arm could go a long way

Penn St. QB Allar making strides in commanding offense

BY TRAVIS JOHNSON Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Drew Allar and Andy Kotelnicki have developed quite the quarterback-coach tandem in their 18 months together

Their partnership has grown to the point where Kotelnicki, Penn State’s second-year offensive coordinator let Allar plan out most of what the No. 2 Nittany Lions would drill during their final training camp practices last week.

The fast-talking Kotelnicki and head coach James Franklin have been impressed. They’ve seen enough to know Allar’s improved command of the offense will give the Nittany Lions a shot at another deep run in the College Football Playoff.

That’s really where their rocketarmed quarterback has made his biggest strides since the Nittany Lions came up a drive short of potentially playing for last season’s national championship.

ference between ho-hum and a game-breaking play

“We’re putting a ton on his plate,” Franklin said. “I think his greatest superpower is just how football smart he is.”

Smart enough to know that his penultimate throw last season intercepted by Notre Dame to all but seal Penn State’s loss in the Orange Bowl should’ve been a throwaway as soon as he threw it.

It was a rare mistake for a quarterback who began his career with 311 attempts before throwing his first interception and just nine since then.

Allar has long since shaken it off.

“For me, I’ve always known when I’ve made progress because I’m not thinking about it anymore,” Allar said. “I just go out and play, and it happens because of how much I’ve repped it.”

Edge rusher Fadil Diggs, the only member of the Saints’ 2025 draft class who did not make the 53-man roster, also cleared waivers and made it back to the practice squad. Here’s the full list: Haener Diggs, Wilson, Stoll, Smyth, quarterback Hunter Dekkers, receiver Kevin Austin, safeties Terrell Burgess and Elliott Davison, offensive lineman Easton Kilty, cornerbacks Jayden Price and Dalys Beanum, linebacker Nephi Sewell, tight end Treyton Welch and defensive lineman JonahWilliams New pregame show host

The new season will bring a new pregame host for the Saints’ in-house pregame show Stan Verrett, a New Orleans native and 25year veteran of ESPN and former SportsCenter anchor, will host the new-look Saints’ pregame show, which airs across the team’s social and digital platforms. Former Saints linebacker Scott Shanle, part of the Super Bowl XLIV championship team, will be part of the show as well as team reporter Erin Summers The show airs an hour before kickoff for every Saints game with analysis, information and interviews. The first episode is Sept. 7 before the Saints’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

RABALAIS

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Orleans singer Fats Domino? The beloved musician still lived in the Ninth Ward neighborhood where he grew up, a region of the city that became famous for how devastated it was. Immediately following Katrina it seemed the then 77-year-old Domino had simply disappeared, another New Orleans icon lost to the storm and the flood it unleashed.

Fortunately, Domino was very much alive. Rescued from the balcony of his home, Domino was first brought to the shelter inside the ruined Superdome, then was transported to LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center There he was processed under his given name: Antoine Domino.

LSU athletes were volunteering at the PMAC, helping distribute supplies. One of them was the quarterback who would be the Tigers’ starter in 2005, JaMarcus Russell. As it happened, Russell was dating Domino’s granddaughter at the time, so he was familiar with the face of the “Blueberry Hill” singer when he came across him inside the arena.

Soon, Domino and about 20 of his displaced family members left the PMAC to stay for two days in Russell’s suddenly stuffed-to-the-rafters off-campus apartment on Highland Road. By Friday, Sept. 2, four days after Katrina’s landfall, Domino and three carloads of relatives were getting ready to leave to take up residence elsewhere.

The world still didn’t know if Domino was alive. Before he left, Russell decided to call LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette, in effect breaking the news about the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s whereabouts.

“Fats Domino’s here,” Russell said. Bonnette was incredulous.

“Him being involved in that process (is) because he’s mature, because he’s got experience, because his football acumen allows that to happen,” Kotelnicki said “He doesn’t need to be told what to do and think. He needs to be involved in the thinking process, and it has very very much been that way.”

Allar, who’s thrown for 6,302 yards, 53 touchdowns and helped Penn State win a program-best 34 games over three years, returned to Happy Valley to chase what would be the program’s first national championship since 1986. But he also came back to learn and hone his craft as a quarterback, even as NFL teams beckoned.

Allar saw another year with Kotelnicki and his ability to explain the why behind each concept within each play was the best way to do that. Kotelnicki’s process is much different than that of former coordinator Mike Yurcich, who helmed the offense when Allar arrived as a freshman in 2022. Understanding the why has given Allar more access to checks and more control of the offense from the line of scrimmage.

As Kotelnicki puts it, every offensive coordinator likes to think they have a way to break every defense.

In this system, a quarterback’s ability to quickly process and adapt to shifting defenders can be the dif-

He’s also been buoyed by the returning talent around him. That includes a veteran offensive line, a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who are each within striking distance of the program’s career rushing record, and a prospective top-10 defense led by first-year coordinator Jim Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the national championship last season in the same role.

Allar’s grasp of the offense has also come in handy as he’s mentored a handful of new receivers Penn State needs to produce after star tight end Tyler Warren left for the NFL and the team’s next two leading targets left for other programs.

Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross transferred from USC and Troy, respectively, while former Syracuse receiver Trebor Peña transferred in before training camp. Kotelnicki and Franklin have particularly enjoyed watching their veteran quarterback use all of his knowledge to fast-track the newcomers and build chemistry quickly

Those are the subtle, behindthe-scenes improvements Allar’s coaches can see that the rest of the country might not be able to account for until the Nittany Lions are truly tested.

“Not everyone knows what’s involved in the decision making, and then the total mechanics of the offense,” Kotelnicki said. “I think he can improve a lot.”

“What did you say?” he asked.

“Yeah, Fats Domino has been staying with me for two days,” Russell said. “We’re trying to keep it under wraps, but we wanted to let people know he was safe.”

Bonnette, beginning his 26th season as LSU’s SID when the Tigers play Saturday at Clemson, found then LSU athletic department photographer Steve Franz. The two rushed over to Russell’s apartment to get a photo of Russell clasping hands with Domino at his car window just before the music icon departed.

“Tell the people of New Orleans that I’m safe,” Domino told Bonnette. “I wish I was able to still be there with them, but I hope to see them soon.” With that, he was off.

The news that Domino had survived Katrina was one of the few bright spots in the wake of

the terrible storm. The fact that one of New Orleans’ favorite sons was still around became a small symbol of hope that the resilient city would find a way back from the tragedy Domino died in 2017 at age 89, buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in the Gentilly section of New Orleans. Before heading back to Denver following Sunday’s preseason game with the Saints, former New Orleans and current Broncos coach Sean Payton took his team to lay a wreath at Domino’s tomb.

“We should know who Fats Domino is,” Payton said. Domino’s post-Katrina story is also worth knowing, a pleasant memory from such a terrible time. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Grilled andspicy makes forbest corn on thecob

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Now that it’scorn season, everyone has an opinion about thebest way to cook corn. In apot of boiling water? Lightly steamed?

And what about grilling?Isitbest to soak the ears in their husks first; pull back the husks, remove the silk and wrap them back up before grilling; or remove the husk and silk and wrap them in tin foil? The discussion will continue as the embers burn low Istand by the simplest method. Just husk the corn, remove the silk and grill those cobs naked so they’re lightly charred, sweet, slightly crisp with aroasty popcorn taste. While you can’tbeat athicksmear of butter,asprinkle of coarse salt and pepper,Ilove anointing the cobs with atangy-hot Mexican sauce and adusting of salty cheese.The tangyhot combination is remarkably simple. Just whisk togethergood mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder,salt and pepper.Itamplifies the corn’sgrilled flavor and balances its sweetness.

Corn season is short, so don’t limit the options. Trygrilled corn with olive oil, basil and Parmesan cheese; tzatziki and curry powder; or cumin, chilicrisp-whipped butter and asplash of rice winevinegar.These combinationsare not for corn purists who abide bytheir butter and salt.

This is messy corn! Forget the skewers with prongs that attach to the end of the cobs and keep fingers clean. Keep agarden hose nextto the picnic table and plentyofnapkins on hand.

Why not toss afew extra cobs on the grill while you’re at it.Leftovers, already seasoned,can be transformed into agreat pasta or whole grain salad. Simplycut the kernels from the cobs and toss with hot pasta, alittle oiland asprinkling of cheese.

Bucatini with cherry tomatoes, capers bring bigflavors

BY GRETCHEN McKAY Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

There is something about cherry tomatoes that tomato lovers find irresistible. Perfectly portioned for one juicy bite, they’re an adorable fruit. They’re also so sweet and intensely flavored that they make agreat afternoon snack when plucked off the vine, still warm from the sun. Even our dog Harry couldn’tresist the tiny tomato’scharms,eating whatever Sun Golds he couldreachas they ripened in planters onmypatio While they often end up in salads, cherry tomatoes also work wonderfully in simple pan sauces because their thin skin allows them to cook down quickly in the oven or on the stovetop. Got 20 minutes, some

See BUCATINI, page 2D

ometimes, Iget intoa rut and eat the same things over and over Sometimes, it’s because Iambusy and my brain justgrabs the familiartoput dinner on the table. And other times,thereisjust more of thesame produce at the farmer’smarket or the grocery store.Itishardtobecreative when even farms are in arut! But all of us need to trynew recipes to keep life interesting. Here are some ideas.

Serves 6.

1.Place the flour onto aplate, mixinthe zest andthe ground pepper.Dip eachthigh into the

our on both sides. The pointis to only lightly coat the thighs.

2. Place the oil into alarge skillet and heat over medium heat. When theoil begins to shimmer addthe thighs to the pan. Allow thethighs to cook and the skin to begintobrown. Cook for 6minutes. Then turn the thighs and cook another 5minutes.

4. Add the lemon juice and stir Cook for 5minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add the thighs back to the pan and add the mushrooms. Add the butter and allow it alltomelt. Cook for 3to5minutes

5. Remove the thighs to aplatter.Spoon the pan juices over the thighs, covering the thighs with themushrooms.Put asliceof lemon over each thigh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with thechopped capers and serve.

3. Removethe chicken thighs from thepan andset them aside on aplate. Add thegarlic to the pan and stir well. Add white wine to deglaze the pan.

2D ■ Thursday,August 28,2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ TheAdvocate

Grilled Corn with Spicy Aioli

Serves 6. Recipe is from BethDooley. Grilling corn gives it anotably smoky, sweetchar, but broilingworks nicely,too. Mixupthe dressing to have it on hand andreadytoslather all over the sweet, hotearsasthey come off thegrill. If you don’thave agrill, turnon thebroiler, andjustwatch thatthe cobs do not burn.

¼cup good quality mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1lime

¼teaspoon ancho chili powder, to taste

Coarse salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper,totaste

6earsfresh corn, shucked

2to3tablespoons crumbled cotija, feta or ricotta cheese

2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving Lime wedges for serving

1. Preheat the grillorbroiler to high.

2. In asmall bowl,stir together themayonnaise, limezestand juice, ancho chilipowder,and salt andpepper to taste.

3. Grill the cornuntillightly charred and cooked through, about7to10minutes.

4. Removeand slatherthe hot cobs with theseasoned mayonnaise. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheeseand thechoppedcilantro Serve the corn with more cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Bucatini with Burst Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4. Recipe is adapted from “MoreMediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen.

FORTOPPING:

2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼cup capers, rinsed and patteddry

1anchovy fillet, rinsed, patteddry and minced ½cup pankobread crumbs

Pinch

¼cup

1teaspoon

FOR

1. Prepare topping:Heat oilin a10-inch skillet over medium heatuntil shimmering. Add capers and anchovies andcook, stirring frequently,until capers have darkened and shrunk, 3-4 minutes.

2. Using aslotted spoon or fork, transfer caper mixture to paper towel-lined plate, and set aside Leave oil in pan and return skillet to medium heat.

3. Add panko, salt and pepper andcook, stirring constantly, until panko is golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Transfer pankotomedium bowl andstirin parsley, lemon zest andreserved caper mixture.

4. Meanwhile, bring4 quarts of watertoboilinalarge potof salted water.While comingto aboil, heat 1/4 cup oil, garlic and

BUCATINI

Continued from page1D

garlic and olive oil and aheavy saute pan? In about the time it takes to cook and drain apot of pasta, you’ve got dinner

This dish was certainly a breeze on awarm summer evening. The tomatoes are tossed directly intoa pan along withslivered garlic, extra virgin olive oil andanchovies without anyprep (other than aquick rinseunder cool water). As they burst and breakdown, they create abright andtomato-forwardsaucethat’s full of umami flavor

anchovies in largesaucepan over medium heat.

5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until anchovies break down and garlic is lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Addtomatoes, salt,sugar andpepper flakes to saucepan andstir to combine. Coverand increase heattomedium-high. Cook, without stirring, for10 minutes.

6. When water is boiling, add pasta. Cook,stirring often, until al dente (bucatini takes about 12 minutes).Reserve½cup cooking water,then drain pasta.

7. Off heat, add remaining 2 tablespoonsoil to tomato sauce, and stir gently until it forms a light sauce. Add drained pasta andtoss to coat.

8. Adjustconsistency of sauce with reserved cooking water as needed (I added about ¼cup)

9. Stir in basil and seasonto taste with salt. Serve, passing panko toppingseparately

What really sets it apart, though, is the crunchy,gremolata-like panko topping. Fried capers andanchoviesadd asalty kick, and there’salso the tiniest hint of lemon. Unless you’re a cheese fanatic, you won’t miss thegrated Parmesan you usually find ontop of pasta

Theoriginal recipe calls for penne, atraditional pairing for chunkier tomato sauces. Butto me,itfelt likeabucatinikind of night.

Anycolor of cherry tomato will work in the dish; just be sure they are vibrant, uniform in size and firm to the touch. For a spicier dish, addmore red pepper flakes.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday,Aug.28, the 240th day of 2025. There are 125 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, theRev Martin Luther King Jr.delivered his “I Have aDream” speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Also on this date:

In 1862, the Second Battleof Bull Run began in Prince William County,Virginia, during the Civil War; the Union army retreated two days later after suffering 14,000 casualties. In 1898, pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, North Carolina, changed the name of the carbonated beverage he’d created five years earlierfrom “Brad’sDrink” to “Pepsi-Cola.”

In 1955, Emmett Till, aBlack teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’shome in Money,Mississippi, by two White men after he had allegedly whistled at aWhite woman four days prior; he was found brutally slain three days later In 1957, then U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, D-S.C., began what remains the longest speaking filibuster in Senate history (24 hours and 18 minutes) seeking to stall the passage of theCivil Rights Act of that year

Dramaonthe escalator

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas leaving an underground transit station and making my way to the escalator to go up to thestreet when I noticed atall young man gaining rapidly on mefrom behind.

We have an unwritten rule that you stand on the right side of the escalator if you just want to ride, and moveto theleft if you want to walk up themoving stairs. I began to drift rightwards, but he camegalumphing up on the right side of me. Istretched out my right hand to takethe banister, saying to him,“May I please get on the escalator?” With great annoyance, he stepped around tomyleft side and passed me, sternly proclaiming over his shoulder,“Move out of the way for people walking faster than you!”

Gentlereader: Although your question pertains to walking, every type of vehiclehas its own etiquette for passing, and examining the common features among the different systemsisinstructive.

twostrangers yelling at one another satisfies the goal of avoiding acollision.

In 1968, police and anti-war demonstratorsclashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominatedHubertH.Humphrey for president. In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered amandatory evacuation as Hurricane Katrina approached thecity. In 2013,amilitary jury sentenced Maj. NidalHasan to death forthe 2009shooting rampage at Fort Hoodthatclaimed 13 lives and left 30 people injured. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Ken Jenkins(TV:“Scrubs”) is 85. FormerMLB manager and player LouPiniella is 82. FormerMLB pitcher Ron Guidry is 75. Former U.S.Poet Laureate Rita Doveis73. Artist Ai Weiwei is 68. Actor Daniel Stern is 68. Olympic gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton is 67. Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 64. Film directorDavidFincher is 63. Country singerShania Twain is 60. “Pokemon”creator Satoshi Tajiri is 60. Actor Billy Boydis 57. Actor Jack Black is 56. Hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon is 56. Actor Jason Priestley is 56. Olympic gold medal swimmerJanet Evansis54. Actor Carly Popeis 44. Countrysinger JakeOwen is 44. Country singer LeAnnRimes is 43. Rock singer Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) is 39. Actor QuvenzhaneWallis is 22.

Icould only muster the feeble and not-quite-sensical response, “Not if you pass on the right!This is America!”

Iamareasonably fitand active woman who will turn 50 this fall. The young gentleman looked to be in his 20s and was wearing business attire. What is the etiquette for “faster walkers”?

Youremembered two of the rules: 1. that the overtaker —who has the better view —has the primary responsibility to avoid colliding with the overtaken; and 2. that there is acorrect side for passing someone. Unfortunately,you forgot the equally,ifnot more, important shared duty to avoid acollision. The rules of sailing express this gracefully by requiring the overtaken to hold their course —inother words, not to do somethingsurprising that makes it harder forthe overtaker to prevent acollision.

Grabbing the banister only to prevent the 20-something from passing on thewrong side made acollision morelikely,and was therefore the worse infraction. He, of course, should have passed on the correct side, and also slowed down.

Andwhile Miss Manners realizes that no one ended up on the ground, shedoes not believe that

Dear Miss Manners: Iwork as a volunteer at amilitary base overseas. My problem is with acoworker whowill not communicate with me except via email. Usually the content of the communications is of anegative nature. Iamofthe sort whoprefers working out differences using speech and not the written word, especially when the two individuals live in close proximity

This person is in aposition of authority.I have repeatedly requested —tonoavail —that we either talk in person or over the phone when she has gripes. Are there any etiquette rules regarding email and business communications?

Gentle reader: There are, but you are not going to like the mostimportant one: The boss gets to set the rules.

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Serves 6. All ingredients should be straight from the refrigerator and cold beforemaking the soup.

for garnish

Quinoawith Raisins

Serves 6. 1½ cup tricolor

1. Bring3cups of water toaboil. Addthe quinoa. Whack thecheesecloth packagewith the flat side of aknife to breakthe cloves.Thenadd the package to thepot. Simmer for 20 minutes and thenremove from the heat. Let sitfor 5minutes. Remove the cheesecloth package of garlic. Drain the quinoa through a fine sieve. Place into abowl.

2, Addthe golden raisins and the pine nuts to the quinoa. Add the butter,salt and pepper.Toss well and serve.

SUMMER

Continuedfrom page1D

Lemon Chicken is alight dish thatworks well in summer, and it’sfull of bright flavors. It is easytomake and rewarms well, if you wind up withleftovers. It is also versatile. Iusually make it with chicken thighs, because I find themtastier and juicier than chicken breasts. But if you prefer chicken breast,use this same recipe and you will still be happy Chilled Avocado Soup allows you to use the abundance of avocados thatare available in the season,

1. Place allthe ingredients except the olive oil andthe tomato into afood processor.(Youcan use a blender,but that makes the soup too homogenized. Ilike the slight texture left when you use the food processor 2. Divide the soup into chilled bowls. Garnish each bowl with afew drops of olive oiland afew tomato pieces. Serve immediately

but in anew way. This soup is easy and can be garnished in different ways.And whenI have just alittle bit left over, maybe aquarter cup or afew tablespoons, Imix it 2to 1with mayonnaise and use it as adressing or on sandwiches. You have no waste. When Iamtired of regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta and rice, Igenerally start looking at cracked wheat or farro. Ihaverecently been trying to addquinoatomyrotationofstarches. Istarted easing it into my dinners by mixing it half and half with rice. Theycook in about the sameamount of time, and when you aren’t accustomed to the little grain of quinoa, eating it with

rice is away to ease into it

In my recipe for Quinoa with Raisins, Ijust use quinoa and treat it abit like couscous. Iuse golden raisins and pine nuts, but you could use chopped dried apricots and almonds. Even chopped dates would work with pecans or walnuts. It is time for us to use our imaginations.

Liz Williams is founderofthe Southern Food &Beverage Museum in NewOrleans. Listen to “Tip of theTongue,”Liz’s podcastabout food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts.Email Liz at lizwillia@ gmail.com.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street goes higher, pushes S&P to record

Modest gains on Wall Street lifted the stock market Wednesday ahead of a highly anticipated earnings update from computer chip giant Nvidia.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, good enough to nudge the benchmark index past the record high it set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite closed 0.2% higher Technology companies led the way higher, outweighing declines in communication services and other sectors.

After the market closed Nvidia reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street analysts’ forecasts, though the company noted that sales of its artificial intelligence chipsets rose at a slower pace than analysts anticipated.

“Saying this is the most important stock in the world is an understatement,” said Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Freedom Capital Markets “The stock’s average move after an earnings release is plus or minus 7.4%, so just an average move will make an impact on the entire market.”

Several big software companies — CrowdStrike Holdings, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, Intuit and Salesforce — rose ahead of the Nvidia results.

Shares in several companies rose after they reported quarterly results that topped analysts’ forecasts.

Department store chain Kohl’s vaulted 24% and database platform company MongoDB surged 38%. Both companies also raised their full-year guidance.

Ford recalls 355K pickup trucks

NEW YORK Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Ford F-150s from the 2025 model year — as well as other Ford “Super Duty” trucks, including 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD and F-250 SDs. A recall report dated Aug. 22 notes that the instrument panel cluster (IPC) can fail at startup, resulting in drivers seeing a blank screen.

As a result, the NHTSA notes, drivers may not be able to read critical “safety-related telltales and gauges,” increasing the risk of crash. The recall report notes that Ford isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue but had received 95 warranty claims as of June 26.

To address the display failure, Ford is offering a free IPC software update to impacted owners

Minnesota pharmacists sue Walgreens

Two Minnesota pharmacists who refused to administer gender-affirming drugs to patients are suing Walgreens and the state’s pharmacy board, claiming they were denied the right to refuse patient prescriptions that conflict with their religious beliefs. Gender-affirming drugs are hormones or hormone-blockers that create physical changes in the body to align with the person’s gender identity.

The federal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, alleges Walgreens fired Rachel Scott of Mahtomedi and drastically reduced the hours of Dora Ig-Izevbekhai of Woodbury after the two “Bible believing” Christians submitted formal requests for religious accommodations to not prescribe the drugs.

According to the complaint, Walgreens said their refusal to dispense the drugs over religious objections was illegal under Minnesota law

U.S. pulls ahead

tion and uncertainty weighed on businesses and consumers.

Still, the South led the nation in economic expansion and job creation, according to data from the credit card giant.

BY CASEY HE The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

Job growth, strong consumer spending, housing affordability and surging business investment are making the South the fastestgrowing regional economy in the U.S., according to a new report from Visa.

Economic growth slowed in all four U.S. regions in the first quarter of 2025 as tariff implementa-

Service sector hiring across the region has outpaced expectations, and robust consumer spending in Texas and Florida — two of the country’s top domestic migration destinations — is fueling much of the momentum, the report said.

Michael Brown, Visa’s principal U.S. economist, said Texas in particular is an anchor for the regional growth story He pointed to about 270,000 tech workers the state has added since the pandem-

ic. Visa’s economists now forecast the South’s gross domestic product to grow by 1.6% and 1.2% year over year in the third and fourth quarters of 2025, followed by 1.9% growth in both 2026 and 2027. Visa economists noted that the impact of the levies are hitting hardest in the West — which depends heavily on trade with Asia and in the Midwest, where manufacturing and agriculture face significant disruptions By contrast, the South has so far escaped the brunt of the international surcharges reshaping global trade That is leading to a more optimistic outlook.

“Export demand has held up better than we feared — that’s crucial for a state like Texas with significant international trade exposure,” Brown said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the South’s population has surged, with workers and companies relocating from higher-cost regions to more affordable states. Between 2020 and 2024, the region added more than 6 million residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That influx has lifted housing markets, which remain more affordable than elsewhere in the country, while drawing new investment into fast-growing industries.

Cracker Barrel’s reversal on new logo shows how tricky rebranding can be

Executives have decided to return to the original Cracker Barrel logo, at left, after backlash over the new Cracker Barrel logo, below ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer

Like its namesake barrels that transported soda crackers until boxes replaced them, Cracker Barrel needed to change.

The restaurant chain’s new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, laid out the argument to investors last year: Cracker Barrel’s customer traffic was down 16% compared to 2019. Research showed consumers thought the brand fell short of competitors in essential ways, from the quality of the food to value and convenience

“We are not leading in any area. We will change that,” Masino said.

But over the past week, Cracker Barrel’s attempted revamp hit a wall. The company saw severe backlash over its plans to modernize and simplify its nostalgic logo — including from President Donald Trump.

“I don’t like the changes. I mean it’s always been Cracker Barrel like it is, so I’d like for it to stay like it is,” customer Sid Leist said during a visit to a Cracker Barrel in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Tuesday By that evening, Cracker Barrel had reversed course and said its old logo would remain. It features an overall-clad man — said to represent Uncle Herschel, a relative of Cracker Barrel’s founder leaning on a barrel, with the words “Old Country Store” underneath.

Investors cheered the move. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel’s stock price rose 8% Wednesday to close at $62.33 per

share. That was even higher than its closing price on Aug. 15, before it announced the new logo. Richard Wilke, a former executive at the brand consultancy Lippincott who helped lead rebrands for companies like Delta Air Lines and Walmart, said Cracker Barrel’s existing logo is too detailed and fussy for the digital age, when companies have to think about how their brand appears in a smartphone app.

But Wilke said Cracker Barrel’s new logo, featuring just the company’s name in brown letters on a gold background, lacked character The logo’s rollout also seemed like an afterthought. In a news release about new fall menu items, the company mentioned the new logo in the fourth paragraph.

Cracker Barrel acknowledged Monday that it should have done a better job with the new logo’s rollout.

The company said it should have emphasized all the things that would remain the same about Cracker Barrel restaurants: the rocking chairs on the front porches, fireplaces in the dining rooms and vintage Americana and antiques scattered throughout.

The company said it would also continue to honor Uncle Herschel on its menu and on items sold in the country-style stores attached to its restaurants. But it was too late, and Cracker Barrel pulled its new logo the next day

Thomas Murphy, a professor of practice at Clark University School of Business, said returning to the original logo was a “positive

course correction” given the intensity of fans’ response. Now, Murphy said, Cracker Barrel should reinforce the message that it’s not moving away from its values or heritage.

Murphy said Cracker Barrel can continue to “refresh” its stores, making them brighter and more welcoming to younger customers. But it doesn’t really need to “rebrand,” he said, which would indicate a bigger change in direction or purpose.

Wilke agrees that Cracker Barrel should stick with the old logo but continue to revamp its restaurants in the short term. Eventually, the company will have to adopt a simpler logo, he said, but it should design one that retains more of the brand’s heritage. Cracker Barrel caught heat not only from Donald Trump Jr but from the president himself. On Tuesday morning, Trump said via Truth Social that Cracker Barrel “should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”

Later, Trump celebrated Cracker Barrel’s decision to drop its new logo.

Wilke said he wishes both Republicans and Democrats would stay out of brand decisions like Cracker Barrel’s. Rebrands are almost always about trying to attract new customers without alienating old ones, he said.

“This isn’t a political story,” he said “If politicians now turn every company logo design update into a debate about being ‘woke’ or ‘anti-woke,’ we are headed into a damaging new era for corporate branding.”

Group says

BY TERRY TANG Associated Press

Organizers of a Target boycott that began in January are pointing to their tactics as a hopeful sign that actions against corporate retailers can still make a deep impact When Target announced its current chief executive officer will be stepping down in February 2026 and an insider was taking the helm, those organizers saw it as a move in the right direction and stress more than ever that boycotts will continue as long as previous promises made to the public go unfulfilled.

“It’s been now nearly 200 days and what all the statistics and economics are showing that since

that boycott was announced on that Monday — every single week since then Target foot traffic in nearly 2,000 stores has declined sharply and continues to decline,” said organizer Jaylani Hussein, at a news conference of the National Target Boycott movement outside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters late last week

Boycott organizers in Minnesota were among some of the first to galvanize when Target opted in January to follow other companies like Amazon and Walmart and forego diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. High-profile civil rights activists like the Rev Al Sharpton and the Rev Jamal Bryant also made similar calls for what they deemed a betrayal of previous DEI promises.

Social justice advocates say this shows boycotting is a key tactic not to be taken for granted.

Retail analysts say it’s difficult to gauge the exact impact of the boycott, since Target has faced a slump the last few years and a leadership change was in the cards. Still, groups like Washington-based DC Boycott Target Coalition insist falling foot traffic is “due in no small part” to a boycott that spans coast to coast.

“The leadership change doesn’t mean anything without a culture change,” the group said in a statement, vowing to continue pressuring Target until the corporation sees its diversity goals as “more important than bowing to an administration that is filled with racism, failure and hatred.” Opponents began the national boycott in February, during Black History Month. Their strategy left some Black-owned brands with merchandise on Target shelves conflicted or scrambling.

Stacey Widlitz, president of investment research firm SW Retail Advisors, said she believes that Target’s sales malaise has more to do with its operational issues — messy stores and poorly stocked shelves — not from its pullback from DEI initiatives.

The number of Americans who say they regularly shop at Target has gone down 19% since 2021, according to Consumer Edge. The number of Americans who say they do not shop at Target has risen 17%.

The same analysis also looked at trends along party lines. Since last year, the number of regular Target shoppers who identify as Democrat has declined 13%. Inversely, the number of Republican customers has risen 13%. It’s not clear if that is due to Target’s $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration or some other factors.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Achange will turn out to be ablessing in disguise. A change to howyou present yourself or your ideas will offer feedback that can help youmakebetter choices.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Choose peace, charm and intelligence over discord embellishment and absurdity. Achange of plans or direction or adiversionthat creates uncertainty for an opponent will help you clear your way forward.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Sit back and let the dust settle. Emotional confusion is apparent,and communication will lack the truth. Taking care of business will have the most significant influence on theoutcome.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Risks aren't worthwhile. Observe when things don't measureuporwhen confusion takes precedence. Protect your reputation, money andhealth from anyone who maytry to take advantage of you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll have to face your demons if you procrastinate. Opportunity knocks; it's up to you to open the door. Focus on what makes you feel complete, and don't look back

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Refuse to let an emotional situation drag youdown or cause youtomiss out on something that can improve your life. Change will lead to happiness and astellar you.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Channel your energy intoself-improvement, and enjoy what you learn and how it influ-

ences what you do next.Explore the possibilities and expand your interests.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) Don't let hostility be your ally. Be agood listener and observer. Say little, but do alot. Living up to your promises and feeling good about yourself will help you navigate your way to positive change and acceptance.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Youmay feel comfortable sitting still, but alittle exhilaration will stave off the boredomand encourageyou to pursue your dreams, hopes and wishes. Turn your thoughts into action.

GEMInI(May21-June 20) Shake things up, but first,prepare forthe fallout. Avoid lettingnegativity or someone's critical input lead you astray. Listen to your inner voice and follow your heart.

cAncER (June 21-July22) Go over every detail; be precise andleavenoroom for error. Amistake will be costly, whether it's personal or professional. Emotions and hostilitywill hurt your reputation.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Observe the changes others implement, and learn fromtheir mistakes. Having apractical vision and afriendly budget in place will help. Don't fear being different Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Some of you read these columns over theInternet.Thatwouldhavebeenmuch harder to do if newspaper owners had foreseen the danger to their printed editions and always charged for everything on their websites.Now, maybe, it is too late.

Bridge playersshould also be keeping an eye open for dangers —the fourth letter of my “trade”acronym. In particular,itishard to break thehabits of alifetime when adealcomes along that does not fit into atypical pattern. In today’s, how should South plan the play in three no-trump, and howshould East defeat him?

After asimple Stayman auction, West leads the heart nine,top of touching cardsinasuit containing no honors. South haseighttop tricks:three hearts andfive clubs. He can get aninth winner from diamonds. The dangeristhat the defenders will take the first diamond trick and cash four spades. Whendeclarer needs some help from the defenders, he should put them on the spot as quickly as possible. South should take the first trick with his ace, play aclub to the queen, feigning afinesse, andcall for a diamond.

Many Easts wouldplaysecondhand lowwithout even thinking. But an East whoisusedtodeducing the danger will

see that declarer has at least eight winners via three hearts andfive clubs. If he is allowed to steal adiamondtrick,he will be home. East should dive in with the diamond ace and shift to the spade king. When it holds,hecontinueswithhissecondspade and the contract dies.

©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

toDAy’s WoRD RAGouts: ra-GOOZ:Mixtures of meat and vegetables cooked in athick sauce.

Average mark 20 words

Time limit 35 minutes

Canyou find 28 or more words in RAGOUTS?

yEstERDAy’sWoRD— cRADLED

today’s thought “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death.” Proverbs 11:4

a

Zoie Smith

Southern University and A&M College Freshman

Nursing Major Houston, TX

Southern University pushes students to reach academic excellence by creating asupportive environment. To ensureSouthern continues to succeed, weneed to keep supporting and investing in theUniversity

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DarrinL.Dixon,MBA

Executive Director

Southern University Alumni Federation

SouthernUniversityand A&M College ‘92

Being an advocatefor ourannual “Are YouIn?” Campaignisvital for fostering acultureofgiving thatstrengthens our University community and supports the next generation of leaders. Every contribution, no matter the size, directly impacts our students and programs, helpingustocreate abrighter futuretogether.

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Abeeb Oyesiji

Southern University and A&M College

PhD student Environmental Toxicology

Ibadan, Nigeria •Baton Rouge, LA

Southern University empowers minority scholarship,champions academic excellence, and fosters astrong sense of community It’s aplace wherediversity is celebrated and innovation is partofthe culture. I’ve had the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research, and my professors have truly inspired me to push boundaries, pursue my goals, and believe in the impactI can make.

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JamesGilmore,Jr.PhD President, Bayard Management Group, LLC Southern Universityand A&M College‘99

Southern University was thefoundation of my learning. It propelled me into my career by providing both a strong education and invaluable opportunities.Since graduating,I’ve had thechance to work forFortune 500companies,held politically appointed positions in local,state,and federalgovernment,and for the past 15 years I’ve successfully managed my own human resources and workforce training firm.It’s incredibly important foralumni to support the“AreYou In?” Campaign -because we arethe productsofthis great University,and it’s our turn to giveback what wasonce given to us.

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