The Advocate 09-01-2025

‘It’sOK

BY ANDREA GALLO |Staff writer

Brittany Lane keeps ayellowbird-

house in her kitchen, the word “hope” painted on one side of its roof and “love” painted on theother

It’sareminder of how far she’s come since June, when Lane, 31, wanted to end her own life.

After having her fifth baby,emotions she’d tried to suppress for years spiraled out of control. Shenever fully mournedher father andher uncle, whoboth died in 2022 while she was pregnant and thentaking care of a newborn.

Her fourth and fifth children arrived back-to-back, leaving her little time to adjust to amuchbigger family

All at once, the grief and the demands of motherhood overwhelmed her.Instead of taking her doctor’s advice to seek inpatient treatment, Lane assumed shewouldimprove withtime. Shesaid she didn’t have anyone to watchher kids.

But her mental health got worse, and after calling her doctor’soffice, she was routed to ahotlinefor women in crisis.

Anurse on the other endofthe line was working at the inpatient perinatal mental health unit at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.

Ineed help, Lanetold her

Researchers fighttimeon disappearing La.islands

BY JOSIE ABUGOV |Staff writer

Asmall seaplane flies circles around a skinny strip of land more than 20 miles off the Louisiana coast as two of its passengersscan the sand below for promising tracks.

Keri Lejeune and Todd Baker shout out when they spot them.Lejeune, the state’sherpetologist, and Baker,aproject manager withthe state’scoastal authority,are on the hunt for “crawls ” evidence that endangered andvulner-

to talk aboutit’

Patients with maternal mental health struggles find hope

Ican’tdoit. Ifeel lost.

An ambulance cametopick her up in Baker.Then they admitted her to themental health wing forpregnant andpostpartumpatients at Woman’s whichopened last September “I knew deep down that Ineeded thehelp,”Lane said.“Andatthat point, it was like, get it now or there

might not be anext time.”

Laneisamonganoften overlooked demographic: women facing severe mental health struggles during pregnancyorsoon after giving birth. An estimated 1in7women suffer from mood disorders during or after pregnancy,which can include postpartum

ä See HOPE, page 5A

High-stakeshuntunderway forendangeredsea turtles

able turtle species arenesting on the disappearing Chandeleur Islands. Every week during theturtle’ssummer nesting season, state officialsinvolvedinthe project to restore the iconic barrier islands fly out on the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ seaplane for asurveyofthe area. The scientists document any evidenceofnew crawls and, if weather permits, wadeout onto theislands for aclose-up look. This year,they’vefound the mostcrawls they’veseen since the turtle surveys started in 2022. In the earlier hours of Aug. 22 alone, they spotted onenew path andthree others they had already identified.

ä See SEATURTLES, page 4A

GEO charter moves onto BRCC campus

School expanding students’ access to collegecourses

BY CHARLES LUSSIER |Staff writer

ABaton Rouge high school is expanding its long-running partnership with Baton Rouge Community College by taking over several classrooms at BRCC’sAcadian Thruway campus and exposing teenagers to the career and trade courses at its center It is the latest stepbyGEO Next Generation High School,where studentstakenot just collegelevelclasses, but classesoncollege campuses taught by college instructors and professors. Since it opened in fall 2019, GEONext Generation has bused its students from its maincampus, 2355 N. Sherwood Forest Drive —formerly the site of St. Louis the King Catholic School —to BRCC classes. In fall 2022, the school moved some of its operations to BRCC’smain campus on Florida Boulevard. This fall, it relocated again, this time to BRCCAcadian, 3250 N. AcadianThruway E. That facilitynow serves as theupperschool,home to juniors andseniors,while GEO NextGeneration’s Sherwoodcampusiswhere ninthand 10th graders take classes.

“Half of our students are here today,” said Kevin Teasley,founder and CEO of the Indiana-based GEO charter school network.“And they’re here every day,for their entire school year.”

Teasley spoke at aribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to commemorate GEO’snew satellite campus. The high school’smarching band greeted visitors to the campus and then gave ashort concert.

Natalie Gerald, an undergraduate student worker at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, speaks to Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority project managers Jessica Diez and Todd Baker during a turtlesurveyon the Chandeleur Islands on Aug. 22.

STAFFPHOTO By JOSIE ABUGOV

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Rudy Giuliani injured in New Hampshire crash

Rudy Giuliani is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said Sunday Giuliani’s vehicle was struck from behind while traveling on a highway Saturday evening, according to a statement posted on X by Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security

“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Ragusa said, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”

Giuliani, 81, was taken to a nearby trauma center and was being treated for injuries including “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg,” according to Ragusa.

Prior to the accident, Giuliani had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police assistance on her behalf, Ragusa said. After police arrived, Giuliani continued on his way and his vehicle was hit shortly after pulling onto the highway and was “entirely unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Ragusa told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.

Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him,” Ragusa also said on X.

Lost boy on monorail line saved by parkgoer

HERSHEY, Pa A lost boy wandering a monorail line high above the crowd at Hersheypark was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails.

The child was reported missing Saturday after he became separated from his parents, according to a news release from the chocolate-themed amusement park in Pennsylvania.

While park employees were searching for him, the boy entered a secured area leading to the monorail ride. It was closed and “safeguarded by a chained closure at the entrance and barricaded turnstile at the platform,” according to the park

The boy was in the closed station for about 20 minutes before he wandered onto the tracks.

A video posted to social media shows the boy walking along the tracks as people in the crowd below start waving their arms and yelling directions at him including, “Stop!” and “Keep going!” At that point he covers his ears and begins to walk back the way he came, changes direction again, and then stops. One man climbs onto a nearby building and pulls himself onto the tracks, scooping up the boy to cheers from below The child was unharmed and was safely reunited with his family Kemp endorses Dooley for Georgia Senate seat

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Gov Brian Kemp on Saturday endorsed Republican Derek Dooley in Georgia’s 2026 U.S. Senate race, arguing an outsider without congressional experience can best critique Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff’s record.

“I’m a firm believer that we need a political outsider to do that, someone that can stay focused on his record, but also someone who has a vision for our state in the future,” Kemp said. “That is not a politician.” Kemp agreed to back Dooley after deciding not to run for the seat himself.

Dooley argued Saturday that Ossoff’s history of support for former President Joe Biden and his opposition to President Donald Trump disqualify him from another term.

Dooley is the son of legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley and was a lawyer before he went into coaching. Derek Dooley compiled a 15-21 record with the Tennessee Volunteers before he was fired in 2012. Dooley hasn’t shied from his football past. He said Saturday that in both coaching and politics, “leadership matters.” But other candidates argue Dooley was a failure at coaching and are underscoring his affiliation with a non-Georgia school.

Flotilla leaves Barcelona in attempt to reach Gaza

Thunberg again among activists trying to deliver aid

BY RENATA BRITO and TERESA MEDRANO Associated Press

BARCELONA — A flotilla of ships departed from Barcelona to the Gaza Strip Sunday with humanitarian aid and activists on board in the largest attempt yet to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.

This comes as Israel has stepped up its offensive on Gaza City, limiting the deliveries of food and basic supplies in the north of the Palestinian territory Food experts warned earlier this month that the city was in famine and that half a million people across the strip were facing catastrophic levels of hunger

The Global Sumud Flotilla is carrying food, water and medicine. Activists on board demanded safe passage to deliver the much-needed aid and the opening of a humanitarian sea corridor, according to a statement The almost 23-month war has killed more than 63,000 people, with at least 332 Palestinians dying of malnutrition, including 124 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry

The maritime convoy of about 20 boats and delegations from 44 countries is claimed to be the larg-

Israel!” to send off a wide variety of boats, flying Palestinian flags, from rundown old luxury yachts to tiny wooden sailboats and industrial-looking vessels. One is more than 100 years old.

Around 70 boats are expected to take part in the final leg of the journey flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek told Spanish public television after the departure.

The fleet could reach Gaza around Sept. 14 or 15, he added.

Pope demands end to the ‘pandemic of arms’

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “pandemic of arms, large and small,” as he prayed publicly for the victims of a shooting during a Catholic school Mass in the United States.

History’s first U.S. pope spoke in English as he denounced the attack and the “logic of weapons” fueling wars around the world, during his Sunday noon blessing from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

“Our prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota,” said the Chicago-born Leo. “We hold in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world. Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world.”

Two children were killed Wednesday and 20 people were injured during the shooting attack at the Church of Annunciation in Minneapolis, as hundreds of students from the nearby Annunciation Catholic School and others gathered for a Mass. The shooter fired 116 rifle rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows, and later died by suicide.

est attempt to date to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip by sea, which has now lasted 18 years. They will be joined by more ships from ports in Italy and Tunisia in the coming days, on the route from the western end of the Mediterranean to the Gaza Strip, organizers said.

Thousands of supporters flocked to the Barcelona pier, some of them wearing keffiyehs and chanting “Free Palestine!” and “Boycott

“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive,” said Swedish activist Greta Thunberg at a news conference. She is one of the most recognizable figures on the expedition, formed by hundreds of activists, politicians such as the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, and journalists.

Ships carrying tons of humanitarian aid departed from the Italian city of Genoa and will join the expedition in the coming days.

It is not the first time Thunberg has attempted to reach Gaza waters this year She was deported by Israel in June when the ship she was traveling on with 11 other people, the Madleen, was stopped by the Israeli military

Hamas spokesperson killed; Israeli security Cabinet meets

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and SAM METZ Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip The Israeli military announced Sunday that it killed the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, as the country’s security Cabinet met to discuss the expanding offensive in some of Gaza‘s most populated areas. There were no plans to discuss negotiations for a ceasefire at the meeting, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz identified the spokesperson as Abu Obeida, the nom de guerre for the person who represented Hamas’ Qassam Brigades He was killed over the weekend. Hamas has not commented on the claim.

Abu Obeida’s last statement was issued Friday as Israel began the initial stages of the new offensive and declared Gaza City a combat zone. His statement said the militants would do their best to protect living hostages but warned that they would be in areas of fighting. He said the remains of dead hostages would “disappear forever.”

Israel’s military said the spokesperson, whom it identified as Hudahaifa Kahlout, had been behind the release of videos showing hostages as well as footage of the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war The military also reiterated a threat against remaining Hamas leaders abroad.

Israel has killed many of Hamas’ military and political leaders as it attempts to dismantle the group and prevent an attack like the one on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in southern Israel.

Fewer than 50 hostages remain in Gaza, and Israel believes about 20 are alive.

At least 43 Palestinians were killed since Saturday, most of them in Gaza City, according to local hospitals. Shifa Hospital, the territory’s largest, said 29 bodies were brought to its morgue, including 10 people killed while seeking aid.

“Where are the resistance fighters that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu claims he is bombing? Does he consider stones resistance fighters?” said a relative of one of the dead at Shifa Hospital, who did not give her name.

Hospital officials reported 11 other fatalities from strikes and gunfire. AlAwda Hospital said seven were civilians trying to reach aid.

Witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire on crowds in the Netzarim Corridor an Israeli military zone that bisects Gaza.

“We were trying to get food, but we were met with the occupation’s bullets,” said Ragheb Abu Lebda, who saw at least three people bleeding from gunshot wounds. “It’s a death trap.”

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Leo had refrained from any political commentary about guns in America, sending a telegram of condolence that focused exclusively on the spiritual. He said he was saddened by the “terrible tragedy” and sent his “heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected.”

Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis, had long railed against the weapons industry and proliferation of arms fueling wars, denouncing gun manufacturers as “merchants of death.” During his 2015 speech to the U.S. Congress, the Argentine pope asked the lawmakers why weapons were being sold purely to kill.

“Sadly the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood,” he said then.

The day before, Teasley hosted aribbon-cutting for the relocation of another GEO school, GEO Prep Baker,toits new home at the formerWhite HillsElementary Experiencing growth

GEONext Generation, one of four GEO charter schools in the Baton Rouge region, has seen abig boost in enrollment this year growing from about 450

SEA TURTLES

Continued from page1A

“You see all the diversity that the island provides,” Lejeune said over her aircraft headphones. “It’soff the charts —the seagrasses, thecrustaceans. Everything feeds on everything.”

Part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, established by Teddy Roosevelt at the dawn of the 20th century,the Chandeleur Islands are arich ecosystem of plantsand animals deemed of greatest conservation need. They include the last remainingbrown pelican colony on the chain, aChandeleur-specific hybrid gull and the only marine seagrass in Louisiana. Over 170 bird species have been identified in asingle year,including more than three dozen in needofconservation.

In 2022, scientists first confirmed nesting by Kemp’sridley turtles, one of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world. The findings prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct atwo-year survey of the entire Louisiana coastline for turtle nesting. The federal agency found that almost all of it is happening on the Chandeleurs, lending even greater significance to the island chain, said DianneIngram, arestorationbiologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But that is only part of the story. The tiny,rare turtles making homes here may be even rarerthanthe scientists first thought.

After three years of analysis, genetic researchers discovered that all of the tested Kemp’sridleys found on the Chandeleur Islands have agenetic expression shared with only atiny fraction of therestofthe endangered turtle species.

“These turtlesare distinct genetically,”Lejeune said “Theyuse theseislands for nesting each year. So it’s really criticalthat theseislands get restored.”

But the future of the Chandeleurs is far from guaranteed.

“We’re losing theislands pretty quickly,” said Baker who is managing the restoration effort for the Chandeleurs.

‘One-timeshottodoitright’

Over the last two centuries, the islands have lost nearly 90% of their land mass, dwindling and splintering as major hurricanes have accelerated erosion.

Hurricane Katrina created the most recent “cut” that divided what was once 25 miles of contiguous land into aSouth Chandeleur and aNorth Chandeleur

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill heavily oiledthe island chain, harming the

students ayear ago to about 575 now.Teasley attributed some of the fresh demand to the recent closure of IDEA Bridge and IDEAInnovation charter schools, noting that neither of thenew operators of thoseschools arecurrently accepting high school students. Also growingis thepercentage of students earningdegrees and career credentials while stillinhigh school.

In its first graduating class in May 2023, GEO NextGeneration had six students earn associate’s

degrees andthree who earned atechnical certification.InMay,those totalshad grown to 24 students earning associate’sdegrees— about 30% of the graduating class— andsix more earning technical certifications. Teasley said he expects those numbers to grow with this year’ssenior class.

The high school is renting out muchofthe college’s second floor on Acadian Teasley said he was worried at first that students might prefer the main Sherwood campus,which was built in 2019. The early reviews,he

said, have been strong, with theolder students enjoying having their own space apartfrom theyounger students andtaking classes with college-age students. Also, thelocation is closer to where some GEO Next Generation families live.

Andunlike thespace it rented at BRCC’s main campus,which aretraditional classrooms, students walking the halls at BRCC’s Acadian campus seetrades in action.

“Exposure is 50% of the value of what we’re doing here,” Teasley said.

Ka the rine “K at ie ” Grimes, acollege and career counselor at GEO, said the new campus has inspiredstudents to try different career tracks, though shesometimes triestocool their jets. Forinstance, a couple of students came to herrecently,saying electrical is boring andasking her to change them to another career track “Theyhavetoget through the training,”she said. “Get through that and then you gettothe fun stuff.”

Jeremiah Williams,asenior,istrying his hand at

welding. He settled on the path afterdoing research aboutgood careers.

“I was trying to find something Icould do right outof high school,” he said. “Being abarber, that’sthe backup plan,”headded. RavenTurner, Jeremiah’s mother,saidher sonlikesto work with his hands. And money “Oh yeah,hedefinitely likes to buy his own things,” the mother said laughing. EmailCharles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

Keri

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, points to a‘body pit’onSouth Chandeleur Island,evidenceof aloggerhead turtle crawlonthe remote barrier island

varied ecosystem. Models predict that theturtle and birdhabitatonthe island —though not all of theland itself— woulddisappear in 10 years, Bakersaid.

As the islands shrink, it’s notonly thenatural habitat thatwithers. The barrier islandsalsoact as a“first line of defense” against powerfulstorm surgeapproachingsoutheast Louisiana, Bakernoted

TheCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s plan, which is still in thedesign phase, will not reverse more than100 years of loss. Instead, the roughly$380 millionproject will focus on North Chandeleur island, the largest in the chain and the site ofthe majority of the seagrass.

They’ll be adding dunes, marsh andsandreservoirs, work that will encourage nesting for the animals and help prevent erosion. They’ll also add145 acres to New Harbor Island, the nearbypelican nesting spot In 20 years, the parts of the island slated for restoration are expected to still be hometoviable habitat, Bakersaid. These models factored for damage of one major storm. But thevast majority of the money to carryout the workhas not yet been secured. The stateishopeful that money will soon be approved for the project by trustees overseeingfines and settlement dollars from

the2010 oil spill.

Therestorationefforts areapartnership between the coastalagency, the state wildlife and fisheries agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Baker said carrying outthe work effectively will be importantsince significant future maintenance is not in the plans

“It’saone-timeshot to do it right,” he said.

‘Our bigchallenge’

The morning of Aug. 22 was bright and clear,which meantthe team could spot crawls while flying overhead. Lejeune andBaker could identify the turtle speciesbased on thepattern in thesand. Theone theyspottedonSouth Chandeleur Island that day camefrom aloggerhead, a large and vulnerable species that typically nests later in thesummer

The dense tracksinthe sand practically looked like footprints, though faint tail markings indicated anonhuman traveler.AsBaker retraced the path after wading on to the island, he pointed out multiple “body pits” imprintedinthe sand. Thesewere theplaces that thefemale turtle “debated” settling down andhatching hereggs.

Acouple were in lower lyingspots, butone wason ahigherelevation. And it was on the higherelevation dune that she hadhatched

hereggs.

When stateofficials begandesigning the restoration project, they incorporatedthiskindofdatainto their plan “Wesentour surveyors back out to those successful nests and they got slopes, elevations, all the measurables we could get on where she selected, and that was usedinour design

forthe restoration project,” Baker said. “That’s why it’s alittledifferent than atypical barrier island restoration. We are targeting what the birds and the turtles are telling us they prefer.”

DobsonLocation: Plaque‐mines Parish,LA; Lat. 2950-48 N/ Long 89-55-36 W;Forty Arpent Canal; Caernarvon, LA.Descrip‐tion: Proposed removal ofa pile supportedplat‐

While the restoration aims to encouragehabitat on the island, it’salso inevitably going to disturbthe nestingbirds andturtles, Baker said. The federal wildlife agency offeredits expertise on howtomove forward with the restoration while minimizing the impact of the nesting species.

“That’sgoing to be our big challenge,” Baker said. Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@ theadvocate.com

depression, postpartum anxiety and postpartum psychosis. But many forgo treatment, feeling shame and embarrassment talking about them.

The mood disorders can also be deadly Overdose is the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in Louisiana, according to the state’s most recent review of pregnancy-related deaths

Women with mental health disorders sometimes turn to drugs to self-medicate, national researchers have found. Without help, they can also be driven to harm themselves or their families

But finding a place to get treatment can be difficult.

The inpatient unit that Woman’s opened last year is one of just five in the country, according to Postpartum Support International. In its first 10 months, more than 200 patients have been discharged from the wing on the hospital’s fourth floor, some coming from Louisiana, others from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

Cheri Johnson, the chief nursing officer at Woman’s, said they were surprised at how quickly they started receiving out-of-state patients. The hospital is known for its wide-reaching OB-GYN care and delivers the most babies among Louisiana’s single hospital providers. But it has recently seen an influx in demand for behavioral health care as well.

“It just speaks to the fact that we have this here in our state, and in the surrounding areas, there’s no other perinatal mental health units,” said Dr. Kelly Cannon, the director of inpatient psychiatry Up until now, when pregnant or postpartum women have been in crisis in Louisiana, they’ve been routed to the state’s limited number of psychiatric hospitals or inpatient wings. There’s an overall shortage of mental health beds in Louisiana, forcing some patients to travel out of state for inpatient treatment Most psychiatric treatment facilities are coed. And many do not accept patients in later stages of pregnancy because of liability concerns Baton Rouge General, for example, said their inpatient behavioral units don’t admit pregnant women, so they refer them to other locations for treatment. But they noted that they see few pregnant patients in mental crisis, no more than a couple a month.

Beyond medication

Woman’s designed their inpatient mental health unit as a response to those gaps. They wanted to create a place solely for treatment of pregnant and postpartum women in mental crisis, Johnson said, but they did not want it to feel like a sterile mental ward. They added colorful art on the walls and a fenced terrace where patients can spend time outdoors. Women there have access to recreational therapy where they can

Dr Kelly Cannon, director of inpatient psychiatry, right, chats during a tour of Woman’s Hospital’s first-of-its-kind Perinatal Mental Health Unit in Baton Rouge on Aug. 19, 2024. Also on the tour are, from left, Cheri Johnson, chief nursing officer; Dr Enrique Flechas, medical director of Woman’s behavioral health; and clinical director Bianca Glueck.

learn meditation and yoga.

They have both psychiatrists and maternal-fetalmedicine specialists available for consults about highrisk pregnancies

Nearly 68% of patients in the inpatient psychiatric unit so far have been on Medicaid, while 23% had commercial insurance and almost 7% had Medicare.

The breakdown closely tracks with Louisiana’s demographics: 64% of all births in Louisiana are financed by Medicaid, the highest share in the nation.

They can fit up to 10 patients at a time. About a quarter of patients in the last year voluntarily chose to receive treatment, while the remaining 75% were sent there with involuntary commitments from a doctor or coroner who deems them a danger to themselves or others.

Woman’s also designed the psychiatric wing so that patients could visit their families.

For family members who have cleared security checks, they allow supervised in-person visits or video visits on tablets Moms are more likely to seek help when they know they can see their families, Johnson and Cannon said “It’s often one of those things that will prevent moms from coming and getting the care they need. They are the foundation of the family; they are the ones taking care of everybody,”

Cannon said. “It’s been a really beautiful thing.”

‘It’s OK to talk about it’

Lane was nervous when she got there, but she had a goal: understanding what she was going through and how to prevent her thoughts of self-harm. She loved being a mom but had never felt emotions like that before.

She spent much of her first day needing to “cry it out,” she said, while doctors diagnosed her with postpartum depression and started her on medication. Her fiance, who watched their children while she was in the hospital, brought their infant daughter, Mhe’Shaun, for three visits.

As Lane held her and played with her, she wished she could go back home. She loved seeing her, but said the visits were a painful reminder of why she needed help.

Other patients could relate. Women hospitalized there spend time in group therapy learning from one another

“It helped me realize it’s OK to talk about it,” Lane said. “It made me feel better being around other people like me, being around people actually dealing with what I’m dealing with.”

That kind of sharing around the struggles of pregnancy and motherhood can be crucial, said Artie Brown, the founder and CEO of a Baton Rouge nonprofit called Conscious Moms

that’s focused on maternal mental health. Conscious Moms runs free support groups for pregnant women and moms and helps to pay for therapy for moms who cannot otherwise afford it.

For those who are struggling, knowing they are not alone is half the battle, Brown said.

“A lot of times, people are like, ‘I don’t want to talk about it because motherhood is supposed to be all peaches and cream and roses,’” she said. “But like anything, it takes time, it takes work, it takes patience.”

Maternal mental health

By her third day, Lane said she felt more like herself. She was discharged after five days, the average length of stay for patients so far, who are mostly sent home with plans for outpatient follow-up.

Her kids greeted her with hugs and cries.

She’s been open about her story which can be rare.

“I wanted to tell my story because I was in denial about it, so I pretty much pushed myself to get the help knowing I didn’t want to leave all the kids,” she said.

Others are often too afraid

of how people around them will react to be honest about what they’ve been through. “Stigma remains a major obstacle,” said Frankie Robertson, founder and president of the Amandla Group, which pushes for maternal health improvements in state government. “We’re talking about it more, so that alone is progress. But we don’t necessarily judge less.”

Louisiana’s national standing for treating maternal mental health has improved since the unit opened last year The state’s grade on the national Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health report card improved to a “C+” this year after the state earned a “D+” in the past two years. But that progress could be under threat. Health systems that depend on Medicaid are facing uncertainty, both in Louisiana and nationwide.

The Trump administration has called for nearly $1 trillion in cuts to the federal program over the next decade. More than 100,000 people across the state are expected to lose Medicaid coverage under new work requirements that Congress passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

The direct impact of the bill on pregnant and postpartum patients remains up for debate. They are not included in the work requirements provision of the law But the national Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance said that as states have to bear more costs for care, they may scale back programs to improve maternal health outcomes, which could include programs that focus on maternal health.

“Nationwide, we’re all concerned,” Johnson said regarding the possible Medicaid cuts. “And I think nationwide, we’re all modeling and trying to figure out, what does that look like over time?”

Finding hope in her children

A 2022 report from the Louisiana Perinatal Mental

DO YOU NEED HELP? HERE ARE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

The National Suicide and Crisis hotline phone number is 988 and more resources are available at 988lifeline.org. People in crisis can also call 911 and ask for a Crisis Intervention Team member The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers free support groups around Louisiana. More details are available at https:// namilouisiana.org/.

Health Task Force found that untreated perinatal mood disorders cost the state roughly $312 million a year, with effects ranging from women dropping out of the workforce to increased health care costs for their infants.

State lawmakers have adopted some of the report’s recommendations, including that pediatricians in Louisiana should screen mothers for postpartum depression during infant visits.

Robertson said the 2022 report “stays at the top of our desk as something we prioritize each year” in her requests to lawmakers. Among their future priorities, she said, are pushing for the state to mandate paid family leave. Robertson said taking that step could support maternal mental health by not forcing mothers back into the workforce within days of giving birth. Lane is now expecting her sixth baby She’s most hopeful about watching her children grow up. As she held Mhe’Shaun on a recent afternoon at their house, the rest of her kids danced and played in the background.

Mhe’Shaun reached out and grabbed the yellow birdhouse her mom had painted in the hospital.

“If you need help,” Lane said, “ask for it.”

Judge halts deportation flights to Guatemala

BY VALERIE GONZALEZ, REBECCA SANTANA and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

HARLINGEN, Texas With migrant children waiting on tarmacs to be sent to their native Guatemala, a federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the flights, siding with attorneys for the children who said the government was breaking laws and sending their clients to potential peril.

The extraordinary drama was the latest showdown over the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration — and the latest clash between the administration’s enforcement efforts and legal safeguards that Congress created for vulnerable migrants Guatemalan children who arrived at the border without their parents or guardians will stay for at least two weeks while the legal fight unfolds, according to the ruling.

“I do not want there to be any ambiguity,” said U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan.

Minutes after her hastily scheduled hearing, five charter buses pulled up to a plane at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, a hub for deportation flights. Hours earlier, authorities had walked dozens of passengers — perhaps 50 — toward the plane in an area restricted to government planes.

“This idea that on a long weekend in the dead of night

A relative of an unaccompanied minor deported from the United States reviews the list of those deported outside La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City on Sunday

they would wake up these vulnerable children and put them on a plane irrespective of the constitutional protections that they had is something that should shock the conscience of all Americans,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center which represents the children, following Sunday’s hearing The Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. The chaotic, rapid-fire developments resembled a March weekend showdown over the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador Advocates

Sheriff who inspired

BY AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press

A late Tennessee sheriff who inspired a Hollywood movie about a law enforcement officer who took on organized crime killed his wife in 1967 and led people to believe she was killed by his enemies, authorities said Friday Authorities acknowledged that the finding will likely shock many who grew up as Buford Pusser fans and watched 1973’s “Walking Tall,” which immortalized him as a tough but fair sheriff with zero tolerance for crime The movie was remade in 2004, and many officers joined law enforcement because of his story, according to Mark Davidson, the district attorney for Tennessee’s 25th Judicial District. There is enough evidence that if Pusser, the McNairy County sheriff who died in a car crash seven years after his wife’s death, were alive today prosecutors would present an indictment to a grand jury for the killing of Pauline Mullins Pusser, Davidson said. Investigators also uncovered signs that she suffered from domestic violence.

Prosecutors worked with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which began reexamining decades-old files on Pauline Pusser’s death in 2022 as part of its regular

review of cold cases, agency director David Rausch said. Agents found inconsistencies between Buford Pusser’s version of events and the physical evidence, received a tip about a potential murder weapon and exhumed Pauline Pusser’s body for an autopsy

“This case is not about tearing down a legend. It is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring that the truth is not buried with time,” Davidson said in a news conference streamed online. “The truth matters. Justice matters. Even 58 years later Pauline deserves both.”

Evidence, story conflict

The case dates to Aug. 12, 1967. Buford Pusser got a call in the early morning hours about a disturbance. He reported that his wife volunteered to ride along with him as he responded. Buford Pusser said that shortly after they passed New Hope Methodist Church, a car pulled up and fired several times into the vehicle, killing Pauline Pusser and injuring the sheriff. Buford Pusser spent 18 days in the hospital and required several surgeries to recover The case was built largely on his own statement and closed quickly, Rausch said. During the reexamination of the case, Dr Michael Revelle, an emergency

implored a federal judge to halt deportations they believed were imminent.

In that case, the judge appeared in civilian clothes for a Saturday night hearing and tried to block the flights, but they went ahead, with the government saying the court order came too late.

The administration insisted it was reuniting the Guatemalan children at the Central American nation’s request with parents or guardians who sought their return. Lawyers for at least some of the children say that’s untrue and argue that in any event, authorities still would have to follow a legal process that they did not.

One girl said her parents,

in Guatemala, got a strange phone call a few weeks ago saying the U.S was deporting her, said one of the plaintiff attorneys, Efrén C. Olivares.

The 16-year-old, who’s been living in a New York shelter, said in a court filing that she’s an honors student about to start 11th grade, loves living in the U.S. and is “deeply afraid of being deported.”

Other children said in court documents that they had been neglected, abandoned, physically threatened or abused in their home country

“I do not have any family in Guatemala that can take good care of me,” a 10-year-

old said in a court filing. A 16-year-old recalled experiencing “threats against my life” in Guatemala. “If I am sent back, I believe I will be in danger,” the teen added.

As the developments played out in the U.S., families gathered at an air base in Guatemala’s capital, Guatemala City, in anticipation of the flights. Gilberto López said he drove through the night from his remote town after his 17-year-old nephew called at midnight to say he was being deported from Texas. The boy left Guatemala two years ago, at age 15, to work in the U.S. and was detained about a month ago, López said.

Migrant children who arrive in the U.S. without their parents or guardians are routinely handed over to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. They often live in government-supervised shelters or with foster care families until they can be released to a sponsor — usually a relative — in the U.S.

Many of those from Guatemala request asylum or pursue other legal avenues to get permission to stay

An attorney with the National Center for Youth Law said the organization starting hearing a few weeks ago from legal service providers that Homeland Security Investigations agents were interviewing children — particularly Guatemalans — in facilities of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The agents asked the children about their relatives in Guatemala, said the attorney, Becky Wolozin. Then, on Friday, advocates began getting word that their young clients’ immigration court hearings were being canceled, Wolozin said. The government had two planes on the ground in Harlingen and one in El Paso, Texas, Olivares said, based on witness accounts. Government lawyer Drew Ensign told the judge that one plane might have taken off but returned.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said on X that the Guatemalan government formally requested the children’s return and that the judge was “refusing to let them reunify with their parents.”

The judge said she was awakened at 2:30 a.m. to address the emergency filing from the children’s lawyers, who wrote in bold type that flights might be leaving within the ensuing two to four hours. Sooknanan spent hours trying to reach federal attorneys and get answers, she said.

“I have the government attempting to remove unaccompanied minors from the country in the wee hours of the morning on a holiday weekend, which is surprising,” Sooknanan said at the midday hearing, later adding: “Absent action by the courts, all of those children would have been returned to Guatemala, potentially to very dangerous situations.”

medicine physician and medical examiner, studied postmortem photographs, crime scene photographs, notes made by the medical examiner at the time and Buford Pusser’s statements. He concluded that Pauline Pusser was more likely than not shot outside the car and then placed inside it. He found that cranial trauma suffered by Pauline Pusser didn’t match crime scene photographs of the car’s interior Blood spatter on the hood outside the car contradicted Buford Pusser’s statements. The gunshot wound on his cheek was in fact a close-contact wound and not one fired from long range, as Buford Pusser described, and was likely selfinflicted, Revelle concluded.

Pauline Pusser’s autopsy revealed she had a broken nose that had healed prior to her death. Davidson said statements from people who were around at the time she died support the conclusion that she was a victim of domestic violence.

Investigation gave closure

Pauline Pusser’s younger brother Griffon Mullins, said the investigation gave him closure. He said in a recorded video played at the news conference that their other sister died without knowing what happened to Pauline Pusser and he is grateful he will die knowing.

“You would fall in love with her because she was a people person. And of course, my family would always go to Pauline if they had an issue or they needed some advice and she was always there for them,” he said. Mullins said he knew there was some trouble in Pauline

Pusser’s marriage, but she wasn’t one to talk about her problems. For that reason, Mullins said he was “not totally shocked.”

Asked about the murder weapon and whether it matched autopsy findings, Rausch recommended reading the case file for specifics

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation plans to make the entire file, which exceeds 1,000 pages, available to the public by handing it over to the University of Tennessee at Martin once it finishes with redactions. The school will create an online, searchable database for the case.

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METRO NEWS

Next N.O. mayor will have to walk tightrope with state

Candidates say they can collaborate, but will defend against interventions

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE and JAMES FINN Staff writers

Louisiana Republican Gov

Jeff Landry has sent state troopers to tamp down on New Orleans crime, bused its homeless residents to a state shelter and shaken up its public boards.

Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill has waged fights with the Crescent City on everything from immigration enforcement to school-zone cameras.

And Republican lawmakers in recent years have approved bills advancing a conservative agenda on issues like crime and reproductive health over local objections.

Democratic New Orleans is squarely in the crosshairs of an increasingly dominant GOP-led state government — a reality the city’s next mayor will face head on. In the Oct. 11 mayoral race, three major Democratic candidates are trying to convince voters they’re best positioned to defend the city’s autonomy and traditions, while still working to show they can reach across the aisle to advance the city’s agenda in one of the country’s most conservative states and at a time when federal threats to autonomy and funding loom.

With less than two months until the primary election, Democratic State Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and District E City Council member Oliver Thomas are all offering versions of the same pledge: They will defend New Orleans against state interventions, yet work collaboratively to drive state resources toward city priorities.

Landry has not announced public support for any candidate. His New Orleans-focused adviser Shane Guidry threw his support behind Moreno in a recent interview and cited Duplessis as a second choice before backtracking after receiving calls from candidates.

Officials and longtime political watchers say a new mayor will have an opportunity to reset the fraught relationship between city and state government. They also say Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s second and final term has become so scandal-marred that she has been largely silent in the face of state intrusion.

“The next mayor should work hard to build some kind of constructive relationship with the governor, but the mayor also has to protect the integrity of the job,” said former Mayor Marc Morial, who heads the National Urban League and served two mayoral terms from 1994 to 2002. “The mayor is not subservient to the governor, the mayor does not report to the governor, but there should be a partnership with the governor.” Red state jumps in The next mayor must work with a governor who has proved himself uniquely unafraid of tangling with New Orleans’ affairs. Citing failures of local leaders, Landry launched a State Police troop in downtown New Orleans and, as Super Bowl LIX approached, shipped dozens of people out of the city’s homeless encampments to a staterun shelter in Gentilly He’s filled local boards with his preferred appointees.

Meanwhile, the Legislature’s dual Republican supermajorities have pushed laws to toughen penalties for criminals and loosen restrictions on guns over New Orleans leaders’ opposition. That comes in the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s threat to send the feds to intervene in Democrat-led cities if they don’t “learn their lesson” and “clean up” crime. Lawmakers also moved this year to block city officials

from carving out an exemption in the French Quarter from the state’s permitless concealed carry rules

Murrill has prosecuted people arrested in the city through a 2024 agreement with Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, and has issued regular public letters and opinions on a range of local issues.

But Landry has also shown a willingness to work with local leaders. Some of his New Orleans-focused initiatives, like infrastructure fixes ahead of Super Bowl in February, have been wellreceived by many locals. He forged a friendly relationship with Cantrell in the runup to the big game with the two officials supporting each other at public appearances and private gatherings

Privately, some local officials even praise the work of his Troop NOLA and state agents’ swift relocation of homeless people at Landry’s order. If they have any concern about the partnership between Murrill and Williams, they’ve kept it to themselves.

Through a spokesperson, the governor declined to be interviewed or provide a comment on the mayor’s race.

Guidry, a prolific political donor, said the governor has set his sights on New Orleans as local leadership has left a vacuum. How long Landry’s oversight continues depends on the next mayor’s willingness to work toward real solutions, he said.

“The status quo in certain cities needs to change,” said Guidry “Whoever gets in there needs to do that job. If you do that job, the state can focus on other things in other places.”

The candidates Moreno has held a wide lead in the race in a series of recent polls. In a WWL television-commissioned poll this month, Duplessis placed second and Thomas third.

Despite saying during Landry’s campaign that his governorship would be “dangerous” for New Orleans, Moreno in an interview last week said that she has a “good working professional relationship” with Landry and that the governor “seems to be open to having dialogue and conversation.”

She pointed to collaborations with Landry’s administration on a proposed land swap that would allow the city to build a new City Hall on Duncan Plaza, and her resistance to a now-dead effort by Landry to reject $70 million for a summer food program for children. Moreno has also spoken out in opposition to the governor’s efforts to limit public records access and restrict abortions

She blamed some of Landry’s more aggressive local interventions on Cantrell’s failure to manage the city’s affairs. A grand jury indicted Cantrell this month, accusing her of pursuing a relationship with her bodyguard on the city’s dime.

“When this city has a good mayor and a strong leader who’s taking care of New Orleans, you close that door, and then it can be more of a partnership instead of this ‘takeover’ type of initiative,” Moreno said.

Duplessis, who served in the state House before winning his Senate seat in 2022, has become known for fiery speeches on the Senate floor opposing Republican policies on criminal justice and abortion.

“I am (Landry’s) biggest opponent on issues in the Senate, there’s no question about it,” said Duplessis, who added that he’d “fight like hell to defend the city of New Orleans” as mayor, including against any Trump interventions.

Duplessis has voted repeatedly against legislative

efforts by Landry, like to expand private education and cut income taxes, and spoke out publicly against the homeless encampment sweeps.

But Duplessis has also secured trust from Landry, who asked him to serve on a Landry transition committee on New Orleans issues. Duplessis said that’s proof that he can put politics aside to get work done.

“When it comes to things like homeowners’ insurance, car insurance, I’m going to work with whoever the governor is,” said Duplessis.

Thomas, a political veteran who won his third seat on the New Orleans City Council four years ago, said that as mayor he would “work with the governor and the state Legislature amicably so we can all win” and that his approach is to “stay out of the partisan soap operas and get along with people of all parties to deliver resources.”

Thomas has publicly opposed efforts by Landry to usurp local authority over the Sewerage & Water Board and expressed concerns to Landry about the new Troop NOLA operating in the city.

“Many people across the state are eager to exploit our resources here, because New Orleans is the economic engine of Louisiana,” said Thomas. “But we need a partner, not a predator.”

A fine line

Guidry Landry’s New Orleans-focused adviser, said last week that Landry’s team has “had a great working relationship with Helena on all levels” and that when working with Moreno, “everybody forgot what side they came from and worked together to get things done.”

He said that Duplessis would be his “second choice” and that he hasn’t worked directly with Thomas.

When asked about Guidry’s comments, Moreno said her record of defending New Orleans “speaks for itself.” “If people see me as that person that’s going to actually get the city elevated and back working again, I appreciate that,” she said.

Shortly after a reporter asked Moreno about Guidry’s comments, Guidry texted that he has “received phone calls from mayoral candidates to clarify, I do not endorse any candidate, nor do I have a preferred candidate” and said that he would be “capable of working” with either Moreno or Duplessis.

Duplessis, hours after being asked through a spokesperson about his working relationship with Landry, issued a statement lambasting the governor for sending Louisiana National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to aid Trump’s show of federal law enforcement and military force in the city.

“Our National Guard exists to protect and serve the people of Louisiana, not to be used as pawns in a partisan stunt tied to a federal ‘crime emergency’ that does not reflect reality,” Duplessis said.

The candidates’ attempts to distance themselves from Landry point to the tension they face between maintaining relationships with a leader who shapes the flow of state dollars and balancing the demands of liberal voters who may balk at leaders they view as too cozy with a Republican governor Ron Faucheux, a political analyst, said that whoever becomes mayor would need to focus on collaborating with state leaders, rather than highlighting their disagreements. That’s especially important as a Trump White House has shown it’s willing to involve itself directly in various cities’ affairs.

“New Orleans does not have the luxury to have a mayor who is playing politics,” said Faucheux. “New Orleans needs a mayor who will work with other officials regardless of party in the city’s interest.”

‘Positive presence ’

Iberia Market Garden preserves Lao culture in south Louisiana

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

New Iberia’s West End neighborhood is one of the city’s most impoverished communities. Demarked by South Hopkins Street west of downtown, the West End is where Phanat Xanamane’s family first landed when they came to New Iberia from Laos in 1981 as part of a wave of post-Vietnam War resettlement in New Orleans and southwest Louisiana’s rural areas.

They moved into a trailer in the Westend mobile home park, a community that still stands directly across the street from the brick house and market that Xanamane’s parents would later purchase and run for 20 years.

That house, one of the oldest still standing on South Hopkins, is where Xanamane lives and works today — creating a community-minded business that reflects the legacy his parents left for the property

“When the Asia Market was under my family’s ownership, this whole property was a social and cultural hub for the community in so many ways,” he said, gesturing to the grassy expanses that regularly hosted gatherings among the family’s friends and customers.

“People would come after getting their paychecks and hang out, buy beers and a bunch of snacks. We had volleyball courts and PingPong tables, and there were parties happening, and people would just come.”

Today, he runs Iberia Market Garden at his fam-

ily’s homestead and has transformed the property into a series of cozy garden rooms and open green spaces, with an urban farm operation growing vegetables for restaurants, volunteers who work in exchange for free veggies and summer community-supported agriculture participants who receive weekly boxes full of cucumbers, squash, eggplant and other treats from the harvest.

Iberia Market Garden also hosts visitors via Airbnb and Hipcamp. Xanamane is experimenting with an eco-friendly glamping space, where people can stay off-grid among his flower gardens in a charming space that runs, in part, off a toilet system that converts waste into methane gas.

Having grown up in New Iberia, Xanamane moved back to Louisiana 15 years ago after stints at Columbia University, where he studied urban design, and in Bangkok. The trained architect returned home not sure what he was going to do next but hoping to use his skills to improve his community

“I felt my meaning, my purpose, was pulling me back here,” he said. “I decided to go back to Louisiana and commit myself to 10 years of being a sort of activist artist, and when I moved back to my family home, it was just all grass.

“When I was growing up, my grandparents lived next door so it was sort of like a compound, and they all worked. They gardened a lot, and grew the vegetables we sold at the market, and I just grew up around that environment. I wanted it to be a lush garden again. So I put a shovel in the ground and became obsessed.”

Xanamane is working to transform more than just the space at 1505 S. Hop-

kins St. Since blowing past his 10-year deadline, he has been active in creating change in the broader neighborhood, such as by partnering with Corey Saft, of Louisiana Housing Lab, to build four new affordable homes in the West End. In his spare time, he uses his design skills to draft ideas like a new public bus system for New Iberia he calls NIMBL — New Iberia Mass Bus/Bike Lanes. As an immigrant, Xanamane also serves as a kind of “cultural attaché,” promoting the preservation of Lao culture in south Louisiana. This summer, his short film on Lao foodways, “Bayou, Buddha, and Padaek,” aired on the Library of Congress YouTube channel. He also helps with the Lao New Year Festival, held annually over Easter weekend at Lanexang Village and Wat Thammarattanaram in Broussard.

“In the next phase, I want to continue creating this space and contributing to the city,” said Xanamane. “It’s been such a positive presence in a part of the city that has such a negative stigma attached to it. When kids are passing by on the school bus and look out and see the house and gardens, it’s like an escape. It can mentally shape how they see their lives.” Iberia Market Garden is open for volunteer hours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the summer and 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. when it cools down. Volunteers receive 2 pounds of vegetables for each hour they put in. Iberia Market Garden also offers four- and eight-week seasonal vegetable box subscriptions, which cost $150 for the summer season.

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

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 26-year-old man following a near-fatal shooting in Plaquemine.

Sheriff Brett Stassi said gunfire erupted on Barrow Street, which intersects La. 1, about 6 p.m. Friday

The victim was reportedly walking down the street when the assailant pulled up in a car and shot the victim multiple times before driving off.

The victim was airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital in critical condition Friday night, but by Sunday, his condition had improved to stable, Stassi said.

Authorities were able to get a description of the vehicle from the victim and

witnesses, and used license plate reader cameras to locate the car later Friday in West Baton Rouge Parish.

The driver, Donald Ray Vondo, was booked into Iberville Parish Jail on counts of attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Vondo’s criminal history includes a 2018 arrest at age 19 when he and two others were charged in a string of arsons in Iberville Parish. Authorities at the time said Vondo was part of a group known as Big Money Mafia, and the fires were set as part of retaliatory acts against a rival group. In two instances, homes were targeted in the middle of the night while families, including young children were asleep inside.

Stassi said the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating a motive for Friday’s shooting.

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan.mccahill@ theadvocate.com.

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Obituaries Chustz, Cathey

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26. On Wednesday, August 27th, 2025, Cathey Cross Chustz, age 68, passed away peacefully aftera courageous battle with pancreatic cancer for two years, at her home in GreenwellSprings. She was born in Canton, MS, in 1956 and grew up in Denham Springs, LA. She was a graduate of the Denham Springs High School class of 1974 and earned adegree in Business Administration from LSU in 1978. She would later make acareerchange and earn adegree in Occupational Therapy from the LSU Medical School of Allied Health in 1987. Cathey was aretired OccupationalTherapist who dedicated 28 years working with children in LivingstonParish. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Steve Chustz; two daughters, Stefanie (husband, Steven Calverley) and TaylorChustz (partner, Evan Mack); two sisters, Donna Currier and Brenda Wright (husband, René); and two grandchildren, Steven and Elizabeth Calverley.She is preceded in death by her parents, Joy and Oley Cross. She was akind, compassionate person and aloving wife, mother, andCeCe. She had astrong faith and belief in Christ and was amember of Blackwater Methodist Church. Cathey was actively involved in her children's school activities, including baking cakes and servingasa Girl Scout leader for 10 years. She was intelligent, loved to read and learn, and enjoyed crafting with her friends and family. She was an avid traveler, going on adventures across the United States, Ghana, Peru, and Europe with loved ones.

Visitation willbeon Wednesday, September 3rd, at Greenoaks Memorial Park from 10:00 am till the service at 1:00 pm. For those attending the service, Cathey requested all guests wear bright colors to celebrate her life. The family would like to thank Dr. Miletello, the staff at Baton Rouge General Hospital, Our Lady of the Lake, MD Anderson, and the members of Pinnacle Hospice for the love and care extended to Cathey during this time. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

ElizabethAnn Flowers Lee, belovedwife,mother, grandmother,and friend, passedawaypeacefully surrounded byher family on Wednesday, August27, 2025. She wasbornonApril 18,1939, theonlydaughter of Melville and Ivor Flowers. Ann earned her degree as aLab Technician as she devoted her lifetocaring forothers, not just professionallybut in her homeas well. Herkindness, steady hands, and compassionate spirit touchedcountless lives in the medical field. She wasthe cherished wife of Dr. CharlesLee,and together they built alife centeredonlove, family,and faith. Ann'sgreatestjoy washer family.She and Charlesraisedfour children: Dr.Sharon LeeBarksdale (Dr.Phillip Barksdale), CharlesLeo "Rod"Lee Jr Kathleen "Kat"Evers(WendellEvers), andMargaret"Maggie" Powell(Guild Powell). Herlove and legacy liveon in her grandchildren: Kyle Evers, Dr.MikeEvers, RobbieClark,Emma Little, Mary BethSandroni (Dr. Peyton Sandroni), Charles Barksdale,CharlesLee III, and Thomas Lee. Each of them carriesa partofher spirit,her warmth,and her unwavering devotionto family.Ann createda home full of respect, loyalty,and love. She made each personwho entered feel seen,valued,and cared for, leaving alasting impression of graceand kindness.Wewere all blessedtohave Ann in our lives,and whileher absence leavesa deep ache, her love and examplewill continue to guide us. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 2, 2025, from 9:30 a.m.to12:00 noon, followedbyservices beginning at Rabenhorst East Funeral Home,11000 Florida Blvd, BatonRouge Louisiana, in the Chapel.A gravesideservicewillfollowatResthaven Gardens 11801 JeffersonHwy,Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allofficiated by Father BryanofSt. Luke's EpiscopalChurch. In lieuofflowers, thefamily kindlyrequests that donations be made to Patterson Place, acommunity for specialneeds adults,at PattersonPlaceAL.org.

When youneed thenews. Wherever youreadthe news

Thankyou to La. delegation for supportof childtax credit

The “Big Beautiful Bill” captured headlines earlier this year and was signed by the president on Independence Day.Thatwould not have been possible without the leadership of our Louisiana delegation.

Iwant to give ahuge shoutout and thank you to Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalisefor theirtireless efforts (even into the wee hours of the morning) to achieve passage of the bill. Thanks to U.S.Sen. Bill Cassidy,U.S. Sen.John Kennedy,U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow for their affirmative votes on the bill, and particularly,their supportfor the Child TaxCredit. The final version makes permanent the credit at $2,200 per child, subject to inflationary adjustments.

In 2017, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted. While the bill made sweeping changes to tax policy (including welcomed tax relief up and down the income ladder), it was the reprioritization of the family that was,inmyopinion, the most significant accomplishment We are thankful that the CTC made it to the final version and that indexing it to inflation will protect families going forward. Taxrelief empowers families to utilize their own money as their families need —from groceries to diapers to child care. It keeps their hard-earned dollarsintheir pockets.

Ihave often echoed thatthe family is the basic building block of any flourishing society.Asgoes the family,sogoes the culture For too long, this fundamental principle was more of atalking point than adriving force when it came to tax policy in Washington. Fortunately,that dynamic appears to be changing for the better! And for that, Louisiana families and I arevery grateful.

GENE MILLS president, Louisiana FamilyForum

Ourleaders’priorities areall wrong

If the country can afford millions in trips to Scotland,ballrooms,garden patios, golf outings and abillion for the plane, we can afford publicbroadcasting CATHY HIGHTOWER Metairie

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

What proponents of school choice miss

The latest effusion from Louisiana’santipublic school crusaders is amasterclass in bourgeoissanctimony masquerading as reform. To liken public education toSoviet grocery lines or forced medical triage is not merely absurd— it is dishonest.

Public schools are not monopolies,but manifestations of asocial contract. We fund them not because they are perfect,but because we believeall children —not just those born into affluence —deserve ashot at literacy,numeracy and civic responsibility. To siphon funds from these institutions and funnel them into private enclaves is not liberation —itisabandonment

Arecentletter to the editor cloaks class warfare in libertarian velvet. Wealthy families already have “choice” —they have money.School vouchers do not create equality; they subsidize theflight of privilege while

leaving behind the rest in under-resourced classrooms. It is acruel inversion of justice: Blaming public schools for failing while actively defunding them. Anditislaughable to suggest that private schools can do better with less money —ask them to educate achild with disabilities, or one facing hunger,traumaor homelessness. Public schools do this every day, with grace and grit.

The answer is not to cannibalize public education but to fortify it. Pay teachers what they’re worth. Repair crumbling facilities. Fund music, science and libraries —not glossy propaganda.

If you truly care about children, especially poor children, then do not offer them “escape.” Offer them equity

JOHN GUZDA

NewOrleans

Duncan captures grandeur of Dome, butneeds onemorenamementioned

Ienjoyed reading Jeff Duncan’spiece extollingthe legacy of the Louisiana Superdome LikeSydney’sOpera House, theSuperdome is indeedthe defining element of the New Orleanscityscape, distinguishing it from any other city in the world. On aclear day,itis visiblewhen travelingsouth on the Causeway Bridge and from much further when approaching New Orleans by air

Thinking back 50 years, Ican still vividly remember standing in athird-floor classroom at Jesuit High and excitedly watching thesuperstructure going up, amazed at how bigitwas. The entire city was enthralled

with the construction process and excited about what it would look like once completed.

Andalthough John McKeithen no doubt deserves credit for pushing the Dome politically,the man whowas the true visionary of this magnificent building was Dave Dixon. Without Dixon, there would have been nothingtopush through theLegislature. As Gov McKeithen said, quoted by Marty Mule of this paper in 1999, “It was Dave’sconcept. Idid what Icould because Dave got me to believe in it.”

ROBERT BAUDOUIN NewOrleans

The announced closures of Planned Parenthood in Baton Rouge and New Orleans should give pause forreflection. Somemay ask, “Since the sexual revolution has been underway fortwo generations now,don’twestill need birth control and abortion?”

It might be worthwhile to question whybirth control is wrong. One of the mainreasons is that it tends to turn love into lust. There is adifference between love and pleasure. Doesthis person really love me for whoI am, or is he or she just using me? No one wants to be used by someone else. When Iamused by someone, Ifeel Ihave been lied to, have been violated.

By interrupting awoman’snatural cycle of fertility and infertility, birth control separates sex from its natural purpose, which is reproduction, and from its distinctively human purpose, the expression of love. Birth control instead establishes pleasure as the mainpoint of sexual relations. As long as Iplease my partner,heorshe continues to love me. But what happens when I get sick, or old, and am no longer so pleasing?

Somemay say,“But we’re married, so that is not an issue.” But even in marriage, birth control becomes like an invisible wedge between husband and wife.They are not quite completely united, for they are always holding something back. In the words of one philosopher,they may find themselves ending up in a“juxtaposition of two solitudes.”

So the question Ibegan with could be turned around: “Was the sexual revolution agood thing to begin with?” That is, after two generations of divorce, the death of untold millions by abortion and rampant sexually transmitted diseases. Our clergy should be promoting the timeless virtue of chastity before marriage and within marriage.

DON CAFFERY

Baton Rouge

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Ihad respectfor U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy after he bravely broke ranks withthe GOPand votedtoconvict Donald Trumpwhen he was impeached.

Unfortunately,Cassidy has now shown that he will do virtually anything to remain in office. Sixmonthsago, he expressed concern aboutRobert F. Kennedy Jr.’snomination as Secretary ofHealthand Human Services, but was thedeciding vote in Kennedy’s confirmation. At thetime, he said he had Kennedy’s agreementnot to dismantle the country’s preventive healthprograms. When Kennedybegan to do just that, Cassidy capitulated Now,Kennedy is endorsing Trump’sreck-

less firing of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics basedonthe false premise that she “rigged” the labor statistics,which all knowledgeable experts say is impossible. Respected economists also say that Trump’saction will underminecredibility for thegovernment’sstatisticsand thereby inflict serious damage to our economy.Asa physician and, presumably,aman of science, Cassidy knows better.Hemay get Trump’s endorsement and be reelected,but he will forever be known as acheap politician with no principles.

JOHN LANDIS NewOrleans

COMMENTARY

FOOTBALL RETURNS!

After months of waiting,football is finally back! With high hopes and fingers crossed, Louisiana pigskin fans arereadytojump, danceand scream.Itlooks likethis announcer is yelling about something unbelievable already!

So,what’sgoing on in this cartoon? youtellme. Be witty,funny, crazy,absurd or snarky—justtry to keep it clean.There’snolimit on the numberofentries. Thewinning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and runonMonday, Sept. 8inour print editions and online. In addition, the winnerwill receivea signed print of the cartoon along with acool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed

To enter,email cartooncontest@theadvocate.com.

DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, homeaddressand phone number.Cell numbers are best

Thedeadline for all entries is on midnight,Thursday, Sept. 4. Good luck, football fans! —Walt

Whom do ourRepublicans represent?

It’s getting hard to tell whoLouisiana’smembers of Congress represent when it comes to environmentalprotection.

Traditionally,thesemembers are identified by their office followed by abrief note containing their party affiliation and —most importantly —the state they are from

For example: U.S.Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. That signifies Scalise is aHouse member (Rep.), aRepublican (R) and someonewho was elected to protect the interestsofLouisiana residents (La.).

But judging by their actions protectingthose residents from threats from pollution and the swallowing of the coastal zone by the Gulf of Mexico,an editisnecessary for members of our GOP delegation.

The “La.” should be changed to “Tr.” —for President Donald Trump. That’sbecause every time it comes down to achoice between what’sbest for Louisiana and what Trumpwants, they represent the latter They have given unwaveringsupport to Trump as he has unleashed ahistoric rollbackofenvironmental protections and programs addressingclimate change, which could drown our coastal area.

The furious pace of Trump’sdecrees makes it difficult to grasp theflood of negative impactsfacing Louisiana. But areview of some headlines charts the harm Trump is pushing, withthe silence of ourGOP delegation.

“Trump declares national energy emergency to justify more oil andgas drilling.” There is no emergency;the U.S. now produces more oil andgas than any nationinhistory.But theorder requires theEPA to expedite permitting andapprovaloffossil fuel and mining projects and circumvent the Clean WaterAct, increasing the harm to Louisiana’senvironment and residents.

“Trump exempts more than 100polluters from environmental standards.” TheEPA had said one of theregulations could reduce cancer risk of peoplelivingwithin 6miles of achemical plant by 96%

“Trump wants to kill Chemical Safety Board.” This order puts residentsnear plants and workers at higher risk.

“Want aClean Air Act exemption?

Just email the EPA.”Trump’sEPA issued aroadmap on how polluters slip

regulations limiting toxic emissions.

“Deadly Risk: NOAA weather budget slashes as hurricane season opens.”

Trumphas called for cutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget by 25% and closed itsOffice of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Meteorologists say this will significantly decrease theagency’sability to forecast the strength and developmentofhurricanes.Italso lost access to two critical weather satellites.

“Louisiana losing $156 million for solar energy as Trumpadministration cuts program.” This cut applies to the Solar forAll program, which provides grants to low-income homeowners to help reduce utility costs and greenhousegas emissions. This is part of Trump’seffort to kill theclimate action planofthe Biden Administration, which could send billions toLouisiana.

“New Orleans’ vital levee system will be inspected less often. Federal cuts are to blame.”

Poor andincompletelevee inspections were areason authorities missed problems that resulted in thelevee failures that caused flooding in thecity and other communities during Hurricane Katrina. The money was later restored because thethe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferred funds from theSt. Louisoffice —not because of pushback

from Louisiana’sGOP

There are hundreds more.

The silence of Louisiana’sGOP delegation on issues hurting Louisiana is moredamning because that group includes two of the most powerful congressional members: Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, and Scalise, its majority leader.Ifany members were able to squeeze exceptions out of Trump’srampage, surely it should have been them.

It’snot like other GOP members have not dared to protest aTrumpmove. U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Warren Davidson (Ohio), along with U.S. Sens. RandPaul (Ky.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Thom Tillis (N.C.), all voted against his Big BeautifulBill. AndU.S. Sen LisaMurkowski (Alaska) withheld her voteuntil Trumpgranted her concessions.

ButLouisiana’sdelegation quietly submitstoits Dear Leader.And the statewill suffer Surely LouisianaRepublicans canfind men andwomen who will replace that “Tr.”and put the“La.” back where it belongs

Bob Marshall, aPulitzer Prizewinning Louisiana environmental journalist,can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com.

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina carved its place into American history —not just as one of the deadliest storms, but as adefining failure of emergency coordination. More than 1,300 lives were lost. Hundreds of thousands weredisplaced. And the Gulf Coast, especially New Orleans, wasleft in ruins. At the time, Iwas serving as adeputy chief with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Iwas deployed to assist my home state under astate-to-state compact, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Gov.Kathleen Blanco requested aid from California Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger,and Ijoined the early recovery efforts in NewOrleans. What I witnessed changed me forever

Beyond the physical devastation, Katrina exposed the consequences of fractured emergency systems, fragile infrastructure and abreakdowninpublic trust. There was no unified command. FEMA clashed with state agencies. The response faltered at every level, causing delays, confusion and human suffering that should never be repeated.

Katrina forced America to confront a hard truth: Catastrophic disasters can overwhelm even the mostprepared communities. What happened in Louisiana could happen anywhere —amajor earthquake in California, aflood in the Midwest or aCategory 5storm along any coast. The disaster wasn’tjust about Louisiana’svulnerabilities. It wasabout anation unprepared forcatastrophe at this scale.

Since then, progress has been real. Communications systems, crippled during Katrina, have been modernized. States now embrace the Incident CommandSystem and unified command. Regional mutual aid through EMAC, which deployed me to NewOrleans, has becomeacornerstone of large-scale response.

During my timeasLouisiana’semergency management director under Gov. Bobby Jindal, we pioneered the nation’s first Business Emergency Operations Center,amodel later adopted nationally by FEMA. It ensured that supply chains, retailers and private infrastructure could be harnessed forresilience. That kind of innovation must continue.

Katrina’sgreatest lesson may be the importance of trust —between federal, state and local governments, and between institutions and the people they serve.

When Ibegan leading Louisiana’semergency management and recovery efforts twoand ahalf years after the storm,itwas clear we had to stop airing disputes in the media and start solving problemsbehind closed doors. Communities must know their leaders are working together,not against each other But trust is also personal. Preparedness is no longer just agovernment responsibility.Campaigns like Louisiana’sGet a Game Plan, which we developed and is still aprogram today,emphasize familylevel readiness: having supplies, knowing evacuation routes and caring forvulnerable neighbors and pets. Disasters reveal not just systemic cracks, but the fragility of households caught unprepared.

Today,emergency management is more professionalized, moreinclusive and more capable than it was in 2005. Yetcomplacency remains adanger We’ve built capacity —but are we still using all the tools Katrina gave us? Business Emergency Operations Centers, for example, are underutilized. And we risk forgetting that Katrina-like events can happen again, whether from hurricanes or other catastrophic shocks.

That’swhy I’mhonored to serve on the FEMA Review Council, advising the president on major reforms to improve FEMA’s operational efficiency and responsiveness while ridding Washington, DC of unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy Katrina demanded accountability and innovation. Twodecades later,it’sour responsibility to keep pressing forward not with just plans and protocols, but with trust, unity and resolve.

Mark Cooper is amember of President Donald Trump’sFEMA Review Council. He served as chiefofstaff forformer Louisiana Gov. JohnBel Edwards.

Baton Rouge Weather

BY AAMERMADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON Department of Homeland

Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday said that the Trump administration will soon expand immigration operationsinChicago, confirming plans for astepped up presence of federal agents in the nation’sthird-largest city as President Donald Trump continues to lash out at Illinois’ Democratic leadership. Noem’scomments comeafter the DHS last week requested limitedlogistical support from officials at the Naval Station Great Lakes to supportthe agency’santicipated operations. Themilitary installationis about 35 miles north of Chicago.

“We’ve alreadyhad ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago but we do intend to add more resources to those operations,” Noem said during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Noem declined to provide furtherdetails about the planned surge of federal officers.

Trump lashed out against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in asocial media postingSaturday, warninghim that he must straighten out Chicago’scrime problemsquickly “or we’re coming.” The Republican president has also been critical of ChicagoMayor Brandon Johnson.

Johnson and Pritzker have pushed back against the expected federal mobilization,

BY MOLLYQUELL Associated Press

TILBURG, Netherlands

The southern Dutch city of Tilburg is seeingmorecolor than usual this weekend, as thousands of redheads from all over the world gatherinthe Netherlandsfor aonce-a-year festival to celebrate their flaming locks.

The 2025 edition of theRedhead Days festival includes music, food trucksand workshops tailored to particular needs of redheads, from makeup explainers toskin cancer prevention Organizers expect the three-day eventto draw several thousand attendees from some 80 countries.

Elounda Bakker,aDutch festival veteran of 15 years, played cards with agroupof redheaded friendsfrom across the world who meet together every year at thefestival. “I came out of curiosity mostly,justto see what it would be like notto stand out in the crowd,” said Bakker,29. “Itwas really an interestingfirstexperienceand Ijust keep coming because Imet somereally nice friends here.”

Noem promises immigration crackdowncomingtoChicago

saying crime has fallen in Chicago. They are planning to sue if Trump moves forward with theplan.

Johnson hasalreadysignedanorder barringthe Chicago Police Departmentfrom helpingfederal authorities with civil immigration enforcement or any related patrols, traffic stopsand checkpoints during the surge.

Chicago is home to alargeimmigrant population, and both the city and the state of Illinois have some of thecountry’sstrongest rules againstcooperating with federal governmentimmigration enforcement efforts. Thathas put the city and the state at oddswith Trump’sadministration as it tries to carry out his massdeportation agenda.

Pritzker in an interview aired Sunday on “Face the Nation” charged that Trump’sexpected plans to mobilize federal forces in the city maybepartofaplanto“stopthe elections in 2026 or,frankly,take control of those elections.

Noem said it was aTrump“prerogative” whether to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago as he did in Los Angeles in June in themidst of immigration protests in the California city

“I do know that L.A. wouldn’tbestandingtoday if President Trump hadn’ttaken action,” Noem said. “That citywould have burnediflefttodevicesofthe mayorand governor of that state.”

The traditionemergedtwo decades ago when Dutch artist Bart Rouwenhorstput outa call for15red-haired models for an art project in alocal newspaper.Hegot 10 times theresponse he was expecting and brought thegroup together for aphoto. Theproject got so much attention, Rouwenhorst organized asimilar meetupthe following year and has continued to oversee thefestival as it has expanded intothe multiday event it is today.“The

BY REEDDARCEY Staff writer

There it was again —that old, yet familiar sight: the illusion of an open field,suddenlyreplaced by adarting Harold Perkins, flying through the line of scrimmage. LSU hesitated to dial up the delayedblitz thatdecided its 17-10 win over Clemson. Blake Baker had shown it on the previousplay,but Clemson jumpedoffsides. Did he tip his hand?The thought crossedthe second-year defensive coordinator’smind, but he decided to stick with the call anyway.His defensive line wouldcrash to the right, and Perkins would wraparound the edge so he could chase down quarterback Cade Klubnik “Theyexecuted it to perfection,” Baker said. And LSU held on to its biggest wininyears —a victory it earned on the strength of itsdefense

BY LUKEJOHNSON Staffwriter

Want to surprise an opposing quarterback by sending Perkins on awell-timed, carefully disguised blitz? You better have some defensive backs who can coverreceiversone-on-one in high-pressure situations. The offense can’tcounter with aquick completion.

“Weweren’t in thatposition last year to play alot of man,” coach Brian Kelly said.

Now it looks like LSU (1-0) can play that kind of defense with confidence.

Against Clemson, Virginia Tech transfercornerback Mansoor Delane broke up two passes andintercepted another,while allowing only one catch on eight targets, perPro Football Focus.Five-starfreshman DJ Pickett was targeted only once on 20 coverage snaps.

TheTigers landed thoseplayers,inpart, because

To put Act 2ofhis career into motion, BrandonStaleytappedintohis resources and leanedonthe people who were at his side for both his meteoric rise and his biggest failure.

The New Orleans Saints hired Staley in Februarytocoordinate their defense, giving himhis first major opportunity as an NFL play-caller since the Los Angeles Chargers firedhim as head coach in December 2023. Thecoach they’re getting is different from the one who was let go in SouthernCalifornia. He was just 38 years old when the Chargerstapped him to be their head coach in January2021. That franchisejettisoned him five days after his 41st birthday.Between that time and when the Saints hired him,Staley spent an important year in San Francisco seeking the right way to reset. “What Iwas able to do was create some

spacetounpackall that,and then create a new path where there’snew energy movingforward to apply all those lessons; both tough lessons andgreat lessons, because therewas so manyofboth in those three years,” Staley said. To help get there, he spent alot of time listening. Staley spoke with Sean McVay under whom he became oneofthe NFL’s hottest headcoaching candidates while coordinating aNo. 1defensewiththe Rams; with Kyle Shanahan, who offered him the landing spot he needed with the49ers last year; with his best friend in the coaching business, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell; and with Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who grew up with Staley and is agodfather to Staley’schildren. He talked to mentors like John Fox and VicFangio. He reached out to NBAchampion head coach SteveKerr. He sought

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

ä Alabama State at Southern 6P.M. SATURDAy

Trust was at the crux of Darren Morris‘ first big play of the 2025 season. Southern’stop wide receiver told his coaches and his quarterback, Cam’Ron McCoy, that if aMississippi ValleyStatecornerback pressed him, throw it his way and he would come downwith the football. Morris’ opportunity arrived aminute before halftime on first and10atMVSU’s 35-yard line,and he deliveredonhis promiseSaturday at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The redshirt junior moved toward the inside of the corner’sbody,came back to the right side for his go route and located the ballfor atouchdown catch as he fell. The playgave Southern afourpoint lead with 42 seconds left in the first half and the offensive juice it needed to win 34-29 against MVSU, its first Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. The touchdownreception waspoetic. McCoyoverthrewasimilardeep ball for43 yards to Morris forwhat would have been a walk-in touchdown against North Carolina Central in the season opener Morris’ grab on Saturday allowedhim to makeupfor his two-catch and 9-yard showing in Southern’s31-14 loss Aug. 23. “It was big,” Morris said. “I got down on myself fromWeek 0. So Week 1, Iwas like, ‘You knowwhat, it’s ateam sport, you know. So my guys made plays last week.SoI told them in the meeting room, Igot y’all this week, I’m gonna make plays for y’all, because it starts with me. I’m the leader in the receiving room,sothey’re looking formeto makethose big plays.”

The first passing touchdown of the season helped Southern (1-1, 1-0 SWAC) emotionally afteritwatched as starting quarterbackJalen Woodswas taken to thehospital with12:46

wisdomfromlegends like Bill Belichickand Pete Carroll —two men who took over big jobs at averyyoung agebut didn’thit their Hall of Famestride until after their first opportunity flamed out. He was careful to find some people whose storieshad some similaritiestohis own.

“I tried to seek out as manypeople as Ifeel like hadwisdomthatI couldlearn from,” Staley said. “Thatspace that Iwas trying to create wassothat Icould improve, and I could come backfresh and better thanI’ve ever been.” In asense, Staley took the NFL equivalent of agap year He worked behind the scenes on the defense in San Francisco, but he also worked on himself. All of those conversations helped not only to identify where he may have misstepped but also to illuminate the ideal next move. Affording himself a 30,000-foot view of his career helped Staley see the destination.

“I wassozoomed in, and Iwas going

Newgarden win salvages IndyCar season

Win at Nashville Superspeedway is his first victory of season

BY JENNA FRYER Associated Press

LEBANON,Tenn. — Josef Newgarden

salvaged his miserable year by winning his first race of the season Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway — his home track — in the IndyCar finale.

He celebrated the recovery the exact same way he did after his two Indianapolis 500 victories Newgarden climbed through a hole in the fence and entered the grandsta nds , where he triumphantly raised his arms in the air in front of a gaggle of friends and family

“I am just glad we got one without anything going wrong,” Newgarden said. “It’s rewarding for our team. It’s great for our team. Been a tough, tough year and good to get a win here at the end.”

His Team Penske crew sprinted from pit lane to celebrate with him on track. They had to pass Alex Palou, who clinched his fourth IndyCar title with two races remaining, as he did celebratory doughnuts in the infield grass following his second-place finish.

It was just the second win of the season for Team Penske, which along with Newgarden has had a horrific year, and it prevented Newgarden from going winless for the first time since 2014.

Newgarden benefited from issues to a multitude of drivers and took the lead for good with 21 laps remaining when teammate Scott McLaughlin slid up the track and brushed the wall as Newgarden sailed past him. IndyCar immediately threw the caution and McLaughlin didn’t seem to have any damage to his car, but he wasn’t even able to challenge

Newgarden on the restart with 11 laps to go.

Newgarden came into the race 16th in the standings, lowest of the Team Penske trio of drivers, and had only two podium finishes through 16 races. He ended the season with four total top-five finishes, one upside-down flip and — despite his win Sunday — what will likely go down as the worst of his 14 years in IndyCar

The past nine wins of Newgarden’s career are all on ovals. McLaughlin finished third.

O’Ward crashes

Pato O’Ward started from the pole and seemed headed toward a third victory until a tire failure caused him to crash while leading.

O’Ward had already locked up second in the championship standings and wanted to give McLaren Racing a sweep of the

day after Oscar Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix. It would have been the first time in 49 years that McLaren won the IndyCar and Formula 1 races on the same day

He said he’d had a previous tire failure at Nashville during a test and had concerns about the durability of the Firestones all weekend. Earlier in the race, Palou had a tire failure not long after a breathtaking wheel-to-wheel fight with O’Ward for the lead.

“Hopefully Firestone can help us out for next year, because it sucks kind of knowing that (a tire failure) can be a possibility and multiple cars having that issue and then the guys hitting the wall at 200 mph are us,”

O’Ward said “I can tell you, you can really feel those hits, so I really hope that they can somewhat fix that and for that not to be a concern because we don’t like to go racing with that

in the back of our heads.”

Malukas helicoptered out

David Malukas has been widely rumored since the start of the season to be headed to Team Penske to replace Will Power, and if Nashville was his last race with A.J. Foyt Racing, it was rough.

Malukas crashed 83 laps into the race and was helicoptered out of the track for further medical evaluation. IndyCar and his race team said he was awake and alert and being transported to another facility for further evaluation.

Malukas was racing Louis Foster, who was one lap down, and refused to give Malukas any room.

The contact between the cars sent Malukas spinning into the wall.

Piastri wins Dutch GP after Norris breaks down

BY JAMES ELLINGWORTH Associated Press

ZANDVOORT,Netherlands — Lando Norris’ chances of beating Oscar Piastri to victory in the Dutch Grand Prix went up in smoke. His title chances are at risk, too.

Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday after teammate Norris’ McLaren broke down in what could prove a turning point in the title race. Norris was chasing Piastri late in the race when the British driver reported a “funny” smell in his cockpit.

“I don’t know if I’m on fire or not,” Norris said Smoke poured from the back of the car and he had to stop.

Norris ended the race standing behind a barrier at the side of the track with race marshals and his broken-down car

Norris’ race engineer had tried to console him by telling him how good his pace had been.

“Doesn’t matter,” Norris responded. It was the second time this season he’s failed to finish after colliding with Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passed the stricken Norris to cheers from the crowd for second place at his home Grand Prix, while Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls took his first-ever podium finish in third.

Piastri in control

Piastri’s lead over the secondplace Norris increased from nine points to 34 with nine races remaining.

The Australian’s win required him to manage three safety car restarts, holding off Norris twice and then keeping Verstappen behind him after Norris’ breakdown.

“Obviously it was incredibly un-

the

fortunate for Lando at the end,” Piastri said. “But it felt like I was in control of that (race) and used the pace that I needed to.” Verstappen had received a hug from King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands before the race and his second place was popular with the orange-clad Dutch fans.

It was Red Bull’s first podium fin-

first podium result in four years. “That was always the target since I was a kid, so this is the first step,” Hadjar said “My first podium and hopefully much more.” Both Ferraris crash

Both Ferraris ended up in the barriers in the same spot. Lewis Hamilton hit the wall during a rain

IN BRIEF

Judge ties Berra for fifth on Yankees home runs list

CHICAGO New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 358th career homer in the first inning of their series finale against the White Sox on Sunday, moving into a tie with Yogi Berra for fifth in franchise history Judge drove an 0-2 cutter from Martín Pérez deep to center for a one-out solo drive. Judge’s 43rd homer of the season had a 112.6 mph exit velocity and traveled 426 feet. He finished with three hits and scored twice in a 3-2 loss. The 33-year-old Judge also connected for a solo homer in New York’s 11-inning victory at Chicago on Saturday night.

Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (659 homers), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493) and Joe DiMaggio (361) are on top of the Yankees’ career homers list.

Pitchers’ leaves extended due to gambling probe

CLEVELAND Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz had their paid leaves extended indefinitely as Major League Baseball continues an investigation to gauge their possible involvement in gambling during games.

Clase and Ortiz were initially set to sidelined until at least Aug. 31. MLB and the players’ union said in a news release they have agreed to extend the nondisciplinary paid leave “until further notice.” It’s possible the pitchers will be out at least until the end of the regular season, which concludes Sept. 28. The Guardians recently cleared out their lockers, a sign they were unlikely to return in the final month.

Red Sox, Chapman agree to $13.3 contract for ’26

BOSTON All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox finalized a $13.3 million, one-year contract for 2026 that includes a 2027 vesting option. Chapman will be guaranteed $26 million over two years if he pitches at least 40 innings next season. The team announced the deal Sunday following a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park.

Chapman, who earned his eighth All-Star selection this season, gets a $13 million salary next year If the left-hander reaches 40 innings in 2026, he gets a $13 million salary again in 2027. If not, he would receive a $300,000 buyout unless both sides accept a mutual option, which would be unlikely The 37-year-old Chapman is having perhaps his best year, with a career-low 1.02 ERA.

Cowboys sign NFL pick-6 record-holder to extension

FRISCO, Texas DaRon Bland blossomed from a largely ignored high school recruit to a record-setting NFL cornerback without saying much along the way Now the Dallas Cowboys have given him a contract that can do all the talking.

Bland signed a $92 million, fouryear extension Sunday, four days before the opener at defending champ and NFC East rival Philadelphia.

The 26-year-old, who set a league record with five interception returns for touchdowns in 2023, is getting $50 million in guaranteed money, two people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity

The $23 million average annual value on the new deal is the sixth best for cornerbacks.

The medical crew had to help Malukas from the car and he sat outside it, head down, as he was surrounded by personnel. Lawrence wins his fifth title on European Tour CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland Thriston Lawrence of South Africa recovered from making bogey on his first three holes to shoot 4-under

shower in another disappointing race for Ferrari. Hamilton was later given a fiveplace grid penalty for the next race the Italian Grand Prix for failing to slow down enough

Pegula cruises to the U.S. Open quarterfinals

BY BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press

NEW YORK Jessica Pegula is back in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament, which used to be her roadblock.

The way Pegula is playing at this U.S. Open, it may be just another stop on the way back to the final.

The No. 4 seed rolled into the last eight by routing fellow American Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes on Sunday She will face Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday after the two-time Grand Slam champion fought off eight match points in a second set that ended with a 25-minute tiebreaker and beat Taylor Townsend 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3. Townsend was trying to reach her first quarterfinal in her 31st Grand Slam appearance.

Pegula hasn’t dropped a set this year at Flushing Meadows, and only once was she even kept on court for more than 1 hour, 15 minutes.

“Probably the best match, honestly, I’ve played since, like, before Wimbledon I feel like from

the start to finish. So that was encouraging,” Pegula said of Sunday’s victory “I was just hitting the ball, doing everything well, executing my strategy very well and got through it pretty quick.”

Pegula had been 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals before upsetting Iga Swiatek in that round last year She went on to reach the final, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka. But she wasn’t sure her tennis was ready for a follow-up when she returned to New York.

She had lost four of her previous six singles matches coming into the U.S. Open, and said she played so poorly while practicing with Sabalenka a few days before the tournament that she stopped early, opting instead for an escape room with some friends and a couple of drinks.

Things have certainly gotten better since.

“Like I said, I haven’t been feeling my best on court, so to be able to come back and make another quarterfinal here is something I’m

definitely proud of,” Pegula said. “Of course, I want to go further

and do more and win the tourna-

ment, but I feel like just on a personal kind of goal level, I’m happy with the way I’ve been able to kind of turn some of my tennis around the last few weeks.”

The 58th-ranked Li was the highest-ranked player Pegula has faced in the tournament, but the 25-year-old was overpowered in her first appearance in the round of 16 in a major In evening action, Novak Djokovic was cruising along with a big early lead in his U.S. Open fourth-round match when his neck started bothering him. That didn’t stop Djokovic from dominating 144th-ranked qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his record 64th Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Djokovic now carries a 10-0 head-to-head record into his quarterfinal on Tuesday against 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz. The No. 4-seeded Fritz, the last American man in the bracket, moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory against No 21 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic

Osaka and Gauff meet again at U.S. Open

BY HOWARD FENDRICH

Over that time, Osaka has won two Grand Slam trophies to raise her career total to four, helped spark a global conversation about mental health by revealing she felt anxiety and depression, taken a series of breaks from the tour and become a mother

The Gauff vs. Osaka matchup in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows on Monday serves as both a reminder — to them, to others — of that night six years ago, as well as all that’s transpired since.

“Just to be at this point of my life and to be playing her again,” Osaka said, “is, honestly, for me kind of special.”

Osaka was 21 and the reigning champion at the U.S. Open and Australian Open; Gauff was 15 and playing in only her second Grand Slam tournament and first in New York. Osaka won in straight sets in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but what was most memorable was what happened after the last point.

Gauff was crying, and Osaka walked over to console her and suggest that she address the crowd — highly unusual for the loser of a match. But Osaka knew the fans would want to hear from the young American who already was showing signs of becoming the star she is today

“I remember it was a tough moment for me, because it was a hyped-up match. I remember looking back at it. I guess I put way too much pressure on myself thinking I maybe had a chance in that moment to actually do something which I definitely did,” Gauff said

Saturday, “but I think it was just I felt more expectation that I should than maybe belief.”

Osaka recalls recognizing how much talent and poise Gauff possessed for such a young player

“I thought she just handled herself really well,” said Osaka, who is seeded 23rd at Flushing Meadows and recently began working with Iga Swiatek’s former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, “and I knew she was going to be back there.”

After winning the U.S Open again in 2020, Osaka triumphed at the Australian Open in January 2021. At the next Grand Slam tournament, she pulled out before her second-round match and explained the off-court struggles she had been dealing with, then took the first of a handful of mental health breaks.

The Australian Open, 4 1/2 years ago, was the last major where Osaka made it to the fourth round until

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

NEW YORK Carlos Alcaraz hit

a behind-the-back shot at the U.S. Open to win a point in a 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Arthur Rinderknech on Sunday that made the Spaniard the youngest man in the Open era to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals.

“Sometimes, I practice it. I’m not going to lie,” the No. 2-seeded Alcaraz said about the bit of wizardry he delivered in the first set.

“But I mean, I don’t practice it, like, too many times. Just in practice, if the opportunity is there, I will try In the match, it’s kind of the same. If I have the opportunity, why not?”

At 22 years and 3 months old, Alcaraz is about 6 months younger than Boris Becker was when he got to major quarterfinal No. 13.

Alcaraz’s opponent on Tuesday will be No. 20 Jiri Lehecka, a 23-year-old from the Czech Republic. Lehecka advanced to his second Slam quarterfinal with a 7-6 (4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino.

Early on against Rinderknech, a Frenchman who played college tennis at Texas A&M, Alcaraz closed a love hold that made the score 2-all in spectacular fashion. Moving to his right at midcourt, Alcaraz found himself in what appeared to be a bad spot when Rinderknech wrong-footed him.

But Alcaraz wrapped his racket around his body and flicked a shot

up the line.

Perhaps startled that the point wasn’t over, Rinderknech hit a volley that landed in the net. A big smile crossed Alcaraz’s face as he looked over at his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in the stands. Alcaraz then placed his right index finger behind his ear, as if acknowledging the spectators’ cheers.

“The people like it; I like playing tennis like this,” Alcaraz said. “My style of tennis fits pretty well to the energy here.”

Alcaraz wound up taking that set in a tiebreaker Then, midway through the second, Alcaraz produced another highlight-worthy effort with a no-look passing winner, racing forward to get to a short ball and glancing down the line as though he was going to hit to Rinderknech’s backhand, but instead steering a forehand cross-court.

By the last game, even Rinderknech was smiling at other next-level strokes by Alcaraz, who has won 54 of 55 service games through four matches this year at Flushing Meadows. He claimed the title here in 2022 for the first of his five Grand Slam trophies.

Alcaraz is into his fourth major quarterfinal of 2025, the first

By The Associated Press

NORTON, Mass. — Miranda Wang lost the lead to the No. 1 player in women’s golf and then delivered the clutch shots over the final three holes for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Jeeno Thitikul on Sunday in the FM Championship for her first LPGA title.

Wang became the seventh LPGA rookie to win this year, extending a remarkable streak of no multiple winners through the tour’s first 23 tournaments of the year

“I hope this is the first of many, and I’ll keep working hard,” said Wang, the Chinese player who delivered the winning point when Duke won the NCAA team title in 2019. “This is a dream come true.”

now. She was off the tour for part of that stretch while on maternity leave.

On Saturday, she spoke about “the journey getting back here.”

“I just feel happy,” said Osaka, 27, “because I feel like all of my hard work is amounting to something.”

Gauff, now 21, won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the French Open this June and is seeded No. 3 in New York while working with a biomechanics expert to retool her problematic serve.

“Naomi and I, we aren’t super close or anything, but we’re definitely friendly with each other I support her from afar in all the things that she’s done on and off the court,” Gauff said.

“It would be a cool kind of deja vu-type of situation,” she said, guessing that this rematch will be in Ashe, too, “but hopefully it will be a different result.”

Thitikul, who took over the No. 1 ranking from Nelly Korda three weeks ago, was poised to end that streak and ruin Wang’s hopes when the Thai hit wedge to 2 feet at No. 9 for her fifth birdie to go out in 31 on the TPC Boston and tie for the lead.

Wang showed some nerves when she jabbed at a 3-foot birdie putt she missed on the par-5 12th. Then she came up well short from the fairway on No 15 into a bunker, didn’t reach the green and took bogey to fall out of the lead. But she showed plenty of moxie the way she finished, and Thitikul gave her plenty of help. Thitikul was in the collar of rough, the ball above her feet, after an aggressive drive on the 17th. She pulled her shot left of a bunker chipped through the green and had to get up-anddown from the other side for bogey

“I don’t think I do anything wrong. Just technique-wise just some mistakes,” Thitikul said.

Wang missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, but then hit her approach on the 17th to 6 feet behind the hole and caught enough of the cup to make birdie and regain the lead. On the par-5 closing hole, Thitikul laid up short of a ditch and her wedge landed 5 feet short of the pin and then rolled back some 20 feet. She made par for a 67. Wang laid up and hit wedge to 25 feet, two-putting for par to finish at 20-under 268. Rose Zhang, who played in the final group with Wang was among those who doused her with bubbly to celebrate becoming the 11th first-time winner on the LPGA this year Wang set the tone for her first LPGA title Thursday when, after starting on No. 10, she made eight birdies on the front nine. Her confidence only grew with the putter, and she led

GENE J PUSKAR

Rodgers cutting through the noise to reshape legacy

BY WILL GRAVES AP national writer

PITTSBURGH Aaron Rodgers sits in the corner of a largely empty Pittsburgh Steelers locker room on a random afternoon late in training camp. The day might be over, but the NFL’s oldest active player is in no rush to leave.

The four-time MVP stands up and walks over to a nearby trash can, which just so happens to be in front of rookie defensive tackle Yahya Black’s stall Rodgers turns toward Black who turned 3 two days before Rodgers was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round 20 years ago — and starts to chat. Their brief exchange is inaudible. Black’s laughter is not Rodgers makes his way back to his seat and plops down. He spots Mason Rudolph — who once dreamed of sitting atop the depth chart as Rodgers has for years but now is leaning into the not exactly unpleasant purgatory of career backup — out of the corner of his eye.

Another brief chat. Another burst of laughter

Mason McCormick, who grew up as a zero-star recruit in South Dakota and will spend this season starting at right guard on an offensive line tasked with protecting a 41-year-old quarterback who doesn’t move as he used to, lumbers by Another spirited backand-forth.

Yet more laughter

It’s been like this from Rodgers’ first day with the club in early June. Not long after signing a one-year deal with the Steelers following months of “will he or won’t he?” speculation, Rodgers asked his new teammates to cast aside whatever they might have

SAINTS

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for a long time,” Staley said. “It felt good to zoom out and to reset. Then what that allowed me to do was create a path forward that I knew that I could head towards.

“I knew that I needed to be on a new mission. Just because one thing ends, it doesn’t mean that it’s over Something new is beginning, and that’s what I needed to find was that path forward, because I know that the best is ahead for me.”

Now comes the time for Staley to act upon everything he soaked up from his peers, mentors and idols. He is a crucial part of the major shakeup within the Saints organization. Staley is effectively the head coach of the defense, allowing first-time head coach Kellen Moore to focus on the offense while also providing Moore a road map for how to navigate the challenges that come with the top job.

“It’s a phenomenal opportunity; I feel fortunate to be getting the opportunity to team up with Brandon again,” said Moore, who was Staley’s offensive coordinator for his last season with the Chargers. “His experience as a head coach is really valuable for me. There’s plenty of little nuances and little questions that we get to discuss.”

And, Moore added, Staley’s “expertise on the defensive side is really, really next level,” which will be critical as New Orleans attempts to rebuild its franchise in the first year of a

heard about him, whatever they might have read about him, and in the case of some, whatever they might have said (or posted) about him.

Get to know the real me and not the noise, Rodgers said an unusual appeal from one of the league’s most recognizable if polarizing stars — just this week a betting website spammed media with the results of a poll in which it claimed Steelers fans voted Rodgers as the NFL’s most annoying player — who that felt was necessary after deciding to go radio silent as he weighed whether to return for a 21st season

That silence led others to fill the vacuum as the saga dragged on.

And while Rodgers learned long ago to tune it all out, he didn’t want to assume everyone else did, too.

A humble approach

Yes, there is Aaron Rodgers, the willing provocateur unafraid to speak his mind on any subject, no matter who it might chafe, and openly dabbles in ayahuasca and darkness retreats. There is also Aaron Rodgers, the football player who alighted in Pittsburgh after two turbulent seasons with the New York Jets because he felt it was “best for my soul.”

The man who tries to live by the credo of “be curious, not judgmental” appealed to his teammates — none of whom were even in the league when he and the Packers beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl in the 2010 season to afford him that same respect

The early returns have been eyeopening and, for some, refreshing.

Rather than stand at the front of the line during warmups, Rodgers will bounce around, well aware that sometimes the players who linger at the back are there for a reason.

“I knew that I needed to be on a new mission. Just because one thing ends, it doesn’t mean that it’s over. Something new is beginning, and that’s what I needed to find was that path forward, because I know that the best is ahead for me.”

BRANDON STALEy, Saints defensive coordinator

new regime.

Staley arrived to lead a Saints defense that is in flux. After several years of high-end play, New Orleans sagged in its final years under coach Dennis Allen. Things cratered last year, when the Saints allowed more yards than all but two teams. The run defense was a sieve, the pass rush non-existent. Enter Staley, who will implement an entirely new scheme. In the simplest terms, it will look different because Staley brought a 3-4 base defensive alignment with him. But a more discerning eye will notice the way Staley’s unit disguises its intention at the line of scrimmage, the way it sends rushers from any and every angle, and the way defenders are free to use their eyes and make plays.

The early reviews have been nothing but positive from the players who will play in Staley’s scheme.

“If you’re a real dog, it’s easy to buy into his system,” said linebacker Demario Davis. “... He’s

No. 13 South Carolina plays ‘Beamerball’ to to beat Virginia Tech

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

ATLANTA Vicari Swain returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown to break open a close game, LaNorris Sellers threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Nyck Harbor, and No. 13 South Carolina beat Virginia Tech 24-11 on Sunday in the opener for both teams. Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer used his brand of “Beamerball” to pull away from the school where his dad, Frank Beamer, originated the style of play that emphasizes turnovers and big plays on special teams. Frank was in attendance at MercedesBenz Stadium, wearing South Carolina black. South Carolina intercepted Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones twice — once in the red zone to halt a first-quarter drive, and again in the fourth quarter to help seal

the win. The Gamecocks led 10-8 early in the fourth when Swain fielded a punt by Nick Veltsistas, turned upfield and made several wouldbe tacklers miss on the way to the end zone. After a Virginia Tech field goal, Sellers found Harbor wide open on a deep post route to restore South Carolina’s twoscore advantage.

Virginia Tech’s offense was held without a touchdown. John Love kicked three field goals, including a 56-yarder, and the Hokies’ defense contributed a safety in the first quarter when Kelvin Gilliam Jr and Kody Huisman took down Sellers in the end zone. Sellers scored South Carolina’s first touchdown on a 15-yard rush and was 12 of 19 passing for 209 yards and the TD to Harbor who had three catches for 99 yards. Harbor had another potential TD taken away by a replay review

Rather than gravitate toward the same group every day in the cafeteria, he will sit down with whomever to talk about whatever

Rather than dominate every meeting in the quarterback room, he absorbs information from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and backups Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard just as generously as he dishes it out.

Becoming a ‘servant leader’

Rodgers used the phrase “servant leader” to describe the role he envisions himself filling for a team that hopes this season is the final one between its previous franchise quarterback and its next one. What that means depends on whom he’s trying to lead.

Wide receiver Roman Wilson is trying to take a step forward after sitting out his entire rookie year because of injury. While there were flashes during the preseason, Rodgers has made it a point not to let Wilson off the hook simply because he made a handful of plays that scratched the surface of his potential.

After a team-wide film session earlier this month, Rodgers pulled inside linebacker Patrick Queen aside to offer suggestions on how to attack certain looks from the offense.

There is a disarming way about Rodgers, from his style — he left for the brief four-day break that players across the league enjoyed this weekend before the regular season begins wearing a T-shirt that read “Man, I’m working” that would have fit right into one of those “young homeowners becoming their parents” commercials — to a seemingly endless supply of good-natured smack talk culled from decades of experience.

Patricia’s Ohio St. defense makes a statement in win over top-ranked Texas

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Matt Patricia had every reason to gloat or say something about those who secondguessed his hiring as Ohio State defensive coordinator after Saturday’s 14-7 victory over top-ranked Texas.

Patricia saw no need to, however, after his players delivered their statement on the field.

The third-ranked Buckeyes held the much-ballyhooed Arch Manning in check for three quarters, but also had three pivotal fourthdown stops in the second half.

“I know what kind of a coach Matt is because I see him every day and you guys don’t,” coach Ryan Day said. “All the work you put in in the dark doesn’t come to light until this first game, and that’s sometimes a sobering thing about football.

“I thought the game plan was excellent, but the buy-in is what’s most important. It’s supposed to work, you know, plays are plays, scheme is scheme, but what matters to the guys, to the warriors on the field is believing in it, and the work that’s put in.”

Patricia was one of the top NFL assistants as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator in New England, but his stock was down after going 13-29-1 in three seasons as Detroit’s head coach from 2018-20, followed by stints as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and a defensive analyst-

one of them real ones.”

The most interesting comments about Staley have come from those who have been with him in the past. New Orleans stocked Staley’s unit with several role players who have prior experience with him edge rusher Chris Rumph played under Staley with the Chargers, Isaac Yiadom with the 49ers, Jonathan Bullard with the Bears and practice squad members Jonah Williams and Terrell Burgess with the Rams. Williams was an undrafted rookie free agent on the 2020 Rams defense that finished No. 1

in both scoring and total defense, vaulting Staley into the national conversation as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate. He said, “Staley is still Staley — he knows how to command a room,” but he’s noticed subtle differences in the way Staley is teaching. It may be because he has experience in the scheme, but Williams sees Staley making things simpler for his players while maintaining the illusion of complexity for opposing offenses.

“Before, we had a lot more (defensive) front adjustments,” Williams said. “We still have those ad-

turned-defensive play-caller with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

He didn’t coach last season. Day tabbed him after Jim Knowles left Ohio State for Penn State, where he became college football’s highest-paid defensive coordinator

“I mean honestly, I’m Northeast Italian, so I’m kind of always a little bit skeptical, but everyone’s just so welcoming and kind,” Patricia said when asked if he heard the criticisms of his hiring.

Patricia inherited a defense that lost eight starters from last season’s national championship team, including the entire defensive line.

However, he did have players who saw plenty of snaps the past two or three seasons, along with All-American safety Caleb Downs, considered by many to be the top prospect on defense in next year’s NFL draft class.

“I think we showed the country that we didn’t go anywhere,” said cornerback Jermaine Mathews, whose third-quarter interception set up Ohio State’s second touchdown. “We lost a lot of guys, some first-round guys and some that have been here for three or four years. It was our test to show the world what we can do.”

In a game defined by four plays, Ohio State’s defense came up big on three of them.

Midway through the third quarter, Manning was stuffed at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal by Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr on a QB sneak to keep the Buckeyes up 7-0.

justments, but he tries to make it so there’s a lot more variations for offenses to see. It’s harder for the offense to know what we’re in, but easier for us to line up. So it makes us play faster.”

Staley is quick to point out that a lot has happened since that breakout 2020 season and Burgess noted that, because of the pandemic, Staley had to teach his defense through a Zoom room. Coaches have to adapt and adjust, or they won’t last long

“The NFL demands that from you,” Staley said.

But some of the way he’s teaching and coaching now relates to his experience in Los Angeles, to the lessons learned, and all the conversations he’s had in between.

Next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Staley will take his first official step of the second act of his career The coach who takes the Saints sideline won’t be the same as the one who was dismissed from the Chargers.

“There’s this saying: You don’t need to be old to be wise, but you can’t have wisdom without experience,” Staley said. “That certainly applies to me. The more mistakes you make, the more you learn about how to avoid those and how to create a path specifically for the players, because they’re the most important thing.

“I love coaching players, and I love the game. I’ve been able to get those points across better because I know who I am, I know who I need to be, and I think that comes with more time.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Strong running game bolsters offense

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

CLEMSON, S.C. LSU’soffensive struggles in 2024 could be boiled down to one thing: the lack of a running game.

LSU’sinability to consistently churn out yards on the ground put fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier andthe offense in trouble on numerous occasions last season. As promising as Nussmeier’sfirst season as a starter was, there were too many occasions where his team needed him to be Superman.

“I think we allknew what we needed to be betteratfrom last year,and that was arunning game that allowedGarrett theopportunity to be acomplete player,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “We couldn’tjustbea one-trick pony and throw the ball over the yard.”

But, on Saturday night at MemorialStadium againstNo. 4 Clemson in the seasonopener, LSU didn’tneedNussmeier to be superhuman to upset the reigning ACC champions 17-10 on the road. This time around, LSU had arunning game.

Not including lost sack yardage, LSU had 120rushing yards. Sophomore running back Caden Durham led the way with 74 yards on the ground on 17 attempts, while senior wide receiver Zavion Thomas chipped in with three carries for 26 yards. Even Nussmeier had himself a10-yard run.

“When you played really good teams, you have to shorten the game in some instances,” Kelly said. “And Ithought tactically,we didagreat job. (Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan) did agreat job

calling plays, sticking with runs, creative runs, different runs.”

Between Durham’s shiftiness and Thomas’ speed, LSU has the athletes to turnopen space into yards. It was still LSU’soffensive line that needed to createthat space in the first place.

“Wecontrolled the second half with our offensive line,”Kelly said. “And that’sareworked offensive line.”

To label LSU’soffensive line as “reworked” may be an un-

derstatement. LSU had five new starters on the line, electing not to start returning starter and redshirt sophomore DJ Chester at left guard. Kelly and offensive line coach Brad Davisturnedtoredshirt sophomorePaul Mubenga instead of Chester.Theyalsogave redshirt freshman Coen Echols snaps at left guard. Chester only entered thegame at left tackle, replacing redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams for afew snaps as

he tended to aleftleg injury

Even with allofthose newpieces and rotations, LSU’sline was able to move Clemsonoff the ball andprovide room for Durham and others to operate.

“I thought theydid an unbelievable job,” Nussmeier said. “What acrazy way,a crazyenvironment for afirst start for some of those guys. And those guys are young and having their first opportunity in this kindofenvironment, I’mso proud of them.”

LSU’s ability to control the line of scrimmage allowed the offense to control the clock. The offense, despite squandering opportunitiestoscoremorepoints, held the ball for20:33 in the second half. That helped LSU’sdefense limit Clemson to just 9:27 of possession time during that same span of time

“We’ve been working on that sinceJanuary,” Adams said in regard to the running game. “And we know physicality is key. Physicality is everything. So once we really started pounding the ball... Ilike to say, if it ain’tbroke, don’t fix it.Sowejust kept going, kept going, kept going, andweeventually broke them.”

An efficientrushing attack led to amoreefficient attack overall. Besides winning the timeofpossession battle, LSU also earned 12 more first downs thanClemson (25-13), gainednearly 100 more yards andaveragedmore than a half ayardmoreper play

There’snoquestion that LSU’s defense shone the brightest on Saturday. Holding atop-5 team on the road to 10 points andunder 275 yards is an achievement that LSU fans couldn’thavedreamed of heading into the night. But it would have been amuch tougher feat to accomplishifit weren’tfor LSU’s rushing attack, whichallowedthe offensetoeat up the clock andkeep the defense well-rested throughout the night.

“The real difference here offensively,” Kelly said, “was the ability to carve out arunning game against areally good defense.”

Email Koki RileyatKoki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

Road woes raisequestions aboutBama’sdirection underDeBoer

BY BOBFERRANTE Associated Press

Alabama hasn’t looked the same since coach Nick Saban’sretirement. It raises speculationabout thefuture of his replacement, Kalen DeBoer

The eighth-ranked CrimsonTide has dropped threeofits past four games following a31-17 loss at Florida State on Saturday,agame in which the Seminoles bullied Alabama on both sides of the ball. The Tide is now 2-5 away from home during DeBoer’s14-game tenure —with four of those losses coming as adouble-digitfavorite.

“Not going to live in regret,” DeBoer said. “Wegot to go fix it and be better because of it and evaluate the film and move on.” FloridaState quarterbackTommy Castellanos said this summer that Saban wasn’taround “to save Alabama,” and he didn’tsee the Crimson Tide stopping the Seminoles. After racking up 230 yards rushing, Castellanos andFlorida State clearly backed up his bold statement

Coupled with managing just 87 yards on the ground, there were plenty of questions about Ala-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer leavesthe field after a31-17 loss to Florida StateonSaturday in Tallahassee, Fla. The eighth-ranked Crimson Tide has dropped three of its past four games.

bama’s seemingly downward spiral.The lossatVanderbilt last October was shocking. But then the Tide played even worse in losses to two more unranked opponents: Oklahoma and Michigan.And then the latest one,which came at the hands of arevamped FSU squadthat had

and he’ll be the first one totell you that, but hiseffort, his intensity,the wayheled on the sidelineall game was secondto none.”

an offseason fundraising push allowed them to invest in their secondary. Now there’smore talent,experience anddepth at both safety and cornerback, whichmay help LSUfinally crack the Harold Perkins code —and solve ariddle that has trailed Kelly and his staff for the last two years. On Saturday,Perkinslooked like the disruptive player that burst onto the scene in 2022. The middle linebacker experiment is over.Now the senior plays the Baker defense’sStar position ado-it-all hybrid role that allows LSU to line him up anywhere.

Perkins spent 29 snaps of the Clemsonwin in pass coverage, according to PFF,and 13 in pass rush. LSU dropped him intothe box on 30 snaps and lined him up over the slot on 20 plays. He worked as an edge rusher for five snaps and even moonlighted as adefensive back —for one play at outsidecorner and another at safety

By the end of the night, Perkins hadtallied fivetackles,including 1.5 for aloss, to pair with asack, ahit and two hurries. One of those pressures came on the last play of the game, when he forced Klubnik to flutter athrow well short of its intended target.

“He does thingsthat alot of humans can’tdoonthis earth,” Baker said.

“There’salot to get betterat,

Remember, Perkins tore his ACL 11 months ago. That injury ended the second of his two mostly unsuccessful attempts to playinsidelinebacker.LSU first movedhim to that spot ahead of the 2023 season, and the decision dulled the havoc-wreaking tendenciesthat allowed Perkins to frustrate offenses like Arkansas,Ole Miss and Alabamaasa freshman In LSU’s2023 season-opening loss to Florida State, Perkins didn’trecord a single tackle for loss or ahurry Across thefour games he played in 2024, he recorded just four hurries, per PFF,and only 1.5 tackles for loss.

dropped 11 of itsprevious 13.

Nowthe Tide looks like it needs arebuild, having gone 5-5 since beating Georgia 11 months ago. Simply put, Alabama looks like it has asmall margin for error.The Tide faces Louisiana-Monroe and Wisconsin before abye week. And

“I said, ‘No, Harold. What do youwanttoplay? Bakersaid on Aug. 11.

“He said, ‘Coach, Ithink I’llbe best at Star.’”

So, Perkins began preseason camp, once again, at anew position. Glimpses intopractice showed that he looked comfortable and disruptive

“There’salot to getbetter at, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that,but hiseffort, hisintensity,the wayheled on thesideline all game wassecond to none.”

BLAKE

BAKER, LSU defensive coordinator,on linebacker Harold Perkins

Theinjury allowed Baker some time to think, anditgavePerkins achance to rest.Atsome point during Perkins’ recovery Baker sat down with the senior and asked him which positionhe wanted to play in 2025. Perkins said he’d play whatever position the team wanted him to play.So Baker triedagain.

Then thegame against Clemson provedit.

LSUtrusted its defensive backs to play mancoverage with the game on the line Thenitlet Perkins loose, freeing him to use thespeed and instincts he first flashed in 2022. There was that old, familiar,and elusive sight. And it helped LSU scorewhat could be oneof its most consequential winsin recent program history

“It’sjust adifferent roster with differentplayers,” Kelly said, “and it allows (Baker) now the tools necessary to utilize Harold in the mannerthat he can best impact thegame.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

then, yes, aroad trip to Georgia to open the Southeastern Conference slateonSept. 27. Does the season-opening loss put pressure on Alabamaplayers?

“‘Feel the pressure’ is not necessarily theway Iwould put it,” Alabama center and team captain Parker Brailsford said. “I would say, the urgency to go out and do the right things, but Ialready felt that.”

The matchup against Florida State, which wascoming off a2-10 season,appeared to favorAlabama. TheCrimson Tide features veteran, experienced linemenon both sides of the balland was a 131/2-point favorite.

ButFlorida State was the aggressor,and Alabama endedupplaying from behind again. DeBoer said going into the game that jumping outtoa good start was crucial.

After agame-opening, 16-play,75yard touchdown drive, Alabama failed to get into the end zone until thefourth quarter

TheTidewas stoppedthree timesonfourthdown,eachof them in theSeminoles’ territory. On afourth drive, quarterback Ty Simpson was sacked on third down that forced Alabama’sConor Talty

to attempt a53-yard field goal that came up short.

“That’sthe thing that is frustrating,” DeBoer said.

On defense, Alabama allowed Florida State to pick up 4.7 yards a carry.The Crimson Tide also gave up big plays, fromJaylin Lucas 64-yard catch to SquirrelWhite’s 40-yard reception andMicahiDanzy’s32-yard touchdown run.

WhileFlorida State’sskillwas impressive, Alabama’stackling was poor,too.

“They did anice job going sideline to sideline, alot of things with thoseflysweepsthatweworked on,preparedfor,” DeBoer said “You get1on1,you get in space andyou gota find away to get them on the ground.”

If there’soptimism for Alabama, it’sthe same story forprograms like No. 1Texas and No. 4Clemson that are dealing with seasonopening losses. One loss, especially on the road, does little to knock ateam outofcontentionfor the College FootballPlayoff. Butit certainly raises questions.

“We’rebehind the eight ball, Brailsford said.“We gottogo1-0 and strive to be our best dayinand day out.”

SOUTHERN

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left in the secondquarteraftera hit to thehelmet while sliding on a quarterback run.

Woods is in good condition and has his full range of motion, Southern athletics said in astatement late Saturday

Finding away to involve Morris, who finishedwiththree catches for 49 yards and atouchdown,was importantfor Southern coach Terrence Graves.

“It’s always intentional,” the second-year coach said. “Wewantto get theballtothe playmakers, put the ball in the players’ hands that can make plays. So that’sthe goal.

We gotta continue to do that.

“Whenever we getthose opportunities, when people are trying to bring alot of pressure, we gotta be

able to beat one-on-ones.” Graves andhis players were the first to admit that whilethey weresatisfied with the win, they should’ve been able to put their opponent away earlier.They had 364 yards of total offense compared to MVSU’s296, andwon the possession battle by about seven minutes.

Getting playmakers like Morris ataste of theendzone wasa positive step in the right direction. However,the team knows it still has work to do if it wants to be in contentionfor aSWAC championship.

“Wegot to continue to getbetter each and every week,” Graves said. “Westill have worktodo. We got to improve, just like Ijust told theteam, we gottoworkonthe little things, to get better.Ecstatic, happy forthose guys thatwegot the win, but we got to keep working to improveifwewant to be whowewant to be.”

THEADVOCATE.COM | Monday, SepteMber 1, 2025 1Cn

“Technologycan maketravelers feel powerless. It’s happening now We’veseen everything from automatedrental car damageclaims to a suspicious surgeinairfaredriven by dynamic pricing algorithms.”

RAyMOND

yORKE, Redpoint Travel Protectionspokesman

TRAVEL TRAPS

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Travel Troubleshooter

Worried about every littledingonyour rental car? Do youalways go into “anonymous” mode on yourweb browser before booking airline tickets?

If youdo, then youprobablyhaveAI anxiety

Travel companies arequietly deploying artificial intelligencesystems, creating an invisible web of automated billingthat can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars —often without your knowledge or consent. From Hertz’scontroversial AI vehicle scanners tohotel vapor detectors that fine guests when their hairdryers overheat, to airlinepricingalgorithms

that jack up fares based on your browsinghistory,these systems operateinthe shadows while your wallet takes ahit.

“Technology can make travelersfeel powerless,”says Raymond Yorke, a spokesman for Redpoint Travel Protection.“It’shappening now.We’ve seen everything from automated rental car damageclaimstoa suspicioussurge in airfare driven by dynamic pricing algorithms.”

Butitdoesn’thave to stay that way

Thetechnologypromisesefficiency andfairness, but travelersare discoveringthatAIoften acts morelike adigital pickpocket than an impartial assistant. The systems flagfalse positives, make decisions without human oversight, and shiftthe burden of proofontocustomers

who have to defend themselves against algorithmic accusations.

Rentals have become ground zero for AI overreach. CompanieslikeHertz are using technology from acompany called UVeye that can reportedly detect paint inconsistencies and minor damages down to amillimeter level.

Butcritics say these systemscan’t always distinguishbetween existing scratches, dirt or lighting changes,and genuine new damage. Andcar rental companies bill customers automatically,with limited avenues for appeal.

Legal consultant and AI specialist NicolaCainnotesthathuman intervention

ä See TRAPS, page 2C

Football andFallon

BY STEPHENBATTAGLIO

“Tonight” host Jimmy Fallon is hoping to score new viewers thisfall with some help from TV’stop-rated program. NBC said Thursday that thelatenight franchise will get special airings following the four “SundayNight Football” games and late local newscasts during the upcoming season. Twoof the NFL games will feature the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be pop culture spectacles thanks to tight endTravis Kelce’sengagement to TaylorSwift

“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will air Sept. 21 following the Chiefs’ contest with the New York Giants. Episodes will also air after the

Oct. 26 game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Nov.16gamewiththe Detroit Lions and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chiefs’ Dec. 7meeting with theHouston Texans. The program will aim to book highprofile guests for theSundayairings Matthew McConaughey and Eric Church are scheduled to appear on Sept.21. When Fallon’sprogram aired an episode after “Sunday Night Football” last season, it scored its best ratings of the year.NBC hascommittedtomore at atimewhenlate-night TV is in crisis.

CBS’decision to cancel “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” because of financial losses highlighted how one of TV’smost enduring genres is strug-

gling. Decliningratings andr —due to the erosion of appointment TV viewing in the streamin have hurtall late-night shows, ing “Tonight.”

The lame-duck status and tual departureofColbert late night in May presents an portunity for “Tonight” to ga viewerswho arestill in th habit of watching the desk-andsofa festsat10:35 p.m.

“We’re hoping topickup some of those eyeballs for our show,” said Katie Hockmeyer, executive vice president of late-night programmingfor NBC.

ä See FALLON, page 2C

Is transference harmful forAlzheimer’spatients?

According to PsychologyToday.com, the concept of transference emerged from Sigmund Freud’spsychoanalytic practice in the 1890s. Freud believed that childhood experiences and internal conflicts formed the foundation forone’sdevelopment and personality as an adult.

Psychoanalysis aims to uncover those unconscious conflicts that may be responsible forcurrent patterns of emotion and behavior

Transference is one method through which those conflicts may be recognized and, hopefully,resolved. Transference, in psychology,refers to the phenomenon where aperson redirects emotions and feelings from one person to another,often unconsciously It’s acommon dynamic in therapy,but it also happens in everyday relationships.

Examples include viewing a therapist as aparental figure or feeling overly protective of afriend whoreminds you of asibling. In the person affected by Alzheimer’s disease, transference can include the affected individual viewing one of their children as the spouse or parent, or acting out acharacter from a television show The affected individual may have positive transference to someone whoreminds them of the mother or spouse, because they loved and adored him.However,the affected individual could also have negative transference when someone, such as acaregiver, reminds them of an abusive or overbearing parent.

The caregivers, when faced with negative emotions, may not know how to respond or how to express their experience. The interactions may ignite guilt, shameand other intense emotions. These feelings may not be identified at first, given the expectations within the caregiving experience. The revelation of the negative feelings

Fallon

Microplasticscan accumulate in body

Dear Doctors: The more Iread about microplastics, the more I want to do something to lower my family’sexposure to them. Any thoughts? Also, what is so much worse about microplastics than dust or pollen?

Dear Reader: For those who are notfamiliar,the term “microplastics” refers to tiny particles of plastic that range in size from smaller than agrainofsand to microscopic.

Some of these particles are added to awide range of products to act as thickeners or exfoliants, or to add structure and texture. However,the majority enter theenvironment when products made with plastic undergowear and tear

It is estimated that between 10 and 40 metric tons of these minuscule pollutantsare released into the environment eachyear

Researchers have found micro-

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,Sept 1, the 244th day of 2025. There are 121 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Sept. 1, 1985, aU.S.French expedition located the wreckage of the Titanic on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean roughly 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.

Also on this date:

In 1715, following a reign of 72 years, King Louis XIV of France died four days before his 77th birthday; he was succeeded by his 5-year-old great-grandson, Louis

XV

In 1897, the first section of Boston’snew subway was opened, creating the first underground rapid transit system in North America.

In 1914, the passenger pigeon, onceone of the most abundant bird species on earth, went extinct as the last known example, named Martha, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.

In 1923, the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama were devastated by an earthquake that claimed some 140,000 lives.

In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, an event regarded as the start of World WarII.

In 1964, pitcher MasanoriMurakami of the San Francisco Giants became the first Japanese baseball player to play in aMajor League Baseball game.

In 1983, 269 people were killed when aKorean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter after the airliner entered Soviet airspace.

In 2004, Islamic terrorists took more than a thousand people hostage in aschool in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia; the siege would end three days later in gunfire and explosions, leaving 334 people dead —more than half of themchildren.

In 2015, invoking “God’sauthority,” Rowan County,Kentucky,Clerk Kim Davis denied marriage licenses to gay couples again in direct defiance of the federal courts and vowed not to resign, even under the pressure of steepfines or jail. (Davis would spend five days in jail as aresult, and is currently appealing aruling ordering her to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in related legal fees.)

Today’sbirthdays: Attorney and law professor Alan Dershowitz is 87. Comedian-actor Lily Tomlin is 86. Singer Barry Gibb is 79. Talk show host Dr Phil McGraw is 75. Singer Gloria Estefan is 68. TV host-authorPadma Lakshmi is 55. Actor Ricardo Antonio Chavira is 54.Fashion designer Rachel Zoe is 54. Actor Scott Speedman is 50. Composer-producer Ludwig Göransson is 41 Actor-singer Zendaya is 29.

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

plastics in fresh snowfall in Antarctica, in thecloud vapor around Mount Everest and in theMariana Trench —the deepestregion of theocean we know.They have even been foundinmeconium, which is thefirst bowel movement of anewborn infant. Unlikenatural materials, plastics do notdecomposeordegrade. Instead, they split, break, shatter andthen crumble into ever-smaller particles. These particles become small enough to be

TRAPS

Continued from page1C

onlyhappens when acustomerraisesacomplaint, meaning the AI’s judgment stands unlessyou fight back. It should be the other way around,she says.

“Human oversightneeds to be built into the process,” she adds.

Hotel chains are installing sophisticated sensor networks that go far beyond traditional smokedetectors. Thesesystemsmonitor vapor particles, noise levels, occupancy countsand even Wi-Fi usage patterns.

The systems are far from perfect. Ruth Cruz recently got hitwith a$250 fee for smokinginher hotel room. She says theAIregistereda false positive.

“I successfullydisputed the chargebyexplainingthe technical limitations of their detection system,” says Cruz, who edits atechnology website in San Jose.(These types oferrors are easy to find with alittle sleuthing. Hers involved aquickonline search.)

Airlinesare perfecting the art of AI-powered price manipulation. Foryears,their systems have tracked your search history, location, devicetype, loyaltystatus,and dozens ofothersignals to predict your willingness to pay premium prices. AI is

ALZHEIMER’S

Continued from page1C

expressed bythe affected individualtothe caregiver mayoccurina hidden or private environment. At times the patient may engage in verbally abusive language or physical aggression thatwould be unacceptable in any other setting. Whenacaregiver is thereceiver (orreceptacle) of negativeemotions, this oftenevokes unresolved past issues.

Given the intenseemotional responsesevoked by these issues,itmay be difficult forthe caregiver to come forward regarding these behaviors, seeingthe affectedindividualasill or “not himself.”Additionally these emotionalresponses maytrigger negativebehaviors and thus cause physical outbursts, whichmay be harmful to the individual and/or caregiver The environment around the affected individual also can trigger transference. Forinstance,particular television shows can produceanxiety or negative emotions as theindividual “transfers”those images andhappenings into their

FALLON

Continued from page1C

swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through theskin.

They are also able to penetrate cell membranes, enter the bloodstream and even cross the bloodbrain barrier.This is due to their chemical properties and their minutesize —often mere nanometers—which is far smaller than the dust and pollen you asked about.

The chemicals contained in microplastics have been shown to accumulate in bodily tissues. This can lead to bioactive effects, including causing inflammation, changing hormone interactions, altering immune response, disrupting thegut microbiome and causing physical damage.

Microplastics also easily bond to heavy metals,endocrine disrupters and so-called forever chemicals, and they can carry them into the body

To start reducing themicroplas-

supercharging that practice.

Thomas O’Shaughnessy,a marketing executive from St.Louis, has noticed prices jumping dramatically when he researches flights.

“The price increases weren’trandom,” he says.

“I believe they were caused by an AI model that changes prices based on demand, the time of booking, and even theuser’ssearch history.”

No wondertravelers have AI anxiety.The question is what can they do about it?

Howto fightthe AI

“The key to fighting back is understanding that these systems prioritize speed and automation over accuracy,” explains Frank Harrison, regional security director forthe Americas at World Travel Protection. “They’re designedtoextract maximumrevenue whilehoping customerswon’t challenge algorithmic decisions. But armed with the right documentation and strategies, travelers can level the playing field.”

Here aresome strategies that will help you fight AI:

Renting acar? Channel your inner Sherlock. Do acomprehensive walk-around and take photos of your car from all angles. Focus on areas AI commonly flags,like bumpers, wheel wells androof surfaces. Email these videos to yourself immediately for proof of when they were taken.

everyday life. Watching atelevision showsuch as “Law and Order” maybeentertaining for the individual; however,the individual may transfer those images and storiesfromthe show and become frightened in the night, thus disrupting sleep and triggering negative behaviors. Also, agitation, noncompliance, attempted discharge against medical advice and wandering from the facilitymay all result.

Erotic transference is often overlooked because it is difficult for caregivers to view the elderly and debilitated as sexual. Affected individuals may eroticize caregiversand claim that theyare making sexual advances to them. They often accusetheir caregiver spousesofinfidelity. Education and skill training can improve the relationships between the caregiver and the affected individual. Redirecting to another activity or playing music can assist in distracting the individual if theyare presenting negative transference.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate. Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

season, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data, its best performance since 2015. “SNF” hasbeen the most-watched prime-time series for 14 straight years. While “Tonight”and “Late Night With SethMeyers” face thesame business challenges as “Late Show,” NBC saysitremains committed to its programs, which have arich history.BothFallon and Meyersare signed through 2028.

tics around you, avoid single-use water bottles and food containers. They not only shed microplastics into their contents, but they also become amajor source of environmental pollutants when discarded. Even to-go cups in coffee shops are lined with plastic, so bringing anonplastic cup can reduce that exposure. Many of us rely on plastic bags and wraps forfood storage; however,these also transfer microplastics into their contents. And don’tuse plastic wrap in the microwave as this causes chemicals to leach out.

Youmight consider investing in agood water filter,and in stainless steel or microwave-safe glass containers forfood storage. Speaking of food, you’ll find fewer microplastics in fresh and unprocessed foods, and in those that sit lower on the food chain.

Document everything every scratch, every dent, every imperfection —before accepting any rental. And remember,you can always request adifferent vehicle if theone you’re renting hastoo many dings or dents.

Don’tlet ‘emtrack you. Use private browsing or incognito mode when youbook flights or hotels.Clear your cookiesbetween searches. Use aVPN (VirtualPrivate Network) to shift your location.

“I’veseen price differences of $200 or more for the same flight just by appearing to browse from differentcities,”saysJoeyMartin, an AI expert.Also, search for fares on multiple devices and compare prices across platforms. AI pricing algorithms often show different ratestosmartphone users versusdesktop browsers, or to logged-in loyalty members versus anonymous searchers.

Open your hotel window,ifpossible. Don’ttouch anything with aprice tag. It’strue, AI is monitoring the air you breathe and the loca-

Even our clothes —many of which contain synthetic fabrics —shed microplastics when we wear them and when we wash them.Opt fornatural fabrics when shopping, like cotton, linen and wool.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is agood resource forguidance about products that are free of microplastics, at www.epa.gov/saferchoice. And remember,aswith any change, it’seasiest to undertake in increments.

If any readers have suggestions, let us know.Wewould love to hear and to share them

Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

tion of every Coke in your minibar. Youalready know what to do: Don’ttouch the items in your minibar and keep your hotel room ventilated. If asurprise bill arrives, respond immediately and assertively.Ask forthe original AI scan data, sensor logs or algorithmic decision records that supposedly justify the charge.Mostcompanies will struggle to provide concrete evidence that withstands scrutiny Bear in mindthatthese strategies will evolve. AI adjusts to consumer behavior, andyou’llhavetomake somecourse corrections along the way, too.

StartofanAIarmsrace

In travel, AI is an imperfect technology,registering false positives and erroneously billing consumers. It raises prices by hundreds of dollars perticket, believing you’ll happily payextra for your airfare because of your location. What’smore, these systems are ablack box, so whenyou ask for proof that you damaged acar or removed something from a

room,they can’talways provide it.

In short, this is nothing more than adigital money grab, and your AI anxiety is completely justified. We’re at the beginning of an AI arms race. Travel companiesare using machine learning to maximize theirrevenue.It’stime to fight back. What happensnext? The travel industry is busy deployingAIeverywhere. Soon, systems could monitor carry-on luggage to ensure you’re paying for every bag. Hotels could find ways of automatically billing you for everymissing towel or bathrobe. Car rental companies could turn theirAIresources to car interiors, earning more money from stains or messy upholstery.And don’teven get me started on cruise lines! Assume AI is tracking your every move—because it probably is.

Christopher Elliott is an author,consumer advocate, and journalist. Reach him by email at chris@elliott. org.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take amoment to rethink your long-term plans. You may crave change and want to trya differentprofessional direction,but considerhow practicalthis is andwhat youmight lose in doing so

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You can make adifference if you participateina cause youhonor. Take theinitiative and adjust your approach and priorities to free up time for the things that matter most to you.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Pay attention to moneymatters. Networking, makingcoldcalls andadaptingyourskills to meet today's marketneeds will help open doors.

sAGITTARIus(nov. 23-Dec.21) Don't sell yourself short.Speak from the heart andlet your passion and persistence be the keytoyoursuccess. Leavenothing to chance or in someone else's hands.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Payattention to detail. Apremature movewill cost you. Don'tshare too muchinformation, or someone will stealyour ideas. Don't limit your expectations; expand your vision.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Setabudget and live within your means.A change can saveyou money and easestress. Keep an open mind, and you'll discover youhave more to offer than you real-

ize

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Rethink your motives, conditions and how you want to navigate your way forward. Refuse

to letyouremotions interrupt your intentions. Be wary of joint ventures or sharedexpenses.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Letyour creative imagination runwild and see where it takes you. Delve intoaproject that givesyou free range to test your skills and raise your awareness.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Not everything or everyone willbeforthright regarding their intentions.Don't play with fire; when in doubt, take apass. Don'tbeafraid to move forward on your own.

GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Stick closeto homeand makedomestic adjustments that will add to your comfortand joy Acreative approach to setting up your space will go hand in hand with your success.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Think before you speak or act, and consider ways to compromise to ensure you hold your ground without losing face. Get the facts and summarize your end goal before launching an attack.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Payattention to how youpresent yourself to others. An opportunity to achieve bothpersonal and professional growthiswithin reach. Think positively and engage in activities that lead to victory.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptogramsare created from quotations by famous people, past and present.Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

ToDAy's cLuE: VEQuALs X

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

By PHILLIPALDER

Daniel Radcliffe, whobecamefamous playing HarryPotter, said,“Ithink any guy whosays, ‘I’ve neverhad an awkward moment with agirl’ is aliar.”

Anybridge player who says he’s never hadanawkward moment at the table is a liar.The winners,though, find away to survive when faced with difficult decisions. Thisweek we are going to study hand-dealtlayoutsthat produced problems for theplayers First, look at the South hand in today’s diagram. What would be your opening bid?

Hands with 4-4-4-1 distributioncan be anuisance.But with this one, agood general guideline is to treat king-singleton as if it were king-doubleton. So plan on bidding no-trump. It would not be unreasonable to open twono-trump if you would be promising agood 20, 21 or 22 points. But Ithink you should upgrade because of all the aces andkings. Open two clubs, planning to rebid two no-trump. Here, whatever you do, you should end in three no-trump. West leadshis fourth-highest diamond five:seven, three (lowest from atripletonwhenunable to play anine or higher), king. What happens after that?

You have only six top tricks: two spades, one heart, one diamond and two clubs. It would be nice to find the spade finesse winning, but you need to getinto thedummy

wuzzles

Cash the club ace, thenleada low club towardthe dummy.Here, West has no defense. At thetable, he won with his club queen and played three rounds of diamonds. South discardedthreehearts (Eastthrew one heart),cashed the club jack, and ran the spade jacktotake nine tricks: three spades, one heart, two diamonds and threeclubs. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel

Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe additionof“s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may notbeused. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

sATuRDAy’s WoRD —DEFERMEnT

ToDAy’s WoRD cAPIcoLA: cap-ih-KOH-la: Seasoned Italian pork that is cured in acasing. Average mark11words Timelimit 30 minutes Can you find 19 or more words in CAPICOLA? deem deer deet defer deferent deft dent deter emend enter entered entree erne feed feeder feet fend fender ferment fermented fern fete free freemen fret redeem reed reef reefed rend rent rented meet mend mentee mere mete meter metered need nerd teem teemed teen tend tender term termed tree trend

thought “These thingshave you done,and Ikept silence; you thought that Iwas altogether such an one as yourself: but Iwill reprove you, and set them in order before your eyes.”

between theEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board andHumanities Amped in theamount of $120,000 to providecur‐riculum andinstruction classroom support, im‐proving school climate, professionaldevelop‐ment, andpositivebe‐haviorsupport.Funding Source: GeneralFund 11. Professional Services Contract:Amplify Approvalofthe profes‐sionalservicescontracts between theEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board andAmplifyinthe amount of $154,000 to provide mClass interven‐tionsitelicensesrelated toDIBELSassessment. FundingSource: EEF 12. Professional Services Contract: Notabel, Inc. (Kami) Approval of aprofes‐sionalservicescontract between theEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board and Notabel, Inc. (Kami)inthe amount

Coach teamstosupport whole-school achieve‐ment. FundingSource: General Fund/Title I 9. Professional Services Contract:Centerfor High School Success Approval of aprofes‐sionalservicescontract between theEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board andCenterfor HighSchool Successin the amount of $196,740 to provide high-quality training, coaching,tech‐nical assistance,data support,and resources. FundingSource: TitleI 10. Professional Services Contract:Humanities Amped Approval of aprofes‐sional services contract Committee of the Whole -Jul 10 2025 Minutes Thursday, July10, 2025 at 5:00 PM 1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806

A. Meeting Opening

1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

The Invocation was led by School BoardMember Emily Soulé, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by School BoardMember MarkBellue.

2. Call to Order and Roll Call

Vice-President Gaudet called themeeting to order at 5:02 PM.

Members Present: Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet,and EmilySoulé

Members Absent: Patrick Martin

Members After Roll Call: CarlaPowellLewis

Others present wereLaMontCole, Superintendent;Adam Smith, Deputy Superintendent; Gwynn ShamlinJr.,General Counsel; Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic Officer;Amy Jones, ChiefTechnology Officer; Lisa Smothers, Chief Officer-Human Resources; James Crochet,Chief Business Operations Officer; Kelly Lopez, Chief Financial Officer; Laura Williams, Chief of Schools; Kwesi Gilbert, Chief of PlantOperations; andStacey Dupre, Chief of Supportand Special Projects.

B. Information Only

1. Fiscal Transparency Report

C. Receive as Information

1. School Presentation-Cedarcrest -SouthmoorElementary

D. Items for Consideration

1. Louisiana Compliance Questionnaire

Motion to approve the LouisianaCompliance Questionnaire as required for the2024-2025 financialaudit of theEast Baton Rouge ParishSchool System

Moved by: Nathan Rust

Seconded by: Dadrius Lanus

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis,Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

2. Grants: Early Childhood Motion to approve the following 2025-2026 Early Childhood Grants:

a) Cecil Picard(LA4) in the amount of $7,705,980 forhigh-quality pre-K instruction.

b) Community Network Lead Agency (CNLA) Grant in theamount of $371,831 to support the EBR Early Childhood Community Network.

c) Ready Start Network Grant in theamountof$100,000 forthe Ready Start Initiative.

d) Early Childhood Education FundGrant in the amountof$41,126 to provide tuition assistance for birth to three.

Moved by: Cliff Lewis

Seconded by: Dadrius Lanus

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis,Shashonnie Steward,CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

3. Memorandums of Understanding (MOU): EarlyChildhood Motion to approve the Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board(“Lead Agency”) andthe following:

a) GreaterBridge Academy in theamount of $83,700

b) Kiddoscope in the amount of $55,800

c) Young Scholars Academy in the amountof$78,120

d) Little Dreamers Christian Academy inthe amount of $111,600

e) Juz Us ChildcareofBaton Rougeinthe amountof$111,600

f) God’sLil Angels ChildcareDevelopment Center in the amount of $55,800

g) South Baton Rouge Charter Academy in theamount of $223,200

h) Impact Charter School in the amountof$111,600 to expand early childhood seats. Funding Source: Cecil J. PicardLA4 Grant

Moved by: Nathan Rust

Seconded by: Cliff Lewis

Yea Mark Bellue, DadriusLanus, Carla Powell Lewis,Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

4. Memorandum of Understanding(MOU): Junior Achievement Motion to approve the MemorandumofUnderstandingbetween the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and JuniorAchievement of Greater Baton Rouge in the amount of $120,000 to providesupport services for students. FundingSource: Title IV

Moved by: Nathan Rust

Seconded by: Emily Soulé

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis,Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

5. Memorandums of Understanding:DualEnrollment Motion to approve the Memorandum of Understandingbetween the East Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand the following:

a) Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) to providedual enrollment courses and technical coursework as arenewal of theexistingEarly College Academyagreementfor the2025-2026 schoolyear

b) Louisiana State University (LSU) to provide dual enrollmentcourses forthe 2025-2026 school year

c)SouthernUniversity to provide dual enrollment courses for the20252026 school year d) SoutheasternUniversity(SELU) to provide dualenrollment courses forthe 2025-2026 school year.Funding Source:General Fund

Moved by: Shashonnie Steward

Seconded by: Carla Powell Lewis

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis,Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

6. Professional Services Contracts: Kid’s Orchestra Motion to approve aprofessionalservices contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Kid’sOrchestra in the amount of $445,000 to provide services for the Kid’sOrchestra after-school program for 2025-2026. Funding Source: General Fund/Title

Moved by: Emily Soulé Seconded by: Nathan Rust

(Technology)

14. Budget SupplementHVAC Maintenance Approval of TaxPlan Proposition 1Budget SupplementRequest to allow foradditional fund‐ing in theamount of $29,637,880.96 to fund HVACmaintenance con‐tractsand to send to the Oversight Committee for approval.

15. Professional Services Contracts: HVAC Approval of professional servicescontracts be‐tween theEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board andthe following: a) ENFRAMMC,LLC in the amount of $1,742,392 b) CorporateMechanical Contractors,Inc.inthe amount of $1,803,444 c) Star Service, Inc. of Baton Rougeinthe amount of $4,542,900 to providefacilityHVAC maintenance to secure qualified service providers capableof maintaining and, where necessary,upgrading outdatedHVACequip‐mentacrossdistrictfa‐cilities.

16. Resolution:Special Counsel Approval of aresolution regarding theretention ofPhelpsDunbar, LLPas special counselfor the EastBaton RougeParish School Boardand related matters

17. WhiteHills Lease: Geo AcademiesLouisiana Inc. Approve alease with Geo d i i i

18. 2025-2026

&DisciplinePolicy

of

Responsibilities

andDiscipline Policyfor the2025-2026 school

forthe

Baton RougeParish School System with the additionofclarifyinglan‐guage under section10, makingitemF thenew itemD,and then continu‐ing in progressionwith the remainingitems and requiring twoattempts tocontact parentstwice prior to thelossofprivi‐leges,withpropernotifi‐cation. 19. Policy:JCDAEElectronic Telecommunication Device Approval of thepolicy JCDAE-Electronic Telecommunication De‐vice. 20. Litigation Approval of therecom‐mendation from Gwynn Shamlin,General Coun‐sel,EBRPSB, in themat‐ter of:MirimaCliftonvs. EastBaton RougeParish School Board, Docket No 23-02759 and24-00705; District5 andrelated matters

21. Litigation Approval of therecom‐mendationfromGwynn h li l

y Shamlin, General Coun‐sel,EBRPSB, in themat‐ter of:Edwards et al v. EastBaton RougeParish School Board; LDELog No. 34-H-18 DALDkt.No. 2024-0707-DOE-IDEA

to provide servicesfor theKid's Or‐chestra after-school pro‐gramfor 2025-2026. Fund‐ing Source:General Fund/Title IV Movedby: PatrickMartin Seconded by:Dadrius Lanus Substitute motion to defer therequest forthe approvalofaprofes‐

certain. Movedby: Mark Bellue Motion dies fora lack of asecond. Approval of aprofes‐sional services contract pp Academies Louisiana,

and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

7. Professional Services Contract: Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge in the amount of $65,000 to provide arts-integrated instruction and programming. Funding Source: Title IV

Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis

Seconded by: DadriusLanus

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

8. Professional Services Contract: Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) Motion to approve professional services contracts between the East Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) in the amount of $25,000 and $58,000, respectively,for the EveryBody Reads andEveryOne Counts Programs. Funding Sources: Title I

Moved by: Nathan Rust

Seconded by: Carla Powell Lewis

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

9. Professional Services Contract: City Year Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand City Year in the amount of $390,000 to provide Student Success Coach teams to support wholeschool achievement. Funding Source: General Fund/Title I

Moved by: ShashonnieSteward

Seconded by: Cliff Lewis

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

10.Professional Services Contract: BRYC Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand BRYC in the amount of $786,385 to provide ACT preparation, the Postsecondary Access Program (BRYC CAP), advisingservices across 10 high schools, and quarterly professional development workshops. Funding Source: Supplemental Course Allocation (SCA)

Moved by: Emily Soulé

Seconded by: MarkBellue

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

11.Professional Services Contract: Center for High School Success Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Center for High School Success in the amount of $196,740 to provide high-quality training, coaching, technical assistance, data support, and resources. Funding Source: Title I

Moved by: Dadrius Lanus

Secondedby: ShashonnieSteward

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

12.Professional Services Contract: Humanities Amped Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Humanities Amped in the amount of $120,000 to provide curriculum and instruction, classroom support, improving school climate, professional development, and positive behavior support. Funding Source: General Fund

Moved by: ShashonnieSteward

Secondedby: Cliff Lewis

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

13.Professional Services Contract: Amplify Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Amplify in theamount of $154,000 to provide mClass intervention site licenses related to DIBELS assessment. Funding Source: EEF

Moved by: ShashonnieSteward

Seconded by: Emily Soulé

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

14.Professional Services Contract: Notabel, Inc. (Kami) Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Notabel, Inc. (Kami) in the amount of $63,315 to provide an online annotation system. Funding Source: General Fund (Technology)

Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis

Secondedby: MarkBellue

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé MotionCarries 8-0

15.Professional Services Contract: Nearpod Motion to approve aprofessional services contract between theEast Baton Rouge Parish School Boardand Nearpod in the amount of $163,379.04 to provide K-12supplemental curriculum platform and associated educational tools and resources. Funding Source: General Fund (Technology)

Moved by: Carla Powell Lewis

Secondedby: Nathan Rust

Yea MarkBellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis, Nathan Rust, Michael Gaudet, and Emily Soulé

WBR Public Notices

WBR Legal Notices

Moved by: Cliff Lewis Seconded by: Dadrius Lanus Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

18. Resolution: Special Counsel Motiontoapprove aresolutionregarding theretentionofPhelps Dunbar,LLP as special counsel forthe East Baton Rouge ParishSchool Boardand relatedmatters

Moved by: Shashonnie Steward

Seconded by: Dadrius Lanus

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

19. WhiteHills Lease: Geo Academies Louisiana, Inc.

Motiontoapprove alease with Geo Academies Louisiana, Inc.inthe amount of $23,333 per monthfor twelvemonths to use theformer White Hills Elementary facility to operatea type 2charter school

Moved by: Shashonnie Steward

Seconded by: Nathan Rust

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

20. 2025-2026 Student Rightsand Responsibilities Handbook & Discipline Policy

Motiontoapprove theStudent Rights& ResponsibilitiesHandbook and Discipline Policy forthe 2025-2026 school year forthe East Baton Rouge ParishSchool System with theadditionofclarifying language under section10, making itemF thenew itemD,and then continuing in progression with theremaining items and requiring two attempts to contact parentstwicepriortothe loss of privileges, with proper notification.

Moved by: Emily Soulé

Seconded by: Nathan Rust

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

21. Policy: JCDAE -Electronic Telecommunication Device

Motiontoapprove policy JCDAE-Electronic TelecommunicationDevice.

Moved by: Shashonnie Steward

Seconded by: Cliff Lewis

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

22. Litigation

Motiontoapprove therecommendationfromGwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in thematterof: MirimaCliftonvs. East Baton Rouge ParishSchool Board, Docket No. 23-02759 and 24-00705; District 5and relatedmatters

Moved by: Nathan Rust Seconded by: Shashonnie Steward

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

23. Litigation

Motiontoapprove therecommendationfromGwynn Shamlin, General Counsel, EBRPSB, in thematterof: Edwards et al v. East Baton Rouge ParishSchool Board; LDE Log No. 34-H-18 DAL Dkt. No. 2024-0707-DOE-IDEAand relatedmatters

Moved by: Dadrius Lanus

Seconded by: Shashonnie Steward

Yea Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus, Carla Powell Lewis, Shashonnie Steward, CliffLewis,Nathan Rust,Michael Gaudet,and Emily Soulé Motion Carries 8-0

E. Next Meeting Dates/Announcements

F. Adjournment

Therebeing no furtherbusiness, theBoardadjourned by acclamation.

LaMont Cole

Secretary/Treasurer to theBoard

Shashonnie Steward

School BoardPresident