The Acadiana Advocate 09-17-2025

Recordings reveal earlier bribery scheme

Lafayette ADA implicates former DA Harson in trial

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A Lafayette assistant district attorney on trial in connection with a kickback scheme, in a conversation recorded during the investigation, implicated former District

Attorney Mike Harson in a bribery scheme in his office over 10 years ago. Gary Haynes, an assistant dis-

trict attorney in the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, is on trial in U.S. District Court in Lafayette on six charges including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery using a cellphone in aid of bribery (two counts), conspiracy to commit money laundering and obstruction of justice.

The charges are in connection with kickback schemes that included the district attorney’s pre-

trial intervention program where he was hired by District Attorney Don Landry in January 2022. The two have known one another for years and Haynes helped Landry with his campaign.

When the FBI raided the district attorney’s pretrial intervention offices in May of 2022, Landry put Haynes on leave without pay Haynes’ attorney Todd Clemons at the start of the trial last week,

wanted prosecutors to expand clips of audio recordings taken during the FBI investigation of the case. The defense submitted transcripts of the recordings into the record. While the recordings were not all played for the jury, they include interesting statements by Haynes A Feb. 3, 2022, meeting between

Back to work on Buc-ee’s

Haynes and co-conspirator Leonard Franques took place at Jason’s Deli on Johnston Street. Unbeknownst to Haynes, Franques had already cut a deal with federal prosecutors after they raided his home and office on Dec. 8, 2021. The meeting was recorded, with FBI agents listening at a nearby table and from across the street. In that recording, Haynes advises Franques on how to avoid getting caught, bringing up a 2012

Dirt work has resumed on the site of the Buc-ee’s store planned for Lafayette. Crews have returned to the site this month for foundation work that had been completed or near completion until heavy rains washed some of that away. When the store will start construction is a bit of a mystery at this point. Originally scheduled to open in the second quarter of next year, the store is now expected to open in 2028, according to the company’s website Buc-ee’s officials have not commented on the delay. The company will spend $82 million on the project, with $12.5 million of that for public infrastructure.

Murrill calls on former House speaker to return historic artifact that’s missing

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Find it and give it back. That was Attorney General Liz Murrill’s message Tuesday for former House Speaker Clay Schexnayder regarding an ancient cypress board that was displayed at the State Capitol for decades but disappeared last year after being in Schexnayder’s district legislative office in Gonzales.

“I will confer with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and will take any action that may be appropriate under the circumstances,” Murrill said in reply to a request for help

from Julius Mullins, a retired Baton Rouge doctor whose grandfather Walter Stebbins donated the board to the state in the 1950s.

“Schexnayder knew he had it, he knew that it was in his office and he was responsible as the custodian of state property,” Murrill added “I think he’s responsible for it regardless of how it came to be present in his district office. He needs to return it.”

As was reported last week, the board was last seen 18 months ago in Schexnayder’s district office. Schexnayder said he doesn’t know of its current whereabouts.

The leasing manager for his of-

fice says his team never removed it. The board’s disappearance has frustrated Stebbins’ grandchildren, with Mullins acting as the family’s lead sleuth to find it.

“Would it be possible for you to help my family find this valuable piece of history which has gone missing and return it to the Capitol?” Mullins asked in separate emails to Murrill and the current House speaker, Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice.

Devillier didn’t respond to either Mullins or a request for comment

ä See ARTIFACT, page 4A

La. doctor picked for vaccine panel

Griffin has questioned need for inoculations for children

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has appointed a Baton Rouge physician to the committee that recommends vaccination policies to the federal government — and she has repeatedly questioned COVID-19 vaccines and other inoculations for children.

“I am very very skeptical,” Dr Evelyn Griffin said in 2024 while speaking to the congregation of the Rev Tony Spell’s Life Tabernacle Church near Central City “For a lot of us, the COVID experience has really opened our eyes. You know that I have a lot of concerns. One of those concerns I would say is about the COVID vaccine.” Spell became a face of resistance to then-Gov John Bel Edward’s pandemic restrictions, defying orders to stop holding services and successfully winning a court challenge against Edwards.

Griffin told the congregation concerns about the COVID vaccine

Judge shields identities of two in Epstein case

NEW YORK The identities of two women once listed as potential co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein will remain sealed for theirsafetyandprivacy afederal judge ruled Tuesday

In a written decision, Judge Richard M. Berman rejected an NBC News request to make their identitiespublicafterlawyersfor the women and the U.S. Justice Department opposed the unsealingrequest.Hewrotethatthreats to the safety of the individuals persist and releasing their names would threaten their safety and privacy

In requesting the unsealing, attorney Alexander Ziccardi for NBCNewscitedtheFirstAmendment and said there was a “presumptive right of access” requiring that the names redacted from a July 2019 government letter to Berman be released publicly

The 2019 letter, filed by prosecutors opposing bail for Epstein, was written in part to answer questions the judge had raised at a bail hearing about two unidentified individuals prosecutors cited in their arguments against granting Epstein bail.

House approves changes to D.C.’s justice system

WASHINGTON The House passed legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how youth who commit crimes are prosecuted in the District of Columbia as congressional Republicans mobilized behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.

One of the bills, called the “DC Crimes Act,” would lower the age of a youth offender in the federal district from 24 to 18 and require that criminal sentencing be at least as long as the mandatory minimums for adults, overruling local D.C. policy It would also require the D.C. attorney general to establish a public website that would publish statistics on youth criminal acts.

The bill passed 240-179, with 30 Democrats joining Republicans in support.

A second bill, the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act passed by a narrower 225-203 margin, with eight Democrats backing the measure and one Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voting against it

Judge denies Menendez brothers’ bid for new trial

LOS ANGELES A California judge has rejected a request for a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menendez, shutting down another possible path to freedom for the brothers who have served decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion.

The ruling Monday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan comes just weeks after the brothers were denied parole. Ryan denied a May 2023 petition seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father

The judge wrote that the new evidence that “slightly corroborates” the allegations that the brothers were sexually abused does not negate the fact that the pair acted with “premeditation and deliberation” when they carried out the killings.

“The evidence alleged here is not so compelling that it would have produced a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or supportive of an imperfect self-defense instruction,” the judge wrote Divers recover artifacts from Titanic’s sister ship

ATHENS, Greece Divers have recovered artifacts from the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, for the first time since the ocean liner sank in the Aegean Sea more than a century ago after striking a mine during World War I.

The Culture Ministry in Greece said Monday that an 11-member deep-sea diving team conducted a weeklong operation in May to recover artifacts including the ship’s bell and the port-side navigation light.

The White Star Line’s Britannic, launched in 1914, was designed as a luxury cruise liner, but was requisitioned as a hospital ship during World War I.

Israeli military begins its ground offensive

Aggressive operation aims to overwhelm Gaza City

BY MELANIE LIDMAN, JON GAMBRELL and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israel launched its offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, vowing to overwhelm a city already in ruins from nearly two years of war as thousands of Palestinians fled in vehicles strapped with mattresses and other belongings that clogged a coastal road.

The operation into the largest Palestinian city escalated a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushed any ceasefire with Hamas farther out of reach. The military would not offer a timeline for the offensive that aims to crush the militant group’s ability to fight, but Israeli media suggested it could take months.

“Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared as the operation began. Heavy bombardment pounded the city, and troops began moving in from the outskirts after weeks of airstrikes and buildup toward the renewed assault.

The offensive began the same day that independent experts

commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the allegation, calling the report “distorted and false.”

One woman, Saud al-Sakani, said her daughter, son-in-law and their children were killed in a strike that flattened their home with about 40 people inside. “An entire family!” she cried, weeping over their bodies at Shifa Hospital’s morgue. “Many are still under the rubble.”

On a brief visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that there was a “very short window of time in which a deal can happen” to end the war

The new assault did not deter another invitation to the U.S for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Tuesday that President Donald Trump invited him to the White House on Sept. 29, after the Israeli leader addresses the United Nations General Assembly It will mark Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump took office in January Meanwhile, a missile fired by

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen set off rocket sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv The Israeli military said it was working to intercept the projectile, which was fired after Israel carried out airstrikes on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen.

The Houthis have regularly fired drones and missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians. The vast majority have been intercepted or landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage. Israel has carried out waves of retaliatory strikes on Yemen.

Israeli forces have carried out multiple large-scale raids into Gaza City over the course of the war, causing mass displacement and heavy destruction, only to see militants regroup later. This time, Israel has pledged to take control of the entire city, which experts say is experiencing famine.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines, said the “main phase” of the Gaza City operation had begun and troops had started moving.

Democrats stake out opposition to spending bill

Threat of government shutdown looms

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON Democratic leaders lashed out Tuesday at a short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month, warning Republicans they will not support a measure that doesn’t address their concerns on the soaring cost of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

House Republicans unveiled the spending bill Tuesday It would keep federal agencies funded through Nov 21, buying lawmakers more time to work out their differences on spending levels and policy for the coming fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Republicans said that they were providing exactly what Democrats have insisted upon in past government shutdown battles — a clean funding bill free of partisan policy riders.

“It’ll be a clean, short-term continuing resolution, end of story,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. “And it’s interesting to me that some of the same Democrats who decried government shutdowns under President Biden appear to have no heartache whatsoever at walking our nation off that cliff right now I hope they don’t.”

The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few limited exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their

concerns heightened by last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have been asking their Republican counterparts for weeks for a meeting to negotiate on the bill, but they say that Republicans have refused. Any bill needs help from at least seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and advance to a final vote.

The two Democratic leaders issued a joint statement Tuesday after Republicans unveiled the short-term funding bill, saying that by “refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country toward a shutdown.”

“The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffries said.

Authorities: Suspect left note saying he planned to kill Kirk

BY JESSE BEDAYN, HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

PROVO, Utah Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices

“and I’m going to take it.” DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.

Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a boltaction rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and said he would appoint an attorney to representhim.Robinson’sfamily has declined to comment to The AssociatedPresssincehisarrest. Authoritieshavenotrevealeda clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “Ihadenoughofhishatred.Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray

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Patelclashes with skepticalDemocrats

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearingTuesday,defending hisrecordamidcriticismthat he has politicized the nation’s premier federal lawenforcement agency and pursued retribution against perceived adversariesofPresidentDonald Trump.

The appearanceTuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee represented the first oversight hearing of Patel’syoung but tumultuous tenure and provided ahighstakes platform for him to try to demonstrate that he is the right person for the job at atime of internal upheaval andmountingconcernsabout political violence inside the United States, athreat laid bare by last week’skilling of

conservative activist Charlie Kirk at acollege campusin Utah.

The hearing broke along starkly partisan lines. Republicans rallied support for PatelevenasDemocratssaidhe haddebased the integrity of the nation’spremier federal law enforcement agency Patel, for his part,accused Democrats of grandstanding for cameras and looking to score political points in aseries of testy shouting matches that punctuated more sedate testimony about thecriminal and national security threatsfacing the U.S.

“You are thebiggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate, you are adisgrace to this institution and you are an utter coward,”

Pateltold Democratic Sen Adam Schiff of California, raising his voice during one particularly testy exchange “You can make an internet

troll the FBI director,but he will always be an internet troll,” Schiff shot back as Patelcontinued to shout over him.

Patelsoughttokeepthe focusonwhathesaidwas a series of accomplishments in fighting violentcrime, protecting childrenfrom abuse and disrupting the flow of fentanyl. He similarly touted the FBI’swork in arresting within 33 hoursthe man suspected in Kirk’sassassination,but also facedquestions over confusion he caused soon after the killing when he posted on social mediathat “the subject” was in custody Thatperson was later released afterinvestigators determined he had no connection.Patel said he had been trying to be transparent withthepublicanddidn’tconsider thepost amistake, but acknowledgedhecould have been clearer

Parentstestify to Congress aboutdangers of AI chatbots

Children died by suicideafter interactions with technology

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter

Parents whoseteenagers killed themselves after interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots testified to Congress on Tuesday about the dangers of the technology

“What began as ahomework helper gradually turned itself into aconfidant and then asuicidecoach,” said Matthew Raine, whose 16-year-old son Adam died in April.

“Within afew months, ChatGPTbecame Adam’s closest companion,” thefathertold senators. “Always available. Alwaysvalidating andinsistingthatitknew Adam better than anyone else, including his own brother.”

Raine’s family sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altmanlastmonthalleging that ChatGPTcoached the boy in planning to takehis own life.

Megan Garcia, the mother of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III of Florida, sued another AI company,Character Technologies, for wrongful death last year,arguing that before hissuicide,Sewell hadbecome increasingly isolated from hisreal life as he engaged in highlysexual-

Trump’sU.K.visit will mixtalks,royal pomp

BY JILL LAWLESSand

MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

LONDON U.S. President DonaldTrump arrived in theUnited Kingdom on Tuesday for astate visit during which the British government hopes amultibillion-dollar technology deal will show thetrans-Atlanticbondremains strong despite differences over Ukraine, theMiddleEast and the future of the Western alliance. State visits in Britain blend 21st-century diplomacywithroyal pageantry.Trump’stwo-day trip comes complete with horse-drawn carriages, military honor guards and aglittering banquet inside a1,000-year-old castle all tailored to apresident with afondness for gilded splendor

King CharlesIII will host TrumpatWindsor Castle on Wednesday beforetalks thenext day with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British leader’srural retreat Starmer’s office said the visitwill demonstrate that

“the U.K.-U.S. relationship is the strongest in the world, built on 250 years of history” —after that awkward rupture in 1776 —and bound by sharedvaluesof “belief in the rule of law and open markets.” There was no mention of Trump’s market-crimping fondness forsweeping tariffs

The WhiteHouse expects the twocountries will strengthentheir relationship during the trip and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States,

according to asenior White House official whowas not authorized to speakpublicly andspoke on the condition of anonymity. It was unclear how the U.K. was planning to markthat chapter in their shared history

“The trip to the U.K. is going to be incredible,” Trump toldreporters Sunday.HesaidWindsor Castle is “supposed to be amazing” andadded: “It’sgoing to be very exciting.”

Trump is the first U.S. president to get asecond state visit to the U.K.

ICEcrackdownsintensify in Boston

BY LEAHWILLINGHAM, MICHAELCASEY and HOLLYRAMER

Associated Press

BOSTON Immigrants are beingdetainedwhile going to work, outside courthouses, and at store parking lots in Metro Boston as President Donald Trumptargets so-called sanctuary cities in his effort toramp up immigration enforcement.

As familiesholeupin homes —afraid to leave andriskdetainment—ad-

vocates arereporting an increased presenceofunmarked U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement vehiclessitting in parking lots andother public areas throughout immigrant communities, where agents appeared to target work vans.

One man captured avideo of three landscapers who were working on the Saugus Town Hallproperty beingarrested after agents smashed their truck window

Just north of Boston, the city of Everett canceled its

annual Hispanic Heritage Monthfestivalafter its mayor saiditwouldn’tbe right to “hold acelebration at atime when community members may not feel safe attending.”

The actions have been praised by public officials like New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who signedlegislation this year banning sanctuary city policiesinher state, vowing nottolet New Hampshire “go the way of Massachusetts.”

Dream Address Awaits

ized conversationswiththe chatbot.

“Instead of preparing for high school milestones, Sewell spent thelast months of hislife beingexploited andsexually groomed by chatbots, designedbyanAI company to seem human, to gain histrust, to keephim and other children endlessly engaged,” Garcia told the Senatehearing.

Also testifying was aTexas mother who suedCharacter lastyear and was in tears describing howher son’s behavior changed after lengthy interactions with its chatbots. She spoke anonymously,with aplacard that introduced herasMs. Jane Doe, and said theboy is now in aresidentialtreatment facility

federal bribery case in whichGary Haynes’ wife, Barna, longtime administrative assistant to Harson, wassent to federal prison

The federal judge hearing Haynes’ case will not allowthe jury to hear any evidence connecting him and the earliercase involving his wife. They did hear part of the recordinginwhich Haynes mentioned people, including himself, going to Harson’s officeand leavingcashon hisdesk.Haynessaidhehascarried

ARTIFACT

Continued from page1A

Tuesday The board —which measures about six feet by 20 feet and has words engraved of its origin into it —came from atree that was estimated to be 1,264 years old when it was cut down in 1936. Wording on the board indicates that it was given to the state in 1955 and hung on the wall in the breezeway on the ground floor of the Capitol until about 10 years ago.

Schexnayder said then-Speaker Chuck Kleckley,R-LakeCharles, asked him in 2013 to put the board in his district office because it came from atree in Ascension Parish. Kleckley,however,doesn’trecall giving it to Schexnayder,saying such arequest by him involving ahistoric state artifact would have been inappropriate.

DOCTOR

Continued from page1A

prompted her to studyother vaccines: what they’re made of, how they’re doing, and howthose vaccines got on the childhoodvaccination schedule.

“Many physicians, like myself,are seriously questioning the vaccine schedule,” she said. Griffin did not respond Tuesday to arequest for comment.

Kennedy tapped Griffin on Monday night to join thecivilian Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends vaccines and vaccination policies to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel is slated to meet next on Thursday Kennedy in June forced all 17 members of the panelto resign. He promisedtopick replacements with strong scientific credentials and withoutpreconceived notions

Aprominent anti-vaxxer, Kennedy was criticized after choosingfor the panel several health care professionals who made aname for themselves on conservative media talking against vaccines Kennedy also laid off thousandsofagencyemployees, proposed cutting the agency’sbudget, pulled funding for further vaccination research using one of its most promising platforms, and fired the director of the CDC less than amonth after she was confirmed

$10,000 from asupporter to Harson. What jurors did nothear was Haynes say,“It ain’tacampaign contribution,right?” He added, “A lotta peoplepaid him.”

In that scheme, whicheventually cost Harson reelection, Barna Haynes allegedly accepted paymentsfrom aprivate investigator, Robert Williamson, who represented offenders even though he wasn’tanattorney, to expunge offenders’ records, supposedly when they finished required classes. The payments to Barna Haynes were less than they would payanattorney, Gary Haynes said. Williamson, now deceased, paid others in the District Attorney’s

Officetofast-track his clients through aprogram to clear their records quickly,attimes using forged documentstosay they had completed classes and community service when they had not Gary Haynes in the recording said Williamson would ask Harson to puthis clients in theprogram and he would do it.

Adefense attorney who saw what Williamson was doing, he said, reported Harsontothe FBI, which launched an investigation. They found Barna Hayneswas paid to type theexpungements, Gary Haynes said, but couldn’t catch Harson accepting money “He’ssmarter than that,” he said.

“He ain’tstupid. People walk in his office andjust put it on thedesk, they don’ttalk about it.” When thefederal investigators couldn’tcatch Harson, they looked elsewhere, GaryHaynes said,tohis wife,who he called a scapegoat. Harson, he said,would nothelp outhis wife,refusingtotestify under oath becausehecould get caught. Instead, Gary Haynessaid, prosecutors let Harson “testify” via an affidavit where he could control what he said, insteadof takingthe witness stand. His wife signeda plea deal but prosecutors said she didn’tfulfill theagreementbecause she did not

implicate Harson, Gary Haynes said, so they withdrew the deal. She wassentenced to 18 months in prison butwenttoafederal medical facility for12months. AfterBarna Hayneswas released from prison, Harson allegedly triedtomeet with herthreeor four timesata flowershopwhere sheworked, Gary Haynes said in the recording. When she finally agreed, he said, Harson wasshaking and apologizing. Harson did not immediately return acall forcomment Monday afternoon.

Email ClaireTayloratctaylor@ theadvocate.com.

Both last week and on Tuesday, Schexnayder said he didn’ttake theboard from his districtoffice when his legislativeterm ended at the beginning of last year

Hisoffice was located in Suite 205 in astrip mall nexttothe Pelican Point subdivision on La. 44 in Gonzales.

“When Iturned in the keys, that’s the last Iseenit, that’sthe last I know,” Schexnaydersaid Tuesday “The last Iknowisthe boardwas in the office when Ileft.”

Thanks to term limits, his 12year legislativecareer ended in January 2024. But he said he kept using theofficeaslate as Feb. 20thatyear, according to atext exchange at the time with Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, who contacted Schexnayder on behalf of Mullins, afamily friend In atext to the newspaper on Tuesday, Schexnayderconfirmed he still usedthe office as of Febru-

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy theBaton Rouge Republican who chairs the Senate Health Education Labor andPensionsCommittee, was among those raising questions about Kennedy’s promises not to undermine the nation’s vaccination protocols. Alongtime promoter of vaccinations, Cassidy particularly was concerned that Kennedy’s replacementsfor the advisory panel didn’t have much experience in thesciences connected to vaccines.

But, after voting to confirmKennedy to thejob, he said thenew secretary would consult withhim.

Cassidydid not respond Tuesday to requests for

TAyLOR BARRAS, commissioner of

ary 2024.

DouglasDiez, adeveloper in Gonzales who owns the strip mall, said when tenants depart and are up to date in their payments, “We usually don’tchange thekey in the office. Eventhough Clay moved out,heorany one of his people could have come back.

Todd Pevey, who works for St John Properties and manages leasingatthe strip mall for Diez, said in an email that “tenantsare responsible for removing allmaterialsand belongings from thepremises upon vacating. NeitherI,nor any otherSt.

comments. His committeeismeeting Wednesday to take testimony from the CDC director whoKennedy recently fired. Griffinisanobstetrician andgynecologist who has practiced in Baton Rouge forabout 20 years.Griffin praised Republican Gov Jeff Landry,who hasbeen critical of Cassidy Anative of Poland when it was controlled by communists, Griffin grew up in Canada whereher family immigrated. She moved to BatonRouge with herhusband after college. Griffin saidshe initially didn’tquestionvaccinesbecause, like all medical students, she was overwhelmed

JohnProperties employee or representative, have removed any of the client’sitems from the space nor are we in possession of any items thatwereever in the premises.”

When Schexnayder left office last year,the speaker’soffice collected acouple of pieces of state equipment, but Schexnayder exercised his right to buy the laptop, printer andfax he had been using, at adepreciated price,according to state records. The governmentinventory did not include the board since it hadn’tbeen officially given to him

Schexnayder saidsomeone at his request notified someone from the state that he had the board as he was leaving office. He wouldn’t identify either person.

“I’mnot going to go and start blurting outnames,” Schexnayder said. “That’snot whoI am.”

Complicating the effort to locate theboard is this: No entity within

withinformation —“like drinking from fire hose,” she said —that basically spread amessage of vaccines are good andasa doctor she should justmemorizethe schedule.

During testimony in 2022 before the Louisiana House CommitteeonHealthand Welfare, Griffin said thatshe observed in her patients “bizarre andrare conditions” that she couldn’tpinpoint as being caused by thevaccine or by thedisease itself. “The average doctor is not

state government is claiming ownership of it.

Officials at the Secretary of State’sOffice, the Department of Agriculture and the Culture, Recreation and Tourism branch of the LieutenantGovernor’sOffice all said last week the board doesn’t belong to their agencies.

Taylor Barras, the commissioner of administration, said his agency, whichoversees construction of state buildings, also has no record of it.

“I am as confused as mostwhere that trailleadsus,”saidBarras, whoincidentally wasspeaker in between Kleckley and Schexnayder. “It’s kind of graywhere that ownership originally resided.”

Afrustrated Mullins has an explanation forthat.

“Nobody kept records when it wasdonated,” he surmised.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

asking questions, suchas, could this be an aftereffect of the vaccine? And not asking these questions is scary as wellasnot scientific,” Griffin said when she testified in favor of an anti-COVID vaccine bill. Kennedy himself testified before the same committee in 2021, before he was health secretary In testifying in favor of another measure, Griffin said the hospitals with which she was associated had refused herrequeststodig down on

the data about the efficacy of vaccinations in general andthe COVIDmedicinein particular “I was toldrepeatedlyno and that was is because they felt thatwould createvaccine hesitancy if someone should possibly present a counter narrative,” Griffin said.“Ican tell youthat thereissomething wrong that is going on.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

Oscar-winning director, actor

Robert Redford dies at 89

BY BOB THOMAS Associated Press

Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscarwinning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. He died in his sleep, but no cause was provided.

After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980’s “Ordinary People,” which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in “Jeremiah Johnson” to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.

But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman, their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-office smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the ’70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and ’90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the film’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

Black college student found hanging from tree

Miss. police say no signs of foul play

BY SOPHIE BATES Associated Press

JACKSON,Miss.— Police on Tuesday were investigating the death of a Black college student found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University in Mississippi, stirring online rumors that evoked the state’s history of Jim Crow-era racist violence even as authoritiessaidtherewasnoinitial evidence of a crime.

The campus police chief said there are no signs of foul play in the death of the 21-year-old student, whose body was discovered by a staff member early Monday near the campus pickleball courts.

Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler said there was also no evidence of a threat to students and faculty He told reporters Monday the death investigation was being assisted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation as well as local police and sheriff’s deputies.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Tuesday that he has been retained by the student’s family and will undertake an independent investigation into the death.

“We cannot accept vagueconclusions when so many questions remain,” Crump said in a statement.

“I stand with this family, and I will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizations in pursuing transparency and answers.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat called for the FBI to investigate.

“The FBI has the tools and experience necessary to conduct a thorough, unbiased inquiry, and time is of the essence,” Thompson said in a statement.

DeltaStatesaiditplannedanews conference Wednesday with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Online rumors that the student was found with broken limbs were disputed by Bolivar County Coroner Randolph Seals Jr In a statement cited by local news outlets, Seals said his office conducted a preliminary examination and concluded the student did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault. The coroner did not immediately return phone messages Tuesday from The Associated Press. Attempts to reach the student’s family weren’t immediately successful. A woman identifying herselfasacousintoldtheAPinanonlinemessagethatthefamilywasn’t speaking to reporters. Two others who said they were distant relatives declined to comment when reached by phone.

In a video posted Tuesday to the university’s Facebook page, Delta State President Dan Ennis said the university was resuming operations while continuing to mourn. He said campus officials were staying in touch with the student’s family

BY DAVID FISCHER

Associated Press

DNA sampled from a rifle, as well as multiple other items, found near where President Donald Trump was playing golf in South Florida last year matches that of a man accused of trying to assassinate Trump that day, an FBI analyst testified Tuesday Tuesday was the fourth day of testimony in the trial of Ryan Routh, who prosecutors said spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had initially blocked off more than three weeks for trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse. But prosecutors have said they should be able to rest their case by Thursday, and Routh’s witnesses have been subpoenaed to appear by Friday Prosecutors continued to call expert witnesses on Tuesday, according to local news outlets. A ballistics expert testified about two metal plates found mounted to the golf course fence, which would have been nearly impossible for handgun rounds to penetrate. Investigators believe Routh had planned to use the plates for cover One analyst testified that Routh was a potential DNA contributor to more than two dozen items collected from the crime scene, including an SKS rifle. Another expert described how Routh’s Google and Facebook accounts were logged in to several phones recovered from his SUV and contained location data that tracked his movements over the weeks leading up to the attempted attack. Routh has indicated that he plans to call a firearms expert, as well as several character witnesses. He hasn’t said whether he plans to testify himself.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street edges back from its record heights

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights on Tuesday as the countdown ticked toward what Wall Street expects will be the first cut of the year to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 fell 0.1% from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 125 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1% from its own record set the day before Stocks have run to records on expectations that the Fed will announce the first of a series of cuts to rates on Wednesday in hopes of giving the economy a boost

The job market has slowed so much that traders believe Fed officials now see it as the bigger danger for the economy than the threat of higher inflation because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The Fed has been holding off on cuts to rates because inflation has remained above its 2% target, and easier interest rates could give it more fuel.

Tesla door handles being investigated

Federal auto safety regulators opened an investigation Tuesday into possible defects in Tesla doors that have reportedly left parents with children trapped in the back seat and forced to break windows to get them out.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the preliminary probe is focused on 2021 Tesla Model Ys after receiving nine reports of electronic door handles not working possibly due to low battery voltage.

The company run by billionaire Elon Musk has installed manual door releases inside the vehicles but NHTSA noted that a child may not be able to reach or know how to operate the releases. In four cases, the parents had to break the windows to get inside.

The investigation into Tesla’s most popular model comes after numerous reported incidents in recent years of other problems with opening Tesla doors, sometime trapping drivers in burning vehicles after accidents and a loss of power. Trump extends TikTok shutdown deadline

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump formally extended the deadline to keep the social media app TikTok available in the United States until Dec. 16, giving time to complete the framework of the deal announced Monday after talks between American and Chinese government officials.

The executive order signed on Tuesday by Trump was the fourth time he has bypassed federal law to prolong the deadline for the China-associated TikTok to sell its assets to an American company or face a ban. The original deadline set by Congress was Jan. 19 of this year, a day before Trump took the oath of office for his second term Trump was asked Tuesday about the framework deal he announced a day earlier and repeated that he would discuss TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday He has said there are companies that want to buy the social media app owned by ByteDance and that details about its potential suitors would be announced soon

“I hate to see value like that thrown out the window,” Trump said as he departed the White House, with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, for a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Fed convenes interest rate meeting

Panel includes new Trump administration appointee

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — After a latenight vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal. Stephen Miran, a top White House economist who was confirmed by the Senate with unusual speed late Monday, was sworn in Tuesday as a member of the Fed’s board of governors.

He will vote on the Fed’s interest rate decision on Wednesday, when the central bank is expected to reduce its key rate by a quarter-point. Miran may dissent in favor of a larger cut.

Also attending the meeting is Fed governor Lisa Cook, whom the Trump administration has sought to fire in an unprecedented attempt to reshape the Fed, which historically is considered independent of day-to-day politics. An appeals court late Monday upheld an earlier ruling that the firing violated Cook’s due process rights. A lower court had earlier also ruled that President Donald Trump did not provide sufficient “cause” to remove Cook. The Fed on Wednesday is widely expected to cut its key rate by

a quarter point to about 4.1%, which would be the first reduction since last December The central bank reduced rates three times last year because, like now, it worried that job gains were weakening and unemployment was rising. Some borrowing costs, such as mortgage rates, have already declined in anticipation that the Fed will start cutting rates this week. Should the Fed reduce borrowing costs again at its next meetings in October and December, rates on mortgages, car loans, and credit cards could decline further With both Cook and Miran in place, the Fed’s two-day meeting could be unusually contentious for an institution that typically prefers to operate by consensus.

It’s possible that as many as three of the seven governors could dissent from a decision to reduce rates by just a quarterpoint in favor of a half-point. That would be the first time since 1988 that three governors have dissented. Economists also say that one of the five regional Fed bank presidents who also vote on rates could dissent in favor of keeping rates unchanged. On Tuesday, the White House said it would appeal Cook’s case to the Supreme Court, though did not specify when.

“The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.” Retail sales up 0.6% in August even as tariffs lead to

Initiative intended to streamline processes for homegrown businesses

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry announced initiatives to streamline processes between Louisiana Economic Development and state agencies to promote homegrown businesses.

Project Lightning Speed will appoint liaisons in the governor’s Cabinet to communicate among the agencies and quicken crossCabinet processes. Landry said he wants to move at “the speed of business and not the speed of government.”

Project Lightning Speed will launch with an executive order, and he says the designated liaisons will “reduce red tape” for those conducting business in the state.

“It’s something that I experienced as a business owner myself, was how government can be an obstacle, rather than an aid in making your businesses successful,” Landry said at the news conference Tuesday morning. Ultimately, the four-prong plan aims to integrate Louisiana-grown businesses in large investments in the state, like the $17.5 billion Woodside Energy liquefied natural gas facility under construction in Calcasieu Parish, so parishes aren’t left in the wayside following project completion.

Landry said he is exploring ways to promote the usage of Louisiana companies in projects that receive incentives from the state, like disclosing which businesses are involved. Landry said he wants to reward companies that partner with local businesses and operate in Louisiana.

Bourgeois and Landry visited Paris in June to attract investments and promote the state at the Paris Air Show When Bourgeois was tapped to lead LED last year, she said she intended to implement changes to the agency’s practices and bolster in-state economic opportunities to retain residents.

“This isn’t a listening tour,” Landry said. “We’ve listened. This is an action tour.”

Louisiana vendors can register their information into SourceLouisiana.com, a statewide directory of Louisiana-based businesses. Landry said the site will platform local businesses and connect them to projects across the state. Vendors can input information on their certifications and capacity to fill needs on projects like the $10 billion Meta data center in Richland Parish or the $5.8 billion Hyundai steel mill in Donaldsonville, he said. LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois will begin a tour of the state’s eight economic development areas. The tour is part of the agency’s Nine by Ninety plan, an 18-month initiative to nurture existing businesses and garner new investments, and the agency plans to visit 800 businesses this fiscal year

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEW YORK — Shoppers increased their spending at a better-thanexpected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school shopping, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs start to hurt the job market and lead to price increases.

Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department’s report. In June, retail sales rose 0.9%, the government agency said.

The August performance, announced Tuesday was also likely helped by the continued efforts by Americans to keep pushing up purchases ahead of expected price increases.

The sales increases followed two straight months of spending declines in April and May.

Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since Trump imposed tariffs on many foreignmade cars, retail sales rose 0.7% in August. Sales at auto vehicle and parts dealers rose 0.5%.

The data showed solid spending across various other outlets. Business at electronics and appliance stores was up 0.3%, while online retailers saw a 2% increase. Business at clothing and accessories retailers rose 1%

And business at restaurants, the lone services component within the Census Bureau report and a barometer of discretionary spend-

ing, rose 0.7%. Business at furniture and home furnishings stores was down 0.3%

A category of sales that excludes volatile sectors such as gas, cars, and restaurants rose last month by 0.7% from the previous month.

The figure feeds into the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s consumption estimate and is a sign that consumers are still spending on some discretionary items.

“This is further evidence that we shouldn’t underestimate the strength of the consumer,”

Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rossman wrote in a note Tuesday “Back-to-school shopping was a key theme in August, as evidenced by the strong clothing and electronics sales.” Government retail data isn’t adjusted for inflation, which rose 0.4% from July to August, according to the latest government report. That was faster than the 0.2% pace the previous month. So that could have inflated the sales figures as well.

Consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the Labor Department said last week, up from 2.7% the previous month and the biggest jump since January Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, the same as in July. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Stronger-than-expected retail sales, coupled with higher inflation as well as data showing soaring

applications for unemployment aid, all create a complicated picture of the economy Such data put the Federal Reserve in an increasingly tough spot as it prepares to cut rates at its meeting this week, economists said.

Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers companies, government agencies and nonprofits — added 22,000 jobs last month, down from 79,000 in July and well below the 80,000 that economists had expected.

Carl B. Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics noted the retail sales increase “will not be enough of a surprise to stop the Fed from cutting rates this week, but it should support a hawkish message from the Fed Chair that a knock-on rate cut is not assured.”

Major retailers including Walmart, Macy’s and Best Buy recently reported their quarterly results, underscoring that shoppers are still buying, but are choosy Some have raised prices ,but many have described the hikes as modest. Still, so far, shoppers haven’t felt the big sting as some economists predicted earlier in the year as many retailers ordered goods ahead of tariffs and absorbed a big chunk of the costs as they came in, worried about passing on any hefty price increases

The price gains have also been gradual enough to mute changes

in consumer behavior, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told analysts last month.

But Walmart and others said they expect to see costs increase as they replenish inventory at post-tariff levels.

Jewelry maker Pandora hasn’t announced specific price increases, but Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said in a call with analysts last month that the company is monitoring the scenario.

He noted that “the U.S. consumer will eventually have to bear the brunt of these tariffs,” but added, “it’s not just on jewelry, it’s on many product categories. So the big question mark is, what happens with inflation in the U.S., unemployment rates, all sorts of other macro drivers, and I think this is ahead of us.”

Matt Priest, president and CEO of trade group Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, told reporters Monday that members are starting to pass along price increases to shoppers. Its members had previously paid a total of $3 billion in tariffs annually for years; that number is now on track to hit $5 billion by year-end. He warned that women’s shoes will be affected first.

“Women’s shoes are more fashion-oriented,” Priest said. “Our ability to front-load women’s product based on fashion trends was limited, and so we are seeing that those increases start to hit consumers first.”

National Palace to kick offIndependence Daycelebrations at theZocalo, Mexico City’smain square.

Mexicanpresident marksindependence

Sheinbaumthe firstfemaleleader to presideovercountry’s celebrations

By The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY President Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female leader to preside over Mexico’sindependence celebrations in 215 years, with amessage that she won’taccept foreign intervention,asignificantstatement as she negotiates pressure from the United States.

Sheinbaum led atraditional ceremony from the balcony of the National Palace in MexicoCityknown as the “grito,” or “shout” in English, Monday night. It’s an annual tradition whenon Sept. 15, the president rings abell marking the call to arms during the 1810-1821 fighttowin independence from Spain.

Independence Day is formallycelebrated Sept. 16, but the grito” ceremony hasbeenperformed the night before for over acentury

Atraditional military parade followed Tuesday,and Sheinbaum reiterated that “No foreignpower makes decisions forus.” In aspeech before her Cabinet and thousands of soldiers, Sheinbaum added that “no interference is possible inour homeland” and although she didn’tmention any particular country,her words come at amoment when the U.S. government has asked Mexico to do more to crack down on drug cartels and strengthen border security

U.S. President Donald Trump’sadministration has even offered to send U.S. troops to fight cartels, some of them declared as terrorist organizations by his government, but Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected it.

Heradministration has been more aggressivein pursuing thecartels than herpredecessor, handing over dozens of cartel figures to American authorities and pointing to lower fentanyl seizures at theU.S.border But Sheinbaum insists that the actions have been carried out because they’re good for Mexico, not because of U.S. pressure.

Sheinbaum took power in October as Mexico’sfirst female president

Ghanacontradicts lawyers, says immigrants sent home

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI, CHINEDU ASADU and EDWARD ACQUAH Associated Press

ACCRA, Ghana Authorities in Ghana pushed back Tuesday on claims that four African immigrants recently deported by the U.S. remain in Ghanaian detention, reiteratingtheir assertion that all such migrants have been returned to their home countries. The government said Monday that all 14 of the deportees had been returned to their countries of origin in West Africa. On Tuesday, Ghana’spresidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said in an interview with The Associated Pressthat 13 Ni-

geriansweresenthomeon abus and that one Gambian wassent homeonaplane Lawyersfor four of the Nigerians said in U.S. court filings Mondayand in interviews withthe AP that the fourwere still being held in afacility in Ghana.The lawyers saidthe Nigerians faced persecution in their home country,but ajudge rejected their request for a court order to return them to the U.S., though she expressed alarm over thedeportations.

The Ghanaian government spokesperson denied knowledge of sucha facility.“None of them arestaying in this country. Nobody is being held in any camp andnobody’s righthas been

abused,” Ofosu said of thedeportees in aphone interview

The AP could notindependently verify the current location of thedeportees. However, alawyer forthe Gambian individual, from a differentlaw firm, confirmed thattheir client was in Gambia.

Nigerian andGambian government officials told the AP they were neither notified aboutthe deportations norinvolved in theprocess.

Meanwhile,aU.S. judge said that she was powerless to preventGhana from returningdeportees in itscustody to their home countries, declining to intervene in the case, in avictory for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Russian forces bombarded the southern Ukrainiancity of Zaporizhzhia with rockets overnight, wounding 20 people, including four children, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday as he urged European leaders to make the continent safe by building an ambitious air defense umbrella.

With the war grindingon since Russia’sfull-scale invasionofits neighbormore than31/2 years ago, therehas been no let-upinRussian strikesoncivilianareas of Ukraine and its army’spush on the frontline.

Asettlement to end the war appearstobenocloser

despite months of U.S.-led peaceefforts.PresidentDonald Trump’sultimatums and deadlinesforPutintoengage with proposals to stopthe fighting have passed without obvious consequences.

Just over the past two weeks, Zelenskyy said on Telegram, Russia has launchedmore than 3,500 drones,morethan2,500powerfulglidebombsandalmost 200 missilesattargets inside Ukraine Russianglide bombs, usually dropped by jets at high altitude andfar behind the front line, and drone swarms are amajor challenge forUkrainian defenses. Glide bombsaren’tvery accurate, but they leave big craters, andUkrainehas no effective countermeasure

against them Russian drones also recently landed on Polish soil, prompting NATO to beef up thealliance’sEuropean air defenses as tensions with Moscow mounted. “Now is the time to implementthe jointprotection of ourEuropean skies with amultilayered airdefense system. All the technologies for this are available,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “Weneed investments and desire, we need strong actions anddecisions fromall our partners.”

Trump, heading to the United Kingdom for astate visit, told reporters in Washingtonthat“Zelenskyy is goingtohavetomake adeal” to end the war, though he didn’telaborate.

Complaintalleges abuseatICE facility

Civilrights filingclaimsforcedlabor,denialofmedical care

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Acivil rights complaint filedwith the Department of Homeland Security alleges aformer assistant warden, prison officers,and Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees at the SouthLouisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile subjected awoman and threetransgender people to abuse from 2023 to 2025.

The complaint, filed Mondayby the Robert F. KennedyHuman Rightsorganization, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, the National Immigration Project andthe Southeast Dignity Not Detention coalition, is on behalf of several detainees who saythey experienced sexual assault,forced labor,denial of medical careand retaliatorysolitary confinement while awaitingdeportation at theEvangeline Parish facility.

Planning Commission OKscondo project

Site plannedatformer HandyStopbuilding

BY ANGELINE MATHEWS Contributing writer

Amultifamily project planned for the former Handy Stop buildingcleared its first hurdle Monday

Developer Cliff Guidry’sproject to demolish the building at 444 Jefferson St.and replace it with acomplex of mostly condominiums got approval from the Lafayette City Planning Commission at its monthly meeting.

Commissioners grantedGuidryand his company,ACTP Rentals,apreliminary plat approval to merge the propertyat444 Jefferson St. with its adjacent parking area into asingle development site.

The development calls for a21-unit residential complex featuring 23 ground-floor parking spaces. No one spoke out atthe meeting against the project.

“Twenty of the units are single-bedroom units,” Guidry said. “The topisgoing to have afive-bedroom penthouse for Airbnb.”

The building, which has sat empty since Handy Stop closed in 2022, traces its originstoatleast 1912 when it was afine men’s clothing and dry goods store operated by Lafayette businessman Maurice Heymann, according to Preserving Alliance of Lafayette

‘Bayousto bling’

Military momfromNew Iberia becomes Mrs. Louisiana2025

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Growingupanathlete, KristinKimble never imaginedherself competing in pageants or being crownedMrs. Louisiana America 2025 wearing asparkling gown, avictory sash and acrown.

Butasidefrom thesparkle,Kimble,a New Iberia native,has worn many hats. She is awife, the motherofa 13-year-old anda3-year-old, arecruiterfor theLouisiana Army National Guard andnow astate titleholder

The organizations claim that the female-only facility,which also holds detainees of various gender identities and is operated by GEO Group Inc., violated civil and humanrights, nationalstandards, and several ICEdirectives. The complaintstatesthe practices were “part of asystemic pattern of abuse that thoseinauthority at thefacility cannotorwill notcorrect.”

South Louisiana ICEProcessing Center administration, ICE New Or-

leans Field Office officials and GEO Group were notimmediately availablefor comment on the complaint.

Thecomplaintaccuses aformer assistantwarden, Manuel Reyes, of separately approaching four detainees to participate in an unsanctioned “night shift cleaning crew.”

The complaint claims no officialrecord of the programexists, andthat Reyes targeted LGBTQ+ detainees.

Reyes is accused of stalking, verbally harassing andsexually

assaulting and harassing thefour while coercing other detainees into sexual acts. One detainee, identified as Jane Doe, claimed Reyes groped herbreasts andforced hertoperformoral sex after he threatened herand herfamily

The sexual abuse occurred on a near-daily basis over four months, Doe told the organization.

ARobert F. Kennedy Human Rights attorney,Sarah Decker, said Doe approached her last year during abimonthly legaltraining

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

What stateofficialsare calling “thelargest foreign investment in Louisiana history” is well underway as Woodside Energy hasofficiallybroken ground on itsnew $17.5 billion liquefied

natural gas facilityinCalcasieu Parish On Monday,Woodside Energy representativesand Gov.Jeff Landry celebrated the groundbreakingofLouisiana LNG in Sulphur “Louisiana LNGwill be asignificantcontributor to US LNG exports, supporting thenation’s roleasaleading energy supplier to theworld,” Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill said in anewsrelease. “It is expectedtosupporttensofthousandsofhigh-quality jobs in the U.S strengthen global energy security and generate billions of dollars in local and national revenues, delivering long-term benefits to the communities where we operate.”

During the event, O’Neill said the groundbreaking marks the moment that Woodside Energy evolves into a“trulyglobalLNG powerhouse.” “Through LouisianaLNG, we are delivering U.S.natural gas to the world, strengthening energy security,creating thousandsofjobs, anddelivering long-term benefits to the community,” O’Neill said. “I’m extremely proud of the work that everyone here and everyone on the broader team is doing to de-

Few things have the potential to improvethe daily lives of Louisiana residents like repairs to the roads they drive on each day.That’s why we were so optimistic about the overhaul of theDepartment of Transportation and Development passed by theLegislature this year with the leadershipofGov.JeffLandry.

The reform aimedtoallow the state to move faster in addressingour chronicallylonglist of road projects. Legislation createdthe Office of Louisiana HighwayConstruction, independent of DOTD, whosesole focus is toget projects moving along the 4,800 milesofstate roadways that don’tqualify for federal funding.

Nowweare beginning to see the fruitsof thatchange.The agencyrecently announced itsfirstambitious goal: fixing 62 small bridges across rural parts of the state by theend of next year.Insome cases, the bridges have been out for years, adding hours to thecommutesofdrivers and creating headachesfor industry

TheLegislature is putting $100 million from astate savingsaccount toward thebridge effort.The initiallist of projectswill cost from $1 millionto$3million, and most will take60 to 90 days. Some bridges will require complete demolition,and thatwork is set to beginbefore theend of October. Butall thework will be donebyDec. 31, 2026, saidArchie Chaisson III, the former Lafourche Parish president whom Landry appointed to lead theOffice of Louisiana Highway Construction.

What’smaking this expedited timelinepossible is emergency procurement authority the Legislature granted the agency forsix months, which lets it bypass normal public bidding rules. DOTDSecretary GlenLedetsays his agency is taking advantageofthataswellby partnering with the newagency on someofthe bridgesthat are along federal routes.

Officials saythe newprocess allowsthem to selectengineers and contractors quickly. And while thegoal is speed, they say there will be no skimping on safety or quality of thework

The bridges are groupedinto eightproject bundles based on their location,and eight engineeringfirms have each been assigned a bundle.

We have to say we are encouraged by how thiswork has beenpresented, with cleargoals that make it easy to hold officials accountable. For far too long, the money we spend on roads hasseemedtodisappear into ablack hole as projects languish with no discernabletimelinesor priorities. Fixing andmaintaining roadsare basicfunctionsofgovernment thatweinLouisiana have aright to expect. We are glad to seeour state leaders seem to have finally gotten it.We will be watching as the projects progress, but for the first time it appears more Louisiana drivers will seeasmoother road ahead

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Senate questioning of Kennedyall forshow

As aGIphysician rooted in Louisiana, Iwatched the recent Senate hearing with RFK Jr.with significant dismay and outrage. What was billed as a public healthinquiry quickly devolved into political theater,where senators withlittle clinical experience postured as vaccine experts,and major concerns about child and elder care, medication costs and pharmacologic side effects weredrowned out by partisan soundbites. RFKJr. is no stranger to controversy, but he was right.His views on vaccines and pharmaceutical influence are provocative, and often polarizing. Butthe Senate’sresponse —particularly from memberswho’ve accepted generous contributions from the very drug companies they claim to regulate—was less about truth and more about optics. When lawmakers grill a public figureonnuanced medical issues without clinical grounding to do so, it’s not just misleading —it’soutright dangerous Iwas especially disheartened by Sen. Bill Cassidy’sperformance. As a fellow physician and gastroenterolo-

After thesecond election of Donald Trump, Iwas hopeful that people would begin to question amethod of election that could bring such aman to power Iwas disappointed. In fact, the one thing that Ibelievewould prevent such amistakeisthe veryinstitution that is blamed for it

As originally conceived, the Electoral College was to be comprised of a single group of men selected by each state who would each vote for the candidate of their choice.

The number of astate’selectorswas to be based upon itscongressional representation, which would rise or fall with thestate’spopulation. Consequently,the number of each state’s electoral votes would be directly proportional to itspopulation. Selecting electorswho would evaluate each candidate and vote their consciences was intended to avoid thedangers inherent in apopular election, it being accepted that the general public is too easily misled and prone to temporary passions.

gist, Iexpected more.Cassidy’sbackground in hepatology doesn’tmake him an expertinvaccines, immunology or pharmacology,yet he leaned heavily on his credentials to challenge Kennedy —while sidestepping the real issues facing our children and our elderly: overmedication, adverse drug reactions and the crushing cost of care. Hisback-and-forth political posture —voting to impeach President Donald Trump thenrunning campaign commercials showing alignment with Trump— reflects abroader crisis of conviction in Washington. This is about defending integrity We need hearings thataddress systemicfailures with Big Pharma and politicians that undermine public trust. We need physicians in office who speak with clinical clarity,not political calculation. If we continue to treat oversight as theater,thiscountry will get policy that is worthless to help thepeople it was designed to protect and serve, our elderly and our vulnerable.

NICHOLAS PERSICH,M.D Metairie

The 1929 Permanent Apportionment Act was passed to limit the number of U.S. representatives to 435. This was done without providing ameansto allow the number of state electors to continue to remainproportional to a state’spopulation. If each state had itsown, single setofelectors, each state’selectors would have time to meet directly with each candidate for two or three weeks, during which various activities could be engaged in to determine thedifferent qualities of each candidate. And, of course, any candidate who refused to give straight answers to direct questions, or whodemonstrated childish desires to use the officeto exact revenge on opponents, could be immediately rejected. Such amethod would also eliminate theneed for billions of dollars, since theonly expenses wouldbefor the candidates’ and electors’ travel, room and board.

WAYNE PARKER Baton Rouge

Deploying the National Guard in NewOrleans may seem like an attempt to lower criminal activity but regardless of the intent, it has serious negative consequences. Military presence intrudes on residents’ civil rights, disrupts commerce and threatens the city’svital tourism industry

How does it intrude on civil rights?

The presence of the National Guard can lead to increased surveillance, searches and checkpoints that infringe on privacy and freedom of movement. It can create asense of intimidation or harassment, discouraging residents from exercising their right to peacefully protest or assemble. This blurs the line between civilian authority and martial law,undermining fundamental principles of personal liberty and community autonomy It also creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, undermining the political rights and economic livelihoods of everyday residents. This environment discourages local business and hampers recovery efforts, especially in neighborhoods already struggling.

Additionally,deploying the Guard disrupts transportation and civil services. Checkpoints and roadblocks hinder movement, making it harder forresidents and visitors to access essential services. For atourism-dependent city like New Orleans, this sends adamaging message, risking future tourism revenue.

Most concerning is that military intervention often breeds resistance and deepens distrust. Even if initial efforts seem successful, such tactics tend to foster chaos and defiance, making community cooperation moredifficult.

In short, deploying the National Guard is an ill-advised response that jeopardizes civil liberties, hampers commerce and dampens tourism —the city’seconomic lifeblood. We must pursue solutions rooted in community engagement and sustainable policies that respect residents’ rights and preserve New Orleans’ cultural vitality

KATE FAGAN tour guideand musician

FrankieBeverly’s family had pain.N.O.gavethemjoy.

Frankie Beverly was born in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. But Frankie Beverly wasathome musicallywith the people of NewOrleans.

Beverly’sdeath on Sept. 10,2024, sent shock waves across theworld

His family asked for privacy.Reactions, messages, posts and tributes poured in. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said hewas “devastated” by the news.

Acouple of daysafter Frankie’sdeath,Beverly fans in Philadelphia gathered on Frankie Beverly Way, AKANorwood Street, in the Somerville section of East Germantown, the place where Howard Stanley Beverly was born andreared It was anice gathering. There was dancing, music. Agood time was had by all. But it wasn’tNew Orleans.

This week is the anniversary of the Crescent City’ssecond lineinBeverly’s honor that drew hundreds, maybe even more. It was what happened in New Orleans that gained worldwide attention —and the attention of Frankie’s family

Ayear ago Tuesday,the 6th Ward Steppers Social Aid and Pleasure Club hosted aFrankie Beverly farewell second lineatHunter’sField in the city’s Treme neighborhood. The Steppers, andmany others, at least hundreds, observed Beverly’spassingasonly New Orleans could. Some say thousands were out there. Some wore Beverly’s stage signature white.

As the family grieved day afterday, they received condolences from extended family and friends. They were comforted knowing that they had spent as much time with “Frank” and “Pop” as they could during the lastdaysof hislife.

“Weall gave up alot of ourselves to spend time with him,” his son,Anthony Beverly,told me. “I moved here from L.A. to spend time with him. We moved to northernCalifornia from the L.A. area in 2022 to be closer and spend more time with him. Imoved to the new town overfrom him, so Isaw him very often. My children were already here in the area, so we all gathered

with him often.”

My longtimefriend Pam Moore was FrankieBeverly’slife partner for 39 years. Theirs was an extra special love. He was aworld famous entertainer.As eveninganchor at KRON-TV,she was the queen of local television news in theBay Area. She is so big that the station namedthe newsroom studio after heruponher retirement.

Buttheirlives together were personal,and private. After Frankie took his last breath, the family gasped and grieved. They heard aboutall the messages of mourning and prayers, theappreciations and tributes. It wastoo much. They avoided most of it.

Butwhat happened in New Orleans wasdifferent.

“The first time Isaw it it brought tears to my eyes,” AnthonyBeverly said. “There was alove affair with the city, and that showed. Nobody could’ve done what New Orleans did.”

He said person after person senthim videos of the second line as it was happening. He continued to get links to videos of the New Orleans love for his dad that day,the next day,that week, the next week and for months after AnthonyBeverly had seen fans who likedhis dad’smusic for years. Huge applause. Bus stop dancing. Bigsmiles. Cheers. Calls for encores Butitwas when he was with his dad here in the 1980s that he realized that things were different.One time his dad, band members and others ate at

K-Paul’sand he decided to walk back to thehotel, against cautions by others. About 200 people ended up following them. It was like his dad was Black Elvis, he said.

The 2024 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans featured aspecial tributetoBeverly.Former Mayor Marc Morial, Mayor LaToyaCantrell and others greeted our adopted homeboy with some physical tokens of appreciation

“Thank you, thank you, thank you my people,”said Frankie Beverly at the time. “Thank you for this nod. Thank you for caring. AndI’m going to make you proud of mevery soon. Thank you and Ilove you from thebottom of my heart.”

Idon’tknow what Beverly had in mind, but Ican say without apoll or survey that New Orleanscared for him deeply,loved him deeply,and he made us happy We had great joy with Frankie Beverly for decades, and that will continue forever.It’sgood to know thefamily appreciated what they saw and what they felt ayear ago. The day of the second line we had happy feelings. The outpouring of love was real. We didn’t want to let him go, but we know life ends for all of us.

New Orleans, know that Frankie Beverly loved us —and his family thanks us for that everlasting love.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Right after Donald Trumpwas inaugurated as president in 2017 someone punched White nationalist Richard Spencerinthe face on live television. This led to several days of the internet asking whether it is okaytosucker punchNazis.

world damage. If reports are correct, there is no “reasonable gun control” that could have stopped the attack on Kirk; the shooter appears to have used aboltaction rifle, about the last category of weapon that would be banned.

In her response to the murderofIryna Zarutska on alight-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, the city’smayor demonstrated the mindset thatallowedthe heinous act to happen in the first place.

MayorViLylescalled the murderofthe young Ukraine refugee woman, “a tragic situationthatsheds light on problems with society safety nets relatedtomentalhealthcare.”

This is euphemistic prattle. What Lyles calls “a tragic situation” was agruesome crime, andlack of “societysafety nets” must be herway of admitting thatCharlotte serially failed to confine aderanged repeat offender so he couldn’tcontinue to menace the public. The allegedkiller, Decarlos Brown, was schizophrenic. His mother reports that, after he gainedreleasein2020 from a five-year sentence for robbery with adeadly weapon, he began to say strange things and behave aggressively (he assaulted his sister). She gothim evaluated and then got an involuntary commitment order

Aftertwo weeks of monitoring, he wasdiagnosedwith schizophrenia andreleased.His mother couldn’thandle Brown andkickedhim outofthe house,rendering him homeless. Afterthat, Brown repeatedly demonstrated his out-of-control madness, and still, no one hadthe sense to take him off the streets. Policeinteracted with Brown three different timesin2024 andreferred him to “resources,” although no oneknows whatthat means. Then, in January 2025, he told policewhile theywereconducting “a welfare check”on him that“man-made materials” in his body were controlling him, aclassic paranoid belief. Whenthe copstoldhim they couldn’thelp him with that, he called911. Thatresultedin acharge forabusing the emergency-response system.

One judge released him in exchange for a “writtenpromise” that Brown would come back for ahearing, andthen —after his attorneyfileda motion questioning his “capacity to proceed”—another judge ordered aforensic evaluationthatwas nevercompleted. Not thathis conditionwas amystery.If anyone hadaskedBrown’sfamily or the cops, theysurely would have said he wasout of his mind.

This is the history Mayor Vi Lylesrefers to when she says thatBrown “has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered acrisis.”Well, yes, he wassuffering a years-long crisis.

(The answer,for those who missed that session, is that no, it is not okay to sucker punch people who have noxious views, because it is not okay to sucker punch people, period.) At the time Iwas deeply disturbed to see how many people were willing to endorse political violence. In retrospect, this seems almost quaint

We don’tknow the full motive of the shooter who killed conservative activistCharlie Kirk. The shooting may have been politically motivated, or simply abid for fame, or it may have been the result of some psychotic obsession incomprehensibletoa normal mind.

We’ve seen more violent protests, from antifa to the Jan. 6mob, and more targeted attacks. Thedecade hasbrought us attempted assassinations of aconservative Supreme Court justice, Republican legislators and of course, Trump, along with the killing of ahealth care CEO, apolice officer whoresponded to an attack on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and aDemocratic statelegislator and her husband in Minnesota. Thepeople who do these things are not in any sense normal. The United States does not have the kind of organized political violence you see in countries tippinginto civil war.The Second Amendment makesiteasy for those people to get guns that do real-

The most obvious place to start is with thelegions of keyboardwarriors, 101st Chairborne Division, who enjoy spinning online fantasies about hurting their political opponents —orglorifyingthose who do, like Luigi Mangione. Almost all those peopleare just talking, trying to signal theirideological purity or make themselves feel tougher and more courageous than their nondescript white-collar job would otherwise suggest. Butthey aregivingideas to those who want to do more than talk, including the idea that hurtingotherpeople can be ashortcutto fame.Sostand down and knock it off. There has long been aleft-wing cottage industry using dodgy data to conjure up an exaggerated threat from right-wing “domestic terrorism.” (The threat exists, but thenumbers thrown around areinflated.) On liberal social media, one cannot go long without stumbling across some expertclaiming to have diagnosed America’sdescent into fascism, rather thanmore ordinarily bad governance. There are just as manyself-panickers on the right ranting about deep state conspiracies and cultural Marxism.

In the wake of Kirk’sshooting, some of those folksannounced that “they” haddeclared war on conservatives,as if the entireleft (mostofwhom were appropriately horrified by thekilling) hadvoted to put aguy on that rooftop. With relish,conservatives shared and reshared the same handful of low-followersocial media accounts celebrating theviolence.

In acountry of more than 340 million people, there will be people who do terrible thingsand manymore who say terrible things—but while these people are too numerous, they are statistically atiny share of our overwhelmingly sane and law-abiding electorate. Actingasifthey are representative or comparing your opponents to your least favoritedictatorship risks provoking weak minds toviolent countermeasures against the dire threat you’ve conjured. Which brings me to afinal point: Stop monstering your opponents. In thewake of Kirk’skilling, alot of the responses from the left ran along the lines of, “Sure, he was human garbage, but you still shouldn’tkill him.” When others pushed back, people stood their ground. Why shouldn’twespeak ill of the dead or those who offered respectful eulogies, if they were terrible people?

Oneanswer is that it’sa bit cowardly to criticize thedead, who can’treply Another is that politically,it’sa bad look; adding to the pain of afamily in mourning seemsspiteful and petty in theface of the momentousness of death. Butthe mostimportantanswer is that this country needs fewer impassioned denunciations and more understanding of our opponentsas complicated people who can hold bad ideas while also exhibiting praiseworthyvirtues. Of course, it’smore satisfying to fight monsters than flawed humans who are, like you, struggling their way through this vale of tears. Butifyou insist on hunting for monsters, you run therisk that some of your hunting companions will decide to go in for thekill.

Megan McArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

Brown’sstory is shocking, yet all too familiar. It recurs over and over again in cities that tolerate the untreated mentally ill sleeping on grates. Sincethe great wave of de-institutionalizationinthe 1960s, we’ve lost the collective will to insist thatthose suffering from serious mental illness gethelp, in an institution if necessary This requiresspending more resources on psychiatric beds andchanging laws to make it easiertomandate treatment and institutionalization. To acknowledge this does not entail, as the mayor put it in her statement, “villainizing” the mentally ill. It is true that most people suffering from these disorders don’tcommit actsofviolence. Still, it does no one any favors —not the mentally ill, or the generalpublic to letthemgountreated, living lives of squalor in public places “Wewill neverarrest our wayout of issues suchhomelessness and mental health,” Mayor Vi Lylesinsisted. It is true that too many mentally ill people endupinjails. The only acceptable options, though, are to imprisonthe deranged who commitorthreaten criminals act,ortoforce themtoget treatment, perhaps in institutions. The third optioniswhat we’ve done for decades.Itistolookthe other way,toleave families no good options in dealing with their sickloved ones,topretend it is an exercise of liberty to letdisturbed people molderonthe streets, to treat the “unhoused” as aprivileged victim group, andtomumble the same oldnonsense afteranunspeakable crime.

We’ve hearditfrom the likes of Mayor Vi Lylesbefore— and, sadly and infuriatingly, inevitably will again RichLowry is on X, @RichLowry.

session for those being heldinthe facility.Doe told Decker about the alleged sexualabuse happening at the hands of Reyes.Doe would later connect theattorney with other detainees “(Reyes) wasusingthis program to intentionally punishpeopleonthe basis of their genderidentity.” Decker said. “The people who were involved in this were all either trans men or masculine-presenting LGBTQ people.”

Official Prison Rape Elimination Actcomplaints filed by the detainees were left unanswered or deemedunsubstantiated by ICE, while grievances and Office of the InspectorGeneral’sOffice hotline calls were ignored, according to the civil rights complaint.

When accusations were reported, detainees were met with retaliation following minor or made-up infractions —often placed in solitary confinement for days or weeks, according to

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research. Multiple banks have also occupied the building over the years.

Maintaining the existing structure proved unfeasible for the planned development due to structural limitations of the older construction methods, Guidry said.

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“You kind of get lost almost in theweeds of juggling personal life and career,” she said. “Being in uniform all the time, Ifelt like Ilost that feminine side of myself. Pageantry gave me the chance to do my hair,domymakeup and step aside from work for a moment.”

That tension between labels such as tomboy versus girly girl, soldier versus queen has followedKimble formuch of herlife. At New Iberia Senior HighSchool, she competed in volleyball, track and field, and powerlifting. During her senior year,she decided to join the NationalGuard. Within 81/2 yearsofjoining, Kimble had been deployed, worked as amilitary police officer and climbed the ranksto staff sergeant. Pageantry wasn’tonher radaruntil 2017, when she noticed the sisterhood and opportunities her peers had as local festival queens But for Kimble, the crown wasn’tjust about appearances. Married at 22 and a mom soon after,she said, “Even though Iaccomplished great things before Iwas married and had kids, Ilost alot of whoI was. Pageantry reminded me thatyour dreams don’tstop just because you decided to start afamily.

Beginning withsmaller localpageants, shesaysshe quickly sether sightsonthe Mrs. America system, after being drawn to the organi-

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liver that.” Woodside Energy announced the final investment decision on theproject April 29 and has since grown the construction workforce to almost 900 personnel.

O’Neill said that throughout the $17.5 billion project, 85% of theconstruction budget will be spent.Additionally,she said that during construction, Louisiana LNG will create 4,400 jobs on-site and15,000 direct jobs related to the project

Theproject consists of three LNG trains witha total capacity of 16.5 million tonnes per annum, with the first expected to be completed in 2029.From there,

the complaint. Officers, under the commandofReyes, wouldbeat at leastone detainee after asking to submit acomplaint

“The more we learned,the more apparent it became that thiswas areally heinous situation,”Decker said. Twoofthe detainees said they weredenied medical care, according to the filing. One said he didn’task fortreatment for chemical burns he received during thework program due to fearofretaliation. Doe and he, bothofwhom suffer from epilepsy,were denied consistent treatment. Doe was allegedly deniedseizure medication, neurologist care and emergencycare after several seizures.

Reyeslefthis position as assistant warden in July 2024. Decker said Reyes is no longeratthe Basilefacility.Itis unknown ifheisstill employed by GEO Group.

In August2024, theFBI interviewed severaldetainees regarding allegations of sexual and physical abuse happening at the facility,according to the organizations’ complaint

Commissioners also dismissed Guidry’s requestto waivetraffic impact analysisrequirements for the developments if it generated more than 100 vehicletrips hourly

“From alegal perspective, aconcernwill rise if you waive it because it potentially could occur,” council member Chris German said. “If you do exceed 100trips,there hastobea

zation’s emphasis on family andadvocacy

“I thought aboutdoing Miss America too, but it’s primarily ascholarship pageant,which wasn’t what Ineeded at thetime,” Kimblesaid.“What stuck out to me about Mrs.America wasthe foundationthey supported,the fight against drug overdose that really resonated with me.”

The Mrs. America Pageant system was revived in the 1970s by David and ElaineMarmel after the founder died.The Marmels wanted to createacompetition celebratingmarried women. They noticed that most pageants highlighted only young, singlewomen, leaving out those who had chosen marriageand motherhood. Today, Mrs.America remainsthe foremost competition for married women.

Kimblefirst competed forMrs. Louisiana in 2024 and didn’twin. But instead

the second trainisexpected to be in productionin2030 andthe thirdin2031. However,O’Neill said with apermit capacity of 27 6mtpa, there is expansioncapacityfor twoadditional LNG trains. So far,the first of the three LNG trainsismore than 22% complete. Landry saidthe work being done at Louisiana LNG is exciting not just for Calcasieu Parish and the state of Louisiana, but the entire nation

There hasbeennational uncertainty and pushback regarding thefutureofLNG over the past few years, as the Biden administrationpaused LNG export approvals. However,after he took office in January,President Donald Trumpand hisadministration reversed the

Funerals Today

Three detainees said they faced retaliation after the interviews. Twocurrently remain in ICE custody

While the complaint was filed on behalf of four individuals, Decker suggested theissueisalarger,more pervasive problem within the systemnationally and that ICE hasattempted to cover up allegations

The human-rights organizations arecalling forthe release of all detainees in theICE processing facility andthe termination of its agreements with the federal agency.Following the facility’sclosure, the organizations calledfor afullinvestigation into the supposed violations.

In 2024, the ACLU of Louisianacalledfor an independent probe of the ICE New Orleans Field Officeto addressina108-page document thatdescribed inhumane conditions across the state’snine detention facilities.

The report alleged that detainees were fedcockroachinfested food,deprived of adequate hygiene products and suffered from sexual abuse.

requirement to do atraffic impact analysis. It does no harm to thedeveloper if you keep it there. It protects you.”

Travis Laurent, an engineer at Paul LMiers Engineering that is slated to workonthe project, doesn’t believe the apartments will bring excessive traffic.

“Thereare 21 lots,” he said. “I don’tthink we’re going to be exceeding 100 trips.”

of walking away,she came back thefollowing year feeling more confident.

“When they called my name,I was so shocked Tearsjustflowed,”she said. “The difference between last year andthis year was that Iwas more refined. Once you’ve done it once, you gain confidence.”

Outside of pageantry, Kimble’smission is to continueserving her community.She’sworking with hersistertolaunchSoul

Ties Acadiana,a nonprofit that transforms aschool bus intoamobile boutique stocked with donated clothes, hygiene items and small meals for studentsin need.

Teachers or families can notify organizers if achild requires assistance,and the bus —designed to look like anormal school bus on the outside to keep things discreet —allows studentsto quietly pickupwhatthey need.

Whether in combat boots or high heels, Kimble said shewants to continue embodying what it meanstolive beyond labels.

As Mrs. Louisiana, she said she hopestouse her platform to raise awareness for veterans’ issues andcombat thedrug crisis in Louisiana, while also celebrating the vibrant festival culture of her hometown

“Frombayous to bling, cause Iput on my boots oneweekand heelsthe next,” Kimble said. “For me,it’sall about balance andcanceling outthe negativity.

pause. “The overall outlook for LNG in theUnited States is adominant subject everywhere around the world,” Landry said. “They’re looking to the United States because we can export stability,and if you think you’re not going to need LNG, think about what the worldneedsoverthe next 10 years.”

Hoffmann, Sandra Martin &Castille's La FleurdeLis Chapel in Lafayette at 10:30am.

Obituaries

Hoffmann, Sandra

Funeral serviceswillbe held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at10:30 am in Martin &Castille's La Fleur de LisChapel in Lafayettefor Sandra Hoffmann, age 82, who passed away on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at the Calcutta HouseofHospice of Acadiana.

The family requeststhat visitationbeobservedin Martin &Castille's SOUTHSIDE location on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and willcontinue on Wednesday morning from 8:00 am until time of services. ARosary willbe prayed on Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm in the funeral home.

Reverend Michael Champagne, CJC, willofficiate theservices Entombment willbeheldin SacredHeart of Jesus Catholic Cemetery Mausoleum in Broussard, LA,tobeineternal rest withher son, Glen.

Survivorsincludeher daughter, JenniferM Meaux and her fiancé, Reed J. Harrington; one grandson, Christian E. Meaux; threesiblings, Jim Dugas and his wife, Susan, PeggyDugas Boyd, and Janine Dugas and her husband, William DeMahy; nieces and nephews, Max Dugas and his wife, Courtney,Jesse Dugas and companion,Claudia Martinez,MichaelKilchrist and hiswife,Cynthia, and Richard Boyd and hiswife, Paige; her beloved cat, Lorelei; and many other relatives and friends.

She wasprecededin death by her son, Glen Bearb;her parents, Mr. James J. Dugas and Mrs. LulaBernard Dugas; exhusband, Weddley "Bill" JosephMeaux; and adear

friend, Wally Romero. Sandrawas anative and lifelongresident of Lafayette, with theexception of 13 years spent in Round Rock, Texas. She wasa proudgraduate of Lafayette High School, Class of 1961, and went on to earnher Associate's Degree in Nursingfrom T.H.Harris. Shedevoted muchofher career to caringfor others,workingas an LPN at Lafayette General Medical Center andwith Para-medsfor P.M.I. Shealso proudly served with theCivil Air PatrolinLafayette.

Sandralived alifefullof creativity, adventure,and joy. Shefound happiness in scrapbooking, crocheting, working puzzles, reading, andswimmingather neighborhood pool. She especially cherished time spentwithher familyand friends, andcould often be foundsupportingJennifer at cattle shows andagriculturaltrips. Alifelong Disney fan, she loved visitingDisneyWorld, enjoying Disney movies, and sharingthatmagic with those she loved.

Faithwas central to Sandra's life. She wasa parishionerofSacred HeartCatholic Church in Broussard andalso attended St.JosephCatholic Church in Milton.

To honor Sandra's joie de vivre and hercolorful spirit,the familykindly asks gueststowearbright andcheerful attire as they

gather to celebrate her life. Pallbearers will be Christian Meaux, Reed Harrington,Michael Kilchrist, Jesse Dugas, Jim Dugas, andRichard Boyd. Thefamilywould like to extendtheir heartfelt appreciation to team of Hospice of Acadianaand theCalcutta House, especiallyMegan,Diane,and Kat,for their compassionate care andunwavering support. Your kindness has broughtcomfort during this difficult time,and we are forever grateful In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Acadiana, honoring Sandra's memory andher compassionatecareshe received. Hospice of Acadiana- 337-232-12342600 Johnston St.Suite 200 Lafayette, LA 70503 -https: //hospiceacadiana.com/d onate View theobituaryand guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin& CastilleSOUTHSIDE, 600 E. Farrel Road,Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, 337-984-2811

3: 6-0-2

4: 7-9-8-0

5: 6-7-4-5-9

Kevin Foote

Alteredapproach

Youcould tell it was aconflict UL coach Michael Desormeaux wasstruggling with already.

The Ragin’ Cajuns coach was asked whether the disappointing 1-2 start to the season meantit was time for the coachingstaff to get more creative withits game plans or simply trying to execute better under the current structure.

“Well, that’s the million-dollar question,isn’tit?”

Desormeauxsaid “No seriously,I’m not being funny Youwork year round on things that you think fit your offense, and we havethose things. And we’re not executing them really well right now.”

Simply ripping up those play sheets and starting from scratch isn’treally aviable option.

“You don’tgothrough 15 practices in the spring, whereyou get 2,000 team reps, and you don’tgo have 18, 19 practices in fall camp or you get the same amountof repsand just throw it all away,” he said. “Wehave alot of invested reps.”

So what do you do?

Normally,it’stoo early to search for the panic button,but Desormeaux admitted Saturday’s passing line “was absurd. I’ve never,never seen anything like that.”

UL quarterback Daniel Beale completed a5-yard pass to tight end Caden Jensen on the first play of the game from scrimmage, but UL quarterbacks finished with4 yardspassing on 2-of-14 passing

“We’ve got to find away to manufacture some throw game like we have in the past, andthat means that we’ve got to operate with alot more precision across the board,” Desormeaux said At this point, thereare many more questions than answers.

“We’ve got to find away to maybe package some thingsdifferently,”Desormeaux said.“We have to find abetter way to get our guys to execute it andwegot to help them do that.”

It’sclear this team has this coaching staff perplexed

“I keep going back to it, but our game-day performances are just not reflective of what we’ve seen in practice in alot of areas,” Desormeaux said. “That’satough thing …what is it? Is it anxiety? Is it just not getting in arhythm? Is it when something bad happens, it’slike, ‘Oh, here we go again?’ Idon’tknow whatthatis, but you’ve got to workthrough it.” As UL linebacker Terrence Williams said after Saturday’s game, it wasn’tjust aboutthe passing game. He said the defense made severaluncharacteristic mistakes at Missouri.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The season is still young, but LSUispuntingnearly twice as often as it did last year

That stat does anice job of capturing the offense’sshaky start to theseason, its fourth under coach BrianKelly.Yards and points haveproven elusive, so Kelly has adjusted. Now LSU is on pace to punt more

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The Saints and quarterback Spencer Rattler have made it a priority to send asteadystream of footballs Chris Olave’sway For the second straight game, Olave led theSaintsintargets. Through twoweeks, only GiantswidereceiverMalik Nabers (25) and Cowboys wide receiver CeeDeeLamb(24)havebeen targetedmore than Olave (23). The usage rate is encouraging, but through the small two-week samplesize, it hasn’tmanifestedinbig production.

Olave is tracking toward career lows in several statistical categories, including catch rate(56.5%), airyardsper target (9.8) and yards per routerun (1.4), according to NextGen Stats. Rattler andOlave have connected on afew important plays —one of the biggest being aleaping catch for 14 yards on third and

times this year than it didin any of the previous three seasons.

“Thisyear,I’m playing it alittle bit different based upon the strengthofour defense,” Kelly said on Monday.“Lastyear,we needed to score morepoints.”

This year,LSU doesn’thave to score as many points.The defense is playing so wellthat Kelly has changed the way he managesgames.He’sask-

ing offensive coordinator Joe Sloan to take amore conservative tack to playcalling, and he’s trotting outthe punting unit almost five times agame. The approach has helped the No. 3Tigers start the season 3-0.

But Kelly knows that LSU can’tjust play stout defense for therest of the year.The offense mustimprove andkeep punter GrantChadwickoff of

the field —orelse another season could end without aCollege Football Playoffberth.

“Now,aswemove forward,” Kelly said, “we’regonna need to do both.”

TheTigers are one of only three FBS teamsthat haven’t converted afourth down this season. They’ve tried just once,and Kelly hassaid that

3inthe red zonelast week. Four of Olave’ssix catches moved the chains Sunday.But the Saints haven’tfigured out away to turn those connections into bigger gains, as Olaveisaveraging just

8.3 yards per reception. There also have been someconcerning moments.

Olave was open for atouchdown in the first quarter against San Francisco after he fooled cornerback Renardo Green with ahead fake to the outside before curling his route back towardthe middle of thefield. But apoor ball from Rattler,who threw behind Olave, resulted in apass he couldn’thaul in. Facing third and 6onthe ensuing play,Olave waslined up as the inside receiverina3-by-1 formation. He motioned inside and back out, and then ran aslant after the snap. But Olave appeared to jog through the route and never turned hisheadtofind theball, which glanced off his hip and inä Saints at Seahawks 3:05

3

6

QB injuries necessitate shuffling

For Vikings, Wentz finally will throw to WR Jefferson

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

Carson Wentz finally gets to throw to Justin Jefferson five years and five teams later

J.J. McCarthy’s ankle injury opens the door for the Wentz-toJefferson combination that Philadelphia Eagles fans desperately wanted to see in 2020 Now, it’ll happen for the Minnesota Vikings.

Several other teams could be turning to backup quarterbacks in Week 3.

The Bengals (2-0) won’t have Joe Burrow for a few months because of a toe injury, so Jake Browning will start against Wentz and the Vikings (1-1).

Browning led Cincinnati to a comeback win over Jacksonville after Burrow went down early in the game.

Jayden Daniels has a knee injury that could force the Washington Commanders (1-1) to face Las Vegas without the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Veteran Marcus Mariota would replace him.

Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol for the New York Jets (0-2) so Tyrod Taylor would start against Tampa Bay if Fields can’t return in time.

The 49ers (2-0) already played a game without Brock Purdy defeating New Orleans behind three touchdown passes from Mac Jones on Sunday It’s uncertain when Purdy will be ready to return. No matter how much the league tries to protect quarterbacks there have been 19 roughingthe-passer penalties through two weeks injuries will happen in a violent sport.

McCarthy got hurt on a 16-yard run in the third quarter and stayed in the game but struggled during Minnesota’s loss to Atlanta The 2024 first-round draft pick missed his rookie season following knee surgery Wentz joined the Vikings only a couple of weeks ago. He’s in line to make a start for a sixth team in six seasons, extending his record.

The 32-year-old Wentz was the

No. 2 overall pick by the Eagles in 2016. He finished third in NFL MVP voting the following season but suffered a serious knee injury that December and watched Nick Foles lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In 2019, Wentz became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards without having any wide receiver go over 500 yards receiving. Entering the 2020 draft, it was obvious the Eagles would target a wide receiver Instead of taking Jefferson at No. 21, Jalen Reagor was Philadelphia’s choice. The Vikings were considering cornerbacks when the Eagles were on the clock because they expected Jefferson would be their pick.

Minnesota coaches and frontoffice executives celebrated when Philadelphia took Reagor The Vikings immediately chose Jefferson with the next pick.

Reagor lasted two seasons in Philly and has 86 career receptions. Jefferson is a two-time AllPro, was the 2022 Offensive Play-

er of the Year and has averaged 108 catches, 1,626 yards receiving and nine touchdowns per season.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell helped Sam Darnold have a breakout season last year He gets another opportunity with Wentz, who once had a lot of success but hasn’t been a full-time starter since going 2-5 in Washington in 2022.

Russ cooked Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, including a 48-yard pass to Malik Nabers for the go-ahead score with 33 seconds remaining in a game the New York Giants still lost. Not bad for a guy many people wrote off.

“Russell Wilson can’t play anymore,” former NFL coach Rex Ryan said on ESPN.

Ryan and others were calling for the Giants to bench Wilson and play rookie Jaxson Dart, who took three snaps, handed off twice and lost 3 yards on a keeper Wilson threw an interception on his final pass after some miscom-

munication with Nabers, spoiling an outstanding performance. But he perhaps gives New York its best chance to compete especially behind a porous offensive line.

Dynamic Lions

Maybe Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the rest of the Detroit Lions won’t have to hear anymore about the impact of losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The skeptics were out after Detroit’s offense struggled in a season-opening loss to Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers, whose defense was excellent again in Week 2 against Washington. But the Lions bounced back with a 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears and Johnson, putting up 511 total yards on offense.

While coaches deserve credit for developing players, it also helps to have talent.

Johnson had success with Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. He has a long way to go with Caleb Williams and the Bears.

Brady’s dual roles continue to raise questions

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

The questions about Tom Brady’s dual roles as a Fox Sports NFL analyst and partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders have intensified after he was shown in the team’s coaching booth with a headset on during a 20-9 loss Monday night to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks on Tuesday sidestepped any such questions about the perception of a possible conflict of interest

“I’m not going to answer that one. Good question, but not gonna answer that,” Shanks said when asked during Front Office Sports’ Tuned In event if he could sympathize with Chicago Bears fans who might see a conflict Brady will be in Dallas on Sunday when the Cowboys host the Bears. The following week, Chicago is at the Raiders.

“I think if there’s a conversation that needs to be had after last night, we’ll have it,” Shanks added.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press that Brady was sitting in the booth Monday night in his capacity as a Raiders limited partner.

“There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” McCar-

“I think Tom’s really tried to honor that strictly with the concerns you’re talking about ... He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise. He’s of the opinion he doesn’t want to be that kind of factor and he’s not.”

CARROLL, Raiders coach

PETE

thy said. “All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he knew Brady would be in the booth and pointed out that Brady also was in the booth when the Raiders played the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game on Aug. 16 in Las Vegas. Carroll said he understands the attention and concerns Monday night’s appearance has generated.

“I think Tom’s really tried to honor that strictly with the concerns you’re talking about,” Carroll said. “He is not planning games with us. He is not talking to us about anything other than our conversations that are really random.

“He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise. He’s of the opinion he doesn’t want to be that kind

of factor and he’s not.”

The NFL has previously placed restrictions on Brady in his role as a broadcaster, though the league eased some of those this season. Brady is now allowed to participate in production meetings with teams ahead of a game, as long as they are conducted virtually or via Zoom. He still isn’t allowed to watch another team’s practices or set foot in a team’s training complex.

The Brady rules were put in place because the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has a 5% ownership stake in the Raiders.

Last season, Brady couldn’t do production meetings until the Super Bowl in New Orleans, when he was allowed to attend meetings with Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles players and coaches He wasn’t able to view practices.

Hans Schroeder the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, said to the AP on Aug 27 that this year’s adjustments felt like a natural step forward.

Brady still isn’t allowed to be in another team’s facility or hotel He can conduct an interview offsite with a player which he did a couple times last season.

Many of the network broadcast crews have done their production meetings with teams virtually, even though some still prefer getting into a city on Fridays to watch the home team and then talk to the visiting team at their hotel the next day

Brady did not answer a question posed by AP on Monday night

Astros slugger Alvarez out after ankle sprain

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez has a “pretty significant” ankle sprain that is going to keep him out indefinitely, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday

Alvarez was injured when he turned his left ankle at home plate after scoring in the first inning of Houston’s 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

After scoring from first base on a throwing error by Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter on Carlos Correa’s infield single in the first inning, Alvarez turned his ankle and hobbled toward the dugout.

He was tended to by an athletic trainer outside the Astros’ dugout and then helped down the steps. He had imaging done Tuesday and Espada refused to say if the team planned to place Alvarez on the injured list.

Dallas star Bueckers wins

WNBA Rookie of the Year

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers was a runaway choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year after one of the best debut seasons in league history

Bueckers received 70 of the 72 votes from sportswriters and broadcasters in balloting announced by the league on Tuesday

The other two went to Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron. Bueckers, who in a whirlwind week last spring went from leading UConn to its 12th national championship to being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, was a bright spot on a team that tied the Chicago Sky with a league-worst 10-34 record. The AP Rookie of the Year, she averaged 19.2 points on 47.7% shooting along with 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals.

Bengals place Burrow on IR after turf toe injury

The Bengals placed quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve Tuesday after he suffered a turf toe injury during the first half of Sunday’s 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Burrow is expected to be out at least three months because of the injury to his left foot. A timeline for surgery and rehabilitation has not been announced.

Jake Browning will take over as Cincinnati’s starting QB beginning with this week’s game at Minnesota.

Browning went 4-3 as the Bengals’ starter in the final seven games of the 2023 season after Burrow was sidelined with a right wrist injury, and Brett Rypien will be Browning’s backup after he was signed off the practice squad.

Bucs D-lineman Kancey tears pectoral muscle

Buccaneers defensive lineman

about the easing of the broadcast restrictions.

Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen, who also was a speaker at the Front Office Sports event in New York, said it’s up to the teams to decide how to handle production meetings, whether it is with Brady or another broadcast crew

“There are some teams that are very guarded with their information, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an owner of another team or not: They give you very little on the calls. It’s the minority,” Olsen said. “The vast majority of the coaches, especially the ones that you develop a good relationship with, are amazing on these calls. They really give you great insight that does make a difference.

“Every team can decide how they want to handle those, and whatever factors they place value on, that impacts how they handle them, that’s their every right to be as forthcoming or not so with the production crews that they want.”

Fox’s top crew of Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi opened the season with the matchup between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Both teams face the Raiders later this season, but Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn’t seem fazed by Brady’s dual roles.

“It’s unique for sure, but they have a job to do, too, so I get that like that’s our responsibility to help them give some insights, what it could be, what could be there for the game. So, it’s really just for this game, like that’s what I think about,” Quinn said.

Calijah Kancey will have surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and is expected to miss the rest of the season, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press on Tuesday

An MRI confirmed the severity of the injury, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the results.

Kancey was injured in the Buccaneers’ 20-19 victory at Houston on Monday night.

A first-round draft pick in 2023, Kancey was a major part of Tampa Bay’s defense and played a key role in helping stop the run.

Kancey missed three games his rookie season and five games last year

Rams coach McVay injures foot during game vs. Titans

Sean McVay says he tore his plantar fascia while coaching the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday McVay revealed his foot injury Monday night on his “Coach McVay Show” produced by the Rams. The youngest coach to win a Super Bowl didn’t say exactly when it happened, but he appeared to pull up awkwardly while moving to call a timeout during the 33-19 win.

The plantar fascia is a thick tissue running along the sole of the foot.

McVay didn’t say whether he would need to wear a walking boot as his injury heals.

The 39-year-old McVay played wide receiver at Miami of Ohio. The Rams (2-0) visit defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia on Sunday

LSUnot runningafoul of availability reports

SECofficial:Tigers within rights notto mentionquarterback Nussmeier’sinjury

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The Southeastern Conference instituted availability reports in 2024 for football and men’sand women’s basketball for SEC games.

OLAVE

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complete. It was astrangeplay for Olave, whom the Saints are counting on to lead the receiver corps. It’s still early, andthe Saints areclearly feeding himtargets, so this could turn around.

Still TBD

Ayear ago, the Saints had one of theworst rundefenses in the NFL.They appear to be improved through two weeks, but how much is still to be determined.

Sunday’sgame against the49ers was astep in the right direction.

Aweekaftergivingup146 yards rushing against the Cardinals, a figure that included a52-yard run, the Saints limitedChristian McCaffrey and the 49ers to 80 yards and 3.5 yards per carry(excluding kneel-downs)

Eleven of SanFrancisco’s 22 designed runs gained 2orfewer yards, including seven that were stuffedfor no gain ora loss.The 49ers’ longest run was a13-yard scramble by quarterback Mac Jones.

According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ersaveraged only 0.44 yards before contact.

The New Orleans defensive interior clogged running lanes, allowing linebacker DemarioDavisto clear things up.

The 49ers gained just 9yardson six carries running between the tackles, doing most of their damage on the perimeter We should get abetter idea which version of the Saints defense is the real one this week. Seattle running back Kenneth Walker ripped off four runs of 10-plus yards against the Steelers in Week 2.

Numberstoknow

3:Each of Rattler’sthree touch-

LSU

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he should have kicked afield goal on that play insteadoftryingto pick up afirst down right before halftime against Clemson. LSU hasn’tlined up on fourth down since, though opportunitieshave presented themselves.

On Saturday,the Tigers faced fourth and 1from their own 34yard line in the first quarter,fourth and 3from the Florida 46 in the second and fourth and 1atmidfield in the third quarter Kelly decided to punt each time, defyingthe guidance thathis analytical model gave him.

That strategy is anew one for LSU. The Tigers have attempted at least four fourth-down conversions through the first three games of each of the first three seasons they’ve played under Kelly.In 2023, LSU went for it on fourth down eight timesinthe first three contests.

Now —because Garrett Nussmeier is nursing an upper-body injury,and the rushing attack is struggling while the defense is not —the Tigers are playing ariskaverse style of offense.

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“Wewere trying to back door outside zonesand things like that,” Desormeaux said. “Stuff that we’ve done areally good jobof like hammering the gap andforcing it back to the help, we didn’tdo agood job of.” All areas of the team need improvement, but nothing is as glaring as the passing numbers. UL is averaging 6.8 yards per catch, which is less than 1more yard than the team’s5.9 yardsper carry.Asaresult, the Cajuns have converted only 12 of 37 attempts on third down. Another issue is opposing offenses are holding the ball for

NFL.

But LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier,who coach BrianKelly said Monday has been battling througha“torso injury” since preseason camp, was notonany of the Tigers’ availability reports leading up to the team’s20-10 victory SaturdayoverFlorida.

According to Herb Vincent,the SEC associate commissioner for communications, that’swithin the letter andintent of the availability report guidelines. Guidelines, Vincent said, that differ from injuryreportsinthe

“It’suptothe school to say whether he can play or not,” Vincent said.

Since LSU knew Nussmeier,who took every offensive snap for the Tigers, would play against theGators, he did not have tobelisted.

“It’snot an injury report,”Vincent said.

LSU is not required to issue availability reports this week because it is playing anonconference gameSaturday against Southeastern Louisiana(6:45 p.m.,

SEC Network). The school will resume reports next week leading up to its Sept. 27 gameatOle Miss (2:30 p.m.,ABC).

Availability reportsare issued daily beginning three days before agame, with afinal report released 90 minutes before kickoff. Players are listed as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful” or “out” before game day,and “available,” “game-time decision” or “out” on gameday Kelly was notspecific Monday about Nussmeier’sinjury,but he

did say the fifth-year quarterback feels“tightness” thathas limited him in practice. Kelly went on to say that he didn’tthink Nussmeier would have time to sufficiently heal until LSU’sopendateafterthe Ole Miss game. Nussmeier remains one of the nation’stop Heisman Trophy candidates despite amodest start to the 2025 campaign. Through three games, he has completed 69 of 106 passes (65.1%)for 689yardswith threetouchdowns andtwo interceptions.

down passes against the 49ers targeted receiverswho’dlined up in the slot, all against man coverage. Twoofthose plays included motion and some sort of rub concept, where the Saints tried to create spacebyhaving receivers runconverging routes.

6:The Saintssent five-man pressures on six of Mac Jones’ 42 dropbacks, none ofwhich resulted in a sack.

83.1%:The Saints have been in the shotgun on 113of their136 offensive

“Anditcameupbig for us,”

Kelly said, “because it resulted in ascore.”

Chadwick, aMiddle Tennessee State transfer, dropped four punts insidethe 20-yard lineinthe win over Florida. He’salready notched six such punts through three games— half asmany as two punters combined to record all of last season for LSU.

One of those punts —the one Chadwick put onFlorida’s14-yard line with 1:17 left in thesecond quarter —helped LSU take a1310 lead into halftime. Quarterback DJ Lagway threw hissecond interceptionof thenight five playslater, setting up the offense on the edge of field goal range. LSU ran two plays, then asked Damian Ramos to break a 10-10tie by kicking a45yard fieldgoal.

TheTigers could have been more aggressive, butbecause they trust their punter and theirdefense, they called arun on third and5 from Florida’s48-yard line. Caden Durham then picked up 2yards, andChadwick punted on fourth and 3, teeingupthe sequence that led to the field goal LSU kicked before halftime.

“(Sloan) is doing what he’sasked to do to manage thegames the way we need to,” Kelly said. “Wehave

34:59 agame compared to only 25:01 for UL Withoutdrastic improvements, it’sgoingtobedifficult to win any more games this season. While startingfrom scratch obviouslyisn’tanoption, somemore creativity is in order.Desormeaux suggested his staff will devise some new methods to get his quarterbacks early success.

“I think as astaff, we’ve got to helpour quarterback get some rhythm and got to help our receivers get some confidence, because confidence is aheck of athing,”he said. “When you have it,it’sreally hard to beataconfident team.

“We’ve got to find away to create someexplosives in thethrow game andreallyjust some efficiency because in the long run, that’s what we’re going to have to have.”

plays so far this season. Only the Washington Commanders (86.2%) are running it at ahigherrate.

Next up

There will be alot of chatter this week about the Seattle offense because of theplay-caller: Former Saintsoffensive coordinator Klint Kubiak nowholds the same role with the Seahawks, and he took several members of his Saints staff withhim

Butthe game may come down to whatthe Saints can do on the

atop-10 defense, Ibelieve,inthe country,and we need to play to thatstrength. So sometimes, you have to pull back alittle bit here andthere.He’sbeinga great coach from that perspective.”

But LSU is still struggling to sustain drives. It ranks 108th in scoring offense and 95th in totaloffense. Its rushing attack again sits near thebottom of theSEC, andit’s scored touchdowns on only five of 11 trips to the redzone —one of the25lowest rates in the country

Lastseason,the Tigers converted third downs at the sixth-highest rateinthe nation (49%).Now their third-down conversion rate (41%) ranks 70thamong FBS teams.

LSU hasplenty of room for improvement —and plenty of time to improve.

In the meantime, Kelly knows his team can win by playing stout defense andflipping thefield

It’show the Tigershave stayed unbeaten ahead of theirtune-up against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday (6:45 p.m., SEC Network) and the meat of their SEC slate.

“I know it didn’t lookthe way it wants to be,”Kelly said, “but trust me, that offense is going to have to score aton of pointsatsometime during the year,and we’re going to have to turn that loose.”

Getting back to that million-dollar question, mostlikely very few fans would vote for just trying to upgrade theexecution on the samegameplan.

Adifferent focus with different routeconcepts seems like amust at this point. The beauty of starting at rock bottom is there’sonly one way to go.

“We’re going tocontinue to throw theball,” Desormeaux said.

“We’re going to continue to try to design better stuff to get our guys in rhythm.Somore than new plays and new things, it’smaybe just being morecreative in the way that we package it.”

Onething that could help the passing game—ormake things even worse, if UL doesn’thandle it properly —isdefenses loading the box and challenging the UL rush-

road against atough Seahawks defense.

Through two weeks, Seattle leads the NFL in both overallpressures (38) and pressure rate (49.4%), according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks have done that while blitzing on only 13% of opponent passing plays—the second-lowest percentageinthe NFL.

The Seattledefensive front also has provided sometough sledding for opposing rushing offenses.

Opposing offenses have runthe ball 57 times against the Seahawks

with just two runs of 10-plus yards, with the longest being 13. Like the Saints, the Seahawks operate out of a3-4 base defense (Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is also the defensive play-caller), and their best defensive players are on the front. Leonard Williams (six pressures, 10 run stops) and 2024 first-rounder Byron Murphy (eight pressures, sevenstops) area handful, and edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall lead the team in pressures.

ing attack with numbers.

“If peopleare going to start doing that thing and loading the box and trying to press and play man then you got to win,” Desormeaux said, “andwegot someguys who can win.”

Jensen and Shelton Sampson are theonly UL targets with more than two receptions through three games.

“It just takes aspark,” Desormeaux said. “Ittakes someone figuring out and it’sall about what you do going forward.

“Over the years, we’ve been able to adjust and adapt —whether it’s injuries at quarterback or on the O- lineorwherever it was.That’s what we’ve got to do.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Anime film ‘Demon Slayer’hits No.1 spot

BY JONATHAN LANDRUM JR.

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES “Demon Slayer: KimetsunoYaiba— Infinity Castle” carved out aplace in box-office history this weekend as the Japanese anime film slicedstraight to No. 1—outpacing the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”

The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with amighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore.That haul marks the biggestdomestic opening ever for an anime film,surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999

Thefilm extendedits meteoric run, scoring the biggest anime opening of all time with a$132.1 million weekend, according to Comscore. Crunchyroll and Sony rolled it out across North America and 49 international markets, pushing the global total to $177.8 million.

PROVIDED IMAGE FROM SONy PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no yaiba —Infinity Castle’ made box-office historythis weekend as the Japanese anime film sliced straight to No. 1.

“This performance bythis particular film showsthe unpredictability of the box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior mediaanalyst forComscore. “If we were sitting here, let’ssay amonth or even acouple of weeks ago, would we be thinking, ‘Wow,aJapanese anime film would be number one at thebox office, overperform and bringin$70 million?’ If you predicted that, kudos to you.”

The movie is the first in a three-film trilogy that brings thehit Shonen saga to its climactic showdown. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind-hearted boy who takesup swordsmanship after his family is slaughtered and his sister, Nezuko, is turnedinto ademon Together,they fight asupernatural underworld of monstrous foes while clinging to what’sleft of their humanity.

The “Infinity Castle” opener hails from renowned studio Ufotable, whose lavish visuals and breakneck fight sequences havehelpedmakethefranchisea global sensation and juggernaut. The film’sdomination also points to aSeptember rebound after asluggish August. WarnerBros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” whichopened to $83 million last weekend, slipped to second with $26 million.

The horror sequel has now scared up $131 million domestically “This shows that two months of down trendingbox office canbetotally reversedover the course of acouple of weekends,” Dergarabedian said Focus Features Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in third with $18.1 million.Set in the 1930s, the film finds Lady Mary embroiled in apublic scandalasthe Crawleys confront financial strain andthe looming threat of social disgrace. While the aristocratic familyadapts to change, the household staff prepares for anew chapter with the next generation leading

ä See ANIME, page 6C

LIVING

BROWN

STAFFPHOTOSByJOANNA

BOIL POINTS

Igot over my boiling block with Louisiana crabsand a swampbucket

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

yveryfirst time boiling seafood, Iwas along way from home. Iwas visiting my sister in Phoenix, Arizona,actually —and we werenot at all prepared to boil the 10 pounds of live crawfish she had shipped in from Louisiana.

Aswamp bucket 5-gallon boiler

food was still moving.

abit bland perhaps (wevastly under-seasoned), but none the worse forthat according to our friends —all members of the Navajo nation wholearned how to peel crawfish for the first time that night.

That experience taught me the importance of having the proper equipment. I’ve enjoyed many pounds of boiled seafood since then —just in restaurants and in other people’sbackyards. There was no thought of attempting another boil myself, until the swamp bucket entered my life.

Boilfor beginners

The experience has become ahilarious family storyover theyears, mostly thanks to oursheer lack of forethought. Three sisters, none of whom had ever managed aboil before, banding together to prepare aLouisiana meal for agroup of indigenous westerners who were not scared off by thefact that their

We had no boiler,noboil basket —barely even along spoon. We had atamale pot and astovetop. As theoldest, Iended up taking charge, waiting patiently for gallons of water tostartrolling on the stove, before ladling in abunch of crawfish who didn’t know where they had woken up. They all ended up fully cooked,

Swamp buckets are 5-gallon hardware store buckets that include aheating element and a plug. That’sit. The directions say to “add water,plug in, boil” and that’sexactly how it works for shrimp, crawfish, crab or anything else you’d like to throw in the bucket. They are aLouisiana product, founded by Brusly native Sean Allain and available at manysouth Louisiana hardware and seafood

RockefellerRefugecrabsand corn, sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic and citrusare readytoeat after being boiledusing aswamp bucket ä See BOIL, page 6C

Well, that’s just peachy

Dear Miss Manners: We invited over some of my partner’sfriends who all have young children. Our children are grown, but we adore kids.

We understand that kids make messes. We childproofed by moving breakable objects out of reach. We brought out aselection of toys for them to play with. We offered cookies and crackers, and fully expected to have to vacuum after their visit.

eatingadripping peach. He dropped it on the carpet, leaving avisible smear of sticky juice, andthe parent picked up thepeach, washed it, and then handed it backtothe toddler

Judith

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Sept.17, the 260th day of 2025. There are 105 days left in theyear

Martin MISS

MANNERS

But one set of parents did something that left me flummoxed.

We have afruit bowlin our kitchen that was out of reach for the small children. It was not on the table forguests to grab, like the other snacks, but guests could easily see it.

One of the guests wanderedover,selected a peach and handed it to her toddler.The toddler then marched around the house

Thetoddler dropped it again and theparent threw away thehalf-eaten peach and then selected ANOTHER peachand handed it to the child,who proceeded to continue to eat and drop the second peach. Theparents were completely unconcerned about themess thekid made, and didn’tseem to notice or care when Iwas on thefloor scrubbing the stains(somewhat theatrically).

Iwas so taken aback that Ididn’tsay anything. What could Ihavedone?

Gentle reader: Aright instinct —not to step between parentsand their children —inthiscase led you to a wrong,and incidentally in-

effective, action. Youthink theparents did not notice, but if thegoo cleanup was as dramatic as you say,itmay simply have embarrassed them. Either way,itunderlined therudeness being committed without providing asolution. If, instead, you had taken apeach, removed thepit and cut abite-sized slice for thechild —all while engaging theparent in witty conversation —you would have charmed the parent, immobilized the child and prevented further damage to thehouse, all while appearing theperfect host. Miss Manners has seen similar quick thinking save manyarug.

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

Afterembarrassingaccident, employee dreads goingtowork

Dear Harriette: Afew weeks ago, Ihad areally embarrassing accident at work. Itripped in the office and split my pants right in front of my colleagues. On top of that,I sprained my ankle in the fall, so Ihad to take some time off to recover.While I was out, Ikept imagining everyone replaying that moment in their minds, and I worried about what they thought of me. Now that I’m finally cleared to return to the office, Ifeel a mix of anxiety,dread and self-consciousness. Ikeep picturing co-workers whispering or laughing behind my back, eventhough most of them probably don’teven think about it anymore. The thought of walking back into the office makes me physically tense, and I’ve been considering asking to work from home longer just to avoid facing everyone. Iknow that it was an accident and everyone has embarrassing moments, but emotionally,Ifeel like I’m trapped in that one humiliating instant.

Todayinhistory: On Sept.17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by amajority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Also on this date:

In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil WarBattle of Antietam in Maryland.

In 1908, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge of the U.S. Army Signal Corps became the first person to die in the crash of apowered aircraft, the Wright Flyer,at Fort Myer,Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The pilot, Orville Wright was seriously injured but survived.

In 1944, during World WarII, Allied paratroop-

BOIL

Continuedfrom page5C

erslaunchedOperation MarketGarden, landing behind Germanlines in the Netherlands.

In 1978, after 12 days of meetings at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the CampDavid Accords, aframework forapeace treaty

In 1980, former NicaraguanPresident Anastasio Somoza was assassinated in Paraguay.

In 2001, six days after 9/11, stock prices nosedivedbut stoppedshort of collapse in an emotional, flag-waving reopening of Wall Street

In 2011, ademonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street beganinNew York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world.

In 2021, aLos Angelesjury convictedNew York real estate heir

Robert Durst of killing his best friend 20 years earlier. (Durst, who was sentencedtolife in prison, diedin2022.)

Today’sbirthdays: Sen. ChuckGrassley, R-Iowa, is 92. Mountaineer-explorer Reinhold Messner is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jacksonis80. Indian PrimeMinister Narendra Modi is 75. ActorCassandra Peterson (“Elvira,Mistress of the Dark”) is 74. Directoractor Paul Feig is 63. Film director BazLuhrmann is 63. SingerBeBeWinans is 63. ActorKyle Chandler is 60. RapperDougE Fresh is 59. Author Cheryl Strayedis57. Actor MatthewSettle is 56. Designer-TV personality Nate Berkus is 54. NASCAR driverJimmie Johnson is 50. NHL forward AlexanderOvechkin is 40. Actor Danielle Brooksis36. NFL quarterbackPatrickMahomesis30.

tine, but I’m not sure how to shake off this embarrassment orrebuildmyconfidence in front of my coworkers. How can Ireturn to theoffice withoutletting this one incident bother me? —Back To Work Dear BackToWork: It is highly unlikely that your co-workers have been fixated on your fall. They should be doing their jobs. Additionally,most people are so self-absorbed that they don’t obsess over other people’sissues. Go back to work with your headheldhigh. When someone asks how youare doing, give an uplifting report.Ifsomeonementions the fall or you splitting your pants, laugh it off. It wasa moment in the past.Bein the present and get back to work.Ifyou let it go, they will, too.

Iwant to be professional and get back into my rou-

Continued from page5C

especially on acolder day when fall weather kicks in.

—Maddie Scott, features reporter Fish Chalmette

n Phil’s Oyster Bar, 4335Perkins Road, Baton Rouge

On this particular day,the fish in the fish Chalmette dish at Phil’swas catfish. And it was tasty.

The meal featured pansauteedcatfish served over crawfish spoonbread and topped with crawfish cream saucewith asparagus on the side. The flavors were rich, with alittle sweetness on the backend because of the spoonbread. If you’re not extremely hungry,there’senough on the plate to have leftovers.

—Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator

Grilled boudin and jalapeño poppers

n NuNu’s Market, locationsin Youngsville, Maurice, Milton and Scott

Dear Harriette: My husband recently lost his job. There is aton of paperwork to fill out, and he is dragging his feet instead of doing it WheneverI ask himabout it, he blowsmeoff andsays Iamnagging him.Hehas always been the principal breadwinner in our family,

and Ineed him to takethis situation seriously.Icannot jumpinand handle it all. Some thingsonly he can do. How can Iget him to focus and handle his business?We have threekids, and Ineed him to stepupand figure out his next steps. —What To Do Dear What To Do: Sit down with your husband again.Tellhim youdon’t mean to nag; you just want to help. Ask him if youcan see the paperwork that hastobefilledout and help where youare able.In as pleasantatoneasyou can muster,urge him to carve outtime to make aplanfor his next steps so that he can continue to protect the family.Ifheneedstoapplyfor unemployment benefits, look it up online andshowhim the website. While he may getangry,dowhatever steps youcan to makeiteasyfor him to complete the tasks at hand. This is atense time. Trytostay calmand notto take his snippiness personally

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com. or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

lled

and twobacon

jalapeñopoppers from NuNu’sMarket in youngsville cook on agrill at LakeFausse Pointe State Park in St. Martinville

The best thing Iate this week was far away from any restaurant, or even much cell signal. It was a link of boudin and baconwrapped jalapeño poppers from NuNu’sMarket, purchased in Youngsville before driving out toLake Fausse Pointe State Park for an afternoon of camping and grilling. Yes, just the afternoon. As the weather (barely)cools, daycamping isa funway to

ease into one of my favorite cool weather activities, eating outdoors. Just bring everything you want to snack on and play with for afew hours, park near an open grill in abeautiful state park, and be sure to bring everything away with you.

Many local Cajun meat marketswill offer almost anything you’dlike to grill, already seasoned, portioned and ready to go. NuNu’s Market (in Youngsville, Maurice, Milton or Scott) is one of my go-tos —their boudin is especially good on the grill, with ahunk of fresh French bread and plentyoffresh air

—Joanna Brown staff writer

supply stores. Allofthe instructions are printed on theside of the bucket everything from seasoning amounts and boiling times, to strict injunctions not to use ametal spoon or fill below thewater line. It’sanalmost foolproof way to boil for asmall group, in thecomfort of your home. Ibuilt up some confidence after asuccessful attempt at using theswamp bucket for a shrimpboil, and when an offer of adozen, freshlycaught Rockefeller Refuge crabs came in unexpectedly via afriend one day,I thought, “Why not?”

The blue point crabs were gorgeous and big, and we planned aboil with everything fancy we could thinkof: corn, sausage, potatoes,mushrooms, onion, garlic and plentyofcitrus, which is something Ilove in aseafood boil. Seasoning aboil is highly personal, and techniques

ANIME

Continuedfrom page5C

Downton into the future.

In fourthplace, Lionsgate’s “The LongWalk” debuted with $11.5 million. Directed by FrancisLawrence, the adaptation of Stephen King’s first-writtennovelisathriller that asksachilling question: “How far would yougoto survive?”

Pixar’s“ToyStory (30th Anniversary)”brought Buzz,Woodyand thegang back to thebig screen, opening in fifth with $3.5 millionacross 2,375 theaters. Warner Bros.’ “Weapons” followed in sixth with $2.75 million, while Disney’sfilmed musical “Hamilton” landedseventhwith $2.2 million.“Freakier Friday” claimed eighthwith

from the soak to the sprinkle may vary.The bucket’s instructions wereclear on how much seasoning to use (your favorite mixand brand will work perfectly here), and they recommendleaving the boil to soak for12minutes after unplugging. Ifollowed the instructions to the letter using apound of seasoning, acouple of ounces of liquid boil and even acitrus flavor booster pack, available in mostlocal seasoning mixaisles.

The result was adozen perfectly cooked crabs with all the sides, inundated with spice and Cajun flavor.The flavors were soaked through yet did not overpower the crab meat itself,which had the kind of delicate sweetness that didn’teven need the seafood dip we had prepared on the side.

Ihad always believed crabs to be alittle bit scary.I can peel crawfish with the best of them, but the hard-backed body and many-jointed legs of the crab seemed daunting. At this point, I’ve used my

$2.1 million. Rounding out the top 10: “Spinal TapII: The End Continues” debuted with $1.6 million, narrowly edging “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” which sang up $1.4 million.

Dergarabedian said he expects moreSeptember good fortunes with the release of Jordan Peele’shorrorfilm “HIM” next week and Paul Thomas Anderson’s“One Battle After Another” coming out this month.

“September, aftera very modest month of August, is proving to be an absolutely fantastic post-summer month for movies and for audiences and formovie theaters,” he said.

Top10moviesby domesticbox office

With final domestic fig-

swamp bucket twice to boil crabs, but Ican’tsay I’ve picked up much technique when it comes to extracting the meat Ican say that I’ve learned how to inelegantly peel off the shell, twist the legs, clean the body and attack those claws with the blunt end of aknife. The end results are messy yet effective —and while peeling asingle crab is a much moreinvolved process than mowing through apound of crawfish, the experience is perhaps even morerewarding. Agreat boil is ajourney that’sall about the time, enthusiasm and group effort it takes to spread the newspaper,chill the beer ready the sides and flavorings, wrangle the creatures and fire up the boiler (or plug in the swamp bucket). This Louisiana culinary experience is like no other —and it’salot easier to pull off than Ihad believed possible.

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

ures being released Monday, this listfactors in the estimatedticketsales for Fridaythrough Sundayat U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba —InfinityCastle,” $70 million

2. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $26 million.

3. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $18.1 million.

4. “The Long Walk,” $11.5 million.

5. “Toy Story (30th Anniversary),” $3.5 million.

6. “Weapons,”$2.75 million.

7. “Hamilton,”$2.2 million.

8. “FreakierFriday,”$2.1 million.

9. “Spinal TapII: The End Continues,” $1.6 million.

10. “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” $1.4 million.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Reach out to institutions to ensure you have your paperwork in order. Overcompensating for others will slow you down. Stay focused on results, not on gaining popularity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Helping a cause will be uplifting and encourage interesting connections with people who have something to offer. Don't feel pressured to donate cash when your time and skills will bring richer results.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Search for opportunities to utilize your skills, but don't let anyone take advantage of you in the interim. Work toward what you long for most. Reach out to someone you want to reconnect with.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Think less and do more. Let your actions speak for you, and you'll get the highest return. Make the most of your day, and you'll surpass your expectations.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Think, research, bide your time and avoid being bamboozled into putting your efforts behind someone else's dream. Look for opportunities that align more closely with what you want out of life.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Gravitate toward what's new and exciting, but don't rush into or finalize something. Share your likes and dislikes with someone you love.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Deal with relationship issues swiftly to avoid

situations becoming unmanageable. Use your intelligence, look for common ground and suggest a plan that fosters compatibility.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Explore and discover what's available and do your best to expand your connections. Set a budget that allows you the freedom to pursue your heart's desires.

tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Take a moment to evaluate your life and how you can make the most of each day. Design your space and lifestyle to ensure you find the happiness you're searching for. Live life your way.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Participate in functions, and volunteer to make a difference using your skills and connections. Disagreements will set you back. Choose peace over discord.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) You can think big, but don't let impulsive behavior lead to mistakes. Avoid emotional situations that can lead to temptation or hinder your long-term plans. Financial gain is apparent. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Change begins with you. Revise your plans to suit your needs. Take control of the situations you encounter. It's what you do that will help you get into the winner's circle.

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

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

DonHewitt, bestknownfor creating “60Minutes,” said,“Let’s give theconventionsback to thepoliticians.Ifwe thinkthere’s any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions shouldbetheir show, not ours.” Let’s give the bidding conventions back to the experts. Let’s concentrate on the card play, winning the necessary numberoftricks.Whateverconventions are used, often the samefinal contract will be reached. Intoday’sdeal,Southisinsixno-trump. Westleads thespade 10. Declarer wins with dummy’s king, then calls for alow club, getting readytoclaim. But when East discards aheart, how should South react?

Southopened with astrong and artificial two clubs. North responded three clubs to show five-plus clubs and eightplus points. Then North’s four-diamond rebid was amodern convention, Redwood —Roman Key Card Blackwood in clubs. South’s reply showed four key cards(three aces and the club king, or four aces). North put his partner intosix no-trump,awise choice given the bad club break.

Declarerhasonly11topwinners:three spades, four hearts, two diamonds and twoclubs.Ifhegives West the club king now, South will be forced to findthe dia-

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

mondqueen.Instead,heshouldwinwith hisclubace,thenleadtheclubfive.West mustduck; otherwise, South claims Then, after winning the trick withdummy’squeen,declarerplaysaspadetohis aceand runs the diamond jackthrough West. Even if the finesse loses, South has three spades, four hearts, three diamonds and two clubs forhis contract. ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Previous answers:

word game

InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” suchas“bats” or “dies,” are notallowed. 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 notallowed.

toDAy’S WoRD GunStocK: GUN-stok:The support to which the barrel of a shoulder-fired weapon is fixed.

Average mark 18 words

Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 32 or more words in GUNSTOCK?

yEStERDAy’S WoRD —toRSIon

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AND LAFAYETTE

PARISH COUNCIL OF THE CITY-OF LAFAYETTE, STATEOF

LOUISIANA, TAKEN AT ASPECIAL JOINTMEETING OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE, LAFAYETTE, LA.

ATTENDANCE

CITY COUNCIL:Kenneth P. Boudreaux(Chair,District 5), Liz W. Hebert

(Vice-Chair,District 3), Elroy Broussard(District1), Andy Naquin (District 2) and Thomas Hooks (District 4)

ABSENT:None

PARISH COUNCIL:ABRubin (Chair,District 5), Donald Richard (ViceChair,District2), Bryan Tabor (District 1) and Ken Stansbury (District3)

ABSENT:John Guilbeau (District 4)

COUNCIL STAFF:Joseph Gordon-Wiltz (Clerk of the Council), Jeremy J. Swiney (AssociateClerk for Legislative Affairs),Cindy M. Semien (Assistant Clerk for Legislative Affairs) and Jeremy “Rich” Richardson (Associate Clerk for Operations and Citizen Advocacy)

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:Monique B. Boulet(Mayor-President),Rachel Godeaux (Chief Administrative Officer),Karen Fontenot (Chief Financial Officer)

(5:17:00) COMMENCEMENT

Call to order

Parish Council Chair Rubin, called the Special Joint Meeting and Parish Council Meeting of September 11, 2025 to order

City Council Chair Boudreaux, on behalf of the City Council, called their meeting of September 11, 2025 to order

AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

Parish Council Chair Rubin called upon City Councilmember Naquin to cite the invocation and on Parish Councilmember Richardto lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rubin made the following announcements:

-John Guilbeau, Parish District 4, is unable to attend this meeting.

-Therewill be aSpecial LPPAMeeting directlyfollowing thismeeting.

-For procedural purposes, Iwould like to start offbyreviewing how budget adoptiongenerally works;

-Tobegin, amotion and second areneeded to place the initial ordinance, as presented, on the floor; -Separate amendments will be voted on individually with each requiring amotion and second from the relevant Council or both Councils; -General amendmentswill be offered in globo(vote by City Council & Parish Council). Staffwill read allGeneral Amendments for the viewing public beforethe vote;

-Public Comment will be allowed on the single vote for general amendmentsand on each individual separateamendment;

-Finally,when all of the amendments have been addressed, both general and separate, avote will be taken to adopt theordinance, as amended.

-Stated that this is aSpecial Joint Meeting of the Lafayette City Council and Lafayette Parish Council. At times during the meeting, Imay defer to the City Council Chair to preside over City Council matters.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS No Council Announcementsweremade.

AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: EXECUTIVE/MAYOR-PRESIDENT’S REPORT No report was made.

JOINT ORDINANCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION

AGENDAITEM NO. 4: JO-038-2025 Ajoint ordinance of the LafayetteCity Council and the Lafayette Parish Council adopting an Operating &Five-Year Capital Improvement Budget of revenues and expenditures for the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government for the fiscal year beginning November 1, 2025 and ending October 31, 2026. Motion to adopt by the City Council offered by Hebert, seconded by Naquin.

Motion to adopt by the Parish Council offered by Stansbury,seconded by Richard.

Chair Rubin opened the floor to the Administration and Finance to state any adjustments/new amendments.

Fontenot reported that on Exhibit Awithin the internal memorandum packet presented to the Council, they had three (3) housekeeping amendments proposed for various departments.

She reported that the first is aParish itemtoclean up some line items within Capital Outlay in Fund 260 and 261. Taborstated he would offer it as aGeneral Amendment. Gordon-Wiltz announced it would become General Amendment #69.

NEW GENERAL AMENDMENT #69:

PARISH –TABOR –Tocorrect the lease account sections andamounts within thePublicWorks& Traffic, Roads &Bridges Departments (Housekeeping amendment)(PW/TRB)

Fontenot stated that the second is aJoint item to correct some lease accountsinPublicWorks. Hebert statedthat she would offer it as aGeneral Amendment.Gordon-Wiltz reminded thatthis is aJoint item and it would become General Amendment #70.

NEW GENERAL AMENDMENT #70:

JOINT –HEBERT–Tocorrect the lease account sections andproject names within the Public Works Department (Housekeeping amendment) (PUBLIC WORKS)

Fontenotannounced that the thirdisaCity item to correct some lease accounts within Fire, Drainage, Traffic, Roads&Bridges. Boudreauxstated that he would offer it as aGeneral Amendment. Gordon-Wiltz stated it would become General Amendment #71.

NEW GENERAL AMENDMENT #71:

CITY –BOUDREAUX –Tocorrect the lease account sections andamounts within the Fire, Drainage, and Traffic, Roads& Bridges Departments (Housekeeping amendment)(FIRE/DRAINAGE/TRB)

Fontenotreportedthat the fourthisa City item to correct some lease accounts within the PARC Department. Godeaux explained that this amendment is to take an unutilized position within her office and move it to the Parks Operations and Maintenance Department wherethereisa need for moreadministrative assistance. She noted that therewill be no salary change. Naquin stated that he would offer it as aGeneral Amendment. Gordon-Wiltz stated that it would become General Amendment #72.

NEW GENERAL AMENDMENT #72:

JOINT –NAQUIN –Toreallocate (1) Administrative Assistant from the CAO’sOffice to the Operations &MaintenanceDivision within the PARC Department (PARC)

Chair Rubin opened the floor to the Councilmembers to state any changes to the current General Amendments. Therewerenone.

Chair Rubin opened the floor to the Councilmembers to state any changes to the current SeparateAmendments. Therewerenone.

Chair Rubin opened the floor to the Councilmembers to state any new amendments, and they areas follows:

Tabor reported that he would offer ajoint amendment to increase Council Office personnel salaries. Boudreaux objected. Gordon-Wiltz announced it would become SeparateAmendment #2.

Naquin reported that he would offer an amendment to remove $20,000 from the Citywide TrafficCalmingfund and dedicate it to Plaza Village Drive trafficcalming. Gordon-Wiltz announced it would become General Amendment #73.

AMENDMENT #73:

SEPARATE AMENDMENT #1:

JOINT –BOUDREAUX -Proposedsalary adjustments for Council Office staff;Taborobjected.(COUNCIL)

PARISH COUNCIL

Amotion was offered by the Parish Council by Richard. Motion died due to lack of asecond CITYCOUNCIL No motion couldbemadeastherewas alack of asecond from the Parish Council. Ten(10) citizens who did not wish to speak, signedin, in supportofthe amendment.

SEPARATE AMENDMENT #2:

JOINT –TABOR –Toincrease Council Office personnel salaries.Boudreaux objected. (COUNCIL)

PARISH COUNCIL

Amotion was offered by the Parish Council by Tabor,seconded by Stansbury,for the Parish Counciltoapprove Separate Amendment #2, and the vote was as follows:

YEAS: Tabor,Richard, Stansbury, Rubin

NAYS: None

ABSENT:Guilbeau

ABSTAIN: None Motion to amend was approved.

CITY COUNCIL

Amotion was offered by the City CouncilbyNaquin, seconded by Hebert for the City Counciltoapprove Separate Amendment #2, and the vote was as follows: YEAS: Broussard, Naquin, Hebert,Hooks, Boudreaux

NAYS: None

ABSENT:None

ABSTAIN: None Motion to amend was approved.

GENERAL AMENDMENTS:

Rubin asked for motions to take all General Amendments (1 –73) in globo:

CITY COUNCIL

Amotion was offered by the City CouncilbyHebert,seconded by Naquin, for the City Counciltoapprove the general amendments, in globo.

PARISH COUNCIL

Amotion was offered by the Parish Council by Tabor,seconded by Stansbury,for the Parish Counciltoapprove the general amendments, in globo.

Parish CouncilChair Rubin requestedthat staff read the entirelist of General Amendments for the viewing/listening public.

1. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –Replace budgetsummary information on page 55 of the budget document with corrected information, as providedby Finance (FINANCE)

2. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –Toincrease line itemEXT APP-ACADIANA CENTERFOR THE ARTS by $100,000 on page 312 (revised amendment) (CDP)

3. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –Toincrease line itemEXT APP-LAFAYETTE MARDIGRAS ASSOCIATION by $5,000 on page 312 (CDP)

4. PARISH -STANSBURY–Toremoveexternal appropriation which was only needed for one-time Opioid funding contract; 08-07-2025 Amendment #1, as provided by Finance (CDP)

5. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –Toadjust the salary and benefits for (1) Director’sExecutive Secretary due to Equity Pay Adjustment; 08-072025 Amendment #3, as provided by Finance (IT)

6. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –Toadjust the SaaS cost for Debtbook and Contract Works software (housekeeping amendment); 08-07-2025 Amendment #2, as provided by Finance (IT)

7. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Totransfer vehicle subsidy lease amount from Fund 4850 to Fund 4610 to align with salary and benefitaccounts; 0807-2025 Amendment #5, as provided by Finance (PUBLIC WORKS)

8. JOINT -RUBIN –Toadjust the salaries and benefits of (1) Fleet Superintendent and (1) Fleet Mechanic Supervisor to add promotional dollars for proposed restructuring of the Vehicle Maintenance Division, 08-07-2025 Amendment (unnumbered), as provided by Finance (PUBLIC WORKS)

9. JOINT -RUBIN –Toadjust the salaries and benefits of (1) Environmental Quality Manager and add promotional dollars for Proposed Public Works Reorganization; 08-07-2025 Amendment #4, as providedby Finance (PUBLIC WORKS)

10. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Zeroout line item163 CITY HALL IMPROVEMENTS on page 405 and restoreits funding to the original source-Bond Reserve (PUBLIC WORKS)

11. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Toincrease Temporary Employees appropriation for City Prosecutor’sOffice 08-07-2025 Amendment #6, as providedby Finance (LEGAL)

12. PARISH -RUBIN –Tochange the name of Position #1400-1 from “Ombudsman” to “Criminal JusticeLiaison”;08-07-2025 Amendment #12, as providedbyFinance (MAYOR-PRESIDENT)

13. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Toadjust the FY26 Police Retiree COLA estimate; 08-07-2025 Amendment #8, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

14. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Toadjust the FY26 FireRetiree COLA estimate; 08-07-2025 Amendment #9, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

15. JOINT -RUBIN –Toadjust the printing &binding expense for color budget book produced in conjunction with TylerERP system; 08-072025 Amendment #7, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

16. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Tocorrect reserveamounts for Fund 2110 Golf Cart Fund for FY25 &FY26 (Housekeeping amendment); 08-07-2025 Amendment #10, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

17. PARISH -RUBIN –Toadjust the Election Expense accounts basedon updated estimated election costs (Housekeeping amendment); 08-072025 Amendment #11, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

18. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –TodecreasePrinting &Binding expense and increase Dues &Licenses appropriation; 08-07-2025 Amendment #13, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

19. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –ToremoveUniforms appropriation, reduce Printing &Binding expense, and increaseTravel &Meeting-Registration appropriation; 08-07-2025 Amendment #14, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

20. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –TodecreasePrinting and Binding expense and increase Travel &Meetings appropriation; 08-07-2025 Amendment #15, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

21. JOINT -BOUDREAUX –TodecreasePublication &Recordation expense and increase Travel &Meetings appropriation; 08-07-2025 Amendment #16, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

22. CITY -BOUDREAUX –TocreateFund 1010 appropriation for Acadiana Center for the Arts capitalproject (PUBLIC WORKS)

23. CITY -BOUDREAUX ON BEHALF OF HEBERT– To addfunding for 10 City bus shelters (revisedamendment) (TRB)

24. CITY -BOUDREAUX –ToremoveCorrectional Center disbursement from the City to the Parish and reallocatetoCouncil Districtand Downtown capital projects (FINANCE)

25. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Toadjust the salary and benefits for (1) City Marshal Lieutenant and (1) City Marshal Sergeant due to years of service within the City Marshal’s O&M &Manning Tables; 08-12-2025 Amendment #17, as provided by Finance (CITY MARSHAL)

26. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Toadd promotional dollars to promote (1) Deputy City Marshal Ito(1) Deputy City Marshal II; 08-12-2025 Amendment #18, as provided by Finance (CITY MARSHAL)

27. CITY -BOUDREAUX –Totransfer funding for training mistakenly placed in capital appropriations

34.

36. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Toreduce the Promotions line item for Facilities Supervisor/Comm Support Services Administrator position due to reclass of positionand title; 08-12-2025 Amendment #29, as provided by Finance (LFTFIBER)

37. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Toadd (1) Communications Sales Representative position within the Sales &Marketing Division; 08-12-2025 Amendment #28, as provided by Finance (LFTFIBER)

38. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Tocorrect and adjust Lafayette Communications System Five-Year capital schedule for amendments; 08-12-2025 Amendment #30, as provided by Finance (LFTFIBER)

39. PARISH -RUBIN –Tocreate acapital line item for Parish Council replacement computer within Fund 1050; Wrap-Up item #18, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

40. PARISH -RUBIN –Tocreate Tourism appropriationtofund the 2026 Police Jury Association of Louisiana Region3meeting;Wrap-Up item #19, as provided by Finance (COUNCIL)

41. PARISH -RUBIN –Toadjust expense accounts in anticipationofFY26 electioncosts; 08-14-2025 Amendment #32, as provided by Finance (REGISTRAR OF VOTERS)

42. PARISH RUBIN –Tocorrect line item that waszeroed out by mistake (Housekeeping amendment); 08-14-2025 Amendment #33, as provided by Finance (REGISTRAR OF VOTERS)

43. PARISH -RUBIN –Toadjust the salary and benefits for (1) Director’s Executive Secretarydue to Equity Pay Adjustment; 08-14-2025 Amendment #34, as provided by Finance (LIBRARY)

44. PARISH -RUBIN –Toamend the project name within the Library’s FY26 Proposed Capital Appropriations; 08-14-2025 Amendment #35, as provided by Finance (LIBRARY)

45. PARISH -RUBIN –Toadjust Director’sReserve accounts to proper account (Housekeeping amendment); 08-14-2025 Amendment #36, as provided by Finance (DRAINAGE)

46. JOINT -BOUDREAUX-Toadjust the salaries and benefits of (2) City Court Judgestoalignwith the Louisiana SupremeCourt’s pay raises; 08-19-2025 Amendment #31, as provided by Finance (CITYCOURT)

47. CITY-BOUDREAUX- To changeand consolidate golfcourse& facility improvement project names within the PARC Dept’sFY26 Proposed Capital Appropriations; 08-19-2025 Amendment #43, as provided by Finance (PARC)

48. PARISH -BOUDREAUXONBEHALF OF RUBIN -Toadjust City-Parish Allocation CONTRSERV-SAAS IMPLEMENTATIONexpense line item to account for LUS’scontribution; 08-19-2025 Amendment #37, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

49. CITY-BOUDREAUX-Tobalance Fund 4850 after City-Parish allocationadjustment due to SAAS Implementationcosts correction; 08-19-2025 Amendment #38, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

50. CITY- BOUDREAUX -Toadjust Fund 1010 Admin Fees revenue from Fund 2030 to correct amount (Housekeeping amendment); 08-19-2025 Amendment #39, as provided by Finance (FINANCE)

51. CITY-BOUDREAUX- To add appropriations back to insurance line items inadvertently omitted (Housekeeping amendment); 08-19-2025 Amendment #40, as provided by Finance (PARC)

52. CITY- BOUDREAUX -Toadjust Director’sReserve accounts to proper amount (Housekeeping amendment); 08-19-2025 Amendment #41, as provided by Finance (CDP)

53. CITY-BOUDREAUX- To amend the lease project names within the Community Development & Planning’sFY26 Proposed Capital Appropriations (Housekeeping amendment); 08-19-2025 Amendment #42, as provided by Finance (CDP)

54. PARISH -BOUDREAUXONBEHALF OF RUBIN -Toadd appropriations back to insurance line items inadvertently omitted (Housekeeping amendment); 08-19-2025 Amendment #45, as provided by Finance (DIST COURT, REG OF VOTERS, CORONER)

55. CITY- HEBERT-Transferfunding of $1.9 millionfromthe City General Fund to line item 45 VERMILION RIVER LAT4,PHIIonpage401 (DRAINAGE)

56. PARISH -RICHARD -ToremoveFY26 appropriationfromLarriviere Road, as funding was added in FY25, and to reallocate $300,000 between the five Parish districts for capital projects (PUBLIC WORKS)

57. PARISH -TABOR -Toprovide capital appropriationtoAdult Correction in the amount of $1 millionfromthe Courthouse Complex Fund in order to balance Fund 2620 as aresult of the City’seliminationof appropriationtoCorrectional Center (ADULTCORRECTION)

58. PARISH -RUBIN –Toincrease Jailer Services Overflow by $500,000 and adding external appropriationfor LPSO maintenance salaries; 08-282025 Amendment #S, as provided by Finance (ADULTCORRECTION)

59. JOINT -RUBIN –Toadd funding for Parish summerparkprograms; Wrap-Up Item #17 (PARC)

60. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Toincrease Wellness Profiles expenses in order to comply with recently passed state mandate in ACT 554 (House Bill 253) to provide cancer screeningsfor fire fighters; 08-28-2025 Amendment #U, as provided by Finance (FIRE)

61. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Toadd a4320-AF SMALL EQUIPMENT MECHANIC position under the 6170 PR-J&L HEBERTMUNI GOLF COURSE on page456

62. CITY-BOUDREAUX– Renameline item 106 VERMILION GARAGE IMPROVonpage403 to VERMILION GARAGE RESTROOM CONSTRUCTION(PUBLIC WORKS)

63. CITY- BOUDREAUX –Renameline item 164 DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE on page405 to VERMILION GARAGE RESTROOM CONSTRUCTION(PUBLIC WORKS)

64.

BOUDREAUX

(COUNCIL)

65. CITY-BOUDREAUX– Renameline item 148 JEFFERSON BOULEARD ENHANCEMENTSonpage404 to JEFFERSON STREET ENHANCEMENTS-E SIMCOE ST TO EPINHOOK RD (PUBLIC WORKS)

g g https://us02web.zoom us/j/84828510041? pwd=4UA2PZ9yQg3o9vt ULN550azxjbHNYE.1 MeetingID: 848 2851 0041 Passcode:062686 ScopeofServices: The scopeofthe projectcon‐sistsofbut is notlimited to thecontractorsupply‐ingthe labor, equipment, superintendence, mater‐ial, etc.,toaccomplish theworkset outinthe plansand specifications prepared by the Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Depart‐ment of Public Works, for concrete slab replace‐ment,concretepatching, cracksealing,joint cleaning,and sealing, curb replacement, side‐walk replacement, and allother incidentalsas‐sociated with this work at repair sitesdesig‐natedthe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernmenton specified locationswith in thecitylimitsand

checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity.Electroniccopies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5.A Cor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authorityau‐thorizingthe person signingthe bidisre‐quired to be submitted with bid. Failuretosub‐mita CorporateResolu‐tion or Certificate of Au‐thoritywiththe bidshall be causefor rejectionof bid. Copies of thebidding documentsexceptfor SectionC –“Standard Specificationsfor Roads, Drainage,Bridges and OtherInfrastructure2023 Edition” areavailable at theOffice of Purchasing locatedat705 West Uni‐versityAvenue Lafayette,LA70502 upon f $

censed to

bondswhich is either domiciledinLouisiana or ownedbyLouisiana resi‐dents. Thebid bond shall be issued by acompany licensed to do business in Louisiana. Thecerti‐fied check, cashier’s check, or bidbondshall be givenasa guarantee that thebiddershall exe‐cute thecontract, should it be awardedtohim,in conformity with thecon‐tractdocuments within ten(10)days. No contractor maywith‐draw itsbid priortothe deadline forsubmission of bids.Withdrawalof bids thereafter shallbe allowedonlypursuantto LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐wise,nobiddermay withdraw hisbid forat leastforty-five (45) days after thetimescheduled forthe bidopening of bids.Eachbid shallbe submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwithin thespecifications. The successfulbidderwillbe required to executeper‐formance andlabor and material paymentbonds in thefullamount of the contract as more fully definedinthe biddocu‐ments. No contractors maywithdrawhis bidfor at leastforty-five (45) days after thetime scheduledfor theopen‐ingofbids. Each bidshall be submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwith thespecifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐cute performanceand laborand material pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fullydefinedin thebid documents.

sentativeactingonbe‐half of T-Mobile,7700 West Highway71, Suite 200, Austin,TX78735 or call at (512) 519-9388. 158279-sept 17-1t y p paymentof $95 perset non-refundable.NOTE: NO CASH WILL BE AC‐CEPTED -ONLYCHECKS OR MONEYORDERS MADE PAYABLETO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐DATEDGOVERNMENT. Copies of Section“C” Standard Specifications forRoads,Drainage, Bridgesand OtherInfra‐structure” 2023 Edition areavailable from the Public WorksDepartment at 1515 EUniversityAv‐enue,BuildingA Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documentsshall be availableuntil twentyfour hoursbeforethe bid openingdate. Questions relative to thebidding documentsshall be ad‐dressedtoHeather Kestlerathkestler@ lafayettela.gov Contractorsare re‐questedtoattend aprebidmeeting, whichwill be held on September30, 2023 at 10:00 AM in the largeconferenceroom Lafayette Consolidated Government,Public WorksAdministration Building locatedat1515 East University Avenue Lafayette,LA. Each bidshall be accom‐panied by acertified check, cashier’scheck or bidbondpayable to theLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment, the amount of whichshall be five percent(5%)ofthe base bidplusadditive al‐ternates.Ifabid bond is used,itshall be written by asuretyorinsurance companycurrently on theU.S.Departmentof theTreasuryFinancial Management Servicelist of approved bonding companieswhich is pub‐lished annually in the FederalRegister, or by a Louisianadomiciledin‐surancecompany with at leastanA-Ratinginthe latest printing of theA.M Best’s KeyRating Guide i i di

Bids will be evaluatedby thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted whichisalsoin compliance with thebid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause in ac‐cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe frontof thesealedenvelopein whichtheir bidisen‐closed.Contractors shall be licensed forthe clas‐sification of “HIGHWAY STREET ANDBRIDGE CONSTRUCTION”. Bids in theamountsspecified abovewhich have notbid in accordance with the requirements,shall be rejected andshall notbe read.Additional informa‐tion relative to licensing maybeobtained from theLouisiana StateLi‐censingBoard forCon‐tractors,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in allcon‐tracts or procurements letbythe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernment forgoodsand services andlabor andmaterial. To that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐prises in thepurchaseor sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies, services andlabor andmaterialin whichdisadvantaged b i il bl

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