The Acadiana Advocate 10-26-2025

AGGIES EVISCERATE TIGERS IN UGLYSECOND HALF 1C

BUCCANEERS AT SAINTS

3:05P.M. FOX 1C

MATEOS

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ISABEL

Aranch worker drives cattle to acorral for inspection for NewWorld screwwormataranch in Cintalapa, Chiapas, Mexico,onJuly 23.

‘A

devastatingpest’

Louisianacattleindustrykeeps eyeon flesh-eating parasite knownasscrewworm

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL |Staff writer

In an oldcoal-mining town in northern Texas, around 130 miles from Dallas/FortWorth,Greg Buenger raises beef cattle on his ranch.But Buenger, also aTexas Farm Bureau District 3state director and retired veterinarian, has his eyes elsewhere at the moment,far from thenorthernflatlands.

His focus is on the Texas-Mexico border,wherea series of cases involving the New World screwworm have been documented.

The screwworm is alarvaofthe Cochliomyiahominivorax fly thatcan invade thetissues of any warmbloodedanimal, including humans. The parasite enters animals’ skin, causing severe damage and lesions that can be fatal.Infected animals are aserious threat to herds.

The parasite is typically found in South America and the Caribbean,but since it escapedcontainment in Panama in 2023, it hasbeen steadilymoving northward.The most recent casewas found inacow near theMexicanstateofNuevo Leon, 70 milesfromthe border with Texas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls it a“devastating pest” and said in Junethatitposes athreat to “our livestock industry,our economy andour food

ä See PEST, page 6A

Alfredo Chavez, acattle rancher and livestock technician, shows aNew World screwwormlarva removedfrom a cowathis ranch in Cintalapa, Chiapas, Mexico, July 23.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By

ISABEL MATEOS

The Cochliomyia hominivorax fly’s larvaecan invade the tissues of any warm-blooded animal, including humans.

PROVIDED PHOTO

La.collegesare paying athletes,but recordsare secret

‘Revenue sharing’ arrangements raiseconcerns

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY |Staff writer

College athletes at public universities across Louisiana areexpected to receive at least $20.7 million in compensation this year,records and interviews show,after alandmark NCAA settlement in June allowed them to begincollecting paychecks directly from their schools.

LSU has earmarked $18 millionin direct payments to its athletes, asenior athletic administrator said, 90%

of which willgotofootball and men’s basketballplayers. Among Louisiana’sremaining public schools, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe and McNeese State have saidthey’ll pay playersmore than $2.7 million, according to payroll records andathletic officials for those schools. Thepayments are aturning point in college sports. Collegeathletes have been allowedtoearnmoney throughendorsements since 2021, which led to windfalls for brand-forwardLouisianaathletes like LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne. Endorsementsare still permitted and will

likely remain the primary breadwinners formanycollege athletes, though they’re subject tonew NCAA regulations.

TheHouse v. NCAA settlementinJune, however,permits college athletes for thefirst time to also be paiddirectly by their universities, effectively in salaries.

Thechanges mean that powerhouseprograms thatrake in hundreds of millions of dollars ayear through conference royalties, TV deals and ticketsales must share achunk of the money with their top players —uptoanNCAA-set cap of

ä See ATHLETES, page 5A

Shutdown’s impact loomson state’s horizon

Much of Louisiana hasn’t seen effectsjustyet,but as stalematecontinues, consequences will broaden

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL |Staff writer

In his day job as president of Woodward Interests, Bill Hoffman hasn’tmuch noticed the federal government shutdown. His New Orleans real estate development firm is still planning projects, like the redevelopment of the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center in Mid-City,and operating as usualwithnodisruptionstosupplychainsor services.

As avolunteer forSecondHarvest Food Bank of GreaterNew Orleansand Acadiana, however,Hoffman has seen the effects up close. He’s worked with the nonprofitorganization’s leadership to identify new funding sources at atime when more peoplearoundNew Orleansneedfood assistance and federal support is drying up. He fears it’sabout to get alot worse. Thousands of federal workers in the state have been furloughed or are working without apaycheck. Loans and other federal fundingsources are no longer flowing. And beginning Nov. 1, food stamps benefits which help put foodonthe table for nearly 19% of Louisianans and morethan 1in5people in New Orleans —are set to run out.

The severity of that potential loss in food support prompted Gov.Jeff Landry on Friday to issue an emergency order aimed at helping himreplacethat federal funding with state dollars. But Second Harvest worries that food banks and other service agencies, still reeling from federal budget cuts earlier this year,will continue to see astrain.

Louisiana Politics: Shutdown adding anotherlayer of stress to state PAGE 12A

“We’re already seeing more federal workers coming to us, and that number is going to grow,” said Hoffman, whoalso serves as Second Harvest board chair.“We will start to see this ripple out into the broader economy and will all start to feel it.”

Until now, the federal government shutdown, whichenters its fifth week Wednesday,has mostly been aproblem for the nation’sfederal employees, who have been furloughed or,inthe case of air traffic controllers and other essential employees,forced to work without pay. States like Virginia or Maryland, which have high numbers of federal workers, feel it acutely

See SHUTDOWN, page 4A

Venezuela’s leader says U.S. fabricating war CARACAS Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro said the U.S. government is forging a war against him as the world’s biggest warship approached the South American country, while moving to revoke the citizenship of an opponent he accuses of egging on an invasion.

Maduro said in a national broadcast on Friday night that the administration of President Donald Trump is “fabricating a new eternal war” as the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which can host up to 90 airplanes and attack helicopters, moves closer to Venezuela.

On Saturday, the Venezuelan president also referred to the pressure he has felt from the U.S. government as he started legal proceedings seeking to revoke the citizenship and cancel the passport of opposition politician Leopoldo López.

“They promised they would never again get involved in a war and they are fabricating a war that we will avoid,” said Maduro in Friday night’s address. Trump has accused him, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.

“They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal and totally fake one,” Maduro added. “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.”

American forces have destroyed several boats off the Venezuelan coast, allegedly for their role in trafficking drugs into the United States. At least 43 people were killed in those attacks.

Kamala Harris leaves door open for 2028 run

WASHINGTON Kamala Harris isn’t ruling out another run for the White House.

In an interview with the BBC posted Saturday, Harris said she expects a woman will be president in the coming years, and it could “possibly” be her “I am not done,” she said The former vice-president said she hasn’t decided whether to mount a 2028 presidential campaign. But she dismissed the suggestion that she’d face long odds.

“I have lived my entire career a life of service and it’s in my bones. And there are many ways to serve,” she said. “I’ve never listened to polls.”

She’s recently given a series of interviews following the September release of her book, “107 Days.” It looks back on her experience replacing then-President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after he dropped out of the race. She ultimately lost to Republican President Donald Trump.

Video shows rescue of baby pinned under car

FORT WORTH, Texas A baby is expected to make a full recovery after being pulled from under a vehicle that had flipped during a crash, authorities said Friday after releasing dramatic video that showed the rescue effort along a busy highway

Officers responded to the scene Thursday morning after getting reports that the child and mother had been ejected from the car Body camera footage shared Friday by the Fort Worth Police Department shows an officer running toward the overturned car and beginning to search for the child as a distraught woman can be heard in the background yelling for her baby The officer rallied other motorists who had stopped at the scene to help him lift the car

The child was unresponsive, but one officer said he felt a pulse. They attempted to get the baby to take a breath, with one officer using his fingers to push on the child’s chest. The baby eventually began to make noises and then started to cry

Police said both the mother and child were expected to make a full recovery

strength on Saturday.

Melissa reaches hurricane strength

Storm threatens catastrophic flooding in northern Caribbean

By The Associated Press

KINGSTON, Jamaica U.S forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica Saturday as Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

A hurricane warning means winds of at least 74 mph are expected in the area within 36 hours

Melissa is ”likely starting to rapidly intensify and expected to become a major hurricane tomorrow,” the U.S National Hurricane Center said Saturday afternoon as Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

The slow-moving storm was expected to drop torrential rain, up to 25 inches, on Jamaica, according to the U.S National Hurricane Center

A similar forecast was issued for the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Monday Lifethreatening flooding and landslides were possible, with up to 35 inches of catastrophic rain across the Tiburon peninsula in southwestern Haiti, the center said.

The Cuban government on Saturday afternoon issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin.

The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” Jamie Rhome, the center’s deputy director, said earlier on Saturday He said the storm will continue to move slowly for up to four days

Melissa was located about 130 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 250 miles west-southwest of Portau-Prince, Haiti. It was slowly moving westward at 3 mph, according to the hurricane center.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch remained in place for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti.

Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine

Zelenskyy pleads for air defense

BY SAMYA KULLAB and ELISE MORTON Associated Press

KYIV Ukraine Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine’s president for Western air defense systems.

In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and 13 were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv’s police said.

A fire broke out in a nonresidential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.

“Explosions in the capital The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, act-

The center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica early next week, forecasters said. Melissa was expected to become a major hurricane by Sunday and possibly reach Category 4 status by early Monday, U.S. forecasters said. It is forecast to hit eastern Cuba early Wednesday, where up to 12 inches could fall in some areas.

Authorities in Jamaica said on Saturday that the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will be closed at 8 p.m. local time. It did not say whether it will close the Sangster airport in Montego Bay, on the western side of the island.

More than 650 shelters were activated in Jamaica. Officials said warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for quick distribution if needed.

“I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “Take all measures to protect yourself.”

The hurricane center confirmed the risks in a key message Saturday afternoon.

“Jamaica prep should be completed today Melissa’s slow motion brings multiday damaging winds plus heavy rainfall, catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, damage, long-duration power communication outages, isolation,” the center said.

Haitian authorities said three people had died as a consequence of the hurricane and another five were injured due to a collapsed wall. There were also reports of rising river levels, flooding and a bridge destroyed due to breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, in the northeast

The storm has damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic and knocked out water supply systems, affecting more than half a million customers. It also downed trees and traffic lights, unleashed a couple of small landslides and left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology said Melissa could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to islands in the Southeast and Central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early next week.

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov 30.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Smoke bellows Saturday from a warehouse that caught fire after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine.

ing regional Gov Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the strikes.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.

In Russia, the Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine’s need for Patriot defense systems.

“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems — to be able to protect our cities from this horror It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” he wrote in English on X.

“America, Europe and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten lives,” he said.

Trump threatens Canada with 10% tariff hike over ad

BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Associated Press

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he plans to hike tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10% because of an anti-tariff television ad aired by the province of Ontario.

The ad used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs, angering Trump who said he would end trade talks with Canada Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would pull the ad after the weekend, and it ran Friday night during the first game of the World Series.

“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform as he flew aboard Air Force One to Malaysia.

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.”

It was unclear what legal authority Trump would use to impose the additional import taxes. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when the 10% hike would come into effect, and whether it would apply to all Canadian goods.

Canada’s economy has been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been trying to work with Trump to lower them. More than three-quarters of Ca-

nadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly $2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border daily A spokesperson for Carney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Many Canadian products have been hit with a 35% tariff, while steel and aluminum face rates of 50%. Energy products have a lower rate of 10%, while the vast majority of goods are covered by the United States.Canada-Mexico Agreement, and are exempt from tariffs. That trade agreement is slated for review Trump negotiated the deal in his first term, but has since soured on it.

Trump and Carney will both attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. But Trump told reporters traveling with him that he had no intention of meeting Carney there.

Trump said the ad misrepresented the position of Reagan, a two-term president and a beloved figure in the Republican Party But Reagan was wary of tariffs and used much of the 1987 address featured in Ontario’s ad spelling out the case against tariffs.

Trump has complained the ad was aimed at influencing the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of arguments scheduled for next month that could decide whether Trump has the power to impose his sweeping tariffs, a key part of his economic strategy Lower courts had ruled he had exceeded his authority

Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Josh Boak in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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HonoringLeadershipandWelcomingNewVision d

Celebrating JamesWhite and Welcoming Will Lipsey

as CLBThe CommunityBank’sNew President and CEO.

JamesWhite SeniorVicePresident

is proud to shareanimportant leadership transition andrecognizethe remarkable contributions of twooutstandingindividuals

JamesWhite:ThreeDecadesofLeadership

Jamesisa1981graduateofLouisiana Tech University with abachelor’sdegreeinAgricultureEducation. He beganhis journeywith CLB in the 1980s as an AgricultureLender,quickly earning the trustofboth colleaguesand customers

Duringhis tenure, Jamesplayeda pivotal role in the successful mergerofCatahoulaLaSalle Bank and Bank of Jena. Hissteady leadership helped navigatethe challenges of integrating twodistinctbanking cultures—he worked closely with staff to ensureasmooth transition,provided open communication, and madesurethat customersexperienced uninterrupted, personalized service. Under James’sguidance, CLB expanded intothe LafayetteMarket, bringinginnovativeproductsand genuine communitybanking to LafayetteParish. Hiscommitment to listening to customerneeds andempowering his team has left alasting impact on our bank’s cultureand reputation.

Beyond the office,Jamesiseager to spendmoretime with hisgrandchildren, children, and hiswonderful wife Sandy, while continuing to serveCLB as Senior Vice President. His warmth, integrity, and friendshipare cherishedbyall who knowhim,and we look forwardtohis ongoing contributions in his newrole

WillLipsey:LeadingwithExperienceandVision

We areexcited to announce that Will Lipsey has been named President and CEOofCLB The CommunityBank. Will is a1989graduateofNortheastLouisiana Universitywith abachelor’sdegree in Financeand CommercialBanking. Over his decadesatCLB,includingadistinguished tenureasChief Financial Officerand ExecutiveVicePresident, Will hasled severalsuccessful initiatives. Most notably,hespearheaded the bank’s digital transformationproject,which introduced online banking and online accountmanagement.This innovation madebanking more accessible and convenient forour customers, especially thoseinrural areas, andstrengthenedour connectiontothe communities we serve. During Will’stenureasCFO and EVP, the bank realized significant growth in assets due to his leadership in asset management and implementing newinvestment strategies. Will’sleadership extends beyond banking—he is actively involved in civic and communityorganizations,including the Catahoula Chapter Lions Club and New EraBaptistChurch. At home,Will treasurestime with his children, grandchildren, and his lovely wifeJulie.Heenjoysrelaxing on the lakeand cooking with family and friends,embodying the spirit of communitythat has shapedCLB

NewMembersoftheExecutiveLeadershipTeam New xecutiveLea sh Team

CLB’sPresident and CEO, Will Lipsey, is pleased to announcethe appointment of newmemberstothe

Leadership Team: Tari Barras as Acadiana Market President; Chris Tassin as ChiefOperating Officer; andMalcolm Ward as Executive Vice President.Theyjoin current ExecutiveTeammembersJamesWhite, Senior Vice President, and Paul Tweedy,Senior Vice President&Chief Business Development Officer, whoboth continue to serveaskey membersofthe Executive Team.

Tari Barras Acadiana Market President

Ms.Barras is alifelongresidentofAcadiana, gaining early career experienceatother banking institutions in the Lafayettemetropolitan area.Sincejoining CLB in 2020 as Vice President and Branch Manager at the Johnston Street location, she has brought more than twodecadesofexperienceincommercial and consumer lending. She notably ledthe development andlaunch of our Acadiana Johnston Street and Scott Branches, which facilitated communitybanking and personal serviceto our customers,while contributingsignificantly to CLB’s growth within theLafayetteMarket. Her leadership is instrumental in supporting CLB’scontinued success in Acadiana.

JulieMcCarthy Vice President of Compliance

Malcolm Ward Executive Vice President

Mr.Tassin began his tenureatCLB in 2008 as an InformationTechnology Manager based at theMain OfficeinJonesville.With 17 years of expertiseinbanking IT and operations— and having served as Operations Officer for thepastthree years—he has playedacriticalroleinenhancing operational efficiency throughout CLB’sbranches. Most recently, he directed theimplementation of CLB’s Mobile Banking Platform,providing customerswith secure, real-timeaccess to banking services across devices.His background will be valuable as CLB continuestoadvanceits digital banking initiatives and achieving operational streamlinedprocesses.

Promotion Update

Mr.Wardgraduated with adegree in Business Management from the Universityof Louisiana-Monroe in 2007.After establishing acareer in Human Resourcesand Complianceoutside the banking sector,hejoined CLB The CommunityBank in 2020 as a Lender at the Jena Branch. ElevatedtoJena Branch Manager in 2024, Mr.Wardoversees both personnel and operations while leading lendingactivities. Under hisguidance, the branch achievedsignificant increasesinloan and depositgrowth, driven by improvedloan processing and enhanced customer service measures

CLB TheCommunityBank is proud to announcethe promotion of Julie McCarthytoVicePresident of Compliance. Julie joined CLB in 1984 in the bookkeepingdepartment and has served in various capacities, most recently as BSAand ComplianceOfficer.Julie has shown instrumental leadershipinher role as complianceofficer,navigatingcompliance needs in an ever-changing technological and regulatory environment. Julie’s expertiseand dedicationmakeher exceptionally qualifiedfor this promotion and a valuable assettothis institution.

We areconfident in thefuturedirectionofCLB The CommunityBank and inviteall stakeholderstocongratulate TariBarras ChrisTassin,and MalcolmWard on their new appointments to theExecutiveLeadership Team. We would alsolikeyou to join us in congratulating JulieMcCarthy on her promotiontoVicePresident of Compliance.

SHUTDOWN

Continued from page 1A

In Louisiana, the impact has been more muted because the federal workforce is relatively small and President Donald Trump’s administration has selectively shifted funds to ensure that some employees, like active duty troops, contin ue to get paid. At least for now

But economists and public policy groups say a quiet storm is brewing. Louisiana is already one of the poorest states in the nation, with a higher percentage of residents on federal assistance than almost any other The longer the shutdown drags on, the greater the impact will be across the state, as furloughed workers and those who rely on federal assistance tighten their belts and brace for potentially unprecedented times.

“The dominoes are about to start falling,” said economist Stephen Barnes, executive director of the Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “Once they do, it’s going to be very challenging for families across the state.”

Stopgaps in place

Experts say it’s not surprising that many across Louisiana in the private sector haven’t felt the effects of the shutdown yet. In part, that’s because the roughly 64,000 federal military and civilian employees in Louisiana make up only about 3% of the state’s total workforce.

Some are still collecting paychecks, or were until last week.

Others have been helped by institutions like Keesler Federal Credit Union, based in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is offering paycheck protection relief to the mostly federal government employees that make up its member-

ship. So far, about 1,535 members have enrolled in the plan, which will cover them for 90 days, according to Keesler spokesperson T. Bradley Keith. Also insulating the broader economy from the effects of the shutdown is the fact that the largest federal programs, Medicare and Social Security have not been touched. Neither has Medicaid, though the extension of tax credits to help low-income patients afford health insurance is at the heart of the dispute between Democrats and Republicans in Congress that led to the shutdown.

“The two big programs and Medicaid are safe for now,” said Jan Moeller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, a think tank that advocates for inclusive economic policies “So, in a state like Louisiana, which has a huge amount of federal money but not a huge number of employees, it is going to be hard to see the effects of the shutdown in most communities.”

Just because the effects of the shutdown are not widely visible, however, doesn’t mean they’re not being felt in various pockets of the economy, Moeller said.

The National Flood Insur-

ance Program is shuttered, which means new homeowners are unable to buy into the program, and the state’s existing 400,000 policyholders aren’t able to increase their coverage.

Louisiana’s 25,000 farmers have been unable to get a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, apply for a conservation program or receive a market report, hampering their ability to plan for the upcoming planting season.

And the state’s nearly half a million small businesses have been unable to access loans through the Small Business Administration, though data released by the SBA last week showed that only 12 loan applications totaling about $7.2 million in Louisiana went unprocessed last week because the agency was closed.

Stretched thin

If federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP runs out, as Trump’s Department of Agriculture has warned, the shutdown will become real for a lot more people across Louisiana.

More than 800,000 people in Louisiana receive SNAP

Volunteers help pack 480 boxes of food at Second Harvest Food Bank in Harahan on Wednesday. Amid the shutdown, the Trump administration has warned aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could run out.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

benefits. That’s more, as a percentage of the population, than almost any other state in the nation, where some 4.5 million rely on the program to help make ends meet.

On Wednesday Landry a Republican, said the state would shut the program down next month, blaming Democrats in Congress for the stalemate that has led to the current funding crisis.

“Without the funds, we cannot provide the benefits,” Landry said in a statement.

But on Friday, he reversed course, declaring a state of emergency and saying that “any interruption in SNAP benefits will significantly increase food insecurity among Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations, including the elderly children and individuals with disabilities.”

He also began working with legislative leaders on a plan to keep the program afloat while the government remains shuttered. The plan would repurpose existing funds from the Louisiana Department of Health to keep benefits flowing through November and potentially tap other state money if the shutdown continues beyond then.

For Marcus, a New Orleans East resident and licensed practical nurse by training

who declined to give his last name, the political fingerpointing among elected officials is frustrating.

The monthly SNAP benefits he has received for the past two years since he lost his job barely puts food on the table now If he loses them, the 64-year-old says his cellphone is about the only “luxury” item he could trim from his monthly expenses.

“I don’t know how much more I can stretch,” he said Friday at the Harry Tompson Center, a day shelter downtown. “I guess I’ll be shopping more at Dollar Tree and coming more to the food pantry.”

Food pantries, however, are already hard-pressed. At an event at Second Harvest last week, Chief Strategy Officer John Sillars said the food bank will receive about 5.8 million fewer pounds of food from the federal government this year than it did last due to federal funding cuts since Trump took office. As a result, Second Harvest will provide about 5 million fewer meals to a foodinsecure population that had grown by 30,000 — before the shutdown.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat who visited Second Harvest to call attention to the growing crisis, said he’s worried about “the avalanche effect” that will happen if the shutdown persists.

“It impacts our families but also the grocer, the person who is stocking the shelves, the person who is selling the milk, the cereal, the egg, the bread,” Carter said.

Landry’s announcement Friday that the state would work to continue SNAP benefits for the time being was a welcome development that will mitigate the worst outcomes for the state’s neediest residents, policy experts said. But more pain is on the way if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.

“The impacts will be acute in some places,” Barnes said. “Hopefully, we can weather those.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

$20.5 million, per school or risk them transferringto aschool that will.

But sports legal analysts and somemembers of a state task force covering the subject say the so-called “revenue sharing” arrangementsraisea numberof concerns and unanswered questions.

For one, when it comes to recruiting players, it puts the have-nots —smaller schools with less money— further behind.

McNeese was the only Louisiana university to advance past the first round of the men’sbasketball NCAA tournament in March, and accomplished that feat witha 2024 athletic budget of $16.8 million. LSU’s was roughly 13 times that amount: $221 million.

There’salso the issue of parity: Because football brings in —byfar —the most money to athletic departments, even the most elite LSUgymnast or baseball player will likely never be paid as much as the university’sstarting quarterback.

Just last year,LSU football brought in more than $107.9 million, budget records show—more than four timesasmuch as LSU’sremaining 20 sports combined. LSU women’sgymnastics and baseball wonnational championshipsin2024and 2025, respectively,but combined will receive less than 5% of the money that LSU is paying players this year according to the university’s figures

Secret records

So just how much will LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier be paid? Or women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson?

The Times-Picayune |The Advocate requested athlete payroll information from LSU, Southern and the nine public schools in the University of Louisiana system. Five schools —Grambling State,Nicholls State, Southeastern, Southernand the University of New Orleans —said they have no payment agreement in place with any athlete.

Louisiana Tech University Athletic Director Ryan Ivey said his department has committed $1.6 million in “total enhanced benefits” for its athletes. He declined to sayhow much of that money is being paid in direct compensation, however Louisiana-Monroewas the only university that shared its athlete payroll, which showed $34,200 for three softball players and $90,728 for 17 football players, including one making $20,000. The names of each athlete were redacted.

The remaining universities across Louisiana, including LSU, have not agreed to release detailed information about their payments to athletes and the terms of those agreements.

LSU has only said that it will pay players the maximum amountallowed, $20.5 million, or alittleless than 10% of its athletic budget. The payroll includes $2.5 million for scholarship increases and $18 millionin salaries.

‘Noone’willhandover

No state lawshave been written to cover disclosure of these records, specifically.But in Louisiana and in other states, college sports powerhouses have guarded them from the public and their competitors, blocking

told TheAdvocate in June that LSU will allocate 75% of salariestofootball, or $13.5 million

Like other major programs,LSU relies on software that’salso usedby professional teams to createteam budgets, factoring in the value of each position That meansfor most teams, premium positions like quarterback or pass rusher are likely to get paid out first —reportedly as high as seven figures.

ESPN in August published asurvey of more than20 college general managers and player agents and found that startingquarterbacks

of Power 4schoolsgenerally makebetween $1.5 million and $2 million, though elite ones can makemore. That would likely place Nussmeier amongthe highest-paid recipients of apublic salary in Louisiana.

LSUfootballcoach Brian Kelly’ssalary, which is a public record, is more than $10 million ayear,which does not include bonuses.

LSU said it will allocate 15% of its salaries to men’s basketball, or $2.7 million; 5% to women’sbasketball, or $900,000; and 5% to its 18 remaining sports.

Shielded in otherstates

In declining to release revenue-sharing figures, three universities —LSU, UL-Lafayette andNorthwestern State —claimed that federal student privacy protectionsexemptedthem from disclosure.

Attorneys for the schools also cited a2021 law that exempts disclosure of an athlete’s“contract for compensation,” though that law was written to cover endorsementdeals, not salaries.

LSU rivals in the Southeastern Conference including the University of Alabama, the University of Florida, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and the University of South Carolina have rejected requests to turn their payroll records to news organizations or other requestors, according to news accounts in

those states. Those denials also cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, according to news reports. Lawsuits challenging the denials have already been filed in South Carolina and New Mexico “The public hasa substantial interest in UNM’sagreements with student-athletes, and with the content of other records related to the House settlement,” theNew Mexico Foundation for Open Government wrote in its lawsuit last monthagainst theUniversity of New Mexico. “The agreements involve the expenditure of millions of dollars of public money and student fees, and the public should know the details of these agreements.” As for Tulane,because it’s aprivate school,it’snot subject to thestate’spublic records laws.Its sports teams compete in the so-called Group of Five, astep down from the NCAA’s four elite conferences. That likely meansTulane’s top athletes are paid less, though the university in May announced it was bolstering its in-house department that helps athletes obtain endorsement deals, fueled by a $3.5 milliongift. Asked how muchTulane plans to pay athletes this year,anathleticsspokesperson declined to discuss specifics. Staff writer Wilson Alexandercontributed reporting.

attempts by newsorganizations and other groups to obtain themthrough open records requests.

There are obvious incentives for universities to shieldpayroll information, said Noah Henderson, Director of the Sport Management Program at Loyola University Chicago.

For one, it’sseen by athletic directors of major programs as atrade secret

Collegesports rosters are constructed around complicated, occasionally proprietary,algorithms thatdetermine aplayer’svalue, Henderson said. Revealing the dollar amountsthat athletic departmentsare actually assigning to players could give away that edge, he said.

“I don’tthink you’re going to have any school handover those documents unlessa judge has ordered themto,” Henderson said. “This is something that no one will willingly handover.”

Steven Procopio, president of theLouisiana Public Af-

fairs Research Council, said the state’suniversitiesare treating athletes differently than allother universityemployees, whose compensation recordsare subject to public records laws.

Procopio noted, though, that athletic departments largely draw from ticket sales and media rights,rather than direct taxpayer contributions

“Bringing in star athletes helps bring in morerevenue, so it is understandable they don’twant to jeopardize that and lose their competitive edge,” Procopio said. “At thesame time, these universities are public entities, and theyhave an obligation to be as transparent as possible about howthey operate, especially when compensation is involved.”

Seven-figure players

Even if LSU isn’tentirely willing to share,there are someclues as to how it’s doling out the money An athletics administrator

supply chain.” The federal government had been expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to keep it out of the United States.

“There’s so many dynamics and so many scenarios that equate to financial loss and hardship,” Buenger said. “I think folks politicians anyway — are going to be a little surprised at the economic impact of this.” What is a screwworm?

Screwworm is the parasitic larva of the screwworm fly and is a type of blowfly Think the metallic, oil-slickcolored flies that bother picnicking families.

There are two types of screwworms: Old World and New World.

The Old World screwworm larvae dine on the decaying and dead flesh of warm-blooded animals and are generally considered unimportant.

New World screwworm, or NWS, on the other hand, feeds on the flesh of living warm-blooded animals.

The flies lay up to 3,000 eggs throughout their twoto-three-week life on the outside of open wounds and mucous membranes of animals, Buenger said. The larvae then burrow into the flesh and feed before turning into pupae, dropping to the ground to mature and start the cycle again.

If the animal — cattle in Buenger’s case — goes untreated, the results can be fatal.

“Quite often, they will kill the animal. In fact, that’s almost always the result, depending on where the wound is,” he said.

New World screwworm once was a problem in the U.S but was eradicated in the mid-1960s, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture documents. Using a technique discovered in the early 1950s, sterile male flies were produced to breed with female flies using dispersal facilities that the U.S. used to have in places like Texas and Florida. Those facilities closed after the threat subsided.

The U.S. and Mexico collaborated to push the NWS south into Panama, where it remained until 2023, according to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain. So far in Mexico, over 7,000 New World screwworm cases have been reported, Strain said. The closest case was an infected cow found in late September in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, with San Antonio the closest major American city Before that, cases were discovered in Mexico City

The flies can travel up to

12 miles a day without wind, but Buenger believes the New World screwworm will likely enter the U.S. via a trailer, illegal movement of animals or through wildlife.

The increasing threat has led USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to close the border to imports of livestock and beef from Mexico. The initial closure began in July but was lifted several times before ultimately closing again. The border remains closed to imports. Mexican Agricultural Minister Julio Berdegue is set to meet with Rollins this week to discuss reopening the border to Mexican cattle, according to Reuters reports.

Impacts on industry

The impacts on Texas and, by extension, Louisiana’s cattle industry could be significant if left unchecked.

In Texas alone, the largest cattle-producing state in the U.S., a 1976 outbreak of New World screwworm cost the 2024 equivalent of $1.8 billion in total economic loss, with $732 million of that hitting producers in a single year That is more than the entirety of Louisiana’s $640 million cattle industry, according to 2023 LSU Ag Center data.

The eradication of NWS is believed to have benefited producers by an estimated $796 million annually and $2.8 billion toward the broader economy, according to USDA documents.

Border closures have already affected Texas cattle ranchers, who rely on livestock from Mexico The impact is also being felt in Louisiana.

Beyond cattle and livestock, if the screwworms were to enter Texas and Louisiana, local deer populations would be devastated, with around 80% to 90% of the population under threat of being killed, Strain said.

That would have a huge impact on a state known as Sportsman’s Paradise and on an industry that contributes more than a billion dollars to the local economy, said the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Assistant State Wildlife Veterinarian Rusty Berry

“It’s a really big deal, and we’re going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to keep this pest below our borders,” Strain said.

What is the U.S. doing?

Experts acknowledge that keeping the border closed will likely only slow the northward spread of the screwworm

The next step is what worked to eradicate flies in the U.S. in the 1960s: sterile fly facilities, said Christine Navarre, an extension veterinarian and LSU AgCenter professor in the School of Animal Sciences.

The USDA, in a joint effort with Mexico, is investing nearly $30 million to renovate a sterile fly facility in Chiapas state, according to New York Times reports.

The agency is also investing $750 million in a screwworm protection facility in Texas, according to Texas Gov Greg Abbott.

The plant in Mexico aims to be ready by July and would double the number of sterile flies Mexico can release into the wild, according to Reuters. The Texas facility is years away from being built, Buenger said.

“We have no defense with flies yet, other than ones we can fly up from Panama,” he said.

Currently, the only sterile fly-producing facility is in Panama, but it can only produce about 20 million a day Strain said. The U.S. is hoping for something on the scale of hundreds of millions a week.

A technician spreads sterilized screwworm flies for release as part of the Mexican government’s fight to stop the spread of the New World screwworm which poses a threat to livestock and led the U.S. to stop livestock imports from Mexico, in Metapa de Domínguez, Mexico, on Oct. 17.

There are precautionary steps and protections that ranchers and the state can take.

For one, ranchers should consistently be on the lookout for wounds in their herd. When wounds are noticed, they should be treated immediately. If screwworms are found near the wound, ivermectin or Dectomax injectables can be used to kill off parasites.

It’s something Lee Robbins, an Angus beef seed cattle rancher near Unionville in north Louisiana, has been on top of, taking time to look over his herd.

“We’ve just been a little more vigilant over the past few months after seeing the reports, as it gets closer and closer to the southern border Is it a major concern, immediately? No. Longer term? Yes,” Robbins said.

A ranch hand sprays for fly control at a ranch that supplies livestock for export to the U.S., in Zamora, northern Mexico, on July 29 while the U.S. border is closed to Mexican cattle imports over screwworm concerns.

Robbins said the New World screwworm hasn’t entered much of his conversation with Louisiana ranchers, but some of the Texas Panhandle ranchers he knows are starting to mention it. “Once it hits that borderline, it’s going to change,” Robbins said.

Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

Local support. Local impact.

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June Lockhart dies at 100

Actor beloved as mother figure from ‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost In Space’

BY BOB THOMAS and BETH HARRIS Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — June Lock-

hart, who became a mother figure for a generation of television viewers whether at home in “Lassie” or up in the stratosphere in “Lost in Space,” has died. She was 100. Lockhart died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, family spokesman Lyle Gregory, a friend of 40 years, said Saturday “She was very happy up until the very end, reading The New York Times and LA Times everyday,” he said. “It was very important to her to stay focused on the news of the day.”

The daughter of prolific character actor Gene Lockhart, Lockhart was cast frequently in ingenue roles as a young film actor Television made her a star

From 1958 to 1964, she portrayed Ruth Martin, who raised the orphaned Timmy (Jon Provost), in the popular CBS series “Lassie.” From 1965 to 1968, she traveled aboard the spaceship Jupiter II as mother to the Robinson family in the campy CBS adventure “Lost in Space.”

Her portrayals of warm, compassionate mothers endeared her to young viewers, and decades later baby boomers flocked to nostalgia conventions to meet Lockhart and buy her autographed photos.

Off-screen, Lockhart insisted, she was nothing like the women she portrayed.

“I must quote Dan Rather,” she said in a 1994 interview.

“I can control my reputation, but not my image, because my image is how you see me

“I love rock ‘n’ roll and go-

on Nov. 2, 2003, at CBS’ 75th anniversary celebration in New york. Lockhart died Thursday at age 100.

ing to the concerts. I have driven Army tanks and flown in hot air balloons. And I go plane-gliding the ones with no motors. I do a lot of things that don’t go with my image.”

Early in her career, Lockhart appeared in numerous films. Among them: “All This, and Heaven Too,” “Adam Had Four Sons,” “Sergeant York,” “Miss Annie Rooney,”

“Forever and a Day” and “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

She also made “Son of Lassie,” the 1945 sequel to “Lassie, Come Home,” playing the grown-up version of the role created by Elizabeth Taylor

New life on television

When her movie career as an adult faltered, Lockhart shifted to television, appearing in live drama from New York and game and talk shows. She was the third actor to play the female lead in “Lassie” on TV, following Jan Clayton and Cloris Leachman. (Provost had replaced the show’s original child star Tommy Rettig, in 1957.)

Lockhart spoke frankly about her canine co-star: “I worked with four Lassies. There was only one main Lassie at a time. Then there was a dog that did the running, a dog that did the

fighting, and a dog that was a stand-in, because only humans can work 14 hours a day without needing a nap.

“Lassie was not especially friendly with anybody Lassie was wholly concentrated on the trainers.”

After six years in the rural setting of “Lassie,” Lockhart moved to outer space, embarking on the role of Maureen Robinson, the wise, reassuring mother of a family that departs on a five-year flight to a faraway planet in “Lost in Space.”

After their mission is sabotaged by a fellow passenger, the nefarious Dr Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), the party bounces from planet to planet, encountering weird creatures and near-disasters that required viewers to tune in the following week to learn of the escape. Throughout the three-year run, Mrs. Robinson offered consolation and a slice of her “space pie.”

As with “Lassie,” Lockhart enjoyed working on “Lost in Space”: “It was like going to work at Disneyland every day.”

“So smart, quick, and funny — she filled her 100 years with curiosity, laughter, and rock ’n’ roll,” Angela Cartwright, who played her daughter on “Lost in Space”

posted on Facebook. “I can only imagine she’s feeling right at home as she steps off this planet and into the stars.”

Bill Mumy, who played her son in the film, posted on social media: “A one of a kind, talented, nurturing, adventurous, and non compromising Lady She did it her way June will always be one of my very favorite moms.”

In 1968, Lockhart joined the cast of “Petticoat Junction” for the rural comedy’s last two seasons, playing Dr Janet Craig.

A little bit of everything

Lockhart remained active long after “Lost in Space,” appearing often in episodic television as well as in recurring roles in the daytime soap opera “General Hospital” and nighttime soaps, “Knots Landing” and “The Colbys.”

Her film credits included “The Remake” and the animated “Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm,” for which she provided the voice for Mindy the Owl.

She also used her own media pass to attend presidential news conferences, narrated beauty pageants and holiday parades, and toured in the plays “Steel Magnolias,” “Bedroom Farce” and “Once More with Feeling.”

“Her true passion was journalism,” Gregory said. “She loved going to the White House briefing rooms.”

Lockhart liked to tell the story of how her parents met, saying they were hired separately for a touring production sponsored by inventor Thomas A. Edison and decided on marriage during a stop at Lake Louise, Alberta.

Their daughter was born June 25, 1925, in New York City The family moved to Hollywood 10 years later, and Gene Lockhart worked steadily as a character actor, usually in avuncular roles, sometimes as a villain. His wife, Kathleen, often appeared with him.

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN, DAVID RISING and EILEEN NG Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

President Donald Trump plans to burnish his reputation as an international dealmaker on Sunday by solidifying a trade agreement with Malaysia and overseeing the signing of an expanded ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, two nations that skirmished along their disputed border earlier this year

The two accords could be finalized while Trump attends the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is being hosted in Kuala Lumpur It’s the first stop of a three-country swing across the continent, with visits to Japan and South Korea and a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Republican president is scheduled to touch down in Kuala Lumpur around 10 a.m. local time and will attend a ceremony marking the agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, which he said he had been proud to broker.

Trump had threatened to withhold trade agreements from the two countries after five days of combat in July that killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Cambodia and Thailand have competing territorial claims, and violence periodically flares along their border

Trump’s display of economic leverage has been credited with spurring negotiations. A shaky truce has persisted since then.

“The fact that Trump was holding the tariff card was actually very, very

significant,” said Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh’s Future Forum think tank. “That’s probably the main reason, if not the only reason, but definitely the main reason why the two sides agreed immediately to the ceasefire.”

Now, he said, “there’s a ceremony for Trump to be in front of cameras” so he can be “seen as the champion that brings an end to wars and conflicts,” giving him ”more ammunition for his bid for Nobel Peace Prize.”

Trump has explicitly campaigned for the honor, continuously adding to a list of conflicts that he either helped resolve or claims to have ended. Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters on Saturday that the “joint declaration” to be signed on Sunday will state that Thailand and Cambodia “are committed to renew their relations.”

He also said there has been an agreement to address Thai concerns about land mines and heavy artillery along the border, as well as other issues.

“It’s not an end in itself,” Nikorndej said. “Work has just begun.” On Sunday, Trump has plans to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who played a key role in the ceasefire. He also planned to join regional leaders for dinner — though he has said he does not plan to meet with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney Trump is angry with Canada because of a television ad protesting his tariffs, and on his way to the summit, announced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada because of it.

EDUCATION

Data is keytosolving absenteeism, leader says

canhelpwithearly intervention

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Sharon Latten Clark, aschool

leaderand Louisiana state board of education member,understands better than most how crucial attendance is to student success.

ANew Orleans native with30 years of teaching and administrative experience, Clarkworked at schools in Houston and Phoenix before returning home in 2002 to become director of Sophie B. Wright High School, awellregardedcharter school inNew Orleans.

Since then, she’sserved on a state task force aimed at improving student attendance and was elected to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last year.She also heads anew truancy work group, which the Legislature formed last spring to study chronic absenteeism and provide policy recommendations to lawmakers, including whether to tie school funding to daily attendance rates. The group held its firstmeeting in Baton Rouge last week. The group has its workcut out for it: Even as other states saw their chronic absenteeism rates decline after the pandemic, Louisiana is one of ahandful still struggling to get children back into the classroom. The number of students regularly missing school rose between 2022and 2024, before falling slightlylast year Clark said the first step in boosting attendance is for schools to consistently track how many days

students miss so that they can intervene early on.But one road block, Clark said,isthat different schools measure chronic absenteeism differently,making it difficult to studystatewide trends.

”Wewant to makesure we’re usingthe samecollection methods across thestate,”she said.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What didyou takeawayfrom the recent truancy task force meeting?

It was an eye-opener.Itwas very interesting to sit with people whobring other perspectives —a community perspective, alegislative perspective, (the Louisiana Department ofEducation) perspective —and talk about what we canall bring to the table to solve this for the state.

Oneconcern Ihave is every district is using adifferent standard for data collection.Some districts say astudentis chronically absent after 10 missed days, others say five. That makes it moredifficultfor data collection.

Can you explain thedifference between absenteeismand truancy?

Truancy is when astudent has unexcused absences. According to state statute, achild is considered chronically truant at five unexcusedabsences.Chronic absenteeism is when astudent is out of school for anyreason, whether it’sanexcused absence or not

What is therole of the courts in tackling absenteeism, andwhat are ways to avoid getting families engagedinthe criminal justicesystem?

Courts are alast-ditch effort to involve the families of students who have become chronically absent, butwealso need their support. State statutelists con-

sequences for parentswho don’t follow thecourt’srules.

When Italk to our FINS (Families in Need of Services, acourt program meanttokeep children out of the juvenile justice system) officer in New Orleans, he tells me they reach out toparentsover and over but they don’thear back. So after we try to contact those parentsand go to their houses several times, we issue asummonsbecause there’snocollaboration withthe parent

Iknow LouisianaChief Justice John Weimer is asking for additional funds for FINS so that we have moreprevention options before it getstothat point

What does Sophie B.WrightHigh School do to address absenteeism?

Even though the district tells us to report studentstoFINS at 15 days absent,wesubmitted over 40 cases at five days or more, because at 15, those studentsare gone, and it’s hard to get them back. ButFINS didn’thave the capacitytoget to all of those cases. There was abacklog, and there were some issues.

At theschool level, we’re making sure parents are being contacted at three days missed. We explain to them the impact of their student being absent, and if thingsdon’timprove from there, Irefer the family to FINS. If they opt out or the situation still doesn’timprove, thefamily will get asummons.

I’m in theprocess of hiring an attendance coordinator at my school once we’ve put somestatewide initiatives and best practices into place. Iwant to be amodel to other schools, and Iwant to makesure Ihave research-based

practices that Ican bring back to DOE and to these committees and say,‘This doesn’twork. This does work —weshould look at this platform somemore.’ Things like that.

Does your schooluse anyincentivesto getkids into the classroom?

This year,we’re implementing aperfect attendance award every month. The kids whoget the award get areward, like abook or ashirt,and we have aquarterly attendance award where we takethe kids somewhere of their choosing. We also send out letters to parents recognizing them and thanking them formaking sure their kids are going to school, just to let them know we appreciate their efforts.

What supportcan schools provide students to address the root causes of absenteeism? Is there enough funding forthat?

Ithink there are someissues with funding, but you have to ask what your priorities are. We make sure we have uniforms we can give to students whoneed them, and we ask our distributors to give us acertain number of free uniforms as acontribution, since we’re using them as avendor Ikeep stuff that students might need, like deodorant and snacks, and schools can do mealsafter school if it’sabout kids being hungry

What are your thoughts on tying school funding to attendance rates?

I’mnot forthat. If we’re struggling with the funds we have now to implement programstomake sure children are there, if you take those funds away,we’ll be at adeficit.

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Shutdown ‘addinganother layerofstress’ to residents

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —AsDemocrats and Republicans continue to jockey over thefederal government’s shutdown with no end in sight, a key question is how to compensate active-duty military and federal civilian employees who have been required to work without pay for the past three weeks.

Americans are starting to feel the effects of the government not operating since Oct. 1. Foodstamps won’tbeavailable in Louisiana starting Nov.1,although Gov.Jeff Landry and the Legislature are working to offset that.Farmers and small businesses can’tget loans. Flights are being delayed and some canceled. Thousands of Louisiana federal workers won’treceive paychecks

In Louisiana, that means 15,235 active-duty military personnel at three major bases won’tget paid at the end of the week, reports the Defense Department.

About 1.1 million active-duty service memberswere stationed at 326 bases across the country in June.

Many of the 19,537 civilian federal workers in Louisiana also didn’treceive paychecksFriday They include federal law enforcement, park rangers, immigration officials, Transportation Security Administration agents, FEMA responders and air trafficcontrollers.

And 19,715 National Guard and reserve members in Louisiana receive at least part of theirpay from the federal government.

The Senate voted 54-45not to proceed on Thursday afternoon with abill that would authorize the federal government to pay “essential” workers who have been onthe job during the shutdown, now entering its fourth week. Three Democratic senatorsjoinedthe Republicans on the pay measure, but60votes were neededtoadvance the legislation.

“This is wrong,” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-BatonRouge,saidmomentsafter thevote. “Ifyou can’t bring yourself to cross party lines to ensure our troops geta paycheck, you should reconsider why you ran for Congress.”

Cassidy is aco-sponsor of theRepublican bill.

The main sponsor of the legislation, U.S. Sen.Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told reporters moments after the

Bill Cassidynominates

Trump for Nobel Prize

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, introduced aresolution last week to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for “Operation Warp Speed,” the federal efforttodevelop aCOVID vaccine during Trump’s first term in office.

“President Trump’sdecisive action in Operation Warp Speednot only saved millions of lives but brought the American economy backtolife. When Americans needed avaccine in record time to stop aonce-in-a-generation pandemic, President Trump delivered,” Cassidy said in anews

Transportation SecretarySean Duffy,left, and Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, walk through StatuaryHall at the Capitol on ThursdayinWashington, D.C.

vote that he would try again.

Thebill was the latest Republican strategy to breakthe stalemate.

But Democratic senators also forwarded abill that would have paid all federal workers since Oct. 1, when disputes between the parties caused federal spending authority to lapse

Federal employees who are not required towork were furloughed and willget paidfor their time away from theoffice after theshutdown ends

The lead sponsors of the two bills said they could work out the differences between whetherto pay all employees or just those who have been working during the shutdown. But they could notfind accommodationfor the difference on whether theTrump administration would be allowed to reduce the federal workforce during the shutdown.

The Democratic measurewas sidelined bya procedural maneuver Exactly when the paychecks will be skippeddependsonthe payroll processing system of aparticular agency.The first full missed paycheck forsome civilian employees was Friday and will be Tuesday or

release. “The Nobel Prizehas been given for alot less. He should receive the next one!”

Cassidy is chair of theSenate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. His resolution is also sponsoredby John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming and the Senate Majority Whip.

The Warp Speedproject, launched as COVID-19 killed thousands ofpeople aday and forced muchofthe country to shut down, providedgrants to companies developing vaccines andcleared regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles to rapidly distribute the shots. Cassidy,who is adoctor,isa strong supporterofvaccines. That hasperiodically put him in ten-

Thursday for others.

The Military Family Advisory Networkreportedthat morethan 50,000 military familieshave reachedout forhelp. The organizationrecommended thatfamilies reviewoptions forfinancialassistance and alerted members that grocery boxesare being shipped this week.

Louisiana has5,615 active-duty spousesand 10,226 childrenat Barksdale Air Force Base near BossierCity,Fort James H. Polk & The Joint ReadinessTraining Center in VernonParishand theBelle Chasse Naval AirStation near New Orleans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton,saidThursdaythe Trump administration hasbeen looking for pots of money andlawsthat would allow diversion of those funds.

For instance, theWhite House used a1930s law to allow tariff proceedstoprovide funding for aprogramthat helps low-income mothers andmothers-to-be with formula and other essentials for newborns.

Thelastvote theHouse made was Sept. 19. After that, Johnson sentmembers home, saying the Housedid itsjob by passing a

sionwith Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’sSecretaryofHealth and Human Services and aprominent vaccine skeptic.

Cassidy,who is running for reelection next year in acrowded Republican primary, has been emphasizing his ties to Trump. His GOPcriticshave criticized him for his vote to convict Trump on his impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at theU.S. Capitol.

Nungesser criticizes open primaries in op-ed

Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser issued an op-ed this week criticizing Louisiana’srecent change to closed party primaries.

Lastyear,the LouisianaLegislature changed the way races are run for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, stateSupremeCourt, Public Ser-

resolutiontocontinuegovernment operations while finishing up appropriations measures for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. Senate Democrats have rejected the continuing resolution at least adozen times.

Johnsonsays there’snothing to negotiate withDemocrats because the continuing resolution has no partisanlanguage and merely allows government to operate at budget levelsestablished during the Bidenadministration If five more Democratic senators would approvethe continuing resolution, then everyonewould get paid and money would flowfor governmentservices, such as food stamps, Johnson said.

He contends Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., is holding up approval as asop to aDemocratic base that wants to fight PresidentDonaldTrump. Democrats want Republicans to extendtax creditsonpremiums used by low-incomeindividuals and many small businesses to buy health insurance on the Affordable Care marketplace. Unlessthe tax creditsare extended, those workers will have to pay roughly double for their insurancecoveragein 2026.

vice Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Democratssay theshutdown gives them leveragethatwon’t exist when the government reopens, claiming they don’ttrust Republicans to then negotiateingoodfaith. Republicans counter that the credits were expanded and set to expire Dec. 31 during the COVID pandemic when Democrats controlledCongress andthe White House.

While many Republicansdon’t oppose theextension, theyargue that the high premium prices, which the taxcredits help offset, are aresult of the Affordable Care Act —and those high costs should be addressed Democratic Sen. Patty Murray fromWashington state, who is vice chaironthe Senate Appropriations committee,said: “President Trumpcould not be less focused on reopening the government or preventing premiumsfrom exploding. But he is very focused on bailing outArgentina and buying privatejetsfor Secretary(Kristi) Noem, andbulldozing theWhite House so he can build afancy new ballroom.”

Trumphas indicated that he is willing to negotiate, but not until thefederal governmentreopens He left Fridaynight foratripto Asia.

In the meantime, airports are reporting longer waits to clear security,takeoff delays and canceled flights.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, often six days aweek, according to TransportationSecretarySean Duffy.Theyare worried about payingtheirmortgages andcar notes.

“They have to make choices. And the choices they are making is to take asecond job,” Duffy said Thursday.“Idon’twantthemdrivingfor DoorDash.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said keeping thousands of planes safely taking off, landing and flying is extremely demandingeven underthe best of circumstances.

“Adding another layer of stress to an alreadystressful job is really straining thesystem,” Scalise said. “The American people, especially federal workers, are considered by Democrats to be leveraged, to be pawns in theirgame.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Louisiana previously had “jungle primaries,” in which all candidates, regardless of party affiliation,ran together in one primary election. Now in those races, Republican and Democratic candidates will first compete in primaries to decide who will represent their parties in thegeneral election.

In an op-ed that ran in Friday’s edition of The Advocate |The Times-Picayune, Nungesser argued open primaries reduce the role of partisanship in elections.

“When elected officials aren’t catering to asmallgroup of party voters in closed primaries, they

can focus on solving problems affecting everyone,” Nungesser wrote. “We’re farfrom perfect, but by manymeasures, Louisiana punches above its weight. Our election system is abig reason why.”

Nungesser,aRepublican, also argued that the open primaries were good forhis party

“Webuilt Louisiana’smodern Republican Party under the open primary system.Itworked because it forced us to talk to everybody,not just people wearing the samejersey,” Nungesser wrote. He continued: “The reason conservatives have astrong majority today is because we had to campaign across every parish, every community and every kitchen table. The open system madeus better candidates, better leaders and ultimately madeLouisiana stronger.”

THE GULF COAST

Beloved Waveland eatery reopens 20 years

‘Rickey’s is our Hubig’s pie’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

An hour after doors opened last Thursday, nearly every table at chef Rickey Peters’ revived restaurant in Waveland, Mississippi, was filled with locals and plates piled high with fried artichokes, ciabatta sandwiches and barbecue shrimp.

It had been a week since the return of Rickey’s on Coleman, but it seemed as if it had never closed.

Mayor Jay Trapani sat at a corner table and ate lunch with his family Peters occasionally stepped out of the kitchen to greet old friends, exchanging handshakes and brief remarks, while servers took orders in soft Southern drawls.

The popular restaurant served New Orleans fare for nearly six years until Hurricane Katrina dismantled it in 2005. But locals never forgot the classic dishes made by Peters, a Chalmette native trained by famed chef Paul Prudhomme.

The crowds filing into the lone restaurant on Coleman Avenue made that clear, packing the original spot for fried trout with shrimp, crawfish and crabmeat tossed in cream sauce and seafood pasta with tasso and andouille sausage.

“They’ve been waiting for it. They really missed him. (Peters) was such a staple here before Katrina and after Katrina,” said Scott Sutherland, a co-owner of Rickey’s.

Peters has revived the restaurant before, reopening six months after the storm in Bay St. Louis, where it ran for nine years before closing as he battled severe

ed cheese over crabmeat dressing on toasted ciabatta bread.

Lunch entrees include fresh salads and

burnout. Years later, he tried again with a rebranded version, Rickey’s Off the Track, which also eventually closed.

But the idea to reopen in 2025 began taking shape last year, when Thomas Genin, a restaurateur in Bay St. Louis, who once owned the building housing Rickey’s before selling it in September, asked Peters if he wanted to bring the restaurant back. His response? “Hell yeah.”

Resurgence on Coleman

Since then, its opening date has been highly anticipated. Sutherland compared the excitement to the comeback of Hubig’s Pies bakery — the maker of New Orleans’ iconic sugar-glazed hand pies that was destroyed in a fire playfully adding, Rickey is our Hubig’s pie.”

The restaurant launched the week of Cruisin’ the Coast, an annual classic car show along the Mississippi Coast that drew in thousands this year and hundreds into the restaurant on its first few days Peters said Coleman Avenue “looked like Mardi Gras on Canal Street,” nod-

ding to another New Orleans tradition.

The return of Rickey’s marks the rebirth of a local staple but also foreshadows the resurgence of a small coastal city, and a street that never fully healed after the storm. Before Katrina, Coleman Avenue was lined with three restaurants, two bars, condos, a convenience store and other neighborhood fixtures.

Then it became a ghost town: grassy lots, crumbling foundations, prolonged stillness. In recent years, though, developers have begun breathing life back into what was once the heart of Waveland with a Katrina museum, a bakery and now, Rickey’s.

Serving up N.O. dishes Rickey’s is an ode to what it was before the storm.

Near the entrance is a wall covered in photographs and old newspaper features about the restaurant Like its former location, the interior is decorated with nautical touches manila rope wrapped around columns and tarpon replicas mounted on the wall.

The menu resurrects beloved dishes, including veal Parmigiana and trout treasures, and Peters’ dedication to quality remains un-

changed.

There are a handful of appetizers, including one named the crabby cheese crostini, with layers of melt-

Bill to delayelectionadvances

Lawmakersawait SupremeCourt ruling on maps

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The Louisiana Senate on Saturday morning swiftly passed Republicanbills to push back the April primary elections by a month, keeping the plan on track forthe House to pass it by the middle of the following week.

Amtrak’s Gulf Coast service shatters projections

Route’sridership hits 30,000

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

When Amtrak’sMardi Gras service launchedthissummer,every seat was booked. Nearly three months later,the demand shows no signs of slowing down, with tourists andcommuters alike opting totravel the Gulf Coast by train instead of car

The route carried nearly 19,000 passengers frommid-Augusttothe end of September —a daily average of 109 passengers, according to Knox Ross, the chairmanofthe SouthernRailCommission.Asof Thursday,that total has climbed to almost 30,000.

The figure is more than double Amtrak’soriginal estimatefor ridership, despite the line debuting during the company’sslower months, Ross said. The projection for the entire firstyear of service was 71,000 passengers.

Trains run twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, stopping in the Mississippi cities of Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, with one-way fares starting at $15

The service revives theGulfCoast Limited, aroute that began in1996 but was discontinued within nine months due to funding issues among thestates and limitedservice, with only one train running perday.Restoring the line cost $278 million and decades of workfrom political leaders and civic boosters who argued the importance of reconnecting the Gulf Coast cities.

Trains on the Gulf Coast Limited were 75% full on somedays, according to reports at the time. On the new Mardi Gras service, Rosssaid, ridership averagesabout 90%.

The route’searly success, after years of delays and skepticism about whether it would draw enough passengers, has made some advocates for regional train travel hopeful that it could strengthen the case for other lines.

Restoring the passenger rail service betweenNew Orleans and Baton Rouge, which stalled due to gaps in state funding, may now have a stronger footing, according toMichael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. Hecht saidhe is “both excited and confident” that the Gulf Coast route’ssuccess willsupport the case for aservicebetween the two Louisiana cities.

“Of particular interestisthat much of the Mardi Gras (service) usage is business travel; it is not just for leisure,” Hecht said. Still, restoring thatlinewould require more funding and support from Gov.Jeff Landry.While the NewOrleans-Baton Rouge rail was apriority for former Gov. John Bel Edwards, who dedicated $20.5 million to the project inhis final days of office,Landry has said that while he’snot opposed to the service, he wouldrather put state dollars toward widening Interstate 10.

Butonthe thirdday of aspecial session, Democrats continued to criticize the legislation, arguing it would cause voter confusion and potentially get thestate in legal trouble.

Republicans say the change will help give the state more time to respond to apotentialruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on achallenge to the state’scongressional voting map

“You’rechanging rulesinthe middle of the game,” Jenkins said.

“I’d like to see Brian Kelly do that today for LSU,” he added, referencing afootballgame scheduled forthatevening in Baton Rouge.

“The midterm election processis already underway,” saidSen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, referring to the fact that thewindowhas already opened tocollect signatures to qualify by nominatingpetition for 2026 congressional races.

Jenkins also argued that pushing back theelection dates this close to the election was unconstitutional andinterferes with the “Purcell principle,” aSupremeCourt precedent that cautionsgovernments againstmakingchanges tooclose to an election date.

“Every page of this bill is asking us to ignore dozens of established election laws,” he said.

Bill sponsor Sen. CalebKleinpeter,R-Port Allen, disputed the idea that the planwould underminevoting rights.

He noted theLegislature is not moving the elections forward, but pushing them back,which adds moretimetothe election process.

“This bill does not violate any people’srights,” he said. “Wemove elections all the time.”

TheLegislature couldbeworkingondrawing anew congressional map, Kleinpeter said, but

“that’snot what we’re here doing.” Instead, he said, lawmakers are simply waiting for aruling and

Feeling thegroove

Calcasieudeputyterminated,

Manaccused

BYCOURTNEYPEDERSEN Staff writer

A26-year-oldCalcasieu Parish

Sheriff’s Office deputy has been terminated, arrested and booked on counts of malfeasance in officeand injuring public records afterallegedlyfailing to turn in evidence. In September, detectivesfrom the Sheriff’sOffice began to in-

vestigatetheft of acreditcard and funds at aLake Charles business, according to anews release. DetectiveslearnedthatDeputy LilPaul Williams Jr., of Lake Charles,had responded and collected the initial information and evidence for the case to turn over to detectives. Further investigation uncovered that Williams intentionally left the suspect’sinformation out of thecase due to having previously known theindividual, the release states. Detectivesalso learned Williams failed to turn in evidence submittedbybusiness

personnel that pertained to the theft. An investigation was conducted by the Sheriff’s Office’sInternal Affairs. On Thursday,Williamswas terminatedbySheriffGary“Stitch” Guillory,awarrant was issued forhis arrest,hewas arrested and booked intothe Calcasieu Correctional Center Williams faces chargesofmalfeasance in office andinjuring public records. His bailwas set at $175,000. Williams had been with the Sheriff’s Office for about two

ABOVE: Participantsshow offtheir newlylearned Cajun dance steps while JessieLege &the BayouAcres play at the main stageSaturday during theBlackpot Festival &Cookoff at Vermillionville LEFT: Richard Boudreaux servesgumbo to hungry festivalgoers.

months and working as apatrol deputy “When Iwas elected sheriff, I took an oath to uphold the law,and that is exactly what I’ll do, even whenitinvolves one of our own deputies,” Guillory said. “Like Ihavesaidbefore, ourdeputies areheldtoahigherstandard, and they will be held accountable for their actions. No one is above the law,including those who wear a badge.”

Email Courtney Pedersen at courtney.pedersen@ theadvocate.com.

Former ownerofClegg’s Nurserydiesat82

Marshall Clegg helped to expand hisfamily’s business

BY ELLYN COUVILLION

Staff writer

Marshall Clegg, the former owner of Clegg’sNursery who expanded the business founded by his parents, died Oct. 21 at 82.

“It is with ah eavy heart that we share” his passing, the company said in an online post last week.

Clegg was the son of Sam andEffie Clegg, who started their business by selling plants from the back of their truck on abare lot at 4411 Florida Blvd., his family said in astatement.

ELECTION

Continued from page1B

more direction from the Supreme Court. Theplan,whichconsists of Senate bills 1and 2 passedonparty-line votes. Should it pass the Legislature as expected, elections for closed party primaries for major races like U.S. House and Senate as well as some municipal primary

The nursery business grewover the years and moved in 1968 to North Donmoor Avenue, one of thebusiness’sfour current locations.

In 1981,Clegg purchased the business from hisparents and went on toexpand it. He addeda Siegen Lane location in 1982, and aGreenwellSprings Road store in 1983, thecompany said. In 1991, Clegg launched aseparate business, CNI Wholesale Nursery, now operated byhis son, Bryon, offering local landscape contractors asource for plantsand supplies.

In 1999, Clegg sold Clegg’s Nurserytotwo managers, TomFennelland Scott Ricca, who had been with him since 1983, the companysaid Afourthlocation of Clegg’sNursery opened in 2000 on La. 16 in Denham Springs.

“Retirement allowed him to spend more time

races that are set forApril 18 would beheld on May 16 instead.

Five proposed constitutional amendmentswould also appear on the May 16 ballot. And therewouldbeasubsequent June 27 election for municipal general races and, if needed, arunoff for the closedparty primary contests.

Qualifying would happen Feb. 11-13ratherthanin mid-January

enjoying his favorite pastimes —hunting, fishing andgardening,”the family statement said. “Whether collecting daylilies, growing crapemyrtles or tending avegetable garden, Marshall was happiest outdoors.”

“He was always working on aproject, and it was usually for someone other than himself,” thefamily said.

“Serving others brought him his greatest joy.”

Acelebrationoflife will be held at 11 a.m.Nov.1at Bethany Church-South, at 11107 Honore Lane, Baton Rouge.

Thefamily will receive visitors from 10 a.m. until the service begins, andfollowing the service, until 1p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations maybemadetoCaring to Love Ministries or theTim Tebow Foundation.

Email Ellyn Couvillionat ecouvillion@theadvocate. com.

Kleinpeter in an interviewsaidheexpects to present his two bills before theHouse and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday,and theywill be debatedonthe Housefloor Wednesday

Of the special session as awhole, he said, “If all goes as planned, it will end on Wednesday.”

Email AlysePfeilat alyse.pfeil@theadvocate. com.

AMTRAK

Continued from page1B

Gamesand celebrations

The Mardi Gras line’s popularity has continued to surgesince Amtrak added athird train car to accommodate football fans traveling to New Orleans for Saints home games, creating 60 additional seats that have sold out multiple weekends.

The highest ridership weekssofar,Ross said, came during Cruisin’ the Coast, an annual classic car show along the Mississippi Coast. While the service’s success marks the return of a long-lost route, Ross said it also offers asign of the

revivalof coastalcommunities, from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis, that were decimated by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago. “Tolook at where they were then to where they arenow is quite remarkable,” Rosssaid, “And (Amtrak) is just on top of that work and effort. I would call it acherry on top.

The routehas helped spur new developments and improvements atits stops, includingthe Depot District in Bay St. Louis, athoroughfare onceravaged by Katrina thathas sincebeenrevitalized with restaurants, fitness centersand vacation rentals.

Each community has rallied around the service. A

Facebook group named Friends of Amtrak Mardi Gras Service has drawn more than 27,000 followers who share their experience riding thetrain. Assisted living centers along theMississippi coast are organizing trips to Mobile.

In Ocean Springs, Kay Cox, atravel adviser,has been arranging itineraries for multiple groups of clients headingtoNew Orleans,with reservations at fine-dining restaurants andhotels

“Everybody’s working together to make (Amtrak) asuccess,” Ross said.“The local communitiesare taking ownership of it.

Email PoetWolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com

HelenSkolfield, age 91, of Mandeville, LA passed away peacefully at home in her sleep whileholding thehand of herfavorite caregiver, Tiffany. She is survivedbyher husband of 70 years, John and their threechildren, Kay Skolfield,twins Julie Bleichner (Barry) and Stacy Lee (Ron). She is also survivedbyher twograndchildren, John Lee(Ariana) and Samantha Lee(fiancée Jacob), her closestcousin, RosemaryJouetand other cousins and friends. She was an onlychildand was preceded in death by her parents, Everett Cerix (Bob) Thibodauxand SylviaAgnesLeBoeuf Thibodaux.

Helen was bornatHotel Dieu hospital in New Orleans, butspent her early childhoodinMorgan City, LA growing up with her many cousins, in particular,Earl Eues. By the time she beganschool, her father was asurveyorand partychief for aShell Oil Company seismic crew which required thefamily to move frequently around Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Helen had to enroll in anew school nearly every year butthatincluded time at Ursuline Academy in NewOrleans. She ultimately graduated from J. Ray HighSchool in Corpus Cristi, TX. Upon graduation, she enrolledatLSU in BatonRouge,where she joinedAlpha Omicron Pi sorority. John was attending LSUand was amember of AlphaTau Omega fraternity, which hosted aparty forthe AOPi ladies. John was takenwiththe seated girl in thebright red dress and asked hishouse manager to introduce her to him. They dated, became engaged, and enjoyed a70 year long marriagetogether. Helen majored in Education and graduated from LSUwitha Bachelors Degree at theage of 20 in December 1954. The following month, she and John weremarriedatOur Lady of theRosary church in NewOrleans. John had majored in Petroleum Engineering and Military Science and was amember of ROTC. He graduated fromLSU prior to Helen and immediately enlisted in theUSArmyCorps of Engineers.After their marriage, Helen joinedJohnin Lampasas, TX near Fort Hood, where he was stationed. Helen beganher teaching career shortly after. Following his discharge, John began his career with Superior Oil Company which required John and Helen to move several times. However, Helen continued her career as ateacherwith each move. In 1959, Helen and John livedinCarmi,IL where their first child, Kay was born. Helen paused her careertobea fulltime housewife and mother Julie and Stacy were born in 1961 and Helen chose to restart her careerafter they were oldenoughtobe enrolled in Kindergarten. She continued teaching in Carmi,St. Martinville,LA and Slidell,LAuntil her retirement in 1994. Helen and her doctor were notaware that she woulddeliver twins and twodaysprior to their birth, John was notified that he had been transferred to Casper, Wyoming.John had to move therealmost immediatelyand Helen arrived laterona plane with two newborns and twoand a half year oldKay. John recountsthatwhen she emerged fromthe door of theairplane and thecold wind hit her face thetears were flowing. Helenwas f d i h h f

faced with theprospectof livinginanunfamiliar place with no friends or familycloseby, but being thestrongwoman that she wasshe accepted thechallengeand thrived. When John was transferred to NewOrleans in 1987, he andHelen built theirhouse in old Mandeville,next door to the housethathis parents hadmoved to in 1960 upon their retirement. During the time that Helen wasteaching and raising herdaughters, she focused on enriching the lives of herdaughters by enrolling them in all types of lessons and organizations, includingGirlScouts (whereshe also volunteeredasa leader), piano, band, dancing, Catechism, diving, horse backriding, baton, and4H. Shealways strovetoimmerse herdaughters in the art of proper etiquette and goodmanners. Whileinvolving herself with the activities of herdaughters, teachingand preparing threehomecooked meals aday, shealso foundtime for herself, playing in bridgeclubs, tendingto gardens (Zinniasand Irises were herfavorites) and most of all,she enjoyed listeningtoher collectionof classical music and opera albums. Helenwas also a voraciousreader, with her favorite genrebeing fictional murder mysteries During the summers,John andHelen packedtheir daughters into theiryellow, wood paneled station wagonand traveled all over thecountrytogether to teach andshowthemall of thewonders of this great country. Thefamily saw nearly all 50 states with John at thewheel and Helendirecting himfrom oneHoliday Inntothe next, armed withnothing excepta directory -prior to thetimeofcellphones andthe internet. After moving to Mandeville, Helenenjoyed goingfor walks on theLake Pontchartrain lakefront. Sheand John lovedopera andfor several years had season ticketsfor theNew OrleansOpera Association After retirement, John and Helencontinued traveling togetherbut much more frequently. They wantedto explore more of America buttheyalso began to travelextensively in Europe. During some of these trips, they generously includedtheir daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Theirgenerosity wasalso extended to many otherpeople in many differentways. Helenloved everything havingtodowith English history and literature.She sd mi dt isit

spending several days there touringthe city completely on herown before Kay joined herfor another few days. In 1979 she enrolled in asix week French immersion programin Quebec Canada. Beingthe curiousand intrepidtraveler that she was, she completedthe programall on herown.Anotherof Helen'sfavorite places to travel to wasAspen,CO whereshe greatly enjoyed thesummertime Aspen Music Festival, whichfeaturesclassical music.One year she was convinced to trya raftingtripand she said that she enjoyed the experience butoncewas enough! Helenwas also devoted to herparents and spent agreat deal of time and energy, even whileshe wasstill teaching,tocare for them andtoensure that they were well cared for in theirfinal years. Helenwas very smartand will always be rememberedfor beingselfless, generousand above all,for beinga gentle,truesouthernlady.

Aprivate funeral Mass will be held forHelen and herfamilyonOctober 25, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. at St Charles Borremeo church in Destrehan,LA, where she will also be laidtorest in thecemeterythere.The familywould like to acknowledge thesupport providedbySt. Tammany Hospice and thegentle care she received at home from herprivate caregivers, andthoseprovided by Home Insteadand AmadaSenior Care. E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. TheSkolfieldfamily invites you to share thoughts,fondest memories,and condolences online at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home Guest Book at www.ejfieldingfh.com

MALAK AGUILAR-CASTILLO, VICTOR JOVANY ALEX, BAYLEN JOSEPH ALLARDYCE, SUSAN FLY ALLIS, BRADFORD PHELPS ANDERSON, SIDNEY BRADLEY ANDERSON, JAMES THOMAS

ANGELLE, KERMIT P ARCENEAUX, DESIREE DANIELLE

ARCENEAUX, BYRON P ARNOLD, BRITTANY LYNN

AUCOIN,PHILIPS

AULD, LORENE WALKER

BABIN, RACHEL CALDWELL

BAKER, SHANNON MARTINEZ

BAKER, ROBERT PAUL

BAQUET,LAUREN ELIZABETH

BATES, SAMMYE L BATISTE, STACY RENA

BEARD, LEAH A

BEGNAUD, TASHA MARIE

BELLARD, JAMES M

BELLARD, JANISECASSIDY

BELLARD, RAVEN LATASHA

BENKOVICS, SHERYL S BERARD, LANDON ROSS

BERGERON, JODI LYNN

BERNARD, CASEY LOUIS

BERNARD, SHABRIKA MONTRELL

BILLEAUDEAUX, JEANLUC L

BIRDLONG,SANTANNA MARIE

BIRDSALL, ASHLEY MICHEL

BLAIR, MALLORYANN

BLUM,PATSY F BONHOMME, MARQUEL DASHONE

BOUDREAUX, DEIDRE DAWN

BOULET,SHEILA T

BOULET,ZACHARYJAMES BOURQUE, JEREMY BOYD, ANDRE RENE

BRAILEY,SHANNONLAQUAMME

BRAUN, ROBYN RANDOL BREAUX, NATHAN JOHN BRIGGS, JOSHUA LLOYD BRIMER, TODD AARON

BROUSSARD, DESIRAE N BROUSSARD, JUDY ANN BROUSSARD, KAITLYN LEIGH BROUSSARD, JILL A BROUSSARD, SARAH BAILEY

BROWN, COLTON BROWNE-STACKHOUSE, CHARLESALAN BRUNE, MADELINE F BRUNO, IDA MARIE BRUNO, JAMES ALLEN

BULLOCK, PHILONESE BURDETTE, ANDREW LOUIS

BURTS, DARRELLYN HAZELHURST CALAIS, HAICHA SHANTA

CAMPBELL, AUNDREARAE CAMPITELLI, COLTON RALPH CAPRITTO, PATRICK LEE

CHAMPAGNE, THOMAS JAMES CHARLES, ELLIOTT SEAN VILLEAR CHRISTIE, RONALD D COLBERT, JUDY A COLLA, JAVIN MAHOGANY

COLVIN, ANDREW WAYNE

COMEAUX, JADEN MICHEAL

CORMIER, MELVIN GLENN CORMIER, JASMINEDENISE

CORMIER, FIANNA

DARBY,HANK A DARBY,KATILYN THERESA DAVID, JOHN MICHAEL

DAVIDSON, ALICE FORSHEE DAVIDSON, KAITLYN MACKENZIE DEFORREST,JILL DARTEZ DEJEAN, JAYNE KERNS

DEKERLEGAND, CASEY CHARLES

DESPANIE, CHRISTOPHER CHARLES DEVILLE, TABITHA ELIZABETH DIDIER, KOLBE PAUL DINH, THOM T DOERR, PATRICIA FIELD

DOMINGUE, MELINDA FAUL DOMINGUE, DENISE D DORE, SHERAMIE BOURGEOIS

DORSEY,BYRON DARNELL

DOUCET,CHRISTOPHER CONNOR

DOUCETTE, ROLAND JOSEPH

DUET,CINDY TULLIS

DUGAS, STACY RENEE

DUGAS, ALLEN A DUKE, DAVID A ELLIS, AHNAH CAMILLE

ETIENNE, BLAINE MARKARIUS

FABACHER, MELBA F FARRINGTON, KURT

FAUST,LINDZEY NICHOLE

FAVA,WILLIAM B FAZALURREHMAN, FATIMA

FERGUSON, LINDA PATIN

FONTAINE, MATTHEW JOSEPH

FONTENOT,ANAISANGELLE

FONTENOT,STACIA TAYLOR

FORMBY,MIA ANGELLE

FRANKS, JOSHUA TAYLOR FRIDLEY,LAYNE SHERIDAN

FUSELIER, VALERIEV FUSILIER, RONALD B GABRIEL, ALLEN JOSEPH GARY,JUDITHB GAUTREAUX, CATHERINE D GERARD, JOSEPH R GIBSON,TESSA D GLASS,MICHAELCHRISTIAN GLOVER,KATHRYN LYNETTE GOEDERS, RAMONDA PEROT GRANGER, GEORGE CLAGUE GUIDRY,TRACI LEA GUIDRY,TUESDAY SUNSHINE GUIDRY,AMIRACLE GUILBEAU, GRADYM GUILBEAU, SHEMEKA MARIE

GUILLOT, DELTAPAIGE

GUIN,DANIELTRAE

HAAS,LEN ALLEN HANDY, DAVONUS

HARDING, LYNORE RASCHEL

HAVARD,JARED ANTHONY HAYDEL, JAMIE ALLISON HAYES, JUSTINMICHAEL

HEBERT,DARRELL J HEBERT,BRIAN ALAN HENNETY,BRENNAN PAUL

HERBST,JAMES EDWARD

HERNANDEZ, JUSTINPAUL

HERPIN, JACQUELINEGALLET

HETHERINGTON,DENNISWILLIAM HOFFPAUIR,WILLIAM ARNOLD

HOLLAND, MATTHEW REX

HOLLIS, ANTHONY B

HOOVER, JUDITH CARROL

HSU, NIEN JEN

HUDSON, WILLIAMHOWARD

HUDSON, ERICALANE

HUFF,LAURIECASTETTE

HUFFMAN, GABRIELLE REBECCA

HUVAL, NEAL J

HUYNH, VIEN PHAM

JACOBI, KATHERINE S JAMES, ZOEYANN MARIE

JEANE, KEVIN LEE

JONES, JOHN EDMONDTWINING

JONES,ARTRIANAJAMYA

JONES, MCKENZI RHEA JONES, JEREMIAH D JONES, LUCY EVON

JONES, KAYLA MARIE

JOSEPH,COBEY DWAYNE KEYSER,COLLIN JOHN KIDDER, DEBRA B KINCHEN,JAVANTE JAVON

KING,ROBIE D KITAKULE, MOSESMWESIGWA

KRANTZ, ASHLIEBARES

LANDRY, ANNA MAEP

LANDRY, TINA ELIZABETH

LAPORTE, TYLERJOCABY LASHLEY,TRULY GRAHAM LAURANT,MIMIE RUTH LAURENT, VERA LEE LE, NHUNGT LE, CANH MINH

LEBEOUF, SARAH ELIZABETH

LECOMPTE, HOSEA A LEFORT,KAELYNLORENA

LEJEUNE, KERMITJOHN LEMELLE, ROSE E LEWIS, AMANDA CHRISTINE LILLY,JALEN JAHEIM LIVINGS,LESLEY LOUVIERE,CHARLIZE ANGEL LYTLE, FRANCESLAYTON

MANDELLA, BRENDA B MANZER, CRAIGWILLIAM

MARCEAUX, RYAN LEE

MARCUS,DAVID JOSEPH

MARTIN,ROBERTLEE MARTIN,KRYSTAL NICOLE

MCCLAIN, LADETIARENEE

MCCLUE,CHRISTINE MCDONALD,JEANETTE

MCKEEL, DECOLE E MCKINLEY,KEVIN JAY MCKINLEY,MORTEZ MORELLE

MCNEAL, JARVISJERMAINE

MEDINA,MIGUEL ROY MEHLHAFF,KELLYE SMITH MEISENBACH,KARLERNEST

MELANCON, SYDNEY ELIZABETH MELANCON,PAUL JOHN MELANCON, MYLES ALEXANDER

MENARD, FRED JOSEPH

MEYERS, LORI

MIELE,ALEXANDERAUGUSTUS

MIGUES,MANDYMARIE

MIKOLAJCZYK, JAKE MITCHELL

MILLER, MELISSAL

MOLARDEGONZALEZ, ARACELI MARGARITA

MOLONY, KEVIN T MONTGOMERY, LINDA D MONTOYABARRERA, JOSE ALBERTO

MOORE,BRANDON WAYNE MORRIS,DERRICK DESMOND

MOSS, EDDIE LEON MOSS, TAMMYB

MOUTON,JARRAD MILES

MOUTON,ROBERTPIERRE

MOUTON,THERESA S NELSON,RAYCHEL RENELLE NOEL, CHANCEY B

NOEL, DARLENEMARIE NUTT,SHANNA TRAHAN OLLIVIERRE, ROMELLERONALDO OUBRE, ANNAL OUBRE, ELAINE T PEARSON, JOSEPH KEVIN PELET, JOSHUA GILBERT PERERO, PEYTON CHAPMAN PEREZ, SELENA GLORIA PERRY, MELINDA DELESSE PERSON,NICHOLAS PAUL PETE, DONDREDEMARCO PITRE, JOSHUA SIMIEN PITTMAN, SAMANTHA CLAIRE PLOWDEN, DAMIAN JEREMIAN POMMIER, CORRELLOMAR POUPART,EMILY ANN PRADOS, TEAGAN REAH PREJEAN, KENNETH PRESLEY, KEVIN RAY PRICE,RAYMOND QUEREAU,KATHERINE C RABORN, BAILEY BERNARD RAHMATIAN, DINA RAINEY,JOHN MATTHEW RANDALL, AALIYAH KEIS KIANA RAYBON, DALLAS T REGGIE,TERESEB RHODES, DARREN CHRISTOPHER RICHARD, TYSONBLU RICHARD, TIFFANY DGAUTHIER RICHARDSON, HENRYRISHAWN RIDER, AMANDAKAY ROGERS,BONNIE MBOSARGE ROGERS,RENITAGALE ROGERS, TOMMIE L ROMERO, VINCEMICHAEL ROMERO, BROCKGERALD RUST,NANCY SHEARER RUTHERFORD,REBECCA S SCHAFF,ROBERTL SEBRING, FRANK SCOTT SEGURA, SHAYLADENISE SIBLEY, SHEAMICHAEL SIMON, JORDAN LEE SINGLETON,TRACEY SKIPPER, SUEANNALEXIS SMITH, CAROLYN YVONNE SMITH, KEISHA SMITH, JASON PAUL SMITH, FRANCOA SMITH, NEIL BRIAN SOILEAU,RICHARD BRANDT SONNIER, SATRISH M SPAIN, NADIA NICOLE SPATZ, KARL WILLIAM STARK, TAJKEELAN STEWART,JANOHAH CHARITY STGERMAIN, NOAHCHRISTOPHER STJULIEN, DANA RENEE STOUFF,MATTHANCHRISTOPHER STUBBS, KATHERINE B STURM,SYDNEYK SWIFT,SALLY C SYLVESTER,LORENIA M TATE, HAROLDJ TEMPLET, JOSEPH CYPRIAN TEW, JANE B THAMMAVARA, RANJANA M THERIOT, LORY L THIBEAUX,BRYLONDEKEITH THIBEAUX,KRISTIYNA DIONAE THIBODEAUX, CRYSTAL MARIE THIBODEAUX, KRISTY VIDRINE THOMAS,MORRIS THOMAS,ALTON THOMAS,GILBERT ROLAND TIDWELL,LESLIE ANNEB TRAHAN,KELSEYKITCHEN TRAN, NGOC HUE TRAN, DUYENTHI MY TREMBLAY, CLAUDE USIE, EULA MAE UZUEGBU, PRINCE SIMON EKENE VAVASSEUR, TRA LAMAR VICTOR, WHITLEYDNAE VILE, KAYNE MARTIN VINCENT, HELENB WAKEFIELD,PAMELA MARIALAY WALKER,GRACIE JOANNA WEAVER, CHERIE CHANTEL WEBER, HANSCHRISTOPHER WEST,MICHAEL J WHITE, LISA WIGGINS,JARED MARCUS WILKERSON, THOMAS WILKINS,RANSOM H WILLIAMS, RICHARDLEE WILLIAMS, DARLESIA MARIE WILLIS, MADONAFAITH WILSON,JACQUELINE M WILTZ, DONNA GAIL WILTZ, NELSON JOSEPH I YOUNG, DANIELLE KAY YOUNG, DAVE ZENO,ROGER ZENON, RONALDLARENZO

If childrengo hungry during shutdown,shame on Congress

There are few things more devastatingtoa parent than to see achild go hungry. Andindeed, it should shock the conscienceofeveryone in this country of abundance when anychild doesn’thave enough to eat

Yetanestimated 18 million households— around 1in7—were food insecure in 2023, according to statistics by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s why it’s hard to stomach what’s happening in Washington at this moment. With the federal government shutdown, the USDA recently notified states that therewon’t be enoughmoney for the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP,topay full benefitsinNovember to the47millionfamilies who rely on the program.

Republicans are blaming Democrats, and Democrats are blaming Republicans. Butinthe meantime, children across the country could needlessly suffer unless Congress reaches a deal to open the governmentbefore theend of the month.

Thankfully,Gov.Jeff Landry has stepped into the breach for Louisiana citizens. In an emergency declarationsigned Friday,hesaid the stateshouldprovide stopgapfunding to continue SNAP benefitsfor the disabled,elderly and children in November.Landry’s executiveorder calls on lawmakers —currently in aspecial session —toconsider using money from thestate’s Revenue Stabilization Fundtohelpaffected residents.

We can’tcommend the governor enough for taking this swift action to relievethe stress some families were already beginning to feel. As is often thecase, in Louisiana theproblem of food insecurity is even more dire than elsewhere. Over the past three years, we have seen oneofthe sharpestincreases in child poverty in thenation, newfigures from the Annie E. Casey Foundation show.The child poverty rate here rose to 24.8%in2024. Only Mississippi, at 25%, is worse. Nearly 800,000 people in Louisiana received SNAP benefits in 2024. Theprogram, whichuses federal funds but is administered by thestate, provides assistance based on income andfamily size. Afamily of four can get upto$994 a month.

That money is critical to families as theholidays areonthe way,and children will be outof schooland not able to receivefree andreduced lunches. Some families say that as food and medical costs rise, they may have to makestark choices if SNAP benefits don’tcomethrough. In Louisiana, we know we have arobust networkoffood pantries like SecondHarvestto help familiesinneed. We knowthatmanygenerously give to help feed theirneighbors Landry’saction gives us areprieve, butitis not apermanent solution.Congress still must act. It should not be lost on anyonehow unfathomable this situation is to thenormalorder of things. In most families, parents andgrandparents would forgo food at thetable to allow theiryoung to filltheir bellies. But at ourtable in America now,Congress is still gettingpaid whilefood aid to children dries up Children can’teat politics, and words won’t satisfy hunger.Wecall on members of Congress to hear the cries of our neediest,tofind away to keep aidflowing and to open their eyes to their responsibility as elders of thisnation

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

Collegeathletes’ payshouldbepublicrecord

It should be unquestioned that the 2019 LSU football team had thegreatest college football season ever As it turnsout,itwas also the last season of what was once known as college football.

The next year,the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the sport; in June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court’sdecision on name, image, likeness gave college athletes theright to earn money from endorsements. Other developmentsfollowed, like the transfer portal andrevenue sharing, which allows athletic departments to pay athletes directly

university setting,especially at public universities, is troublingly vague. Consider anew report by this newspaper’s Joseph Cranney, in which Louisiana’spublic universities declined to disclosehow much they are paying individual players. Some did give the total they plantodisburse to theirathletes collectively,and one, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, disclosed salaries they are paying, but not which athletes arereceiving them.

In short, college sports look far different in 2025 than they did in 2019. The old image of thestudent-athlete, on life supportfor decades, is now fully and completely dead.

For years, these athletes put their bodies and minds on the line so that theschool —and often its coaches could enrich themselves. Now it’sthe playerswho earnremuneration for theirwork. That’sthe way it should be. They are, essentially,professional athletes. Butthat doesn’tmean things are much better than they were before. In fact, thesituation is moremuddled than ever

How college athletes are defined, compensated and function within a

That means, for example, that Louisianans whose tax dollarsflow to LSU andthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette and other schools cannotknow how much they’re paying Garrett Nussmeieror Lunch Winfield. Some athletesmay be earning in the highsix or even seven figures,making them among the highest-paid public employeesinthe state. Butwedon’tknow for sure,because theuniversities won’tsay.Theyargue that funding and pay formulasare proprietary, and that disclosing them would put theschools at acompetitive disadvantage.

That makes athletes aunique class of public university employee. Every other employee’spay is knowable through apublic records request. The highest-paid professor? Public record.The mid-level administrator? Public record.The part-time student

who works 10 hours amonth in the library? Public record.

But notthe quarterback or third baseman.

It also makes these players unique as athletes: NFL, NBA and Major League contractsare subject to some public disclosure,and teams compete for players’ services.

This state of affairs must not be allowedtocontinue.

First, it’snot fair to the athlete, who, like anytalentedperson, should be able to offer his services to the highest bidder. Further, every athlete should be able to judge his relative worth to the university,his employer

Second, it’snot fair to the Louisiana taxpayer,especially the ones who make those university brands valuable andbuy tickets, donate to sports fundraising andpack the stadiums andarenastocheer on those athletes. And finally,it’snot fair to the other university employees, whose salary informationispublic The obvious solutionistorelease the payinformationofall college athletes. But thatwould probably fall to the NCAA, where, of course, rules are votedonbythe schools that don’t want to share this information in the first place.

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

Some guardrails around health care issues

Lettersabout vaccines, Medicaid and other health care topics are trending among readers as we seevast changes on the state level and in Washington that affect how everyday citizens access care.

Readers often point to abill in Congress that could help in the diagnosis or treatment of diseases they have struggled with.

We know these are life-ordeathissues in somecases. However,here are afew words of caution when writing about health care issues.

First,while we recognize science is constantly evolving, we do not publish letters that are presented as medical advice or advocating unproven treatments.Similarly,health care data can be very complex, so we are very wary of letters that purport to represent theresults of any studies. Doctors and others who have medical expertise in an area are identified as such when we

publish letters. Secondly,weknow there are many healthcare groups advocating that letters be sent to newspapers on behalfoftheir cause. We prefer to publish letters that are in your own words and come from the heart, rather than letters that follow some format sent by others.

Andlastly,beabsolutely sure that when you send aletter to theeditor about amedical condition that you may be affected by,you want that information in the public domain. Ourcontent, including letters, is published online and is searchable for years to come. Letters involving you or your minor child’scondition are generally permissible. But if you are writing about the condition of afriend, neighbor or adult child, we would hesitate to publish without that person’s knowledge. Turning to our letters inbox forthe

week of Sept. 18-25, we received 56 letters. Many of you wrote about the aftermathofthe killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. There were 10 letters on that topic and another six on the efforts to stifle free speech with the suspension of “The Jimmy Kimmel Live” show,amongother things. Immigration issues continue to prompt concerns, with four letter writers opining on the topic. We also received arange of letters on local civic concerns in the manycities we cover —from the Baton Rouge jail to the New Orleans mayor’srace.

I’malways pleased to see that our readers are as engaged in their communities as they are in national politics. It’s on the local level where true change is made.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

COMMENTARY

Legislatorspoked privateschoolparents in theeye

One would think an overwhelmingly Republican, presumably conservative Louisiana Legislature would protect, rather than discriminate against, faithbasedschools.

That thought would be wrong. Bizarrely,the Legislature this year passed abill burdening faithbasedand other private preschools, but not public schools or Montessori schools, with ahost of costly,invasive and counterproductive regulations.

Court cases in the past 25 years has made clear that constitutional protections are strong for faithbasedentities,especially schools, which are treated differently than other similar institutions that aren’tfaithbased. And faith-based parentshave rights, too, to have equal opportunityto choose faith-based educational options.

Twoschools and some parents filed suit Oct. 20 to block thenew law,asserting that by disfavoring religious schools it violates the First Amendment (free exercise of religion), and also that bytreating certain classesofschools differently from others it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

SarahHarbison of the Louisiana-based Pelican Institute,aconservative think tank, is the lead attorney,joined by alawyer for the Center for American Rights On its face, the lawsuithas a good chance of success,and rightly so. Along series of Supreme

notes, almost all the schools affected already undergo rigorous accreditation reviews through their churches or regional accrediting agencies.

teachers and schools presumably have expertise and experience in handling bullying. Why should privateschools —but not public —need to report each incident to thestate?

Why,pray tell, should the state tell administrators forsmallpreschools that they can’talso teach?

About 80% of the 254 preschoolsaffected statewide are faith-based —mostly Christian,but also Jewishand Muslim. Buteven for nonreligious private schools,why should they and theirfamilies be subject to regulations that Montessori schools or public schools escape?

That’spatently unfair

TheLegislature passed this law unanimously, supposedly to ensure safe treatment of young children by requiring thepreschools to meet thesame licensing requirementsthatday care centers do. Butwhy treat 3- and 4-yearoldsunderthe same rules as infants? That’swhatthis law does, even if thepreschools are part of larger schools going up to fifth or eighth grade. As the lawsuit

Why are church schools assumed tobeless safe than Montessori schools or public ones? Indeed, one reason many parents choose private schools is that they are presumed safer than institutional public schools that are too big for moststudentsto receive individual attention. Meanwhile, apart from constitutional issues and basic notions of fairness, let’sget to the specifics of the voluminous regulations the law effectively imposes. Some of them make so little sense in any context that it’sbaffling why legislators even considered mandating them.

For example, thelaw requires schools tomake “immediate notification to emergency personnel, law enforcement as applicable, and other appropriate agencies” if —get this —achild is bullied. So: Anytime a3-year-old bullies another three-year-old, the school must notify outside authorities.Children have bullied each other since time immemorial, and

Alsoabsurdly,the law prohibits schools from punishing misbehaving children by “having active play time withheld” formore than four minutes. Why? Isn’tthat one of the mosteffective ways to keep kids in line: to tell them they won’thave recess if they act up?

How does this rule makesense?

Speaking of recreation, the law mandates that schools provide at least 60 minutes of play timeper day.Plenty of pre-K outfits only operate for half days anyway; are they,too, supposed to let children play for afull hour of the four hours from 8tonoon?

The law requires that any preschool with morethan 42 studentshave its own “director,” even if it is part of alower-school program that goes through fifth grade that already has its own principal —and the director must meet numerouscredentialing requirements while literally being prohibited from also filling a teachingrole.

Finally —amonghundreds of other utterly inane rules —the private schools must provide teachers with training on preventing “shaken baby syndrome” and “sudden infant death syndrome.” Comeagain? Last Ichecked, 3-year-olds aren’tinfants, and thus almost never susceptible to those tragedies.

The plaintiffs say the costs of compliance with these hundreds of rules are so prohibitive that mostschools would be forced either to raise tuition beyond the ability of someparents to pay or even to shut downentirely

The federal district court should issue an immediate injunction blocking this crazy new law from being implemented, and eventually should nullifyit altogether.Topass an unconstitutional law is bad enough, but —excuse the bluntness —sometimes what’sworse than an unconstitutional law is one like this that is just plain stupid.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

La.voters really like theiropenprimaries

If only Louisianans could voteonhow they vote, the outcome wouldn’tberemotelyclose.

Theopenprimary system that’s been (mostly) in place for ahalfcentury is, simplyput, immensely popular.Anew poll by JMC Analytics, sponsored by the election reform group Unite America, found that 69% of likely Louisianavoters favor allowing all voters to support candidates of their choice, regardless of party

SupremeCourt invalidating Louisiana’s congressional district map.And thelawmakers gathering are thesameones who changed the rules in thefirst place, at the bidding of the same governor whocalled the special session, Jeff Landry

Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

Youwouldn’thave known that from watching the Louisiana Legislature last year,when it changed the rules and adopted party primaries for Congress, thestate Supreme Court, the Board of Elementary andSecondary Educationand the Public Service Commission. The argument for this system is that people whoidentify strongly with aparty should have outsized power to pick which candidates advance to general elections, even in this era in which many voters are fleeing both major parties. Unite America released itsdata last week intentionally,hopingthatlawmakers now in Baton Rouge for aspecialsession on election matters mightfeel public pressure to reverse themselves.

Fat chance of that happening, at least right now.The special session wascalled specifically to push back nextyear’s primary dates in anticipation of theU.S.

In fact, thelatest move to switch to party primaries was largely fueled by partisan Republican furor over one of their own breaking ranks. That would be U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,very much aconservative but alsosomeone who committed the originalsin of acting independently

Amonghis alleged offenses against his ownteam were his work with Democrats on thetype of big infrastructure bill that once drew support across party lines. Then there was thebig transgression, his vote to convict Donald Trumpafter he was impeached forinciting theJan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress—for which Cassidy’sfrantically overcompensating now that he faces aparty primary and runoff dominated by MAGA forces, rather than an open primary andrunoff in which he’dstill be the favorite.

It’sall quite thereversal from what the Unite America Institute, in a2022 analysis, arguedmakes politics in Louisianaatleast somewhat more functional and representativethaninother states. In fact,the report points to Cassidy’simpeachmentvoteand

Kennedy’srare but harsh criticism of unqualified judicial nominees during Trump’sfirst term as evidence that open primaries often produce moremoderate representatives. That 2022 sentiment seems less convincingin2025, as polarization has only grown and both senators now rarely stray from theparty line, even rhetorically

Butthe report also makes amore compelling argument in favor of open primaries: that, at least sometimes, they produce governing resultsthat cut across party lines and have widespread popular support

Oneexample is Louisiana’sembrace of charter schools, which had opposition from theleft (teacher unions) and the right (small government/local control types), but strong backing from acoalition of business leaders and civil rights advocates.

Another is Louisiana’sexpansion of Medicaid under Obamacare, which other Republican states have refused to accept despitethe obvious benefit of federal resources for healthcare. Obama’sname in a red state notwithstanding, expansion is so popular withLouisiana’selectorate at large that in 2015 all major candidates forgovernor from both parties said they’d take themoney.The Democrat whoimprobably won, John Bel Edwards, did so on his first dayinoffice.

“That is usually theexception rather

than the rule in moststates,” said Nick Troiano, Unite America’sexecutive director.“There’sadirect throughline between how Louisiana votes and how its leaders govern.”

In fact, the report singles out Edwards, whose socially conservative positions might have poisoned aDemocratic primary electorate against him,asanexample of the type of centrist, widely acceptable candidate that open primaries can produce. Another is Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,who supports Unite America’s workand whorecently pointed out in these pages that the state Republican Party was built under the open primary system by leaders whospoke to everyone.

Yetlongtime watchers of Louisiana politics know party primaries aren’tanew idea; in fact, the Legislature adopted them forCongress back in 2006. Just five years later,amidwidespread confusion and complaints over the high cost of holding three elections per office rather than two, the experiment quietly ended.

Alot about politics has changed since then, but it seemsthat public sentiment on this has not.

Louisiana voters still wanttheir open primaries. And too manyofthe people they put in power still aren’tlistening.

Email Stephanie Graceatsgrace@ theadvocate.com.

No onewinswhenredistricting becomesa game

Let’smake this perfectly clear: Nobody made Gov.Jeff Landry and the LouisianaLegislature changethe dates of next year’s congressional elections so they could remake congressional districts that they approved in January 2024.

Nobody Unless it’ssomeone in Washington, D.C., who likes to demean people, call people names and make people jump through his hoops.

Will Sutton

Texas Gov.Greg Abbott was the first to jump as high as President Donald Trump wanted him to jump, working with his GOP state legislature to push through to gain five more congressional seats ahead of the 2026 congressional elections. The districts were signed into law by Abbott. Becausethe changes would mean loss of Black and Latino representation in Congress, some groups are challenging the maps as designed. California Democrats responded. California Gov.Gavin Newsom got to work with his Democratic state legislature, agreeing to put Proposition 50 on the Nov 4ballot for voters’ consideration. Also known as the Election Rig-

ging Response Act, if approved, themeasure would createupto five more districtsfavorable to Democrats. Missouri Republicans followed California.Inlate September,Republican Missouri Gov.MikeKehoe signed arevised congressional map intolaw.ItgivesRepublicans an additional congressional seat. The GOP would hold sevenof thestate’seight seats. But there is fierce pushback as groups collect signatures to overturn that action North Carolina is apolitical swing state, apurple state. Neither Democrats norRepublicans have strong control. The governor,Josh Stein, is aDemocrat. TheGeneral Assembly is led by Republicans. Thestate has14 congressional districts. Republicans control 10. Justa fewdays ago, Republican legislative leaders said they would design amap to achievetheirgoal of adding one more. That would come at theexpense of adistrict that has been represented by Black Democrats for decades. Two-term U.S. Rep. Don Davis is in the seat now,but likely he won’t be if this happens.

There are moreRepublican governors than there are Democraticgovernors. There are 27 Republican governors. There are 23 Democraticgovernors There are more Republicanledstate legislatures thanthere are Democratic-led state legislatures. Republicans control 28 state legislatures, meaning both the House and the Senate. Democrats control only 18. Of the states with firm party control with apartymemberinthe governor’s seat andthe same party controlling both chambers of a state legislature, Republicans control 23 andDemocrats control only 15. Nebraska is the only unicamerallegislature in the nation. Republicans did the work to getthatleverage. Still, it doesn’t seem fair to voters to willy-nilly change congressionaldistricts, whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge.

That’swhy 11 statesspecifically prohibit mid-decadecongressional districtand/orlegislative changesbytheir state constitutions. Theyare Alabama,Alaska, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, NewMexico, New York, North Carolina,Pennsylvania,Tennesseeand Utah,according to the National ConferenceofState

Legislatures

That’swhy Trump calledMissouri state senatorsastheywere caucusing afew weeks agoand why the president calledIndiana Republicans just afew days ago. He’slooking forevery congressionalseat he can gettoholdonto aRepublican congressional majority led by U.S. HouseSpeaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton Indiana hasnine congressional seats. Seven are held by Republicans. Twoare held by Democrats. Indiana Republicanswanttoget rid of both of those. As the Louisiana Legislature continues itsredistricting special session, keep these things in mind. Louisiana hassix congressional districts. Fourseats are held by Republicans.Two seats are held by Democrats, both Black:U.S Rep. Troy Carter,D-NewOrleans, and U.S. Rep.CleoFields,DBaton Rouge. This very Legislature approved the maps that give us this nearequal representation. Nowit seems they are eager to disavow that decision. Imagine Louisiana,astate with more than 30% Black people,not having asingle Black representative in Congress.Orimagine the

state withonly one, after fighting foryears to getnear-equalrepresentation Landryand GOPlegislators knowthatthe Louisiana v. Callais case recentlyarguedbefore theU.S.Supreme Court could reshapethe Voting RightsAct as we have known it fordecades and reshapewhatstates can do with congressional districts across thecountry.Theywanttodelay theApril primary electionsuntil May, delaying January qualifying, withthe hope that they can quickly undo whattheyapproved in favorofWhiteRepublicans. That’swrong. Those who want to keep these districts as they are should support Democraticlegislatorswho will be fighting against thechangesand calling Republican legislatorstotellthemthey don’tagree. Considerjoining thePower Coalitionfor Equityand Justice’s “FairMapsMobilization”on Mondayat1p.m. at theLouisiana State Capitol If this can’t be stopped, at least ourlawmakersshould knowhow thepeople they represent really feel

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

SPORTS

Trojansdefense picksonCajuns

InterceptionsgiveTroy momentum in winoverUL

BY KEVIN FOOTE

Staff writer

TROY,Ala. Troy has been one of the best teams in the country overthe past fiveseasons at returning interceptions for touchdowns.

A30-yardpick-six by Jacquez Whiteearly in the second quarter gave the Trojans momentum they neverrelinquished in a35-23 victory over the UL Ragin’Cajuns on Satur-

day atVeterans Memorial Stadium

Since 2020, the Trojans are tiedfor second nationallywith18interceptions returned for touchdowns. The Cajuns fell to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in Sun Belt play while Troy improved to 6-2 and4-0.

Troy converted9 of 13 third-down tries and kept the Cajuns from making amajor push.

Troy quarterback Tucker Kilcrease was 16-of-24 passing for 180 yards with an interception.Jordan Levett rushed for 113 yards andtwo touchdowns on 21 carries.

Lunch Winfield was 12-of-21passing for

187 yards withatouchdown andtwo interceptions for the Cajuns. He also rushed for 139 yards on 23 carries. No other UL rusher had morethan 21 yards in the game.

The UL offensive line lost right guard

MattBroussard to an injury,aswell as tight end Caden Jensen and safety Collin Jacob.

Shelton Sampson had five receptions for 74 yards for UL while Charles Robertson had three grabs for 61 yards.

After failing on its first drive of the second half,ULsaw Troy drive69yardson11plays in 5:29 to take a28-17 lead with7:16 left in

See CAJUNS, page 3C

BYKOKI RILEY Staff writer

After LSU’swin over Oklahoma at theend of the 2024 season, Brian Kelly madeastatement.

“We’re takingreceipts,” theLSU coach confidently stated, “and we’ll see you at the national championship.”

But after eight games, Kelly’sproclamation for the 2025 season already has fallen flat.LSU dropped its third contest of the year Saturday againstTexas

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

A&M, losing 49-25 despiteleading 18-14 at halftime.

The victory wasTexas A&M’sfirst in Tiger Stadium since 1994.

TheAggies scored 35 unanswered points in the second half. Texas A&M found the end zone on its first threedrivesofthe final half and scored afourth touchdown on a79-yard puntreturnfromKCConcepcion.

After asomewhat promisingopening 30 minutes, the night turned intoanembarrassment forLSU.The only team in BatonRouge on Saturday with ashot of reach-

ä Buccaneers at Saints 3:05 P.M. SUNDAy,FOX

ing theCollege FootballPlayoff wasNo. 3Texas A&M

The Aggiesendedwith 426 totalyards and224 yards on the ground. Quarterback Marcel Reed finished with just 202 yards passing, but he provedtobe aproblem with his legs with 108 yards on the ground.

As TexasA&M accomplished whatever it wanted on offense in the second half, LSU’sattack sputtered. TheTigershad 14 yardsinthe thirdquarter.They had -4 yards on the ground and just one first down.

See LSU, page 3C

Foster Moreau stood in front of his locker last Sunday after the NewOrleans Saints lost theirsixth game in seven triestostart the season, and he tried to find the right wordsfor what hadbeenhappeningoffensively When the Saints have had the ball, they have been alternately good and bad, often on the same drive. They willspend an entire game successfully operating the offense between the 20s, only to falter once they get near the goal line. They’regoodonthird down …until they need to convert acertain yardage.Theyspent sixweekstakingcare of the balland then spent last Sundaycoughing the ball up in bunches. Without question,the Saintshave shown offensivepromise in theirfirst year under head coach and offensive play-caller Kellen Moore. Yet, as theyget ready for Sunday’s matchup against the Buccaneers, the Saints rank bottom 10 in virtually every offensive category, including total offense (23rd) and scoring offense (29th). “It’sthe unending battle of process versus result,” Moreausaidafter aWeek6loss to theNew England Patriots. “You could be so uplifted and empowered by the process and howwe’re calling plays and how we react to adverse scenarios, andhow our second-year

quarterbackisplaying football, like, wow, this is awesome. There’ssomany things you can be positive about.

“Then it’slike, OK, but the results aren’t there. So then you have to be confident enoughtobeself-critical and start looking at theprocess, like what’swrong withmy process. If your process is lacking somewhere, it all shows up in that three hours and 15 minutes on Sunday.”

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

4

Chambliss leads Ole Miss to win

BY CLIFF BRUNT AP sportswriter

NORMAN, Okla Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards and a touchdown and Kewan Lacy ran for two scores to help No 8 Mississippi defeat No. 13 Oklahoma 34-26 on Saturday Ole Miss finished much differently than last week, when the Rebels led by nine in the third quarter before falling apart late in a 43-35 loss.

“Same Georgia feeling crowd started coming alive,” coach Lane Kiffin said. “And then obviously much different response by us. And I didn’t feel like they ever, you know, kind of freaked out. And they had each other’s back.” Chambliss also rushed for 53 yards and often scrambled to create extra time to make throws.

“He’s a winner,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “It’s what he’s done against everybody But we needed to play better (to) have a chance to win. We needed to do a better job against him. So I didn’t have them ready to do that.”

Lacy had a hard-earned 78 yards on 27 carries and Winston Watkins had four catches for 111 yards for

the Rebels (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference). Against Oklahoma, Ole Miss put up 431 yards on a team that led the nation in total defense and ranked second in scoring defense heading

into the weekend. John Mateer was 17 of 31 for 223 yards and a touchdown and an interception for Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2). Isaiah Sategna had six catches for a career-high 131 yards, but he

had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter that stunted the Sooners’ momentum. Xavier Robinson ran for 109 yards and two scores. “A lot to learn from in a really painful way,” Venables said.

AP TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Bernard’s TDs help Alabama rally past S. Carolina

By the Associated press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Germie Bernard scored two touchdowns in the final

21/2 minutes, and No. 4 Alabama rallied to beat South Carolina 2922 on Saturday for its seventh straight win.

Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and DeShawn Jones returned an interception 18 yards for a score for the Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference).

LaNorris Sellers threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards and another score for South Carolina (3-5, 1-5), but had a costly fumble late which led to the winning TD.

The Tide trailed 22-14 late in the fourth quarter, but drove 79 yards on 14 plays with Simpson finding Bernard for a 4-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone with 2:16 to play Simpson then connected with Josh Cuevas, who caught a TD pass earlier in the game, for the 2-point conversion to tie the game. On the ensuing drive, linebacker Deontae Lawson stripped Sellers, giving Simpson and the offense the ball at the South Carolina 38. On a third-and-10 play, Bernard took a direct snap and raced around right end and stayed inbounds for a 25-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left.

MEMPHIS 34,No.18 SOUTH FLORIDA 31: In Memphis, Tennessee, quarterback Brendon Lewis connected with Cortez Braham Jr for a 10yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining to give Memphis a come-frombehind victory over South Florida.

South Florida kicker Nico Gramatica missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to preserve Memphis’ victory Memphis trailed 31-17 entering the fourth quarter, but a 13-yard run by Greg Desrosiers Jr. early in the period and a 28-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic pulled Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) within 31-26. That set the stage for the winning drive by Memphis, including the 2-point conversion.

No. 16 VIRGINIA 17, NORTH CAROLINA 16: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, J’Mari Taylor scored on a 1-yard run in overtime, lifting Virginia to a victory over North Carolina.

The Tar Heels answered with Davion Gause’s 9-yard touchdown grab, but Ben Hall was stopped just short of the end zone on the ensuing 2-point try

Chandler Morris threw for 200 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Cavaliers (71, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are off to their best start since 2007.

No 2 INDIANA 56, UCLA 6: In Bloomington, Indiana, Aiden Fisher intercepted the first pass of the game and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and the Mendoza brothers — Fernando and Alberto — each ran for scores as Indian routed UCLA.

The Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) extended their school-record home winning streak to 14, protected the highest ranking in school history for the second straight week and now open a second straight November with a perfect record.

Fernando Mendoza was 15 of 22 for 168 yards, three TDs and one interception before leaving late in the third quarter, getting serenaded again with chants of “Heismendoza” from the student section.

No. 7 GEORGIA TECH 41, SYRACUSE 16:

In Atlanta, Haynes King threw two touchdown passes to Josh Beetham in the second quarter and accounted for five on the day and Georgia Tech cruised to a victory over Syracuse in its first home game as a top-10 team since 2009.

The Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) briefly fell behind 3-0 early, but even Syracuse’s lone points of the first half felt like a missed opportunity

The Orange (3-5, 1-4) had the ball

first-and-goal at the 1, but two presnap penalties and a sack killed the momentum and forced a field goal attempt.

WASHINGTON 42, No. 23

ILLINOIS 25:

In Seattle, Denzel Boston threw and caught a touchdown pass, and finished with career highs of 10 catches and 153 receiving yards to lead Washington to a victory over Illinois.

Boston, who entered the game 10th in the Big Ten in receiving yards, put the Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) up for good at 21-17 with a 12-yard TD pass to Jonah Coleman on a trick play with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.

Demond Williams Jr who tossed four touchdown passes, threw a backward pass to Boston. The junior wideout promptly threw the ball across the field to a wide-open Coleman, allowing Washington to head into halftime with a lead it would not relinquish.

No. 10 VANDERBILT 17, No. 15 MISSOURI 10: In Nashville, Tennessee, Diego Pavia dove across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:52 left as Vanderbilt beat Missouri to extend the Commodores’ best start in more than 80 years. Vanderbilt improved to 7-1 overall (3-1 Southeastern Conference) putting the Commodores a win off the 1941 squad that started 8-1. They came in with the highest ranking since 1947 playing before a second straight sellout crowd and snapped a five-game skid to the Tigers.

Missouri (6-2, 2-2) lost quarterback Beau Pribula early in the third quarter when he hurt his left ankle on fourth-and-goal Trainers placed his ankle in an air cast and carted him off the field.

No 11 BYU 41, IOWA STATE 27: In Ames, Iowa, BYU safety Faletau Satuala returned an interception

MLB’s Manfred expects players in next Olympics

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is increasingly confident big-league players will participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

MLB has discussed creating an extended All-Star break to allow participation in the 2028 Games, to be held from July 14-30. An agreement with the players’ association is necessary and sponsor deals could be affected.

“I am positive about it. I think that the owners have kind of crossed the line in terms of, we’d like to do it if we can possibly make it work,” Manfred said Saturday before World Series Game 2.

Back problem forces Rybakina to withdraw

TOKYO Elena Rybakina pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open on Saturday, citing a back problem a day after her quarterfinal victory clinched the last remaining spot for the WTA Finals.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion was due to face Linda Noskova in the semifinals at the Tokyo tournament.

Noskova will face Belinda Bencic in Sunday’s final after the Swiss player beat Sofia Kenin 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal match. Bencic heads into her 10th career final, which comes 10 years after her previous Pan Pacific Open final appearance, a loss in 2015 to Agnieszka Radwanska. Bencic also won the Olympic singles gold medal and doubles silver in Tokyo four years ago.

Liberty hires first WNBA coach of Indian descent

New York assistant Sonia Raman has agreed to a deal to become the head coach of the Seattle Storm, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press late Friday night.

for a touchdown to help BYU pull away in the fourth quarter and the Cougars stayed unbeaten with a win over Iowa State. Bear Bachmeier threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another and Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston each had over 100 yards receiving for BYU. Iowa State’s Rocco Becht threw three interceptions, the last one coming with 1:14 left and allowing BYU to run out the clock.

No. 21 CINCINNATI 41, BAYLOR 20: In Cincinnati, Brendan Sorsby threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to help Cincinnati beat Baylor The Bearcats (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) have won seven straight for the first time since 2021 when they reached the College Football Playoff.

Baylor (4-4, 2-3) trailed 24-0 late in the first half, then cut it to 27-20 early in the fourth quarter behind two touchdown passes and a rushing TD by Sawyer Robertson.

No 14 TEXAS TECH 42, OKLAHOMA STATE 0: In Lubbock, Texas, J’Koby Williams returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and took a short pass 26 yards for a score on Texas Tech’s first play, jump-starting the Red Raiders’ victory over Oklahoma State.

Jacob Rodriguez returned a fumble 69 yards for a TD as Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) bounced back from its first loss, a 26-22 defeat at 24th-ranked Arizona State that dropped the Red Raiders out of the top 10. It was Texas Tech’s first home Big 12 shutout since beating Baylor 28-0 in 2005. No 22 TEXAS 45, MISSISSIPPI STATE 38, OT: In Starkville, Miss., Matthew Caldwell threw a touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley in overtime after Arch Manning was knocked out of the game with an injury and Texas came from behind to beat Mississippi State.

Manning finished 29 of 46 for 346 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and he also had a rushing touchdown.

Manning’s injury happened on the first play of the OT period as he was diving to the ground and took a solid hit from two Bulldogs defenders and stayed on the ground before team personnel came onto the field to check on him.

Ryan Niblett returned a punt 79 yards to tie the game with 1:47 to play in regulation as Texas erased a 31-14 halftime deficit.

Raman was an assistant with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies for four years before coming to the New York Liberty this past season. She’ll make history as the first person of Indian descent to be a head coach in the WNBA.

Seattle fired coach Noelle Quinn after the Storm was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. With this hire, New York is the only team still without a head coach. The Liberty didn’t renew Sandy Brondello’s contract after New York lost in the opening round to Phoenix.

UFC heavyweight title bout a no-contest after eye poke

Champion Tom Aspinall and topranked Ciryl Gane couldn’t make it through the opening round of their heavyweight main event at UFC 321 inside Etihad Arena before the match was ruled a no-contest.

Aspinall (15-3-0) and Gane (13-20) both came out with a lot of energy until an accidental double eye poke prompted an official timeout at the 4:35 mark of the first round.

Aspinall (15-3-0) could not see out of his right eye during the allotted five-minute break, and at 4:09 into the stoppage, the match was ruled a no-contest. It was Aspinall’s first defense as undisputed heavyweight champion.

“What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see,” said Aspinall, responding to a chorus of boos throughout the arena.

Henderson, Hsu propel World team to semifinals

GOYANG, South Korea Brooke Henderson of Canada and Wei-Ling Hsu of Taiwan beat Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Ingrid Lindblad, a former LSU golfer, 4 and 3 on Saturday to qualify the World team for the International Crown semifinals.

The win gave the World team its fourth point in Pool B from three wins and two ties in the LPGA team event at the New Korea Country Club. In a later match, Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden beat the World team’s Charley Hull and Lydia Ko 3 and 1.

Australia also qualified for the semifinals from Pool A, as did Japan from Pool B.

UL basketball season overflowing with intrigue,hope

It’s difficult to know what to think about the upcoming UL men’sbasketball season. What astrange scenario.

On one hand, you have a first-year coach in Quannas White who speaks with incredible confidence. He has aplan and he executes it in acalculated fashion.

From his initial news conference until now,White has proclaimed the goal of packing 12,000 fans into the Cajundome. He dreams big, really big.

On the other hand, the Sun Belt coaches picked the Cajuns to finish ninth in the preseason poll and not asingle player received first-, second- or third-team recognition on preseason all-conference team.

For that matter,not asingle UL women’s playerwas recognized either and coach Garry Brodhead’steam was predicted to finish11th.

So there must not be much anticipation for the college basketball season in these parts, right?

Actually nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there may be more optimism and excitement in the fan base than there’sbeen in decades. White would be the first one to tell youtalkischeap. Youmust walk the walk first. So getready UL basketballfans, we could beinfor quite aride at theCajundomethisseason

Naturally,White is more than willingtoutilize the preseason Sun Belt cold shoulder as motivation for hisnew team.

“Absolutely,” he said.“All my guys onthe team have seen it right when it came out. We just have to keep ourheadsdown and continue to do what we do.”

From all accounts from summer workouts, what this team doesiswork harder than any playerhas imagined. In White’smind, histeam is already walking the walk —just behind the scenes to this point How it’sgoing to playout

Kevin Foote

on the court in terms of wins and losses remains to be seen, but Whiteand his staff sound moreold school than most would think in today’stransfer portal era.

Ateam-first attitude isn’t agoal to achieve as the season unfolds for this team. It was demanded since Day 1ofsummer workoutsin early June.

“They don’thave achoice with that,” White said. “I thinkitstarts in recruiting. Idon’tlike making mistakes in recruiting, so Iwant to hire character We’regoing to play for each other.We’re going to play together.”

Whitesaid not asingle player was latefor any of

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU tight end Trey’DezGreen makes atouchdown catch against Texas A&Mcornerback Will Lee and safety Marcus Ratcliffe in the first quarter on SaturdayatTiger Stadium.LSU lost to the Aggies 49-25.

Continued from page1C

Fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier exited the game with lessthan six minutesleft to play after getting sackedfor the sixth time.Assophomore Michael VanBuren replaced him, Nussmeier threw his helmet down in disgust on the sideline.

VanBuren found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kyle Parker for atouchdown on the drive, but the only thing the scoreaccomplished was making sure the loss wasn’tLSU’s most lopsided home defeat since 1999 against any team other than Alabama.

Twogame-changing interceptions gave LSUthe lead heading into halftime.

the6 a.m. summer conditioning sessions. His expected result of that is an aggressiveness on the court that demands a deep bench.

“I’ve got aclear-cut plan,” Whitesaid. “I’ve got to give extreme effort out there on thefloor,soguys will get tired theway we play

“There are levels tocompeting and levels toplaying hard and playing withintensity. I’m all about intensityand giving every ounce of effort and energy that you possible have on every possession. So if you’re going to require your guys to play hard, you’re going to have to have depth.”

It’sgoing to be fascinating to see how this first season under Whiteunfolds.

So far,the discussion has been in generalities. We’ll begin to hear someofthe specifics withanexhibition gameWednesday at North Texas and then see morein theseason opener at Ball StateonNov.3

CAJUNS

thethird.

Instead of wilting, Winfield led theCajuns on a10play, 62-yard drive in 5:47 to cut into Troy’slead.

A36-yard connection with Robertson on third and4 reached the Troy 31, but theCajuns had to settlefor a31-yard field goal by Tony Sternerand a28-20 deficit with 1:29 left in the third quarter

UL forced apuntonTroy’s next drive, a55-yarder that gave theballbacktothe Cajuns at the 9.

The homeopener is Nov. 7 against Southeastern Louisiana.

Time will tell how good this team will be.

White has madeitclear he puts an emphasis on developing players and earning playing timeand scoring opportunities.

He expects his players to expand on their skills as the season goes on, but if the effort isn’tthere, neither will the chances.

He plans on the 3-point shot being aweapon, starting with transfers Dariyus Woodson from North Dakota, Jaxon Olvera from Pepperdine, De’Vion Lavergne from Purdue-Fort Wayne, Sean Elkinton from Louisiana Tech and Jamyron Keller from Oklahoma State.

“Woodson came in as a really good shooter,” White said. “Sean Elkinton is an elite 3-point shooter.He’s physical and he’stough. And Dorian Finister may be the mostimproved 3-point

shooter on the team.” White also sees inside scoring ability “playing inside out” with sophomore returnee Jeremiah Evans and Portland transfer Todd Jones of New Orleans.

“Wehave someguys whocan shoot the 3and we can also score at ahigh level from all three levels,” White said. And we still haven’teven mentioned the highestrecruited player in the program’s history in Joshua Lewis from Tampa, Florida. We’ll all learn how this deep roster will function as the season plays out. At this point, all the preseason excitement seemsalmost too good to be true. The curiosity is through the roof Old and new UL fans, as well as Sun Belt Conference is about to find out how real this exciting new chapter is Cajuns basketball really is.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Continuedfrom page1C PROVIDED PHOTOByBENJAMIN

Winfield drove theCajuns 81 yards on 16 plays in 7:42, but again they had to settle for afield goal. Winfield had runs of 16 and 11 yards on thedrive, and Sampson had two grabs for 15 yards.

Sterner’s27-yard field goal made it 28-23 with 7:08 left to play. That put the ball in the defense’s court. All game, Troy shined on third down to extenddrives and it happened again.Kilcreasehit Ethan Conner for 27 yards on third and2 oneplaybeforeLovett’s19-yard TD runput thegameaway at 35-23 with 2:55 left.

Neither team hadbeen explosive in the first quarterthisseason, butbothoffenses had their moments early on in this one.

running backZylan Perrycelebrates a1-yard touchdown during the Cajuns’road game against Troy

at 8:27 of the first.

The Trojans then reeled off13more plays and burned 5:42 off of the clock on their next drive, but Scott Renfroe missed a48-yard field goal to keep the game tied.

At the time, the Troy offense had run 23 plays to only two for the Cajuns.

UL quarterback Walker Howard entered thegame but his first pass was to Jensen,who washit hard on the play as the ball deflected into the hands of White. White returned it 30 yardsfor atouchdown to tie the game. Jensen was injured on the play and didn’treturn.

LSU coachBrianKelly drops his head on the sideline after thedefense gave up a first down to TexasA&M in the third quarter oftheir game on SaturdayatTiger Stadium

Troy’s firsttwo drives were both long.

The first one covered 67 yards on 11 plays in 5:53 to for aquick 7-0 lead. An 18-yard run by Lovett counteracted Jordan Lawson’s9-yardsack to set up Kilcrease’s8-yard touchdownrun with 9:03 left in the first quarter.

UL needed only two plays to score. Winfield ran for 39 yards, then connected with awide-open Sampson on a36-yard touchdown pass as he was getting hit to tie the game

Winfield’s16-yard run crossed midfield, but the Cajuns had to settle for a 41-yard punt to the 4.

On th en ex tp la y, Kilcrease’spasswas deflected into the hands of Courtland Flowers, who returned it to the 1for UL.

Twoplays later,Zylan Perry scored from the 1 for a14-7 Cajuns’ lead.

Troy’s nextdrive covered 54 yards in eight plays, but UL got astop on fourth and 1atthe UL 26 for aturnover on downs. At that point, theCajuns had allthe momentum One play later,that all changed.

Twoplays from scrimmage later, Winfield was picked offbyKaleno Levine. Kilcrease later scored on 4-yard run to give Troy a21-14 edge. UL went more to the running game on the next drive and it worked with abig assist from a16-yard connection from Winfield to Sampson on third and 5tocross midfield. The drive stalled, and UL settled for a37-yard field goal from Sterner to cut Troy’sleadto21-17 with 1:51 leftuntil halftime.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

First, with Texas A&M on the doorstep of the end zone with 7:38 left in the opening half, senior LSU safety AJ Haulcy intercepted Reed’s pass andreturnedit25yards. Thanks in parttoanunnecessary roughness penaltyonthird down that kept the ensuing drive alive, LSU turned Reed’sinterception into six points. Nussmeier hit senior wide receiver Barion Brown for a41-yard reception that set the Tigers up in the red zone before Harlem Berryfound the end zone four plays later on a7-yard carry The score gave LSU a1514 lead despite kicker Damian Ramos missing the extra point. Berry’sscore was the second touchdown of his career as he finished thehalfwitheight carries for 56 yards. The second interception

Email Koki RileyatKoki Riley@theadvocate.com LSU

came on the Aggies’ next drive. Senior cornerback MansoorDelane batted Reed’s pass into the air,and redshirt junior HaroldPerkins caught it for thepick. LSUfailed to capitalize on the error with atouchdown, but Ramos made a30-yard field goal to hand the Tigers an 18-14 advantage at the half LSU finished the half with 189 total yards and won the time of possession battle. Nussmeier completed13of 20 passes for121 yards, but he wasalsosacked twice. The Tigers punted on their first drive but foundthe end zone on their next one, thanks to atouchdown pass from Nussmeier to sophomore tightend Trey’Dez Green that tiedthe score at 7-7. LSU surrendered atouch-

down on the Aggies’ ensuing drive, but freshman safety Jhase Thomas blocked Texas A&M’s punt on its next drive, batting theball through theend zone to cut theLSU deficit to14-9. It was LSU’sfirst blocked punt since Micah Baskerville accomplishedthe feat against Southern in 2022, which was Kelly’s first season in Baton Rouge. ForLSU fans, that wasa year filledwith hope and positivity for histenure. Now,four years later,those samefans chanted for his dismissalbefore Saturday’s loss had come to aclose. LSUisoff next week, then faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Nov.8

INJURY REPORT

SAINTS

No players with injurydesignations. BUCCANEERS

QUESTIONABLE: DT Vita Vea(foot)

OUT: OLB Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), RB Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), OT LukeHaggard (shoulder), WR Chris Godwin Jr.(fibula)

And just like that, Sunday’sbiannual matchup between the Bucs andSaints gotmuchmoreinteresting. Whatwould have been asnoozer between arebuilding Saints team and an injury-riddled Bucs squad suddenly got alot juicier While Mayfield’scomments made headlines andcaught the attention of the Saints, they refused to return fire or engageina pregame war of words. The players Ispoke to downplayed Mayfield’s comments andsaid they took no offense to them. Even veteran defensive endCam Jordan zipped his lips. The loquacious stalwart was noticeablyabsent from the locker room when reporters were pres-

everysingle week,” he said. “You can find motivation in every possible way.These aredivision games. Everyone’sexcited about division games.” True dat. While the AtlantaFalcons always will be Public Enemy No. 1toSaints fans, the Bucshave become thebiggest rival to the players. After all, thesetwo teams have combined to win the last eight division titles. It was theBucs who eliminated the Saints in theirlastplayoff game, ending Drew Brees’legendaryplaying careerin January 2021. Former SaintssafetyTyrann Mathieu referred to the Bucs-Saints series as “spiritedwarfare.” Few NFL rivalries

“I love trash talk,” Davis said. “I’m forall the smoke inside the white lines. But, Imean, this ain’tWrestleMania. So the pregametalk ain’twhere it’sat. (In football) we get achance to really duke it out inside the white lines. Idon’tthink there’snobody (with the Saints) that’s duckin’ smoke.” Mayfield’scomments added some much-needed spice to Sunday’sgame. The Bucs-Saints is always entertaining, and this one should be no different. Throw the records out the window.Let the smoke show begin. Email JeffDuncanatjduncan@ theadvocate.com.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Things always were going to be achallenge for the Saints this seasonafter theirstarting quarterback surprisingly announced his retirement four months before theseason opener.But Moore hascoaxed solidplayout of quarterback Spencer Rattler to this point.

Entering Sunday’sgame, the 2024 fifth-round pick Rattler ranks 15th among NFLquarterbacks in QBR (55.8) and 13th incompletion percentage (67.7%). On several statistical levels, he’splayed roughly the same or better than many of his first-round peers from theloaded 2024 draft class.

But the Saints are 1-6 for areason. While thedefenseand special teams have played big parts in that record,the offense is coming up short in severalkey areas. Take the red zone, forinstance.

Though it has found more explosive playsinthe passing game lately,New Orleans largelyhas been forced to sustain long drives, stringing 10 or more plays together to drive downfield. That hasn’t been much of aproblem, but finishing drives off has been.

“Weknow we’ve got to fix it, we know we’ve got to clean up in (the red zone)and make it happenongame day,” Rattler said.“We arereally goodbetween the 20s, it feels like, and thenweget downthere and stall out.” NFL quarterbacks are completing 58.1% of their passes inside the opponent’s20-yard line. Across the league, teams are converting 61.7%oftheir trips to the red zone into touchdowns. The Saints are completing 48.3% inside the red zone and areconverting only45% of their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns (9 for 20). Of the 24 quarterbacks with at least 20 red-zone passing attempts, only three are completing alower percentage in that area than Rattler Most of the Saints’ red-zone issues are tied to their passing offense. They are averaging 4.4 yards per carryinsidethe 20— No. 2in the NFL —and their +.21 ExpectedPoints Added (EPA) per rush in the red zone ranks seventh. But they rank 27th in EPAper drop back in the red zone.

ingwell in that critical situation: When facing athird and5 or less, New Orleans is converting first downs at a62.2% clip, the sixth-best percentageinthe NFL.

Butadd 1yard to what the Saints need, and those numbers plummet. Whenneeding 6or more yards on third down,New Orleans has converted just 9of52(17.3%).

Thirdand long is considered alow percentage play,nomatter who the teamis, but the Saints’ percentageismuch lower than it should be.

“Wehaven’tdone agood enough job putting our guys in positiontocapitalize,” Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said. “We’ve had opportunities; we haven’tseizedthe opportunities. We all need to do abetter job.”

Rattler,inparticular,has struggled in those third-and-long situations.

He hasdroppedback 42 timeswhenneeding 6ormore yardsonthird down, and he has taken nearly as many sacks (four)ashe’s thrown passes that converted first downs (five)

“There’sbeen some things we’re doing good. ... It’sfrustrating, because Ithink we’ve gottalent. Ithink we’ve gotalot of guys that want to do the right things, and sometimes the execution isn’tthere.”

ALVINKAMARA, Saints running back

Scoring three points instead of seven has come back to hurtthe Saints several times, as three oftheir six losses have come by seven or fewer points. Moore said he needs to do abetter job of sequencing his play calls in that phase of the game, and findways to manipulate the defense and create avenues to attack. Then there’sthe third-down issue. New Orleans is doing agoodjob when it comes to sustaining long drives. The Saints have had 17 drives that spanned 10 or more plays, which are tied for the second most in the NFL. They wouldnot be able to do that without somesuccess on third down.

OFFENSIVELEADERS

TEAM STATS

Thosefive conversionsrank 31st amongNFL quarterbacks, tied with Minnesotabackup Carson Wentz(who has played in twofewer games), despite Rattler ranking eighthinsuch attempts.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye converted threethird downs of 9yards or longer againstthe Saints alone. The Saints have notconvertedin thesamesituationorlonger this season. Sometimes,eventhe things that have been working for the Saints havecomeundone, like theydid last week against the Chicago Bears when the Saints doubled theirseason turnover total, tooka season-high four sacks and rushed for aseasonlow 44 yards.

“There’s been some things we’re doing good,and then there’s some things where it’s like we’ve got to figure it out to get to where we want to be,” runningback AlvinKamara said. “At times, it’sfrustrating, because Ithink we’vegot talent. Ithink we’ve got alot of guys that want to do the right things, and sometimes the execution isn’t there.”

With the results not where theywant them to be, the Saints and Mooreare forced to turn a critical eye toward their process

“Always,”Moore said.“You’ve gotthingsyou believe in, but you’re constantly trying to get better,whatever that may be. Whether that is the way we study thered zone,dowe needtofind better solutionsthere?Or third downonoffense, or defense, thethird-down pressure game.

“You’re constantly trying to say, ‘This is where we’re at, we feel good about these things, what are theareas we can keep growingin?’That’sall aspectsofour organization.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@ theadvocate. com.

In some ways the Saints are do-

STAFF PREDICTIONS

JEFF DUNCAN

BUCS 21,SAINTS19: Division gamesare always competitive, and theBucsare playing withoutthree of theirbestplaymakersbecause of injuries. AfterBaker Mayfield’s incendiary comments this week,the Saints will be ready. I’mjustnot sure it will be good enough

LUKE JOHNSON

BUCS 30,SAINTS20: The Buccaneers have been battling injuries throughout theseasonbut it hasn’t mattered much thanks to the play of QB BakerMayfield. He’s the difference in this game becauseof hisability to escape pressure and connectonbig playsdownfield.

BUCS 31,SAINTS20: The Buccaneers have anumberof significant injuriesbut still have enough firepowertoput up points on theSaints. QuarterbackBaker Mayfield—anMVP candidateinhis

TheSaints

Carson Gurzi, Carencro

It’s a weekly thing with Carencro’s passing attack.This time, the sophomore quarterback was 21-of26 passing for 422 yards and five touchdowns in the road demolition of Sulphur

PREP REWIND

FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT

Jaden Celestine, Comeaux

The workhorse junior running back for the Spartans just continues to deliver impact performances for Comeaux. In the team’s fifth win of the season, Celestine rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries in an overtime win over Northside

Alex Munoz, Teurlings

The Rebels quarterback has been steady all season long In Friday’s win, he was downright explosive, passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns and also running for 127 yards and another touchdown on 12 carries.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Collin Dore, Cecilia

The dual-threat quarterback for the Bulldogs helped Cecilia roll past Opelousas by completing 17 of 20 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns and also running for 35 yards and two more scores on six carries.

Luke McLain, Vermilion Catholic

The workhorse back played a huge role in Vermilion Catholic’s road blowout win over Opelousas Catholic. He rushed for 165 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries, booted six extra points and caught a 4-yard pass.

Acadiana gets key win over Southside

BY NICK FONTENOT

writer

Acadiana needed every ounce of grit it had to leave Southside on Friday night with a 17-14 win

It turned out to be a defensive struggle, and Acadiana certainly leaned on its defense most of the night to stay in the game.

But with 8:03 remaining in the game, Acadiana coach Doug Dotson looked to the veer offense to ice the game.

The final drive was a classic Acadiana march down the field — 14 plays, 73 yards and more than seven minutes burned from the clock.

The Rams capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown from Dion Simon, and Dotson said the plan was simple: Don’t give Southside the ball back with much time.

“I’m always thinking (to) burn clock,” Dotson said. “(Southside) has a dangerous offense. I did not want to give them any more time to try and make something happen.

We burned it all the way down to a minute, and they still got down there. They’re a good football team.”

Dotson admitted it wasn’t the cleanest performance from Acadiana’s offense, which struggled mightily to get things going all

game long. Dotson credited the Rams defense for bailing them out repeatedly

“We put the defense in bad spots all night,” Dotson said. “We were high 90% all year long converting on fourth down. Tonight, that cost us a little bit. But our defense responded and just played above themselves all night long.”

That defensive resilience was tested against a Southside offense that controlled much of the game’s rhythm. The Sharks led 14-10 at halftime and for the majority of the second half, but the final Acadiana drive proved to be too much to overcome.

“This is a tough one,” Southside coach Jess Curtis said. “We played well. We pretty much dictated the game. Defensively, we really did a great job. But that last drive from Acadiana, you know, that’s what championship teams do. Credit to them.”

The Sharks’ offensive execution sputtered late as they were unable to capitalize on their secondhalf possessions. Still, Curtis saw growth from his program in the loss.

“This game shows us that we’re on our way,” he said. “This was a quarterfinal or semifinal feel to this game tonight. Mistakes are

magnified, and we had our share, but our program is growing and learning. We’ll be better for it.” For the Rams, it was far from pretty, but Dotson said he hates the term “ugly win.” Dotson said he knows the mistakes that happened Friday must be cleaned up if they want to achieve their goals.

“When you don’t play like you’re capable of playing and you still win, that feels good,” Dotson said. “It could have easily gone the other way, but we kept sawing wood all night long. It’s got to be cleaner and it’s got to be better, but we didn’t give up on the veer, and in the end, it came through for us.”

Teurlings Catholic’s offense powers past East Ascension

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Another week, another question answered by the undefeated Teurlings Catholic Rebels.

But Friday’s home game against East Ascension, won by the Rebels 64-29, had a tinge of added importance with the Spartans of District 5-5A having former Teurlings Catholic head coach Dane Charpentier on staff (and father Sonny, along with other prominent coaches with area ties).

“Instead of our opponent, it’s about us and our process,” firstyear Rebels coach Michael Courville said. “The kids are smart. They’re well aware of who was on the other sideline. We addressed the elephant in the room early and went about our business.” The Rebels (8-0) scored on their first three possessions and outgained East Ascension 157-14 in the first quarter Senior quarterback Alex Munoz, who completed 10 of 11 passes to begin the game and had 191 passing yards at the half, finished with 265 yards on

10 completions and three touchdowns.

“It’s great to have that kid, as a first-year head coach,” Courville said of Munoz, who rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries, leading the team in that category

“We’re not a highly recruited school, and that’s a shame. Our kids may not have the measurables you want, but they have things you can’t teach. They have heart, they have grit, and that was on display tonight.”

Spencer Meche, who opened the scoring with a 6-yard run and broke loose for a 77-yarder and a 28-7 lead in the second quarter, finished with 104 yards on six carries.

“It’s amazing how good my teammates are, and how they support me,” said Meche, one of several tailbacks who rotate with the first-team offense. “Alex is one of the greatest QBs I’ve ever played for We have a great program and coach.”

East Ascension (5-3) got within 28-14 at the half on two TD passes from quarterback JJ Lebouef, but Jacob Dean intercepted Leb-

ouef on the first play of the third quarter Ian Schwander ran for 11 yards, and Munoz kept from 8 yards to extend the lead.

“Dean’s interception really gave us momentum,” said Courville, who also got interceptions from Kaden Chavis (pick-six) and linebacker Jaxon Broussard. “Anytime you go up against Dane and hold them to 29 is pretty good, if we’re being honest. I believe he’s the best offensive coordinator in Louisiana. It’s hard to argue with that.”

Andrew Viator hauled in eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Nicholas Celestine added four grabs for 60 yards, and Quinn Simon caught a 27-yard TD pass Schwander, who made his return along with tailback Cason Evans (5-25), ran for an 8-yard score and a 50-21 lead during a sequence in the third quarter where four touchdowns were scored in less than two minutes.

“Our guys want to win, no matter whether we’re playing East Ascension or the Saints,” Courville said. “They want to play and have fun. Tonight, they definitely

did that.”

A.J. Price caught three passes for 40 yards and threw a two-point conversion to Munoz. Schwander rushed for 50 yards on eight carries. That sets up next week’s home game against St. Thomas More (62) for the District 4-4A title

“That’s the game everybody circles,” Courville said. “We’ll be back here tomorrow to put this one to bed and go on to STM prep.

I think the kids are excited for the challenge. This is the big one, the one across town everybody looks at. We haven’t had success in quite some time. It’s time to put that in the rearview mirror, get to work and have a lot of fun.”

Brystan Martinez, East Ascension’s 6-foot-7, 300-pound LSU commitment, is projected as an offensive lineman, but he played quarterback, running back, tight end and wideout while wearing a No. 88 jersey

The four-star prospect caught two passes for 28 yards, ran for 11 tough yards between the tackles on four attempts and threw a successful two-point conversion.

PREP REWIND

Comeauxrallies in second half to beat NorthsideinOT

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Offensively,things couldn’t have gone any worse for the Comeaux Spartans than they did in the first half of Friday’sgame against Northside.

The Spartans fumbled the football four times (lost two), unsuccessfully ran afake punt at their own 17-yard line, were 0-for-6 on third downs, picked up onefirst down and finished with negative-2 yards of total offense en route to being down 14-0 at halftime.

Luckily for coach Marquis Newsome and the Spartans,there was still another half to play And they made the most of it Behind adefense that made enough stops to keep thegame close until the offense found its footing and running backJaden Celestine, the Spartans (5-3 overall, 3-2 district) outscored the Vikings 28-7 the restofthe game to claim a28-21 overtime victory over Northside.

“All glory to God,” Newsome said. “Wehave comesofar,so quickly,man. Twoyears ago, we would have been down by 14 and ended up losing by 50. But that’s not the case anymore.”

The victory gave the Spartans theirfirst five-win season since 2019.

In what was truly ataleoftwo halves, the Spartans looked like a different team in the second half.

Star rusher Celestine, who had 12 carries for 18 yards in the first half, rushed for 165yardsand four touchdowns afterhalftime en route to agame-high 183 yards on 28 carries.

“He’sthe heartbeat ofthis team,” Newsome said. “He’sjust amazing.”

Celestine said the key to his explosive second half was achange in mindset by the Spartans.

“That first half was crazy,” Celestine said.“Butinthe second half, we changed our mindset.We developed adog mentality,and we just said that if we wanted it, then we had to go get it. And we did that.”

But the comeback required morethanjust Celestine,as Caden Reeser helped make it all possible with anotherbig fourthdown conversion. With the Spar-

Comeaux 28, Northside21

Team Northside Comeaux First Downs 13 13

YardsRushing 36-147 48-218

YardsPassing 67 0 Passes (C-A-HI) 5-23-1 0-3-0

Punts-avg.7-35 5-30.4

Fumbles-lost 2-1 7-2

Penalties-yards11-81 8-55

SCORING SUMMARY Northside 77 700—21

Comeaux 00156 7—28

NHS —Kamron Celestine 1run (Joseph Escoto kick)

NHS —Kaleb Josephe 23 run (Escoto kick)

COM —Jaden Celestine31run (IulianPop run)

NHS —Celestine 13 run (Escoto kick)

COM —Celestine 9run (Caden Reeser kick)

COM —Celestine 37 run (Kick blocked)

COM —Celestine 9run (Reeser kick)

tanstrailing 21-15 with lessthan two minutes remaining in the game andfacingfourth-and-12 from theirown 39-yard line, Reeser took areverse 28 yards for a first down at the Vikings 33. “Caden is oneofthosekids who reallyhas bought into ourprogram,”Newsomesaid. “Hewants to helpusinany way that he can. He’sour kicker,punter and he plays receiver.Whenwerun that reverse tohim, he alwaysgets what we need.He’samazing.”

Twoplays later,Celestine raced 37 yards for atouchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with 54 seconds left. Reeser’sPAT was blocked to leave the gametied. With the ball firstinovertime from the Vikings 10-yard line, it tookthe Spartans threeplays as Celestinescoredona 9-yard run

to put Comeaux ahead 28-21.

“Jaden is adog,” Spartans defensive lineman Larry Valier said. “He showed why he’saDivision I (recruiting prospect).”

Any chance the Vikings had of tying the game ended almost instantly,asthe Spartans forced and recovered afumble on the first play to secure thehomecoming victory

“Coach told us to go out there and make aplay,” Valier said. “So, that’swhat we did. We went out there and did what we’re supposed to do.”

Considering thejob Valier and the defense did in keeping the Spartansinthe game, Celestine said “I owe them.”

“Oh, Iowe thoseguys lunch,” Celestine said. “Theystepped up big time for us. They stepped up when we really needed them.”

Chace Dugas finished witha team-high 89 yards on 18 carries, while Kamron Celestinerushed for47yards andtwo touchdowns on 14 carries in the losing effort for theVikings (5-3, 2-2).

“This win was veryimportant for us,” Jaden Celestine said. “This win hopefully puts us into theplayoffs We want that playoff spot.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Bellard, LCAcruisepastWelsh

BY BRANDON COMEAUX

Contributing writer

The Lafayette Christian Academy Knights scored early andoften Friday night as they went into Welsh and dominated the Greyhounds 52-14.

“I thought our offenseclicked early,and you could see the selflessness,” LCA coach Matt Standiford said. “Defensehad some major bright spots minus onedrive. It took theoffense only aminute and ahalf of game time to get on the scoreboard as UL commit and senior quarterback Braylon Walker found senior wide receiver Draylon August for a20-yard touchdown catch. Walker went on to tossthree more touchdowns, completing 5 of 9passes for 129 yards andfour touchdowns Sophomore running back Caiden Bellard even threw atouchdown pass of his ownasOklahoma commit and wide receiver Brayden Allen took the ball 46 yards to the end zone. Allen finished with two receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Bellard also continued his sensational season on thegroundas he went over the 1,000-yard mark on a7-yard touchdown run in the

Lafayette Christian 52, Welsh 14

Team Lafayette Christian Welsh

First Downs 19 7

YardsRushing 224 73 YardsPassing 218 67 Passes (C-A-HI) 10-14-0 2-7-1

Punts-avg.1-40 6-30

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1

Penalties-yards7-60 2-15

SCORING SUMMARY

Lafayette Christian 35 14 03 —52

Welsh 70 07 —14

LCA— Draylon August 20 pass from Bray-

lon Walker (Jude Fairchild kick)

LCA— Braxton Gary 2run (Fairchild kick)

LCA— Brayden Allen 46 pass from Walker

(Fairchild kick)

LCA— Jace Babineaux32pass from Walker

(Fairchild kick)

WEL —Colt Miller 31 pass from Grant Haydel (Kick good)

LCA— Kaden Ledet 6pass from Walker

(Fairchild kick)

LCA—Allen 71 pass from Walker (Fairchild kick)

LCA— Caiden Bellard14run (Fairchild kick)

LCA— Fairchild 30 FG

WEL —Miller 36 pass from BrysonPrudhomme (kick good)

second quarter,puttingLCA on top 49-7.

“Great things continue to happen becauseofhis selflessness,” said Knights running backs coach Ty Fenroy,whom Bellard calls a mentor. “(When you)stayhumble, the sky is the limit.”

Fenroy also referenced Bellard’s“praising ofthe big guys upfront,” which Bellard is often quick to do when asked abouthis success on the field

“Bellard getting 1,000 yards rushingisa team thingbecause everyone contributes to it,” Stan-

diford said. “All 11 guys hold the responsibility of doingtheir individual job, andwhen they do, great thingshappen.” Bellard finished with 160 yards rushing andone touchdownon only 13 carries, along with the 46yard touchdown pass to Allen Defensively,juniorlinebacker Kaleb Simon led the Knights with six tackles and asack. Sophomore linebacker CarterRoberts had five tackles and aforced fumble, andjunior cornerback Davion Batiste hadaninterception. LCA held Welsh to 72 yards of total offense in the first half and 138 yards for thegame. With the offense clicking and the defense dominating, it allowed for the backup players to get somevaluable reps.

“Our young guys playedwith great effort, andI was gladto see them get someplaying time,” Standiford said.

Despite this game coming on theheels of ahugevictoryover Notre Dame and Evangel awaiting LCA next week, Standiford saidhis team was notgoing to overlook fellow District 6-2A opponent Welsh.

“When you focus on going 1-0, it helps to eliminate overlooking an opponent,” Standifordsaid.

STATESCORES

SUMMARIES

Abbeville 12, Kaplan 7 Team KaplanAbbeville

First Downs 17 12

YardsRushing 47-266 19-83

YardsPassing 21 202

Passes(C-A-HI) 2-4-1 17-21-0

Punts-avg.0-0 1-42

Fumbles-lost 3-2 0-0

Penalties-yards7-35 6-50

SCORING SUMMARY

Kaplan 7000 —7

Abbeville 6600 —12

ABB —Camerson Samuels 10 pass from Dazavien Maze(Run failed)

KAP —De’Maurion Cormier 4run (Gannon Smith kick)

ABB —JacolbyCampbell 22 pass from Maze (Run failed)

Acadiana 17, Southside 14

Team AcadianaSouthside First Downs 14 14

YardsRushing 189 121

YardsPassing 66 52

Passes(C-A-HI) 4-8-0 4-18-0

Punts-avg.3-38.7 6-29.2

Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-0

Penalties-yards9-96 5-51

SCORING SUMMARY

Acadiana 73 07 —17

Southside 0140 0—14

ACAD —Dion Simon 69 run(Josh Marquezkick)

SOU —JustinWilliams 4run (Grant Barras kick)

ACAD —Marquez28FG

SOU —Kollen Francois28passfromParkes Dies (Barraskick) ACAD —Simon1 run (Marquezkick) Carencro66, Sulphur 34 Team CarencroSulphur First Downs 31 18

YardsRushing 241 216

YardsPassing 422 141

Passes(C-A-HI)21-36-0 12-22-2

Punts-avg.0-0 4-30

Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties-yards11-108 10-190

SCORING SUMMARY

Carencro1327260 —66

Sulphur 0147 13 —34

CAR—Kendrick Bernard33passfromCarson Gurzi(Runfailed)

CAR—BrennanCormier 1run (Matthew Latham kick)

CAR—Cormier 2run (Latham kick)

SUL —Jayden Shirley 10 pass from Dalton

Shirley (Ethan Stephenson kick)

CAR—BrandonDuffy 2passfromGurzi (Passfailed) CAR—Chantz Babineaux 17 pass from Gurzi (Latham kick)

SUL —Jayden Shirley 49 pass from Dalton

Shirley (Stephensonkick)

CAR—Babineaux 56 pass from Gurzi (Cardaye Batiste run)

SUL —Dalton Shirley 53 run(Stephenson kick)

CAR—Khylen Taylor20run (Kick failed)

CAR—JeremyArceneaux 5run (Holden Linck kick)

CAR—Duffy 47 pass from Gurzi (Linck kick)

CAR—Taylor1run (Kick failed)

SUL —Tyler Joubert 5run (Stephenson kick)

SUL —Jordan Jardneaux 4passfromDalton Shirley (Kick blocked)

Church Point54, Crowley14

Team Church PointCrowley

First Downs 14 3

YardsRushing 256 112 YardsPassing 168 0 Passes(C-A-HI)5-8-0 0-3-0

SCORING SUMMARY

Church Point 21 14 712—54 Crowley0 08 6—14

CP —Chad Brooks34run (Seth Allemankick)

CP —Jarrison Reese 72 pass from Luke Baudoin (Allemankick)

CP —Reese 40 punt return (Alleman kick)

CP —Reese 81 pass from Baudoin(Alleman kick)

CP —Brooks 1run (Allemankick)

CP —Reese 60 punt return (Alleman kick)

CROW—68run (Run good)

CP —Daylon Leger62run (Kick failed)

CROW—60kickoff return (Kick failed)

CP —Wesley Kirkpatrick 46 run (Kickfailed) Erath 45, St. Martinville 0

Team St.Martinville Erath First Downs 10 13

YardsRushing 27-83 32-231

YardsPassing 65 68 Passes(C-A-HI)10-17-0 8-14-0

Punts-avg.6-28.5 1-23

Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-0

Penalties-yards6-44 2-10

SCORING SUMMARY

SMSH 000 0—0

Erath 11 13 14 7—45

EHS —Talen Landry 27 pass from Jack Landry (Talen Landry run)

EHS —Carlos Arellano 24 FG

EHS —Jack Landry 7run (Arellano kick)

EHS —Aiden Bourque (Kick blocked)

EHS —Jahlil Charles 1run (Arellano kick)

EHS —Landon Lemaire34run (Arellanokick)

EHS —Jahlil Charles 43 run (Arellano kick)

Loreauville 40, Catholic-NI 28

Team Loreauville Catholic-NI First Downs 19 17

YardsRushing 324 126

YardsPassing 25 154

Passes(C-A-HI) 3-5-1 9-22-0

Punts-avg.0-0 1-30

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards2-20 5-41

SCORING SUMMARY

Loreauville 14 7136 —40

Catholic-NI 77 014—28

LOR—Blake Delcambrekickoff return (Andrew Chambers kick)

CATH —MaddoxNacol 19 pass from Xander LaBauve(James Chauvin kick)

LOR—Thomas Carter10run (Andrew Chambers kick)

CATH —KhylonEdwards 45 pass from LaBauve(Chauvin kick)

LOR—Eli Landry 10 pass from Delcambre (Chamberskick)

LOR—Delcambre47run (Chambers kick)

LOR—Delcambre13run (Kick failed)

CATH —OwenMorris1run (Chauvin kick)

LOR—Ridge Honore4run (Chambers kick)

CATH —Edwards 20 pass from LaBauve (Chauvinkick) Northwest40, Mamou 0 Team Northwest Mamou First Downs 10 1

YardsRushing 142 16 YardsPassing 134 0 Passes(C-A-HI) 10-15-1 0-1-0 Punts-avg.0-0 1-38 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards2-30 4-20

SCORING SUMMARY Northwest 714190 —40 Mamou 000 0—0

NW —CourtlonYoung 19 pass from Chaise Dupre(Gavin Fontenot)

NW —Ke’von Johnson 2run (Fontenot kick)

NW —Reginald Lavergne 10 pass from Justin Chavis (Fontenot

Peak Zion,rookies providehopefor Pels

The New Orleans Pelicans have played101 minutes of basketball this season.

That’s48minutes in theseasonopening road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and 53 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the Smoothie King Center

It’sasmall sample size in the long grind of an 82-game season, especially for ateam with so many new faces. But here are five thingswe have learned about the Pelicans so far:

Peak Zion

Zion Williamsonlooks as good as he has since arriving in New Orleansin2019.

Forget the 27 points he scored against both the Grizzlies and Spursinthe first two games of the season. Scroll past the 9.5 reboundshe’s averaging. Skip the six assists per game he’sdished out.

Heck, there’snoneed to even talk about the league-best four steals per game he’shad through the first two games of the season The real stat that matters is the one under the “minutes played” column.

He played 33:28 against Memphis in Wednesday’sseason opener and 36:59 against the Spurs in Friday’shome opener

The minutes playedagainst the Spurs are more than Williamsonplayed in any game last season.

NewOrleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson scores to tie the game against the San Antonio Spurs on Fridayatthe Smoothie King Center Williamson is off to agreat startafter the first twogames of the season

ä Celtics at Pelicans 7P.M. MONDAy, KNGC

CountSpurs coach Mitch Johnson among those who said this could beaspecialyear for Williamson.

“It means alot,” Williamson said about his minutes. “It definitely shows the work that I’ve put in. It definitely showsthatmy coaches and the staff trust me to go outthere and do that. It felt great andI’m going to keep that momentum going.”

“He’sadynamic player that continues to add to his game,” Johnson said.“He’saunique athlete, something likewe’ve never seen. It’sgood to see him healthy

and playing at ahigh level. I’m sure he’sready for arock-star year because he looks very sharp.” Johnson has arock star of his own in Victor Wembanyama. Wembyscored 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked nine shotsFriday. He’sthe reason the Spurs were awarded 22 nationally televised games this season.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, are on national TV just twice. If Williamson continues playing like he’splaying, he’ll show the league

they got it wrong. Still fallingshort

The Pels are 0-2 because of their inability to finish games.

They got outscored 41-22 in the thirdquarter against the Grizzlies.

“If we’re trying to win, we can’t have quarters like that,” Williamson said.

On Friday,the Pels trailed 109107 when Wembanyama fouled out with 4:17 remaining in overtime. These are the kind of games thePelicans should win, but they didn’t.

“I thought we got afew good looks that we missed,” coach Willie Green said. “They madea couple more plays than us. That’s really what it comes downto.”

The inability to finish games or put afull four quarters together is why the Pelicans have lost nine games in arow dating to last season.

Trusting thenewbies

Youknew rookies Jeremiah Fearsand Derik Queen would contribute this season, but nobody expected theduo to play in crunch time in their second NBA games. But there they were —along with Williamson, Trey Murphy and Jordan Poole —in thefinal minutes of regulation and most of the overtime period Friday night.

Queen played 35 minutes and finished with 15 points, sixrebounds and two blocks. Fears played 29 minutes and scored 13 points to go with four rebounds, two steals and an assist

“I saw alot of poise from both guys at the end of the game, throughoutthe whole gamereally,” Green said. “You can tell they want it.”

SCOREBOARD

Green BayatPittsburgh, 7:20 p.m.

Open: Jacksonville, LasVegas, Arizona, Detroit, L.A. Rams, Seattle Monday’s Games Washington at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m. Major League Baseball MLBPostseason Glance AllTimes Central x-if necessary WORLD SERIES (Best-of-7) (FOX) Toronto 1, LosAngeles 0 Friday, Oct. 24: Toronto 11, LosAngeles 4 Saturday, Oct. 25: LosAngeles at Toronto, n Monday, Oct. 27: Toronto at LosAngeles 7:08 p.m. (FOX) Tuesday, Oct. 28: Toronto at LosAngeles 7p.m. (FOX) x-Wednesday, Oct. 29: Toronto at LosAngeles,7 p.m. (FOX) x-Friday, Oct. 31: LosAngeles at Toronto, 7p.m. (FOX) x-Saturday, Nov. 1: LosAngeles at Toronto, 7p.m. (FOX) Late Friday Toronto 11, L.A.Dodgers 4 LosAngeles Toronto ab rhbi ab rh bi Ohtani dh 41 12 Springerdh5 12 0 Betts ss 41 10 Schneiderlf3 00

Freeman 1b 30 00 Barger ph-rf 21 24 Smith c3 011 Guerrero1b4 12

Toronto at Dallas, 6:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 8p.m. Portland at L.A. Clippers, 8p.m. Late Friday SanAntonio 120, New Orleans 116 FG FT Reb SA MinM-A M-AO-T APFPTS

Barnes 34:13 2-52-2 0-15 27

Chmpgn35:58 3-80-0 1-93 07

Wemby32:18 13-23 3-43-112 629

Castle 33:27 5-12 3-60-5 63 16

Vassell39:49 8-19 1-21-5 14 23

Kornet 34:33 6-92-4 9-12 41 14

Harper 25:36 3-12 6-61-5 35 13

Johnson19:14 4-70-2 5-10 16 8

McLghln 6:25 1-20-0 0-00 03

Bryant 3:28 0-10-0 0-10 00

Totals 265:00 45-98 17-2620-59 25 27 120

Percentages: FG .459, FT .654.

3-Point Goals: 13-43, .302 (Vassell 6-14, Castle 3-8, McLaughlin 1-2, Barnes1-3,Harper 1-5, Champagnie 1-6, Bryant 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Wembanyama 0-3) Team Rebounds:12. Team Turnovers: 1. BlockedShots:13(Wembanyama 9, Barnes 2, Castle, Kornet). Turnovers: 18 (Castle9,Vassell 4, Harper 3, Champagnie 2)

Steals: 6(Barnes, Castle, Champagnie, Harper, Vassell, Wembanyama). Technical Fouls: Kornet, 5:32 second. FG FT Reb NOLA MinM-A M-AO-T APFPTS

Murphy45:50 9-18 3-33-105 224

Wllmsn36:59 8-18 11-16 5-10 72 27 Bey 27:47 3-70-0 2-32 09 Jones 28:22 0-80-0 2-72 50 Poole 41:22 8-20 2-21-4 54 21 Queen 34:45 6-11 3-41-6 16 15 Fears 28:395-8 3-41-4 12 13 Hawkns 17:48 3-70-0 1-11 07 Alvarado 3:28 0-00-0 0-00 00 Totals 265:00 42-97 22-2916-45 24 21 116

Percentages: FG .433, FT .759. 3-Point Goals: 10-32, .313 (Bey 3-4, MurphyIII 3-8, Poole 3-9, Hawkins1-4,Fears 0-1, Queen 0-1, Jones 0-5). Team Rebounds:10. Team Turnovers: 2. BlockedShots:3(Queen 2, Poole) Turnovers: 13 (Williamson 4, Poole3,Fears 2, Jones 2, Murphy III, Queen). Steals: 10 (MurphyIII 3, Williamson 3, Fears 2, Jones, Queen). Technical Fouls: Jones, 3:11 second. San Antonio 30 27 25 25 13 —120 New Orleans 27 31 22 27 9— 116 A_18,363 (16,867). T_2:43.

As farasthe other new pieces Joe Dumars brought it, you knew what Poole would bring. But the addition of Saddiq Bey is one that may be even better than anyone imagined.

Biggestearly concerns

The 3-point shooting, particularly in the second half,has been underwhelming. The Pelicans have made20of593-pointers. They are 14 of 34 beyond the arc in the first half

The numbers dip in the second half,when they have madejust 6 of 25. After Friday night’sgame, the Pelicans’ 29.5 3-point attempts per gameranked 27th in the league.

They’ll need to shoot moreof them.But moreimportantly, they’ll need to makemore. And the lack of size with Yves Missi, Kevon Looney and Karlo Matkovic all nursing injuries is also aconcern. The Pels got outrebounded 59-45 Friday night. The addition of DeAndre Jordan should help.

It feelsdifferent

This will sound like I’mtalking out of both sides of my mouth after mentioning the record earlier.Yes, they are 0-2. But there appears to be somepromise with the depth and talent. The talent alone should makethis team fun to watch.

“I just think our sense of urgency as ateam and as players as we have growninour careers is higher,” Murphy said. “I feel like we are playing with alot more fight than we have played with in the past. So Ithink it’sastep in the right direction.”

Twogames into the season, he may be right. Toobad they don’thave the wins to show forit.

4. (22)

(1)RossChastain,

97.568. 14. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 97.553. 15. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 97.523. 16. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford,97.442. 17. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 97.422. 18. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford,97.417. 19. (6)BradKeselowski, Ford,97.342. 20. (3)AustinDillon, Chevrolet, 97.332. 21. (23) BubbaWallace, Toyota, 97.312. 22. (88) Shane VanGisbergen, Chevrolet, 97.297. 23. (38) Zane Smith, Ford,97.083. 24. (42) John H. Nemechek,Toyota, 97.053. 25. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 97.008. 26. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet,96.978. 27. (21) Josh Berry,Ford, 96.959. 28. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 96.959. 29. (17) Chris

p.m.

LIVING

Acadiana singer garners millions of views on social media

Singer S. Dott, aformer college football player and Opelousas police officer,can’t look away from the numbers. The figures have nothing to do with touchdowns or arrests.

TwoofS.Dott’sline dance originals, “Slow Wind”and “Cowgirl Trailride (feat. Tonio Armani),” have collected 400 million TikTok views. That doesn’tinclude the millions of views that fans have generated with video selfies of both dances.

S. Dott can also figure in his acting role as the hunky boyfriend of R&B star Leela James in her latest video, “Right on Time.” The video has been viewed 4million times in just five months on YouTube.

The stardom is almost overwhelmingfor anative of Lawtell —aSt. Landry Parish village that has no traffic light but holdsdeep roots in zydeco music and Creole cowboy culture.

“It’sablessing,” saidS.Dott, 35, aka Shone Richard. “A lot of people don’tunderstand it because they’ve never seen it happen before. After ‘Slow Wind,’ alot people were like, ‘That was just luck.’The next one comes and it’sbigger than ‘Slow Wind.’ I’m thankful.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

Singer S. Dott is aformer college football playerand Opelousas police officer

Richard enjoys popularityin music worlds that fly beneath the mainstream radar.Zydeco, fueled by Creole accordion and flavors of R&B and rap, draws thousands of fans to clubs, festivals and trail rides throughout south Louisiana and southeast Texas.

Zydeco is finding favor with fans of Southern soul,ahaven for party songs and blues, like Mel Waiter’s“Holeinthe Wall” and “Keep on Rollin’”byKing George. Buttunes about cowboys, cowgirls, trailridesand country life, with accompanying line dances, now dominate the scene, eveninmetro areas outside of the South.

ä See S. DOTT, page 4D

TBY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

he darkest part of night seemstolinger at the bridge where, according to Google Maps, Parish Road 140 becomes Bayou Tortue Road

Ask anyone who haschanced driving thereatnight, and they’ll describe howthe darkness seems to envelop everything. Is it real or imagined? Maybe alittle of both. That’s howlegends work, and this one involves themanifestation of agirl in white on this bridge that crossesBayouTortue outside of Broussard. Well, back that up. This is alegend, after all, andscary aone at that. So,afew rules that have to be metbefore the girl willappear First, thecar must stop in the middle of thebridge with the motor turned off. Don’tworry about disrupting traffic, because there

Skelebrity graveyardturns BR

Graffiti and bullet holes mark a weight-limit sign displayedata small bridge.

won’tbeany.After that, all passengers must say“Mary Jane” three times Mary Jane is theghost girl namesake of what is unofficially called theMary Jane Bridge. By this time, all arms will be covered in goosebumps, prompting an attempttorestart thecar

But the motor will be dead —as dead as the darkness surrounding the bridge.

And all passengers can do at this point is get out and start pushing. Once the car crosses from the bridge to the road, the motor should restart, that is, if the car crosses over before Mary Jane

“gets you.”

“It’ssaid that Mary Jane shows up on the bridge after you call her three times,” Breaux Bridge resident and musician Yvette Landry said. “You have to push your car offthe bridge as fast as you can before she gets you.”

Landry has tried her ownhand at the legend.

“I vaguely remember going out there with somefriends when I was in high school,” she said. “We stopped the car and said her name twice, but we never madeittothe third time. We weretoo scared.

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

In thecrisp Octoberair,cars lined Bocage Boulevard as onlookers walkedbeneath thelive oaks’ dappled shade.Neighbors satingolf carts, mouths agape, staring at theover-the-topHalloween spectacle Rebecca Rathbone Harrod hadcreated in her Baton Rouge front yard. Meanwhile, Harrodsat on her bedroom floor,blissfully painting

red flowers on a$1brown suit she bought at athrift storefor Ludacris (Luda-crypt). Hermother, Michele Rathbone,sat nearby, hot-gluing braids to askull that would soon belong to Snoop Dogg. For years, Harrod, aBaton Rouge mother of six, told friends she wanted to create acelebrity graveyard. In previous years, she decorated heryard withskeletonsfor Halloween but never did it up big. On Oct. 1, whenafriend told her,“If you’re going to do it up big, now’s the time,” Harrod took the plunge. With hertwinsonsawayat college, shethought aboneyard would be fun for her younger children. Within the first week of committing to the task, she had named, decorated and situated at least 80 skeletons —and she has not stopped since. “I had asked my family to send

Troubadoursroyalty celebrates thewines of Aquitaine

Mardi Gras 2026 comes early

this Carnival season. So,naturally, all the customary pre-parties and gatherings are taking place early, as well. We are now in the throes of royalty announcements. Even in early October,krewes are hosting formal breakfasts,luncheons and cocktail parties to officially introduce their Kings, Queens, and royal courts to members and guests.

Kris

Wartelle

The Kreweof Troubadours held its annual royalty presentation Oct. 12 at the City ClubinRiver Ranch. The formal luncheon drew more than 100 krewe members, who cametogether to welcome the newly crowned Queen Berengaria, EmilyBroussard, and King Richard, EricMovassaghi During the event, the queen’sroyal court was also introduced to the assembled members.

Best of all, thethemefor this year’sball was announced. The court will take amagical trip through southwestern France celebrating thewines of Aquitaine. Royal maids will wear costumes representing cabernet, merlot, and my favorite, Champagne, to name afew

We look forward to seeing all themagic happen when the royal members hit the stageonFeb. 7. If that sounds early,consider that this year,the very first Mardi Gras ball takes place on Jan. 10. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras day,isonFeb. 17. So get ready Acadiana, it’sgoing to be a fast and festive season.

Domingue celebrates 90 yearsoffamily, friends, accomplishments

Hundredsoffamily members, relatives andfriends gathered Oct. 10 to celebratethe 90th birthdayofFloydDomingue,former directorofadministration forLafayette City Government.

Domingue hasa list of accomplishments almostaslong as hislistoffamily members. He is known for histime serving as Lafayette’s directorofadministration, wherehewas responsiblefor all City Hall employees.While there, he was instrumental in directingprograms andfinancial moves that helpedsave thecity money.Healso workedasa landman andworked for several companies including PrideOil andGas and Texaco.

Domingue hasbeenactiveinmanycivic andsocialorganizations. In 2008, he was chosen King Lacassinefor theKrewe of Attakapas. He also servedaskingofthe men’s Krewe of LesBrigands

The birthday partywas hosted by hiseldest son, Joey,and hiswife, Michelle Domingue. The couple’shomewas filled with numerous family members, whichincludedDomingue’s wifeof47years, Verona,his sixchildren, 16 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. He hasa newgreat-great-grandchild,aswell. This partyhad everythingyou’d expect fromahuge celebration of family and friends. There were also afew unexpected perks. The amazing entertainmentand music room in Joey andMichelle’shome wouldrival anyupscalenightclubinLafayette.And the livebandwas wonderful

Reflectingonthismilestone, we asked the guest of honorwhatkeepshim moving at 90 yearsold.Hetold us it is hisfaith

“I wake up thanking God forevery day,” Domingue said.Amen to that.

Happy birthday, Mr.Floyd. Youare indeed blessed.

TRAVEL

Explorethe‘happyaccident’ of Coca-Cola

BY CHERÉ COEN

Contributing writer

JosephBiedenharnwasn’tasinterested in his father’sshoestore on Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi, as he was in hisuncle’scolorful confectionary shop.

At ayoungage at theturnof the 20th century,hetook more pleasure in learning how to create avariety of confections. After Uncle Henry Biedenharn left the business to Joseph, then 22, the young entrepreneur added asoda fountain to serve cool drinks to his customers. His invention that followed woulddeliver abrand that took the world by storm.

Ahappy accident

Soda fountains in the early years produced drinksmade from carbonated water flavored with avariety of syrups that were served to customers in small glasses.

Joseph Biedenharn, the son of German immigrants, servedhis from Biedenharn &Son on Vicksburg’sbusy Washington Street. In 1891, acustomer ordered 10 cases of soda waterfor their Fourth of July picnic, but thelocalbottling companycouldn’thandlethe big order

Discouraged, he decidedtotry his hand bottling and distributing flavoredsoda water

Around the same time, pharmacist John Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia, struggled with pain resulting from asaber wound inflicted during the Civil War. To alleviate his morphine addiction, he created adrink containing alcohol and cocaine. He later perfected the blend, lowering the spiritsand adding carbonated water. He promoted it as asoda which his friend nicknamed “Coca-Cola.”

Pemberton sold the patent and recipe to Atlanta pharmacistAsa Griggs Candler,where it became acompany in 1892 and later the world’smost popular drink

But at the time of Pemberton’s invention, Coca-Cola was only sold

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

individually in soda shops, such as Biedenharn’sinVicksburg where it enjoyed robust sales. JosephBiedenharn began bottlingthe dark brown concoction in the summer of 1894 and its popularity soared despite its initial slowprocess.

“Bottling Coca-Cola was slow and labor-intensive,”said Ralph Calhoun,executive director to the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens in Monroe. “They hadtomake the bottles one at atime.”

Monroe connections JosephBiedenharn hadenormous success with his bottling of Coca-Cola, and advancements in bottlingtechniques expanded the operation

Members of his family joined thebusiness, and in 1912 theBiedenharn Candy Company opened bottling plants in Monroeand Shreveport with later bottling establishments in Texas, Arizona and Wyoming Visitors to Vicksburg can view the early machinery Joseph Bie-

denharn used, plus theoriginal bottles and avariety of memorabilia —even receive aCoke float at thesodafoundation —atthe Bie-

denharn Coca-Cola Museum at the original business location at 1107 Washington St. In Monroe, visitors can also

learnthe Biedenharn bottling story at the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens,plusenjoy the accompanying Bible Museum established by Joseph Biedenharn’sdaughter Emy-Lou, who enjoyed asuccessfuloperaticcareerinthe 1920s and 1930s.

TheMonroe family homecompletes the museum complex, which includes Emy-Lou’selaborate Elsong Garden and Conservatory Wheretostay

Another German family that immigrated to Vicksburg wereLazarus andLeonaBaer,who built an Eastlake Victorian homein1870 in today’shistoric district.

The two-storyBaer House Inn with its six guest roomsand elaborate parlors reopened in early October under new owners and serves as an elegant bed-andbreakfast. Visitors mayenjoy breakfast in the formal dining and living area,play billiards or read in the well-stocked library Each room has been accented by period antiques, regional history books and Civil Warmemorabilia.

The Hotel Monroe in downtown Monroe is another newcomer to the scene, locally owned but part of theTapestryCollectionbyHilton.

Twobuildings, one agrocery and the neighbor ahardware store, nowcombinetoserveasa boutique accommodation with 69 guest rooms,adramatic ballroom on thesecondfloorand the lively Star Bar lounge on the rooftop. Don’tmiss dining at Heirloom Restaurant on the lobby level which serves up innovative dishes and Louisiana favorites.

Did youknow?

Early bottles of Coca-Cola consisted of Hutchinson glass bottles toppedwitha wire hook to maintain its carbonated bubbles. When thehookwas removed, it made apop sound, thus initiating the term “soda pop.”

Because producing soda at a soda fountain requiredthe clerk to move ahandle back and forth from aspigot as the soda poured into aglass, customers referred to the action as “jerking.”

This led to customers calling the clerks serving customers “soda jerks.”

Afterstranding flyers, AirCanadawon’t cover$178hotel bill

Christopher Elliott

My husband and Iwere stranded in Toronto on ourway from Stockholm to Cleveland after Lufthansa rebooked our flights due to a flightdelay.The flights included aleg on Air Canada from Toronto to Cleveland. But even though we had boarding passes and arebooking itinerary,Air Canada denied me boarding, claiming my ticket was not valid. (My husband’s boarding passes were valid.) Lufthansa refused to help,leaving me to pay$178 for ahotel. Neither airline will takeresponsibility.We flew homethe next day.What can Ido? —BonnieThiel,

Broadview Heights, Ohio WhenLufthansa rebooked your flights, it should have ensured your ticketwas valid on all segments —including the Air Canada leg backtoCleveland. Under EU Regulation261/2004, which governs your initial delayed flight fromStockholm, Lufthansa had aduty to reroute you and cover necessary expenses caused by its delay.Issuingafaulty boarding pass and leaving you stranded in Toronto is aclear breach of that obligation. Air Canada also failed you. The Montreal Convention requires airlines to honor valid tickets and

boarding passes. If therewas a ticketing error,itshould have worked withLufthansa to resolve it immediately,not abandon you at the gate. The “notour problem” responsesare unacceptable. Youdid almost everything right: Youkept records and escalated your case to bothcarriers. Could you have done more? Maybe. First, booking ahotel yourself should have been your lastresort If you’re stuckinastopover city, you need to apply pressure to your airline tohelp you then and there.Don’tbook ahotel and then try to negotiatearefund, because airlines will always trytoavoid

paying.

Second, abrief, polite email to one of the airline’sexecutives might have helped. Ilist the executive contacts for Air Canada and Lufthansa on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Also, an appeal to the U.S. Department of Transportationcould have helped the airlines see the error of their ways So what went wrong? This was classic code-share confusion. In the correspondence you provided, Lufthansawanted Air Canada to take responsibility for the flight because it was the “operating” carrier. But Air Canada wanted

Lufthansa to take responsibility because its flight from Frankfurt to Toronto was delayed. As aresult, no one would take responsibility.Comeon! Irecommended that you send a complaint to the DOT,which regulates airlines in the United States, where you booked your ticket. You did, and you received afull refund for your hotel from Lufthansa.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

Whether you call it fall or autumn, here’s why I love it

BY JIMMIE PAPIA

Contributing writer

Human Condition

I love fall. I like its interchangeable name “autumn” even better Everyone’s attitude seems different, more vibrant. It’s the anticipation of leaving behind the summer sweat dripping off our foreheads, to brisk air turning our noses and cheeks red. Pumpkin spice starts appearing in all manner of food, except maybe jambalaya. Children’s shoulders droop as school begins; parents think it is the happiest time of the year We get cheerier as we put away our gardening equipment in favor of seasonal decorations. It’s about getting our morning motors running by warming up with a bowl of buttery grits and finishing the day with sassafras expanding our nostrils from a pot of steamy gumbo. Teams kick around the pigskin as football season gets underway and our hopes of winning another Super Bowl are dashed before the middle of the season. But there’s always next year John and Mo, our friends who live in Chicago, have a different perspective on autumn They start testing their heater in September as temperatures in the North are descending. Their leaves turn red, yellow and orange, whereas ours turn brown as they fall to the ground. While we’re busy storing our lawnmowers, John is tuning up his snowblower and digging out his oversized shovel. They don’t look forward to subzero tempera-

S. DOTT

Continued from page 1D

Earlier this year, “Boots on the Ground,” a line/fan dance from artist 803Fresh, of South Carolina, went viral from ABC’s “Good Morning America” to the NBA Finals.

With rural life in his blood, Richard said his boots have long been on the ground.

“I went to Northwest High School (near Opelousas),” Richard said, a graduate of Arkansas Baptist College. “You’d go to school with your boots on. It’s nothing to see people in the store with boots and a cowboy hat. Now everybody is wearing boots. It’s not a uniform for me. You can tell by the end of the night who has boots in their hands. Their feet start hurting.” Richard started his music career with childhood friend Leon Chavis, leader of the popular

DISPLAY

Continued from page 1D

me suggestions, but no one sent me any at first,” she said. “But once I got it started, they keep sending me more. My brother just sent me one. We’re a creative bunch and it’s fun, lots and lots of fun.” Harrod, her friends and family have taken the skeletal idea to the next level.

They’ve lost count of how many bones they’ve outfitted and ghoulishly named after local and national celebrities. The resulting front yard spectacle is all the evidence anyone would need to know that Harrod doesn’t do things halfway Yes, it’s in the spirit — so to speak of the famous St Charles Avenue skeleton display in New Orleans, but the comparison doesn’t scare Harrod.

The lineup of skeletons is as punny as it is elaborate.

There’s a basketball-sporting Grim Mulkey, the Scream Queen of Sparkles in sequins and Nick Satan — Heads will roll Tide. There’s The Nader-Sin Sisters, and Gorgon McKernan (One Maul that’s all) situated beside a car accident.

Travis Kill-see (outfitted in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey) is on a knee proposing with a ring to Slay-lor Swift. Livvy Dunn-hitthe-Jackpot is doing the splits near Paul Skins (wearing an LSU baseball jersey). Lana del Dia los Muertos stands by her Louisiana, camouflage-wearing husband, Jeffrey Dead-frene

The dressed-up skeletons stretch across the full width of the yard, most with appropriate footwear and accessories. For example, Prince Harry wears a crown. Harrod keeps fans updated on the ever-growing resting place through her Instagram page, @skelebritygraveyard.

As the mother-daughter skeleton crew sat on Harrod’s bedroom

floor amidst braids, paints, bones, signs and other paraphernalia for the front-yard spectacle, Harrod was complimentary of her mother’s work.

“Look at that,” Harrod said, pointing to her mom’s work hotgluing braids to a plastic skull.

“She did the hairline just right.” Rathbone nodded pleased. She had worked to get it correct

tures and I tease him on mild winter nights when my wife Pam and I barbecue in the crisp air of our backyard and dine on our dimly lit patio, whereas John and Mo are sliding on ice-covered streets in the frozen “Nawth” as Smiley Anders would say Three of the most popular holidays are in autumn Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, even though Christmas is technically a winter holiday

For many people, Halloween is the pinnacle of the autumnal equinox as they welcome ghosts and goblins walking the streets and strange noises howling in the night. Houses decorated in the macabre are eclipsed later by winter wonderland displays, whose reality is not often seen in south Louisiana. Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, gives us pause to remember the graces and blessings bestowed on us throughout the year Thanksgiving is about family and friends gathering for feasts and not about Christmas shopping, which is supposed to begin on Black Friday, even though retailers keep pushing it back. It’s the busiest time of year for travel as people make annual pilgrimages to visit family and friends they haven’t seen in months. I start my day by attending 6:30 a.m. Mass, then hurry home to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, which in our family, are just as traditional as turkey. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and continue the cooking we started the previous day We especially enjoy watching the high school bands and

listening to the stories of what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the parade Christmas, the highlight of the season, is the excitement of holiday parties, the eagerness of Santa Claus, shopping, gift giving and receiving, the aroma of an evergreen Christmas tree wafting through the air, days off from work and school, eating too many cookies, hearing Christmas music spewing everywhere, and watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Holiday Inn” or “White Christmas” for the hundredth time. Lest we remember Christmas is a religious holiday Autumn is all the above, and as it ends, so does the current year as we bring in a new one and with it another wave of hope, wonder, excitement and attitude. Happy Autumn.

Jimmie Papia lives in Metairie. Human Condition submissions of 600 words or fewer may be emailed to features@ thedvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is not guaranteed. There is no payment for Human Condition.

Zydeco Flames band. After nine years, he went solo when “Slow Wind,” backed by singer and accordionist Koray Broussard, became a breakout hit in 2020.

When he wasn’t on stage, Richard worked with the Opelousas Police Department from 2012 to 2018. He moved to Houston with continued police work in mind.

But music kept calling him back to the stage.

“Just having that passion for it and staying faithful to it, that’s where my blessing came from. I tried other things, but they just weren’t working,” he said. “But I went back to music, I made double or triple of what I used to make in two weeks. It’s been amazing.”

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER Rebecca Rathbone Harrod paints red flowers for a Ludacris skeleton for her celebrity graveyard display.

The Snoop Dogg skeleton would soon find his place near his buddy

Martha Stew-warts, wearing her orange-is-the-new-black prison garb

Meanwhile, Harrod continued working to decorate the outfit Ludacris would wear The solid red

flowers looked just fine, but she continued to work on them, dabbing white and black to add depth and dimension.

Her mother looked over occasionally beaming at the results.

Jaime Glas Odom, founder of Baton Rouge-based Queen of Sparkles, came by the spectacle to see her skeleton

“It was such fun to see,” Odom said. “I felt honored to have been included in such big Baton Rouge names Livvy Dunn, Paul Skenes, Gordon McKernan and the list goes on.”

Harrod is thrilled people appreciate the effort She’s careful not to mock or offend anyone it’s all about fun.

In the weeks since the idea began to come together, she has spent more time than expected on the project.

“I like a challenge,” Harrod said. “I don’t do things halfway

If I’m going to do it, it’s going to be good I’m not putting three out there it’s got to be really good.”

Even so, she says the public reaction has been much more than expected

Judging by the smiles and laughter echoing down Bocage Boulevard, Harrod has done what she set out to do — create something joyful enough to make people stop, smile and stay awhile.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

We started the car and got out of there as fast as we could.”

How and why?

Though it’s the irresistible terror that attracts most adventurers to the bridge, Josh Hall is more intrigued by the story behind the ghost.

“Who was Mary Jane?” the Lafayette resident asked. “I’ve heard about the legend, but was she real? And when and how did this story start?”

The first part of the question is a little easier to answer than the second, and even here, details are null and void.

Mary Jane’s story can be found on several Acadiana-based websites. Authors Cheré Dastugue Coen and Tim Wescott also include the story in their respective books, “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Weird Louisiana.”

The gist of it goes something like this: Mary Jane and a date were taking a ride along Bayou Tortue Road after leaving their high school prom, when the prom date stopped the car at the bridge. He’d been drinking and wanted more than hand holding and kissing, but Mary Jane wasn’t having it. Her date went into a rage, struck her with a whiskey bottle then dumped her body into Bayou Tortue.

It’s said her body was never found.

Meanwhile, Mary Jane’s last name never appears in any version of the story, and her prom date’s identity is always nonexistent. Yet here is this legend with no clear origin.

“I’ve called my brother and he’s made some calls,” Landry said. “I’ve called around to other people I know, but no one knows how this story got started.”

Still, Landry’s mother Breaux Bridge resident Mary Alice Landry, remembers the story popping up some years after she graduated high school.

“She said she doesn’t remember hearing when she was in school,

but I was in school in the ’70s and ’80s when I first heard it,” Yvette Landry said. “So it had to be some time between then.”

A preventative measure?

As for how it started, Yvette Landry has her own theory She’s not only a musician but an author and storyteller, and one of her stories could hold the key to the Mary Jane mystery

“When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me a story about a witch who would drift into your attic if you misbehaved,” she said. “At night, her long, bony fingers would slink down through the rafters and snatch up any kid who was not doing as told.”

She published the story in her 2016 children’s book, “Madame Grand Doigt.”

“Sure, it was terrifying, but it was meant to be preventative,” she said. “You made sure you were being good, because you didn’t want this witch reaching down and snatching you. I think it’s the same case with the Mary Jane Bridge story.”

Yvette Landry remembers Bayou Tortue Road as being a popular hangout for high schoolers in the 1970s and ’80s. However, the area wasn’t a safe place.

“The road was dark, and someone could have gotten hurt,” she said. “So, I think the Mary Jane story might have been made up by adults as a preventative measure. It was a scary story to keep them from hanging out there.” Did it work? While the story might have scared away some kids, others surely wanted to test it. Even today, the call-out of Mary Jane on the bridge is just too irresistible for both teens and adults.

Another dimension

Meanwhile, Joan Broussard shared another dimension to the legend.

“I went to Comeaux High School, and we always went to Stone Road and the Mary Jane Bridge,” the Lafayette resident said. “I always thought it was called Stone Road, because that’s where the high school kids gath-

ered to party.” Anyway, the legend was a little different for Broussard and her friends.

“Back in those days, the legend was that you turn off your car, and it will still go over the bridge,” she said. “Now, I really can’t say that I remember that because I’m such a scaredy cat If I did it, I was on the floorboard.”

According to this version of the legend, ghostly crying can be heard after the car crosses.

“There have been a lot of deaths on that road,” Broussard said. “And that’s because people drive too fast around the dangerous curve before the bridge. That may have something to do with the crying part of the legend.”

But that didn’t stop Broussard, now 53, from returning to the bridge with her 19-year-old daughter Sylvia.

“I asked her if she wanted to go down Stone Road,” Broussard said. “She didn’t know what was going to happen. When we got there, we saw that someone had hung some ghost decorations in the trees. I told her that this is where the urban legend begins, and I explained the story to her She said, ‘Mom, I thought we were going to see Halloween decorations.’”

Sylvia gunned the gas pedal, but she was still in the middle of Mary Jane’s territory

“Our GPS and radio went silent,” Broussard said. “Now, that could have been no pun intended — a dead spot for a signal, but both started working as soon as we crossed the bridge.”

And the song playing on the radio?

“It was Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’” Broussard said, laughing. And somewhere within the darkness of Bayou Tortue, Mary Jane was smiling.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

AT THE TABLE

Sunday visits,coffeeand acanesyrup cake treat

BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Contributing writer

“Tee, will youserve the coffee, please? Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Fred are coming. Aunt Rita and Aunt Nell might come, too,” said Momma.

“Yes, Iwill,” Ireplied. “I will servethem some of the syrup cake Imade, too.”

It was Sunday and this was our usual routine. We would attend 8a.m. Mass at thelocal Catholic church, spend therestofthe morning making Sunday lunch, and then relatives would come over for an afternoon visit.

Our home was the old homestead, and ourrelatives enjoyed visiting theold Acadianfarmwhere they had been raised. They would meander around the farm and reminisceabout theold days.

Depending on the season,theywouldpickpecans from our many treesorvisit theorchard to get satsumas or persimmons. Believeitornot, there wasatime when there was not much elsehappeningonSunday afternoon.Stores were closed,and there was not much on TV excepta Sundaymovie at 2p.m. Sundays truly were aday forresting. Syrupcakewas one of the favorites in the repertoireofdessertsImadeasateenager.Itisa simple recipe and we always hadthe ingredients on-hand. Cane syrup was thatone ingredient that we served on many things. It wasusedontop of hot cornbread, pancakes, biscuitsormixed with peanut butter to make agreat spreadserved on salted crackers. This was afavoritechildhood after-school snack.

Sugar cane grows abundantly inthe area, and when the cane is harvested in the fall,the juiceis squeezed from each stalk, andboiled downtomake thedarkcanesyrup. The syrup was then usedas the main ingredient for my syrup cake

The saucers were spread onto alargetrayand a coffee cup set on each. Thesaucers alsoheld demitassespoonsplacednearthe cups.The creamer was filled with evaporatedmilk andthe sugar bowlwas topped to full with whitesugar.Onceour guestsarrived, Iwould goaround the room, with thecoffee-filledcups, stand infront of each guest and serve them coffee. My secondgo-round was the cake service. Then we’d allsit around, have our coffee and cake, and catch uponfamily andcommunity news.

As Iwrite this, Ireflectonthe deep connections made in thissimple ritualofsittingtogether,enjoying coffee and cake, and holding spacewhere we shared stories of the past andmade plans forfuture family events. Some of these oldrituals might just be what is needed these days. Lessscreen time connections and more of being in the same place together,sharing coffeeand homemadecake. I hope that you give this simple recipe atry andinvite afew friends over to share thistreat.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Oct. 26, the299thday of 2025. There are 66 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 26, 1881, four lawmen,including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, exchanged gunfire with five outlaws, killing three of them, in the “Shootout at the O.K. Corral” in Tombstone, Arizona

Also on this date:

In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.

In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate NewYork, connecting LakeErie andthe Hudson River In 1861, the legendary PonyExpressofficially ceased operations, giving waytothe transcontinental telegraph. (The last run of the Pony Express was completed the following month.)

In 1979,South Korean President ParkChunghee was shot to death by the head of theKorean Central Intelligence Agency,Kim Jae-kyu.

In 1984, “Baby Fae,” anewborn with asevere heart defect, was giventhe heartofa babooninanexperimental transplantinLoma Linda, California. (She lived 21 days with the animal heart.)

In 2000, the New York Yankees became the first team in more thana quarter-century to win three straight World Series championships, beating the New York MetsinGame 5of their “Subway Series.”

In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA PatriotAct, givingauthoritiesunprecedented ability to search, seize,detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists In 2002, ahostage siegebyChechenrebels at aMoscow theater ended with129 of the800plus captives dead, most from aknockoutgas used by Russian special forces whostormed the theater; 41 rebels also died.

In 2020, Amy Coney Barrettwas confirmed to the Supreme Court by adeeply divided Senate, installing President Donald Trump’snomineedaysbeforethe U.S.general election. In 2024, Israel launched predawn airstrikes against military targets in Iran in retaliation forabarrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel on Oct.1.Itwas the first time Israel’smilitaryhad openly attacked Iran.

Today’sBirthdays: MusicianMilton Nascimento is 83. Actor Jaclyn Smith is 80.TVhostPat Sajakis79. Politician, diplomat andformer first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is 78. Musician Bootsy Collins is 74. Artistand filmmaker Julian Schnabel is 74. Actor James Pickens Jr.is71. Actor-singer RitaWilson is 69. Actor Dylan McDermott is 64. Actor Cary Elwesis 63. Singer NatalieMerchantis62. Country singer Keith Urban is 58. Actor TomCavanagh is 62. Writer-producer SethMacFarlane(TV: “Family Guy”) is 52. Actor FlorenceKasumba is 49.Actor Jon Heder is 48.Actor FolakeOlowofoyeku is 42. Rapper Schoolboy Qis39.

Cane Syrup Cake Makes 1(13-inch-by-9-inch) cake.

sugar 1cup cane syrup (such as Steen’s)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a13-inch-by-9inch-by-2-inch pan and set aside.

2. In the bowl of astandmixer,add sugar,cane syrup, eggs, flour,vegetable oil and soda. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is well-blended.

3. Boil water and measure 1cup. Addvanilla extract. Add hotwater mixture to the other ingredients. Mix slowly.In-

crease speed to medium and mixuntil well-blended.

4. Stir in chopped pecans.

5. Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured cake pan. (Note: the cake batter is very thin in consistency.)

6. Bake for25minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes outclean and the cake springs back when touched. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Canweall stop comparingweights?

Dear Miss Manners: In 2011, I hadweightloss surgery.It was very successful, and I’ve managed to keep theweight off. Of course, alot of people thinkI“took the easy way” to lose weight, but surgery is not amiracle cure, just atool. My best friend has a slight weight problem,orat least she believes she does. Isuredon’tsee her as needingtolose weight. (AndIsure don’tjudge people who are overweight, as I’ve been there and know just how hard it is.)

My current problem is actually keeping my weight UP where my doctor (not the weight-loss doctor) wants it. I’m only 5-foot-3, and Ifeel

too heavy at the weight my doctor says is healthy What people don’trealize is that it’sjust as much astruggle for me to gain weight as it was to lose it. I am VERYcareful not to brag, or even talk, about my weight (although others will bring up how small Iam). It seems to be OK for them to mention their own weight problems, but heaven help me if Imention that my doctor is not going to be pleased when I weigh in next week.

My friend recently snapped at me, saying she has struggled all her life to loseweight, and that she doesn’twant to hear about mehaving to gain it. Ijust said “OK,” and that I didn’tsee her as being overweight. Idecided to let it go, but it bugs me that everyone else can talk about losing weight,

but Iamnot allowed to talk about gaining it. For what it’sworth, when Iwas much heavier,I would look at thin people and wish I had their problems.

Gentle Reader: So you do understand.

Instead of weighing (sorry) the relative inequities of who gets to talk about size and who does not, Miss Manners will tell everyone equally: Just stop it. Nothing good can come from these discussions. And clearly,assuring your friends that you do not consider them overweight —and therefore, that it is OK foryou to talk about it —isnot the comfort you think it is.

Lead by example and do not contribute to these demoralizing self-assessments. Complaintoyour not-weight-loss doctor instead.

Dear Miss Manners: My neighbor/friend came over and said, “I madeyou acake for your birthday,and it is also your gift.”

That would be fine, except she only gave me part of the cake!

Of course Ididn’task where the rest of it was.I waskind of in shock! Should Ibeupset that Iwasn’tworthy of the whole cake as my birthday gift?

Gentle Reader: Maybe she thought it wasyour half birthday

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 WalnutSt. Kansas City,MO64106.

Dear Heloise: I’ve been reading your column all my life. (I’m 72.) Thanks for all the great tips! Iwanted to clarify somethingthat Sarah P.,from Bakersfield, California, asked about using ceiling fans 24/7. Ceiling fans, or really all fans, do not cool the air.They cool our bodies by evaporating the perspiration from our skin. So, if you are notactually in theroom with thefan, there’snopoint in running it.The temperature of the room will not drop.

Paula M., via email Paula, ceiling fans can also lower utility bills by keeping us cool while using less energy than air conditioning.

—Heloise

Bleachingour teeth

Dear Heloise: Is it harmful to bleach teeth with over-thecounter products? Will the bleaching products harm my

enamel? —Jill H., in Albuquerque, New Mexico Jill, bleaching products with ahigh concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide can soften the enamel temporarily.Overuse or misuse of whitening agents can cause tooth sensitivity and enamel erosion. Abrasive whiting toothpaste can also do thesame over time. The best way to whiten your teeth is usually done by adentistwho can carefully monitor thewhitening process However,ifyou use an overthe-counter whitening agent, follow thedirections to the letter.Don’teat or drink anythingafter you’ve bleached your teeth

Bleaching before going to bed is probably thebest time to use awhitening product, but do not sleep withwhitening strips in your mouth After bleaching your teeth thoroughly,rinse your mouth out with water —Heloise Healthyplants

Dear Heloise: When Iwas a

software engineer,acolleague used to pour her leftover coffee into aplant she had on her desk. It looked great! But as aformer landscaper,I knew about the secret of coffee grounds. I saved my used coffee to put in my compost or around my shrubs. The reason coffee grounds make plants grow is because they are rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen will produce lots of green growth, but forgood root growth and flower/fruit production, plants also need phosphorousand potassium

There are inexpensive soil test kits that are easy to use. No need to send them to alab for results. —Robin B.,via email Keepingceleryfresh

Dear Heloise: Abunch of celery will keep formuch longer if you remove it from the plastic bag and wrap it in aluminum foil. Icut apiece about twice as long as the bunch and wrap it lengthwise, and it lasts forafew weeks this way —Stacy T.,via email

Peskyelbows

Dear Heloise: Isaw aletter from Ruth, in Minnesota, asking what she should use for her dark elbows. Ihad one elbow that was very dark, and nothing Iused lightened it. After my doctor did blood tests, Irealized this was caused by aniacin deficiency When Istarted Bcomplex supplements, my elbow lightened. Iwould advise Ruth to do amicronutrient test to see if her dark elbows could be a sign of something moreserious. —Lisa, in Florida Lisa, nearly every unusual thing that occurs on the body should be seen by adoctor Things such as amole that suddenly pops up, adiscoloration of skin, or alumpthat starts to grow need attention. It might be harmless, but if it’snot, then it’sbest to get it seen as soon as possible by a professional. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Composer’snew book discusseshow LSUvet school inspired hismusic

NOTED INTENTIONS

BY ROBINMILLER Staff writer

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine was still fresh in Charlie Rauh’s mind when he started writing his book, “simply,patiently, quietly: an approach to creating intentional music.”

He’d spent August 2024 as the school’sartist-in-residence working withfaculty, students, staff and animalpatients,all of whom inspired his work as acomposer

As acomposer,headmits that he was an unusual choice for the school’sresidency program, which hostedavisual artist and writerinprevious years.

But the match between Rauh andthe veterinaryschool proved to be perfect,and he reflectsonthat experience in hisbook.

The book, “simply,patiently,quietly,” released in March by String Letter Publishing, is acombination of Rauh’s essays andmusical compositions from the residency,complemented by illustrations drawn by his sister,artist and author Christina Rauh Fishburne.

“All of the essays are basicallytalking about my life experience as amusician and how Ithink those qualities are

At

PROVIDED

ABOVE: Charlie Rauh wasthe 2024 artist-in-residence at the LSU School of VeterinaryMedicine. TOP: Rauh plays hisguitar outside an exam room in the Stephenson PetClinic while Dr.Kielyn Scott and her assistant performacupuncture on acockerspaniel.

important in how somebody approaches being creative,” Rauh said, speakingfrom his New York home. “So, Italk about afew differentthings, experiencesI’vehad,people I’ve met and alot of what happened at the residency.The experience was an integral part

of making the book happen.”

Rauh didn’tknowwhatto expect when he firstwalked into the vetschool. That’snot saying he wasn’tfamiliar with hospitals “I spent alot of time in hospitals whenI was achild,and like alot of people who had early

surgeries, Iwasn’tveryfond of hospitals,” Rauh said. “But I had never spent time in an environment like the veterinary school. Ihad no ideawhatthey wantedmetodoasanartist making music, so Iwas kind of goinginto theresidency blind in alot of ways.But Idecided to do it.”

All apprehension disappeared the momentRauh walked into the vet school and stepped into the role of observer

He often played improvised tunes on his guitartocalmanimals before treatments. Other times, he could be found playing for studentsduring alunch break.

He also collaborated on a composition with LSU’schoral program.

“Itwas an interesting perspective to have,”hesaid.

“That’ssomething Ididn’treally unpack until recently,and that is definitelyinthe book

with how Imade the music and how Iapproached making the music —just having thatopportunity to sort of be a specter floating around ahospital. Notmanypeople getthat perspective.

Rauhalsocreditsliterature andtravelfor inspiring his compositions, and, at onepoint, explains howhe’scombined theinfluence of EmilyBrontë’s poetry with his experience at thevet school in his lullaby compositions.

“I composed these lullabies as away of translating intention,” he writes. “The subject matter is widely varied: Literature, travels to remote locations, wellness, family —but the core of this music is its intention. Fromtraveling to Djupavik, Iceland, to experiencing the poetry of Emily Brontë for the first time,toexamining the intricacies of wellness withthe medical staff at LSU VetMed, Iwanted to musically capture the messages that Ireceived.”

Rauh still keeps in touch with the school andisintalks of revisiting the school if funding becomes available

“I’d like to continuethe research we were doing to see the impact of intentionalmusic on veterinary medicine andhow it can be leveraged,” he said. “We’re still very much talking about it andtrying to figure out away for me to get back down there.”

Email Robin Millerat romiller@theadvocate.com.

91,New OrleanspoetCatharine Savage Brosmanisstill writing

Primate scientist Jane Goodall, who died this month at 91, argued that old age should nudge us to stay busy,not slow down.Asshe sawit, the less time one has, the more one should focus on what’s left to do.

Brosman

Isuspect that Goodallwould have gotten along wellwithanother 91-year-old, poet and former Tulane professor Catharine Savage Brosman. Brosman, who taught French for many years at Tulane and now divides hertime between Houston and New Orleans, has just published “Metates and Other Poems” through University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. It follows two other recent collections, “Arm in Arm” and “Aerosols and Other Poems.”

DannyHeitman

“Partial Memoirs,” aprose reflection on her longand eventful life, appeared last year,and another book, “New and Selected Poems,” is slated for next year Meanwhile, Brosman is planning aschedule of appearances that mightchallenge a20-yearold.She’ll be at Conundrum Books in St.Francisville at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 30,then atthe Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge Nov.1, where she’sonauthor panels at 9a.m.and 1:15p.m. She has a poetry reading atthe West Baton Rouge Museum in PortAllen at 2p.m.Nov.2,followed by apro-

gram at the Center for Louisiana Studies in Lafayette at 10:30 a.m. Nov.3

Local listeners who attend Brosman’s readings will hear familiar locales in her poems.

One, “Metates and Other Poems,” has ageographical theme, revisiting manyofthe places that have shaped her life. Anative of Colorado, she’smadehomes in New Orleansand Texas, and her new collection recalls other stopping points, including Virginia, Florida, west Texas, Arizona and Hawaii.

Ametate (pronounced “mehtotty”) is agrinding stone often used by native peoples, including those in theSouthwest

In thetitle poem of her new collection, Brosman recalls her visit to ahouse in Arizona where she sees “metates strung like beads along apath.” Spotting these old implements “nowreturned to earth as ornaments,” she greets

them as small monuments of a sort “toour ancienthunger,ancient toil.”

In this way,Brosman asks us

to consider how aplace, like the mealsmade on an old stone, can be asource of nourishment, too. That themeacquires amore whimsical tone in “Dinner on St. Charles Avenue,” in which she recounts asplendid evening meal with friends in her beloved New Orleans.

“Last week, acabbie praised the crab cakes here,” she notes of their choice of venue.

Soon, the diners get downto business: “The plates arrive; moredrinks and endless talk /accompany our feast. We even have dessert.”

Brosman hints that the city where these cherished friends share dinner is at least as intoxicating as anything in the martinis and white wine that flow freely These are poemsthat go places, inviting readers to tag along.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

BUSINESS

& HOPS, SKIP AJUMP

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

When Abita Brewing Co. opened on the northshore in the mid-1980s, there were onlyafew dozen craft breweries in the U.S.

Today,the number of independent breweries churning out smallbatches of specialty brews has grown to nearly 10,000,thankstoacraze that took the nation by storm in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Despite thegrowthofthe category, however,which nowaccounts for onefourth of nationalbeer sales by dollar amount,per-capita beer consumption nationwide has actually been on adownward trajectory formore than adecade. With the exception of abrief, pandemicera spike, younger people aredrinking less in general, and consumersare

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Consumers are forgoing beer and embracing newoptions, including hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails and increasingly popularTHC

the craft category deals with oversaturation.

“Welike to say we have alot of drinkers in Louisiana,but at the end of day,there are markets, like Houston alone, that can sell more beer than our entire state,” said ZacCaramonta,owner of Gnarly Barley,the Hammond-based maker of the popular Jucifer IPA. “There are only so many customers to pick up six-packs off shelvesoruse taphandles in bars.”

embracing newoptions, including hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails and increasingly popularTHC beverages, which debutedinLouisianasix years ago.

These challenges to the roughly $117 billionbeer marketmeanbrewersofall sizesare looking for innovative ways to maintain or grow their businesses —as

“Interest from studios andindependent filmmakers remains strong.We’reactively focused on rebuilding that volume by showcasing Louisiana’sunique advantages and ensuring ourincentive program continues to attract top-tier productions.”

JASON WAGGENSPACK, president of lobbyist group Film Louisiana

In light of this, some of Louisiana’s most high-profile craft brewers are looking “beyond beer” to keep their businesses buzzing.

Somecompanies, like Urban South Breweryand Parish Brewing Co are now making THC seltzers of their own. Others, including Abita and Port Orleans BrewingCo., are keeping theirtanksfull

Issued Oct. 15-21

Commercial alterations

CHURCH: 1201 E. BroussardRoad, description, phase 2ofconstruction at OurSavior’s Church; applicant, ABeazleyArchitecture; contractor, Manuel Commercial; $4.6million.

INDUSTRIAL: 105 DorsetAve., description, build underside to existing metal deck, new roll-up door and exit doorfor DMR Technologies in former ReptileTannery building; applicant, GregoryWalls; contractor,BuillardConstruction; $25,000

SCHOOL: 409 St.DePorres St., Broussard; description, walkwaycovers; applicant, Katherine Drexel Elementary School;contractor, Bergeron’s Metal Buildings; $8,593.

SUPERMARKET: 1210 Albertson Parkway Broussard; description, commercial remodel; applicant, Albertsons; contractor, Four Leaf General Contractor; $209,000.

RESTAURANT: 911 Bertrand Drive, description, replacing existing outdoor deck;applicant, Café Habana City; contractor, none listed; $10,000 Newresidential

404 CALUMDRIVE: DSLD,$122,125.

108 HAMILTONPARC WAY: ManuelBuilders

$377,000.

109 HAMILTONPARC WAY: ManuelBuilders $307,125.

101 COGBURN WAY: DSLD,$215,250.

103 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD,$175,625.

105 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD,$193,000.

100 EAGLE HEIGHTS DRIVE: DR Horton, $284,625.

102 EAGLE HEIGHTS DRIVE: DR Horton, $248,625.

205 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $260,500.

203 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $360,625.

201 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $302,500.

103 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $311,000.

101 ARENDELLE COURT, YOUNGSVILLE: Acadiana Dream Home, $850,000.

304 ALEXANDER PALM WAY, BROUSSARD: SignatureSeries Homes, $195,000.

from page1E

by manufacturing beveragesofall typesfor other brands. Stillothers, including NOLA Brewing Co.in New Orleans, Bayou TecheBrewing near Lafayette and CryingEagle Brewing Co. in LakeCharles, have changed their business model altogether and stopped supplying supermarketsand bars toconcentrate, instead,ontheir own brew pubs and taprooms.

“It’saway of hedgingour bets,” said Parish Brewing founder Andrew Godley,who is planning an expansion of his Broussard facility.“Ican grow the business withonly beer,but it’scertainly easier with other products. It’slike having a diversified investment portfolio.” Adding to thelineup

Local brewers have reason for concern. Several of their former colleagues and competitors have folded in the last two years, including Faubourg Brewing Co., Zony Mash Beer Project and Calliope Beer WorksinNew Orleans, Tin Roof Brewing Co. in Baton Rouge, and Red River Brewpub in Bossier-Shreveport.

The Brewers Association, anational craft brewing trade group, estimates that its members are using only about 50%oftheir brewing capacity.Adding to the troubles, aluminum imports have raised the costs of cans and bottles, and the price of labor,health care, leases and other expenses has risen significantly since the pandemic.

Localbrewers who have endured, however,are optimistic about the new strategies they’ve adopted to remain viable and competitive.

UrbanSouth is trying to beat the competition by joining it.

The 9-year-old brewer,which has abrisk regional distribution business, has gone all-in on making THC seltzers that can sit on shelves near its six-packsofParadise Park, Holy RollerIPA and other popular brews Made by combining carbonated water and flavors with an extract from hemp plants, the new category of beverage was enabled by a2018 federal law that legalized the manufacturingofproducts using THC in limited quantities. THC is the chemical compound found in hemp and all forms of cannabis that can create the feeling of a euphoric “high.”

saidLouisiana’sfilm business is struggling throughone of its most difficult years in recent memory.But he insisted the downturn reflectsglobalmarket pressures, not aloss of competitiveness forthe state.

“Like muchofthe industry nationwide, Louisiana hasexperienced aslowdown this year,with roughly 50% fewer projects produced compared to 2024,” Waggenspack said in the remote briefing.

“This shift reflectsbroader market conditions rather than adecline in our state’sappeal. Interest from studiosand independent filmmakers remains strong,” he added. “We’re actively focused on rebuilding that volume by showcasing Louisiana’suniqueadvantages and ensuringour incentive program continues to attract top-tier productions.”

Initiativestoreviveproduction

Waggenspack said FilmLouisiana is pursuing several initiatives aimedatreviving production. Earlier this month, he and other industry leaderstraveled to LosAngelestomeet with studioexecutives, producers and independent filmmakers to promote Louisiana’s production infrastructure. They unveiled anew “Louisiana Lookbook” adigital catalog of distinctive filminglocationsacrossthe state —designed to makeiteasier for productions to scout sites.

Amajor selling point on that

trip, Waggenspack said, was Act 44, legislation passed in June that modernized andextended Louisiana’sfilm taxcredit program. The measure keeps the state’ssignature incentive in place forseveral more years while adding workforce training credits andabove-the-line incentives to attract higher-budget studio projects.

Key changesinclude removing caps on project and individualcredits, giving Louisiana EconomicDevelopmentmore flexibility to adjust incentives andprovidingbonuses for hiring localsorusing Louisianabased scripts.

“The new law makes ourincentives more competitive and predictable —exactly what productions are lookingfor when deciding where to film,” he said. “It’sone of themostforwardthinking film incentive programsinthe country.”

Brittany Chandler,head of Film New Orleans, said the effort is to remindthe industry that there is awell-established infrastructure in the state even in lean times. “Like the rest of the country,we’re watchingthe industry recalibrate after acouple of slower years, but the infrastructure, crews andcreative energy here in New Orleansare all still very strong.”

Louisianaofficialsare also involvedindiscussionsabout a potentialfederalinitiative that could help U.S. film hubs compete withcheaper international locations. Waggenspack said he and Baton Rouge-based advocate Katie Pryorhave been working with Film USA, acoalition of state film offices, to push

for aFederal Film Officeand possibly anational incentive for investors.The proposal is stillin early stages and unlikely to advance before next year

An industry in transition

The slump in Louisiana mirrors abroader malaise in the U.S. entertainmentbusiness.

According to analyses by American Movie Co., Reel 360 News and PwC, the national film and television production industry is in aslow recovery phase withproject volume rising but overall spending still below prepandemicand pre-strike levels.

Consolidation among major studios, theevolving economics of streaming, and shifting audience habits have left theindustry cautious about greenlighting new content. Analysts expect a modest rebound over the next year,but thepath forwardremains uncertain.

Waggenspack said one of the biggestchallengesiscostcompetition from abroad.

“Things arecheaper in Europe and Canada,” he said. “That’sreally the case of what we’re running into. But studios are telling us they plantoshift more of theirslates back to the U.S in 2026, and we’re preparing to takeadvantage of that.”

Thedownturn follows several turbulentyears forLouisiana’s production workforce. The writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023 halted filming nationwide, leaving crews acrossthe state idle. When the labor disputes ended later that year,ittook months for studiostorestart projects —and manysmaller operators never fully recovered.

Eric Comeaux mashes in during the brewingprocess at Parish BrewingCo. in Broussard.Despitethe growth of independent breweries, which nowaccounts forone-fourth of national beer sales by dollaramount, per-capita beer consumption nationwidehas actually been on adownward trajectoryfor more than adecade. With the exception of abrief, pandemic-era spike, younger people are drinking less in general.

Nine-year-old brewerUrban South, which has abrisk regional distribution business, has gone all-in on making alternativeproducts to sit alongside itsbeers. That includes apartnership withnativeLouisiana rapper Juvenile making ahard tea product called Juvie Juice.

of Urban South, which is selling thebeverages at RousesMarket, Total Wine and retailers in ahalfdozen states. Thecategory is growing nationally,Landry said,but “somestates are shuttingdown,some are opening up, and it’shappening in fits andstarts, so there’sno clearfederal coherence yet.” He hopes more consistentregulation will further legitimize the drinks.

Urban South debuted itsDriftee line of THC seltzers at the end of 2023 and addedStratus, afruitierand sweeter variation, last year.Today,the seltzers have growntomake up about 20% of the brewer’sproduction volume.

“Louisianaisdownmaybe 7% selling beer,but we’ve completely closed the gap with seltzers. It’s definitely ahuge partofkeeping us level,” said Jacob Landry,founder

Urban South also makes a hard tea product—technically aflavored malt beverage —called Juvie Juice, in partnership with Juvenile, the famed New Orleans rapper.It launched aline of hard seltzers in 2020 but now makes them only to use in its New Orleans taproom.

“Those didwellfor the first couple years, but then you get drowned out by the marketing power of brandslike White Claw and Truly,”Landry said. Parish Brewing Co., lessthan 10

miles southeast of Lafayette, has also gotten in on theTHC market.

Known to many Louisianans as the maker of Canebrake, an easydrinking wheat beer,the company’smost successful productnationwide is Ghost in theMachine, aflavorful and pricey double IPA brew that has acult-like following amongbeer aficionados andisa favorite at Disney’sEPCOT theme park in Florida. Now,the 16-year-old brewery is making anew brand of THC drinks underaseparate brand name:Veri. The label’sfirst product is atropical-flavored beverage that has thestate-maximum5milligramsofTHC, enough to create a“buzz” equivalent to drinking the sameamount of beer,Godley said. ‘Adapt or die’ New Orleans-based Port Orleans Brewing has adopted aslightlydifferent strategy.Founded in 2017 by apartnership group thatincludesformer Saints player Zach Strief, Port Orleans is making

At the start of 2024, only one show,“Leverage: Redemption,” was filming in Louisiana. It provided abrief lifeline for local crews before wrapping, leaving thousands againsearching for work. The state’sproduction labor force, estimated at roughly 10,000 workers, includes carpenters, electricians, caterers and other skilled tradespeople whose livelihoods depend on a steady flow of shoots. Biginvestments,quiet stages Before therecentslump, investors poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Louisiana’s production infrastructure. Second Line Stages in NewOrleans tripled in size after its 2020 acquisition by Hackman Capital Partners, which invested $100 million in new soundstages and facilities. In St. Rose, Quixote Studiosexpanded under Blackstone-backedHudson Pacific Properties beginning in 2022. Those expansions were built on the assumption that Louisiana’sgenerousincentives and experienced workforce would continue to attract major productions. For now, much of that capacity sits idle, areminder of the industry’svolatility and dependence on national trends. Even so, Waggenspack said Louisiana’s fundamentalsremainstrong. “Wehaveworld-class crews, diverse locations, anda film-friendly culture,”hesaid. “Ourgoalis to make sure that when the next wave of production comes,Louisianaisreadytocapture it.”

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO ZacCaramonta, founder of Gnarly BarleyBrewing in Hammond, tests the finished product. ‘Weliketo saywehavealot of drinkers in Louisiana, but at the end of day, there are markets,likeHouston alone, that cansell more beer than our entire state,’saysCaramonta.

his company out of the market for now

THC seltzers andother products as a“contract manufacturer” for other brands.

“It’sthe Wild West,” Ashley said. Gettingout of distribution

TheTchoupitoulas Street brewery’sbiggest customer is Louie Louie, the 3-year-old, NewOrleans-based maker of THC seltzers

Several medium-sized Louisiana breweriesare surviving not by making morebeverages but by making less.

“It’sadapt or die,” said Ryan Mears, Port Orleans director of operations. “Everybodyisfiguring this outatthe same time, and people are sharingnotes The spirit of craft beer has stretched to anew category.” In total, the company has made more than adozen products —including nonalcoholic seltzers, teas and energy drinks —for its partners. Abita, the state’s oldest and largestcraftbrewer,isdoing the same.

Thebrewery’sAbita Springs facility is capableofpackagingand keggingabout 350,000barrels annually,after an expansion during beer’sboom years. Now it cranks outits iconicAmber,PurpleHaze andAndygatorbrews alongside beverages for companies that eitherdon’thave facilities of their ownorwho have exceeded their brewing capacity and don’twant to invest in an expansion.

“It’s away to diversifyour revenue streams and grow our business,”Abita President Troy Ashley said. “It allows us to hire new employees, andwe’re growing despiteatimeinthe market that’s challenging forour core business in craft.” Abita has long made soft drinks —like itswell-known root beer and has experimented with “readyto-drink” cocktails in acan. It also launched anew nonalcoholic Hop Water, essentially amildlybeerflavored sparkling beverage. Ashley saidthe uncertainregulatoryclimate related to THC beverages and the additional equipment needed to make them have kept

These businesseshave givenupondistribution altogether and focused on thehospitalityside of their business, selling their products primarily to on-site customers. Louisiana law doesn’t allow brewers who distribute to retailers and bars to also sell wine, spirits or other “outside alcohol” in their taprooms andbrew pubs.

NOLA Brewingtradedina manufacturer’slicense for abrewpub license in 2023 andnow has afull bar.

“It’shad ahuge impact on both themusic entertainment component of business andour private event business,” NOLA Brewing owner Doug Walnersaid. “Many events wouldn’tbook when we could only sell beer.”

Otherbreweries have made the same move, as drinking habits are changing.

“There actually aremorecraft drinkers than ever before, but beer is alower percentageoftheir overallconsumption,”saidBart Watson, president of the Brewers Association. “I’ve been trying to coin thissuper nerdy term: The new generation of drinkers is ‘omnibibulous.’

Email RichCollins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Franciscan Missionaries investing in health system

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

On a TV mounted to the left of his desk, E.J. Kuiper watches the census numbers of the Our Lady of the Lake facilities rise and fall.

Q&A WITH E.J. KUIPER

The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System CEO has an eye on the live feed all day which displays the number of occupied beds in the system’s five markets. Kuiper said he monitors upticks in admissions to ensure the hospitals have the manpower they need.

“We stay very connected with the people in the trenches, because they are the most important asset that we have,” Kuiper said The health system, which serves greater Baton Rouge, Acadiana, the northshore, northeast Louisiana and the Jackson, Mississippi, area, committed to more than $425 million in project and staff investments for this fiscal year, largely concentrated in expanding the capacity of its hospitals Demand from smaller, rural communities has risen, and Baton Rouge’s Our Lady of the Lake has felt the pressure. But the health system is stepping up to the plate In Baton Rouge, it’s developing a $67 million cancer institute while conducting a $55 million remodel of the emergency department at its regional medical center Kuiper said a new overnight care unit in Livingston Parish and medical office building in Ascension Parish will help offload the demand in Baton Rouge proper

The $100 million “Advancing Acadiana” project will add beds and expand NICU capacity.

Kuiper said the expansions are the health system’s response to a roughly 10% increase in admissions year after year “We went from close to being

E.J Kuiper, CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, says that the system has been expanding the capacity of its hospitals throughout south Louisiana. ‘Certainly, the demand has always been there, but we, philosophically as a system, decided a year and a half ago that we have to make sure that we always say yes when a patient needs to be transferred into our hospital,’ he said.

full, to full, and then some,” he said. In this week’s Talking Business, Kuiper discusses the system’s investment priorities serving rural communities and more. This interview has been edited for length and clarity

What is driving the priority of expanding capacity?

Certainly, the demand has always been there, but we, philosophically as a system, decided a

year and a half ago that we have to make sure that we always say yes when a patient needs to be transferred into our hospital Obviously, all our hospitals were busy to begin with, but we also have a lot of requests for a higher level of care.

Let’s say there’s an emergency department somewhere in a rural community It’s 2 o’clock in the morning. The patient really needs to be in a hospital that has the capabilities to take care of sicker

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patients.

Philosophically, we feel it is better to be at Our Lady of the Lake, maybe having to wait in the (emergency department) for a room to open up. You’re in a stretcher in an ED room, but you have access to all the state-of-the-art technology, the great staff, specialists and sub-specialists, versus being in an ED somewhere in a small community hospital. They’re great, those small community hospitals, but they don’t have all those resources. They don’t have the specialists and sub-specialists. We need to make sure that we’re there for every patient that is in need of care.

You’re bringing health care to folks that may not have had this type of access before, like overnight care. Can you talk about the significance of that mission?

For more typical, lower-level care that really should be taking place in their home community, so they don’t have to travel to Baton Rouge or any of the other big facilities that we have. It’s easier for the patients, for the family members.

We really are trying to make sure that we build access points where the patient demand is, so we partner with independent rural facilities as well. They’re still in Louisiana, probably 50-plus independent hospitals out there all by themselves. They don’t have a big organization like us supporting them. We talk to them all the time about how we can make things easier for you. And it’s not just about transferring patients from their facility to Our Lady of the Lake. It’s also about, can we bring specialists into your community once a week or twice a month, or whatever the need might be, and that then will help patients stay in their community and they don’t have to travel an hour and a half or two hours to come to Our Lady of the Lake. Earlier this year, you increased the base pay of your staff by 4%. How’s that impacted your team? Everybody was very excited

about that. We really believe that while we’re blessed with a great balance sheet and we’ve been able to post solid profits, we really believe that every single dollar needs to be reinvested in our people, in technology and in our buildings, and people first. We are blessed with state-of-the-art technology, and we have beautiful hospitals and clinics and ambulatory centers. But without our people, it doesn’t matter It’s just real estate. It’s the people that make our health system home, and so we’re very proud of our people, and we have to take care of our people.

For that next big push in projects,what are the priority areas?

One of the things that we’re starting at Our Lady of the Lake is what we call a master facility plan.

We’re kind of landlocked there. We’re at capacity at the Lake, and so we need to think about where’s the next patient tower going to go. Our census in the Baton Rouge market is well over 700 every day

We probably need 1,000 beds to meet the demand over the next five or 10 years. We need to think about where the next patient tower we’re going to go, where the next critical care unit is going to go, and whether the operating room needs to be expanded.

We do believe, over the next five to 10 years, that the demand is going to go up for places like Our Lady of the Lake, trauma centers, regional referral centers, tertiary quaternary centers, because the environment is getting more and more challenging because of Medicaid reform and reimbursement cuts. We believe that those independent hospitals that we talked about are going to be relying on us even more to accept patients. We need to invest today to make sure that number can go up to 1,000 in five or 10 years from now, because I believe that’s what demand will be.

Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

ForLouisiana businessleaders,labor and employmentlaw is no longeraback-office issue—itisacorebusiness concern that directly impactsoperations, talent retention, andlong-termgrowth. Employersmust prepare forseveral upcoming labor and employmentchallenges.

Strong workplacemanagementiscriticaltolimitingturnover andavoidingdisputesthatcan lead to an arrayofissues. Accommodation andleave complianceisalsocomplex,as state-levelprotections maygobeyondfederallaw,particularly forpregnancyand disability.OSHAoversight also remainsa priority in Louisiana’sindustrialsectors,wheresafetyauditsand updated training canreducebothriskand penalties. Benefits complianceadds furtherpressure, with COBRAnotices,401(k) administration, andhealthplan parity drawingscrutiny.

Proactiveattention is keytoworkforcestability—and we are proudtohelpleadthe wayforward.

AROUND THE REGION

Startups embracingAIbut cautious on rent,salaries

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans entrepreneurs have embraced artificial intelligence more than their counterparts nationwide, but they are being cautious about spending money on office space and salaries.

Those are some of the takeaways from the 2025 Greater New Orleans Startup Report, produced by Tulane University’s A.B.Freeman School of Business.

The seventh annual report, released Thursday,isbased on a survey of more than 120startup businesses in a10-parish region in south Louisiana.

This year’sedition shows that 77% of respondents think AI will have amajor long-termeffecton their business, and 67% believe it represents their biggestopportunity.Ofthose already using the tools, 85% had good things to say about them, noting productivity gains, expanded market share and cost savings.

“Historically speaking,when trends happen, we’re not usually the first movers,” said Rob Lalka, a Tulane business professor who helped create the GNO Startup Report in 2019. “We’re maybe middle of the pack or later, but with AI, there are more people here using it, and we are trying to really harnessits tools to get acompetitive advantage.”

Aseparate report from the U.S. ChamberofCommercesupports

Tulane’sfindings, ranking Louisiana seventh in the nation for adoption of generative AI,a categoryof AI capable of creating text,images, audio, videoand otheroriginal content.That report put adoption among the state’ssmall businesses at 65%, topping the58% national average.

Tulane’sreport shows that highgrowthstartups —usually tech-

based venturesthataim to scale quicklyand disruptindustries gained more from AI thantraditionalsmall businesses.

In othercategories,the report reveals mixed feelings among entrepreneurs about hiring andacquisitionofoffice space

Aslight majority of companies saidthey plan to add employees over thenextyear,while 22% say they do not, which is the highest percentage in the report’shistory

High-growth companies in particular are more bullish about hiring than others, and construction startups reported the mostrecent hiringwhile food and beverage respondents described net employee losses.

Survey respondents saidthey

are mostly“bootstrapping” —using personal finances or taking on credit carddebt —tolaunch their businesses. The next most common sources of funding, include friends andfamily,angelinvestors, convertible debt and venture capital.

Thetop categories of surveyed companies are software, professionalservices,food and beverage, media and healthcare. Founders answered additional questions about demographics,revenue and office space.

Goingstatewide

The startup report’sauthors have announced plans to expand statewide next year Tulane’sAlbertLepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innova-

tion, run by Lalka, plans to partner with Louisiana Innovation, adivision of the state’seconomic developmentagency,tobuild acomprehensive snapshot of startup activity in Louisiana

“What beganasa local effortto understand ourstartup landscape will now serveour entire state,” said Paulo Goes, dean of Tulane’s businessschool, in aprepared statement. “Louisiana Innovation’s decisiontoadopt our approach as thefoundation for statewide innovation measurement validates the comprehensive system we’ve built —one that captures notjustdata, but thefullstory of entrepreneurial growth.”

The survey,whichwill be renamed the Louisiana Startup Re-

port, will provide parish-by-parish data designed to help stakeholders track regional trends, emerging innovation clusters, capital gaps,sector momentum and deal sizes.

The expansion of the startup report, and the creation of the Louisiana Innovation office —nicknamed “LA.IO” —are two of the latest efforts to formalize the state’sentrepreneurial ecosystem and to use information to promote its growth.

Earlierthis month, aseparate group calledthe NOLA Entrepreneurship Council met for the first time. The committeeisa“working group that will take up issues, from policy to fundingtoquality of life, that are critical to thesuccess of ourinnovation ecosystem,” accordingtoMichael Hecht, presidentand CEO of Greater New OrleansInc., theregion’seconomicdevelopment nonprofit.

In 2022, GNO Inc. created Startup NOLA, an initiative that produces onlineheat maps of entrepreneurial activity,anews page about startups and an events calendar

All of these efforts come four years after ahandful of high-profile acquisitions of Louisiana-based tech startups brought an infusion of cash into the region and proved that Louisiana, despite being far from the country’scoastal tech hubs, wasable to producesome winners of its own.

The architects of theexpanded Louisiana startupreport hope to gather moredata to help tell the state’sstory,spark moreactivity and boost its rankings.

“We’re now at the stage where measuring our progress is critical to strengthen the ecosystem,” said TimWilliamson, who helped launch the city’sstartup scene 25 years ago by co-founding The Idea Village,the city’smost prominent business accelerator.“The GNO Startup Report provides insight to what’s workingwhat’snot and where we need to spend more time and energy.”

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

NATION & WORLD

Colleges are fighting to prove returns on investment

BY COLLIN BINKLEY

AP education writer

WASHINGTON For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price?

Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a dismal job market plus ideological concerns from conservatives. Now, colleges are scrambling to prove their value to students

Borrowed from the business world, the term “return on investment” has been plastered on college advertisements across the U.S. A battery of new rankings grade campuses on the financial benefits they deliver States such as Colorado have started publishing yearly reports on the monetary payoff of college and Texas now factors it into calculations for how much taxpayer money goes to community colleges.

“Students are becoming more aware of the times when college doesn’t pay off,” said Preston Cooper, who has studied college ROI at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

“It’s front of mind for universities today in a way that it was not necessarily 15, 20 years ago.”

A wide body of research indicates a bachelor’s degree still pays off, at least on average and in the long run. Yet there’s growing recognition that not all degrees lead to a good salary, and even some that seem like a good bet are becoming riskier as graduates face one of the toughest job markets in years.

A new analysis released earlier this month by the Strada Education Foundation finds 70% of recent public university graduates can expect a positive return within 10 years — meaning their earnings over a decade will exceed that of a typical high school graduate by

A wide body of research indicates a bachelor’s degree still pays off, at least on average and in the long run. Yet there’s growing recognition that not all degrees lead to a good salary, and even some that seem like a good bet are becoming riskier as graduates face one of the toughest job markets in years.

an amount greater than the cost of their degree. Yet it varies by state, from 53% in North Dakota to 82% in Washington, D.C Louisiana comes in just below the national average, at 69% of graduates see-

ing a return. States where college is more affordable have fared better, the report says. It’s a critical issue for families who wonder how college tuition prices could ever pay off, said Emilia Mattucci, a high school counselor at East Allegheny schools, near Pittsburgh. More than two-thirds of her school’s students come from low-income families, and many aren’t willing to take on the level of debt that past generations accepted. Instead, more are heading to technical schools or the trades and passing on four-year universities, she said. “A lot of families are just saying they can’t afford it, or they don’t want to go into debt for years and

years and years,” she said.

American higher education has been grappling with both sides of the ROI equation — tuition costs and graduate earnings. It’s becoming even more important as colleges compete for decreasing numbers of college-age students as a result of falling birth rates.

Tuition rates have stayed flat on many campuses in recent years to address affordability concerns, and many private colleges have lowered their sticker prices in an effort to better reflect the cost most students actually pay after factoring in financial aid.

The other part of the equation making sure graduates land good jobs — is more complicated. A group of college presidents

recently met at Gallup’s Washington headquarters to study public polling on higher education. One of the chief reasons for flagging confidence is a perception that colleges aren’t giving graduates the skills employers need, said Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, one of the leaders at the meeting.

“We’re trying to get out in front of that,” he said.

The issue has been a priority for Guskiewicz since he arrived on campus last year He gathered a council of Michigan business leaders to identify skills that graduates will need for jobs, from agriculture to banking. The goal is to mold degree programs to the job market’s needs and to get students internships and work experience that can lead to a job.

Bridging the gap to the job market has been a persistent struggle for U.S. colleges, said Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, a think tank that studies the workforce. Last year the institute, partnering with Strada researchers, found 52% of recent college graduates were in jobs that didn’t require a degree. Even higher-demand fields, such as education and nursing, had large numbers of graduates in that situation.

“No programs are immune, and no schools are immune,” Sigelman said.

The federal government has been trying to fix the problem for decades, going back to President Barack Obama’s administration. A federal rule first established in 2011 aimed to cut federal money to college programs that leave graduates with low earnings, though it primarily targeted for-profit colleges.

A Republican reconciliation bill passed this year takes a wider view, requiring most colleges to hit earnings standards to be eligible for federal funding. The goal is to make sure college graduates end up earning more than those without a degree.

NewStudy DebunksRed DrumCrisis Claims: Louisiana’sGulfMenhaden FisheryNot to Blame

Thisarticle is brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFishing Coalition LLC

Alandmark Louisiana-funded study confirms whatdecades of fisheries science have long suggested: the Gulf menhaden fishery is not amajor contributor to reddrum mortalityinLouisiana waters

The comprehensivebycatchassessment, conducted by LGL Ecological Research Associatesand administered through the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, found thatcommercial menhaden harvesters were responsible forjust 3.4% of reddrum removals by number statewide in 2024.In contrast,96.6% of removals were from the recreational sector Thesefindingscome at atime when misinformation about reddrum bycatchhas fueled public pressurefor newrestrictions on commercial harvesters. But the data tells aclear story: Louisiana’smenhaden fishery is both sustainable and responsible —and not a threattored drum populations

Backed by IndependentScience

Thestudy wasfunded through a$1 million appropriation by the Louisiana Legislature and carried out during the 2024fishing season. It is the most extensivebycatchstudy ever conducted in the Gulfmenhaden fishery, with data collected from 418 purse seine sets —3.2% of total effort,exceeding theoriginal sampling goal by morethan50%.

Observersand electronic monitoring systems were used to gather and verifydata. The study employedadvanced techniques such as ReflexActionMortalityPredictors

(RAMP) and24-hour live holding tanksto assess fish survival.

Keyresults include:

•Menhaden harvestersaccounted forjust 30,142 reddrummortalities in 2024—only 3.4% of statewide removals

•Anestimated26,847red drum were released aliveafter incidental capture, with an 84% survival rate in rolloverreleases

•Overall, the fishery remained well below Louisiana’s5%bycatchlimit by weight, with acombined bycatchrate of just 3.6%.

ProactiveConservation in Action

The study alsoclarified howred drum mortalitycan be reduced through better handling practices.When fish are retained in thenet and released after pumping, mortality drops sharply —akey operational takeaway thatis nowbeing applied across the fleet

In responsetothe study’s findings, the Louisiana menhaden industry has proactively standardized anew hose-end cage design acrossits fleet prior to the 2025fishing season. This design, shown to significantly improve the survivability of reddrum and similar species,isalready delivering results.Fleetwide upgrades reflect an ongoing commitmenttoconservation and demonstrate howscience candrive improvements in real time.

Putting Croakerand SeatroutinContext

The report also documentedAtlantic croaker and sand seatrout (whitetrout) in the retained catch. While some critics have highlighted thesefiguresfor political gain scientists notethat:

•Thesespecies are not overfished or undergoing overfishing, per federal and state assessments

•Theyare short-lived forage fish with high natural mortalityand would not be expected to survivetoadulthood even withoutfishing pressure.

•Their retention is primarily due to small size, not gear inefficiency

This context is importantto accurately interpret the data and avoid mischaracterizing the fishery’s overall impact

AModel of RegulatedSustainability

The Gulf menhaden fishery is among the most tightly regulatedinthe state,overseen by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, the Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission, andthe Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries

It is alsocertified as sustainableby the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) —the gold standardfor global fisheries certification. According to the 2024stock assessment, Gulf menhaden stocksare healthier thanatany pointinthe past 40 years, with spawning stock biomasshaving morethantripled since the 1990s. Fishing mortalityhas declined to just one-thirdof 1990s levels

The fishery harvests lessthan 2% of the total Gulf menhaden biomass, leaving ample resources in the ecosystemfor predators such as reddrum, speckled trout,and marine mammals

An Economic Engine for Coastal Louisiana

In addition to its environmental track record, the menhaden industry plays a critical economic role in Louisiana’scoastal communities.The sector:

•Generatesmorethan $419 millionin economic output annually

•Supports over2,000 jobs across 32 parishes

•Paysmorethan $25million in state and local tax revenue

•Provided roughly$60 millioninemployee compensation in 2023alone Menhaden also contribute to global food systems.Rich in omega-3s,protein, and essential nutrients,theyare used in aquaculturefeed, pet food, and human nutritional supplements

Letting Science Lead

The findingsofthis independentstudy offer aclear conclusion: theGulf menhaden fishery is operating responsibly,within regulatory limits,and with minimal impact on reddrum and other species of concern. Gear innovation and betterhandling are already helping to drivemortalityevenlower Forthe thousands of Louisianans whose livelihoods depend on this fishery —and for policymakerscharged with overseeing its management— this newresearch provides a firm foundation fordecisions rooted in data, not speculation.

Home Bank reports

$1M increase in Q3

Lafayette-based Home Bancorp Inc., the parent company of Home Bank, generated $12.4 million of net income during the third quarter,upfrom $11.3 million in the second quarter

Earnings were at $1.59 per diluted common share, up from $1.45 in thesecond quarter, bank officials announced.

Loans totaled $2.7 billion as of Sept. 30, down 2.1% from the second quarter.Total deposits reached $3 billion, up 2.3% from the second quarter

The average loan yield was 6.53%,up3 basis points from the second quarter,bank officials reported. Yieldswere impacted by higher rates on new loans and loans paying off at lower rates, and the bank experienced aslowdown in loan production and higher than usual pay-downs resulting in loan reduction in the third quarter

Loan production was slower during the quarter,said bankpresident and CEO John W. Bordelon, but

Fool’sTake:

Chips and more

deposit growth improved enough to reduce its loan-to-deposit ratio down to atarget rate of 91%.

Opportunity Machine, state aim to help startups Twostateagencies with theofficeofLouisiana Economic Development will team up withLafayette-based Opportunity Machine to expandstartup opportunities across Acadiana.

Louisiana Innovation and Louisiana Technology Transfer Office officialssaidthe agreement with Opportunity Machine is amove toward collaborativeinnovation and technology advancement. It will strengthenthe OpportunityMachine’srole as acatalyst for entrepreneurship and growth across theregion,said Director Destin Ortego.

“Werecognize that for most firsttime founders, our networkistheir network, which is why this partnershipissocritical,” he said. “It’s adirect pipeline connecting the grit andingenuity of Acadiana’s entrepreneurs to apowerful state-

wide platform, giving them access to the investors, grant funding, talent and customers they need to thrive.Itensures agreat idea in Lafayettehas thesameshotat success as one anywhereinthe country.”

Home sales up despite historically high prices

The total number of homessold in Lafayette Parishremains ahead of last year’space despite an average saleprice that’sclosing in on $300,000.

ThroughSeptember,2,573homes have sold in the parish, up nearly 7% from ayearago,according to data from Bill Bacque, of Market Scope Consulting.

It’s thethird straight annualincrease through September after interest ratesbegan to rise from historic lows.

Theaveragesale through September stands at $297,488, up nearly 3% from ayear ago. Yet it’sa 31% spike from theaverage price in 2019.

Thenumberofnew listings so

far this year in the parish is also at athree-year high,reaching 3,625. In July 475properties wentonthe market, whichwas the highest monthly total since 500 reported in July 2021, according to data.

BR-based Roul’s Deli to open Lafayette location

ApopularBaton Rouge hamburgereaterywill open aLafayette location after the owner bought land along Johnston Street.

The co-owner of Roul’sDeli, Hesham Saymeh,closed last week on adeal to buy the property at the corner of Whittington Drive and Johnston Street, according to land records.

The restaurant, which also three locations in Baton Rouge and one each in Gonzales andShreveport, posted avideo to social media Oct. 16 that shows asign on the property

Roul’sisknown for its “juicy juicy” hamburgers with toppings that includegrilled shrimpand chicken. Therestaurant andoffers sandwiches, po-boys and pitas.

Financial institution eyes Camellia Boulevard site

Anotherbusiness is seekingto open along the fast-growing section of Camellia Boulevard in south Lafayette.

An unidentified business has applied to theLafayetteCity Planning Commissiontosubdivide a5.6-acre lot at the corner of Camellia Boulevard andVerot School Road, according to documents.

The request includes carving outa parcel just underanacre for the business thatwill be adjacent to the Rouses Market parking lot fronting Camellia.

Afinancialinstitution is under contract to purchase theproperty, according to asource close to the project.The land is owned by an LLC registered to the Saloom family,according to documents. If approved, the business would be the latesttoopen in that stretch of Camellia, which is anchored by the Rouses and aplanned Trader Joe’sstore thatcouldbreak ground soon

Motley Fool

The market for semiconductors is red-hot, as investment continues to pour into data centers for artificial intelligence. Research company IDTechEx expects themarket for AI chipstoexceed $400 billion by 2030. While graphics processing unit leader Nvidia is apopular pick, investors should also consider Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO)

Nvidia’schips are the most powerful in the world, butthey’re also power-hungry and expensive. There is growing demand for more affordable chips that aren’t as powerful but are well-suited to specifictasks, and that’swhere Broadcom comes in.

Broadcom expects its AI revenue to grow from $20 billion this year to $120 billion by 2030. For perspective, its totalrevenue over the last 12 months was $60 billion. Beyond chips, Broadcom

also offers advanced networking solutionsthat allow chips to handlemassivedata flow for AI trainingworkloads. While total revenue grew 22% year over year last quarter,AIrevenue specifically grew 63%. The company’s main risks include reliance on ahandful of massivecustomers andexpectations that mayalready be running too hot. Butithas along history of operatingexcellence. Broadcom appears well-positioned for continuedgrowth.(TheMotley Fool recommends Broadcom.)

Fool’sSchool: Retirementmistakes

As you approach and enter retirement, makesure you avoid making the mistakes below —as some could cost you alot.

n Not having asolid retirement plan beforehand Each of us should make conservativeestimates of how muchincome we’ll need in retirement and howwe’llarrange to save andinvestenough to produce that.

n Assuming Social Security willprovide

enough income As of August,the average monthly Social Security retirementbenefit was just $2,008, or about $24,100 for the year.Aim to retire withadditional income streams, such as from dividends, interest, rental properties, pensions or annuities. (Tolearn how much you can expect from Social Securitybased on your earnings so far,visit ssa.gov and set up a “mySocial Security” account.)

n Not signing up for Medicare on time. If you’re not already receiving disabilitybenefits, you become eligible for Medicare at age 65. You should sign up within the three monthsleading up to your 65th birthday,during themonth of your birthday or within the three monthsthat follow.Fail to enroll on time, and you may enduppaying higher premiums for the rest of your life. (Visit medicare.gov for info.)

n Failing to takeyour required minimum distributions once you turn73. Those with traditional (not Roth)IRAs (andsome other accounts) are required to withdraw aminimum amount each year.The penalty for not doing so is up to 25% of

theamount you didn’twithdraw on time. (Tolearn more, search online for “RMD rules.”)

n Underestimating what health care maycost you. According to Fidelity,a65-year-old person retiring in 2025 can expect to spend $172,500, on average, on medical and health care expenses throughoutretirement. That doesn’tinclude long-term care. For amarried couple, the average total is $345,000. Plan and save accordingly! Search online for“retirement mistakes,” and you’ll find many moreblunders to avoid —such as borrowing from your 401(k) account or retiring too early

Ask the Fool: ‘Market cap,’explained

What’sacompany’s“market cap?”

N.W., Pleasanton, California

The termisshort for“market capitalization,” reflecting how the company is valued in the stock market.Tocalculate it, multiply thecurrentstock price by the number of shares outstanding. (Manyonline stock data provid-

ers list companies’ market caps.)

Imagine, forexample, that Antisocial Media, Inc. (ticker: SCRAMM) has 200 million shares outstanding and astock price near $20 per share. Multiply 200 million by $20 and you’ll get a market cap of $4 billion —its current market value. If acompany wanted to buy all of Antisocial Media, it would probably have to pay at least $4 billion (and likely more). Acquisitions often happen above market prices —typically to give the target company’s shareholders enough financial incentive to approve

ONE BIG QUESTION

GETTyIMAGES

How is AI affecting local lending institutions?

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Even as recently as 2022 when Open AI unveiled Chat GPT, the first generative artificial intelligence product — it might have been tempting to wave off AI as a fad with more of a following among the tech savvy set than the mainstream. But in the three years since, it’s becoming increasingly clear that AI is here to stay and assuming an ever-larger role in every sector of the global economy, influencing whether health insurers authorize coverage for medical procedures, where oil companies decide to drill and how sales teams prioritize their leads.

At the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors’ annual FORECAST symposium earlier this month, a panel of lenders discussed the role AI is playing in their banks and financial institutions. We thought their diverse answers would make for an interesting installment of our inaugural feature, One Big Question. We also posed

the question to a couple of Baton Rouge-based banks to include a broader, statewide response.

John D’Angelo PRESIDENT AND CEO, INVESTAR BANK

We’re using AI in several ways.

The main one is fraud detection.

We have two systems driven by AI that are capable of learning from prior transactions. A third system scans driver’s licenses and is also able to learn from the bank’s transaction history and other databases. On the investment side, we have three technology funds that we are invested in, each with companies that are developing banking technology solutions with AI integrated in the solution.

I believe that AI will continue to grow in use for activities that are repetitive and labor consuming.

Our core system for the bank is working on bots and other things that will eventually take over other bank processes. If you look across the entire Investar enterprise, we use a lot of predictive modeling,

which is in fact a type of AI, just

not the new shiny type of AI that is being referred to in the media.

Percy Manson SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HOPE CREDIT UNION

We are actually running a pilot right now involving AI and how it can be used to help small businesses. We see it as an opportunity, but we’re not there quite yet. It’s clear we’re all going to be heading in that direction.

Jude Melville CEO, B1BANK

We use AI every day to help us operate efficiently It’s embedded in many of our vendor-provided platforms and applications, including fraud prevention tools and prompting software in support our call center, for example. We’ve also begun developing internal capabilities including a language model we recently built and rolled out in which employees can quickly query topics ranging from loan policy parameters to em-

ployee benefits rather than sorting through hundreds of pages of documents to find the answer. We are just beginning but are excited about the growing opportunity

Thomas Ogg

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMERCIAL LENDER, GULF COAST BANK AND TRUST

We’re using it in risk analysis. It’s becoming more mainstream, and actually even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have automated systems that will upload tax returns, read those returns and spit out a decision on where the income is, and they have instituted what’s called 1 Day Certainty

It’s not a perfect situation, and brain power is more important than AI power when it comes to underwriting. But I think within the next couple of years, all loans will be run through AI to calculate the income on the front end. Then, there are going to be two sets of banks or lending institutions. You’ll have the Rocket Mortgages that run through AI and if you

don’t like the decision then you’re going to decline it. And you’ll have banks that have expertise from underwriters that have been in the business for 20, 30 years that can find ways to massage that deal, rearrange it and get it through a conventional loan.

Richard Ziegler

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT BONVENU BANK

The only AI that we’re using is something behind the scenes for marketing and a lot to do with fraud detection Fraud is off the charts, and I know we’re utilizing it in that regard I don’t think we’re using it yet in any sort of underwriting.

Drew Remson MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER, FIRST HORIZON BANK

We’re not there yet with underwriting, but I’m sure it’s coming in the future.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

LOUISIANA

CARE on the MOVE

Traveling to offer mammograms for over 30 years, program makes screenings accessible in Louisiana

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Every day, Robert Walker wakes up before the sun and drives 12 minutes across Baton Rouge to Woman’s Hospital off Airline Highway. There, he trades in his 2008 Toyota Camry for a 45-foot bright pink bus. He then starts his trek Walker goes somewhere different each day A clinic in Port Allen. A hospital in Assumption. A community center in Covington.

He is the driver of the Woman’s Hospital Mobile Mammography Unit a traveling bus that provides mammogram screenings to underserved communities across Louisiana and parts of Mississippi.

Walker stepped into Woman’s Hospital back in 2006 for a comfortable, easy job working for the hospital that treated and saved his mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer

“I didn’t expect to stay for 19 years,” Walker said.

Walker has plenty of experience, not only as a former DJ and teacher but as a driver — he drove a truck in the Army when he was stationed in Japan

“I always thought I would move to Houston or Florida,” the Baton Rouge native said. “But this is just a good way to give back. I never left.”

The mobile mammogram program initially started back in 1995, when studies indicated that women in outlying areas were not accessing screening mammography as they should. The initiative began as a van that contained a mammography machine that could be taken into a physician’s office or a health unit.

Lisa Baker and Wendi Chapman remember having to take out the light box for each X-ray, capture the film and haul the heavy equipment back into the van.

Both women were pregnant at the time

When Woman’s Hospital upgraded to

Wendi Chapman demonstrates how the mammogram machine rotates so it can produce images in different planes.

the digital mammography in 2005, the unit needed a bigger vehicle to accommodate the new technology The first mobile coach arrived in Baton Rouge on Nov 15, 2006, just in time for Walker to start his first shift.

The mammogram unit, called the “big-ole pink bus” affectionately by all who know it well, travels to 37 different parishes and five counties in Mississippi, bringing mammogram screening services to clinics, community centers, prisons, doctor’s offices and more.

The bus stops in time to open at 8 a.m., regardless of destination, each day and stays parked in one place until 3 p.m. Walker sometimes has to leave the hospital at 4 a.m. in order to make to the northern parts of the state like Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes before the first appointment. Each year, the bus travels to more than 200 sites, visiting 70 lo-

cations, and logging more than 20,000 miles.

The coach requires seven to eight parking spaces. Walker arrives at sites an hour early to make sure everything is in the proper place, including having to ask people to move their cars every once in a while.

After the coach arrives, Baker, the lead technologist checks the mammogram machine to make sure any bumpiness or movement along the way didn’t cause problems — that would cause shadows (called artifacts) that could confuse Xray results. If there are any artifacts, the bus turns around and heads back to Woman’s Hospital for service.

“The mobile unit moves around a lot on the roads to get to each place,” Baker said. “So we have to check every time

ä See MAMMOGRAMS, page 3X

Doctor warns of ‘silent threat’ of A-fib

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is the most common type of arrhythmia, affecting at least 2.7 million people in the United States. This number is expected to grow to more than 12 million by 2030, which makes understanding the risks extremely important as A-fib can be lifethreatening.

Dr Michael Bernard called A-fib a “silent threat” because symptoms can go unnoticed for months or years.

Bernard is the section head of cardiac electrophysiology at Ochsner Health.

A-fib is when the atrium of the heart, or the upper chambers of the heart, start to beat erratically and rapidly Instead of the heart pumping together, chambers of the heart pump out of sync.

“It’s all chaos,” Bernard said “The heart shakes.”

A-fib treats people differently Some people are very symptomatic, but many or most, people don’t feel it.

The common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and chest pain.

Younger people may feel the symptoms more than older patients because the arrhythmia is faster

“I’ve noticed that with patients, the more rapid the arrhythmia or the more rapid the heartbeat, the more likely they are to feel it,” Bernard said. “The more normal heart rate a patient has, there’s a higher chance of going undetected.”

A-fib is progressive and tends to get worse every month, every year The symptoms, most likely, will get worse or become more prevalent the longer a patient has A-fib.

Atrial fibrillation may be:

n Occasional: This is called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. A-fib symptoms come and go. The symptoms usually last for a few minutes to hours. Some people have symptoms for as long as a week. The irregular heartbeat can happen again and again. Symptoms might go away on their own. Some people with this type of A-fib need treatment.

n Persistent: The irregular heartbeat is constant. The heart rhythm does not correct itself. If symptoms occur, medical treatment is needed to reset the heart rhythm.

n Long-standing persistent: This type of A-fib is constant and lasts longer than 12 months. Medicines or a procedure are needed to correct the irregular heartbeat.

n Permanent: The irregular heart rhythm can’t be reset. Medicines are needed to control the heart rate and to prevent blood clots.

Having a healthy lifestyle, limiting alcohol intake, controlling

ä See A-FIB, page 2X

AtOchsnerCancerCenterofAcadiana,webelievethateveryindividual’s journeywithcancerisunique.Withcompassionandexpertise,wecollaborate withyoutodevelopacomprehensivetreatmentplantailoredtoyourspecific diagnosis.Weunderstandthattheroadtoremissioncanbechallenging,but withusbyyourside,hopeandhealingconvergealongyourpath,and—inthe faceofcancer—youareneveralone.

Learnmoreatochsner.org/CCA

HEALTH MAKER

Louisiana midwife praises ‘holistic care’

Midwives offer education for the whole family

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

A midwife is a licensed health care professional who specializes in caring for women throughout all stages of life, including pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

Jimi Aucoin, a certified nurse midwife, has assisted in the births of 1,156 babies in the Baton Rouge area over the past decade.

Most midwives today are certified nurse-midwives, like Aucoin. They provide comprehensive care that includes prenatal visits, labor/birth support, newborn care and family-planning services In the Ochsner Medical Complex – O’Neal midwifery group, nine certified midwives support births from natural, low-intervention births to epidural-supported deliveries to water-based births in tubs.

The program serves people with low-risk pregnancies, with seamless transfer options to OB/GYN physicians or additional hospital support if needed.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners will grow about 35% between 2024 and 2034.

The number of certified midwives in Louisiana has risen steadily, from about 65 in 2021 to 86 in 2025 — a 32% increase over four years.

Aucoin is originally from Baton Rouge and completed her undergraduate nursing degree at UL Lafayette

While working as a labor and delivery nurse, Aucoin received her master’s in midwifery from Frontier Nursing University

What sparked your interest in midwifery?

When I graduated nursing school, I worked as a labor and delivery nurse. The other nurses at the unit talked to me about what a midwife was and how there weren’t a whole lot of practices in Louisiana that’s why they worked as labor and delivery nurses.

Those conversations sparked my interest in midwifery My colleagues encouraged me to go back and get my license as a certified nurse midwife

As a labor and delivery nurse you’re helping the patient with their delivery, but ultimately, the major decisions are between her and her physician.

As a certified nurse midwife, I get to be that person that’s helping my patient make important decisions in their deliveries — encouraging her, educating her Seeing her throughout the pregnancy too. As a labor and delivery nurse you’re there for the actual labor part, but as a certified nurse midwife, you’re there throughout the process.

In our practice, we typically see our patients for the first time shortly after they find out that they’re pregnant. Certified nurse midwives also see patients from puberty until menopause, and even some after menopause.

What do you talk to expecting mothers about when first meeting them? What is your first question?

The first thing I say when I walk in with a patient is, “Do you know what a midwife is?”

A lot of them say, “No, not really.”

Typically I have to ex-

plain that you don’t have to deliver naturally in the tub via candlelight We have a lot of options for delivery, and we can do all of them as midwives.

From the very beginning, I feel like expecting mothers have so many questions, especially first time moms In

our first meetings, it’s a lot of advice. It’s a lot of answers of any kind of question.

Some of my patients never see an OB.

We allow our parents and mothers to bring all of their children to each visit with us. It’s a very nice experience because I get to meet the siblings of the future baby I get the kids involved in the care too. The siblings are often helping me measure mama’s belly or listen to the heart rate. It gets them excited to have a new baby in the house too. We do a lot of education when it comes to midwifery care, or what to expect when a new baby comes home. But we’re not just educating the mom, we’re educating the dads, the grandparents — all of people in a mother’s life that come to their midwifery visits with them. What has changed since you started as a midwife in 2015? When I graduated, there were not a whole lot of spaces in

One of the best parts of being with a midwife is that patients get that holistic care. When I meet my patients for the first time, I ask them questions that are probably not typical of what they get from a physician. I want to know: Where do they work? Who do they live with? Is the father involved? How many children do they have? What are their kids names?

in the state as a whole.

Expert: Walking backward can add to health benefits of walking

BY STEPHEN WADE AP sports writer

Here’s a simple way to switch up your walking routine: try walking backward

Taking a brisk walk is an exercise rich in simplicity, and it can have impressive mental and physical benefits: stronger bones and muscles, cardiovascular fitness and stress relief, to name a few But like any workout, hoofing it for your health may feel repetitive and even boring after a while.

Backward walking, also known as retro walking or reverse walking, adds variety to an exercise routine. Turning around not only provides a change of view, but also makes different demands on your body

Janet Dufek, a biomechanist and faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has researched the mechanics of both walking and landing from jumps to identify ways of preventing injuries and improving physical performance. And as a former college basketball player and a regular exerciser she’s also done her fair share of backward walking. In humans, reverse locomotion can increase ham-

Continued from page 1X

weight and exercising regularly help to reduce cardiovascular problems as a whole. Be on the lookout for dehydration, poor sleep or excess stress all things that can lead to A-fib.

“If you have obstructive sleep apnea, that puts pressure on the heart that can lead to atrial fibrillation,” Bernard said. “If you want to prevent atrial fibrillation, do all the cardiac healthy things that can reduce your chance to developing it.”

To manage the heart rate, and suspected symptoms, Bernard recommends regular visits to family medi-

string flexibility strengthen underused muscles and challenges the mind as the body adjusts to a new movement and posture. “I see a lot of people in my neighborhood and they walk, and that’s good,” she said. “But they are still stressing the same elements of their structure over and over again. Walking backward introduces an element of cross-training, a subtly different activity.”

Kevin Patterson, a personal trainer in Nashville, Tennessee, recommends the treadmill as the safest place to retro walk. You can adjust it to a slow speed. However, Patterson likes to turn off the treadmill — termed the “dead mill” and have clients propel the belt on their own

“It can take a while to get the treadmill going, but from there we have them be the horsepower for the treadmill,” he said Patterson said he uses backward walking with all his clients as an “accessory exercise” — a weight-training term for add-on movements designed to work a specific muscle group — or during warm-ups The activity typically makes up a small part of the workouts,

cine doctors

“Screening starts at primary care offices,” Bernard said, “with routine physicals once a year where they check your heart rate.”

The next wave of atrial fibrillation includes treatment that uses artificial intelligence to help map the heart and find the source of A-fib Bernard said Ochsner is an early adapter of this technology to help treat patients. Volta software is a type of the treatment meant for patients who have had prior ablations that have not held up over time.

A-fib is most often detected by an EKG, but smartwatches and rings with monitoring technology have made the condition easier to detect in some cases.

he said.

“The treadmill is great for older clients because you have the handles on the side and you reduce that risk of falling,” he said.

Dufek suggests working a one-minute segment of backward walking into a 10-minute walk and adding time and distance as you get comfortable.

You can also do it with a partner; face each other, perhaps clasp hands. One person walks backward, and the other strolls forward and watches for problems. Then switch positions.

“At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining. You are learning a new skill,” Dufek said. “You’re using muscles in different ways.”

If you work your way up to running and get really good at it, you can try running a marathon backward — 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers Yes, people have done that.

Dufek classifies backward walking as a form of crosstraining, or incorporating a mix of moves into a fitness program. Doing a range of exercises can help prevent overuse injuries, which can occur after repeatedly using

Smartwatches and rings, according to Bernard, have the advantage of getting a patient’s heart rate for an extended period of time, allowing the device to get a comprehensive look at how the heart behaves in motion or at rest.

“There’s some commercially available gadgets that can find and detect arrhythmia,” Bernard said. “We also have heart monitors that people wear now, or if you have a pacemaker or other type of medical device, those can detect (Afib) too.”

According to Bernard, these devices are good, not great. The watches and the rings are a little farther from the heart than a pacemaker or heart monitor, so

a professor

the University of

Las

Sept. 8 at the school. Dufek has researched the mechanics of both walking and landing from jumps to identify ways of preventing injuries and improving physical performance.

the same muscle groups.

For many people, crosstraining involves different activities and types of exercise: for example, running one day swimming the next, and strength training on a third day But the modifications required to walk backward work in the same way, but on a micro level. Do small tweaks make much of a difference? Once an avid runner, Dufek said she had several pairs of run-

the reliability of the data isn’t always great. But Bernard said he can’t argue with results.

“If people have a symptom event, we can’t go back in time — it goes undetected,” Bernard said. “What we’re

ning shoes and did not wear the same pair two days in a row

“The shoes had a different level of wear, a different design,” she said. “Just by changing that one element, in this case footwear, it would provide a slightly different stress to the system.”

Physical therapists instruct some of their clients to reverse walk, which can be useful after knee injuries or for people in rehabilita-

seeing now with smartwatches, wearable devices and some other things, is that we’re tracking more people who didn’t know they had a problem. We’re catching these things a little more upstream with new

tion or recovering from surgery

“Backward walking is very different than forward walking from a force perspective, from a movement pattern perspective,” Dufek explained. Instead of landing heel first, “you strike the forefoot first, often quite gently and often the heel does not contact the ground.”

“This reduces of the range of motion in the knee joint, which allows for activity without stressing the (knee) joint,” Dufek said.

Backward walking also stretches the hamstring muscles, the group of muscles at the back of the thigh. Dufek is interested in finding out if it improves balance and reduces fall risks in older adults by activating more senses of the body There is nothing unnatural about backward walking. If fact, backward running is a key skill for top athletes. Basketball players do it. So do soccer players. American football players — particularly the defensive backs — do it continually “I played basketball and I probably spent 40% of my time playing defense and running backwards,” Dufek said.

technology a new phase of information where we’re able to see A-fib earlier than we used to.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana.

Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

EatFit LiveFit

Healthy Halloween:Tealpumpkins, toytreatsand fairymagic

I’vebeenonabitofacrusadefor thepastdecadeorsotonormalize theconceptof“non-candy”treats atHalloween.Theresponsehasbeen, let’sjustsay,lessthanrobust.Lastyear, though,broughtaglimmerofhope. Ahandfulofpeopleagreedtojoin mynon-candyrouteandallhadgreat feedback.Theexperiment,theysaid,was surprisinglysuccessful.

It’snotaboutbeingaHalloween Scrooge,byanymeans.Wearen’tgiving awaydentalflossandnickelsatmyhouse. I’mhandingoutfunstuff,likeHalloweenthemedtattoosandPlay-Doh,stickers, bubbles,glow-in-the-darkvampireteeth, slime,bouncyballsandmore.I’mhopeful thatevenmorepeoplewilljoinmethis yeartohandoutfuntoysandother noveltiesthatencouragekids’creativity andimagination.

SomethingforEveryone: TheTealPumpkinProject EventslikeHalloweencanbe particularlychallengingforthosewith foodallergies.Kidscanhaveatoughtime enjoyingallthattrick-or-treatinghasto offerbecauseofcertainfoodlimitations andconcernsaboutcross-contamination. Anaddedbonusofnon-foodtreatsisthat virtuallyallfestivetoysareautomatically allergen-friendly.

TheTealPumpkinProjectisspecially createdforkidswithfoodallergies, encouragingpeopletoprovideoptions thatarefreeofcommonallergens likepeanuts,treenuts,milk,eggs, fish,shellfish,wheatandgluten.To participate,simplypaintapumpkin teal(oroptforareusable,teal-colored metalorplasticpumpkin,availablein someretailers)sothattrick-or-treaters knowyouhaveallergen-freetreats.

BeyondHalloween:Teaching HealthyAttitudesTowardFood Attemptingahealthierapproachto Halloweenalsomodelsahealthyattitude towardfoodthatbenefitskidsyearround.Andthatmeansnotmakingcandy totallytaboo.

“If you make something so off limits or elevate it to this halo of atreatthat you can’t have any other time, that’swhen kids and adults will only cravecandy

more,” said Brittany Craft, aregistered dietitian on theOchsner Eat Fit team. “When we arehaving atreat,weshould give ourselvesand ourkids permission to enjoy it —really savor it —and then move on.”

InadditiontoherworkwithEatFit, Brittanyisalsoamomandbeautifully balancesaparent’sperspectivewitha dietitian’sphilosophy.

“I’vewantedtogothenon-candyroute

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

HPVVACCINATIONSUPINLA.

Approximately 37,800 annualcancer cases in theUnitedStates are attributable to human papillomavirus, 35,000 of which mayhavebeen prevented through HPV vaccination.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S.,affecting about 85% of sexually activepeople in their lifetime.

Each year,13million Americans, including teenagers, are newly infected.HPV infections cancause cancer as well as genital warts.

Louisiana ranks 20th in the nation for HPV vaccinations among adolescents with 66.2%of 13-to17-year-olds in the state whoreceived allofthe recommended dosesofthe HPV vaccine in 2023, according to America’sHealth Rankings data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Louisiana’sHPV vaccination ratesfor teens have steadily climbed in the last five years, from 46.7% in 2018 to 66.2%in2023.The state nowhas ahigher percentageofHPV vaccinations among teens than the national average, which sits at 61.4%.

These states had the highest percentageof adolescents whoreceived theHPV vaccine,in

MAMMOGRAMS

Continued from page1X

westop the bus.” Each appointment takes 15 minutes. Results are sent to Woman’s Hospital at the end of each day to be reviewed by aphysician at the hospital. Patients should get their results back in aweek. If apatient needs to be screened again, aphysician from the hospital will contact them and notify themoftheir next steps.

From January to July 2025, the bus saw 787 patients with 60% of thepatients seen on the coach being noninsuredorunderinsured Thetriooftechs on thebus

The real stars of the show are Baker,Chapman and Krista Stark —the three friends who have been traveling around the statetogether for over 15 years, providing care to women across Louisiana. The trio is at adifferent location each day,but are sometimes

forthepastfewyears,butitseemedlike justonemorethingtodoinanalready busyschedule,”shesaid.“Lastyear, though,ourdaughter’sschoolasked parentstobuylittleHalloween-themed toysinsteadofcandy,andtheyactually endedupbeingcheaperthanthebagsof candywetypicallyget.Istockedupfor trick-or-treatersatourhouseaswelland waspleasantlysurprisedtoseehowwellreceivedtheywerebykidsofallages.”

TheSwitchWitch

Evenifyou’rehandingoutnon-candy treats,it’salmostinevitablethatkidswill stillendupwithanentirepumpkinfullof candy.Oneapproachtooffsetapotential candyoverloadistheconceptofthe “SwitchWitch.”Thinkofherassomething ofaHalloween-themedToothFairy Aftertrick-or-treating,kidsgettopick outafewpiecesoftheirfavoritecandy, thentheyleaveouttherestfortheSwitch Witch.Inthemiddleofthenight,the SwitchWitchtakesthecandyandleaves atoyinitsplace.Itcanbewhateveris age-appropriate—asmalltrinket,atoyor somethingmoresignificant—that’supto theSwitchWitch. Similarly,whattheSwitchWitchdoes withthecandyisuptohimorher.They mightdonateittoorganizationsthat supporttroops,localchurchesoryouth programs—orfindanothercreativeway torepurposeit.Regardless,thekidsare happy,andthecandyisoutofthehouse. DishingOutHealthful HalloweenHandouts

ConsiderjoiningmethisHalloween inofferingcreativetrick-or-treating alternatives.Whetherprovidingallergyfriendlyoptionsmarkedbyatealpumpkin orswappingcandyforfuntoysand creativeactivities,everysmallstepgetsus closertoahealthierHalloween.

HPVvaccinationsbystate

Percentage of adolescents, aged 13-17, whoreceivedall recommendeddoses of thehuman papillomavirus,orHPV,vaccine in each statein2023

descendingorder:

n RhodeIsland with 84.2%

n Massachusetts with 82.3%

n NorthDakota with 78.3%

n Michiganwith73.2%

n Delaware with 73%

n SouthDakota with 72.3%

n Connecticut with 71.2%

n NewHampshire with 70.6%

n Hawaiiwith 70.4%

n Wisconsin with 69.9%.

These states had the lowest percentageof adolescents whoreceived the HPV vaccine, in ascendingorder:

n Mississippi with 38.4%

n Georgia with 40.5%

n Oklahoma with 44.2%

n Kentucky with 47.9%

n Nevada with 48.5%

n West Virginia with 49.8%

n NewJerseywith 50.2%

n Arkansaswith 52.9%

n Idahowith 53.4%

n Wyoming with 54.2%

n Alaska with 54.4%.

circlingback to locations monthly.They can actually remember most of theplaces theygobased on some singular characteristics of bathroomsavailable to them across thestate. “Isthatthe one that smells like fried shrimp?” Chapman said when discussing atripsouth of New Orleans. Baker andChapman have known each other since their Denham Springs days aschildren. At ages 6and 4, they were fast friends. Now,they work with fellow Denham Springs High School alumnae Krista Stark Stark works patient registration.All of her documents and the computer accessing the electronic medical record areprecisely stored within thebrown cabinets of the unit. Her desk is small, but she has asystem

“I always leave the patientforms in the same place, on aclipboard by the sink, so Wendi knows where to find it,” Stark said. “When Wendi’snot here, Ihave to explain the process all over again.

The close-knit triohave raised their children together —who all attendedDenham SpringsHigh School —and have made lifelong friendships with patients, some of whom come back annually

“Wetry to make it fun,”Chapman said. “As much fun as abreastscan can be.Because if it’snot at least ‘not miserable,’ people won’twant to come back. And we want them to keep getting their screenings.”

Chelsa Rainey,a public relations specialist at Woman’sHospital, said her84-year-old grandmother schedulesher annual screenings with themobile unit.

“She’salways looking for that bright pink bus,”Rainey said. Now, themobileunithas abuddy And two mobile units can be found hopping around the state. Both unitsare equipped with3Dmammogram screening services, and a familiar face in thefront seat Baker,aslead technologist, now organizes the locations of each unit andoften worksfrom Woman’s Hospital these days. Walker’sbrother,James Walker,

is the newmobile unit driver for thesecond “big ole bus.” “I convinced himthat it would be agood idea,”Walker said. “You can meet new people.Sometimes, Ieven get to hang out with the kids —provide alittle child care whileparentsget theirmammograms

Halloween! Hallowe

Halloweenisamagicaltimeforchildren,andtheexcitementisbuildingrapidly.

Storesarefullofdisplayssignalingthearrivalofthespecialday.“Whatareyou goingtobeforHalloween?”isthequestionoftheseason.

Thisyear,HalloweenfallsonaFriday.Thatmeansperhapssomeextratrick-or-treat timesincethereisnoschoolthenextday,andwithalittleluck,we’llhaveideal weatherfortrick-or-treaters

AsweanticipatetheexcitementofHalloween,wemustalsofocus onmakingsurethisspecialdayissafeforthecostumedkidsthat willdescendonneighborhoodstocollectgoodiesandhavesome old-fashioned,screen-freefun.

Tips forplaying it safe

Parentscanhelpensuretheirchildrenstaysafeonthespookiestofholidays. Herearesomesafetyrules:

Beforetrick-or-treating,discusssafetyruleswithyourkids.

Carryglowsticksorflashlights,usereflectivetapeorstickersoncostumes andbags,andwearlightcolorstohelpkidsseeandbeseenbydrivers.

Joinkidsunder12yearsoldfortrick-or-treating.

Remindkidstocrossthestreetatcornersorcrosswalks.

Sticktoareasthatarereasonablywelllit.

Whenselectingacostume,makesureitistherightsizetopreventtrips andfalls.Choosefacepaintovermaskswhenpossible.Maskscanlimit children’svision.

Examineallofyourchild’sHalloweentreatsbeforetheyareeatenandlook forsignsofopenpackaging.Don’tallowyourchildtoeathomemadetreats preparedbystrangersortreatsthatarenotcommerciallypackaged.

Forthosewhoaredriving,slowdownandbealert!Kidsareexcitedon Halloweenandmaydartintothestreet.Turnonheadlightsandbeespecially cautiousinareaswherecarsareparkedalongthesideofthestreet.

AsHalloweenapproaches,manyAmericanscarvefreshpumpkinsaspartofa fallfamilytradition.Whilepumpkincarvingcanbeafunartisticexperience,it canpresentdangers.

Here’showtohaveasafecarvingexperience:

Makesuretheexteriorofyourpumpkiniscleananddry.Anymoistureon yourhands,toolsortablecouldcauseyourhandtoslip,whichcanlead toinjury.

Considercarvingbeforetakingthetopoffthepumpkin.Avoidholding yourpumpkinfromtheinside,whichputsyourhandsinthedirectpathof knivesandcarvingtools.

Allowchildrentodrawthedesignonthepumpkinwithamarker,but adultsshoulddothecarving.

Halloweenisfun,butitcanalsofeelstressfulforparents,especiallyifyour childhasfoodallergies,intolerancesorsensitivities.Buthavenofear.Managing nutritionalneedsdoesn’tneedtobescary.

Herearethreesimplestrategiestoenjoythetrick-or-treatingexperience:

1. Readalllabelscarefully.Often,Halloween-specificcandyandtreatscanbe manufacturedinadifferentplacethanthenormalmanufacturingfacility, leavingroomforcross-contaminationrisks.Anddifferentvarietiesandsizes ofthesamecandymayhavedifferentingredients.

Letthekidsemptythepumpkin.Sincechildrenshouldavoid sharptools,letthechildrengrabaspoonandtakeoverthejobof emptyingthepumpkin.

Youcanalsodecorateyourpumpkinswithoutcarvingthem.Getcraftywith paint,stickers,yarnorglittertodecoratepumpkins.

2. Ifacandydoesn’thavealabelorifyoucan’tfindtheingredientlist, throwitaway.

3. Thereisnosuchthingas“allergy-free”candyortreats.Peoplecanhavean allergytoalldifferenttypesoffood.

WeshouldalsorememberthatHalloweenhandoutsneednotbecandy.Stickers, bubblesandminiglowsticksareamongthemanythingsthatcanbegivenout bythosewhowanttoprovide100%food-allergen-freetreats.

LOUISIANA

FROM BAY TO BAYOU

Traveling photographer staysto capture Louisiana

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Documentary photographer Philip

Gould has traveled the world, captured numerous landscapes and arichvariety of people, butnowhere compares to the soul connectionhefeelsinsouth Louisiana. At the age of 20,San FranciscoBay Area native Gould found his futurebehindthe lens of acamera whenhis mombought one that, as he says, “wasn’t halfbad.”

“It was 1971. Icommandeereditand started taking pictures like crazy,” said Gould.

The new hobby led him to study journalism at alocal community college and aphotojournalism degree from SanJose State, knowing that he needed to make photography his career

“It spoke to me loudly,” he said Right out of college in 1974, Gould landed ajob in New Iberia taking picturesfor The Daily Iberian. The assignment turned out, for Gould, to be “the best first job a photographer could hope for.”

In atownwhere therewas little news, he had free rein to photograph anything

as long as readers enjoyed the pictures.

Gould says theopportunityinNew Iberia made allthe difference in acareer that hasspannedfive decades, multiple countries, several museum exhibitions and more than 20 books.

After ayear anda half in New Iberia, in 1976, Gould moved to Dallas to workat theDallas Times Herald. In 1978, the oak

trees, Spanish moss, waterways, music and people lured him back to Acadiana.

“I found that Louisiana had awonderful sense of rootedness,”Gould said, “in that people are from here —and not only that, their ancestors are from here.”

He says he liked that it was aFrench speaking area and that people had awonderful sense of humor here.

“I just somehow viscerally connected to Cajun culture,” he said.

Thatconnection led to his first book “Les Cadiens D’Asteur:Today’sCajuns,” which was released in 1980, and it became atraveling exhibit

Sincethen, Gould’swork has been exhibited in the Field Museum of Natural History,the HilliardUniversity Art Museum, theLouisiana Art &Science Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Gould has created and co-authored 16 books that range from “Ghosts of Good Times,” about abandoned dance halls in southLouisianato“Bridging theMississippi,”a conclusive look at every bridge that crosses the Mississippi River—and contributed to many more.

His mostrecent project is “Louisiana from theSky,” which will be published by UL Press and available Dec.9

Make every minute count

Long distance isn’tathing anymore —aside from international calls,which can be bypassedby any number of apps or online options

Even still, Iremember the first long-distance call Iever received as clear as abell.

Iwas 14 and was outside playing basketball in the driveway with ahalf-dozen neighborhood kids

My mother threw open the front door and said, “Jan, you have along distance call!”

Everyone froze, unable to processthat someone would be calling one of our motley crew long distance.

Back then, along-distance call was validation. Seconds counted. Someone, somewherebeyond the city limits thought Iwas worth spending money to reach.

Afterwhat my mother said registered, Iran inside to the black phone hanging on the kitchen wall. Its long coiled cord stayed tangled. Iknew exactly how far Icould wander while talking on the phone.

“Hello,” Isaid, breathlessly. Aman from Roosevelt State Park in Morton, Mississippi, a whopping 15 miles away,was calling for me

He was calling about askateboarding contestfromthe summerbefore. He worked at the parkand remembered that Ihad won thecompetition the previous year —which is another story all together.(Ihad been the only girlinthe contestand had won againstatleast15young men, most of whom were well into their 20s.Itwas the stuff of dreams.)

ButIdigress. This man’sjob was to relay to me that parkadministrators had hoped Iwould return to defend my title.

Much like the legendary(in my own mind) skateboarding contestofthe previous summer, this was heady stuff.

Alas,Ihad ajob and had to work that Saturday.Iwas unable to join the skateboardcompetition again. Iremember that I wasn’t even verydisappointed. The long-distance phone call (witnessed by friends) was a sort of prizeinand of itself. Sitting in the newsroom, considering the difference in attitudes now about receiving phone calls,Ilooked around to the three 20-somethings whosit near my desk.

Ihad ahunch as to what the answer would be, but Iasked anyway

“Do y’all know about longdistance calls?” Isaid. At 22, the youngestofthe trio said, “Do you mean alandline?” Iquickly realized that shehad no idea long-distance calls had ever been athing.

Another veteran journalist jumped in to help me explain. The 22-year-old was shocked that there used to be charges for calls based on the distance between two places

The other journalist and Iwent on to explain how much timing mattered with long-distance calls —along-distance call made in the middle of the day was high dollar

After5 p.m., the rates dropped and after midnight they dropped even further

We told her that in the not-sodistant history of cellphones, there were charges for roaming and other long-distance features —that if you traveled with your cellphone and called in another region, there were costs that went along with

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Trombonist retrained his brain to play again

New Orleanian plays weekly despite developing focal dystonia after Katrina

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

New Orleanian Craig Klein is a Grammy-winning trombonist, educator and composer His influence spans over 200 recordings with legends like Dr John and the Neville Brothers, and he actively performs with top brass ensembles. Klein has championed brass band music on international stages and through media like the radio station WWOZ. His advocacy for musicians’ health has also encouraged more open conversations and resources around artist care. Klein struggled with focal dystonia, making trombone playing difficult, but he remains dedicated. In addition to playing weekly at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, he hosts jazz shows on WWOZ and advocates for the station.

Tell me about yourself and your life in music in New Orleans. I grew up in Metairie. My inspiration comes from my uncle, who is my mom’s younger brother, Jerry He is seven years older than me and plays trombone. I came up watching him, admiring him, and I wanted to be just like him. We still play together in a brass band called The Storyville Stompers since 1981.

As I was growing up in the suburbs in the 1970s, we would go to the French Quarter as 15- and 16-year-old kids because Bourbon Street had good music going. It was jazz and blues.

I specifically remember coming out of Pat O’Brien’s with my friends, and Preservation Hall is right next to Pat O’s. In those days, they would open up the shutters so you could look through the old New Orleans-style glass windows and see what was going on.

I can still see it like it was yesterday. It was just so mesmerizing and magical. The window sits right behind the drums and the trombone player When I looked in, I thought it was a dream. I’d never really heard the music like that before, and so I left my friends. I stayed there and listened. Every time we would go back to the corner, I would go to that window and hear as many songs as I possibly could. And then sometimes, if I had an extra $3, I would pay the cover charge and go in and stand along that back wall. I thought it would be cool to

BAYOU

Continued from page 1y

The book offers a distinct perspective on the Bayou State as seen from overhead with drone photography This idea for the collection of overhead photos grew from his childhood in California, where he was used to seeing mountains and more dynamic landscapes.

The flatness of Louisiana had always lacked that kind of drama, or so he thought.

“I felt this void,” Gould said “My premise has been that you really can’t see Louisiana in its full glory and potential from the ground You have to put something up in the air — so the whole flat landscape spreads out before you, and you can see its true drama.”

When asked about his favorite subject to capture, Gould said that he loves photographing people living in amazing architecture.

He also said that he’s often inspired by unusual concepts that become full-scale projects like his early 2000s series on train stations in France, “Les Plus Belles Gares de France.”

‘He’s like our memory’

Mark Tullos, executive director at the LSU Museum of Art, met Gould in 2002 when in Lafayette

The first time he saw Gould, the photographer was standing on top of a 14-foot ladder at a festival, documenting Louisiana’s joie de vivre. Tullos was worried for Gould’s safety, but the photographer was undeterred.

“I remember meeting him soon after that,” Tullos said, “and I was having a conversation about the lengths he will go to get a marvel-

Q&A WITH CRAIG KLEIN

play there.

When Storyville Stompers started in ‘81, that’s when I started really chasing New Orleans music, after the Olympia brass band.

What is it like to play Preservation Hall?

It’s a dream come true. Preservation Hall started in 1961, and it’s still the best place in the world to hear traditional jazz.

It’s an honor and a privilege and an obligation to keep this music going for the elders.

Can you tell me about your experience with focal dystonia?

Focal dystonia only affects maybe 2% or 3% of musicians and normally it’s a muscle movement disorder Have you heard of the term “the yips” in sports? It’s like that, but with musical instruments.

The neurons in your brain become tangled, and the wiring becomes unwired. It happened after Hurricane Katrina. We had to move to Baton Rouge, and I started coming back to New Orleans to help musicians rebuild houses.

There was so much stress. The stress affects different people in different ways For me, I started noticing I couldn’t start a note.

I felt like something was happening. Then I started noticing more and more, “Man, something’s wrong on my chops. I can’t start this note, this passage. I’m really suddenly not so good.”

I knew I could play, but it just felt like my playing disappeared.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with I had never been more depressed in my life.

At some point, I went online, and focal dystonia pops up and it lists all of the symptoms. I’m going, check, check, check.

It affects different musicians.

For instance, like clarinetists or pianists, they get it in their fingers. Guitar players will sometimes get it in their fingers. It only

shows up when you have your in-

strument So for me, whenever I put the horn on my face, my chops would lock up.

I didn’t tell anybody except for my fellow trombone players, so they knew I had this. I was able to hide behind them in the band.

How did you eventually get help?

I started finding people I reached out to another horn player Dion Tucker in New York, and he helped me get some help.

One way to come out of this is you have to retrain your mind.

We already know we know how to play the instrument. We have to

rewire our brain. Neuroplasticity is what it is. So I had to almost relearn everything I’m thinking I’m probably about 75% there I took sessions with specialists over Zoom. They have taken me to a level that I never even thought I would even get to at some point. I work on it every single day.

Has this condition changed your relationship to music and performing?

I always appreciated (music) because I love it, but (focal dystonia) made me appreciate it even more. You just have to be able to play and to contribute to what this culture is.

When you lose something, and you love it, man, and when you have a chance to get it back, you appreciate it more than you can ever imagine

What is your relationship to WWOZ, and what does the jazz station mean to New Orleans?

Growing up, I didn’t own a lot of the records they were playing.

On Saturday, Big Mama Rankin had the traditional jazz show, and I would put her on the radio. I would get my horn out, and I would play along. And that’s how I learned a lot of music, by playing along with it.

In my beginning years, WWOZ played that important part of my career, teaching me the music. I wasn’t going to be able to go out and buy all of those records. It just couldn’t possibly be done It’s a very important resource for musicians.

I wanted to do a show on OZ. It was always on my bucket list. So, I started sitting in on the other DJ shows and watching and learning. And then they started calling me to sub.

The next thing you know, a Saturday morning slot is open. To now be a part of the OZ family, and to play music that I love it’s just a special thing for me. I feel like it’s almost full circle

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTO By PHILIP GOULD Raymond Manson prays under the Crescent City Connection.

ous capture, a marvelous image. And he’s a master of that. He’s a real visionary He’s in that same family of great artists like Fonville Winans and C.C. Lockwood.”

Tullos in his role back then as director of the Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette, used to take visitors to nearby zydeco clubs to hear local music, where he would often see Gould taking pictures.

“I remember so clearly going to festivals or different events that were important in Louisiana, and seeing Philip like this sort of ghost walking around with his camera,” said Tullos. “He’s like our memory,

he goes through gathering all these images — and then you go back to an exhibition (at a museum) later and you see an image. You go, ‘I remember that, and I remember that day.’” UL history professor Michael Martin says that Gould’s work goes beyond documenting. He says Gould’s photographs evoke and convey things that are easy to identify with even for those not from Louisiana or the United States, for that matter “He’s going beyond documenting. You can hear the music. You can feel the dance floor kind of

bouncing up and down. You can see the dust coming up off of the floor,” Martin said of Gould’s work. “You can look at his photographs and say, ‘You know what, I can kind of sense what it would be like to be there.’” Five decades in, Gould’s photographs often do more than record a moment — they remind the people of south Louisiana who they are. Through his lens, the ordinary becomes luminous, and the familiar turns timeless. Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

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nience. She was amazed. As we talked, I could see how foreign “long distance” seemed to her To her, calls had always been free and endless. I remembered when they had been a currency of care. These days, we can FaceTime someone in Singapore for free, yet often feel thinner more disposable. There was something about knowing the seconds counted — the cost of the call made the words matter more. Perhaps we didn’t realize that we were rationing conversations, but I wonder if most of us chose words with more care because each minute ticked away like dropping money in a jar I don’t miss long-distance bills or busy signals. However, I do miss the magic that came with the phone ringing and having no idea who would be on the other end of the line but knowing it was someone who knew or had an important reason to be reaching out. How lovely to think of hearing my mother opening the front door and yelling, “Jan, you’ve got a long-distance call!” It all still matters.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

LouisianaDigital Librarycontinues preservation work

Newgrant allows forupgrades

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

In thebasement of the LSU Hill Memorial Library,down several hallways andpast roomswith desks full of papers and boxes and books, Gabe Harrell is at work scanning pages from journals written in the 1800s

“Right now,we’re working on this manuscriptcollection, the Capell family papers,” Harrell, the LSU Special Collections’ Digitization Lab Manager,explained.

“These are plantation recordsthat we are working on getting digitized and put in the digitallibrary once the new one is up andrunning.”

That library,the LouisianaDigital Library,isanextensive online archive of more than 350,000 items from libraries, museums andother repositories across the state. Accessible for free to anyone, itincludes manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, oral histories and other items.

It’snow undergoing an upgrade.

Gina Costello, LSU Libraries’ Associate Dean of Technology and Special Collections, said that a$190,320 grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents hasfunded anew microfilm scanner after the previous one stopped working.

“Wewere not going to beable to afford to replace it unlesswegot a grant, so this has been wonderful for us,” she said.

‘Freefor anyone to use’

The digital library started in 1999 and has grownextensively since its beginning, withmaterialsspanningcenturies.Scansof American Sugar Cane Leaguebulletins are interspersed withportraits of LSU students from1870, architectural drawings of university buildings, AscensionParish Libraryscrapbooksand audiorecordings of Cajun folktales.

Elisa Naquin, LSU Special Collections’ Metadata and Digital Strategies Librarian, said that whileLSU manages the software, institutions around the state can

contribute.

“Wemanage it, provide it for the state, and… it’sfree for anyone to use, anyone who has an internet connection, but also free for any institutioninthe statethatwants to contribute,”she said. “Itgives them aplatform to use, and then theydon’thave to purchase their own.”

Around 32 organizations have added to the library,including the HistoricNew Orleans Collection, East Baton Rouge Public Library Amistad Research Center and State Library of Louisiana. Beyond purchasing thenew microfilmscanner,Naquin saidthe fundsare also paying for asystem to host the digital library online.

“Wewereable to, withthe helpof this grant,purchaseareally nice sort of modern system that’s goingtobemoreuser-friendly,both for theinstitutions that contribute andalso forresearchers searching for materials,” she said. “I thinkit will both increase theamount of materials going intothe LDL, and I thinkit’llincrease access as well.”

Hundreds of years

The grant will be used to also digitize aspecific collection. Deep in the library’sarchives six floors of floor-to-ceiling shelves containing everything from miniaturebooks to maps —are large filingcabinets filledwith roughly 600 microfilm reelsofhandwrit-

tenpolice jury minutes. The minutes cover meetings in 60 parishes from 1811 to the1940s, and one reel of film covers between 500 and1,000 images.

“We’re probably going to do just about 150 (reels) to start out, and then it’llbea long-termproject,” Costello said.

Yetthe LSU Special Collections maintains far more documents than thoseavailable online. Costello andHarrell explainedthatmany materials arefrequently usedby university classes, leading to them being prioritized fordigitization.

“Wehave an active instruction programwhere undergraduate andgraduate student classes come in,” Costello said. “They can handle

thematerials, andsometimesit’s thefirst time they’veseen things that are, you know,that old.”

TheCapellfamily papers are onesuchexample,withCostello stating that history and English classes frequently studythem. Beyond university use, the library also prioritizes itemsthatneed to be preserved in theface of decay or deterioration.

“Wewant to keep them for hundredsofyears to come,” shesaid. “Wewant them to be here when none of us arehere. That’s our mission.”

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

FAITH & VALUES

Tibetan Buddhist nunnery shifts gender norms

BY PRIYADARSHINI SEN

Contributing writer

When Geshema Delek Wangmo was 12 years old and starting her Tibetan Buddhist journey, she joined her teacher on a pilgrimage.

The journey, which involved traveling on foot from the high-altitude town of Litang in the Kham region of Tibet to Lhasa in a valley of the Himalayas both spiritually significant locations in Tibetan Buddhism — required her to beg in villages, sleep in tents, embark on meditative practices and live with villagers who offered the monastics vegetables, butter, cheese and milk for their sustenance. A year-and-ahalf later the young nun traveled hundreds of miles, enduring harsh weather and terrain, to reach Kailash, a sacred mountain in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Now Wangmo, 44, is the first woman principal of a nunnery in north India’s Dharamshala, home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. In April, when the nonsectarian Dolma Ling Nunnery transitioned to female academic leadership for the first time in its three-decade history, it marked a radical shift in the landscape of Tibetan Buddhism in exile.

“If more women take on leadership roles in religion, there’ll be a spurt in positive thinking, compassion and quality of education,” said Wangmo, who came to the nunnery in 1990.

Along with two senior nuns in charge of the nunnery’s administration, Wangmo is showing more than 270 nuns from various lineages what’s possible for women in religion today

“Geshema has gone through many hardships and understands the inner world of nuns,” said 30-year-old Tenzin Dolma, who arrived at the nunnery five years ago from a Tibetan refugee settlement in Kathmandu, Nepal. “She’s inspiring younger nuns to think big and aim high.” Nestled in the foothills of the Lesser Himalayas and surrounded by the snow-capped Dhauladhar peaks, the Dolma Ling Nunnery’s compact red and white buildings, set around a central courtyard, was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama

in 2005. Surrounded by lush, landscaped flower and vegetable gardens, Wangmo urges the nuns to apply Buddhist principles in their daily lives. In their classrooms dedicated to studying Buddhist philosophy, dialectics, Tibetan language and ritual arts, she instructs them on the spiritual development of the community.

“In traditional society, female monastics prayed and recited from holy scriptures,” said Nangsa Chodon, director of the Tibetan Nuns Project, a nonprofit based in Seattle and Dharamshala that supports refugee nuns from Tibet and India’s Himalayan regions. “But now, the Dalai Lama is helping nuns become leaders in their own nunneries.”

From the late 1980s to early 2000s, many Tibetans who had been marginalized through occupation escaped on foot over the Himalayas to Dharamshala. Many feared torture and persecution like their forefathers faced between 1949 and 1950, when independent Tibet was invaded by China. In exile, many Tibet-

ans wanted to practice Buddhism, the religion woven into the fabric of their society, influencing their daily routines and worldview

“Initially it was just survival for the nuns and monks who fled to India,” said Venerable Ngawang Palmo, who is in charge of the nunnery’s administration. “But now, education is being emphasized so that it fosters equality in the monastic community and beyond.”

For nuns, the Geshema degree is the highest academic title, awarded after 17 years of studying five great canonical texts of Tibetan Buddhism. The degree — which allows nuns to receive public recognition as teachers and leaders in the Buddhist world — was first approved for women in 2012, previously only available to monks. Four years later, 20 nuns were recognized as Geshema by the Dalai Lama, who many credit for allowing women to take on leadership and teaching roles previously reserved for monks.

“Now with women in leadership roles, the monastic community has been infused with fresh energy,”

said Gyurmey Dorjey, a monk who has been teaching Buddhist philosophy at Dolma Ling for 18 years. Dorjey attributes the shift to the Tibetan Nuns Project’s founding director, Rinchen Khando Choegyal.

A founding member of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Dalai Lama’s sister-in-law, Choegyal promoted social, political and economic equality among Tibetans in exile and is credited with informing the international community about the plight of Tibetan refugees, Dorjey said. At Dolma Ling, she encouraged the nuns to grow as scholars, teachers and administrators.

“Her visionary mindset has helped 23 nuns become Geshemas since 2016,” said Wangmo, who received her degree in 2017.

Wangmo often serves as a kind of guide mother and adviser at the nunnery In a life dominated by the ideal of selfless service to others and the pursuit of spiritual truth, nuns often face inner struggles and psychological distresses navigating strict routines and basic living conditions, loss of personal autonomy,

and dealing with interpersonal conflicts within the community

“Males are more ego-driven while women lead with their heart,” said Tashi Yangzon, a 35-year-old nun from Ladakh who made Dolma Ling her home in 2010. “With our new female leadership, younger nuns will be more comfortable opening up about their struggles.”

Yangzon said it will take time for nuns to fully embrace women’s leadership. Even though Buddha’s teachings emphasize spiritual equality — that men and women are equally capable of achieving nirvana male leadership has dominated nunneries due to hierarchical structures and monastic restrictions placing monks in positions of authority

“Even for women to accept this complete upturning of structure isn’t easy,” Yangzon said. “It’s a revolutionary act because nuns so far were required to show deference to monks.”

The three nuns’ leadership tenure will last three years, after which either a committee will nominate the next leaders or there will be a communitywide election, according to the Tibetan Nuns Project.

“This leadership change is critical,” said Tsering Norbu, a male English teacher at Dolma Ling. “It will even help nuns step up at oldage homes, orphanages and other institutions.”

In its core philosophical studies, debate sessions and projects like tailoring and tofu making, some see a shift in the nuns’ confidence at Dolma Ling.

“The change shows how capable women are at managing entire communities,” said Tenzin Palkyi, coordinator of the Tibetan Nuns Project in Dharamshala. “This not only breaks a set pattern, but also the belief that female leadership is an exception.”

When the workload overwhelms Wangmo, she said she reminds herself of Buddha’s compassion and his deep and unwavering care for the suffering of all sentient beings.

“If we have compassion, we can see problems clearly,” Wangmo said. “But on difficult days when even compassion seems hard, I remind myself about the need for good action.”

Iowa monks protect forest while crafting caskets

Federal funds help them and others do more

BY OLIVIA COHEN Staff writer

The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Editor’s note: This story, created by Olivia Cohen for Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana

Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world Whirring saws and buzzing power sanders can be heard from the New Melleray Abbey as Trappist monks craft wooden caskets between communal prayer calls

The wood for the caskets comes from the abbey’s property, about 1500 acres of hardwood forest — the second largest, privately-owned timberland in the state less than 10 miles from Dubuque’s city limits. The business, Trappist Caskets, launched in 1999 and brings in about $5 million in revenue each year Rather than profit, the monks’ work is driven by their desire to work with their hands and give back to their community and the earth in their lifetime, said Sam Mulgrew, a layperson who manages Trappist Caskets.

To that end, the abbey has long prioritized forest conservation as part of their business.

“We’re really focused on trying to create a genetically diverse ecosystem out there,” Mulgrew said. “And when that ecosystem can provide us material for caskets, only then do we (harvest) it.”

Now, more than 25 years after the business launched, the monastery is getting some help with their conservation work.

The U.S. Forest Service which is housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture

— awarded the New Melleray Abbey over $3 million to protect their land indefinitely from development

The funds are part of the Forest

Legacy Program, which works to support the permanent conservation of environmentally important forests across the country

So far in 2025, the program has supported more than 259,000 acres of private and economically important forested areas across 18 states.

John Schroeder, the abbey’s fulltime forester, said forestry and monastery labor work well together because they are both focused on the long term.

It “makes forestry a natural fit for the Trappists,” he said. Forest Legacy Program

In the 1980s, New Englanders worried about losing access to privately owned but publicly accessible forestlands due to development

In response, in 1990, Congress established the Forest Legacy Program to preserve privately owned forested areas across the country.

A majority of U.S. forestland is privately held, particularly in the eastern part of the country In 1996, Congress amended the program to allow states to participate, too.

The program provides grants which can be used to purchase land for preservation or to put forestland into an easement, a legal agreement that prohibits a landowner from developing the land.

Aron Flickinger works as a forestry program specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he oversees the Forest Legacy Program for Iowa.

The program is federally funded and is administered individually by each state, Flickinger said. He said it is up to each state to identify and assist landowners who are willing to participate.

Oftentimes, he said, woodland owners put their land in the program to ensure it is safe from commercial development or urban sprawl and to maintain healthy forest. Program participants can still log their land as part of their management.

“Keeping (forests) natural, that means they’re more easily managed for timber, but also managed for wildlife habitat,” Flickinger said. “Really that depends on the owner’s goals.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By NICK ROHLMAN

Brother Joseph cuts wood to size for the frame of a casket’s lid at the New Melleray Abbey, a Trappist monastery near Dubuque, Iowa, on Sept.

8. The abbey’s monks work alongside lay people to assemble caskets using timber from the abbey’s forestland.

He said the monastery project was selected because of how “unusual” it is; the land plot is large and close to Dubuque’s city limits.

“The threat of selling off 40 acres to a developer and turning that into a housing unit is real in that area,” he said.

Another Iowa project received funding, too. About 60 miles northwest of Des Moines, the state received nearly $1.5 million to expand an existing wildlife management area. The state will purchase about 250 acres of land to add to the Saylorville Wildlife Management Area in the Des Moines River Valley

The project will provide three new public access points to the wildlife area for hunting, trapping, hiking and camping, which is estimated to add about $5 million to Boone County’s economy annually, according to grant materials.

Outside of Iowa, 21 additional conservation and forestry projects were funded this year under the Forest Legacy Program.

A lumber company has received $10.2 million to put over 20,000 acres of forested land across Montana, Idaho and Washington into an easement that will preserve wildlife habitat and connect timberlands that help sustain regional

mills. The property will be permanently accessible to the public for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking and snowmobiling.

Oklahoma has been allotted $15.9 million to acquire 11,333 acres of land to establish Oklahoma’s first state forest, the Musket Mountain State Forest.

Arkansas has been allocated $7 million to protect over 11 miles of streams that feed into the drinking water supply for 500,000 people.

The money will pay for 3,471 acres to create a contiguous forested conservation corridor from central Arkansas to Oklahoma.

In Mississippi, $435,000 was allocated for an easement protecting 270 acres of privately held longleaf pine savanna within the borders of the De Soto National Forest.

Trappist caskets

Forested hills and creeks stretch across the monastery’s 1500 acre property

The monks grow apples, peaches and mushrooms on a portion of the land. But the majority of it is diligently managed hardwood forest. Mulgrew said many different tree species grow in the forest but the monks use the wood from pine, black cherry, walnut and red oak

trees to make the caskets. He said that they also grow white oak, both hard and soft maple, ash and hickory trees.

They harvest by various methods.

One approach Schroeder likes is to rip up soil under a stand of oak trees that have dropped acorns, thereby helping the seeds root, then to harvest the trees above. He’s also clear cut and done large overstory harvests of the forest, where the tallest trees were removed from a stand. He always actively manages replanting.

“I planted over 800 seedlings per acre on any of the harvests that we do,” Schroeder said. “In the next couple of years, I will be going in to look at one of our clear cuts, our overstory removal harvest, to start weeding out trees and to try and get specific oak species to move up through the canopy.”

Brother Joseph, who doesn’t use a last name as part of his religious vows, works in the monastery’s gardens and helps with casket making. He said each time a casket is sold they plant a symbolic tree. If they have a surplus of one kind of wood, the monks make sure there is a use for it and it doesn’t go to waste.

During the COVID pandemic they started installing 300 foot buffers — strips of permanent vegetation that slow water runoff by filtering out sediments, nutrients and pesticides — along creeks on their property to clean the water that runs off agricultural land. Schroeder said the buffer will help curb erosion along the creek, as well.

“The forest here is managed in a way that costs a lot more in terms of cost of goods because of the amount of expense that we put into our forest,” Mulgrew said. With the Forest Legacy Program funding, the monastery will put their property into an easement, permanently prohibiting development on the land. Back at the workshop, the monks put the finishing touches on each casket, polishing the wood and adding metal handles. They bless each casket before sending it to families all over the world. They make cremation urns, as well.

SUNDAY, OctOber 26, 2025

directions: Make a2-to7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add pointsof each word, using scoring directions at right.Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” usedas any letterhave no point value All thewords are in theOfficial SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary,5th Edition.

Axy DL BAA xR iS LO NgFELLOW One letterstands foranother.inthis sample, Aisusedfor the three L’s, xfor the twoO’s,etc.Single letters, apostrophes, the lengthand formation of the words are allhints. Eachday the code letters are different.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by theaddition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are notallowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are notallowed.

todAY's Word —PercePtiVe: per-SEPtiv:Discerning or observant.

Average mark 29 words

Time limit 60 minutes Canyou find 55 or more words in PERCEPTIVE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

Back and forth

North couldn’t help but bid a slam after South opened the bidding. South had a dead minimum, however, and slam was a tricky proposition.

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: “BIRD” NAMES

Identify the person with a name containing the name of a bird. (e.g., He was known as “The Red Eminence.” Answer: Cardinal Richelieu.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1. Comedian who played an alien on “Mork & Mindy.”

Answer________

2. Singer actor and onetime partner of Jerry Lewis.

Answer________

3. Comedian who was the host of “The Tonight Show” from 1992-2009.

Answer________

The first sight of dummy told South that he only had nine top tricks and he needed three more. The club suit had a reasonable chance for development, needing a 3-3 split or for East to hold the queen. That would only give him two extra tricks, however, and he needed three, so he decided to play on hearts first. He won the opening spade lead in hand with the king and led a low heart toward the dummy West had to play low or South would have four heart tricks, and dummy’s queen won the trick. Had East held the king, South would have needed a 3-3 heart split. South still needed a 3-3 heart split if he continued playing on hearts, but the club suit, with the extra chance of East holding the queen, now became a better chance. South led a low club from the dummy and East hopped up with queen South won the spade continuation

with dummy’s ace and led a club to his jack. When both opponents followed suit, he could claim his slam. Two spade tricks, two heart tricks, four diamonds, and four clubs. Well played!

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

SCORPIO (Oct.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec 21) Size up whatever situation you face. If it isn’t necessary to form alliances, you are best to work alone. Create a space you can call your own and pursue the journey and destination you desire CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep your thoughts and emotions to yourself. No one will understand your reasoning or your need to head in the direction you choose. Less conflict, greater gain and satisfaction will come with independence. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to how you feel, look and what you can do to ensure a healthy future. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or down a path that is emotionally, financially or physically excessive. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Check options, see what makes sense and pursue your objective. Don’t buy into someone else’s dream or overpay for something you want. Stay focused and reasonable, and pursue your dreams.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Emotions will be close to the surface. It’s essential to stick to the facts and verify information. Be willing to help others, but refuse to let anyone take advantage of you or what you can offer TAURUS (April 20-May 20) An opportunity to partner with someone or to work from home looks promising. Trust your instincts and check out what you need to do to reach your expectations.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Reach out; participate in a function that addresses something that concerns you. An opportunity to discuss pos-

4. He starred in “Hogan’s Heroes.” Answer________

5. She was known as “The Lady with the Lamp.” Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. English architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Answer________ 7. Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Her songs include “Soak Up the Sun.”

sibilities will be informative and profitable. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You’ve got your finger on the pulse, and you’re ready to optimize your talents and excel in ways you never thought possible.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep your eye on what’s happening around you. Not everyone will be trustworthy or out to help you. Be ready and willing to take the initiative and to do the work yourself if you want to make progress.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Listen carefully, and don’t hesitate to do your own thing. Working under the con-

fines of what others want will not get you where you want to go. Size up the competition. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Focus on home and yourself, and it will help you look and feel your best. Take steps to disclose the necessary information to achieve your objectives. A move or lifestyle change will deliver the boost you need to advance.

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

Answers to puzzles

1. Robin Williams. 2. Dean Martin. 3. Jay Leno. 4. Bob Crane. 5. Florence Nightingale. 6. Christopher Wren.7.Sheryl Crow. 8. Peter Finch. 9. Ryan Gosling.10. Taylor Swift. 11. Robert Falcon Scott.12. Howard Hawks 13.JamesMcNeil Whistler.14. DennisWeaver 15. Wesley Snipes.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue. —IchabodCrane, "SleepyHollow"