The Acadiana Advocate 11-09-2025

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‘Peoplejustcan’t afford to live’

People wait in line for ahot meal at Grace Place Ministries Soup Kitchen on Jackson Street in Monroe on Wednesday. The nonprofithas seen asurgeindemand as SNAP benefitreductions and the ongoing federal shutdown makeitharder for manyfamilies in northeast Louisiana to put foodonthe table.

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

MONROE— The friends arrived at the soup kitchen with toddlers in their arms and worry in their eyes.

Ashleigh Pearce and Sabrina Spearman had heard that because of thefederal shutdown, their food assistance would be cut. (“Just gone.”)

Then they heard that Louisiana would restore aquarter of their allotment at atime

(“So I’ve gotta buy some eggs.”) Then, they could lose benefits, long-term. (“People really need those funds.”)

They were weary,not only from the whiplash but from the challenges that keep bringing themto

Bob Giles, left, winner of the 2025 Lafayette Civic Cup, and Sandy Giles sit with their dogs at their home on Oct. 9.

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

Grace Place Ministries Soup Kitchen serveshot meals to those in need on JacksonStreet in Monroe.

Grace Place Ministries, on thecity’s south side, week afterweek, fora hotmeal and,onthismorning, apair

of shoes. The air had turned chilly,and Spearman’s son was barefoot. “Good morning!”volun-

teer NathanielCooperbellowed, opening theback door,where adozenpeople were waiting Wednesday morning to choose free clothes fromthe organization’s closet. He removed his hat and begantopray: “Father God, thankyou for dressing us here today.I would ask that you cover them. Bless their mind and body that they may knowand understand that you are here for them right now, in this time of the shutdown that is taking place in theworld.”

Even beforethe federal shutdown threatened food assistance for 42 million

Lengthy campaign, andLandry, landed LSU president

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Four daysbefore theLSU Board of Supervisors would select anew university president, McNeese State President Wade Rousse and University of AlabamaProvost James Dalton met at the LSU president’shouse. Publicly,bothwerestill candidates for the LSU job. Behind the scenes, however, Rousse hadalready secured it Gov.JeffLandry hadspread the word quietly weeks earlier that Rousse’s business-oriented approach forLSU aligned withthe governor’svision.

Lee Mallett, the board’svice chair and aclose Landry ally, had been working assiduously to arrange forRousse to show off his can-do personality in meetings with otherboard members and key political and business leaders.

But Rousse had publicly faced complaints from some faculty and students whosaid he wasn’tqualified to become president of LSU because he didn’thave the necessary experience at alarge research university.SoRousse and Dalton met at the president’s house to see if they could agree on an arrangement to share duties.

Boardmembersfervently hoped they could agree, to assuage the critics. When Rousse and Dalton emerged an hour or so later,they told several anxious board membersthattheyhad gotten alongwell. Rousse would serve as the system president, overseeing athletics and the entire university system,while Dalton would focus on academicsand research at theflagship campus in Baton Rouge and LSU’smedical facilities in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“It’snot often, if ever, that during apresidential search you get lucky enough to have two candidates with the same vision whose different backgrounds complement each other to the betterment of the entire university,” board Chair Scott Ballard said during anews conference afterward.“Iamproudtoday that

Businessmanhas builta legacy andgiven back to community

BY ASHLEYWHITE Staff writer

Businessman Robert “Bob” Giles grewupinasmallTexas town. Athird-generation car dealer,he

moved to Lafayette on his 28th birthday in 1982 to open aVolkswagen, Porscheand Audi dealership. It wasscary and exciting,and, Giles said, thebest thing that could have happenedtohim. Lafayette is where he met Sandy,his wife of 41 years, andwhere the couple raised their daughters, Halley and Ashley He now operates eight dealerships in Louisiana andCalifornia,owns Mr.Bubbles Auto Spa andisareal estate developer Hisconnection to the community is deeper than that. Inspired by the integrity and involvement of his grandfather andfatherinthe communities where they operated dealerships, Giles has continually given back to andchampioned others to do the samethroughout Acadiana. Giles was named the 93rd Lafayette Civic Cup recipient, which recognizes those efforts.

“I am truly,deeply honored to accept this award,” Giles said.

BRIEFS

Missing girl’s mother arrested on other charge

LOS ANGELES The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing since early October was arrested Friday by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, but officials said the arrest was unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance.

Melodee was last seen in August but was reported missing more recently when Lompoc Unified School District officials reported her prolonged absence

Deputies searched the girl’s home in Vandenberg Village and spoke to her mother, but said the young girl was nowhere to be seen and that her mother was uncooperative in the investigation.

On Friday, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s officials announced Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody after she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location. Sheriff’s officials offered no more details about the arrest except to say in a statement that it was not connected to the search for Melodee.

The FBI has joined local law enforcement in the search for the 9-year-old girl. On Thursday, Ashlee Buzzard was escorted off the property as federal and local officials searched the girl’s Santa Barbara County home looking for clues to her whereabouts.

Lompoc school district officials reached out to the sheriff’s office on Oct. 14 after Melodee had been absent for some time.

Officials then released surveillance video that appeared to show Ashlee Buzzard and her daughter at a car rental business Oct. 7.

Officials believe Ashlee Buzzard took her daughter and drove to Nebraska, passing through Kansas on the way Buzzard returned home Oct. 10, officials said.

Pfizer clinches deal for obesity drug developer

NEWYORK U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer signed a deal to purchase development-stage obesity drugmaker Metsera Inc., winning a bidding war against Novo Nordisk, the Danish drugmaker behind weight-loss treatments Ozempic and Wegovy Metsera, based in New York, has no products on the market, but it is developing oral and injectable treatments That includes some potential treatments that could target lucrative fields for obesity and diabetes.

The deal comes as Pfizer is attempting to develop its own stake in that market, several months after ending development of a potential pill treatment for obesity In a statement issued Friday, Metsera said Pfizer will acquire the company for up to $86.25 per share, consisting of $65.60 per share in cash and a contingent value right entitling holders to additional payments of up to $20.65 per share in cash

The deal comes three days after Novo Nordisk raised the stakes in its push to outbid Pfizer, saying Tuesday it would offer to pay as much as $10 billion for Metsera. That was higher than its previous bid of up to $9 billion which sparked a lawsuit from Pfizer

Powerful tornado in Brazil kills 6 people

RIO DE JANEIRO A powerful tornado in Brazil’s southern state of Parana killed six people and injured hundreds Friday night, state officials said Saturday Dozens of homes were destroyed.

The tornado, which hit speeds of more than 155 mph, prompted the government to declare an emergency in the affected region.

State officials in a statement said at least one person was missing hours after the tornado touched down. Five of the killed were adults and the sixth was a 14-year-old girl.

The government said that more than 750 people, including children and pregnant women, had received medical attention. Of those, at least 10 underwent surgery and nine remained in serious condition.

The tornado downed trees, overturned vehicles and lifted the roofs of several structures.

Gov Carlos Massa Ratinho Jr declared three days of mourning in the state of Parana to honor the dead.

Russian strikes kill 4

BY SAMYA KULLAB and JOANNA KOZLOWSKA Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine A Russian drone slammed into an apartment building in eastern Ukraine early Saturday while many were sleeping, killing three people and wounding 12 others, Ukrainian authorities reported.

The attack in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, was part of a large Russian missile and drone barrage across the country that targeted power infrastructure. It also killed a worker at an energy company in Kharkiv, farther north, a local official said.

A fire broke out and several apartments were destroyed in the nine-story building in Dnipro, the emergency services said.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of three people, while two children were among the wounded.

Russia fired a total of 458 drones and 45 missiles, including 32 ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 406 drones and nine missiles, the air force said, adding that 25 locations were struck.

Authorities switched off power in several regions because of the attacks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said in a post on Facebook In eastern Ukraine, fighting for the strategic city of Pokrovsk has reached a key stage, with both Kyiv and Moscow vying to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that they can win on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that work has begun on President Vladimir Putin’s order to prepare plans for a possible Russian nuclear test, according to state news agency Tass.

Putin’s order on Wednesday followed statements by Trump, which appeared to suggest that Washington would restart its own atomic tests for the first time in three decades.

Russia has been pummeling Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes, killing and wounding civilians. The Kremlin says its only targets are linked to Kyiv’s war effort. Russia’s Defense Ministry asserted Saturday that the nighttime strikes hit military and energy sites supplying Ukrainian forces.

BY MATTHEW LEE and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Mexican authorities with assistance from the United States and Israeli intelligence agencies thwarted an alleged plot by Iran to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to Mexico, Israeli and U.S. officials said Friday Mexican authorities denied any knowledge of such a plot.

The plot to kill Ambassador Einat Kranz Neiger is alleged to have been hatched at the end of last year and remained active through the middle of this year, when it was disrupted, the U.S officials said.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to “weaponize winter.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in an X post that the strikes damaged “several major energy facilities” around Kharkiv and Kyiv, as well as in the central Poltava region.

Thermal power plants operated by Ukraine’s state energy company Centrenergo were again knocked offline by the nighttime strikes, the company said in a statement Saturday Centrenergo’s three plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions were damaged by Russian attacks last year and subsequently restored.

Russian forces, meanwhile, repelled a “massive” nighttime strike on energy facilities in the southern Volgograd region, Gov Andrei Bocharov said Saturday, two days after Ukraine said that it hit a key oil refinery there with long-range drones. Bocharov added that the strike knocked out power in parts of the region’s northwest, but caused no casualties. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that its forces shot down 82 Ukrainian drones during the night, including eight over the Volgograd region. Two

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the intelligence, said the plot was “contained” and does not pose a current threat. They did not offer details on how the plot was discovered or broken up. Iran’s mission to the U.N. said it had no comment.

“We thank the security and law enforcement services in Mexico for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran that sought to attack Israel’s ambassador in Mexico,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Mexico’s foreign relations and security ministries issued a brief joint

BY HALLIE GOLDEN and BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press

LOUISVILLE,Ky.— Federal aviation officials issued an order Saturday for McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes not to be flown pending further inspection, reinforcing cargo carriers’ decision to ground their fleets following a deadly crash at the UPS global aviation hub in Kentucky

UPS and FedEx said Friday that they were grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11s “out of an abundance of caution,” and the Federal Aviation Administration’s directive the following day sidelined the planes until inspection and correction of any problems. In the Louisville crash, the jet’s left engine detached during takeoff.

“This condition could result in loss of continued safe flight and landing,” the FAA said adding that the issue “is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design.”

The crash Tuesday at UPS Worldport killed 14 people including the three pilots on the MD-11, which was headed for Honolulu.

people were wounded in the neighboring Saratov region after a Ukrainian drone strike blew out windows in an apartment building according to regional Gov Roman Busarin.

Following weeks of long-range strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure that Ukraine says both funds and directly fuels the Kremlin’s war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed on Friday to “find a way to ensure there is no Russian oil in Europe.” Zelenskyy spoke to reporters shortly after Hungary secured a yearlong exemption from recent U.S. sanctions targeting major Russian oil producers.

“We will not allow it. We will not let the Russians sell oil there. It’s a matter of time,” he said at a news briefing after meeting with senior Ukrainian military leaders, without elaborating how Kyiv might seek to stanch the oil flows.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a Trump ally who has long urged the European Union to repair ties with Moscow, argues that landlocked Hungary has no viable alternatives to Russian crude, and that replacing those supplies would trigger an economic collapse. Critics dispute that claim.

Elsewhere, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is in an area under Russian control, has been connected to the power grid with a second transmission line.

statement Friday saying that “they have no report with respect to a supposed attempt against the ambassador of Israel in Mexico.”

The State Department had no immediate explanation for Mexico’s statement. It said, “Iran’s international abhorrent plots, aimed at its own citizens, Americans, and citizens of other nations are inconsistent with the behavior of a civilized state.”

According to intelligence documents from one of the U.S. officials, an officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps named Hasan Izadi, who also goes by the name Masood Rahnema, initiated the plot along

MD-11 aircraft make up about 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet, the companies said.

Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said in a statement on its website that it “recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed.”

Western Global Airlines is the only other U.S. cargo airline that flies MD-11s, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline has 16 MD-11s in its fleet but 12 of them have been put in storage. Boeing announced in 1998 that it would be phasing out its MD-11 jetliner production, with final deliveries due in 2000.

The UPS cargo plane, built in 1991, was nearly airborne Tuesday when a bell sounded in the cockpit, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said earlier Friday For the next 25 seconds, the bell rang and the pilots tried to control the aircraft as it barely lifted off the runway, its left wing ablaze and missing an engine, and then plowed into the ground in a spectacular fireball.

Israel, Hamas again exchange remains

BY

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war so far, Gaza health officials said Saturday, as both sides completed the latest exchange of bodies under the terms of the tenuous ceasefire.

The latest jump in deaths occurred as more bodies are recovered in the devastated Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, and as other bodies are identified. The toll also includes Palestinians killed by strikes that Israel says target remaining militants.

Israel on Saturday returned the remains of another 15 Palestinians to Gaza, according to hospital officials there, a day after militants returned the remains of a hostage to Israel. He was identified as Lior Rudaeff, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that Rudaeff was born in Argentina.

The exchanges are the central part of the ceasefire’s initial phase, which requires that Hamas return all hostage remains as quickly as possible. Families and supporters rallied again Saturday night in Tel Aviv for the return of all.

The most destructive war ever between Israel and the Palestinian militant group began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. Ahmed Dheir, director of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, said that the remains of 300 have now been returned, with 89 identified. “We do not have sufficient resources or the DNA to match them with the martyrs’ families,” Dheir said. Unidentified ones will be buried in batches.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the number of people killed there since the war began has risen to 69,169. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

aide to Iran’s ambassador to Venezuela.

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Airlines cancel over 1,000 flights again

BY JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

U.S. airlines again can-

celed more than 1,000 flights on Saturday, the second day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandate to reduce air traffic because of the government shutdown

So far, the slowdown at many of the nation’s busiest airports hasn’t caused widespread disruptions. But it has deepened the impact felt by the nation’s longest federal shutdown.

“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami Saturday to see family in the Dominican Republic “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”

Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and spread far beyond air travel if cancellations keep growing and reach into Thanksgiving week. Already there are concerns about the squeeze on tourism destinations and holiday shipping Flight disruptions ticked up a bit on Saturday typically a slow travel day — as each of the first two days creeped above 1,000 cancellations, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights. The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was the hardest hit early on Saturday, with 130 arriving and

departing flights canceled by mid-afternoon. Airports in Atlanta, Chi-

Weekend session off to slow start in Senate

BY KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate’s first weekend session since the beginning of the shutdown yielded few signs of progress Saturday as Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s wish for a quick vote never materialized.

The impasse that has lasted 39 days is taking an increasing toll on the country as federal workers go unpaid, airlines cancel flights and SNAP benefits have been delayed for millions of Americans.

Saturday’s session got off to a rough start when President Donald Trump made clear he is unlikely to compromise any time soon with Democrats who are seeking a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. He said on social media that it is “the worst Healthcare anywhere in the world” and suggested Congress send money directly to people to buy insurance.

Thune said Trump’s proposal would not be part of a solution to ending the shutdown, but added “it is a discussion that the president and all of us want to have.” Republican senators who spoke on the Senate floor Saturday generally echoed Trump’s assessment.

“I guarantee you every day we keep this system in place is a great day for the health care insurance companies who have been making out literally like bandits every day under Obamacare,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he welcomed Republicans to the fight when it came to insurance companies, “but that shouldn’t come at the cost of kicking millions off of their health care in January.”

Senate Republican leaders have signaled an openness to an emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to end the shutdown in exchange for a later vote on the “Obamacare” subsidies, which make coverage more affordable. For those enrolled in Affordable Care Act exchanges, premiums on average are expected to more than double next year if Congress allows the enhanced subsidies to lapse.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Friday evening that Democrats “need another path forward” after Republicans rejected an offer from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to reopen the government and extend the subsidies for a year

Moderates continue to negotiate Shaheen and others, negotiating among themselves and with some rank-and-file Re-

publicans, have been discussing bills that would pay for parts of government food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until December or January The agreement would only come with the promise of a future health care vote, rather than a guarantee of extended subsidies.

It was unclear whether enough Democrats would support such a plan Even with a deal, Trump appears unlikely to support an extension of the health benefits. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, also said last week that he would not commit to a health vote.

Republican leaders only need five additional votes to fund the government, and the group involved in the talks has ranged from 10 to 12 Democratic senators.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they want new limits on who can receive the subsidies They lined up Saturday to take to the Senate floor and argue that subsidies for the plans should be routed through individuals.

“We’re going to replace this broken system with something that is actually better for the consumer,” Graham said.

Republicans eye new package of bills

Trump wants Republicans to end the shutdown quickly and scrap the filibuster, which requires 60 Senate votes for most legislation, so they can bypass Democrats altogether Vice President JD Vance, a former Ohio senator endorsed the idea in an online post Saturday, saying Republicans who want to keep the filibuster are “wrong.”

Republicans have rejected Trump’s call, and Thune is eyeing a bipartisan package that mirrors the proposal the moderate Democrats have been sketching out. What Thune, who has refused to negotiate, might promise on health care is unknown.

A test vote on new legislation could come in the next few days.

Then Democrats would have a crucial choice: Keep fighting for a meaningful deal on extending the subsidies that expire in January, while prolonging the pain of the shutdown? Or vote to reopen the government and hope for the best as Republicans promise an eventual health care vote, but not a guaranteed outcome.

Schumer on Saturday persisted in arguing that Republicans should accept a one-year extension of the subsidies before negotiating the future of the tax credits.

cago, Denver, and Newark, New Jersey, also saw numerous disruptions. Ongoing staffing shortages in radar centers and control towers added to the cancellations and delays on Saturday at several East Coast airports. Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide. But they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

Air traffic controllers have

gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.

Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.

Most passengers were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule

Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted. There is still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next. And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.

“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.

Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flights altogether

There’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.

Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University

More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.

LSU did just that.”

The selection of Rousse culminated in a quiet but aggressive campaign that he and his supporters waged for the highest-profile position at any of Louisiana’s colleges and universities. In many ways, they treated it like a political contest, with the LSU presidency as the prize.

This account is based on interviews with Landry, Mallett and 25 political insiders, board members and university officials, most of whom didn’t want to be identified given the sensitivity of the subject

To become president, Rousse met with LSU board members, community leaders and political figures at lunches and dinners organized by Mallett and even flew to north Louisiana on a private plane to meet with two board members.

Rousse’s efforts included reaching out to the state’s two most prominent Democrats, former Gov John Bel Edwards and former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.

The key supporter, though, was Landry He has aggressively sought to make his imprint on Louisiana in every way possible since winning the gubernatorial primary outright in October 2023 and moving into the Governor’s Mansion in January 2024.

In the most striking recent example, Landry was blasted locally and nationally after the governor said during a news conference that then-LSU athletic director Scott Woodward wouldn’t hire the next football coach. Woodward was out

CIVIC CUP

Continued from page 1A

The Lafayette Civic Cup, supported by the Community Foundation of Acadiana, was first awarded in 1933 to Maurice Heymann, an entrepreneur, founder of the Oil Center and founder of Lafayette Mardi Gras.

It recognizes an individual who has given to the community because of their commitment and dedication, not because it’s their job. The public nominates possible honorees and the winner is selected by past Lafayette Civic Cup award recipients.

Giles will be honored Tuesday during a dinner at City Club in River Ranch.

Falling in love with Lafayette When Giles moved to Lafayette in February 1982, he didn’t know anyone and wondered who would help him unload his U-Haul As he was struggling to move into his new apartment, neighbors came out and helped him.

Two weeks later, his employees convinced him the dealership should be closed on Tuesday because everyone else in town would also be closed. It was Mardi Gras.

It’s a memory Giles said he’ll never forget. It was warm and Giles was lying out by the pool. Strangers introduced themselves and asked him to join them in watching the parades

“My first couple of weeks in Lafayette were absolutely amazing,” he said “I could not get over how friendly and welcoming the whole community was. That set the stage for me falling in love with this area.”

It’s that love for the community and the generosity it has shown him and his family, combined with the lessons learned from his grandfather and father, that encouraged Giles to give back.

of his job days later

That move ratcheted up criticism of Landry from people who believed he had fired head coach Brian Kelly and shouldn’t meddle in LSU athletics. Landry said he wasn’t involved in the decision to fire Kelly, which board members have confirmed.

their home on Oct. 9.

Integrity and generosity

Gile’s philanthropic initiatives in Acadiana are expansive.

“Bob’s efforts have been sustained over decades and extended into many different segments of need in the community,” said last year’s Civic Cup recipient Dr William Kip” Schumacher. “Bob’s legacy is one of integrity generosity and a commitment to community.”

Giles made donations to Moncus Park so it could build a small dog park and to fundraising efforts to help three St. Landry Parish churches rebuild after they were destroyed by arson.

He started a Louisiana chapter of Hunters for the Hungry, which asks hunters to donate their excess game to be given to those in need.

He’s worked with Junior Achievement of Acadiana and RescYOU, founded by a woman and her husband after the drowning death of their son to help families get counseling and cover funeral services.

After hurricanes caused power outages, he ordered tractor-trailers full of dry ice to give away for free so

Landry also played a key role in

filling the last two university presidential vacancies in Louisiana when he supported the candidates selected at Northwestern State and at the University of Louisiana Monroe.

In the second of two phone interviews Thursday, Landry

people could save their perishables. When fuel prices skyrocketed to more than $4 a gallon in 2008, his dealerships sold fuel for less than $1, with the proceeds benefiting The Acadiana Outreach Center

When he got a call from an Opelousas businessman hoping to raise money for bulletproof vests for the Police Department, Giles bought the vests outright, not wanting to wait for the funds to be raised. Since then, he’s donated more than 200 vests to local law enforcement agencies.

Giles has fundraised for Dreams Come True Acadiana. One year, the organization was able to help a boy who wanted to meet his basketball idol. Later, Giles found out the boy had died from his illness.

During the Iraq War, Giles funded charter buses from Fort Hood to Acadiana and back so soldiers could visit with their families before being deployed. One of those soldiers told Giles over lunch recently how much the gesture meant, especially knowing that for some of his fellow soldiers, it was the last time they were able to see their families.

When Giles looks back on his life — his friends tease the health nut that won’t be until he’s 105 — he wants to look back and see the important things.

“What will be most meaningful to me is not how many car dealerships I have or other businesses I have,” he said. “What will be most meaningful to me is not just the people in our community that I have helped and lifted up and hopefully inspired to give back, but also those who have worked for me that have a better life and achieved their dreams as a result of my efforts. That’s what will be most meaningful to me.”

Email Ashley White at ashley.white@ theadvocate.com.

downplayed his involvement but acknowledged making his views known to board members.

“I have not played a role in the selection of any of these presidents other than if I speak to those board members about the interview process, what they think, what I think,” he said. “I think that

you will find that my involvement in these matters has been at best on par with prior governors’ actions or less than.”

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where Landry graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental and sustainable resources, is about to pick its next president.

Insiders say Ramesh Kolluru, the university’s vice president for research, innovation and economic development, has the inside track and that the university is poised to make its selection as soon as Thursday in what would be a truncated search.

Landry said Mark Romero, his pick to chair the University of Louisiana system, asked the governor whether he had a problem if Kolluru applied.

“I said I got no problem,” Landry said in an interview. “Y’all go find whoever you want.”

Landry could also play a role in selecting the new president of McNeese State to replace Rousse. New law, new power

Key to Landry’s efforts has been a law passed last year by the Legislature that allows him to name the chairs of the university boards that choose the presidents. Without that change, board members appointed by Edwards would have been the chairs.

Landry was not shy about having pushed for the change through a law sponsored by state Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs.

“We are a state that’s really governed by a whole bunch of boards,” Landry said. “We got like 800 of

ä See ROUSSE, page 5A

them. The state of Texas mighthave10. Theproblem is that each one of those boards, if left unchecked, they run their own politics.

Thepolitics of those boards should be the politics of the people, and the politics of the people is who sitsin the governor’schair at the time.

Jay Dardenne, aformer state senator,secretary of state and lieutenant governor who oversaw the operations of state government under Edwards, applied to be president of LSU in 2021, when William Tate instead was selected.

“This wasn’teven on theradar.” Romero aided his chances by shorteningthe selection process.OnJuly 18,the University of Louisiana board gave Genovese the job. Memberscitedhis outgoing personality and hispledge to find ways to reverse astudent enrollment decline.

It was notlosttopolitical insiders that Genovese’sdeparture fromthe Louisiana Supreme Courtopenedthe door for the election of Cade Cole, whose conservative views are more in line with Landry’s.

Dardenne said he asked Edwards, his boss, not to advocate on hisbehalf.

“The governance of auniversity ought to rest with the governing board rather than be apolitical favorite of the governor,” Dardenne said. “One reason is from an accreditation standpoint

Agovernor’sinvolvement lends itself to the potential of politicalpatronage in a field that’smuch too important to be regulatedbypolitical patronage.”

Landry,however, said he believes that Edwards got Tate hired by hosting adinner at the Governor’s Mansion with Universityof SouthCarolina officials that includedTate, whowas the university’sprovost.

“John Bel marched the majority of the boardheappointed for adinner when there were 25 applicants at LSU and walked in with Bill Tate and said, ‘This guy is going to be the next president,’”Landry said.

Dardenne, Edwards and Robert Dampf, who chaired the LSU board when Tate was hired, scoff at that account.

“Whoever told you that John BelwantedTateis wrong,” Dampf said. “John Bel did nothing to put his finger on the scale of the selection process.”

HowLandryplayeda role

Landry wasted no time in gaining greater control over the University of Louisiana board.

The same day he signed Hodges’ legislation into law, on June 5, 2024, the governor named Mark Romero, an insurance executive and friend from NewIberia,as theboard chair.Romero replaced Jimmy Clarke, who waschief of staff under Gov. Kathleen Blancoand had been appointedbyEdwards. Clarke was asticklerfor the board hiring university presidents through an open process. On July 2, Jimmy Genovese, an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, said he had Landry’s backing to be the next president of Northwestern State in Natchitoches.

Genovese also had the support of Robert “Skeeter” Salim, atrial attorney in Natchitoches and University of Louisianaboard member who was close with Landry and had been on the tennis team with Genoveseat Northwestern in the early 1970s.

Genovese had no background in higher education or overseeing alarge institution. So he said he thought someone was joking when Salim first approached him about becoming the university’spresident.

“I was just minding my business,” Genovese said.

On May10, 2025, theUniversity of Louisiana board met again to choose another president, this time at theUniversity of Louisiana Monroe.

In thepreceding days, Chris Broadwater, awell-liked former state House member whohad servedasinterim chancellor at Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe, had beentold he wasa shoo-in.

On the morning of the vote, Salim said he called Landry to ask if he was OK withthe other finalist, Carrie Castille,aformer senior vice chancellor and senior vice president at theUniversity of Tennessee. Salim said he believed that Castillewould make the necessary layoffs at theuniversity to solvea budget shortfall

“Listen, it seems to me that after talking to anumber of board members that Carrie Castille seemed to have shined above the rest of them,” Landrysaidhe told Salim Salim passed that alongto other boardmembers, and Castille won out on what Salim said was anarrow vote.

“I respect the board’s choice, and Iamatpeace with that result,” Broadwater said Friday

Howthe search happened

Nine days after Castille’s selection, Tate announced he wasleavingLSU afterfour yearstobecome president of RutgersUniversity.His departure followed the exits of several other top university officials. At the same time,Landry and Republican lawmakers had pushed Tate and the presidents of the state’spublic universities to dismantle programs that promotediversity,equity and inclusion.

Ashort timelater,Rousse madeitknownthathewould apply to replace Tate. Rousse had worked as

an executive for amarine transportcompany, obtained abachelor’sdegree from Nicholls State University, an MBAfrom theUniversity of New Orleans, and got a master’sdegree andPh.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He worked for the Federal Reserve before becoming dean of McNeese State’sCollege of Business.

Lee Mallett, abusiness ownerinthe Lake Charles area and abenefactor of McNeese State, had become abig fan of Rousse’s.

Mallett said he thought that Matt Lee, who was LSU’sinterim president after serving as the dean of the College of Agriculture, hada big advantage in becoming Tate’ssuccessor

Besides, Rousse hadbeen president at McNeese since only mid-2024, andMcNeese was ranked as only the 81st regional university in the southbyU.S. News &World Report.

ButMallett said he believed that if he introduced Rousse to enough keydecision-makers andinfluencers, Rousse could get the nodbecause of hisbayou charm and business background. Rousse grew up in GoldenMeadow,a burg in Lafourche Parish, and Mallett thought LSU needed someone who understood the state’scultureand politics

Mallett said he setup lunchesand dinners with LSU board membersand Rousse and arrangedfor such businessleaders as JohnEngquist, the former chairman of H&EEquipment Services andfounder of Engquist Development, to meet him at gatherings organizedatthe SupperClub in Baton Rouge.

Mallett said he chartered a

privateairplane to fly Rous-

se to Monroetomeet board member Randy Morris and to Shreveport to meet Esperanza Moran, another board member Malletttook three LSU professorsonthe presidential search committee

Daniel Tirone, Olivia Phelps and Kenneth Schafer —to dinner at Juban’sinBaton Rouge to meet Rousse Tirone saidlater that the three met separately with thetwo otherfinalists, James Dalton and Robert Robbins

Mallett, amajor fundraiser for Landry in 2023, said he had introduced Rousse to the governor at abreakfast in LakeCharles.

Malletttalked up Rousse

LSUPresidentelect Wade Rousse speaksafter the announcement of hisappointment during the LSUBoard of Supervisors final meeting in the searchfor the new LSUpresident at the University Administration Building on Tuesday.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

whenever he saw Landry “WhenIdid see him, I’d say,‘I’m pushing my man from Lake Charles,” Mallett said. “He said, ‘I likehim, too.’” Landry hadinvitedRousse to his hunting campin

St. Martin Parish and liked what he saw from Rousse at McNeese State.

“He’sthe only president that over the last five years hasbeen able to take auniversity and actually put it in the black,” Landry said. “The things he’sdone at McNeese are unbelievable.”

Astate legislator said Landry began calling Rousse “myguy.”

Anotherstate legislator andanLSU board member said board chair Scott Bal-

lard said that Rousse “was Jeff’s guy.” Ballard did not respond to interview requests. To cover all his bases, Rousse hadMaryLandrieu inform board members of her support forhim. Landrieusaidshe hadmet Rousse during Washington Mardi Gras this year In atext, she said she “was immediately impressed with his heart for Louisiana and his humility and care forhis students,demonstratedby hisliving in thedorm with his students for several yearsuntil his home could be rebuilt.” Rousse andJason French, alobbyist who washelping him navigate the political waters, met recently with John Bel Edwards in New Orleans to winhim over Edwardsdeclinedtocomment.

All the hard work came together for Rousse on Tuesday,when the LSU board selected him on a12-1 vote.

“This is truly thehonor of my life,” Rousse said.

Later,during anews conference at the LSU Foundation, Rousse was asked about Landry “I’m sure he’ssmiling somewhere today because Ihave been told by several people that he’slooking for strong leadership at LSU,” he said.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

Americans, this soup kitchen was tallying more trays needed during its lunches, more food picked up from its pantry,more clothes given from its closet. Twodecades ago, during atypical Monday, Wednesday or Friday meal,it served adozen or two dozen people. Beforethe pandemic, about 100 people mighthave shownup, saidMisty Loe, the nonprofit’sexecutive director

By the time they shut their doorsand pulled the shades on this Wednesday,church volunteers had served 355sloppy Joesalongside baked beans and salad. It’s anumber Loe expectsto grow throughthe month,as Thanksgiving approaches and the federal shutdown wears on.

“People just can’tafford to live,” Loe said, pointing to the persistently highcost of groceries and risingrents in the area, among other factors.

One in 5Louisianaresidents receives benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps.As President Donald Trump’s administration fought in federal court about whether and howtofund the program, the Louisiana Department of Health launched astate plan to continue aid for seniors, familieswith children and people with disabilities.

Afederal judge ruled late last week that the Trump administration must make full SNAP payments during the shutdown, but Trumpadministration lawyers appealed the ruling.

Still, in northeast Louisiana, the uncertainty has stretched an already frayed safety net of churches and charities,soup kitchens and food banks.

To meet the need, the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana hascut back to offering one protein item per household, instead of two.

“The Lord runs the place, but it takes an armyofvolunteers,”said Loe, keys around herelbow,across around her neck.She firstvolunteered with her church adecade ago,then kept coming back, eventuallytaking overfor the place’sfounder,Rhonda Grace.

wearing his BurgerKing uniform, grabbed the other end, stretching it across the mattress.

The couple andtheir kids had been living in aone-bedroom apartment in Monroe where, earlier that week, two adults and atoddler had been killednextdoor.The place had been infested with roaches androdents fora while, Loe said, but after the murder,they knew they neededtoget out. Both Miller and Clark receive SNAP benefits —Clark typically gets $263 amonth —and wererelievedwhenClark’s partial payment appeared with $63. Their new kitchen doesn’tyet have arefrigerator,sothey used someofthe money to buybread,snacks and Frosted Flakes. Ahalf gallon of whole milk sat on the counter

“See you in alittle bit?” Loe asked, as she left. “Come eat sloppy Joes with us.”

‘I sure am blessed’

By 11:30 a.m., acrowd had formed outside the door

Aman whotook two buses to get there. Aveteran who had given five womenaride.

region, in response to questions about the future of the program.

“While Governor Landry and President Trumphave steppeduptofill thegaps, shecontinuedina statement, “the best waytoensure stability for ourfamilies who rely on nutrition benefits is for the Senate to pass aclean funding bill that fully supports SNAP and WIC.” Still, across the region, organizations and businesses have been bracing forapossible pause in benefits, as well as new work requirements. In Lake Providence, Rosie Brown, whohas worked for thecommunity action network for four decades, has been fussingather clients, whomshe helps with utility payments: “Be carefulwith your money.”

“All programs are getting food—but everyone is getting abit less,” saidJean Toth,the organization’sexecutivedirector.Like thepeoplethey serve, the organizations thatdistribute food are “stressed and distressed, shesaid.“They’re very nervousthat they’re notgoing to have enough.”

Aspecial delivery

About four hours before GracePlaceMinistrieswas set to servelunch, atruck from the food bank pulled up.

Volunteers chattered:What might be inside?

Aworker released the back door to reveal boxes andboxes of pears “Lee, how many pallets is this?” Loe asked, moving chairsaside to makeroom

Afew volunteers from Family Church, alongtime partner,arrived withpans, coolersand 90 pounds of ground beef. Theypulled on aprons, located spatulas and began browning meat. Others swept floors, wiped tables and cleaned windows

Whenshe’s notwrangling volunteers or penning the newsletter,Loe is helping people in other ways: applying for SNAPordisability benefits, foralease or ajob. She often wakes in the middle of the night,concerned about one child or another She grabbed two armfuls worth of pillows and bedding on Wednesday and walked across thestreet to an old, white house the ministry bought mainly for itsparking lot. Earlier this week, she had helped astruggling family move inside.

“Why isn’theinschool?” Loe askedasthe 4-year-old in question,who knows Loe as his godmother, hugged her knees.

“That’s amust,” his mother, Antonique Miller, replied, pledging to bring him the next day.Loe unwrapped the bedding, taking one end of ablue sheet. Miller’s boyfriend Dontrell Clark,

Aman who’d lost his job at asign company after slicing his finger. Apregnant woman praying about the meal after this one. Mothers receiving SNAP,young men getting disability benefits, people more likely to trust in God than politicians.

Gladys “Joyce”Nelson first heardabout this place 16 yearsago,whenshe wascleaning houses. She broughther mother,then her kids, then her grandkids: “Ithelped me raise my children.” Now 67, she’sbeen able to afford her few expensesand no longerrelies on food stamps.

“I told my friend, ‘I sure am blessed.’” Louisiana politicians of both parties have recognized the importance of SNAP in the past.

“My constituents are deeply concerned about SNAP benefits amid the governmentshutdown,” said U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow,a Republican who represents this

More than half of the customers at the small city’s only family-owned grocery store, Jong’sSuperValu, use SNAP,said manager Chad Toney. Already, he’s seen people “holding their money close to the chest,” he said. Instead of crabs, they’re buying chicken. Instead of FritoLay,knockoff brands. At noon, mostspots were full acrosstwo rooms of tables at GracePlace. Sitting together withtheir children were Pearce and Spearman, the longtime friends. Pearce nearly hadn’t madeitthere; her mother, who’d once walked her to this soup kitchen, had astroke just days before. “I’ve been crying,” Pearce said, blinkingback tears, “but I’mtrying.”

Pregnant and homeless, Pearce was staying with Spearman, who was worried about feeding everyone —her own six children and nowher friend’schildren, as well. She’d also been fretting about Christmas. She’d called the local Salvation Army to get children’sgifts, but their sign-up list was full. Fornow,though, herson was in ahigh chair,grinning. On his cheek, sloppy Joe sauce.Inhis hand,a sandwich cookie. And on his feet, gray sneakers.Theywerea little tight, but they’d do.

Democrats seize on efforts to fight SNAP payments

BY JILL COLVIN, MICHELLE L. PRICE and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Trump administration’s legal efforts to fight having to fully fund food stamps for millions of vulnerable Americans is creating an opening for Democrats eager to use the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to paint the president as callous and out of touch

“Donald Trump and his administration have made the decision to weaponize hunger, to withhold SNAP benefits from millions of people, notwithstanding the fact that two lower courts, both the district court and the court of appeals, made clear that those SNAP benefits needed to be paid immediately,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on CNN Saturday, calling the actions “shameful.”

“Donald Trump is literally fighting in court to ensure Americans starve. HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU,” echoed California Gov Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, on X The comments come after the Supreme Court late Friday granted the administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order requiring it to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the shutdown. A judge had given the administration until Friday to make the payments. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund, and to move for-

ward with planned partial SNAP payments for the month instead.

The legal wrangling comes after the administration and Republicans endured a bruising Election Day last week. Democrats scored commanding wins up and down the ballot and on ballot measures across the country amid signs that voters’ economic woes are top of mind — a warning sign for the president and his party heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections.

In response, the White House is planning to adjust its messaging strategy to focus on affordability to try to win over voters who are worried about the high cost of living with plans to emphasize new tax breaks and show progress on fighting inflation.

But its efforts around food stamps could complicate that. Blame game and workarounds

Both parties have tried to blame the other for the shutdown as its impact has spread beyond Washington, D.C.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October, as the shutdown stretched into its third week, found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans said Trump and Republicans in Congress bore “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% said the same about Democrats in Congress. At least three-quarters said both sides deserved at least a “moderate” share of blame.

The White House did not respond to questions Saturday about its rationale for appealing the SNAP orders to the Supreme Court or whether it was concerned about the optics of fighting against making the full payments.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, appearing on Fox News, again blamed Democrats for refusing to vote to reopen the government and made the case that funding had to come from Congress.

“We can’t just create money out of the sky,” she said. “You can’t just create money to fund a program that Congress refuses to fund.”

While hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed and gone over a month without paychecks, the president has gone out of his way to ensure those he favors have been paid.

That includes members of the military after Trump directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to pay U.S. troops.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said her department had found a way to pay the U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement officers within the department with funds from the sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”

Trump signed this summer

And FBI director Kash Patel has said that FBI special agents are still being paid — though other bureau workers are not. The administration has not said where that money is coming from.

Legal wrangling

The administration has faced lawsuits from Democratic-leaning

states, nonprofits and cities since shortly after announcing that SNAP benefits would not be available in November because of the shutdown.

But two judges separately ordered the government to keep the money following, ruling last week that the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely In both cases, the judges ordered the government to use an emergency reserve fund containing more than $4.6 billion to make the payments, which cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion each month.

After the administration announced it would cover only 65% of the maximum monthly benefit, one judge ruled that they could not and would need to find the money to fully fund the program for November

The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal. In its court filings Friday, the administration contended that the judge had usurped both legislative and executive authority When a higher court refused to nullify the Friday payment deadline, the Trump administration turned quickly to the Supreme Court.

Through an order signed by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the high court agreed to keep the full-payment order on hold until 48 hours after the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. Jackson, a frequent dissenter from a series of recent decisions in favor of the administration, is the justice assigned to oversee appeals from Rhode Island, where the case originated.

Shutdown prompts cancellation of some Veterans Day events

BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

Normally on Veterans Day, volunteers gather at the Riverside National Cemetery in California to place flags alongside more than 300,000 gravesites. But not this year The longest federal government shutdown on record is curtailing and outright canceling parades, ceremonies and other events across the U.S. that are normally held to mark Veterans Day It’s another

fallout of the shutdown that has disrupted flights and food assistance, and was already being squarely felt by military families who are worried about their paychecks.

In California, organizers of “A Flag for Every Hero” said they couldn’t move forward with the event on Tuesday without access to restrooms, traffic control and other needs for the thousands of participants Elsewhere, a lack of federal employees and access to military facilities has scrubbed other Veterans Day events.

“We have a responsibility to provide them the resources they need, and unfortunately with the shutdown we’re unable to do that,” Laura Herzog, founder and CEO of Honoring Our Fallen, which organizes the Riverside National Cemetery event.

The Texas National Cemetery Foundation canceled an annual Veterans Day event at the cemetery in Dallas-Fort Worth, saying organizers wouldn’t have time to stage the ceremony even if the shutdown ended soon.

Despite the upheaval, some communities are still trying to find ways to honor veterans even as events are canceled.

In Mississippi, the Gulf Coast Veterans Association canceled its annual parade in Pass Christian.

But the group said it would use funds for the event to instead provide Thanksgiving dinners for veterans and active-duty members.

“While we share in the disappointment, we are choosing to turn this setback into a blessing,” the group said in a Facebook post.

When U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales learned that the Veterans Day ceremony at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio wouldn’t take place, the Republican congressman’s office took up organizing the annual event.

Gonzales, a Navy veteran whose grandfather is buried at the cemetery, said that meant working with nonprofits to find someone to sing the national anthem and to provide chairs for attendees. “We honor our veterans no matter what, and that’s exactly what we did,” Gonzales said.

thatforgeourbeliefthatreportingthetruth–forourreaders, forourcity–isaresponsibilitywemustfulfillnomatterthecost.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

What do Democrats’ wins mean forJohnson,GOP?

WASHINGTON —Louisianaleaders in the U.S. House downplayed Tuesday’sDemocratic electoral victories —other than to say radical leftists took over the minority party But some political observers say theirrhetoricmasked an opening for Democrats —evenin Louisiana, where Republicanshave dominated for more than adecade.

Mark Ballard

“It’sbeen interesting to us to see all the pundits trying to spin the results,” House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, said Thursday “There were no surprises on Tuesday night. Youhad blue states and blue citiesthat voted blue to the alarm of no one, tothe surprise of no one,” added Johnson, whocoordinated messaging for House Republicans before assuming the top spot.

House Majority LeaderSteve Scalise, R-Jefferson, picked up Johnson’sline that the Democrats are now being led by a34-year-old “Marxist,” referring to Zohran Mamdani, aDemocraticSocialist who won the New York Citymayor’srace and has been dubbedby Republicans as the new leader of the Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader “Chuck Schumer is in the fetal position, scared to death of Mamdani. That’sthe real problem is that Schumer can’tmake amove without clearing it now withthe socialists,” Scalise said on Newsmax Thursday Schumer,ofNew York,has led the Democratic opposition to reopening the federal government that has been shut down since Oct. 1. But Republican talking points don’ttell the whole story

“They got thumped on thenose and they needed to get thumped on the nose,” veteranpolitical operative Roy Fletcher,ofBaton Rouge, said of Republicans. An adviser to conservative Louisiana TreasurerJohn Fleming’s efforttounseat U.S. Sen. Bill

Leaderskeep pressure up over radioactive shrimp

Louisiana elected officials continue to stump for tougheraction against foreign seafood after aseries of safety recalls due to radioactive residue in shrimp and other hazards.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy,both Republicans, sent letters lastweekto Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons urging them to take action becauseofthe recalls.

The senators wrote that the grocery chains “continue to sell imported shrimp at your stores, rather than support domestic fisheries thatoffer asafer product whilesupporting small American businesses.” Commercial seafood, especially shrimping, is amajor industry in Louisiana. State officials have seized on the recalls to push for policies that support the industry

Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, Fletcher engineered thevictory of Republican Gov.Mike Foster back in the 1990s byturning the millionaire into aworkingman. “The argument hastobestronger than callingnames. They

Kennedy has called for tougher inspections of foreign seafood. He made headlines for aspeech on theSenatefloor in which he used aposter-sizedpicture of amonsterfromthe sci-fi horrormovie “Alien” as atongue-in-cheek illustration of the dangers of foreign shrimp.

Lt. Gov.Bill Nungesser has used the recalls to renew his calls for thefederalgovernment to impose inspectionfeesonforeign seafood. The fee of 10 cents per pound wouldraise$600 millionwhich couldbeused tohire thousands of additionalfood inspectors, Nungesser has said.

“EnsuringthatAmerican families have accesstosafe, quality food is essentialfor us to advance President Trump’sagenda to Make AmericaHealthyAgain,” thesenators wrote in their letter Carter bill addresses flood insurance

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans,introduceda bill in the U.S. Housethataims to fix prob-

need to stay on the economic message,”Fletcher added. Politics professor G. Pierson Cross, of theUniversityofLouisiana Monroe, saw theeconomic message as an opening for Louisiana Democrats.

lems for homeowners unable to renewtheir flood insurance due to the ongoing government shutdown. Congressional authorization for the National Flood Insurance Program has lapsed, meaning no new policies can be issued or renewed.

Homeownershave a30-day grace period to renew policies, and the shutdown has now lasted longer than that. Carter’sbill, alsosponsored by Mississippi Republican Mike Ezell, would createaretroactive renewal period so thathomeowners don’tface alack of coverage or premium hikes if theywerenot able to renew policies during the shutdown.

“The lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program isn’tapartisan problem —it’sa people problem,” Carter said in the news release. “Families shouldn’tlosetheir coverage or face higher premiums because of political gridlock.”

Asolid grassroots effort by a charismatic candidate focusing on affordability,food prices and other “kitchen table” issues —as Mamdani did —is“amodel for mobilization in Louisiana,” Cross said, as longasthat candidate remembers Louisiana is not New York.

“I don’tthink Louisianans are going to buyinto somecandidate who bills himself as socialist,” Cross said. “But acandidate who comes out and talks about jobs and wages and child care and employment andcommunity,those are messages that would reverberate.”

That’spretty much what Abigail Spanberger andMikie Sherrill did, but they did so as moderates. Both scored double-digit victories.

Johnson and Scalise are correct that Virginia and NewJersey are bothblue states that elected Democratic women as governors. Spanberger topped aticket in Virginia that will replace Republicans as governor,lieutenant governor andattorney general.

Democrats flipped 13 seats in the

Kennedy pushesback on Trump FDICnominee

RepublicanU.S. Sen. John Kennedy told reporters during a Monday night news conference that he’ll continue to withhold supportfor President Donald Trump’sFDIC nomineeuntil he receives an update on what has been done to improve the agency’stoxic work environment.

Punchbowl, aCapitolHill online news outlet, reported that Kennedy, of Madisonville, saidhehad talkedwith Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation chair nominee Travis Hill and was told thatHill’sstill working on detailing the resolution of hundreds of complaints of sexual assault, unwanted touching, as well as racial andsexual discrimination at the agency

During aSenatehearing last week, Kennedy read from aMay 2024 review by lawfirm Cleary Gottlieb that concludedFDIC officials allowed aculture that quashed reporting of suggestive comments andlewd photos,

state General Assembly Mikie Sherrill, whospent the NewJersey race only acouple points ahead of the Republican candidate, attracted the Black and Hispanic voters whohad backed President Donald Trump last year But the GOPnarrative does not account forPennsylvania, a decidedly purple swing state that Trumpwon in 2024. Democrats there held onto three Supreme Court seats.

In Georgia, astate with asimilar electoral history,Democrats ousted two Republicans on that state’sversion of the utilityregulating Public Service Commission.

Tuesday’selection leftLouisiana Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines moreoptimistic than he has been since assuming leadership in aparty that has been out of power forthe last 14 years. With the exception of John Bel Edwards, whosuccessfully ran forgovernor in 2015 as aformer military man favoring guns and opposing abortion, the last Democrat elected statewide was Buddy Caldwell in 2007 —and he switched to the GOPin2011. Republicans have controlled the Louisiana Legislature and every other statewide office since 2011. Gaines said Louisiana Democrats need to exercise caution when interpreting Tuesday’s victories. New York, Virginia and NewJersey are much moreliberal. But the campaign strategy energized voters, particularly younger ones.

“People in Louisiana are starting to realize those points and that’seventually going to enable us to start getting moreDemocratic candidates elected to office, and hopefully at somepoint, statewide office,” Gaines said. “But I’mnot overlooking the fact that we also have to realize that we’re in aconservative state and conservative values are something that we have to protect as well.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

unwantedsexualadvances and otherinappropriate conduct.

Forinstance, Kennedy noted thata supervisorrequested a Hispanic employee recite the Pledge of Allegiancetoprove he was an American.

“Did it make youproud?” Kennedy askedHill.

“It did not,”Hill replied. Kennedy demandedareport within 30 days of Oct. 30 that detailedwho hadbeen fired, who hadbeen prosecuted and who hadbeen moved to different positions.

“If your name came up in front of me right now, Iwouldn’tvote for you,” Kennedy said. “It has nothing to do with your policy chops. …I’vehad enough of this.”

Kennedy has been critical of the FDIC’shandling of reports of the toxic work environment long before the Gottlieb Steen analysis wasreleased and has proposed corrective legislation.

The FederalDeposit Insurance Corporationinsures deposits and supervisesbankoperations.

EDUCATION

SOLUTIONS

Test-prepcompany helpsstudentsboost scores

BY PATRICK WALL

Staff writer

Long before Angelica Harris founded her own test-prep company,she was an ambitious New Orleans teen determined to attend atop university Avarsity athletewho earned straight A’sataprivate all-girls school, Harris thought herodds were pretty good.

But when she took the ACT, she earned adismal 16 outof36 points on the all-importantcollege entrance exam.

“My test score was really holding me back from getting into one of those top-tier Ivy Leagueuniversities,” Harris said.

She tried going to apopular test-prep program but felt outof place. The other students were trying to maximize their already high scores, while she, theonly Black person in her class, needed more basic help.

Still determined, Harris decided to create her own prep program, which focused more on filling gaps in her math, reading and writing skills than on test-taking strategies.

She also workedfor thefirst time with aBlack tutor,who she found inspiring and relatable. When she retook the ACT,she doubled her score to 32, rocketing from the 20th percentile of testtakers to the 99th percentile.

With her boosted score, Harris earned afull-ride scholarship to Washington University in St Louis. While there, she decided

to turn herhomemade test-prep programinto abusiness aimed at Black students who, she felt, were poorly served by existing programs

Todayher company,Top Tutors for Us, provides testprep and tutoring to about 1,000 students in the St. Louis area and Louisiana, said Harris, who returned to New Orleans after college. The business partners withseveral schools andyouth programs, includingMorris Jeff Community School in New Orleans and United WayofSoutheast Louisiana, which allows students to attend for free.

Though all studentsare welcome, TopTutors for Us specializes in pairingBlack studentswith Black tutors. AsidefromHarris’ own experience, research shows students taught by those who look like them have higher grades, attendance and college enrollment rates.

TheTimes-Picayune |The Advocaterecently spoke with Harrisabout thestory,and mission, behind her tutoring business. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

Whydoyou think you struggled with the ACTinhighschool?

It’sactually across theboard formost students who look like me.(In Louisiana, Black students’ averageACT score was 16 in 2023, compared with 20 for White students.) A20isneeded for Louisiana’sTOPSscholarship. So it’s really limiting for studentswho don’tscore highenough.

Ithink oneofthe reasons I found is that thetest is culturally biased. Alot of the questions

and in the reading section, alot of the stories —are very Eurocentric. If you’re aBlack student, it’sjust kind of distant from your own experience.

Secondly,Ithink alot of Black studentsstartlate preparing for thestandardized tests,whereas alot of students who score really high start in middle school. Lastly,test prep is very expensive. It’s always been inaccessible for studentsfrom low-incomeareas.

Whydidn’ttraditional test prep work for you?

For one, it lacked individual help, like apersonalized lesson plan. Secondly,the traditional programsjust teach alot of strategies. Butifastudent has gaps in those areas (like math or reading), those strategies don’tmake awhole lot of sense and aren’t effective.

AndIthink just having those large groups, and not individual help, that was aproblem.Alsonot having someone who really could break down thetest and relate it to me culturally

How does your programwork?

We first start off withthe student takingaquestionnaire. They takeboth abehavioral and atechnical assessment. Andwe also have our tutors take both of those as well. We look at dozens of features between thestudent and tutor,and then we make aculturally competent match.

From there, thestudent gets booked intothe tutor’s calendar They meet regularly.It’svirtual, so this allows thestudent to access their tutor anytime, anywhere.

Andthe great thingabout our

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTSACROSS THESTATE HOWTOTACKLETHE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA

program —and whyschools like us versus traditional test prep —isbecause our program incorporates academicskill-building, plus testprep. What does it mean fortutoring to be “culturally competent?”

Culturally competent means understanding where the student is coming from in termsoftheir backgrounds, because that all affects their learning.

It’sreally meeting students where they are. So we match (studentsand tutors) based on their socioeconomic level, if they’re first-generation (collegestudents),theirrace and ethnicity their passions and goals.

Has the Trump administration’scrackdown on diversity-related programs affected your business?

Actually,this has been our biggest growth year.We’ve grown three times (the number of studentsserved)this year

It’sbecause the need is so high.

The ACT reported in 2023 that scores were at a30-year low.This is across allstudents, all demo-

graphics.

We have all races of students in our program,but obviously the backstory behind whyI founded it was to upliftminority students on these very important tests, on which they typically underperform.And demand is actually much higher now because the SupremeCourt overturned affirmative action in 2023, so universities can’tlook at race at all. So these test scores are moreimportant to students’ applications.

What would you saytostudents who struggle with the ACTorSAT?

Even though I’ve tutored the ACTs and SATs foreight-plus years, I’dsay don’tlet that be a determinant of what your success will look like in the future. That said, getting ahigh ACT score is actually the easiest way to get scholarships. So it’sjust worth the timetomaximize your score because you’re guaranteed lots of money at the end.

Ireally felt that once Igot that higher test score, Iwas like, whoa, the sky’sthe limit forme.

TyphoonKalmaegirampagesacrossVietnam

Philippine islands preparefor newstorm

BY ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and JIM GOMEZ Associated Press

DAKLAK, Vietnam Typhoon Kalmaegi brought fiercewinds and torrential rains to Vietnam on Friday,killing at least five people, flattening homes, blowing off roofs and uprooting trees

In the Philippines, where the storm left at least 204 dead earlier in the week, survivors wept over the coffins of their lovedones and bracedfor another typhoon

As the storm movedon, recovery work began in battered townsand villages in both countries. Across central Vietnameseprovinces, people cleared debris and repaired roofs on their homes.

Jimmy Abatayo, who losthis wife and nine close relatives after the typhoon unleashed flooding in the central Philippine province of Cebu, was overwhelmed with sorrowand guilt as he ranhis palm over his wife’scasket.

“I was able to swim. Itold my family to swim, you will be saved, just swim, be brave and keep swimming,” said Abatayo, 53, pausing and then breaking into tears.

“They didnot hearwhatI said because Iwould never see them again.”

In Cebu, 141 people died, mostly in floodings. Villagers on Friday gatheredtosay goodbyetotheir dead, including at abasketball gym turned funeral parlor where relatives wept before arow of white coffins bedecked withflowers and small portraits of the deceased.

Astate of national emergency declared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.onThursday was stillef-

BY DANSULLIVAN Tampa BayTimes (TNS)

TAMPA, Fla.— Four people were killed and 11 more wereinjured after apolice pursuit of aspeeding driver ended early Saturdaywith acrash in Ybor City,Tampapolice reported.

fect in thePhilippines, as the country braced foranother potentially powerful storm,Typhoon Fungwong,knownlocally as Uwan. Marcos, whovisited Cebu on Friday,said an unusually large volume of rain overwhelmed dikes and flood-control safeguards andcaused riverstorapidly overflowon Tuesday,flooding nearby residential communities, where residentsscrambledtoclimb to the upper floors or roofs of their houses in panic.

Across thecountry,Kalmaegi leftatleast 204 people dead and 109 missing, thePhilippines Office of Civil Defense said, and more than half amillion people were

displaced.

Nearly 450,000 were evacuated to shelters, and nearly400,000 remained in evacuation centersor homes of relatives as of Saturday

Theweather bureausaid Fungwong would come early next week and predicted it would span an estimated 870 miles before making landfall late Sunday or early MondayinnorthernAuroraprovince It could alsopotentially affect the denselypopulatedcapitalregion of Manila.

Statemedia said fivepeoplewere killed in Vietnam —threeinDak Lak and two in Gia Lai provinces —while three remainedmissing in Quang Ngai.

Fifty-twohouses collapsed and nearly2,600 othersweredamaged or had theirroofsblown off, including more than 2,400 in Gia Laialone. The storm also caused multiple power grid failures and knocked down hundreds of power poles,cutting electricity to more than1.6 million households. Authorities said Saturday that power had been restored to mostareas, but about 500,000 households remained without electricity

Factorieslost their roofs and equipment was damaged because of flooding in Binh Dinh province.

In hard-hit Quy Nhon, residents woke up to find corrugated metal roofs and household itemsscat-

tered along the streets. Later on Friday,families crowded into a brightly lit shopping mall—one of the fewplaces with backup power in thecity—clutching tangled extensioncords andtheir phones. Children rejoiced at the unexpected outing while parents lined up at every available outlet, charging their devices and anxiously calling relatives to makesure they were safe.

As the skies cleared and sunlight broke through on Friday morning, residentsinDak Lak province stepped out to assess the wreckage leftbehind.

Streets were littered with fallen branchesand twistedsheetsof metal, and muddy water still pooled in low-lyingareas where theriver had surged to record heights overnight. Shopkeepers dragged out waterlogged goods to dry in the sun, while families swept mud from their doorsteps andpatched together missing roof tiles.

Many areas in Vietnam reported uprooted trees, damaged power linesand flattenedbuildings as Kalmaegiweakened into atropical storm and moved into Cambodia on Friday In Vietnam’sfinancial capital Ho Chi Minh City,manywaded through flooded streets Friday In Lam Dong province, officials evacuated around 100 households near an irrigation lake after discovering leaks in the dam.Local authoritiestoldstate media that the evacuation was aprecaution to prevent apotential disaster Kalmaegi struckVietnamas the country’scentral region was still reeling from floods caused by record-breaking rains. Authorities said morethan 537,000 people were evacuated,manybyboat,as floodwaters rose andlandslides loomed.

The driver slammed into the frontofBradley’s on 7th, apopular LGBTQ+ nightclub on busy Seventh Avenue. Three people diedthere. Afourth died later at ahospital. Afifth person remained incritical condition late Saturday morning, police said. Eightmore were being treated for

less severe injuries.

“They wereout in Ybor,having agood time,expecting to go home safely,”Tampapolice Chief Lee Bercaw said in an early-morning news conference at thescene. “And acareless, recklessdriver takes everybody’slives in his hands.”

Tampapolice arrested Silas

•Pretzelscovered in

•Decorated

•Just theright balanceof saltyand sweetflavors

•PresentedinaPittman &Davisexclusive citrus holiday tin

Sampson, a22-year-oldDade City man whopolicesaidwas the driver.Hewas jailed Saturday on charges of fleeing from police and vehicular homicide. Sampson does not have acriminalrecord in Hillsborough County.But in September,the Florida Highway Patrol cited him fordriv-

ing 99 mphonInterstate 75, where the speed limit is 70.

Photosfromthe scene showed the car,a silver Toyota sedan, damaged and lodged inside the club’s entryway.Videos on social media showed hundreds of late-night club patrons running east after the car plowed into the building.

Only abid bond,certified checkorcashier’s check shallbesubmitted as the bidsecurity. Electronic copies of both thefront andbackofthe checkor bidbondshall be

com/va/vendor-access/

ScopeofServices: The scopeofthe projectcon‐sistsofbut is notlimited to,the contractor supply‐ingthe labor, equipment, superintendence, mater‐ial, etc.,tofurnish andin‐stallmicrosurfacing overlay, scrubsealover‐lay. Asphaltpatches striping,reflectors,and allother incidentalsas‐sociated with this work forthose streetsidenti‐fied in specifications containedinthe docu‐ment.Lafayette Consoli‐datedGovernmentre‐serves theright to add additional streets, park‐inglots, etc. to this list‐ingshouldadditional fundingbecomeavail‐able.All work to be com‐pleted withingeighty (80) workingdaysofis‐suance of theNoticeto Proceed In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212. vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. BiddingDocuments are availabletoviewonlyat thewebsite.Bidders may h l i NEED AFLU

quired

registration or in theof‐fice of thePurchasingDi‐vision at theLafayette Consolidated Govern‐ment Building,located at 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette Louisiana, until10:00 AM CentralTimeonthe 4th dayofDecember, 2025 forthe following: RURALASPHALT STREET PRESERVATIONPROJECT 2026 andwill, shortlythere‐after,beopenedand read aloudinthe Council

Briefing Room locatedat 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette,LA. Bids received after theabove specified time foropen‐ingshall notbeconsid‐ered andshall be re‐turned unopened to the sender.Bidders areen‐couraged to attend the bidopening virtuallyby usingthe followinglink https://us02web.zoom. us/j/89828516331? pwd=M82uHk5gQRnKrB7 hbaE6qdSJaVtwZo.1 MeetingID: 898 2851 6331 Passcode:093442

List of jurors randomly drawn and to serve for the term beginning November 17, 2025:

ABSHIRE, KYLIA B ADAMS, BRITTANY LASHAE

ALDRIDGE, LAURA ABIGAIL

ALEXANDER, KEVIN R ANDERSON, MARKEL JAMAL

ANTHONY,DANYELLA ANNETTE

ARCENEAUX, LTEIDRA LORRAINE

BAAS, ROBERTJAMES

BABINEAUX, NATALIE PATRICE

BAKER, RICHARD RUSSELL

BALL,RICHARD

BANTIN, ERICH KARL

BARRETT-POWELL, DANIELLE RENEE

BASTIDAS-SANCHEZ, CARLOSALBERTO

BEADLE, MATTHEW JOHN

BEANER, CHRIST

BENEZECH, NICOLE BRUBAKER

BENTON, SILVIA COLEMAN

BERNARD, CAPRE DASHON

BERNARD, ELAINE B BLANCHARD, PATTI HEBERT

BONNET,CAROLYN MARIE

BONNETT,NOLAN

BOUDREAUX, KIERA HERSHELALMEDIA

BOUDREAUX, JENIFER STELLY

BOURQUE, JONNETTE MARIE

BREAUX, DESTINY RENEE

BREAUX, REAGAN ELIZABETH

BROCK, CHERYL FAYE

BROUSSARD, BRAXTON KYLE

BROUSSARD, DAVID MATTHEW

BROUSSARD, SHARON ELIZABETH

BROUSSARD, LAURA MARIE

BROUSSARD, JARVOSKI DOMON

BUTLER, CLARENCE JUNIOR CAIN, ASHLYN NICOLE CALAIS, HAICHA SHANTA

CAMARERO-HUERTA,MARIA ISABEL

CELESTAIN, ANGELA F CHALALA, KATYACAMILLE

CHAPMAN, EDWARD L CHARPENTIER, JERRYJOSEPH CHAVEZ, VALENTIN

CHESTER, CONSTANCE BROWN CHOATE, JEREMY RYAN CHOATE, CHRISTOPHER

CHRISTMAN, DAKOTADANIELLE

CLARK, ADAM COHEN, ALLISON RENE COLLINS, CORDELL DAVONIE COMEAUX, COLLEEN SHAWN WAHLEN CORMIER, BO RYAN CORMIER, JANET WILLIAMS CORRIGAN, JAMES E COUNTY,MARQUETTE DENISE COUVILLION, MATTHEW STEVEN CREADEUR, JACOB BENJAMIN CROUCHET,MARYK DARJEAN, CHRISTINE MARIE

DARTEZ, FREDDIE JAMES DAVIS, EVAANGELINA DEHART, PETER BERCHMAN

DEROUEN, PAUL JOHN

DILLINGER, KYRSTIN JADA

DISHER, MORGAN FAY

DUBOIS, BRETT ALLEN

DUGAS, ANDRE PAUL

DUGAS, STEVE JOSEPH

DUHON, DAWN MICHELLE

DUMILLER, SHANNON ANDREWS

EDWARDS-MORRIS, JAWAND MICHELLE

EHRMANTRAUT,BRUCE R

ELDRIDGE, JOSH MICHAEL

ESCUTIA-LARA, MARIA ELENA

ESPREE, MATHILDA HEBERT EVANS, OLIVIA

FABACHER, KAITLYN ELISE

FARGO, KEITH ALLEN FELIX, JOHN ALLEN

FENSTERMAKER, MARYELIZABETH FILER, BEECHA ALEXANDERGERARD

FISHER, MARYHANNA FONTENOT,GWENDOLYN A FORD, WILLIAM J FRANCIS, NICHOLAS CADE

FRAWLEY,TANITY DEROUEN

FREDERICK,REBECCA NUGENT

GABRIEL, KATHERINE JEANETTE

GAGE, LARRYW

GALLAGHER, OLIVER BIRD

GARBARINO, BRANDI LEA

GASPARD, ETHAN ALBERT

GAUTREAUX, TIFFANY ROMERO

GEORGE, SADAVION MATTHEW

GEORGE, NATASHAKANINSKI

GOAN,ALEXIS BILLEAUD

GRAHAM,SHANE P GRANGER, MILA L GREFE, HOLLYSUE

GRIECHEN,STEPHANIMILLI

GRIFFIN, DENNISJAMES

GROSSIE, TARA SAVOY

GUIDROZ, DAVIDLEE

GUIDRY,ANGELA MARIE

GUIDRY,MICHAEL TODD

GUILLOT, TRAVISNEAL

HALL, DEJUANNA L

HANKS, MICHAEL D

HARGRAVE, GREGORYMITCHELL

HARRIS, RENEE MICHELLE

HARRIS, RACHELLE NICHOLS

HEBERT, DIRK P

HEBERT, LOGAN

DESHAY

HELMS, BEAU ETIENNE

HENRY, TRACYSTEVENSCARRIER

HENRY, DENISELEMELLE

HENRY, RYAN GREGORY

HERNANDEZ, BRYCEJUDE

HILL, JUSTIN MARTELLE

HOPKINS,WOODSON

HORN,SYDNEY JANE

HOWARD, LOUIS ODETES

HUGHES, BRAD ERIC

HYDE, RANDI RENEE

IMVRIOTIS, MICHAEL

JACKSON, KAYLA IRRIELLE

JACKSON, SAMANTHA J

JEFFRIES, SUZANNE CARSON

JENKINS, LISA MICHELLE

JONES, CARY LEONARD

KENNEDY,KEITH MICHAEL

KERCHOFF-KRIEG,CAROLYN

KIBODEAUX, SHANNON ELOISE

KIMBLE, AARON CHRISTOPHER

KIMIADI, ARMANTO

KING, GLENDAMARSHALL

KONECNI, SHAWNRAY LA, TUYEN QUANG

LADEGA, KAITLYN HOPE

LAFLEUR, BAILEY ALEXUS

LANCLOS, ERICA QUEBEDEAUX

LANDRY, DARA RENAE

LANDRY, BENJAMIN SEAN

LANE, JAYHAROLD

LAUGHLIN, LUTHER LAMAR

LAVINE, HUNTER HARRISON

LEBLANC, TORIAN JAREL

LEBLANC, KENNETH JOSEPH

LEBLANC, MATTHEW DANIEL

LEMELLE, AIMEER

LEWIS, PAUL DEMETRIUS

LINZER, NICHOLAS JAYDEN

LOONEY,MAZEL INEZ

LYNCH, MARGARET SOUTHER

MAMOU, JONATHAN CHAZ

MANUEL,DEXTER ANTOINE JAMES

MATT,MICHELLE ELIZABETH

MATTHEW,JONATHANH

MCCORMICK, LOUISEL

MEADERS, DAVIDS

MELROSE, TERRI JANINE

MENARD, NICOLE BARRAS

MGBEAHURIKE, KELECHI NNENNA

MIMS,CHRISTY BOUSTANY

MINYON,JAYLA ELIZABETH MISITA,STEPHANIE L MOORE, SCOTT THOMAS MOORE, EMILYJEAN MORRISON,DEBORAH LYNN

MORRISON, ADAM CURTIS

MOURET,JESSICA LYNN

MOUTON,CELETRA MICHELLE

MOUTON,KALINELIZABETH

MURRAY, AMANDA RHEAL MYERS, ANDREW

NAQUIN,MONA H NARCISSE, RAYMOND

NAVARRE, RUDOLPH JUDE

NAVY,JEREMYKEITH DAVON

NI, JIN YUN

NICHOLAS, SARAH LYNN

NICHOLSON, NANCY ANNE

NOEL, JASON

OBUYA, BENARD ONGAU

OLGUIN, JAIME REYES

ONEIL, JOHN SEBASTIAN

ORGERON,LLOYD ELMER

ORGERON,CRAIGANTHONY PANKHURST,KIRKIRVIN

with bid. Failuretosub‐mita CorporateResolu‐tion or Certificate of Au‐thoritywiththe bidshall be causefor rejectionof bid. Copies of thebidding documentsexceptfor SectionC –“Standard Specificationsfor Roads, Drainage,Bridges and OtherInfrastructure2023 Edition” areavailable at theOffice of Purchasing locatedat705 West Uni‐versityAvenue Lafayette,LA70502 upon paymentof$35.00 per set, non-refundable NOTE:NOCASHWILLBE ACCEPTED -ONLY CHECKS OR MONEYOR‐DERS MADE PAYABLETO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐DATEDGOVERNMENT. Copies of Section“C” Standard Specifications forRoads,Drainage, Bridgesand OtherInfra‐structure” 2023 Edition areavailable from the Public WorksDepartment at 1515 EUniversityAv‐enue,BuildingA Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documentsshall be availableuntil twentyfour hoursbeforethe bid openingdate. Questions relative to thebidding documentsshall be ad‐dressedtoHeather Kestlerathkestler@ lafayettela.gov

callymust firstberegis‐teredonlinewith Lafayette Consolidated Government as apoten‐tial supplieratthe web‐site listed above. Bidders submitting bids electron‐ically arerequiredtopro‐vide thesamedocu‐mentsasbidders sub‐mittingthrough themail as soon as available.

Each bidshall be accom‐panied by acertified check, cashier’scheck or bidbondpayable to theLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment, the amount of which shallbe five percent(5%)ofthe base bidplusadditiveal‐ternates.Ifa bidbondis used,itshall be written by asuretyorinsurance companycurrently on theU.S.Departmentof theTreasuryFinancial Management Servicelist of approved bonding companieswhich is pub‐lished annually in the FederalRegister, or by a Louisianadomiciled in‐surancecompany with at leastanA-Ratinginthe latest printing of theA.M Best’s

PASHIBIN, HARVEY D PATEL, USHA SURESH PATIN, KAREN G PATTERSON, TRACY L PERSON,NATALIE PETE,DOMINICK JKWON PICARD,LUC PHILIPPE PICKETT,TONI PLACIDE, PRECIOUS SKYLAR POULLARD,JOHNATHAN ALEXANDER PREJEAN, RYAN PATRICK PUENTE,JORGE EDUARDO REES,SUZANNE MARIE RIBARIN,MALCOLM JOSEPH RICHARD, JASON WADE RICHARD, DAMIEN JOSEPH RICHEY, JOSEPH DAKOTA RIVERA,EMMANUEL ROBERTSON, ANTHONY LEWAYNE RODGERS,TONIA THIERRY RODRIGUEZ, IRIS MSIERRA RODRIGUEZ-FERRO, YAINELYS ROME, TAYLOR MEAUX ROY,DEBBY MARIE RUBIN,SETH MARCIS SAM, JERRIEN KEITH SANDERS,JEANNE MARIE SANDERS,PAMELA T SANDS, SYLVIA DUCHAMP SARKIES, BRIDGETTE ROMERO SAVOY,JEFFREY SCOTT SCHOEFFLER, BONNIE HOPKINS SCOTT,MORGAN BRIANNE MARIE SELLERS, MICHELLE KATHLEEN SELLERS, STACY LYNN SENEGAL,ANNETTE SEYMOUR, TRACY P SHEAN, MICHAELT SIBILLE,ESTORGE SIMMONS, CHATERA MARIAH SINAKONE,PENNY SIZEMORE, BROWN THOMAS SKINNER, MICHAELLEE SMALL, CYONAKA L SONNIER, LOGAN KENT SONNIER, CARLJAMES SONNIER, SETH PAUL SOULARIE,BIJAN JOSEPH STANFORD,OLIVIA JOY STEIN, SHELIABOURQUE STEWART,LEA MELANCON STRENGE,KELLY PARKS STRINGER, VICTORIA LEIGH SUIRE,JUDE TAYLOR, WILLIAMS THERIOT,MICHAEL WAYNE THIBODEAUX, DOMINICKM THIBODEAUX, NASIA MARIE TOLSON, DOREEN FAUBION TOUCHET,EMMA CLAIRE TOUCHET,PAUL LOBEY TOUCHET,JADANICOLE TRAHAN, KELLYYVETTE TRISTANI, LUCAS GEORGE TROCHESSET,JEANAARON URBINA, STEPHANIE SHAE VARNER, LISA DIANE VEGA,ANTONIO DEJESUS VERNON, AMYTHYST SHANICE VERNOTZY,TAYLOR CHARLES VIATOR, BEVERLYD VIDRINE, BRIANJACOB VILTZ, AUTUMN MICHELLE VO, DUCV WAGNER, KIRBY CLAY WALLACE,DANIELWAYNE WALLIS, JUDY WERGER WESSON, BLANE MICHAEL WHALEN, KEEGAN MARCEL WHIPP,JOSEPH NOAH WHISNANT,ABIGAIL JANE WHISNANT,DONALD ROBERT WILLIAMS, PERRY WILLIAMS, DIAMONDASHANTITYRRAL WILLIAMS, ANDREA J WILLIAMS, ANGELLA BROUSSARD WILLIAMS, JOSEPH ELTON WILLIS, WILBERT WITHERS, WILLIAM ZACHARY WOOD, HOWARDD ZIMMER, JAYJEROME

After6 months,PopeLeo charting hisown path

Keyprioritiesare

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY “You get used to it.”

Thatwas Pope LeoXIV’s matter-of-fact response when King Charles III asked about the swarms of televisionscameras documenting his historic visit to the Vatican last month.

Charles is no stranger to paparazzi, so Leowasn’ttelling the monarchanythinghedidn’talready know.But Leo’sblasé comment seemedtoconfirm what Vatican observers have noticed recently: that Leo has indeed gotten used to being pope, and is finding his footing six months intothe job.

After his shock election in May and sharp learning curve over the summer,Leo’skey priorities are cominginto focus, especially where he dovetails withhis predecessor,Pope Francis, and where he diverges, as he hit his six-month mark on Nov.8

Keysocialjustice issues

Leo showed himselfinperfect lockstepwith Francis when he published his first major teaching document last month, on the church’snon-negotiable“preferential option for the poor.” Francis began writing the text before he died; Leo took it over andmadeit his own. In it, Leo criticized how the wealthy liveina “bubbleofcomfort and luxury” whilepoor people suffer on the margins. He urgeda renewed commitment to fixingthe structural causes of poverty.

Leo has also embraced Francis’ ecological legacy,presiding over the first Mass using anew prayer formula “for the care of creation.”

He has given the go-ahead to Francis’ ambitious plan toturn a Vatican-owned property northof Rome into amassive solar farm that could make Vatican City the world’sfirst carbon-neutral state.

Perhaps nowhere was Leo more Francis-like than on Oct. 23, when he met at the Vaticanwith Indigenous groups and representatives of popular movementswho had beenchampioned by the Argentine

Jesuit.

Francis hadprioritized people on the margins, and exhorted the church to accompany them as they demanded thebasic humannecessities of “tierra, techo, trabajo,” land, housing andwork.

Leo repeated Francis’mantra during his audience and put his own spin on it, noting that his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, took up theissue of workers rightsatthe dawn of theIndustrial Revolution.

“Echoing Francis’ words, Isay today: land, housing andworkare sacred rights. It is worthwhile to fight for them, andIwould like you to hear me say, ‘I am here, I am with you!’”Leo said.

CardinalMichael Czerny,atop adviser tobothpopes, saidLeo is in perfectcontinuity with Francis, implementing processes that Francis set in motion

“Thetransition from one Holy Fathertoanotherisnot primarily a transitionin policies,” Czernysaid in an interview. While achange in governments from one party to the next can signal abreak, “here it would be amistake to look for that.”

thecontract,

conformity with

tractdocuments

ten(10)days. No

maywith‐draw itsbid priortothe deadline forsubmission of bids.Withdrawalof bids thereafter shallbe allowedonlypursuantto LA R.S. 38§2214.C. Other‐wise,nobiddermay withdraw hisbid forat leastforty-five (45) days after thetimescheduled forthe bidopening of bids.Eachbid shallbe submittedonlyon the bidformprovidedwithin thespecifications. The successful bidder will be required to executeper‐formance andlabor and material paymentbonds in thefullamount of the contract as more fully definedinthe biddocu‐ments. No contractors maywithdrawhis bidfor at leastforty-five (45) days after thetime scheduledfor theopen‐ingofbids. Each bidshall be submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwith thespecifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐cute performanceand laborand material pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fullydefinedin thebid documents. Bids will be evaluatedby thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted which is also in compliance with thebid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause in ac‐cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe front of thesealedenvelopein which theirbid is en‐closed.Contractors shall be licensed forthe clas‐sification of “HIGHWAY STREET ANDBRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Bids in theamountsspecified abovewhich have notbid in accordance with the requirements,shall be rejected andshall notbe read.Additionalinforma‐tion relative to licensing maybeobtained from theLouisiana StateLi‐censingBoard forCon‐tractors,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in allcon‐tracts or procurements letbythe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernment forgoodsand

TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐callyathttps://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in theof‐fice of thePurchasingDi‐vision at theLafayette Consolidated Govern‐ment Building,located at 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette Louisiana, until 10:15 AM CentralTimeonthe 4th dayofDecember, 2025 forthe following: RURALASPHALT STREET Patching PROJECT2026 andwill, shortlythere‐after, be opened and read aloudinthe Council Briefing Room locatedat 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette,LA. Bids received afterthe above specified time foropen‐ingshall notbeconsid‐ered andshall be re‐turned unopened to the sender.Bidders areen‐couraged to attend the bidopening virtuallyby usingthe followinglink https://us02web.zoom us/j/89658804896? pwd=rsurGPSqX3I3gbJ QeQOLktlatzCwY2.1 MeetingID: 896 5880 896 Passcode:866086

ScopeofServices:The scopeofthe projectcon‐sistsofbut is notlimited to,the contractor supply‐ingthe labor, equipment, superintendence, mater‐ial, etc.,toperform patching of asphaltic concrete roadwayor parkinglow failuresand sealingcracksonexist‐ingasphalt streets within theunincorpo‐ratedlimitsofLafayette Parish.The projectwill also includeworktobe done on an as needed,on call basis. LCGwillutilize aminimum of 16 tons or 30 square yardsper call out. Removaland dis‐posalofexistingin-place material shallbethe contractor’s responsibil‐ity. Thecontractbegins within ten(10) working days from thereceipt of theNoticetoProceed andextendthrough De‐cember 31, 2026 with an option to renewJanuary 1, 20267 throughDecem‐ber31, 2027atthe mu‐tual agreementofowner andcontractoratthe same price, terms, and conditions In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212. vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. BiddingDocuments are availabletoviewonlyat thewebsite.Bidders may requestthe electronic bidpackage from HeatherKestler at hkestler@lafayettela.gov Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust

“The stylistic differences are in theperson, not in theteaching,” he said.

Sticks to script

On style,it’snow clear that Leo is happy to pope theold fashioned way,wearing the red mozzetta cape and embroidered stole for all but themost mundane occasions.

He sticks to thescript of his prepared texts, shows discipline in his liturgical observance and doesn’t ad-lib withwisecracks the way Francis sometimes did.

That has endeared him to many of the Catholic conservatives who bristled at Francis’ informality

Eventhough Leo is echoing many of Francis’ Gospel-mandated social justicepreaching points,his style andgestures have generally won them over so far

“WhatI’m hearing and sensing is areal joy in the maturity,the discipline and the tradition that he brings back to thepapacy,” said Patrick Reilly,founder and head of theconservative Cardinal Newman Society, which ranks Catholic colleges in the U.S. on upholding

y copies of both the front andbackofthe checkor bidbondshall be in‐cluded with theelec‐tronic bid. Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5.A Cor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authorityau‐thorizingthe person signingthe bidisre‐quired to be submitted with bid. Failuretosub‐mita CorporateResolu‐tion or Certificate of Au‐thoritywiththe bidshall be causefor rejectionof bid. Copies of thebidding documentsexceptfor SectionC Standard Specificationsfor Roads, Drainage,Bridges and OtherInfrastructure2023 Edition” areavailable at theOffice of Purchasing locatedat705 West Uni‐versityAvenue, Lafayette,LA70502 upon paymentof$35.00 per set, non-refundable NOTE:NOCASHWILLBE ACCEPTED -ONLY CHECKS OR MONEYOR‐DERS MADE PAYABLETO LAFAYETTE CONSOLI‐DATEDGOVERNMENT. Copies of Section“C” Standard Specifications forRoads,Drainage, Bridgesand OtherInfra‐structure” 2023 Edition areavailable from the Public WorksDepartment at 1515 EUniversityAv‐enue,BuildingA, Lafayette LA 70501. Bid Documentsshall be availableuntil twentyfour hoursbeforethe bid openingdate. Questions relative to thebidding documentsshall be ad‐dressedtoHeather Kestlerathkestler@ lafayettela.gov

Each bidshall be accom‐panied by acertified check, cashier’scheck or bidbondpayable to theLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment, the amount of which shallbe five percent(5%)ofthe base bidplusadditiveal‐ternates.Ifabid bond is used,itshall be written by asuretyorinsurance companycurrently on theU.S.Departmentof theTreasuryFinancial Management Servicelist of approved bonding companieswhich is pub‐lished annually in the FederalRegister, or by a Louisianadomiciledin‐surancecompany with at leastanA-Ratinginthe latest printing of theA.M Best’s KeyRatingGuide to writeindividualbonds up to tenpercent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as showninthe A.M. Best’s KeyRating Guide, or by an insurancecom‐pany in good standing li‐censed to writebid bondswhich is either domiciledinLouisiana or ownedbyLouisiana resi‐dents. Thebid bond shall be issued by acompany licensed to do business in Louisiana. Thecerti‐fied check, cashier’s check, or bidbondshall be givenasa

bidfor at leastforty-five (45) days afterthe time scheduledfor theopen‐ingofbids. Each bidshall be submittedonlyonthe bidformprovidedwith thespecifications. The successful contractor will be required to exe‐cute performanceand laborand material pay‐ment bondsinthe full amount of thecontract as more fullydefinedin thebid documents. Bids will be evaluatedby thePurchaser basedon thelowestresponsible andresponsivebid sub‐mitted which is also in compliance with thebid documents. The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause in ac‐cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. Contractorsorcontract‐ing firmssubmittingbids in theamount of $50,000.00 or more shall certifythattheyare li‐censed contractors under Chapter24ofTitle 37 of theLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950 andshowtheir license numberonthe front of thesealedenvelopein which theirbid is en‐closed.Contractors shall be licensed forthe clas‐sification of “HIGHWAY STREET ANDBRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Bids in theamounts specified abovewhich have notbid in accordance with the requirements,shall be rejected andshall notbe read.Additional informa‐tion relative to licensing maybeobtainedfrom theLouisiana StateLi‐censingBoard forCon‐tractors,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TheLafayette Consoli‐datedGovernment strongly encourages the participationofDBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) in allcon‐tracts or procurements letbythe Lafayette Con‐solidatedGovernment forgoodsand services andlabor andmaterial. To that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐prises in thepurchaseor sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies, services andlabor andmaterialin which disadvantaged businessesare available. Assistance in identifying said businessesmay be obtained by calling2918410. PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISHDATES:11/5, 11/9, 11/16 DPR1000463 165187-NOV5-9-16-3T $225

traditional doctrine.

“I don’tknow of anyone whohas any concerns or is disturbedor anything like we saw,” withFrancis, he said.

Return of LatinMass

Many credit Leo forallowing a traditional LatinMass to be celebrated at theback altar of St Peter’sBasilica, presided over by none other than the figurehead of the American Catholic right, Cardinal Raymond Burke. Francis in 2021 cracked downon the spread of the ancient liturgy saying it hadbecome asourceof division in dioceses. The crackdown fueled conservative and traditionalist opposition to Francis, leading to anew impasse in the age-old liturgical wars. But Leo hasexpressed awillingness to engage in dialogue with traditionalists, suggesting adetente is possible.

“Welove ourpope, we prayfor him,” said Christina Tignot, who attended the LatinMassservice during the traditionalists’ annual pilgrimage. With her was her hus-

g TheCAPER describes the CDP’saccomplishments in usingHUD entitlement fundingto addressthe housingand community developmentneedsiden‐tified in theLCG 2023/2027 Consolidated Plan.Copiesofthe 2024 CAPERwillbeavailable at thefollowing loca‐tions: Lafayette Public Li‐braries(2):MainBranch –301 West Congress St Lafayette,LAand the CliftonChenier Center Branch (TownHall, Build‐ingC), 202 West Willow Street,Lafayette,LA; LCG, Community Devel‐opment Department,705 West University Avenue (SecondFloor,Lafayette City-ParishHall) Lafayette,LA; Lafayette City-ParishCouncil Of‐fice,705 West University Avenue,(FirstFloor Lafayette City-Parish Hall), Lafayette,LA, and theCDP’s websitehttp://www.lafayettela gov/DP/consolidatedplanning.Publiccom‐mentsmay be left at each of theviewing loca‐tionsormay be submit‐tedtothe LCG, CDPby mail –LCG,Community Developmentand Plan‐ning Department (Attn: Jenni Moreau), P.O. Box 4017-C, Lafayette,LA 70502; or email– CDPlan‐ning@lafayettela.gov TheCDP must receive writtenpubliccomments by 5p.m.onDecember3 2025. Foradditional infor‐mation regardingthe LCG2024 CAPER, please call 291-8422. GRANTS ADMINISTRA‐TION DIVISION Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Govern‐

band andhomeschooled daughter, whojoined her mother in wearing alace veil over her head.

Charting anew path

For allhis continuitywithFrancis, Leohas chartedhis ownpath and even corrected Franciswhen necessary In one case of areversal, Leo abrogateda 2022 lawissuedby Francis that concentrated financial power in the Vatican bank. Leo issuedhis own lawallowing the Holy See’sinvestment committee to use other banks, outside the Vatican, if it madebetter financial sense. Leo has also met with agroup of activist survivors of clergy sexual abuse, whosaid he promised to engage in dialogue as they press the Vatican to adoptazero-tolerance for abuse policy worldwide. Francishad met regularlywithindividual abuse survivors, but kept advocacy and activist groups at an arm’slength.

Commentonabortion

Leo’spersonal routine is also showing abreak from that of the workaholic homebody Francis.

Leo hastaken to spending Mondayafternoonsand Tuesdays at the papal country house in Castel Gandolfo,where he can taketime off and get in atennis gameinthe estate’scourt. (He plays with his secretary).

To the newsmedia’sdelight, Leo has agreed to field somequestions each Tuesday evening as he leaves from agaggle of reporters gathered outside,weighing in on everything fromthe Gazaceasefire to immigration enforcement raids in Chicago, his hometown. His initially timid responses were noticed. They led to abiting television skit by Italian political satirist Maurizio Crozza,who suggested that thename “Leo” was perhaps amismatch for apope seemingly afraid of his own shadow But with the passage of time, Leo seems to be getting into hisgroove. He sparked abrief but seemingly temporary alarminconservative circles when, during one recent Tuesday evening Q&A, he chimed in on the U.S. abortion debate by challenging abortion opponents about what it really meanstobe pro-life.

Carencro man gets life in fentanyl death

7-year-old OD’d under his care

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A Carencro man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the death of his 7-year-old stepdaughter by fentanyl overdose.

Daniel Boudreaux, 52, was found guilty July 14 by a Lafayette Parish jury on three charges: seconddegree murder second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and possession with intent to distribute fen-

Colder

temps

are on their way

Expect chilly weather after front moves through

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

It’s time to get out the gumbo pots and cook some rice because cold temperatures are heading to Acadiana this weekend.

Spring-like weather was expected Saturday into Sunday but that will change Sunday evening ahead of a cold front bringing freezing temperatures to parts of Louisiana and the first snowfall of the season in northern parts of the United States.

Lafayette’s high Sunday is expected to be around 70 degrees, turning chilly Sunday evening as temperatures dip to around 40.

“It’s going to be pretty cool Sunday night into Monday morning,” Chanelle Stigger, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, said Friday Monday’s expected high is about 56, getting colder as the sun sets. Parts of Acadiana could see

ä See WEATHER, page 2B

Clifton Chenier tribute album gets Grammy nomination

It’s up against four other La. artists

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Grammy nominations are out, and these Acadiana and Louisiana artists stand to win in the regional roots music category

“A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” an album honoring the 100th anniversary of Louisiana zydeco legend Clifton Chenier, came out earlier this year. It has now been nominated as a “Best Regional Roots Music Album,” alongside four other Louisiana records that fill out the category

Produced by Joel Savoy, Steve Berlin and John Leopold, of Valcour Records in Eunice, the “King of Zydeco’” album features local musicians like Steve Riley, Keith Frank, Anthony Dopsie and CJ Chenier honoring the music of Chenier, alongside famous rockers The Rolling Stones — and even country music legend (and Lake Charles native) Lucinda Williams. The album was largely recorded at Dockside Studio, a renowned Louisiana recording studio in Maurice. The 68th annual Grammy Awards will air Feb. 1 on CBS. The last time the Acadiana area brought home a

tanyl.

Judge Valerie Gotch Garrett, of the 15th Judicial Court in Lafayette, sentenced him to life in prison without probation or parole.

The child, McKenna Poirrier, was left in Boudreaux’s care in 2023 while her mother underwent substance abuse treatment.

Garrett said Friday that the girl’s mother called to speak with her daughter on Jan. 9, 2023, and heard what she described as a drug party

taking place. The next day, on Jan. 10, 2023, someone else was looking after the girl when she came into contact with the fentanyl.

Toxicology reports show she had enough fentanyl in her blood to kill a grown man. Garrett denied a request for a new trial on the murder and cruelty convictions. She agreed that the amount of fentanyl found at the residence was not sufficient to support the possession with intent to distribute conviction, but that point is moot given the life sen-

tence.

Boudreaux and Garrett got into a shouting match before sentencing. He argued he wasn’t properly represented at his trial because no character witnesses were called, many facts were not discussed and the person who was with McKenna the final eight hours of her life could not be found.

“I lost a child,” Boudreaux said.

“I lost my mind. I started using drugs. I was trying to kill myself, pretty much.” Several law enforcement officers testified during the trial,

Assistant District Attorney Chase Edwards said, so the information that person would have presented was described to jurors.

“You yourself were negligent,” Garrett said. “That child got fentanyl. You allowed the person to be with the child.”

Boudreaux stood up, facing Garrett and said, “Y’all not going to bamboozle me again.” Deputies pushed him back into his chair

Harold Register III, Boudreaux’s defense attorney said one of the

Food, family and fun

ABOVE: Gumbo is served as Ragin’ Cajuns fans tailgate before UL football faces off against the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday LEFT: Albino ‘Al’ the Alligator plays catch with children at the tailgate.

BELOW: All varieties of food are found as fans gather before the game.

LincolnBeach on tracktoopenin2026

To cutcosts, national design firm takenoff project

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans officials

havecut ties with the lead planning and design team for the Lincoln Beach redevelopment project in an effort to curtail excess spending and get the beach opened sooner.

Kenner-based Digital Engineering &Imaging Inc., will take over as the sole contractor for the first phase of the project following community outcry over opening delaysand failed negotiations between the city and nationaldesign firm Sasaki and Associates Inc.

“Our negotiations with Sasaki were unsuccessful for amultitude of reasons, primarily thecost,” New Orleans Urban Water Administrator Meagan Williams told aNew Orleans City Council committee Tuesday Williams began overseeing the redevelopment in July after former city project manager Cheryn Robles stepped down.

Sasaki came aboard in 2023 to redevelop thehistoric beach, wooded enclave and recreational space for Blackresidents during Jim Crow segregation. The firm completedanambitious master plan in May after leadingamonthslong planning process that involved

aseries of public meetings. Their contract ended Nov.1, but acompany representative said they were in talks with the city to continue workingonthe project Digital Engineeringhas beeninvolvedwith the project in alesser capacity since 2020, but is now charged with afullscopeof architectural, coastaland structural designworkunderanew contract withthe city

Previous estimates to open the long-shuttered beach in New Orleans East

hovered between $17 million and $23 million for the first phase, which, among other things, includes an accesstunnel, apedestrian bridge over Hayne Boulevardand removal of deterioratingwaterfront structures.

Thenew budgetfor the project led by Digital Engineering is about$15 million, documentsshow,which the city hassecured througha mix of citybonds and federal grants.

“While we were in discussions with the city about

proceeding with future work, there were anumber of things thatcould not be negotiated,” Sasaki spokesperson Josh Brooks said in astatement Wednesday. Asked for more details,he did not elaborate.

“Wewishthe city andthe community the best of luck in moving this project forward.The people of New Orleans East deserve this project and Ihope that they get it soon,” he added.

Thechange comes as frustration mounts among those who have long pushed

for safeaccess to thebeach

Officials announced earlier this year thattheywould have to push an anticipated summer 2025 opening dateback by more thana year.Robles had largely blamed thedelaysonfederal redtapetoobtain funding, additional funding needsand issuessecuring avenue for the final public meeting.

Williams on Tuesday said they’ve also lost time during thenegotiating process with Sasaki and in order to remain compliant with federal regulations for funding eligibility,moving forward with Digital Engineering as thesoleconsultantwas the best option.

Williams said they’re now working to rebuild trust with the public who previously accused city officials andplanners of poor communication aboutthe beach’s progress andspending too much money on consultants.

Critics have also voiced concernabout theplanning team’s focusduring public meetings on ambitious amenitiessuchasanamphitheater,agrocery store and a host of other recreational features. Sage Michael, a NewOrleans East resident whohelpedlead efforts to clean and maintain the beach during the pandemic, said manyofthose ideas were unaffordable.

“All we want is apassive beach,” said Michael. The beach is slated to open in fall 2026.

Email Joni Hessatjoni. hess@theadvocate.com.

JudgetodecidefateofN.O.special ed oversight

Monitoring has been in place foryears

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

When Nette Archangel moved to New Orleans in 2016, she tried to finda school that would meet the needs of her two sons, who have autism. But one after another,the schools failed her boys, she said.

One school on multiple occasions logged that it had provided servicesfor her son on days when he was absent, shesaid. Another school repeatedly called the police on her other son, who was prone to behavioral issues. Administrators at yet another school regularly called her during the day to pick up her son, effectively an off-the-books suspension. After filing complaints with the state and seeking assistancefromattorneys who told her there was little legalrecourseunless hersons wereexpelled, Archangel’sformer partner quit her job and moved their children to Maryland in June to be homeschooled.

“Wereally wanted to be in NewOrleans andlivein New Orleans, butthe school system failed us miserably,”said Archangel Similar experiencesled a group of New Orleans parentstosue the state in 2010 for failing to ensure their children received adequate special education services after the cityschool system was overhauled following Hurricane Katrina.Inre-

sponse,the court appointed afederalmonitor to track special education in New Orleans schools. Earlier this year,the OrleansParish School Board andthe LouisianaDepartment of Education asked thecourt to end the federal monitoring, which they say is no longer necessary because schoolshave met agreed-upon special education standardsfor eight consecutive years. The Southern Poverty Law Center,which filed the initial lawsuit on behalf of families, and other advocates acknowledge that schools have done abetter jobover thepast decade serving the roughly16% of district studentswho have disabilities. However,they say problemsstill abound, such as students not receiving legally mandated services, and ending the oversightcould jeopardize the improvements that have beenmade.

U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey,who oversees the case,has asked parents to share theirexperiences at ahearing next week before he decides whether to lift theoversight. Archangel is one of the parents that advocates haverecruited to testify about ongoing special education problems. Thedebate over whether to end thecourt-mandated monitoring comesasthe U.S. Department of Education hassignificantly scaled backits oversight of special educationunder President Donald Trump, whoisseekingtodismantle theagency. After arecentroundoflayoffs at thedepartment, only ahandfulofstaffers remain

who are responsible for enforcing federal special education laws.

“Now more than ever we need the consent judgment in place,” said Lauren Winkler,aseniorstaff attorney at theSouthernPoverty Law Center, whosaidseriousspecial educationproblems persistinNew Orleans schools despitesome improvements. “The consent judgment shouldn’tbeterminated at this point given the breadth of the issues that we’re seeing across different schools and different charter networks.”

NOLA Public Schools did not respond to arequest for comment. Aspokesperson for thestate Department of Educationdeclinedtocomment,citing ongoing litigation 10 yearsofoversight

Filed on behalf of 10 New Orleans families, the lawsuit alleged that the city’s charter schools turned awaystudents with disabilities,failed to properly identify andevaluate students who mayhave disabilities, improperly disciplinedstudents with disabilitiesand did not always provide them services required by law

NOLA Public Schools joined thelawsuit on behalf of the state Education Department, andin2015, the parties entered aconsent judgment, which required “rigorous and comprehensive” monitoring of abouta dozen schools every year to ensure they were complying withthe law.The judgmentalsolaid out state and district duties for ensuring that schools know and follow the laws.

The courtorder appears to have led the state to more actively monitor special education in New Orleans. The LouisianaLegislativeAuditor said in areport last year that thestate Department of Education focused more than60% of itsspecialeducation-relatedinspections on Orleans Parish schools, even though they serve just 7% of thestate’sstudents with disabilities.

Though individualschools are still flaggedfor issues related to specific students, the state and district have been in “substantial compliance” with acourt-ordered special education improvementplan since the 2016-17 school year,according to the most recent monitor’s updatelast month.

Since the consent judgment was put in place, the graduationratefor New Orleans studentswithdisabilities hasimproved 20 percentage points (statewide,the graduation rate for students with disabilities grewbyover 30 percentage pointsduring that period). New Orleans studentswith disabilities have madegreater gains on statetests over the past two years than students with disabilities statewide or in similardistricts, according to data compiled by New Schools forNew Orleans. The district also centralized its enrollmentsystem and required adistrict hearing before schools could suspend or expelstudents, whichhas greatlyreduced thedistrict’sexpulsion rate.

In aFebruary filing, OPSB said the district could be trusted tomonitor the city’s schoolswithout federal oversight.

Thehearing

As Zainey weighs whether to lift the consent judgment, he will hear from families for the first timeinyears, Winkler said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has been reaching out to families whomay want to share their experiences with the court during hearings on Nov.12-13.

In aFacebook post last month, advocacy group Erase the Boardurgedparents, teachers and current and former students who receivedspecial education services to share testimony

“Without the consent decree, schoolscould return to denying evaluations, services, and enrollment like before federalprotections existed,”the post stated.“Your 2-3minute testimony could make the difference!”

Now, adecadeafter the originallawsuit,Winkler urged today’sstudents and families to put their special education issues on the record.

Ashana Bigard, whose daughter was in the system before the consent decree and whose son is currently a freshman at Rooted School, said there is aworld of difference between her children’sexperiences,which she attributes to the courtordered oversight.

“Weactually have someone who’sawatchdog,” said Bigard, who plans to urge Zainey at this month’shearing to keep the judgment in place. “A lothas improved, andifheliftsthe consent decree, we could go back to where we were.”

Continued from page1B

biggest errors made in the trial wasthat the jury found the child’smothera credible witness. Not everything she testified to wascorroborated by otherwitnesses, he said.

Garrett said those things can be raised in an appeal.

GRAMMY

Continued from page1B

Grammy was in 2024, when there weretied winners in the regional roots music category: Lost BayouRamblers and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with “Live: Orpheum Theater Nola,” andBuckwheat Zydeco Jr &The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band with “New Beginnings …“

Here are the albums and artists nominated for the 2026 Grammy Awardsinthe “Best Regional Roots Music Album”category: n “Live at Vaughan’s,” Corey Henry &The Treme Funktet n “For Fat Man,”Preservation Brass &Preservation Hall Jazz Band n “Church of New Orleans,” Kyle Roussel n “Second Line Sunday,” Trombone Shorty andNew Breed Brass Band n “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” various artists.

WEATHER

Continued from page1B

temperatures fall into the 30s Mondaynight into Tuesday morning, Stigger said. Monday night intoTuesdaymorning will bring the lowest temperatures to Acadiana,Stiggersaid. Some areas of Acadiana could see freezing temperatures. The coolesttemperatures so farthis fall won’tbepipebusting cold, Stigger said. But you might want to protect your plants. It’sexpected to warm up some Tuesday during the daytothe low- to mid-60s. The coldtemperatures arepartofanarcticblast that’spushing through the U.S.,possibly bringing the first significant freezing temperatures of the season

THE GULF COAST

Former Magnolia Hotelbeing revived

Biloxiproperty previously was arestaurant

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Downtown Biloxi has transformed into an indulgent stretch of glittering casinos and abuzzing nightlife. Yet one historic building nearby remainssuspended in time aftersurviving wars and several natural disasters.

Today,it’sthe oldest known hotelonthe Mississippi Gulf Coast —and after nearly two centuries, it’s returning to its roots after abriefstint as several restaurants.

Jourdan and Fields Nicaud, brothers-turned-businesspartnerswho have builtanempire of restaurants and vacation rentals across south Mississippi, opened Field’sMediterraneaninthe former Magnolia Hotel this spring, and asteakhouse before that.

But after realizing there weren’tenough nearby hotels to support the restaurant, they decided to open their own.

The new Le Magnolia Hotel, slated to open in early2027, will feature aFrench-inspired interior to honor the building’s original style, Jourdan Nicaud said.

The first floor will house arestaurant andlobby,with parking underneath the hotel and abar occupying the second floor. The third floor will be devoted to a two-bedroom suite.

Abreezeway will connecttoa new structure with 16 one-bedroom suites, centered around acourtyard designed for weddings and other special events.

Le MagnoliaHotel isn’t the only historic property expanding in Biloxi. Minutesaway,the White House Hotel —another landmark dating back to the

1800s —debuted anew wing with 49 additional guest rooms last month.

These expansions reflect a broader shift in tourism along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a longtime getaway for regional travelersthat, in recent years, has again attracted tourists from across the country

Developersare responding to the surge in tourists —fueled in part by apandemic-era demand for drive-to beach locations —withnew hotels, condominiumsand arevived Amtrakroutethatreconnects coastal communities, including Biloxi, destroyedbyHurricane Katrina.

Empanola closing Biloxi spot

BY ANITALEE Sun Coast Herald

EmpanolaBiloxi,a restaurant andcoffee bar on Howard Avenue, is closing Sunday the city’ssecond location to be shuttered. Asecond restaurant operating outof itsBiloxi building, Pisano’sPizzeria, also willbeshutting down.EmpanolaOcean Springs on Bienville Boulevard andPisano’sPizzeria on Promenade Parkwayare still operating. Online delivery is also an option forboth restaurants.

While contributing to theregion’s tourismboom, theNicaudshavealsofocused on honoring the Gulf Coast’sarchitectural heritage.

That remains the mission forLeMagnolia Hotel, constructed in 1847 by John Hohn, adeveloper who once operated acoffeehouse in New Orleans, according to the Mississippi DepartmentofArchives and History After Hohn died ayear later his wife operated the Magnolia Hotel, accommodatingthe annualsummerinflux of guests from New Orleans,apattern that still defines thearea’stourismtoday By the mid-1800s, Biloxi was

“The Gulf Coast has done a really good jobof trying to get peopletocome back to this area that theyused to come to prior to Katrina,” Jourdan Nicaud said. “Andthat’salwaysbeen our goal.”

themost popular resort along the Gulf Coast, withabout 6,000 annual visitors, archives show Thatsurge grew as tensions mounted between the North and South during the Civil War, when manySoutherners chose to stay closer to home. By the 1880s, the Magnolia’s clientelehad evolved, welcoming moreguests from the North. The hotel closed after World WarII, but its structure survived the decimation of Hurricane Camille.

Now,decades later,the Magnolia is settoreincarnate once more,welcoming anew generation of travelerstothe Mississippi Gulf Coast Email PoetWolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

The restaurants are owned by Frank and TimLombardi-Benson of Biloxi, who bought their Empanola franchise from the New Orleans-based company “Wejust want to simplifylife, that’sall,” said Frank Lombardi-Benson, who noted thecouplealsoownsTony’sBrick Oven Pizzeriaindowntown Gulfport, which also serves Italian dishes. At Empanola, empanadas are the main attraction.The stuffedpastryturnover hasSouth American roots. LombardiBensonsaidhehopes Biloxi customers will patronize the Ocean Springs location after the Biloxi restaurant closes Sunday Empanada offers about20fillings, with meat,vegetarian and vegan options.

The restaurant also offers fresh-baked goods. Empanola’sBiloxi locations were the first to open in 2023, followedbythe Ocean Springs location. Biloxi’sPopp’s Ferry and Pass road location previously closed.

Pisano’sstarted offering pizza at the Howard Avenue restaurant after apizza shop opened around thecorner on Porter Avenue abruptly closed.

TheLombardi-Bensons took over the business, remodeling the Porter Avenue building andreopeningthe pizzarestaurant as Pisano’s, but it didn’tlast long. They then moved Pisano’stothe Empanola on Howard.

Frank Lombardi-Benson said the couple is closing the Biloxi shop in hopes of slowing downabit. They plan to remain in Biloxi, where they bought and renovated the historic Glenn Swetman house.

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Congressional payshould be cut during shutdown

The federalgovernmentshutdown has dragged on now forfive weeks, becoming the longest in history,and there is still no endin sight. That means that thousands of government workers have received zero or reduced pay for morethanamonth

Yetthere has been no correspondinghalt to pay for members of Congress, whoearnat least$174,000per year and are theveryones responsible for this impasse. Congressional pay is mandatedthrough both law and the Constitution,evenifthe government isshut down.

But Louisiana Sen. John Kennedywants to change that. The oft-quoted Republican has introduced apair of bills in the Senate thatwould put representatives and senators on thesame footingasthe employees whose pay has been stopped “I don’tsee missing paychecksorempty dinner plates as leverage or bargainingchips,” Kennedy told Fox News. “If we can’tdo ourjobs and fund the government, we don’tdeserve a paycheck —plain and simple.”

Kennedy is well known forhis aphorisms, which he presents as down-homecountry wisdom but critics decryasrhetoricwithout substance In this case, he’sgot apoint.Lawmakers in Washington, whose partisan pursuits andinflexibility have gotten us into thissituation, should not be able to go on as if life were normalwhile the people who rely upon them areforced to tighten their belts, go without andhopethatthe shutdown ends soon.

Kennedy has introduced two billson thematter: The first would forcemembers of Congress to go without pay for every day thegovernment hasshutdown. That billcould runinto Constitutionalhurdles. Article Iofthe Constitution requires that United States representativesand senators be paidfor their services. Andthe 27th Amendment, ratifiedin1992, prevents Congress from passing any bill affecting pay until theend of the current term. Kennedy’ssecond bill attempts to maneuver around those worries.That bill would notcut the pay,but withhold it in escrow until after the 2026 elections. Other lawmakers are recommendingsimilar ideas. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,has pitched aconstitutional amendmentthat wouldrequire lawmakers’ pay to be forfeited andusedtopay down thenational debt. Another bill hasbeen introduced by Republican Sen.Bernie Moreno,of Ohio.Similar billshavebeen pitchedduring earlier shutdowns, but they’ve never been passed. We applaud these efforts. Among the many terrible impacts ofthe shutdown is the forced surrender of payofthousands of workers whose service affects our lives every day: military, some law enforcement and airtrafficcontrollers, for instance. If members of Congress can’twork together and come to some sortofcompromise on how to fund the government and those workersare forced to go without pay,thenCongress should feel the same pain.

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

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

What mattersmostinMideast policy

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is one of themost beautiful churches in theworld. If you’re walking in old city Jerusalem at 4in themorning, you are likely a Christian,Jew or Muslim on theway to prayer.It’sone of themost peaceful experiences in theworld.

Ihave aphotoofthe steps up to thechapel, built where we believe Christwas crucified. It was there where a priestfriend of mine celebrated Mass for my friend Andrew Breitbart the morning after he died unexpectedly from aheart attack in 2012. When Andrew died, Iwas on my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I had theopportunity to go again not too long ago. Iwent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchreatanearly hour.Iwasn’t going to. Iwas tempted to hit snooze. ButIheard the Muslim call to prayer and Iwas reminded the most importantthing we can do in our lives

is pray.It’sanaction beyond us, of supernatural fuel. It’sthe best that we’ve got. During that most recenttrip, Iwas having some health issues, so when we had ourtour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Ifound aspottosit, right below where Christ had been crucified. This tripwas sponsored by thePhilos Project, which wanted to convey what wasimportantabout the land to people of various Abrahamic religions.

During our time under Calvary,Iremembered aGood Fridaypast in New York.That Palm Sunday,there was an attack on aCoptic church in Egypt. In an act of prayerful solidarity, NewYork’sCardinal Timothy Dolan went to aCoptic churchinManhattan with an ecumenical crowd. Rabbi Joseph Patasnick talked abouthow he was afraid to go outdoors on Good Friday when he was young, because it was believed that Christians would retaliateagainstJews for the deathof

Jesus. But that’sthe thing. It wasn’tthe Jews.Jewishmen and women are not the enemy.Iam. The sin in the hearts of men is. That’swhy Christians are Christians. We aresinners in need of aSavior. We areimperfect and worse. Antisemitism is evil. Hating Jews is asin. We can’t tolerate people excusing or denying the Holocaust. Instead, we should be remembering the faces of individualmen, women andchildrenwho were murdered by the Nazi regime.And consider that it is evil thatwewould ever consider thathatredofJewsisanything but evil. We hear people talking about Middle Eastern foreign policy,but it often comes down to hatred of Jews. Sure, have an opinionabout apositionIsrael takes. All Iknowiswemust stand with ourJewishbrothers andsisters being hated. Adopt love forothers. It is whatmatters most.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Time forthe Righttoclean house

Conservatives —trueconservatives,asinthe Ronald Reagan brand —have aproblem. The movement has been invaded by the“alt-right” (or alternative right), abrandthat is not conservative, but rather slogs through the mud of antisemitism and racism, staining all who supportorrefuse to denounce it

This attempt to hijack conservatism by aradical fringe is not new.Inthe 1960s,Robert Welch and his John Birch Society(JBS) infiltrated the movement. It took thefounder of the conservative publication National Review, William F. Buckley Jr., to denounce some of Welch’sextreme views.When Welch claimed Dwight D. Eisenhower was a“dedicated,conscious agent of thecommunist conspiracy”, it was thebreaking point for Buckley,who had been reluctant to criticize Welch, largely becausemany JBS members contributed financially to his magazine. Now comes asimilar challenge for traditional conservatives and especially the evangelical wing of the Re-

publican Party. On arecentpodcast, former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson interviewedNick Fuentes, aWhitesupremacist and antisemite. The two joinedincondemnation of conservativeswho support Israel. Carlson specifically mentioned Sen. TedCruz, R-Texas, former President George W. Bush,and theU.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. He called them “Christian Zionists” who have been “seized by this brain virus.”

Kevin Roberts, president of the HeritageFoundation, whichguided many of the policies of Ronald Reagan and has been influential with the Trump administration, defended Carlson,saying he “remains …and always will be aclosefriend of the Heritage Foundation.”

Alt-right proponents arenot shy about voicing theirbeliefs, including antisemitismand in some cases a denial of the Holocaust and racism.

Membersofthis small but growing movement, especially among the young, often blame Jewish people for allegedly promoting what theyclaim are anti-White policies like immigra-

tion(illegaland legal) anddiversity Recently,VicePresident JD Vance hadanopportunity to denounce these beliefs. During aquestion-and-answer sessionfollowing his speech at the University of Mississippi, sponsored by Turning Point USA, Vance was askedabout U.S. support of Israel and the theologicaldifferences between Jews andChristians. Instead of denouncing whatappeared to be a“dog whistle” andthe barely disguised political premise of the question, Vancepuntedand said America has traditionally made alliances with nations whose policies and beliefs don’t necessarily agreewith ours. Conservatives take note as Bill Buckleyeventually did whenconservatism faced similarchallengessix decades ago. As for the evangelicals amongthe alt-right, consider one of many versesabout hate: “People may cover their hatred with pleasantwords, but they’re deceiving you. Theypretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.”(Proverbs 26:24-25).

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com

COMMENTARY

Redistrictingcasemay endinmiddleground

When the Supreme Court rules, probably in December,onthe controversial congressional redistricting case of Louisiana v. Callais, the likelihood is that neither side’sfondest dreams or worst fears will be realized

Aclose reading of the record leads me to predict the court will find a middle ground: It almost certainly will throw out Louisiana’scurrent district configurations, but without much material change in its existing interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

Louisiana surely will need to redraw its maps yet again —but still with astrong expectation that it should create asecond Black-majority (or strong plurality) district, and without sending ahost of other statesintonew maps undoing their own Black “opportunity districts” (as they technically are called). The difference will be that Louisiana’s new map should have districts that are more geographically compact and less blatantly racially motivated than the current districts that were created for

the 2024 House elections. To make clear: This is not how Ithink the court should rule, but how Ipredict it actually will. At issue is howtointerpret Section2ofthe Voting Rights Act, which is meant to protect against racial discrimination in elections, particularly against Black Americans—but without running afoul of the14th and 15thAmendments, which the Supreme Court says prohibit (broadly speaking) all racial discrimination,including the useofracial considerations tomake up for past and present wrongs. For more than 40 years, the high court has made aconvolutedmess of these redistricting issues, essentiallysaying that race can’t be considered except for the timesthat it must be considered. To determine which is which (can’tvs. must), and by what methods, the court has set out what is known as the Gingles Test (namedafter acase called Thornburg v. Gingles). For purposes of this column, the Gingles substance need not be understood, but its existence is crucial.

The state of play is this:Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas,Sam Alitoand Neil Gorsuch clearly are readyto say Section 2has been misinterpreted all along, meaning that race may not be considered even to redress wrongs.

Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor,Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson firmly believe Section 2means that Black opportunity districts must be created aggressively and proportionatelywherepossible.

Chief Justice JohnRoberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett (of New Orleans)are considered somewhere in themiddle. In theAlabama case of Allen v. Milligan in 2023, Roberts and Kavanaugh joined thethree liberals in requiring another opportunity district, while Barrett sided withthe conservatives In this year’s Louisianacase, though, theshape of the second Black opportunity district is particularly bizarre. Plus,inboth a concurring opinion in Milligan and in oral arguments last month in theLouisiana case, Kavanaugh suggested that an unspecified

time limit might apply,sothat although opportunity districts once were necessary,now they aren’t. For those two reasons, many observers expect Kavanaugh to “switch sides” by joining the conservatives, thus providing a5-4 majority to throwout Louisiana’s current, race-infuseddistricts.

Allisnot lost, however,for the liberals’side In theMilligancasefrom Alabama, JusticeBarrett joined only partofJusticeThomas’ main dissenting opinion. She conspicuously did not join the part that saidthe wholeGingles construct was nonsense andthatrace should never be afactor in fixing pastwrongs. Instead, she merely joined two sections in which Thomas explained that even if Gingles were applied, those particular Alabama districts would not passmuster. In oral argument in October in Louisiana v. Callais, Barrett asked if Louisiana’s weird district could be thrown out as “a clarification of Gingles” rather than the“big ask” to actually “change it.” In otherwords, she is loathtooverturn what she called a“40-year precedent.”

The endresult (assuming Roberts also wants to maintain the Gingles precedent) is thateven if Kavanaugh joins the conservativestooverturn Ginglesentirely andthus effectively take the courts away from ordering proportionalBlack opportunity districts, Barrett may well refuse to go thatfar.She could provide the needed fifth vote to throw outthe specific districts Louisianahas now, but still maintain a five-person majority,saying that some race-baseddistricts remain necessary

She could well say that two suchdistricts remain necessary in Louisiana,too, but without shoehorning some Shreveport voters in with East Baton Rouge voters ratherthanwith other of their ownShreveport neighbors. Section2 as liberals interpret it would be saved, but Louisiana’s legislators would have to create adifferent newBlack opportunity district—one that actually makes sense on amap, rather thanlooking like apterodactyl chasing E.T.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Trumpin no hurrytodeployNationalGuard to La.

President Donald Trump couldn’twait to send theNationalGuard into Los Angeles. AndD.C.. And Portland. AndChicago.All placeswhere they weren’tinvitedand where many locals wanted none of his alleged “help.”

Yetwhen it comes to Louisiana, Trump has now waited well over a month to respond to his ally Gov Jeff Landry’srequest, announced on Fox News to Sean Hannityat the end of September,tosend 1,000 federalizedLouisianaNational Guard troops into New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other citiesto fight crime.

Sure, Trump hasn’trejected Landry’s request to use federal money to deploy the troops that he has the power to activateon his own —albeit on the state’sdime And yes, he has mused at times about sendingtroopsintoNew Orleans, despite droppingcrime ratesand asuccessful partnership between the cityand state police for which Landry should beclaiming credit, not playing into the fiction that things remain out of control.

But the president hasn’tshown asmidgeon of urgency on the matter.Not even whentwo horrific fatal carjackingssoon after Landry’sask, one of achefpicking

up hischild at achurch day care and the other of aride share driver,agrandfather who’d just dropped off some tourists in the French Quarter,might have opened some more minds to the effort. Nobody official has publicly explained the delay,but Ihave atheory: Ithink we bore him Landry’sagenda is clearly toclaim asliver of the president’sthunder in usingNational Guard troops in this novel, confrontational way.But Trump isn’treturning thegovernor’s enthusiasm because it doesn’tfithis own agenda, which is to cause maximum viralconflict and toassert dominance Trump’srelationship with Landry is obviously quite different from theone he haswith governors like California’sGavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker,who have cast Trump’smoves as unconstitutional invasions and abuses of presidential powers aimed at normalizing the sight of soldiers on American streets. Trumpfeeds on fights with guys like them, which he obviouslywouldn’tget here.

Local officials, in New Orleans anyway, are adifferent story

Incoming mayor Helena Moreno has said that sendingthe Guard intoAmerican cities is “about scare tactics and politicizing

public safety,”and correctly noted that these troops arenot trained or authorized to do police work. Yether comments at a mayoral debateearlier in September suggest an additional dynamic at play

“The National Guard can assist us when we have amajor emergency like ahurricane, or even when we have amajor event in town, to assist us withcrowd control and thingslike that,” she said at WWL’s primarydebate.

It’strue. People in New Orleans are used to seeing the National Guard around including after the New Year’smorning terrorist attack in the French Quarter not as an invading armybut as welcome backup. Andthe request from Landry is for Guard members from the state, who are far less likely to be seen by their fellow Louisianans as outside occupiers than the Texans sent to Illinois against the governor’swill, or the Louisianans deployed in thenation’scapital.

Addtothat thelack of aunited front even in the Trump-friendly set. One prominent Republican, stateSenate President Cameron Henry,recently told the Manship News Service that the Guard might be of use in Baton Rouge, where Mayor-President Sid Edwards appears open to the idea, but “mythought is not to have them come

to NewOrleans because we have State Police there and they are doing agood job.” Even Hannity,upon airing Landry’sinitial plea fortroops, had trouble staying focused on what Landry was trying to sell as acrisis. During the interview,hequickly pivoted from crime to an offer of lessons he learned as abartender forthose who brave the French Quarter: “My advice: Never ever,don’tdrink ahurricane unless you want to throw up in the bushes,” he said.

Can’tdisagree with that, but it’snot exactly acall to arms. Still, Landry has said things appear to be on track fortroops to arrive in New Orleans by Thanksgiving, which would be in timefor the Bayou Classic, and stay throughout the holidays and special event season, when National Guard troops have been called in to help with crowd control before. If that happens, it could be that Trumpwill basically help Landry do what the state usually does, generally without any resistance at all. Even if the prospect of pushback is all that keeps Trumpremotely interested in this whole escapade.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

It’seasy for Democrats in Louisiana and across the nation to cheer after Tuesday’s“blue wave” of wins in New Jersey,Virginia and New York City Louisiana is marginally aDemocratic state based on voter registration, buta reliably Republican state when it comes to voting. Louisiana rarely swings from one party to another. Like it or not, we’re not blue or purple; we’re red. Deep red. New York state has been historically and reliably Democratic in recent years, but therehave been times in my lifetime when the Empire State was led by aRepublican. GOP legislator George Pataki was elected governor in 1994 and then reelected twice. Generally,New York Cityis viewed as the most liberal and progressive of New York State’s urbancenters. Like New Orleans, the city is largelyDemocratic and largely liberal or progressive. But comparisons end there. New York City has some strong pockets of Republicans andothers who identify otherwise. New Orleans has far fewer Republicans on aper capita basis. New York is far more diverse than New Orleans. New York City Democratic So-

cialist Zohran Kwame Mamdani won Tuesday’s mayoral election with 50.4% of thevotes. He developed abroad coalition of supportand ran an energetic, youthful, social media-savvy campaignand heldoff late efforts by billionaires, President Donald Trump andothers to stop him.

New Orleans City Council Vice President Helena Moreno developed abroad coalition of support for her mayoral campaign,but her more practical progressive Democratic ideas didn’tdraw theire of millionaires andbillionaires willing to spendbig to keep her out of office,aswas true with Mamdani. Moreno is aprogressive Democrat, butshe’sno Democratic Socialist.

Some Democrats and some Democratic Socialists might disagree with me, but, pretty much, Democrats work to change and improve capitalistic systems and Democratic Socialists aim to moveaway from capitalism to amore socialist, take-care-of-all system.

To alargedegree, that’swhy so many bankers, developers, investors, traders, millionaires and billionaires opposed Mamdani Moreno garnered support from some of thosegroups.

Shortly after his election, Mamdani launched awebsite —“New Era for New York City” —announcing atransition team, and seeking a“talented,inclusive, and mission-driven team of public servants.”

Shortly after her election, Moreno launched awebsite “New Direction NOLA” —announcing atransition team and “assembling ateam of talented, passionatepeople ready to help moveNew Orleansforward.” Similar? Yes. However,Moreno’ssite is broader,asking citizens for input.I’m sure Mamdani will follow that approach soon. Big difference: Mamdani has an all-female transition leadership team.

Democrats flipped two Georgia Public Service Commission seats and had abig California proposition win. Louisiana Democrats haven’tfound that kind of Georgia, California, New Jersey and Virginia success. Democratic governor candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won their Virginia and New Jersey contests handily.Despite infusions of millions of dollars and big GOP pushes, it wasn’teven close. Spanberger won by about 15 points. Sherrill won by almost that much. New York has regularly elected Democrats statewide, though not

always. Virginia has, too; though not always. It’s normal forNew Jersey to elect Democrats statewide, although it sometimes has chosen GOP candidates. Not so in Louisiana.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards was elected statewide by a comparable amount (12%) as he ran against apolitically crippled, publicly damaged Republican candidate. But he almost lost reelection to awell-funded Republican candidate whohardly campaigned and answered few questions. New Orleans is adifferent story.Itmight be acold day in hell if we see aRepublican elected mayor in the city in the near future. ButLouisiana isn’tready fora Democratic Socialist, and neither is New Orleans. Not yet.

Afew years ago, asenior writer at FiveThirtyEight described six types of Democrats: super progressives (New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), very progressives (Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren), the progressive new guard (New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker), the progressive oldguard (retiring U.S. Rep.Nancy Pelosi), moderates (U.S.Rep. and now Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger) and conservatives (Edwards, former U.S.Sen. Joe Manchin).

Only moderates and conservatives can come close to statewide office in Louisiana without asignificant Mamdani-like candidate to energize voters across political affiliations.

Louisiana has its share of progressives, and someDemocratic Socialists of America have made someprogress here.

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Devante Lewis, Orleans Parish School Board member Gabriela Biro, Broadmoor Church pastor and former City Council at-large candidate Gregory Manning, and former City Council District Acandidate Bob Murrell are Democratic Socialists members. According to Jack Reno Sweeney,co-chair of the New Orleans DSA, the membership, nonprofit political organization has about 85,000 members nationally,including about 400 in New Orleans. SomeNew Orleans chapter members helped the Mamdani campaign. There are DSAgroups in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Monroe and Shreveport. Mamdani achieved an incredible win. Many are expecting his fire to be transferable to other cities and states. We’re not ready

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Featherweight Scooter

SPORTS

Much stillsamefor Saints afterAllen

Despitechanges,teamstill struggling to be competitive

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Ayear and aweek ago, adejected Dennis Allen stood at alectern in the bowels of Bank of America Stadium andtried to come up withanswers to the questionsabout how far his team had fallen.

On Nov.3,2024, the New Orleans Saints traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina,lookingtosnap asix-game losingstreak against a1-7 Carolina Panthers team. Instead,the Saints blew afive-point lead in the closing minutes. Needingjust afieldgoal to retake thelead inside the final two minutes, the

Saints turned it over on downs near midfield with 1:04 remainingand watchedasCarolinakneeledout the clock on New Orleans’ seventh straight defeat

Thething is, there weren’t really anyanswers —nonethatwere satisfactory anyway.The Saints fired Allen the next morning. While muchhas changed in the last year,things are still very muchthe same for the franchise.

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

After going over the details of UL’s 58-52 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Friday before 3,304 spectators at theCajundome, first-year coachQuannas White wasasked what his first win meant to him.

His thoughts immediately went to his players and their path to thevictory “As ahead coach, it feels good, but Itell these guys all the time, this is not aboutme,” White said. “This is for these guys. These guys have been working sohardsinceJune, July …they’ve never been through anything like this. I say this with all sincerity.

“These guys have worked harder than most teams in the country,you know,what they’ve been through, so I’m proudofit. I’m most proud of that. Being theheadcoach and getting my firstwin,that’sawesome, but these guys, what they’ve been through and earning this win tonight, I’m mostproud of that.” It was certainly ahard-foughtvictory for the Cajuns. UL jumped out to an11-0lead, not allowing the Lions to score until aJaden Lawrence layup with 12:52 left in thefirst half. The lead grew to 34-20 at halftimeafter aDorian Finister 3-pointer off aDe’Vion Lavergne assist with 32 secondsleft until intermission.

Finisterfinishedthe game with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and fourrebounds.

“Wejust want to make sure we got the ‘Dub,’ ”Finister said. “Wemadesure we finished thejob.”

The hottest player in the first half was Jaxon Olvera, who finished with 20 points, five rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes.

“I think Ijust came out withachip on my shoulder and just made surewewas really trying to get the ‘dub’ for the first home game,” Olvera said.

Thevisiting Lions never backed down,

SHOOTOUT SURVIVAL

Indiana survives Penn State scare

BY TRAVIS JOHNSON Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Omar Cooper

Jr jumped to catch a pass from Fernando Mendoza in the back of the end zone, sweeping his inside foot within the field of play to go ahead of Penn State 27-24 with 36 seconds remaining and save No. 2 Indiana from its first loss of the season on Saturday

The downtrodden Nittany Lions, led by an interim coach and riding the school’s longest losing streak in 21 years, almost denied the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) their first Happy Valley win in school history

Penn State (3-6, 0-6) came back from down 13 points in the third quarter and was a couple of first downs away from the upset. Once the Nittany Lions were forced to punt, they couldn’t respond with late-game heroics of their own in the little time the Hoosiers left them A Hail Mary effort from midfield was unsuccessful.

“It was the most improbable victory I have ever been a part of,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “And there couldn’t have been a better place to make it happen.”

The Hoosiers entered Happy Valley used to losing in the sprawling, 107,000-seat Beaver Stadium. Before Saturday, the Nittany Lions owned a 25-2 edge head-to-head, winning all 13 games on their home field

“It’s just a rocking crowd, when you hear that silence when you get hit when you throw, then you know it’s a completion,” said Mendoza, who was sacked three times, threw for 218 yards with one touchdown and an interception and also ran in a score.

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper catches a touchdown pass over Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley during the fourth quarter of a game on Saturday in State College, Pa.

Penn State rallied to take the lead 24-20 in the fourth quarter when Ethan Grunkemeyer connected with Nicholas Singleton for a 19-yard score with 6:27 to play Penn State punted to Indiana with 1:51 remaining, giving Mendoza the ball back at his own 20. He was sacked on first down, but recovered to hit receivers for 22, 12, 29 and 17 yards before finding Cooper at the back edge of the end zone.

Afterward, a smiling Cooper called it the best catch of his career Mendoza agreed.

Kaelon Black scored a rush-

ing touchdown and Nico Radicic kicked two field goals for the Hoosiers. Charlie Becker had seven receptions for 118 yards and Cooper finished with six receptions for 32 yards. Singleton added two rushing touchdowns for the Nittany Lions, who are playing under interim coach Terry Smith and have lost six in a row

“It’s just very humbling,” Smith said. “I think back to Joe Paterno and him running on the field. I’m in the same position that he was and I have to do better for our guys. We have to taste victory be-

cause they deserve it.”

After a pair of stunted possessions to start the game, the Hoosiers easily zipped down the field on their third try when Mendoza hit Becker for a 53-yard pass down the middle. Mendoza scrambled through Penn State’s defense for an 18-yard touchdown two plays later

Penn State tied it 7-7 with a 10play, 67-yard drive that ended with a short scoring plunge by Singleton, but the Andy Kotelnickicalled offense didn’t get rolling until the fourth quarter and Indiana led 17-7 at halftime.

Unbeaten Texas A&M defense overwhelms Missouri

By The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo Marcel Reed threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, Texas A&M’s hounding defense made for a forgettable first start for Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers, and the thirdranked Aggies beat the No. 19 Tigers 38-17 on Saturday to remain undefeated.

Rueben Owens II added 102 yards rushing and a pair of clinching touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, as the Aggies (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 3 CFP) continued their best start since 1992 with their third consecutive victory over Missouri.

“You know, from a CEO perspective, I believe this is what this program is capable of. This is why we’re here We believe the ceiling of this program is really high,” Aggies coach Mike Elko said. “This is what everyone has been talking about.” Zollers, starting in place of injured Beau Pribula, was just 7 of 22 for 77 yards, despite getting plenty of help from his rushing attack. Jamal Roberts ran for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Ahmad Hardy added 109 yards and another score, as the Tigers (6-3, 2-3, No. 22) piled up 207 yards on the ground.

No. 1 OHIO ST 34, PURDUE 10: In West Lafayette, Indiana, Julian Sayin threw for 303 yards and one touchdown and Ohio State used four straight scoring drives in the second quarter to pull away from Purdue. Jeremiah Smith finished with a season-high 10 catches for 137 yards and caught a 35-yard TD pass to break open the game. It was his 10th scoring catch of the season and the 25th of his career, tying him with Santonio Holmes for sixth on the Buckeyes all-time list.

No. 5 GEORGIA 41, MISSISSIPPI ST. 21: In Starkville, Miss., Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and Georgia beat Mississippi State Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) surrendered a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and then scored 38 straight points No. 6 OLE MISS 49, THE CITADEL 0: In Oxford, Miss., Trinidad Chambliss passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns to lead Ole Miss to a win over The Citadel. Chambliss completed 19 of his first 20 passes, most of them quick outs, and finished 29 for 33 before leaving after the first drive of the third quarter for the Rebels (9-1). No 8 TEXAS TECH 29, No. 8 BYU 7: In Lubbock, Texas, Stone Harrington kicked a school-record five field goals and Texas Tech linebacker

Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways as the Red Raiders beat BYU, holding the previously-unbeaten Cougars to a season-low 255 total yards in a game with Big 12 and playoff implications.

Behren Morton passed for 216 yards and threw a 9-yard touch-

down to Caleb Douglas while Cameron Dickey ran for 121 yards and a 1-yard score for Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No 8 CFP), which played in its first top-10 matchup since 2008. No 18 MIAMI 38, SYRACUSE 10: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Carson Beck threw for a touchdown, caught a scoring pass and eclipsed the 10,000-yard passing mark for his college career as Miami used some tricks to roll to a win over Syracuse. Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa caught a backward pass and finished off what officially went into the books as a 3-yard rushing touchdown, while Keionte Scott had an interception return touchdown for the Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Keelan Marion had 116 receiving yards and Girard Pringle Jr had a touchdown run for Miami.

No 6 OREGON 18, IOWA 16: In Iowa City, Iowa, Atticus Sappington kicked a 39-yard field goal with 3 seconds left, and Oregon escaped with a win over Iowa.

Rybakina beats Sabalenka, wins $5.23M in WTA Finals Elena Rybakina won the WTA Finals after producing a nearly flawless performance to beat No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (0) on Saturday

The sixth-ranked Rybakina struck eight aces and converted the sole break of the match on the indoor hardcourt in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It was a second loss in the final of the season-ending tournament for Sabalenka after the four-time Grand Slam winner lost to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 title match. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was playing her first title match in her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance. She collected $5.23 million after going 5-0 at the event featuring the top eight women. The WTA said that was the largest payout in the history of women’s sports.

Djokovic wins tournament, then pulls out of ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ATP Finals for the second year in a row, shortly after beating Lorenzo Musetti in a nearly three-hour final to win the Hellenic Championship on Saturday Djokovic said a shoulder injury would prevent him from playing in the season-ending event for the top eight men’s players that starts Sunday in Turin, Italy

“I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury,” Djokovic said in a post on social media.

Djokovic has won the ATP Finals seven times, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion also missed the tournament last year because of an injury On Saturday, the Serb rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Musetti to clinch his 101st career title.

Former NBA, WNBA coach Adubato dies at age 87

Richie Adubato a former Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and New York Liberty basketball coach — has died, his family said. He was 87.

Adubato died Thursday, his family posted on social media Friday Adubato took the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals three times in his six years coaching the team from 1999-2004. He still holds the franchise record for games coached with 178. Adubato was the interim head coach of the Magic in 1997 after serving as an assistant for a few years He was also an interim head coach in Detroit during the 197980 season and later was the head coach in Dallas from 1989-93.

Dante Moore led a 10-play, 54yard drive to set up Sappington’s third field goal of the game, connecting with Malik Benson for 24 yards to get the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) into range for the winning kick.

WISCONSIN 13, No. 24 WASHINGTON 10: In Madison, Wisconsin, Nathanial Vakos made a tiebreaking 32-yard field goal late in the third quarter and Mason Posa led a dominant defensive effort as Wisconsin snapped a sixgame skid by upsetting Washington.

The Badgers (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) had lost 11 straight games against Power Four opponents before winning this one as a 10½-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Wisconsin’s victory came two days after athletic director Chris McIntosh announced that Luke Fickell would remain the Badgers’ coach beyond this season.

The Badgers gave Fickell his first victory over a Top 25 team after 10 straight losses against ranked opponents.

No. 15 VANDERBILT 45, AUBURN 38: In Nashville, Tenn., Diego Pavia threw a 4-yard pass to Cole Spence in overtime, and Vanderbilt rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Auburn.

The win keeps hopes of a College Football Playoff berth alive for Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 CFP) The Commodores had left themselves with no room to spare after losing 34-31 at Texas last week.

Auburn’s Ashton Daniels tied it up at 38-all by throwing a 23yard TD pass to Cam Coleman before finding Coleman again for a 2-point conversion with 5:27 left. Daniels’ pass into the end zone at the end of regulation was batted down.

Hataoka shares lead again during LPGA event in Japan Japanese golfers Nasa Hataoka and Yuna Araki sat atop the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic. Hataoka has shared the lead in each of the first three rounds with different golfers each time.

Hataoka shot a 4-under 68 and Araki was in at 7-under 65 — both at 15-under 201 — at the Seta Golf Club in western Japan. Three more Japanese players were just off the pace going into Sunday’s final round. Miyu Yamashita, who won the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last week, carded a 68 and was one stroke behind. She was followed by Shuri Sakuma (69), who is three back, and Ai Suzuki (70), four off the lead.

Russian doping case ends after sanctions for 12 more

The Russian doping crisis that rocked track and field in the 2010s reached a symbolic end Friday with bans and disqualifications for 12 athletes in a final set of disciplinary cases going back over a decade.

The Athletics Integrity Unit, which was founded in 2017 as part of track’s response to the doping crisis, said it was the “last batch” of doping cases using data from the shuttered Moscow anti-doping laboratory where cases were covered up. The Russian government has consistently denied wrongdoing. They prioritized cases involving active and high-profile athletes, so the 12 named on Friday were longsince retired athletes or relatively obscure figures. The best known was arguably Elena Kotulskaya, the European indoor silver medalist in the 800 meters in 2013.

UL women fall to Division II Delta St.

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The early season was expected to be a steep learning curve for the UL women’s basketball team. It might take a little longer than that, however

The Ragin’ Cajuns (0-2) fell 7668 to Division II Delta State on Friday at the Cajundome.

As you might think, the numbers weren’t pretty for the Cajuns. UL shot 33% from the field after shooting 18.5% in the first half. It didn’t get much better from 3-point range (29%) and 16 turnovers.

Maybe the biggest concern was getting outrebounded 53-34 by the Statesmen (1-0).

Delta State had more steals (119), more assists (11-6) and more turnovers (22-16).

Delta State shot 43% from the field and 67% from the freethrow line (20 of 30).

One of the few bright spots for the Cajuns was the play of freshman guard Amijah Price, who scored 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds, two assists and six steals.

The other two double-figure scorers were McKaylah Manley

with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting and five rebounds and Jazmyne Jackson with 12 points on 3-of11 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.

The first half was close throughout, but Delta State put together an 11-2 run late to build a 32-25 halftime lead.

After losing the opener to Bowling Green largely because coming out of the locker room ice cold Monday, UL did scored six of the first eight points of the third quarter to cut Delta State’s lead to 34-31 two minutes into the second half.

But the Statesmen quickly responded with a 13-0 run to build a commanding 47-31 lead with 4:48 left in the third after backto-back 3-pointers from Bramyia Johnson, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

The real thorn in UL’s side was 6-foot post player Alyse Holliman, who had 17 points and 16 rebounds.

The junior got the Statesmen multiple shots at the basket in the second half to prevent any UL comeback hopes.

Jariyah Williamson added 16 points and nine rebounds for the visitors.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team scheduled its third nonconference matchup of the season as a homecoming game for star senior guard Flau’jae Johnson.

At 1 p.m Sunday (ESPN+), the No. 5 Tigers (2-0) will face Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia a city that sits just more than 50 miles west of Johnson’s hometown Savannah, Georgia.

“For me, it’s just another game,” Johnson said, “but I’m very excited.” LSU has played similar contests in each of the past three seasons. In 2023, it faced Coppin State in Angel Reese’s hometown of Baltimore. Then, last year, it played homecoming games for two of its stars one against Grambling in Bossier City for Mikaylah Williams and another on the road against Illinois-Chicago for Aneesah Morrow

Now it’s Johnson’s turn.

She’s both the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with LSU after it hired coach Kim Mulkey and the only contributor remaining from the team that took home the program’s first national championship in 2023.

Johnson was a freshman that season. Now she’s a senior who’s hoping to bookend her collegiate career with national titles.

“I remember when I was a player at Louisiana Tech,” Mulkey said. “We (played homecoming games) There’s a lot of things that you

take from your background. I just remembered how special it was to each of us to go back and play in front of people that can’t come to all of your games.” Johnson could have left LSU in the offseason. She was age-eligible to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft But she chose to return to the Tigers instead, a move that allowed her to team with Williams and a group of eight newcomers for her fourth and final year of NCAA eligibility That season, for LSU, is off to a

strong start.

The Tigers defeated Houston Christian by 53 points on Tuesday in their season opener, then smothered Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, winning 115-26 in one of the two most lopsided games they’ve ever played.

Johnson shot only 3 of 10 from the fi eld in the opener But against the Lions, she turned in a more efficient 7-of-10 shooting night for a game-high 17 points with her five rebounds and five assists.

“My grandpa is going to be able to come to the game,” Johnson said. “He’s never seen me play in college, so that’s going to be really fun, and really just getting to see my whole family It’s going to be lit out there.

“They’re crazy, so the tickets sold out in like an hour or something like that, so yeah, it’s very anticipated.”

Georgia Southern finished 11th in the Sun Belt last season — its first under coach Hana Haden then split its first two games of this year, beating Central Michigan 9872 on Monday and losing 80-72 to Florida State on Thursday

Now the Eagles will host LSU in the kind of game Mulkey said she always tries to put on her nonconference schedule.

“And that’s not always possible,” Mulkey said. “We have to have the other team agree to it. But when it’s possible, you try to do it.”

Continued from page 1C

cutting UL’s lead to 48-42 after a Jalen Forrest running jumper in the lane with 6:17 left.

Southeastern’s second-half comeback attempt largely stemmed from free-throw shooting and 12 offensive rebounds that led to a 10-2 edge over UL in second-chance points.

“I think the biggest thing is just being disciplined on defense,” White said. “Like I said, this is the best defensive game we’ve put together And again, this is our second game, so that’s a good sign.”

The Lions were 18 of 31 at the free-throw line, compared to only 7 of 12 for the Cajuns.

Southeastern won the rebounding battle 33-31.

“With the fouls that we committed and not boxing out in defensive rebounding,” White said. “This is just one game and you learn from each and every game that you play I think we improved defensively from the last game We just got to keep hitting the rock.”

The Cajuns, who led by as many as 17 in the game with 16:23 left, saw their lead get as low as four at 56-52 with 31.7 seconds left,

but two free throws by Jamyron Keller helped hold Southeastern’s rally off.

For the second straight game, Keller came through with big buckets in the second half, finishing with 13 points to go along with three boards, two assists and two steals.

“I’m talking to him constantly about being a point guard and leader on the floor,” White said of Keller “But I think every guy that stepped on that floor tonight made an impact.”

The lack of scoring depth showed up again for the Cajuns as Lavergne, who scored seven points, was the only other Cajun with more than four points.

As a group, UL shot 52.3% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point land.

“I thought our ball movement, offensively, and our defense was two of the things that we improved on this past week,” White said. “That was a focus. Now we got to do a better job of rebounding, because that’s important. That’s how you win games.

“I constantly tell our guys, we’re going to have some bad shooting nights, but you got to find other ways to win. And one of the other ways to win is defending, rebounding and taking care of the ball.”

SAINTS GAMEDAY

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH

PROTECTING SHOUGH

Rookie QB Tyler Shough got his first start last week against the Rams

He had an OK game, completing 15 of 24 passes for 176 yards with one touchdown and one interception The good news for Shough, who was sacked just once, is he won’t face a defense as good as the Rams for the rest of the season. On the flip side, the Saints will go into this game with a new offensive line.

OUT: T Taliese Fuaga (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE: DT Bryan Bresee (back), RB Alvin Kamara (ankle),TE Jack Stoll (ankle), DE Jonah Williams (shoulder)

PANTHERS

QUESTIONABLE: WR Brycen Tremayne (hip),WR Tetairoa McMillan (hamstring)

OUT: G Chandler Zavala (elbow)

1 2 3 4

Taliese Fuaga is out with an ankle injury, and the Saints traded guard Trevor Penning to the Chargers on Tuesday. So the new-look front will be tested.

RUN THE BALL Running the ball could make things easier for Shough.The Saints are near the bottom of the league (27th), averaging just 89.6 yards per game on the ground. Improving on those numbers may be even harder with the aforementioned changes on the offensive line.The Saints ran for only 57 yards last week.The Saints haven’t rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since a Week 4 loss to Buffalo. It would help if the Saints can avoid falling behind early

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers proved last week they could beat the best team in the NFC. Now they’ll look to maintain that momentum Sunday when they host the conference’s worst in the New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers (5-4) stepped into the playoff conversation — a rarity at this point in the season for an organization that has not been to the postseason since 2017 and turned some heads around the league with a 16-13 win at Lambeau Field last Sunday against Jordan Love and the previously once-beaten Green Bay Packers.

The win gives the Panthers a much-needed boost of confidence, but second-year coach Dave Canales is making sure his team takes it all in stride and is up for the next challenge against the Saints (1-8).

After the win, Canales received a text message from the team’s senior coaching adviser and former NFL coach Jim Caldwell, who put the victory in perspective.

“He was like, ‘You know what that win means? You won five, you didn’t win four,’ ” Canales said “So to me, it’s like that’s the next-game mentality Let’s go play the next one. We have a hungry team that we’re facing this week that has to be the focus.”

Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle and a much-improved defense have been big reasons the Panthers have won four of their

to be New Orleans’ only touchdown drive of the game. This week, Shough, who finished the game, said he couldn’t really close his jaw until Tuesday “I had to get some (therapeutic) needles,” Shough said. “That hurt.”

“It was definitely a ‘welcome to the NFL moment,’ ” Shough added of the hit. “But I was happy to be able to get the ball back and be able to score after.” After reviewing video of the game with coaches, Shough was upbeat.

“It was encouraging just from a decision-making standpoint,” Shough said. “I wasn’t hesitant. My whole goal was to just play each play for what it is, don’t make it bigger than what it needs to be.

last five games. Young has won four straight starts he missed the team’s lone loss during that stretch to Buffalo because of an injury — and has been clutch down the stretch of tight games. Young has engineered nine game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drives in his career with his team behind or tied, tying him with Super Bowl champions Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes and veteran Geno Smith for the most in the NFL since 2023 when he came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick. In those nine drives, Young completed 75.9% of his passes with a passer rating of 115.6. Meanwhile, Dowdle has been sensational in the backfield, wrestling the starting job away from Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle is third in the NFL in

rushing despite having started only three games. He has averaged 130.4 yards rushing per game over the past six weeks. His four games of 125 yards or more on the ground are one shy of a team record set by Stephen Davis in 2003, the year the Panthers went to their first Super Bowl.

As for the Saints, coach Kellen Moore said that while his team hasn’t gotten the results it wanted, “we’ve got some young guys who’ve gotten better through the course of this thing.” Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough hopes his jaw feels normal by the time he makes his second NFL start on Sunday Shough took a penalized helmet-to-helmet shot from Rams edge rusher Byron Young during last Sunday’s 34-10 loss in Los Angeles. That turned out

The New Orleans offense also will have a new look. The Saints sent deep threat receiver Rashid Shaheed to Seattle for a pair of 2026 mid-round draft picks and left guard Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2027 sixth-rounder. Shaheed had been New Orleans’ second-leading receiver this season with 44 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns Penning had started six games and missed three with injuries. “It’s going to provide opportunities for some other guys and there’s certainly some excitement from that component,” Moore said. At wide receiver, Brandin Cooks, Devaughn Vele and

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

The head coach is different, the offensive and defensive schemes are different, thequarterbackisdifferent,but thething that is impossible to ignore is the record that showsa team mired in the NFL’s gutter

New Orleans has won four out of 17 games since it jettisonedAllen. It is back at Carolina this week for the first time since thattidechanging game last seasonwitha 1-8 record under new head coach Kellen Moore, putting the Saints squarelyinthe mix forthe first overall pick in next year’sdraft Adivision title and aplayoffberth are so far out of the picture they’renot worth bringing up. So, what is important forthis teamasit tries to dig itself out of the place it resides? The answer depends on whom you’re talkingto.

For the first-year head coach, it is about establishing theright foundation. Moore haschangedsomeofthe way things operate in thebuilding. There are bigthings, like the way the team practices and rehabilitates (and pre-habilitates) injuries. Thereare small interpersonal things, like the way he communicates with and relates to the players.

That can all be boiled down to one of Moore’sfavorite words: process.

“Obviously,the results are the most important part of it, but we’ve got to make sureour process is going the right direction, Moore said. “I think our guys are working really hard, they put in the work during the week,and ultimately we haven’tgot theSunday results that we want.

some of the best teams in Saints history.They know what winning cultureslook like.They also havebeen theretowatch theSaints win total dip from 12 to 9to7to5

For Davis, there are three things that bring him to work every day outside of the handsome paycheck: toughness, togetherness and joy. He believes those are key on arebuildingteam with asubpar record.

He said he’sseen the toughness in theway the teamhas battled throughsome of thelosses. He saidthe togetherness “speaks for itself” in the way the team has not fractured as it has gotten off to this difficult start. As for thejoy,atleast he’s still personally excited to come to the facility every day

“There’snothingfun (about losing) —the most funyou have in this game is when you’re winning,” Davissaid.“Thoseare the three components that we’re building toward.We have thosethings, so that’sa good foundation as far as the locker room is concerned.”

Jordan stillisholding onto theideathatthese 1-8 Saints can right the ship with eight gamesremaining. In what maybethe final season of apotential Hall of Fame career,Jordan said he’s seen enough flashes from the team to believe it is capable of more.

Clearly you see thescoreboard indicate it’snot consistent. Let’s put 60 minutes together.I can’t sayit’sanybody else; it’sonus. But until then, we’ve gottostop beating ourselves.”

“But we thinkour guysare headinginthe rightdirection.We’ve got some young guys that have gotten better through the course of this thing; we’re going to let alot ofguys grow as we go through this process. There’ll be some really good success because of that.” Process inextricably hasbeen linked to champions, such as Nick Saban’s Alabama teams. The legendary head coach spoke the word often, and this is the definition Moore is seekingto establish with his Saints. Process, in thiscase, involves perfecting the small details and habitually doing theright thing. The outcome is not the vision but rather the byproduct of the process. But “process” also can be associated with long and painful rebuilds, like the one thePhiladelphia76ers went through,enduring multiple seasons where they won less than 25% of their games before they finally broke through and made seven consecutiveplayoff appearances. And while the head coach and othersat the top of the organization are focused on finding the right process,those on the front lines are trying to keep the foundation from crumbling beneath them as the losses pile up

CAM JORDAN, Saintsdefensiveend

“But it’snot at aconsistent level,” Jordan said. “Clearly you see thescoreboard indicate it’snot consistent.Let’s put 60 minutes together.Ican’tsay it’s anybody else; it’sonus.”

If theSaintscould do that,he said, it would be less “Bad News Bears”and more “theSaints we’vebeen for anumberof years.

“But until then, we’ve got to stop beating ourselves,”Jordan said.

ThePantherscould provide a road map for howthe Saints get out of this.

Going into that game last year thePanthers were in asimilar position to where the Saintsare now, having lost 22 of their previous 25 games.

Head coach Dave Canales was in his first season, and he lookedoverwhelmedinthe role. Bryce Young, theNo. 1overall pick of the 2023 draft, had been benched.

Demario Davis and Cam Jordan have played for

OFFENSIVELEADERS

Starting with that winoverthe Saints, Carolina is 9-9sincelast November and appearstobean ascending team,coming into this week’sgame having just knocked offthe Green Bay Packers andsitting just outside theNFC playoff picture. Maybe it was process that got them off the mat, or finding joy in the bad place,orjusta little more consistency.Maybe Carolina just hit on the right blend of allof them, alongwith bringing the right people in.

New Orleans feelsalongway offasitcrossed theone year mark after firing Allen. It’lltakemore timestill to figure out how to change thingsfor thebetter Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PREDICTIONS

JEFF DUNCAN

PANTHERS 24,SAINTS19: The Saints’chancesofscoring theupset andendingtheir four-gamelosing streakhinge on theirdefense’s ability to stop theCarolina running game andTyler Shough’s ability to convert in thered zone.Ilikethe Saints to keep it closebut winningonthe road is alot to ask from therookieQB.

LUKE JOHNSON

PANTHERS 21,SAINTS18: WhileI think there’sanopportunity forthis to be thebestgamewe’ve seen yetfromrookiequarterback Tyler Shough,Idon’t like thematchup betweena Jekyll andHydeSaints rundefense againstPanthers runningbackRicoDowdle, whohas rushed for652 yardsinhis last five games.

MATTHEWPARAS

PANTHERS 21,SAINTS18: This year won’tnecessitate acoachingchange forthe Saints likethe last onedid with Dennis Allenafter aloss, butIstill seethe Saints on thelosingend.The surprising 5-4Panthersare playing too well at themoment, andthe Saints likelywill strugglewithrunning back Rico Dowdle

RODWALKER

PANTHERS 24,SAINTS17: Carolina hasn’t been above.500thislatein aseasonsince 2019.The Panthers have wonfouroftheir last five games, includinglastweek’swin over the PackersatLambeau

Jayden Hargrave, Kaplan Hargrave took over the workhorse role for the Pirates, rushing for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries to lift Kaplan to a 28-20 victory over St. Martinville to secure a winning season.

PREP REWIND

FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT

Damien Thomas, Westminster Thomas was productive for the Crusaders, who secured a 10-0 regular season and district title with a 37-22 win over St. Edmund. He caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown and intercepted three passes.

Kennan Brown, Lafayette Renaissance

The Tigers quarterback was 22of-31 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns to help Lafayette Renaissance squeak past Ascension Episcopal to capture an 8-2 season.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Jamion James, St. Martinville

It’s not often a player on a losing team gets recognized as a Star of the Night, but the Tigers receiver had 11 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns to account for all of his team’s scoring

Owen Morris, Catholic-NI

The Panthers’ workhorse back got off to a slow start this season, but he sure finished strong On Friday, Morris rushed for 248 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries in a win over Houma Christian.

Acadiana wins in dramatic fashion

Wreckin’ Rams beat Carencro for 3-5A crown

BY NICK FONTENOT

Contributing writer

Acadiana and Carencro have produced their share of emotional rivalry clashes, but Friday night’s meeting might top them all.

The Rams (7-3 overall, 7-0 in District 3-5A) walked out of Bill Dotson Stadium with a 21-14 win, a district title and plenty of bruises from a physical and personal football game.

Carencro tied the game at 14 with just 56 seconds left, but that only set the stage for a dramatic

Teurlings

BY MIKE COPPAGE

finish. Acadiana needed just 24 seconds to answer, as Ty Lamartina found Collin DiBetta in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown that sealed the Rams’ perfect district run. “I m not gonna lie — it wasn’t my best pass,” Lamartina said. “I saw Collin down there and put it in the air Next thing I know, he came down with it.”

Carencro (6-4, 5-2) had one last chance with 32 seconds to go, but Acadiana’s defense which was dominant from start to finish, shut the door Darryus McKinley

delivered a game-ending sack and forced fumble to stamp the win.

“We stepped up in a big way tonight,” McKinley said. “I just try to help my team any way I can.”

Acadiana coach Doug Dotson credited defensive coordinator Matt Moreau for his game plan in handling Carencro’s unpredictable mix of veer and spread offense.

“Carencro does a great job of switching between veer and spread,” Dotson said. “That’s tough, because you have to double prepare. We moved Travis Gal-

lien and DiBetta over to defense, and they are such tremendous athletes. Their play in coverage freed up the other guys to make plays.”

Carencro coach Gavin Peters said he was disappointed in the outcome but proud of the Bears’ response after last week’s meltdown against Southside, when they surrendered nearly 700 rushing yards and 70 points.

“That clearly wasn’t our best effort and not the standard we want to play to,” Peters said. “We answered the call this week on defense, and I thought our effort was tremendous. The fact that we played so well really makes it sting even more that we couldn’t

get it done tonight.”

For Dotson, the victory carried personal meaning beyond the scoreboard. Coaching on the field named after his late father he guided the Rams from an 0-3 start to an undefeated district championship.

“It would’ve been easy to fold up and stop putting in the work,” Dotson said. “That’s a credit to our coaches and these kids for buying in and believing. A lot of people were talking about that 0-3 start, but the district championship goal was always in front of us. We have a lot of guys that do a lot of things, and they’re all unselfish. These kids want to win, and they put that above everything else.”

Catholic wraps up first 10-0 season since 1995

Munoz.” Ian Schwander carried 61 yards on the third play of the game, and Munoz found Andrew Viator for the first of three touchdowns from 5 yards out on the next. Logan Boudreaux, who made the PAT, also kicked a field goal in the first half.

host as a No. 16 seed in the Division II select playoffs, scored on a fumble return by senior linebacker Paul Cluse. Sophomore quarterback Chace Dugas rushed for 120 yards on 18 carries.

first year as a head coach — the Rebels accomplished it again by downing Northside on the road 36-6 in a District 4-4A game that completed the regular season

“We have a lot of heart,” said senior Alec Castille, who intercepted a pass and made a tackle for loss on fourth down. “This is one of the closest teams Teurlings has ever had. We’re on a roll. With the coaches and players we got, I think we can make a run.” The Rebels (10-0, 6-0) got five touchdowns from senior quarterback Alex Munoz, who ran for a score and threw for four to increase his season totals to 23 touchdowns and one interception

“The one interception (earlier this season) was on a tipped ball when he got hit,” Courville said.

“Alex is an incredible quarterback and leader I think hopefully he’s opened some eyes. Next year, somebody is really going to be happy they took a chance on Alex

“First of all, our coaches do a great job of getting us in the right mindset,” said Viator who added touchdown receptions of 28 and 53 yards. “We play together That’s the team slogan, and we exhibit that perfectly Being together and playing like a team has helped us win so many games and be successful.”

Northside (5-5, 2-4) drove to the Rebels 3 on its second possession but was stopped on fourth down.

Late in the first half, the Vikings were stuffed again on fourth-and-1 from their own 28. On the next play, Munoz fired a strike to Viator for a 29-0 lead

“Andrew Viator is a kid that when I first got here, I thought he had something different, something special,” Courville said.

“He’s really quick. He’s fast. He’s shifty, a really good route-runner who has been really reliable.”

The Vikings, who came into the game No. 18 but are expected to

The Rebels will get a first-round bye in Division I select and are projected to land a No. 3 seed and host the winner of No. 14 Riverdale/No. 19 Captain Shreve.

“I think we’re physical,” Courville said when asked about matching up with Class 5A powerhouses in the postseason. “I think we have enough pieces. I think it’s going to be us doing what did all year but doing it a little bit better To be honest with you, we have Alex Munoz, and I always feel like we’re in a game with that kid.”

It was the third time in school history the Rebels have gone undefeated in the regular season.

“We have outstanding kids who are really good at football,” said Courville, who was an assistant at Catholic-Baton Rouge last year “We have really good coaches who work really hard. We have outstanding play callers.

“It’s a total team effort. Our mantra is ‘together.’ We truly have been together since March. I think it’s paid dividends.”

PREP REWIND

LRCA nabs big road win over Ascension Episcopal

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

It has only been two seasons that Lafayette Renaissance has been eligible for the postseason and playing for district honors. And while the team has enjoyed winning records and a playoff berth during each of those seasons, the Tigers were still seeking a signature victory Until now Behind a defense that was stout in the second half and a passing attack led by quarterback Kennan Brown and receivers Ja’Courey Duhon and Shamar Taylor, the Tigers picked up a huge 25-24 win over Ascension Episcopal in Friday’s regularseason finale.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Tigers coach Hunter Landry said. “A lot of people forget that this is only the second year for our program, and to come in here and pull out a win is really good for us.” The loss marks the first of the season for the Blue Gators, who end the regular season 9-1 and are expected to still be in line for a first-round bye in the Division IV select playoffs.

“This is a big win for our program,” Landry said. “Hopefully this win can help us take the next step. Ascension is one of the better teams in the area, so this is a good victory It’s a great feeling.”

With the Tigers (8-2) clinging to a 25-24 lead with a little more than two minutes remaining, the Blue Gators had the ball on fourthand-1 at LRCA’s 12-yard line. The Blue Gators, who were without kicker Andrew McCormick, elected to go for it on a handoff to Andre Abshire. The Tigers’ defense got good penetration and stopped Abshire short for a turnover on downs.

“Our defensive line and linebackers, that’s what they are made for,” Brown said. “I have a hard time in practice going against those guys. They are great.” It was a tale of two halves for the Tigers’ defense, which held the Blue Gators to 59 yards of total offense (52 rushing, 7 passing), two first downs and zero

points in the second half Ascension’s lone points in the second half came on a blocked punt by Abshire, who picked up the ball and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

“Our defense really bailed us out in the second half with some big stops,” Landry said. “Our defensive coaching staff made some adjustments at halftime that put kids in good position. Our defensive line and linebackers have been our strength, and they stood up big when we needed them most.”

Offensively, the Tigers were led by Brown, who completed 22 of 31 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Duhon (4-94, 1 TD) and Taylor (6-86, 2 TDs) combined for 180 yards and three touchdowns on 10 receptions. Running back Jaydon Polk led the rushing attack for the Tigers with 79 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Brown’s biggest throw of the game was two plays after the Tigers’ defense forced a turnover

on downs. With the Tigers facing third down and 6 yards to go from their own 16-yard line with a little more than minute left in the game, Brown hit Duhon for a 34yard pickup to the LRCA 48-yard line for a first down.

“We needed that first down right there,” Brown said. “That was a crucial play for us and I’m just happy we pulled it off.”

“To steal (former UL Ragin’ Cajuns football coach) Billy Napier’s saying ‘scared money don’t make money,’” Landry said of the third down call. “That just shows how much confidence we have in these kids, and they did a great job of making the play.”

The Blue Gators were led by quarterback Branon Mitchell, who passed for 83 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 82 yards on 19 carries, and Abshire, who rushed for a game-high 86 yards on 17 carries.

“This is a great win,” Landry said. “It’s the type of win that gives you momentum going into the playoffs.”

SUMMARIES

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND

Contributing writer

Most coaches preach the 24hour rule.

That is, celebrate a win for a day and then start preparing for the next opponent But after Friday night, Erath coach Eric LeBlanc probably wouldn’t mind if the Bobcats celebrated just a little while longer After all, it’s not every day that history is made after a win, especially one over a rival Erath beat District 6-3A rival Abbeville 40-12 at Wildcat Stadium not only to clinch the district title but to finish the first 10-0 regular season in school history

“It’s something that has never been done at Erath before,” LeBlanc said “I was talking to my mom and she was crying and trying to make me cry It’s special.” Special indeed.

“To watch our fans come to Abbeville and fill up these stands, and at one point I looked and it was standing-room only along the sidelines,” the Erath coach said. “I’m proud to be a Bobcat and glad to be born and raised here It’s special, but we still have a lot of work to do. We still have five weeks of work to do.”

Aiden Bourque had 130 yards

and two touchdowns rushing as the Bobcats, who finished 3-0 in district, gave up an opening-quarter touchdown.

The Bobcats methodically pulled even with the Wildcats, then pulled away from their Vermilion Parish rivals from the second quarter onward to complete the perfect regular season and their second consecutive district title, something that was last accomplished by Erath in 1962 and 1963.

“Our offensive line was the difference in the game,” LeBlanc said. “I think we threw the ball five times in the game, if that I told them from the beginning that I saw something in their defense that we could exploit.

“Our offensive line bought in, locked in, and I don’t have to even watch the film — those five guys were the players of the game for us.”

The Bobcats finished the night with more than 250 rushing yards and four of the six touchdowns came via running the ball.

“We pride ourselves on running the ball, and the best part is that our quarterback, Jack Landry, who is one of the better quarterbacks we have had at Erath in the history of this sport, embraces our philosophy,” LeBlanc said.

The Erath coach also let his fun

side come out as the Bobcats’ first two scores came on trick plays.

The first was a throwback pass to Landry and the second came on a halfback option pass that gave the Bobcats their first lead of the night.

“Football is a fun sport,” LeBlanc said about going deep into the bag of tricks. “We want to make it fun whether we win or not.

“I don’t think it matters who, when or where, we are going to run the plays that are successful, and that’s what we did tonight.”

Now the Bobcats play the waiting game.

Last year, Erath went into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with the first-round bye and were stunned in the second round.

Entering Friday’s game, Erath was the No. 4 seed, still in line for one of the first-round byes.

LeBlanc is not a fan of the down time afforded by a bye week.

“I want to play, the kids want to play, and we don’t want that first week off,” he said. “But the kids remember what happened last year, and we have talked about it all season. We are going to do things a little different this year so that we don’t have that issue again. I think that kids are going to approach it differently as well. We still have a lot of football left to play.”

kick)

LRCA — Taylor 34 pass from Brown (Run failed) Loreauville 15, West St. Mary 14 Team Loreauville WestSt.Mary First Downs 6 10 Yards Rushing 45 185 Yards Passing 125 101 Passes (C-A-HI) 5-8-1 4-7-0

Punts-avg 1-30 4-17

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 4-39 5-22

SCORINGSUMMARY Loreauville 0 0 0 15 —15 WestSt.Mary 8 6 0 0 —14

WSM — 35 run (Conversion good)

WSM — Treveyon Brown 56 pass (Pass failed)

LOR — Eli Landry 3 pass from Blake Delcambre (Andrew Chambers kick) LOR — Jamisen Kowalewski 80 pass from Delcambre (Kadyn James from Delcambre)

Quarterback Brad Jackson finished 26-of-33 passing for 360 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for the Bobcats. Wide receiver Beau Sparks had 10 receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

After an explosive offensive first half for the Cajuns, the second half was a matter of holding on for dear life. The defense produced a turnover on downs at the UL 37, thanks mostly to a Drenon Fite sack on Texas State’s first drive. An offensive pass interference flag on an apparent touchdown pass forced the Bobcats to settle for a 24-yard field goal and a 35-20 deficit with 2:58 left in the third quarter

Those flags on the visitors continued on the next drive with two face-mask penalties that aided UL on a nine-play, 51-yard drive in 4:53 for a 42-20 lead with 13:02 left to play Winfield did the honors with a 3-yard touchdown run. Texas State proved again how explosive it is with a 49-yard run by Sparks on

SCOREBOARD

Washington College (MD) 68, Bard 43

SOUTH Brevard 93, Oglethorpe 72 Duke 95, Western Carolina 54 Elon 92, UNC Greensboro 90 Georgia Southern 93, UNC Asheville 90 Heidelberg 77, Greensboro 74, OT Kennesaw State 92, Florida A&M 72 LaGrange 91, Truett-McConnell 76 Maryville (TN) 68, Berry 53 Memphis 76, San Francisco 70 NC Wesleyan 89, Johnson & Wales (NC) 72 Pfeiffer 78, Centenary 77 South Alabama 99, Spring Hill 50 Tennessee 95, Northern Kentucky 56 Tulane 79, Texas State 71 USC Upstate 105, Southern Virginia 46 Vanderbilt 105, UCF 93 Virginia Tech 107, Providence 101 William & Mary 81, Norfolk State 78 Wofford 86, Milwaukee 76 MIDWEST Akron 104, Princeton 69 Albion 74, Mount St. Joseph 61 Capital 72, Earlham 63 Dayton 77, UMBC 71 DePauw 77, Loras 74 Gustavus Adolphus 96, Rockford 49 Kenyon 67, Bethany (WV) 66 Marshall 85, Toledo 73 Minnesota 95, Alcorn State 50 Nebraska 96, Florida

Tech 78, Northern Arizona 73

State 84, Westminster (UT) 47 Men’s State Schedule Friday’s game Ole Miss 86, UL-Monroe 65 Eastern Illinois 65, Nicholls 57 UL 68, Southeastern 61 McNeese at Santa Clara, n Saturday’s games Tulane 79, Texas State 71 Men’s national score Saturday’s game EAST Alabama 103, St. John’s 96 Buffalo State 80, Keuka 73 Clark 74, Roger Williams 67 Emmanuel (MA) 78, John Jay College 48 Fairfield 74, NJIT 53 Fisher 94, Maine-Presque Isle 87 George Washington 99, South Florida 95 Gwynedd-Mercy 70, Rosemont College 46 Haverford 111, Valley Forge 79 Kean 62, SUNY-Purchase 58 La Salle 73, Monmouth 60 Lebanon Valley 93, Penn State-Berks 75 Manhattanville 77, Mitchell 74 Maryland-Eastern Shore 104, Cheyney Wolves 59 Mercyhurst 93, Penn State New Kensington Nittany Lions 43 Moravian 96, Muhlenberg 93, 2OT New Jersey City 81, Pratt Cannoneers 70 Niagara 67, Binghamton 59 Penn State 87, New Haven 43 Ramapo 61, SUNY-Maritime 58 Rutgers-Camden 81, Alvernia 76 SUNY-Plattsburgh 80, Skidmore 73 Saint Elizabeth 72, York College (NY) 66 Saint Joseph’s 76, Drexel 65 Saint Joseph’s College of Maine 100, SUNYOld Westbury 62 Saint Peter’s 93, Fairleigh Dickinson 83 Salisbury 83, Stockton 74 St. Bonaventure 89, Canisius 70 St. Lawrence 80, SUNY-Geneseo 72 Suffolk 75, Maine-Farmington 72 Susquehanna 67, Delaware Valley 59 Swarthmore 71, Albertus Magnus 64 Syracuse 83, Delaware State 43 Tcnj Lions 96, FDU-Florham 71

The UL offense scored touchdowns on five of six possessions in the first half. For the fifth straight game, the Cajuns won the toss and deferred Texas State punted on fourth-and-1 from the UL 48 on the game’s first drive. That allowed the Cajuns to set the scoring pace. A 25-yard run by Zylan Perry set up an 11-yard TD pass to Sampson for a 7-0 lead. A 62-yard completion to Sparks set up a 25-yard field goal from Tyler Robles by Texas State to cut UL’s lead to 7-3.

The Cajuns’ second possession ended with a 34-yard punt, and Texas State went back to the big play with a 54-yard Lincoln Pare touchdown run for a 10-7 lead with 27 seconds left in the opening quarter

It appeared the Bobcats were seizing the momentum when a big hit on the ensuing kickoff return was made worse by a personal foul on the Cajuns to set up shop at the 6. The offense even made that work, responding with a 94-yard drive in 10 plays in 3:59 for a 14-10 lead with 11:24 left until halftime. Completions of 21 and 18 yards to Sampson set up a 27-yard TD pass to tight end Caden Jensen.

The defense stepped up with two turnovers to allow the Cajuns to build a hefty lead. First, Courtline Flowers defended a third-down pass that was deflected and inter-

cepted by Kody Jackson. The Cajuns turned that into a four-play 25-yard scoring drive on a 12-yard run from Bill Davis for a 21-10 lead. Jordan Lawson then delivered a strip-sack that was recovered by Cameron Whitfield that set up a three-play, 17-yard scoring drive culminated by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Sampson for a 28-10 lead. When Texas State didn’t turn it over, it remained potent, answering with a five-play, 77-yard drive in 1:04 to cut the lead to 28-17 with 4:26 left in the first half.

Jackson connected with Sparks for 35 yards, then Titus Lyons for a 24-yard touchdown. At that point, the Cajuns wanted to eat the clock and score, knowing it was getting the ball first in the second half.

Winfield orchestrated a 10-play, 64-yard drive in 3:55 and scored on a Winfield 1-yard touchdown plunge with 21 seconds left for a 35-17 halftime lead. A 16-yard completion to Trey Miller got UL in the red zone, and a Winfield’s 8-yard scramble on third down reached the 7 to keep the drive alive. At that point,

‘The American Revolution’ to unfold on PBS

BY JUDYBERGERON

Considering the expansiveness of this historic campaign andits global effects, it’sno wonder it took 12 hours to retell its story

“The American Revolution was the first war ever fought proclaiming the unalienable rights of all people. It would change the course of human events,” says narrator Shelby Foote early on in Ken Burnsand company’snewest project

The six-part miniseries

“The Revolutionary War,”also helmed by filmmakers Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by Geoffrey Ward, debuts on PBS and locally on WLPB starting at 7p.m. Sunday, Nov.16. The full series will be available to stream beginning the same day at PBS.org andon the PBS App. Louisiana Public Broadcasting, however,isoffering area viewers ajump-start on the TV event withanin-personscreening of the premiere at 6p.m thatevening in an appropriate venue —Louisiana’sOld State Capitol.

“Enjoy the storyofAmerica’s historic beginning in theplace where Louisiana’sown history still echoes,” anewsrelease teases.

The free eventisbeing presented by Secretary ofState Nancy Landry,inpartnership with LPB and Louisiana America 250.

“Comeearly andenjoycomplimentary food and drinks provided by Louisiana’sOld State Capitol beginning at 5:30 p.m. and soak in the historic surroundingsofLouisiana’sown 175-year-old Gothic architectural treasure,” the release also states. Seating is limited, so registrationatwww.lpb.org/americanrevolutionpremiere is amust. Freebies for attendees include aLouisiana America 250 lapel pin, “The American Revolution” tote bag and an LPBembossed notebook.

In the two-hour first episode, “InOrder to Be Free (May1754May 1775),” “Political protest escalates into violence. War gives13colonies acommon cause,” according to the episode synopsis.

Subsequent episodes (with synopses)willair from 7p.m to 9p.m. on consecutive nights as follows:

n Monday,Nov.17: Episode Two: “An Asylumfor Mankind (May 1775-July 1776). “Washingtontakes command of the Continental Army.Congress declaresAmericanindependence.”

ä See MINISERIES, page 4D

SOMETHING FOREVERYONE

Historic BayouTeche home in Breaux Bridge to host estate sale with antiquefurniture

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

This storiedCreole-Acadian cottage in theheart of downtown Breaux Bridge hasseen alot of lifepass through itshalls. It was built in 1811 as thehome of Sylvestre and Marie Broussard, thedaughterofBreaux Bridge’s founder,Firmin Breaux. The Broussardsraised fivechildren on the bankofthe bayou. More than 100years later, theproperty was transformed into aboarding house —withthe addition of along hall of suites, anda dining room that boastsa17and ahalf foot oldgrowth cypress table.

In the 1980s, MaryLynn Chauffe came along. The house was in direneed of saving. As apassionate preservationist, active civic leader andfounding member of the Friends of Lake Martin, she undertook ahistorically sensitive restoration. Her work turned it into ashowpiece of localculture andhistory,sheltering tourists, bridal couples and traveling musicians.

Chauffe died in 2022. Herdaughter,Debora Savoy,has been working with the Cheryl Cockrell Estate Sales team for weeksnow to gather decades of glassware, antique fur-

niture,old MardiGrascostumes, cypresslamps,rope beds, black pots and thousands of other items from Chauffe’sestateofmultiple historic properties in the Breaux Bridge area.

The cottage will host alarge estate sale from Nov.20-22. Apart from afew pieces thefamily is holding onto, everything is available —including that enormous cypress table, which was built inside thediningroomand seats18. And they have confirmed that it can be

BY ETHAN STENGER

removed from the room Thehome itself is also being offered for lease or sale,according to Savoy. Itsrestorationwas alabor of love for her mother,and the bones of the house still stand as a testament to the area’shistory and development along the Teche.

“The whole place was condemned. There weretrees growingthrough the dining room,” she said. “The porches had fallen off,

ä See SALE, page 4D

Xanadu celebrates fall with enchantedmasqueradesoiree

Kris Wartelle

The Krewe of Xanadu celebrated the magic of fall with an enchanted evening full of mystery,dinner and dancing. Mystery,because the ladies chose to don masks for the party,which took place on Nov. 1, just one day after Halloween. Members gathered for the soiree at Dream Castlein Broussard. The night included lots of celebration and fellowship.

This party is just the beginning of what is sure to be abusy holiday season for these ladies. Thereare many social events already scheduled to celebrate this year’sQueen, Kimi Hargrave, and her king and husband, Jeff Hargrave. Thecouple has embraced the royal roles with numerousget-togethers to fete the court and krewe members. The festivities will continue until the royal ball, which takes place Feb. 13.

We love visiting withfriends in this krewe. They are always awelcoming and gracious bunch of ladies who truly enjoy life. They also know how to throw aparty.Krewe parties include lotsofspecial details to make sure everyone hasanenjoyable time

Cheers to you, Xanadu! May youenjoy this holiday and upcoming Carnival season with all of your usual joie de vivre.

Diamonds areforever at 232-HELP’s 60th anniversarygala

If diamonds are agirl’sbestfriend, then 232-HELP/Louisiana211 is everybody’sbest friend. At its recent Diamond Gala,the community resource hotlineand referral agency celebrated 60 yearsofhelping theneedyinthe Acadianacommunity

The anniversary Diamond Gala was presented by Barczyk Spine &Joint. Hundredsofsupporters, friends, andcommunity members packed the Doubletree Hotelballroom on Oct. 23 for theevent.The celebration includedlive NewOrleans entertainment, theULJazz Quartet,themed cocktails anddinner There wasalsoaserioussidetothe event, as theagencyhonored two amazingcommunity members. Ema Haq, of Bailey’s restaurant fame, received the2025Jewell P. Lowe Humanitarian Award. The huge honorrecognizes oneoutstanding volunteerwho (according to theaward’s description) hasexhibiteda deep compassion forthose lessfortunate,a desire to improve thelives of thepeople of Acadiana, andwhose life’sworkhas positivelyadvanced thoseideals.Many in theroom who knowHaq well said this describeshim perfectly

Organizers also named 232-HELP’s very first Trailblazer Awardwinner, Emile Myers. The 15-year-old entrepreneur and philanthropist is famousfor hishot cocoa stand. He started thebusiness to raise funds forcharity.Hehas sinceraised tens of thousands of dollars fornumerous Acadianacharities.Manydescribed the young manastrulyinspirational.

For thosenot familiar with 232-HELP, theagency is acommunity resource hotline, helpingwith everythingfrom disaster relief to health careservices, food,shelter,clothingassistance and much more. Congratulations, 232-HELP We’d saythisdiamondyear wasnearly flawless.

TRAVEL

SeeDriskillMountain, thehighest spot in La.

BY ELIZABETHDEAL Staff writer

Looking for aunique way to spend a couple of hours in northwest Louisiana?

This amazing day trip culminates in aview from the top that makes it hard to believe you’re still in the same state.

One of my favorite things to do with my free time is to hike in the woods, and my latest adventure to see Driskill Mountain didn’tdisappoint.

My husband and Ihavetalked about visiting Driskill Mountain in Bienville Parish for years, and finally decided to makeit happen.

We didn’tknow what to expect and honestly didn’texpect much.We’d heard joking about Louisiana’s“mountain,”but we wanted to venture out to see the highest point in the state of Louisiana: Driskill Mountain is 535 feet abovesea level Finding Driskill Mountainisaknowbefore-you-go situation —don’tdepend on Google Maps and visitor signs. Don’tbe like me and just type “Driskill Mountain” into Google Maps or you’ll end up on the side of the road with nocell service. Youneed to locate “Driskill Mountain Trailhead only entrance &exit.”This shows an address of La. 507, Simsboro, and is fortunatelyyards around the bend from where we first landed withGoogle This is the location of theMt. ZionPresbyterian Church and Cemetery and the Driskill Mountain entrance parkinglot. Thechurch is on La.507, approximately one mile west of La. 797. It will be on the right when traveling west DriskillMountain sits on private property —not part of astate or federal park program, which is why those brown visitor signs Iwas expecting never appeared. The entrance signage is in theback left corner of theparking lot wherethe walkingpath begins.There’s afarmgate too, butdon’t be deterred. There’sanadequate space to walk through —the gate justkeeps vehicles out. Before heading out to explore the“mountain,” we didn’texpect much. The few things we had heardwerethatitwas “just ashort walk” and “nothing tosee at the top.” Pathwayoptions

We were pleasantly surprised.For people who do want to take acasual walk,there’s awide path for that with slightelevation along the way.But there’salso ahiking

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

pathfor those who want to tackle the woods.

It’snot too steep or very long, but awelcome for thoselooking for it.

Idon’t know if we chose thepathmore or least followed, but we decided to hike up through the woods and walk down the road to experience both. The hiking pathtakes youupFalseMountain to reach the topof Driskill Mountain.

The main path is wide and well-maintained,but visitors will encounter afew fallen trees, rocks and uneven areas. We also cameacross several mudholes as it hadrained the day before.

After following themain path for afew minutes, visitors will see the option to take one of two hiking paths through theforest: FalseMountain Trail or False Mountain bypass.

We took thetrail. Here, thepathwas narrow with moresignificant changes in elevation and plentyofrocks, roots, limbs andfallen trees to tackle, but Iwouldn’t call it adifficult hike.

Thetop of themountain

At thetop, there’sa clearing with signage, information and aguest sign-in book. There’salso asign that says Jack Longacre’s ashes are scattered on the mountain. Longacre was the founder of Highpointers Club,which had its beginnings in 1986, when he wanted to find others like himwho wanted to reach the highest eleva-

tion in every state.

He died in 2002, with his final wish to have his ashes scattered on thehigh points of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

When we visited, we saw onlytwo other cars in the lot, one with North Carolina and one with Alabama plates.

For thepeople who travel to the 50 state elevation points, Driskill Mountain may not feel like much morethan atick of abox compared to the competition. Louisiana’s highest point at 535 feet ranks 48 above Delaware (450), Florida (345) and the District of Columbia (415).

Butfor Louisianans, Idare say it’sthe only place where we can experience a “mountain view.”

At thetop is the sign Isaw from photos —the wooden structure in asmallclearing. Then we saw asmall signwith an arrow pointing to“Overlook of Jordan Mountain.” On our walk to see Driskill Mountain, we were surprisedtodiscover there was a FalseMountain and now learningofa third one. We walked afew yards away and there it was —anactual view.The view is of a small valley and asmall mountain in the distance, but as aLouisianan, it felt amazing. We couldn’tbelieve we were standing in our own state.

History

According to thestate historical marker

TIPS FORVISITING

n Wear walking shoesand bring abottleof water.

n The path is not handicap-accessible

n Thereare no overnight accommodations or restrooms.

n Choose the wide, easy walking pathora hiking path throughthe forest.

n Campingand building fires arenot allowed.

n Benchesare available at theoverlook.

n The land is privately owned; owners ask you to leavenotrace

n Area is openduring daylight hours.

n Determinethe location before traveling,as youmay lose cellphone service

database, the mountain is named forJames Christopher Driskill, originally of Georgia, whopurchased 324 acres of land in 1859 forabout $5.15 an acre where the mountain sits. In 1883, Driskill sold approximately 2 acres of land for$5toWoodard D. Driskill, the Rev.John A. Conville and J.E. Best, trustees of the Mount Zion congregation in the Louisiana Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There, they built the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.Driskill and several members of his family are buried in the cemetery Agreat daytrip

Driskill Mountain is an interesting place to see if passing through the northwest part of the state, but it’snot adestination. Driskill Mountain is a30-minute drive from Ruston, 45 minutes from Minden and 75 minutes from both Shreveport-Bossier and Natchitoches.

From Shreveport, take the Arcadia exit, where we had afantastic homestyle cooked lunch at Sharon’sCafe, just 15 minutes from Driskill Mountain. We enjoyed the best homemade onion rings we’veever had, achicken-fried steak plate lunch, a cheeseburger and one of the selections of the homemade cakes and pies. The restaurant is said to have afabulous breakfast, too, if you visit early.Sharon’s Cafeisopen 7a.m. to 2p.m. Monday through Friday at 2482 Second St., in Arcadia.

Visitors should estimate about an hour or an hour and ahalf forthe walk/hike up to the top and back, take in the overlook and rest or snack, depending on how much timeyou want to spend.

Email Elizabeth Deal at elizabeth.deal@ theadvocate.com.

Carnival nevermentioned ‘nonrefundable promotion’ rate

Ibooked aCarnival cruise throughAmerican Airlines Cruises travel agency inFebruaryfor aJuly sailing.I paid $3,738upfront, plus$342 for trip insurance.

When we canceled in mid-March, the travel agent said Carnival would refund $3,300 but withhold a$500 penalty for a “nonrefundable promotion rate.

fare details. I’m stuckinaloop. How can I getmy$500back? —CoryBelkov,Virginia Beach,Virginia

Christopher Elliott

Nobody mentioned this fee when we booked.The travel agent told us to take it up with Carnival, andCarnival told us to contact the agent.The insurance companyalsorefused to cover the $500. When Iasked Carnival to explain the “promotion rate,”they redirected me to the agent, who claimed they couldn’taccess

Carnivaland your travel agent hadadutytoclearly disclose cancellation terms before you booked.Federal Trade Commission rules prohibit unfair or deceptivepractices, including burying fees in fine print. If your rate was nonrefundable, that should have been prominently stated in your confirmation —not revealed retroactively

Carnival’s“Super Saver” fares often carry strict terms, and consumers deserve to know exactly what they’re trading for adiscount. Theterms aren’texactly spelled out on Carnival’swebsite. It only says, “A nonrefundable

and nontransferable deposit is required at thetime of booking,” but it doesn’tsay how much.Your travel agent, American Airlines Cruises, should have disclosed that to you.

Agencies have alegal obligation under stateconsumer protection laws (like Virginia’sConsumer Protection Act) to accurately explain booking terms.Passing you between Carnival and the agent is abreach of that duty. Your travel adviser should have also acted as your advocate when you raised questions about Carnival’s$500 fee. Based on the correspondence you showed me of the back-and-forth between you and the agent, it appears that didn’thappen.

Inotice that mostofyour communication between you, your agent and the cruise line happened by phone. Certainly,a phone call can be helpful if you need immediate action to resolve something— like acancellation or rebooking. But when it comes to arefund request, you need somethinginwriting. There’sanimportant lesson for all of us here. Alwaysscrutinize the termsof your purchase before booking. The confirmation you received did not mention a$500 cancellation fee. When front-line reps stonewall you, contact an executive. Ipublish Carnival’sleadership contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. That’s

sometimes enough to break the logjam Fortunately,Carnival’sticket contract suggests cancellation penalties must be outlined at the timeofbooking. If yours wasn’t, you’ve got someleverage. Companies love blaming each other,but consumers shouldn’t pay fortheir chaos. Icontacted American Airlines Cruises on your behalf.The company refunded the $500 as a“goodwill gesture.”

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.

MINISERIES

Continued from page 1D

n Tuesday, Nov 18: Episode

Three: “The Times That Try Men’s Souls (July 1776-January 1777).

“Washington abandons New York City and flees across New Jersey before attacking Trenton.”

n Wednesday, Nov 19: Episode Four: “Conquer by a Drawn Game (January 1777-February 1778).

“Philadelphia falls, but the American victory at Saratoga allows France to enter the war.”

n Thursday Nov 20: Episode Five: “The Soul of All America (December 1777-May 1780). “The

In this 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze, George Washington crosses the Delaware.

war drags on and moves to new theaters: at sea, in Indian Country, and in the South.”

n Friday, Nov 21: Episode Six: “The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780-Onward). “Victory at Yorktown secures independence.

Americans aspire for a more perfect union.”

Coincidentally the making of

“The American Revolution” took the same amount of time as the war — eight years.

“The American Revolution is one of the most important events in human history,” said Burns. “We went from being subjects to inventing a new concept, citizens, and set in motion democratic revolutions around the globe. As

we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding, I’m hopeful that people throughout the country will come together to discuss the importance of this history and to appreciate even more what our ancestors did to secure our liberty and freedoms.”

And a Louisiana note: New Orleans native and actor Wendell Pierce (“Elsbeth,” “Suits,” “The Wire”) is one of close to 200 actors reading as voices of historic figures in the series. The film is supported locally by the Louisiana Forestry Association.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

Debora Savoy, owner of the Bayou Teche Bed & Breakfast, explains the

SALE

Continued from page 1D

and when people saw my mother doing this, the whole town got really excited and started finding pictures. Chauffe used some of the photographs to remake the porch railings.

But Chauffe went beyond using photographs to bring the home back to its glory — she also sat on the front porch and straightened every square nail she found.

“She researched every single thing. None of the beds are reproductions,” Savoy said. “She had to get mattresses made to fit them, because the bed sizes have changed over the years.”

Cheryl Cockrell and her team specialize in the “most interesting and most difficult” estates, and this historic property certainly applies. Its sheer scale will be attractive to treasure hunters and lovers of Cajun country artifacts — like vintage Mardi Gras capuchons, the cone-shaped hats country revelers wear for chasing chickens and getting into shenanigans

on Fat Tuesday

Cockrell has been working in estate sales for over 20 years, since retiring as an English teacher at Comeaux High School in Lafayette. Her team, made up of other retired teachers, have seen it all at this point, such as people coming in to camp at a sale in Opelousas in order to get their hands on a perfectly preserved vintage clothing haul.

She said, “Teachers are good at estate sales. We know how to make you behave, while at the same time explaining how you can use that.”

“A lot of people say, ‘Your job looks so fun.’ It’s hard,” added Patricia Foster, a former home economics teacher from Comeaux. “The exploration is fun, because you never know what you’re gonna find. As a home economist, I enjoy the research and explaining all of the items, and I’ve collected antiques my whole life.”

Estate sales are one of those unique places where commerce, humanity and deep emotion intersect. For the shoppers, it’s a meaningful experience to sort through the items that made up a life, while considering how that lamp, or that old kitchen tool, can fit into yours.

For the family members selling the estate, it can be an emotional time. “If you’ve ever had a family member die, and you see their house torn up and distributed, it can be difficult,” said Cockrell. “I do it because I love people, and working with the families to make sure everyone is happy and pleased It’s a great service if a family can’t close out a house themselves.”

For families looking for estate sale services, Cockrell said they can call to have the home assessed to see if it’s a sale her team can take on. Most estate sale companies, like Cockrell’s, work on commission.

This sale will take place Nov 20-22 in Breaux Bridge, and they ask that shoppers not request prices or early tours of the house. According to Cockrell, all items are priced to sell — the first day, ideally

“This is not an antique store where we hold onto it for four years,” said Cockrell. “We have three days and we’re here to sell.”

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

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

But what, exactly, is the story behind the phrase that warrants such an enthusiastic response from LSU fans?

“I wish I knew,” Bradley said “I wish I could tell you because I don’t know where it started.”

‘An anomaly of his time’

Dan Borné, the legendary voice of LSU football for 38 years before he retired in July recalls his aunt telling him to leave his raincoat at home when he attended games at Tiger Stadium as a kid.

“First several years of my PA tenure here, I would give the weather straight up,” Borné told ESPN in 2015. “One night, I was giving the weathercast and I said ‘Chance of rain,’ and I just said, ‘Never.’”

Borné’s on-the-fly decision blossomed into an LSU pregame tradition that has lasted decades, further cementing the phrase in LSU lore as a paramount part of it. But if the man who popularized the saying didn’t come up with it then who did?

Bradley theorizes that the phrase dates to the 1950s, when legendary Heisman Trophy-winning running back Billy Cannon played for LSU, leading the program to its first national championship in 1958.

“It might date back to that time because it didn’t matter what the conditions were, the guy was going to run the ball,” Bradley said.

Whether it was through rain or shine, LSU was going to hand the ball off to No. 20 and win.

“He was just iconic,” Cannon’s daughter, Bunnie, said. “From everything that I hear, he was an anomaly of his time. He was equally as fast as he was strong.”

Bunnie recalls talking to her father about the origin of the saying, “It never rains in Tiger Stadium.” Before Billy Cannon passed in 2018, he and his daughter developed their own hypothesis on the phrase.

Rainy afternoons and dry nights

LSU football played its first Saturday night in Death Valley in 1931, a 35-0 beatdown of Spring Hill. The goal of hosting night games was to attract more LSU fans who were unable to attend games in the afternoon due to their work commitments. Since

then, it’s become a Tiger Stadium tradition.

With Louisiana’s afternoon showers tending to stop before sunset, the Cannons connected the dots.

“It never rains in Tiger Stadium because it always rained during the day and never at night,” Bunnie said. “That’s what I always kind of thought.”

The Cannons might be on to something.

“So, that’s actually a decent philosophy,” said Josh Eachus, head meteorologist for WBRZ in Baton Rouge.

During Louisiana’s hottest months, the temperature consistently exceeds 90 degrees. Heat helps develop showers and thunderstorms, which is why Louisiana summer afternoons are consistently rainy, but nights are drier as temperatures cool.

“Essentially, they’ve eaten themselves,” Eachus said of Louisiana’s thunderstorms. “They’ve eaten their fuel source, and they tend to fall apart around nightfall.”

But is there something special about Tiger Stadium’s location for a phenomenon like this to occur?

“There are a number of places in the country that would follow

that similar routine,” Eachus said.

“Most of them are going to be in the South. I think you can say anywhere along the Gulf Coast that’s going to be pretty routine.”

Since 1960, approximately 1% of LSU’s home games have been played in the rain, according to WBRZ’s Storm Station LSU Football Kickoff Weather Index. That means the Cannons’ theory holds, and it’s backed by science, but the phrase has evolved to take on a new meaning over time.

The test of time

In Bradley’s book, he writes about one of the biggest games of his collegiate career, a stunning, heartbreaking 17-12 loss at home to top-ranked University of Southern California in 1979. In the postgame news conference, a reporter tells Bradley that it was one of the greatest and loudest games ever played in Tiger Stadium.

“’But we lost tonight,’ I said.

‘The other guys won,’” Bradley wrote.

“’Tell those people that.’ And now he (the reporter) pointed a pen upward, indicating the fans still beating their feet against the metal seats above us in the stadium,” Bradley wrote.

For nearly a century, football games have been played on Saturday nights in Death Valley Throughout the years, people from all over the world have flocked to Baton Rouge to witness a spectacle unfold. For LSU fans, one of the country’s most passionate college football fan bases, Saturday nights in Death Valley have become a ritual, akin to church on Sunday mornings. When you have a stadium packed with over 100,000 fans united in a sea of purple and gold, all cheering for the same team, how could it possibly ever rain on anybody’s parade?

We may never know who first coined, “It never rains in Tiger Stadium,” or how far back it goes, but we don’t really need to. It’s a phrase that has stood the test of time for longer than anyone will ever know Ethan Stenger is a student at Louisiana State University majoring in journalism. 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

It’s Sunday sauceorgravy,but don’tforgetthe bread

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO

Contributing writer

The first person Icalled for advice before writing this article was Pop —that is, my dad, Robert DiResto, 84.

After all, Ilearned how to cook as achild from him, standing at his elbow in akitchen on Long Island, New York, wherehestill lives.

Iwanted to get his recommendation as to which meal would be the best choice —although I already had anotion.

After some banter aboutthis mealorthat, Ibegan to hint at the ingredients Iwas considering He immediately blurted out, “Oh yeah, you mean Sunday sauce!”

When Ipoint out that some people call it “Sunday gravy,” he grimaced through the phone: “Ech, we didn’tcallitthat,but wha’do-I-know?”

Before Ican dispute thepoint, his enthusiasm rises again,and he said, “Now let me tell you my best memory of Sunday sauce,” and he’soff and running He takes me back to when he was akid, after the family would come home from church, he remembers Nana —his mom, my grandmother,Aggie, for Agnes —“browning the pork in abig pot and frying up the sausage in one pan and the meatballs in another.”

What he especially recalls is coming back to the house after playing ball or running around the neighborhood with friends, sneaking into the kitchen,breathing in the aroma, checkingtosee that nobody is watching, then tearing off ahunk of bread to steal ataste.

“Oh, Ihad to dip the bread in the sauce,” he chuckled, likea kid again. My first takeawayfrom my dad’sstory is to appreciatehow much Sunday sauce is afamily tradition for us —amore wholesome one than the way it was depictedinmovies throughthe years by adifferent sort of “family.”

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Of course, there’sthe famous scene in “The Godfather” when Clemenza calls another Michael to thestove for alesson, because “you never know,you might have to cook for 20 guys someday.” He walks through allthe steps, including“shove in all your sausage and your meatballs,” and endswith “a little bit of sugar, and that’smytrick.” (Note: Ido notrecommend this. If you want ahint of sweetness in your sauce, addsome torn fresh basil leaves toward the end.)

Then there’sthe prison scene in “Goodfellas,”inwhich therecipe begins with Paulie slicing thegarlic with arazor blade “so thin it meltedinthe pan with very little oil.” (Note: Ialso do not recommend this, because the garlic is just as likely to burn as to melt.)

Asecondtakeaway,asthese scenes suggest, is that making Sundaysaucetakes along time. And it does —uptofour hours forour family’sversion. But moretimedoes not mean more difficulty

Most of that timeistaken up with thepot just simmering, even unattended, and for periods long enoughfor achild to makeoff unseen with astealthysampling. Agood Sunday sauce doesn’t have to be expensive. Youdon’t needhigh-endbutcher’smeat.

This is ameal meant to feed a large family of modest means, or another such “family” on lockdown.

As for whether to call it “sauce” or “gravy,”the distinction has to do with whether the pork you use is bone-in, therebycreating akind of bone brothwithin the tomato mixture as it bubbles hence, gravy.The batch Imade does use country ribs with bones, so to double down on the concept, Ithrew in leftover steak bones from thefreezer,justtoadd more flavor

Either way,and whatever you want to call it, be prepared to savorthe meatygoodness of adish that’smore than mere “pasta with red sauce.”

And,don’tforget the bread.

Today is Sunday,Nov.9,the 313th dayof 2025.There are 52 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Nov.9,1989, communist East Germanythrew open its borders, allowing citizens to travelfreelytothe West forthe first time in decades —alandmark event oftenreferred to as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Also on this date:

In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt made the first trip abroad of any sittingU.S.president in order to observe construction of the Panama Canal.

In 1935, United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis and other labor leaders formed the Committee for IndustrialOrganization.

In 1938, Nazis looted and burnedsynagogues as well as thousandsofJewishowned stores and houses in Germanyand Austria in apogrom or deliberatepersecution that became known as “Kristallnacht.”

In 1965, the great Northeast blackoutbegan with aseries of power failures lasting up to 131/2 hours, leaving 30 million people in seven states and part of Canada without electricity

In 1976, the U.N. General Assembly approvedresolutions condemningapartheid in South Africa, includingone characterizing the White-ruled government as “illegitimate.”

In 2007, President Gen.Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest fora day and rounded up thousandsofher supporterstoblock amass rally against his emergency rule. Bhutto would beassassinated weeks later on Dec. 27 in ashooting and bombing attack thatkilled at least20 people.

In 2011, after 46 seasonsasPennState’s head football coach and arecord 409victories, JoePaterno was fired alongwith the university president, Graham Spanier, over their handling of child sex abuse allegations against former assistantcoach JerrySandusky

In 2023, surgeons at Langone Health in NewYork announced that they performed the world’sfirst transplant of an entire humaneye in May of that year,operating on aman whose face was badly damagedin an accident with high-voltagepowerlines. Today’sbirthdays: Film director Bille August is 77. Actor-bodybuilder LouFerrigno is 74. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin is 66. TV writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy is 60. Rapper Scarface (Geto Boys) is 55. Blues singerSusan Tedeschi is 55. Golfer David Duval is 54. Actor Eric Dane is 53. Singer-TV personality Nick Lachey is 52. Actor-TV personality Vanessa Lacheyis 45. Country singer Chris Laneis41.

LongIsland SundaySauce

Serves 8-10 people; Recipebythe DiResto family

For thesauce:

228-ounce cans whole/peeled San Marzano tomatoes

3-4pounds pork countryribs, bone-in

3tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

1small onion, finelydiced

3garlic cloves, minced

1teaspoon dried oregano

3tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup beef stock/broth

1teaspoon salt

1teaspoon ground black pepper

1pound sweet or mild Italiansausage

1/4 cup fresh basil, tornbyhand (to add at the end)

For meatballs: 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup milk

1pound ground beef, 20% or 15% fat

1pound ground pork

3ounces prosciutto, chopped fine (this adds asavory flavor to the meatballs)

1largeegg

3garlic cloves, finelymincedorcrushed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped Italian (flat leaf)parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1teaspoon salt

1teaspoon ground black pepper

2tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

11/2 pounds spaghetti (or more for abig crowd) plus 1tablespoon sea salt

1. In abowl, crush tomatoes by hand and discard any basil that was packed in thecans. Pat pork ribs dry withpaper towels and season withsalt and pepper

2. In alarge Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown ribs on all sides, in batches, and transfer to aplate.

3. Over medium heat, add onions and cook until translucent. Addgarlic and oregano and stir for one minute. Addtomato paste andstir until it startstoturn slightly brown.

4. Addwine and stock, bring back to aboil and reduce by half.

Addtomatoes, salt and pepper, then nestle ribs back in the pot and return to aboil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour Stir every 20 minutes throughout.

5. In aseparate pan, add 1tablespoon olive oil and brownsausage on all sides.

6. After the sauce has simmered forone hour,add the sausage. Stir Cover and simmer for another hour

7. In the meantime, and after sausage has been added to the sauce, prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl,add the breadcrumbs and milk, stir and let soak for10 minutes.

8. Addthe remaining ingredients (except the olive oil) and form themixture into round meatballs no bigger than golf balls. In alarge, nonstick pan in batches, brownthe meatballs well all around and transfer to aplate lined with paper towels.

9. At theend of the overall secondhour of simmering, transfer ribs and sausage to aplatter or

cutting board and cut each into 1-inch pieces.

10. Transfer 3cups of sauce into aseparate large saucepan and simmer,covered, on the lowest setting. Add back the cut pork and sausage to the Dutch oven, and gently add as manymeatballs as will comfortably fit (save the rest foranother time). If sauce is dry, add asplash of beef stock and wine. Simmer,covered forone hour.(That’sthree total hours for ribs in the sauce, twofor the sausage, one forthe meatballs.)

11. With 30 minutes left, add basil to the sauce in the saucepan. Bring alarge pot of water to aboil and add 1tablespoon salt. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of salty pasta water.Strain pasta and add it to the saucepan sauce and toss to combine with reserved pasta water.(Please don’tever serve pasta plain with sauce on top —always toss it with sauce.)

12. Serve pasta on plates with meat sauce, with freshly grated Parmesan and good bread.

Whoshouldbereturning adropped call?

becomeestablished phone etiquette.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: Ilive in a rural area where cellphone reception and internet service can bespotty,which sometimes results in calls being dropped without warning. Callers who are accustomed to infallible technology can be baffled by this.I’ve even been accused of having hung up on someone! But morecommonly, an awkward exchange ensues, where each person tries to call theother back simultaneously and can’tget through. In order to avoid this, I’ve gotten into thehabit of lettingcallers know upfront that if Iinitiated the call, Iwill call them back in case of an interruption (or vice versa, if they are theone who called me). This seems logical, and Ifind myself wishing it could

Gentlereader: Perhaps, but technology changes more quickly than etiquette. Someone more knowledgeable about the inner workings of telecommunications than Miss Manners will have to explain to her why its bugs appear to have longer lives than its products.

Dear Miss Manners: Aco-worker invited afew people and their spouses over to watch apopular sporting event. After everyone in the office bombarded him with questions about what to bring, he insisted we bring nothing. Never having met his wife or having been to his home, I brought aseasonal hand soap as asmall thank-you for hosting us. They both laughed at thegesture. In fact, it was arunning gag between them for much of the evening, saying things like, “Thank goodness we have

enough soap!” or “Maybe we should all wash our hands.”

Ismiled along with them,but thought such areaction was odd. My spouse brought beer, which was shared among the guests without jokes.

To avoid such asituation in thefuture, should Inolonger bring ahostess gifttogatherings?

Gentle reader: Hostess gifts are not the requirement they were once commonly considered, and Miss Manners would definitelydispense with them if thehosts are only going to ridicule you foryour efforts.

Come to think of it, she would not be inclined to socialize with such people.

Dear Miss Manners: My brother and Iare the financial gatekeepers forour elderly,quite wealthy mother.Mom refers all requests fordonations to us. How do we politely get some of these requesters to just go away? One in particular keeps

pestering me for ameeting with my mother.She’slooking for, Ibelieve, either amajor giftortobeincluded in the will. We have to continue to live in this relatively small town, so Ican’tbeasrude as I would like to be.

Gentle reader: Why would you wish to be rude? Fundraisers may be persistent, but they are, in Miss Manners’ experience, no moreinterested than anyone else in wasting their time.

Explain that you and your brother makethese decisions foryour mother,and that you are not interested in donating to this cause. If you feel these requests have been less than polite, then you can forget to append a“thank you.”

Send questions todearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postalmail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City,MO64106.

Adding vinegarhelps when washinggreens

Reader comments

Dear Heloise: Isaw aletter from Kelly T. in your column about washing greens. You mentioned submerging them in abowl of cold water.Adding half acup of vinegar to 1cup of water and soaking them for 3minutes helps to remove bacteria. Just rinse andpat dry —Deborah Graham, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania Sweaty clothessmell

Dear Heloise: Ihad aproblem with my sweaty yard clothes having amustysmell, even after washing them. My service tech told me to addinwhite vinegar with thefabric softener.Now Ihave fresh-smelling clothes and atub that shines like new.It’sa simple solution that works without any expensive chemicals. —Stan M., in Lafayette

Dear Heloise: Alot of newspapers have discontinued their print publications and are online only,socomics aren’t an option for gift wrapping in our area. Good old-fashioned clip binders are great for opened bags of chips/pretzels, etc. Also, plastic covers from prepared foods are great for flowerpot drip trays. Andyou can make your own air fryer inserts by cutting out parchment paper.Works great!Thanks. —Trudy Dillon, via email Litter boxes

Dear Heloise: Litter boxes stink because they are plastic and should not be allowed to dry between uses. Iuse metal lasagna-sized baking pans and have two in rotation so that they can dry in between uses. Ialso lightly sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the clean

one to help with any wet areas. Since they don’tget scratched like plastic, they last formuch longer and don’t smell. Because they are shallow,I do have them set in taller plastictubs that also have litter in them to catch any misses. They need to be changed daily.This helps monitor their health. Cats don’tlike going in a messy box, so makesure to clean it after each use. —Ann’s Thoughts, in Rolla, Missouri Shortpeopleproblems

Dear Heloise: Iama short woman. When Igoshopping and cannot reach something, Iwait forataller person to come by and ask if they could please reach up and get the item forme. Then Ilook them in the eye, and with asmile, Isay,“Thank you. Youhave done your good deed forthe day!” It always brings asmile and alook of pride. —Barb Clark, in NewJersey

Laundryquestion

Dear Heloise: I’ve wondered about this foryears, and it came up again this morning: Is it all right to wash dish towels with underwear? The water is hot, and we use good detergent and dry the clothes in adryer on the “hot” setting. Someone wrote to aTVperson and asked this question, and the person said, “Ifit’swashed, it’s washed.” What do you think? Hollie, in Ohio Hollie, Ihave to agree with what the person on TV said. Most people washall their lights together and all their darks together,nomatter what the item happens to be. You’re washing itemstoget them clean, not to sterilize them,so go ahead and washthose items together.Oryou can include your dish towels in the load with your bath towels. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH JOHN SHELTON REED

When the Ramos gin fizz shook things up

Flashy drink was once dubbed ‘the Cadillac of cocktails’

BY MATTHEW HAINES

Contributing writer

At 83 years of age, John Shelton Reed has authored or edited a whopping two dozen books. His most recent work, “The Ramos Gin Fizz,” was published this summer by LSU Press as part of their popular series on iconic New Orleans cocktails.

The book fits well into Reed’s oeuvre, most of which has focused on the contemporary American South. That makes sense for a lifelong Southerner He was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, but has lived in Chapel Hill since 1969, when he took a job teaching sociology at the University of North Carolina.

“The only time I moved out of the South was 10 years for college and graduate school, but then I came back with great relief,” he laughed. “I wanted my daughters to grow up as Southerners, though now they live in California and Rhode Island, so the joke is on me.”

The Ramos gin fizz ignited Reed’s interest, as many regional topics have before it. The flashy drink, once dubbed “the Cadillac of cocktails,” has had moments of intense popularity and Reed a past Guggenheim Fellow and chancellor of the Fellowship of Southern Writers delighted in the opportunity to dive into

thousands of archived articles in creating this book. And, if you want to make your own, the book has the original recipe as well as

more recent riffs on the drink.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Let’s start off with what exactly is a Ramos gin fizz.What are the ingredients and what is its taste profile?

Well, first, it has upward of three times as many ingredients as most other cocktails: lemon and lime juices, gin — of course is in the name, orange flower water, heavy cream, egg whites, sugar and seltzer There is a lot going on! You put it all together you shake it like crazy for quite some time, and you get this foamy masterpiece that tastes like an orange Dreamsicle. It’s light on the alcohol, so it goes down easy but it’s also rich, so you probably don’t want to drink three of them in one sitting.

As the LSU Press “Iconic New Orleans Cocktails” series shows, if you want to write a book about a mixed drink invented in the Crescent City, you have quite a few options. Why did you choose the Ramos gin fizz?

With a baseline of nine ingredients, there is a lot to talk about Plus, we know who the founder of the drink is, and that helps in crafting a story Finally as I did a little bit of research, I saw this was a cocktail with an amazing history It seemed like it would be a lot of fun to work on, and I was right

Let’s get into some of that history.What is the drink’s origin story?

Well, Henry Ramos was a German immigrant to New Orleans who owned a bar on Gravier Street called the Imperial Cabinet Saloon. Ramos got his start working in beer halls, and he sometimes toyed with inventing various drinks. The one that really

caught on was his gin fizz, which he created around 1890. Businessmen would come from the old Cotton Exchange at all hours of the day for the cocktail. Its reputation grew and soon you had tourists coming to New Orleans with a to-do list topped by trying a gin fizz at Mr Ramos’ bar Records show he did an astonishing amount of business. At one point, he was using 5,000 egg whites every week and had a dozen bartenders on hand and that was during the slow season, it was way more during Mardi Gras just to make this one complicated drink.

But your book says the cocktail had a bit of a roller-coaster ride in popularity after that, right?

Exactly Obviously, all alcohol took a hit during Prohibition, but the Ramos gin fizz was hit especially hard. That’s because it was thought of as a sophisticated drink that was relatively light on alcohol. People illegally drinking during Prohibition, however, were doing it to get drunk, and the gin fizz wasn’t as helpful in that regard.

Fortunately, as you mention in the book, the late ’90s and early 2000s started a cocktail revival.The Ramos gin fizz has survived.

It certainly has. Not only can you find a Ramos gin fizz in craft cocktail bars in New Orleans, but you can also find it in cities across the country and the world. Did you find there is anything different about a gin fizz today compared to Henry Ramos’ original drink?

For one, many mixologists have taken all of this shaking to the

extreme. Ramos was probably having his gin fizz shaken for three minutes at most. Later on, that probably became five minutes for showmanship. But, over the years, it has gotten ridiculous! Twelve minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes? It is probably unnecessary, but it is memorable.

The other component is the tower of foam at the top of the drink. Ramos would have relied on foam from the egg whites and that would have been much less.

Today, a lot of bartenders pour seltzer down the side, which kind of activates this massive tower

If we have activated someone’s craving for this cocktail, where are some of your favorites in New Orleans?

You can get good ones all over town, but I like the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel because they played such a big part in the drink’s revival, Revel in Mid-City because Chris McMillan is so knowledgeable about how these drinks were originally made, Cure on Freret Street because they have such a strong lineup of classic cocktails, and of course the award-winning Jewel of the South.

At 83 years, including a writing career that is now in its fifth decade, it would be understandable if “The Ramos Gin Fizz” was your last book before retirement.Are you done?

Ha, good question. After each of my last four or five books, I’ve said that was my last. But then some publisher asks if I would be interested in writing about something else, almost always related to the South. It usually sounds fun, so I do it.

La. author’s debut awarded Cave Canem Poetry Prize

BY RIEN FERTEL

Contributing writer

“Natural History” by Brandon Kilbourne, Graywolf Press, 96 pages.

Since 1999, the Cave Canem Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets, has awarded an annual prize to a debut poetry collection. This year’s Cave Canem Poetry Prize winner is Brandon Kilbourne, a Louisiana-born evolutionary biologist living in Berlin, whose “Natural History” is a brilliant and beguiling set of poems released by the top-tier independent publisher Graywolf Press.

Born in Houma and raised in Lafayette, Kilbourne studied biological engineering at LSU and earned his doctorate in evolutionary biology at the University of Chicago. In 2014, he moved to Berlin as a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study and later worked at the Museum für Naturkunde. Recently, he returned to Baton Rouge as the 2024 LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s third artist-in-residence.

In a brief foreword to the collection, Natasha Trethewey, the Cave Canem Prize judge and inaugural winner, rightly references Thomas Jefferson, who fancied himself a lover of nature and poetry, as well as a race theorist.

“Though for a century and a half we have had under our eyes the races of black and of red men,” he writes in “Notes on the State of Virginia,” “they have never yet been viewed by us as

subjects of natural history.”

“Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry,” he wrote further on.

“Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry.”

“Natural History” opens with a striking series of poems that confront the intimately intertwined histories of early modern science, colonialism and slavery — a necessary corrective to Jefferson’s unpoetic drivel.

The epic “Natural History, the Curious Institution,” a play on America’s so-called “peculiar institution,” reads as a catalog of slave ship manifests, a mix of human cargo and collected specimens.

“TWO HUNDRED AND TWELVE slaves salvaged / while rescuing people from our Guineaman / foundered amid reefs off the Swahili Coast,” one reads.

“While leaving the Bight of Benin, a squall downed the ship / fully loaded — truly a tragedy — the crew and captain lost / along with specimens of RHINOCEROS, ANTELOPE, and BATS.”

“TWENTY percent of our Africans / written off to the squalor below deck: / diarrhea, fever, chains’ wounds gangrened,” another follows. “Yesterday arrived a most diverse assortment of SEASHELLS / in the hold of a new-built slaver; I detest the trade / and pity their cargo, but science nonetheless must progress.”

Though these lines read as found texts, they are pulled from

the profound depths of the poet’s expertise and imagination.

The collection’s middle section features an engaging, 14-poem suite documenting Kilbourne’s June 2006 research expedition to Ellesmere Island, the most northerly point of land in Canada, tucked up near the far northwestern fringes of Greenland. A treeless tundra where giant mosquitoes swarm and the summer sun never sets, Ellesmere is a Darwinian dreamscape.

“This land divulges ghosts,” Kilbourne writes, “among outcrops, the bones of dead life / forms weathering out from solidified silt.”

Among the Ellesmere team’s findings was a 375 million-yearold fossilized Tiktaalik roseae skeleton, a fish possessed with fins that doubled as functioning wrists that allowed the species to prop itself up in shallow water, making it a likely evolutionary ancestor to many of the animals that walk, crawl and fly upon the Earth.

Kilbourne cleverly guides readers to Ellesmere’s “dewjeweled grasses and riverbanks / loud with purl-song the testing grounds for our upright strides— / millions of years of shape-shifting / since that first departure from water / leaving gilled beginnings forgotten to us.”

He transports us into the island’s fossil-rich rock quarries and his team’s monumental discovery

“Our eyes captivated by the anatomy / crowning you as our ancestral chimera, / ancient amalgam of land and water / Our gilled forebear, long slumbering / in the safety of your stratum, know / that the legacy unfolded

from your wrists / today dares the clouds as an owl’s wings.”

Long extinct, Tiktaalik lives on in science and now verse, as do other species honored in these pages.

Kilbourne serenades the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, the world’s smallest rhino — perhaps fewer than 50 individuals remain in the wild. He visits a preserved specimen, “an elegy in gloom,” housed in the Copenhagen Zoological Museum.

“Behind an exhibit’s pane, taxidermied / feet fill the footprints of a lost species, / leaving a mounted remembrance / tangible for its final refuge: our fantasy / where wild animals live on and still exist.”

In “The Last Sea Cow’s Testimony,” he gives voice to a manatee-adjacent, mammothsized mammal that once plied the waters of the Bering Sea. First encountered by European voyagers in 1741, the Steller’s sea cow was hunted to extinction within

three decades. Now I am the last of the sea cows, my heart’s continued beating, my tail’s propelling labor my streamlined existence all become hopeless defiance of our disappearance. Departing seaward into a sapphire void, I speak a vanishing tongue now no one else understands to spite the silence closing over us forever, entrusting this account to my bones that will litter the seafloor, my eye sockets soon home to crabs who will never glimpse a sea cow

“Cuvier only deduced extinction / in 1796,” he writes of the early French paleontologist credited with proving the theory that species can die out. “In little more than a century, / we have already mastered it.”

In “Natural History,” Kilbourne offers a fierce clarion call, a splendid elegy for our own destructive tendencies. In the collection’s final poem, he challenges Samuel George Morton, an early American proponent of scientific racism.

“I suppose that if Dr Morton had met me, / he would have fantasized about my skull / assuming its place among the shelves / of his collection, yet here, among these / wood-and-glass cabinets safeguarding walrus / tusks, zebra skull grins, and platypus bills, / I would like to think that with the dead / I have found my place.” This is one scientist-poet who belongs.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”

BUSINESS

Righting shipthe

lingstartup for$1.1B, omer is trying to rescue ompany that bought it

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL

“The big picture is, 20 or 30 years agoyou’dput your office at Elmwood if you had to. Now,you want to put your office there.”

RICHARD JUGE, owner of RE/MAX Commercial Brokers

Vincent Saia.But Juge said thegroup plans to spend more than $1 million renovating the buildings,which were built in 1980.

“TheyneedsomeTLC andalittle updating,”he said. “But it’sa fabulous location under 300-year-old live oaks.” Three of thefourbuildings are more than90% leased. Afourthbuilding, totaling 27,000 square feet, has been vacantsincethe Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality moved

estofseveral investments in theJefferson Parish industrial corridor,which is evolving intoone of the fastest growing submarketsinthe metroarea, with amix of industrial, commercial andretailspace with amajor newmultifamily project underway Among therecent developments at Elmwood was Reily FoodsCo.’srelocation late lastyear of its corporateheadquartersfrom aPoydras Street high-rise to abuilding on Commerce

By 8a.m. most weekdays, Patrick Comer is connected by videocall to London, Stockholm,Barcelona and other faraway citiesashemeetsremotely with executives of the publicly traded market research firmhe’srun since September 2024. Working from his suburban St. CharlesParish home,and from his stylish office in NewOrleans’Lower Garden District, he’sthe unlikely CEO of Cint, the Stockholm-based company that bought his Louisiana tech startup Lucid nearly four years ago for $1.1 billion and createdahuge payday for him and his investors. Comer,anAlabama native who moved to the New Orleansarea in 2008, is the first to say that he didn’thave being CEO of aSwedish tech company on his 2025 bingocard. But thenhedidn’tknow the acquisition of Lucidwould precede achallenging erafor Cint, whichhas seenits stock market value tumble in the years since.

ä See COMER, page 4E

Patrick Comer,who soldtech startup Lucid to Stockholm-based Cint, is now CEOofCintafter the companywent through aperiod of turmoil

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Viemed’s Q3 net revenue up 24% from a year ago

Viemed Healthcare, the Lafayette-based company that provides in-home medical equipment and post-acute respiratory health care services throughout the U.S., reported an increase of $13.9 million in net revenue in the third quarter compared to a year ago.

The company reported $71.9 million in net revenue as of Sept. 30, according to its earnings report released Wednesday That amount is up 24% from the third quarter 2024.

Total net revenue for the current year is projected to be $271 million to $273 million.

Ventilator patient count rose to 12,372 as of Sept. 30, up 8.8% from a year ago and 1.8% from the second quarter

Viemed ended the quarter with

a cash balance of $11.1 million and an overall working capital balance of $5.8 million

In July, the company closed on its $26 million acquisition of Lehan’s Medical Equipment, a business that specializes in respiratory care and women’s health. The move enhanced its market presence and diversified its offerings, CEO Casey Hoyt said. Jefferson voted among top main streets in U.S.

Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette made the list of America’s top main streets for fall shopping in a survey conducted by one financial blog.

MarketBeat’s surveyed 3,007 respondents to identify the best main streets in each state for fall shopping and strolling. Each were ranked on atmosphere, inde-

BUILDING PERMITS

ISSUED OCT 22 TO NOV. 4 Commercial alterations

INDUSTRIAL: 110 Matrix Loop description, loading dock repair; applicant and contractor, CIG; $185,000.

OFFICE: 126 Heymann Blvd., description, new walls, millwork, floor and wall finishes for Foundation for Wellness office; applicant and contractor, Ryan Gootee General Contractors; $391,000

RETAIL: 4519 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, description, install backup generators at Costco fueling facility with storage tank containing diesel; applicant, Barghausen Consulting Engineers; contractor, Essential Construction Maintenance Services; $159,000.

New commercial HOTEL: 301 E. Vermilion St description, 56,130, four-story Hotel Lafayette; applicant, Pecot & Co. Architects; contractor, Southern Cross Construction; $15 million. OTHER: 3028 N.E. Evangeline Thruway, description, maintenance storage facility for Lafayette Parish School System that will include a 26,580-square-foot warehouse and a 9,485-square-foot office; applicant, Grace Hebert Curtis Architects; contractor, Garden City Construction; $5.6 million

Commercial demolition

OTHER: 209 W. Vermilion St., description, none listed for former Redball Technology office; applicant and contractor, Southwest Contractors; $10,000.

New residential

105 GOSLING WAY: Manuel Builders, $318,500.

705 E. BLUEBIRD DRIVE, UNIT

406:

$186,125. 705 E. BLUEBIRD DRIVE,

705 E. BLUEBIRD DRIVE, UNIT

802: DSLD, $186,125.

705 E. BLUEBIRD DRIVE, UNIT

801: DSLD, $186,125.

127 GRENADINE DRIVE: Manuel Builders, $272,000.

DRIVE: DSLD $175,625 101 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $166,625. 107 WILLOW CREEK DRIVE: DSLD, $166,625. 205 WAKELY COURT: DSLD $233,250

PARKDALE LANE: DSLD, $166,625

PARKDALE LANE: DSLD $175,625 207 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $348,875. 215 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $427,375. 211 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $386,125. 209 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $311,500.

125 BELLE LAKE DRIVE: DR Horton, $360,325. 123 BELLE LAKE DRIVE: DR Horton, $311,000. 119 BELLE LAKE DRIVE: DR Horton, $260,875. 120 BELLE LAKE DRIVE: DR Horton, $360,325.

126 BELLE LAKE DRIVE: DR Horton, $260,875. 120 FOUNTAIN MEADOW, BROUSSARD: AM Design $215,000

315 ABERCROMBIE WAY, BROUSSARD: Platinum Homes, $660,000. 105 ABERCROMBIE WAY, BROUSSARD: Platinum Homes, $652,000.

111 WISHING WELL DRIVE

BROUSSARD: Manuel Builders, $330,000

202 CYPRESS FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton $141,404

204 CYPRESS FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton

$132,218

208 CYPRESS FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $133,895

206 CYPRESS FALLS DRIVE, BROUSSARD: DR Horton, $154,657

200 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: Level Construction & Development

$308,334

203 CENTRAL VILLAGE WAY, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $222,000. 201 CENTRAL VILLAGE WAY, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $230,000.

pendent retail strength and local events.

Jefferson Street was ranked 53rd in the survey and was one of three in Louisiana to make the list.

The blog noted that Jefferson Street “pulses with Acadiana rhythm, especially when the air cools and live music drifts from open doors.

Cavalier House Books anchors downtown with Louisiana authors and literary charm, while The Bougie Bar offers candle-pouring workshops that mix retail with experience.”

Other Louisiana streets to make the list were Magazine Street in New Orleans at No. 5 and Front Street in Natchitoches at No. 66.

Off The Hook to open in Lafayette next month

The Off The Hook restaurant

planned for Lafayette is scheduled to open next month and has begun hiring.

The company is hiring for frontand back-of-house roles, including managers, cooks and cashiers, ahead of its opening at 101 Liberty Ave. in the former Viva La Waffle space.

Interested applicants can visit othook.com and click on the careers icon.

Started in Thibodaux in 2012, Off The Hook specializes in fried shrimp, fried catfish, red beans, hamburgers and po-boys.

The Lafayette location will employ 35 to 40.

15th annual Lafayette job fair is Nov. 18

The 15th annual Professional Career Fair will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov 18 at the Picard Center,

200 E. Devalcourt St.

The event is hosted by Acadiana Workforce Solutions, Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Louisiana Workforce Commission, One Acadiana and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Department of Career Services.

Job seekers can meet with hiring managers from a variety of companies hiring for openings in management, sales, finance, technology, software development, customer service, health care, manufacturing and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and to dress professionally A list of participating employers and pre-registration information is available at professionalcareerrair2025attendees.eventbrite.com. For information, job seekers may contact Kimberly Billeaudeau at (337) 482-1444.

ELMWOOD

Continued from page 1E

Road West near the Huey P. Long Bridge.

Earlier this fall, Intralox, a division of Laitrim Corp., unveiled a new 17,000-square-foot expansion on its campus that will house a food processing training center

And developer Louis Lauricella, whose family first opened the Elmwood Shopping Center in 1975, is planning a $120 million project to build 251 apartments, as well as shops and restaurants, at the site of the former Kmart, which shut down nearly a decade ago. The move is part of the ongoing transformation of the outdoor strip mall that Lauricella began updating a decade ago.

Juge said those factors, as well as other nearby investments Ochsner Health’s construction of a new children’s hospital building on its Jefferson Highway campus and the development of a subdivision with 100 single-family homes at the former Colonial Golf and Country Club in nearby Harahan — make Elmwood an attractive area for office space, as well as for the industrial properties for which it is better known.

“The big picture is, 20 or 30 years ago you’d put your office at Elmwood if you had to,” said Juge, who plans to relocate his real estate brokerage office from Metairie to Elmwood Oaks. “Now, you want to put your office there.”

‘Alternative to Metairie’

Though Elmwood was developed initially as an indus-

trial area with warehouses and “flex” space, its handful of office buildings have high occupancy rates, in part due to large institutional tenants that tend to have long-term leases.

The average occupancy rates for Elmwood’s eight office buildings averaged nearly 93% in 2024. By comparison, the pricey East Metairie market, which includes the Galleria and Lakeway towers, averaged 85%, while occupancy in downtown New Orleans high rises hovered around 80%, according to Corporate Realty’s Office Report. Corporate Realty broker Joe Gorman said a more significant driver behind the strength of the Elmwood office market is its price point. Elmwood’s office stock, though slightly older than Metairie’s newest “class A” buildings, lease, on average, for about $19 per square foot. Metairie’s class A towers, by comparison are

the steepest in the market, averaging more than $25 per square foot, while older buildings in Metairie go for about $20 per square foot on average.

“For those who want to be in Jefferson Parish, it’s an alternative to Metairie,” Gorman said. “When Lakeway is $26 a foot, Elmwood looks attractive.”

Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission President and CEO Jerry Bologna believes the continued growth of the area at a time when other parts of the metro area are stagnating also accounts for interest in Elmwood office properties.

“We have seen some organic change in the makeup from a warehousing and logistics hub to more commercial, retail and office use,” he said. “It’s developing as a community within a community.”

In Baton Rouge, the industrial and mixed-use of-

fice properties in the Industriplex corridor off Siegen Lane, which is lined with strip malls and big-box retailers, have benefited in a similar way according to commercial broker Grey Mullins.

“Industriplex reminds me of the Elmwood-Clearview corridor both ubercompetitive areas with industrial and commercial space,” Mullins said. “Occupancy rates are high, and when things come up for sale, they tend to move fast.” Juge hopes those synergies will help attract a new tenant or tenants to Elmwood Office Park, where he plans to move his office from Metairie after renovations are complete.

“Our challenge will be to make a compelling case to come to Elmwood, not Metairie,” he said.

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

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

DOTD rebuilding trust through transparency, communication

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Q&A WITH JULIA FISHERCORMIER

Julia Fisher-Cormier is a rising star in Gov Jeff Landry’s administration, one that has leaned heavily on Landry’s promises to make state government more efficient and businessfriendly Fisher-Cormier’s résumé spanning long stints in both the public and private sectors embodies the kind of cross-sector experience Landry has prized: leaders who can quickly spot what makes bureaucracies sclerotic and slow to deliver for the public Cormier’s first assignment under Landry came as head of the Office of Multimodal Commerce, where she helped implement Louisiana’s first statewide port strategic plan and guided the creation of the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission. Her mandate was to improve coordination between the state’s ports, rail and freight networks — a natural fit for someone who had previously served as chief commercial officer at the Port of South Louisiana, one of the largest tonnage ports in the Western Hemisphere.

In September, Landry elevated Fisher-Cormier as part of a broader shake-up at the Department of Transportation and Development, naming her deputy secretary alongside Eric Dauphine She leads the new Office of Transformation, and Dauphine leads the Office of Project Delivery Together, they are charged with carrying out Landry’s May 2024 executive order, in which the governor castigated the DOTD for “deficiencies” and for having lost public trust. He argued that there was ample room to “streamline” the department’s 4,300-employee operation. The fact that the efficiency initia-

PROVIDED PHOTO Julia Fisher-Cormier was appointed deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development in September to run the Office of Transformation. The mission is to deal with the department’s ‘deficiencies’ and make it work for the public.

tive had to be “re-launched” last month 18 months after Landry’s executive order — suggests that transforming DOTD may be less straightforward than it first seemed. Yet Fisher-Cormier’s mix of local government experience — 11 years on the St. Charles Parish Council — and background in commerce and logistics have made her one of the administration’s most pragmatic troubleshooters Cormier says her goal is not just to restructure an agency, but to restore confidence in how Louisiana delivers its infrastructure. In this week’s Talking Business, she discusses how she’s been setting up the Office of Transformation over the last few weeks.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity

You were already in state government before being named deputy secretary at DOTD. How did your earlier role prepare you for this new assignment?

That experience gave me an inside look at how the department operates and where it struggles. I wasn’t directly involved in road and bridge projects, but I saw close up what DOTD does well — and also what needed improvement. It helped me walk into this new role with a realistic sense of both the strengths and gaps inside the department.

Landry’s 2024 executive order didn’t mince words about DOTD’s “deficiencies.” What did you find when you got here?

When the transformation effort first launched under the previous leadership, there was a basic framework put in place — 31 initiatives in response to the governor’s order — but then progress largely stalled. Decisions weren’t made and executive direction was missing So when I was appointed in September our first task was to restart the process We spent the first month meeting with staff across the state, listening to the people responsible

for each initiative, and asking what they needed to move forward. That helped us see where the work had gone quiet and how much remained to be done.

The governor criticized DOTD for inefficiency Did you find that diagnosis accurate?

Not entirely There’s a lot the department already does right. The biggest issue wasn’t failure it was communication Good work was happening, but nobody was telling the story, either internally or externally For instance, over the past two years, DOTD completed about $20 million worth of local transportation projects on time and on budget, but the Legislature didn’t even know it because those successes weren’t being shared. That lack of communication also extended to our challenges. People weren’t always candid about where things were stalled, whether that meant permitting delays or funding shortfalls So one of the first priorities of the Office of Transformation is creating better systems for transparency. So we’re consistently communicating not just our wins, but our obstacles, and doing it across headquarters, districts and with legislators and the public.

How are you going about fixing that?

We’re building formal communication processes not just press releases or social media, but clear, reliable feedback loops. For example, making sure a local government is personally notified if a road closure affects them, rather than just receiving a mass email. It sounds simple, but it wasn’t standard practice. We’re also standardizing response times and expectations for developers, contractors and local partners.

There’s a long list of 31 initiatives under the transformation effort. What are the ones you think will matter most to the public?

One is operations and maintenance — day-to-day issues like potholes, guardrails and road closures. We’re tightening up how those are handled and communicated. Another is strengthening the link between economic development and

transportation planning. Historically, those two areas didn’t work together closely enough. Sometimes a major business project would be announced, and DOTD’s processes would unintentionally slow it down. Now we’re integrating economic impact into how we prioritize and design projects, allowing more flexibility where appropriate while keeping safety as the top priority

The governor has talked about streamlining DOTD’s 4,300 employees. Is that underway?

We’ve launched a workforce and workload assessment through the Louisiana Transportation Research Center They’re analyzing where the work is actually happening section by section, job by job — to see whether staff are balanced and resources are being used effectively It’s not just about cutting positions; it’s about aligning people with the work that needs to be done. That’s important for both efficiency and morale.

Will new funding, such as the allocation from the state’s stabilization fund help reduce the backlog of road and bridge projects?

Not in a significant way That backlog, around $19 billion to $20 billion, is enormous. The stabilization funding is helpful but won’t make a noticeable dent. The bigger effort is to prioritize projects better and make sure those that are ready to go actually move forward.

When do you think the public might start to see results from these reforms?

Some changes — like improved communication and responsiveness — will be felt relatively soon. But meaningful reductions in the project backlog will take longer Over the next few months, we’re reviewing all 31 initiatives to decide which can yield short-term wins and which are long-term structural fixes. My hope is that as we demonstrate real progress and transparency, the Legislature and the public will see that DOTD is serious about earning back trust and delivering results.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Fool’sTake: Blue-chip dividends andgrowth

globally andabout 130 in New Orleans while reporting revenue for the first threequarters of theyear in excess of $80 million.

Since then, Comer has focused on aturnaround even as tariff uncertainty and thelack of amajor national election cycle have softened demand for marketresearch.

Motley Fool

The Vanguard Dividend AppreciationETF (ticker: VIG) is chock-fullofblue-chipcompanies. It aims to roughly duplicate the performance of the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index which features companies with at least 10 consecutive years of dividend increases —byholding mostorall of the same companies. (The index also excludes the top-yielding quarter of eligible stocks to avoid yield traps —situations where astock has ahighdividend yield simply becauseits stock price has fallen often for not-so-good reasons.)

It’saweighted index, meaning that certain stocks make up more of the assets thanothers, and there were 337 stocks altogetherasofSept. 30. The top five holdingsthen were: Broadcom Microsoft, JPMorganChase, Apple and Eli Lilly. The ETF’srecent dividend yield of 1.6%may seem small, but remember that the per-share payout should growover time.The mostrecent quarterly payout was $0.865 pershare, and adecade earlier,itwas $0.443. Topholding Broadcom recently offered adividend yield of 0.6%, but it has increased its payoutby82% over the pastfive years alone.

Another bonus —this fund has an extremely low fee. Itsexpense ratio of 0.05% means that for every $10,000 you have invested,you’ll pay only $5 peryear.(The Motley Fool ownsshares of and recommends the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF.)

Ask the Fool: What’sa ‘naked call’option?

What’sa“naked call”option? —L.D.,Lancaster,Pennsylvania First, understand that options can be tricky andrisky,and you can build wealth successfully in the stock market without everusing them. But on to naked calls: Thereare two main kinds of options —calls and puts. Buyinga call gives you the right to buy acertain numberof shares at acertain “strike” price withina defined period of time (often just afew months). Buyingaput, conversely, gives you theright to sell shares.

When you sell (or “write”) acall, you’re committing to deliveraset number of sharesifthe buyer exercises the call. If you own theshares, it’s a“covered call.” If you don’t, it’sa “naked call.” Naked calls are riskier because should the stock surge, you may have to fulfill your contractual obligation by buying the sharesat the new,higher stock price to deliver to your buyer. Youcan lose alot of money if things don’t go the way you thought they would. But if thestock staysbelow thestrike priceuntil the optionexpires, you get to pocket the price of theoption. If you’re intrigued by options, read andlearn alot more about them before you tradeany

Now,instead of having more time to throw the ball with his kids or siprum drinks on an island, Comer is back in the trenches, trying to boost the financialperformanceofthe company that absorbed the business he built for morethan adecade. He travels multiple times each month to several continents to meet withcustomers, employees, board members and investors.

Thesurprising turn of events demonstrates that asplashy “exit,”the tech world’sterm for sellinga company, isn’t alwaysthe endofthe story. In Lucid’scase, Comer is now working harderthaneverto preserve his startup’slegacy andboost thevalue of Cint’s stock in theprocess, while he cheers on several former Lucid execs who have created spinoff companies that are turning New Orleans intoasmall-scale hub forthe evolving market research industry

Anyone with astake in Cint, which reported roughly $180 million in net sales in 2024 and has more than 700 employees, is no doubt rooting for Comer as well.

“I feel very responsible and accountable becauseIstood up to my investors, much less Cint’s investors, andsaidthis dealwas going to work,” Comer said during an interview at his Lower Garden District officelast week. “So my primary reason forbeing backinthe deal is because Isaid it was going to make it work. People are like, ‘Well, theshare price will make me money.’ All that may be true.But the clear reason is to fulfill my obligations.

Opportunity to expand

At thetime of their merger, Lucid and Cint were doing similarthings from different sides of theAtlantic. They both connected brands, researchers, political campaigns and other clients to aglobal audience of surveyrespondents, who might trade their feedback for airlinemiles, loyalty card points or other perks. By 2021, Lucid had grown to employ more than 500 people

Cint, meanwhile, which had been acquired in 2016 by a private equity firm, hadabout twice as many employees and reported more than $150 million in revenue for that year Its owners saw in Lucid an opportunity to expand, and in October offered roughly $580 million in cash and$470 million in shares for the company

On paper, the mergermade a lotofsense. Former Cint CEO TomBuehlmann said thenit would “enable ourcustomers to access millions of people’s opinions in an easier, fasterand more efficient way.”

But, in hindsight, the timing might have been better for Lucid thanCint.

The deal closed just before rising interest rates and inflation, combined with artificial intelligencedisruption, shocked the entire tech industry, leadingtothe loss of nearly $7 trillion in market value industrywide over the next year

“I sold at theabsolute topof the most recentbull market for technology globally:Dec. 29, 2021,” Comer said.“Theshare price of Cint dropped by 90% in the next 18 monthsbecause thevalue of technology stocks fell from itshigh-water mark.”

‘Tonsofchallenges’

Postacquisition, Cint battled withexternalproblems, like a reduction of researchtechnology budgets, and internal ones, most notably the muchslowerthan-expected integration of theplatforms Cint and Lucid used to serve their customers.

“Wehave struggled to combine these companies and their technology,” Comer said. “In a vacuum, eitherone of them worked great, butpulling all these thingstogether has created tons of challenges.”

The numbers tell the story: Cint wastrading at over 100 Swedish krona on the Stockholm Nasdaq stock exchange at the time of the deal. After asteep decline in 2022 and a slower descentafter that, the company’sshare price was hovering in thesingledigitsin September 2024, when Comer was tapped to take the reins.

In its most recent earnings report, Cintreported aroughly 20% quarter-over-quarter net salesdecline in the third quarter of this year.But Comer said the drop in revenue happened forthe right reason:The company chose to avoid a“death by athousand cuts” by moving mostCint customers to the new consolidated tech platform in a burst rather than over time.

Nowthat most customers are working on thesame system, he believes his teams around theglobe can focus on bringing in newones. “This is not afalling market noristhis afailedstrategy,but this is literally the cost of the transition,” he said in his Oct. 24 presentation. Lastweek, he said the company can now shift“back to innovation, back to revenue,back to ourcustomers.”

Specific moves that have Comer excited include the releaseofanew chatbotfeature that will letcustomers interact with their data and apartnership with avendor that will provide salesdata to quantify the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

The‘Lucidmafia’

Forseveral yearsafter the Lucidsale, Comer served as chair of theCintboard of directors. That advisory role allowedhim to focusonhis family andpursue other interests.

Duringthattime,hefounded thegaming startupGripnr andheco-foundedNieuxCo., which operates atech community gathering place based in the Eiffel Tower building on St. Charles Avenue. He and his wife,Christina, also have supported civic causes in New Orleans, like a$1.5 million donation to the Sonofa Saint nonprofit anda biggergift to the choir at their shared alma mater,the University of theSouth in Sewanee, Tennessee.

He’snot theonly one who’s been busy

Since 2021, several former Lucid execs —who Comer called the “Lucid mafia”— have launchedtech ventures of theirown

RepData, foundedbyformerLucid employee Patrick Stokes, completed amajor fundraising round earlierthis year for itssoftware that promises high-quality data and fraud protection. The company has 100 employees, includingabout 20 in NewOrleans.

RepDatabought Research Defender,foundedbyanother former Lucidemployee, Vignesh Krishnan, in 2023. Rick Rogers, whomoved to New Orleansin2015 to work for Lucid, launched RevOptimal in 2023 to help companies better target audiences for their online ads. The company has16employees,including four in NewOrleans.

Cint itselfhas about50employees working in Louisiana, but that’snot the only wayits CEO is boosting the region’s tech scene.

Comer is among thetech founders who contributed to aventure capital fund that investsinsomeofthe startups that graduate from accelerator programs at the Idea Village, the city’smost high-profile nonprofit business accelerator “That’saclear and undeniable example of the passing on,” said Comer,who said he sees similaritiesbetween the business climate nowand 15 years agowhenhelaunched Lucid.

“Wewere coming offthe economic crisis of 2008 through 2011,” he said. “Now,the next bull run is abouttostart, and you always want to start companieswhenthings are tough, because you’ve gotthe most runway or ramp to build from there.”

And while Cint is not astartup by any stretch, Comer is eager to rolluphis sleeves and treat it likeone in an erawhen AI presents the biggest challenge andopportunity.

“Every industry is going throughthe same terrifying opportunityand problem: Can AI replace or improve what we do,” he said. “As humans, we hope theanswerisno. But technology being whatitis, the answer maybeyes. That’s terrifying if you’re notinthe mix, but if you’re leading the change, it’s opportunity.”

Email RichCollinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

AROUND THE REGION

DevDays challenging college students to find solutions

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

There are no participation trophies at Nexus Louisiana’s DevDays.

The competition challenges innovators to come up with solutions to the state’s most pressing issues in the business incubator’s latest push to connect with Louisiana’s young talent. While one team gets to walk away with a $5,000 check, Nexus CEO Tony Zanders says there aren’t any losers either DevDays brings experts and young professionals in the same room to devise tangible products that solve an issue impacting the state, such as carbon emissions and common injuries.

The contest is geared toward college students, who get feedback on how to improve their solution and an opportunity to network with industry professionals, win or lose.

“Don’t take for granted all the things that could happen today if you just be yourself,” Zanders told competitors at the first DevDay in October

This year, Nexus Louisiana has aligned its efforts to stimulate innovation in the state with college students and young professionals through networking opportunities at LSU tailgates and competitions, hosting the Nexus Technology Cup in June.

Zanders said older industry professionals may not be attuned to the latest issues in their field so the onus is on young people to become educated on the mistakes of prior generations and apply their knowledge when they enter the workforce.

The goal is to get “them to point their critical thinking skills to this problem the earlier the better,” he said.

The first DevDay competition, held late last month, asked teams to find a way to track and manage carbon capture, utilization and storage. While the issue is grounded in energy, the contest pushed students to become well-rounded in business as energy solutions must come to

the marketplace and connect with the public.

“Our future innovators in this room will have to be not just be fluent in the language of molecules, but also be fluent in the language of market,” said Ashwith Chilvery, a competition judge who serves as director of use-inspired research and development for the energy innovation organization Future Use of Energy in Louisiana.

Across the state colleges and universities are cultivating student entrepreneurs and helping them launch successful startups through new and expanded entrepreneurship classes, on-campus business incubators and pitch competitions. The move comes as young people show a greater awareness of entre-

preneurship than older generations and less interest in trying to climb the corporate ladder for the duration of their career Inside the Louisiana Tech Park, the inaugural competition teemed with industry leaders and college students anxious to pitch their project. A representative from Louisiana Economic Development watched to see if any competitors would be eligible for funding. Staff from energy technology company Baker Hughes and FUEL — both competition sponsors — provided critiques for teams on the scalability of their projects, their appeal to wide range of stakeholders and the originality of their solution. The next DevDay set for Friday

Beyond.

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabelief that haspowered us forover80years.Weare Jones Walker LLP,afirm driven by an entrepreneurialspirit, a deepsense of community, andafierce determination to deliver exceptionalservice andvalue forour clients. Since1937, our firm hasbeencommitted to workingwith communityleaders to develop business opportunities across thestate.Weare steadfastincontinuingour dedicationto go beyond in advising clientsand supporting initiativesand organizationsthatmake Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork.

WilliamH.Hines

Grambling State University student Daniel Osuoha speaks during his group’s presentation during Nexus Louisiana’s first DevDay competition Oct. 24 at Louisiana Tech Park.

challenges teams to create a solution to improve ACL injury prevention and recovery Surgeons conduct 400,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries each year and injuries commonly stem from sports.

Zanders said the topic will be “tangible” for the public, given the frequency of the injuries.

“It’s going to make technology a lot more accessible and close to home,” he said

After presentations from 11 teams, a group of University of Louisiana at Monroe students took home the prize for the first DevDay competition. Their creation, titled Carbon Horizon is a dashboard that collects carbon capture, utilization and storage data from facilities and uses artificial intelligence to gener-

ate industry-compliant reports for the Environmental Protection Agency, slashing time and work spent on manual data entry and analysis. The platform also has a marketplace for companies to sell their stored carbon.

Team member Jeevan Parajuli said that as computer science students, the group wasn’t attuned to carbon capture prior to the competition. But the team saw an opportunity to apply their skills to an issue important to the public, and their work isn’t over “Part of that money, we’re going to invest in the next DevDay coming up,” he said Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

Drivingregionaleconomicgrowththrough legalknowledge,strategic guidance, andindustry-focusedpartnerships.

Ourfirm is optimisticabout Louisiana’seconomicfuture, particularly in oiland gas, sustainableenergy,digital healthcare,and technology.As thestate advances in energy transition andinnovation, businesses must navigate evolving legal landscapes.Our affiliate, AvidentAdvisors,supportsthistransformation by providingstrategic site selection andinvestment guidanceacrosskey sectors, includingcarboncapture, ports, sustainableenergy, andadvanced manufacturing. With strong momentum andexpanding opportunities, Louisiana is poised forsignificanteconomicgrowth—and we areproud to help lead theway forward.

Gallagherhelps protectbusinesses of all sizesand acrossall sectors —not only through the insurancecoverweprovidebut also by offering arange of risk managementand consultancy servicesthatwecan tailor to your business.

Connect with your local broker today.

Landry, left,anLSU pre-med student withthe AlphaEpsilon Deltaservice organization, listenstothe heartbeat of Mitchell Pea, of Baton Rouge, as he takes Pea’sblood pressure while assisting staff on Aug. 24, 2019, at theBatonRouge CardiologyCenter’s screeningclinic at the Louisiana Men’sHealth Organization’s18th annual Men’sHealthConferenceat Pennington Biomedical ResearchCenter

Worrying trend

Doctorsdiscuss whyLouisiana menare dyingyounger than elsewhereand howthey’re trying to reversethat

BY EMILYWOODRUFF Staff writer

Louisiana men live an average of around69years,between fiveand six years less thanthe national average, according to the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.Statedata show fewer than two-thirds sawadoctor in the past year.Thatgap, drivenbydelayed care, economic barriers andlongstanding culturalnorms, costslives and strains families.

Many men don’tprioritizetheir own health, said Glenis Scott, prevention program manager at CrescentCarein New Orleans, often because showingup to work or responsibilitiestofamily or friends win out over goingto thedoctor.

“Those consequences they see as greater than their own health,” Scott said.

He’sseen men whowon’tseek care until acrisis makes it unavoidable.His outreach teams go where men already feel at easetotalkabout preventive care, testing and sexual health. To gain trust, they first must find“gatekeepers” of trustedspaces —the barbers who know every customer by name, theperson who unlocks the gym or the owner of the local dive bar Thoseconversations canbe rawand personal. Men talk more freely,hesaid, when they’re away from family or work, in places where they can drop their guard. Some are hearing basic health

Cedric Parmsasks aquestion while talking withphysician’sassistant Gabe Guerrero on Aug. 23 outsideofthe screening area for Goodwood Men’sWellness at the Pennington Biomedical’sAnnual Men’sHealth Summit in Baton Rouge.

information for the first time, having grown up without comprehensive sexor health education,whichisnot required in Louisiana.

“A lot of themhave never had these

conversations at all,” Scott said.

Dr.KeithFerdinand,

professor of medicine and director of preventive

Study shows implant reverses blindness

BY ANYASOSTEK Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Ateam co-led by aUniversity of Pittsburgh professor was able to restore sight to blind patients with advanced maculardegeneration, according to areport published recently in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine.

Thestudy was conducted in Europe by ateam of researchers including senior author José-Alain Sahel, who moved fromhis native France to joinUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2016. The study evaluates aprocedure that implantsatiny wireless panel of electrodesintothe eyethatworks in conjunction with eyeglasses equippedwithabuilt-in camera andinfrared projector.Morethan 80% of theparticipantssaw aclinically meaningful improvement in their vision.

“It’sthe first time that any attempt at vision restoration has achieved results in such alarge number of patients,” said Sahel, chairofPitt’sophthalmology department and director of the UPMC Vision Institute.

Advanced atrophic age-related maculardegeneration is theleadingcause of irreversible blindness in people olderthan80, affecting more than5 millionpeopleworldwide. As the disease advances, vision blurs in the center of the field of vision, leaving peripheral vision intact. The technology used in the study allows participants to blend their functional peripheral vision with enhancements in their central vision from the implanted electrodes and the glasses.

The study involved 38 European patients withadvanced macular degeneration who were 60 years or olderand hadvisionthatwas worse than 20/320 —meaning that they would need to be 20 feet away to see what aperson with normal vision can see from 320 feet away When the study began, participants were unable to see even the first or second line of avision chart, said Sahel.

The participants trained with the devicefor severalmonths, and32 of the original38participantswere still using it 12 months after the study began. At that point,withthe implant and glasses, “the average wasthree linesofimprovement,” said Sahel. “One of them had12 lines of improvement, which is incredible.”

Those 12 linestranslatedtoseeinganadditional 59 letters on the vision chart. On average, the patients could seeabout 25 additional letters.

In additiontoimprovements in testing, mostofthe participants also reported that they found the implant and glasses useful in their everyday lives. They used them at hometoread letters, numbers and words, as well as for daily activities such as navigating thesubway,

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HEALTH MAKER

Acupuncturist brings Chinese medical practices to La.

BY SHANTELL GOMEZ Contributing Writer

The Acupuncture Center of Acadiana has been a quiet and steady presence in Lafayette’s healing community since 1997. Its founder, John Hebert, is a licensed and board-certified practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine who blends classical wisdom with modern understanding.

A graduate of Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, Hebert completed a two-year clinical internship in China and is a certified Diplomat of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. He also helped found the Acupuncture Association of Louisiana. At his practice inside Camélia House, Hebert focuses on helping the body restore balance through acupuncture, herbal medicine and related therapies. He shares about what acupuncture really is, how it works and what patients can expect. What led you to open the Acupuncture Center of Acadiana nearly three decades ago?

When I returned from studying in China, I felt a deep pull to bring that experience back home. There weren’t many places in Louisiana offering acupuncture at the time, and I wanted to create a center where people could access genuine, well-rounded care rooted in traditional Chi-

nese medicine.

Over the years, the goal has always been the same: to help people reconnect with their own capacity to heal. For those new to the idea, what exactly is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve function It’s one of eight branches of traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the principle of Yin and Yang — the balance between opposing but interconnected forces like activity and rest, or body and mind. When these forces are in

balance, life energy or Qi

(pronounced “chee”) flows smoothly through the body When that flow is blocked or weakened, pain or illness can develop. Through the very precise placement of very fine needles at specific points, acupuncture helps restore balance and communication within the body

Simply put, it’s the art and practice of correcting imbalance, which allows the body’s natural self-regulating abilities to do what they’re meant to do: heal. How does acupuncture work on a physiological level?

The classical Chinese explanation is that energy

travels through the body in a network of meridians, like a series of rivers that nourish and connect every part of the body When one of these rivers gets blocked, you might have pain, fatigue or dysfunction in certain areas.

By stimulating specific acupuncture points, we can remove those blockages and restore the free flow of Qi. From a biomedical view, acupuncture influences multiple systems at once. It can reduce inflammation, regulate immune function, improve circulation and even rebalance the autonomic nervous system — the part that controls your body’s fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest responses.

While some people talk about an endorphin release as the main mechanism, it’s only part of the story The most powerful effects come from improved circulation, nervous system regulation and the body’s ability to move out of chronic stress patterns.

What conditions do you most often treat?

Most people know acupuncture for pain things like back pain, migraines or arthritis. But we also treat a wide range of chronic and acute conditions. Common ones include hormonal imbalances, autoimmune disorders, allergies, anxiety, depression and digestive disorders.

In recent years, I’ve seen remarkable results in using acupuncture to help with

stress and anxiety One of its greatest strengths is its ability to help the body shift out of the constant “fightor-flight” state that so many people live in today

By calming the nervous system, acupuncture promotes deep relaxation and helps the body regain balance. What does a typical first visit look like?

The first session always begins with a conversation. We go over medical history, current complaints, and even emotional or environmental factors that could be affecting health. Many people are nervous their first time, but that usually fades as soon as they realize how gentle and relaxing acupuncture actually is.

Most patients leave the session feeling deeply calm and many notice some level of relief right away

How many treatments does someone usually need?

That really depends on the condition and the individual. For chronic or longstanding issues, I might recommend one or two sessions a week for several months. For acute problems like a sprained ankle or a tension headache just a few visits may do the trick.

Once a patient’s main complaint is resolved, maintenance sessions may be recommended. It’s a good way to keep the body in balance and prevent issues from coming back.

What are your favorite success stories?

My favorite moments are when people start believing in their own wellness again. Sometimes patients come in after years of trying different treatments without finding relief what I call “cases of desperation.”

They’ve been passed from practitioner to practitioner, collecting diagnoses and prescriptions along the way Watching them gradually regain function — to see their energy return, their pain lift and their confidence grow that’s what makes this work so meaningful. What do you want people to know about acupuncture?

First, it doesn’t hurt and second, it often feels really good. We work hard to make sure the experience is comfortable and peaceful. When someone is at ease, the body communicates and heals much more effectively

Acupuncture is part of a beautifully effective, timetested medical system. Over the last three decades, I’ve come to truly appreciate how adaptable and safe it is. It’s not just about needles it’s about restoring communication and balance in the body so it can heal itself.

I feel honored to serve this community and look forward to many more years of helping people discover that balance.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Advice to feed babies peanuts helped thousands avoid allergies

BY JONEL ALECCIA AP health writer

A decade after a landmark study proved that feeding peanut products to young babies could prevent development of life-threatening allergies, new research finds the change has made a big difference in the real world.

Peanut allergies began to decline in the U.S. after guidance first issued in 2015 upended medical practice by recommending introducing the allergen to infants starting as early as 4 months The rate of peanut allergies in children ages 0 to 3 fell by more than 27% after guidance for high-risk kids was first issued in 2015, and by more than 40% after the recommendations were expanded in 2017.

“That’s a remarkable thing, right?” said Dr. David Hill, an allergist and researcher at Children’s Hos-

MEN

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cardiology at Tulane University, sees the result of those years of avoidance: heart disease, stroke and kidney failure Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for men in Louisiana and the chief driver of the state’s mortality gap between White residents and Black residents. The prevalence of heart disease is 46.7% among Black Louisianans, compared with 38.4% for White residents, according to state data.

Men have higher rates of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes and often don’t have preventative care with a doctor because of cost, limited insurance or cultural norms about toughness and independence.

“Many of these patients feel fine until their first symptom is a heart attack,” Ferdinand said. Women, he noted, are conditioned to seek preventive care from adolescence through regular checkups and reproductive care. Men have no equivalent. That lack of routine can be deadly

pital of Philadelphia, and author of a study published last month in the medical journal Pediatrics Hill and colleagues analyzed electronic health records from dozens of pediatric practices to track diagnoses of food allergies in young children before, during and after the guidelines were issued.

“I can actually come to you today and say there are less kids with food allergy today than there would have been if we hadn’t implemented this public health effort,” he added

About 60,000 children have avoided food allergies since 2015, including 40,000 children who otherwise would have developed peanut allergies. Still, about 8% of children are affected by food allergies, including more than 2% with a peanut allergy.

Peanut allergy is caused when the body’s immune

“There’s no such thing as a well-man visit,” Ferdinand said.

Some solutions are beginning to take shape. At Tulane, Ferdinand helped lead the CHERISH study, which embedded health workers in churches to screen for high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. But men were a small fraction of participants because they attend church less often than women. To reach them, he’s proposed expanding into New Orleans’ social and pleasure clubs through second line events and recreation centers where men already gather Next month, the American Heart Association plans to install self-use blood pressure kiosks in several New Orleans Recreation Department facilities, from Joe W. Brown Park in New Orleans East to the Tremé Center A family member is often the reason some men are prodded into Dr Clayton Runfalo’s office in Gonzales. “Their partner brings them in,” he said. “They’re quick to change their oil in their car and do the maintenance on their truck or their boat, but to do the preventative maintenance on themselves, they just don’t do it.”

system mistakenly identifies proteins in peanuts as harmful and releases chemicals that trigger allergic symptoms, including hives, respiratory symptoms and, sometimes, life-threatening anaphylaxis.

For decades, doctors had recommended delaying feeding children peanuts and other foods likely to trigger allergies until age 3. But in 2015, Gideon Lack at King’s College London, published the groundbreaking Learning Early About Peanut Allergy, or LEAP, trial.

Lack and colleagues showed that introducing peanut products in infancy reduced the future risk of developing food allergies by more than 80%. Later analysis showed that the protection persisted in about 70% of kids into adolescence.

The study immediately sparked new guidelines urging early introduction of

Boys are told to “shake it off” or “be strong,” said Runfalo, lessons that carry into adulthood. By the time men finally visit a doctor preventable conditions like high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure may already be entrenched.

He’s seen patients who delayed colon cancer screenings or ignored symptoms until they required surgery Fear is a factor, especially if the procedure involves an uncomfortable exam.

New technology has made some screenings less invasive. Runfalo pitches a take-home kit that is a colonoscopy alternative to his more reluctant patients as “poop-in-a-box.” But real change depends on men developing a long-term relationship with a doctor who can screen for the usual men killers: cardiovascular disease, prostate and colon cancers, diabetes, mental health issues and even sleep issues, which can turn into serious problems as men age.

“Their primary care doctor, their family doctor, is their biggest health care partner,” Runfalo said.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

peanuts — but putting them into practice has been slow

Only about 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists reported following the expanded guidance issued in 2017, surveys found.

Confusion and uncertainty about the best way to introduce peanuts early in life led to the lag, according to a commentary that accompanied the study Early on, medical experts and parents alike questioned whether the practice could be adopted outside of tightly controlled clinical settings.

The data for the analysis came from a subset of participating practice sites and may not represent the entire U.S. pediatric population, noted the commentary, led by Dr Ruchi Gupta a child allergy expert at Northwestern University

However, the new research offers “promising evidence that early allergen

introduction is not only being adopted but may be making a measurable impact,” the authors concluded.

Advocates for the 33 million people in the U.S. with food allergies welcomed signs that early introduction of peanut products is catching on. “This research reinforces what we already know and underscores a meaningful opportunity to reduce the incidence and prevalence of peanut allergy nationwide,” said Sung Poblete, chief executive of the nonprofit group Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE.

The new study emphasizes the current guidance, updated in 2021, which calls for introducing peanuts and other major food allergens between four and six months, without prior screening or testing, Hill said. Parents should consult their pedia-

tricians about any questions.

“It doesn’t have to be a lot of the food, but little tastes of peanut butter, milk-based yogurt, soy-based yogurts and tree butters,” he said. “These are really good ways to allow the immune system exposure to these allergenic foods in a safe way.” Tiffany Leon, 36, a Maryland registered dietitian and director at FARE, introduced peanuts and other allergens early to her two young sons. At first, Leon’s own mother was shocked at the advice to feed babies such foods before the age of 3, she said. But Leon explained how the science had changed.

“As a dietitian, I practice evidence-based recommendations,” she said. “So when someone told me, ‘This is how it’s done now, these are the new guidelines,’ I just though, OK, well, this is what we’re going to do.”

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.

Eat Fit LiveFit

UGH TT OY OU BY

Thoseofuswho lovebakinghave beenpatiently waitingallyearforthis specialseason,atime whenwesharegratitude andaffectionthrough food.Inthecoming weeks,I’llsharesomeEat Fitholidayrecipesthat alsomakegreatbakedgoodsgifts,including gluten-freeandlowsugaroptions.Let’sstart withoneofmyfavorites: cranberryoatcookies. Thisrecipewas

createdbyJudith Montalvo,managerof FuelCaféatOchsner FitnessCenter,and blendsallthecozy flavorsoftheseason —cinnamon,pumpkin spiceandapopof tartcranberry—intoa naturallysweetened, gluten-freeholidaytreat

Eachcookieoffersanourishingmix offiber-richoatstosupporthealthy digestionandbloodsugarlevels;plantbasedfatsfromalmondflourandpumpkin seeds;andpolyphenolsincranberriesfor gutandimmunehealth.Enjoy! CranberryOatCookies Makes18cookies

1/4cupcoconutoil,softened 1/4teaspoonseasalt

2eggs

1/3cuphoney

1teaspoonvanillaextract

1cupalmondflour

1/4teaspoonpumpkinspice

1/3teaspooncinnamon

1/8teaspoongroundginger

1/4teaspoonbakingpowder

2cupsoats

1cupunsweeteneddriedcranberries

1/2cuppumpkinseeds

BY THENUMBERS

Preheatovento325degrees.Linea bakingsheetwithparchmentpaper.

Mixtogetherwetingredients

Inasmallsaucepan,meltthecoconut oilovermediumheatandletcoolslightly soitiswarmbutnothot.Whiskinthesea

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

LOUISIANAHAS 8TH-HIGHEST CANCER DEATHRATES IN THEU.S.

In 2023, more than 9,000people in Louisiana died from cancer,ata rate of 165.1 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people. That’shigher than the U.S. cancerdeath rate at 145.4 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people.

According to data from the NationalInstitute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Louisiana had the eighth-highest cancer-related death rate in the country.

Kentucky took the top spotwiththe highest cancer-related death rate with 180.4 deaths per100,000 followedbyMississippi with 179 deaths per 100,000 and West Virginia at 177.9 deaths per 100,000.

Utah had the lowest cancer-related death rates in 2023 with 121.5 deathsper 100,000 followedbyHawaii with 121.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 and Newyorkwith 125.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000

In Louisiana, only four parishes had cancerrelateddeath rates lowerthan the national average—Caldwell, East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Cameron parishes.

These parishes had the lowest cancer-related death rates in the state, in ascending order: n Caldwell Parish with 123.9 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n East Baton RougeParish with 144.7 cancer-

IMPLANT

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said Sahel. The device used in the study differed from previous implants used to enhance vision because it was wireless, said Sahel, as well as howitcould track when patients moved their eyes, versus movingtheir entire head. Sahel and others at Pitt have begun to study the technology in Pittsburgh as well.In2020, thefirstpatientinthe United States to receive the implant did so at UPMC as part of a feasibility study Sahel has been studying this

salt,eggs,honeyandvanilla extractuntilsmooth.

Combinedryingredients

In alarge mixing bowl, combinealmond flour,pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ground ginger and baking powder.Stir in oats, cranberriesand pumpkin seeds until evenlydistributed.

Stirtogetherandbake Pourthecoconutoil mixtureintothedry ingredientsandstiruntil justcombined.Usingasmall scooportablespoon,portion doughontotheprepared bakingsheet,leavingspace betweencookies.

Bake9minutes,thenrotate panandbake4to5minutes longer,untiledgesarelightly goldenandcentersareset. Letthecookiescoolonthe panforafewminutesbefore transferringtoawirerack.

Perserving:150calories,7gramsfat,3 gramssaturatedfat,50mgsodium,19 gramscarbohydrates,3gramsfiber,9 gramssugar,4gramsprotein

Ratherbuythanbake?

We’veteamedupwithPigeonCatering tobringthesewholesomecookiesto lifebeyondyourkitchenverysoon.Early nextyear,you’llfindthemavailablefor purchasethroughPigeonandatselect retailers.Also,they’reofferednowatFUEL CaféformembersofOchsnerFitness CenterinElmwood.

peopleineachLouisiana parish:

related deaths per 100,000 people, n Ascension Parish with 145 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Cameron Parish with 145.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Orleans Parish with 147.7 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n St.TammanyParish with 149.4 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people, n JeffersonParish with 152.3 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people, n West Baton Rougeand Rapides parishes with 156.5 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Lincoln Parish with 159.8 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Livingston Parish with 159.8 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people.

These parishes had the highest rates of cancer-related deaths in the state, in descending order:

n East Carroll Parish with 251.4 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n JacksonParish with 217.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Catahoula Parish with 213.1 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people, n Allen Parish with 206 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people,

technology for more than 15 years, along withStanford professor Daniel Palanker whois also asenior author of the study

Further research in Pittsburgh is ongoing,and thedevice manufacturer has also applied for clinical use authorization in Europe andthe United States to bringitonthe market.

In thefuture, improvements in the electrical panel mayallow participants to see at higher resolutions, andthe treatmentmay beexpanded to othervisiondiseases

“Of course there will be further developments,” said Sahel.“It’s notthe end of the story.”

n Tensas Parish with 202.7 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people,

n St. LandryParish with 202.1 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people,

n Webster Parish with 200.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people,

n Union Parish with 197.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Beauregard Parish with 196.6 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people, n Jefferson DavisParish with 196.4 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people.

Healthy Drinks

Caffeinefanswillbehappytoknow thatcoffeeisbelievedtobeone ofthebestdrinkstopromoteliver health.Studieshaveshownthat drinkingcoffeecanhelplowertherisk ofcirrhosisandprotectagainstfatty liverdisease.Coffeeconsumptioncan decreaseinflammationandincrease protectiveantioxidantsintheliver.

Anewstudysuggestsdrinkingevenonedietorregularsodaadaycanincreasetheriskofliverdisease. Consideringtheliverisoneofthebody’smostimportantorgans,let’slearnmoreabouthealthieroptions.

Theworld’ssecond-most consumedbeverageafter water,teaisalsoknownfor itshealth-boostingproperties includingitsbenefitsforthe liver.Studieshaveshownlower levelsofliverdiseaseamong greenteadrinkersinAsia, EuropeandtheUnitedStates.

Coffee TeaBeetroot juice

Farlesspopularthancoffeeandtea,beetrootjuicealso provideshealthbenefits.Ithelpsprotecttheliverfrom oxidativedamageandinflammation,allwhileincreasingits naturaldetoxificationenzymes.Whileitmayseemlogicalto assumethateatingbeetswouldhavethesamehealthbenefits, moststudiessuggestthatmaynotbethecase.Juicingbeets yourselforbuyingbeetrootjuiceisthesurewaytogetthe benefits.Asalwayswithanysupplements,consultwithyour doctorjusttomakesurebeetrootjuiceisrightforyou.

5healthydrinks forabetter night’s sleep

Around70millionAmericansexperienceinsomniaorothersleepdisorders.Poorsleepcanincreasetheriskofserious healthconditionslikeobesity,coronaryheartdiseaseanddiabetes.

Improvingyoursleepqualitymaybeaseasyasincorporatingsomenaturalbeveragesintoyourroutine.

Herearefivethatcouldhelpyougetbettershuteye:

1 2 3 4 5

Chamomiletea

Studiessuggestthat chamomilecontains anantioxidantcalled apigenin,whichattaches toreceptorsinthebrain toreduceanxietyand encouragesleepiness. Manysleepexperts recommenddrinkinga warmcupofchamomile teaabout30to45 minutesbeforebedtime.

Warmmilk

Milkcontainsanaminoacid calledtryptophan,which playsanessentialrolein thebody’sproductionof serotoninandmelatonin. Theseneurochemicalsplay crucialrolesinregulating sleep,moodandother physiologicalfunctions. Ifcow’smilkisn’tyour preferenceoryouarelactose intolerant,almondmilkisa goodalternativethankstoits sleep-friendlynutrientprofile.

Valeriantea

Therootofvalerian,a perennialplant,hasbeen usedforcenturiesasa medicinalherbtohelp reduceanxietyandstress andpromotecalmness

Researchsuggestsitmayhelp peoplefallasleepfasterand enhanceoverallsleepquality withoutinducinggrogginess thefollowingday.Valerian alsoshowspromiseamong postmenopausalwomen,who oftenfacedisruptionsinsleep duetohormonechanges.

Whileteaiswidelyviewedasahealthydrink,notallteasarecreatedequal.Many teasonsupermarketshelvescontainhidden,harmfulingredients.

Theseteasaremass-producedandsoldinindividualteabags,comprisedoffinely brokenorcrushedpiecesoflow-qualitytealeaves.Thebagsaretypicallynylonor plastic–andtheplasticcanseepintoourtea.

Loose-leafteasthatareprimarilyorganicarethebest.Loose-leafteaisbest brewedwithateapotdesignedtobrewloose-leaftea.Theseteapotshavebuiltininfusersorteastrainers,whichyoucanremovetoavoidover-steeping.Teapots comeindifferentsizes;followtheruleof1tablespoonper8ouncesofwater

Coconutwater

Althoughoftenassociated withenergydrinks, coconutwater’sunique blendofmagnesiumand potassiummaysupport bettersleep.Magnesium isnature’srelaxant,key inreducingtensionand encouragingrestfulsleep Potassiumcomplements thisbysupportinghealthy musclefunctionand preventingcrampsthat candisturbsleepduring thenight

Here’showtomakeloose-leaftea: 1. Dependingonhowmuchteayouplanto serve,bringyourmeasuredwatertoaboil. 2. Place1tablespoonofloose-leafteaper8 ouncesintothestrainerinsideofyourteapot. 3. Onceyourteapotcomestoaboil,remove thestrainer.

Goodbrandsoflooseteasinclude:

•GachiTea •Pukka •VerdantTea •InPursuitofTea

Passionflowertea

Abeautifulflowering vine,passionfloweris anherbalremedyoften usedtoeaseinsomnia, anxiety,hotflashesand pain.Ithasaspecial abilitytoboostan aminoacidinthebrain thatworksasanatural relaxer,helpingtocalm thenervoussystem.By reducingbrainactivity, itcanbeespecially helpfulifyourmind tendstoraceatnight.

63countries.TolearnmoreabouthowOchsnerempowerspeopletogetwellandstaywell,visitwww.ochsner.org.

LOUISIANA

Naturalinstincts

Statewidenaturalist programeducates about floraand fauna

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Long before Bob Thomas founded the Louisiana Master Naturalist Association, he grew up in central Louisiana, wandering thewoods andwaterways forsnakes, frogs and bugs.

“It was awonderful place forme,” Thomassaid, “becauseIwas in the field all thetime.Snakes were dripping outof the trees and fish were jumping out of the water.”

His love for nature, fostered by aLouisiana wilderness childhood, led him to jungle after junglestudying snakes and their adaptations —Thomas became a snakeexpert, an environmental biology professor,the founding director ofthe Louisiana Nature Center andthe director of the Center for Environmental Communication at Loyola University. He wanted to share this knowledge and passion with peoplebeyond academia After several years of trying, he finally established thefirst LouisianaMaster Naturalist Association chapter. Now, the 13-year-old program’spopularityissurging.

The Greater New Orleans chapterhas awaitlist of over ayear.Currently,seven chaptersserve thestate: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans andShreveport

The501©(3) nonprofitgroup offers a statewide program toeducateLouisiana residents about the state’sflora and fauna, as well as other aspects of their environment and ecosystems. Once certified, the masternaturalistsuse their knowledge to educate others or assist programs that promote and protect Louisiana’snaturalheritage.Courses are offeredtwice ayear,inthe springand the fall.

BY JOYHOLDEN

Originsofnaturalistassociation

Master Naturalist Associations exist in 48 states, often state-funded. Louisianadoes not have statefunding. Thomas explained that he tried to establish an association with the LSU Ag Center at one point,but funding fell through.

After multiple failed attempts at startingastatewide association, Thomas says he believedthe only waytomove forwardwas to start alocal organization in New Orleans. He called naturalist friends there,and they set up the nonprofit,startingpilot classes in 2012.

The first public classes were held in the spring of 2013.

While each chapter in Louisianaisdifferent, they all have workshops, learning opportunities andservetheir communities. Every chapter presents abroad overview of the state’s natural history, but chapteractivitiesvary basedongeography

Louisiana is nicknamed the Sportsman’sParadisefor itsabundant wildlife that many residents enjoy hunting and fishingin. Thomas values thesportsmen and sportswomen of thestate for their traditional ecological knowledge. He says many have been through theprogram andhavebecome certified naturalists. Other participantsdonot have nearly as much experience, but they are curious abouttheir surroundings. Everyoneiswelcome.

“Wetell them at orientation that it’sa community of people whohavesimilar interests,”Thomassaid.“Youmight love insects, and you might love birds, or you might be intogeneral nature. Youmight love refuges.Itdoesn’tmatter.Ifyou’re interested in nature, you fit theprofile of people in these classes.”

Becoming amasternaturalist

Each chapter has different, but comparable, requirementstoreceive and maintain certification. To receive certification,aspiring naturalists must completea course (40-60 hoursofworkshop time), volunteer time to benefit theenvi-

ronment and community,aswell as pay modestdues.

Thomas says learning happens indoor and outdoor,but they don’tspend alot of timeinside. Field trips and workshops are often outside in nature.

Helen Sierminski of New Orleansleads urbannaturewalks through thecity. Her partner told her about becoming amasternaturalist. He hadcompleted theprogram afew years earlier.She was waitlisted for ayear,but was abletostart the classes when someone backed out in the fall of 2024.

“The challenging partabout it is that we get alot of information allatonce. We have classestwice amonth,and it’s an all-day class learning allthe things. We don’tlearn one thingatatime,” Sierminski said.

Visiting specific sites for field study is also amajor component of the program

When Sierminski and her class visited sites during theprogram, she noted that different expertsdiscussed multiple aspectsofthat environment, like lizards and birds in thearea and what madethe soil unique.

Sierminski startedher own company

Small acts,big connections

As we approach the holidays, I’ve thought alot about people who arelonely. Peeling back the layers of what it takestobuild community might just be the antidote to loneliness.

So,let’s work backwards: If the epidemic of loneliness is the outside layer, building community would be its undoing, which begs the question: How does onebuild community? Doing so is nota “just add water” sort of equation. Community grows in layers, from the inside out. It’sa tangledweb of genuine relationships —and it’smessy

As therapist Amanda E. White points out, community is notfrictionless —and Ilovethat phrasing. White is executive director of Therapy for WomeninPhiladelphia.She says thatbeing in acommunity sometimes means getting annoyedbecause that one friend sends toomany texts, or youhavetolistenwhen you don’t feel like it to the friend who tells youway toomuch.

Maybe there arelimits to your patience, but being part of a community might even mean maintaining the relationship with the friend who loudly smacks at the table

The point is being in acommunity is messy,sometimesdifficult —and it comes with being in relationships at avariety of stages.

But genuine relationships are at the heartofevery strong community

The tricky part these days, especially forpeople in younger generations, is finding the other folks to build relationships with. To meet people,I’m abig fan of joining organizations that focus on sharedvalues, activities and interests —churches cometo mind, but if church isn’tone’s cupoftea, perhaps atennis league or atrivia team would work.

The secret to finding new friends is the same advice that my photographerfriend gave me to take betterphotographs: move your feet.Get up and get out. Find the clubs. Go to the meetings. Staya while.

Showup—thenshowupagain. Sometimesdoing so takes courage.

Onceapool of potential friends have been found, what’sthe next step?

It’shaving meaningful conversations —the kind that move beyond small talk andhelp us understand each other to discover howour weirds overlap. As alongtime journalist who has interviewed thousands of people, my adviceonthis is easy —ask questions. If yousincerely ask good andthoughtful questions andlistentothe answers, you’ll be amazed at what people will tell you.

Let’sdissect thatlast sentence again:

Sincerely ask: Frommyvantage point, Isee “sincerity” as the keytoalmost everything when it comes to relationships. Being sinceremeansknowing who you areand following through being true to yourself instead of following whateveritisyou saw someoneelse do andthought wascool once upona time To practicesincerity,pay attentiontowhatmakes your heart sing —and followthat song. Thoughtful questions: Don’tgo with the obvious. Think about what thatpersonjust said and allowyourself room to wonder Thenbeboldenough to ask the question. Yes, there’sa line not to crosstoavoid the creepy territory,but there’s alot of room

ASK THE EXPERTS

La. chapel one of the last Southern Gothic Revival churches

Building faces disrepair; roof was last replaced over 100 years ago

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Spencer Chauvin is president of Friends of St. Mary’s Chapel, a 501(c)(3) corporation that is dedicated to raising funds for the preservation of the chapel in Convent, in St. James Parish. The organization is currently leasing the church from the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. While the chapel does not have regular mass, it does host special events.

St. Mary on the River (circa 1849) was the name of the small chapel long before it was referred to in its current English name, St Mary’s. The first St. Mary’s was completed on Oct. 2, 1849. The current and second St. Mary’s Chapel (circa 1875) building is the one standing today on River Road in Convent. The rectory was moved in 1984, but before it was a rectory it was a residence As of today, it is the oldest standing Acadian cottage in Louisiana, dating back prior to 1784.

The building was placed on the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation’s Most Endangered List for 2021, and the organization is working to get it registered on the National Register of Historic Places. If successful, Chauvin has plans to preserve the original siding, interior and replace the steeple to reflect the original structure that was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965. What is the current condition of the chapel?

It’s in disrepair It’s in need of a roof. The last time it had a roof was 1923, and it’s an asbestos slate roof. It was meant to be a 100-year roof, and I think we’ve squeezed every 100 years out of it. We formed the nonprofit to start

NATURAL

Continued from page 1y

which offers urban nature experiences. She uses her master naturalist training professionally as a guide, identifying different species and sharing how the ecosystems work with clients. She appreciates the ecosystem context the master naturalist certification gave her “Understanding healthy ecosystems helps us to get along with nature,” she said, “like in Louisiana where you have coastal erosion and a lot of environmental factors.”

Around the state

Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge member Colette Dean was instrumental in launching the Discover Nature series in 2016 at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum. The series is one example of how master naturalists give back to their communities. He emphasized that chapters

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Friends of St Mary’s Chapel is a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to raising funds for the preservation of the chapel in Convent, Louisiana,

repairs.

St. Mary’s Chapel is a mission of St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and I joined the pastoral council of St. Michael’s with St. Mary’s in mind, trying to make sure that it got the attention it needed.

What role did St. Mary’s Chapel play in the community?

St Michael the Archangel was built in the early 1800s. People lived along the river, and it was very difficult for people to travel there, because it serves such a large area. St. Mary’s is about 13 miles from St. Michael’s, so parishioners who didn’t have a horse and buggy had to walk.

There’s stories of people who used to walk barefoot on the levee because they didn’t want to ruin their church shoes. So when they got to church, they put on their shoes.

The priest wanted to build two chapels east and west of St. Mi-

are more than learning about wildlife. The members develop a community, and chapters share presenters and enjoy cohosting field trips with other chapters LMNA hosts an annual state gathering, Rendezvous, to meet one another and share knowledge and ideas.

“Louisiana chapters may differ in their content and approach, but the coordination will ensure consistency in quality and focus,” Thomas said.

Louisiana Master Naturalist Greater New Orleans even has a resource center Thomas affectionately calls “the clubhouse” that serves as a meeting and teaching place. They have a library of about 1,200 nature books and animal artifacts they use in their workshops. They even have study groups on such subjects as mushrooms or dragonflies.

“We meet a lot of interesting people. We have regular membership meetings and gatherings in parks for mini workshops,” Thomas said. “There’s a lot more to it than just hav-

chael’s so that they could serve the people better In a Catholic Church, there’s a side chapel with Mary on the left and Joseph on the right. To commemorate that fact, the priest built St. Mary’s Chapel on the upriver side of St. Michael’s, and he built St. Joseph’s Chapel on the downriver side with St. Michael’s in the middle.

St. Joseph’s has become its own parish, but St. Mary’s never got out of being a mission of St. Michael’s.

What’s the next milestone in the restoration process for St. Mary’s?

We started with getting a new roof to protect it, because it’s leaking. Because it’s an asbestos slate roof, removing the roof actually costs more than putting on a new one.

So we started raising money, and we’ve raised $160,000 so far

We’re going to spend some money to try to beautify the church for now We’re going to repair the

Q&A WITH SPENCER CHAUVIN

PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF ST MARy’S CHAPEL

parts of the roof that are leaking, rip off the vinyl siding and paint the front.

What does this project teach about the importance of preserving small, sacred spaces in rural Louisiana?

For preservation in general.

For me, it’s personal. My greatgreat-great-grandfather was one of the designers and builders of St. Mary’s. Living next to it helps because when I walk out the back door, it’s the first thing I see. It’s kind of knocking on my back door like, “Hey I’m here. I need some help.”

The out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality is not an excuse for me. This church was done in the

ing workshops and learning about nature, it’s a big social occasion.”

To learn more about joining a Louisiana Master Natural-

ist Association, visit www louisianamasternaturalist.org/ chapters.html To view the association’s presentations, visit https://tinyurl.com/yfp9aywz

Gothic Revival style, which was popular in the mid-1800s. Most Gothic Revival churches are masonry construction. They were built to last, and they were built with quite large budgets. Here, they have a limited budget, so they built it out of wood. You don’t see many of those left, because they’re not nearly as strong and built to last as long.

St. Mary’s Chapel could be one of the last timber frame Gothic Revival churches in the South. They usually rot, burn or hurricanes knock them over and this one’s still standing It’s cool to save something that’s one of a kind.

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

before you get there

Listen. The number of times I hear other people ask a question that a person just answered is high — and, in full disclosure, I have done it myself too. Nearly every time I do, I’m focusing on what my reply will be as opposed to simply listening and taking it in.

People will tell you. They’ll tell you about the time they got into the Peace Corps to go to Albania but ended up in Honduras instead. They’ll tell you about their secret pregnancy They’ll tell you about driving across two states to buy a car for their exwife because it looked like a specific Pokémon.

People will tell you amazing things. In all these small exchanges questions asked, stories shared, kindnesses shared — community starts to take shape. It doesn’t arrive all at once. Community is built layer by layer — through sincerity, curiosity, courage and persistence.

Support provided for Louisianans with cancer

Groups ease the burden of caregivers, fight loneliness

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Once a month, every third Wednesday afternoon in a six-story building down Jefferson Highway, a room is filled with chairs arranged in a circle and women holding white Styrofoam cups of warm tea and coffee In this space, women share the most vulnerable parts of their lives: their journey through cancer Woman’s Hospital, at 100 Woman’s Way, Baton Rouge, began these “Reali-Tea Talks” this year to help patients in any phase of cancer treatment — from diagnosis to survivorship — navigate their lives. They talk about work They talk about their children. They talk about their symptoms They talk about their new realities. They talk about their treatments. They talk about the beauties of life.

They talk about anything at all.

Support groups like this are popping up all around Louisiana in an effort to brace and uplift the thousands of people each year who fight, battle and continue to live after cancer In Louisiana, there have been 29,980 estimated new cases of cancer and 9,340 estimated deaths by cancer in the state in 2025 so far, according to the American Cancer Society Each of those patients has their own stories, their own families to think about and their own lives to lead.

“We wanted our patients to have a place to vent, to talk about everything and nothing at all,” said Shelisa Cager, the manager of the support group at Woman’s Hospital.

Each Reali-Tea Talk is led by an oncology nurse navi-

gator or a social worker who help to guide the group in conversation, giving the way for all members to talk about what’s weighing on them.

“Some patients don’t really like to talk all that much,” Cager said. “But they like to listen — and know that there are people experiencing the same as them.”

Some cancer support groups are led by community members, others like the Tea Talks are hosted by medical professionals. Both can have great benefits on health outcomes after surviving cancer Research from the National Cancer Institute shows that joining a support group improves both quality of life and survival.

Cancer support groups can n help patients feel better more hopeful and not so alone.

n give patients a chance to talk about feelings and work through them.

n help patients deal with practical problems, such as problems at work or school.

n help patients cope with side effects of treatment.

These support groups can also ease the burdens of caregivers and family members.

Andre Moreau recognized the importance of support groups for male-centered cancers as well.

“I’m a reluctant new member of the advocacy space,” he said.

Moreau noted that talking to family members sometimes isn’t enough to ease the hardships of surviving and fighting cancer

“You don’t want to feel like a burden to them with every thought in your head,” Moreau said. “They already do so much for us.”

Moreau was a hospital administrator for 20 years in Lafayette when his father died unexpectedly of prostate cancer He then began working in his mother’s beauty salon a business run in the family for over 40 years.

Then, his mother was diagnosed with pancreatic

cancer While he was looking at possible buyers for his family business, Moreau got unexpected news from his annual blood test. He had low levels of a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, a key indicator for prostate cancer

He went to the urologist to check his levels. He got an MRI. It was real — Moreau had prostate cancer

“I was in the middle of the most stressful time of my life,” Moreau said “I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, because it’s the last thing I wanted to deal with.”

Like many men faced with prostate cancer, Moreau had to make a difficult choice between surgical or radiation treatment. He chose radiation.

Fatigue set in. The bone loss. The emotional toll.

“I could go back to bed at any moment, and I just woke up,” Moreau said.

At the same time, his neighbor of 15 years was diagnosed with prostate cancer as well. They raised their children together at the same high school, and now they would be battling cancer together, too.

During his nine weeks of radiation and two years of hormone deprivation, Moreau spoke to countless men, women and doctors who have had family or friends who fought prostate cancer

“The whole time I was thinking how difficult this process must be for people who don’t have a lot of resources or a network of people to tap into,” Moreau said. “Therefore, I made a commitment to try to raise awareness in our community to try to help others.

It wasn’t until Moreau was at a fishing tournament in Lafayette that he realized just how many men were impacted by prostate cancer, and how he could help.

“I ran into a hospital administrator from Our Lady of Lourdes, and we chatted about a possible group,”

Moreau said. “But I never thought I was the guy to run it.”

The prostate cancer support group started with five people — just a few men Moreau knew who had prostate cancer Over the last year they’ve expanded to 20, sometimes 30, men in one meeting.

After pills, hormonal therapies and visiting multiple doctors for second opinions,

“We just help each other out and say, ‘Hey, have you thought of this?,’ or ‘This might help with your hot flashes,’ or ‘This is what you should expect with your hormone therapy,’” Moreau said. “We encourage each other And we cry together, too.”

Celebrating

ThePower of Partnership

Southern U transforma expand in theCo in

Universityand A&MCollegehas receiveda ative$5million investment from Shellto itiativesinthe CollegeofBusiness and ollegeofSciencesand Engineering. This nvestment directlysupports theSouthern UniversitySystem’sStrategic Pillars, includingStudent Success and Academic Excellence

“Withthis investmentinengineering education and studentsuccess,weare further strengthening Shell’spartnership with SouthernUniversityand empowering thenextgeneration of innovators and leaders. We can’t wait to see howtheywill shape thefutureofenergy and technologyfor our industryand theworld.”

EMMALEWIS Executive Vice President,Shell Chemicals

FAITH & VALUES

Monks, nuns harvest olives where Jesus prayed

Many gather at Mount of Olives in October

BY GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Contributing writer

Come October, monks and nuns are busy harvesting olives at the Mount of Olives and the Gethsemane garden — where, according to the Gospel, Jesus spent the last night before being taken up the other side of the valley into Jerusalem to be crucified.

For two years, the Israel-Hamas war has cast a pall on the Holy Land. The hundreds of centuriesold olive trees here have shaken periodically in missile attacks targeting Israel.

But this year’s harvest happened as a ceasefire agreement was reached, spreading a tenuous hope for peace peace that olive branches have symbolized since the biblical story of the dove that brought one back to Noah’s Ark to signify the end of the flood.

“The land is a gift and the sign of a divine presence,” said the Rev Diego Dalla Gassa, a Franciscan in charge of the harvest in the hermitage next to Gethsemane.

The word Gethsemane is derived from the ancient Aramaic’s and Hebrew’s “oil press.”

For Dalla Gassa and the other mostly Catholic congregations on the hill, harvesting olives to make preserves and oil is not a business or even primarily a source of sustenance for their communities Rather, it’s a form of prayer and reverence.

“To be the custodian of holy sites doesn’t mean only to guard them, but to live them, physically but also spiritually,” he added. “It’s re-

ally the holy sites that guard us.”

Early on a recent morning, Dalla Gassa traded his habit for a Tshirt and shorts albeit with an olive wood cross around his neck

— and headed to the terraces facing Jerusalem’s Old City

The bright sun shone off the golden dome of Al-Aqsa Mosque, visible above the walls encircling the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism alongside the bell towers of Christian churches.

Dalla Gassa and some volunteers, ranging from Israeli Jews to visiting Italian law enforcement officers, picked the black and green olives by hand and with tiny rakes, dropping them onto nets under the trees.

Once they filled a wheelbarrow,

Dalla Gassa put on ear covers and got the loud, modern press

humming. Soon, the fragrance of freshly pressed green oil filled the air It takes up to 22 pounds of olives to make 34 ounces of extravirgin oil.

Up the hill from the Franciscan convent, Sister Marie Benedicte walked among more olive trees cradling the adopted kitty she has named “Petit Chat,” little cat in French.

“It’s easy to pray while picking and nature is so beautiful,” she said later while starting her harvest. “It’s like a retreat time.”

For more than two decades, the French nun has been in the Benedictine monastery founded at the end of the 19th century atop the Mount of Olives. Only half a dozen sisters live there now, their day flowing in a 16-hour rhythm of work, contemplative walks in the

garden, and prayer

“It’s very quiet here, very simple,” said Sister Colomba, who is from the Philippines and is in charge of ensuring there’s always enough olive oil in the church lamps to keep them burning by the tabernacle

Olive trees are an essential crop in this desert region where they’ve grown for millennia. For decades they’ve been at the heart of sometimes-violent land disputes between Palestinians and some Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Israel occupied it in the 1967 war along with east Jerusalem, where the Mount of Olives is.

The congregations on the hill do not have commercial productions, dedicating the vast majority of the oil to their own use, both in the kitchen and for sacraments. Many Christians use oil, blessed by clergy during an annual Chrism Mass, for rituals ranging from anointing the sick to blessing the baptized and new altars.

For the religious brothers and sisters living among these trees, the harvest itself is spiritual and full of symbolism.

“In picking the olives, we learn how we are picked. We go looking for that last olive that’s what God does with us, even those who are a bit hard to reach,” said Dalla Gassa.

Squeezing a plump green olive between his fingers, he also spoke of the sacrifice that comes with fulfilling one’s vocation of love for God and neighbor

“The olive is only good when pressed. It’s the same for us,” said Dalla Gassa.

The volunteers who’ve been harvesting this year share in the transcendent experience as much

as in the dusty, hot working days.

“The garden is very special. It’s full of spirituality and holiness,” said Ilana Peer-Goldin, who on a recent morning was helping Dalla Gassa with the harvest. An Israeli raised in Jerusalem, she draws from Jewish, Catholic and Buddhist practices.

Teresa Penta, who is from Puglia, Italy — one of the Mediterranean area’s top olive-producing regions — has spent 13 years in the hermitage next to Gethsemane.

“This place has an eternal charm,” she said.

The modern olive press has been in place only a few years. She said it added special meaning, returning Gethsemane to its original function.

This year’s harvest has been meager because of drought and fierce springtime winds that damaged the blossoms. Still, other congregations have been sending their olives to be processed by the monastery of Latrun, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Latrun’s Trappist monks also have olive trees and vines, though thousands of them were destroyed by a devastating fire this spring.

Walking to the olive press outside the abbey church in his black-and-white habit, Brother Athanase said the oil and wine production helps the friars earn their living. But the end goal is different for the contemplative religious.

“To create the empty space while working with repetitive gesture, to be completely available to our Lord, Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s a life to be received completely.”

Denver’s food forests provide fruit while greening environment

BY RILEY RAMIREZ Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Riley Ramirez for Civil Eats, is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. 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.

The urban tree canopy in Denver is one of the sparsest in the country Only 15 percent of the Colorado capital enjoys tree cover, and that figure drops to a mere 4 percent for the downtown area. In 2020, when Linda Appel Lipsius became executive director of the decades-old Denver Urban Gardens network, which oversees more than 200 community vegetable gardens throughout six metro Denver counties, she wanted to continue increasing community access to fresh food — a longtime goal of the garden program. But she had another aim, too: increasing the city’s tree coverage. Thinking back to techniques she had learned at the Denver Permaculture Guild, Appel Lipsius decided to build a system of food forests throughout the Denver area These dense, layered plantings incorporate fruit-bearing trees with other perennials to mimic natural forests

Now Denver Urban Gardens oversees 26 food forests, with 600 or so fruit and nut trees and 600 berry bushes. While urban trees are recognized for their multiple benefits, including cooling and carbon drawdown, “there are not a lot of players in Denver or even in most cities around the country, who are focused on food trees,” Appel Lipsius said. “We were able to step into this space to help build and bolster the canopy while adding food-producing perennials.”

Benefits of urban trees

Denver Urban Gardens started as a grassroots movement in the 1970s when North Denver neighbors created space for a group of local Hmong women to grow their own food After transforming a vacant parking lot into the Pecos Community Garden, the group helped other neighbors start gardens, too Denver Urban Gardens officially became a nonprofit in 1985, and over the past four decades, it has grown and distributed more than 62,000 pounds of food throughout the metro area. In the nonprofit’s new food forest

spaces, neighbors are welcome to enter and harvest a wide assortment of fruits, nuts, and berries.

And unlike in Denver Urban Gardens’s community gardens, where people pay a fee to have their own plots, this bounty is free.

Beyond providing fresh food in neighborhoods that need it most, these agroforests reduce the urban heat island effect, create pollinator habitat, and combat pollution and climate change by absorbing and filtering harmful gases. They also create much-needed green space within communities.

“Trees are so beneficial for mental health neighborhood security and certainly temperatures,” Appel Lipsius said. “You walk off the street into one of our food forests and it’s 5 to 15 degrees cooler.”

Globally farmers are increasingly turning to agroforestry techniques — which Indigenous peoples have employed for millennia — to improve, stabilize, and diversify crop yields in the face of climate change.

And across the U.S., cities are embracing agroforestry as well. While Denver has a network of smaller food forests, cities like Seattle and Atlanta have very large standalone sites Appel Lipsius points out that some cities may have community orchards — or simple plantings of fruit or nut trees — rather than multilayered food forests.

Building generational spaces

Denver Urban Gardens lead-

ers used tried-and-tested methods learned through its gardens program to launch the food forests project. In 2022, the organization received seed money from a family foundation to help kickstart its program With that funding, Appel Lipsius brought on her former permaculture teacher, Creighton Hofeditz, who used the funds to plan six food forest sites.

“It’s a process that requires both vision and patience,” said Hofeditz, now the senior director of gardens and food forests for the group

“This is going to look pretty raggedy for the first few years, but in 10 years, it’s going to be this incredible space to visit and explore for the whole neighborhood, and it’ll last for 100 years. We are thinking about (these food forests) as generational spaces.”

Not long after its seed funding, Denver Urban Gardens received a larger grant from a private foundation that enabled the organization to create 20 food forest installations in two years Additional funding flowed into the program, including federal funds from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“We went from zero to about 26 food forests in three years, which is just nuts,” Appel Lipsius said. Denver Urban Gardens is planning to add four more sites over the next year

Volunteers on the ground

To get a food forest started, Den-

ver Urban Gardens works with landowners usually public entities such as cities, parks, schools, and churches — to identify potential plots that are between 2,000 and 8,000 square feet, vacant, oddly shaped with some amount of slope, and have water and public access.

Denver Urban Gardens then forms agreements with the owners allowing the group to use the land for a food forest as long as they maintain it.

Once a forest is in place, community volunteers trained in tree health, pruning, and pest management — known as tree keepers help tend the site. Additionally Denver Urban Gardens solicits local businesses to sponsor and support the site.

“It’s not just planting trees. These are community-informed designs,” Appel Lipsius said. “It is reliant on the community to survive and thrive.”

Abbie Keyes spends two hours per week at the Bradley International School food forest near her house, tending apple, peach, cherry, mulberry pawpaw and hazelnut trees during the growing season. “I love the philosophy of making it so there are ways for the public to get fresh fruit and really understand how accessible it can be,” Keyes said. “I think it’s a neat way to help people realize where their food comes from.”

Olivia Stockert began volunteering at Denver Urban Gardens’s flagship food forest, the Barnum

Orchard, in 2022, soon after the program started. Over the years, she has witnessed the orchard — which was planted by neighbors in 2016 and later adopted by Denver Urban Gardens — change significantly

“That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the volunteer role seeing the evolution,” she said. “Having some of these small trees that were planted when I first started volunteering now large enough to actually bear fruit is really cool.”

Adjusting to new funding reality

In March 2023, the Denver City Council unanimously passed the West Area Plan — a roadmap to improve the quality of life for residents in Denver West, a workingclass, predominately Latinx area that had historically been redlined and lacked green space and grocery stores.

As part of the plan, Denver Urban Gardens created the Dig Deeper Initiative to establish six community gardens and nine food forests in several neighborhoods. Denver Urban Gardens received two federal grants totaling $850,000 for the initiative under the Biden administration, but both have been terminated since Trump took office.

“It’s a real shame to see these kinds of projects cut,” said Councilwoman Jamie Torres, who represents Denver West’s District 3, “because they directly meet the needs of a community. with, frankly, not that much investment.”

The loss of $850,000 from a $4.2 million budget has been no small blow, Appel Lipsius said, adding that other Denver Urban Gardens funders now seem nervous about contributing. “It’s just heartbreaking, because this was something that the whole organization was going to be singularly focused on for the next three years,” Appel Lipsius said. “Years of planning, as well, are just out the window now.”

The Dig Deeper Initiative has not been entirely lost, however; leaders have reduced the scope from six gardens to two and from nine food forests to three, and will follow through on their plans for those.

Despite the roadblocks, Appel Lipsius said Denver Urban Gardens will continue its mission to regenerate urban green space and grow healthy food in the community They’re dedicated to the food forest program as well, Hofeditz said, with the goal of “creating a geographic spread so that you can be anywhere in the city and be pretty close to a food forest.”

SUNDAY, November 9, 2025

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — GoLdsMitH: GOLDsmith: One who makes or deals in articles of gold.

Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 59 or more words in GOLDSMITH?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, 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

zhouqin

wuzzLes

Simple is best

– today

super Quiz

SUBJECT: INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

the device or

When this deal was played in a team match, both tables reached four hearts after an opening bid by West and a Michael’s Cue Bid by North. This table had a straightforward auction with South bidding what he hoped he could make. At the other table, they had some fancy bidding methods after the cue bid. They reached the same contract, but played by North, making it easier for East-West to get a spade ruff. East led a spade to the ace and got a ruff at trick two. Had North who knew the lead was a singleton from the auction, smoothly dropped his king under the ace, West might not have returned a spade. We’ll never know. Down one at that table Here, West led a diamond South won with dummy’s king, and knowing the defense had a spade ruff available, led a club to his ace. He discarded a low spade from dummy on the ace of diamonds before leading a heart. West stepped up with his ace, cashed the ace of spades, and led another spade South could do no wrong at this point. He would have prevailed by ruffing with either the queen or the seven. He chose to ruff with the seven and then cashed the king. When

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Engage in something that excites you, and it will lead to an opportunity Open communication will help you figure out what’s possible and the best way to fulfill your needs.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Look before you leap. Proceed with caution and obtain everything in writing. You are best off sticking to domestic improvements that lower your overhead or add to your convenience.

the jack fell under the king, he crossed to his hand with the 10 of hearts and led a club to make his contract. The simple auction gained big, but there was nothing wrong with the bidding at the other table. It was just bad luck.

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

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Forming a partnership or sharing costs or expertise with someone willing to match your input and effort will lead to a match made in heaven. Proceed with passion.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Check your schedule, how you handle your routine and what you can do to reconfigure your time management. A lifestyle change is within reach; all you need to do is put it into place. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Engage in events that offer insight into new possibilities. The chance to head in a different direction is within reach. You can’t buy love, but you can earn it. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Put your head down, focus on what you

want to achieve and avoid letting outside influences stand between you and what makes you happy How you handle and implement change will determine your next move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Too much in too short a time will cause problems. Stick to your routine and budget to make your life easier. Protect your physical and emotional well-being. Choose common sense.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to jeopardize yourself by fitting in or taking the fall for someone else’s shortcomings. Honesty and integ-

rity are your best options regardless of what others do.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You can gain ground if you interact with others. Put your best foot forward, and network and socialize your way to success. Let your charm and imagination take the lead, and you’ll own the spotlight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Ease up on yourself. Reflect on what you are good at and the things you do that bring you pride. Stand up, say what’s on your mind and be a leader who makes a difference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) What you do will be the deciding factor in

what you receive in return. Making promises without following through are a waste of everyone’s time.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You are walking a tightrope when it comes to excessive behavior or promising the impossible. Choose your words wisely and show passion in how you approach what and who matter to you.

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

Answers to puzzles

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: If you retain nothing else, always remember the most importantrule of beauty,whichis: Who cares? —Tina Fey

1. Vacuumcleaner. 2. ThomasEdison. 3.George Eastman. 4. LouisBraille. 5. Basketball 6. Helicopter.7.Penicillin.8.Movable-type printing press. 9. Dynamite. 10.Atomic bomb 11. Nikola Tesla.12. Geodesic dome. 13.Steamboat. 14.(Lockstitch)sewing machine. 15. Jonas Salk. Crossword