The Advocate 11-22-2025

GAME DAY: VAN BUREN LEADS LSU IN HOME FINALE

Jury finds Sharpe guilty of murder

Insanity defense rejected after weeklong trial

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

It took a jury of six men and six women less than 40 minutes to convict Ryan Joseph Sharpe of second-degree murder at the end of a weeklong trial on Friday evening. The verdict was the culmination of an eight-year saga.

Jurors rejected the contentions from Sharpe’s attorney that he was

insane when he went on a murderous shooting spree over the span of three months in 2017. He shot four men at random, killing three of them Carroll Breeden Sr., a 66-yearold ex-BREC supervisor, was one of the deceased victims. Sharpe shot the man in the chest as he was doing yard work on his multi-acre property along Port Hudson-Pride Road in September 2017.

“He knew exactly what he did. He was proud of what he did. And he needs to be held accountable for what he did,” Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings told jurors during her closing arguments.

District Judge Colette Greggs, who presided over the trial, set Sharpe’s sentencing date for Dec. 12. He faces a mandatory life term in prison. The spate of random shootings

sparked widespread panic in rural portions of East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. It also prompted multiple law enforcement agencies to converge and form a task force to find the killer About three weeks after he shot Breeden dead, Sharpe shot and killed Brad DeFranceschi in a very similar way He shot the 48-year-old

WHITE LIGHT NIGHT

Mid City transformed into a lively celebration Friday night as the 28th annual White Light Night offered a large open-house style market event featuring art, live music, food and shopping, sponsored by Mid City Merchants.

ABOVE: Ornement Jewelry’s Tiffanie Lasseigne, second from left, chats with customers during Friday’s event

RIGHT: Sarah Pommier, left, chats with Tyronecia Moore, of House of Sassfiend, as she makes a purchase on Friday.

Political adversaries seem to become allies

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE

Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday met the man who had proudly proclaimed himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” but he seemed to find the opposite.

The Republican president and New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani were warm and friendly, speaking repeatedly of their shared goals to help Trump’s hometown rather than their

combustible differences.

Trump, who had in the past called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” spoke openly of how impressed he was with the man who had called his administration “authoritarian.”

“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” Trump said of the democratic socialist as Mamdani stood next to him in the Oval Office.

The meeting offered political opportunities for both men. For Mamdani, a sit-down offered the state lawmaker — who until recently was relatively unknown — the chance to go head-to-head

with the most powerful person in the world. For Trump, it was a high-profile chance to talk about affordability at a time when he’s under increasing political pressure to show he’s addressing voter concerns about the cost of living. Until now the men have been political foils who galvanized their supporters by taking on each other, and it’s unclear how those backers will react to their genial get-together and complimentary words. “We’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true,

ä See MEETING, page 5A

Scout Reservation

DeFranceschi died at the

La.

A jury found Sharpe guilty of murder by an 11-1 vote in 2019, but that conviction was tossed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled nonunanimous verdicts unconstitutional in 2020. At a retrial in August 2024, a

Solar plant opens in Iberia Parish

$1.1B facility expected to provide 800 jobs

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL and ADAM DAIGLE Staff writers

When Georges Antoun came to Louisiana from Lebanon in the early 1980s, he needed money The country was entering an oil crisis, and cities along the Gulf Coast — especially places like Lafayette that depended on oil and gas jobs — felt the hit first. As families moved to larger cities like Houston in search of work, Antoun began offering a service: For a fee, he’d drive their moving trucks back to Louisiana.

It’s no secret that Louisiana has long lost talent to its western neighbor and has sought ways to entice them back.

The opening of First Solar’s $1.1 billion solar panel manufacturing facility near New Iberia has allowed Antoun, now the company’s chief commercial officer, to have conversations with families who have chosen to return to Louisiana to work at the facility

The 2.4 million-square-foot mega complex is one of the largest investments in the Acadiana region and is expected to provide more than 800 jobs by the end of 2025. When the site selection process began for First Solar to find its next manufacturing facility, leaders in Iberia Parish and Acadiana got to work.

There were at least 10 sites in the running to land the billion-dollar project that would bring hundreds of jobs. Two of them were out of the country When the Iberia Parish site made the cut for the final three, things got interesting.

“That’s when we really had to put on our championship jackets and really work hard,” said Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation. “We’re so happy First Solar chose us. We’re so excited to see this plant come to fruition.”

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Nigeria: Gunmen abduct schoolchildren, teachers

ABUJA,Nigeria Gunmen attacked a Catholic boarding school in a western region of Nigeria and abducted more than 200 schoolchildren Friday, the Christian Association of Nigeria said, in the latest in a spate of abductions in Africa’s most populous country

The attack and abductions took place at St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in the Agwara local government’s Papiri community Attackers seized 215 pupils and students as well as 12 teachers, said Daniel Atori, a spokesperson for the Niger state chapter of CAN.

“I just got back to the village tonight after I visited the school where I also met with parents,” said Atori in a statement, adding the association is working “to ensure our children’s safe return.”

The Niger State Police Command said the abductions took place in the early hours and that military and security forces have since been deployed to the community. It described St. Mary’s as a secondary school, which in Nigeria would serve children between the ages of 12 and 17.

Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning from Congress

WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, a once-loyal supporter of President Donald Trump who has become a critic, said Friday she is resigning from Congress in January Greene, in a more than 10-minute video posted online, explained her decision and said she’s “always been despised in Washington, D.C., and just never fit in.” Greene’s resignation followed a public fallout with Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticized him for his stance on files related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with foreign policy and health care.

Trump branded her a “traitor” and “wacky” and said he would endorse a challenger against her when she ran for reelection next year She said her last day would be Jan. 5, 2026. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night. Greene was one of the most vocal and visible supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again politics, and she embraced some of his unapologetic political style.

Her break with him was a notable fissure in his grip over conservatives, particularly his most ardent base. But her decision to step down in the face of his opposition put her on the same track as many of the more moderate establishment Republicans before her who went crosswise with Trump.

Greene had been closely tied to the Republican president since she launched her political career five years ago.

High court blocks order on Texas House map

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that found Texas’ 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Donald Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race. The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito will remain in place at least for the next few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map favorable to Republicans to be used in the midterm elections.

The court’s conservative majority has blocked similar lower court rulings because they have come too close to elections.

The order came about an hour after the state called on the high court to intervene to avoid confusion as congressional primary elections approach in March.

The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

The order was signed by Alito because he is the justice who handles emergency appeals from Texas.

Texas redrew its congressional map in the summer as part of Trump’s efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year’s elections.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine faces stark choice

Leader says country risks losing American support over U.S. peace plan

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV and BARRY HATTON Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his country in an address Friday that it could face a pivotal choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs, as leaders discuss a U.S. peace proposal seen as favoring Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, cautiously welcomed the U.S. plan to end Moscow’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine, which contains many of the Kremlin’s longstanding demands while offering limited security guarantees to Ukraine. Putin said it “could form the basis of a final peace settlement,” while accusing Ukraine of opposing the plan and being unrealistic.

The plan foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia something Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out — while reducing the size of its army and blocking its coveted path to NATO membership.

Zelensky, in his address hours earlier, did not reject the plan outright, but insisted on fair treatment while pledging to “work calmly” with Washington and other partners in what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.” He said he spoke for almost an hour Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll about the peace proposal.

“Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest,” Zelenskyy said in the recorded speech. “Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s National Security Council, Putin called the plan “a new version” and “a modernized plan” of what was discussed with the U.S. ahead of the Alaska summit earlier this year, and said Moscow has received it. “I believe that it, too, could form the basis for a final peace settlement,” he said.

But he said that the “text has not been discussed with us in any substantive way,

and I can guess why,” adding that Washington has so far been unable to gain Ukraine’s consent “Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under illusions and dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” he said.

President Donald Trump in a radio interview on Friday said that he wants an answer from Zelenskyy on his 28-point plan by Thursday but says an extension is possible to finalize terms.

“I’ve had a lot of deadlines, but if things are working well, you tend to extend the deadlines,” Trump said in an interview on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio. “But Thursday is it — we think an appropriate time.”

While Zelenskyy has offered to negotiate with the U.S. and Russia, he signaled Ukraine may not get everything it wants and has to confront the possibility of losing American support if it makes a stand. He urged Ukrainians to “stop fighting” each other, in a possible reference to a major corruption scandal that has brought fierce criticism of the government, and said peace talks next week “will be very difficult.”

Zelenskyy spoke earlier by phone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, as European officials scrambled to respond to the U.S. proposals that apparently caught them unawares.

Wary of antagonizing Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Merz’s office said.

The four leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to end the war

“In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees,” the statement added.

The line of contact must be the departure point for an agreement, they said, and “the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.”

Officer acquitted in death of pregnant Black mother accused of shoplifting

BY PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS and JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

COLUMBUS Ohio The Ohio police offi-

cer who shot and killed Ta’Kiya Young, a pregnant Black mother who had been accused of shoplifting, was acquitted on all counts Friday, including murder.

Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb had faced up to life in prison if convicted. Young’s grandmother collapsed into sobs at the decision, shouting “It’s not right! This is not right!” The judge then told Grubb he was free to go.

Sean Walton, an attorney for the Young family, called it “an American tragedy,” the outcome of a dual system of justice in the U.S. He vowed to keep pursuing a lawsuit against the township and police chief, while Ta’Kiya’s grandmother Nadine Young raises her great-grandsons, now 8 and 5

“It’s also heartbreaking because what it does is it normalizes the behavior like that Connor Grubb exhibited that day, and that is not normal,” Walton said. “If you look at these recent police killings in Columbus, you have officers who have an irrational fear with no weapons involved or folks doing very minimal behavior that they escalate into a murder.”

Defense attorney Mark Collins said Grubb and his family are relieved, but that it’s wrong to suggest the officer was untouched by the death of Young and her unborn daughter.

“For the rest of his life, he has to deal with this,” he said “Trust me, you didn’t get to hear from him because the govern-

ment put his statement out, but he took a life on duty and realized another’s life after the fact and to walk around with that is a difficult situation.”

At the same time, Collins called it “unconscionable” that a law enforcement officer would be indicted for felony murder in such a case. He said legislators should fix Ohio’s grand jury system Grubb had pleaded not guilty to murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Young, 21, on Aug 24, 2023. Bodycam recordings showed Young refusing to exit her parked car outside a Kroger in suburban Columbus, and then turning her steering wheel to the right before the vehicle began slowly rolling forward toward Grubb, who fired one shot into her chest through the windshield. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young, no relation to Ta’Kiya, dropped four of 10 counts relating to the death of Young’s baby, agreeing with defense attorneys that prosecutors failed to present proof that Grubb knew Young was seven months’ pregnant when he shot her Jurors were shown the bodycam video and heard testimony from a use-of-force expert, an accident reconstructionist, a police policy expert and Sgt. Erick Moynihan, the officer who with Grubb had ordered Young out of her car They never heard from Grubb, whose side of the story was contained in a written statement read into the record by a special agent for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He attended the trial, but prosecutors were unable to question him directly

Justices meet to weigh birthright citizenship case

High court deciding whether to hear appeal

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court met in private Friday with a key issue on its agenda — President Donald Trump‘s birthright citizenship order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

The justices could say as soon as Monday whether they will hear Trump’s appeal of lower court rulings that have uniformly struck down the citizenship restrictions They have not taken effect anywhere in the United States.

If the court steps in now the case would be argued in the spring, with a definitive ruling expected by early summer

The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term in the White House, is part of his administration’s broad immigration crackdown. Other actions include immigration enforcement surges in several cities and the first peacetime invocation of the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act.

The administration is facing multiple court challenges, and the high court has sent mixed signals in emergency orders it has issued. The justices effectively stopped the use of the Alien Enemies Act

to rapidly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without court hearings, while they allowed the resumption of sweeping immigration stops in the Los Angeles area after a lower court blocked the practice of stopping people solely based on their race, language, job or location. The justices also are weighing the administration’s emergency appeal to be allowed to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area for immigration enforcement actions. A lower court has indefinitely prevented the deployment. Birthright citizenship is the first Trump immigration-related policy to reach the court for a final ruling. Trump’s order would upend more than 125 years of understanding that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment confers citizenship on everyone born on American soil, with narrow exceptions for the children of foreign diplomats and those born to a foreign occupying force. In a series of decisions, lower courts have struck down the executive order as unconstitutional, or likely so, even after a Supreme Court ruling in late June that limited judges’ use of nationwide injunctions. While the Supreme Court curbed the use of nationwide injunctions, it did not rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects including in classaction lawsuits and those brought by states. The justices did not decide at that time whether the underlying citizenship order is constitutional.

Khashoggi’s widow, Democrats want call released

Transcript of communication between Trump, Saudi crown prince sought

BY STEPHEN GROVES and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON The widow of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi called Friday for the release of the transcript of a 2019 phone call that President Donald Trump had with Mohammed bin Salman, joining Democratic lawmakers who are raising questions about whether Trump personally benefitted from his embrace of the Saudi crown prince. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi appeared on Capitol Hill on Friday morning on the heels of Trump’s dismissal of U.S intelligence findings that Prince Mohammed most likely had culpability in the October 2018 slaying of her husband. Trump also lavished the Saudi ruler this week with some of Washington’s highest honors for a foreign dignitary, deepening the business and military relationship between the two nations.

Saudi intelligence officials

and a forensic doctor killed and dismembered Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

“There is no justification to kidnap him, torture him, to kill him and to cut him to pieces,” Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said Friday during an emotional news conference. “This is a terrorist act.”

The demand in Congress for the Trump administration to release the call transcripts is being led Rep. Eugene Vindman, a freshman Democrat from Virginia who was deputy legal adviser to the National Security Council during Trump’s first term

Vindman, who has reviewed the transcript of the phone call with Prince Mohammed, declined to go into specifics of the classified document Friday but said it used “the terminology of quid pro quo, the ensuing benefits that the president reaped.”

The Democratic lawmakers also pointed out that

Trump’s family has extensive business dealings in Saudi Arabia that at times have benefitted from the prince’s direct involvement.

The situation carries echoes of Trump’s first impeachment over his July 2019 call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he asked the new Ukraine president to do him a “favor” in investigating his presidential rival, Joe Biden. At the time, Trump ended up releasing a transcript of the call with Zelenskyy in which he also said he would withhold $400 million in military aid.

Vindman, then at the security council, also reviewed that call. He said that out of all the calls he reviewed in his job, the calls with Zelenskyy and Prince Mohammed stood out as the most concerning. He called the transcript of the call with the Saudi ruler “shocking.”

“The Kashoggi family and the American people deserve to know what was said on that call,” he added.

During Prince Mohammed’s state visit this week, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi has tried to serve as a reminder of her late husband’s bru-

tal killing. Originally from Egypt, Khashoggi received political asylum in the U.S. in 2023 and currently lives in Virginia. She cast the demand for the transcript as a continuation of his work standing up for human rights and criticizing Saudi rulers.

“I need to know what is the

truth in this conversation,” she said. When asked if the White House would release the transcript, White House communications director Steven Cheung in a statement called Vindman “a bitter backbencher who nobody takes seriously He is a serial liar and was part of

the

Vindman’s

officer, Lt Col. Alex Vindman, also worked at the National Security Council at the time, and had a prominent role in Trump’s 2019 impeachment.

RFK Jr. says he directed new guidance on vaccines, autism

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

NEW YORK Health Secre-

tary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally directed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update its website to contradict its longtime guidance that vaccines don’t cause autism, he told The New York Times in an interview published Friday His comments provide clarity into who directed the CDC’s website change, after many current and former staffers at the agency were surprised to see new published guidance on Wednesday that defies scientific consensus. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, has upended the public health agencies he oversees and pushed for and enacted changes that have unsettled much of the medical community, which sees his policies as harmful for Americans.

“The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made,’ is just a lie,” Kennedy said in the interview which was conducted Thursday. The CDC’s “vaccine safety” page now claims that

the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” is not based on evidence because it doesn’t rule out the possibility that infant vaccines are linked to the disorder The page also has been updated to suggest that health officials have ignored studies showing a potential link.

Public health researchers and advocates strongly refute the updated website, saying it misleads the public by exploiting the fact that the scientific method can’t satisfy a demand to prove a negative. They note that scientists

Torrential rains return to Calif.

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

The third storm in just over a week drenched Southern California on Friday and prompted some local flooding but caused no major widespread damage before heading east into the mountains and south toward Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The series of storms put Southern California on track for near-record November rainfall, the National Weather Service said The region has received copious amounts of rain since Nov 13, more than four times the normal amount that typically falls during the month in downtown Los Angeles, according to weather service reports. Residents were warned before dawn Friday of flash flooding of streets, creeks and streams and possible mudslides in parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Some vehicles were stuck in floodwaters near Culver City before dawn, the weather service reported. In coastal Huntington Beach, rainwater rushed through streets like a stream and one neighborhood flooded after a local pond overflowed, spilling water into the streets and trapping parked cars. By midday Friday, there was a mix of clouds and sun along the coast as the storm moved east over the mountains, dropping about 3 inches of snow in the resort community of Big Bear with the potential for more into Saturday said Sebastian Westerink, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in San Diego. No major damage was reported from the latest storm, Westerink said The rain was welcomed in a state prone to periods of

drought and that relies on precipitation each winter for water as the weather warms into the spring. Since October, California has received much more rainfall than usual, pushing major reservoir levels higher, state water officials said.

In a normal November, downtown Los Angeles typically gets 0.78 of an inch of rain, but has already seen about 3.5 inches this month. Santa Barbara County also has been a magnet for the moisture. Parts of the Santa Ynez Mountains have seen more than 15 inches of rain this month, the weather service said.

A potent atmospheric river is blamed for causing at least a half-dozen deaths earlier this month as it rolled across much of the state. Heavy rains also bring the threat of mudslides in areas that were recently ravaged by wildfire.

have thoroughly explored potential links between vaccines and autism in rigorous research spanning decades, all pointing to the same conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism.

“No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines,” the Autism Science Foundation said in a statement Thursday “This includes vaccine ingredients as well as the body’s response to vaccines. All this research has determined that there is no link between autism and vaccines.”

Kennedy, a longtime leader in the anti-vaccine move-

ment, acknowledged to The New York Times the existence of studies showing no link to autism from the mercury-based preservative thimerosal or from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

But he told the newspaper there are still gaps in vaccine safety science and a need for more research.

The move creates another disagreement between the health secretary and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, a physician who chairs the Senate health committee. During his confirmation process, Kennedy pledged to Cassidy he would leave the statement that vaccines do not cause

autism on the CDC website. The statement remains on the website but with a disclaimer that it was left there because of their agreement.

Kennedy told The New York Times he talked to Cassidy about the updated website and that Cassidy disagreed with the decision.

“What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism,” Cassidy posted on X on Thursday “Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.”

On Friday,First Solar’s leadership teamalong with local elected officials and other leaders celebrated the company’sinauguration at its New Iberia plant, opening its2.4-million-square-foot building —now the largest facility under one roofin Louisiana —that represents its $1.1 billion investment in south Louisiana. It marked the end of atwoyear process since it was announced in August 2023. Now the company will employ826 andoffer an average compensation package of $90,000.

The opening is ahuge win for the region and the state, said MillardMulé, policy director for Gov.Jeff Landry. “It’sa huge winfor our state’s workers,and it’s ahugewin forLouisiana’s economy. FirstSolar’s investment is bringing hundreds of great, high-quality American manufacturing jobs in the community.”

It’sanotherstep in First Solar’srapid growth across the United States. Whenit announced plans to locate in Iberia Parish, thenewswas that it would be its fifth facility in the country and have a payroll of at least $40 million.

The plantopened in July, months ahead of schedule Last week it announced plans to openasimilar plant in South Carolina, itsninth overall.

The company willproduce its Series 7modules using Americanmaterials, including glass from Illinois and Ohio along with steel produced in Mississippi and fabricated into backrailsin Louisiana.

TheLouisiana investment is already paying dividends, with Acadiana manufacturers like Noble Plastics announcing in September that it would undergo an $8.5 million expansion to supply the New Iberia location.

Ohio-based IceIndustries recently celebrated the grand opening of its $6 mil-

lion manufacturing facility in Jefferson Davis Parish, which will producesteel backrailsfor FirstSolar’s photovoltaic panels.

“You feel the impact immediately, “Antounsaid. “I’m very proud, giventhat I’maLouisianaboy.“

The idea to bring thefacilitytosouth Louisianawasn’t withoutits hurdles, he added.The state,known for its damaging hurricanes and flooding, at firstmadethe board uneasy,but it had one thing going for it —a highly skilled,easily transferable workforce.

TheUniversity of LouisianaatLafayette and South Louisiana Community College were also eager to helpwin over the company, providing acurriculum and simulatedtrainingfor new hires, and tappingthe universityfor alarge portion of its workforce.

“Pushback is normal,” he said.“Louisianaisa tough place to build. South Louisiana, we get afew hurricanes

here andthere.Flooding, tax-wise, insurance-wise. This took abit of doingand bringing it here. But the company was committed to drive it in here.”

“(UL)produces atremendous amount of engineers and technical degrees, and alot of folks don’twant to leave the area. They want to stay here.”

It’sa made-in-America approach to manufacturing that allowedFirst Solartooutpace manufacturing capabilities of companies in China, saidCEO Mark Widmar

“A level playing field that’sall we need,” he said. “American workers can outinnovate and out-compete if giventhe opportunity We’re incredibly proud to inaugurate this facility as a symbol of American energy dominanceand re-industrialization.”

The plant will also use artificial intelligencebyusing computervision anddeep learning to quicklydetect defects in itsproducts dur-

ing production, officials said. Its technicians and operators can use AI tools to make operating adjustments and guide their decision making.

First Solar,which has opened facilitiesinother similar-sized markets, expected to employ 5,500 people by the end of next year and have invested $4.5 billion in American manufacturing.

“We’ve been able to be successful to go into communities, in some cases, that other companies have left,” Widmar said. “Our factorythat we put in Alabama, there was apaper mill there. Thoseguys wenttoChina. We went back into that community,revived it and now it’s thriving. That’swhatwe want to do.”

First Solarisalso poised to deliver afinancial boon to Iberia Parish, saidReuven Proenca, director of global brand, corporate and marketing communications at First Solar.The company is expected to contribute the

equivalent of $150 million to the parish’sGDP in the first year of operation.

The companywas able to land in IberiaParishthanks to astate incentives package that includedLED workforce solutions program and performance-based grants forsite development and infrastructure improvements totaling $30 million.

Iberia Parish and the Iberia Economic Development Authority also committed to fund site improvements.

“The quality of life forthe people in Iberia Parish will change because of this,” Iberia Parish President M. Larry Richardsaid. “I can’t thank First Solar enough forchoosing Iberia Parish. Since (they) chose our parish, we have alot of other companies choosing Iberia Parish. It has totally put us on the map.”

The New Iberia location can produce up to 3.5 GW worthofsolar panelsannually

“You’re going to see us

throttledown,throttleup.

We’re trying to react to the market,” Antounsaid. “We’ve been on atremendous growth over the past 10 years. Nowwe’re at a point where we need to understand what ourfriends in Washington will do and what certaintiestheywill put.”

The companywill also provide high-paying jobs averaging $80,000 to $90,000, totaling $75 million in annual labor income, according to data collected by the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at UL Antoun also believes the companywill likely continue its rapid growth as the largest solarpanel manufacturerinthe Western Hemisphere. Just seven years ago, the company could produce around 2.5 gigawatts of solar panels ayear, compared to the 17.7 GW it expectstocreateonce the South Carolina facility is operational.

President Donald Trump has madehis distaste forrenewable energy well known over the years, going as far as sunsetting Biden-era solar tax credits earlier than they wereset to expire. The decisionkilleddozens of early-stage utility-scale solar projects planned for Louisiana.

But Trump’smarquee One

“Canwesurvive

“Everybody

he said. “Wehave no spare power.Isitsolar? Is it natural gas? Is it coal? Is it nuke? Look, it’sall of the above.”

having astrong and very safe New York,” the president said

“What Ireally appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, whichthere are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we havein serving NewYorkers,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani and Trump said they discussed housing affordability and the cost of groceriesand utilities, as Mamdani successfully used frustration over inflation to get elected, just as the president didinthe 2024 election.

“Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that Ihave,” the president said of Mamdani aboutinflationary issues.

The president brushed aside Mamdani’scriticisms of him over his administration’sdeportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like adespot.Instead, Trump saidthe responsibilityof holding an executive position in the governmentcauses aperson to change, saying that hadbeen the case for him.

He seemed at times even protective of Mamdani, jumping in on his behalf at several points. For example, when reportersasked Mamdani to clarify his past statements indicating that hethought the president was acting like afascist, Trump said, “I’ve been called much worse than adespot.”

When areporter askedifMamdani stood by his comments that Trump is afascist,Trumpinter-

GUILTY

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unanimous group of East Feliciana Parish jurors found Sharpe guilty of murder. A judge sentencedhim to life in prison last October for DeFranceschi’skilling.

Authorities say Sharpe also shot and killed 62-yearold Tommy Bass outsidehis East Feliciana Parish home on La.960 in July 2017. He was also charged with wounding aman named Scott “Buck” Hornsby outside hisresidence near La 63 aweek before Breeden’s death. “It was random. These peopleweretargeted, just hunted, for no reason,” Cummings said. “Maybe he got bored with rabbit hunting. But they were just hunted.” Thomas Damico, Sharpe’s Baton Rouge defense attor-

jected beforethe mayor-elect could fully answer thequestion.

“That’s OK. Youcan just sayyes. OK?” Trump said. “It’seasier.It’s easier than explaining it.I don’t mind.”

Trumpstepped in again when a reporter asked Mamdani why he flew to Washingtoninstead of taking transportation that used less fossil fuels.

“I’ll stick up for you,” Trump said.

Mamdani, who takes office in January, said he sought themeet-

ney, tried to convince jurors that the defendant with not in controlofhis actionsand incapable of distinguishing right from wrong at thetime of theshootingspree That’s becauseSharpewas caughtinadelusional world where he felt forced to shoot people to “earn” deer tags, Damico said Sharpe told investigators themotive of his killings was to fill governmentissued hunting “tags” by killing people or deer.Ifhe didn’t, he said“federal police” would capture his familyand friendsand detain them in a“federal hotel.”

“Wehave to admit the actionsofRyan Sharpe were notthose of asane man. We have to believewhathetold detectives,”Damico said during his closing arguments. “A sane mankills for greed. Asane man kills for passion.A saneman killsfor hate.But to slaughterpeople

ing with Trump to talk aboutways to makeNew York City more affordable. Trump has said he may want to help him out —although he has also falsely labeled Mamdani as a“communist” andthreatened to yank federal funds from thecity. ButTrumponFriday didn’tsling that at the mayor. He acknowledged that he had said he had been prepared tocut off funding or makeitharder for New York City to access federal resources if the two had failed to “get along.” Butthe president pulled back

because of aphantom voice that demands it because it’s away to earn tags, that’snot achoice. That’s internal torment. That’sinsanity.”

Butprosecutors countered thata team of doctors who evaluatedSharpeoverthe yearsnever saw any signs of delusions, apsychological defect or history of mental illness.

Cummings remindedjurors thatDr. Gina ManunoMire,aTulane clinical psychologistthat examined Sharpe, testified he didn’t exhibit signs of psychosis or delusional behavior

“He’slikea Betsybug He’snot crazy; he’sjust making noise,” she said. “Just spouting out things to protect himself.”

“Theyhave not mettheir burden because he is not insane,” she added.

Email Matt Bruce at matt bruce@theadvocate.com.

from thosethreats, saying: “We don’twant that to happen. Idon’t thinkthat’sgoing to happen.”

Trump loomed large over the mayoral race this year,and on the eveofthe election,heendorsed independentcandidate andformer Democratic Gov.Andrew Cuomo, predicting thecityhas “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” if Mamdani won.Healso questioned thecitizenship of Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became anaturalized American citizen after graduating from college, and said he’d have him arrested if he followedthrough on threats not to cooperate with immigration agents in the city

Mamdani beat back achallenge from Cuomo, paintinghim as a “puppet” forthe president, and promisedtobe“amayor whocan standuptoDonaldTrump andactuallydeliver.”Hedeclaredduring one primary debate, “I am Donald Trump’sworst nightmare,asa progressive Muslimimmigrant who actually fights for the things that Ibelieve in.”

Thepresident,who haslongused political opponents to fire up his backers, predicted Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to ourgreat Republican Party.” As Mamdani upended theDemocratic establishment by defeating Cuomoand his far-left progressive policies provoked infighting,Trump repeatedly has cast Mamdani as the face of Democratic Party

The president has had somedramatic public OvalOffice faceoffs thisyear, includinganinfamously heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March. In May,Trumpdimmed the

lights while meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and played afour-minute video making widely rejected claims that South Africa is violently persecuting the country’sWhite Afrikaner minority farmers.

Asenior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions said Trumphad not putalot of thoughtintoplanning the meeting with the incoming mayor —but said Trump’sthreats to block federal dollars from flowingtoNew York remained on the table.

MamdanisaidThursday that he was not concerned about the president potentially trying to use the meeting to publicly embarrass him and said he saw it as achance to make hiscase, even whileacknowledging “many disagreements with the president.” Instead, both men avoided apublic confrontation in aremarkably calm and cordial series of comments in front of newsreporters. Mamdani, wholives in Queens —where Trumpwas raised —has shown acutthroat streak just as Trump hasasa candidate.During his campaign, he appeared to borrow from Trump’splaybook when he noted during atelevised debate with Cuomothat one of the women who had accused the former governor of sexual harassment was in theaudience. Cuomohas denied wrongdoing.

But the tensions weresubdued FridayasTrump seemed sympathetic to Mamdani’spoliciesto want to build morehousing.

“People would be shocked,but Iwant to see the samething,”the president said.

Tenants named for former CVS site

Wings, pizza and burgers coming to shuttered Mid City store location

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Wingstop, Marco’s Pizza, PJ’s Coffee and Donuts & Burgers are all set to open in the former CVS Pharmacy on Government Street.

The four eateries have signed leases for suites in the space at the

corner of Government Street and Acadian Thruway, said Ben Stalter, of Maestri-Murrell Real Estate.

Three suites are still available for lease.

Plans are to start interior demoli-

Wingstop and

al and

are

& Burgers is a

with a restaurant on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard and one set to open next month in Prairieville.

Plans are to fully redevelop the

11,224-square-foot building and divide it into six units, ranging in size from 2,300 square feet to 1,260 square feet Several units will have drive-through windows, according to a marketing flyer circulated by Maestri-Murrell.

The redevelopment work will involve fully gutting and reskinning

customer needs and reduce the number of unprofitable locations The chain has shut down hundreds of stores over the past few years. Mandeville developer Clark Heebe bought the building and the 1.76-acre parcel it sits on late last year for $1.95 million.

IN THE SWING OF IT

Residents push back on ammonia plant

‘It’s

all risk and no rewards,’ one says

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

With few elected officials in attendance at a hearing for a proposed CF Industries ammonia plant north of Donaldsonville, many Ascension Parish residents who gave public comment said they didn’t want the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to approve permits for the facility The plant, a $4 billion facility that will use carbon capture and sequestration technology, will be located near the ru-

ral community of Modeste on the parish’s west bank. The hearing held Thursday in Donaldsonville concerned an application for an air permit and a permit required for large facilities building in areas that meet or exceed federal air quality limits. Most locals who spoke, such as fifthgeneration Modeste resident Mekaylyn Lavigne, said they didn’t want the facility to be given a permit or built in their area. “I simply find it very disheartening to see how so much greed for monetary value is pushing an entire community of people out of their homes who have

Reward offered for missing cypress board

Ex-House Speaker Schexnayder faces felony charges

TYLER BRIDGES

Checchiotestifies in church bankruptcy case

Next archbishop vows to guardagainst clergy sexabuse

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

CoadjutorArchbishopJames Checchio,who will lead theArchdiocese of New Orleans outofits

five-year bankruptcy and into the next chapter of its 232-year history,testified Friday in the church’s bankruptcy hearing, vowing to uphold new measures to guard against clergy sex abuse “with all my heart and energy Ihave.”

The measures, part of the proposed settlement plan atissue in the three-week trial, would establish new policies for reporting and handling allegations of clergy sexabuse and create apublic database detailing past incidents of abuse.

During his brief time on the witness stand,Checchioalsoapologized to an abuse survivor,Pat Moody,on behalf of the archdiocese. Moody, who heads the committeethatrepresents more than 650 survivors of clergy sex abuse in the case, had testified moments earlier about her experience and the importance of the new policies that willgointo effect if the settlement is confirmed.

“Thank you for what you have

PUSHBACK

Continued from page 1B

expressed their distaste and their opposition to this,” she said. “And it seems to not be getting taken seriously.”

Terry Dugas, the general manager for the proposed plant, said in his remarksat theThursday hearing that the complex will create 103 permanent full-time jobs and 110 indirect jobs. The company currentlyoperates the world’slargest ammonia plant between Donaldsonville andthe Sunshine Bridge.

“Our state-of-the-art ammonia production facility will have one of the lowest environmentalfootprints of any ammonia productionfacility in the world,” he said. And while industry, nonprofit and Chamber of Commerce leaders spoke in favor of the permit —saying the plant will bring muchneeded jobs and the company has been an important parish partner for nearly 60 years —few elected officials attended. It marked adeparture from similar meetings in the past, which have seen local and state leaders support and oppose carboncapture proposals.

REWARD

Continued from page1B

Schexnayder has been charged with malfeasance in office for “intentionally refusing to perform aduty required of him as apublic officer or employee.”

Schexnayder has said then-Speaker Chuck Kleckley,R-Lake Charles, asked himin2013toput theboard in his legislativeoffice becauseitcame from atree in Ascension Parish. Kleckley has questioned that account.

Schexnayder hung the board —which measures about 6feet by 20 feetand has words of its origin en-

BLOTTER

Continued from page1B

incident is also stillunder investigation.

Hazing complaint made at Southern New details on ahazing complaint issued againstthe Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity chapter on Southern University’s campus shows that contestants for the fraternity’s Miss Black and Gold pageant were madetodojumping jacks andotherphysical exercises.

The chapter has beencensuredand unable to conduct in-person meetings for over amonth as part of the studentjudicial process over the complaint.

beendoing for years,”Checchio said. “I am sorry you have had to go throughthis. It is goingtohelpmake things better for thefuture. Ipray for you and for our church, too.”

Checchio’s testimony came one day after his predecessor,Archbishop Gregory Aymond, took the stand in thetrial, technically known as a confirmation hearing, which could resolve the long-runningbankruptcy case by the end of the year

Attorneys forthe archdiocese andfor clergy abuse survivors are asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabillto confirm ajoint settlementplanthat would distribute funds from a$230 million trust to more than 600 abuse survivors over several years.

The plan would also establish the “non-monetary” provisions regarding abuse reporting and transparency In marked contrast to Aymond, 76, who appeared solemn anduncomfortable during more thananhour of intensecross-examinationThursday,the 59-year-old Checchio looked at ease answeringquestions from the church’slawyer,Pat Vance. Checchiobriefly outlined policies he helped implement in hisformer position as bishop of theDiocese of Metuchen, New Jersey,whereall clergy abuse allegations —even those made by adults —are immediatelyreferred to law enforcement

Locals don’t want theplant

The facility is one of a numberlooking to build in thesugarcane fields of west Ascension, aroughly17,000acre region called theRiverPlex MegaPark.Several corporationsintend to build largeindustrial facilities in the area. Hyundai has announced a$5.8 billion steel mill north of Modeste, and theTexas-based Clean Hydrogen Works seeks to build a$7.5billion ammonia plant

TheAscension Parish Council created an economic development districtfor the same regionin2022, which allows increments from certaintaxes collected in thedistrict to helpfundinfrastructurewithin it. The parish is currently looking at potentially offering buyoutstoresidents who live in the area, although many residentssay they don’tplan to sell.

At Thursday’shearing, a half-dozen officers with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Officeand aLouisianaState Policedeputy attended the meeting.Lastyear, afire official shut down aLouisiana Department of Environmental Qualitymeeting due to overcrowding.

Paul Troxclair, aformer Iberville Parish resident who

graved into it —onawall directly behind hisdesk. Mullinsspotted it onenight whenhesaw Schexnayder interviewed on TV

Schexnayder hassaid he left theboard at his legislative officewhenhis term ended and doesn’tknow what happened to it.The leasing manager forthe office has said his teamnever removed it.

Schexnayder turned himself in on Nov. 17 and was releasedafter being booked at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.Hewill be formally arraigned on Jan. 8. The former lawmaker, wholeft office 18 months ago because of term limits, has hired noted New Or-

Areport from the university to the Board of Regents says that between Oct. 6and Oct. 8, contestants in the fraternity’sMiss Black and Gold pageantwereinstructed to meet off campus and wearall black. The chapter’s adviser was not aware of these meetings anddid notapprove them. Contestants were madeto performjumping jacks and other physical exercises for extended periods, the report states.Theywere also instructed to recite multiple texts, including apoem District Attorney Tony Clayton, who servesaschair forSouthern’sBoard of Supervisors,said he hasn’t yet had time to review the report but isn’tsoconcerned by it basedonwhathe’sheard “Hazingcomplaints need to be legitimate. I’m not con-

andtransparent record keeping is strictly enforced. He also said his busyschedule since arriving in New Orleans one week ago had precludedhim from reading the 274-page settlement, andelicited chuckles in thecourtroom with areference to his stint as chaplain of the Philadelphia Eagles. ‘Not thewelcome I’dwant’ Checchio was named by Pope Leo XIVasAymond’ssuccessor in September and was officially welcomed at aMass on Tuesday at St. LouisCathedral. He has said the transitional roleofcoadjutor will allow himto share duties withAymond, whowill focus on wrapping up the bankruptcy while Checchio tends to ministerial and administrative duties.

While the worst of the long-running case may be over,Checchio will continue to deal with thefallout well intohis tenure. He inheritsahistoric archdiocese with an aging and shrinking population, more than two dozen of its104 parishesoperating at alossand asurplus of oldbuildings thatare difficult to sell.

He will also need to restore faith in the churchamong New Orleans’ half amillion Roman Catholics,following years of scandal and pain resulting from the clergy abuse crisis and bankruptcy Grabillseemed to acknowledge thatdynamic Friday.

said he moved to Modestebecausethe company Shintech expanded near his home, said he was opposed because of chemical releases and it would remove important sugarcane land.

“I’veworked in chemical plants for 40-plus years of my life,” he said. “Andthey can say all they want, you can have all the safetystuff you want,but you’re releasing stuff every day that people are breathing.”

Others, like Prairieville residentDeniseDrago,said theydidn’twant the planned carbon dioxide pipelines that would be connected to sucha facility.

“There are no guarantees that thecarbon sequestration will remain perfectlystored underground,” she said. “It’sall risk and no rewards. That’swhy I’masking for this permit not to be issued.”

Not everyresident opposed it. Eugene Britton, Gonzales resident andemployee of theDonaldsonville plant, andDonaldsonville resident Ali Kocke, aCFIndustries human resources supervisor, bothsaid the company was committed to safety and helping the community RoyQuezaire, aformer Democraticstate representative andthe owner of aDonaldsonvilleconsult-

leans criminal defense attorney Billy Gibbens.Gibbens immediately fileda request through the discovery process to have access to evidence collectedbythe Attorney General’sOffice, including any grand jury or witness testimonythat would aidSchexnayder’sdefense.

Defense attorneys have said Murrill’soffice will need stronger evidencetoconvict Schexnayderbeyonddemonstrating that he last knew of the board’swhereabouts.

Mullins was asked if Schexnayder would qualify for thereward if he found the board. “I don’tknow,”Mullins replied.

cerned that students were askedtodoside-steps,” Claytonsaid. He added that he’ll need to reviewthe accusations, but thatifthe complaints are as banal as theyseem,the hazing inquiry will be “DOA.” The student judicialprocessisongoing, aspokesperson for Southern said, and Alpha Phi Alpha continues to be underceaseand desist pending theinvestigation.

“Welcome to New Orleans,” she told Checchio.“This has been going on for along time andbased on your testimony, Iampleased that you’re here.”

Checchio replied, saying, “It’snot part of the welcoming Iwouldenvision or want, but Iamhappy to be here.”

Enforcingthe plan

Before Checchio’stestimony, Grabill returned to an issue she raised Thursday with Aymondon thestand —how thecourt will be able to enforcethe “non-monetary” provisionsinthe planoncethe bankruptcy case is over

“If this plan is confirmed, the court is becoming apartnerwith this organizationtoenforcethe promises it makes,” Grabill said to Andrew Caine, an attorney for the abuse survivors. “How does that happen?”

Caine pointed to apassageinthe plan requiring the archdiocese to hireoutside experts, including a child protection consultant, youth protection advisers anda youth protection “executive.” The plan also includes more transparent abuse reporting protocols, awhistleblower policy andthe appointment of at least twoabuse survivors to an Internal Review Board that will review abuse allegations. Grabill saidshe wantstocontinue

ing company,supported the permitand suggestedmore dialogue should takeplace between the communityand company

“I am afirm believerinthe concept of coexistence and shared vision,” he said. “I am arespecter of everyone’s opinion, whether pro or con.”

Fewofficialsattend

In similar hearings,state and local officials have both supportedand opposed similar projects. At a2024 Air Productspermit hearing in Sorrento,Ascension Fire District 1Chief James LeBlanc and state Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, spoke in favor of theproposal.

Earlierthis year,Bacala voiced supportfor atest carbon injectionwellnear

discussing theprovisionswith attorneys forboth sidesinthe remaining days of thetrial Grabill also heard on Fridayfrom Moody,who explainedher roleas chair of the court-appointed committee that has represented the abuse survivors during the bankruptcy case andsettlement talks

She recounted her experience of being sexually abusedbya priest, since deceased, between theages of 8and 10, andsaidshe did notremember theabuse untilyears later in 2018, when Aymondreleased a listofcredibly accused clergy In the years since, she said she hasstruggledtobring change to the churchand hasserved on thecommittee to try to help others who have suffered withclergyabuse.

“All Ikept thinking is somebody hastodosomethingtomake changes to protect children. Iwantedthe church to be asafeplace to go,” Moodysaid.

Moodyalsodisclosed that shehas agreed to serve on the Internal ReviewBoard if thesettlement is confirmed.

“I am just so determined to make sure anyone involvedinmaking decisions has an understanding of what asurvivor has been through,” shesaid. “I have never come from a place of hate, andI think theperson that servesasa survivoronthis IRB needstobesomeone like me.”

Donaldsonville, while Ascension Parish Council member Oliver Joseph and Justice of the Peace Tamiko Francis Garrisonwere opposed. Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivanand stateRep.JeffWiley,R-Maurepas, didn’ttake astance on that proposal.

At Thursday’smeeting, Sullivan and West Ascension Parish Hospital Board Chair Bill Dawsonboth supported the permit, while Garrison attended but didnot make a public comment. Sullivantook amorepersonal stance. He discussed his employment at the Donaldsonville CF Industries plant, where he was hiredin 1975. He said he became the first Black supervisor in the company’shistory nineyears later,and he worked forthe

company until 2000, when he wasinjured in an explosion at the plant.

Some Capital Region nonprofit leadersvoicedsupport,including BrianHightower,the chiefdevelopment officerofthe GreaterBaton Rouge Food Bank, and George Bell, the president and CEO of CapitalArea United Way. Bellsaidhesupported the new plant because Ascension Parish has been split between an economically prosperous east side and an impoverished west side. “I seethis as an opportunity for this area to really thrive and to come back and really gainthe kinds of jobs andaccesstothe kinds of jobs thatare really needed here,” he said.

Babin, Morris

OurLadyofPromptSuccorCatholic Church,32615 BowieStreet in White Castle,at11:30 a.m.

Broussard,Carolyn

Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street in BatonRouge at 12pm

Favorite,Alvin Highway BaptistChurch in Vacherie at 11 a.m.

Flentroy,Catherine

Immaculate ConceptionCatholic Church at 11am

Francewar Sr., Eric Hall'sCelebration Center,9348 Scenic Hwy.at11am.

Johnson Tucker,Olivia Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses 12842 PlankRdBaker,Laat12pm

Jones,Antoinette

Most BlessedSacramentCatholic Church at 1pm

Leonard,Alice Greater St.James BaptistChurch, 1919Arizona Street,at11a.m

Meise, Gary DicksonFirst Presbyterian Church at 3pm

Menzie,Camille Chapel at Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595 FloridaBoulevard,Baton Rouge at 10:00am.

Mouille,Darlene A. Wesley FuneralHome, 10810 VentressDrive,Maringouin, LA at 11:30am.

NobleJr.,Frank St.John theEvangelistCatholic Church,15208 Highway 73 in Prairieville,at11:30 a.m.

Robertson, John NewMt. OliveBaptistChurch, 76625 Garner Ln Grosse Tete,LAat 11am

Rosaya,Gregory AgapeMissionary BaptistChurch, 1689 75thAve BatonRouge,LAat 11am

Scott, Deloris

Faith TabernacleofJesus Christ,120 Pinckneyville Pond Road in Woodville MS,at11a.m

Taylor,Billy Broadmoor BaptistChurch at 11am Teasett, Carnelius Miller& Daughter Mortuary,5905 Highway 19 in Zachary, at 10 a.m.

Thompson, Morris

Bright MorningStarBaptistChurch at 11am

Williams,Rosa Hall'sCelebration Center,9348 Scenic Highway,at1 p.m

Williams,Zadie NewHopefulWorship Center,39067 LA-22inDarrow, at 11 a.m.

Obituaries

Aucoin Sr., Oliver

Oliver Aucoin, Sr., 80, transitioned on Friday, November 14, 2025. He is survived by his devoted wife of 56 years, Joyce Johnson Aucoin; son, Oliver Aucoin, Jr.; brother,Donnie Aucoin, Sr., sister,SandraAucoin; grandsons, Donald Aucoin and Maurice Aucoin; great-grandchildren, Carson Aucoin, Annya Aucoin and Kahlid Aucoin; brothers in law, Frank and Sherman Johnson; god-daughters, Shannon Tilliston and Jesmus Aucoin and ahost of other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Thadious and Marguerite Aucoin; grandmothers, Jesmus Cain and Ovelia Richardson; sisters, Shirley Aucoin and Mardine Aucoin; brothers, Thadious Aucoin, Jr. and Marvin Aucoin; brother-in-law, Curtis Johnson, Sr. and his loving mother-in-law Sadie Johnson. Visitation will be held on Saturday, November22, 2025, at Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Hwy. from 1:00 pm until Services beginning at 2:00 pm with Reverend Clifford Joseph officiating. Interment: Cain Cemetery. Services Entrusted to Hall Davis and Son Funeral Services. www.halldavisandson.com

serving as President of Fortnightly VI and as a maid in theMardiGras Krewes of Andalusia and Iberia.

None so devotional as

that of 'Mother'. Edgar Allan Poe

Obituary of Nancy TerrellStutsman Lewis "Lord, thou hastbeen our refuge, from one generation to another."Psalm 90 Nancy Terrell Stutsman Lewis, anative Louisianian, diedonNovember 10th, 2025,inAtlanta, Georgia. Throughouther life, Mrs. Lewis exuded the indomitable energy andoptimism of her forebears, who bravely set sailfor America in the seventeenth century, fought for the independence of our country, and successfully settled The American West. Nancy livedaccording to the ethosof what she termedher familial "pioneer spirit":tenaciously tackling every endeavor with doggeddetermination.Like her adventurous ancestors, her fierce fortitude stemmedfroma firm commitmenttothe tenets of her Christianfaith Nancy dearly loved Louisiana,and her lineage therestretched back more than two hundredyears. Descendants of her maternal ancestorsfirstmoved to Winn Parish andGrant Parish,nearNachitoches, the oldest permanent settlement in The Louisiana Purchase Territory. The communityof Hargis, Louisiana,was namedafter herancestor, Dr. Quincy Anson Hargis,a polymath and aphysician in the American Civil War. Hergreat-grandfather Hargis provided acollegeeducation for allnineofhis children, even the daughters, which was unusual in those days. Consequently, Nancy's learned grandmother, Ella Hargis White, benefited froma classical educationand read Greek and Latin. Sheand Nancy's altruistic grandfather, John TerrellWhite,provedtobe formative influences on her intellect and character. Nancy continued to emphasize the importance of family, religion, and education in her own life and for her three daughters and seven grandchildren. Mrs. Lewis was born on July 28th, 1941,inShreveport, to Mary Elizabeth White and World WarII Bronze StarRecipient Earl J. ("Jack")Stutsman, Jr. Nancy attendedGreenwoodHigh School,where she was elected "Miss Greenwood,"amongnumerous other accolades. Sheearned abachelor of arts in journalismfrom Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, whereshe met her husbandof39 years, Charles Clinton Lewis. Nancy served as campaign manager forhis successful election to LSU Student Body President. She enjoyedher involvement in ChiOmega sorority and as editor-in-chief of the yearbook, TheGumbo. Nancy was honoredasone of only nineLSU senior women to be named to Mortar Board, anational honorsociety focused on scholarship, leadership, and service. She devoted herlifetoupholding these three principles: as an active supporter of her children'sschools, serving on theboard of Epiphany Day School and as President of the Episcopal School of Acadiana Parent Group; and as amemberofthe JuniorLeagues of Shreveport, Baton Rouge,and Lafayette. An avid collector of artand antiques, Nancy was chosen to be the arts chairofthe first Red River Revel Arts Festival with The Junior League of Shreveport, and she cochaired the Revel the following year Mrs. Lewis continued her community service in NewIberia,whereshe contributed significantlyto several nonprofits. For the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, she dedicated a considerable amountof time as amemberofthe Vestry, Chairman of the Altar Guild, SundaySchool teacher, Lector,and an Usher and on the Board of Trustees of the Solomon House Outreach Center. Mrs. Lewis served as President of the NewIberia Medical Auxiliaryand on the board of the Iberia Division of the American Heart Association. For many years, Nancy volunteeredwith the popular communityevent, "Taste of the Teche" and on The Shadows-on-the-Teche Service League, whereshe workedasa tour guideand on the cookbookcommittee. Nancy always managed to make time to learn and havefun with friends,

Nancy was an ardent enthusiast of alliteration, antiques, A. Hays Town architecture, Louisiana art, birthday celebrations, calligraphy, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chinese exportporcelain, church on Sundays, Community coffee, conversation, cookbooks, crawfish etouffee, embellished stories, engraved stationery, entertaining, The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, family gatherings, Fortnightly,fountainpens, steadfast friendships, genealogy, propergrammar, gumbo, horses, investing, laughter, red lipstick (but not red fingernailpolish), lists, manners,MardiGras, monograms, oriental rugs, family photographs, pimentocheese, positive attitudes, Profitseekers club inspirational quotations, rhymes, oldsilver, Supper Club, Tabasco sauce,tea caddies, high-mileage Volvo stationwagons, and fine writing.

Mrs. Lewiswas preceded in death by her parents, her husband,Charles ClintonLewis, M.D and his parents, EvelynRigsbyand Charles Calbert Lewis, Jr., of Crowley, Louisiana. She is survivedbyher three daughters: Laura Terrell LewisO'Connor and her husband, Kevin O'Connor; Ellen RigsbyLewis Gildea and her husband, David Patrick Kevin Gildea; and MaryAyresLewisGriggs and her husband,Richard Anthony Griggs; and seven grandchildren: Peyton Terrell Elizabeth Shelburne; ElizabethDarden Gildea; CraigWhitfield LewisShelburne;EdwardRigsby Gildea; John Rigsby Aldredge Shelburne;Henry Havard Griggs; and John TilfordLowellGriggs.

Amemorial service will be held on Monday, January 5th, 2026, at 11:00 AM, at thehistoric Episcopal Church of theEpiphany, 303 WestMainStreet,New Iberia, Louisiana. Visiting hourswillbeobserved from10:00 to 10:45 AM in theParish Hall of the church. Areception will follow theserviceatthe Parish Hall.

The familywishes to thank thewonderfulstaff at The Terracesat Peachtree Hills Place in Atlanta for their excellent and loving care of Mrs. Lewisover theyears. In lieu of flowers,please considersending amemorial contributiontoone of thefollowing organizations: a) Solomon House,a nonprofitoutreach mission of theEpiscopal Church of theEpiphany at solomonhouse.orgormail acheck to 520 Center Street,New Iberia, LA 70560; b) Episcopal School of Acadiana Strength to StrengthCampaign: esacadiana.comorP.O. Box 380, Cade, LA 70519; or c) Nancy Stutsman Lewis Memorial Gift to Emory University Goizueta Alzheimer'sDisease Research Center at goizuetab rainhealth.emory.edu/donate/ (typeGoizueta ALZ Research GeneralGifts in thesearchengine box to access theonline giving platform) or send acheck by mail to Emory Office of Gift Accounting, 1762 Clifton Road NE, suite 2400, Atlanta, GA 30322; list GADRC in memory of Nancy Stutsman Lewisinthe memo.

Because Ifeelthat,in theHeavens above, The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, among their burning terms of love,

Linda Reck Michel, 84, passed away on November 19, 2025 at 8:05 am. Born August 16, 1941 native of NewOrleans, LA and resident of Labadieville, LA. Friends and family willbe received at Saint Philomena Catholic Church on Monday, November 24, 2025 from 9:00 AM until servicetime.A Mass of ChristianBurial willbegin at 11:00 AM with burial following in thechurch cemetery.Linda is survived by her children, April LeBouef (Barry),PamelaZeringue (David), Euclid J. Michel (Angela), ConnieRodrigue (Keith), ChrisS.Michel (Gay); grandchildren, Samantha L. Ellender (Kathryn), LeeLeBouef (Reney) Stephen J. LeBouef (Lindsey), Emily M. Zeringue, Kourtney R. Labat(Rene'), Kacey R. Hernandez (Brett),KylaR Matthews (Taylor), Kathleen Rodrigue(Blake),EuclidMichelIII (Paige),Kate Michel,Adam Michel; 13 greatgrandchildren; brother, Ernest J. Reck.She is also survivedbyher in laws, Thomas Michel, Henry Michel, Rita Brehm, Julie Laparaand numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in deathbyher husband, Euclid J. Michel; parents, Ernest J. Reck and Myrtle Bayard Reck Michel; sisters,Darlene R. Miller, Emily Ann Reck.She was a dedicatedhomemaker and business women who lovedtotravel, treasured every family gathering, and found her greatest joy in her belovedgrandchildren and great-grandchildren.A proud LSUand Saintsfan, she cheeredon her teams with passion and heart.Linda was a member and Past President of the American DiabetesAssociation, member of theRed Hatters Club of Thibodauxand Destrehan and theNewcomersClub of Thibodaux. The family wouldliketothank her caregivers, Michelle, Trudy, Catherine, Aryel, Katlynn, Andrea, and Dena Haydel Hospice,Dr. Daniel Naul and Dr. Francis Robichaux. In lieu of flowers, thefamily requests donations be made to Massesin her name or to E.D. White CatholicHighSchool or St. Philomena Catholic Church. Online condolencescan be madeat http://www.ordoynefuner als.com/. Funeral arrangements were trusted to Ordoyne FuneralHome, 1489 Saint Patrick Street Thibodaux, LA 70301.

anda devotedLSU sports fan whonevermisseda game. He also lovedto cook, and nothingmade himhappier than gatheringeveryonetogether over agoodmeal—especially when he wasmakinghis famous chickenwingsthat became abeloved family staple.His love of golf took himacross theworld, including twounforgettable trips to Scotlandtoplay thecourses he'd always dreamed of. Richard attended St.Paul's School in Covington before later graduating from LeeHigh School in Baton Rouge.He went on to serve the State of Louisiana with pride,including his time as Director of the Louisiana State Tax Commission, arole he held with dedication and integrity. Aboveall, Richard cherished time spentwith hisfamily, especially hisgrandchildren, whowerethe joyofhis life. He is survived by his daughter, Katelyn Murphy Hodges(Scott); hisson William Foster Murphy (Meagan); and hisbeloved grandchildren: Jackson, Mia, Hudson,and Brooks Hodges, andLogan Elizabeth Murphy.Heisalso survived by hisbrother, Benjamin R. Franklin (Allen);sister-in-law,Harriet Murphy; andnephews Eric, Christopher, and PatrickMurphy, and RogersFranklin. He was preceded in death by his parents, LewisPrescott Murphy andMae Adele Gleason Murphy;his brothers, Joseph PrescottMurphyand Michael G. Murphy; andhis nephew, HansenFranklin. Amemorial visitation will take place on Tuesday, November25, 2025, at St.Aloysius Catholic Church beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. The familywould like to extendheartfelt gratitude to theOur Lady of theLake EmergencyRoomphysicians andstaff for thecare andcompassion they provided.Honorary Pallbearerswill be ButchKnight, Steve Daniel, Ronnie Onofry, Roger Bajon, David Galasso,Rick Dendy,Jonny Parker, Ben Franklin, RogersFranklin, Tim Morrison, Toby Reese, andGarrett Lacour

Marie Carter Turner passedaway peacefullyon Saturday November 15, 2025. Up untilthe very end Marie maintainedher spirit of fun, food, andfriends.If Marie waspresent, it was agoodtime.

Marie was born to Spencer(Pete)and Evelyn Carter of Baton Rouge Louisiana on March14, 1952. Shewas agraduate of Capital High School and attendedboth LSUand Southern University in Baton Rouge.Inher 73 years she workedhard and played hard. Sheaffected everylifeshe encountered Marie leaves to mourn in herpassing herchildren, 2brothers, 6grandchildren anda host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, otherrelativesand dear friends. Marie is preceded in death by thelove of her life, herhusband James Turner,her parents Spencer(Pete)and Evelyn Carter,brother Charles Carter and sister Patricia Carter

Viewing(wake)will be held from9:00 AM to 10:30 AM andFuneral willfollow at 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM on November 28, 2025, at SaintsvilleC.O.G.I.C.,8930 Plank Road Baton Rouge La 70811. The burialwill be held from1:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Louisiana National Cemetery,303 WMount Pleasant Rd.Zachary, La 70791.

BRIEFS

France to investigate Musk’s Grok chatbot

PARIS France’s government is taking action against billionaire Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok after it generated French-language posts that questioned the use of gas chambers at Auschwitz, officials said.

Grok, built by Musk’s company xAI and integrated into his social media platform X, wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus” rather than for mass murder — language long associated with Holocaust denial.

The Auschwitz Memorial highlighted the exchange on X, saying that the response distorted historical facts and violated the platform’s rules.

In later posts on its X account, the chatbot acknowledged that its earlier reply to an X user was wrong, said it had been deleted and pointed to historical evidence that Auschwitz’s gas chambers using Zyklon B were used to murder more than 1 million people. The follow-ups were not accompanied by any clarification from X.

In tests run by The Associated Press on Friday, its responses to questions about Auschwitz appeared to give historically accurate information.

Fed governor signals inflation concern

Add one more to the number of Federal Reserve officials signaling fresh discomfort over inflation.

Fed Governor Michael Barr on Thursday said the U.S. central bank needs to proceed with caution in considering additional interest-rate cuts.

“I am concerned that we’re seeing inflation still at around 3% and our target is 2%, and we’re committed to getting to that 2% target,” Barr said. “So we need to be careful and cautious now about monetary policy, because we want to make sure that we’re achieving both sides of our mandate.

Barr stopped short of declaring his opposition to another rate cut, but his unease over stalled inflation will further complicate the job of Chair Jerome Powell as he tries to forge a consensus among a fractured group of policymakers in time for their Dec. 9-10 gathering in Washington.

Investors now see about a 40% probability of a rate cut at the December meeting, according to pricing in futures contracts Barr supported the Fed’s cuts in September and October but had so far given no signal on December His vote could prove pivotal as several of his colleagues have already declared that they favor or oppose a third straight rate reduction, making the outcome uncertain.

The Fed is, after a long government shutdown, finally receiving new official data, but so far it hasn’t done much to resolve the division among policymakers OpenAI, Foxconn to partner in design

TAIPEI, Taiwan OpenAI and Taiwan electronics giant Foxconn have agreed to a partnership to design and manufacture key equipment for artificial intelligence data centers in the U.S. as part of ambitious plans to fortify American AI infrastructure.

Foxconn, which makes AI servers for Nvidia and assembles Apple products including the iPhone, will be codesigning and developing AI data center racks with OpenAI under the agreement, the companies said in separate statements on Thursday and Friday

The products Foxconn will manufacture in its U.S. facilities include cabling, networking and power systems for AI data centers, the companies said. OpenAI will have “early access” to evaluate and potentially to purchase them

Foxconn has factories in the U.S., including in Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas. The initial agreement does not include financial obligations or purchase commitments, the statements said.

More swings hit Wall Street

and other stars of Wall Street shot too high? And is the Federal Reserve done with its cuts to interest rates, which would boost the economy and prices for investments?

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK — More swings hit Wall

Street on Friday, except the U.S. stock market finished higher this time.

After bobbing up and down through the morning, the S&P 500 took off and rallied nearly 2% before finishing with a gain of 1%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 493 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.9%.

It was a fitting finish for a week that left the S&P 500 just 4.2% below its record but also forced investors to stomach the sharpest hour-to-hour swings since a selloff in April. The jarring moves are testing investors following a monthslong and remarkably smooth surge for stocks, and they come down to two basic questions, neither of which has been answered yet. Have prices for Nvidia, bitcoin

On the second question, financial markets found some assurance from a speech by the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Markets perked up immediately after John Williams told a conference in Chile that he sees “room for a further adjustment” to interest rates.

That could signal he’ll vote for another cut to rates in December

What the Fed does is critical for Wall Street because stock prices ran to records through last month in part because of expectations for a series of reductions.

Other Fed officials, though, have argued against a December cut given how high inflation remains.

The uncertainty created by such sharp disagreement has triggered dramatic moves back and forth for markets

seemed to tamp down worries about a potential bubble in artificial-intelligence technology But the market quickly dropped to a sharp loss in its biggest one-day reversal since April, when President Donald Trump shocked markets with his “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Despite the strong profit report from Nvidia, whose chips are powering the move into AI, worries are still hanging around about the longer term. Will all those AI chips that Amazon, Meta Platforms and other companies are gobbling up actually yield profits and productivity as big as proponents are envisioning? If not, some investors fear, all the investment won’t be worth it.

plunged below $81,000 before pulling back toward $85,000. That’s down from nearly $125,000 last month and brought it back to where it was in April, when markets were shaking because of Trump’s tariffs.

The vast majority of stocks on Wall Street rose despite such swings, with nearly 90% of stocks in the S&P 500 climbing. Their movements often get drowned out by Nvidia and other Big Tech stocks, whose movements have much more effect on the S&P 500 because of their immense sizes.

The swings hit a crescendo on Thursday, when U.S. stocks initially surged after Nvidia

AI-linked stocks continued to swing on Friday helping to drag the rest of the market behind them. Nvidia went from an initial gain to a drop of 4.3% and then swung back and forth before finishing with a loss of 1%, for example. Amazon went from an early loss to a gain of 1.6%.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, briefly

“When the largest companies drive most of the losses, the market can look weaker than it really is,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management.

Several retailers led the way Gap jumped 8.2% after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Richard Dickson said it saw strong sales trends at each of its Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic brands. This time stocks finish higher

Safety improvements

New feminine crash test dummy gets key government endorsement

BY JEFF McMURRAY and AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press

The U.S. government announced major design changes it wants to implement to make the female version of the vehicle crash test dummy more lifelike, potentially replacing a model used for decades that is based almost entirely around the body of a man despite higher injury risks for women.

Department of Transportation officials will consider using the new dummy in the government’s vehicle crash test five-star ratings once a final rule is adopted, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday night in a news release.

Women are 73% more likely to be injured in a head-on crash, and they are 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash, than men.

The standard crash test dummy used in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration five-star vehicle testing was developed in 1978 and was modeled after a 5-foot-9, 171-pound man. The female dummy is smaller and has a rubber jacket to represent breasts. It’s routinely tested in the passenger or back seat but seldom in the driver’s seat, even though the majority of licensed drivers are women

But the change is not guaranteed to happen.

Some American automakers have been skeptical and a group representing auto insurers has already said it thinks the current crash test dummies are fine.

The new female dummy endorsed by the department more accurately reflects differences between men and women, including the shape of the neck, collarbone, pelvis, and legs.

It’s outfitted with more than 150 sensors, the department said.

Maria Weston Kuhn, a law student at New York University started lobbying members of Congress to pass a law requiring the new female dummy after surviving a 2019 crash in Ireland in which her seat belt slid off her hips and ruptured her intestines. She welcomed Duffy’s support but said she won’t celebrate

until NHTSA incorporates the new model into its testing a step that has been delayed numerous times.

“I fear that with this announcement everybody will throw up their hands and say we’ve won,” Kuhn said Friday “But we are far from crossing the finish line.”

Some American automakers have been skeptical, arguing the new model may exaggerate injury risks and undercut the value of some safety features such as seat belts and air bags.

Despite Duffy’s announcement, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research arm funded by auto insurers, continues to advocate for the current line of dummies used to represent women and has seen dramatic improvements in safety as a result, spokesperson Joe Young said.

“Certainly we are going to continue to monitor the new tools and perhaps do some additional research,” Young said. “But for now, our researchers are content and confident that the dummies we’re using are doing a good job.”

Lawmakers and transportation secretaries from the past two presidential administra-

tions have expressed support for new crash test rules and safety requirements, but developments have been slow

U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, and Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, both released statements welcoming the female crash test dummy announcement.

“Any progress here is good because there’s simply no good reason why women are more likely to be injured or die in car crashes,” Duckworth said.

Fischer introduced legislation, the She Drives Act, that would require the most advanced testing devices available, including a female crash test dummy Duckworth is a cosponsor

“It’s far past time to make these testing standards permanent, which will help save thousands of lives and make America’s roads safer for all drivers,” Fischer said.

The department said the new specifications will be available for manufacturers to build models and for the automotive industry to begin testing them in vehicles.

Brazil hails U.S. tariff rollback as ‘significant progress’

By The Associated Press

SAO PAULO Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin on Friday hailed U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to remove the additional import tariffs on some agribusiness products as “significant progress,” but said the country will keep pushing for more exemptions.

“We want to exclude more products and move forward in the negotiation,” he told journalists in Brasilia. Alckmin, who also serves as Trade minister, led the negotiations with the U.S. along with Brazilian diplomats and business

leaders. Cecafé, Brazil’s coffee exporters council, celebrated Trump’s latest order and called the tariff hike “a complete loss of competitiveness.”

“The tariff reversal comes after months of intense work representing the interests of Brazilian coffee It is a historic victory for the entire coffee agribusiness production chain,” the council said in a statement. Brazil has long been a key supplier of beef and coffee to the United States. On Thursday, Trump lifted tariffs on Brazilian goods as part of an effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. The

decision affected coffee, fruit and beef, among other products. The U.S. leader had imposed additional import taxes on Brazilian goods, citing trade practices he deemed unfair and the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to stage a coup after losing the 2022 election. The U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year according to the Census Bureau. Before the tariffs, U.S. government data showed Brazil, the world’s top coffee producer, supplied about 30% of the American market, followed by Colombia at

roughly 20% and Vietnam at about 10%.

“The removal of the 40% tariff imposed by the U.S. government on several Brazilian agricultural products is a victory for dialogue, diplomacy and common sense,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Thursday on X. He also shared a video reacting to Trump’s order, saying he was pleased with the decision. Trump and Lula have been negotiating over trade, which could further reduce tariffs. Lula also praised “the frank dialogue” with Trump, and said that Brazil would continue talks.

OPINION

ANOTHERVIEW

Enduring shadow of Nov. 22

Sixty-two years ago, on Nov.22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The event changedAmerica —not onlythe courseofhistory,but thenation’scharacter and outlook.

Americans still wonder whatreally happenedthatday Speculation abounds —someplausible, somefar-fetched but hard evidenceiselusive.

Although the caseisofficially closed, it stays open in many minds. Did 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald pull the trigger?Was he the lone gunman? Wasthere aconspiracy? Jim Garrison, the former NewOrleans district attorney, was theonly one to bring his theory to court and failedtoprove it. Nevertheless,a 2023 Galluppoll found that 65% of Americans believe someone other than Oswald was involved. Fewerthan3 in 10 think he acted alone.

Mystery shrouds presidential assassinations and attempts. Many believethatthe near-miss on Donald Trump’s life in Butler,Pennsylvania, hasyet to be fully explained. Four sitting presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley andKennedy The first three happened within 36 years: Lincoln was watching aplay,Garfield was walking through aWashington train station and McKinley was greeting visitors at a New York exposition.

None have held history’s attention longer than JFK’sassassination. Abraham Lincoln’scomes close, andthe parallels areuncanny Lincoln was elected in 1860; Kennedy in 1960.Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846;Kennedy in 1946.Both men were assassinated while seated beside their wives. Eachwas shot in thehead and died on aFriday.Bothhad vice presidents from the South namedJohnson.Oswald shot Kennedy from astorage building and was captured in atheater;Booth shot Lincoln in atheaterand wascaught in astorage building.Both assassins went by threenames —JohnWilkes Booth and LeeHarvey Oswald —and both were killed before they could stand trial.

Premonitions add eerie footnotes. Aweekbefore his death, Lincoln dreamed he sawhis own casketinthe East Room of the White House.Jacqueline Kennedy recalled herhusband saying, “If someone wants to shootmefrom a window with arifle, nobody can stop it.”

How about this for trivia:Lincoln’seldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was presentat—orconnectedto— all three presidentialassassinationsduring his lifetime:his father’s, Garfield’s, and McKinley’s. Thereafter,heavoided the company of presidents.Beforehis father’s assassination, Robert narrowly escaped death himself when he slipped between atrain platform and tracks;the man whopulled him to safety wasEdwin Booth, brotherofJohnWilkes Booth. Although the Secret Service was created the year Lincoln died,its original mission was to combatcounterfeiting, not protect presidents. It didn’tassume that role until after McKinley’sdeath.

Four sitting presidents (Andrew Jackson, Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan), one president-elect (Franklin Roosevelt), andtwo formerpresidents seeking comebacks (TheodoreRoosevelt and Trump) have survivedassassination attempts.Trump,Reagan,and Theodore Rooseveltwere actually shot. Ford faced twoattempts within 17 days.

Jackson, unharmed when an English-bornhousepainter fired at him, beat back his assailant with acane. Violence was nothingnew for the Hero ofNew Orleans —hecarried abullet in his chest for decadesfromapre-presidential duel over ahorse-racing incident.

In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt’slifewas likelysaved by an eyeglass case and athick, folded speech in his pocketthat slowed the bullet’sforce.Afterbeing shot,the pugnacious RoughRider saw blood, paused, explained what had happened to the audience and thenspoke for anotherhour Kennedy narrowly escapeda plot in Palm Beach before taking office. Aman namedRichard Pavlickplannedto bomb his car but was foiledbylaw enforcement.There have been numerous threats on otherpresidents thatnever materialized.

It’s possible that two assassinatedpresidents might have lived were it notfor primitive medicalcare. McKinley’s wound would not havebeen deadly had surgerybeen more advanced and antiseptic techniques more consistent.Garfield’s doctor probed for bullets with unwashedfingers and unsterilizedinstruments, causingfatal infection.

The newNetflixseriesonGarfield, “Death by Lightning,” is worthwatching —not justfor the assassination story,but for the loss of apotentially greatpresident who died at 49, less than sevenmonthsafter takingoffice. Assassinations naturally stir historical curiosity,but the intrigue shouldn’tdistractus from the fundamentaltruth: They’rebrutalcrimes with immenseconsequences —each one carving away an important piece ofthe American spirit Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

Trumptryingtomake countrybetterfor all

The first thing Iwould like to talk about is President Donald Trump wanting to be theking, as theDemocratssay.Trumpcertainly doesn’t need all the aggravation he has to put up withtrying to straighten out this country. He has enough funds to actually live like aking on his own.

In theOct. 19 edition, Iread where aformer U.S. Marine felt like Trumpwas pushing the country to civil conflict, and Hayley Wingard and Jessica Yother couldn’tbelieve the military invasion of Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland. Well, do they like the crime and lawlessness in these cities, and do they feel safe there? Why do people elect mayorsin these cities that let this take place andaccept illegal immigrants there? That’snot the America I grew up in. I’man87-year-old patriot and aformer Marine and Air Force veteran.

This country’sgovernment is a bloated bureaucracy that needs trimmingdown, along with term limits on legislators. We need to respect our immigration laws, and we should allow foreigners to work in our country under approved circumstances, green cards or whatever they’re called. But these workers wouldn’tget any of our country’sbenefits like insurance or healthcare. Iknow our agricultural farmers need them Andweshouldn’tlet our enemies like China buy land in our country Youcan’town property in China. Treat them like they treat us. We should buy them out and get rid of them.

Believeme, Trump’snot looking for anything other than straightening out this country and stopping world conflicts.

TOMLINGONI JR. Marrero

Football coaching salaries have gotten outofhand

Ihave afew thoughts regarding Brian Kelly’sfiring by LSU. Kelly’sbuyout is 90% of the remainingvalue of his bloated contract, which translates into $54 million,paid out monthly through 2031. To put that in terms somewhat easier to understand, that is $750,000 per month,or$175,000 per week, $25,000 per day! Let’s let that sink in for amoment while we imagine what some might call abetter use of these funds. How manyLouisianans earn these kinds of numbers in ayear,working multiple jobsand struggling to afford reliable day care?

While Ilove college and professional sports, these compensation packages and theirgolden parachutes are absolutely ridiculous. As an employee of apublic institution, alarge part of Kelly’ssalary is publicly funded, and now we get to keep payinghim forsix more years? Beforewehire another football coach, let’sthink about some performance criteria, especially in the first four to five seasons of a 10-year contract, to avoid having to pay someone whonolonger works for us.

AVAFARRAR NewOrleans

Majorcoastal moneyneeds to go to protection

Your editorial view on the coastal protection and restoration issues lacks the coverage of the “protection”aspectofthat subject There is only one way to provide theprotection that is critically needed for thecommunities being directly

are

globe to deal with sea-level rise and theeffects of weather events producing flood damage. Those supporting long-term projects based on questionable results are simply in error and ignorant of thetruth. Why is this happening?

KENNETH RAGAS NewOrleans

Reading the newspaper,I was very surprised to see that U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy nominated President Donald Trumpfor the Nobel Peace Prize forhis actions regarding COVID. This is the epitome of hypocrisy and resultant Republican complicity and groveling.

Remember that Cassidy voted to impeach Trump. Now he is bending over backward, first by allowing Robert Kennedy Jr.to be appointed secretary,and the Nobel Peace Prize nomination. I voted forCassidy the last timebecause Irespected his principles. I take that all back.

AUBWARD Baton Rouge

Unintended side effect of misinformation helps thosewho seek vaccines

Heading into flu season, I’m up to date on my vaccinations. While getting the shots, Irealized aside benefit from the superb leadership of Gov.Jeff Landry, Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy: There is virtually no waitto get your vaccines. These gentlemen —alawyer, aveterinarian and aphysician —have successfully squelched demand forvaccinations in Louisiana.

Back in the day,when flu, pneumonia, COVID, shingles, RSV and measles used to be problematic, there werewait lines. Now you can just score that miracle drug, ivermectin, without aprescription if you get any symptoms. If these politicos can reduce the lines at grocery stores and the airport, perhaps by spreading someadditional misinformation, they could achieve even more.

DAVE WHIDDON NewOrleans

FO

BYKOKI RILEY Staff writer

Messay Hailemariam had seen Michael VanBuren do it before.

Scrambling, creating, improvising. These were the hallmarks of VanBuren’splay during hissenior season at St.Frances Academy in Maryland, where he could make themost outofa less-than-ideal situation

Twoyears later,Hailemariam —Van Buren’s coach at St. Frances —watched himmake thesametype of play again. The difference wasthis timehewas at LSU andlookingtosnapthe Tigers’three-game losing streak in hisfirst gameastheir startingquarterback. VanBuren scrambled to his right, flushedout of thepocket by an Arkansas defense that eliminated theinitial readsinhis progression.Itforced him tolook to the back of the end zone as he driftedtoward the sideline. That’swhere he spotted fifth-yearsenior tight end Bauer Sharp. LSuQb vanburen

ä See LSU, page 2C

LSU GAMEDAY

BROADCAST INFORMATION TEAM SCHEDULES

Western Kentucky at LSU

6:45 p.m. Saturday, Tiger Stadium

TV: SEC Network | Line: LSU 22½ Radio: WDGL-FM, 98.1; WWL-AM, 870; WWL-FM, 105.3; KLWB-FM, 103.7

LSU

Date Opponent Time/TV

8.30 at Clemson W, 17-10

9.6 Louisiana Tech W, 23-7

9.13 Florida W, 20-17

9.20 Southeastern W, 56-10

9.27 at Ole Miss L, 19-24 10.11

Carolina W, 20-10 10.18 at Vanderbilt L, 24-31

10.25 Texas A&M L, 25-49

11.8 at Alabama L, 9-20

W, 23-22

2:30 p.m/TBD

DEPTH CHARTS

COACHES

8.23 Sam Houston W 41-24

8.30 North Alabama W,

10.21 at Louisiana Tech W, 28-27,

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Perfect throw Touchdown.

Once again, Van Buren had created something out of almost nothing, and the result was a onepoint lead for LSU after the extra point with 7:53 left to play LSU held on to win 23-22, giving the Tigers their first win in more than a month.

“I was proud of him,” LSU interim coach Frank Wilson said. “I thought he played admirably and got the game to a point where he was able to affect change and dictate for our football team.”

Van Buren and LSU will look to replicate that success Saturday when the Tigers host Western Kentucky in their final home game of the season (6:45 p.m., SEC Network). Van Buren will start in place of injured fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was ruled out Thursday after missing last Saturday’s game with a reaggravated abdominal injury His opportunity came suddenly but Van Buren was prepared for the moment.

“When the opportunity presents itself, people don’t understand it’s not really luck,” Hailemariam said. “It’s just they’re prepared for the chance He was prepared, and he took advantage of the opportunity that was presented in front of him.”

This isn’t the first time Van Buren has been thrust into this kind of situation.

He had replaced injured starters twice before arriving at LSU, during his sophomore year at St Frances and his freshman year at Mississippi State. His opportunity at St. Frances eventually earned him a shot at playing in the Southeastern Conference. An injury to Mississippi State starter Blake Shapen opened the door for Van Buren to start eight games.

Both instances equipped him for this moment, when he replaced Nussmeier during LSU’s 20-9 loss to Alabama in the second half and started in Nussmeier’s stead last weekend.

“It’s an amazing, pleasant surprise for him,” Hailemariam said. “He deserves it. I’m not surprised, but what I mean by that is, I know that it’s difficult to start in an environment like in the SEC when it wasn’t planned, if that makes sense.”

Playing quarterback has been Van Buren’s goal since he was 8 years old, the time when Monique Walker remembers her son watching endless YouTube clips of NFL quarterbacks. The next year, he started working with his current personal quarterback coach, Russell Thomas. She always knew Van Buren was especially talented. So did Thomas.

“(Thomas) saw Michael and saw Michael’s potential at such a young age,” Walker said “Michael already had the tools going into Russ. So Russ basically just critiqued everything for him and made him better.”

Among the quarterbacks Thomas works with is Chicago Bears starter and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams Through their mutual connection, Williams has worked out with Van Buren and offered advice to the fellow Maryland native.

“We texted a couple of times. I’ve asked him for advice sometimes,” Van Buren said. “So, I mean, he’s like a big brother.”

When the opportunity presents itself, people don’t understand it’s not really luck. It’s just they’re prepared for the chance. He was prepared, and he took advantage of the opportunity that was presented in front of him.”

MESSAy HAILEMARIAM, Van Buren’s former high school football coach

STAFF PREDICTIONS

WILSON ALEXANDER

LSU 33, WESTERN KENTUCKY 10

LSU should be able to score a little bit on Western Kentucky, which ranks 109th nationally with 175 yards rushing allowed per game. Sure, LSU hasn’t been able to take advantage of many mismatches this season, but there’s a talent gap between these teams and LSU ran the ball well against Arkansas Look for that to continue and the defense to have another good day.

REED DARCEY

LSU 27, WESTERN KENTUCKY 17

It got lost in the intrigue surrounding the coaching search, but the LSU defense played pretty well last week against an Arkansas offense that should have been able to exploit some of its vulnerabilities. Western Kentucky has a good offense, too. But the Tigers have

Van Buren’s work with Thomas helped him thrive at St. Frances, but things started going sideways during his senior season. His starting running back and three offensive linemen tore their ACLs. Suddenly, Van Buren had to play in an offense that was ill-equipped to score points against a brutal schedule.

“He had a 14-year-old center He had a sophomore transfer that had never played football in his life and somebody else,” Hailemariam said, “and he was running for his life.

“We played a gauntlet of a schedule. Seven of our games were against top-15 teams in the country No other high school takes on that kind of a challenge.”

Facing that constant pressure in the pocket, Hailemariam believes, has helped Van Buren prepare for the next level. That experience has come in handy at LSU, where

SCOTT RABALAIS

LSU 30, WESTERN KENTUCKY 15

This game buries the needle on the anticlimactic meter given the opponent and circumstances That said, you play to win every time, and LSU has a chance to secure a winning season no matter what happens against Oklahoma and in a bowl The offense gets three touchdowns and three field goals, and a defense good enough to hold the Arkansas offense to 15 points does the same to the Hilltoppers

KOKI RILEY

LSU 24, WESTERN KENTUCKY 13

Unless Lane Kiffin shows up in Tiger Stadium standing next to Verge Ausberry it’s hard to imagine much drama around this matchup. The LSU offense wasn’t much better against Arkansas last week, but its run game seemed better with Michael Van Buren at

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF

LSU quarterback Michael VanBuren takes in theatmosphere before agameagainst Arkansas on Nov. 15 at TigerStadium.

the offensive line has struggled throughout the season.

Starting left tackle Tyree Adamshas been out since injuringhis ankle during LSU’sloss to Vanderbilt. His replacement, freshman Carius Curne, was benched last weekend in favor of redshirt freshmanOry Williams, who started the game at right tackle.

Filling Williams’ spot at right tackle was redshirt freshman Weston Davis, thestarter at that spot for most of theseason until he was supplanted by Williams for the Alabama game.

“Itwas almost like ablessingindisguise,” Hailemariam said regarding the challenges VanBurenfaced as asenior,“and whathe went through and how he perseveredthrough it.”

VanBuren didn’texpecttofight for the starting job when he transferred toLSU fromMississippi State.

The Tigers already had areturning starter in place with Nussmeier,and VanBuren was more focusedonlooking for aplace wherehe could develop whilestayingwithin theSEC. Wilson said this year was supposed to be an “apprenticeship”for VanBuren.

“Weknew coming in that he was goingtobe thebackup,”Walker said. “Just likegoing into Mississippi State,weknew he was going to be the backup.”

When he became the starter at Mississippi State, Thomas believes VanBurenwas wedged into an offense that had toberetooledaround

his existing skill set. He didn’thavetimeto learn the nuances of playing theposition.

The hope of transferring to LSU, in part, was to develop those parts of his game,identifyingprotections andmakingcheckswithinan offense.

“Hecould have done thatwith(coach Jeff Lebby) at Mississippi State as well,”Thomas said. “He was just ayoung guy,and Jeff didn’t wanttokind of put too much on him.”

Butthe coacheswho recruitedhim,mentored him and toldhim that he could fight for the starting job at LSU in 2026 are no longer around.Coach Brian Kelly wasfiredthe Sunday after LSU’sloss to TexasA&M, aday before offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan also was let go.

Have those changes altered hisoutlook on hisfuture at LSU? On Tuesday,Van Buren made it clear that he wantstoremain at LSU. But Thomas andWalkerhaven’t been as definitive about what next season has in store for VanBuren.

“He hasn’tindicated any desire to kind of do anything other than, let’ssee what the coach is going to be here,” Thomas, who is alsoVan Buren’srepresentative, said. “The platform is the same. Thecompetition is the same. He’s not even thinking about those kinds of things.”

But wherever thefuture holds, VanBuren will be ready.He’salways been prepared for the moment.

“He’sready,”Walker said. “Hewas readyfor what was coming at him.”

LSUformallyfiresKelly in response to lawsuit

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

The LSU board of supervisors Friday authorized new school presidentWadeRousse to send former coach Brian Kelly writtennotice that he has beenfired, the first step in its response toalawsuit Kelly filed against the board. The topic was discussed during aprivate executive session that lasted around27minutes. Upon returning from the closed-door meeting, LSU board member JohnCarmouche asked the board to give Roussepermission “in consultation with general counsel to review and, if appropriate, send BrianKelly written notice of termination under hisemployment agreement.”

The motion was passed without an objection. Carmouche is the chairman of theathletics committee and has been akey figure in the buyout negotiations with Kelly’srepresentatives. Carmouche, Rousse andboard chairman

Scott Ballard declined further comment.

Kelly filed alawsuit Nov.10inthe 19thJudicial District for EastBaton Rouge Parishas thetwo sidesreached an impasseinbuyout negotiations. His attorneys alleged LSU took the position that he had not been “formally terminated” and that the school sought tofire himfor cause to avoid paying his nearly $54 million buyout.The lawsuit asked for adeclaratory judgment that Kelly has been fired without cause and is owed his full buyout.

Thelawsuit also claimed LSU said then-athleticdirector Scott Woodward didnot havethe authoritytofire Kellyatthe time. Woodward andthe school parted ways four days later after Gov.Jeff Landry criticized Woodward in a public news conference and said he would not hire the next head coach.

“Under Article VII, Section 1(L)(3) of the Board of Supervisors Bylaws, any personnel action relating to varsity athletics coaches with asalary over $250,000 requires board approval,” LSU said in astatementFriday

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

TOP25 No. 1OhioSt. (10-0) vs.Rutgers(5-5), 11 a.m. No. 3Texas A&M (10-0) vs.Samford(1-10), 11 a.m No. 4Georgia (9-1) vs.Charlotte (1-9), 11:45a.m No. 6Oregon (9-1) vs.No. 16 USC(8-2), 2:30 p.m No. 8Oklahoma (8-2) vs.No. 23 Missouri (7-3), 11 a.m. No. 9Notre Dame (8-2) vs.Syracuse (3-7), 2:30p.m. No. 10Alabama (8-2) vs.Eastern Illinois (3-8), 1p.m. No. 11BYU (9-1) at Cincinnati (7-3),7 p.m. No.12Vanderbilt (8-2) vs.Kentucky (5-5), 2:30 p.m. No. 13Utah (8-2) vs.Kansas St. (5-5), 3p.m. No. 14Miami (8-2) at Va.Tech (3-7),11a.m. No. 16Georgia Tech (9-1) vs.Pittsburgh (7-3), 6p.m. No. 17Texas (7-3) vs.Arkansas

Fordham (1-10) at Merrimack (3-8),11a.m. Tulsa(3-7) at Army(5-4), 11 a.m. Lehigh (11-0) at Lafayette (8-3), 11:30 a.m. Columbia(1-8)atCornell (4-5), noon Hampton (2-9) at Rhode Island(9-2), noon Princeton (3-6)atPenn (5-4), noon SC State (8-3)atDelaware St. (8-3), noon Bucknell (5-6)atColgate (4-7), noon Maine (6-5) at NewHampshire(7-4), noon St. Francis (Pa.) (0-10) at Stonehill (3-8), noon Campbell(2-9) at Towson (5-6), noon SacredHeart (8-3)atVillanova (8-2), noon Duquesne (6-5)atRobertMorris (3-8), 1p.m. Howard (4-7)vs. NorfolkSt. (1-10),2:30 p.m. Tulane (8-2)atTemple (5-5), 2:45 p.m.

Holy Cross(2-9) vs.Georgetown (6-5), 3p.m. Michigan (8-2)atMaryland (4-6), 3p.m. Nebraska (7-3)atPenn St. (4-6), 6p.m.

SOUTH Miami (8-2)atVirginia Tech (3-7), 11 a.m. Delaware (5-5)atWakeForest (7-3), 11 a.m. W. Carolina (6-5)atVMI

St.(4-6),1:30 p.m. Sam Houston St.(2-8) at Mid.Tenn.(1-9), 2p.m. South Florida (7-3)atUAB (3-7), 2p.m. Uconn (8-3)atFAU (4-6), 2p.m. Jacksonville St. (7-3)atFIU (5-5),2:30 p.m. Bethune-Cookman(5-6) vs.Florida A&M (55) at Orlando, Fla 2:30 p.m. Alcorn St. (5-6) at Jackson St.(8-2),2:30 p.m. Kentucky (5-5)atVanderbilt (8-2), 2:30 p.m.

So. Miss. (7-3) at So.Alabama (3-7),2:30 p.m.

Duke(5-5) at North Carolina(4-6),2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma St. (1-9)atUCF (4-6),3 p.m.

Georgia St. (1-9)atTroy(6-4),3 p.m. Coast. Car. (6-4) at So.Carolina(3-7),3:15 p.m. Furman (6-5)atClemson (5-5), 3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh (7-3) at GeorgiaTech(9-1) 6p.m. Tennessee (7-3) at Florida (3-7), 6:30 p.m. MIDWEST Rutgers(5-5) at Ohio St. (10-0),11a.m. Kansas (5-5)atIowaSt. (6-4), 11 a.m. Minnesota (6-4) at NW (5-5), 11 a.m. S. Illinois (6-5) at IllinoisSt. (8-3),noon Murray St. (0-11)

THENATION

THINGS TO WATCHINWEEK13

OKLAHOMA FACESFBS’TOP RUSHER

No. 8Oklahoma and its fourth-ranked rushing defense will seek to maintain College Football Playoff placement against FBS-leadingrusher Ahmad Hardyand No. 23 Missouri on Saturday.Hardy has rushed for 1,346yards in 10 games for Missouri.The Sooners allow just82.2yards per game on theground.Two of the SEC’sbest receivers willbeonopposite sidelines —Missouri’sKevin Colemanand OU’sIsaiah Sategna. Coleman has 56 catches for600 yards and one touchdown. Sategna has53catches for 718 yards and five TDs

USC-OREGON AMARQUEE MATCHUP

SouthernCalifornia will needtoovercome its road woes in big games against Oregonifit hopestostayontrack to secure aspot in the CFP.USC has largely fallen shortinbig gamesonthe road since joiningthe BigTen. The Trojans are 2-2 away from home thisseason.For Oregon, the stakes are also high. Lose to USC and the Ducks are out of the playoff, and the slimchances of asecondstraight Big Tentitle —shouldIndiana or OhioState dip in the final twogamesofthe season —also vanish

GA.TECHEYESACC TITLE-GAME SHOT

The yellowJacketscan clinch aspot in theACC championship game with awin overPitta week before their rivalrygame against No.4Georgia. Pitt is among fourone-loss teams in the ACCstandings.The yellowJackets have thenation’s No. 1offense, but theirdefense gave up acombined 11 scoring drivesof75-plusyards in a loss to NC State and awin overBostonCollege Pittsburgh clings to ACCtitle-game hopes, seeking itsthird trip to the ACCtitle game under coach PatNarduzzi, while GeorgiaTechis aiming for its first appearance since2014.

—AssociatedPress

OleMisscoachLane Kiffinwaitsfor aplayashis offense battlesLSU in the first quarter of agameonSept.27atVaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.Kiffin’sfutureatOle Miss is still murky

LSUshouldplaywaiting game

Some patience is needed forKiffindecision…for now

Everyone was waiting forwhitesmoke Friday regarding Lane Kiffin,his status going forward at Ole Miss and his potential move to LSU.

1. TEXASA&M

Record: 10-0 overall, 7-0 SEC

Previous rank:1

Last week:DefeatedSouth Carolina 31-30

Thisweek:vs. Samford, 11 a.m. Saturday (SECNetwork+)

2. GEORGIA

Record:9-1 overall, 7-1 SEC

Previous rank:3

Last week:DefeatedTexas35-10

Thisweek:vs. Charlotte,11:45 a.m. (SEC Network)

3. OLEMISS

Record:10-1 overall, 6-1 SEC

Previous rank:4

Last week:DefeatedFlorida 34-24

Thisweek: Idle

4. OKLAHOMA

Record:8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC

Previous rank:5

Last week:DefeatedAlabama 23-21

Thisweek:vs. Missouri, 11 a.m. Saturday (ABC)

5. ALABAMA

Record:8-2 overall, 6-1 SEC

Previous rank:2

Last week:Lost to Oklahoma23-21

Thisweek:vs. Eastern Illinois, 1p.m. Saturday(SECNetwork+)

6. VANDERBILT

Record:8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC

Previous rank:7

Last week:Idle

Thisweek:vs. Kentucky,2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

7. TEXAS

Record:7-3 overall, 4-2 SEC

Previous rank:6

Last week:Lost to Georgia 35-10

Thisweek:vs.Arkansas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

8. TENNESSEE

Record:7-3 overall, 3-3 SEC

Previous rank:8

Last week:DefeatedNew Mexico State42-9

Thisweek:atFlorida, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

9. MISSOURI

Record:7-3 overall, 3-3 SEC

Previous rank:9

Last week:DefeatedMississippi State 49-27

Thisweek:atOklahoma, 11 a.m. Saturday (ABC)

10.KENTUCKY

Scott Rabalais

What we got was gray smoke. The kind of smoke that obscures your vision and leaves you to try to figure out what’sthere. On Friday,asexpected, Kiffin met with Ole Miss athletic director KeithCarter and, accordingtothe school, Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce. After emerging from that meeting,Ole Miss released astatement Friday afternoon from Carter —notably not from Kiffin or Boyce—saying Kiffinwill coach the Rebels in next Friday’s regular-season finale at Mississippi State.

The statement concluded with this sentence from Carter: “An announcementon Coach Kiffin’sfuture is expected the Saturdayfollowing thegame.”

Allow me to make afew inferences and draw afew conclusions:

•Ibelieve Kiffin is leavingOle Missafter the Egg Bowl againstMississippi State He’shad acontract extension offer from the school for some time now andhasn’t signed it. Friday’sannouncement would have been theperfect opportunitytosay Kiffinisstaying, but thatwas no part of Carter’sstatement. In other words, two words: He’sgone.

•Ole Miss wants Kiffin to coach the Egg Bowl to give the Rebels the bestchance to make theCollege Football Playofffor the first time. If the Rebels beat thearchrival Bulldogs, they’re 11-1 and definitely in the CFP.IfOle Miss loses,especially if paired

with the prospect of Kiffin no longer being its coach, the CFP selection committee couldhold that against theRebels, knocking them out of the 12-team CFP.The Rebels are currently No. 6inthe CFP. We just saw Alabama tumble six spotstoNo. 10 after losing 23-21 to current No. 8Oklahoma. Imagine how many spots thecommittee might drop Ole Miss if it loses?

•Will Ole Miss players stand for this, willing to play one more game for acoach who they have to believe is bailing on them? That may be afaulty assumption on Ole Miss’ part. We shall see.

•There is no doubt Kiffin is LSU’stop choice to be its next coach and that school officials believe theinterest is mutual. Accordingtosome excellent reporting Friday by ourWilson Alexander,LSU is willing to wait abit longer for acommitment from Kiffin butmay start pushing for that word as early as Sunday

•Isitreally worth it for LSU to continue to wait for Kiffin through all of this drama? There are issues. He has been pilloried in thenational media for considering leaving Ole Miss on thecusp of itsfirst CFPberth. If he leaves for LSU, both Kiffin and LSU mayget hammered over this move. It’s ahuge caution light for LSUthat Kiffin is even contemplating this movetobegin with, though Tulane coach Jon Sumrall is in somewhat similar circumstances and no oneisblasting him. Kiffin’stenure at LSU could beNick Saban’stime at LSUall over again,when there were rumors every year that he would leave for theNFL until he finally didafter the2004 season.

•All that said, considering where LSU hascome from with thedebacle and controversy involving Brian Kelly’sfiring,

athletic director Scott Woodward’sfiring, Gov.Jeff Landry’sinvolvementand the missteps by new LSUpresidentWade Rousse over whether Verge Ausberry would be thepermanent AD,yes, LSU should stay the course. Kiffin is the biggest fish out there, not only aproven winner but awinner in the Southeastern Conference. By waiting, LSU runs therisk that Kiffin may still stay at Ole Miss, may choose Florida(that appears unlikely now)orwho knows, may covet theAlabama job if,as has been reported, Kalen DeBoer goes to PennState, where he may be its top target. Despite all that, Kiffin gives LSU the best chance to win and is worth the risks.

•But patience withKiffin should not be limitless. If I’m Ausberry and LSU, I’m giving Kiffin afirm deadline to decide whether he’scoming to BatonRouge. Like midnight next Saturday after theEgg Bowl. After that, LSU has to moveonto its next candidate, who our reporting says is Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz. Drink, or another candidate, wouldn’twin as many heartsand minds among LSU’sfan base as Kiffin would. ButIthink he would winlots of games. LSU also would have to moveon because thestartofthe early national signing period is Wednesday,Dec. 3, followed closely by theopening of college football’s transfer portal window on Jan. 2. Is it an ideal situation for LSU to be in?

Hardly.But coaching searches are frequently messy.And perilous. With great risk can comegreat reward. That’sthe game, the waiting game, LSU is playing with Kiffin.

Email Scott Rabalais at srabalais@ theadvocate.com

Record:5-5 overall, 2-5 SEC

Previous rank:10

Last week:DefeatedTennesseeTech 42-10

Thisweek:atVanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)

11.LSU

Record:6-4 overall, 3-4 SEC

Previous rank:11

Last week:DefeatedArkansas 23-22

Thisweek:vs.Western Kentucky,6:45 p.m. Saturday(SECNetwork)

12.AUBURN

Record:4-6 overall, 1-6 SEC

Previous rank:12

Last week:Idle

Thisweek:vs. Mercer,1 p.m. Saturday(SEC Network+)

13.MISSISSIPPI STATE

Record:5-6 overall, 1-6 SEC

Previous rank:13

Last week:Lost to Missouri 49-27

Thisweek:Idle

14.SOUTH CAROLINA

Record:3-7 overall, 1-7 SEC

Previous rank:14

Last week:Lost to Texas A&M 31-30

Thisweek:vs. Coastal Carolina, 3:15 p.m. Saturday(SECNetwork)

15.ARKANSAS

Record:2-8 overall, 0-6 SEC

Previous rank:15

Last week:Lost to LSU23-23

Thisweek:atTexas, 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

16.FLORIDA

LSU 99, OMAHA 73

NETS SCORCHED

LSU guard PJ Carter celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Omaha on Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Carter made four 3-pointers and the Tigers sank 15 of 33 in the game to improve to 5-0 on the season.

LSU makes season-high 15 3-pointers to take down Omaha, stay unbeaten

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Dedan Thomas backpedaled and de-

flected a pass for a steal.

After showing his active hands, LSU’s lead guard pushed the ball down the middle of the court and made a fundamental chest pass to his backcourt mate, Max Mackinnon. The Australian sharpshooter dialed up a 3-pointer from the left wing over a late Omaha player’s contest to give the Tigers an 18-point lead in the second half.

Impressive sequences of defense leading to offense were frequent in LSU’s

Saints quarterback Taysom Hill runs past Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips on Jan. 7, 2024, in the Caesars Superdome. Hill has since moved to tight end, but remains a versatile option in the Saints offense.

Saints

99-73 win against Omaha (2-4) on Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

The Tigers especially were hot from beyond the arc as they made a seasonhigh 15 3-pointers on 33 attempts. Their previous season-high was 10 against UNO on Nov 10.

“I love the edge that our guys played with,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “They had great energy defensively and then on our offensive end, I just love the unselfishness that our guys played with. So a good way to finish up this home stand.”

LSU (5-0) was led by Thomas, who had

a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists along with zero turnovers. The UNLV transfer became the first LSU player to have 10 assists in a game since 2022, when it was done by Xavier Pinson

The top scorer was Mackinnon, who had 22 points, three assists and went 6 of 8 from 3.

This matchup was against a familiar program for Marquel Sutton. The 6-foot9 starting small forward in his first year at LSU transferred from Omaha after three seasons. The fifth-year senior was given his Summit League Championship ring from his former coach, Chris Crutchfield, before tipoff.

comfort zone in using Hill during key moments

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

When it came time to grind out the closing minutes of their second win of the season, the Saints turned to the player they’ve traditionally leaned on in those types of spots. New Orleans took possession with 7:35 remaining in the fourth quarter Nov 9 at Carolina, holding a 17-7 lead. That has been unfamiliar territory for this team, but first-year coach Kellen Moore found himself doing what some of his predecessors have done in that situation — putting the ball in Taysom Hill’s hands and letting him do his thing.

ä Falcons at Saints. 3:25 P.M. SUNDAy, FOX

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Sutton, who entered the game off of three straight double-doubles, cooled off in this matchup as he finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

LSU started the game by scoring 12 unanswered points in the first four minutes. The team was clicking on all cylinders as Thomas pushed the pace for fastbreak chances.

The UNLV transfer was responsible for five of those early points as he scored a fastbreak layup through contact in the middle of the paint and drained a leftwing 3-pointer when a defender went

LSU continues to target Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin in its search for a new head coach, multiple sources told The Advocate on Friday, and it is waiting on an answer from him that may not come for another week. Kiffin had a meeting Friday with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and university chancellor Glenn Boyce as Ole Miss sought clarity about his decision. Afterward, Carter said an announcement on Kiffin’s future is expected to come the day after No. 6 Ole Miss plays rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl next Friday

57-28 record in seven seasons at Appalachian State and Missouri. LSU decision-makers have wanted to remain patient during the search process, but sources said LSU will begin pushing for a commitment starting Sunday as it heads into the final week of the regular season. Kiffin and Drinkwitz emerged as primary targets as LSU narrowed its search over the past month after the firing of Brian Kelly

“Everything kind of came together to the point where we could just rely on one of our best playmakers to go out there and make great decisions and put us in position to win,” tight end Foster Moreau said. That final drive spanned 14 plays, 11 before three kneel-downs to chew up the final two minutes of game clock. Hill was on the field for nine of those first 11 snaps, often with the ball in his hands. And it was Hill who delivered two of the most crucial plays on the drive, twice gaining 5 yards to convert third and 4 with a read-option keeper to keep the wick on

“Despite the outside noise, coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl,” Carter said in a statement posted on X, “and together, we want to ensure that our players and coaches can concentrate fully on next Friday’s game.”

ä See HILL, page 7C

On Monday, a private plane arranged by LSU officials brought several of Kiffin’s family members, including his ex-wife Layla Kiffin, to Baton Rouge for a tour of the city His family visited Gainesville, Florida, the day before. Kiffin’s representatives met with Florida athletic officials Thursday night, according to 247Sports. Ole Miss has an open date this weekend before it plays Mississippi State. At 10-1, the Rebels are headed toward their first College Football Playoff appearance. They would almost certainly make the 12-team field with one more win, and they could host a first-round game Dec. 19 or 20 if they are ranked outside the top four LSU would be open to Kiffin coaching in the playoff, sources said, but it is unclear whether Ole Miss would let him if he intends to leave for another job after the season. LSU

LSU’s other primary target in the search at the moment is Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, sources said. When asked Wednesday whether his representation has been contacted by LSU, Drinkwitz declined to comment. Drinkwitz, 42, has a

IN BRIEF FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Baylor is keeping football coach Aranda another season

WACO, Texas Baylor addressed questions about football coach Dave Aranda’s future on Friday with the school’s president saying that the Bears are keeping their sixth-year coach. Baylor (5-5) has lost three of its last four games, and has to win one of its remaining two games to get bowl eligible.

LSU

Continued from page 5C

under a screen.

Thomas also had an electric close to the first half as a playmaker He passed the ball to his backup shooting guard, PJ Carter, who knocked down three catch-and-shoot 3s. Carter, a fifth-year senior, entered the game for the first time at the 2:42 mark but was the team’s secondleading scorer with nine points at halftime.

“Over the last two years, 98 made threes at 40%, so he’s proven that he can really shoot the ball,” McMahon said about Carter, who finished with 12 points. “I think we saw tonight he doesn’t need much time or space, really quick release.”

Also making 3s was Mackinnon, who was recently in a cold spell from distance. After making 4 of 5 in the season opener, he missed all eight of his 3-point attempts in the previous three games.

The senior had a pair of 3s fall to help LSU make 9 of 19 by halftime as the Tigers built a 50-37 lead.

“Trust the work, it all will figure itself out,” Mackinnon said when asked about his slump. “Saw some shots go down, but I can impact (games) in other ways.”

While the LSU offense was flowing for the entire game, its defense also impressed. Omaha was unable to get many easy looks in the paint. The Mavericks shot 39% from the field With LSU leading 25-13 with 10:46 remaining in the first half, coach Matt McMahon made a change in his rotation, substituting in shooting guard Ron Zipper. The 22-year-old freshman from Israel has played only in garbage time during three blowout victories.

Zipper didn’t let his early playing time go to waste as he sank a left-wing 3-pointer after using Pablo Tamba’s screen at the 10:02 mark of the first half. That was his only score in five minutes. Freshman guard Mazi Mosley, who had three points, also entered the game earlier for the first time. He checked in at the 12:24 mark of the second half and played five minutes “I thought both practiced really well and deserved an opportunity to get into the game,” McMahon said. “Both are elite 3-point shooters, and you saw both of them step up and knock down threes early in their stints.”

The earlier insertion of Zipper in the rotation led to sophomore forward Robert Miller entering the game for the first time with 13:54 left He had two points in five minutes.

Mike Nwoko’s presence was felt in the paint. Coming off a career-high 29 points in his team’s most recent win against Alcorn State, the 6-10 Canadian center had 14 points. He sent fans into a frenzy with a poster dunk with one hand in transition at the 16:34 mark of the second half.

LSU’s next game is against Drake (4-2) at 8:30 p.m on Friday in the first round of the 2025 Emerald Coast Classic tournament in Niceville, Florida.

Productive Fulwiley supplying pizzazz

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

A 3-pointer from the half-court

logo. A leaping, pirouette layup.

Even the shots that MiLaysia Fulwiley misses have a certain flair to them

They did when Fulwiley starred for South Carolina, and they do now at the start of her first season with the LSU women’s basketball team. The difference now is that the transfer guard is making those shots more often than she’s missing them through the first six games of her junior year — a stretch in which she’s played the best basketball of her career

Fulwiley is the No. 5 Tigers’ (6-0) leading scorer Her field-goal percentage and her 3-point percentage are both career-highs just like her early season averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

As of Thursday, no Division I player had tallied more steals this year than Fulwiley (29).

“MiLaysia has the quickest hands I think I’ve ever seen,” coach Kim Mulkey said.

Those steals have given LSU extra possessions that it has used to build what is now one of the best offensive starts in the history of women’s college basketball. The Tigers scored 112 points on Thursday in a win over Alcorn State, which means they’ve hit the century mark in six straight games enough to tie the NCAA record that one of Mulkey’s Louisiana Tech teams set in 1982.

LSU leads the nation in scoring.

Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams have been their productive, efficient selves. The bench players are contributing more than 50 points per contest, thanks in large part to Fulwiley Last season, she scored 11.7 ppg while shooting 43% from the field and 26% from 3-point range.

This season, Fulwiley is averaging 18.8 ppg and 4.8 steals per game while shooting 60% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc in the same amount of playing time she saw with the Gamecocks.

Mulkey wants her stars to play a loose, free brand of basketball. Fulwiley is certainly capable of doing so, and when she does, she can cre-

ate the kind of dazzling plays that only a few players would even try to pull off.

But Mulkey is focused more on the things that she thinks leads to winning. Rebounding Sound offball defense. Smart shot selection. LSU has yet to play a game that was decided by fewer than 30 points, so the results haven’t swung on any mistakes Fulwiley may have made so far LSU’s schedule won’t stiffen until January, which gives Fulwiley time to learn exactly how Mulkey wants her to play and when it’s OK for her to take long 3s.

“She may make most of those from out there,” Mulkey said.

“That’s pretty much her range, but was it at the right time to do it? How much was on the shot clock? Would you do that if the score was 50 to 50 going in the fourth quarter? You just keep teaching.”

Fulwiley scored at least 18 points in 12 of the games she played across the two seasons she spent at South Carolina — six such games each season.

This year, Fulwiley’s sixth

Marist vs. LSU 7 P.M., Friday ESPN+

18-point performance could come as soon as Friday, when LSU faces Marist in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Tournament.

Fulwiley also has stolen the ball nearly half as many times as she did all of last season. Those steals usually lead to the entertaining fast-break opportunities that Mulkey enjoys watching her star trio of Johnson, Williams and Fulwiley provide.

“If you have the talent to entertain and do things, but you’re productive, do it,” Mulkey said.

“Don’t do it and cost us a game. You don’t take away skills and the way certain kids play but you make them understand time and score and all that kind of stuff, and don’t create bad habits.”

Ordinarily, hoisting shots from the logo would be considered a “bad habit.”

But both Fulwiley and her LSU teammates are playing well enough this season to justify a little extra pizzazz.

Mulkey explains Gilbert’s

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Senior guard Kailyn Gilbert was not with the LSU women’s basketball team on Thursday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for its 112-49 win over Alcorn State.

Coach Kim Mulkey said Gilbert was dealing with “family issues.”

“(Gilbert), I try not to get emotional,” Mulkey said, “has been dealing with family issues for a long time A 22-year-old should not have to be dealing with what she’s dealing with, and she needs to help somebody in her family.”

Gilbert, one of the No. 5 Tigers’ four returning players, transferred from Arizona to LSU in 2024. Last season, she hit two game-winning shots — one to beat Washington in a Thanksgiving tournament in The Bahamas and another to take down Tennessee on the road in January She also notched a season-high 25 points in a December win over Stanford.

In the 2025 offseason, Gilbert decided to return to the Tigers even though Mulkey and her staff signed three freshman guards and landed former South Carolina star MiLaysia Fulwiley out of the transfer portal. Gilbert, as a junior, averaged 9.1 points and 19 minutes per game. Through the first five games of her senior year, Gilbert is scoring 5.6 ppg on 32% shooting in the 14 minutes she has played, on average, off the bench. Mulkey said after the Tigers’ season opener Nov. 4 that she was

absence

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Kailyn Gilbert, right, drives the ball around Charlotte guard Imani Smith on Nov. 12 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Gilbert missed Thursday’s game.

challenging Gilbert to assume more ballhandling duties behind starting point guard Jada Richard.

“I think she likes it,” Mulkey said, “and it’s different because her game, she holds on to the ball a lot. She dribbles a lot. She

can’t do that as a point guard You gotta share it, you gotta get rid of it, you gotta demand what defense we’re in.”

“She’s so mature,” Mulkey said Thursday “We just ask everybody to pray for her because she always does the right thing.

The 49-year-old Aranda hadn’t been a head coach before being hired by Baylor in January 2020. Aranda had been the defensive coordinator at LSU, which was coming off an undefeated national championship season.

After going 12-2 in 2021, the Bears slipped to 6-7 in 2022 after losing their last four games, then went 3-9 in 2023. A loss to LSU in the Texas Bowl gave them an 8-5 record last season.

Novak takes one-shot lead into weekend at PGA event

ST SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Andrew Novak took advantage of more benign weather Friday and the absence of the pressure facing so many others in the PGA Tour’s season finale. He had a 7-under 65 on the Plantation Course at Sea Island to take a one-shot lead into the weekend.

Novak has gone three months without competition dating to the Tour Championship, the culmination of a breakthrough year Novak shot a 61 on Seaside in the opening round and followed that with a 65 to reach 16-under 126.

Even so, his place on the PGA Tour is set for next year And having reached the Tour Championship, he’s also in all the majors and $20 million signature events.

Defending champion Italy returns to Davis Cup final BOLOGNA, Italy Two-time defending champion Italy reached the Davis Cup final after Flavio Cobolli beat Zizou Bergs of Belgium 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (15) after saving seven match points in a dramatic semifinal on Friday

The 17-15 final set tiebreak was the sixth longest in Davis Cup history

Cobolli gave Italy a 2-0 lead without needing the doubles contest. Italy is riding a 13-time winning streak and meets the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between Germany and Spain, which is without injured No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. The Davis Cup Final 8 is the sixth edition of the revamped event that has the champion decided at a neutral site.

McCann, Diamondbacks agree to one-year contract

PHOENIX The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back catcher James McCann on a $2.75 million, one-year deal, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The sides agreed Thursday to the contract, which also includes the potential to earn up to $500,000 in bonuses.

The 35-year-old McCann signed with the D-backs in June and provided solid production, batting .260 with five homers and 17 RBIs. He was also good with the team’s young pitchers, including Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt.

A 2019 All-Star with the Chicago White Sox, McCann will be playing his 13th season in the big leagues. He has a .242 career batting average and 97 homers.

Thitikul takes 3-shot lead in LPGA season finale

NAPLES Fla. Jeeno Thitikul putted for birdie on every hole Friday in a performance worthy of the No 1 player in women’s golf giving her a 9-under 63 for a threeshot lead in the CME Group Tour Championship as the Thai star closes in on another $4 million payoff and LPGA player of the year Thitikul, the defending champion, was at 14-under 130.

Thitikul is leading the pointsbased award for LPGA player of the year The only player who can catch her is Women’s British Open champion Miyuu Yamashita of Japan, who shot a 69 and was nine shots behind going into the weekend. Thitikul and Yamashita are the only players with multiple victories this year

LSU soccer reaches first Sweet 16

Staff report

The LSU women’s soccer team is headed to the round of 16 for the first time in program history after a 2-1 victory over Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee

The victory sets a high mark for the program and sixth-year head coach Sian Hudson, who has led the Tigers to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments LSU (15-5-4) will face the win-

ner of Friday night’s VanderbiltClemson game at 2 p.m. Monday in Nashville. A long-distance connection between senior defender Sydney Cheesman and junior forward Ava Galligan, who entered the game to start the second half, proved to be the decisive moment in a game played in wet conditions at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. Cheesman’s pass covered more than half the length of the pitch before Galligan made contact with

the ball just outside the penalty area and sent a drive above the keeper for the goal. In the 66th minute, LSU held its first lead of the match at 2-1.

The game began with a fastpaced start with both teams getting off several shots, and LSU appeared to take a 1-0 lead on a header by Jazmin Ferguson at the 35:18 mark of the first half. After a video review the score was wiped off the board by an offsides call.

Four minutes later, Iowa got

on the board when Elle Wildman converted on a pass from Kenzie Rolling that crossed the face of the goal. Wildman, who was racing in, pounced on the pass and punched the ball to the left of LSU keeper Audur Scheving to take a 1-0 lead. It didn’t take LSU long to answer after Iowa’s Berit Parten was called for a foul when she made contact with Sariyah Bailey, who quickly collapsed to the ground inside the penalty area. On the penalty kick, senior midfielder Ida Hermanns-

dottir caught the Iowa keeper going the wrong way and easily converted to tie the match at 1-1.

Scheving had a strong game in goal for LSU, coming up with a pair of saves. It was a gritty performance considering she took a shin to the head from an Iowa player on an incoming pass in the second half. LSU finished the game with five shots on goal compared to Iowa’s three. Iowa’s season comes to a close with a record of 12-5-4.

FAMU, Alcorn State take leaps in SWAC

Alabama St. stays on top of power rankings

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN and TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writers

A few Southwestern Athletic Conference football programs have shifted in their positioning as the regular season begins to wind down.

Teams like Alcorn State and Florida A&M are running through the tape, while schools like Grambling took a dip after being eliminated from SWAC championship game contention.

Listed below are this week’s SWAC power rankings before Week 13 games kick off.

1. Alabama State

Record: 8-2 overall, 6-1 SWAC

Previous rank: 1

Last week: 41-3 vs. Mississippi Valley State

This week: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, noon Saturday Extra points: Alabama State pulled away in the third quarter against Mississippi Valley State in Mobile this past weekend. The Hornets need a victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to go with another Jackson State upset loss to keep hopes alive for the SWAC championship game. The Hornets are 10-2 all-time against the Golden Lions.

2. Jackson State

Record: 8-2 overall, 6-1 SWAC

Previous rank: 2

Last week: 28-13 win vs. BethuneCookman

This week: vs. Alcorn State, 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Extra points: JSU starting quarterback Jacobian Morgan’s playing status is uncertain after he suffered a left foot injury Oct. 25. Coach T.C. Taylor said the Tigers have an advantage as last year’s Celebration Bowl champions because his team knows how to focus in games with postseason implications.

3. Prairie View

Record: 8-3 overall, 6-1 SWAC

Previous rank: 3

Last week: 56-9 win vs. ArkansasPine Bluff

This week: vs. Mississippi Valley State, 2 p.m. Saturday

Extra points: Coach Tremaine Jackson said he’s not going to watch the scoreboard this week as the South Carolina State-Delaware State game will determine the MEAC champion and Celebration Bowl opponent against the eventual SWAC champion He says he is only focused on the weekly task at hand, which is to defeat a hungry Mississippi Valley State program.

4. Florida A&M

Record: 5-5 overall, 4-2 SWAC

Previous rank: 6

SWAC POWER RANKINGS

Last week: 26-23 win at Alabama A&M

This week: vs. Bethune-Cookman, 2:30 p.m. Saturday Extra points: Coach James Colzie credited the close win at Alabama A&M to the play of his quarterback RJ Johnson. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 299 yards and three passing touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown. FAMU has a 45-24 all-time advantage over BethuneCookman in the Florida Classic after winning last year 41-38.

5. Alcorn State

Record: 5-6 overall, 4-3 SWAC

Previous rank: 7

Last week: 27-16 win vs. Grambling

This week: at Jackson State, 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Extra points: The Braves made a leap this week after defeating Grambling. Coach Cedric Thomas credited the victory to a fast start. Alcorn State has the potential to play spoiler against Jackson State and kick the rivals out of the SWAC Championship in the Soul Bowl. Alcorn won’t be lacking motivation after last year’s 48-10 loss to JSU.

6. Grambling Record: 7-4 overall, 4-3 SWAC

Previous rank: 4

Last week: 27-16 loss at Alcorn

State

This week: Bye

Extra points: Grambling’s fourgame SWAC winning streak ended after blowing a 16-14 lead to Alcorn State. Coach Mickey Joseph said he knew the game would be an uphill battle after the team’s suspensions from the Nov 8 scuffle against Bethune-Cookman, and losing starting quarterback C’zavian Teasett for the season with an undisclosed injury on Oct. 25.

7. Bethune-Cookman

Record: 5-6 overall, 4-3 SWAC

Previous rank: 5 Last week: 28-13 loss at Jackson

State

This week: vs Florida A&M, 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Extra points: The Wildcats, who are unbeaten at home, finished the season with an 0-6 record on the road. Bethune-Cookman ends the season in the Florida Classic against Florida A&M. The Wildcats have a chance to finish with a .500 or better record for the first time since 2019.

8. Texas Southern

Record: 5-5 overall, 4-3 SWAC

Previous rank: 8

Last week: 35-30 win at Southern

This week: vs. Alabama A&M, 2 p.m. Saturday

HILL

Continued from page 5C

the clock burning.

“He was a big part of that (drive),” offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said.

And it was also the first time this season that Hill was able to affect a game in the way he’d done throughout his career before an injury ended his 2024 season.

Hill is nearing the anniversary of when he tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Rams. He missed the offseason and training camp, and was on the physically unable to perform list for the first four weeks of the season. That time away made things more challenging. Not only was Hill, 34, attempting to play highlevel football again after an injury that could have ended his career, but because of his rare skills and the fact that he could not practice until a few days before his season debut, his first-year coaching staff had to figure out how to fit him into

Extra points: A win against Alabama A&M would give Texas Southern its first winning season since 2010. Coach Cris Dishman made clear that he thinks his program needs its own stadium. Texas Southern has gone 0-3 at Shell Energy Stadium, where the team will play its fourth home game this season on Saturday

9. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Record: 4-7 overall, 2-5 SWAC

Previous rank: 9

Last week: 56-9 loss at Prairie View

This week: at Alabama State, noon

Saturday

Extra points: Golden Lions starting quarterback Christian Peters suffered a shoulder injury on the second play of the game that ended his day at Prairie View. Coach Alonzo Hampton said he expects third-string quarterback Tysan Robbins to start in the season finale at Alabama State after backup quarterback DJ Stevenson also got hurt at Prairie View

10 Alabama A&M

Record: 4-7 overall, 1-6 SWAC

Previous rank: 10

Last week: 26-23 loss vs. Florida

A&M

This week: at Texas Southern, 2 p.m.

11. Mississippi Valley State

Record: 1-9 overall, 0-6 SWAC

Previous rank: 11 Last week: 41-3 loss vs. Alabama State

This week: at Prairie View, 2 p.m.

Saturday

Extra points: Coach Terrell Buckley said the loss against Alabama State went the way the entire season has: a tale of two halves. He said he has met with his coaching staff about how the team can put together a full four quarters Buckley has also challenged himself to get better for his first full offseason at MVSU.

12. Southern

Record: 1-10 overall, 0-7 SWAC

Previous rank: 12

Last week: 35-30 loss vs. Texas Southern

This week: Bye

Extra points: The Jaguars went winless at home this season for the first time since 1949. Southern blew a 21-7 first-half lead, and interim head coach Fred McNair said he has to find a way to keep the players “focused on the task at hand.” Southern has a bye before next week’s Bayou Classic.

Extra points: The Bulldogs’ SWAC losing streak extended to four against FAMU. Coach Sam Shade said AAMU “ran out of time” in the game. The Bulldogs kept driving late to get deeper in game-tying field goal range due to the wind in the stadium. This Saturday marks AAMU’s season finale.

the offense on the fly. There were theories and action plans but no way to put them into motion until Hill got back on the field.

“We knew he’d be a big piece of it,” Nussmeier said. “For us, it’s been an adjustment to figure out how best to use him.”

That played out in Hill’s first five games back. He played a total of 44 offensive snaps. When he did have the ball in his hands, it didn’t always look right. Hill scored a touchdown in his second game back, but only one of his first 18 touches went for an explosive play and the overwhelming majority were snuffed out for next to nothing.

But New Orleans stuck with him and reaped the benefits against Carolina. Some of it was dictated by game situation, but Hill played a season-high 25 snaps and recorded a season-high seven carries. The numbers aren’t attention-grabbing (22 yards, 2.9 yards per carry), but the impact was there.

“We’ve found the last few weeks a little bit better ways in which we can utilize him,” head coach Kel-

len Moore said. “His unique trait is his ability to play so many different positions, and it’s just about connecting all those dots. I like the way he played the last couple weeks.”

It would seem to make sense for Hill to get more opportunities this week against a team he has hounded throughout his career Hill has had more success against the Atlanta Falcons than any other team, no matter the role.

As a runner, Hill has turned his 72 carries against Atlanta into 476 yards and six TDs. As a receiver, he’s caught each of his 12 targets for 136 yards and a TD. He’s carved up the Falcons as a passer, completing 76% of his attempts for 702 yards, four touchdowns and a 122.2 passer rating. As a team, the Saints have gone 11-6 against the Falcons when Hill plays at least one snap.

New Orleans would like to tap into more of Hill’s history this weekend.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@ theadvocate.com.

Zachary controls ground game to beat Denham Springs

Broncos advance to quarterfinals

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

Zachary unleashed a relentless rushing attack Friday night as the Broncos turned the tables on Denham Springs’ high-powered offense.

Sparked by a pair of 100-yard rushers, Zachary took an early lead and had the No 4-seeded Yellow Jackets on their heels all night before taking a 44-21 win in a Division I nonselect regional round playoff game at Denham Springs.

Zachary (8-3) rushed 43 times for 270 yards. Tylek Lewis led the way with 134 yards and four touchdowns. Jeremy Patton didn’t find the end zone, but he added another 109 yards on the ground.

The win moves No. 13-seeded Zachary into the quarterfinals, where it will face Central.

“We had some big runs, but we moved the chains,” Zachary coach David Brewerton said after his team picked up 20 first downs. “We told our offense all week, ‘Don’t worry about the points. Move the chains and the points will come.’ That was the biggest thing for us tonight.”

Zachary also got production from quarterback Michael Kirby, who was on target in the first half with TD passes of 32 and 28 yards He finished the game 15 of 31 for 261 yards.

Denham Springs (8-3) ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak but never found a groove Friday After falling behind 17-0, the Jackets rallied

to get within 20-14 in the second quarter

Zachary responded with a 57yard touchdown run by Lewis and Boston Bentley’s 25-yard field goal, all in the final minute of the first half. Denham Springs never got its deficit under 10 points in the second half.

“One of the things I was worried about was the bye getting us off our rhythm a little bit,”

Denham Springs coach Brett Beard said. “I think we handled the bye well, but it took us off our rhythm a little bit, and against a team like (Zachary) you can’t get down quick. You’ve got to make the plays.”

Denham Springs struggled with its running game. The Jackets had 17 rushes for 75 yards, but most of that total came on Brenton Paul’s 69-yard touchdown run in the second quarter

The Jackets moved the ball on the arm of quarterback Da’Jean Golmond, who completed 24 of 43 passes for 401 yards and a touchdown. Golmond had one interception and also lost a fumble, two of three turnovers the Jackets had on a night when every possession was vital.

Zachary controlled the game in the first half by using long drives sprinkled with big plays. The Broncos had scoring drives of 59, 92 and 80 yards. It also got a pair of quick strikes.

After Zachary recovered Golmond’s fumble at the Denham Springs 28, Kirby found Kristion Brooks in the left corner of the end zone on the next play Late in the half, after Denham Springs had gotten within six points, Lewis broke a 57-yard touchdown run.

Dunham scores early, often in victory over Northlake Christian

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

The biggest hurdle facing The Dunham School’s football team was whether the Tigers would score on their opening drive.

Following an opening-round bye, fifth-seeded Dunham dropped three passes and was penalized four times for 45 yards. The Tigers compensated for their misdeeds by driving 116 yards in 17 plays for a touchdown that set off a spectacular chain of events Junior All-America quarterback Elijah Haven combined for four of his team’s five first-half touchdowns in a 62-3 victory Friday over No. 12 Northlake Christian in a Division III select state regional at Dunham Stadium. Haven finished with 270 total yards and five touchdowns.

“It’s very rare to get over 100 yards of offense on one drive,” said Dunham coach Neil Weiner, whose team led 34-3 at halftime. “We dropped some passes. The penalties didn’t help, and then we started clicking.” In the third qurater eighthgrade defensive back Reed Williams, son of former LSU and Buffalo Bills standout Kyle Williams, recovered his own blocked punt in the end zone in the first three minutes of the period. The Tigers put into motion a running clock for the seventh time during their eight-game winning streak with McNeese State commitment Trevor Haman adding his second rushing touchdown on a 35-yard run for a 48-3 advantage with 7:19 left in the third quarter Dunham, which outgained Northlake Christian 365-68, scored three non-offensive touchdowns in the second half, extend-

CENTRAL AUTHORITY

Wildcats answer every East Ascension threat for a playoff win

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

When Central needed a score against East Ascension, quarterback Max Gassiott stepped up.

Up 39-32, the Wildcats took over at their own 13 with just less than seven minutes to go in the game. Gassiott went 2-of-3 passing for 30 yards, including a key third-down pass to junior Brody Diel for a 28-yard gain to get the ball to the Spartans 16.

The drive was capped off by a 4-yard run from junior Marvin Joseph to give Central a two-score lead.

Central (10-2) held on to win 46-32 over East Ascension (8-4) in the regional round of the Division I nonselect playoffs The Wildcats will face Zachary in the quarterfinals.

Gassiott found senior receiver Keithon Womack for a touchdown.

East Ascension retook the lead on the ensuing play after Jeremyah Merriweather returned the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-8.

Gassiott went 4-of-4 passing for 58 yards on the next drive, including a 13-yard pass to Womack to convert a fourth down inside the East Ascension 30. Gassiott ran it in for a 6-yard touchdown to make it 15-14 early in the second quarter

The two sides traded field goals to make it 18-17 at halftime.

East Ascension failed an onside kick to open the second half. With the ball at midfield, Central drove to the Spartans 24 where Gassiott found Diel streaking down the field for an open touchdown to make it 25-17.

After a defensive stop, the Spartans punted it 7 yards from their own 40 to set Central up at midfield.

Gassiott quickly completed two screens for a combined 28 yards He capped the drive off on an option keeper up the middle for a 19-yard touchdown. The Wildcats led 32-17 with 8:44 to go in the third.

ing a stretch in which the Tigers have outscored their opponents 397-36 in their past eight games.

James Johnson and Jack Temple both returned fumbles for touchdowns, and Andrew Bardwell was successful on eight of nine extra points.

Haven completed 18 of 28 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half and rushed six times for 50 yards and a touchdown, a 1-yarder two plays after Dunham recovered a fumble on a kickoff. He has passed for 47 touchdowns this season and increased his career total touchdowns to 161, 10 shy of the leader Ju’Juan Johnson of Lafayette Christian Kris Thomas had a team-high six catches for 63 yards with Richard Montgomery added five receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

“We were prepared We didn’t let the penalties on the first drive get to us. We kept going. That drive was big for us. We take pride in that opening drive and it was great that we were able to get it done.”

ELIJAH HAVEN, Dunham quarterback

“We were prepared,” Haven said. “We didn’t let the penalties on the first drive get to us. We kept going. That drive was big for us. We take pride in that opening drive and it was great that we were able to get it done.”

Dunham’s defense accomplished its mission of neutralizing Northlake’s top offensive threat

— 225-pound senior running back Kameron Casnave, who averaged 151.7 yards per game and had more than 5,000 career yards to his credit. He finished with 78 yards on 25 carries and was held to zero or negative yards on eight attempts by the Tigers’ relentless pursuit.

“Our guys do a great job,” Weiner said. “They love a challenge and really rise to the occasion.”

Dunham (10-1) travels to No. 4 Newman, a 42-13 winner over No. 13 Menard, in next week’s quarterfinal.

Gassiott finished 19-of-26 passing for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 16 times for 47 yards and two touchdowns.

“Max is a tough kid that is just really showing great command of the unit,” Central coach David Simoneaux said. “He’s got a mental and physical toughness about him that makes us better.”

The Central offense put up 515 total yards of offense and punted only once. Simoneaux credited offensive coordinator Zack Morris for building a great culture on that side of the ball.

“They were exceptional,” Simoneaux said. “We were super efficient. We played a multitude of guys and everybody produced.”

East Ascension (8-4) scored a touchdown on the opening drive after QB JJ Lebouef found senior running back Jason Blackburn on a wheel route for a 29-yard touchdown.

Central answered on the ensuing drive. The Wildcats worked their way down the field but faced a third and goal from the 17 after a sack.

The Spartans struck back on the next drive. Senior tight end Brysten Martinez lined up in the wildcat formation and fended off rushing defenders. He then heaved a pass to Jayden Ursin for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 3224 with 5:46 left in the third.

Central took over and drove 94 yards down the field after a personal foul penalty on the first play of the drive. Gassiott completed three passes for 55 yards. Two plays later, running back Brody Knapps broke off a 28-yard touchdown run to make it 39-24.

East Ascension drove down the field to the Central 14. Lebouef threw an interception to Joseph in the end zone with 19 seconds left in the third quarter

The Spartans pieced together a touchdown drive to make it 39-32. After Central went up by 14, East Ascension had one more chance late at the Central 12, but Joseph broke up Lebouef’s pass in the end zone to seal the game.

Reed powers Madison Prep past Kennedy Chargers to face rival U-High in rematch

BY TERRY ROBINSON Staff writer

The rematch is set after Madison Prep took care of its business Friday night.

Dylan Reed threw four touchdowns two each to Landon Johnson and Keyon Robinson — to power the fifth-seeded Chargers to a 42-20 playoff win over No 12

John F. Kennedy at Glen Oaks.

“It’s one game at a game. I’m proud of the way we took care of business tonight,” Madison Prep coach Landry Williams said. “The name of the game was play solid and play disciplined throughout the game and play four quarters. I think we did that tonight. I’m proud of the way my guys played.”

The win sends the Chargers (9-2) into a rematch with No. 4 University High next week in the Division II select quarterfinals. U-High, which defeated Booker T. Washington–Shreveport 50-16, edged

Madison 14-8 two weeks ago to clinch the District 6-3A title.

“They’re a great football team,” Williams said of U-High. “We are too, and we’re looking forward to the battle.”

Reed, a junior quarterback, completed 9 of 15 passes for 141 yards, while also rushing for 83 yards. Junior running back Harlem Turner led the Chargers on the ground with 29 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown.

MPA fell behind early to Kennedy (7-5) in a three-hour game that was marred by several delays, personal foul penalties and injuries.

After trailing12-6 after the first quarter, the Chargers outscored the Cougars 22-6 in the second quarter to take a 28-12 halftime lead and blew the contest open in the third period.

Kennedy led early when Anthony Augustin scooped up a Madison Prep blocked field attempt and raced 83 yards for the 6-0 lead for the Cougars.

Madison Prep was trying to get on the scoreboard after Javen Holmes intercepted Kennedy

quarterback Dorrien Dunham on the first play of the game. The Chargers bounced back on the ensuing drive, going 74 yards on eight plays to tie the game at 6-6. J’on Profit capped the march with a 10-yard scoring run. Kennedy answered with a long scoring drive of its own Dunham found Kenneth Chelsea from 6 yards to put the the New Orleans school back in front 12-6. Running back Harlem Turner started the Chargers’ second-quarter scoring outburst with an 8-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 12-12.

A safety put the Chargers out in front for good at 14-12. Reed connected with Johnson on back-to-back for touchdown passes of 27 yards and 28 yards as the Chargers led 28-12 after halftime. In the third quarter, Reed tossed touchdowns of 38 and 37 yards to Robinson to give Madison a 42-12 advantage heading into the final quarter Kennedy accounted for two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the final margin.

THE VARSITYZONE

BUFFINGTON

defense during a

West Felicianarallies past Brusly in overtime

Staff report

West Feliciana senior kicker Trey Rogers missed a potential game-winning35yard field goal as regulation expired, but he redeemed himself in overtime with a 26-yard kick that sent the Saints to thequarterfinals on Friday night.

No. 11 West Feliciana rallied from a24-7 halftimedeficit, scoring 20 unanswered points to defeat No. 5Brusly 27-24 in overtime at Panther Stadium.

“When Imissed thefirst kick, Itoldmyself Iwon’t miss thenext one because I might be replaced,” Rogers said. “It’sagreatfeeling. To do this in the playoffs against adivision rival in my senioryear, wordscan’t really describe it.”

The win sendsthe Saints to aquarterfinal matchup with No. 3BelleChasse, which escaped with a7-6 victory over No. 19 Opelousas. West Feliciana last reached the quarterfinals in 2022.

Rogers’game-winner came after Ja’Norris Anthony intercepted Brusly’sfirst offensive play of overtime.

Brusly(10-2) controlled thefirst half,jumping to a14-0lead late in the first quarter on Patrick Gales’ second touchdown run, a 1-yard plunge. West Feliciana (8-4) broke through in the second quarter with Brooks Hebert’s 13-yard touchdownpass to De’Corine King. Brusly answered immediately when Gales returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for ascore The Panthers extended their lead to 24-7 just before halftime on a34-yard field goal by Alfredo Jurado. West Feliciana opened

thethird quarter with asixminutedrive that stalled inside the Brusly 5-yardline, resulting in a22-yard field goal by Rogers.About three minutes later,Hebert connected with Tonio Sullivan for a24-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 24-17. The Saints tied the gamewith 3:56 left on Hebert’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Davis.

Hebert finished with 178 passing yards,three touchdown passes and twointerceptions. Ean Hillsled the Saints on the ground with more than 125 rushing yards

West Feliciana coach Terry Minor said moments from theteam’s21-13 loss to Brusly on Oct. 17 prepared them for Friday’scomeback.

“Wewent to the locker room down 24-7. Brusly did agreat job of punching us in the mouth,” Minor said. “Our kidsunderstandhow to respond. That’swhat we trained in them. That’s what gavethem the abil-

itytolearn within practice, anditshoweduptoday in the game. We said we want to be at our verybest in November and December.Our record is now2-0.Everythingelseisall behind us now.I’m so proud of these kids.”

Galesled Bruslywith over 70 rushing yards and twotouchdowns. Quarterback DrakeVincentthrew for more than 120 yards, but West Feliciana’s defense came up with four interceptions.

“It was atale of two halves,” Brusly coach Hoff Schooler said. “Weplayed well in the first half, and then in thesecond half just couldn’tget it going offensively.I’m proud of them. This is agroup of kidswho won eight games lastyear and 10 this year.That’s alot of wins over thepast two seasons. This one tonight stings, butitwon’t diminish their legacy and the mark they made on this school and on this community.”

42, Franklin Parish 41,OT North DeSoto 56, DeRidder 13

Plaquemine 50, Wossman 14 West Feliciana 27, Brusly 24, OT

DivisionIII

Jena 48, St. Helena 14 Loreauville 42, Church Point39 Oak Grove 42,

FOOTBALL PLAYOFFREPORT

JES: Mani Vandenweghe 32 run (Ethan Cabos kick)

TerryRobinson FAITH MATTERS

Baptistgroup celebrates students, 150thannual session

Powerful preaching, inspiring music and —more importantly —agreat cause make the Fourth District Missionary Baptist Association’sScholarship Gala one of the highlights of my year The fourth annualgala last week drew acapacity crowd of faith leaders, church members, elected officialsand community supporters to the ballroom of theRenaissanceHotelinBaton Rouge.They wereunited by ashared goal: investing in the lives of young people.

“This gala is not just about scholarships. It’sabout sowing seeds,” said Jaci Skidmore, a2019 scholarship recipient, during her brief welcome address.

The scholarship opened the door for Skidmore, 23, to earn degrees from Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU-Shreveport

Each year,the gala’sgoal is to raise $30,000 for college-bound students, with award amounts based on need and merit. This year’stop scholarship award winners were Kyson Evans, of Greater Pilgrim Rest Baptist in Plaquemine, and Tycen Smith, of New Pilgrim Baptist Church in Zachary “That’sthe only thing we do to raise money,and we raise money for the students,” said the Rev.René Brown, president-moderator of the Fourth District and pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist Church

The gala marked the commencement of amilestone week for the Fourth District, which celebrated its 150th annual session at Mount Zion First Baptist Church. The theme was “Reschooling the Prophet” from Exodus 18:18.

“It went well,” Brown said of the two-night session that opened withreports from various ministries and concluded with his president’smessage. “Wewant to see the reports and all that. That’sall good, but what Iwant is money for those kids. What’simportant for me is the gala. That’swhat makes the week productive to me.”

Even so, Brown could not help but reflect on the Fourth District’slongevity and his profound gratitude for the founders’ foresight.

The predominantly Black faith-based organization now includes churches acrosssix parishes: East and West Baton Rouge, Iberville, East and West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee.

“Our ancestors and fore parents saw the need to put the association together and for them to realize we need to be together,that part sticks in my mind,” Brown said. “For us to still be here,anAfrican-American organization, for 150 years, it just does my heartgood.”

As he embarks upon thefinal year of his eight-year term as president of the association, Brown said there’smuch work to be done.

“I’m trying to make sure that whenmytime is up, there are some foundational thingsthey can take and continue to move forward,” he said.

Among his priorities is securing deeper ties between the Fourth District and the Leland College property in Baker as a location to supportcommunity

ON A MISSION

Afterunearthinga viralpainting, collector Jeremy K. Simien became an artworld star

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

JIn an 1837 painting,a Black teenager stands beside atrioofWhite children. A recent historicaldiscovery found that the young NewOrleanian was an enslaved householdservant named Bélizaire.

In 2021, Simien becamean overnight star of the national

ä See MISSION, page 3D

eremy K. Simien is awell-known connoisseur of antique Louisianapaintings, furniture and fine craft.Inparticular,the 40-year-old Baton Rouge art collector seeks outitems that call attention to slaveryand racerelations in colonialand pre-Civil Warsociety.Itcan be asplintery area of specialization, since noteveryone cares to be remindedofpast societal ills Years back,Simiensaid, he asked amuseum director why there was so little historical evidence of people of color in the institution’s collection. The director,whom Simien declinedtoname, said that such artifacts just didn’texist or couldn’tbefound anyway With that, Simienembarked on asometimes quixotic quest. In time, he discovered that evidence of antebellum slavery and the historical contributions of non-Europeanscertainly exists, though often it’sbeen swept underthe rug. Simienbelievesit’simperativetofind such artworks and objectsand suss out their meanings. And it’sespecially important that aperson of color,like himself, do so Bringing back Bélizaire

BR EpicureanSociety honors late restaurateur

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

The Baton Rouge Epicurean Societyannounced its2026 Grace “Mama” Marino Lifetime Achievement Award honoreeat noonNov.19 at Gino’sItalian Restaurant. This year,the award posthumouslyhonors RuffinRodrigue. The Baton Rouge Epicurean Societygives the Grace “Mama” Marino Award to ahighly regarded figure in city whoexemplifiesoutstanding leadership, hospitalityand philanthropy, andisknown for their long-standing commitment to thecity, thelocal community and the city’s culinary excellence. Rodrigue, thelate owner of Ruffino’sRestaurantinBaton Rouge and Lafayette, wasknown forhis passion forhospitality, larger-than-life personality,and deep love forBaton Rouge and LSU. Aformer LSU football player turned restaurateur,Rodrigue opened the restaurant in 1998 as DiNardo’sand renamed it Ruffino’safter Nick Saban took over as LSU football headcoach.

Rodrigue built Ruffino’s intoone of Louisiana’smost beloved dining destinations —aplace where great food, laughter andconnection come together He wasa tirelessadvocatefor the hospitality industry,serving on Louisiana’sLegislative Advisory Task Force on Economic Recovery during COVID-19 and helping

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,Nov.22, the 326th day of 2025. There are 39 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.22, 1963, John F. Kennedy,the 35th president of the United States, was shot to death during a motorcade in Dallas; Texas Gov.John B. Connally, riding in the same car as Kennedy,was seriously wounded. Suspected gunman Lee HarveyOswald was arrested. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president.

Also on this date:

In 1718, English pirate Edward Teach —better known as “Blackbeard” was killed during abattle with British navalforces

AWARD

Continued from page1D

restaurants navigate unprecedented challenges. His generosity reached far beyond his business, supporting organizationssuchasthe American Cancer Society, Mary Bird PerkinsCancer Center,Dreams Come True, No Kid Hungry and the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center Foundation. Rodrigue’svision was never just about food, but about creating moments that mattered.

Guided by his personal motto, “Celebrate Life,” he brought joy and connection to everyone around him. From the warmth of his dining rooms to his unwavering support of others, Rodrigue left alasting mark on Louisiana’shospitality industry and his community Rodrigue died unexpectedly on Nov.25, 2020, from a heartattack. He was 53.

The luncheon at Gino’s was well-attended by 32 people —localrestaurateurs, press, wine distributors and members of the Epicurean Society.Inaprivate room, the guests honored Rodrigue with toasts, adelicious lunch and conversa-

MATTERS

Continued from page1D

anddisaster relief efforts. Brown also wants to continue to strengthen the association’sSTEM program, which drewmore than 200 students to an event this year at Mount Zion.

The scholarship gala carried the theme “Still We Rise,” inspired by Psalm 20:8: “They werebroughtto their knees and fall, but we rise and stand firm.” The presentation of scholarships was centeredaround twostirring performances by special guest psalmist Tiffany Mosley,anational gospelrecording artist.

TODAYINHISTORY

nearOcracoke Islandin North Carolina. In 1935, aflying boat, the China Clipper,took off from Alameda, California, carryingmore than 100,000 piecesofmail on the first trans-Pacific airmail flight. In 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxingchampion in history,stopping WBCtitleholder Trevor Berbick in thesecond round of their championship bout in Las Vegas.

In 2005, Angela Merkel took office as Germany’s first femalechancellor In 2022, aWalmart manager pulled out ahandgun before aroutineemployee meeting and began firing wildly in the break room of acompanystore in Chesa-

tion. Kelly Firesheets, president ofthe Baton Rouge Epicurean Society,openedthe luncheon by acknowledging Rodrigue’sprofound impact on many in the hospitality industry.

“I know Ruffisinheaven, smilingand probablysinging as we announce him as the honoree of the 19th honoree of the Grace ‘Mama’ Marino Lifetime Achievement Award,” Firesheetssaid.

Brad Watts, co-owner of Cecilia’s Bistro,spoke in honor ofRodrigue andmentioned his tireless involvement during the pandemic. Watts suggested Rodrigue for the Grace “Mama” Marino award winner for 2026. Alison Rodrigue, Ruffin’s widow,thankedeveryone in attendance for thespecial recognitionofher late husband.

“This is such an honor.For me and my children,it’sreally special,” shesaid.

In atouching moment Gino Marino, the owner of Gino’sand longtime friend of Rodrigue, stood up and told astory about agift from Rodriguethat was meaningful to him. Rodrigue gave Marino aframed pictureof himself tackling aplayer during his LSU football days. Rodrigue had signed the picture and addressed it,

Aker’sguiding scripture camefromPaul’sletter to hisyoungprotégéTimothy from 2Timothy 1:7: “For Godhath not given usthe spirit of fear; but of power, andoflove, andof a sound mind.”

“Fear is aspirit,” he said. “For every child of God, for every believer,God has notgiven us that spirit.”

Aker focused on thedifferent kinds of fear andhow it causesustomake irrational decisions He reflected on figuressuch as Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther Kingand others, whom we can draw inspiration

“We’re standing here tonight on theshoulders of our ancestors,” he said.

peake, Virginia, killing six people and wounding six others before fatally shooting himself. Today’sbirthdays: Actorfilmmaker Terry Gilliam is 85. Hockey Hall of Famer Jacques Laperrière is 84. Astronaut Guion Bluford is 83. Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King is 82. Rock musician-actor Steven Van Zandt is 75. Rock musician Tina Weymouth(Talking Heads) is 75. Actor Richard Kind is 69. Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is 67. Actor Mads Mikkelsen is 60. Actor Mark Ruffalo is 57. Tennis Hall of Famer Boris Becker is 58. Actor ScarlettJohansson is 41. Actor Alden Ehrenreich is 36. Actor Dacre Montgomery is 31. Actor Auli‘i Cravalho is 25.

“ToGino, my mentor.”Marino says he keeps the picture at homenow because it meanssomuch to him

This year’shonoree joins adistinguished list of previous recipients, including:

n 2007: Grace “Mama”

Marino

n 2008: T.J. Moran*

n 2009: Frank Bologna*

n 2010: Charles Brandt*

n 2011: John Folse

n 2012: Tullio Saffiotti*

n 2013: Vince Ferachi*

n 2014: J.H. “Jay” Campbell Jr

n 2015:Bobby Yarborough

n 2016: Holly Clegg*

n 2017: Tommy Simmons n 2018: Benjamin“Ben” Kleinpeter*

n 2019: Charlie Valluzzo

n 2020: COVID-19 Intermission on Events

n 2021: The Pizzolato Family

n 2022: Gino Marino

n 2023: Saurage Family

n 2024: Luci &Wayne Stabiler

n 2025: Bob Kirchoff

*deceased Rodrigueisthe first posthumoushonoreeofthe award, and the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society will honor him throughout 2026 with special events.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

what God has given: power, love and asound mind.

“Whenever you see that word power in the Bible, it’sa reminder of God’s strength,”Aker said.

That includes power as thebody of Christ.

“Weneed power in our pulpit.Weneed power in our churches. We need power so that the church can be thechurch,” he said.

Power must not be abusive and combined with love, Aker said.

“Paul’sreminding us that even in the midst of these difficult times,westill have to love,” Aker said. “When you learn how to use power and love, we can still rise.”

Lastly,Aker emphasized theimportance of maintaining asound mind.

Dear Heloise: Times have changed so much in regard to weddings, but common sense sure shouldn’t change. How on earth would someone think about having awedding and expect thegueststopay for it? This is insane! If you can’tafford the wedding, cut down theguest list —and Idon’tmean cutting down on relatives! Youcut down the guest list of people you work with and those who are just friends. The majority of these people will change over the years. Relatives will always be relatives! Change theplace where thereception will be held, and don’texpect guests to attend adestination wedding. It is way too expensive! Weddings have gotten way out of hand, starting withthe wedding

dress! —K.N., via email Steelwoolpads

The keynote speaker was the Rev.Lawrence E. Aker III, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist ChurchinBrooklyn, New York, who delivered amessage that encouraged listeners of all agesto continue rising above their fears and other circumstances

“That’s why we can’t have aspirit offear.…Weare pushing yet another generation to say that stillwe rise. We can rise above our fears. We can rise above our concerns, because God hasnot given us aspirit of fear.”

His focus then shifted to

“Remember,the devil doesn’tcarry apitchfork, but he does carry apitch,” he said. “His pitch is to makeyou think you’ve been dominated. His pitch is to makeyou think there’sno hope.”

ContactTerry Robinson at terryrobinson622@gmail. com.

DearHeloise: Ijust read aletter in one of your columns where aperson would cut steel woolpads in quarters or halves to save on waste. Abetter way is to always buy agood brand name because they last for so much longer.When you’re finished with it, and it is wet, put it in a sandwich bag and put in the freezer Once it is out of the freezer,you can rinse it in hot water so that it’sready to use again. Otherwise, it will rust and will need to be thrownaway. —Marge, in Columbus Grove, Ohio

Feedingthe baby

DearHeloise: I’ve found that feeding ababy in an upright position (for as

muchaspossible) enables the bubbles at the bottom of the stomach to rise with greater ease whenyou burp the baby.Then you can massage the infant’sback rather than patting to bring on aburp. —Paige, in Missouri Less ironing

Dear Heloise: I’ve discovered that if you take your sheets out of the dryer as soon as they’re done and makethe bed with the warm sheets, they iron themselves. Youwon’t have to fold them either, which will save you time and effort. This applies to knit tops, too. Take them out of the dryer and hang the garments up immediately; the wrinkles usually fall right out. No need forironing!

Unitarian Church to host estate sale

The Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, 8470 Goodwood Blvd., will host its second annual Jewelry Estate Sale from 8a.m. to 4p.m.Saturday

The sale is open to the public and features hundreds of piecesinall styles, sizesand price points. Selections include vintage, costume, handcrafted pieces and more. Church hoststalk on same-sex marriage

Metropolitan Community Church of Baton Rouge, 7747 TomDrive, will host afree community discussion on protecting marriage rights for same-sex couples at 2p.m. Saturday

The featured speaker will be Baton Rouge estate planning attorney Paula Ouder,who will provide insights on howsame-sex couples, whether married, partnered or dating, can protect theirlegal rights amid ongoing national debate. The event is also open to single LGBTQ individualsand alliesconcerned about the future of samesex marriage in the U.S. For more information, visit www.MCCBR.org.

St. Luke’sEpiscopal holiday meal

St. Luke’sEpiscopal Church will onceagain conduct its annual holiday meal outreach, alongstanding ministryrooted in service and compassion. The outreach extends hospitality to neighbors who may need assistance during the holiday season.

This year,St. Luke’s willprovide meals for approximately 400 people through its continued partnership with St. Vincent de Paul. Meals will be delivered to various housing facilities, with parishioners providing full pans of food.

There are no limitations on the types of food for theholiday meal. Organizers encourage homecooked dishes such as baked turkey,dressing, sweet potatoes and green beans Monetary donationsare also accepted.

Sign-upsheetsare available at the back of the church, and monetary gifts may be placed in the envelope on the table. Food donations maybe dropped off from 8a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday Thanksgiving Day.Drivers can pull through the front driveway,where volunteers will meet them at their cars.

MISSION

Continued from page1D

antique art scene, when he tracked down and purchased amysterious 1837 group portrait,possibly painted by master Jacques Amans, that was long rumored to include ablotted-out portrait of an enslaved teen

The young man, named Bélizaire, was the householdservant of awealthy, White,French Quarter family.His job may have been to watch over themaster’s three children, whoare also featured on the canvas. He was included in the family portrait almost as if he were an equal. But, decades after thegroup portrait waspainted, in thefeverish segregationism of theJim Crow era, somebody carefully painted over poor Bélizaire likehe’d never been there.

By thetime Simienbought the groupportrait,Bélizaire had been uncovered by an art conservator,but his identity was still unknown. Simienhad the painting thoroughly restoredand hired aresearcher to assist in sleuthing the enslaved teen’sbackstory.Thereafter,the painting becamea sensation, atangible symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement

Bélizaire and his three wards ended up in theMetropolitan Museum of Art in NewYork, and Simien ended up in thepages of the New York Times, the Smithsonian Magazine,and all over theantiqueart trade magazines.

After being blotted outfor so long,hewanted Bélizaire to take abow in the brightest spotlight possible.

Time pieces

Simien was anonly child, born into afamily of successful lawyers. He attended aprivate Christian high school —anexperience he found so distasteful he won’t share the name.Heplanned to go to college, but never got around to it. Instead, he sang, played keyboards and handled the electronic tracks for abygone band called Desolo, which, he’s proud to point out, performednothing but originals.

As amusician, he said,he found himself hanging out in pawn shops alot,searching for hocked equipment. While there, he explained,

his eyes fell on other treasuresaswell. These days, Simien has come to believe that Swisswatches like Rolexes are abit gauche. They’reponderous, ostentatiousand just too popular on the resale market. Butback then,hefound themirresistible.

Simien traded in used Rolexes and other collectible timepieces.Hesayshe wasn’tdrawn to pristine, never-been-usedwatches He liked them to have alittlescratch hereand there, maybeworn during atour in Vietnam or something like that. The watches were the tellers of time and also thebearers of history

Areyou insane?

In 2013, Simien had just gottenmarried, and he and his wife were filling their new gated-community home. So, he sold one of his vintage Rolexes to impulsively buy an exquisite 1815, Louisiana-made, inlaid armoire at auction. It cost $10,000. When he called his dad to tell him what he’d done,his father asked him, “Are you insane?”

Well, at least it wasn’tas crazy as the time he spent $400 for an originalBetamax tapeofthe 1978 slasher classic“Halloween,” which turned out to be afake. That was during his antique video technology phase.

The purchase of therare

Louisiana-made armoire proved that yet another obsession had kicked in. But this time it was areal passion. And it was personal. Therearen’t alot of people of color in the world of antique art collecting, and he planned to makeamark.

Tophats, beads, watches CentraltoSimien’scollecting are art and artifacts related to free people of color, the unique community of non-enslavedBlacksand mixed-race residents that sharedNew Orleans with fellow citizens of European descent beforethe Civil War. Most Americans probably don’tknow thatsucha class of people even existed.

Simien saidhe’sdrawn to the area of specialization in part because he descends from free people of color,as wellasenslavedAfricans, NativeAmericans, European colonists and others.

With acertain theatrical flair,Simien is known to wear thetop hat of an antebellum gentlemanonhis head and afew strands of glass trade beads —symbolic of early international commerce between Europeans, Africans and Native Americans. Plus,onoccasion, he straps aglittering, gold, non-Rolex watchonhis wrist.It’sa sociologically complexfashion combination that saysplenty about his worldview

The message of the Bélizaire painting,Simiensaid at thetime, was to “highlight New Orleans’ culture, thegood, the bad, theBlack, White and gray,the whole fusion.”

Findingself

Thesame philosophy applies to thecollection of artworks that crowd the walls of his office, whereaportrait of the slave-owning statesman Henry Clay —painted by an artist with astudio in the Pontalba apartments shares space withatiny portrait of an African American Union Army soldier

Elsewhere, there’saportrait of afemale plantation owner,a portrait of aman whosold nautical instrumentsonCanal Street, and an etching of the Bernard de Marigny,the French gambler forwhom the neighborhood is named. There’salso acouple of lithographs by the mysterious New Orleans illustratorand photographer JulesLion, who waslong thought to be afree man of color,but may have actually been of European/Jewish descent. Simien’soffice decor is the whole fusion, forsure. Simienbelievesthatfor him,collecting historical art is, in part, an exercise in “finding self.” In one case, the search led to alonglost relative. Studying his genealogy, Simienbecame awareofanancestorwho was an officer in the mid18th-century colonialSpanish army in Louisiana. He further discovered that in 1841, hisgreat-great-greatgreat-great-grandfather had sat foraportrait.

Simien tracked the artwork to distant out-of-state cousins, who eventually agreed to allow him to purchase it. After someconfusion, Simien discovered thepainting actually depicted his great-greatgreat-great-great-grandfather’sson. Simien’sresearch revealed that theman in the

picture wasn’tentirely of European descent as previously thought. He wasofmixed race.

Stepping on toes

“Foremost, Simien is ahistorianwho is alsoacollector,” said Bradley Sumrall, senior curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. “Once he’s attached to an object, he wants the whole history.” As aperson with amultiracial background, “he didn’t see his story fully represented in the history books, in the art history booksand in museums,” Sumrall said. “He wasunderrepresented and sometimes erased.” Simien has acertain reputation forbluntness. He is quick with an unvarnished opinion andhas occasionally rankled curators and auctioneers.Hemay not haveburned bridges, buthe’snot adverse to scorching them.Hesaysit comes withthe territory “It’sa full room. Youcan’t move without stepping on toes,” he said. “You have some prickly people in the art world, andIhate to be at odds withpeople. But if you’re not at odds with people, you’re notgetting it done.”

Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

sCoRPIo(oct. 24-nov. 22) Learn from experience, listeningand engaging in trips or reunions. Apositive transformation is within reach; all you mustdo is letyourinstincts kick in and lead the way.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Play to win, and you'll gain the advantage necessary to outmaneuver anyone trying to compete with you. Step back, take a closer look andread the room

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Participation will be eye-opening. Play an active role in getting whatyou want. Take control, lead theway and make astatement with words and actions.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Useyourconnections, intelligence and money wisely. Refuse to let outside influences lead you astray. Don't deviate from your original plans to please someone else.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Slow down; take amoment to evaluate and to contemplate your next move. You're best off taking await-and-see approach if youwant to avoid loss.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Check every detail thoroughly. False information is apparent, and if you act in haste or don't do your due diligence, you will pay the price. Trustinyourself andyourability to get things done

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Find your voice, speak up and determine how to best spend your time. You are overdue for apersonal change. Consider what

will bring optimal resultsthatboost your confidence.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Yourleadership ability will help you move forward quickly. Keep your emotions in check when dealing withlegal, financial or medical issues.Avoid unnecessary spending.

CAnCER (June 21-July22) You're in a good spot. Don'tponder over apastyou cannot change when the futurelooks bright, and the time to act is now. It's up to you to choose what you want and make it happen.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Putpressure on people in charge, and offer solutions thatare undeniablyworthwhile.It's your turn to shine. Deploy your efforts with precision and. Care.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Step aside, rethink your plans and initiate change that you can manage without outside assistance. Sometimes alittle goes a long way. It's yourself you must please, not others.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Payattention to what's unfolding. Don't hesitate to entertainguests or to network with people whocan help you connect with others whoshare yourconcerns, interests or path in life.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, pastand present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another toDAy'sCLuE: GEQuALs W

FAMILYCIrCUS

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

DonMarquis, anovelist, poet, newspapercolumnist and playwright who died in 1937, said, “A pessimist is aperson who has had to listen to too many optimists.”

Abridge expert is apersonwho listens to his opponents, whether they are optimists or pessimists, and uses that information to his benefit.

In thisdeal, look at theauction and the East cards. South is in four hearts. West leads afourth-highestspade two. How should East plan the defense?

South’ssequenceofclubs -heartshearts showed (atleast) five hearts and sixclubs. If South had had equal length inhistwosuits,hewouldhaveresponded oneheart,nottwoclubs.Afterthat,itwas nigh impossible for South to pass out threeno-trump,whichwouldhavemade. Anditwas understandable that North went forthe major-suit gameinstead of correcting to five clubs,which would also have comehome here.

West’s spade-two lead is from afourcard suit. This means thatSouth hastwo spades to go with his five hearts and sixclubs; he must be void in diamonds. Similarly, East knows that West is void in clubs.

South’s best chance is to win with the spade ace and to call forthe heart jack,

wuzzles

feigning taking afinesse in thesuit.But East should not fall forit. He should win withhis ace and return theclub nine,his highest being asuit-preference signal asking foraspade return West ruffs and leads aspade.East takes the trick and gives his partner a secondrufffor down one. ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuCtIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such

toDAy’s

Canyou

Puzzle Answer today’s thought “And now stays faith, hope,charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1Corinthians 13:13

of liabilityfor allclaims forany loss, damage,or injury arisingout of the July 28,2024, boatingac‐cident involvingthe 2023 Silver Wave 2610 SW5JS vessel bearingHullIDNo. PWV32595A323. Allpersons having such claims must file theirre‐spective claims,aspro‐videdinRuleF,including paragraphs (4)and (5) thereof, of theSupple‐mental Rulesfor Certain Admiralty& Maritime Claims of theFederal RulesofCivil Procedure, with theClerk of this Courtatthe United States CourtHouse,777 FloridaStreet,Suite 139, BatonRouge,Louisiana andmustserve acopy thereofonattorneys forPetitioners on or be‐fore the1st dayofDe‐cember,2025, or be de‐faulted If anyclaimantdesires to contesteitherthe right to exonerationfromor therighttolimitationof liability, he shall file and serveonthe attorneys forPetitioners an answer to thecomplaint on or before theaforesaid date unless hisclaim hasin‐cluded an answer,so designated,orbede‐faulted 166051-nov8-15-22-29-4t $741.32

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THEMATTEROFTHE COMPLAINT OF THEES‐TATE OF CHASEDOUGLAS SHARKEYAND SHARKEY MECHANICAL SERVICES LLCFOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATIONOF LIABILITY

rected to theLouisiana Public ServiceCommis‐sion at (800) 256-2397. 167808-nov22-1t $255.11

CIVILACTIONNO. 25-cv-564-BAJ-EWD SECTION_ Notice is giventhatthe abovenamed Petitioners have fileda complaint, pursuant to Sections 4281-4285, and4289 of theTitle 46 of theUnited States Code,46U.S.C §30501, et seq.,for exon‐erationfromorlimitation PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE theLa. Dept. of Conservation andEnergy, Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC)has received thefollowing application(s) for a CoastalUse Permit (CUP) in accordance with the Stateand LocalCoastal ResourcesManagement Actof1978, as amended, (La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41) andthe rulesand regula‐tionsofthe CoastalRe‐sourcesProgram.Appli‐cationsfor theproposed work maybeinspected at 617North 3rdStreet Room 1078, BatonRouge LA or on theOPC web page at:http://dnr. louisiana.gov/index.cfm? md=pagebuilder& tmp=home&pid=591 Copies maybeobtained upon paymentofcostof copying. Writtencom‐ments, includingsugges‐tionsfor modificationsor objections to thepro‐posedworkand stating thereasons thereof, are beingsolicited from the public. Commentsmust be received within 25 days of thedateofpubli‐cation of this notice Comments should be up‐loaded to ourelectronic record,but maybe mailed or emailedtothe designated OPCRe‐viewer.All comments must containthe appro‐priate applicationnum‐berand thecommenter's full name andcontact in‐formation. Anyperson mayrequest,inwriting within thecomment pe‐riod specified in this no‐tice,thata StateorFed‐eral public hearingbe held to consider this ap‐plication. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, thereasons forholding a public hearingand must containthe name and contactinformation of therequester.Below are thereferencedapplica‐tion(s): *********OPC; P. O. Box44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487; Phone: (225) 342-0566; Email: lorna.putnamduhon2@la.gov; OPCRe‐viewer:Lorna PutnamDuhon; CUPNUMBER: P20230391 (Revised) Name:Cameron Parish Port Harbor &Terminal District c/oProvidence EngineeringAnd Environ‐mental GroupLlc 1201

PUBLIC NOTICE LouisianaEconomicDe‐velopment’srequest for Proposalsfor Developing andExecuting aStrategic Marketingand Communi‐cationsProgram for LouisianaEconomicDe‐velopment’sOpportunity LouisianaCampaign, RFP#250-25-001, maybe obtained by visiting the LEDwebsite https:// www.opportunitylouisian a.gov/publicinformation/rfps-rfqs or by emailingChristina Oc‐mand,Louisiana Eco‐nomicDevelopment RFP Coordinator, at Email: LEDRFQ-RFP@la.gov. Deadline forreceipt of writteninquiries is 4:30 p.m. CDTonNovember 14, 2025. Deadline forre‐ceiptofproposals has been extended andmust be in LouisianaEconomic Development’sposses‐sion by 4:30 p.m. CDTon November 26, 2025 to be considered.All written

NOTICE Requestfor Scenic River Permit on Calcasieu River TheSecretary of the LouisianaDepartmentof Wildlife andFisheries (LDWF) as Administrator of theLouisiana Natural andScenicRiversSystem is currentlyconsidering theapplicationJason Duhonfor apermittore‐placethe existing boat ramp,boatdock, and constructa newwalk‐waytoallow forADA ac‐cess to thenew boat

Information (RFI)tosolicit anyand all projectideas to addor improvecabins, cot‐tages, andother lodging facilities at anypark within theLouisiana StateParkSystem. The objectives in soliciting informationare to pro‐mote theState Parks mission, achieveproper balanceofpreservation andutilization of State ParksPropertieswhile becoming more finan‐cially self-sustaining, andbetterserve the needsofcitizensand of visitors to Louisiana throughcollaboration utilizingPublicPrivate Partnerships.The RFI packet,which includes a timeline,instructionsfor proposal submission andselection criteria,is available at http://www opportunitiesinlouisiana com. It mayalsobe picked up between 9a.m and4 p.m. weekdays at theOffice of StatePark, CapitolAnnex, Third Floor,1051 NorthThird Street,Baton Rouge, LA 70802. WrittenProposals must be received by StateParks at this ad‐dressnolater than 4:00 p.m. CT on Friday,Janu‐ary30, 2026. StateParks will continue itscommit‐ment to ensure allpro‐jectspromote ourmis‐sion statement, have community support, and supportoflocal and stateelected officials. StateParks also commits to notproceed with any projects that will be detrimentaltothe local community or anylocal business.All inquiries concerning theRFI should be submittedin writingtothe IssuingOf‐ficer, BrettSandifer, at bsandifer@crt.la.gov 163877-OCT27-NOV27 $603.88

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