The Acadiana Advocate 11-26-2025

‘A second chance’

Lafayette couples become new parents at adoption ceremony

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Two Lafayette Parish couples

one unable to have children and the other having already raised theirs became new parents Monday in a celebration of creating new families and saving children during Adoption Month.

“I’m blessed,” Mary Thomas, of Broussard said after signing adoption papers that made her and her husband the new parents of a little boy

The couple isn’t able to have their own biological children she said.

“We have a lot of love to give, so why not?” Thomas said

The adoption ceremony was held before 15th Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Duplantier In his 35 years on the bench, Duplantier estimates he has overseen about 5,000 adoptions.

This year alone, he said, there have been 137 adoptions in Lafayette Parish, the most in Louisiana, including

31 adoptions in September

It takes many people working long and hard to create what Duplantier calls “forever families.”

The goal, he said, is to reunite children with their parents. But that’s

not always possible, even with programs for substance abuse and mental health treatment. That’s when foster parents and adoptive parents

ä See ADOPTION, page 7A

Louisiana surgeon general to be second in command

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, who has come under scrutiny for ending mass vaccination campaigns in the state and casting doubts about COVID-19 vaccines, has been named second in command at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Abraham, a physician and former U.S. congressman who ran for governor in 2019, became the state’s first surgeon general in June 2024, when Gov Jeff Landry tapped him for the position. He previously served as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health under Landry Abraham didn’t immediately return requests for comment. A spokesperson for Landry did not comment. A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health and Human Services confirmed

Abraham ä See ABRAHAM, page 7A

Grocery stores rounding cash purchases

Penny phaseout prompts shift for Lafayette businesses

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Mint produced its last penny, following a four-year rise in the cost to produce the coin.

While the penny is still in circulation, the production ending has led some local grocery stores to round up or down to hold onto their pennies as long as they can.

Bob Majcina, manager at Adrien’s Supermarket on West Congress Street, said they’re still receiving the copper coins from the bank, but started rounding purchases sometime last week.

Purchase ending in $0.01, $0.02, $0.06, $0.07 are rounded down to the nearest nickel while those

ä See PENNY, page 7A

La. cattle farm succeeds doing things the old-fashioned way

Sagrera Farms in East Feliciana raising prime beef

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

When Shawn Sagrera was 6, his dad told him he could pick out any cow to be his own. That was the day he became a fourth-generation Louisiana cattle farmer

Now, his family legacy continues in Sagrera Farms in East Feliciana Parish. “I’m so fortunate to have this legacy, this family history of raising cattle,” Sagrera said.

The sun had just risen on a chilly early November morning at Sagrera Farms in Ethel With the dew sparkling on the grass, owner Shawn Sagrera held a handful of

fermented cow feed to his nose, inhaling the grain’s sweet aroma. A tractor delivered it to the troughs seconds before.

“Smell that,” Sagrera said, holding a handful of chopped feed that’s 17% protein. “It’s sweet. How beautiful.”

Twice a day, the feed nourishes Angus cattle in the last six months of their lives, a key step in forming high levels of intramuscular fat that make the beef abundantly marbled

The U.S Department of Agriculture grades beef in three categories, select, choice and prime, by taking a 2-inch by 2-inch cut between the 12th and 13th rib of the cow and measuring the percentage of intramuscular fat.

Anything with a beef marbling score above 9% is considered prime. Sagrera has more than doubled the prime minimum with

measurements up to 20%.

The Louisiana rancher does things the old-fashioned way, selling half or whole cows off the farm. The meat can’t be found in grocery stores or farmers markets, but there’s one Baton Rouge restaurant, Supper Club, where diners can get a taste.

He’s even caught the eye of chef John Folse. A few years ago, Sagrera brought a few cuts of meat to Folse’s White Oak Estate & Gardens in Baton Rouge. They became great friends that day, Folse said.

“When it came to a superior beef product, Shawn had it all: pure genetics, grain-fed and hormone-free,” Folse said “I tasted his choice and prime beef as well as premium steaks, roasts and ground beef. It was the best beef I had ever tasted.”

ä See BEEF, page 5A

4 more arrested in $102M Louvre heist

PARIS The Paris prosecutor announced four more arrests Tuesday in connection with the stunning heist at the Louvre Museum in October by a gang that made off with $102 million worth of jewels.

The two men and two women taken into custody are from the Paris region and range in age from 31 to 40, said the prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, whose office is heading the investigation Her statement didn’t say what role they’re suspected of having played in the Oct. 19 theft. Police can hold them for questioning for 96 hours.

French media report that one of those arrested, a 39-year-old already known to police services, is believed to be the fourth member of the team thought to have carried out the daring daylight robbery and is from Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris other suspects have connections with The other three alleged members of the so-called “commando” team have been previously arrested and face preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy Their DNA has been found on the scene or on items linked to the robbery

France says ‘bon voyage’ to giant pandas

PARIS A couple of star giant pandas who lived in France for 13 years and gave birth to three cubs were on their way back to China on Tuesday, the Beauval Zoo said.

Huan Huan, the female, and her partner Yuan Zi, both 17, are traveling on a 12-hour flight from Paris’ Charles-de-Gaulle airport in big white boxes with windows, holes for breathing and the inscription “Bon voyage.” Zoo director Rodolphe Delord, during a goodbye ceremony at the airport, said “they are reaching an age that requires highly specialized care” and will “benefit from the optimal environment” at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where they were born.

Delord had previously explained that Huan Huan has been diagnosed with kidney failure, which isn’t uncommon for a carnivore this age. French and Chinese veterinary teams decided to send them back to China while their health condition allows them to travel safely he said.

For decades, China has gifted friendly nations with its unofficial mascot as part of a policy of “panda diplomacy.” The country now loans pandas to zoos on commercial terms. The pair became famous in France since they arrived at the Beauval Zoo in 2012.

Gramma the Galapagos tortoise dies at 141

LOS ANGELES After more than a century of munching on her favorite foods of romaine lettuce and cactus fruit, beloved Galapagos tortoise Gramma, the oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo has died.

Gramma was born in her native habitat and was estimated to be about 141 years old, zoo officials said. She died Nov 20.

It’s not clear exactly when the tortoise arrived at the San Diego Zoo, but zoo officials said she came from the Bronx Zoo in either 1928 or 1931 as part of their first group of Galapagos tortoises.

As the world changed around her, she delighted visitors with her sweet, shy personality She lived through two World Wars and 20 U.S. presidents Her care specialists affectionately called her “the Queen of the Zoo.” She was suffering from bone conditions related to her old age that progressed recently before she was euthanized, the zoo said.

Many visitors commented on social media about getting to first visit Gramma when they were young, and being able to come back years later with their kids.

Cristina Park, 69, said one of her earliest memories from her childhood was going to the San Diego Zoo when she was 3 or 4 years old and riding on the back of a tortoise. That’s no longer allowed, but the experience inspired her to keep a small desert tortoise as a pet and learn more about tortoise conservation.

U.S. push for peace deal gains momentum

Russian attacks on Kyiv kill 7

BY ISOBEL KOSHIW and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine A renewed U.S. push to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is gathering momentum, although some of the key issues remain unresolved, officials said Tuesday.

The update was issued hours after Russia launched a wave of overnight attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with at least seven people killed in strikes that hit city buildings and energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian attack on southern Russia killed three people and damaged homes, authorities said.

“Over the past week, the United States has made tremendous progress towards a peace deal by bringing both Ukraine and Russia to the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X

“There are a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details that must be sorted out and will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.”

President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the nearly four-year war emerged last week. It heavily favored Russia, prompting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to quickly engage with American negotiators. European leaders, fearing for their own future amid Russian aggression but apparently sidelined by Trump in drawing up the proposals, scrambled to steer the negotiations toward accommodating their concerns.

Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials said progress was made at talks in Geneva held on Sunday toward ending the war French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday peace efforts are gathering momentum and “are clearly at a crucial juncture.”

“Negotiations are getting a new impetus And we should seize this momentum,” he said during at a video conference meeting of countries, led by France and the U.K.,

that could help police any ceasefire with Russia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said of the talks: “I do think we are moving in a positive direction and indications today that in large part the majority of the text, (Zelenskyy) is indicating, can be accepted.”

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials for several hours in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

Driscoll, who became part of the American negotiating team less than two weeks ago, is heading up the latest phase of talks involving the terms of a possible peace settlement with Russia.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, declined to give details on how long the negotiations would last or what topics were being discussed, but noted that the Ukrainians were aware of the meeting and all sides have indicated they wanted to reach a deal to halt the fighting as quickly as possible.

Winter rains in Gaza bring new misery for Palestinians

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Children and families in Gaza scooped muddy water from their tents on Tuesday, trying to protect the few belongings that remain after two years of war

Winter’s heavy rains have left displaced Palestinians splashing in water that reaches their ankles, and blaming both Israel and Hamas for the misery that remains despite a ceasefire.

“All tents were destroyed,” said Assmaa Fayad in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, whose shelter was damaged in Tuesday’s latest downpour “Where is Hamas? Where are the people to see this rain and how our children are drowning?”

A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, lashed out in a message on Telegram: “All the world’s efforts to alleviate the disaster have failed because of the Israeli siege.”

Aid organizations worry that the rainy winter months will make the stark situation worse, with ongoing shortages of humanitarian supplies. They are scrambling to mitigate the flooding and restore infrastructure devastated by the fighting.

Nearly all of Gaza’s over 2 million people were forced from their homes during the war Most have been living in tents or shelters, some of them built over destroyed homes, with no proper sewage facilities. For toilets they depend on cesspits dug near tents that overflow in heavy rainfall.

Reham al-Hilu was among those assessing the damage in Deir al-Balah, one of the areas hardest hit by the rains. Her wood and metal shelter collapsed over-

night, and she said her head was injured. “Rainwater flooded the mattresses,” she said. “As you can see, everything is soaked the clothes, everything and my children are all soaked.”

The United Nations humanitarian office last week said the downpours have damaged at least 13,000 tents like al-Hilu’s, and “destroyed what little shelter and belongings thousands of Palestinians in Gaza had left.”

The office said aid organizations had begun preparing for winter in October, when the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, transporting materials like winterized tents into Gaza. Aid groups were able to distribute over 3,600 tents, 129,000 tarpaulins and 87,000 blankets earlier this month, the U.N. office said. But the office said efforts have been hampered by the slow entry of aid. It said deliveries into the territory continue to be “severely constrained by Israeli authorities’ restrictions on the entry of shelter supplies.”

Severe weather sweeps country

BY KATHY MCCORMACK and JULIE WALKER Associated Press

Residents in more than 100 homes north of Houston faced lots of cleanup Tuesday following a tornado that tore off roofs and smashed windows as heavy rain fell in the South and snow came down in parts of the Midwest this Thanksgiving travel week.

No injuries were reported in the storm Monday that uprooted trees, downed power lines and created paths of debris throughout some neighborhoods. National Weather Service staff were expected to survey the area to determine if multiple tornadoes had struck Heavy fog made it difficult to assess all the damage Tuesday morning on an otherwise calm day

Meanwhile, multiple rounds of storms and showers were expected in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Heavy rain shut down air traffic control operations for about 10 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but things were back to normal, a spokesperson said. The storm system was expected to move to the Northeast by Tuesday night, with another one in the forecast in the Pacific Northwest. Even though the official start of winter is nearly a month away, a winter storm was developing in the northern part of the country, with snow falling in North Dakota.

“That’s impacting North Dakota, Minnesota, including Minneapolis, and then portions of the northern Great Lakes,” said weather service meteorologist Marc Chenard in College Park, Maryland. Snowfall was expected into Wednesday, he said.

The holiday itself looked dry, cold and breezy for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, with lake-effect snow expected through Friday

“It’s pretty narrow bands, but they’ll be some significant snowfall accumulations across off the lakes in Michigan and western New York,” Chenard said.

Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor337-234-0800 News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

Obituaries: 225-388-0289• Mon-Fri9-5; Sat10-5;ClosedSun

Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174•Mon-Fri 8-5

Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111• Mon-Fri8-5

Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

JACQUELyN MARTIN

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By

TurkeysWaddle and Gobble, whoreceived apresidentialpardon at the White House ahead of Thanksgiving,visit Mondaywith the Love family in theturkeys’ hotel room at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington.

Trumpsparesturkeys butnot

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

politicalopponents

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump didn’tbring much holiday cheerTuesday when bestowing ceremonial pardons on two Thanksgiving turkeys,dispensing moreinsults than goodwill at the traditional White House ritual. He joked about sending the turkeys to an infamous prison in El Salvador that has been used to housemigrants deported from the United States. He said the birds should be named Chuck and Nancy —after Democratic stalwartsChuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi —but “I would never pardonthose people.” Trump claimed thatlast year’sturkey pardons, issued by President Joe Biden, were invalid because he used an autopen. “Where’sHunter?”

he said, suggesting that his predecessor’sson could once again face legal jeopardy And all of that wasbefore Trump turned hisattention to Illinois Gov.J.B. Pritzker, aDemocrat who has resisted theWhite House’splansto deploy theNational Guard in Chicago.

Trump said he had ajoke preparedabout Pritzker, but “I refuse to talk about the fact thathe’safat slob. Idon’t mention it.”

Scattered laughter rippled through the audience, which satundercloudy skies and an intermittent drizzle on the Rose Garden patio.

Trump eventually got aroundtothe business at hand, which was pardoning the turkeysGobble and Waddle. Both were spared the dinner table, but only one got the spotlight. “Gobble, Ijust want to tell

you this —very important

—you are hereby unconditionally pardoned,” Trump said. He reached over to run hishandoverthe feathers, saying, “Who would wantto harm this beautiful bird?”

Waddle hadpreviously been spottedinthe White House briefing room

“Waddle, want to give us a gobble?”

WhiteHouse press secretary Karoline Leavitt asked.

The turkeyobliged.

“Very on message!” Leavitt said.

Trump used part of his ceremonial remarkstoinsistthat theprice of Thanksgiving meals was dropping under his leadership, although hisnumbers are misleading. Some research indicates that holiday dinners could cost more this year,areminder of persistent frustration with inflation

Tests: ByHeartformula maybe contaminated with botulism

BY JONEL ALECCIA

Associated Press

Tests of ByHeart infant formula tied to abotulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies showed that all of the company’sproducts may havebeen contaminated.

Laboratorytestsof36 samples of formula from three different lots showed that five samples contained the type of bacteria that can lead to the rare and potentially deadly illness, the company said Monday on its website.

“Basedonthese results, we cannot rule out therisk that all ByHeart formula across all product lots may have been contaminated,” the company wrote.

At least 31 babies in 15 states who consumed ByHeart formula havebeen sickened in the outbreak that

began in August, according to federal and state health officials. In addition, other infants who drank ByHeart formulawere treated forbotulism inearlier months, as far back as November 2024, although they are not counted in the outbreak,officialssaid.

Clostridium botulinum type A, the type of bacteria detected, can be unevenly distributed in powdered formula. Not all babies whoingestitwill become ill, though all infants under age 1are at risk, medical experts said.

ByHeart recalled allofits formulanationwide on Nov 11. However, some product has remainedonstore shelves despite therecall, according to state officials and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Parents and caregivers should stop feeding the formula to babiesimmediately

Israel says it gotanother setof humanremains in handover

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, MEGAN JANETSKY and SAMYMAGDY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH,Gaza Strip Israel on Tuesday said it received human remains that Palestinian militants handed over to the RedCross, but it was notimmediately clear if they were one of three hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’sofficesaidthe remainswould be taken for forensics testing and identification.The handoveristhe latestunderlast month’sfragile ceasefire that has held despite accusationsbybothsides of violations.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it found the remains earlier this week in Nuseirat, arefugeecamp in central Gaza.

Palestinianmilitants have returned25bodies of hostages under the ceasefire deal thatwent intoeffect on Oct. 10.The remaining hostages have been twoIsraelis and aman from Thailand. In return, Israel has released the bodies of 330 PalestinianstoGaza. Most remain unidentified.

Under Israeli pressure to hurry,Hamas says it has not been able to reach all remains of hostages because theyare buried under rubble from Israel’s two-year offensive.Israel has accused the militants of dragging their feet and threatened to resumemilitaryoperations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remainsare not returned.

Netanyahu’soffice asserted that the delay amounted to aceasefire violation.

Gaza’s lack of supplies Palestinian officials have struggled to identify bodies returned by Israel withoutaccess to DNA kits. Only 95 have been identified, according tothe Gaza

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByABDEL KAREEM HANA ARed Crossconvoycarryingthe remains of aperson believedtobeadeceased hostagehanded over by Gazamilitants makes its wayTuesdaytoward the border crossing with Israel,tobetransferred to Israeliauthorities, in Deiral-Balah, central GazaStrip.

Health Ministry,part of the Hamas-run government.

Meanwhile, families in Gaza confronted heavy winter rains that worsen dire humanitarianconditions formany of the 2million people displaced by the war.

Aid has slowly entered Gaza, but organizationslike theUnitedNationhumanitarian office say shortages of crucialgoods likefood and winter supplies persist, and have called on Israel to ease aid restrictions.

The warbegan withthe Hamas-led attack on southernIsrael on Oct. 7, 2023, thatkilledsome 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

Gaza’sHealth Ministrysays69,775 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 injuredinIsrael’s retaliatory offensive.It does not distinguish betweencivilians andcombatants in itsfiguresbut has said womenand children makeupamajority of

thosekilled. Theministry is staffedbymedical professionals andmaintains detailedrecords viewedas generally reliable by independent experts.

Arising deathtollinGaza

While daily fighting has stopped,the death toll has gone up as Israel strikes parts of Gaza in response to what it says areceasefire violations by Hamas.

Gaza’shealth ministry on Tuesday saidIsraeliforces killedthree peopleeastof Khan Younis in the south. It said the bodies were brought to hospitalsalong with14 others recovered fromthe rubble over thepast24 hours. Those brought the death tollto345 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, theministry said. On Monday, Palestinian officialssaid at leastfourpeople were killed by Israeli fire. Twomen were killedinthe Tufahneighborhood in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital.Two others were killed in Beni Suaila town east of Khan Younis, officials at Nasser Hospital said.

and monitor the children for symptoms, which can take up to 30 days to appear Infant botulism occurs whenbabies ingest spores thatgerminateintheir intestine and produceatoxin. Symptomsinclude constipation, difficulty sucking or feeding, droopingeyelids, flat facial expression and weakness in the arms, legs andhead.The illness is a medical emergency and requiresimmediate treatment At least107 babies nationwide have been treated for botulism with an IV medication known as BabyBIG since Aug. 1, healthofficials said. In atypical year,less than 200 infants are treated for theillness.

To report an illness tied to the outbreak, contact an FDA consumer complaint coordinatororfill outanonline MedWatch form.

So,how does Sagreradoit?

Thescience behind thesuccess

“Giddy up, baby!” Sagrerasaid while maneuvering his high-speed side-by-side vehicle through the rolling farm fields.

Cattle are dispersed throughout the fields in pasturesgrouped by function, and Sagrera drives the side-by-side to each cattle group.

In early November,Sagrera was doing what he does well —looking ahead.

“I’m working on the beef that the consumerswill eatin2029,” Sagrera said.“It’snot an afterthought. This is carefully planned.”

He pulls about 60 data points on each cow,but four traits are the top criteria: calving ease (the abilitytoeasily birth calves), growth, marbling and significant rib-eye area.

“Only the elite animals get to be aherd sire,” he said. “You don’t want something reproducing that’s really skinny-legged anddoes not have good muscle mass.”

It’sall based on data, scienceand DNA, Sagrera said, and he usesultrasound technology research on genetics. He specifically raises Angus cattle becausethey have the genetic potential for highIMF levels.

“Let’s say we want to drink 12year bourbon,” Sagrera said. “Do we take a12-year bourbonout of thebarrel at seven(years)?We don’t.”

Exclusivesteak

“Wedon’t deal with justany res-

Time is anotherimportant factor. Each cowlives abouttwo years and grows to about 1,100 pounds, which gives it the necessary time to develop high levels of fat. He compares raisingcattle to making bourbon.

taurant,” Sagrera said. “Supper Club and Igot areally good partnership.”

Theacclaimed BatonRouge restaurant at 10480 Perkins Road opened in 2022 and sources itsingredients from all over the globe, but executive chef Leighton Carbo sources hisbeststeak about an hour up theroad.

BeforeSupper Club opened, therestaurantstaff ran atest kitchen on Burbank Drive where thecrewtested allsorts of recipesand dishes. Folse visitedthe kitchenoften,Carbo said,and when thecrew was in search of premium steak, Folse saidhe knewaguy.Itdidn’ttakelong for Carbo and Sagrera to shake hands on adeal

“It’sbeen ahuge staple in our success over here,” Carbo said. “It’sacool story to tell, andI’m proud to be his business partner. I’m proud to be his friend.”

SagreraFarms’ beef is in afew menu items at SupperClub, including dry-aged meatballs,shortrib burnt ends, and of course, the SagreraCut, aged for 35 days and butchered in-house.

Aboutevery threeorfour weeks, Sagrera deliverstwo

chucks, twoloins, two ribs and he grinds the hind legs, so Carbo gets “six giantsections,” about 300 pounds apiece.

“Someofthe cowshebrings me are16, 17, 18%IMF,” Carbo said. “You think about that, that is areallygood prime high-end steak. It’soff-the-charts super prime.”

Carbo and the sous chef butcher each piece witha band saw and serve the cuts over the next couple weeks.

The quality of the product speaks for itself, Carbo said.

“It’s salt, pepper,ahot grill and thebest quality meat,” Carbo said.

“If yougot the quality,anything else you do to it will almost take away from the quality.I’m really just trying to let that beef shine.”

Meet thecowboys

Abraham Gonzalez, 26, and Miller Mayes, 16, seem to live alife that feels like aWestern film. Instead of ridinghorses,theydrive tractors, side-by-sides and fourwheeled farm bikes.

Gonzalez, fromBrownsville Texas, worked in the exotic animal industry forseven yearsbefore joining Sagrera Farms, going from

raising giraffes and zebras to cows.

Theconstantmovementishis favorite part of the job.

“There’snever the same thing every single day,” Gonzalezsaid. “I like getting up and moving, and Ilike where things just happen unexpectedly.It’snever-ending here, that’sfor sure.”

He hasworked at Sagrera Farms sinceJanuary,and his daily responsibilities,which change from season to season,include feeding the cattle, checking on calves and planting ryegrass.

His decade-younger counterpart, Mayes, started workatSagrera Farms in May after working at a nearby cattle and sheep farm in Slaughter.When Mayes isn’tatthe farm,he’sworking towardgraduating from his homeschooling program

“It’sjust always something that I’ve loved,” he said about farm life. Mornings andevenings are the best times to peek at thecows, Gonzalez said.

“The evenings —the sun’sgoing down, and they’re out there grazing,” Gonzalezsaid. “You seeall the calves running around, jumping around, and it’ssuper neat. Super peaceful.”

ADOPTION

Continued from page1A

step up.

“It’sa tough job, but one with great rewards,” Duplantier said

There are 4,300 childrenin foster care in Louisiana today

Rebecca Harris,secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children andFamily Services, said during theevent.

“Thank you 1million times over forwhat you do for Louisiana’s children,” Harris saidtothose fostering and adopting children and those who help with the process.

Beverly and Calvin McKenzie have raisedtheirfamily.Their youngest is 30,and they are grandparents to three children.OnMonday, they started over, adopting Alfred, 4, and Neveah, 5.

“I’m relieved,” BeverlyMcKenziesaid after the adoptions were finalized.

ABRAHAM

Continued from page 1A

The couple fostered thetwo children forover21/2 years.

“Wedid Kinship Carewitha relative,” she said. “When he went home,I felt likeI lost my baby.”

That’s when thecoupledecided to foster children who need loving, stable adults in their lives.Now they are new parents againand are fostering another 15-monthold girl that they’re trying to adopt.

BeverlyMcKenzie encouraged otherstoconsider becoming foster parents because the need is so great.

Statisticssuggest that withoutthe care of foster parents or adoptiveparents,childrenare more likely to become addicted to drugs,abusedorkilled, she said.

“Withoutus,”she said, “they don’thave achance. We give them asecondchance at life.”

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com

Caseworker

Kisha Broussard signs a collage memorializing the dayfor the McKenzie family during an adoption ceremony on Nov. 17.

As surgeon general, he was tasked with advising the state on its health policies,being an advocate for disease prevention and handling Louisiana’sresponse to health emergencies.

Abraham madeseveral splashes in the media aftertaking on that role.

Abraham’sappointmentbut did not comment further Formerly aveterinarian, Abraham became adoctor at 40after attending the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. He once served in the Army NationalGuard and represented Louisiana in Congress from 2015 to 2020.

In September of last year,he

blasted thestate’s COVID-19response,calling most of the government’shealth interventions, such as mask mandates and “coerced” vaccinations, “ineffective, counterproductive and antithetical tothe core principles of afreesociety.”

The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safeinmostinstances the CDC saidinprevious statements before changing itsguidance this year under President

the

U.S. Treasurer

PENNY

Donald Trump’shealth secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has campaigned against vaccines. Studies also showthe COVID-19 vaccine decreases theriskofsevere illness.

Earlier this year,Abraham was criticized after he banned LouisianaDepartment of Health staff from promoting seasonal vaccines and brought the state’slongstanding mass vaccination efforts to an end. He has instead encouraged patients to discuss vaccination decisions with their health careproviders.

Continuedfrom page1A

ending in $0.04, $0.08, $0.09 are rounded up, he added. So far, customershaven’t complainedabout the change, he said.

AlbertsonsonJohnston Street said it began rounding purchasesbut have yet to run out of pennies, an assistant manager said.

President Donald Trump ordered his administration to halt pennyproduction in February after the cost of making the coin jumped about20% last year.According to the U.S. Mint’s2024

“Perhaps there are some treatments that every human being should take, but they are few and farbetween, andthings thatare good generally don’thavetobe pushed by the government,” he wrote in aletter

AnnualReport, thepenny costs 3.7 cents to produce.

The problem with pennies is that they are issued by the U.S. Mint, given as change, andrarelyrecirculatedback into the economy.Americans store their pennies in jars or use them fordecoration. This requires the Mint to produce significantsums of pennies each year

National food chains like Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, Wendy’s andMcDonald’s haverecommendedtheir franchisees round cash transactions as theyrun out of pennies, CBSNews reported.ASeptember report from CapitalOne Shopping found that nearlyhalfofAmericans

Dream Address Awaits

don’tpurchase goods with cash in atypical week Rouses Markets announced earlier this month that the stores will round cash transactionsuptothe nearest nickeltoensure customers don’tcomeup short in change. All 66 of the grocer’s stores across Louisiana, Alabamaand Mississippi have implemented the policy,which Rouses Creative Director Marcy Nathan said has been “no issue at all.” Staff writer Ianne Salvosa contributed to this article. Email StephenMarcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

Acadiana Forecast

Parade route change gets mixed reviews

At community meeting, safety appeared to be top of mind

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

Residents, members of Mardi

Gras krewes and downtown Lafayette business owners voiced their concerns and threw their support behind a Jefferson Street Mardi Gras parade route at a community meeting.

The Monday night meeting followed an October announcement by Mayor-President Monique

Man indicted in shaken baby death

Two also indicted in unrelated incidents

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Three people were indicted by a St. Landry Parish jury for seconddegree murder including a man charged in 2017 in connection with a “shaken baby syndrome” incident.

Benjamin Baquet, 30, was indicted Friday on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of a juvenile under the age of 12, according to District Attorney Chad Pitre.

According to previous reports, in July 2017, deputies with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of an unresponsive baby Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said at the time that medical officials reported the 7-week-old baby suffered bleeding on the brain, a right broken clavicle, bruises, respiratory arrest, diffuse cerebral hemorrhages and nonaccidental trauma, also known as “shaken baby syndrome.”

Baquet was arrested in connection with the incident in 2017.

The baby remained hospitalized and died recently Assistant District Attorney Alisa Gothreaux said on Monday

The coroner did an autopsy, she said, and determined the girl’s death is related to the injuries she suffered in 2017.

A warrant has been issued for Baquet’s arrest based on the grand jury indictment. His last known address is in Lumberton, Texas, according to the news release. The grand jury also on Friday indicted Hayden Boudreaux, 22, of Arnaudville, in connection with the second-degree murder of Nathan Powell, 31, also from Arnaudville. Powell died after suffering two gunshot wounds, according to the news release. The incident happened at Tiger Touchdown No. 6 on Main Street in Arnaudville on Aug. 30.

Earlier news reports indicate the men were in a video poker room and were involved in a fight that led to the shooting.

Boudreaux is set for arraignment on Jan. 8.

Lorenzo Fontenot, 54, of Opelousas, was also indicted in connection with the second-degree murder of Awen Fontenot, also from Opelousas. Awen Fontenot died of multiple stab wounds to his upper torso in August, according to the release.

Earlier reports indicate Lorenzo Fontenot had been released from prison a few weeks before the stabbing and had recently moved into the residence.

Lorenzo Fontenot is set for arraignment on Jan. 8.

Jakob Oakley 23, of Opelousas, was indicted Friday on charges of first-degree rape and seconddegree battery of an Opelousas woman. Oakley will be arraigned on Dec. 18, according to Pitre’s office.

Boulet that the parade route would shift through the heart of downtown along Jefferson Street. The change prompted the City Council to introduce an ordinance creating a nine-person committee to approve modifications to routes and activities.

“A third of folks downtown are excited about trying this out, a third are anxious about it and the other third are just hearing about it,” said Kevin Blanchard, CEO of

Downtown Lafayette.

Of the issues discussed Monday night, overall safety in a more compact, closed-in Jefferson Street appeared to be top of mind. It’s something the Lafayette Police Department takes seriously, said Sergeant Matt Benoit, LPD’s special event coordinator

The department reached out to the New Orleans Police Department’s special event commander, who reviewed LPD’s plan and

crowd-control tactics for both the old and new routes.

“He told me with confidence that he would be comfortable operating a New Orleans parade, not the biggest one, but some of the smaller New Orleans parades, (which) kind of fit our size,” Benoit said.

LPD will have camera access along the entire parade route and, with the help of officers at the emergency command center and assisted by technology, will be

able to identify threats and problem areas.

“They can notify officers that are on the ground and direct them to that location,” Benoit said. Barricades will be set up along the entire parade route, with parking spots on Jefferson Street being designated as public viewing areas. Intersections will also be barricaded with designated crosswalks and will act as entrances for emergency vehicles.

Sidewalks will remain open for

Vibrant displays

ABOVE: Local artist Lindsay Jenneman paints the window at Broussard Books as part of Window Wonderland on Monday in downtown Lafayette. The sixth annual window painting effort is a partnership between Basin Arts and Downtown Lafayette to transform downtown business windows into vibrant holiday displays within this year’s theme, ‘Tinsel Through Time.’

RIGHT: Local artist Charlene Hinrichs paints the window at Flats.

Took’s near top of La.’s best turkey spots

Survey lists butcher third in state

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Still looking for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey? Or maybe you’re already looking ahead to Christmas. Either way, according to MarketBeat research, one local Lafayette butcher shop may have you covered According to a recently conducted survey, which polled more

than 3,000 Americans from across the nation on which independent butcher shops they trust for delivering a quality Thanksgiving turkey Lafayette’s Took’s Market came in third among butcheries located in Louisiana.

Took’s, which has operated for over 30 years off of Johnston Street at its intersection with Doucet Road, came in behind Cochon Butcher, based out of downtown New Orleans, and Baton Rouge’s Iverstine Butcher on Perkins Road. Took’s offers several varieties of Thanksgiving turkeys, including Louisiana favorites like turduckens, which can be stuffed with cornbread, rice dressing, shrimp and crawfish. Other turkey-based items include “tur-porks,” which are stuffed with pork roast, onions, bell pepper and garlic, or for those looking for a more traditional Thanksgiving experience, Took’s offers seasoned boneless turkeys as well.

eyes and 14 different varieties of sausage.

Other holiday offerings include stuffed brisket, smoked Gouda mac and cheese, and their “12 Days of Christmas” special, which includes 12 individual items, including some of their aforementioned products as well as New York strips and filet mignon.

In addition to their special Thanksgiving offers, Took’s is known for specialty meats, including stuffed pork chops, rib-

For a full list of butcheries included in MarketBeat’s survey, visit marketbeat.com/originals/ the-best-local-butchers-forthanksgiving-2025-survey/.

OUR VIEWS

Latest school scores capyear of extraordinary educational progress

The laurels for Louisiana schools this year came early.InJanuary,whenitwas announced that the state’sfourth graders had outpaced all others in the nation for thegrowth in theirreadingscores, we were elated. It waseven more impressive that our studentswere achieving at pre-pandemic levels,while scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress had stalled in most of thenation.And itpushed Louisiana from49th of 50 states up to 32nd injust five years, its highest ranking ever on thetest, knownas“the nation’sreport card.”

But questions remained: Could thestate sustain theprogress it is making in reading andhow could it translatethose gains to other subject areas? Scores on LEAP tests released in July showed mixed results. While math scores improvedsignificantly, readingwas stagnant, but small yearly fluctuationsdon’tnecessarily mean much.

That’s why we were eagertosee theschool scores come out last week.While student assessmentsgive asnapshot of aparticulargroup of students and aparticular time,school scores canpaint abroader picture, telling us whether good systems are in place tobuild on success long-term.

And last week, there was some goodnews. School performance scores around the state were at their highest level ever.According to the statewide criteria, which looks at test scores, graduation ratesand other benchmarks, 44% of elementary and middle schoolsand 70% of high schools earned an AorBthisyear It is the fourth year in arow that scores have inchedup.

Thestatewide average fordistricts wasa B, or 80.9 out of apossible 150 points,the highest average since it reworked the accountability formula in 2018.

In Lafayette Parish, there was muchreason to celebrate as the district, which againearned aBrating, became the highest-ranked school district in thestate with at least 29,000 students Early College Academy earned a137.1 school performance score,the second-highest of any high school in the state, behindHaynes AcademyinJefferson Parish.Other districts around Acadiana mostly held on to their rankings from last year,except for St. Martin Parish,which slipped from aBtoa C. With anew assessmentsystem plannedfor next year,SuperintendentofEducationCade Brumley and other state officials warn that scorescould dip. We have long beenaproponent of the new grading scale, whichputsmore emphasis on whether students are improving in key areas. But we are encouraged that this year’sscoresshow that schools anddistricts can meet any bar that is set for them with clear and consistent guidelines. So even withthe bar seta bit higher,weare certain that Louisiana schools have the map and the tools tocontinueinthe right direction.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

OPINION

Recently,Sen. John Kennedy used crude sexual analogies about “nuns” when discussing serious policy issues about the economy and the governmentshutdown. It is unclear what motivated Kennedy to say what he said, especially as he representsa statewherein 22% of the residentsare Catholic. We hope that Kennedy was not wishing to diminish or obscure our prophetic witness. Making sisters an object of ridicule and alaughingstock will not deter us. Apostolic religious life is about making visible through our various ministries the love and compassion of Jesus Christ,especially for the outcastsofsociety.Our vow of celibacy is aradical witness to the values of the Christian Gospel. It also frees us from

Thosewho ponder thebackwardnessofLouisiana’spopulation have new evidence of the moral and intellectual incapacityofour citizens and political leadersintheir reactions to Donald Trump’sblatantly criminal campaign of murder being conducted against people alleged to be transporting cocaine in boatstraveling from South America in the Caribbean and Pacific oceans. Between Sept.2and Nov.9.Trump’s government has bombed 20 boats, killing 76 people so far Trump bragsabout these killings and claims he is saving thousands of lives by preventing deadly drugs from entering theU.S.

Butheisdestroying these boats and their passengers without atrace of legal process. Therehave been no arrests, no charges, no trialsand no judgments— only summary execu-

TO

As amoderate voter in full support of Louisiana’sformer open “jungle”primarysystem, it infuriated me that our Legislature supported thechange to closed primarieswithout apublic vote

Despite theclaim of being a“deeply conservative” state, Louisiana is more thanits Republicans, who make up 35.3% of registered voters. Approximately 36.8% areregistered Democrats, plus there’sanother 27.8%, who areunaffiliated and third-partyvoters.

theresponsibilities of family life, so we can serve wherever and whenever thegospel calls. We sisters take no personal credit for any of this; it is God’sgracious gift to us to witness in this way At this time of political chaos and gross polarization in ourcountry,let us all try toact like adults. Let us work together,not against each other,for the good of all, not just the rich and powerful. Belittlingeach other along theway only serves to increase the polarization and makes the vulnerable in our world, for whom we have aserious responsibility, even morevulnerable.

MAURAO’DONOVAN ROCHELLE PERRIER on behalf of Burning Bush: Catholic Sisters and Brothers for an End to Violence

tions. Thesekillings are totally illegal and immoral. They aresimply actsof murder

Ourvery pious, pro-life Rep. Mike Johnson and our energetic Attorney General Liz Murrill, who both claim to be legal and religious experts, have enthusiastically supportedthe killings;and it seems that most Louisiana citizens have not waveredintheir supportfor President Donald Trump since he became aserial killer

So, Louisiana citizens and public policy advocates of all kinds, please takeamoment to reflect on the biblical premises of your reactions to these grotesque hypocrisies and official crimes.Satan and self-delusion are running wild today. Like the honorable Admiral AlvinHolsey, we too can say,“Count me out of this.”

MICHAEL WOLF NewOrleans

There is hope forour country in the aftermath of the political shutdownwar.Wenow have an opportunity to evaluate our representatives’ take on the health care issue. They have an opportunity to articulate what their stand is and why, instead of ducking the issue under loyalty to the party.I urge you to call or email your representative about this now.Before the next election, please give serious consideration to what issues are important to you. Question the candidates and vote forthe issues rather than the party

Your issues are likely not the sameasmine. Iamhopeful that a crack in loyalty to the party will allow us to moveforward with loyalty to each other

JANE METCALF Baton Rouge

Gov.Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill wanttoholler about “free speech” regarding Loyola student government’svote against right wing extremist group Turning Point USA. The governor is suggesting that LSU erect astatue to Charlie Kirk, the newly anointed martyr of the extreme right, while Trumpdefunds PBS, NPR, CPB and attacks CBS, Steven Colbert, Jimmy Kimmeland any media publishing anegative view of his poor,injured self. Trumpmini-me, Landry,and his like-minded AG, are unsurprising in their ridiculous hypocrisy

RUSS W. COPPING Covington

So, an overwhelming 62.6% of Louisiana votersare overlooked in the decisions thataffect our state. The governor has been determined since taking office to unduly influence election outcomes in GOPfavor.When the Legislature made this change, it allowed “No Party” unaffiliated voters to still have a choice in aclosed primary election. The Republican Party is nowgoing to file a lawsuit to close“their” primaries. Did anyone file alawsuit to stop the change in primaries in the first place? Ican appreciate the Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta’sconcern as he puts it, but he is off base to think senior citizens will notchange party affiliation. Ivote for the best candidates despite party lines, and Iwant to continue to be able to do just that. And to Christy Haik Iwould say,your party is not aclub. ALLYSON DIAZ Thibodaux

Policy leaders debate what’s the best way to attract investment to the state

Michael Hecht is the CEO of GNO Inc. Daniel Erspamer is chief executive officer of the Pelican Institute. Stacey Roussel is deputy director of Invest in Louisiana. They recently discussed the pros and cons of special business tax incentives at an event hosted by the nonpartisan “Neutral Ground” organization, which promotes civil discourse on matters of public interest. The Times-Picayune is a partner with Neutral Ground.

The following is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, as moderated by Nathalie Simon, a Neutral Ground board member and special counsel to the CEO at Laitram Industries.

SIMON: The Landry administration has been particularly aggressive with incentive programs and reforms, and Louisiana has recently secured several wins.

One we’ve all read about is the Venture Global LNG; they are investing $18 billion in an expansion in Plaquemines Parish Another is the one we’ve all also read about, the Meta AI Data Center It is considered one of the biggest economic development wins in the state’s history $10 billion in Richland Parish. (That figure is now estimated to be north of $25 billion — ed.) And we’ also read about the Hyundai steel mill, $6 billion in Ascension Parish. All sound great, right? More jobs, more economic activity in a lot of poor regions of the state But not everyone’s happy Michael, what is the purpose of economic development incentives?

HECHT: There’s a three-part test for a good incentive. The first is that it needs to pass the if-not/but-for test, meaning that it has to actually change behavior An incentive that doesn’t change behavior is basically wasted money, because the company was going to do it anyway The second is it has to be net-present-value positive, meaning that money that is spent has to have a positive return to the state over time And the third is it has to be permanent, meaning that if the incentive goes away, the industry or the company stays.

SIMON: Stacey, is that your three-part test?

ROUSSEL: Well, I didn’t know that we had three-part tests. Organizationally, our lens is also low- and moderate-income households. Unfortunately, there are too many of them About 51% of the state really struggles to make ends meet, inclusive of about

20% who live below the federal poverty level. So: Are we maximizing as a state all that we can for our low- and moderateincome households?

SIMON: Daniel, you run a free enterprise think tank. What is your ideological position with regard to these incentives?

Special deals or low taxes

ERSPAMER: The challenge with incentives is that they put government in the position of picking winners or losers. And so by definition, an incentive is given to one company, one industry, one group of companies, and some political body makes that decision, some government entity or quasi-government entity Do we want to sort of cement in the Huey Long system of government, which meant that everyone had to come to Baton Rouge to kiss the ring? And so if you are a company that has a good lawyer and a good lobbyist, and a good accountant, you can do pretty well in Louisiana.

Well, the problem is, we’ve ended up with this patchwork quilt of tax policies that means, again, the government has chosen winners and losers, and we make it very difficult, particularly for new entrants into the market, for entrepreneurs. There’s a study that looked backward to say of companies that took advantage of economic development incentives, somewhere between 75% and 98% of them said they would have done this anyway So I think most of these are bad, and the ones that are good are hard to identify

SIMON: But if you look at some of these projects, they do they sound promising: Meta, 500 permanent workers, 1,000 indirect jobs, 5,000 temporary workers. The Hyundai one, I think 1,300 jobs are expected with an average salary of $95,000 a year But how does that benefit a small-business owner, working-class people? My question is, what is the return on investment?

HECHT: Let’s talk about something even

more technical, but more important, which is net present value. That means that if I’m going to pay $100 to Daniel’s company because he has the best lawyers, as he was talking about before, and so he gets $100, right? So that was $100 that I spent. Then, if the state treasury because the state gave them $100, if the state treasury gets back $10 a year in the first year, and that goes on for another 20 years, then it diminishes over time, right? The further away you get into the future, you have to discount it by some agreed-upon value, to account for inflation.

SIMON: Thank you for explaining economic development. But I do think there is that big elephant in the room, and I think we should just talk about the tax code overall.

ROUSSEL: In Louisiana, we have the 10th most regressive tax structure in the nation, according to our friends at the Institute for Taxation Economic Policy, which is a national think tank. What does that mean? It means that those who are making the least so those who are making $18,000 or below in Louisiana — are paying about 13.1% of that income in combined state and local tax.

If you go to the other end of the spectrum to our top 1% of earners, those are folks pulling down about a half million a year, they’re paying about 5.6% of their income in combined state and local tax. So really, from our perspective, the way that you raise revenue matters just as much as how you spend the revenue. But do we have what we need to invest as a state in our people?

ERSPAMER: Our baseline belief is that the best tax policy is low, flat and broad, right? That everyone has some skin in the game; that is, everyone pays essentially the same rate based on their decisions, and that it is as uncomplicated and simple as possible. Historically, Louisiana has had one of the most complex tax codes in the country If you look at the data, states that follow “low, flat and broad” have the best economic outcomes. And I suspect one of the things that Michael will tell you from talking to businesses I certainly hear it all the time — is that simplicity and predictability matter almost as much, in some cases more, as what the tax rate is. And Louisiana has a history of unpredictability

This is a question of opportunity costs, and the opportunity cost for these sorts

of tax incentives and credits and special carve-outs is that that’s money that could be reduced in taxes or, not to speak for her, but I suspect what Stacey might say, to spend on government services.

The case for “good” incentives

SIMON: Michael, it sounds like Daniel’s saying, and I think Stacey as well, that although they have very different solutions, they’re saying, “simplify the tax code, and business will come.” No more need for economic development. I guess my question is, are these incentives enough to keep these businesses here long term?

HECHT: I have on my note card some examples of good incentives and some examples of bad incentives. Good incentives have to pass at least most of those three tests I mentioned earlier So, the digital media incentive, I believe that over time it’s going to be positive net-present-value. You look at the slow but steady growth we’re having in companies like Copado, DAQA, High Voltage Software. Then there’s the historic tax credit: If the historic tax credit for rebuilding did not exist, we would not have a downtown post-Katrina, and whole historic downtowns in this country would not exist. It is a stimulative incentive that jumpstarts the market, creates those buildings, which are now condos and offices and entertainment centers that become revenue-producing for the state. So that one passes the “if not/but for” test.

SIMON: We live in a poor state and region. How do you sell taxpayers on spending money on incentives versus basic services when basic services of government are not functioning?

ROUSSEL: I would like to say a word in defense of the safety net in Louisiana. There are some things we do really, really well when it comes to making a safety net that does work. There are some things that we don’t do well, but Louisiana has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation, and that’s because we expanded Medicaid, and those are public dollars that go into private health care providers, private health insurance companies, and what we get in return is that when people are sick, they get to go to the doctor And that’s a great thing. It’s really important that the safety net remains strong and we have enough money to keep it running.

Search continuesfor plane

and Fisheriescrew locatesdebris in lake

BY MARCOCARTOLANO Staff writer

The search for asmall airplane that crashed into Lake Pontchartrain on Monday evening continued Tuesday with search crews and the U.S. Coast Guard scouring the water near NewOrleans’ Lakefront Airport for the two people believed to be aboard.

The plane, asingleengine Cessna Skyhawk, took off from GulfportBiloxi International Airport, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported. Contact with the aircraft was lost about4 miles north of the New Orleans airport, according to the Coast Guard.

Officials have not identified the two missing

people,thoughthe United Cajun Navy told WDSU-TV the victims were aflightinstructor and astudent

The Coast Guardwas notified about the missingplaneabout 6:30p.m. They deployedanMH-60 helicopter and a29-foot response boat into the lake to search for thepeople aboard and to locate the crash site.

Crews from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife &Fisheries, St. Tammany Parish, Jefferson Parish andCajun Navy volunteers also took part inthe search

The Coast Guard helicopter spotted water discoloration just after 7:30 p.m. AWildlife &Fisheries crew foundapparent debris from asmall plane at 11 p.m., accordingto the Coast Guard

The flight took off from theMillionAir Terminal in Gulfport, Dave Schramko, theterminal’s general manager, told theSun Herald.

Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed theplane flying out from Gulfport just after 5:40 p.m. Minutes later,the planestarted descending quickly over land, dropping 2,200 feet in about 10 minutes.

The aircraft continued moving west over Louisiana. The tracker shows the plane over Lake Pontchartrain for about 10 more minutesbefore descending 900 feet further over the lake and then disappearing from theairspace.

Michael Carastro, of Apollo Aviation,a flight school at theairport, owns theplane, according to media reports anddata from FlightAware.

Carastro, who is based in Montgomery,Alabama,was notonboard at thetimeofthe apparentcrash andwas headed to Gulfporttoassistin theinvestigation Tuesday morning, WDSU-TV reported.

route, which will go down JeffersonStreet.

PARADES

from page1B

walking. Objects such as ice chests, chairs and ladder stands are not allowed on the sidewalk except on private property

More details willbe provided closer to Mardi Gras, said Benoit. Barricades along JeffersonStreet will be picked up afterparades, except on the Monday before Mardi Gras, said Warren Abadie, Lafayette Public Works’ director CityCouncil member Kenneth Boudreaux and Boulet both agreedthat the meeting was productive. However,Boudreaux saidthe discussion did not focus enough on the displacementofresidents living along or near the parade route.

“I think that we were abletohear from some additional people on this

issue,” Boudreauxsaid. “I’m still concernedthat we’re putting parade before people. Alot of what happened here today was more in line with afloat safety measure as opposedtopeople’sability to go to spaces where they can spread out.” As far as his ordinance, Boudreaux said he still plans to push for the council to adopt it, adding that oversight is needed.

But too much government oversightover Mardi Grasissomething Boulet saidshe hopesto avoid. As the ordinance is written today,the committee would havethe authority to approve changes to parade routes, events or anyactivities that require permits. How all-encompassing or limited that would beis unknown.Itwould at least give thecouncilthe ability to approve road closures, noise variancesand ped-

Elayn Hunt inmate dies after cell fight

BY AIDANMcCAHILL Staff writer

An inmate at Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility died Monday morning after afight with another inmate in his cell, authorities confirmed. The Louisiana DepartmentofPublic Safetyand Corrections confirmed theinmatewas 30-yearold Detroit Draper Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said his office is investigating the death, pending theresults of an autopsy Stassi said that after the fight,Draper was“woozy” andbriefly stood up before collapsing. Acorrections officer then took him to thefacility’s infirmary before he wastaken to a hospital where he died. The death comes after three inmates died from overdoses at the St. Gabriel facility in September

William A. Fontenot,82, passed away peacefullyin hishomeonNovember 23, 2025. Willie wasbornin Washington, LA andgrew up in Opelousas.Hewas oneof8children born to L. Austin and Ruth Robertson Fontenot.Hebecamea prominentenvironmental justice activist. For 27 years, Willie served as the communityliaisonofficer for theLouisiana Attorney General's Office. He played akey role in establishing communityand environmental groups across Louisiana and theDeep South. He broughthopeand empowermentto marginalizedcommunities. Eventually, he became known as the "Grandfather of the Louisiana Environmental Movement." Willie always treatedotherswith kindness, patience,and respect,and he waswelllovedand admired. In his

Eric, deceased, (Margie). Sisters are Frances (deceased), Carolyn Goodman,Lilias LeBlanc(deceased), Marie Porche (Ed). He leaves manynieces andnephews andgreat nieces and nephews. There will be a CelebrationofLife on Sunday, December 28, from 1:00-3:00pm at The Guru, locatedinthe Circa 1857 complex at thecornerof Government and19th StreetsinBaton Rouge.If anyone wouldliketodonate agift in hisname, please consider The Louisiana Environmental ActionNetwork (LEAN) (leanweb.org) or Alzheimer'sServicesofthe Capital Area (www.alzbr.org) (3772 North Blvd.BR, LA 70806.)

EMAIL: obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FORMOREINFORMATION: 225-388-0289 An In Memory Of”ad, is away to pay tributetoyour loved one.This remembranceisoften printed on the anniversary of aloved one’s death.The deadlineistwo days prior to the dayyou want your ad to appear TO PLACEAMEMORIALAD GO TO: obituaries.theacadianaadvocate.com click submit an obituaryand select create amemoriam.

dlingpermits, saidJamie Boudreaux, Lafayette Consolidated Government’schief communication officer. “I think there is arole with the administration and the council,but Ithink we have to be real careful on creating committees or creating bureaucracy that is involved in an event that we actually don’tfacilitateororganize,” Boulet said.

Email StephenMarcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.

SPORTS

Talesfromheadcoachingsearches past

despite winning an SEC title in 1988. Spurrier won an ACC title at Duke, then turned Florida into anational powerhouse.

If you think the search for the next LSU football coach over the past few weeks has beenwild, I’m here to tell you something: They’re all wild. This is the seventh coaching searchI’ve covered for The Advocate since 1991, and Iwas in school at LSU for an eighth. They’re almost all messy, and at times, it seems no one will ever take the job. Then the Tigers hire the guy everyonebecomes convinced will, or won’t, take them to anational championship. And three of them have.

But we’re not here to talk

about titles. We’re here to tell stories. Tales from coaching searchespast Away we go.

SPURNING SPURRIER: In 1986, LSU coach Bill Arnsparger announced he was leaving to become athleticdirector at Florida afterthree successful seasons. LSUplayers emotionally pleaded their case for defensive coordinator Mike Archer to get the job. Steve Spurrier,who had been ahead coach forthree years in the defunct USFL, wanted theLSU job badly.LSU hired Archer,then fired him in 1990

To date, Archer is the last man without head coaching experience to get the LSU job.

PATSULLIVANSAGA: In 1994, TCU coach Pat Sullivan —the 1971 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn —appeared to be headed to LSU. All that stood in the way was —get this —a$400,000 buyout he owed TCU. LSU refused to pay it. TCU refused to waive it, which Ialways believed Sullivan thought would happen.

As then-TCU athletic director Frank Windegger told me in a

MURKYFUTURE

Saints running back Alvin Kamaragoes down awkwardly after beingtackled by Atlanta Falcons linebackerKaden Elliss

Caesars Superdome. Kamara, whodidn’t return after the play, has seen his productivity declinethis season.

As Kamara’s resurgence fades, Saints couldmoveoninoffseason

BYMATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Kellen Moore hadto be correctedwhen

he first said that Alvin Kamara still wasbeingevaluated for the ankle injuryhesufferedinSunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

The Saints coach meant the running back hadhurt his knee, right? Kamara alreadyhad been dealing with an ankle injury

“Oh yeah, sorry,” Mooresaid.“Yes. Moore’smixup easily can be chalked up to amental mistake.But in itsown way, the error was yet another wayKamara was

overlooked —forgotten?— by the firstyearcoach.

For whatever reason, Kamara’susage —and effectiveness— has not been the same under Moore. The 30-year-old is in themidst of the worst statistical season of hiscareer as he’saveraging career lows in yards per carry and catches per game. And now he’shurt again. The lack of production raises uncomfortable questions for theSaints.

Is this asign that Kamara is finally on his last legs? Or is it areflectionthatMoore maynot know how to utilize him properly?

Will Kamara’sdip cause the Saints to cut bait with the running back after the sea-

son?

The answers aren’tclear,but Kamara isn’thaving the season theSaints are used to seeing from him

“There’sa lot of positives; he’splayed really well,” Moore said. “He’sbeen in some challenging situations. We haven’tbeen able to get the run gamegoing to thebest of our ability.And Ithink alot of it is the explosiveplay.Wehaven’tbeen able to generate theexplosives, and that’ssomething we have to continue to evaluate.” Moore is correct that the Saints haven’t consistently gotten the run game on track

See KAMARA, page 3C

Saints boot Grupe, to sign ex-LSU KYork

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints’ patience with kicker Blake Grupe met its breakingpoint when the team waivedthe third-year kicker Tuesday Thedecision wasmadeafter Grupe, who signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2023, missed his seventh and eighth field goalsofthe season in aWeek 12 loss to theAtlanta Falcons. Five of Grupe’smisses have come from inside 50 yards this season, includinga2-for5mark from 40-49 yards. Both of Grupe’s misses against the Falcons, from38and 47 yards, missed wide right of the uprights. With Grupe out, the Saints are planning to sign former LSU kicker Cade York to the

practice squad, asource with knowledge of thesituation confirmed.

The Saints will addYork after atryout Tuesdaythatincludedthe 24-year-oldand veteran Justin Tucker, thelatterofwhom received hisfirst NFL workout after a10game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.Sixteen women accusedTucker of inappropriate misconduct during massage-therapy sessions, which Tucker has denied.

York hasa career73.3% field goal make rate in 23 games. Aformer fourth-round pick in 2022, York has spent timewith the ClevelandBrowns, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Washington Commandersand Cincinnati Bengals.

See GRUPE, page 3C

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staffwriter

After atwo-week break from devastating injury newsalong the offensive line, the UL Ragin’ Cajuns enter the2 p.m. Saturday showdown with UL-Monroe at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium down two more options with starting center Cooper Fordhamand veteran reserveMackey Maillho now out for the season.

Exactly how has UL offensive line coaches Steve Farmer and P.J. Burkhalter kept the unit viable enough to go on athree-game winning streak with so many offensive linemen, now nine, out for the season?

“Coach Farmer hasbeen unbelievable,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said. “Last year, when he got here, he brought a lot to the table with the way he wantedtodothings and the way he coaches it. This year,we’ve had to kind of reinvent ourselves three, four or five times over the season.

“He’sadjusted and adapted it week afterweek. Imean, he’s done an unbelievable job.” The Cajuns still ran for 202 yards in the win over Arkansas State on Thursday

“It’satestament to himand P.J. and those kids upfront,” Desormeaux said. “You can have thebestplanthat’severbeen made,but if the players and the kids don’texecuteitand they won’twork for it, then it doesn’t matter.”

Desormeaux said the secret to the success is Farmer’sapproach of preparing the young linemen for the future even when it didn’t appear they would play this season.

“What Iwouldsay that he’s done an exceptional job of is he’s coached theyoungones really hard all the way along,” he said. “So those guys have stepped up, and they have played well when they’ve had to.”

Many of those young linemen will be called upon with the season on the line Saturday afternoonas the Cajuns try to reach bowl eligibility

“You’re getting to the point now where you got redshirt freshmen and you got true freshmen that are on the cusp of playing that were truthfully ayear or twoyears away from playing,” Desormeaux said.

“They’re going to go, and they’re going to play well if they’ve got to.”

6

6

6

Cecilia to take on potent Plaquemine

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The Cecelia Bulldogs did whatever was necessary on the road against No. 3-seeded Lakeshore.

For the Bulldogs in recent seasons, that means pulling out all the stops, especially in the kicking game. The Bulldogs recovered two onside kicks in the third quarter and pulled off a fake punt in claiming a 54-42 upset win over the Titans in the second round of the playoffs on Friday night.

“We hadn’t gotten any onsides kicks all year long,” Cecilia coach Cody Champagne said “I think the only time we got one was when we weren’t even trying to get one.”

With kicker Aiden Landry back from an injury, the plan worked like a charm.

Now the No. 13-seeded Bulldogs will be facing a different kind of team than the Wing-T Titans in No. 5 Plaquemine on the road Friday in the Division II nonselect state quarterfinals.

“They’re going to have athletes all over the field,” Champagne said “They’re in the spread like us. They do a lot of stuff like us. They’re very aggressive. They try to block punts. It’s going to be a fun game because they’re really good.”

Cecilia defeated Plaquemine 5535 in the semifinals last season on its way to the state championship

The Green Devils demolished Livonia 55-0 in the opener and Wossman 54-14 in the regional round.

The win over Lakeshore required more than Champagne reaching into his bag of tricks.

Starting quarterback Collin Dore had run for two touchdowns in the first half before spraining his ankle in the second quarter

made all the difference.”

That meant Cecilia’s “Mr Everything” Braylon Calais had to fill in at quarterback. Dore’s availability this week is expected to be a game-time decision.

Calais certainly proved he can play quarterback. He threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns and also ran the ball 23 times for 193 yards and two more scores.

“He can get the ball to the guys,” Champagne said. “We’ll probably have to put him in there little bit and then receiver a little bit.

“We could have done that (played him as full-time QB like last year’s QB Diesel Solari).”

With Calais at quarterback, he can’t catch as many passes or rush as a running back For the season, Calais has rushed for 1,005 yards and 17 touchdowns and has 27 receptions for 442 yards and 10 more scores.

Jermaine Davis is another ma-

jor contributor with 32 receptions for 552 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

In addition to Solari, the Bulldogs had to replace current UL cornerback Brent Gordon and versatile playmaker Ellis Stewart. As a result, it took a while before Cecilia hit its stride.

“The biggest thing is our schedule kind of set us up,” Champagne said. “This team needed that schedule. We can do something big now.”

By Week 10, the Bulldogs (7-4) were finally healthy and ready for battle. They proved that in the win over Lakeshore.

“I thought our coaches did an awesome job. We made some stops,” Champagne said. “They hit us on a few big explosive plays. In the second quarter, it kind of looked like it was gonna fall apart, but we got to halftime and that

During those early growing pains, Champagne said the team felt badly about those mounting early losses, but currently doesn’t have such mental obstacles.

The team was also going through the transition of a new head coach.

“When the playoffs started, the guys were kind of loose and ready to go. You could just sense that they were ready and just having fun. They just want to play football.”

The Bulldogs are also aided by the experience of two straight trips to the state finals.

“Braylon and Frankie Frank, two juniors that played a lot, I mean they played in the Dome, so the juniors played in the Dome and the seniors played in their sophomore and junior years,” Champagne said. “They have a lot of experience in the playoffs.”

The winner of this game will meet the North DeSoto-Franklinton winner in the state semifinals.

Two-way star a difference-maker for WCA

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

For Westminster Christian Academy football coach Byron Porter it didn’t take long to realize Kyle Horde was going to be a special player.

And that realization began prior to the start of his freshman season, while Horde was working at linebacker Horde’s combination of size, speed and athleticism initially caught Porter’s attention Then, it was Horde’s ability to handle the responsibilities placed on him by the coaching staff as a leader on the Crusaders’ defense.

“His freshman year, we put a lot on his plate,” said Porter, whose Crusaders will host St. Edmund at 7 p.m. Friday in the Division IV select quarterfinals. “We had him making all of the calls. Initially, he was a little overwhelmed, but things really began slowing down for him.” Horde went on to have an outstanding freshman year, as he not only led the Crusaders in tackles, but he was also named first team all-district.

He followed up that year with another stellar campaign last season, earning first team all-district and all-parish honors as linebacker and second team all-district as

a running back Fast-forward to this season, and Horde has blossomed into a twoway star, excelling at linebacker and running back Offensively, Horde has been outstanding, rushing for 1,165 yards and 16 touchdowns on 106 carries, while defensively he has recorded 117 total tackles (56 solo, 61 assists), 14 tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception.

“I’m not surprised,” Horde said

of the success he’s enjoyed this season. “I knew that my time would come.”

Porter cited Horde’s mindset with the ball in his hands as a major reason he has been so tough to tackle.

“His success both offensively and defensively is not a surprise to me,” Porter said. “I know his work ethic and I’ve seen him in practice. He has good footwork and a rare combination of speed

and power He can move laterally and vertically, run with power and speed and he can jump. He plays running back with a linebacker’s mentality He’s the total package.”

The 6-foot-2 220-pound Horde who has been timed as fast as 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, credits his offensive linemen for his breakout season in the backfield.

“My offensive line has done an amazing job,” Horde said. “I’m very thankful for them because without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing.”

Although Horde, who is beginning to garner interest from college programs, is having a great year he and Porter agree that he is still “only beginning to scratch the surface” of his potential.

“There are still some things that I want to work on and get better at,” Horde said. “I ran a 4.4 and I’m not satisfied. I want to get faster But I also want to just improve upon everything, because nobody is perfect. You can always get better.”

“Kyle is a good, solid football player,” Porter said, “and he’s an even better person. Kyle wants to be good and he can be as good as he wants to be. The sky is the limit for him.”

Email Eric Narcisse at

Skenes gets record $3.4M in pre-arbitration pool

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and former LSU standout Paul Skenes will receive a record $3,436,343 from this year’s pre-arbitration bonus pool, raising his two-year total to $5,588,400 under the initiative to direct more money to top younger players.

A 23-year-old right-hander who debuted in May 2024, Skenes was a unanimous winner of this year’s NL Cy Young Award after leading the major leagues with a 1.97 ERA and striking out 216 batters in 1871⁄3 innings. He had an $875,000 salary in the major leagues after earning $564,946 in pay last year He won’t be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2026 season. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr had the previous high of $3,077,595 for the 2024 season.

Red Sox acquire RHP Gray from Cardinals

BOSTON The Boston Red Sox acquired 36-year-old right-hander

Sonny Gray, a three-time All-Star, from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for righty Richard Fitts and a prospect.

Red Sox chief baseball officer

Craig Breslow had said adding a starting pitcher behind ace Garrett Crochet was one of the team’s goals for the offseason. Gray gives them a dependable option who could take some of the pressure off the rest of the rotation. Gray went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA for the Cardinals last season, striking out 201 batters and walking 38 in 32 starts — the best ratio in the National League He is one of five pitchers to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last two seasons.

Ohtani to play for Japan during next year’s WBC LOSANGELES Shohei Ohtani plans to play for Japan in next year’s World Baseball Classic, the twoway Los Angeles Dodgers star announced on social media Monday Ohtani helped Japan win the 2023 WBC, striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out of the championship game against the United States. He was named MVP of the tournament.

Ohtani won his fourth MVP award this month shortly after he helped the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title. He returned to the mound this season after not pitching in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery Ohtani did not specify whether he plans to pitch for Japan in the WBC, which begins on March 5.

Chiefs RB Pacheco set to return for game Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs could have Isiah Pacheco in the backfield when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that he expects his top running back to return from a knee injury that cost him three games for the matchup on Thursday Pacheco started the first eight games of the season and has 329 yards rushing and a touchdown.

“We’ll see how he does today,” Reid said, “but we’ll get him in there. He’ll play How much, I can’t tell you that right now See how it goes.”

Pacheco returned to practice last week but was held out of Sunday’s overtime win over the Colts.

Panthers safety suspended 1 game for throwing punch

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NFL is making a statement with its punishment of Carolina Panthers safety Tre’Von Moehrig. The league office announced Tuesday that Moehrig will be suspended one game without pay for his “act of unsportsmanlike conduct” in the Panthers’ Monday game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Moehrig and San Francisco’s Jauan Jennings tangled at least twice in the waning minutes of the Panthers’ 20-9 loss on the West Coast The worst of the incidents was facilitated by Moehrig, who threw a blatantly intentional punch at Jennings’s crotch late in the fourth quarter Jennings later retaliated after the game by swiping at Moehrig’s facemask and spawning a mild scuffle that was quickly defused.

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

Holding flags

Lost in the celebrationofUL’s dramatic 34-30 win at Arkansas State was ahandful ofholding flags that were thrown and not thrown,especially in the first half, thatwent against theCajuns.

After reviewing the film, Desormeaux said he’shad conversations withthe SunBeltConference to comment on the callsand is awaiting aresponse.

“You want to feel like if it’sgoing to be called tight, then it’s called tight the whole way,” he said. “If they’regoing to let them play,then you let them play the wholeway.Ithink that was the biggest issue that Ihad with it.”

One holdingcall on wide receiver Shelton Sampson nullified a75-yard touchdown runbyZylan Perry “I think that’satough onetocall, Ireally do,” Desormeaux said.

KAMARA

Continued from page1C

this season. Theoffensive line, particularly the interior,has struggled no matter which runningback takes the carry.WhileKamara has averaged only 3.6 yardsper attempt in 2025, the other backs on the roster are also under 4yards per carry at 3.9. IncludeTaysom Hill in that equation, andthe nonKamara average drops to 3.4. But the problems with therun don’texplain why Kamara’seffectiveness in thepassinggamehas cratered. His 5.6 yards percatch is down from lastyear’s8.0. And he’sbeing targeted far less than usual. In past years,Kamara typicallyfinishes either first or second in team targets. But through 11 games, Kamara’s39targets rank fourth on this year’ssquad. There have been far fewerscreensrun for Kamara, who also hasn’tlined up in the slot or out wide as often

“Watching it over and overand over again, Ithink that’satough one to call.”

TheCajunsthought they was a hold thatwasn’tcalledonChauncy Cobb’s93-yard kickoff return for atouchdown for the Red Wolves. There was alsoaholdcalledona Cajuns’ kickoff return that set up UL at its own 10 instead of the 44. Twoplays later,Arkansas State turned astrip-sack into a27-yard fumble return for atouchdown.

“Could you have called ahold there?Yeah,”Desormeaux said “His hands are outside. Do Ithink it restricted him? No,not enough. Butthere are returns on the other endthat were the same.”

Bowl scenarios

Right now,all of the Cajuns’ focus is on defeatingUL-Monroe on Saturday

If successful,ULwill end the regular seasononafour-game winning streakand becomebowl eligible at 6-6. Butthere’sa realistic possibilitythe Cajuns could beat theWarhawks andstill notgo to abowlgame.

The age factor,however,can’tbe ignored

Kamara said in 2024thathedidn’t feel anywhere close to having “running back body syndrome,” adiagnosishesaid people like to give backs approaching their 30s. That season, it appeared to be true. He enjoyed abounce-back campaign last fall, including astellar fourtouchdown day against the Dallas Cowboys. Theresurgence is partly why the Saints rewarded Kamara with atwo-year,$24.5 million contract extension.

But Kamara looksalot different at 30 than he did at 29. According to Next GenStats,his minus-95 yardsrushing over expected is thesecond-worst in the NFL and hisyardsper carry average is the fourth-lowest among 48 qualified rushers. Kamara’sankle injury, suffered in early October,may have affected those numbers, but hisexplosiveness continues to be aconcern

Since 2023, he’shad just three rushes go longer than 20 yards

It’s simply anumbers game at this point. Currently,there are 72 bowl-eligibleteams.Ifthe BahamasBowlrelocates to adifferent site as expected, there will be a total of 82 bowl spots to be filled. Entering this weekend of games, atotal of 21 teams have fivewins and could become bowl eligible as well. Some of those teams are playing other 5-6 teams —like in theSun Belt whereArkansasState is traveling to Appalachian State in abattleof5-6 teams—sonot all 21 can win and reach six victories. The online projections don’t mean anything, but some currently have UL headed to abowl and some don’t. Some have UL playing Florida International in theBoca Raton Bowl or theCajuns playing Miami of Ohio there.

Others have UL goingback to theNew Mexico Bowltotake on Utah State The 68 Ventures BowlinMobile, Alabama, is another projected spot forthe Cajuns.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote @theadvocate.com.

all of which occurred last season. If theSaintswant to move on from Kamara in the offseason, according to Over The Cap, New Orleanscould clear $8.5 million in cap space by designating his releaseasapost-June 1cut.Sucha movewould split up the$18.2 million left in dead money on Kamara’sdeal over thenext two seasons. Kamara, whose contract expires after 2026, has often said he wants to stay with the Saints.Hedid so as recently as last month when he threatened to retire if moved at thetrade deadline. He told reportersthathe’d go “drink apiñacolada somewhere” if traded.

“I’ve been vocal thatIdon’twant to go anywhere, and I’vesaidit countless times, y’all knowthat, Ithinkeverybody knowsthat,the fan base knows that,” Kamarasaid then.

Thefan base may be wondering how much he has left

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

private moment on atumultuous day in Fort Worth, Texas, “$400,000 is alot of money to us.”

LSU moved on and hired Vanderbilt coach Gerry DiNardo instead. In 1997, TCU fired Sullivan, paying him a$400,000 buyout.

BRING BACK THEMAGIC: No one won theintroductory news conference like DiNardo, who vowed to “Bring the magic back” to Tiger Stadium after LSU’ssix straight losing seasons. It seemed unlikely he would get hired. Even DiNardo’swife, Terri, didn’tbelieve it.

“He came home one night and said, ‘Joe Dean called,’ “Terri DiNardo said.

“‘Well, who’sJoe Dean?’

He’s(athletic director) at LSU.’

“‘LSU? Right. They want someone from Brooklyn at LSU?’ “ DiNardo won for three years at LSU, then was fired after two losing seasons, though he did lay the foundation for the magic to come under Nick Saban.

NEVER SAYNEVER: In December 1999, Iwas at home when Igot acall from my then sports editor,Sam King. He’d just heard from asource at LSU that the school was about to hire Saban, who then was coaching at Michigan State.

Icalled areporter covering the Spartans I’d been talking to, asking what he knew.The voice on the other end of the line chuckled, then said: “He’d never leave Michigan State to go there.”

Ithink both of us learned a lesson that day: Never discount credible information in acoaching search.

BLAME IT ON DELRIO: Five Decembers later,Saban had accepted the Miami Dolphins job but first would coach LSU in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’sDay 2005 against Iowa. While bowl practices took place in Orlando, Florida, the LSU coaching search rolled on. In his hotel room there that week,then-LSU athletic director Skip Bertmanwas awakened by acall fromformerPresident GeorgeH.W.Bush, asking him on behalf of some friends to interview ex-Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum.

“OK, Mr.President,” Bertman said, andBertman did just that. While at the bowl, LSU of-

GRUPE

Continued from page1C

After astrong training camp in which he missed one field goal attempt, Grupe’sseason got off to abad start immediately,with misses in each of his first three games.Hewent 18 for26on field goal attempts this season, a69.2% conversion ratethat ranks 32nd among NFL kickers this season. The league average for NFL kickers is 84.8%.

That Grupe spent any time with the Saints in the first place was asurprise. He beat incumbent WilLutz, a2019 Pro Bowler,

ficials also arranged ameeting with then-Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio at arestaurant in Daytona Beach, Florida.

As they waited, Del Rio circled the building in his car while his agent frantically told him if he took the meeting he would be fired by Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver

Del Rio headed back to Jacksonville without aword to Bertman and his staff, who went on to hire Les Miles afew days later

KIFFIN AND O: Ed Orgeron was named the LSU interim coach in 2016 after Miles was fired four games in.

Seeking the job permanently, Orgeron presented then-athletic director Joe Alleva with a list of names for his projected coaching staff.

The name he had for offensive coordinator was Lane Kiffin, then the offensive coordinator at Alabama. Kiffineven called Alleva to affirm he would come if he didn’tland ahead coaching job.

That’sexactly what happened. Kiffingot the job at Florida Atlantic —the story always has been that Saban asked their agent, Jimmy Sexton, to find Kiffin ajob to keep him away from LSU —staying there for three seasons before going to Ole Miss in 2020.

ANAMEINTHE NIGHT: Iwas convinced LSU was going to land Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to replace Orgeron in 2021. I even talked our then-sports editor,Perryn Keys, into sending former Advocate sportswriter Leah Vann to Stillwater,Oklahoma, for the Nov.27OU-Oklahoma State game. That night, Riley denied he was taking the LSU job, though no one asked him about the USC job he was about to surprisingly take. Meanwhile, LSU was preparing to pull its own surprise, luring Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame. That same night, as LSU finished the regular season with an upset win over Texas A&M, asource told me LSU board members were talking at halftime about hiring Kelly.After we finished writing, Iwrote the words “Brian Kelly” on the inside of my notebook, turned to LSU beat writer Wilson Alexander and said, “I’m going to show you aname.” Eyes widened. Three days later,Kelly was hired.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

for the job during training camp in 2023. Lutz was coming off acouple of down years at that point, having converted just 74.2% of his field goal attempts in 2022 after missing the 2021 season. Grupe connected on 81.1% of hisattempts as arookie, then 87.1% last season, but his production cratered in 2025. Meanwhile, Lutz just signed a contract extension with the Denver Broncos,with whomhe’s made 88.1% of his field goals (78 for 88) in parts of three seasons. Grupe was named ateam captain prior to this season.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Try new flavors, locales with our favorites

Staff report

Shroomin’ & Jammin’ n Curbside Burgers, 4158 Government St., Baton Rouge

Sometimes you just need to leave the office for an outside lunch. I headed to Curbside because I was craving a special burger that I can only get there. I ordered my Shroomin’ and Jammin’ burger and chose a spot outside in the restaurant’s lovely backyard. I have to endorse the outdoor dining of Curbside — peaceful, colorful, Mid City vibes and plenty of friendly sparrows fluttering around diving for French fry bits.

Once my burger was ready, I dove into the delicious brioche bun and perfect beef patty stacked with mushrooms, onion jam, Swiss cheese arugula, roasted tomato and garlic mayo. This mixture of salty, sweet, slightly bitter and savory flavors brought me to a happy place. The crispy hand-cut fries were just the companion I needed for my outside lunch. While Curbside has a wide variety of burgers, this is the one I keep coming back for — Joy Holden, features reporter

Soup, gyoza and sushi

n Ochi Sushi, 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge

For my first trip to Ochi Sushi, I opted for an array of options. To start, the miso soup, with broth, tofu, seaweed and scallions, was perfectly balanced. Not too salty and not too bland. The pork gyoza was divine. It was soft and easy to bite into, but still crispy and pan-fried on the top. For sushi, I ordered the super bowl roll and the Audi roll. The super bowl roll is made with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, snow crab and cream cheese, topped with tuna, salmon, avocado, mango, crunchy bits, smelt roe, eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise. Despite the many components, the combination was like a party on my tastebuds. The Audi roll included tuna, snow crab and rice seasoning inside with chopped salmon lemon slices, green onions and ponzu sauce on top. The lemon added a nice zing to the roll, and the salmon was fresh. I ä See BEST, page 6C

THANKFUL FOR FLAVOR

Here are 7 dishes that we couldn’t stop thinking about in Acadiana this year

Staff report

The news team has the pleasure of going about the Acadiana area to try all sorts of different foods — sharing our favorites each week. From savory pulled pork hand pies to flavorful Korean tacos to olive oil cake, there are so many culinary delights around town. Looking back at the past year, here are seven dishes that we couldn’t stop thinking about.

Pulled pork hand pies

n Louisiana Locavores, festival food pop-up, Lafayette

One of the best parts of going to Festival International in Lafayette is getting the opportunity to try new-to-me dishes alongside old favorites. This year, the Louisiana Locavores booth called me back several times to try their barbacoa rice and gravy, pulled pork and green chili pimento cheese hand pies, and sopapilla cheesecake bars. Each dish was a unique twist on well-loved eats. The hand pies were flavorful without being overstuffed (or too dry, a common meat pie issue), with a pepper jelly dipping

sauce that added an extra-sweet zing to the savory pies. The sopapilla cheesecake bars had a caramelized cinnamon-sugar layer on top, adding delightful complexity to the rich cheesecake. And you could really taste the fresh, local ingredients in Louisiana Locavore’s rice and gravy, which layered extremely well with the smokiness of the shredded brisket. This eatery can be found at local

farmers markets and festivals, so follow them on social media to see where they’ll end up next.

— Joanna Brown, staff writer

Barbecue Hamburger

Steak sandwich

n Ton’s Downtown, 500 Jefferson St., Lafayette

The rest of the country knows a barbecue burger as a hamburger with barbecue sauce on it. In Acadiana, the best barbecue burgers are sold from a truck or cart — probably at a concert or outdoor festival — and they are pretty simple in their construction: just a perfectly tender patty dripping in Jack Miller’s barbecue sauce, in a steamed, tinfoil-wrapped bun.

It’s hard to beat an original, but Ton’s made a great run at it.

Their version is a little more complex than other barbecue burgers. The patty is stuffed with onions and bell peppers and has the texture of biting into a great slice of meatloaf. The flavorful barbecue sauce and fried onion rings elevate the burger without overwhelming it — and it can be easy to overwhelm when you’re crafting

ä See DISHES, page 6C

Celluloid, a gift for film buffs, is produced by Oscilloscope Laboratories. PROVIDED IMAGE FROM

DISHES

Continued from page5C

adelicious, messy burger.

This one is almost restrained —but that sauce and patty will keep you going back till the last bite.

—Joanna Brown, Features reporter

Bang bang shrimp

n Hot Food Express, 3013 Cameron St.,Lafayette

Fried rice is acomfort food for me. It fills me up, makes me warm and reminds me of monthly dinners with my best friends in high school. Maybe that’s why Ilove Hot Food Express, butit’sprobably because it’ssodelicious.

The Bang Bang shrimp is my go-to meal —itincludes flavorful fried rice with eggs, vegetables and fried shrimp with aspicy-sweet sauce. The lunch portion, about $12, is the perfect amount of food to eatwithout making me feel like Iimmediately need anap.

If you’re feeling adventurous and have room for dessert, the apple pie egg roll, about $3, is agooey,sugary delight.

—Ashley White, education reporter

Korean taco

n Grace Yum, Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market,2913 Johnston St., Lafayette

When I’m at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market, Imake abeeline for Grace Yum, avendor offering Korean specialty items like kimchi, dumplingsand noodles andsomething Ifind irresistibly delicious —beef and kimchi tacos.

It’sahearty,filling taco absolutelyburstingwithflavor, butfermentedcabbage isn’t the solitary note here. The kimchi, gochujang-flavored beef, fresh vegetables and house-made sauce drizzled on top create the perfect medley of ataco that has asaucy,savory and slightly sweet taste. Onetaco just isn’tenough. Bring home ajar of Grace Yum’shomemade kimchi for good measure, and start adding it to everything. Now we know —Korean flavors make agreat addition to taco night.

—Joanna Brown, staff writer

Olive oil cake

n Carpe Diem Cafe and Wine Bar, 812 Jefferson St., Lafayette

tossed in asalad.

Having abackscratcher on hand

Dear Heloise: The hint about using aback scratcher to reach things in astore is something Ihave been doing for awhile. Ikeep it in my purse. Oneday while shopping, I noticed alady who was trying to get somethinghigh on a shelf and said that I could help her She told me that I wasn’tmuch taller than her.Iwhipped out my expandable back scratcher.She was surprised and said that she would have to purchase one. —Nancy Jo H., in Wood, Pennsylvania Nancy Jo, it’samazing how manyuses we can get out of one object.I’ve used my salad tongs for a number of tasks and overthe-door clothes hangers to hang plantsfrom thetop of my windows. —Heloise Goingbacktobar soap

people to ditch liquid soap in plastic containers and go back to bar soap. This is avery good idea. With so much plastic in landfills and in the ocean, we need to start cutting back on plastic. Microplastic is even in our food, and as of yet, we don’tknow if it’sacancer-causing agent. However, we do know that it’s not supposed to be inside of people. So, please ask your readers to go back to bar soap. Skip the liquid soap in plastic bottles because, chances are, these bottles cannot be recycled. We all used bar soap when Iwas akid, and no one Iknow of or heard of ever died because another person in the house used the same bar of soap. —Ellen F.,inGreen Bay,Wisconsin Operationgratitude

Dear Heloise: Ikeep hearing rumors that environmentalists areencouraging

Dear Heloise: Recently,I discovered an old clipping in which you offered

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Nov.26, the 330th day of 2025. There are 35 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.26, 2008, teams of heavily armed militants from the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba stormed luxury hotels, apopular restaurant and acrowded train station in Mumbai, India, leaving at least 175 people dead (including nine of the attackers) in arampage spanning four days.

Also on this date: In 1791, President George Washington held his first full cabinet meeting; in attendance were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of theTreasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of WarHenry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

In 1941, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull de-

MOVIE

Continuedfrom page5C

Emily Wilson’stranslation

(at bookstores.)

livered anote to Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Kichisaburo Nomura, setting forth U.S. demands for“lasting and extensive peace throughout the Pacific area.” The sameday,aJapanese naval task force of six aircraft carriers leftthe Kuril Islands, bound forHawaii, days before the attack on Pearl Harbor In 1973, President Richard Nixon’spersonal secretary,Rose Mary Woods, told afederal court she’d accidentally caused part of the 18½-minute erasure of akey Watergate tape. The gap wasina1972 recording of aconversation between Nixonand his chief of staff.

In 2000, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified Republican George W. Bush the winner over Democrat Al Goreinthe state’s presidential balloting by a 537-vote margin. The U.S. SupremeCourt ultimately

asuggestion fordonating unneeded greeting cards. Ireceive morethan Ican personally use and have been giving them to local senior centers, veteran affairs hospitals, etc. The “old” clipping mentioned Operation Gratitude in California as an appropriate organization to use these excess cards. Isent them abox with maybe 100 cards afew weeks ago. Surprise, surprise, Ireceived an email from Meg Barron at Operation Gratitude thanking me for the cards and outlining the extent of the care boxes that the Operation sends to the troops, veterans and military families. They’re much appreciated, and soon enough, I’ll have more cards to send. Your columns’ tips are always helpful. Thank you. Keep up the good work! TomC., via email Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

stopped recounts of the vote, and Bush wonFlorida’s25electoral votes and the presidential election. In 2011, arocket carrying NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Today’sbirthdays: Impressionist Rich Little is 87. Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud is 83. Author Marilynne Robinson is 82. Bass guitarist John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) is 80. Football Hall of Famer Art Shell is 79. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W Va., is 72. Football Hall of Famer Harry Carson is 72. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett is 69. Country singer Linda Davis is 63. Actor-TV personality Garcelle Beauvais is 59. Actor Peter Facinelli is 52. DJmusic producer DJ Khaled is 50. Country musician Joe Nichols is 49. Pop singer Natasha Bedingfield is 44. Actor-singer-TV personality Rita Ora is 35.

“KPopDemon Hunters” fan in your lifewill. Available from Netflix. $56.95. ARoger Deakinsmemoir

—Kristin Askelson, managingeditor AcadianaAdvocate Chicken tenders

n Steven’s Fine Food &Seafood Market, 208 S. Pierce St., Lafayette

If you askanyone in Lafayette wheretoget thebest chicken tenders, you’re going to hear alocally-famous name popupoverand over again:Steven’s.

Steven’sFine Food &Seafood Market occupies alittle spot on Cameron Street,on the fringes of downtown Lafayette’sLaPlace neighborhood. Known for huge chicken tenders that come with Steven’s house-made brand of honey mustard sauce, thetenders pack a little more of apunch than, for example, RaisingCane’s chicken —but they aren’t too hot to handle,either There is avery restrained yet flavorfulspicethatcoats every inch of these large, perfectlybattered andfried sections of breast, which can be ordered on their own or with ageneroussideportion of fries or fried rice. Comehungry or plan for leftovers. If you can’tfinish the plate, the tendersare wonderful chopped up and

Because of our office location, much of my time is spent on the north end of Jefferson Street in Lafayette, which has plenty of great food and drink offerings. WheneverIventure to the south end of Jefferson, however,Ialways make time for Carpe Diem’sgluten-free olive oil cake. And acoffee, of course. Iwas initially skeptical about the olive oil cake, which was highly recommended by the barista. It doesn’ttaste like olive oil. It is asuper-moist,tender cake with asubtle citrus flavor,especially when you bite into the crustytop. After that first bite, it literally melts in your mouthand is aperfect complement to a nice espresso or cappuccino

—Joanna Brown, staff writer

Mixed fajitas

n La Pagua, 5425 JohnstonSt., Lafayette

Ifind that fajitas are great to order when trying aMexican restaurantfor thefirst time. Youget agood sense of akitchen’spriorities in aplate of grilled meats and warm tortillas, and Iwas immediately impressed by La Pagua’sflavorful,perfectly cooked mixofsausage, beef, chicken and shrimp —with aside of rice andbeansand awarm tostada with guacamolefor scooping up the perfect bite.

La Pagua offers popular Tex-Mex dishes like enchiladas, fajitas, tamales and more, but leans traditional in their style andflavors, giving guestsanexceptional experience that mademe wonder why I’d nevertried this spot before. Thetamales in particular were aspecial treat —moist andtender, cooked in some mix of savory and warm seasonings thatleft me going back for more. And don’t missLaPagua’sspecial, housemade margarita mixes. The fruity,tangy drinks are theperfect complement to aMexican night out.

—Joanna Brown, staff writer

citrus sauce for almost 20 years at Cafe Habana. I can’tget anything else. It is just that good. It is theultimate comfortfood for me. —Jan Risher,Louisiana Culture Editor

Here are afew of our other favorite finds thisholidayseason for allkinds of movie fans.

TheCelluloid card game

Who’sthe biggest film buff in your family or group of friends? This clever card game might have theanswer foryou. Each Celluloid card contains prompts (likelocation, character and action) and you have to pick amovie that fitsasmany cards as possible. $19.

WesAndersonbox set

The Criterion Collection’s 20-disc WesAndersonArchive box set is an investment for the true diehard Anchored around 10 films over thepast 25 years, from “BottleRocket” through “The French Dispatch,”the mammoth package includes new4Kmasters, over25 hoursofspecial features, and 10 illustrated, chicly clothbound books, as well as essays from thelikesof Martin Scorseseand James L. Brooks. $399.96.

Mise en Scèntcandles

Home movienightsneed the right atmosphere, andthisfemale-owned, Brooklyn-based company creates (andhandpours) candles inspired by favorite movies.Their bestselling —and sometimes out of stock —“Old Hollywood” candle will bring you back to the silver screen’sgolden age with thesmell of “deep, smokyand worn-in leather,” which might be ideal with TCM playing in the background. The “Rom Com” scentevokes the feeling of a“meet-cute in agrocery aisle” withsomethingclean, fresh and floral (maybe for watching “Jane

Austen Wrecked My Life” or “Materialists”). There’s also a“French New Wave” candle that would work well with Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague.” Other scents include “Mystery, “Fantasy,” “Macabre,” “Villain Era,”“BadMovie”and “MainCharacter.” Starting at $24.

An alternativestreamer

If Netflix is toopedestrian for the cinephile in your life, the Kino Film Collection offers arobust and rotating lineup of classic and current art house andindie films. Categories include Cannes Favorites (like Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth”), Classics (like “The General,” “Metropolis” and “Nosferatu”) and New York Times Critics’ Picks (like Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi” andAgnieszka Holland’s“Green Border”). At $5.99a monthor$59.99 year,it’salso less expensive than the Criterion Channel ($10.99/month, $99/year) and Mubi ($14.99/month, $119.88/year). Baby’s firstmovie book

These adorable andbeautifully illustrated board books take parents and kids on ajourney through genres, from “My First Hollywood Musical” and “My First Sci-Fi Movie” to the very niche “My First Giallo Horror”and “MyFirst Yakuza Movie.”There are also three box sets available for $45 each. Oscar-winning “Anora” filmmaker Sean Baker called them his“go-to gifts for new parents.” From ’lil cinephile. Starting at $15. Pajamas fitfor aDemon Hunter

Rumi’s“choo choo” pajama pants would makeacozy gift for days when you find yourself chanting “Couch! Couch! Couch!” Don’t understand whatany of that means? Don’tworry,the

Even if you don’tknow the name Roger Deakins you certainly know his work simply put, he’sone of the greatest workingcinematographers in the business. His credits include “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” “No Country forOld Men,”“Sicario,” “Skyfall” and“1917.” Fittingly,his memoir “Reflections: On Cinematography” is uniquely visual, withnever-before-seen storyboards, sketches and diagrams. The 76-year-old Oscar winner also looks back on his life, his early love of photography andhow he found his wayinto50years of moviemaking, where he’d find longstandingpartnerships with some of the great auteurs, from the Coen brothers to Sam Mendes and Denis Villeneuve.Hachette Book Group. $45. Dive into ChloéZhao’s ‘Hamnet’ Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, actor Jessie Buckleyand photographer Agata Grzybowska collaborated on agorgeouscoffeetable book about “Hamnet,” opening in theaters in limited release on Nov. 27 and expected to be amajor Oscar contender.The film, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s story,which won the National Book Critics Circle prize forfiction,imagines thecircumstancesaround the deathofWilliamShakespeare’s11-year-old son and howitmay have influenced the writing of “Hamlet.”The coffee-table book,called “Even as aShadow,Even as aDream,” is not amakingof, or behind-the-scenes look in any conventional sense, but an otherworldly, haunting companionpiece of carefully chosen images and words. Mack books. $40.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to your overhead, and you'll find a way to cut corners. Explore community programs or better interest rates, and consider refinancing to fit your budget.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Diversions are necessary to personal growth and choosing what's best for you. A warm and passionate approach to expressing yourself will attract someone of interest.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Apply your energy to honing your skills and doing the best job possible. Refuse to let outside issues cloud your vision or someone else's drama eat up your time.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Distance yourself from shared expenses and joint ventures. Use your intuitive intelligence to navigate your way forward and to promote financial matters, choice decisions and a better life.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Participation will open doors. Be brave and sign up or submit your resume for a position that allows you to do something you enjoy doing. Invest in yourself and your future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to how you present yourself, and update your skills, appeal and resources to suit your needs. An overhaul will give you a boost that points you in a new and exciting direction.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let weak excuses slow you down or some-

one who wants to manipulate you stand in your way. Take charge; head in the direction that stimulates your mind and calls your name.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Check the job market, set up interviews and revise your resume. Attend reunions or events that bring you in contact with informative individuals who can enlighten you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Let caution lead the way. If you act in haste or let spontaneity overrule common sense, you'll pay the price Choose growth, learning and striving to be your best over emotional drama.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Communication will spare you grief. Ask direct questions and make informed decisions based on facts. Personal improvements and growth will lead to unexpected gains and commitment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get out, mingle, challenge yourself and make personal growth your mission. However, don't lose sight of your budget, as you may find yourself in over your head.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Refuse to labor over things you have no control over. It's time to open a new door that allows you the freedom to follow your heart and explore new territory.

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

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

BY PHILLIP ALDER

George Ade, a columnist and playwright who died in 1944, said, “If it were not for the presents, an elopement would be preferable.”

That is a distinctly materialistic attitude. In bridge, though, you will get presents, especially from defenders. And there is an elopement play it is featured in this deal. First, though, look at the North hand. South opens two spades, a weak two-bid showing a respectable six-card suit and some 5-10 high-card points. What should North respond? Second, how should South play in four spades after West leads the diamond queen?

In the bidding, there is an instinct to head for no-trump in the face of a misfit. But how will three no-trump ever make? Even if East ducks the first round of spades, North has only seven tricks: one spade, one heart, three diamonds (benefiting from the 3-3 break) and two clubs. Instead, North should raise to four spades.

At first glance, it looks as though declarer will lose two spades, one diamond and one club. But perhaps he can take 10 tricks. To be honest, working out what to do in this deal requires some guesswork. However, with this layout, South can score his three low trumps with an elopement He wins the first trick on the board and plays a

thatforgeourbeliefthatreportingthetruth–forourreaders, forourcity–isaresponsibilitywemustfulfillnomatterthecost.