The Advocate 12-09-2025

Family gathers leads to find missing man

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

The family of 73-year-old Woodrow Vaughn gathered in the living room of his Tyler Street home one recent Sunday and spent more than 12 hours trying to figure out where he might have gone. It was Nov 23, and Vaughn had been missing for almost two days. He was a recent cancer survivor with a heart condition and daily medication needs.

The family had contacted Baton Rouge police and been told a detec-

tive would be assigned to Vaughn’s case the following day, but for his niece Jasmine Vaughn, that felt like ages away “It is very scary to think that my uncle would have been pushed to the back of the line on Monday morning,” Jasmine Vaughn said, “and that’s why I was so adamant about us sharing it so much.”

Jasmine Vaughn and her cousins had begun to spread her uncle’s name and image across Facebook from the moment they learned he was missing on the morning of Nov 22. That was after he didn’t return

home the previous night.

“My cousin, he called and he’s telling me my uncle hasn’t come home, and my uncle’s 73, he doesn’t hang out. It’s not like him to not come home,” Jasmine Vaughn said.

She described her uncle, a retired chemical plant worker and former hippie, as witty, inviting and a patriarch in their family

“You can sit down with him for hours and he will give you wisdom,” Jasmine Vaughn said. “He would talk you down off the ledge

MakeoveR MA RK ET

River & Roots coffee shop barista Stephany Johnson adds steamed milk to a drink during the

the newly renovated Main Street Market.

Downtown

space reopens with four new restaurants, coffee shop and renewed focus

on local sourcing

really accomplishing a lot of different parts of our mission — farmers, food, access and community.”

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Downtown Baton Rouge’s Main Street Market is reopening after a massive renovation, with four new restaurants and a coffee shop that will also sell local goods.

Two are open: River & Roots coffee shop and Louisiana Creole Creations The others — The Cozy Griddle, Sapor Indian Fusion and Vivian’s Rotisserie & Grill — will launch over the coming weeks.

Darlene Adams Rowland, executive director of BREADA, which oversees the marketplace and the weekly Red Stick Farmers Market there said the renovations included critical unseen work, such as a 250-gallon grease trap under the parking garage. New floors, paint and furniture will be immediately noticeable for visitors, Rowland added

and friends

on Saturday

The space is also designed to showcase the work of local farmers.

“All of our restaurants will have a component of local sourcing,” Rowland said. “We have all these people who

in to work in downtown Baton Rouge that we wanted to be able to have that new sales opportunity for the farmers. It’s really accomplishing a

DARLENE ADAMS ROWLAND executive director of BREADA ä See MARKET, page 4A ä See SEARCH, page 5A

Evelyn Griffin appointed La. surgeon general

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry has appointed Evelyn Griffin, a doctor who has worked on maternal mortality and voiced skepticism about vaccines, to be Louisiana’s next surgeon general. “Her clinical experience, her leadership in advancing maternal health, and her dedication to strengthening the doctor-patient relationship make her the exact right choice for this role,” Landry said in a release Monday announcing Griffin’s appointment. “With Dr Griffin stepping in, I’m confident Louisiana is in good hands and headed toward a

Member of CDC advisory panel recently backed ending support for infant hepatitis B vaccine ä See GRIFFIN, page 4A

SEUNG MIN KIM,

after the

raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war He unveiled the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers from farm states, and farmers who thanked him for the help. “With this bridge payment, we’ll be able to farm another year,” Iowa farmer Cordt Holub told Trump during the event. Rollins put the immediate value of the program at $11 billion — money that the

promises $12B in aid for farmers hit hard in trade war ä See FARMERS, page 5A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Judge wants DOJ whistleblower to testify

A federal judge investigating whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should face a contempt charge over flights carrying migrants to El Salvador said Monday he wants to hear from a whistleblower and top Justice Department official.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington ordered the government to make Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign available for testimony on Dec. 16. Boasberg wants to hear a day earlier from fired Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni.

The order for testimony ratchets up the extraordinary clash between the judicial and executive branches.

In March, Boasberg ordered the Republican administration to turn around two planes carrying Venezuelan migrants. Instead, the planes landed in El Salvador hours later, touching off the contempt probe. Boasberg is trying to determine whether the administration willfully ignored his order and should be referred for prosecution on a contempt charge.

Reuveni has filed a whistleblower complaint alleging a Justice Department official suggested the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders as it prepared to deport Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members. The administration has said the allegations are untrue.

The Justice Department has said Ensign conveyed Boasberg’s oral order and a subsequent written order to the Department of Homeland Security

ABC signs Kimmel to contract extension

President Donald Trump won’t be getting his wish. ABC said Monday it has signed late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel to a oneyear contract extension. Kimmel’s previous, multiyear contract had been set to expire next May, so the extension will keep him on the air until at least May 2027.

Kimmel’s future looked questionable in September, when ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for remarks made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk Following a public outcry, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned to the air with much stronger ratings than he had before.

He continued his relentless joking at the president’s expense, leading Trump to urge the network to “get the bum off the air” in a social media post last month. The post followed Kimmel’s monologue on Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files Kimmel will be staying longer than late-night colleague Stephen Colbert at CBS. The network announced this summer it was ending Colbert’s show next May for economic reasons, even though it is the top-rated network show in late-night television.

Man marks 15K spins on Disney ‘Cars’ ride

SANTA ANA, Calif. — For a Disneyland enthusiast who marked his 15,000th spin Monday on an auto-racing attraction inspired by the animated film “Cars,” it’s not about winning. It’s about the ride.

Jon Alan Hale said he was eager to try out the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure after undergoing gastric bypass and knee replacement surgeries in 2010 and 2011. He said he quickly found himself hooked on the ride, which debuted in 2012, and began tracking his races in a notebook, jotting down his car’s color, lane and whether he wins or loses

“I fell in love with the ride,” said the television technician from Brea, California.

Hale said he started carrying a sign to mark every hundredth ride, and remembered how Disneyland workers clapped when he reached 1,000. On Monday, Hale took the ride with friends who work at the theme park while wearing a “Cars” themed cap and holding a 15,000 sign.

Hale said he’s visited the Anaheim, California, resort more than 1,100 times. He said he’s taken the ride on average 13 times each visit, largely thanks to the fast-moving line for single riders.

MARIAM ZUHAIB

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A

Justices likely to back Trump’s firing power

High court hears case on removing independent agency board members

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members.

The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members — in part to try to ensure decision making free of political influence — or leave it with only its shell intact

Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the crux of the issue is that the officials who direct the agencies “are exercising massive power over individual liberty and billiondollar industries” without being accountable to anyone.

Liberal justices warned that a ruling sought by the administration to overturn the decision known as Humphrey’s Executor would give the president, as Justice Elena Kagan said, “massive unchecked, uncontrolled power.”

Agencies that have been in place for a century or more also would be robbed of their expertise, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said.

“So having a president come in and fire all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the Ph.D.s and replacing them with loyalists and people who don’t know anything is actually not in the best interest of the citizens of the United States,” Jackson said.

No president before Trump has sought to wrest control of the agencies that regulate wide swaths of American life, including nuclear energy product safety and labor relations But the six conservatives, including three appointed by Trump, seemed more concerned about issuing a ruling that would endure than handing too much power to Trump.

Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the presidential immunity case in 2024 that allowed Trump to avoid prosecution for his efforts to undo the 2020 election results. The court is writing a decision “for

the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said then.

Solicitor General D John Sauer, who argued the immunity case for Trump, defended the president’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and called on the court to jettison Humphrey’s Executor

Sauer said the decision “hasn’t withstood the test of time” and had enabled a “headless fourth branch” of government, the administrative state that conservatives and business interests have been taking aim at for decades.

Chief Justice John Roberts referred to Humphrey’s Executor as “a dried husk.”

The conservative side of the court already has signaled support for the administration’s position, over the liberals’ objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

Members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also have been fired by Trump.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress The court has suggested that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of allegations of mortgage fraud Cook says she did nothing wrong.

A second question in the Slaughter case could affect Cook Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement. That might affect Cook’s ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court challenge proceeds.

Kavanaugh signaled that he is inclined to side with Cook, describing as an “end run” the idea that an illegally fired official would only be entitled to her salary

Bullets in Mangione’s bag convinced police he was suspect in CEO’s death

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK Moments after Luigi Man-

gione was handcuffed at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, a police officer searching his backpack found a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear

The discovery, recounted in court Monday as Mangione fights to keep evidence out of his New York murder case, convinced police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that he was the man wanted in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan five days earlier

“It’s him dude It’s him 100%,” an officer was heard saying on body-worn camera video from Mangione’s Dec. 9, 2024, arrest, punctuating the remark with expletives as the officer combing the bag, Christy Wasser, held up the magazine

Wasser, a 19-year Altoona police veteran, testified on the fourth day of a pretrial hearing as Mangione sought to bar prosecutors from using the magazine and other evidence against him, including a 9 mm handgun and a notebook found during a subsequent bag search.

The testimony shed light on the critical minutes after Mangione was spotted at the McDonald’s and the sometimes unusual steps police officers took in collecting evidence critical to tying him to the crime

Mangione’s lawyers argue the items should be excluded because police didn’t have a search warrant and lacked the grounds to justify a warrantless search.

Prosecutors contend the search was legal and that police eventually obtained

a warrant.

Wasser, testifying in full uniform, said Altoona police protocols require promptly searching a suspect’s property at the time of an arrest, in part for dangerous items.

On body-worn camera video played in court, Wasser was heard saying she wanted to check the bag for bombs before removing it from the McDonald’s Despite that concern, she acknowledged in her testimony Monday that police never cleared the restaurant of customers or employees.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. He appeared in good health on Monday pumping his fist for photographers and chatting with his lawyers as testimony resumed

The hearing, which was postponed Friday because of Mangione’s apparent illness applies only to the state case. His lawyers are making a similar push to exclude the evidence from his federal case, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty

Prosecutors have said the handgun found in the backpack matches the firearm used in the killing and that writings in the notebook showed Mangione’s disdain for health insurers and ideas about killing a CEO at an investor conference.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for his company’s investor conference on Dec. 4, 2024. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Habba resigns as top federal prosecutor in N.J.

Court had ruled ex-Trump lawyer had been serving unlawfully

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Alina Habba, resigned Monday as the top federal prosecutor for New Jersey leaving the job after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully

In a statement posted on social media, Habba assailed the court’s ruling as political, but said she was resigning “to protect the stability and integrity” of her office.

White House, representing him in court and frequently appearing on cable TV news on his behalf. But she had a partisan bent and no experience as a prosecutor New Jersey’s two Democratic senators indicated they would block her confirmation in the U.S. Senate.

“But do not mistake compliance for surrender,” she said, adding that the administration would continue its appeal of the court rulings ousting her from the position. “This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me.”

Habba is one of several acting U.S. attorneys around the country to have their appointments by the Trump administration challenged on the basis that they stayed in the temporary jobs longer than the law allows. She said she would remain with the Justice Department as a senior adviser to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Her former duties will, for now, be split between three Justice Department lawyers.

Habba, 41, was appointed in March to serve a temporary term as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law

Once a partner in a small New Jersey law firm, Habba was among Trump’s most visible legal defenders before his return to the

She brought a trespassing charge, eventually dropped, against the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey, stemming from his visit to an immigration detention center Habba later charged Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting a federal agent during the same incident McIver says she didn’t assault anyone. The case is pending. As ke d abo ut Habba’s resignation on Monday, Trump lashed out at the Senate over its tradition of refusing to act on nominees if they are opposed by the senators representing the state involved.

“It’s a horrible thing. It makes it impossible to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney,” Trump told reporters at the White House “I guess I just have to keep appointing people for three months and then just appoint another one, another one. It’s a very sad situation. We’re losing a lot of great people.”

When Habba’s term expired in July, a panel of federal judges appointed one of her subordinates to the role. But Bondi promptly fired the replacement, blaming Habba’s removal on “politically minded judges.”

A lower-court judge’s finding that Habba was unlawfully serving in the position soon triggered a monthslong legal standoff, prompting confusion and delays within New Jersey’s federal court system. Then, earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia disqualified her from serving in the role.

Street Market due to rain on Saturday.

MARKET

of differentpartsofour mission —farmers, food, access andcommunity.”

First openedin2002, Main Street Market is agroup of shops,stalls andmeeting spaces on the ground

floorofthe parkinggarage at 501

MainSt. It now offers coffee, breakfast and lunch from 7a.m. to 2p.m. Monday throughSaturday

Rowland said BREADA hadseveral priorities in redesigning the space. Onewas improving the flow of the area and opening it up. The previous corridor betweenvendors and restaurants was very narrow,sosteel cages that operated as vendor booths were removed. Now the walkway is open

BREADA will use the expanded area foravariety of events

All furniture was designedto be on casters so it can be moved around —set up for lunchMonday through Friday and tailoredtothe needs of the Saturday farmers market, Rowland said.

“Wewantedpeopleto know when they came in this space,that it had aconnection to anonprofit,”

Rowland said. “Weused local artists for the murals and allofthe branding. We brought in the large farm pictures,sothe messaging was clear.”

Another highlight is the Teaching Kitchen, ameeting space for BREADA and farmers as well asa place for cooking demonstrations,

People walk by awall of photos at the newly renovated Main Street Market downtown. First opened in 2002, Main Street Market is agroup of shops, stalls and meeting spaces on the ground floor of the parking garage at 501 Main St.Itnow offers coffee, breakfast and lunch from 7a.m. to 2p.m.Monday throughSaturday

nutrition educationand food safety training. It has already hosted workshopsranging from “Cooking Basics and Budget-Friendly Meals” to “Fermentation 101.”

“Wecan doeducation abouthow to growmushrooms or howto make goatcheese,orall the things that are tied to ourmission and our farmers,” Rowland said. “So that is kind of the crownjewel.”

The restaurantsoffer awidevariety of food

LouisianaCreole Creations serves seafood and classic Creole dishes,including po-boys, catfish and boudinballs, while Vivian’s Rotisserie &Grill’sofferings include rotisserie chicken, cauliflow-

er rice anda variety of vegetarian andvegan options.

SaporIndianFusion will have breakfast choices including spiced breakfast wraps and masalaomelets, as well as fusion bowlsand lunch plates.The CozyGriddle is abreakfastand lunchspotserving up comfort food

River&RootsCoffeeShopfeatures coffees including lattes and espresso shots. The shop will also carry products from Red Stick Farmers Market vendors, such as local produce, honeyand other seasonal goods.

Email JoyHolden at joy holden@theadvocate.com.

GRIFFIN

Continued from page1A

healthier,stronger future.”

Griffin is amember of the AdvisoryCommitteeonImmunization Practices, the top vaccine advisorypanel to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. She was appointed to the committee by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has campaigned against vaccines.

Lastweek, ACIP voted to end athree-decade-oldrecommendation that all infants get the hepatitisB vaccine andinstead issue weaker guidance forsome newborns.Griffin supported that decision. The decision enraged manyin themedical community,including U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, whoalso is amedical doctor.Hesaid the rate of hepatitis Binfections among infants droppeddramatically after the birthdoserecommendation was introduced. “This makes America sicker,” he said of the ACIP vote. In anewsrelease announcing herappointment, Landry’soffice said Griffin’s“work included afocus on reducing maternal morbidityand mortality.” In recent years, Louisiana’smaternal mortalityrate, which has been rankedasthe fifth-highest in the nation, has caused alarm, as has its high infant mortality rate. In 2020, infants diedatnearly twice the rate as those in other states.

Griffin replaces Ralph Abraham,who recently leftthe statewide post to take atop position at theCDC. He drew scrutiny for his decision to end massvaccination campaigns in the state andfor casting doubt over COVID-19 vaccines.

Griffin praised Abraham’s leadership in astatementabout her appointment.

“The outstanding leadership of Dr.Ralph Abraham,his dedication, vision, and steady guidance have shapedthe Surgeon General OfficethatI nowhave theprivilege to build upon,” she said. “I am committed to safeguarding the integrity of the patient-doctor relationship by upholding informed consent and respecting individual rights.”

As surgeon general —anew positioncreatedbyLandry’sadministration —Griffin will be responsible for guiding health policy in the state.

Griffin has repeatedly questioned the COVID-19 vaccine, though medical consensus says the vaccine lowers the risk of significant illness from the virus and saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am very,very skeptical,” Griffin tolda church congregation in 2024.“Fora lotofus, theCOVID experience has really opened our eyes. Youknow that Ihave alot of concerns. One of those concerns, Iwould say,isabout the COVID vaccine.”

In aDecember 2021 meeting of the Louisiana House Committee on Health &Welfare, Griffin questionedthe safety of COVID-19vaccines, noting that doctors in the 1950s said smoking was safe.

“I am vaccinated; however,I do not believe in cookie-cutter medicine or mandates, especially for new therapeutics,” Griffin said.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe in most instances, the CDC said in previous statementsbeforechanging itsguidance this year under Kennedy In a2023 Louisiana Senate Health &Welfare Committee meeting, Griffin also testifiedin support of aban on gender-affirming care fortransgender youth.

Griffin is an obstetrician-gynecologist. She attended the Ross UniversitySchool of Medicine and completed her residency at LSU in NewOrleans, according to Landry’soffice. She is one of the first robotically trained gynecologic surgeons in the region, it said.

On Monday,Landry’soffice andthe Louisiana Department of Health did not provide further details about Griffin’sexperience working on maternal morbidity and mortality.Aspokesperson for thelatter agency said Griffin was not available foraninterview Griffin is anative of Poland. Her family immigrated to Canada, where she grewup. She moved to Baton Rouge with her husband after college.

and tell you things that you need to hear.Healways had ajoke. It may be stern and may not be in the tone that you would like it to be,but the message was right on time when he did deliver it.”

Amissing person’sreport was filed, and calls were made to hospitals and morgues, as well as to the rental car company that Woodrow Vaughn had recently renteda green Toyota Sienna from. Woodrow Vaughn hadn’tbeen seen anywhere, and the company said they couldn’ttrackthe vehicle. And beyond wellwishes, the Facebook posts hadn’tturnedanything up either

During this search,Jasmine Vaughn and her cousinsremembered another clue: Woodrow Vaughn had recently beenoffering help to a30-year-old woman facing homelessness, Breanna Terrance.

“My cousin, she knowsBreanna,” Jasmine Vaughn said. “A lot of my younger cousins grewupwith Breanna.”

Terrance had beenallowed to staywith Woodrow Vaughn and one of these cousinsathis house, according to Jasmine Vaughn, because the Vaughns knew her family and knew she was in need of assistance.

In police reports, Terrance has been described as Woodrow Vaughn’sgirlfriend,but the family says that isn’t true.

“Weknow it to be platonic, and we knowittobehim helpinga young lady out that we knew to be

FARMERS

Continued from page1A

White House said will offer one-timepayments to rowcrop farmers. Another $1 billion will be put aside for specialty crops as the administrationworks to better understand the circumstances for those farmers,Rollins said. The aid will move by the end of February,she said.

“Welooked at how they were hurt,towhat extent they were hurt,” Trump said, explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. Trump said the money for the program will come from tariff revenue.

Farmers have backed Trump politically,but hisaggressivetrade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and becauseof broader consumer worries.

Theaid is theadministration’slatest effort to defend Trump’seconomic stewardship and answer voter angst about rising costs. Trump has been dismissive of the affordability issue at times, but on Tuesday,heisset to travel to Pennsylvania to talk about how his administration is tryingtoaddress aconcern that is important for voters.

Chinapurchases slow Soybeans and sorghum were hit the hardest by Trump’strade dispute with China because more than half those crops are exported each year with mostof the harvest going to China.

In October,after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metrictons of U.S. soybeans by theend of the calendar year,plus 25 million metric tons ayear in eachofthe next three years. China is the world’s largestbuyer of soybeans, but in recent years it has increasingly been shifting its purchases over to Brazil

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER

Awitness toldfamily

afamily friend,”Jasmine Vaughn said.“Her grandmother goes to church with our family.One of ourcousinsgrew upwith her; they went to school together.Soshe’s notastranger to our family.We’ve beenaround her multiple times. So we’ve known it to be platonic, and she needed help, and that’s what (Woodrow Vaughn) always said, ‘I’m just helping herout.’”

Jasmine Vaughn also saidthe family believed that Terrance had arelationship with another man, Edward Hayes, 50.

Food Mart footage

As the evening of Nov.23 stretched on and more family pulled up to Woodrow Vaughn’s house, JasmineVaughn andher

cousins receivedthe firstreal evidence that Hayes and Terrance could be responsible for Woodrow Vaughn’sdisappearance.

“My cousin gets acall, and the person is like, ‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ andmycousin’slike,‘What do you mean?’” Jasmine Vaughn said. “(The witness) was like ‘Yeah, Iseen that van andyour uncle being attacked.’”

The witness said thatonthe night of his disappearance, WoodrowVaughn was at the AM Food Mart on Highland Road in agreen ToyotaSienna, and that aman and awoman were seen beating him before driving off in the Sienna together

The store is less than ahalf-mile from Woodrow Vaughn’shouse.

and other SouthAmerican nations.

China has purchased more than2.8 million metrictons of soybeans since Trump announced theagreement at the end of October.That’s only about onequarter of whatadministrationofficials said China had promised, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said China is on track tomeet itsgoal by the endofFebruary,whichistwo months later than the White Houseoriginally promised.

“Theseprices haven’t comein, becausethe Chinese actuallyusedour soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,” Bessent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” explainingwhy farm aid was needed.

Thesize of the$12 billion aidpackage is roughlythe value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024and half the total exportsofU.S. farm goods to China in 2024.

Surgingcosts

Farmers appreciate the aid package, but theysay it’s likely only adown payment on what’sneeded and governmentaid doesn’t solve the fundamental problems of soaringcostsand uncertain markets.During Trump’s first term, he gave farmers more than $22 billion in aid payments in 2019 at the start of his trade war with China and nearly$46 billionin 2020,although thatyear also includedaid relatedtothe COVID pandemic.

Farmerssay want to make aprofit offselling theircrops —not rely on government aid to survive

“That’s astart, but Ithink we need to be looking for some avenues to find other funding opportunities and we need to getour markets going. That’s wherewewant to be able to make aliving from,” said Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky farmer who serves as president of the American Soybean Association.

Most at risk are younger farmers and those who rent —instead of own —their land because they don’t have much ability to borrow against the equity in their farms. If farmers can’tmake ends meet this year,there could be additional consolidationinthe industry with giant industrial farms gettingbigger and the number of smaller family farmers continuing to shrink.

Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt is in adifficult positionbecauseheonly owns 160 of the 2,000 acres he farms. So he says he’sselling some of his equipment that’snot essentialand looking into whether he can pick up some overnight trucking jobsto help raise some cash.

“It is to the point where I don’twant to saddlemykid withthe kind of stress that my wife andIare under right now,” Ewoldt said.

Butfourth-generationMinnesota farmer Darin Johnson saidhe’smore optimisticthat most farmers will be able to

That night, the family drove to the convenience store and asked theowner aboutwatching the security camera footage from the night of Woodrow Vaughn’sdisappearance. In the footage, theSienna,driven by Terrance, pulls into the store parking lot just before 2a.m.A man, identified by the family as Hayes, approaches the car and speaks with Terrance for amoment.

Then, he walks to the passenger side of the vehicle, whereheslams the dooronVaughn’sleg and begins to punch him.Terrance, at the same time, begins to hold Woodrow Vaughn down and punch him herself, according to an affidavit for her arrest.

Fromtheir familiarity with Hayes andTerrance, both of whom live in the area near Woodrow Vaughn and the food mart, thefamily wasable to identifythe twoand bring theinformation to police.

“(Hayes) was literally down the street frommyuncle probably every day,hanging out,” Jasmine Vaughn said.“My family hadinteractions with him.Alot of my family grew up with him.”

One of Jasmine Vaughn’scousinswenttoelementaryschool with Hayes. His mom was even at Woodrow Vaughn’shouse the day the family gathered to look for him, Jasmine Vaughn said. Jasmine Vaughn and her family have no idea what could have led Hayes and Terrance to possibly kill Woodrow Vaughn.

“Weall feel much better that he was off the streets,” Jasmine Vaughn said. “I don’tthink we feel

good in any way,but Ithink we feel that it was avictory forus.

“(Terrance) spent real time with my uncle. She got to know my uncle on apersonal level. She got to know his family; shewould sit there with different family members. So, like Isaid, she is no stranger,soitmakes it even more eerie,”Jasmine Vaughn said.“I can’treally speak to whysomeone would do something so heinous to somebody innocent like that.”

Both Hayesand Terrancewere booked on counts of kidnapping and first-degree murder.Baton Rouge police believe them to be the mainsuspects in the murder of Woodrow Vaughn.

In an interviewwithpolice, Terrance said it was Hayes who stabbed WoodrowVaughn multiple times after shehad driven thecar away from thefood mart, policesaid. Later,she toldpoliceshe left Woodrow Vaughn’sremains with Hayes at apark near Ponderosa and Lafitte streets. She denied any involvement in the killing, according to her arrest affidavit.

On Nov. 24, just before 1p.m., East BatonRouge Parish sheriff’s deputieswere calledtothe same park. They found Woodrow Vaughn dead frommultiple stab wounds.

After the death of Jasmine Vaughn’s parents,Woodrow Vaughn’sfuneral will be the third that the family has organized this year.Visitation will be from 9a.m. to 10 a.m.Saturday at Interdenominational Faith Assembly, 5045 Greenwell St. Email Quinn Coffmanatquinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

endurethis latest tradewar “A lotoffarms arepretty well-established and they have the equity to be able to stillkeepborrowing money to get through tougher times like this,”Johnson said. Trump has also been under pressuretoaddress soaring beef prices.Trump has asked the Department of Justice to

investigate foreign-owned meatpackers he accused of driving up thepriceofbeef, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims.

Soybeans are harvested in Manteno, Ill. Soybeans and sorghum were hitthe hardest by President DonaldTrump’s trade dispute with China, the world’s largest buyer of soybeans.

On Saturday,Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and FederalTrade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains —including seed, fertilizer and equipment —and considertaking enforcement actions or developing new regulations. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington, Bill Barrowin Atlanta and Jack Dura in Bismarck, NorthDakota, contributed to this report.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Boeing’s acquisition of Max supplier complete

Boeing said Monday it has completed a $4.7 billion purchase of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the giant aerospace company’s 737 Max jetliners, including an Alaska Airlines aircraft that suffered a doorpanel blowout last year

The deal, in the works for over a year, also brings Boeing’s largest provider of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg called it a “pivotal moment” for Boeing’s future.

“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry,” Ortberg said in a statement

Boeing previously owned Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit but spun it off in 2005. Reabsorbing the company, which is not related to Spirit Airlines, reverses a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing major work on its passenger planes — an approach that faced mounting criticism in recent years as manufacturing problems at Spirit disrupted production and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s. ICEBlock app sues

Trump administration

The maker of an iPhone app that flagged sightings of U.S. immigration agents sued the Trump administration for free speech violations on Monday alleging that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi used her “state power” to force Apple to remove the app. Apple in October removed ICEBlock and other apps from its app store after Bondi said they put Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at risk by enabling people to track ICE activity in their neighborhoods. The lawsuit from ICEBlock app maker Joshua Aaron argues that the government’s actions violated the First Amendment.

“We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and affirm that ICEBlock is, in fact, First Amendment-protected speech and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron said in an interview Monday “And to make sure that they can’t do this same thing again in the future.”

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to protect the Texasbased software developer from prosecution, alleging “unlawful threats made by Attorney General Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan to criminally investigate and prosecute Aaron for his role in developing ICEBlock.”

IBM buys Confluent data streaming platform

IBM said Monday it’s buying data streaming platform Confluent in a deal worth $11 billion that will help bolster the technology company’s artificial intelligence strategy

The two companies signed a “definitive agreement” for IBM to acquire all of Confluent Inc.’s issued and outstanding common stock for $31 per share in cash, which represents a value of $11 billion.

Confluent is an open source data streaming platform that “connects, processes and governs” data and events in real time, the companies said in a joint statement. It specializes in preparing data for AI and keeping it “clean and connected across systems and applications,” they said. The deal means IBM’s client companies can deploy AI services better and faster “by providing trusted communication and data flow between environments, applications and APIs,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said. “Data is spread across public and private clouds, data centers and countless technology providers.”

BUSINESS

Paramount makes move for Warner Bros.

BY CHRISTOPHER PALMERI Bloomberg News (TNS)

The fight over the future of Hollywood just got nastier

Paramount Skydance Corp. launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. at $30 a share in cash on Monday, just days after the company agreed to a deal with Netflix Inc.

The bid tops Netflix’s offer of $27.75 in cash and stock. Paramount’s offer is for the entirety of Warner Bros., while Netflix is only interested in the Hollywood studios and streaming business. “WBD shareholders deserve an

opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company,” Paramount

Chief Executive Officer David Ellison said in a statement on Monday. “Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion.”

Paramount, the parent of CBS, MTV and other media businesses, instigated the battle several months ago when it made multiple offers for Warner Bros. The company decided to put itself up for sale in October and received sev-

eral rounds of bids from Netflix and Comcast Corp. Under terms of the Friday deal announced with Netflix, Warner Bros. will continue with plans to spinoff its cable TV networks, including CNN, TNT and Discovery Channels, before the planned merger closes. Paramount had privately argued that its $30 a share offer was greater than Netflix’s, although that depends on the value investors place on the shares they receive in the spin off.

The company said Monday its offer for the entirety of Warner Bros. gives shareholders $18 billion more in cash than the Netflix bid. Paramount has also argued that its transaction is more likely

to be approved by regulators because Netflix has a much larger share of the streaming TV market than Paramount+ “We’re really here to finish what we started,” Ellison said, speaking on CNBC.

When asked about the deal on Sunday, President Donald Trump said the Netflix transaction will “go through a process” and that “it is a big market share. It could be a problem.”

If Warner Bros. does break its current agreement it will be required to pay Netflix a $2.8

or doesn’t win regulatory approval.

Car prices are going up, but don’t blame tariffs just yet

Automakers absorbing extra costs is a key factor

BY LUKE RAMSETH The Detroit News (TNS)

New car prices didn’t spike after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs in the spring, as some experts and dealers projected

But prices on many models are now pushing notably higher — and analysts said carmakers recouping Trump’s higher import costs is a key factor

Consider a recent analysis that found automakers are implementing more aggressive price increases on 2026 model-year vehicles compared to when 2025s were hitting dealership lots last year.

Cloud Theory, which tracks car inventory on dealer websites across the country, found the average marketed price increase on 2026 models was nearly $2,000, compared to an approximately $400 uptick during last year’s model year changeover This year, 23 models have at least a $2,000 price hike; last year, there were just nine.

“What I think is different this year is you have a lot of cost increases that are $1,000 or $1,500 or more, $2,000 or more,” said Rick Wainschel, Cloud Theory’s vice president of data and analytics, whose analysis looked at 2026 models with at least 2,000 vehicles in inventory

“I think that’s a big change and a big shift that’s occurred, and it’s hard to point to any other catalyst for that (except for) tariff costs that the OEMs have had to absorb for the last eight months, and will likely have to absorb going forward,” he said.

Any increase comes on top of average car prices that were already hovering around $50,000. Pair that with stubbornly high interest rates, and the average monthly car payment is now $766, according to Edmunds. com Inc., up more than 3% from a year ago.

A record share of subprime borrowers has been falling behind on their auto loans this fall.

Yet the huge car sticker price increases tied to tariffs — which analysts originally warned might tally anywhere from an extra $5,000 to $15,000 per vehicle haven’t come to pass.

Among the reasons: competitive pressures between rival automakers, concern over blowback from Trump, large pre-tariff vehicle inventories that gave companies a lag time before pricing adjustments were needed, as well as policy adjustments that reduced the pain of the tariffs themselves.

Automakers opted to absorb many of the extra costs in the near term.

But if you’re shopping for a new car right

now or plan to in the coming months, experts said it is likely tariffs will cost you in one way or another, even if it’s tough to discern exactly how Automakers haven’t been eager to publicly disclose any connection between tariffs and their pricing adjustments.

Vehicle destination charges those mandatory fees for transporting the car to the dealership are rising, revealing one area where automakers “might be trying to make up a little bit of the costs,” said Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive Inc.

There are also signs of automakers pulling features out of certain models in a bid to trim costs while holding the same sticker price, a phenomenon known as shrinkflation. And then there are indications of carmakers offsetting their tariff costs with higher 2026 model-year MSRPs.

“Automakers really held their prices throughout the ’25 model year, and we’re starting to see a bit (of an impact) in ’26,” said Stephanie Brinley, an auto analyst with S&P Global Mobility “But it’s being wrapped up in different ways, so it’s very difficult to suss out.”

Car companies often adjust pricing on new model-year vehicles, whether due to minor repackaging of features and trim levels, or full overhauls that include new technology and freshened sheet metal. Brinley said that means there’s no clear way for consumers to figure out where those extra tariff costs might’ve been tacked on.

Keating agrees the tariff impacts have been hard to pin down. Average car prices

have been rising steadily much of this year — with September reaching an all-time high above $50,000 — but she said some of that uptick would have been expected anyway because of normal inflation.

The analyst now feels confident that those initial shocking projections of price hikes in the 10% to 15% range aren’t going to happen: “The market just won’t bear it,” she said.

Automakers appear to be settling into their new normal under Trump. They’ve secured at least some tariff relief on parts and vehicles imported from certain countries, while simultaneously feeling the benefits of Trump’s moves to loosen federal vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards.

A September J.P Morgan report estimated combined tariff costs on vehicles and parts will amount to $41 billion in the first year, rising to $45 billion in year two and $52 billion in year three.

The bank expects automakers and consumers to ultimately share the burden equally, which could lead to a 3% increase in new vehicle prices: “This will hit consumers hard,” the report said, “especially as many are already struggling to afford new vehicles.”

Wainschel, the Cloud Theory analyst, said average prices listed on dealer websites have only increased a few hundred dollars per vehicle since the tariffs took effect in early April. But that’s because automakers have pushed an increasing number of affordable models and trims into the market, which has helped hold the overall average price down.

Wall Street drops back after hitting record heights

trading after learning it will join the S&P 500 index on Dec. 22. Many professional investors directly mimic the index or at least measure their performance against it, which

buy the company, which helps customers connect and process data. Carvana jumped 12.1% in its

Zelenskyy meets with European allies in London

Leaders discuss U.S. peace plan, Ukrainian security

BY JILL LAWLESS and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

LONDON President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British, French and German leaders in London on Monday in a show of European support for Ukraine at what they called a “critical moment” in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St. residence to try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump. After the meeting, Starmer Zelenskyy and the other leaders called Kyiv’s European allies, urging them to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war,” Starmer’s office said in a statement.

“This is the furthest we’ve got in four years, and we welcome the fact that these talks are continuing at every level,” said Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells. He added that “intensive work” will continue in the days ahead, although “there are still outstanding issues.”

Macron’s office said the session allowed the leaders “to continue joint work on the U.S. plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine.”

Answering reporters’ questions in a WhatsApp chat later Monday, Zelenskyy said the current U.S. peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after what he called some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed.”

On security guarantees, Zelenskyy said the main

questions to be resolved are:

“What if after the end of the war, Russia will start another aggression? What will the partners be ready for? What could Ukraine count on?”

The answers to these questions “must be in the core of the security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said. In an exchange with re-

porters on Sunday night, Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t yet read the proposal.”

Zelenskyy said Monday that Trump “certainly wants to end the war Surely, he has his own vision. We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we

perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland.”

Starmer, Macron and Merz took a more supportive stance toward Kyiv in comments before their Monday meeting, which lasted about two hours. The U.K. leader said the push for peace was at a “critical stage,” and

stressed the need for “a just and lasting ceasefire.” Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,” he said. “The coming days could be a decisive time for all of us.” European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. He said Monday that Ukraine needs support from both Europe and the U.S.

“There are some things we can’t manage without the Americans, things which we can’t manage without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he said at Downing Street.

Trump says boat strike survivors tried to right vessel

Administration under scrutiny over second strike on damaged ship

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday justified the U.S military’s decision to fire a second missile in a heavily scrutinized attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea by claiming that two suspected drug smugglers were trying to right the vessel after it had capsized in the initial strike.

Trump also backtracked on whether he was open to releasing the video footage of the second strike. Last week, Trump told reporters he saw “no problem” in releasing the footage, but on Monday he said he would leave the decision to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Republican administration is facing calls from Democratic lawmakers to release footage of the Sept. 2 operation in the Caribbean Sea, which killed nine people aboard the boat in an initial strike and then two more who managed to survive “They were trying to return the boat back to where it could float, and we didn’t want

to see that because that boat was loaded up with drugs,”

Trump said on Monday

When asked by a reporter about his comments last week suggesting he was open to releasing footage of the second strike, Trump denied that was his position and bitterly attacked the reporter as “obnoxious” and “terrible.”

“Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OK with me,” Trump said.

Trump, however, last Wednesday in an exchange with reporters about the strike footage said: “Whatever they have we’d certainly release.”

The Sept. 2 operation was the first in what has become a

monthslong series of American strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that the administration says are targeting drug smugglers working on behalf of cartels, including some controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes.

Trump has broadly justified the campaign as necessary for his administration to stem the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States. He claims the U.S. is in armed conflict with narco-terrorists.

Hegseth said in a Fox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential

Library in California that officials were reviewing the video, but he did not commit to releasing it. “Whatever we were to decide to release, we’d have to be very responsible” about it,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon on Monday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of Hegseth’s review or confirm Trump’s assertion that the suspects appeared to be trying to turn over the vessel before the second strike was fired.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are demanding that the Pentagon hand over “unedited video of strikes” against drug cartels to Congress, threatening to withhold a

quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if it doesn’t. The provision is included in the $900 billion defense bill the House is expected to vote on later this week.

Over the weekend, Sen. Tom Cotton, the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he would not oppose public release of the footage. But Cotton, among the top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in carrying out the second strike to kill the two survivors.

BY MEGAN JANETSKY and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israeli police forcibly entered the compound of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem early Monday, escalating a campaign against the organization that has been banned from operating on Israeli territory

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, said in a statement that “sizable numbers” of Israeli forces, including police on motorcycles, trucks and forklifts, entered the compound in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

“The unauthorized and forceful entry by Israeli security forces is an unaccept-

able violation of UNRWA’s privileges and immunities as a U.N. agency,” the statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Office said that he will meet with President Donald Trump on Dec. 29, although Israel did not confirm the location of the meeting. On Monday, Netanyahu met with U.S. officials in Jerusalem about collaboration on the U.S.-brokered plan on the future of Gaza.

The raid was the latest in Israel’s campaign against the agency, which provides aid and services to some 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as 3 million more refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Photos taken by an Associated Press photographer

show police erecting an Israeli flag on the compound, and police cars on the street

Photos provided by UNRWA staff show a group of Israeli police officers in the compound.

Police said in a statement they entered for a “debt-collection procedure” initiated by Jerusalem’s municipal government, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment

The agency was established to help the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of the Israeli state. UNRWA supporters say Israel hopes to erase the Palestinian refugee issue by dismantling the agency Israel says the refugees should be permanently resettled outside its borders.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Cooking up something different

Insects find their placeonmenus at theBug Cafe

Most chefs work with butter, herbs and maybe alittle spice. Alexandra Lambert works with crickets —and loves every minute of it. As an entomologist at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans,Lambert calls herself the Insectarium’shead chef.

“I make all the food here atthe Bug Cafe,” Lambert said. “I don’t really cook much outside ofhere, but Ilike it because bugs are easy. They just taste like whatever you cook ’em with —and Ihave a heavy seasoning hand.”

Watching people approachthe Bug Cafe’scounter and take that first hesitant crunch delights her She said she gets alot of joy out of other people enjoying her entomological culinary creations,with her favorite being the Cricket King Cake she makes herself.

Like most chefs, she likes to switch up the menu —dips one week, dry goods the next, then some form of insect cookie

Just before Thanksgiving, the Bug Cafe, located in the Insectarium inside the Audubon Aquarium, was serving the Cricket Pumpkin Pieshe had made, along with cheesy garlic crickets, sweet and salty mix (powdered sugar,cinnamonand salt-roasted crickets) and Jazzy Crix (roasted crickets with honey mustard seasoning).

“It’stotally safe, Ipromise,” said Blaze Weir,who works at the Insectarium. “They taste a little bit like sunflower seeds. You already eat bugs —you can see herehow many bugs the typical American will have in just one year.” As he shared the chart with rather shocking bug numbers, we talked about getting over the mental hurdle of eating abug. He said that we’ve been told mostof our lives that bugs are dirty— but, in fact, they are just another animal that can be raised in controlledenvironments, fed clean lettuce and treated like any other food source.

Which is exactly how the crickets they cook with at the Insectarium are grown on ahygienic farm in Toronto.

“They reproduce really fast so it’sasustainable food source, that’sfor sure,” Weir said. He had my attention. Ibegan studying the chart showing how many insects or insect fragments are allowed in common foodsper 100 grams —roughly half acup. Still, Weir and Iagreed:with enough seasoning, you almost forget the bug at the center.Infact, the cheesy garlic crickets were tasty—and when Ihelpedmake the peppermint chocolatecricket bites, Imean, who can argue with chocolate?

Fair warning that you may want to skip the following list if thethought of eating bugs still grosses you out, but here arethe facts regarding the potentialnumber of insects or insect fragments consumed each year by food products, according to theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and basedon themaximum allowable number of insects.

It’simportant to note thatnot all foodcontains insects, but here is the data:

n In canned or frozen berries, about 2;

n In frozen broccoli, up to 60; n In ground cinnamon,upto 800;

n In ahalf cup of ground pepper,about 950; n In macaroni or noodle prod-

THEADVOCATE.COM | Tuesday, december 9, 2025 1bN

Defender’s Office protests budget

EBRagencywould see21% cut

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

On theeve of akey MetroCouncil voteon themayor-president’s 2026 budget proposal, the East

Baton Rouge Parish Public Defender’sOffice and itssupporters are protesting cuts they saywould harm the parish’scriminal justice system.

At ademonstration outside City Hall on Monday, afew dozen employees andsupporters criticized the21.4% cut Mayor-President Sid Edwardsplansfor the public defender in 2026 and urged council

members to vote against it.

“We’re here today to demand appropriate funding forthe Public Defender’sOffice,” said Chief Public Defender Kyla Romanach. “We are in the capital city of the most incarcerated state in thecountry andthe mayor’sbudget proposes to cut funding to the Public Defender’sOffice. It is not justice.”

Theoffice faces one of the largest

departmental cuts by percentage in Edwards’ proposedbudget.But Romanach’sofficeisfar fromthe only one that would take amajor hit, as nearly allcity-parishagencieswould be slashed by about 11%.

It is the second straight year of significant cuts to account for lost

WILD WONDERLAND

Temperateweather in winter forecast

Respitefollows unusuallyquiet hurricane season

BYELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

The2025 hurricane season, which ended in November,was predicted to be abusy onebut turned out relatively quiet.But it was the first time in adecade that no hurricane made landfall in the United States,Jay Grymes, state climatologist, told the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday Buttropical storms took a heavy toll in some partsofthe

country,hesaid. Twoof13named tropical storms brought tragedyin their wake to theU.S.outside of Louisiana. Over the July 4 weekend, remnantsofTropical StormBarry broughtdevastatingfloods to Texas, where more than100 people died, including 27 at Camp Mystic. On the Sunday of that weekend, in North Carolina,six peopledied in flooding caused by Tropical StormChantal.

Five hurricanes thathovered in the Atlanticand nevermade landfall didraise “red alarms,” Grymes said. “Four were majorand three

ä See WEATHER, page 2B

ABOVE: Guests walk along a boardwalk Sunday during Zoo LightsatBREC’sBaton Rouge Zoo. The event runs from5:30 p.m.to9p.m. daily through Dec. 30,exceptfor Christmas Eve andChristmas. Guests can bring nonperishablefood items to donate to theGreater Baton Rouge Food Bank to receive a50% off discount from the regular admission price.

LEFT: Guests walk underlit tree branchesthroughout thezoo

FifthinmatediesatElayn

An inmate at ElaynHuntCorrectional Center died Sunday, marking the fifth death in the pastthree months at the facility that was notattributedtopreexisting health conditions. The Louisiana Departmentof Public Safety and Corrections confirmed theinmate wasJustin Rice, 37, and said an autopsy hadbeen ordered to determine the cause of his death. Rice’sdeathcomes less than twoweeks after 30-year-old inmate Detroit Draper diedfollowing aphysical altercation in his cell at theSt. Gabriel facility.InOctober,two inmates,

ages 22 and 65, died of suspected overdoses at Elayn Hunt, while a45-year-old inmate died of a suspected overdose in late September The Iberville Parish Sheriff’sOffice is investigatingthe earlierdeathsand said it does not yet have information regarding the circumstances of Rice’sdeath.

Police look for driverin fatal hit-and-run crash Baton Rouge police are looking fora driverand passengerwho fatally struck abicyclist Saturday night, stopped at the scene briefly,then fled.

Archdiocese of New Orleans emerges from bankruptcy

After five years and millions spent, settlement marks end to dark chapter

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

In a landmark ruling, a federal judge has approved a $230 million settlement between the Archdiocese of New Orleans and hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse, marking an end to one of the darkest chapters in the 232-year history of the local Roman Catholic Church.

The archdiocese confirmed that the plan was approved on Monday by Judge Meredith Grabill in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The plan is set to go into effect later this month and will create a settlement trust funded over several years The archdiocese will contribute $70 million, with $60 million coming from its parishes and charities, $30 million from settling insurers and $70 million in anticipated proceeds from the pending sale of Christopher Homes, a portfolio of low-income elderly senior housing.

It will be distributed among eligible abuse survivors with payments beginning as soon as the first quarter of 2026.

The plan will also establish new, tougher child protection and abuse reporting policies, which the archdiocese has vowed to uphold

In a statement Monday, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said he was pleased that a bankruptcy process that began in 2020 had finally ended, and said he hoped that survivors of abuse would “find some closure.”

“We hope and pray that they will be able to not only receive what is given to them but they will know the healing of God’s love,” Aymond told members of the media gathered on Poydras Street outside the federal courthouse. “This has been a long process.”

The committee that represents abuse survivors declined to com-

BUDGET

Continued from page 1B

sales tax revenue due to the incorporation of St. George. Roughly $54 million now goes to the new city annually to fund its government.

Many at Monday’s protest questioned why other cities in the parish — like St. George — are not contributing money to fund the office. Romanach’s office defends about 85% of the cases District Attorney Hillar Moore’s office prosecutes. Edwards’ proposed cut of 11% to the District Attorney’s Office has Moore considering a court challenge.

State Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, said it was a problem to cut the two offices unequally “You cannot move those cases in the District Attorney’s Office without the public defenders,” Marcelle said. “It does not make any sense.” Marcelle didn’t offer details but said she will be working on legislation next session that will help fully fund both offices in the future.

At a meeting last month, council member Cleve Dunn Jr floated the idea of an ordinance in Baton Rouge modeled after New Orleans’ rule that guarantees the Public Defender’s Office 85% of the district attorney’s funding If approved, Edwards’ budget will cut $15.5 million from the bottom line of the city-parish’s general fund. But no cuts would hit the Baton Rouge Police Department or the Baton Rouge Fire Department, two agencies that together make up about 47% of the city-parish’s general fund. In order to avoid slashing either, Edwards’ plan means at least 11% cuts to nearly every other agency, which would lay off more than 200 city-parish workers.

Sherie Thomas, executive director of the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana, said the cut to the Public Defender’s Office would mean longer pretrial stays for people in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison — a jail already plagued by chronic underfunding, overcrowding and safety problems. Thomas urged the public to call their council members ahead of the upcoming vote and ask them to reject Edwards’ plan. “We need our council members to know that this budget that is being proposed is not correct,” Thomas said. “Tell them to vote no. The longer that an individual waits inside of jail without representation, the longer — literally — their life is at stake.” The Metro Council will vote on the budget at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

ment on the settlement.

Grabill’s confirmation of the plan is a key milestone in a case that has tested the faith of New Orleans’ 500,000 Catholics and shined a new light on ugly church secrets that were hidden for decades.

During a nearly three-week confirmation hearing that concluded last week, Grabill said she hoped that a resolution to the bankruptcy would bring healing and help the church and abuse survivors move forward

“(This plan) can be viewed as a first step toward reconciliation,” she said Thursday “The relationship across the board has been severely damaged and we want to view this confirmation as a first step in rebuilding trust.”

Costly and contentious

The confirmation comes more than five and a half years after Aymond placed the nation’s second-oldest Catholic diocese under Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection The move was sparked by dozens of clergy abuse lawsuits filed against the archdiocese in the 18 months after Aymond in late 2018 released a list of clergy members credibly accused of raping and molesting local children.

At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Aymond told the Vatican that the archdiocese was not insolvent but, rather, was using the bankruptcy reorganization process as a way to equitably settle the growing number of lawsuits. He had been advised, he said, that the case could likely be resolved within a year at a cost of about $7 million.

It went on far longer than he expected and legal fees alone have topped $50 million

The case will go down as one of the longest and costliest of some 40 church bankruptcies around the country It will also be remembered as one of the most contentious cases, with Grabill herself referring to it in 2023 as “a knife fight since day one.”

From the get-go, the case was mired in legal sideshows, including accusations that an attorney for the survivors had violated a gag order in the case. Grabill fined the attorney a record $400,000 and

removed his client from the committee that represents survivors.

There were also yearslong fights over discovery, with attorneys for the survivors accusing the church of refusing to turn over financial information they needed to get a clear picture of church assets. Along the way, several judges recused themselves because of conflicts of interest, underscoring the complicated relationships in New Orleans’ tight-knit Catholic community

There were also media spectacles that fueled acrimony between the two sides, including a disclosure that the New Orleans Saints organization had provided pro bono crisis communications help to the archdiocese and a criminal search warrant for clergy abuse records served on the archdiocese by Louisiana State Police investigators.

By mid-2024, Grabill was growing impatient and began to push for a settlement between the archdiocese and the court-appointment committee that represented abuse claimants, whose numbers continued to swell as the case dragged on. She hired a third mediation expert to join two existing mediators to bring the two sides together

A few weeks later, the two sides filed competing settlement proposals that illustrated the gulf between them. The archdiocese’s plan offered $62.5 million, not including potential insurance settlements. The survivor committee called for more than $900 million, suggesting that funds could be generated, in part, by selling paintings and stained glass windows from the historic St. Louis Cathedral.

As 2024 came to a close, Grabill gave the two sides 60 days to show real progress toward a settlement, saying, “I have no problem being the first judge to dismiss one of these cases.”

Progress and pain

The new year brought the real progress the judge had demanded In July, the archdiocese and the survivors committee filed the joint settlement plan, making a significant step forward.

But a key group of attorneys who represented more than 100 survivors in the case — including those who suffered some of the worst abuse at the hands of the church’s most egregious predators — opposed the plan. Given that two-thirds of abuse survivors would need to approve it, the group’s opposition threatened to blow up the deal.

More intense negotiations followed. In September, the group of opposing survivors and their lawyers got on board, virtually assuring its approval A few weeks later, nearly 500 survivors voted in favor of the plan. Only two opposed it.

A confirmation hearing was held over three weeks in late November It included testimony from Aymond and concluded with emotional statements from nearly two dozen abuse survivors. Almost all who testified said they supported the plan but that it will never make up for the abuse they suffered.

“What the trauma has done to us will not ever end,” said Neil Duhon, who was abused and raped as a 15-year-old by one of the church’s most notorious abusers, the late Lawrence Hecker New, leaner church

The archdiocese is emerging from bankruptcy with a smaller footprint than it had before In the years since the case was filed, the archdiocese has shed its nursing home business, sold off more nearly $20 million in old church and school buildings and has a deal pending to sell Christopher Homes.

It also has consolidated 11 of its more than 100 parishes, which Aymond said in 2023 was not directly related to the bankruptcy but the result of changing demographic patterns, a shrinking population and, in some parishes, declining church attendance and participation in the sacraments. At the time, he said more consolidations were on the horizon, though none were forthcoming.

Those hard decisions will now be made by his success, Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio,

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

ucts, about 7,000; n In hops, about 25,000; n In coffee beans, about 136,080. After my head stopped spinning, Lambert arrived and explained that we had to put on our “bug chef gear” before we started cooking. She removed a silicone mold of a variety of insects and containers labeled “chocolate,” “peppermint” and “crickets.” Though

WEATHER

Continued from page 1B

I had never deliberately cooked with insects before, from there the recipe was just like normal cooking. We melted both white and dark chocolate, carefully added it into the molds, along with crushed peppermint and crickets.

At one point, Lambert suggested I take over putting the chocolate in the molds. I couldn’t help but experiment with the swirling of the chocolates as I added in the crickets. Meanwhile, families were steadily eating the other insect treats at the nearby counter The kids never hesitated.

who was named in September to succeed Aymond and is serving alongside him until the case is resolved.

Before the end of the year, parishes and charities will be required to put up $60 million toward the settlement. The archdiocese has declined to disclose how much each individual parish and charity will be responsible for Court documents do not say Archdiocese officials have said the money will come from a variety of sources, including sales of parish-owned real estate, surplus parish funds and contributions from donors. For an instance, an anonymous donor covered the contribution required of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, the archdiocese has confirmed. It declined to provide the name of the donor or the amount of the contribution.

In a statement on the issue last month, the archdiocese said, “Through the efforts of pastors and others, funds have been identified and allocated from the Catholic family of parishes and agencies that enable the additional debtors to make their contributions with minimal impact to their ministry and operations.”

Also outstanding was the final determination on how one of the church’s insurers, Travelers, will compensate survivors, and when. On Monday, WWL Louisiana reported that the insurer had agreed in principle to a $75 million payment that would add to the survivors’ settlement. Though the settlement becomes effective later this month, it will be several years before the settlement trust is fully funded. Survivors could begin receiving some of the funds they are entitled to as soon as spring 2026. Before that can happen, an independent claims administrator will evaluate each claim to determine how much each survivor will receive.

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

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

The cyclist identified as 30-year-old Aaron Augustus Jr., died at a hospital later that night.

The crash happened at 9:30 p.m. on the MohicanPrescott Crossover Investigators determined the suspect’s vehicle was traveling east toward Beechwood Drive when it crashed into the bicyclist, who was also traveling east.

Witnesses told police that the driver and passenger stopped momentarily, but fled the scene without calling 911 or rendering aid, police said in a news release.

Augustus was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

Man killed in two-vehicle crash Saturday night

A Zachary man was killed Sunday night in a two-vehicle crash, according to Louisiana State Police.

As Lambert and I finished each mold of holiday treats, Lambert placed them in the fridge so they could harden Then, we popped them out of the molds to save for future adventurous eaters — and I have to admit, they were delicious.

I’m not suggesting that crickets will replace gumbo anytime soon. However, the more time I spent at the Bug Cafe, the more I realized the real surprise wasn’t the crickets. It was how quickly curiosity can beat out fear — especially in a state where trying something new is practically a love language.

Calvin Turner, 45, died as a result of the crash, which happened at 6 p.m. on U.S. 61 at Port Hudson Plains Road. Turner was driving a 1994 Chevrolet pickup east on Port Hudson Plains and approaching the stop sign at U.S. 61.

For reasons still under investigation, Turner entered the intersection without making the stop and crashed with a 2017 Ford Transit van traveling south on the state highway, according to State Police. Turner was taken to a hospital with severe injuries, where he later died.

The driver of the van was uninjured.

Impairment is not suspected

The crash remains under investigation.

were Category 5s,” he said. A combination of two strong weather patterns — an atmospheric trough over the East Coast and something called the Bermuda high-pressure system that stayed more easterly than usual kept the hurricanes in the Atlantic, Grymes said.

despite chilly temperatures this week, Grymes said.

“I’m ready for a couple of more quiet years in the states,” he said “Are we going to be that lucky?” Probably not, he said. Meanwhile, winter in Baton Rouge is expected to be mild,

“The outlook for the rest of the winter is for a relatively mild January and February,” he said. “And it will be a little on the dry side.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Grymes said. “Half of our flooding occurs in winter and early spring.”

Templet, Larry

OurLadyofthe Holy Rosary Catholic Church,44450 LA Hwy 429 in St.Amant,at11a.m

Obituaries

Albarez, Barbara Sue Dietrich Laird

Barbara Sue Dietrich Laird Albarez,85, passed away on December 7, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Cary John Albarez; daughters, StephanieLaird Walker (Robert M.), Sue Laird Ollar, and Lea Ann Laird Taylor (John); step-sons, Randy Albarez (Stephanie) and Mark Albarez (Yvette); grandchildren, Ashley Walker Guitreau(Cody), Allison Walker Wilkinson (Colby), Amanda Walker Johnston (Blake), Katie Ollar, Shelby Ollar, Ryleigh Taylor, Reagan Taylor, Miranda Albarez,ColinAlbarez, and Michael Steele (Emily), Mariana, Mia, Railey Albarez; great-grandchildren, Levi Guitreau, Adalynn Guitreau, Walker Wilkinson, and Collins Johnston; sisters, Jane Lambert and Mary Claire Garrene; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Wilbur Lee "Buddy" Laird; son in-law, Col. Donovan Ollar; parents, Christian Henry Dietrich and Marguerite Catherine Kellum Dietrich; brothers, Milton, Christian, Bill, Stewart, Russell, Vernon, Donald, Carl Dietrich; sisters, Catherine and Lodena Relatives and friends are invited to attend avisitation on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge. Visitation at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 15615 Jefferson Hwy., Baton Rouge, will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, with aFuneralMass to follow at 11:00 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park, 9595 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.greenoaksfunerals.c om

AnnieLee Andersona lovingwife, mother, grandmother, sisterand friend passed awaypeacefully on Wednesday,December 3, 2025,atthe ageof78. She was aresident of Zachary, LA. Visitationwill be held December10th at 9AM until Services at 11AM at Greater Philadelphia Baptist Church. The Interment willbeat2PM at the Louisiana National Cemetery. She's survivedbyher husband Clyde Anderson of over 52 years, 3children, Charlene Anderson-Lee (Hewitt Lee Jr.), Claudine Anderson, and Clyde N. Anderson.Also, 3grandchildren, Bryson, Caleb,and Hannah Lee.

Arrangements entrusted to RichardsonFuneral HomeofClinton, LA.

Franklin "Frank" V. Endom Jr.passed away peacefully on December3, 2025,following complicationsfromsurgery. He was 87. Visitation willbeheld at St.Aloysius Catholic ChurchonFriday, December 12, 2025,from9:00 to 10:00am, followed by the Mass of Christian Burialat 10:00am. To view the obituary and signthe online guestbook, please visit www.churchfuneralservic es.com

McCleary, Barbara Barbara June Ivy Watts McCleary,a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana,was bornon June 24, 1937, in Jasper, Texas. Aftera lengthy illness, she passed away on December6,2025,atthe ageof88. Barbara is precededintransition by her beloved husband, Aubrey McCleary,Jr.;her daughter,Tamra Maureen McCleary;her parents, S.R. andPauline (Pat) Watts; andher longtime caretaker and friend, MissAlma JohnsonRenter. Sheis survived by her children Connie McClearySvestka Michael (Jodi) McCleary, Patrick McCleary,and Kevin McCleary; her grandchildrenJaredSvestka, Gracie McClearySimoneaux (Gage), Mary Kathryn, Kyle, Cameron, and MatthewMcCleary; and her great-grandchildrenElijah Svestka and Eden Rose Simoneaux.A burial service willbeheld on Wednesday, December 10th, 2025,at11:00 AM,at Resthaven Gardensof Memory, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge,LA 70816. The familywould like to extendspecial thanks toall of hercompassionate caregivers at FidelisResidentialCare Homes,with heartfeltgratitude to Jenniferand Keneichafor theextra-special care and kindness they showed Barbara, and to TheHospice of Baton Rouge. In lieuofflowers,

memorial giftsmay be madeinBarbara's name to theorganization of your choice.

McKinley, John Rex

John RexMcKinley,a native of Summerland, Mississippi and alongtime resident of BatonRouge, Louisiana, passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at theage of 88. Rex is preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Annette Guidroz McKinley;parents, Colloand LucilleMcKinley; sisters,Carolyn Sue McKinleyand Elna Joyce Marshall; brothers, Joe I. McKinley and Gerald K McKinley; daughter-in-law, PamMcKinley. He is survivedbyhis sisters,Rachel McKinley Walzak (Jim) and Nell McKinley Todd (Rodney); children, Terri Lynn David,Richard and Tracy McKinley, and John Kevin McKinley; grandchildren, Chad and Lynsey McKinley, Jessica Murnane, Hilary and JoeChang, Zachary McKinley, and Cody and Amy Hagler;and greatgrandchildren, Peyton McKinley, EastonMcKinley, Jase Hagler,and Tyler Hagler.Rex was amember of theFirst Baptist Church of DenhamSprings, LA,as well as East GateLodge #452, Scottish Rite,Shrine, Grotto and Eastern Star. He served over 8years in the U.S. Army National Guard and graduated from TaylorsvilleHighSchool in 1956. He then attended JCJC and LSU. Visitation willtakeplace at Resthaven Funeral Home on Thursday,December 11, 2025, from5:00 PM until 8:00 PM.Visitation willcontinue on Friday, December 12, 2025, resuming at 9:00 AM until services at 10:00 AM. Burial willfollow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Family and friends may sign theonline guestbookorleave apersonal notetothe family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Jarett JosephPicou, a resident of Maurepas, Louisiana, was born in Hammond on February 16, 1986, to Dawson Picou Jr and Mona CouvillierPicou. On December 2, 2025, at theage of 39, Jarett passed

away, leaving behindmany who lovedhim dearly. Jarett was an Ironworker and Rigger with Postel SteelServices basedin Houston, Texas,most recently working in Austin. He took greatpride in his craft. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mona CouvillierPicou, and his grandparents Dawson Picou Sr.and PatriciaAnn Picou. Jarett is survived by his father, Dawson Picou Jr.; his grandparents, Ray CouvillierSr. and Lola Mae "La-La" Couvillier; and his brother, Joshua Picou, with whom he shared aclose and special bond.Heisalso survivedbynumerous aunts, uncles, and cousins who willforever cherish his memory. Services will be held on Thursday,December 11, 2025, at St. Stephen'sCatholic Church in Whitehall, Louisiana. Visitationwilltakeplace from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM with Mass beginning at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Maurepas Cemetery in Maurepas, Louisiana. Arrangements are entrusted to Church Funeral Services and Crematory,St. Amant, Louisiana.

Ronald JamesPolozola 74, of Denham Springs, Louisiana,passed away Saturday, December6 2025 at his home. Ronald lovedbaseballand following Cooper and theHammond Yankees, fishing at thecamp,and cooking for hisfamily.Hewas also a diehard LSUfan and enjoyed watching some of his family members playfor LSU. Ronald was aloving father, devotedgrandfather,brother, uncleand friend and willbemissed by allthose who knew him. He was preceded in death by hisparents, Steve AnthonyPolozola Sr.and Carolina Lucito Polozola;and his brothers, The Honorable Frank Polozola and Edward Polozola.Ronald is survivedbyhis daughter and son-in-law Jamieand Hunter Gomez; grandchildren,Cooper, Sarah and Hannah; significant other, Sara O. Wall and her daughter and son-in-law Mandyand Pete Ferguson; sisterand brother-in-law, Patand Ronnie Domas; brothers and sisters-inlaw, Steveand CherylPolozola, Garyand Kathy Polozola,and sister in lawLinda Polozola;aswellasnumerous nieces, nephews and otherrelatives. Visitation willbeheldatSeale Funeral Home,Denham Springs, Wednesday, December 10, from 9a.m. untilserviceat11a.m.,officiated by DeaconKylePolozola. Burial willfollow in PonchatoulaCemetery. Please share your condo-

lences at www.sealefuneral.com.

Sanders, Joel Emory

Joel Emory Sanders, 71, residentofCentral,LA,went home to be withthe Lord on December 7, 2025. Joel was born on August 23, 1954, and lived alife marked by faith, generosity, anda deep love forhis familyand community.Joel is survived by hisdevoted wife, Karen Sanders,andbyhis children:BenSanders (Lindsey) andJeffSanders (Camille). He is also survivedbyhis stepchildren: JustinLangford (Melinda); Jordan Langford(Carrie); and JuliePerrien (Patrick).He is also survivedbyhis sister,Alice S.Comish. Hisgreatest joy was his grandchildren, wholovingly knew himas Big Daddy: Carolineand JackSanders; Noah,London,and Reilly Langford; Bryan and Madelyn Langford;and Declan and Sloane Perrien.Heisprecededindeathbyhis first wife, Virgina"Ginny" Sanders,by hisparents MeadeSanders,Sr. and Beatrice F.Sanders,and brotherMeade Sanders,Jr Agraduate of Istrouma High School,Joel went on to earna degree in ForestryfromLouisiana State University before establishinghis ownsuccessful business.Known for hisstrongwork ethic,integrity,andcreativity,Joel foundjoy in woodworking andcould oftenbe foundinhis shop crafting something meaningful for others.He wasanavid reader anda giftedcook wholoved sharing meals andstories with those he cherished.Joel'sfaithwas thefoundation of his life.Despite his12-yearlong struggle with cancer,whichhefought with theLord'sstrength,his faithneverwavered.He lovedthe Lordwholeheartedly andlived outthat love by serving others.Hewas especially devotedtosupportingthe homeless communityinBaton Rouge and founded the nonprofit Geaux &Deaux Ministries, through whichheworked tirelessly to meetneeds andshare hope.Visitation from9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. andservice to follow at 11:00 a.m. will be held at Istrouma Baptist Church on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.We encourage attendeestoweardenim in honor of Joel.Inlieuof flowers, the familyrequests that memorial gifts be made to Istrouma Baptist ChurchMissions or the Louisiana Baptist Chil-

dren's Home, causesthat reflectJoel'sheart for service.Joelwill be rememberedfor hiskindness, humility, andunwavering commitmenttoloving otherswell.His legacyof Christian faithand service lives on in thecountless lives he

Wanda JohnsonVance, 87, abeloved wife,mother, anddaughter, was called to be withher Lordand Savior, Jesus Christ,on Saturday, December 6, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Sheentered this worldonJuly30, 1938, born to Estelle andMarvin JohnsoninUpshurCounty, Texas. Adedicated educator, Wanda wasanelementary school teacher for many years, touchingthe lives of countless students. Her kindness, warmth, and commitmenttolearning left alastingimpression on all whoknewher.She lovedher familydearly and foundjoy in theirshared momentsand accomplishments. Herstrongfaith wasa cornerstone of her life. Shewas adevoted member of thePresbyterian Church,previously at Baker Presbyterian Church,and along-time member of FaithPresbyterian ChurchinClinton Louisiana.

Wanda is survived by herloving husband of 64 years, LewisJoseph "Buddy" Vance, Sr.; son, Lewis Joseph "Joey" Vance Jr.; daughter, LuAnn Vance Bishop andhusband Spencer; cherished grandchildren, LewisJoseph "Joe" Vance, III (Cami), KaydiVanceJackson (Tyler), SpencerVance Bishop, Maggie Bishop Prejean (Ryan), JackHarrison Bishop (Lily); andsisters, Linda Johnson Mashon (Carl) andShirley Johnson Delaney(David); anda host of nieces and nephews. Hermemory will be forever held in the hearts of herfamilyand friends. Wanda is preceded in death by herfather, Marvin WadeJohnson;mother,EstelleHardaway Johnson. Sheisnow reunitedinglory with those whohave gonebeforeher Serving as pallbearers will be JoeVance, Vance Bishop, JackBishop, Ryan Prejean,and Tyler Jackson Relativesand friends are invited to join thefamily for thevisitation at Baker Funeral Home, 6401 Groom Road,Baker, LA on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 9:00 AM until theFuneral Service at 10:00 AM,officiatedbyPastor Jeff Mitchell. Thegraveside service andburialwill followat1:00 PM in the Natchez CityCemetery,in Natchez,Mississippi.

OUR VIEWS

Tulane’s CFP berthgives statereason to cheer

Even adecade ago, any mention of the Tulane University football team seriously competing forthe nationalchampionship would have sounded like the punch line for ajoke. Now, though, all eyesare on Tulane, whichpunched its ticket to the College Football Playoffover the weekend.

All of Louisiana should congratulate theGreen Wave for reaching the championship playoffs and creating asecond program in the state (in additiontoLSU) that consistently competes at such ahigh level. Congratulations also arein order for the manner in which thisNew Orleans university has handled the coaching carousel that is now atrademark of collegefootball. Finally,please allow us thisslightly puckish suggestion: Isn’tittime for Tulane andLSU to resume an annual rivalry?

Let’srecap: This season marksthe seventh in thepasteight in which Tulane will play in abowl game. Its record in the last four years is43-12, andthree years ago it won an epic 46-45 Cotton Bowl victory overatraditional powerhouse, the University of Southern California. This is heady stuff for aprogram that in the prior 19 years had won only 78 of 225 games.

Tulane earned its trip to the playoffs this year even as head coach Jon Sumrall is leaving for much greenerfinancial pastures at the University of Florida, aschoolwith some 40,000undergraduates compared to Tulane’s8,500. Tulane and Sumrall, though, are handlingthe transition with composure and class, with Sumrall enthusiasticallycontinuing to coach theWaveintothe postseason.

Louisiana, meanwhile,benefitsfrombeing a state known for two consistently winning programs, not just one. With playerrecruiting being anational rather thanregional matterthese days, it behooves astate to look likeafootball mecca,withthe two programs mutually reinforcing that impression.

All of which leads to thebenefitsthatcan accrue to both schoolsifthey renewtheir oncetraditional annual game. Just as theIronBowl betweenAlabama and Auburn drives home the impression of that state’sfootball supremacy,a game between LSU and Tulane could become a nationaldrawing card for both.

People forget just how big adeal theTulaneLSU game once was. After Tulane fell asingle yard short of upsetting LSU at theend of the 1972 season, the 1973 rematch drewanastonishing 86,598 fans —which then byfar wasthe largest football crowd ever in the South. The rivalry remained supremely competitive for thenextnineyears, with LSUwinning sixtoTulane’sthree, with two of LSU’swinsbeing nailbiters withinthree points.

Imagine what ahuge andbeneficialspectacle —what ahelluva hullabaloo —sucharenewed in-state rivalry could be.

Either way,asTulane enters the playoffs, let’s all say avery hearty “Roll, Wave!”

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Commerce secretary doesn’tunderstandthe role of university research

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has proposed that the governmentseize half of university patent royalties because he believes taxpayers get “zero” from public money invested in university research.

LSUProfesor Shafiqul Chowdhury ably illustrates why this is misguided in his guest column, “University innovation helps to power La., but a federal plan could put stop to that,” published Nov.28. While expedient, Lutnick’s “businessman’s” approach to this (perceived) problem ignores constitutional limits on government power as well as collateral economic damage his proposal would cause. Chowdhury clearly points out how thefederal proposal would kill universityresearch, which yields real solutions to serious and practical problemsconfronting industries we rely on, such as the cattle industry (I would add theseafood, agriculture and energy industries, to say nothing of solutions to environmental problems.)

Lutnick’s proposal also illustrates a larger,persistent flaw in thepresent

administration’sapproach to many problems: It ignores the proper role of government in afree-market economy.AsWilliam McGurn observed in The Wall Street Journal on Nov.17, ”The classic free-market approach is to recognize that the government’s job is to create the conditions for Americanstobetter themselves. The government ensures asound currency,the rule of law and space for people to use their talents in the marketplace. We elect Republicans (or used to) not because they better managethe economybut because they know it is hubris to assume that thesmartpeople with political power can pick winners and losers and what theright price should be.”

That Lutnick may believe his meansare justified by his ends cannot establish the validity or legitimacy of governmental action.“I’m from thegovernment; I’mhere to help you” has long been ajoke. Sadly, Lutnick’s proposal demonstrates the cruel truth behind it. MYRON WALKER Baton Rouge

NewOrleans needs fiscal oversight

Yes, Gov.Jeff Landry should have appointed afiscal administrator to govern spending decisions in New Orleans. We are just now attempting to stave off afiscal crisis that threatened to leave city employees without pay How did we get to this crisis? Why was it only just discovered after our most recent election? Why did city leaders “find” newmoney when threatened by afiscal administrator? In thelast election, voters were asked to compound New Orleans’ fiscal calamity by voting for morethan half abillion dollars in new bonds. The goals were laudatory: affordable housing and infrastructure improvements. These are pressing mattersofconcern, but we cannot afford to issue these new bonds. We must pursue these goals with more exacting means. New Orleanians are struggling to stay in their homes with thehigh cost of living, taxes and viciously high insurance rates.

The question on theballot deceived voters by saying that no one would face atax increase in the first year Butwewill, after the first year.And we’re all going to pay it —not just wealthy individuals or corporations. The interest rate alone is breathtaking —upto8%interest —roughly double theaverage for every other municipalityinthe United States. Why is theinterest rate so high? Years of fiscal mismanagement that these new bonds would exacerbate. Votersshould not be deceived. No one in New Orleans wants to give up local control to Baton Rouge. That is understandable. But fewresidentsofNew Orleanslikely believe that our fiscal house is in order —our current crisis would belie any such belief. It is unfortunatelyhigh time that Landry impose afiscal administrator to preside over our city’s bankruptcy

JOHN EAST NewOrleans

The defining periodofmyfather’s life wasasa combat soldier in World WarII. He sawthere the mass death of humans andtheir morals. He was proud of his part in defeating thatscourge andproud of ourcountry forstanding against it. He would be heartbroken andashamed to seewhatnow passes for American leadership in the world. President Donald Trump’sbackroom dealings with the Russian dictatorVladimir Putin arenow revealed to sell ourally Ukraine down the river,whichwas the plan from the start. He cynically calledUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,who hasshown extreme bravery in the face of Russianaggression, adictator while cooing lovingly to the murderer Putin, who threatensthe world with nuclear war while ruthlessly destroying anothercountry Thatdoesn’tmakeAmerica great at all; these arethings we are supposed to oppose Ihavealways been proud to be an American;now thatpride is tarnished.

We have triedisolationism before with disastrous results. There is immense powerinbeing ahelping hand, anditgenerates agreat deal of influence.

China andRussia stand ready to replace us as world leaders; all we need to do is turn ourbacks.

Trump hassaidofhimself: “That’s what Ido, Idodeals, my whole life is deals, that’sall Iknowisdeals,” as if selling outanally is equivalent to selling some schlocky real estate. If Trump wasa student of history,he might knowthatappeasing dictators neverworks; people like Hitler and Putin cannotbeappeased. Weakness to themislike the scent of blood to ashark and they will soon be at ourdoor,teeth bared. In betraying Ukraine,Trump will cement his place as oneofthe worst leaders in world history

JAMES WILKINS Baton Rouge

Tammany, EBRmoney woes signal deeperproblems

At first glance,the St. Tammany ParishMosquito Abatement Districtand the East Baton Rouge Parish library system may appear to have little in common. One kills insects; the otherlends books. But over the last year, both agencies have foundthemselves in a similar pickle:being targeted by otherelected officials over their budgets. The reason is simple. Thoseagencies, because of dedicated taxes,are well funded. And others are not.

AndasLouisiana voters have grown increasingly tax-averse in recent years, especially when it comestothe undedicated taxes over which local officials have authority, theshare of revenue over which parish councils and police juries have authority has shrunk. But the demands on that funding have not. And that has left parish government officials, like East Baton Rouge MayorPresidentSid Edwardsand St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper, in atough position.

Not only are they required to provide theregular services that many of us think the parish is responsible for, such as roads, drainage, permitting and thelike, they are also required by the LouisianaConstitution to provide some funding for certain officesand facilities, like the district attorney, coroner and the jail. And per the constitution, those requirements do not fall on cities or towns. So in East Baton Rouge Parish, the city of St. George appropriated its share of the 2% salestax that previously flowed into the city-parish general fund. But none of St. George’s revenue is going to the constitutional offices. The city-parish mustbear the full burden.

The EBR budget crunch hasforced Edwards to begin amassive seriesof cuts. District Attorney HillarMoore’s office is looking at more than a10% cut in his local funding, something he has said is untenable.

In St. Tammany,the situationissimilarly grim. In the budget approvedearlier this month, District Attorney Collin Sims’ office is looking at a30% cut in itsparish funding for prosecutions No one denies that criminalprosecutions are an essential formofgovernment. These officialsdon’twanttocut the funding for district attorneys. But they have no choice.

That’show the EBR libraryand St.

While only asmall number of us live to be 100, everyone’sbirthday has acentenary date. For historians who seem mostly to be of the liberal persuasion and obituary writers (ditto)the 100th anniversary of aconservative’sbirth usually resultsin one of the following: ignored, diminished with attachment of “right-wing” or “so-called ” and my personal favoritethat is rarely attached to aliberal, “controversial.”

Tammany mosquitoabatement ended up in the crosshairs.

In BatonRouge, Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ Thrive EBRplan would have rededicatedsomeofthe library tax and$52 millioninreserve funds to the general fund. Thatwould have, in turn, helpedminimize cutstothe district attorney and other constitutional offices among others.

In St.Tammany,Simsand his allies have takenaim at the parish’smosquito control, arguing that it is overfunded andinefficient. The play here may be to save voters money on mosquito control in the hopes it will later help persuade themtodevotemoretothe court system. The obstacletoboththese plans?

Voters EastBaton Rouge voters rejected Edwards’ Thrive EBR planinNovember.

In St.Tammany,votershaven’tyet been asked to reconsider the mosquito controltax. But Sims and others would do well to be wary

Six timesinthe last several years, voters have rejected taxes to fund criminal justice. They might well agreewith Sims to reduce themosquito controltax, but then decline to send that extra money his way.And he would be back tosquare one. It would be easy todismiss theseaslocal politicalsquabbles whose outcomes barely stretch beyond parish lines.

But they’re emblematic of abigger problem. And that goes back, in part, to the constitutional offices mentioned above. Putting theburden for their local funding on parish governments is unnecessary and forces them into a yearly political competition for fund-

ing. This has two bad outcomes. First, some services,like district attorneys, suffer and are forced todo morewithless.

Second, the formula creates confusionamong voters. District attorneys areelected on acycle completely apart from parish government.Some of their districts include multiple parishes Sims, for instance, oversees prosecutions in St.Tammany and Washington parishes.

Theyare notapartofparishgovernment.Yet it’s parish government thatis requiredbythe constitution to provide some of their funding.

And becauseit’sparishgovernment thatneeds funding and so often asks voters for new taxes,district attorneys end up suffering at the ballot box becausefolks aredissatisfied with how their road has been fixed.

This may have seemed aworkable structure when the Louisiana Constitutionwas ratifiedmorethan ahalf-century ago, but it makes little sense now The only solution is somesortof significant constitutional overhaul. Louisiana desperately needs asimpler and moretransparent structure that lays out theresponsibilities and mechanisms for fairly funding essential government functions. And it’s time to split criminaljusticefunding from parish governments entirely Given today’spolitical environment, arational, sober, methodical approach to this seems like atall ask. But the need isn’tgoing away

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

Respectabilityisoverrated thesedays, or so oneinfers from reading thedueling romantic narrativesoftwo formerlytop-tierjournalists, whose sagaofheartbreak andbetrayal has captured themedia’s attention andprobably that of a fewmovie directors.

It’s allwildly delicious. Imean,it’sterrible, just terrible

The past week’sbreathless chatter is about theonce-engagedcouple,Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza, who can’t stop sharing their downfalls anddenouements.If you’re just tuning in, Nuzzi was 21 in 2014 whenshe beganwriting for theDaily Beast aboutPresident Donald Trump. She landeda plum job at age24asWashington correspondent forNew York magazine Somewhere alongthe line,she andanother star political writer Ryan Lizza, who was fired by theNew Yorker on allegationsofsexualmisconduct(whichhe denied) during the#MeToohysteria, fell in love, became engagedand secured acontract to cowriteabook aboutthe 2020 election. Then news brokethatNuzzi hadbeen “sexting”withRobert F. Kennedy Jr., while covering him during his run forpresident. Thisisthe ultimate no-no in the universe of journalismethics

The engagement went bustalong with the book, andNuzzilosther magazine gig. Whereupon she went into exile, moved to Los Angelesand wrote asoon to be released book,“American Canto,” reportedly typedonher cellphone while hiking. Sure. Nuzzi,now 32, hasreinvented herselfinHollywood fashion. The NewYork Times recently publisheda splashy storyabout herbook, accompaniedbyphotos of avampyblack-clad, platinum-blond Nuzzi, who nowlivesinMalibu andgets around in awhiteMustangconvertible. I’mremindedofa populargirlsleuthbook series from childhood that starred Connie Blair, who was always tossing on asummerfrock and jumpingintoher sporty roadster while also employing herfeminine wiles to gettothe bottom of things. Youhavetogive agirl herdue.From ayoung age, Nuzzi seemstohaveknown andgotten what shewants, notjustjobsbut also men.Kennedy, aboutwhomshe wrote in 2023, wasapparently too delicious to pass up. Calling him “the politician”throughout herbook,she said she loved hiseyes, “blueasthe flame” andhis insatiable appetites in allthings.She hasmaintained they weren’t sleeping together but writes in the book aboutseeinghim floss his teeth.When do people usually floss, areporter might wonder Reacting to Nuzzi’s stage-managed resurrection,Lizza just addedextra spicetothissaucy story.Herevealed in his Substack newsletter that his former bride-to-be also hadanaffair with 2020 presidential candidate MarkSanford, while crafting aprofile of theformer South Carolina governor alreadyinfamous for his own extramarital proclivities.In2009, Sanford disappeared from home andofficefor several days, allegedly to hike theAppalachianTrail, when he was really visiting his loverinArgentina,who happened to be ajournalist. His forayintosmall-brainactivities washardly afirst forpolitics, but Sanford’s very public betrayal of his family and his state, as he tearfully put it in anews conference apologia, foreshadowed theease withwhich he apparently entered intoalustyalliancewithNuzzi while shewas datingLizza.

This year is the centenary of two towering individuals in the conservative movement, neitherofwhom received the respect they deserved among the ruling political, historical and media classes. Ispeak of William F. Buckley Jr.and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Before 2025 expires, Ioffer some reflectionsand admiration for these two. Bill Buckley almost single-handedly held the conservative fort until reinforcements arrived. Far from being mean-spirited, Buckley used his extensive vocabulary and rapier wit to disarm liberal opponentsinways they didn’trecognize until it was too late to respond. His line about preferringto “entrust the governmentofthe United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of HarvardUniversity” wasaclassic undermining of what we now call the “woke” agenda of that school of “higher learning.”

Aquestioner once asked Buckley,

“On television, you are always seated. Does this mean you can’tthink on your feet?”Buckley’simmediate response: “It’svery,very hard to stand up carrying the weight of what Iknow.” Coming from anyoneelse that might sound prideful,but theline had aconsiderable amount of truth in it and theaudience laughed. He was incredibly smart and was hisown encyclopedia. Ionce introduced him at aWashington event: “Bill, Idon’tmind you writing acolumn,orbeing the author of many books, or piloting ayacht, but when youbuilt aharpsichord from scratch and played it at Carnegie Hall, don’t you think that’s pouring it on alittle too much?” Clearly,hewent through thegift line more than once.

Margaret Thatcher was hated by theBritish Left because she almost single-handedly destroyed thesocialist programsthat had harmed much of thecountry’s social, economic and political infrastructure. Herpolitical opponentswould never admit they were wrong, despitethe evidence. Respondingtothe collectivism andoverreliance on government in her day,Thatcher recalled abasic principle: “Thereisnosuch thingas society.There areindividual men and women, and there are families. Andno government can do anything except throughpeople, andpeople must look to themselves first.”

Another Thatcher line that should have been quoted during therace for

New York Citymayor,which was won by Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani: “The problem withSocialism is that you eventually run out of other people’smoney.”

In an article for theperiodical Modern Age: AConservative Review titled “The Woman Who Made Britain Great Again,” Christopher Sandfordwrites: “In her first termalone, she oversaw measures that lowered inflation from an annual rate of 18 percent (andrising) to 5.5 percent (andfalling). She introduced legislation to curb union militancy (and) privatize(d) inefficient stateindustries,” among many other reforms. Sandford wraps up his summation of Thatcher’sremarkable life: “Toher critics, Thatcher will always be the steely-eyed operator more concerned with advancing her essentially puritanical view of theworld than with the consensus politics we seem to demand in the West today.For others, she remainsthe last recognizably great Britishprime minister,one who embodies theparadox of serving as her nation’sall-but-unchallenged leader for eleven years, while seeing herself as an outsider constantly beset by an inert political establishment.” Count me amongthe “others.” Twogreat minds whose ideas and philosophies would still work should modernpoliticians again embrace them.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditorstribpub.com

The image of Lizza burrowedinhis Substack bunkerbanging outhis lamentations while his sexyexhawksabook from thepages of the Times feels tragic andsad.This newiteration of Nuzzi, though entertaining, is abackstab not just to herformer fiancé, but to alljournalists who, toiling forinsubstantial compensation, wouldn’t considergetting romantically involved with a source or subject. The last thing female journalists need is ahigh-profile climberglamorizing theHollywood-created impressionthat female reporters tradesex forscoops. Some do, I’ve noticed,but they arethe rare exceptions.

Nuzzi’s canto, which came outDec. 2, is saidto be primarily abouther RFK affair,Trumpworld andthe twisted effects she thinks the latter had on herand thecountry.MuchasIdislikecontributing to thefurther diminutionofthe Fourth Estate, I’ll read thebook,aswellas“Unscripted,” a newmemoirbyCheryl Hines, RFK’s wife.Hines reportedly is fuming aboutNuzzi’sclaim in the Times story that Kennedy wanted her to have his baby andthathe’d takeabulletfor her Mainly,I’m piquedbycuriosity. What makes someonelike Nuzzi tick?Why doesn’tshe care aboutthe things other ethically minded journalists obsess about— transparency, credibility, integrity andthe trust they build withreaders? Whatever theanswers,Nuzzi andothers likeher are badfor journalismand, therefore, bad forthe country.Evenifshe’s self-aware enough to reveal truthsabout theworld she helpedshape, thisis surelyone instance where it isn’tquite fair to blame Donald Trump.

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com

Big improvement

LSU 6-5 sophomore Koval asserting herself in paint

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The plan for Kate Koval was clear

Once she transferred from Notre Dame to the LSU women’s basketball team, she’d help the Tigers replace what they had lost in the offseason. Rebounding.

Rim protection. Interior scoring. It was obvious that Koval, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, had the size and skill to address those needs. She just needed to prove she could do so in the large role she was expected to play for coach Kim Mulkey at LSU one of the teams the center from Ukraine considered joining

when she was one of the five best recruits in her high school class. Koval had potential. But after she helped turn the tide of the No. 5 Tigers’ (10-0) win over Duke, then turned in a career-best scoring night Sunday against

Pels fall despite Queen’s triple-double

Pelicans center Derik Queen defends San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes at the Smoothie King Center on Monday. STAFF PHOTO By

GRUNFELD

BY LES EAST Contribuing writer

Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and Dylan Harper added 22 as the San Antonio Spurs held off the New Orleans Pelicans 135-132 on Monday night in the Smoothie King Center

Stephon Castle had 18 points, Julian Champagnie scored 17, De’Aaron Fox hada 14, Keldon Johnson scored 12 and former Pelican Kelly Olynyk scored 11 for the Spurs (16-7).

Rookie Derik Queen had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Pelicans while recording his first career tripledouble. Trey Murphy scored 32, Herb Jones returned from an eight-game absence due to a strained right calf to score 17, Saddiq Bey had 17 and Jose Alvarado put in 10 to lead the

Pelicans (3-22), who lost their seventh game in a row and will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Jones had three points and an assist and Queen added six points as New Orleans scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to trim the Spurs’ lead to 77-68.

Barnes made a layup for San Antonio to curb the Pels’ momentum, but Queen scored 10 more to help the Pelicans inch in front, 91-90.

The score was tied four times before Queen made two free throws for the last of his 21 points in the third quarter to give New Orleans a 102-100 lead entering the fourth quarter

Jones scored the Pelicans’ first six points of the fourth to help

ä See PELICANS, page 3C

McMahon admits recent shooting ‘concerning’

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU basketball suffered its first setback of the season Sunday after a solid start to the campaign.

Coach Matt McMahon’s team thoroughly was outplayed in its 82-58 loss to No. 16 Texas Tech (7-2) on Sunday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge McMahon said LSU (8-1) was overwhelmed from the 3-point line, which was the difference in the game. The Tigers went 4 of 24 from beyond the arc, and Texas Tech was 13 of 27, making nine in the first half. The putrid 3-point shooting followed LSU from its previous game, when it went 3 of 19 in a 7869 overtime win at Boston College on Wednesday

“It’s concerning,” McMahon said after the game Sunday “You come off the second half where we struggled to make shots on the road at Boston College then you come out today, and once again, 26% from the field, 2 of 13 (from the 3-point line).

“I thought we rushed a couple, but we got pretty good looks from behind the line in the first half, but we didn’t make any And so now you’re playing in transition against a really explosive offensive team. Texas Tech made us pay for our offensive shortcomings.”

LSU’s primary strategy was to limit post player JT Toppin, a preseason AllAmerican who entered Sunday as the only player in the nation averaging more than 22 points and 11 rebounds per game. While the LSU frontcourt held him to 11 points and 15 rebounds, Texas Tech was on fire from the perimeter

Christian Anderson, the second-leading scorer for Texas Tech, scored 27 points and made 5 of 9 shots from beyond the arc, primarily pull-ups. McMahon said the 6-foot-3 point guard “just dictated the whole flow of the first 20 minutes” on his way to scoring 20 in the first half. As Texas Tech followed his lead from deep range, the Tigers were unsuccessful in that area.

LSU shooting guard Max Mackinnon, a team-best 44% 3-point shooter, missed all five of his attempts and was 0 of 9 from the field. Starting forward Marquel Sutton, who has made the second-most 3s for LSU, went 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Remedying this shooting problem will be a priority for McMahon’s team ahead of its game against SMU (9-1) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

“There’s disappointment, but I think our players need to know we have a good team,” McMahon said. “We have high-character guys who are all about the team. They’ll be hungry to get back on the practice floor this week and get better and prepare for our next opportunity against a really good SMU team.”

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Mason Tipton touched the football only once Sunday in the New Orleans Saints’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But what he did in those nine seconds he had the ball in his hand set the tone for the Saints’ best win of what has been a trying season. The speedy Tipton returned the opening kickoff 54 yards, allowing Tyler Shough and the offense to take the first snap at the Bucs’ 45-yard line. The Saints scored six plays later on their way to a surprising 24-20 victory over the NFC Southleading Bucs.

“It’s really just read, see the hole, and hit it with speed and

make it happen,” Tipton said. It was just the 12th time the undrafted second-year receiver has returned a kickoff. He never did it in high school in Akron, Ohio, and he never did it in college at Yale. He returned punts, but never kickoffs. It became a bigger role for him when the Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks in November “Sheed was one of my closest homies,” Tipton said. “For what a great dude he is, he is also a good teacher So seeing what Sheed could do and taking what he did and applying some of

Big Ten ties record for Top 25 teams

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

The Big Ten matched The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball record with nine ranked teams as Nebraska entered at No. 24 on Monday The conference set the mark last year on Dec 2 and this week has three teams in the top 10 alone. UConn still is No. 1, receiving 23 first-place votes from a national media panel. Texas garnered the other nine votes to remain second

The top 10 was unchanged this week. South Carolina and UCLA stayed third and fourth with LSU and Michigan next. Maryland was seventh after rallying to beat Minnesota in double overtime Sunday TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the first 10. The Cyclones play in-state rival No 11 Iowa on Wednesday Other Big Ten teams in the poll include No. 16 USC, No. 20 Washington, No. 21 Ohio State and No. 25 Michigan State. The Cornhusk-

ers are ranked for the second consecutive season after starting 9-0.

“I’ve been honored to be a part of this league for the last 13 seasons, working on year 14, where I’ve watched the league just get better and better,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “And then when you have that type of improvement, and then add the four West Coast teams that are tremendous as well, I just think it added another top four teams to an already great league.”

Tennessee’s milestone ranking

The 18th-ranked Lady Vols appeared in the poll for the 800th time in the 50-year history of the rankings. Tennessee had a stretch of being in the Top 25 for 565 straight weeks, a record later surpassed by UConn. Conference supremacy

The Big Ten took over the top spot with nine teams while the Southeastern Conference was next with eight. The Big 12 has four and

the Atlantic Coast Conference has three. The Big East has one. Struggling ACC

The ACC had a rough week, going 3-13 against the SEC in the conference challenge The ACC saw its run of having at least one top 10 team in every poll end earlier this season after 453 consecutive weeks.

Games of the week

No 1 UConn at No. 16 Southern California, Saturday The Huskies head across the country for one of the few ranked games left on their schedule. The two teams have met a few times over the last couple of seasons, including in the NCAA Tournament regional final in 2024 and 2025. UConn won both of those matchups while the Trojans were victorious in Connecticut during a regular-season game.

No. 2 Texas vs No. 13 Baylor Sunday The two former Big 12 rivals will tip off in the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational in Fort

Arizona takes No. 1; Purdue slides to No. 6

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP basketball writer

Arizona took over the top spot in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, a reward for a perfect start to the season that includes a quartet of wins against ranked foes, including a lopsided victory over Auburn last weekend. Purdue, which had spent the past three weeks at No. 1, slid to sixth following its 81-58 home loss to Iowa State and the entire poll got a shakeup as only two teams remained in the same spots from last week.

The Wildcats received 33 of 60 first-place votes from a national media panel to claim No 1 for the first time since Dec. 11, 2023, and only the third time since the 201314 season. They edged No 2 Michigan, which earned 19 first-place votes, thanks in part to wins over Florida, UConn and UCLA, along with their 97-68 romp over the thenNo. 20 Tigers on Saturday night

“Obviously it’s nothing you shy away from,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said of being No 1. “You know, you’re at Arizona. The big stage It’s part of being at a program like this. But we have bigger things on our mind.”

The Wolverines also moved up one spot for their best ranking since March 2021 Duke claimed seven first-place votes and moved up to No. 3. And the Cyclones parlayed their big win in West Lafayette, Indiana, into a six-spot climb to No. 4 and a first-place vote. Iowa State has never been ranked No 1 in the AP poll era, which began with the 1948-49 season.

“They stole our spirit,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose team tied a record for largest margin of defeat at home as the nation’s No. 1 team. “Our reason for having a high frustration level was them They’re damn good. They took us

to the woodshed.”

UConn remained ahead of Purdue at No. 5 after beating Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse last week. Houston was seventh, Gonzaga climbed three spots to eighth, Michigan State was ninth and BYU rounded out the top 10 after a week of high-profile matchups across college basketball. Louisville dropped five spots to No. 11 after losing to Arkansas. Alabama remained at No. 12, followed by Illinois, North Carolina and Vanderbilt, the only unbeaten team left in the SEC and one of just eight left in Division I men’s basketball. Texas Tech was next, followed by the Razorbacks who jumped eight spots after also beating Fresno State last week. Florida fell to No. 18 following its 67-66 loss to the Blue Devils, while Kansas moved up to No. 19 and Tennessee finished out the top 20.

The last five in the poll were Auburn, St. John’s, Nebraska, Virginia and UCLA. The No. 23 Huskers are 9-0 for only the third time in school history, and they have won 13 straight dating to last season, the thirdlongest run in school history. The ranking is their best since they were 21st the second week of the 2014-15 season.

Rising and falling Arkansas was No. 14 in the preseason poll, nearly dropped out entirely, but made a big jump this week back to No. 17 following its two wins. Iowa State’s climb to No. 4 has been a steady one since it was ranked 16th in the preseason poll. Tennessee tumbled seven spots to No. 20 this week following loss-

LSU DT Breaux reveals he plans to enter portal LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux is planning to enter the transfer portal, he confirmed Monday on social media.

Breaux, a Ruston native, joined the Tigers in 2024 as an edge rusher The former three-star recruit moved to the interior of the defensive line not long after he enrolled, then carved out a role at that spot in both seasons he played at LSU. In 2025, he played roughly 25 snaps per game in a rotational role, according to Pro Football Focus, tallying 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.

Now, Breaux is leaving LSU alongside defensive line coach Kyle Williams. The portal doesn’t officially open until Jan. 2, but players on teams that fired their head coaches can enter before then.

Commanders TE Ertz out for the season after injury

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, coach Dan Quinn said Monday

The 35-year-old Ertz was injured when he was hit on an incomplete pass from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in the third quarter of Washington’s 31-0 loss at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday “I hate seeing those happen. Got a chance to connect with Zach last night a little bit, just because I’ve had a relationship with him,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I’ve always just thought the absolute world of him as a player.”

This was Ertz’s second season with the Commanders and his 13th in the NFL. He ranks fifth in league history among tight ends with 825 catches.

Colts QB Jones out for season, backup also hurt

INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis Colts will be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones the rest of this season.

Coach Shane Steichen confirmed Monday the expected news Jones tore his right Achilles tendon and the surprise news backup Riley Leonard injured his right knee Sunday, too.

Jones was injured in the first half of Sunday’s 36-19 loss in rainy Jacksonville. He crumpled to the ground, reaching toward his calf despite not being hit on the play Leonard replaced Jones on Sunday, going 18 of 29 for 145 yards and one interception in his most extensive action since Notre Dame lost last year’s national championship game.

Memphis hires Huff as Silverfield replacement MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis has hired Charles Huff as its football coach after his one season at Southern Miss.

Athletic director Ed Scott announced the hiring Monday with Huff replacing Ryan Silverfield, who left for Arkansas on Nov 30. Huff went 7-5 with Southern Miss this season after taking over a program that went 1-11 in 2024. That was the program’s best regular-season record since 2019. The six-win turnaround was one of the biggest improvements in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season. The Tigers are playing North Carolina State in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 19 in Tampa. Interim coach Reggie Howard will oversee the Tigers in the bowl game.

Texas men’s basketball takes down Southern

es to Syracuse and Illinois. Purdue and Louisville each fell five spots.

In and out Nebraska and Virginia both made their poll debuts, replacing Indiana and USC. The Cavaliers did not receive a single vote last week but earned enough to join the rankings at No. 24. UCLA also returned to the rankings while Kentucky dropped out. Conference watch The Big 12, Big Ten and SEC lead the way with six ranked teams apiece, but the Big 12 has the nation’s No 1 team. It also has four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has three and the SEC none. The ACC

and

AUSTIN, Texas Matas Vokietaitis scored a career-high 28 points to lead five Longhorns in double figures as Texas cruised to a 95-69 victory over Southern on Monday night. Vokietaitis made 7 of 10 shots and all 14 of his free throws for the Longhorns (7-3). Maleek Abdelgowad came off the bench and scored 17 to lead the Jaguars (4-5), who dropped to 1-5 on the road Michael Jacobs had 11 points and reserve AJ Barnes scored 10. Texas shot 56.6% from the

Florida’sFland continues to search forhis rhythm

BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

GAINESVILLE, Fla. Florida

guard Boogie Fland bought ahundred tickets for friends and family to watch him play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It will be an expensive homecoming.

Fland grew up in the Bronx and will play at the iconic venue for the second time in as many seasons when the reigning national champion and 18th-ranked Gators (5-3) continuetheir dauntingnonconference slate against No. 5UConn (8-1).

“I’m excited. I’m going to play in front of my peoples,” FlandsaidMonday “It doesn’tget no more exciting than that, especially in December,cold, Madison Square Garden, an NBA arena. I’m ready.”

Flandprobablyneeds to play better for the Gators to have achance against the Huskies in arematch, of sorts. Florida knocked UConn out of the NCAA Tournament in March.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore who played his freshman year at Arkansas was abigmoney acquisition for Floridainthe transfer portal ado-it-all point guard who wassupposed to help replace All-American Walter Clayton.But Fland is shooting 39% from the field, including 25% from 3-point range, and nearly has as many turnovers (14) as assists (17). He had acrucialgiveaway in the final minute of aonepoint loss at Duke last week. It took him two days to get over it.

“That comes with basketball,” he said. “You just got to watchfilm, getbetter, don’tlet it happen again.

Yougot to let it fuel you.”

Playing in front of familiar facescould help. He put up 20 points and seven assists in the Razorbacks’ 89-87 victory against Michigan at MadisonSquare Garden ayear ago. He had roughly 200 friends and relatives on hand for that,and many of them are coming backfor his return. Fland grew up about 35

minutes from the arena and attended gamesasa kid —not tosee the New York Knicks, though. He was a LeBron Jamesfan and made ahandfuloftripstosee his superstar idol as often as possible.

Although Fland might have acrowd cheering hisname, the Gators realize UConn will be the bigger draw in New York City.Florida can counter someofthat with fewer turnovers and better shot-making—the biggest areas of concern for coach Todd Golden amonth into theseason

Florida, which returned itstop four big men from last year’stitle team, has one of thebest frontcourts in thecountry.Gettingup shots andgettingputbacks and second chances are part of Golden’sapproach. But theGators are turning the ball over on nearly 20% of theirpossessions.

“If this team could start living around the 16% or

15%turnover rate, we’re going to give ourselves agreat chance to be areally,really good team for the rest of the year,” Golden said. It starts withFland, who didn’thave an assist against the Blue Devils. Florida managed only four as ateam, the program’s fewest since also finishing with four against Marshall in 2019.

“I think we’re too unselfish,” Fland said. It also might be that Fland and fellowguard Xaivian Leehave passed up toomany shots,the result of theduo hitting just 22 of 97 shots (22.7%) from 3-point range. Theyinsist it will turn, andthere might notbea better venue for Fland to get going thanone closeto home

“It’s goingtocomewith time,”Fland said. “It’sa mindset. Basketball’slike a rhythm. Yougot to findthat rhythm. And when youfind it, youshould be good.”

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

them take a109-107 lead, but the Spurs scored the next eight points to takea six-point lead. NewOrleanswent41/2 minutes without making afield goaland San Antonio went on a10-1 run to take a117110 lead midway through the period. Murphy made adunk and a3-pointer to give New Orleans a130-129, and the lead changed hands three times after,the last on Harper’s game-winning drive with

9.1 seconds left After atimeout, thePelicans inbounded to Alvarado, who drove to thebasket andkicked back to Queen, who missed a3-pointer.Fox made twofree throws and Bey missedanattempted tying 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Pelicans. Alvarado made a3-pointer to pull the Pelicans within 26-23 before the Spurs closed thefirst quarter with abarragefrom beyond the arc. Champagnie made consecutive 3-pointers, and Fox added one during a9-2 run that gave San Antonio its biggest lead, 35-25, at theend ofthe pe-

riod. The Spurs made 5of8 3-pointersand New Orleans made 2of8 Champagnie and Fox continued thehot shooting by making consecutive 3-pointers to start the second quarter. MicahPeavy’s dunk providedthe Pelicans’first points, but Barnes scored eight and Harper had seven of the 11 he would score in the period as San Antonio took itsbiggest lead of the half, 68-43. NewOrleans creptwithin 17 points twice before the Spurs held a77-57 halftime leadafter making 11 of 19 3-pointers compared to 4of 17 for the Pelicans.

KOVAL

Continuedfrom page1C

UNO, it looks like she’s starting to live up to it

“(Koval’s)abig presence in there for us,” Mulkey saidSunday.“She played good against Duke, and I thinkher confidence is really,really high right now.

“Not that shewasn’tconfident (before), but she’s finishing shots that make us better.”

Koval started each of LSU’sfirst fivegames, but after shestruggled Nov 17 in awin over Tulane, Mulkeybegan toyingwith differentstarting frontcourt combinations. Koval has come off the bench in each of thefive contests the Tigershave played since they beat theGreen Wave, astring of games in which she’sfound waystoplay some of the best basketball of hercareer

Last year,Notre Dame played Duke twice —once in theregular season and once in the ACC Tournament. Koval played nine minutes in the first game, then15inthe second. She scored acombined 11 points.

Koval’sroleismuch larger now. No LSU post player saw more run than Koval last Thursday when the Tigers beat the Blue Devils on theroad.She scored 13 pointson6-of-11 shooting that night to pair with four rebounds, two assists, threestealsand ablock. LSUoutscored Duke by 27 points in the 26 minutes she played.

On Sundayagainst UNO, Koval scored 22 pointson 9-of-9 shooting. That performance was her seventh double-digit scoring output of the season. Last year, Koval scored at least 10 points only six times.

fourthquarter on Nov. 6atthe Pete MaravichAssemblyCenter

Across herlastfive games, she’saveraging 14.2 pointsand 6.6rebounds while shooting 72% from the field —the kind of production that Mulkey envisioned Kovalcould give LSUwhenshe was recruiting her out of high school.

“(LSU) was abetter fit for me,” Koval said Oct.30. “I feel like my game, and me as aperson, Ineeded something new.Ineeded a change.”

Kovalisgrabbing 7.4

rebounds pergame enough to narrowly edge East Carolina transfer Amiya Joynerfor the team lead.She’s alreadypulled down at least 10 boards in four games this season after she did so only three times all of last year

That’s allthe rebounding work theTigers have needed Koval to provide so far. Through 10 games,

LSU is corralling even more boardseach night this season (50.2) than it did in its nonconference matchups last year (47.2), when Aneesah Morrow was grabbing misses at one of the top rates in NCAA history Only two Division Iteams are rebounding at ahigher rate than the Tigers. Koval’s improvement is alarge reason why “She doesn’tget toohigh, doesn’tget too low,” Mulkey said after LSU’s Nov.20win over Alcorn State.“Ialways like to pick on herand say she’slikethe grandmothertype. She’salways encouraging everybody,and she understands you’re gonna have good days and bad days.” Except Koval has had moregood days than bad days lately,which is an encouragingsignasSEC play nears.

Chiefs’ playoff hopes dim after loss to Texans

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs trailed the Houston Texans 17-10 with just over six minutes remaining Sunday night. They had the ball at their own 35-yard line, and their chances of making the playoffs hinged on what would come next. For nearly a decade, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had come through in precisely this kind of dire situation.

This season hasn’t been like the rest.

Kareem Hunt was bottled up on first and second downs. Mahomes threw incomplete on third. Rather than punt and play defense on fourth down at their own 41, Chiefs coach Andy Reid elected to go for it, and Rashee Rice dropped an easy pass over that middle that would have given Kansas City a first down and kept its comeback hopes alive.

The Texans went on to add a field goal in the final minutes, giving them a 20-10 victory inside Arrowhead Stadium.

“We had chances,” Mahomes said afterward, “and we didn’t execute it.”

It didn’t help that the Chiefs were down to their fourth-string tackle with Josh Simmons on injured reserve, Jawaan Taylor inactive and Wanya Morris hurting his knee on the first play of the game. Or that top cornerback Trent McDuffie also hurt his knee

But injuries are a part of the game, however fluky they might be Rather the Chiefs lost because of the same things that have troubled them all season: inopportune penalties, dropped passes, failed pass protections and blown coverages. In fact, the Chiefs had at least six dropped passes against Houston, including one by Travis Kelce in the closing minutes, right before Mahomes was picked off for the third time in the game.

“Listen, he’s a great player,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but we have to make sure we catch the ball. It’s not for lack of effort out there. The ball went through their hands. It happens. But these guys are great players.”

Therein may lie the biggest reason for such disappointment among Kansas City fans this season: The Chiefs do have great players. Arguably just as good, top to bottom, as last year. But they went 15-2 and reached a third straight Super

Bowl with that team, and unless they get a whole lot of help, they’ll be sitting out the playoffs entirely this season.

“We’re 6-7. We have four games

Moore said Sunday a ‘growth’ opportunity for kicker Smyth

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Charlie Smyth played in his second NFL game on Sunday One week after nailing a 56-yard field goal and converting an onside kick against the Miami Dolphins in his NFL debut, Smyth went 1 for 2 on field goals in a 24-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Smyth missed a 48-yarder and made a 30-yarder Smyth also had a fourth-quarter kickoff that didn’t make it into the landing zone, giving the Buccaneers possession at the 40-yard line.

Saints coach Kellen Moore said a game like that will be good for Smyth.

“I think it’s going to be a great game for him to evaluate and take a growth opportunity, both at kickoff and field goal situations,” Moore said. “We’ll get Charlie ready to go. Resiliency and facing adversity Perfect. He gets to have a game where he misses one, and he gets to respond the way he needs to.”

Granderson rising

Carl Granderson finished Sunday with five tackles, including two tackles for loss, and a pass deflection. It was the third time this season Granderson has had multiple tackles for loss in a game. On the Bucs’ second possession, Granderson stuffed running back Bucky Irving for a 7-yard loss on fourth and 1. It was the start of things to come. The Bucs were 2 of 7 on fourth downs and 3 of 13 on third downs.

Did Granderson feel like his stop of Irving set the tone for the day?

“The tone was set during the week in practice,” Granderson said. “My play was just icing on

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

what he did to what I can do, just sitting behind him and seeing his examples is what helped me.”

The 54-yard kickoff return was Tipton’s second-longest of the season. He had a 75-yarder two weeks ago against Atlanta to start a drive at the Falcons’ 16

The goal, of course, is to take one to the house.

“I’m going to keep hearing about it until I do,” Tipton said. “It takes everybody to spring the holes. I’m proud that we are putting it all together.”

Tipton was also a star baseball player in college, so he can appreciate his role as a returner being compared to a leadoff batter.

“That’s a good way to put it,” he said. “If I can start the game with a big return, it kinda ignites the whole team, especially the offense Great field position and really get the drive going. I definitely look at it that way as a play to get everybody going.”

Tipton received one of the game balls from coach Kellen Moore after the win.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JASON BEHNKEN

New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth, center, watches his missed field goal go left druing a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.

the cake to get everybody going. We’ve just been feeding off each other on the defensive end to get the offense out there balling.”

O-line shuffle

Offensive lineman William Sherman was forced into action in the fourth quarter to replace right tackle Asim Richards, who left the game with an ankle injury Richards was in the game filling in for usual starter Taliese Fuaga, who is also dealing with an ankle injury Sherman was signed to the Saints practice squad in August, then added to the active roster last week.

“Proud of him,” Moore said of Sherman. “Hopped in there. He is a guy who has been ready at any moment.”

Injury updates

Moore didn’t have any updates on Fuaga, running back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) or safety Justin Reid (knee) on Monday All three starters missed Sunday’s game.

“We’re just going to have to get some work in today and see how they respond,” Moore said. “All three will still be questionable.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

“I think momentum is a big part of the game and people underestimate it. To open the game like that definitely showed Tampa and their fans that we are coming here to win the game, and we weren’t going to just lay down and let them win.”

TERRELL BURGESS Saints safety

“It was big,” Moore said Monday of Tipton’s return. “Start fast. Obviously (slow starts) was something that we’ve tried to navigate for a number of weeks now and obviously there has been some frustration associated with that. No better way to start the game that way than to have the kick return to put us in the plus-50 category. Then for our offense to play execution football early in that football game and score a touchdown was big for our team.”

It was just the second time the Saints have scored a touchdown in the first quarter all season. The other time was against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth game of the season. The players on defense appreciated the fast start from the special teams and offense.

“I think momentum is a big part of the game and people underestimate it,” safety Terrell Burgess said. To open the game

like that definitely showed Tampa and their fans that we are coming here to win the game, and we weren’t going to just lay down and let them win.” For Tipton, the goal is to keep improving at a role that he wasn’t familiar with when he reached the NFL.

“The way I’ve looked at it, I can get the ball in my hands,” Tipton said. “I’ve got speed and I’ve got space, and with that I can make plays I look forward to getting better at that and mastering that.

“I’m a wideout at heart and that’s what I’ve always done. Being a kick returner is a way to help the team and improve field position and create explosive plays. I have the talent and capabilities to make the returns, and that’s how I’m trying to take it every day.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

left. We can finish the season 10-7 and we can have a shot at the playoffs if the cards fall right,” Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We control how we finish the

season. We can finish the season strong.

NFL admits to blown call in Ravens’ loss; Harbaugh unsatisfied

BRIAN WACKER

The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

BALTIMORE A day after the Ravens suffered a crushing defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the NFL admitted that it got wrong one of three controversial calls that went against Baltimore.

In the second quarter, defensive tackle Travis Jones was flagged for unnecessary roughness on long snapper Christian Kuntz as he charged through the gap during a Chris Boswell field goal. It was ruled that the contact rose to being unnecessary against a defenseless player and that any forcible contact can’t be made, referee Alex Moore explained in a pool report after the game. But that was incorrect, the league said in a call on Monday initiated by coach John Harbaugh, Ravens assistant and former NFL referee Tony Michalek and general manager Eric DeCosta.

“They told me I had permission to state this, that it was a wrong call,” Harbaugh said of the call with NFL rules analyst and club communications liaison Walt Anderson and senior vice president of officiating administration Perry Fewell. “It should not have been called.

“It has to be forcible conduct with the head and neck area. That’s the rule. It’s not forcible contact with a defenseless player It’s not whether you run a player over, trying to block a field goal. That has nothing to do with it. It’s forcible contact to the head and neck area.”

The Steelers accepted the penalty, took the field goal off the board and scored a touchdown on the next play to take a 17-3 lead and went on to win 27-22.

The final tally was also impacted by an apparent Isaiah Likely touchdown that would have put the Ravens in front with just under three minutes remaining in the game that was overturned by replay

The tight end hauled in a 13-yard pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone, landed on his right foot, took another step with his left and then just before taking a third step had the ball stripped out of his extended hands by cornerback Joey Porter Likely had the ball extended throughout the catch but the ball squirted from his grasp after taking two steps but not a third and a touchdown was called NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said in the pool report that Likely obtained control and had both feet in bounds but did not have an “act common to the game” proceeding it, which would have been getting a third step down.

Less than 24 hours later, Harbaugh was still not satisfied with the ruling or explanation.

“Am I comfortable? No,” he said.

“Do I think it needs more clarification? Yeah. It’s about as clear as mud right now That’s how I feel about it.

“It didn’t clear anything up, it didn’t make it any easier to understand either one of the two calls. They’re very, very hard to under-

Baltimore

coach John Harbaugh speaks during a news conference after a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Baltimore.

stand how they get overturned. But they did, and that’s where it stands.”

Asked if he thought the overturned touchdown cost the Ravens the game, he said, “You never know what costs you a game.”

The other call Harbaugh was referring to was when quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to have a batted pass intercepted at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Teddye Buchanan at Pittsburgh’s 32yard line with 7:01 remaining in the game and Baltimore trailing 27-22. Initially, it was ruled that Buchanan had possession of the ball as he pulled it from the quarterback’s grasp with the two men falling to the ground. But replay overturned the call, ruling that Rodgers was down with possession of the ball.

“The offensive player had control of the ball as he was going to the ground,” Butterworth said.

“There was a hand in there, but he never lost control of the ball and then his knees hit the ground.

When Harbaugh was asked if he questioned why the Likely play was ruled not a catch but that Rodgers play was ruled one, he said that was part of the conversation with the league.

“You’re going to the ground, you have to have control of the football, you have to survive the ground when you make a catch,” he said Monday “I mean, that’s what a catch is. You can’t say the time element’s like that and he satisfies the time element when you’re going to the ground. The time element doesn’t apply to going to the ground. It’s pretty clear cut.”

While there also wasn’t much solace in the explanations, Harbaugh stopped short of blaming the calls on the outcome.

“We move on,” Harbaugh said. “It’s our job to make it right. You’re not going to expect everything to go your way

“If we become the type of team that overcomes these types of things then you become the type of team that can go far.” Baltimore will next play the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday

Sumrallhas simple approach to rematch: ‘Wegotta play better’

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Defensive tackleSantana Hopper admittedhehad tried to forget all about Tulane’s September defenestration at the hands of Ole Misswhen he talked Sunday about the Dec. 20 rematch in the College Football Playoff (2:30 p.m., TNT).

Nothing went right in a45-10 loss that was every bit as lopsided as the score indicated at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, which is ahouse of horrors for theGreen Wave. It was theworst margin of defeat since its last visit to Oxford, Mississippi, whenthe Rebels won 61-21 in 2021

Wide receiver Bryce Bohanon is the only current team member who played in that one, butSeptember’sloss should be fresh in everyone’s mind. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passedfor 307 yards and rushed for aseason-high 112 in his second start for Ole Miss

“I don’tremember too much of that game,” Hopper said, smiling slightly.“Youtry to flush those type of games, but he (Chambliss) can sling the ball. We have to find away to make plays up front and lock people down in the backend.”

Slowing down Chambliss, who threw for 3,016 yards and 18 touchdowns as asurprise successstory as atransfer from DivisionIIFerris State, will be priority No. 1for 11th-seeded Tulane (11-2) against No. 6seed Ole Miss (11-1). He did pretty much anything he wantedas the Rebels scored on eight oftheir first nine drives.

Backing up Austin Simmons at the beginning of the year,hehad startedfor the first time aweek earlier against Arkansas. He never came out of thelineupagain.

“He’sgot askill set that is hard to defend,” Tulanecoach JonSumrall said. “He can makeall the throws

He’sgot great short-area quickness. He gets to top-end speed fast.He’sinstinctive as arunner He sees the throw gamewell. He has great touch.He’saccurate He’sgoingto playwell. We gotta play better.”

Thatisateam-wide theme. A whopping 161/2-point underdog, the Wave knowsitiscapable of a stronger performance acrossthe board.

“Just the adversity we faced, that loss brought us closer together,”offensive tackle Derrick Grahamsaid. “We’re more connected, more jelled andmore detailed in everything we do ” They alsohave asomewhat secret weapon. Running back Jamauri McClure ripped offgains of 10 and11yards in garbage time to spark Tulane’sonly touchdown drive in thefirst meeting, but he hadonlythree carriesasa deep reserve.

Ole Miss is tied for 85th nationallyinaverage percarry allowed (4.33). Arkansas,Georgia and Mississippi State rushed for more than 200 yards against the Rebels. Expect asteadydose of McClure, who ranaseason-high 22 times for 121 yards while starting againstNorth Texas on Fridayinthe American Conference championship game.

“Jamauri McClure canbea great factor forus,”Grahamsaid. “The way he’s been runningthe past couple of weeks has been huge for oursuccess on offense, so I’mreally lookingforward to himgoing outthere and competing and playinghis best brand of football.”

Sumrall believesthe familiarity of playing at Vaught Hemingway Stadium should help. For starters, the Wave knows thevisitors’ locker roomwill be pink andwhich sidelineitwill be on,meaning he will not have to go over any of the details he typically talks about before atrip.

“I don’tknowifit’salot easier, butit’sabetter feeling knowing what you are going to seewhen you get out there at this point,” Hoppersaid. “They have gotten better.Wehave gotten better,sowe’ll see what everybody will comeup with.”

Aspecial prize awaits the Wave if it pulls the huge upsetand becomes the first Group of Five school to win aplayoff game —a Jan.1date in the Caesars Superdomewith No. 3seed Georgia in a Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. Tulane’s last appearance in the Sugar Bowl was in 1940 againstTexas A&M.

“That would be cool,”Sumrall said. “It won’tbecool if we get our (butt) beat.Wegot our (butt) beat the last time we played Ole Miss.I don’twanttoget our(butt) beat. I want to play good. If we can play good and get to the other side of it,then that would be cool. What would notbecool is getting our (butt) beat again.”

Miamicoach relieved by CFPberth

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

CORAL GABLES,Fla. Mario Cristobal spent four seasons working under Nick SabanatAlabama and learned countless lessons, some of which stand out more than others. And when thinking about the College Football Playoff, one of Saban’squotes from Cristobal’stime as an assistant with him stood out “‘Ifyou want to make everybody happy,don’tcoach and get involved in football. Go sell ice cream because the ice cream man makeseverybody happy,’”Cristobal said, recallingthe Saban line. “Infootball, not everybody’sgoing to be happy.” Ayearago,at10-2and snubbed by theCFP committee, Miami wasn’thappy

This year,at10-2 and headedto Texas A&M for aplayoff game, the Hurricanes are thrilled. It ultimately camedown to an eitheror pick for the last at-large spot, Miami or Notre Dame —and the committee had no choice butto finally recognize the Hurricanes’ 27-24 season-opening winoverthe Fighting Irish. With that, Miami went to the playoff. Notre Dame’sseason ended; it passed on bowl invites, telling fans it would turn its focus toward winning anational title in 2026. And yes, the Hurricanes and Irish are scheduled to play at Notre Dame next November “Notre Dame’sagreat football team,” Cristobal said. “Processes like this all processes need to be assessed againand remedied wherever they can, but Ithink everybody’sworking at it.Last year we were excluded and we weren’t very happy.It’satough business, man. It’sareally,really toughbusiness. Irespect everybody and everyone involved in it.”

The CFP selectioncommittee was asked to rewatch the Notre Dame-Miami game in recentdays,

Tulane promotes Hall to head coach

BY GUERRYSMITH Contributing writer

Passing game coordinator Will Hall is being promoted to Tulane head coach, asource confirmed Monday morning. An introductory news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday Hall, 45, had an incredibly successfulstint as the Green Wave offensive coordinator in 2019-20 underformercoach Willie Fritz before arough three-and-a-halfyear tenure as head coach at Southern Miss. With LSU transfer Justin McMillanatquarterback in 2019, Tulane produced thethird-highest totals in school history forpoints (33.1 per game) andyards (444.9 per game).

With freshman Michael Pratt taking over three games into 2020, the Wave uppedits scoring average to 35.4 ppg in the 11 games Hall coached before leaving for Southern Miss. The only times Tulane scored at ahigher clip were the12-0season in 1998 and the Cotton Bowl-winning season in 2022.

Hall —anAmory, Mississippi, native andthe son of Mississippi high school coaching legend Bobby Hall —did not have ahappy homecoming when he took the Southern Miss job.

TheGoldenEagleswent1430 in his time thereand 10-30 against FBS competition, beating only two teams that finished with winning records.One of them was Tulane in 2022, when Southern Miss went 7-6 and beat Rice in the LendingTree Bowl.

Hallwas fired seven games into the 2024 season with a1-6 record afterthe Golden Eagles lost to Arkansas State 44-28 for homecoming. He visited Tulane for apractice soon afterward, and coach Jon Sumrall hired him as passing game coordinator beforespring practicethis season to assist offensive coordinator Joe Craddock.The combination helped Tulane qualify for the College Football Playofffor the first time in school history

“It’sjust been ablessing for me to get here,” Hall said during preseason camp. “I just want to help. Anything Ican do to help, Iwanttohelp. Joe’sbeenawesome. Iwouldn’tbehereifJoe didn’twantmehere, andI’m very indebted to him for that.”

Hall enjoyed muchmore success as acoach in Division II, go-

gestures toward fans after defeating Virginia Tech on Nov. 22 in Blacksburg,Va.

and committeechair Hunter Yurachek said thingsstood out.

“There was observation from the coaches in the room where NotreDamedid alot of chasing of some of the athletic receivers, especially on the Miami side, and it just felt like there was alittle bitmore athleticism on the side of Miami versus Notre Dame,” Yurachek said.“Then, thefact that Miami’sdefense really stifled Notre Dame’srunning game like nobody else did theentire season.”

Tweakstothe process are surely coming. Miami wound up losing a five-way tiebreaker for aberth in the Atlantic Coast Conference title gameand therulesthat theleague operates under have been under somefire since. If that tiebreaker went Miami’sway,it’sentirely possiblethe Hurricanes would have played their way in or out andNotre Dame would have had a playoff spoteither way Also befuddling to many: how NotreDame couldbeahead of Miamiinevery CFPranking, but fall behindthe Hurricanes at theend after aweekendwhere neitherclub

played. In short,the CFPcommittee said itsprisms became different when looking solely at those two clubsfor onespotand notaspart of alarger group. That makes some sense,yet it’s still easy to seewhy those on thewrong endofthe decision could find it somewhere between confusingand flat-out wrong “It’s ahard job,” Cristobal said. “It’satoughindustry,right?I mean, where else are so many variables so influential in the outcome of agamethatcould send teams in adeathspiralorpropel otherstonew heights? And you have humanerror,and youhave officiating, andyou have injuries and all that stuff. There’ssomuch that goes into thegameoffootball thatwhen you also add acommittee to make decisions, it’shard on everybody.”

Had the CFP notcome calling, Miamiprobablywould have settled aGator Bowl berth. For many players who’lllook at the2026 NFL Draft, the bowl probably would have been one to skip —and that would have conceivably meant the end of the college careers for players likeCarson Beck, Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor,CJDaniels andmore. That’snot anew concept forcollege football;bowlgames areoften very watered-down right now when teamsmiss theCFP “I knowone thing: Thepassion behind college football is at an alltime high,” Cristobal said. “And the part I’m most happy aboutin terms of the process is that we didn’tcompromise winning on the field. Because withall the chaos in college football right now,all the uncertainty,college footballhas been hurled into adifferentgalaxy. Coaches aretakingjobs, but they havetoflybacktobeableto coach their teamsfor the current job.With all this going on, I’m glad that we didn’tpunishthe student athletes who actually laid it on the line —onthe field.”

ing 25-11 at West Alabamafrom 2011-13 and 31-9 at West Georgia from 2014-16. He then had singleyear stints as offensive coordinator at UL (2017) and tight ends/ assistant head coach at Memphis (2018).

He inherits ajob thathas become oneofthe best among Group of Five conference schools. Tulane is 43-12 since the start of 2022 —tiedwith Notre Dame forthe fifth mostvictories in the FBS behind Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan during that time.

TheWave is 31-5 in theAmerican Conference, counting its results in four consecutive championship-game appearances. Willie Fritz leftfor Houston after the American championship game in 2023. Sumrall will leave for Florida when Tulane’sCFP run ends.

Always popularwiththe players he coaches, the personable Hall hada very close relationship with Pratt, whom he recruited to Tulane, and he received an ovationwhenTulane athletic director David Harris introduced him to them as Sumrall’sreplacement Monday It was the end of acircuitous search. Tulane zeroed in on LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker to take thejob late last week, but he decided Fridaytoremain in his position under new coach Lane Kiffin, forcing the search to be revamped. According to one source, it almostappearedasifTulane’splayoffberth under Sumrall made prospective coaches leery about havingtolive up to that high standard right away

Several coaches who interviewed with Tulane took other jobs, including Billy Napier (James Madison),CharlesHuff (Memphis) and Bob Chesney (UCLA).

Other candidates included Miamioffensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who interviewed Sundaynight; KennesawState head coach Jerry Mack, who won the Conference USA championship in his first season; Craddock; Tulane defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato; and Oregon co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, who served as Fritz’s defensive coordinator in 2021-22. Whether Hall can persuade Craddock or Gasparato to stay remains to be seen. Neither is accompanying Sumrall to Florida.

Tulane passing game coordinator Will Hall, right, watches the team warm up before agame against Charlotte on Nov. 29 at yulman Stadium. Anewsconferenceisscheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesdayto announceHallasTulane’snew head coach.

Mendoza,Pavia, Sayinand RB Love areupfor award

The Associated Press

NEWYORK— Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback JulianSayin are the finalists forthe Heisman Trophy for the top player in collegefootball. On Monday night, the HeismanTrophy Trust announced the finalists, who areinvitedto New York forthe awardpresentation Saturday night. Love is fourth in the Bowl Subdivision in yards rushing

(1,372), fifth in per-game average (114.33) and third with 18 rushing touchdowns forthe ninth-ranked Fighting Irish, who missed on aCollege Football Playoff bid and opted not to play in abowlgame.

Mendoza has guidedthe Hoosierstoa No.1 ranking and the top line of the 12-team CFP bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and anational-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. Pavia has thrown for aschoolrecord 3,192 yardsand 27 touchdowns, andisthe first Heisman finalist forthe No.13Commodores.

Sayin ledthe Buckeyestoa No. 1ranking for mostofthe season, throwing for3,329 yards while tying for second nationallywith31touchdown passes.

NBACupquarterfinalsget underway this week

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

All eight teams left in therunning for the NBA Cup are now playing for ashot at going to Las Vegas for the tournament semifinals, along with achanceofpicking up more than $500,000 per playerasareward for claiming the title. And for the OklahomaCityThunder,there’ssomething more:Historyisatstake.

The NBA Cup quarterfinal games —Miami at Orlando,New York at Toronto,Phoenix at Oklahoma City,and San Antonio at the Los Angeles Lakers —are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The winners will head to Vegasfor semifinal games this weekend.

If the Thunder beats the Suns, it will improveto24-1thisseason and tie Golden State for the best 25-game start in NBA history

There are also cash incentives: Players on the quarterfinalist teams have already assured themselves of $53,093 apiece in abonus, with two-wayplayers gettinghalf that much. Atrip to the semifinal round doubles that to $106,187.

Asemifinal win guarantees players $212,373 in bonus money,and players with standard contracts on the Cup-winning roster will get $530,933 apiece.Again,two-way players get half of whatever the bonus amount is.

Wheretowatch andlisten

All seven remaininggames— the quarterfinals, semifinals and ti-

tle game —are on Amazon Prime. Some quarterfinal gameswill also get local-market coverage, while the semifinals and final are Primeexclusive.

ESPN Radio will also broadcast the three games from Las Vegas thesemifinals on Saturday and the title game onDec. 16.

Heat at Magic

5p.m.Tuesday

Records: Heat 14-10, Magic 14-10

Season series: Magic leads2-0 (Magic 125, Heat 121 in Orlando on Oct. 22;Magic106, Heat 105 in Orlando on Dec.5).

NBA Cup history: Heat is 7-5 all-time in Cupgames,inquarterfinalsfor first time, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Eastern Conference wild-cardat3-1;Magic is 10-3 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year,won East Group Bthis yearat4-0, seeking first semifinal appearance.

Outlook: It’ll bethe thirdoffive meetings between theSunshine State rivals this season, and the first two were down-to-the-wire thrillers in Orlando. Heat has lost three straight forthe first time this season. Magic just got Paolo Banchero back from an injury, then lost Franz Wagner to an injury in alossat New York on Sunday Knicks at Raptors

7:30 p.m. Tuesday Records: Knicks 16-7, Raptors 15-10 Season series: Knicks lead 1-0 (Knicks 116, Raptors 94 in New York on Nov.30).

Thunder players Chet Holmgren, rear,Isaiah Hartenstein, left,and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate duringthe second half of an NBACup game on Nov. 26 in Oklahoma City.The Thunder cantie forthe best 25game start in league historywith awin over Phoenix on Wednesday.

NBA Cup history: Knicks are 10-4 alltime in Cupgames, are theonly team in the NBA to reach theCup quarterfinals in all three years of the event,won East Group Cwith 3-1 record, seeking first semifinal berth; Raptors are 6-6all-timein Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, won EastGroup Athis year at 4-0.

Outlook: Knicks have won seven of their pasteight games and 14 of their past 18. Knicks are 0-2 in quarterfinalgames in Cupplay, losing by acombined 32 points. .Raptors have hadwildups and downs this season. Theystarted 1-4, then went unbeaten in four Group Stage games in Cup play

during astretch wheretheywent 13-1. Problem is, they’re 1-5 since that stretch. Suns at Thunder 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Records: Suns 13-10, Thunder 23-1 Season series: Thunder leads 1-0 (Thunder123, Suns 119 in OklahomaCity on Nov. 28).

NBA Cup history: Suns are 9-4alltime in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second time (2023),seeking first semifinal appearance, qualified for knockout stage thisyear by winning WesternConference wild card at 3-1; Thunderis10-5 all-timeinCup play,inquarterfinals for second consecutive year

SCOREBOARD

Rams45, Arizona 17 Houston 20, Kansas City10 Open: New England, Carolina, N.Y. Giants, San Francisco Monday’s game Philadelphia at L.A. Chargers, n Thursday Atlanta at TampaBay,7:15 p.m. Sunday Arizona at Houston, noon BaltimoreatCincinnati,noon BuffaloatNew England, noon Cleveland at Chicago, noon L.A. Chargers at Kansas City,noon Las Vegas at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. JetsatJacksonville, noon Washington at N.Y. Giants,noon Carolina at New Orleans, 3:25 p.m. Detroit at L.A. Rams,3:25 p.m. Green BayatDenver, 3:25 p.m. IndianapolisatSeattle, 3:25 p.m. Tennessee at San Francisco,3:25 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas, 7:20 p.m. Monday Miami at Pittsburgh, 7:15 p.m. LATE SUNDAY Houston 20, KansasCity 10 Houston 37 010—20 Kansas City 00 10 0—10 First Quarter Hou—FGFairbairn 35,4:18 Second Quarter Hou—Marks 9pass from Stroud (Fairbairn kick), 9:31. ThirdQuarter KC—Hunt 2run (Butker kick), 10:00. KC—FGButker 36,1:50 Fourth Quarter Hou—Ogunbowale 5run (Fairbairnkick), 7:01. Hou—FGFairbairn 28,:30 A—73,611. Hou KC First downs 14

Total Net Yards268

Rushes-yards31-82

Punt Returns

Interceptions Ret.

Comp-Att-Int

Sacked-YardsLost

Punts

Fumbles-Lost

Penalties-Yards 8-59

Time of Possession31:58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Houston, Marks 26-68, Ogunbowale 1-5, Stroud 2-5, Chubb 1-3,Noel 1-1. Kansas City, Mahomes 7-59, Pacheco 9-30, Hunt 12-30, B.Smith 1-7 PASSING—Houston, Stroud 15-31-0-203. Kansas City, Mahomes 14-33-3-160. RECEIVING—Houston, Collins 4-121,

Smith-Schuster 1-5,Mahomes 1-(minus 10). MISSED FIELD GOALS—Kansas City, Butker 43.

lost last year’sfinal to Milwaukee, wonWest Group Athis year at 4-0.

Outlook: Oklahoma Cityneeds a wintomatch Golden State (24-1 in 2015-16) forthe best 25-game start in NBAhistory Thunderguard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 445 points in Cup games, second-most in tournament play behindMilwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo (453). Phoenix is 10-0when holding teamsto113 points or less, 3-10 otherwise. SpursatLakers

9p.m. Wednesday

Records: Spurs 15-7, Lakers 17-6 Season series: Lakers 1-0 (Lakers 118, Spurs116 in Los Angeleson Nov. 5).

NBACup history: Spurs are 5-7 alltimeinCup games, are in quarterfinals for first timeand won West Group Bthis season at 3-1; Lakers are NBA-best 13-2 in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for second time, won West Group Cthis season at 4-0and won the inaugural title when the event was called the In-Season Tournament in 2023. Outlook: Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having abreakout season and looking very much like an All-NBA player,plus has appeared in more Cup game wins (13 wins in 15 contests) than anyone still in thisyear’stournament. LeBron James is coming off aseason-high 29 points in Lakers’ win at Philadelphia on Sunday Spurs are 8-4 with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup —and have morethan held it down sincehestrained hiscalf, going 7-3 in his absence.

(11-1),11a.m. (ESPN/ABC) No. 17 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6Mississippi (111),2:30 p.m. (TNT/HBO Max) No. 19 JamesMadison(12-1) at No. 5Oregon (11-1),6:30 p.m. (TNT/HBO Max) FCSplayoffs Quarterfinals Friday At Bozeman, Mont.: Montana St.(11-2) vs StephenF.Austin(11-2),8 p.m. Saturday At Stephenville, Texas: Tarleton St.(12-1) vs Villanova (11-2),11a.m. At Missoula, Mont.: Montana (12-1) vs South Dakota (10-4),2:30 p.m. At Davis, Calif.: UC Davis (9-3)vs. IllinoisSt. (10-4),4 p.m. College basketball Men’sstate schedule Sunday’s games TexasTech 82, LSU58 Louisiana Tech 89, Ecclesia College 37 StephenF.Austin96, UL-Monroe 76 NorthwesternState 76, Southeastern 68 Monday’s games Southern Miss 68, Grambling60 Texas95, Southern 69 UNO 84, Incarnate Word 83 Tuesday’s games Arkansas Baptist at UL-Monroe,noon McNeese at Rhode Island, 6p.m. Wednesday’s

Tips to prepare your plants for freezes

In Louisiana,our weather can turnonadime —especially this time of year.One day will be cool and crisp; the next, unseasonably warm. Then surprise! There’sa freeze in the forecast. That’swhy it’simportant to stay ahead of the game. If you make afew preparations now,you won’tbecaught off guard and scrambling to protect your plants when acold front approaches Here are our tips for getting ready for freezes Keep plants healthy, hydrated Taking good care of your plants and making surethey are in good health is one of the most important defenses against cold damage. Keep plants thoroughly watered throughout the season. Cold fronts oftenare accompanied by drying winds thatsap plants’ moisture levels,causing stress.

Damp soil does not freeze as readily as dry soil. So, when a freeze is on the way,makesure to water all of your plants particularly container plants, which tend to dry out more quickly

cover plants duringa freeze. It is important that thecover contacts the ground andissecured in place with objects such asbricks.

Refreshmulch

Mulch is amultipurpose tool in the landscape. It helps retain soil moisture, insulates roots from extreme temperatures, suppresses weed growth and it looks great.

A2-to4-inch layer of mulch around plants willhelp keep them safe this fall and winter

Do some research

Get online and search for information about the cold tolerance of plants in your garden

That way,you’ll know which plants need attention when temperatures plummet.

Citrus trees and tropical plants native to warmer climates are most vulnerable to freeze damage. But many other plants —including established trees and woody shrubs along with cool-season bedding annuals and many herbs —can handle chilly weather withoutany special care. Youmay still want to protect bedding plants to prevent damage to their flowers and tendergrowing tips.

Move containerplants

Even before afreeze appears in the forecast, you can preemptively move cold-sensitive plants that are in containers to

cast

Children whoare members of Baton RougeBallet

The Bayou’ rehearse in the Dancers’ Workshop

Christmaswouldn’tbethe

same in BR withoutits ‘Nutcracker’ performances

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Christmas wouldn’tbeChristmasinBaton Rouge withoutits “Nutcrackers,” so plan to celebrate the holiday season with these two stage productions.

‘A Tale From theBayou’ Harrison Muñoz jumpsup, arms wide, ready for his close-up. It’s just rehearsalsnow,but he’ll gethis spotlight moment soon enough in Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’sproduction of “The Nutcracker —A Tale From The Bayou.”

The company will offer four performances of theballet at 2p.m. and 6p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday,Dec. 20 and 21, in the Raising Cane’sRiverCenter Theatre forPerforming Arts. The dancers will be accompaniedbythe Baton RougeSymphonyOrchestraconducted by David Torns. “Whenthe boys and girls greet

HaileyPourciau, left, and Elizabeth Hinson, right, whowill share the lead role of Maria, will join Presston Edmonds as the Nutcracker in TriParishBallet’sholiday production

PROVIDED PHOTOSByMATTGRINER

Emmy Wesley, left, will dance the part of Clara and Jeremy Wesley will portrayUncle Drosselmeyer in Cangelosi Dance Project’s‘Holiday Nutcracker.’

each other during theparty scene, agirl will give him (Harrison) akiss on thecheek,” said Anna White,ateacher assistantfor the ballet company.“Both of their reactions are really cute.”

‘THE NUTCRACKER —A TALE FROM THEBAYOU’

Baton Rouge Ballet Theater’s annual holiday production.

WHEN: 2p.m. and 6p.m. on both Dec. 20 and 21

WHERE: Raising Cane’s River CenterPerforming Arts Theater,240

St.Louis St

ADMISSION: $40-$95

TICKETS: Visit batonrougeballet.org.

‘HOLIDAY NUTCRACKER’ Cangelosi Dance Project’s annual holiday production.

WHEN: 1p.m. and 4p.m. Dec. 20

WHERE: Dunham School’sBrownHold Theatre,11111 RoyEmerson Drive

ADMISSION: $30-$50

TICKETS: Email cangelosidp@gmail. com or cangelosidanceproject.com.

Staff report

It’sthe timeless holiday ballet that has captured hearts forgenerations. Livingston Parish’sTri-Parish Ballet will againpresent its production of “The Nutcracker” this weekend. The ballet will feature more than 80 youth dancers along with afew professional guest dancers.

Thinkoutside the wrap forholiday gifts

Dear Heloise: We’ll be spending hours wrapping Christmas and Hannukah gifts in afew weeks, using alot of paper sourced from forest trees that would be better left standing. I hate wrapping! I’ve come up with an alternative that has saved me hours of work —and saves trees as well!

Ibuy pretty holidaythemed cloth on sale. I then make simple rectangular bags in avariety of sizes and sew aribbonon the outside near the top of the bag. These bags can be used over and over again, and they take only seconds to “wrap” apresent in!

on Mondaysand on most holidays.Icertainly donot want to eat breakfast in front of my computer while Itry to read the news (and perhapsspill coffee on my keyboard). So, that is my word on newspapers. —Marvin Tiffany, in York, Nebraska

FREEZES

Continuedfrom page1D

Hints from Heloise

Watershut-offhint

Dear Heloise: Be sure to warn readers that if they’returning off the water in their house, they should first turn off any appliances (water heaters) that depend onthe house water supply to function,soastoavoid any damage —Duane Goza, via email

Youcan even chooseprints that reflect the recipient’sfavorite activity (fish for my fisherman husband). Youdon’tneed to be fussy about the size; Ijust makebook-sized, shirt-sized,and large toy-sized bags. By using a variety of prints, my treelooks very festive on Christmasmorning! Thanks for sharing. —Kathleen Braico, via email

Physical newspapers

Dear Heloise: At 83 years of age, Ipreferaphysical newspaper that gets delivered to thefront door before breakfastasIlike to eat and read the newspaper.Our newspapercompany has stopped printing aphysical newspaper

Pickingupdoggy doo-doo

Dear Heloise: Ikeep asmall pail with awell-fittinglid at my house and place atrashbag liner into the pail. When walking the dog,Iuse doggy bags to pick up thepoop,carry it home, and put it into the pail. When the weekly garbage collection is due, Itie a knot in the liner andplace it in the trash. It’sbest to keep thepail ashort distancefromyourdoor and in the shade. Rinse it out weekly and let it air-dry.Problem solved! —C.Bram, viaemail

Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Dec. 9, the 343rdday of 2025. There are22 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 9, 1979, scientistscertified the global eradication of smallpox, adisease which killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century

Also on this date:

In 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the first animated TV special featuring characters from the “Peanuts”comic strip by Charles M. Schulz,premiered on CBS.

In 1990, Solidarity founder LechWałesa won Poland’sfirst free presidential election since 1926.

In 1992, the first U.S. Marines made apredawn beach landing in Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope; they were met by hundreds of reporters awaiting their arrival.

In 2006, the space shuttle Discoverylaunchedonamission to add to and rewire the International Space Station.

In 2013, scientists revealed

TRI-PARISH

Continued from page1D

As is tradition, the troupewill give abenefit performance, this year at the Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, at 6p.m. Saturday.Admission is nonperishable items for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bankand the Community Hands food pantryatthe First United Methodist Churchof

that NASA’s Curiosity rover had uncovered signs of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars.

In 2019, an island volcano off New Zealand’s coast called Whakaari, or WhiteIsland, erupted,killing22touristsand guides and seriously injuring several others. Most of the 47 peopleon theisland were U.S. and Australian cruise ship passengers on awalkingtour with theguides.

In 2021, acargotruck jammed with migrants crashed in southern Mexico, killingatleast 53 peopleand injuring dozens more.

Today’sBirthdays: Actor Judi Dench is 91. Actor Beau Bridges is 84. World Golf Hall of Famer TomKite is 76. Actor John Malkovich is 72. Singer Donny Osmond is 68. Actor Felicity Huffman is 63. Empress Masako of Japan is 62. Democratic Sen. Kirsten GillibrandofNew York is 59. Rock singer-musician Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers) is 56. Actor Simon Helbergis45. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist McKayla Maroney is 30. Actor Nico Parker is 21.

Denham Springs. Apay performance will begin at 2p.m.Sunday.Tickets are $25 in advance at etix.com,or$30 at the door

“Featuring Tchaikovsky’siconic score —including the‘Dance of theSugarPlumFairy’ and ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ —breathtaking choreography, dazzling costumes, and stunning sets, ‘The Nutcracker’isa feastfor thesensesand a cherished holidaytradition for the wholefamily,” the release also states.

warm locations where they can safely spend thefall and winter Otherwise, bring container plants of reasonable size indoors before temperaturesdrop to the freezing mark. If you don’thave space inside your homefor your plants, moving themtoanenclosed space like agarage, sunroom or porch is the next best thing. Place the plants as close to your home as possible —preferably along asouth-facing wall, which will retain the most heat during the day Coverimmovable plants

Not all of our tender plants can be moved to safety before a freeze. Some are planted in the ground, and othersare in containersthat are too big or heavy to lift

For theseplants, you can offer someprotection withacovering material of some kind.

The gold standardissomething called frostcloth. This white, woven material trapsheat from the ground while remaining breathable. Frostcloth becomes ahot commoditywhen freezes threaten, so you may want to go ahead and pick up aroll or twofromyour local garden center to have on hand. Items such as old blankets and sheetsalso work just fine. So do tarps and plastic sheeting —but you must removethese covers during theday.Solar heating will

‘NUTCRACKER’

Continuedfrom page1D

White understands Harrison’s excitement. She danced in avariety of “Nutcracker” roles in childhood,culminating in the lead as Clara. Andspeaking of Clara, this year there are four dancers whose Christmas gift is aNutcracker whowhisks themaway to asouth Louisiana style Land of theSweets.

“Weeach dance in one of the four performances,” said14-year-old Ai Nguyen. Shesits in acornerofthe Dancers’Workshop studio withher fellowClaras—Merci Higdon, 13; Sarah Lavigne, 13; and KateTorrance, 12. All watch while the party scene children dancers warm up. Ai takesspecial interest since she’ll be dancing thepart of Clara in this day’sfull party rehearsal of kids and adults. She’ll be the one tussling with Clara’syounger brother, Fritz, played in alternate productions by Theo Whidden and Bristol Mayo.

Andall eyes will be on her when she,asClara, lovingly liftsthe Nutcracker from alarge gift box at center stage. Butthat will come later when the kids join theadults in the Dancers’ Workshop’ssecond studio.

Fornow,Harrison and the rest of the boys line up along the barre and wait for their cue to join the girls on the floor Harrison, like most boys in the party scenecast, isn’tstudying ballet. But that doesn’tmean he isn’tlearning some dancesteps along the way

When he spotsacamera pointed his way before arecent Sunday evening rehearsal, he waves his arms, shouting, “Takemypicture,” andthe photographer complies. Aburst of giggles eruptsfrom the girl dancers watching Harrison’santics. All study danceeither withthe company or other area dance companies.

“Westartedrehearsing in Octo-

spike thetemperature inside a closed tarp and burn the leaves and tender stemsofa plant. When installing any type of cover,make sure it completely covers theplant and goes all the way to theground. Secure the material with sod staples or heavy objects such as bricks to maximize heat retention and keep wind from blowing off the cover.The key is to trap the earth’sground heat not just cover thetop of the plant.

If you are covering afragile plant,you can drive stakes into thegroundtocreate aframefor thecover to rest on so it doesn’t crush delicate stemsand leaves. It’s OK to letsomethingsgo

Sometimes freeze prep is just

ber,” saidJonna Coxwho serves as the company’sco-artistic director with Rebecca Acosta. “Each scene is rehearsed separately,and thedancers won’tsee it come together until we rehearse the entire ballet on the River Center Theatre stage.”

That’swhen it becomes real for thekids.

“They’re suddenly standing among the big sets, andeveryone is there,” Cox said.

“Everyone” includes the production’s200 kids,mostofwhomwill dance such roles as cherubs, mice andlambs in other scenes —and mostare girls.

“We’d love to have more boys,” Coxsaid. “This year,alot of the boys in ourparty scenewere coaxed by family members of other dancers, because we didn’t have enough boys comeout forthe auditions.”

In theend,plentyofboys showed up to march across the stage carrying toy swords for this annual holiday production, created in 1992 by retired co-artistic directors Sharon Mathewsand Molly Buchmann.

At the rehearsal, Buchmann stands in foranabsent Leonard Augustus in Augustus’ signature role of UncleDrosselmeyer

Theproduction also will feature Baton Rouge Ballet alumna Emelia Perkins as the Sugar Plum Fairy andHarlemDance Theatrecompany memberSanford Placide as her Cavalier Harrison’sexcitement is contagious,spinning “Nutcracker” magiceven amongthe adults —a magic that surely will spread to the audience on opening night.

‘Holiday Nutcracker’

TheCangelosi Dance Project’s “Holiday Nutcracker” is continuously evolving, offering patrons somethingdifferent each year

And this year will be no different as the company takes the Dunham School’sBrown-Holt Theatre stage for two performances at 1p.m. and 4p.m. Saturday,Dec. 20.

“So, this year,weare tweaking

too timeand labor intensive. If you can only protect someplants and have to leave others to their own devices, don’tfeel bad. Prioritize plants that are most valuable —whether economically or sentimentally.Don’tstress over plants that are easy and inexpensive to replace.

Anotherthing to keep in mind is that, although tropical plants’ foliage is sensitive to freezing temperatures, many of the species we grow here in Louisiana —like elephant ears and gingers —are root hardy.Freezes will turn these plants’ leaves into mush, but their underground root structureswill typically survive andsendupnew growth in the spring.

it,’”said Kris Cangelosi, the company’sfounder,artistic director and choreographer.“One thing I’m doing is bringing in several guest artists from all over to do someofthe major roles. This year, we’ve invited professional ballerina Maddie Kucensky from Ballet Spartanburg in Greenville,South Carolina, to perform Sugar Plum Fairy.”

Also taking the stage with the Cangelosi dancers will be internationally renowned professional dancer Daniel Therrien to perform the “Russian.”

“I’ve also beenchoreographing theMississippi Gulf CoastBallet Theatre’s‘Nutcracker’ this year in Biloxi forthe past five months, andI’m bringing in pre-professional dancers from that company to dance with us, including Oliva Burns, who will dance the‘Spanish,’ and Leila Pitcovich as the Angel Queen.”

In the meantime, Cangelosi has expandedthe “angel”section of her “Nutcracker”and added company dancer Courtney Davidto perform the role of Guardian Angel.

Cangelosi’scast of 50 also will include Jeremy Wesley as Uncle Drosselmeyer,who presents Clara with the gift of the Nutcracker; Angelique Francoisperforming the mechanical doll and the “Arabian”; NicoleCrochet as theparty maid andMother Ginger; Philip Wesleyasthe Butlerand the Rat King; and John Henry Overton as the Butler and Nutcracker Prince.

And in the spotlight as Clara will be Emmy Wesley,while Mary Bowman Staples will play her little sister,Grace.

“Holiday Nutcracker” is choreographed as atraditional “Nutcracker” performance to composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1892 “Nutcracker Suite.”

But with the Cangelosi Dance Project, each holiday season brings something newtospread Christmas cheer

Email RobinMilleratromiller@ theadvocate.com.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Address emotional and financial situations and ease your mind. Fretting instead of being proactive will affect your health and well-being. Be honest with yourself and others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities by attending functions that integrate what you enjoy doing with professional possibilities. Be bold, unique and confident as you blaze forward.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Reinvent yourself and how you want to use your skills. A change of location or people in your life requires common sense. Don't believe everything you hear.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Talks, discipline and innovative ideas will flourish. Communication will help you plan to move forward and deal with people who are trying to stop you from achieving your goals.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) You can build a solid platform if you are positive and forthright. Traveling, communicating and finishing what you start are the keys to your success.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Think twice before you let your emotions escalate and lead you down a slippery slope. Know your limits, your attributes and your goals, and focus on what's possible.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Change is within reach. Thoughts, followed by actions, will get you where you want to go. Don't

hesitate to walk away from situations that are standing between you and happiness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Go through the proper channels, and you'll have no regrets. Talk to authority figures, map out a plan and head in a direction that encourages growth and prosperity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Time is money, and the journey you start today will help expand your awareness. Attend events that offer insight and help you make connections that allow you to express your attributes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Fixate on what's important. Focus on domestic matters that need tweaking to ensure nothing festers behind closed doors. Change begins with you and your ability to lead the way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get into the fast lane before someone beats you at your own game. Reach out; be the one to make a difference by leading the way. Refuse to let laziness cost you or cause you to cut corners.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Let your creative imagination lead, and you'll dazzle others with your insight and innovative suggestions. Don't hesitate to broaden your horizons and to venture into 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. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Molieresaid,“Ifyousuppressgrieftoo much, it can redouble.”

Atthebridgetable,suppressingknowledge about responder’s redouble can cause grief. Yesterday, we learnedthat after the opener bids one of asuit and the next player makes atakeout double, responder’sredouble promisesatleast 10 highcardpointsand denies good support forpartner’s suit.Intoday’s deal,you will seethat responderredoubles,then supports hispartner’sheart suit. This shows exactly three-card supportand game-invitational values, 10-12 support pointsand eight losers. (With astronger hand,responderwouldjump-rebidthree hearts, agameforce.)Opener leapsto four hearts. Notethat opener’ssecond-roundpass wasforcing.Eithertheopeningsidebuys thecontractortheinterveningsideplays in something doubled for penalty. And if Southhad immediately rebidinhearts, it would have shown aminimum (or subminimum) opening bid. Also, East’s twodiamond advance promised no strength. He wasjust indicatingapreference for thatsuit over spadesand clubs

Against four hearts, West leads the diamond queen. Easttakes dummy’s king with hisace, cashes the diamond 10, then shifts to aspade. How should Southcontinue?

West surely has the spade king for his double. So Southisthreatened with four losers: one spade, one heart and two diamonds.Heshouldwin withhis spade ace,cashthe club king, playa club to dummy’s queen, and discard the spade queen on the club ace. Then he leads a trump and claims shortlythereafter ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’s WoRD FIctItIous: fik-TISH-us: Imaginary.

Average mark12words Timelimit 30 minutes

Can you find 20 or morewords in FICTITIOUS?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —PAssIVItY

thought

rewards evil forgood,evilshall not depart from his house.” Proverbs 17:13

be made payabletothe City of BatonRouge ThereisnoDisadvan‐tagedBusinessEnter‐prise(DBE) goalset for this solicitation,but the BRMA encourages the useofDBE’s certified under theLouisiana Uni‐fied Certification Pro‐gram AllBidders shallcomply with allprovisionsofthe StateLicensing Lawfor Contractors, R.S. 37:21502163, as amendedand all shallcomplywithall re‐quirements of theSpeci‐ficationswhich are hereby incorporated into andmadepartofthisAd‐vertisement. It shallalso be thesoleresponsibility of bidderstoensurethat allsubcontractorsfully comply with applicable lawand biddingrequire‐ments. Bids shallbeac‐cepted from Contractors whoare licensed under LA.R.S.37:2150-2192 for theclassification of Rig‐ging,House Moving Wrecking andDisman‐tling.

specified forbid open‐ings shallnot

consid‐ered forany causewhat‐soever.Any

gardless of whetherbid is

whosebid contains patently

tentional, andsubstan‐tial mechanical,clerical, or mathematical errors whodesires to withdraw itsbid shalldeliver to the Program Managerclear andconvincingsworn writtenevidenceofsuch errors within forty-eight (48) hoursafter thetime when bids aredue forbid openingexcluding Satur‐days,Sundays,and legal holidays Therewillbea NON‐MANDATORYPre-Bid Conference held at 10:00 am on December 16, 2025 in the1st Floor Confer‐ence Room at theBaton RougeMetropolitanAir‐port Terminal Building. Each bidmustbeaccom‐panied by acertified check, cashier’scheck or bidder’s bond in an amount equal to five per‐cent (5%) of bidand shall

TheCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rougereservesthe right to reject anyand allbids, andtodisqualifyany bid‐der, to thefullest extent allowedbylaw.Inaccor‐dancewithLa. R.S. 38:2212, theprovisions andrequirementsoflaw thosestatedinthisAd‐vertisementfor bids,and thoserequiredonthe bid form shallnot be consid‐ered as informalitiesand shallnot be waivedby anypublicentity. 167462 Nov. 25, Dec. 2, 9, 3t $210.39

PUBLIC NOTICE

ADVERTISEMENTFOR PROPOSALS Sealed Proposalswillbe received by thePurchas‐ingoffice.Louisiana StateUniversityHealth ScienceCenterinShreve‐port,LA, 1501 KingsHigh‐way, Room G-22A Shreveport,LA71103, until 2:00 PM forthe fol‐lowing: December 18th, 2025:

RFQ#007281 -EFFLUENT DECONTAMINATIONSYS‐TEM at whichtimeand place theproposals will be opened andread. Specifi‐cationsmay be obtained from thePurchasingOf‐fice Evidence of authorityto submit thebid shallbe required in accordance with R.S. 39:1594 (C)(4) Theright is reserved to reject anyorall bids and to waiveinformalities An EqualOpportunity/Af‐firmative Action Em‐ployer.By: LornaRawls, InterimDirectorofPur‐chasingand Materials Management 166878-nov18-dec18 $394.88

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUESTFOR PROPOSALS(RFP) JANITORIAL SERVICES EAST BATONROUGE COUNCILONAGING Notice is hereby given that East BatonRouge CouncilonAging is solic‐itingsealedproposals from qualified andexpe‐riencedcontractors to provide Janitorial Service fordesignatedfacilities. Services shallinclude butare notlimited to routinecleaning, sanita‐tion floor care,waste re‐moval, andany addi‐tional tasksspecified in theRFP document

TheRequest forPropos‐alsmay be obtained be‐ginningTuesday,Decem‐ber2,2025, by contact‐ing: TrudyBihm-Howard ChiefAdministrative Officer 965 North18thStreet BatonRouge,LA70802 Email: bids@ebrcoa.org Phone: 225-960-1169 Website: www.ebrcoa. org Sealed proposalsmust be received no laterthan December 19, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.atthe location specified in theRFP.Late submissionswillnot be accepted

Allproposals shallbere‐viewed in accordance with thecriteriaoutlined in theRFP.EastBaton RougeCouncil on Aging reservesthe righttore‐ject anyorall proposals, to waiveinformalities andtoselectthe pro‐posalthatbestmeets theneedsand interests of theorganization. 168740-dec2-9-16-3t $89.86

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUESTFOR PROPOSALS(RFP) LAWN SERVICES EAST BATONROUGE COUNCILONAGING

Notice is hereby given that East BatonRouge CouncilonAging is solic‐itingsealedproposals from qualified andexpe‐riencedcontractors to provide Lawn Services fordesignatedfacilities. Services includeroutine lawn mowing,trimming, edging,and grounds cleanup necessaryto maintain clean, safe,and presentableoutdoor areas. TheRequest for Proposalsmay be ob‐tained beginningTues‐day, December 2, 2025, by contacting: TrudyBihm-Howard ChiefAdministrative Officer 965 North18thStreet BatonRouge,LA70802 Email: bids@ebrcoa.org Phone: 225-960-1169 Website: www.ebrcoa.org Sealed proposalsmust be received no laterthan December 19, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. at thelocation specified in theRFP.Late submissionswillnot be accepted Allproposals shallbere‐viewed in accordance with thecriteriaoutlined in theRFP.EastBaton RougeCouncil on Aging reserves theright to re‐ject anyorall proposals, to waiveinformalities

andtoselectthepro‐posalthatbestmeets theneedsand interests of theorganization. 168743-dec2-9-16-3t $87.82

Living Adjustment

PUBLIC NOTICE

to providerelativetothe conversion from disabil‐ityto regularretirement; to amendthe definition of jobappointmentto alignwithcivil service rules; to providerelative to benefitforfeiture; to providerelativetothe re‐portingofadministrative errors;tocorrect statute references in R.S.11:444(A);tocorrect language relative to final averagecompensation time periods; to make technicalchanges;to providefor an effective date;and to providefor relatedmatters 169249 Dec. 8, 9, 2t $48.54

PUBLIC NOTICE (NOTICEOFINTENTION TO INTRODUCE RETIREMENT PROPOSALS)

Public notice is hereby given, in compliance with Section29(C),Article Xof theLouisiana Constitu‐tion,thatthere will be in‐troduced at theforth‐coming sessionofthe LegislatureofLouisiana whichwillbeconvened on March9,2026, abill or billsrelativetoa Cost of

ThePlanningCommis‐sion of theCityofBaton Rougeand theParishof East BatonRouge will hold apublicmeetingon Monday,December15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.,inRoom 348, City Hall locatedat 222 St.Louis Street,3rd floor,Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ThePlanning Commissionwillcon‐siderthe followingrezon‐ingrequestsand amend‐mentstothe “Compre‐hensiveLandUse Plan as indicated: PUBLIC HEARINGS –CITY &PARISH CURRENTZONINGCASES: PA-7-2517501 Florida Boulevard To amendthe ComprehensiveLandUse Plan from Agricultural RuraltoIndustrial, lo‐catedonthe northside of FloridaBoulevard southofRiverside Park Drive, on property nowor formerly knownasa por‐tion of 12.5AcreTract Section70, T7S, R2E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 4- Moak) That certaintract or par‐celofland, together with allthe buildingsand im‐provements thereonand allofthe rights,ways, privileges, servitudes andappurtenances thereuntobelonging or in anywiseappertaining, situated in theParishof East BatonRouge,State of LouisianainSection 70, T-7-S, R-2-E, Greens‐burg Land District of Louisiana, East Baton RougeParish, Louisiana forJ.H.Jenkins by Ed‐ward E. Evans, CivilEngi‐neer,dated November 29,

1500+LOTS 1500+ LOTS