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F r i d ay, J a n u a ry 23, 2026
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McMahon pushes ‘patriotic education’
Secretary of education visits La. charter school BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
The country’s top education official returned to Louisiana this week as part of a nationwide tour, where she praised the state’s educational gains, joined the governor in a school second-line and played the role of national cheerleader for what President Donald Trump has called “patriotic education.”
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon‘s visit, which included stops on Wednesday at Sophie B. Wright Charter School and The National WWII Museum, was part of a cross-country tour celebrating America’s 250th anniversary this year and promoting an unapologetically pro-America civics and history education. That promotion started as soon as she addressed the hundreds of students
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks during an Assembly at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday.
gathered in the Sophie B. Wright auditorium. “I want to hear a resounding cheer from all of you,” she said, “for the greatest country in the world: the United States of America!” How to teach America’s story to students is a perpetually contentious topic, but today’s political
STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK
ä See PATRIOTIC, page 4A
MAKING THEIR MARKS
Arctic blast timing changes Ice accumulation risk persists in forecast BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
An Arctic blast is still forecast to move over the Acadiana area this weekend, but the timing has changed. Humid, warm conditions are expected through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, but much colder air is expected to push through the Lafayette area late Friday into Saturday. Temperatures are no longer expected to dip below freezing then because of the delay of the front. An extreme cool-down is expected overnight Saturday into Sunday, the weather service said. The chance for ice accumulation and freezing rain has decreased but is still possible. How far south the ice will reach in central Louisiana remains in question. An early morning forecast Thursday suggests a 20% to 45% chance of measurable ice accumulation between the Interstate 10 and U.S. 190 corridors and up to a 25% chance of measurable ice accumulation south of I-10 to the coast. Along and north of the U.S. 190
ABOVE: Artist Dirk Guidry, center, speaks before the first paint strokes on the recently commissioned Children’s Museum of Acadiana mural at the museum on Thursday. To officially kick off the project, children from CathedralCarmel School were invited to paint the mural’s ceremonial first stroke. RIGHT: Art student Elise Sims, center, from Cathedral-Carmel School, paints one of the mural’s ceremonial first strokes. STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
ä See ARCTIC, page 4A
St. Landry Parish Council seeks AG opinion on cockfighting ban BY JOEL THOMPSON
Staff writer
The St. Landry Parish Council voted unanimously Wednesday to request an opinion from the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office on the constitutionality of the state cockfighting ban. A crowd of around 100 stood in
WEATHER HIGH 66 LOW 55 PAGE 14C
the pouring rain Wednesday in anticipation of the council’s decision. Another 40 or so packed inside the council chambers. Even more waited for updates from abroad. “I’ve got people from Oklahoma and Tennessee texting me, calling me asking me if anything’s happened,” one man was overheard saying. “Get ready to put Sunset
back on the map,” another chimed. Inside, council members deliberated over whether and how to make a request for a cockfighting permit from the state. C o u n c i l m e m b e r Ti m m y LeJeune, who first placed the cockfighting discussion on the agenda following a request by famed cockfighter James Demoruelle at
a December council meeting, reiterated previous claims that legal cockfighting would bring needed revenue to the parish. “We know that we need the revenue. Nobody in this parish can say that we don’t. This is an opportunity to generate revenue,” LeJeune said. “This is going to be the same thing as the racing industry. It’s
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not going to be a cockfight in the backyard of somebody’s house or in the neighborhood. It’s going to be monitored by the state.” Demoruelle, who spoke before the council on behalf of cockfighting, gave a similar argument. “The money is really out there,” he said.
ä See ST. LANDRY, page 4A
101ST yEAR, NO. 207