SAVE $ 55 1
SAVE 73¢ LB
When You Buy 3
4 DAY SALE th nd FEBRUARy 19 - 22 THUR FRI
SAT SUN
19
21
20
22
— ONLY —
USDA GRADE A SANDERSON FARMS
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Whole Chicken
SAVE $ 00 7
LIMIT 2
— ONLY —
96¢
LARGE
LB
Green Bell Peppers LIMIT 9
1
3/$
SAVE up ¢ to 70 — ONLY —
16 OZ PACK FROZEN
Louisiana Crawfish Tails
— ONLY —
1299
$
5 OZ CAN
Starkist Tuna OR 7.25 OZ BOX ORIGINAL
Kraft Mac & Cheese
79 ¢
Prices good at all Baton Rouge, Zachary, Gonzales and Prairieville stores February 19th - February 22nd, 2026.
FORMER PRINCE ANDREW ARRESTED IN RELATION TO LINKS WITH EPSTEIN 3A
THE
ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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Challenge to La.’s private pre-K rules dismissed
F r i d ay, F e b r u a ry 20, 2026
GOLDEN GIRLS
Two Christian schools sought to block law regulating programs
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
A federal judge has dismissed two Christian schools’ challenge of Louisiana’s new rules for private preschools, saying the rules protect children and do not discriminate against religious institutions. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty on Wednesday granted the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in October and which sought to block a state law that requires private prekindergarten programs to get state licenses. Under Act 409, passed unanimously by the state Legislature last year, the schools must meet dozens of child care regulations and pass mandatory inspections to be licensed. The lawsuit alleged that Act 409 unconstitutionally singled out religious schools, and that the expansive regulations would force schools to raise tuition or shut down their pre-K programs due to compliance costs. But Doughty rejected that argument, noting that the law requires pre-K programs at all private schools, secular and religious, to obtain a
ä See CHALLENGE, page 7A
Trump, Iran signal they are ready for war
$2.00X
Alysa Liu waves to the crowd after receiving her gold medal for the free skate program on Thursday.
The United States had a big day on the ice Thursday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, as Alysa Liu gave the U.S. its first women’s figure skating Olympic gold medal in 24 years while the women’s hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to claim another gold medal for the U.S. More Olympics coverage in Sports, 4C.
President warns of ‘bad things’ if deal isn’t reached on nuclear program
BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East, with both the United States and Iran signaling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fizzle out. President Donald Trump said Thursday he
ä See WAR, page 9A
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS
Laila Edwards, left, and Megan Keller celebrate after winning the gold medal for women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Thursday.
Southern panel members discuss expectations for next president BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
When the Southern University presidential search committee met Thursday to discuss key qualifications for the system’s next leader, some members emphasized the need for flexibility to consider
WEATHER HIGH 85 LOW 70 PAGE 8B
“nontraditional” candidates. “Whether the next president is a traditional higher education leader or a nontraditional leader, it is very imperative that they have a strong understanding of HBCUs,” Chair Jason Hughes said. “HBCUs and the mission of HBCUs are very unique, and we have to remember
that the Southern University system is the only HBCU system on earth.” Members agreed in the presidential profile, a document providing the most up-to-date institutional data and expectations for the next president, to list a terminal degree as a preferred qualification, rather
than mandatory. A terminal degree is the highest degree that can be earned in a particular discipline — a doctorate in most research fields. “Obviously, we’re not in traditional times in our country or in higher education,” Hughes said. “Ideally, speaking for myself, I
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
would like to see us cast as wide a net as possible as we work to recruit the next president of the Southern University system.” Committee member Anthony Igiede, faculty senate president of the Southern University campus
ä See SOUTHERN, page 7A
101ST yEAR, NO. 235