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U.S. sinks Iranian warship
Fans pack The Tigue for a baseball showdown between UL and LSU
Iran vows widespread destruction in region BY JON GAMBRELL, ELENA BECATOROS and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE
A sellout crowd fills the seats at M.L. ‘Tigue’ Moore Field on Wednesday to watch the University of Louisiana at Lafayette host LSU. The Cajuns gave the fans something to cheer about as they jumped on LSU for three runs in the first inning and never trailed, earning a 7-2 victory over the No. 2 ranked Tigers. ä Complete coverage in Sports, 1C.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran launched missiles at Israel early Thursday as aerial attacks in the Middle East commenced for a sixth day after an American submarine sank an Iranian warship and Iran threatened the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the region. Israel announced multiple ä More incoming attacks, coverage of and air sirens the conflict. sounded in Tel PAGE 5A Aviv and Jerusalem shortly after the Israeli military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iranianbacked Hezbollah militant group in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The fighting continued after the U.S. and Israel intensified their bombardment of Iran on Wednesday. The tempo of the strikes on Iran was so intense that state television announced the mourning ceremony for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict,
ä See WARSHIP, page 4A
ELECTION 2026 U.S. SENATE
Senate race heating up with flurry of attack ads Cassidy strikes fast at Letlow; Fleming counters Cassidy
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has received an appraisal for a four-acre tract of land which is currently part of the Cajun Field parking lot.
UL receives $2.4M appraisal for Cajun Field parking property
Cassidy
University says it’s not planning to sell site
proved the sale of two of those properties, which are a $2.1 million ecology center near Carencro and a $350,000 house near the university’s research park. A third property at the corner of ConBY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer gress Street and Cajundome Boulevard has not gone to the board for approval. The University of Louisiana at Lafay- The January appraisal, which The Acadiette has received appraisals on three ana Advocate received through a public properties so far as the school’s new records request, estimates the four acres president aims to sell off properties in an of the Cajun Field parking lot to be worth effort to close a $12 million deficit by the $2.4 million, with the “extraordinary end the fiscal year. ä See APPRAISAL, page 4A The UL system board has already ap-
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Letlow
Fleming
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
First impressions count, and that explains why U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and an allied group are launching attacks on U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow now that the Senate campaign is formally underway. A pro-Cassidy super PAC has been hitting Letlow for a month with TV, radio and digital ads that tie her to former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi because of stock trades she failed to disclose and to former President Joe Biden because of some votes in Congress. The early beneficiaries of the attacks appear to be Cassidy and
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Treasurer John Fleming, who is pitching himself as the most conservative among the three Republican candidates. The pro-Cassidy ads label her “Liberal Letlow” in an effort to tarnish her conservative credentials in advance of the May 16 Republican primary. Letlow has responded with an ad that plays her strongest card, her endorsement by President Donald Trump. For now, Cassidy’s side has a huge money advantage, and the “Liberal Letlow” ads are drowning out her broadcasting of the Trump endorsement. Cassidy’s side “is making the smart play right now,” said Pearson Cross, a University of Louisiana at Monroe political science professor. “Right now, voters don’t know who Letlow is.”
ä See SENATE, page 4A
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