The Times-Picayune 10-04-2026 by The Advocate

LSU BREEZES BY MCNEESE WITH SEC GAUNTLET ON HORIZON 1C

N O L A.C O M

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

$2.50X

Alumni, parents prepare to battle closures

New Orleans likely to see several schools shuttered BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

SpaceX launch in Texas shows La. what’s to come Musk eventually plans 30 liftoffs a day from Vermilion Parish

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

STARBASE, Texas — Plumes of vapor burst from the launchpad beneath the rocket, then a flame, pale in the early morning light, visible but silent. The rocket rose steadily. A seagull screeched. People yelled: “Whoa!” and “Go!” Then, as the rocket pierced the clouds, the sound arrived, about 30 seconds after ignition — a fast, pulsing rumble, like the thrum of one car window cracked open on the highway, but much stronger, deep enough to feel in your chest and rattle windows. SpaceX’s Starship — a 40-story, twostage behemoth, the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown — climbed over the Gulf as hundreds watched from the tip of South Padre Island last week. It was the 14th test launch for Starship, and the first time the company would attempt to get the rocket into orbit and deliver working satellites to space. What SpaceX learns from this launch, it will carry with it to Louisiana, where Elon Musk plans to build a $100 billion, 10-launchpad spaceport — several times

ä See SCHOOL, page 8A

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Spectators watch Monday’s SpaceX launch of Starship Flight 14 from the jetties in South Padre Island, Texas. ABOVE: Starship is launched from Starbase.

larger than his Texas site. From Louisi- Parish, the spaceflight superfans will ana, he hopes to one day launch rockets follow. Some are glad they will soon not at a clip comparable to the pace of de- have to travel so far. “I want to put down my gun and watch partures from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. ä See LAUNCH, page 7A And when SpaceX lands in Vermilion

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Why do some women crave random foods, from pickles to red meat to ice cream, during pregnancy? A Pennington scientist has identified a brain mechanism that could explain those urges. In a study published in Na-

WEATHER HIGH 81 LOW 75 PAGE 8B

ture Neuroscience in September, the researchers found that serotonin-producing neurons in a region of the brain — an area in the brain stem called the dorsal raphe — become less active during gestation. The mother then experiences food cravings and can overeat, leading to maternal obesity, Yanlin He, a neuroscientist at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said. “All those things will form a new stimulation to form a change in your brain,” He said.

ICE to open unusual self-deport facility in Alexandria Families will be held in center next to airport

State scientist may have found key to pregnancy cravings Study found brain changes in mice

Brandon McIntyre stood in line behind dozens of other alumni in L.B. Landry High School’s crowded auditorium, waiting for his turn at the microphone to speak out for his school’s survival — again. The Algiers high school was last threatened with closure after Hurricane Katrina, when state ofﬁcials debated whether to reopen badly damaged, and previously struggling, schools like Landry. Now, due to low enrollment at Landry and across the New Orleans public school system, fears of closure have returned. After Algiers Charter Schools said it would stop running the school at the end of the school year, raising the prospect of closure, McIntyre and hundreds of alumni gathered at Landry on Monday evening. They told district officials at the previously scheduled meeting about the charter school renewal process that closing Landry would devastate the community. “It’s deja vu,” said McIntyre, a 2002 Landry graduate. New Orleans school district officials say that up to three high schools and six elementary schools must close over the

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

yanlin He holds vials filled with mice brains in a preservation solution at Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Thursday.

“Before pregnancy, your cir- changed, the circuits cannot be cuits may have been tightly reg- tightly regulated.” ulated, so you are not overeatHe led the study, along with ing. But under the pregnancy, ä See STUDY, page 6A because so many new factors

ALEXANDRIA — Jumbo jets roar low in the sky every day over rows of freshly constructed mobile homes a few miles northwest of this central Louisiana city. The structures, which local officials call “cottages,” are clustered near two soccer fields, jungle gyms for kids and an old building that once held Army barracks. Inside, according to officials and government records, are dorm-style rooms that have bunk beds and phone stations with free international calling, 24 hours a day. Posters advise people waiting to be deported of their legal rights. Women, children and families who have elected to be deported are set to arrive at the facility soon. They will not be prisoners, officials say. But if they try to leave, federal agents may await them at the gates. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-contracted facility, located in a sprawling complex surrounding the Alexandria International Airport, is a

Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................... 1F Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

ä See FACILITY, page 10A

14TH yEAR, NO. 53

2A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Residents say Ethiopian forces retake airport

KAMPALA, Uganda — Ethiopian federal forces have taken the airport in Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, according to people in the city who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday, reversing a takeover by Tigrayan fighters that prompted the suspension of commercial flights last month. It wasn’t immediately clear when federal forces recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport. Those who provided the information declined to be identified for fear of retribution amid uncertainty over who controlled the city. Severe disruptions to internet and cellphone networks have made gathering and verifying information from Tigray difficult. Details of how the airport changed hands, including whether fighting took place there, remained unclear. “The military is in full control of the airport. That much I can confirm,” an Ethiopian general said on condition of anonymity. Neither the Ethiopian government nor the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had issued an official statement on the airport’s reported capture. It wasn’t clear who controlled Mekelle itself.

Car drives into crowd in Australia, injuring 10

NEWCASTLE, Australia — A vehicle drove into a crowd standing on a road to cheer on the Newcastle Knights rugby team north of Sydney on Saturday, injuring 10 people, including several children, Australian ofﬁcials said. Two of the injured — a 5-yearold girl and a 67-year-old man — were in critical condition, and the other eight were in stable condition at a hospital, according to New South Wales police. Those in stable condition included another 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl. Police said they arrested the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle and were investigating what happened. They said the crash was not believed to be related to terrorism. Thousands had been cheering the team on this week as they trained, Australian Associated Press reported.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel are displayed inside a coffin during a handover ceremony Saturday in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Remains of medieval ruler arrive in Bulgaria

SOFIA, Bulgaria — The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel arrived in Bulgaria on Saturday, after decades of negotiations with neighboring Greece. Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014. He is considered a symbol of Bulgaria’s national identity. The remains, discovered at a Greek border area 60 years ago, were flown to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, aboard a military aircraft that was escorted by Bulgarian air force fighter jets from the country’s border with Greece. The coffin with the remains arrived at a central square in Sofia, where it was welcomed by thousands of Bulgarians. In a rare show of unity, politicians from all ends of the fragmented political spectrum also paid tribute to the medieval ruler, listening to the national anthem and a 21-gun salute. “Today we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at the ceremony. A procession accompanied the remains of Czar Samuel to the nearby Church of Saint Sophia, a sixth-century basilica that gave its name to the Bulgarian capital. According to church officials, Samuel was baptized in this church.

lll

Tennessee’s prisons chief resigning

former U.S. Attorney Ed Stan- update Saturday on her condition at lieved problems with the IV lines Official stepping down that ton would lead a review of what a hospital. They had disclosed Fri- caused the pentobarbital to flow in Pike’s death chamber. day that she was on a ventilator and into her body instead of her bloodafter failed execution happened Stanton previously was named to unconscious in the hours following stream. conduct a review after Lee called the execution attempt and that hosPike was extraordinarily coopof Christa Pike off a different ex- pital staff were trying to clear the erative with the execution team,

BY ED WHITE

Associated Press The head of Tennessee’s prison system is resigning, Gov. Bill Lee announced Saturday, the ﬁrst major staff shake-up since Christa Pike’s stunning failed execution left her unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. Frank Strada, commissioner of the Department of Correction, will step down this month, Lee said. Some of the governor’s fellow Republicans and other elected officials had been urging a change in leadership. It was the second time since May that Tennessee has not been able to execute a prisoner who was seemingly moments away from death. The governor also announced

ecution in 2022; he found in that case that Tennessee had not complied with its own lethal injection process. Strada said in a statement that reStrada signing was “in the best interest of Tennesseans” while Stanton’s review is conducted. The state failed to execute Pike despite administering two doses of a lethal drug, pentobarbital. Pike, now 50, was 18 when she and her boyfriend tortured and killed a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in a jealous rage in 1995. She became one of the youngest women to be sent to death row. There was no immediate response from Pike’s lawyers for an

two doses of pentobarbital. The shocking failure has left both sides of the death penalty debate demanding answers. Lee has ordered an independent review and halted any new executions. Strada said he believes the state “carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the established protocol.” Pike’s legal team welcomed Strada’s departure but said “it does nothing to help Christa now.” “What happened to her Wednesday reﬂects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person,” the four-lawyer team said. “We hope the governor’s call for a full, independent review will expose the profound problems within Tennessee’s entire death penalty system.” Pike’s attorneys said they be-

even instructing them to “please try here, please try here” as they tried to insert lines, lawyer Randy Spivey told reporters Thursday. In May, Tennessee stopped the execution of Tony Carruthers after staff placed an IV into his right arm but couldn’t get a secondary IV line. The governor ordered ofﬁcials to wait at least a year before trying to execute him again. Strada took over the Correction Department in January 2023 after serving as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. In late 2024, he announced that Tennessee was changing its lethal injection protocol and would use only pentobarbital. Four people have been executed in Tennessee since 2025, according to the Correction Department.

Russian attacks kill 6 in Ukraine, damage bridge By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Russian attacks in Ukraine killed at least six people and damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, suspending trafﬁc and causing tailbacks for a third day in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. The strike came after two days of Russian assaults forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges over the Dnipro River. Previously, Russia has hit apartment blocks, supermarket warehouses, gas stations and data centers, among other targets. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday it would continue to carry out “mass retaliatory strikes” on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, urging foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the country. It previously issued a similar warning in May. Russia invaded its neighbor more than 41/2 years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible. Fighting along the roughly 780-mile front line snaking through northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked in recent months. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said the strike on the bridge damaged the road surface and trolley bus cables, forcing traffic to be suspended. He later said two people were wounded in the attack, one of whom was brieﬂy hospitalized. Russia’s Defense Minis-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRII MARIENKO

People clear rubble Friday from a house damaged by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. try on Saturday conﬁrmed it was behind the latest attack, claiming the bridge is used to “facilitate troop movements and the logistics of military cargo deliveries” for Ukraine’s armed forces. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show the moment of impact as vehicles crossed the bridge, including footage purportedly recorded by a driver’s dashcam. The aerial war has intensiﬁed, with Kyiv striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses while Moscow has menaced Ukrainian cities with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Saturday that the war is “danger-

ously reaching” her country, following a spate of airspace incursions. “I condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine this morning. Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,” she said in a post on X, adding that ﬁve “Russian air attack weapons, including Banderol missiles and drones, violated our airspace and exploded on our soil.” “Moscow is putting lives at risk across Europe and must be stopped,” she added. Ukraine’s air force said that Moscow overnight launched Banderol cruise missiles — low-cost, jetpowered loitering munitions that Russia uses to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses — at the Odesa

Hospital says 5 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza By The Associated Press Israeli strikes overnight in Gaza killed five people, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Four women were among those killed. A mother and daughter among them were Christians, a minority in Gaza, the hospital said, and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed condolences. A large fire burned at the site, where the strikes tore a gaping hole in the ground floor of a multistory building. The hospital said that people were still reported missing beneath the debris. Israel’s military didn’t immediately comment, saying it was checking for information. Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,439 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group nearly a year ago, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. Meanwhile, Israel’s army said Satur-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on Saturday in Gaza City.

day that it killed the most senior Hamas figure in Gaza and the right hand man to Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi was killed in an apartment used by Hamas, said the army. It said he was the deputy chairman for Hamas’ political bureau and that he was involved in decision-making surrounding the group’s attacks that sparked the war. The army said Al-Amoudi took part in an attack in the West Bank in 1993 in which four Israelis were killed and in the killing of an officer the year later in Ramallah. It said that today he is directly involved in rebuilding Hamas’ capabilities to fight.

region, which shares a long land border with Moldova. A loitering munition is designed to hover over an area, searching for targets, and detonate while crashing into them. Russia attacked Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and nearby areas with drones and guided bombs on Friday and overnight, killing five people and wounding over 40, according to region-

al head Oleh Syniehubov. In nearby Izyum, Russian drone strikes wounded three people, according to the local military administration. It said a drone slammed into an industrial warehouse, while another damaged homes. In Ukraine’s Odesa region, home to multiple Black Sea ports, a sailor was killed and three others wounded after Russian forces struck a civilian cargo ship on Saturday, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported. It said the ship was ﬂying the Liberian ﬂag. In eastern Ukraine, in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Ukrainian drones killed two people and wounded two others, according to Kremlin-installed regional head Leonid Pasechkin. Pasechkin said the drones attacked a truck and passenger car driving along a highway, adding all victims were civilians. In Russia, Ukrainian drone strikes killed a civilian and wounded two more in the Belgorod region, in villages just miles from the Ukrainian border, local authorities said Saturday. Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Coventry, England, contributed to this report.

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 504-529-0522 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 504-636-7421 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classiﬁed Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: nola.com/subscribe E-Edition: nola.com/eedition Archives: nola.newsbank.com The Times-Picayune (USPS 18530) is published by Capital City Press at 840 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Orleans, LA. ISSN: 2379-0008. Capital City Press, proprietor. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Times-Picayune, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices. The Times-Picayune standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola.com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer verification; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate. com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to confirm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Times-Picayune. The Times-Picayune: 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 St. Tammany Bureau (NEWS only): 321 New Hampshire St., Covington, LA 70433 • 985-276-5054

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3A

lll

Trump urges calls to senator over daylight saving time ﬁxation shared President pushes long-standing by both men — with Trump making daylight for bill to make it supporting saving time permanent, and vociferously opposed permanent; Ark. Cotton — at a time just weeks before lawmaker against the midterms, when Republicans would prefer that the measure president focus on talking

BY MELISSA GOLDIN and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, to support a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, urging Americans to call what appeared to be the personal cellphone number of Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July, but Cotton it faces roadblocks in the Senate where some Republicans are strongly opposed. Proponents, including the White House, argue that the change would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings when children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness. It was a remarkable escalation on Trump’s part of a

about affordability issues and the party’s achievements. Cotton is also up for reelection this November, although that race is not expected to be competitive. Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. Not all states observe it — and under the bill, states can opt out of the change if their respective legislatures act to do so before the bill’s enactment. “For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one!” Trump wrote on social media, noting that passing the bill would give professional golfers more time on the greens. “So, everyone in Arkansas, a State I love, and won 3 times, the last by 34 points, tell Tom to, GET IT DONE! It will be appreciated by all,” Trump said. Trump included a phone number with an Arkansas area code. The Associated Press called the number, but no one answered and the

President announces $90 payments for seniors on Medicare BY MELISSA GOLDIN Associated Press

President Donald Trump is promising more payments to voters just ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections — this time, to more than 20 million seniors, giving them $90 each to help pay for Medicare premiums. The announcement, made late Friday night by Trump on social media, comes after the president last month said about 1 million people would get rebate checks of $500 for Affordable Care Act premiums. He has also promised on the campaign trail to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. That pledge — which would require approval from Congress — would likely cost more than $1 trillion, adding to the deficit and worsening inflation. Polls show Americans increasingly blame Trump for the high cost of gasoline and groceries with just 17% approving of his handling of inflation. Trump has sought to shrug off concerns about affordability, saying the economy is booming.

The White House said the $90 payments for seniors will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, established by Congress in 2008 as ﬂexible funding to improve program operations and payments to health care providers. Medicare Part B enrollees can expect to receive a onetime payment in October, either through direct deposit or by check, the White House said. Total monthly costs for the program — which covers costs like doctor’s visits, ambulance services and lab tests — start around $200 and vary with income. To be eligible, seniors must be living in the U.S. and not be already receiving premium assistance from Medicaid or paying adjusted monthly premiums based on income, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage, a private plan alternative to traditional Medicare coverage, are not eligible for the payment. More than half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries have Medicare Advantage, according to healthcare research nonproﬁt KFF.

Man suspected in plot against U.S.-run base in U.K. released on bail By The Associated Press LONDON — A dual U.K.-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England has been released on bail, authorities said Saturday. The 25-year-old man was arrested Thursday in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. He was the sixth person taken into custody and then released on bail as detectives investigate the incident. British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran. The five other men were not named, but police said they are all British nationals

in their 20s and from London. Scores of residents were evacuated from their homes near the base on Sept. 27 as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swooped on the rural area. Police later said they had found a quantity of an accelerant — gasoline — in three vans linked to the ﬁve suspects, but no explosives. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the U.K. sees “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident. He did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why the U.K. thinks Iran was involved. Iran has denied involvement. It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, to support a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, urging Americans to call what appeared to be the lawmaker’s personal cellphone number. voicemail box was full. Cotton, a member of Republican leadership, reiterated his opposition to permanent daylight saving time in a social media post of his own Saturday afternoon. He is not

the only GOP senator who opposes the policy, though he has been among the most vocal opponents. “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted perma-

nent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” Cotton wrote. “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.” Trump, who was spending the day at his northern Virginia golf club before traveling to Ohio later Saturday, promptly fired back. “If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight and, more importantly, they wouldn’t have to run all over their houses, farms, work places, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so,” Trump said, adding that “that is really putting Arkansas FIRST.” As his motorcade was rolling back to the White House,

Trump added that “a table full of very distinguished people just told me that they HATE, immediately after a mandatory time change, going home at night — and it’s DARK.” “It’s depressing!” Trump continued. “One of the gentleman stated that, ‘I just hate going home in darkness.’ It’s also, in Crime Ridden Blue States, a lot more dangerous to be walking home in the dark!” A 2025 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that if forced to choose, most Americans would prefer to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening. Only 12% of U.S. adults favor the current system of daylight saving time, which requires people in most states to change their clocks twice a year, while 47% oppose it and 40% are neutral.

4A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

President defends data centers at Ohio rally lll

Trump stumps for candidate in tight Senate race

BY SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

VANDALIA, Ohio — President Donald Trump on Saturday defended data centers that power artiﬁcial intelligence projects but have become a contentious campaign issue nationwide, as he took his midterm tour to Ohio to insist his party will keep their majorities in Congress despite steep political headwinds. Trump took several minutes during his campaign rally in southwestern Ohio to promote his administration’s action on data centers, saying he was seeking to ensure they “beneﬁt local communities” and praised Republican Sen. Jon Husted for an ill-fated attempt this week to push forward legislation on the issue. “Look, there’s so much

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump speaks Saturday during an event at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio. money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China,” Trump said, repeating his defense of data centers that he had made before. The crowd, which had reacted enthusiastically as the president talked about other policies, was far more muted during the data centers remark.

Trump is embarking on what he says will be a 32-day blitz ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, hitting the deep red states of Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama this week before pivoting to Ohio, a battleground state that’s home to one of the top-tier Senate races this cycle. Husted — who was appoint-

crude shipments have recovered to 17.5 million barrels a day, or 98% of prewar levels. Still, there is debate about whether Iran still holds the upper hand over the maritime choke point. One senior defense official in the region said Iran retains a large degree of control over the strait. Another senior energy official stressed that Tehran’s grip was loosening, despite frequent hits on vessels. Overnight, a British Navy-sponsored organization said it received a report of a crude-oil tanker being struck by an unknown projectile around four miles off the coast of Oman. All crew members were reported as safe, it said. “Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz has changed,” said Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida. “The gradual increase in oil shipments suggests the U.S. is finding ways to reassure tanker operators about the safety of transit. At the same time, I think shipping companies are gradually moving beyond the initial panic stage and beginning to accept instability in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the new reality.” Iranian officials see little prospect of a peace deal before the U.S. midterms on Nov. 3 and believe there’s a high chance of escalation after that, Bloomberg reported earlier this week. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Friday said it’s ready to deliver an “immediate, painful, regret-inducing response” to any aggression by the U.S. or Israel. “Both sides generally want an agreement, but they are moving further apart rather than closer,” Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told Bloomberg Television. With Gulf Arab states’ oil exports rising, she said, “the U.S. feels stronger in the Strait of Hormuz compared to a few weeks ago.” Iran’s fading influence over the strait comes on top of a dire economic situation at home. Soaring inflation is eroding what ordinary Iranians can afford, and the rial has lost about 25% of its value against the dollar in the past two months, making imported goods more expensive. In September, Iran shipped no crude on tankers, according to preliminary Bloomberg estimates. It was the first time that has happened since the start of the war, underscoring the increasing effectiveness of the U.S. blockade on its ports. “For the first time in history, since they started pumping oil, they will have no oil on the water this week,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday in an interview with Axios. “They will have no revenues.” Iran is still supplying some Chinese refiners from stockpiles of oil shipped earlier and located in Asia. But those

may soon run down, further cutting off the government’s most important source of revenue. Tehran has redirected more trade via land borders and the Caspian Sea, but those routes cannot fully offset the squeeze. State media reported increased truck traffic and delays at crossings with Turkey and Pakistan in September, while the Caspian gives Tehran a sea link to its ally Russia. Washington is broadening its economic pressure. On Thursday, it imposed sanctions on Iran’s largest automakers and several rail companies. Earlier measures on the aviation sector are starting to bite. Iranian flights to the United Arab Emirates were halted in late September as governments and airport operators responded to the threat of secondary sanctions, and flights to Iraq, Turkey and Oman have also been disrupted. The economic burden is especially dangerous for Iran because the war began only weeks after security forces crushed nationwide protests over soaring prices and a collapsing currency, killing thousands of demonstrators. The government is now trying to ease the pressure on its budget without reigniting unrest. In September, officials cut some gasoline subsidies — a measure that sparked deadly protests back in 2019. This week, Tehran’s municipality fixed the prices of 12 essential food items for six months through its network of municipal markets. Trump has shown a renewed appetite for military brinkmanship as the midterms approach. He said this week that heavier strikes on Iran were “possible” after the Nov. 3 vote, while the Pentagon is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier as well as additional forces toward the Middle East. The ship’s arrival could give the U.S. three carrier strike groups in the region, a concentration not seen in the area since the opening phase of the U.S.-led war on Iraq in 2003. It’s unclear, however, whether one of the other carriers will leave once the Roosevelt arrives in the coming weeks. “The U.S. is mirroring Iran’s approach, willing to strike a deal or go back to active combat,” said Kuwait University’s Bader Al-Saif. “But if both sides don’t give in and agree on sequencing and clear concessions, a return to war is inevitable.” Trump has repeatedly threatened attacks he ultimately did not carry out. In July, he vowed to hit bridges and power plants in response to attacks on shipping only to pull back at the last minute. Even so, the approaching midterms and voter disapproval of his handling of the war are giving him an incentive to break the stalemate. Iran may feel it can withstand the pain until Trump buckles.

ed to ﬁll the Senate vacancy left by now-Vice President JD Vance — is running to win the seat outright. There is likely no path to a Senate majority for Democrats without ﬂipping Ohio, where former three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown is trying to return to the Senate after losing to Republican Bernie Moreno two years ago. Since last year, Democrats have listed Ohio, along with states such as North Carolina and Maine, as key races to win control of the Senate. And this week, the head of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm said Ohio is among 10 battleground races that are “within striking distance.” “The good news for us is that Jon Husted is a closer,” Sen. Tim Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told reporters. “We’re seeing the gap that was there between the two candidates, which

was just a few points, now it is right at a dead-even race. So this is as tight as ticks, as we say in South Carolina.” At his rallies, Trump has been trying to convince voters that the economy is better than they feel it is, even though polls show Americans are frustrated with the way he’s handled it. The high cost of living, including gas prices elevated by Trump’s war on Iran, is a top issue in the Dayton area, too. And just days before Trump’s rally, nearly 1,400 people were laid off from a truck factory in nearby Springﬁeld. Trump’s rally comes as Republicans worry that Husted’s campaign has failed to adequately catch fire with voters in the Republicandominated state. Brown and allied groups have hammered Husted for his role in attracting data centers to the state when he was lieutenant governor, and the NRSC has

pinpointed it as a political vulnerability. The massive warehouse campuses powering artificial intelligence projects have become a toxic political issue, drawing bipartisan opposition in races across the country, with voters concerned about their impact on electricity prices, farmland and water supplies. The GOP-controlled Senate tried to advance legislation this week sponsored by Husted that would ask utility regulators to effectively charge large power users more, as consumers struggle with high energy costs. But it was blocked by nearly all Democrats. “You got to remember, Sherrod Brown was for data centers, and Jon Husted is for data centers being responsible,” Scott told reporters this week. “If a community doesn’t want them, he doesn’t want them either.”

Experience fall in Lafayette Pressure builds on Iran as with festivals, food, outdoor Trump ups military presence adventures and an unmatched sense of community BY PETER MARTIN, PATRICK SYKES, FIONA MACDONALD and SAMY ADGHIRNI Bloomberg News (TNS)

Seven months into war with the U.S., Iran’s leaders are feeling the strain. Inflation in the Islamic Republic is almost 90%, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are recovering despite continued Iranian attacks, and President Donald Trump is sending another aircraft carrier and 10,000 sailors and Marines to the region. A U.S. blockade is choking off Iran’s crude exports, while diplomacy remains deadlocked. Even for a regime accustomed to sanctions and economic hardship, that is a punishing combination. The squeeze matters because it could force Iran into a choice: make concessions to try to revive peace talks or escalate a conflict that’s already damaging its economy. Trump’s domestic situation will likely influence Tehran’s thinking. The U.S. leader also is in a bind, with oil around $100 a barrel and high fuel prices hurting U.S. consumers ahead of November midterm elections. “Everyone has a breaking point, and Iran is no exception,” Bader Al-Saif, assistant professor at Kuwait University, said. He cited Iran’s recent proposal of a sevenday truce and a Bloomberg report that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has suggested restoring access for United Nations nuclear inspectors — in return for sanctions relief — as evidence of the increasing burden. “The irony is that such pressure can yield opposing responses: concessions or a preemptive strike,” he added. Iran’s economic situation is extremely painful but the country is adapting, according to one Tehran official, who asked not to be identified so they could speak candidly. The Islamic Republic is preparing for a fresh U.S. bombing campaign, potentially greater than before, but has the ability to respond, the official said. Iran’s biggest source of leverage throughout the war, which began in late February with a U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign on the Islamic Republic, has been its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a vital conduit for energy and other commodities. The disruption has driven up the price of oil and natural gas and fueled global inflation, imposing a political cost on Trump at home. But Iran’s grip over the waterway — and its ability to constrain Gulf Arab oil exports — is weakening. Saudi crude exports jumped to about 6.1 million barrels a day in September from 3.4 million in August, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. JPMorgan estimates Middle East

Moncus Park is on Johnston Street in Lafayette. Photo provided by Lafayette Travel.

Amateur and professional cooks can compete in various categories at the Blackpot Festival. Photo provided by Lafayette Travel.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Lafayette Travel.

The fall is one of the best times of the year to visit Lafayette, when a busy festival calendar, celebrations of local cuisine and comfortable days for exploring the outdoors all come together. Whether your itinerary centers on live Cajun and Creole music, delectable dishes, quiet times to recenter in nature or engaging discussions about creativity, the season provides plenty of reasons to plan a getaway. A centerpiece of the season is Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, which will take place October 9-11 in Girard Park. Now in its 52nd year, the free festival brings together three days of live music, dancing, regional food, arts and crafts and cultural demonstrations. This year’s performance schedule is as packed as ever, with artists including Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, The Revelers and Chris Ardoin and NuStep Zydeko all scheduled to perform. The weekend performances will conclude at 4:30 pm. Oct. 11 with a Bayou Blues Band featuring an all-star lineup including Roddie Romero, Sonny Landreth, Michael Doucet, Grant Dermody, Michael Juan Nunez and more. In addition, a daylong pre-festival symposium on Oct. 9 at the Hilliard Art Museum will bring together scholars, musicians, folklorists and culture bearers for a deep discussion on the cultural influences that shaped South Louisiana, along with the evolution and documentation of Cajun and Creole music. Visit festivalsacadiens.com to learn more and plan your visit. The South Louisiana Black Pot Festival and Cookoff celebrates its 20th anniversary on October 30-31 at Vermilionville. The festival has become a signature Lafayette event that honors the black pot style – a method that has long invited cooks to slow down and let the flavors build. Amateur and professional cooks can compete in categories including gravy, gumbo, jambalaya, dessert and cook’s choice. Amid the aromas and tastings, festivalgoers can also relax to live shows from performers including The Pine Leaf Boys, Horace Trahan, Donny Broussard and the Louisiana Stars, and many more. Visit blackpotfestival. com to learn more. The fall festivities continue into November with the Southern Screen Festival, scheduled for November 19-22 in downtown Lafayette. This multidisciplinary event brings creators and audiences together around film, television, music, podcasts and emerging media, with professionals from Louisiana and beyond sharing their work and expertise. Attendees have frequently noted that they walk away from Southern Screen with renewed inspiration, creative ideas and a sense of community. Learn more about this year’s festival and purchase your pass today at www.southernscreen.org. Lafayette’s festivals are a true celebration of Louisiana life, but there’s always plenty to do outside of those events. An itinerary can be built around food alone. The Cajun Boudin Trail connects locally-owned meat markets, specialty shops and restaurants serving traditional boudin alongside cracklins, smoked meats and plate lunches. Because each location puts its own spin on generations-old recipes, the trail is an ideal introduction to the variety within Cajun and Creole cooking. The season’s more comfortable weather – cool mornings and evenings, warm daytime temperatures and lower humidity – makes it easy

to spend time outdoors. Visitors can join locals any Saturday morning at the Lafayette Farmers & Artisans Market, where farmers, makers and food vendors gather alongside a weekly Cajun jam. The Market takes place at Moncus Park, Lafayette Parish’s largest greenspace. The Park features an adventure play area, trails and paths, picnic and rest areas and native gardens. Lafayette is also a short drive to even more outdoor escapes. At Lake Martin, travelers can walk, paddle or take a swamp tour underneath cypress trees and Spanish moss. Another scenic drive leads to Arnaudville, where a leisurely day might include brunch on the Bayou Teche, stops at local galleries and a trip to an area brewery. A weekend or a few days in Lafayette can shift easily from dancing to live music to eating boudin at a neighborhood market to spending a quiet afternoon on the water. In a place where food, music, history and community are closely connected, the fall is a chance to slow down a bit, discover new sounds and ﬂavors and remember what it means to enjoy your surroundings. Visit www.lafayettetravel.com to learn more or schedule your visit today.

Live local music is a hallmark of Lafayette fall festivals. Photo by Jason Cohen.

Natural escapes like Lake Martin offer a chance to reﬂect and recharge. Photo provided by Lafayette Travel.

Festivals Acadiens et Creoles is an annual fall celebration of Cajun and Creole culture. Photo provided by Lafayette Travel.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 5A

lll

Preston

Tour bus operator

“The future’s happening here in Richland Parish.” Kaycie

Coﬀee shop owner

Lindsay

Food truck owner

$1.6 billion for Louisiana businesses. Catering for 40 people used to be a good week. Now they hit 400. And that’s just the tacos. From coﬀee shops to bus tours, Meta’s Richland Parish investment is already paying oﬀ for businesses across Louisiana.

The future is for everyone. meta.com/BuildingLouisiana

6A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Supreme Court to hear major climate change case

pockets, you know? And it does change is caused by pretty much Last month, the Environmental in helping front line communities Litigation involves our feel like maybe the oil and gas in- everybody living on earth,” said Protection Agency ceded some of adapt to climate change. This case should have a part in this.” Phil Goldberg, special counsel for its climate authority by repealing could very well set a precedent,” devastating Colorado dustry She lives in Boulder County, one the Manufacturers’ Accountability rules that limit planet-warming said Chris Winter, executive diof dozens of jurisdictions across the Project, an industry group. “We greenhouse gas emissions from rector of the Getches-Wilkinson wildfire

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Less than an hour after the first warning that a wildfire was headed for her suburban street, Tawnya Somauroo’s Colorado home was in ashes. She has worked tirelessly for nearly five years to rebuild her house and help ensure her neighborhood can withstand the next blaze. But as climate change contributes to more frequent wildfires, she worries that the careful landscaping, metal fencing and flameresistant siding are not enough. “We lost our homes and they left us to figure out for ourselves how to make our neighborhoods safe again,” Somauroo said. “At the end of the day, it comes out of

United States suing oil and gas companies to help pay for damage from disasters linked to climate change. The case is part of a wave of climate change litigation across the country and the world, with billions of dollars at stake. On Monday, the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, the justices will hear the Boulder case that could decide the fate of others like it. The city and county of Boulder first sued two oil companies in 2018, years before the fire. They argued that Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil had violated state law by deceiving the public about their contributions to climate change and sought unspecified damages to help cover the cost of worsening disasters. The companies say that a flood of lawsuits in state courts is not the way to deal with the global issue. “The problem is that climate

need to ﬁgure out how to address that. We need to address it in a very meaningful way. This litigation doesn’t do that.” The companies have the backing of the Trump administration. Federal government attorneys say the lawsuits are a backdoor way to regulate heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions and amount to an unconstitutional power grab. “No one state can superimpose its own regulatory preferences on the rest — least of all to address a global problem that exists almost entirely outside its borders and affects the world at large,” they wrote. The Clean Air Act, they say, allows the federal government, rather than states, to regulate emissions. The Republican administration has largely used that power to roll back environmental regulations.

Let Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

DONNA PISANI

Help make downsizing, selling & buying stress free with compassionate, expert guidance throughout the process.

Continued from page 1A scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago and the Baylor College of Medicine. The researchers were curious about reward feeding during pregnancy and hypothesized that a reduction in the activity of serotoninproducing neurons was generating food cravings, He said. In addition to other physiological functions, the neurotransmitter serotonin helps with the feeling of fullness and regulates appetite and mood. The researchers tested their theory on pregnant female mice, in which they saw greater food-craving behavior than nonpregnant mice. The scientists discovered the importance of a particular potassium ion channel, a passageway in the cell membrane that helps regulate whether the serotonin neurons ﬁre. Heightened activity in this channel decreased the number of serotonin neurons that ﬁred, which in turn increased food-seeking behavior. Removing the potassium ion channel from serotonin neurons helped restore their activity and curbed the craving-like behavior, the scientists found.

The brain-gut connection

“Maybe we can identify a very specific microbiome to specifically reduce the food cravings during pregnancy,” He said. However, He noted that the serotonin produced and used outside of the brain does not cross the bloodbrain barrier, meaning it is still unknown whether certain foods can directly influence the pathway the scientists identified. The research is still at an early stage and not at the point of being “translational,” or applicable to healthcare yet, He said. He is hesitant to recommend the development of a medication tied to their research down the line. The serotonin system is crucial to the growth of the fetus’s brain, the study says, and pharmacological intervention would need to be “cautious.” “I think most pregnant women would hesitate to try if the craving is not an urgent issue that would affect their health and also the baby’s health,” He said. Based on existing literature, the scientist said avocado and soymilk could be areas for future dietary research for pregnant women. “That’s just one direction,” He said. “We may not be successful. Avocado is very easy, and people eat it daily. We just need to design and make specific diets.”

One potential intervention could be through diet. StudPregnancy changes brain ies show that around 90% of Email Haley Miller at Their discovery adds to the body’s serotonin comes haley.miller@theadvocate. com. research that explores how from the gut.

T N E M E C A L P E R ROOF & REPAIRS WE’LL BE AT 30 YEAR

NEW ROOF $

ANY WRIT TEN ESTIMATE!

5,13000*

WITH SYNTHETIC FELT * BASED ON 1800 SQ. FT.

ORDER PAGE REPRINTS ANYTIME

504-491-2783

Call today for a no obligation consultation! Servicing the Greater New Orleans & Northshore Areas

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS pregnancy changes the brain’s reward system and incentivizes eating not to satisfy hunger, but essentially “for fun,” He explained. “During pregnancy, women will have stress, anxiety, and this type of reward feeding will relieve their anxiety and stress,” He said. “But when you are exposed to these huge, tremendous high-calorie diets, you cannot tightly control this type of circuit.” Evolutionarily, food cravings are likely driven by the imperative to provide sufﬁcient nutrients to the baby, He said, as past eras of humans did not have the same reliable access to food. More calories translated to more, and healthier, offspring. But in the present day, this underlying function can cause a problem, He said. It can create the conditions for maternal obesity, which can result in poor outcomes for both the fetus and the mother. “Nowadays it has changed signiﬁcantly,” He said. “We have a lot of high-calorie density diets. But at the evolutionary level, this basic neural circuit is still there.” He plans to further the research by studying human subjects. The goal, He said, would be to improve treatment for maternal obesity.

Center, an environmental research group in Colorado. The case will come before a conservative-majority Supreme Court where environmental regulations have not always fared well, including a 2022 decision that limited the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Only eight of the nine justices will be on the bench, though. Justice Samuel Alito recused himself just a week before arguments after facing calls to step aside because he owns stock in oil companies. That creates the possibility of a tie vote in the case, though it’s unclear how likely that might be. The court is also weighing a question that experts say is a potential “offramp”: whether the justices have jurisdiction to hear the case at this stage.

Time for your next chapter?

LSU student Katelyn Tran mounts sections of mice brain onto a glass slide so they can be later observed under a microscope at Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Thursday.

STUDY

power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The move could complicate its argument. Boulder says it is not trying to regulate emissions beyond its borders, only holding companies accountable for local costs. “Boulder County and city aren’t trying to change what’s happening in Texas or New York, they’re trying to get compensation for things happening now in Colorado,” said Sam Sankar, senior vice president at Earthjustice, which filed an amicus brief in the case. Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county’s suit was originally filed. The total damage was estimated at $2 billion. It was the costliest wildfire in Colorado history. “Local county municipal governments play a very important role

donna@reverealtors.com Licensed in LA & MS

504-300-0700 | 4827 Prytania St. | NOLA 70115

STORE.NOLA.COM

Demystifying Roth Conversions: When and how they might ﬁt into a ﬁnancial plan

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi | stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Gregory Ricks Total Wealth. IRA, 401(k), 403(b)—even the names of retirement accounts can feel confusing to those who are getting acquainted with the ins and outs of financial planning. However, learning about these accounts doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Breakingdowntermssuchas“Rothconversion”canmake theseconceptseasiertounderstandandhelpfamiliesfamiliarizethemselveswiththefinancialtoolsthatareavailable as they work toward their goals. A Breakdown of the Basics IRA stands for “individual retirement arrangement,” a broad category of tax-advantaged retirement plans. They can have differing tax treatments and rules that govern contributions and distributions.1 Two common types of IRAs are: • TraditionalIRAs:Contributionsareoftenmadewith pre-taxdollarsandmaybetaxdeductible,dependingonan individual’s circumstances. Generally, taxes are deferred until distributions are made, and early withdrawals may be subject to an additional tax. • Roth IRAs: Contributions are made with after-tax dollars and are not tax-deductible. Qualified distributions, including investment earnings, are generally tax-free. Roth IRA owners are not required to take minimum distributions.2 Employer-sponsoredretirementplans,suchas401(k)and 403(b)plans,mayoffertraditionaland/ordesignatedRoth options, depending on the plan.1 Roth Conversion: A Layperson’s Definition ARothconversionreferstotheprocessofshiftingmoney fromatraditionalIRAorothereligibleretirementaccount into a Roth IRA or designated Roth account. The amount converted generally must be included as income for the year of the conversion and is subject to taxes based on an individual’s circumstances.3 Why Consider a Roth Conversion? Everyone’sfinancialgoalsandcircumstancesdiffer.While Roth conversions can be a useful planning tool for some individuals, they may not be appropriate for everyone. When discussing financial strategies, Gregory Ricks, founder, CEO and wealth advisor at Gregory Ricks Total Wealth, notes several factors worth considering. • AnticipatedTaxBracket:Anindividualwhoexpects to be in a higher marginal tax bracket in retirement may considerwhetherpayingtaxesonaconversioninthecurrent year makes sense. Depending on the individual’s circumstances,convertinganamountthatfitswithintheircurrent marginal tax bracket may be a desired strategy. • Estate Planning: Planning for how retirement assets may be distributed after death can also be a consideration. UnliketraditionalIRAs,RothIRAsgenerallydonotrequire theownertotakerequiredminimumdistributions(RMDs)

during their lifetime. Many non-spouse beneficiaries of inheritedRothIRAsaresubjecttoa10-yearrulerequiring theaccounttobefullydistributedbytheendofthe10thyear after the owner’s death, but they are not subject to a yearly RMD. The specific distribution requirements can vary depending on the beneficiary and other circumstances.2 • Long-Term Growth: Individuals with a longer time horizonbeforetheyexpecttousetheaccountforincomemay considerthepotentialtaxtreatmentoffuturedistributions. InvestmentgrowthinaRothaccountgenerallyisnotsubject tofederalincometaxwhileitremainsintheaccount.Qualified distributions can generally be withdrawn tax-free.2 What to Keep in Mind A Roth conversion can create taxable income in the year of the conversion, so the amount converted and the timing of the conversion are important considerations. “A common mistake I see with individuals doing Roth conversions on their own, is that they convert too much at onceandendupbumpingthemselvesupunexpectedlyinto a higher marginal tax bracket,” said Ricks. When evaluating a conversion, Ricks considers potential tax implications and may evaluate whether spreading conversions over multiple years could be appropriate for a client. Other factors can include the potential effect on the taxation of Social Security benefits, Medicare premiums and other income-based thresholds. For individuals who are required to take RMDs on traditional accounts, the RMD generally must be taken before additional eligible funds can be converted to a Roth IRA, as an RMD itself cannot be converted. It is also important to understand that Roth conversions generally cannot be undone through recharacterization.4 ReasonsaRothConversionMayNotBeAppropriate AccordingtoRicks,therearecircumstancesinwhichan individual may determine twqwwhat a Roth conversion does not align with their financial plan. • Alowerprojectedtaxbracket:Ifanindividualexpects to be in a substantially lower tax bracket in retirement, paying taxes on a conversion today may not provide the anticipated benefit. • Insufficientfundstopaythetax:Ifanindividualdoes nothaveadequatefundsoutsidetheretirementaccountto pay the resulting tax liability, using retirement assets to pay the tax could reduce the amount remaining invested for retirement. • Retirementassetsandliquidity:Ifpreservingretirement assets and maintaining liquidity are priorities, the potential effects of a conversion should be evaluated carefully before deciding to complete a Roth conversion. For more information on Gregory Ricks Total Wealth, or to schedule an appointment, in person or virtually, visit gregoryricks.com.

Sources IRS. Individual retirement arrangements (IRAs). Page Last Reviewed or Updated July 31, 2026. Accessed Sep. 17, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/ retirement-plans/individual-retirement-arrangements-iras 1

Fully Insured

ACME ONE CALL FIXES ALL NEW ORLEANS ROUGE EXTERIORS LLC BATON HOUMA 504-913-6535 2500 Houma Blvd., Metairie, LA

IRS. Traditional and Roth IRAs. Page Last Reviewed or Updated August 1, 2026. Accessed Sep. 17, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/traditional-and-roth-iras 2

3 Charles Schwab. What Is a Roth Conversion? Rules, Taxes, and More. Published August 5, 2026. Accessed Sep. 17, 2026. https://www. schwab.com/learn/story/why-consider-roth-ira-conversion-and-how-to-do-it 4 IRS. Retirement plans FAQs regarding IRAs. Page Last Reviewed or Updated November 16, 2025. Accessed Sep. 17, 2026. https://www. irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-regarding-iras

This article is meant to be general and is not investment or financial advice or a recommendation of any kind. Please consult your financial advisor before making financial decisions. For more detailed information, contact a financial advisor with Gregory Ricks Total Wealth. Investment advisory products and services made available through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Adviser. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Please remember that converting an employer plan account to a Roth IRA is a taxable event. Increased taxable income from the Roth IRA conversion may have several consequences. Be sure to consult with a qualified tax advisor before making any decisions regarding your IRA. 4483264 - 9/26

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 7A

lll

LAUNCH

Continued from page 1A the launches from the duck blind,” said Kirk Robicheaux, 58, who hunts on his family’s land on White Lake in Vermilion Parish, near Pecan Island, only a few miles from the location of the newly announced Starbase Louisiana, SpaceX’s next spaceport. Robicheaux watches every launch online, but this was his ﬁrst in person. “I have my concern about it affecting the ecosystem and the culture,” he said. “But I think it’s worth doing all that just because of what it’ll do for Louisiana. We’re such a poor state right now.”

‘If it blows up, it’s cool’ By the time the countdown starts, a pop-up society has formed around the rocket, with its own subcultures, rituals and monuments. The night before launch, 10 miles from the pad, several men hoisted upright a 50-foot-tall bronze statue of Prometheus, who, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals. It was transported here from France by a group of right-wing sculptors whose past work includes $300 plaster busts of Canadian conservative provocateur Jordan Peterson. The titan looms over a misshapen foam-and-fiberglass statue of the SpaceX founder’s head, with an inscription that reads: “Elon Musk aka MemeLord,” inspired by a 2019 drawing that went viral on Reddit. Down the road, past the Border Patrol station, a group of 20-somethings was midway through a marathon livestreaming session, drinking beers on top of a raggedy RV and filming themselves on their phones. Launches draw certain types. Many of the spectators were flight enthusiasts or pilots. There were older folks who recalled the heyday of the space race. Some had come as much for Musk as for the rocket, subscribers to his worldview. Because the launch site is on a public road, spaceflight fans can drive up nearly to the base of the rocket, which is about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. In its shadow, a small crowd wearing the tech-worker uniform of plain T-shirts and jeans, some in SpaceX caps, snapped selfies. Previous launch attempts have had mixed results. One rocket exploded as it soared over the Caribbean, dropping rocket parts on beaches and roads in Turks and Caicos and forcing commercial airliners to divert to avoid flaming debris. Another launch attempt blew up part of the launchpad, showering nearby homes with dust and shooting hunks of concrete into the neighboring wildlife refuge. Yet another, a successful test flight, carried the rocket’s first payload into space: a toy banana. SpaceX ran the banana through the federal cargo-approval process as a dry run for the satellites it would launch later. To Musk, each of these at-

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Spectators watch from the jetties of South Padre Island, Texas, as Starship launches from Starbase, Texas, on Monday.

early in its climb through the atmosphere. The Ship was now coasting on a path that would bring it back down to Earth without reaching orbit, unless it fired again. For 20 tense minutes, engineers in SpaceX’s control room at Starbase checked readings. Before launch, they’d stressed caution. They’d only put the Ship in orbit if everything checked out. “The go/no-go poll for orbit has finished,” Dan Huot, SpaceX’s webcast host, told viewers. “We are go for orbit.” The Ship lit an engine and settled into orbit about 170 miles up. It deployed the first 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites — a new version of the internet-supplying satellites that are too large to be transported by SpaceX’s workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9. It was the first working payload that Starship had ever delivered to space. SpaceX cut the flight short, sending the Ship around the planet twice rather than the planned six orbits. It descended toward the Pacific, north of Hawaii, about three hours after liftoff. It landed in the Pacific and exploded. This is what Louisiana can expect, many times over. The company has spent around $7 billion in capital investment in Texas, according to Gilberto Salinas, the president of the Greater Brownsville EDC, an economic development organization. In Louisiana, SpaceX plans to spend $100 billion. Even with all that money coming in, some remain skeptical that locals will see their lives improve. “Louisiana needs help,” said Erica Robicheaux. “But I don’t know if we’ve changed the politician culture enough for us to truly benefit from the money coming in.”

they hate it,” he said. “But it brings in so much money for the local economy.” A recent report from SpaceX estimates that the company has injected $13 billion into the regional economy over two years and employs 4,300 people directly. SpaceX estimates that it has generated $305 million in indirect tax revenue for municipal governments. New restaurants have opened downtown since the company came to town. Sprawling new subdivisions have popped up, catering to the newly arrived, wealthy workforce. Home values are up. But the area is still visibly poor. Buildings are boarded up and abandoned, and near Ryan Wycoff makes pancakes out the back of his Tesla Cybertruck as he waits for the the plasma center that pays launch of the SpaceX Starship Flight 14 on Monday. around $100 for a first-time donation, residents walk tempts was, in its own way, companies, filled the park- et’s not launching,” he said. through town wearing blue He’s created an app, called bandages around their upa win. The goal of testing ing lot. a rocket is to collect data Allen Choi, 34, prepared to Visit Starbase, that contains per arms. to fine-tune its function- see his first launch. Drawn all the info any spectator ing. Failures are expected. by the engineering of space- could need: where to watch ‘Go for orbit’ SpaceX engineers have a flight, which he described as the launch, how to get there Minutes after liftoff, the tongue-in-cheek acronym marvelous, he took a 14-hour and when, where to eat in stages of the rocket separatfor that expected outcome: flight from Hong Kong the town afterward. He hopes ed. The Super Heavy booster RUD, or rapid unscheduled day before and hadn’t slept Musk will notice it, and ei- fell back to Earth, igniting its disassembly. at all. ther offer him a job or send engines over the Gulf’s wa“We’ve got a lot of land Mia Xu, 32, came in from him a cease-and-desist. ters to soften its landing, and with nobody around, and Austin with friends to see “Either way, he’ll know splashed down. The upper so if it blows up, it’s cool,” the launch, also a first for me,” he said. bullet-shaped Ship stage of Musk said at a news confer- them. Though he’s a visitor, he the rocket, as SpaceX calls it, “I would just like to see the has heard what the people continued on, propelled by its ence in 2018. who live here say. six engines, until one of them It’s a line that residents future,” she said. Nearby, the livestream“If you talk to the locals, unexpectedly shut down nearby have not forgotten. Musk told Fox News last ers had parked their RV and year that his goal is to “make were dozing on air mattresslife multiplanetary,” as an es. They had been filming insurance policy for life on continuously, broadcasting Earth. live to the internet since the “Eventually, all life on day before, their cameras Earth will be destroyed by trained on themselves even the sun,” he said. “We do at as they slept. some point need to be a mulRobicheaux, the Pecan Istiplanet civilization because land hunter, has long been a CUSTOM BLINDS, SHADES, SHUTTERS & DRAPERY spaceflight fan, said his wife, Earth will be incinerated.” To some in Brownsville, Erica, 54. “He loves all that techie a city of nearly 200,000 people, 20 miles west of the stuff and automation,” she launchpad, Musk’s priorities said. “He brings all that to my house and I’m like, ‘I seems misaligned. “Humanity needs help on don’t want that. We’re too Earth first,” said Bekah Hi- stupid already. People need nojosa, a Brownsville resi- to think for themselves a dent and the founder of the little more.’ ” While Robicheaux is enSouth Texas Environmental Justice Network. “People in thusiastic about Starbase Brownsville need help. So Louisiana, Erica’s wary. many people I know can’t “Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” even make rent.” she said of the landscape. At the viewing area, the “Once they build that Starspectators were optimistic ship base, that’s it. We can’t about this launch’s chances get it back.” of success. Around 2 a.m., Ryan Wycoff, 28, a comfive miles from the launch- mercial airline pilot and pad, hundreds gathered to flight instructor, served wait out the hours until the pancakes out of the back of 75-minute launch window his Tesla Cybertruck. This that would begin at 7:15 a.m. was his 19th launch, and he Teslas, the electric cars doesn’t intend to miss any. “If I’m not here, the rockmade by another of Musk’s

STAY IN THE HOME YOU LOVE WITH A STILTZ HOMELIFT

NOW WITH

$555 OFF LIMITED TIME OFFER

Our home elevators can ﬁt in almost any home

A Stiltz Homelift is a safe, attractive, & affordable alternative to stairlifts. It requires no supporting walls, has a small footprint and uses less power power than a coffee maker.

Affordable Small Footprint Full Safety Features Low Power Consumption Freestanding Design Wheelchair Accessible Fast Installation Full Warranty

For a FREE BROCHURE or no-obligation home visit

Call 1-844-813-0691

BUY ONE GET ONE

% OFF

on Custom Blinds, Shades & Drapery

CALL TO SCHEDULE

FREE in-home design consultation with no obligation!

((504) 504) 499-0858 784-1670 WE DESIGN, WE MEASURE, WE INSTALL, YOU RELAX!® *Offer valid on 3 Day Blinds brand products only, excluding shutters and special orders. Buy 1 qualifying window covering and receive the 2nd qualifying window covering of equal or lesser value at 50% off! Offer excludes installation, sales tax, shipping and handling. Not valid on previous purchases or with any other offer or discount. Offer Code BGXB. Expires 12/31/25. Images displayed are intended for inspiration only, products may not be available in/with the exact operating system, style, material, pattern, color or options shown. Check with Design Consultant for availability. State Contractor and Home Improvement Licenses: Arizona 321056. California 1005986. Connecticut HIC.0644950. New Jersey 13VH09390200. Oregon 209181. Pennsylvania PA107656. Tennessee 10020. Washington 3DAYBDB842KS. County Licenses: Nassau County, NY H0107310100. Rockland County, NY H-12401-34-00-00. Licensed through Great Windows Services, LLC: Virginia 2705172678. West Virginia WV061238. Various City Licenses Available Upon Request. © 2025 3 Day Blinds LLC.

8A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

SCHOOL

Continued from page 1A next several years to adjust to a student population that has declined by about 3,500 students since 2019. Similar closures are happening across Louisiana and other parts of the U.S. as school districts contend with enrollment declines. NOLA Public Schools will start deciding this fall which schools are shuttered. District Superintendent Fateama Fulmore and School Board members are already facing political pressure as they weigh the district’s declining enrollment and ﬁnancial reality against the community’s attachment to individual schools. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, and City Council member Freddie King III have demanded that NOLA Public Schools keep Landry open, and school alumni groups are starting to mobilize against other potential closures. At the same time, some charter school advocates argue closures are necessary to keep the school system financially stable and protect recent academic gains. Crowded meetings last week at Landry and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter Elementary School are a sign of the battles that may soon come. “Don’t just throw us away like we a bag of trash, ‘cause we’re not,” said 1964 Landry graduate Faye Harrison to Fulmore at Monday’s meeting. “I’m asking you, please, do not close our school. Please.”

‘We don’t have a choice’ District ofﬁcials say they have no choice: Some New Orleans schools must close. The system’s loss of more than 3,000 students since 2019 has meant less perpupil funding while many costs, like utilities and building maintenance, remain the same. Empty seats mean less money for tutoring, teacher raises and operations. “I don’t want to see any

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Fateama S. Fulmore, right, superintendent of NOLA Public Schools, speaks at L.B. Landry High School on Monday. school close,” said School Board member Leila Eames, “but if we don’t have bodies in the building, we don’t have a choice.” When determining which schools to close or merge, the district will consider schools’ enrollment, academic performance, geographic location and building conditions. Fulmore said she will announce the decisions, which must be approved by the board, in December. Orleans Parish School Board member Carlos Zervigon said the superintendent should focus on the data to determine the next steps to take. “People can make all their noise they feel is their obligation to defend their community, to state their case,” he said, “but in the end, the superintendent has to make the call based on what is approved criteria.” New Schools for New Orleans, an education advocacy group that supports the district, has made the case to district officials, board members and school leaders that schools need to close because of declining enrollment. This year, Fulmore discussed declining enrollment and the need for some closures during community meetings about charter school renewals. Leslie Jacobs, who advocated for the creation of New Orleans’ charter system after Katrina, has met

privately with School Board members and city ofﬁcials to explain that schools already have cut spending and tapped rainy-day funds to make up the deﬁcit from enrollment loss. She argued that if some under-enrolled schools aren’t closed, the system’s academic improvements could be at risk. She also helped draft a new state law that allows the superintendent to close schools before their contracts have ended to address declining enrollment. “Failure to act has really bad consequences for all of the kids,” Jacobs said. But critics of the closure plan say schools have value in communities that aren’t reflected in test scores or enrollment figures. Some also argue that the city’s centralized enrollment system, which allows students to attend schools outside of their neighborhoods, has hurt traditional high schools like Landry. Carter, whose mother attended Landry, said the school’s closure would be a loss for Algiers. He said the current debate reminds him of when O. Perry Walker High School was consolidated with Landry due to low enrollment, leaving Walker without its own campus or identity. “Let’s not let history repeat itself,” he said.

officials say is necessary and what community members want has played out before. After Landry alumni lobbied to have their school rebuilt after Katrina, the state built it a new $54 million campus with space for 1,300 students. But officials moved Walker into the campus just a few years later despite opposition by Walker and Landry alumni, who unsuccessfully sued to stop the merger. Last week, Algiers Charter School said it would not continue operating Landry after this school year, citing low enrollment. The move leaves Fulmore to decide whether the district will find another operator, run the school directly or close it. During the packed meeting with Fulmore, Landry alumni said the school is too important to Algiers to be closed. McIntyre said his alma mater, which his mother, siblings and neighbors in

the Fischer Projects also attended, remains a community hub. He still regularly attends football games to watch his nephew play. “Algiers is Landry,” he said, “and Landry is Algiers.” Meanwhile, other school groups have responded to rumblings about possible closures. Terilyn Frazier, president of the Walter L. Cohen Alumni Association, submitted a letter to Collegiate Academies leadership demanding a meeting to address whispers that Cohen, which is also underenrolled, would close or merge with Landry. Collegiate Academies President Stacey Martin responded saying alumni should direct questions to the district, which will make any closure decisions. In the Lower 9th Ward, some community members are worried about the fate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School, the neighborhood’s only remaining

public school. After repeated D-ratings from the state, it could be subject to closure under the district’s new stricter accountability system. At a meeting Thursday hosted by the district, one mother said she drove her children from New Orleans East to the Lower 9th Ward, where she was raised, to attend King so they could “get to know their roots.” Steve Martin, director of academics at King, told Fulmore the school needs to remain open “because of its legacy.” She should “be prepared for the battle,” he warned, if the district tries to shut it down. King’s attorney Willie Zanders is preparing to defend the school. He recently requested enrollment data from across the district and copies of various state laws that allow closure, which he said will help him make his case. “This is about survival,” he said.

EXPECT THE BEST Eleanor Farnsworth CRS, GRI, BRC, HRS

Top Residential Producer 504.891.1142 504.669.0211 2727 Prytania Street Suite 15 in The Rink New Orleans, LA 70130 Come See Me at The Rink, Suite 15

WWW.ELEANORFARNSWORTH.COM Licensed in Louisiana and Mississippi

Nominate a New Orleans Top Workplace for 2027

More fights to come This tension between what

Submitted article by Energage

or all the time people spend at work, how often do we celebrate it when it’s done right? Here’s a chance to nominate a Top Workplace in Greater New Orleans. This is the 13th year the TimesPicayune will shine a spotlight on outstanding workplaces in the region, as viewed by workers. Any organization with 35 or more employees in the region is eligible to seek a Top Workplaces award. Companies will be honored in summer 2027. Anyone can submit a nomination. The nomination deadline is Nov. 6. Participating employers can be public, private, non-proﬁt, a school, or even a government agency. To nominate an employer or for more information on the awards, just go to nola. com/topworkplaces. There is no cost to participate. To qualify as a New Orleans Top Workplace, employees evaluate their workplace using a 26-question survey that takes just a few minutes to complete. Companies will be surveyed

through January. Energage, the Pennsylvaniabased research partner for the project, conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 70 markets nationwide and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 organizations in the past year. “Earning a Top Workplaces award is a distinctive mark of excellence, setting companies apart in a recognizable way,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “Top Workplaces embody the highest standards, and this award, rooted in authentic employee feedback, should be a point of immense pride.” For the 2026 awards, 1,641 organizations in the Greater New Orleans area were invited to survey their employees. Based on employee survey feedback from participating companies, 84 earned recognition as Top Workplaces.

#TopWorkplaces

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 9A

lll

ELIMINATE BACK PAIN AND SCIATICA

without the scars and expense of back surgery... Local Doctors at LeBlanc Spine Center are helping Patients eliminate pain, without dangerous medications or painful surgery. For the next 7 days, we are offering a special Decompression Evaluation- at no cost to you!

Stop Living in Pain-There’s a Better Way Living with chronic pain isn’t just frustrating — it can be life-altering. Whether it’s back pain, sciatica, neck discomfort, or disc-related issues, it can stop you from doing the things you love. Maybe you can’t play golf, get through a workday, or even sit comfortably in the car for 30 minutes. You can’t remember the last time you had a restful night’s sleep. You feel great mentally, but your body is holding you back. Most people don’t realize that spinal discs are often the root cause of this pain. These discs act as cushions between the spinal bones and create the necessary space for nerves to exit the spinal column. But when discs are injured, worn down, or begin to degenerate, they bulge or herniate — pressing on nerve roots and triggering pain in the back, legs, neck, and arms. This pressure doesn’t just cause pain. It can lead to numbness, tingling, weakness, and even issues with balance and mobility.

It is important to note that not every patient is a candidate for Spinal Decompression, which is why we prioritize a thorough individual assessment and X-ray analysis for each person who walks through our doors.

Here’s the good news

At LeBlanc Spine Center,

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is a breakthrough, non-invasive treatment for herniated, ruptured, bulging and degenerative discs...without surgery, injections, or a lifetime of pain pills.

We are honest with our patients and our consistently high success rate stems from our commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believe we can help.

What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in our new patient evaluations: • An in-depth consultation about your health and wellbeing where we will listen...really listen...to the details of your case. • A complete neuromuscular examination • A full set of specialized X-rays (if clinically necessary) to identify the exact source of pain. • A thorough analysis of your exam and X-rays. You sit with the doctor one-on-one to review your findings in detail.

Dr. Scott LeBlanc, D.C. Dr. Dana LeBlanc, D.C.

If you have seen our ads in the past and have thought about calling, don’t hesitate!

We are Dr. Scott LeBlanc and Dr. Dana LeBlanc, founders of LeBlanc Spine Center.

We spend time answering all of your questions when you come in for your free evaluation. There is no charge at all and you don’t need to buy anything, so you have nothing to lose.

We began our practice 14 years ago, and we have helped thousands of patients eliminate pain and reclaim their lives. Due to the high demand, we have 10 advanced decompression machines at our Baton Rouge and Kenner locations. Our state-of-the-art technology is proven to reverse disc herniations and relieve nerve pain in the neck, arms, low back and legs......and we love what we do! Disc issues are common, and patients suffering are usually given limited options of treatment. The most common invasive treatment for disc herniations is surgery. We run these big newspaper advertisements because we want to let people in the community know there is another option of treatment for pain.

We truly enjoy meeting with patients, reviewing X-rays with them, and helping them find out if Spinal Decompression could be their pain solution, like it has been for so many others.

Call Us Today to Schedule Your Appointment!

225-763-9894

Two Offices Located in Baton Rouge and Kenner

The

FREE 17-Point

“Smashed-Disc”

Qualifying Assessment (a $250 VALUE)

Offer Expires 10/11/2026

SEE WHAT SOME OF OUR PATIENTS HAVE TO SAY …

I came to Dr. LeBlanc because I had been suffering with severe sciatica. The pain in my low back and legs was so severe that I began staying home rather than attending sporting or social events. I began Spinal Decompression treatments and since then, I am 70% improved! I am feeling well enough and energetic after working all day to cook, do household chores, attend functions, etc. I have more mobility and I am not exhausted from the pain! The staff and Doctors here are wonderful. Everyone is so kind and friendly and will do whatever is needed to decrease the pain. What I like most about my care at LeBlanc Spine Center is THE RESULTS! I highly recommend LeBlanc Spine Center due to the non-invasive treatment and results! As a matter of fact, I have recommended Dr. LeBlanc to people already. Sabrina Ruggiero (Customer Service Represenative/ Insurance Agent) Hometown - Plaquemine, LA

I was suffering with lower back pain for years, and it was getting worse and worse. It was so painful that I could not function. I could not get out the bed without falling to the floor. I had tried orthopedic doctors, medication, scans, physical therapy- all to no avail. I came to LeBlanc Spine Center, and I started Spinal Decompression treatments in August…and I now feel 100% improved! I am now sleeping better, driving without pain, walking further – all of these activities I can now do, and I have energy that I only had when I was young. I am treated wonderfully by the staff at LeBlanc Spine Center. They are so polite and caring. Dr. Scott and Dr. Dana are unbelievably helpful. The treatment is not painful, and I enjoy the music while I am there too! If asked to recommend LeBlanc Spine Center, I would say that I am convinced that you will improve a big amount, if not 100%. Decompression therapy is the way to go! Ronnie Hebert (Civil Engineer) Hometown - Plaquemine, LA

I had been suffering with pain from herniated discs in my lower back. I could not stand for longer than 5 minutes without pain. I had tried epidural steroid injections and physical therapy in the past, but was still suffering. I have always been active and my back pain was affecting my lifestyle greatly. I came to LeBlanc Spine Center and began Decompression treatment..... and I am now 100% improved! I can do everything I did before my pain started, and my favorite part about this treatment is the results! I can do all of my daily activities without any pain. The doctors and staff here have also treated me great. I have recommended LeBlanc Spine Center to many people.....and will continue to do so! Mark Evans (Former High School Coach and Insurance Agent) Hometown - Baton Rouge, LA

I have been suffering with sharp painful back aches causing immobility for years but came here when my pain was more severe. I began Spinal Decompression treatments at LeBlanc Spine Center and I am now 80-90% improved! I can still do my hobbies and work with less pain than before, I am also sleeping better and I have more mobility. I feel so much better! The staff here is always caring, helpful, and accommodating. The doctors are always assessing and evaluating issues trying to find a solution. One of the best things I like about my care at LeBlanc Spine Center is that everyone is so caring and the attentiveness I receive! I would 100% recommend LeBlanc Spine Center, the staff is always nice and helpful. Dr. Scott and Dr. Dana have always been proactive and thorough when trying to find a solution! Cory Manuel (Project Management) Hometown - Gonzales, LA

Before coming to LeBlanc Spine Center, I suffered from lower back pain when standing and a constant dull pain in my lower left hip for nearly three years. I had CT scans, an MRI, and even tried physical therapy, which only gave me some relief. A friend recommended LeBlanc Spine Center, and I’m so glad they did. The doctors and staff are top-notchwonderful, competent, and genuinely interested in helping their patients. Since starting care, I’ve improved about 80%. I can now stand longer, walk, fish, and enjoy activities that were previously limited by pain. In fact, I’m even planning two vacations this year. Before my visits, I felt like my world was shrinking. LeBlanc Spine Center gave that world back to me, and I recommend them with enthusiasm. Leonard Kleinpeter (Retired government worker and owner of Southern Hydroseeders) Hometown - Baton Rouge, LA

10A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

FACILITY

Continued from page 1A controversial next step in the ongoing mass-deportation campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration. Louisiana has become a national immigration enforcement hub, with more than 7,000 immigrants held in facilities statewide — the second-most of any state. Sheriffs and state prison officials have lent empty jails to private prison companies involved in the crackdown. The airport in Alexandria is the country’s busiest deportation center under an agreement with the federal government. The new facility is different because of who it’s designed to hold: It’s billed as a last stop for undocumented families, women and children who voluntarily agree to be deported rather than potentially endure prolonged detention inside a prisonlike lockup. It appears to be one of the nation’s only facilities built to hold unaccompanied immigrant children, whom federal officials say they only detain “in rare instances.” Records obtained by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, interviews with officials and testimony lodged at a public hearing last week shed new light on how officials plan to run the facility when it opens. The plans say families and children will arrive in Alexandria on commercial flights and will be held for up to 72 hours before being deported from the airport, which sits yards from the facility. The site is set to begin receiving them within two weeks, said three officials familiar with the plans, though it’s unclear how many people will take the feds’ offer to self-deport from the facility. The facility’s intended occupants resemble those held at a facility in Dilley, Texas, which is the nation’s only other lockup for immigrant families. Detainees there have complained of squalid living

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

England Airpark Authority members Secretary/Treasurer Steve Mansour, from left, Chair Oday Lavergne and Vice Chair Jamar Gailes listen to speakers during the board meeting at England Administration Center in Alexandria on Thursday. conditions and long stays. Advocates for the families and children say they fear the same at the Alexandria site. The new facility is a political ﬂashpoint in Alexandria, population 43,000, where federal contracts have long powered the local economy. Critics are questioning the deal’s transparency and turning meetings of a quasi-governmental panel that oversees the mixed-use airport complex, the England Authority Board of Commissioners, into a recurring protest site. An ICE spokesperson declined to answer detailed questions for this story. In a statement, the spokesperson said only that the site “is a staging facility for deportations.” At a meeting last week of the England Authority board, executives with Anovaeon, a self-described “humanitarian response” firm founded in 2024 and subcontracted to run the facility’s operations, pushed back on claims that the site would involve forced detention. They stressed their backgrounds in international aid — the CEO’s LinkedIn says he has managed humanitarian projects in Ukraine and Asia — as well as in federal law enforcement. “This project is not a detention center,” said Anovaeon CEO Eric Fritz. “It is a staging center for families who are voluntarily departing the country, admittedly through pretty crappy circumstances

on their end, I acknowledge that.” Immigrant advocates are flagging the record of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison firm whose nonprofit arm is running the new facility with Anovaeon. Three immigrants have died at a LaSalle-managed ICE detention facility in north Louisiana this year, adding to multiple prisoner deaths in other LaSalle facilities in recent years, according to court records. Pointing to reports that immigrants have been held at Dilley for weeks, advocates have also called the facility’s 72-hour timeline unrealistic. “To say that individuals will only be here for an average of 72 hours is categorically misleading,” said Tania Wolf, a New Orleans-based advocate with the National Immigration Project. “The process of deporting an unaccompanied child, a single woman or a family unit, it takes more than 72 hours.” Fritz said the Alexandria site falls under federal standards for “temporary housing,” drawing a contrast between that classification and standards applied to highersecurity ICE detention facilities. No occupants will be shackled or handcuffed, he said. Another company official, Jeffrey Lynch, said staff would open the facility gates for anyone who wishes to leave. Then, he added, they will

call ICE agents located nearby. “I think we would open the gate” for occupants who ask to leave, said Lynch, a former ICE ofﬁcial who will run operations at the site. “At the same time, we would be in communication with ICE, letting them know what’s happening. There’s an ICE ofﬁce literally steps away. They would be there to either intervene, convince them to come back in, or take whatever steps they would take in terms of their case management.” Commissioner Joe McPherson, a former state senator who authored legislation three decades ago that created the England Airpark, questioned whether immigrants’ presence at the facility could truly be considered voluntary. “I wanted to clarify that they’re there under duress, and you don’t disagree with that, I think,” McPherson told the Anovaeon officials. “When (you say) they’re free to leave, we don’t really know if they’re free to leave or not.”

Bunk beds, wristbands The “Airpark Staging Center,” as it’s described in official records, is overseen by three entities: the England Airpark and its associated board; the LaSalle Family Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the LaSalle private prison firm; and Anovaeon, the subcontractor enlisted by LaSalle responsible for day-to-day operations. A different Texas-based subcontractor, Compass Connections, was initially slated to run the site but later “parted ways” with LaSalle, which enlisted Anovaeon to handle operations instead, said Ralph Hennessy, the England Authority’s executive director. A Compass spokesperson declined to comment, and a LaSalle spokesperson did not respond to inquiries. Documents show the 10acre facility, which is now surrounded by an eight-foot fence draped in green cloth which officials said is meant to prevent photos of immigrant children, will house up to 528 people at once. (That is far smaller than the Dil-

Celebrating the art of the ameriCan South

learn more + PurChaSe tiCKetS

ley site, which ProPublica reported housed 750 families and 370 single women earlier this year.) Immigrants will arrive at the Alexandria airport on commercial flights. Outside the small red-brick airport terminal, Anovaeon staff will guide them to waiting vans. They will drive a half-mile, pass through a gate and drop the passengers at an “intake center” inside one of the modular buildings, Anovaeon officials said. There, new arrivals will receive colored wristbands that signal to staff their food allergies or religious dietary restrictions. Residents will be fed three times per day in a cafeteria area. Refrigerators in each living area are stocked with snacks, Fritz said. Inside the modular buildings and old barracks, bedrooms are outfitted with televisions offering Spanishlanguage programs, he said. Children can play on the two soccer fields and outdoor jungle gyms. Indoor areas will have video games and board games. Immigrants will have to hand over their cellphones, but calls from the phones inside the dormitories will not be monitored, officials said. A psychiatrist, nurse practitioners and other medical staff will be on-site, Fritz said. If migrants need off-site care, he said Anovaeon “family services” staff will take them there. Three unarmed security officers will be present at the site, Fritz said. The company has gone on a hiring spree in Alexandria, posting listings on indeed.com for intake specialists, logistics managers, recreation and security staff, among other roles. Planning documents say families and children staying at the facility “can only be released at the direction of ICE.” Federal agents will always be nearby. “(ICE) is a constant presence there if there’s a safety issue, a noncompliance issue, a medical issue,” said the England Authority’s lawyer, Matt Nowlin. A few hours before their scheduled deportation flights,

immigrants will be transferred to another modular building set up as an outtake room. They will wait there, then on the tarmac before boarding being escorted aboard the ﬂights.

Finances detailed The new facility is expected to generate the England Authority about $500,000 annually in rent from the nonprofit LaSalle Family Foundation, records show. The nonprofit received two $275,000 contributions in 2025, public tax records show. One of them came from a Ruston-based company affiliated with William McConnell. William “Billy” McConnell is the founder of LaSalle’s private prison business. The new site also set to generate revenue for each immigrant in its custody under a fee known as a “bed rate.” Those figures are left blank on a draft intergovernmental services agreement between ICE and the England Authority. Officials have declined to publicly release copies of the active agreement, citing a prohibition from ICE on sharing it. Anovaeon’s job postings on Indeed offer hourly pay ranging from $22 for transportation staff to $47.50 per hour for security managers. Fritz said the company would cover the entirety of employees’ healthcare premiums. Hennessy, the England Airpark director, in an interview described the facility as one in a series of Airpark projects that have injected money into Louisiana’s economy. The protesters don’t grasp that benefit, he said. “Some of these people are just not happy with the fact that there are kids involved who in their mind are being detained in cages,” he said. “That’s far from the truth.” Email James Finn at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 11A

lll

Fall for Our

FRESH DEALS delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

@robertfreshmarket

OPEN 7AM TO 9PM • 7 DAYS A WEEK • PRICES GOOD 9/30/26 - 10/6/26 ARABELLA STORE ONLY • OPEN 7AM TO 8PM

SAVE EVEN MORE! SEE OUR FULL AD AT ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM OR PICK UP A FLYER IN-STORE MEAT & SEAFOOD

PRODUCE

USDA Prime Picanha Steak

USDA Prime Top Sirloin Steak

Chicken Wings

$9.99

$8.49

$1.29

lb.

Family Pack

lb.

Boneless Half Pork Loin

lb.

St. Louis Style Pork Ribs

$1.99

Baby Back Pork Ribs

$2.79

lb.

Hormel Black Label Sliced Bacon

Peeled Gulf Shrimp

Regular or Thick Cut 16oz

Mild, Hot, or Green Onion 16oz

$3.99

$1.49

lb.

$2.29

lb.

Selected 11-12oz Red Bags or 10 Count Single Serve

Wonder Classic Round Top White Bread

Zapp’s or Golden Flake Potato Chips

Kentwood Puriﬁed Water

$6.99

2/$5

2/$6

2/$8

ea.

Kellogg’s Cereal Selected 9.3-16.1oz

Charmin Essentials Bath Tissue or Bounty Essentials Paper Towels

Coca-Cola Fridge Packs

$4.88

2/$13

6 Soft or Strong Mega Rolls or 4 Select-A-Size Rolls

$2.99

ea.

Food Club Canned Beans

Selected 15.2-15.5oz Chili, Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, or Blackeye Peas

99¢

ea.

Selected 7.5-8oz Bag

20oz

24 Pack Half Liter Bottles

Bertolli Marinara or Alfredo Sauce

Selected 12 Pack 12oz Cans or 8 Pack 12oz Bottles

24oz or 15oz Selected

2/$7

Food Club Diced Tomatoes

Tide Simply Liquid Detergent

$2.99

99¢

$8.88

Selected 10oz Cans

ea.

Selected 105-117oz

ea.

Selected 7-8oz

Wild Mike's Pizza

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Selected 36.3-38.8oz

Selected Half Gallons

Coffee•Mate Creamers Selected 28-32oz

2/$12

$6.49

2/$7

Gold Peak Refrigerated Tea

Kraft Velveeta Cheese Loaf

Lean Cuisine Entrées, Bowls, or Pizzas

Pillsbury Frozen Biscuits

Selected 6-11.5oz

Selected 12 Count 25-26oz

2/$5

$7.49

2/$6

$3.69

ea.

32oz

ea.

Hydro Living Butter Lettuce

Crisp Ocean Mist Green Onions

$2.99

$1.89

ea.

15 Count

$19.99

ea.

ARABELLA 899-9283

Old Croc Cheddar

ea.

$6.99

CARROLLTON 488-0536

ea.

LAKEFRONT 282-3428

ea.

Böen Tri-County Pinot Noir

Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

$5.99

lb.

MARIGNY 262-8888

750ml

$15.49

$11.49

A to Z Pinot Noir

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

ea.

750ml

$15.99

ea.

$10.99

ea.

Austin Paso Bulleit Robles Cabernet Bourbon 750ml Sauvignon NV 750ml

$19.99

$24.99

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Bud Light

$8.99

$24.49

Urban South Paradise Park

Nola Cola Root Beer 5mg THC

$16.99

$10.99

ea.

24 Pack Cans

6 Pack

ea.

15 Pack Cans

4 Pack

ea.

DELI Boar’s Head Sliced Mesquite Smoked Turkey Breast

$8.99

lb.

BAKERY

Duck and Andouille Gumbo

Assorted 7oz

5.5oz

WINE & SPIRITS

GOOD TO GO Mini Chicken Salad Croissants

lb.

ea.

2/$6 Selected 52oz

$1.29

ea.

DAIRY & FROZEN Kraft Chunk or Shredded Cheese

$4.99

3lb Bag

750ml

Nabisco Chips Ahoy! Cookies Selected 7-13oz Package

Sweet New Crop Gala Apples

750ml

GROCERY Community Coffee

Sweet New Crop Halo Clementines

lb.

Family Pack

$3.99

ea.

lb.

Boneless Pork Chops

70-90 Count

$3.99

ea.

$3.99

Springer Mountain Farms Drumsticks or Thighs

$2.99

lb.

Manda Smoked Sausage

80% Lean Ground Chuck

$4.99

OLD METAIRIE 831-6682

lb.

W. ESPLANADE 885-7005

WE DELIVER - ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM

Fresh Baked Pistolettes 6 Pack

$1.99

ea.

Assorted Fall or Football Decorated Cupcakes 6 Pack

$5.99

ea.

LAKEVIEW GROCERY

801 Harrison Avenue | 504-293-1201

12A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

LOUISIANA POLITICS Some Republicans starting to question Trump Comments come as midterms approach

action to another taxpayerfunded PSA that blasts Democrats and promotes the Iranian conflict. Trump said Thursday, “I’m not running for office, I’m promoting the country.” WASHINGTON — The most “I’m offended,” said striking thing about the U.S. Senate leaving town early to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton campaign was all the grous- Rouge, about the PSAs. “Taxpayer dollars should ing Republicans did about not be used for political President Donald Trump purposes.” before going. Cassidy has been more “Now, the White House vocal about where he sees sees it differently, but I Trump and the Rethink there ought to be a rule that publicans failing you can’t — well, since May when he there probably is lost reelection in a a rule — you can’t closed party primary spend public money to Rep. Julia Letlow, to promote yourthe northeast LouisiMark self,” U.S. Sen. John lawmaker Trump Ballard ana Kennedy, R-Madibacked instead of him. Nobody can claim sonville, said Sept. that Kennedy isn’t an 27 on CBS News’ “Face the ardent Trump supporter. Nation.” But he also has been sayHe was talking about a taxpayer-funded “public ing that even his polling in service announcement” that Louisiana shows “people all aired repeatedly during across the political speccollege football games last trum are very unsettled” Saturday. Though the adand that could’ve played ministration called it a PSA, into his chiding Trump on the spot looked an awful like the PSAs last weekend. By Tuesday night, howa Trump commercial for the congressional midterms, in ever, Kennedy took the Senwhich it is more and more ate floor to defend Trump’s looking like Democrats will unpopular military action in win. Iran even as his colleagues “There’s nothing in there angled to pressure the adthat strikes me as out of the ministration, once again, to ordinary or that would mer- come to Congress for a decit any sort of FCC review,” laration of hostilities. Federal Communications It’s rare for any elected Commission Chair Brendan Republican to even mildCarr said Wednesday in rely disapprove of what

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, agreed in an interview with KTAL-TV in Shreveport. He said pretty much the same thing in July during interviews and news conferences. “It’s been a priority and an objective of every administration, for 50 years nearly, to ensure that Iran didn’t have a nuclear capability. Now that’s done. Operation Epic Fury was an epic success. … The world is safer because of it,” Johnson said Tuesday. “But now we’ve got to bring that to a resolution.” Voter confusion is the takeaway from a long series of town halls and voter focus groups in which former ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Louisiana lieutenant governor and former New OrPresident Donald Trump speaks to reporters Friday on the South Lawn of the White House in leans Mayor Mitch Landrieu Washington before boarding Marine One. has participated during the past year. He has been saycontrol the legislative agenanalysts of congressional ing in op-eds, blogs and to Trump does. campaigns, wrote Thursday influencers that voters are da for the next two years. Plunging poll numbers evening. “Vulnerable GOP still frustrated by their lack Massive leads Trump racked up in 2024 are evapo- candidates could try to dis- of financial progress, not to Just a few weeks ago, a miffed Trump was far more rating in the historically tance themselves from pol- mention all the vitriol that seems to accompany politics dangerous to the careers of Republican Midwest. Even icy decisions by President these days. Republicans elected in red crimson red states like Tex- Donald Trump that have “You can just see people states than any Democratic as, Florida, Ohio and Missis- contributed to the higher struggling to find a better opposition. That dynamic cost of living, like the Iran sippi are seeing previously way. A new thing is being changed in the past week or War or sweeping tariffs. unthinkable movement formed,” Landrieu said in so as a series of polls comBut they also fear alienattoward the Democrats. Long Play Series on You“As gas prices climb missioned for partisans on ing the three-quarters of both sides — along with non- and consumer confidence Republican voters who still Tube that he co-hosted about partisan campaign handicap- plummets, Republican can- give the president a thumbs the changing politics in the up on the economy.” South, adding: “I don’t know pers, and just about every didates for Congress are Still, as the Nov. 3 elecwhat it’s going to be.” commentator with a laptop struggling to prove to vot— declared the strong posers that they feel their eco- tions gets closer, more Email Mark Ballard at sibility that Democrats may nomic pain,” Amy Walter in and more Republicans are calling for Trump to end very well take majorities in the Cook Political Report, mballard@theadvocate. the war with Iran. House both chambers and thereby one of the most respected com.

Ex-congressman discusses ‘politically directed’ prosecution BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Q&A WITH BOB LIVINGSTON

Bob Livingston, 83, grew up in New Orleans, served in the Navy, graduated from Tulane Law School, became a local prosecutor and won a special election to the United States House in 1977. Over time, he rose in the ranks to chair the Appropriations Committee and was nominated to be speaker, but resigned in February 1999 when he admitted to a marital inﬁdelity. He formed a lobbying company in Washington and moved back to New Orleans in 2022. Livingston wrote “The Rainbow Chaser: The Man Who Gambled for Success and Broke Even,” published this year by Humanix Books. This interview was edited for length and clarity. Talk us through the process of writing “The Rainbow Chaser.” What made you want to write the book in the first place? In February 2023, I got a knock on the door. The FBI wanted to talk to me about a case I had in 2018. We talked for about two hours. They knew a great deal about the person I represented, the then-candidate for the president of Ukraine. I gave

them all the background, answered all the questions. I didn’t think anything about it. The guy agent in a man bun handed me a subpoena for all my records — phone records, documents, computer records — anything we possibly had relating to the representation of (Julia) Tymoshenko. This was an investigation in whether I violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. I knew damn well I hadn’t. My whole world was turned upside down by these politically directed, ill-motivated prosecutors and FBI agents in the Justice Department under the Biden administration. Why? I am absolutely convinced it was because I was a Republican who had supported President Trump. I was one of many thousands of people they went after, if not hundreds. I fought it. It cost me a fortune. But I didn’t get charged. I saved my reputation. I saved my company. I saved my employees. And I beat them. And not everybody does. The more I thought about it, the more

angry I got, and I started writing this book. It was therapeutic. A lot of people believe that Trump has engaged in lawfare.You don’t agree? I can’t answer yes or no. If he does, then he’s as wrong as the Biden administration was. But nobody was a victim of lawfare more than he was. That whole Russian collusion was bull****. The two impeachment charges were bull****. I think Biden wanted to destroy him so he couldn’t run again. You chose to write honestly about your father’s flaws.Why? Going back in the history of the country, I had a stellar family. It was very successful and inﬂuential at the beginning of this country. But as I write, over the generations, my family went into decline. It culminated with my father making a mess of his life, and he died at 51 of alcoholism. The combination inspired me, probably, to do something better. Compromise has become a dirty word for a lot of elected officials today.Yet you praise compromise.Why? That’s what the Constitution envisions. It’s necessary to run a free republic.

formative president in my lifetime since FDR. Has he misjudged things and been erratic on occasion? Yes. He said we’d be out of Iran in six weeks. It’s been six months, and we’re not out of Iran. I think he misjudged that. Do I question his fundamental cause of not letting the Iranians have nuclear weapons? I totally agree with that. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been criticized for being too submissive to Trump and hasn’t acted enough as an independent leader of a coequal branch of government. What do you think? If he had a margin of 10-15 people, then he’d have the opportunity to be more independent. But with a margin of one, two or three people, he has no latitude. What he’s accomplished in passing some things is incredible considering that he has no margin. You rose through the ranks to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee and almost became Speaker of the House.What was the key to your rise in Washington? Some people are show horses. Some people are work horses. I’m not a show horse.

were “corrupt to the core.” Why? It wasn’t just my case. I believe my case was example number one. What they did to Trump was paramount. What they did to the J6ers was incredible. I’ve talked to too many people who were just passing by, who were there. A lot of people believed that the elections had been slammed. So they go to Washington and they protest, which is Americans’ fundamental right. In many instances, I’ve seen the ﬁlms, the cops invited them into the Capitol. If STAFF FILE PHOTO they were in the Capitol for By SCOTT THRELKELD three or four minutes, they Former U.S. Rep. Bob got prosecuted. Livingston I’ve seen video of protesters acting very violently. Yes, yes. Maybe a handful. I am upset with the fact that It looked to me like it was more today is very much unlike it was when I was there. When than a handful. I do not defend in the book I was there, I had Democrat those people who were viofriends. Today you don’t see that. It bothers me. The lent. If they were violent, I country is factionalizing. don’t care if they were prosOpen debate and comproecuted. But proportionately, the vast majority of people mise are mandatory for the were just walking by. continuity of this nation. I Any regrets about voting for Dondon’t like anybody who says, “My way or the highway.” ald Trump? As far as I’m concerned, No. I’d vote for him tothey can take the highway day. I acknowledge all of and get the hell out of Conthe complaints about his personality. But I look at gress. You believe that Joe Biden and his his performance. I think he has been the most perattorney general, Merrick Garland,

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

Stop cleaning-out your gutters this season

Debris Buildup Stands No Chance U L E YO U R

Heavy leaves

Pinecones

Pine needles

Seed pods

SCH

With LeafFilter

SPECT

Acorns Stainless Steel Micromesh uPVC Frame

Storm debris

EXPIRES: 11/30/2026

Instant shade at the touch of a button.

Call 1-877-361-0825 now to

Enjoy more quality time with family and friends. Up to 10-Year Limited Warranty.

Custom Fit To Your New or Existing Gutters

AN ADDITIONAL

25% OFF + 10% LeafFilter

Discount For Seniors + Military

Get a FREE full gutter Promo: 285 inspection and estimate: 1-844-873-1544

*Promotional offer includes 25% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. Cannot be combined with other offers. See representative for full warranty details. DC 420223000087, AZ ROC 344027, AR 0366920926, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, FL CBC056678, ID RCE-51604, IA C127230, LA 559544, MD MHIC164488, MA 213292, MI 262300331, MI 262300330, MI 262300329, MI 262300328, MI 262300318, MI 262300173, MN IR2025-810524, MT 266192, NE 50145-24, NV 0086990, NJ 13VH13285000, NM 408693, ND 47304, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VT 174.0000871, VA 2705169445, WA LEAFFLH763PG, WV WV056912, WI 537-DCFRR

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 13A

lll

TIME TO

Geaux

Tailgate!

PRICES VALID 9/30/26 - 10/6/26

save

BREAUXMART.COM

5 GREAT LOCATIONS | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WHILE SUPPLIES LAST | THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING LOCAL

Meat + SEAFOOD USDA PRIME BONELESS PICANHA

81% LEAN GROUND CHUCK

$999

$499

FAMILY PACK

ST. LOUIS OR BABY BACK RIBS

SPRINGER MOUNTAIN DRUMSTICKS OR THIGHS

JIMMY DEAN BREAKFAST BISCUITS

$299

$149

$599

RUSSETT POTATOES

GREEN ONIONS

YELLOW OR WHITE ONIONS

$389

$179

4 COUNT

produce HALO SWEET CLEMENTINES

STRAWBERRIES

$499

$399

1 LB

10 LB

5.5 OZ

3 LB

$89¢

grocery FOOD CLUB DELUXE MACN-CHEESE

KRAFT BBQ SAUCE

PACE PICANTE SAUCE

HEINZ EASY SQUEEZE KETCHUP

HEINZ YELLOW MUSTARD

FOOD CLUB PEANUT OIL

$139

$189

$289

$499

$169

$399

ZATARAIN'S PARBOILED RICE

BERTOLLI SAUCES

LEA & PERRINS BRIANNA'S WORCESTERSHIRE DRESSING 12 OZ SAUCE

PEARL MILLING CO. SYRUP

PEARL MILLING CO. PANCAKE MIX

$189

$349

$399

$239

$289

KINGSFORD CHARCOAL

GLAD TRASH BAGS

DR. PEPPER BRANDS

COMMUNITY COFFEE

FOOD CLUB CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL

NABISCO CHIPS AHOY!

$249

$289

SIMPLY DONE RED PARTY CUPS

BOUNTY ESSENTIALS PAPER TOWELS

18 OZ

12-14 OZ

16OZ

15-24 OZ

16 LB

14 OZ

24 OZ

12 PACK / 12 OZ

10 COUNT OR 11-12 OZ

2/$11 $6

KELLOGG'S CEREAL

SELECTED 8.9-16.1 OZ

64 OZ

COKE PRODUCTS

24 PACK / 12 OZ

SELECTED 6 PACK / 7.5 OZ

EVAMORE WATER 4 PACK 64 OZ

LIMIT 12

50 COUNT

$12

CAFE VALLEY MUFFINS

4.5-5 OZ

14 OZ

$199

$299

breaux to geaux

bakery PARFAIT CUPS

BUTTERBALL TURKEY SELECTED

750 ML

$1699

FRANCIS COPPOLA PROSECCO ROSÉ

7-15 OZ

4 COUNT

KRAFT CHUNK OR SHREDDED CHEESE

DAISY SOUR CREAM OR COTTAGE CHEESE

COFFEE MATE PRODUCTS

$299

$149

$299

wine + spirits EDUCATED GUESS CHARDONNAY

dairy

7-8 OZ

$799

2 LB

25-40 COUNT

32 OZ

10 OZ

2 LB

31 OZ

6-8 OZ

SELECT 14-50 OZ

frozen

BIG EASY WHISKEY 750 ML

PILLSBURY FROZEN GRANDS! BISCUITS

WILD MIKE'S PIZZA

BLUE BELL ICE CREAM

$349

$599

$609

36.-3-38.8 OZ

1/2 GALLON

25-26 OZ

$1199

$2899

METAIRIE 504-885-5565 | RIVER RIDGE 504-737-8146 | GARDEN DISTRICT 504-262-6017 | CHALMETTE 504-262-0750 | BELLE CHASSE 504-393-1012 LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. Due to limited availability and fluctuations in our supply chains, we may experience shortages. Supplies are based on availability. Thank you for understanding. Not Responsible for Typographical or Image-based Errors. Please Recycle. Quantity Rights Reserved.

14A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

EDUCATION Florida Head Start center teaches in two languages

already knows the word for “yellow” in Spanish, she doesn’t have to completely rediscover the concept behind the color when learning the word in English. Asked for research supporting the proposed English-only requirement, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed to Trump’s executive order designating English as the country’s ofﬁcial language. “The changes set forth in the proposed Head Start rule help achieve these goals by exposing children to English earlier, during a critical time in children’s development,” a department spokesperson said. But education studies don’t back up the administration’s claim, said Michael López, a child psychologist who has led Head Start studies for the federal government.

“There’s really not any credible research basis that suggests that English-only instruction will produce stronger English academic outcomes,” López said. “It’s a mistake. It’s really going back 30 years.” Dual-language instruction produces better academic outcomes, he said, including in subjects like mathematics. In the 1970s, Head Start began requiring centers with signiﬁcant numbers of non-native English speakers to hire at least one staff member ﬂuent in their home language — a regulation still in place today. The Trump administration wants to drop that requirement, saying it could help centers more easily staff classrooms. The language changes are part of a broader effort by

the Trump administration to eliminate or rewrite many federal Head Start requirements for classroom conditions, curriculum and safety. Instead, state and local regulations — which are often more lenient — would apply. The proposed changes do not require a vote in Congress, but the administration is required to seek and consider feedback from the public. Thus far, most comments related to the Englishonly proposal oppose that approach.

Involving parents At Immokalee, teachers give daily notes to parents when they pick up their children, writing in both English and Spanish. Beyond these simple reports are monthly parent meetings, plus four in-person parent-teacher confer-

ULE ED

SELF-SCH TO

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

Children look through a book of first words on Sept. 10 at a Head Start preschool in Immokalee, Fla.

ences every year — two at the children’s homes and two at school. (Those conferences would become optional under the Trump administration proposal.) In all of these interactions, parents and staff currently speak in Spanish with each other. The executive director overseeing the Immokalee center said she is unsure what the English-only proposal would mean in practice. “I don’t know how you’re going to keep people from … speaking Spanish, because it is the home language,” said Isabel Garcia, who, as executive director of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, supervises 26 Head Start and Early Head Start locations. “It is important that (family members) feel comfortable understanding what is happening with their child.” HHS told the AP the English-language requirement would apply only to instruction. Head Start teachers could continue using kids’ home languages to explain safety rules or providing comfort, for example — and when communicating and engaging with families, the department said. In fact, the law requires Head Start centers to communicate with parents in a language they understand, “to the extent practicable,” which wouldn’t change. The department acknowledged eliminating requirements for bilingual staffers “may negatively affect communication with non-English speaking families and weaken family engagement.” It suggested using online translation tools. AP education writers Alia Wong and Moriah Balingit contributed reporting.

SCAN

would amend that approach. If finalized, the proposal would require Head Start programs to conduct all education in English, though programs could seek waivers and certain Tribal-language instruction would be exempt. BY GISELA SALOMON “A ﬁrm foundation in the Associated Press English language” is critical IMMOKALEE, Fla. — It’s almost to preparing kids for school, noon, and after playing on said the Department of the playground, working Health and Human Services, with clay and washing their which oversees Head Start. hands, the 2-year-olds are Multilingual teaching ready for lunch. The eight children and Toys line shelves in the their Head Start teachers Immokalee classrooms, lapray in English, thanking beled in English and SpanGod for the meal. Then, the ish — helicopters, airplanes, adults bring over several tower builders. Bilingual bowls. signs show shapes in differ“Hoy tenemos arroz.” In ent colors and list children’s Spanish, the teacher an- birthdays. Every day, teachnounces the children are ers sing and read in both lanhaving rice. A little boy guages. grabs a ladle and scoops rice One afternoon, it suddenonto his plate. ly grows dark outside and Both English and Span- thunder rolls. Noticing the ish are core to daily life in preschoolers look worried, a this Head Start preschool teacher explains in English, in Immokalee, Florida — an “When you see it, it’s lightagricultural area about 120 ning. When you hear it, it’s miles northwest of Miami. thunder. What was it?” The center serves more than “Thunder,” a boy responds. 50 children from mostly Another answers in Spanish, Guatemalan families, ages noting the danger: “Es muy six months to 5 years. Most peligroso.” students arrive speaking “Si te cae un rayo muy little or no English. fuerte, te puedes lastimar,” Children who speak a lan- the teacher responds. (If a guage other than English at very strong bolt of lightning home account for at least a hits you, you could get hurt.) third of the enrollment in Then she adds in English: Head Start, a federally fund- “So we don’t go outside.” This is part of Head Start’s ed early childhood program serving roughly 700,000 low- Planned Language Approach income children and their in action. Educators help parents. For decades, Head children learn English while Start has supported these also using the language they kids by hiring multilingual speak at home — not simply teachers to teach them Eng- as an accommodation, but as lish, while using their home a teaching strategy. Research shows skills and languages as a foundation. But an overhaul of Head knowledge developed in a Start’s standards pro- child’s home language can posed by President Donald provide a foundation for Trump’s administration learning English. If a child

AP P

But Trump overhaul would require only one be used: English

OI N T

BUY ONE WINDOW OR DOOR, GET ONE WINDOW OR DOOR

50% OFF

$0 down, 0 payments, 0% interest for 18 months* D AN EM BACK D BY POPUL AR

MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION HOMEOWNERSb RECOMMEND RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN

We are available 24/7. Call us to schedule your FREE in-home consultation before 10/31

504-350-7786 10414 Plaza Americana Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70816

*Offer not available in all areas. Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows and/or entry or patio doors. Buy two (2) windows and/or doors, get the second two (2) windows and/or doors, of equal or lesser value, 50% off. Discount applied to lowest-priced window and/or door products in purchase. Cannot be combined with other offers. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free Window and Door Diagnosis must be made and documented on or before 10/31/26, with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. 18-Month Promo Period financing available to well-qualified buyers on approved credit only. During the Promo Period, no payments are required and interest accrues but will be waived if the promo balance is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance remaining after the Promo Period, including accrued interest, will be repaid under the terms outlined in the customer’s loan agreement. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher interest rates may apply for customers with lower credit ratings. Financing is not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Renewal by Andersen retailers are neither brokers nor lenders. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. By responding to this offer, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and consent to receive marketing communications from Renewal by Andersen and its affiliates, including calls, prerecorded messages, AI-assisted calls, emails, and text messages (SMS/MMS) at the phone number and email address provided, even if your number is listed on a state or federal Do Not Call registry. Consent is not required as a condition of purchase. Message and data rates may apply. Calls may be recorded. Renewal by Andersen is an independently owned and operated retailer. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. b Based on Medallia homeowner satisfaction surveys of Renewal by Andersen customers January 2019-December 2025. Average scores between 9 and 10 using Net Promoter Score methodology on all survey questions after design consultation or installation project completed. †It is the only warranty among top selling window companies that meets all of the following requirements: easy to understand terms, unrestricted transferability, installation coverage, labor coverage, geographically unrestricted, coverage for exterior color, insect screens and hardware, and no maintenance requirement. Visit renewalbyandersen.com/nationsbest for details. For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

Renewal by Andersen Impact Resistant Windows

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 15A

lll

Locations

JOIN US FOR

Steak Night

ESPLANADE 504-322-2595 CARROLLTON 504-766-0972 FILMORE 504-218-7048 ARABI 504-266-2059 METAIRIE 504-835-5979 JEFFERSON 504-503-0900

THURSDAYS 3-7PM @ JEFFERSON, ARABI, FILMORE, AND METAIRIE

CANSECOS.COM

Best COLD CUTS PRICES In Town!

Come Save Today!

Sara Lee Ham or Turkey

Butterball Turkey

Butterball Cajun Turkey

Chisesi’s Pride Ham

Manda Ham

Chopped Ham

Manda Roast Beef

$10

Genoa Salami

Cotto Salami

Bologna

Luncheon Meat

Liver Cheese

Manda Hog Head Cheese

Yellow or White American Cheese

Pepperjack or Mild Cheddar Cheese

Provolone Cheese

Colby Jack Cheese

Swiss Cheese

LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL OR IMAGE-BASED ERRORS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.

16A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

THE GULF COAST Popular N.O.-based restaurant closes Bay St. Louis location

The Peter Anderson Festival returns to downtown Ocean Springs, Miss., each November. SUN HERALD FILE PHOTO By HANNAH RUHOFF

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

Mississippi Coast to host fall, Halloween events BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The Mississippi Coast hosts dozens of Halloween-themed events each fall. And even as the summer tourist season slows, many of the region’s attractions still lure visitors from Louisiana. Here’s a list of some of the Coast’s most popular fall attractions and events.

Pumpkin patches The Mississippi Coast features several popular pumpkin patches each year. Options near the Louisiana state line include Trinity Episcopal Church in Pass Christian and Southern Promiseland Farm in Kiln. Visitors to Biloxi can also enjoy pumpkin patches at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and Lemoyne Boulevard Baptist Church.

friendly costume party in downtown Bay St. Louis that includes hundreds of revelers dressed up as witches, warlocks and wizards. It takes place during the day on Oct. 24. On the other end of the coast, the Witches Ride of Ocean Springs hosts an annual parade of bikes, golf carts and walkers dressed as witches and warlocks. Participants decorate bicycles and wear elaborate costumes while handing out treats to spectators. It takes place the evening of Oct. 24 through downtown Ocean Springs.

Southern Promiseland Farm Southern Promiseland Farm in Kiln, Miss. features a 10-acre corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, concessions and a pumpkin patch. Admission is $10, and children ages two and under are admitted for free. The farm is cash-only. 1212 Raygan Lane, Kiln, Miss. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays Sept. 26 through Nov. 1. See website for additional availability.

line and about an hour outside of New Orleans. The farm’s website says zinnias and sunﬂowers began blooming in September. The farm encourages visitors to wear closed-toe shoes and bring a bucket, clippers, garden gloves, drinks and snacks. Admission is $18, and children ages 11 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Coastal Ridge Farm website or with cash at the gate. 27290 Road 221, Picayune, Miss. 9 a.m. to sunset through October, closed Wednesdays. Check website for seasonal availability.

Peter Anderson Festival

The Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs is the largest arts festival in Mississippi. It allows artists to showcase works to thousands of visitors, who can view crafters painting, sculpting and working on pottery at booths that Halloween parades, parties line the streets. The festival is now in its 48th The Boo in the Bay parade in Bay year. It began as a way to honor PeSt. Louis, Miss., features golf carts, Jeeps and classic cars decorated in ter Anderson, who founded Ocean Halloween themes. It takes place Coastal Ridge Farm Springs’ Shearwater Pottery workat 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in Old Town Coastal Ridge Farm offers ﬁelds shop in 1928. Bay St. Louis. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7-8 in downof wildﬂowers available to pick in The Witches Walk is a family- Picayune — just north of the coast- town Ocean Springs, Miss.

Safety. Style. Stress-Free Installation. CALL NOW 1.844.882.6601

The Bay St. Louis location of Barracuda Taco Stand has closed for the season as the summer tourism boom begins to decline on the Mississippi Coast, and it’s unclear if or when the restaurant will reopen. Barracuda’s owner Brett Jones conﬁrmed Tuesday that the Bay St. Louis location closed after Labor Day. The popular taco spot started serving customers in Bay St. Louis in late 2024. Jones said the restaurant has posted a sign on its door informing customers of the closure. A listing on Google also says the restaurant is temporarily closed. “We’re grateful to the Bay St. Louis community for their support,” Jones said in a text message. Barracuda Bay St. Louis sits in the heart of the Mississippi Coast city, on a popular stretch of Second Street near antique shops, Creole Creamery and Mockingbird Cafe. The closure came just before one of the busiest weeks

of the year in southern Mississippi: An annual October car show called Cruisin’ The Coast that draws thousands of visitors from around the country. The closure comes as many restaurants face seasonal challenges in Bay St. Louis, which ﬁlls with visitors each summer and grows quieter during the winter months. Several other restaurants — including the barbecue spot Murky Waters and the seafood spot Tripletails Restaurant — have closed this year. Some restaurateurs in the area have also said they are challenged by food costs. Jones did not explain what led to the decision to close for the season, but said the location does not have a reopening date. “We’re evaluating our options for Bay St. Louis, so we can’t give a deﬁnitive answer right now,” he said. Barracuda’s original location opened in 2019 on Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, and the restaurant has also expanded to Algiers Point, Baton Rouge and Huntsville, Ala. The other locations are open as usual, Jones said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By IAN MCNULTy

Barracuda Taco Stand owner Brett Jones said Tuesday that the Bay St. Louis location closed after Labor Day.

SPECIAL OFFER

Waiving All Installation Costs! Add’l terms apply. Offer subject to change and vary by dealer. Expires 12/27/26. Licenses at JBRLicenses.com.

Call 504-553-1235 to schedule your free quote today!

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 17A

lll

Poll shows voters favor Democrats on key issues But survey finds they lack faith in either party to solve problems

BY THOMAS BEAUMONT and LINLEY SANDERS

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Aaron Siever was never a single-party voter. But now, the 41-year-old from southwest Virginia is more frustrated than ever with the two political parties whose chief accomplishment, he says, is blaming each other for getting little done. “There’s so much turmoil,” said Siever, a former police ofﬁcer who now guides Civil War battlefield tours. “It really messes up chances of getting anything done. It gets really disgusting.” Voters are deeply dissatisfied with President Donald Trump and his Republican Party heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to an Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, and Democrats have built a clear advantage on pressing issues such as the cost of living and healthcare over just a few months. But the survey also points to a bigger problem for both parties: Few registered voters think either party is able to solve important problems or help Americans like them. That undercurrent of cynicism will be a challenge for Democrats and the Republicans, no matter which party controls Congress. Frustration with Republicans is growing, but voters do not appear to think Democrats have a longterm solution to the country’s prob-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLEN SCHMIDT

A voter casts a ballot on Sept. 18 during early voting in Minnesota at the Elections & Voter Services building in Minneapolis. lems, either. Voters give Democrats the advantage when it comes to which party would be better to handle the cost of living, an issue that has proved to be a weak spot for Trump. The survey finds that 38% of registered voters say the Democrats would be better for costs, compared with 27% who say that about the Republicans. The issue was about evenly split among U.S. adults in February, with about 3 in 10 saying each party would be better. Democrats have also gained ground on the economy. About 4 in 10 registered voters now pick the Democrats, compared with 26% of U.S. adults in February. These shifts are good news for Democratic candidates who are hammering an increasingly unpopular president — and by extension,

his party. Few Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, and views of his performance on the economy are only a little better. Voters appear to view Republicans, in particular, as focused on the wealthy. The survey ﬁnds that about 6 in 10 registered voters say the phrase “focused on helping rich and powerful people” describes the Republican Party “extremely” or “very” well. Only about 3 in 10 registered voters say the same about the Democratic Party. While voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Republicans, the survey indicates that voters have relatively little conﬁdence Democrats have their problems in mind. Democrats are less likely to be described as corrupt or focused on the wealthy than are Republicans, but not more likely to be seen as

focused on ordinary people or capable of solving problems. Only about 2 in 10 registered voters say that “able to solve important problems” or “focused on helping people like me” describes the Democratic Party “extremely” or “very” well. That is similar to the percentages who say this about the GOP. Democrats are out of power in Washington, and that may contribute to the perception that they are unable to get traction in solving problems. In the last year alone, the federal government partially shut down twice for weeks because of partisan disputes in Congress over spending on healthcare and immigration enforcement. But gridlock has not been exclusive to Republican control. Despite Democratic majorities early in Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, the party did not achieve its goals on key priorities such as abortion rights, voting rights and raising the minimum wage. Siever is frustrated by what he sees as a commitment to partisanship in Congress at the expense of progress at a time when consumers are paying higher prices for daily necessities such as groceries and gasoline. Driving around the region to lecture and guide tours, his travel costs have soared and led him to raise his prices. “I’ve really become tired of the idea that, if you’re in this party, you have to be loyal to this but, if you’re in that party, you have to be loyal to that,” he said. ”There’s big problems and neither side seems able to ﬁx them.” Meanwhile, 55% of registered voters say the Republican Party is

“too extreme.” Some 45% say the same about the Democratic Party. Voters overall do not see an abundance of moderate sentiment in either party. But they are more likely to say Democrats are “too moderate” than Republicans — a reﬂection of the lack of unity within Democratic Party about its strategy. Slightly fewer than half of Democratic voters say their party is “too moderate,” while a similar share say it is “about right.” That is a sharp contrast with Republican voters, who mostly say their party is “about right.” Voters such as Meagan Ludwig of Milwaukee illustrate the party discontent that has emerged in Wisconsin and other closely contested states this year. Ludwig, a 41-year-old real estate broker, voted for democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary for governor in August, arguing the candidate seemed more committed to a policy agenda aimed at helping working families than Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Crowley won the primary by a half percentage point — roughly 3,800 votes — illustrating Democrats’ soul-searching in the Upper Midwestern swing state. In the November general election, Ludwig is “reluctant,” but plans to vote for Crowley rather than Republican Tom Tiffany, a congressman. Ludwig hopes that Crowley, if elected, perceives the discontent about his party. “We need to seize the opportunity to boldly enact policies that will improve the lives of Americans,” said Ludwig, who is married and has an elementary school-age child. “I’m tired of us pursuing incremental change.”

Mormon leader decries explosion of sports gambling, prediction markets BY MATTHEW BROWN and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

tion of sports gambling, this is just really taking off all across the country,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University in California. “And a lot of institutions — religious, state and otherwise — are grappling with this

The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — A leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints warned Saturday that an explosion in gambling driven by online prediction markets and sports betting is fostering greed, particularly among youths, while producing Christofferson “nothing of value.” D. Todd Christofferson, one of the top three leaders of what is known widely as the Mormon church, said rampant betting among teenagers and young adults is robbing time from their studies and relationships as smartphones make gambling possible anywhere. “For us as Latter-day Saints, overarching all other concerns is the fact that gambling is morally wrong. Gambling is built on the desire to obtain something for nothing,” Christofferson said at the faith’s twice-annual general conference. The declaration that prediction markets are gambling puts the conservative church at odds with President Donald Trump. The Republican’s administration has argued the platforms

problem.” lot measures that would esSaturday’s speech comes tablish rights to abortion in as the church has been wad- Idaho and Nevada. ing into political issues under President Dallin Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice who became the faith’s top leader last October. Church leaders this year have opposed state bal-

THE DESERET NEWS PHOTO By TESS CROWLEy

Conferencegoers vote Saturday during the morning session of the semiannual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. such as Kalshi and Polymarket don’t constitute gambling and therefore shouldn’t be subjected to state gambling bans such as the one enacted this year in Utah, where the church is based. Prediction markets allow wagers on anything from whether it will rain in Los Angeles or if the United States will go to war. “Or even, if you can imagine, the timing of the Second Coming,” Christofferson said Saturday. “Where do you go to collect on that bet?” Opposition to gambling is common among religious organizations. The Methodist Church refers to it as “a menace to society.” The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant

denomination in America, has condemned gambling several times and in 2025 declared sports gambling inconsistent with biblical principle. Gambling is forbidden in Islam and considered a vice among Hindus. In the Catholic Church, gambling is not in itself a sin, but is considered potentially problematic. For more than a century, Utah kept gambling almost entirely out of the state. There are no casinos, no lotteries and no racetracks that allow bets. The prohibition is rooted in the ideals of Mormons who view gambling as a path to selﬁshness and addiction. “The rise of predictive markets, and the legaliza-

IRS Back Taxes Got You Worried?

Erie Roofing Since 1976

Trust the Nation’s #1 Rooﬁng Contractor Award-Winning Roofing and Customer Service

LIMITED TIME OFFER

50% 50 % OFF Installation

These guys helped so much!! Helped me navigate my unfortunate situation with such ease. A BIG thank you... A huge blessing.

“

- Catherine

Our Tax Professionals will get you on the phone with the IRS in minutes for FREE. We will help negotiate the best solution for your tax challenge. At PRIORITY TAX, WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK!

CALL NOW FOR FREE CONSULTATION!

888.518.9361 Priority Tax is a private company that identifies qualified consumers who require tax assistance. They are not the IRS, nor a State Taxing Authority. They are not a debt relief company or attorney referral service. Costs and results will vary. RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. Hiring a tax resolution company is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. There is no charge for a consultation. Call for complete details.

FREE ESTIMATE

SCHEDULE TODAY! Call 1.877.465.0788 • $0 Down Today • Same Day Financing Available • Premium Warranty Protection

Join over 400,000 satisﬁed homeowners with an ultra-durable roof from Erie Home.

CALL TODAY! 1.877.465.0788 New orders only. Does not include material costs. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Minimum purchase required. Other restrictions may apply. This is an advertisement placedon behalf of Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc (“Erie”). Offer terms and conditions may apply and the offer may not be available in your area. If you call the number provided, you consent to being contacted by telephone, SMS text message, email, pre-recorded messages by Erie or its affiliates and service providers using automated technologies notwithstanding if you are on a DO NOT CALL list or register. Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use on homeservicescompliance.com. All rights reserved. License numbers available at eriehome.com/erielicenses/

18A ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

NOLA CANNABIS CO.

BOURBON ST. IS NOW OPEN! Bourbon’s going green. Celebrate the French Quarter’s first real, tested THC cannabis dispensary! 433 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 NOLACANNABISDISPENSARY.COM

Get access to medical cannabis in minutes! It’s free and easy for anyone 21+ to get access to medical cannabis with a medical recommendation through GoodCannaNow.

Here’s how it works: STEP 1:

Quick clinician phone call STEP 3:

Get certiﬁed in minutes!

READY? LET’S GO!

Scan here to get cannabis access fast! GOODCANNANOW.COM

VISIT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS: C A R R O L LTO N

KENNER

M E TA I R I E

TC H O U P I TO U L AS

W E ST B A N K

1407 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

100 W Airline Highway, Kenner, LA 70062

5055 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006

1667 Tchoupitoulas St, Ste. B, New Orleans, LA 70130

1544 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey, LA 70058

JEFFERSON • NEW ORLEANS • ST. TAMMANY • RIVER PARISHES ST. BERNARD • TANGIPAHOA • PLAQUEMINES

METRO

N O L A.C O M

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1bn

Eiffel Tower building up for sale hit the market Sept. 29 with Asking price more an asking price of more than $2.8 million. than $2.8M The listing comes as the

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

The Eiffel Tower building on St. Charles Avenue is up for sale, as NieuxCo, the current tenant of the quirky steel structure partially imported from Paris more than four decades ago, searches for a new home. The distinctive 12,500-square-foot building, built around pieces of a restaurant removed from the Paris landmark in the 1980s,

mile-long stretch of lower St. Charles between Interstate 10 and Jackson Avenue continues to attract investment, with new hotels rising on the former sites of a diner and a rug shop, as well as multimillion-dollar renovations by local churches. But it signals an uncertain future for the iconic building at 2040 St. Charles Ave., which has had at least a halfdozen uses since opening in 1986. “This is a magical build-

“We estimate there’s going to be a significant amount of renovation needed.” PARKE McENERy, listing agent

ing,” said Tim Williamson, co-founder of NieuxCo, which has leased the space since 2021 and runs the Nieux Society club of entrepreneurs, artists and civic leaders. “Everyone’s sort of grown up with this building — with Sweet Sixteens or bar mitzvahs or parties,” he said. “It really is a special building

to New Orleans and to New Orleanians.” Though it has a storied past, the nearly half-acre site lacks legal protection against demolition. And its zoning, which allows for a ﬁve-story hotel or apartment building without special permission, makes it an appealing site for redevelopment. “It’s the best zoning that we have Uptown,” said listing agent Parke McEnery. “(Medium intensity mixed-use) is pretty rare and hard to ﬁnd, so that’s probably one of our highlights in the marketing.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The Eiffel Tower building, built around pieces of a restaurant removed from the Paris landmark in the 1980s, is for sale ä See BUILDING, page 2B with an asking price of more than $2.8 million.

A little drizzly at Li’l Dizzy’s

N.O. council OKs backup battery subsidies Program will use Entergy settlement cash

BY JONAH MEADOWS

Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

A series of rainstorms swept through the New Orleans area on Saturday, leading to event cancellations and wet weather, and street flooding was reported at more than a dozen intersections by the evening. Forecasters warned that the scattered showers should persist through much of the weekend. The city lifted neutral ground parking bans and the National Weather Service said a flash flood warning was in effect into the evening. On Saturday, patrons at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe kept under the Treme restaurant’s awnings as they waited for tables and avoided the raindrops.

The New Orleans City Council has cleared the way for a new backup battery program that advocates say will help keep the lights on at homes, businesses and community sites when the grid goes down. In a unanimous vote Thursday, the council approved a draft of rules and incentives for the $26.6 million program, which will create a new battery network or “virtual power plant,” that will be funded with proceeds from a settlement with Entergy New Orleans over allegations that its parent company mismanaged the Grand Gulf nuclear plant. The council’s action directs Entergy to draw up an implementation plan by the end of October and propose a date to start rolling out the program by the end of March 2027. Approval of the program is a victory for the nonprofit advocacy groups Together New Orleans and the Alliance for Affordable Energy, who ﬁrst proposed using the Energy settlement cash for a virtual power plant in 2024. “What is going on in this city is rippling across the nation and across the world,” said the Rev. Jeff Connor, a member of Together New Orleans. “It is a drop in the bucket, but it is a very signiﬁcant drop in the bucket.” The program, technically the third phase of the Energy Smart Battery Energy Storage System pilot, is part of the City Council’s post-Ida efforts at increasing resilience to outages by creating battery networks that can ease the strain on the grid by allowing Entergy New

ä See SUBSIDIES, page 2B

Kenner spends millions to fix Pontchartrain Center Mold, leaks, more repaired

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

The inside of Kenner’s Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center leaked during rain, and the air conditioning system sputtered from old age. Then, earlier this year, contractors discovered mold growing in the ceiling. Now, amid workers sprinting to complete renovations in time for STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK the NBA Pelicans G-League team The city of Kenner is spending $4.5 million for roof replacement, HVAC to start playing there in November, upgrades and mold abatement at the Pontchartrain convention center. the city is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more than anticipated to make surprise repairs. mold abatement are now estimated because of the mold. The city’s costs for roof replace- to cost about $4.5 million — about It comes as the city also oversees ment, HVAC system upgrades and $750,000 more than ﬁrst expected up to $5 million in Pelicans-funded

renovations to the building including locker rooms, two basketball courts, a new video board and streaming equipment. A vice president for the Pelicans said Friday the facility will be renamed the Waste Pro Civic Center as part of the overhaul. With so many contractors working on the 72,000-square-foot building, the city has hired a separate contractor to oversee it all. Gibbs Construction will be paid up to $100,000 to coordinate and assure the work is being done correctly. Natalie Newton, Kenner chief administrative ofﬁcer, said oversight is needed as the Pontchartrain Center’s problems have fed into one another, such as roof and HVAC problems creating mold. She said managing those repairs is even more complex under the tight deadline for the Pelicans’ arrival.

“While we had the remediation company in here getting rid of the mold, we were also fighting the existing roof leaks and having to do temporary repairs — knowing we’re getting ready to get a new roof,” Newton said. “It’s a little bit of chasing our tail.” Newton added that costs will likely continue to rise as more problems may surface in the “30-year-old facility that really hasn’t been touched in 30 years.” Kenner City Council member Joey LaHatte, who represents Laketown where the center is located, likened it to peeling an onion: “You keep seeing more requests for repair and replacement, and I don’t think the whole onion is peeled yet.” The NBA G-League, which

ä See KENNER, page 2B

2B ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Where’s Billy Cannon’s Heisman Trophy? LSU star gave it to friend; it’s now back with family

BY MATTHEW McNAMARA Louisiana State University

With an acclaimed new two-hour documentary, LSU football great Billy Cannon is having a moment. Not that he ever really left the headlines eight years after his death. But the new Louisiana Public Broadcasting bio ﬁlls in a lot of blanks. The counterfeiting charges, his financial struggles and his years of redemption at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. But one detail is not fully settled. What happened to the Heisman Trophy he won after this 89-yard punt return in 1959? Wasn’t it at TJ Ribs, the Baton Rouge restaurant for many years before it changed hands? Was the trophy sold? Or does LSU have it in a trophy case

on campus? When Cannon’s legal and ﬁnancial troubles started to mount in the early ‘80s, so did the rumors about its whereabouts. He sold it, he lost it, he gave it to LSU or, according to one published account, he hid it in his garage. Bunnie Cannon, a daughter of Billy Cannon, recalls hearing all the talk. “A journalist asked Billy where the trophy was,” Bunnie said. “And he jokingly quipped ‘it was under a carport under a bunch of oily rags.’ The journalist published the story and made people actually believe he did not care about it,” she said in an interview. In fact, Billy Cannon cared a great deal. He was determined that the U.S. government, which was after him for back taxes and other misdeeds, not get a hold of it. “My father did not want the IRS to get the trophy, so he loaned it to his friend and LSU supporter, T.J. Moran, in the 1980s,” Bunnie Cannon said.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Billy Cannon poses with his Heisman Trophy in 1959.

It was a handshake deal, never put in writing, and both men agreed the trophy would be returned to the Cannon family at its request. Moran owned TJ Ribs and put the trophy on display in his restaurant. Moran later died and gave the

restaurant to his son, Burke, who sold it. It remains open — but without the trophy. Its absence only increased speculation about the whereabouts of the trophy. Most people believe the trophy was given to LSU. Owen Morris, an LSU student and sports fanatic, believed Cannon sold his trophy to cover the money he owed for his crimes. “I have been wondering where it is now, since it used to be at TJ Ribs.” It turns out Baton Rouge actually has two Heisman trophies. Following the 1966 season, seven years after Cannon won, The Downtown Athletic Club and later the Heisman Fund began awarding two trophies, one to the player and one to the school, and it retroactively gave all past winners a replica for the college to keep. Hence, LSU’s trophy in its football operations facility is a copy. True to the handshake deal, the original Heisman that then-Vice President Richard Nixon presented to Billy Cannon is in Bunnie

BUILDING

Continued from page 1B If its buyer keeps the building intact, McEnery sees three likely uses: an event venue, office space and a museum or other nonprofit. Its existing commercial kitchen and open floor plan lend themselves to hosting events, he said, and there’s strong demand for Uptown spaces for local events. Converting it into offices would come with a significant upfront cost, but the 30 parking spaces could make it worthwhile for a buyer looking to lure leases from the CBD. And while nonprofits and museums contend with increased costs and federal funding cuts, McEnery said the $2.8 million price tag could still appeal to them. “We are way below what the cost to construct anything remotely like this would be,” he said.

City of Lights to Crescent City The structure, set back from the sidewalk and raised 16 feet above street level, can trace its history back to 1937, when Le Restaurant de la Tour Eiffel opened on a lower level of the Eiffel Tower. In 1981, after engineers noticed its weight was causing the landmark to sag, the restaurant was removed and dismantled, according to newspaper accounts. Paris authorities forbade the French businessman who acquired it from using the Tour Eiffel name, so he traded it to a New York barter company. In 1983, New Orleans car dealer McDonald Stephens bought it for

SUBSIDIES

Continued from page 1B Orleans to draw power from the batteries rather than paying surge prices during times of peak demand. When paired with solar panels, the battery systems could keep the lights on indeﬁnitely during an outage, as long as the owners go easy on heavy loads like air conditioning. Without solar panels, a single battery can

KENNER

Continued from page 1B begins its season in the center on Nov. 6, functions as a minor league for basketball, providing training and development for prospective players. Kenner approved an agreement with

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The Nieux Society hosts a meeting at The Nieux on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans on Thursday. more than $500,000. He planned to reassemble its 11,000 pieces on land leased from the Mahorner family across St. Charles Avenue from the Pontchartrain Hotel, with developer John Onorio and French-born chef Daniel Bonnot as partners. But Stephens died the next year, leaving Bonnot and Onorio to raise money to finish the $3.3 million project, which architect Steven Bingler designed as a steel-andglass frame around the salvaged walls. “Our naivete worked well for us because we had no idea what we were getting into,” Onorio told the

values subject to ongoing periodic review and adjustment” based on “program demand and performance,” as well as other data. Ahead of the vote, Entergy New Orleans spokesperson Beau Tidwell said the utility will seek to limit cost increases for ratepayers who do not participate and focus on implementing the program efﬁciently.

the Pelicans in February to move its team from Birmingham, Alabama, to the Pontchartrain Center under the name Laketown Squadron. Stephen Pate, vice president of operations for the Pelicans, said in a statement Friday that the G-League renovations are still on schedule and unaffected by

the city’s repairs. Kenner is spending $1.3 million to replace the roof following damage from Hurricane Ida, which officials plan to get reimbursed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The city will spend another $2.5 million on the first phase of ﬁxing the building’s HVAC system, although the entire project will require at least another $1 million to complete, Newton said. Kenner took over management of the Pontchartrain Center this summer from Legends Global, which also manages the Smoothie King Center. Legends Global oversaw the Pontchartrain Center for decades but moved to terminate their agreement with Kenner after the city did not respond to a new contract proposal. Mayor Michael Glaser later said the contract was too costly. The city now has six fulltime Pontchartrain Center employees. Four were retained from Legends Global’s staff of 16.

Newton said since taking over the building in July, city officials have found more deferred maintenance and other issues that they believed Legends Global was handling. Newton cited air conditioning filters that hadn’t been changed in years and an inoperable chiller. She also alleged that Legends hasn’t submitted closing finance reports that were due in July, and that the city is considering legal action against the company. In a response, Legends Global said in a statement that it “has a long history of successfully managing the Pontchartrain Center on behalf of the City of Kenner,” and that the company regularly identified capital repair and maintenance needs that the city was responsible for fixing. The company said the financial closeout process remains underway in accordance with the terms of their agreement with Kenner. Glaser, Newton and other administration officials

have said the costs they’ll save from running the Pontchartrain Center in-house instead of contracting will help cover repairs. The center operated at a roughly $600,000 deﬁcit every year, which the city paid Legends under their agreement. Kenner officials contend the Pelicans arrival will be an economic boon for Laketown, which will also soon get a $19 million amphitheater built by Jefferson Parish on the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline. Already, a nearby hotel has undergone major renovations, and Kenner police have opened a new substation in the area in anticipation of increased foot trafﬁc, Glaser said. While LaHatte said he looks forward to the Pelicans’ arrival, he worried

about the rising costs of the Pontchartrain Center repairs. “I don’t want it to become a money pit for the city of Kenner,” LaHatte said.

MANDEVILLE

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

Bayou Castine

Bayou St. John

New Canal Lighthouse

186

Laketown Bonnabel Boat Launch 28

NORCO

KENNER

JEFFERSON

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com or message him on Signal at meadows.504.

tax credit for homeowners who buy batteries expired at the end of last year, a separate business credit for energy storage remains available. As the resolution points out, changes in tax policy mean that most residential participants won’t own their batteries outright. Instead, they’ll sign contracts with third-party owners and developers. Still, the numbers are not final. The resolution describes them all as “initial

PEARL RIVER

Tchefuncte River Falaya 344 Bogue River

139

NieuxCo had intended to buy the building, releasing plans in 2023 to build out a public speakeasy beneath the kitchen and a patio facing the avenue. The nonproﬁt’s lease, which ends in January and won’t be extended, had included an

a home run,” Broderick Bagert, lead organizer with Together New Orleans, said in an interview ahead of the ﬁnal vote. “Commercial will have to put in more skin in the game, but we think there’s more skin to be put in there.” Battery owners will also receive annual payments of $75 per average kilowatt, or about $500 per battery per year for residential customers. But who owns the battery matters. While the federal

MADISONVILLE

121

Next for Nieux

option to buy the building — with owner financing — but at a price that exceeds its current asking price, Williamson said. “We estimate there’s going to be a significant amount of renovation needed,” he said. “And so we felt it was a little bit overpriced.” McEnery acknowledged the building has some “typical deferred maintenance,” but said the prime location and strong demand justified its $225-per-square-foot asking price, with the property already attracting strong interest. Its current owners, Ann Mahorner and Elizabeth Mahorner Landis, declined to comment. NieuxCo has scheduled events in the space through January. In addition to using the building for dinners, salons and retreats for the more than 1,000 members of its Nieux Society, the group rents out the space for public meetings under the brand The Nieux. Williamson said its special event business has grown beyond its expectations. He expects it will close out the year with its best-ever quarter, turning a profit even with minimal marketing. “We’re not necessarily looking to be in the event business, which we were forced to be, because of the building,” Williamson said. “There’s probably someone who’s better at events than we are.” Williamson said the group is now on the hunt for a smaller-scale space suitable for its needs and hopes to announce its new location in the first quarter of 2027.

stallation costs for wealthier ratepayers. That leaves an out-of-pocket payment of about $4,400 for households making more than 80% of the area median income, or about $72,000 for a family of four, according to modeling by Together New Orleans. Business customers would end up paying $25,000 or more upfront for larger, more powerful battery setups. “The residential side, we just think this was like

COVINGTON

Reporting Site Enterococci (MPN)* * Most probable number of of bacteria per 100 milliliters of water Enterococci Rating GOOD POOR N/A based on Beach Action Value (BAV) in EPA’s 2012 RWQC

early 2000s, the building sat vacant until the New Orleans Culinary Institute turned it into the Cricket Club banquet hall. Eiffel Society, an art-ﬁlled event space and the building’s longest-lasting tenant, operated from 2010 until closing in 2020 during the ﬁrst wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the nonproﬁt Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations.

power a house for six to 12 hours depending on usage. The battery subsidies, to be split evenly between residential and commercial customers, are expected to be sufﬁcient for about 250 businesses, 400 low-income households and 800 other residential customers. When federal tax credits are included, the upfront incentive would cover 98% of the cost of the installation of an $18,500 single battery for lower-income households and more than 75% of in-

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN WATER QUALITY Source: scienceforourcoast.org PONCHATOULA

Times-Picayune ahead of opening. Despite good reviews, the restaurant ﬁled for bankruptcy and closed within three years. The building and its contents sold at auction for $154,000 in 1992. In the decades that followed, the building was home to a string of short-lived ventures. The Pontchartrain Hotel used it as a banquet hall through 1997, when entrepreneur John Spradlin opened it up as the Red Room, a dinner-and-dance club whose ﬁrst guest was then-Vice President Al Gore for a $5,000-a-plate fundraiser. After the venue closed in the

Cannon’s home. LSU has borrowed the real one periodically. There is one key difference between the two statues. The one given to Billy Cannon is sterling silver, not bronze like all the others. Cannon’s was the exception, as his trophy commemorated the 25th year of the Heisman award. “There will never be another one like it,” Bunnie Cannon said. “The ownership of the trophy resides with the Cannon family, and the memorial trust in his name,” she said, referring to her father. “The trophy is in a trust for 100 years and cannot be sold unless the items are together and the family agrees.”

LACOMBE

Fontainebleau Beach

472

Old Beach

Northshore Beach

2420

260

Pontchartrain Beach

524

Seabrook Harbor

204

METAIRIE NEW ORLEANS

CHALMETTE

SLIDELL

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah.meadows@ theadvocate.com.

Lara Nicholson writes about Jefferson Parish. Email her at lnicholson@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

FRIDAY, OCT. 2, 2026 PICK 3: 5-0-5 PICK 4: 8-4-4-5 PICK 5: 2-8-6-2-5 MEGA MILLIONS: 6-37-40-41-55 MEGA BALL: 10

PRINT ADVERTISING

WORKS

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

lll

New Orleans Area Deaths Armelin-Duplessis, Barbara Ault, Joanne Austin, Suzanne Cutrone, Jaclyn Dale, David Dauterive, Judith Garcia, Johanna Guichet Sr., Robert Guidroz, Sharon Happel Jr., Leo Holliman, Jeannette Humphrey, Percy Kirsch, David Powell, Aloma Stater, Jean Thibodeaux Jr., Thomas Van der Linden, Bernard Wegmann, Mark Yukna, Raymond Zimmerman Jr., Harry

E Jefferson Garden of Memories Powell, Aloma Leitz-Eagan Guidroz, Sharon Thibodeaux Jr., Thomas

New Orleans DW Rhodes Armelin-Duplessis, Barbara Greenwood Dale, David Jacob Schoen Ault, Joanne Guichet Sr., Robert Lake Lawn Metairie

Cutrone, Jaclyn Dauterive, Judith Kirsch, David Van der Linden, Bernard Wegmann, Mark Yukna, Raymond

Zimmerman Jr., Harry

Ault, Joanne Elizabeth

Joanne Elizabeth (Quirk) Ault, was born on July 21, 1953 and died unexpectedly on September 26, 2026 in New Orleans. She was born in South Yarmouth, MA and lived in New Orleans for nearly 30 years. Her greatest joys in life were her children Sarah Ault (Neil McCormick) and Joshua Ault (Cheyenne Wendler). She is survived by her children, the deepest love of her life, her husband of 39 years, Gary Ault, and her siblings: Jim Quirk (Ann), Bob Quirk (Gayle), Ann Quirk, Ted Quirk (Jan), and Mary Barry (John). She is preceded in death by her parents James Henry Quirk and Joanne Elizabeth McBride Quirk and her brother Richard Quirk. Joanne spent 7 years with the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity before returning home to get her Master's degree in Social Work from Boston University. For more than 40 years, she was dedicated to helping others live in fullness, assisting people in the adoption process, and at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, Ochsner Hospital's heart transplant unit, LOPA, JenCare, and PACE of Greater New Orleans. There was not a soul on earth who could meet Joanne and not leave feeling seen, celebrated, loved, and cherished for exactly who they were. She was truly the embodiment of joie de vivre and could most often be found laughing and sharing stories around a table of great food with even greater friends. She was the best of us. Per her wishes, her usable tissues and organs were donated. A celebration of Joanne's life will be held at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church in River Ridge, LA on Saturday, October 17, 2026 starting at 10:30am followed by mass at noon. A second celebration will be planned later on Cape Cod. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to World Central Kitchen or PACE of Greater New Orleans. The family welcomes you to share your thoughts, favorite memories, and condolences online at schoenfh.com.

Austin, Suzanne Hemelt

St Tammany EJ Fielding Garcia, Johanna

West Bank Mothe Holliman, Jeannette

Obituaries Armelin-Duplessis, Barbara

Barbara ArmelinDuplessis departed this life on Friday, September 18, 2026 at the age of 86. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church, 5621 Elysian Fields Ave. New Orleans, La on Monday, October 05, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Arrangements by Duplain W. Rhodes Funeral Home, New Orleans, Louisiana. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook.

Suzanne Hemelt Austin passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at the age of 70. Her final days were spent surrounded by her family and friends, remembering the ways she touched their lives during her very memorable life. She was the cherished wife of David J. Austin. Beloved mother of Melissa Thompson, Holly Thompson and Brian Thompson (Adriana). Stepmother of Taryn Chenevert (Phil). Proud grandmother of Maelee Geeck (Henry), Amelia Thompson, Jasper Chenevert and Sofia Thompson. Step-grandmother of Mallory Callahan, Reagan Gomez and Caine Chenevert. Sister of Morris Hemelt Jr., David Hemelt, Milton Hemelt, Randy Hemelt and Gary Hemelt. Daughter of the late Morris Hemelt Sr. and Gloria Cornu Hemelt. She is also survived and fondly remembered by many cousins, relatives and dear friends. Suzanne was born in New Orleans, LA and was a longtime resident of St. Bernard Parish before eventually making her home in Covington. She built a long and fulfilling career with Walmart, where she dedicated more than 32 years of her life. Beginning as a Sales Clerk, Suzanne worked her way into management.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation to be held at ST. BERNARD MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 701 W. Virtue St., Chalmette, LA on Tuesday, October 6th from 9:00AM - 11:00AM, followed by a funeral service in Suzanne's memory beginning at 11:00AM. She will be laid to eternal rest in St. Bernard Memorial Gardens. To view and sign the Family Guestbook, please visit www.stbernar dmemorial.com

Cutrone, Jaclyn Drackett

Jaclyn Elizabeth Drackett Cutrone, age 96, died peacefully at her home on September 26, 2026, surrounded by her family. Jaclyn was born in Morgan City, Louisiana, on February 19, 1930, to Catherine Griffin "Griff" (nee Hebert) and John Robert "Jack" Drackett. Jaclyn, known to most as "Jackie" (and later as "Beba", the nickname her eldest grandchild bestowed upon her), was a devoted wife and mother and all that those titles entail. At 22, in 1952, Jackie married the love of her life, Camille Anthony Cutrone. The two, whose lives intersected early on, shared a dance class as toddlers, and were schoolmates in junior high, where Camille spotted a teenage Jackie who "cut quite a figure" with her dark wavy hair. They began dating in high school. After high school, Jackie followed in her mother's footsteps and became a nurse, working as both an ER nurse and nurse recruiter. Once married, she became a military wife while her husband served as a commissioned officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army. Following the Army, Camille established a law practice in New Orleans where the couple made their home for more than seven decades. In 1956 Jackie gave birth to her first of four daughters. As a wife and mother, she used her many talents to assemble everything from tailgate lunches to holiday feasts; shared her nursing skills by serving as a substitute nurse during her daughters' years at the Academy of the Sacred Heart; and brought her love for service to others to her involvement in civic and charitable organizations such as the Girl Scouts, DePaul Hospital Guild, St. Elizabeth's and St. Michael's Special School. As the Cutrone family expanded to include grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, Jackie's dedication to family expanded as she attended everything from plays and recitals to horse shows. She brought undivided attention, maternal instinct, and a gregarious, joyful personality to the task. Her husband routinely described her as "effervescent" and "vivacious", and in a lighthearted nod to the way she saw to the needs of others as "service-oriented". Reading and needlepoint were among Jackie's favorite pastimes. She read "whodunits" by the bagful and passed them on to friends and neighbors. She was charmed by classic films, many from her youth, and shared her love of movies with her girls early in their lives. A lifelong football fan, the softspoken Jackie was so opinionated about referee calls that her eldest daughter gave her a set of penalty flags to use during games. Jackie is survived by her husband, her four daughters Candace Cutrone (the late Ted Strickland), Catherine McMichael (Kevin), Lee Cutrone, and Jackie Smart (Frank), her grandchildren Ryan Littlewood (Emily), Lauren Lemoine (Logan), Collin McMichael, Alden Littlewood and Michael Smart (Kathryn), stepgrandchildren Daniel Smart (Patty), Katie Raymond (Craig), and Matthew Strickland, greatgrandchildren Evangeline "Evie" Lemoine and June Littlewood, step-greatgrandchild William Lemoine, her sister Joan Garber, nieces, nephews,

and great-nieces and nephews, as well as numerous adoring granddogs. Jackie was preceded in death by her beloved parents and her brothers Roy G. "Mike" Simmons and John Robert Drackett, Jr. The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Jackie's devoted group of caregivers.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3B

visit www.lakelawnmetairi e.com

Garcia, Johanna Maisano

All who knew and loved Jackie will miss her elegance, her infectious love of life and beauty, and her radiant smile. Visitation will take place Friday, October 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, LA. Funeral with Holy Eucharist will follow at 11 a.m. Private burial will take place at Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to Trinity Episcopal Church or St. Michael's Special School, 1522 Chippewa Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130.

Dale, David Michael

David Michael Dale, 55, of Boerne, Texas passed away on Friday, August 21, 2026. David was born on August 28, 1970, in Metairie, Louisiana, to Frederick Francis Dale, Sr. and Ann Marie Davis. David was a beloved fixture in the New Orleans music scene. He was music through and through. A sublime musician in his own right, David was the drummer in various bands, including Figpole, Overtone, and Gang of Creeps. David's joy and humor were inescapable. He made friends with everyone he met. His Maw-Maw called him "Darling David" and that's who he'll always be. He is survived by his father, Frederick Dale, Sr., brother, Frederick Dale, Jr., sister-in-law, Valerie Franson, his partner, Amy Farley, and aunts, uncles, and cousins. David was preceded in death by his mother, Ann Marie Davis. Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd. New Orleans, LA followed by a Celebration of Life at 1:00 p.m. For condolences, please visit www.greenwoodfh.com.

Dauterive, Judith Lohr

Judith Lohr Dauterive was called home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 30, 2026, at the age of 86. She was the beloved wife of the late Alvin Dauterive and mother of Ross Dauterive (Kim), Dara Fleming (Mark), Jeanne Genco (Randy), Aimee Wolf (Erich), and Marian Althage (Joey). She was a loving Mamere to 15 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren. Daughter of the late George Lohr and Inez Ferriot Lohr. Sister of the late Elaine Lohr Voelker. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 315 Ridgelake Drive, on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 12:00 PM. Visitation begins at 10:30 AM at the church. Interment will follow at St. Vincent de Paul #2. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. To sign and view the Family Guestbook, please

Guichet Sr., Robert Lee

Johanna Maisano Garcia passed away peacefully on September 6, 2026, at the age of 90. Born and raised in Uptown New Orleans, she was the daughter of George and Frances Maisano. Johanna was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lathan "Skippy" Garcia; her son, Michael Garcia; her parents; her sisters, Mary LaRose and Lillian Maisano; her brother, Joe Maisano; and her sister-in-law, Gloria Maisano. She is survived by her daughters, Jana Garcia Phillippi and Lisa Garcia; her son, Kevin Garcia and his wife, Laurie Davis Garcia; her grandchildren, Garrett Phillippi and his wife, Katherine, Katie Phillippi, Nicholas Garcia, and Matthew Garcia; her great-grandchildren, Giavanna Phillippi, Lathan Phillippi, Luke Phillippi, and Kace Shane Anthony, who is on the way; and many adoring nieces and nephews. Johanna attended Our Lady of Lourdes and Ursuline Academy, where she was a proud member of the Leprechauns Class of 1953. She graduated from Loyola University with a bachelor's degree in education and married Skippy the day after their graduation in 1957. They spent their first two years of marriage in Morocco, where Skippy served in the Air Force and their first child, Jana Marie, was born. They later welcomed Michael Lathan, Lisa Marie, and Kevin August. In 1969, Johanna and Skippy settled in River Ridge, where they opened their dental practice in Kenner and raised their four children. After retiring, they moved to Mandeville to be closer to their grandchildren. Family, friends, sports, and good times were at the heart of Johanna's life. She and Skippy were original New Orleans Saints season-ticket holders beginning in 1967 and rarely missed a Sunday game. Their longtime dedication was recognized with their names on the "Wall of 50 Years Saints Season Ticket Holders" in Champion Square. Johanna loved playing sports as much as she loved watching them. She was a catcher for the Ursuline softball team and later enjoyed tennis and golf with Skippy. They even purchased a condo in Diamondhead, Mississippi, where they could enjoy their love of golf. But for Johanna, it was always about more than the game. She treasured the friendships, dinners, cocktails, laughter, and countless good times shared with the people she loved. Johanna will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She leaves behind a lifetime of laughter, stories, friendships, and cherished memories. Her love of family, her sense of fun, and the life she shared with Skippy will live on in all who knew and loved her. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Johanna's life on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1501 W. Causeway Approach, Mandeville, LA 70471. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 11:00 a.m. A Celebration of Life will follow at the Riverwood subdivision clubhouse, 114 Marilyn Dr., Covington, LA 70433. Please join us in remembering Johanna, sharing stories, and celebrating the wonderful life she lived. Please RSVP at 985-246-0013. The family invites you to share thoughts, fond memories, and condolences by signing the online guest book at www.ejfieldingfh.com.

Robert (Bob) Lee Guichet Sr., 83, of Kenner, LA, passed away peacefully among family on September 28, 2026. Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana on July 13, 1943, to the late Leon J Guichet and Woodleigh G Guichet, Bob was a dedicated family man, a veteran, and a tireless professional. Bob graduated from Morganza High School in 1961 and continued his education at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL). His love of learning was only surpassed by his dedication to service. Bob honorably served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, stationed in Southeast Asia. His career was marked by a dedication to excellence and spanned many years in the dredging industry, culminating in a distinguished 26-year tenure with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. On August 23, 1974, Bob married the love of his life, Brenda Roth. Their marriage, spanning over five decades, was a testament to their enduring love and partnership. Together, they built their beautiful family, raising three sons Robert, Ryan and Bryan, instilling in them many values. Bob's dedication to his family was unmistakable and included love for his children, grandchildren, and many extended family and friends. Known for his warmth, wit, and charismatic storytelling, Bob has lived a life rich in experiences and relationships, deeply rooted in the values of love, faith, service, and dedication. His stories, drawn from his rich life experiences, will be remembered and cherished by all who knew him. Bob's early years were spent in the vibrant rural surroundings of Morganza, where he nurtured a love for the outdoors, a passion that would remain with him throughout his life. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and gardener. His time in the military introduced an interest in military aircraft. His love for photography often combined with his interests to capture beautiful moments. He was also a dedicated fan of LSU sports and the New Orleans Saints. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Woodleigh Guichet. He is survived by his loving wife Brenda, sons Robert Lee Guichet Jr., Ryan Joseph Guichet (Christina), and Bryan Joseph Guichet (Kathryn), and five wonderful grandchildren: Hailey, Kailyn, Hayden, Harper, and Bryce, and many more family and friends. The family will receive friends on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 12:00 PM at Jacon Schoen & Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal St., New Orleans. A service will be celebrated at 1:30 PM, followed by an internment in St. Patrick No. 3 Cemetery. An inspirational figure, a loving husband, a caring father, and an adored grandfather, Bob lived his life with strength, bravery, and dedication. His legacy will continue to be an inspiration, reminding us to embrace each moment and cherish the bonds we share. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten. The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated staff at the New Orleans VA Hospital and Community Living Center for their compassionate support and care. In lieu of flowers, the family of Robert Guichet welcomes donations to a charity, nonprofit, church, or organization of your choosing. In so doing, we pay forward the love and generosity that Bob embodied throughout his life. The family welcomes you to share your

4B ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

thoughts, favorite memories, and condolences online at schoenfh.com.

Guidroz, Sharon Naquin

Sharon Naquin Guidroz passed away peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family, at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the age of 70. Sharon was a devoted daughter, sister, mother, mawmaw, aunt, and friend whose greatest joy in life was her family. She loved deeply and gave generously, always sharing her time, her heart, and whatever she had with those she loved. Her kindness, warmth, and selfless spirit left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Francis Harold Guidroz. She is survived by her devoted son, Shawn Guidroz; daughter-in-law, Susan; and her cherished grandchildren, Katherine, Gerard, Claire, and Kate, who were the light of her life. She also leaves behind her loving mother, Madeline Oncale Naquin; her sisters, Debra Van Slyke, Nancy Armond, Judy Danna, and Donna Alexander; and her brother, Michael Naquin (Lisa). Sharon is also survived by her faithful companion, Poncho, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will miss her greatly. More than anything, Sharon will be remembered for the love she gave so freely. Her legacy of generosity, compassion, and unwavering devotion to family will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her. A Celebration of Life honoring Sharon's life will be held at a later date.

Happel Jr., Dr. Leo

lll

intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring, a technique that vastly improved the safety and outcomes of many orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures. In recognition for his achievements, Lee was inducted into the Sunderland Society in 1995. He was also named a Fellow by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring and was a founding member of its American Board of Neurophysiologic Monitoring. But science was also kind to Lee: while working in a lab, Lee met the love of his life, Bonnie. Over their 59 years of marriage, they were inseparable. Together they enjoyed gardening, fishing, scuba diving, traveling, and raising a family - the whole time each unsuccessfully arguing who was right. But the institution they could not agree more on was their beloved St. Luke's United Methodist Church. Starting as youth counselors in the early 70's, Bonnie and Lee were impactful influences on scores of MYF teens. Bonnie would organize and lead youth retreats at Camp Istrouma for over twenty years, where Lee would never fail to ignite an "almost safe" bonfire around which to sing hymns and make smores. Bonnie and Lee were also the proud parents of St. Luke's Wing and a Prayer summer musical productions for decades, where scores of community youth were invited to join in the fellowship of a production cast and crew - NOBODY was turned away. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, Bonnie and Lee worked tirelessly alongside other church members to gut the facility and later complete the arduous recovery effort to ensure survival of their beloved Lakeview church. Together with their dearest friends Gary and Sallie Uhl, the Happels helped serve Wednesday night dinners at St. Luke's, providing hearty but inexpensive meals at a time when many could not cook in their homes. After Bonnie's Alzheimer's diagnosis, Lee faithfully and patiently cared for her with the help of devoted friends and family. Lee would not wait long in following Bonnie to Jesus, and we are deeply appreciative of the loving care by Pam Riviere, Lynne Kueck, and David Rombach during Lee's final months. Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 5875 Canal Blvd in New Orleans on Saturday, October 10th, 2026 at noon. A reception will follow in Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Luke's United Methodist Church are welcomed. Please come celebrate, pray, and sing with us as we remember Lee!

Whitmel, "Sis," and "Laney." They lived in half of a duplex farmhouse that stood as a landmark on the West Bank for decades; her double first cousins lived next door. She was forged by the ethos of a vanished time: work was harder, days were simpler, and family was always present—and central to who you became. In recent years, her thoughts often returned to those times and especially to her family. On June 7, 1952, she married Myron Doyle Holliman; at her passing, their marriage was in its 75th year. Early on she worked for Kellogg and State Farm; later she focused on the home, volunteered through the Church, and returned to office work on a temporary basis. She was a careful steward of the household finances. Nette held high standards for herself and her family, and she took pride in how she and her home were presented. Her devoted attention to multiple generations brought her to a number of places over the years: New York City, Atlanta, Metairie, North Texas, Oakland, and Tennessee's four major cities. She had a passion for travel, and she loved spending time with her grandchildren. She is survived by her husband, Doyle; son, John (Brenda); grandchildren, John, Craig (Mayuko), and Matthew; sister, Marilyn Morlas; nieces, Nancy Byrd (Mark) and Caroline Clark (Joseph); double first cousin Victor Morlas (the late Jacqueline); and numerous grandnieces, grandnephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bertrand and Caroline Morlas; brother, Whitmel Morlas (the late Madeline); sister, Elaine Ory (the late Thomas Ory, Sr.); nephew, Thomas Ory, Jr.; double first cousins Simone Morlas and Noel Morlas (the late Mary Joyce); and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Mothe Funeral Homes, 2100 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, on Monday, October 5, 2026, from 9:30 AM until 11 AM. A funeral service will follow at the funeral home at 11 AM. Interment will be in Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Jeannette's memory. The family invites you to share thoughts, fond memories and condolences online at mothefunerals.com

Humphrey, Percy Gaston

Holliman, Jeannette Morlas

On September 27, 2026, following a brief illness Leo Theodore Happel, Jr., Ph.D. rejoiced on being reunited with his loving bride Bonnie Ittmann Happel in the kingdom of heaven. "Dr. Lee" was the son of the late Leo T. Happel, Sr. and Dorothy Andrews Happel. Loving father to his two sons Michael T. Happel (Dianne) and Kyle I. Happel (Allison), who are forever grateful for his endless support and enduring influence. Lee was kind and generous with his time, known affectionately as "Bon Pa" to his 5 grandchildren: Claire, Grant, Jacob, Peter, and Anderson. Lee is survived by brothers Richard (Susie) and Donald (late wife Doris), sister Dottie Schmit (Paul), sister-in-law Eileen Thurman (late husband Gene), brother-in-law Tommy Ittmann (Leigh Ann), and numerous nephews/nieces/cousins. Born in the upper Ninth Ward and raised in the Gentilly area, Lee led a life best described as ambitious. As a young teen he learned to repair vehicles on his father's used car lot, with a penchant for science visible early through his interest in rocketry. After graduating Holy Cross High School in 1961, Lee earned a Bachelor's from Tulane University, followed by a Master's in Physiology, and finally a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology in 1972 from the LSU Medical Center. Lee served as a faculty member at LSU Health in the Departments of Physiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery for over 40 years, where he taught scores of future healthcare providers. The most enduring medical contribution Lee bestowed was his pioneering work in creating the modern-day practice of

Jeannette "Nette" Morlas Holliman, 96, of Farragut, Tennessee, passed away Thursday, September 24, 2026, three days shy of her 97th birthday. She remained spirited to the end. Nette was born September 27, 1929, in the living room of her family's home on a dairy farm in Marrero, Louisiana. The baby of the family, she revered her parents, who raised her an observant Catholic with her siblings

Percy Gaston Humphrey Jr., 92, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2026, in Oakland, California, days after his 92nd birthday. Born August 30, 1934, in New Orleans, the second of five children of Percy Gaston Humphrey Sr., the celebrated trumpeter of the Eureka Brass Band and Preservation Hall, and Ethel Dolores Green Humphrey, an educator, he was raised on South Robertson Street, Uptown, surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins. He graduated in the first class of Walter L. Cohen Senior High School in 1953 and from Xavier University of Louisiana's College of

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear. TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.nola.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

Pharmacy in 1957. Drafted into the U.S. Army, he served two years at Fort Hood, worked as a pharmacist at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, then made his life in Los Angeles. In the late 1970s he opened Humphrey's Drugs in Compton, where he knew his customers by name, and for many years he ran the store while also serving veterans as an outpatient pharmacist at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. At six foot four, he didn't need to announce himself. He wasn't a man for small talk, but ask him about something he cared about and you got the whole story, with dates so precise you'd wonder if he was making it up. His children's friends would go missing for hours and turn up at his side, listening. He hummed to himself, ate his red beans with rice, kept butterscotch in his pocket, and had all the time in the world for anyone within earshot of a good story. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Gloria Humphrey Scott and Dolores Humphrey Chriss; his brother, Donald Norbert Humphrey; his son, Julian Humphrey; and his granddaughter, Allyse Christian. He is survived by his children, Judith LaBranche Hunt, Watasha Gillard, Jay Fulton, Tanisha Brown, Percy Gaston Humphrey III, Lakiesha daSilva, LaShaunté Humphrey, William Humphrey, Ashton Humphrey, and Donovan Humphrey; his brother, James Brown Humphrey; nineteen grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and Shirley Humphrey, the mother of his children. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Oasis Life Church, 39605 Entrepreneur Lane, Palm Desert, California.

Kirsch, David Joseph

family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Powell, Aloma

David Joseph Kirsch, 64, passed away on Monday, September 21, 2026. David was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and resided in Metairie. He is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Lisa Fogarty Kirsch; his two sons, Henry Kirsch and Michael Kirsch (Olivia); and granddaughter, Olivia Blythe Kirsch, all who he was immensely proud of. He is also survived by his mother, Hilda Suzanne Laughlin Kirsch; three sisters, Theresa K. DiCarlo (Vincent), Barbara K. DiCarlo (Dominick), Patricia Kirsch; and four brothers, Stephen (Melissa), Kenneth (Kara), Andrew, and Thomas Kirsch; as well as sister-inlaw, Danell Barrett (John); and brother-in-law, Paul Salassi; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.

Aloma Powell passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the age of 84. Relatives and friends are invited to attend services on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Garden of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, Louisiana 70001. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., with a memorial service to follow. To offer online condolences or send flowers to the family, please visit www.gardenofmemoriesm etairie.com.

He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Francis Kirsch; brother, Paul Kirsch; sister-in-law, Paulette Salassi; and brother-in-law, Dan Fogarty.

Stater, Jean Wooten

David graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1980 and was a veteran of the New Orleans Police Department, proudly serving the City of New Orleans for over three decades, retiring as a Commander. In accordance with his wishes, his family held a private memorial. For those wishing to send flowers, please consider a donation to Tunnel to Towers, 2361 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10306. To view and sign the

Jean Wooten Stater, 89, died in Marrero, LA on Saturday September 26. Born in Tampa FL on June 3, 1937 to parents Ira L 'Jerry' Wooten and Virginia Hewlett Wooten, she was raised in Meridian MS and Alexandria LA. She graduated from Bolton High School in 1955 and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then Southwestern Louisiana Institute), returning home to marry

OVER 50? UNLIMITED FOR JUST $35/MONTH.

Backed by #1 Network Coverage and Customer Satisfaction.*

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by ACSI®.*

FAST, RELIABLE NATIONWIDE COVERAGE. Ranked #1 in network coverage by ACSI®.*

Switch & Save Today.

855-337-6197

© 2026 Consumer Cellular, Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. Plans shown include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations. For unlimited plans, high-speed data is reduced after 35GB on single-line plans and 50GB of combined usage on multi-line plans for the remainder of your billing cycle. Unlimited data plans only for customers age 50+. Age validation required. *2025 ACSI® Survey of customers rating their own wireless service provider. ACSI® and its logo are registered trademarks of the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. For more about the ACSI®, visit www.theacsi.org.

turning arry Victor L. Stater Jr., a Korean War veteran, in 1957. Their marriage endured, in good times and bad, nearly 40 years until Vic's death. Jean was self-effacing and often preferred staying in the background, but she was blessed with a robust streak of common sense and was always ready with good advice when confronted with life's difficulties. She was enormously kind and giving; she nursed Vic devotedly through his long battle with cancer and did the same for his mother when she was stricken by the same disease after his passing. Jean's preferred form of communication was telepathy. She had a Depression-era child's horror of long-distance charges (even long after such charges were irrelevant). Her written communications—done in a beautifully-formed cursive script—were rarely more than a line or two written on store-bought greeting cards, the schmaltzier, the better. But her words were no less sincere for their brevity. In her long widowhood Jean resisted her native introversion, becoming an active member of her neighborhood's coffeedrinking community. She was the last surviving original resident of her street, a place she lived in for 55 years before frailty and illhealth forced her to relocate to Wynhoven Health Care Center. Jean was very familiar with Wynhoven, having volunteered there for years to support its residents. Despite her shyness, she performed a real service for people in need there. She did the same through her work with the American Legion Auxiliary—where somehow she was actually elected to office, though she was the world's most unlikely campaigner. Her service to her family and community, and her ability to overcome her natural diffidence was rooted in her deep and sincere Christian faith. She studied Scripture intently and talked about God's will in the world frequently. Ironically, though she attended church with her family when visiting them, as an adult she never formally belonged to a congregation— too many people. Jean was predeceased by her parents, Jerry and Virginia, her husband Vic, and younger son Mark Stater. She is survived by her son Victor III (and wife Sue), her daughter-in-law Kathy, grandsons Mark Jr (Jessica), Preston (Jamie), Dixon, Charles (and fiancé Sylvia), and Henry. She also leaves a sister, JoAnn Kellogg (of whom she said as nearly her last words, 'she's a good sister'), a niece, Nia Kellogg and nephew Lawrence Kellogg (and wife Jeannie). We will miss her. There will be a private family service at a later date. lll

Thibodeaux Jr., Thomas

Thomas "Tommy" Thibodeaux Jr passed away peacefully on September 10, 2026. Thomas was born on December 10, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the eldest of six children born to Thomas Thibodeaux Sr. and Cornelia Dumas Thibodeaux. Thomas grew up in New Orleans and attended McDonogh No. 42 Elementary School. Thomas went on to attend Saint Augustine High School. Upon graduating, Thomas voluntarily enlisted into the United States Air Force. He proudly served with the Strategic Air Command (SAC) for six years. During Thomas' tenure in the Air Force, he became a skilled Heavy Equipment Construction Operator. After being honorably discharged, Thomas returned home and began working for the New Orleans Disposal Service, later known as BFI, as a bulldozer operator and high-diesel mechanic. In August 1968, Thomas married Anne Marie Hamilton. During their twenty-fiveyear marriage, they raised their two children. Throughout the course of Thomas' professional career he expanded his skillset and took on new challenges. For many

challenge many years, Thomas worked for Boh Brothers Construction and the Hilton Hotel-River Walk, as a Director of Energy Efficiency. Prior to his retirement, Thomas served as a sales representative at Mossy GMC and Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans selling one of his favorite things, cars! Thomas always demonstrated a strong work ethic, but he also knew how to have fun. He dedicated himself to a multitude of hobbies and athletic pursuits. Thomas lived life to the fullest and he will be missed. Thomas is survived by his children, Angele Thibodeaux Burns (LaVias) and Thomas Thibodeaux III (Shalinda) and grandchildren, Jenee, Jaedyn, Jackson, and Thomas IV. He is also survived by his siblings, Michaele Thibodeaux Barthelemy (Sidney), Sheila Thibodeaux Marcus, and Donna Maria Thibodeaux Brennan (Joseph), as well as a host of nieces, and nephews. Thomas was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Michael Thibodeaux and sister, Cythnia Thibodeaux. Thomas' funeral services will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Saint Martin de Porres Catholic Church located at 5621 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70122. The visitation will begin at 9:00 am. Words of remembrance will begin at 10:30 am with Mass beginning promptly at 11:00 am. Immediately, following Mass, Thomas will be laid to rest with military honors at the Saint Louis Cemetery, Number Three, in the Resurrection Mausoleum located at 3421 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119. Thomas' children, Angele and Thomas III, welcome family, friends, and colleagues to participate in Thomas' celebration of life services. Thomas loved flowers and the family welcomes them in his honor. If you are seeking an option, please consider a donation to Saint Augustine High School in honor of Thomas. In the special instructions section, please note: In Honor of Thomas Thibodeaux, Jr., '60. https: //www.staugnola.org Fond memories and words of condolences may be shared at www.leitzeag anfuneralhome.com.

Van der Linden, Bernard

Bernard Van der Linden was born in Amsterdam and moved to Brooklyn at the age of 7 with his parents, Seymour and Florence Koe Van der Linden (both deceased), and his siblings, Evelyn Van der Linden Rosenbaum (deceased) and Jo Van der Linden. He grew up in Brooklyn, working from the age of 12 shoveling snow, delivering newspapers on his paper route, and as a delivery boy for the Syrian grocery store in the neighborhood. He graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and was invited to try out as a pitcher for the (then) New York Giants at the Polo Grounds before enlisting in the Army and serving in the Korean War. After completing his service he returned to Brooklyn and worked in advertising while completing his bachelor's degree in business on the GI bill at New York University. He met the love of his life, Elaine Lubel Van der Linden (deceased) on vacation in Miami Beach and had a "fabulous, wonderful, extraordinary" marriage of 61 years during which together they raised three daughters and welcomed four grandchildren. He worked as a stockbroker for 57 years, many of those years at Howard, Weil, Labouisse Friedrichs before retiring at the age of 84. He never fully retired from investing, as it remained a passion and an avocation until the day he died. He taught investment seminars around the world, including a class at sea aboard the QE II on a transatlantic crossing from New York to England. He was proud to have been invited to attend many important investment conferences across the country

untry and continued to follow all the latest bond and stock market news and trends. He served on many civic boards throughout his life, most recently the Audubon Nature Institute. He was an original Saints Season ticket holder who for more than 50 years enjoyed all the home games with his daughters and grandchildren, through lean times as well as the Super Bowl winning Saints era. He was an avid tennis player for many years at City Park and the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. In recent years, he enjoyed playing competitive bridge at the Louisiana Bridge Center and asked us to thank his bridge partners and many friends there. He was especially grateful for the excellent care and attention he received from Dr. Frank Wilklow. He is predeceased by his wife, Elaine Lubel Van der Linden, his daughter, Debra Van der Linden Sidelnik, his grandson, Ryan David Reaves, and his sister, Evelyn Van der Linden Rosenbaum. He is survived by his daughters, Susan Reaves and Lisa Amann (Cary), his grandchildren, Sara Reaves Hernandez (Zach), Deborah Amann and Blake Amann, his brother, Jo Van der Linden (Barbara), his great grandson, William Ryan Hernandez and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Deborah Van der Linden Sidelnik Fund for Youth at Touro Synagogue, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, or the charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 4, 2:30pm at Lake Lawn.

years. loved being part of the Jesuit Class of 1983 Turkey Drive, Knights of Columbus, Stuart Hall School community, and Krewe d'Etat. Mark loved his dogs, his horses, LSU, and traveling. Yet some of his happiest moments could be found right at home, sitting in his front yard after work talking with the neighbors as they passed by. Mark always had an interesting story to tell and had a real gift for connecting with anyone and including everyone in whatever it was he was talking about. That quality extended into his work as well. He had a God -given bedside manner with his patients and a natural ability to make people feel comfortable, cared for, and heard. Mark leaves behind an example of how to live: with gratitude, loyalty, love, respect, and always a smile. The family would like to give special thanks to the doctors and nurses who have cared for him. A Memorial Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Jesuit High School's Chapel of the North American Martyrs on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Visitation will start at 9:30 am with Mass at 12:00 noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Project '83 (306 Athania Pkwy., Metairie, LA 70001)

Yukna, Raymond Anthony

Wegmann, Mark John

Mark Wegmann passed away on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the age of 60. He was grateful for every day and lived his life with a contagious smile. Mark had a way of making the people around him feel welcomed, included, and important. His Catholic faith was an important part of his life and was reflected in the way he treated others and carried himself each day. Mark was an incredible family man. He was a devoted husband as well as a loving father and sibling. He was an exceptional role model for his children, teaching them by example to love your family, be loyal to your friends, respect others, work hard, and enjoy life. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Caroline Eppling Wegmann and his two sons, John (Jack) Francis Wegmann and William (Will) Joseph Wegmann. He is also survived by his two sisters, Catherine Wegmann Domangue (Lee) and Elizabeth Wegmann (Dave Simpson). He is also survived by his nephews, Brant Domangue (Amy), Beau Domangue, George Syll (Jackie) and nieces, Morgan Domangue, Martine Zavala (Fernando), Stephanie Bordelon (Garrett) and Cameron Sweeting. Also numerous Wegmann and Eppling Family members. Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Francis Xavier Wegmann, Joyce Marie Caire Wegmann, his sister Joyce (D'ree) Wegmann Syll and brother Francis Xavier Wegmann, Jr. (Twig). In his professional life he was a Gastroenterologist with Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates (Metro GI). For nearly 20 years, Mark was a member of the East Jefferson General Hospital Medical Staff and served as Chief of Staff in 2014. He earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center where he also completed his Internal Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship. Early in his career, he enjoyed using his medical knowledge on mission trips to Nicaragua with the Order of Malta. Mark deeply valued his friendships. He loved the friends he grew up with on Octavia Street and the memories they made growing up in a neighborhood and a home full of love. He cherished his golf buddies, his horse group, his coworkers, his childhood friends, his Jesuit Class of 1983 brothers, his neighbors, and his Tuesday night poker group of more than 30 years. He

Raymond Anthony Yukna died at the age of 83 on June 6, 2026, at home in Aurora, CO. A Celebration of Life will take place at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA on Friday, October 9, 2026. Visitation is from 10:00AM to 11:00 AM followed by a memorial service at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private. Raymond was a long-time resident of New Orleans moving to Denver, CO after Hurricane Katrina. He was a periodontist and professor at LSU Dental School and the University of CO Dental School. Raymond was married to Charlotte Newport Fischer for 45 years He is survived by his wife, Charlotte, his stepdaughter, Lauren Buckles (Clif Buckles) and two granddaughters, Anna and Brooke. To view and sign the Family online guestbook, please visit www.lak elawnmetairie.com

✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 5B The Times-Picayune husband, er, gran ther, brother, and friend, signed document that—if it died of natural causes at existed—would be stored the age of eighty-one on in a small, decrepit buildSeptember 13, 2026, in ing on the rural outskirts. Hammond, Louisiana. Sweltering in the summer Born on May 25, 1945, in heat, swatting away flies Louisville, Kentucky, he and bees, and compelled was the son of Harry to remove the coat of his McGoodwin Zimmerman elegant three-piece suit, and Evelyn Elizabeth he spent hours combing (Johnson) Zimmerman. through documents in In 1963, Harry graduat- dozens of file boxes, ed from Newcomerstown until—Eureka!—he found (Ohio) High School. That the smoking gun. fall he matriculated at the Harry was a lifelong College of William and devoté of the arts. In the Mary. In 1964 he trans- mid-1970s, as a young atferred to Louisiana State torney, he helped to found University, where he and to provide key legal earned a law degree in advice for the 1970. He was an editor of Contemporary Arts Center the LSU Law Review and (CAC). His artistic interests became a talented com- ranged from classical mumercial transactional at- sic and opera (Puccini's torney. He began his legal Madame Butterfly was a career at the New Orleans favorite) to paintings, law firm of Stone, Pigman. prints, photography, and A close colleague from sculpture. A stunning art that era emphasizes collection adorned the Harry's creative mind and Palladian-style mansion in calls him a "brilliant Covington he shared with attorney." During the sav- his wife, Dr. Nancy Mellin. ings and loan crisis of the His literary interests were late 1970s and early 1980s, vast, including obscure Harry served for a time as European authors as well Associate General Counsel as American masters. Over and Director, Division of decades, he acquired an in Securities and Corporate -depth appreciation of the Analysis at Fannie Mae, a literary and artistic attaingovernment-backed finan- ments of Western civilizacial services company in tion, from the ancient Washington, DC. He later Greeks and Romans to returned to New Orleans to Renaissance painters and continue private practice. poets, and into modern One of his notable achieve- times. Had he not chosen ments in transactional law to go into the law, he was providing the legal would have made an outframework for Popeyes' standing literature professuccessful hostile takeover sor, interpreting Tolstoy, of Church's Fried Chicken. Dickens, Proust and Sigrid The buyout made Popeyes Unset with the same flair the second-largest fast- he argued his legal briefs. food fried chicken chain in In retirement, Harry bethe world, trailing only came not only an even Kentucky Fried Chicken more avid reader (if such (KFC) at the time. were possible) but also When asked, Harry wrote two as yet unpubloved to recount tales from lished novels. his years as an attorney, Harry was blessed with for example, stories of prodigious energy, some of judges who were stern which he expended over captains of their own court the decades on clearing rooms. One day on his way and maintaining gardens to a meeting in a judge's and grounds of three conchambers in the State secutive Northshore resiSupreme Court Building in dences. He was also an exthe French Quarter, Harry cellent athlete. A lifeguard characteristically paused in his youth, he later comfor a shoe-shine. This deci- pleted the New Orleans sion caused him to arrive Mardi Gras Marathon. One late for the meeting. When of his greatest pleasures the punctilious judge was running for miles on chewed him out, Harry the white beaches of replied: "But Your Honor, See more DEATHS, page just look at these shoes!" The Judge looked down, rolled his eyes up, and then continued with the business at hand. The law took Harry to some strange places. For one big case, the only thing that could save his client was a

Zimmerman Jr., Harry McGoodwin

Harry McGoodwin Zimmerman, Jr., devoted husband, father, grandfather, broth and friend,

Safety that lets you enjoy the little things. Call Now to Redeem Over $230 in Savings!

1 (877) 542-1978

6B ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

More degrees mean more opportunity for Louisiana residents

The Board of Regents recently reported that more than half of Louisiana adults now hold some credential beyond high school. That’s likely due to an increased focus among educators in the state to push dual enrollment and other programs that get young people connected early with training and education that can lead to highpaying jobs. In 2026, the share of adult population holding what is known as a “credential of value” in the state reached 54%, after steadily improving since 2019, when it was 44.2%. While Louisiana stlll lags the national average of 55% of adults who have education beyond a high school diploma, this growth is encouraging. After Louisiana officials identified educational attainment as a severe gap in the state’s ability to develop a highly skilled workforce, they put together goals aimed at getting every high schooler information about their options for more education. Right now, they are far exceeding those goals. Last year, for instance, the state graduated 85,000 students with credentials or degrees, a number officials had not expected to hit until 2030. That indicates to us that future generations are realizing that higher education and advanced training can be a pathway to a better life. The Board of Regents says the state should reach a 60% educational attainment rate by 2030. We know much work remains. There is still too big a gap between students at predominantly Black universities and predominantly White ones in graduation rates. And access to post-high school programs can differ between wealthy and high-poverty areas. Still, the new numbers show that Louisiana has a comprehensive plan to solidify education gains in recent years that goes beyond secondary school. It hopefully sets the state up for a future where more young people are prepared for the jobs of the future. That can only happen, though, with continued investment in higher education. For every positive advance we note — for instance, the state Department of Education said Louisiana posted the highest rate of growth in the nation in high scores on Advanced Placement exams, which often lead to college credit — we see a familiar downside, such as fewer Louisiana students having access to AP courses than their peers in other states. We know funding for higher education in our state is always precarious, but these trends should make it clear that we need to change that reality. Similarly, our community and technical colleges, which are serving a growing population of students, need to be treated like the important players they are. Expanding access to postsecondary education will only accelerate the positive momentum we’re seeing. One thing is evident: Louisiana students, when given the opportunity, can excel beyond our wildest dreams. It’s our job to make sure they have that opportunity.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone 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, SCAN HERE

Happy blessed Fulton J. Sheen Day! Blessed Sheen Day didn’t grab the headlines like last week’s nor’easter or Xi Jinping’s White House visit, but it marks something important. On Sept. 24, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was raised to the status of “Blessed” in the Catholic Church, advancing him on the possibility of eventually being a canonized saint. Sheen taught philosophy at my alma mater, the Catholic University of America, for 23 years, 34 books and Kathryn published brought an unapologetiJean cally Catholic worldview Lopez to newspaper op-ed pages from 1949-1977. But he’s probably most famous for his work on television, hosting “Life Is Worth Living” and “The Fulton Sheen Program,” which brought his message to millions of viewers each week in the 1950s and ’60s If Sheen is saint material, it can’t simply be because he proved to have a commanding enough presence to provide Milton Berle some competition. Yes, he had a sense of humor, a great voice and a pleasant appearance. But it was the something more that made the difference, that makes him more than a celebrity or talking head: It was the Holy Spirit within that sanctiﬁed him. Sheen was a teacher. He knew his material and could talk about it. But it’s the embodiment of the material that made the difference. “Your Life Is Worth Living” is a collection of transcripts of audio recordings from Sheen, ﬁnally published in 2001. Its words will remind you of the truth of its title. “Every day of my priestly life I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. The power that is not

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KATE MUNSCH

Worshippers gather for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on Sept. 24 at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. human, not physical, not intellectual; rather, a power coming solely from living the Christ life, the power to inﬂuence people, the power to impress you with the divinity of the Holy Spirit.” There he was giving you a little window into his show prep. There was no teleprompter. He did not write a script. He prayed. He knew his stuff, but he asked the Holy Spirit for the words. There really is no way of knowing everyone Sheen reached through television. But Sheen wasn’t in it for power or inﬂuence. If he made any converts, it’s because God was using Sheen as an instrument. He remained a humble man bringing a message of good news, no matter his platform. “If I have given you any deeper comprehension and closer understanding of

the beautiful love of the Trinity,” Sheen wrote, “I trust you will, in gratitude, sometime say a little prayer to the Holy Spirit for me that I may more in mind, heart, and body show forth the Spirit of Christ.” We would all be blessed if we prayed for each other in similar ways and remembered to be grateful for the gift of life, in all its wonder and sadness. We might not all be Catholics. We won’t all be named saints. But blessings will abound. Sheen shows us that. His legacy can be perpetual blessed days — ones in which we wake up knowing our unworthiness, and yet living it in joy, knowing it’s worth it because it does not rely on us alone. Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@nationalreview.com.

Tips can lead to interesting news stories The conversation we have with read- the information with other sources. Not all tips will lead to a news story, ers can yield tips that require more reporting or can enhance the reporting but all will get considered. Sometimes, the best tips are about issues that raise we are currently doing. We often get letters from readers that recount expe- questions about accountability and transparency in government that resoriences they’ve had or issues they’ve noticed in their neighborhoods. Those nate with a large swath of the public. letters get forwarded to the approBut there also may be good stories from a conﬂict or controversy in priate editors. We also have a neighborhood or local group. email addresses where readAnd there are also personal tragers can submit tips at newstips@theadvocate.com and edies and triumphs that make good human interest stories. nolanewstips@theadvocate. Tips about someone who is sellcom. The best tips include as Arnessa ing a product or service generally much detail as possible, inGarrett go to our advertising department, however — unless it’s so unusual cluding names, dates and that it becomes newsworthy. other basic information. While Tipsters should disclose as well if they the person who sends a tip can choose have an economic interest in the subwhether to stay anonymous, we like to have as much information as possible. ject they want us to pursue. And we like to know how the tipster acWhen reporters are chasing stories quired the information. Of course, any on trends in the news or issues that are controversial, they may seek out reporter will thoroughly verify any tips we receive and seek to corroborate sources in the public with direct expe-

rience related to their reporting. They can issue what are called callouts online, asking for people who would like to talk about their experiences for a story. These tips can help make somewhat dry data about a topic come to life for readers. So our readers are often an important part of our journalism, and that’s why we always urge you to tell us when you see something interesting. Turning to our letters inbox for Sept. 17-24, we received 36 letters. There were no huge trends this week, with the biggest category of letters being miscellaneous. We got three letters on LSU sports, and two letters on our coastal issues. Otherwise it was a rather quiet week. So drop us a line if you have a news tip. You could help us report the next front-page story. Arnessa Garrett is Managing Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

FIVE-TIME WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

VP/News, Executive Editor

Managing Editor/ Audience

KARYN KEARNEY

HANK STUEVER

EVP/Strategic Partnerships

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO Senior Editor/ Investigations

JESSICA WILLIAMS Senior Editor

ROGER HOLMES

CHASE HEATHERLY

Executive VP, Operations

Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer

ASHLEY WHITCHER

VP/ Consumer Sales

VP/IT

JIM MYERS

VP/Finance

ROBERT STOLL

VP/Distribution

KYLE WHITFIELD

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

ROBERT YOUNG

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

LOU HUDSON

Editorial Page

General Manager/ Advertising VP/ Majors & Nationals

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 7B

COMMENTARY A productive Congress? Scalise has a reasonable point. Despite multitudinous critics, maybe the fishermen to comply with federal regulacurrent Congress actually is being quite tions. It directs the National Oceanic and productive. Atmospheric Administration to launch a That was the message from House Macentralized website to map and promulgate jority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, in vessel guidelines, marine protected areas, fishing regulations and restrictions and a Sept. 20 post on social media. other information. “This week,” Scalise wrote, “@HouseThat new law won’t ever make network GOP passed 76 pieces of legislation, including bills to: protect Americans from costly news, but Louisiana sportsmen certainly will benefit. climate mandates; crack down on Also regarding fisheries, S. 283, fraud and protect taxpayer dollars; which passed both the House and hold Russian and Iran accountable.” Senate in slightly different form As it turns out, Scalise is largely but seems sure to be sent to the right, and he provided numerous president soon, will protect local additional details in another post. commercial fishermen and diners Congress can go months without acQuin by making it easier to identify iltually passing bills, but all the while Hillyer it could be doing the preparation legal importation of foreign, somework, holding committee hearings, times-less-healthy seafood. traversing parliamentary procedure. Then, Numerous other bills that have passed the suddenly, near the end of a fiscal year, all House only, but seem destined to pass the that work can reach fruition. Senate and become law, range from efforts The media usually focuses on controto protect seniors from phone and Internet scammers to ones giving tax relief to vicversial, big-picture bills, but much of Congress’ work involves smaller efforts to tims of fraud — and ones aimed at strengthhelp ordinary Americans find opportuniening electric grids and helping recover critical minerals domestically, thus reducties or navigate — sometimes literally — federal regulations. ing dependence on foreign suppliers. Take a bill chosen almost at random from In a phone interview, Scalise celebrated Scalise’s list, one that President Donald numerous bills he called “very bipartiTrump signed into law on Sept. 25. A bisan,” including the so-called SPEED Act, awaiting Senate action, that he said would partisan effort by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, cut red tape by being “really focused on and Maine’s Angus King, an independent allowing America to build things quicker who caucuses with Democrats, S. 759 will … expedite those kind of processes” so make it far easier for honest boaters and

that, for example, “Louisiana could move more energy around the country through pipelines.” He said the reforms, if passed, “would have an immediate impact on people’s lives, on lowering costs.” Scalise also mentioned a healthcare cost transparency bill he expects to become law, and he insists Republicans still aren’t getting enough credit for more controversial laws such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which not only extended and expanded tax cuts but also cracked down on — indeed, essentially eliminated — illegal border crossings. Far more under the radar, he touted the passage of “over 20 Congressional Review Act” bills that allow Congress to “reverse costly red tape” by overturning agency regulations Congress never intended to authorize. The biggest of those, he said, was a Biden-era rule giving California a “waiver” so it could impose especially restrictive emissions standards on cars. The standards were so stringent, he said, that “this California emissions standard that they were going to try to make go national, if we did not stop it, would have basically said you can’t make cars in America that use gasoline. Think about the implications of that. That was going to happen. We passed a bill to reverse it.” (That law remains unenforced, due to an ongoing court battle.) Meanwhile, Louisiana certainly has ben-

efited from the 119th Congress. Most notably, Louisiana likely will get $47 million more annually (of $150 million for all Gulfof-Mexico states) from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, to be used for coastal restoration. And offshore revenues will continue to flow because Scalise secured language mandating 30 Gulf lease sales over the next 15 years. Louisiana also surely will see rewards from national allocations of $450 million for maritime workforce development programs, $750 million to support the domestic industrial base through supplier development and $250 million for advanced manufacturing processes that will help Louisiana’s shipbuilding industry. Other Louisiana beneficiaries of significant funding will be the Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Belle Chasse, multiple flood abatement projects around Lake Pontchartrain and various projects in Tangipahoa and Ascension parishes and Grand Isle. And more. All in all, even if some of us can justly complain of some things this Congress has done and others it left undone, the reality is that it is doing a considerable amount of good, in areas where few people are looking. Credit, now, where due. Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer @theadvocate.com

Kennedy’s claptrap degrades Senate. Who will call him out? In the years since his spection. For how that works, look to tacular rise to power at the side of Johnson’s colleague in the upper chamber, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, Donald Trump, I’ve often thought back to the ﬁrst time I interviewed R-Madisonville. That Kennedy likes to call House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rpeople names is not news. Ever Benton, in 2017. since he discovered the power of He was a lowly freshman cona hokey accent and a glib insult, gressman then, and the topic he Kennedy’s been recycling wanted to talk about was lines like “it must suck to civility in public life. He be that dumb,” which he’s was for it. aimed at targets ranging In fact, Johnson was so from Nancy Pelosi, confor it that he wrote out a “Commitment to Civility” sidered the most effective which 46 of out of 52 fellow House speaker in modern newbies — Republican and Stephanie times, to Michigan Senate Grace Democrat — signed. candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Let’s just say that that a Rhodes Scholar. idea didn’t take. These may not be Some folks might have missed the least civil times in Congress, Kennedy’s latest master class in but they could compete. incivility, during last week’s SenAnd if it’s true that Johnson ate Judiciary Committee hearing doesn’t seem particularly enthutargeting former special counsel Jack Smith — if only because he siastic about the state of affairs, was overshadowed by his colit’s also true that he’s done nothing to change the culture. Rather league Eric Schmitt. The Missouri than scold the man who has turned senator spectacularly ﬂubbed an political dialogue into a neverattempt to nail Smith as a “perending stream of personal attacks, jurer” and a “dirtbag” for alleghe’s taken Trump loyalty to the edly lying about not attending an extreme. On the occasions when NBA Hawks in Atlanta, when in he’s asked about some latest offact he was watching Caitlin Clark fense, he tends to claim ignorance and the Iowa Hawkeyes compete in Maryland. or dismiss the question as inapSmith’s alleged original sin, of propriate. course, is that he built a strong Grinning and bearing the incienough criminal case against vility is one way to stay in the big Trump after his attempt to overguy’s graces, I guess. Another is to embrace the turn the 2020 election that he won politics of character assassinaa grand jury indictment.

he’s an idiot. He’s a bottom feeder in the Washington swamp. He’s a political operative masquerading as a prosecutor. He’s the kind of Washingtonian who would unplug your life support to charge his cellphone.” I mean, who says things like that? Would any of the rest of us still have a job if we talked that way at work? Where’s H.R. when you need it? OK, OK, you could argue that politicians have long used congressional hearings not to fact-ﬁnd but to grandstand, and ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARIAM ZUHAIB that attacking witnesses to score Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, center, speaks with a reporter on points is a feature, not a bug. Fair April 14 in Washington. point, even if it feels like the pretense of that civility Johnson once Kennedy and other senators in believes in the Tooth Fairy and the claimed to champion has become a big joke. the room were victims of the atEaster Bunny. He suggested bias It’s also fair to point out that tack on the Capitol Trump instigat- because Smith sought telephone our system has righted itself beed as part of that scheme, which is records only from Republicans Trump was talking to during the something you’d think they might fore, most famously when lawyer period under investigation. Smith want to talk about. If so, you’d Joseph Welch took the air out of responded that Democrats weren’t U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy’s 1950s think wrong. in on the scheme to overturn Joe Instead, Kennedy insinuated communist witch hunt with these Biden’s win, and noted that Repub- words: “Have you no sense of dethat Smith was “bitterly disappointed” that Trump had beaten licans who cared about law and or- cency, sir, at long last?” Hillary Clinton, based on the fact Kind of makes you wonder where der were his strongest witnesses. that his wife had made a “glowing Kennedy wrapped up the line of today’s version of Welch is — and saccharine-sweet documentary” questioning with another of his go- also whether anyone who consulted about Michelle Obama. Smith their conscience and spoke from to gems: “You make me want to responded that he was there to a position of principle could even throw up in my mouth.” talk about his work, not his family, compete with all the claptrap And afterward in a Fox News and noted that he’d joined the ﬁrst interview, he offered up this take around politics these days. Trump administration. on the witness: “I’m sure Jesus Kennedy drilled him with ridicu- loves him. But everyone else who Email Stephanie Grace at believes in the rule of law thinks sgrace@theadvocate.com. lous questions about whether he

Battle over who’s in charge of N.O. will have long-term repercussions home rule charter, it could determine who In the red corner are Louisiana Gov. Jeff has the ultimate power over Louisiana’s Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill. largest city. In the blue corner are New Orleans Mayor The initial spark that led to the current Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason battle that was perhaps brewing for a long Williams and most of the New Orleans City time happened this spring. Council. In mid-May, the City Council voted 5-2 to In this figurative boxing ring, a couple of appoint retired judge Calvin Johnboxers in each corner have already been bobbing and weaving, throwson as interim Orleans Parish C lerk of Court and set a special election to ing punches since a loud bell started fill the empty Orleans clerk job on ringing. These boxers may not have Nov. 3, since the state Legislature thought about drafting anything, but eliminated the Clerk of Criminal that’s what they’re doing. District Court position before the Our country’s forefathers decided Will man elected to serve could start the that what they had developed in Sutton job. Landry and Murrill were angry. the colonies should be more than How dare New Orleans try to go a loose group of somewhat likeminded governing bodies working together against the wishes of the governor and the state Legislature, they puffed. so they came together to form a nation. At This arrogant city leadership must be a Constitutional Convention, they shared, debated and discussed ideas. Several drafts brought to heel, they must have thought. And Murrill sent them a letter warning the of what might be parts of the new constitumayor and City Council they were at risk of tion emerged. From there, the convention losing their jobs if they continued to defy produced a rough draft, then a final, more the state. polished draft. Then in early in July, an Orleans Parish Creating a nation was more than a fancy notion. It took hard work, and lots of drafts. grand jury indicted Murrill with 16 counts, including public intimidation for sending That happened in Philadelphia. the letter. It was a stunning development. In Louisiana, we’re watching an ongoing, Few people — here or anywhere — knew high-pitched government drama that is amazing and fascinating. While it’s unlikely that a grand jury could do such a thing on its own. Landry and Murrill believe to lead to a new state constitution or a new

Moreno and Williams had something to do with it. We’ve had one plot twist after another, one movie script draft after another. Now, at Landry and Murrill’s urging, the Louisiana State Police is investigating what led to the Orleans grand jury indictment even though the charges against Murrill have been dropped. The St. Tammany district attorney was tapped to lead that investigation. The city released messages that indicate that Moreno and City Council President JP Morrell expected blowback for pulling back from their wewon’t-be-bullied stance to something that looked like waving a white surrender flag. In one message, Morrell told Moreno, “I’m good. Worry about others, I’m term limited.” The city asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Louisiana Supreme Court decision supporting the new state law eliminating the criminal clerk of court office. The state has a constitution, a governor and a Legislature that establishes laws. The city has a home rule charter, a mayor, and a City Council that establishes city laws. As this drama continues, we’re watching our government being reshaped. Once all of these leadership debates and final legal questions have been decided, we will have

an official record making clear who’s in charge of Orleans Parish-specific elected positions, what in “open court” means and, likely, when the state constitution trumps the city’s home rule charter and when the city’s home rule charter trumps the state constitution. We’re watching early drafts of the future of our government. What results might be a touch-up, a tweak or major surgery. The New Orleans City Council is busy with next year’s budget in the coming weeks as it works with the administration to ensure city employees are paid, potholes are filled and streets are paved. The state of Louisiana is busy moving forward economic development projects, including Amazon, Meta and SpaceX, as it works to ensure our property insurance — the second-highest in the South — doesn’t become No. 1. It won’t be soon, but you’ll see the state Legislature and the City Council share, discuss and debate ways to clarify who’s in charge of what. Our leaders are busy with other things now, but with their actions, they have started drafting what will be our government of the future. Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com. He’s on Instagram at @editorwillsutton.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone 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, SCAN HERE

8B ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Heavy rain and a t-storm

Humid with a thunderstorm

Rather cloudy

A thunderstorm in spots

High thin cloudiness

Rain and a thunderstorm

HIGH

LOW

81° 75°

LOW

83° 75°

LOW

82° 74°

84° 73°

Beaumont 82/72 Port Arthur 81/73

Baton Rouge 82/72

Lake Charles 82/71

10s

20s

30s

Houma 81/73

40s

50s

HIGH

83° 72°

LOW

81° 73°

60s

70s

80s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’shigh/low Record high Record low

90s 100s 110s

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

HIGH

2:23p 8:17a 2:42a 4:54a 4:15a 3:22a 5:23a

6:56 a.m. 6:43 p.m. 12:34 a.m. 3:07 p.m.

FIRST

FULL

LAST

OCT 10

OCT 18

OCT 25

NOV 1

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

NEW

City

75 84 63 71 71 82 81 82 97

TODAY Lo

69 70 56 65 48 67 54 71 75

r t c t s pc s t s

80 85 71 79 65 84 87 88 95

MON. Lo

64 64 46 55 48 60 56 66 73

sh s pc c s s s c s

FT.

1.0 2.2 2.5 2.2 1.7 2.2 2.1

LOW

2:09a 8:58p 3:54p 8:20p 4:16p 2:35p 5:18p

1.32” 1.52” 0.36” 53.03” 51.32”

DEATHS continued from

TODAY

READING 31 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

FT.

HIGH

0.0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2

---------------

FT.

---------------

LOW

---------------

(Matthew Christopher Wilson) and her four children, Isabel Berkley Wilson, Sophia Curcio Wilson, Thomas Harry Wilson, and James Paul Wilson; his step-children, Robert Saunders Conroy, Jr. and Shannon Mellin Conroy (Steven Jacob Olefsky) and two stepgrandchildren, Zoey Wynn Olefsky and Oliver Rhys Olefsky. Harry was the eldest of eight children. He has five surviving siblings: Michael Edward Zimmerman (Teresa Andrea Toulouse), Barbara Coleraine Dirks, Eric Brady Zimmerman (Margaret Ryniker), Philip Miles Zimmerman (Jennifer), and Robert Alan Zimmerman (Tracy). Two siblings--John Patrick Zimmerman and Katherine Ann Zimmerman--predeceased him. Harry delighted in his nineteen nieces and nephews. Harry will be dearly missed by family and friends who appreciated his abilities as a raconteur, his wry observations about life, his wonderful eccentricities, his generosity as head of the family, and his willingness to provide thoughtful advice for those who sought him out. Harry's passing leaves a place that cannot be filled. Harry lived life headon. Twenty years ago Nancy commissioned a beautiful portrait of him, in the style of Hans Holbein, costumed as a Renaissance scholar/ prince. Above his likeness runs a Latin phrase, "Vita, experientia maxima

hominis." Life, man's greatest experience. The family wishes to express thanks to the dedicated nurses and staff at the Phoenix at Hammond, particularly Erica Batiste and Touche Jackson who took such loving and compassionate care of Harry. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana 70124 at 12:00 p.m. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until service time. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. To view and sign the Family online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

FLOOD

FT.

---------------

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 6:45a 12:31a 7:15p Monday 7:39a 1:25a 8:06p Tuesday 8:27a 2:14a 8:52p Wednesday 9:10a 2:58a 9:34p Thursday 9:51a 3:40a 10:13p Friday 10:32a 4:21a 10:54p Saturday 11:15a 5:03a 11:37p

City

Los Angeles 103 Miami 90 Nashville 81 New york City 63 Philadelphia 66 Phoenix 99 St. Louis 79 San Francisco 84 Seattle 73

TODAY Lo

78 79 56 57 58 79 51 61 52

s t pc r r s s pc pc

GOOD

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

104 90 81 68 72 99 73 84 68

1:00p 1:53p 2:40p 3:22p 4:02p 4:43p 5:26p

MON. Lo

76 77 50 48 49 77 50 58 53

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Destin and Seagrove, Florida. He became an Ashtanga yoga instructor and was often spotted standing on his head at home and at a nearby gym. He even traveled to India to study with the Ashtanga yoga guru. He taught yoga and spin classes for many years on the Northshore. He became a golf enthusiast, wielding a Big Bertha driver. Its enormous head, however, did not necessarily improve the results of his tee shots. For the past several years, he suffered a growing number of infirmities that curtailed his physical activities. Undeterred, he focused his immense energy on reading. After the death of his parents, Harry gladly assumed the role of pater familias. As the eldest of eight children-- his siblings called him "Big Boy,"-- he relished being the head of the family. He was devoted to his grandchildren and followed their lives and careers, as well as those of other family members, with intense interest and candidly offered advice—and more—when asked. At their gracious home Harry and Nancy hosted numerous festive gatherings for family and friends. Harry was also a friend of Bill for forty years and helped many newcomers. Harry so loved his wife, Nancy. Married for 31 years, they supported one another through intense periods of trial, success, and illness. They traveled widely in Europe and the US, collected art, and doted on their children and grandchildren. Together they worked passionately to make their houses, gardens, and lives as gracious and beautiful as they both imagined. As busy professionals, they also notably encouraged each other in their legal and medical pursuits. But crucially, in the face of their immense obligations, they always made time and space to be together daily. They particularly loved going to Grayton Beach. Nancy was Harry's rock not only in his final years of illness, but throughout their married life. He just adored her—and was so proud of all she had accomplished. Harry is survived by his wife, Nancy Ruth Mellin, MD; his daughter, Natasha Zimmerman Wilson

YESTERDAY GOOD

PRECIPITATION

83°/76° 85°/69° 85°/74° 95° in 2019 45° in 1984

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

New Orleans 81/75

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Hattiesburg 79/71

Alexandria 80/69

Lafayette 82/72

LOW

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Saturday

Jackson 81/70 Many 79/66

HIGH

TEMPERATURE

Longview 85/64

-0s

LOW

Monroe 84/67

Shreveport 84/66

-10s

HIGH

Today, most of southeast Louisiana is under a slight risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of flash flooding. Expect a mostly cloudy, warm, humid and breezy day with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are possible, with up to 3 inches likely through early Monday. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the mid-80s. Rainfall chances will fall to about 30% tomorrow. If you’re tailgating for the Saints game, an isolated shower is possible.

s t s s s s s s pc

SAINTS INSIDER

Louisiana needs in-depth, solutions-driven, public service journalism more than ever.

Please consider donating to local journalism in Louisiana. Your tax-deductible contribution goes solely to funding reporters in the ﬁeld. To donate and to see the work our team has done, visit

WHERE NOLA EATS

NORTHSHORE REPORT

plus more... nola.com/newsletters

24-HOUR

data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

The biggest stories customized to your interests – delivered direct to your inbox.

NEW ORLEANS NEWS ALERTS

SAT.

MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 8.96 -0.88 Vidalia-Natchez 48 24.21 +0.89 Red River Landing 48 25.63 +1.90 Baton Rouge 35 10.37 +1.13 Donaldsonville 27 6.05 +0.58 Reserve 22 4.58 +0.62 New Orleans 17 3.33 -1.47 OHIO Cairo 40 20.19 -1.35 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.64 +0.06 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.29 none Denham Springs 29 9.76 none Port Vincent 8 3.22 +0.10 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 1.41 +0.02 Holden 15 0.58 -0.04 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 9.61 +0.73 Melville 34 6.58 +0.60 Krotz Springs 29 5.14 +0.15 Butte La Rose 20 4.92 +0.43 Bayou Sorrel 12 3.90 +0.10 Morgan City 6 2.67 -0.05

LOUISIANAJOURNALISMFUND.ORG

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1cn

F A L C O N S A T S A I N T S • 7 : 1 5 P. M . M O N D A y • E S P N

‘DOMECOMING’

LIVES ON

Sights, sounds and smells remain from iconic game 20 years later

Goodell still gets emotional about Gleason, Saints’ ‘magical’ 2006 night Roger Goodell still gets emotional when he thinks about the Domecoming game in New Orleans. The NFL commissioner played an instrumental role in bringing the New Orleans Saints back to New Orleans and assisted in the city and state’s efforts to rebuild the Superdome. So the night of Sept. 25, 2006, always will be special for him. “It was magical,” Goodell said Friday during an interview from his office at NFL Jeff headquarters in New York. Duncan At the time, Goodell was only a few weeks into the job, having taken over as ä INJURY commissioner earlier that REPORT: month. One of his duties as Saints down the NFL chief operating ofat least 3 ficer under his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, was to overdefenders on Monday, see recovery operations of the Saints after Hurricane Page 7C Katrina. Goodell spent countless hours in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the weeks and months after the storm and had a firsthand look at the destruction. He understood and appreciated the Herculean efforts required by local and NFL officials to produce a season after such a catastrophic event. “For better or worse, the damage to the Superdome was a huge image (during Katrina) that went globally, and we wanted to overcome that,” Goodell said. “We wanted to reset that and bring the Dome back to where it should be. I think that was the collective view. It wasn’t just the mayor, the governor or (Saints owner) Tom Benson and his organization or Paul and our organization; it was everybody.” Goodell admitted it was a leap of faith for everyone involved — the NFL, and local and state officials — because no one knew whether the city would recover fully enough to support a professional football team. To raise awareness of New Orleans’ recovery and underscore its global

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

verybody carries something with them from that day 20 years ago that would be impossible to shed even if they wanted to — sounds, colors, smells, emotions seared into their being from the day the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina. These things are readily accessible, and they pour forth alongside the memories of that game, when Steve Gleason’s blocked punt announced what everyone in the building and in the city was feeling — we aren’t going anywhere. For Leroy Mitchell, it’s two contrasting images. The ﬁrst he sees whenever he visits his local dry cleaner, where it hangs on the wall as a reminder: A giant ray of sunlight streaming through the wreckage that was the Superdome’s roof, illuminating the scene of human suffering below. The second he personally witnessed and will never forget: Densely packed among thousands of New Orleanians waiting to get inside and watching the black cover drop from the countdown banner, signaling the doors were once again open with the words Our Home. Our Team. Be a Saint. ä See SAINTS, page 3C

Saints safety Steve Gleason celebrates with teammate Omar Stoutmire following a blocked punt and score against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006, at the Superdome. STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference on Feb. 3, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome. Goodell played an instrumental role in bringing the Saints back to New Orleans.

Tigers avoid pain, rout McNeese LSU takes care of business, prepares for SEC slate ahead

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

McNeese safety Morris Taylor tries to stop LSU running back Harlem Berry on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Berry logged 125 yards on 15 carries in LSU’s 63-14 win.

Business was handled Saturday in Tiger Stadium. No. 11 LSU (4-1) beat McNeese State 63-14 in the nonconference finale. Sam Leavitt, dealing with a hamstring injury, still played nearly an entire half, completing 18 of 23 passes for 176 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. He helped LSU record the second-most yards in a game in program history with 731, just shy of the record 746 gained versus Rice in 1977. The Tigers defense allowed two first downs on McNeese’s first drive — and then didn’t allow another until late in the third quarter. More importantly, LSU appeared to be unscathed by injuries as it prepares to finish the rest of its Southeastern Conference slate,

which resumes in Lexington, Kentucky, as the Tigers visit the Wildcats (4-1) after their overtime win over South Carolina. Now the question is whether LSU can finish October as well as it started, all the way through matchups with Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn and into a bye week that could allow star tight end Trey’Dez Green to return on the other side of it. There’s a slight chance linebacker Whit Weeks could, too. In the meantime, LSU coach Lane Kiffin received the respite he desired from a nine-game SEC schedule. But he didn’t hold Leavitt back completely despite the quarterback playing hurt last week through a win over Texas A&M. Leavitt didn’t scramble but he completed 13 of his first 15 passes, despite a drop by Winston Watkins streaking wide open down the seam for what would have been a score. Leavitt led two quick touchdown drives

ä See LSU, page 4C

2C ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

AUTO RACING 3:30 p.m. NHRA Midwest Nationals FOX 4:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup: South Point 400 USA WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER 11 a.m. Michigan at Indiana BTN 2 p.m. Oklahoma at Texas SECN 2:30 p.m. Florida St. at Clemson ACCN WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL noon Missouri at LSU SECN 12:30 p.m. Georgia Tech at N. Carolina ACCN 1 p.m. Indiana at Rutgers BTN 2 p.m. Colorado at Baylor ESPN 3 p.m. Illinois at Oregon BTN 4 p.m. Iowa St. at Arizona St. ESPN 5 p.m. Wisconsin at Minnesota BTN 7:30 p.m. Kentucky at Florida ESPN GOLF 11 a.m. Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic GOLF

2 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m.

Korn Ferry Tour GOLF Bank of Utah Championship GOLF LPGA: LOTTE Championship GOLF HORSE RACING 8:30 a.m. Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe FS1 noon America’s Day at the Races FS1 3:30 p.m. America’s Day at the Races FS2 MLB 3 p.m. San Diego at Milwaukee FS1 7 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers FS1 NFL 8:30 a.m. Indianapolis vs. Washington NFLN noon Jacksonville at Cincinnati CBS noon Dallas at Houston FOX 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Las Vegas CBS 7:20 p.m. Detroit at Carolina NBC NHL noon Winnipeg at Detroit NHLN

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

7 p.m. 7 p.m.

Calgary at Seattle PRIME Florida at Anaheim PRIME MEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. Azerbaijan vs. Lithuania FS2 10:50 a.m. Kosovo vs. Austria FS2 1:30 p.m. Portugal vs. Norway FS2 2 p.m. Louisville City at Hartford ESPN2 4:50 p.m. Trinidad & Tobago vs. Curaçao FS2 6:50 p.m. Costa Rica vs. Haiti FS2 8:50 p.m. Nicaragua vs. Dominican Rep. FS2 WOMEN’S SOCCER 7:55 a.m. London City at Tottenham CBSSN noon Angel City at Gotham ESPN 3 p.m. Denver at Chicago CBSSN TENNIS 10 p.m. Beijing & Tokyo Semifinals TENNIS WNBA PLAYOFFS 1 p.m. New york at Atlanta ABC 3 p.m. Las Vegas at Golden State NBC

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 25 Missouri routs No. 8 Florida Tigers end 9-game skid against Top 25 opponents

Missouri running back Jamal Roberts, left, runs with the ball as Florida safety Lagonza Hayward defends during the first half of a game on Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three more scores, and No. 25 Missouri trounced eighthranked Florida 45-17 on Saturday to snap a nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Cayden Lee had eight catches for 110 yards, Donovan Olugbode and Caleb Goodie had TD receptions, and the Tigers piled up 560 yards of offense while giving coach Eli Drinkwitz his ﬁrst regular-season win over a top-10 team in 11 tries with them. Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) collapsed late against Mississippi State last week, but it bounced back by stopping one of the nation’s top offenses. Gators quarterback Aaron Philo threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, but much of that happened as they played from behind. Jadan Baugh, who had been receiving some early Heisman Trophy hype after running for 11 touchdowns over his ﬁrst four games, carried 12 times for only 13 yards, often struggling to even make it back to the line of scrimmage. The Gators (4-1, 2-1), who routed

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON No. 4 Mississippi last week, had been averaging 532.8 yards of offense. They had 325 on Saturday. “We knew a couple of things were coming and still didn’t stop it,” Florida coach Jon Sumrall said. “They played with physicality. Hat’s off to them. They deserved the win. We earned the loss. We have a lot to work on.” The Tigers clearly prioritized bottling up Baugh, the nation’s second-leading rusher, especially after watching him rip off a 12yard gain the ﬁrst time he touched the ball. He carried 11 more times for exactly 1 yard the rest of the game. Florida evidently didn’t prioritize stopping anything. Simmons was 16 of 21 for 238

yards and his two TDs in the first half alone, slinging the ball to all corners of the field. He hit Olugbode for a 47-yard strike and a 10-3 lead, then delivered Goodie his first career touchdown reception later in the half. It was a handful of possessions spanning halftime that decided the game, though. The Gators went three-and-out late in the first half, giving the Tigers the ball with 1:33 left, and Blake Craig’s 50-yarder as time expired made it 20-10. Then, after getting the kickoff to start the second half, Roberts added a short touchdown run, the Tigers forced a quick punt, and Craig banged through a 52-yarder to make it 30-10 late in the third

quarter. The coup de grâce came on the penultimate play of the quarter, when Roberts spun out of a pileup and ran 76 yards, getting shoved out at the Florida 2. On the ﬁrst play of the fourth, he slammed into the endzone, and a 2-point conversion made it 38-10. As if the Tigers needed an exclamation mark, Roberts added it with an 80-yard touchdown run a couple of minutes later. By that point, the Tigers were mockingly chomping at the Gators, who have struggled mightily in Columbia over the years. They have now lost four of their last ﬁve games at Faurot Field — though unlike the rest, this one didn’t come down to the wire.

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

QB Sayin leads No. 5 Ohio State to victory Buckeyes WR Smith breaks three school records By The Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa — Julian Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jeremiah Smith, and No. 5 Ohio State beat No. 14 Iowa 31-14 on Saturday. Sayin was 20-of-27 passing, and his favorite target was Smith, the nation’s top receiver. Smith had 11 catches for 206 yards, becoming Ohio State’s leader in receptions (207), receiving yards (3,381) and receiving touchdowns (36). Smith caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Sayin with 12 seconds left in the first half to give the Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) a 17-6 lead. Sayin threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Smith with 6:11 left in the third quarter. Smith struck a Heisman pose toward the Iowa fans in Kinnick Stadium’s north end zone after the catch. Iowa (4-1, 1-1) got its only points on two field goals and Braeden Jackson’s fourth-quarter 2-yard touchdown run. The Hawkeyes were held to just 238 yards as Ohio State, which had 484 yards, had almost a 17-minute advantage in time of possession. NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 37, NORTH CAROLINA 26: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another and third-ranked Notre Dame regained control after halftime to beat North Carolina on Saturday. The Fighting Irish (5-0) led 2114 after the Tar Heels (2-2) turned a goal-line stand into a long touchdown drive right before halftime, then came out of the break with Jaden Jefferson sprinting through the rain for a 98-yard

kickoff return for another score. NO. 2 GEORGIA 38, VANDERBILT 14: In Athens, Georgia, Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia cruised to win over Vanderbilt. Georgia scored an opening drive touchdown for the fourth time this season as Stockton found Landon Roldan for a twoyard TD. A Vanderbilt team led by backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz showed some fight, answering back two drives later as Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill for a 60-yard touchdown and tied the game 7-all. It was the first firstquarter score for a Georgia opponent all season. The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) had outscored opponents 63-0 in the first quarter through the first four games. NO. 7 ALABAMA 56, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI ST. 23: In Starkville, Mississippi, Keelon Russell passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns to go with another TD rushing, and Alabama routed Mississippi State in a matchup of previously unbeaten teams. Trae’shawn Brown ran for two touchdowns, Rico Scott caught two scoring passes and Dijon Lee returned an interception 30 yards for a score during a game that saw Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) reinforce its credentials as contenders. Alabama outgained Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) 179-18 in yards rushing in its 17th straight victory in the series — the last seven by 23 or more points.. NO. 20 HOUSTON 27, UCF 17: In Houston, Conner Weigman threw for 239 yards and rushed for three second-half touchdowns, and Houston rallied to beat Central Florida. Weigman rushed for 50 yards, Re’Shaun Sanford ran for 62 yards and Patrick Overmyer

caught six passes for 76 yards for Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12). NO. 21 SMU 25, BOSTON COLLEGE 16: In Dallas, Kevin Jennings threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and SMU beat Boston College in a soggy defensive struggle. Jennings’ other TD toss also came on a short drive when SMU (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) returned a punt to the BC 41. After a roughing the passer penalty on third down, Jennings threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Derrick McFall. Kendrick Raphael had a 2-yard TD run. The Eagles (2-3, 0-2) had a chance to get within two points early in the fourth quarter, but Cameron Kossmann dropped a pass when he was wide open and probably would have scored easily on fourth-and-inches from the SMU 8. NO. 17 TENNESSEE 24, AUBURN 14: In Knoxville, Tennessee, DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 17 Tennessee to a victory over Auburn on Saturday. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 in Southeastern Conference) overcame a sluggish start with the help of George MacIntyre replacing Faizon Brandon at quarterback late in the second quarter. The Volunteers trailed 7-3 at intermission. MacIntyre completed his ﬁrst six pass attempts for 80 yards and ﬁnish 8 of 10 for 86 yards. Auburn (3-2, 1-2) was led by quarterback Byrum Brown with 159 passing yards and a touchdown as well as 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Brown was intercepted twice and had a fumble. NO. 24 KENTUCKY 35, SOUTH CAROLINA 34, OT: In Columbia, South Carolina, Kenny Minchey threw a 6-yard TD pass to Henry Boyer and a two-point conversion to Willie Rodriguez as No. 24 Ken-

tucky rallied from 17-0 down to beat South Carolina in overtime on Saturday. The Wildcats (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) needed to fight back several times. Minchey’s 32-yard scoring pass to Nic Anderson late in the third quarter gave them their first lead, 24-20. And after South Carolina retook the lead in the fourth quarter on LaNorris Sellers’ 15-yard TD pass to DJ Black, Minchey led a 66yard drive that ended with Adam Zouagui’s 29-yard tying field goal with 4:13 to play. Sellers again retook the lead in overtime on a 5-yard throw to Maurice Brown in the end zone. But after Minchey’s pass to Boyer, Kentucky didn’t hesitate and connected on the winning conversion pass to Rodriguez open in the back of the end zone. NO. 10 BYU 17, TCU 10: In Fort Worth, Texas, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, including a clinching 21-yarder with 2:06 left and the No. 10 Cougars survived without injured running back LJ Martin for a victory over TCU on a rainy Saturday night. Martin had two carries for 16 yards in the first quarter, but that was it because of an apparent lower leg injury. The AP Big 12 offensive player of the year last season was averaging 109.3 yards rushing while the Cougars were scoring 44 points a game. Both teams had trouble moving the ball, with 72 of the 216 total yards by BYU (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) coming of the late drive. Bachmeier bounced off one of his teammates at the line, then ran through several TCU defenders inside the 10 to make it 17-7. TCU (2-3, 0-2) got a 44-yard field goal from Nate McCashland with 32 seconds left, but was then unable to recover an onside kick.

OF Judge left off Yankees’ Division Series roster

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yankees captain Aaron Judge was left off the roster for New York’s AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays while he tries to work his way back from a calf injury. A three-time AL MVP, Judge hasn’t played since Sept. 16. Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs, remained on the 26-man roster for the best-of-ﬁve series starting Saturday. Stanton was active for the Wild Card Series sweep of Boston but didn’t get in the games, which both turned into blowouts. Judge was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8 and played in just seven games before straining his right calf. He was limited to 66 games this season.

No. 1-ranked Rybakina loses to Charaeva in China Open

BEIJING — No. 1-ranked Elena Rybakina was ousted from the China Open by No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round on Saturday. Charaeva held her head in her hands in disbelief after winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. “I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing,” said Charaeva. Rybakina had seven double faults and dropped her serve ﬁve times, the last time to fall behind 4-2 in the third set. In the men’s tournament, top seed and U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev beat wild card Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarterﬁnal against Novak Djokovic.

No. 1 Sinner withdraws from Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters as he deals with a knee problem. Sinner has not played since beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final. He withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a right knee injury. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year as I had hoped,” the Italian wrote on his Instagram account Saturday. Sinner announced last week that he wouldn’t be able to defend his China Open title in Beijing, saying “my knee is not there where I would like to be and I am not ready to compete yet, but I will do everything possible to be there on court as soon as I can.”

Trail Blazers fire broadcaster for inappropriate old posts

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers ﬁred new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when inappropriate social media posts that he made as a teenager resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring. “The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement Thursday night. “Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.” Hours after the 29-year-old Bell was hired, posts surfaced that Bell made on his X account in 2012 and 2013.

Niners owner York suspended 6 games after arrest in sting

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The NFL suspended San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York for six games Friday following his arrest earlier this year in a prostitution sting in Ohio. The league announced that York also was ﬁned $500,000 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. York has not attended any games or league meetings so far this season and was credited with three games served. He is eligible to return on Oct. 20, following the team’s game the previous night against Washington. York said in a statement released by the team that he accepts the punishment given by the league and apologized for his actions. Owners have been previously punished for violating the personal conduct policy.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3C

lll

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C importance, the NFL showcased the return game on its biggest stage, Monday Night Football, and provided a Super Bowl-worthy lineup of musical entertainment: U2, Green Day, the Goo Goo Dolls and several local artists. During the week leading up to kickoff, NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy referred to the event as “a Super Bowl — but more important.” “Our relationship with New Orleans is more than a relationship between a franchise and a community,” Goodell said. “It’s always been special. Having seen that community for the year prior and what it looked like when we came in immediately after the hurricane and then to see the energy and the hope, the belief, the resilience that so represents the New Orleans community. It was inspiring. It was one of those special moments, a celebration of everything that New Orleans and the NFL had become together.” The game drew an average audience of 14.9 million viewers across 10.85 million households, generating an 11.8 household rating on ESPN, making it the most-watched program in the network’s 27-year history. The game’s

10.85 million homes ranked as the second-largest audience in basic cable history up to that point, trailing only the 1993 NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot on CNN’s Larry King Live (11.17 million households). In a memo to NFL staff members three days after the game, Goodell said “the game and its related weekend events in New Orleans will rank among the NFL’s ﬁnest moments.” He still feels that way today. “It was more than a football game,” Goodell said. “It was a completely different experience. It had the energy, but more importantly, it had the people and the people’s belief now that we’re going to succeed, we’re going to make it. And then Steve (Gleason) pulls off the miraculous, and every moment of that game just seemed to build on that emotion and a belief in one another. It’s just far more than anything I’ve ever seen in sports — and I’ve seen a lot in sports.” Goodell has maintained a close relationship with Gleason over the years. He wrote a cover blurb for his memoir, “A Life Impossible,” and attended Gleason’s congressional gold medal ceremony in 2020 in Washington, D.C., and his Game Changer gala at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. He’s also supported Gleason’s advocacy work with Team Gleason

unique and special man.” In fact, it was a friendly reminder from Gleason in the spring that triggered Goodell’s memory about the special anTO: NFL Staff niversary of the Domecoming this fall and spurred him to give FROM: Commissioner Goodell it special treatment on the 2026 RE: Monday Night’s Game in New Orleans schedule. In addition to the prime-time DATE: September 28, 2006 TV placement, the NFL will extend the halftime show by three Last Monday night’s game and its related weekend events in New Orleans will rank minutes to give the New Orleansamong the NFL’s finest moments. themed musical performance more airtime. Many people throughout our organization made tremendous contributions to the Just as he was 20 years ago, successful return of the Saints to the Louisiana Superdome. Everyone should take pride Goodell will be in the Superdome in being part of this accomplishment. This series of events reflected extremely well on the NFL by demonstrating our values and commitment to community. As many have on Monday night to take in the offered to me, “only the NFL could do that.” festivities. He will watch the game from Saints owner Gayle The restoration and reopening of the Superdome, and the Saints’ return to New Orleans, Benson’s suite. provided an enormous boost to the entire Gulf Coast community. While everyone “It’s important to celebrate recognizes the great challenges remain for the people of that region, we in the NFL for one night gave the people of the Gulf Coast a reason to celebrate and be proud. what happened 20 years ago and to make sure people underMy thanks and congratulations to each of you on a truly special occasion. stand the importance of that moment, and to also celebrate PROVIDED PHOTO all the wonderful things that happened in New Orleans since This is a Sept. 28, 2006, memo from commissioner Roger Goodell to then,” Goodell said. “When Steve NFL staff members after the Atlanta Falcons-New Orleans Saints game at reached out this spring, and said, ‘That 20th anniversary’s the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006. coming up. We got to really celebrate it,’ we said, ‘Let’s put although the way he stepped up since he was diagnosed with ALS that night is just part of his mag- this on Monday Night Football.’ in 2011. That’s going to be a special moic and what he does all the time. “I just admire him so much,” ment for ESPN and ABC, but it’s I love the guy and his family. I Goodell said while choking back also going to be a special molove what he represents. I love tears. “I just ﬁnd him the most what he means to the world right ment for the community and the remarkable man. His strength, NFL and for Steve. I told Steve, now and the way he ﬁghts and his courage. It has nothing to ‘I got you.’ ” the way he wins. He’s just a very do with his playing abilities,

SAINTS

giving us that moment.”

Continued from page 1C

HELENA MORENO • Former WDSU anchor, current New Orleans mayor

Mitchell, who has attended Saints games for more than three decades under the “Whistle Monsta” persona, felt chills going through his body while recalling those memories from 20 years ago. “The contrast in those two things was so overwhelming,” Mitchell said. “It just brought tears to my eyes with joy inside. I knew deep down inside of my heart this was something so special that I would not ever forget it. I knew I was going to remember where I was, regardless of where I was in my life or how I felt at that time.” The New Orleans Saints will play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, an homage to the original “Domecoming” game featuring the same rival clubs that played 20 years ago last week. The game, and what transpired in it, represents arguably the most iconic moment in franchise history. Domecoming isn’t just Saints lore. It is one of those moments in space and time that still resides under their skin. It is fresh and visceral after all these years. They can still see the banner drop and feel the goosebumps on their arms. They can still smell the new paint and feel the dust in the bathroom from the freshly installed sheetrock. “It smelled like paint, like a new build,” said Shannon Ockman, the president of the Touchdown Club of New Orleans. “We were all familiar with those smells because we were all rebuilding in some capacity. “... You knew when you were walking in that people had suffered there, greatly. You were wondering how it was going to feel when you walked in. But it just reminded you — at home, I’m suffering. My house is gutted, my house is freshly painted, I got a new roof, I’ve got building supplies all over my back porch right now. We’re all in this together, you know?” Here are their recollections from that day, and the meaning they took away from it.

“Twenty years later, I can still remember the feeling of that day. I was working the morning show as an anchor, and from the earliest hours, people were already ﬁlling the streets in their Saints gear. I did live shots outside the Superdome, and you could feel that this was about so much more than football. After everything our city had endured, Domecoming was a powerful sign that New Orleans was coming back, that we would rebuild, that our spirit could not be broken and that New Orleans could never be destroyed. I wasn’t able to be inside the Dome that night, so I watched the game on television, and I remember the happy tears. When Steve Gleason blocked that punt and the Dome erupted, it felt like an entire city was releasing everything we had carried since Katrina. Twenty years later, that night still represents the resilience, determination and unbreakable spirit of the people of New Orleans.”

LEROY MITCHELL • ‘Whistle Monsta’ Mitchell’s game-day uniform has changed over the years, but it always has included a football helmet that he has fashioned into a large whistle. For a fanbase that is known for its members treating game day like Mardi Gras, Mitchell is one of its most recognizable ﬁgures. He fashions a new whistle for every year, including one he built for the 2005 season. But when he packed up and evacuated to Florida days before the storm arrived, the whistle was not one of the things he took with him. When he got into his car to drive east, the whistle was back in his home, resting on top of a table. Mitchell knew he was in trouble when, searching for information about his neighborhood, he saw an image of water obscuring most of Parkway Bakery’s front door. He lost most of his possessions in the storm, but not all. When an upstairs neighbor saw water coming into Mitchell’s home, he went inside to grab some of Mitchell’s belongings. One of the things that neighbor gathered was the whistle. It was partially submerged in the ﬂood. Mitchell eventually got it back and gifted it to his daughter. The water

PROVIDED PHOTO By LEROy MITCHELL

Leroy Mitchell, who attends New Orleans Saints games under his ‘Whistle Monsta’ persona, wore a tuxedo to the Saints’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006.

line is still visible. He remembers watching the Saints that year from Florida, and he still gets emotional thinking about how those games made him, for at least a few hours, feel connected to all the other displaced New Orleanians during an otherwise trying time. “We already knew before Katrina how the fans felt about this city and the team, the relationship that they have, and that just solidiﬁed it for me when I was displaced,” Mitchell said. “When the game came on, there was a calmness, and I felt other fans in other states. I felt like we were all pulling that rope in tug of war in the same direction. Even though, when it wasn’t a game, it felt like we were pulling in different directions.” All of which made the return to the Superdome so meaningful to Mitchell. He knew it was special in the moment — so special that he altered his usual get up and wore a tuxedo with a Superman shirt underneath along with his usual whistle helmet because “it was red carpet, baby!” He thought about the ray of sunshine coming into the Dome, and he saw the banner drop to let him know that the city was moving back toward something closer to normal, and he was overwhelmed by the sense of community he felt. He cried as he made his way to his seat in Section 111, and he cried when he saw the stadium attendants that feel like family members. And then he got really, really loud. “I felt a sense of community, and it was just all of us in there, and people were just hugging and so happy to see each other,” Mitchell said. “But when the blocked punt happened, I knew deep down inside there was nobody — I don’t care who it was in the history of NFL football, you could put the best of the best teams on the other sideline and we were going to kick their ass. There was no way in hell we were losing that game.” Go back and watch the broadcast of that game near the 13-minute mark of the fourth quarter. There in the front row is a young girl wearing a giant whistle helmet on her head. Mitchell gets emotional thinking about this, too. This was his daughter, Monty, who was 11 years old on the day of that game.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

A New Orleans Saints fan holds up a sign during the team’s game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006, at the Superdome. It was the Saints’ ﬁrst home game following Hurricane Katrina. He has thought about fatherhood and the things he is passing on to Monty. He has thought about legacy. And when he thinks about that, he recalls the time Monty was caught on camera watching history through a giant helmet. “Man, she grew up on the front rail of the Superdome watching the game with her dad,” Mitchell said. “Then later on, she ended up buying her own seat next to me on that front rail.”

DEANNA GAUTREAUX • Saints season-ticket holder Gautreaux will be there this Monday, her 60th season as a Saints season-ticket holder. She and her husband bought season tickets as recent high school graduates for the inaugural season along with 14 other friends. For that Domecoming game, only 12 of that group remained. When the 77-year-old Gautreaux attends Monday’s game, she will do so as the last surviving member of that friend group. The things that linger with her for 20 years are the noise, both outside and inside the Superdome, and the way her hands hurt from clapping so hard. But it was also the togetherness of the moment. “When you went in, it was just unbelievable,” Gautreaux said. “You got to see all your old friends, the people you sit around, because that’s what makes the game — the people that you sit around, that you’re friends with, that you see every week. “It was just unbelievably loud, and it was just a good feeling all over to be with the people that you know. And to go through that again after waiting and waiting and waiting, that night, I don’t think anybody sat down. We just stood up the whole time.” Those memories have become more dear as her friends and family have passed away. Her husband died last year on Christmas Day. When she goes to the games now, she thinks to herself, “Oh, I’m doing it for y’all.” “The last three or four years have been kind of bad, but I’m still hanging on like everybody else,” she said. “You know, it’s just something that you can’t — you want to be part of that number. You want to be there. You have to be there.” Staff writers Rod Walker, Keith Spera and Ian McNulty contributed to this report

“That’s the memory I have from that night, everybody’s got tears in their eyes. You first got there and everybody’s asking, ‘How’d you make out? How’s your mom’n’them?’ People you hadn’t seen in a long, long time. And then after that punt, everybody’s got tears in their eyes and we’re hugging and high-fiving. It was like a home town just wrapped inside a big city. Everybody’s connected in that moment. I just feel I was very blessed to be there. For me, it reminded me of why I wanted SHANNON OCKMAN • Touchdown to come back home and rebuild. Club of New Orleans president It put an exclamation point at the Ockman’s first game as a season- end of that sentence. I literally ticket holder — Section 138, row 6 have tears in my eyes just think— was the Domecoming game, but ing about it.” Saints Sundays had been a part of her life for a long time. She was HARRY CONNICK JR. • Musician born and raised in New Orleans and describes herself as someone “I was at that game. It is one of who had to be “rolled down the my favorite memories of all time. ramps in the Dome” in a stroller I remember that play. I rememduring the 70s. ber the feeling I got, which was Going into that night, she knew it so past football. We all shared was going to be different. that sentiment. I don’t think it’s “It was like a high school re- an overstatement to say that the union where we were all getting Saints were the reason that New back home,” Ockman said. “You Orleans started to rebuild. That just knew that night was going game in particular was the turning to be bigger than whatever foot- point for New Orleans. The Saints ball game was going to be played. buoyed us through that time.” We’re going to get our voices back after listening to months of politi- FRANK BRIGTSEN • Restauranteur cal debate about, ‘Should NOLA rebuild? Were we worth it?’ Every“There was so much uncertainty body was tired of hearing it, and around our recovery at the time. we were going to say, ‘Yeah, we are We desperately needed someworth it.’ thing. We didn’t know what it was. “It makes me emotional think- But when that play happened, we ing about it. It was exciting, it was knew that was it. It left us all tinelectric, you’re surrounded by all gling with excitement and hope your people again — people that and confidence that if that can hapare all going through the same pen, anything can happen. It was things that you’re going through. a pivotal moment in New Orleans “Steve blocked that punt, and history. We all felt it. We still feel Email Luke Johnson at you knew that it was going to be it. We revere Steve Gleason for ljohnson@theadvocate.com. a core memory being made in real time. You just knew, right there in that moment. The most beautiful moments in our lives, you don’t plan on, they just happen. You remember them so vividly. I’m never going to forget exactly how I felt in that moment, because you knew it was never going to happen again.

SPORTS

24/7

4C ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

LSU 63, MCNEESE 14

BOX SCORE No. 11 LSU 63, McNeese 14 McNeese St. 0 0 14 0 — 14 LSU 14 21 14 14 — 63 First Quarter LSU—D.Jones 1 run (Starzyk kick), 9:23. LSU—Mothershed 1 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), 3:18. Second Quarter LSU—Clark 3 run (Starzyk kick), 7:37. LSU—Barber 6 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), 4:01. LSU—Barber 12 pass from Leavitt (Starzyk kick), :57. Third Quarter LSU—Geralds 1 run (Starzyk kick), 11:34. LSU—H.Berry 11 run (Starzyk kick), 8:22. MCNS—Levi 43 pass from Barrier (De.Camron kick), 4:48. MCNS—Levi 64 run (De.Camron kick), 3:32. Fourth Quarter LSU—Gage 46 run (Starzyk kick), 13:56. LSU—Gage 39 run (Starzyk kick), 10:55. MCNS LSU First downs 6 39 Total Net Yards 196 731 Rushes-yards 30-102 53-367 Passing 94 364 Punt Returns 3-30 0-0 Kickoff Returns 0-0 1-19 Interceptions Ret. 1-7 1-21 Comp-Att-Int 8-17-1 31-48-1 Sacked-Yards Lost 3-16 0-0 Punts 10-43.6 3-43.0 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-0 Penalties-Yards 4-32 3-11 Time of Possession 22:46 37:14 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—McNeese St., Levi 1-64, Wiggins 10-21, Swilley 5-18, Citizen 6-4, M.Davis 1-2, Barrier 3-0, Strong 4-(minus 7). LSU, Berry 15-125, Gage 6-108, D.Jones 16-79, Longstreet 4-32, Durham 5-13, Clark 3-11, Geralds 1-1, Gainey 2-0, (Team) 1-(minus 4). PASSING—McNeese St., Barrier 5-7-0-74, Strong 3-10-1-20. LSU, Leavitt 18-23-1-176, Clark 7-16-0-126, Longstreet 6-9-0-62. RECEIVING—McNeese St., Levi 2-46, So.Lewis 1-17, Deville 1-11, Senegal 1-7, Swilley 1-6, Haman 1-5, Citizen 1-2. LSU, Barber 7-83, Wilson 4-58, Jayc.Brown 4-52, Harris 4-37, T.Brown 3-50, Watkins 3-40, Mothershed 2-11, D.Jones 2-5, Elzy 1-25, Jo.Jackson 1-3. MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

NOTEBOOK

QB Leavitt gets plenty of reps LSU played most starters in first half BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

It was unclear whether quarterback Sam Leavitt would even suit up Saturday for LSU’s tune-up against McNeese State. Leavitt tweaked his hamstring last Saturday in the Tigers’ 35-6 win over Texas A&M, and though the redshirt junior said he was “just fine” after the game, coach Lane Kiffin cautioned that he’d take an “extremely” cautious approach to managing his reps throughout the week. But on Saturday, Leavitt trotted onto the field with his pads. And then he started warming up just like he would for any other game. Then he popped on his helmet and entered the action for LSU’s first drive, along with the rest of the first-team offense. The only sign that anything was amiss was the extra tape he wore on his left leg. Leavitt wound up playing most of the first half of the Tigers’ lopsided win over the Cowboys. He looked calm and confident. He didn’t take off and run very often, but he really didn’t have to. The LSU offensive line kept McNeese at bay, allowing Leavitt to operate from the pocket with surgical precision. The Arizona State transfer completed 18 of 23 pass attempts for 183 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. The pick, his seventh of the year, was the only ill-advised pass Leavitt threw all night. And he didn’t get hurt. LSU entered Week 5 after losing three key starters to significant injuries in just the previous two weeks: defensive back Dashawn Spears (ACL), tight end Trey’Dez Green (knee) and linebacker Whit Weeks (leg). That list did not appear to grow after the win over McNeese, which was perhaps the most important development of the night.

Freshman stands out

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Stacy Gage races past the McNeese State defense in the fourth quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

LSU threw three touchdown passes in the ﬁrst half of its win over McNeese on Saturday, and a freshman wide receiver caught two of them. Corey Barber, a former four-star recruit from Alabama, hauled in scoring grabs of 6 and 12 yards from Leavitt. Kiffin told the game’s SEC Network broadcast at halftime that Barber started playing more snaps after starter Winston Watkins dropped two nicely

STAFF PHOTO By PEARL SPURLOCK

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt passes to a receiver on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. thrown passes that would have resulted in scores of 41 and 30 yards. “One player, Winnie Watkins, dropped two touchdowns,” Kifﬁn said. “Obviously disappointed in that. We put a freshman in behind him, and he went and scored two touchdowns.” Barber was a top-60 national recruit, according to 247Sports composite rankings. He was initially committed to Ole Miss, but he dropped his pledge to the Rebels and signed with the Tigers instead in December after Kifﬁn switched jobs. On Saturday, Barber became just the seventh LSU player since 1995 to catch multiple touchdown passes in one game as a true freshman.

Two more sacks LSU defensive linemen Princewill Umanmielen and Deuce Geralds each dropped McNeese quarterback Jake Strong behind the line of scrimmage on Saturday, adding to their already eye-popping sack totals. Umanmielen and Geralds have combined for 13 sacks. Entering Week 5, no FBS player had more sacks than Umanmielen (seven) and no FBS freshman had more

than Geralds (four). Umanmielen, an Ole Miss transfer, recorded nine sacks as part of his breakout redshirt junior season in 2025, and he already has eight through his ﬁrst ﬁve games at LSU. He’s on pace to break the program’s single-season sack record, which Arden Key set when he dropped opposing quarterbacks 12 times in 2016. Geralds was a fringe top-50 national prospect from Georgia when he signed with the Tigers. Before Saturday, he had logged 19 more snaps than any other LSU defensive tackle. The star freshman also scored a rushing touchdown on Saturday when he took a direct snap early in the third quarter and plowed into the end zone for a 1-yard score.

Opening-drive score The 1-yard touchdown that running back Dilin Jones scored on Saturday to give LSU a 7-0 lead was the Tigers’ first opening-drive score of the season. LSU punted three times and threw an interception on its ﬁrst four opening drives of the year. The offense managed only 14 total yards on the 11 plays it ran on

those possessions. On Saturday, the Tigers’ first drive spanned nine plays and 48 yards. They got the ball after safety Tamarcus Cooley intercepted Strong on a third-down pass from the LSU 45-yard line. LSU leaned heavily on Jones on its ﬁrst drive. The redshirt sophomore picked up 28 yards on six carries on the possession while adding one catch for 4 yards. He ﬁnished his night as the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 16 carries for 79 yards and a score.

Series history Only 130 miles separate LSU and McNeese, but the schools now have met just three times in football — 2010, 2021 and 2026. The Tigers and Cowboys were supposed to face off in September 2015, but persistent lightning strikes and heavy rain forced the cancellation of the game after they played just five minutes. That matchup remains the only LSU football game canceled since World War I. Rain was in the forecast ahead of Saturday’s matchup, but none fell in Tiger Stadium before or after the game’s 6:55 p.m. kickoff.

LSU

Continued from page 1C anyway. The first traveled 48 yards and was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Dilin Jones. The second went 77 yards and finished with a 1-yard toss from Leavitt to converted tight end Roman Mothershed. On Leavitt’s third drive, another on-target throw to Watkins down the seam was dropped. Leavitt’s next attempt to push it down the field to Eugene Wilson was snagged by McNeese defensive back Lorenzell Dubose. But the defense wasn’t going to allow the Cowboys to take any momentum. LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen logged his eighth sack of the season to send McNeese to a three-and-out. LSU then scored touchdowns on its next five drives. A range of Tigers flashed in a game where there were more opportunities to go around. Freshman receiver Corey Barber, a fourstar recruit, had six catches for 76 yards in extended action, including touchdown receptions of 6 and 12 yards from Leavitt. Sophomore running back Harlem Berry, a former five-star recruit who has played second-fiddle to Jones this season, logged 125 yards on 15 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run that put LSU up 49-0. Stacey Gage took over in the fourth quarter, running through the McNeese defense on touchdown runs of 46 and 39 yards. Jones added 79 yards on 16 carries as the Tigers totaled 367 yards on the ground. LSU even allowed freshman de-

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU quarterback Landen Clark looks to make a pass against McNeese in the third quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers outgained the Cowboys 731-196. LSU totaled 37 first downs to McNeese’s six. Saturday’s victory marked the most points LSU had scored since a 72-0 win over Grambling on Sept. 9, 2023, and it set a record for offensive plays with 101. STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Landen Clark relieved Leavitt LSU defensive tackle Deuce Geralds runs the ball on an offensive play for a touchdown against McNeese on and completed 7-of-16 passing for 126 yards, and he added a 3-yard Saturday at Tiger Stadium. touchdown run. fensive tackle Deuce Geralds, who the third quarter, though. First, around was taken 64 yards up the Husan Longstreet entered late in recorded his fifth sack in as many LSU allowed a 28-yard punt re- sideline by Levi, which gave the the third quarter, both as a quargames, to line up at running back turn to the Tigers 43, which was Cowboys receiver a pair of scores terback and a punt returner. He for a direct-snap touchdown run immediately followed by a 43-yard separated by 76 seconds. completed 6 of 9 for 62 yards. Even with the second-half lull, from 1-yard out in the third quarter. touchdown pass from Brady BarThe Tigers defense and special rier to Jamaal Levi to make it 49-7. the final totals reflected LSU’s ease Email Jon Blau at On McNeese’s next drive, an endof victory. teams would have lapses to close jon.blau@theadvocate.com

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 5C

LSU 63, MCNEESE 14

lll

THREE AND OUT: SCOTT RABALAIS’ TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM LSU’S BLOWOUT OF MCNEESE

GIVE AND TAKE After speculation all week about whether he would play, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt and his sore hamstring got the start against the Cowboys. Certainly an “A” for effort given the circumstances as he threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a little less than a half of work. But he made a major gaffe when he threw yet another interception, his seventh. Leavitt has thrown at least one pick in every game this season. Somehow, that has to stop.

DEUCE ON THE LOOSE Defensive tackle Deuce Geralds’ remarkable freshman season added another amazing chapter Saturday night. Geralds recorded his fifth sack in the first half. That’s to be expected, especially against an outmatched offense like McNeese’s.Then the unexpected: Geralds lined up as a running back (fullback to make LSU’s Jacob Hester happy) and scored on a 1-yard smash. It was shades of Booger McFarland’s freshman season in 1995. McFarland was eventually an AllAmerican. Geralds could be just as good.

EMPTYING THE BENCH While Lane Kiffin didn’t appear to rest any key starters, the LSU coach did go deep into his bench. That included freshman wide receiver Corey Barber, who had the first two touchdown receptions of his career, and quarterbacks Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet. It didn’t always go according to script: The Tigers had three straight punts and gave up two long touchdowns in the third quarter. But it served the purpose of conserving energy going into the Kentucky game.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Lane Kiffin reacts after a dropped pass against McNeese in the first quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

Kiffin sets records straight LSU coach sends message to his team despite gaudy numbers

It was a strange night for making history in Tiger Stadium. Pizza boxes (empty, I assume) flying through the near empty stands in the fourth quarter. A quarterback, Husan Longstreet, shagging punts before going out to take snaps. A freshman defensive tackle, Deuce Geralds, rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. Somewhere, Booger McFarland had to be smiling. And Lane Kiffin, the man who brought a basketball goal and a fire Scott extinguisher to Death Valley’s halRabalais lowed sidelines, calling a timeout BEFORE LSU ran the first play of the second half to tear into his team for its lack of focus, despite being up 35-0 on McNeese State at the time. Oh, the Nick Saban of it all. All the while, his Tigers were spinning hit record after hit record, like some long-ago DJ on the Saturday night owl shift. In Saturday’s 63-14 victory over McNeese State, the Tigers set single-game program records for first downs (39, breaking the mark of 37 against Clemson in the season opener), total offensive plays (101, breaking the record of 99 against Tulane in 1969) and posting the second-most total yards in school history (731, just shy of LSU’s 746 yards against Rice in 1977). All this when the Kiffin/Charlie Weis Jr. offense hasn’t even really lit all the steam boilers yet. What did those marks mean to the visored one, the coach former LSU quarterback Josh Booty called Steve Spurrier 2.0? “I don’t care,” Kiffin said. “We’ll break all those.

It’s about the way you’re playing.” Kiffin’s confident yet dismissive tone spoke to the fact that the Tigers were playing a mighty outclassed opponent. No offense to McNeese, but the school that gave Will Wade a new lease on his basketball coaching career does not play at LSU’s level. The Tigers are Premier League level and the Cowboys are English Football League. Arsenal against Wrexham AFC. Or, if you will, an MLB team like the Dodgers taking on a team from Triple-A like the Albuquerque Isotopes. Despite all the Fun ‘n’ Gun Spurrier-type vibes, Kiffin was definitely channeling his inner Saban in this one. The timeout was to chew out his players to make sure they stayed mentally sharp. That they kept the hammer down. That they took no prisoners. Kiffin even said the game officials came to him and asked whether he wanted to play with a running clock in the second half. Kiffin: “I said no.” Saban, LSU’s old boss and Kiffin’s former boss at Alabama, would have said the very same. Another Saban-like thing Kiffin did: He pulled wide receiver Winston Watkins, one of the players who came with him from Ole Miss, after dropping two touchdown passes. Asked at halftime on LSU radio about his team’s play in the first half in which they led by the aforementioned 35-0 score and had outgained McNeese 347-31 at that point, Kiffin responded: “We dropped two touchdown passes.” Kiffin responded to Watkins’ two drops by replacing him with freshman Corey Barber. He caught two touchdown passes. It wasn’t the memorable night Geralds had — he was perhaps the first Tiger

to ever have a sack and a rushing touchdown in the same game — but it was mighty nice. The overall message was clear. Kiffin is trying to establish a culture at LSU. His kind of culture. The kind that appeals to TikTok 21st-century player sensibilities but also gets them to play hard when the going gets tough. Aside from a brief lapse in the third quarter when mostly backups had three straight punts on offense and gave up two long touchdowns on defense, Kiffin got what he asked for. Yes, this was a guarantee game. LSU paid McNeese $750,000 to be its final nonconference punching bag. Hopefully the Tigers slipped the Cowboys a couple of pizzas on their way back to the bus for being so cooperative. But there was also planning for the future. The rest of the season is paved with Southeastern Conference opponents, with nary an easy mark among them except for once again woeful Arkansas in the regular-season finale. By that point in the season, we will know where LSU is headed. Either into the College Football Playoff, or into a much less satisfying bowl game. That long road resumes Saturday on the road against upstart Kentucky, which rallied from 17-0 down to beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime. The Wildcats will be primed for the Tigers in Lexington, where they’ve never forgotten the Bluegrass Miracle. The point of Saturday’s tough talk on Kiffin’s part was to try to make sure LSU doesn’t need a Bluegrass Miracle to get a win. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

LSU SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Sept. 5

Sept. 12

Sept. 19

Sept. 26

Oct. 3

Oct. 10

Oct. 17

Oct. 24

Nov. 7

Nov. 14

Nov. 21

Nov. 28

51-10 45-14 32-24

35-6

63-14

at Kentucky 6 p.m. TV: ESPN

Mississippi St. TBA TV: TBA

at Auburn 11 a.m. TV: TBA

Alabama TBA TV: TBA

Texas TBA TV: TBA

at Tennessee TBA TV: TBA

at Arkansas TBA TV: TBA

OVERALL: 3-2 SEC: 1-2

OVERALL: 2-4 SOUTHLAND: 1-3

OVERALL: 4-1 SEC: 2-1

OVERALL: 3-2 SEC: 1-2

OVERALL: 5-0 SEC: 3-0

OVERALL: 4-0 SEC: 1-0

OVERALL: 4-1 SEC: 1-1

OVERALL: 2-3 SEC: 0-2

W W L W W

OVERALL: 3-2 ACC: 2-1

OVERALL: 2-2 SUN BELT: 0-0

OVERALL: 3-1 SEC: 1-1

6C ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

WEEK 4

SUNDAy Colts vs. Commanders 8:30 a.m., NFL

ON TV THIS WEEK

SUNDAy Jaguars at Bengals Noon, CBS

SUNDAy Cowboys at Texans Noon, Fox

SUNDAy Chiefs at Raiders 3:25 p.m., CBS

SUNDAy Lions at Panthers 7:20 p.m., NBC

MONDAy Falcons at Saints 7:15 p.m., ESPN

STANDINGS, SCORES & SCHEDULE AFC East

Buffalo N.Y. Jets New England Miami South Jacksonville Indianapolis Tennessee Houston North Cleveland Baltimore Cincinnati Pittsburgh West Kansas City Las Vegas Denver L.A. Chargers

NFC East

Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Dallas Washington South Carolina New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay North

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins catches a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the first half on Sept. 13 in Houston. Collins is expected to return Sunday after missing the previous two games.

TOP TOPICS FOR WEEK 4 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lone Star State showdown The Dallas Cowboys have struggled under 34-year-old first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Dallas ranks 30th in the NFL by allowing 387 yards a game and is dealing with mounting injuries in the secondary. The unit will be tested this week with the return of Texans star receiver Nico Collins, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. Quarterback C.J. Stroud ranks seventh in the NFL by averaging 264.7 yards passing a game but has thrown just three touchdown passes. Stroud hasn’t thrown an interception this season and hasn’t been picked off in six straight home games.

Expect Panthers, Lions shootout Carolina appears better equipped on offense should its Sunday night game against Detroit morph into a shootout, which is entirely possible given that the Lions offense has scored at least 31 points in all three games and their defense is surrendering a league-high 31.7 points per game. young is also off to the best start of his career. He leads the NFL in yards passing and has seven TD passes. Detroit does have 12 sacks, trailing only Minnesota’s 14 entering Week 4. The Lions also have four players with two sacks through three games for the first time in franchise history.

Raiders, Chiefs stage unbeaten battle In a battle of 3-0 AFC West division rivals, the matchup to watch is the Las Vegas Raiders offensive line against the Kansas City Chiefs defensive front. Las Vegas running back Ashton Jeanty has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 44.4% of his carries, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, for the third-most in the league. The Chiefs have gotten into the backfield on 52.6% of rushes, the third-highest rate. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 6-1 at Allegiant Stadium. If Kansas City wins Sunday, he would become the all-time winningest coach at the stadium.

Rams take aim at Eagles defense Rams quarterback and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford has thrown four interceptions already this season. That number could stay put against an Eagles defense that has yet to force a turnover. The Eagles did not have a sack against the Bears on Monday, and third-string QB Case Keenum lit up the defense. The Eagles are 13th in yards allowed and 16th in points allowed. Philly seemingly caught a break in its first two games by playing Washington (27th in pass offense) and Tennessee (30th in pass offense) but could be exposed against a prolific Rams offense. The Eagles have only three sack.

Niners to get stiff challenge from Broncos Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers have been in peak form early this season. The Niners lead the league in yards per play and success rate, have limited negative plays and rank second in the league in scoring to fuel a 3-0 start. That unit will get its toughest test yet on Sunday when the 49ers host the Denver Broncos (2-1) and one of the league’s best defenses under coordinator Vance Joseph. The Broncos are also a very tough out outside their division, having won 10 straight nonconference games for the longest active streak in the NFL.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Burrow aims to extend mastery of Lawrence BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

Joe Burrow has gotten the better of Trevor Lawrence whenever their teams have met. Burrow is hoping that trend continues Sunday when his Cincinnati Bengals host Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in a matchup of 2-1 teams. Burrow is 3-0 in starts against Lawrence. The ﬁrst was in the College Football Playoff national title game in the 2019 season when he threw for 463 yards and accounted for all six touchdowns in LSU’s 42-25 victory over Clemson. The most recent time Burrow faced the Jaguars is one he would like to for-

get. The franchise quarterback suffered a turf toe injury during the second quarter of last season’s Week 2 game while being sacked by Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead. Even though the Bengals rallied for a 31-27 victory behind Jake Browning, Burrow missed the next nine games after having surgery on his left big toe. The Bengals season imploded as they lost eight of nine. Burrow’s focus though is making sure Cincinnati gets back on track after a loss at Pittsburgh despite passing for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Cincinnati was in Steelers’ territory during the fourth quarter when Burrow fumbled after being sacked by

Derrick Harmon. Burrow will face a Jaguars defense that is second in pressure rate this season. “They’re deep. Their two edge rushers — Armstead and DaVon (Hamilton) — are really good. All those guys can play really good football, get pressure on the quarterback, stop the run,” Burrow said. “Then the rest of their defense plays with their roles really well, understands what they’re trying to do with their coverages.” The Jaguars defense has picked off a pass in eight straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and has allowed a leaguelow 36 points this season. The Cincinnati defense

also has plenty of questions going into the game. After strong games against Tampa Bay and Houston, the Bengals reverted back to the level of the past couple of seasons against the Steelers with missed tackles and lapses on long pass plays. Lawrence has 65 completions of at least 20 yards since the start of last season, third most in the AFC. The Bengals allowed ﬁve last week. “Things have changed, and I think they’ve figured out kind of what they’re good at. And in some ways I think it’s kind of simpliﬁed,” Lawrence said of the Bengals, the only AFC team he hasn’t defeated.

Minnesota Detroit Chicago Green Bay West San Francisco Seattle L.A. Rams Arizona

W 3 1 1 0

L 0 2 2 3

T Pct PF 0 1.000 101 0 .333 64 0 .333 36 0 .000 36

PA Home Away 78 2-0-0 1-0-0 61 0-1-0 1-1-0 51 1-0-0 0-2-0 86 0-1-0 0-2-0

AFC NFC Div 2-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-2-0 0-1-0 0-0-0

W 2 1 0 0

L 1 2 3 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .333 .000 .000

PF 82 72 37 54

PA Home Away 36 2-0-0 0-1-0 91 1-1-0 0-1-0 59 0-2-0 0-1-0 75 0-2-0 0-1-0

AFC NFC Div 2-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 1-2-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-0-0 0-3-0 0-0-0 0-1-0

W 3 2 2 2

L 1 1 1 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .667 .667 .500

PF 81 92 80 77

PA Home Away 95 2-0-0 1-1-0 78 0-1-0 1-0-0 63 1-0-0 1-1-0 87 2-0-0 0-2-0

AFC 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-2-0

NFC Div 2-0-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0

W 3 3 2 0

L 0 0 1 3

T Pct 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .000

PF 88 88 60 44

PA Home Away 50 2-0-0 1-0-0 54 1-0-0 2-0-0 70 2-0-0 0-1-0 76 0-2-0 0-1-0

AFC 3-0-0 2-0-0 1-1-0 0-2-0

NFC Div 0-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0

W 2 2 1 1

L 1 1 2 2

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .667 .667 .333 .333

PF 55 46 88 75

PA Home Away 69 1-0-0 1-1-0 55 2-0-0 0-1-0 82 1-0-0 0-1-0 92 1-0-0 0-2-0

AFC 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0

NFC Div 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-2-0 0-2-0

W 1 1 1 0

L 2 2 2 3

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .333 .333 .333 .000

PF 89 81 51 62

PA Home Away 83 0-1-0 1-1-0 83 0-1-0 1-1-0 68 0-1-0 1-1-0 79 0-2-0 0-1-0

AFC 0-1-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0

NFC Div 1-1-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0

W 3 2 2 1

L 0 1 1 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .667 0 .333

PF 71 93 89 56

PA Home Away 41 1-0-0 2-0-0 95 2-0-0 0-1-0 53 1-1-0 1-0-0 91 0-1-0 1-1-0

AFC 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-0

NFC Div 3-0-0 2-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 2-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-1-0

W 3 2 1 1

L 0 1 2 2

T Pct 0 1.000 0 .667 0 .333 0 .333

PF 98 75 61 63

PA Home Away 50 2-0-0 1-0-0 50 1-0-0 1-1-0 63 1-1-0 0-1-0 81 0-1-0 1-1-0

AFC 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 1-0-0

NFC Div 2-0-0 2-0-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-2-0

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

Thursday’s Games Cleveland 27, Pittsburgh 24 Sunday’s games Indianapolis vs Washington, 8:30 a.m. Arizona at N.Y. Giants, noon Dallas at Houston, noon Green Bay at Tampa Bay, noon Jacksonville at Cincinnati, noon L.A. Rams at Philadelphia, noon N.Y. Jets at Chicago, noon New England at Buffalo, noon Tennessee at Baltimore, noon Miami at Minnesota, 3:05 p.m. Denver at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m. Kansas City at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Seattle, 3:25 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7:20 p.m. Monday’s game Atlanta at New Orleans, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8 Tampa Bay at Dallas, 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 Philadelphia vs Jacksonville at London, GBR, 8:30 a.m. Chicago at Green Bay, noon Cincinnati at Miami, noon Cleveland at N.Y. Jets, noon Houston at Tennessee, noon Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, noon Las Vegas at New England, noon Minnesota at New Orleans, noon N.Y. Giants at Washington, noon Denver at L.A. Chargers, 3:05 p.m. Detroit at Arizona, 3:25 p.m. San Francisco at Seattle, 3:25 p.m. Baltimore at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m. Open: Kansas City, Carolina Monday, Oct. 12 Buffalo at L.A. Rams, 7:15 p.m..

NFL BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FERNANDO LLANO

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws while threatened by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trey Hendrickson during the first half of a game on Sept. 27 in Rio de Janeiro.

Panthers WR Legette Ravens edge rusher Hendrickson out Sunday put on injured reserve

Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Trey Hendrickson will miss Sunday’s game against Tennessee because of a ﬁnger injury. Coach Jesse Minter said Hendrickson had a procedure to fix the issue and will not play. “We think it will be very, very short-term,” Minter said. “But just in a quick way to get that ﬁxed and get him back, I think that is going to be best for us moving forward.” The Ravens signed Hendrickson in the offseason to boost their pass rush. He has one sack.

The Carolina Panthers placed wide receiver Xavier Legette on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury. Legette, a ﬁrst-round draft pick in 2024, already had been ruled out of Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions after sitting out last week’s 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Legette was injured in Week 2 while hauling in a 55-yard reception against the Atlanta Falcons. Legette has two receptions for 64 yards this season.

Niners receiver Evans a game-time decision

Colts receiver Allen out for London game

San Francisco 49ers receiver Mike Evans will be a game-time decision Sunday against the Denver Broncos after leaving last week’s game with a rib injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Evans will be listed as questionable for the game after returning to practice on a limited basis Friday. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quadriceps), defensive lineman Keion White (hamstring) and linebacker Jaden Dugger (shoulder) were also listed as questionable, with Dugger’s injury coming from practice this week.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London because of a groin injury. The Colts said Saturday the six-time Pro Bowler was downgraded after being limited in practice this week and then sitting out Friday, when he was listed as questionable. Allen caught six passes for 63 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 19-17 win over the Houston Texans.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 7C

lll

THE VARSITY ZONE

Karr showed grit in narrow win BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

coach Nick Monica said. “But I thought the kids answered the challenge. They matched their physicality, which I was really curious about.”

Staff writer

Edna Karr hasn’t experienced many close calls in its 32-game winning streak — and none played out like Friday’s win against Brother Martin. Karr trailed in the fourth quarter for just the second time during the streak when Ty Williams returned an interception 85 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Brother Martin had a chance Analysis later to regain the lead until Williams picked off another pass that sealed Karr’s 25-21 victory. The other game Karr trailed in the fourth quarter came in Week 2 last season against American Heritage (Florida), when Brayan Castellon kicked a tying ﬁeld goal at the end of regulation and the Cougars won 24-17 in overtime. This was Karr’s second lategame victory this season. Karr and Ruston were tied 14-all when quarterback Marlon Jones led a drive that ended with Jermond Macklin’s touchdown run for a 21-14 lead at the Caesars Superdome. Other narrow wins came the past two seasons in the state semiﬁnals against Catholic-Baton Rouge, 21-19 in 2024 and 17-10 in 2025 — two games Karr led for the entire fourth quarter. The Cougars have won 26 games by 20 points or more during the 32-game streak. One other win by fewer than 20 points came in the 21-9 victory over Je-

Three-way lead in 9-5A Karr, Rummel and St. Augustine are each 5-0 after winning their ﬁrst two District 9-5A games, but they won’t start playing each other until after this week’s games. Karr faces Rummel in Week 7 and St. Augustine in Week 9, while Rummel and St. Aug have their meeting in Week 10. This week has Karr against Curtis (2-3, 0-2), Rummel against Brother Martin (4-1, 1-1) and St. Aug against Holy Cross (2-3, 0-2). The other matchup is Jesuit (4-1, 1-1) at Chalmette (3-2, 0-2).

The big 5-0 Other New Orleans area teams to reach midseason with undefeated records are Mandeville and Northshore out of District 6-5A, Patrick Taylor in 11-3A and STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Booker T. Washington, Haynes and Sarah T. Reed in 10-3A. Edna Karr player Ronell Kindell, standing, reacts after Ruston player Josiah Morgan, right, misses a pass as St. Charles (4-1) will face 5-0 St. Kaiden Lucas, left, defends during their game on Sept. 19 at Caesars Superdome. The Cougars won that game James in a 9-3A opener this week. 21-14 and defeated Brother Martin 25-21 on Friday. Riverside (4-1) and St. Martin’s (4-1) are in 10-1A with 5-0 teams Ascension Catholic and Ascension Most recent was the late touchsuit in 2024. Rummel strong on defense Christian. Karr hasn’t won games as thordown that preceded the extraNewman (4-1) is undefeated point block that let Rummel keep oughly as the past two years after Rummel‘s 10-9 victory over against in-state competition. The a one-point lead on Curtis. the school graduated 25 players John Curtis continued a fourGreenies’ only loss came against Rummel allowed only 27 yards who signed with colleges after game run of impressive defensive rushing on 20 carries against Cur- Santa Fe Christian of California, last season. Now with a younger performances. which had someone named Baylineup, the Cougars are showing The Raiders have allowed 16 tis’ split-back veer offense, with they can win close games — points over the past four games, no gain longer than 8 yards. len Brees — Drew’s son — throw something to note for upcoming and the two touchdowns allowed “I was nervous coming in with and catch a touchdown pass opponents, starting with John during that stretch came in the two days less preparation defend- against the school he attended Curtis this week. fourth quarters of those games. ing that type of offense,” Rummel while living in New Orleans.

WEEK 6 SCHEDULE

WEEK 5 REPORT Friday’s scores Abramson 32, Varnado 6 Acadiana Renaissance 21, Breaux Bridge 14 Alexandria 51, Liberty 6 Airline 32, Natchitoches Central 29 Ascension Catholic 51, Assumption 8 Ascension Episcopal 47, Centerville 0 Avoyelles 52, Block 0 B.T. Washington 54, Lincoln Prep6 Barbe 59, Sulphur 7 Basile 34, Oberlin 0 Bastrop 48, General Trass 36 Baton Rouge Episcopal 16, Albany 2 Beau Chene 34, East Beauregard 26 Beekman 56, Madison 0 Ben Franklin 54, Springﬁeld 30 Benton 31, C.E. Byrd 28 Bossier 34, Southwood 12 Bunkie 52, Kinder 15 Caldwell Parish 48, St. Frederick 21 Calvary Baptist 52, Loyola Prep 24 Catholic High 37, Madison-Ridgeland 14 Cedar Creek 22, North Webster 21 Central 42, Ouachita Parish 21 De La Salle 57, Willow School 18 DeRidder 48, Westlake 15 Delta Charter 50, Delhi Charter 15 Destrehan 36, East St. John 0 Dutchtown 9, Prairieville 6 East Ascension 28, Walker 24 East Feliciana 30, Parkview Baptist 20 Episcopal 16, Albany 2 Erath 45, North Vermilion 20 Eunice 35, Church Point 33 Evangel Christian 46, Captain Shreve 0

Franklin Parish 38, Huntington 36 Glenbrook 57, North Caddo 33 Hannan 38, St. Thomas Aquinas 14 Independence 39, Istrouma 30 Iowa 41, South Beauregard 7 Jeanerette 68, Hanson Memorial 0 Jennings 48, Washington-Marion 15 Jesuit 33, Holy Cross 6 Jonesboro-Hodge 38, Arcadia 18 Kaplan 48, St. Louis 23 Karr 25, Brother Martin 21 LaSalle 38, Montgomery 36 Lafayette Renaissance 56, LCCP 34 Lake Arthur 50, Covenant Christian 20 Lakeside 40, Plain Dealing 0 Leesville 37, Many 15 Lutcher 54, Franklinton 41 Mangham 40, West Ouachita 21 Marksville 54, Pineville 43 Minden 21, Woodlawn (SH) 14 Neville 10, West Monroe 0 Catholic-New Iberia 31, CatholicPC 6 North DeSoto 56, Shreveport Northwood 13 Northeast 36, Capitol 10 Northwest 23, Iota 14 Opelousas 28, Lafayette Christian 26 Parklane Aca., Miss. 37, Dunham 7 Plaquemine 42, Brusly 36 Port Allen 26, Glen Oaks 20 Rayne 35, Mamou 21 Rayville 38, Magnolia Excellence 0 Red River 30, Logansport 24 Richwood 61, Lakeview 6 Rosepine 59, Delhi 12 Sam Houston 28, Southside 14 Southern Lab 62, East Iberville 6 St. Charles Catholic 33, Riverside 23 St. James 42, L.B. Landry 6

St. John 28, White Castle 0 St. Martin’s 56, Thomas Jefferson 24 St. Mary’s 23, Winnﬁeld 14 St. Thomas More 42, Lafayette 7 Sterlington 57, Oak Grove 34 University 28, Teurlings Catholic 7 Vidalia 46, D’Arbonne Woods 13 Vinton 56, LaGrange 6 Welsh 44, DeQuincy 7 West Feliciana 40, St. Helena 0 Westminster Christian 7, Opelousas Catholic 0 Woodlawn (BR) 14, Donaldsonville 13 Zachary 56, St. Amant 28

DLS: Williams 2 run (Williams run) WHS: De’Jon Gasper 4 run (kick failed) DLS: Williams 92 run (run failed) DLS: Williams 5 run (Emahd Williams run) WHS: Franklin 6 pass from Marcus Joseph (run failed) DLS: Irvin 10 run (Valentine run) DLS: Irvin 26 run (Sanchez kick) DLS: Williams 13 run (kick failed)

Saturday’s games

Team EK BM First Downs 19 13 Yards Rushing 40-206 29-56 Yards Passing 165 173 Passes (C-A-HI) 7-18-4 11-23-3 Punts-avg. 3-30 5-30 Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-yards 9-99 6-65 SCORING SUMMARY Edna Karr 0 13 0 12 —25 Brother Martin 0 14 7 0 —21 KAR: Marlon Jones 4 run (Jai Warner kick) BM: Justin Morgan 1 run (Maximo Barrios kick) KAR: Brenin Reed 28 pass from Forest Johnson (kick failed) BM: Easton Royal 54 pass from Morgan (Barrios kick) BM: Hudson Fields 2 run (Barrios kick) KAR: Jones 2 run (2-point failed) KAR: Ty Williams 85 interception return (2-point failed)

District 8-5A John Ehret vs. East Jefferson at Yenni, n Nondistrict Bogalusa vs. Jefferson Rise, n Open date: South Plaquemines

De La Salle 57, Willow 18 Team Willow De La Salle First Downs 10 17 Yards Rushing 32-99 31-375 Yards Passing 73 110 Passes (C-A-HI) 9-17-1 6-9-0 Punts-avg. n/a n/a Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 7-40 4-40 SCORING SUMMARY Willow 6 6 6 0 —18 De La Salle 24 14 23 0 —57 DLS: Eamon Williams 15 run (Alericq Valentine pass to Gio Sanchez) WHS: Darryl Franklin 31 run (kick failed) DLS: Charles Irvin 3 run (Williams run)

Edna Karr 25, Brother Martin 21

District 10-4A

All games 7 p.m. unless noted.

Thursday

District 9-4A

Carver vs. McMain at Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Stadium McDonogh 35 vs. Abramson at Joe Brown

District 11-2A

Country Day at Houma Christian

Nondistrict

Bogalusa vs. Booker T. Washington at Pan American John Ehret at Belle Chasse Sarah T. Reed at South Plaquemines

Friday

District 9-3A

Lutcher at Berwick St. Charles at St. James Vandebilt at Patterson

District 11-3A

Cohen vs. Sophie B. Wright at Pan American, 3:30 p.m. L.B. Landry vs. Thomas Jefferson at Memtsas

District 10-1A

St. Martin’s at Riverside West St. John at Ascension Catholic

District 7-5A

Nondistrict

Destrehan at Thibodaux Terrebonne at Hahnville

District 8-5A

East Jefferson vs. West Jefferson at Memtsas Riverdale vs. Bonnabel at Yenni Rummel vs. Brother Martin at Gormley, 3:30 p.m. Edna Karr vs. John Curtis at Bertolino Jesuit at Chalmette St. Augustine vs. Holy Cross at Gormley, 7:30 p.m. Franklinton at Hannan Salmen at Pearl River

Loranger at Pope John Paul II

Northlake Christian at Independence

Covington at Mandeville Hammond at Slidell Ponchatoula at Fontainebleau St. Paul’s at Northshore

District 7-4A

District 8-3A

District 10-2A

District 6-5A

District 9-5A

Kenner Discovery at Young Audiences Shaw at Willow

Ben Franklin at Central Private East St. John at Denham Springs Erath at Lakeshore Morris Jeff at Newman

Saturday District 8-5A

Higgins vs. Warren Easton at Pan American, 3 p.m.

District 11-3A

Patrick Taylor vs. Jefferson Rise at Yenni, 2 p.m.

District 10-2A

Covenant Christian vs. Fisher at Memtsas, 6:30 p.m. Open date: De La Salle, Haynes, Kennedy

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

Saints down at least 3 defenders Monday vs. Falcons BY LUKE JOHNSON and MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

At least one of the New Orleans Saints starting linebackers will miss Monday night’s rivalry game against the Atlanta Falcons, and there is a decent chance another one will join him on the sideline. The Saints ruled out linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf) as well as edge defenders Carl Granderson (ankle) and Anfernee Jennings (knee) for their Week 4 clash against the Falcons. Linebacker Pete Werner (stinger), who did not participate in any of the three practices this week, is questionable for Monday’s game. Tight end Noah Fant (abdominal) is also questionable. Coach Kellen Moore said Elliss is “week-to-week” with his injury, but the extra day before “Monday Night Football” is going to give Werner a chance to play. “We’ll give it a little bit of time. We have a decent amount of time until Monday night,” Moore said. “… We’ll just let it be evaluated for the next 24 or so hours.” Even if Werner is able to go, New Orleans is guaranteed to be without three of its top run defenders with one of the NFL’s best running backs, Bijan Robinson, on deck. Robinson is coming off a 194-yard rushing performance against the

Green Bay Packers and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. The Saints may have to promote linebacker Jackson Sirmon from the practice squad if Werner can’t go. As things currently stand, the only healthy linebackers available are Danny Stutsman, Isaiah Stalbird and Chris Rumph. Prior to this season, Rumph had been an edge defender. Stutsman had been rotating in for Werner throughout this season. The second-year linebacker has made 14 tackles in 66 defensive snaps.

General thoughts

while Sherman said he needs to ask his family about the origin of his name “because it’s so random.” For the record, he goes by Will. Neither is a history buff, but the duo hasn’t been able to escape the references to their name at each of their past stops. Sherman, who’s from Dallas and played at Colorado, was first called “The General” in college, and that’s when the jokes really picked up. Bentley was born in New Orleans but went to Ole Miss — where he heard plenty about his late Union namesake. “Everybody say the same thing pretty much,” said Bentley, who said he finds the jokes “a little bit” funny. “It is what it is.” Sherman said he has grown to like his nickname, in particular. When he was drafted in 2021, the sixth-rounder joined the New England Patriots. To begin his career, The General was literally a Patriot. “Bill Belichick is a big historian,” Sherman said, referencing the former New England coach. “He definitely was happy about me playing right and left tackle and coming to New England.”

Saints offensive lineman William Sherman has a nickname. It’s the one you’d expect. “The General,” Sherman said. Sherman is not named after that William Sherman, but he does happen to share the same name as the Union general. And this week, the Saints branched out further by adding running back Ulysses Bentley, who shares the same first name as Ulysses S. Grant. One Civil War connection is odd enough. Two warrants a story. “It’s definitely cool to have another commander here with me,” Sherman said. Sherman and Bentley have Stutsman fined learned to embrace the jokes. Saints fans in the Caesars SuperBentley notes that Ulysses is a dome were not pleased with the family name — he’s the fourth — penalty flag thrown against Stut-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELLA HALL

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss, left, tackles Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers during the first half of their game on Sept. 27 in New Orleans. sman during last week’s SaintsRaiders game, and now Stutsman is really not pleased about it. The NFL ﬁned Stutsman $7,011 for his roughing-the-passer penalty against Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins in the second quarter. Las Vegas was facing a thirdand-4 from the Saints’ 6-yard line when Stutsman burst through the line and delivered a hit on Cousins right as he was throwing the ball.

Though it appeared to be a clean hit — Stutsman’s head was to the side of Cousins — the Saints linebacker was penalized and subsequently ﬁned for breaking the “body weight” rule, in which pass rushers are not allowed to land with the full force of their body on the quarterback. Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

8C ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Pels’ practice at St. Aug not just for fun BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jaron Pierre entertained the crowd by dancing to Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down” at the end of Saturday’s practice. Pierre didn’t mind one bit. After all, he was at his old stomping grounds. His dance floor was at midcourt of the St. Augustine High School gymnasium, the same place Pierre made so many memories a few years ago when he was a star player for the Purple Knights. This was the fifth day of Pelicans’ training camp and the first practice away from the practice facility in Metairie. Instead, the Pelicans were in the city’s Seventh Ward at one of New Orleans’ most renowned high schools. “We talk about representing the city the right way, representing our organization the right way,” first-year Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley said. “You have to be out in the community, out in the city to represent it. It’s not enough for us to just have the words being said. We have to back it up with actions.” This practice wasn’t all fun and games. Many times when teams hold these public practices, players go through a bunch of layup lines and put up shots and run 5-on-0 fast breaks ad nauseam. But Mosley made sure this practice wasn’t like that. His players scrimmaged, including an endof-practice period where they

This was to also get some serious work in as the season approaches. Shots were contested. Players argued calls and talked trash to each other. According to Pierre, it’s the same type of intensity that’s been on display during the team’s ﬁrst four days of camp in the portions of practice closed to the media. “This is an everyday thing,” Pierre said. “Our energy is always at 100 every time.” The Pelicans play their preseason opener Tuesday on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Mosley graded Pierre’s dancing an “A”, he gave the actual practice itself a “C.” The defense, a staple of Mosley’s coaching, is ahead of the offense. “That’s what it’s supposed to be,” Mosley said. “Usually in training camp, the defense is ahead of the offense. At the end of the day, I wasn’t even all the way pleased with the defense. So I think there is room to grow.” Mosley would like to see his players talk more on the defensive end. “We have to do a much better job with our communication,” STAFF PHOTO By ROD WALKER Mosley said. “That has to turn New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie Jaron Pierre poses with fans after up another level to be a great Saturday’s practice at St. Augustine High School. Pierre is a St. Aug defensive team. You’ve got to communicate with one another graduate. at the highest level. The effort worked on end-of-game situa- down and not do the things that we deﬁnitely was there, and you can do every single day,” Mosley told see there is a competitive edge to tions. this group.” “I didn’t want to come out here the crowd afterward. So this wasn’t just some weekend with a bunch of fluff out there, The starting lineup for the with a bunch of running up and outing just to appease the fans. blue team in the scrimmage

was Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. The red team’s starting five was Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin and Derik Queen. After the practice, Mosley said not to read anything into those lineups. He’s used several different ones in 5-on-5 sessions throughout the week. The end of game period began with the red team leading by three points with eight minutes left. It ended up winning 119-107. The day’s real winner was St. Augustine. In addition to hosting a practice for an NBA team, the school received a $35,000 donation from Murphy. It’s the type of impact Mosley wants to see his team make. “He shows that he is pouring himself into the community,” Pierre said of Murphy. “He really wants to be die-hard about New Orleans and show that he really cares.” Pierre and Mosley have developed a close relationship since the Pelicans drafted him in the second round in June. But that bond didn’t stop Mosley from having a little fun when asked why it was important to hold a practice at Pierre’s alma mater. “He’s a rookie, so we didn’t really do it for him,” Mosley said jokingly. “Just the history of this school and what it means to the city. It’s so important that we continue to pour into the city, but also represent it the right way. This is a great place to do it.”

SCOREBOARD Hole-in-one

Monday, Oct. 5: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland (Williams 14-8), 4 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/ HBO Max) Wednesday, Oct. 7: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 4 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Thursday, Oct. 8: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 5 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 10: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 5 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max)

Luke Mire

Course: Baton Rouge Country Club Hole: No. 14 Yardage: 105 yards Club: 8 Iron Witness: Dustin Mire

Tampa Bay vs. N.Y. Yankees

Odds Sports Betting Line NFL Sunday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Indianapolis 1½ 4½ (46½) at WASH LA Rams 2½ 3½ (42½) at PHILA Green Bay 1½ 3½ (39½) at TAMPA at CHICAGO 8½ 3½ (43½) NY Jets at CINCINNATI 2½ 2½ (51½) Jax at BUFFALO 3 6½ (49½) New Eng Arizona 7 2½ (44½) at GIANTS at BALTIMORE 8½ 11½ (42½) Tennessee at HOUSTON 2½ 3 (48½) Dallas at MINNESOTA 7½ 9½ (38½) Miami Kansas City 5½ 4½ (47½) at VEGAS at SEATTLE 3 7 (42½)LA Chargers at SAN FRAN 2½ 2½ (48½) Denver Detroit 3 3½ (51) at CAR

Monday

FAVORITE at N.O.

MLB

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ 2½ (48) Atlanta

Sunday

National League FAVORITE LINE at MILWAUKEE -215 at LA DODGERS OFF

NHL

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE at DETROIT -115 at N.Y RANGERS -143 at SEATTLE -144 Florida -139 Vegas -239

UNDERDOG San Diego Atlanta

UNDERDOG Winnipeg Utah Calgary at ANAHEIM at VANCUVER

LINE +174 OFF

LINE -107 +117 +119 +115 +190

Pro basketball WNBA Playoff Glance (x-if necessary) First Round (Best-of-3)

New York 2, Minnesota 0

Sunday, September 27: New York 91, Minnesota 75 Tuesday, September 29: New York 87, Minnesota 71

Golden State 2, Dallas 1

Sunday, September 27: Golden State 104, Dallas 80 Wednesday, September 30: Dallas 108, Golden State 100, OT Friday, October 2: Golden State 77, Dallas 73

Las Vegas 2, Indiana 1

Sunday, September 27: Las Vegas 102, Indiana 85 Tuesday, September 29: Indiana 99, Las Vegas 89 Thursday, October 1: Las Vegas 94, Indiana 83

Atlanta 2, Washington 0

Sunday, September 27: Atlanta 92, Washington 77 Wednesday, September 30: Atlanta 93, Washington 75 Semiﬁnals (Best-of-5)

No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 3 Las Vegas

Sunday, October 4: Las Vegas at Golden State, 3 p.m. Wednesday, October 7: Las Vegas at Golden State, 8:30 p.m. Friday, October 9: Golden State at Las Vegas, 8:30 p.m. x-Sunday, October 11: Golden State at Las Vegas, TBA x-Wednesday, October 14: Las Vegas at Golden State, TBA

No. 4 Atlanta vs. No. 8 New York

Sunday, October 4: New York at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 7: New York at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 9: Atlanta at New York, 6:30 p.m. x-Sunday, October 11: Atlanta at New York, TBA x-Wednesday, October 14: New York at Atlanta, TBA

Major League Baseball MLB Postseason Glance x-if necessary

DIVISION SERIES

(Best-of-5) x-if necessary

American League

(TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)

Chicago White Sox 1, Cleveland 0

Saturday, Oct. 3: Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland 0

Saturday, Oct. 3: N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay, n Monday, Oct. 5: N.Y. Yankees (Schlittler 14-6) at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) Wednesday, Oct. 7: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Thursday, Oct. 8: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 10: N.Y. Yankees at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. (TBS/TruTV/HBO Max)

National League (FOX, FS1)

L.A. Dodgers vs. Atlanta

Saturday, Oct. 3: L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3 Sunday, Oct. 4: Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 8 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Tuesday, Oct. 6: L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Wednesday, Oct. 7: L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Friday, Oct. 9: Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 7 p.m. (FOX/FS1)

Milwaukee vs. San Diego

Saturday, Oct. 3: San Diego (Ray 13-8) at Milwaukee (Misiorowski 16-5), n Sunday, Oct. 4: San Diego (King 12-10) at Milwaukee (Henderson 11-3), 3 p.m. (FOX/FS1) Tuesday, Oct. 6: Milwaukee at San Diego, 9:30 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Wednesday, Oct. 7: Milwaukee at San Diego, 10 p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Friday, Oct. 9: San Diego at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m. (FOX/FS1)

Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland 0 Chicago

Cleveland

ab r h bi ab r h bi Meidrth 2b 4 0 0 0 Kwan cf 3 0 00 Grichuk lf 2 0 0 0 Ramírez 3b 3 0 00 Peters ph-lf 2 0 1 0 DeLauter rf 4 0 00 Vargas 3b 2 1 1 0 Adell dh 4 0 00 Murakmi 1b 4 1 2 2 Martínez lf 4 0 00 Pham dh 2 0 0 0 Fry 1b 1 0 00 Antonacci dh1 0 0 0 Lowe ph-1b 2 0 10 Doyle cf 4 0 0 0 Bazzana 2b 4 0 10 Teel c 3 1 0 0 Hedges c 1 0 00 B.Mtgmry rf 3 0 0 0 Bailey ph-c 1 0 10 C.Mtgmry ss3 0 2 1 Rocchio ss 2 0 00 Totals 30 3 6 3 Totals 29 0 3 0 Chicago 000 200 100 — 3 Cleveland 000 000 000 — 0 DP_Chicago 1, Cleveland 3. LOB_Chicago 4, Cleveland 7. 2B_C.Montgomery (1), Bazzana (1), Lowe (1). HR_Murakami (1). IP H R ER BB SO Chicago H.Smith 2 2⁄3 0 0 0 3 4 1 Hudson W,1-0 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 2 Hicks H,1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 Kay H,1 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 Taylor S,1-1 4 2 0 0 0 6 Cleveland Messick L,0-1 4 1⁄3 4 2 2 2 6 2 Espino ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 Sabrowski 1 2⁄3 1 1 1 1 2 1 Gaddis ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Herrin 1 0 0 0 0 1 C.Smith 1 0 0 0 0 1 ABS Challenge_Messick (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Vargas (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Taylor (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Taylor (Ball-Overturned to Strike). Umpires_Home, Cory Blaser; First, Gabe Morales; Second, Todd Tichenor; Third, Jansen Visconti; Right, Tom Hanahan; Left, Vic Carapazza. T_2:49. A_34,287 (34,788).

L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3

Atlanta

Los Angeles

ab r h bi ab r h bi Baldwin dh 4 0 1 0 Betts ss 3 0 10 Acuña rf 4 1 1 0 Ohtani dh 4 0 10 Albies 2b 3 1 1 2 Smith c 4 0 00 Olson 1b 4 0 0 0 Freeman 1b 3 1 10 Harris cf 4 0 0 0 T.Hernández lf 4 2 2 2 Dubón lf-ss 3 0 0 0 E.Hernández lf 0 0 0 0 Riley 3b 4 0 0 0 Tucker rf 4 1 22 Murphy c 3 1 1 1 Pages cf 4 0 00 Ha.Kim ss 1 0 0 0 Muncy 3b 4 1 11 Thomas ph-lf1 0 0 0 Edman 2b 2 0 00 Totals 31 3 4 3 Totals 32 5 8 5 Atlanta 000 001 002 — 3 Los Angeles 000 203 00x — 5 LOB_Atlanta 4, Los Angeles 6. HR_Murphy (1), Albies (1), T.Hernández (1), Tucker (1), Muncy (1). SB_Tucker (1). IP H R ER BB SO Atlanta Dodd 3 2 0 0 0 4 1 Mederos L,0-1 2 1 0 ⁄3 2 2 Smith-Shawver 2 2⁄3 3 3 3 2 2 Suter 2 1 0 0 0 3 Los Angeles Skubal W,1-0 6 2 1 1 2 7 Stewart 1 0 0 0 0 1 Vesia 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 Scott ⁄3 2 2 2 0 0 1 Phillips S,1-1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0

ABS Challenge_Harris (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Riley (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Dodd (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Pages (Strike-Confirmed); Murphy (Strike-Confirmed); Olson (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Suter (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Acuña (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Phillips (BallConfirmed). Umpires_Home, Roberto Ortiz; First, Chris Guccione; Second, James Hoye; Third, Tripp Gibson; Right, Mike Estabrook; Left, Jim Wolf. T_2:44. A_50,194 (56,000).

Hockey NHL Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Boston Florida Montreal Toronto Ottawa Detroit Buffalo Tampa Bay

GP 2 2 1 2 0 1 1 1

W 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

L OT 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Pts GF GA 4 7 3 3 4 4 2 3 2 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 6 0 1 5

N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh Columbus Washington New Jersey Carolina Philadelphia N.Y. Islanders

GP 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 1

W 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

L OT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0

Pts GF GA 4 7 4 2 7 0 2 6 3 2 5 2 2 3 2 1 2 6 1 2 10 0 1 2

W 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

L OT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0

Pts GF GA 2 6 0 2 8 4 2 4 0 2 3 1 1 3 4 0 1 3 0 0 4 0 2 11

Metropolitan Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division Utah Colorado St. Louis Minnesota Winnipeg Nashville Dallas Chicago Paciﬁc Division

GP 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Edmonton 2 1 0 1 3 14 13 Seattle 1 1 0 0 2 6 1 Anaheim 1 1 0 0 2 4 3 San Jose 1 1 0 0 2 4 3 Vegas 2 1 1 0 2 8 6 Vancouver 2 1 1 0 2 13 14 Los Angeles 1 0 1 0 0 4 8 Calgary 1 0 1 0 0 1 6 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.

Friday’s Games

N.Y. Rangers 2, Detroit 0 Washington 5, Carolina 2 Boston 4, Winnipeg 3, OT St. Louis 4, Dallas 0 Anaheim 4, Vegas 3

Saturday’s Games

Buffalo 4, Chicago 3 Tampa Bay 3, Washington 1 Utah 4, Columbus 1 Edmonton 3, Seattle 1 Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2, OT Ottawa 3, Toronto 2 Pittsburgh 6, Montreal 5, OT N.Y. Islanders 6, New Jersey 0 Boston at Minnesota, n Dallas at Nashville, n St. Louis at Colorado, n Calgary at Vancouver, n Los Angeles at San Jose, n

Sunday’s Games

Winnipeg at Detroit, noon Utah at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m. Calgary at Seattle, 7 p.m. Florida at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Vegas at Vancouver, 8 p.m.

College football Major scores Friday’s games EAST

Liberty 30, Delaware 14

SOUTH

Pittsburgh 35, Virginia Tech 33

MIDWEST

Northwestern 34, Penn St. 13

FAR WEST

Idaho 35, Montana St. 34

Saturday’s games EAST

Albany (NY) 28, Delaware St. 3 Bryant 31, NC A&T 30 CCSU 45, Wagner 14 Cornell 35, Georgetown 14 Dartmouth 14, Penn 10 E. Michigan 38, UMass 14 Harvard 20, Colgate 17 LIU Brooklyn 27, Mercyhurst 24 Lehigh 34, Fordham 0 Monmouth (NJ) 41, Towson 40 Morgan St. 38, Villanova 35

New Hampshire 30, Elon 23 Princeton 35, Columbia 7 Rhode Island 13, Brown 10 Richmond 40, Lafayette 31 Robert Morris 33, Norfolk St. 31 Sacred Heart 24, Maine 16 Syracuse 42, UConn 41, OT W. Michigan 20, Buffalo 17 Yale 41, Merrimack 24

SOUTH

Alabama 56, Mississippi St. 23 Ark.-Pine Bluff 41, Southern U. 10 Austin Peay 42, New Haven 17 Bethune-Cookman 16, Alabama St. 10 Campbell 38, NC Central 31 ETSU 14, Chattanooga 3 FAU 66, Texas Southern 10 Florida St. 38, Virginia 7 Gardner-Webb 12, Charleston Southern 10 Georgia 38, Vanderbilt 14 Georgia St. 42, Old Dominion 10 Grambling St. 63, Alcorn St. 59 Holy Cross 41, William & Mary 14 Howard 27, Hampton 13 Jackson St. 31, Alabama A&M 28 James Madison 45, Marshall 17 Kentucky 35, South Carolina 34, OT MVSU 28, Prairie View 27 Marist 28, Stetson 14 Memphis 59, Charlotte 8 Mercer 54, VMI 3 NC State 31, Louisville 28 North Alabama 20, E. Kentucky 16 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26 Presbyterian 55, St. Thomas (Minn.) 21 South Alabama 52, Louisiana-Monroe 35 Tennessee 24, Auburn 14 The Citadel 34, SC State 31 UAB 33, Samford 14 Valparaiso 37, Morehead St. 3 Wake Forest 57, Stanford 3 Wofford 32, Furman 25

MIDWEST

Bowling Green 24, Miami (Ohio) 20 Cent. Michigan 41, Akron 17 Drake 30, Dayton 22 Iowa St. 45, West Virginia 42 Kansas 55, Middle Tennessee 0 Minnesota 20, Michigan 14 Missouri 45, Florida 17 N. Dakota St. 28, Wyoming 0 Nebraska 48, Maryland 23 North Dakota 55, Murray St. 28 Ohio 13, Kent St. 10 Ohio St. 31, Iowa 14 Purdue 24, Illinois 17 S. Dakota St. 31, Illinois St. 14 South Dakota 44, Indiana St. 14 Toledo 39, Ball St. 24 W. Illinois 28, Tennessee St. 21 Wisconsin 31, Michigan St. 3 Youngstown St. 28, S. Illinois 16

SOUTHWEST

BYU 17, TCU 10 East Texas A&M 20, UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 17 Houston 27, UCF 17 Houston Christian 16, Nicholls 2 Lamar 42, Northwestern St. 14 SMU 25, Boston College 16 Stephen F. Austin 28, Incarnate Word 26 Texas A&M 34, Arkansas 7 UTSA 16, Rice 14

FAR WEST

Air Force 14, Navy 9 Montana 36, N. Colorado 14 New Mexico 61, UTEP 7 Oregon St. 56, Colorado St. 26 San Diego 63, Davidson 14 UNLV 39, California 31

Tennis WTA China Open Results Saturday

At National Tennis Center Beijing Purse: $9,415,725 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Saturday from China Open at National Tennis Center (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Singles

Round of 64 Donna Vekic (30), Croatia, def. Zhu Lin, China, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Coco Gauff (3), United States, def. Camila Osorio, Colombia, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. Elise Mertens (13), Belgium, def. Katie Volynets, United States, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5. Ann Li (21), United States, def. Ashlyn Krueger, United States, 6-4, 6-2. Maria Sakkari (25), Greece, def. Storm Hunter, Australia, 6-2, 6-2. Jelena Ostapenko (24), Latvia, def. Paula Badosa, Spain, 7-6 (5), 7-5. Iga Swiatek (8), Poland, def. Gao Xinyu, China, 6-2, 6-3. Elina Svitolina (6), Ukraine, def. Katerina Siniakova, Czechia, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Kamilla Rakhimova, Russia, def. Leylah Fernandez (23), Canada, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Zheng Qinwen, China, def. Anna Kalinskaya (15), Russia, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-0, ret. Belinda Bencic (9), Switzerland, def. Anastasia Zakharova, Russia, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Iva Jovic (10), United States, def. Harriet Dart, Britain, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Xinran Sun, China, def. Cristina Bucsa (27), Spain, 6-4, 7-5.

Marie Bouzkova (18), Czechia, def. Kimberly Birrell, Australia, 6-4, 6-4. Sonay Kartal, Britain, def. Wang Xinyu (31), China, 6-3, 6-2.

ATP World Tour Japan Open Tennis Championships Results Saturday

At Ariake Coliseum Tokyo Purse: $2,342,275 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Results Saturday from Japan Open Tennis Championships at Ariake Coliseum (seedings in parentheses):

Men’s Singles

Round of 16 Denis Shapovalov, Canada, def. Alejandro Tabilo, Chile, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Carlos Alcaraz (1), Spain, def. Matteo Arnaldi, Italy, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, Paraguay, def. Matteo Berrettini, Italy, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Jiri Lehecka, Czechia, def. Ugo Humbert, France, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Men’s Doubles

Quarterﬁnals Albano Olivetti and Theo Arribage (2), France, def. Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner, Austria, 6-4, 7-6 (3). Kaito Uesugi, Japan, and Rinky Hijikata, Australia, def. Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, and Hugo Nys, Monaco, 6-4, 6-4. Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Austin Krajicek (4), United States, def. Alejandro Tabilo, Chile, and Luca Van Assche, France, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (1), Italy, def. Marc Polmans, Australia, and Jan Zielinski, Poland, 6-3, 6-4.

Auto racing NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 Lineup After Saturday qualifying; race Sunday

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas. Lap length: 1.50 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 186.787 mph. 2. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 186.677. 3. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 186.220. 4. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 186.136. 5. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 186.111. 6. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 185.861. 7. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 185.287. 8. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 185.230. 9. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 185.077. 10. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 185.027. 11. (7) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 184.862. 12. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 184.433. 13. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 184.426. 14. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 184.049. 15. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 183.924. 16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 183.755. 17. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 183.755. 18. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 183.755. 19. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 183.511. 20. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 183.480. 21. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 183.187. 22. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 183.125. 23. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 183.113. 24. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 182.599. 25. (97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 182.519. 26. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 181.971. 27. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 181.849. 28. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 181.720. 29. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 181.372. 30. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 181.281. 31. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 180.632. 32. (42) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 180.349. 33. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 179.671. 34. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 178.459. 35. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, .000. 36. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, .000.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League NEW YORK YANKEES — Activated LHP Ryan Weathers. National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Activated LF Lane Thomas. Activated RHPs AJ Smith-Shawver and JR Ritchie. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Activated DH Josue De Paula. SAN DIEGO PADRES — Activated RHP Randy Vásquez. Placed RHP Walker Buehler on the paternity list.

FOOTBALL

National Football League CAROLINA PANTHERS — Placed WR Xavier Legette on injured reserve. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed RB Carlos Washington Jr. to the active roster.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League FLORIDA PANTHERS — Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Recalled G Matthew Murray from Milwaukee (AHL). PITTSBURGH PENGUINS — Activated C/RW Benjamin Kindel from injured reserve. Placed C/LW David Gustafsson on waivers.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 9C

lll

OUTDOORS A mallard takes flight past another on the banks of Capitol Lake in Baton Rouge as the sun sets on May 5, 2024.

Larson, Hamlin aim for title, remember racing legend BY KIRK KERN

The Associated Press

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

DUCK DECISIONS

Take on mallards, pintails leads Tuesday’s LWFC agenda BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

Through Friday, there was little more information on an agenda item for Tuesday’s 9:30 a.m. Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting in Baton Rouge. Offered by commission member Duke Lowrie, the item reads: “Introduction of Notebook Proposal to Limit Harvest of Hen Mallards and Hen Northern Pintails for the 2027-2028 Season.” If “limit” means cutting back on regulations already passed down by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and approved the commission — a limit of two hen mallards and one hen pintail on a daily hunt — then any reduction would limit hunters to taking one hen mallard and no hen pintails. The daily limit is a total of six ducks of which there can be no more than four mallards (only two of which can be hens) and three pintails (only one of which can be a hen.) Other agenda items include: n Recognizing the 22 new enforcement division agents who graduated from the agency’s 38th cadet academy; n And, a demonstration of a new electronic trip ticket, and to consider a notice to modify trip ticket reporting by commercial fishing interests. The meeting has live audio/video access via Zoom.

is open to applications. It’s a joint project between the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and state Wildlife and Fisheries. A panel will select one boy and one girl “who best represented the joy, thrill and camaraderie of hunting.” The young hunters must be Louisiana residents 15 and younger at the time of the hunt, and the hunt must have taken place during 2026. The application deadline is Jan. 31. Rules are listed on the Wildlife Federation’s website. Winners will honored in April during the federation’s 61st annual Conservation Achievement Awards banquet.

For hunters

While fishing conservaton and fishing-related groups have praised Donald Trump’s recent executive order that eases regulations on outdoorsmen, the order contains several initiatives for hunters, notably access to public lands. Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops and an avid conservationist, was one of the first to comment on the hunting provisions. “These actions are about expanding access opportunities and conservation, ensuring Americans have a place to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors while strengthening fish and wildlife habitats that make those experiences possible,” Morris said. Topping the list of provisions was expanding “hunting on federally managed lands including improving Youth hunters access to difficult-to-reach This year’s Youth Hunter public lands and waters.” Others included: of the Year Award contest

n Supporting healthy populations of game species and restoring wildlife habitats through stronger partnerships with state wildlife agencies; n Improving hunter recruitment and retention by expanding opportunities for youths and veterans; n Protecting the use of ammunition and tackle with science and federal law; n And, encouraging expanded Sunday hunting opportunities and wild-game donation programs. Yes, there are states that ban Sunday hunting. Organizations pushing for the changes included the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl.

A council move Federal fisheries managers have published a final rule under Amendment 62 to increase red grouper catch limits and modify management measures. According to the Gulf Council the new rule includes: n Increases the Gulf red grouper annual catch limits for the commercial and recreational sectors and set commercial quota and recreational annual catch target with increases each year through 2028 and remain at those levels in succeeding years; n Removes the Feb. 1-March 1 recreational seasonal closure for shallow-water grouper species in federal waters (to the 20-fathom boundary) for red, gag, yellowmouth, grouper and yellowﬁn groupers and scamp.

CALENDAR TUESDAY

LA. WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9:30 a.m., Joe Herring Room, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. LA. OUTDOORS FOREVER TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING: 2 p.m., state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, 2000 Quail Dr., Baton Rouge. LA. CPRA BIRDFOOT DELTA HYDROLOGIC RESTORATION MEETING: 4-6 p.m., New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club, 235 Cypress Cove Rd., Venice to gather public comment from recreational anglers on project in the Birdfoot Delta area of the Mississippi River.

THURSDAY

JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys & girls age-group bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers for Oct. 17-18 Toledo Bend event. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

BASSMASTER COLLEGE CLASSIC CUP: Wilson Lake, Florence, Alabama. Website: bassmaster.com

SATURDAY

BUCKS & DOES DEER HUNTING 101: 9 a.m.-noon, Wildlife & Fisheries ofﬁce, 368 Century Link Drive, Monroe. Hunting regulations, equipment, deer behavior, scouting, shot placement, game recovery & basic ﬁeld dressing. Preregistration suggested: wlf.la.gov. Email: huntereducation@wlf. la.gov

NASCAR Cup leaders reﬂect on loss of Busch

HUNTING SEASONS

DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Oct. 10-16, State Deer Area 3, 7, 8 & 10. DOVES: North Zone: Oct. 10-Nov. 15. South Zone: Oct. 17-Nov. 29. BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS: Thru Oct. 11, statewide, special permit required. DEER/ARCHERY: Thru Oct. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, bucks only; Oct. 16-Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9; thru Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2, 4 either-sex take allowed; Thru Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. RABBITS/SQUIRRELS: Thru Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only & selected wildlife management areas.

AROUND THE CORNER

OCT. 12 — RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts. brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.org OCT. 14 — GULF COUNCIL LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Hilton Sandestin, Miramar Beach, Florida. OCT. 14 — BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St, New Orleans. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@ gmail.com. Website: neworleansflyfishers.com OCT. 14 — DELTA WATERFOWL BATON ROUGE BANQUET: 5:30 p.m., L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. Live/silent auctions & raffles. Tables available. Website: deltawaterfowl.org/ events

OCT. 15 — CCA BATON ROUGE CHAPTER/S.T.A.R. BANQUET: 5:30 p.m., Live Oak at Cedar Lodge, Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge. Awards to winners of summer-long Statewide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo. Website: ccalouisiana.com

LAS VEGAS — NASCAR Cup Series leaders Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are focused primarily on maximizing their performances in an effort to win the season championship. At the same time, they and other drivers competing Sunday in Las Vegas took time to reflect on the loss of Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who died May 21 from sepsis following severe bacterial pneumonia. “This is a place I know the Busch brothers, especially, took a lot of pride in running and wanting to run well, as it’s their hometown,” Hamlin said. “I like all the tributes, because in our society we tend to move on to the next thing so easily and it’s easy to forget. When you have these tributes that keep going on throughout the year, it’s a really good reminder to put things in perspective and keep remembering someone who was so big and influential in our sport.” Track organizers scheduled multiple celebrations of Busch’s life leading into the race. Fans and drivers will observe a “Moment of Rowdy” on Lap 8 and the Friday night race at nearby short track was renamed the Kyle Busch Classic. Brother Kurt Busch, also a Cup champion, will lead the field as the pace car driver for Sunday’s race. Larson attended the inaugural Kyle Busch Classic and will run a throwback paint scheme honoring Busch’s early career at Hendrick Motorsports. Driver Carson Hocevar said the Busch celebration means more in Las Vegas than at the other tracks on the circuit. “A lot of his fans — probably most of his fans — are here,” Hocevar said. “So it’s very important. Anybody’s home track is going to be their most special place.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Daniel Suarez, left, and Brad Keselowski head down the front straightaway during a NASCAR Cup Series race last Sunday in Kansas City, Kan. ä South Point 400. 4:30 P.M. SUNDAy, USA

Teammate reacts to Keselowski news

Chris Buescher, teammate to Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing, said he learned of Keselowski’s impending departure during an internal team meeting before the news broke on social media. “I’ve built a great friendship with Brad as a teammate, boss and mentor,” said Buescher, who enters the weekend 15th in the Cup Series standings. “I want what’s best for him going forward, whatever that looks like.” Despite the timing of the announcement regarding Keselowski’s transition from the organization he co-owns, Buescher expects him to remain behind the wheel.

New father

Daniel Suárez and wife Julia welcomed their first child, Otto Suárez Piquet, on Sept. 22. Julia is the daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet. Suárez said he has been most amazed by his newborn son’s feeding schedule. “He’s eating every two hours,” said Suárez, who enters Sunday’s race ranked 16th in points. “Julia’s breastfeeding, so it’s a lot of work. You spend 45 minutes Hamlin, Larson’s success feeding him and 15 minutes burping him, Hamlin has the record for most complet- and then he falls asleep for 30 minutes beed laps (7,696) in his 29 races at LVMS. He fore it’s time to eat again.” also is tied for most lead lap finishes with 25 and is the oldest driver to win a race here Odds and Ends (March 15, 2026 at age 45 years, 3 month, 25 Larson (+350) enters as the betting fadays) and is the last driver to win the race vorite to win the South Point 400, followed from the pole position (Oct. 12, 2025). by Hamlin (+400) and Christopher Bell Larson has led the most laps (881) in his (+500). A non-playoff driver has never won 20 races here and has the highest average a Cup Series Playoff race at Las Vegas Mostarting position (7.2) and average finish tor Speedway, where five of the last seven (8.9) winners have started from the front row.

Print subscriber but haven’t set up your digital access yet?

It’s easy!

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Fall inshore season open statewide; all outside waters open. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Greater amberjack (through Oct. 14); gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen & silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. CLOSED SEASONS: Private recreational, state & federal charters red snapper; commercial greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

LDWF UPDATES

n CLOSED: Portion of Dobbs

Bay Road (Richard Yancey WMA, water control structure construction); Hope Canal Road/boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); Reserve Relief Canal Boat Launch by order of Corps of Engineers (Reserve Relief Pump Station construction) with alternate launch locations at Pete’s Landing, the Akers boat ramp & Bonnet Carré Spillway boat launch. n DRAWDOWNS: Saline Lake & Iatt Lake; Henderson Lake (through Nov. 2); Cheniere Lake (through Nov. 15); Clear-Smithport Lake (through Nov. 16); Lake Bistineau (through Nov. 30); Chicot Lake & Grand Bayou Reservoir (through Jan. 4); Vernon Lake (through Jan. 5).

myaccount.nola.com

10C ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

MLB ROUNDUP

Rays pitcher Rasmussen loses no-hit bid in 8th Tampa Bay shuts out yankees in ALDS opener The Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drew Rasmussen didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the eighth inning, Jonathan Aranda homered off Gerrit Cole and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 1-0 in their AL Division Series on Saturday night. Rasmussen retired 15 consecutive batters before Austin Wells doubled with two outs in the eighth inning, ripping a liner just inside the right-field foul line on an inside sinker. He was easily thrown out on shortstop Taylor Walls’ relay to third baseman Junior Caminero of right fielder Victor Mesa’s throw. Wells ran through the stop sign of third base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second. Rasmussen dominated a lineup that scored 18 runs in a two-game Wild Card Series sweep of Boston and was still missing three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16 by a calf injury. A 31-year-old righty, Rasmussen struck out 10 and walked two in eight innings. He threw 69 of 101 pitches for strikes, getting 23 swings and misses. Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth for the save, finishing the one-hitter. He struck out pinchhitter Giancarlo Stanton, in his first plate appearance since April 24 after recovering from calf injuries, froze Ben Rice with a changeup for a called third strike and retired Cody Bellinger on a grounder to secure Tampa Bay’s first postseason win since losing the 2020 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Baker converted 41 of 44 saves in the regular season, including his last 30. Aranda drove a Cole’s 2-2 changeup several rows deep into the right-center field stands for his first career postseason hit. In his first postseason game since Tommy John surgery in March 2025, Cole allowed one run and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS O’MEARA

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen pitches against the New york yankees during Game 1 of an American League Division Series on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla. five hits, striking out five in five innings. Rasmussen was 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA for the Rays and made the AllStar team for the second straight season. He twice had surgery for a torn ligament in his elbow in college and needed an internal brace procedure in July 2023 that forced him to miss more than a year. His 10 strikeouts tied Tyler Glasnow’s franchise record for the most in a postseason game. DODGERS 5, BRAVES 3: In Los Angeles, Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two while starting a postseason game at home for the first time in his career. His previous

playoff starts were all on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline. Skubal’s 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher’s ﬁrst seven postseason appearances behind Bob Gibson’s 74. Hernández and Tucker each hit a two-run homer against the Braves’ bullpen. Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL Wild Card Series win over Philadelphia, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game. The Braves managed just four hits. Sean Murphy’s two-strike, 421-foot homer leading off the sixth left them trailing 2-1. Ronald Acuña singled leading off the ninth against reliever Tanner Scott, who then served up a 432foot homer to Ozzie Albies, cutting the lead to 5-3. Scott then got two outs before Evan Phillips induced

a groundout by Austin Riley with a runner aboard to earn the save. Braves starter Dylan Dodd tossed three scoreless innings and gave up only singles to Shohei Ohtani in the first and Mookie Betts in the third. The Dodgers broke through against Atlanta’s bullpen in the fourth. Losing pitcher Victor Mederos walked Freddie Freeman before serving up Hernández’s 431-foot shot to left-center, making it 2-0. Still bothered by nagging arm and knee issues, Ohtani batted second behind Betts and lined to second with a runner on to end the third and flied out with a runner on in the fifth. Tucker went deep in the sixth and Muncy added a solo shot off AJ Smith-Shawver two batters later, extending the lead to 5-1. WHITE SOX 3, GUARDIANS 0: In Cleveland, Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run homer, five Chicago pitch-

ers combined for a three-hitter and the White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday. Colson Montgomery added an RBI double for the White Sox, who have won nine of their last 11 games dating back to the regular season. Chicago advanced to the division series after sweeping Houston in the wild card series. Cleveland — which won its third straight AL Central title by one game over the White Sox — had the bases loaded with two outs the third and fourth innings, but couldn’t get any runs across. The White Sox went with a bullpen game for the second time in three postseason contests. It worked again as the pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. Bryan Hudson (1-0) got the win and Grant Taylor got the save, going four innings and striking out six while allowing two hits. Starter Hagen Smith retired the first eight Cleveland hitters before walking Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan and José Ramírez to load the bases with two outs in the third. Bryan Hudson came in and got Chase DeLauter to line out to left. The Guardians didn’t get their first hit until Travis Bazzana’s linedrive double down the right-field line with two outs in the fourth. Austin Hedges drew a walk to load the bases again before Rocchio lined out to right. After Miguel Vargas lined a base hit to left to lead off the fourth, Murakami drove a first-pitch elevated sinker 440 feet into the right-field stands for his first postseason home run. Montgomery extended the advantage to 3-0 in the seventh with a double down the left-field line to drive in Kyle Teel. Cleveland starter Parker Messick (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 4 1/ 3 innings. The rookie lefthander struck out six and walked two.

OCTOBER 24, 2026

8 A.M. • CITY PARK • 5K

GET YOUR COMPANY UP AND RUNNING. RUNNER? WALKER? SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? This fall, join the Crescent City Classic and YMCA of Greater New Orleans for the 2026 Corporate Classic, a run/walk through beautiful City Park for everyone—from kids to corporations. Come for the race; stay for the post-race tent village celebration. Rally your coworkers or your neighbors, enjoy a little friendly competition, and help support the YMCA Adult Literacy Program. Plus, runners can qualify for a seeded corral in the 2027 Crescent City Classic.

Learn more at ccc10k.com

LOUISIANA INSPIRED: Robin Barnes’ new TV docuseries explores Louisiana culture 7D D

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1dn

Jan Risher

On the freedom of being unnoticed When I told a friend that I have come to believe I could be a great spy, she said, “You’d have to change your glasses.” Maybe so. But I still believe that at this point in life I could be a good spy — maybe not great. But good. Here’s why: When I’m out and about on my own, no one is paying much attention to me. I know this because I have proof. This spring, I walked into a tiny bar in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I knew The Black Keys were performing and that the show was sold out, but I thought I was just walking into the bar. When I opened the door, the sound did one of those Doppler effects, almost like I was walking into another dimension. The ticket person and I nodded at each other. I took three steps and there they were: The Black Keys, playing their hearts out on a stage the size of my dining room table. What’s a girl to do? I knew I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, but I leaned against the wall and started watching. The Black Keys. In Red’s Blues Club. In Clarksdale. I was overwhelmed with the Delta-ness of it all. The moment had the air of magic, and I couldn’t force myself to walk out. Two minutes later, a friend of mine walked in through the same door as I had. She walked over and stood beside me. Worth noting that she is a stunning brunette. She looked like she had just stepped out of a magazine. I looked more like I had just stepped out of my car — after a long trip. The ticket person noticed. Then, apparently, she noticed me, too. We were asked to leave. Let me acknowledge that leaving was the right thing to do from the get-go, and my mother would likely say I should be ashamed of myself for not leaving the moment I realized I was somewhere I didn’t have the privilege of being. But I was transﬁxed and knew that the moment was so full it couldn’t last long. I was right. But being outside wasn’t bad either. My friends were there, and the mood was right. That night — and so many other moments over the years — made me reconsider something I had believed for a long time: that people were paying attention to me.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Johnathan Bertuccelli, owner and artist of Studio 3 in Algiers, works on the Rex Boeuf Gras float Tuesday. The float is being rebuilt after it was damaged while being transported for an event. The Boeuf Gras, French for ‘fattened ox,’ symbolizes the final feast of meat before Lent. According to Carnival historian Arthur Hardy, the float is the oldest and most iconic signature symbol of Carnival.

FULL STEAM

AHEAD The Rex parade’s iconic Boeuf Gras float gets a major overhaul in time for Carnival 2027

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

he Boeuf Gras, an icon of Carnival, is getting a major upgrade after parading through New Orleans streets ever since the very first Mardi Gras, in one form or another. During Carnival’s earliest years, an actual bull was guided through crowds of costumed revelers. But in past decades, a gleaming, 10-foottall white replica has steamed down the parade route atop a cornucopiathemed ﬂoat, surrounded by toquewearing chefs. In a West Bank float-building studio, the Rex parade’s enormous white bull has undergone major surgery. Its wooden skeleton was removed and replaced with a steel framework. Its head was resculpted to the proper contours, and its papier-mâché body now has a coat of weather-resistant fiberglass resin. The surgeon, third-generation ﬂoat sculptor Jonathan Bertuccelli, said the 50-year-old bull should now “last another 100 years.” Carnival newcomers might wonder what a big white bull has to do

ILLUSTRATION By J. WELLS CHAMPNEy

In the 19th century, Rex paraded with a live ox as the Boeuf Gras, as depicted in this 1875 illustration. Today, the Boeuf Gras is a much larger prop in the annual Mardi Gras parade. with Mardi Gras. The answer: Everything. Mardi Gras is the day before Lent. Historically, that was the last chance that observant Roman Catholics could partake of steak, or any other animal for that matter, until Easter. Rex’s Boeuf Gras translates to “fatted bull.” It symbolizes the “farewell to ﬂesh” that’s the centuries-old core meaning of Carnival.

If you know the backstory, Rex’s gigantic bull is as important a symbol as Rex himself.

Leaning Tower of Pisa According to Rex Organization representative Ben Dupuy, the years had ﬁnally caught up to the Rex parade’s beloved bovine prop

ä See BOEUF GRAS, page 8D

ä See SPY, page 9D

‘IT STARTED OFF AS A JOKE, AND IT HAS GROWN LEGS’

Meet Lady Who Dat, a Saints superfan known across the U.S. Renee Sackett, known as Lady Who Dat, poses for a portrait outside the Caesars Superdome before the Saints take on the Raiders on Sept. 27. STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

BY TAMMY BARNEY Contributing writer

Whistle Monsta, Da Pope, Umbrella Man, Mack the Quack and Who Dat Clown are known for their elaborate costumes and unmistakable game-day personalities at New Orleans Saints games. But there’s one super fan who stands out for something else: her voice. Lady Who Dat is a familiar

name to listeners of NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains Show” between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day. About 15 years ago, Renee Sackett was listening in when the familiar voices of fans from around the league began taking over the airwaves. Trucker Bob came on first, talking about trafﬁc. Then came Doctor Falcon, who spent his time talking about his Atlanta

Falcons. He was followed by Mr. Panther, who had plenty to say about his Carolina Panthers. Then it was her turn. “They asked who I was,” Sackett recalled. “And it just came out: ‘Lady Who Dat.’” That spur-of-the-moment introduction quickly became the name by which her fans would come to know her.

ä See LADY WHO DAT, page 9D

2D ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

DINING SCENE Stylish brasserie is one of N.O.’s top restaurants The one word that kept coming to mind was sumptuous. We were seated at a corner table with scallop-backed, velvet banquettes forming a cove in the small dining room at MaMou. We’d already been dazzled by a Ian of firstMcNulty progression course dishes, startWHAT’S ing with the bread, a COOKING perfectly pretzeled bâtard loaf with smoked butter. When the flounder arrived, everyone at the table had to have a good look, not to snap photos for the ’gram, but just to admire the delicate beauty of its structure, draped with a sauce dappled with caviar, crowned with a crisp Parmesan tuile, looking like the tiara. Then the forks descended, and we devoured it. The room itself was a visual delight, all Art Nouveau swoops and swirls and flowers hung from the coffered ceiling. The flowers are artificial; the transporting feeling is very real. MaMou has earned a following in the four years since chef Tom Branighan opened it with sommelier Molly Wismeier. It’s grown into one of the most consistently excellent and exciting restaurants for modern cuisine in New Orleans. Yet it still feels under the radar. That accentuates the pleasure of bringing someone there to dine for the first time and watching their delight as character and flavors of this small, luxurious epicurean den sink in. MaMou is also that increasing rarity in the restaurant world, a place with both style and substance in equal measure.

Celeriac remoulade is served with oysters and caviar at MaMou restaurant in the French Quarter.

MAMOU 942 N. Rampart St., (504) 3814557 Dinner from 5 p.m.Wed.-Sun. cisely, as it should be. The côte de boeuf, served with pommes purée, is an idealized rendition of steak and potatoes. It is the classic French treatment of a regal, bone-in rib eye steak, richly marbled, and it’s ideal for sharing around the table (the price varies by the size of cut). The potatoes, thick with cream and cheese, slip from the spoon like a sauce. Shrimp risotto is another exSTAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER ample. The creamy texture is Tom Branighan, chef and owner of MaMou restaurant in the French the right vehicle for the sweet Quarter, prepares his poisson a la Florentine. and charred flavor of the shrimp, while tiny radishes land like arbe a high risk for whipping out the The tuna crudo plays with the rows of fresh flair. idea of comfort food sushi, the type whole tray. A newer dish, the Cornish hen The steak tartare reworks the that runs heavy on the mayo-laden “piccata,” is an elevation of ruscrabstick salad, the type most often dish’s traditional accoutrements tic comfort food. The buttery like linear modern art. A seam of eaten on the sofa at home rather sauce around the roasted bird than at the sushi bar. But MaMou’s savory, creamy Chantilly sauce zings with lemon and tart capers with the kick of Dijon hems the version elevates it to a dish of between fregola sarda, the pearlgleaming beef, next to a line of omakase-level precision. shaped pasta with a bounce to the It starts with blue crab claw meat finely minced capers. Combine a bite and a whiff of toasty smoke. bit of each to make small bites on wrapped with slices of tuna glisWine and roses the caraway-flecked cracker for a tening with citrusy yuzu oil. Drag burst of flavor. these bundles through an aioli that Desserts are the one underresembles creamy wasabi, but whelming act of the perforClassics, elevated is more delicate with fermented mance, and I miss the baba au citrus flavor and a hint of truffle. rhum that was once flambéed Some MaMou dishes are more Were these served as a passed about the straight-ahead satisfac- tableside. hors d’oeuvres at a party, I would Still, typically I go so big on the tion of a classic dish done pre-

Artistry, execution Dishes bring intricate artistry, though it is technique and execution that make them so good and memorable. The small, 44-seat brasserie is a vision from the Belle Epoque era Paris. But the experience goes beyond looks. The service is polished too — conﬁdently knowledgeable and comfortably welcoming. Lustiness and delicacy share the plate across the menu.

4827 Prytania St.--NOLA 70115 504-300-0700 Licensed in Louisiana

TONI VAN ZANDT

504-913-8665

toni@reverealtors.com

600 PORT OF NEW ORLEANS

8623 ZIMPLE STREET

UNIT 6F • ONE RIVER PLACE / FRENCH QUARTER

HEART OF RIVERBEND

NEW PRICE

GRI, CRS

C: 504-236-6834 • O: 504-866-2785 letty.rosenfeld@compass.com lettyrosenfeld.latter-blum.com

S O L D!!!

FRANCHER PERRIN GROUP LUXURY PROPERTIES

TOP PRODUCER with Latter & Blum for over 40 YEARS!

3522 VINCENNES PL • $495,000 $710,000

$2,250,000

Elegant 2 Bed, 2.5 Baths, 2,639 Sqft, Behind a private wall & iron gate beneath Corner Unit w/ Panoramic Views a stately cypress tree, newly renovated of French Quarter & Mississippi River. camelback shines. 2,500sf of New Combines luxury & location for an Orleans charm & modern luxury-original unparalleled living experience, oﬀering hardwood flrs, stunning new primary suite easy access to world-class dining, & spa-inspired bath + 2 breezy porches. shopping, cultural attractions, & outdoor Secure oﬀ-st prkg, & full security. activities & so much more! 1 block from Oak St.

-3 Y1 A ND SU N E OP

NE W

PR ICE

M: 504.251.6400 | O: 504.861.7575

7 93 4 M A P LE S T R E E T, N E W O R LE A N S , L A 70 1 1 8

TE IS L ST JU

908 ST. LOUIS STREET $2,800,000 3206 ST. CHARLES AVE. $2,249,000

Charlotte Dorion

504.237.8615 Charlotte@Char-Realty.com Char-Realty.com

Chris Dorion

504.451.4274 Chris@Char-Realty.com 4018 Magazine St. NOLA 70115 504.799.1702

• Co-owners of 5 ofﬁces • Your Local and Global Luxury REALTORS! An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Afﬁliates, LLC

Are you ready for football season?

Charming 2 story home on quiet Uptown street off Fontainebleau Dr. Beautiful renovation with wood floors throughout, 9 foot ceilings, crown molding, and wonderful natural light.The living and dining rooms are extra spacious and sunny, and the kitchen has a large island and breakfast area, and opens to the back patio and yard.The primary bedroom suite is downstairs, with 2 bedrooms and bath up.There’s a 2 car driveway and rear shed. A real gem in a convenient location!

1629 COLISEUM #3 • $405,000 W NE

ICE PR

I PR

928 ST. ANN

D EN P LE SA

G IN

3001-03 BELL 2622 LOWERLINE | $799,000

FULLY RENOVATED ARTS & CRAFTS COTTAGE WITH DESIGNER KITCHEN IN QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. 3BD, METICULOUSLY RESTORED.

1502 GENERAL PERSHING ST | $1,050,000 FANTASTIC LOCATION! 1 BLK TO ST CHARLES, 1 BLK TO NAPOLEON, CORNER LOT, GATED PARKING. $2700 MONTHLY INCOME.

SO Beautiful Victorian condo across the street from Coliseum Square. Magnificent architectural details- pine floors, 13 foot ceilings, 3 gorgeous fireplaces, and carved wood wainscotting on walls and celing. Breathtaking, huge great room, bright and airy newly renovated kitchen, 2 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, gated parking adjacent to condo front door, large pool and treeshaded brick patio. 1330 square feet living area. Come enjoy easy living with plenty of charm!

1628 DUFOSSAT • $849,000 5870 VICKSBURG | $525,000

CHARMING LAKEVIEW 3BR/2BA W/ OFFICE/GYM, SPACIOUS DEN & GREAT OUTDOOR LIVING ON A 50X122 LOT!

OPEN SUNDAY 2-4 PM

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

Love Where You Live

LETTY ROSENFELD

NEW SEASON, NEW HOME!

early courses that the simple, and well-made, lemon Madeleines tie a bow nicely on the meal, maybe with an amaro (MaMou is where I discovered the wonderful Traiteur amaro, made in the 9th Ward by the unrelated brand Mamou Spirits). MaMou is a restaurant for wine lovers, with a list focused on France and other Old World producers. The entire inventory is kept in glass-fronted wine cellar displays in the dining room, some of which double as decanting tables. It brings wine into the room in a prominent but unpretentious way. The restaurant’s name might conjure the Evangeline Parish town Mamou, famous for its Cajun music and Mardi Gras traditions. But this MaMou is a nickname for the chef’s greatgrandmother. Bits of family history are embedded in the decor, from the chef’s love of auto racing and culinary antiques. This restaurant feels personal while bringing a unique expression of modern Continental cuisine in New Orleans. With so much else clamoring for attention in the restaurant world, is it still possible to be quietly fabulous? MaMou makes the case in the French Quarter.

2-STORY FRENCH QUARTER CONDO. 2 PRIVATE BALCONIES, GARAGE PARKING, POOL W/ HOT TUB & WATERFALL.

1410 JACKSON AVE.

$1,890,000 717 TOULOUSE ST.

$1,395,000

$675,000 1022 TOULOUSE BC-22

$445,500

$3,062,500 1530 FIRST

$2,375,000

LD SO 1013 RACE

NEW PRICE

936 CONTI STREET #9 | $425,000

I PR

L SO Just a half block off beautiful St Charles Ave steps from the Latter Library, this 2 story home features a huge living room with a gorgeous carved marble mantel, opening to the dining room with 2 corner cabinets and opens to the back yard. Wood floors throughout, extra-large lot with front lawn and rear covered patio. Upstairs primary bedroom has a large balcony. 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths. 2934 square feet living area.

539 BURGUNDY

$1,998,000 918 ST. PHILIP

$1,550,000

$1,175,000 916 ORLEANS LICENSED BY THE LREC

$870,000

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3D

lll

Nell Nolan

Seated: Candice Lee; Standing: Ryan Berger, Darryl Berger PHOTOS JEFF STROUT

SOCIETY Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Commodores “An ‘and’ place,” remarked Candice Storey Lee, during a reception in the Windsor Court Hotel. She followed, most fittingly as the Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs, and Athletic Director, of Vanderbilt University, which she was representing, with “You can be a student and an athlete and be yourself.” The crowd applauded. Her address to the gathering occurred about midway through the annual reception when Vanderbilt University Alumni Association held its Commodore Launch: Your Vanderbilt Journey Starts Here. The invitation came from the New Orleans Chapter of the Vanderbilt Alumni Association with Louellen and Darryl Berger – he is A&S ’69, and Amanda and Ryan Berger – he is A&S ’05, as the hosts. Commodore Launches are a decades-long tradition of welcoming incoming students and parents to the Vanderbilt family. Those flocking from the latter community are students, alumni, parents and friends. For the most recent event, casual summer dress was the attire. Many attendees sported the school colors of black and gold, which were also Archie, Adrienne and Archie Casbarian seen in decorations. Upon entering, a Vanderbilt vibe was set. In addition to the Messrs. Berger and the above special guest, Candice Storey Lee, the notables were entering students, the freshmen. They included Archie Casbarian (with parents Adrienne and Archie), Burke Cameron, and Travis Denson. Current students were James Nolan ‘27, Diana Kawafha ’28, and, both ’29, Qing Yu and Caroline Khatib. Dedicated Vandy alumni included a trio of football teammates in Brandon Smith ’05, and, both ’06, Jason Burns and Ronald Bullock, as well as Sloan Abernathy ’09, Matt Habig ’11, Lee Adler ’85, and Alejandra and Barrett Cooper ’07 with little daughter Sophie. Supportive parQing yu, James Nolan, Lillian Nero ents, and there were a warm handful, included Dr. Sammy and Gina Khatib. All enjoyed the chef’s selections of light summer fare, such as shrimp and crabcakes, which had a sweet finale in pastries and Vanderbilt-decorated cookies. The individual table decorations included black and gold pompoms surrounding floral arrangements of red roses, small hydrangeas and green accents. After thanking his parents for their steadfast commitment to the area alumni chapter and their decades as reception hosts, Ryan Berger introduced Vice Chancellor Lee, who was recently named National Athletic Director of the Year. She spoke without notes about Vanderbilt, addressing the value of the degree; the beauty, connectivity and civility of the institution; and the integration of athletics into student life. The assembled crowd, who felt she spoke from the heart, exemplified the Vanderbilt saying that honors its nautical heritage – the name comes from founder Cornelius Vanderbilt, Commodore, the New York shipping magnate — and team unity, “Anchor Down.” That rallying cry embraces the expanding national footprint of the 153-year-old Tennessee university, which will have campuses in San Francisco and New York. Many alums and others learned more about these real estate endeavors from the recent New York magazine of July 13-26, 2026, in an article titled “How Vandy Bested the Ivies.” Burke Cameron, Travis Denson

NEW STUDENTS! PHOTOS JEFF STROUT

Calder Schmidt, Thomas Werner, Corbett Parrino, Andrew Kern

n New Hoo Well over ﬁve dozen mingled at the home of Kate and John Werner for the annual University of Virginia, UVA Student Send-Off. Kate graduated from the Charlottesville-located university in 1990 and their son, Thomas, is now a fourth-year student. Festive orange and blue UVALily Rosenstein, Leah Varisco, themed decorations appeared through- Elizabeth Odom, out the house, even in the bar napkins. The dining room table had pompoms of the colors as well as “V” insignia mixed in with the lavish, and delicious, buffet array of shrimp cocktails, ﬁlet, chicken tenders, charcuterie-board selections, brownies and cookies. Incoming UVA students in attendance, along with their high schools, were Florence Dupuy (McGehee) with parents Sweet ’99 and Ben ’95; Leah Varisco Florence Dupuy, Will Baldwin, (Sacred Heart) with parents Julie and Conery Schmidt Vinnie ’95; Lily Rosenstein (Sacred Heart) with parents Cathy and Greg; Corbett Parrino (Newman) with parents Charlotte and Gene ’90; Olivia Benevento (The Willow School) with parents Claudia and Joe; and Elizabeth Odom (Episcopal School of Baton Rouge) with parents Libby and Patrick. Mary ’92 and Justin Schmidt were joined by third-year daughter Anna, as well as their other alum children, namely Calder ’22, Conery ’24 and ’25 (masters), and Ellie ’26. Marley LeBourgeois was with fourthyear daughter Morgan, and Hans Luetkemeier made rounds with fourthyear Cali Jane. Sofia Roberts, “a second year,” was with alumnus dad John ’91. Still others, alums and guests, were Rich Arnold, Meg and Will Baldwin,Andrew Kern, Gwathmey and Fritz Gomila, Helen and Charles LeBourgeois, Dee McCloskey,Tommy and Becky McGoey, and Sarah Dowd. They recalled the founding of UVA in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as they rallied to the mascot names of Cavaliers and Wahoos. John and Kate Werner

n Washington and Lee

Tani Kock, Elizabeth Stassi

Porter Sinnott, Foster Lambert

The invitation featured a blue background with a white-outlined suitcase and the wording “You’re Invited to a Summer (in large yellow letters) SendOff.” This was for the New Orleans Washington and Lee social recognition that connected incoming first-years and their families with current students to build community before heading to the university in Lexington, Virginia. Founded in 1749 Christopher Connolly, Spencer as Augustus Academy, Washington and Lee UniWaguespack, William Long versity is the ninth-oldest college in the U.S. The two-hour reception was held in the impressive Garden District home of Ted ’94 and Erika Elliott. Their daughter, Taylor Lee Elliott, was a 2026 W&L graduate. A large flag with the W&L trident was positioned above the entrance to the home. Within, school motifs appeared on themed cups and napkins. As for the culinary pleasures, PHOTOS REAGAN LAQUE various hors d’oeuvres and light bites filled the taste-bud bill. The celebration mainly focused on the eight incoming first-years: Libby Stassi, Payton Michael Gude, Katie Daly, Lexie Gottsegen, Mac Morehead Harrell, Christopher Connolly,Tripp de Laureal,William Long, Porter Sinnott, Spencer Waguespack, and Foster Lambert. Other attendees included Connor Lacour and parents Stacy and Jay, Det and Margaret Beal, and Mary Beth Benjamin and baby daughter Adelaide Benjamin.

MAKE K

N E W ORLE OR E A N S HOME O

C CHRIS S AGUGLIA G

504 250 0335 504.250.0335

AgugliA-Homes.COM O

LICENSED IN LA NEW ORLEANS, LA 504.300.0700

4D ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

TRAVEL

As the weather cools, head to the outdoors Check out five places to enjoy camping season

Of course, when tent camping, people are subject to the actions of their neighbors. It’s not uncommon to hear a party with laughter and loud music on the weekends. On a perfect night, all I can hear are sounds of crickets, the ﬁre and the lapping water nearby. Here are five places I recommend to enjoy camping.

BY ELIZABETH DEAL Staff writer

People are almost always surprised to find out that I enjoy tent camping. It wasn’t until I met my husband that I tried it and immediately learned that I love nothing more than being off in the woods, next to a campfire, near water whenever possible. We have camped in state parks, national forests and privately owned locations. We usually hike one or two trails and kayak, canoe or swim in a river or lake during the spring and summer. Some campgrounds offer mountain biking and horseback riding too. I prefer camping when it’s warm. He likes it cold. So October is the perfect month to camp for us both. We mainly do car camping, where campsites are numbered — each with a place to park, a flat-ish area for setting up a tent, a picnic table, a fire ring and sometimes a park-style barbecue pit. We don’t sleep in our car, though you can. There’s also primitive camping where there is no access to potable water, electricity, restrooms or showers, and some people find their own sites by carrying gear and backpacking into a natural area. RV camping, on the other hand, has electric and sewer hookups. Glamping, a totally different style, is becoming more widely available, with yurts, teepees and other interesting styles that require no setup. There’s an actual bed and sometimes heat and air conditioning available. Most campgrounds have a pit toilet, if not a flush one. But the fact

Caney Lakes Recreation Area, Kisatchie National Forest 3288 U.S. 79, Homer, Louisiana Beaver Dam campground on the shores of Upper Caney Lake has waterfront, wooded, and open sites and full water/sewer/electric hookup sites, with a fishing pier and rentals for canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. STAFF PHOTO By ELIZABETH DEAL You can hike or bike the Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail Primitive car-camping at Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. which was named for the crop that was once cultivated here in that there’s no air conditioning or on the tent because, well, you just addition to cotton. There is a swim beach which heat, and there may or may not be never know. It’s rained in the midcell service, a restroom or a show- dle of the night more times than I opens the Friday before Memoer, doesn’t faze me. It’s all part of can count. And he says it keeps the rial Day weekend and closes the tent warmer for sleeping. the off-the-grid fun. Tuesday after Labor Day. Unless there’s a fire ban, you’ll My husband, who also camps in Missouri at least twice a year with want to bring fire starter and pur- DeGray Lake State Park his friends, owns all the gear we chase wood at the camp store or a State Park Entrance Road, Bisneed: a tent, a camp stove, cook- convenience store near the camp- marck, Arkansas DeGray Lake State Park, near ing and eating utensils, a water fil- site. Typically you can’t bring fireter, warm sleeping bags, sleeping wood into or out of a campsite to Hot Springs and Little Rock, has mats, headlamps, flashlights, light- prevent the spread of invasive in- over 100 campsites ranging from walk-in tent sites, Class AAA sites ers, coolers, tarps, ropes, a canopy sects and plant diseases. and string lights. And we always Planning ahead is key when it with full hookups and three yurts pack water jugs, ice, coolers, bug comes to food, especially if you’re to rent. The park features an 18spray, sunscreen, water shoes, out of reach of a grocery or res- hole golf course with a driving hats, towels, blankets, pillows, rain taurant. We use a camp stove range and practice green, an 18gear, trash bags, paper towels, toi- for cooking (or just warming up) hole disc golf course, two beachsimple meals; some people bring es, basketball and tennis courts, let paper and a first aid kit. My preference is staying in a small barbecue pits. You could five hiking trails, mountain biklarge tent where I can stand up, also warm up a pre-prepared one- ing trails, a full-service marina over the one-person very-small pot meal in a skillet over the fire if and more. you’re careful. tent we started out in. Try a sunset cruise, snorkeling Tent camping is inexpensive, trip, guided hike or birding tour. I always want to look at the moon and stars through the screen ceil- usually around $10 to $50 a night, In the winter, guests can particiing of the tent, but I’m outvoted. and making a reservation is rec- pate in eagle watch tours on DeMy husband puts the rain-fly cover ommended. Gray Lake.

Lake Ouachita State Park 5451 Mountain Pine Road, Mountain Pine, Arkansas Lake Ouachita State Park features 93 campsites, eight fully equipped cabins with kitchens and four camper cabins. Visitors can enjoy the lake, which includes 40,000 acres of water, along with swimming, scuba diving, boating, kayaking and ﬁshing. Interpretive programs, like guided hikes, eagle cruises and kayak tours, and offered year round. The Caddo Bend Trail and Dogwood Trail are available.

Lake Catherine State Park 1200 Catherine Park Road, Hot Springs, Arkansas Lake Catherine is one of five lakes in the Ouachita Mountain region. The state park offers 20 cabins, 70 campsites, six primitive tent sites, one yurt, picnic sites, playgrounds, hikes, lake tours and more. A women’s outdoor weekend is scheduled for Oct. 9-11, when participants will connect with nature and join in on activities for all experience levels. Admission is $125. Call (501) 844-4176 for more information.

Lucky’s Caddo River Canoe Sweetgum Lane, Glenwood, Arkansas Are you up for a float down the river? Lucky’s Caddo River Canoe offers float trips with tubes, canoes, kayaks and rafts, along with fishing and camping. Three cabins, tent camping and RV sites are available for guests. Rules of the river include: fastening cooler lids, attaching and using a mesh litter bag, using a floating holder for beverages and leaving all glass containers at home. Email Elizabeth Deal at elizabeth.deal@theadvocate. com.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER By Christopher Elliott

Customer billed an extra $670 on prepaid overseas trip I paid in full for an Overseas Adventure Travel trip to Spain and Portugal almost a year in advance. I did this specifically to take advantage of the Good Buy program, which OAT advertises as a way to “secure your trip’s price and protect yourself from cost increases.” Christopher A few months later, Elliott Air France canceled our original flight. OAT rebooked us on Delta, but then it mailed me an invoice for an additional $670 for customized airfare. I called and spoke with a representative who told me the fee was for a seating upgrade to Delta Comfort+. Since I wanted the extra legroom, I paid it. When we got to the airport, the gate agent told us we were in standard coach.

No Comfort+ seats were ever reserved. When I returned home and asked for a refund, OAT changed its story. First, it said the $670 was an “excess” charge.Then, it admitted its agent gave me “incorrect information” about the seat upgrade, but claimed the $670 was actually to cover the cost of the more expensive Delta flight. I pointed to Section 7 of OAT’s own terms and conditions, which says the company cannot increase airfare costs for Good Buy customers who have paid in full. OAT told me that clause applies to “other things” but not airfare, and that the $670 was simply “correcting an error.” OAT offered me a $670 credit toward a future trip, but after this experience, I don’t trust the company. I want my money back. Does the Good Buy plan actually mean anything, or can OAT charge me whatever it wants? — Michael Hughes, Burnsville, Minn.

federal protections to consider. The U.S. Department of Transportation is very clear: once a ticket is fully purchased and the transaction is complete, an airline — and by extension, the agent acting on its behalf — is generally prohibited from increasing the price. You did the right thing by keeping a meticulous record of your correspondence. When a company agent tells you a fee is for a seat upgrade, and it turns out to be for a price hike it wasn’t allowed to charge you in the ﬁrst place, “oops” isn’t a valid defense. When you hit a wall like this, you should always appeal the initial rejection to an executive. I list the OAT executive contacts

Overseas Adventure Travel should have honored its contract with you. When a company offers a price lock as an incentive for customers to hand over thousands of dollars months — or even years — in advance, that agreement isn’t a suggestion. It’s a binding promise. Section 7 of OAT’s agreement says the company reserves the right to increase the trip price due to changes in airfares “unless you pre-paid according to the terms of the Good Buy Plan prior to the cost increase going into effect.” You paid in full 10 months before your departure date. OAT shouldn’t have passed that cost on to you. Beyond the contract, there are

JODI POWER THE POWER TO BUY AND SELL NEW ORLEANS thejoditeamsoldit@yahoo.com

1056 Elmeer Ave, Metairire, LA 70005 • Licensed in State of Louisiana

OLD ME TA IRIE

BUCK T OWN

O P E N S U N D AY 1 1 - 1 4419 S ROCHEBLAVE ST | $695,000

1801 RIDGELAKE DRIVE • $1,025,000 Corner Lot, Garage

1317 WISTERIA DR $329,900

1317 OCEAN $329,000

NEW PRICE • DELIMON CONDO

NE W • DOUBLES

OLD ME TA IRIE

500 RUE SAINT ANN • $549,000 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 1st Floor Corner Unit

ME TA IRIE

SOLD

Calling all history Lovers! Own a beautifully restored circa 1910 Craftsman bungalow in coveted Uptown New Orleans. Thoughtfully gut renovated in 2022 while preserving the home’s timeless character, including beautifully restored original hardwood floors, original historic details and glorious glass windows that have been meticulously restored and re-milled. Oversized lot 70 x 120 and room for a pool! Soaring 10 foot ceilings create an inviting sense of scale throughout the home. The smart, well-designed floor plan offers four generously sized bedrooms plus a separate office, providing everyone with room to spread out. The oversized primary suite is a true retreat, featuring a spa like bath with dual vanities and a spacious primary custom closet.

SOLD

3520 CLIFFORD DR $435,000 • 3/2

4404 AVRON BLVD $255,000 • 3/2

OLD METAIRIE S O L D

356 W. LIVINGSTON AVENUE $1,539,000

PENDING

UP T OWN

NE W PRICE

WA REHS DIST

840 TCHOUPITOULAS #309 • 2/2 • $524,900

BUCK T OWN S O L D

OLD JEFFERSON NE OFFW SLTISPRKG T ING

LO T 75 X 150

HISTORIC FLARE! BAY ST. LOUIS

308 ITALIAN ISLE ROAD $2,850,000

208 SAINT CHARLES ST. $1,200,000

5 Beds / 5.5 Baths / 6,600 Sq. Ft. This stunning property is nestled on 2.1 acres on the Gulf. Completely renovated. Bulkheaded with a boat house, lifts, air conditioned ﬁsh cleaning station, water views from almost every room, and outdoor space for entertaining. Fully furnished. A true must see!

5 Beds / 4 Baths / 2,489 Sq.Ft. Truly a one-of-a-kind home. Renovated/restored in 2009. Historic charm meets luxury: stained glass, vaulted ceilings, antique wood, gourmet kitchen, pool, hot tub, RV hookups, gardens, and beach access. This VRBO has 3 separate units that can be leased out.

STEPS TO THE BEACH GULFPORT

LAUREN FALLS BILOXI NEW PRICE

152 DODGE AVE $240,000

WHS DIS TRIC T PENDING

METAIRIE

214 E WILLIAM DAVID PKWY $1,230,000

4760 ARTS ST 5456 BELLAIRE DRIVE $775,000 3BD, 2BA • $295,000

D: 504.722.7640 | O: 504.891.6400 www.TriciaKing.com | Tricia.King@compass.com Uptown - 7934 Maple St., New Orleans Garden District - 2734 Prytania St., New Orleans Licensed in LA

WATERFRONT GAUTIER

OFF S T PRKG

1375 CHOCTAW AVE 333 JULIA STREET $435,000 $425,000 LAKEVIEW/LAKE- GENTILLY TERRACE WOOD SOUTH S O L D S O L D

S O L D

228-760-2815 • 228-822-9870 OWENSHERRYL@AOL.COM 2208 18TH ST, SUITE B, GULFPORT, MS 39501 WWW.OWENANDCO.COM

1 BD 1 BA EACH

5209-11 TCHOUPITOULAS 5261-63 TCHOUPITOULAS $299,000 $249,000 NE SOLD W • DOUBLES - CONDO

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

SHERRY L. OWEN CRS, GRI, SFR, ABR

504-261-5247

NE W PRICE

on my advocacy site, Elliott.org. A polite, ﬁrm email to an executive often works better than a dozen frustrating calls to a frontline agent who is reading from a script. The company conducted a full internal review after I made them aware of your case. A spokesperson for OAT told us that the team processed a refund of the $670 in question. It also apologized to you for the “confusion.”

1515 OLIVE AVENUE $650,000

3 Beds / 3 Baths / 1,869 Sq. Ft. Beautiful home off the Beach, Open Floor plan, Kitchen, Den with Fireplace, open to Dining room, with an awesome sunroom with a view of the Gulf, split bedroom plan. Double Garage with wrought iron side fenced in yard.

1908 COURTNEY LANE $950,000

5 Beds / 4 Baths / 3,478 Sq. Ft Beautiful Custom Home. Gorgeous view of water. Brick archways, wood ﬂooring, detailed trim throughout. Open concept. Guest suite w/ separate entry. Gorgeous backyard w/ pool & lounge area. Screened porch w/ deck. Large brick fence on extremely large lot!

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 5D

lll

ARTS & CULTURE LGBT+ Archives Project exhibit explores queer history A sold-out Oct. 14 event at the Historic New Orleans Collection demonstrates the partnerships the new LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana is pursuing with archives, libraries and collecting museums to preserve and present local queer history. “Preserving the Party: The Legacy Dave of Halloween New Walker Orleans” will combine video clips with an in-person conversation to revisit the 40-year tradition of the annual Project Lazarus costume parties. The speakers will be longtime event chair Arthur Roger and Ian Bicko, executive director of Project Lazarus, founded as a hospice service in 1985 at the peak of the AIDS crisis. The nonproﬁt organization continues its work today, serving people living with HIV. The material acquired by the HNOC, some of which will screen at the event, covers the years 1997 to 2018 and is being digitized for online viewing. At the event, board President Eugene “Guy” Lamothe will represent the Archives Project, which earlier this year expanded its mission to include its own exhibition space, a small gallery at 311 Burgundy Street that tracks local queer history using panel presentations, photos and a few objects, such as publications and vintage ball invitations. A timeline at the back of the small gallery tracks the queer community’s often-halting progress, from the ﬁrst written reference to homosexuality in New Orleans in 1724 to the 2014 founding of the New Orleans Pride Center, a community hub on Orleans Avenue. More than a dozen displays around the room document progress (Gay Carnival, Pride, Southern Decadence) and tragedy (the Upstairs Lounge Fire, the AIDS crisis, entrenched homophobia). Panels celebrate queer contributions to local literature, music, art and historic preservation. QR codes on some of the panels take visitors to digital spaces for further study. This is a place where locals and tourists can learn about the

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT AREA MUSEUMS

n The New Orleans Jazz

PHOTOS By DAVE WALKER

At right, a display tells the story of Club My-O-My on the lakefront. Buses would deliver tourists there during the 1940s and 1950s to partake in floor shows performed by female impersonators.

A timeline and display panels trace local queer history at the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana Queer History Exhibit Space at 311 Burgundy St. death in August of cancer. An author, historian, organizer and community advocate, Perez left many legacies. The Queer History Exhibit Space is one of them. I met him there for a tour just a few weeks before his death. Perez was in a wheelchair and struggling with his energy, but he was determined to tell me the gallery’s story, including a behind-the-scenes visit to where donated artifacts and documents were being cataloged and digitized. “The Archives Project has a three-pronged approach,” Perez said. “We want to raise awareness about queer history, which is what this space does. But we also want

legendary Club My-O-My on the lakefront, where buses would deliver tourists during the 1940s and 1950s to partake in ﬂoor shows performed by female impersonators. Or the protests that met anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant at a 1977 Municipal Auditorium concert. It’s also the starting point for by-appointment tours of French Quarter queer landmarks.

Queer history An important element of New Orleans queer history now missing from the gallery is Frank Perez. Co-founder of the LGBT+ Archives Project in 2014, he was its executive director until his

BONNIE J. MOREL 3001 GENERAL DEGAULLE DRIVE, 504-912-9997 SUITE B | NEW ORLEANS, LA 70114 504-362-1823

BMorel71@aol.com 327 MARTIN LANE

PORT SULPHUR • $359,000

1112 KEPLER STREET

BELLE CHASSE • $289,500

NEW PRICE

Waterfront 3Bds/2Ba home, fully furnished, covered porches w/water views, elevator, private dock & hoist.

Spacious 3 Bds/1.5 Ba home on an oversized lot. Features fireplace, formal dining, spacious sunroom & new fortified roof.

GRETNA • $175,000 Adorable 3Bds/1Ba w/ Wd Flrs, Liv, Din, Kit & tons of Nat’l Light. Off St Prkg w/carport, fncd yd & much more!

29476 HIGHWAY 11

167 BECNEL

121 HAMILTON

PORT SULPHUR • $89,900

Oversized tract with 22-space campground potential, engineered plans, and access from Highways 23 and 11.

BURAS • $82,500

6 Acre waterfront property on the Mississippi River. Ideal for dream home, private retreat or recreation. Purchaser to verify zoning & use.

FOR LEASE

GRETNA • $1,600/MO.

Charming 2 Bds/1 Ba rental near the levee. Updated & furnished w/ a range oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer & dryer.

Dave Walker focuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here and at www.themuseumgoer. com. Email Dave at dave@ themuseumgoer.com

Licensed in Louisiana 138 N Cortez St New Orleans, LA 70119

LICENSED IN STATE OF LA

114 BALLAY

to assist people, whether they’re professors who are developing curricula or teachers or podcasters — anybody working on queer history projects.” Perez’ work, including the gallery, will continue. The LGBT+ Archives Project’s board includes historians, writers, activists and administrators. “New Orleans has a very rich, deep and long queer history that has been generally neglected in most historical narratives,” Perez said. “I think that an awareness, a recovery of that history, is more important than ever in times like these, especially given the political climate … .” “My thinking is, you want to erase us, you want to render us invisible? Well, let me give you a middle ﬁnger and open a queer history exhibit center and be more visible, right?” Listed hours of operation for the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana Queer History Exhibit Space are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Wednesday. Information about walking-tour appointments can be found at lgbtarchiveslouisiana.org.

tommycrane.com

(504) 210-2014

Gentilly Home

Mid-City Duplex

2340 Wisteria Street

411-13 S Hennessey Street

$365,000 3 BDRM

2 BATH

$315,000 1727 SQFT

Completely Remodeled Hardwood Floors Garage All New Systems Nice Size Yard

4 BDRM

2 BATH

2,027 SQFT

Convenient Location Separate Water Meters Wood Floors Income Potential Off Street Parking

Museum will host a talk at 2 p.m. Monday by Ashley Kahn, author of “Days of Miracle and Wonder: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland.” Admission is free, and the talk will be streamed live on the museum’s Facebook page. More: nolajazzmuseum.org. n Friends of the Cabildo will launch its Creole Heritage Month lecture series at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Phillip P. Fox’s topic will be “Forging Faithful Subjects: Dynastic State Formation in Early Modern Spain.” More about the Zoom presentation: friendsofthecabildo.com. n At 10 a.m. Saturday, Friends of the Cabildo will present a mini-symposium on the theme “Creole Heritage Month: Exploring Cross-Cultural Connections, History and Traditions in New Orleans.” The event will take place in-person and online. More: friendsofthecabildo.org. n The New Orleans Museum of Art will present its annual Japan Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, featuring art, performances, food and more. More: noma.org. n At 11 a.m. Saturday, the Historic New Orleans Collection will host a free symposium, “Remaking Revolution: History in Popular Culture,” exploring the ways ﬁlm, music, video games and other media shape contemporary understanding of revolutionary history. Admission is free, but registration is required. More: hnoc.org. n At 5 p.m. Oct. 14, Longue Vue House and Gardens will host a book release party for Roberta Brandes Gratz’s “Fearless Philanthropy: Edith Rosenwald Stern’s Campaigns to Transform Lives in New Orleans.” More: longuevue.com. n The National WWII Museum will stage an after-hours event at 5 p.m. Oct. 13 supporting the exhibit “Come Back Fighting: USS New Orleans at War” featuring a trivia contest and an interactive scavenger hunt. The event is free, but registration is required. More: nationalww2museum.org. n At 6 p.m. Oct. 14, the Historic New Orleans Collection and LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana will present “Preserving the Party: The Legacy of Halloween New Orleans.” More: hnoc.org.

6D ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BOOKS

ä For area book events, go to

WWW.NOLA.COM/ENTERTAINMENT_LIFE/ BOOKS

Underground metal bands shine ‘Rough Beast’ highlights N.O. groups

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH ADRIAN VAN yOUNG

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“Rough Beast,” by Adrian Van Young, Black Lawrence Press, 330 pages. Adrian Van Young is one dark dude. Over two short story collections, a novel and a picture book playfully titled “Vampire Pool Party,” the New Orleansand Paris-based writer has taken his goth-horror sensibilities to nightmarish, and often morbidly humorous, extremes. Search out his deliciously macabre story “The Roux,” about a father unable to step away from the stove, whisking, whisking, whisking away until he is consumed by his own gumbo. Van Young’s newest novel, “Rough Beast,” takes readers into the depraved underbelly of New Orleans’s black metal music scene, its beer-soaked bars and opiate-sludged flophouses. It follows Sammy Singerman, bassist for Bethlehem — a group with a sordid history, more than one doomed interband romance and a solidly heavy sound. When its charismatic frontman is murdered, Sammy sets out to solve the mystery and avoid getting swallowed by the scene, in what Van Young calls a “crust punk ‘Great Gatsby.’ ” This interview was edited for length and clarity. Your last several books have been categorized as horror, and though “Rough Beast” has elements of the grotesque, it’s more noir, crime-oriented. Tell me what went into writing a murder mystery. I do consider it a genre shift. I’ve always been a huge crime and noir fiction fan, but it’s always something that I’ve read and admired from afar. It takes a certain kind of insider’s knowledge of that genre to really make it effective. So I guess it was actually a confidence thing. I’m good at writing a descriptive sentence that’s evocative, good at giving people the shivers, but crime fiction has to be several things at once. Noir has to take this misanthropic, pessimistic view of human nature, has to create a web-work plot, keep readers guessing, has to have strong characterization. The language has to be snappy. I read a lot of crime fiction when I was writing “Rough Beast” and gave myself over to it fully. In a city that’s renowned for its music scene, which has an untold number of venues and has had a very strong metal scene for decades, why does it still feel so hidden and underground? It’s huge. New Orleans is known for its heavy music scene, which this book is immersed in. Part of it is underground and part of it’s not. There’s a huge concert coming up at UNO Arena in November called the Great NOLA Trendkill. It’s all the very famous New Orleans metal bands who have the socalled New Orleans sound — this kind of sludgy, bayou, riffy metal, including Pantera, Down, Eyehategod, Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity. But then there’s another side of the New Orleans scene, which is much more underground. It’s sort of queer, a lot more politically engaged, a lot more gender fluid and a lot more, oddly, partial toward women. There are certainly women in the more mainstream metal scene, but in

PROVIDED PHOTO

Author Adrian Van young

the underground one, it’s much more likely that you will get a show with half women, half men. It’s a lot more allied with crust-punk, punk rock and indie rock. It’s sort of a mélange of those scenes. That is very much the scene the book is about — this very speciﬁc, crusty, NOLA metal community. If you don’t mind playing favorites, could you recommend a band or two from that scene? The ﬁrst one that comes to mind is Avowal, a sludge band, kind of like Eyehategod, but more glacial and melancholy and extremely heavy. Another band I’ve been very into recently is SLOWHOLE. They’re almost My Bloody Valentinelike, combining elements of grunge and indie rock and doom metal to create this feedbackdrenched and screamy sound. There was an amazing band that I ran into early on in my research named Cauche Mar, which is French for nightmare. They were one of the strangest bands that I encountered, but really one of the best. This is very hard to imagine, but they had elements of salsa, classical string instruments, hardcore punk and black metal woven all

PROVIDED PHOTO By JIMMy HUBBARD

New Orleans-based sludge metal band Crowbar together. In the book, you write about the aesthetic crossover between pagan black metal and Black Mardi Gras. Say more. This is a larger discussion about the narrator, a young,

well-to-do White kid from a Maryland suburb. He has these transplant notions about New Orleans, very romantic, that I had once when I moved here in 2013. I was very much trying to

reflect these connections he was trying to make of his experience. The element of masking — of putting on a theatrical display, of embracing darkness and decay, to some extent, and celebrating it — has some distinct crossovers with Black Mardi Gras. The only reason that I would hesitate to put them on the same playing field is because pagan black metal has been hounded by such an iniquitous history: racism, ethnonationalism and other stuff. But if you look at the aesthetics, side by side, it’s pretty remarkable. When you moved to New Orleans, did the city feel like the dark place you might have wanted it to be then, and is it still a scary place today? Yeah, definitely. I have always been somewhat of a goth, and I was not disappointed by the extent to which New Orleans lived up to all my gothic fanboy fantasies. Just the way it looks, the resplendent decay of the city, the degree to which it welcomes outcasts and weirdos and people obsessed with the arcana and the occult. In so many ways it completely lived up to my expectations. I still think that that is a very strong undercurrent in the city. I have never felt like a weirdo in New Orleans. There was an ongoing joke about me rolling up to pick my kids up at their schools wearing these hideous metal T-shirts with disemboweled unicorns. But to everybody’s credit, nobody blinked an eye. You can be a visibly underground or countercultural person in New Orleans, with some very extreme flourishes to your style. Do what you wanna is a real thing, and that applies to the occult weirdos in the city, too. Blue Cypress Books, 8123 Oak St., New Orleans, will host Van Young for a “Rough Beast” launch party on Oct. 13. Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He recently won his fifth Best Critical Review Award from the New Orleans Press Club.

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “The Thoroughbreds” by Hilderbrand/Cunningham 2. “Dead Beat” by Leigh Bardugo 3. “Hollow Bones” by Jodi Picoult 4. “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett 5. “The Altar of Pergamon” by Jonathan Cahn 6. “Exit Party” by Emily St. John Mandel 7. “The Emperor’s Enemy (deluxe ed.)” by Jasmine Mas 8. “Eldritch (deluxe ed.)” by Keri Lake 9. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke 10. “We Chase Shadows” by Richard Osman

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “Protocols” by Andrew D. Huberman 2. “The Art of Gravity Falls” by Hirsch/ Renzetti 3. “Oversharing” by Cortney LaCorte 4. “Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide” by Alex Irvine 5. “Making Peace with What I Can’t Control” by Lysa TerKeurst 6. “F*ck Failure” by Benny Blanco 7. “Lost in Space” by Tyson/Walker 8. “This Oak House” by Annie MeyersShyer 9. “Veg Everything” by Tanya Sichynsky 10. “Confronting America” by O’Reilly/Hammer

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “Grim Tidings” by B.K. Borison 3. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 4. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover 5. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah 6. “Brain Damage” by Freida McFadden 7. “Murdoku” by Manuel Garand 8. “Shield of Sparrows” by Devney Perry 9. “The Killer Isn’t Alice” by Iris Starling 10. “Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 7D

lll

LOUISIANA INSPIRED

Musical roots spark a docuseries Robin Barnes spotlights La. culture

BY JOY HOLDEN

Staff writer

Robin Barnes, affectionately known as the “Songbird of New Orleans,” is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter and Louisiana State Music Ambassador whose work celebrates the traditions and sounds of her hometown. Raised in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward in a family of musicians, she grew up surrounded by gospel, jazz, funk, R&B, second-line traditions and Creole culture. After a health scare, Barnes wanted to leave her family’s oral tradition for her daughter, so she spent three years doing the research for that as she made “Louisiana Love,” her debut full-length album. Her latest project takes her from the stage to being in front of the camera. Inspired by working on her album, Barnes brought her cultural discovery to a television docuseries, “Discovering Home with Robin Barnes,” airing in three installments on WLAE on Oct. 4, 11 and 18. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What inspired you to to go on this journey of “Discovering Home?” Tell me a little bit about your show and what it means to you. I couldn’t have come up with a better title because it really is discovering home. It’s for my daughter. I need to leave her more than just music. I needed to create a visual for her, and honestly, for all of us. So I decided to learn more about the places that I know as home and discover more of Louisiana and more of the culture completely. And so I dove in. I’m a self-funding little artist. I’ve got three cities: Lafayette, Lake Charles and New Orleans. It was such a humbling experience because to take such a major feat — all I know is music, and now

I am creating a TV show. How did you find the people to talk to and know where to go? I would never have the audacity to just learn from Google. I’m going to learn from the elders. … I spent three years researching the people that I wanted on the album, and I say that because I wanted the culture bearers to bless this album. Those are the people I leaned on because those were the right people to teach me about our culture. So every single episode, I was so lucky I was able to call on some of the artists that I performed with on the album. The people did not know me, so I’m like this girl from New Orleans going, “Hi. I want to do this project, and it means a lot to me. I want to learn everything right. Can you teach me?” That’s why you really see the love on the show and the music. The warmth and the love that our culture really has is so humbling. I went to these different cities where people don’t know who I am, but literally now I can call them all my cousins because we all bonded on what we care about. We care about the people. We care about the food. We care about the music. But more importantly, we care about life. We care about celebrating life to the fullest. What were some other moments that surprised you during filming? I’m from New Orleans, and I think I know so much. Going into Acadiana, I had no idea about the history and storytelling of the Black Creole cowboy, and I get to go into a sea of hundreds of them riding horses. I’m in the thick of it. Then I get to learn how to cook gravy and rice with Jourdan Thibodeaux. In the last episode, everyone gets to ﬁnd out a little bit about more of the women that inspired me — the eldest daughters in my family. Because we have everything through oral tradition, we’ve never found one of those particular ancestors. The last episode was insane to ﬁnd this ancestor. It was a miracle

that means a lot. How did you actually get a crew together? What was the process of getting it to air? The ﬁrst person I worked with, Brandon Guichard, asked who I was making it for, and I told him it’s for my family and the world. He said yes. And then my friend Drake LeBlanc, who is a Black Creole cowboy and a ﬁlmmaker, said he wanted to help. It was the three of us. I’ve been a state music ambassador for New Orleans and Louisiana for a minute. I get to travel the world and talk about our city and our state. They trusted me enough to support the idea, and the seasoning Slap Ya Mama and Visit Lake Charles also partnered with us. How can readers watch if they are not in New Orleans? My YouTube page, Robin Barnes, will have it streaming. I wanted to make it accessible to everyone. It’s just a joy to share. PROVIDED PHOTO By CHANSEy AUGUSTINE

Singer Robin Barnes stands next to the sign for her new docuseries, ‘Discovering Home,’ at its screening at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Sept. 22. how it happened. Since this was your first visual media project, how did filming go? We spent a year and a half ﬁlming, and throughout it all, I was thinking I had cancer. The idea of mortality is the reason why the people see the drive in me to make all this happen. Because in my mind, I didn’t know if I had enough time. And it’s something powerful to think about we’re gonna be someone’s ancestor one day. That’s why I feel this charge about being a part of the generation that’s about preserving the culture, but more importantly, I really feel this stewardship to be a part of bridging of our culture. Can you elaborate on that idea of “bridging our culture?” Bridging New Orleans to Louisiana because it’s been so separate. I feel like every single person you could pick them up and put them in New Orleans, or you could pick

Mars platform

someone up from New Orleans and put them in Lake Charles, and it would be the same feeling, the same warmth, the same laugh, the same food. I really want to be part of creating this beautiful tapestry of who and what our culture is. What is inspiring you now? As a native daughter of Louisiana, I am grateful that my family passed everything down through eldest daughters. But it was very warm to me to ﬁnd so many of our culture bearers were excited about women. “Big Chief” Monk Boudreaux has one song on my album called “Hands Up.” I listen to it every morning because it is so hard to do all this on my own as an independent artist. He says something in the beginning of this song like, “Get yourself together and bring this to the world. Show people who you are, and where you come from, and believe me, you are the one.” To have a native daughter be told

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Nominate someone extraordinary for our 2026 Inspirit Awards Know someone in Louisiana who is making a positive difference? We’re looking nominees for our 2026 Inspirit Awards — people of any age who do their best to make their local community a better place, whether in their work, at schools, in organizations or in neighborhoods. Nominate someone at nola.com/ site/forms/the_inspirit_award by Sunday, Nov. 1. Recipients will be announced in December. Be sure to include details and examples of how you think their efforts can inspire others. We’re eager to share their stories.

“It’s just a great sense of pride to be part of the energy past and energy into the future. We have produced a billion barrels and we are not done yet.” Billy Lott Operation Supervisor

reaches historic 1-billion barrel milestone

Since 1996, the Shell-operated Mars platform has played a defining role in deep water energy production. Designed for waters nearly 3,000 feet deep, Mars was a bold step forward at the time and helped redefine what was possible offshore. Nearly 30 years later, continued investment, enduring engineering, and the commitment of generations of people have helped bring Mars to this landmark achievement. To be the first platform in the Gulf to reach one billion barrels is a momentous milestone, but for those who have been part of Mars, it has never been just about the number. The Mars community identifies as Martians, united by the enduring principle, “once a Martian, always a Martian.” This milestone carries the weight of long days offshore, shared challenges, and moments of problem-solving that happen when people rely on one another. It reflects years of dedication and quiet perseverance, and the deep sense of pride that comes from being part of something that continues to move forward.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry joined Shell GOA and Pipeline staff to commemorate one billion barrels produced from the Shell Mars asset via the Mars booster station in Port Fourchon. From L to R: Greg Mouras, Nick Stone, Ken Duplantis, Jeff Bergeron, Gov. Jeff Landry, Lynn Belanger, Shawn Danos, Wayland Neil, Colette Hirstius, Chris Nace, Kevin McMahon, Richard Krebs, Sean Guillory

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

8D ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BOEUF GRAS Continued from page 1D

(prop is the term for Carnival sculpture). The Boeuf Gras typically only spends one day per year out of the den. But in 2021, during the COVID pandemic, the sculpture was displayed for an extended period of time in City Park, where the weather took a toll. Krewe leadership already knew the precious bull was overdue for a nose-to-tail, hornto-hoof refurbishing, but, earlier this year, the fragile sculpture was damaged during a routine move. An overhaul could no longer be postponed. Prop builder Bertuccelli, owner of Studio 3, was trusted with the rebuild. He’d done work for Rex before, and few in the ﬂoatbuilding industry have more experience with traditional techniques. When Boeuf Gras arrived, he said, “the whole thing was leaning like the Tower of Pisa.” For Bertuccelli, it was a natural metaphor. He grew up in the town of Viareggio, Italy, which he said is roughly as far from Pisa as Kenner is from New Orleans.

The family business Viareggio is known for its own Carnival celebration, with a spectacular parade featuring enormous mechanically animated floats. Bertuccelli’s grandfather and father worked in the float-building profession. In the 1950s and ’60s, Bertuccelli’s father, Raul, got to know the late New Orleans parade producer Blaine Kern, and remembered him as an American with a rented convertible and a Polaroid camera. Back then, Kern regularly traveled to Viareggio to buy Italian float props. When Bertuccelli’s father moved his family to the U.S. in the 1970s, Kern recruited him as a float builder. In addition to many parade props, Bertuccelli said his dad built the enormous Mr. Bingle snowman that used to hang on the Maison Blanche department store on Canal Street during the holidays. Bertuccelli idolized his dad and couldn’t wait to join him in the Carnival sculpture trade. In 1983, the Bertuccellis struck out on their own. Their company was always small and specialized.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The Boeuf Gras float turns onto Canal Street from St. Charles Avenue in 2020.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Johnathan Bertuccelli, owner and artist of Studio 3 in Algiers, works on the Rex Boeuf Gras float. “Blaine Kern was Budweiser,” he said, “we were a craft brewery.” The younger Bertuccelli laughingly said that his own claim to fame — besides producing innumerable Carnival props — is that he sculpted the Pelicans’ infamous King Cake Baby mascot costume.

nally made in 1975 or not long thereafter, because that’s the date he found on fragments of newspaper in the papier-mâché layers of the beast’s skin. They were Spanish newspapers, because the prop had been imported from Valencia. Rex historian William French said there were at least two papier-mâché Boeuf Gras before El toro the current model. They were Bertuccelli said he could tell more cartoonish interpretations that the Rex parade’s 20-foot- of the fatted bull. One had roving long Boeuf Gras prop was origi- mechanical eyes. The current

bull is regally posed and realistic. Dr. Stephen Hales, who reigned as Rex in 2017 and wrote the deﬁnitive book on the history of the Rex organization, said that in the early years of the parade, which was founded in 1872, the Boeuf Gras was a real bull. It walked in the procession surrounded by costumed handlers. That custom harked back to an earlier European tradition in which the bull would be slaughtered at the conclusion of the route. Hales said that at the turn of the 20th century, the presence of a live bull was deemed a bit too gritty for the otherwise genteel Rex parade, and the practice was discontinued. It wasn’t until the 1950s that a papier-mâché Boeuf Gras joined the lineup. “Dating to medieval times, it is perhaps the modern celebration’s clearest and strongest link to the historic and traditional origins of our Carnival celebration,” Hales wrote.

Odyssey.” Inside, the stout steel armature could be seen. Based on his examination of the interior of the old sculpture, Bertuccelli said there was reason to believe the prop had been modified sometime in its history, transforming what had been a bull into a steer. In other words, there was a papier-mâché patch applied in a crucial area, where part of the prop had apparently been removed, presumably for propriety’s sake. Bertuccelli said the project would be done in just a few days, and the fattened bull would be remounted on its more robust, refurbished float. “We are pleased our work to refurbish the Boeuf Gras float will ensure this beloved icon of Carnival will continue to delight crowds along the Rex route for many years to come,” Dupuy said. In the past, Rex’s bull blew clouds of steam through its nostrils as it rolled along the avenue. But that feature hadn’t Steaming into the future worked for few years. Bertuccelli promised that by On Tuesday at Studio 3, the restored Boeuf Gras already Fat Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027, the looked magnificent even though great Boeuf Gras will snort it had yet to be painted. A rect- steam yet again. angular hatch was cut in the huge sculpture’s belly, bringing Email Doug MacCash at to mind the Trojan horse in “The dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

3 DREAM HOMES - PRICE DROPS - GREAT VALUES

KATIE WITRY 504.919.8585 katie@wcnola.com Associate Broker/Owner

504.291.2022 • www.wcnola.com 3640 Magazine St. NOLA, 70115 Licensed in LA

JEFFERSON PARISH

WIDE DOUBLE

HOME-POOL-POOL HS

10 MILLWOOD COURT $499,000 4 Beds, 3.5 Baths, Chef kitchens Inside & Outdoors, Glamour Updates!

1773-1775 N. DORGENOIS ST. $399,500 Liv & Din Rooms, Culinary kitchens, 2 Bd/2 Ba units! Jazz Fest/City Park

4461 DAVID DR. $390,000

Another Professional Choosing Ricci

225 GIROD STREET, UNIT 302 THE WATERBURY CONDOMINIUM WAREHOUSE DISTRICT • $1,495,000

ARTHUR DAVIS’ PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR SALE!

Rare 3 Bed, 3 Bath 3,862 sqft corner condo designed and owned by renowned architect Arthur Davis. This light-ﬁlled residence features 15 oversized windows, 12-foot ceilings, custom stained glass, expansive entertaining spaces, multiple balconies. Amenities also include 3 indoor parking spaces, rooftop pool and ﬁtness center. All steps from downtown attractions and the French Quarter. A Must See!

228-216-7649

amy@amywoodproperties.com Licensed in Mississippi

228-452-5408

125 DAVIS AVE., STE F PASS CHRISTIAN, MS 39571 AMYWOODPROPERTIES.COM

765 E. SCENIC DRIVE • PASS CHRISTIAN, MS • $2,100,000 BEACH HOUSE ON SCENIC DRIVE!!!

NEW LISTING! DON’T MISS OUT! Beneath magnificent live oaks! Approximately 4,500 SF, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, sweeping porches, pool, pool house, workshop, fortified roof, high elevation and views towards the Mississippi Sound. Great space for entertaining indoors and outdoors. A Must See!!!

Lane Lacoy

Associate Broker/Realtor®

504.957.5116 | lane@lanelacoy.com

+ HOME WARRANTY

Formal Rms + Den 4 Bd Wing - 2 Bd 2 Ba - Eat-in Kitchen 1-Story Lifestyle

Babineaux & Babineaux, Home Sale Partners Realtors Licensed in Louisiana

Linda Babineaux 504-957-8014 (c) J. Babineaux 504-813-8460 (c) At Compass Historic Maple Street Office 7934 Maple St. N.O., LA 70118 | 504-861-7575 (O)

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 9D

lll

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Renee Sackett, known as Lady Who Dat, sports ‘Who Dat’ shoes outside the Caesars Superdome before a recent game. the Saints played there LADY WHO DAT when and plans to make the trip to

Continued from page 1D

Paris later this month. “As soon as the Saints schedule comes out, I start booking flights to New Orleans,” said Sackett, who now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She moved there after retiring in 2011 from a career in software sales. She goes to home games with her 88-year-old mother, Rochelle, or her nephew, Justin. Of course, Lady Who Dat went to the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami, when the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. She almost didn’t make it. Her flight was scheduled for Friday morning, but a friend urged her to leave Thursday because a major snowstorm was headed toward Maryland. Sackett took her advice. “On Friday at 8 a.m., all flights were canceled until Sunday,” Sackett said. “I would have missed the Super Bowl!” After the Saints won, Sackett and her family traveled by limo and “Who-Datted” through South Beach until 5 a.m. Though radio listeners don’t know what Lady Who Dat looks like, they know the name. When they discover that Sackett is the woman behind the voice on the radio, they get almost as excited as if they were meeting a Saints player. Sackett remembers meeting a Green Bay Packers fan when the Saints played the Packers in Jacksonville, Florida, because the New Orleans area was recovering from Hurricane Ida. During their conversation about football and NFL Radio, she mentioned that she was Lady Who Dat. “He got so excited and shouted to his buddies: ‘Hey, this is Lady Who Dat! This is the one I was talking about!’ ” Sackett laughed when she recalled the encounter. She may not wear the elaborate costumes or paint her face in black and gold, but after decades of following the Saints, Lady Who Dat has become a character all her own — known for her voice, her humor and her knowledge of the game.

“It started off as a joke, and it has grown legs,” Sackett said. The radio hosts “like my sense of humor. They like that I know what I’m talking about. I know far more about football than most men do.” A native of New Orleans, Sackett credits the boy next door with teaching her about sports when she was a young girl. “My very best friend was John. He was very athletic. He taught me how to throw a football, how to run slants and other patterns,” she said. Sackett played football with the Lakeshore neighborhood boys, even though some of them didn’t want a girl on the team. But John, who played quarterback, wasn’t having it. He said if she couldn’t play, he wouldn’t play either. John was good at quarterback, so Sackett played too. Because Sackett’s parents were not into sports at the time, they didn’t even know New Orleans was getting an NFL team in the late 1960s. Sackett learned about the team from John. Before long, her family was attending Saints home games at Tulane Stadium, where their favorite gameday fare was “burgers, dogs, Coca-Colas and Doritos.” And while many Saints fans like to say they were there on Nov. 8, 1970, when Tom Dempsey kicked his recordsetting, game-winning ﬁeld goal of 63 yards, Sackett actually witnessed it. “We were behind 16-17,” Sackett said. “Most people thought we were going to lose, because we always did. So they went home early. There may have only been 10,000 people in the stands when he kicked the field goal.” Sackett moved away from New Orleans and bought her first season tickets in her 20s. She eventually gave them up, but bought another set in 2007 while living in Maryland. Since then, she has attended every Saints home game and usually makes it to two away games each season. Email Tammy Barney at She even traveled to London tlcbarney@gmail.com.

Dawnne Keeney

Red’s Blues Club is a legendary juke joint in Clarksdale, Miss.

SPY

Continued from page 1D Turns out, I was wrong. Or at least, they weren’t paying nearly as much attention as I had imagined. That realization has been surprisingly liberating. Most of us spend a lot of time believing that people are noticing — that we are being watched. We worry about our hair, our shoes, our clothes, the way we just tripped a little bit on the edge of that carpet, the stupid thing we said yesterday and how many people noticed that we said it. Meanwhile, everyone else is busy worrying about their own hair, their own shoes, their own walk and the ridiculous thing

SHEILA JULIEN 504-782-8180 sheila.julien@compass.com

Historic Oﬃce | 504-948-3011 840 Elysian Fields Avenue, NOLA 70117

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR DREAM HOME! FABULOUS LOCATION

BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED

MAKE US AN OFFER WE CAN’T REFUSE!

238 LITTLE FARMS AVENUE NEW PRICE $299,000

1201 CANAL STREET UNIT 561 $229,000

SANDY WARD

504-475-1011

3 BEDS, 2 BATHS & BONUS ROOM 1,584 SQFT

1 BED, 1 BATH, 640 SQ FT

LIVING

504-259-2616

504.650.3912

Licensed in Louisiana

EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED.

29 CLEVNER DR.

dawnne.keeney@sothebysrealty.com NEW RENOVATIONS + POOL

they said or the carpet edge that almost had them spilling down the hall. The truth is, most people are not watching us. They are living their own lives. Once I understood that, I stopped worrying so much about whether anyone was watching. I can sit in a sports bar by myself and watch the game, and no one wonders why. I can ask the obvious question. I can laugh too loudly at my own joke in the grocery store. I can walk into a room without ﬁrst wondering how I look walking into the room. The world keeps moving right along. And that realization has turned out to be a pretty serious kind of freedom. Which brings me back to spying.

NEW LISTING

3 BEDROOM CORNER UNIT

KENNER - $305,000

4 BD • 2 BA • Chateau Estates Lakefront

116 ELIZABETH AVENUE

649 ARIS AVENUE NEW PRICE

4414 BARONNE STREET • $1,350,000 4 Beds / 2.5 Baths / 2,876 SqFt

920 POEYFARRE, UNIT 203 • $550,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 1,813 SqFt

13 ACRE COUNTRY ESTATE IN LETTSWORTH

GARDEN DISTRICT • NEW PRICE

RIVER RIDGE - $299,000

METAIRIE - $273,000

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,289 SF • Near Miss. Levee

2 BD • 2 BA • 1,382 SF • Open Floor Plan

810 GERRY DRIVE

1500 W. ESPLANADE #28C

NEW PRICE

17523 HWY 418 • $1,875,000

4 Beds / 4 Full & 2 Half Baths

1318 WASHINGTON AVE • $675,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 1,618 SqFt

MULTIGENERATIONAL HOME

LUXURY PENTHOUSE

KENNER - $170,000

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,268 SF • New Roof & AC

3320 N. ARNOULT RD. #231

NEW PRICE

623 BONNABEL BLVD. • $619,999 4 Beds / 3 Full & 1 Half Baths

2 CANAL ST., #2505 • $6,200,000 3 Beds / 3 Full & 1 Half Baths

PARTIALLY BUILT DREAM HOME ON 1 ACRE

OWNER FINANCING

NEW PRICE

137 MIDAY DRIVE • $1,350,000 8 Beds / 7.5+ Baths / 9,232 SqFt

2830-32 PALMER AVE • $559,000 8 Beds / 4 Baths / 3,458 SqFt

617 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 | Office 504.944.3605 Each office independently Owned and Operated © 2025 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International ™ is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

2712 WHITNEY PLACE #627 NEW PRICE

POOL + GAZEBO VIEW

METAIRIE - $139,500

METAIRIE - $114,000

2732 WHITNEY PLACE #201

2732 WHITNEY PLACE #101

2 BD • 2 BA • 1,000 SF • Gated Comm

NEW PRICE

KENNER - $147,000

3 BD • 2 BA • 1,725 SF • Bdrm + Ba downstairs

NEW PRICE

1 BD • 1 BA • 756 SF

NEW PRICE

VIEW OF COURTYARD

GROUND FLOOR CONDO

METAIRIE - $114,000

METAIRIE - $122,000

1 BD • 1 BA • 756 SF

A spy’s job has two parts: Go unnoticed. Notice everything. Some spies also need a third part, which involves kung fu or special knife skills. The third part could be my downfall in the world of espionage. I’ve been practicing the second part for most of my life — long before I got into journalism, which involves a lot of sitting in the back of rooms, writing down what people say and watching what they do with their hands when they don’t know what to say next. The ﬁrst part, apparently, took care of itself and may be one of the strange gifts of getting older. So, I go about my business of noticing things. I notice the couple in the next booth — arguing

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER while speaking through their teeth. I notice the woman who has been reading the same page for 20 minutes. I notice who lights up when somebody walks into a room and who winces just a bit when they move their left elbow. And every now and then, the world gives me something extraordinary to notice. Like The Black Keys playing in a tiny juke joint in Clarksdale. Same glasses. Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

10D ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Nip engagement questions in bud Dear Miss Manners: My daughter and I could use a refresher course in how to answer the seemingly endless questions regarding her marital status. She is a Judith 23-year-old Martin full-time colMISS lege student, MANNERS happy in a relationship, and not terribly interested in getting married yet. But more and more she is enduring “the question” from seemingly well-meaning people, most notably her cousin’s wife: “Chet and I dated for six months and then I had my ring. Why don’t you have yours?” My daughter is thinking of posting an angry comment. I would like her to have something more witty and demure to say that will get the point across without being rude.

Gentle reader: That is one nasty cousin your daughter has. Perhaps the young man who gave her that ring was too hasty. Miss Manners would be tempted to say, “But not everyone is as irresistible as you.” Maybe even to lead her on to offer advice about how to maneuver a suitor into proposing, in which case your daughter could sigh and say, “Maybe I’ll just wait until he is sure he wants to. And until I’m sure I want to.” As for those other nosy people, a secretive smile and “Oh, please, we’re still courting” should do. Dear Miss Manners: My husband and I had his sister stay at our house for a holiday. She lives in a city two hours from us; we live in a semirural area. My husband picked her up from the bus stop and also drove her back there after her visit (an hour drive). She has stayed with us a couple of times before, and seemed to enjoy it. I went all

out to get her room and bathroom ready, prepare special meals, etc. We provided food, a bed and a quiet atmosphere as well as entertainment, but we couldn’t tell if she really enjoyed her two nights out of the city this time. She thanked us once, but it seemed compulsory and not from the heart. She never sent a follow-up card or gift. We have friends from out of state, and after they stay with us just one night, they always give a nice gift and/or send a thank-you card. My husband said he thought he was doing her a favor to get her out of the city for a couple of days, but it seemed like she was doing us a favor by her visit. Needless to say, we don’t want to entertain her again because it seemed like she didn’t care that we provided all this for her visit. We don’t expect a gift, just an acknowledgment of the hospitality we provided. What are your thoughts?

Gentle reader: That she’s family. She and your husband grew up the same house. She is used to his looking out for her, as in this example of feeling she needed a holiday. So she is not in the same category as your occasional houseguests, although Miss Manners agrees that family members should also be gracious and helpful when they visit. Just don’t apply the same checklist that you expect of unrelated guests. And please do not cut off your husband from his sister because you judged her thanks as not coming from the heart. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Two easy tricks make freezing corn a cinch Dear Heloise: My mother froze a lot of corn, and she used these two easy tricks: After she blanched the corn, she would set the Hints from ear of corn an angel Heloise on food cake pan and use an electric knife to cut off the kernels. This made cutting off the kernels quicker and easier. And the pan caught the kernels, so there was less mess. — Michelle R., via email

Clean the dryer vent Dear Heloise: Regarding the recent letter about leaving the dryer on, it’s most likely the lint-clogged vent that caused the ﬁre, not leaving the house with the dryer go-

ing. Follow the instructions, clean the lint ﬁlter after every use, and clean the vent pipe annually. Don’t use a ﬂexible vent pipe, except for very short runs that connect the rigid vent pipe to the machine. — Scott R., in Northampton, Massachusetts Scott, personally, I’m obsessed with cleaning the lint in my dryer. However, from time to time, many people forget to clean out the dryer lint that collects over repeated use. I wish manufacturers would put a warning on dryers to help the public remember how dangerous collected lint can be. — Heloise

Clothesline hint Dear Heloise: I read Casey’s concern about faded laundry. As a lifelong clothesline user, I’ll share my hint: I do

laundry in the evening when electricity is less expensive and leave it on the line overnight to dry. The clothes are dry by morning, and there’s no worry of them fading. — Emily, in Hemet, California

A special keepsake Dear Heloise: I received a save-the-date card for the wedding of a great-nephew by marriage (whom I haven’t seen in 15 years). The bride’s from a wealthy family, and the wedding will be a luxurious affair. I’m elderly and on a ﬁxed income, and I live many states away. So, I’ll be replying with regrets to the invitation when it comes. All of that said, what’s the protocol regarding wedding gifts? Would a nice card with handwritten good

wishes be acceptable? Do I check the bridal registry and try to come up with something that’s suitable for my budget? Things have changed so much over the years that I don’t know anymore if the old Emily Post rules still apply. Thank you for all your hints over the years! — Linda C., via email Linda, a handwritten letter would make such a wonderful gift. I’ve kept a handwritten letter from both my mother and grandmother that I take out and read once in a while. They’ll receive many wedding gifts, but a handwritten letter will be a keepsake that they can enjoy long after the other gifts have worn out. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Sunday, Oct. 4, the 277th day of 2026. There are 88 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 4, 1957, the Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit. Also on this date: In 1777, Gen. George Washington’s troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties and the retreat of Washington’s Continental Army. In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on what is now Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In 1965, Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the Western Hemisphere as he addressed the U.N. General Assembly. In 1970, rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age 27. In 2001, a Russian airliner flying from Israel to Siberia was accidentally downed by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile over the Black Sea, killing all 78 people aboard. In 2002, “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh received a 20-year sentence after a sobbing plea for forgiveness before a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. (He was released from prison in May 2019.) In 2004, the SpaceShipOne rocket plane broke through Earth’s atmosphere to the edge of space for the second time in five days, capturing the $10 million Ansari X prize aimed at opening the final frontier to tourists. In 2010, a vast release of red toxic sludge from an aluminum oxide plant

Why you need dental insurance in retirement. Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

Now relaxing warm bath, or enjoy a convenient refreshing shower while seated or standing with Safe Step Walk-In Tub’s FREE Shower Package!

 Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.  Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

Previous dental work can wear out.

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.

Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2

✓ First walk-in tub available with a customizable shower ✓ Fixed rainfall shower head is adjustable for your height and pivots ✓ High-quality tub complete with a comprehensive lifetime warranty on the entire tub ✓ Top-of-the-line installation and service, all included at one

Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.

Now you can have the best of both worlds–there isn’t a better,

Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $274 for a checkup ... $299 for a filling ... $1,471 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

FREE SHOWER PACKAGE PLUS $1600 OFF

1 “Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025. 2 “Aging changes in teeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov, 4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees. Data current as of July 2025; subject to change.

DENTAL Insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.

Get help with big bills! Go to any dentist you want Helps pay for over 400 procedures

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Call Toll-Free 504-384-8384

“Absolutely love” “I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dental ofﬁce ﬁles the claims, leaving me with very little balance to pay.”

With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Tub. Not applicable with any previous walk-in tub purchase. Offer available while supplies last. No cash value. Must present offer at time of purchase.

Dorothy P., TN

No deductible, no annual maximum

Get your FREE Information Kit! Call or Scan today

1-844-806-4781

Dental50plus.health/Picayune

Product/features not available in all states. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. To find a network provider, go to physiciansmutual.com/ find-dentist. This specific offer not available in CO, KS, NY, OR – call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for a similar offer in your state. Certificate C254/B465, (ID: C254ID; PA: C254PA); Insurance Policy P154/B469 (GA: P154GA; OK: P154OK; TN: P154TN).

6371

FREE Back by Pop SHOW ular De ER P mand! AC K A GE !

Featuring our Free Shower Package Plus 15% Off

 Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.

The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.

NEWS 24/7 ON

1Selling Walk-In Tub

When you’re comparing plans ...

Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.

in Hungary flooded three towns, killing eight people and injuring more than 220 others. The highly alkaline sludge burned the skin of some victims while others were swept away in the flood and drowned. In 2017, four U.S. Army Green Berets and four Nigerian soldiers were killed during an ambush of a joint U.S.-Nigerian mission outside the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger. U.S. officials later said a local affiliate of the Islamic State militant group bore responsibility for the attack. In 2021, Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms suffered an hourslong global outage, throwing businesses, services and the people who rely on the platforms into chaos. Facebook later apologized, saying there were no signs of malicious activity and it was trying to understand what caused the largest social media disruption in years. Today’s birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 82. Actor Susan Sarandon is 80. Actor Armand Assante is 77. Actor Christoph Waltz is 70. Singer Jon Secada is 65. Actor Liev Schreiber is 59. Actor Abraham Benrubi is 57. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 50. Actor Caitríona Balfe is 47. Actor Rachael Leigh Cook is 47. Actor Melissa Benoist is 38. NBA All-Star Derrick Rose is 38. Actor Dakota Johnson is 37. Actor Ryan Lee is 30. Actor Ella Balinska is 30. Singer Lunay is 26

By The Associated Press

Call Today for Your Free Shower Package

504-384-8384

FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH APPROVED CREDIT CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445 13VH11096000

Longstanding Crowley rice mill navigates challenges 3E

NFL deals, building wraps fuel Elmwood printer’s growth 9E

BUSINESS N O L A.C O M

S u n d ay, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

1en

PICK OF

PEPPERS

Louisiana Pepper Exchange turned a hot commodity into a side hustle, then a global enterprise

Chris White is moving his company, Louisiana Pepper Exchange, into the former Schwegmann’s distribution center in St. Rose. After renovations, the company will move operations making hot sauces and pepper products from its facility in New Orleans near the Mississippi River.

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Louisiana businessman Chris White isn’t afraid to change things up. Since the 2016 Great Flood damaged his Baton Rouge house, for instance, he and his family have lived in ﬁve different places, including a recent stint in a former French Quarter church that was converted into a luxury apartment. That same willingness to embrace the new has helped White grow his business, Louisiana Pepper Exchange, from a side hustle into a global enterprise earning tens of million in annual revenue and, by the entrepreneur’s estimation, closing in on the

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

ä See EXCHANGE, page 2E

Jalapeños, habanero peppers, chili peppers, ghost peppers and more hot pepper varieties GETTy IMAGES PHOTO

‘AI is carrying the U.S. economy,’ says forum speaker State, national energy leaders discuss sector ‘Hyperscalers’ in the spotlight The most-heard buzzword at this shifts back to fossil fuels and nuclear power year’s conference was “hyperBY RICH COLLINS

Staff writer

When Tulane University hosted its inaugural Future of Energy Forum in 2024, the event centered on how Louisiana’s energy sector ﬁts into a world trying to balance growing power demand with concerns about the environment. While the event’s logo still features a stylized globe sprouting green leaves, this year’s forum, which featured many speakers from the Trump and Landry administrations, underscored how the energy industry — both in

Louisiana and nationwide — has shifted the conversation from renewables and clean energy back to fossil fuels and next-gen nuclear. Driving the discussions during the three-day forum, which was held Sept. 28-30 on campus, was the need for more energy to power the country’s artiﬁcial intelligence data center boom. Panelists also talked about Louisiana’s robust LNG sector, the future of Venezuelan oil, nuclear innovation and streamlining the regulatory process. Here are some takeaways from this year’s event:

scaler,” a term that describes tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta that are spending billions on data centers and other infrastructure to support cloud computing, AI and more. There’s good reason for the focus. In the two years since news of Meta’s $50 billion Hyperion data center in Richland Parish leaked at the ﬁrst Future of Energy Forum two years ago, Big Tech has become the state energy industry’s biggest new customer. At least ﬁve data center projects are in the

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHERyL GERBER

Will Baldwin, from left, James Martin, Madelyn Smith and state Rep. Joseph Orgeron speak during a panel on offshore wind at Tulane ä See ENERGY, page 2E University’s Future of Energy Forum on Tuesday.

2E ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

EXCHANGE

down and distribution. For nearly a decade, he ran this business alongside his work selling flexitanks to many types of customers, but in 2018, he decided to focus on the pepper business. In particular, he wanted to grow the market for pepper mash beyond hot sauce makers. “I thought the rest of the food manufacturing world should have access to this as well,” he said. “It is the most authentic pepper ingredient on the planet.”

Continued from page 1E $100 million mark by the end of the decade. While not a household name like Tabasco, Crystal or other famous Louisiana-born pepper sauce brands, the 16-year-old company is gaining ground behind the scenes as White has parlayed his patented idea for shipping pepper mash more efficiently into a multifaceted enterprise that sells pepper products to other hot sauce manufacturers, food companies and restaurants. Louisiana Pepper Exchange helped create a ghost pepper-flavored sandwich at a popular fastfood joint a couple years ago. It makes all the hot sauce used at a national chain restaurant known for its spicy chicken wings. And it manufactures and packages marinades and dressings for wellknown brands. For the last eight years, the company has grown briskly while operating out of a 25,000-squarefoot facility near in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. But White is making changes again. Last year, he moved the business’s executive office and test kitchen to the first floor of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute in the Warehouse District. And now he’s investing $10 million to stand up a 100,000-square-foot production facility in a former Schwegmann’s distribution center in St. Rose. The investments, which come three years after White spent $22 million to build a pepper mash storage and fermentation facility in New Mexico, are a sign that the entrepreneur sees opportunities ahead based on the continued strength of Americans’ embrace of spicy foods even as food manufacturers overall are slumping. “I’m betting on vertical integration,” White said during a recent interview. “As consumers have embraced more flavor and heat in their food, the supply chain that supports that was very fragmented, but because of our intellectual property, my engineering and logistics background, and the experts we have, we can do a lot of this under one roof.”

Expansion in N.M., New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

New railroad tracks are being laid behind the St. Rose warehouse under renovation for Louisiana Pepper Exchange operations.

Solve a problem, start a business Before he created Louisiana Pepper Exchange, White was an executive at Chemetec, a Baton Rougeborn business founded by his father that supplies pumps, agitators, mixers and other equipment to industrial customers and food manufacturers, including the McIlhenny Co., the Louisiana-based maker of Tabasco hot sauces. The seeds for his own venture were planted in 2000, when McIlhenny asked White to devise a way to customize a then-new type of packaging called a “flexitank” so it could ship its pepper mash — crushed peppers combined with salt — more efficiently and affordably from Latin America and other destinations. Flexitanks are essentially heavy-duty plastic bags that fill an entire 20-foot shipping container and are used to transport liquids like oils, juices and syrups in bulk. “Pepper mash is such a difficult product to handle, because it’s fermenting in transit, causing sepa-

ENERGY

Continued from page 1E planning stage or under construction in the state, representing a collective $80 billion in spending with billions more dedicated to power generation. The topic came up at nearly all the Tulane event’s panels. During one, the founders of several nuclear power startups discussed the possibility of using on-site small modular reactors at data centers. At another, an investor said capital will keep ﬂowing to hyperscalers as long as they maintain their audiences with products like Meta’s new Muse, an AI app that can book airline tickets, cancel subscriptions and handle other tasks. Jonathan Krautmann, a partner at Rubric Capital, took it a step further, explaining that what the hyperscalers are doing for Louisiana’s economy is happening nationwide. “AI infrastructure is carrying the U.S. economy right now, and in the absence of that, we’d probably already be in a deep recession,” Krautmann told the forum audience Monday afternoon. “That should not gloss over the real concerns that are going to show up in the midterms. The onus is on hyperscalers to show consumers that they’re not just coming for your job and your water and your farmland and to show them the beneﬁts of agentic AI.”

Louisiana Pepper Exchange has operating out of a 25,000-squarefoot facility near in New Orleans’ STAFF FILE PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER Lower Garden District for the last Workers test out ideas in the bottling area at Louisiana Pepper Exchange eight years. in New Orleans in 2022. ration of solids and liquids,” White said. “That’s why it was mostly shipped in smaller drums, barrels and totes for many years.” An engineer by training, White devised a system that uses bursts of air to keep the product moving, letting it separate in transit and then agitating it back to a homogeneous state. After four years of trial and error — and “a lot of being covered in pepper,” he said — his team ﬁled for a patent in 2004. The new solution was welcomed by McIlhenny, which has used hundreds of flexitanks annually

for more than two decades, but it also made pepper mash more accessible to the hundreds of new hot sauce makers that have emerged in the last 15 years. “I was just trying to solve Tabasco’s problem, and when that system worked, they allowed me to patent it,” White said. “I am very thankful for that. We started shipping for Tabasco and then eventually for a lot of other people.”

Nuclear’s new image

and other breakthroughs unrelated to power generation. Panelists also shared enthusiasm for the emergence of small modular reactors although they acknowledged that the decentralized infrastructure would create new safety and security concerns.

Many baby boomers and Gen Xers are skeptical of nuclear power because of well-documented disasters, the danger of nuclear waste and the high cost of building, maintaining and securing reactors. But the sector is going through a major image makeover this decade, as its ability to produce energy without creating carbon emissions makes it a potential part of the solution to lower emissions overall. The Trump administration’s changes to regulations and new tax incentives are encouraging entrepreneurs and investors to make bets on nuclear, and Matt Krozak, the director for strategy and policy development at the Nuclear Energy Institute, told forum attendees there’s been a “remarkable sea change” in the nuclear energy policy environment overall. “Over the last decade, advocates have made an effort to explain why it’s important,” he said. “We have seen the public conversation evolve, and our public support is higher now than it’s ever been when we look at the Gallup surveys.” In Louisiana, two nuclear power startups have announced plans for the state, and during Monday’s panel, Chris Wright, a director at the Idaho National Laboratory, touted the possibility of using nuclear reactors to create synthetic fuels, isotopes for cancer research

Selling peppers for the first time While still working full-time at Chemetec, White partnered with a

More Venezuelan oil in La.? After the United States’ military action in Venezuela in January, which led to the U.S. gaining more control of the South American country’s oil industry, there was talk about Louisiana’s refineries seeing an increase in the oil from the region, but experts at the energy forum said don’t expect any radical changes anytime soon. One reason is the poor condition of the country’s oil infrastructure. “To describe it as ‘delayed maintenance’ might be very kind,” said Matthew Goitia, president of Peaker Energy and Pelorus Terminals, during a panel about the topic. “When you look at that current state of the pipelines and terminals, the maintenance wasn’t there. It all has to be uprooted and redone.” Another problem is that many of the engineers, pipe ﬁtters, cutters and other experts with knowledge of the reﬁneries left the country years ago. “Those who could left during the Chavez regime, and we have been beneficiaries of that huge intellectual knowledge and operational skill set,” he said. “It’s going to take almost an entire generation

ﬂexitank manufacturer and spent several years supplying the packaging to customers. He called this new business Gray Hog Industries, a reference to his time studying at West Point before his U.S. Army career. In 2010, though, a small hot sauce company founder contacted White, hoping to buy a small amount of pepper mash. And that’s when inspiration struck to sell the product himself. White launched Louisiana Pepper Exchange that year and started bringing peppers into a small facility in Baton Rouge for break-

to rebuild that efﬁciency.” Panel moderator Eric Smith said that even if additional Venezuelan oil could be efﬁciently extracted and shipped to Louisiana, there isn’t an existing infrastructure to move it to other parts of the country that need it. “We need to be a little more introspective than we’ve been so far in trying to assume that there’s a market in the U.S.,” Smith said. “We can’t take massive amounts of crude from Venezuela without having some sort of a massive rebuilding of our own pipeline infrastructure here in the U.S.”

Wind energy is down but not out

While Louisiana Pepper Exchange was born out of an idea to improve the way peppers are transported over water, the company’s biggest expansion to date happened on land. In 2023, White partnered with farmers and processors in northern Mexico to grow peppers. The same year, the company opened a pepper mash storage and fermentation facility in New Mexico for product coming across the border. The place has 120 tanks that together can store 30 million pounds of mash. “It’s so huge, it looks like an oil refinery,” White said. Now, the expansion continues in Louisiana. In May, White signed a 15-year lease for the former Schwegmann’s distribution center, with plans to move there from the 25,000-square-foot warehouse near the Uptown Walmart that it has occupied since 2018. Last week, White gave a tour of the new space, where two industrial food mills, still wrapped in plastic and resting on wood pallets, were the first equipment to arrive. Eventually, they will be joined by 20 giant storage tanks and other food-processing infrastructure. The side of the building facing Airline Highway has multiple loading docks for 18-wheelers, which will bring pepper mash from the Port of New Orleans to the site for processing. Out back, workers are building a new railroad track that will haul finished product to customers. White said the site will be operational before the end of the year. Louisiana Pepper Exchange also will continue to lease space on the first floor of NOCHI, just off Harmony Circle, to house executive offices and a test kitchen that’s used to create new products for food companies and restaurants. An on-site chef and food scientist will help visiting company executives find their way around the test kitchen with a view of a streetcar stop just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. “We entertain a lot,” White said. “New Orleans is an important sales tool, so it’s great for us to be walkable to great restaurants as we meet with partners.” White said he hopes activities at all of his company’s new facilities will help him grow company sales of “value-added” products. That’s because turning pepper mash into purees, finished hot sauces, marinades and more increases its value. It’s all part of his vision to bring together efficient farming, transportation, fermentation, processing and manufacturing of the ingredient that’s key to consumers’ desires for heat and flavor in their food. Said White: “We’re really the only vertically integrated pepper company in the world.”

to be complete next year. Edison Chouest Offshore built the ECO Liberty service and operations vessel for Empire Wind, a collection of 54 turbines capable of powering a half-million homes, according to the developer. “The last time I checked, there were at least four Louisiana-built vessels at work on projects in the East Coast,” said Madelyn Smith, program manager at the Southeastern Wind Coalition, an advocacy organization. “Each one of these ships is an engineering marvel in itself and represents hundreds of millions of dollars that are being spent here in Louisiana to service that industry.” Even though offshore wind is on pause, two onshore wind projects in the state are working their way through the approval process: Mt. Joy in Morehouse Parish and Cajun Prairie in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes. “If Louisiana can position itself to be a hub for manufacturing, logistics and transportation for onshore wind, we have the potential to position ourselves to service a broader regional market,” said Smith, who believes Louisiana should take a cue from Virginia, which built a local supply chain for its ongoing $11 billion offshore wind project. “That really has created a lot of support from companies that are getting those contracts,” she said.

On President Donald Trump’s first day in office for his second term, he ordered a pause on federal offshore wind leasing and permitting. A few months later, he ended federal tax credits for new wind and solar projects. Those actions essentially froze investment in the industry for future projects, but they didn’t shut down existing offshore wind farms or stop all ongoing projects from being finished. On the East Coast, there are now six offshore farms either complete or partially complete. Two more are under construction. Louisiana shipbuilders have been key contributors to some of these efforts, including the decade-old Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island and the Empire Wind offshore wind Email Rich Collins at rich. farm near New York, which is due collins@theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3E

lll

TALKING BUSINESS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Crowley rice mill ‘a chain link in a massive chain’ BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor Along Mill Street in Crowley, there was a time where 13 rice mills operated to serve local farmers and the local economy. Now there are only two, one of which is Falcon Rice Mill, which co-owner Robby Trahan never envisioned he would oversee. His father ran the family business that dates back to 1942, while Trahan was living in Texas and working as a certiﬁed public accountant. But in 2011, when Trahan nudged his father about what his long-term plans were, he decided to move back to Louisiana. He, his sister Christine and their spouses bought the business to allow their father to retire. Trahan soon discovered his accounting background did not make it an easy transition into operating the business. “If you ran this place like dollars and cents, it probably wouldn’t work because we’re a chain link in a massive chain,” Trahan said. “The farmers need an outlet to sell their product, and we need farmers for the supply. We’re all like a water hose — the stuff has to move.” In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Trahan talks about issues facing the rice industry, his history with the mill and the status of its $6 million expansion at Falcon, maker of Cajun Country Rice and other brands. This interview has been edited for clarity. How has the weather been for the farmers this year? It’s been a bit of a dry summer. Has that been beneficial? Growing conditions have been fairly good this year for our guys. In the South, we do have a smaller crop, probably one of the smallest crops we’ve had since the 1980s between Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. There was a little bit of reduction here in Louisiana, but Arkansas was

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Co-owner Robbie Trahan took over Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley with his sister in 2011 after living in Texas. ‘I’ve been around a lot of places, and there are not many places that are unique. We have something pretty special with our culture here,’ he said.

Q&A WITH ROBBy TRAHAN

FALCON RICE MILL CO-OWNER

down at least 30% to 40%. They were increasing acreage a couple years ago, and the price of rice just dropped. What has the overall yield looked like so far? This year is fairly good. I wouldn’t say it’s our best yielding crop ever, but it’s not bad. It’s better than last year, and the milling yields are better, too. We’re making more head rice from this rice than we did last year. So that’s good. The millings have been kind of off the last couple of years. The head rice

numbers are better — down here at least. What’s causing that? I think the weather was pretty good for them this year. Last year we had rains at the wrong time or dryness at the wrong time. This year I don’t think we had any of that. And our guys plant pretty good varieties down here for the most part. Typically, when you have hybrids and things like that, the millings could go down, but our guys don’t do as much of that as they do in other areas.

The rising cost of diesel is hurting several industries across the country. How are your business and farmers dealing with it? The price of rice is getting higher, which is great, but then their diesel costs are so high and their fertilizer costs are so high. So it’s just a double-edged sword. And even on our end, it’s one thing when a mill adjusts prices for commodities, which is ﬁne, but every single bucket is being affected. So it’s not fun, and customer don’t like it because prices are going up across the board on the groceries. When that happens, people don’t buy as much. How is the industry faring in the export business? What kind of headwinds is it facing with other countries exporting a cheaper product?

When we have a normal crop in all the states, we’ll export half of that rice. The exports have been down. They’ll export to Haiti and Iraq, but the problem with Iraq is you either have to ship it through the Strait of Hormuz, or they’re talking about now shipping it to Jordan and then trucking it across, which is really risky. Then it jumps the price. Then you’ll hear about bad players, India and (other countries), they can dump rice onto customers. They can ship rice into Mexico cheaper than we can ship it to, which doesn’t make sense. Speaking of international trade, how have tariffs affected the expansion of the mill? We ordered the stuff (for our expansion) back in December, and the next thing you know we have a tariff on the stuff coming. I didn’t know that was in play when we ordered it. Now we recently just got it refunded. It’s in the upper tens of thousands. It’s not quite $100,000, but it’s pretty close to it. Did tariffs make exporting rice more challenging? The U.S. exports a good bit of rice in Mexico and Canada, and a lot of that is because of the NAFTA agreement. When you start tarifﬁng those guys, they can get cheaper rice somewhere else. At one time, the U.S. had 80% of the market share in Mexico, and I think it’s down to like 25% to 30%. Tariffs really harm the amount of rice that we’re going to grow because it’s not good for export. Take me back to when you took over the mill from your dad. What drew you back? Nobody wants to move away if you don’t have to, right? This is a pretty unique place. I’ve been around a lot of places, and there are not many places that are unique. We have something pretty special with our culture here. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

Get more from your building.

Spend less on energy and save more for what ma�ers most. Energy Smart helps businesses lower energy costs through expert guidance, energy assessments, rebates and incentives that make energy-saving upgrades more aﬀordable.

Start saving today.

EnergySmartNOLA.com

504-229-6868

4E ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

ACROSS THE REGION

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe to launch prediction market app BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Through a partnership with sports betting company Kalshi, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is set to launch a prediction market app, making it the first tribe to enter the fast-growing sector. The app will allow customers to bet on real-world events, such as weather forecasts, political races and Oscar winners through SaltTrade Derivatives, a new tribal business that harkens back to the Tunica-Biloxi’s history as salt traders. The app will allow customers to buy and sell contracts with other consumers, tied to the outcome of an event. Marshall Pierite, chair of the Marksville-based Tunica-Biloxi, said the venture came out of a conversation he overheard involving leaders of other tribes who were concerned about the impact that prediction markets could have on their gambling operations. Pierite said he sees the prediction market, which is expected to see its trading volume hit $410 billion this year, as Goliath and tribal gaming as David. But he said he isn’t looking to challenge the sector. “We wanted to see how we can work together to be a part of a changing industry and utilize our experience and expertise as one of the first tribes to be involved in small-dollar lending and one of the first involved in financial literacy,” he said. Pierite said he began to research prediction markets, trying to find out as much as he could about the industry and making sure that the tribe wouldn’t miss out on the financial opportunities it was creating. He sees this as a way to merge tribal entrepreneurship with cut-

PROVIDED PHOTO By TUNICA-BILOXI TRIBE OF LOUISIANA

The Tunica-Biloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center is located in Marksville. Through a partnership with Kalshi, the Tunica-Biloxi are launching a prediction market app, making it the first tribe to enter the fast-growing sector. ting edge technology. About six or seven months ago, the Tunica-Biloxi approached Kalshi about ﬁnding a way to work together, Pierite said. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a statement his company was proud to partner with the TunicaBiloxi. “The debate can no longer be reduced to prediction markets on one side and tribes on the other,” Mansour said. “What’s clear is that regulated national infrastructure and tribal entrepreneurship can develop together — and one does not have to lose for the other to win.”

Kalshi will provide the infrastructure for the app and set odds. The tribe will market the prediction site to it consumers, Pierite said. Financial details about the arrangement were not disclosed, along with revenue projections. The SaltTrade Derivatives app is set to launch in the next 90 days, Pierite said. People in every state except Louisiana will be able to bet on events. Pierite said the tribe purposely decided not to operate the prediction market in Louisiana because the tribe “didn’t want people

knocking on our doors” to place a trade. The tribe does plan to open a physical ofﬁce for SaltTrade on its lands. But SaltTrade will be separate from all of its current businesses, such as the Paragon Casino Resort. Prediction markets are controversial. Some states have filed suits against Kalshi and Polymarket in an attempt to regulate their activities. There have also been concerns about insider trading and the role the markets play in causing gambling addiction. But Pierite said anything that challenges the status quo is going

to generate controversy. “We know we were going to take criticism because people don’t like change,” he said. “But we believe in the vision and the strategy we’re creating with Kalshi and SaltTrade.” Pierite said he sees the Kalshi partnership as paving the way for future agreements with the 575 federally recognized tribes. “In every industry, it takes one person to be courageous enough to do it and others will follow,” he said. Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

“The debate can no longer be reduced to prediction markets on one side and tribes on the other. What’s clear is that regulated national infrastructure and tribal entrepreneurship can develop together — and one does not have to lose for the other to win.” TAREK MANSOUR, CEO of sports betting company Kalshi

LOOKING BEYOND:

Avident Advisors Client-Centered Site Selection and Economic Development Solutions for Smart, Data-Driven Decisions.

Beyond the Landscape. In today’s competitive and global economy, corporate site selection and location decisions are data-driven and often outsourced to seasoned professionals with deep knowledge of real estate, finance, workforce training, environmental issues, engineering, tax- and financialincentive analyses, negotiation, and other disciplines. As an affiliate of Jones Walker LLP, one of the nation’s top economic development law firms, Avident Advisors combines, in one firm, this broad range of knowledge and experience required to provide effective location advisory services and economic development guidance.

Tariff uncertainty, tax changes, and a shifting job market have recently hindered project momentum — but opportunity is on the horizon. Avident Advisors is ready to guide your site selection strategy as activity accelerates in 2026, fueled by growth in steel, shipbuilding, hydrogen, battery materials, aerospace, food processing, and data centers.

Bill Hines

Across industries, top site selection criteria remain consistent: power, infrastructure, workforce, and water. States are investing Tommy Kurtz heavily in site readiness, with Louisiana Not licensed recently announcing a $150 million initiative to practice law along with other US states. At the same time, incentive structures are evolving from direct disbursements to customized packages emphasizing infrastructure and workforce solutions tailored to speciﬁc industries. From site readiness programs to customized solutions, Avident Advisors is proud to help lead the way forward to secure competitive advantages in a changing landscape.

Tommy J. Kurtz, Managing Director, Avident Advisors

tkurtz@avidentadvisors.com, Not licensed to practice law 201 St. Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70170-5100 504.582.8000 joneswalker.com

Suite 2900 811 Main St Houston, TX 77002 713.437.1800

Attorney Advertising. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other attorneys.

Scan the QR code to read the full article.

LA-25-19944

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 5E

lll

OPPORTUNITIES ARE MULTIPLYING We couldn’t have asked for a better first year. The support has been absolutely incredible. India Davis and Renee Stirling, Co-owners, Jolie + Myrtle Lane

FIRST YEAR

Business Survival means new businesses have the support to start strong and keep growing.

See what’s possible for your business. OPPORTUNITYLOUISIANA.COM

6E ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

NATION & WORLD Malaysia campaigns to boost its pungent durian BY KANIS LEUNG Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia is pushing to take durian, whose powerful smell delights its lovers and repels its haters, beyond its roadside stalls and family orchards to convince fans of the spiky fruit that its varieties are worth seeking out. Devotees savor durians like wine. For Malaysian ones, the taste of their rich and creamy flesh varies widely across types. Some are prized for their sweet custard and fruity notes, others for a hint of bitterness, an alcohol tinge or even a peanut butter ﬂavor. Malaysians’ efforts to elevate the industry can be found in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, at a center devoted exclusively to the fruit and the growing variety of products made from it. At the Kuala Lumpur Durian Experience Centre, near the landmark Petronas Twin Towers, visitors venture into a replica durian orchard to discover the fruit’s culture and history. In another room, a theater show draws laughter. Downstairs, visitors enjoy platters and egg tarts crafted from it. Launched this summer after an investment of nearly $2 million, the two-story center spans about 20,450 square feet and is open daily. Its durian shop welcomes guests from morning to midnight. Its founder, Edison Ang, said the center targets both local customers and tourists, especially those from China, the world’s biggest durian importer. He said Chinese palates have long been inﬂuenced by Thai durian culture. “What we actually hope for now is not to get people who don’t eat durian to start eating durian,” he said. “Instead, we hope consumers who are already eating durian from

other countries will switch to Malaysian durian.” In 2025, China imported 1.87 million tons of fresh durian worth $7.5 billion, with volume jumping over six times in the past decade, according to its customs data. Thailand’s earlier entry helped it secure over half that market by value in 2025. Malaysia, which began exporting fresh durian to China in 2024, was dwarfed. But for the first half of 2026, the value of China’s fresh durian imports from Malaysia quadrupled compared with the same period last year, pointing to rapid growth. Unlike their rivals, Malaysian growers typically do not harvest early, instead collecting only naturally ripened fruit caught in nets or ropes as they fall. That’s the industry’s biggest advantage and also its biggest weakness, Ang said, as sellers have to race against time because the fruit’s shelf life is at most two to three days. Any delays would affect its quality. When his stock was held up for several days during customs checks, his refund rate climbed, he said. Durian sales are also sensitive to economic conditions, said Leron Yee, founder of DKing, whose business covers both export and domestic markets. When the Chinese economy performs well, his business improves, but if the buying power of Chinese consumers falls, he needs to find alternative markets, he said. “It is a luxury, not a necessity,” he said. Businesses are finding opportunities in what the fruit can become. Yee’s business sells durian paste, durian-flavored chocolate and mochi — and even mooncakes ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. DurianBB founder Adrian Choy’s company offers durian

ice cream, desserts and dried durian at a cafe, alongside coffee flavored with the Musang King variety and other items. His brand also offers guided farm tours. In July, Choy’s brand went a step further and launched a durian flower perfume that smells sweet and floral. Choy said branching into other products is important because it will add value to the food itself and differentiate his business, even when others compete on price. “Food is food,” he said. “You cannot sell it like 50% more because your branding is different.” Across China, durian specialty shops have mushroomed, with some specializing in Malaysian varieties. In Beijing, the Jiang Sir durian shop sells platters priced roughly between about $44 to $150, depending on the weight of the pulp and the varieties chosen. Its employee, Hou Yuxin, welcomed the growing number of similar shops and brushed off pressure from competition, saying it would help boost the market for Malaysian durians. She noted many people now want to enjoy durians during their trips to Malaysia. Back at Ang’s center in Kuala Lumpur, Henry Zhang was one of them. Zhang, a visitor from Shanghai who started eating durian during his university days, saw a durian no bigger than his palm for the first time. He said Malaysian ones were creamier than those from Thailand and had different flavors. He was impressed by the center offering more than just the fruit. “I may still eat durians from other countries. But after eating them, I may miss Malaysian ones even more,” Zhang said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By VINCENT THIAN

A customer poses beside a giant durian display at a durian stall in Petaling Jaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The country is pushing to take durian, whose powerful smell delights its lovers and repels its haters, beyond its roadside stalls and family orchards to convince fans of the spiky fruit that its varieties are worth seeking out.

Workers unload durians at a durian farm collection point in Karak, Pahang state in Malaysia.

A thousand reasons to choose Natural Gas. For most Louisiana families, choosing natural gas instead of electricity for heating, cooking and clothes drying saves more than $1,000 per year. Natural Gas, more savings, delivered to your door.

deltautilities.com

Louisiana born. Louisiana based.

Backed by 950+

600,000 customers

local employees

across the Gulf Coast

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 7E

NATION & WORLD

Dollywood’s billionaire owners plot future without Parton BY DEVON PENDLETON

Bloomberg News (TNS)

Since it opened in 1986, Dollywood has been both a monument to Dolly Parton and a bustling venue where visitors can wander through a replica of the tworoom log cabin where the singersongwriter grew up and munch on Parton loaves of her fragrant cinnamon bread between thrill rides. Now the Tennessee theme park’s legacy rests in the hands of a lowkey billionaire family. Following Parton’s death in late August at age 80, her longtime partner and Dollywood’s co-owner, Herschend Entertainment, has assumed the role of overseeing and growing the venue, which was molded in the entertainer’s image near her birthplace in the Smoky Mountains. Her impact will keep unfolding in the years ahead as the park is in the middle of a $500 million expansion with rides and amenities that were all Partonapproved. “We want to honor her by continuing to make Dollywood what she intended it to be,” said Chris Herschend, chair of Herschend Entertainment and a third-generation member of the family that owns the closely held business. He spoke in a videoconference from his ofﬁce in front of shelves stuffed with children’s books, surplus from Parton’s Imagination Library. “Nobody could replace Dolly. She was one of one.” In Herschend, Parton found a partner that shared her mix of business savvy and social responsibility, said Robert Niles, founder and editor of Theme Park Insider. Herschend offers a range of perks to its 22,000 employees, or “hosts,” from proﬁt sharing to free tuition, while donating 1% of its top-line revenue to charity. “Dolly was a businesswoman; it’s not like she was some altruistic saint; she hustled every day of her

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO By JOE HENDRICKSON

Following Dolly Parton’s death in late August at age 80, her longtime partner and Dollywood’s co-owner, Herschend Entertainment, has assumed the role of overseeing and growing the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., venue, which was molded in the entertainer’s image near her birthplace in the Smoky Mountains. life,” Niles said. “But she treated her customers with respect and delivered value.” The success of Dollywood has allowed Herschend to expand signiﬁcantly. The suburban Atlantabased company now owns and runs 10 other U.S. theme parks as well as water parks, resorts, campgrounds, aquariums, a jeeptouring operation and the Harlem Globetrotters. Moody’s estimated the company generated around $1.2 billion in revenue last year. Based on that and other financial information, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index values the business at at least $1.7 billion. It’s entirely owned by the Herschends, who declined to comment on the valuation. Herschend declined to say how large a stake Parton owned in the park but said “considerations” had been made in advance to ensure it would continue as usual following her death. Located in the town of Pigeon Forge (population 6,600), Dollywood sprawls over 165 wooded acres and boasts roller coasters,

numerous music stages, a pair of World War II-era steam trains and a dedicated Dolly museum whose facade is dominated by a glittering pink butterﬂy. In 2024, the most recent year available, it drew 3.1 million visitors, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, making it the 18th-most visited U.S. theme park on a list dominated by Disney attractions. Among seasonal theme parks — Dollywood is open mid-March through early January — it ranks among the top three and is the biggest ticketed tourist venue in Tennessee. The Herschend family business traces back to the early 1950s when Chris’ grandparents — Hugo, a door-to-door vacuum salesman and his wife, Mary, a librarian — came across a cave while on a trip through Missouri. On a whim, they bought the cave and turned it into a tourist attraction. After Hugo’s death in 1955, Mary continued to run the site with her sons Jack and Pete, and expanded it to include a reconstructed 1880s mining town, which they named Silver Dollar

City. After the 1970s oil embargo curtailed road-tripping visitors, the brothers decided to broaden their geography and bought a second park, a small destination in the Smokies that they rebranded as Silver Dollar City, Tennessee. When Parton announced in an interview with Barbara Walters that she wanted to open a theme park in her Tennessee hometown of Sevierville — just up the road from Silver Dollar — “it was like a shot, not an invitation,” Herschend recalled. “It was perceived by us as ‘Oh Lord, we’ve got to ﬁgure this out.’” As it turns out, Parton was a regular visitor to Silver Dollar, where she’d bring her nieces and nephews and set them loose with pocket money. Coincidentally, the mother of the park’s general manager at the time worked at the post ofﬁce with the mother of Parton’s tour bus driver. The moms brokered an introduction and the GM pitched Parton on collaborating after catching up with her at one of her concerts. Convincing Herschend board

Welcome to louisiana. the state of energy.

Through innovation, Venture Global is building some of the largest energy facilities in the world, driving economic growth and creating jobs right here in Louisiana. Our employees deliver energy to the world at a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time.

members of the merits of teaming with Parton wasn’t easy, Herschend said. They were wary of some hotshot celebrity running roughshod over the organization. A board member from Nashville, Tennessee, brokered the deadlock and cast the deciding vote, according to Herschend. “He said, ‘Y’all don’t understand,’” Herschend said. “’This is not like most people; she’s one in a billion and you’ve got to do this deal.’” Parton’s talent for storytelling and connecting with people informed both the feel of the park and the speciﬁc attractions, most of which nod to local culture, like stages featuring bluegrass bands and Appalachian roots music, blacksmithing demonstrations and the Lumberjack Lift tower climb. Boosting the region was a major motivation for her founding the park, which is the county’s largest employer and was estimated in 2021 to generate $1.8 billion annually for the local economy. Her business instincts affected the Herschend group in other ways, as well. She encouraged the company to open a resort near Dollywood years ago — a suggestion Herschend said they resisted given it wasn’t their expertise. “She was patient with us as we explained over and over again why we weren’t willing to do it,” Herschend said. Eventually they gave in and the hotel — the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa — was an immediate success, he said. They now have two with a third Dolly Parton-branded hotel under construction in Nashville. In the wake of Parton’s death, Dollywood’s president announced the park’s plans to honor the singer posthumously, including new features like a cascading waterfall with a guitar sculpture next to the park’s existing chapel. “The thing that made Dollywood work was the trust between Dolly and our family and the mutual conﬁdence that each would kind of do our part,” Herschend said. “And Dolly always over-delivered.”

8E ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS Staff report South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

New Orleans

Weldon

Branch

Hodnett

Andrews

Nick Weldon, formerly the senior editor at The Historic New Orleans Collection, has been promoted to director of publications for the free French Quarter museum, research center and publisher. Beth Branch, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, has been elected to a two-year term on the board of the American Association of Port Authorities. Branch, who previously worked for the Alabama Port Authority, the Port of Oakland and shipping company Maersk, was elected to an at-large seat during the association’s annual convention in New Orleans. Bryan Hodnett has been named executive vice president of DonahueFavret Contractors. Hodnett has been with the company for 15 years, most recently as vice president of business development. Lauren Andrews has been named corporate secretary of DonahueFavret. She has been with the company for more than 20 years, most recently as director of administration.

Baton Rouge Jason Amato has been hired by Louisiana Hospitality Group as the general manager of The St. Francisville Inn & Spa, Hotel Toussaint and The ShadeTree Inn. Amato was previously a multiproperty general manager and senior operations director at Marriott. Industry Makes, an advocacy association for manufacturing Amato and industrial companies, elected new board members at its recent annual meeting. Newly elected members include: Randy Attuso, director of industry outreach at Cajun Industries; Peyton Chiasson, manager of community relations at OxyChem; Michelle Hardy, vice president of Turner Industries; and Brandon Maxwell, public and government affairs manager for ExxonMobil. Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate.com.

lll

Fool’s Take: Attention chocoholics

Berkshire Hathaway into a trillion-dollar business before retiring as CEO at the end of 2025, after 60-some Hershey (NYSE: HSY) is years. He’s famous for his an iconic consumer staples annual letters to shareholdstock focused on confecers, which are known for being readable, educational tions and and even entertaining. You other snacks. can read most of them at Although the berkshirehathaway.com. company has Here are a few tidbits: expandMotley been n 1996: “You don’t have to ing its busiFool ness to include be an expert on every comitems like pany, or even many. You only popcorn and pretzels, one of have to be able to evaluate its most important products companies within your circle remains chocolate. of competence. The size of It’s an affordable luxury that circle is not very importhat consumers love, and tant; knowing its boundaries, Hershey’s sales seem to keep however, is vital.” n 1989: “It’s far better to rising. In the second quarter, buy a wonderful company at Hershey reported consolia fair price than a fair comdated net sales up 6.6% year pany at a wonderful price.” n 1977: In discussing how over year to $2.8 billion. A shocking rise in cocoa he evaluates stocks: “We prices, a key input in making want the business to be (1) chocolate, is a concern, and one that we can understand, investors worry it could hurt (2) with favorable long-term Hershey. But Hershey isn’t prospects, (3) operated sitting still; it’s controlling by honest and competent the things it can. people, and (4) available at a Cocoa is a commodity, very attractive price.” n 1997: “Only those who and Hershey has to take the price volatility in stride. It will be sellers … in the near has been raising prices, cutfuture should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospecting costs and attempting to improve its business eftive purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.” ficiency. (It also briefly cut n 2013: “My advice to the the cocoa content of some products, though it has since trustee (of my estate) could reversed that decision.) not be more simple: Put 10% Eventually, cocoa prices will of the cash in short-term normalize. Investors, howgovernment bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 ever, have treated the stock as if cocoa prices will remain index fund. (I suggest Vaninflated forever. Even in that guard’s.) I believe the trust’s situation, costs would get long-term results from this passed on to consumers over policy will be superior to time. those attained by most inChocolate is way too vestors — whether pension popular for people to simfunds, institutions or individply stop eating it. So one uals — who employ high-fee way or another, Hershey is managers.” likely to return to growth, In 1962, before taking making now a good time to over Berkshire, Buffett also buy in. Hershey’s forwardwrote: “I think you can be looking price-to-earnings quite sure that over the next ratio was recently 18, below ten years there are going to its five-year average of 24, be a few years when the gensuggesting an undervalued eral market is plus 20% or stock. (The Motley Fool owns 25%, a few when it is minus shares of and recommends on the same order, and a maHershey.) jority when it is in between. I haven’t any notion as to the sequence in which these will occur, nor do I think it is of any great importance for the long-term investor.” Warren Buffett built

Fool’s School: Lessons from Warren Buffett

Ask the Fool: When to sell?

When should I sell a stock? — S.A., Lawrence, Kansas One good reason is if you simply need the money now — or within the next ﬁve or 10 years. (Remember that the stock market can pull back sharply at any time, and you don’t want that to happen just before you are going to sell.) If you’ve realized that you just don’t understand the company very well or how it makes money, that’s another reason to sell; yet another is if you don’t really know why you own it. If the reason you bought it is no longer valid — perhaps due to a merger or a decline in revenue — you should consider selling. You might also sell if you have found a much more compelling investment. Don’t jump in and out of stocks rapidly, though, without giving them time to deliver for you. (Rapid trading can also trigger higher tax bills on short-term capital gains.) For best results, keep your money in your most promising stocks — and be patient. How many mutual funds exist? — J.K., Holly Springs, North Carolina According to the Institute of Business & Finance, there were recently about 6,800 mutual funds in the U.S. — down from a peak of about 8,000. While the number of traditional mutual funds has declined, the number of exchange-traded funds — funds that trade like stocks — has been surging, growing by more than 1,000 in 2025 to total around 5,000. Both kinds of funds feature pooled

money invested in portfolios of various securities. To learn more about investing in funds, visit Morningstar.com or the “How to Invest” nook at fool.com.

Dumbest Investment: ‘Massive’ 37% gain I’ve been investing in individual stocks for more than 20 years.The Great Recession provided fantastic opportunities, and I bought some cheap stocks between 2008 and 2010. One that really haunts me is Nvidia, but not for the reason you might expect. I bought it at $7.50 per share — which, after splits, would be $0.19 per share. I was still a somewhat novice investor and hadn’t yet developed a long-term mindset — so after about six months, I sold the shares for a MASSIVE gain of 37% and never bought the stock again.After all, it was nothing more than a cyclical semiconductor company.Those shares today would be worth around 1,200 times my original investment. Ouch! — R.B., online It can be hard for newish investors to appreciate that by not reaping a 37% gain — or even a 137% gain — they may end up with a much bigger proﬁt. You shouldn’t hold stocks blindly, but if you keep up with your holdings regularly and your faith in their growth potential remains intact, hanging on for years or even decades can often deliver the best results. And if you’re ever torn about whether to sell, you could split the difference and just sell half your shares. Do you have a smart or regrettable investment move to share with us? Email it to tmfshare@fool. com.

100+ years of LSU Football history in a hardcover book

ONLY

$39.95 LSU.PICTORIALBOOK.COM

The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every weekday

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 9E

lll

MADE IN LOUISIANA Growing printer keeps its eye on the big picture Elmwood-based company counts casinos, Saints among clients

Planning for growth

BY GRACE MAYER Staff writer

Industrial-size machines create a cacophony of whirring and humming inside Crystal Clear Imaging Production’s warehouse in Elmwood — the sound of printers, laminators and sewing machines putting brand logos and images onto sturdy signs, weather-resistant tarps and yards of vinyl that will be stuck onto the sides of skyscrapers. During particularly busy periods — which is often for CCI, now that football season is underway — the machines may run 24 hours a day for weeks on end. “Super Bowls, especially, are insane,” said John Davidson, 58, the company’s chief financial officer. “It’s exhausting.” CCI’s 35-person team is known as one of the largest sports graphics and marketing materials companies in the country — and experts in executing large-scale projects. Locally, it has been known for putting wraps on downtown New Orleans skyscrapers and the Caesars Superdome. But it took about a decade of pivots and lucky breaks before CCI broke into the sports business — landing deals with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans and the Superdome in 2005 — that the company found its sweet spot and embarked on a growth trajectory that continues more than two decades later. Today, CCI prints between 300 and 400 jobs a month, including signs, billboards, and wall and building graphics, from its 25,000-squarefoot facility. Sales, which neared $8.5 million last year, are on track to grow 10% this year. If the company hadn’t landed those deals in the wake of Hurri-

PROVIDED PHOTO By CCI PRODUCTIONS

A large format printer runs at CCI Productions in Elmwood. cane Katrina, CEO Arthur Boisfon- fell through. “We basically put our houses up taine said, “We’d be starving. It was to buy this printer,” Boisfontaine all about the pivot to sports.” said. “We bought that machine for Growing the business that contract, and then that contract In 1999, Boisfontaine was work- didn’t happen.” Boisfontaine made a quick pivot. ing for a former printing company in the area but was young, rest- He started calling local casinos — less and eager to branch out on his and hit the jackpot: The business own. He approached his childhood began printing and laminating marfriend, John Davidson, the com- keting materials and wraps for slot pany’s chief financial officer, who machines for a handful of casinos. was working for a law firm at the Within six years, the company was time, with an idea born more out of working with casinos across the Gulf Coast. instinct than strategy. “He came to my house and said, ‘Look, I don’t know how to run a Casinos to sports stadiums business, but I can sell it,’” DavidIn 2005, when Katrina hit, promptson said. ing casinos to close and wiping out They each put $10,000 of their much of CCI’s business, the comown money into the business, start- pany had to change course again, ing small by working out of David- printing yard signs and other work son’s home. They printed CD covers for contractors who were competwith a handful of small copiers they ing for construction and rebuilding purchased, and gradually worked projects. As commercial clients up to bigger projects, including ve- received insurance settlements to rebuild, they would upgrade office hicle wraps. They soon landed a sizable con- spaces — which included new intetract with New Orleans that al- rior and exterior signage from CCI. Then, in December 2005, the lowed CCI to crystalize a long-term vision for the business. They bought Saints announced they were returna $400,000 printer and signed a ing to the city after briefly moving five-year lease for their first office to San Antonio following Katrina. space in Elmwood. The printer, Boisfontaine landed a meeting with which could do large-scale prints the Saints’ executive team and got a roughly the size of a sofa, was sit- contract. He chalks up persistence ting in their new, sparsely furnished in his sales pitch with winning the 2,500-square-foot office when things work.

CCI’s art department, a small room walled off from its larger warehouse space, begins each project by creating mock-ups of visuals for its clients. From there, concepts get turned into product. From a mounted wooden table the size of a semitruck, workers roll out and measure materials, from Plexiglas to vinyl to fabric. Those materials are then fed into one of the dozen industrial-size machines inside CCI’s printing facility, including latex printers, fabric printers, flatbed machines that print directly onto signs, liquid lamination and sewing machines. All the machines are denoted with various superhero names, such as Iron Man and the Bumblebee the Transformer, a hulking yellow printer that is used for CCI’s largest project, including 20-story building wraps. From the warehouse, an inhouse team will then transport and install the signage for clients. While business is brisk, CCI is facing the same headwinds battering lots of small businesses. Supply chain shortages for ink, which is made of petroleum and other chemicals that are sourced from different countries, are driving up costs. Shipping routes have changed amid international conﬂicts, which have caused delays and shortages. CCI is working on stocking up with vendors to avoid delays. “We have a big job in here right now that we’re trying to get done, and we had to wait ﬁve days to get ink,” Davidson. “Usually we have them the next morning.” As it plans for future growth, CCI is looking beyond Louisiana, where 60% of its clients are located. Boisfontaine said the company is particularly interested in healthcare and festivals, two sectors with untapped potential. “We see opportunity outside of New Orleans, too,” Boisfontaine said. “We’re going to utilize our platform to really attack some of that.”

He was equally as dogged about winning work with the Superdome, a separate account that required restoring signage and branding at the stadium, which weathered substantial damage from Katrina. “I kept showing up at the Superdome every day and ﬁnally one of the guys was like, just give this guy something,” Boisfontaine said. “We wound up winning the business to really redo 80% of all the Superdome.” They were huge accounts for CCI, which enabled Boisfontaine and Davidson to purchase and move into their current office space in Elmwood, a stout black building stretching more than 25,000 square feet a few blocks behind the Elmwood Shopping Center. Since then, CCI has worked with numerous sports teams around the country, including the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco Giants and Denver Broncos. The company also regularly does work for Nike and Adidas. It has printed materials for Super Bowls, NCAA National Championships and MBA All-Star games. “We’ve beneﬁted because there’s a lot of movement from team to team and with the management personnel,” Davidson said. “Now, we have people that worked with the Saints who are all over the country, Email Grace Mayer at grace. and they all call us.” mayer@theadvocate.com.

Working What’s

in Greater New Orleans business

with Michael Hecht President & CEO GNO Inc.

New Orleans = New Energy Last month, two alternative energy companies selected New Orleans for their new headquarters: Australian battery materials maker Sicona in New Orleans East, and advanced nuclear developer Applied Atomics in Bywater. For decades, oil and gas have made Louisiana a global energy leader, and today that same expertise is attracting cutting-edge energy technologies. Under the state’s all-of-the-above strategy, batteries, nuclear, hydrogen, renewables, and more are growing alongside traditional energy. Sicona’s path to New Orleans began on a 2025 business mission to Australia, where GNO, Inc., World Trade Center New Orleans, and Louisiana Economic Development met with the company. Sicona later acquired local battery materials startup ADVANO and is bringing production to the New Orleans Regional Business Park, located across from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, while keeping research activity at LSU New Orleans Research and Technology Park. Sicona’s New Orleans East facility is expected to produce enough material for more than 3 million battery cells, with applications ranging from data center backup systems to drones and defense. Said Sicona Founder and CEO Christiaan Jordaan: “This is our home now for what we want to do in America.”

You can read more about Sicona here

Applied Atomics, led by two former SpaceX employees, came to Louisiana through its ties to Newlab New Orleans, which GNO, Inc. and partners brought to Louisiana. The company is operating from Newlab’s beta space, while it converts a 18,500-square-foot building on Chartres Street into its headquarters, fabrication shop, and training center. The $8.2 million project will create 41 jobs averaging $121,000. No radioactive materials will be handled or stored at the site. Applied Atomics is

You can read more about Applied Atomics here

coming at a time when Louisiana’s Nuclear Strategic Framework, launched in March, targets related manufacturing, generation, and fuel work. Further, NASA is beginning to explore nuclear power for spaceships. Applied Atomics CEO Ben Kellie told The Advocate, “It’s a great location strategically and a really enjoyable place to be.” More power to you.

A greater choice for business

gnoinc.org

10E ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Global experience. Louisiana expertise. Gallagher is committed to serving Louisiana, combining client-centric service with global resources. We’re a trusted partner for businesses and individuals seeking insurance, risk management and consulting solutions.

Connect with your local broker today. AJG.com/louisiana | The Gallagher Way. Since 1927.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 1F

lll

homes.nola.com Search & Place Ads Online at classiﬁeds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM at (504) 636-7435

OPEN

enviable addresses A MUST SEE!

HOUSE

SUN 12 - 2

415 Focis Street • Heart of Old Metairie

NEW

OPEN

PRICE

HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE

NEW

PRICE

SUN

SUN 1-3

11 - 12:30

$495,000 1130 Fourth Street, Unit 1130 • Garden District $825,000

$699,900 3522 Vincennes Place • Uptown

Elegant 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2,397sqft townhome, lovingly maintained & updated. Light-filled interiors feature wood floors, chef’s kitchen, dining room, living room w/ fireplace & spacious primary suite. Enjoy covered patio, beautifully landscaped garden & rear yard, plus garage w/ off-street parking for 3-cars. Gated entry. Walk to premier shopping, dining & amenities. Shaun Talbot sktalbot@talbot-realty.com 504-975-9763 Talbot Realty Group www.talbot-realty.com 504-525-9763

#42,:+2."3";0.7.;0.;1):/;.0(:7.541.0'!*2.;3.0%6,.!&8.4)#3141.$9<<*33*9;'

Charming 2-story home on quiet street off Fontainebleau Dr. Beautiful renovation w/ wood floors throughout, 9ft ceilings, crown molding & wonderful natural light. Living & dining rooms are extra spacious. Kitchen has a lrg island & breakfast area that opens to back patio & yard. Primary bdrm suite is down, w/ 2 bdrms & bath up. 2-car drvwy & rear shed. A gem in a convenient location! Letty Rosenfeld 504-236-6834 Compass • Uptown Office 504-866-2785

Garden District condo w/ its own separate entry & private outdoor space! Shady front porch opens to this 4 Bed, 3 Bath, 2700 Sqft condo featuring high ceilings, beautiful wood detail throughout, double parlors, sunroom and chef’s kitchen overlooking the private spacious courtyard. Incredible 2nd floor primary suite. Shelley Lawrence shelleylawrence.info 504-813-8466 Ricci Real Estate shelley@riccire.com 504-372-0050

NEW

PRICE

PUT YOUR LISTING HERE!

3205 Lafitte Street • Bayou St. John

$389,000

Prime location steps from Lafitte Greenway, Bayou St. John & bike paths! Versatile property offers single-family living, duplex potential, or commercial use. Main 2+ bedroom suite features custom finishes, lofted flex spaces and skyline-view deck. Separate 1-bedroom guest suite with kitchen provides income potential. Beautifully landscaped native Louisiana gardens. Jamie Harris • 914-714-9261 Adrienne LaBauve • 504-344-0877 LaBauve Group / eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X 165

HAVE A HOME THAT’s

ENVIABLE Reach

440,000

monthly readers

415 Burgundy Street • French Quarter Units: 1B • $395,000 / 2A • $459,900 / 3A • $299,000

Call Gwen 504-300-6411

Elegantly restored Creole maisonette tucked away on Burgundy St, centered around a lush private courtyard. Renovated in 2024 with French doors, exposed beams, antique brick floors, custom kitchen, balcony, updated bath, new systems, & abundant natural light— blending historic charm w/ modern luxury near Fr Qtr dining & culture. Adrienne LaBauve • 504-344-0877 Geoffrey Green • 646-407-5435 LaBauve Group / eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X 165

VIRTUAL HOME TOURS GET YOUR

VIRTUAL HOME TOUR IN FRONT OF

50,000

PROSPECTIVE BUYERS EVERY WEEK

with a showcase listing on NOLA.com and in our weekly Enviable Addresses section on the Sunday front cover of Real Estate and Saturday InsideOut tabloid.

CONTACT GWEN ENDERLINE AT 504-300-6411 OR GENDERLINE@THEADVOCATE.COM

To place your Enviable Address, contact Gwen Enderline

GEAUX BLACK & GOLD!

AT 504-300-6411 OR genderline@theadvocate.com

2F ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

APARTMENT

New Orleans Rental

OPEN HOUSES

APARTMENT: DUPLEX 8629 Apricot St. 3Br/1Ba, Central air/heat, Section 8. No Pets $1300. 504-344-2324 APARTMENT

GENTILLY 2544 ALLEN TOUSSAINT BLVD. NEWLY RENOVATED!!! 1-2 Bdrm Apts * From $800/mo Parking * Sec Gate 504-209-8054 * 504-454-1333

METAIRIE 2720 WHITNEY PLACE UNIT #504 • $1,500/Mo

APARTMENT

2 Bdrm / 2 Bath Condo. ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED! New Carpet & ﬂrg, quartz countertops in baths. No pets. 2-yr lease. Laundry Rm on 1st ﬂoor. Guard @ night. Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616. Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

KENNER 2850 IDAHO AVENUE 1 Block to Vets & Williams All Amenities * Pool * Parking Studio/1 Bed Apt * Starting $675/Mo 504-385-5482 * 504-454-1333

APARTMENT METAIRIE

EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED AGENT IS LICENSED IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. GENTILLY TERRACE 4674 FRANKLIN AVENUE, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70122

APARTMENT

METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2 Block off Vets * by Paretti Jaguar 1 Bed * Prkg * Pool * Rent $675/mo 504-320-6958 * 504-454-1333

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347 Place a Classiﬁed ad?

1-800-960-6397

Set on a double lot, this home features wood floors, custom cabinetry, detailed millwork and French doors. Highlights include an onyx chandelier, limestone counters and a sunroom overlooking the yard. A separate lower unit offers income potential. New roof in 2022. Outside are mature landscaping, a full outdoor kitchen, large workshop, two car garage and carport.

APARTMENT

METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg 2 Bed, 1 Bath * $925 * Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 * 504-885-8060 504-454-1333

$699,000.00

APARTMENT N.O. EAST * LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

DUPLEX 4752 Francis Dr., 3BR/2BA, $1550/month Section 8 ok, Central Air & Heat 504-289-7595

OPEN SUNDAY 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

PARKVIEW 3608 ELAINE PLACE, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119

$995,000.00

AARON DARE 504-210-2014

CRANE REALTORS

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

CLASSIFIEDS.NOLA.COM

OPEN SUNDAY 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Steps from Bayou St. John in Parkview, this home features wood floors, open living and dining, granite counters and new HVAC. The oversized primary suite has a large walk in closet and rear deck access with Bayou views. Two downstairs spaces with separate entries offer flexible living or rental potential. Outside are a patio, storage shed and off street parking, with City Park and Esplanade nearby.

NEWS 24/7 ON

Place a Classiﬁed ad?

1-800-960-6397

The digital edition of today’s paper is always at your ﬁnger tips with

E-EDITION HEROES OF HOPE Thank you to all of the ﬁrst responders for keeping us safe in this time of crisis.

HIGH 88 LOW 65 MORE ON 4C

THURSDAY

SEVEN DAyS l HOME DELIVERED l LOUISIANA OWNED

APRIL 9, 2020 $1.00

7th year, No. 241

Additional jobless pay set to begin

ELEC TION 2020 PRESIDENT

THE RACE IS ON

Unemployed to get $600 more per week from stimulus package

BY SAM KARLIN

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS: THE LATEST

CASES IN LA.

652 deaths

17,030 positive cases INSIDE ä Mnuchin:

Direct deposits to start next week, 2A ä La. nursing home deaths up to 130, 5A ä More testing options available in N.O., 1B

Staff writer

Louisiana is set to start doling out supercharged unemployment benefits of $600 more a week on Monday, providing the first wave of relief to a staggering number of residents seeking aid as the coronavirus rocks the state’s economy. But as benefits begin flowing and officials project no part of Louisiana is on track to run out of hospital beds or ventilators in the coming 10 days, Gov. John Bel Edwards warned Wednesday it will be a long time before things return to normal. Until there is a vaccine and medication that can treat the virus — prospects that are months or longer away — Edwards said people will likely not see “life as you knew it before COVID-19.” Although at some point restrictions will be loosened, it remains unclear exactly what that will look like, Edwards said. The state will rely heavily on the federal government and will need far more testing, along with contact tracing and isolation of patients who later test positive, he said. “I promise you no matter what the timeline looks like, it’s going to be quicker if everyone follows the stay-at-home order,” the governor said. In the meantime, as the order is set to keep thousands of businesses closed until at least April 30, the Louisiana Workforce Commission will start paying out the extra $600 per week benefit to unemployed Louisiana

ä See JOBLESS, page 6A

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a March campaign rally in Detroit.

BY WILL SENTELL Staff writer

Louisiana public school superintendents Wednesday asked Gov. John Bel Edwards to extend his schools closure order through the end of the academic year because of the coronavirus. The request significantly boosts chances that classrooms will remain locked for nearly 720,000 public school students

and that the school year will have effectively ended for many students on March 13. “By not having students return to school facilities this school year combined with social distancing intervention there could be lessening or even prevention of further community spread of the virus,” superintendents said in their request to the governor.

ä See SCHOOLS, page 6A

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a January rally in Washington, D.C.

Sanders drops out, leaving former Vice President Biden the presumptive Democratic challenger to Trump BY WILL WEISSERT

Superintendents want schools to stay closed

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, making Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election campaign that will be waged against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Sanders initially ex- Sanders ceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to re-create the magic of his 2016 presidential bid and even overcame a heart attack in October. But he couldn’t convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination, with “electability” fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ide-

ology would be palatable to general election voters. “The path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders told supporters Wednesday. “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign, but it’s just not there.” He called Biden a “very decent man” but didn’t offer an explicit endorsement of the former vice president. Sanders said his name would remain on the ballot in states that have not yet held primaries so he can gain more delegates and “exert signiﬁcant influence” on the Democratic platform. Biden, who is backed by much of the party’s establishment, told supporters at a virtual fundraiser that he had a “short conversation” with Sanders on Wednesday. “He didn’t just run a political campaign. He created a movement,” Biden said. “That’s a good thing for our na-

$500M in contracts inked to fight virus BY SAM KARLIN and ANTHONY MCAULEY Staff writers

The state has signed contracts for more than $500 million to lease hotel rooms, to buy medical equipment and services, and to build out the hospital facilities at the Ernest N. Mo-

Business ................... 8D Classified .................. 6D

tion and our future. His campaign has ended, but I know his leadership will continue.” Trump sought to foment the tension among Democrats by tweeting Wednesday that the party stacked the race against Sanders. The president said the senator’s supporters “should come to the Republican Party.” Sanders began his latest White House bid facing questions about whether he could win back the supporters who chose him four years ago as an insurgent alternative to Hillary Clinton. Despite winning 22 states in 2016, there were no guarantees he’d be a major presidential contender this cycle. But Sanders used strong polling and solid fundraising — collected almost entirely from small donations made online — to quiet early doubters. Like the ﬁrst time, he attracted widespread

BY JEFF ADELSON and BRYN STOLE Staff writers

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Medical monitoring stations fill the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, set

New data on Louisiana’s coronavirus cases has conﬁrmed what many public health experts have long expected: The virus was widespread in the state much earlier than initially limited testing was able to show. The data, released by the state Department of Health on Tuesday, sheds new light on the march of COVID-19 through Louisiana, providing a valuable tool to researchers as they seek to gain

ä See CONTRACTS, page 6A up to handle coronavirus patients.

Comics.............. 4D, 5D Commentary ............. 7B

ä See RACE, page 4A

New data provides clearer picture of virus’s early spread

Convention Center as the Medical equipment, rial number of coronavirus patients Convention Center continues rising. The spending includes large included in spending contracts for ﬁrms that were

quickly assembled to convert the Convention Center to a stepdown facility for patients leaving area hospitals and man it with medical personnel. It also includes several multimilliondollar contracts for hospitalgrade ventilators and personal protective equipment, which

View the e-edition from the NOLA.com app

Deaths ...................... 3B Living......................... 1D

Opinion ..................... 6B Puzzles .............. 3D, 4D

Sports ....................... 1C Weather..................... 4C

ä See DATA, page 4A

in your web browser by visiting NOLA.com and clicking E-EDITION

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3F

lll

jobs.nola.com Search Place Onlines at jobs.nola.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM 8AM - 5PM at at (504) Search &&Place AdsAds Online at classiﬁeds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday - 5PM (504) 636-7435 636-7435 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Orlin Edgardo Rodriguez Ramos, contact Patricia Bonneau, Attorney, 985-966-9000. 202900-Oct 3-5, 3t $62.80

Announcements

ANYONE KNOWING THE WHEREABOUTS OF ROCAEL VILLATORO, PLEASE CONTACT AMANDA MARIONNEAUX, A. MARIONNEAUX LAW, LLC, AT 23615 RAILROAD AVENUE, PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 OR AT (225) 385-5189. 202784-Oct 3-5, 3t $88

United in Marriage and declare their commitment to one another as Husband and Wife.

Anyone with information regarding the following property or owners, please contact Attorney Shane D. Williams at 318-545-4200. Stephen C. Edmond and Jasmin Simmons-Edmond 6011 Eastover Drive New Orleans, Louisiana 202822-Oct 3-5, 3t $94.30 JTDKB20U740085829 TOYOTA is stored at 9581 Westbank Expressway, Westwego, La 70094. If all current charges are not paid and vehicle claimed by the owner by 10/23/2026 a Permit to Sell may be obtained. 202699-Oct 3-4, 2t $76.80

Employment

Golden Doodle & Retriever DoodleCKC-born 8/18/26-1st shots. 3 females, 1 male. Parents on site. Retriever-AKC-born 9/16/26-4 males, 4 females. Parents on site. $700.00 601-876-8999

Merchandise MISC FOR SALE Antique (Foreign) Tea Pots 10-12 Must See $300 Take All 504-994-7385

WANT TO BUY Old toy electric trains, any condition, Lionel Am. Flyer cash paid, 504-452-1000

1FDNF70J5NVA37203 FORD is stored at 8101 Almonaster Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70126. If all current charges are not paid and vehicle claimed by the owner by October 19, 2026, a Permit to Sell may be obtained. 202915-Oct 3-4, 2t $81 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Airlanzo Wells, individually and as the registered agent for Wells One Investment, LLC and A-1 Developers, LLC, 5 Krantz Ct, Kenner, LA, please contact N. Kim Nguyen, Attorney, 401 Whitney Ave., #515, Gretna, LA 70056, or (504)218-5946. 202910-Oct 3-4, 2t $89.40

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Gregory W. Heaslip please contact Attorney David Motter, 3500 N. Hullen Street, Metairie, LA 70002; 504-388-7005. 202995-Oct 3-5, 3t $77.50 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jack Cahill, manager of Checker, LLC please contact Attorney Kandice Doley Meyers at 504-9437071. 202901-Oct 3-5, 3t $73.30 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Nicole Alysia Andry, please contact Attorney, Yves Gelin at: (504) 638-4007. 202911-Oct 3-5, 3t $67

Hiring Positions * Superintendent * Clerk * EHS Rep * Tower Operators * Crane Operators * Mechanics * Foremans * Leaderman * Riggers * Galley Personnel * Welders * Welder Helpers * Dive Sup * Divers * Tender Email resume to: employment@morrisonenergy.com MORRISON is an equal opportunity employer GENERAL HELP Wanted: City of New Orleans Approved DBE Vendors City of New Orleans Solicitation #4752 – Street Light Maintenance and Rehabilitation Services Local Electrical Contractor in need of City of New Orleans approved DBE’s for the following trades: Licensed Arborist Concrete Demolition Concrete Supplier Masonry – Brick & Tile – Installation and Repair Tree Trimming Painting Application Method: Qualified, interested parties should please contact Harold Boydston hboydston@allstar-electric.com or Todd McDonald tmcdonald@allstarelectric.com

Legal Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Louisiana in St. Landry Parish, and Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC and Plaquemines Ex‐ pansion, LLC Terminals in Plaquemines Parish. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi‐ neers (CEMVN) will be accepting public com‐ ments on the project until October 8, 2026. To further review and/or provide comments, addi‐ tional information and plans related to the pro‐ posal may be obtained at the following website: www.mvn.usace.army. mil/missions/regulatory/ public-notices (see Ref#: MVN-2026-00308-BV). If you have any questions or would like additional information, please con‐ tact Courtland Vice with CEMVN, Regulatory Divi‐ sion at (504) 862-1349 or at courtland.l.vice@ usace.army.mil. A certiﬁ‐ cation that the proposed activity will not violate applicable water quality standards will be re‐ quired from the LDEQ be‐ fore a Department of the Army permit could be is‐ sued.

PUBLIC NOTICE -- The Louisiana Ofﬁce of the State Museum is re‐ questing proposals for a Public-Private Partner‐ ship project to design, build, furnish, operate, and maintain an in‐ door/outdoor café at the New Orleans Jazz Mu‐ seum. For more informa‐ tion go to opportuni‐ tiesinlouisiana.com.

CEMETERY PLOTS For Sale: Westlawn Cemetery. Terrace Lawn area. 2 plots $5,500. Call 504-451-8000 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beaut. 10k-14k gold diamond cross & chn $350 504-994-7385 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beaut. 10k yg Diam. Clustered Heart Ring Must See $350 504-994-7385

Teacup. POMS. Chihuahuas POODLES Miniature Goldendoodles MALTIPOOS SHIH TZUS. CAVALIER KING CHARLES Call. 504-259-2222 UTD. S/W. Pups. 595-1495. Call 4 pics. 2yr. H. G.

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beautiful 10k Gold Diamond Cluster Ring Must See! $350 (504) 994-7385 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beautiful 10k gold diamond wishbone ring. $300. 504-994-7385

202695-oct 2-20-t $93.29

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --Burns & McDonnell on behalf of Cloud Connec‐ tor, LLC is requesting au‐ thorization to construct a natural gas pipeline be‐ tween an interconnect station near Melville,

MISC FOR SALE Mens gorgeous black & gold Saints jacket, size 2X, must see! $300 (504) 994-7385

INDUSTRIAL

MORRISON DELIVERING ENERGY

Public Notices

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --Notice is hereby given by WYES Media Services, LLC as required by LSA RS 47:6007 D (1) (ii) that all creditors are to pre‐ sent their claims, if any , against WYES Media Ser‐ vices, LLC related to the production of Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey, on or before 10.13.26, at the following address: 916 Navarre Ave New Orleans, Louisiana, 70124 Attn: Finance Director 201945-sep 27-oct 4-11-3t $194.74

STAY INFORMED

201950-SEP 28-OCT 8-11T $1,405.06

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Pets

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150 CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50) AKC Miniature Schnauzers AKC miniature schnauzer gorgeous pups has all shots 5043902918 $1,500.00 504-390-2918 Beautiful puppies Yorkie puppies shots and dewormed $700.00 601543-4232 bettyparks159@gmail.com

DOGS Shih Tzu Puppies for sale. $350 Cash Only. If no response via text, please call 504-418-3046

For the latest news, sports and entertainment, download the NOLA.com app

French Bulldog Pup AKC Merle Pup Male! call 504-723-8131 $2000 OBO debramcrowe@gmail.com http://frenchiesdeaux.com

Mugs, shirts, hats, posters, books.

Something for everyone at the T-P Store!

STORE.NOLA.COM

GONZALES CEMENT AND BRICK CONCRETE CONTRACTOR Any size job Servicing New Orleans & Northshore area

Sidewalks, Patios, Driveways, etc.

Ray Gonzales 504-458-7278

NO JOB TOO SMALL!

SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS

504-236-2375

504-466-3712

www.hurricanefenceneworleans.com All types of Fences Exclusive Pre-Stained Cedar Fences

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement is Your JellyFish Lighting Dealer All In One Exterior Lighting Solution Controlled from your smart device anywhere

TRIPLE BBB

Make your holidays a lot easier with the Versa Lift Attic Elevator Prices start at $2795 12 month no interest financing available CALL 504-466-3712 Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement

Security-Accent-Holiday-Game Day Lighting Trim - Patio - Landscaping FREE ESTIMATE • 504-466-3712 1 yr no interest financing

Pool Enclosures • Patio Covers • Rooﬁng Siding • Glass Rooms • Screen Rooms Sofﬁt • Fascia • Windows & Screens

JAMES H. BALL, SR.

P R ES I D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

R.J. LABORDE CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • REMODELING & NEW CONSTRUCTION

An Affordable Quality Builder for Over 25 Years • Room Additions • Custom Kitchens • Custom Baths

• Carport Enclosures • Garages • Plumbing Repairs

• Window Replacements • New Roofing & Repairs • Concrete Work

Call for Estimates: 504-885-5224 / 504-250-7139 Your Plans or Ours ~ Licensed and Insured

Building Homes & Remodeling

NOW SERVICING THE NORTHSHORE & SOUTHSHORE!

o D c e to e

CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.

Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding *Must Dial Area Code*

504-341-2006 FREE ESTIMATES!

License and Insured and Professionally trained

Corinne Fox REALTOR®

“Connecting You to the Soul of New Orleans One Home, One Neighborhood, One Passion at a Time!”

m 504.239.1481

o 504.861.7575

corinne.fox@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/corinne-fox 7934 Maple St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Licensed by the State of Louisiana

504-467-6998 Fax 504-467-6708

ABLE TREE SERVICE 50+ YEARS LOCAL SERVICE $2 Million Liabilty Insurance • Worker’s Comp NEVER A COMPLAINT TO THE REMOVAL STORM PREP

WE RECYCLE YOUR TREES

TRIMMING STUMP REMOVAL

50 4 - 828 -1532

To advertise here, please call 225-383-0111 or visit us at servicedirectory.nola.com

4F ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Order your Reprints

PRESERVE YOUR MEMORIES AND PUT THE KEEPSAKE ON DISPLAY

Memorialize your special day with quality reprints of any newspaper page.

Reproduced directly from our original newspaper, these custom-printed reproductions make an ideal gift to mark birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates.

SHOP TODAY! store.nola.com

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 1S

lll

When the Power Goes Out,

Life Goes On.

Keep your home powered during any outage. Install Now & Receive

12YR

PowerPlus

WA R R A N T Y Exclusive Offer Valued at $1,499

TURN-KEY INSTALLATION

Plus get $500 off installation Generac Automatic Standby Generator

12-YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED

FINANCING AVAILABLE

Louisiana’s #1 Full Service GENERAC Dealer

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER

Covington | Scott | Baton Rouge | Kenner

Free In-Home Quote

504.217.7384 OptimizeGP.com

2S ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Our 12-Year Power Plus Warranty picks up where other warranties end.

How You Benefit from 12-Years of Full Coverage: • Longest full coverage warranty in the industry • Transferable coverage if you sell your home • Backed by trusted local experts • Faster repairs with no long delays • Peace of mind for years to come

Warranty FAQ’s: Q: What does “full coverage” mean. A: Full coverage means parts, labor, travel, and major components are included. Q: Do I need to pay extra for this? A: We give you 12 years with no additional cost. Q: What products does it cover? A: The 12-year warranty is included on all Generac Air Cooled unit purchases. Q: How do I keep my warranty active? A: For all manufacturer and dealer warranties, generators must have maintenance performed every year. Our warranty requires that we perform the maintenance to ensure proper upkeep and protect your investment.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER

Covington | Scott | Baton Rouge | Kenner

Free In-Home Quote

504.217.7384 OptimizeGP.com

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3S

lll

easy application 18 MONTHS 0.00%

SYNCHRONY 37 MONTHS 5.99% FINANCING 88 MONTHS 7.99% Schedule Your Free In-Home Informative Quote

Meet with our Optimize team. Get the specific information and recommendation for installation on your home: Safe Generator location, required clearances, kW size/NEC load circulation, install details, Optimize install process, and receive your specific quote.

Meet With an Install Designer & Complete the In-Home Assessment • Location of generator • Size required • How it works • How install happens • Qualify for financing • Answer questions • Location of generator • kW sizer report • Install details • Total Price

Schedule Installation

Air Cooled Generators (Most Common) Ai

• Reliable backup power for essential home systems • Coverage for a typical-sized home during occasional outages

steps to completion

Receive a Written Quote

Not All Home Standby Generators Are The Same

Best for homeowners who want:

GENERATOR INSTALLATION

Air-cooled standby generators make up about 90% of the systems Airinstalled inst in our area. They use an engine similar to what you’d find in a lawn law mower or motorcycle. Air-cooled units run at 3600 RPM and are designed for emergency use lasting days to a couple of weeks. During extended outages, they may consume more oil and require more frequent oil checks.

• Pick install date • Pay Down Payment • Sign Agreement

Permits & Engineering

• Engineering Review • Apply for permits • Contact Utilities • Get Approvals Required

Installation Day

Liquid Cooled Generators (Premium Heavy-Duty Option)

Liquid-cooled generators are a higher-performance option built with larger, heavier-duty engines, similar to a small truck engine with a radiator cooling system like a car.

Best for homeowners who have: • Larger homes with heavy electrical loads • Homes running two AC systems or more

Liquid-cooled units come in both 3600 RPM and 1800 RPM models. The 1800 RPM models are widely considered the most durable and reliable standby generators available, designed for longer run times, quieter operation, and reduced wear.

• Install Pad or Stand • Install Transfer Switch • Install Gas Lines • Install Generator • Complete electrical • Complete gas work

After installation Day • Have inspections done • Inform utilities • Gas meter upgrade by utility • Schedule final walk through

We specialize in stocking premium 1800 RPM models for homeowners who want the very best.

Final Walk Through

Not sure which type is right for your home? Our team can size the perfect generator based on your electrical load, lifestyle, and outage history. Call us today.

If you have...

Recommended Type

Typical home, occasional outages

Air-Cooled

Large home, multiple AC units

Liquid-Cooled

Rural area with long outages

Liquid-Cooled (1800 RPM)

Budget-focused backup power

Air-Cooled

Maximum longevity + quiet operation

Liquid-Cooled

• Load test generator • Explain basics • Deliver paperwork • Offer maintenance • Collect balance

Full Service Dealership • GENERAC Warranty Repair • Maintenance Group Plans • Full Service After Storms • Dedicated Repair Technicians • Dedicated Maintenance Technicians • After Hours - On Call Service Awarded Top Service Dealership in North America for 2021 & 2024 by GENERAC

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER

Covington | Scott | Baton Rouge | Kenner

Free In-Home Informative Quotes

504.217.7384 OptimizeGP.com

OPTIMIZE has been the largest Louisiana Generator Dealership since 2019 and now is Nationally recognized as among the Top 5 Largest GENERAC Dealerships. OPTIMIZE is 100% Focused on Home Standby Generators. Install, Maintenance & Repair.

4S ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Power You Can Count on

All Year Long.

TURN-KEY INSTALLATION

12-YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED FINANCING AVAILABLE

Keep your home powered during any outage. Install Now & Receive

12YR

PowerPlus

WA R R A N T Y Exclusive Offer Valued at $1,499

Plus get $500 off installation Generac Automatic Standby Generator

Louisiana’s #1 Full Service GENERAC Dealer MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER

Covington | Scott Baton Rouge | Kenner Offers cannot be combined and are not valid on previous purchases. Must be presented during sales consultation. Limit one per household. Financing subject to qualification. Warranty included with purchase of Generac air-cooled system and maintenance plan. Terms and conditions apply and subject to change. See dealer for details. Must be installed by 11/30/2026.

Get a Free In-Home Quote

504.217.7384 OptimizeGP.com

Make a little salt taste like a lot PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

S U N D AY, O c t O b e r 4, 2026

Molly Kimball 1N

Groups help musicians get health insurance Nonprofits help performers pay premiums

BY OLIVIA ALDRIGE KUT in Austin

STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Coffee breakdown Is coffee good or bad? It depends, Louisiana expert says.

Contributing writer

Q&A WITH DR. CARL ‘CHIP’ LAVIE

Dr. Carl “Chip” Lavie has been a cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans since 1989, specializing in preventive cardiology, obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, and advanced cardiac imaging. He has been an active researcher with more than 1,900 medical articles. Lavie published his ﬁrst paper on the effects of drinking coffee 15 years ago, at a time when public perception was that caffeine and coffee were bad for you. Is that how you first became interested in the health effects related to coffee consumption? Coffee is one of the most commonly consumed pharmacologically active beverages across the world, with over 50% of Americans above the age of 18 drinking coffee on a daily basis, and another 30% of the population consuming it occasionally. The remarkably high prevalence and frequent consumption of this beverage is a big opportunity, because even small health effects from coffee — positive or negative — could translate into

thing negative about coffee’s effects on us. This narrative suggested that its stimulatory effects could raise blood pressure and cause adverse effects on our health and well-being. But as we engaged in studies, the data we had told a different story: that low to moderate coffee consumption was neutral or potentially even beneﬁcial for cardiovascular health. So it seems like our understanding of coffee has really been on a journey. Middle Eastern doctors appear to have understood that there was something beneﬁcial about consuming coffee for more than a thousand years. But as PROVIDED PHOTO recently as late last century, there was a debate over whether coffee could be ABOVE: Dr. Carl ‘Chip’ Lavie is a raising cancer rates. cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart The narrative now seems to be shifting back. and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. How long has the medical field understood that TOP: A barista pours a shot of coffee into coffee might be doing something positive for us? a cup in March at Flora in New Orleans. It really has been a recent thing. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, there was a suggestion that there could be some large effects on public health. It just so happens that for decades, ä See COFFEE, page 2X the public narrative was saying some-

BY MATT HAINES

AUSTIN,Texas — Musician Zack Morgan jokes that when he lost his corporate job in 2015, it was like being pushed off a cliff. For years, he said, he’d been playing both sides of the Austin coin: tech worker by day, funk keyboardist by night. “Maybe this is my sign to try the full-time music thing,” Morgan recalled thinking. “Step one in that was: Get health insurance again.” Austin bills itself as “the Live Music Capital of the World,” but it can be unaffordable for the artists who provide the city with its cultural cachet — and help drive its tourism revenue. Morgan has supported himself by patching together gigs with a number of bands. To help pay for health insurance, he turned to a local nonproﬁt, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. “That’s part of being able to make this whole thing work,” Morgan said. HAAM subsidizes the monthly insurance premiums of local musicians who purchase plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. To fund the roughly $4 million program, it works with Central Health, a public agency that provides healthcare resources for low-income residents of Austin and surrounding Travis County. Many of the performing artists pay $0 toward monthly premiums. After more than a decade, including through the coronavirus pandemic, the assistance program has become an established and reliable ﬁnancial support for Austin’s musician community. This year, after Congress failed to extend pandemic-era subsidies, premiums skyrocketed for many ACA plans. A recent report found that 5 million people nationwide

ä See MUSICIANS, page 2X

KUT NEWS PHOTO By ySA MENDOZA

Zack Morgan plays keyboard for a number of bands in Austin, Texas. He’s been a full-time musician since 2015. He turned to an Austin nonprofit to help afford health insurance.

More moments. More memories. GET SCREENED Breast Cancer Awareness

Claire C. | Breast Cancer Patient

2X ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Man has minimally invasive, robotic-assisted lung surgery The single-port approach Procedure by allows surgeons to operate through a single incision usTulane surgeon ing similar robotic technolaccording to the Mayo is first performed ogy, Clinic. Single-port robotic surgery has been used in in Louisiana other specialties for several

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

A Tulane surgeon performed the ﬁrst lung resection in Louisiana, Arkansas or Mississippi using robotic-assisted technology that reduces post-surgical pain and lengthy hospital stays, the university’s school of medicine announced. Dennis O’Neil, 77, was in recovery for colon cancer when imaging found malignant cancer cells in his right lung. He would need a lobectomy, the removal of a section of a lung called a lobe. Instead of performing traditional open surgery, which involves a large incision up the torso and rib-cracking, Dr. Wassim Abi Jaoude performed a minimally invasive technique in July at LCMC’s East Jefferson Hospital using a single port.

years, such as for lymphedema and prostate cancer care. The single port allowed Abi Jaoude to complete the operation through one incision, 3 to 4 centimeters long, below O’Neil’s rib cage. By avoiding the spaces between the ribs, the approach reduces irritation to the nerves along the spaces between ribs and the chest wall. “This advancement represents a major step forward in thoracic oncology,” said Abi Jaoude, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine. “By utilizing a single incision, we can offer our patients enhanced surgical precision alongside signiﬁcantly reduced pain and faster recovery times.” Open surgery typically takes between three and six

surgery, including pulmonary lobectomies, in 2025 after a six-month clinical trial period at multiple U.S. institutions. The ﬁrst successful lung resection using robotics was in 2021 in a 70-year-old woman who was operated on for 31/ 2 hours and went home three days later. O’Neil, Louisiana’s first patient, went home two days after his surgery. Bringing the single-port thoracic surgery program to the hospital required months of education, simulation, laboratory training and credentialing for Abi Jaoude. Members of the cardiothoracic operating room team also completed specialized training. “We are still pioneers and KENNy LASS / TULANE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE early adopters,” Abi Jaoude said. “The fact that we are Wassim Abi Jaoude, right, shakes hands with Dennis O’Neil, the patient who became the able to offer this technique first person in Louisiana, Arkansas or Mississippi to undergo a single-port robotic-assisted at East Jefferson through lobectomy for lung cancer. Tulane is a milestone in creating a center of excellence hours because it requires a Early clinical experience hospital stays and faster for thoracic oncology.” larger incision and spread- across major U.S. medical return to baseline activities. ing of the ribs. The in-hos- centers shows reduced postThe FDA cleared the use Email Margaret DeLaney pital stay is usually up to a operative pain, lower nar- of the da Vinci Single-Port at margaret.delaney@ week long. cotic requirements, shorter robotic system for thoracic theadvocate.com.

MUSICIANS

members with an independent insurance agent who helps them find the best health plan for their needs. The nonprofit then offers members a monthly subsidy of $100. The subsidies are a way of keeping Denton’s culture of jazz and “weird art rock” alive, said the collaborative’s president, Jennifer Kapinos. “More and more people were maybe graduating college and leaving and going to find better opportunities in other places,” Kapinos said. “People who had lived here a long time suddenly were finding it harder and harder to afford to be here.” In Austin, other sectors have been watching HAAM’s work. In 2025, Good Work Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for restaurant workers, launched

a small pilot program with Central Health to help local food workers enroll in Sendero plans and cover their premiums. Kit Abney Spelce, vice president of operations for Central Health, said partnering with an advocacy group focused on a particular workforce is key because simply announcing “free insurance for you” doesn’t mean people will sign up. “We are very much dependent on our partner entity to go out and connect with the community, to have that relationship and that trust,” she said. Though premium payments often increase year over year, the 2026 plan year was particularly expensive, increasing by 58% on average. Citing medical and pharmacy costs, Sendero raised rates by an average of 16% for its enrollees. At the same time, Congress allowed the pandemic-era enhanced premium tax credits to expire, reducing the federal subsidies that many marketplace customers relied on. “Our premiums for our members went up 60% from one year to the next,” Blair said. HAAM stepped up its fundraising into 2026, but it wasn’t enough to cover everyone who requested assistance. They had to turn away hundreds of qualiﬁed people. Still, they were able to buffer existing members, said Spelce with Central Health. “We’re going to make sure their monthly premium is paid every month,” she said. Beyond the eligible musicians they turned away in 2026, another population remains out of HAAM’s coverage reach for premium

assistance: Austin’s poorest residents. Under the ACA, the marketplace plans that HAAM helps subsidize are for lowand middle-income earners, but the people with the very lowest incomes — below 100% of the federal poverty level, set at about $15,000 — are supposed to be covered by expanded Medicaid. But Texas is one of 10 states that chose not to expand Medicaid after the ACA became law, so many of the poorest Texans remain uncovered. With no federal subsidies available for that group, HAAM and Central Health have tried to develop separate solutions for this subpopulation. Central Health has its Medical Access Program, an alternative to health insurance that gives low-income, uninsured people access to a network of local care providers. HAAM has also established relationships with primary care providers to serve its uninsured members — but Blair acknowledges it’s not an equivalent beneﬁt to what Medicaid expansion would offer. “It’s not a very sustainable solution, especially when there’s a really good alternative,” Blair said.

people that would most benefit from drinking coffee, and others who would most benefit from avoiding it? I have not reviewed or studied coffee consumption during pregnancy. But, as I mentioned, super-high doses could worsen some heart rhythm disturbances, so people with serious ventricular rhythm disturbances, for example, may be best advised to limit consumption to one to two cups per day. On the other hand, people struggling with obesity or insulin resistance, such as those with metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes could beneﬁt the most from

incorporating coffee consumption into their daily routine. Is all coffee consumption created equal, or are there some do’s and don’ts we should consider? Black coffee is probably better, but the studies do not completely answer this question. It seems obvious that sugar and heavy creams can have adverse effects and could negate some of coffee’s benefits, at least theoretically. If you want milk in your coffee, nonfat milk is probably a smart option. Another thing to think about is that unfiltered coffee is worse than filtered, because unfiltered coffee

preparation methods like with a French press contains higher levels of diterpenes. These compounds signal the liver to produce more LDL cholesterol, which is not a good thing. Is there anything else you want readers to know about how coffee drinking might affect their health? We are still learning a lot, and there are randomized controlled trials that need to be conducted, but what seems increasingly clear is that the beneﬁts of low to moderate coffee and caffeine consumption outweigh the risks. I think that is important information for the public to understand.

Continued from page 1X had dropped the coverage. HAAM helped blunt the impact for its members. It has emerged as a potential model for other cities hoping to make healthcare more affordable for key populations and industries. Texas had the highest uninsured rate among states, with 19% of people age 64 and under uninsured, as of 2024. Even before the launch of the ACA marketplace in 2014, HAAM had spent a decade connecting musicians with free and low-cost care at clinics and hospitals in and around Austin. But roughly 85% of HAAM members remained uninsured, leaving them exposed when traveling to gigs in other cities and states. “When the Affordable Care Act came out, and we knew it was here to stay, it really made sense for us to start getting our musicians fully insured,” said Rachel Blair, HAAM’s chief strategy ofﬁcer. Similar nonproﬁts in other U.S. cities with strong live music cultures, such as Seattle, New Orleans, and Nashville, Tennessee, help musicians get medical care. With the advent of the ACA, some of these organizations began helping musicians navigate the sometimes complex enrollment process for the online marketplaces, though they stopped short of pitching in on premiums. But the team at HAAM recognized that without direct support to help pay premiums, many of their members would still struggle to retain coverage.

KUT NEWS PHOTO By SHUNyA CARROLL

Austin-based Latin-folk singer Gina Chavez plays on the steps of the Texas State Capitol in 2025 for the HAAM Day Music Festival, an annual fundraiser for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. “When you think about the average HAAM member making about $30,000 a year, there’s no way that they would be able to spend a third of their income on healthcare,” Blair said. The organization’s membership has grown by 77% to more than 3,300 people since HAAM began offering premium assistance, and more than 90% of members are now insured. To help subsidize costs for members, HAAM partnered with Central Health, which is Travis County’s public hospital district — a type of health agency in Texas charged with using tax dollars to fund safety net healthcare for low-income residents. Central Health also operates the nonproﬁt Sendero Health Plans, which offers marketplace insur-

ance to Travis County residents. To qualify, HAAM members must enroll in one of Sendero’s silver-level, or benchmark, plans. If their income is between one and two times the federal poverty level, Central Health pays the balance of their monthly premium after federal tax credits are applied. For members who fall above that income range, HAAM offers a more limited subsidy, covering 50% of their premium balances. In 2017, HAAM helped set up a similar program in Denton, a college town north of Dallas that has served as a testing ground for successful musicians, from Meat Loaf to Norah Jones. The Denton Music and Arts Collaborative works differently: It connects

COFFEE

Continued from page 1X beneﬁts, but most of the evidence has only been accumulated in the past 15 to 20 years. Part of what confused the data before this was a notable subgroup of our population that were both chain-smoking and very heavy coffee drinkers. This made it look like there were risks related to coffee that should have actually been attributed to smoking. Let’s get to the benefits that have been uncovered.What have you found? Research suggests that coffee can help lower risks of high blood pressure, obesity, atrial ﬁbrillation, stroke and potentially lower risks of cardiovascular diseases including coronary heart disease. The data also shows it may help reduce insulin resistance which could lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. My focus is on the heart, but research has also linked coffee consumption with a reduction in depression, asthma, certain malig-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

A Brick Street Coffee employee serves up a drink in June at the restaurant in Minden. nancies, liver disease, GI diseases and even in slowing cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Is this a situation where the more coffee we can consume in a day the better? That deﬁnitely wouldn’t be my recommendation. I would suggest somewhere between one to four cups per day. There is some data to suggest that much higher doses

of coffee could be connected to higher mortality rates, at least in young people under age 55. There is also some connection between coffee consumption and an increase in premature ventricular contractions, which are extra abnormal heartbeats that are most often harmless. There seems to be some evidence that, for example, pregnant women should limit the amount of coffee they drink.Are there groups of

This article is from a partnership that includes KUT, NPR, and KFF Health News. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ 3X

lll

Eat Fit Live Fit B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

Salt: how to make a little taste like a lot

alt has become one of those ingredients we’re conditioned to think of as something to eliminate. But sodium isn’t inherently bad. It’s an essential nutrient that helps regulate fluid balance and hydration, and supports normal nerve and muscle function. The key is getting the amount that’s right for you. General guidelines recommend limiting sodium to 2,300 mg daily, and closer to 1,500 mg for many people with high blood pressure. In last week’s column on blood pressure, we explained how sodium isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some of us are more salt-sensitive than others, while someone working or training for hours in Louisiana heat may be losing significant amounts of sodium through sweat. So, if we’re going to use salt, there’s another question worth asking: How can we make a little salt taste like a lot?

Put Salt Where You’ll Taste It

Instead of salting throughout the cooking process, consider building flavor in other ways and strategically using smaller amounts of salt. There’s science behind this. How salt is distributed within a food can influence how salty we perceive it to be. In one study, researchers were able to reduce sodium by up to 25% while maintaining perceived saltiness simply by changing where the salt was positioned within the food. Even the shape of the salt crystals can matter. Research comparing different types of salt found that certain crystal structures, including Maldon sea salt flakes, have up to 17% greater perceived saltiness at the same sodium content. This is one reason I love using flaked sea salt as a finishing salt. Think wholegrain sourdough, toasted and drizzled with olive oil, then finished with just

a few flakes. Those little bursts of saltiness hit your tongue directly rather than dissolving into the entire dish. Chef Meg Bickford, executive chef of longtime Eat Fit partner Commander’s Palace, takes a similar approach in the kitchen. “Our dishes are typically seasoned multiple times throughout the cooking process to build complexity and nuance,” said Bickford. “That seasoning does not always need to include salt.” Instead, she builds flavor through caramelized aromatics, acids, spices and plenty of fresh and dried herbs. “I love acid. I crave it,” said Bickford. Lemon juice is one of her favorites when reducing sodium, along with rice wine and sugarcane vinegars. She also uses an abundance of fresh herbs, including parsley, thyme, tarragon, basil and chives. After building those layers of flavor, Bickford said salt can be added at the very end, giving us greater control over how much ultimately lands in the dish.

Is Sea Salt Actually Lower in Sodium?

A teaspoon of coarse sea salt may contain less sodium than a teaspoon of ﬁnely ground table salt. But that’s mostly

red salt traditionally gets its color from iron-rich volcanic clay, while gray salt picks up different minerals and clay from the salt beds where it’s harvested. Some Hawaiian-style black salts are actually sea salt blended with activated charcoal. And yes, those trace minerals are really in there. Pink Himalayan salt, for example, contains more calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron than ordinary white salt. But we’d have to consume an excessive amount of sodium to obtain nutritionally signiﬁcant quantities of those minerals. So when it comes to specialty salts, use them if you enjoy their ﬂavor, color and texture – but don’t consider them a mineral supplement.

Don’t Forget Iodine

because of density: those larger, irregular crystals don’t pack as tightly, leaving more air between them, compared to the more finely ground salts – so less actual salt fits onto the spoon. Compare them gram for gram, however, and they’re essentially the same in sodium. That’s not to say that specialty salts don’t have other benefits. Pink Himalayan salt gets its color from trace minerals, including iron. Hawaiian

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonproﬁt initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media. Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

There’s one key nutritional difference worth noting: iodized table salt provides iodine, an essential mineral needed to make thyroid hormones. If you’ve completely replaced iodized salt with sea salt, Himalayan salt or other specialty salts, make sure you’re getting iodine elsewhere. Seafood, dairy and eggs can provide it, and many multivitamins contain iodine. The recommended daily amount for most adults is 150 mcg, so check the label.

Bottom Line on Sodium

Finally, keep in mind that our palates can adapt. Research suggests that when we consistently eat less sodium, our preferred level of saltiness can gradually drop as well. The goal doesn’t have to be eliminating salt altogether. Build ﬂavor with acid, herbs, spices and aromatics, and add salt where it delivers the greatest impact. Salt can still have a place at the table – we just don’t need it doing all the work.

Research: Schoolchildren leaving critical thinking to AI dpa (TNS) WASHINGTON — Schoolchildren are dispensing with analytical thinking as they increasingly lean on artiﬁcial intelligence, a fast-changing technology that many teenagers struggle to understand, a new survey shows. The research, published in August by U.S.-based media advice organization Common Sense Media, showed that pupils are forego-

ing “critical thinking” as the use of chatbots in the classroom expands. Around 40% of those asked said they suspected that using AI is not helping them learn, agreeing that relying on chatbots means they generate fewer ideas of their own. Around six in ten of the approximately 1,000 participants that use AI do so to get an answer to their schoolwork, with a quarter not bothering to rephrase the response and 31% changing the wording to

make the response sound like their own. In cases where schools block AI platforms, six in ten pupils turned to personal devices to access chatbots for help with assignments. However, almost three-quarters of those surveyed said they have not been instructed or advised how to use AI “safely.” “Students understand that AI threatens learning, but the reality is that it is too tempting and con-

venient for them to look the other way,” said Common Sense Media chief executive Jim Steyer, who called on adults to provide children with skills to use the technology “responsibly.” Previous research has suggested that adults — including those in elite professions — are as susceptible as teenagers to letting AI do their thinking for them. In 2025, Microsoft found multiple signs of reduced cognitive effort

and less critical thinking in a survey of over 300 knowledge workers. The latest findings were published as another poll showed that, for the first time, a majority of young adults are “more concerned than excited” about AI, with only 10% of under-30’s feeling “excited.” Published by the Pew Research Center, the survey found 52% of all age groups deeming themselves as concerned that AI could lead to mass unemployment.

Study eyes connection between climate change and ER visits BY WILLIAM TONG

The Dallas Morning News (TNS) DALLAS — Across the country, at least a quarter of emergency room visits for heat-related illness may be attributable to human-caused climate change, researchers from Climate Central, a nonproﬁt group, estimate in a new study. Published in the September issue of Climatic Change, a scientiﬁc journal, the researchers’ peer-reviewed analysis suggests climate change contributed to about 27% of heat-related ER visits in the U.S. during warm seasons from 2018 through 2025. Heat-related illness is on the rise across the United States. Yale School of Public Health researchers found that heat-related deaths increased by more than 50% between 2000 and 2020. “Our healthcare system is pretty strained, when we think of emergency medicine in particular,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central. “This data is giving us a baseline that we know we’d be building on if we continue warming our planet.” Climate change’s impact on ER visits varies by region, Dahl’s team found. In the Southern Plains area containing Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico, the researchers estimated human-caused climate change contributed about 25% to the rate of heat-related ER visits. While climate change generally contributed to a bigger share of the rate in regions with milder

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS FILE PHOTO By SMILEy N. POOL

A person walks on a warm day in Dallas. Heat-related illness is on the rise across the United States. summers, the South still had a higher absolute rate due to humancaused climate change, researchers wrote. They estimated about 57 of every 100,000 ER visits in the region containing Texas were for climate change-contributed heat illnesses. On average, about 225 of every 100,000 ER visits in the re-

gion were heat-related. Dahl said climate change’s contribution to heat-related illness will likely grow without major human actions to reverse course. To calculate their results, Climate Central scientists estimated what temperatures might have looked like in a world without hu-

man-caused climate change. They used those temperatures to predict rates of ER visits for heat-related illness in the modeled world, and used the difference from actual visit rates as an indicator of climate change’s contributions. Dahl said this method is based on two decades of environmental science,

and that there are well-established relationships between temperature and hospital visits for heatrelated illness. Still, the study’s methodology provides only a rough approximation of climate change’s impact on ER visits, said University of North Texas health professor Kai Zhang. His research group studies the impact of climate change on public health. Humidity and weather variations within the study regions also play a role in ER visit rate estimates, Zhang said. And, because many hospital visits in which excessive heat played a role might be recorded with an alternative main complaint such as cardiovascular disease, official figures on heat-related ER visits are likely undercounts. It’s hard to retroactively determine which specific deaths resulted from human-made climate change, but the broad shifts in weather that we are experiencing will most likely exacerbate not just heat-related, but other illnesses in the U.S., Zhang said. “As a result of changing climate, we will see more and more extreme weather events,” Zhang said. “Extreme heat, extreme cold, hurricanes, flooding.” Dahl hopes her team’s research can help public health systems adapt to changing climate. “Because most heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable, there’s a lot we can do with this information to help reduce the burden of hot summers,” Dahl said.

4X ✦ Sunday, October 4, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

More moments. More memories. GET SCREENED

Claire C. | Breast Cancer Patient

Getting screened today means peace of mind tomorrow. At Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, you’ll ﬁnd expert cancer care close to home, backed by leading specialists, advanced technology, and a partnership with one of the nation’s top cancer centers. If we ﬁnd something, you won’t have to search for answers – you’re already in the right place, with a team ready to guide you every step of the way. It’s a simple step today that your future self will thank you for. Book today: ochsner.org/EndCancer.

Breast Cancer Awareness

SUNDAY, OctOber 4, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

ROSEBUDS / by Supr Dee

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters 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 words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — dePArted: dih-PARtid: Having died, especially recently. Average mark 44 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in DEPARTED?

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Sudoku

ken ken instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

instructions: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “range oF moTion” By zHouQin BurniKeL aCross 1 Beauty entrepreneur Elizabeth 6 Resort near Snowbird 10 28-Across flow 14 Captain with an ivory leg 18 Frisbee maker 19 Like samosas and wontons 20 Vein contents 21 Spanish “nothing” 22 *Motto of a calligraphy enthusiast? 25 Turning point? 26 Mono- kin 27 Brand of kitchen gadgets 28 Sicilian peak 29 Locale for clam diggers 31 Weapon in Clue 34 *Transgressions included in textbooks? 36 Second chance for a student 38 Canonized Mlle. 39 In the style of 40 Like much music of the 1990s 43 Jaguar’s roar 45 Inexact no. 47 Birds similar to crows 52 *Devoted followers of painter O’Keeffe? 56 Dessert that may have a lattice crust 58 Alfa __: sports cars 59 Cause of a quick blessing 61 College official 62 Chemical suffix 63 Scratchy sound 66 Most twisted 68 Indoor rowers

69 Part of LGBTQ+ 71 *Timepiece worn by a “Star Wars” pilot? 74 Actress Arthur 75 Video file format 77 Country that borders 14 other countries 78 Jekyll’s counterpart 80 __-pitch softball 83 Off the mark 85 Sudden bursts 88 46-Down deliverer 90 Trial version of a puzzle app, e.g. 92 *Dropping hints about the release of a director’s cut, perhaps? 95 Take the wheel 96 Hill worker? 98 User without an account 99 Small ensemble 100 Assn. 102 Hard water? 105 Backspace over 107 *Blueprints for a new wardrobe? 113 Nonconformist 117 Invisible ink? 118 “This instant!” 120 Accessory for a fish tank 121 Versailles monarch 122 Rotary phone part 123 *Like a sawmill without disposal facilities? 127 Walking pace 128 Piece in Azul or mahjong 129 Patronage 130 Spanish boys 131 Concludes 132 Sunrise locale 133 “Hey, c’mere!” 134 Like a haunted house down 1 Just terrible

2 River past Arles 3 Classmate of Beavis 4 AED-trained pro 5 Zero chance 6 __/ace: LGBTQ+ orientation 7 In real time 8 Saw things? 9 Lover of Aphrodite 10 Chop (off) 11 Playground retort 12 Put on a pedestal 13 Criticize harshly 14 Symbols in Egyptian iconography 15 Capital city that’s home to Turtle Tower 16 Embellish 17 Naive ones 19 Series of setbacks, in slang 23 Travel permit 24 Like sprinters 30 In short supply 32 Hip-hop pioneer from Compton 33 Those, in Tijuana 35 Support for a driver 37 Little ones 40 Fantasy monster 41 Very bright 42 “I need a ride home” 44 “I’ll be!” 46 Public address 48 “I’ll be!” 49 Marian Anderson, for one 50 “It’s Too Late” singer Carole 51 Scenographer’s designs 53 Like many horror films 54 Genre for Talking Heads 55 Repeated word in a Doris Day classic 57 Works in a

gallery 60 Concealer target 64 Moo __ shrimp 65 Relay 67 Hesitant around strangers 70 Reach consensus 72 Govt. intel org. 73 Bank deposit? 74 North Atlantic hazard 75 GQ and Cosmo 76 Exam for HS jrs. 77 Reuben bread 79 “Stop right there”

goren Bridge

81 “The Real” cohost Love 82 Approximately 84 Deft 86 “R u kidding!?” 87 Root veggie 89 Subsequently 91 Flower on Mississippi’s state quarter 93 Swarm (with) 94 Christmas and Easter 97 “__ we meet again”

wuzzLes

101 Take turns 103 “Mi __ es su ... “ 104 Catch in a snare 106 Wyoming range, or when read as three parts, how the answers to the starred clues were formed? 107 Sundae topping 108 Like swifts, but not Swifties 109 Prim and proper 110 Hits the brakes 111 Matters of

opinion? 112 Sushi bar bottles 114 Supermodel Shayk 115 “The Weir” playwright McPherson 116 __-face: smooching 119 Social media labels 124 Get in a pool 125 Trivial complaint 126 Shaving brand

super Quiz

Options

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

South’s jump to three spades showed a maximum with fourcard support. It was possible to be off the ace-king in a red suit, but North was not the type to worry. He blasted into slam after learning that South had three key cards. Zero or three but surely three on the bidding. South won the opening trump lead in hand with the jack and saw that a successful heart finesse would see the contract home safe. A threethree diamond split, or the fall of the 10, would provide 12 tricks without the need for a finesse. South led a spade to the king and a spade back to his ace, drawing trumps. He followed with a low diamond toward the queen, as the contract was always cold if West held the ace of diamonds. West had to duck or give up the twelfth trick, so the queen took the trick. South came back to his hand with ace of clubs to lead a low diamond. West had to duck again, so South took dummy’s jack and cashed the king and queen of clubs, discarding the nine of diamonds from his hand. He led a diamond to West’s ace and West had to lead a heart or give up a ruff-sluff, the contract making either way. Had East been able to win the first

SUBJECT: FAMOUS LINES (Example: Sir Francis Bacon: “_____ is power.” Answer: knowledge.) FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. “To be or not to be, that is the _____.” Answer________ 2. From what film is “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Answer________ 3. “Call me Ishmael” is from Herman Melville’s “Moby-_____.” Answer________ 4. From what film is “Here’s looking at you, kid”? Answer________ 5. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is from the novel “_____.” Answer________

diamond and shift to a heart, South would have risen with his ace and cashed all his black-suit winners. He would still have had excellent chances to make his contract, although it would not have been cold. Nicely played! Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely _____.” Answer________ 7. Who said, “I have a dream”? Answer________

8. This saying is often attributed to Winston Churchill: “If you are going through _____, keep going.” Answer________ 9. Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box of _____. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Answer________ 10. Which president said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”? Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. Who said, “I think, therefore I am”? Answer________ 12. Who said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”? Answer________ 13. Ben Franklin: “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are _____.” Answer________ 14. Alexander Pope: “To err is human; to forgive, _____.” Answer________ 15. Who said, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind”? Answer________

zodiaC LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Discipline is your way to completion and the freedom it brings, knowing that you did your best. Don’t let pent-up energy and emotional angst dismantle your calm, leaving room for mistakes and regret. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Live and learn. Don’t trust others to do things for you. Someone will make your life difficult by using pressure tactics to get their way. Stand by your word. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to build. Make your home your retreat, entertain the people who enrich your life,

and cultivate the projects that satisfy you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Distance yourself from those you can’t count on or trust. Focus on tidying up loose ends and closing doors that no longer offer resources you can use. Rethink your position. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Assess your finances, then consider how to lower your overhead. Setting a strict budget and checking into programs that enhance your earning potential look promising. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) An unexpected change will surprise you. Be open to alternatives, and you’ll

discover a positive path that will encourage you to pursue what makes you happy. Put a budget in place. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t fool yourself into thinking things are what they are not. Put your emotions aside and be realistic, and you’ll discover an outlet that far exceeds your expectations. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Observation is necessary. If temper and stubbornness set in, you’ll face domestic situations and partnership problems that leave you exhausted and in limbo. Be smart, say and do little, and protect your heart.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) A change of plans will favor you. Be open, objective and smart in how you retaliate. Kind but clever responses will help you gain respect and the momentum you require to reach your goal. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Engage in activities and events that touch you intellectually and physically. Anything that can enhance your appearance and boost your spirits will encourage you to interact more with people you find appealing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Proceed with caution. Don’t start something you can’t finish. Domestic and partner-

ship issues will surface if you are too demanding. Use your Leo charm and make whatever you want others to buy into appealing. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Check out vocations that interest you. Attend seminars, trade shows or events that offer insight into how you can use your skills and attributes in ways more suitable to your lifestyle and enjoyment. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Question. 2. "Gone with the Wind." 3. Dick. 4. "Casablanca." 5. "A Tale of Two Cities." 6. Players. 7. Martin Luther King Jr. 8. Hell. 9. Chocolates. 10. Franklin D. Roosevelt. 11. Rene Descartes. 12. Theodore Roosevelt. 13. Dead. 14. Divine. 15. Neil Armstrong.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine. — Isabel Allende

word GAme Answer dare dart darted date dater dead dear deed deep deer deet depart deter drape drat dread eared

eater pare part parted pate pear peat peer pert petard peter prate predate adder adept aped aper

arete rapt rate read reap reed repeat tape taper tapered tare tarp tear teared teed trade trap

tread tree

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers