The Acadiana Advocate 07-28-2025

SCHOOL STYLES

Shopping foruniformscan be complextask

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It’sone of the busiest,most underrecognized times ofthe year:backto-school shopping season

Parents take to the stores in droves this time of year, navigating school supply lists, uniform regulations and the opinions of their children on tailoring and style. There areno holiday events as payoff for allof the errandsand expenditure—just dwindling shelvesas familiesrace to get their kids outfitted before school starts.

In Lafayette andsurrounding parishes, students attend amix of public, private, parochial and charter schools. This only enhances the complexity of uniformshopping, since each system has different regulations for their students—not to mention the different styles,col-

Groundbreaking is Wednesdayfor boutique lodging

BY ADAM DAIGLE

Acadiana business editor

An 83-room hotel planned for downtown Lafayette could be a market leader in leisure travel as the most uniquehotel in the region, afeasibility study indicates. The $19 million Hotel Lafayette, a32,000-square-footfull-service boutique hotelplanned forthe corner of Taylor and Vermilion streets, can leverage its location andproximity to restaurantsand event venues and its unique offerings when it opens, possibly in September 2026, according toa

gating what schools want, against what thestudent in questioniswilling to wear. Herdaughter,who is 7, avidly prefers uniform dresses to pants or shorts, and Aucoin takes that into account when shopping sales for her

“It may be interestingtransitioning to later grades, when uniform dressesare phased out. They’ve opened the door to jeans, which is arelief for alot of parents, but not something normally in hercloset,” she said.

orwaysand patterns associated with individual schools.

Lafayette resident Hope Aucoin hasadaughter in the Lafayette Parish school system, and says that one of the biggest challenges for parents in purchasinguniformscan be navi-

“That’skind of thenature of uniforms —the limitation in choice Butatsomepoint yourun up against what’s most comfortable for your child.”

JaniceLeBlanc, owner of Uniformity in Lafayette, sees thousands of families pass through hershop this

Builder challenges ruling on lawsuit

Judgesayscontracts youngsvillecouple signed with D.R. Horton notenforceable

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

When the chief judge of East Baton Rouge Parish’sdistrict court last weekrejected the arbitration contract aYoungsville couple signed before buying theirhomefromresidentialdeveloper D.R. Horton, it wasthe first pivotal domino in a series of potential developments for alawsuit against one of the nation’slargest homebuilders. The July 22 ruling made by 19th Judicial District Judge Donald Johnson preserves plaintiffs West andAlicia Dixon’sright to pursue theirlawsuit against D.R. Hortoninstate court. There, ajury could one day render the final verdict on whether the mold, humidity and water intrusionissues that persist in their four-bedroom homederive from a faulty HVAC system the Texas-based builder had installed in the residence when it was erected. If thecompanyisheldliable,ajury wouldalso determine howmuchD.R. Horton should paythe family in damages to fix the problems. D.R. Horton hasinsistedfor thelastthreeyears that an arbiter should make those decisionsina different forum —anarbitration proceeding under construction industry rules. While arbitration is generally considered acheaper and fasteroption than court, plaintiff attorneys say the construction industry arbitration is “prohibitively expensive” andcould cost the Dixons well over $10,000 in fees and filing costs.

Attorneys for D.R. Horton will continue to press the issue, despite Johnson’sfinding that the sales contracts the Dixons signed were not binding nor enforceable. The contracts included arbitration and delegation clauses that said all legal disputes wouldbesettled by aprivatearbitrator,not in a court’sjurisdiction.

Studyindicates downtown hotelwould be profitable

reportfrom HVSConsulting and Valuation of New Orleans.

Actual projectionsfor thehotel were redacted,but thebusiness should reach astabilized level of

The ownership group, downtown officials and other public figureswill hold agroundbr eak in gc eremonyat5 p.m Wednesday. The hotel’saffiliation with Bayou Teche Brewery, which is expected to open in a 4,500-square-foot eventspace,will also make it a draw,the report indicated. Among commercial travel, however,the hotel’slackofanational brand couldput it behind others in the region, the report indicated The hotel is also likely to limit groupdiscounts because its room count is smaller than other hotels. But the hotelis expectedtooffer special-event rentals of the pool area andrestaurant that could promote it as an attractive outlet for meetings and special occasions, thereport indicated.

STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD BOWIE

EmployeeMaggie Seymour,right, helps April Box,second from right, as she shopsfor school uniforms for hersons, Mason, left, and Nathan at Uniformity on Thursday.

EmployeeAvery LeBlanc, right, assists Laura Breaux as she shops for school uniforms with her daughter,BlakelynBreaux,on Thursday.

Israel again intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship

TEL AVIV Israel

The Israeli military has intercepted a Gazabound aid ship seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists and seizing all cargo, including baby formula, food and medicine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Sunday

The coalition that operates the vessel Handala said the Israeli military “violently intercepted” the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication, just before midnight Saturday

“All cargo was nonmilitary, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal blockade,” the group said in a statement.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X early Sunday that the Navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore.

It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza, where food experts have for months warned of the risk of famine. Activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship Madleen when it was seized by the Israeli military in June. In May, the coalition’s civilian aid ship Conscience sustained a drone attack off Malta that disabled the vessel.

Police seek attacker in deaths of couple in Ark.

WEST FORK, Ark. — Police in Arkansas were searching on Sunday for the attacker in the deaths of a couple who investigators said were attacked while on a wooded walking trail with their two young daughters.

Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday at Devil’s Den State Park in Washington County in a suspected homicide, Arkansas State Police said Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members

Officials described the attacker as a White male wearing dark shorts, a dark ball cap, sunglasses and fingerless gloves. He was seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan with a license plate partly covered by tape.

The car, possibly a Mazda, may have been traveling on Ark 170 or Ark. 220 near the park in a rural, wooded area with limited cellphone service police said Shea Lewis, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said that rangers had stepped up patrols at Devil’s Den. There was no information about a possible motive, officials said.

Extremist rebels capture town in central Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia The extremist rebels of al-Shabab seized control of the central Somali town of Mahaas on Sunday after an assault involving explosions and a ground offensive, according to witnesses Mahaas, in the central region of Hiraan, is located about 220 miles north of the federal capital, Mogadishu. The town is a key government outpost and a critical center in the fight against al-Shabab, which for years has been fighting to overthrow the federal government and impose Islamic law The rebels entered the town after federal and local forces withdrew, according to residents and local officials.

“There were multiple suicide blasts just outside the town early this morning, and heavy gunfire followed,” said Ahmed Abdulle, an elder in Mahaas, speaking to local media.

Government troops and allied militias, known as Ma’awisley, pulled back shortly before alShabab fighters entered the town, he said.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Mahaas through its affiliated media channels, saying it was now in control there

Terrorism counts sought in knife attack

Authorities say suspect stabbed 11 shoppers at Mich. Walmart

BY MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, RYAN SUN and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A man accused of entering a Walmart in Michigan and randomly stabbing 11 shoppers before being detained by bystanders in the store parking lot is expected to face terrorism and multiple assault counts, authorities said Sunday Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said a motive behind the attack by Bradford Gille of Afton, Michigan, remains unclear Gille, who Shea said had “prior assaultive incidents as well as controlled substance violations,” said very little as he was arrested. The man is expected to be charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder

Shea praised the quick response by law officers who arrived within three

Employees

minutes of receiving the call about the stabbing — as well as a group of bystanders who intervened and detained Gille in the parking lot of the store in Traverse City The community of about 16,000 people is along Lake Michigan.

Gille entered the store at 4:10 p.m. and remained there for some time before the attack began, authorities said. Calls began

coming in to authorities at 4:43 p.m. on Saturday and a sheriff’s deputy arrived at 4:46 p.m.

He said the “remarkable” efforts likely prevented others from being harmed, adding a 3 and 1/2 inch (nearly 9-centimeter) cutting blade was used in the attack.

“I cannot commend everyone that was involved enough,” Shea said at a

news conference. “When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute.”

Gille remained jailed and his name did not appear Sunday in Michigan’s online jail records. Messages left Sunday with phone numbers and an email listed for Gille were not immediately returned

His previous court cases did not have an attorney’s name listed in public records. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg told reporters that the terrorism charge will be brought due to the fact that the attack impacted the community, rather than one individual.

“It’s something that is done not to individual people, not to those individual victims — obviously they are most affected but it is, we believe, in some ways done to affect the entire community to put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis,” Moeggenberg said. “So that is why we are looking at that terrorism charge.” Shea said the 11 victims were both men and women and they ranged in age from 29 to 84 and included one Walmart employee. Munson Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr Tom Schermerhorn, speaking at Sunday’s news conference, said one patient was treated and released; two were in serious condition; and the rest are in fair condition. All were expected to survive.

Israel starts daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas

Tel Aviv allows ‘minimal’ aid as hunger grows

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, TIA GOLDENBERG and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

The Israeli military Sunday began limited pauses in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war

The military said the “tactical pause” from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, all with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory

United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel’s decision to support a “oneweek scale-up of aid” and said “some movement restrictions appear to have been eased.” But he said action needs to be sustained, vast and fast.

“Whichever path we

others, if at all. “We saw the planes, but we didn’t see what they dropped,” Samira Yahya said in Zawaida in central Gaza. “They said trucks would pass, but we didn’t see the trucks.”

Some people feared going out and having a box of aid fall on their children, Ahmed al-Sumairi said.

choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Images of emaciated children have fanned criticism of Israel, including by allies who call for the war’s end. Israel has restricted aid to Gaza’s population of over 2 million because it says Hamas siphons it off to bolster its rule, without providing evidence. Much of the population squeezed into ever-smaller patches of land, now relies on aid.

As the military had

warned, combat operations continued otherwise Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 41 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 26 seeking aid.

“I came to get flour for my children because they have not tasted flour for more than a week, and thank God, God provided me with a kilo of rice with difficulty,” said Sabreen Hassona, as other Palestinians trudged along a dusty road carrying sacks of food from the Zikim crossing.

But aid came slowly for

IS-backed rebels attack church in

Congo, killing at least 34

BY JUSTIN KABUMBA and OPE ADETAYO Associated Press

GOMA, Congo Islamic

State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader.

Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burned.

“The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,” Duranthabo said.

Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on

the floor of the church.

Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock.

At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani.

“They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,” Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP

Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force armed with guns and machetes.

Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack However U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 7 miles from Komanda and

fled before security forces arrived.

Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was “a town where all the security officials are present.” He called for immediate military intervention, warning that “the enemy is still near our town.” Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath.

The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni.

Israel’s military said 28 aid packages containing food were airdropped, and said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery It said the steps were made in coordination with the U.N. and other humanitarian groups. The U.N. World Food Program said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It has said nearly half a million people were enduring famine-like conditions.

Antoine Renard, WFP’s

country director for the occupied Palestinian territories, said around 80 WFP trucks entered Gaza, while another over 130 trucks arrived via Jordan, Ashdod and Egypt. He said other aid was moving through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. He stressed it was not enough to counter the “current starvation.”

Gaza saw 63 malnutrition-related deaths in July, including 24 children underage 5, the World Health Organization said. Dr Muneer al-Boursh, Gaza Health Ministry’s director-general, called for a flood of medical supplies to treat child malnutrition.

“This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn’t turn into a real opportunity to save lives,” he said. “Every delay is measured by another funeral.”

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TRAVERSE CITy RECORD-EAGLE PHOTO By JAN-MICHAEL STUMP

and customers wait outside the Traverse City, Mich., Walmart on Saturday while law enforcement investigates a stabbing attack.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians on Sunday over the northern Gaza Strip.

Thai, Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks

BY JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press

BANGKOK Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, a spokesperson for the Thai prime minister’s office said Sunday. This comes following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end a deadly border dispute now in its fourth day, which has killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 218,000.

Jirayu Huangsap said Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will attend Monday’s talks in response to an invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim “to discuss peace efforts in the region.” Anwar has been acting in his capacity as this year’s chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet late Sunday night on several social media platforms confirmed his participation as well.

“I will lead (the) Cambodian delegation to attend a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur hosted by Malaysia, co-organized by the United States and with participation of China,” he said. China is a close ally of Cambodia, and had early in the fighting urged the two nations to resolve their differences peacefully, but Hun Manet’s statement appeared to be the first mentioning a Chinese link to Monday’s planned talks.

Trump posted on the Truth Social social network Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following the

U.S. president’s conversation with Phumtham.

Phumtham thanked Trump and qualified Thailand’s position, saying it agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for “sincere intention” from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Sunday said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spo-

Tom Lehrer, song satirist and

mathematician, dies at 97

BY GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Tom Lehrer

the popular and erudite song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died. He was 97.

Longtime friend David Herder said Lehrer died Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did not specify a cause of death. Lehrer had remained on the math faculty of the University of California at Santa Cruz well into his late 70s. In 2020, he even turned away from his own copyright, granting the public permission to use his lyrics in any format without any fee in return. A Harvard prodigy (he had earned a math degree from the institution at age 18), Lehrer soon turned his very sharp mind to old traditions and current events.

His songs included “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “The Old Dope Peddler” (set to a tune reminiscent of “The Old Lamplighter”), “Be Prepared” (in which he mocked the Boy Scouts) and “The Vatican Rag,” in which Lehrer, an atheist, poked at the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church. (Sample lyrics: “Get down on your knees, fiddle with your rosaries. Bow your head with great respect, and genuflect, genuflect, genuflect.”)

Accompanying himself on piano, he performed the songs in a colorful style reminiscent of such musical heroes as Gilbert and Sullivan and Stephen Sondheim, the latter a lifelong friend. Lehrer was often likened to such contemporaries as Allen Sherman and Stan Freberg for his comic riffs on culture and politics and he was cited by Randy Newman and “Weird Al” Yankovic among others as an influence.

He mocked the forms of

music he didn’t like (modern folk songs, rock ’n’ roll and modern jazz), laughed at the threat of nuclear annihilation and denounced discrimination.

But he attacked in such an erudite, even polite, manner that almost no one objected.

“Tom Lehrer is the most brilliant song satirist ever recorded,” musicologist Barry Hansen once said. Hansen co-produced the 2000 boxed set of Lehrer’s songs, “The Remains of Tom Lehrer,” and had featured Lehrer’s music for decades on his syndicated “Dr Demento” radio show

Lehrer’s body of work was actually quite small, amounting to about three dozen songs.

“When I got a funny idea for a song, I wrote it. And if I didn’t, I didn’t,” Lehrer told The Associated Press in 2000 during a rare interview “I wasn’t like a real writer who would sit down and put a piece of paper in the typewriter. And when I quit writing, I just quit. It wasn’t like I had writer’s block.”

3 killed in German train derailment

BY STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press

BERLIN A regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany on Sunday killing at least three people and seriously injuring others, authorities said. Federal and local police said the cause of the crash near Riedlingen, roughly 98 miles west of Munich, remains under investiga-

tion. Photos from the scene showed parts of the train on its side as rescuers climbed atop the carriages.

It was not immediately clear how many people were injured. Roughly 100 people were onboard the train when at least two carriages derailed in a forested area around 6:10 p.m

Storms passed through the area before the crash and investigators were seeking to

determine if the rain was a factor

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a post on social platform X, said he mourned the victims and gave his condolences to their families

Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s main national railway operator, said in a statement that it was cooperating with investigators. The company also offered its condolences.

ken with the foreign ministers of both Thailand and Cambodia urging them “to de-escalate tensions immediately and agree to a ceasefire.”

Her statement added that the U.S. “is prepared to facilitate future discussions in order to ensure peace and stability” between the two countries.

The fighting flared Thursday after a land mine ex-

plosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.

Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes

Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning home.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the

contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements.

Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery into Surin province, including at civilian homes, early Sunday He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers.

Battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added.

“Cambodian attacks remain irregular and may constitute violations of rules of engagement, posing further risk to border communities,” said the Thai military’s daily summary of the fighting issued Sunday night.

BY MINGSON LAU and JEFF MARTIN Associated Press

Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane’s landing gear, authorities said.

American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a “possible landing gear incident” during its departure from Denver on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The problem involved an aircraft tire, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in a statement

The Boeing 737 MAX 8

carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, American said.

Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway Passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus.

Shay Armistead, a 17-yearold from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene.

“I started grabbing my friend’s hands, I was like ‘Oh my God,’ and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,” she said. “It was just terrifying.”

One of the passengers was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines said.

After hearing a loud “boom,” the plane “started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,” Armistead told The Associated Press in an interview Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened.

Lehrer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SAKCHAI LALIT

A house is damaged Sunday after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Surin Province, Thailand.

BY WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

EDINBURGH, Scotland The United States and the European Union agreed on Sunday to a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods, staving off at least for now — far higher imports on both sides that might have sent shock waves through economies around the globe.

The sweeping announcement came after President Donald Trump and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen met briefly at Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland. Their private sit-down culminated months of bargaining, with the White House deadline Friday nearing for imposing punishing tariffs on the EU’s 27 member countries

“It was a very interesting negotiation. I think it’s going to be great for both parties,” Trump said. The agreement, he said, was “a good deal for everybody” and “a giant deal with lots of countries.”

Von der Leyen said the deal “will bring stability it will bring predictability, that’s very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.”

As with other, recent tariff agreements that Trump announced with countries including Japan and the United Kingdom, some major

STYLES

Continued from page 1A

time of year The store specializes in uniforms for area private schools, and the floor was buzzing last week as shoppers rifled through shoe boxes, sized up pants and hunted down fresh Oxford shirts.

LeBlanc knows that it’s often a stressful experience for parents, and she’s been in the uniform business long enough to know a few tricks of the trade. She has a few tips on how to shop more efficiently, and even cheaply, in the lead-up to the first day of school.

Her No 1 tip? Look at resale stores and Facebook groups first

“Many resale shops in the Acadiana area have school uniform sections with pieces in excellent condition,” LeBlanc said “And if you have a uniform swap group for your school, you can often find the pieces you need and post your own pieces in excellent condition for other parents to buy.”

However, LeBlanc emphasized that no matter where you shop, it’s important to start early in the season She said that most uniform

HOTEL

Continued from page 1A

operation by its fourth year, the report indicated.

“Our analysis reflects a profitable operation,” the report said The hotel is also entering what it described as a dynamic market of various product types and price points. Last year, hotels in the market had 222,422 nights in which a room was occupied, the highest since 2012, data shows Occupancy rate topped 70.3%

details remain pending in this one.

Trump said the EU had agreed to buy some $750 billion worth of U.S energy and invest $600 billion more than it already is in America as well as make a major military equipment purchase. He said tariffs “for automobiles and everything else will be a straight across tariff of 15%” and meant that U.S. exporters ”have the opening up of all of the European countries.”

Von der Leyen said the 15% tariffs were “across the board, all inclusive” and that “indeed, basically the European market is open.”

At a later news conference away from Turnberry, she said the $750

shops run their biggest sales between April and June, with very few discounts available after the Fourth of July

Her second most important tip is to make sure you’re only buying what you need. “Three uniforms per child can be plenty,” she said.

“Make Sunday and Wednesday nights your laundry nights.” Uniforms are designed to be hardy and they aren’t cheap — so make the pieces count.

Finally, she said that parents will find a smoother experience when they allow for enough time for restocking and alterations.

She said that “Stores will run low on the smallest and largest sizes quickly, so have reasonable expectations and allow a full 10 days if your store needs to order anything for you. Alterations can take up to 10 days as well, when everyone needs skirts and pants hemmed in July.”

Good luck out there — and may all your sizes be in stock. Lafayette parish schools start in less than two weeks, with staggered start dates beginning Aug. 7.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

last year, which was above the national average. That’s the highest since 2016, a time when there were 100 fewer hotel rooms in the market, data shows.

The report also cited the strengthening local economy, thanks to job growth within the manufacturing, technology and health care sectors that have offset hits taken from falling crude oil prices.

“The trends reflect an overall healthy market, with demand generated by expanding local employers and new businesses,” the report indicated. “The increasing

billion in additional U.S. energy

purchases was actually over the next three years and would help ease the dependence on natural gas from Russia among the bloc’s countries.

“When the European Union and the United States work together as partners, the benefits are tangible,” von der Leyen said, noting that the agreement “stabilized on a single, 15% tariff rate for the vast majority of EU exports” including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

“Fifteen percent is a clear ceiling,” she said. But von der Leyen also clarified

that such a rate wouldn’t apply to everything, saying that both sides agreed on “zero for zero tariffs on a number of strategic products,” like all aircraft and component parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials.

It is unclear if alcohol will be included in that list.

“And we will keep working to add more products to this list,” she said, while also stressing that the “framework means the figures we have just explained to the public, but, of course, details have to be sorted out. And that will happen over the next weeks.”

In the meantime, there will be work to do on other fronts. Von der Leyen had a mandate to negotiate because the European Commission handles trade for member countries But the commission must now present the deal to member states and EU lawmakers, who will ultimately decide whether or not to approve it.

Before their meeting began, Trump pledged to change what he characterized as “a very one-sided transaction, very unfair to the United States.”

“I think both sides want to see fairness,” the Republican president told reporters.

Von der Leyen said the U.S. and EU combined have the world’s largest trade volume, encompassing hundreds of millions of people and trillions of dollars and added

that Trump was “known as a tough negotiator and dealmaker.”

“But fair,” Trump said. Trump has spent months threatening most of the world with large tariffs in hopes of shrinking major U.S. trade deficits with many key trading partners. More recently, he had hinted that any deal with the EU would have to “buy down” a tariff rate of 30% that had been set to take effect.

But during his comments before the agreement was announced, the president was asked if he’d be willing to accept tariff rates lower than 15%, and he said “no.”

Their meeting came after Trump played golf for the second straight day at Turnberry, this time with a group that included sons Eric and Donald Jr. In addition to negotiating deals, Trump’s five-day visit to Scotland is built around golf and promoting properties bearing his name.

A small group of demonstrators at the course waved American flags and raised a sign criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who plans his own Turnberry meeting with Trump on Monday

Other voices could be heard cheering and chanting “Trump! Trump!” as he played nearby

On Tuesday, Trump will be in Aberdeen, in northeastern Scotland, where his family has another golf course and is opening a third next month. The president and his sons plan to help cut the ribbon on the new course.

diversification of industries has contributed to the area’s economy, and the overall outlook is positive.”

The hotel will get a break from sales and hotel taxes from the Downtown Economic Development District in its first years. The hotel will receive:

n 100% of the 1% sales tax generated in the first two years.

n 100% of the 2% hotel tax generated in the first four years.

n 50% of the 2% hotel tax generated in the next three years.

The hotel will charge a base rate of $160 per night, according to an economic evaluation by Stephen

Barnes and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Revenue to the EDD after those first two years should top $40,000 by the third year but $140,000 by the 10th year, the report indicated. Parishwide hotel and sales tax revenue could top $1 million after 20 years.

The hotel is a joint project with Sans Souci Properties, The Thrash Group and Tandem Hospitality Group. Sans Souci Properties is led by the investor group of Gus Rezende, Ryan Pecot, BJ Crist and

John Peterson. “It’s a symbol of what’s possible when this community decides to invest in the future,” said Kevin Blanchard, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority “This group of local investors bought that site with the idea of building something that was truly transformative. It took time, vision and patience, but the result is a project that honors our past and helps anchors the economic future of downtown Lafayette.”

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Customers line up to check out at Uniformity as families prepare for the upcoming school year on Thursday

CLICK’N BRICKS

ABOVE: Ellie Parker, 2, plays with Legos while sitting in a big tub filled with Legos during Brick Fest Live, a LEGOinspired event, at the Cajundome in Lafayette on Friday

RIGHT: Lauren Liu, left, and her son Landin, 4, build a tower with Legos during Brick Fest Live on Friday STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

LSU’s campus could get its own ZIP code

House passes bill that would unify campus mail delivery

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer

LSU could be in line to get its own ZIP code thanks to a bill the U.S House of Representatives passed last week.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow R-Baton Rouge and the university say the change would make mail deliveries to the campus more efficient.

“The House passed a bill I co-sponsored and strongly supported to give Louisiana State University its own zip code,” Letlow said in a post on X. “It’s time for a unique campus ZIP code so we can ensure efficient services for the growing community at LSU!”

ly Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool — have fallen into other ZIP codes, according to Letlow’s office.

“This has led to issues in delivering mail to the correct location in a timely manner, which unifying the entire campus within one ZIP code would help fix,” Letlow’s office said.

In a statement, Zach Labbé, LSU’s public relations coordinator, said having multiple ZIP codes can result in missorted mail, meaning time-sensitive items like checks and grant applications may occasionally be delayed. Having a single ZIP code would reduce that risk, he said.

BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writer

Most of LSU is contained in the 70803 ZIP code. But as the campus has grown, other departments — such as the Board of Supervisors, the Office of Communications and University Relations and the LSU Ear-

“The measure allows USPS to modernize an outdated addressing system, ensuring that every LSU property shares the same ZIP code,” Labbé said. “Unifying the code will reduce mail errors, expedite emergency access, prevent financial or research delays, and simplify campus visits for students, parents and partners.”

When Calvin Duncan spoke last month to a group of teen students in a New Orleans courtroom, he offered a seemingly modest regret from his youth.

Activist releases memoir after Angola Duncan

“First, don’t make the mistake I made when I was 14, shoplifting for clothes,” said Duncan, 62. “That ruined my life.” It wasn’t the crime so much as the mugshot. Five years later, it led authorities to pluck Duncan, then 19, from a Job Corps program in the mountains of Oregon and haul him back to New Orleans to face a capital murder charge. What followed was a flawed 1985 conviction, a life prison sentence and a 28-year odyssey for Duncan to clear his name in the killing from behind bars, as he became perhaps the most successful inmate counsel inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. In “Jailhouse Lawyer,” a memoir released this month, Duncan and appellate attorney Sophie Cull chronicle a childhood in New Orleans, raised as an orphan in an abusive home, and Duncan’s remarkable evolution behind bars as he maintained his innocence in the crime that landed him there.

ä See MEMOIR, page 4B

Lafayette’s Latin Music Festival expands to two days

BY ANGELINE MATHEWS | Contributing Writer

Lafayette’s Latin Music Festival will expand to two days for the first time later this year The festival will be Oct. 3-4 at Parc International with music, food and cultural celebrations, officials with the Asociación Cultural Latino-Acadiana announced.

The organization kicked off preparations recently with a gala launching the festival’s official poster and jingle at the LITE Center with an evening of dancing, music and authentic Latin cuisine from local restaurants, including La Carreta, Taqueria el Mexicano, Patacon Latin Cuisine and Empanada Guy

“Our inspiration is always music,” cultural association President Andrea Schulze Ingram said “Music is our way of blending cultures. The festival is our way of showing everyone that Latin people are part of the entire Acadiana community.”

The festival will be 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 3 and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 4. Admission is $10, with free entry for children under 12 and seniors 65 and older

Ingram said she hopes the celebration connects Latin youth in Lafayette with their cultural roots while showcasing Hispanic heritage to the broader Acadiana community

The cultural association provides community services including donations to those in need and language classes.

Letlow

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

The U.S House passed a bill that would create a unique ZIP code for LSU in an effort to make mail delivery more efficient.

Stateshould increase the homestead exemption now

In 1980, the Louisiana homestead exemption was $75,000. The median house price was $85,000.

The median house price in Louisiana today is approximately $240,000. If the ratio of the exemption compared to the median house price remained the same, the homestead exemption today would be over $200,000. Property taxes are reassessed every four years. However,if there is asignificant change to theproperty (suchasnew constructionorrenovations),the tax assessor may make an interim assessment in between these four-year cycles. Furthermore, if the homeowner fails to pay the property tax, the local government can sell the property at auction to collect unpaid taxes. Hasthe homeowner become the tenant and the government the landlord?

The original intention of the homestead exemption was to protect homeowners and enhance their financial security. Homeowners are the backbone of afree society.They pay most of the taxes, do more to improve ourcommunities, are law-abiding and extremely family-oriented.They are the glue that holds our society together Louisiana’shomestead exemption should be increased now to reflect the 1980 ratio of exemption to median home prices. In other words, if the median house price is $240,000, the homestead exemption would be $211,200. Therefore, as home prices increase, the homestead exemption would increase at the same 1980 ratio. All homeowners would benefit, especially lowincome and middle-classhomeowners. Lower property taxes would attract newcomers to our state, it would encourage our residentsto stay,and the demand forsinglefamily dwellingswould increase dramatically Ahome should be aman’s castle, not acash cow forthe government.

JOSEPH E. BELLANDE III

Chalmette

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Protectblack bears, at least untilthere’s an accurate count

As aboy in the 1950s, Iwent on several bearhuntsinthe swamps near Avery Island and havesince becomeanadvocatefor our official state mammal.

In 1987,atthe urging of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service zoologist Ronald Nowak, who had studied theuniqueness of Ursus americanus luteolus, Ifiled theoriginalpetition to list the Louisiana black bear as athreatenedspecies.

In 1992, in responsetomysuit against the U.S.Fish andWildlife Service, thebear was listed, and thepopulation has been recovering with critical habitat being recognized in federal court in 2005. The last official count wasconducted in 2006 in the coastal region using infrared photography and hair snares. Nonetheless, with no updated count,the bear wasdelisted in 2016, and we are now in the second year with an open bear hunting season.

As alifelong hunter,Ienvision afuture when hunting bears in Louisianawould be

feasible, but we are far from it.

Several thingsneed to happen

First,weneed to set agoal forabear count that would readily rebound from hunting depending on habitatsunder consideration, it could range from 5,000 to 6,000 (one-third of the estimated population circa 1900).

Second, we need an updated count using current technologies.

Third, we need to partner with neighboring states within the bear’shistorical and actual range (where Louisiana black bear hunting remainsillegal) to protect areas vital to the bear’sexistence.

This year,the LouisianaDepartment of Wildlife and Fisheries will issuebylottery 26 permitstohunt black bears. Nonhunters and those hunters who are particularly bad shots are encouraged to apply; all others should wait until we have an accurate count.

HAROLD SCHOEFFLER Lafayette

Cuttingrenewable energy credits short-sightedand will hurt Louisiana

In thearticle “How Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise and Donald Trumpgot the OneBig Beautiful Bill Passed,”Scalise is quoted as saying, “A lot of people wrotethis bill off as dead.”

We can only wish it were.

There’sbeen lots of media attention to the harmsthisbill will cause to not only the nation’spoorest, but also to all Americans inheritingarecord-breaking deficit that could easily beresolved by appropriately taxing thesuper-rich. But let’sfocus on the short-sighted elimination of theInflation Reduction Act’srenewable energyincentives. Because this makes no senseeconomically,let alone environmentally

parently,Trump’spersonal obsession with eliminating anything Joe Biden innovated “trumps” America effectively competing in afast-growing global industry.How is that “America First?”

Irespectfully ask Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy toexplain their votes forabill that eliminates green energy incentives, and why they align themselves with an administration that, despite scientific data proving that fossil fuels accelerate global warming, willfully dismisses climate change as an existential threat.

Health care system can be fixed, if we have thewill

Back in the 1980s, Iwas asecretary forthe World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Igot apretty good overview of health care systemsand problems around the world, from cancer, AIDS,mother and child health, vaccination, tropical diseases, etc.

At one point, it becameobvious to me that the United States was somesort of outlier in the world. The American health care system wasbased on profit, exclusion of ordinary illnesses, lies, gamesmanship and trickery.It’sakind of bait-and-switch system that plays with human lives. The American system is called a“health scam”by the rest of the world. Iremember thinking: “Why don’tthey just call someone and ask them how to create ahealth care system that works forpeople?” Iwas young. Ithought somehow the American governmentjust didn’tknow how to do it. That was 45 years ago. While Americans donate massive amounts of money into corporate “health scam”profits, what return are they getting on the investment? The U.S. is 48th in lifeexpectancy.The devastation of the system includes premature death, high disease rates, drug addiction, homelessness, bankruptcy,food insecurity,crime, etc. The unnecessary suffering that people endure cannot be calculated; however, we all experience it in one way or another.Maybe it’stimethe U.S. woke up and madethat phone call. The world is watching. We are all waiting.

JOAN FOX NewOrleans

Column correctly called Landry to task

TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet 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.

According to theEnergy Institute, in 2024, windand solar energy were thefastest growingofall energies. China produced 57% of these, with solar almost doubling in two years. This bill, in slowing down American production of renewables and EVs, will help speed up China’sdominance while strangling alreadyunderway American projects. Ap-

Coastal Louisianaisalready feeling the effects of global warming; this will only get worse without legislation and regulation. But this administration has deliberately weakened the EPAand NOAA, and the congressional majority,trapped in an echo chamber of “talking points” and outright propaganda, and afraid to challenge afickle and corrupt president, is happy to play along. Their combined legacy will be catastrophic.

FRANCESCA KELLY NewOrleans

Public broadcasting lost supportwhenitbecametoo leftist

In response to Mark Romig’s guest column on theimportance of supporting theCorporation for Public Broadcasting. Iagree. Butour family is aformer contributor to PBS Unfortunately,asthe NPRarm of CPB has turned to avery one-sided, political and sometimes bitter agenda, we have decided to stop ourPBS contributions. We are not alone in enjoying the many movies and documentaries on PBS, but the one-sided NPR political news view and stories makeitvery difficult for manyofour friends to financially support avery onesided point of view Hopefully,Ilook forward to contributing again to aless political and more balanced PBS GARYM.DAMARÉ Marrero

Quin Hillyer’scolumn on July 6 precisely and publicly nailed several of Gov.Jeff Landry’sblatantly political vetoes on several bills from this legislative session. These vetoed bills included subjects such as child school safety,tutoring, an athletic field, tennis/pickleball courts, eight parks, sewer problem repair,better bridges and roads, economic development —all for small towns and schools all across the state. As stated in the article, these were relatively small items, budgetarily speaking, plus they had previously been passed unanimously by both the Senate and the House.

Meanwhile, the governor did not veto certain other bills, some of which enjoyed the magician’s sleight of hand with state financing, and someofwhich were obvious political gifts forafew of the governor’svery supple legislators. So these lesser political entities across the state will just have to live with their rejected needs vetoed and unfulfilled —for yet another year.It’stoo bad forthem that this administration still has two and ahalf moreyears to rule with mayhem and malpractice.

JOHN BERRY Baton Rouge

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

ALouisiana black bearhangs out in atree near the Broadmoor United Methodist Church on May30inBaton Rouge.

COMMENTARY

CAM RANH, Vietnam The story sounds like a“Mission Impossible”script.

Fifty yearsago,near the end of the Vietnamwar as North Vietnamese troops headed south, the director of the Cam Ranh ChristianOrphanage, PastorNguyen Xuan Ha —known to everyone as Mr Ha —decideditwas time to escapeto somewhere safe.

WINNER: Erin O’Sullivan Fleming, River Ridge

COURSE PRO

Well played! We received 586 entries in this week’sCartoon Caption Contest. Ithought this might be a tough one buty’all playeditlikepros! We had alarge bucket full of funnypunchlines to choosefrom,and ourwinner hititright down the fairway! Nice job, everyone. As always, when we have duplicate entries, andwealways do,wepick the earliest sent in.—Walt

CHARLES THEAUX, PONCHATOULA:

“Did youknowhehas amancave in the windmill?”

ANDYJANES,PASS CHRISTIAN, MISS.: “His shortgame is outstanding!”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: “Aim forhis left foot. It should ricochet back towards the hole!

LARRYDEBILEUX, METAIRIE: “I hear he bathes in the ball wash machineonNo. 1.

CAROLYN MCCARTY,SLIDELL: “He’s a mini driver!”

MICHELE STARNES,KENNER: “I think we just gothustled by agarden gnome!”

TOMMY METZ, JEFFERSON: “Heysis, don’t look nowbut Ithink this might be a ringer.”

LOIS WILLOZ, METAIRIE: “That’sthe new owner.The leprechaun invested his endof the rainbowmoneytobuy this place.”

RAYAUTREY,MORGAN CITY: “They say he’samaster on the shortputts!”

STEVE VILLAVASO,NEW ORLEANS: “He took awrong turnoff the yellowbrick road!”

D. SABRIO, METAIRIE: “Tousit’sa 25-foot putt.To himit’sa150-yard par 3!”

RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “Let himplaythrough. He’sthe pro here.”

MARIANO HINOJOSA, BATONROUGE: “I heard he wonthe Lilliputian Open last month.”

LYNN WISMAR, KENNER: “He must be Dutch —hejust walkedout of that little windmill!

TODD BOUDREAUX, DONALDSONVILLE: “Uncle John takes hisminigolfserious.

JIMMIEPAPIA, METAIRIE: “He’son summer vacation. During the winter,he works at the North Pole.”

JACK KNAUER, RIVER RIDGE: “Wow, there’sminiature golf, and then there’s THIS guy!”

MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “I’m pretty sure he’s sponsored by LEGO!”

DALE STOUT,COLORADOSPRINGS, COLO.: “Wanna makealittle bet?” KIRT H. ULFERS,METAIRIE: “I hear this guy can line up putts accurately without bendingdown.

DAVIDDELGADO, NEWORLEANS: “He designed this course!”

JOE KOVACS,NEW ORLEANS: “Don’t worry, he’sjust headedhometothe castle on the 9th hole!”

SHERRIE HOLLIDAY, METAIRIE: “Is it mini golf forhim or just golf?”

TIMOTHY F. BENSON, SIOUX FALLS,S.D.: “He won’tsink the putt. He always comes up short.

GRADYMICHAEL TOWNLEY,BATON ROUGE: “yeah, he mayhavethe advantagenow but waittill he walks 18 holes!”

AMALIE THIBODEAUX, HAMMOND: “It’s allfun and gamesuntilsomebodyuses the word ‘literally’ correctly.”

STEPHEN RADCLIFFE, BATONROUGE: “Pssst… hissize is about par for this course.”

BRUCE TAMPLAIN, LAPLACE: “Webetter let himgothrough, he’sa big shot.”

EDWARD LASCELLE, PINEVILLE: “He’s also the shortorder cook at the snack bar!”

What Americansthink aboutimmigration

Recently,CBS News published anew poll with the headline, “Poll finds support for Trump’sdeportation program falls.”The story seemed straightforward. But the story behind thestory is worth looking into.

The poll found that 44% of those surveyedapproved of the way PresidentDonald Trumpis handling the issue of immigration, while 56% disapprove. After that came anumber of more specific questions. What do you think about “the Trump administration’sprogram to findand deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally?” Forty-nine percentapproved, while 51% disapproved.

“On matters of deportation, differences hinge on who, and how many, Americans see as being targeted, as well as the use of detention facilities,” wrote CBS. It was all pretty run-of-the-mill stuff, until this question: “Doyou think Donald Trump’spolicies are makingthe number of migrants crossing the U.S.Mexico border go up, go down, or not change?” Unlike an opinion question, this was afact-based query,witha right and awrong answer.

Sixty-four percent gave theobviously correct response —Trump has made the number of migrantscrossing the border go down. But 28%said the Trump policies have made nodifference, which was flatly wrong.And 8% said crossings have actually goneup, which was crazy wrong.

Just for the record, the Border Patrol recorded 2,206,436 encounters withillegal border crossersinfiscal year 2022, the first full year of Joe Biden’spresidency.(The government keeps thenumbers in fiscal years—fiscal year 2022

ran from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept.30, 2022.) In fiscal year 2023, there were 2,045,838 encounters, and in fiscal year 2024 there were 1,530,523. So far in Trump’spresidency,there were8,348 encounters in February, 7,183 in March, 8,378 in April, 8,723 in May,and 6,072 in June. Youdothe math;there hasbeen an off-the-cliff drop in encounters sinceTrumpbecame president.And just to emphasize things, even of thosesmall numbers of crossings, U.S. officials arenot allowing any of the illegal crossers to stay in thecountry So how didsomany poll respondents get thesituation so wrong? Putthe 28% andthe 8% together,and you get 36% of Americanswho don’tknow what Trump has done onthe border.Ormaybe they know but will not acknowledge it.So takeacloser look into thedetails of that simple question:Have Trump’spolicies made thenumber of migrants crossing theborder goup, or down, or made no difference?

Looking into the details of the poll, the numbers forDemocratic respondents were striking. Afull 43% of Democrats said Trump’spolicies have madenodifference, while an additional 10% said those policies have madeborder crossings go up. That’sa majority who either do not knoworwho reject thefacts on theborder.Just 47% of Democrats knew, or admitted, the correct answer Some ofitisjust lack of knowledge. In any poll, there will be some number of people whodon’tknow basic political facts. Butthe Democratic numbers seem larger than that. Perhaps respondentshavebeen reading and watching news outlets that largely ignore the border issuebut pay alot of attention to thedeportation issue. Or perhaps they

know thesituation on the border but just don’twant to acknowledge it. In any event, theanswers to theborder crossings question could tell us something about the answers to all the other immigration questions in the CBS poll, and perhaps in other polls as well. What do people mean when they say they do not approve of Trump’s“immigration” policy? Do they mean border security? Do they mean ICE enforcementoperations? Do they mean action against people who broke thelaw by entering the country and then broke it again by committing some other crime? Or those who broke thelaw by entering but have not committed any additional crimes?

Andwhat do they know about what theTrumpadministration is doing? Do they know about the border crossing numbers? Do they know what the ICE raids are accomplishing? Alot of that will depend on what, if any,news coverage they read and watch.

For example, for theworst years of theBiden border incursion, Fox News was the only national news organization to cover what was one of the most important stories of recent decades. People who got their news from other sources might not have known what was going on. Why did those news sources downplay such obviously consequential news? That’sanother story.The fact is, it’s entirely possible significant numbers of Americans, even now,are not fully informed on what is going on in the Trumpadministration under theheading of “immigration.” The new CBS poll, with its seemingly confusing results, appears to show that Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

Mr.Haput 85 childrenand staff on two busesand headed for Saigon where he hopedtheycould flee to safety One of the buseswas shot at by aNorth Vietnamesesoldierand the buses separated. Somehow,they reunitedinSaigon. After renting aboat andgetting some distancefromshore, the engine quit. Forfive days, theydriftedbefore aThailand tanker approached.The captain refusedto help, but laterchanged his mind, turned around andtowed themfor awhile. After cutting the towline,agroup of fishermen towed themtowardSingapore.

Soldiers refusedtolet them ashore. Mr Ha wrote aname on apiece of paper and askeda soldierifhecould locatea missionary named Ralph Neighbour to help. Dr.Neighbour (now96),and newly arrivedinSingapore, wasmiraculously found. He picks up the story from there in an emailtome: “Singapore government kept themout on St. John’sisland. Our missionary team took clothesand food out. The U.S. embassy contacted Swiss United Nations Refugee Center.Special flight arrived. Childrenwhiskedthru Singapore on bus with windows covered.Government feared losing neutrality during war. No officialrecordtheywere there.” IknewDr. Neighbour fromwhen he was apastorinHouston, where Iworked at alocal TV station.

He calledand askedifIcould help get the orphans andstaff to the U.S. andfind temporary housing forthem. Icontacted some Washingtonofficials Iknew and permission forthem to enter the country was granted. WhentheyarrivedinHouston, achurchcouple with alarge ranch offered themshelterand food until the BucknerChildrenand Family Services in Dallas could assist with processing and adoptions.

Recently,I’ve been in Vietnamtomark the 50thanniversary of the orphans’ escape. Iinterviewed the youngest, oldest andone in between who made the anniversary trip.

SamSchrade, who was ababywhen he was rescuedfrom the streetsofSaigon, is 51 andowns asuccessful media business in Houston. Howwould his life have been different hadhestayedinVietnam? He says the fact thatheisof“mixedrace” (American Asian) would make it “doubly hard” because native Vietnamese “look down upon suchpeople Ihavebeen told by many people Iwould nothavehad agoodlife here because of the race issue and agovernment that didn’twantme.”

Kelli St. German, now56, thinks she might have been growing coffee beans anddoing hard laborhad she notcome to America.

She also believesshe would not have developeda strong faith because of the state’s antipathy toward religion. “I became ateacher for 30 years.”

Thomas Ho,the oldest orphan, now 76, was 25 whenheleftVietnam. He helped organize the evacuation and prepared small amounts of food for the children. In America, he became achef and then studiedtobecome an engineer.Hesays if he hadstayedinVietnam, “I might not have survived, especially at my age now. Life here is very difficult. Alot of the food is notveryhealthy.”

Reuniting with these adults, many of whom Imet when theywerechildren, is areminderthat there are things far greater thanpolitics, celebrities and the petty jealousies that are the focus of too many of us. There arefew greater blessings than to have hada role in changing these lives for the better. These former orphans are blessed. So am I.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com.

Byron York

Cal Thomas

Police:Man texted teen repeatedly to solicitsex

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

ABaton Rouge man was arrested after allegedly badgering his neighbor’s 14-year-old daughter for sex over multiple text messages When the girl’smother confronted him, the man beat her,police records show Anthony McManus, 55, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison

ZIP CODE

Continued from page1B

Labbé said LSU worked through Louisiana’scongressional delegation to try to get asingle ZIP code after tryingfor yearstoresolve the issue with the United States PostalService.

MEMOIR

Continued from page1B

Helped by lawyers from Tulane University and Innocence Project-New Orleans, Duncanfinally wonhis release in 2011 in an agreement with former District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office. He eventuallywas exonerated.

The book amounts to an intimate history lesson on Louisiana’streatment of its imprisonedover decades, and the pivotal lawsand court decisions that Duncan and others scrambled to fight or exploit from behind prison walls.

“I wanted the world to know there was once some Black men, you know,in the darkest place in the world, that rose aboveour situation and helped each other,” he said in arecent interview

“Because you don’t never hear those kind of stories. Yougenerallyhear stories about other people coming in and doing the heavy lifting. But we didour own heavy lifting. How we taught each other the law. How we educated one another.”

Duncan this month qualified to run for clerk of Criminal Court against incumbent Darren Lombard and another challenger,Valencia Miles. His legal careerbeganin the New Orleans jail before his trial, with asimple, winning motion for acopy of the state Code of Criminal Procedure. He soon became known as the “Snickers” lawyer,for thechewy fee he’d charge to help others. He racked up astring of court wins from the Orleans Parish lockup,helping fellow inmates, including those in need of dentures, waiting on their courtdates.

Duncan convinced the sheriff to ship him at lastto Angola, where ateam of inmatecounselhad access to training and alaw library he coveted.

Duncan would become a leader and teacher in the

on Tuesday on counts of indecentbehavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of aminorand simple battery

Police were first calledto aScotlandville residenceon May27for areportofa disturbance.

On scene, awoman told officers that aftertryingto confrontMcManus about sending inappropriate messages to her daughter,he

punched the mother in the face repeatedly,leaving withher aswollen lip and a bruised face.

Thewoman told officers thatinthese texts McManus repeatedly begged the teen girl to have sex with him in exchange for money

Police reviewed the texts, which aredescribed in apoliceaffidavit as “quite specific and overt.” In the texts, McManus

H.R. 3095, sponsored by U.S. Rep. LaurenBoebert of Colorado, ordersthe USPS to create single ZIPcodes for74communitiesacross the United States TheHouse passed the bill Monday night in a278-191 vote, with31representatives not voting. 75 Democrats andall 203Republicans who voted approved themeasure. In addition to Letlow,the yes votes included four otherrepresentativesfrom Louisiana. They wereMajority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson; U.S. Rep.Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette; U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans; and U.S. Rep.Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge. House Speaker Mike

group, even as his pursuit of recordsand an investigation into his own caseoften went sideways.

Prison advocacy

Wilbert Rideau, the acclaimed prison journalist whowas released in 2005 with Duncan’shelp, has credited Duncan as having “the most brilliant legal mindinAngola.”

Attorney Keith Nordyke, whowas appointedbya federal judge to monitor conditions at Angola and provided computers forthe inmate counsel, called Duncan “by farthe star of the show” among them.

“I thinkofall of theinmate counsel, he was the most curious,the most driven to learnthis stuff, Nordykesaid At Angola, news of new court decisions or changes in the law tended to stir immediatereaction

“It’stheir oxygen. It’s what keeps their hope up,” Nordyke said. “Ittends to mattera little more tothem whose ox is getting gored.”

Those prisoners also “knew the lawyers that were worth aflip and who were the hacks,” hesaid.

Duncan pointed to gains the inmate counsel made over theyears —indecisionsthat securedthe right, for instance, to police reportsand districtattorney files —onlytoface new hurdles, suchasbuying them.

“People were working in the fieldsfor that money,” Duncan said.Or, untilit was barred, sellingtheir plasma.Duncan’spay as an inmate counselroseto20 cents an hour.

“That’swhy peopleparticipateinthe (Angolaprison) rodeo, to getmoney to get some of theirrecords. People think of it as afun event, but these guys are outthere workingfor thepaper.”

Procedural obstacles

Duncan’sbook recounts some of the key court opinions that helpedopendoors for some prisoners, and fresh legal obstacles that elected lawmakers putin placeinresponse.

He recountsacampaign that rose up from inside Angola in 1991 after the Legislature passed alaw restricting post-conviction relief petitions to three years after aconviction became final. It meant some inmates could lose out,regardless of themerits of their claims.

Nordyke, inmate counsel Norris Henderson and others hatched aplan to broadcast thenews over prison radio. Duncan andothers manned cell blocks to help inmates meet the new deadlines.

Recent movesbythe Louisiana Supreme Court and the Legislature to further tightenthe rules for post-conviction relief strike Duncan as areturntoform —fresh weight againstthe courtroom door underthe guise of finalityfor victims.

In his own case, former Criminal District Judge JulianParker denied Duncan’sclaims on procedural grounds before the Louisiana Supreme Court later orderedanevidentiaryhearing, setting the table foran agreement on his release, Duncan wrote. Parker,aformer prosecutor wholeft the bench adecade ago andisnow running for Orleans Parish sheriff, said he couldn’t recall the case.

To Duncan, who rarely goes out without agrin, the judge’sdenialappeared to seal his fate. At Angola, Duncan despaired.

“He procedurally barred me in away thatI wasn’t gonna getany relief,”Duncan said. “And that’swhen Ihit rock bottom, andI stayed at rock bottom.It was so bad. Isaw visions of my dead friendsand stuff, and Icouldn’tshake that s*** at all.”

Outofprison

Duncan’stransitionafter his release proved swift and unusual. Since leaving prison, Duncanhas goneto attend law school.

While working in New Orleansasa paralegal after his release, he spearheaded twodozen challenges by prisonerstoLouisiana’s

promises the girl that she will “alwayshavemoney” if she agrees to his offer of sex.

“And Iwill put $500 in your pocket just to showu,” one text reads. In others, McManus alternates between threatening and cajoling the girl, saying that he’s neverhad to “beg no woman nmylife boo, u don’tknowhow specialyou are.”

Johnson, R-Benton, did not vote. The bill, which also would create aunique ZIP code forMontz, needstopass the Senate before it becomes law.Asimilar bill last year passed the House but did not makeitthrough theSenate. Staff writer Mark Ballard contributed to this report.

nonunanimous jury law,before the U.S.Supreme Court outlawed them in 2020.

At thesame time, Duncan was fixing up transitional housesfor returning prisoners.

“Hishobby on theside was going to theDA’sOffice and scanning files and sending them to people at Angola,” said attorney Ben Cohen, who filed thesplit-jury challengeswith Duncan’s help. It was oneofmany legalavenuesthatDuncan pressed, Cohen said.

“He was litigating people’sconditions, litigating people’ssentences. He was litigating lots of things that lost, andsoit’snot as if he had somemagical insight this was the one thing to litigate. He was doing all of it

Mostofhis clientshad no lawyers of their own.

Duncan and Cull, his coauthor,met after he’d left prison. Theyworkedin the same legal outfit,bonding on walks and drivesto Shreveport to protest aConfederate monument that no longerstands outside the Caddo Parishcourthouse.

Cull said she found a source for Duncan’sdrive to help others from his distant past: steps he took to protect his younger sister, or while working cleanup at age17inLePavillonhotel downtown.

“Calvin was sneaking unhoused people intothe hotel so they could work while no one was looking, pay them, give them food,aplace to shower,thentheywould go back out,” Cull said.

Daley, Irène Voorhies

AMass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM in TheCathedral of St.Johnthe Evangelist in Lafayette, for Irène VoorhiesDaley, age 97, whopassed away on July 26, 2025, at herresidence in Lafayette. Thefamilyrequeststhat visitation be observedon Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at Martin& Castille's DOWNTOWNlocation from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM witha Rosary recitedat6:00 PM Visitation will continueon Wednesday from 10:00 AM untiltimeofservices.

Intermentwill be held in St.JohnCemeteryLafayette.

TheMostReverendGlen John Provost, D.D., M.A., Bishop, Diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana, will be theCelebrantofthe Funeral Mass and officiate theservices. Deacon George Jourdanwill assist with theservices. Irèneissurvived by her son, Gregory Chris Daley; daughter, Janet Daley Duval andher husband, Stanwood; andthe granddogs, Kaliand DocHoliday.

Shewas preceded in death by herbeloved husband of 73 years, Chris Pantely Daley; herparents, Blanche VanWielVoorhies andSydneyLouis Voorhies; herbrothers, Edward Gregory Voorhies andRaymond Voorhies. Agracious spirit anddevotedheart,Irène passed away peacefully, leaving behind alegacy of love,elegance,and grace. Adevoted wife and mother,Irène gave of herself freely and forgave easily. Shewas generouswith hertime, always ready with alistening ear, awise word,and awarm smile. Herhomewas ahaven for herchildrenand agatheringplace for friends of all ages. Aproud member of the NationalSociety Daughters of theAmerican Revolution,Irène began herservice with the 1776 Chapter in NewOrleans andtransferred to the Galvez Chapter in Lafayette in 1980. Her deep

ad-

andfound comfortin herpresence. Alwayselegant,Irène carried herselfwith poise, dignity, and style, areflection of herbeautiful soul. Aboveall,she wasa devoutCatholic and afaithful parishionerofthe Cathedral of St.Johnthe Evangelist, whereher faith wasthe guidinglight of herlife. Shewill be deeply missed by all whoknew her, buther spirit lives on in thelives she touched with such graceand love Pallbearers will be StanwoodDuval,Berwick Duval,David Duval,Ben Mayfield, Edward Rivera, andMark Elder Honorary Pallbearers will be Gregory ChrisDaley andBrother Gale Condit. TheDaley familyextendstheir heartfelt gratitude to Jennifer Mayfield, Anna Broussard, Paulette Pinion, Patricia Mouton, Isabella King,Shelley Thomas,Dolores Hopkins, andBrendaDugas for their compassion and tender care In lieu of flowers donationscan be made in Irène VoorhiesDaley'sname to theLafayette Museum (formally The Mouton House) 1122 Lafayette Street,Lafayette, LA 70501 or http://www.lafayettem useum.com/support-us/ Irèneisa direct descendantofJeanMouton and Alexandre Mouton,the first democratic governor of Louisiana. In addition, Judge CorneliusVoorhies Jr., hergreat-great grandfather,was aprevious ownerofthe Mouton House. View theobituaryand guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin& Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St LandryStreet, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-2342311

LO

Forget about all those statsyou saw the first four daysofSaints training camp.

Disregard the number of completions and incompletionsthrown by Spencer Rattler,TylerShough and Jake Haener thusfar

There are midsummer classics —like baseball’sAll-Star Game —and there are midsummer classics.

Welcometothe latter —very much the latter —the 2025 edition of The Rabbys.

No,being mentioned in our list of someofthe greatest (and occasionally,the worst) moments from the past sports academic year surrounding LSU athletics isn’tthe samething as being selected as an All-Star Game starter

But, Ican guarantee anyone mentioned here will get morerun support than Paul Skenes gets from the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup —zing! So, without further ado, straight from the Jello Shot Room at Rocco’sindowntown Omaha, Nebraska (shameless plug, but I’mexpecting an NIL deal any day now), fire up the Flau’Jae Johnson greatest hits soundtrack and enjoy our list of honorees: Team of theyear

How can you start, or end, with anyone else but the LSU baseball team?The Tigers were consistently solid all season, found themselves pushed to the brink in the NCAA Baton Rouge regional by ashocking defeat to lowly Little Rock, then wontheir last eight straight to take the regional, super regional and the College World Series championship. Wasitthe greatest of LSU’s eight CWS championship teams? Probably not. But all these Tigers had to be was the best team in their time. That they were, and now they take their place among this program’s truly elite teams. But hey, before we go, atip of the cap to the Little Rock Trojans, huh? They certainly can enjoy alittle offseason chuckle at big brother Arkansas’ expense.

Coachofthe year

When LSU won the CWS in 2023, Ipredicted that it would not be the Tigers’ only title under Jay Johnson. Turns out that has

Youcan toss out how well Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson andMason Tipton have played, too.

The real football startsMonday when theSaints put on the pads for the first time thistraining camp.

Through the first four days in Metairie,the stiffest competition the Saintsplayers havefaced is the downright brutal south Louisiana humidity

As the humidity increases even more this week, so willthe tension.

Expect to add afew more skirmishes to thelist to accompanythe onewehad between BrandinCooks and Rejzohn Wright on Day 2.

Once the pads come on, we’ll get abettergauge of whatto expect from the Saintsthisseason

Are they as bad as manyofthe nationalpunditssay?

Or do they have achance to be the latestNFL team to turn thingsaround in one year and be one of the biggest surprises in theleague?

We won’treally be able to answer any of that until thefall.

Butwe’ll start getting amuch better idea soon.

The first four days were basically flag football.

Or as former head coach Dennis Allen (sorry,Saints fans) described thestartoftraining campthreeyears ago, “We’ve had four days in underwear,now we get to play thegame the way it’ssupposed to be played.” Saintsplayers are looking forward to it.

“You can’treally call it for real until we start smacking,” said defensive end Chase Young. “It’stime.”

Young is part of aSaints’ defensive front that brought in several new pieces this offseason. Veterans Davon Godchaux, Jonathan Bullard andChris Rumph, along with rookie Vernon Broughton are now all in the mix up front withreturnees like Young, Cam Jordan,

BY ADAM JUDE TheSeattle Times (TNS)

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.— Baseball’shit king has his crowning achievement.

Ichiro Suzuki was formally inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday,joining Ken Griffey Jr.and Edgar Martinez as the third player to represent the Seattle Mariners at baseball’smost hallowed grounds.

Ichiro is thefirst player from Japan to be inducted intothe Hall of Fame, after a28year careerbetween Major LeagueBaseball andNipponProfessional Baseballduring whichheamassed more hits —4,367 —than anyone in the history of the sport.

Ichiro’s262 hits in 2004 broke George Sisler’s84-year-old record, afeat that may never be surpassed.

“It’sdefinitelyanhonor at this time to be

able to represent Japanese baseball,” Ichiro saidSaturday,through longtime interpreter Allen Turner After nine seasons withthe OrixBlueWave, duringwhichhewon three MVP awards and seven batting titles, Ichiro came to Seattle as a27-year-old rookie in 2001 and took MLBbystorm,

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Baseball Hall of Fame inductees from left,Billy Wagner,Ichiro Suzuki, and CC Sabathia pose for aphoto with Willa Allen,second from right,widowofinductee DickAllen,and Dave Parker II, son of thelate inductee Dave Parker,onSunday at the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonyinCooperstown, N.y

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

Kailin Chio finishes her routine

Saintsrunning back KendreMiller,left,and cornerback Alontae Taylor runadrill during training camp on Sundayatthe team’sfacility. STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

On TV MEN’S BASKETBALL

5p.m. Best Virginia vs. Shell Shock FS1

8p.m.Eberlein Drivevs. Sideline CancerFS2

3:50

6p.m.Bandits

7p.m.New

PogacarwinsTourdeFranceinstyle

BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswriter

PARIS The roads were dangerously slippery afterheavy rain. Afourth Tour de France title was all but won anyway,sofinishing safely in the pack would do fine forTadej Pogacar.Especially considering Sunday’sfinal stage had already been neutralized for safety reasons and he just had to complete the race.

Surely there was no need to launch aseemingly pointless attack and risk crashing?

But holding backorbeing cautious rarely appeals to Poga ar,the 26-year-old cycling star from Slovenia. He clinched his fourthTour title in inimitably daring style on Sunday and further cemented his placeamong cycling’sgreats.

Even though he really didnot need to, and risked falling on oil slick-wet roads, Pogacarsimply could not help himself. Against all logical opinion, he tried winning Sunday’s21st and final stage with trademark uphill attacks, only to fall short of the stage win itself

“In the end Ifound myself in the front, even though Ididn’thave the energy,” said Pogacar,who won the Tour last year andin2020 and 2021.

“Just speechlesstowin the Tour de France,thisone feels especially amazing,” Pogacar added. “Just super proud that Ican wear this yellow jersey.”

Two-timeTour champion Jonas Vinegaard finished the overall race4 minutes, 24 seconds behindPoga ar in second place and Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes adrift in third.

Belgian rider Wout van Aert won the 21st and laststage, which broke with tradition and featured three climbs of Montmartre hill.

Because of heavy rain and the risk of crashes, organizershad earlier neutralized the times 50kilometers (31 miles) from the end, effectively giving Pogacar the victory —providing he crossed the finish line.

He did the opposite of what almost every rider would do with victory anear certainty.

As the rain teemed down,heset atremendous paceinthe Montmartre climbs as fans cheered all along the cobbled Rue Lepic, with flags and fans hanging outof windows.

Only five riders were leftwith Pogacar on the third ascension of

Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia crosses the finish line of the twenty-first stageofthe Tour de France cycling race over132.3 kilometers (82.1miles) withstart in Mantes-la-Ville and finish on the ChampsElysees on Sunday in Paris, France.

the 1.1-kilometerMontmartre hill.

After fending off American Matteo Jorgenson, he was caught cold near the top as VanAert launched astunning attack to drop —yes, drop! —Pogacar,the world’sbest climber,onthe steepest section.

“Hats off to Wout,hewas incredibly strong,” Pogacar said.

VanAertrolledbackdownfor aprestigious stage win on the famed Champs-Élysées. Pogacar looked weary as he crossed the line in fourth place, 19 seconds behind.

‘Peace andsomeniceweather’

But then it was time to celebrate title No. 4. Although don’texpect Pogacar to makeany headlines on that front.

“Everyone celebrates in their ownway,I just wantpeace andsome niceweather,not like here today,” Pogacar said “Just to enjoy some quiet days at home.”

Only four riders have won the showcase race fivetimes: Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Induráin and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault Poga ar won four stages this

year to takehis Tour tally to 21 and 30 at majorraces, including six at the Giro d’Italia andthree at the Spanish Vuelta.

The UAE Team Emirates leader praised his teammates

“I think the second week was the decisive moment,” Pogacar said.

“Wetook more advantage.”

Lipowitz,meanwhile,secured his first career podium at aGrand Tour,the alternativename given to thethree major races.

His performance, following his third-placed finishlastmonth at the Critérium du Dauphiné,suggests the 24-year-old German rider could challenge in thenear future.

Breaking with tradition

Traditionally,the last stageis largely processionalwith riders doing lapsaround Paris. The Tour broke withtradition afterthe success of theParis Olympics road race, which also took in Montmartre, famous for its Sacré-Coeur basilica.

Five in arow

It was thefifth straight year wherePogacar and Vingegaard

finished 1-2 at theTour Vingegaard wassecond in 2021, before beating Pogacar the next two yearswith the Slovenian second.WhenPogacar reclaimed his title last year,Vingegaardwas runner-up.

“We’ve raisedthe level of each other much higherand we push each othertothe limit,”Pogacar said. “I must saytohim, big, big respect ”

Five majortitles

Pogacar has also won the Giro d’Italia, doing so last year to become the first cyclist to secure the Giro andTourdouble in the same season since the late MarcoPantaniin1998. ButPoga ar hasnot yet won the SpanishVuelta, whereas Anquetil, Hinault and Merckx won all three major races.

Acentury of success

When Pogacar won the hilly fourth stage of this year’s race, it was the 100th professional victory of his stellar career,all events combined.

Pogacar is also the world road race champion.

Englandbeats Spaininpenalty shootout to retain title

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR AP sportswriter

BASEL, Switzerland More drama, another penalty shootoutand never giving up. England successfully defended its Women’sEuropean Championship title on Sunday in its own special way,thriving in high tension yet again to take down world champion Spain in ashootout in the final.

Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give England a3-1 win on penalties after a1-1 draw after extra time.

“I was cool, Iwas composed, and Iknew Iwas going to hit the back of the net,” said Kelly whose goals decided asecond straight Women’sEuros final, and also the semifinal five days earlier England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved spot kicksfrom Mariona Caldentey and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmatí, before substituteSalmaParalluelo dragged her shotwide of goal. The defending champion won the only way it knew how at this thrilling Euro 2025

“It was the most chaotic tournament we played,” said England coach Sarina Wiegman, who has now won three straight Women’s Euros titles.

Supersubs

England had fallen behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes —includingKelly –just as it did against Italy and beating Sweden on penalties previously in the knockout rounds.

“I actually can’tbelieve it myself,” Wiegman said. “How can this happen? But it happens. We’re just going to party tonight.”

England leveled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo’sheader from acrossbyKelly after Caldenteyhad given Spain thelead in the25thfinishingOna Batlle’s cross.

Spain trailedfor onlyfourminutesin the entire tournament and not for onesecond against England —yet could not seal its firstEuropeantitle againstthe team it beatinthe World Cup final two years ago.

“I think this team deserved more. At least not living with this bitter feeling,” Spain coach MontseTomésaid in translated comments.

Kelly had scored an extra-time winninggoal for England at Wembley three years ago to beat Germany 2-1.

Spain’smissedchance

In extra timeSpain hadgood possession in the England penalty area so many timesyet didnot force adecisivegoal.

“It was cruel,” Bonmatí told Spanish broadcaster La 1, after beingnamedbestplayerofthe tournament. “Weplayed better createdmorescoring chances, but in soccer sometimes that’snot enough ”

SpaingoalkeeperCataColl saved spot kicks from England captain Leah Williamson and the first by Beth Mead

It wasappropriate in England’s memorabletournamentthat Mead’spenalty had to be retaken undera newsoccer rule that allows asecondchance whenaplayer scores by slipping and touching the ball twice. It did not matter afterHampton’s saves ClassicArsenal goals

Arsenal attackers like scoring with perfectly placed headers

England’s Leah Williamson, center left, andKeira Walshlift the trophy after winning the Women’s Euro 2025 final soccer match between England and Spain at St.Jakob-Park on SundayinBasel,Switzerland

from inviting crosses sent to the ideal spot. Spain took thelead Sunday with avery English goal –afull back’s crossfromthe byline finding the head of an Arsenal player to score, on arain-slicked field on an overcast, cloudy day Thestrong Spanish flavor leading to Caldentey’sopener was in the neat passing to find Athenea del Castillo in thepenalty area and her vision to see OnaBatlle’sdirect runinto space. Caldentey was in theArsenalteam that won theWomen’s ChampionsLeague finalinMay beatinga Barcelona side with sixstarters whoalsolined up forSpain on Sunday. Spainused three more Barcelona players as substitutes.

The Arsenal forward line in that final, Russo andKelly,combined to tie the Euro 2025 final. Kelly’s right-foot crossfrom the leftwas floated toward the head of Russo

significant leg injury

NEWYORK New York Liberty star

Breanna Stewart avoided asignificant injury when she hurt her right legina gameSaturday night, aperson familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The All-Star forward had imagingdoneand nothingmajorturned up, according to the personwho spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because no official statement had been made.

Stewart left the game nearly 31/2 minutesinto the Liberty’s101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. She had three points and arebound. Stewart seemed to injure the leg while running up the court. She wenttothe locker room and never returned to the bench.

“No update, hopefully she’ll be OK,” coach Sandy Brondello said after the loss.

U.S. swimteam battling ‘acute gastroenteritis’

SINGAPORE

TheUnitedStates team at the swimming world championships in Singapore is battling acase of “acute gastroenteritis” that compromised performances on Sunday,the opening day of eight days of competition.

NikkiWarner,the spokeswoman forUSA Swimming,confirmed the outbreak to The Associated Press andsaid it hadits roots at atraining camp the American team held in Phuket, Thailand, before arriving in Singapore.

She said all American swimmers had traveled to Singapore. She declinedtosay how many had been affected with the infectious diarrhea. The UnitedStatesswim team is trying to rebound from adifficult showing at the Paris Olympics. The Americans won only eight gold medals, their lowest total since the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Bills WR Shaverscarted off field with ankle injury

PITTSFORD,N.Y Buffalo Bills backup receiver Tyrell Shavers wascarted off the field at training camp after hurting his right ankle on what proved to be the final play of practice Sunday Shavers made acatch in the end zoneand fell awkwardly while attemptingtoprotect theball from rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston.Shavers was on theground for several minutes while beingtendedto by thetrainingstaff, leadingtocoach Sean McDermottending practice a few minutes earlier than scheduled

The 25-year-old Shavers signed with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie free agent twoyears ago, and appeared in three games with the Bills last season.

Fernandez crushes Kalinskaya at D.C. Open

WASHINGTON— Leylah Fernandez collected the biggest title of her career at the D.C. Open with her mostlopsided victory of thetournament, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the final on Sunday

The left-handedFernandez, a 22-year-old from Canada whois ranked36th,earnedher fourth singles trophy —all have come at hard-court tournaments— and first at aWTA 500 event. She came quite close to aGrand Slam championship as ateenager at the 2021 U.S. Open, making it all the wayto the final in New York before losing to Emma Raducanu.

Until Sunday, the 48th-ranked Kalinskaya had not dropped aset allweek

This was the first title forFernandez since October 2023 at the Hong KongOpen.

whoguided the ball back toward thetop corner of the Spain net. Wiegman’shat trick England coach Wiegman has still never before been eliminated from aWomen’sEuros tournament. Despite how close she came three times this month, she acknowledged after thefinal whistle Sunday The top femalenational-team coach of her generation has a Euros hat trickafter leading England to victoryin2022 and her native Netherlands to the 2017 title. Both those titleswerewon as the hostnation team and no England senior team, men or women, had previouslywon aworld or continental title abroad

Wiegman also extended the run of title-winning women coaches to eight Women’sEuros editions across 28 years. Women were outnumberedbymalecoaches each time.

Sovereignty ralliestowin JimDandy at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS,N.Y.— Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion Sovereignty rallied after losing position heading into the final turn to win the $500,000 Jim Dandy by a length at Saratoga on Saturday Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereigntyran nine furlongs in 1:49.52 and paid $3 to winasthe 1-2favoriteagainst four rivals, the smallest field of his career Hall of Fame trainerBill Mott said Sovereignty would be pointed toward the $1.25 millionTravers on Aug. 23.

Approaching theturn, there were afew tensemoments as it appeared Sovereignty was retreating whenlosing position to the advancing Baeza and deep closers Sandman and Hill Road, leaving Sovereignty in last forafew strides.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByTHIBAULT CAMUS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Skenes dominant again, striking out9 in 6innings

The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Pirates let PaulSkenes takeona more normal workload again

What did not change was his effectiveness.

Skenes lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.83. ThePirates also gave himsomerun support forachange. This was only theseventh time in his 22 starts this yearthat Pittsburgh finished with more than three runs.

MLB notebook

Skenes struck outnineinsix three-hit innings, and the Pirates shut out Arizona for a second straight day,beating the Diamondbacks 6-0 on Sunday.It was the fourth scorelessouting in Skenes’ last five starts, but this time he threw 99 pitches —his most in over amonth.

“Ramping him back up alittle bit,”managerDon Kellytoldreporters afterward.

Pittsburgh’spitching staff is on abit of aroll right now.The Pirates beat Detroit 6-1 on Wednesday,then lost 1-0 in 11 innings to Arizona on Friday night —the onlyrun in thatgamewas unearned after the Diamondbacks startedthe finalinningwitha man on second.

Then Pittsburgh outscored Arizona 8-0 over the final twogames of the series.

This was the most pitches by Skenes since he threw 105 at Detroit on June19. In his next five starts,hedid notthrow more than 88.

Kellyvisited themoundin thesixth, drawing boos, but left Skenes in to complete the frame.

“It’sahot day,he’sapproaching 100 pitches. We’ve kept his pitch count down alittle bit,” Kelly said. “Just wanted to make sure that he was in agood spot there to finish it off.”

Skenes has thrown133 innings this year,matching his total as a rookie in 2024.

HOF

Continued from page1C

Dodgers last fall.

“There was absolutely amania over Shohei Ohtani, anditwas really an amazing thing to observe,” Manfred said in aspeech at the party

Some of Manfred’s younger colleagues,ashedescribed,remarked that they’d never seen anything like the hysteria surrounding Ohtani.

“I had adifferent thought. I thought, ‘I have seen something verysimilartothis,’”saidManfred,

WALKER

Continued from page1C

Carl Granderson, Bryan Bresee, Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd. The defensive linewas aweakness last season. It’s clear the depth is better —although not all of them willmake the53-man roster.It’stoo earlyto tell just how much better though. That’s about to change now thatthey will

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

been alittle like predictinga summer rainstorm in South Louisiana. In leading LSU to its second title in three seasons, Johnson has re-established LSU as the nation’spreeminent baseball program. Aprogramthat is now poised —shall we say it? —for the second coming of aSkip Bertman-like dynasty.Johnson’slevel of dedicationand drive is rare,and the Tigers are almost certain to benefitfrom it with more CWS titles in the years to come.

Headliner moment of theyear

It would be easy to go with the ninth inning of the second Arkansas game in Omaha (more on that later). But instead we’re going to set the wayback machine for nearly ayear ago, this past Aug. 5, when LSU’sMondo Duplantis broke his own world record and won the gold medal in the Paris Olympics. Duplantis had already clinched the gold, but went to his third and final attempt before breaking his own mark with aleap of 20 feet, 6 inches. The amazing thing about Mondo is he has since nudged

Twins

All-Star Buxton is day-to-daywith rib cartilageirritation: The Minnesota Twins announced on Sunday that All-Starcenterfielder Byron Buxton is day-to-day with cartilage irritation in hisrib cage. Buxton was pulled fromSaturday’sgame against Washington after he experienced discomfort in his side while running. An MRI performed on Sunday confirmed theirritated cartilage.

“It’sa good outcome,”Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We’llsee howheistomorrow and so on, but to be day-to-day with what he left the gamewith, it’sagood thing.”

The 31-year-old Buxton is hitting .282 with 23 home runs and an OPS of .905.

BlueJays

All-Star catcher Kirk placed on 7-day injured list: TheToronto BlueJays placed All-Starcatcher Alejandro Kirk on the seven-day injured list with aconcussion on Sunday In acorrespondingmove, the club recalled catcher AliSanchez and activated himfor theseries finale against the Detroit Tigers.

The 26-year-oldKirkwas pulled in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Tigers after he took afoul tip off his face mask.He was replaced by Tyler Heineman.

Kirk beganSundaysixth in the majors with abatting average of .304. He has seven homeruns and 47 RBIs in 88 games this season.

who traveled to Japan twice in the 1990s for MLB all-star tours to play NPB stars, which included Ichiro

“I do remember thereputation, the legend, theexcitement that surrounded this player,and Ithought it was very similar to what Isaw this spring. Ichiro really is atrailblazer. Therehad never been aposition player who came form Japan and enjoyed thekind of success at the height of hisskills that Ichiro did. And in my view, he paved the way for the bevy of greatJapaneseplayers that we have in the gametoday.…And thereisnodoubt in my mind that he accelerated the internationalization of ourgame.”

donthe pads and go up against an offensive line that first-year headcoach Kellen Moore (andI) believecould bethe strengthof this team

“It’ll be abattle,” said center ErikMcCoy.”Ithink we have a super talented D-line and asuper talented O-line. Thoseguys are physical. We’re physical. Ithink we are going to have some battles all camplong.” There will be plentymore battles. So far,much of the ink

CAMP OBSERVATIONS

No QB wins theday in sloppy outing before pads come on

Youcan tell that KellenMoore has coached Dak Prescott and JalenHurts. The New OrleansSaints coach likes his quarterbacks to use their legs, and that’sbeen aconsistent part of his offense dating back to his days of being theplaycaller in Dallas and Philadelphia. Andthrough four days of training camp, Moore has sprinkled in specific calls that give thequarterback the chance to take off in space.

Paras

The Saints might need it,too.

Sunday’spractice —the last session before pads comeon— turned out to be arough showing when the quarterbacks were required to use their arms, not their legs. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener each threw interceptions in 7-on-7 drills, and all three quarterbacks were uneven when workshifted to full 11-on-11.

It wasn’tfor alack of opportunities, either.Onthe hottest day of camp so far,which required NewOrleans to go inside for the last period of practice, the Saints got extended team reps —opting to double dip with the 2’stowork on the oppositeend of the field when Rattlerand the starters were working in the red zonenear the end of the session.

“Wedid atwo-spot drill, and we’ll do those on occasion throughout camp,”Mooresaid. “It’stomaximize as many reps as we can, while not being out here for threehours.”

Let’s take alook at the numbers through Sunday’spractice —with apologies to Hall of Famer J.J. Watt, who recently deridedthe use of keeping track of training camp stats:

Rattler:5of11(20 of 28 overall)

TylerShough: 5of10(11 of 21)

Haener: 3of3(11 of 15)

If Friday’spractice was the Rattler who balled out in the first half of games last season, then Sunday’sversion represented theRattler who fell apart in the second half. Rattler’s splitswere so drastic last year that he had a103.3 passer rating in thefirst half and a46.5 passer rating after halftime. That inconsistency again was on full display on Sunday

Rattler appeared to let an earlier interception by linebacker DannyStutsman snowball his play On theturnover,Stutsman read thepass perfectly and jumped in front of Cedrick Wilson’s routeatthe goal line. It was Rattler’s second red-zone interception of camp.

of training camphas gone to the quarterbacks and receivers. The non-pad days are geared towards them. Things will level out more starting Monday.You’ll see the pass rush. You’ll see if the Saints can stop the run this year.Receivers’ routes won’talways be as crisp now thatdefensive backs can get more physical with them.We’ll see which of the running backs vying to be the No. 2guy behind Alvin Kamara can block.

“When you put the pads on, that’s

the bar higher three times since then, now putting therecord at 20-7 at meet last month in Sweden. His father,Greg, said before last year’s Olympics that 21 feet was feasible for his son. It seems even more possible now for the amazing Mondo Surprise of theyear WhyonEarth did Arkansas

From there, Rattler mostly unfolded. Although he did have a nice touchdown to Juwan Johnson that avoided oncoming pressure from CamJordan,Rattler threw aball incompletebehind an intended for Dante Pettis and closed his day with threestraight incompletions. Perhaps the incompletions were the right reads —two of them avoided pressure —but Rattler also looked frustrated. Before his second-tolast throw, he clapped his hands prior to the huddle. As for Shough, the rookie’s mostimpressive moments of the afternoon occurred with his legs. He opened his first set of team drills withtwo straight runs, with thefirst play seeing the quarterback outrun defensive end Carl Granderson and Stutsman foragood chunk of yards. Shough’smobility is an interesting wild card for theSaints: The 25-year-old can run, but hiscoaches at Louisville avoided using him that way given Shough’sinjury history (twobro-

really when youcan see whocan do what,” saidKendre Miller. Nobody is ready to see that morethan Moore. This will be the first true glimpse of his team

“That (putting on the pads) is a big part of it,” Moore said. “Ultimately,that’swhat we are building towards. This whole entire offseason program has been built to thepoint where we are actually in pads and that’sultimately how you play this game.” Moore says there will be abit

an athlete competing against the Tigers.

Supershockingsurpriseofthe year

After everything that happened in that fateful ninth inning, why did Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn pitch to Jared Jones with Hernandez at second one inning after he hit ahome run? Jones did something not surprising considering LSU’s baseball history, lining an RBI single off second baseman’sCam Kozeal’sglove for the6-5 win that put the Tigers in thefinal.

Athleteofthe year

shortstop Wehiwa Aloy throw to thirdtoforce out Derek Curiel instead of going for thedouble play on Steven Milam?

Shocking surprise of theyear

Seeing Luis Hernandez’sliner bounce off the shoulder of Arkansas left fielder Charles Davalan. In 33 years of covering LSU sports, I’ve never felt so sorry for

Back to Skenes, whowas National League rookie of the year in 2024 with an 11-3 record, 1.96 earned run average and 170 strikeoutsin133 innings pitched. This year,Olivia Dunne’sboyfriend is only 5-8 because of the aforementioned shoddy run support,but with a1.91 ERA and other stellar numbers making him one of the favorites to winthe NL Cy Young Award.

Newcomer of theyear

The 2025 season was supposed to be avictory lap for2024 college gymnast of the year Haleigh Bryant as she returned forafifth season. Bryant wasexcellent, though hampered much of the

ken collarbones, one broken leg). The approach worked as Shough stayed healthy forthe entire campaign.

If there was aquarterback who did best of the three, it wasarguably Haener.Hehad areally nice throw to Chris Olave on acomeback route that got the defense to bite on aplay action. Later,hehit a wide-open Bub Means in the back of the end zone foratouchdown. But there were downmoments forthe third-year signal-caller —lowlights that prevented him from outright winning the practice. In 11-on-11s, he would have likely been sacked on aplay that wasblowndead soon after Haener tried to climb the pocket to take off. Then, in the indoor 7-on7session, Haener tried to needle athrow to Chris Tyree andinstead waspicked off by safety Julian Blackmon in the end zone.

“Both guys just madereally, really good plays from adefense perspective,” Moore said of the interceptions. “And quarterbacks, again, just ball placement and you know,giving us an opportunity We’ll evaluate on film and see if there are any other coaching points.”

The Saints still have weeks before they have to decide astarter, and putting on the pads this coming week will help provide clarity to their eventual decision.

But Sunday’ssession appeared to be astep back after the offense found arhythm twodays earlier

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

of an acclimation period because players haven’tbeen in pads since January.The team is scheduled to have six practices in pads before heading off to California on August 6.

“I’m ready to get cracking,” said Alontae Taylor If you want to know moreabout this year’sSaints, you should be too.

Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.

year by apreseason elbow injury

Instead, the year ended up belonging to freshman Kailin Chio, whowas remarkably sturdy and consistent all season (she only didn’tcompete as an all-arounder one time). Chio capped her brilliant year with aperfect 10 on vault March 14 against Auburn and ended the year by winning the NCAA vault title, just like Bryant did as afreshman. Chio could turn out to be LSU’s next all-time great.

ThePutting Your MoneyWhere Your MouthIsAward

To LSU coach BrianKelly,who put up $1 million of his $9.2 millioncompensation package to spur donations to LSU’srecruiting collective. Talk about priming the pump. Including Kelly’s matching million, LSU brought in atotal of $3.3 millionfrom some 1,600 donors, helping the Tigers build the nation’stop transfer portalclass for2025. Will it payoff with anational title, or at leastLSU’sfirst appearance in the College Football Playoff since2019? We’re about to find out.

For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU baseball coach JayJohnson raises the championship trophyduring theTigers’ national title celebrationonJune25atAlex Box Stadium

Matthew

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

Saints running backAlvin Kamara, left,receivesthe ball from quarterbackSpencer Rattler during adrill at training camp on Sundayat the team’sfacility.

Saints quarterback JakeHaener looks to makeapass at training camp on Sunday

CHASING YESTERDAY

Aphotographerfinds theplaceswhere time slows down on theMississippi Gulf Coast

BY DAVID GRUNFELD | Directorofphotography

Iwas sent to theMississippi Gulf Coast to shoot a story about how tourism’s booming again, five years after the pandemic. AndIgot the photos we needed —traffic backed up with golf carts and SUVs, beach bars packed, people everywhere. Butfor me,itwas about more than that. Iknow adifferent version of thecoast —before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Back when the Broadwater Beach Resort was still around, and you could have fun at the retro beachfront amusement park. It had grit. Old souvenir shops, saltyair,things felt kind of frozen in time. It wasn’tfancy,but it had soul. That version’smostly gone now.The coast has changed —alot.But Istill trytomake pictures that feel like the old days. Akid chasing seagulls,acouplebarefoot in the sand, two guys fishing in the quiet —those are thekinds of moments Ilook for.That’swhere Ifeel theold coast still lives, even if it’s just for asecond. Anddriving along Beach Boulevard, it’shard not to notice —itfeels like there’sa Waffle House every mile or two. Likelittle yellow landmarks dotting the new coast,serving up scattered, smothered, chunked and alittle bit of what’sleft of thepast

After9months, BR noodle housemakes debut

BY SERENA PUANG Staff

At advanced stages of care, consider appointing a conservator

What is adult guardianship?

Generally,adult guardianship, or conservatorship, are the same thing and different states use one name or the other.When an individual cannot make important decisions for himself or herself, ajudge appoints someone called the conservator (or guardian) to make decisions. The conservator has the legal backing of the court in all decisions, including finances, medical and personal care. There are advantages and disadvantages to setting up a conservatorship forsomeone. Aconservator is good to have because it allows family members to know that someone is making the decisions, and it gives clear legal authority to deal with third parties. And, it provides aprocess to have a judge approve major decisions. The disadvantages of appointing aconservator are that it is costly in that it requires a lawyer,filing of court papers and requires acourt hearing. It is also time-consuming with ongoing paperwork to be done. For the older adult whofeels he or she is still somewhat capable, it can be humiliating for him or her to have someone appointed as the guardian. And, family members can create conflict in choosing aconservator which can makethe overall process emotionally difficult. Many people ask whenitisan appropriate timetoseek conservatorship. If the individual has become mentally or physically incapable of making important decisions for himself or herself, then it would be wise to have acourt-appointed guardian. Additionally,ifthe individual does not already have legal documents in place, such as a living will or power of attorney, then the conservatorship would benefit in covering decisions about personal and financial matters. Further,even if the individual has apower of attorney for both health care and finances, he or she might need a conservator to make decisions about his or her personal life, such as living arrangements and who is allowed to visit. Although it’snot always easy to determine if an individual can makedecisions, ajudge understands the obvious that a conservator is viable forthose with advanced Alzheimer’sor other formsofdementia. Families wishing to set up aconservatorship need to file formal legal papers and participate in acourt hearing in front of ajudge. The physical and mental condition of the individual requiring conservatorship must be clearly presented. The individual in question does have the opportunity to contest the conservatorship. It is helpful to find alawyer whospecializes in conservatorships. Youcan contact the National AcademyofElder Law Attorneys forareferral in your area. The appointed conservator handles the estate of

and generally

Mongolian beef stirfry noodles

STAFFPHOTO

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

Ayoung boyruns through a flock of seagulls on thebeach in BaySt. Louis, Miss.,asfamilies gather along theGulf Coastduring the Fourth of July weekend.

Fresh produce is for sale along the road near OceanSprings

Avintagetruck parks on the beachfront in BaySt. Louis.

The historic Biloxi lighthouse, draped with aU.S flag for July Fourth, rises over trafficinBiloxi.

Akid browsesinside acandy store in OceanSprings.

Heat-related illnessoccursatacellularlevel

Dear Doctors: Ican’tget my husband and his brother to take hot weather warnings seriously They’re in good shapeand think thatsince they’re younger(29 and 33) that it’sOKfor them to go out hiking in hot weather.Can you talk about why it’sdangerous for everyone when there’saheatwave?

Dear reader: It can be easy to underestimate the risks of physical exertion in hot or even warm weather.The early symptoms of heat-related illness, suchas sweating and flushed skin,are the same as what happens when you’re simply abit too hot. The danger lies in how easy it is for overheating to progress to severe heat-related illness if you don’t address early symptoms.

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,July 28,the

209th day of 2025. There are 156 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On July 28, 1945, aU.S.Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of New York’sEmpire State Building, the world’s tallest structure at the time,killing 14 people.

Also on this date:

In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Antoine de SaintJustwere executed by guillotine during the FrenchRevolution.

In 1914, World WarIbegan as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killingat least 242,000 people, according to an official estimate.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics officially opened; 14 Eastern Bloc countries, led by the Soviet Union, boycotted the Games

In 1995, ajury in Union, South Carolina, rejected thedeathpenalty for Susan Smith, sentencing hertolife in prison for drowning her two young sons

In 1996, 8,000-year-old human skeletal remains (later referred to as Kennewick Man) were discovered in abank of the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington.

In 2004, the Irish Republican

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK

THE DOCTORS

On themilder end of thespectrum is heat stress. Symptoms include excessive sweating and flushed skin. The body sweats to create an evaporative effect. Flushing sends blood to thesurface of thebodywhere theblood can cool down quicker.Other symptomsofheat stress can include headache, muscle cramps,

TODAYINHISTORY

Army formally announced an end to its armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland.

In 2015, it was announced that Jonathan Pollard,the former U.S.Naval intelligence analyst whohad spentnearly three decades in prison for spying for Israel, had been granted parole.

In 2018, Pope Francis accepted theresignation of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, theemeritus archbishop of Washington, D.C., followingallegations of sexual abuse, including one involving an11-year-old boy.Both diedinApril2025.

In 2019, agunmanopened fire at apopular garlic festival in Gilroy,California, killing three people,includinga 6-year-old boyand a13-year-old girl, and wounding17others beforetaking his own life.

Today’sBirthdays: Music conductor Riccardo Muti is 84. Former Senatorand NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley is 82. “Garfield” creator Jim Davis is 80. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 78. Actor Sally Struthers is 78. Architect SantiagoCalatrava is 74. CBS TV journalist Scott Pelleyis68. Actor Lori Loughlin is 61. Jazz musician-producer DelfeayoMarsalis is 60. UFC presidentDana White is 56. Actor Elizabeth Berkley is 53. Basketball Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili is 48. Actor John David Washington is 41. Actor Dustin Milligan is 40. Rapper Soulja Boy is 35. Pop/rock singer Cher Lloyd is32. Golfer Nelly Korda is 27.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Co-owner KenWang and his wife Mei Lin posewith their daughters, Jaycee, oldest, and Jamie,outside Noodle Bowl in BatonRouge. The largedecorativebowlwas shipped herefrom China.

NOODLE

Continued from page5C

Chinese, he said he was inspired to open anoodle shop here when he noticed that Baton Rouge had several popularJapanese ramen shops but no dedicated Chinese noodle shops. Wang is dedicated to serving fresh, hand pulled noodles, and he placedawindow into the kitchen in the restaurant so that customers can watch as the noodles are prepared. The experience is like

CONSERVATOR

Continued from page5C

their basic affairs and everyday care. Administrative matters such as Medicare, insurance, pensions, medical coverage and the like are also managed by the conservator,with meticulous record keeping required accordingly with the judge’sorders. Conservatorship typically lasts as long as the individual lives The person serving as conservator maychange in such acase in

weakness and dizziness. These occur because an increase in core temperature has begun to adversely affect the functioning of thebody’smetabolic processes. Heat stress is not an immediate danger to health. However,it’sa loud warning thatthe body is struggling to staycool. When core temperature rises much beyond the optimal range of 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit, the three-dimensional enzymes thatpower biochemical reactions in the body begin to lose their shape. This impairs their function and leads to the symptoms of heat exhaustionand heatstroke.

Heatstroke is amedical emergency that can cause lasting damage to the tissues of the heart, kidneys, liver and brain. Without

prompt medical intervention, heatstroke can lead to death. Keeping asafe core temperature in hot weather depends on afew factors. Air temperature is important,ofcourse. So is sunlight, which is radiant energy that directly heats the skin. Our muscles alsogenerate heat. So exercising in hot and sunny conditions exposes you to three separate sources of heat. Then there’shumidity,which affectshow muchevaporative cooling can occur.Adding up all these factors, it can be all too easy to crossthe threshold from mild discomfort to severe heat illness. Your husbandand brother-in-law are partially correct: Being healthy and in good physical shape can improve tolerance to hot weather

However,the metabolic cascade of severe heat-related illness occurs at acellularlevel.Once it begins, your leveloffitness won’t matter The only waytostay safewhile exercising in hotweather is to protect core bodytemperature. Avoidpeak heat and be aware of humidity. Wear light,loose layers to shield from thesun. Hydrate before, during andafter exertion.Ifyou have symptomsofheat stress, address them immediately.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Feelingforgotten laterinlife

Dear Annie: Ihave always considered myself someone who values friendship deeply.Ihave many friends, at least on paper,but I have noticed something that has started to weigh heavily on me. Iamalmost always the one reaching out. If Idonot initiate the call, text or invitation, days or even weeks go by in silence. It is rare that anyone checks in just to see how Iamdoing. Iam70now,and lately Ihave been feeling theache of loneliness morethan ever.Istill trytobeupbeat,loyal and supportive. Ilisten attentively,I laugh easily and Inever pretend to be perfect.Ican talk about hard things, too. Butdespite all that, Ioften find myself alone. Idonot feel like Iampushing people away,but Iwonder if Iam somehow missing something Even with my adult sons, it is thesame. Ilove them dearly,but they rarely reach out unless there is areason. Iknow everyone is

Find

ashow,Wangsaid,similar to how hibachi is ashow. Outside of thenoodles, Wang recommends thesaltand pepper wings andtrying thehibachi. Since July 15, Noodle Bowl has been in its soft opening stage with alimited menu. Wang is looking for feedback on dishes and service to helphim andhis team make adjustments and decisions goingforward.Heisplanninga grand opening sometimeinAugust

Email SerenaPuang at serena. puang@theadvocate.com.

whichheorshe dies, moves away or can otherwisenolonger manage the conservator duties and responsibilities. Ajudge also has the authority to replace the conservatorifthe conservatorisrepeatedly making poor decisions or neglecting required duties.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.”Email her at thememorywhisperer@gmail com.

busy,but Icannot shake the feeling that if Idisappeared tomorrow,itmight take days before anyone noticed.

doing the work, it is OK to take a step back and see whonotices. It may be disappointing, but it can also be clarifying.

Iamtrying to makethe most of this stage in life, but timefeels like it is moving quickly,and Iam scared it might run out before Ihave had the kind of connection Ilong for. Am I alone in this? Do others my age experience this, too? And moreimportantly,is thereanything Ican do differently? —Lonely in West Virginia Dear Lonely: Youare not alone. Many people, especially as they get older,find themselves in theexact position you describe. Friendships shift, families get busy and somehow the phone stops ringing unless you are the one dialing. First,give yourself credit. You are showing up with heart, humor and honesty.That is no small thing.But here is the truth: relationships are atwo-way street, and if you are always the one

As foryour adult sons, it might be timefor agentle, honest conversation. Let them know you miss them.Bespecific about what kind of connection you are looking for. They may not realize how distant they have become.

In the meantime, consider finding new ways to connect. Join a local group, take aclass, volunteer or explore something that brings you joy.Sometimes the best way to feel seen is to start where the energy is, and that may not always be with the people you expected.

Time may be moving quickly, but there is still room fornew connection and meaning. Youare not invisible. Youmatter.Donot be afraid to remind the world of that, kindly but clearly

Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators com.

away to includethese guests

Dear Miss Manners: Avery dear friend is getting married in eight weeks. She and her betrothed compromised and negotiated a great deal to finalize theguest list, and 10 people didn’tmake the cut. Unfortunately,she mistakenly invited those persons to her bridal shower Iexplained that they may feel slighted at being invited to the shower, but not thewedding. She now wants to contact these 10 people to explain the couple’sfinancial constraints and state that while the wedding guest list was final, these folks can forgo a shower gift because they are still participating in one small way Ithink this is likesending good money after bad. What can she possibly say to the10people —all of whom eagerly accepted the shower invite—tofixthis?

mission to the shower.”

Rather,Miss Manners thinks your friend should take responsibilityfor her mistake. Maybe cut theflower budget or serve cheaper refreshments so that these people —who you say were eager to celebrate with her —can be invited to the wedding.

starting timefor the party.Give or take.

Dear Miss Manners: Ioften struggle with finding the right timetoserve the meal at adinner party

Should it be as soon as all theguests have arrived? Or maybe when all the appetizers are gone?

Should we set atimeinthe invitation and start eating then, even if not everyone is there yet? I’ve also heard you should wait one hour after guests arrive.

Gentlereader: It is true that Miss Manners is good at dressing up unpleasant information to be acceptable, but there are limits. There is no polite way to say, “When we trimmed ourguest list, you were thepeople we decided we could do without. Butdon’t worry: We won’tcharge you ad-

Dear Heloise: We spend all this energy saving thingstorecycle, but Iwonder just how much of it actually gets recycled. Do you know? Thanks for all your advice. —Bob S.,in Cortland, Ohio

Bob,the mostrecent dataestimates that the overall recycling rate in theUnited States is 32.1%:

n Paper andpaperboard accounts for 79.1%.

Gentlereader: Well, you don’twant to rush people to the table the minutethey arrive. But if you wait until all the appetizers are gone, your hungry guests will be nibbling on thenapkins. Youwant to serve dinner as soon as it is ready,but also leave areasonable margin to allow for varying traffic and weather conditions.

Miss Manners suggests aiming for 45 minutes after your stated

Dear Miss Manners: I’majournalist whocovers politics. It’s exhausting, especially lately But at social functions, friends, family and strangers often share their political opinions (which usually include plenty of misinformation). It often gets heated —everyone thinks they’re an expert. Trying to change the subject rarely works. Is there apolite waytoshut it down, other than just leaving?

Gentle reader: Sadly,ithas become difficult foranyone to have acivil and productive discussion of politics nowadays. But Miss Manners notices that you can offer apolite excuse: “Sorry,but Ideal with politics all day,and Ineed abreak. Can you recommendagood movie or book about something else?”

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

n Plastic is sadly only 5% to 9%.

The difficulty with plastic centers around added dyes and the lack of machinery needed for various plastic types.

n Recycling rules and regulationsdepend heavily on state, city and regional directives. For example, some recycling centers will take shredded paper while others will not. —Heloise

Shop local

Dear Heloise: Iknow it’s fun to shop at abig-box store, but Iwish morepeople would shop locally especially for common items

such as casual clothes, groceries, and other things that help small businesses stay afloat. My sister drovetoanother city to buy ababy gift, agreeting card and wrapping paper when she could have gotten it at abetter price in a local mall. Iknowthere is nothing youcan do aboutthis, but Ijust wantedtoremind people thatsmall businesses need to keep their doors open and usually offer better service becausethe shopper is thelifeblood of their community No one likes offices and shops that stay empty for years. So, shop local andhelpyourcommunitythrive! —HilaryG in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Handwrittenthank-you notes

Dear Heloise: How long after my wedding should Iwait until I thank everyone fortheir gift? Andmymother said “no” to the idea of having ageneric card printed up that simply says,

“Thank you forthe lovely wedding gift.” She thinks it’stacky We need your help. —Holly and Russell D.,inMinnesota Holly and Russell, as soon as you get back from your honeymoon, you both need to sit downand start writing out your thank-you notes. Your mother is correct; ageneric “thank you” is not appropriate. Handwrite a fewthank-you notes every night, and soon you’ll be done. Be sure to mention the gift and how you’ll use it. Always remember good manners are classy! —Heloise Paperplatesnomore! Dear Heloise: Imade adiscovery Many deli trays from the supermarkets have foam trays to display their food. These can be carefully cleaned and reused as picnic plates. Just makecertain you never use atray that contained raw meat of any kind. Wayne T.,inFalmouth, Maine Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.

Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Hints from Heloise

LEO (July23-Aug. 22) Rise to any occasionand do your part. The wayyou approach achieving yourgoals will have an impactonyourpopularity. Putmorethought intohow you present yourself to others.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Keep your financial position to yourself. Theless youshare, the easier it will be foryou to negotiateonyourown behalf. Don't jeopardize yourhealth or finances to accommodatesomeoneelse.

LIBRA (sept. 23-Oct. 23) Achange will become arevelation, encouraging you to broaden your vision while dismissing what's no longer workingfor you. Putyour energy where it counts, and you will feel thedifference.

scORPIO (Oct. 24-nov. 22) Let your feelings and instincts guide you.You will surpass expectationsifyou act more than you speak. Learn as yougoand elevateyour game in real time.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attentiontoyour finances, health andhome. Updating your look, getting in shape and socializing more will lead to interesting connections and insight into what to strive for next cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Listen, but don't believeeverything you hear. Someone will be more intent on impressing you thanonsticking to facts. Get thelowdown andavoid joint ventures.

AQuARIus(Jan. 20-Feb.19) Deal with issues regarding lifestyle, expensesor boundaries.Make apoint of lettingoth-

ers knowwhatyou are willing to share andwhat's off-limitstothose who venture into your world.

PIscEs (Feb.20-March 20) Evaluate situations beforeyou get involved. Ask questions and considerthe emotional ramifications your actions will have on your life and the lives of others. Take physicalprecautionstoavoid injuryor illness.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take timeto engage in talks and conduct research that will lead to better choices. Avoid restrictionsthat compromise your health or emotional well-being. Trust your instincts.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Sethigh standards and make the changes necessary to achieve your goals. There is no place for anger or stubbornness. To succeed, you mustfirst learn to get along with others.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Achange of scenery will improve your attitude and feed your imagination. Networkingand social events will lead to valuable information andintroductions.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Dream big, but be realistic. Consider howtomake your surroundings more convenient or clear aspace to develop amoneymakingsideline. Startsmall andbuild from there.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotationsbyfamous people, past and present. Each letter in thecipher stands for another. tODAy's cLuE:A EQuALsF

bAILeY

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Napoleon Hill wrote books that explainedhow achievement actually occurs andgaveaformulathat put successwithinthereachofalmosteveryone. Hill said, “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”

At the bridge table,you need patience and persistence. If youare also getting alot of perspiration, either you should try to relax or the air conditioning needs adjusting.Additionally,playingsuitcombinationscorrectly can be important.In this deal,for example, how shouldSouth try to makefourspades? After West leadsthe clubqueen, thedefenders take three tricks in the suit. Then they cast adrift with aheart to dummy’sking.

North’s jump to fourspades showed four-card support and 18-20 support points, counting high-card and shortage points. It was notasign-off. If Southhad astrong hand, he would have headed toward slam.

Declarerneedstodrawtrumpswithout loss. The rightstart is alow spade from theboard —not thequeen, in case East hasasingletonking.However,whenEast plays low, declarer putsinhis jack.

After thatwins, Southplays aheart to dummy’s ace andnow calls for the spade queen.IfEast does not cover, thequeen takes thetrick, declarer plays aspade to his10, cashes thespade ace and claims 10 tricks. If East covers the spade queen, Southwinswithhis ace and notesthat West discards. Back to theboard with adiamond to the king (or aheart ruff), declarer plays aspade to hiseight,cashes thespade 10 and claims ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIOns: 1. Words mustbeoffourormoreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”

loCKhorNs

Wheredoyou hurt? Give your burdentothe Lord.— G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles