The Acadiana Advocate 08-06-2025

Schools mapped for first responders

Lafayette integrating data with dispatch systems

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

When

first responders are called to any Lafayette Parish public school, they’ll be able to access an interactive map to help them navigate the school and respond quickly to the issue.

The Lafayette Parish school system, Lafayette 911, the parish’s first responders and consulting firm Fenstermaker worked together to map each school and integrate that data with responders’ computer-aided dispatch systems.

“When you talk about kids and schools, they’re probably our most precious commodity,” said Lafay-

ette Parish 911 Director Craig Stansbury “This is something we wanted to make sure that we were able to provide for those first responders who are actually keeping the kids safe.” Lafayette Parish 911 paid for Fenstermaker to 3D map each school site over the summer That information was then translated into the interactive maps that can be accessed through the dispatch system It includes information such as window locations, exits, closets, room numbers and the colloquial names for rooms. When a call comes in to 911 and that emergency is at a school, the interactive map is shared with law enforcement and medical respond-

ers. Responders can then search for a location and it will highlight where they need to go on the map. It’s standardized for all first responders, including the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance. In the future, the cameras inside schools will be accessible by the Lafayette police and the Lafayette Sheriff’s Office’s real-time crime centers.

While each school has a resource officer who is typically familiar with the site’s footprint, the mapping is helpful for anyone who is

See SCHOOLS, page 4A

Emergency

Few kindergartners included in school voucher program

Only 80 in state receive LA GATOR tuition grants

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Incoming kindergarten students were largely shut out of Louisiana’s new private education program, according to state data, leaving thousands of families scrambling and many private schools with unfilled seats just as the new school year begins.

Only about 80 of the 4,500 eligible incoming kindergartners who applied received grants through LA GATOR, a new state program meant to help families

BY JAMES FINN

pay for private school or home schooling expenses, according to data shared by the state Education Department. Overall, less than 2% of the more than 5,800 grants awarded for the upcoming school year went to rising kindergartners

The situation stems from limited state funding and program rules that prioritized giving grants to students who previously received school vouchers — a group that did not include this year’s new kindergartners.

Now private school leaders and advocates are sounding the alarm, saying that families who had counted on receiving state aid must either come up with tuition money or enroll their children in public schools that still have open

kindergarten seats as students return from summer break. While many private school families can afford tuition, some rely on scholarships and subsidies

— including about 1,400 children from low-income families who attended statefunded private preschool last year

At Hosanna Christian Academy in Baton Rouge, most of the school’s 60 prekindergarten students last year were funded through that state program. Nearly all of their families applied for LA GATOR money this year — but none received any, said Russell Marino, the school’s executive director “It really is devastating to these fami-

Penitentiary at Angola, part of a push to meet the demands of the president’s widening immigration crackdown by outsourcing operations to conservative states. An unused wing at the maximum security prison, the nation’s largest state-run penitentiary has emerged as a possible site for the

La. to ban SNAP for soda, candy

Landry pushes forward on ‘MAHA’ movement

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisianans who get federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will soon be unable to use those benefits to purchase soft drinks, energy drinks or candy Gov Jeff Landry in a social media post, announced that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had signed off on a waiver that allows Louisiana to exclude soda and candy from purchase with SNAP benefits administered by the state. A target implementation date for the change is Jan. 15, according to information on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP website.

“Gone are the days of taxpayers subsidizing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits,” Landry said in the announcement. “I am proud to say that Louisiana isn’t just participating in the MAHA movement, we are leading it.”

The Louisiana governor was referring to the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S Department of Health & Human Services. Louisiana Surgeon General Dr Ralph Abraham called federal support for the change “phenomenal.”

immigration lockup, according to people familiar with the talks. The move could save Louisiana costs of building a new facility like one unveiled in Florida last month, but critics contend it would place people without criminal records near

“Gone are the days of taxpayers subsidizing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits. I am proud to say that Louisiana isn’t just participating in the MAHA movement, we are leading it.” GOV. JEFF LANDRy ä See SNAP, page 4A

others convicted of grave crimes. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the former South Dakota governor who is close with GOP Louisiana

ä See ANGOLA, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Craig Stansbury, director of the Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security and

Preparedness, discusses the new school digital mapping on Tuesday.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Russell Marino, executive director of Hosanna Christian Academy in Baton Rouge, said that none of the nearly 60 incoming kindergarten students at his school who applied for a new LA GATOR tuition grant received one.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

FBI: Violent crime in U.S dropped 4.5% last year

WASHINGTON Violent crime in the United States fell 4.5% last year, according to a new FBI report, which also shows an 8% drop in property crime from the year before.

The FBI statistics released Tuesday show murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in the U.S. in 2024 fell nearly 15% from a year earlier, continuing a decline that’s been seen since a coronavirus pandemicera crime spike. Reported hate crimes decreased 1.5%, according to the report.

Despite that slight decrease, last year’s hate crime totals were the second highest reported by the FBI in the more than 30 years it has been collecting data, according to Brian Levin founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and professor emeritus at California State University-San Bernardino Crime surged during the coronavirus pandemic, with homicides increasing nearly 30% in 2020 over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records. Violent crime across the U.S. dipped to near pre-pandemic levels around 2022.

The FBI collects data through its Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and not all law enforcement agencies in the U.S. participate. The 2024 report is based on data from more than 16,000 agencies, or more than 86% of those agencies in the FBI’s program. The agencies included in the report protect more than 325 million people across the U.S.

Second earthquake hits New York City region

HILLSDALE, N.J A second small earthquake rattled the New York metropolitan area on Tuesday within several days of another The 2.7 magnitude earthquake struck a little after noon near suburban Hillsdale, New Jersey, about 10 miles northwest of the Bronx in New York City according to the U.S. Geological Survey There were no initial reports of damages or injuries from the quake The tremor came after a 3.0 magnitude earthquake shook the area Saturday night. That earthquake struck Hasbrouck Heights, which is about 9 miles south of Hillsdale.

Geophysicist Jessica Turner of the National Earthquake Information Center said it was “a little hard” to label the second one an aftershock. “While it did occur about nine miles to the north of the earthquake that occurred on Aug. 2, we aren’t quite sure because it’s not right on top of that location,” she said. “We aren’t quite sure if this is an aftershock of that earthquake or if maybe it’s just kind of like a separate earthquake that occurred.”

‘Ketamine Queen’ gets September trial date

LOSANGELES A woman charged with selling Matthew Perry the dose of ketamine that killed him is headed for a September trial. Jasveen Sangha’s trial is now set to begin Sept. 23 after an order Tuesday from a federal judge in Los Angeles.

The 42-year-old Sangha, who prosecutors say was known to her customers as “The Ketamine Queen,” is charged with five counts of ketamine distribution, including one count of distribution resulting in death She has pleaded not guilty and has been held in federal custody since her arrest last year Sangha was one of the two biggest targets in the investigation of Perry’s death, along with Dr Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty to ketamine distribution last month. Perry’s personal assistant, his friend and another doctor also entered guilty pleas and are cooperating with prosecutors. All are awaiting sentencing. Perry, who was found dead at age 54 at his home Oct. 23, 2023, had been getting ketamine from his regular doctor for treatment of depression, an increasingly common off-label use for the surgical anesthetic. But prosecutors say Perry sought

Trump takes walk on White House roof

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Don-

ald Trump’s day began typically enough, with a television interview and a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then it took an unexpected and unusual turn when he appeared on the roof of the White House’s West Wing.

Late Tuesday morning, Trump emerged from a door connected to the State Dining Room and stepped onto the roof above the press briefing room and west colonnade that walls the Rose Garden He spent nearly 20 minutes surveying the rooftop and the grounds below, including a newly paved makeover of the Rose Garden.

Reporters, tipped off by the outof-the-ordinary positioning of snipers above the Oval Office, shouted questions from below One called out: “Sir, why are you on the roof?”

“Taking a little walk,” Trump shouted back “It’s good for your health.”

Trump walked with a small group that included James McCrery, architect of the newly announced $200 million ballroom

project. They moved slowly, with Trump frequently gesturing and pointing at the roof and grounds. Several times, he wandered to-

Korean student freed from ICE detention

Faith leaders protested after she was sent to La.

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

A Purdue University student from

South Korea has been freed from fed-

eral detention, tearfully reuniting with her family and religious community in Manhattan following days of outcry from faith leaders in New York and abroad.

Yeonsoo Go, 20, was taken into custody on Thursday during a routine immigration hearing in Manhattan, according to her attorneys and family She was then transferred to a federal detention facility in Monroe, Louisiana, where she was held for three nights before being released without bail on Monday

Mary Rothwell Davis, an attorney for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, where Go’s mother works as a priest, said the family had not received an explanation for the arrest or abrupt reversal.

“We don’t know why it happened, but we’re very happy that it did,” Davis said.

“We were moving heaven and earth to make it known that we thought this was a mistake.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Go had been

placed in expedited removal proceedings for overstaying an expired visa

The agency did not respond to questions about what prompted Go’s release.

“The fact of the matter is those who are in our country illegally have a choice — they can leave the country voluntarily or be arrested and deported,” agency spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

But Davis disputed the contention that Go was here illegally She said Go has maintained a valid visa since arriving in the U.S in 2021, along with her mother, Rev Kyrie Kim, who leads a Korean congregation in the New York area.

A graduate of Scarsdale High School in the suburbs of New York City, Go studies at Purdue’s College of Pharmacy and remains active in the Episcopalian Church, according to Davis.

In recent days, clergy members, including Bishop Matthew Heyd, as well as the church leaders in Korea, have called on the Trump administration to release Go, insisting that her arrest was a mistake.

“Whether it was our outcry or some other factor that persuaded DHS to send her home, we don’t know, but we’re so grateful,” Davis said, adding that Go’s experience in detention was “unbelievably traumatic.”

Search for bar shooter who killed 4 is highest priority, Mont. governor says

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Tuesday signed an executive order freeing up more resources for local law enforcement as they searched a mountainous area for a former U.S. soldier suspected of killing four people at a bar last week

The search for Michael Paul Brown stretched into its fifth day with more than three dozen law enforcement agencies helping with an effort that Montana’s top officials described during a news conference as the highest priority in the state.

A team with the Montana National Guard has

flown nearly 20 hours since last Friday, looking for any clues for Brown’s whereabouts as an undisclosed number of officers searched on foot.

“Rest assured, our brave men and women of law enforcement aren’t giving up, and I ask that you not give up on them either,” Gianforte said. Authorities say Brown, 45, fatally shot four people last Friday at The Owl Bar in the small town of Anaconda with a rifle that police believe was his personal weapon. He fled in a white pickup that he later ditched and stole another white vehicle stocked with clothes, shoes and camping supplies. A female bartender and

three male patrons were killed.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen reiterated Tuesday that authorities are operating under the assumption that Brown is armed and extremely dangerous. Without providing more details, Knudsen said there’s evidence that authorities are searching in the right area. About 22 square miles of forest southwest of Anaconda have been closed to the public by the U.S. Forest Service as the search continues. Knudsen added that it does not appear that Brown has broken into any cabins or homes in the area to get food or additional supplies

ward the corner nearest the press corps, waving and cupping his hands to shout responses to shouted questions. At one point, he said he was looking at “another way to spend my money for this country.” Later near the end of his appearance on the roof, Trump was asked what he was going to build. He quipped, “Nuclear missiles.”

Trump has substantially redecorated the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes and cherubs, presidential portraits and other items and installed massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns to fly the American flag. And last week, his administration announced that construction on a massive ballroom will begin in September and be ready before Trump’s term ends in early 2029. While Trump appeared on the West Wing, the White House has said the ballroom will be where the “small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits.”

Judge blocks attempt to reallocate $4 billion away from FEMA

BY JACK BROOK and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from reallocating $4 billion meant to help communities protect against natural disasters.

U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston granted a preliminary injunction sought by 20 Democrat-led states while their lawsuit over the funding moves ahead. A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The states argued FEMA lacked the authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and redirect more than $4 billion of its funding. The program aims to harden infrastructure around the country against potential storm damage.

FEMA initially announced it was ending the program, but later said in

a court filing that it was evaluating it. Noting money for the program was allocated by Congress, the states’ lawsuit says any attempt to redirect it would run afoul of the Constitution. A lawyer for the government argued at a hearing in July that FEMA should have discretion to use the money how it sees fit. In his ruling, Stearns said he was not convinced Congress had given FEMA any discretion to redirect the funds. The states had also shown that the “balance of hardship and public interest” was in their favor The program has provided grants for a range of projects, including strengthening electrical grids, constructing levees for flood protection and relocating vulnerable water treatment facilities.

Stearns said it appeared FEMA was “inching towards a fait accompli,” noting it had cancelled new funding opportunities and told stakeholders they shouldn’t expect any unobligated funding.

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more from Plasencia, then still more from Sangha.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OLGA FEDOROVA

yeonsoo Go, second left, a Purdue student who was detained by immigration authorities in Manhattan last week, leaves with her mother and members of Korean community after being released from immigration custody Monday in New york.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump shouts to reporters as he surveys the grounds Tuesday from the roof above the Colonnade that goes to the West Wing of the White House in Washington.

House committee issues subpoenas for Epstein files

Clintons, former law enforcement officials sought for depositions

BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department on Tuesday for files in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and is seeking depositions with the Clintons and former law enforcement officials, part of a congressional probe that lawmakers believe may show links to President Donald Trump and former top officials.

The Republican-controlled committee issued subpoenas for depositions with former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials.

The committee’s actions showed how even with lawmakers away from Washington on a monthlong break, interest in the Epstein files is still running high. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago, and he has repeatedly tried to move past the Justice Department’s decision not to release a full accounting of the investigation. But lawmakers from both major political parties, as well as many in the Republican president’s political base, have refused to let it go

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the oversight committee, noted in letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and the former officials that the cases of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell “have received immense public interest and scrutiny.”

“While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer said.

Since Epstein’s 2019 death in a New York jail cell as he awaited trial for sex trafficking charges, conservative conspiracists have stoked theories about what information investigators gathered on Epstein — and who else knew about his sexual abuse of teenage girls. Republican lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee nodded to that line of questioning last month by initiating the subpoenas for the Clintons, both Democrats, as well as demanding all communications between President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and the Justice Department regarding Epstein.

Bill Clinton was among a number of luminaries acquainted with Epstein, a wealthy financier, before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them.

The committee is also demanding interviews under oath from former attorneys general spanning the last four presidential administrations: Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Lawmakers also subpoenaed former

FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller

However, it was Democrats who sparked the move to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Epstein. They were joined by some Republicans last month to successfully initiate the subpoena through a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.

“Today was an important step forward in our fight for transparency regarding the Epstein files and our dedication to seeking justice for the victims,” said Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, and Summer Lee, who initiated the subpoena, in a joint statement “Now, we must continue putting pressure on the Department of Justice until we actually receive every document.”

The subpoenas give the Justice Department until Aug. 19 to hand over the requested records, though such requests are typically open to negotiation and can be resisted by the Trump administration.

The committee is also asking the former officials to appear for the depositions throughout August September and October, concluding with Hillary Clinton on Oct. 9 and Bill Clinton on Oct. 14.

Arrest made in killings of 4 Tennessee family members

BY MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

The man wanted in the killings of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found abandoned in a front yard in western Tennessee last week has been arrested, police said.

Austin Robert Drummond, 28, was taken into custody amid a search on Tuesday, Jackson police said. His arrest came shortly after police had warned residents of Jackson, which is about 74 miles away from the crime scene in Tiptonville, to stay inside their homes, having received a report that he was spotted in a neighborhood It came after two tips from members of the community officials said at a news conference Tuesday Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said he couldn’t give a motive for the crime yet. Drummond faces four counts of firstdegree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses, officials have said.

Dyer and Lake counties District Attorney

Danny Goodman told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that he has yet to decide if he’ll seek the death penalty, but said it was “very likely” he would.

Goodman said Drummond shot the family members, and that Drummond’s girlfriend is the sister of the infant’s grandmother

“They were actually all associated with one another,” Goodman said. “So it wasn’t a random attack.”

Hours before the arrest, Jackson Police posted a 20-second video surveillance clip showing someone they said was Drummond trying to enter the door of a building.

The investigation into the family’s killings in Tiptonville began July 29 after an infant in a car seat was found in a front yard in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles away The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that a caller reported a minivan or midsize SUV had dropped the infant at a “random individual’s front yard.”

The TBI has already charged Tanaka Brown, 29, and Giovonte Thomas, 29, with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder

Epstein’s ex doesn’t want grand jury transcripts released

BY JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, wants to keep grand jury records secret in the sex trafficking case that sent her to prison, her lawyers said Tuesday as prosecutors continued urging a court to release some of those records in the criminal case-turned-political fireball.

Maxwell hasn’t seen the material herself, her attorneys said — the grand jury process is conducted behind closed doors. But she opposes unsealing what her lawyers described as potentially “hearsay-laden” transcripts of grand jury testimony, which was given in secret and without her lawyers there to challenge it.

“Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable and her due process rights remain,” attorneys David Markus and Melissa Madrigal wrote.

Prosecutors declined to comment. Government attorneys have been trying to quell a clamor for transparency by seeking the transcripts’ release — though the government also says the public already knows much of what’s in the documents.

Most of the information “was made publicly available at trial or has otherwise been publicly reported through the public statements of victims and witnesses,” prosecutors wrote in court papers Monday They noted that the disclosures excluded some victims’ and witnesses’ names.

Prosecutors had also said last week that some of what the grand jurors heard eventually came out at Maxwell’s 2021 trial and in various victims’ lawsuits. There were only two grand jury witnesses, both of them law en-

forcement officials, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors made clear Monday that they’re seeking to unseal only the transcripts of grand jury witnesses’ testimony not the exhibits that accompanied it. But they are also working to parse how much of the exhibits also became public record over the years. While prosecutors have sought to temper expectations about any new revelations from the grand jury proceedings, they aren’t proposing to release a cache of other information the government collected while looking into Epstein.

The transcript faceoff comes six years after authorities said Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and four years after Maxwell was convicted of grooming underage girls to participate in sex acts with him. The British socialite denied the allegations and has appealed her conviction, so far unsuccessfully

Some of President Donald Trump’s allies spent years suggesting there was more to the Epstein saga than met the eye and calling for more disclosures. A few got powerful positions in Trump’s Justice Department and then faced backlash after it abruptly announced that nothing more would be released and that a long-rumored Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist.

After trying unsuccessfully to change the subject and denigrating his own supporters for not moving on, the Republican president told Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask courts to unseal the grand jury transcripts in the case.

A top Justice Department official interviewed Maxwell late last month, at the government’s request. Last week, she was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas to continue serving her 20year sentence. Officials didn’t explain why

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN MINCHILLO

A board outlining the case against Ghislaine Maxwell is seen during a news conference July 2, 2020, in New york to announce charges against Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein.

SCHOOLS

responding to an anomaly and may not be familiar with the layout.

“When students return to school, we’re going to have this system to be able to help us and to make sure that if something does happen, we’re going to be able to respond quickly,” said school system Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr

“I am so proud that we can come together as partners that are working together for the benefit of kids. This is what it’s all about.”

The mapping is a huge up-

lies,” he said.

Private schools across the state are expecting fewer kindergartners this year, and some have canceled kindergarten classes due to low enrollment, advocates and school leaders said. The head of one school predicted a “ghost grade” of empty kindergarten seats.

Catholic school leaders have implored Gov Jeff Landry to step in, and advocates on Tuesday delivered letters to Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, asking for additional LA GATOR funding. However, many observers don’t expect lawmakers to revisit the issue until the next legislative session, leaving this year’s kindergartners in the lurch.

“I don’t think people understand that these children really got left behind,” Marino said. Parents had good reason to think that their kindergartners would be included in LA GATOR.

The law, which the state Legislature passed last year at Landry’s urging, says that students entering kindergarten are eligible for the tax-funded grants. Earlier this year, thousands of families applied and were told their rising kindergartens qualified.

But the law gives first priority to former school voucher recipients, a program to help low-income families pay for private school that LA GATOR has replaced. Students who were in preschool last year (and are now entering kin-

SNAP

Continued from page 1A

“Good nutrition is a critical piece of living a healthy life,” Abraham said. “Louisiana is already moving in the right direction, and this waiver takes us that much further by removing foods that contribute to poor health outcomes.”

Landry has regularly promoted his connection to Kennedy, which dates back years

The U.S. health secretary joined Rollins in signing the SNAP waiver for Louisiana and five other states.

grade, said Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Maj. Kevin Savant, the uniformed enforcement division commander who oversees the department’s school resource officers.

Responders typically have to rely on blueprints submitted by businesses and entities that are similar to fire escape plans. It’s a static piece of information that isn’t searchable and isn’t as detailed.

“The whole goal of this is to get our first responders in there as quickly as possible,” he said. “Now what we’re doing is giving every responder in real-time information that’s fresh and updated.”

dergarten) never received vouchers, which were for grades K-12, so they weren’t prioritized for LA GATOR grants.

With more funding, that might have been a moot point. Landry requested nearly $94 million for LA GATOR, which would have covered the former voucher students plus thousands of additional grant-seekers.

But Henry and other lawmakers balked at the price tag, allocating just $43.5 million for the program.

The funding paid for grants for about 5,200 former voucher recipients and just under 700 additional students, according to the state.

Landry requested that those roughly 700 grants go to children from low-income families and students with disabilities who previously attended public schools, said state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley “He really wanted to make sure that those students were preferenced,” Brumley said.

A spokesperson for Landry did not respond to questions about his input into how the grants were awarded

Whether intentional or not, prioritizing public school students for some of the grants might help neutralize one of the criticisms of LA GATOR: that it’s a giveaway to families who already send their children to private school and can afford tuition.

“I don’t believe that was the intention, certainly not my intention,” said state Rep. Jack McFarland, RJonesboro, who chairs the House appropriations committee, during a June webinar hosted by the Public

“SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” Kennedy said in a statement.

In June, Landry and Kennedy spent time together in Baton Rouge for a Louisiana bill-signing ceremony celebrating the passage of Senate Bill 14, now Act 463, which was branded as MAHA legislation It banned the use of certain dyes and additives in school foods beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, among other provisions.

The MAHA bill passed

For now, the mapping only exists for Lafayette Parish school system schools, but Stansbury wants to expand that to include every school in the parish. He said Fenstermaker is working with charter schools and has reached out to private schools.

The maps put the school system ahead of the curve in complying with a new unfunded state mandate that lays out what school mapping data districts must supply to first responders. Act 425 was signed into law this year and states that all public schools must work with law enforcement to provide the “appropriate tools needed for school safety.”

Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. “If we’re really talking about getting children who are in ‘D’ and ‘F’ (public) schools out of troubled schools and giving their parents that option, then that’s what we should be doing.”

The limited funding and program rules all but ensured that children who attended private preschool wouldn’t receive LA GATOR money That came as a shock to Meghan Warner, whose 5-year-old son Chasen attended preschool at Hosanna Christian Academy through the state program for low-income families. Earlier this year she applied for an LA GATOR grant to cover Chasen’s kindergarten tuition. But after receiving an email this spring confirming that Chasen is eligible for LA GATOR, Warner said the state notified her last month that she did not receive a grant.

“Iwashonestlydevastated,” she said. “I thought everything was going to go smoothly and he’d get the funding to go to the next grade.”

Now Warner, who works part-time while also caring for her daughter with sickle cell anemia, said she doesn’t know how she’ll afford the $300 monthly tuition payments.

Private school leaders say they have been raising money to offset tuition costs for families who didn’t get the grants. They also encouraged parents to apply for other state scholarships.

Sister Carol Shively, superintendent of the Diocese of Shreveport’s Catholic schools, said many working-class families who can

with overwhelming support in the Legislature — with not a single Republican or Democrat opposing it during floor votes in the state House and Senate — but an early version did raise some concerns.

It would have sought to restrict the use of SNAP for soda and sugary drinks, but some Democrats resisted those limits, saying it wasn’t fair to families who rely on the program.

The SNAP restriction was ultimately removed from Act 463, but Landry, independent of state lawmakers, went ahead with a waiver request.

scarcely afford tuition were counting on the LA GATOR money — especially after being told their children were eligible.

“They just got slapped in the face,” she said. “It hurts to the bone.”

Shively and other Catholic school superintendents sent Landry a letter last month saying that shutting incoming kindergartners out of LA GATOR “caused confusion, frustration, and in some cases, real financial hard-

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Craig Stansbury, director of the Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, right, speaks during a press event on Tuesday to announce the new school digital mapping system that provides first responders with detailed layouts of all Lafayette Parish School System facilities.

Fla. planning second immigration detentioncenter

BY KATE PAYNE Associated Press/Reportfor America

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida Republican Gov.Ron DeSantis’ administration is apparently preparingto build asecond immigration detention center,awarding at least one contract forwhat’s labeled in state records as the “North Detention Facility.” The site would add to the capacity at the state’sfirst detention facility,built at an isolated airfield in

theFlorida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Already,state officials haveinked morethan $245 millionincontracts for that facility,which officially opened July 1.

Florida plans to build asecond detentioncenter at aFlorida NationalGuard training center called CampBlanding, about27miles southwest of downtown Jacksonville, though DeSantis has said the state is waiting forfederal officials to ramp up deportations from the

South Florida facilitybefore building out the Camp Blanding site. “Welook forward to the increased cadence,” of deportations, DeSantis said last month, calling the state “ready,willingand able” to expand its operations.

Civilrights advocates andenvironmental groups have filed lawsuitsagainst theEverglades facility,where detainees allege they’ve been forcedtogowithoutadequate food and medical care, and been

barred from meeting with their attorneys, heldwithout any charges and unable to get afederal immigration court to hear their cases. President Donald Trump has touted thefacility’sharshness and remoteness as fit for the “worst of the worst,” while Department of Homeland SecuritySecretary Kristi Noem hassaidthe South Floridadetention center can serve as amodel forotherstate-run holding facilities forimmigrants.

The Florida DivisionofEmergency Management, the state agency that built the Everglades facility,has awarded a$39,000 contract foraportable emergency response weather station and two lightning sirens for what’sbeen dubbed the “North DetentionFacility,” according to records in the state’spublic contract database. The equipment will help enable “real-time weathermonitoringand safety alerting forstaff.”

Continued from page1A

Gov.Jeff Landry,inJuly told reporters that she was “having ongoing conversations with five other governors” about openingfacilities in their states modeled after an immigration lockup in Florida called “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Noem said all fivegovernors are Republicans and challenged Democrats to open similar facilities,too

The facility in Ochopee, Florida, has drawn blowback from advocates for immigrants over reports of fetid conditions since it opened in earlyJuly.Built on an airfield deep in the Florida Everglades, it is operated by the state of Florida with some oversight from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Supporters have described large populations of alligatorsinthe surrounding swamp as a deterrent to would-be escapees.

President Donald Trump’s administration is also trying to hold immigrant detainees on the actual Alcatraz Island, aformer federal prison in the San Francisco Bay now run as aNational Park Service museum.

Three sources with knowledge of the talks between Louisiana officials and Trump’sadministration said plans are still in their early stages for opening an immigrationfacility at Angola.

One possible destination for the site on the prison grounds, according to people familiar with the plans could be along-abandoned wing called Camp J. Landry declared an emergencyat Angola last week in abid to hasten repairs to that facility The state shuttered Camp Jin2018 in amove hailed by criminal justice advocates as amuch-needed end to harsh conditions at the site.

Camp J“just doesn’tseem to be an environment that’s suitable for ahuman being to be in,” said David Cloud,a former staffer forthe criminal justice advocacy group Vera, who led ateam in 2016 that partnered with the state to find ways to reduce solitary confinement. “Putting ICE detainees there would just be another,you know stain in history.”

Louisiana already has deeppoliticaland operational ties to the country’s immigration enforcement system as Trump pursuesa dramatic expansion of those operations. The state’sclus-

ter of ICE-contracted privatejailsalreadymakes it second only to Texasfor the number ofpeopleitholdsin immigration detention.

The Trumpadministration hasfrequently flown its highest-profile immigration detaineestoLouisiana, including Columbia University studentleader Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk.

Many operational details of theplan, including how much it would cost and where funding wouldcome from, remained unclear Tuesday.Spokespeoplefor Landry’soffice and the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections repeatedly declined to commentondiscussionsabout the Angola facility

DHSDeputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in astatementto The TimesPicayune |The Advocate in July that theagency would notdivulge pending plans. Thefederal agency did not respond to follow-up inquiries.

“Wewon’tget ahead of thesecretary in confirming what plans are in the works, but as she said, we challenge politicians from bothsides of the aisletopartner with DHS to makeour communities safer,” McLaughlin said in July

Under thefederal government’s287(g) partnership, Trump has soughttoexpand state and local agencies’ ability to both arrest anddetain migrants.

The government’sneed for moredetentionspace sharpenedafter the president’sdomestic policy bill passed Congress last month. Thelegislation increased ICEfunding from $8 billion to $28 billion. Officials say the expanded budget will translate to ramped-up immigration enforcement

“Weneedto doubleour capacity and detention beds because we need to facilitate getting people out of this country as fast as possible,” Noem said in her remarks last month.

Thefacility inthe Everglades is runbyFlorida officials under287(g), which hands local and state agencies immigrationenforcement authority typically reserved for federal officials.

It is officially named “AlligatorAlcatraz,” part of what theadministration describes as its attempt to frightenmigrants into “self-deporting” beforethey are captured by the immigration system Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis has said thefacilityaimsto be alaunchpad toswiftly deport immigrants rather than

along-term holding center

“The whole purposeisto make this be aplace that canfacilitate increased frequency and numbersofdeportations of illegal aliens, and that is the goal,”DeSantis said at anews briefing in July

Trumpand Florida officials describe thefacility as adestination only fordetainees who have been accused of seriouscrimes. But hundreds of people held there face no criminal charges,according to reportingbyThe Miami Herald. Migrants have told news outlets they were fed worm-infested food and have had to wade acrossfloors flooded with fecal waste.

On Tuesday,The Associated Pressreportedthat Florida officials are in talks to open asecond, similar facility near Jacksonville. Angola, too, affords ample opportunity for an administrationseeking to sowfear among immigrants, said Rachel Taber,a New Orleansbased organizer with Union Migrante, an immigrant advocacy group. Thehuge penalcolonyhousesmore than 6,000 maximum security prisoners, is abuilt on an old plantation and was once nicknamed “the Alcatraz of theSouth.” It has long had a reputation for violence.

In May, Landry issuedan executive order urging local and state law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE under 287(g). TheLouisianaNational Guard, State Police, Alcohol and Tobacco Control, State Fire Marshal and Department of Wildlife andFisherieseach entered agreements under theprogram,along with several local police agencies, according to afederal database.

In his May executive order, Landry said the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has “already begun to partner with DHS …toenforce President Trump’simmigration policies.”

On July 24,federalrecords showthe state’sprison agency formalized its agreements with ICE under apair of 287(g) deals One is aso-called “warrant service officer” agreement, under which agents in the participating agencies are trained and certified to execute immigration warrants. The other is a“jail enforcement” agreement allowing deputized DOC employees to interrogate people about their immigration status and coordinate with ICE.

The passage of Trump’s policy bill last month likely foreshadows an expansion

of ICEinfrastructure in the state, former federalofficials and immigration attorneys predict OneICE facilityinAlexandria is connected to an airport, making Louisiana akey hub for deportation flights.

Aspokesperson for the GEO Group, aprivate prison firmthat runs four Louisiana ICE facilities, in February saidthe firmwas invest-

ing$70 million across its50 U.S. facilitieson“increased housing, transportation and monitoring capabilities and services to meet the anticipated requirements of the federalgovernment’s immigration law enforcement priorities.” Thatwas months before the domestic policy bill passed Congress.

AGeoGroup spokesperson declined to respond last

month to questions aboutthe company’splans following thepassage of that legislation. The spokesperson referred questions to ICE. LaSalle Corrections, another private firm that runs several Louisiana-based ICE facilities, could notbe reached.

Staff writer Meghan Friedmann contributed to this report.

Texas, Calif. at center of redistricting power struggle

BY BILL BARROW, NADIA LATHAN and MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas

The two most populous U.S. states California and Texas — are grappling for political advantage ahead of the 2026 elections, setting up a national proxy war as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of Congress in the latter half of Donald Trump’s second presidency.

In Texas, Democrats on Tuesday again delayed their state’s House of Representatives from moving forward with a redrawn congressional map sought by Trump to shore up Republicans’ 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters. It was the second consecutive day that absent Democrats forced a quick adjournment by denying the GOP majority the required attendance to take votes.

In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash Republican-held House seats in the left-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in battleground districts. The move is intended to counter any GOP gains in Texas — though California Democrats could face even more complex legal and logistical hurdles than their temporarily stymied Republican counterparts in Texas.

The two states’ existing maps putting Democrats within just three seats of reclaiming a U.S. House majority in the midterms.

The fight, which could spill over to other statehouses, demonstrates

Trump’s aggressive view of presidential power and his hold on the Republican Party It also tests the historical balance of powers between the federal and state governments.

For years, Texas and California have set competing political and cultural curves, dueling over jobs, innovation, prestige and ideology against the backdrop of Republican domination in Texas and Democrats’ control on the more liberal West Coast.

“We are entitled to five more seats” in Texas, Trump insisted Tuesday in a CNBC interview He pointed to California’s existing maps, which are drawn by an independent commission unlike the Texas maps drawn by a partisan legislature: “They did it to us.”

National Democratic Chairman

Ken Martin answered that Trump and compliant Republicans are subverting democracy out of fear given the president’s lagging approval ratings and voter angst over the massive GOP tax and policy bill he signed last month.

“Republicans are running scared that voting for this monstrosity will make them lose their majority, and it certainly will,” Martin said in Illinois, where multiple Texas Democrats have settled temporarily to deny their Republican colleagues a quorum in Austin.

Texas Dems block power play

After dozens of Democrats left Texas, the Republican-dominated House remains unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business.

The House issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Gov Greg Abbott ordered state troopers to find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond state authorities’ jurisdiction.

Democrats cast the governor and his ally, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, as Trump lackeys

“When Donald Trump calls, they say ‘Yes, sir Right away,’” Illinois Gov JB Pritzker said Tuesday Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’ 38 U.S. House seats. The GOP replacement map is drawn to boost Republicans to 30 seats and reduce Democrats to eight. Republicans’ current advantage of nearly 2-to-1 already is a wider

partisan gap than the 2024 presidential results: Trump won 56.1% of Texas ballots, while Democrat Kamala Harris received 42.5%.

Newsom attempts to answer

In California, Democrats are looking into a plan to secure 48 of 52 congressional seats. That’s up from the 43 seats — about 83% of the House delegation. Like Texas, the existing party gap outpaces the statewide presidential split in 2024: Harris got 58.5% of the vote to Trump’s 38.3%.

Newsom has said he wants to advance partisan redistricting but won’t move ahead if Texas pauses its efforts. California’s plan, though, would need approval from

lawmakers and voters, who may be skeptical to give it after handing redistricting power to an independent commission years ago.

The governor said he’d call a special election for the first week of November — but that’s a tight timeline ahead of a statewide referendum later that month. Further, Newsom would be campaigning at a time when his popularity among voters has been sagging.

Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signaled he’d campaign to protect the independent redistricting commission that was one of his signature accomplishments.

What is long-term strategy?

Despite California’s cumbersome path, a potentially extended stalemate in Texas — even if the GOP ultimately gets its way there — could give Newsom and his allies more time to rally support.

Further Pritzker and New York Gov Kathy Hochul, who also welcomed some Texas lawmakers who left Austin, have promised to explore ways to redraw congressional districts to counter GOP efforts. That means Texas and California could simply be blueprints for a multistate redistricting bonanza. For their parts, Texas legislators who left declined to say how long they’ll hold out.

“There’s folks saying that we walked out. I think everyone behind me would say we’re standing up, and as Texans would say, we’re standing tall,” said state Rep. Ramon Romero, who decamped to Illinois.

BY PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine

The Titan submersible disaster could have been prevented, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a report Tuesday that held OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush responsible for ignoring safety warnings, design flaws and crucial oversight which, had he survived, may have resulted in criminal charges. Rush and four passengers were killed instantly deep below the surface of the North Atlantic

Ocean in June 2023 when Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck of the Titanic. A multi-day search for survivors grabbed international headlines, and the tragedy led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the burgeoning private deep sea expedition industry

The Coast Guard determined the safety procedures at OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state, were “critically flawed” and found “glaring disparities” between safety protocols

and actual practices.

OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023. A spokesperson for OceanGate said the company has been wound down and was fully cooperating with the investigation, and offered condolences to the families of those who died and everyone affected.

Investigators pointed to OceanGate’s culture of downplaying, ignoring and even falsifying key safety information to improve its reputation and evade scrutiny from regulators.

The company ignored “red flags” and had a “toxic workplace culture,” where firings of senior staff and the looming threat of being fired were used to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns.

The Marine Board concluded that Rush had an “escalating disregard for established safety protocols,” which contributed to the deaths of four people. If Rush were alive, the board would have passed the case to the U.S. Department of Justice and he may have faced criminal charges, the board said. The company reclassified submersible passengers as “mission specialists” to bypass regulations on small passenger vessels and claim its subs were oceanic research vessels. Investigators found the submersible’s design, certification, maintenance and inspection process were all inadequate. The vessel’s carbon fiber hull design and construction introduced flaws that “weakened the overall structural integrity” of its hull, the report stated.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO By JAy JANNER

People protest the Republican plan for congressional redistricting Monday at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Texas.

Lafayette library meeting sees changes

Requirements stem from free speech lawsuit settlement

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Changes forced by the settlement of a federal free speech lawsuit were put into place at the first Lafayette Public Library board meeting since the settlement was reached in mid-July

Gone were signs on the front door of the main library and the

Committee for LSU president search to meet

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

LSU’s presidential search committee set its first meeting for later this month to help determine the next leader of the university system.

The meeting is set to occur at 9 a.m. Aug. 19 in the board room of the LSU Foundation Building on Nicholson Drive, according to a news release Tuesday Health care executives, business leaders, several members of LSU’s Board of Supervisors, professors and a student make up the 20-member committee, which was announced June 20. Gov Jeff Landry appointed five of the seven LSU board members on the committee.

“In its advisory role to the Board of Supervisors, the committee is charged with identifying a bold and transformative leader someone who can harness LSU’s momentum, elevate its impact across Louisiana, the nation, and uphold the values, vision, and traditions that define our university system,” the release stated.

The committee was formed following the departure of former President William Tate IV, who left in June to lead Rutgers University in New Jersey The next president will oversee a system that includes campuses in Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Eunice and Shreveport, along with an agriculture center, biomedical research center and medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport.

Scott Ballard, the LSU board chair, previously said the group will use the help of a consulting firm in selecting s omeone. Additional details about the firm and the timeline for the search remain unclear An LSU spokesperson said Tuesday that the only information is the people on the committee and the meeting date. He added that there will likely be more information after the first meeting The last two LSU presidential searches diverged in the amount of information made transparent.

The search leading to Tate’s hiring in 2021 was conducted mostly

door to the board meeting room Ordered placed there by thenboard President Robert Judge, the signs cited part of a Louisiana law defining the crime of disturbing the peace. Instead, a binder containing the Louisiana open meetings law sat on a stand just inside the meeting room for the public and board members to access.

Both were requirements of the lawsuit settlement.

“I’m happy about the changes,” Lynnette Mejia said after the meeting. “I would like to see the binder in a more public area and for the board to let the public know it exists.”

Mejia, along with Melanie Brevis, founded Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship and filed the

lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Lafayette challenging policies adopted by Judge and the board that the women allege stifle free speech.

Another visible change at Monday’s meeting: No off-duty law enforcement officers were present.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, the library board had hired two off-duty Lafayette Parish sheriff’s deputies as guards. At times they

stood on either side of the board facing the public, or on the sides or back of the meeting room Mejia and Brevis alleged in their lawsuit that their presence was a hindrance to free speech since Judge ordered the armed deputies to remove Brevis from the speaker’s podium in January 2023. Judge, in 2022, had an LGBTQ+ advocate arrested by off-duty deputies serving as hired guards when he spoke one word out of turn after

UFC fighter Dustin Poirier chats with a passenger as he and volunteers hand out free backpacks for students on Tuesday during an event organized by The Good Fight Foundation, a nonprofit started by Poirier and his wife that raises money to help underserved communities in Lafayette.

yOUR BACK

Hundreds of backpacks wait to be handed out.

Trampoline park to be built on Verot School Road

Facility will have a dodgeball course and more

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

our costs as low as possible.”

A Louisiana-based trampoline park has bought property to open a location in Lafayette.

An LLC registered to Adventure Fun Park owner Eric Petroskey closed on a deal last month to buy just under one acre at 618 Verot School Road, land records show Petroskey is moving forward on the 18,000-square-foot Adventure Fun Park Lafayette with trampolines, a dodgeball course, ninja course activities and a fourstory soft play structure that could open by next spring. Adventure Fun Park, which has locations in Pineville and Shreveport, is open to all ages but has a target demographic of kids in grades seven and younger, Petroskey said.

“We mainly focus on smaller kids and low-cost family entertainment,” he said. “We’re geared to have customers come back every month. We focus on keeping

Trampoline parks continue to be popular in the United States. A market study released last year indicates the global market could double its total revenue by 2028 and more than triple by 2033. The closures of large box retail stores are facilitating that trend. In Lafayette, work continues on

ä See PARK, page 4B

ä See LSU, page 4B ä See LIBRARY, page 4B

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Approach to sellingLa. watershould be cautious

Texas is coming for Louisiana water

Acompany based in Louisiana’slargeneighborhas offered to buy water from Toledo Bend, ajointly ownedreservoirthat sitsonthe Louisiana-Texas borderincentral Louisiana.Built more than ahalf century agofor hydroelectric power,the dammed Sabine River spot is nowa favorite for recreation, especially bassfishing.

TheSabineRiver Authority of Louisiana, which oversees Louisiana’sinterest in Toledo Bend,has been approached in recentyears by AqueductPartners LP

The Texas company has offered to purchase about $14.4 million of water per yearfromthe reservoir.Thatmoney would besplit equally betweenLouisiana and Texas.

There’slittle questionthatthe proposalwould bring in new revenue. Currently,the same amountofwater,when used for hydroelectric power,nets the authority only about $225,000. The new deal wouldaccountfor an 80% increaseinrevenue from water sales.

The amount sought by the companywould have anegligible impact on lake levels, officials have said. Nevertheless, some locals are concerned, with onenoting that “once thatvalve opens,itwill never close again.”

Similar proposals have been floated in the past. More than adecade ago, an effort to purchase three times the amountnow sought was rebuffed by then-Gov.Bobby Jindal. Three yearsago, another proposal that would have startedatthe currentlyproposed amount before increasing it over 30 years lapsed before adeal wasmade.

This year,the authority has appointedacommittee to study whether it should entertalks withthe firm. It will probably be five or six months before adecision is made,officialssaid. Any subsequent deal must be approved by House and Senate natural resource committees, the governor and four of thesix parishes that borderToledo Bend.

We urge acautious approach to anysales Increasingly,water is beingrecognizedasa valuable natural resource. In Louisiana,weare uniquely wealthy in this regard, with ample surface and underground supplies. But thatdoesn’t mean the reserves are infinite.

Already,some aquifersinthe state have had problems due to overuse. Andastechnology advances, water resources are likely to be in even higher demand. Datacenters,for instance,like the one planned for Richland Parish, require vast amounts of water to keep serverscool. We also hope the latest conversationoverToledo Bend water sales will lead to afullerone about Louisiana’swater usage. Thestate still does not have acomprehensivewatermanagement plan, though the LegislativeAuditor in 2020 urged leaders to create one. It may be that selling water to parched customers in Texas is acritical source of revenue forLouisiana; we would beinfavorofthat. But only if any such proposal is taken with careful consideration, input from stakeholdersand a sharp view toward making surefuture residents of Louisiana will not be adversely affected.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND USA

aren’t the ones

StateRep.Charles Owen’s recent letter pointsout an unfortunateproblem with many current Republicans. To wit: They don’tknow who their friends are. For example, as one of those “hard left ideologues” and “hard left climate alarmists,” I, too, have been skeptical of the claims by theoil and gas industrythat thesolution to atmospheric carbon is to capture it out of the atmosphere and pumpitunderground.

The first thingthat should give you pause is theoil and gas industry’s record on “abandoned wells.” The thought of awell releasing 10 or 20 years’ worthofcompressed carbon dioxide all at once is concerning.

“Put it in fuels or concreteorfertilizer.” Indeed, but first you need to create ademand from those industries for this product, which seems to me adds extrastepsand no additional profit Iamwith Owen when he says, “No

The headline of an article about budget cutstopublic radio and TV delves somewhat moreintoopinion than fact

The article’sheadline says thecuts are “devastating” and quotes one contributor by using that description. The article does mention that thecuts to Baton Rouge area radio will be 8%, Monroe will be 20%, and New Orleans will be 13%.

It also says thecutsare aresult of the“so-called” rescission package, a somewhat cynical descriptor.Toput a little into perspective, 20% is actually much less than the income cuts and

In aletterpublished July 23, Steve Gardes says theFounding Fathersdid not intend to separate church and state. Ithink he’sright

They did not seek to keep religion out of the political sphere. Their goal was to ensurethat no religion received preferential treatment. They were especially opposed toastate church like theChurch of England. So are all religions equal before the law in the U.S.? Theoretically,yes Actually,no. Law and custom favor Christianity. For one thing, we follow a Christiancalendar in this country. Most of the major Christian holy days are

rational market or consumer wants or cares about burying carbon.” And let me assure him,neither do the “hard left climate alarmist ideologues” either

This is an attempt by the oil and gas industry to create amulti-billion-dollar boondoggle.

Its central idea is that we can continue burning fossil fuels because we have carbon capture Ninety million metric tons of carbon dioxide are released every day,mostly through theburning of fossil fuels.

The best estimates are that carbon capture will sequester less than amillion metric tons per day by 2030. The scale of the solution isn’teven close to thescale of the problem.

The real solution is now,and always has been, to not put the carbon into the atmosphere to begin with.

DANIEL DELAUREAL Lacombe

wealth loss that Iexperienced due to inflation during the Biden administration The name of thepackage wasnot “so-called” but was actually called that.

Keep opinions to the editorial page. All of us will experience somedegree of angst over federal spending reductions, but we cannot afford to continue to spend morethan we can afford. Congress will need to continue to do moreinthat respect.

DARRYL SANDERSON Baton Rouge

alsogovernment holidays. Also,wehave anational cathedral, not anational mosque or anational synagogue.What is called the national cathedral is not owned or financed by the government. It is an Episcopal cathedral that is called the national cathedral, though it does not have that status by law.However,ithas acharter from Congress, which no other religious institutionhas

So is the United States aChristian nation? The answer to this question, as to so many otherquestions, is equivocal.

SANFORD W. WOOD Eunice

Balloon releases harm La.inmore ways than one

Iamsoprofoundlydisappointed in Gov. Jeff Landryfor beingso small-mindedabout ourstate’s future. Iadmire all he has done to promote businesses to invest in the state and all the contributions it will bring to the economy As Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,who has worked so hard to beautifyour state, knows, potential businesses looking at our state compare the quality of lifetoother potential sites. And, the litter on our roads and waterways ranks us at the bottom as farasmytravels in all 50 states can observe. And, despite all the great efforts to pick up that litter,you have to start at the source, and the balloon releases are lowhanging fruit as aterrible source of litter.But, moreimportantly,they are harmfultowildlife. So, Ihope that Landry will rethink his reasoning forhis veto and think of the big picture forthe state, because this will continue to hurt us in attracting employers and employees to movetoLouisiana.

NANCY BENNETT St. Francisville

Whyare cartel membersnot being roundedup aggressively?

Ihear alot about ICEagents detaining lots of illegal immigrants and criminals. Recently on TV,they discussed the trafficking of migrant children and making them work in cannabis plants. How horrible, and that’swhat the Trumpadministration is trying to stop.

But Icannot remember ever hearing, in all of these poor individuals being rounded up and held in detention centers, any cartel members ever being arrested. Am Imissing something in the news? Iread the newspaper daily and listen to allnewsTVstations daily.I have never heard of cartel members getting caught. Are they that much smarter than U.S. border agents? Put U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins out there and get things done.

DARREL LEGER Lafayette

Crypticgrave marker peels back complexlocal history

Spreading across alow hill afew miles west of Leesville is asmall countrygraveyard next to alittle red brick church. Nestled among theroughly 1,400 burial plots there, near thetop of the hill, is asimple granitemarker,set flush in theground.The two words engraved on it are maddeningly cryptic: “Unknown Negro.”

For years, Ihavebeen fascinated by themarker,and last year,I tried to find out everything Icould aboutit. There wasn’tmuch. No onethat Italked to —evenlocals with long connections to thecemetery —knew much about it. It had simply always been there.

On Saturday,Iwas back to attend Castor Cemetery’s annual “Homecoming” in the hopes that Imight learn more about the marker and the person —orpeople —buried there.

The night before the event, anew clue surfaced: My mother-in-law,who hasfamilyburied at Castor,had dug up a30-year-old booklet aboutthe cemetery that said the first three people buried there were Black, but that “it was unknown if they were male or female, nor adults or children.”

That would put them in the era around the end of the Civil War. Were they enslaved? Recentlyfreed? Travelers?Thereisnoway to know.

The next morning, Isat in the small sanctuary for the ceremony,which could best be described as across between achurch service and afamily reunion. Theroughly 75 people who attended ranged in age from 6to94— though most were closer to the latter— andalmost all of them had family members buried in the haphazard rows. Through the 90-minute ceremony people stood up to recountsomeaspectofthe cemetery’shistory.Some of it was sad: Aspeaker read aloud the names of the folks who had been buried since the 2024 homecoming. Some of it waspractical: The cemetery needs anew fence,and sometimesdeals with sinkholes.

There was humor,too. One manrecounted the story of his aunt, whose legisburied in Castor.The rest of her is buried in Hicks, several miles tothe east.

“Atthe great resurrection day, there’sgoing to be ajoining together!” he said to guffaws from theaudience. Afterthe service, as folks moved to thefellowshiphall for apotluck meal, I found 87-year-old Harles Smart. Harles’ ancestorswere among the foundersof the cemetery, and he knows moreofthe local lore thananyone else. As we trudged among the graves up the hilltoward themarker,Harles told me what he knew about the Unknown Negro grave, which was very little. He was aware of the three-person theory, he said.Perhaps, he mused, they were amongthosewho harvested sap from pine trees for turpentine, an industry that often used enslaved labor Harles did know who had put the granite marker down. It was him, he said, because the old concrete one had faded Iasked when he put it there. He couldn’tremember.“Sometime after 1994” was as close as he could get. We chatted fora momentmore, then headed backdown thehill, through the chain link fence and into the church’s fellowship hall, wherewegrabbed plates and sat down to eat. We didn’t talk aboutthe marker after that.

Iget it. Thehomecoming is ahappy event, away to remember andcelebrate thepast, not to revive what

might be uncomfortable questions.But awalk through the cemetery itself is a reminder that, like each of its roughly 1,400 inhabitants, thecemetery’shistoryiscomplex and layered, with good memories and bad, inspirations and disquieting events.

It’sthere, scattered among the polished granite monuments and others that are faded, cracked and broken, that the full measure of its story is felt. There are graves for those who lived long, full lives and graves of infants who died after afew hours, days, weeks or months. There are Confederate graves, and even one Union soldier is buried there. The grave of theUnknown Negro is theonly one where the race of the person —orpeople —buried is mentioned. Even so, that burial is as much apart of Castor Cemetery’shistory as the well-kept ones. The markers are asilent reminder that, like other country graveyards, Castor has stories to tell. Not all of them are inspiring or funny.Some of them are dispiriting or maddening. Some remembrances spark joy;some fuel somber reflection.

Unknown, yes. Butnot unimportant. Faimon A. RobertsIII can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

WhenElonMusk andhis first wife talked abouthow many childrentheywould have, Justine reportedly said she wanted oneor two.“But if Icould afford nannies, I’d like to have four.” Musk reportedly replied: “That’sthe difference between youand me. Ijust assume thatthere will be nannies.”

As was his wont on long flights, Col Paul Tibbets, pilotingaB-29, puffed on his pipe as, 80 years ago, he transported humanity from one geopolitical era to another.His radio operator was watching for an “abort” signal if Japan surrendered before theB-29 reached its target.

Historian Antony Beevor,writing in Foreign Affairs, noted that Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively ended “the first modern conflict in which far more civilians were killed than combatants.” Which suggests that technological virtuosity advanced as morality regressed. But,Beevor wrote, Japan’smilitary government was“preparedtosacrifice millionsofJapanese civilians by forcing them toresist an Allied invasion with only bamboo spearsand explosives strapped to their bodies. By 1944, some 400,000 civilians amonth weredying from famine in areas of East Asia, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia that wereoccupied by Japanese forces. The Allies also wanted to save the American,Australian, andBritish prisoners of war who were starving to death in Japanese camps or being slaughtered by their captors on Tokyo’sorders.”

10 nuclear powers instead of four,and by 1975,15or20.” Althoughthat did nothappen, nuclear proliferation could result from President Donald Trump’s McGovernite “comehome, America” impulse, hisdisdain for allies and skepticism about alliances. Nations, from South Korea to Poland, that no longer feel protected under theU.S. nuclear umbrella might want their own.

Trump’svice president recently said theeruption of military violence between two implacably hostile nuclear powers, Indiaand Pakistan,was “fundamentally noneofour business.” Oh?

The United States has no serious stake in preserving the eight-decade norm against crossing the nuclear threshold?

Did JD Vance think Iran’snuclear ambitions were “fundamentally” none of our business when the administration of which heisanadornment sent the B-2s to Iran?

So, perhaps only serious militaryaction —war —can keep Iran out of the nuclear club. Iran might reasonably think that if Saddam Hussein had acquired nuclear weapons, Iraq would still hold Kuwait. Various potential nuclear powers have recently seen Vladimir Putin demonstratethe utilityofpossessing nuclear weapons: The Russian president has inhibited some forms of assistance to Ukraine by intimating the possible use of such weapons (e.g., moving some into Belarus).

Five months beforeHiroshima, a single night of incendiary U.S.bombing killed 100,000 in Tokyo. Twoatomic bombs probably reduced thewar’s quantity of violence and death. Consider this when reading M.G. Sheftall’s “Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses,” which chronicles the end of what he calls civilization’s“prenuclear innocence.” In aMarch 21, 1963, news conference, five months after theCuban missile crisis, President John F. Kennedy said, “Personally,Iamhaunted bythe feelingthatby1970 …there maybe

Thewar-shattered Soviet Union was prostrate when in August1949 —just 51 monthsafter the May 8, 1945, end of World WarIIinEurope —itdetonated anuclear weapon. China was apreindustrialpeasant societywith aper capita annual income of $85.50 when it becamea nuclear power in 1964. Pakistan had aper capita annual income of $424 when it became one in 1998. North Korea struggles to make shoes but is making missiles to deliver itsnuclear weaponsintercontinental distances. Any sufficiently determined nation can acquire the know-how to join the nuclear club.Iran has been seriously determined for decades. Andwhen have economic sanctions caused a large nation (Iran’spopulation: 92.5 million) to surrender what it considered avital national securityinterest?

Johns Hopkins University’sHal Brands said, “China’snuclear force doubled between 2020 and 2023.” He says there is “anautocratic bloc more cohesive than anything the United States has faced in generations.”Three members(Russia, China, NorthKorea) are nuclear powers. Iran might become afourth. In 2004, Condoleezza Rice, President George W. Bush’snational security adviser,said the“international community” would not “allow theIranians to develop a nuclear weapon.”In2012, President Barack Obama said: “I do not have a policy of containment. Ihave apolicy to prevent Iran from obtaining anuclear weapon.” Seven years ago, Trump said, “There is no longer anuclear threat from NorthKorea.”

Thucydides said three things cause wars: honor,fear and interest. As of Wednesday,29,220 days will have passed since thefirst use of anuclear weapon, and 29,217 since thesecond What in humanity’scarnage-strewn history of honor-driven angers, rational and irrational fears, and ideologically defined interestssuggeststhere will not be athird, and then others?

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

And that’salso the difference between the tech billionairesupinarms about flatbirthratesand the many Americanswho feel they can’tafford children.

JD Vance, father of three, famously launchedinto the political opposition, complaining thatthe country wasbeing run by “a bunchofchildless cat ladies.” He hada networth estimatednorth of $10 million. His wife Usha is ahigh-powered corporate lawyer.

The Vances’use of nannies has been a tightly controlled secret. Usha didn’tleave herdemanding jobuntil mid-2024, when JD became Donald Trump’srunning mate. She statedshe wanted “to focus on caring for ourfamily.”

Do the math.

By the middle of 2024, their oldest child was about7,and the youngest wasatleast 2. We don’timagine that JD changed alot of diapers or thatUsha routinely brought her babiesinto the offices of Munger,Tolles& Olson. Musk is tooweird to hold him to the same hypocriticalstandards as Vance. Let it be noted, however, that he hasmarriedand divorced two other womensince Justine. He nowhas an estimated 14 children. They surely have no shortage of nannies, but fatherly attentionmay not be in great supply It would be no surprise that his adorable son X, on displayinhis father’sOvalOffice visits, servedmainly as an accessory.(We look forward to X’smemoirs.)

Sufficeittosay,the sight of the superrichwaving fingers of disapproval at the one-child or childless middle-class families is unappealing. Still, it’sworth pondering why so many younger men and women don’t want children. The discussionisa long one, but it could include agrowing materialism and stress. Many young people don’twish to forgo vacations andfreetime to pursue family life It could be thatmany were the product of astressful divorce or no marriage to begin with. Theymay have sufferedrelated trauma theydon’t want to deliveronanyone else

It could even be prohibitions on abortion, which has made problematic pregnancies potentially life-threatening. (Blaming abortionitself doesn’twork. The abortion rate in the U.S. is well down from the levelof50 yearsago.)

Alack of affordable child caremay be a factor,though countries with that and other bountiful government benefits are seeing a notable dropinbirths. The right-wing, allegedly family-friendly Project 2025 failed to advocatefor child care programs. It even calledfor ending Head Start.

Young people aresaidtobesuffering widespread depressionfor anumberofreasons. The result, some studiessay,islittle hope fora future that children represent. However,there is also debate about whether the falling birth rate is aserious crisis, especially in acountry with ahousing supply unable to keep up with demand. The U.S. nowhas about 350 millionpeople, 60 million more than it had in 2000. The population hasalmost doubled over the last 50 years.

Meanwhile, the richprinces of tech or financecan “phone in” fatherhood from their beach housesorcountry châteaus, knowing thatwherevertheir kids may be, professionalchild carewill be abundant. It doesn’t even matter whether the mother —awife-, ex-wife or never-wife —isavailable to cover playdates

There will be nannies. Those well down the economicscalefrom the Silicon billionairesknowthere won’tbe.

Froma HarropisonX,@FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

STAFF PHOTO By FAIMON A. ROBERTS III

The historybehind agrave marker in CastorCemetery, located in rural Vernon Parish,remains amystery.

Froma Harrop

George Will

Faimon Roberts

Prisoner injured in escape near Bogalusa

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Aprisoner was critically injured Monday when he tried to escape from amoving vehicle in WashingtonParish, theBogalusaPoliceDepartment said.

The prisoner wasn’tnamed in the Police Department’s post on itsFacebook page.

Police said three prisoners werebeing driven on La. 10 backtothe Washington Parish jailafter acourtappearance in Bogalusa.

“At some point, the inmate was able to exit the transport vehiclewhile moving,” police wrote in the Facebook post.

The initial call to Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office dispatchers reported that a man in an orangejumpsuit wasunconscious near theintersection of La. 10 and Choctaw Road,police said. Emergencymedical personnel brought him to Riverside Medical Center in Franklinton, andhewas later airlifted to North Oaks MedicalCenterinHammond, wherehe remainsincriticalcondition policesaid.

“At this time, it is unclear how the inmate was able to escape from the transport vehicle and how he sustained hisinjuries,” Bogalusapolice said.“TheLouisiana StatePolice are currently investigating theincident, and more informationwill be provided once it becomes available.”

LIBRARY

Continued from page1B

being warned not interrupt the meeting. Adistrict judge dismissed the charges earlier this year

The settlement agreement now prohibits law enforcement officers from standing in front of the room when the library board meets. Before Monday,atthe start of each meeting, Judge or another board member would read astatement similartothat read before city and parish council meetings about meeting rules and

Groupseeks to reopen 1986 voting rights case

Lawsuitquestions legality of new districtmap

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Agroup of BatonRouge judges and residents is asking afederal court to reopen a1986votingrights case, arguingthe Legislature’sdecision this year to redraw election maps forthe 19thJudicial District illegally diminishesminorityvoting strength.

Chief Judge DonJohnson, Judge Colette Greggs, Judge Gail Horne Rayand JudgeRonaldJohnson along with retired Judge Trudy Whiteand former judicial candidate Gideon CarterIII are listed plaintiffs in thecase.

So are Orscini Beard andVoter Information Project LLC, two of theoriginal plaintiffs in the 1986 lawsuitagainst thestate of Louisiana, known as Clark v. Edwards.

Theplaintiffs argue the new voting mapfor the 19thJDC, which hasthe sameboundaries as East Baton Rouge Parish, violates adecades-old federal court order and consent decree issued in the case. It does so, they argue, by eliminating one of the two majority-Black districts and using an at-large voting district.

“Defendants’open defiance of the Clark decree warrants immediaterelief,” theplaintiffsargue in alegal filingdated July 1, in which they ask the court to block themap

LSU

Continued from page 1B

in the open and included public interviews with the finalists.Yet thesearch before that in 2013 was kept secret with theideait would allow for abetter field of candidates.Thatsearch sparked afaculty Senatevoteof“no confidence” anda lawsuit by news organizations.

decorum. The statement warned thepublic notto address board membersby name or touse confrontational language or attempt to debate boardmembers.

Board Vice President Allan Moore, in Judge’sabsence Monday,read anew script outliningmeetingdecorum. Thepublicisasked to remain quietduring meetings andrefrain from making commentswhile others are at the speaker’spodium, Mooresaid. Anyone who willfully disruptsthe meeting to the extent that orderly conduct is seriouslycompromisedwillbe subjectto

the Urban Air Adventure Park in the former Bed Bath &Beyond space at 3617 Ambassador Caffery Parkway Petroskey said the Lafayette location could be the first of expansion efforts throughout the state.

“We’vegot to ownthe property and buildeverythingfrom scratch, andit takestimeand moneyto earn forthe next one,”he said. “We’re right at the point now where we’re readytostart beingcookie-cutter andgoing everywhere with these.Lafayette is the first jump to that.”

passed this year

Supporters of the new districts have argued the old voting map, whichhadn’tchangedsincethe 1990s, did notaccount for shifts in population over the past few decades.

U.S. DistrictJudge John deGravelles denied arequest to temporarily block thenew map while the litigation plays out.

Callaisredistricting case looms

He also put the entire matteron hold until the U.S. Supreme Court issuesadecision in the much-anticipated redistricting case Louisiana v. Callais, which deals with requirements of theVoting Rights Act, a1965 federal law aimed at ensuring Black people aren’tdenied theright to vote.

The standard that could be used to decide the Baton Rouge plaintiffs’ request, deGravelles said, “has asignificant potential to change following adecision in Callais.”’

He orderedthe plaintiffs and thestate of Louisiana to, within 30 days of aSupreme Court decision,file shortbriefs “describing theimpact of Callais on theissues remaininginthis case.”

Attorney General LizMurrill said the Supreme Court’sdecision “may have consequences for all pending redistricting litigation.”

“Webelieve the judge was prudent to stay thecasepending further instructionsfrom the Supreme Court,” shesaid. “That will be beneficial to everyone, but most of all, to Legislaturesaroundthe

Ballard previously told The Advocate that he would like the search to be as open and transparent as possible while also protecting applicantswho wouldn’twant their current employerstosee their namesinthe news While it remains to be seen whetherthe committeewill announce all the candidates and make theinterview process public, the news release indicated the meeting was part of

removal, he said, which mirrors language in the settlement. Judge did not attend Monday’smeeting,nor didhe attend thespecial July 14 meeting at which theboard votedtoaccept theagreementsettling the lawsuit.

The Lafayette Parish Council on Tuesday evening is scheduled to appoint two newpeople to thevolunteer library board.One is to replaceJudge.The otheris for the seat held by Rena Bradley,who hasapplied to remain on the board.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

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countrywho are tasked with the job of drawing these maps.”

The plaintiffs several months earlier originally sought to reopen the case to ask the federal court to draw new voting districts forthe section of the1st Circuit Court of Appeal that coversEastBaton RougeParish. Theyargued the current district lines there illegally dilute Black voting strength.

After the Legislature passed the new 19thJDC voting map in June, theyreturned to ask the court to address concerns relatedtothe district court as well.

New19thJDC map

House Bill 124, now Act 243, createdanew map for the19th JDC that has two voting subdistricts, onemajority-Black and one majority-White, each of which will elect 7judges.

Subdistrict 1roughly covers the west portion of the parish including downtown and the north side of BatonRouge, and Subdistrict 2covers the southern and eastern portion of the parish.

In addition, oneat-large judicial seat will be electedbyEast Baton Rouge Parish as awhole.

Previously,the mapwas divided intothree voting subdistricts, with each district electing 5ofthe 15 total judges on the bench. Two of those districts weremajorityBlack,and one was majority-White.

AccordingtoU.S. Census estimates of theparishfrom2023, the population is 41% Whiteand 43% Black.

Rep. BarbaraFreiberg, aBaton

the committee’spledge to be transparent. “Weencourage you to remain engagedwith this processaswe conduct asearch that is transparent, thoughtful, and guided by the highest standards —one thatwill ultimately shape LSU’s trajectory for generationsto come,” it stated.

Email ChristopherCartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

Rouge Republican who sponsored thebill, said themap needed to be redrawn to address population shifts. She and other supporters arguedthatinthe absenceofa new map, the court could have atwothirds majority of Black judges in a parish whose population is roughly evenly divided between White and Black residents.

“When Iproposed the legislation, Iwas threatened that there would be opposition,” Freiberg said. “Talking to many in the legal profession, Ifeltthe courts wouldupholdthe mapaswepassed it this session.”

Detractors, however,called passage of the19th JDCmap hypocritical in light of the fact that the Legislature foryearshas refusedto redraw the lines of District2ofthe 1st CircuitCourt of Appeal,which also has the samebounds as East BatonRouge Parish but currently hasone Black judge andthree White judges.

The plaintiffs in the19th JDC case have also argued the voting mapfor that appeals court district violates the Voting Rights Act.

Don Johnson, one of the plaintiffs, said that appeals court district and the 19th JDC have “identical demographic data.”

“The state hasnot acted consistently or fairly in ensuring equal opportunity to elect candidates of choice,” he said. “This is evident in theselective redistricting of some state courts while exempting others.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

Carrying their weight

LSU defensive line takes charge against offensive line during first day in pads

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Bernard Gooden ripped through a block and grabbed LSU running back Caden Durham around the shoulder pads before he could reach the line of scrimmage. The run was angled away from Gooden’s side of the defensive line, but he burst through the back side of the play and recorded a tackle for loss.

LSU practiced in full pads for the first time this preseason Tuesday morning, and the defensive front stood out again, especially during a scrimmage period at the end of practice. Gooden, a transfer defensive tackle from South Florida, had two tackles for loss. Florida transfer edge rusher Jack Pyburn added a sack and tackle for loss.

That has been a common sight throughout the first week of camp. Although LSU’s offensive line played better Monday, the defense has dominated multiple 11-on-11 periods, including the ones Tuesday LSU coach Brian Kelly said most of the pressure has come from the interior linemen.

“That’s a great thing when you have guys that are creating issues from the inside of the pocket, instead of just rushing off the edge where you can get a hand on him and widen it and step up. Where we’re getting our best success is inside-out.”

BRIAN KELLy, LSU coach

part of the pass rush packages.

“When you add that to what we think is four guys that can play off the edge,” Kelly said, “you’ve got a pretty dynamic pass rush.”

OL concern?

It can be hard to tell in camp if one side of the ball dominating means the other has real problems. In 2023, preseason practice foreshadowed LSU’s issues in the secondary Does the defensive front playing this well now mean the offensive line won’t be able to protect quarterback Garrett Nussmeier or open up holes in the run game?

Taking turns

Cajuns coaching staff varying practice routines in QB battle

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

After three days of August camp, UL coach Michael Desormeaux had no real updates to give on the quarterback battle Tuesday

He did give some insight into how the coaching staff is managing the snaps between junior Walker Howard, sophomore Lunch Winfield and redshirt freshman Daniel Beale.

“What we do is kind of rotate the days,” Desormeaux said. “Whoever goes with the ones, we make them the starting quarterback that whole day They don’t split any of those reps when they alternate and go with the twos, we split the twos’ reps where they get it even.

“So they have one day where it’s a heavy load, they’re taking all the reps, and then they have a day where they’re splitting them. You know, I think it’s good for each of them to get you to be in that ones huddle, get to be the one, that whole entire day That way, there’s no kind of mixup in that order.”

The two other quarterbacks are redshirt freshman Sam Altmann of St. Thomas More and freshman Coleman Carter of Natchez, Mississippi.

“I think every year you do it

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

Where we’re getting our best success is inside-out.”

That could be a good sign for LSU, which will rely on a group of defensive ends led by Pyburn, Florida State transfer Patrick Payton, Nebraska transfer Jimari Butler and sophomore Gabriel Reliford. Senior linebacker Harold Perkins and redshirt freshman Kolaj Cobbins have also been

“That’s a great thing when you have guys that are creating issues from the inside of the pocket, instead of just rushing off the edge where you can get a hand on him and widen it and step up,” Kelly said.

Saints rookie LB Stutsman making strong impression

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Even after all he did in college a consensus All-American, first-team All-Southeastern Conference, Butkus Award finalist, 376 career tackles and 36 tackles for loss — Danny Stutsman didn’t generate a ton of pre-draft interest. In fact, the Saints were the only team to arrange a pre-draft visit Newly hired linebackers coach Peter Sirmon traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to meet with Stutsman face-to-face. He never had to bother working around other teams’ schedules to get a sense of the player. And it was in that visit that Sirmon first got an inkling that Stutsman might have what it takes It wasn’t the obvious stuff like the size (6-foot-3, 233 pounds) or the speed. It was Stutsman’s mind

“I thought he had a real good mental capacity when I sat down with him before the draft,” Sirmon said, “and he’s continued to prove to me that was the correct assessment.”

ä Saints at Chargers. 3:05 P.M. SUNDAy KATC

A little less than two weeks into his first training camp, Stutsman has been one of the most positive surprises of Saints training camp. He has mostly worked with the second-team defense but has also taken a few snaps with the regular starters. And when he’s on the field, he stands out.

“I’ve been very pleased with how he’s handled himself,” Sirmon said “We’re getting him some reps, we’re getting him a lot of opportunities, so we’re trying to force feed that experience.”

The closing speed is evident, with Stutsman often arriving with violence to close down open lanes in the run game. He has shown a knack for playmaking in space, with a red-zone interception of quarterback Spencer Rattler and another leaping pass deflection in a recent practice. But, as Sirmon alluded to, the ability to process NFL game speed has also come quickly Stutsman has been wearing the

The offensive line struggled for most of Tuesday’s practice. Asked about the group afterward, Kelly said he’s “much more interested in the evaluation” from a scrimmage than congratulating those who played well.

“Today, for me, was a great evaluation day,” Kelly said. “I was able to glean some things through our work today that allows me to help our coaches continue the evaluation process.”

LSU rolled with the same first-team

ä See LSU, page 3C

communication device in his helmet and getting the calls out to his defensive teammates. While the rookie linebacker brushed this off as not a big deal he is after all, just regurgitating the call from the voice in his ear the Saints coaching staff has taken notice. “You can hear him on the field, which is a good thing when you’re a middle linebacker — I love hearing those guys,” coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s just running. He plays a really fast, aggressive style, he’s running to the

football. The more times you’re near the football, the luckier you get, so to speak, and he’s one of those guys.” New Orleans has the luxury of bringing Stutsman along slowly His path to the field is blocked by five-time All-Pro Demario Davis and four-year starter Pete Werner, who last summer signed a contract extension that will take him through the 2027 season. But the Saints have liked what they’ve seen out of Stutsman in

ä See STUTSMAN, page 3C

BY RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writer

The full schedule for coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU women’s basketball team was released. The slate features 15 home games and 12 away games. The Tigers are slated to play in a Thanksgiving tournament for the fifth straight season, this time in the U.S. Virgin Islands. For the first time since January 2005, LSU will play on a Saturday for a regular-season conference game, facing South Carolina on Feb. 14 at the PMAC.

LSU heads to New Orleans on Nov 17 to take on Tulane in a nonconference battle and returns to the city to play UNO on Dec. 7 at Lakefront Arena.

Arguably the toughest nonconference game will be on Dec. 4 against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the SEC-ACC Challenge.

LSU does not play at South Carolina this regular season. The team’s returning leading scorer, Flau’jae Johnson, who steps into her senior season as a projected first-round pick in the WNBA draft. Mikaylah Williams, a junior,

ä See SCHEDULE, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman runs a drill during training camp Sunday in Metairie. The fourth-round draft pick from Oklahoma has impressed Saints coaches.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU defensive tackle Bernard Gooden carries a tackle wheel during practice Tuesday. LSU worked out in full pads for the first time this preseason and the defensive front again stood out. Gooden, a transfer from South Florida, had two tackles for loss.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP UL coach Michael Desormeaux has alternated each of his team’s top three quarterbacks with the first-team offense for full practices.

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Rattlergetsboost in race to start

QB takesmost firstteam reps again

So much for arotation

With their first preseason game on Sunday,the Saints gaveSpencer Rattler the majority of firstteam reps for the second straight day —the greatestindicator yet that there’sbeen ashift in the team’squarterback competition.

The battle isn’tover by any means —and rookie Tyler Shough workedwith starters near the end of practice —but Rattler’s consecutive sessions reflect how he appears to be ahead in this race

The shift started Sunday when Rattler took the reps on amorning that was supposed to be Jake Haener’s turntobeupfirst.It continued Tuesday when the Saints reconvened following an off day, and the team again strayed from itsprevious plan of havingone quarterback take the starting reps per day

“He’sdoing areally good job, coach Kellen Moore said of Rattler “He’s finding completions, doing areally good job of protecting the football. He does have some ability to play with his feet and that’sone thing that’sshown from his perspective is his ability to get out of some things at times.

“He’sdoing some good things.” Moore said the competition would still be evaluated “day by day” and he wasn’treadytoname astarter for Sunday’sexhibition against the Chargers.But Rattler appears to have the momentum after another practice. Here’s how the quarterbacks did Tuesday: Rattler: 6of10(72-107 overall)

Trump

createstaskforce

for LosAngeles Olympics

President Donald Trump on Tuesday established atask force on the 2028 Olympic Gamesbeing held in Los Angelesthat he said would ensure the event is “safe, seamless and historically successful.”

The 2028 Games will be the first Olympics to be hosted by the U.S. since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City,Utah.

Shough: 5of11with an INT (64-105)

Haener: 4of7(64-92)

This wasn’t Rattler’ssharpest session, buthis best throw of theday was on abeautiful ball over themiddle to Rashid Shaheed Besides that, there were afew off throws —notably to Chris Olave on his first series. It’salso noticeable how quickly Rattler can bail on thepocket, butthere’susually pressure theretoforce his hand. Shough’sday was also uneven, though once again, he appeared to be astep behind Rattler.When it was his turn to take reps with the starters, Shough did not take advantage.

He was almost picked off by safety Jordan Howden on his first throw and then shortly after that, Howden got his interception by reading adeep ball that sailed past Olave. Perhaps Olavecould have tried to breakupthe play, but there also appeared to be too much on the passtobegin with. That said, it is nicetosee Shough starting to becomemore aggressive. He looked hesitant forthe first week ofcamp, which you’d expect forany rookie quarterback. Butlately,Shough hasbeen willing to fire passes off. Just before his interception, he patiently waited to climb the pocket and then hit astreaking Dante Pettis across themiddle. It was asharp throw,one that highlighted the quarterback’s touch. Butifhewants to catch Rattler, he’llalso have to start cutting down on hismistakes.

As for Haener,his action was limited. But he let out a“Let’s go!”after hitting Bub Means on a crossing route deep down the field. It was also agood moment for Means, who has had aquiet camp. Elsewhere, theSaints’ depth at wide receiver and along the wide receiver has become aconcern. Several receivers dropped catchable passes Tuesday and in general, there’sa notable lack of separation when Olaveand Shaheed aren’tonthe field. Up front, the Saints experimented with someoftheir backup lines by seeing what guard DillonRadunz looked like at left tackle

and undrafted free agend Torricelli Simpkins looked like at center.As aresult of the changes, the team moved tackle LandonYoung and center Kyle Hergel to guard. Moore explained the shifts as part of preparing players to play multiple positions in case of injuries. Andwhile that’scertainly part of it,the Saints couldn’tbe blamed if they moved around afew spots because they were unsatisfied with how the secondand third-string lines have performed sincecamp began. No matter whothe Saints end up starting at quarterback, that passer will need all the help he can get.

Nussmeierhad toughdecisiontomake

Netflix documentary shedslight on QB’s decision to return

BY KOKI RILEY and REED DARCEY Staff writers

In December, Garrett Nussmeier had abig decision to make. Wouldhe return to LSU or take his chances and start his careeratthe next level?

It was alife-altering moment, but it wasn’tachoice he was going to make alone.

Nussmeier’sagent, Trace Armstrong from Athletes First agency,also helped inform in his decisionmaking process. That reality was apparent in the fourth episode of SEC Football: “Any Given Saturday,” Netflix’sSEC documentary which was released on Tuesday In the episode, Armstrong and LSU coach Brian Kelly are filmed having aconversationinKelly’s car. “Ifyou’renot goingtomake moneyonthis, let’ssee howthis works for both of us, right?” Kelly said.

“Look, everybody’sgot to do the best they can for their clients,” Armstrong responded. “I think everybody understands that

“For us, we’re trying to protect guys that can help us win, and let’swork together,” Kellystated “That’sall I’m saying.

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out,” Armstrong finally said. Besides representingNussmeier,Armstrong is also Kelly’s agent.

“Interesting world we live in,” Kelly said after hanging up the phone with Armstrong. “He’smy agent, but he’srepresentingplayers that are on my team.”

LSUcoach

“Have you beenthinking about it alot more?” Weeks said, further interrogating his self-proclaimed best friend.

“I mean, obviously there’spros andcons on both,” Nussmeier said.

The footage thencuts to asitdown interviewwithNussmeier, who then promulgates his dreams of beinginthe NFL and how difficult it is to turn down the opportunity to playatthe next level.

“College is too fun to leave, man, come on,” Weeks saidasthe footage jumpsback to their conversation. “Youonly getthis opportunity once.Ifyou come back, with all of theother dogswegot

“Yeah, we’re going to have a good squad,” Nussmeier said.

Andinreturn, running back HarlemBerry used theTigers’ first paddedpracticeofpreseason camp to show Kelly and his staff that he can carve out arole in the offense as afreshman, though it may take sometime for him to adjust to the size, strength and speed of the best defenses LSUwill face.

“Weall know his traits, right?” Kelly said. “Very smooth, he’sgot elitespeed, catches the ball well. But there’satransition from high school to college. The tackling is different,the physicalityisalittle bit different.”

Kelly and his staff couldn’tafford to let another program land Berry

a45-yard touchdown run in Tuesday’spractice.

“(Berry) is getting used to that,” Kelly said.

ButLSU is still giving him firstteam reps early in camp —asign he may be readytowork ahead of junior Kaleb Jackson and freshman JT Lindsey in theTigers’ running back rotation and complement Durham once the season begins.

“There’sa bit of atransition for him (from) high school tackling (to)college tackling,” Kellysaid, “so thisisjust aprocess for him and for us. We really like him.We think he’sgoing to havetoplayfor us this year, but there’sabit of a transition there in termsoflearningthe physicalitythatcomes with playinghere.”

Second-teamStar

Harold Perkins is entrenched as LSU’s first-team Star —the do-itall linebacker positioninside the scheme run by defensive coordinator BlakeBaker.But who’shis backup? Who’snext in line?

Freshman linebacker Charles Ross andfifth-year safety Jardin Gilbert appear to be the front-runners to step into theroleshouldPerkins misstime. On Tuesday,Ross was groupedwithPerkins in individualdrills, alongside juniorsafety AustinAusberry andfreshman safety CJ Jimcoily.Gilbert practicedwith the safeties. Whatdothey all have in common?

Theexecutive ordercalls for the task force to coordinate security and planning forthe Games, streamline visa processing and credentialing forthe athletes, coaches, media and other visitors coming to the U.S.

Trumpwill serve as chairofthe task force, with Vice President JD Vance as vice chair

Other members include anumber of Cabinet secretaries and administration officials.

NFL suspends Vikings’ AddisonoverDUI case

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver

Jordan Addison was suspended for threegames by theNFL on Tuesday forviolating the league’spersonal conduct policy fora DUI caselast year.The week beforetraining campofhis rookieyear,Addison was arrested forexcessive speeding, and the drunkendriving arrest last offseason came after another dangerous off-the-field decision. Addison avoided atrial by pleading no contest to alesser charge last month, after facing two misdemeanor DUIsfor his arrest in 2024, when aCalifornia Highway Patrol officer foundhim asleep in hisvehicle that was blocking alane on an interstate exit.

Addisonwill be permittedtopractice and play in exhibition games before the suspension kicks in.

Mystics trade All-Star guard Sykes to Storm

The Seattle Storm acquired AllStar guardBrittneySykes from theWashingtonMysticsonTuesdayfor Alysha Clark, ZiaCooke anda first-round pickinthe 2026 draft. Sykesaveraged15.4points, 4.3 assistsand 1.2 stealsfor the Mystics this seasontoearn her first All-Star selection.

She’ll join astrong lineup that features Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike,Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor.Seattle (16-13) is currently in sixth place in the standings.

Clark has played more than 300 games for the Storm in two stints with the team and helped the franchise wintwo WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020.

This season she’saveraging just 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds.

Phillies reliever Alvarado rejoins team afterPED ban

Philadelphia Phillies reliever José Alvarado hasrejoinedthe team following an 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. Alvarado wasback in Philadelphia before Tuesday night’s home game against Baltimore and is expected to begin aminor league rehab assignment soon. TheVenezuelan left-hander is eligible to returntothe big leagues on Aug. 19, but can’t pitch in the postseason if thePhilliesqualify duetoMajorLeagueBaseball rules on PED bans. Philadelphia led theNLEast by 11/2 games over the New York Mets heading into Tuesday’sgames. Alvarado was suspended on May 18 following apositive test for an external testosterone.

Judge comesoff injury, rejoins strugglingYankees

Nussmeier’s final call wasn’t an easydecision for himtomake Laterinthe episode, Nussmeier andjunior linebacker WhitWeeks have aconversation abouthis impending decision while playing EA Sports College Football 25. “What are you thinking for next year?” Weeksasks “I don’tknow,bro,” Nussmeier responds.

“Wecan’t messaround next year,” Weeks said Ultimately,Weeks’ words rang truewithNussmeier. Theveteran quarterback is back in Baton Rouge for asecond season as the starter.Weeksisalso back and fully healthy after suffering adislocated ankle and fractured tibia in the Texas Bowl.

LSU and Nussmeier begin the season at Clemson on Aug. 30.

Will Berryhavearole?

According to 247Sports compositerankings, he was afive-star recruit rated as the top player in Louisiana, the top running back in thecountry and one of the nation’s15best prospects. He played hisprep football in Metairie at St Martin’sEpiscopal —a District 10-1A school only 75 miles southeast of LSU’scampus.

“Great tacklers, guys that can keep theball inside the defense,” Kelly said. “They’ve gottobe rough-and-tumble kind of guys, if you will, and have the ability to reroute. Guys that play physical at thatposition but are athletic enough (to cover) the wide field. They’ve got to keep the ball inside thedefense.

On Tuesday,LSU coaches gave one of theirtop recruits his first taste of Southeastern Conference physicality

That level of high school football is afar cry from the kind played in theSEC. The defenders are much bigger,faster and stronger So,itmay takesome time for Berry to adjust. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound freshman is longer and thinnerthan CadenDurham,the 5-9, 205-pound bruiserwho sheda pair of arm tackles to break away for

“So that is aunique player, right?” Through six practices, Ross has lined up with LSU’ssecond-team defense in team drills. Gilbert is competing forastarting safety spot with two transfers and two returners.

Aaron Judge was activated off the 10-day injured list by the New York Yankees on Tuesday, and their captain is set to return at the Texas Rangers after being sidelined because of aflexor strain in his right elbow

Manager Aaron Boonesaidafter NewYork’sfourth consecutive loss, 8-5 to the Texas Rangersin10innings on Monday night, that Judge will be available for the middle game of the three-game series. Boonesaidbeforethe game that Judge would be thedesignated hitter whenhefirst returned to the lineup.

He said theoutfieldercould also play catch while in Texas, which will help determine when he could return to playing in the field. On TV

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK

Brian Kelly speaks withquarterbackGarrett Nussmeier duringagame against Vanderbilt on Nov. 23 at TigerStadium

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler participates in training camp on Tuesdayatthe team’s practice facility LSUFOOTBALLNOTES

Saints observations

Matthew Paras

Bucs sign Bridgewaterto 1-year deal as backup QB

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

TAMPA, Fla. TeddyBridgewater is returning to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers signed Bridgewater to aone-year deal on Tuesday.The Buccaneers are theeighth team in 12 seasons for the 32-yearold Bridgewater Bridgewater coached his former high school in Miami to aClass 3A state championship last fall and then returned to the NFLin late December to serve as a backup to Jared Goff for the playoff-bound Lions.

STUTSMAN

Continued frompage1C

the early going.

“Everyone’sgot to earn theirstripes in this league,” defensive coordinator Brandon Staleysaid.

“That’swhy thisleague’samazing. And Ithink since Danny has gotten here in the springtime, he’s earned hisway with his command of his assignments and his ability to lead the guys around him because of it, even thoughhe’sayoung player.Heknows what to do, he knows how to do it.

“And then when we’ve gotten in pads, he showed the physical aptitude to be the physical tone setter that we think those guys need to be in the insidelinebacker position. He’sstill at the beginning. He’snot there yet. He’sgot so long to go. …But again, that’s what it’sabout in this league. If you’re a young player and you show that you can do it, then you’ll move up.” Stutsman is clearly comfortable being abig personality.There was the infamous Instagram post. He also jokingly compared his physical looks to Hollywood

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

alittle bit differently,” Desormeaux said.

“You try to figure out what they need …with theway we had to do our roster and stuff like that. Youknow, we have three groupsinstead of four,but with five quarterbacks, we’re still getting plenty of reps for all five of them.”

Maillho’sbig chance

There’sprobably no one more eager for the start of the season than senior Mackey Maillho

Maillho has been waiting his entire college career to get consistent playing time, and it appears to be here as aprime rotational piece on UL’s offensive line

“Very excited,” the 6-foot8, 363-pound Mandeville High graduate said. “Getting alot more playing time At this point, you know the playbook and you know the players you’re going up against andhow to perform under the pressure.”

Maillhobegan getting more reps during the season ayearago and got a chance to impresswitha starting assignment in the Arizona Bowl against TCU.

“I took the preparation from that,” Maillhosaid.

SCHEDULE

from page1C

He will provide insurance for the four-time defending NFC Southchampions behindBaker Mayfield.The Buccaneersalso have veteran KyleTrask, who has thrown 11 passes infour seasonssince he was asecondround pick in 2021. Mayfieldreturned to practice Tuesday after missing a coupleofdaysbecause of a hand contusion. Bridgewater said last month that he wassuspended fromcoaching Miami Northwestern High School because he providedplayers with financial benefits that he says he reported to the school.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Bridgewater said on social media post. “And if it comes down to it,I willvolunteer fromthe bleachers like I used to in 2018and 2019 when no onehad aproblem.” Bridgewater,afirst-round pick by Minnesota in 2014, is 33-32 as astarter and made the ProBowl after his second season when he led the Vikings to an 11-5 record. He also spent time with theJets, Saints, Panthers, Broncos and Dolphins. Bridgewater has completed 66.4%ofhis passes for 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns,47interceptions and a90.5 passer rating.

Monday’strainingcamppractice.

A-listers like Ryan Gosling recently when asked about his decision to rock a mustache (real answer: He thought it was his best “war” look priortoascrimmage).

But he also understands playing in the NFL is no walk in the park. Sohis confidenceisalso supported by an understanding that the safetynet is gone once the paychecks are being signed. “Wakeupwiththat sense of pressure that you have to perform now,” Stutsman said. “It’snot like college where if you mess up,

“Wehad someguys hurt, and so Iwas throwninthere withouta terribleamount of playing time.”

It wasachance to show how muchhehas been working —atleast mentally —while he waited.

“I saw that the guys in front ofme, andthe guys that I’ve been playingwith going into five years now, and how they prepare week in and week out,” Maillho said.

“When Iwas told that I’d been playing and starting, Itook allthatknowledge from the years pastand what they told me to prepare forinordertogoout there and play the best version of my game.” With hissize, Maillho could help bolsterthe Cajuns rushing attack.

“Weall have experience playing together,and we have experience playing with all the running backs,” Maillho said of the running game.

“So that chemistry and therelationship that we have withboth the running backs and the O-line, Idon’t think it’schangedatall, and it will continue to grow from last year.”

Whitfieldready to shine

It wasone of the strangest aspects of lastyear’sgood start for the defense.

The unitplayed well early

they’re keeping you around, you’ve got your scholarship, you’resafe. Now,if you mess up, you’re going home and you’re packing your bags. That’s real, that’s how it is.

“So you’ve got to have that drive, that sense, likelook, this is what Idofor aliving now.This is my passion, this is my joy,this is why Iwake up in themorning. That motivates me to be on edge every single day.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

during the 2024 season, but the sacks weren’tplentiful.

Senior Cameron Whitfield is determined that won’t be the case thisseason in his second season under defensive coordinator Jim Salgado

“Last year,ittook us some time to geta feel for him and then get accustomed to his new playbook and his new defense,” Whitfield said. “Nowwe’re ayear into it, Ifeel like we’re more involved and awareofwhat we’ve got going on defense.

“I think that’sgoing to pull us together and give us the ability to play faster and make even better decisions on the field.”

Whitfieldappreciatesthe roster continuity theprogram enjoyed in the offseason.

“I believe we got the same mindset of last year,” he said. “Wedon’tget too many newplayers. Iknowcoach Desisn’t toobig on getting too manyplayers from a portal. So Ithink as ateam, we have alot of chemistry because most of us camein togetherfor three or five years ago and are still here to this day

“So Ithink thatthat chemistry bond thatwehaveis goingtohelp us gettothe next level, get to the championship again.”

EmailKevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

offensive line as it hasfor most of camp at first: left tackle Tyree Adams, left tackle DJ Chester,center Braelin Moore, right guard Josh Thompson and right tackle Weston Davis. Sophomore PaulMubenga also gotrepsatleftguard.

For mostofthe 11-on11 periods, LSU’sdefense stopped the offensefrom consistentlymoving the ball.

The first period lasted sevenplays, and they consisted of two sacks,two tackles forloss, two short runs and apass breakup by senior safety Jardin Gilbert on apass over the middle to sophomoretight endTrey’Dez Green

The second periodbe-

tween thestarters started with more of the same. Pyburntackled Durham fora loss on the first play, backing up the offense. On third down andlong, Nussmeier nailed apassover the middle to move the chains.

Then, Durham took a handofftothe rightside, broke atackle fromGilbert and scored a45-yard touchdown to salvage the dayfor the offense. That’s another common sight: The rungame has not been consistent, but it can hit some explosive plays.Kelly said the offensive line struggled Tuesday with handling movement that was installed this week.

“I’m pleased with the structure of the rungame, the way it’sprogressing from direct snap to shotgun to avarietyofdifferentlooks,” Kellysaid. “We still have alot to installat

this point, so right now,I feel pretty good. We’ve got to do abetterjob up front handling the movement.”

TE Sharpstandsout

During the 7-on-7 portion of practice, tight end Bauer Sharp ran awheel route down theright sideline. Nussmeier fired a pass just over cornerback AshtonStamps —who has been having agood camp and hit Sharpinstride fora long TD

“He’sbeen really good,” Kelly said of the Oklahoma transfer.“He’sbeen agreat leader

“He’saccountable. We’re really pleased with him, but he’snot perfect. He’s working on that everyday, which is great. He came here knowing that he was notdonedeveloping, and that’swhat we appreciate about him the most.”

also returns. The team added MiLaysia Fulwiley,atransfer guard

fromSouth Carolina. Frontcourt depth wasadded followingthe departure of Connecticut Sun rookie forward AneesahMorrow with EastCarolinatransfer Amiya Joyner and Notre Dame transfer forward

Kate Koval. Three2025 five-star prospects,according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz rankings,have joined the program as well, with Divine Bourrage, Grace Knox and ZaKiyah Johnson.

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU defensivetackle Brandon Brown hits ablockingdummy during Tuesday’spractice.

The Tigers open the season Aug. 30 at Clemson.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Saints linebacker DannyStutsman prepares foradrill during

Sept. 5 Natchitoches Central

Sept. 12 VERMILION CATHOLIC

Sept. 19 St Martinville

Sept. 26 Kaplan

Oct 3 NORTHLAKE CHRISTIAN

Oct. 10 Cecilia

Oct 16 NORTHSIDE

Oct. 24 BEAU CHENE

Oct. 31 Opelousas

Nov. 7 LIVONIA

Home games in caps

PAST FIVE YEARS

2024: 5-6

2023: 3-7

2022: 4-6

2021: 5-6

2020: 6-2

PROJECTED STARTERS

Offense

WR Isaiah Leblanc (6-3, 180, Sr.)*

WR Dakowen Celestine (6-2, 165, Jr.)

TE Nelson Borel (6-2, 180, Jr.)

OL Luke Landry (6-0, 220, Sr.)*

OL Christian Joseph (6-3, 240, Sr.)*

OL Joseph Roberts (5-11, 265, Jr.)

OL Jaden Martin (5-10, 235, Sr.)

OL Blaine Sonnier (6-5, 285, Sr.)

QB Caynon Ardoin (5-11, 170, Sr.)

RB Baylon Champagne (5-9, 205, Sr.)*

RB Arkell Jean Batiste (6-0 175, Sr.)

Defense

DT Percy Moultrie (6-2, 245, So.)*

DT Kenyan Demonter (5-11, 265, Jr.)*

DT Christian Joseph (6-3, 240, Sr.)*

LB Emmanual Watson (5-10, 215, Jr.)

LB Baylon Champagne (5-9, 205, Sr.)*

LB Cruz Trail (5-10, 175, So.)*

LB Shawnee Lewis (5-10, 175, Sr.)*

CB Ricky Gary (5-7, 150, Fr.)

CB Chase Broussard (5-7, 160, Jr.)*

SAF Dakowen Celestine (6-2, 165, So.)*

SAF Noah Soloman (5-9, 160, Jr.)*

* Returning starter

COACHES

Assistant

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Breaux Bridge

What we know

The Breaux Bridge Tigers didn’t have the success they had hoped for in Year 1 under coach Tyler Pierce.

But Pierce said he believes last season’s 2-8 campaign helped lay the foundation for future success as the Tigers were able to get some valuable playing experience — especially on the defensive side — for several freshmen and sophomores.

“The strength of this team this year is that the core of our team is returning,” Pierce said. “We really had some guys step up last year and some of those freshmen that started will be back starting again.”

The Tigers return nine defensive starters from last year, led by linebackers Baylon Champagne, Shawnee Lewis and Cruz Trail. Champagne, who recorded 58 tackles as a junior, was the Tigers’ leading tackler and rusher last season.

“I’m very comfortable with our linebacker group,” Pierce said. “Having everyone back is big for us. Baylon is our communicator in the front seven, Shawnee is a player that really helps us in coverage and Cruz is a player that started for us as a freshman and did some really good things.”

“Our offensive linemen move really well,” Hearen said. “We have five guys that can move and have really good feet. They have been great in the

weight room, so they are strong, and they all have good size. They have all the intangibles you would want in an offensive line.”

What we don’t know

With so many young players returning and being counted on to play valuable minutes, how they adjust to running a new offensive scheme is a big question.

With the addition of Benjamin Gonzalez, who was an assistant coach at Carencro for five years, the Tigers are transitioning from a spread offense to the veer-andshoot.

“We are going to be under center a lot more than usual this year,” Pierce said. “We’re going to be able to lean more on the run game this year and with the new offense, we can be multiple.”

Offensively, the Tigers will benefit from having eight seniors in the starting lineup and will be led by Champagne, quarterback Caynon Ardoin, running back Arkell Jean Batiste and receiver Isaiah Leblanc.

“We don’t have many seniors, but we do have a huge group of freshmen,” Pierce said. “Some of them are either going to start or be rotated in. The key for us is that we have to develop depth.”

How we see it

The Tigers are in their second year under Pierce. If they are going to take the next step in building the program, it’s vital that several of younger players step up and contribute immediately

Eric Narcisse

SCOREBOARD

L.A. Dodgers 2 Tuesday’s Games Houston at Miami, n San Francisco at Pittsburgh, n Athletics at Washington, n Baltimore at Philadelphia, n Cleveland at N.Y. Mets, n Milwaukee at Atlanta, n Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, n Toronto at Colorado, n San Diego at Arizona, n St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers, n Wednesday’s Games Baltimore (Rogers 4-2) at Philadelphia (Suárez 8-4), 11:35 a.m. San Francisco (Ray 9-5) at Pittsburgh (Heaney 5-9), 11:35 a.m. Cleveland (Williams 6-4) at N.Y. Mets (Peterson 7-4), 12:10 p.m Cincinnati (Abbott 8-1) at Chicago Cubs (Horton 5-3), 1:20 p.m. Toronto (Gausman 7-8) at Colorado (Freeland 2-11), 2:10 p.m. St. Louis (Liberatore 6-9) at L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 0-0), 3:10 p.m. Houston (Arrighetti 1-1) at Miami (Junk 5-2) 3:40 p.m. Athletics (Springs 10-7) at Washington (TBD), 5:45 p.m. Milwaukee (Quintana 8-4) at Atlanta (Strider 5-8), 6:15 p.m. San Diego (Cortes 1-1) at Arizona (DeSclafani 1-2), 8:40 p.m. Golf PGA Tour Statistics Through Aug. 4 FedExCup Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4,806. 2, Rory McIlroy, 3,444. 3, Sepp Straka, 2,595. 4, Russell Henley 2,391. 5, Justin Thomas, 2,280. 6, Ben Griffin, 2,275. 7, Harris English, 2,232. 8, J.J. Spaun, 2,144. 9, Tommy Fleetwood, 1,783. 10, Keegan Bradley, 1,749. Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.314. 2, Rory McIlroy

68.976. 3, Tommy Fleetwood, 69.756. 4, Sepp Straka, 69.873. 5, Harry Hall, 69.882. 6, Russell Henley, 69.895. 7, Ben Griffin, 69.963. 8, J.J. Spaun, 69.979. 9, Chris Gotterup, 70.058. 10, Justin Thomas, 70.072. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 327.6. 2, Rory McIlroy, 323.4. 3, Niklas Norgaard, 320.4. 4, Jesper Svensson, 320.2. 5, Nicolai Hojgaard, 319.6. 6, Michael Thorbjornsen, 318.3. 7, Rasmus Hojgaard, 318. 8, Kurt Kitayama, 317.8. 9, Will Gordon, 316.6. 10, Chris Gotterup, 316.3. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Paul Peterson, 73.87%. 2, Aaron Rai, 73.47%. 3, Ben Kohles, 72.33%. 4, Takumi Kanaya, 71.27%. 5, Collin Morikawa, 71.25%. 6, Andrew Putnam, 70.31%. 7, Joel Dahmen, 69.16%. 8, Zach Johnson, 69.06%. 9, Brice Garnett, 68.70%. 10, Brandt Snedeker, 68.50%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00% Total Driving

ISAIAH LEBLANC

WR/QB, 6-3, 180, SR. Arguably the team’s best athlete, Leblanc is the most explosive playmaker for the Tigers. Leblanc, who has a college offer from Northwestern State, has shown the ability to make big plays when the ball is in his hands.

CHRISTIAN JOSEPH

DL/OL, 6-3, 240, SR. Joseph is another player who will be counted on to play on both sides of the football.

A year ago, he started every game as a defensive lineman and eight games along the offensive line. He’s aggressive and has proven to be a tremendous run blocker

BAYLON CHAMPAGNE

LB/RB, 5-9, 205, SR. Champagne does it all for theTigers as he will again be counted upon to affect the game on both sides of the football.Champagne was both theTigers’leading rusher and tackler as a junior and Pierce said he believes the best is yet to come.

SHAWNEE LEWIS

LB/RB, 5-10, 175, SR.

The most versatile player on the Tigers’ defense, Lewis is a hybrid linebacker/ safety capable of playing in coverage or in the box. He’s developed into a sure tackler

LUKE LANDRY

OL/DL, 6-0, 220, SR. Landry is a mauler up front for theTigers,whose coaches applaud his aggressiveness. Another two-way player, Landry’s toughness and physicality is expected to play well in Breaux Bridge’s new offensive scheme.

1, Rico Hoey, 58. 2, Thomas Rosenmueller, 64. 3, Michael Thorbjornsen, 74. 4, Isaiah Salinda, 75. 5, Alex Smalley, 82. 6, Kevin Roy 87. 7, Kevin Yu, 97. 8, Ricky Castillo, 98. 9, Luke List, 99. 10, Kris Ventura, 105. SG-Putting 1, Harry Hall, .874. 2, Taylor Montgomery, .854. 3, Sam Burns, .833. 4, Rory McIlroy, .754. 5, Sam Ryder, .686. 6, Cameron Young, .660. 7, Denny McCarthy, .633. 8, Nico Echavarria, .619. 9, Brandt Snedeker, .558. 10, Jacob Bridgeman, .549. Birdie Average 1, Harry Hall, 4.52. 2, Justin Thomas, 4.5. 3, Jake Knapp, 4.44. 4, Scottie Scheffler, 4.42. 5, Kurt Kitayama, 4.41. 6, Keith Mitchell, 4.38. 7 (tie), Akshay Bhatia and Sepp Straka, 4.35. 9, Michael Thorbjornsen, 4.31. 10, Jesper Svensson, 4.3. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Alejandro Tosti, 66.9. 2, Scottie Scheffler, 82.3. 3, Karl Vilips, 82.8. 4, Charley Hoffman, 84. 5, Steven Fisk, 84.5. 6, Rory McIlroy, 90. 7, David Skinns, 83.3. 8, Sami Valimaki, 97.5. 9, Antoine Rozner, 99.8. 10, Jackson Suber, 102.6. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Scheffler, 208. 2, Keith Mitchell, 301. 3, Alex Smalley, 305. 4, Sepp Straka, 341. 5, Kurt Kitayama, 342. 6, Kevin Yu, 345. 7, Rory McIlroy, 349. 8, Kevin Roy, 356. 9, Jake Knapp, 369. 10, Nicolai Hojgaard, 381. LPGA Tour Statistics Through Aug. 4 Scoring 1, Jeeno Thitikul, 69.51. 2, Nelly Korda, 69.87. 3, Hyo Joo Kim, 70.02. 4, Angel Yin, 70.07. 5, Minjee Lee, 70.09. 6, Somi Lee, 70.27. 7, Miyu Yamashita, 70.38. 8, Rio Takeda, 70.42. 9, HyeJin Choi, 70.44. 10, Jin Young Ko, 70.48. Driving Distance 1, Polly Mack, 289.17. 2, Julia Lopez Ramirez 285.61. 3, Auston Kim, 282.65. 4, Emily Kristine Pedersen, 280.99. 5, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, 279.24. 6, Bailey Tardy, 278.72. 7, Bianca Pagdangnan, 277.9. 8, Madison Young, 276.28. 9, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 274.82. 10, Fatima Fernandez Cano, 274.38. Greens in Regulation 1, Haeran Ryu, .77%. 2 (tie), Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Rio Takeda, .76%. 4 (tie), Megan Khang, Yealimi Noh and Jeeno Thitikul, .75%.

7, 4 tied with .74%. Putts per GIR

1 (tie), Jeeno Thitikul and Yahui Zhang, 1.72. 3 (tie), Minami Katsu and Yuka Saso, 1.73. 5 (tie), Ariya Jutanugarn and Hyo Joo Kim, 1.74. 7 (tie), Sei Young Kim and Angel Yin, 1.75. 9, 2 tied with 1.76. Birdies 1, Rio Takeda, 240. 2, Minami Katsu, 221. 3, Celine Boutier, 218. 4 (tie), Mi Hyang Lee and Minjee Lee, 217. 6 (tie), Ayaka Furue and Nelly Korda, 215. 8 (tie), Jin Hee Im and A Lim Kim, 210. 10, Somi Lee, 207. Eagles 1, Madelene Sagstrom, 11. 2, Mi Hyang Lee, 10. 3, Rio Takeda, 9. 4 (tie), Stephanie Kyriacou, Yealimi Noh, Julia Lopez Ramirez and Ina Yoon, 8.

Joseph

Champagne

Lewis Landry

Leblanc

Head coach: Tyler Pierce (2-8)

coaches: Benjamin Gonzalez (OC/ QB), Luke Barras- (OL), Gabe Cormier (RB), Jayveon Williams (WR), Stephen Barrett (DC/ Secondary),Tyler Thibodeaux (OLB), Gabriel Leblanc (DL).

PHOTO By ERIC NARCISSE

Breaux Bridge High team leaders include: Isaiah LeBlanc (1), Christian Joseph (1), Shawnee Lewis (4), Luke Landry (68), Percy Moultrie (52), Baylon Champagne (7) and Cruz Trail (15).

Pierce

Signature Starbucks latte is returning to U.S. menus for autumn

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN

the U.S. and Canada on Aug. 26. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since the espresso drink’s 2003 launch. It’s also produced a host of imitations. Dunkin’ introduced pumpkin-flavored drinks in 2007; it will beat Starbucks to market this year when its fall menu debuts on Aug. 20. McDonald’s introduced a pumpkin spice latte in 2013. Here’s a look at the Pumpkin Spice Latte by the numbers:

100 Number of Starbucks stores that sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte during a test run in Vancouver and Washington in 2003. The following year it launched nationally.

79 Number of markets where Starbucks sold the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2024. At the time, the company had stores in 85 markets around the world. It now operates in 88 markets.

$36.2B Starbucks’ net revenue in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended last September Starbucks’ net revenue was $4.1 billion in 2003, when the Pumpkin Spiace Latte first went on sale.

33.8% Increaseinmentions of pumpkin spice on U.S. menus between the fall of 2014 and the fall of 2024, according to Technomic.

4 Number of spices in McCormick’s Pumpkin Pie Spice. They are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.

2022 The year Merriam-Webster added “pumpkin spice” to the dictionary Less common, it said, is the term “pumpkin pie spice.”

3 The Pumpkin Spice Latte was the third seasonal beverage introduced by Starbucks, after the Eggnog Latte and the Peppermint Mocha.

Sept. 8 Date the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale in 2015. The on-sale date has edged earlier since then.

24% Amount foot traffic rose at U.S. Starbucks last year on Aug. 22, the day the Pumpkin Spice Latte went on sale, according to Placer.ai. The company compared traffic that Thursday to the previous eight Thursdays.

45.5% Amount foot traffic rose at Starbucks stores in North Dakota on Aug. 22, 2024, the most of any state, according to Placer.ai. Foot traffic in Mississippi rose the least, at 4.8%

42,000 Number of members of the Leaf Rakers Society, a private Facebook group Starbucks created in 2018 to celebrate fall all year long.

TikTok restaurant critic Mr. Chimetime ranks Lafayette high among country’s finest food cities

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Welcome to Lafayette — the heart of Cajun and Creole Country, where even food critic and TikTok influencer Mr. Chimetime says the food is unlike anywhere else.

Despite visiting numerous cities over the past two years, Mr Chimetime whose given name is Rashad Moore, ranked Lafayette, a city where smothered dishes can send anyone into a food coma and the boudin is a one of a kind, as one of the top three places he’s ever eaten.

“I have to admit, my top three are New York, Detroit, and I have to give it to Lafayette. The food is unlike anywhere else,” said Mr. Chimetime in a interview Tuesday He said Lafayette wasn’t originally on his Louisiana tour With more than 2 million followers across his channels on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, he was initially urged to take his taste buds to New Orleans. After sampling a few spots in the Big Easy, he said he left feeling disappointed. So he turned to social media for suggestions on where to go next and the responses led him to Acadiana.

IMAGE FROM FACEBOOK/MR. CHIMETIME

Rashad Mooreman is a social media food influencer and reviewer known as Mr Chimetime.

While in Lafayette, the influencer discovered a love for foods he’d never tried before, and gained a new appreciation for smothered

cooking. He also learned about the concept of “plate lunches,” a term he’d never heard of before visiting Lafayette.

“I mean I’ve had places serve me food in a styrofoam plate but in Lafayette it took on a whole new meaning. It’s like a home-cooked meal packed on the plate. The amount is crazy,” he said.

Some of the local spots he tried included Glenda’s Creole Kitchen, Telly’s Place, JB’s Cruisin Cuisine, and Laura’s Two. After trying several, he began to notice something similar about each: The portions were enough to feed more than one person, and almost every plate featured tender meat that fell off the bone, which he credits to Lafayette’s signature smothering technique.

“I kept referring to the cooking as stewed but the locals made sure to clarify they only smother things out here. Never in my life have I had cabbage smothered like that,” he said.

“So I see why it’s important to distinguish the two.”

Throwing 10’s across the board for nearly every place he ate, when asked to name his top two, he choose JB’s Cruisin Cuisine and

Rashad ‘Mr Chimetime’ Moore

Unwrappedchicken debacle

Dear Heloise: Ibought a chicken at the storethat was encased in clear plastic wrap. Iremoved the plastic wrap and was about to start dinner when my husband walked in and said that my son and his new wife invited us for dinner that evening. He forgot to tell me two days ago. So, Iplaced the chicken in the refrigerator and cooked it the following night. But my husband refused to eatitbecause he said it had probably gone bad after being stored overnight in the refrigerator unwrapped. Is this true?

have to cook for two, and it’snot as easy as you might think.

On Monday,Imade chili, and it was very good. There was alot leftover,soIthought I’d prepare chili dogs andother fixingsfor dinneronSaturday

Best to be upfront, honest

My husband has started to become avery pickyeater

He announced that he wouldn’teat chili that had beenstoredinthe refrigerator two days. (I’m not tryingtokill himwith 2-day-old chili!)

Frankly Idon’tbelieveit. What is your verdict on this chicken debacle? —Fay L.,in Arcadia, Florida

Fay,storing an unwrapped chicken overnight shouldn’tbeaproblem as long as your chicken was kept cold thewholetime. It might be alittle drier, but it’snot dangerous to consume. However,ifyou store it longer than one day,itneeds to be wrapped The sooner it’scooked and eaten, the better.Never refreeze meats, fowl or seafoodafter they have been thawed out. —Heloise Cookingfor two

Dear Heloise: Now thatboth my husband and Iare retired, and our four children are married and living in different cities or states, I

Now he wants me to make smaller meals so that he won’t havetoeat leftovers. It’sanice idea, but often there are leftovers. How do Iget him to eat theleftovers?

—TearingMyHair Out, in Delaware

Tearing My Hair Out, you’re not alone. Iget many letters about thissubject.

It’s really easier to cook for agang than only two people.

Onewoman wrote to say that she placed acooked TV dinner in front of her husband and said, “I don’twant to see any leftovers.”

Remind him that many men wish their wives would make awarmmealmade from scratch. Perhaps not everyday,but maybe once or twicea weekwould be appreciated.

Womencook for their families as an expression of their lovefor them,but maybe it’stime to switch roles! Let him make dinner

three times aweek, and you can cook the other three days. On theseventh day, you two can go out to dinner.Let’ssee if leftovers still bother him when he has to cook. —Heloise Destinationweddings

Dear Heloise: Nancy in Waterbury,Connecticut, wrote in about destination weddings becoming so popular, but unfortunately most people can’tattendawedding that is thousands of miles away.Itotally agree with her and the bride and groom’s parents. If thecouple want togotoHawaii, then maybe they should have their wedding at home and go there on their honeymoon instead.

Iagree that it’stotally selfish to expect everyday folks to shell out this kind of money for the flight, lodging and food. I’m not afan and haven’tattended two destination weddings because of the cost. —Peggy, in New Jersey

Peggy,Iagree. For most of us, flying to another part of the country for awedding is too expensive and time-consuming.Italso begs thequestion, “Why?” If thebride and groom want to go away toget married, fine. Goodbye and the very best of luck tobothofthem! Butplease don’tbeangry if therest of us can’tbethere on your special day —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

BEST

Continued from page5C

other well: the sweetness of thepear,the nutty richness of the cheese, the tanginess of the fig vinaigrette, the savoryshrimp. All serve to create one cohesive dish that makes the perfect light lunch.

—Serena Puang, features writer

Prosciutto Flatbread

n Nino’s, 7512 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge

If Nino’sisalittle Baton Rouge treasure, the prosciutto flatbread appetizer is one of its crown jewels. Each bite —thinly sliced prosciutto, creamy stracciatella and adab of basil

pestoonslices of warm bread—hits all the marks for aperfect appetizer Iwentfor lunch last week and was impressed with theentire menu andeverythingItried. The food was wonderful. Theservice? Friendlyand warm. The company?Even better By the end of the meal, I foundmyself planning my next visit. If you haven’t beeninawhile —orever— let this be your sign.

—Jan Risher,Louisiana culture editor

Brunch

n Little Big Cup, 49 Fuselier Road, Arnaudville

When someone comes to visit, Ialways wanttoshow them the best slice of Acadiana Ican,startingwith the food.Which is where

Little Big Cup in Arnaudville comes in.

While my sister-in-law was visiting from Florida, I madeSunday brunch reservations for us to sit on Little Big Cup’sporch. For about $20 aperson, we enjoyed abeautiful view of Bayou Fusilier and one of my favoritebuffets.

Choices range from the savory withboudin, cracklins, jambalaya and egg frittata to thedecadent with praline chicken and waffles, cinnamon rolls and roasted sweet potatoes withacinnamon glaze.

Andifyou like cocktails, thedrinks are well-crafted for whatever your taste. Irecommend the butter pecan old-fashioned or the jazzpunch.

—Ashley White, education reporter

Dear Harriette: I’ve been swamped with work. I work in ahigh-demand environment and have recently been securing anumber of new high-end clients. This means early days, late nightsand busy lunches.Mygirlfriend is not happy with how rigorous my workschedule has been these past few months; she’s expressed it to me, but I haven’thad time to do anythingabout it. Recently she started filling her time with one of our friends —a guy.Itstarted off mostly as acasual shared dinner here and there, but it’s been alot more consistent lately,and it has expanded to other activities such as movies, walks and more. I’ve tried expressing that I don’tappreciatehow close

they’ve gotten, but Idon’t have much of aleg to stand on. She always blames me forher being lonely.I don’t want to seem insecure, but it makes me uncomfortable.

Laura’sTwo. At both places he paid for 100 people to eat free, wanting others to experience just how good the food was for themselves. Growing up in North Carolina,Mooresays the only foods he ate back home that resembled what he found in Lafayette were cracklins and po-boys. But during his visit, he was excited to add something new to his palate: boudin.

To find his favorite, he made stops at several wellknown spots —Billy’s Boudin and Cracklins, Don’s Specialty Meats, Kartchner’s, Guidroz Food Center, and Best Stop —paying close attention to one key detail he came to love: the snap.

“The difference between the boudins were size and flavor but what Ilearned that Iloved the most was the snap of the casing when you

easy,Moore says, especially when it cametoboudin— somethingthat he described as uniquely flavorfuland unlike anything he’d ever tasted. He was amazed at how something as simple as rice and meat, in mostofthe dishesinLafayette carried so much flavor

Someofhis other stops were at Mama’sFried Chicken in Opelousas, Bourque’s Specialty Meats andOld Tyme Grocery.

“Everywhere Iwentjust kept gettingbetter,” he said. “Forme, Lafayette really carried Louisiana. The 337 food scene is killing thefood gamescene.”

first bite in it,” Moore said. Although alltraditional boudinisfilled withrice and pork, he noticed thateach spot had its own twist. Variationsinspice, smokyflavor and onionflavor helped him rank his favorites. Best Stop took the top spot, followed by Guidroz in second, Billy’sinthird, Kartchner’sin fourth,and Don’s. Choosing afavoritewasn’t

Since leaving Lafayette, Moore hastaken to social media to share the aftermath of his food journey, jokingthathearrived at 230 pounds and left weighing 256. In apost, he wrote, “Feet swollen, anklesswollen, I’m getting biggerby theday —help. #Lafayette.” Next time he returns to Louisiana, he says Lake Charles is at the topofhis list.

—Working Hard

Dear Working Hard: The next timeyou have amoment to be still and have a full conversation with your girlfriend, invite her to talk. Apologize forbeing so busy of late. Explain that your work is extremely busy right now and in order foryou to prosper at your company, you have to show up and give 100%. Tell her you understand that she misses you and is lonely.Donot promise her something that you cannot offer even as you tell her that you want to find timetobe morepresent forher in the

coming months. That said, next tell her that you are concerned about the relationship she has with the man whois becoming her constant companion. Acknowledge that you know she is lonely,but you worry that this may slip into amore intimate relationship simply due to how much timethey are spending together.Ask her what the status of their friendship is now.Implore her to be honest with you even if she thinks it may hurt your feelings. Let her know what behavior would represent a deal-breaker foryour relationship. Don’tbevague. Be upfront so that she is clear about the consequences of her actions.

Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com.

New-relationship tunnel vision

they have sex? Ewww

Dear Miss Manners: My friend has started aromantic relationship, and although I’m delighted for her,I’m now finding thevolume and intensity of her conversations difficult We don’tseem to talk about anything other than her boyfriend: where they go, what he thinks and how often they have sex.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

She’salso become flaky —canceling plans withanhour’snotice as she’snow “tired.” And she seldom answers the phone or returns atext. As I’m now thelast single person in our group of friends, and she has been a close and dear friend for a long time, I’m worried I’ll be seen as jealous if Isay I’d like to talk about other thingsorthat I’d like tobe treated respectfully when plans are made. What should Ido?

But be patient abit longer.The reason manywedding vowsuse the “Tale of TwoCities” best-of-times/ worst-of-times rhetoric is that long-term human relationships are not static. This will be true of your friend’sromantic relationship, and it is true of your friendship with her If you can have a little patience with her now,Miss Manners expects her to reciprocate when you need her forany number of upheavals, good or bad, in your own life.

But you can still change the subject once in awhile.

Gentlereader: How often

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 6, the 218th day of 2025. There are 147 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On Aug. 6, 1945, during World WarII, theU.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1806, Emperor Francis II abdicated, marking the end of the Holy Roman Empire after nearly a thousand years.

In 1825, Upper Peru becamethe autonomous republic of Bolivia.

In 1890, at Auburn Prison in Auburn, New York, William Kemmler became the

Dear Miss Manners: What is the proper etiquette when waiting foraride from someone? Iwas always taught to stand outside and waitfor the kind person giving me aride or,atthe very least, to keep asharp eye out.

TODAYINHISTORY

first person to be executed via the electric chair

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle becamethe first womanto swim across the English Channel.

In 1942, Queen Wilhemina, of theNetherlands,became thefirst reigning queen to address ajoint session of Congress, telling lawmakers that despiteNazi occupation,her people’s motto remained, “Nosurrender.

In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom after 300 years of British rule.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.

In 1991, the World Wide Webmade its public debut as ameans of accessing

But when Iwent to pick up ateenager,hewas inside, watching TV.Heexpected me to go up to his house and knock to let him know that Iwas there! He thinks Iamcrazy forexpecting him to wait outside forme. Gentle reader: The rule has always been, and continues to be, not to inconvenience someone doing you afavor —inthis case, the driver How that is accomplished has been changed by the appearance of such things as cellular telephones, so that it is no longer necessary to huddle under the nearest overhang in the rain, squinting for approaching headlights. Miss Manners agrees that even ateenager should not expect the driver to make it all the way to the television. But he could exert himself to watch his phone for news of your arrival.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners.com.

webpages over the internet. In 2011, insurgents shot down aU.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite Navy commando unit that had killed Osama bin Laden; seven Afghan commandos also died. Today’sBirthdays: Actor-director Peter Bonerz is 87. Actor Dorian Harewood is 75. Actor Leland Orser is 65. Actor Michelle Yeoh is 63. Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson is 60. Movie writer-director M. Night Shyamalan is 55. Singer GeriHalliwell Horner is 53. Actor Vera Farmiga is

STAFF PHOTO By ASHLEyWHITE

Some of the items at Little Big Cup’sweekend brunch buffet includepraline chicken and waffles,boudin and cracklins.

Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Hints from Heloise

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Bide your time and stay ahead of the situation by having alternative plans in place, and you'll find it easier to navigate your way forward. Keep documents in a safe place.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take a midweek break and have some fun. Events that allow you to do something you enjoy will lead to interesting connections and the potential for love and romance.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Stop and rethink your next move. Look at your checklist and revise and prioritize before you let your emotions take the lead or push you down the wrong path. An outside point of view will be valuable.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Use charm to get you a seat at the table. Take the time to reassure someone you love that you have their back. Hit the refresh button to ensure you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Knowledge and making the right connections will contribute to your success. A minimalist lifestyle will help ease stress and deal with some of the responsibilities or daily tasks you no longer want to do.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Share your feelings. If you want change, you must talk to those standing between you and your desires. Take time, cost and effort into consideration, and you'll hit the jackpot.

AQuARIus (Jan 20-Feb. 19) Let your creative imagination kick in and help you

find unique ways to reach your target at a price you can afford. Communication and resourcefulness will save you time and money.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Participate in something that helps you express yourself. Focus on details, connect with likeminded people and promote what you have to offer.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Choose the path that leads to something you enjoy doing. Refuse to let anyone use emotional manipulation on you to make you feel guilty. Once you take care of business don't begrudge yourself the right to playtime.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Make a point of doing what you say you will do. All talk and no action will lead to criticism. Take a journey that will help you showcase and enhance your skills.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) You'll rebound from one thing to another with ease. High energy levels, insight and discipline will help you achieve whatever you set out to do if you pay attention to what things cost.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Create what works best for you instead of putting others first. A kind gesture will make those you are dealing with feel good and more likely to be patient and less critical of how you set your priorities.

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

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's CLuE: L EQuALs y

CeLebrItY CIpher

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

GarryKasparov,manypeople’schoice asthebestchessplayerever,said,“Chess helps you to concentrate, improveyour logic. It teaches you to play by the rules and take responsibility for your actions, how to problem-solveinanuncertain environment.”

Bridgeplayerscanrelatetothat.Interestingly, though, the environment is less certaininbridge,wherethereareunseen cards, than in chess, where the position of every piece is known Some chessgamesfeatureasacrifice, purposely losing apiece. Thisis much less common in bridge, but can be required —asinthisdeal.South is in three no-trump. West leads the spade queen. What is South’sbestlineofplay, and how can East foilthat plan?

South, with seven toptricks (two spades, two heartsand three diamonds), must establishtwo club tricks to get home. The best way to do that is low to dummy’s king on the first round. But even if South can succeed, he will lose the lead twice. Thereisa risk that the defenders will establish andrun West’s spade suit.

In this situation, with twokey-cards to dislodge,declarer usually should duck the first trick.

Aftertaking thesecondspade in his hand,South playsaclub to dummy’s king. Now is the key moment. East must realizethat if declarer has the club ace, hisqueenisworthless.Hemustsacrifice his queen under dummy’s king. Here, thisgives West twoclubentries, one to establish his spades and one to cash the winners.

NotethatifEastretainshisclubqueen, he wins the second club and does not have aspade to lead. Then the contract makes. ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuCtIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

toDAy’s WoRD LIBERAL: LIB-ih-rul: Broad-minded; inclined to be open to nontraditional ideas.

Average mark18words

Timelimit 35 minutes

Can you find 28 or morewords in LIBERAL?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —BEGInnInGs

begin beginning being benign binge binging egis ensign gibe gibing ginseng

ibis inning nine ninnies seining sign signing sine sing singe singing

sinning

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Trump narrows Fed chair candidates to four

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s whittled down his list of potential Federal Reserve chair candidates to four as he considers a successor to Jerome Powell Asked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” for a future replacement to Powell, Trump named Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Kevin Warsh, a former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

He said two other people were also under consideration, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among them.

“I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,” Trump said He did not name his other two top candidates but used the opportunity to disparage Powell, whom he has dubbed “too late” in cutting interest rates.

The news that Trump plans to make a decision on the Fed chair “soon” comes as the Republican president has been highly critical of current Powell, whose term ends in May Trump recently floated having the Fed’s board of governors take full control of the U.S. central bank from Powell, whom he has relentlessly pressured to cut short-term interest rates in ways that raise questions about whether the Fed can remain free from White House politicking U.S. stocks slip following latest discouraging signal

NEW YORK U.S stock indexes slipped on Tuesday following the latest discouraging signal on the U.S. economy

The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, coming off a whipsaw stretch where it went from its worst day since May to its best since May The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 61 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7%.

A weaker-than-expected report on activity for U.S. businesses in services industries like transportation and retail added to worries that President Donald Trump’s tariffs may be hurting the economy “Tariffs are causing additional costs as we continue to purchase equipment and supplies,” one company in the health care and social assistance business said. “Though we need to continue with these purchases, the cost is significant enough that we are postponing other projects to accommodate these cost changes.”

Axon Enterprise leaped 16.4% after the company, which sells Tasers, body cameras and software to public safety departments, reported a much stronger profit than analysts expected. It also cited growth in its AI offerings, which can save time for transcriptions and other tasks.

On the losing side of Wall Street was American Eagle Outfitters, which dropped 9.5% to give back some of its 23.6% jump from the day before. That’s when Trump weighed in on the debate surrounding the retailer’s advertisements, which highlight actor Sydney Sweeney’s great jeans.

Some critics thought the ad’s reference to the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor’s “great genes” may be extolling a narrow set of beauty standards, while Trump said that being “WOKE is for losers.”

UAW faction seeks to oust union chief in sign of unrest

A group of United Auto Workers members is seeking to oust President Shawn Fain ahead of an election next year, a sign of frustration among some in the two years since the labor group secured landmark contracts with U.S. automakers. Workers at a Stellantis NV truck factory in suburban Detroit and an engine plant in southeast Michigan voted over the weekend to start the union’s process to remove its leader, said two UAW members involved with the effort. The votes join earlier ones by four other local UAW chapters, reaching the threshold needed for Fain’s opponents to bring allegations of financial mismanagement, workplace retaliation and other issues against him to the federal monitor overseeing the union for potential discipline Representatives for Fain and the UAW didn’t respond to requests for comment.

driver and GM calibration

part of the range test on a

conserve energy by not using air

With the Silverado electric vehicle, a team from GM unofficially beat the standing record (749 miles) for most miles on a single charge. The Silverado hit the 750 mile mark with 28% left in the battery.

MILES AHEAD

GM EV unofficially tops industry range record

BY SUMMER BALLENTINE

The Detroit News (TNS)

General Motors Co. engineers unofficially broke industry records for miles driven in an electric vehicle on a single charge, the Detroit automaker said Tuesday, going more than 1,000 miles. Drivers reached more than double the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimated 493-mile range for the 2026 Silverado EV Work Truck, which Chief Engineer Joe Roy said is GM’s longestrange offering. The test comes as U.S. adoption of EVs grows much slower than GM and other automakers anticipated, accounting for more than 7% of the market this year Analysts predict interest will at least temporarily drop once the $7,500 tax credits for some EV buyers end in September and the Trump administration

works to roll back emissions regulations that incentivized production despite lagging consumer demand.

In that environment, Roy said increasing EV range remains a top priority to sway skeptics worried about frequent charging.

“Range is the No. 1 pain point from a customer perspective,” Roy said. Volunteers drove the Silverado in roughly hourlong shifts, 12 hours a day over the course of seven days to test the extended-range battery’s limits.

Officially, the Lucid Air Grand Touring holds the Guinness World Record for the most miles driven on a single charge. A team of three drivers officially earned the title July 5 after driving more than 748 miles from Silvaplana, Switzerland, to Munich, Germany, over the course of two days.

The Silverado’s journey was less intense. Engineers plotted routes for maximum efficiency around Metro Detroit. Like the Lucid team, drivers took advantage of optimal warm weather during the summer for the best battery performance.

To maintain battery life as long as possible, drivers also turned off the truck’s air conditioning, despite several 90-degree days. No riders were permitted during most of the test, and the team ditched the vehicle’s spare tire to reduce weight. Testing stopped before nightfall, which avoided using battery power to run headlights. And drivers kept speeds at 20-25 miles per hour as often as possible.

“We’re definitely taking this to the extreme limit here,” said Jon Doremus, who led the range project. “But there is a lot that you can learn from it. Things like looking ahead and driving for efficiency (and) maybe picking routes that are more efficient rather than taking the interstate if you have a little more time to get where you’re going.”

Trump floats plan to legalize undocumented farmworkers

BY DAVE GOLDINER New york Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday floated a plan to grant legal status to undocumented immigrant farmworkers, claiming that foreign-born migrants are “naturally” better suited than “inner city” Americans to menial agricultural jobs.

In what would be a controversial partial break from his hard-line mass deportation plan, Trump said he wants to allow migrant farmworkers, millions of whom have lived in the country for years or decades, to remain in the U.S. indefinitely

“In some cases, we’re sending them back to their country with a pass back (so when) they’re coming in, they’re coming in legally,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC. “We can’t let our farmers not have anybody.”

Trump used the present tense in the interview even though no such plan currently exists.

Any change to federal immigration laws would normally require congressional action, though Trump might seek to take executive action to achieve his goals, which he portrayed as helping farmers who rely on undocumented immigrant labor.

Trump asserted that low-income American citizens are not as well suited to tough and low-paying farm work compared to immigrants, without offering any evidence.

“People that live in the inner city are not doing that work. They’ve tried, we’ve tried, everybody tried. They don’t do it,” Trump said. “These people do it naturally They don’t get a bad back.”

Big Ag and giant hospitality firms have lobbied the White House for a reprieve from his much-hyped mass deportation plan, which aims to oust up to 20 million undocumented immigrants from the U.S., regardless of how long they have lived here

The corporate titans, many of whom are also Republican donors, point out that America would have no way of feeding itself or running its restaurants and hotels without undocumented immigrants, a rare point of common ground with progressive advocates for immigrants.

Any formal program to carve out a new legal status to groups of undocumented immigrants is likely to spark strong opposition from right-wing hard-liners, who decry such compromises as amnesty for law-breaking illegal immigrants.

It’s unclear if Trump has the stomach to push through a plan to ease his own immigration crackdown or if his MAGA base would back him if he does.

Feds propose easing some drone restrictions

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

A new federal rule proposed Tuesday would make it easier for companies to use drones over longer distances out of the operator’s sight without having to go through a cumbersome waiver process.

The federal government had already approved 657 waivers to allow companies such as Amazon and major utilities to do this in certain circumstances, but the waiver process made it difficult. The rule would establish a clear process for drone operators to seek approval for using drones this way

The industry has long pressed for the rule because being able to operate drones out of sight opens up a multitude of possibilities for their use. Being able to do this enables more use of drones for deliveries, inspecting infrastructure like bridges and power lines and other uses in agriculture like spraying fertilizer over thousands of acres on large farms.

“This draft rule is a critical step toward enabling drone operations that will enhance safety, transform commercial services, and strengthen public safety with drones as a force multiplier,” Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International trade group, said in a statement. The rule spells out the circumstances drones can be used These out of sight flights will be allowed only under 400 feet, and there are precautions to ensure they don’t disrupt aviation and cause problems around airports Federal Aviation Administration

Administrator Bryan Bedford said. The drones will be required to have collision-avoidance technology to keep them away from planes and other drones. And the rule will only allow drones up to 1,320 pounds including their payloads.

“The issue hasn’t been that America just can’t innovate, America can’t create, America can’t build amazing drone technology It’s that we’ve had a bureaucracy in place that makes it incredibly incredibly difficult for innovators to actually innovate,”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The rules are designed to address the way modern drones are being used today

“While the technology has rapidly advanced over the last decade, our regulatory framework in the United States has failed to keep pace,” said Lisa Ellman, CEO of the Commercial Drone Alliance group “Drone operators must navigate a labyrinth of ill-suited regulations designed for crewed aircraft.” Rule in the works for years

President Donald Trump issued executive orders in June directing the Transportation Department to quickly get this rule out The orders also included restrictions meant to help protect against terrorism, espionage and public safety threats. Drones are already used in a va-

riety of ways, including bolstering search and rescue operations, applying fertilizer, inspecting power lines and railroad bridges, and even delivering packages. Amazon is one of the companies that received a waiver allowing it to use drones this way for some of its deliveries in College Station, Texas, as it develops the technology This rule should make it easier for Amazon and other companies to get approval to use drones this way in more communities.

Concerns about safety

The war in Ukraine has highlighted how drones could be used in a military or terrorist attack — a concern as the World Cup and Olympics approach in the U.S. There also have been espionage cases where drones have been used to surveil sensitive sites. And White House officials said drones are being used to smuggle drugs over the border, and there are concerns about the potential for a disastrous collision between a drone and an airliner around an airport.

The rule won’t allow drone flights over large open-air gatherings like concerts or sporting events or crowded parks.

The FAA consulted with the Department of Homeland Security as it developed this rule to make sure security concerns are addressed. The government will accept comments on the new rule over the next 60 days before finalizing the rule likely sometime later this year Drone operators will have to go through background checks and be certified to operate drones out of their sight.

THE DETROIT NEWS PHOTO By ROBIN BUCKSON Volunteer

engineer Matt Campbell drives the loop on Belle Isle as

Silverado EV in Detroit on July 28. The fan is being used to

conditioning.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy arrives to a news conference Tuesday at the Department of Transportation in Washington to discuss new drone regulations.

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